ABC/Randy HolmesIf you plan to spend the last week of 2017 binging Game of Thrones, then you might spot Bastille, who make a very brief appearance as wights in the army of the dead in the fantasy epic's season seven finale. As frontman Dan Smith tells ABC Radio, the British band were invited to visit Game of Thrones after they played a concert in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the show is filmed.

"We wandered around the set, which was pretty awesome," Smith says. "We're all pretty big Game of Thrones fans -- apart from Will [Faquarson], our bassist, who had never seen it, so he was walking around the set totally confused while everybody else was freaking out.

He continues, "When we were there, we were like, 'Do you need any extras?'"

They did, as it turned out, and Smith and company were suited up like reanimated corpses.

"We went and...got dressed up and just joined this massive group of people marching for the whole day in fake snow," Smith remembers. "It was so much fun. The film and TV geek in me was fully freaking out all day."

He laughs, "I think I slightly freaked out the woman doing the make-up with my over-excitement. I was like, 'Make me bloodier! I want an axe wound on my face!'"

Of course, the hardest part was keeping the appearance a secret.

"We're supposed to just not mention that we'd done it for ages, and had no idea if we'd pop up or not," Smith says. "And in fact, the longest shot of any of us is actually of our tour manager, Dick, which was quite funny."

Bastille is currently working on their new album, the follow-up to 2016's Wild World.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.


Light Combat Helicopters (LCH). Photo: HAL

BENGALURU (PTI): State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) said it has received a Request for Proposal (RFP) for 15 Limited Series Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) from the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army.



LCH is a 5.5-ton class, combat helicopter designed and developed by HAL.



The RFP for LCH comes days after IAF issued the request for proposal to HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas light combat aircraft at a cost of over Rs 50,000 crore.



Powered by two Shakti engines, the LCH inherits many technical features of the Advanced Light Helicopter, HAL said in a release.



Stating that presently, four technology demonstrators are under flight testing, it said the LCH has the distinction of being the first attack helicopter to land in forward bases at Siachen, 5,400 metres above sea level.



In August, the then Defence Minister Arun Jaitley had launched the production of LCH at Bengaluru and IOC documents of the basic version were handed over to HAL by Center for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC).



HAL said the features that are unique to LCH are sleek and narrow fuselage, tri-cycle crashworthy landing gear, crashworthy and self-sealing fuel tanks, armour protection and low visibility features which makes the helicopter lethal, agile and survivable.



The helicopter would have day/night targeting systems for the crew including the helmet pointed sight and electro-optical pod consisting of CCD camera/FLIR/Laser Range Finder(LRF)/Laser Designator(LD), it said.



The LCH is fitted with Self Protection Suite consisting of Radar/Laser Missile warning systems and Countermeasures dispensing system.


Gardai have renewed their appeal for help in tracing the whereabouts of a teenager missing from Sandyford, Co.Dublin.

15-year-old Ned Cash Connors was last seen on November 29, 2017 boarding an inbound Luas at Kilmacud Luas stop.
A British woman accused of smuggling drugs into Egypt has been jailed for three years, her family has said.

Shop worker Laura Plummer, 33, from Hull, was arrested after she was found to be carrying 290 tramadol tablets in her suitcase, a painkiller which is legal in the UK but which is banned in Egypt.

Ms Plummers family, who have described her as "naive", said she was taking the tablets for her Egyptian partner Omar Caboo, who suffers from severe back pain.

According to a Facebook group set up by her family, she appeared in court in Egypt on St Stephens Day and was jailed for three years.

The family said her lawyers lodged an immediate appeal.

Ms Plummer appeared in court on Christmas Day but the judge adjourned the case for a day because of her condition, according to her sister, Rachel.

Their mother Roberta Sinclair travelled to Egypt for the hearings.

The Plummer family has previously said Ms Plummer had no idea that what she doing was illegal and was just "daft".

They said she did not try to hide the medicine, which she had been given by a friend, and she thought it was a joke when she was pulled over by officials after arriving for a holiday with her partner.

Mrs Sinclair said her daughter was being held in terrible conditions in a communal cell with no beds, sharing with up to 25 other women.

Ms Plummer is being held in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, where she was arrested at the airport on October 9.

Her family had been told that she could face up to 25 years in jail, with one lawyer even mentioning the death penalty.

Rachel Plummer said her mother was "devastated" by the sentence.

She said the family were trying to find out more details about what happened in the courtroom on Tuesday.

She said: "My mums obviously devastated. Shes out there by herself."

She added that she did not know whether the appeal would be heard on Tuesday.

She said: "Were just hoping. Even half of that would be better. Anything less than three years.

"She doesnt deserve that."

Ms Plummers local MP Karl Turner said the ruling had come as a devastating blow to her family but he was hopeful that good sense would eventually prevail.

He said her case had been raised with the Egyptian authorities by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and the Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt.

"I am hopeful that good sense will eventually prevail," he told BBC Radio 4s The World At One.

"This is a damning indictment actually of the Egyptian authorities in the sense that good sense and fairness certainly hasnt prevailed in this case.

"This is a decent woman who has made a terrible mistake who shouldnt be incarcerated in any prison, never mind an Egyptian prison."

PA
Campus News

UB Law a partner in new Center for Law and Policy Solutions

UBNOW STAFF

As New York States flagship public law school with a long-standing history of interdisciplinary education in the pursuit of social justice, the University at Buffalo School of Law is particularly suited to partner in this critical effort to craft real solutions for New York citizens. 

The School of Law has joined the Rockefeller Institute of Government in launching a new center to examine pressing issues at the intersection of law and policy, and their effects on local communities.

The new Center for Law and Policy Solutions (CLPS) also includes as partners the Government Law Center at Albany Law School and the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs.

Led by Katie Zuber, assistant director for policy and research at the Rockefeller Institute, CLPS aims to inform the development of good public policy through evidence-based practice and research. With a strong focus on state and local government issues, it will assist policymakers, community organizers and the general public in identifying relevant solutions to complex social policy problems.

As part of CLPS commitment to good governance and informed decision-making, student interns will assist researchers in analyzing, interpreting and disseminating research findings to key stakeholders.

UB law school Dean Aviva Abramovsky will serve as a member of the centers five-person advisory committee that will provide strategic direction for the center.

As New York States flagship public law school with a long-standing history of interdisciplinary education in the pursuit of social justice, the University at Buffalo School of Law is particularly suited to partner in this critical effort to craft real solutions for New York citizens, Abramovsky says. Together we can achieve results none of us could do alone.

CLPS collaborative alliance among lawyers, social science researchers and public administrators will provide a strong, interdisciplinary foundation to the study of pressing public policy issues, ranging from sanctuary cities and immigrant rights to criminal justice reforms and the emerging opioid crisis.

The centers internship program will give tomorrows leaders a firm grounding in the use of data and research in the decision-making process, as well as hands-on experience building consensus around an issue, says Jim Malatras, president of the Rockefeller Institute, who will serve as a senior adviser to the center. At the same time, it will offer objective, evidence-based solutions to important policy problems.

In carrying out its mission, CLPS also seeks to improve attitudes toward government.

Knitting together the academic community and our youth to develop public policy is such a worthy endeavor, says Scott Fein, senior adviser to the center and chair of the Government Law Centers Advisory Board. Harnessing facts and building consensus among those with differing views in an effort to promote civil discourse may prove an antidote to cynicism about the governmental process.

The Center for Law and Policy Solutions will be housed in the Rockefeller Institute in Albany and provide administrative staff, while the UB law school, the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and the Government Law Center will provide volunteer policy staff and researchers to work on specific issues.
Vistara, the countrys newest full-service airline, increased its flight frequencies on most metro routes last June. However, this brought on new challenges for the airlines network team. It had to find remote routes to fly to in order to comply with government rules.
Days after Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) temporarily barred Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank from conducting Aadhaar-based SIM verification of mobile customers using eKYC process, as well as e-KYC of payments bank clients, CEO Gopal Vittal admitted that there were lapses in its governance of the customer authentication process.
Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Communications (RCom) said on Tuesday it had exited the strategic debt restructuring (SDR) scheme of lenders by agreeing to sell its telecom towers, real estate and other assets, and getting a strategic investor in the new RCom, which would help reduce its debt by Rs 39,000 crore.
After Tata Steels board decided to freeze the final capacity of the Kalinganagar greenfield steel plant at 8 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), the company is firming up iron ore sources to meet the enhanced requirement. The expansion from 3 mtpa to 8 mtpa will cost Rs 23,500 crore.
As many as 103 people accused of being Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) sympathisers have been arrested across 14 states by the Investigation Agency (NIA), the central counter terrorism law enforcement agency, and other state security agencies, according to government data.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi had an unusual admirer in a 107-year-old woman in Bangalore, who found him "handsome" and wished to meet him.

Gandhi obliged by calling her up and wishing the centenarian on her 107th birthday.

In a tweet, Bangalore-based woman Dipali Sikand wrote that her grandmother, who turned 107 today, had a wish to meet Rahul Gandhi, whom she found as "handsome".

"Today my grandmother turned 107. Her one wish. To meet Rahul Gandhi! I asked her why? She whispers ... He's handsome !," tweeted Sikand with a picture of her grandmother cutting a cake.

Today my grandmother turned 107. Her one wish. To meet @OfficeOfRG Rahul Gandhi ! I asked her why? She whispers ... He's handsome ! pic.twitter.com/k3wUaSMKfE  Dipali Sikand (@SikandDipali) December 25, 2017

Dear Dipali, Please wish your beautiful grandmother a very happy birthday and a merry Xmas. Please also give her a big hug from me. Best, Rahul. https://t.co/lcp8NUa8Di  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 25, 2017

The Congress president responded, "Dear Dipali, Please wish your beautiful grandmother a very happy birthday and a merry Xmas. Please also give her a big hug from me. Best, Rahul."Later, Gandhi called her up and Sikand acknowledged, tweeting again, "And as if this was not enough Mr Gandhi called and personally wished my Nani!! This is #TrueHumaness. Thank you all of you for the blessings for her. Each one of them matter."Off late, there has been a lot of activity on Gandhi's account, where he mostly takes potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP with his one-liner satirical messages.

Gandhi has 5.22 million followers on .
crossed the Line of Control and killed three Pakistani soldiers, penetrating around 200-300 meters on the other side of the de facto border, two days after four Indian soldiers, including a Major, were targeted and killed by Pakistan in cross border firing.

Sources said it was a "local tactical level action", and it was a short distance raid.

The sources, however, didn't term the action a surgical strike -- like the one conducted on September 29, 2016, when crossed the Line of Control to target terror launch pads inside Pakistan-controlled territory.

The source called it a "tit-for-tat" action to avenge the killing of the Indian soldiers. Four to five Ghatak Commandos were involved in the action. Ghatak Commandos are special operations capable infantry platoon.

The post targeted was of 59 Baloch regiment of the Pakistan Army, and at least three Pakistan soldiers were killed while one was injured. The source added that as per intelligence inputs, there can be three more casualties on Pakistan's side.

The incident took place along the Naushera sector of Rajouri district, and the Pakistan post targeted was in Rukh Chakri sector of Rawalkot.

The sources said it was a "tactical" operation conducted at 6 p.m. on Monday after the Pakistan military men tried to cross over apparently to plant IEDs on the Indian side of the border.

Since the 2016 Surgical Strike, this is the first incident of Indian soldiers crossing the Line of Control, though sources said from time to time Indian troops do cross the border while undertaking operations.

Pakistan Army confirmed the death of three soldiers in an "unprovoked heavy cross-border shelling by Indian forces" at Rukh Chakri sector in Rawlakot.

The incident took place two days after four Indian soldiers, who were part of a patrol party, were killed by Pakistan troops in heavy cross-border firing along the LoC in the Rajouri sector.

On Sunday, two Pakistani snipers, who were trying to target Indian soldiers on the LoC, were killed in Indian firing on the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts.

The Monday deaths take the Pakistani casualty toll to five in two days.

The Indian Army claimed to have killed dozens of terrorists and their sympathisers in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in the covert operation that came nearly 10 days after a terror attack on a military base at Uri near the LoC that killed 19 soldiers on September 18 last year.
The district administration on Tuesday suspended the chief medical officer after reports surfaced that 32 cataract patients were operated upon in torch light for want of steady electricity supply at a state-run facility here.

"Taking a serious note of the matter, the Uttar Pradesh government acted promptly and suspended CMO Rajendra Prasad," Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh told PTI.

He said incharge of the community health centre (CHC) at Nawabganj has also been removed.

A report has been sought by the state health department regarding the entire episode.

According to the visuals that went viral on social media, 32 cataract operations were done at the CHC in Nawabganj yesterday in torch light as there was no electricity or power back-up there.

The CMO earlier said the acting district magistrate has ordered a probe into the matter and the organisation entrusted with the task could be blacklisted, if found guilty.

Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh removes Chief Medical Officer of Unnao after eye operations of 32 patients in Community Health Center of Nawabganj were done under torchlight yesterday. The patients were later made to lie down on the floor, were referred by a Kanpur based NGO pic.twitter.com/Mt4VI5gNVT  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 26, 2017

Meanwhile, some relatives of the patients complained that they were not provided with any beds after the procedure, and that they were made to lie down on floors despite extreme cold weather conditions.

Uttar Pradesh has attracted bad press for a series of 'medical disasters' in the recent past, with the death of more than 60 children, mostly infants, at a government hospital in Gorakhpur being the latest case in point.

A hospital in Farukhabad recorded 49 deaths -- 30 in neo-natal ICU and 19 during delivery -- between July 20 and August 21 this year, reportedly due to a lack of oxygen supply.
India on Tuesday slammed Pakistan for the manner in which Islamabad conducted the meeting between death row prisoner with his mother and wife, saying it "violated the letter and spirit of our understandings".
Hours after Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife met him in Pakistan's Islamabad, with a glass barrier in between, defence experts criticised the meeting and termed it as inhuman.

Speaking to ANI, Major General (retired) GD Bakshi said, "Today the spokesperson of Pakistan's foreign ministry was acting like he is the reincarnation of Mother Teresa. Pakistan gave proof of their inhuman nature. A mother, who has not seen her son for 22 months, went to meet him with a lot of expectations, but she was allowed to see him through a glass."

GD Bakshi further claimed that Pakistan abducted Jadhav from Chabahar airport and tortured him.

"Pakistan abducted Kulbhushan from Chabahar and took him to Balochistan and made him confess mant thing. On the basis of confessions, Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan. There are no evidences against him," he added.

Lieutenant General (Retd.) Raj Kadyan also said that the meeting that took place on Monday cannot be called a family meeting.

Speaking to ANI, he said, "There were hopes that the family will be given some kind of privacy but they meet Jadhav through a glass. So what had happened today cannot be called a family meeting."

"The truth is Pakistan had to present the case in ICJ that is scheduled in January, so by doing this, they wanted to create an image in the world that they very sincere," added Kadyan.



Jadhav's friends criticised the way the meeting took place, with a glass barrier in between, and requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj to intervene in the matter.

Speaking to ANI, Subroto Mukherjee said, "The whole nation was waiting for last 22 months, for a glance of Kulbhushan. But the footage of the meeting is disheartening. Iit took place for around 40 minutes, that too they were separated by a glass barrier and what they spoke was also recorded. This is a shameful act done by the Pakistan government."

"This step is taken up to show International Court of Justice (ICJ) that they have arranged a meeting with Jadhav's family on humanitarian grounds just to make the case stronger," added Subroto.

Subroto further alleged that Kulbhushan has been tortured in the Pakistan jail and expressed doubt on his physical condition.

Tulsi Das Pawar, another friend of Jadhav, said that Pakistan did not do any favour by conducting such a meeting.

"We don't consider it to be a meeting. Jadhav's mother and wife met him after 22 months and by extending their meeting time from 15 to 30 minutes, they did not do any favour", he said.

Pawar further requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj to bring back Jadhav back to the country.

"I would like to say Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi and Sushma Swaraj to use their power and bring Jadhav back to the country," he added.

Pawar too, like Mukerjee, alleged that Kulbhushan has been tortured in Pakistan in last 22 months.

Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued visas to Jadhav's mother and wife on December 20.

Islamabad has repeatedly rejected New Delhi's plea for consular access to Jadhav at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging he was not an ordinary person and had entered the country with intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities.

Dismissing India's stance on Jadhav, Pakistan submitted its reply to the ICJ in the case on December 13. The reply, which was submitted by the Foreign Office's Director, Fariha Bugti, also claimed that Jadhav's case did not fall under the purview of the Vienna Convention.

Pakistan's reply came after India submitted a written response to registrar Philippe Couvreur of the ICJ in the same case in September this year.

Jadhav was arrested in March 2016, in Balochistan, Pakistan, 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 Indian Navy.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan, on April 10.

The ICJ stayed the hanging, on May 18, after India approached it against the death sentence.




Along the road flanking the sandy seashore of Thumba, a village about 12 km north of Thiruvananthapuram city, Christmas lights blinked amidst the festive spirit. Babul Das got busy in his kitchen, making Christmas goodies such as cakes and St Andrews halwa, the famous local version of a chewy sweet made of ghee, sugar and wheat flour.
India on Tuesday slammed Pakistan for the manner in which Islamabad conducted the meeting between death row prisoner with his mother and wife, saying it "violated the letter and spirit of our understandings".

India said the two women were made to remove their mangalsutra, bangles and bindi and were not allowed to converse in their mother tongue Marathi.

"We note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings," India said in a statement.

#WATCH MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on meeting of #KulbhushanJadhav's mother and wife with Jadhav in Islamabad pic.twitter.com/O6HkKoc7WK  ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

It said that Jadhav's wife, Chetankul's shoes were taken away and not returned, while some media persons outside the Foreign Office in Islamabad, where the meeting was held, hurled invectives at the women.

India also said that from the feedback received of the meeting, "it appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion.

"Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being."

The two sides had met across a glass panel and had to speak through an intercom.
Vijay Rupani is all set to swear-in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on Tuesday, at the Gandhinagar Sachivalaya Ground here.

The ceremony will take place at 11 am.

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation, on December 23, met Governor OP Kohli here and staked claim to form a government in the state.

On December 22, Vijay Rupani was announced as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. It was also announced that Nitin Patel will continue as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state.

Rupani, Patel and other ministers had on December 21 submitted their resignation to Governor Kohli, days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) registered a victory in the Gujarat assembly elections.

The BJP won the election for 182-member Gujarat Assembly, 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.



Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi will be attending the oath- taking ceremony of the new BJP government in Gujarat, official sources said here today.
Amid speculation over his entry in politics, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth today said he will announce his stand on December 31.

Addressing his fans on the opening day of a six-day-long photo session with followers, the actor said he was hesitant to enter politics since he knew its dynamics.

"I am not saying that I will come to politics...I will announce my stand on entering politics on December 31," Rajinikanth said.

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.

"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 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)."
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The Karnataka government has said that there are more jobs opening up in the technology sector for engineers with the right skills and those who can adapt to newer skills, adding that the scare of job losses in the sector is slowly waning.
Keeping the global arms industry on tenterhooks, India's defence ministry has not yet announced dates for Defexpo 2018  the full name of which is the 10th Land, Naval & Internal Homeland Security Systems Exhibition-2018. This is a major event on the calendar of corporations that sell defence equipment to India's military  the world's largest importer of weaponry.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes may (CBDT) celebrate the arrival of acche din with the latest data showing a 23.5 per cent increase in the number of individuals reporting an annual gross total income of over Rs 1 crore to 59,830.
The Ministry of Railways is set to approach the Cabinet in January to overhaul the Rs 1-lakh-crore station redevelopment plan that would increase the lease period for a developer to 99 years. The move, which would give the real estate sector a boost, would also give more financial independence to Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) and the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA), including powers to raise money from the markets for station redevelopment.
are all set to bear the stamp of approval of the Rajasthan government. The government plans to stamp and register them to ensure that only this specific bovine species is traded intra-state and inter-state.
Markets of crypto-currencies are volatile as we approach the last week of the year, revealing gaps in its regulation and the technology that enables crypto-currency trading.


Public-sector bank unions had threatened strike on December 27 in solidarity with IDBI Bank employees who have not seen a wage revision since 2012. However, on the managements assurance before the Chief Labour Commissioner (CLC) that the demands would be met in a month, the strike has been deferred. CH Venkatachalam, general secretary, All India Bank Employees Association, which represents about half a million bankers across private and public sectors, speaks to N Sundaresha Subramanian on this other key issues as stressed assets resolution, insolvency framework and bank mergers. Edited Excerpts:
The Space Application Centre (SAC) Ahmedabad, one of the India's premier Space Centres established by the founding father of India's Space programme, Dr Vikram Sarabhai, is all set to develop a new advanced hi-tech "Remote Sensor" camera with a capacity to capture images/pictures from a height of over 300 kms. This was disclosed by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh after a visit to the "Remote Sensor Unit" of the Ahmedabad Space Application Centre today..

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Dr Jitendra Singh held a detailed update meeting with Director Space Application Centre, Dr Tapan Misra and other members of scientific fraternity at the Centre. He also went around different sections of the "Instrument Manufacturing and Upgrading Unit". .

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The Minister was informed that the new "Remote Sensor Camera" will be fully indigenous, living up to "Make in India" concept and may be available by early next year. The new gadget will be an improvement on the existing application used for infrastructure development works, soil management and even security related tasks..

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Dr Jitendra Singh said that the country is proud of the achievements of our Space Scientists under the inspiration of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and in the current year itself, a number of "firsts" were achieved including the launching of South Asia Satellite and world record of launching of 130 satellites at a single launch..

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A US drone fired two missiles at a vehicle today killing two militants, including a Haqqani network commander, near Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the restive tribal region in the country's northwest, authorities said.

The unmanned aircraft struck the vehicle this afternoon at a border village, Matta Sangar, in Kurram Agency.

Two militants, including Haqqani network commander Jamiuddin, were killed, they said.

The Haqqani network has carried out a number of kidnappings and attacks against US interests in Afghanistan.

The group is also blamed for several deadly attacks against Indian interests in Afghanistan, including the 2008 bombing of the Indian mission in Kabul that killed 58 people.

Officials also said a probe has been launched.
China exported no oil products to North Korea in November, Chinese customs data showed, apparently going above and beyond sanctions imposed earlier this year by the United Nations in a bid to limit petroleum shipments to the isolated country.

Tensions have flared anew over North Korea's ongoing nuclear and missile programmes, pursued in defiance of years of U.N. resolutions. Last week, the U.N. Security Council imposed new caps on trade with North Korea, including limiting oil product shipments to just 500,000 barrels a year.

Beijing also imported no iron ore, coal or lead from North Korea in November, the second full month of the latest trade sanctions imposed by U.N.

China, the main source of North Korea's fuel, did not export any gasoline, jet fuel, diesel or fuel oil to its isolated neighbour last month, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday.

November was the second straight month China exported no diesel or gasoline to North Korea. The last time China's jet fuel shipments to Pyongyang were at zero was in February 2015.

Since June, state-run China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) has suspended sales of gasoline and diesel to North Korea, concerned that it would not get paid for its goods, Reuters previously reported.

Beijing's move to turn off the taps completely is rare.

In March 2003, China suspended oil supplies to North Korea for three days after Pyongyang fired a missile into waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

It is unknown if China still sells crude oil to Pyongyang. Beijing has not disclosed its crude exports to North Korea for several years.

Industry sources say China still supplies about 520,000 tonnes, or 3.8 million barrels, of crude a year to North Korea via an ageing pipeline. That is a little more than 10,000 barrels a day, and worth about $200 million a year at current prices.

North Korea also sources some of its oil from Russia.

Total trade less than $400 million

Chinese exports of corn to North Korean in November also slumped, down 82 percent from a year earlier to 100 tonnes, the lowest since January. Exports of rice plunged 64 percent to 672 tonnes, the lowest since March.

Trade between North Korea and China has slowed through the year, particularly after China banned coal purchases in February. In November, China's trade with North Korea totalled $388 million, one of the lowest monthly volumes this year.

China has renewed its call on all countries to make constructive efforts to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, urging the use of peaceful means to resolve issues.

But tensions flared again after North Korea on Nov. 29 said it had tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile that put the U.S. mainland within range of its nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile Chinese exports of liquefied petroleum gas to North Korea, used for cooking, rose 58 percent in November from a year earlier to 99 tonnes. Exports of ethanol, which can be turned into a biofuel, gained 82 percent to 3,428 cubic metres

(Reporting by Muyu Xu and Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Meng Meng and Hallie Gu; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell and Tom Hogue)
Jiangxi Coppe, Chinas largest producer, is halting all output in the province after the local government ordered the curbs to reduce pollution, a company official said Tuesday.
Frequent and increased Chinese military drills pose an "enormous threat" to Taiwan's security, Taipei warned today in an annual defence review that starkly highlighted rising cross-strait tensions.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified at some point -- by military force, if necessary.

The two sides split after a civil war in 1949. Although Taiwan is a self-ruling democracy, it has never formally declared independence.

Beijing has stepped up drills around the island since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen took office last year, as she refuses to acknowledge both sides are part of "one China".

Local media estimate Chinese warplanes have conducted at least 20 drills around Taiwan this year, compared to just eight in 2016.

The latest known drill took place last week when several Chinese planes, including jet fighters, passed through the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan to the Pacific and back.

The frequent drills "have created an enormous threat to security in the Taiwan Strait," Taiwanese defence minister Feng Shih-kuan said in the 14th national defence report released Tuesday.

The report highlighted the David versus Goliath mismatch between the two rival's forces, saying Taiwan's military needed to adapt to a "multiple deterrence strategies" in the face of the fast-growing Chinese army.

The report estimated Chinese troop numbers at two million compared to around 210,000 in Taiwan's army.

"Taiwan cannot compare with China's defence budget and military developments," Feng said in the report.

Instead, Taiwan was "seriously reviewing and drawing a plan to develop asymmetric warfare to deter advances by the Chinese military," he added.

In response to increasing China's electronic warfare capabilities, Taiwan established its own cyber army command centre this year, which currently has around 1,000 people, according to the ministry.

It has also restructured its air force to centralise its anti-aircraft and missile defence command.

Chinese jets also flew over the Sea of Japan (East Sea) earlier this month, prompting South Korea and Japan to scramble jets.

China's air force said then it was the first time its aircraft had flown through the Tsushima Strait between South Korea and Japan.

Earlier this year, China sent its only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, through the Taiwan Strait during a drill as a show of strength, but it did not enter Taiwanese waters.
Under fire for Incs role as a platform for political propaganda, co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has punched back, saying his mission is above partisanship. We hope to give all people a voice and create a platform for all ideas, Zuckerberg wrote in September after President Donald Trump accused of bias.
Russia's central election commission on Monday rejected the registration of the opposition leader's candidacy for the country's upcoming presidential race.

According to local media, 12 out of 15 commission members voted against Alexei Navalny's bid to register as a candidate in the March 2018 election to run against popular incumbent Vladimir Putin.

Navalny, who leads the anti-corruption Progress Party, said he would appeal the decision before Russia's constitutional court, adding that he was nonetheless "aware that the court is part of the same system."

A prominent Putin critic, Navalny has been arrested multiple times by Russian authorities, who have charged him with several counts of embezzlement and fraud; this led to a conviction in 2013 and another in 2014, though the prison sentences were later suspended.

Due to his official criminal record, the election commission decided to deny Navalny his application by arguing that he had lost his right to passive suffrage following the convictions.

Thousands of Navalny's followers on Sunday had taken to the streets in several cities throughout Russia to support his candidacy.
Thousands of people took to the streets across Peru to protest against the pardon granted to former President Alberto Fujimori, which exempts him from completing a 25-year prison sentence for human rights violations.

In Lima, some 6,000 people demonstrated peacefully on Monday. It ended with at least one arrest and the police dispersed the demonstration with tear gas, reports Efe news.

The protesters at first wanted to march towards the Government Palace, headquarters of the executive, or to the clinic in which Fujimori is hospitalised, but instead was ended in front of the Palace of Justice.

The demonstrators demanded that the pardon be quashed, given that it favours impunity for Fujimori.

He was sentenced in 2009 to 25 years in prison for his responsibility in the massacres of 25 people in Barrios Altos in 1991 and La Cantuta in 1992, perpetrated by the undercover military group Colina, and the kidnapping of a journalist and a businessman in 1992.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski signed the pardon for Fujimori, 79, on Sunday, only three days after he narrowly survived an impeachment vote by Congress, due to the 10 votes from Fujimori's party, led by Kenji Fujimori, son of the former president, who had called on several occasions for a pardon for his father.

The pardon was granted for humanitarian reasons, allegedly because Fujimori is suffering from a "progressive, degenerative and incurable disease" and is at risk of aggravation due to prison conditions, according to a statement from the Presidency of Peru.

According to the report by the medical board that recommended the pardon, Fujimori is suffering from paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, hypertension, mitral insufficiency, tongue cancer that has needed six operations and a lumbar hernia.

Fujimori was transferred on December 22 from the prison and is currently hospitalised in a clinic in Lima, where on Sunday his children brought him the news of the pardon.

Demonstrations against the pardon also took place in other cities such as Arequipa, Ayacucho, Puno, Tacna and Trujillo, among others.
A North Korean ambassador to the United Nations says the US claim that Pyongyang was behind the earlier this year is a baseless provocation and demanded Washington back up its accusations with evidence.

The North's UN ambassador in charge of US-related issues says North Korea believes Washington is using the allegation to create an "extremely confrontational atmosphere."



Pak Song Il told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from New York late on Monday: "If they are so sure, show us the evidence."



The infected hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide and crippled parts of Britain's National Health Service in May.
Coromandel International hit a 52-week high of Rs 559, up 4% on the BSE in intra-day deal, after the company said it has signed an agreement to acquire the bio-pesticides business of E.I.D. Parry (India) together with its wholly-owned subsidiary Parry America, Inc, US, through a slump sale. The stock of EID Parry (India) was up 4% at 365 on the BSE in early morning trade. Both the companies are part of the Murugappa Group.
Oil prices were stable on Tuesday, with Brent crude lingering near 2015 highs on the back of an outlook for healthy demand amid ongoing production cuts led by OPEC and Russia.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $58.50 a barrel at 0141 GMT, up 3 cents from their last settlement.

Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were at $65.25 a barrel, unchanged from their last close, but near the $65.83 per barrel briefly on December 12 - the highest since June 2015.

Brent has risen by 47 per cent since mid-2017. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the Middle East-dominated producer club, and Russia - the world's single biggest oil producer - have been withholding output in order to tighten the market and prop up prices.

The agreement to cut started last January and is set to cover all of 2018.

Jabar al-Luaibi, oil minister of OPEC-member Iraq, said on Monday there would be a balance between supply and demand by the first quarter of 2018, leading to a boost in oil prices.

"During the first quarter of next year there will be more balance between supply and demand, which will reflect positively on improving global oil prices," he said.

The production cuts come amid healthy global demand, which many analysts expect to hit 100 million barrels per day (bpd) for the first time at some point next year or in 2019.

Keeping a lid on prices for the moment is the expected return of the Forties pipeline system in the North Sea, which can supply up to 450,000 bpd of crude underpinning Brent futures.

The pipeline shut down earlier in December due to a crack, but operator Ineos said the system was being tested following repairs and full flows should return in early January.

In the longer term, efforts by OPEC and Russia efforts to prop up prices could also be undermined by US production, which has soared by more than 16 percent since mid-2016, fast approaching 10 million bpd.

Only OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia and Russia produce more, but the United States is fast catching up, largely thanks to shale drillers.

The US rig count, an early indicator of future output, held at 747 in the week to December 22, according to the latest weekly report by Baker Hughes. That's still much higher than a year ago, when only 523 rigs were active, and most analysts expect US output to rise past 10 million bpd within weeks.
There is a rush to tap funds from qualified institutional placement (QIP) route with 10 companies, including banks, have launched issues in December thus far, the highest in past seven years in terms of number of issues.

Total eight companies that include Punjab National Bank (PNB), Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) Financial Services, Natco Pharma and Union Bank of India have already raised Rs 11,037 crore via QIPs in the current month.
At least 11 militants belonging to the so-called Islamic State (IS) terrorist group were killed in an Afghan airstrike in the country's east.

The Tolo News, on Tuesday, quoted the Ministry of Interior's statement that the strike was conducted in Achin district of Nangarhar province.

Weapons stocked in the hideout were also destroyed in the airstrike, the statement added.

IS has not commented on the incident so far.

Earlier on Sunday, several IS militants were killed in an operation carried out by the Afghan security forces in eastern Nangarhar province.

A heroin factory was also destroyed in that raid.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A fireworks explosion has injured 22 people, including six children, during a Cuban carnival on Christmas Eve, on Monday.

"An unfortunate accident with fireworks occurred last night in Remedios," the government's Cubadebate internet news service reported.

The centuries-old Parrandas festival in the central town of Remedios takes place every December 24 and draws local as well as international attention.

The cause of the explosion was under investigation.

More details awaited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Guatemala's decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem, saying other countries will soon follow as well.

"God bless you, my friend, President Jimmy Morales. God bless both our countries, Israel and Guatemala," local media quoted Netanyahu as saying at the weekly Likud faction meeting in the Knesset, on Monday.

Guatemala became the first nation to pledge to move its mission to Jerusalem since US President Donald Trump's December 6 recognition of the city as Israel's capital and instructions to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv.

Earlier on Sunday, Guatemalan President Morales, through his official Facebook account, said that after talks with Netanyahu, he had decided to instruct his foreign ministry to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

"We spoke about the excellent relations that we have had as nations since Guatemala supported the creation of the state of Israel," he wrote. "One of the most important topics [of the conversation] was the return of the embassy of Guatemala to Jerusalem. So I inform you that I have instructed the chancellor to initiate the respective coordination so that it may happen."

Guatemala was one of nine nations that voted with the United States during the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution, calling for the withdrawal of President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday said that the government had started preparations for 350th Prakash Parv of 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh in 2010.

He disclosed this while highlighting his government's infrastructure initiatives at the opening of a flyover between Meethapur ROB (Road Over Bridge) and Chiraiyatarh flyover.

"Seven years before the proposed 350th Prakash Parv of Guru Gobind Singh in 2017, we thought how millions of devotees would go to Patna Sahib. We started preparations by keeping all the points in mind. We announced that the state government would construct Road Over Bridge on railway line. Now, it has been constructed and people are able to visit Patna Sahib very easily," Kumar said.

The Bihar government had organised the inaugural programme of the 'Prakash Parv' on a grand scale in January this year to mark the birth anniversary of the 10th Sikh guru, who was born in Patna. The event was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kumar and the Bihar government have received accolades for the state of art facilities during the opening and closing ceremony of the Prakash Parv.

The three-day closing ceremony ended on Monday.

The Chief Minister also said that the government has been developing road infrastructure in the state with a futuristic approach.

"We have constructed many flyovers in Patna but have always kept this thing in mind that any flyover should not obstruct proposed Patna Metro route," Kumar said.

He said Patna Metro will be approved very soon.

"We are making efforts for Patna Metro and had sent the proposal to the Centre. But, due to change in the policy we will have to send it again," Kumar said.

He informed that the state government had a detailed discussion on Patna Metro with Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and hoped that it would be approved very soon.

Puri had come to Patna to attend the closing ceremony of Prakash Parv.

He also talked about the obstacles in land acquisition for development projects and said the best way to tackle it by constructing flyovers.

"Therefore, we are thinking of constructing flyovers on bypass roads so that people are connected with highways," Kumar said.

He appealed the people to develop localised infrastructure development agencies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A British ship escorted a Russian vessel through the North Sea near the U.K. waters.

The frigate HMS St Albans was sent to track the new Russian warship Admiral Gorshkov frigate in the North Sea.

The Royal Navy vessel, departed on 23 December, eyed the Russian ship over Christmas, and it will make a comeback to dock in Portsmouth later on Tuesday, reported Sky News.

The Royal Navy stated that there had been a recent 'upsurge' in Russian units travelling through the U.K. waters.

Would "not hesitate in defending our waters or tolerate any form of aggression," U.K. Defence Minister Gavin Williamson said in a statement after the incident.

"Britain will never be intimidated when it comes to protecting our country, our people, and our national interests," he added.

A Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter was also dispatched to keep a track of two other Russian vessels during the festive period, the report said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Chinese consortium has started the construction of Bangladesh's first eco-friendly thermal power plant with ultra modern clean coal technology in central Bangladesh.

The plant is being constructed near a sea port in Payra town in Patuakhali district of Bangladesh. It has two units - both of which are expected to be commissioned in April and October 2019 respectively, Xinhua reported.

In March 2016, Bangladesh signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with the consortium of two Chinese firms. The project will cost an estimated 1.56 billion US dollars.

Bangladeshi State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid recently visited the plant construction site and expressed his deep satisfaction with the progress of the work.

Hamid said: "We're building this power plant with our government and Chinese assistance. We are satisfied with the progress achieved so far."

"You can see the quality of work. They are building a super-critical coal-fired power plant here. We do believe that we will get a cost-effective power plant here," added Hamid.

The project is a part of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's plan to set up a series of coal-fired power projects to generate 40,000 MW electricity in Bangladesh by 2030. It intends to achieve excellence in power generation and power growth of Bangladesh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday said that China and Pakistan would look at extending their USD 57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan.

The Chinese foreign minister emphasised it could benefit the whole region.

"So China and Pakistan are willing to look at with Afghanistan, on the basis of win-win, mutually beneficial principles, using an appropriate means to extend the CPEC to Afghanistan," Wang said.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and China also reaffirmed their support for process to bring peace to the war-torn country and stressed the need for a dialogue between the government in Kabul and the Taliban militants.

According to a joint press release, the foreign ministers of the three regional nations at a meeting in Beijing also agreed to strengthen counter-terrorism coordination and cooperation in an effort to combat all terrorist organisations and individuals without any discrimination.

Wange gave the statement after Afghanistan-China-Pakistan trilateral foreign ministers' talks held in Beijing today.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II praised the strength of London and Manchester after the "appalling attacks", in a Christmas message.

The longest reigning queen also paid tribute to her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who retired from regular royal duties this year.

The "powerful identities" of the capital and the northern English city had shone through after militant attacks as well as a devastating fire that destroyed the residential tower block Grenfell Tower in London, the Queen said.

The 91 year-old queen, was giving a televised address to the nation, which is also an essential part of a traditional Christmas in Britain.

The queen further said it had been a privilege to visit victims of the bomb attack at a pop concert in Manchester, as she was able to witness the "bravery and resilience of survivors' first-hand."

Queen Elizabeth, the world's longest reigning monarch, celebrated her platinum wedding anniversary in November. Philip retired from regular royal duties over the summer having carried out more than 22,000 solo engagements.

"Even Prince Philip has decided it's time to slow down a little - having, as he economically put it, 'done his bit'. But I know his support and unique sense of humour will remain as strong as ever," Queen Elizabeth said.

The royal family celebrated at a Christmas Day church service on their country estate in Sandringham.

Recently engaged Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle also joined the Royal family for their traditional Christmas Day service at the Queen's Sandringham estate.

The royal Christmas broadcast dates back to King George V in 1932 when it was on the radio. It was first televised in 1957.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Recent unfortunate incidents in the health system have unsettled the continuum of care leaving the healthcare sector in a 'state of emergency.'

While the Indian healthcare sector is passing through some sort of 'emergency', all stakeholders-government, public and private service providers, medical professionals and patients collectively need to make constructive efforts to end the trust deficit.

Rising trust deficit between patients and the health ecosystem can hamper the desired progress of the Indian healthcare sector and hence, the health of the Nation, according to NATHEALTH.

"The Indian healthcare sector needs to reshape the paradigm of care and create an environment of regular introspection to achieve the goal of Healthy India. To undertake this journey, we need to redefine the health system and clearly lay out the preferred path for several key aspects, including insurance coverage, adherence to treatment and care protocols, regulations, price control, payment models, technology adoption and ethics," said NATHEALTH in a statement.

Over the last three decades, private sector has been making growing contribution and supporting already heavily burdened public health institutions at every level. The private sector today provides 58 percent of the hospitals and 81 percent of the doctors in India.

This comes as a big support to public health institutions right from primary care to tertiary care like AIIMS. India's non-communicable disease (NCD) burden continues to expand and is responsible for around 60 percent of deaths in India. Moreover, out of pocket expenditure (OOPE) constitutes more than 60 percent of all health expenses, a major drawback in a country like India where a large segment of the population is below poverty line.

India has only 1.1 beds per 1,000 persons compared to the world average of 2.7. Rising dual disease burden (CDs & NCDs) in India calls for increased capacity building which is only possible with collaborative approach.

Healthcare, being state subject, is guided and governed by union and state laws. Clinical Establishment Act which has taken effect in four States namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim and all Union Territories except the NCT of Delhi since 1st March, 2012 vide Gazette notification dated 28th February, 2012.

The States of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam have adopted the Act. NATHEALTH recommends that instead of going for stringent actions, the government and private sector need to work together in collaborative spirit for safeguarding the health of the nation. Private sector, on their part, needs to introspect and self-regulate themselves and follow ethical practices. NATHEALTH emphasized that holding doctors responsible for any mishap even before a proper enquiry, does not augur well for the health of the nation.

NATHEALTH also urged private sector providers to adopt and promote ethical behaviors and norms as India needs to redefine and ensure standards of quality care. Healthcare sector also needs to focus on capturing hospital data and also ensure proper documentation for tracking of relevant performance metrics in terms of process, outcome and safety.

According to NATHEALTH, healthcare challenges in India are unique and need innovative ways to address them. Public sector spending in healthcare is only 1.4 percent of GDP: rest (3.3 percent) comes from the private sector. Marginal health insurance coverage (75 percent of population is with no health insurance), gap in bed capacity of over 2 million and nearly one doctor per 1000 people are big challenges which can be addressed only in collaboration with the private sector. Expanding infrastructure with collective efforts and collaborations can only lead to 1.8 million additional beds, improving the density of beds from 0.9 per thousand today to 2.0 per thousand in 2025.

The National Health Policy 2017 aims to bridge the gaps by increasing public spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2025 and this Policy looks at the problems and the solutions holistically with private sector as strategic partners. To achieve the goals of the universal coverage, the government would need the support of private sector at primary to tertiary care levels.

The support comes in the form of large investment, new technology, innovations and quality services. NATHELTH said, "Innovative partnership models are emerging in India, cutting across traditional models, but the challenges still remain, how to significantly reduce treatment prices while retaining optimum quality care."

In the spirit of collaborative teamwork, NATHEALTH strongly urged providers/hospitals to be highly sensitive towards quality of care including patient safety and treatment protocols. NATHEALTH emphasised that healthcare providers need to be always sensitive in their interactions with patients/ end users and other stakeholders and ensure that their daily activities, efforts and interactions are undertaken in an ethical and honest manner within the parameters of law for the advancement of healthcare and improved patient safety and care in India. Let us come together to build 'Swasth Bharat' (Healthy India).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday urged the people to use water rationally.

"We had promised for 20,000 litres of water and we have fulfilled that promise. The people of Delhi are being provided with 20,000 litres of water free of cost. We want people to use the water rationally and not misuse it," Sisodia said in a press conference.

Sisodia's statement comes after the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) approved a combined 20 per cent hike in water and sewer charges in the capital for consumption above 20,000 litres a month.

The water body will, however, not charge households consuming up to 20,000 litres a month.

The new rates will come into force in February, 2018.

The DJB has been providing up to 20,000 litres of water to domestic consumers free of charge in the line with subsidy scheme of the Arvind Kejriwal government, a key election promise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed the petition by job applicants alleging irregularities in declaration of results for probationary officers' exam by the State Bank of India.

The court observed that the bank was free to alter its criteria.

The petitioners had alleged that less deserving candidates were selected by changing the minimum criteria given in their own advertisement after the examinations were over, and individual cut-offs were disregarded for the subjects.

This plea was filed by eight students against the State Bank of India for the irregularities committed in declaration of results of the probationary officers' exams.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An opinion piece in a Chinese daily has described China's ties with India as still being fragile, especially after troops of both countries were engaged in a military stand-off near the trilateral boundary that they share with Bhutan on the Doklam Plateau.

The opinion piece further rubs in the fact that Beijing exhibited its prowess and strength and emphatically sent out a message in the neighbourhood that it could not be messed around with when it came to its sovereignty over territory.

"This summer witnessed the Doklam standoff between China and India. The two sides eventually resolved the crisis peacefully. Yet the incident exposed how fragile Sino-Indian ties are, while indicating (at the same time) Chinese capability to push back provocations from other nations (Read India) through its own strength," says the opinion piece in the state-run Global Times.

Doklam or Zhoglam (in Standard Tibetan), known as Donglang in Chinese is an area with a plateau and a valley, lying between Tibet's Chumbi Valley to the north, Bhutan's Ha Valley to the east and India's Sikkim state to the west.

In June 2017, a military standoff occurred between China and India as China attempted to extend a road on the Doklam Plateau southwards near the Doka La pass and Indian troops moved in to prevent the Chinese. India claimed to have acted on behalf of Bhutan, with which it has a 'special relationship'. Bhutan also then formally objected to China's road construction in a disputed area.

On August 28, 2017, it was announced that India and China had mutually agreed to a speedy disengagement on the Doklam Plateau, bringing to an end to the military face-off that lasted for close to three months. The Chinese foreign ministry, however, sidestepped the question of whether Beijing would continue the road construction. Latest reports and satellite images of the area indicate that China is continuing with road construction activity on its side of the trilateral boundary.

"Needless to say, the neighbourhood around China is the most complex one among major powers. Without stability in the region surrounding the country, the Global Times simultaneously adds that "it is (would be) impossible for Beijing to take its strategic initiative around the world."

Describing China as a rising power, the daily says that "China is getting to know better how to adapt to its surrounding nations. Although individual problems and crisis had at time been troublesome, the strategic stability following the emergence of China has increased."

On tensions related to the South China Sea, it says that the year 2017 has seen an improvement in Beijing's ties with the ASEAN and this momentum being maintained and sustained with the help of a framework for establishing a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea.

"Beijing's diplomatic efforts have played a significant role in cooling troubled waters. The rise of China is a fact..Tensions in the South China Sea have tested relevant nations in this regard and consensus concerning those questions has been accumulated..The biggest challenge in China's periphery in 2017 is the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The almost uncontrollable confrontation between Washington and Pyongyang mirrored the limitations of China's ability to shape the landscape around it," the Global Times opines.

"Yet 2017 tells us that emerging China has the resources to solve and control the problems even as they increase. The self-healing ability of crisis in our neighbourhood is also growing stronger. The biggest driving force for solving China's problems on its periphery is development. As long as Beijing keeps its strong development momentum, China will be able to implement ever greater strategic initiatives," the opinion piece concludes.
After the mother and wife of former Indian Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav met him in Pakistan's Islamabad om Monday, his friends criticised the way the meeting took place, with a glass barrier in between, and requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj to intervene in the matter.

Speaking to ANI, Subroto Mukherjee said, "The whole nation was waiting for last 22 months, for a glance of Kulbhushan. But the footage of the meeting is disheartening. Iit took place for around 40 minutes, that too they were separated by a glass barrier and what they spoke was also recorded. This is a shameful act done by the Pakistan government."

"This step is taken up to show International Court of Justice (ICJ) that they have arranged a meeting with Jadhav's family on humanitarian grounds just to make the case stronger," added Subroto.

Subroto further alleged that Kulbhushan has been tortured in the Pakistan jail and expressed doubt on his physical condition.

Tulsi Das Pawar, another friend of Jadhav, said that Pakistan did not do any favour by conducting such a meeting.

"We don't consider it to be a meeting. Jadhav's mother and wife met him after 22 months and by extending their meeting time from 15 to 30 minutes, they did not do any favour", he said.

Pawar further requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj to bring back Jadhav back to the country.

"I would like to say Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi and Sushma Swaraj to use their power and bring Jadhav back to the country," he added.

Pawar too, like Mukerjee, alleged that Kulbhushan has been tortured in Pakistan in last 22 months.

Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued visas to Jadhav's mother and wife on December 20.

Islamabad has repeatedly rejected New Delhi's plea for consular access to Jadhav at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging he was not an ordinary person and had entered the country with intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities.

Dismissing India's stance on Jadhav, Pakistan submitted its reply to the ICJ in the case on December 13. The reply, which was submitted by the Foreign Office's Director, Fariha Bugti, also claimed that Jadhav's case did not fall under the purview of the Vienna Convention.

Pakistan's reply came after India submitted a written response to registrar Philippe Couvreur of the ICJ in the same case in September this year.

Jadhav was arrested in March 2016, in Balochistan, Pakistan, 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 Indian Navy.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan, on April 10.

The ICJ stayed the hanging, on May 18, after India approached it against the death sentence.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An important milestone based on the newly-approved NSA 5G NR standard has been achieved by a group of leading mobile communications companies.

Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated in collaboration with AT&T, NTT DOCOMO, Orange, SK Telecom, Sprint, Telstra, T-Mobile US, Verizon, and Vodafone, showcased 3GPP-compliant 5G NR multi-vendor interoperability during live demonstrations held in both the Ericsson Lab in Kista, Sweden and the Qualcomm Research lab in New Jersey, USA.

The successful demonstrations show the companies' combined strength in carrying out timely trials that pave the way for commercial launches of 5G standard-compliant infrastructure and devices.

Moreover, Ericsson's 5G NR pre-commercial base stations and Qualcomm Technologies' 5G NR UE prototypes will enable operators to conduct live tests in their own networks.

"This milestone builds on years of researching and developing 5G as well as on leading and contributing to the standardization work. By working closely with our key partners in early trials and fine-tuning our global portfolio, we ensure that we can bring the standard-compliant to the benefits of our customers and their customers," said executive vice president and head of business area networks, Ericsson, Fredrik Jejdling.

"As we did in both 3G and 4G, we are excited to collaborate with Ericsson as an industry leader to accelerate the path to 5G globally," said executive vice president, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., Cristiano Amon.

The over-the-air Interoperability Development Testing (IODT) was conducted for lower layer data connections operating at both 3.5 GHz and 28 GHz bands. These standardized layers are the fundamental building blocks of 5G NR.

NSA 5G NR will use the existing LTE radio and evolved packet core network as an anchor for mobility management and coverage while adding a new 5G NR radio access carrier to enable certain 5G use cases starting in 2019.

"This first multi-vendor interoperability test of 5G within days of the completion of the 3GPP standard paves the way for Vodafone to trial commercial grade equipment in the coming year. 5G has the potential to provide up to a ten-fold improvement in cost efficiency to help us meet the growing demand for mobile data from Vodafone customers. The capabilities delivered by 5G will also help create the Gigabit societies of the future," said head of group R&D, Vodafone, Luke Ibbetson.

"We see great opportunity in mobile 5G, massive machine type communications, and ultra-reliable and low-latency communications. Cloud robotics, connected cars and drones, augmented and virtual reality - these are just the start of the applications that will drive new levels of innovation and progress around the world," said CTO, Sprint, Dr. John Saw.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sharing of space, ideas and vibes is the new concept embraced by the new age entrepreneurs this year. Co-working space culture is rapidly growing in the country, with not only startups, small businesses, but large corporates opting for such spaces for their office space requirement.

As India Inc is witnessing a shift in preferences by entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes and 2017 is the year of Co-Working space.

Here's quick look at five shared or co-working spaces that flourished in India at a rapid pace in 2017:

ONE Co.Work

Founded in October 2015 as One Internet, ONE Co.Work has gained exponential recognition and caters to the needs of over 100 start-ups and entrepreneurs. Ramping up its operations to offer comprehensive support services to start-ups and entrepreneurs, ONE Co.Work, offers a unique product titled ONE Co.Cafe which converts cafes into vibrant co-working spaces.

The platform's target market comprises solopreneurs, musicians, SMEs, small owners, freelancers and anyone who desires a flexible and affordable working space. It offers innovative infrastructure like sleeping pods, divided zone - chirping zone and silent zone.

It entered Bangalore with the launch of its new centre in Koramangla in November 2017. ONE Co.Work is planning to launch a 15,000 sq ft of co-working space in Sector 125, Noida and add another 16,000 sq ft of space in Connaught Place, New Delhi by March end.

GoWork

Founded by Sanjeev Mahajan (Chairman), Sudeep Singh (Chief Evangelist) and Nimit Mahajan (Co-founder) in June 2017, GoWork has started operations from November with clients like Cox and Kings, Fixxoo, Lifelong, etc. and aims to increase the profitability of India's SMEs and start-ups.

With its two facilities spread in an area of eight lakh square feet, GoWork is the world's largest co-working campus. It is providing its customers with world class technological amenities like a high-tech environment with a capacity of two Mbps internet speed for every individual.

The co-working campus believes in the holistic development of its customers and is a regular host to Art of Living workshops and sessions, Hackathon meets, investors sessions etc.

Insta Office

InstaOffice has developed an end-to-end office space solution, InstaOffice Unwind Sessions and a wide range of support services for its members. Instaoffice's strong technology platform allows office seekers to find an InstaOffice anytime, anywhere and for any duration.

It provides a unique opportunity to its Real Estate partners to monetize vacant properties, and earn a higher rental yield. Insta Office opened up its sixth co-working space in Delhi/NCR in mid 2017.

Apart from this, it has presence in Delhi, Bengaluru and GIFT City, Gujarat. The company plans to launch about six to eight co-working spaces in the National Capital Region (NCR) in the first half of 2018.

Spring House

One of the leading breeding grounds for entrepreneurs, thought leaders and early adopters, Spring House began as a chain of collaborative work and living spaces that provided a nurturing environment for start-ups to grow. Starting with one co-working centre in Gurugram with a mission to bolster the growing start-up ecosystem in the country, Spring House is now a hub of 10 co-working spaces spread over an area of 50,000 sq.ft. in different parts of the National Capital Region (NCR).

The vibrant community of Spring House includes future start-up leaders with global aspirations. Spring House has launched one centre in Noida this year and planning to add more by the end of next year.

WeWork

WeWork India, a joint venture between Embassy Group and US headquartered coworking space provider WeWork, began its India operations with the launch of WeWork Galaxy, a 1.4-lakh sq ft facility in Bengaluru, in July,2017.

It is targeting to set up a total of seven centres across the country by 2017-end, including one in Whitefield, Bengaluru, and additional locations in Mumbai and Delhi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Islamic State (IS) militants have killed a local Taliban commander, identified as Katib, in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province.

Two other Taliban group members, apparently fighters of Katib, were also killed by the IS militants, reported Khaama Press, citing the provincial government media office, as saying, in a statement.

Katib, who was originally a resident of Afghan's eastern Laghman province, was operating in the Taliban ranks in the Nangarhar province.

Both the IS and the Taliban have not commented on it so far.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Israel is in touch with "at least ten countries" over the possible transfer of their embassies to Jerusalem, a deputy minister said on Monday.

"We are in contact with at least ten countries, some of them in Europe to discuss the move," Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely told a public radio.

Hotovely's statement comes a day after Guatemala said it would move its embassy to the city. The move was called "shameful" by Palestinian officials.

Hotovely said also US President Donald Trump's statement would "trigger a wave" of such moves.

Earlier on Decemeber 19, the United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution, calling for the withdrawal of President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The U.S. was the sole dissenting vote.

The move comes after Trump unilaterally recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital and has prompted international criticism and sparked protests across the .

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Protesting contractual nurses of the Lady Harding Hospital have organised a massive protest rally on Thursday to highlight their plight.

The nurses' strike on Tuesday entered 36th day.

A nurse told ANI that "the services of 36 out of 266 contractual nurses were terminated on November 20 without any prior notice. The hospital administration told them that now their services were not need as the hospital had enough regular staff".

The protesting nurses have knocked the doors of hospital management and the union health ministry but they are not taken back on the job.

From December 18, the nurses have started collective strike unto death.

"If terminated 36 contractual nurses can't be accommodated at Lady Harding Hospital then they should be accommodated at any hospital of the government of India where thousands of the posts in the segment are vacant," a leader of the nurses said.

"We have now planned to organise a massive protest rally on Thursday in front of Nirman Bhawan to press for our demands in which nurses from all over India would take part," the leader added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' star Lainie Kazan was recently arrested on Christmas eve for stealing groceries from a store in the San Fernando Valley, California.

The 77-year-old actress allegedly filled her reusable bags with USD 180 worth of groceries, reports TMZ.

The 'You Don't Mess with the Zohan' star reportedly arrested for a petty theft.

The veteran actress explained that she took the items without paying because she was out of money.

She was nominated for an Emmy for her guest role in 'St. Elsewhere' in 1988 and was also nominated for a Golden Globe for a movie 'My Favorite Year'.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With only a few days left for the year 2018 to ring in, the markets on Tuesday surprised the street by creating history as the Sensex surpassed Mount 34000 for the first time to hit a fresh record high of 34,005.37, while the Nifty50 rose to a lifetime high of 10,515.10.

With almost 40 stocks rising in the range of 30 percent to 60 percent from October 25 to December 22nd, 2017, over 347 stocks gave positive returns in the S&P 500 index.

Stocks such as 8K Miles (up 67 percent), Minda Industries (up 62 percent), Praj Industries (up 59 percent), Polaris Consulting (up 59 percent), HEG (up 49 percent) etc. among others created the maximum high.

However, not every stock rallied. As many as 153 stocks gave negative return up to 26 percent in the S&P 500 index from the period 25 October to 22nd December 2017, which includes names like Bank of Maharashtra (down 26 percent), Bharti Infratel (down 19 percent), OBC (down 17 percent), Central Bank of India (down 17 percent), SREI Infra (down 16 percent) etc. among others.

On the global front, major Asian markets were mixed on Tuesday after the Christmas Holiday. US markets were closed on Monday due to Christmas after stocks closed a little lower on Friday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Legendary South African musician Robbie Malinga on Monday took his last breath.

This came as a shock amidst the Christmas celebrations in the country.

"South Africans will miss a genius in music," his friend TK Nciza, TS Records founder, told, as reported by Channel24.

He described Malinga, who he said was 49-years-old, as the "funniest guy" he had ever met and a "serious stalwart".

Malinga was "the Hugh Masekela of our time", said Nciza, adding that he helped build the careers of many.

Nciza said that if there was one person who would remind him of a church or God, then it was Malinga.

The veteran musician, who suffered from anaemia, announced his retirement as a solo artist in 2016, after more than 20 years in the industry.

Following his death celebrities, fans and admirers took to Twitter to pay tribute.

Television presenter Maps Maponyane wrote, "Sad to hear the news of the passing of music legend Robbie Malinga. A man still full of so much life. May you Rest In Peace.RIPRobbieMalinga"

South Africa Minister of Police tweeted, "We will NEVER forget u Robstar you'll b remembered as one among the greatest in Mzantsi producer,composer, music vocalist par exellence. #RIPRobbieMalinga"

"Legend down Sad day for South African music Go well Aya Rob #RIPRobbieMalinga," posted a fan.

"This is so sad #RIPRobbieMalinga Robbie Malinga Was A Living Legend," wrote another.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Government of India's flagship program, NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), to promote innovation and entrepreneurship nationwide in schools, universities and industry, has selected additional 1500 schools for establishment of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs).

The addition of these schools will give a major boost to realize the vision of the mission to 'Cultivate one million children in India as the innovators of tomorrow'.

With this announcement, AIM has selected 2441 schools across India to establish ATLs to date since it began its operations over a year ago.

"As part of our mission to 'Transform India into an Innovative Country' the active engagement of ATLs is extremely important and far reaching in its implications," said mission director, ATL, R. Ramanan.

ATLs are innovation play workspaces for students between Grade VI to Grade XII, stimulating innovations combining science and technology.

These open-ended innovation workspaces equipped with state of the art technologies like 3D printers, robotics, sensor technology kits, Internet of Things (IoT), miniaturized electronics enable the students to learn and solve local community problems using emerging technologies.

Students are encouraged to explore and experience design thinking and innovation, using a do-it-yourself approach, and develop innovative solutions to India's social, community or economic problems.

The young students who have already got exposure to creative technology platforms to nurture their curiosity, creativity and imagination from ATLs in their schools, have already started designing prototype solutions and started creative projects such as better irrigation management, waste management, and sensor based solutions using IOT devices and robotics in their labs.

Therefore, ATLs will help our country to transform young students to young innovators.

The labs are designed to spur the spark of creativity, and go beyond regular curriculum and text book learning. The labs will also enable students explore skills of future such as design and computational thinking, adaptive learning and artificial intelligence.

The 2441 schools have been selected from over 25000+ applications till date from two round of applications.

It will enhance the coverage of ATLs to over 98 percent smart cities, 93 percent+ of the districts (655+ districts).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Pakistan Foreign Office on Tuesday denied that Indian Army commandos crossed over the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday and killed three Pakistani soldiers to avenge the killing of four Indian troops.

Pakistan summoned India's acting Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad, JP Singh, over the issue, the Dawn reported.

Interestingly, Islamabad admitted that three of its soldiers were killed and one injured in the Indian firing at LoC.

According to an official statement by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), firing by the Indian forces in Rakhchikri sector of Poonch district had "provided a cover for the planting of IEDs by non-state actors."

Two days after four Indian soldiers were killed in a ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Army on the LoC, the Indian security forces crossed the LoC and killed three Pakistani soldiers, as per intelligence sources.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said Pakistan had disregarded the cultural and religious sensibilities of former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav's family, who met him on Monday in Islamabad.

The wife and the mother of Jadhav were asked to remove mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, besides having been asked to change the attire, citing it as a security measure.

"Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included the removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Kumar added the Pakistani press, despite prior agreement that the media would not be allowed close access, was allowed on multiple occasions to approach the family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Jadhav.

"For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard," he said.

Kumar also denounced the manner in which Pakistan conducted the meeting.

"We note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings," he said.

"Prior to the meeting, the two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format. There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments," he added.

He further said that the Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Pakistan, who was supposed to be with the family all the time, was initially separated from family members who were taken to the meeting without informing him.

The meeting began without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed, Kumar added.

#WATCH Islamabad: Pakistani journalists heckle & harass #KulbhushanJadhav's mother & wife after their meeting with him, shout, 'aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi?' & 'aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad?' pic.twitter.com/MUYjPmHY6F  ANI (@ANI) 26 December 2017

The MEA spokesperson concluded by saying that the manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath seemed clearly to be an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Jadhav's alleged activities, adding the exercise lacked credibility.

Earlier today, Jadhav's wife and mother met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi.

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Raveesh Kumar were also present at Swaraj's residence.

The two women returned this morning after meeting the convicted Jadhav in Pakistan.

Jadhav's meeting with his family members was not any ordinary meeting as they were separated by a glass barrier.

Jadhav's meeting with his family members was not any ordinary meeting as they were separated by a glass barrier.

The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), to this end, clarified that the screen was placed due to security reasons and that Jadhav already knew this would be the setting. It substantiated this stance by adding that Islamabad considered Jadhav as "the face of Indian terrorism, especially in Pakistan."

In addition to this, the MoFA released another 'confessional' video of Jadhav's, in which the convicted alleged spy was seen confessing that he did cross from Iran to Pakistan two years back.

Jadhav, in the video that was apparently shot before he got to meet his kin, also said that he had requested to meet his family members and that he was grateful to the Pakistan Government for letting that happen.

Pakistan had earlier agreed to facilitate the visit of Jadhav's family and also assured their safety, security, and freedom of movement in the country.

Jadhav was arrested in March this year, in Balochistan, Pakistan, 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 Indian Navy.


Residents asked to take survey

COLUMBUS -- Officials from the city of Columbus and Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce are partnering to measure how well Nebraska communities measure up in nine categories known to be important to individuals seeking new communities.

Columbus residents and visitors are asked to complete the survey online at thecolumbuspage.com/resources/community-links/. Survey takers can click on the Community Strengths Survey link to start the survey.

Columbus is one of 26 participating Nebraska communities. Responses will be compared to aggregate data from all participating communities across the state. The survey requires less than 10 minutes to complete, and does not collect personally identifiable information.

Register for CCC spring classes

COLUMBUS -- General registration for spring semester classes at Central Community College will be Jan. 3.

Advisers will be available to assist students with class selection, scheduling, housing, financial aid and other concerns. Prior to registering, prospective students are required to take a pre-enrollment assessment test, which can be arranged by contacting the assessment office. Registration may be completed from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Administration Center at the Columbus campus. The student accounts and registration offices will be open until 6:30 p.m. Jan. 8.

For more information, contact the Columbus campus at 402-564-7132 or rryan@cccneb.edu. Those living in Nebraska may call the colleges registration offices toll-free at 1-877-222-0780. Students may also register by phone between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays or online. Phone registration may be completed by calling 308-398-7412. Web registration may be completed through WebCentral at www.cccneb.edu.

Classes begin Jan. 8. However, the colleges open enrollment system allows students to begin individualized classes after the start of the session. Late registration can be completed at the campus registration offices.

1 dead, another hurt in crash

OSCEOLA (AP)  One person is dead and another seriously injured after the stolen SUV they were in crashed in Polk County during a police pursuit.

Autumn Stadley, 25, of Omaha died at the scene of the crash Friday night, and 26-year-old Luis Elias was airlifted to a hospital in Lincoln.

Authorities say a Merrick County deputy began pursuit of a Dodge Durango when the SUV failed to stop after a traffic violation in Central City. The SUV crashed and rolled near Osceola in Polk County. Both Stadley and Elias were thrown from the vehicle.

Police say the Durango had been stolen in Iowa.

Authorities are trying to determine who was driving the SUV.
PerkinElmer, Inc., a US based Global leader committed to innovating for a healthier world, is exploring opportunities to invest in India in the next three to five years.

PerkinElmer has already invested over USD 100 million in last few years and is mulling to invest the same amount in future. They will continue to invest in India in the coming years by lending support to government initiatives such as Skill India Mission and Make in India, in addition to technology innovations in the health (including science and technology), environmental screening (air, water, soil) and food quality sectors.

Dr. Prahlad Singh, Senior Vice President and President, who was recently in India shared company's potential investment plans in India.

"India is one of the top geographic areas of focus for PerkinElmer's strategic investments. In the last few years, we have invested over USD 100 million to build our local manufacturing in India under the Make in India initiative. We now have three manufacturing sites in India: two in Goa and one in Uttarakhand. With the right opportunity being available, we foresee a similar level of investment being made in the country in the coming years. Our objective will be to build capacity of local manufacturing, R&D capabilities in diagnostic and environmental screening, and skill development of young healthcare professionals in biotechnology, pharma and life sciences, which will support employing several hundred people. Moreover, I am confident that the India team under the leadership of Jayashree Thacker, President, PerkinElmer India, will elevate these plans to the next level" said Dr. Prahlad Singh, Senior Vice President and President, Diagnostics, PerkinElmer.

PerkinElmer has also established a service lab in Chennai that offers early biochemistry screening, cytogenetics testing, and molecular diagnostics testing.

According to Ruchi Sogarwal, Deputy General Manager-South Asia, PerkinElmer India further added, "Guided by the seven industry partnership models of the National Skill Development Corporation, Government of India, PerkinElmer has plans to set up Centres of Excellence focused on science and innovation in the health sector that are of strategic importance to the National Skill Mission. For instance, we have recently opened a Centre of Excellence at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune to educate and train current and future scientists on high-throughput analyses in life sciences."

Speaking on the health care challenges in India, Dr. Singh said, "There are three main healthcare delivery challenges in India: the availability of the doctor/specialist; the referral and follow-up system for diagnostics and long-term management of disease/disorders; and the limited use of technology. PerkinElmer is committed to developing innovative technologies to address the challenges of healthcare delivery in India. At the same time, our focus is to bring advanced molecular and genetic testing to India so as to complete the ecosystem, from preventive to advanced healthcare. Recently, we introduced an affordable gene panel, whole exome and genome sequencing services using the latest next generation sequencing technology and other complementary assays to address the broad range of genetic disorders in India."

Dr. Singh further added, "We are committed to contributing to national health policies in India and state government initiatives, bringing technology advancement, innovation and quality in healthcare service delivery. We continue to collaborate and welcome partnerships with various government agencies, such as the Indian Council of Medical Research, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council, Indian Institute for Technology and professional associations, namely Indian Academy of Paediatrics, FOGSI, National Neonatology Forum, Indian Medical Association, Indian Association for Medical Genetics to help meet young entrepreneurial researchers' needs as they work toward advancing their science and developing transformational solutions."

PerkinElmer is also actively involved in corporate social responsibility activities globally. "Sustainability is one of the cornerstones of our mission of innovating for a healthier world, and we continue to look for creative ways to increase our sustainable impact, while also enhancing our volunteerism," said Singh. "As active corporate citizens, our colleagues around the globe hold a steadfast commitment to improving outcomes in our communities together. Our approach to corporate social responsibility is driven by three pillars, community impact, eco-innovative products, and sustainable and ethical practice."

PerkinElmer has conducted a series of seminars for neurologists, pediatricians and gynecologists in various parts of the country, including Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Uttarakhand etc. These seminars, which range in the areas of maternal, fetal and newborn health, serve primarily to update specialists in advanced technologies, quality processes and reporting.

"In India, we are looking to support both the national and state governments' efforts to achieve various targets to achieve sustainable development goals, such as to end preventable newborn deaths to achieve a single digit neonatal mortality rate by 2030; and to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030,"added Ruchi Sogarwal.

This year, PerkinElmer India was honored with the Leadership Award for contribution in Healthcare at the Elets Healthcare Summit, Karnataka, in April in Bangalore. This award was presented to Jayashree Thacker by K. R. Ramesh Kumar, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka and K. K. Shylaja, Teacher, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Government of Kerala.

PerkinElmer, Inc. is a global leader committed to innovating for a healthier world. Since 1981, PerkinElmer has offered instruments and services to customers in India, spanning a wide range of markets, including diagnostics, pharmaceutical, food safety, agriculture, chemical, plastics and automotive. The Company established direct operations in India in 2004 and currently has more than 6,000 customers and 1,700 employees in India. The Company reported revenue of approximately USD 2.1 billion in 2016, serves customers in more than 150 countries, and is a component of the S&P 500 Index.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday lauded the role of the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of Triennial conference of LIC officers' association here, Pradhan said the LIC played a major role in strengthening country's economy.

"The LIC has become an impartial and credible financial organisation. It has played a major role in strengthening the country's economy," Pradhan said.

The Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas also said that still there was a lot of potential for the major insurance company to tap.

"There is a lot of potential for LIC to spread its wings," Pradhan said.

The LIC was founded in 1956 when the Parliament passed the Life Insurance of India Act that nationalised the private insurance industry in India. Over 245 insurance companies and provident societies were merged to create the state-owned Life Insurance Corporation.

Today, it's the largest insurance company in India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday said that elimination of most wanted Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist Noor Mohammad Tantray was a success for the security forces and a major setback for the terrorist group.

Speaking to ANI, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Muneer Khan confirmed that one AK-56, pistol and some magazines were recovered from Noor's possession and two Jawans were injured during the course of the operation.

"We had information that JeM cadres were planning an attack on security forces vehicles on the highway. This information was developed further and it was in this course that we came to know of the presence of a most wanted JeM terrorist, who was the mastermind of almost all attacks carried out by JeM, was hiding in Samboora. The encounter continued till early morning, and one JeM cadre was identified as Noor Mohammad Tantray. One AK-56, pistol and magazines were recovered from his possession," he said.

IGP Khan further said that the operation that began on Monday had been concluded.

"Noor was a convict; a case was registered against him in 2003 and he was released on parole after which he became a very strong OGW of JeM. In 2017, he went underground and started participating in such activities. There was another member but he managed to escape. His elimination is a setback to the JeM and a very good success for the security forces. One police Jawan and one Army Jawan suffered injuries in the encounter but they are stable now," he added.

The encounter, reportedly, began in the Karnabal Samboora area of South Kashmir's Pulwama district between the militants and the security forces on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.

Noor, who is a convict in a case, was lodged in a Delhi jail for some time in 2003. He was serving his sentence at the Central Jail in Srinagar until he jumped his parole in 2015.

Consequently, he remained in Tral in South Kashmir and became a major overground worker of JeM.

In July 2017, after the Aripal encounter, where three JeM terrorists were killed, Noor went underground and soon became the key man of JeM in coordinating and organising attacks at different places.

Noor was also one of the chief architects of the Border Security Force (BSF) camp attack, near the Srinagar airport in October this year. Besides, he was wanted in a number of terror offences.

In the ongoing encounter, two more terrorists are believed to be trapped in the area.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police, 110 Battalion Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and 50 RR (Rashtriya Rifles) have been deployed at the site, where the encounter is underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Expressing concern over deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed the presence of the United States military in the war-torn country.

"Indeed, it [the situation with terrorist threat in Afghanistan] has worsened; it is true, it keeps deteriorating," Russian news agency TASS quoted Putin, as saying, during a meeting with the parliamentary leadership.

"But if the US were not there, it would probably be worse," the president said.

Looking past the "complex relationship" of Russia and the US, Putin urged to "approach the subject objectively."

Both Russia and the United States share a strained bilateral relationship. Additionally, the former has been accused by the latter of meddling in its 2016 presidential polls.

On December 24, the United States announced it would provide lethal weapons to Ukraine to help it fight Russian-backed separatists. The weapons include American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles.

This move did not go very well with Russia and the officials reportedly have said that the US decision to supply weapons to Ukraine will fuel conflict in the east of the country. Russia's deputy foreign minister, Grigory Karasin, told the Russian state media that the US decision "raises the danger of derailing the process of peaceful settlement in Ukraine".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Before buying red meat from market, you may want take a complete look at the entire animal, as a study recently warns that consuming processed meat may increase the risk of developing cancer.

Cancer Research UK has acknowledged a correlation between processed and red meats and the deadly disease.

According to experts, the only way to be certain that it hasn't been affected by tumours is by taking a look at the entire animal before it's cut up because consuming diseased product may increase your risk of developing cancer, reports eaily star online.

Author Tim Key from the University of Oxford said, "Cancer Research UK supports IARC's decision that there's strong enough evidence to classify processed meat as a cause of cancer and red meat as a probable cause of cancer."

"We've known for some time about the probable link between red and processed meat and bowel cancer, which is backed by substantial evidence.

They warned that even if you are buying it from a supermarket, then also there is no certainty that cancer has been chopped out by butchers.

Cancer Research UK and the International Agency for Research on Cancer classify processed meats, including bacon and sausages, as "causes of cancer".

The team advises public to reduce their meat intake if it's excessive.

"This decision doesn't mean you need to stop eating any red and processed meat. But if you eat lots of it you may want to think about cutting down," the researchers concluded.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The transgender community across Pakistan has rejected a rights bill, citing it was "misleading and inaccurate according to international standards and the United Nations."

The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2017 was recently passed by the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights.

The Express Tribune quoted a member of the K-P Chief Minister's Special Committee on Rights of Transgender Persons, Qamar Naseem, as saying, "No doubt the passage of the bill is a landmark achievement, but the definition of transgender in it is misleading and inaccurate according to international standards and the UN."

However, the Bill still needs to be sent for the final approval.

"Provinces have to pass resolutions under Article 144 for the enactment of such a Bill but it is less likely to happen as three provinces are already drafting their own provincial bills," he said.

Shemale Association for Fundamental Rights President Nadeem Kashish said, "One of the major flaws in the bill is that in 2012, the Supreme Court had ordered that no one should be given transgender identity without a chromosome test, but the Bill states otherwise."

The Bill has reportedly been copied from India's 'The Transgender Persons (Protection Rights) Bill 2016'.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least two people were killed in a suspected United States drone airstrike on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border near Kurram Agency on Tuesday.

According to The Express Tribune, the airstrike targetted a vehicle, in which at least four people were sitting.

Sources said Haqqani commander Jumma Khan and his aide were killed in the attack.

However, the exact number of casualties couldn't be confirmed.

Last month, four militants were reportedly killed in a US drone strike targetting a hideout of the Haqqani network militants.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The United States on Tuesday sanctioned two North Korean officials for their roles in developing the country's ballistic missile program, the Treasury Department said.

"Treasury is targeting leaders of North Korea's ballistic missile programs, as part of our maximum pressure campaign to isolate (North Korea) and achieve a fully denuclearised Korean Peninsula," local media quoted the Treasury Department statement.

The Treasurer also said that the two officials were listed in a new United Nations Security Council resolution sanctioning North Korea last Friday.

"Kim Jong Sik reportedly is a key figure in North Korea's ballistic missile development, including efforts to switch from liquid to solid fuel, and Ri Pyong Chol is reported to be a key official involved in North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile development," added Treasury Department .

Tensions escalated between the two nations when earlier on September 15, North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile, which flew over Hokkaido Island in Japan before and swashed into the Pacific Ocean.

In July, North Korea successfully launched the country's first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which had the capability of reaching the U.S territory.

Over the past few months Kim and U.S President Donald Trump also engaged in incessant verbal spat, with the latter branding the former as "rocket man", and the North Korean leader calling Trump a "mentally-deranged dotard" in response.

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The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has urged Myanmar to end the military campaign against Muslim Rohingyas.

According to the The Daily Star, the resolution forwarded by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was adopted by a vote of 122 to 10 with 24 abstentions on Sunday.

China and Russia along with some regional countries opposed the resolution, but despite their rejection, the resolution also called on U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres to assign a special envoy to the country.

Yesterday, Bangladesh Health Minister Mohammed Nasim said Rohingya refugees would return to their homeland as soon as the international community and the U.N. pressured Myanmar into repatriating them.

Myanmar and Bangladesh had earlier this month formed Joint Working Group (JWG) to handle the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

The crucial JWG with 15 each from Bangladesh and Myanmar will oversee the repatriation of over 600,000 Rohingya refugees who have taken shelter in Bangladesh to escape ethnic violence in the latter.

More than 655,000 Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh since August 25, escaping a military crackdown in Rakhine state, which many countries and human rights bodies have described as ethnic cleansing.

The military action, which was triggered after their posts became targets of terrorist attacks, invited ire of the international community.

On October 12, a United Nations' report based on interviews conducted in Bangladesh found that brutal attacks against Rohingyas in the northern Rakhine state have been well-organised, coordinated and systematic, with the intent of not only driving the population out of Myanmar but preventing them from returning to their homes.

The Rakhine state is home to a majority of Muslims in Myanmar, who have been denied citizenship and long faced persecution in the Buddhist-majority country, especially from the extremists.

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Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde has hinted that Constitution which contained the word "secular" would be amended.

Venting out his ire against the "seculars" at a public function in Koppal district on Sunday, Union Minister of State for Employment and Skill Development said, "Seculars do not know what their blood is. Yes constitution has given that right to say 'we are secular and we will say it'. Yes, I know but constitution has been amended many times, we will also amend it. We have come to power for that."

"If you say you are a Muslim, Christian etc., I feel proud that you have connection with your religion and caste, but who are these so called seculars? Seculars don't have any parentage," Hegde said earlier in his address.

This is not the first time that Hegde has made a controversial remark. Last year, he was booked for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Islam.

In November, he refused to participate in the annual Tipu Jayanti celebration in Karnataka, as BJP, unlike Congress, views the Mysore ruler as a tyrant monarch and considers him of being biased against Hindus.

It may be noted that the election for Congress-majority Karnataka Assembly is due in 2018.

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At least 15 militants belonging to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group were killed in a drone strike by the United States forces in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

The Khaama Press quoted the provincial government media office, as saying, in a statement that the airstrike was carried out in the Bandar area of Achin district, in which 15 IS militants were killed and their weapons, ammunition, and explosives were destroyed in the airstrike.

Meanwhile, two more IS militants were killed in a separate operation in Haska Mina district, the statement added.

No group has commented on the incident so far.

Earlier this week, at least three Taliban militants were killed in airstrikes carried out by the US forces in the same province.

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The police authorities in Peru had a tough time dealing with protesters, who were demonstrating against the official pardon of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori.

Thousands of people took to the streets to protest against the decision and chanted "No to the pardon!"

The police clashed with the demonstrators with the help of tear-gas and water cannons.

Fujimori was sentenced to 25 years after he was convicted of corruption and human rights violation charges in 2009.

He was pardoned by Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski on Christmas Eve due to the latter's frail health. Fujimori has heart-related ailments and is also diabetic.

A medical panel determined that Fujimori had a progressive, degenerative and incurable disease and the jail conditions presented a grave risk to his life and health. He was rushed to the hospital on Sunday due to low blood pressure, shortly after his release from the prison.

The decision has triggered several outrageous protests across the country as the former president is seen as a deeply divisive figure and a corrupt dictator by the public in Peru.

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Global Icon Priyanka Chopra, who has recently been featured in the top 10 of Forbes Celebrity 100 list that ranks celebrities in order of their annual income, questioned on why there's only one woman on the list, adding that men are never asked about their income.

"I have worked hard to get here. I was not born with a silver spoon, even though my parents always gave me one. But I have worked really hard to be where I am and each of us deserves to be compensated for it. But why are not men asked about the number of zeroes on their cheques? We should also ask, why there is just one woman on the list," she said, while speaking on the same on Tuesday.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud of myself that I had the ability to work so hard that I can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with my male counterparts today in the top 10 of India," she added.

Amidst the much talked about gender pay-gap, the 25-year-old actress holds the seventh position on the list, racing ahead of Hrithik Roshan and MS Dhoni.

According to the list, she earned a whopping Rs 68 crore in the year 2017.

Meanwhile, Salman Khan topped the list for the second time in a row, followed by Shah Rukh Khan.

The 'Baywatch' star was in the national capital to deliver the Penguin Annual Lecture, on the theme 'Breaking The Glass Ceiling: Chasing a dream', at its 11th edition.

While speaking on the theme, the National Award-winning actor said her biggest dream is to leave behind a legacy.

"I always have the same dream that manifests into different things and my biggest dream is to leave behind a legacy," she said.

The girl, who came out of an Army School from Bareilly, added, "Don't forget where you come from, don't forget your roots."

On the work front, the Desi Girl, who is ruling the west, was last seen in Bollywood in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Bajirao Mastani', alongside Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh.

On a related note, when asked about the 'Padmavati' row, Priyanka said, "I stand by the team Padmavati. I called up Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone to express support. We are dealing with polarisation everywhere.

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Ayushi Mittal, wife of Anubhav Mittal, the main accused in Rs 3,700 crore online trading scam, was arrested on Tuesday from Pune by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF).

Non-bailable warrant was issued against her by the Ghaziabad Court.

Anubhav was charged with cheating around seven lakh people of Rs 3,700 crore, where his father Sunil Mittal and Ayushi, a resident of Kanpur, were also involved.

Anubhav was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh STF on February 2, 2017, and later his father was held.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), a wing of STF, in May filed a 37,000 page chargesheet against six people, including Anubhav, owner of Ablaze Info Solutions company.

Ayushi was the director of the company.

Millions of people were trapped by making them 'Like' the links visible on the website of Blaze Info Solutions.

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The Government of India, along with the Government of Tamil Nadu signed a USD 318 million loan agreement with the World Bank on Tuesday, for the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project to promote climate resilient agriculture technologies, improve water management practices, and increase market opportunities for small and marginal farmers.

With the signing of the agreement, it is likely that about 500,000 farmers, of which a majority are small and marginal, are expected to benefit from improved and modernized tank irrigation systems.

The project will rehabilitate and modernize about 4,800 irrigation tanks and 477 check dams, spread across 66 sub-basins, in delivering bulk water to irrigation systems.

"Tamil Nadu, being a water-stressed state, continues to experience water shortages which are expected to further exacerbate in the future. Rehabilitating and modernizing irrigation tanks will improve the reliability and availability of irrigation water for farming communities, making them less prone to climatic hazards. More than 160,000 ha of currently partially irrigated lands will come into full irrigation under this project," said Joint Secretary Department of Economic Affairs Ministry of Finance, Sameer Kumar Khare.

The agreement for the project was signed by Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Government of India; S. K. Prabhakar, Principal Secretary, Public Works Department, on behalf of the Government of Tamil Nadu and John Blomquist, Program Leader and Acting Country Director, World Bank, India on behalf of the World Bank.

"This project will help Tamil Nadu scale up its efforts to unlock the full potential of its agriculture sector. It will support farmers improve the efficiency of water used in farming, diversify into high value crops, and produce crops that are resilient to the increasing threats of climate change. Such efforts will be a win-win for all, leading to better use of scarce water resources and raising household incomes of farmers," said Program Leader and Acting Country Director, World Bank, India, John Blomquist.

Though significant progress has been made during the past decade in crop diversification, still there is scope for achieving a higher level. Paddy is the dominant crop occupying 34 percent of total cropped areas, whereas fruits and vegetables are grown on 11 percent and pulses and oilseeds on 14 percent of total cropped areas. By helping farmers' access modern technologies, linking them to markets, and providing postharvest management support, the project will enable farmers to shift from a mono crop paddy system to mixed cropping including high-value crops (fruits, vegetables, and spices), pulses, oilseeds, and millets.

To enhance the ability of crops to withstand expected adverse impacts of climate change, the project will support smallholder producers adopt new conservation technologies such as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and Sustainable Sugar Initiative (SSI).

They reduce average water usage by 35 percent and increase yields by 22 percent per ha. The project is expected to increase the yield of rice, maize, and pulses by 18 to 20 percent.

The project will also coordinate with other World Bank-supported projects in Tamil Nadu and at the national level, including the Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Project, National Hydrology Project, and National Groundwater Improvement Project to ensure synergy and enhance long-term project impact.

The USD 318 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a five year grace period, and a maturity of 19 years.

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Coromandel International and EID-Parry (India) rose by 2.75% to 3.24% at 13:50 IST on BSE after Coromandel International signed a term sheet to acquire the bio-pesticides business from EID-Parry (India) through a slump sale.

The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 22 December 2017.

Coromandel International (up 2.75%) and EID-Parry (India) (up 3.24%), edged higher.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 40.62 points, or 0.12% at 33,899.68.

Coromandel International signed a term sheet to acquire the bio-pesticides business from EID-Parry (India) together with its wholly-owned subsidiary Parry America, Inc, USA through a slump sale. The transaction is valued at Rs 338 crore (subject to changes in working capital), which includes purchase of bio-pesticides business of EID-Parry together with its research and development (R&D) unit, captive plantations and its wholly-owned subsidiary Parry America, Inc. This transaction is subject to receipt of approval of the shareholders and other relevant authorities.

The bio-pesticides business is engaged in the manufacture and marketing of Neem based Azadirachtin technical and formulations, plant extract based bio-stimulants, micronutrients, microbials, etc. and has brands that are well established in India and globally. The business has a manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu and manufactures Azadirachtin using technology sourced from Trifolio, Germany.

Parry America, Inc, a 100% subsidiary of EID-Parry headquartered in US sources Azadirachtin technical from bio-pesticides business in india, formulates and markets the products in North and South America, Canada and adjacent markets of USA.

Coromandel International, India's second largest phosphatic fertiliser player, is in the business of fertilisers, specialty crop protection and rural retail. The company manufactures a wide range of fertilizers, making it a leader in its addressable markets.

EID-Parry (India) is a significant player in sugar. It has nine sugar factories having a capacity to crush 43,700 tonnes of cane per day, generate 160 MW of power and four distilleries having a capacity of 234 KLPD.

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To offer iXBRL filing software to enterprises in South Africa

IRIS Business Services announced that it will partner EOH, South Africa's biggest information services company to offer its iXBRL filing software to enterprises in South Africa.

The cloud based product, IRIS Carbon will help South African companies comply with a mandate of the Companies & Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) which becomes effective from July 2018. Under the mandate, some 100000 South African companies have to submit their Annual Financial Statements in a reporting standard called iXBRL.

The technology for CIPC to receive such data is also being provided by IRIS in partnership with EOH.

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Key benchmark indices once again dipped in negative zone and hit fresh intraday low in mid-morning trade. At 11:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 16.67 points or 0.05% at 33,923.63. The Nifty 50 index was off 4.40 points or 0.04% at 10,488.60. Metal and mining stocks rose as copper prices edged higher in the global commodities markets. Pharma stocks rose.

Domestic stocks edged higher in early trade as trading resumed after a long weekend. The Sensex scaled record high above the psychological 34,000 mark at onset of the day's trading session. The Nifty also hit record high above the 10,500 mark in early trade. A bout of volatility was seen as the key benchmark indices were trading on a flat note in morning trade after alternately moving above and below the flat line.

Among secondary indices, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.52%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index gained 0.7%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

The breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On the BSE, 1,581 shares rose and 877 shares fell. A total of 150 shares were unchanged.

Overseas, Asian stocks were mixed in trading thinned by year-end holidays as several regional markets re-opened after the Christmas break. Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand markets remain closed today, 26 December 2017. In Japan, the nationwide core consumer price index (CPI), which includes oil goods but excludes volatile fresh food prices, rose 0.9% in November from a year earlier, government data showed today, 26 December 2017. The pace of price growth was just ahead of October's 0.8%. US markets remained shut yesterday, 25 December 2017 on account of Christmas.

Back home, metal and mining stocks rose as copper prices edged higher in the global commodities markets. NMDC (up 2.3%), JSW Steel (up 0.87%), National Aluminium Company (up 1.22%), Tata Steel (up 0.65%), Steel Authority of India (up 3.39%), Jindal Steel & Power (up 4.18%), Vedanta (up 1.28%), Hindustan Copper (up 0.69%), Hindustan Zinc (up 0.81%) and Hindalco Industries (up 0.32%) edged higher.

Copper edged higher in the global commodities market. High Grade Copper for March 2018 delivery was currently up 0.56% at $3.2565 per pound on the COMEX.

Pharma stocks rose. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (up 1.02%), Cipla (up 1.13%), Lupin (up 0.11%), Aurobindo Pharma (up 0.37%), Dr Reddy's Laboratories (up 0.64%) and Cadila Healthcare (up 0.9%) rose. Divi's Laboratories (down 0.46%) fell.

L&T was down 0.02% to Rs 1,266.45. The buildings & factories business of L&T Construction has bagged orders worth Rs 3355 crore. The announcement was made during market hours today, 26 December 2017.

Yes Bank rose 0.66% to Rs 312.10 after the bank said that it has on 22 December 2017, established a Medium Term Note Programme (MTN Programme) for an amount of $1 billion, in order to enable the bank to issue debt instruments in the international capital markets, to eligible investors, from time to time, in one or more tranches and/or series. The establishment of the MTN Programme is only an enabling step and presently, no instruments are being issued by the bank. The announcement was made on Saturday, 23 December 2017.

Adani Transmission fell 2.93% to Rs 228.70 on profit booking after a recent rally. Shares of Adani Transmission rose 16.09% in four trading sessions to settle at Rs 235.60 on Friday, 22 December 2017, from its close of Rs 202.95 on 18 December 2017.

Suzlon Energy rose 1.13% after Suzlon Group along with associates commissioned their first operational offshore met station in the Arabian sea. Suzlon along with its associates, under the guidance from National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) Chennai and approvals through National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) Chennai, have installed their first Operational Offshore LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) based wind measurement station in the Arabian Sea, south west of Jakhau port in Kutch, Gujarat. The met station is expected to collect data for a period of two years. The announcement was made during market hours today, 26 December 2017.

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Mr. Bharat Kumar Regmi, Charge d'Affairs, Embassy of Nepal, said that it was an opportune time to invest in Nepal with bilateral trade on the upswing and assured Indian industry that the Nepal Government would provide all possible support to investors.

Mr. Regmi said investors would get all possible support in the realm of tax structure, special rights and exemptions, redressal of single window grievances, availability of cheap labour and local infrastructure.

Bilateral trade between India and Nepal has grown from US$ 3631.94 million in 2012-13 to US$ 5892.72 million in 2016-17 and Nepal is keen that Indian businesses invest on a large scale, especially at a time when the Himalayan Kingdom is witnessing the last leg of the transitional period.

Mr. Krishna Hari Pushkar, Minister-Economic, Embassy of Nepal, outlined the expanding business opportunities in Nepal in hydro-power, infrastructure, tourism, agro-based industries, health, mining and minerals, education, IT, manufacturing, construction.

The Cultural Counsellor from the Nepal Embassy, Mr. Krishna Prasad Pantha, highlighted the need to strengthen people-to-people links between the two countries and deepen the multi-cultural relations between India and Nepal.

Mr. Manoj Patodia, National Executive Member of FICCI and Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Prime Urban Development India Ltd. said that there was considerable potential to enhance bilateral trade by addressing infrastructural deficiencies, trade restrictive measures as well as by adopting trade facilitation measures for easier market access to agricultural and industrial products.

Responding to a wide range of questions on issues ranging from investment protection, government policies, ease of doing business and tax holidays, the representatives from Nepal Embassy pointed out the growing business interests and extended unconditional support to Indian businessmen for expanding their footprints in Nepal.

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Suzlon Energy gained 1.23% to Rs 14.79 at 11:00 IST on BSE after Suzlon Group along with associates commissioned their first operational offshore met station in the Arabian sea.

The announcement was made during market hours today, 26 December 2017.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 17.66 points, or 0.05% to 33,922.64. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was up 84.36 points, or 0.48% to 17,658.14, outperforming the Sensex.

On the BSE, 16.69 lakh shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with average daily volumes of 50.14 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 14.88 and a low of Rs 14.65 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 22.25 on 22 May 2017. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 12.80 on 16 November 2017.

The stock has gained 9.96% in five sessions to its ruling price, from a close of Rs 13.45 on 18 December 2017.

The mid-cap company has equity capital of Rs 1063.95 crore. Face value per share is Rs 2.

Suzlon group is actively working on offshore wind energy technology and has initiated techno-commercial feasibility study. Suzlon along with its associates, under the guidance from National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) Chennai and approvals through National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) Chennai, have installed their first Operational Offshore LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) based wind measurement station in the Arabian Sea, south west of Jakhau port in Kutch, Gujarat. The met station is expected to collect data for a period of two years.

The offshore wind data collection platform is installed at about 16 kilometers from the shore in the territorial waters of Gujarat under the control of the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) at a water depth of about 11 meters, where the tidal range is 4 meters. The support platform is at a height of about 14m above water level. Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) has provided the project with valuable insights about sea properties during various seasons, navigation routes apart from administrative permissions and facilitation.

The unmanned met station will be powered by solar energy and will be remotely monitored for maintenance needs. Engineers will visit the site for general inspection periodically and cater to the servicing needs in case of a breakdown. Additionally, an onshore mast of 150m has also been installed for validation/correlation purposes.

On a consolidated basis, Suzlon Energy's net profit fell 72.1% to Rs 68.1 crore on 56.6% decline in net sales to Rs 1187.02 crore in Q2 September 2017 over Q2 September 2016.

The Suzlon Group is one of the leading renewable energy solutions providers in the world with an international presence.

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Tata Power rose 1.07% to Rs 94.05 at 9:55 IST on BSE after the company said its Russian subsidiary bagged the mining licence of a thermal coal mine in Kamchatka province in Far East Russia.

The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 22 December 2017.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 19.04 points, or 0.06% to 33,959.34.

On the BSE, 4.73 lakh shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with average daily volumes of 18.35 lakh shares in the past two weeks. The stock had hit a high of Rs 96.20 and a low of Rs 93.60 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 97.05 on 29 November 2017. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 72.60 on 23 December 2016.

Tata Power announced that its Russian subsidiary, Far Eastern Natural Resources LLC, has been awarded the mining license of a thermal coal mine in Kamchatka province in Far East Russia. The subsidiary participated in financial auction process at Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka, on 22 December 2017 and was awarded the license at approximately $4.7 million.

The Kamchatka project site has been declared as a Special Economic Zone and will qualify for various concessions including protection against change of laws. The coal mine has high quality thermal coal reserves of over 380 million tonnes, which the company aims to deploy for its facilities in Mundra and Trombay; as also sell in Far East Asian markets. The venture has also received consents on transfer-pricing issues. The company intends to carry out detailed exploration to enable it to formulate a mining plan and work out capex outlook to implement the project in a phased manner to reach a stable throughput of 8 to 10 million tonnes per annum. The company proposes to work with associates, contractors, who are not under any sanctions. The mine project is located close to the coast. The infrastructure comprising haulage road and port facilities shall be developed by the Government through their State budget.

On a consolidated basis, Tata Power Company's net profit fell 43.63% to Rs 268.50 crore on 6.15% growth in net sales to Rs 7657.30 crore in Q2 September 2017 over Q2 September 2016.

Tata Power is an integrated power company.

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About 583 kg of dry cannabis was seized and two persons were arrested in Assam, an official from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) said here on Tuesday.

"With support of the Border Security Force (BSF), the DRI officials of Silchar intercepted a truck at Badarpurghat area of Cachar and recovered 583.7 kg of dry cannabis packed in 58 packets, which were hidden inside a specially-built cavity at the back of the driver's cabin," the official said.

The driver and the handyman of the truck -- Narayan Chandra Sarkar and Kalidas Munda, both hailing from Agartala -- were arrested and the truck was also seized.

According to the official, the contraband was coming from Agartala and was bound for Shillong.

"The case indicates that the northeast continues to be the sensitive zone for production of cannabis, from where it is being transported to different parts of India by the drug syndicates," a statement said.

This is third major seizure of ganja in such huge quantity by the agency in less than four months.

In September, the agency's Silchar unit had recovered 1,413.6 kg dry cannabis and its Berhampore unit seized 841 kg ganja in August.

--IANS

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A Bangladeshi blogger accused of posting a message on Facebook allegedly offensive to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad has been arrested by the police.

Immigration authorities detained the writer and youtuber identified as Asaduzzaman Noor alias "Asad Noor" at Dhaka airport while he was trying to leave the country on Monday, Efe news agency cited an airport official as saying.

"He had an open case in Amtoli area in Barguna district under the Information and Communication Technology Act. Today we handed him to a cyber tribunal," said the official.

Barguna police superintendent Bijoy Bosak confirmed that the case against Noor had been filed in January after the accused published a Facebook message considered blasphemous and since then there has been an arrest warrant pending against him.

Residents of Barguna held demonstrations in January following the publication of the post, according to Amtali police spokesperson Amirul Islam, who said that the accused had been on the run since the beginning of the year.

Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority country, witnessed a spate of Islamist attacks between 2013 and 2016 targeting members of religious minorities, foreigners, homosexual activists, thinkers and secular bloggers critical of fundamentalism.

Almost 90 per cent of the 160 million inhabitants of Bangladesh are Muslims, who have traditionally been moderate.

--IANS

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The Narendra Modi government's move to bring a bill criminalising triple talaq (instant divorce in a single sitting) is unwarranted and politically motivated, the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) said on Tuesday.

The Modi government is likely to introduce the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which makes instant divorce a criminal offence that would attract a jail term of up to three years, this week in Parliament.

"When the Supreme Court has already banned the triple talaq, there is no need to bring such a law. If divorce has not happened in the first place, where does the need to criminalise the act arise?" CPI-M Lok Sabha MP Mohammed Salim told IANS.

"As far as demanding a ban on the practice of triple talaq is concerned, we have been raising this issue when politicians like Narendra Modi had not even heard of the term triple talaq. But we recognise that divorce is a civil matter and there is no need to criminalise it," he added.

He said that the present bill is "arbitrary" and "politically motivated" as no stakeholders such as the Muslim community, women rights groups, civil society and Muslim scholars, had been consulted on the need and shape of such a legislation.

"The government has said that the practice of triple talaq is rampant even after the Supreme Court banning it. Does the government have any empirical evidence to back this claim? Where is the data and who conducted the survey?" he said.

Salim said there is no need to make a national law on something that is not practiced widely.

He said that triple talaq cases are few and far apart and that too among uneducated people in remote areas.

"There are other issues with this too. For example, if a man is jailed for uttering 'talaq, talaq talaq', who will take care of his dependents, including the wife and children? How will this man be able to pay the lawyers to defend himself in the court?" the CPI-M leader said.

He said that a more practical approach would be to strengthen Section 498 and triple talaq can be brought under the ambit of domestic violence.

He said that there are many other issues of national concern such as farmers' plight and agrarian crisis, but the Modi government "is not concerned" about them.

"As for women rights, what is this government doing to stop women trafficking?" the MP demanded to know.

He said that if the government is adamant on introducing the bill in Parliament, his party would demand that it should be referred to the Standing Committee for consideration and have a "more holistic view on the legislation".

--IANS

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Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Govind Singh Rajput's alleged objectionable remark against the ruling BJP's woman lawmaker Parul Sahu has led to a face-off between the two parties.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has come out in support of Sahu and its women's wing has announced it will burn Rajput's effigy in Sagar on Wednesday.

Sahu, on the other hand, held a demonstration outside Congress President Rahul Gandhi's house in Delhi on Tuesday where she was joined by other women leaders.

The BJP Mahila Morcha, in a press statement issued in Bhopal, said the party condemns Rajput's objectionable remarks against Sahu, the legislator from Surkhi.

Meanwhile, women members of the Congress came out in support of Rajput. Taking a dig at Sahu, Manisha Dubey, the former secretary of the party women wing in the state, said that now a BJP legislator expects justice from the Congress.

She also said that Sahu was on a meaningless rant as she faced loss of support in her area.

A few days ago, Rajput, a former Congress legislator, had termed Sahu whose father is a big liquor trader the "liquor legislator".

Rajput had lost to Sahu in the last assembly elections in 2013.

--IANS

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Chinese human rights activist and blogger Wu Gan was sentenced on Tuesday to eight years in prison for "inciting subversion of state power".

The sentence in the trial which began on August 14 at People's Court Number Two in Tianjin city also condemned Wu to five years of deprivation of political rights, reports Efe news.

The police on Tuesday banned journalists' entry into the area as was also the case at the beginning of the trial.

Wu, 45, known by his online name "Super Vulgar Butcher", was accused of "spreading false information on the internet, exaggerating controversial cases and attacking the regime".

The activist was arrested in May 2015 while protesting in Nanchang, denouncing the alleged torture of four innocent people forced into confessing to a crime and who were declared innocent a year later.

In August 2016, he was arrested again and said he had been tortured, while his family was threatened so that he confessed to committing certain crimes.

Wu shot to fame in 2009 when he publicly condemned the case of Deng Yujiao, a young Chinese woman who killed a local politician from Hebei province when the latter attempted to sexually molest her.

The case received widespread media attention and generated great public sympathy for the woman, even inspiring part of the film "A Touch of Sin" by director Jia Zhangke, which won the best screenplay award at the 2013 Cannes Festival.

Wu also worked in the law firm Fengrui, one of the main victims of the communist regime's campaign since 2015 against lawyers defending human rights cases.

One of the firm's lawyersdefended Wu after he was first arrested, but she herself was arrested later, as part of authorities' campaign against these professionals.

The "Super Vulgar Butcher", formerly a soldier and security guard, began his activism a decade ago.

The crime of subversion against the State power is frequently attributed to dissidents and prisoners of conscience. Writer and Nobel Peace laureate, Liu Xiaobo, who died in July, was handed an 11-year prison sentence on similar charges.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani in Beijing on Monday, who is here to attend a China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' meeting.

Calling Afghanistan an important partner in the Belt and Road Initiative, Wang said China hopes to synergize its development strategy with Afghanistan, and expand cooperation, XInhua reported.

China expects to see a wide and inclusive political reconciliation process in Afghanistan led and owned by the Afghan people, he said.

The trilateral foreign ministers' meeting, the first of its kind, is scheduled in Beijing on Tuesday.

Wang said the meeting aims to set up a communication platform for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and boost trilateral cooperation.

He called on the two countries to build trust, enhance understanding and improve ties.

Calling China a forever and reliable parter of Afghanistan, Rabbani said Afghanistan is ready to actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, and enhance cooperation with China in such areas as interconnectivity, infrastructure and energy.

He expected to cement political trust through the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting, and jointly respond to development and security challenges.

--IANS

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Taiwan's Defence Ministry has called frequent Chinese military drills close to the island an "enormous threat" to its security, in an annual report published on Tuesday.

The Taiwanese Army said this week that China had carried out at least 20 drills with warplanes around Taiwan and Japan, 10 of which were after the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China in October.

Taiwan's Defence Minister Feng Shih-kuan said in the report that the growing frequency of the exercises created an enormous threat to security in the Taiwan Strait, Efe news reported.

President Tsai Ing-wen said last week that the increasing number of drills was affecting regional stability.

The annual defence report stressed Taiwan's preparedness to defend the island in the event of a Chinese attack amid growing tensions with Beijing after Tsai, from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, came to power in May 2016.

Last week, China carried out drills with fighter jets close to Taiwan for three consecutive days.

The report urged "multiple deterrence" and "asymmetric warfare" against the military power of China. It said Taiwan could not compete with China's military budget or its arms development, highlighting that Taiwan deploys 210,000 soldiers compared to China's two million.

The support of the US is key for Taiwan to deter China, although the island has developed a weapons programme, apart from a cyber army command with 1,000 members, according to defence sources.

China considers Taiwan a part of its territory and has threatened to attack the island if it makes a formal declaration of independence.

Taiwan maintains the position that it is a sovereign and independent country under the official name of the "Republic of China" and that it does not need to make a declaration of independence.

--IANS

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The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has awarded a contract for the construction of the 58.25-km Ring Road around Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir, said a statement on Tuesday.

The Rs 1,339 crore project has been awarded to Gayatri Projects Ltd and Ukrainian Public Joint Stock Company Kyivmetrobud in a joint venture. It will be carried out on Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) basis and the construction period is 36 months.

"The proposed Jammu Bypass starts from km 86/100 of Jammu-Srinagar highway (NH-1A) and ends at km 14/700 of Nagrota Bypass of NH-1A for a length of 58.255 km," said a Road Transport and Highways Ministry statement.

The entire Greenfield alignment has been proposed on the western side of Jammu City to provide better connectivity.

Once the project is completed, it will also provide smooth and easy traffic flow and ease traffic congestion in and around Jammu City.

"The Ring Road/Bypass will also lead to substantial socio-economic growth of the area. It will transverse through 56 villages, nine tehsils and two districts (Jammu and Samba).

"It will also reduce wear and tear of vehicles and facilitate smooth and hassle-free movement of traffic with provision of major bridges, flyovers and two tunnels of length of 770m and 710m," said the statement.

--IANS

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Deacon Andrew V. Fine

March 21, 1945-December 24, 2017

Deacon Andrew V. Fine of Mechanicsburg, age 72, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, December 24 with his family by his side. Born in Pittsburgh, he was the son of Walter and Helen (Guthman) Fine. He grew up in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and graduated from Wilkinsburg High School.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Julian, David, and Ira.

Forever loving and missing him are his wife Stella Ann (Reday) Fine; daughter Sandra Fine Williams and her husband Michael of Mechanicsburg; son, Matthew Fine of Carlisle; precious grandchildren Nicholas Williams, Amanda Williams, and Darien Fine. He also leaves many wonderful sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, great-neices and great-nephews.

While earning his degree in Business Management at the University of Pittsburgh he met the love of his life, Stella Ann Reday Fine. Upon moving to Mechanicsburg, he started the Central Pennsylvania Trade Exchange and Delta Realty. He started Abbey Inspirations, religious goods stores, because he wanted to help everyone experience the goodness of the Lord.

He was ordained a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Harrisburg on June 4, 1983. Assigned to St. Josephs Church, Mechanicsburg, he was honored to serve in Gods Kingdom here on earth.

He baptized hundreds of children, officiated at dozens of weddings, and loved preaching, especially by giving children their own Liturgy of the Word. He was instrumental in helping to initiate the RCIA program at St. Josephs. How he loved to teach scripture and prayer. He and his wife gave retreats to teachers, peer counselors, RCIA, and to deacons in training outside the diocese. As a trained spiritual director, Andy had a special desire from the Lord to walk with others on their spiritual journey.

He gladly served the Harrisburg Diocese on the Mission Board, Financial Board, Real Estate Committee, and Pastoral Planning Board.

Andys family was his treasured blessing, and family time, especially with his grandchildren, was his delight. His family and many dear friends treasured time with him. In the 13 years of limitations due to illness, his family and friends went to great lengths to help him live a full life, and he appreciated the joy of every one of those moments. Last Christmas they surprised him by compiling a book of his homilies so he could achieve his dream of becoming an author.

He had an amazing capacity to love and forgive. His illness did not stop him from running the good race. As an eternal optimist, he never complained about limitations, but always stayed strong in faith and was certain the Lord could still do good things with his life.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, December 29, 2017 at 10:30 AM at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 400 East Simpson Street, Mechanicsburg. Visitation will be held Thursday from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Malpezzi Funeral Home, 8 Market Plaza Way, Mechanicsburg. Burial will be held at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Deacon Fines name to St. Josephs Catholic Church, 410 East Simpson Street, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 or St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church, 1 Peter Dr., Mechanicsburg, PA 17050.
Tripura's opposition BJP and Trinamool Congress, which unexpectedly observed the 13th death anniversary of veteran communist leader Nripen Chakraborty, on Tuesday criticised the ruling CPI-M for "disregarding the legendary Left Leader".

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Tripura President Biplab Kumar Deb, while talking to media, said that the present leaders of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) forgot the role and dedication of former Tripura Chief Minister.

"All the present generation leaders of CPI-M are disciples of Nripen Chakraborty. But they totally forgot his role, dedication and talent towards the growth of CPI-M in Tripura and nurturing the present day leaders," he said.

Deb and other senior BJP leaders highlighted the inspirational works of Chakraborty to pursue development of the state and people-centric approach of his government.

"Chakraborty was not only a genuine communist in true sense but also set a model for the leftists of the country," Deb added.

The BJP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday observed the 13th death anniversary of veteran communist leader, who died on December 25, 2004 in a Kolkata hospital.

Trinamool's Tripura unit convenor Ashish Lal Singha said that following the direction from party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the death anniversary was befittingly observed on Monday in the party headquarters here.

"CPI-M leaders may forget the immense role and dedication of Nripen Chakraborty towards the development of Tripura, but we can not disregard or overlook him," he said.

The opposition Congress however condemned the BJP and Trinamool for "doing politics" in the name of Chakraborty ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

"Why the BJP and Trinamool did not observed the death or birth anniversary of Nripen Chakraborty in the previous years? They are trying to capitalise the sentiment of people before the assembly elections," said party's state Vice President Tapas Dey.

He also censured the CPI-M for not commemorating the death anniversary.

The CPI-M meanwhile also accused the opposition parties for their "ignorance" about the functioning of the Left party and observance of death or birth anniversaries.

CPI-M Tripura State Secretary and party's central committee member Bijan Dhar said that except the birth day of Muzaffar Ahmad, who was popularly known as "Kakababu" or few international Communist leaders, the CPI-M do not observe death or birth anniversary of other Indian Marxist leaders on annual basis.

"We observe the centenary of those Indian communist leaders who had crossed 100 years of their birth. Accordingly we have observed the birth centenary of Nripen Chakraborty, Dasaratha Deb and other veteran CPI-M leaders in Tripura," he said.

Chakraborty was the Chief Minister of first Left Front government in Tripura and governed the state for ten years since 1978. He along with former Chief Minister Dasaratha Deb (1993-1998) and others expanded the Left's political base in Tripura.

--IANS

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With no end to the doctors strike in sight, medical services in Rajasthan remained paralysed for the 11th day on Tuesday amid reports of deaths trickling in from different parts of the state.

More than 12 deaths have taken place in Ajmer district alone, opposition Congress has claimed.

In view of the High Court directing the state government on Monday to deal strictly with striking doctors, most of the doctors have gone underground in the state fearing arrest.

A Rajasthan High Court division bench headed by Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and D.C. Somani directed the state government to deal sternly with doctors on strike.

"Apprehend doctors under the law and even under the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA) 1970," the High Court directed the state government.

The Rajasthan High Court for the first time remained opened for routine work on Christmas day, i.e. December 25. It heard a PIL filed by Abhinav Sharma, an advocate, requesting the Chief Justice to take up the matter urgently as doctors had called for a closure of all kinds of medical services, including private medical hospitals and medicine shops on December 25.

The strike is gradually taking a political hue, with the Congress accusing the state machinery of instilling fear among the doctor fraternity.

Speaking to the media, Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Tuesday said the state government was responsible for the crippling of medical services in Rajasthan. The government should shed its adamant attitude and start a dialogue with the doctors to ensure an early end to the strike, he said.

"How can the government be so insensitive? Why can't it see so many people dying owing to lack of medical services in the state. Over a dozen people have died in Ajmer which speaks a lot of the failed medical services here. But, the state government is yet to listen to the problems of doctors," Pilot added.

Earlier, the All Rajasthan In-Service Doctors Association lawyer had said that the doctors would resume work only after "the vindictive action" against them was stopped.

The lawyer had said the government should withdraw the transfer orders of 12 in-service doctors, including the President of All Rajasthan In-Service Doctors Association.

Initially, the doctors had planned to go on mass leave on December 15 against the transfers, but the government invoked RESMA and started arresting doctors, he had said on behalf of the striking doctors.

--IANS

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Services (India) Ltd (EOSIL) on Tuesday announced that it has started work on a contract awarded by hydrocarbons explorer Mercator Petroleum to drill two firm oil wells plus one optional oil well in Gujarat's Cambay Basin.

An EOSIL release here said that with the company commencing a few other drilling contracts during the current fiscal, EOSIL is expecting to clock revenues of $48 million in this fiscal.

"EOSIL today announced that it has commenced a contract awarded by Mercator Petroleum to drill two firm oil wells plus one optional oil well in the Cambay Basin," the statement said.

"With the company commencing a few other drilling contracts in this fiscal, EOSIL is expecting to clock revenues of $48 million in this fiscal," it added.

Mercator Petroleum owns two oil and gas blocks in the Cambay basin and also operates offshore oil blocks.

According to the company, the newest land rig in company's fleet, the 'Essar Rig MR01 (1000 HP) has started drilling the first well for Mercator'.

"A trailer-mounted mechanical rig that is capable of drilling up to a depth of 11,000 ft, it has proved to be an outstanding performer during its six exploratory well contracts with Bharat Petro Resources."

"This contract bears testimony to Essar's 25-year expertise in the contract drilling business that is backed by world-class assets," EOSIL Chief Executive Rajeev Nayyer said.

In addition to its 15 land rigs, EOSIL also operates an offshore rig that is semi-submersible and capable of drilling in water depths of up to 1,600 feet and drilling depths of up to 25,000 feet, which is currently deployed on a three-year contract with state-run explorer ONGC, the statement added.
Jailed former South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday refused to be questioned about illegal financing she allegedly received from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) during her time in office.

Prosecutors from the Central District of Seoul visited the detention centre here where Park has been detained since her dismissal in March, to question her over the new allegations, but Park refused to answer, judicial sources told Yonhap News Agency.

The prosecution believes that the presidential office, then led by Park, received about 4 billion won ($3 million) from the NIS between 2013 and 2016, and, therefore, wants the former president to share her knowledge of the illicit funding and whether it was used for personal or political purposes.

However, the former President has refused to testify on these allegations, citing her poor health, which was the same reason she gave to avoid the previous court hearing on her alleged involvement in the corruption scheme.

Park, 65, has also claimed that the conditions in the prison where she is detained are inhumane, which resulted in her physical problems, and she has refused to meet with the five public lawyers assigned to her.

The former president was accused of conspiring with her friend, Choi Soon-sil for her intimacy with Park, to establish a corruption scheme, reports Efe news.

The pair was believed to have extorted several million dollars from various major South Korean firms, including Samsung, in exchange for a favourable government deal, for which Park could be sentenced to a minimum of 10 years in prison or a maximum of life imprisonment.

South Korean justice has also spent years investigating the links between the NIS and the Park administration as it believes that Park might have received help from the intelligence agency to win the 2012 elections, which could lead the prosecution to present new charges against the former president.

In August, NIS Director Won Sei-hoon was sentenced to four years in prison for his meddling in Park's presidential campaign, after a previous sentence against him was overturned.

--IANS

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A fire broke out in a multi-storey building in central Kolkata on Friday evening, though no injuries were reported, a fire official said.

"The fire broke out on the 10th floor of Life Insurance Corporation building on 16 Chittaranjan Avenue around 8.40 p.m.," a fire official said.

"Ten fire tenders were pressed into service to control the blaze. No injuries have been reported," he added.

--IANS

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Four persons have been arrested as they assembled on their way to commit a robbery at an aged couple's house here, police said on Tuesday.

Police said they came to know that Ram Kumar, 31, Deepak Kumar, 24, and Rohit and Rahul, both 19, would gather at a park near the DDA flats, where the couple live, in Kalkaji area of south Delhi.

"The team received a tip-off on Monday about a group of criminals, planning to commit robbery in the house of an aged couple, assembling in a park at the night," Deputy Commissioner of Police Chinmoy Biswal told IANS.

He said a trap was laid, with a team deployed outside the park and as soon as the accused came, the police personnel jumped in and overpowered the four as they tried to escape.

"Two country-made pistols, two live cartridges, a knife and a scooter which they had robbed from east Delhi were recovered from the accused," Biswal said, adding all the four were unemployed and wanted to make some quick money.

Ram Kumar, who had whitewashed the house last year, knew there was jewellery there and hatched the robbery plan.

Biswal said that Ram Kumar took a loan of more than Rs 1 lakh and went to Dubai in December 2016 for work but he failed to get a good job there and returned to India in July.

"He was under a huge debt and could not repay his lenders. So, knowing there was huge amount of jewellery and valuables in the house, he hatched the plan with his neighbour Rohit, who is a local tough, and his accomplices," he added.

--IANS

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Hurriyat separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's younger son Naseem Geelani on Tuesday ignored the National Investigation Agency (NIA) summons in connection with its probe into alleged terror funding by Pakistan-based terrorist groups to stoke unrest in Kashmir valley.

"He did not depose before the agency investigators today," an NIA official told IANS.

The official declined to say if any new summons had been issued to the younger Geelani.

However, Naseem took to Facebook to say that his summons was cancelled by the NIA. "NIA cancelled my appearing at its New Delhi headquarters which was scheduled today," Nassem said.

The counter-terror probe agency had summoned Naseem, a professor in Sher-e-Kashmir Agriculture University in Srinagar, last week to appear before the agency on Tuesday at its headquarters in south Delhi's Lodhi Road area.

Earlier, the NIA has grilled Naseem twice in the case. The agency has also grilled his elder brother Naeem, a doctor by profession, twice over a span of a fortnight.

The agency, which has been probing terror funding by Kashmiri separatists and has so far arrested half a dozen separatists including 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 terror funding in the Valley against several top separatist leaders in May.

On July 24, the NIA arrested seven separatist leaders on charges of criminal conspiracy and waging war against India. The 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, it 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 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.

--IANS

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India on Tuesday slammed Pakistan for the manner in which the meeting between death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav and his wife and mother were conducted, saying Islamabad "violated the letter and spirit of our understandings" over the meeting.

In a statement, India said the manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath "was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Jadhav's alleged activities" and "the exercise lacked any credibility"

It also said that ahead of the meeting, the two women were made to remove their mangal sutra, bangles and bindi and were not allowed to converse in their mother tongue Marathi.

It said that Jadhav's wife, Chetankul's shoes were taken away and not returned, while some media persons outside the Foreign Office in Islamabad, where the meeting was held, hurled invectives at the women.

India also said that from the feedback received of the meeting, "it appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion" and that "most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being."

The statement was released after Jadhav's mother and wife met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at her residence earlier in the day. They were accompanied by Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and the ministry spokesperson.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a statement. "Prior to the meeting, the two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format.

"There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments.

"However, we note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings.

The violations included the Pakistani press being "allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Shri Jadhav.

"This was despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access."

The MEA statement said that under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded.

"This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security.

"The mother of Jadhav was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, although this was clearly the natural medium of communication. She was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and eventually prevented from proceeding further in this regard."

It said that Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh, who accompanied Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetankul, was initially separated from the two women who were taken to the meeting without informing him.

"The meeting was started without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed.

"For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of Jadhav's wife were not returned to her after the meeting.

"We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard," he stated.

"From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Shri Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being."

Kumar said that India regrets that contrary to assurances, "the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned".

"Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude.

"The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Jadhav's alleged activities. You would all agree that this exercise lacked any credibility," the statement said.

In a meeting described as a "humanitarian gesture" by the Pakistan government on the birth anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Jadhav was allowed a face-to-face meeting with his mother and wife after a gap of 22 months, at the Pakistan Foreign Office in Islamabad on Monday.

However, they were separated by a glass partition in the heavily-guarded building and spoke through an intercom, watched at a distance by the Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh who escorted them to the meeting.

Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April, following which India moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May.

India has said that Jadhav is innocent and has maintained that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had gone for handling his businesses after superannuation from the Indian Navy.

Despite the death verdict, Pakistan last week reiterated that he was not under threat of an immediate execution as his mercy petitions were still pending.

--IANS

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In a "tit-for-tat" operation, five highly-trained Indian Army commandos went some 300 meters across the LoC and killed at least three Pakistani soldiers, two days after four Indian Army men, including a Major, were shot dead in a surprise attack by Pakistan, sources said on Tuesday.

Defence sources called it a "tactical retaliatory strike", decided at a local level by the brigade commander. But the sources did not name the battalion that carried out the operation.

"It was a short-distance and short-duration operation unlike the surgical strike (last year)," said a defence official, who did not want to be named.

The sources said four to five Ghatak Commandos were involved in the operation. Ghatak Commandos are drawn from infantry and trained to carry out covert special operations.

"It was a tit-for-tat action... Whatever Pakistan does to us, we will do the same," the official said, warning that more such operations would be conducted if Pakistani forces continue targeting Indian troops.

The sources said the action was taken around 6 p.m. on Monday after some Pakistani military personnel tried to cross over apparently to plant IEDs on the Indian side of the border.

They said Pakistani forces belonging to 59 Baloch Regiment had set up a temporary post close to the LoC in Rukh Chakri sector of Rawalakot and "at least three Pakistani soldiers were killed while one was injured". They said it was possible that the casualty figure may be higher.

The incident took place along the LoC in Pooch.

The sources, however, didn't term the action a surgical strike -- like the one conducted on September 29, 2016, when Indian army commandos crossed the Line of Control (LoC) to target terror launch pads inside Pakistan-controlled territory, killing dozens of terrorists and their sympathisers.

Since the 2016 Surgical Strike, this is the first publicised incident of Indian soldiers crossing the LoC, though sources said from time to time Indian troops do cross the de facto border to target Pakistani forces.

Pakistan Army confirmed the death of three soldiers in an "unprovoked heavy cross-border shelling by Indian forces" at Rukh Chakri sector.

The incident took place two days after four Indian soldiers, who were part of a patrol party, were killed by Pakistan troops in heavy cross-border targeted firing in the Rajouri sector.

On Sunday, two Pakistani snipers, who were trying to target Indian soldiers on the LoC, were killed in Indian firing on the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts.

The Monday deaths take the Pakistani casualty toll to five in two days.

India claims that Pakistan violated the 2003 ceasefire accord along the LoC between the two countries at least 820 times this year.

--IANS

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The Republicans are betting big on a parlay.

In gambling, a parlay is a combination bet that only pays off when every part of the wager wins. So if I bet that the Patriots, Cowboys and Dolphins will win on Sunday, I only collect if all three win. The payoff is much greater than making three individual bets because the odds of picking three winners are worse.

Tax reform is a massive parlay.

Republicans are betting that passage of tax reform will have the desired economic effect, boosting economic growth and wages, with (politically) minimal impact on the deficit. Theyre also betting that passage will dispel the widespread sense that the GOP-controlled Congress cant get anything done. But the biggest bet is that the expected boost to the economy and the renewed sense of GOP competence will not only make this remarkably unpopular legislation popular, but that a roaring economy will have a huge electoral payoff come the 2018 midterms and beyond.

Odds are good that the policy bet will pay off. If slashing business taxes, switching to a territorial tax system and giving roughly 80 percent of Americans a tax cut doesnt stimulate economic growth, Id be shocked. Ill also be surprised if the deficit doesnt go up, but the deficit hasnt really moved many voters since Ross Perot ran for president in 1992.

The gamble that voters not already in the GOP column will suddenly see the Republicans as a competent and reliable governing party strikes me as somewhat less plausible. The last year has been more than a little chaotic. And passing tax cuts is part of Republicans basic job description. The fact that this is the only major legislation they could get through  in an ugly process  may not strike many persuadable voters as proof that the GOP can get other things done.

But the last bet is the real long shot. While I certainly think this legislation will become more popular  it couldnt get less popular, given the at times absurd media coverage  it seems highly unlikely that the GOP will reverse the headwinds its facing in 2018.

First of all, the economy is doing quite well right now, yet President Trumps popularity remains stuck at all-time lows for any president. A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds that Democrats have overtaken Republicans on the question of who is better at handling the economy.

Even more revealing, despite the fact that a plurality of voters (40 percent) say Trump has made the economy better, voters still dont like him. A president is getting credit for the economy improving and not deriving political value from it, Republican pollster Bill McInturff told NBC. We are watching things we have not seen before in my career.

Trump is at 41 percent approval in the WSJ/NBC poll, which is a few ticks above the Real Clear Politics average, which has him hovering around 38 percent. But the theme is clear across polls and recent elections. The suburban, college-educated cadres that make up much of the reliable GOP base as well as the Republican-leaners who often provide the margin of victory, particularly in midterms, are simply fed up with Trumps drama. Those voters either didnt turn out or voted Democrat in elections in Virginia, Alabama and elsewhere, giving Democrats significant and symbolic victories.

Republicans are gambling that James Carvilles old mantra of its the economy, stupid will save them. The problem is that the economy decides the election every single time, except when it doesnt. For instance, the polls told Mitt Romney to run against Obama on the economy. But at the end of the day, voters liked Obama more than Romney.

Even the economy, like deficit, is often a stand-in for complicated attitudes about the larger direction of the country. Trumps indictment of the establishment and his focus on immigration and crime were inseparable from his economic message.

The presidents party almost always suffers in midterm elections. Maybe well get a roaring economy and a newfound confidence in the GOP, but, barring a war, Ill be shocked if the GOP is not shellacked in 2018 if the most salient social issue out there remains Donald Trump.
The Supreme Court of Iran has approved the death sentence on an Iranian researcher over spying for Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, Tehran Times reported on Monday.

Ahmad Reza Jalali, the convict, had admitted that he had eight meetings with Mossad's agents and that he had received money in return, Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi was quoted as saying.

Jalali had passed information to Mossad agents about projects related to the Defence Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), including information about the AEOI plants, the ministry's plans and blueprints of important buildings belonging to the ministry and the AEOI, the prosecutor said.

He had also provided Mossad with the names and information of top executives of the AEOI and the Defence Ministry, Jafari-Dolatabadi said, adding that according to Jalali's confessions, he had used flash memories to gather information from the individuals' computers.

"The aforementioned person provided (to the Mossad intelligence agency) complete and documented information about 30 top figures working on research, military, defence and nuclear projects, including the two killed, Ali Mohammadi and (Mohammad) Shahriari" in 2010, he said.

The convict was given money and was granted a Swedish citizenship for himself and his family in exchange for the information, he added.

The prosecutor also said Jalali's death sentence was upheld by Supreme Court on December 2, 2017.

Jalali, who has been in prison since April 2016, was shown on national TV earlier this month confessing to providing information to Mossad about Iranian military and nuclear scientists, including two who were assassinated in 2010, according to the report.

--IANS

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Before being let in for meeting Kulbhushan Jadhav at the Foreign Office building in Islamabad, Pakistani authorities made his wife and mother remove their mangalsutra, bangles and bindi and also made them change their attire, India said on Tuesday, slamming the meeting conducted across a glass panel as "lacking in credibility" and "intimidating".

Jadhav, who is on death row on charges of alleged spying and terrorism, met his mother Avanti and wife Chetankul

on Monday after 22 months, since his arrest by Pakistan on charges of spying.

The face-to-face meeting was conducted across a glass wall and the two sides spoke via a telephone speaker.

Avanti, who is in her 70s, was also prevented from speaking to her son in her mother tongue. Every time she lapsed into Marathi, she was stopped and made to speak in Hindi or English, as a senior Pakistani official of the India Desk monitored the interaction.

"Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included removal of mangalsutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security.

"The mother of Shri Jadhav was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, although this was clearly the natural medium of communication. She was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and eventually prevented from proceeding further in this regard," India said in a statement.

The footwear of Jadhav's wife was also taken away and not returned.

"For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Shri Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting," India said, and warned "We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard".

The Pakistani media also hurled invectives at the two women outside the Foreign Office building.

"The Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Shri Jadhav. This was despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access," the statement said.

Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh, who was allowed to accompany the two women, was kept in a separate glass cubicle from the two women, and could watch the proceedings from a distance. He was initially not allowed into the meeting venue.

"Deputy High Commissioner was initially separated from family members who were taken to the meeting without informing him. The meeting was started without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed," the statement said.

India also voiced concern at the appearance of Jadhav and his well being, remarking that he looked as though he was "under considerable stress" and was "speaking in an atmosphere of coercion" and that his statements "were clearly tutored" and designed to "perpetuate" Pakistan's allegation that he was a spy and involved in terrorism.

"From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Shri Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being.

"We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned. Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude.

"The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Shri Jadhav's alleged activities. You would all agree that this exercise lacked any credibility," India said.

The statement said the meeting took place after requests by India for family access to Jadhav.

India said that ahead of the meeting, the two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format.

"There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments.

"However, we note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings," India said, listing out the way the meeting was conducted and the manner in which the two women were treated.

The women, who left for India on Monday evening, met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here in the morning. They were accompanied by Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

After the Monday meeting, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry had released a video message of Jadhav - as part of a propaganda offensive, in which Jadhav thanked Islamabad for the "grand gesture" for allowing the meeting.

"I requested a meeting with my wife and mother and I am thankful to government of Pakistan for this grand gesture," he said.

In the video Jadhav is shown as saying that "he worked for Indian intelligence agency RAW" and that he entered Pakistan through Iran. Jadhav also said that he was arrested by Pakistan's security agencies from Balochistan.

Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April, following which India moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May.

India has said that Jadhav is innocent and has maintained that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had gone for handling his businesses after superannuation from the Indian Navy.

Despite the death verdict, Pakistan last week reiterated that he was not under threat of an immediate execution as his mercy petitions were still pending.

Pakistan has said that the meeting does not mean any change in Pakistan's stance regarding Jadhav.

--IANS

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A top commander of the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) terror outfit was killed on Sunday in a gunfight with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama District, polce said.

Adnan was killed in Aripal of Tral area after the security forces surrounded the village in the wake of a tip-off about the presence of the militants in the area, according to a police officer.

"As the cordon was tightened, the militant opened fire. The house in which the militant was hiding was destroyed during the shootout," the officer added.

After a brief exchange of fire, Adnan was shot dead.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After being sent on compulsory leave for 145 days, senior Maharashtra IAS officer Radheshyam L. Mopalwar was on Tuesday reinstated as the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Ltd (MSRDC) chief.

An official order issued on Tuesday said his 145-day-long leave from August 3 had been approved, and it directed him to take over his posting as Vice Chairman and Managing Director of MSRDC immediately.

Mopalwar had been asked to proceed on "leave" from August 3 by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis after a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Anil Gote complained about the bureaucrat having allegedly amassed disproportionate assets worth over Rs 800 crore.

Later, the state opposition parties produced a letter from the Prime Minister's Officer seeking a report from the state Chief Secretary on the allegations against Mopalwar.

Under pressure from both the ruling combine and the oppositon, Fadnavis had ordered him to proceed on long leave till his name was cleared of the graft allegations.

At that time, Mopalwar was overseeing some of the top projects, including Fadnavis' pet showpiece Rs 46,000-crore Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway.

A three-member probe panel appointed to investigate the matter, however, exonerated him of the graft charges, thus paving the way for his return to his original posting.

Interestingly, in the late-1990s, when Mopalwar headed the Stamps Department, his name had figured in the Rs 2,000-crore fake stamp papers scam masterminded by Abdul Karim Telgi, but the officer maintained that he was actually the "whistle-blower" who exposed it.

Telgi, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in that scam, died while serving his sentence following multiple organ failure on October 23 this year.

--IANS

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Unveiling the tech industry's patronage of brothels, an investigation by American weekly magazine Newsweek has found that employees from Amazon and Microsoft, among other tech firms in Seattle, purchased services from trafficked sex workers.

According to the report published on December 21, the employees of the tech giants had brazenly sent emails to brothels and pimps from their company accounts in the hope of obtaining services of trafficked Asian women.

The publication got records of the emails that were reportedly sent to brothels and pimps between 2014 and 2016.

The emails, obtained through a public records request to the King County Prosecutor's Office, reportedly showed that 67 of them were sent from Microsoft employee accounts, 63 from Amazon accounts and dozens more from companies like Boeing, T-Mobile, Oracle and local Seattle tech firms.

The authorities have been collecting them from brothel computers for a few years and have seized records from a fraction of the area's hundreds of brothels and illicit massage parlours.

"Some of the emails were collected during a 2015 sting operation that targeted sex worker review boards and resulted in the arrest of 18 individuals, including high-level Amazon and Microsoft directors. Two opted for a trial, which is currently set to begin in March," the report highlighted.

According to Newsweek, Seattle's sex industry has grown alongside the tech industry and men spend up to $50,000 per year on sex workers. Brothels also advertise how close they are to tech offices.

Meanwhile, Microsoft told the publication that it has cooperated with law enforcement and other agencies on combating sex trafficking and related topics in the past.

"The personal conduct of a tiny fraction of our 125,000 employees does not in any way represent our culture. No organisation is immune to the unfortunate situation when employees act unethically or illegally," the company was quoted as saying.

"When that happens, we look into the conduct and take appropriate action. Microsoft makes it clear to our employees they have a responsibility to act with integrity and conduct themselves in a legal and ethical manner at all times. If they don't, they risk losing their jobs," Microsoft added.

Amazon said its "Owner's Manual" clearly states that it is against Amazon's policy for any employee or Contingent Worker to engage in any sex buying activities of any kind in Amazon's workplace or in any work-related setting outside of the workplace.

"When Amazon suspects that an employee has used company funds or resources to engage in criminal conduct, the company will immediately investigate and take appropriate action up to and including termination. The company may also refer the matter to law enforcement," the company was quoted as saying.

Authorities believe that the employees might have sent the emails from their work accounts because Seattle pimps ask first-time sex-buyers to prove they were not cops by sending an employee email or badge.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nearly 11 months after it was denied a censor certificate on various grounds, Hindi feature film "Modi Ka Gaon" - now renamed as "Modi Kaka Ka Gaon" - loosely inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development agenda, will finally hit the screens all over India on Friday, the filmmakers said.

"In the first phase, the Hindi film will be released for around 600 screens in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, east Punjab and Uttarakhand. The rest of the country will be covered soon thereafter," film producer Suresh K. Jha told IANS.

Promos, posters and banners went up on prominent roads and several cinema halls and multiplexes in Mumbai city and suburbs, besides other cities in the country this week, heralding "Modi Kaka Ka Gaon".

The development comes close on the heels of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) giving the censor certificate to the movie in late November. It had been refused for eight months since last February.

Jha reiterated that the film is "not a biopic on Modi", but the story has been inspired by the Prime Minister's vision and agenda for the country's progress.

"I am keen that the work of the great leader should be highlighted since some people are making false propaganda and harming the country's interests," Jha said.

In February this year, then CBFC Chairman Pahlaj Nihalani had declined to certify the film on various gorunds and set a precondition of a No-Objection Certificate from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and Election Commission of India (ECI) for clearing it.

Jha wrote to the PMO and ECI, but they did not respond, after which he moved the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) and won the case there in October.

In its October 12 order, the FCAT said that there are no statutory basis or justifiable requirements for getting NOC from PMO and ECI.

"The requirement to obtain NOC from the PMO, since either reference are made to the PM or a character is portrayed as the PM, have no legal basis or foundation," the FCAT ruled.

"The statutory responsibility for certification of films is cast upon the CBFC Board under the Cinematograph Act. (It) cannot be delegated to different statutory authorities, departments or individuals," the order added.

It noted Jha's contentions that though the film has been inspired by Modi's zeal, development plans and strategies, the scenes in the film are imaginary and not reproductions of any actual events.

"This was a major victory for us. All the objectionable points raised by the CBFC were crushed by the FCAT and we decided to finally release the film this month-end," Jha said.

Nihalani's reluctance stemmed from the ongoing assembly elections in some states at that time (early 2017), the resemblance of the main protagonist to Modi, references to Pakistan's Uri attacks, news-speeches related to the PM and a character named 'Pappu' Bihari featuring in the film.

The FCAT also considered Jha's plea that 'Pappu' is a baby's pet/nickname in many parts of India and later it supercedes the child's given name. Also, in the past, there have been instances like Bollywood song "Pappu Can't Dance Saala" and an advertisement 'Pappu Pass Ho Gaya'.

"Although it is not a biopic on Modi, throughout our film, we represent the working of our PM, his dream of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Smart India and Digital India," Jha explained.

On the Modi look-alike, he said when the film is about Modi's development agenda and vision of transforming India, how can it be portrayed with somebody else who does not resemble him.

However, in the changed avatar, "Modi Kaka Ka Gaon", he has deleted controversial references like 'Pappu' and direct references to the Uri attack and the PM in sync with the CBFC's requirements.

Mumbai businessman Vikas Mahante enacts the main character of Modi. Television actors Chandramani M. and Zeba A. portray the other important roles in the 135-minute-long film, directed by Tushar A. Goel.

It was shot last year extensively on locales in Mumbai, Patna and Darbhanga, detailing the Prime Minister's aim of transforming all rural and urban centres into Smart Villages and Smart Cities.

With seven songs featuring, the music for the film is directed by Manojanand Choudhary.
The opponents of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz are scared of the party's social media force as it is effectively spreading the ideology of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif across Pakistan, his daughter Maryam Nawaz said on Tuesday.

Maryam Nawaz was addressing a convention for PML-N social media workers in Model Town. "Our opponents are scared of PML-N's social media force. It has not only fought your (Sharif's) case but also played a role in the NA-120 campaign," she said.

Maryam Nawaz said her father faced hardships because he chose "the right path instead of taking the easy way out".

"Nawaz Sharif was attacked because he chose the right path over the easy one. He was attacked because he stands with his ideology, and his ideology is about respecting elected representatives," she said to loud chants from her supporters.

There is no doctrine of necessity in democracy, she said and warned of "strict action" if any of her team members were "threatened".

Addressing the convention, the ousted Premier said he had no doubts the party will witness a "historic victory" in the next general elections. "Our political opponents will fail in their intentions," he said.

Sharif again questioned his disqualification by the Supreme Court in the so-called Panama Papers scandal. "Where have you heard that a leader is disqualified because he did not receive salary from his son?"

"A ladla (dear) is excused despite admitting to his crime," Nawaz said in an apparent reference to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan.

Khan was exonerated of graft charges earlier this month. The Supreme Court had rejected a petition seeking his disqualification.

Sharif lamented that former military dictator Pervez Musharraf violated the Constitution but his case was still pending in the courts. "Yet, they gave the verdict against us in a matter of weeks."

He said the decision against him by the apex court halted Pakistan's progress while foreign reserves also started plunging.

Criticising the country's justice system, Sharif said that "everywhere in the world, a principle of innocent until proved guilty is followed, but not in Pakistan".

--IANS

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Parliament will meet again on Wednesday after a four-day break amid continued logjam over Congress' demand for apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat election campaign.

The two houses will meet after a weekend and two-day holiday on Christmas.

The government's efforts to bring a bill to criminalise instant triple talaq, which has been listed for introduction on Thursday, may also lead to a tussle with the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) conveying its intent to oppose the bill.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has also expressed its reservations over penal provisions in The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 while Communist Party of India leader D. Raja has said it should be referred to the standing committee.

CPI-M leader Mohammed Salim said that Modi government's move to bring a bill criminalising instant triple talaq was unwarranted and politically motivated.

He said when Supreme Court has already banned triple talaq, there is no need to bring such a bill.

"As far as demanding a ban on the practice of triple talaq is concerned, we have been raising this issue ever since politicians like Narendra Modi had not even heard of the term triple talaq. But we recognise that divorce is a civil matter and there is no need to criminalise it," Salim said.

He said that the bill was "arbitrary" as stakeholders such as the Muslim community, women rights groups and civil society have not been consulted.

Salim said that there is no need to make a national law on something that is not practiced widely.

BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab said there were some concerns regarding the penal provisions which will be raised during during the discussion on the bill.

"At the time of introduction, it will only the constitutional viability which will be questioned. At the time of introduction, there will not be much resistance."

The two houses have witnessed repeated disruptions since the start of Winter Session of Parliament on December 15 over Modi's remarks against the former Prime Minister with the Congress vociferously raising the issue.

While Rajya Sabha has seen daily adjournments, the Congress has been staging protests and walk out in the Lok Sabha.

Other bills on the government's agenda in this week include The High Court and the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Condition of Services) Amendment Bill, 2017 and The Representation of the People's (Amendment) Bill, 2017.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Politicians who are supposed to give orders to bureaucrats have little knowledge of the subject and those who are instructed to obey the orders "naturally have a sense of contempt", and unfortunately politicians are known for not planning anything, BJP national Vice President Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said here on Tuesday.

Sahasrabuddhe, who was Chief Guest at the inaugural function of National Organisation of Student Planning (NOSPlan), a student body which organizes national conventions with respect to Planning and Architecture.

NOSPlan organizes this event each year in different colleges. This year Amity University Haryana is hosting the annual NOSPlan Event with the theme 'Resilient Cities' from Dec 26-28 at Amity University Haryana.

Sahasrabuddhe, Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra, while addressing the gathering said, "I am an academician first and a politician later. My advice to students of planning is, 'failing to plan is planning to fail' and unfortunately politicians are known for not planning anything. All of you students are the planners of the future and the future infrastructure of the country rests on your shoulder."

"Those who are supposed to give orders to bureaucrats have little knowledge, and those who are instructed to obey the orders naturally have a sense of contempt, also from the political masters this has to change," said Sahasrabuddhe.

"I request all the students to come out with set of suggestions and I lead you to Minister of Urban Development to request him to consider the work carried out by School of Planning and Architecture in our government service," he added while delivering his speech to the students.

Around 900 students and delegates of 14 states from 25 Universities and colleges from all over India participated in the event, said university spokesperson Prashant Dahiya.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Fuelling further speculation about his entry into politics, megastar Rajinikanth on Tuesday said he will announce his political stance on December 31.

Addressing his fans here, the 67-year-old actor made it clear he was not saying he would enter politics but would only announce his "political stance" on that day.

Rajinikanth said he was not new to politics. However, it required time to "study and strategise".

"We will see when the war comes and war is nothing but an election. If you are entering a war you have to win it and you can't win just because of bravery. You also have to strategise. It is taking time because one has to analyse difficulties and losses," he said.

He said more than the people, the media was interested in knowing about his political plans.

He also advised his fans not to focus on the negative information being circulated in the social media. "Focus on positive thoughts," he said.

In November, he had told reporters that there was no hurry for him to enter politics.

In May, while addressing a large gathering of his fans, Rajinikanth said he would choose the path of politics "God willing".

"God decides what we have to do in life at every phase. Right now, he wants me to be an actor and I'm fulfilling my responsibility. If God willing, I will enter politics tomorrow.

"If I enter, I will be very truthful and will not entertain people who are in this to make money. I won't work with such people," he had said.

Preceding the announcement, Rajinikanth will have photo sessions with his fans over the next six days.

--IANS

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Temperatures in the area are forecasted to dip in coming days to dangerous lows that can result in illness, injury and death. Knowing the risks related to cold weather can help a person avoid dangerous circumstances and harm.

The two most common maladies related to cold weather are frostbite and hypothermia, each presenting unique dangers and demanding different responses.

Frostbite, while serious, is considered less dangerous than hypothermia according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). Frostbite occurs when body tissue is actually frozen, usually affecting the ears, nose, fingers and toes.

Frostbite warning signs can include pale, waxy white or grey skin, numbness, a tingling or stinging sensation, aching and reduced blood flow. Medical care should always be sought if frostbite is detected, but if unavailable, DHSS lists several steps to take on your own.

The affected person should be moved to a warm, dry area and wet or tight fitting clothing should be removed. Frostbitten toes or feet should avoid being walked on. The affected area should be placed in warm water, less than 105 degrees.

A heating pad, heat lamp, stove, fireplace or radiator should not be used to warm the affected body part and the affected area should not be rubbed, as this can cause more damage. After being warmed, the affected area should be wrapped in sterile gauze, keeping affected fingers and toes separated. If normal sensation has not returned in 30 minutes, seek professional medical care.

Hypothermia occurs when body temperature drops below 94.1 degrees. Hypothermia can lead to loss of physical and mental abilities, unconsciousness and if body temperature falls below 86 degrees, death.

According to DHSS, warning signs of hypothermia include uncontrollable shivering, numbness, glassy stare, apathy, weakness, impaired judgment, drowsiness, slurred speech, exhaustion and loss of consciousness. In infants, skin will turn bright red.

If a person exhibits signs of hypothermia, immediately call 911. The victim should be moved to a warm place and their blood pressure and breathing should be monitored. Wet clothing should be removed and the victim should be dried before taking their temperature.

The victims core should be warmed first, not extremities. Warming extremities first can cause shock or drive cold blood toward the heart, resulting in heart failure. A victim should be slowly warmed, as rapid warming can cause heart arrhythmia.

Being aware of hypothermia risks and staying as warm as possible can help prevent injury due to cold weather. DHSS recommends wearing layers, protecting ears and face, staying dry, maintaining good circulation while in the cold and wearing a warm hat, as 50 percent of all body heat is lost through the head.

According to the DHSS website, Missouri is the only state that conducts ongoing statewide surveillance of cold weather-related illness and death, with health care providers being required to report cases to DHSS.

Since 1979 when that data began being collected to 2012, 569 people have died from exposure to cold in Missouri. The majority of these deaths took place in St. Louis and Jackson Counties, with St. Francois County experiencing one to five cold-related deaths between 1989 and 2012.

The most deaths experienced in Missouri came in the 2006-2007 winter season, when approximately 34 cold weather deaths were reported.

DHSS advises that substance abuse also plays a role in cold weather-related deaths, especially in the age range of 25 to 64. From 1989 to 2012, that age range experienced 208 cold weather-related deaths, with 51 percent having substance abuse listed as a contributing factor.

Those most at risk for hypothermia are people who work outside, people in poor physical condition, the elderly, infants and those who suffer from illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease or hypertension.

The St. Francois County Health Center maintains a list of warming centers in the area which individuals can use to stay warm if they are without adequate heat in their home.

Many of these warming centers are only used when needed, but several are available during regular business hours, including the Bismarck Senior Center, Bonne Terre City Hall, Desloge City Hall and the Farmington Civic Center.

For a complete list of warming centers in St. Francois County with contact information, visit sfchc.org/emergencies/cooling-warming-centers.

For more information about hypothermia or frostbite risks and prevention, visit health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/hypothermia.
Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani on Tuesday said the company has achieved full resolution of Reliance Communications' (RCOM) debt, reducing it by Rs 25,000 crore to Rs 6,000 crore by monetising assets.

"We have achieved full resolution that involves Reliance Communications exiting strategic debt recast. What we have achieved, in the face of extraordinary challenges, is truly historic and unprecedented in Indian corporate history. RCOM debt will reduce by Rs 25,000 crore. The entire monetisation process to repay debt of lenders will be completed by January-March 2018 in a phased manner," Ambani told reporters here.

Ambani said that in the debt reduction, there would be no write-off for any lender or bondholder. "There will be no conversion of debt to equity as well," Ambani added. Reliance Communications had close to Rs 45,000 crore debt on its books in October 2017, he had said.

The RCOM stock rose sharply on announcement, closing at 30.78 per cent higher at Rs 21.33.

He said the company had faced a lot of headwinds in the last few months with respect to National Company Law Tribunal.

"It was challenge... how do you really manage 35 global and Indian banks to come on the same page," Ambani said.

Saying that going forward Reliance Communications will be a business-to-business (B2B) company, he added the company achieved this debt restructuring by asset monetisation of wireless business and selling real estate. The new company would have a debt of Rs 6,000 crore representing reduction of over 85 per cent of the total debt.

"RCOM's continuing operations will comprise stable and profitable B2B focused businesses, including Indian and Global Enterprise, Internet Data Centres and the largest private submarine cable network in the world. These B2B businesses are stable, capital light and have sustained and predictable annuity revenues and profits, with immense growth potential amidst relatively low competitive intensity," he said.

The company has worked closely with all lenders and SBI Capital Markets Limited, the advisors appointed by the lenders, to monetise its valuable assets comprising 122.4 MHz of 4G Spectrum in the 800/900/1800/2100 MHz bands; over 43,000 towers; 178,000 RKM of fiber with pan-India footprint; 248 Media Convergence Nodes, covering 5 million sq ft, used for hosting telecom infrastructure and real estate located in New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Jigni and Tirupati.

"The commercial development of the DAKC (Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City) campus will lead to reduction of RCOM's debt by a further Rs 10,000 crore, with the SPV holding the real estate assuming non-recourse long-term debt financing of the said amount," Ambani said.

"The combination of the above transactions will lead to 85 per cent reduction in RCOM's total debt and liabilities, the largest ever in the history of corporate India, and has been achieved in a record 40 working days from the time the plan was presented to lenders," he said.

He said for the new RCOM 50 per cent of revenue will come from outside India.

"Reliance Communications will be now one of the strongest enterprise business of India," Ambani said.

All stakeholders of RCOM, including lenders, bondholders, customers, vendors and employees, and over 1.3 million shareholders will benefit from the fast track debt resolution, a company statement said.

He also said that, according to an estimation done by Credit Suisse, the new RCOM will have an enterprise value of Rs 15,000 crore.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Vijay Rupani on Tuesday took oath as Chief Minister of Gujarat for a second stint along with his deputy Nitin Patel, eight cabinet Ministers and 10 Ministers of State.

The new council of ministers was sworn in at a grand ceremony here at the new secretariat helipad ground in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Ram Vilas Paswan, Chief Ministers of the BJP ruled states and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

It was also a sea of saffron with a score of spiritual leaders from whom Modi took blessings before the ceremony started.

The Cabinet Ministers who took oath were Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, R.C. Faldu, Kaushik Patel, Saurabh Patel, Vestabhai Vasava, Vithalbhai Radadiya, Dilipkumar Thakor and Ishwarbhai Parmar.

The Ministers of State, who were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor O.P. Kohli, were Pradipsinh Jadeja, Parthabhai Patel, Jaydrathsinh Parmar, Nanubhai Patkar, Ramanlal Nanubhai Patkar, Parsottambhai Solanki, Ishwarsinh Patel, Gopalbhai Ahir, Kishore Khanani, Bachubhai Maganbhai Khabad and Vibhavari Dave.

After the oath ceremony, Modi took to Twitter assuring the people of Gujarat that the BJP government will leave no stone unturned in further developing the state, which the party has ruled since 1995.

"Congratulations to Vijay Rupani, Nitin Patel and all those who took oath as Ministers. My best wishes to this team in their endeavour to take Gujarat to new heights of progress," Modi said.

"People from all walks of life joined the oath taking ceremony in Gandhinagar to bless the team that took oath today. We cherish these blessings and their affection," he said.

"Political leaders, Chief Ministers of various states, our esteemed NDA allies and respected former Chief Ministers of Gujarat joined the occasion, making it even more special," the Prime Minister said.

Modi, who was Gujarat's Chief Minister between 2001 and 2014, went nostalgic and shared pictures of the ceremonies when he took oath in the past.

"Attending today's oath taking ceremony in Gujarat brought back memories of the ceremonies in 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2012 when I got the opportunity to serve Gujarat as CM," he said.

"I would once again like to thank the people of Gujarat for giving the BJP this opportunity to serve the state. The bond between Gujarat and BJP is extremely special. I assure my Gujarati sisters and brothers that we will leave no stone unturned in further developing Gujarat," Modi added.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who also attended the oath ceremony here, tweeted, "Attended the oath-taking ceremony of Vijay Rupani as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. I am confident that Gujarat will continue its forward march on road to development and prosperity under the able leadership of Rupani."

Amit Shah tweeted: "I thank all the political leaders, Chief Ministers of BJP and NDA governed states for their esteemed presence. I also thank the people of Gujarat for their unparalleled love and support to BJP. Thank you Gujarat."

The BJP won in the two phased elections. The party managed to get 99 seats while the Congress managed to get 77 and its allies three.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The highly-contagious swine flu virus has hit Rajasthan hard as so far 253 deaths have been reported since the start of this year in the state, an official said on Tuesday.

"From the start of this year till December 26, 253 people have died due to swine flu in the state. Besides this, 3,380 have been found H1N1 positive," an official of the Medical and Health Department official told IANS here.

On Monday, 15 new cases of swine flu were reported from Jaipur alone. Health Department officials say that as the day and night temperature will fall, there will be chances of more cases.

At least one legislator and one Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officer have died due to swine flu in the state so far.

In the RAS Training School here, seven trainee officers were detected with swine flu virus few days back. Besides this recently three medical students, and couple of senior doctors of the government-run SMS Hospital in Jaipur have been found suffering from swine flu.

In 2015, swine flu had hit the state hard as over 6,800 swine flu positive cases were reported in the state and death toll was 468.

To curb the spread of the disease, the government has launched a poster and video campaign aimed at educating people on swine flu. Government hospitals all over the state have been asked to keep full stock of medicines used for treatment of H1N1 influenza.

A survey of 50 houses situated near the house where a positive case of swine flu has been reported is also being undertaken in the state.

--IANS

as/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Another 'ashram' of molestation-accused 'godman' Baba Virendra Dev Dixit has been found in Indore of Madhya Pradesh and three girls rescued from there, said police on Tuesday. Two of the rescued are minors.

The minor girls have been handed over to Childline India Foundation -- a non-government organisation for children in distress -- while the elder one has been sent to the local unit of Nari Niketan. The registers recovered from this ashram mention names of several other women, including some old women.

"We came to know of a spiritual centre of the 'godman' in Subhash Nagar area of the city. We raided the centre on Monday night and rescued three girls, out of which two are from Bihar and one from West Bengal," Indore Deputy Inspector General of Police Harinarayan Chari Mishra told IANS.

The police officer said: "The two girls have been sent to Childline and the third to Nari Niketan, and action is being initiated against the house owner for not informing the police about the irregularities taking place there."

Last week, the Delhi Commission for Women had rescued more than 45 minor girls from two different ashrams run by Dixit where girls and women were allegedly being kept in illegal confinement in the name of religious preaching.

The Delhi High Court has ordered a CBI investigation into the matter and slammed the Delhi Police for not taking any action on various FIRs of girls and women allegedly lured to an ashram in Rohini area on the pretext of spiritual guidance and raped there.

Dixit is on the run ever since the raids on his national capital-based ashrams last week.

--IANS

hindi-nir/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D.Jayakumar on Tuesday took umbrage at the term "impotent" used by "Thuglaq" magazine editor S.Gurumurthy to describe the action taken by the ruling AIADMK against supporters of sidelined leader T.T.V. Dinakaran, after his shock victory in the R.K. Nagar bypoll.

Interacting with reporters here, Jayakumar said Gurumurthy should control his tongue and only impotent persons will talk about impotency. He said legal action against magazine editor and chartered accountant Gurumurthy would be taken, if necessary, for his defamatory views.

Reacting to the action taken by Chief Miniser K.Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam against the supporters of Dinakaran, Gurumurthy, in a tweet, said: "These weakmen took action after almost six months.. impotent leaders... After shock RK Nagar poll defeat, AIADMK cracks whip against nine Dhinakaran men."

While Gurumurthy used the term impotent to mean "powerless, weak, ineffective", the AIADMK Minister Jayakumar and supporters of the ruling party condemned the usage of the word.

According to Jayakumar, the AIADMK party has self-respect, and the party activists are like Kangeyam (a place reputed for its bull stock) bulls and will not lose self-respect.

Responding to Jayakumar's outrage, Gurumurthy, in a series of tweets, said: "I thank the TN minister for dispelling the wrong impression the Edappadi OPS govt is running on my advice. I never advised them as govt ever. As an independent writer, I will continue to express my views on how parties and leaders conduct themselves whether they like it or not.

"I have been expressing similar views in the Thuglak magazine in Q&A column, continuously, about the Edappadi (Palaniswami) government. There is nothing new I have said now about how weak the ADMK leadership is."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump's legal team is standing by its prediction that a central part of the probe into Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election will conclude quickly, the media reported.

Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow reasserted in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Monday that the parts of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe involving Trump would end soon, though he did not mention specific dates, reports The Hill magazine.

"I know we, collectively, the lawyers, are looking forward to an expeditious wrapping up of this matter," Sekulow said.

A spokesman for Mueller's team declined to comment on the report.

Experts have said it was unlikely that the special counsel's probe will wrap up anytime soon, given the scope of the investigation that has reached into the upper echelons of the White House.

Mueller's team has brought charges against four individuals in the Russia probe, most recently Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty on December 1 to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Trump's lawyer weighed in on the probe on Monday as the president celebrated Christmas at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.

Over the weekend, Trump ratcheted up his feud with FBI leadership, swiping at Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and former FBI Director James Comey.

In one tweet, Trump appeared to weigh in on a Washington Post report that said McCabe planned to retire in the coming months after receiving his full pension benefits.

"FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!" Trump tweeted.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US on Tuesday issued sanctions on two citizens of North Korea over the alleged involvement in the country's ballistic missile programmes.

As a result of the action, any property or interests of the designated persons in the US will be blocked and transactions by Americans involving these persons are generally prohibited, said a US Treasury Department statement, Xinhua reported.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have reached an unprecedented level this year as North Korea launched a nuclear test and multiple missile launches and the United States and South Korea have constantly conducted joint military drills.

The crisis has also been worsened by the exchange of personal insults and confrontational rhetoric between the leaders of the United States and North Korea.

The US administration, under President Donald Trump, has been sticking to a strategy of "maximum pressure" on North Korea to force it to abandon its weapons programmes, but so far has failed to achieve its goals.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An advocate on Tuesday sent a legal notice to mobile messaging app WhatsApp, asking it to remove the "middle finger" emoji within 15 days.

Gurmeet Singh, who practises as a lawyer in city courts here, said showing the middle finger is not only illegal but an obscene and lewd gesture -- an offence in India.

In the notice, the advocate said: "...showing of middle finder is not only offensive but a highly belligerent, invasive, obscene, lewd gesture."

"As per the Indian Penal Code Sections 354 and 509, it is an offence to show obscene, lewd, offensive gestures to females. Use of a lewd, offensive, obscene gesture by anyone is hereby illegal also as aforesaid. As per section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994 showing of the middle finger is also an offence in Ireland," Singh stated in his notice.

"By offering to use middle finger emoji in your app, you (WhatsApp Inc) are directly abetting the use of offensive, lewd, obscene gesture," the notice said. Emoji is a small digital image or icon used to express an idea or emotion.

Therefore, it is requested that the middle finger emoji or character or photo must be removed from WhatsApp within 15 days from the date of the present legal notice, it said, threatening to file civil or criminal cases if the app fails to remove it.

--IANS

akk/him/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It is rare for the Ministry of External Affairs to have a tableau at the Republic Day Parade. But the 2018 Republic Day will be different. To mark the 25th anniversary of establishment of the Asean-India Dialogue Partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited leaders of all 10 Asean member countries to be the chief guests at the Republic Day Parade. The parade is also likely to have two tableaux from the Ministry of External Affairs, one float will focus on India-Asean connectivity, including the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway and the Bali Jatra festival celebrated in Odisha, while the other tableau will focus on cultural links, particularly the celebration of Ramayana in the region.
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With reference to Ploughing private capital in agriculture (December 26), in his Budget speech of 2017-18, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley termed mitigation of agrarian distress a non-negotiable agenda for our government and increased the total allocation for the rural, agriculture and allied sectors to ~1,87,223 crore, 24 per cent higher than the previous year. More farmer-friendly provisions were incorporated into the flagship Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. To further the role of the private sector in agriculture, he envisaged a Model Contract Farming Act that would provide statutory backing to a system of farming and marketing in which agro-processing/exporting or trading units enter into a contract with farmers to purchase a specified quantity and quality of one or more agricultural commodities at a pre-agreed price. The law, it was felt, would check the increasing exploitation of farmers by fly-by-night operators in the absence of any agency of the state for verification of the credentials/track record of the sponsoring companies.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday struck a balance between the Patidars and Other Backward Classes (OBC) while forming the new Cabinet in Gujarat.


There is uncertainty on whether Congress President Rahul Gandhi would also succeed his mother Sonia Gandhi (pictured) as the chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), particularly after key former and potential constituents, like the Trinamool Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), have indicated that their party chiefs
Bihar in 2017 witnessed one of the most dramatic political realignments in recent history as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dumped the Grand Alliance, comprising his JD(U), arch rival Lalu Prasad's RJD and the Congress, to rejoin the BJP-led NDA.

While witnessing the cataclysmic political developments, the state was also ravaged by floods which affected 19 districts of north Bihar, rendered close to a million homeless and claimed more than 500 lives.

Shortly after the installation of the new government, the Srijan scam involving fraudulent transfer of hundreds of crores from the treasury to an NGO came to light. The state government promptly ordered a CBI inquiry amid allegations from the opposition that the NGO enjoyed patronage from many top leaders of the ruling coalition.

Driven by the conviction that social evils must be eradicated for the fruits of development to reach all, Kumar also launched campaigns against dowry and child marriage, claiming that these reforms would transform the society in no smaller measure than his previous radical step of prohibition had done.

However, incidents like hooch tragedies in Rohtas and Vaishali districts and killing of a policeman by liquor smugglers in Samastipur as also frequent seizures of huge quantities of liquor across the state despite a stringent prohibition law raised question mark on the liquor ban being practical.

Kumar took the drastic step of severing ties with the "Mahagathbandhan" four years after he had snapped his 17- year-old association with the BJP in protest against the latter making Narendra Modi its prime ministerial candidate.

The sharp hostility between the two leaders began giving way to bonhomie which became evident at the "Prakash Parv" in January, when at a function held to celebrate 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh Modi and Kumar shared dais and showered praise on each other.

During the assembly polls in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh in February, the JD(U) gave up its earlier enthusiasm for opposition unity and maintained a studied distance notwithstanding the Congress forming an alliance with the Samajwadi Party and the RJD throwing its weight behind the coalition.

Earlier, last year, Kumar had ruffled the feathers of his coalition partners by coming out in support of Modi's demonetisation decision, which the Congress and the RJD criticise till date.

That all was not well with the "Mahagathbandhan" became more than obvious when Kumar decided to support the candidature of Ram Nath Kovind in the presidential polls. The chief minister defended his decision citing Kovind's exemplary conduct as the governor of Bihar and contended that the Congress-led UPA, by belatedly fielding former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, was fighting a lost battle.

However, the turning point came with the CBI filing a case in connection with the land for hotels scam against Lalu Prasad and his family members, including his younger son and the then deputy chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.

Kumar's suggestion that Yadav give a public explanation was rejected by the RJD and he resigned from the chief minister's post citing irreconcilable differences with his alliance partner. The BJP came up with the offer of support and a new government was installed with Kumar being sworn in as the chief minister less than 24 hours after having stepped down.

The stormy developments did not leave the JD(U) unscathed, though, with the party's former president Sharad Yadav and Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar, an old Kumar loyalist, raising a banner of revolt.

Defying party diktats, the duo took part in functions held by the RJD and openly accused Kumar of having betrayed the mandate of 2015 assembly polls.

Kumar, who is also the JD(U) president, however, scored a few points by expelling all Sharad loyalists from the party, successfully defending a case against the rebel faction's claim over the party symbol before the Election Commission and finally getting both Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar disqualified from the Rajya Sabha.

The collapse of the Grand Alliance also caused turmoil in the state unit of the Congress, which stands bitterly divided into two factions, one said to be close to Kumar and the other more comfortable with the RJD.

Infighting led to the removal of Ashok Choudhary as the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee chief. The rival faction has been accusing Choudhary of plotting a split at the instance of Kumar in whose cabinet he was a powerful minister and with whom he is said to maintain good relations.

The RJD has been having its own share of woes with Prasad routinely appearing before a CBI court in Jharkhand in connection with cases related to the fodder scam. His Rajya Sabha MP daughter Misa Bharti, her husband Shailesh and Tejashwi have been grilled by the ED in a money laundering case.

His wife Rabri Devi refused to appear before the ED in Delhi despite as many as six summonses following which Enforcement Directorate officials came to Patna to interrogate her. The couple's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, too, faces a probe by the state vigilance bureau in a soil purchase scam.

Prasad's grip over the party which he had founded, nevertheless, appears firm. While he himself was elected, unopposed, as the party's president for a term that ends in 2020, a resolution declaring Tejashwi as the RJD's chief ministerial candidate was passed at the party's recently-held council.

Another key decision taken by the Nitish Kumar government was to introduce reservations in outsourced services, a move that has been described by critics as an attempt to bring quota system in the private sector through backdoor.

A new mining policy brought in July to put a check on illegal sand mining became a major bone of contention. The same has been stayed by the Patna High Court, which has also directed the state government to ensure that mining was allowed under the old provisions.

An appeal against the high court order has been turned down by the Supreme Court. Truck operators in the state went on a strike in November in protest against stringent restrictions imposed on transportation of sand while the RJD, often accused of being in cahoots with the state's sand mining mafia, has seized the opportunity to blame the government for a slump in construction activities which has rendered many workers jobless.

Another Patna High Court order stating that contractual teachers in the state were entitled to get salary at par with their regular counterparts has also left the cash-starved government in a bind.
Bihar in 2017 witnessed one of the most dramatic political realignments in recent history as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dumped the 'grand alliance', comprising his JD(U), arch rival Lalu Prasad's RJD and the Congress, to rejoin the BJP-led NDA.

The year proved to be a bad one for Lalu Prasad as he was ousted from the grand alliance and also had to go to jail.

On December 23, a special court in Ranchi convicted him and 15 others in a fodder scam case 21 years after it had surfaced.

The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3. The 69-year-old RJD leader is now lodged in the Birsa Munda jail.

While witnessing the cataclysmic political developments, the state was also ravaged by floods which affected 19 districts of north Bihar, rendered close to a million homeless and claimed more than 500 lives.

Shortly after the installation of the new government, the Srijan scam involving fraudulent transfer of hundreds of crores from the treasury to an NGO came to light. The state government promptly ordered a CBI inquiry amid allegations from the opposition that the NGO enjoyed patronage from many top leaders of the ruling coalition.

Driven by the conviction that social evils must be eradicated for the fruits of development to reach all, Kumar also launched campaigns against dowry and child marriage, claiming that these reforms would transform the society in no smaller measure than his previous radical step of prohibition had done.

However, incidents like hooch tragedies in Rohtas and Vaishali districts and killing of a policeman by liquor smugglers in Samastipur as also frequent seizures of huge quantities of liquor across the state despite a stringent prohibition law raised question mark on the liquor ban being practical.

Kumar took the drastic step of severing ties with the "Mahagathbandhan" four years after he had snapped his 17- year-old association with the BJP in protest against the latter making Narendra Modi its prime ministerial candidate.

The sharp hostility between the two leaders began giving way to bonhomie which became evident at the "Prakash Parv" in January, when at a function held to celebrate 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh Modi and Kumar shared dais and showered praise on each other.

During the assembly polls in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh in February, the JD(U) gave up its earlier enthusiasm for opposition unity and maintained a studied distance notwithstanding the Congress forming an alliance with the Samajwadi Party and the RJD throwing its weight behind the coalition.

Earlier, last year, Kumar had ruffled the feathers of his coalition partners by coming out in support of Modi's demonetisation decision, which the Congress and the RJD criticise till date.

That all was not well with the "Mahagathbandhan" became more than obvious when Kumar decided to support the candidature of Ram Nath Kovind in the presidential polls. The chief minister defended his decision citing Kovind's exemplary conduct as the governor of Bihar and contended that the Congress-led UPA, by belatedly fielding former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, was fighting a lost battle.

However, the turning point came with the CBI filing a case in connection with the land for hotels scam against Lalu Prasad and his family members, including his younger son and the then deputy chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.

Kumar's suggestion that Yadav give a public explanation was rejected by the RJD and he resigned from the chief minister's post citing irreconcilable differences with his alliance partner. The BJP came up with the offer of support and a new government was installed with Kumar being sworn in as the chief minister less than 24 hours after having stepped down.

The stormy developments did not leave the JD(U) unscathed, though, with the party's former president Sharad Yadav and Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar, an old Kumar loyalist, raising a banner of revolt.

Defying party diktats, the duo took part in functions held by the RJD and openly accused Kumar of having betrayed the mandate of 2015 assembly polls.

Kumar, who is also the JD(U) president, however, scored a few points by expelling all Sharad loyalists from the party, successfully defending a case against the rebel faction's claim over the party symbol before the Election Commission and finally getting both Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar disqualified from the Rajya Sabha.

The collapse of the Grand Alliance also caused turmoil in the state unit of the Congress, which stands bitterly divided into two factions, one said to be close to Kumar and the other more comfortable with the RJD.

Infighting led to the removal of Ashok Choudhary as the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee chief. The rival faction has been accusing Choudhary of plotting a split at the instance of Kumar in whose cabinet he was a powerful minister and with whom he is said to maintain good relations.

The RJD has been having its own share of woes with Prasad before his conviction routinely appearing before the CBI court in Jharkhand in connection with cases related to the fodder scam. His Rajya Sabha MP daughter Misa Bharti, her husband Shailesh and Tejashwi have been grilled by the ED in a money laundering case.

His wife Rabri Devi refused to appear before the ED in Delhi despite as many as six summonses following which Enforcement Directorate officials came to Patna to interrogate her. The couple's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, too, faces a probe by the state vigilance bureau in a soil purchase scam.

Prasad's grip over the party which he had founded, nevertheless, appears firm. While he himself was elected, unopposed, as the party's national president for a term that ends in 2020, a resolution declaring Tejashwi as the RJD's chief ministerial candidate was passed at the party's recently-held national council.

Another key decision taken by the Nitish Kumar government was to introduce reservations in outsourced services, a move that has been described by critics as an attempt to bring quota system in the private sector through backdoor.

A new mining policy brought in July to put a check on illegal sand mining became a major bone of contention. The same has been stayed by the Patna High Court, which has also directed the state government to ensure that mining was allowed under the old provisions.

An appeal against the high court order has been turned down by the Supreme Court. Truck operators in the state went on a strike in November in protest against stringent restrictions imposed on transportation of sand while the RJD, often accused of being in cahoots with the state's sand mining mafia, has seized the opportunity to blame the government for a slump in construction activities which has rendered many workers jobless.

Another Patna High Court order stating that contractual teachers in the state were entitled to get salary at par with their regular counterparts has also left the cash-starved government in a bind.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The UK-India ties grew steadily in 2017, with the British government laying the groundwork for a new post-Brexit economic partnership with New Delhi amid concerns over its tough stance on movement of professionals and students between the two nations.

The cultural strand of the bilateral relationship may have dominated the year, with grand celebrations at some of the UKs major institutions to also mark 70 years of Indias independence, but the Foreign Office highlighted that other aspects of the ties remain equally at the forefront, especially within the context of Brexit.

"Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi described the connection between our people as a 'living bridge' and that link has been strengthened during the 2017 UK-India Year of Culture," said a UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spokesperson.

"Our economic relationship is thriving and we want to expand our 16 billion pounds worth of bilateral trade, generating more jobs and building skills in the coming years, especially looking ahead to intensifying our trading relationship after Britain leaves the EU," the spokesperson said.

Describing the two countries as "modern, diverse and vibrant democracies", the UK government is keen to step into the New Year by building on the "shared connections and values" which make for a "natural partnership" as Britain prepares to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April, 2018.

Prince Charles, who will be stepping in for the Queen as the head of the Commonwealth at this year's proceedings, had extended a formal invitation to Prime Minister Modi during a high-profile visit to India in November.

"Next year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will provide an opportunity for the UK, India and all Commonwealth members to build a reformed and revitalised Commonwealth that is more prosperous, secure, sustainable and fair for all our citizens," the FCO spokesperson noted.

As the UK prepares for a potential Modi visit for the summit next year, it will be keen to edge a little closer to the much-anticipated free trade agreement that both sides are expected to clinch once Britain has formally exited the EU by March 2019.

A Joint Working Group on Trade set up to lay the groundwork for a new post-Brexit economic partnership has held a few meetings this year but progress on that front is unlikely to be very significant until Britain is seen to soften its stance on the free movement of professionals and students.

Indian high commissioner to the UK, Y K Sinha, has been making that point at various platforms, most recently in November at the London launch of the Indian Professionals Forum (IPF), a non-profit think-tank for Indian diaspora related policy advocacy set up to strengthen India-UK relations.

The envoy said that as Indian professionals will play an important role in defining the "contours of a winning partnership between India and the UK", freer movement of professionals between the two countries will be central to any "mutually beneficial agreement" in the future.

The latest UK Home Office statistics held up some promise as the declining trend among Indian students coming to study at UK institutions seems to have reversed somewhat, with 2,962 more students coming to study in the UK in 2017 to make up a total of 14,081, up 27 per cent from last year's 11,119.

Indian student numbers are now closer to the US (15,039) but still far behind the UK's largest overseas student category of China (88,258).

London Mayor Sadiq Khan during his India visit had said he was "lobbying" with the British government to change its stringent visa norms, which he termed as a "big mistake".

Recently, the Theresa May government changed its visa policy for non-EU (European Union) nationals to curb its soaring immigration figures. The policy which came into effect in November will affect a large number of Indians, especially IT professionals.

One of the loudest voices claiming there is no bar on the number of Indian students who can come to the UK under the Theresa May-led Conservative party government was the senior- most Indian-origin minister in the UK Cabinet, Priti Patel.

However, she had an extremely turbulent year as she was forced to resign as Secretary of State for International Development after a series of damaging revelations around a dozen undisclosed meetings with Israeli political leaders during a "holiday" to the country.

The Gujarati-origin MP, who characterises Prime Minister Modi as a "great friend" of Britain, has since been shunted to the back-benches of the Tory party. However, her pro-Brexit views are expected to bring her back into the headlines soon as the UK continues to negotiate a tenuous agreement with the EU over its future trading relations with the 27-member economic bloc.

Security issues are expected to be central to the ongoing negotiations, especially against the backdrop of Britain being the target of major terrorist attacks throughout the year.

A car rampage into the side wall of the Palace of Westminster, which houses the Parliament complex, in central London in March was followed by a suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester in May and a knife attack on the streets of London days later in early June.

A few days later a vehicle stormed towards a mosque in Finsbury Park area of London, adding to an already heightened sense of terror alert in the country.

The UK and India had been also locked in a stalemate over the election for the International Court of Justice. India's Dalveer Bhandari and Britain's Christopher Greenwood were both hoping to win re-election.

Just before the 11th round of voting, Britain withdrew its candidate, paving the way for India's victory.

The UK media termed the defeat as a "humiliating blow" for the country even as India asserted that the hard-fought race will not impact the bilateral ties.

As the year comes to a close, it will be the extradition trial of liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya that will continue to be in the limelight.

The trial, to determine if the 61-year-old businessman can be forced to return to India to face charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to nearly Rs 9,000 crores, is set to conclude in December.

But with the verdict expected only in January 2018, this news is all set to spill over into the New Year and keep India-UK relations within the context of their extradition treaty in the news for some months to come.

The year 2017 had been ear-marked as the UK-India Year of Culture, which was inaugurated in style with a historic royal reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in February.

The 91-year-old monarch had an impromptu lesson in some classical mudras with Indian dancer Arunima as she opened the doors of her London home to Indian music and dance. The palace facade itself was lit up by a colourful projection of India's national bird, the peacock.
State-run Rural Electricity Corp (REC) today said that Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya) was launched in Madhya Pradesh to provide electricity connections to about 45 lakh families.

"Saubhagya was launched in Madhya Pradesh on December 22, 2017, by Power and New and Renewable Energy R K Singh and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan," an REC statement said.

According to the statement, a total of approximately 45 lakh un-electrified households of Madhya Pradesh are proposed to be included under the present DDUGJY (Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana) and Saubhagya Schemes.

With the launch of the scheme, 5,000 new electricity connections were released in Rewa district.

The Saubhagya scheme was launched in September to achieve universal household electrification in all parts of the country at a cost of Rs 16,320 crore including Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) of Rs 12,320 crore from Government of India.

All states and Union territories of the country are required to complete household electrification in their respective jurisdiction by March 31, 2019.

The REC has been appointed as the nodal agency for coordinating the implementation of the scheme.

The prospective beneficiary households for free electricity connections under the scheme will be identified using Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC), 2011 data.

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At least five persons, including a woman journalist, were booked today for allegedly obstructing a demolition drive being carried out by the BMC and manhandling a woman police constable at suburban Santa Cruz, police said.

The incident occurred when the civic body was conducting a demolition drive at Ambedkar Nagar in Santa Cruz (East), an official said.

As residents in the slum area started a protest against the action, journalist Priyanka Borpujari and other women also joined in, he said.

Some slum-dwellers, including women, entered into a scuffle with BMC and police personnel, during which a woman protester allegedly bit a hand of the police constable, he said.

An offence was registered against Borpujari and her four colleagues at BKC Police Station.

Nobody was arrested so far, he said, adding that a probe is underway.

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Six pilgrims, including three women, on a 'padayatra' to the famous hill shrine of Lord Muruga at Palani, were killed and two others injured when a bus ploughed through them in neighbouring Tirupur district.

The tragedy occurred at around 5.30 am near Dharapuram when the 50-strong group of Lord Muruga devotees were on the 'padayatra' (journey by foot) from Tirupur to the temple in Dindigul district, police said.

Five of them -- two women and three men -- died on the spot while another woman succumbed to injuries at the government hospital in Dharapuram.

Two other injured were undergoing treatment at the hospital, police said.

The driver of the state-owned transport corporation bus, proceeding to Madurai from Tirupur, surrendered at a police station, they added.

A large number of devotees undertake the padayatra to the Palani temple especially from neighbouring districts. The distance between Tirupur and Palani, via Dharapuram, is over 85 km.

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The AIADMK's decision to oust the key aides of T T V Dhinakaran from party posts was taken to prevent other party workers from joining the rebel leader, following his victory in the RK Nagar bypoll, one of his loyalists claimed today.

The bypoll results had proved that Dhinakaran was the most eligible person to lead the ruling party of Tamil Nadu, said Va Pugazhenthi, who was "removed" as the secretary of the AIADMK's Karnataka unit.

Many in Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam's camp and those sitting on the fence were ready to rally behind Dhinakaran, he told reporters here.

The step taken by the party against the TTV loyalists was only to prevent the party workers from switching sides, Pugazhenthi said.

He added that he was appointed the secretary of the party's Karnataka unit by former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa and that nobody had the right to sack him.

The DMK would have won the bypoll if Dhinakaran had not contested, Pugazhenthi claimed.

Following the bypoll defeat at the hands of Dhinakaran, the AIADMK had yesterday axed nine associates of the rebel leader. It had also warned of action against those who "betrayed" the party.

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Agitating Rajasthan government doctors met a a group of ministers today as part to attempts to resolve an 11-day deadlock over their demands related better work conditions including salary benfits.

The meeting was scheduled following Rajasthan High Court directives regarding take action against the doctors who do not resume work by December 26.

"A round of meetings was held with the group of ministers. Consensus is yet to be reached on a few issues. We honour the court's order, which is in favour of doctors. The association will take a final call that is in the interest of doctors as well as people," general secretary of All-Rajasthan In-service Doctors Association (ARISDA), Dr Rakesh Hirawat said.

Health Minister Kalicharan Saraf issued a statement today saying that he was receiving information that in-service doctors are returning on work after the court directives.

The government has not arrested in-service and resident doctors returning on job, but stern action will be taken against those not returning to their job, an official said.

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Purported pictures and videos of ambulances ferrying cartons of liquor and Russian dancers performing at an alumni meet of doctors at a state-run medical college here have surfaced, prompting authorities to order probe into the matter.

Several doctors were present during the function held yesterday inside the Lala Lajpat Rai medical college premises on Garh Road which was hosting the silver jubilee function which had as it attendees many of its alumni.

A controversy erupted over the event as purported video clips emerged showing liquor cartons being ferried in ambulances and Russian dancers performing on stage.

The college's principal, Dr S K Garg today told PTI that he was on leave when the event took place and has ordered a departmental inquiry into the issue.

"When I got information on the matter I constituted a three-member inquiry committee and ordered a probe into it. The inquiry committee has been asked to submit its report within three days," Garg said.

The annual alumni meet at the medical college, it is understood, is organised by previous batches. The event on Monday was organised by the old students of the college's 1992 batch.

BJP leader Laxmikant Bajpai said the state health ministry has also issued inquiry orders into the event.

Describing colleges as "temple of learning", he said alumni meets are a normal tradition and nobody should have an issue with it.

"But they should not go beyond certain limits of culture. The way they were dancing, as I saw in the video, it should not be done in a temple of learning. It would have been still fine if it were a hotel, but not in a hospital where someone is dying, someone is in pain," Bajpai told PTI.

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Anil Ambani today claimed his beleaguered Reliance Communications has negotiated a new deal with the lenders under which nearly Rs 40,000 crore will be raised through asset sales, averting an imminent takeover by the 35 local and foreign banks.

The revival plan, which also has the backing of the Chinese lender which had dragged it to the National Company Law Tribunal for defaulting on USD 1.8 billion loan, involves sale of RCom's residual spectrum, towers and realty assets, including the 125-acre DAKC, which is the operational headquarters of the group, and also a possible minority stake sale to a strategic investor, Ambani told reporters here.

Through the deal, brokered two days ahead of the December 28 deadline when banks would have taken majority ownership, RCom exits strategic debt restructuring (SDR) and it also involves zero write-offs to lenders, Ambani claimed.

"Today, the fact of the matter is, we've had an understanding and an arrangement with all the lenders to ensure a substantial prepayment, the residual debt to be duly addressed and a viable business model for a new RCom with no risks to the banks by way of conversion or write-offs," Ambani, who flew in from Beijing in the wee hours after convincing China Development Bank, said.

Though the new plan lacked details, the sent RCom stock rocketing 41 per cent intra-day and closing trade 32 per cent up at Rs 21.33 on BSE.

The plan is part of a "moral finance" drive undertaken by the company which will help protect Reliance and the Ambani family goodwill in the market, he claimed.

At the end of the process, the 'new RCom' will have debt of just Rs 6,000 crore down from Rs 45,000 crore in October, he claimed, adding RCom will serve only the low-capex and high-margin enterprise space hereon.

At present, the lenders have only approved the plans presented by RCom and respective deals should be consummated by March or June 2018 resulting in fund accrual, he said.

In June, RCom had entered an SDR that involved bankers taking majority control. At that time, Ambani had exuded confidence of successfully coming out of the crisis by selling the tower business to Brookfield and also merging with Aircel.

However, both the deals fell through and RCom had to go back to the drawing board to present a new debt reduction plan in October, which spoke about a wider asset monetisation plan. It was forced to exit its consumer-facing wireless business in November.

The same plan has been approved by lenders after progress on each of the programmes, which include scrutiny of expressions of interest, followed by either binding or non- binding bids, Ambani said.

It can be noted that the once-sunshine telecom industry has been bleeding through the nose ever since Reliance promoted-Jio entered the market in September 2016 with loads of free data for months and then at dirt-cheap tariff plans. The biggest surprise was merger announcement of Vodafone with Idea this March and the Tatas almost exiting the business by selling out to Airtel in a distress sale.

Ambani today said RCom has received 75 expressions of interest and 15 non-binding offers for selling its spectrum, towers and realty assets excluding the Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City (DAKC).

To a question on whether his elder brother promoted Reliance Jio is the front-runner for the spectrum, he said multiple operators are in the fray and that spectrum will be sold on a piecemeal basis where individual operator will bid as per its requirements based on each circle.

RCom hopes to reduce debt by Rs 25,000 crore through the new plan, he said, adding an oversight committee headed by former RBI deputy governor SS Mundra and ex-Trai officials has sifted through bids and advance talks are on. The entire proceeds from the deal will be used to prepay loans, he said.

For the 125-acre DAKC, where the company has built 1.62 million sqft space, there is further headroom to expand the built-up area to 20 million sqft, and the company has spun an SPV to house the assets, which will be sold.

HDFC Realty had valued DAKC at Rs 25,000 crore and the successful bidder will help reduce RCom's debt by Rs 10,000 crore, he claimed, adding these twin asset sale programmes will help reduce the domestic banks' exposure to the telecom sector by Rs 21,000 crore.

Apart from asset sales, RCom has also begun a process to find a strategic investor who can take a minority interest, Ambani said, hinting that the process may end by next June as a strategic investment takes longer.

He, however, did not specify the amount RCom plans to raise from the process or the exact stake it plans to part with. It received 27 expressions of interest and nine non- binding offers for the sale, Ambani added.

Ambani said RCom conducted a long meeting with the lenders recently where the plan was discussed.

Accompanied by wife Tina and son Anmol, Ambani, who got control over the telecom assets following a very bitter feud with his elder brother Mukesh following their father Dhirubhai's death in 2002, said it has been a daunting process in which he learnt a lot.

"I hope as a group and RCom, we never ever have to understand, appreciate, analyse or face an IBC, an NCLT or an SDR or any such process ever," he said.

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The main server and a computer of the Mercantile Cooperative bank here was today affected in a 'ransomware' cyber attack, suspected to be from overseas, the police said.

"One computer and main server has been affected by the virus," IG Manoj Abraham, Nodal officer, Cyberdome told PTI.

As per the warning on the affected computer screen, the files have been encrypted and if it is to be retrieved, ransom in the form of bitcoin has to be remitted, he said.

It is suspected that the cyber attack has come from overseas.

Cyber police, which has begun investigations, said the attack was not serious as bank transactions had not been hit.

Some affected files were restored using backup system, the police said.

In a 'ransomware' cyber attack in June this year, six computers of the Southern Railway office here had been hit by the 'WannaCry' virus but there was no data loss.

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Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested a government officer today after conducting raids at his properties in Kadapa and Kurnool districts and unearthing assets "disproportionate to his known sources of income", an official release said.

He was identified as Chekka Raja Kullayappa, assistant Backward Classes welfare officer, it said.

"ACB teams today conducted simultaneous raids on the accused officer's properties in Kadapa and Kurnool districts and found two independent houses, three house plots and three parcels of agricultural land in the name of Kullayappa," ACB Director General R P Thakur stated in the release.

Raids were also conducted on the premises of the accused officer's kin, he added.

"A G+2 (ground plus two storey) house, six house sites measuring over 2,000 sq yards in all were found in Kullayappa's wife's name, while two houses were found registered in his father's name. Farm land measuring 8.3 acres was found in the name of Kullayappa's brother-in-law," he said.

Promissory notes for an amount of Rs 51 lakh, 593 grams of gold, 433 grams of silver articles, Rs 6.2 lakh in cash, a car and a Bullet (motorcycle) were also seized, the DG said.

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Kerala governor P Sathasivam today sought a report from the state government on a petition by BJP seeking steps to stop attacks on its cadres by "ruling CPI(M)" workers.

Sathasivam sought the report soon after the petition was submitted to him by a BJP delegation led by party state president Kummanom Rajasekharan at the Raj Bhavan here, alleging attacks against the party workers by the CPI(M).

"The governor has forwarded the petition to the Chief Minister for appropriate consideration and sought a report on the issues raised in it", a Raj Bhavan release said.

The petition alleged the CPI(M) had changed its "strategy from murder to inflicting near fatal and grievous injuries".

It further stated that the "unilateral and unabated" attacks on BJP-RSS workers had rendered the peace initiatives (taken up earlier) ineffective, the release said.

The petition requested adequate and effective precautionary measures to prevent violence and also sought removal of police officers "with political connections" from law and order duty.

The release also said the state police chief Loknath Behra, on being summoned, briefed theGovernor yesterday on the law and order situation in the state, the release said.

Talking to reporters after meeting the Governor, Rajasekharan said the party approached him as "no purpose would be served" if a complaint on the matter was lodged with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

He alleged that 15 BJP-RSS workers had been killed in attacks after the LDF came to power last year.

Rajasekharan said his party extended full cooperation to maintain peace at a meeting convened by the Chief Minister some months ago but the ruling party was "continuing its attacks".

BJP has been raising the issue of attacks on its cadres strongly and party chief Amit Shah had in October hit out at the LDF government over the political violence.

Addressing the party workers at the conclusion of a padayatra here to highlight the 'Left's atrocities' in Kerala, Shah had asked Vijayan whether he was prepared to take moral responsiblity for the killing of "innocent" BJP/RSS workers.

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A huge gate with inscription Ayapa Ato (welcome) greets visitors to the picturesque Hong Village, nestled in the rainforests of Lower Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh.

The hill-girdled hamlet, spanning 58 sq km, with a total population of 9,800, as per 2011 census, is known for its unique fish farming and sustainable agricultural techniques.

Of late, however, Hong village is reeling under various nagging problems, which are in many ways hampering its tourism prospects and are in need of urgent government attention.

"One of the major problems in this village is the dilapidated condition of the roads. Many tourists are not willing to visit the place that boasts of the first Kasturba Gandhi Ashram in the whole of North East," Robin Hibu, a resident of the village and a Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police, said.

Without roads nothing can move ahead here, Hibu, who is also the first IPS officer from the state, said.

Zila parishad member of Hong village Tilling Sambyo said that the unique fish-cum-paddy culture practiced by the Apatani community has drawn many tourists to this hamlet from faraway places.

"Not many visitors come to Hong village these days. We are trying our best to woo back the tourists but pathetic road condition is a major hindrance," lamented Sambyo.

Erratic power supply is another problem the villagers face here, Sambyo said.

"The village, inhabited by the hard-working Apatani community, considers tourists as their god. Four homestay facilities were established in the village to accommodate visitors. There used to be a time when these homestays would be full round the year," he said.

Sambyo further explained that the tourists, who come to the village, also visit the Talley Valley wildlife sanctuary, home to bear, tiger, leopard and hornbill.

"On an average, around 5000 foreign tourists visit the village every year," Sambyo added.

The village is inhabited by 11 clans of the Apatani community and they co-exist peacefully, head gaon burha (village headman) Tilling Duri said.

"Lack of proper road and other basic facilities, including water supply, are some of the reasons why people no longer wish to stay here," he rued.

With the Ziro cultural landscape finding a mention in the tentative list of UNESCO's World Heritage sites in 2014, the state government should take care to preserve the traditional and cultural heritage of the village, Duri said.

Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, who also holds the Finance, Planning and PWD portfolios, during a programme on November 16, had assured to provide additional funds for repair and maintenance of the roads.

Echoing similar sentiments, Lower Subansiri district deputy commissioner Kemo Lollen also said the construction of roads in the entire district would be taken on priority basis as the state government has already sanctioned funds.

Sambyo, however, said that there are no signs of construction work in the area yet and if the repair work was not undertaken immediately, the place would lose its charm among the tourists.

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A 25-year-old Bangladeshi blogger has been arrested at the Dhaka airport on charges of writing blasphemous post on social media, police said today.

The blogger, Asaduzzaman Noor aka Asad Noor, was on the run after the head of an Islamic seminary filed a case against him on January 11 this year under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act, bdnews24.com reported.

He was arrested from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here while trying to board a Kathmundu-bound flight, a senior police official was quoted as saying.

Immigration police said that Noor was detained after his passport number raised red flag in the immigration system at the airport.

Noor was charged under Bangladesh's strict internet laws and could face up to 14 years in jail if found guilty.

Hundreds of Muslims had staged demonstrations against Noor this year after Bangladesh Islami Andolon Amtali unit President Mufti Omar Farooq filed the case against him.

In recent years, Islamist extremists have hacked to death a dozen bloggers, publishers and activists, and forced several others to flee the country.

Following the attacks, the government launched a crackdown on extremist groups.

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The city police today formally denied permission for a show by actress Sunny Leone here on December 31, saying they are not in a position to give special attention to the event during New Year celebrations.

The decision comes after the Karnataka High Court's recent direction to the police to pass an appropriate order by December 25 on the application filed by the organisers, seeking a direction to the authorities to allow the show.

"Since the police have to maintain law and order throughout the city, including for huge gatherings on Mahatma Gandhi and Brigade roads, special attention cannot be given to 'Sunny Nights' at Manyata Tech Park on December 31," Bengaluru North East Deputy Commissioner of Police S Girish told PTI.

H S Bhavya, proprietor of The Time Creations, an event management firm, had moved the high court as the government had on December 15, disallowed the show after protests by some Kannada outfits which claimed that it would be an "assault" on city's culture.

In her petition, Bhavya had alleged that on December 16, police had orally refused permission, but did not give it in writing.

After the police refusal, Leone had said she will not perform as police will not be able to ensure her safety and of those who would want to attend the event.

Giving further grounds, the senior police official said the organisers had not furnished clarifications on various issues, including permissions to be obtained from government departments and arrangements made for holding such an event.

He also said though the organisers claimed to have sold only 8,000 tickets, intelligence inputs expect a much bigger crowd to assemble at the venue.

Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and other outfits had held protests against the event, taking out rallies and burning effigies of Leone.

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The production of import substitute bivoltine silk in the country is expected to reach around 6,200 million tonnes (MT) in 2017-18 as compared to 5,266 MT a year ago, registering an increase of 19 per cent, the Textile Ministry said today.

The ministry, in an official statement on the significant achievements in the current year, said Muga silk has recorded highest ever production of 170 MT and has acquired a new growth momentum.

"Bivoltine silk production has grown by 105 per cent in the last three years and has enabled substantial import substitution," it said.

On the cotton sector, the textiles ministry said India has acquired the first place in the world in cotton acreage, with an area of around 105 lakh hectares.

"India has emerged the largest producer of cotton in the world, with a production of 345 lakh bales in 2016-17. India is also the second largest exporter of cotton," it said.

In the present cotton season 2017-18, 88.31 lakh bales of kapas had arrived till December 13, 2017, out of which, 3.62 lakh bales have been procured by Cotton Corporation of India under Minimum Support Price operations, the Textiles Ministry said.

Besides, it said a total of 3,504 cases have been approved under Amended Technology Fund Scheme (ATUFS), with a projected investment of Rs 12,426 crore against government subsidy of Rs 956.50 crore.

According to the ministry, these new projects have the potential to create about one lakh new jobs, in addition to supporting about 3 lakh existing employees.

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BJP would go it alone in the 2019 elections in Telangana and the party is confident of winning them, state BJP chief K Laxman said here today.

"We will not have any alliances. BJP will fight alone and get elected to power in the next elections in Telangana," he told reporters.

Legislative Assembly elections would be held along with the Lok Sabha polls in Telangana in 2019.

People of the state are disappointed with the ruling TRS as it has failed to implement its election promises, he alleged.

"People have waited patiently for over three years to see, if CM KCR (Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao) would deliver on his manifesto promises, but they were left totally hopeless in this year," Laxman claimed.

The main opposition Congress has nothing to new offer to the people, he claimed.

"BJP is declaring an electoral war against TRS in the year 2018. Congress has nothing new to offer to the people of Telangana, they will be rejected in this state as they are being rejected everywhere in India," he added.

BJP currently has a strength of five MLAS in the 119-member house.

Saying that BJP has reached out to the masses in 2017, Laxman hoped that the new year would be good for the party.

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The Budget Session of the Assam assembly will commence from February 6, 2018, the state government said today.

The Winter Session of the House will not take place this year as there is "no time left", Assam Legislative Assembly Principal Secretary Mrigendra Kumar Deka told PTI.

He said that as per the rule, there should not be a gap of more than six months between any two sittings of the House.

"The time gap between the forthcoming Budget Session and the last Monsoon Session will be less than six months. So, there is no issue regarding the procedure," Deka said.

After the Monsoon Session of the assembly in September, no sitting of the House has taken place till now.

"The Governor of Assam, Jagdish Mukhi, has summoned the Budget Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly to meet at 9:30 am on Tuesday, the 6th February, 2018 at the Assembly Chamber in Dispur," an official release said.

Opposition Congress has been criticising the state government for not calling the Winter Session, accusing the ruling BJP-led coalition of escaping from discussion on issues affecting the common people.

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A passenger bus overturned after crashing into an electric pole in Nepal today, injuring at least 17 people, four of them seriously, police said.

The accident took place early morning in Maitidevi area, 3 kilometres from the capital Kathmandu.

The bus en route from Purano Baneshwar to Maitidevi overturned as it hit a roadside electric pole and injured 17 passengers, police said.

Of the total injured, eight are receiving treatment at the Thapathali-based Norvic hospital while nine others, including four critically injured, are undergoing treatment at the government-run Bir hospital, police said.

The police have launched an investigating.

Road accidents are not uncommon in Nepal and occur mostly due to poor infrastructure and reckless driving.

At least 19 people were killed and 16 others were injured when an overloaded passenger bus veered off a road and plunged into a river in Nepal's Dhading district in October.

At least three people, including two women, died and 24 others were injured when a bus skidded off the road and fell into a 100-metre deep gorge in Nepal's Kailali district last month.

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China, Pakistan and Afghanistan today agreed not to allow any country, group or individual to use their territories for terrorism as their foreign ministers discussed development, security and counter-terrorism during their first such trilateral dialogue in Beijing.

The three sides reiterated their firm resolve to fight the menace of terrorism, according to the joint statement shared by Pakistan's Foreign Office after the meeting.

It was the first meeting of its kind since the three countries agreed to establish a trilateral dialogue mechanism in June.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held the first China- Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue in Beijing with his Afghanistan and Pakistan counterparts -- Salahuddin Rabbani and Khawaja Muhammad Asif respectively.

"They expressed their strong determination not to allow any country, organisation or individual to use their respective territories for terrorist activities against any other countries," it reads.

They agreed to strengthen counter-terrorism coordination and cooperation in an effort to combat all terrorist organisations and individuals without any discrimination.

They reaffirmed that a broad-based and inclusive peace and reconciliation process, which is "Afghan-led, Afghan-own", and fully supported regionally and internationally, is the most viable solution to end the violence in Afghanistan.

"In this regard, they call on the Afghan Taliban to join the peace process at an early date," the statement said.

The three countries agreed to conduct win-win trilateral economic cooperations, with an incremental approach, starting from the easier initiative to the more difficult ones.

They reaffirmed their commitment to improving their relations, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, advancing connectivity under China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, and fighting terrorism in all its forms and manifestation without any distinction.

They agreed to jointly work together on political mutual trust and reconciliation, development cooperation and connectivity, security cooperation and counter-terrorism as the three topics of the trilateral cooperation.

The second China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue will be held in Kabul next year.

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Tourists visiting Tibet can take now helicopter rides to have a bird-eye view of the provincial capital Lhasa, according to a media report.

The city's government has confirmed approving trial operations of the helicopter operated by a Lhasa-based company, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

Passengers can book tours at the Tsechokling Airport or on WeChat, said deputy general manager Tseten Paldron, according to a media report.

The company has two routes: one over Lhasa and another chartered flight to Nam Co, the world's highest saltwater lake, about one hour away from Lhasa.

Tibet received over 23 million tourists mostly from different Chinese provinces last year. Chinese government is increasing the facilities to cash-in on the booming tourism.

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China will maintain communication with India to deal with massive lakes formed by landslides on the Brahmaputra river in Tibet following an earthquake, which caused concerns of a sudden flooding on the Indian side, a Foreign Ministry official said today.

According to reports, three huge artificial lakes, whose size and volume of water in them are yet to be ascertained, were formed in the Brahmaputra river, locally known as the Yarlung Tsangpo, due to landslide after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Tibet last month.

The massive accumulation of water has caused concerns that if the lakes join or burst, millions of people residing along the banks of both Siang (in Arunachal Pradesh) and Brahmaputra (in Assam) downstream could get affected.

"The Chinese side, through the existing channels, will maintain communication with the Indian side on the cross- border rivers," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told media persons here.

She said verification by the Chinese authorities has revealed that lakes are on the eastern section of the India- China boundary.

"It is caused by natural factors. It is not a man-made accident. I noticed that authorised Indian professionals have made an analysis and clarified," she said, referring to reports of the lakes being detected by satellites.

"We hope the Indian media will not make a groundless speculation on this," she said.

She said the Chinese officials concerned will maintain communication with the Indian side on the issue.

Earlier, China had refuted reports that the highly- polluted water in the Siang river was caused by attempts to build a massive tunnel to divert the water to neighbouring arid Xinjiang region.

The issue was reportedly discussed during the recent 20th border talks between NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese State Councillor, Yang Jiechi on December 22 in Delhi.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control (LAC). While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covered Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.
In yet anotherblow to striking doctors, the Rajasthan Civil Service Appellate Tribunal today rejected a petition of Rajasthan Medical Officers' Association president Ajay Choudhary challenging his transfer order, with a cost of Rs 2 lakh.

The tribunal has also directed the state government to file an FIR against Choudhary for provoking the doctors to strike.

The tribunal has directed the cost to be recovered from the salary of Choudhary drawn in the past six months.

The bench of members Shravan Sahni and Bannalal has also directed Choudhary to join the duty as per transfer orders by December 29.

The tribunal, while observing that 300 patients have reportedly died during the strike by doctors, has also given directions to file FIRs against the doctors responsible for these deaths.

In his petition, Choudhary prayed for the cancellation of his transfer orders, alleging it to be done out of ill-will.

Government counsel Mukul Singhvi said that his transfer was a routine administrative procedure and there was no ill- will.

"Choudhary has served on his previous post for five years and his case was due for transfer. There was no ill-will on the part of the state government in order of transfer of Choudhary...," Singhvi argued.

Before this, Choudhary's plea to seek an interim protection apprehending any action against him, the high court had also rejected his petition stating it inappropriate to pass any direction with the petition pending before the appellate tribunal.

The tribunal had completed hearing in the matter on December 14 and had kept the order reserved.

The tribunal order came a day after the high court gave directions to the state government to take action against the agitating doctors if they do not resume work.

Agitating Rajasthan government doctors met a group of ministers today as part to attempts to resolve an 11-day deadlock over their demands related better work conditions including salary benefits.

The meeting was scheduled following Rajasthan High Court directives for action against the doctors who do not resume work by December 26.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today asked builders to give a new shape to the Nashik city.

Addressing the concluding ceremony of exhibition "Shelter 2017", Fadnavis underlined the need for a "dedicated connector" for Nashik through the upcoming Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway.

The exhibition was organised by the Nashik unit of Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association of India (CREDAI), the apex body of private real estate developers associations.

"I appeal to builders to give a new shape to the Nashik city through Shelter," the CM said on the occasion.

He said the Solapur and Nagpur municipal corporations are constructing 30,000 houses and 10,000 houses, respectively, under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY).

Earlier in the day, Fadnavis inaugurated a 'bhakta niwas' (a residential facility for devotees), constructed by Shri Nivruttinath Maharaj Trust, in Trimbakeshwar town near here.

He also visited NCP leader Parvez Kokani at his residence in Trimbakeshwar, which caused a flutter in political circles in Nashik district.

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A commerce ministry-appointed panel has suggested that the Board of Approval (BoA), the highest decision-making body for SEZs, should be given additional powers to exempt units and developers from certain rules to promote these zones.

Under the existing SEZ (special economic zones) rules, the BoA has no power to relax any rule. The inter-ministerial board BoA is headed by the commerce secretary.

"Even when the BoA considers it appropriate, it has to take approval of commerce and industry minister. Hence, wherever BoA feels that there is a genuine hardship to the trade and industry and relaxation in SEZ rule is required, it should be empowered to do so," the committee said in its report.

In order to align the 2006 with the GST (Goods and Services Tax) laws as well as for removal of various difficulties faced, the committee was constituted by the ministry to make necessary recommendations.

The other suggestions include submission of GST registration certificate instead of sales tax registration.

It also provides for obtaining a national security clearance as per guidelines issued by the home affairs ministry.

Further, the panel has asked for setting up of an Interpretation Committee.

"This measure will help in ease of operations," the report added.

The five-member committee would include officers from commerce and finance ministries.

The ministry has sought suggestions from stakeholders till December 31.

The other recommendations include cut in paper work for setting up of SEZ units.

"One copy of consolidated application seeking permission for setting up of a unit and other clearances, including those indicated below, shall be made to the Development Commissioner," it added.

Currently, there is a requirement of five copies of the application for setting up of the unit in SEZ to the commissioner.

Certain industry experts have however raised concerns over certain recommendations.

"Several suggestions would impact existing business on units. Trading activities would be severely impacted by this report. They are regulatory in nature. The report should focus on new areas and dimensions like tourism SEZ," former chairman of Export Promotion Council for EOUs and SEZs (EPCES) Rahul Gupta said.

Exports from SEZs rose by 15.4 per cent to Rs 1.35 lakh crore during the first quarter of this fiscal.

Till September 7, the government has approved as many as 424 zones, of which 222 are operational.
Criticising the government over the rise in crimes against women, the Congress today asked it to strengthen the criminal justice system to check such crimes.

Congress spokesperson Khushboo Sundar trained her guns on the BJP, alleging that three BJP-ruled states -- Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra -- topped the list of rapes and abductions/kidnappings of women in the country, even as Delhi continued to be the "rape capital" of the country.

"It is high time the BJP strengthens the criminal justice system and take tangible action to reduce crime against women," she told reporters.

Khushboo said the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) Report, 2016 reveals the "hollow claims" of women security and exposes BJP's deception of 'mahila suraksha' (women protection).

She said that a 19-year-old woman was gangraped in a moving car when she was going from Gurgaon to Noida, on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new metro line in Noida.

Earlier, she said, another 20-year-old woman was raped by five men in Delhi and repeated incidents of violence against women and continuous rise in crimes in the NCR region is a matter of grave concern.

"The BJP which heavily politicised the Nirbhaya gangrape and talked about providing security to women is in charge of the same in the capital, yet Delhi continuous to hold this tag of being the 'rape capital of India'," she said.

Citing NCRB figures, she said, total crimes against women in India have increased in 2016 as compared to 2015 by almost 3 per cent and 3,38,954 incidents of crimes against women took place in 2016 as compared to 3,29,243.

She said while Madhya Pradesh has 4,882 rape cases reported, Uttar Pradesh has 4,816 and Maharashtra has 4,189 cases of rape.

She added that Uttar Pradesh has 12,994 and Maharashtra 6,170 cases of kidnapping and abduction of women. Bihar is a distant third.

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Notwithstanding the tension along the Line of Control (LoC) due to recent ceasefire violations, the cross-LoC trade between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) via Chakan-da-bagh in Poonch district was conducted today with 50 goods laden trucks transacted.

"The trade happened normally as per schedule. While 30 trucks from Indian side laden with different items were sent to PoK, 20 trucks were received from the other side," Custodian, LoC Trade centre Poonch, Tanveer Ahmad, told PTI.

The cross LoC trade takes place between Indian and PoK four days a week from Tuesday to Friday.

However, he said, the cross-LoC bus did not play yesterday in view of the holiday on account of Christmas.

On December 23, four army personnel including a major were killed in unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops along the LoC in Keri sector of Rajouri district.

Pakistani troops also violated ceasefire in Poonch's Shahpur sector next day but there was no casualty.

The twin districts witnessed highest number of ceasefire violations this year, resulting in suspension of cross-LoC trade and travel for nearly four months from July.

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Award-winning actress Parvathy, who was trolled on social media for commenting against some dialogues in top actor Mammootty's film, today lodged a police complaint.

The 'Qarib Qarib Singlle' actress had recently called the dialogues in 'Kasaba' 'misogynist'.

She was viciously trolled and abused on various online platforms by the veteran actor's fans.

According to police, a case has been registered by the Ernakulam South Police in this regard.

"She forwarded a complaint to me...and investigation has commenced on this," IG Manoj Abraham, nodal officer, Cyberdome told PTI.

At an open forum organised on the sidelines of the recently held International Film Festival of Kerala, she voiced her opinion against glorifying misogyny on screen and expressed concern about the absence of women perspective in cinema.

To prove her point, Parvathy said she had recently watched "Kasaba."



Though she did not mention the actor's name, she said the film had disappointed her as it featured a great actor mouthing "misogynistic dialogues."



She had also said such kind of dialogues from a superstar would give a wrong impression to people.

Condemning the online attacks, Finance Minister Thomas Isaac had tweeted that they were deplorable and praised Parvathy for making Kerala proud by winning the best actress award at IFFI.

Known for her variety of roles in various languages including Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi, Parvathy bagged the 'Best Actress' award in the recently concluded International Film Festival of India.

She has also secured the Kerala State Film Award for the best actress.

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The Dawoodi Bohra community has come up with a health advisory for its members -- switch over from using western toilets to Indian-style ones.

An advisory issued to community members during an awareness drive recently stated that there were "medical benefits" in the use of Indian-style toilets.

"Using western-style toilets is alien to our culture. It is an accepted fact that using Indian toilets has certain medical benefits," a community spokesperson said.

However, he made it clear that the directive was not being forced on community members.

"No one is being forced to implement this directive. We realise that senior citizens may find it difficult to use Indian-style toilet," he said.

In a bid to improve the living conditions of members of the community in over 650 towns and cities across India and abroad, the Dawoodi Bohra community had held its third annual "Upliftment Drive" from December 21.

The five-day-long drive was aimed at improving basic needs of community members will have participation of over 21,000 community members comprising clergy, doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, businessmen, home makers and students, he said.

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Unidentified persons today pelted stones at the party office of J Deepa, niece of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, police said.

Deepa told reporters that the incident took place around 12.30 AM when a group of persons pelted stones at the office of her MGR Amma Deepa Peravai at T Nagar here.

Some window panes were damaged in the incident and police later inspected the spot.

She expressed suspicion that some acquaintances could be behind the incident.

Deepa has filed a complaint with Mambalam Police and a probe was on, police said.

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A duo from Nashik was booked for allegedly harassing a woman for dowry, police said today.

As per the complaint by the victim, a police constable, she got married to the main accused (her husband) at Nashik in June, a senior police official said.

Later she was transferred to Mumbai and her husband came to stay with her. The husband harassed her for dowry, the officer said.

The husband and his mother also hacked her email and tampered with her cell-phone. They spread false messages against the woman among her kin and friends, the officer added.

As per the complaint, the woman was also beaten by her husband for dowry. The duo also took away all the material and ornaments given by her parents at the time of marriage, said police.

A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act 2000 was registered at the Manpada police station, they said, adding a probe was on.

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A function and an exhibition was held at the Pakistan High Commission here to mark the 141st birth anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the embassy said today.

High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood extended felicitations on the occasion of 'Youm-e-Quaid'.

The Deputy High Commissioner read out the message of President Mamnoon Hussain on Jinnah's anniversary.

An exhibition of books on the life and achievements of Jinnah was also organised, the embassy said in a statement.

Jinnah, a lawyer, politician, and the founder of Pakistan, was born in Karachi on December 25, 1876.

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today faced a protest by farmers opposing the proposed Samruddhi Corridor project.

The incident occurred in Adgaon area when the chief minister's convoy was heading towards Trimbakeshwar from Ozar airport on Mumbai-Agra national highway.

A group of farmers gathered near a hotel showed black flags to the CM's motorcade.

The farmers were protesting against the proposed Samruddhi corridor project, which envisages the construction of a highway connecting Mumbai and Nagpur, a distance of over 700 kms, for fast commuting.

A police official said some farmers were detained.

After reaching Trimbakeshwar, Fadnavis inaugurated a 'bhakta niwas' (a residential facility for devotees), constructed by Shri Nivruttinath Maharaj Trust.

Fadnavis visited NCP leader Parvez Kokani's residence in Trimbakeshwar which raised eyebrows in political circles in Nashik district.

Later addressing a function in Nashik this evening, the chief minister asked builders to give a new shape to Nashik city.

Addressing the concluding ceremony of exhibition "Shelter 2017", Fadnavis underlined the need for a "dedicated connector" for Nashik through the upcoming Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway.

The exhibition was organised by the Nashik unit of Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association of India (CREDAI), the apex body of private real estate developers associations.

"I appeal to builders to give a new shape to the Nashik city through Shelter," the CM said on the occasion.

He said the Solapur and Nagpur municipal corporations are constructing 30,000 houses and 10,000 houses, respectively, under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY).

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The father of 22-year-old, who was allegedly beaten by the sons of a Rajasthan minister's sons, allegedly attempted self-immolation in Alwar but was prevented from doing so, police said today.

Apparently upset with "police inaction" in the matter, Satish Yadav (55) had reportedly threatened to commit suicide at the collectorate, an official said.

On Monday, he reached the collectorate and tried self- immolation, but prompt action by the police prevented him from taking the step, he added.

Kotwali SHO Sandeep Sharma said Satish Yadav was arrested under section 151 of CRPC (preventive custody) and was produced before a court.

It was earlier alleged that Rajasthan's general administration department (GAD) minister Hem Singh Bhadana's sons along with others had abducted Satish Yadav's son Tej Singh Yadav and thrashed last Wednesday evening.

Later, Shivaji Park police station had registered a case of kidnapping and assault against two of the minister's sons and their accomplices.

The minister's sons and their accomplices had allegedly thrashed him Tej Singh Yadav over the alleged hurling of abuses against Bhadana on December 19.

According to the complaint signed by Tej Singh Yadav, he was tied up and assaulted brutally as a result of which he lost consciousness. When his father received information, he went there and brought his son with him, officials said.

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A fire broke out in a building in BBD Bag area in the city's central business district this afternoon but there was no casualty, police said.

The fire broke out from an electricity meter box in the ground floor of the building, which is located near Kolkata police headquarters in Lalbazar.

According to the police three fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the fire, which was done within half an hour.

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Peru's ailing former leader Alberto Fujimori today asked the public for forgiveness, two days after receiving a presidential pardon that sparked street protests.

"I am aware that the results of my government were well received on one side, but I admit that I have let down other compatriots, and I ask them to forgive me with all my heart," Fujimori said in a Facebook video filmed from his hospital bed.

The 79-year-old had been serving a 25-year sentence for corruption and human rights abuses committed during his time in office from 1990 to 2000.

He was transferred from prison to a hospital on Saturday after suffering from low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat, the latest in a string of hospitalizations.

In the video, Fujimori lay propped up on a hospital bed wearing a white gown, with a blood pressure cuff on his right arm and another monitor clasped to his left index finger. He talked over the constant background beeping of a monitoring device.

Gray-haired and with bags under his eyes, he spoke clearly, looking directly into the camera but also glancing down as if checking a prepared text that was out of the camera's view.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski ordered the pardon of Fujimori and seven other prisoners Sunday on humanitarian grounds, placing himself in the middle of a political crisis just days after he avoided impeachment.

The move set off street protests in Lima, and police fired tear gas and clashed with demonstrators who were marching Monday against the pardon and demanding that Kuczynski step down.

The president defended his decision in a televised message to the nation.

"I am convinced that those of us who feel democratic should not allow Alberto Fujimori to die in prison, because justice is not revenge," Kuczynski said in his address Monday night.

"It is about the health and chances of life of a former president of Peru who, having committed excesses and grave errors, was sentenced and has already completed 12 years" in prison, he said.

Anti-riot police deployed to prevent demonstrators from heading to the clinic where Fujimori is hospitalized, firing tear gas canisters and erecting barricades to disperse them.

"Out, out PPK! Out, out PPK!" demonstrators chanted in reference to the current president, who had promised during his electoral campaign last year that he would not free Fujimori.

"Fujimori, murderer and thief. No to the pardon!" read a sign held by the protesters, some of whom also carried a giant Peruvian flag.

Relatives of victims of Fujimori's brutal rule took part in the march.

"We are here as relatives to reject this illegal pardon, because it does not correspond to the gravity of the crimes," Gisella Ortiz, from a group of victims' families, told reporters.

The pardon from Kuczynski came after Fujimori's son Kenji drained votes away from a parliamentary bid Thursday to impeach Kuczynski on suspicion of corruption, sparking speculation the pardon was political.

"The president's word is totally devalued and he will not be supported again," political analyst Arturo Maldonado told El Comercio newspaper.

"The circumstances in which he has given the pardon, on a date as symbolic as Christmas, generates a sense of frustration and anger," said Jose Miguel Vivanco of US-based group Human Rights Watch.

"Instead of reaffirming that in a state of law there is no special treatment for anyone, the idea that the liberation was a vulgar political negotiation in exchange for keeping Pedro Pablo Kuczynski in power will remain forever."



A doctor at the Centenario Clinic, Alejandro Aguinaga, told reporters that Fujimori's condition was "delicate" and there was no prospect of his leaving soon from the facility where he is in intensive care.

The former leader has spent more than a decade imprisoned for ruthlessly cracking down on political rivals and for ordering dozens of murders and overseeing other brutal tactics.

Despite his conviction for human rights abuses, however, Fujimori retains a level of popularity in Peru for having defeated left-wing guerrillas and for stabilizing the economy after a period of crisis.

That dichotomy has come to the fore with the pardon: dozens of supporters gathered in front of the hospital caring for him, while opponents demonstrated in Lima against him.

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Albany's Historic Carousel & Museum at 503 First Ave. W. has spun for more than 60,000 riders since the Aug. 15 opening day.

It's hard to say whether such a figure exceeds expectations, given that the supporters of the 15-year volunteer project didn't know what to expect, said Jenifer Weinmaster, operations director. But she definitely sees it as a sign of success.

While the organization has counted more than 60,000 ride tokens, Weinmaster estimates the actual visitor count is closer to 75,000 to 80,000. That's because plenty of people come just to take pictures or browse the gift shop rather than taking a twirl on one of the 30-plus hand-carved and hand-painted animals in the menagerie.

Tour groups have been a constant since the carousel opened, Weinmaster said. Church groups from Portland, Bend and Seattle, and a retirement community in Eugene, all have made the trip.

Visitors from as far away as Germany and Russia have signed the guest book, and carousel fans have come from all 50 states.

Some of the visitors have returned to rent the facility for a party or a reunion, Weinmaster said. "We have had an extreme success for our event rentals."

The organization learned a few things in its first months of business, and will be putting them to good use in the new year, Weinmaster said.

For instance, while people are welcome to use the carousel facility for conferences, it's probably not the best place for such a gathering, Weinmaster said. The rooms are a little small, and the noise from the crowds on the carousel might be a distraction.

On the other hand, the conference space works great for birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers or private luncheons  or will, once the organization changes out the carpet for more cake-friendly flooring, she said.

The carousel also is tweaking its concession offerings to add party platters and make some offerings, such as pizza delivery, easier for customers, Weinmaster said. And having two party spaces will double the opportunities to bring down a group.

"We're really trying to emphasize and cater to those needs," she said.

The learning curve is still steep on the operation of the carousel itself, Weinmaster said. The animals are new, but the mechanism itself dates to 1909.

"It's never run harder in its life," she said.

The carousel actually did break down briefly the day before Thanksgiving, but crews were able to change out a broken piece and get it running again about two and a half hours later, she said.

Five new people have joined the carousel's board of directors since opening day, Weinmaster said. They're looking at the budget and setting daily goals for concessions and the gift shop, and trying to get a better sense of what will keep the organization sustainable.

"Having that business expertise has really fortified our future plans," she said.

To that end, hours of operation will change next year. Weinmaster said visitors can expect to come from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays; an expansion from the old weekend hours. The Saturday times of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. will stay the same.

Carousel riders can choose from three new animals come February, Weinmaster said: Fredrick the hare, Kiwi the circus hourse and Prana* the pegasus.

Work will continue on the other 20 or so animals that someday will be featured on the menagerie. Weinmaster said carving classes will be offered at the facility starting in January, for people who simply want to learn to carve. Participants can work on their own projects or learn enough about the craft to join the volunteers at the carousel.

"Teaching the art is really important to us," Weinmaster said.

 *The spelling has been corrected from the printed story.
The government will sell its entire stake in Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical Corporation Ltd (IMPCL) and is looking for a firm to value the assets of the company.

IMPCL is engaged in manufacture and supply of 'ayurvedic' and 'unani' medicines and is under the administrative control of Ministry of AYUSH with 98.11 per cent stake held by Government of India and the remaining 1.89 per cent by an Uttarakhand government PSU.

"The Government of India is considering strategic disinvestment of 100 per cent of its equity in IMPCL via a two-stage auction process. Ministry of AYUSH requires the services of a reputed Asset Valuer to carry out the valuation," the government said while inviting request for the proposal.

Bidders would be required to submit their interest by January 15 to the ministry.

The broad scope of work for the asset valuer is to carry out valuation of land and buildings, furniture and fixtures, lab and manufacturing equipment.

The property would be valued by any one or a combination of Comparison Method, Income Capitalisation, Discounted Cash Flow, Cost Approach method and Replacement valuation.

IMPCL is an unlisted company and as on November 1, 2017, the company has 120 employees.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Four persons died and five others were seriously injured when the SUV in which they were travelling fell into a canal near Kheda village in Kalol taluka of Panchmahal district, police said.

As many as 13 persons, mostly migrant labourers, were travelling in the SUV when the driver of the vehicle lost balance and the vehicle fell into a small canal, killing three on the spot, a Vejalpur police station officer said.

Six persons, who were injured in the incident, were rushed to the nearby hospital where another person died, taking the toll to four, the officer added.

"Most of the deceased were labourers, who were travelling from Devgarh Baria in Dahod district to Malav village for labour work when the accident occured," he said.

The deceased were identified as Chautharam Devra, Balwant Naik, Kamlesh Naik, and Arjun Naik, he said.

The injured where shifted to the civil hosptial in Vadodara for treatment.

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Commercial use of 'Made in India' planes is soon likely to be a reality with state-owned HAL successfully completing the trials of 19-seater Dornier aircraft.

Officials said (HAL) is expected to get the requisite certification from aviation regulator DGCA this week that would allow use of Dornier planes for commercial purposes.

The 19-seater Dornier 228 aircraft is manufactured by the HAL under licence from Swiss technology company RUAG for the defence forces and European markets.

HAL carried out the trial flights of Dornier in order to press them into commercial use at Kanpur and it went off well, a company official said.

The process for the aircraft type certification has been "completed" and the HAL would receive the formal approval on December 28, a senior DGCA official said.

According to the company official, the regulator has already given the certificate of airworthiness to the aircraft, following trial flights that were monitored by a DGCA team.

The use of Dornier 228 for commercial flights would give a big push to the government's Make-in-India programme. Currently, domestic airlines shop abroad all aircraft irrespective of size or weight.

Besides, introduction of the HAL-made plane for civilian use is expected to provide a fillip for the ambitious regional air connectivity scheme -- UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) -- that seeks to connect unserved and under-served regions at an affordable cost.

On how HAL could ensure adequate supply of Dornier aircraft once orders start coming in, the company official said it already has a special assembly line at Kanpur.

"Everything will depend on the orders from airlines. We have to wait and see," the official added.

Earlier this month, a civil aviation ministry had said the government was considering manufacturing civilian aircraft and would like to move ahead with the plan "very fast".

The country's domestic aviation market is one of the fastest growing in the world and has registered high double digit growth for more than two years. Besides, many airlines are embarking on ambitious expansion plans.
The Delhi High Court refused to quash an FIR registered against the managing director & chief executive officer and two officials of Punjab National Bank for forgery and cheating.

Justice Pratibha Rani, however, allowed the trio to withdraw their plea.

"Delhi Police's counsel submits that after examining the documents handed over to him by the petitioners, in case the investigation officers forms an opinion that their arrest is necessary, seven days notice would be served on them to enable them to avail the remedy as per law.

"In view of the assurance give, the counsel (for accused persons) seeks to withdraw the petitions," the court noted.

The officials had approached the court seeking quashing of the FIR lodged against them in pursuance to a trial court's October 27 order.

They have been booked under various sections of the IPC including theft in a dwelling house, house-trespass and for criminal conspiracy.

Following a trial court's order, the police on November 10 registered a case and has initiated a probe into it.

As per the FIR, an advocate, is the complainant. He lives in Chandigarh with his family. While practising in Delhi, he had bought a house named Anand Niketan in 1998 after living there as a tenant for a few years. While his office was on the first floor of the house, the ground floor was given to Punjab National Bank on rent.

The counsel was receiving the rent in his account. Later, he left for the USA.

According to the FIR, the bank allegedly shot a notice to the complainant in January 2014.

The man, who visited his house in Delhi to carry out the work, allegedly found that his first floor office had been broken in and all his valuables were missing. He approached the police. However, the case was not registered. Following which he had moved the trial court for lodging of an FIR against bank officials.

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The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre how long it would take to approve the funding for its pilot project to manage the population of monkeys, nilgais, wild pigs and elephants -- the four focal species in conflict with humans.

To mitigate human and wildlife conflicts, the central government has decided to scientifically manage or control the population of these species by using immune-contraception method, the court was told.

However, one of the scientists working on the project told a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar that the process would take another three to four years due to lack of infrastructure as they were still testing on mice.

S K Gupta, a scientist with the National Institute of Immunology (NII), told the court that he needs funding and a dedicated space to carry on with his research.

The bench, thereafter, told the Centre to inform the court, the status of the financial approval for the project on the next date of hearing on January 16.

The order came while hearing a PIL seeking directions to authorities to take steps to deal with the menace of monkeys and dogs in the national capital.

The court had earlier observed that the development of such a vaccine for 'immuno-contraception', which would use an animal's immune response to prevent pregnancy, was at an initial stage in India.

It had said that the process should be expedited.

The court had also sought to know the possibility of importing a vaccine for sterilisation of monkeys and dogs to control their rising population in Delhi.

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Haryana police has decided to double the reward money from Rs one lakh to two lakh for information leading to the arrest of absconding Dera Sacha Sauda functionary Aditya Insan, who is alleged to be a key culprit behind the mob violence on August 25.

Panchkula police said today that besides Aditya, three other key accused were evading arrest.

"We have recommended to the government that the reward money in case of Aditya Insan be doubled from Rs one lakh. As regards the other three accused, the reward money leading to their arrest will remain Rs 50,000. The informer's name will be kept secret," Panchkula DCP Manbir Singh said over the phone.

Aditya Insan was named a key accused by the Haryana Police in connection with incidents of violence that followed Sirsa-headquarted Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction in a rape case.

In September, a lookout notice was issued against Aditya Insan, who was a spokesman of the Dera then.

Manbir Singh said that Haryana police had also pasted posters of the four wanted persons at several locations including five in Uttar Pradesh.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Panchkula police was also carrying out raids at various places including to trace out Aditya Insan.

Recently, the state was pulled up by a full bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court for its failure to nab Aditya Insan.

During a hearing of the case on the violence that broke out in Haryana following Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction, the high court full bench asked the state whether Aditya Insan was such a trained criminal that he has disappeared like "Shaktiman".

Most of the jailed sect chief's confidants including Honeypreet Insan, who was on the run after his conviction, were arrested as Haryana police registered 173 FIRs with nearly 1,000 Dera followers as accused.

Haryana remained on edge after the Sirsa-headquartered sect chief was convicted by a special CBI court, triggering widespread violence and arson, mainly in Panchkula and Sirsa, leaving 41 dead and scores injured.

The Dera chief, now lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping two disciples.

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The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has told the Supreme Court that hurdles in ongoing construction of Eastern Peripheral Expressway have been resolved in a "satisfactory manner" in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

The 135-km-long Eastern Peripheral Expressway envisages signal-free connectivity between Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gautam Budh Nagar (Greater Noida) and Palwal.

In a status report filed in the apex court, the NHAI has said that construction work in Haryana was proceeding without any disruption and the issue relating to handing over land of 0.5 km stretch in Sonipat district by the state government to the NHAI has been resolved.

"With regard to Eastern Peripheral Expressway in UP, the report states that there is still some disruption caused by persons whose lands have been acquired. However, it is now stated in court today that even this disruption has stopped and the construction is going on in a satisfactory manner," a bench of justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta noted in its order.

The bench was also informed that some cases pertaining to non-distribution of land acquisition compensation were pending before the district court in Ghaziabad.

The court requested to district judge of Ghaziabad to take up these matters on priority basis as soon as the NHAI approaches the court there.

The Uttar Pradesh government had earlier informed the top court that work on a 25-km stretch of the under-construction Eastern Peripheral Expressway in Ghaziabad, which was stalled following protests by farmers, has resumed.

Besides this, the construction work on the 135-km long Western Peripheral Expressway, which connects Kundli to Palwal via Manesar in Haryana, is also going on.

The court, which has been hearing a 1985 plea filed by environmentalist M C Mehta on various issues including vehicular pollution, had asked the Centre in 2005 to build a peripheral expressway around Delhi by July 2016 to decongest and "de-pollute" the national capital.

The two expressways were planned in 2006 following the Supreme Court order to form a ring road outside Delhi for channeling non-Delhi bound traffic bypassing the national capital.

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Ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to India next month, the two countries today reviewed their cooperation in strategic areas such as defence and homeland security.

The review was done during the foreign office consultations in which the Indian delegation was led by Secretary Economic Relations in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Vijay Gokhale while the Israeli side was headed by Director General of Israel's Foreign Ministry Yuval Rotem.

"The two sides reviewed our relations in defence, agriculture, S&T (science and technology), education and homeland security," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said



Netanyahu is expected to travel to India on a four-day visit in January to meet the country's top leadership.

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The Indian Army has killed three Pakistani soldiers during cross-border firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rawlakot sector, Army sources said on Tuesday.

The firing, seen as a retaliation to the killing of four Army personnel, took place around 6 pm on Monday.

One Pakistani soldier was also injured in the gunfire, army sources here said.

The incident comes two days after Pakistani troops killed an Indian Army major and three jawans and injured another in Keri sector of Rajouri district.

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Police today foiled repeated attempts of contractual employees who were here to protest in support of their demand for regularisation of their services.

The contractual employees under various flagship programmes in Jammu and Kashmir have been demanding regularisation of their services for a long time.

While the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) employees are on strike across the state for the past week, the pen-down strike of the MGNREGA employees entered the 16th day today. It was also joined by the Saakshar Bharat Mission (SBM) at Exhibition ground here.

The protesters made separate attempts to stage protest rallies in support of their demands. However, policemen deployed in strength, tried to foil all such attempts.

Demands for regularisation gained strength after government, on December 21, issued a notification regarding regularisation of 60,000 daily wagers and casual labourers working in various government departments.

"In March, we observed a 15-day strike in support of our various demands and resumed our duties after government assured a positive approach towards our demands within two months.

"Now, nine months have passed and there is no word from the government," All Jammu and Kashmir NHM employees association vice-president Dr Arun said.

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WASHINGTON  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.
Airing political views on personal social media accounts could now land Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government employees in trouble.

The J&K government today barred its employees from using their social media accounts for any political activity by amending the conduct rules for them.

The government has added a sub-rule in the Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees Conduct rules which states that no government employee shall engage in any criminal, dishonest, immoral or notoriously disgraceful conduct on social media which may be prejudicial to the government.

"They shall also not use their personal social media accounts for any political activity or endorse the posts or tweets or blogs of any political figure," the rule states.

The employees shall also not use their accounts in a manner that could reasonably be construed to imply that the government endorses or sanctions their personal activities in any manner whatsoever, it said.

The order said that the employees shall also not post inflammatory, extraneous messages in an online community with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional response.

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India today hit back at Pakistan, accusing it of violating mutual understandings on Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with his family, and said the Indian national appeared coerced and under considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction.

Pakistan went so far as to have the mangal sutra, bangles and bindi of his mother and wife removed before they could meet him, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

Also, most of Jadhav's remarks were clearly tutored and designed "to perpetuate the false narrative" of his alleged spying in Pakistan, it said in a no-holds-barred statement against Islamabad's conduct.

Summing up its anger, India said the manner in which Pakistan conducted Jadhav's meeting yesterday with his family violated the letter and spirit of understandings that the two countries had.

Countering Pakistan's contention that the meeting was a humanitarian concession, India's statement said "this exercise lacked any credibility."



"From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion," the MEA statement said.

"We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned," it said.

Family members, however, handled the situation with "great courage and fortitude," the ministry said. The 47- year-old Jadhav's "appearance also raises questions of his health and well being."



The meeting, at the Pakistani foreign affairs ministry in Islamabad, took place after repeated requests by India for family access.

Jadhav, who was captured in March, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted.

New Delhi says Jadhav was kidnapped in Iran where he had legitimate business interests, and brought to Pakistan. To save Jadhav, India moved the International Court of Justice, which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.

During yesteday's meeting, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen while his mother and wife sat on the other side. They spoke through intercom and the entire 40-minute proceedings appeared to have been recorded on video.

Before the meeting, the two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels and had reached "clear understandings" on the meeting's modalities and format, the MEA statement said.

While India "scrupulously abided by all its commitments," Pakistan violated the letter and spirit of the understandings, it said.

Despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access, Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to "approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations" about Jadhav, the statement said.

India also accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of family members under the pretext of security. "This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security," it said.

Jadhav's mother was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, Marathi. She was repeatedly interrupted when she tried to speak in Marathi and eventually prevented from proceeding further, it said.

Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh, who accompanied the two women, was initially separated from them.

They were taken to the meeting without informing Singh, and the meeting was started without him, the statement said. It added that Singh could join only after pressing the matter with officials, but was still kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed.

"For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests," Jadhav's wife's shoes were not returned to her after the meeting," it said.

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Terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed suffered a major blow today when its top commander Noor Mohammad Tantray, considered the brains behind the terror outfit's revival in the Valley, was killed in South Kashmir, police said.

Two of his accomplices, believed to be foreign terrorists, managed to escape under the cover of darkness when the encounter broke out at Samboora village in Pulwama district, they said, adding that the two would be tracked down soon.

According to Director General of Police S P Vaid, the militants had gathered in the area and were planning to carry out an attack on a convoy of security personnel.

There was input about presence of two to three terrorists near the national highway who were "planning to attack convoy", the DGP tweeted.

Terming the killing of 47-year-old Tantray as a "significant development", the police said the terrorist was wanted in various terror incidents earlier this year, including a suicide attack at the BSF camp at Srinagar airport, and had become an irritant for the security forces.

"The divisional commander of JeM, Noor Mohammad Tantray alias Noor Trali, was killed in a gun battle with security forces in Samboora area of Pulwama," the police said in a statement.

The body of Tantray, who was four feet two inches tall, was recovered along with one weapon this morning from the rubbles of the house where the terrorists were hiding.

A crack team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, acting on a specific input, had cordoned off a cluster of houses at Samboora which resulted in a fierce gunbattle leading to the elimination of the top JeM commander.

A police spokesman said Tantray, who was a close aide of the 2001 Parliament attack case mastermind Ghazi Baba, was convicted in a case registered in 2003 in Delhi.

He served a sentence at Central Jail in Srinagar and was out on parole in 2015, the spokesman said.

Consequently, he remained in Tral at South Kashmir and became a major overground worker of the JeM in the region, the police said.

In July this year, after the Aripal encounter, in which three JeM terrorists were killed, Tantray went underground and soon became the key man of the terror outfit in coordinating and organising attacks at different places, he said.

He was one of the chief architects of the attack on a BSF camp near Srinagar airport in October, the spokesman said, adding that he was also wanted in connection with a number of terror attacks in south and central Kashmir.

Tantray hailed from Tral area and his death is being seen as a blow to the terror group as he was the key man in reviving the JeM in south and central Kashmir.

He was buried at his village later this afternoon.

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The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) today asked the government to ensure foolproof security for the upcoming panchayat elections.

The Jammu and Kashmir government yesterday announced its decision to hold much-awaited panchayat elections from mid February next year.

"The government should ensure creation of conducive environment and foolproof security for holding free, fair and smooth elections," JKPCC said in a statement here.

The JKPCC accused the PDP-BJP government of weakening the Panchayat Raj System in the state by reversing the 73rd amendment.

"The present government instead of implementing it, have further diluted even the old state Panchayti Raj Act and have imposed indirect elections in panchayats," it said.

The JKPCC said that it has always favoured panchayat elections in the state in order to establish democracy at the grass root level.

"But there are genuine concerns and apprehension about the intension and moves of the present coalition to ensure conducive and foolproof security environment for such an exercise," it said.

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Vijay Rupani, a low-profile RSS man who has the trust of BJP President Amit Shah, is back in the chief minister's chair after having survived the incumbency factor and a violent quota stir by the Patidars.

Born in Rangoon (now Yangon, Myanmar) Rupani, 61, joined an RSS shakha as a schoolboy, before graduating to the BJP via the Sangh's students wing--the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the BJP's face in the high-octane election campaign in his home state, Rupani, belonging to the relatively small Jain community, steered the party machinery in Gujarat, neutralising the incumbency factor against his government and surviving quota stir by the Patidar community, the bedrock of the party's support base.

That he also successfully contained disenchantment with the government over farm distress in some parts of the state, and economic slowdown due to demonetisation and roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), also stood him in good stead.

Despite the BJP's tally falling below 100 in a long time, Rupani's selection also suggested that the top party leadership wanted continuity before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Though only a second-time MLA, he made a mark as an able administrator.

Rupani, who worked mostly in the party organisation in Gujarat, fought his first Assembly election in 2014, winning a bypoll from Rajkot West. This time he won from the same seat with an impressive margin of over 53,000 votes.

A bachelor of law, Rupani was a Rajya Sabha member between 2006 and 2012.

It was under him as chairman of the Gujarat Tourism Development Corporation in 2006 that the hugely successful advertisement campaign 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki', featuring megastar Amitabh Bachchan, was launched to promote the state as a tourism hotspot.

He was also the chairman of the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board in 2013.

When the Rajkot West seat fell vacant in October 2014 after Speaker of the Assembly Vajubhai Vala was appointed the Karnataka Governor, Rupani won the bypoll.

On February 19, 2016 he was appointed the chief of the Gujarat BJP. It was seen as a victory for the Amit Shah camp in the state unit.

When the state's first and only woman chief minister Anandiben Patel resigned in August 2016 following allegations of inept handling of the Patidar and Dalit agitations, Rupani was catapulted to the hot seat.

Rupani honed his political skills in the crucible of the Gujarat Navnirman agitation, a socio-political movement in 1974 by students and the middle-class against economic crisis and corruption in public life.

It soon spread elsewhere, particularly in Bihar, where socialist legend Jayaprakash Narayan gave a call for 'Total Revolution'. The movement finally led to the fall of Indira Gandhi government and installation of the first non-Congress dispensation at the centre under Morarji Desai.

Rupani, who was then with the ABVP, was jailed for nearly a year during Emergency.

As the mayor of Rajkot in 1996-97, he endeared himself to people of the city with his initiatives for improvement of the civic infrastructure.

Rupani's mettle as a politician will be tested again in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when Modi bids for a second shot at power. Delivering Gujarat to the BJP is the least he would expect from Amit Shah's man in Gandhinagar.

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Two persons were killed today after a truck dashed their motorcycle at Taklikheda village on the Indore-Betul national highway, police said.

Following the mishap, angry locals set the truck ablaze, Assistant Sub Inspector of Kannod Police Station Bhupendra Patel said.

Another person, who was riding the motorcycle, was injured and admitted to a local hospital. The truck's driver and helper fled from the spot, Patel said, adding a case was registered.

"The fire was controlled immediately by the fire tenders," he said.

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A magazine featuring slain terrorist Burhan Wani of the Hizbul Mujahideen on its cover was on sale at the 'Jor Mela' here following which Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said the police would look into the matter if there was any anti-national activity.

On a visit here, the chief minister was confronted by media about sale of the controversial magazine.

If there is any anti-national activity, police will look into it, Singh said.

An article on global terror group, the Islamic State or ISIS and a picture of Jagtar Singh Hawara, convicted in chief minister Beant Singh assassination case, also featured in the 42-page magazine.

The 'JorMela', which began on December 25 and ends on December 27, is held every year to commemorate the martyrdom of Sahibzada Baba Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Baba Fateh Singh, the young sons of the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.

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A 26 year-old man was hacked to death by unidentified assailants at Gorigudde in the early hours of December 25, the police said today.

The deceased has been identified as Merlick DSouza, who had been allegedly involved in criminal activities in the past, they said.

A five-member gang barged into DSouzas house and hacked him with machetes at around one am on December 25.

The deceased had four cases against him and the police suspect that the killing was part of a gang war.

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Security personnel arrested a top CPI (Maoists) leader from Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district during an anti-Maoist campaign today, police said.

The Maoist leader was arrested from an area under the jurisdiction of Patamda police station, the police said.

A loaded country-made pistol of 7.65 bore, five cartridges, one magazine, four bundles of codex wire, 25 detonators and explosives were recovered from the Maoist leader's possession, a police officer said.

The Maoist was allegedly involved in all major Maoist attacks in the East Singhbhum district, including the gunning down of JMM MP Sunil Mahato in 2007, the police said.

"We have arrested Rajendra Singh Munda alias Gudru alias Raju alias Chandan during a joint anti-Naxal operation by the CRPF and the district armed police in the early hours today," Senior Superintendent of Police Anoop T Mathew said.

Munda is a resident of Balidih in the adjoining Seraikela-Kharswan district, the SSP said while addressing a press conference here.

Mathew said Munda was involved in all major Maoist activities for over a decade.

He was also involved in the killing of JMM MP Sunil Mahato, the landmine blast near Burudih dam in Ghatsila sub-division that claimed lives of 14 CRPF jawans in 2009 and the Chekam landmine blast, he said.

The SSP also said that the Maoist leader confessed to his crimes during interrogation.

Several cases are pending against him in adjoining West Bengal, he said.

"We have informed the West Bengal police since many cases are pending against him in Midnapore, Jhargram and Purulia districts there," he said.

"We have also informed the CBI because the agency was investing Mahatos killing," the SSP said.

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He was just four feet two inches tall and walked with a limp. Noor Mohammed Tantray, the Jaish-e-Mohammed commander who was gunned down on Tuesday, stood out in a crowd but his mental acuity more than made up for that disadvantage, officials said.

Called "merchant of death" by a special court in Delhi, Tantray was believed to be the brains behind several terror strikes, including the attack on the BSF camp outside the Srinagar airport on October 3 and on state minister Naeem Akhtars cavalcade in Tral on September 21 this year.

The end came during the intervening night of December 25 and 26 at Samboora in Pulwama district of South Kashmir, not far from his home in Tral.

The killing of the 47-year-old JeM divisional commander, who was out on parole, is a "significant blow" to the terror group's operations in the Valley, officials said.

"We had missed him only by few minutes in the past and I was sure he would run out of luck soon as his height was his biggest disadvantage. With each passing day, the search narrowed," a senior police official, involved in the operations, said on condition of anonymity.

Tantray's limp also made it difficult for him to disappear into a crowd and police officials were sure they would be able to isolate him.

After escaping from the Aripal encounter -- in which three JeM militants were killed -- at Tral in April this year, Tantray had been on the radar of the Special Unit of the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

Their efforts to track him down finally bore fruit on Christmas night when he was trapped in a house and could not escape. His two other accomplices, believed to be foreign militants, managed to flee, an official said.

Tantray, who spent eight years in Tihar jail, had intensified his activities since his release on parole in 2015.

A close aide of Jaish commander Ghazi Baba, who masterminded the 2001 attack on Parliament, Tantray was arrested from Delhi's Sadar Bazar on August 31, 2003.

He was arrested along with four others and charged with conspiracy to carry out terror attacks in various parts of the capital.

The five militants were arrested following an encounter in which two terrorists were killed. Besides arms and ammunition, police also recovered a sum of Rs 19.20 lakh from Tantray.

Then special POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) judge R K Gauba words proved prophetic when Tantray emerged as the most wanted militant in the Kashmir Valley after his release from jail, an official said.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2011 in the case and shifted to Srinagar's Central Jail in 2015 before being released on parole. His parole was extended by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court same year.

While sentencing him along with others under the stringent anti-terror law in 2011, the judge had said the challenge posed by terrorism had to be met "head-on by a multi-prolonged strategy".

"India's war against terrorism is to be waged not only by security measures but also by all organs of the state, including the judiciary which must share the responsibility of dealing with such elements with an iron hand," he said.

Terming the five "merchants of death", the court had said the "foot soldiers of forces inimical to India and bent upon sabotaging the peace and tranquility here, besides posing a serious threat to its unity, sovereignty and integrity, have to be neutralised".

The "merchants of death" had to be locked away for the rest of their lives "...in order that they are suitably defanged and blunted so as to be of no further use to the enemy", the judge had said in his seven-page order.

Tantray's terror graph validated the judge's words, said an official.

Tantray is believed to have provided logistical support to JeM militants who stormed the Police Lines in Pulwama in August this year. Eight security personnel and three militants were killed in that attack.

He was allegedly involved in the JeM attack on the BSF camp, outside the Srinagar International Airport, on October 3, in which one BSF officer and three militants were killed.

Tantray was also found to be involved in the grenade attack on State PWD Minister Naeem Akhtars cavalcade in Tral on September 21.

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It has been my continuing concern that our citizens are not fully aware of the dire straits we are in because of the person we have placed in the White House. Thus, I was encouraged by two letters that appeared in the D-H Editor's Mailbag on December 22.

Mary Brock has documented the fact that Trump clearly does not have the mental capacity and discipline needed to acquire even a bachelor degree from a college. Yet, in spite of this reality, we have placed him in office as our president, the most complex and important position in our country.

One might possibly think that having an "authoritarian bigot in the White House," as spelled out so eloquently by Bill Halsey, would not be a major problem given that he has to work with the vast array of federal agencies that are staffed with qualified and experienced career professionals whose emphasis on long-term and scientifically-sound considerations would greatly influence the decision processes leading to technically and socially sound and rational decisions.

Unfortunately, Trump has a document on his desk titled "U.S. Government Policy and Supporting Positions" (which you can Google as "The Plum Book"), dated November, 2016, that specifically lists all positions within the federal agencies that he can fill with political appointees of his choosing with no requirement for technical expertise whatsoever. As of now, he can fill a total of 8,358 positions with political hacks of his choosing.

Is this really the pathway toward making America great again?

Ron Sadler

Albany (Dec. 22)
A call by parliamentarians for introducing a two-child norm policy is "not appropriate" as India's fertility rate has gone down in the last decade, says a coalition working on reproductive health and family planning.

The coalition, however, welcomed the opinion expressed by MPs on the need to revise the National Population Policy of 2000, saying there was an urgent need to define the country's approach towards population stabilisation in line with its commitment to the global 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

"The call for introducing a policy with a two child norm in anticipation of a 'demographic catastrophe' is not appropriate, given the fact that in the last decade (2005-06 - 2015-16), India's total fertility rate (TFR) has gone down from 2.7 to 2.2," the Advocating Reproductive Choices (ARC) coalition said.

This, they said, was close to the desired replacement level fertility at 2.1.

A demand for revising the National Population Policy 2000 and introducing a new policy with a two-child norm was made in the Lok Sabha recently, with a BJP member expressing concern over an impending "demographic catastrophe".

The demand was made by Raghav Lakhanpal Sharma as he moved a private resolution seeking implementation of a stringent population control policy to check the population explosion.

The coalition said that in the past, in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where law had debarred women with more than two children from benefits, there was a rise in sex-selective abortions, incidents of women being deserted, or giving their children up for adoption.

"With a skewed child sex ratio (0-6 years) of 919 girls per 1,000 boys, India can ill afford a restrictive two-child norm that would further discriminate against the girl child," the coalition said.

It argued that institutionalising such a policy would "undo" decades of efforts undertaken to establish a rights-based approach to family planning, which was adopted as part of India's commitment at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo in 1994.

"The proposed approach will not only tilt towards a coercive and target-driven policy, but will also impinge on individual freedom and imply that it was not the people, but the numbers that matter.

"Pushing for an 'anti-natalist' policy resting on coercion and disincentives is an unacceptable direction and has proven to be counterproductive on innumerable instances," it said in the statement.

"At this moment there is need to reflect on how states such as Kerala, with a TFR of 1.6, reduced its fertility rates by investing in long-term measures like educating and empowering girls and women by ensuring equal rights and improving health care delivery," it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 98-year-old man today became the recipient of a masters degree at the 12th annual convocation of Nalanda Open University here.

Raj Kumar Vaish was awarded the MA degree in economics by Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad at the convocation function of NOU, Patna.

He had enrolled in MA (Economics) in 2015.

"I am happy today. I had worked hard. For long, I had cherished the dream of completing my masters... the young should concentrate on their education and not on career alone," Vaish told reporters here after receiving the degree.

The university's Registrar S P Sinha told PTI that a total of 22,100 students were awarded various degrees this year. Vaish was among the 2780, including 29 gold medalists, who were invited to the convocation ceremony.

"It is really a big achievement for NOU. Hats off to Vaish and his sheer determination to pursue studies at this age.... we wonder from where he draws so much energy," Sinha said.

Vaish is probably the oldest person to get a post graduate (PG) degree from this university, he said.

The varsity will preserve his notebooks, which will serve as a source of inspiration to the youth, Sinha added.

"We are glad that my father fulfilled his dream. At the convocation ceremony, my father was offered a wheelchair since he had difficulty in climbing stairs, but he chose to move with the help of a walker and received his degree," Vaish's son, Santosh Kumar, a retired professor of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Patna, said.

"The Meghalaya Governor told my father - you are a source of inspiration," Kumar said.

Vaish completed his graduation from Agra University in 1938, did his LLB in 1940, but could not complete his PG as he got a job as 'law officer' with Christian Mica Industry at Koderma (now in Jharkhand), and retired as GM from the company in the early 1980s, the nonagenarian's son said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The National Green Tribunal has directed the Delhi government to decide in a week whether steel pickling units fall under the prohibited list of industrial activity as per norms set by the Central Pollution Control Board.

A bench headed by acting chairperson Justice U D Salvi warned that in case of non-compliance with the order by the authorities, it would order closure of the steel pickling units.

"We direct the secretaries of environment department and industrial department to take final decision ascertaining whether the pickling industrial activity falls in the list of prohibited industry as per the parameters set by the CPCB and adopted by the DPCC or not...

"We make it clear that a failure to comply with these directions will compel us to resort to coercive measures including the closure of the pickling industries," the bench said.

The NGT was hearing a plea filed by NGO All India Lokadhikar Sangthan's seeking execution of its order by which the green panel had directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to take action against stainless steel pickling industries.

The plea alleged that steel pickling units functioning at Wazirpur discharge effluent in open drains which ultimately meet the Yamuna river.

It contended that under the pretext of the decision making, "time was being taken by the Delhi government and the environment is made to suffer continuously without the end to the trauma".

The tribunal earlier directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to inspect stainless steel pickling industries in Wazirpur, which are flouting mandatory pollution norms.

The NGO alleged that despite the tribunal's order the DPCC has failed to implement the direction passed on October 17, 2014.

Steel pickling is the process of removing impurities such as stains and inorganic contaminants from the metal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government today said NHAI has awarded a contract for construction of 58.2-km ring road around Jammu city.

"The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued Letter of Award (LOA) for construction of 58.25 km long standalone ring road/bypass around Jammu city in the state of Jammu and Kashmir," the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement.

The construction period of the road project is three years, the statement said.

"The project would be carried out on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis," it added.

The ring road/bypass -- which usher in substantial socio- economic growth of the area -- will transverse through 56 villages, 9 tehsils and two districts.

It will also reduce wear and tear of vehicles and facilitate smooth and hassle-free movement of traffic with provisions of major bridges, flyovers and two tunnels," the statement said.

The entire greenfield alignment has been proposed on the western side of Jammu city to provide better connectivity, it said, adding that the ring road will also provide smooth and easy traffic flow and ease traffic congestion in and around Jammu.

In addition to this, it will also facilitate movement of army traffic carrying heavy machinery to border/strategic areas of Poonch, Rajouri, Nowshera and Akhnoor.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A bandh would be observed in north Karnataka districts tomorrow over the issue of getting inter-state Mahadayi river water from Goa to meet the drinking water needs of drought prone areas of the region.

The dawn-to-dusk bandh, called by 'Mahadayi Kalasa Banduri Nala Horata Samanvaya Samiti', an umbrella organisation spearheading the agitation on the issue, is being supported by severalpro-Kannada and other organisations, including the Kannadafilm industry.

Terming the bandh as a "warning bell" to the state and central governments, the samiti leaders today demanded a solution at the earliest, even as they hit out at political parties for playing on the issue.

The bandh is likely to have an impact in Gadag, Dharwad, Bagalkote, Hubballi, Bailahongala and neighbouring areas.

A protest rally was scheduled to be held in Hubballi tomorrow as part of the agitation, the leaders said.

StateHome Minister Ramalinga Reddy said elaborate securityarrangements had been made to avoid any untoward incidents.

Karnataka, which has locked horns with neighbouring Goa on sharing Mahadayi River water, is seeking release of 7.56 tmcft water for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.

It is being undertaken to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and districts of Belagavi and Gadag.

The project involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, tributaries of Mahadayi river, to divert 7.56 tmc ft water of to Malaprabha which meets drinking water needs of the region.

The Karnataka government had earlier petitioned the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal which in its interim order had rejected the state's plea citing various grounds, including ecological damage the project may cause.

Meanwhile, protest by a group of farmers including women fromnorth Karnataka districts continued near the BJP state office here demanding that party state chief B S Yeddyurappa resolve the issue as promised by him last month.

Yeddyurappa had promised to get a written agreement by December 15 for resolving the issue.

Congress working president Dinesh Gundu Rao and Water Resources Minister M B Patil today informed the protesters that the ball was in the court of BJP governments' in Goa and at the Centre.

Yeddyurappa, who met the protesters on the fourth day of their agitation, tried to convince them to end it citing efforts made by him, and pointed out at Goa Chief Minister Manohar Pattikar's letter to him.

Parrikar in his letter to Yeddyurappa on December 21, after mediation from BJP national President Amit Shah, 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 was pending before the Mahadayi tribunal.

Not convinced by this, the protesters accused Yeddyurappaof not keeping up his promise, and called him "betrayer".

They said they will soon be meeting to decideabout continuing their protest near the BJP office.

Speaking to reporters, Yeddyurappa accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress of "playing politics" on the issue.

Pointing at Congress in Goa opposing their Chief Minister's stand on amicably solving the issue, he said Siddaramaiah, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi were indirectly supporting this.

Goa had earlier expressed its opposition to the out of court settlement of the dispute, and had not responded positively for the proposed meeting of chief ministers of riparian states including Maharashtra.

Goa's willingness to consider an amicable settlementto the issue now comes after Shah mediateda meeting between Parikkar and a BJP team from Karnataka in Delhi last week.

Mahadayi has become an emotive politicalissue in northern parts ahead of the state assembly elections due early next year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar dismissed the reports today that he would hold a meeting with his Karnataka counterpart on January 5 over the Mahadayi water dispute.

A section of media had claimed that Parrikar would meet Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on January 5 to discuss the issue. However, the Goa Chief Minister's Office (CMO) in a statement said no such meeting is on the cards.

"The is absolutely false. There is no such meeting scheduled," it said.

The is baseless and is being spread to create confusion, the CMO added.

Following a meeting with Karnataka BJP leaders recently, Parrikar had softened his stand on Mahadayi water dispute stating that Goa was ready to give "reasonable and justified" amount of the Mahadayi river water to the neighbouring state for its drinking needs.

Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa and other leaders had met Parrikar in the presence of party chief Amit Shah in Delhi over the river water sharing issue on December 20.

In a letter written to Yeddyurappa, Parrikar had said that Goa will not oppose giving water to Karnataka for its drinking needs.

However, his statement was condemned by several political parties, including congress and Shiv Sena besides social activists.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Odisha government today decided to split the tourism and culture department and take a slew of measures including setting up of an Odia Language Commission to spread and popularise the state language.

The decision was taken at the meeting of the state Cabinet, which was held for the first time at Puri, instead of the secretariat in Bhubaneswar.

The government also decided to set up a 'Heritage Cabinet' to protect the monuments, ancient temples and take steps to preserve the state's culture, language and literature, Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

After bifurcating the tourism and culture department, the government decided to rename the cultural wing as Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department, Panda said.

Stating that the government has taken several decisions to enrich the Odia language, the minister said the Odisha Official Language Act, 1954 will soon be amended and provisions will be made for punishment for violation of rules.

All shops and business establishments in the state will have to display signboards in Odia language within a stipulated timeframe for which Odisha Shops and Commercial Establishment rules, 1956 would be amended. There would be provision for punishment in case of violation of this rule.

Panda said a World Odia Language Conference would be organised every five years and the fees would be waived for students pursuing Odia course at the graduation and post- graduation levels.

Scholarships and stipends would be provided to those securing high marks at the intermediate and graduation levels, he said.

Students would be encouraged to pursue research in Odia as per UGC pattern and the number of Ph.D seats would be increased.

State level and district level book fairs would be organised every year, besides setting up "smart libraries" with Odia books in all district headquarters and high schools, the minister said.

Non-resident Odias would be given access to learn Odia and replies to letters and complaints received from the public would be given in Odia language, Panda said.

The amount of grants provided for the revival and popularisation of 'Bhagabat Tungis', small huts in every village where people narrate the religious text to the locals, would be doubled to Rs 2,000 for the maintenance of the huts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
One person was killed when the car he was driving hit a telephone pole near the Ganol bridge on the outskirts of Tura in West Garo Hills, police said today.

The incident occurred yesterday morning, they said.

The deceased was identified as Whiety Sangma (24), resident of Gandrak, Chitoktak in Tura, they added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan on Tuesday summoned India's acting deputy high commissioner to protest "unprovoked" firing by the Indian Army that killed its three soldiers along the LoC.

The Foreign Office in a statement rejected reports that the Indian Army commandos crossed the Line of Control in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir and smashed a post.

"The false claims by India about the alleged cross LoC adventures are a figment of their imagination and counter- productive for peace and tranquility on the LoC, it said.

"The Indian actions got a befitting response from the Pakistani side and their guns were silenced," it claimed



The Foreign Office spokesman said Director General (SA & SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned India's acting deputy high commissioner and "condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations" by Indian forces in the Rakhchikri sector.

He claimed that the firing "provided a cover for the planting of IEDs by non-state actors", resulting in the death of three soldiers.

Faisal urged the Indian side to "respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC."



The Indian Army sources in New Delhi earlier said a "small group" of 'Ghatak' commandos carried out a tactical level selective targeting of the Pakistani post around 200-300 metres across the LoC last evening in which three Pakistani soldiers were killed and one was injured.

The operation is seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel by a Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army in Keri sector Rajouri district three days ago.
"Narcos" co-creator Christopher Brancato is happy that he found a global hit in Netflix's drug drama "Narcos", whose story has fascinated people world over.

The first two seasons of the Netflix series chronicled the rise and eventual fall of the notorious Colombian cocaine king Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) through the eyes of DEA agents Javier Pena and Steve Murphy (Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook).

Brancato said filmmaker Eric Newman was developing a movie on Escobar for 17 years but he felt it would be hard to tell the story as a 2-hour-long film. He eventually suggested they give it a 20-episode treatment at Netflix.

Brancato, who has been involved with features like "Species II" and "Hoodlum", said it is hard to create a show that becomes "such a big hit" and had even told himself that he may never really see global success.

"I just wanted one (hit show) and I don't necessarily need another. I don't want to live in this bitter-sweet weird 'I got to have another show which is as big as that one'. No.

"I just wanted one. What it (Narcos) has afforded me... it has given me a chance to visit India, go to Rome, Brazil. All over the world, people are weirdly fascinated with the show," he told PTI in an interview.

Brancato said Escobar was not the central figure of the first episode but the team, including Brazilian director Jose Padilha, decided to change that.

"My initial instinct was to start with Escobar in the might of his power and Jose said, 'In Brazil, nobody knows who Escobar is, we better show how he became a drug dealer.' The minute he said that, I said, 'Yes, you are right'.

"He was highly influential on things like using voice- overs. I didn't want to use it at first. It is such a cheap (instrument) but he was like, 'for this show it can work', and he was right! I realised what he wanted to do was a TV version of his movie in Brazil, 'Elite Squad: The Enemy Within'."



The series with a local story attained global success and Brancato recalls when "Narcos" was first announced he was "so jealous" as he was not part of it.

"They took a year from there on to find a structure and it came to me. So I was born to do it- in terms of the combination of research, collaborating with the director, the producer, going to Columbia, researching Escobar, the role of cocaine and commerce.

"It was a stew. I had tons of information in my head about Escobar, the DEA and somehow figured out a way to type out and express it with historical events as the centre piece of each of the ten episodes."



As part of its plans to create ground-breaking content for the Jio platform, Siddharth Roy Kapur's Roy Kapur Films had invited Brancato to India earlier this month to conduct a special masterclass on creating, writing and directing original series.

"Narcos" recently finished its third season where it narrated the story of Cali cartel. The fourth season is already under production in Mexico.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two students from DMU have been making the most of their university experience by spending a year on the other side of the Atlantic as part of their degree.

Lauren Mansey sees The White House in Washington DC

Politics and International Relations students Oliver Luscombe and Lauren Mansey are in the US until spring 2018 and, as 1,000 DMU students prepare to fly out to New York in January as part of #DMUglobal, both have told how the incredible experience is benefiting their studies.

Lauren, from Somerset, said it had been a dream of hers for many years to study in the US and chose DMU partly due to the strength of its study abroad programme.

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And her year overseas came about thanks to a friendship with a US student who studied at DMU for a term.

Lauren said: In 2016 I met Kylie Cracknell who was a student from the US studying at DMU for a semester. We became really good friends and when it came to applying I decided to apply to her university, Francis Marion University in Florence in South Carolina, so that Id at least have one good friend here already.

Lauren hiking Pilot Mountain, North Carolina

I've done various jaunts with both the university and Kylie. I've been to Charleston (South Carolina), Wilmington (North Carolina), Washington DC, Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), and Pinnacle (NC).

Food is another highlight: the other night myself and Kylie drove past a Krispy Kreme shop and they had their 'hot' sign so for the first time in my life I had a glazed, fresh out the oven Krispy Kreme doughnut and it was amazing. Definitely in the top five best experiences so far!

In late October I was Secretary of the Francis Marion delegation to the South Carolina Student Legislature (SCSL). We submitted bills and then over three days we presented, debated, and voted on them.

Lauren and fellow students on the steps of South Carolina State House

SCSL took place in the South Carolina State House where the actual State Legislature holds session and it was a fantastic experience to be a part of it.

Oliver said: I chose to study abroad because I have always been interested in American culture and American politics. With my degree being Politics and International Relations I thought that it would be an opportunity I could not miss, being able to study abroad in a country that is so politically different from the UK.

My highlight has been the wonderful friends I have made! I have made not only many American friends but also other friends from all over the world. I have made friends from Sweden, Germany, France, China, South Korea and Venezuela and many more!

Oliver and his friends in the US

Lauren and Oliver have also offered advice for any other DMU students planning to spend time in the US as part of their course.

Lauren said: General advice I would give is get in contact with your liaison at your host university early on and have them send you a check list of documents they require from you

You can then get yourself sussed with the practical things before trying to figure out how many pairs of socks to take (enough for ten days I've found is a good amount!).

Also, if you're having a look at potential places to study abroad and you don't see a particular country you're interested in on there, ask about it.

#DMUglobal are so helpful and they'll sort you out.

Because American university life is a bit more structured than home, and they have more homework, I hope to come back with a better grasp of the way I manage my time and be generally more organised. I also want to try to see as much as possible and travel as much as I can.

Oliver added: The advice that I would give to students considering coming to the US is to be willing to be outgoing! Americans are very welcoming but you will need to make sure you are always willing to make friends and then you will.

I hope that I have made friends for life and experienced a more in-depth knowledge of my course as well as American culture.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met his 97-year-old mother in Raisan village near here.

The prime minister met his mother, Hiraba, who lives with his younger brother Pankaj Modi in Raisan, before the swearing-in ceremony of Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his new council of ministers.

"After his arrival at Ahmedabad airport this morning, Modi first reached Raisan and spent some time with his mother and enquired about her health," a BJP leader said.

After that, he headed to the venue of the swearing-in ceremony in the state capital.

Though Modi has visited Gujarat several times in the past two months in the run up to the recently-concluded Assembly elections, he could not meet his mother, apparently due to his hectic schedule.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Realty firm on Tuesday said it has purchased 66.66 per cent stake in its group firm, which holds a land parcel of 180 acres in Bengaluru, from Red Fort India and land owners for Rs 324 crore.

The company already has 33.34 per cent stake in Prestige Projects Pvt Ltd (PPPL), which has 180 acres of land in Bengaluru.

Prestige group, through its wholly owned special purpose vehicle (SPV), is acquiring 66.66 per cent stake from private equity partner Red Fort India Real Estate and land owners in its group company Prestige Projects Pvt Ltd (PPPL), the company said in a statement.

PPPL has a land parcel measuring over 180 acres, which is located near Sarjapur Road, Bengaluru.

intends to develop a affordable and mid- income housing project comprising of apartments, villas and plots on this land.

Irfan Razack, CMD, Prestige Group, said: "Our long-term strategy to create value is to diversify our revenue base, expand earnings and strengthen our development pipeline. This transaction will help us enter into the affordable housing segment in a big way."



The proposed project in the SPV has a significant potential to grow our profitable revenue base and further strengthen our market share in the micro-market, he added.

Venkat K Narayana, CEO, said, "This strategic acquisition of 66.66 per cent stake will move PEPL's stake in SPV to 100 per cent ownership. The consideration for the same is around Rs 324 crore."



The total developable area of the project will be around 7.5 million sq ft, he said, adding the company expects top line revenue potential of over Rs 3,500 crore from this development.
The key accused in the killing of a Hindu Munnani functionary here has been arrested, the police said today.

Mohammed Mubarak (28), who was on the run for the last one year, was arrested from a place near Pollachi in the district last night, they added.

According to the police, as a hunt was on for two-three persons for their alleged involvement in the killing, the Special Investigation Division of the CB-CID had received a tip-off, following which Mubarak was arrested.

Four persons were earlier arrested in connection with the killing of C Sasikumar, who was hacked to death on the night of September 22 last year by two bike-borne assailants.

Mubarak, a resident of Saibaba Colony here, was produced before a court here, which remanded him to judicial custody till January 9, the police said.

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The housing and urban affairs ministry was concerned over "unsatisfactory" progress in in Guwahati in Assam and Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, according to an official.

In a review of by the ministry on Tuesday, it was flagged that these two cities were lagging in implementation of projects under the Centre's Smart City Mission, the ministry official added.

It was also decided that ministry would approach these cities to find out the "bottlenecks" with an aim for speedy implementation of the projects, the official said.

Cities in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were found to be "performing well" under the mission, while those in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra needed to speed up the implementation process, the official said.

Under the mission, 90 cities have been selected so far by the government and each city will get Rs 500 crore as central assistance for implementing various projects.

Reviewing the progress of the Smart City Mission on August 30, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the challenge before everyone was now to ensure implementation and expeditious completion of the work in the 90 identified cities.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Vijay Rupani today took office as Gujarat chief minister for a second straight term, after a hard-won victory over the Congress, at a glittering ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a galaxy of BJP leaders but boycotted by the Congress.

Rupani was sworn-in by Governor O P Kohli at the head of a 19-member Council of Ministers.

Nitin Patel, who was elected the deputy leader of the BJP legislature party on Friday, was also administered the oath of office and secrecy by Kohli, and would be the deputy chief minister.

Prime Minister Modi, who had led the BJP's campaign, in one of the toughest electoral contests for the party in many years, stole the show as he was lustily cheered by the crowds that lined the street leading to the Secretariat ground.

Rupani took oath with nine Cabinet ministers, including Patel, and 10 ministers of state (MoS).

Besides Patel, other cabinet ministers are: Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, R C Faldu, Kaushik Patel, Saurabh Patel, Ganpatsinh Vasava, Jayesh Radadiya, Dilip Thakor and Ishwar Parmar.

The MoS who took oath today are: Pradipsinh Jadeja, Parbat Patel, Jaydrathsinh Parmar, Raman Patkar, Parsottam Solanki, Ishwarsinh Patel, Vasan Ahir, Kishor Kanani, Bachubhai Khabad and Vibhavariben Dave.

The Congress, which put up a gallant show, winning 77 seats in the 182-member house, 16 more than the 2012 elections, boycotted the oath-taking ceremony.

Congress spokesman Manish Doshi said some party MLAs were invited to the ceremony but not all. The party decided to boycott the function to protest "arbitrary" extension of invitations, he said.

In attendance were members of the Modi Cabinet, BJP chief Amit Shah, veteran leader L K Advani, chief ministers of BJP -ruled states as also Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who returned to the NDA fold a few months ago, ending years of hostile relationship with Modi.

Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh, besides Yogi Adityanath, Devendra Fadnavis, and Raman Singh--chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh, respectively attended the function.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who had two engagements in Bhopal, did not attend the ceremony but met Rupani at his residence before flying back.

Conspicuous by their presence were two former war horses of the BJP, both Modi baiters--Keshubhai Patel and Shankarsinh Vaghela.

Loud cheers went up when Modi shook hands with Keshubhai Patel and Vaghela, both former chief ministers of Gujarat. Patel and Vaghela, who once did not see each other eye to eye, sat next to each other on one of the three platforms---the other two being the main stage and a one for religious leaders.

Both Keshubhai Patel and Vaghela were once considered political adversaries of Modi when he was the chief minister of Gujarat.

Vaghela had rebelled against the BJP and pulled down Keshubhai Patel's government in 1990s.

Modi later tweeted, "Attending today's oath taking ceremony in Gujarat brought back memories of the ceremonies in 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2012 when I got the opportunity to serve Gujarat as CM."



"I would once again like to thank the people of Gujarat for giving the BJP this opportunity to serve the state. The bond between Gujarat and BJP is extremely special. I assure my Gujarati sisters and brothers that we will leave no stone unturned in further developing Gujarat," he said in another tweet.

The BJP tried to strike a balance between various caste and regional aspirations in forming the new council of ministers.

It has six Patidar leaders, six OBCs, three Kshatriyas, two tribals , a dalit, and a Brahmin. Rupani is from the minority Jain community.

Bhavnagar East MLA Vibhavariben Dave is the lone woman in the new ministry.

A section of the land-owning Patidar or Patel community, which formed the bedrock of the BJP's support base for years, had deserted the BJP over the quota issue in these elections, with their young leader Hardik Patel backing the Congress>



Seven of the newly inducted ministers hail from the Saurashtra region, where the BJP did not do well because of the disenchantment among the Patels.

Rupani, who was rewarded for his unwavering loyalty to the RSS and proximity to BJP chief Amit Shah, has a tough task on his hand to win back the support of the influential Patels.

Though he managed to successfully steer the party machinery in the state during the elections, neutralising the incumbency factor and surviving a violent quota stir by the Patels, he will have to smooth the ruffled feathers of the community and also douse discontent in some parts due to farm distress.

The BJP has 99 seats in its kitty in the current Assembly, its lowest in a long time.

Rupani will be expected to deliver Gujarat to the BJP in the 2019 general elections when Modi has a second shot at power at the Centre.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Kremlin today rejected concerns that its decision to ban opposition leader Alexei Navalny from running against President Vladimir Putin in a March election could undermine the vote's legitimacy.

The European Union weighed in to the controversy meanwhile, warning that the ban cast "serious doubt" on the election.

Russia's Central Election Commission yesterday rejected Navalny's bid to take on Putin in the March presidential poll, citing a controversial embezzlement conviction.

The 41-year-old lawyer maintains that the case against him is politically motivated. He urged his supporters to stage a "vote strike" instead.

Navalny is seen by many as the only Russian opposition leader who stands a fighting chance of challenging Putin.

Observers have expressed concern that barring Navalny from running would affect the legitimacy of the March poll and could affect voter turnout.

"We cannot agree with this point of view," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters today.

He insisted that barring Navalny from running "can in no way affect the legitimacy of the election".

Peskov also said any calls to boycott the election should be "rigorously studied" -- a thinly veiled threat of punishment.

EU external services spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said the ban on Navalny "casts a serious doubt on political pluralism in Russia and the prospect of democratic elections next year", in a statement today.

"Politically-motivated charges should not be used against political participation," she said.

"We expect the Russian authorities to ensure that there is a level playing field, including in the presidential elections that will take place on 18 March."



Navalny has built a robust protest movement in the face of persistent harassment and jumped through multiple hoops as he stumped for votes across the country.

On Sunday, more than 15,000 supporters from 20 cities formally endorsed his nomination bid.

Earlier this month, Putin clearly indicated that Navalny would not be allowed to run.

Asked why, Putin - who has refused to mention Navalny by name in public -- said the opposition was hoping for a "coup" but would not succeed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The south Delhi civic body today sealed a wedding venue in Chhattarpur for having an "additional built-up area" in violation of norms, the SDMC said, as scores of area traders protested the sealing drive.

The action by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation was initiated by a Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee.

It came days after the SDMC sealed 51 commercial units in the posh Defence Colony Market for "not depositing" conversion charges as per the provisions in the city's Master Plan 2021.

"As per instructions of the monitoring committee, the building department of the south zone of the SDMC sealed Ramaya Farm, being used for organising social functions," the SMDC said in a statement.

The civic body alleged there was an "additional built-up area" at the function venue in violation of the civic norms.

"As soon as the sealing team arrived, a large number of people gathered to resist the action. This delayed the action against other properties," a senior SDMC official said.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) urged both the central and Delhi governments to swing into action and "protect Delhi traders from the onslaught of sealing", which, it alleged, was a "result of inaction, callous and lethargic attitude" of government officials.

"As per the law, traders need to be first sent a notice before carrying out any sealing. Why is the action being taken so arbitrarily," CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal claimed in a statement.

He said the Chhattarpur Mandir Road has about 250 shops, eateries and motels.

"MCD has failed to regularise several areas whereas Delhi government has failed to notify 351 roads in various parts of Delhi, as either commercial or mix-land use road," it alleged.

The CAIT has stressed the need for passing The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provision) Third Amendment Bill, which extends validity of the second Act 2011 beyond December 2017, in the current session of Parliament but before December 31.

The CAIT officials have also sought an appointment with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to discuss the matter, it said.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari today met Lt. Gov. Anil Baijal to discuss the sealing drive. Tiwari told Baijal that a "situation of confusion and chaos" has been created due to the drive, the Delhi BJP said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Shiv Sena hit out today at the Narendra Modi-led government over its claims of development in Gujarat and for its alleged failure to stop the killing of soldiers in skirmishes on the country's borders.

Dubbing the talk of normalcy returning to Jammu and Kashmir as "false", the BJP's bickering ally said the death of soldiers in "peace time" reflected poorly on the government.

On Saturday, Pakistani troops had 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.

"When a soldier is killed in peace time, it reflects poorly on the government. The martyrdom of our jawans during peace time has been happening for the last 30 years and we had expected this to stop when the current government came to power," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said.

When Pakistan was involved in the ceasefire violations and killing of Indian soldiers, the prime minister and the entire Cabinet was busy in the Gujarat election campaign, it claimed.

"To win the Gujarat elections, you gave several concessions in the GST to the trading community in Surat. What have you done to protect the lives of the soldiers?" the Sena sought to know.

"The talk of normalcy returning to Kashmir is all false. Development is lost in Gujarat while peace and normalcy is lost in Kashmir," it said.

One can accept the government's contention that Kashmiri youths have given up stone-pelting, but the reports that they are taking up arms against the country are alarming, the Sena said.

If flashing the victory sign after the Gujarat Assembly election results was bravery and patriotism, then was the pyre of the killed soldiers the fire to keep the election campaign going, it asked.

"The government bends before the agitating traders. Is anyone bothered about stopping the killing of soldiers. Gujarat and Himachal (Pradesh) are won and jawans are martyred on the border. When are the next elections?" it asked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Shiv Sena will hold internal polls to elect its party president on January 23 which happens to be the birth anniversary of its founder (late) Bal Thackeray.

According to sources, incumbent Sena president Uddhav Thackeray will be re-elected at the party meeting to be held at Rang Sharda auditorium in suburban Mumbai, as there will be no other nomination for the post.

Uddhav Thackeray took charge as the party president on January 23, 2013, after the death of his father Bal Thackeray (86) in November 2012.

"Uddhav had refused the post of 'Shiv Sena Pramukh' saying it will be only Balasaheb who will remain as Pramukh or the chief. Uddhav dissolved the post of executive president which he served in Balasaheb's lifetime and took the post of 'Paksh Pramukh' (Shiv Sena party president)," sources said today.

Once the procedure of electing the party president is completed, Uddhavji will choose his new team.

"He may either retain the old team or give a chance to new faces," sources said.

The election will be held to comply with the Election Commission's (EC's) directives to political parties to hold internal organisational elections, according to sources.

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IAS officer Radheshyam Mopalwar, who was sent on leave over allegations of bribery in August this year, was today reinstated as Vice President and Managing Director of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

He was removed as the MD of the Maharashtra government undertaking MSRDC over audio clips in which he was purportedly heard fixing a deal for a plot here.

The relief for the senior bureaucrat came in the wake of reports that a probe committee appointed by the government had found that the audio clips may have been tampered with.

A General Administration Department (GAD) order issued today said Mopalwar's leave of 145 days from August 3 to December 26 this year has been approved and he has been reinstated on his earlier post.

Mopalwar was in-charge of Sammruddhi Corridor, a dream project of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, envisaging construction of a super communication highway connecting Mumbai with Nagpur.

After the audio clip surfaced, Mopalwar was sent on leave and an inquiry committee headed by former Chief Secretary Johnny Joseph was set up by the government after the Opposition raised the issue.

While removing Mopalwar, Fadnavis had said though there was no evidence of graft against the officer, he was being removed from the post till the inquiry was over.

The opposition parties have been demanding action against the senior bureaucrat after the audio clips, in which he is allegedly heard fixing a deal for a piece of land in suburban Borivali, came to light.

The Rs 46,000-crore expressway, also called Samruddhi Mahamarg (prosperity corridor), is being implemented by the MSRDC.

Last month, the Anti-Extortion Cell in neighbouring Thane district arrested a private detective and his wife for allegedly extorting Rs 1 crore from Mopalwar.

The couple told the officer that they would leak the recordings of his phone calls if they were not paid Rs 7 crore, police had said.

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I am a retired newspaperman. I am 69 and live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 45 years, Lou Ann. We grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather.

More on who I am is here.

Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.com
The Samajwadi Party today attacked the government for not distributing warm clothes to children in government schools despite allocation of funds for it in the state budget.

Former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in a tweet said, "The (UP) government is repeatedly cancelling the tender pertaining to sweater, and the school children are waiting for sweater. It should not happen that children languish in false hope, and the tender process gets completed by May-June."



The government, however, rebutted his comments and said that the sweaters will be distributed at the earliest and the state government was making every step in this direction.

"Why is Awhiles Dav worried so much? We have distributed the socks and shoes. If he had shown the same concern for the children earlier, then sweaters would had been distributed earlier. We had to see the colours, price and a host of other specifications (of sweaters)," Basic Education Minister Anaemia Causal told PIT.

The minister also said that she has pledged not to wear a sweater until it is distributed to children.

"If the opposition was so much concerned for the welfare of the children and the state, then the scene would had been completely different in the past 15 years," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress on Tuesday condemned the Pakistani government for the treatment meted out to Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer currently lodged in a Pakistani jail, and his family and asked the Centre to spell out its policy and steps to get him released.

Congress spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi criticised the "flip- flop" and "inconsistent" policy of the BJP-led central government towards Pakistan which, he said, was creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and asked it to exert international pressure on Pakistan to help secure an early release of Jadhav.

"The Congress condemns the Pakistani government for meting out an inhuman treatment to the family of Kulbhushan Jadhav. They have insulted Indians and Indian women in particular and we strongly condemn it.

"The Congress party wants Kulbhushan Jadhav to return to India. We condemn Pakistan for the treatment meted out to Jadhav as he looked under a lot of stress. We want the Government of India to take concrete steps in securing an early release of Jadhav and it should find a way out," he told reporters here.

Gogoi added that the government's "flip-flop", "blow hot and cold", "ambiguous" and "inconsistent" policy towards Pakistan would not help as it was adopting a policy of birthday wishes at times and that of biryani at other times.

"Such an inconsistent policy of the government is creating an atmosphere of uncertainty for the people of the country and will not help secure Jadhav's release," he said.

The Congress spokesperson also expressed concern over Jadhav being tried and convicted in a military court in Pakistan, even when he was not a prisoner of war as he was not caught in a military conflict.

"We are concerned about Jadhav's release. We want the Government of India to clarify its policy and steps to get him released from Pakistan.

"We condemn Pakistan for the treatment meted out to Jadhav as we are worried about his health. The Pakistani government has not honoured its promises made to the Indian government," he said.

India today hit back at Pakistan, accusing it of violating the mutual understandings as regards Jadhav's meeting with his mother and wife at the Pakistani foreign affairs ministry building yesterday, and said the former naval officer appeared coerced and under a considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction.

Jadhav, who was captured in March, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation India has dismissed as concocted.

New Delhi says Jadhav was kidnapped in Iran where he had legitimate business interests after retiring from the navy, and brought to Pakistan.

To save Jadhav, India had moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.

During yesteday's meeting, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen, while his mother and wife sat on the other side. They spoke through intercom and the entire 40-minute proceedings appeared to have been recorded on video.

Pakistan went so far as to have the "mangalsutra", bangles and "bindi" of Jadhav's mother and wife removed before they could meet him, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

"For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, Jadhav's wife's shoes were not returned to her after the meeting," the statement added.
Actor Heather Menzies-Urich, best known for her role of Louisa von Trapp in the 1965 Oscar-winning film "The Sound of Music" has passed away. She was 68.

Urich was recently diagnosed with brain cancer and died surrounded by her family, her son Ryan Urich told Variety.

The Rodgers and Hammerstein estate, representing "The Sound of Music" musical creators Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, condoled Urich's death and said "Heather was part of 'the family'".

"There is really no other way to describe the members of the cast of the movie of 'The Sound of Music'. And of 'the kids,' Heather was a cheerful and positive member of the group, always hoping for the next gathering.

"We are all lucky to have known her, and she will happily live on in that beautiful movie. We will miss her," according to a statement by Ted Chapin, president of the Rodgers and Hammerstein estate.

Urich was born in 1949 in Toronto. Her first acting credit was on the TV series "My Three Sons" at the age of 13.

She then auditioned and got the part of Louisa the third-oldest von Trapp sibling in 'The Sound of Music', which also starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.

The film went on to become a beloved classic and won five Oscars, including best picture.

Her other acting credits included "Hawaii", "Dragnet 1967", "The Bob Newhart Show", and "Logan's Run".

Urich was married to film producer Robert Urich until his death in 2002.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The tsunami victims of 2004 in Tamil Nadu were today remembered on the 13th anniversary of the killer phenomenon that caused widespread destruction.

Emotional relatives remembered their near and dear ones, 13 years after the waves swallowed them on a Sunday morning in coastal districts like Chennai, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam.

Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar and Handloom Minister O S Manian paid tributes to the departed souls here and at Nagapattinam, respectively.

Mourners held special prayers, took out candle light processions and paid floral tributes, besides pouring milk into the sea in these districts to remember their loved ones who were swept away by the giant tidal waves.

Prayers and tributes were held in Chennai and Nagapattinam, with the latter bearing the brunt of the tsunami.

At Nagapattinam, when the clock struck 9:17 AM, people rose to observe a minute's silence to pay homage to the 6065 persons who lost their lives.

Floral tributes were paid at the Tsunami memorial park in the Nagapattinam collectorate complex.

Inmates of a Home for tsunami orphans participated in the events.

District Collector C Sureshkumar and other officials participated in silent marches, candle light processions and in paying floral tributes.

Memorial services were held in neighbouring Karaikal.

At Velankanni, a special mass was conducted at the Shrine Basillica in memory of the tsunami victims.

A silent procession was also held.

At Nagore, tributes were paid to those who were buried in the land owned by the Dargah.

The graveyard of the dargah of Saint Hazrath Syed Shahul Hameed Quadir Wali at Nagore, which is more than 500 years old, witnessed mass burials 13 years ago.

More than 300 bodies were buried here, of which nearly 150 were Muslims. The rest were those of Hindus and Christians. At Tarangambadi, an inter-faith prayer was held.

Fishermen in coastal districts kept off the sea as a mark of respect for the victims.

Triggered by an undersea earthquake in Indonesia, a massive tsunami struck the Tamil Nadu coast on December 26, 2004, causing massive damage to life and property across the state.

Nagapattinam faced the maximum fury of the natural disaster even as other coastal districts like Chennai, Cuddalore and Tiruvallur also suffered.

About 7,000 people in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry died on that day.

The government later launched a series of rehabilitation measures for the affected people.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A British woman was today sentenced to three years in prison by an Egyptian court for smuggling nearly 300 powerful painkillers into the country.

Laura Plummer, 33, was arrested in October after she was found carrying in her suitcase Tramadol tablets, which is listed as an illegal drug in Egypt for its wide use as a heroin substitute.

Plummer, from Hull, had claimed the painkillers were for her Egyptian husband who suffers from severe back pain, the BBC reported.

She wept as she appeared before a judge in handcuffs on Christmas morning and was suddenly handed a three-year sentence for the charge of drug smuggling, the report said.

Her family said her lawyers had lodged an immediate appeal, it added.

Plummer's sister Rachel said her mother Roberta Sinclair was "devastated" by the sentence, the report said.

"My mum's obviously devastated. She's out there by herself. We're just hoping. Even half of that would be better. Anything less than three years. She doesn't deserve that," Rachel said.

It is not clear when an appeal against her sentence might be heard.

The family has previously said Plummer had no idea that what she was doing was illegal and she was just "daft".

Sinclair said her daughter made no attempt to hide the medicine given to her by a friend and she thought it was a joke when she was first pulled over by airport officials.

She said her daughter was being held in terrible conditions in a cell with no beds, sharing with up to 25 other women.

She looked "unrecognisable", Sinclair told a TV channel last month.

Tramadol is a strong painkiller often used to treat long-standing pain when other medications have not worked.

It is legal in the UK but a banned drug in Egypt and anyone caught with it can face criminal charges.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The World Bank will provide a USD 318 million loan for modernisation of irrigation projects in Tamil Nadu and help small and marginal farmers improve water management and adopt climate resilient techniques.

The project will also help increase market opportunities for small and marginal farmers.

A tripartite agreement has been signed today between the central government, the World Bank and the Tamil Nadu government, an official statement said.

"About 500,000 farmers, of which a majority are small and marginal, are expected to benefit from improved and modernised tank irrigation systems," it said.

Under the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation Project, about 4,800 irrigation tanks and 477 check dams across 66 sub-basins will be rehabilitated and modernised to deliver bulk water to irrigation systems in the state.

Tamil Nadu is a water stressed state that continues to experience water shortages which are expected to exacerbate in future, said Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.

"Rehabilitating and modernising irrigation tanks will improve the reliability and availability of irrigation water for farming communities, making them less prone to climatic hazards. More than 160,000 ha of currently partially irrigated lands will come into full irrigation under this project," Khare said.

This project will help Tamil Nadu scale up its efforts to unlock the full potential of its agriculture sector. It will support farmers improve efficiency of water used in farming, diversify into high value crops and produce crops that are resilient to increasing threats of climate change, said John Blomquist, Programme Leader and Acting Country Director, World Bank, India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister Hansraj Ahir, who stoked a controversy with his remarks on doctors, today said his statement was specifically aimed at the Civil Surgeon who skipped the government hospital function and "misinterpreted" by media.

Miffed over the absence of senior doctors at a function in his Lok Sabha constituency Chandrapur yesterday, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs had said that "these people should join Naxals" and "we will then shoot you with bullets".

Ahir was speaking at the inauguration of a generic medicine counter at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Chandrapur, in eastern Maharashtra. The district civil surgeon, Uday Nawade, and dean of the medical college, S S More, were not present at the event.

Speaking in Marathi, Ahir had said, "What do the Naxals want? They don't want democracy. I handle the home ministry, so I know it. These people (referring to the senior doctors) don't want democracy."



"So they should join Naxals. Why do you stay here? Go there, then we will shoot you with bullets. Why do you give tablets (pills) here? How justified is it to remain absent when I am coming to the hospital," Ahir had said.

Ahir today told PTI that he was "upset" over the absence of the Civil Surgeon at the event, for which many dignitaries like the mayor, the deputy mayor and prominent doctors were present.

"The civil surgeon, the one who should have led from the front, was absent, which was disgraceful," Ahir said.

He said his comment was aimed particularly at the Civil Surgeon's "irresponsible behaviour" and not at other government officials or doctors, as is being "misinterpreted" by media.

"Naxals don't want democracy, I know this as I am in the Home Ministry and if you also do not believe in democracy better go and join Naxals if you are not interested in giving tablets then we shall give you 'goli' (pills). This was my statement which has been misinterpreted and quoted out of contest," he said.

According to Ahir, the absence of the Civil Surgeon, as an organiser of the programme, was "nothing less than an insult to democracy" and his intention was to "discipline" him by giving some pills which the civil hospital was supposed to take up for distribution to patients.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 21-year-old woman Maoist, who was operating in Maharashtra, has surrendered before Nirmal district police in Telangana.

P Padma, a native of Morriguda village of Nirmal district, surrendered before the police yesterday, a senior police official said today.

"Around four-years back she got introduced with CPI Maoists through one S Seetha and since May 2014 she was working in Sirvancha dalam of CPI Maoists and carried a short weapon," Nirmal district Superintendent of Police Vishnu S Warrier said.

After her surrender, she told police that following an exchange of fire between Sirvancha dalam members and Maharashtra police in a forest area of Gadchiroli district on December 6, (in which she also participated), eight members of the dalam including the dalam commander had died, the SP said.

Six others including herself escaped from the exchange of fire and she came back to her village on December 18 and subsequently surrendered before the police, the SP said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(Corrects LPG tonnage for November and January-November in table)

By Ryan Woo and Muyu Xu

BEIJING (Reuters) - China exported no oil products to North Korea in November, Chinese customs data showed, apparently going above and beyond sanctions imposed earlier this year by the United Nations in a bid to limit petroleum shipments to the isolated country.

Tensions have flared anew over North Korea's ongoing nuclear and missile programmes, pursued in defiance of years of U.N. resolutions. Last week, the U.N. Security Council imposed new caps on trade with North Korea, including limiting oil product shipments to just 500,000 barrels a year.

Beijing also imported no iron ore, coal or lead from North Korea in November, the second full month of the latest trade sanctions imposed by U.N.

China, the main source of North Korea's fuel, did not export any gasoline, jet fuel, diesel or fuel oil to its isolated neighbour last month, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday.

November was the second straight month China exported no diesel or gasoline to North Korea. The last time China's jet fuel shipments to Pyongyang were at zero was in February 2015.

Since June, state-run China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) has suspended sales of gasoline and diesel to North Korea, concerned that it would not get paid for its goods, previously reported.

Beijing's move to turn off the taps completely is rare.

In March 2003, China suspended oil supplies to North Korea for three days after Pyongyang fired a missile into waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

It is unknown if China still sells crude oil to Pyongyang. Beijing has not disclosed its crude exports to North Korea for several years.

Industry sources say China still supplies about 520,000 tonnes, or 3.8 million barrels, of crude a year to North Korea via an aging pipeline. That is a little more than 10,000 barrels a day, and worth about $200 million a year at current prices.

North Korea also sources some of its oil from Russia.

TOTAL TRADE LESS THAN $400 MILLION

Chinese exports of corn to North Korean in November also slumped, down 82 percent from a year earlier to 100 tonnes, the lowest since January. Exports of rice plunged 64 percent to 672 tonnes, the lowest since March.

Trade between North Korea and China has slowed through the year, particularly after China banned coal purchases in February. In November, China's trade with North Korea totalled $388 million, one of the lowest monthly volumes this year.

China has renewed its call on all countries to make constructive efforts to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, urging the use of peaceful means to resolve issues.

But tensions flared again after North Korea on Nov. 29 said it had tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile that put the U.S. mainland within range of its nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile Chinese exports of liquefied petroleum gas to North Korea, used for cooking, rose 58 percent in November from a year earlier to 99 tonnes. Exports of ethanol, which can be turned into a biofuel, gained 82 percent to 3,428 cubic metres.

(Reporting by Muyu Xu and Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Meng Meng and Hallie Gu; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell and Tom Hogue)

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Alphabet Inc's Google is looking to launch brick-and-mortar stores in India to boost sales of its Pixel smartphones, the Economic Times newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing three people with knowledge of the matter.

Google is exploring the idea of physical stores after finding an encouraging response to more than a dozen pop-up stores opened in malls across the country to showcase the second generation Pixel phones, the newspaper reported.

Google responded to a Reuters query saying that it does not comment on rumours or speculations.

India is the world's second-biggest wireless market with 1.2 billion mobile subscribers, which is currently dominated by South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, and Chinese players including Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo.
By Devika Krishna Kumar

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices touched two-and-a-half year highs in light volume on Tuesday, boosted by an explosion on a crude pipeline in Libya and voluntary OPEC-led supply cuts.

Libya has lost around 90,000 bpd of crude oil from a blast on a pipeline feeding Es Sider port, a Libyan oil source said, adding that NOC was still assessing the damage.

A Libyan military source said earlier that armed men had planted explosives at the pipeline.

The country's output had been recovering in recent months after being held down for years by conflict and unrest.

Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, rose $1.51, or 2.31 percent, to $66.76 a barrel by 11:40 a.m. (1640 GMT.) Prices hit a session high of $66.83 a barrel, the highest since late May 2015.

U.S. crude climbed $1.29, or 2.21 percent, to $59.76 a barrel after touching a session high of $59.86, the highest since late June 2015.

The impending restart of a key North Sea pipeline, Forties, limited the rally. The pipeline is being tested after repairs and full flows should resume in early January, its operator said on Monday.

"Keep in mind that the field and pipeline are old and it may have issues and it's probably why the market isn't selling off," said Scott Shelton, broker at ICAP in Durham, North Carolina.

Trading activity was thin because of the Christmas holiday in many countries. Just 50,000 contracts of front-month Brent crude futures changed hands on Tuesday, well below the typical daily average of more than 250,000 contracts.

Brent has risen 17 percent while U.S. crude has rallied about 11 percent in 2017. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, plus Russia and other non-members, have been withholding some output since Jan. 1 to get rid of a glut.

The producers have extended the supply cut agreement to cover all of 2018.

Iraq's oil minister said on Monday there would be a balance between supply and demand by the first quarter, leading to a boost in prices. Global oil inventories have decreased to an acceptable level, he added.

That is earlier than predicted in OPEC's latest official forecast, which calls for a balanced market by late 2018. [OPEC/M]

U.S. shipments to China, one of the biggest oil consumers in the world, have benefited from the OPEC-led output cuts. Russia, however, was China's largest crude oil supplier for the ninth month in a row in November, also topping Saudi Arabia for the year so far, Chinese customs data showed on Tuesday.

While the OPEC action has lent support to prices all year, the unplanned shutdown of the Forties pipeline on Dec. 11 pushed Brent to its 2-1/2 year high.

Forties is the biggest of the five North Sea crude streams underpinning Brent, the benchmark for oil trading in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Still, rising production in the United States is offsetting some of the OPEC-led cuts.

The U.S. rig count, an early indicator of future output, held at 747 in the week to Dec. 22, according to the latest weekly report by Baker Hughes.

(Additional reporting by Alex Lawler in London and Henning Gloystein; Editing by John Stonestreet and Steve Orlofsky)

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WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging app platform available across wide range of devices and operating system. However, the instant messaging app is going to meet the end of road for several devices on December 31.
Flyers flying to smaller cities in the country may soon get the opportunity to fly in a Made in India Dornier 228 aircraft. The 19-seater aircraft, presently used by defence forces, is manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Once operationalised for commercial use, HAL's Dornier 228 will become the first Made in India plane to be used for civilian flights.

According to a report in TOI, the DGCA has given certificate of airworthiness to HAL's Dornier 228. HAL can sell this plane to airlines in India and it can be used by them for regional flights under the Modi's government's ambitious UDAN scheme, the report said.

"Some special incentives may be given to operators using this plane. Apart from airlines in India, HAL may also look at selling this plane for civil use in neighbouring countries such as Nepal and Sri Lanka," the report quoted an official as saying.

HAL describes its Dornier 228 aircraft as a highly 'versatile multi-purpose light transport aircraft'. It has been developed specifically to meet the manifold requirements of utility and commuter transport, third level services and air-taxi operations, coast guard duties and maritime surveillance.

The plane, which has a wingspan of 16.97 metres, can be used for maritime surveillance, pollution prevention, troop transport, aerial survey, search and rescue, commuter transport, remote sensing applications, causality evacuation, cargo and logistics support.

Last week, GR Gopinath-led Air Deccan made a comeback into aviation by starting operations with flights between Mumbai and Nashik. Air Deccan is one of the five airlines who had bid for the government subsidies under the first phase of the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) scheme in April this year.

Low-cost carrier Spicejet has already conducted test flights for seaplanes to enhance the regional connectivity. The budget airline is planning to put amphiboius aircrafts into operation within the next 12 months.

"Airports are in short supply in India. Lots of the growth in India is happening in small markets, but those small markets have little or no connectivity. The amphibian plane opens up a lot of areas, creates a lot of flexibility," SpiceJet Chairman Ajay Singh had told Bloomberg earlier in October.
Customers and Canberra Airport's owners have spoken out at the high rates of cancellations to and from the capital since flights between Canberra and Sydney topped the nation in October at 8.1 per cent.
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Some observers have suggested that Shorten's interventions were focused on fortifying his position among the national right faction, especially because, it is said, the NSW right is upset with him for failing to give strong support to Sam Dastyari, when he was embarrassing and humiliating the party over his flirting with China and accepting personal money from a leading Chinese businessmen. The NSW right is deeply tribal and some of its leading members (whether in parliament or trades hall) have continuing affections for Dastyari, going back to the time when, under his leadership, the Labor state government virtually collapsed and was decisively rejected by the electorate. Readers will remember that this crashing defeat was particularly aggravated by the seeming indifference of Dastyari and his machine to fairly obvious corruption on the part of the machine's senior members and some of its parliamentary representatives, accompanied by the traditional factional ruthlessness with leaders (such as Kevin Rudd, Maurice Iemma and Nathan Rees) who came to be perceived by Dastyari as liabilities. But Dastyari, and many of his old mates, were never ones for applying such unpitying and calculating eyes on their own performance. A cynic may think that Dastyari held off his almost inevitable resignation from parliament until he had done maximum damage to the electoral prospects of Kristina Keneally, once his protege.
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ELKO  County news with the most significance to Elko Daily Free Press readers in 2017 covered emergencies, deaths and the discussion on permissibility of marijuana. Here is a recap of the top 10 county issues based on readership, starting with the most read topics.

Damaging floods

Sheriff Jim Pitts and county commissioners declared a state of emergency on Feb. 9, followed by Gov. Brian Sandoval on Feb. 10 and the City of Elko on Feb. 11, after flooding affected much of the county and led to the four-month closure of much of State Route 233.

The flooding that affected Montello and the majority of the roads damaged was a result of snowmelt. The Twentyone Mile Dam breach affected the highway and the railroad.

State Route 233 was completely closed from Interstate 80 to the Utah state line, with the only access via the Pilot Valley Road. Full repairs took months.

The first contract to establish temporary emergency travel access, repair flood-related erosion and reestablish S.R. 233 between Interstate 80 and Montello began within days of the flood. The approximately $700,000 in repairs, made by contractor Granite Construction, reopened that portion of the highway on March 9.

The Nevada Department of Transportation reopened the entire route in early June.

Damages to roads countywide totaled an estimated $1.5 million.

Also in February, a 65-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 93 from Wells north to the Idaho line was closed due to flooding a day after an earthen dam broke near Montello, state transportation officials said.

The dam, built in 1929, is considered a low hazard structure, which means any breach would not be expected to cause loss of life.

Coping with the aftermath of the flood were stranded ranch workers. Maggie Creek Ranch workers received meals and clothing from their families from a 5-gallon bucket on a zipline. Newmont Mining Corp.s Elko Land and Livestock TS Ranch and others were also affected.

While damage was widespread across the county, the greatest concentration of residential damage was on the south side of Elko as the Humboldt River rose above its banks.

Dozens of homes and a church were among the structures to be flooded, prompting a response from Team Rubicon out of Las Vegas to assist with cleanup.

Deadly snow

In January, a snowstorm that closed highways in northeastern Nevada also led to the death of a rancher in Ruby Valley.

The body of David Neff, 77, was recovered by family members after he had driven a tractor out to a field, according to Undersheriff Ron Supp.

The family sought help when Neff did not return home, and members of the volunteer fire department searched for him that night, Supp said, but the highway leading to Ruby Valley was closed by heavy snow drifts. The man apparently succumbed to exposure or heart attack while trying to walk back to the ranch.

Some mountain locations received as much as four times the average snowfall at that time of the year.

A 150-mile stretch of U.S. 93 was closed most of the day that Neff went missing, along with State Route 229 through Secret Pass.

The roads in the North Ruby Valley area had been snow-packed for four days.

Health care complaints

In health news, the Elko County Health Board in January sent a five-page letter to LifePoint Health CEO William Carpenter with concerns about Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospitals prices and billing practices.

The County Health Board consists of all five commissioners, plus Dr. Joy DeGuzman and Elko County Sheriff Jim Pitts. The board voted unanimously to send the letter after receiving numerous complaints from residents.

The letter began, The Elko County Health Board would like to officially put you on notice that the local hospital is having an extremely negative impact on our local economy and the safety, health and welfare of our citizens.

The health board told Carpenter that the County owned and operated the hospital for almost 100 years before electing to sell to Province Health Care, which was later acquired by LifePoint.

During the last several year some of the areas largest employers, including mining companies, the County and Elko County School District, have taken drastic steps to reduce their healthcare overhead, the board states. Many of these employers encourage their employees to seek healthcare out of town to save money. The health board stated that these actions are directly related to high charges to patients and insurance companies at Elkos hospital.

Fires

A fire that started around 1:30 p.m. July 18 in Kittridge Canyon expanded to about 1,000 acres in two hours, encroaching on the Osino area and burning across Interstate 80, forcing the closure of the interstate in both directions.

The Bureau of Land Management released a damage report saying seven Osino residences burned, and three of those showed no sign of habitation.

Four did appear inhabited, five were outbuildings, the agency reported.

Sixteen vehicles also burned, most of which did not appear to have been used at all.

In a separate, isolated Osino fire, two lives were claimed. A couple died but their children were taken to safety after their trailer caught fire early on the morning of Feb. 9.

Five people were in the trailer when the fire started, according to Sheriff Jim Pitts. Emergency responders were called at around 5:45 a.m.

Baltazar Gonzalez Garcia, 39, got out of the home and then went back in to help the others, Pitts said. After they were outside he reentered the structure for unknown reasons and perished in the fire.

Lori Long, 29, was flown to Salt Lake City but succumbed to her injuries while in transit. She was heavily burned and had heavy smoke inhalation, Pitts said.

An infant was taken to a hospital in Salt Lake City, and two other adolescent children were taken to relatives who live up the street from the burned residence.

A wildfire along Lower Lamoille Road came close to residences in Spring Creek in early August, but firefighters were able to prevent any structure damage.

Operations Chief John Pitts of the Elko County Fire Protection District said the lightning-sparked blaze came within about a thousand yards of homes at night as it burned from near Rabbit Creek Ranch to Hog Tommy Road and Blackstone Drive. The fire consumed about 1,100 acres.

There were threats but the fire units were able to keep the fire away from structures, he said.

Chemical spill

A hazardous material spill the morning of Oct. 18 caused Nevada Department of Transportation to close the roadway in both directions between Halleck and Wells. Westbound lanes reopened about 11:40 p.m. that night, but eastbound lanes remained closed until the next day.

Nevada Highway Patrol later reported that a Montana trucker was driving the Anderson Trucking semi west on Interstate 80 when the crash occurred at around 5:25 a.m. He told Nevada Highway Patrol troopers that he fell asleep at the wheel.

The truck was hauling ammonium bisulfate, an inhalation hazard. Clean Harbors, the company that cleaned up the spill until 11:15 p.m., reported 3,100 gallons spilled on the ground and highway, and an additional 1,000 remained in the tank of the trailer.

Pot ban

Growing, dispensing and producing marijuana products in Elko Countys unincorporated areas are prohibited after the county commissioners passed an ordinance Sept. 6 preventing such establishments.

Commissioner Cliff Eklund said he is bound by the 53 percent of Elko County citizens who voted against recreational marijuana use locally during the 2016 general election, although the initiative passed statewide. Eklund voted to pass the ban, along with commissioners Demar Dahl and Delmo Andreozzi. Commissioners Rex Steninger and Jon Karr voted against the ordinance, citing the ineffectiveness of prohibition and opposition to blanket rules.

The commissioners reiterated that, as discussed during the first reading in August, the ordinance does not interfere with personal growth or use of cannabis permitted by state law. The county ordinance does, however, prohibit any commercial establishment in the continuum of growing to selling recreational marijuana.
Ford has released a video in relation to harassment claims recently filed against the automaker.



Last week, The New York Times published an investigative report revealing that many Ford workers, especially women, have been subject to harassment and retaliation at the firms Chicago factories.

The same day, Ford released the video below. Fords head of manufacturing and labor affairs, Bruce Hettle, and vice president of the United Auto Workers Unions (UAW) Ford department, Jimmy Settles, speak about the claims and reinforced statements that no such behavior will be tolerated and that each and every report of harassment is investigated.

Since the release of the video, it has been playing on a constant loop at all of Fords 24 manufacturing plants in the United States.

Alongside the release of this clip, Ford chief executive Jim Hackett recently apologized on behalf of the company.

I want to take this opportunity to say that I am sorry for any instance where a colleague was subjected to harassment or discriminatory conduct.

On behalf of myself and the employees of Ford Motor Company, who condemn such behavior and regret any harassment as much as I do, I apologize. More importantly, I promise that we will learn from this and we will do better, Hackett said.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn.  Jessica Butz, agricultural educator at Elko High School, is one of a select group of agriculture teachers nationwide who received the 2017 Teachers Turn the Key professional development scholarship from the National Association of Agricultural Educators. As a scholarship recipient, Butz attended the NAAE annual convention in Nashville, Dec. 5-9.

The Teachers Turn the Key scholarship brings together agricultural educators with four or fewer years of experience and immerses them in three days of professional development that addresses issues specific to the early years of teaching agriculture.

Participants also have the opportunity to become involved in NAAE leadership and network with other convention attendees. TTTK awardees come away from the experience with a long-lasting peer cohort and tools that will help them have successful careers as agricultural educators.

Butz added diversity to a traditional animal science and welding program through development of a floral design department. The class advertises arrangements available for order in their newsletter Design of the Month. Butz also uses an inquiry-based model of instruction, and assesses students through their student projects instead of by traditional exams.

Butz supports students in a variety of ways in their supervised agricultural experiences. SAEs are independent student projects that combine academic and workplace skills, preparing students for occupations or college. One student applied for and received a Food for All Grant from the National FFA Foundation that allowed him to produce trout that he sells locally. Butz focuses on individual student record, giving them skills that will translate directly into a future career or their own business.

Communication with FFA members, students and the community is key for Butz. She produces a weekly newsletter with chapter happenings, but receives more feedback through the chapters Instagram account. Many followers are community members who stay informed of chapter events and accomplishments through the social media platform.

I may only have a student take one agriculture class from me but I strive to make that class something they will remember in the future, said Butz. I have high expectations for my students and make them responsible for their own learning. By ensuring a quality education in my classroom, I am confident that my teachings will go beyond just my students.

In addition to attending professional development, each of the TTTK scholarship recipients was also recognized at a general session during the convention. RAM Trucks sponsors the TTTK program as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

NAAE is the professional organization in the United States for agricultural educators. It provides its more than 8,000 members with professional networking and development opportunities, professional liability coverage, and extensive awards and recognition programs. The mission of NAAE is professionals providing agricultural education for the global community through visionary leadership, advocacy and service. The NAAE headquarters are in Lexington, Kentucky.
ELKO  An Elko man was arrested on child abuse charges early Christmas Day and a stolen handgun was recovered by police.

Logan J. Butler, 28, of Elko was arrested on Gentry Place for child abuse or neglect, and buying, possessing or receiving stolen property.

Police were called at 4:43 a.m. and told a male was threatening a female with a gun in a mobile home and that there were children in the residence, according to Elko Police Lt. Mike Palhegyi.

When they arrived on scene they heard people screaming in the house, he said, so officers forced entry.

Two juveniles ran out of a bedroom, and officers located the suspect in a bathroom along with another child.

When officers asked where the gun was he pointed at the waste basket in the bathroom. Police recovered a fully loaded 9mm Glock handgun from the trash.

Officers determined there had been a breakup and Butler was basically threatening to kill himself with the children present, Palhegyi said.

The gun was later determined to have been stolen in Florida.

Butler was jailed on $45,000 bail.
Nathan D. Lawrence, 46, of Salt Lake City was arrested at Montego Bay Casino for trespassing, possession of a controlled substance, two counts of use or possession of drug paraphernalia, and failure to appear after bail on a misdemeanor crime. Bail: $7,455
Average retail gasoline prices in Chattanooga have risen 4.4 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.12 per gallon on Monday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 170 gas outlets in Chattanooga. This compares with the national average that has increased 1 cent per gallon in the last week to $2.43 per gallon, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com.



Including the change in gas prices in Chattanooga during the past week, prices on Monday were 10.3 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 5.2 cents per gallon lower than a month ago.



According to GasBuddy historical data, gasoline prices on Dec. 26, in Chattanooga have ranged widely over the last five years:

$2.02 per gallon in 2016, $1.69 in 2015, $2.08 in 2014, $3.03 in 2013 and $3.04 in 2012.



Areas near Chattanooga and their current gas price climate:

Knoxville- $2.22, up 5.0 cents per gallon from last week's $2.17.

State of Tennessee- $2.20, up 2.3 cents per gallon from last week's $2.18.

Huntsville- $2.18, down 0.5 cents per gallon from last week's $2.18.



"The Great Lakes has seen a flurry of gas price increases over the last week as several refinery issues have surfaces, pulling the national average up nearly single-handedly," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. "Without such ill-timed disruptions, we'd see a plentiful portion of falling pump prices, but now, the bitter taste of rising prices during the holiday lingers for many. But with the New Year set to roll in accompanied by a strong cold front, I'd expect gasoline demand to weaken, thus softening the outlook for gas prices in the weeks ahead and eventually delivering lower gas prices. Offering a brief glimpse into 2018: motorists won't be loving what they see, but the devil's in the details."

GasBuddy will be releasing its Annual Fuel Outlook for 2018 on Jan. 3.
CARSON CITY  Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt has joined an 11-state coalition of attorneys general in seeking to reverse a U.S. District Court judges order preventing the implementation of the federal governments executive order pertaining to sanctuary cities.

In filing a friend-of-the-court brief in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Laxalt said the case is an opportunity to remedy the threat that Californias sanctuary cities pose to Nevada safety.

Nevada law enforcement officials, including all 17 currently elected county sheriffs, oppose sanctuary-city policies that would prevent compliance with federal law and compromise public safety. Sanctuary-city policies that restrict communication between Nevada law enforcement and federal immigration authorities allow violent offenders to be released back into the community, according to Laxalt.

It is common sense that dangerous felons should not be released into neighborhoods, and that law enforcement must work together for public safety, said Laxalt. Sanctuary cities in California pose a danger to neighboring states like Nevada by making it easier for those not lawfully in this country and with violent criminal histories to evade law enforcement and travel out of state. Whats more, these cities undermine the rule of law and prevent cooperation between federal and local officials.

On January 25, 2017, the President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to better enforce U.S. immigration laws by making local jurisdictions that willfully refuse to comply with federal immigration laws ineligible for federal grants, except as necessary for law enforcement. In February, the California cities of San Francisco and Richmond, and the California County of Santa Clara, brought a pre-enforcement challenge to the executive order. In April, a California federal district court preliminarily enjoined the federal order from taking effect. Nevada supports the federal governments attempt to dissolve the injunction and allow federal immigration law to be properly enforced.

In addition to Nevada, other participating states include: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.
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A worker pours a glass of Wari on Nov. 8 at Off Color Brewing's The Mousetrap taproom, 1460 N. Kingsbury St. Craft brewers are among the industries that stand to benefit from the new tax law President Donald Trump signed Friday. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

WASHINGTON  Craft breweries are raising a glass to the Republicans' new tax overhaul: It cuts the excise tax on beer. Retailers, long saddled with heavy tax bills, will get relief. So will some high-profile names in corporate finance, led by Wells Fargo.

The tax measure that President Donald Trump signed into law Friday distributes benefits across a range of American industries, from construction to health care.

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"As a general rule of thumb, everybody's doing well under this bill," Martin Sullivan, chief economist at Tax Analysts, says of U.S. companies. "When you give out a trillion in tax breaks, it's hard to create a lot of losers."

No wonder the stock market has been roaring in anticipation of fatter after-tax corporate profits. The new law slashes the corporate tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent. It applies a low one-time tax to the profits that corporations have long kept overseas to avoid paying taxes under the current higher rate.

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It also delivers a windfall to people who pay personal taxes on business earnings. It lets companies immediately write off the full cost of new equipment. And it showers goodies on some individual industries, such as craft brewers, distilleries and wineries.

The reasoning behind shrinking the tax burdens of corporations is to free up money for companies to invest in buildings, equipment and people and thereby juice the economy  and, in turn, benefit workers. Yet mainstream economists have expressed mainly doubts that workers will benefit much from corporations' lower tax burdens.

In dollars, the biggest tax savings from 2018 through 2027 go to manufacturers: $261.5 billion, according to an analysis by the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Wharton Budget Model. Next most fortunate are insurance and finance companies ($249.4 billion) and retailers ($171.4 billion).

Supporters of the Republican tax bill point out that America's 35 percent corporate tax is one of the highest among advanced economies. But the tax code is so riddled with loopholes that few corporations have actually paid that list price. Without the new law, the effective tax rate across all industries would have been 21.2 percent next year. With it, the effective rate across industries drops all the way to 9.2 percent in 2018, according to the Penn Wharton Model.

Not all industries have gained equally from loopholes. Retailers, for example, would have paid a 27.5 percent rate in 2018; under the new law, they'll pay just 15.6 percent.

"The tax bill is a big shot in the arm for retailers, who have traditionally paid taxes at nearly the full amount," says Matthew Shay, CEO of the National Retail Federation.

Shay says he thinks the bill will help retailers accelerate investment in e-commerce and mobile technology. He also predicts that the bill will induce foreign-owned retailers to shift investment dollars into the United States.

Finance and insurance companies would have paid an effective corporate tax rate of 26.1 percent next year. Now, it will be 14.3 percent. Analysts at Goldman Sachs have estimated that the tax law will boost big-bank earnings per share by 13 percent next year. The top beneficiary will be Wells Fargo, which has been dogged by scandals over cheating customers. It will enjoy an 18 percent earnings surge in 2018, Goldman estimates.

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Technology companies like Apple and Google's parent Alphabet Inc. can now catch a break on profits they've stored abroad. Under current law, corporations must pay the U.S. corporate tax on overseas earnings, but not until they return the money.

So tech companies have kept a big chunk of profits overseas  $669 billion worth at the end of last year, according to Moody's Investors Service.

The tax overhaul imposes a discounted one-time levy on those earnings  15.5 percent for earnings held in cash or other liquid assets and 8 percent for earnings held in harder-to-sell assets. That means tech companies can return the money the United States with less of a tax burden. But their employees may not have cause to rejoice: CFRA analyst Scott Kessler predicts that tech companies will use most of the money they repatriate to buy back their stock and pay shareholder dividends.

The tax bill let craft brewers cross something off their longstanding wish list: The federal excise tax they pay will be halved to $3.50 a barrel on the first 60,000 barrels. Wineries and distillers also get tax breaks.

At COOP Ale Works in Oklahoma City, founder Daniel Mercer forecasts a tax windfall of about $60,000 next year. The 8-year-old brewery, which has quadrupled its staff to 31 in the past 2 1/2 years and whose annual revenue has reached $5 million, was already planning to invest $2 million in equipment. The tax savings will contribute to that project and also "helps with building tap rooms, and tap rooms are a really high-margin source of revenue," Mercer says.

The tax plan also benefits owners of "pass-through" businesses, who pay personal income tax on business earnings: It lets them deduct 20 percent of the first $315,000 in earnings. The pass-through provision will help Esther Novis, who owns the Young Scientists Club, a company in Jamestown, R.I., that sells science kits and other toys that encourage children to dabble in science.

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"Margins in the toy industry are very small," Novis says. "If there's more money left over because we pay less taxes, we can be a little more competitive" and invest in new products.

Like many Americans, Peter Koehl of Skullduggery, a toymaker in Anaheim, Calif., isn't yet familiar with the details of the tax changes.

"As with most government actions, we hope for the best and brace for the worst," Koehl says. "I can confidently tell you that a significant percentage of any 'windfall' will be invested in things that either increase sales or efficiencies."

Anne D'Innocenzio in New York and Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report.
The Bombardier CS100 passenger jet is pictured on the opening day of last year's Farnborough Airshow in England. Boeing claimed in an April 27 complaint that it has been illegally harmed by Bombardier's 2016 deal with Delta Air Lines for 75 CS100 jetliners. (DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP / AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. companies are bringing new trade lawsuits against their foreign competitors with a scope and frequency not seen in more than 15 years, government documents show, as a wave of new complaints builds under President Donald Trump.

A Washington Post analysis of Commerce Department data found 23 new trade disputes initiated since January, making 2017 the busiest year for tariff cases since 2001. The new cases target trade between the United States and 29 counties, the most in any year since 2001.

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The cases include fights over Korean washing machines, Spanish olives, Chinese aluminum foil, Vietnamese tool chests, Argentine biodiesel and Canadian jetliners. The U.S. trade warriors include financially strapped solar panel manufacturers, downsizing Rust Belt steel plants and declining California olive farms.

Several requests came from companies that are under foreign ownership. And in a shift from previous years, some profitable corporations are asking the government to place new restrictions on their foreign rivals, taking advantage of a recent change in federal law.

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The surge of complaints comes as the White House moves to redefine America's role in the global economy.

"At President Trump's direction, we have told American businesses that we will be more enforcement minded than any recent administration, while also remaining committed to a fair and transparent process that is professionally and impartially implemented," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in an emailed statement. "They know we will stand with American workers in the face of unfair trade practices."

Tariff cases typically start when U.S. companies formally accuse foreign competitors of "dumping" products in the United States at unfairly low prices or benefiting from unfair subsidies, or both. Then the Commerce Department and a quasi-judicial U.S. agency called the International Trade Commission decide what to do.

Ross has said he wants the government to bring more cases on its own, something that could let companies save on legal expenses. The Commerce Department took its first step in that direction in a November tariff action against sheet metal distributors in China, the first government-initiated action since 1985.

The Washington Post's count of 23 new disputes in 2017 is based on the number of petitioners bringing new tariffs; if for example a single U.S. company asks for tariffs on products from 10 countries, the Post treated it as a single new dispute even though such an action would spur 10 Commerce Department investigations. When calculated based on the number of new investigations - as the Commerce Department tends to represent the trend in its news releases  there were 79 new investigations in 2017, reflecting a massive 65 percent jump over the previous year and a 16-year high.

Since most of the new cases are just beginning to work their way through the government's deliberative process, it is too early to tell whether they will ultimately succeed.

Some companies are pushing for price quotas, which forbid foreign firms from selling below a given price. And in two cases this year, three companies have invoked a powerful and seldom-used U.S. trade lever called the "safeguard" provision, which imposes blanket taxes on products regardless of the country of origin. Such cases are unique in that they require a direct sign-off from the president; before Trump took office, no company had asked to be safeguarded in this way since 2001.

"The fact that we have already seen two of these cases in 2017 should be a clear signal that corporate America thinks the Trump administration is going to grant it protection," said Chad Bown, a fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a research and policy organization focused on global trade.

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The Trump administration is preparing to rule on both cases early next year.

The U.S. companies seeking tougher import duties argue that trade restrictions are needed to level the economic playing field and sustain American jobs, and have little to do with politics or Trump.

For instance, a Washington state paper company known as North Pacific Paper, called NORPAC, is accusing Canadian competitors of flooding the U.S. market with less expensive product. As a result, NORPAC, which sells paper for newspapers and other industries, said it has been forced to trim its staff from about 450 to 350 employees in the past year.

Meanwhile, two family-owned olive farm conglomerates, Bell-Carter Foods and Musco Family Olive, are asking the Commerce Department to counteract Spanish olive farmers that they say are propped up by an elaborate system of farm subsidies there.

A coalition of U.S. biodiesel manufacturers claims rivals in Indonesia and Argentina are selling their product in the United States at unfairly low prices. It says the Argentine government also is giving tax breaks to exporters to unfairly subsidizing the industry.

Two companies asking for blanket "safeguard" protection  Georgia-based Suniva and Oregon-based SolarWorld USA  are solar panel manufacturers that make photovoltaic cells, the tiny chips that convert solar energy into usable power.

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Over the past few years, they claim a flood of less expensive components from Chinese solar manufacturers have put them at a disadvantage; the two firms have since filed for bankruptcy and have laid off thousands.

Their claim, however, does not have the backing of others in their industry: The trade group Solar Energy Industries Association opposes the tariff, which it argues will cause 88,000 jobs to be lost elsewhere in the industry. The International Trade Commission ruled in SolarWorld's and Suniva's favor in October, but the two companies said the duties it recommended are too small.

Others seeking tariffs are not suffering nearly as badly. The third company asking for broader safeguard protection - Chicago-based home appliances giant Whirlpool - logged $5.4 billion in sales this year.

But Whirlpool's profit margins have been dwindling for years, in part because it claims it is losing market share in a key product category - washing machines - to Korean manufacturers LG and Samsung. Whirlpool argues they have been dumping washing machines in the United States for years and moving their production centers around the world to avoid earlier tariffs.

In arguing against tariffs, the foreign companies have pointed out that they also employ Americans.

"No one should doubt our commitment to creating jobs in the U.S. We have been marketing our products here for nearly 40 years and have more than 18,000 workers," Samsung senior vice president John Herrington said in a statement rebutting Whirlpool's tariff request. "We know what it means to be an American manufacturer, we are an American manufacturer, and we are in it for the long run."

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Several of the companies asking for import protection are actually under foreign ownership. They include the U.S. subsidiary of Nan Ya Plastics. The Taiwanese plastics manufacturer is asking for new restrictions on Korean and Taiwanese polyester products as part of a long-running trade dispute.

A U.K.-based metals conglomerate called Ferroglobe has asked for U.S. restrictions on silicon metal from Australia, Brazil and Norway. It is waging a parallel trade war in Canada, where it is asking for new restrictions on silicon imports from four countries.

DAK Americas, the North Carolina-based subsidiary of one of Mexico's largest textile firms, is teaming up with Indorama Ventures USA, the U.S. arm of an Indian firm. They are asking for restrictions on textile products from Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan and Taiwan.

The complex international connections of those asking for tariffs - and the often strong U.S. presence of the companies they are targeting - illustrates a problem for import duties: Foreign companies that find themselves slapped with tariffs can sometimes avoid them by moving production to a third country, or even to the United States.

"Tariffs really don't work ... if you apply a tariff they can still move that good through another country," Barry Zekelman, chief executive of Chicago-based steel pipe manufacturer Zekelman Industries, told the cable channel CNBC earlier this summer.

Zekelman is teaming up with four other steel firms  ArcelorMittal, PTC Alliance, Webco Industries and Michigan Seamless Tube  to call for a broader system of quotas that would set fixed minimum prices for foreign firms.

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Steel companies like Zekelman  which account for about half of the new requests in 2017  got a tease of broader-reaching action when early in Trump's term the White House announced it is investigating whether to label foreign-made steel and aluminum a national security risk, something that would impose harsh restrictions on foreign steel imports.

That effort, though, has been stalled for more than six months. In a July 25 interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said any action on specialty metals is "waiting till we get everything finished up between health care and taxes and maybe even infrastructure."

Then on Nov. 28 the Commerce Department took the highly unusual step of bringing a tariff case on its own, asking for tariffs above 57 percent on aluminum sheet metal from China. Officials insisted the effort was separate from the earlier specialty metals investigation.

In a shift from past years, some companies bringing cases are faring relatively well against their rivals.

Boeing is one of the largest U.S. exporters, a company that maintains healthy profit margins selling commercial jets to airlines and advanced weaponry to the U.S. military.

None of that stopped the Chicago-based aerospace manufacturer from claiming in an April 27 complaint that it has been illegally harmed by Canadian jet-maker Bombardier's 2016 deal with Delta Air Lines for 75 CS100 jetliners, asking for tariffs on 100- to 150-seat jets from Canada, a category in which Boeing does not compete.

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Boeing's lawyers may be emboldened by a 2015 trade law that made it easier for profitable corporations to win U.S. trade disputes. The Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 bars the International Trade Commission from turning down trade cases purely on the basis that the petitioning company is profitable.

The Commerce Department surprised the aerospace industry in September when it ruled in Boeing's favor, proposing a massive 300 percent import duty that would make U.S. sales untenable for Bombardier.

But Bombardier may have already found a way to avoid the new fee. The company recently agreed to sell the rights to the CS100 to Airbus, a French manufacturer that is Boeing's primary competitor in the commercial jet market. And the announcement came with a twist: Future production of the C-series aircraft would be shifted from Canada to Alabama, where Airbus already operates a production facility.

"It's not intended to circumvent anything, but the fact is that when you produce an aircraft in the U.S. it's not subject to any U.S. import tariff rules," Bombardier president Alain Bellemare said in October.

The Washington Post's Steven Rich contributed to this report.
Nerves isnt into nostalgia. The mere mention of two decades having passed since the bands self-titled debut elicited groans, followed by laughter  for the trio knew it was more or less inevitable.

I was dead set against it at the beginning, says bassist/vocalist Seth Skundrick. My mindset was, Nostalgia is boring. We had our time, were done.

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Nerves from the 90s, joked guitarist/vocalist, Rob Datum. When I first got the text from (drummer) Elliot (Dicks) about this, the first thing that popped in my head was, Oh yeah, the 20 year rule. Theres always this resurgence of anything at 20 years and I was like, Well there it is.

Between 1997 and 2001, the punks released three LPs: Nerves, New Animal and World of Gold on indie label Thrill Jockey. The groups brand of hip-shaking, cymbal-rattling, three-chord power punk  helmed by Datums frenzied vocals  lent itself well to frenetic, speedy sets across the city; including one instance involving a whole bottle of lighter fluid spilling over the bass head and amp, setting the stage (covered in shag carpet) on fire.

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After four years, Nerves called it quits and the members went their separate ways. Datum and Skundrick headed east  Datum returning to Connecticut and reconnecting with former bandmates there, Skundrick settling down in New York.

The men hadnt played together and didnt have any expectations as far as reunions  until Empty Bottle put together a special concert series featuring local and regional acts that helped christen the venue.

It was really just for the 25th anniversary bands being put together at the Bottle, said drummer Dicks, who works there when hes not touring with other groups. Weve played at the Bottle a fair amount, and earlier in the year they were going down their wish list of who they wanted to play. We were asked, then I had forgot about it. I thought itd never happen in a million years.

On Friday, Nerves will be co-headlining with the Dishes, an act they had played and toured with before, and Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Shannon & Friends. Vocalos DJ Jill Hopkins will be spinning between sets.

Nerves is embracing the opportunity, however. Preparing for the show inspired the band to get refocused on putting together a digital collection of unreleased tracks often included in the live sets, including the song World of Gold  which did not appear on the record of the same name  that will be available for fans the day of the show.

Having that online footprint didnt matter to Nerves until more recently.

I was excited to get it to people who came to our shows, says Datum. They know the songs, theyve heard them, but there was never anything to go home and throw on or have on the computer. I think the people that did follow us  I think its great for them if they want to check it out.

Its cheaper than putting out a record, adds Skundrick. Itd be nice to do a vinyl release, but its expensive. Its nice to get this out there instead of just having it sit there and the best way, cheapest way, was through digital download.

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Whether that online presence draws a younger audience to Nerves' music isnt of concern. As the only member who remained in Chicago and has worked as a sound tech in various venues, Dicks has observed the citys music scenes and the constant evolution because of the tastes of the younger generation. Blues, jazz, garage rock and hip-hop have all reigned supreme at one time or another. As Skundrick puts it, no ones wringing his hands over the future of rock n roll.

Its almost like a changing of the guard, in a way, Dicks says. At some point, it all becomes a nostalgic thing. Thats always going to happen, no matter what. But what I have noticed compared to when I first came to Chicago, people were more separated by their different types of music scenes. Now theyre blending more together and people are more willing to cross over and check out all sorts of music and mix them up. Maybe the internet is part of that, too  exposing folks to more stuff.

Its a different world compared with 1997, but different doesnt have to always lean toward better or worse. Nerves started off as a reaction to what the members felt was missing musically, and its hard for them to even imagine building a fan base based solely on the ocean of songs posted on the internet now.

For Nerves it was  and still should be  all about the live show, playing to impress, especially for rock bands. All three members consider Nerves a superior live act in comparison with the trios studio recordings. Datum argues that the raw energy wasnt ever really captured, while Skundrick says its the allure of the unknown in a live setting that gets folks to show up and listen.

Luckily, playing together still suits the trio.

Rob and I had been getting together and just rehearsing some stuff a few times since were both on the East Coast, but when Elliot came out  it felt good. It felt right and we sort of slipped back into that old groove, Skundrick explains.

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And we had to practice playing the songs too fast, Dicks says with a laugh.

jroti@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jessitaylorro

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"Hamilton" cast members Ari Afsar, Jose Ramos and Samantha Marie Ware answer questions from Chicago Public Schools students in February 2017 as part of a special day for 1,900 students and their teachers at the debut of the "Hamilton" Educational Program. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)

Exit, 2017. But first ...

New Years Day a year ago heralded an acrimonious end for Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind at the Neo-Futurarium, with a venerable company at odds with Greg Allen, its founder. But The Infinite Wrench was born. News filtered out that Hamilton hired Wayne Brady to play Aaron Burr in Chicago. "I don't think of myself as an unusual choice but a well-qualified choice who happens to be known," he told the Tribune. "This is not stunt casting. 'Hamilton' does not need stunt casting.

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Who does? Certainly not the Chicago students who got treated to a full day of Hamilton-themed education in February.

Writers Theatre snagged  and in August staged  its first pre-Broadway tryout, Trevor the Musical. At Broadway in Chicago, the bar lines were long at The Bodyguard, with subscribers who really just wanted Hamilton tickets drowning their sorrows with a Queen of the Night cocktail. Broken Nose Theatre opened At the Table in late February, which became the toughest ticket in the city, Hamilton notwithstanding.

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Hedwig visited in March for our pleasure. Chita Rivera visited twice, once to talk and sing at Steppenwolf, the other to raise money for progressive causes in the wake of Donald Trumps election. Tim Hopper talked. Al Franken talked, too, not knowing what was coming. The Wiz found many fans as it eased on down the road. Spamilton arrived in the wake of Hamilton and thrived. Sandra Delgado  actress, director, entrepreneur  had a remarkable year beginning in April with a Theater on the Lake announcement and continuing with "La Havana Madrid."

In the single worst idea of the year  or ever  two Australian magicians came to do teasing tricks in the buff (Naked Magicians in March). Odysseo pitched its tent by Solider Field. David Schwimmer brokered the Chicago premiere of a play from London, Beyond Caring. He cared. Always has.

Tracy Letts cared not to invite the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee to judge Linda Vista in April. It did not care not to be invited.

Martha Lavey died at 60, and Chicago theater lost the one who cared the most.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 17 New Years Day a year ago heralded an acrimonious end for Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind at the Neo-Futurarium. (Joe Mazza photo)

David Cerda, drag artist extraordinaire, was celebrated by his peers at the non-Equity Jeffs in June. Mike Nussbaum opened another show at the age of 93, natch. He played Einstein at Northlight Theatre, a fine match.

Samuel G. Roberson Jr. died in late May at the age of 34, but his smile was preserved by his beloved Congo Square Theatre Company. His dad, Samuel Robeson Sr., spoke to the Tribune: "Champions are not defined by wins or losses but by how we give of our best and leave it out there. That was his life.

Audra McDonald sang at Steppenwolf. A Magic Lounge began construction in Andersonville.

Glenne Headly died at 62. The leader of the great group of Steppenwolf actresses of the late 20th century  Moira Harris, Joan Allen, Rondi Reed, Laurie Metcalf  was gone.

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A Steppenwolf play called Pass Over was reviewed by the Sun-Times theater critic Hedy Weiss, and a summer storm followed her comments. Spike Lee showed up a few weeks later to film the show for Amazon. As the temperatures rose, theaters and activists searched their souls on Facebook and in bars and board rooms over whether to continue to invite a prominent critic. Newspapers editorialized. Weiss said nothing in public and went about her job.

The widely beloved Steve Scott called it quits at the Goodman Theatre, but didnt quit the Chicago theater. The actor Howard Witt, a great wit, died in June at 85. Libby Adler Mages, one of the citys most prolific producers and a big-time fun, made her exit at 93.

Raven Theatre in late July retired its co-founders, Michael Menendian and JoAnn Montemurro, who said nothing in public about what had happened. Mariann Mayberry died at 52, an actress who carried little baggage around the world so as always to focus on her astonishing work.

Did the death of Sam Shepard mark the end of something in the Chicago theater? Will Northlight Theatre get its new theater in Evanston? Can a Jimmy Buffett musical learn from its Chicago tryout? All good questions. All unresolved.

Brian Posen was fired from Second City, and several of his former collaborators alleged sexual harassment and spoke to the Tribune. Writers Theatre investigated its co-founder, Michael Halberstam, but later decided it was time for him to go back to work, with renewed attention to a safe workplace. The Not in Our House movement, designed to protect Chicago artists from unprofessional behavior of all kinds, developed a national following.

Jeremy McCarter, the author of best-sellers and a smart producer, announced plans for a new Chicago company. And Chicago Shakespeare Theater opened The Yard, its flashy but flexible new space on Navy Pier. Champagne popped.

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Hope it will for you on the eve of 2018.

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com

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Barbara Mangi speaks about the 2007 murder of her 25-year-old daughter, Dana Mangi, and her journey to heal and to forgive Patrick Ford, the man who murdered her daughter. Mangi is the author of a new book chronicling her journey, "Reawakening: Return of Lightness and Peace after My Daughter's Murder." (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) (Stacey Wescott)

After her 25-year-old daughter, Dana, was murdered in 2007, Barbara Mangi felt many things: fear, anger, an almost suffocating sadness.

But forgiveness? No. Even though Mangi suspected almost from the first that her big-hearted daughter would have forgiven the college friend who stabbed and strangled her, Mangi could not. Even as Mangi, a devout Catholic, came to believe that God himself wanted her to forgive Danas killer, she resisted.

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God, dont you make any exceptions? she would ask.

You must. You must make exceptions. I know we are supposed to forgive people who hurt us but this is the extreme situation. This kid murdered my daughter. If youre going to want me to forgive this person, youre going to have to make it happen, because I just cant.

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Mangi, who details her long journey to forgiveness in the new book, Reawakening: Return of Lightness and Peace after My Daughters Murder, eventually not only forgave Patrick Ford  the man who pleaded guilty but mentally ill to killing her daughter in his Lakeview apartment, just weeks before Dana was scheduled to start veterinary school. Mangi actually thanked Ford for his 2010 courtroom apology, and since 2014 she has been exchanging letters with him from prison, where he is serving a 35-year term for first-degree murder.

Mangi, 66, of Arlington Heights, says that she and Ford arent friends in the usual casual and confiding sense, but they are friends of a sort, jointly working toward spiritual healing in the aftermath of a catastrophic loss.

A tearful Barbara Mangi speaks Dec. 4, 2017, at her home in Arlington Heights about the 2007 murder of her daughter, Dana Mangi, and her journey to forgive her daughter's killer, Patrick Ford. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Ive been able to help him to forgive himself and to heal, which is something I could never have imagined would ever happen to me in my life, she said of their written correspondence, which now includes about 10 letters a year.

I just feel like God has been with me throughout this whole journey helping me  I dont know how else to explain it.

Ten years after Danas death, shes still very much a presence in her parents spacious suburban living room. Mangi and her husband, Joe, an executive at a private jet charter company, have a nearly life-sized photo of Dana and her older sister, Sarah, beaming down from the wall. On the coffee table, theres an album full of photos: Dana as a chubby-cheeked toddler; Dana as a preschooler, decked out in a homemade bumble bee costume; Dana as a teenager, suddenly graceful in her red prom dress.

Dana was funny, caring and outgoing, her mother said. She was an animal-lover, and she was persistent. She dreamed of being a veterinarian, and when she was rejected from every vet school she applied to, she studied for her masters degree, applied again, got rejected again, and then applied a third time, finally gaining acceptance at the University of Minnesota.

She was beyond happy, her mother recalled. Dana was scheduled to start class within weeks on the stormy Saturday night when she didnt come home from Chicagos Wrigleyville neighborhood, where she was supposed to attend a Cubs viewing party with Ford. Dana had known Ford in college at Loyola University, where they were part of the same group of friends for a while. According to court records, they dated briefly. Mangi said they maybe went to one sorority-fraternity dance together.

Sarah, from left, Barbara, Joe and Dana Mangi. Dana was murdered in 2007 and her mother, Barbara, has written a book about her journey to heal and forgive her daughter's murderer. (Mangi family photo)

Police arrested Ford at his apartment, after he called authorities to report Danas death. He had several self-inflicted knife wounds and made incriminating statements at the scene, police said. While in custody, he allegedly confessed to strangling and stabbing Dana.

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Plunged into a nightmarish hell on earth, Mangi and her family had to identify Danas body, choose her casket and clean out her apartment. It was a struggle for me to get though every minute of every day, Mangi wrote in her book, published by Mountain Arbor Press.

She didnt give much thought to the killer at that point, beyond fearing him and hoping he would stay behind bars: I dont know why he did this, she thought, and how do I know he wont come out and look for my other daughter  or hurt somebody else?

Her impression of Ford didnt improve much as she sat through monthly court hearings for two years. She didnt see any sign that he cared about what he had done. Authorities said Ford never explained why he killed Dana, according to an article in the Chicago Daily Herald, which quoted the judge in the case as saying, "For the life of me, I don't understand this (crime)." The article said that both prosecution and defense experts found Ford suffered from a personality disorder and that he abused alcohol and cannabis, which lead to depression.

When Ford was sentenced in a 2010 plea agreement, the judge asked him if he had anything to say.

Ford turned to Mangi and her daughter Sarah, who had given victim impact statements.

Im so sorry, he said, in an emotional speech recounted in Mangis book. I know that my words cant help you. And I took something from you that I can never give back, but I swear to you that I did not mean to do what I did and if there was anything I can do or say to take away your pain, I would. I promise you that. And all I can do is keep you in my prayers forever and let you know that Im just so, so sorry.

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As he spoke, Mangi was stunned to realize she felt compassion and sadness for him. Afterward, there was intense guilt: How could she feel sorry for the man who had murdered Dana? But she couldnt deny what shed felt, or a sense that Dana, who had been so forgiving with her friends, had been with her in court, whispering in her ear, Now let it go, Mom.

She prayed, meditated and spoke to her therapist, and within days she realized that while she could never condone what Ford had done, she did believe that he was truly sorry.

Something miraculous had happened in the courtroom that day, Mangi writes in her book. All my prayers asking God for help to forgive Danas murderer  had been answered when I heard Patrick Ford speak to us. That short exchange healed me in a way I never expected or thought possible.

The journey toward writing to him took four more years. In 2013, Mangis sister Tina Mercier told Mangi that she wanted to write a letter to Ford, telling him that Mangi had forgiven him. Mangi gave her sister her blessing, and in February 2014, Mercier received a letter from Ford. In a subsequent letter, Ford asked Mercier if Mangi would accept a letter from him.

By June, Mangi had decided yes, she wanted to hear what Ford had to say.

His first letter to her began As hard as this letter is for me to write I can only believe that it is that much harder for you to receive it. Thank you for allowing me to send this to you, its something Ive wanted to do for 7 years  I think about how devastating this all must be and how badly (you and your family) all must hurt. I think about what I took from you. I think about how unfair this is for you. But mostly I pray. I pray that somehow each of you can find peace, that eventually the pain lessens. He apologized, saying hed agonized over how to express his sorrow, regret and remorse, and had resolved to spend the rest of his life trying to be the best person I can be.

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About two months later, Mangi wrote back.

The letter-writing continued, and in 2016 Mangi wrote to Ford, Early on  I sadly thought of you as just Danas murderer. But when I heard your words to us that day at the plea agreement hearing and then, with each additional choice I made to let myself be open to the words in (your) letters  I came to believe that you are much more than your crime. Once I had a much deeper and (more) personal understanding of your lifes journey, I was able to see you as a multifaceted, complicated, spiritual, caring young man.

Mangis husband, Joe, supported the exchange of letters, although he initially asked Mangi not to include any information about him. Joe said in an interview that he, too, has forgiven Ford: I had to. Theres no way I could have existed going forward without (forgiveness) in my heart, because I would have always had this horrible pain. And for Dana to be in my heart all the time, I needed to have a happy heart.

He wants to get to the point where he can go to the prison where Ford is being held and tell Ford in person that he forgives him. Hes not there yet, though. Im taking baby steps, he said with a chuckle.

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There are still times when Barbara Mangi hears about a young person getting married or having kids, and her eyes fill with tears; Dana never got to do that, she said. But theres joy now too, and a sense of purpose. Mangi, who put her part-time job in the travel industry largely on hold to focus on her writing, is hoping to help others with her book and related speaking engagements.

Im in a happy place, she said. Im good. I did the work on myself. I made the choices that helped me heal.

nschoenberg@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @nschoenberg

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Melva Homo, 9, from left, and her sister Angelina, 4, open Christmas gifts as their parents, Milad and Lina Homo, watch on Dec. 25, 3017. The family celebrated their first Christmas in the United States after coming from Iraq in May. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

A year ago, Milad Homo feared his family never would be able to celebrate Christmas in America.

The Assyrian Christians had waited more than three years for a chance to emigrate from Turkey, where they had fled after Homo was threatened by a carload of men in black hoods as the family left a Baghdad church. Homo, his wife and two daughters had left all but a few possessions behind in Iraq, struggling to get by in a Turkish city packed with fellow refugees while praying they could someday join his mother, sisters and brothers in Chicagos tight-knit Assyrian community.

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Their bid for asylum from religious persecution and genocide had appeared to be finally moving forward last year. But rumblings about new delays after the U.S. election turned to outright panic when the family was caught up in President Donald Trumps travel ban, which barred citizens from Iraq and several other predominantly Muslim nations from entering the country.

It took nearly three months of political pressure and geopolitical wrangling to drop Iraq from the travel ban. Even after that, many Iraqi Christians in America have been on edge, especially after the Trump administration moved to deport hundreds of people back to war-torn Iraq.

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Homo and his family ultimately managed to cut through the roadblocks, arriving in Chicago in May and embarking on the heady experience of being immigrants in a country vastly different from their own.

Its amazing to be in a place where we are free, Homo said Monday at the familys cozy apartment in West Rogers Park. We escaped from something very hard, for us and for our children. The best gift is now we can stay far, far away from (Iraq) and have a better life.

As his two daughters dove under a Christmas tree to unwrap presents, Homo explained how extended family and random acts of kindness have helped them get started in their new home.

Family members provided furniture, a TV and a network of supporters in the Assyrian community. Catholic Charities gave them the fully decorated tree after helping Homo and his wife, Lina, navigate tasks such as getting a drivers license and enrolling Melva, their oldest daughter, in school.

The charity also found a spot for Lina to take English lessons at Truman College and advised Milad how to apply for jobs. Though Target and Walmart turned him down, he got a big break when a friend of one of his brothers recommended him for a job as a dental assistant.

The first week was so difficult, and I still need the navigation device to get to work, Milad Homo said with a laugh.

He already speaks fluent English, a subject he said he studied intensely during high school before the Persian Gulf War and later during dental school in Baghdad. Lina, who taught high school history in Iraq, is quickly catching up.

Meanwhile, Melva, 9, learned English like a YouTube-obsessed Gen Zer, picking up words and phrases while watching Disney movies online in their Turkish apartment.

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Angelina Homo, 4, looks at the new Barbie doll she received for Christmas. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

The presents Melva and Angelina, 4, gently unwrapped Monday were decidedly American: Barbie and Skipper dolls, My Little Pony figures, a plastic tea set. They excitedly spoke an easy mix of English and Aramaic, an ancient Semitic language that once was common throughout the Middle East.

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There is nothing left for them in Iraq.

Homos mother left after his father was shot to death while driving a cab in Baghdad before the U.S. invasion in 2003. His siblings followed her during the next decade.

Life already was tough under Saddam Hussein, Homo said, but it became even more difficult to survive as ISIS took over vast swaths of Iraq and targeted what was left of an already dwindling Christian population.

Months before they fled to Turkey, he said, his wife narrowly escaped a car bomb in their neighborhood. The men who later confronted him outside their church called him by name, Homo said, and told him his family had one more chance to leave Iraq alive.

We feel like we finally are in the right place, he said. Our girls can see their future here. And they are safe.

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mhawthorne@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @scribeguy
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In his most recent visit to China in September, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto emphasized the need to continue promoting trade and new investments between both countries. This goal was illustrated by the signing of a cooperation agreement between Mexico and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.

The visit marked the seventh time that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Nieto have held bilateral meetings since 2013, when both leaders agreed to grant the status of the Sino-Mexican relationship as a comprehensive strategic partnership.

However, despite the fact that Mexico is Chinas largest commercial partner in Latin America, and China is Mexicos second largest trading partner in the world, both countries have not yet deciphered how to take full advantage of its potential.

As Nietos term as Mexicos president ends next year, what does the future hold for this important bilateral relationship?

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Competing economies

Any analysis of Sino-Mexican relations cannot ignore Mexicos relationship with the US and its participation in the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

After the effects of the 1982 economic crisis that hit Latin America, Mexico changed its development strategy from one based on a closed market to one based on exports, access to the global economy, and economic integration with its northern neighbors.

After acceding to the GATT in 1986, and NAFTA entering into force in 1994, Mexico experienced positive economic growth: by the year 2000, Mexico continued opening new markets (it signed an FTA with the EU that year), had an annual growth of 6.6 percent of GDP and a GDP per capita of approximately US$9,000, while Mexican exports to Canada increased 136 percent, and 177 percent to the US.

Although China and Mexico have maintained a friendly and cordial relationship in the political sphere since establishing diplomatic relations in 1972, the rise of China increased the complexity and challenges of economic relations.

Mexico adopted a defensive position, having considered China to be a direct competitor in the North American market. It was the last country to withdraw objections against Chinas accession to the WTO in 2001, while it also imposed countervailing duties and tariffs amounting to 1000 percent or more on a diversity of products.

A comprehensive strategic partnership

Today, the trade balance between China and Mexico has reached close to US$80 billion, where only US$10 billion correspond to Mexican exports to China. Despite the fact that approximately 70 percent of Mexicos imports from China are intermediate or capital goods, which are used or repurposed for re-export, Mexico continues to seek to improve its participation in the Chinese market to achieve more balanced trade.

Taking advantage of the beginning of both the administrations of Xi and Nieto, both leaders relaunched the bilateral relationship in 2013, giving it the status of comprehensive strategic partnership.

In just four years, both countries added about 50 new cooperation agreements relating to a variety of areas, from economics and politics to culture, science, and education. In the last two years, eight new Mexican products have gained access to the Chinese food market, including white corn, beef and pork, dairy products, avocados, blackberries, beer, and tequila.

China is now Mexicos second largest commercial partner and third largest destination for exports. Mexico, for example, is the main Latin American supplier of auto parts and motor vehicles for the Chinese market.

Likewise, many prominent Mexican companies have sought to take advantage of investment promotion policies and the size of its consumer market in China. Mexican companies such as Bimbo, Gruma, Nemak, Grupo Kuo, Metalsa, and Interceramic have established themselves in China.

However, despite the many advantages of investments in China, many Mexican companies find it difficult to access the Middle Kingdom.

In Mexico, SMEs generate 50 percent of GDP and 70 percent of employment. For many Mexican SMEs, logistics costs make China a difficult destination for exports, much less for investment, in comparison to other North American markets closer to home.

Further, the China-Mexico relationship is still haunted by challenges. For example, the cancellation of the state-owned China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC)s tender for a high-speed rail project in Mexico, which was framed as a symbol of the relationship, showed the lack of communication between both countries.

Nevertheless, there is reason for optimism.

China has sought to present itself to Mexico as an alternative to the US. China has also taken advantage of recent energy reform in Mexico, which opens the door to foreign investment in the industry. The state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) plans to invest US$8 billion in Mexico over the next 30 years, indicating that both countries want to move the relationship forward.

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B2B, B2C redefining China-Mexico relationship

The recent signing of the agreement between Mexico and Alibaba Group in Hangzhou last September can be understood of a sign of things to come for China and Mexico.

The main objective of this agreement will be to train Mexican SMEs in Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumers (B2C) sales through the internet, improving their cross-border e-commerce capabilities and logistics, and introducing them to the Alipay payment system.

The partnership between Mexico and Alibaba has already produced early results: 80 tons of Mexican avocado were sold in China through e-commerce in just two days following a campaign between ProMexico, the Mexican government agency in charge of export promotion, and the electronic sales platform Tmall, which is owned by Alibaba.

Likewise, Alipays venture into Mexico will increase the attractiveness of Mexico as a tourist destination for Chinese citizens.

This agreement can represent an opportunity for Mexican companies to finally overcome the obstacles that separate both countries, fitting into the Chinese economys transition from its exports-based model to one driven by domestic consumption.

However, great challenges await this new-found complementarity between both countries.

Mexico must make a concerted effort to diversify its economy outside of North America and establish its place in Asia-based value chains. Transitioning the Mexican economy towards Asia will require trade and investment that develops infrastructure, logistics, export capacity, financing, human resources, and a better understanding of business cultures.

The bases are there.

In the 16th century, the Nao of China, or Manila Galleon, traversed the Pacific, carrying the silver of New Spain (now Mexico), after passing the Philippines, to the port of Shanghai. In exchange, Chinas fine silks arrived at the port of Acapulco. With intelligence, prudence and the commitment from the public and private sectors, the integration of the Mexican economy with China may finally find its balance.



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Deng Chao stars a genius detective in the crime thriller The Liquidator [Photo provided to China.org.cn]





After picking up two awards for best actor in the crime thriller The Dead End, A-list actor Deng Chao is back in familiar territory to star as a genius detective in the upcoming movie The Liquidator.



The new crime thriller, adapted from best-selling novelist Lei Mi's book Evil Minds: City Light, will hit Chinese mainland theaters on Dec 22.

The production also marks veteran TV drama director Xu Jizhou's first foray into movie directing.

Other than Deng, the cast also includes Taiwan actor Ethan Juan and actress Liu Shishi, who is known for her roles in historical TV dramas.

Inspired by real-life events, the movie unfolds with four cases: A teenager commits suicide as he can no longer endure a teacher's physical punishment; an elderly woman is forced to leave home by her ruthless son; firefighters fail to rescue residents from a burning building because the only exit is blocked by a car; a college student helps an injured elderly woman who in turn demands compensation.

While Juan stars as the man hired to kill those blamed for the four cases, Deng plays the detective tasked with hunting him down. But during the ensuing cat-and-mouse chase, the lines between justice and retribution soon become blurred.

The movie is more than a crime thriller, director Xu says at the Beijing event, and aims to explore the darker side of humanity.

In test screenings across China earlier this week, the movie attracted more than 100,000 viewers and won positive reviews, making it one of the holiday season's most anticipated films.
China's Ministry of Commerce on Monday determined to turn China into a "strong economic and trading nation in all respects" by 2050.

In the past five years, China's domestic consumption, foreign trade and investment all surpassed most other economies, laying a solid foundation for economic and trade strength, Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan said at a meeting.

Before 2020, China should consolidate its position as a large economy and trader. The goal of becoming a strong trading nation should "be basically realized" by 2035 and be accomplished in all respects by 2050, according to Zhong.

The minister said efforts should be made to complete the goal in advance, without giving specifics about the meaning of "a strong economic and trading nation."

China has remained the world's largest goods exporter and second largest importer for eight straight years. The market share of China's export in the world rose from 10.4 percent in 2011 to 13.2 percent in 2016.

China's trade growth has contributed to the global economic and trade recovery, as Chinese products benefit people around the world, while imports help the development of trade partners, according to a statement from the ministry.

However, Chinese products rely mainly on quantity and price advantages in international competition, while lacking core competitiveness and added value.

China aims to basically realize socialist modernization by 2035 and develop into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful by 2050, according to a report delivered to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
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China will renovate 5.8 million dilapidated homes in 2018 to speed up urbanization.

The country started renovation of 6.1 million homes in 2017, more than the target of 6 million, according to Wang Menghui, minister of housing and urban-rural development.

Total investment reached 1.84 trillion yuan (US$280 billion) for the year, he said.

Authorities should increase the supply of public rental housing and offer them to poor families and groups including sanitation workers, young teachers and migrant workers.

China plans to renovate 15 million homes from 2018 to 2020, according to official document released earlier this year.

The plan was part of efforts to fulfill the government's promise to rebuild rundown areas with a combined total of 100 million residents.

The transformation has remained a priority for the government in recent years. In the past eight years, more than 80 million people with poor living conditions moved out of rundown areas and into new homes.
The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee made public a regulation to promote transparency in Party affairs Monday,the first CPC regulation on disclosure of Party affairs.

Transparency in Party affairs is "a great measure" in implementing the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the CPC, firmly upholding full and strict governance over the Party and improving the Party's ability to govern and lead, said the CPC Central Committee in a statement.

Party organizations are required to disclose affairs concerning the Party leadership and Party building among the CPC members or outside the Party in accordance with rules, according to the regulation.

Party organizations' implementation of the Party's basic theory, line, and policy, their leadership over economic and social development, and efforts to strictly govern the Party and strengthen Party building shall be generally made public, along with information about the organizations' function and structure, it said.

However, promoting transparency in Party affairs should not pose a threat to political, economic, military, cultural, social, homeland security and the safety of the people, the regulation warned.

The regulation specifies which content should be released by Party organizations at different levels.

Central Party organizations should make public Party theories, lines, principles and policies, decisions and plans of Party and state governance, speeches and instructions by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and important meetings, activities and appointment and removal of officials by the CPC Central Committee, among others.

Local Party organizations should publicize plans on local economic and social development, major reform events, and responses to major emergencies, according to the regulation.

Local Party organizations are also asked to reveal how they are fulfilling their responsibility to exercise strict Party self-governance in every respect, as well as major conferences, events and official appointments and removals, it said.

Primary-level Party organizations are required to release information about their goals, plans and implementation of major tasks, as well as their political education, general election, and management of regular membership dues, it said.

The regulation stipulated that Party organs for discipline inspection should publicize cases involving violations of CPC Central Committee discipline and punishment of officials who severely breach rules or neglect their duties.

Party committees at and above the county level and their discipline inspection organs are required to establish and improve the spokesman system and hold regular press conferences to release Party affairs in a timely manner, said the regulation.

Promotion of transparency in Party affairs was first put forward by the CPC at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 16th CPC Central Committee in 2004. It was added to the Party Constitution in 2007.

The CPC Constitution states that "Party organizations at all levels shall practice transparency in Party affairs in accordance with regulations, helping Party members to be better informed of internal Party affairs and enabling them greater opportunity to participate."

In July 2009, the central Party affairs disclosure work leading group was set up in Beijing. Two months later, the Party passed a document at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee, stressing efforts toward transparency in Party affairs.

Previous documents on making public Party affairs mainly targeted local and primary-level Party organizations, while the new regulation included requirements for central Party organizations, showing the Party's confidence and openness, and the CPC Central Committee's duty to take the lead, said an unidentified official with the General Office of the CPC Central Committee.

The regulation embodies the Party's confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and is conducive to strengthening the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee and encouraging intra-Party democracy, the official said.

The regulation is of great importance to forming an improved system of intra-Party regulations by the time when the CPC celebrates its 100th anniversary, the official said.
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The Chinese mainland will open a new shipping route to Taiwan to facilitate cross-Strait cargo transport.

A ro-ro cargo vessel named "Taipei Express" will set sail from Pingtan free trade zone in east China's Fujian Province for Taipei later this week, with scheduled sailings three times a week.

The service will be jointly operated by Taiwan Wagon Group and Pingtan Transportation Group. The cargo ship to be used in the service has a maximum container carrying capacity of 230 TEUs and can cross the Strait in six hours.

Pingtan, an island about 126 kilometers away from Taiwan, has been working to promote the cross-Strait logistics in recent years. In October, Pingtan set up a commercial warehouse in Taipei.
Due to a spike this year in the price of the virtual currency bitcoin, it's now become popular among thieves worldwide.

Police in central China's Henan Province has successfully solved what appears to be the first bitcoin theft case in China over this past weekend, reports CCTV News.

The victim, a professional investor, alerted authorities this summer that he lost some 3.4 million yuan (about 520 thousand dollars) worth of the crypto currency from an electronic wallet stored in an app on his phone. The app was recommended to him by an individual he met on a bitcoin traders WeChat group.

The creator of the WeChat group promoted an e-wallet app to victim, suggesting it was a safe place to keep bitcoins other than on trading platforms.

Several days later, the victim discovered his millions in bitcoins had disappeared. Asked what happened, the creator of the WeChat page surprisingly offered him partial compensation for his losses, saying he was feeling guilty about recommending the app to him.

This 'altruistic' move threw up a red-flag for police. After launching a probe, the WeChat group founder was discovered with 27 bank cards and multiple mobile phones in his home. Police say the suspect is proficient in software programming and hacked accounts by rewriting the source code of the app, through which he got usernames and passwords. He would also move the stolen bitcoins back and forth via hundreds of electronic wallets in order not to be traced and sold them at low prices on trading platforms.

Authorities have so far recovered only around one-tenth of the estimated 20 million yuan worth of bitcoin the suspect stole.
China will advance the development of information technology and spread internet applications in coming years, with the aim of becoming a world-leading cyber power by 2035, a senior official said Monday.

"China will endeavor to basically build itself into a strong cyber power by 2035 to join the world's top rank in cyberspace," said Miao Wei, minister of industry and information technology, at a work conference.

For that target, China will launch a series of strategic projects, seek breakthroughs in key technology and accelerate the upgrading of the internet, he said.

Deeper integration between the internet, big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and manufacturing will be encouraged, and guidelines for spurring digital economy will be introduced, according to Miao.

He also promised to strengthen regulation to better protect the safety of private information and online data.

A booming digital economy is reshaping China's economic landscape as the spread of technology such as big data and AI revives traditional industries.

As of June, there were 3.89 billion internet users around the world, of which 751 million were in China. The enormous number of web users has created room for risk takers in e-commerce, mobile payments and other emerging areas to take their chances.
Xiamen Air confirmed on Monday that three of its crew members were investigated by Singapore police after a brawl broke out during a meal.

The airline said that after Flight MF855 from Fuzhou to Singapore landed on Saturday evening, the crew went to a hotel for a meal.

During the meal, three male crew members quarreled and were taken away by local police.

According to a report in Legal Evening News, the three men were the co-pilot, purser and safety officer. A verbal dispute arose between them and then progressed to a physical blows, including one of the men being beaten on the head with a bottle, the report said.

Zhang Qihuai, a Beijing-based lawyer specializing in civil aviation, said that the airline's station in Singapore was informed by the police on Sunday that the three men had been arrested.

According to the news report, the crew members have now been released on bail, but were told not to leave Singapore until their court trial in early January.

Xiamen Air said it would improve its management of international flight crews, and would deal seriously with all rule violations.
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The Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) on Monday denied opposition leader Alexei Navalny the right to participate in the 2018 presidential election due to his criminal conviction.

Under Russian legislation, if someone is found guilty of a crime, he or she will not be eligible to bid for the presidency, CEC head Ella Pamfilova said in a video of the commission's meeting published on Navalny's personal website.

Russian media reports confirmed the election ban on the 41-year-old lawyer, citing CEC member Boris Ebzeyev.

"We declare an electoral strike," Navalny said in a separate video on his website, calling his supporters throughout the country to persuade people to boycott the election and organize monitoring at the polling stations to prevent falsification.

In February, a Russian court found Navalny guilty of embezzlement at a timber company and gave him a five-year suspended sentence.

But he said he was innocent and the sentence was politically motivated and aimed at preventing him from continuing his political activities.

Navalny, the founder of an anti-corruption foundation, often publicly criticized the Kremlin and announced his intention late last year to run for the presidency in 2018.

Russia will hold its presidential election on March 18 next year. Several politicians, including President Vladimir Putin, said they will take part in the once-in-six-years race.
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The first United Nations (UN) meeting on surveying and mapping is to be held in November next year in Deqing of east China's Zhejiang Province, authorities said Monday.

It is the highest-level international event on surveying and mapping to be held in China, according to a statement issued after a meeting on the event.

UN Under-Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin said that participants will exchange views on the latest achievements in surveying and mapping and deliberate measures supporting the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Proposals are also expected to be raised at the meeting to deal with global challenges in the sector, Liu said.

With the evolution of new technologies including satellite navigation and artificial intelligence, UN established the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management in 2011 and launched the highest level governmental coordination mechanism in the sector.

The meeting will be sponsored by UN and hosted by China's National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation and the People's Government of Zhejiang Province.
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani in Beijing on Monday, who is here to attend a China-Afghanistan-Pakistan foreign ministers' meeting.









Calling Afghanistan an important partner in the Belt and Road Initiative, Wang said China hopes to synergize its development strategy with Afghanistan, and expand cooperation.

China expects to see a wide and inclusive political reconciliation process in Afghanistan led and owned by the Afghan people, he said.

The trilateral foreign ministers' meeting, the first of its kind, is scheduled in Beijing on Tuesday.

Wang said the meeting aims to set up a communication platform for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and boost trilateral cooperation.

He called on the two countries to build trust, enhance understanding and improve ties.

Calling China a forever and reliable partner of Afghanistan, Rabbani said Afghanistan is ready to actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, and enhance cooperation with China in such areas as interconnectivity, infrastructure and energy.

He expected to cement political trust through the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting, and jointly respond to development and security challenges.
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Looking back on the year of 2017, the United Nations, while trying hard to uphold international peace and security and committed to global governance, has withstood strains of severe traditional and non-traditional challenges and threats.



In the face of multiple unprecedented challenges and threats as well as snowballing difficulties of global governance, the vast majority of the UN member states are rallying around the lofty ideal: making the world a better and safer place to live.

Top concern: tensions on Korean Peninsula

In addition to augmenting traditional challenges and threats, non-traditional ones functioning as terrorism and extremism, nuclear crisis, trans-boundary crimes, refugee crisis, drug trafficking, climate change, cyber security and other global problems are running rampant, posing severe threats and challenges to the world.



Among them, the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula has been recognized as the top security concern of the year, disturbing the relations among major powers.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have reached an unprecedented level in 2017 due to a nuclear test and multiple missile launches by the DPRK and constant U.S.-South Korea joint military drills.

The crisis has also been worsened by the exchange of personal insults and confrontational rhetoric raising the specter of war between the United States and the DPRK.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Dec. 15 that he was deeply concerned over the risk of military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula.

Describing the situation on the Korean Peninsula as "the most tense and dangerous peace and security issue in the world today," he warned: "Any military action would have devastating and unpredictable consequences."

In 2017, the DPRK conducted activities related to its nuclear and ballistic missile programs "at an alarming and accelerated pace," he said, adding that over the year, the DPRK conducted 20 ballistic missile launches.

On Sept. 3, the DPRK conducted its sixth nuclear explosive test, involving what it claimed was a "two-stage thermo-nuclear weapon," he added.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey David Feltman visited the DPRK on Dec. 5-8, the first in-depth political exchange of views between the UN Secretariat and officials in Pyongyang in almost eight years. But the visit seemed to have produced little positive results.

In response to the crisis, the Security Council has once and again called emergency meetings over the year to discuss ways and means in the hope to contain the development of the situation.

The Security Council on Dec. 22 unanimously approved new sanctions targeting DPRK's economy following the launch of a ballistic missile on Nov. 29 that the DPRK said it could target the entire continental U.S.

The new restrictions were meant to slash the DPRK's imports of refined petroleum products, further restrict shipping and impose a 24-month deadline for expatriate the DPRK's workers to be sent home.

The secretary-general welcomed the continued unity of the Security Council, which is essential to achieve the goal of denuclearization and create the space for diplomatic initiatives aimed at achieving it in a peaceful manner.

Manifold other challenges, threats

UN statistics show that an unprecedented 65.6 million people around the world have been forced from home. Among them are nearly 22.5 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18.

There are also 10 million stateless people who have been denied a nationality and access to basic rights such as education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement.

In a world where nearly 20 people are forcibly displaced every minute as a result of conflict or persecution, said the UN Refugee Agency.

The world's fastest growing refugee crisis evolved in Myanmar. Driven by violence and human rights abuse, more than 600,000 stateless Rohingya fled to Bangladesh, where the fragile infrastructure is overwhelmed. The UN scaled up emergency aid and called on Myanmar to end military operations against the Rohingya.

In Yemen, 8.5 million people are on the brink of the world's largest famine in modern times. Water and sanitation systems are all but destroyed, sparking a deadly cholera outbreak. The UN sent in emergency supplies and urged all parties not to block civilians from humanitarian aid.

Four famines, in Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria, are the result of unresolved conflicts exacerbated by droughts and missed harvests.

In the deadliest attack on a UN peacekeeping mission in decades, 14 Tanzanian peacekeepers lost their lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"It is another indication of the enormous sacrifices made by troop contributing countries in the service of global peace," said the UN chief.

In Syria, six years of conflict have left 250,000 people dead and 5 million displaced. Temporary ceasefires were brokered and the UN's special envoy for Syria has been working tirelessly to bring the parties to the negotiating table and for an end to the war.

Almost 100,000 migrants crossed the Mediterranean Sea in 2017, and more than 3,000 have drowned. Most are fleeing poverty and conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa.

More than a million people were waiting for a passage in Libya, caught in an endless cycle of abuse, exploitation and even slavery.

Around the world, 130 million girls are still not going to school, which is unacceptable, said UN Messenger of Peace Malala Yousafzai.

"If we want to go forward, we have to give education to girls and once you educate girls, you change the whole community; you change the whole society," said the 19-year-old Malala.

Shortly after the UN first Ocean Conference, a series of mega hurricanes cut a trail of destruction through the Caribbean. On some islands like Dominica, hardly a tree or house was left standing.

Scientists have already seen strong evidence that climate change magnified the strength of the storms and other natural disasters. Therefore, the UN called on countries to speed up the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement.

At the end of the year, global anti-terrorist pressure has not been alleviated by the disintegration of the Islamic State, UN said. Terrorism in new forms is emerging in the "Post-Islamic Era," and global counter-terrorism faces new problems.

From suicide bomb attacks to storming of cities, from random attacks to the use the Internet, terrorist groups are developing themselves by making use of the divergence of the interests among countries, posing cutting challenges to the anti-terrorist abilities of all countries.

In June, the UN restructured its anti-terrorist architecture and set up a UN anti-terrorism office to coordinate a global effort to prevent violent extremism and other root causes of terror.

Strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation has become an international consensus, said the UN chief.

China: mainstay of global governance

In the face of accumulating threats and challenges, especially in the maintenance of unity of the United Nations, China has always paid attention to strengthening communications with other Security Council members and UN member states to effectively embody the concept of "wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits."

China respects and takes care of the concerns of developing countries and practices the right approach to justice and interests. China has played an objective, just and responsible role for developing countries.

The establishment of "a community with shared future for mankind" is a major innovation in China's diplomacy and has produced a broad and far-reaching international impact, observers say.

On Feb. 10, the concept of "a community with shared future for mankind" was first written into a UN resolution. On Nov. 1, the concept was reloaded into two UN resolutions.

Izumi Nakamitsu, UN under-secretary-general and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, said that the UN welcomes China's strong commitment of multilateral diplomacy, which is the "community of shared future for mankind."

"The reference of 'shared common future,' I think it is a commitment that China is making globally to multinationalism in general," she said.

"China will continue to play a very critical role in terms of how they work with other nations in the platform of multilateralism, one very important platform for that is the United Nations," she added.

Embrace future amid hopes

Since taking office on Jan. 3, Guterres has been busy shuttling between countries, practising "good offices" among conflicting parties, attending international meetings now and then, and once and again urging countries to join efforts to realize the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Over the year, he has been making tireless efforts to make sweeping changes to the UN in hope of forging a "more effective, flexible and responsible" world body to manage the crisis of the 21st century.

However, because of the contrasting interests of different countries and the diverse cultures, religions and ideologies, UN reform cannot be achieved overnight, observers say.

The United Nations, the 72-year-old world body, is bidding farewell to another extraordinary year. Observers have happily found that while facing common challenges and threats, the vast majority of UN member states have shown unprecedented consensus at such world concerns as nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, climate change, fighting terrorism and extremism and other major threats and challenges.

Although the unilateralism thoughts displayed by the United States are worrisome to some extent, observers say, solidarity and unity of the UN are gaining momentum. This undoubtedly is bringing new hopes to the United Nations, which still has a long way to go.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Guatemala's President Jimmy Morales on Monday for deciding to move his country's embassy to Jerusalem.

Morales said in a post on his official Facebook page that he decided to transfer the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem after talking with Netanyahu.

His move echoes U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to relocate the U.S. embassy, which triggered an international dispute.

"God bless you, my friend, President Jimmy Morales, God bless both our countries, Israel and Guatemala," Netanyahu said in a weekly meeting with his Likud party.

Netanyahu said that during their telephone talk, he told Morales that other countries are expected to follow the U.S. and recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and announce the transfer of their embassies to it. "Well, here is the second country and I reiterate: It is only the beginning and it is important," Netanyahu said.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on December 6 that his country recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital, revising a decade-long White House policy and triggering condemnations from Arab countries and U.S. allies.

Last week, 128 member-state of the United Nations General Assembly voted in favor of a resolution calling the U.S. to withdraw its decision. Guatemala voted against the resolution together with the U.S., Honduras, and the Pacific island states of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Palau.

Israel seized East Jerusalem together with the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 war. Shortly later, it annexed East Jerusalem, proclaiming it as its "indivisible capital," in a move never recognized internationally prior to Trump's announcement.
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At least four people were killed and nine others were injured after a bus drove into a pedestrian underpass in western Moscow on Monday, Russia's Interior Ministry said.

The Interior Ministry's Moscow division said in a statement that considered causes of the incident include "failure of the driver to control the vehicle or a malfunction of the vehicle."

The driver has been detained and is now being interrogated by police, it said.

Currently, investigators and traffic police are working at the scene.

"According to the driver, the bus, while being at a bus stop, suddenly began to move independently despite the driver's attempts to stop it because the braking system did not work," the Russian Investigative Committee said in a separate statement.

The committee has launched criminal proceedings on the grounds of "providing services that fail to meet security requirements and violation of traffic and vehicle operation rules."

Sergei Sobyanin, mayor of Moscow, tweeted, "We rendered urgent assistance. I sympathized with the relatives and friends of the victims."

Earlier in the day, media outlets and the Interior Ministry's Moscow division said five were killed in the incident.
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Moscow intends to act pragmatically in relations with Washington, giving adequate responses to aggressive attacks without fuelling confrontation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

"We will continue to defend our positions consistently and vigorously, attempting to persuade our colleagues in Washington to return to the fundamental principles on which a bilateral dialogue should be built," Lavrov told reporters in an interview published on the ministry's website.

Such principles include the consideration of and respect for each other's interests, without which "it is simply impossible to improve relations or cooperate in international affairs efficiently," said Lavrov.

Lavrov pointed out contacts between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump have recently become quite intense, covering a wide range of bilateral and international topics.

He added he has also discussed key issues on the Russia-U.S. agenda with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson quite regularly, in addition to bilateral consultations held at the level of experts, and contacts between special services.

Lavrov said he hoped the current Russophobia will gradually come to a "sobering up, although the time would be wasted."




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The Russian State Duma ratified the agreement on the expansion of the Russian naval facility in the Syrian port city of Tartus on Dec. 21.

According to the agreement, Russia may simultaneously deploy up to 11 warships, including nuclear-powered combat vessels, at the Tartus naval facility. Russia will carry out the seaborne and airborne protection of the base, while Syria will be responsible for the land security. Russia will be able to deploy temporary mobile outposts beyond the base if coordinated with the Syrian side.

The agreement also stipulates that Russia will have the right to renovate, rebuild or demolish the facility.

The document also regulates different legal issues, such as the status of personnel, members of their families, issues related to the criminal and administrative prosecution of the personnel and family members, as well as crew members for the crimes and offenses committed in Syria and also issues related to the information protection.

Russian President Putin submitted to the lower house of parliament the agreement with Syria on Dec. 13, under which Damascus will allow Moscow to keep its naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartus for at least 49 years.

"I hope that in the long run, Tartus will become a full-fledged military base," the deputy chairman of the Federation Council's Committee for Defense and Security Franz Klintsevich told the RBC news channel.

"Vladimir Putin is determined to restore a greater role for Russia as a global power ... and the Middle East is really the main area where Russia has that potential, in part because the Soviet Union played that role in the Soviet period," William Courtney, an adjunct senior fellow at RAND Corporation told Voice of America.

After claiming a victory against the IS, Putin announced that Russia would pull most of its troops out of Syria, but would maintain the Tartus facility and the Hmeymim airbase in the war-torn country.




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Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Monday said that the Ukrainian authorities were preparing his extradition to Georgia.

"The Ukrainian authorities want to reject my request for 'temporary protection' status, paving the way for my expulsion from the country," Saakashvili wrote on Facebook.

Earlier this month, several Georgian and Ukrainian media outlets had reported that Kiev and Tbilisi were in talks about the extradition of Saakashvili, who is wanted in Georgia on charges of corruption, abuse of power and embezzlement.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it is not discussing the possible extradition with the Georgian side.

Saakashvili, 50, served two terms as Georgian president from 2004 to 2013. He was granted Ukrainian citizenship in May 2015 and appointed the governor of Odessa.

On July 26, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko revoked Saakashvili's Ukrainian citizenship for allegedly submitting false information while applying for a Ukrainian passport.

In September, the Georgian Chief Prosecutor's Office asked Kiev to take measures for Saakashvili's extradition, but Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yury Lutsenko said Ukraine is not considering such option.

Saakashvili, now a leader of the Ukrainian political party "Movement of New Forces," also faces investigation in Ukraine on charges of "aiding members of criminal groups and covering up their criminal activity."




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The U.S. is entering a new phase of involvement in the Ukraine conflict, as Washington signs off on an agreement to supply Kiev with lethal weapons, which Moscow contends undermines a 2015 agreement intended to end the fighting.

Many of the current U.S. sanctions against Russia stem from the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has soured relations between Russia and the West.

Washington has long criticized Moscow over what it says has been support  material, financial, and logistical  of pro-Russian rebels in the Donbass. The militants have been fighting for either autonomy or total independence from Ukraine.

Russia denies it is providing weapons to the separatists.

Still, the U.S. has made no effort in the past, and even now under the Trump administration, to hide which side it supports in this conflict.

Moscow argues that this latest move undermines the 2015 Minsk Agreement to end the fighting.

"The United States is, in fact, encouraging the resumption of large-scale bloodshed in Donbass, where the situation is already on the edge due to continuing shelling from the Kiev-controlled side," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said. "Washington, in fact, becomes an accomplice in the killing of people."

In the past, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with training and support equipment as well as allowing private companies to sell small arms, such as rifles and other weapons, to Ukraine.

But under this new provision, Washington says it will provide Kiev with what the U.S. State Department calls "enhanced defensive capabilities."

According to unnamed U.S. officials widely quoted in the media, the weapons will include American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles.

U.S. President Donald Trumps' predecessor, Barack Obama, reportedly considered selling Ukraine heavier armaments, but stopped short of doing so.

Republicans criticized Obama for being weak, and even Trump has faced criticism that he's been too soft on Moscow.

Last week, Russian officers withdrew from what's known as the Joint Center for Control and Coordination in Ukraine. The group is essentially a joint patrol set up under the first Minsk Agreement.

Many Western countries have called on Russia to rejoin. This latest move by the U.S. could be a tactic to pressure Moscow to reverse its decision.
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Nicholas R. Lardy, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, has observed positive signs on China's economic front since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in Beijing in October.

While many observers outside China noted the emphasis on the Party's role, Lardy pointed out that President Xi Jinping also mentioned the importance of market forces in his speech.

Most observers have focused on the revision of the Party's Constitution to include some of General Secretary Xi's thoughts, but Lardy said the Constitution also was revised to enshrine the phrase that the market must be the decisive force in the allocation of resources, which he said goes back to the Third Plenum of the 18th Party Congress in November 2013.
MEXICO CITY - Guatemala will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, becoming the first country to follow US President Donald Trump's controversial stance to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, according to an announcement by the Central American country's President Jimmy Morales on Sunday.

After speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Morales announced on his Facebook account that one of the most important topics they discussed was the "return of Guatemala's embassy to Jerusalem" from its current location in Tel Aviv.

"I have given instructions to the foreign ministry that it starts the necessary respective coordination to make this happen," Morales said.
LIMA - Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has pardoned former leader Alberto Fujimori, clearing him of convictions for human rights crimes and graft before completion of a 25-year prison sentence.

The decision triggered a Christmas Eve protest in Lima, where police fired tear gas at scores of Fujimori' opponents.

At least two ministers in Kuczynski's Cabinet told him they wanted to resign, and Kuczynski might reshuffle the Cabinet as early as this week, a government source said.
2022-11-15

Tianjin's Hexi district launched an industrial coordination event with three districts and counties in Gansu province on Nov 12 as part of efforts between Chinas eastern areas and inner rural parts to push for rural vitalization.
home US Atheist group warns Arkansas governor against sharing Bible verses on official social media pages

A prominent atheist group has warned Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson against sharing Bible verses on his official social media pages, suggesting that he is violating the U.S. Constitution by doing so.

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has sent a letter to Hutchinson on Tuesday, asking him to stop his practice of posting Bible verses to his Twitter and Facebook accounts each Sunday.

"Government officials cannot endorse religion, including by regularly publishing Bible verses," FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel wrote.

"When it comes to violations of the Establishment Clause, i.e., the government endorsing religion, appearances matter. Government officials cannot appear to endorse Christianity," he continued.

The secularist group contended that Hutchinson's posts are a form of government speech and recommended that the governor create a new personal social media account separate from his official pages to share his religious messages.

"If you cannot refrain from using social media to promote your personal religion, then you should open other, personal social media accounts for your personal thoughts, musings, prayers, and Bible verses and leave all your official business for the accounts mentioned above," Seidel said.

The FFRF attorney also contended that Jesus' exhortation not to make an ostentatious show out of prayer just to be seen by others also applies to posting Scriptures publicly.

"None of Jesus's supposed words mention Twitteraperhaps He wasn't that prescientabut the condemnation of public piety is reasonably clear," the FFRF attorney said.

The group maintained that it has no objections to people reading and discussing the Bible, adding that the "road to atheism is littered with bibles that have been read cover to cover." It is not known whether Hutchinson plans to respond to the FFRF's letter.

Earlier this month, the FFRF chastised another public official for volunteering for the Salvation Army.

Republican Connecticut Sen. George Logan, a freshman senator, had volunteered to work as a bell-ringer outside a Walmart store in Naugatuck.

The atheist organization called on Logan to keep up the separation of church and state and suggested that the senator should consider supporting only secular charities in the future. The FFRF contended that the Salvation Army is not merely a charity, but also a church denomination with an "evangelistic mission."

State Rep. David Labriola said that he had been volunteering with the Salvation Army for several years, but he did not get a letter like the one received by Logan.

Logan dismissed the FFRF's arguments that his volunteer work was a separation of church and state issue and he said that he decided to "ring even more bells" for the Salvation Army to raise money for people in need.
home US Sex abuse lawsuit seeks $70 million in assets from Montana diocese

Attorneys for victims of sex abuse have filed a lawsuit against a bankrupt Catholic diocese in Montana last week to ensure that more than $70 million in assets will be available to their clients.

A committee representing eight sex abuse victims filed a complaint against the diocese of Great Falls-Billings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Dec. 18 in an attempt to reach a negotiated settlement in the dispute over the matter of $70 million worth of diocesan assets.

According to Fox News, the diocese filed for bankruptcy protection in March as part of sex abuse settlements in a lawsuit involving over 400 victims.

The officials said at the time that the diocese and its insurers would set up a fund for the victims and additional money will be provided for those who have yet to come forward.

Church officials have contended that the disputed assets should not be made available because they are held in trust for diocese's parishes and thus not part of the bankruptcy estate.

Attorneys for the victims argued that the parishes are not separate legal entities from the diocese and therefore have no exclusive claims to the trust.

Great Falls Tribune reported that the victims are also seeking access to the Gergen Trust, a batch of investments and mineral rights that were transferred by a priest to the diocese during the 1970s. The asset was supposed to be distributed to parish schools in Great Falls and Billings after a period of time.

The victims said that abuse was taking place at the St. Thomas Home in Great Falls and at St. Labre Indian School on the border of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation when the property was transferred to the diocese in 1978.

California attorney James Stang, who represents the committee, said that the complaint is part of the process and that his clients are hoping to reach a settlement.

Since 2004, Stang has represented unsecured creditors in 11 other Catholic church bankruptcies and all cases resulted in a negotiated resolution.

Bishop Michael Warfel said that the latest complaint was an "unfortunate and unnecessary distraction" in the church's efforts to resolve the issue.

"This is a most unfortunate and unnecessary distraction from the tasks at hand in the bankruptcy, in creating and ultimately distributing a fair and just settlement to the abuse victim[s]," Warfel said. "The diocese will continue in its commitment and efforts to reach a fair resolution of these claims in the bankruptcy," he added.

Church officials noted that the diocese has been implementing abuse prevention programs for more than two decades. The measures that were put in place include screening and training for employees, volunteers, priests and seminarians and an independent board to review claims.
Bitcoin, the biggest cryptocurrency, extended its decline over the long holiday weekend, failing to reverse a sell-off that began after an unprecedented rally fell short of breaching $20,000.

The drop brings more end-of-year weakness to a market that last week had its worst four-day tumble since 2015.

"The West is what's causing this sell-off," said Mati Greenspan, senior market analyst at Tel Aviv-based online broker eToro, pointing to increased trading in dollars and less in yen. The recent cryptocurrency surge was so steep that investors were prone to take money off the table going into the Christmas holiday season, he said.

The retrenchment isn't typical for cryptos, which often snap back after a few losing sessions. The last time bitcoin dropped for five successive weekdays was September and, before that, July.

The tumble coincided with several warnings in the past week from financial authorities about elevated risk in holding digital coins.

"The crypto market went to astronomical highs, so it's got to come back to reality," Greenspan said. "Something that goes up 150 percent in less than a month is probably going to have double-digit retracement."

Bitcoin fell 3.8 percent from Friday's close to $13,703 at 4:08 p.m. Monday in New York, when most U.S. markets were closed for Christmas. That's 30 percent off its record high of $19,511, based on prices compiled by Bloomberg.

Ethereum, the No. 2 cryptocurrency by market value, gained Monday to $717. That's up about 5 percent from Friday's close.

While "nascent blockchain-based cryptocurrencies are rapidly entering mainstream finance," some of the second-generation digital coins such as Ethereum have a better outlook than bitcoin, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Mike McGlone wrote in comments published Sunday.

The whole group is akin to internet-based companies a few decades ago and exchange-traded funds more recently, he said.

"Bitcoin is the crypto benchmark, but not the best representation of the technology," McGlone wrote.

Altcoins "should continue to gain on bitcoin, which has flaws and where futures can be shorted," he said.

Bitcoin's record high was reached on Dec. 18 hours after CME Group debuted futures contracts, which some traders said would encourage short position-taking.
A surge of Americans got back to work this year, driving the jobless rate to a 17-year low - but the "roaring" economy, as President Donald Trump calls it, appears to have disproportionately benefited men.

A new analysis of government data reveals a surprising disparity: The retail industry, which shed the most jobs last year (54,300), seemed to push women out while offering more opportunities to men.

Between October 2016 and October 2017, women who worked in the country's stores lost 160,300 jobs, while 106,000 men found new work in the field, the analysis from the Institute for Women's Policy Research found.

"We've seen many news reports of the decline in retail jobs, but few have noted that the picture in retail is much different for women and men," researchers at the Washington think tank wrote.

Over the past year, they added, "women's share of all retail trade jobs fell from 50.4 to 49.6 percent."

Economist Heidi Hartmann, president of the IWPR, said it's too soon to tell what sparked this shift.

Her theory: As hiring ramped up, so did spending on big-ticket items, including furniture and appliances - and men tend to dominate those sales roles, which have historically come with the highest commission payments. They also offer more job security.

"There's basically sex segregation within the retail industry," she said. "Women have tried very hard to get into jobs like that."

Hartmann pointed to a 1979 sex-discrimination lawsuit against Sears, in which the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission argued that the retailer regularly overlooked women for similar high-commission jobs. Although 61 percent of applicants for such roles were female, just 35 percent of the jobs went to women, the government lawyers argued.

The EEOC ultimately lost the case. (The judge ruled that employment data wasn't enough to prove discrimination.)

As of today, BLS doesn't break down employment in commission jobs by gender, and Sears declined to release its current workforce data.

Hartmann also theorized that women in retail could be leaving the industry for better-paying jobs in health care, one of the fastest-growing fields. Demand has soared for hospital workers and physician assistants, for example, and economists say more employers are willing to provide on-the-job training.

Seventy-three percent of cashiers, meanwhile, are women, and those jobs have been identified as among the first to fade away with the rise of automation.

Regardless, she said, lawmakers should pay attention to retail workers as much as they do those in manufacturing, she said.

"A lot of communities have malls, and people depend on those jobs," she said. "Families depend on those jobs."

Retail trade is one of the nation's largest and broadest industries, employing about 15.8 million workers in roles that connect people to products. The jobless rate for the sector is significantly higher than the national average (4.6 percent, compared to 4.1 percent), but the future of the field isn't as gloomy as economists predict, some union leaders say.

Chelsea Connor, director of communications at the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store International Union, which represents about 100,000 workers in the United States, said the rise of online shopping hasn't destroyed careers at brick-and-mortar stores.

"A lot of people are saying retail is dying, but it's just changing," she said. "Consumers want to be able to touch and feel products before they buy them."

Connor said she hasn't seen any gender gaps in layoffs among her members, who work at Macy's, Bloomingdales, Zara and other stores. Sales representatives of both genders make an average of $15 to $30 per hour, depending on their experience level and skill on the sales floor.

Men, however, tend to work more often in packing and shipping roles, she said. In a world where people shop online as often as they take out the trash, that could account for the uneven employment bump.

"It's possible the BLS numbers reflect that" - men in different types of packing and delivery roles - Connor said. "But for us, it's never been about men vs. women in hiring."
San Antonio-based technology investment firm Scaleworks has acquired Keen IO, a company that offers data analytics tools geared toward software developers.

Keen IO, founded in 2011 and based in San Francisco, will be added to the firms roster of tech companies that includes Chargify, Earth Class Mail, Assembla, Filestack, Followup and Qualaroo. More than 50,000 developers at 3,500 companies use Keen IOs tools, according to the companys website.

Keen.io, launched in 2011, set out to let developers create a custom analytics back-end, Scaleworks General Partner Ed Byrne wrote in a Medium post announcing the acquisition. It lets companies easily build and embed all sorts of analytics for teams and customers and often powers the dashboards in your favorite SaaS (software-as-a-service) tools.

Scaleworks doesnt disclose financial specifics of its deals, Scaleworks spokesman Drew Olanoff said via email.

Scaleworks says it buys controlling stakes in the companies and operates them for high-growth. The firm recently moved into its new 20,000-square-foot headquarters in downtown San Antonio at the Savoy building.

The private equity firm typically brings in new leadership for the companies it acquires, General Partner Lew Moorman said in a September interview with the Express-News.

Generally were buying them from founders and leadership teams that are ready to move on, Moorman said at the time. So it is a very friendly thing, and we go we want to put new teams in, and we get things going.

Keen IOs founders have decided to move on to new projects, Olanoff said.

They felt that their customers and developer base was in good hands with Scaleworks, he said.

Scaleworks will seek out during the first three-to-six months of 2018 a new leadership team for the company, Olanoff said. Until then Keen IO will be under Byrnes leadership.

Keen fits the healthy revenue, customer base, product and category leadership that we look for in a company, Olanoff said. Theyre a perfect fit for the Scaleworks family.

When asked if the company would be moved to San Antonio, and if employees would move, Olanoff said as of right now, the team will remain in San Francisco.

sehlinger@express-news.net | Twitter: @samehlinger
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The Houston Farm & Ranch Club, which hosted the annual Harris County Fair at Bear Creek Pioneers Park, closed its doors Dec. 1.

The action follows flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey that damaged buildings that housed the fair as well as other events to benefit young people and law enforcement.

Club officials Robert Ater, president, and Eddie Hudson, general manager, posted the closure on the group's website.

"Houston Farm & Ranch Club had 18 plus feet of water that covered the entire facility," according to the website. "The damage to all the buildings and grounds was so severe that it will be impossible for us to recover. The flooding was worse than the flooding in April of 2016."

After the Tax Day flooding, volunteers donated their time, money and materials to rebuild the Houston Farm & Ranch Club.

There will be no rebuilding now of those buildings nor of the nearby Bear Creek Community Center or the Agriculture Extension Building.

The recommendation not to rebuild the community center or extension office comes from John Blount, the Harris County engineer, and is supported by Precinct 3 Harris County Commissioner Steve Radack.

Both buildings will become open-air pavilions cohesive with the park and the potential of future flooding, Blount said.

Bear Creek Community Center was rebuilt after 2016 Tax Day floods which caused $750,000 damage. The center reopened in December 2016.

"It's eligible to be rebuilt under federal guidelines. I could be rebuilding it right now," said Blount. "The federal government would be OK. I don't recommend it. It doesn't make sense," he said.

Harris County Precinct 3 owns land along both Clay and Pine Forest that might be used to house a community center. The ag center will be relocated somewhere else, he added.

"We're moving forward. We hired a consultant to do design work and analysis," Blount said. The county also is waiting for federal funds to help pay for the relocation.

The 40th annual Harris County Fair relocated this past fall to the fairgrounds in Waller County after Hurricane Harvey flooded Bear Creek Pioneers Park. That will be the last fair.

Cheryl Ater, Harris County Fair secretary, said the fair declined over the years due to a lack of community participation.

"With the sale of their animals, our Harris County Fair was one of the main places for 4-H kids to show," she said. Most school districts have their own FFA shows, which kind of took away from the Harris County Fair, she added. The last scholarships will be awarded in the summer of 2018.

Ater became involved in the Houston Farm & Ranch Club after her daughter showed animals in the Harris County Fair.

"I hate to see it go. It's been part of my life for 25 years," Ater said. "There's nothing we can do about it. It's what it is."

The flooding left no place for the fair to move to, she said. "It's hard to get sponsors. It's hard to get people to volunteer. It's time to go."

The Nov. 14 Harris County Commissioners Court agenda included approval of a mutual termination agreement with Houston Farm & Ranch Club Inc. to void the previous agreement that allowed for use of and to make improvements to certain parts of Bear Creek Pioneers Park.

"I respect a lot of people who worked at the Houston Farm & Ranch Club," said Radack. "They had tough competition. It's hard to bring in the amount of people needed to bring in to pay expenses."

Radack said the county never should have built there. Bear Creek Pioneers Park will be modified to make it more conducive to floods, he said.

Precinct 3 also housed animals at the park as part of an unofficial zoo including emus, goats, horses and Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs.

Some animals remain. "Some of the animals are difficult to relocate when floodwaters come out," said Radack. For example, Animals of the Earth Inc. purchased the two emus.

"We're phasing out some of the larger animals," said Radack. Horses now are with the sheriff's department.

On the Farm & Ranch Club website, Ater and Hudson wrote, "This is the end of an era that we all knew one day would come.

"To those of you that have enjoyed, and supported Houston Farm & Ranch Club thank you for your participation and cherish all the friends and memories in the years to come."

Among those with fond memories is Robert Showell. Both he and his wife, Shirley, are longtime fair volunteers who also served as board members of the Ranch & Farm Club.

"One of the most enjoyable things we did out there on a yearly basis was a special needs children's day," said Robert Showell. Every year the Katy Cowgirls did a show and then helped any of the children who wanted to ride on a horse.

"For a number of years we had a wild game cookoff that benefited law enforcement," he added.
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H-E-B is moving back in to the neighborhood.

When Hurricane Harvey claimed the H-E-B at the corner of South Braeswood and Chimney Rock, Meyerland residents lamented losing their local store.

According to a news release, H-E-B has finalized an agreement with Fidelis Realty Partners to develop a 95,000 square foot, two-story location in the northwest corner of Meyerland Plaza.

The new store will house a parking structure, BBVA Compass Bank and an elevator vestibule on the lower level, with shopping situated on the second floor which will be connected to neighboring JC Penney via a sky bridge.

The new store is replacing the much-smaller 19,000 square foot store which closed after Harvey flooded the area.

"H-E-B is committed to Meyerland and stands by this community as it rebuilds from Hurricane Harvey's devastating floods," said Cyndy Garza Roberts, H-E-B Public Affairs, Houston. "We look forward to serving our Meyerland neighbors in a bigger and better way."

The bad news is that area residents are expected to wait until 2019 to begin shopping at the new store.

Construction will begin in the first quarter of 2019 with completion scheduled for the fall of that year.

"We will build a store that caters to the needs of the Meyerland community and we look forward to being a part of the neighborhood's next chapter of growth," added Garza Roberts.

At this time, H-E-B has committed to including a:

Kosher bakery.

Meal simple offering.

Sushi.

Cooking Connection.

Blooms.

Large beer and wine department.

For more information about H-E-B, visit heb.com.
Dec. 15

An officer observed a vehicle travelling northbound in the 5600 block of Weslayan with expired registration. A stop was conducted and during the course of contact, dispatch advised the driver had two open warrants with the Houston Police Department and he was then placed in custody. While conducting a vehicle inventory, drug paraphernalia was found.

Dec. 16

An officer observed a vehicle that was stationary in the 5800 block of WestPoint. The officer approached the vehicle and observed a male subject asleep on the driver side seat. The officer made contact with the subject who appeared to be intoxicated. The officer then placed the subject in custody for Public Intoxication and transported him to the West University Place Jail Facility where he was booked and processed without incident.

At 4:56 a.m., a Police Officer was dispatched to the 4200 block of Riley, in reference to a Burglary of a Motor Vehicle, which had already occurred.

An officer was dispatched to the 4100 block of Riley in regards to found property. Upon arrival, the officer took care and custody of the items and submitted them into the evidence room for safekeeping.

An Officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in reference to a theft that already occurred.

An Officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in reference to an identity theft that already occurred.

Dec. 17

At 1 a.m., Police Officers were dispatched to the 6300 block of Belmont, in reference to a Domestic Disturbance. Information was gathered and a report was generated.

An Officer was dispatched to the 6600 block of Weslayan in reference to a vehicle striking an electric pole causing significant damage. Upon further investigation it was discovered that the driver left the scene and was arrested for the misdemeanor offense of Duty on Striking Structure, Fixture, or Highway Landscaping.

Dec. 18

Officers received a call from a resident in the 2600 block of Barbra Lane regarding an unknown subject who had just forced his way through the secured driveway gate of their residence. Officers responded to the scene and were able to locate an individual approximately one block away from the incident location who matched the description provided by the complainant. The subject was taken into custody and charged with the offense of Criminal Mischief.

At 6:40 a.m., officers were dispatched to check on a possible burglary of a motor vehicle at the 3700 block of Nottingham St. that already occurred.

At 7:41 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the 4200 block of Law to meet with a subject who found a wallet on the corner of Law and Community. The original case was found property, and was later changed to burglary of a motor vehicle.

At 8:09 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the 4200 block of Ruskin for a report of a burglary of a motor vehicle that already occurred.

At 7:59 a.m., an Officer was dispatched to the 3800 block of Byron in regards to a burglary of a motor vehicle that already occurred.

At 9:38 a.m., an Officer was dispatched to the 3800 block of Byron in regards to a burglary of a motor vehicle that already occurred.

Dec. 19

An officer was dispatched to the 3600 block of Georgetown in reference to a Burglary of a Vehicle that already occurred.

At 4:43 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 3600 block of Georgetown in regards to a burglary of a motor vehicle that already occurred. A suspect was located in the area carrying items matching the description of items taken from that vehicle. The suspect was taken into custody for burglary of a motor vehicle and credit card abuse.

At 11:03 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby to speak with a complainant in regards to lost and or stolen property.

At 2:07 p.m., an officer observed a vehicle traveling northbound in the 6600 block of Weslayan with an expired Texas temporary registration tag. A traffic stop was conducted and after further investigation the driver was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance.

At 6:53 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the 3600 block of Tangley in regards to a burglary of a motor vehicle that already occurred.

Dec. 20

An Officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in reference burglary of motor vehicle that already occurred.

An Officer was dispatched to 6600 block of Rutgers in reference to a forgery incident that already occurred.

At 6:30 p.m., a Police Officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in reference to dog bite call, which had already occurred.
Residents in 11 Houston City Council districts are benefiting for a fourth consecutive year from a $550,000 program funded by the city of Houston and administered by Harris County Department of Education's Center for Afterschool, Summer and Enrichment for Kids called CASE for Kids City Connections.

Nonprofit organizations in each of the council districts receive $45,000 in funding ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 for programs for children in grades K-12. Funding began Oct. 23 and continues through April 27. The city and CASE for Kids allowed school districts, charter schools, faith-based organizations or civic groups to apply through a request for proposal.

"City Connections promotes crime prevention, child safety, career exploration, enrichment activities and social and emotional learning for Houston children during a time of great need in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey," said Lisa Thompson-Caruthers, director of CASE for Kids. "A recent survey shows a significant number of afterschool programs were affected by Harvey, yet many kept their doors open in those Houston communities."

As an afterschool intermediary, CASE for Kids provides resources, trainings and funding for students in grades pre-k through 12 in afterschool programs in schools, child care facilities and community centers. As a branch of Harris County Department of Education, the division was founded in 1999 with a goal to keep kids safe, help working families and improve academic achievement.

According to HCDE Superintendent James Colbert, Jr., CASE for Kids City Connections is critically needed as Houston families continue to rebuild from Harvey.

"We are thankful the city continues to invest in our children and their families, especially as afterschool funding is being cut from other state and federal budgets," Colbert said. "Afterschool programs are important as they keep children in our city safe and provide enrichment."

Council members are invited on Dec. 5 and 6 to meet the recipients of the funding which is awarded through a request for proposal via CASE for Kids. CASE for Kids will provide photos and networking between the council members and the nonprofit organizations.

Several council districts are opting to increase funding for City Connections from their own council district service funds. Many are located in areas hard-hit by Harvey.

To find programs funded in each of the council districts, access http://goo.gl/YfuAUw or learn more about City Connections at www.afterschoolzone.org.
Sound Royalties released a charity-inspired single called "Houston" in an effort to help benefit music programs within the Houston Independent School District.

Sound Royalties' director of funding Reggie Calloway along with a group of musicians from Los Angeles banded together and released a singly to benefit and grow music programs that were devastate by Hurricane Harvey.

The single titled "Houston" is available on iTunes, Apple Music, and Amazon Music along with a number of digital and streaming platforms.

"The song 'Houston' is a symbol of hope in a time of much need," Reggie said. "It is a powerful call to action for the music-making and music-loving communities to support the rebuilding of the decimated Houston public school music programs."

The track is led by Reggie Calloway and Vincent Calloway and features Walter and Wallace Scott of The Whispers, Kathy Sledge of Sister Sledge, Kevin Toney of The Blackbyrds, Brian O'Neal of The BusBoys and musicians Freddie Washington and Herman Jackson.

A behind the scenes video will premiere on Dec. 22 on YouTube to showcase clips from the making of the song and the work put into creating the track.

"The perils and disasters that occur in the world seem to leave us paralyzed and we do nothing," Reggie said.

"I have learned that we can make a difference one word at a time, one song at a time, one instrument or book at a time and one child at a time."

He added, "Houston, bless your children."

Reggie Calloway is a five-time Grammy nominee, including a nomination for R&B Songwriter of The Year for his hit song "Casanova".

Reggie currently serves as a director of music royalty funding for music-focused finance firm, Sound Royalties.

"Sound Royalties is proud to support our very own Reggie Calloway in this important project to help build back Houston's public schools music programs, " said Alex Heiche, founder and CEO of Sound Royalties.

Sound Royalties ran its own Hurricane Harvey relief effort for musicians impacted by the hurricane in September.

"We encourage the music community to rise in support of music education across the globe, starting with this vital campaign for Houston," Heiche said.
By the time you read this article, you will have unwrapped all the Santa gifts. If you were good, you might have received a new TV, DVR and computer to enjoy this year.

Plugging in all the equipment can look like a spider web of cords and plugs that looks awful. I found a plug a few years ago called a Side Socket that I like to use at my house. But it's not just a plug; it's also a surge protector. That's what caught my attention. So if you are plugging in a TV, DVR, DVD, stereo ... they are protected. And the plug fits snugly against the wall, so you don't waste so much floor space in wall plugs. You get a total of six outlets.

Another surge protector I like to recommend is Invisaplug. If you have wood floors, putting in an industrial looking surge protector looks awful on the floor. Invisaplug comes in three colors and has a wood decor. They have a deluxe edition with USB plugs and twice the surge protection. And to top it off they are not any more expensive than the industrial ones.

Now to the email ...

Question: I have a table that is in too good a shape just to pitch. I use it in my craft room. But the top is scratched, and some of the color is gone. You know I don't want to re-finish that table. But if I can make it look better with a minimum of effort ... count me in. What cha got?

Answer: Well the Restor A Finish is right up your alley. It will cover up any scratch or fading that is on that table. Just apply with a soft cloth, let dry. If it needs another coat, just let it dry overnight. Then you can apply the Feed and Wax to the top to protect it from anything else.

Question: Johnnie you always talk about cleaning stained wood cabinets. But I have painted wood cabinets. What can I clean with on painted cabinets?

Answer: There is a product made by Holloway House called Fine Wood Cleaner. We used to tell customers to use paint thinner on a rag, which will clean off all grease and wax, but boy does it smell up the house. So we were happy to find Holloway House Wood Cleaner. It will remove all surface dirt, and wax and leave the cabinets clean. And the best part is that it has a coconut fragrance which is a whole lot better than paint thinner!

Question: My mom needs a way to know that she is in far enough in her garage without going too far. Is there a simple way to do that?

Answer: The Parking Target is the easiest way. Just put it on the garage floor where you need to. It had adhesive on the back. Just make sure you put it on a clean surface so it will stick.

Question: We have a vacation home that we don't go to very often. It's a ranch, and we have well water that we use on the property. The water leaves a terrible dark stain on the tank which stains the bowl also. I have tried everything to clean the bowl, and it gets better but not clean. Is there a product that is safe to use in a septic tank that will clean the bowl? And can I use it in the tank?

Answer: There is a product that is safe to use in the tank, called Instant Power Toilet Tank Cleaner. It cleans all the rust and calcium that turn the tank dark, without scrubbing. Pour half a bottle in the tank and swish it around, let it work overnight. Not only will it leave the tank clean but fresh smelling. To clean the bowl use Delete Germ and a Flexi Scour. Apply the Delete Germ in the bowl, then wearing gloves use Flexi Scour to clean up the hard water stains. After you get off the initial stains, it will be easy to keep clean. When you leave your ranch, put the Delete Germ in the bowl and leave it until you return. It will work below the water line and is entirely safe on plumbing and septic systems.

If you cannot find the products mentioned here locally, you can find them at www.happyhandyman.com. Click on Shop Johnnie's Favorites, or call the store at 210-341-1573. Email happyhandyman2@yahoo.com. Mail can be sent to Johnnie Chuoke's Home and Hardware, 2361 NW Military, San Antonio, TX 78231.
A Bay City high school teacher is charged with having an improper relationship with a 13-year-old after the victim's father found the two in the backseat of a car, police said.

Rachel Gonzalez, 44, of Bay City, was booked into a Matagorda County jail Friday on charges of online solicitation of a minor and having an improper relationship between an educator and student.
Courtesy photo

Many University of St. Thomas students will soon march into the workforce with their coveted degrees, while others will continue their education.

On Saturday, Dec. 16, graduating senior Emily Erwin of Sugar Land attended a Recognition Ceremony on campus to celebrate the completion of her degree in biology. After graduation, Erwin plans to attend medical school, and her acceptance into Baylor College of Medicine's Post-Baccalaureate Program will help pave the way.
Juanita Staten, a kindergarten teacher at Briargate Elementary School, won the Red Apple Award for December 2017.

KHOU-TV's Great Day Houston, in conjunction with Star Furniture, presents the award to Houston-area teachers who go above and beyond their call of duty to support students.

Campus administrators and a group of Staten's peers joined Great Day Houston reporter Christina Kooker in surprising her with the award on December 8.

"I am so honored to be awarded the Red Apple Award. It means a lot to be recognized for my hard work and dedication to students," said Staten. "It's also an honor to teach every day and make a positive difference in children's lives."

Staten dedicates her Red Apple award to her mother who recently lost her battle with cancer. "My mother was very proud of me and my career in education," said Staten.

Peggy Jones nominated Staten for the award. She describes Staten as a "die hard" educator who is always willing to volunteer and support her colleagues. She also said Staten takes pride in her appearance by dressing up for class each day and is always seen with a smile on her face.

Briargate Principal Deanna Olson also speaks highly of Staten. "Ms. Staten gives so much to her students and our staff all the time, and I'm glad she's being recognized with the Red Apple Award," said Olson.

Staten closes out the year as the last educator to receive a Red Apple award in 2017.
A fire destroyed about 35 apartments in the city of South Houston early Tuesday morning, according to fire officials. The fire forced many families from their homes, but residents managed to escape without any injuries.

The fire occurred at the Ashton Place Apartments near Allen-Genoa Road in the 1400 block of Avenue H. Firefighters managed to contain the fire quickly, but it would take more than six hours to extinguish.
A 1-year-old who was abducted by his father Sunday has been found safe, the Springfield Police Department in Missouri said Monday.

An amber alert was issued Sunday for Eli Bandurovskiy, 1, after his father, Viktor Bandurovskiy, kidnapped him, police said. Authorities at one point believed the two could be in Houston, and that Bandurovskiy might harm his son.
A Harris County Sheriff's Office deputy opened fire at a car whose driver led police on a chase Sunday night, the sheriff's office said.

The sheriff's office said officers responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle around 9:30 p.m. The deputy spotted the vehicle around the area of North Sam Houston Parkway, after which the driver attempted to flee, the sheriff's office said.

The driver then lost control and skidded off the road into a grassy embankment near the Hardy Toll Road, the sheriff's office said.

Now Playing: Latest Local And State News Video: Houston Chronicle

The deputy gave verbal commands to the driver and a passenger, the sheriff's office said. They did not comply with the deputy's commands that they get out of the car with their hands up, the sheriff's office said. The passenger then reached downward, the sheriff's office said, after which the deputy shot one time, striking the vehicle's windshield.

The two men were then detained. No one was injured.
Jae Lee remembers watching the TV news about Hurricane Harvey flooding from his unscathed home in Southbelt.

As the principal of nearby Burnett Elementary School, Lee recognized many of the names and faces being interviewed in the reports.

"It was the families of my students," he said. "They were just waiting on the freeway for the (Metropolitan Transit Authority) bus. One of my families just started walking down (Interstate 45) on shoulder, and they ask where they were going, and they said, 'South.' They were hoping they would make it to Santa Fe where they had friends."

Nearly four months after Harvey, Pasadena ISD is still calculating enrollment losses stemming from families that left the district and haven't returned.

Currently offering open enrollment for the 2018-2019 school year, the district recognizes that storm recovery is ongoing, according to PISD spokesperson Art Del Barrio.

The district's enrollment is 54,617, which is 1,400 less than enrollment at the end of the previous school year.

"We're getting some students back, but we lost a lot of kids," Del Barrio said. "This is one of the effects of Harvey that is still plaguing us."

Pockets of the district, such South Houston and neighborhoods around Miller Intermediate School and Pearl Hall Elementary School, felt the brunt of Harvey.

According to Del Barrio, rental homes were flooded out and families moved to Houston and other surrounding areas.

Lee saw first-hand the level of destruction and disruption that Harvey caused to the Burnett community. On the Sunday afternoon after the first major flooding, Lee drove with his kayak to an overpass and then paddled it through 6-feet-deep flood water toward the Fountains at the Bayou Apartments, where at least 150 Burnett students lived. He made several trips back and forth to deliver supplies like food and diapers.

"I went to each of those apartment numbers, found my families and found what they needed," Lee said.

Of the 150 students from Burnett who lived at the apartment complex, 60 were displaced. Of those 30 have not returned to the school. Lee estimates that the school lost a total of 120 students, most from the neighborhoods in and around Beamer, Astoria and Scarsdale. More than 86 percent of the homes in the area surrounding his school were flooded, he said.

The school went from 580 students enrolled at the end of the 2017 school year in June to 472 in December.

Many schools in the district have been reaching out to students' families through monthly meetings where residents are encouraged to share stories and find ways to cope with losses.

"Families were displaced and are rebuilding paycheck to paycheck, and a lot of them are still needing help," Lee said.

Some of that help has come courtesy of former students in the community and from school faculties, who remain, said Lee, is "relief mode" providing pillows, blankets, sheets, cleaning supplies and donated gift cards.

The entire first floor of the Fountains at the Bayou Apartments, a complex of government-subsidized housing, remains vacant as renovations begin.

"As soon as each unit opens up they are going to rent it out, so there are going to be families coming in," Lee said. "We will be back up over 500 (enrollment). That's not a worry of mine. It is a matter of everybody picking up and surviving. We will continue to create and foster that loving environment and family community."

To find out about the Pasadena ISD open enrollment, visit www1.pasadenaisd.org
Missouri City Mayor Allen Owens recently called for state officials to investigate a group of animal shelter volunteers after donated medicines were found to contain "alleged controlled substances" and expired over-the-counter medications, according to a city news release. Volunteers allege they are being targeted for lobbying elected officials for more resources for the shelter.

After the announcement, tensions were high as protesters gathered outside city hall holding signs that read "Let our volunteers volunteer" and "The animals need their medicines" ahead of the city council meeting. Inside, elected officials then faced a standing-room-only crowd that included dozens of angry animal shelter volunteers on Monday, Dec. 18.

"I don't understand the city's end game," volunteer Valerie Tollman said during public comments. "Do you want to go back to four years ago when animals with treatable illnesses were euthanized? Do you really want to see animals killed because your ego is bruised?"

Tollman reminded Mayor Owens and the council the volunteers were previously praised for their work and last year she was honored as the "Volunteer of the Year".

The conflict between city officials and shelter volunteers reportedly started after volunteers launched an email campaign a few weeks ago to lobby Mayor Owens and the city council to hire a part time staffer to answer phones and greet people who came to the shelter to adopt a homeless pet. Currently, the shelter is open by appointment only. Volunteers say phone calls to the shelter often go unanswered.

City officials say the city's budget is strained by Hurricane Harvey repairs and other expenditures.

"At some point, we may need to do that but right now we don't have the money," Owens said at a council workshop on Dec. 4. But, conflict escalated after a December 13 confrontation between a volunteer and an animal control officer and then an already tense situation was further strained when city officials seized medicines donated by volunteers. In a statement posted on the city website, city officials said they had asked a local vet for help and had discovered some of the medicines were expired. The medicines also contained "alleged controlled substances" and police were asked to evaluate the situation. Ultimately, Mayor Owens contacted the Texas Department of Health and Human Services to request state officials launch an investigation.

"The City's intent in requesting a state investigation is not punitive but an opportunity to educate both staff and volunteers for the betterment of animals throughout our community," city manager Anthony Snipes said in a news release posted on the city website.

In addition, city officials allocated $3,000 for additional security cameras at the shelter and animal control officers were outfitted with body cameras,

Several who spoke at Monday's council meeting alleged Owens and other city officials seized the medicine in an act of retaliation against those who have spoken out against elected officials on social media and in the community. Others criticized city officials' unwillingness to increase funding the city's animal shelter.

"The city wastes so much money on other silly nonsense," resident Bruce Saborowski said and accused city officials of "bullying" the volunteers.

"I am disappointed in this council. When you take away medicine and let animals suffer, that's not right," said Brigitte Turner, former director of the Rosenberg Animal Shelter. "You're hurting the animals. You're not hurting the volunteers. The volunteers just want to help."

When contacted for further details as to the nature of the alleged controlled substances, city officials declined to comment, citing the investigation was still ongoing.
Registration is now open for Wharton County Junior College's Spring 2018 semester.

Students can register online or in person until Monday, Jan. 15, 2018, for the Spring semester, which begins on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018. On-campus registration dates can be found by visiting www.wcjc.edu.

New students are encouraged to visit the college website for information on video orientation.

WCJC offers more than 40 associate degrees and certificate programs and operates four campuses. To reach an individual campus, call Wharton, 979-532-4560; Bay City, 979-244-4236; Sugar Land, 281-243-8447; and Richmond, 281-239-1500.
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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 they're forbidden to cross.

RELATED: A 17-year-old YouTube star insulted a notorious drug lord. He was found with at least 15 bullet wounds.

Now Playing: It's a Romeo and Juliet story in the age of uncertain border politics. Two lovers were recently married at the U.S.-Mexico border. In order for the couple to marry, Border Patrol agents opened the "Door Of Hope," a gate separating San Diego and Tijuana, for one hour. This love affair marks the sixth time that the gate has been opened in the last four years. The gate only opens for family reunions or weddings like this one. The couple, American Brian Houston and Mexican Evelia Reyes, met three years ago in Tijuana and fell in love. They speak every other day on the phone and hope that eventually they'll be on the same side of the border. Will such weddings be possible if Trump builds his wall? Video: Vocativ

Usually, there are no weddings at the annual hour-long border opening.

Certainly, there isn't supposed to be a convicted drug smuggler.

Now U.S. officials are struggling to explain how they failed to spot Houston's 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 administration's crackdown.

"Turns out we provided armed security for a cartel wedding," a spokesman for the local Border Patrol union told the San Diego Tribune.

Houston's 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. "He's 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.

Houston's 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 he's 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 Children's 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 don't want anybody with a criminal record to be allowed to do this," Morones said. Houston hadn't 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. It's 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, 'We're 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 can't go there and she can't 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 Houston's conviction.

"The surprise wedding aroused agents' suspicions," he wrote. "As a result, database queries were completed after the ceremony that revealed Mr. Houston's 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 he's 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.

"He's very sorry the Border Patrol was put in this position, but he had no reason to believe they wouldn't know about this," Babcock said. "We thought it would be as simple as if they didn't want him to have this wedding or ceremony, he'd 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 Trump's promise to wall off the entire border.

The couple hasn't 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 Houston's drug bust troubles were behind him, Babcock said.

Now it's unclear when and if they'll end.

"It was supposed to be a story about love and his responsibility," Babcock said. "Now everyone's pointing the finger."
The drivers in the Lone Star State know how to really put the pedal to the metal.

Chron.com reached out to the Texas Department of Public Safety to ask about the fastest speeding tickets from January 1, 2017, to November 28, 2017, and out of the more than 230 tickets sent to us, all of them were faster than 120 mph.
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A veteran living with post-traumatic stress disorder is selling an American flag he says was strapped to the last American convoy out of Iraq.

Marion Church, a former specialist with the 1st Cavalry, told Chron.com he's been attempting to work toward a degree - in hopes of eventually becoming a pediatrician - since he got out of the Army in January 2015. However, dealing with PTSD forced him to withdraw from school.

Church said the cycle of enrolling and dropping out to deal with his illness has strained his finances through the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

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"I completely misunderstood how hard it'd be," Church told Chron.com. "As of right now, because I've withdrawn from school, the VA is taking a third of my total compensation. I've got rent, electricity and all kinds of bills and I don't have enough to cover it."

To help cover his living expenses, Church is selling his flag for $1,200, one of his cherished possessions from his service. According to the listing, which was posted on Craigslist Christmas Day, Church had two flags that were tied "to a PVC pipe and strapped that to the backside of my turret. I flew those flags from COB Adder, Tallil, Iraq all the way to the Iraq-Kuwait border, also know as 'K-Crossing' on the very last convoy out of Iraq."

Now Playing: A spotlight is being placed on the heroes out of Ford Hood as the fight for survival by the 1st Calvary Division during the Iraq War is being brought to life in a new National Geographic mini series. FOX 7's Ashley Paredez has more. Video: Fox7

Church also says in the post that he was "medically retired after a gunshot wound to the legs and being diagnosed with PTSD. I was bummed but I saw it as an opportunity to get a head start on my academic career and the long process of becoming a child abuse pediatrician."

NOT FORGOTTEN: Texas veteran gets over 70k texts after heartbreaking viral Facebook post

Due to his PTSD however, Church told Chron.com that he hasn't been able to get very far in his studies. The cost of dealing with his PTSD and dropping out of school has racked up debt. Church says he is now facing eviction.

"I filed for an increase through the VA and they said it could take up to 20 days to be approved for an emergency grant," Church said. "Selling this flag would give me the ability to get out of the eviction and hold me over until everything goes through with the VA. I don't really want to sell it though, it's a very important part of my life."

Church's plan is to move back to North Carolina early next year so he can be closer to family and continue to focus on coping with PTSD.

According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, about 8 percent of the U.S. population experiences PTSD at some point in their lives, regardless if they were in the military. The department also said about 8 million adults in America have PTSD in any given year.

HELPING VETS: One man's mission is to help Houston-area veterans find work

Laura Marsh, chief of mental health programs at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, said getting early help for people with PTSD is critical.

"Some people may need medication, some people can get by with psychotherapy treatment," Marsh said. "PTSD is a tremendously treatable condition."

Church also encouraged people with mental health concerns to seek treatment as soon as they can, even if they aren't a veteran.

"If you are experiencing any type of mental problems, reach out, don't hesitate," Church said. "Mental wounds are just as real and as harmful as physical ones."

Veterans dealing with mental health issues can contact the veteran crisis line at 1-800-273-8255 or the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center at 713-791-1414.

Will Axford is a digital reporter for Chron.com. Read more of his stories here and follow him on Twitter.
A 34-year-old mother from Mercedes may face the death penalty after Hidalgo County sheriff deputies say she suffocated her one-month-old daughter, according to a ValleyCentral.com report.

On Saturday, the sheriff's office received a call from Maria Guadalupe Cardenas, 34, who told dispatchers she just killed her infant. Deputies responded to the home around 1:24 p.m., according to the report.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Democrats eager to take control of the Senate next year are turning to the state of Tennessee, where a popular Democratic former governor is running for the seat being vacated by the retirement of Republican Sen. Bob Corker.

Neither of Tennessee's two top GOP candidates, Rep. Marsha Blackburn and former Rep. Stephen Fincher, has the kind of personal baggage Republican Roy Moore had in the Alabama race won by a Democrat. But both have wholeheartedly embraced President Donald Trump at what Democrats hope is exactly the wrong time.

"Tennessee is clearly in play," said Paul Maslin, a pollster who worked for the campaign of Doug Jones, the first Democrat elected in a quarter-century in Alabama. Jones' rival, Moore, was besieged by decades-old accusations of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls when he was in his 30s. Moore denied the allegations.

Former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen, a known quantity in Tennessee, has kicked off his Senate run from a position of strength.

"He starts with credibility among Tennesseans that Doug Jones didn't have or almost no Democratic challenger in any of the other Republican states would have next year," Maslin said.

Voters both in Tennessee and Alabama went for Trump in a big way in 2016: Trump's margin of victory was 28 percentage points in Alabama and 26 points in Tennessee, though his poll numbers have slipped somewhat since. And while Fincher and Blackburn slug it out to the primary for who can be the more pro-Trump candidate, Bredesen can concentrate on a message of being a problem-solver who can "fix the mess" in Washington.

"The risk is that when you have so embraced a public official that is fairly unpredictable, that if his numbers start to erode suddenly you're in trouble," said Kent Syler, a political science professor at Middle Tennessee State University and a former Democratic congressional staffer.

With Republicans up 51-49 in the Senate next year, the stakes will be high in November.

Much was made of Democrats' 25-year losing streak in Senate races in Alabama until a Dec. 12 special election. In Tennessee it's been two years longer since Al Gore was the Democrats' last victorious Senate candidate in 1990. Tennessee Democrats have fallen short ever since Gore left the Senate to become Bill Clinton's vice president.

In his campaign launch video, Bredesen didn't even mention Trump. Bredesen told the Associated Press afterward that he's intent on winning back voters who supported him in 2002 and 2006.

"If you just do the basic arithmetic, there's got to be hundreds of thousands of people in this state who voted for me and then turned around and voted for Trump," Bredesen said. "I don't think they've totally changed - political views don't change in that way."

But simply portraying himself as the adult in the room may not be enough if Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander's most recent experience is any guide. A former two-term governor, Alexander suffered a serious primary scare en route to his 2014 re-election. While depicting himself as the senior statesman staying above the attacks of a little-known tea-party styled opponent, Alexander ended up winning by a too-close-for-comfort 9 percentage points.

Chris Hayden, spokesman for the Democratic Senate Majority PAC, said he expects Bredesen will draw wide support.

"He is a great candidate who will be running against an opponent tied to a deeply unpopular and ineffective Republican Congress," said Hayden.

The National Republican Senate Committee is quick to scoff at such claims.

"If Phil Bredesen thinks Tennesseans want him opposing President Trump and his agenda, he really doesn't have a clue," committee spokesman Michael McAdams said.

Term-limited Republican Gov. Bill Haslam said the lesson from Alabama should be that GOP candidates need to think about winning both the primary and the general vote.

"Republicans need to elect people who can win two elections," Haslam said, adding the results in Virginia and Alabama have shown that voting patterns might be changing. "For people in my party, it's a heads-up: We need to be thinking about why we're losing some voters we've traditionally gotten."
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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The call came in to police dispatch just after 5 p.m. on a cold November evening in the small Arizona town of St. Johns: There was a body on the front porch of a house.

Detective Debbie Neckel fastened her bulletproof vest and headed out. As she and Sgt. Lucas Rodriguez approached the blue two-story home, Neckel fixed her eyes on two people, a teenager and an 8-year-old boy standing nearby.

Rodriguez walked toward the house, and Neckel toward the boy, whom she knew from the neighborhood. His arms were outstretched, and he was near tears.

"'My dad, my dad. My dad's dead,'" Neckel recalled him saying. "'I think my dad's dead.'"

The boy's father, Vincent Romero, 29, was found face-down on the staircase inside. The body on the porch was Romero's co-worker, Timothy Romans, 39, who rented a room there.

A swirl of suspects would emerge before a truth was revealed that no one saw coming: The 8-year-old killed both men.

The child came home Nov. 5, 2008, and killed his father with a single-shot .22-caliber rifle, holding the bullets in his small hand to reload after each shot. He called to Romans that something was wrong, then shot him, too.

Nine years later, the boy is days from his 18th birthday with a chance to move on from a crime that has defined his life. He will sign paperwork Friday freeing him from intensive probation, psychological evaluations and travel restrictions.

The Associated Press isn't identifying the teen because of his age at the time of the shootings.

The transition will be easier because of the support network he built since pleading guilty to negligent homicide in Romans' death, said Wood and Apache County Attorney Michael Whiting, who prosecuted the case.

The charge for killing his father was dropped. Whiting said at the time that it was in the boy's best interest not to be forced to acknowledge killing his father.

The boy first was held at a youth treatment center near Phoenix, then moved to a group home and then a foster home. Besides a trio of probation violations when he was 12, he's avoided trouble.

Whiting said he could not discuss specifics but noted that several people have gone out of their way to ensure the boy gets help. At one point, a psychiatrist who treated him offered to take him in.

Romero's mother, Liz Castillo, has been the boy's biggest supporter, regularly attending hearings and visiting him.

The boy initially told authorities he found the men dead when he got home from school.

His role might have gone undiscovered much longer if Romans had not been on the phone with his wife while he waited for Romero to grab a car part, Neckel said. Romero went in, saw his son with a gun and scolded him for getting it from underneath his bed. The boy ran upstairs, turning and shooting his father as he followed.

Romans cut short his conversation with his wife, Tanya, when the boy called for him.

"Tim, I need you to come in here," he said, according to court transcripts. "Something's wrong with Dad."

Tanya Romans urged police to talk to the boy. Still, no one thought he was a suspect.

Neckel and sheriff's Cmdr. Matrese Avila interviewed the child, who confessed in a videotaped interview.

No motive was revealed, but the boy mentioned he was spanked for not bringing home some school papers.

Neckel said the papers were a behavioral report from his teacher. Romero and his wife, Tiffany, told the boy he would be spanked once for each day he forgot them, Neckel said. That day he would have received four swats.
When President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended Christmas Eve services at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Fla., they heard a homily about the "power of words" and an individual's obligation to use his or hers to "bring light to our lives and to the world."

Bethesda-by-the-Sea's rector, Rev. James Harlan, began his homily Sunday night with an appraisal of the power of God's words, as well as our own. "We know the power of speech, of words," he said. According to the White House pool report, Trump was seated in the third row.

Harlan quoted Nelson Mandela, who said: "It is never my custom to use words lightly. If 27 years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die."

"Words matter," Harlan continued. "Proverbs 18, for example says death and life are in the power of the tongue. Words can build up or tear down. Words can speak truth or obfuscate truth. Words convey information, emotion, motivation." Harlan spoke about the healing power of God's words, which, according to biblical teaching, were used to create the universe. And Harlan said that, "your words and mine can have as much destructive and divisive potential as creative and healing potential."

Harlan ended his homily on a note of instruction for the worshipers, saying, "Let that light shine in our words and our actions in our love for every human being."

During his presidency, Trump has aligned himself politically with white evangelical Christians; he has an influential informal committee of evangelical advisers who have encouraged decisions such as the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court and Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The Episcopal Church is generally considered to be a more progressive institution. The Trumps were married at Bethesda-by-the-Sea in 2005, and he attended the church's Christmas Eve services in 2016 after his election.

The Trumps are spending Christmas at Mar-a-Lago, the president's resort in Palm Beach.
Mark Lennihan/STF

The U.S. government says it has negotiated a significant cut in the United Nations budget.

The U.S. Mission to the United Nations said on Sunday that the U.N.'s 2018-2019 budget would be slashed by over $285 million. The mission said reductions would also be made to the U.N.'s management and support functions.
VATICAN CITY - Lamenting "the winds of war" blowing around the world, Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message on Monday called for a two-state solution to find peace in the Middle East and prayed that confrontation can be overcome on the Korean Peninsula.

The pope took particular aim at areas of global tension where President Donald Trump is playing a critical role. Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital has ignited new violence in the Middle East, while confrontation with North Korea over its nuclear tests has escalated tensions in Asia.
A chunk of Sempra Energy's natural gas pipeline sits in the dirt behind a community center in the village of Loma de Bacum in northwest Mexico. Guadalupe Flores thinks it would make a great barbecue pit.

"Cut it here, lift the top,'' he says, pointing to the 30-inch diameter steel tube. "Perfect for a cook-out.''

It would be an expensive meal. The pipeline cost $400 million, part of a network that's supposed to carry gas from Arizona more than 500 miles to Mexico's Pacific coast. It hasn't done that since August, when members of the indigenous Yaqui tribe - enraged by what they viewed as an unauthorized trespass their land - used a backhoe truck to puncture and extract a 25-foot segment. They left the main chunk about a mile from the community center, perpendicular to the rest of the pipeline, like a lower-case t.

RELATED: Oil industry plans to spend $100 billion in U.S. fields next year

The impact extends far beyond Loma de Bacum and its 4,500 residents. Arizona's gas exports to Mexico have plunged 37 percent since the shutdown, hitting an eight-month low in December. Mexico's state utility is having to burn fuel oil instead to generate power, raising costs.

It's not an isolated case. Mexico's opening of its energy industry has succeeded in attracting capital, but it's also been beset by territorial or environmental disputes, often involving the country's myriad indigenous groups. When protest turns into sabotage, there's a risk that investors will be put off from future phases, like an extensive shale development. It's also grist to the mill of the leftist frontrunner for next year's presidential election, who's vowing to reverse some of the reforms.

The Yaquis of Loma de Bacum say they were asked by community authorities in 2015 if they wanted a 9-mile tract of the pipeline running through their farmland -- and said no. Construction went ahead anyway.

RELATED: Slowdown in the Eagle Ford shale

The Energy Ministry acknowledged that account is true, in a statement that highlights the difficulties its officials confront. Consultation of the eight Yaqui communities along the route was carried out, as required by law. Seven of them gave a green light, the ministry said by email, "while the town of Loma de Bacum refused consent.''

The project is now in a legal limbo. Ienova, the Sempra unit that operates the pipeline, is awaiting a judicial ruling that could allow them to go in and repair it -- or require a costlier re-route. "If they want to build a pipeline, that's fine,'' said Flores, the would-be barbecue designer who's a local community leader. "But it won't pass through here.''

At the Energy Ministry in Mexico City, that's becoming a familiar refrain.

As many as four pipelines have been stalled or temporarily suspended -- and that's just the tip of the iceberg, according to Jesus Reyes Heroles, a former energy minister. "I can't quote the number but it's more than that," Heroles said in an interview. He said the stalled projects go beyond pipelines; in some cases, opposition comes from ranchers who are "abusing the situation to make some money off of it."

Still, it's indigenous peoples who've been at the forefront of resistance. In June, their protests in Chiapas state led the ministry to scrap an auction of two onshore blocks for oil exploration. In neighboring Oaxaca, communities have stalled development of wind energy projects, claiming a lack of consultation.

Mexico recognizes about 70 indigenous groups, numbering more than 12 million people. The task of consulting those communities falls to the ministry's Social Impact Evaluation team - which has just six members.

Its mandate, which includes ensuring that there's no damage to water supplies or other natural resources, is a key element of the energy reforms, says Aldo Flores, the deputy minister.

"Could the Energy Ministry become even more efficient in the procedure of consultation? Yes, it could,'' Flores said in a Dec. 8 interview. "It's part of our homework to improve.'' The ministry says it's contemplating a significant expansion of the team early next year.

That would be in time for Mexico's planned shale offensive. It's promising to lease swaths of land for development, much of it in states like San Luis Potosi and Veracruz that numerous indigenous groups call home. Shale accounts for "more than the half of the new oil potential in Mexico,'' and the Burgos Basin alone may hold 50 percent more reserves than Texas's famed Eagle Ford, Flores said.

It's politically sensitive too. Leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has vowed to revise energy and oil contracts if he's elected in July. That could put deals signed by oil majors from ExxonMobil to BP at risk. Amlo, as he's known, is ahead in early polls, but most analysts expect a tight three-way race. Indigenous votes could be vital.

It's not just in Mexico that pipeline projects have revivified old tribal claims. It's happening across North America. In Canada, Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline has encountered legal challenges led by indigenous groups. In the U.S., the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline faced months of protests from members of the Standing Rock Sioux reservation.

Like many such groups, the Yaquis have a history of fighting to defend their land from intruders, starting with Spanish colonialists in the 1500s. In the last 200 years, the tribe has frequently clashed with the Mexican government, suffering massacres and losing land. "Little by little, their territory has been taken away,'' says Rodrigo Gonzalez-Enriquez, a professor at the Technical Institute of Sonora and consultant for the Loma de Bacum community.

The Yaqui language predominates in homes, though local schools teach only in Spanish after kindergarten. The tribe is famous for its deer-dance ritual. Throughout southern Sonora, you can find statues of the Yaqui dancer -- shirtless, holding gourd rattles, with an antlered deer perched on his head.

The pipeline has caused tensions within the tribe. Last year, there was a clash at the community center, leaving one person killed and several injured. Townspeople say it was an attempt by neighbors to get rid of local leaders who resisted the pipeline.

Just off the central plaza, there's a row of 12 charred vehicles. "The cars are witnesses to what happened here,'' said Juan Antonio Maldonado, an 81 year-old resident.

He had a message that could have been meant for other Yaqui towns - or for the energy companies. "We are a peaceful community and we don't like intruders,'' Maldonado said. "Don't come here anymore. Please leave.''

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Bloomberg's Ryan Collins contributed.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
A.O. Centrul de Drept al Femeilor anunta concurs pentru selectarea expertilor nationali pentru dezvoltarea conceptului de sprijin psihosocial si a Curriculumului de instruire in acest sens
BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio - Both Broadview Heights and Brecksville will join Chagrin Valley Dispatch - an emergency dispatch center serving more than a dozen east-side communities - once Brecksville's new dispatch center opens in 2018.

City councils for both communities approved agreements with Chagrin Valley Dispatch last week. Also, under a separate agreement, Broadview Heights will receive dispatch service from the Brecksville center, which will become part of Chagrin Valley Dispatch.

Independence - which entered into a separate agreement in 2016 to join the Brecksville dispatch center once the center is constructed - has not yet decided whether to join Chagrin Valley Dispatch.

Meanwhile, Seven Hills must decide whether it will join both the Brecksville dispatch center and Chagrin Valley Dispatch.

Municipalities all over Cuyahoga County, and Ohio, are merging dispatch centers. The state has mandated that counties significantly reduce the number of dispatch centers by next year or face cuts in their 911 funding, which pays for upgrades to dispatch systems.

Chagrin Valley Dispatch, which operates out of University Hospitals Bedford Medical Center, serves Bedford, Bentleyville, Bratenahl, Chagrin Falls, Chagrin Falls Township, Euclid, Glenwillow, Moreland Hills, Highland Hills, Hunting Valley, Gates Mills, North Randall, Orange, Solon, Woodmere and South Russell.

East meets west

Under agreements approved last week in Broadview Heights and Brecksville, the new Brecksville dispatch center - called Cuyahoga Valley Emergency Dispatch Center - will become the west-side branch of Chagrin Valley Dispatch.

Broadview Heights and Brecksville will pay Chagrin Valley Dispatch $541,379 and $445,841, respectively, in the first year of the partnership. The amounts are based on the estimated number of emergency calls coming from the two cities annually. The money will pay for dispatch center operations.

Lt. Nick DiCicco, Chagrin Valley Dispatch director, said the more communities that join Chagrin Valley Dispatch, the more cost-efficient operations become for each community.

Broadview Heights and Brecksville - unlike most Chagrin Valley Dispatch communities - will not pay the additional one-time capital fee to join the regional center. That's because Broadview, Brecksville Heights and Independence, and possibly Seven Hills, will share the cost of building Cuyahoga Valley Emergency Dispatch Center. According to Broadview Heights Law Director Vince Ruffa, the center's estimated construction cost is $1.2 million.

DiCicco said the capital fee buys new equipment needed whenever a community joins Chagrin Valley Dispatch.

Chagrin Valley Dispatch will manage construction of Cuyahoga Valley dispatch - which will be part of the new Brecksville police station - at no or reduced cost to Brecksville, Broadview Heights, Independence and Seven Hills. Also, Chagrin Valley Dispatch will manage the operation of the new dispatch center once it's up and running.

Brecksville Mayor Jerry Hruby said the new police station and dispatch center is scheduled to start operating in October. In March 2017, council voted to borrow $8 million to build the new station, which will include a new jail and a 70-foot-long shooting range that will allow officers to train with all types of firearms.

'Nightmare' conditions

At a Dec. 11 council work session, Broadview Heights Mayor Sam Alai and Ruffa pitched the idea of joining Chagrin Valley Dispatch, according to meeting minutes. Alai estimated that it would save the city about $80,000 a year.

Alai said the city will not lay off dispatchers. Those not hired at Cuyahoga Valley dispatch will be reassigned to other duties.

Police Sgt. Phil Adams, spokesman for the union representing Broadview Heights dispatchers, expressed concerns. He said although he's not familiar with Chagrin Valley Dispatch, dispatchers at other regional centers - including Southwest Emergency Dispatch Center in Strongsville - have quit due to excessive, 12-16-hour workdays. Southwest serves Strongsville, North Royalton, Berea and Olmsted Falls.

Adams added that dispatchers at Parma Regional Dispatch Center, which serves Parma, Parma Heights, Brooklyn and Brook Park, are facing a "nightmare" due to high call volumes.

Vicki Hutchinson, a Broadview Heights dispatcher, said a third dispatch center, consisting of Bedford, Bedford Heights, Garfield Heights and Maple Heights, broke up. Bedford is now part of Chagrin Valley Dispatch, and Bedford Heights, Garfield Heights and Maple Heights are back to providing their own individual dispatch services.

Alai said Chagrin Valley Dispatch is different in that it's ranked among the top-10 dispatch centers in the United States. He said he was not aware of any community that has left Chagrin Valley Dispatch, nor had he heard complaints about working conditions there.

A forced change

In Independence on Dec. 12, council introduced an ordinance that would allow the city to join Chagrin Valley Dispatch. The legislation was placed on first reading and will appear again on council's Jan. 9 agenda.

Seven Hill council, earlier in December, introduced ordinances that would authorize the city to join Cuyahoga Valley dispatch and Chagrin Valley Dispatch. Council is scheduled to take up the matter again Tuesday night (Dec. 26).

In a message to residents on the Seven Hills website, Police Chief Michael Salloum says the city is being "forced to make a change to our dispatching services." That's because Seven Hills for years has received dispatch service from Broadview Heights, which is now joining Chagrin Valley and Cuyahoga Valley dispatch.

Salloum says the city administration has asked council to approve the agreements with Chagrin Valley and Cuyahoga Valley dispatch. He lists several advantages to doing so.

"Once the (Brecksville) dispatch center is complete and operational, our first-year estimate for dispatching is $159,229," Salloum says. "This amount is based on call volume and will be adjusted to reflect the actual call volume.

"Currently, we pay $156,000 yearly for dispatching," Salloum says. "That price has been generously frozen by City of Broadview Heights for at least eight years."
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cuyahoga County has made substantial progress toward correcting records and improving how it monitors economic development loans, but Inspector General Mark Griffin says the county must remain vigilant.

In a report released last week, Griffin wrote that he "remains concerned that the significant achievements made to date may be undone unless the County maintains adequate safeguards and monitoring of its loan portfolio.

"The County is actively seeking, but has not yet found, an outside firm to service its loans," Griffin added. "The County's recently-hired Loan Portfolio Manager is an important advance, but he will need support, resources and authority to be effective. As the County currently monitors 71 active DoD loans, this may not require additional FTEs, [full-time employees] but will likely require additional skills."

According to Griffin, reviews conducted in the last six months by the Development Department, an internal task force and the state auditor found:

$3.6 million from a previously-unrecorded loan found in response to inquiries by the state Auditor's Office.

$86,000 in under-calculated payments from a single loan.

$37,000 in late payments that were resolved through interaction with borrowers.

$685,000 in loan funds that were approved and encumbered, but never used.

Griffin issued his report following a review of a Dec. 12 report by Department of Development Chief Ted Carter, who has been working on delinquent-loan issues since he arrived in January 2016.

Carter's report was a response to numerous recommendations by Griffin on how to address a lack of policies and procedures that led to millions of dollars in unpaid economic development loans.

Carter reported that the county's portfolio has been restored to a "point of confidence" after 4,000-plus hours of work by staff and consultants.

"Having said that, we will need to continue to devote appropriate management time, attention and resources to continue perfecting and improving the portfolio and economic development loan process," Carter wrote.

Griffin's reports notes that the county has worked to correct more than 20 years of errors. "In order to maintain the progress that the County has achieved," he wrote, "it must continue to review and improve its records on a continuing basis."

See Griffin's status report below or click here if on a mobile device.

Griffin cited "important milestones" by Carter's department including:

The first inventory of Department of Development loans.

The first written policies and procedures for loan monitoring and servicing.

Hiring a loan portfolio manager.

Sending invoices or statements on all active accounts.

Outsourcing collection efforts to a collections law firm.

Initiating a process for reviewing and correcting loan records prior to disbursements.

Expanded training of staff on the use of the loan-servicing database, known as Portfol.

Improving the segregation of duties and oversight of the department's financial procedures.

"Maintaining accurate records and properly servicing loans is a continuing process that does not have an end point. It is a journey without a destination," Griffin wrote.

Griffin noted that his office still lacked complete access to Portfol. Carter responded in a letter on Dec. 21 that access has now been provided. He also wrote that information on loans will be posted on a website by Jan. 31.

The loan issues became public in April, when county officials announced that the county had loaned millions of dollars to 270 companies over the past decade, but that the Economic Development Department had no policies or procedures to keep track of repayments and that paperwork on many loans was missing.

On June 30, when Griffin issued what he thought was his final report on the problems, county officials said they had successfully documented the scope of the problem. They said they had discovered more loans, bringing the total to 297, and found more than 80 cartons of files containing 4 million pages, all of which were scanned and digitized for analysis.

In September, county officials told a County Council committee that they were still working on the issues and efforts were underway to collect on 99 delinquent loans, totaling $9.7 million with principal and interest.

Griffin said at that time that he was not satisfied with the progress and wanted Carter to respond to his concerns.
Marc Bona, cleveland.com

Year's biggest beer stories (plus some bonuses)

CLEVELAND, Ohio  Its been another crazy year for beer in Northeast Ohio. Breweries have expanded, opened, closed. They have given to the community, earned awards and embraced canning. On a personal front, my palate opened to appreciate some sours. Heres our ranking of the regions biggest beer stories of 2017 plus a few assorted bonus beer notes and a special hat tip to a home brewer at the end. Cheers!

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Marc Bona, cleveland.com

16. Giving back

To list each example of Northeast Ohio breweries giving back to their communities  the one where they live, and the rest of the world at large - would be more appropriate in book form. Groups constantly ask for kegs for fundraisers, and breweries do a great job in organizing benefits quickly and efficiently for causes that hit them. Heres just two: Royal Docks Brewing Co., a Canton brewery with a strong Anglophile emphasis, held a Saturday Night for London benefit and raised more than $3,000 for the victims of the tragedies in England. And this month, Platform Beer Co. has rolled out an extensive weekly charitable program to benefit local non-profits. Cheers to them and other breweries that understand the importance of sustaining the space we share.

About the fundraiser and Platform's program.

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Associated Press

15. Happy anniversary

Round-number anniversaries were celebrated; heres just a few: Ohio Brewing Co. turned both 1 (its location in Akrons Highland Square) and 20 (its founding). It already has left its Highland Square location for a larger facility in Cuyahoga Falls. Lockport Brewery  which added more tanks a few months in - marked one year in Bolivar. Sibling Revelry marked a year by throwing a party with a special bottle release in Westlake. The Beer Engine in Lakewood turned 10. Thirsty Dog was founded 20 years ago. Coming up in 2018: Great Lakes Brewing Co., the states first craft brewery, will mark 30 years. Hoppin Frogs tasting room (not the brewery, which is older) will turn five.

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Marc Bona, cleveland.com

14. Closures

Jerome Welliver hung up the tap, so to speak, at Black Box Brewing in Westlake, Portside in Cleveland shut its doors reportedly because of its location, Euclid Brewings owners decided not to re-open after a fire, and Chardon BrewWorks also closed (though there is a possibility it might return).

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David Zalubowski, Associated Press

13. Great showing at GABF

Northeast Ohio breweries again fared well at the Great American Beer Festival, notching five of the states nine medals at the annual event in Denver. Fat Heads continued its perennial success while Masthead and The BottleHouse Brewery and Meadery in Cleveland Heights also won.

About the 2017 competition

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Marc Bona, cleveland.com

12. Bad Tom Smith opens

Bad Tom Smith Brewing Co. chose Ohio City as its first outpost outside of its Cincinnati base. Located on West 25th Street catty-corner from Nano Brew, its banking on Northeast Ohios healthy home-brew community to act as farm ground of sorts. The brewery is hiring home brewers to learn and brew  with their beers winding up on tap. Owners John Vojtush and Sheryl Gittins put a lot of heart, sweat and money into the former Weenie A Go Go location. The taps started flowing this month.

About Bad Tom Smith

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Marc Bona, cleveland.com

11. Sibling Revelry's big year

Sibling Revelry in Westlake has filled a West Side void and really boomed in 2017. It bottled a special release for its one-year anniversary party, it cans several of its beers for distribution, and it produced a gluten-free beer. Brewers Pete Velez and Wally Weiss have remained busy (Weiss was elected to a term on the Ohio Craft Brewers Associations board of directors) and will not have time to relax in 2018; the brewery is undergoing a major expansion at its Clemens Road location to allow for barrel-aging.

About the expansion

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John Kuntz, cleveland.com

10. LeBron James and beer

A simple impromptu moment on the basketball court turned into a brief though interesting story: After being fouled in a playoff game at The Q, LeBron James raced over to the sidelines and pretended to sip a beer. The bottle turned out to be none other than Dortmunder Gold, the flagship from Great Lakes Brewing Co.

About the marketing impact

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Marc Bona, cleveland.com

9. Middleburg Heights Mecca

Middleburg Heights stayed in the news all year. The ever-popular Fat Heads Brewery broke ground (and has made good progress) on its larger location in Middleburg Heights off I-71. (Its also opening a taproom in a busy commercial area in Canton.) Then just a few weeks ago, Rivals Brewing Co. announced it was moving into the Sheldon Road facility  the one Fat Heads vacated.

About the projects: Middleburg Heights and Canton, and the Rivals-Fat Head's deal.

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Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer

8. Collision Bend opens

It was a big deal when Luke Purcell came over from a long career at Great Lakes Brewing Co. to this brewery, which opened its doors at 1250 Old River Road in Clevelands Flats East Bank in April. Named for the narrow area that ships had to squeeze through along the Cuyahoga River, the brewery has one of the best vantages in the Flats and not-your-typical bar food. Owners renovated the old Watermark restaurant.

About Collision Bends opening

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Marc Bona, cleveland.com

7. Northern exposure

The long-awaited taproom and brewery from Summit Countys largest brewery opened recently in Clevelands Flats East Bank. Thirsty Dog Brewings location covers more than 9,000 square feet inside and out, and has beer pouring from three dozen taps. Its in the former Crop Rocks spot on Old River Road.

About the new location

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Great Lakes Brewing Co.

6. Great Lakes starts canning

For the first time in its existence, Great Lakes Brewing Co. started canning. The initial offerings were Turntable Pils, Lightkeeper Blonde Ale and Rally Drum Red Ale, three sippable summer brews. Great Lakes is not alone. Next year, its Ohio City neighbor Market Garden Brewery will be rolling out cans. Goldhorn Brewery also started a distribution deal for a pair of its core beers in cans.

About why Great Lakes started canning

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Marc Bona, cleveland.com

5. Hoppin' Frog size options

Fred Karm has been making world-renowned beers for quite some time. But those big beers  in both style, flavor and alcohol  have been served in draft and bomber bottles. This fall, Karm rolled out 12-ounce offerings beginning with Barrel-Aged D.O.R.I.S. The Destroyer Double Oatmeal-Imperial Stout. The brewery also released Grapefruit Turbo Shandy Citrus Ale in 12-ounce cans.

About the bottles

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Marc Bona, cleveland.com

4. Summit Brew Path opens

The Akron-Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau launched the Summit Brew Path, a passport program for breweries in Summit, Stark, Medina and Portage counties. It was a hit, especially for smaller breweries who might not draw the same foot traffic that larger ones get on a regular basis. And there are solid rumblings in the works for a Cleveland Ale Trail.

About the Summit Brew Path

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Marc Bona, cleveland.com

3. BCCA

For the first time, the Brewery Collectibles Club of America held its annual can-vention in Cleveland. The group, after much consternation over tourist and economic factors, held the 47th annual gathering downtown. The growth of the organizations Lake Erie chapter was a catalyst in the city being awarded the convention, which brings together collectors of breweriana  all things beer, from cans to openers, trays to signs and much more.

How Cleveland was chosen

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Marc Bona, cleveland.com

2. Masthead Brewing Co.'s impact

In January, Frank Luther, Matt Slife and Mike Pelechaty hit the ground running and they havent looked back. Immediately, they initiated a fundraiser for fallen officer David Faheys family, raising $3,000 as Pelechaty went to work brewing in the cavernous space on Superior Avenue. At the Cleveland Oktoberfest Microbrew competition, Masthead took top honors in the India Pale Ale category and was named Best of the Rest beer in the blind-judging format, then was named peoples-choice award as favorite brewery. That was a precursor for their medal at the Great American Beer Festival about a month later. Along the way they packed in folks for pizza and beer, began barrel-aging, started canning, and helped Euclid Brewing Co. after a fire ravaged their space. Cheers to them.

About the opening

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Marc Bona, cleveland.com

1. Now open!

Last year, expansion was the name of the game for established breweries. This year, openings flew at us in a variety of neighborhoods: Collision Bend opened in the Flats while Masthead found a niche downtown. Bad Tom Smith Brewing is the latest brewery to open, and right in the heart of Ohio City. HiHo added to what is becoming the latest brewery mecca, Cuyahoga Falls. Saucy Brew Works started pouring beers in Hingetown. Terrestrial set up roots in Clevelands Battery Park neighborhood while Noble Beast began brewing on Lakeside Avenue. Working Class is in Kamms Corners, and Willoughby now has its second brewery, in Brim Kitchen + Brewery. And on and on it goes.

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Marc Bona, cleveland.com

More beer news

 Cleveland Beer Week revamped its opening collaborations kickoff format with Turf Wars, adding a summer bash, and keeping most of its flagship events for the ninth annual fest.

 Ohio Craft Brewers Association selected Cleveland as the site of its annual convention, for early 2018.

 If you have to choose only one of the multitude of beers fests in Northeast Ohio throughout the year, Winter Warmer Fest is it. The 11th annual fundraiser for the OCBA attracted about 1,450 people. (Early-bird discount tickets are on sale for the 2018 event.)

 The Jolly Scholar on the Case Western Reserve University campus has been selling beer for years; this year, it started brewing as well.

 Rivals Sports Grille in Middleburg Heights continued pouring its own beer in collaboration with Hop View Brewing Co., and each quickly became a top-seller.

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Marc Bona, The Plain Dealer

Year's best

In my monthly reviews of national and imported beers on the market, I concentrate on what flavors a beer yields rather than saying this is good or this is bad. Buy what you like! But in my annual look at beer I like to offer my personal favorites I have had  either from buying at a store or tasting at a bar. Here are 16 that stood out (if you agree or disagree, please weigh in with your comments).

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Marc Bona, cleveland.com

Locals brews ...

 Ohio Brewing Co.s Cross-Eyed Mary, a honey-lemon Saison. If I had to choose my favorite all year, this was it.

 Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.s Siberian Night with Bent Tree roasted coffee.

 Wadsworth Brewing Co.s College Street Extra Pale Ale, refreshing and crisp.

 A pair from Masthead Brewing: Coffee Stout and Blonde Ale.

 Sibling Revelry Brewerys Coffee Red and Oakd, a festbier.

 One of the first beers Noble Beast Brewing Co. made was a deliciously complex ale brewed with several types of peppercorn.

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Marc Bona, cleveland.com

... and national beers

 Connecticut: Cellar Door from Stillwater Artisanal, a dry-hopped farmhouse wheat ale with white sage.

 Illinois: Revolution Brewings A Little Crazy, a Belgian-style Pale Ale.

 Massachusetts: Spencer Brewerys Trappist Ale, a fantastic blonde ale and the only Trappist ale brewed in the United States.

 Michigan: Pooltime Ale from Bells Brewery, a Belgian-tasting wheat ale with Michigan-grown cherries.

 Minnesota: Summit Brewings High Sticke Alt, available in the brewerys Penalty Box, its variety pack.

 New York: Ommegangs Bend the Knee, a golden ale brewed with honey from the brewerys Game of Thrones series.

 Ohio: BrewDog  which entered the state this year  came out with Elvis Juice grapefruit-infused India Pale Ale. The tasty IPA  made with five hops and weighing in at a moderate 6.5 percent alcohol - won at GABF.

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Courtesy of John Csizma

Bonus brew

For the first time ever, a home brewers creation makes my annual list. I met John Csizma at a bar. He shared his Blood Orange IPA, and man was it tasty, fresh, balanced and bursting with orange while letting the hops through. So a big hat tip to him. Csizma has been brewing about 12 years.

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Final sips: Beer opinions

 I still am on a kick to see more fine-dining restaurants offer flights of craft beer. No reason why you should have to take a flier on an expensive pint of something you might or might not like. Flights educate the consumer and, I think, lead to increased beer sales. Also: Breweries have been offering suggested beer-food pairings for years with alcohol percentage and International Bittering Units; why shouldnt good restaurants?

 Weve come a long way when it comes to beer freshness. Breweries have been putting best-by or brewed-on stamps on bottles and cans for a while, but now venues also are catching up. Spotting this was a nice surprise: A chalkboard sign at Beside the Point, West Point Markets beer and wine bar in Akron, announces when tap lines are cleaned.

 My two favorite designs on can labels I saw in 2017 are both classic sports-themed: All or Nothing Brewhouse's Hopfenweisse with a boxer and Royal Docks' Leatherhead, an American IPA with image of an early-era football player.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - After a tumultuous three-year battle, Summa Health, Western Reserve Hospital and the majority owners of Western Reserve Hospital have come to an agreement. The deal ends years of uncertainty about the hospital's operations in the community and brings stability to patients concerned about its future.

Summa Health will sell its 40 percent share of Western Reserve Hospital to an independent, third-party investor, Gbswrh LLC, and will sell the facility housing Western Reserve Hospital to the hospital, which is located at 1900 23rd St., Cuyahoga Falls. The financial terms of the deal are confidential, according to a joint statement from the groups.

"This is an exciting time for Western Reserve Hospital, its physician investors, the staff and all those we serve, as much work has been done toward progressing our hospital to its independence and unmatched success in quality, safety and satisfaction," Dr. Robert Kent, president and CEO of Western Reserve Hospital, said in a prepared statement.

Since late 2014, Western Reserve Hospital Partners, the group of doctors at Western Reserve Hospital who own a 60 percent share of the hospital, has fought to kick Summa Health out of the Cuyahoga Falls hospital. The groups have been in ongoing legal battles.

Under the terms of the agreement, all outstanding litigation is resolved, according to the release. The definitive agreement follows a Nov. 8 announcement that the organizations had entered into a letter of intent.

"The consummation of this agreement is important because it not only resolves our differences, but ensures the best interests of the Cuyahoga Falls community will be served," said Dr. Cliff Deveny, Summa Health interim president and CEO. "While this agreement brings clarity to several contractual and legal issues, we look forward to continuing to collaborate with WRH and WRHP in the care of the many patients we collectively serve."

The agreement comes at the end of a long year for Summa Health. In early 2017, the system's CEO over fallout from severing Summa Health's contract with emergency physicians and a permanent replacement has not yet been named. Summa Health also this year eliminated 300 positions because of projected operating losses.

Just the facts
CLEVELAND, Ohio--It's not "The Emerald Necklace" anymore.

It's just plain "Emerald Necklace."

And Leaf Man doesn't sport any old label anymore. He wears either of two approved kinds.

Officials of the 100-year-old Cleveland Metroparks have standardized, licensed and trademarked popular terms and logos that promote the system and its leading attractions. Alluding to venerable guidelines for writers, Metroparks President Bruce Rinker called the parks' new Trademark and Logo Usage Policy, which commissioners approved in November, an "Elements of Style."

The Metroparks' logo, created in 1975, features Leaf Man, a stick figure in the shape of a dotted Y inside an outline of a leaf. Nearby are the words "Cleveland Metroparks."

The new guidelines put those words in their place. They must either occupy a single line of type to Leaf Man's right or two lines beneath him, in which case "Cleveland" fills the higher line and "Metroparks" the lower. (But there's an exception: the new logo of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, where "Cleveland Metroparks" occupies two lines to Leaf Man's right.)

Why spiff up at age 100? For better branding. A century ago, public relations was in its infancy. Now branding's all the rage.

Kelly Manderfield, the parks' chief marketing officer, says, "Back in '13, when I joined the organization, there were 50-plus logos. It was making it difficult for people to understand and navigate everything Cleveland Metroparks had to offer. We've been trying to streamline and focus on the overarching Cleveland Metroparks master brand."

But the policy also allows some variations, so the logo and terms can work in many kinds of materials, such as park entrance signs, road signs, banners, maps, brochures and web pages.

The logo must be at least 0.75 inches wide when the words appear beneath Leaf Man, or 2 inches wide when right of him. It should never be embellished, tilted, excerpted or narrowly bordered.

The font should be Helvetica. The color should be Pantone green 357 or its equivalent. But it can be white instead if on a dark background or black if in black and white materials.

Officials won state trademarks years ago for certain terms and images. They recently won federal trademarks as well.

They monitor the use of logos and terms not just by employees but outsiders. They've sent a few "cease and desist" letters to people who have borrowed the Leaf Man logo without permission.

All borrowers must sign licensing agreements, and commercial borrowers must pay a fee. For instance, in 2014, Pierre's Ice Cream of Cleveland introduced an "Emerald Necklace" flavor with the earthy colors of mint, chocolate cream cookies and fudge. Pierre's agreed to donate $2,500 to the Metroparks and pass out discount tickets to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Some nonprofits that use the parks for free, like the Cleveland Hiking Club and the Ohio Horseman's Council, may use logos and terms for free, too, in the proper style, with trademark symbols and credit to the Metroparks where appropriate.

The term "Emerald Necklace" goes back to the early Metroparks, which encircled Cleveland's outer suburbs, but has grown to cover all of the system's more than 23,000 acres today, including newer ones closer to downtown. The new bans "The" before "Emerald Necklace.

The early Metroparks were formed with guidance from famous parks designer Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed an Emerald Necklace in Boston. The two parks systems have agreed to let each other use the term.

Metroparks staffers have created new logos in recent years for new facilities and events. They supplemented the standard Leaf Man logo with customized images, terms, colors and fonts for each subject. For instance, the logo for the new Merwin's Wharf restaurant shows a freighter in the water. The Edgewater Live concert series logo shows Cleveland's skyline.

Staffers also revised the Metroparks Zoo logo this year. They added the slogan, "Securing the Future for Wildlife," and images of six animals the zoo helps to protect here and abroad: a gorilla, a giraffe, an elephant, an Asian turtle, a lion and a generic bird.

This year's Metroparks centennnial logo is rich with images and symbols. It shows the Brecksville Nature Center, the system's first, and the nine original reservations. Birds, plants and other objects spell out the letters R for recreation, E for education and C for conservation. There's another E with an N for Emerald Necklace. The Metroparks' first mascot--Tammy the Chipmunk (genus Tamias), born in 1952--makes a return engagement.
MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Police are investigating after a teenager's body was found Friday at a Mayfield Heights home.

Officials have not yet determined the boy's cause of a death, but they are investigating it as a suspected homicide, according to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office.

Medical examiners on Tuesday identified 17-year-old Phillip Moore as the victim. He was a Euclid resident, according to the office.

Moore was found dead on Dec. 22 at a home in the 1300 block of Ranchland Drive between Mayfield and Oakville roads, according to the office.

Mayfield Heights police did not immediately respond to messages seeking details about the boy's death. It is unknown whether police have identified or arrested any suspects in the case.

To comment on this story, please visit Tuesday's crime and courts comments section.
Priests at the ceremony (Photo: VNA)



This was one of many places in Malaysia where Vietnamese Catholics chose to conduct their great ceremony in the year.

The organizers said that this year a smaller number of Vietnamese Catholics attended the ceremony than previous years because many Vietnamese workers returned the homeland.

The data provided by Malaysias Ministry of Home Affairs shows that there are about 29,000 legal Vietnamese workers working in the country, while the figure was 60,000 in early 2016.

Like previous years, a priest was sent from Vietnam to the Holy Family Church to organize the ceremony for Vietnamese Catholics in this area.

Apart from Kajang, Vietnamese Catholics also gathered to welcome Christmas in many other places such as Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Penang./.
Ambassador Doan Thi Huong speaking at the event (Photo: quehuongonline.vn)

At the event, Vietnamese Ambassador Doan Thi Huong reviewed the main features of Vietnam - Cuba relations over the past nearly 60 years, about memories of President Fidel Castro in Vietnam during the fierce resistance war against the US.



She affirmed that Vietnam and Cuba are far from each other in geography but the relationship between the two countries has been tempered and challenged through war and historical vicissitudes. It has been ceaselessly developed and become an invaluable asset of the two nations. The desire of the two people was unity and helped each other to fight against the common enemy, build the equal, self-control, friendly and cooperative relationship.

Heart of each Vietnamese person today and in the future always keeps Fidel Castros immortal sayings: For Vietnam, Cuba is ready to devote its blood. We also dont forget the image of Fidel Castro raising the liberation flag on the entrenched fortification 241 on the position of the first and only foreign head of state visited the newly liberated region in Quang Tri in September 1973. Fidel Castros actions and sayings and good deeds of the Cuban leaders, people and friends in the world were great encouragement and important factors contributing to the victory of the people of Vietnam in the cause fighting for the national independence and reunification in the previous time.

The Ambassador believed that generations of Vietnam and Cuba today and in the future will continue to follow the good tradition and write new historical pages to further deepen the special Vietnam - Cuba relations, contributing practically and effectively to the cause of construction and protection of the nations. On this occasion, she thanked and wished Cuban people and guests a healthy, happy and prosperous new year.

Cuban Ambassador to Mongolia Raul Delgado Concepcion told memories about years when he and his family lived in Vietnam. He said Cuban people are very honoured to be friends with Vietnam, a heroic and brave nation. The relationship between the two countries is brotherhood; the two countries have experienced various difficulties and challenges in fighting for a target of building an equitable and good society.

He wished the Vietnam - Cuba friendship to be unshakeable and immortal, and thanked the Vietnamese Embassy in Mongolia for organizing the solemn and warm meeting.

At the event, former Mongolian Ambassador to Vietnam Tsolmon, nearly 80 years old, who spent six years working in Vietnam, said that for him, the time in Vietnam is the most beautiful period of time. Vietnamese people are friendly, open-hearted, honest and enthusiastic, which helped him complete his tasks. This event, helping him meet Vietnamese people and smell Pho (noodle soup) and spring roll, made him remember the memories when he lived in Vietnam.



He hoped to come back to Vietnam, to visit Hoan Kiem lake and walk in streets full of alstonia scholaris flowers. Besides, the diplomat wished the people of Vietnam a healthy, happy and successful new year, and the Mongolia - Vietnam friendship to be more developed./.
Focus on French Cinema 2018 has announced that Hearst Connecticut Media Group writer Joe Meyers will lead the selection committee as director of programming for the annual French and Francophone film festival.

The festival will take place at the Bow Tie Criterion Cinemas at Greenwich Plaza, the Avon Theatre Film Center in Stamford and at the French Institute/Alliance Francaise in Manhattan.

Film scholar Anne Kern, the former director of programming for FFC, will continue to advise the selection committee as consultant to the selection committee and board member of the Alliance Francaise of Greenwich.

Joe Meyers is an expert in virtually every area of film, but he has a special love and extensive knowledge of French cinema. He is deeply rooted in the local community and brings with him a dedicated following of readers from across the region. We are thrilled and honored that he accepted our invitation to join the Focus team, Kern says.

Presented annually by the Alliance Francaise of Greenwich, FFC 2018 will celebrate 14 years of screening the best of French and Francophone films from around the French-speaking world. The line-up of contemporary and classic French-language films will include feature-length films, documentaries, animation and retrospectives, as well as a selection of short films.

Meyers will lend his cinematic expertise, based on years as a writer covering the arts for Hearst Connecticut Media Group, as well as his service as a moderator for the French Cinematheque series sponsored by Focus on French Cinema every month at the Avon Theatre.

Meyers hosts the Hearst Movie & aMartini film series at theaters throughout Fairfield County. In the 1970s, Meyers ran the first art house on the Delmarva Peninsula  the Lewes Cinema  where he programmed films by Francois Truffaut, Luis Bunuel and other great European directors.

Meyers will work closely with the FFC selection committee in the selection of films for FFC 2018 while moderating round-table discussions and Q & As during the festival weekend in Greenwich and at the Avon Theatre screening on Monday, April 30.
Business trips can be rough over the holidays. Most of us would rather be relaxing in front of a roaring fire than sitting on a cramped plane, but business cant always wait til January.

For those of you who are trading the comforts of home for planes, trains, and conference rooms, here are 11 quick tips for for mastering travel during this hectic holiday season.

Early Arrivals

If possible, I try to arrive in a city the night before my first meeting. An extra night gives me a chance to explore since once my meetings start, I usually don't have time to enjoy the scenery before getting back on a plane. Plus, if youre traveling to Europe this time of year, you can enjoy the nightly colorful Christmas markets that are typically found in town centers.

Get My Body Ready

Don't underestimate jet lag, especially on frequent international trips. The night before my trip, I try to get to bed early or late, depending on where I'm headed, so that my body can start to adjust to the new time zone. I also bring Tylenol PM, which I use as a last resort option in case Im really struggling to fall asleep the night before an early breakfast meeting.

Rest and Recharge

Whirlwind trips leave little time for relaxation, but sleep is a critical component of being able to play at the top of your game. Instead of checking your phone in the back of that Uber (or Lyft or GrabTaxi or local cab), try closing your eyes and taking some deep breaths. Resting, even for a few minutes, always makes me feel more relaxed, centered and ready to tackle my next meeting.

Study Time

Before traveling abroad, I download language lesson podcasts so I can listen to them on the plane. This habit helps my mind adjust to hearing the new language and I can pick up some useful phrases, which is always helpful when navigating foreign cities.

Rely on Colleagues

In the office, I have a team that covers for me as needed. My assistant handles inbound requests and my cofounder takes meetings in my home base of San Francisco. This way, I can focus during my trip without worrying about whats happening back at the office.

Related: When Your Home Life Is Stressful, Your Business Suffers

Set Aside Correspondence Time

Email tends to pile up if I'm traveling, and clearing out my inbox can take hours. So, I try to set aside blocks of time (like two hours before breakfast or two hours before going to bed) to address important correspondence and delegate the rest.

Away Alerts

I always activate my e-mail auto-responder to let people know I am away from the office. This way I don't feel pressure to respond immediately, and I can deal with other priorities while traveling. (Don't forget to turn it off when you get back to the office, either, or clients might think you spend too much time away from your desk.)

Stay Hydrated

I keep bottled water with me all the time. Few things, short of exercise, will dehydrate you faster than flying. And few things will make you feel worse than being dehydrated. (Hangovers are one of them, by the way.)

Related: Sleep In and Make Millions: Why You Don't Need to Wake Up at 5 A.M.

Extra Essentials

I keep particular items that I may need at any time in my carry-on luggage -- converters, laptop and cell phone power cords, as well as toiletries, such as toothpaste and deodorant. I keep back-ups in my checked bags, too. That way, I'm covered if Ive forgotten something.

Relax

Being resilient, flexible, and fast on your feet is necessary for traveling at any time of year, but especially so during the holidays when airports are jammed, snow storms delay flights, bags get crushed in overhead compartments, and fellow travelers are stressed out with screaming kids. Rather than getting agitated, I try to remember that I am exactly where Im meant to be at that moment.

Related: 10 Habits That Will Dramatically Improve Your Life

Learn to Meditate

If all this insanity gets to be too much to handle, remember several apps are just a download away that will help you meditate, which can be another useful way to spend downtime in an airport or plane, or even if you need to break away for some peace and quiet when your in-laws are in town for the holidays.

Bon voyage and happy holidays!

Related:

11 Practical Tips for the Holiday Business Traveler

American Airlines Glitch Caused It to Give Too Many Pilots Vacation Over Holidays

New Lufthansa Business-Class Seats Will Offer You a Choice of a Bed or Big Desk



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


HAMDEN  Two juveniles were arrested Sunday after they allegedly stole a vehicle that was left running and warming up in a West Helen Street driveway, police said.

The juveniles, aged 15 and 16, were each charged with third-degree larceny, criminal trover and interfering with a police officer, police said in a news release. One of the juveniles was also charged with engaging a police officer in pursuit, the release said.
In the last decade, a lot has been made of the demise of traditional media. While newspaper readership is down, media consumption in general has skyrocketed. In fact, in the United States, adults spend almost half of their time on some kind of electronic device, watching, reading and listening to media sources. This trend creates more, not less, opportunities for business owners looking to reach audiences through media.

Media is an all-encompassing term that includes all of the many ways used to reach a mass audience. Television, newspapers, magazines, radio, social media, apps, podcasts, and blogging are just some of the avenues traditionally used to communicate with consumers. Given all of these options, it can seem overwhelming or fruitless to conduct outreach campaigns through the media.

Related: 6 Tips to Building a Stronger Brand Using New Media

By using the right tools, you can start to create a successful relationship with both the media and your audience.

Finding a place to start.

The trick is to narrow your audience before you begin. The better you know the public you are trying to reach, the easier it will be to find and communicate with them. Once youve defined your audience within specific parameters, you can find the correct outlet to reach them.

For example, while it is easy to assume that Facebook is a good place to start (this platform has double the users of any other social platform), not all messages are equally received through social media. However, a company with a B2B model will likely be banging its head against the wall, generating content that the wrong users (if anyone at all) are reading. Likewise, a small retail shop specializing in local goods will likely find it difficult to garner the attention of national outlets like the Wall Street Journal or Good Morning America.

Focusing on the right types of publications that cater to your business clientele or on local new outlets in the region you serve. It will make all the difference in the success of any outreach efforts.

Think vertical.

Companies might consider targeting smaller, niche publications that cover topics specific to their business model. In the last two decades, the Internet has given rise to millions of smaller-budget, highly focused magazines, newsletters, websites and blogs that cover everything from pet nutrition to traveling with children. A cloud-based security company could find more than 20 publications that discuss only this topic with a simple Google search, for example.

Related: How To Find Your Ecommerce Business Niche

Each of these online outlets will offer access to readers who are already interested in the product or service you sell. And because they offer such specialized content, they are likely always on the hunt for a new story to tell. Corresponding with these types of media outlets will often yield opportunities for interviews, product reviews, or the chance to personally write an article reaching out to consumers.

Consider self-publishing.

One of the most advantageous changes in media over the last 30 years is the opportunity to reach out directly to your audience, without a middleman. In the past, a press release was useless unless published through an expensive wire service. Stories about your company would only be heard if they were picked up by a print, television or radio outlet. That is no longer the case.

Entrepreneurs can now publish their own content and promote it through both traditional and non-traditional channels. A press release posted to your own website may still garner thousands of views and yield more targeted leads. A corporate blog can serve to promote new products, tell human-interest stories, and interact with customers.

Related: The Rise (and Rise) of Branded Podcasts

Even radio content can be mimicked through podcasting. All of these avenues offer the chance to reach out directly to an audience that is already interested in the ideas you have to talk about.

If you can get beyond the old definition, media equals newspaper, thousands of opportunities to work both with and alongside the media are just a mouse click away. Take advantage of media new and old to gain the thirdparty validation that every business needs.

Related:

New Media Equals New PR Opportunities for Business Owners

4 Innovative Ways to Get Media Coverage

Is Sending Out a Press Release Really Worth the Money?



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


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
For many women, juggling a career with the demands of motherhood can be exhausting.

But a high-flying Amazon executive and mother-of-two claims that far from being a hindrance, becoming a parent has boosted her productivity - and as a result, made her more successful.

Fiona McDonnell, Amazon's European Director of Beer, Wine and Spirits, says that looking after her two sons, now aged seven and four, has allowed her to focus her time and energy more efficiently.

According to the latest ONS figures, a staggering ten out of 11 UK mothers are now at work - the highest proportion ever.

Here, Fiona, who has held top jobs at companies including Nike and Kellogg's and lives in London, explains the five things she learned from being a working mum - and what you can learn too.

What I learned: Fiona McDonnell claims that far from being a hindrance, becoming a parent has boosted her productivity - and as a result, made her more successful

1. Tough transition: Being a first-time mum in the cut-throat business world

In 2015 I joined Amazon in Germany as Director of Toys and later in 2016 became Director of our Beer, Wines and Spirits business across Europe. I relocated to London earlier this year where I live with my Dutch husband Reimer and our two boys.

When I had my first son, I was Managing Director of a Dutch manufacturing business. At that time, I was working late and intensely, and I did wonder how I would be able to still do the job. I returned to work after 16 weeks' leave (the Dutch standard) and had chosen to still feed my son myself.

2. Priority matters: Learning to drop the stuff that doesn't matter

Logistically, the first few months were brutally organised to be able to feed and work, but it mattered to me to do this for my kids. I didn't have extended family nearby, but my husband and I became a real team and we found a way.

What sounded impossible became a routine and I quickly found that I dropped the stuff that didn't matter, made choices and got way more productive in the process. I have never looked back.

3. Being more 'me' (and learning to let go)

Prioritisation is not the only thing I have taken away from being a mum. Driven by the initial sleep deprivation, my coping mechanism was to notice where I got my energy and where not.

Fiona McDonnell, Amazon's European Director of Beer, Wine and Spirits, says looking after her two sons Jasper, seven and Elliot, four (pictured) has allowed her to focus her time and energy more efficiently

Working mum: Fiona, who has held top jobs at companies including Nike and Kellogg's, explains what she's learned from being a working mum - and what you can learn too

I realised that it takes energy trying to be someone you are not, and as I was striving to be an authentic leader, becoming a mum really helped me let go.

Having children let me drop the rigid perception of what 'a successful career woman' looked like, and it let me be more 'me'.

When pregnant with my second child, I was working in Poland in a factory environment and still held general meetings up until my last two weeks, with my baby 'bump' and still wearing my heels.

I remember a group of ladies who came up to tell me how much they valued me carrying on 'as normal' and looking like I enjoyed it too. I probably just stopped trying so hard and in doing so was more relaxed, effective and certainly contented.

4. Leave on time - and don't take work home

Now at Amazon, my day starts with the family; having breakfast, getting ready, the general running around and then a long commute, which I use as working time and focus on the day ahead. I have no typical days but a mixture of meetings, developing my team, meeting vendors and spending time creating new things.

Can you have it all? For many women, juggling a career with the demands of motherhood can be exhausting - but Fiona says it can boost your productivity

'Having children let me drop the rigid perception of what 'a successful career woman' looked like, and it let me be more "me",' explains Fiona (pictured here with her two sons)

I leave at 5pm and wrap up work on the train to be home for some bedtime stories with the kids at about 6.30pm. I am lucky that I have the tools and the freedom at Amazon to work flexibly and I fit the job in when and where it works best.

Amazon also supports the early years of parenthood with paternity leave and return to work policies, which are really valuable in giving new parents the room to find their own new routines too.

I don't bring work home or on holiday so when I do work I am focused, productive and refreshed. When I first started at Amazon my kids would tell people, 'Mummy works at the toys shop where the man brings everything to the door'.

I love their accurate view of the world. I take a lot of inspiration from the time I spend with my kids and use it at work.

5. You CAN have it all (sort of)

When I did a keynote speech for International Women's Day, many of my examples had their origin in my personal life and colleagues told me that they were more easily able to connect to my story.

High-flier: In 2015 Fiona joined Amazon in Germany as Director of Toys and later in 2016 became Director of their Beer, Wines and Spirits business across Europe

'Can women have it all?' is such an incomplete question. Women are not all the same, and mothers are not all the same. We may all have different priorities in life.

There are so many opportunities today in terms of technology or policies that employers can deliver to support employees' various preferences, or functions and industries to work in to find something that resonates for you.

The key thing I believe is making sure you define 'having it all' in your own way. Don't measure yourself against other people's definition of success as it doesn't guarantee you'll feel fulfilled.

My advice would be to know your own values, make your own choices to support your priorities, don't be any less ambitious, but do it on your own terms. It matters only that YOU feel you have it all, and at the end of the day only you will know if you do.
Breakfast in Santorini, jaunts on private jets, jumping into lagoons in Tulum.

This is a snapshot in the life of Jesse Allen and Pixie Marlan, whose lives changed thanks to a chance meeting in a bar one Sunday years ago.

Pixie had been taking pictures for nearly a decade, while Jesse had just enrolled in photography school.

Their instant connection would fuel a partnership - both in love and art - that has led to successful careers with international swimwear and fashion brands, travels all over the world, and more than 366,000 Instagram followers between them.

Photography powercouple Jesse Allen, 27, and Pixie Marlan, 24, travel the globe to shoot for international swimwear and fashion campaigns

The couple's lives changed after they met at a bar one Sunday a few years ago. Pixie convinced Jesse to drop out of photography school and promised to teach him everything she knew

Jesse, now 27, was working part-time in a coffee shop and paying 'a fortune' for photography school when he met Pixie.

'We met in a bar and hung out the next day and legitimately haven't spent a day apart since,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'Pixie was into photography since she was really young, around 14, and I was 24. She told me to leave school and she would teach me everything I needed to know.'

'I knew she was really good, and Pixie was already shooting the things I wanted to shoot, so I was super excited to learn. It worked out really well.'

For the first few years the Gold Coast couple were working full-time jobs and doing most of their shoots on the weekend, never getting a break.

But as their profiles rose in the photography world, Jesse and Pixie, now 24, decided they would pursue their passion full time and launched Creatif Company.

In their first year of working as full-time photographers, Jesse and Pixie have spent eight of the last 12 months all over the world.

For the first few years the Gold Coast couple were working full-time jobs and doing most of their shoots on the weekend, never getting a break

But as their profiles rose in the photography world, Jesse and Pixie decided they would pursue their passion full time and launched Creatif Company

With fashion campaigns in the Bahamas, United States, Europe, and the Maldives, the couple have found only more and more success.

They've especially made a name for themselves with their swimwear photography, which Jesse said has recently been inspired by Playboy Magazine's 2016 revamp.

'The way Playboy changed their aesthetic was pretty cool. It went from being a semi-corny sleazy magazine to something that a lot of new aged photographers look up to,' he said.

'The use of film and top class locations is incredible. I feel as though it implied nudity is the new black.'

And when it comes to photographing beautiful women in bikinis, Jesse and Pixie have found that working as a couple makes their subjects feel far more relaxed.

'It definitely helps having another woman there when shooting nudity, I think it makes the model feel more comfortable,' he said.

In their first year of working as full-time photographers, Jesse and Pixie have spent eight of the last 12 months all over the world

With fashion campaigns in the Bahamas, United States, Europe, and the Maldives, the couple have found only more and more success

Jesse said that working together has helped both of them teach the other new ways of looking at the same shot, with rewarding results

'We are both on set with each other every day and, while most shoots won't have nudity, if it is involved the models know what to expect from us and know that it will be shot in a very tasteful way.'

And with everyone more comfortable during a shoot, Jesse said it is far easier to get the desired shots that have made the couple such a powerhouse team.

'Having each other on set is invaluable,' Jesse said. 'It means you get to focus purely on the shot that's taking place.'

'Either Pixie or myself will be shooting while the other is helping with direction, looking for the next place to shoot, or with the reflecting light.'

And Jesse said that working together has also helped both of them teach the other new ways of looking at the same shot, with rewarding results.

The couple plan to continue combining forces, with Jesse revealing that the secret to working with you partner is simply an open mind and a listening ear

'In the creative world no one is wrong, and we have learned that by being surprised by each other's work,' he said

'We both have really different eyes, so it's very interesting working together,' he explained.

'I'll think of a shot when we're on a campaign and she will think of a completely different one, so we end up taking both shots and the client has two different angles to choose from.'

'It's really cool to see what images the client prefers - there's always a massive mix of both of our ideas.'

The couple already have shoots planned in Mexico and the Maldives in 2018 and revealed they will also be working with more fashion-based brands in the new year.

And Jesse and Pixie are also planning on launching a YouTube channel, where they will interview models and creatives to discover more about their lives in the industry.

They've especially made a name for themselves with their swimwear photography (pictured), which Jesse said has recently been inspired by Playboy Magazine's 2016 revamp

And when it comes to photographing beautiful women in bikinis, Jesse and Pixie have found that working as a couple makes their subjects feel far more relaxed

And with everyone more comfortable during a shoot, Jesse said it is far easier to get the desired shots that have made the couple such a powerhouse team

'The goal is to continue to work with different clients around the world,' Jesse said.

'We want to continue to expand our photography skills and always be trying new things.'

The couple plan to continue combining forces, with Jesse revealing that the secret to working with you partner is simply an open mind and a listening ear.

'In the creative world no one is wrong, and we have learned that by being surprised by each other's work,' he said.

'When I thought something wouldn't work and it turns out to be the best shot of the day, it's exciting.'

'We both just get each other and it's an amazing feeling to talk about the thing you love to do with the person you love every day.'
Melania Trump's husband may be a vocal proponent of the second amendment, but the first lady doesn't seem to care much about baring arms. Her arms, that is.

Since Donald Trump took office  in fact, since the 2016 campaign  the 48-year-old's fashion choices have featured one particularly striking difference from those of her predecessor.

Unlike Michelle Obama, who frequently chose sleeveless dresses and tops that flaunted her famously toned arms, Melania appears to be partial to outfits with sleeves that that keep her arms and shoulders under wraps.

First lady fashion: Melania Trump frequently picks outfits with sleeves, including for her official portrait

Baring arms: Michelle Obama was a fan of going sleeveless, including in her own official portrait

Perhaps the biggest difference in style between the two is their sleeve-wearing frequency

Melania favors things with sleeves, including jackets and blazers; Michelle did not

Much has been said of 48-year-old Melania's style choices, both complimentary and not-so-much. Her Jackie O-inspired look made headlines, as did the Top Gun-theme look  complete with widely-mocked 'flood heels'  she wore to visit Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

Michelle's style picks were written about and dissected as well while her husband was in office.

Yet aside from a clear flair for fashion from both ladies, the two seem to have little style overlap, and one especially notable thing that sets them apart is their sleeve preferences.

Michelle, 53, caused quite a stir during Obama's first term with her sleeveless dresses. In 2009, while her husband gave a speech to Congress, she sat in the audience in purple sleeveless dress.

'Oh my god. The First Lady has bare arms in Congress, in February, at night!' Cindi Leive, then the editor of Glamour magazine, told the New York Times at the time.

The sleeve disparity is noticeable both in casual and formalwear

Much has been said about Michelle's toned arms, and the former first lady famously worked out regularly

Melania, a former model is has nothing to hide, but still prefers sleeves that cover up

Melania has ushered in a new first lady look during her first year in the White House

'When she was at the non-State of the Union address and had the sleeveless dress on, that was a bit of a surprise and I got some e-mails from some folks who were, you know, they work on the Hill and they were like, "Wow she's sleeveless.Nobody else is sleeveless here and it is the winter,"' Politico White House reporter Malika Henderson told ABC News.

'Her kind of philosophy of fashion is that women should wear what they are comfortable in,' Henderson added. 'And so there she is with her arms out.'

Shortly after, Chicago Tribune style reporter Wendy Donahue predicted that Michelle would make bare arms her 'signature statement'  and, of course, she turned out to be right.

'In many ways it's the perfect accessory for the times. They cost nothing except maybe a gym membership or a couple of 15-pound [weights] that you can use in your home,' she said. 'Those toned arms that are the envy of every woman, not just 45-year-old women, but 25-year-old women don't have arms that toned.'

Earlier this year, fashion designer Maria Pinto even spoke to the impact that Michelle's choices had.

Michelle caused a stir in February 2009 when she wore this sleeveless dress to a speech given by the President

Melania, meanwhile, wears long sleeves even in the summer (pictured)

Michelle was sometimes criticized by people who thought that her sleeveless looks were 'inappropriate'

Melania does occasionally go sleeveless as well, though it is not her favored style

She set the tone in 2018 with her speech at the Republican National Convention

She has continued to wear sleeves, perhaps in part to set herself apart from Michelle

'The sleeveless sheaths that I encouraged her to wear  it brought sleeveless into a space that was considered more acceptable. News anchors weren't allowed to wear sleeveless on TV before Michelle,' she told Elle.

But while many had praise for the look, some critics called her penchant for showing her arms off 'inappropriate' for her position  and that didn't end even when she left the White House in 2017.

In February, Ruth Ann Dailey, a columnist for The Federalist, shared her hope that Melania would usher in a return to sleeves.

'Not every woman has Michelle Obama's arms. Some body parts just look better covered up,' she wrote.

'Melania Trump has no jiggles to hide, but I'm heartened by the white Roksana Ilincic dress with bracelet-length sleeves she wore for her convention speech,' she went on, before referencing her election-night Ralph Lauren jumpsuit and pre-inauguration dinner Reem Acra gown, both of which also had sleeves.

She doesn't seem to break a sweat, even while wearing shirts and jackets in the heat

Even her more glamorous formalwear, like this gown, often comes with sleeves of some sort

She wears long-sleeve tops with skirts and pants as well

She also make a statement with her sleeves. While wearing coats, she frequently drapes them over her shoulders rather than sticking her arms in them

Some have mocked this practice, though others in the fashion world acknowledge that it is a fashion habit that shows off an outfit's silhouette

The new first lady has kept it up through her first year in the job, and people have certainly noticed the change.

'If there has been a single defining characteristic of Melania Trump's public profile over the past year, it has been her relationship with sleeves,' mused The Washington Post's fashion editor Robin Givhan.

Givhan admitted that Melania's preference for sleeves is all the more noticeable due to comparisons to Michelle  but Melania still makes them eye-catching in their own right.

'Trump's sleeves are the mark of a fashion aesthete who is willing to cast aside practicality in favor of line, silhouette and proportion,' she wrote. Her sleeves tell a story of an exceptional life, one that is now lived inside the White House security bubble.'

Her sleeves have come in many forms. There have been straight, snug sleeves that reach to her elbows or wrists. There have been the rolled-up sleeves of button-down blouses and chambray shirts. There have been wide flutter sleeves, like the ones that accented the Dior dress at the unveiling of the White House Christmas decorations.

Melania's sleeves come in various shapes and lengths

She has even taken to wearing coats and jackets inside, even when others aren't

Her sleeves are sometimes decorative and feature accents

She is a fan of the button-down collar shirt, and likes to roll the sleeves up

She's worn flutter sleeves, bell sleeves, and other decorative designs

Another go-to style for Melania is the blazer, like this one

'If there has been a single defining characteristic of Melania Trump's public profile over the past year, it has been her relationship with sleeves,' wrote Robin Givhan

To welcome China's president Xi Jinping and his wife to Mar-a-Lago this year, she wore a Gucci gown with three-quarter-length sleeves, accented at the ends with pink fur.

She's been a fan of bell sleeves, too, like the ones on that white Roksana Ilincic she wore to the RNC and the hot pink Delpozo dress she donned in September.

She's even made a statement of not sticking her arms in sleeves, draping coats and cardigans over her shoulders instead of wearing them in the traditional way.

'It's a fashion tic  a styling flourish that allows for layering while ensuring that each layer is visible,' Givhan explained. 'It's also an impractical style and essentially renders one's arms useless. But, of course, that assumes that one will need to do anything remotely physical. No first lady has to.'
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Drugs killed more Americans last year than died in the Vietnam War.

Tens of thousands of people have become hooked on prescription painkillers after operations, childbirth, and injuries.

The highly-addictive and expensive pills have driven many to seek cheaper cut-price alternatives like heroin and fentanyl on the street.

Usually, that means delving into a world like Philadelphias Kensington Avenue, home to the usual suspects of a down-and-out neighborhood (sex workers, homeless veterans, drop-outs) who come from all over the country, according to the DEA.

Experts advising the federal government warn that any moves to drive down painkiller prescriptions will be futile if street-cut opioids are still as accessible as sugar, and the ones who succumb to them are left to flounder.

Matt Neal was battling addiction after leaving jail, and contracted MRSA (sepsis) in his left leg. Due to his addiction, he couldn't keep up with his treatment regimen and despite in-patient care, doctors eventually amputated his left calf. He was one of Jeffrey Stockbridge's first subjects on Kensington Avenue, and is now one of the first in his next project: recovering

Before: Matt Neal (left) was part of Stockbridge's series in 2012, pictured here with his friend Gato outside the library

Tanya sits on the steps of the El Train at Kensington and Somerset in 2010. The 25-year-old said she has been escorting with an agency since she was 18 and does a bag of dope every morning before she leaves the house

A man named Vinny is pictured above in 2011 showing off his numerous tattoos on his chest and arms

It means this photo series - a years-long project by Jeffrey Stockbridge documenting heroin addicts along Kensington Avenue - has been gradually gaining traction.

The collection of large-format portraits started on a blog, photographing people in various binds of addiction, homelessness and crime, with short annotations about their journey.

While most urban areas are starting to curb addiction, Philadelphia - Americas largest poorest city - is still seeing an unwavering increase.

More than half of the residents of Kensington live below the poverty line, and half of those are in extreme poverty.

And business is booming.

A woman named Lauren is pictured above in 2009 writing in a notebook. In her note, she said she arrived in Philadelphia in February of 2008 and 'first began using illicit substances at the same time'

An unknown woman is pictured above on East Sterner Street in 2010 standing behind a brick wall full of graffiti

A man named Bobby is pictured above in 2010 flexing his muscles and showing off his numerous tattoos

Carol, pictured in 2010 at the age of 41. She told Stockbridge she'd been using on-and-off for 21 years, since she was 20. 'I had gotten an inheritance and I spent it all, after I bought a house,' she explained. 'And Heroin was one of the things that I that made me not feel anymore. So, and it becameit became, you know, the love of my life.'

Carroll, pictured in 2009, told Stockbridge she often sleeps out in the open during the day as a safety precaution  a bag of her personal belongings tightly grasped in her lap

A woman named Jamie is pictured above standing inside of a passageway in 2011

The streets heroin market is largely run by Mexicos Sinaloa cartel.

According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, people come from all over the country to partake in a kind of heroin tourism market.

Because there is so much competition, dealers need to be selling the purest heroin, at least 93 percent, agents explain.

For the residents, the fanfare over this market is late - this has been a reality for decades.

Im glad people are finally paying attention. Its too bad it had to wait, and in Philly it was the number one cause of death under 50, Stockbridge told Daily Mail Online.

He came across the community by accident, and readily admits that he avoided them at first, while photographing abandoned buildings for a college project.

Sarah, 2011. 'Im homeless,' she told Stockbridge. 'I, um Im 55, I have a Masters degree in psychology but after my husband of 20 years, Mother, and Father, uh, died in a car accident two, two years ago, I uh lost my home of twenty some years in Mount Holly, New Jersey, I lost my entire family, my career, um, my health, all in one fell swoop. Uh, yeah.'

An unknown man is pictured above sitting in a wheelchair with his head bowed in 2009

A woman named Ashley is pictured above in 2012 standing near piles of trash among plants

Sarah and Dennis get high in 2009 on the abandoned tracks above Kensington Avenue. The veins in Sarahs arms were unable to properly handle the injection, so at her request, Dennis shoots her in the neck

Stockbridge, who hails from a cabin in the woods in Woodbine, Maryland, said he had rarely had any contact with such a community, aside from seeing some urban areas while skating.

But on the final day of shooting his architecture project, a sex worker started talking to him, and I realized, these people are the ones I need to talk to.

Now, almost 10 years later, Stockbridge finds the sudden flurry of federal attention on street drugs abrupt, and welcome.

The amount of time Ive spent meeting people struggling with addiction Ive met so many different kinds of people - it could be anyone.

Pat & Rachel, Front and N Lee Street, 2012. At the time, they had been married for 11 years. They told Stockbridge that, when they met, Rachel wasn't into drugs but Pat was - 'dabbing and doping'. Then they 'dialed it down' and had kids, but Rachel fell ill and went on prescription painkillers. That sent them on a spiral. Rachel told Jeffrey on his blog: '[I]t got to the point where you know, we called uh, Children and Youth on ourselves and gave our kids over... it was the most selfless thing I could do, people say its selfish, but I thought I was doing the best I could.'

Some people fall into it, some people were dealt a bad hand at birth.

In general the US has ignored overprescribing opioids and now we are at a point where we cant ignore it any longer.

Speaking to people in Kensington, Stockbridge has found most people dont know the ins and outs of the Trump administrations various plans to cut down on addiction, and most cant see a way that the methods will reach them.

What we need are creative solutions which really come down to the individual, and supporting people in communities we normally dont support, Stockbridge said.
For hours on end Mary, an elderly resident at a nursing home in Bath, lies silently in bed, her eyes closed, unresponsive, even when staff call her name.

Then the lift door opens on the first floor where Mary has her room, and a 'clip clop' sound travels down the corridor.

Charlie, the therapy donkey, pops his head round the door before walking confidently up to Mary's bed.

Mary's eyes open almost instantly and, as she takes in the velvety muzzle and long grey ears, she breaks into a smile. Charlie sticks his head over the bed so that he's within her reach, as he's been trained to do, and Mary starts to pat his nose and neck.

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For hours on end Mary, an elderly resident at a nursing home in Bath, lies silently in bed, her eyes closed, unresponsive, even when staff call her name

Charlie has met Mary before  the wall of her room is peppered with pictures of previous visits.

'He's back,' she croaks, and it's as if a switch has been thrown. Mary becomes more animated than the staff have seen her in a long time as she happily interacts with the donkey and his handler, Kelly Baker.

Downstairs in the communal lounge Dermott, a rescue donkey from Ireland, has his head tucked into the arm of another delighted resident.

As she strokes him he snuggles into her, and the resident's face lights up  this is the first 'visitor' she has had in a while.

And where there was virtual silence moments before, since the donkeys' arrival everyone has been chatting and smiling.

'When the donkeys come in there is a transformation  residents, staff, everyone talks about it for days afterwards,' says Michelle Goreham, home admissions advisor at the Gracewell nursing and dementia care home, where the donkeys are visiting.

There are clear therapeutic benefits to animal visits, explains Dr James Brennan, a psychologist who worked with cancer patients for 22 years at the leading Bristol Oncology Centre.

He points to a wealth of research that supports the idea that interaction with nature of any kind  be it with animals or the countryside  is very restorative, helping to ease stress and calm mood.

Then the lift door opens on the first floor where Mary has her room, and a 'clip clop' sound travels down the corridor

Dr Trishna Macnair, who works in geriatrics and as a specialist doctor with Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice near Farnham, Surrey, adds: 'Many people find it easier to spend time with animals than with complicated humans, so for patients it can be a very peaceful or gentle experience.'

This can have a direct physical effect  animal therapy has been shown to lower blood pressure.

While dogs and cats have long been taken into care homes or hospitals  and as the Daily Mail reported last week, even ponies and llamas are now making visits  donkeys are now the most common animal visitor.

Kelly Baker, who works for Danny Donkey & Pals Assisted Therapy, has a calendar full of appointments in residential and nursing homes and hospitals.

'The thing with donkeys in particular,' adds Dr Macnair, 'is that they can help stir thoughts and memories of Christmas or summers on the beach.'

Of course, there are practical implications  Kelly has to train the donkeys to feel confident in lifts, be able to reverse out of small rooms and put their head over the bed (they also have to get used to wearing nappies for their visits).

Charlie, the therapy donkey, pops his head round the door before walking confidently up to Mary's bed

But beyond visits to hospitals, donkey therapy is also being used to help with a range of problems  from bolstering the confidence of children with autism to try something new, or helping those who've been through trauma or illness, to helping adults deal with anxiety or emotional difficulties.

The Donkey Sanctuary charity, based in Sidmouth, has six therapy sites around the UK providing around 32,000 donkey therapy sessions a year to young and old.

'It's more than just stroking a fluffy thing  studies have found that the heart rates of equines and humans will synchronise,' explains Caron Whaley, the charity's director of donkey-assisted therapy.

'And all equines are able to pick up on human emotions. They then mirror back what you are feeling  it's called biofeedback  but donkeys are particularly good at it,' she says.

That's because they are prey animals, so they have an innate ability to pick up on the body language and behaviour of others, as in the wild their survival depends on it.

'Donkeys can pick up on the signals given by humans  they can see in the body language and behaviour how that person is really feeling,' Caron Whaley adds.

'If you are working on building someone's confidence and they are just pretending to be confident, the donkeys will pick up on it and move away. A dog wouldn't do that; they are pleasing animals and will stay with you however you are feeling  it won't help you change.'

Mary's eyes open almost instantly and, as she takes in the velvety muzzle and long grey ears, she breaks into a smile

The idea is that watching the donkeys is like watching yourself in the mirror. This apparently helps people see how others perceive them and how they need to change their behaviour.

And as they are less skittish than horses, donkeys' calm, placid nature also makes them suited to therapy work, adds Caron Whaley.

Therapy sessions are conducted in an arena with staff trained in donkey-facilitated learning, and with one or more donkeys present. Sessions last anything from ten minutes to two hours.

Annaliese Laffan, 22, from Belfast, was scared of donkeys before she went to The Donkey Sanctuary's Belfast site.

As she says bluntly: 'Before I did this, if someone had said to me, 'You should try donkey therapy, it could really help sort you out', I would have laughed at them  but it has.'

Annaliese was put forward for donkey therapy by CLIC Sargent, a charity for young people with cancer. It's currently running a pilot scheme with The Donkey Sanctuary to see if the therapy can help young patients cope better emotionally after treatment.

Charlie sticks his head over the bed so that he's within her reach, as he's been trained to do, and Mary starts to pat his nose and neck

'The idea is to help build the youngsters' life skills which might have been hampered by illness,' says Caron Whaley.

After being treated for thyroid cancer, only for the cancer to return within a year, Annaliese was struggling. Her treatment finished in March last year but she was finding it difficult to get back to normal life.

'It's much harder finding out you have cancer the second time and I felt very alone  friends couldn't understand what I was going through,' says Annaliese.

'I felt quite lost; I didn't know which way to turn or what to do with my life.'

Then earlier this year her social worker at the charity suggested she joined its pilot project with the donkeys.

Annaliese had a two-hour session with the donkeys every week for nine weeks, along with another girl who'd had similar experiences. One week, for instance, there were three donkeys in the arena with them and the girls were asked to walk towards a mirror and talk quietly to themselves about an area of their lives they didn't have confidence in.

Annaliese recalls: 'The more relaxed I was, the closer the donkey came to me and the better able I felt to talk about my feelings. There is no way I would have been able to or wanted to talk to a human counsellor.

'I wouldn't be where I am now  starting a career teaching people with learning difficulties and feeling able to open up to people  if it wasn't for the donkeys.'

After the therapy sessions the donkeys themselves are often exhausted, says Caron Whaley.

'Mirroring back emotions is draining, and sometimes they will lie down in the arena the instant the therapy session is over and go straight to sleep for an hour.'

She adds: 'It doesn't work for everyone, but no one gets any worse using the donkeys and most get an awful lot better. We call it donkey magic  and it is very, very special.'
The bells, the bells . . . As well as a distant pealing, there's buzzing, a high-pitched hum  and now the sound of sirens.

I put my fingers in my ears, rather unattractively since I've just got off the bus, not to shut-out the noise but to listen.

This time the sirens aren't in my head: there's a real fire engine somewhere, I decide with a sigh of relief, despite the fact there is still a cacophony playing out in my head.

I try not to think about it. If I do even for a minute, there's the hum and the ringing, like swimming underwater, my ears full of gravel.

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The bells, the bells . . . As well as a distant pealing, there's buzzing, a high-pitched hum  and now the sound of sirens

It's tinnitus. I've had it since I was 25  almost 35 years of clamour. It's not a sign of damage to the ear which, in some cases, can be a cause of tinnitus; I've never been to overly loud rock concerts or subjected to industrial noise pollution.

I've not bashed my skull or dug into my ear canals with foreign objects. It just happened.

There was a programme on television about how it drove people to suicide, and  ding, ding, ding  later that night I woke in terror with a clanging bell in my ear.

I was already primed by TV to think this was a fate I would not be able to bear, something that would madden me and take me to the brink of my endurance.

Maybe it was the power of suggestion that got me listening in the first place. It didn't matter. It was there, and I was listening. I was deafened by it. Obsessed by it. Frightened by it. I rang a helpline. It didn't help.

As time passed, the tinnitus didn't. It remained my one constant. I saw doctors, one of whom gave me the advice to 'treat it like your little friend'. I looked at him with disbelief. If this was a friend, then who needed enemies?

I later got married and had children, the noise worsening with every pregnancy until, by child number three, I spent the evenings standing on the balcony trying to drown out the noise with the planes overhead flying into Heathrow.

I slept with an alarm clock under my pillow so I could focus on the slow tick, tick, tick, which helped me ignore the hisses and bangs. I wore hearing aids with white noise  they were meant to replace the sounds with something easy to listen to  but I found them to be worse than the tinnitus.

It's tinnitus. I've had it since I was 25  almost 35 years of clamour

I also had hearing test after hearing test and discovered in my late 20s that I had some hearing loss, affecting higher frequencies.

Now the bells were joined by the sound of 16 people playing out-of-tune recorders. Doctors explained that with a loss of hearing, the brain 'compensates' by producing tinnitus noise.

I saw specialists at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (now Action on Hearing Loss), who fitted me with hearing aids and plied me with reading material.

One doctor told me I could control the volume of sound myself because it was subjective, but sadly I couldn't find the audio button.

I went to an acupuncturist or five. I consulted an Indian guru and Chinese doctors. I drank herbs that smelled like dead dogs and tasted about the same. And still the bells, the bells just kept on ringing.

You get used to it, eventually  in as much as your entire life becomes about the noise, disguising the noise, ignoring the noise, trying to filter it out.

Some things help, others that should have helped, oddly in my case, exacerbated it.

Loud noises made it worse. Music made it worse.

From all that listening I became very sensitive to sound, distressed by loud music or any external, jarring noise, and often preferred just to sit in total silence so I could concentrate on the buzzing.

There was a support group locally, but I couldn't bring myself to attend  I didn't want to hear about other people's noise and since tinnitus can be linked to depression and suicidal thoughts, I was actually afraid to meet others who might be worse than me: I could cope only with my own distress.

It's not a sign of damage to the ear which, in some cases, can be a cause of tinnitus; I've never been to overly loud rock concerts or subjected to industrial noise pollution

Then, just when I grew accustomed to the noise, it would go up a notch or the pitch would alter and I'd have to recalibrate my response totally.

Worse were the sudden surges of sound, truly alarming clanging and fizzing and screaming that every few weeks would, from nowhere, explode in my ear and distress me sufficiently that I even went to A&E once or twice, convinced I had a brain tumour.

Sitting there next to the man bleeding from his ears, I felt his pain but had nothing to show for mine, and  fair enough  they sent me home with only a flea in my ear to add to the other stuff buzzing around in there.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with me.

The other day-to-day noises, the fizzing, the ringing, well, they are the soundtrack of my life now  my companions.

When they shift pitch, I listen carefully and ask myself: 'Can you live with this?' and so far the answer is always 'yes'.

And when the sounds in my head get too loud, I treat them like alarm bells and look at myself to see what's wrong: what am I doing too much of

There are so many other beautiful sounds in the world to balance it off. Birdsong, bees buzzing, the purring of a cat, the wind, the rain, the sea, laughter. I make a real effort to surround myself with these happy noises.

And when the sounds in my head get too loud, I treat them like alarm bells and look at myself to see what's wrong: what am I doing too much of?

Drinking? Alcohol makes it worse, but also makes you care less. Tiredness? Definitely makes it worse, so slow down. Too much coffee? Cut back.

My tinnitus is like a thermometer that takes the temperature of my wellbeing.

As I get older and inevitably deafer, perhaps it will get worse. But all sorts of other things get worse with age and some of those are deeply worrying, but I don't dwell on them, so neither do I dwell on the tinnitus.

It's just always there in the background. My not-so-little not-friend.
It was a place of death and despair that was dressed up to look like a model town in a bid to fool others that one of the greatest atrocities in history did not happen.

Months before the true horrors of the Holocaust were revealed the Nazi regime went to great lengths to try to convince the world they were not running concentration camps.

And the Czech camp Theresienstadt became the location to try out the deception after representatives from the International Red Cross were invited to inspect it, with the cruel camp directors forcing the inmates to build fake homes and shops to con the delegation into thinking it was a town.

Theresienstadt was a fortress built near Prague in the Bohemia region of Czechoslovakia between 1780 and 1790, named after the mother of the Austrian Emperor Joseph II who ordered its construction as part of a series of fort defences.

Theresienstadt, pictured, was a former Czech fortress turned into a concentration camp by the occupying Nazis during the Second World War. It was used primarily as a transit stop for Jews and political prisoners before they would be moved on to Auschwitz and other death camps. The sign translates to 'work sets you free', propagating the lie they were there to work

In 1944 the Nazis allowed the Red Cross to inspect the camp to try to dismiss rumours they were executing prisoners and they forced the inmates to create a 'modern Jewish settlement' by building fake shops and homes

The SS was able to successfully convince the Red Cross delegation the prisoners were being treated humanely, although they refused to let the visitors question the inmates directly. Camp bosses, including commander Heinrich Jockl, 'the monster of Theresienstadt' (pictured at his trial in 1946) considered the visit so successful they ordered a propaganda film to be made of the 'town' to show the world

By the 20th Century it had become obsolete and began being used as a jail for military and political prisoners.

But after Nazi Germany invaded it was taken over by the Gestapo in 1940 and turned into a Jewish ghetto, with a smaller fortress within the main building also used for political prisoners.

From 1942 onwards tens of thousands of Jews were imprisoned at Theresienstadt, with the camp serving as a transit stop before they were moved on to extermination camps, including Auschwitz.

To try to dispel rumours the camp was being used to exterminate prisoners, the Nazis presented it as a model Jewish settlement.

In order to prepare for the visit, the inmates were 'screened' and around 200 of the more 'socially prominent' were transferred to two-bed rooms to make it appear they lived in relative comfort.

On June 23, 1944, a delegation from the Danish and International Red Cross, including doctors and civil servants, was welcomed by an SS-appointed mayor who gave them a tour of the town.

Many Jews had been deported to Auschwitz in preparation while remaining prisoners were ordered to clean up the area and build fake shops and cafes to imply those who lived there had access to everyday amenities.

In reality the camp was as cramped and cruel as the others with tens of thousands of prisoners killed there, either being executed or succumbing to illness and disease. In order to prepare for the visit, the inmates were 'screened' and around 200 of the more 'socially prominent' were transferred to two-bed rooms to make it appear they lived in relative comfort.

The propaganda film was shot over 11 days at the camp, pictured, in September 1944 by a crew of inmates. It was directed by prisoner and experienced Jewish actor Kurt Gerron. The entire crew, including Gerron, were later killed, with the director executed in a gas chamber just one month later

The delegation stayed in freshly decorated rooms in the prominent section of the camp for wealthy prisoners while they were also treated to a performance of a childrens opera written by an inmate.

They were given a tour of the facilities based on a pre-determined route.

Nazi officials asked questions to prisoners about their happiness along the way, with the inmates ordered to ignore any direct questions from the delegates.

Despite the overwhelming censorship, the delegation was said to have left with a positive impression of Theresienstadt.

It gave the Nazis impetus to produce a propaganda film nicknamed The Fuhrer Gives a Village to The Jews, directed by an experienced Jewish actor Kurt Gerron, who was also a prisoner.

The shoot lasted 11 days in September 1944 but to ensure those who made it kept quiet, most of the cast were deported to Auschwitz while Gerron himself was executed in a gas chamber in October.

It was intended to be widely distributed as a means to quell the allegations against concentration camps but although a few screenings were staged, the end of the war prevented its full release.

The film, commonly known as The Fuhrer Gives a Village to the Jews, was never widely shown due to the advance of the Allies and the end of the war, although some screenings took place in Germany. Most of the footage is believed to have been lost over the years

Some of the footage survives today but it was mostly destroyed before the wars conclusion.

In reality prisoners were shot and starved to death, while others succumbed to disease due to the abhorrent conditions, with around 60,000 people crammed into a barracks designed to fit 7,000 soldiers.

By 1944 the Nazis began deporting the prisoners en masse to death camps before it was liberated by Soviet troops in May 1945.

It has since been the subject of many plays, films and documentaries highlighting how it was used as a propaganda tool.
Former 'porn model' turned drug mule Isabelle Lagace (pictured) admitted trying to smuggle 30kg of cocaine into Australia via a cruise ship

Greedy cocaine smugglers have unleashed a fleet of so-called 'blow boats' towards Australia from tropical islands in the south Pacific.

The Federal police have revealed the 3.3 tonnes amount of drugs seized from private yachts since December 2016 - as use of the drug soars in Australia.

The seizures involved four major stings involving French or Pacific Islands crime fighting authorities.

Australian authorities also played a crucial role in a French Navy effort which captured a further 1.4 tonnes from a yacht in New Caledonia in July.

These huge shipments are 'massive and fairly unprecedented', experts have told Daily Mail Australia.

Based on previous estimates, they could have a combined street value of about $1 billion.

Professor Andrew Goldsmith from Flinders University said cocaine comes 'overwhelmingly' from Colombia and Peru (on right). Loads of cocaine believed to be bound for Australia have been found in Tahiti, Vanuatu and near Tonga, reports said

Cocaine smuggler Isabelle Lagace (left and right) pleaded guilty to importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug after a trip around the world by cruise

Another coke yacht: In this separate October sting, police intercepted this yacht believed to be filled with 700kg of cocaine at Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney

More than half a tonne of cocaine was found concealed in the hull of the vessel

In February, in its most significant sting, the AFP helped seize a record 1.4 tonnes in cocaine from the yacht, Elakha, after it met a 'mothership' in the Pacific. Unbeknownst to the alleged smugglers, authorities had been monitoring them from the Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Centre (PTCCC) in Samoa.

This past October, the AFP also seized 600kg off the coast of New Caledonia and a further 700kg last month in Lake Macquarie, allegedly en route from Tahiti.

Last Christmas, police seized more than 600kg of cocaine when they busted a massive alleged ring involving 15 men, which detectives claimed involved a fishing vessel.

Plus, in late August 2016, Canadian porn star turned drug mule Isabelle Lagace attempted to smuggle a suitcase of 30kg of cocaine into Sydney - this time via a cruise vessel which had travelled to Australia via the south Pacific.

Professor Andrew Goldsmith, a top criminologist from Flinders University, said the 'massive' boat importations are 'pretty substantial and fairly unprecedented'.

'Sailing boats have been crisscrossing the Pacific forever so the fact people use them to bring cocaine is not surprising to me,' he said.

It is quite common for cocaine to be transported by sea up the west coast of South America to Mexico, he said.

This is a further 1.4 tonnes of cocaine seized off the coast of New Caledonia on July 27, 2017, as foiled by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission

This yacht was found marooned on a deserted tropical island in the south Pacific in 2012. Stashed on board was more than 200kg of cocaine and a badly decomposed body

Local police said the yacht was likely destined for Australia - where cocaine use is surging and the price is one of the highest in the world

But there was a massive - and no doubt tempting - possible payoff for smugglers looking to transport cocaine into Australia.

'Australia is renowned as probably paying the highest price per gram in the world,' Professor Goldsmith said.

'It makes it a naturally attractive target for drug traffickers to get it here.

'We're a big market but they're massive importations.'

Demand for cocaine - which sells for at least $300 a bag in Sydney - is skyrocketing, according to Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research figures.

Over the 12 months to September 2016, BOCSAR recorded 1817 incidents of cocaine possession. Over the 12 months to September 2017, the figure was 2566.

'It's been steadily climbing,' the bureau's Dr Don Weatherburn told the Australian Associated Press recently.

'I think it would be a fair thing to say that it reflects, at least in part, a real increase in cocaine consumption.'

Meanwhile, on the streets of Sydney: A man is arrested within view of the Sydney Opera House as part of an operation conducted by Strike Force Northrop, targeting dial-a-dealer cocaine supply

But it is rare for cocaine to be detected at the Australian border in sea cargo, statistics said.

The latest Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission report found sea cargo amounted to 0.1 per cent of detections.

Meantime, a huge majority - 94.7 per cent - of all cocaine importations detected were shipments through the international post.

An AFP spokesman said: 'Over the past two years the AFP has achieved significant success through close collaboration with Australian and international partner agencies to disrupt transnational crime'.

Other big seizures of cocaine from boats in recent years include the discovery of a marooned yacht on a deserted Pacific island in November 2012 - with 204kg of cocaine and a badly decomposing body stashed inside. Local investigators said the shipment was destined for Australia.

In 2011, Spanish skipper Ivan Ramos-Valea was caught importing 300kg of cocaine from Vanuatu to Bundaberg, Queensland, on his racing yacht Friday Freedom.

His wife, Julia, was jailed for two years for a crime she didn't commit before she was acquitted of drug smuggling charges by a jury.
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On a chilly Christmas Eve three centuries ago, one of the most devastating storms in the history of Europe smashed into the coastlines around the North Sea, killing over 13,000 people, annihilating thousands of houses and wrecking countless farms.

The apocalyptic weather caused enormous floods to submerge coastal areas in the Netherlands, Northern Germany and Denmark by Christmas Day.

As the surviving population struggled with the wind and the waves, Arctic gales spread across the continent and caused a crippling frost to descend on the suffering victims.

Britain, luckily, was spared the worst of the carnage - but some settlements in the Netherlands were almost completely destroyed.

The apocalyptic weather caused enormous floods to submerge coastal areas in the Netherlands, Northern Germany and Denmark by Christmas Day. Pictured: A contemporary drawing that shows the devastation wrought in Northern Europe by the storm and flood

As the surviving population struggled with the wind and the waves, Arctic gales spread across the continent and caused a crippling frost to descend on the suffering victims. Pictured: A contemporary sketch showing the cataclysmic damage caused by the storm. In the bottom right of the image is a baby drifting on the water

In the city of Groningen, the worst affected area of all, 2,300 people were killed - an astonishing number given the population at the time was just over 80,000. Pictured: An image showing the disaster in Groningen, with animals and people both suffering in the flood

Across the Continent, coastal dikes cracked and collapsed under the intense pressure of the hurricane-propelled waters.

Devastatingly, the force of the water was strengthened by the tides coming in at around the same time as the storm was raising sea levels.

In the city of Groningen, the worst affected area of all, 2,300 people were killed - an astonishing number given the population at the time was just over 80,000.

Professor Raingard Esser (pictured), director of the Groningen Research Institute for the Study of Culture at Groningen University and author of books on the topic, said the calamitous flood was 'one of the greatest nature-induced disasters in early modern history'

Professor Raingard Esser, director of the Groningen Research Institute for the Study of Culture at Groningen University and author of works on the topic, said the calamitous flood was 'one of the greatest nature-induced disasters in early modern history'.

Compounding the misery of the unfortunate victims in the Netherlands, administrators seeking to avoid a repetition in the future taxed locals so new flood defences could be constructed.

Meanwhile priests, feeling no less sympathetic, blamed parishioners and their sinful ways for the disaster, admonishing them to repent and by so doing save the country.

All this occurred in a post-flood environment of desperate food shortages and homelessness.

The storm, flood and freezing weather had killed thousands of farm animals, wrecked crops and smashed houses to pieces.

But it wasn't relentlessly disastrous - there were some positive outcomes.

Dike builders and water engineers were incensed by the cataclysm, blaming not a wrathful god but improvident town planners.

Professor Esser explains that obliterated Groningen was among the first cities to rework its tidal defences.

The city's chief water engineer, commis provinciaal Thomas van Seeratt, was at the forefront of the revolution.

'He proposed the construction of higher and better fortified dikes and was successful in realising his projects in the province (against some resistance of some local farmers, who refused to contribute to the additional costs),' Professor Esser said.

Compounding the misery of the unfortunate victims in the Netherlands, administrators seeking to avoid a repetition in the future taxed locals so new flood defences could be constructed. Above can be seen the affected areas around Groningen, which suffered unparalleled damage

The storm and flood were only matched in strength over two centuries later, during the disaster of 1953. Shown above is a larger map highlighting the affected areas (in green), with Germany and Denmark shown in the east

Professor Esser explains that obliterated Groningen was among the first cities to rework its tidal defences. The city's chief water engineer, commis provinciaal Thomas van Seeratt, was at the forefront of the revolution. Pictured: A simple drawing showing the annihilation of a settlement during the flood

'His construction of enlarged dike bodies prevented dike erosion and, ultimately, further disasters of the Christmas Flood scale.'

Van Seeratt, a Swede, recorded his technical calculations for dike construction in later texts, guaranteeing his advances in technology were not forgotten.

The storm and flood were only matched in strength more than two centuries later, during the disaster of 1953.

But by then much of Europe had learned from the lesson of 1717 and created functional defence systems.

As a consequence, there were 2,551 deaths in 1953 rather than the catastrophic losses of the 18th century.

But nonetheless, the crushing disaster of 1717 is now seen in the context of Dutch decline.

The country had experienced its golden age in the 17th century but, with this storm combining with other setbacks (including pressure from the growing British Empire), its time as a dominant European power was brought to an end.

Dr Raingard Esser, who has been teaching a special masters course named 'Coping with Crisis' in the build-up to the disaster's 300th anniversary, is the director of Groningen University's Classical, Medieval and Early Modern Studies research programme. She has also been deeply involved in the city's plans to mark three centuries since the Christmas Flood.
China's first emperor - creator of the world-famous terracotta army - was on a quest for eternal life, new archaeological research has revealed.

A set of wooden slips found in the central province of Hunan contain an executive order from emperor Qin Shihuang for a nationwide search for the elixir of life, along with replies from local governments, according to Xinhua news agency on Sunday.

It cited Zhang Chunlong, a researcher at the provincial institute of archaeology, as saying the emperor's decree reached even frontier regions and remote villages.

A set of wooden slips found in the central province of Hunan contain an executive order from emperor Qin Shihuang for a nationwide search for the elixir of life, along with replies from local governments

Qin Shihuang was responsible for the massive underground mausoleum in the northern province of Shaanxi filled with nearly 8,000 terracotta soldiers built to protect him in the afterlife

Qin Shihuang's obsession with eternal life was well-known: He was responsible for the massive underground mausoleum in the northern province of Shaanxi filled with nearly 8,000 terracotta soldiers built to protect him in the afterlife.

By studying the 36,000 wooden slips - found in 2002 at the bottom of a well in Hunan - archaeologists have uncovered not only the imperial order to find an 'elixir of life', but also the often embarrassed responses from local authorities who struggled to meet his demands.

According to Xinhua, a village called 'Duxiang' reported to the emperor that it had failed to discover a miraculous potion, but that the search was continuing.

Another place, 'Langya', suggested that 'an herb collected from an auspicious local mountain' might do the job.

The texts were written on a series of wooden slats originally connected to each other by strings.

Qin Shihuang's 8,000-man terracotta army, crafted around 250 BC for the emperor's tomb, is a UNESCO world heritage site

This technique was the most common medium of writing in China before the appearance of paper at the beginning of the first millennium AD.

Qin Shihuang's search for immortality was doomed to failure: He died in 210 BC after reigning for 11 years.

His 8,000-man terracotta army, crafted around 250 BC for the emperor's tomb, is a UNESCO world heritage site.

The site a major tourist draw and a symbol of ancient Chinese artistic and military sophistication in a country that proclaims itself a 5,000-year-old civilisation.

As emperor, he added, Qin Shihuang 'not only innovated the terracotta warriors, he also created a series of innovations' including standardised weights and measures, national roads, and a unified currency.

Following Qin Shihuan's death, the Qin dynasty - notorious for its book burnings and executions of literati - laid the foundation for China as a unified nation that has persisted for two millennia.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's eldest son resigned from his local government post on Monday, citing allegations of links to drug smugglers which he denies and a bitter social media dispute with his own daughter.

Paolo Duterte told the city council of Davao, a southern port where he serves as vice-mayor, that he was resigning because of 'recent unfortunate events in my life', citing family problems and allegations of drug smuggling.

'These among others, include the maligning of my reputation in the recent name-dropping incident in the Bureau of Customs smuggling case and the very public squabble with my daughter,' he said.

Paolo Duterte told the city council of Davao, a southern port where he serves as vice-mayor, that he was resigning because of 'recent unfortunate events in my life'

'I take responsibility for all that has happened,' the 42-year-old said in a statement later released to the press.

The president's son made headlines last week when he used the official Facebook page of the Davao vice mayor's office for an expletive-laced rant at his teenage daughter Isabelle, after she posted criticism of him on social media.

Her posts were not publicly available.

The vice mayor responded in a Facebook post - which was no longer publicly available on Monday - saying his daughter had 'embarrassed' herself with her behaviour though he did not elaborate.

The son of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, pictured, resigned from his local government post on Monday

Isabelle was in the media spotlight earlier this month when photos of her posing in designer gowns at the presidential palace went viral on social media.

An opposition senator accused Paolo earlier this year of facilitating the smuggling of crystal methamphetamine worth 6.4 billion pesos ($125 million) into the Philippines from China.

He testified in the Senate in September to deny the drug allegations, in a country that has seen thousands killed in an anti-narcotics campaign launched by his father.

Paolo Duterte made headlines last week when he used an official Facebook page for an expletive-laced rant at his teenage daughter Isabelle, pictured

Harry Roque, the president's spokesman, said Monday that Paolo's resignation letter had been received but did not comment further as 'the father wants to speak to the son first'.

Davao mayor Sara Duterte, the president's daughter, said Monday she did not know if her brother's resignation had been accepted.

The Duterte family has controlled Davao politics for more than two decades, with the president also having served as the city's long-time mayor.
Defence secretary Gavin Williamson yesterday said he would 'not hesitate' to defend Britain following an upsurge in the number of Russian warships in our waters.

Royal Navy frigate HMS St Albans was yesterday tracking the Russian vessel Admiral Gorshkov as it made its way across the North Sea menacingly close to Britain.

Although such crossings are fairly routine, there has been a rise in the number of Russian ships passing close to British territorial waters in recent days.

On Christmas Eve, HMS Tyne was dispatched to escort a Russian intelligence-gathering ship through the North Sea and the England Channel.

A Wildcat helicopter was then dispatched to monitor two further Russian vessels.

Royal Navy frigate HMS St Albans was yesterday tracking the Russian vessel Admiral Gorshkov as it made its way across the North Sea menacingly close to Britain

Although such crossings are fairly routine, there has been a rise in the number of Russian ships passing close to British territorial waters in recent days

The 190-strong company aboard the HMS St Albans initially set sail on December 23 - but tracked the Russian ship throughout Christmas Day.

The crew are among around 4,000 sailors deployed or on standby across the world, the Royal Navy said.

In an unusually strong statement, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: 'I will not hesitate in defending our waters or tolerate any form of aggression.

'Britain will never be intimidated when it comes to protecting our country, our people, and our national interests.'

In an unusually strong statement, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: 'I will not hesitate in defending our waters or tolerate any form of aggression'

Russian warships of the northern and Baltic fleets routinely pass through UK territorial waters en route to or from deployments in the Mediterranean and Gulf regions.

Chris Ansell, the Commanding Officer of HMS St Albans, said: 'My ship's company take great pride in serving Great Britain and the role they play dealing with both the routine and unexpected.

'Missing parts of Christmas and New Year with our families is never easy, but it is absolutely required as part of our duty to keep Britain safe all year round.

The crew of HMS St Albans are pictured on Christmas Day while they were escorting a Russian warship through the North Sea

Chris Ansell, the Commanding Officer of HMS St Albans, said: 'My ship's company take great pride in serving Great Britain and the role they play dealing with both the routine and unexpected'

'There is a pressing need to protect UK interests close to home, in the air, above and below the waves.

'Our trade, economy and information networks depend on the sea, and this operation demonstrates the Royal Navy's commitment to protecting our home waters and readiness to undertake short notice operations.'

UK relations with Russia remain tense after foreign secretary Boris Johnson and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov acknowledged 'difficulties' in their relationship last week.

Lavrov said it was 'not a secret' that relations were at a 'very low point,' but also stressed he did not think the deterioration was Russia's fault.

Ties between Moscow and the West have been strained since Russia's annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine in 2014 and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Royal Navy frigate HMS St Albans, pictured, was tracking the Russian vessel from the 23rd of December - including over Christmas Day (stock photo)

The Royal Navy was intercepting the Russian vessel Admiral Gorshkov, pictured, as it made its way across the North Sea menacingly close to Britain

NATO has built up physical forces in Poland and the Baltic states to build up a deterrent and underscore the strength of the alliance.

Last August, Mr Johnson had said Britain must 'normalise' its relationship with Russia after years of hostility.

They had hit rock bottom after an inquiry found Putin 'probably' approved the assassination of the Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko.

But then relations between the two countries plummeted even further when Russia stepped up its fight in Syria and joined forces with Assad to bomb Aleppo.

UK relations with Russia remain tense after foreign secretary Boris Johnson, pictured right, and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, pictured left, acknowledged 'difficulties' in their relationship last week

As a high-readiness unit, HMS Sutherland may be called upon at any time to help prevent arms trafficking, people smuggling, conduct counter-terrorism operations, maritime search and rescue, or escort duties like those it is undertaking today.

Earlier this year, Vladimir Putins huge aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov was spotted sailing past the white cliffs of Dover as it sailed home to Russia.

A squadron of RAF Typhoon warplanes were deployed to monitor the ageing Soviet-era vessel from the air as it passed menacingly close to Britain accompanied by the nuclear-powered cruiser Pyotr Veliky and support ships.

The vast warship last came close to Britain in October on its way to its deadly mission. Its crew was accused of an 'indiscriminate' bombing campaign in support of Assad.
Suspended and on leave: Border Force boss Roman Quaedvlieg

The Australian Border Force's social media team denied 'liking' a pornographic Twitter post on the commissioner's account, official emails have revealed.

The government agency was gripped by scandal after the official account for commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg 'liked' a video of a woman performing a sex act earlier this year.

Mr Quaedvlieg was suspended from his $731,000-a-year position for an unrelated matter at the time of the 'like'.

He denied responsibility for the tweet - and emails released under Freedom of Information Laws revealed the department's social media team had also insisted they didn't do it.

'Social has confirmed that they have never liked anything from the Commissioners (sic) account,' a media operations staffer wrote in an email on September 20.

Controversial 'like': Border Force boss Roman Quaedvlieg's official Twitter account 'liked' this pornographic tweet at some point after July 15 this year

A media staffer compared the porn 'like' to US Senator Ted Cruz - who blamed a staffer for 'liking' an explicit clip

The commissioner's chief of staff urged media staff to get a response to media inquiries sorted quickly

The same media staffer compared the incident to United States Senator Ted Cruz, whose account 'liked' a hardcore porn video just weeks before.

The 16 emails released to Daily Mail Australia also show how the Border Force scrambled to get ahead of the social media storm.

Within minutes of a media inquiry, the commissioner's chief of staff told media staff: 'Can we get our response sorted quickly please'.

A series of emails with proposed responses were sent to Cheryl-Anne Moy, the department's First Assistant Secretary, for approval.

One staffer announced she had 'JUST CLEARED' a proposed response which said the Twitter post had been removed and the associated account blocked.

Mr Quaedvlieg, the inaugural Australian Border Force commissioner, was installed in July 2015

He has been suspended from his position while under investigation by the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity

Mr Quaedvlieg is understood to remain suspended on paid leave, close to six months after it was revealed he was under an official investigation.

That investigation relates to allegations he acted inappropriately in a matter involving his girlfriend getting a job at Sydney Airport. He denies any impropriety.

The Department last confirmed Mr Quaedvlieg was still suspended in late October, when officials confirmed they were still investigating at an Estimates hearing.

The 'liked' tweet featured the crude caption, 'I think your c**k likes me'. The account that posted it, Lady Mystique, described itself as 'sinsational'.

The Twitter accounts of Cabinet ministers Christopher Pyne and Greg Hunt have both 'liked' pornographic tweets in the second half of this year.

Both claimed they had been hacked.




Christmas Day brought chaos to Australian beaches as thousands of revellers flocked to foreshores for huge boozy parties.

More than 3,000 backpackers gathered at Little Bay, south of Maroubra in Sydney's eastern suburbs, to celebrate the festive season.

At the same time, more than 5,000 descended on St Kilda beach in Melbourne for a day of merriment, leaving rubbish strewn across the foreshore.

More than 5,000 descended on St Kilda beach in Melbourne for a day of merriment, leaving rubbish strewn across the foreshore

Police were pelted with bottles, two men were arrested for public drunkenness, and a 27-year-old man was rushed to hospital after he was hit by a tram.

The Sydney party turned violent after about 40 officers arrived to break it up after residents complained it was out of control and the youths were drinking in an alcohol-free zone.

Footage from the beach showed large crowds singing, dancing, and drinking, with many wearing Santa hats and other festive costumes.

But other video showed police 'brutally' shove five women to the ground after the party spilled out on to nearby streets once revellers left the beach.

After the Sydney party, a woman was pushed to the ground by police seconds after another woman was shoved over, and is seen lying on the grass by the roadside

Police fired pepper spray, hitting several people, one of which was seen stumbling around with her hands over her face before she was pushed in the back by police (pictured)

A woman in a white dress is pepper sprayed at close range by a police officer

A woman could be seen walking past an officer and appeared to lightly touch them on the shoulder, then be roughly shoved to the ground.

Seconds later another woman, who was next to the first one when she was pushed, appeared to throw something past the officer's head.

It wasn't clear whether the projectile hit the officer but the policeman responded by shoving her down next to the first woman.

The second woman was then dragged to the ground when she stood up, then handcuffed and led away by the same officer.

At the same time, a third woman wearing a white dress was pushed over by another officer and a loud scream was heard.

After the women were pushed, the crowd began throwing bottles in the general direction of police, one of which appeared to hit a policeman.

Police and paramedics help a man injured in the aftermath of the huge party

He is seen being tended to by a paramedic for a facial injury while another man sits next to him

Police fired pepper spray into the crowd, hitting several people, one of which was seen stumbling around with her hands over her face.

That woman was then shoved in the back by a police officer, before a fifth woman began to scuffle with the same officer and was thrown down.

Backpackers who witnessed the shocking scene slammed the police response as heavy-handed and unnecessary.

Stephen Minshaw, who was injured, claimed police were hitting people with batons as they tried to leave.

'I don't get why the police needed to use force. We're backpackers, we're not going to... fight back against them,' he told Seven News.

Stephen Minshaw, who was injured, claimed police were hitting people with batons as they tried to leave

Injuries Mr Minshaw claims were suffered in the aftermath as police hit revellers with batons

Police attempt to force revellers to leave the beach party after numbers swelled to 3,000

Another witness, Becky Brown, claimed officers punched and 'rugby tackled' multiple woman and blamed police for sparking the violence.

'It wasn't "out of hand" until the police got there and f**ked everything up,' she wrote on Facebook.

'I witnessed with my own eyes a police man push and punch a girl in the face then pepper spray her. I also got pepper sprayed and I done absolutely f*** all.

'That's why they had two bottles of alcohol thrown at them, not one of the bottles hit the policemen. I can't believe how this has been portrayed.

'Police are supposed to make you feel safe and protected... I have never been so scared like I was when those policemen were punching girls and rugby tackling them. I am absolutely livid.'

At least 3,000 backpackers flocked to Little Bay beach in Sydney's eastern suburbs for a boozy Christmas Day party

Footage from the beach showed large crowds singing, dancing, and drinking, many wearing Santa hats and other festive costumes

Officers arrived in force to break it up after residents complained it was out of control and the youths were drinking in an alcohol-free zone

The foreshore was packed with those celebrating Christmas Day as pictures and videos flooded social media

A police spokeswoman said she wasn't able to comment on the videos or police tactics, but Superintendent Karen McCarthy addressed the media on Tuesday.

'Police deployed appropriate tactics to deal with the alcohol-fuelled violence and bring the matter safely under control,' she said.

'Officers simply took actions that were required to bring the matter safely under control and keep the majority of the crowd safe.'

Superintendent McCarthy refused to discuss the officers shoving the women to the ground, saying it was before the courts, even though only two were charged.

When asked if the officers' conduct would be investigated she said: 'The matter if before the court and those matters can be raised at the court.'

Police alleged two officers were injured when bottles were thrown at them by the crowd, with one officer suffering a minor cut to the right side of his head.

More than 5,000 revellers had a cheeky Christmas party on St Kilda's South Beach foreshore

By the early evening, piles of rubbish was seen piled up on the grass of the St Kilda foreshore

Two women, aged 23 and 25 from Britain and Ireland, were charged with assaulting a police officer, and the younger was also charged with causing actual bodily harm.

They were granted conditional bail to face Waverley Local Court on January 31.

In Melbourne, the 5,000 revellers scattered rubbish and broken bottles across the waterfront during a wild 'unplanned' party.

Port Phillip mayor Bernadene Voss described the scene as 'horrendous' as mobs of people, including many backpackers, took trolley loads of alcohol down to the water.

'It's an absolute disgrace how people come and enjoy our beautiful place and the foreshore and absolutely trash it,' she told Melbourne radio station 3AW on Tuesday.

'It became quite rowdy.'

The aftermath of the Christmas party was messy, with police calling it 'unacceptable'

Inspector Jason Kelly said people packed the South Beach foreshore from the late afternoon into the night as part of an 'unplanned event' which caused traffic chaos.

'What really disappoints Victoria Police is the level of intoxication that occurred here tonight as evidenced by the amount of rubbish left behind,' he said.

'We've had a number of people injured as a result of people stepping on glass.

'What people need to do is respect the local community, respect the local environment. It's very disappointing. It's not acceptable.

'Unfortunately, tonight we've seen some incidents that are below the line.'

Hundreds of people were seen taking over the beach as revelers began drinking and dancing

Police resources from across Melbourne were deployed 'as a result of large amounts of intoxication and alcohol consumption' which was in breach of a council by-law which banned drinking booze on the foreshore after 8pm.

A total alcohol ban on the foreshore is coming into effect on Tuesday until January 4.

City of Port Phillip council workers spent Tuesday morning cleaning up the St Kilda foreshore.

Ms Voss said she would review a council policy of only deploying extra council workers when the temperature was anticipated to hit 30 degrees, adding the council had expected more families than backpackers to crowd out the St Kilda foreshore.
Rosie O'Donnell unleashed a bizarre attack at Paul Ryan in the earlier hours of Christmas morning as part of an ongoing Twitter campaign against conservatives.

The 55-year-old talk show host responded to a video of the House Speaker posted on Saturday to celebrate Christmas, telling him to 'go straight to hell.'

'paul ryan - don't talk about Jesus after what u just did to our nation - u will go straight to hell u screwed up fake altar boy #JUDASmuch,' she said on Twitter, Monday.

Rosie O'Donnell responded to a video House Speaker Paul Ryan posted on Saturday to celebrate Christmas, telling him to 'go straight to hell'

'paul ryan - don't talk about Jesus after what u just did to our nation - u will go straight to hell u screwed up fake altar boy #JUDASmuch,' she said, Monday

Ryan posted a video of himself giving a speech in Washington DC in hopes of showing his pride in the holiday.

'At the end of each year, no matter how shortor longit may feel, there is always Christmas,' he said on Saturday.

'Waiting for us is that sense of wonder the shepherds felt when the angels appeared in the night sky to herald the birth of a Savior.'

Ryan posted a video of himself giving a speech in Washington DC in hopes of showing his pride in the holiday

O'Donnell's animosity toward Ryan is not new: she tweeted 'f**k u' to the speaker back in January.

She famously has feuded with President Donald Trump since before he even became president.

Just last week, Rosie O'Donnell had tried to bribe Republican Senators Jeff Flake and Susan Collins for $2million so that they would vote against the tax reform bill.

And on late Sunday night, Conservative media personality Ben Shapiro shared that Twitter removed tweets that the actress had directed at him, telling him to 'Suck my d**k Ben.'

Twitter has reversed itself late Sunday by deleting tweets by Rosie O'Donnell toward Conservative media personality Ben Shapiro that violated the company's harassment policy

Ben Shapiro tweeted late Sunday that the social media platform had a change of heart and removed tweets which O'Donnell directed at him

'Well, looks like Twitter had some second thoughts about Rosie O'Donnell's obscene tweets,' Shapiro tweeted late Sunday.

Shapiro posted an email message he received from Twitter saying that the company re-examined the issue and deemed O'Donnell's tweets as abusive.

O'Donnell continued her onslaught, claiming he looked liked a 'high school junior' when he claimed her comments were sexual harassment.

The conservative columnist and commentator reported the former The View host after she directed a vulgar comment at him. O'Donnell told editor in chief of the Daily Wire Shapiro to 'suck my d*** ben' in a tweet that she later deleted

Earlier on Sunday, Shapiro slammed Twitter for saying O'Donnell was not abusive when she 'harassed' him on the social media platform.

Shapiro wrote in a tweet on Friday: 'Just reported @Rosie for targeted harassment, mainly to see if Twitter does indeed have a double standard. Everyone knows if Rosie were conservative, Twitter would suspend her in a hot second. So, Twitter, put your money where your mouth is.'

Just a few hours later, Shapiro revealed to his followers that he had already got a response from Twitter, clearing the talk show host

He then wrote: '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.'

Alongside a screenshot of the decision from Twitter, a few hours later he wrote: 'Surprise of surprises. Twitter says that @Rosie's tweets were not in fact abusive in any way under their rules. Good to know.'

The feud between the pair started when Shapiro slammed the talk show host for saying she would give Senators Susan Collins and Jeff Flake $2million for voting against the Republican's tax reform.
Passengers who were forced to spend their Christmas stranded on an airport tarmac will not be compensated for the nightmare flight.

Stranded Sydney Qantas passengers on their way to London spent 10 hours on the tarmac in Dubai after heavy fog and mechanical faults forced the plane to divert.

About 450 passengers on QF1, which left Sydney Airport on December 23, were left sitting on the plane after the 14-hour flight, according to News Corp.

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Passengers who were forced to spend their Christmas stranded on an airport tarmac due to thick fog in Dubai (pictured) will not be compensated for the nightmare flight

Stranded Sydney Qantas passengers (pictured) on their way to London spent 10 hours on the tarmac in Dubai after heavy fog and mechanical faults forced the plane to divert

About 450 passengers on QF1, which left Sydney Airport on December 23, were left sitting on the plane after the 14 hour flight frustrating travellers (pictured)

Qantas said the flight was diverted to Al Ain International Airport, 150km south of Dubai airport, because of 'heavy fog'.

'Qantas, like all airlines, has been impacted by the heavy fog surrounding Dubai,' a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

'We understand that delays are frustrating, particularly at this time of year and we are doing everything we can to ensure customers are able to continue on their way as soon as possible.'

However, it is believed the passengers will not be receiving compensation for the nightmare flight.

A Qantas spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia they provided overnight accommodation for passengers affected by the diversion.

'We provided accommodation in hotels for those impacted, flights on alternative services, hotel/airport transfer vouchers and letters for customers to take to their travel insurance provider,' the spokesperson said.

Qantas said they were 'sorry for the delay and frustrations'.

Qantas said they were 'sorry for the delay and frustrations' and they were working on alternative flights and accommodation for passengers

It is believed the passengers will not be receiving compensation for the nightmare flight

Hundreds took to social media accusing the airline of ruining their Christmas.

'All I want for Christmas is to be with the family but Qantas made sure that didn't happen,' one passenger tweeted.

Passengers questioned the airline's reason for the long delays, with one saying: 'It's sounding like the delay was driven more by your errors than just fog'.

'Over 10 hours sitting on the plane in the middle of nowhere and now so many will miss Christmas! How does this happen?' Benjamin wrote.

'I'm in shock and really appalled.'

Qantas told Daily Mail Australia the flight was further delayed due to a mechanical issue.

'While on the ground a mechanical issue was detected... an engineer and spare parts were brought in from Dubai,' the spokeswoman said.

Qantas said flight was diverted to Al Ain International Airport, 150km south of Dubai airport

Passengers questioned the airline's reason for the long delays, with one saying: 'It's sounding like the delay was driven more by your errors than just fog'

'Stranded in a tiny airport in UAE with no info from Qantas about when we'll get out of here. No food provided for over six hours,' she said

Another passenger, Kathleen Goffey claimed the airline wasn't provided food for six hours.

'Stranded in a tiny airport in UAE with no info from Qantas about when we'll get out of here. No food provided for over six hours,' she said.

Qantas denied passengers were not offered food saying they 'were given all the food and drink available on board'.

'They were given the option to disembark where more refreshments were made available,' a Qantas spokeswoman said.

The aircraft departed Al Ain for Dubai at 4pm local time, with customers travelling on to London provided several options including overnight accommodation.

Qantas said it was monitoring weather conditions in Dubai.

'We will contact customers travelling through Dubai should their flight be impacted by rolling delays caused by the fog,' she said.

The aircraft departed Al Ain for Dubai, with customers travelling on to London provided several options including overnight accommodation

'I'm really disappointed with your communication re: the cancelled QF10 flight from LHR this morning. Are we guaranteed a seat on another flight,' Danielle said

Passengers flying from London also hit out at the Australian airline after they experienced long delays and flight cancellations.

'I'm really disappointed with your communication re: the cancelled QF10 flight from LHR this morning. Are we guaranteed a seat on another flight,' Danielle said.

'Shockingly inept customer service at LHR following the cancellation of QF10. Well over five hours queuing with zero information and no apology,' Steve said.

'How can you not have automated crisis management plans or systems in place in the 21st century?'
A man has drowned at a beach on the Queensland-NSW border.

Lifeguards raced to help a group of nine people, believed to be tourists, who got into trouble at Flagstaff Beach at about 4.30pm on Christmas Day.

They made three separate trips into the water to pluck the swimmers to safety when it became clear others were also struggling and a mass rescue was required.

Despite extensive CPR, one man, 22, was unable to be revived.

A man has drowned at a beach on the Queensland-NSW border (pictured, emergency services at the scene)

Lifeguards raced to help a group of nine people, believed to be tourists, who got into trouble at Flagstaff Beach at about 4.30pm on Christmas Day

Three others were taken to Tweed Heads Hospital for assessment, a NSW Police spokesman told AAP.

The victim has not yet been formally identified.

Surf Life Saving NSW said the incident was the 17th coastal drowning since July and the rising figure was concerning.

CEO Steven Pearce said lifeguards put in a heroic effort to save the man's life.

'This tragedy reinforces why we are so determined to ensure that our safety messages are heard and understood,' he said in a statement.
Jailed Royal Marine Alexander Blackman yesterday thanked his supporters  including thousands of Daily Mail readers  on his first Christmas as a free man.

Sergeant Blackman was reunited with wife Claire in April after serving 1,277 days behind bars for shooting a Taliban fighter in Afghanistan.

Military top brass had left him to rot in prison, but Sgt Blackman, known as Marine A at his court martial, was saved by a campaign for justice run by his wife.

Generous Daily Mail readers raised an astonishing 810,000 to fund a fresh legal challenge  and in March, five judges at an Appeal Court cut his sentence after agreeing he was suffering from combat stress.

Sergeant Blackman was reunited with wife Claire in April after serving 1,277 days behind bars for shooting a Taliban fighter in Afghanistan

Yesterday Sgt Blackman and Claire said they would be raising a glass to everyone who stood by them during their four-year ordeal.

They said: We are really looking forward to spending this Christmas together.

It will be a very special day and we will be raising a glass to everyone who stood beside us through the past four years.

Military top brass had left him to rot in prison, but Sgt Blackman, known as Marine A at his court martial, was saved by a campaign for justice run by his wife

Without your support we might be spending another Christmas apart, so we cannot thank you enough.

Mr Blackman added: I still don't know exactly why I did it. A moment of madness is the best description I can give, it's not exactly the proudest moment of my life. I haven't got a definitive answer.

Mrs Blackman added: It's not for me to judge. I have no concept of just how incredibly stressful it must have been out there.

I feel personally, fairly certain, that if he had a time machine and could go back and do things differently, he absolutely would but we don't have access to such things.

What he's done he's done and we've had the chance to move on and we're looking forward to doing that.

In the Helmand Province, Sgt Blackman and 15 commandos endured horrific conditions to run an outpost deep in hostile territory.

They carried out two patrols a day, carrying 100lb of equipment in unbearable 50C (122F) heat. They were under intense psychological pressure because every step could have triggered a landmine. They slept every night fearing the Taliban could kill them in their sleep. The area has been described as the most dangerous square mile on earth.

Sgt Blackman's life sentence was the first time a soldier had been convicted of murder for shooting an enemy in battle.

Generous Daily Mail readers raised an astonishing 810,000 to fund a fresh legal challenge  and in March, five judges at an Appeal Court cut his sentence after agreeing he was suffering from combat stress

He killed the armed insurgent, who had already been mortally wounded, in September 2011. His previous sentence was life with a minimum of eight years - equal to a 16-year sentence.

The campaign for justice was led by Mrs Blackman of Somerset, and supported by MPs including ex-Army officer Richard Drax.

After his release from HMP Erlsetoke in Wiltshire, Sgt Blackman said: 'I will be eternally grateful to Claire and I cannot put into words how wonderful she is.

'She is a wife in a million. Other inmates often said how lucky I was to have her fighting so hard for me. I don't think there is anybody who has witnessed the effort she has gone to who will doubt how she feels about me, and that's beyond words really. You just can't imagine anyone cares for you that much.

'I also want to thank the Daily Mail's readers with all my heart. Without their amazing support, I would still be behind bars.'

The campaign for justice was led by Mrs Blackman (left) of Somerset, and supported by MPs including ex-Army officer Richard Drax

He added: 'Being out of prison is an immense feeling, but I am very conscious that my sentence is not complete. I have been released on licence, and there are certain conditions which I must - and I will - respect.

'But it is the little things I can enjoy. Suddenly I can sleep when I want, eat when I want, go for a walk... this freedom of choice over basic things is going to take some getting used to.'

Sgt Blackman and Claire married in 2009, but have only spent just over three years of their seven-and-a-half-year marriage together. In their first year after marrying, Sgt Blackman was overseas on three separate tours of duty - and then he spent more than three years behind bars.

Mrs Blackman said after his release: I can't believe how quickly we've gone back to being the couple we were before.

'You could almost wipe the last four years from your memory and pretend they didn't happen. I knew how solid our relationship was, but it's so lovely we have absolutely picked up where we left off.'
Proposals to allow adults to change their gender legally without a doctor's approval are to be delayed by ministers.

Education Secretary Justine Greening said in July that the Government would hold a consultation on the proposed reforms in the autumn.

But the consultation has been delayed amid growing criticism. Miss Greening is now said to be getting cold feet and has privately admitted that the issue is 'complex' and 'divisive', The Sunday Times reported. A source close to the minister told the newspaper that the changes will now be consulted on in 2018.

But that will not happen until the Department for Education has reviewed responses to a survey on LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) diversity.

Education Secretary Justine Greening (pictured) said in July that the Government would hold a consultation on the proposed reforms in the autumn but critics have urged ministers to rethink

'We need to factor in responses to the first-ever national LGBT survey, which was launched in the summer to help government policy on diversity,' the source said.

At present, people who want to change their sex legally must persuade a doctor they have a condition called gender dysphoria, and must have lived for two years as their desired sex.

Critics have urged ministers to rethink the proposals. Tory MP David Davies said: 'Given the delay to this and the fact that many LGBT campaigners are opposed to this, I would urge the Government to think again.

'Although there is obvious need to protect someone who is transgender from bullying and victimisation, it's also important that we don't allow those who are effectively crossdressers to enter places, such as changing rooms, hospital wards and prisons, where women would expect privacy.'

Miss Greening is now said to be getting cold feet and has privately admitted that the issue is 'complex' and 'divisive'. Theresa May (pictured) previously said she was 'proud' of the role her party played in battling discrimination

James Caspian, a psychotherapist, added: 'It is understandable the Government want to show they are supportive of diversity. However, they did not realise what they were letting themselves in for because it is so complex.'

The plans, which have been criticised by Christian groups, and risk alienating traditional Tory supporters, are part of a wider push by Theresa May to improve the party's reputation on LGBT rights.

The Prime Minister has previously said she was 'proud' of the role the party played in battling discrimination.

But in an article for gay website PinkNews to mark the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality, she said there was 'much more to do'.

Mrs May added that there were times 'where we [the Tories] have been wrong on these issues in the past' and acknowledged that some might be sceptical of her party's efforts.
Dame Diana Rigg had a brush with death when her heart stopped during a recent operation, the actress revealed

Dame Diana Rigg had a brush with death when her heart stopped during a recent operation, the actress revealed.

A devout Christian, the Avengers star joked that God had decided to send her back when doctors revived her.

Revealing she was jump-started by doctors following heart surgery, the Bond girl said the incident made her quit smoking.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, the 79-year-old said: 'I had a heart operation two months ago; it was called a cardiac ablation.

When I came round, the nurse said, You might find a bit of a burn mark on your chest. Thats where they jump-started me.

My heart had stopped ticking during the procedure, so I was up there and The Good Lord must have said, send the old bag down again, Im not having her yet.

The Yorkshire-born actress played the Duchess of Buccleuch in the Victoria Christmas special, the only member of the royal household who dared to criticise the headstrong queen.

Assuring fans that she is fine now, she confessed that the surgery  which followed her becoming seriously ill  was the deciding factor that encouraged her to stop smoking.

The Bafta, Emmy and Tony award winner rose to fame as Emma Peel in 1960s TV series The Avengers, and as Bond girl Tracy in On Her Majestys Secret Service.

The Bafta, Emmy and Tony award winner rose to fame as Emma Peel in 1960s TV series The Avengers, and as Bond girl Tracy in On Her Majestys Secret Service

She has also become known by fantasy fans as Olenna Tyrell in hit American show Game Of Thrones.

Having this year become a grandmother, she paid tribute to the parenting skills of both her daughter, actress Rachael Stirling, and her husband, Elbow frontman Guy Garvey.

Commenting on the new arrival in the family, she said: I intend to be a fun granny. And Rachie really is a wonderful mother.

(Guy is) a wonderful father, so protective. When you see Guy and Rachie together, theyre so right for each other.
A Los Angeles psychologist says he hand-delivered gift-wrapped package of manure to Steve Mnuchin's Bel Air mansion because the GOP tax bill is 'bulls***' .

Robby Strong identified himself as the man who dropped off a box of horse manure at Mnuchin's house in an interview with AL.com.

He likened himself to Jesus and said the stunt was an 'act of political theater,' to show that 'Republicans have done nothing for the American worker.'

'What I did, I would like to compare to what Jesus did when he went into a temple and overturned the tables of money-changers, who were exploiting the people financially in the name of religion,' Strong told KPCC.

He said he thinks the new GOP tax bill does just that to the American people.

Robby Strong identified himself as the man who dropped off a box of horse manure at Mnuchin's house in an interview with AL.com

He likened himself to Jesus and said the stunt was an 'act of political theater,' to show that 'Republicans have done nothing for the American worker.'

Strong, who works for the LA Department of Mental Health, was an organizer of the Occupy LA movement and sides with critics of the $1.5trillion tax overhaul - saying it favors corporations and the wealthy.

He said he got the poop from a friend of his who owns horses, put it in a box, and wrapped it up like a Christmas present.

Strong also attached a card addressed to Mnuchin and Trump reading: 'We're returning the "gift of the Christmas tax bill. It's bulls***."

'Warmest wishes, The American People. P.S. - Kiss Donald for me.'

When the box was delivered to Mnuchin's Bel Air Mansion a bomb squad was called to make sure the stinky gift wasn't anything more explosive.

Before delivering the 'gift' on Saturday, Strong posted several images on Facebook - one in which he holds a shovel and is posed next to a box, and another with the box full of poo.

'I need someone to ride along and document my Secret Santa project,' he wrote in the post.

'I'm going to hand deliver boxes of horse s*** to Steve Mnuchin over in Beverly Hills. No disguises, no fake names. Totally owning this one. You're only powerless if you do nothing!!'

Strong also attached a card addressed to Mnuchin and Trump reading: 'We're returning the "gift of the Christmas tax bill. It's bulls***"'

Before delivering the 'gift' on Saturday, Strong posted several images on Facebook - one in which he holds a shovel and is posed next to a box, and another with the box full of poo

Strong said he's surprised he hasn't been arrested yet by the Secret Service, though he was questioned at his home

He delivered two boxes - one to a smaller home Mnuchin owns in Beverly Hills and another to his Bel Air Mansion. That is where the bomb squad was called to.

At the time of the delivery Mnuchin was not in Los Angeles, according to CBS.

Strong said he's surprised he hasn't been arrested yet by the Secret Service, though he was questioned at his home.

'I just got interviewed by the Secret Service and I've now joined some of my heroes like Timothy Leary and Martin Luther King,' he told AL.com.

'[Agents] just showed up in my yard.'

Strong says he was just exercising his first amendment rights when he delivered the 'gift,' insisting that he never thought it could be perceived as a bomb threat.

'It was pure organic horse s***, just like everything that admniistratino's done so far,' he wrote on Facebook.

'Bomb scares certainly were not my intention, but maybe they should be a little scared, eh.'

He also pointed out that there's no law that technically forbids mailing hazardous waste.

'Is there a law that you cant drop off a box of poo? Not really,' he told AL.com

The bomb squad was sent in saturday night after neighbors noted a suspicious package in Mnuchin's driveway.

Aerial footage from above his driveway shows members of the bomb squad dealing with the package

A huge pile of manure is seen spilling out from the package onto the driveway in Bel Air

Munchin and his wife, Scottish actress Louise Linton, visited the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to see some of the first dollar bills marked with Mnuchin's name in November

Authorities said a call came in around 7.30 pm on Saturday regarding a suspicious package labeled to Mnuchin that a neighbor spotted in a driveway in the 900 block of Bel Air Road,ABC 7 reported.

Pictures from the scene show the package was wrapped with Christmas paper.

No one was evacuated from the scene and the package was cleared at around 8pm, reports suggest.

Mnuchin has yet to comment on the package. The Trump cabinet member has drawn controversy in recent months for pictures taken with his wife Louise Linton.

In November he said that he didn't really mind being compared to a Bond villain.

'I guess I should take that as a compliment that I look like a villain in a great, successful James Bond movie,' Mnuchin, a former film producer, told Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace.

His comments came after he and and his Scottish actress spouse, visited the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to see some of the first dollar bills marked with Mnuchin's name.
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A topless activist from a feminist group has attempted to snatch a statue of baby Jesus from the Vatican's Nativity scene.

The woman stormed the display in St Peter's Square on Monday but was stopped by police as she grabbed the figurine.

Witnesses said the protester jumped over guard rails and rushed onto the larger-than-life Nativity scene shouting 'God is woman'.

The woman stormed the display in St Peter's Square on Monday but was stopped by police as she grabbed the figurine

The woman nearly managed to pick up the statue from its crib but was grabbed away at the last minute by Vatican guards

The Vatican guard is pictured in hot pursuit as he attempts to block the woman from running into the Nativity scene

At one point the guard nearly trips over as he speeds up the steps in a bid to halt the dramatic topless protest

The protester, from the controversial Femen group, had the same slogan painted on her bare back during her storming of the Nativity.

A Vatican gendarme rushed after the woman - nearly tripping over on the steps leading up to the scene - before stopping her from taking the statue. The woman was then detained.

The incident happened just hours before Pope Francis delivered his Christmas message to 50,000 people in the same square.

The incident happened just hours before Pope Francis delivered his Christmas message to 50,000 people in the same square

The woman was detained following her stunt which happened on Christmas Day as well-wishers flocked to the Vatican

The group's website identified the protester as Alisa Vinogradova and called her a 'sextremist'. It says the goal of the group, which was founded in Ukraine, is 'complete victory over patriarchy'

The guard's cape cast a dramatic shadow as he pursued the woman at high speed in a bid to prevent her from disrupting the display

A similar protest on Christmas Eve saw another member of the Femen group standing in front of the Vatican Nativity scene with the words 'assaulted by church' and '#MeToo' scrawled on her body

The group's website identified the protester as Alisa Vinogradova and called her a 'sextremist'. It says the goal of the movement, which was founded in Ukraine, is 'complete victory over patriarchy'.

A Femen activist staged a similar protest on Christmas Day 2014 but managed to take the statue out of the crib before she was arrested.

Earlier this month a woman from the group was arrested outside the Ukrainian parliament after stripping off to pose with a paddle and the words 'row the f*** away' scrawled over her body.

Her angry message was directed to Ukraine's president Petro Poroshenko and his political opponent Mikheil Saakashvili.

Aleksandra Nemchinova, 36, said she was protesting against both men as they were 'ruining the country.'
Universities have four months to clamp down on student zealots who restrict free speech on campuses, Jo Johnson will warn today.

The universities minister is expected to say he has seen too many worrying incidents of groups trying to stifle those who do not agree with them.

He will warn institutions that they have a duty to intervene and ensure differing points of view can be heard  however controversial.

A new regulator, the Office for Students, will come into being in April 2018 and will have the power to punish universities which do not adequately safeguard free speech. Those falling short could be fined or even deregistered  rendering them effectively unable to operate.

It follows incidents in which student unions and societies have banned speakers because they deemed their views offensive.

The universities minister is expected to say he has seen too many worrying incidents of groups trying to stifle those who do not agree with them

Chairman Sir Michael Barber said the Office for Students will force institutions to allow diverse opinions to be heard amid concerns that some views are being shut down

In a speech to the Limmud Festival in Birmingham, Mr Johnson will say free speech and open debate must be a central principle of all universities. Universities should be places that open minds not close them, where ideas can be freely challenged, he will say.

In universities in America and worryingly in the UK, we have seen examples of groups seeking to stifle those who do not agree with them. We must not allow this to happen.

Young people should have the resilience and confidence to challenge controversial opinions and take part in open, frank and rigorous discussions.

That is why the new Office for Students will go even further to ensure that universities promote freedom of speech within the law. As a condition of registration to the Office for Students, the Department for Education is proposing that universities benefiting from public money must show that their governance is consistent with the principle of free speech.

Journalist Julie Bindle was banned from debating censorship at Manchester University's Students' Union

The OfS will have a range of powers if freedom of speech is not upheld, including monetary penalties and deregistering institutions.

When a university is deregistered it means it is not recognised as an English higher education provider, cannot receive direct Whitehall funding and will not be able to award its own degrees.

Many student unions believe universities need to be safe spaces where young people can be shielded from views they may find upsetting. But critics say being shielded from the realities of the world does not prepare students for the challenges they face after graduation.

However, Mr Johnson will also reiterate that free speech must not be used as a smokescreen by those who wish to limit the rights of others.

He will say universities must ensure there is no place within higher education for hatred, extremism or any form of discrimination or racism, including anti-semitism.

He will say: A racist or anti-semitic environment is by definition an illiberal one that is completely in opposition to the liberal tradition of our universities.
A British Airways aircraft controller based in London has posed with a grenade launcher in a photo uploaded to Facebook.

Mustafa Aziz, who works at BA's air nerve centre near Heathrow, was on a trip to Iraqi Kurdistan when he took the photo.

The 40-year-old told The Sun that the photo was taken in 2008, before he started working at BA, and he only posed with the weapon to 'look hard'.

Mustafa Aziz, who works as a British Airlines aircraft controller near Heathrow in London, was on a trip to Iraqi Kurdistan when he took the photo with a grenade launcher on a family farm in 2008

The photo of Aziz with the grenade launcher was shared alongside another of a Kurdish militant holding an assault weapon

The photo of Aziz with the grenade launcher was shared alongside another of a Kurdish militant holding an assault weapon.

Aziz has been based at BA's Waterside HQ in Harmondsworth, West London, since 2012.

When working for BA, Aziz is notified of all issues, including security and diversions, affecting planes in the region.

The married man said there is 'nothing menacing' about the photo, which was taken during a trip in 2008.

Aziz has been working for British Airways based at its Waterside HQ in Harmondsworth, West London, since 2012 (file photo)

'It was on a family farm, my uncle's land. They've got guns and stuff there, like any farmers do, and I was just posing, trying to look hard basically,' he told The Sun.

He added: 'That's just me being a Kurd, going back to the homeland, visiting family and just posing really. I do support the fight against ISIS and an independent Kurdistan.'

Aziz moved to the UK as a baby and denied all 'political ties to anything', adding that he loved where he lived and was 'loyal to democracy'.

A BA spokesman said of the photo: 'All employees who work at our headquarters undergo security, criminal record and referencing checks related to their specific roles.'
A hardline Islamic preacher who promotes Sharia law says Muslim men have a duty to stop women in their family from going to university.

Nassim Abdi, from western Sydney, said young Muslim women in their late teens and early twenties were at risk of having premarital sex if they delayed marriage to finish a degree.

'There is nothing wrong with a woman getting an education, especially if it's needed,' he said.

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Hardline Muslim preacher Nassim Abdi says university makes women have premarital sex

'There is nothing wrong with a person delaying marriage if there's an appropriate reason.

'But when you know this step is going to lead to the disobedience of Allah, then upon you dear brother is to stop that if you can.

'Otherwise, you will be held responsible.'

The Sunni fundamentalist, from the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah Association at Auburn in Sydney's west, used the Islamic legal term for premarital sex, Zinnah, to condemn the idea of a woman unnecessarily going to university.

Nassim Abdi says Muslim men had a duty to prevent female relatives from going to university

The Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah Association preacher mocked letting women finish studying

'How many people ended up committing Zinnah because we wanted our reputation to be held up? We wanted a master's degree for our daughter who is never going to use it,' he said.

Mr Abdi, who has previously condemned Muslim women for showing their ears in public and letting children hear music in the car, mocked those who believed their daughters needed to finish their degrees before getting married.

'How many a time, a man comes to ask for a daughter's hand?,' he said.

'"No, she's too young." Too young meaning how old? Twelve, thirteen, maybe too young. The woman's 18, 19, 21 years old, what do you mean too young?

'If a woman is physically and mentally and emotionally is able to get married, then why prevent her? "No, she has to finish her studies".'

Mr Abdi preaches an ultra-conservative version of Salafism, derived from Saudi Arabia, at a mosque which is upstairs from the Bukhari House Islamic Bookstore.
A Florida man claimed that an ATM was giving him too much cash, so he retaliated.

Michael Joseph Oleksik, 23, was charged with criminal mischief on Friday for punching a Wells Fargo ATM in Cocoa, Florida, nearly a month ago.

According to bank officials, the assault on the machine caused at least $5,000 in damages.

Michael Joseph Oleksik, 23, was charged with criminal mischief on Friday for punching a Wells Fargo ATM in Cocoa, Florida, nearly a month ago

Oleksik can be seen on video standing at the ATM and continuously striking the touch screen of the machine on November 29, according to local officials.

Soon after, Oleksik called the bank and told a manager that he pummeled the ATM because 'he was angry the ATM was giving him too much money and he did not know what to do,' according to records.

He added that he had been in a hurry for work so he had to be quick.

According to bank officials, the assault on the machine caused at least $5,000 in damages

Oleksik apologized for what he had done.

The bank called the Cocoa Police Department, asking to press charges.

The 23-year-old was detained on Friday and booked into the Brevard County Jail Complex.
A prominent Chinese political activist known for online campaigns mocking public officials has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

Wu Gan, known better under his online alias 'Super Vulgar Butcher', would take on legal cases of alleged victims of misuse of power by the Chinese state.

His eight-year prison sentence for subversion, handed down by a court in Tianjin, north-east China, is so far the harshest sentence handed down in a sweeping crackdown on rights campaigners by China.

Wu Gan also known as the Ultra Vulgar Butcher is seen behind bars at police station in Nanchang city in eastern China's Jiangxi province

Wu will appeal the sentence, his lawyer Ge Yongxi told The Associated Press.

In court on Tuesday, Wu struck an irreverent note in his remarks following the sentence, saying he was 'grateful to the party for granting me this lofty honor,' according to Ge, who was in court.

'I will remain true to our original aspiration, roll up my sleeves and make an extra effort,' Wu said, playing on well-known phrases Chinese President Xi Jinping often uses to exhort Communist Party officials to improve their work.

Wu was among the first activists and lawyers caught up in an intense crackdown by authorities that began in 2015. His secretive one-day trial was held in August after a detention of more than two years.

Activists like Wu focused on individual cases instead of challenging Communist Party policy at the national level, making them a greater headache for local officials than for Beijing. But their ability to organize and bring people out on the ground apparently made authorities nervous.

Human rights groups have said that the authorities are persecuting Wu and that it is ironic that his fight for justice for others had cost him his own freedom.

Wu Gan outside a court house in southern China's Fujian province in 2010

'With extraordinary courage and disdainful words, Wu Gan set the tone for this so-called 'trial' against him,' said his friend and fellow Chinese activist Wu Yuren.

'It will inspire more and more people to stomp on this government that seems powerful yet doesn't have the authority of the people.'

The court said Tuesday in an online statement that Wu Gan had made many remarks online that 'attacked state power.'

It accused him of hyping cases that 'discredited state organs' by organizing illegal public gatherings, causing trouble, and making abusive comments online about other people. It said such actions were part of a series of criminal activities seeking to 'overthrow state power and the socialist system.'

Wu had also worked as an administrative assistant at the Beijing Fengrui Law Firm, which had worked on sensitive cases and became the focus of the authorities' crackdown that began in July 2015. Hundreds of lawyers, activists and others were detained in a coordinated nationwide sweep that sent a chill through China's activist community. Many were later released.

Vaguely defined subversion charges are frequently leveled against human rights activists and perceived political foes of the ruling Communist Party.

Wu had been detained in May 2015, after travelling to the southeastern city of Nanchang to put pressure on a judge. Defense lawyers had been denied access to files in a case in which four men were serving prison time for a double murder despite a later confession from a fifth man. Wu had said on social media that he planned to hold a mock funeral for the judge, and was arrested after unfurling a banner that insulted him.

In a separate case Tuesday, a court in central China convicted the lawyer Xie Yang for inciting subversion of state power but said he was exempted from criminal penalties.

Xie had been detained for two years before he was released on bail in May after he admitted to the charges. Even after his release, his wife said, Xie was followed by security agents everywhere he went.

Four months prior to his release, Xie's family had released a jailhouse statement from him saying he had been tortured in custody with repeated beatings, starvation and dehydration. It said that if he publicly confessed at any point in the future, it would be because he broke down under enormous government pressure and coercion.

In May, Xie pleaded guilty at his trial to inciting subversion of state power and read from a prepared statement denouncing his past activism. He also recanted the allegation of torture, which had gained international attention.

Xie said he accepted the verdict and would not appeal, according to a video of part of the hearing posted on the Changsha City Intermediate People's Court's official microblog site.

Amnesty International's China Researcher Patrick Poon said it was 'disgraceful' that the Chinese authorities chose to deal with Wu and Xie's cases the day after Christmas - when diplomats, journalists and the public are less likely to respond.

'By trying to avoid scrutiny from the press and the international community, the Chinese government betrays the fact it knows well these sham trials cannot withstand scrutiny,' Poon said.
A mysterious light flashing across the night sky has been captured on camera, leaving people wondering if it was a UFO.

A young family on the Sunshine Coast spotted the bright lights in the dark sky outside their home and they told Daily Mail Australia it definitely could not have been a plane.

'I've never seen anything like it,' Luke Boon said.

A mysterious light flashing across the night sky has been captured on camera (pictured)

Renee Anderson (left) and Luke Boon (right) said they had never seen anything like it before

'This was like a massive ball of light circling the sky and then shot off and disappeared.

'I know it sounds so bizarre and strange and crazy ... all I know is it wasn't a plane.

'It was definitely a UFO or something along those lines.'

The family spotted the bright lights at about 9pm on Christmas night which flickered in the sky for about 10 minutes before vanishing.

Renee Anderson, 26, said the lights stayed in the same place but moved 'up and down and side to side'.

'Something strange and unusual circling our skies and this was no plane nor a drone,' Ms Anderson told Daily Mail Australia.

A family on the Sunshine Coast spotted the bright light (pictured) in sky outside their home

The 26-year-olds (pictured) said the footage they filmed didn't do the spectacle justice

'It was definitely a UFO or something along those lines,' Luke Boon told Daily Mail Australia

'It was a UFO or some type of space object ... Ive never seen anything like it before.'

The 26-year-old said she often saw planes in the sky, but the lights she saw last night were much lower, brighter, bigger and made no noise.

'Planes are a lot smaller and also always have flashing lights ...[this light] wasnt flashing,' she said.

'There was definitely something circling our skies last night.'

Spotted at their house in Buderim, Ms Anderson said the light also wasn't a drone because it was too big and bright.

Renee Anderson said it wasn't a plane as it wasn't flashing and was much lower (pictured)

'It was a UFO or some type of space object (pictured) ... Ive never seen anything like it before,' Ms Anderson said

Mr Boon, 26, said one of their two dogs acted strangely and barked at the light during the ten-minute fiasco, something that was out of character for the canines.

'I would be naive to think there are no other life forms out there, however I've always been skeptical about UFOs until last night,' he said.

'How it just all of a sudden vanished, it boggles my mind.'

Capturing the spectacle on camera, the pair told Daily Mail Australia the footage doesn't do it justice.

'Its just one of those things that people generally wont believe until you actually see it with your own eyes,' Ms Anderson said.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri was heavily pressured into resigning in early November by members of the Saudi Arabian government, according to a new report.

Hariri announced his resignation on November 4 suddenly while visiting Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Officials close to him told the New York Times that he was under heavy duress from the Saudi Arabian government, particularly Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, when he made that announcement.

Mohammed bin Salman allegedly subjected Hariri to demeaning pressure and pre-wrote his resignation speech, which blamed Iran for the departure.

The government also allegedly held the Lebanese official captive to be sure he would go through with the resignation.

Crowm Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) allegedly subjected Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri (left) to demeaning pressure and pre-wrote his resignation speech, which blamed Iran for the departure

Officials close to him told the New York Times that he was under heavy duress from the Saudi Arabian government, particularly Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, when he made that announcement. Hariri and Mohammed bin Salman are pictured left to right on November 6 in Riyadh

By blaming Iran, Saudi Arabian officials hoped to diminish Iranian influence in the region, including the power of Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah, according to the report.

The officials also hoped that the action would spark a regional crisis, according to the Times.

After facing backlash from Lebanon and Western governments Saudi Arabia finally allowed Hariri to return home, where he quickly withdrew his resignation.

Hariri followed in his father's footsteps in becoming prime minister and has strong ties to Saudi Arabia. His father was former Prime Minister Rafik Harari, and was killed in 2005.

Hariri has dual Saudi Arabian citizenship, was born there and has a lot of money in business holdings in the country.

So the country considers him a crucial ally to Lebanon - where oil-rich Sunni regional powers compete with Iran for influence over the state.

Hariri currently governs in a coalition including Hezbollah and allied figures, including President Michel Aoun.

Saudi Arabia reportedly started becoming frustrated with Hariri's unwillingness to keep Iranian influence at bay.

A day after Hariri had an amicable meeting with a top Iranian official on November 3 - Saudi Arabia asked the Prime Minister to come to Riyadh to spend a day with the crown prince in the desert.

Hariri was summoned for an early morning meeting with the prince, at which time Saudi Officials 'manhandled,' him, confiscated his cell phone and took away all but one bodyguard, according to the Times report.

That afternoon Hariri delivered his pre-written resignation speech on Saudi television, according to the report.

France, the United States and Egypt all quickly stepped in - and Hariri was sent back to Lebanon.

Hariri currently governs in a coalition including Hezbollah and allied figures, including President Michel Aoun. He is pictured on a blow-up portrait with his father, Rafik al-Hariri, who was also Lebanon's Prime Minister

The government allegedly held the Lebanese official captive in November to be sure he would go through with the resignation. Heriri is pictured on December 21 speaking about Palestinian refugees

President Donald Trump has treated the Saudi government warmly in general - and specifically the crown prince. They are pictured in March

And Jared Kushner, the senior Trump adviser and president's son-in-law, has a notably close relationship with Mohammed bin Salman. Ivanka Trump is pictured with Saudi officials during their visit in May

A Saudi official told the times that Hariri was 'treated with utmost respect,' and Hariri hasn't responded to requests for comment.

Mohammed bin Salman, 32, escalated Saudi Arabia's role in the Brutal war in Yemen even before he took the crown.

In Yemen he ordered a Saudi-led bombing campaign and shipping blockade to dislodege Houti rebels, an Iranian-aligned group. The attack has created a humanitarian crisis in the country.

The prince also arrested a massive number of rich Saudi businessman and other officials in November to 'root out corruption.'

Observers said Mohammed Bin Salman's aim was actually to consolidate power and silence critics, as some of the arrestees were political rivals.

President Donald Trump has treated the Saudi government warmly in general - and specifically the crown prince.

He tweeted his approval for Mohammed bin Salman's purge in November, saying he had 'great confidence in King Salman and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.'

And Jared Kushner, the senior Trump adviser and president's son-in-law, has a notably close relationship with Mohammed bin Salman.

He visited him in October and according to the Washington Post they stayed up until 4am discussing strategy.
A senior member of the Nomads bikie gang has announced he will marry Salim Mehajer's younger sister.

Just weeks ago, Daily Mail Australia revealed Sanaa Mehajer, 23, was in a relationship with Mouhamed 'Moudi' Tajjour - the ex-vice president of the notorious motorcycle club.

And on Monday, Tajjour said: 'Just got engaged to my beautiful darling future wife to be.Love u (sic) from the bottom of my heart my darling wife to be'.

The pair have been boasting of their love on Instagram since late November - culminating in a series of December 25 messages.

'Thank you for agreeing to be with me for the rest of your life.How did someone so beautiful love a head like mine,' Tajjour said.

Scroll down for video

Moudi Tajjour announced he would marry his girlfriend Sanaa Mehajer (pictured together), 22, in a series of Instagram posts this week

Sanaa Mehajer (left), 23, the younger sister of Salim, will marry Mouhamed 'Moudi' Tajjour (right), 33, a senior member of the Nomads bikie gang

Tajjour, the ex-vice president of Nomads (left), is understood to have been dating Ms Mehajer (right) since late November

Tajjour and his brother Sleiman Simon Tajjour were convicted of the manslaughter of Robin Nassour in 2006. They are the cousins of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim.

Tajjour has previously described Ms Mehajer as 'that one person that makes (me) genuinely happy'.

It's believed the pair may have first met at the high-profile wedding of Ms Mehajer's older sister Aisha and Tajjour's cousin Sam earlier this year.

Tajjour was photographed stepping out of a luxurious blue Audi at the front of the house belonging to John Ibrahim's mother.

The 23-year-old (pictured) has been regularly pictured alongside the Nomads enforcer online in recent weeks, with the pair boasting of finding love on both their Instagram pages

Tajjour (front) and his brother Sleiman Simon Tajjour (back) were both convicted of the manslaughter of Robin Nassour in 2006

Ms Mehajer is the second youngest of Salim's six sisters. The property developer's other siblings are Kat, Aisha, Mary, Zena and Fatima.

Tajjour, a former vice-president of the motorcycle club, is now a life member having first joined in 1999.

He has been on the radar of the NSW Gangs Squad and earlier this year reportedly led a social media attack on top cop Deb Wallace, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

It is claimed he took to social media and posted a photo of Ms Wallace, saying they could 'go on a date, but (she) needs to lose weight first'.

In response the commander of Strike Force Raptor sent a team of officers to Tajjour's house, admitting they 'targetted' him.

Tajjour (left) is the cousin of Kings Cross identity and nightclub owner John Ibrahim (right)

Moudi Tajjour (left) arrives at the wedding of Sanaa's sister Aisha and John Ibrahim's nephew Sam in mid-November

Sanaa (pictured with Tajjour) is believed to have studied beauty and formerly run a beauty salon

It is understood Sanaa is currently a law student at University of Sydney.

Tajjour and his brother both pleaded not-guilty to the murder of Nassour, the brother of Fat Pizza actor George Nassour.

They spent four years in jail over the ambush attack, before being released in March 2010.

Sleiman Tajjour is currently the national president of the Nomads.
A fisherman tagging small sharks in a northern NSW river was stunned earlier this month after he caught a three-metre-long pregnant bull shark.

Adam Maddalena, 38, and his friend Glen Lambert were tagging sharks for the NSW Department of Primary Industries two weeks ago in the Manning River when they made the shocking discovery, according to News.com.au.

Mr Maddalena told the publication it is the biggest shark he's ever seen in the area.

Adam Maddalena, 38, and his friend Glen Lambert were tagging sharks for the NSW Department of Primary Industries two weeks ago in the Manning River when they made the shocking discovery (pictured)

'We've got our baits out for anything that comes along but we only target the smaller ones so we can tag them and send them off,' he said.

'We were actually speechless. We sort of just looked at each other and realised how big it was so there wasn't too much said, we just knew that we had to get in and get it done.'

'It took me about 45 minutes to get this shark in close enough so we could grab the tail and get a tail rope on it.'

The Manning River is known to attract pregnant female bull sharks.

The sharks travel to the waterway to give birth to litters ranging from one to 10.

The department is tracking 42 bull sharks, 247 white sharks and 12 tiger sharks.
A JetBlue flight from Savannah skidded off the icy runway just moments after it touched down at Bostons Logan International Airport late Christmas Day.

A spokesperson for JetBlue put out a statement on Twitter which read: JetBlue flight 50 from Savannah to Boston went off a taxiway shortly after landing at approximately 7:15pm.

No injuries have been reported at this time.

Buses transported customers from the aircraft to the terminal.

News of the faulty landing was reported by WSVN-TV.

A JetBlue flight from Savannah skidded off the icy runway just moments after it touched down at Bostons Logan International Airport late Christmas Day. Passengers are seen deplaning the aircraft with the help of firefighters at approximately 7:30pm Monday at Logan Airport

A spokesperson for JetBlue put out a statement on Twitter which read: JetBlue flight 50 from Savannah to Boston went off a taxiway shortly after landing at approximately 7:15pm.' Firefighters are seen above boarding the aircraft after it skidded off the runway

Earlier on Monday, Logan Airport shut down its runways and grounded its flights due to heavy snow, which brought about poor visibility. Firefighters are seen on the ground as a passenger snapped this photo from on board the jet

Earlier on Monday, Logan Airport shut down its runways and grounded its flights due to heavy snow, which brought about poor visibility.

Winter Storm Ethan dumped at least three inches of snow on Boston, which saw its first White Christmas in 14 years.

Crews at Logan eventually cleared the runways around noon time and flights were back up and running, according to WHDH-TV.

The inclement weather still caused delays and backups, though Christmas Day is usually a light travel day.

Massachusetts transit officials told CBS Boston on Monday that airport crews were unable to keep up with the snow as it fell early this morning

At around 10am, the airport suspended take offs and landings, though it did re-open runways about an hour later

Massachusetts transit officials told CBS Boston on Monday that airport crews were unable to keep up with the snow as it fell early this morning.

At around 10am, the airport suspended take offs and landings, though it did re-open runways about an hour later.

Transit officials advised motorists to stay off the roads on Monday.

They also reduced the speed limit on the Massachusetts Turnpike to 40 miles per hour.
Justine Damond, formerly of Sydney, was shot dead by police officer Mohamed Noor on July 15 after calling 911 to report a possible assault on another woman

Police have removed a candle-lit memorial that a white nationalist group created to honor an Australian woman killed in Minneapolis by a Somali-American officer in July.

Minneapolis Police spokesman John Elder told local radio that an officer cleared the memorial when the department learned it was displayed outside a precinct headquarters.

'We cannot allow any memorial and anything like that to be put up at that location,' Mr Elder told Minneapolis Public Radio News.

The northern California hate group called Identity Evropa said on its Twitter account it put up the memorial on Friday.

The group helped organise participants in the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August.

The memorial to Justine Ruszczyk Damond consisted of a framed portrait, candles, roses and signs reading 'United We Stand.'

The Minneapolis mayor-elect added to the condemnation on Saturday, calling the shrine 'disgusting'.

White nationalist group Identity Evropa created a memorial for Justine Ruszczyk Damond out the front of a police precinct headquarters

The memorial consisted of a framed portrait, candles, roses and signs reading 'United We Stand'

'I condemn the perpetrators and their tactics in the strongest possible terms,' Frey said in a statement.

'Identity Evropa and those who share their values have no place in our city. Hate has no place in Minneapolis. Period.'

The Star Tribune newspaper reported that only the extinguished candles remained Saturday night.

Officer Mohamed Noor shot Damond after she called to report a possible sexual assault in July. No charges have been filed.

Damond, who was engaged to a local man, called 911 to report a possible sexual assault behind her home in an upper-middle-class neighborhood.

Responding officer Matthew Harrity reported being startled by a loud noise near his squad car. Damond, who may have rapped on the car, approached on the driver's side.

Harrity's partner, Mohamed Noor, reached across Harrity from the passenger seat and fired. Damond died at the scene.

The memorial was placed on a sidewalk near an intersection outside the police station.

The group that organised the memorial helped organise participants in the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman has yet to decide whether to file criminal charges against Noor.

Freeman expressed frustration earlier this month, telling activists that he didn't have enough evidence to charge Noor and said investigators 'haven't done their job.'

He also suggested Noor's refusal to speak to investigators had put prosecutors in a difficult position.

'I have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, (that) the moment he shot the gun, he feared for his life. And he used force because he thought he was gonna be killed,' Freeman said.

'But I can't. He won't answer my questions because he doesn't have to, OK?'

Freeman later apologized to investigators and said his comments were ill-advised.
Teenage boys at an underage beach party were forcibly stripped down to their underpants and bashed unconscious before having their mobile phones stolen.

The victims were ambushed late on Thursday night when 10 thugs set out to cause trouble at Sandringham beach, in Melbourne's south-east.

Two teenage boys were bashed but so far, Victoria Police hasn't charged anyone.

The teenage boys were bashed at Sandringham beach, in Melbourne's south-east, at a party

One witness said a victim of the attack was bashed so badly he was unrecognisable.

'His whole face was mashed in,' he told the Herald Sun.

A group of teenagers were already at the beach, on Port Phillip Bay, when another group gatecrashed the party and stole the mobile phones and bags shortly before 11pm on December 21, police said.

'A number of teens from the first group were assaulted and their mobile phones and bags stolen,' they said in a statement.

A group of thugs ambushed the teenagers at the beach party but no one has been charged

Two boys from the first group were taken to hospital for treatment for suspected fractures.

Detectives interviewed two boys, aged 16 and 17, from nearby suburbs however they were released 'pending further enquiries'.

The teenage boys had been stripped down to their underwear and bashed unconscious as 10 thugs interrupted their end-of-school beach party, the Herald Sun said.

One 17-year-old victim told the Herald Sun he tried to escape the thugs only to have an attacker jump out of the bush along a path.

A private school student told the newspaper he was stripped to his underwear and bashed unconscious.
North Korea said it is a 'pipe dream' for the United States to think it will give up its nuclear weapons - calling the latest UN sanctions to target the country 'an act of war'.

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 can reach anywhere on the US mainland.

The resolution was drafted by the United States and negotiated with the North's closest ally, China.

'We define this "sanctions resolution" rigged up by the US and its followers as a grave infringement upon the sovereignty of our Republic, as an act of war violating peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and the region and categorically reject the "resolution,"' North Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

North Korea said it is a 'pipe dream' for the United States to think it will give up its nuclear weapons - calling the latest UN sanctions to target the country 'an act of war'

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 can reach anywhere on the US mainland. Pictured is the test on November 29

The ministry said the sanctions are tantamount to a 'complete economic blockade' of North Korea.

'If the US wishes to live safely, it must abandon its hostile policy towards the DPRK and learn to co-exist with the country that has nuclear weapons,' said the statement, carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency.

The statement also said the US should 'wake up from its pipe dream of our country giving up nuclear weapons which we have developed and completed through all kinds of hardships.'

China called for restraint Monday, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying saying that nations should 'make positive and constructive efforts to de-escalate tensions' on the Korean Peninsula.

Hua said the new UN resolution emphasizes 'not inflicting adverse humanitarian impact' on North Koreans and not affecting regular economic activities or humanitarian assistance.

The ministry said the sanctions are tantamount to a 'complete economic blockade' of North Korea. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley votes on the new sanctions above

The statement also said the US should 'wake up from its pipe dream of our country giving up nuclear weapons which we have developed and completed through all kinds of hardships'

The resolution 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.

The Trump administration's success in achieving the resolution won praise from the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ben Cardin of Maryland.

'That was a good move, a major accomplishment,' Cardin said.

He said the stepped-up sanctions should be followed by diplomacy aimed at bringing the US and China together on a sustained effort to ease tensions in that region, speaking on Fox News Sunday.

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 drew criticism from Russia for the short time the Security 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.
In some koala populations, the rate of infection can be as high as 90 per cent

All koalas in NSW are going to be tested for STDs and put into a state database

Scientists are worried that chlamydia will wipe out the entire koala population

They are the adorable but sleepy native Australian animal icon known for chewing gum leaves and napping for up to 22 hours a day.

But amidst fears that the koala population is in danger of being wiped out by chlamydia, koalas all across New South Wales will be tested for STDs.

Research from Griffith University has revealed that while chlamydia is 'epidemic' in the population, there is no data exploring the correlation with population decline.

There are new fears that the koala population is in danger of being wiped out by chlamydia

In some parts of Australia, infection rates are as high as 90 per cent. Studies have found that chlamydia can cause conjunctivitis that can lead to blindness, as well as pneumonia and urinary tract infections.

The disease can also cause widespread infection of the reproductive tract , which can cause female infertility.

The Daily Telegraph revealed on Tuesday that the state department is seeking quotes on date collection for 'koala disease' from the Environment and Heritage Office.

The NSW government is currently in the planning stages of developing a statewide database to collect information relating to the contraction and spread of the illness.

'Disease is recognised as a threat to koalas, although there is no comprehensive understanding of the impacts of disease across populations,' the documents read.

'(The project) identifies the need to formalise a protocol for collection, analysis and reporting of koala disease samples and information as a key action to help secure koalas in the wild.'

THe NSW government is planning a state database to track the spread of chlamydia in koalas

The Environment and Heritage Office documents come just one month after forester Vic Jurskis wrote a paper detailing 'the great koala scam' in November.

In Mr Jurskis' essay, he claimed that the koala population is larger than it has ever been - including before the European invasion of Australia.

He also claims that the huge number of koalas are indicative of 'stressed trees' caused by 'poor management' of the native bushland.

However, his research has been widely slammed by most experts, including University of Queensland koala study head Professor Frank Carrick who wrote that Mr Jurskis' conclusions were a 'departure from reality'.

A vaccine to protect koalas against chlamydia has been developed by a Queensland university

'He has used some limited observations and interpretations of his experience in forests to characterise the problems for koalas throughout their range,' Professor Carrick told The Australian.

'The fundamental problem is the ongoing loss and fragmentation of koala habitat. It is uncontroversial that it has declined by at least 80 per cent since European settlement.'

A vaccine to protect koalas against the disease has been developed by the Queensland University of Technology.
An elderly Russian woman has had to have 152 metal objects including nails from her stomach after eating them in a belief it would improve her iron levels.

The 74-year-old, only known as Nina, had been admitted to hospital in Ulan-Ude, some 145miles north of the Mongolian border in south-east Russia.

She came in complaining of a high temperature, but medical staff were shocked when they discovered the cause of her illness on X-rays.

Iron stomach: An X-ray revealed the shocking amount of metal in the 74-year-old's stomach

Surgeons found more than 152 'alien objects' inside the pensions.

This included long nails, large screws, bolts, a door catch and scrap metal - some six inches - in length.

The elderly woman had also at one point swallowed a valuable silver necklace.

The 74-year-old told doctors she anaemic and believed eating metal objects would help her with her iron levels.

Operation: Surgeons pulled out nails, screws, scrap metal and a silver necklace from the elderly woman's stomach

The 74-year-old woman told doctor that she had been anaemic and thought eating metal object would improve her iron levels

Medical staff told local news that the woman said she started eating metal some 14 years ago.

'No-one apart from her knows how long these objects have been inside her,' said a source at the Semashko Republic Regional Hospital.

Doctors said there were no serious injuries to her stomach or throat.

The source added: 'There is no threat to her life.' The woman is under surveillance in hospital.
It may not be the job for a people-person  but for nature lovers looking to escape the nine to five grind, it's a dream.

With nearly 100 applications from around the world, two lucky explorers have been appointed to look after 200,000 birds on an isolated Scottish island.

Craig Nisbet and his partner Francesca Clair have landed the job as seasonal rangers on Handa  off the West Coast  for the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

Wildlife rangers Craig Nisbet and Francesca Clair have been made seasonal rangers at the Handa Island Wildlife Reserve off the west coast of Sutherland, Scotland

The nature-loving couple, who have previous conservation experience, are looking forward to settling into their new home on the remote island

They will be living and working on the remote island for six months, being paid 14,250-15,000 per year, with some help from the six long-term and 50 weekly volunteers.

Mr Nisbet, has also been involved in a number of expeditions, most recently in Arctic Norway identifying and filming orcas and humpback whales.

Handa is home to guillemots, puffins, Arctic skua, wading birds and razorbills. The couple will be responsible for co-ordinating counts of breeding seabirds and chicks, overseeing repair work on the path network and ensuring thousands of people are able to enjoy a safe visit to the island.

The couple will be moving to the remote island but they won't be alone - they have to take care of some 200,000 birds on the secluded island

Not for the extroverts: A small ferry sails to Handa from Tarbet, Argyll and Bute, on the mainland, only within limited hours



Mr Nisbet, who has worked with the trust for more than ten years, said: 'Francesca and I are passionate about conservation. We're both looking forward to working and living with volunteers, meeting the visitors and making a connection with the land, the sea and the local community.'

The 38-year-old is no stranger to remote islands, having completed four seasons at the Noss National Nature Reserve in Shetland. He has also been involved in a number of expeditions, most recently in Arctic Norway.

Ms Clair, 35, has worked for several environmental organisations, including the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

Handa Island has over 200,000 seabirds on its towering cliffs, including internationally important numbers of guillemot, razorbill and great skua

Mr Nisbet said: 'I am very excited. It will give me an opportunity to build on my skills. I love seabirds and nature and I love living in isolated environments.

'These islands are remarkable places to live and work. Handa is just one of the many seabird colonies in the UK.'

The couple will have stunning views, which involves dolphins, whales and basking sharks which are often seen from the coast.

More than 250 pairs of puffin breed on Handa island where otters, dolphins, minke whales, pilot whales, porpoises, basking sharks and orcas occasionally go by

Scottish Wildlife Trust reserves manager Sven Rasmussen said: 'Handa is an extraordinarily beautiful place and is one of Europe's most important seabird colonies. However, it is rather remote, which means our rangers have to be resourceful and resilient.

'Craig and Francesca are both experienced conservationists and I'm sure they have the skills needed to make 2018 a successful season.'
Australian twin brothers who helped rescue swimmers from rough surf in far north New South Wales have slammed others who watched, but didn't help.

A 22-year-old man died after eight people were rescued from being swept out to sea at Duranbah Beach on Christmas Day.

The group of swimmers began drifting into deeper waters around 4pm on Monday, as two surf lifesavers and the Harrington twins raced out to help bring them to shore.

Dean and Sean Harrington, who are known globally as stunt duo The Mad Hueys, lashed out at those who stood by and watched as the pair struggled to bring the distressed swimmers to shore.

A 22-year-old man died after eight people were rescued from being swept out to sea at Duranbah Beach on Christmas Day

The group of swimmers began drifting into deeper waters around 4pm on Monday

Mad Huey stunt duo, Sean and Dean Harrington,helped lifesavers rescue the group of swimmers and slammed those who stood by and watched

'To all those surfers yesterday at D'bah who watched two lifeguards, me and my family save six people and one drowned, f*** you,' the pair posted on Instagram.

'If you see someone in trouble you help them.

'Some poor family has lost a life because people were standing around watching and doing f*** all, it's f***ing bulls**t.'

The twins also called out kite surfers who surfed past as the pair were trying to pull a man to shore.

'And that kite boarder who nearly ran me over twice when I had an unconscious man in my arms you can get f***ed,' they wrote.

The twins lashed out at those who stood by and watched as the pair struggled to bring the distressed swimmers to shore

Lifesavers worked tirelessly to pull all swimmers from the water and have been praised for their heroic efforts.

Surf Life Saving NSW said the incident was the 17th coastal drowning since July and the rising figure was concerning.

CEO Steven Pearce said lifeguards put in a heroic effort to save the man's life.

Two surf lifesavers and the Harrington twins raced out to help bring the group of swimmers to shore

'This tragedy reinforces why we are so determined to ensure that our safety messages are heard and understood,' he said in a statement.

The 22-year-old man who drowned is believed to be an Indian national, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports.

Two other swimmers were taken to hospital in a stable condition.
A man who allegedly beat a cat to death on Christmas night has been granted bail after facing court on Tuesday.

Dylan Clarke of Helensvale on the Gold Coast was arrested and charged with with two counts of serious animal cruelty and possession of cannabis and drug utensils.

Police called to the home of a friend of Clarke's in nearby Labrador at 10:30pm found a dead kitten on the footpath and a dead adult cat inside.

A man (pictured) who allegedly told police he beat a cat to death on Christmas night has been granted bail

Dylan Clarke (pictured) of Helensvale on the Gold Coast was arrested and charged with with two counts of serious animal cruelty and possession of cannabis and drug utensils

Clarke was allegedly standing at the front door when officers arrived,The Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

Officers had been called to the home after reports of a disturbance.

The 25-year-old fronted Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday, and was granted bail on the condition he surrender two pet snakes to the RSPCA.

'I didn't kill anything mate, I don't do this stuff,' Clarke said when questioned by reporters after leaving court.

Bail conditions also prevent Clarke from owning, possessing or acquiring any animals or contacting a witness.

Clarke will face court again on January 11.
China's air force has been accused of posing an 'enormous threat' to Taiwan after 16 drills were carried out close to the island this year.

Taiwan's defence ministry warned today that China's military threat was growing by the day.

Frequent and increased Chinese military drills pose an 'enormous threat' to Taiwan's security, Taipei warned on Tuesday in an annual defence review that starkly highlighted rising cross-strait tensions.

Twenty Mirage fighter jets taxi on the runway at a northern Taiwan air force base in Hsinchu in 2003. Frequent and increased Chinese military drills pose an 'enormous threat' to Taiwan's security, Taipei warned on Tuesday in an annual defence review that starkly highlighted rising cross-strait tensions

Chinese troops march during a military parade marking the 70th Anniversary of the 'Victory of Chinese People's Resistance against Japanese Aggression and World Anti-Fascist War' at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. China has been accused of stepping up its preparations for a war with Taiwan after jets were spotted circling above the island last week

An expert last week warned Beijing could be plotting an invasion in order to take over the island just east of the mainland by force. Taiwan's defence ministry warned today that China's military threat was growing by the day

China and Taiwan split after a civil war in 1949, and while Taiwan sees itself as a sovereign nation, it has never formally declared independence.

Beijing says Taiwan is a part of Chinese territory and will be brought back into the fold at some point.

China has taken an increasingly hostile stance towards Taiwan since Tsai Ing-wen from the island's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party won presidential elections last year.

Beijing suspects her of pushing for the island's formal independence, a red line for China.

Tsai says she wants peace with China, but that she will defend Taiwan's security and way of life.

In a lengthy report, Taiwan's defence ministry listed the number of times China's air force had drilled near the island since the end of October last year and which aircraft were involved, including bombers and advanced fighter jets.

Of the 16 drills, 15 of them were around Taiwan, flying through the Bashi Channel which separates Taiwan from the Philippines and near Japan's Miyako island, to the north of Taiwan. The other drill was through the Bashi Channel and out into the Pacific.

Chinese soldiers demonstrate their skill with bayonets during a military parade in Beijing. Frequent and increased Chinese military drills pose an 'enormous threat' to Taiwan's security, Taipei warned on Tuesday in an annual defence review that starkly highlighted rising cross-strait tensions

Beijing suspects Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (pictured) of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party wants to declare the island's formal independence

China has repeatedly said the drills are routine.

Taiwan's defence ministry said China was the island's biggest security threat.

'The Chinese military's strength continues to grow rapidly,' it said.

'There have been massive developments in military reforms, combined operations, weapons development and production, the building of overseas military bases and military exercises, and the military threat towards us grows daily.'

Chinese missiles can already cover all of Taiwan, and China has been improving its abilities in long-range anti-ship missiles 'to build an ability to resist foreign forces', the ministry added.

Tensions rose earlier this month after a senior Chinese diplomat threatened that China would invade Taiwan if any U.S. warships made port visits there.

Taiwan is well equipped with mostly U.S.-made weapons, but has been pressing Washington to sell more advanced equipment.

The United States is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, to China's distaste.

Proudly democratic Taiwan has shown no interest in being run by autocratic China, and Taiwan's government has accused Beijing of not understanding what democracy is all about when it criticises Taipei.
A police officer questioning a teen shoplifter has been surrounded by a gang of youths and assaulted at a Melbourne mall.

Police say the officer, believed to be in his 20s, was arresting a 16-year-old boy from Flemington when he was assaulted by a second teen at Highpoint Shopping Centre.

The senior constable was then surrounded by a large gang of youths of African appearance before emergency services were called around 5pm on Tuesday.

A senior police constable aged in his 20s has been assaulted by a gang of teens in Melbourne

The officer was questioning a teenage boy who was caught shoplifting when he was assaulted

The Herald Sun reported that he was struck in the head and sustained non-life threatening injuries. Paramedics treated him at the scene.

The 16-year-old boy was ultimately arrested for theft, but authorities are still searching for the second youth responsible for the bashing.

Channel 7 also alleged that the officer was 'stabbed by [the] gang of African youths' and sustain upper body injured during the brawl in Maribyrnong.

The alleged perpetrator is described as tall and aged in his late teens, and was wearing a white top, black bandana, white shoes and black pants.

The Flemington teen is reportedly assisting police with their enquiries. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Victoria Police for more information.

Anyone with information or who witnessed the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report online
A sadistic care worker who cuddled up to a four-month-old kitten before bludgeoning it and another rescue cat to death has been jailed for five months.

Aaron Barker, 26, inflicted devastating injuries on kittens Panther and Baby as they desperately tried to escape.

They were punched, dragged, kicked and thrown into a wall during the shocking attack last January, the court heard.

Barker then lied that they had been killed by a mysterious intruder while he was at work and claimed he had tried to revive them - even giving one the kiss of life.

Aaron Barker, 26, bludgeoned four-month-old kittens Panther and Baby to death in Nottingham last January

But the mental health care worker was jailed last week and banned from keeping pets for life after a two-day trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

He was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to the two kittens.

Damage to their claws suggested they had frantically tried to escape while suffering the vicious attack, during which vets believe they were hit with a blunt instrument, kicked, dragged and thrown.

The defendant sent pictures of him cradling Panther to friends on Whatsapp soon after taking him in.

He denied his dealings with violent patients at work had left him unstable.

He claimed the pets were killed by a mysterious intruder while he was at work. The mental health care worker allegedly has a history of mistreating animals

Panther and Baby, who were registered to Barker's psychiatric nurse girlfriend Verity Castle, were collected from the Cats Protection League just 10 days before they were killed.

The 24-year-old gave evidence in court for her boyfriend and is standing by him despite her family's concerns for her safety.

Barker, from Basford in Nottingham, has a shocking history of animal torture according to Verity's brother Charlie, The Sun have reported.

Barker's psychiatric nurse girlfriend Verity Castle, 24, is standing by her man despite her family's concerns for her safety

The 22-year-old DHL administrator told the publication that Barker once killed a gerbil at school by attaching it to a ceiling fan.

He also allegedly killed two hamsters and a cat called Milo.

The slaying of Panther and Baby was described by RSPCA inspector Laura Kirkham as the most awful case she had ever dealt with.

RSPCA prosecutor Paul Wright said Panther suffered a fractured skull and blood on the brain while black and white Baby had five fractured ribs and a ruptured spleen.

Nigel Dicks, defending, said Barker's nearest and dearest describe him as a 'kind person...who is fond of all animals'.
Rev Jonathan Gould, 59, (pictured) is reportedly suing the church for discrimination

A vicar was sacked and his children were left homeless after the church he worked for kicked them out when he divorced his wife.

Rev Jonathan Gould, 59, was told that marital breakdown is a 'terrible testimony' to both 'believers and non-believers' and was forced to leave.

The father-of-four informed St John's Downshire Hill in Hampstead, north west London, that his 18-year marriage with his wife Beth was on the rocks.

He had been the minster at the church for 21 years and agreed to take four months off after he spoke with trustees.

But his job was quickly 'terminated with immediate effect' and his lawyers have suggested he would not have been fired if he was single, reports The Sun.

According to the newspaper he is suing the church for discrimination and said the whole process has been 'devastating'.

Mr Gould, a former lawyer at a city law firm, told the paper: 'It's been absolutely devastating for me, personally, and devastating for the children as we lost our home when I was dismissed.'

But his wife Beth, 53, said the church was 'very generous' and insisted the pair could get back together.

She said: 'He had every chance to resign and bow out and to continue with the marriage. The church were very generous, as I was too.

'There is definitely still an opportunity for him to work at our marriage.'

Mr Gould has been removed from the church's website but an old description of him said he trained in Oxford before working in London.

Rev Gould was told he must leave St John's Downshire Hill (pictured) after he was told that marital breakdown is a 'terrible testimony' to believers and non-believers

Mr Gould is the author of the book, What Christians Believe, and he was described as having a 'logical mind' and a 'loving concern' for people.

Simon Manchester, the Senior Minister at St Thomas Anglican Church in Sydney, said: 'Here is a sane guide to a sane confidence in Christ.

'Jonathan Gould is blessed with a logical mind and a loving concern for people - I especially liked his answers to important questions at the end of each chapter.

'I have seen many people brought out of fog into faith under his ministry and hope this book will bring many more.'

MailOnline has contacted the church for comment.
Just one day after his sister announced her engagement to a senior member of the Nomad's bikie gang, Salim Mehajer posted a photo of a set of diamond rings to Instagram.

The disgraced former deputy mayor shared the stunning set of sparklers with his followers on Tuesday, indicating he might be gearing up to propose to rumored girlfriend Constance Siaflas.

'A near complete 20 Carat ring designed for the Queen,' Mehajer captioned the photo, tagging Italian jewellery designers Veschetti.

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Salim Mehajer has posted a photo of a set of diamond rings just one day after his sister announced her engagement to Nomads bikie Mouhamed Tajjour

Salim shared the stunning set of sparklers with his followers on Tuesday, indicating he might be gearing up to propose to rumored girlfriend Constance Siaflas

The white gold ring is covered with 'crushed diamonds throughout', Mehajer said, in order to create 'that ultimate diamond sparkle'.

Despite Mehajer flaunting the rings and photos of his flame, Ms Siaflas, a 25-year-old flight attendant, has denied she is dating the property developer.

The pair were romantically linked in 2016, following Mehajer's split with his ex-wife Aysha Learmonth.

The photo of the huge diamond rings comes after Salim's younger sister, Saana, 23, announced her engagement to Mouhamed 'Moudi' Tajjour - the ex-vice president of the notorious Nomads bikie club.

Sanaa Mehajer (left), 23, the younger sister of Salim, will marry Mouhamed 'Moudi' Tajjour (right), 33, a senior member of the Nomads bikie gang

On Monday, Tajjour said: 'Just got engaged to my beautiful darling future wife to be. Love u (sic) from the bottom of my heart my darling wife to be'.

The pair have been boasting of their love on Instagram since late November - culminating in a series of December 25 messages.

'Thank you for agreeing to be with me for the rest of your life. How did someone so beautiful love a head like mine,' Tajjour said.

Tajjour and his brother Sleiman Simon Tajjour were convicted of the manslaughter of Robin Nassour in 2006. They are the cousins of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim.

Moudi Tajjour announced he would marry his girlfriend Sanaa Mehajer (pictured together), 22, in a series of Instagram posts this week

Tajjour, the ex-vice president of Nomads (left), is understood to have been dating Ms Mehajer (right) since late November

The 23-year-old (pictured) has been regularly pictured alongside the Nomads enforcer online in recent weeks, with the pair boasting of finding love on both their Instagram pages

Tajjour has previously described Ms Mehajer as 'that one person that makes (me) genuinely happy'.

It's believed the pair may have first met at the high-profile wedding of Ms Mehajer's older sister Aisha and Tajjour's cousin Sam earlier this year.

Tajjour, a former vice-president of the motorcycle club, is now a life member having first joined in 1999.

It is understood Sanaa is currently a law student at University of Sydney.

Tajjour and his brother both pleaded not-guilty to the murder of Nassour, the brother of Fat Pizza actor George Nassour.

They spent four years in jail over the ambush attack, before being released in March 2010.

Sanaa (pictured with Tajjour) is believed to have studied beauty and formerly run a beauty salon
Top civil servants are afraid a wedding invite from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Barack Obama could jeopardise British and US relations.

Prince Harry has a close relationship with the former US President who will appear on a special edition of Today tomorrow.

The former Commander in Chief has been a strong supporter of Harry's Invictus Games initiative for wounded warriors.

Whitehall mandarins fear Prince Harry's close relationship with former US President Barack Obama could jeopardise Anglo US relations by offending Donald Trump

Mr Obama has a close relationship with Harry due to their support of the Invictus Games

Officials fear Donald Trump, pictured, may be offended if the Obamas attend the royal wedding and he does not receive an invite to the big day in May

Whitehall mandarins fear that by inviting Mr Obama and his wife Michelle it could be seen as a snub to Donald Trump.

President Trump has been highly critical of his predecessor and Government officials fear the thin-skinned billionaire might take offence if the Obamas receive a wedding invite and he does not.

Already there have been threats of mass protests if President Trump visits the UK in February to officially open the new US Embassy.

Prime Minister Theresa May received intense criticism over her visit to Washington in January where she extended the offer of a state visit to President Trump.

One source told The Sun: 'Harry has made it clear he wants the Obamas at the wedding, so its causing a lot of nervousness.

'Trump could react very badly if the Obamas get to a Royal wedding before he has had a chance to meet the Queen.

'Conversations are ongoing about and ministers will eventually have to decide. If the PM lays down the law, Harry will just have to suck it up.'

Shortly after the engagement was announced, Mr Obama tweeted his congratulations to the couple.

He said: 'We wish you a lifetime of joy and happiness together.'
The family of a British woman jailed in Egypt after being found guilty of smuggling drugs into the country says they fear she will not survive three years in prison.

Shop worker Laura Plummer, 33, from Hull, was arrested after she was found to be carrying 290 Tramadol tablets in her suitcase, a painkiller which is legal in the UK but banned in Egypt.

Ms Plummer's family, who have described her as 'naive', said she was taking the tablets for her Egyptian partner Omar Caboo, who suffers from severe back pain.

But now a judge at a preliminary court has sentenced her to three years' imprisonment and ordered her to pay a fine of 100,000 Egyptian pounds (4,205).

Shop worker Laura Plummer (left), 33, from Hull, was arrested after she was found to be carrying 290 Tramadol tablets in her suitcase, a painkiller which is legal in the UK but which is banned in Egypt. Right: Ms Plummer and Omar Caboo, her partner

Speaking after the sentence, her visibly distraught mother, Roberta Synclair, said: 'This is not fair. She's done it in all innocence'

Mr Caboo was reportedly 'very sad' while Laura cried so heavily that her mother has to calm her down. Pictured: Mr Caboo (left) with Ms Plummer's mother (centre) at the court after the sentence

Mr Caboo (pictured) was described by witnesses at the court as being 'very sad' after the sentence was delivered, while Laura cried so heavily that her mother had to calm her down

'If she ever makes it out of there, I will be amazed,' Ms Plummer's sister Jayne Synclair told the Mirror.

'She will probably be dead if she has to stay in there for three years.'

The 40-year-old added: 'She is not the strongest person - she's already having a nervous breakdown and is being kicked and punched in the holding prison.'

Yesterday, her lawyer said Ms Plummer had 'accidentally' confessed in front of a judge after reportedly misunderstanding a question.

Ms Plummer's family previously claimed she was suicidal after sharing a 15ft square cell with 25 women inmates.

It has also been claimed that staff at the jail - which is on the outskirts of the city of Hurgharda - have shown little sympathy for what the Egyptian media are calling the 'Tramadol Tourist'.

Mr Caboo was described by witnesses at the court as being 'very sad' after the sentence was delivered, while Laura cried so heavily that her mother had to calm her down.

Laura Plummer (pictured), 33, has been sentenced to three years in prison

Speaking after the sentence, her visibly distraught mother, Roberta Synclair, said: 'This is not fair. She's done it in all innocence.

'She brought [the drugs] to help someone, to help a family.'

She added: 'She's the kindest person... I was worried about her before, [when she was] in the police station. I'm even more worried now she's in actual prison with real criminals.

'I feel sick - I'm so frightened for her.'

She has now been transferred to a police station, from which she will be sent to jail.

The sentence, however, can be changed as the case progresses through the Egyptian legal system.

It is expected to take a minimum of one month for the second stage of the case to begin.

The family said her lawyers lodged an immediate appeal.

Ms Plummer's sister, Rachel, said their mother Roberta was 'devastated' by the sentence.

Laura Plummer's current jail - and two prisons she could be sent to Laura Plummer was arrested at Hurghada International Airport on October 9 when police discovered she was carrying Tramadol and Naproxen in her suitcase. Since then, she has been held in a communal cell in Hurghada packed with 25 other women. Her current cell is 15ft by 15ft, her family said, and - they claim - full of 'murderers, heroin addicts and prostitutes'. Her sister Jayne Synclair told The Mirror she was being 'targeted' by other inmates because she is foreign. Jayne said: 'To give you an idea of the place Laura is staying in - this woman [a woman alleged to be caring for Laura] is locked up for slitting her best friend's throat.' She added: 'She's a target in there because she's a foreigner. 'She was being kicked and kicked until apparently the cell leader started watching her.' Al Jazeera, which is based in nearby Qatar, also published a more general story about the state of Egyptian prisons in 2014. Toilets were a hole in the ground with a curtain for privacy In shocking videos leaked to the TV channel, jails in the country were shown to be cramped and dirty Al-Monitor , meanwhile, has reported that female prisoners in Egypt face regular sexual harassment and abuse by guards at jails. Pictured: A grab from a video obtained by Al Jazeera Prisons in Egypt have been repeatedly exposed as hellishly filthy. Pictured: The windows at one prison Jayne has also said Ms Plummer has threatened to kill herself because of the 'repulsive' conditions in the prison, which has no toilet or air conditioning. She reportedly relieves herself in a hole in the ground. Either today or tomorrow, she will be sent to either Qena prison. Prisons in Egypt have been repeatedly exposed as hellishly filthy. Al Jazeera interviewed an inmate from al-Qanater prison - which is used for both political prisoners and for regular criminals - who said it was 'full of cockroaches' and 'disgusting'. She said everything was dirty and she regularly felt intimidated by other prisoners. Pictured: Al-Qanater prison, where Ms Plummer could be sent by the Egyptian court Esraa el-Taweel told the broadcaster: 'The prison is scary and horrible. A different world - some [prisoners] are caught for using drugs, some for being prostitutes, some for pickpocketing, and others for stealing public funds. 'I have seen strange people and heard very strange stories. This cell is disgusting, full of cockroaches. Everything here is disgusting and life here is very difficult.' Al Jazeera, which is based in nearby Qatar, also published a more general story about the state of Egyptian prisons in 2014. In shocking videos leaked to the TV channel, jails in the country were shown to be cramped and dirty. Toilets were a hole in the ground with a curtain for privacy. Al-Monitor, meanwhile, has reported that female prisoners in Egypt face regular sexual harassment and abuse by guards at jails. Advertisement

She said the family was trying to find out more details about what happened in the courtroom today.

She said: 'My mum's obviously devastated. She's out there by herself.' She added that she did not know whether the appeal would be heard today.

She said: 'We're just hoping. Even half of that would be better. Anything less than three years. She doesn't deserve that.'

Ms Plummer's MP Karl Turner said the ruling had come as a devastating blow to her family but he was hopeful that good sense would eventually prevail.

Miss Plummer, left, could face 25 years in prison with no parole, life imprisonment or even the death penalty

He said her case had been raised with the Egyptian authorities by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and the Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt.

'I am hopeful that good sense will eventually prevail,' he told BBC Radio 4's The World At One.

'This is a damning indictment actually of the Egyptian authorities in the sense that good sense and fairness certainly hasn't prevailed in this case.

'This is a decent woman who has made a terrible mistake who shouldn't be incarcerated in any prison, never mind an Egyptian prison.'

Neville Plummer, Laura's father, said his daughter is 'on the verge of a breakdown' after the sentencing.

'The family are all absolutely devastated for Laura. It has been very distressing for everyone involved, but we have got to stay strong for Laura,' he said.

'The last time I spoke to Laura was two days after she was arrested.. To be honest, I think she was sentenced on the day she was arrested.

A judge at a preliminary court has sentenced Ms Plummer (pictured) to three years' imprisonment and ordered her to pay a fine of 100,000 Egyptian pounds (4,205)

'This has been drawn out and dragged on and on, and in a way a line has now been drawn in the sand and things can only get better.'

'We have now got to stay positive for Laura,' Mr Plummer said.

'I will leave no stone unturned, and will let no money stand in the way of getting her the justice she needs.

'She pleaded guilty to the trafficking when she did not even mean to plead guilty that is not justice, that is an injustice.

'I will never give up with the help. It is a very sad day for the family, at what should be a happy time of the year.'

Mr Plummer praised the work of the lawyers and legal teams who had represented Laura during the hearing.

He also said Hull East MP Karl Turner had been very supportive of Laura, and was continuing in his work to help the Hull woman.

Mr Turner said: 'I am hopeful that good sense will eventually prevail.

'This is a damning indictment actually of the Egyptian authorities in the sense that good sense and fairness certainly hasn't prevailed in this case.

'This is a decent woman who has made a terrible mistake who shouldn't be incarcerated in any prison, never mind an Egyptian prison.'

Yesterday her lawyer said she had 'accidentally' pleaded guilty during a hearing.

Her mother Roberta Synclair travelled to Egypt for the Christmas Day hearing.

Her lawyer Dia al-Bassal said Ms Plummer was asked yesterday: 'You are accused of smuggling and possessing Tramadol to Egypt?'

She then replied 'yes', with the judge ensuring the clerk recorded she had 'confessed' to the crime.

But when her translator explained what the question was, she denied being guilty of the charge.

Mr Bassal told The Telegraph: 'She meant that she is admitting that she had the Tramadol, but not admitting of being guilty.

'The judge jumped to the conclusion that she confesses before clarifying that she understood the question and this is worrying.'

Ms Plummer then reportedly wept in frustration, stressing 'it's not fair'.

The case revolves around 290 Tramadol Miss Plummer (left) took with her to Egypt for her lover Omar Caboo (right), 33, who suffers from back pain

Her lawyer will submit an explanation today emphasising that she meant to say she had the drug with her but did not intend to sell it.

Her sister Rachel Plummer said the judge adjourned the case for a day because of Laura's condition.

She said: 'She's sleep deprived, she's visibly nervous and upset.

'She's answered some questions wrong because she's not understanding them, she obviously can't think straight.

'You can imagine the pressure - this is her life.'

She said their mother and Mr Caboo were denied access to the hearing as their driver took them to court late.

MP Karl Turner told Sky News yesterday's hearing was adjourned so that Ms Plummer could find another interpreter.

He said: 'Apparently something was lost in translation, the defence lawyer wasn't confident that Laura was understanding the questions first of all, and the interpreter wasn't correctly translating what Laura was saying in her answers.'

Mr Turner said: 'The evidence is pretty clear that she didn't know the drug was banned and she was taking it out there to help her boyfriend, who has come up with the evidence that he does suffer from a severe back problem.'

The Plummer family has previously said she had no idea that what she doing was illegal and was just 'daft'.

Prison visit: The family of a British woman facing the death penalty in Egypt on drug smuggling charges today paid her an emotional visit in prison

They said she did not try to hide the medicine, which she had been given by a friend, and she thought it was a joke when she was pulled over by officials after arriving for a holiday with her partner.

Mrs Synclair said her daughter was being held in terrible conditions in a communal cell with no beds, sharing with up to 25 other women.

She said she looked 'unrecognisable'.

Ms Plummer is being held in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, where she was arrested at the airport on October 9.

Her family has been told that she could face up to 25 years in jail, with one lawyer even mentioning the death penalty.

Yesterday her lawyer claimed the price of her plane ticket could set her free.

Mohamed Othman said that a plane ticket shows she did not intend to sell the 290 Tramadol tablets found in her suitcase because she paid twice as much for her flight as the drugs are worth.

Othman called the plane ticket a 'key piece of evidence'.

He told The Sun: 'For someone to be found guilty of drug smuggling they have to be aware that they are possessing narcotics. Laura did not know that what she was carrying was a narcotic.

'It is illogical that she was dealing in Tramadol.She had only 320 pills - even the plane ticket is almost double the price of those pills.'

Plummer wept in court as she appeared in front of a judge on Christmas Day.

Christmas Day is a normal working day in the Islamic country, and the shop assistant from Hull appeared in the dock handcuffed.

Miss Plummer's mother Roberta Synclair and Mr Caboo arrived late to the courtroom and stood outside.

Mr Caboo, speaking outside of court, was convinced Miss Plummer would be freed.

He told MailOnline: 'I am sure Laura is innocent. She did not bring the Tramadol for selling or trading.

'I am sure she will be freed. She did not intend to do smuggle or trade.'

When Miss Plummer was arrested on October 9, she signed a 38-page document written in Arabic as she thought it would grant her freedom.

It led to her being locked up and she has already spent ten weeks in prison sharing a 15ft square cell with 25 women inmates.

Last month, her mother Roberta Synclair said: 'She did not realise what she was doing'.

She said Ms Plummer made no attempt to hide the medicine, which she had been given by a friend, and she thought it was a joke when she was first pulled over by officials when she flew into the country for a holiday with Mr Caboo.
Russia is ready to act as a mediator between North Korea and the United States if both parties are willing for it to play such a role, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

Moscow has long called for the two sides to hold negotiations aimed at reducing tensions over the nuclear and missile programme North Korea is pursuing in defiance of years of UN Security Council resolutions.

'Russia's readiness to clear the way for de-escalation is obvious,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a phone call with reporters, suggesting President Vladimir Putin could be called in as an unlikely peacekeeper between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump.

Russia is ready to act as a mediator between North Korea and the United States if both parties are willing for it to play such a role, the Kremlin said on Tuesday

'Russia's readiness to clear the way for de-escalation is obvious,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a phone call with reporters, suggesting President Vladimir Putin could be called in as an unlikely peacekeeper between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Monday for Washington and Pyongyang to start negotiations, saying Russia was ready to facilitate such talks. Though US diplomats have said they are pursuing a diplomatic solution, President Donald Trump has said Pyongyang must commit to giving up its nuclear weapons before any talks can begin

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Monday for Washington and Pyongyang to start negotiations, saying Russia was ready to facilitate such talks.

Though US diplomats have said they are pursuing a diplomatic solution, President Donald Trump has said Pyongyang must commit to giving up its nuclear weapons before any talks can begin.

The UN Security Council unanimously voted to impose new sanctions on North Korea on Friday in response to its recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, a move North Korea called an act of war, tantamount to a complete economic blockade.

But the orders have not perturbed the hermit kingdom's aggression with Kim Jong-un seemingly going one step further than missile launches.

North Korea is preparing to launch a satellite, it has been claimed, as outside observers warn that the nuclear-armed regime's space programme is likely to be a cover up for more for weapons tests.

South Korean daily newspaper Joongang Ilbo reported: 'Through various channels, we've recently learned that the North has completed a new satellite and named it Kwangmyongsong-5.

'Their plan is to put a satellite equipped with cameras and telecommunication devices into orbit.'

Vladimir Putin, pictured centre in a pruple tie, stands with a number of his officials in Moscow

South Korea predicted today that their hostile neighbours would look to open negotiations with the United States next year in an optimistic outlook for 2018.

Even so, Seoul has set up a specialised military team to confront nuclear threats from the North.

The Ministry of Defence said it would assign four units to operate under a new official overseeing North Korea policy, aimed to 'deter and respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threat'.

Tensions have risen over North Korea's 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.

US President Donald Trump (left) shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping during a press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on November 9, 2017

In a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency, North Korea said the United States was terrified by its nuclear force and was getting 'more and more frenzied in the moves to impose the harshest-ever sanctions and pressure on our country'.

China, the North's lone major ally, and Russia both supported the latest UN sanctions, which seek to limit the North's access to refined petroleum products and crude oil and its earnings from workers abroad.

In its 2018 forecast, South Korea's Unification Ministry said it believed the North would eventually find ways to blunt the effects of the sanctions.

'Countermeasures will be orchestrated to deal with the effects, including cuts in trade volume and foreign currency inflow, lack of supplies, and reduced production in each part of the economy,' the report said.

The latest round of sanctions was prompted by the November 29 test of what North Korea said was an intercontinental ballistic missile that put the US mainland within range of its nuclear weapons.

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, and regularly carries out military exercises with Seoul.

Kim Jong-un interprets this as preparations for invasion.
Salim's Mehajer's younger sister, Saana, 23, announced her engagement to Nomads bikie gang member Mouhamed Tajjour, 33, on Monday.

And in a rush to begin their life together, Saana and Mouhamed were married on Tuesday night.

The 33-year-old ex-vice president of the notorious motorcycle club posted a video to his Instagram on Tuesday evening featuring his new bride.

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Sanaa Mehajer (left), 23, the younger sister of Salim, married Mouhamed 'Moudi' Tajjour (behind), 33, a senior member of the Nomads bikie gang, on Tuesday

Photos and videos flooded social media of the wedding reception, with Saana showing off her new diamond dazzler (pictured)

Dressed in a royal blue suit, Moudi Tajjour appeared to sign a marriage certificate at his wedding reception to Saana

With the camera on himself, Tajjour reveals he's 'getting f***ing married tonight!' before panning to show his new wife.

Just weeks ago, Daily Mail Australia revealed Sanaa was in a relationship with 'Moudi' Tajjour.

The pair have been boasting of their love on Instagram since late November - culminating in a series of December 25 messages.

Tajjour posted a gushing tribute to his new wife on Monday, announcing their engagement.

Tajjour has previously described Ms Mehajer (front) as 'that one person that makes (me) genuinely happy'

It seemed to be all love and joy as the newlyweds celebrated their nuptials with family and friends

'Just got engaged to my beautiful darling future wife to be. Love u (sic) from the bottom of my heart my darling wife to be'.

'Thank you for agreeing to be with me for the rest of your life.How did someone so beautiful love a head like mine,' Tajjour said.

Tajjour has previously described Ms Mehajer as 'that one person that makes (me) genuinely happy'.

Dressed in a figure-hugging, off-the-shoulder blue dress, Saana looked delighted with her new husband as they danced the night away

The couple announced their engagement on Monday and have been dating since November

In a rush to begin their life together, Saana and Mouhamed were married on Tuesday night

And it seemed to be all love and joy as the newlyweds celebrated their nuptials with family and friends.

Dressed in a figure-hugging, off-the-shoulder blue dress, Saana looked delighted with her new husband as they danced the night away.

This is not the first high profile wedding for the Mehajer family this year.

It follows the wedding of Ms Mehajer's older sister Aisha to Tajjour's cousin Sam Ibrahim in November.

It's believed the Saana and Moudi may have first met at the Mehajer and Ibrahim wedding.

Tajjour, the ex-vice president of Nomads (left), is understood to have been dating Ms Mehajer (right) since late November

The 23-year-old (pictured) has been regularly pictured alongside the Nomads enforcer online in recent weeks, with the pair boasting of finding love on both their Instagram pages

Tajjour, a former vice-president of the Nomads motorcycle club, is now a life member having first joined in 1999.

It is understood Sanaa is currently a law student at University of Sydney.

Tajjour and his brother, Sleiman Simon Tajjour, both pleaded not-guilty to the murder of Nassour, the brother of Fat Pizza actor George Nassour, in 2006.

They were found guilty of manslaughter and spent four years in jail over the ambush attack, before being released in March 2010.
Nearly 10,000 council staff have been suspended on full pay during the past five years over allegations that include sexual harassment and fraud, it has been reported.

About 2,000 local authority employees have been suspended while still receiving their full salary each year since 2012.

Freedom of Information requests were sent to the UK's 418 city, borough and district councils, 117 of which provided details on suspensions.

Nearly 10,000 council staff have been suspended on full pay during the past five years over allegations that include sexual harassment and fraud, it has been reported (file photo)

The Times reports that among them were 402 cases of fraud and theft, 242 of inappropriate behaviour, 123 of harassment, 127 of mistreatment of children, 167 of alcohol or drug offences and 81 of assault.

According to the figures, Birmingham City Council - the UK's largest local authority - saw the highest number of disciplinary suspensions at 330 over the five years, followed by Glasgow at 283.

The investigation highlights one case, in which a Birmingham City Council worker was said to have been found to have committed 'inappropriate conduct and sexual harassment', but received only a formal written warning.

Further details of this suspension were not disclosed by the paper.

The Times also claims a Derbyshire County Council employee has been on paid leave for more than three years after being suspended for safeguarding reasons in August 2014.

And a social services worker for Monmouthshire County Council on a 42,000 salary was suspended for 678 days for 'management irregularities' and then dismissed.

According to the figures, Birmingham City Council (pictured) - the UK's largest local authority - saw the highest number of disciplinary suspensions at 330 over the five years

Bob Blackman, a member of the communities and local government committee and Conservative MP for Harrow East, told the Times: 'You often see sweetheart deals where someone leaves a local authority with a payoff, and often that's not published. And then they move off to another local authority or public body and they are once again richly rewarded for their work.

'Any payoffs or any arrangements made should be open to full public scrutiny. It shouldn't be hushed up.'

Wera Hobhouse, the Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for communities and local government, said the problem needed to be 'rooted out' as council staff are employed with taxpayers' money.

A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said staffing matters and suspensions were the responsibility of local authorities, adding: 'We expect councils to take reports of misconduct extremely seriously and have the appropriate measures in place to handle such issues appropriately and swiftly.'
A young father has recalled the terrifying moment he was shot in the stomach at close range in a case of mistaken identity.

Daniel Stone, 26, was gunned down on the way to visit a friend last Christmas Day, leaving him in a coma for a month with an enormous scar and colostomy bag.

The father-of-one, of Walsall, West Midlands, was found with 45 gun pellets in his abdomen and 15 in his arm after being shot at close range from the window of a passing car.

Mr Stone recalled: 'I heard a loud bang a surge of intense heat - and woke up four weeks later in hospital with machines keeping me alive.

'When I woke up I didn't know what had happened.

Daniel Stone (pictured), 26, was gunned down on the way to visit a friend last Christmas Day, leaving him in a coma for a month with an enormous scar and colostomy bag (left)

The 26-year-old needed 20 operations and was in intensive care for four weeks

'I was bleeding to death for two days. The main artery in my spine was shot and bleeding out.

'My ex-girlfriend brought my daughter to visit me - I don't think she liked seeing me in hospital, full of tubes, it's scary for children.

'She just screamed. It doesn't look nice. She was only seven months old. Seeing dad with pipes in his face really upset her.'

The former carer, who has a one-year-old daughter, Laylah-Grace, had spent the day at home with his family before nipping down the street to see a friend, on December 25 last year.

He kissed his grandmother, Glenys goodbye, and had only walked a few steps down the road when he noticed a black hatchback drive by slowly and then circle back, at 8.30pm.

He turned to glance into the car, expecting to see someone he knew - but watched the window wind down and saw a leather glove gripping a gun appear.

He remembers little else until he woke up in hospital around a month later.

Mr Stone said: 'I said goodbye to my grandma and thought I'd be back in five minutes.

Pictured is the blood-stained T-shirt Mr Stone was wearing when he was shot at around 8.30pm on Christmas Day last year

'I was just going to see a mate. The car was a little black Seat Leon, it was all blacked out.

'The car drove past me at first then turned round at the bottom of the street.

'I tried to look at who was driving it but then the window went down and I saw the barrel of a gun.

'I didn't see a face, just a black leather glove holding a gun.

'I heard a loud bang a surge of intense heat - and woke up four weeks later in hospital with machines keeping me alive.'

A year later, no one was has been arrested in connection with the shooting.

Desperate for answers, Mr Stone is speaking out in the hope of catching his attempted murderers.

He said: 'Since I got shot there have been more shootings.

'I'm speaking out because I hope they get caught because you shouldn't have people like that out on the streets.

'It could have been a lot worse.'

The former carer (pictured), who has a one-year-old daughter, Laylah-Grace, had spent the day at home with his family before nipping down the street to see a friend, on December 25

Five men were arrested on suspicion of trying to kill Mr Stone but were later released without charge by police.

The attack left him in hospital for 11 weeks and unable to care for his disabled mother Tracey.

Mr Stone's elderly grandparents did hear the gunshot, but thought it was a firework.

When sirens started wailing, one of his friends rushed to tell them the devastating news.

Medics at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital battled to save his life and had to give him 26 units of blood to stop him dying.

The young father is due to have his catheter removed next June and is till recovering at home.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: 'Five men aged between 18 and 33 who were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder have been released from bail without charge.

'Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to call Force CID at Wolverhampton on 101.'
The boss of the Comanchero bikie gang and his wife have been ordered to repay a tax debt of almost $4 million.

On December 21, the Supreme Court ordered Mick Murray, the national president of the Comancheros, and Debbie Pitman to repay the Australian Tax Office.

The ATO found the pair had failed to pay income tax between 2008 and 2013, after their affairs were referred by the National Anti-Gangs Squad.

Comanchero bikie boss Mick Murray (left) has been ordered to repay a tax debt of $4 million

The boss of the Comanchero bikie gang and his wife have been ordered to repay a tax debt of almost $4million (stock image)

Associate Justice Mark Derham said the couple must pay back $3.72million, which includes taxes, interest and penalties, The Herald Sun reported.

Ms Pitman told the court Murray had been using her accounts, meaning she should not be liable, but Associate Justice Derham rejected her claims.

'Murray and Pitman's defences have no real prospect of success,' he said.

Mick Murray, the national president of the Comancheros, and Debbie Pitman were ordered to repay the Australian Tax Office by the Supreme Court on December 21 (stock image)

'There is at present no reason  why costs should not follow.'

Murray, a focus of Victoria police's anti-bikie Echo Taskforce since taking control of the club, is also facing two-year jail for an offence about which details cannot be published.

A court also heard he was reportedly present during a strip club brawl between Comancheros in August but made no attempt to stop the violence, The Canberra Times reported.

It occurred during the club's national run, with over 100 Comanchero bikies converging on Canberra.
Tesco could face a food standards inquiry after customers claimed their Christmas Day was ruined by rotten turkeys.

The Food Standards Agency last night pledged to look into complaints from furious Tesco shoppers who said their festive turkeys were 'rancid' and 'tasted like acid'.

Dozens of families said they were left without a meal to serve and that they had to order emergency takeaways after discovering their Tesco turkeys had gone off.

Some customers abandoned their turkey dinners before even putting the birds in the oven because of the smell.

Others say they didn't notice until they had started digging into their Christmas meal and complained that their turkey tasted like 'bleach' and'acid'.

Angry customers took to Facebook and Twitter on Christmas Day to complain about turkeys, which cost up to 59 in the store's Finest range.

Carl Barber took this photograph of his turkey and said it was 'out of date' so he was unable to cook it on Christmas Day

Karen Carter was furious and said that she had to 'throw' her turkey away after it was 'rotten'

Twitter user Ronnie Barnes was 'furious' when he went on Twitter on Christmas Day and said that his turkey crown was 'rancid'

Carl Barber, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, went on Facebook yesterday and posted a picture of the turkey he bought 'only a few days ago'.

He wrote: 'This was bought only a few days ago and it's out of date. 23 quid wasted now have no Xmas turkey for Xmas day. Any customer services available today??'

One Twitter user, Jase @SappninBitton, was forced to order an emergency Chinese takeaway for his family in Glasgow after he discovered their turkey was rotten.

At almost 8pm on Christmas Day, he wrote: 'We're sitting waiting on a Chinese coming after @Tesco ruined #ChristmasDinner.

'Thank the lord for @JustEatUK. Think this is the first time I've ever spent money on Christmas Day.

'What else you gonna do with eight hungry mouths and a rotten turkey. Think I'll send Tesco the bill.'

He added: 'I've seen a lot of people saying the same. Thankfully I noticed before cooking/eating it. I got refunded for my turkey but the whole meal was ruined.'

Tesco has been inundated with messages from customers regarding their fresh and frozen turkeys and the store apologised to people on social media and offered them a refund.

Mr Barber took this image of his turkey and said that he had 'wasted' 23 because he no longer had a fresh turkey to cook

Sian Jones bought this 'fresh turkey crown' from Tesco and paid 20.95 for it but told MailOnline it was 'stinking' on Monday morning

Lisa Baker, from Gloucester, posted two photographs online after her turkey had 'gone off'

Craig Taylor sarcastically 'thanked' Tesco for the 'rotten turkey' he bought and said that he could not cook it because of the 'disgusting smell'

Alison Kendall, from Essex, said that her Christmas dinner had been 'ruined' and described her 'sheer panic' when she realised it had gone off at 6am yesterday.

She said: 'Thank you Tesco for the Finest Turkey Crown with a sell by date of 26/12 that had gone off by the 25th... ruining our Christmas Dinner.

'Imagine my sheer panic at 6am on Xmas Day, opening the turkey wrap to be hit by that 'gone off' smell with 10 people coming to Xmas Dinner.'

Kirsten Shore, from Stafford, wrote: 'Snap! We had the same problem!

'Our first time hosting and a rotten turkey from @Tesco ruined our day! I'm devastated!

'Thanks @Tesco for selling me a gone off turkey and wrecking my first Christmas day cooked at my home!

'250 wasted. An awful meal and eight sick people!'

She later added on Facebook: 'I was very excited and worked super hard to make and prepare Christmas dinner for my family for the first time ever but thanks to the Tesco I served them a rotten, racid turkey that was inedible.

'Not only that - the gravy was made from the turkey so that resulted in everyone's meal ending up in the bin. Thanks Tesco!'

Karen Carter tweeted: 'Thanks @Tesco for ruining our Christmas. Disgusting turkey I had delivered on Friday stinking and rotten. Just had to throw away.'

Jordan Shore, from Manchester, wrote: 'Hi @Tesco we cooked a turkey from you today to find that it was totally inedible. Acid type taste is all I can describe.'

Julie Duer added: '@Tesco very disappointed as had the worst Christmas ever.

'Bought your Finest Turkey for Christmas lunch and Christmas morning your turkey was off.

'Ruined the whole day as only get all my family together once every two years. Cheers Tesco.'

Some furious, and hungry, customers also took to Facebook to vent about their ruined meals.

Kelly Greaves from Stoke-on-Trent, wrote: 'Huge shout out to Tesco on selling us a rotten turkey - and judging by your Facebook and Twitter, we are one of many!

'The turkey smelt/tasted like bleach! Sadly with us making the gravy from the juices, and pouring it all over our vegetables and potatoes - the whole table of eight went hungry!

Natasha Hales, from Braunton, Devon, said that Tesco had 'ruined' her Christmas and that they were 'nearly sick'

Julie Duer tweeted this morning that she had the 'worst Christmas ever' after she bought Tesco's 'finest' turkey only to find that it had gone 'off'

Tania Fleming said that her turkey crown was 'extremely off' when she went to cook it on Christmas Day and added she was forced to 'chuck it out'

Leanne Woodman said her 'fresh' turkey smelled 'like rotten eggs' and said that her Christmas dinner was ruined

James Hill said that 'Christmas dinner if off' after he inspected their turkey on Monday morning

'We literally had NO Christmas dinner except a Christmas pudding.'

Jane Plant from Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, contacted Tesco to tell them she had been blaming a strange smell in the house on her husbands feet, only to discover it was yet another rotten turkey.

She said: 'So this evening i went to prepare my turkey like I do every Christmas Eve. The said turkey was purchased from Tesco Uttoxeter on Thursday 21st December.

'I'd actually smelt a funny smell in my house for the last couple of days and actually blamed my husbands feet.

'On opening the turkey I found it was in fact not my husbands feet but the extra large turkey that we were having for Christmas dinner.

'As it was 7.30pm on Christmas Eve there was nowhere I could actually get another one from so my husband went to Tesco Express with no smelly feet to be told there was nothing they could do about it and he had to purchase two joints of beef.

'We now have to have a completely different family Christmas meal so a big thanks Tesco for ruining our family Christmas meal and furthermore making me apologise to my husband for blaming his feet.'

Was your Christmas ruined after buying a turkey from Tesco? Email abe.hawken@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement

And Scott Barnwell wrote: 'Thanks Tesco! No turkey for Christmas lunch as it is off, even though it is still in date.'

Last year, dozens of disappointed Tesco customers shared images online after cutting open their turkeys and discovering they were green inside.

The off-coloured meat was thought to be caused by an unharmful degenerative muscle condition in turkeys - commonly referred to as Green Muscle Disease.

It occurs after the inner breast muscle of the bird develops in a way that prevents blood supply from circulating, resulting in the green discolouration.

Last year, Tesco said: 'There's nothing more important than the quality of the food we sell so we were concerned to hear this has happened.

'We've offered a refund to the customers affected and will inform our supplier.'

Tesco replied to Mr Barber on Christmas Day and offered him a refund.

The store wrote: 'I'm very sorry to see that your Turkey has gone off. I'd like to get you refunded so you're not out of pocket.'

A Tesco spokesman told MailOnline today: 'We've sold hundreds of thousands of great quality British turkeys this Christmas.

'We have exceptionally high standards so we will look to address the small number of complaints in recent days.

'We will get in touch with each customer so we can investigate how these instances may have happened.'

A Food Standards Agency spokesman said: We are aware of the incidents reported on social media and we are considering our next steps.
Parts of Sydney are experiencing a severe 'man drought', with some areas having as few as 86 men for every 100 women.

The elite suburb of Woollahra has the biggest scarcity of men, followed by wealthy Mosman, Double Bay and North Sydney.

In other parts of the city it is a different story, and men in Auburn North - the suburb with the largest man surplus - outnumber women by 140 to 100.

Parts of Sydney are experiencing a severe 'man drought', with some areas having as few as 86 men for every 100 women (pictured is Bondi Beach)

The elite suburb of Woollahra has the biggest scarcity of men, followed by wealthy Mosman, Double Bay and North Sydney (pictured is a map of the man drought hotspots)

The man drought is a reality city and nationwide, however, with every capital city seeing a shortage of males except Darwin, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Sydney on the whole has 98.5 men for every 100 women, the ratio contributing to a 'dating gap'.

The gap is caused by the man drought combined with women making up 60 per cent of university graduates, leaving many unable to find an equally qualified man.

Social researcher Mark McCrindle called the man drought a demographic reality, and said it spiked in rich areas with universities nearby.

In other parts of the city it is a different story, and men in Auburn North - the suburb with the largest man surplus - outnumber women by 140 to 100 (pictured is a stock image)

The man drought is a reality city and nationwide, however, with every capital city seeing a shortage of males except Darwin (pictured is an aerial view of North Sydney)

He said women prefer partners with an equal or higher level of education, but as they now outnumber men with degrees they may need to look elsewhere.

'While traditionally women might have wanted partners with university degrees for them it might be worth thinking about dating a partner who is in a trade,' he said.

'With the high cost of living in Sydney and high levels of unemployment in university graduates, it's worth noting that often those in trades are earning more.

NSW Top 10 Man Drought Areas 1) WOOLLAHRA - 86 men for every 100 women 2) MOSMAN - 88 men for every 100 women 3) DOUBLE BAY - 88 men for every 100 women 4) NORTH SYDNEY - 89 men for every 100 women 5) KU-RING-GAI - 94 men for every 100 women 6) CANADA BAY - 94 men for every 100 women 7) BURWOOD - 94 men for every 100 women 8) NORTHERN BEACHES - 95 men for every 100 women 9) WAVERLEY - 95 men for every 100 women 10) MANLY - 96 men for every 100 women Advertisement

Sydney on the whole has 98.5 men for every 100 women, the ratio contributing to a 'dating gap' (pictured is Double Bay in Sydney)

'Suburbs where there are a man oversupply are areas where there are more jobs in trades, or that are close to financial precincts as these industries are male dominated.'

Of the top ten areas with the highest number of men for every woman, three were in regional New South Wales and three were in the inner city.

The town of Junee has 133 men for every 100 women, Brewarrina 116, and Murrumbidgee has 113.

NSW Top 10 Woman Drought Areas 1) AUBURN NORTH - 140 men for every 100 women 2) DARLINGHURST - 136 men for every 100 women 3) SURRY HILLS - 133 men for every 100 women 4) JUNEE - 133 men for every 100 women 5) POTTS POINT - 130 men for every 100 women 6) BREWARRINA - 116 men for every 100 women 7) MURRUMBIDGEE - 111 men for every 100 women 8) CUMBERLAND - 107 men for every 100 women 9) MERRYLANDS - 104 men for every 100 women 10) PARRAMATTA - 102 men for every 100 women Advertisement

Pictured is Auburn North in western Sydney, where there are 140 men for every 100 women

The remaining four were in Sydney's west - Auburn North with 140, 107 in Cumberland, 104 in Merrylands and 102 in Parramatta.

After Woollahra, Mosman, Double Bay and North Sydney, the man drought hotspots were in Sydney's north, east and inner west.

Ku-ring-gai, Canada Bay and Burwood have 94 men for every 100 women, the Northern Beaches and Waverley have 95, and Manly has 96.
Federal agents discovered four preserved fetuses in the Detroit warehouse of a man who sold human body parts, confidential photographs reviewed by Reuters show.

The fetuses were found during a December 2013 raid of businessman Arthur Rathburns warehouse. The fetuses, which appear to have been in their second trimester, were submerged in a liquid that included human brain tissue.

Rathburn, a former body broker, is accused of defrauding customers by sending them diseased body parts. He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is set for January.

How Rathburn acquired the fetuses and what he intended to do with them is unclear. Rathburns lawyers did not respond to requests for comment, and neither the indictment nor other documents made public in his case mention the fetuses.

'This needs to be reviewed,' said U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee who recently chaired a special U.S. House committee on the use of fetal tissue.

Federal agents discovered four preserved fetuses in the Detroit warehouse of businessman Arthur Rathburn (above) who sold human body parts, confidential photographs reviewed by Reuters show

The fetuses were found during a December 2013 (above) raid of Rathburns warehouse. The fetuses, which appear to have been in their second trimester, were submerged in a liquid that included human brain tissue

Blackburn recoiled when a Reuters reporter showed her some of the photographs, taken by government officials involved in the raid.

In four of the photos, a crime scene investigator in a hazmat suit uses forceps to lift a different fetus from the brownish liquid. In three other photos, a marker that includes a government evidence identification number lies beside a fetus.

'The actions depicted in these photos are an insult to human dignity,' said U.S. Representative Bob Goodlatte, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

A Republican from Virginia, Goodlatte said that if individuals 'violate federal laws and traffic in body parts of unborn children for monetary gain,' they should be 'held accountable.'

Blackburn said the discoveries in Rathburns warehouse raise questions about the practices of body brokers across America.

Such brokers take cadavers donated to science, dismember them and sell them for parts, typically for use in medical research and education.

Rathburn (above in 1988), a former body broker, is accused of defrauding customers by sending them diseased body parts. He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is set for January

The multimillion-dollar industry has been built largely on the poor, who donate their bodies in return for a free cremation of leftover body parts.

The buying and selling of cadavers and other body parts - with the exception of organs used in transplants - is legal and virtually unregulated in America. But trading in fetal tissue violates U.S. law.

In most states, including Michigan, public health authorities are not required to regularly inspect body broker facilities. As a result, its impossible to know whether body brokers who deal in adult donors are acquiring and profiting from fetuses.

Blackburns call for action came in response to a Reuters series that exposed abuses in the human body trade and what Blackburn called 'lax oversight' and 'lax enforcement' of the industry.

Photos from inside Rathburns warehouse offered a stark example of government failures to police the industry.

They include images of rotting human heads, some floating face up in a plastic cooler. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which has been investigating Rathburn and other body brokers, declined to comment.

Blackburn said she found other Reuters stories about the body trade disturbing.

How Rathburn acquired the fetuses and what he intended to do with them is unclear. Rathburn operated International Biological Inc. (above, file photo), which rented out body parts for medical or dental training

As part of the news agencys examination of the industry, for example, a Reuters reporter was able to purchase two human heads and a cervical spine from Restore Life USA, a broker based in Blackburns home state of Tennessee. The deals were struck after just a few emails, at a cost of $900 plus shipping.

'It is sickening' how easily Restore Life sold the parts to Reuters, Blackburn said.

Told of Blackburn's concerns, Restore Life owner James Byrd said his company has 'invited her to tour our facility and to review the policy and procedures we have in place.'
A police officer and an elderly woman have died after a head-on crash between a police car and another vehicle on Christmas Day.

The officer, 46, was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after the collision on the A57 in Sheffield yesterday evening. The woman, 61, was rushed to hospital but died there shortly after.

The incident happened at around 8.15pm as the marked police car was responding to a 999 call and travelling in the direction of Coisley Hill.

The other car involved was a silver Citroen C3, with a female passenger and male driver, 61, inside.

After emergency services were scrambled to the scene the driver of the Citroen was taken to hospital, where he remains in a serious condition.

The crash happened on the A57 near Sheffield (pictured) yesterday at around 8.15pm. The marked police car and silver Citroen C3 collided head-on

Police are appealing for witnesses and have reported the incident to the Police Complaints Commission.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: 'Emergency services were called to reports of a collision at around 8.15pm yesterday evening (Monday 25 December), on the A57 in Sheffield.

'A marked BMW3 series police car was responding to an incident and travelling towards Coisley Hill, and a silver Citroen C3, travelling in the opposite direction, were involved in the collision.

'The 46 year-old officer driving the police car, was sadly pronounced dead shortly after the collision. He was responding to an immediate incident at the time.

'A 61-year-old Sheffield woman, who was a passenger in the Citroen was taken to hospital but passed away shortly after.

'The driver of the Citroen, a 63-year-old man, was taken to hospital where he currently remains in a serious condition.

'Specialist officers are supporting both families.

'A mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Police Complaints Commission and its investigators are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the collision.'

David Hartley, Assistant Chief Constable said: 'On behalf of the force I'd like to offer my sincere condolences to all of those left bereaved by this terrible tragedy, our thoughts, love and support are extended to all those affected.

'We are doing everything we can to support them through this difficult time. I ask that their privacy is respected at this sad time.'

'We have lost a friend and a colleague from our police family in this incident. The officer has been with us for 12 years and was a passionate, professional and universally liked officer. His colleagues, and everyone across the force, are devastated by what has happened.

'Our thoughts are with both families who have lost loved ones during this incredibly difficult time'

Any witnesses or anyone who saw either of the vehicles before the crash, are asked to call 101 quoting incident number 691 of 25 December 2017.
Phoenix police have identified the man suspected of killing his estranged wife and their two children.

Officers said Tuesday that 45-year-old Anthony Milan Ross has been arrested in the Christmas Day shootings.

He has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and more than a dozen counts of aggravated assault on an officer.

Ross surrendered to officers Monday night after the killings and a subsequent shootout with police at an apartment complex. He wasn't hurt.

An officer was injured by shrapnel and hospitalized in stable condition.

Officers found his 38-year-old wife dead outside and later discovered the bodies of a 10-month-old girl and an 11-year-old boy inside the apartment.

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Phoenix police have identified the man suspected of killing his estranged wife and their two children. Officers said Tuesday that 45-year-old Anthony Ross (above) has been arrested in the Christmas Day shootings

Ross surrendered to officers Monday night (scene above) after the killings and a subsequent shootout with police at an apartment complex. He wasn't hurt. An officer was injured by shrapnel and hospitalized in stable condition

Authorities say Ross barricaded himself there while he negotiated with police.

The names of the woman and children haven't been released.

It's unclear if Ross has a lawyer who can speak on his behalf.

Fox 10 was on the scene for the shootout, with officers shutting down the complex and later evacuating residents.

At around 7:30pm they also shut off power before going into the apartment while fending off gunfire from the suspect.

Prior to that officers had spent hours trying to talk to the man in hopes that he would release the two children if they were in fact still alive.

Ross and the victim were involved in divorce proceedings, according to court records.

'Throughout the negotiations, he made comments that he had killed the children. He made some notifications to some family members that he had killed the children,' Sgt. Jonathan Howard with the Phoenix Police Department Howard said.
President Donald Trump blasted the 'bogus' dossier of salacious and unverified information about him in an angry early morning tweet the day after Christmas, calling it a 'tainted' document that the FBI must not use as a basis for investigation.

Trump railed against the dossier as a 'pile of garbage,' bringing up its Democratic funding origins, while going after the FBI for reportedly using the dossier as the foundation for its investigations of Trump campaign officials and associates.

'WOW, @foxandfriends "Dossier is bogus. Clinton Campaign, DNC funded Dossier. FBI CANNOT (after all of this time) VERIFY CLAIMS IN DOSSIER OF RUSSIA/TRUMP COLLUSION. FBI TAINTED, Trump wrote.

'And they used this Crooked Hillary pile of garbage as the basis for going after the Trump Campaign!'

President Donald Trump went after the salacious and unverified information about him in an angry early morning tweet

Trump fired off the tweet as Republicans in Congress have followed his lead and turned up the heat on top FBI officials over the alleged 'bias' among top agents pursuing the Russia investigation.

Special counsel Robert Mueller has obtained guilty pleas from two Trump associates, including former national security advisor Mike Flynn, for lying to the FBI.

Trump's attack followed a Fox News report that FBI officials had their 'back against the wall' following hours-long testimony by deputy director Andrew McCabe.

The network referenced a Washington Times report.

That report stated that the FBI was declining to repudiate the dossier, which it partially relied on during its investigation of the Trump campaign during the election.

It also stated that the FBI concedes that 'major core charges of election collusion' contained in the original dossier remain unsubstantiated.

Lawmakers have blasted funding sources of the infamous dirty dossier compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, and wanted to know if it formed the bases for FISA warrants

Lawmakers want to investigated the infamous dirty dossier, its funding sources, and whether it got used to obtain surveillance warrants. Salacious unproven parts of the dossier have been discredited

The House GOP's probing of the FBI's actions come amid rising Democratic warnings about efforts to tarnish or even push out special counsel Robert Mueller

The Fox anchor relating the report said the FBI was 'admitting they cannot verify the trump dossier.'

The dossier, in additional to containing unverified and salacious information about Donald Trump's alleged conduct in a Moscow hotel room, catalogued various alleged contacts between Trump advisors and the Russians and even alleged pay-offs.

Many of those claims have not yet been substantiated, although Mueller's probe has unearthed multiple contacts between Trump officials and Russians that the officials have now acknowledged took place.

Trump's lawyers continue to predict that Mueller is wrapping up his probe as it relates to anyone in the White House. His lawyers were to have met with Mueller and his team last week.

The dossier was compiled by retired British intelligence officer Christopher Steele. Its murky origins have been revealed to include a Republican donor who hired political intelligence firm Fusion GPS. A Democratic lawyer then provided payments on behalf of the DNC and the Hillary Clinton campaign to continue research on Trump after the primaries.

The information in the dossier, which included allegedly compromising information on Trump, made its way to the FBI, which opened its own investigation of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and other officials.

House Intelligence Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes has taken part in secret meetings with other GOP panel members to attempt to ferret out corruption they believe exists within the FBI and the Justice Department

The dossier got handed over to the FBI during the campaign. During oversight hearings, Republican lawmakers have complained that a tainted document could have been the basis for conducting surveillance on Trump associates.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe has obtained guilty pleas from two Trump associates, including former White House security advisor Mike Flynn.

It has charged former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and his one-time deputy, Rick Gates.

The Washington Post reported that House Intelligence chairman Rep. Devin Nunes of California is considering producing a report with other Republicans on alleged 'corruption' at the FBI.

The House GOP's probing of the FBI's actions come amid rising Democratic warnings about efforts to tarnish or even push out Mueller as his investigators make their way through key Trump advisors.

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 campaign personnel colluded with the Kremlin.

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 an illicit 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.

Trump's tweet came after FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe got grilled in closed-door meetings in Congress

McCabe's wife, Jill, received $700,000 in donations from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe's political action committee and the Virginia Democratic Party for a state Senate race in 2015.

The money was donated before McCabe was promoted to deputy director and assumed a supervisory role in the Clinton email investigation. McAuliffe is a longtime supporter of Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

McCabe became acting FBI director last May after Trump fired Comey, who was overseeing the bureau's investigation into Russian election interference. Trump maintains there was no collusion between his campaign and Moscow, and has blasted the investigation as a "witch hunt."

From his South Florida home, where he is spending the holidays, Trump also tweeted that McCabe "is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!"

The dossier Trump trashed claimed that Russia had gotten compromising information on Donald Trump

McCabe plans to retire in about 90 days, when he becomes fully eligible for pension benefits, The Washington Post reported Saturday. Trump and his Republican allies have made it clear that they want McCabe out of the FBI. But McCabe is a civil service employee who cannot be fired without evidence of wrongdoing.

McCabe was among the candidates Trump interviewed for the FBI director's job after he dismissed Comey. He also has been a focus of Trump's ire for some time.

Trump originally tweeted about McCabe's wife's campaign in July, inaccurately describing the campaign donation as coming from Clinton: "Problem is that the acting head of the FBI & the person in charge of the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, got $700,000 from H for wife!"

In a second tweet that month, the president asked "why didn't A.G. Sessions replace Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, a Comey friend who was in charge of Clinton investigation," referring to Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Republicans charge that an anti-Trump bias exists in the bureau's ranks, citing the campaign donations to McCabe's wife and, more recently, the release of hundreds of text messages between FBI counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page.

Strzok and Page used words like "idiot" and "loathsome human" to describe Trump during the campaign.

Strzok was removed the team of special counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading the Russia investigation, over the summer after the text messages surfaced  particularly one that referred to his work as a 'insurance policy' in case Trump won the election.
The rising cost of rent and housing in California is forcing residents into alternative accommodation with middle class workers taking up residence in their cars and RVs by the side of the road to make ends meet.

Hundreds of people, including nurses and chefs, are sleeping in parking lots in affluent areas like Santa Barbara as they make the most of the only homes they can afford.

Marva Ericson, who works as a nursing assistant, has been sleeping in her Kia for the past three months. She wakes up before dawn each day, showers at the local YMCA and dresses in her hospital scrubs to head to work.

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Marva Ericson, who works as a nursing assistant, has been sleeping in her Kia for the past three months in parking lots around Santa Barbara, California

'I wake up and I say, 'Thank you God for keeping me safe last night, and thank you for the Safe Parking program',' the 48-year-old told the LA Times.

Like Ericson, most of the people sleeping rough in their cars are part of the area's Safe Parking program, which is run by the New Beginnings Counseling Center and aims to provide a secure area for the homeless to sleep in their vehicles.

The program has roughly 150 clients and 40 per cent of those are working but they just can't afford an apartment with the rising cost of housing.

About 35 per cent of those in the program are seniors and about 30 per cent are disabled. The majority are living out of their small cars with only 25 per cent sleeping in RVs.

The 48-year-old wakes up before dawn each day, showers at the local YMCA and dresses in her hospital scrubs to head to work

Kathy, 65, and Phil, 74, have been living together in their old RV after losing their condo in 2013. Kathy said she hung up Christmas lights inside the RV for the holiday season

Kathy, 65, feeds her aging Standard Poodle in her RV in a parking lot in Santa Barbara. She says she spent her career working as a paralegal and was a homeowner until 2013

Luisa Ramirez is preparing the bed to sleep in a vehicle in a church parking lot. She hurt her back working at the 99 cent store and now struggles to pay rent

Ericson ended up homeless after a series of medical set backs. She suffered a number of seizures that forced her to quit her job and was eventually diagnosed with a brain tumor.

She overcame the illness while caring for her dying mother and is now working two different jobs to make ends meet. Up until three months ago, Ericson was living in apartments for $1,000-1,600 a month but became homeless when she fell behind in rent.

Kathy, 65, and Phil, 74, have been living together in their old RV after losing their condo in 2013.

'I was always into December and making the house wonderfully warm and beautiful,' Kathy said of the holiday season. 'I've got some little lights on the ceiling of the RV and I got out my mom's old snow globe, with a music box on it.'

Santiago Geronimo, who is a chef at a high-end Santa Barbara restaurant, has been living in a Ford Explorer for three months with his girlfriend and her eighth-grade son Luis.

The Safe Parking program, which has been running for 12 years, allows clients to stay overnight in the parking lots of churches, not-for-profits and government offices.

Clients can park their cars after 7pm and need to be gone by the early morning.

In Santa Barbara alone, there are 23 parking lots currently used for the Safe Parking program.

There is also a waitlist of 40 people desperate to take part.

Kathy, 65, and Phil, 74, live together in this RV along with their aging Standard Poodle

antiago Geronimo works in the kitchen of a high-end Santa Barbara restaurant but sleeps in his Ford Explorer with his girlfriend and her eighth-grade son Luis

Phil, 74, is outside his RV paying for filtered water with quarters for his RV
The High Court of Justice of England and Wales has issued an order to arrest the assets of Energy Standard Group of businessman Konstantin Grigorishin as part of an interim measure to enforce the court ruling to pay out more than $300 million to the companies of Vladimir Lukyanenko and Vadim Novinsky, LIGA.net has reported.

According to its data, such a verdict was made on December 20. It concerns, among other things, such Ukrainian companies as Zaporizhtransformator, Turboatom, PJSC Sumy NPO, Ukrrichflot, Zaporizhia Cable Plant, and Svarog Asset Management.

As previously noted on the Global Arbitration News media platform, moderated by Baker & McKenzie, and in the materials of McNAIR Chambers, the essence of the dispute started in 2013 concerned the agreement on the joint venture (JVA) Stremvol Holdings Limited (the Sumy NPO majority shareholder) and the put option contract (for sale). It was signed by the plaintiffs (two companies belonging to Lukyanenko) and the defendants (three companies belonging to Grigorishin). The plaintiffs claimed that the defendants through an "illegal scheme" diverted part of profit from the joint venture to affiliated companies and violated the option obligations, demanding compensation of $55.8 million and $250 million for this respectively. The defendants, in turn, denied the availability of the "illegal scheme" and argued that the defendants could sell their shares at a price not higher than $4 million.
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These images showing the Royal families of Europe in the final years before the end of the German Empire have emerged as part of a new book chronicling the fall of the German royal family.

They illustrate how closely the families of Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia and Denmark were linked - mostly thanks to the many marriages of the children of Queen Victoria.

But what they do not show, is the bitter rift between the German and the British family which simmered during the late 19th century, which grew after the death of Queen Victoria and exploded during World War I.

One big family: The royal gathering at Windsor Castle, November 1907. From left to right: Louise, Princess Royal; Arthur, Duke of Connaught; Maud, Queen of Norway; Prince Alexander of Norway; Kaiser Wilhelm II; King Edward VII; Mary, Princess of Wales; Princess Patricia of Connaught; Infanta Isabel of Spain (seated); George, Prince of Wales; Princess Henry of Battenberg (seated); King Alfonso XIII of Spain; Empress Augusta Victoria; Grand Duchess Vladimir of Russia; Prince Arthur of Connaught; Queen Alexandra; Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia; Queen Marie Amelie of Portugal; Queen Ena of Spain; Louise, Duchess of Connaught; Princess Victoria; Helene, Duchess of Aosta; and Prince and Princess John of Saxony

Better times: The royal family at Coburg, April 1894. Standing, left to right: Arthur, Duke of Connaught; Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg Gotha; Kaiser Wilhelm II; and Edward, Prince of Wales. Seated, left to right: Queen Victoria and her daughter - Wilhelm II's mother - Princess Victoria

Calm before the storm: Kaiser Wilhelm II and King George V are seen together in Berlin, in May, 1913

Images from the book 'The End of the German Monarchy: The Decline and Fall of the Hohenzollerns' by John Van Der Kiste show German leader Kaiser Wilhelm II posing with Queen Victoria for a family portrait with other family members in 1894, while another shows him stood with King George V in Berlin just a year before the war began and their subjects would be mortal enemies.

Further pictures see 23 members of the royal family from countries such as Norway, Spain and Russia posing for a family portrait at Windsor Castle in 1907, while the man whose assassination is often cited as starting the First World War, archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, is also featured.

Kaiser Wilhelm II was the eldest grandson of Queen Victoria, whose family ruled over Europe throughout the 1800s and early 1900s.

Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, cousin of The UK's George V and Tsar Nicholas of Russia, had a strained relationship with his mother, Princess Victoria, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's oldest child.

Family rift: King Edward VII and Kaiser Wilhelm II, seen here in 1908, did not get on as a result of the Kaiser's strained relationship with his mother, the King's sister

It's all related: Kaiser Wilhelm II is seen with his cousin, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, in 1910

Arthur, Duke of Connaught, Kaiser Wilhelm II, and King George V in King Edward VII's funeral procession in May, 1910

Because of this, the Kaiser's uncle, Edward VII, despised him, and Wilhelm II grew to dislike all things British - apart from his grandmother Queen Victoria.

'The date 18 January 1901 marked the bicentenary of the elevation of the Hohenzollerns to Kings of Prussia, and the Prussian sovereign William II, also German Emperor, intended to celebrate in style,' writes Van Der Kiste.

'Among guests at the festivities was the Emperor's uncle, Arthur, Duke of Connaught, the younger surviving son of Queen Victoria of England.

On 19 January, the Duke was warned that his mother, who had been in poor health for some time, was seriously ill and that he should return to England at once. Despite their differences in the past, the Emperor had always admired and respected Queen Victoria, whom he called his 'unparalleled grandmama'.

'He told his court that, anniversary or no anniversary in Berlin, his place was at her side across the North Sea. All the remaining celebrations were cancelled, while he and the Duke accordingly travelled from Berlin to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, where they were in time to take their place with the other sorrowing relations around her deathbed and be with her as she breathed her last three days later.'

Cosying up: Crown Prince William and Adolf Hitler in front of the garrison church, Potsdam, March 1933

Living a new life: Crown Prince William in exile in the Netherlands in November 1918

Starting over: Kaiser Wilhelm II is seen after abdicating in exile with his gardening staff in Doorn, the Netherlands

World War II: Emperor William II and Hitler's Wehrmacht at Doorn, in May, 1940

The king is dead: The funeral procession of Kaiser Wilhelm II at Doorn, The Netherlands, 9 June, 1941

Queen Victoria had acted as a peacemaker, and with her gone, the Kaiser's bond with the UK was further severed.

In 1910 his cousin became George V, but a new King of England on the throne did not help heal the family rift with the notoriously difficult Kaiser.

George V's mother Queen Alexandra had long held a grudge against the German royal family because of their annexation of Schleswig-Holstein, formerly a Danish possession, in 1864, and it is thought she passed this on to her son.

Come World War I the relatives stood on two sides of a global conflict.

By the end of 1918, and with millions dead and Europe in ruins, the Hohenzollerns rule of Germany had officially come to an end.

After the Kaiser's abdication in 1918, both he and his family as fled to the Netherlands.

His son, also called Wilhelm would later be seen cosying up to Adolf Hitler who dreamed of using the old Royal family to legitimise his Third Reich.
On Christmas Eve, exactly one year after Lori and Timothy Uphtegrove were married at an intimate ceremony on a sunny Florida beach, police found the woman's lifeless body in the woods and charged her newlywed husband with her murder.

Mr Upthegrove, 53, of Titusville, was ordered held without bond on Monday at the Brevard County Jail after a judge deemed him a danger to the community, reported the station WFTV.

Police acting on information provided by Timothy found the body of his 51-year-old wife, Lori, on Sunday morning in a wooded area near a storage facility.

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Timothy Upthegrove (left), 53, has been charged with second-degree murder and obstructing justice in the killing of his wife, 51-year-old Lori Upthegrove (right)

Police say timothy led them to Lori's body in a wooded area in Titusville, Florida, on Sunday, six days after she was reported missing

Timothy Upthegrove is pictured making his initial court appearance on Monday

Mrs Upthegrove, had been missing for nearly a week. Police Chief John Lau told reporters that investigators believe the 5-foot-7, 150-pound woman was killed during a violent struggle with her, 5-foot-9, 200-pound husband of just one year at their home on Cleveland Street on December 18.

Police said that after inflicting fatal injuries to his wife, Timothy placed her body in the back of her 2003 Isuzu Rodeo SUV and driven her to a wooded area.

At around 10am on Sunday, six days after Lori had been reported missing, officers found the womans remains near a storage facility off of Bobbi Lane in Titusville.

Police tracked down Upthegrove on Wednesday at the Days Inn hotel on Cheney Highway with his wife's Isuzu, reported Florida Today.

He initially told investigators that he last saw his wife driving away from their home and later found her SUV abandoned at a gas station.

Then, Upthegrove changed his story, claiming that Lori threw the keys to her SUV at him on Monday morning, and that he has been in possession of the vehicle since then.

Police believe Timothy inflicted fatal injuries to his 5-foot-7, 150-pound wife during a couple's quarrel on December 18

Lovebirds: Timothy and Lori tied the knot on a Cape Canaveral beach on December 24, 2016. Facebook photos show the beaming newlyweds kissing and filling a glass Christmas ornament with sand from the beach (left and right)

According to a press release from the local police, early in the investigation, based on evidence found both in the couples home and in the wifes vehicle, detectives came to believe that Lori had been the victim of a violent crime.

Timothy was initially arrested on a charge of obstructing justice for making false statements to police, according to the news release.

The 53-year-old suspect was later charged with second-degree murder, and police said he is facing an additional count of child neglect for allegedly leaving his eight-year-old daughter alone in a hotel.

Friends said Lori is survived by four children, including two adults and two teenagers.

According to social media posts, Timothy and Lori tied the knot on a Cape Canaveral beach on December 24, 2016. Facebook photos show the beaming newlyweds kissing and filling a glass Christmas ornament with sand from the beach.

Timothy is facing an additional count of child neglect for allegedly leaving his eight-year-old daughter (enter) alone in a hotel

Timothy Upthegrove has an extensive criminal record that includes past charges of domestic battery by strangulation, burglary, larceny, property damage, trafficking in stolen property, probation violations and contempt of court.

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office's arrest database includes 16 different mugshots for Upthegrove from various years.

Timothy Upthegroves father released a statement to the newspaper saying the family was cooperating with investigators.
The death of a man at a Christmas party in a northern NSW home is being treated as suspicious by local police.

Emergency services responded to reports a 28-year-old Ewingsdale man had collapsed about 11.30pm on Monday, but when they arrived at the Byron Bay home they were unable to revive him.

'We're treating it as suspicious and we will continue to do that until we can show otherwise,' NSW Police Detective Inspector Brendon Cullen told the ABC on Tuesday.

The death of a man at a Byron Bay Christmas party is being treated as suspicious by authorities

Inspector Cullen said there was a Christmas gathering at the house at the time and urged anyone with information to come forward.

Police said a number of people were at a Christmas gathering at the house when the incident occurred. Police would like those at the house party to contact police with any information.

They have also urged community members with any information on the man to contact Crime Stoppers.
A 21-year-old man found dead in a country lane on Christmas Day suffered multiple stab wounds and head injuries, police said.

A murder investigation has been launched after Mohammed Aftab's body was discovered in Dyehouse Lane in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

Police confirmed the boy was from the Belfield area of Rochdale.

Officers were called to the scene at around 8.15am on Monday and he was formally identified the following day.

A murder investigation has been launched after Mohammed Aftab's body was discovered in Dyehouse Lane in Rochdale, Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester Police said he suffered 'multiple head injuries and stab wounds to the neck' and the news of his death was 'devastating' to his family.

Appealing for witnesses to come forward, Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Wilkinson from the force's major incident team said: 'Learning that their son has died has been understandably devastating for the family and our officers continue to support them at this difficult time.

'Due to the time of year, the area wasn't as busy as usual but there are people out there who know exactly how Mohammed's life was tragically taken and I cannot stress the importance that they contact us.

Police confirmed the boy was from the Belfield area of Rochdale

Officers were called to the scene at around 8.15am on Monday and he was formally identified the following day

'Since the call came in, the dedicated team of officers have been working tirelessly on this case and will continue to do so until we track down those responsible and make them answer for this horrific crime.'

Detective Chief Superintendent Mary Doyle added: 'We are hoping members of the public can help us work out this man's last moments.

'If you have any information that you think might help us, no matter how small, please do get in touch.'

Greater Manchester Police said he suffered 'multiple head injuries and stab wounds to the neck' and the news of his death was 'devastating' to his family

Appealing for witnesses to come forward, Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Wilkinson from the force's major incident team said: 'Learning that their son has died has been understandably devastating for the family and our officers continue to support them at this difficult time'

Thousands of comments have poured in on the GMP Rochdale Facebook page following the shocking discovery.

'Whoever this person is may he rest in peace. Thoughts to his family and friends xx' wrote Julie Evans.

'Poor lad. RIP and condolences to fam & friends' said Jay Sharrocks.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A white Christmas for much of the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast has given way to bitter cold until the New Year for the regions.

Chicago-area National Weather Service meteorologist Amy Seeley says to expect colder-than-normal temperatures the rest of the week. Temperatures hovered around zero degrees in Chicago on Tuesday.

Meteorologists warn of sub-zero frigid arctic air and dangerously cold wind chills.

Wind chill advisories or warnings are in effect for all of North Dakota and Wisconsin, as well as swaths of South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, parts of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York.

Meteorologists say frostbite is possible with as little as 30 minutes of exposure.

New Yorkers are also being warned to bundle up as the bitter cold snap will force temperatures to drop below freezing for the next six days at least.

'Some of these days the high is only 22 degrees,' said National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Stark.

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A white Christmas for much of the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast has given way to bitter cold until the New Year for the regions. Pictured above is snow in Washington state

Meteorologists warn of sub-zero frigid arctic air and dangerously cold wind chills. Pictured above is snow in Washington state on Tuesday

Wind chill advisories or warnings are in effect for all of North Dakota and Wisconsin, as well as swaths of South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, parts of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York. Pictured above is snow in Washington state on Tuesday

Meteorologists say frostbite is possible with as little as 30 minutes of exposure. Pictured above is snow in Washington state on Tuesday

Jack Frost made an appearance in Rochester, Minnesota on Christmas day, as the mercury hovered near the zero degree mark. A cold week of more of the same is projected for the week ahead

'We're almost talking 20 degrees below the normal high temperature.'

Tuesday is expected to be the warmest in New York City in the foreseeable future with temperature highs reaching 30 degrees.

SNOW RECORDS BROKEN IN ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA Snow records were broken in Erie, Pennsylvania when the city received 19 inches of fresh white stuff from midnight to 6am on Tuesday. That brings the total snowfall in Erie to 53 inches within 30 hours. Plus, that was the greatest two-day snowfall total in Pennsylvania, according to the National Weather Service. The previous record was made in 1958 in Morgantown with 44 inches. Advertisement

But by Thursday and Friday, the temperature will drop into the low 20s during day hours and low-to-mid teens at night.

With millions expected to camp out at Times Square for New Year's Eve, officials caution revelers to especially dress for the arctic since the temperature will fall to 12 degrees.

Back in 1961, New York City remained frozen for 16 days in a row beginning on January 19.

This comes after snow wreaked havoc on travel plans in the Northeast on Christmas Day with as much as five feet of snow falling in upstate New York and northern Michigan.

Snow records were broken in Erie, Pennsylvania when the city received 19 inches of fresh white stuff from midnight to 6am on Tuesday. That brings the total snowfall in Erie to 53 inches within 30 hours.

The above map shows the current wind chills across the country on Tuesday

There is currently a cloud cover over the country as temperatures drop from cold to coldest in many parts

The above map depicts the current snow cover in the US from light to heavy

The above map shows the next 48 hours of precipation, rain and snow across the US measured in inches

Plus, that was the greatest two-day snowfall total in Pennsylvania, according to the National Weather Service.

The previous record was made in 1958 in Morgantown with 44 inches.

Towns throughout the Great Lakes snowbelts are likely to see significant accumulation of the white stuff throughout Tuesday and Wednesday.

The lake-effect snow will makes its presence felt on throughout the banks of lakes Ontario, Erie, Michigan, and Superior, according to The Weather Channel.

That is why the National Weather Service in Buffalo has warned of 'difficult to impossible' travel conditions.

Western New York's roads were hit by rapidly accumulating snow as well as whipping 50-mile-per-hour wind gusts.

Heavy snowfall and low visibility prompted Logan Airport in Boston to shut down runways on Monday

The airport in Boston also grounded flights for about 90 minutes on Monday

A winter wonderland scene in the city of Coxsackie, in Greene County, New York, which got walloped with snow on Christmas Day

A general view of skyscrapers are seen during snowfall in Chicago on December 24

Weather experts predict that some areas in western New York are forecast to get up to 50 inches of snow through Wednesday.

Some travel bans are in effect in the Buffalo area, ABC affiliate WKBW-TV reported this morning.

In addition to snow, several areas across the country are experincing super cold winters.

Chicago and Minneapolis both had the coldest Christmas since 1996. For the Windy City, temperatures dropped to 2 degrees on Christmas, then dipped below zero overnight.

Duluth, Minnesota had its coldest Christmas since 1933 with a high of negative eight degrees.
A 17-year-old Texas high school student was shot and killed while trying to sell marijuana to two suspects on Christmas Eve, police said.

The incident took place shortly after 9pm on Sunday when officers with the Irving Police Department responded to a shooting report in the 200 block of Red River Trail.

Arriving at the scene, the cops found 17-year-old Brett Adkins, of Plano, suffering from a single gunshot wound to the left chest.

Botched drug deal: Brett Adkins (left and right), 17, of Plano, Texas, was fatally shot during what police described as a marijuana sale-gone-wrong on Christmas Eve

Adkins was found shot in the chest in the 200 block of Red River Trail in Irving on Sunday night

The Plano West High School student was rushed to Baylor Hospital in Grapevine, where he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on Christmas Day.

According to a press release from the police department, the initial investigation has revealed that Adkins drove from Plano to Irving to conduct a marijuana sale.

During the meeting with his potential buyers, police say one suspect brandished a handgun and a fight broke out.

As Adkins fought with the two suspects, police say one of them fired a single round that struck the teenager in the chest. Both suspects then fled the scene on foot.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Adkins enrolled in Plano West Senior High School in 2017 and was expected to graduate in 2019.

The son of prominent local businessman Bill Adkins, Adkins had spent the summer working at one of his fathers car dealerships as a car washer and volunteered his time at an animal shelter.

Respectable family: Brett's father, Bill Adkins (left), is a prominent local car dealer. His mother Vicki is a fashion stylist (right)

High school kid: Adkins enrolled in Plano West Senior High School in 2017 and was expected to graduate in 2019

Bretts father *far right) is president of Trophy Nissan, Toyota of Dallas and Nissan of McKinney, where the teen worked as a car washer over the summer

As of now, I am focusing on my grades to achieve a high GPA and get into a good school, his profile says. Because I am a people person, I would one day like to end up in a career where I can be involved with people from various backgrounds.

Bretts father is president of Trophy Nissan, Toyota of Dallas and Nissan of McKinney. His mother, Vicki Adkins, is a fashion stylist, according to her Facebook profile. The couple have been married for 25 years and have a 20-year-old daughter.

On September 15, Bretts mother wished him a happy 17th birthday, writing in a Facebook post: 'may this be your BEST YEAR EVER.'

According to Mrs Adkins most recent social media post from December 20, Brett's parents, sister and grandparents were spending the winter holidays together in Belize. Its unclear why the 17-year-old did not join the family on the trip.

Anyone with information on the fatal shooting is being asked to call the Irving Police Department at 972-273-1010.
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has made controversial claims the outcome of Brexit is 'up for grabs' and doesn't necessarily mean a radical crackdown on immigration.

Interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, Osborne, 46, said Britain's departure from the EU should not necessarily mean leaving the customs union either.

He also told guest editor and director of the English National Ballet Tamara Rojo that the referendum result last June should not automatically mean clamping down on immigration - in light of Theresa May's Commons defeat on the Brexit bill.

The staunch Remainer has made the most of stepping down as an MP and becoming editor of the London Evening Standard by heavily critiquing the Government's Brexit policy.

Speaking today he vowed to 'vigorously challenge' the interpretation of Britain's decision to leave Europe.

Interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning bu guest editor Tamara Rojo (right), Osborne (left), 46, said Britain's departure from the EU should not necessarily mean leaving the customs union or single market

He said: 'Ultimately the decision was made by the British public - and no one can complain that no one showed up, because it had the highest turnout of any democratic event in our country's history.

'But now we all have to pick up the pieces of that result.

'I will vigorously challenge how they [Brexiteers] want to interpret that result.

'I don't accept that just because we're leaving the EU we have to, for example, leave the customs union or radically clamp down on immigration.'

He continued: 'There was only one question asked in that referendum, and that was do you want Britain to remain in the EU.

'How we leave, the new arrangements we have with Europe.

'How we allow people into this country to succeedthese are decisions that are up for grabs now in our parliamentary democracy in which every citizen in this country is entitled to have a view.'

The Government's current position is that Britain will leave the single market and customs union when Brexit happens in 2019.

Speaking of his efforts for the Remain campaign he admitted 'always being quite gloomy' when it came to the referendum result.

Speaking to Rojo (pictured right), Osborne (left) vowed to 'vigorously challenge' the interpretation of Britain's decision to leave Europe

He said: 'I went round the country and I kept hearing from people I would assume wanted to stay in the EU that they wanted to leave.

'So I was pretty pessimistic and there was quite a lot of nervousness when I sat down that night in Downing Street to watch the outcome.

'Sadly, as far as I'm concerned, my fears were confirmed.'

The Ballet boss also asked Osborne if he ever considered throwing his hat in the ring for Prime Minister.

But he replied: 'The truth was I had been too partisan in the Brexit referendum. I don't regret that at all.

'But I was so strongly of the view that it was a mistake for Britain to leave the EU, that after David Cameron resigned when the vote went the other way I just didn't think that I was in any position to unite the Conservative Party or indeed that I wanted to spend all my time and effort on a project that I didn't believe in  which is taking Britain out of the EU.'

He added jokingly: 'Now of course from the chair of a newspaper editor I look with some amusement at the circus going on to see who will be the next Tory leader.

'I don't rule out going back into politics, but it is certainly not plan A.'

Rojo, 43, also grilled the former Chancellor on his stance on arts funding, claiming politicians like going to the opera - but won't be seen there in public.

She is one of several guest editors over the festive period between Christmas and New Year, which include Prince Harry, Baroness Trumpington and Nigerian poet and novelist Ben Okri.
A North Korean soldier who defected to the South has been found to have anthrax antibodies in his bloodstream, local news reports.

The unidentified soldier, believed to be the man who defected in November this year, would have been either exposed to or vaccinated against anthrax before he defected to South Korea.

This comes after a report that North Korea is conducting biological weapons experiments to test the possibility of loading anthrax-laden warheads on its intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Danger: The unidentified soldier, who may be the man who defected in November, would have been either exposed to or vaccinated against anthrax before he defected to South Korea

'Anthrax antibodies have been found in the North Korean soldier who defected this year,' a South Korean intelligence official told local news network Channel A according to UPI.

It is not known who the unnamed defector is, but it could be the young soldier who was caught on camera running across the border and nearly shot dead by his fellow comrades in November.

Oh Chong Song, 24, was shot four times as he made a mad dash for South Korea, and has been recovering in a Seoul hospital since.

Song had been shot in his knee, arm, back and chest through his shoulder, but despite his serious injuries, the team at the hospital saved his life.

The hepatitis B and the parasites - some more than 10 inches long - found in his body highlight nutrition and hygiene problems that experts say have plagued North Korea for decades.

Biological warfare? Kim jong-Un is allegedly conducting biological weapons experiments to test the possibility of loading anthrax-laden warheads on its intercontinental ballistic missiles

He is believed to be an army staff sergeant who was stationed in the Joint Security Area in the United Nations truce village of Panmunjom, according to Kim Byung-kee, a lawmaker of South Korea's ruling party, briefed by the National Intelligence Service.

It could also be the soldier who defected on December 21, who took the opportunity to run across to the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula during a thick fog.

Earlier this week, Japan's Asahi newspaper cited another unidentified person connected to South Korean intelligence, who said that North Korea was conducting biological weapons experiments to test the possibility of loading anthrax-laden warheads on its intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The Asahi report said the U.S. government was aware of the tests, which were meant to ascertain whether the anthrax bacteria could survive the high temperatures that occur during warheads re-entry from space.

North Korea vehemently denied the allegation and said it will 'take revenge' on the US for saying it is developing biological weapons.

In a statement issued via the state Korean Central News Agency, the regime said it is party to the Biological Weapons Convention and as such 'maintains its consistent stand to oppose development, manufacture, stockpiling and possession of biological weapons'.

It went on that the more the US 'clings' it its anti North Korea stance 'the more hardened the determination of our entire military personnel and people to take revenge will be'.

Pyongyang has tested a missile that could hit the eastern seaboard of the United States

The news that North Korea may have been testing anthrax-laden warheads comes as South Korean President Moon Jae-in is seeking to soothe relations with China and the North before the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February.

He suggested on Tuesday he was prepared to postpone military drills with the United States.

Pyongyang sees the joint exercises as preparation for war, while Beijing is still angry about the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system, commonly known as THAAD, by South Korea.

China believes the system's powerful radar can see far into its territory, but Seoul argues it needs it to guard against the threat posed by North Korea's missile and nuclear programmes.

Seoul has proposed the potential delay in drills to Washington, which was also discussed during a summit last week between Moon and Chinese President Xi Jinping, an official from the presidential Blue House in Seoul said on Wednesday.

China has in the past proposed a 'freeze for freeze' arrangement under which North Korea would stop its nuclear and missile tests in exchange for a halt to the exercises. However, Washington has rejected the idea and Pyongyang has shown little interest in negotiations.

It was reported Kim Jong-un's regime was testing an anthrax tipped warhead

The United States and South Korea have been conducting military drills

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in Ottawa on Tuesday he was unaware of any plans to 'alter longstanding and scheduled and regular military exercises'.

North Korea has stepped up its missile and nuclear tests to an unprecedented rate this year, and any new provocation from the North would 'inevitably have an impact' on the exercises, the Blue House official said.

'It is a display of the president's strong message that North Korea must not conduct any provocation (during the Olympics),' the official told reporters.

What is anthrax and how can it be used as a weapon? Anthrax is a disease caused by the organism bacillus anthracis. It is possible to use anthrax as a military weapon by placing it in missiles, rockets or bombs. Anthrax spores could also be released by planes which could spray it over large areas and once present the spores can remain dormant for decades. Anthrax is caused by the organism bacillus anthracis (pictured) The deadliness of an anthrax attack depends on the quantity of spores and the effectiveness of a delivery system. An initial phase of flu-like symptoms can usually last for one to three days, before the patient enters a second phase of high fever, chest pains, severe breathing problems and shock. Death usually follows within two days. A wave of attacks occurred in the US in late 2001 with the spores placed in envelopes which killed five people. The first mass use of anthrax spores as a weapon in war is said to have taken place during the Japanese occupation of China from 1932 to 1945. The Japanese allegedly experimented with the use of anthrax and other biological weapons in Manchuria, and some 10,000 deliberately infected prisoners are thought to have died as a result. Britain experimented with anthrax as a weapon in the 1940s and the US made some for military use in the 1950s and 1960s. The Soviet Union also weaponised anthrax and Iraq admitted to doing so in 1995. The World Health Organisation estimated that, should 50kg of anthrax be released from an aircraft over an urban population of five million, there would be 250,000 cases of the disease. Advertisement

North Korea has also been hit with increased international sanctions over its missile and nuclear tests this year.

The United States has given China a draft resolution for tougher U.N. sanctions on North Korea and is hoping for a quick vote on it by the U.N. Security Council, a Western diplomat said on Tuesday, however Beijing has yet to sign on.

Details of the draft given to China last week were not immediately available, but the United States is keen to step up global sanctions to pressure North Korea to give up a weapons programme aimed at developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States.

China resumed some restrictions on group tours into the South, South Korea's inbound travel agency said on Wednesday.




A seven-year-old autistic boy was found dead in the swimming pool of an abandoned home in Hawaii on Christmas Day morning.

Paul 'Kevin' Rozier went missing on Christmas Eve at about 5pm and his body was found floating in a pool about half a mile from his Mililani home the following morning.

Honolulu police said a woman walking her dog found Kevin's body just before 8am.

Paul 'Kevin' Rozier went missing on Christmas Eve at about 5pm and his body was found floating in a pool about half a mile from his Mililani home the following morning

Police said the boy appeared to have died from accidental drowning. They do not suspect foul play.

The boy's parents, Paul and Jasmine, said they were out doing last minute Christmas shopping on Sunday night when he disappeared.

They had left him with his cousins when he wandered off, which he was known for doing due to his autism.

'It was a constant race to keep ahead of him and to be able to keep him in the house,' his dad Paul told Hawaii News Now.

'Though he was only partially verbal, he was extremely smart.'

The seven-year-old's body was found in the swimming pool of this vacant home in Mililani

The boy's parents, Paul and Jasmine, (pictured above) said they were out doing last minute Christmas shopping on Sunday night when he disappeared

When his parents realized he was missing, they put out a desperate plea for help on social media, which prompted hundreds to look for him.

'His teachers, his therapists and behavioral techs and just random people who heard us calling for him on the street and asked what was happening were searching,' Paul said.

The heartbroken family said they wanted to thank everyone who helped search for their little boy who they described as a sweet and polite boy.

'His personality, his spirit, his heart, he was just the most caring, loving, amazing kid ever and we only had seven years with him but those were the best seven years I could have ever asked for,' his mother Jasmine said.

Kevin leaves behind a two-year-old sister.
Students at some universities have drawn up a list of 'trigger words' and demanded books containing them should be removed from the library, Jo Johnson has said.

The universities minister warned institutions they have four months to clamp down on student zealots who restrict free speech on campuses.

Mr Johnson said he has seen too many worrying incidents of groups trying to stifle those who do not agree with them.

He warned institutions that they have a duty to intervene and ensure differing points of view can be heard  however controversial.

And speaking on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Johnson said students at one university had created an extensive list of 'trigger words' and demanded any books containing them be removed from the library.

Students at some universities have drawn up a list of 'trigger words' and demanded books containing them should be removed from the library, Jo Johnson has said

A new regulator, the Office for Students, will come into being in April 2018 and will have the power to punish universities which do not adequately safeguard free speech. Those falling short could be fined or even deregistered  rendering them effectively unable to operate.

It follows incidents in which student unions and societies have banned speakers because they deemed their views offensive.

Chairman Sir Michael Barber said the Office for Students will force institutions to allow diverse opinions to be heard amid concerns that some views are being shut down

In a speech to the Limmud Festival in Birmingham, Mr Johnson said free speech and open debate must be a central principle of all universities. Universities should be places that open minds not close them, where ideas can be freely challenged, he will say.

In universities in America and worryingly in the UK, we have seen examples of groups seeking to stifle those who do not agree with them. We must not allow this to happen.

Young people should have the resilience and confidence to challenge controversial opinions and take part in open, frank and rigorous discussions.

That is why the new Office for Students will go even further to ensure that universities promote freedom of speech within the law. As a condition of registration to the Office for Students, the Department for Education is proposing that universities benefiting from public money must show that their governance is consistent with the principle of free speech.

Journalist Julie Bindle was banned from debating censorship at Manchester University's Students' Union

The OfS will have a range of powers if freedom of speech is not upheld, including monetary penalties and deregistering institutions.

When a university is deregistered it means it is not recognised as an English higher education provider, cannot receive direct Whitehall funding and will not be able to award its own degrees.

Many student unions believe universities need to be safe spaces where young people can be shielded from views they may find upsetting. But critics say being shielded from the realities of the world does not prepare students for the challenges they face after graduation.

However, Mr Johnson also reiterated that free speech must not be used as a smokescreen by those who wish to limit the rights of others.

He said universities must ensure there is no place within higher education for hatred, extremism or any form of discrimination or racism, including anti-semitism.

He said: A racist or anti-semitic environment is by definition an illiberal one that is completely in opposition to the liberal tradition of our universities.
-PJSC Ukrgazvydobuvannia has decided to cancel the signing of contracts with Poltava Services LLC (renamed Eksalo Drilling Ukraine, a subsidiary of PGNIG) for drilling wells in Kharkiv and Poltava regions in 2017-2019.

The decision was made on December 13, 2017, an announcement in the ProZorro e-procurement system said.

It was originally planned to conclude drilling contracts with Poltava Services (lots Nos. 3, 6, 9, 14) with a total value of UAH 2.911 billion (VAT included).

A protocol for the cancellation of the procurement says that Ukrgazvydobuvannia had revised technical requirements for the tender, adding the following positions: the availability of letters with the feedback from third parties; experience in implementing similar contracts for projected depths, designs and profiles of wells; the year of production of a drilling rig (not older than in 1997 with subsequent modernization in 2012 or later, or production in 2010 or later); changes to the technical specification of the equipment; clarification of requirements for personnel's experience; an annex to a draft agreement with amounts pegged to foreign currency; and clear differentiation of duties.

Applicants for signing the contracts were NJSC Nadra Ukrainy (lots Nos. 6 and 14), PO Belorusneft (lot No. 3) and Hydro Drilling (lot No. 9).
A python and a squirrel monkey have allegedly become the latest animals to die in mysterious circumstances at a disgraced zoo where two lynxes were killed earlier this year.

Borth Wild Animal Kingdom in Ceredigion, mid Wales, has been closed since November when a lynx was shot after escaping from its enclousure.

Shortly after, a second lynx died when it was accidentally strangled to death on a catchpole while a zoo worker was rushing to move her ahead of inspection.

A python and a squirrel monkey have allegedly become the latest animals to die in mysterious circumstances at a disgraced zoo where two lynxes were killed earlier this year - it is not clear if the python pictured is the python that died

Dean Tweedy gave up his life as an artist in Kent to buy a zoo in Wales. He moved there with his wife and their three daughters Paige, eight, Sarah, nine, and 13-year-old Sophie

It is now believed two further animals, a Burmese python and a squirrel monkey, have died since Lilleth the lynx escaped in November.

Dean and Tracy Tweedy took over the zoo in May 2017 after buying it from Jean and Alan Mumbray for 625,000.

The Mumbrays ran the zoo, then called the Borth Animalarium for 17 years before retiring.

Their son, Mark Cook told the Times the python 'froze to death' and the squirrel money 'died because it wasn't being fed properly'.

Ceredigion County Council shut the Borth Wild Animal Kingdom while they investigated the death of two lynxes but has now revealed it can only re-open if it agrees to get rid of its most dangerous animals

Mr Cook is calling for a post-mortem examination of the squirrel monkey, that one source claims died of 'old age'.

He is also asking for a full record of all the animals that have died since the Tweedys took over the zoo.

He said: 'There's going to be none of them left if they continue like this.'

Ceredigion council have confirmed the python has passed away claiming it 'had to be put down by a vet' as it was suffering from stomatits, or inflammation of the mouth.

Mrs Tweedy said that all the animals had 'proper veterinary care' which is 'more than they had before'.

It is now believed two further animals, a Burmese python and a squirrel monkey, have also died since Lilleth the lynx escaped in November, The Times reported

Dean and Tracy Tweedy have been banned from keeping dangerous animals after the scandal involving two dead lynxes - they are appealing the decision

The zoo remains closed while the owners appeal the council's decision to ban the zoo from keeping category one animals

The zoo was previous banned from keeping dangerous animals after the scandal involving two dead lynxes.

Lillith the Eurasian lynx caused terror on the Welsh countryside when she escaped in October.

The wildcat, about twice the size of a domestic tabby, was shot dead 12 days later by a marksman employed by the council after police helicopters and baited traps failed to recapture her.

The wildcat, about twice the size of a domestic tabby, was shot dead 12 days later by a marksman employed by the council after police helicopters and baited traps failed to recapture her

The zoo remains closed while the owners appeal the council's decision to ban the zoo from keeping category one animals

Another lynx, Nilly, was strangled to death by a member of staff while they were trying to catch Lillith.

The zoo was shut down and placed under investigation by Ceredigion County Council following the deaths.

Owners Dean and Tracy Tweedy claimed 'none of the animals will be put down'.

The zoo remains closed while the owners appeal the council's decision to ban the zoo from keeping category one animals.

In a statement a council spokesman said: 'The report on Borth Wild Animal Kingdom, prepared by the expert zoological veterinary practitioner engaged by Ceredigion County Council, has been received and the authority's position formalised

Before moving to Wales the couple lived in Milton Regis in Kent where Mr Tweedy worked as an artist and was known for painting more than 200 murals across the region

If they appeal fails the animals will be rehomed.

In a statement a council spokesman said: 'The report on Borth Wild Animal Kingdom, prepared by the expert zoological veterinary practitioner engaged by Ceredigion County Council, has been received and the authority's position formalised.

'The council has served a series of proposed licence conditions and directions on the operators outlining in detail the requirements that must be complied with within specified timeframes.

Their impulsive purchase at the time was compared to Hollywood film 'We Bought a Zoo', which sees Los Angeles journalist Benjamin Mee, played by Matt Damon, buy a zoo with his family

'The proposed licence conditions will restrict the keeping of Category 1 dangerous animals.'

Before moving to Wales the couple lived in Milton Regis in Kent where Mr Tweedy worked as an artist and was known for painting more than 200 murals across the region.

Mrs Tweedy worked as a psychotherapist.

The couple gave up their house in Kent to start a life in Wales, where they share their home with 300 animals including snakes, lions and crocodiles, as well as their three daughters Paige, eight, Sarah, nine, and 13-year-old Sophie.

Their impulsive purchase at the time was compared to Hollywood film 'We Bought a Zoo', which sees Los Angeles journalist Benjamin Mee, played by Matt Damon, buy a zoo with his family.
The heir to the Washington Post fortune, William W. Graham, committed suicide last week, echoing his publisher father's death in 1963.

Graham, a 69-year-old lawyer, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound last Wednesday, according to an obituary published in the Post.

His father Phil, who was publisher of the newspaper for 17 years, killed himself back in 1963.

William Graham, a 69-year-old lawyer and heir to the Washington Post fortune, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound last Wednesday

Graham's mother Katharine then served as publisher for the next two decades.

A Steven Spielberg film starring Meryl Streep as his mother, which is based on her time as head of the newspaper, was released on December 22 - just two days before his death.

His death came six days after the film's premiere in Washington DC.

Graham was a prominent lawyer at the Williams & Connolly firm in Washington DC in the 1970s before he moved to Los Angeles.

He later taught trial law the University of California at Los Angeles.

He founded and ran investment firm Graham Partners for 20 years before dissolving the business in 2001.

His father Phil (left), who was publisher of the newspaper for 17 years, killed himself back in 1963. Graham's mother Katharine (right) then served as publisher for the next two decades

Katharine and Phil Graham are pictured above with their children - Lally, Stephen, William and Donald (left to right) - in Virginia in 1956

Graham then devoted himself to philanthropic activities, many of which remained anonymous.

His grandfather Eugene Meyer bought the Post at a bankruptcy auction in 1933.

Katharine, who was Meyer's daughter, oversaw the paper through some of its most important stories, including the Watergate scandal.

The recently released film recounts the behind-the-scenes story of the 1971 publication of the Pentagon Papers, which exposed the lies behind US involvement in the Vietnam War.

William is survived by his wife Sally Lasker Graham and two children, Alice Graham and Edward Graham. He is also survived by his two brothers, Donald Graham and Stephen Graham.
A record number of National Lottery players became millionaires in the last year, operator Camelot has revealed.

Some 358 ticket-holders received cheques for 1million or more in 2017, up from 347 in 2016, sharing 796million.

The year's biggest prize was won by an anonymous EuroMillions player, who banked 87million in June, while in the same month another anonymous ticket-holder scooped the year's largest Lotto win of 21.3million.

One lucky player could win an estimated 23.5million prize in Wednesday's Lotto draw after the jackpot hit its cap.

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A record number of National Lottery players became millionaires in the last year

If no players match all six numbers then the prize money will move down to the next winning tier - most likely five matching numbers plus the bonus ball.

Senior winners' adviser Andy Carter said: 'It's been a non-stop year of millionaire-making which has kept the team here at Camelot busy, and we are guaranteed to have more with a giant must-be-won Lotto jackpot on Wednesday.'

A total of 782 people won 50,000 or more this year and Mr Carter said: 'We have had the joy of meeting each of the 782 big winners and watching them start to enjoy their life-changing win.

The year's biggest prize was won by an anonymous EuroMillions player, who banked 87 million in June

Catering was the luckiest profession this year, with big winners including a syndicate of six 'Catering Girls' (pictured) from Wales, who shared a 25 million EuroMillions jackpot in November

'Seeing them change their life and the lives of friends and family around them is an amazing honour.'

Catering was the luckiest profession this year, with big winners including a syndicate of six 'Catering Girls' from Wales, who shared a 25million EuroMillions jackpot in November.

The six hospital cooks picked up more than 4m each and celebrated by quitting their 300-a-week jobs and splashing out on a Chinese takeaway.

Julie Saunders, 56, leader of the 'Catering Girls' syndicate said: 'It is amazing. We all decided to retire on the spot'

Julie Saunders, 56, leader of the 'Catering Girls' syndicate said: 'It is amazing. We all decided to retire on the spot.

'It's someone else's turn to cook meals and serve them up to patients.'

Builders had the second most millionaires across the year, while last year's top-ranking profession, drivers, were in third.

This year saw the 525,000th grant given to a National Lottery-funded project, while the total given to good causes across the country since 1994 increased to 37 billion.

Fifty-five-year-old care assistant Patricia Aldridge and her husband Robert (pictured) celebrated becoming millionaires this year after scooping the top prize of 1million on the Lucky Dip

Fifty-five-year-old care assistant Patricia Aldridge and her husband Robert also celebrated becoming millionaires this year after scooping the top prize of 1million on the Lucky Dip.

But the couple, who live in a 290,000 house in Slough, Berkshire, kept their feet firmly on the ground, saying the hefty sum 'won't change a thing'.

The mother-of-three worked a 12-hour stint at a Dementia and Alzheimer's home in the area at over Christmas Day.
Celeb chef Nick Nairn, 58, has threatened to call in police after a troll claimed he provoked an alleged attack on him last week

Celeb chef Nick Nairn has threatened to call in police after a troll claimed he provoked an alleged attack on him last week.

The 58-year-old Scot was taken to hospital in the early hours of Friday morning after he was jumped by thugs in Union Street, Aberdeen, shortly after leaving his business, the Nick Nairn Cook School.

On Christmas Day, the Great British Menu star posted a fresh photograph of his injuries - showing his black and yellow eyes and deep cuts across his nose.

Posting a selfie, Nairn tweeted: 'Merry Christmas everyone.

'Always good when your bruises start turning yellow!

'My heart goes out to anyone who has been assaulted. It's an utter affront to common decency and disgustingly invasive. Those that condone are as bad as those that do. Let's rid our streets of em!'

The 58-year-old Scot was taken to hospital in the early hours of Friday morning after he was jumped by thugs in Union Street, Aberdeen

But after posting the Christmas message, the Michelin star winner found himself trolled by a social media user who claimed Nairn deserved everything he got.

In the foul tweet, Sam Holbrook from Aberdeen, told the chef: 'Deserve everything you get, you arrogant c**t.

'Comeuppance and rightfully so, think twice before you be a 'smart alec' (your words) next time.'

On Christmas Day, the Great British Menu star posted a fresh photograph of his injuries - showing his black and yellow eyes and deep cuts across his nose

In the foul tweet, Sam Holbrook from Aberdeen, told the chef: 'Deserve everything you get, you arrogant c**t.' Nairn reported the troll to the police

Nairn responded by saying he would be informing police about the accusations.

He wrote: 'This is libellous, it's Xmas day, I'll pass it on to the officer in charge of the inquiry tomorrow.'

However, Sam didn't stop there and continued to tweet at the celebrity chef.

He asked: 'Is it against the law to give a different side of a story on social media?'

Nairn later sent out another tweet, writing: 'Just if you don't agree with them. @bullyinthewhitehouse?'

One of Nairn's supporters rushed to his defence following the string of tweets.

Nairn later sent out another tweet, writing: 'Just if you don't agree with them' before posting @bullyinthewhitehouse?'

@Irene08058000 wrote: 'No one and I mean no one has the right to lay a hand on anyone this is the law. Get well Nick.'

Nairn was walking along Aberdeen's popular Union Street at around 1am on Friday morning when he was allegedly attacked.

He was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where his injuries were treated.

A 35-year-old man has been arrested and charged with assault.

Police have renewed an appeal for anyone with information who has not yet spoken to them to come forward.
A popular - though controversial - alternative journalist and Facebook blogger from Laredo, Texas, has been arrested on felony charges for revealing the name of a federal employee who killed himself before police had the opportunity to put out an official press release.

Priscilla Villarreal, 32, known by her self-deprecating nickname 'La Gordiloca,' which means 'the fat crazy woman' in Spanish, has emerged as one of the most preeminent journalists in Laredo.

Her Facebook page, 'Lagordiloca News LaredoTx,' has 84,000 followers, who eagerly tune in to watch her nighttime dispatches from the gritty streets of Laredo often involving police activity.

Priscilla Villarreal, 32, a Laredo, Texas, news blogger known as 'La Gordiloca,' has been arrested on felony charges for revealing the name of a federal employee who killed himself before police had the opportunity to put out an official press release

Social media outlet: Villarreal's Facebook page, ' Lagordiloca News LaredoTx ,' has 84,000 followers

However, Villarreal's nightly excursions in her blue Dodge Ram pickup truck and her unvarnished hot-take broadcasts vie Facebook Live have done little to endear her on the local police force, according to the blogger.

The alleged acrimony between the woman and the Laredo cops finally came to a head on December 13, when Villarreal was taken into police custody on two counts of misuse of official information. Each charge, a third-degree felony, is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The charges stemmed from Villarreals reporting on the suicide of a US Customs and Border Protection manager, who took his own life by jumping from a local overpass earlier this year.

Villarreal publicized the agents name on Facebook before the local police department had a chance to release a statement addressing the incident.

According to an email sent to DailyMail.com by the Laredo Police Department, Villarreal obtained the name of the deceased Border Patrol employee from Barbara Goodman, a 19-year veteran patrol officer.

Goodman has been placed on an administrative reassignment pending the outcomes of ongoing criminal and internal investigations, but she has not been charged with a crime in this case.

Villarreal has denied that Goodman, whom she called a friend, was her source, claiming that the CBP employee's name came from one of her many tipsters around town.

'The officers are angry at the fact' that people 'give me the information first,' she told The Washington Post.

Villarreal has been charged with two third-degree felony counts of misuse of official information with intent to obtain a benefit. Her lawyer says no benefit was ever obtained

The DailyMail.com on Tuesday spoke to Villearreal on Facebook. The 32-year-old blogger said she is a freelance reporter and has been in this line of work for two years.

According to the woman, her dispute with the local police started a few months ago, when she arrived at the scene of a shooting where four officers were hurt and was berated by a female cop for recording video, which she allegedly threatened to confiscate.

When asked if she thought the local police went too far in charging her, Villearreal replied: 'I think they wanted the satisfaction in putting me in jail because as I arrived to the police station and stepped inside it looked like a damn circus.

'Everyone was on the second floor looking down and me taking pictures and video with their phones.'

Villearreal writes in the description of a GoFundMe campaign she has launched that the charges against her were 'fabricated' as a way to censor and stop her from reporting on what she decried as as 'political and law enforcement corruption.'

She goes on to say: 'we live in a free society where we will not let the police dictate who gets to be free and who gets to go to jail because they exercised their freedom of speech.'

In response to a request for comment, Laredo Police Department spokesman Joe Baeza released a statement on Tuesday arguing that the law enforcement agency has a dual duty to protect the publics freedom of speech right, as well as the right to privacy.

As a law enforcement agency we are entrusted with sensitive information which relates to criminal investigations and citizens private affairs, Baeza writes. As custodians of such vital information we are also tasked with the appropriate disclosure of such information under the law.

The statement goes on to describe the Villarreal case as an open, fluid investigation that has not been finalized. All matters related to the case will be turned over to the District Attorneys Office for their review and evaluation upon completion.

Constitutional argument: Villarreal believes her freedom of speech right has been violated by police because of a personal vendetta

Under the Texas Penal Code, a person commits 'misuse of official information' if he or she solicits or receives from a public servant information that 'the public servant has access to by means of his office or employment and has not been made public,' with the intent to obtain a benefit.

According to a criminal complaint, first obtained by Texas Monthly, the 'benefit' that Villearreal had obtained by disclosing the suicide victim's name ahead of other news outlets - and before the official release by the Laredo Police Department's Public Information Officer - was increased popularity on Facebook.

In her interview with DailyMail.com on Tuesday, Villarreal dismissed the idea that she had received any benefit from her reporting.

'I did not obtain any benefit and an increase in facebook popularity sounds ridiculous to me,' she wrote in an instant message exchange.

In a phone interview with DailyMail.com earlier on Tuesday, Villarreals attorney, Sergio Lozano, declined to comment on the source of her information concerning the suicide, but also strongly denied that she had gotten any benefit from reporting on the incident.

She doesn't make any money from that. There is no real value to [Facebook views], he noted.

Lozano scoffed at the notion that Villarreal was doing her work for financial gain, adding that if it were the case, she would have had a very different lifestyle from the one she currently has.

Lozano accused the police department of overstepping its authority by charging her with the felonies, and in the process, possibly picking a First Amendment fight.

Going after my client on criminal charges is alarming because we believe this in an attempt to silence her, he said. A lot of people love her and a lot of people hate her, but this is about the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech.

He added: The Laredo Police Department has an important functionbut I just think theres some animus towards her, her reporting styleshe doesnt really hold back.

Lozano said he has never heard of this offense ever being prosecuted in Texas, and he has not ruled out taking this case all the way to the Supreme Court of Texas, or even the US Supreme Court.
He has been tipped to be the next James Bond. And it seems James Norton has more in common with 007 than just his dashing good looks  as he also has penchant for beautiful women.

The 32-year-old star of TVs Happy Valley and Grantchester has broken up with his girlfriend of two years, Jessie Buckley, and is now dating actress Imogen Poots.

The pair, who are currently playing a couple on stage in London, held hands as they did some Christmas shopping in the capital last week.

The 32-year-old star of TVs Happy Valley and Grantchester has broken up with his girlfriend of two years, Jessie Buckley, and is now dating actress Imogen Poots. The couple shared a PDA in Spitalfields market

In their current roles in Belleville at the Donmar theatre, Norton and Miss Poots, 28, play a self-obsessed couple. Their on-stage relationship is so believable one critic described them as having fizzy chemistry

James Norton pictured with his ex-girlfriend Jessie Buckley at The Olivier Awards 2017

Wandering round Spitalfields market, they kept stopping to kiss as they explored the shops.

An onlooker said: They appeared to be very much in love. They are clearly very close and seemed relaxed in each others company.

In their current roles in Belleville at the Donmar theatre, Norton and Miss Poots, 28, play a self-obsessed couple.

Their on-stage relationship is so believable one critic described them as having fizzy chemistry.

To prepare for their parts, Miss Poots said they had to do plenty of oversharing and even saw marriage counsellors, something she called a great bonding experience.

Ex-girlfriend Jessie Buckley and James Norton at the after party of Bug which Mr Norton starred in last year

Norton and Miss Buckley, 27, had been dating since they played siblings in the BBC1 adaption of War And Peace broadcast in January last year.

It is thought that they split up in the summer.

Nortons role in upcoming BBC1 drama McMafia has reignited speculation that he will become the next Bond after he was seen looking suave in a tuxedo in the series.

One scene also shows him baring a ripped torso as he emerges from the water in swimming trunks.

Jessie Buckley and James Norton played brother and sister Princess Marya and Prince Andrei Bolkonsky in BBC's War and Peace last year

James Norton and his ex-girlfriend Jessie Buckley at the Glamour Women Of The Year Awards after party in Berkeley Square Gardens in June last year, since the pair split James has been dating his co-star Imogen Poots

The actor, meanwhile, has told The Big Issue that his heart breaks every morning because of Brexit.

He said: It feels like we are spiralling out of control and no one is willing to put the brakes on.

A representative for Norton declined to comment. Representatives for Miss Buckley and Miss Poots had not responded last night.
Growing up with a pet dog protects children against asthma  but owning a cat increases the risk, research suggests.

A study of 20,000 children found having a pet dog before the age of three cuts the chance of asthma by 40 per cent.

But having a cat in those early years increases the risk by half, the Imperial College London researchers found.

Study leader Silvia Colicino believes this is because dogs are dirtier than cats, so they expose children to bacteria early in life.

A study of 20,000 children found having a pet dog before the age of three cuts the chance of asthma by 40 per cent

This helps prime the immune system, triggering the production of antibodies that protect against allergies. Cats, on the other hand, tend to be much cleaner and less affectionate  they are less likely to give a child a slobbery lick  so do not pass on this bacteria.

Cats fur also carries tiny antigens  particles that trigger a response in the immune system  that can then lead to asthma.

The findings bolster the theory that the modern obsession with cleanliness has driven a boom in allergies and health problems.

Cats fur also carries tiny antigens  particles that trigger a response in the immune system  that can then lead to asthma

According to the hygiene hypothesis, exposure to a range of bacteria is necessary to develop the immune system early in life. About 5.4million Britons have asthma  one in every 12 adults and one in every 11 children.

Miss Colicino, who presented her findings at the British Thoracic Societys winter meeting in London, said: Pre-school children who live in a dirty environment with a high level of bacteria are less likely to develop allergies. Your body has to react to the bacteria by generating antibodies which are good at protecting against asthma. Dogs are dirtier than cats.

They tend to live outside and they carry high levels of bacteria. Early contact of children with dogs  up to two or three years old but especially in the first year of life  seems to protect against asthma.

She said cats were more likely to be kept indoors, so the antigens in their fur circulate in the house.

The research team tracked children in Manchester, Bristol, Kent, the Isle of Wight and Aberdeen.

Using that data, scientists made a tool to forecast with 80 per cent accuracy which children were most likely to develop asthma.

Growing up with a pet dog protects children against asthma  but owning a cat increases the risk, research suggests

Whether there is a dog or a cat in the house are key elements of the tool, along with early wheezing, hay fever and if the childs parents have a history of allergies.

Miss Colicino, who worked with experts from the universities of Southampton, Bristol and Manchester, is expecting to publish the full results next year.

She said: Our research showed there were many factors which can predict whether children will go on to have asthma by the age of 20.

For example, a child with wheezing symptoms and eczema in early childhood is over 75 per cent more likely to develop asthma up to the age of 20 years compared to a wheezy child without eczema at pre-school age. It is a mixed picture that we need to analyse further.

Dr Erika Kennington, of Asthma UK, said: Its important to remember that all animals, including dogs and cats, produce dander, urine and saliva that can also trigger asthma symptoms.
A sheriff's deputy in southern Utah punched through a frozen pond on Christmas Day to rescue a drowning 8-year-old boy.

The boy had been chasing his dog on Monday evening when another child saw him fall through the ice on a pond in the town of New Harmony.

The other child has rushed to try and help the boy but was unable to get him out of the water.

The boy had been chasing his dog on Monday evening when he fell through the eye on a pond in the town of New Harmony, Utah. A sheriff's deputy had to punch a path (pictured above) through the ice to rescue him

The child then ran for help.

Washington County sheriff's Sgt Aaron Thompson opted to try and rescue the boy instead of waiting for the other emergency crews to arrive.

He took off his police gear and broke a path through the ice using his hands to reach the boy.

He was able to dive in and grab the boy about 25 feet from the shoreline.

The boy was airlifted to a hospital in nearby St George to undergo treatment.

His current condition is not yet known.

The deputy was also hospitalized with cuts and bruises and symptoms of hypothermia. He was released from hospital Tuesday afternoon.
An ice addict who repeatedly punched a policewoman in the face as she arrested him will not serve any jail time after it was revealed he had previously tried to get help for a mental illness.

Ahmed El Lababidi bashed the senior constable, 29, after police responded to reports of a burglary in Glenroy, in Melbourne, on April 7, according toThe Herald Sun.

When the constable told Lababidi, 26, he would be searched, he hit her three times, causing her teeth to pierce her lip.

An ice addict who repeatedly punched a policewoman (pictured) in the face as she arrested him will not serve any jail time after it was revealed he had previously tried to get help for a mental illness

Ahmed El Lababidi bashed the senior constable, 29, (pictured) after police responded to reports of a burglary in Glenroy, in Melbourne, on April 7

The attack left the constable, who now fears working on the front line, needing reconstructive dental surgery. She told the publication she has spent $15,000 on her recovery.

It took four officers to hold down Lababidi following the attack, which he pleaded guilty to at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on November 30.

The 26-year-old was initially facing a mandatory six month jail sentence for a charge of assaulting an emergency worker but pleaded guilty to intentionally causing injury and resisting an emergency worker.

Magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg ordered Lababidi to complete 200 hours of community service and complete rehabilitation for drug abuse.

He will also undergo a mental health examination.

The charge was dropped after it was discovered the 26-year-old had once sought mental health services, according to The Herald Sun.

Magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg ordered Lababidi to complete 200 hours of community service and complete rehabilitation for drug abuse

The Office of Public Prosecutions told the publication the 'sentence, like all sentences, is under review for possible appeal, and no decision has been made as yet.'

The Constable, who is suffering from nightmares, said she no longer wants to work on the front line because it is 'the most dangerous part of the job'.

The attack left her feeling unsafe at work and suffering from nightmares.

'There is always a lot more doubt in your mind because you've had a bad experience,' the 29-year-old said.
The Russian internet watchdog has demanded an explanation from Facebook and Instagram after the social media accounts of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov were suddenly blocked.

The 41-year-old strongman accused the US government of putting pressure on the social networks to shut down his accounts, which were inexplicably blocked on Saturday.

Roskomnadzor, the Russian media and telecoms regulator, said it planned to officially request an answer from the companies.

And Leonid Levin, the head Russia's information technologies and communications committee, suggested the move was an attack on freedom of speech.

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The Russian internet watchdog has demanded an explanation from Facebook and Instagram after the social media accounts of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov were suddenly blocked

This comes after the US imposed travel and financial sanctions on Kadyrov following numerous allegations of human rights abuses, reports The Guardian.

Kadyrov is especially fond of both social networks, using them to issue statements on behalf of the Chechen government as well as to post bizarre personal content - inducing of him wresting crocodiles and cuddling tigers.

He also regularly post videos and pictures of himself working out in the gym.

The 41-year-old strongman accused the US government of putting pressure on the social networks to shut down his accounts, which were inexplicably blocked on Saturday

And in May last year the former rebel fighter used his online presence to appeal for information about his cat which had gone missing.

In a further peculiar twist, comedian and talk show host John Oliver waded in, mocking the Russian during a five-minute segment on HBO's Last Week Tonight.

His cat was bred to resemble a miniature tiger and has been referred to as a 'toyger'.

Kadyrov is especially fond of both social networks and in May last year got into a Twitter spat with comedian John Oliver after the talk show host responded to the former rebel fighter's Instagram post appealing for information about his cat which had gone missing

Kadyrov has more than three million followers on his Russian language Instagram and more than 750,000 likes on Facebook.

His English language Instagram, which has a far smaller following, was also later blocked.

MailOnline has contacted Facebook and Instagram for comment.
Illegal armed groups opened fire on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Pavlopil on December 25, thus having violated the agreements of the Trilateral Contact Group to cease fire during the New Year and Christmas holidays, the press center of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) headquarters has reported.

"Today, at around 19.00, militants grossly violated the Minsk agreements by launching 120mm mortars at the fortified positions of the ATO forces in the Pavlopil area. Five mines were launched at Ukrainian positions from the temporarily occupied settlement of Sosnivske," the press center reported on Monday, December 25.

According to the report, such actions by mercenary fighters suggest that they are interested in escalating the conflict and are not ready to observe the ceasefire.
In Bridget Jones they were considered unsightly, embarrassing and definitely not a fashion statement.

But big pants have proved their worth this year with sales soaring as millions of women chose comfort over style.

The resurgence of big knickers has been one of the shopping trends of 2017  along with gin, vegan cosmetics and unicorn-themed products.

Our changing tastes are spotlighted by retail guru Mary Portas in her Channel 4 show What Britain Bought In 2017, which looks at what we spent 7.5billion a week on this year

Fidget spinners became a huge craze earlier this year - and were huge sellers in the summer and spring months

Our changing tastes are spotlighted by retail guru Mary Portas in her Channel 4 show What Britain Bought In 2017, which looks at what we spent 7.5billion a week on this year.

The growing appeal of big pants has seen some retailers reporting a 10 per cent increase in sales this year and predicting even greater growth in 2018. Marks and Spencer has revealed that full briefs have become its best-selling style of underwear, knocking Brazilian-style knickers, which have a cutaway back, off the top spot.

In Bridget Jones' Diary big pants were considered unsightly, embarrassing and definitely not a fashion statement. But big pants have proved their worth this year with sales soaring as millions of women chose comfort over style

While Renee Zellwegers film character Bridget Jones is considered one of the inspirations, experts have also suggested that Hillary Clinton, Angela Merkel, Beyonce and Rihanna could be driving the trend.

Miss Portas, whose programme is on tomorrow at 9pm, spoke to women shoppers who love the comfort of big knickers.

Prosecco accessories, such as cushions and clocks were flying off the shelves at the start of the year

She said: Big pants are up 10 per cent this year [while] thong sales are hanging by a thread.

Carla Buzasi, managing director at trend forecasting company WGSN, told her: Now if you look at advertising it is much more about how the woman feels. I can tell you from first-hand experience that larger pants are much more comfortable.

Soozie Jenkinson, the head of design in lingerie at M&S, appears to agree that Mrs Clinton and Mrs Merkel could be part of the reason for the sales surge.

She said: They wouldnt be having VPL [visible panty line]. They are thinking about how their underwear really makes their outerwear look great.

Inflatables were a big seller in 2017 and are expected to fly off the shelves in 2018 too

Unicorn and mermaid related products, as well as gin were big selling products in 2017

And an M&S spokesman said: Sales of the full brief increased 7 per cent, and this year we have sold 13million.

Miss Portas found that mid-week gin drinking as a treat is also on the up, with Waitrose saying gin sales have risen 33 per cent on last year and have doubled in the last five years.

Other 2017 trends include free-from groceries, vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics, fidget spinners, gender-neutral childrens clothes, and even unicorn-themed products such as make-up brushes.
HBO host John Oliver is now expressing regret over the outcome of his 'failed' confrontation with actor Dustin Hoffman.

During an interview on UK talk show, The Russell Howard Hour, Oliver told host Russell Howard that his verbal spat with the Hoffman, who has been accused of sexual misconduct, 'didn't go anywhere constructive'.

'It didn't really go anywhere constructive, so the whole thing made me feel sad,' Oliver said.

Howard then added it was better for Oliver to have brought up the allegations against Hoffman than avoiding it.

'That's true. I just wanted it to become something more constructive,' Oliver replied.

HBO host John Oliver (above) is now expressing regret over the outcome of his 'failed' confrontation with actor Dustin Hoffman

During an interview on UK talk show, The Russell Howard Hour, Oliver (left) told host Russell Howard (right) that his verbal spat with the Hoffman, who has been accused of sexual misconduct, 'didn't go anywhere constructive'.

Howard shot back, 'but you tried,' to which Oliver said he 'I did. I tried and failed.'

During a panel discussion earlier this month that Oliver moderated at the 20th anniversary screening of Hoffman's film 'Wag the Dog,' the two had a back and forth discussion where the actor defended himself and denied he had done anything wrong and saying he had been found guilty simply because he'd been accused.

The panel also held at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan, New York was also filled with Robert De Niro, producer Jane Rosenthal and director Barry Levinson.

Oliver, asking the questions, turned the topic to sexual harassment about 20 minutes in, which prompted much sparring between him and Hoffman, who has been accused of inappropriate touching and harassment.

Oliver and Hoffman got into an intense argument about Hoffman's alleged sexual misconduct during a Q&A held before a screening of the film Wag the Dog in New York City earlier this month

At one point Hoffman said: 'You weren't there.' Oliver replied: 'I'm glad.' Hoffman is pictured with Robert De Niro and Barry Levinson, who along with Jane Rosenthal were also on the panel hosted by Oliver

Oliver said: 'You've made one statement in print [about the allegation].'

He added: 'Does that feel like enough to you?'

Hoffman had said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter: 'I have the utmost respect for women and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have put her in an uncomfortable situation. I am sorry. It is not reflective of who I am.'

Oliver said that the last part of Hoffman's apology 'pisses me off' and deemed it a 'dismissal'.

Hoffman then said: 'You weren't there.'

Oliver replied: 'I'm glad.'

Later, Oliver read passages from his accuser Anna Graham Hunter's account of the alleged misconduct.

Hoffman apparently asked Oliver: 'Do you believe this stuff?'

Oliver replied that he did.

Eventually the audience started verbally reacting to what they were seeing; various people shouted in favor of both Hoffman and Oliver.

Eventually, Hoffman cited his experience acting in the film Tootsie, in which he played a man who dressed as a woman, and said: 'How could I have made that movie if I didn't have incredible respect for women?'

Eventually, the film was screened.

Anna Graham Hunter claimed that Hoffman sexually harassed her and pawed at her rear when she was 17-years-old while on the set of the 1985 TV film Death of a Salesman.

'He was openly flirtatious, he grabbed my a**, he talked about sex to me and in front of me. One morning I went to his dressing room to take his breakfast order; he looked at me and grinned, taking his time,' she said.

'Then he said, ''I'll have a hard-boiled egg  and a soft-boiled clitoris.'' His entourage burst out laughing. I left, speechless. Then I went to the bathroom and cried.'

Hoffman and Hunter are pictured together during the filming of the TV movie

Hoffman was at that time married to wife Lisa Hoffman (nee Gottsegen), they married in 1980 and they are still together.

Lisa and Dustin have four children together, two boys Jake and Max Hoffman who born in 1981 and 1984 respectively. Their girls are Rebecca and Alexandra who were born in 1983 and 1987.

Wag the Dog was released in December 1997 and starred Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman.

The film is a political satire and was scripted by David Mamet.
A defiant Florida widow who repeatedly refused to sell her Florida town house to one of the world's largest time-share companies  inevitably inviting comparison with the Pixar classic Up - has finally given in.

The Orlando Sentinel reports Westgate Lakes LLC paid 83-year-old Julieta Corredor $1.5million for the two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo she and her late husband bought 32 years ago.

That is about 10 times more than the couple paid  and what Corredor was originally offered by the developer back in August.

Julieta Corredor, 83, this fall was paid $1.5million for her uninhabitable condo, pictured surrounded by scaffolding next to a development

Skyrocketing property value: Corredor and her late husband bought the two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo 32 years ago for $154,000

Shrewd: Corredor was originally offered $150,000 for the property, but refused to give it up

Laughing all the way to the bank: Corredor is now $1.5million richer, thanks to her patience

Her refusal to sell led to a dispute that held up Westgate's efforts to build a pair of high-rise towers in Orlando for months.

The parties announced a resolution to the dispute two months ago, but neither side could discuss the sale price or details because of a confidentiality clause.

The Sentinel and WESH2 calculated the sale price based on tax stamps levied on public property-transfer documents. The comptroller's office confirms the figure is accurate.

Corredor was the last owner in her condominium development, and refused to sell to Westgate so it could build the new timeshare complex in the heart of Orlando's tourist district.

The company tweaked its plans, but moved forward, building a seven-story, multimillion-dollar edifice within feet of the Corredor town home.

The 83-year-old woman's house was damaged when a contractor for the timeshare company was clearing the site for the construction of Westgate's timeshare complex.

No one now lives on the property, which was used as a vacation home by the South Florida-based Corredor family. The home, which Westgate said the family has not used in more than a decade, was deemed uninhabitable because of the damage.

Orange County officials told Westgate their contractor required a demolition permit for the unpermitted work done on Corredor's building before it was to grant the occupancy permit for one building and a building permit for the second building in the timeshare complex.

Corredor's home suffered major damage by construction going on at the site

Power couple: Westgate Resorts is owned by billionaire David Siegel (above with wife Jackie in May 2015)

Officials at the timeshare company said they'd offered to rebuild the Corredors' unit at the same or a new location and provide $50,000 in furnishings.

They'd presented an offer of a $150,000 cash buy-out, and they'd said they would be willing to offer a comparable, newly-renovated unit in a different building. The Corredors had repeatedly said 'no.'

That amount is far more than the $69,000 her neighbors were given for their condos on average, but also a bit less than the $154,000 she paid for the property when she purchased it back in the early 1980s.

The Corredors previously said that their case is a matter of principle on property rights and that they feel bullied by Westgate. The complex being built is a $24million development.

Westgate is owned by David Siegel, who was featured along with his wife in the 2012 documentary The Queen of Versailles, which followed the family's efforts to complete their gargantuan 90,000 square-foot estate amid financial struggles.
A photo of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister applauding him during a rare public event gives further weight to a claim that she has become a key part of his inner circle.

Kim Yo-jong was given a place on an elevated platform just five seats away from the tyrant during a party conference watched by hundreds in the North Korean capital Pyongyang.

Ms Kim, believed to 30, was in a row of all-male senior party officials as her brother addressed the room.

Kim Yo-jong was given a place on an elevated platform just five seats away from the tyrant during a party conference watched by hundreds in the North Korean capital Pyongyan

In October Kim Jong Un oversaw a major shakeup of North Korea's government as he promoted dozens of close aides to positions of power. Among the new promotions was his 30-year-old sister, who was been elevated to a position within the powerful Central Committee

It is the latest sign of his younger sister's rise in status in the regime. Only selected top officials are permitted to sit near the dictator at such events.

At the event, she was seated next to party vice-chairman, Choe Ryong-hae and Worker's Party secretaries Kim Pyong-hae and O Su-yong, reported the South Korean Chosun Ilbo.

Alongside Kim Jong-un's wife, Ri Sol-ju, Ms Kim is one of the two most visible women in North Korea.

In October Kim Jong Un oversaw a major shakeup of North Korea's government as he promoted dozens of close aides to positions of power.

At the time, the disappearance of General Hwang Pyong-so sparked rumours that he may have been executed for alleged corruption.

Among the new promotions was his 30-year-old sister, who was been elevated to a position within the powerful Central Committee.

Ms Kim, believed to 30, was in a row of all-male senior party officials as her brother addressed the room at a Workman's Party meeting

Kim's sister's seat placement is the latest sign of his younger sister's rise in status in the regime. Only selected top officials are permitted to sit near the dictator at such events

The promotion marked a return to favour two years after she was fired as Kim's propaganda chief due to a series of security blunders at rallies around the country.

On one occasion Kim was nearly hit in the face with a guitar by an over-enthusiastic musician as he toured a farm, while on a second occasion he was man-handled by fans at a concert.

Kim Yo-Jong's new job will be as an alternative member of the Central Committee - the chief decision-making body over which Kim presides.

'It shows that her portfolio and writ is far more substantive than previously believed and it is a further consolidation of the Kim family's power,' said Michael Madden, a North Korea expert at Johns Hopkins University's 38 North website.

Kim made the announcement at the Korean Worker's Party conference in Pyongyang, which took place ahead of the anniversary of the party's founding.

His sister is the only one of Kim Jong-Un's siblings to hold an official title.

In a family tree complicated by their father Kim Jong-Il's various marriages and partnerships, she enjoys a special relationship with her brother in that they also share the same mother.

Like her brother, Yo-Jong was partly educated in Switzerland and her first explicit appearance in North Korea's state media came in 2009 when she accompanied her father on a visit to an agricultural university

Attendants of the 5th Conference of Cell Chairpersons of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) hold a meeting to accept a pledge for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

'They share a life-long bond and her promotion to the politburo means Kim Jong-Un has complete trust in her,' Professor Yang Moo-Jin of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said earlier this year.

'She could be the one to take over from Kim in the event of his absence,' Yang told AFP.

Like her brother, Yo-Jong was partly educated in Switzerland and her first explicit appearance in North Korea's state media came in 2009 when she accompanied her father on a visit to an agricultural university.

She became a regular member of Kim Jong-Il's entourage until his death in 2011 and featured prominently in official photos of the funeral, mourning alongside her brother.

Last week, Kim Jong-un used another conference to take aim at his enemies and boast about his nuclear capabilities.

Kim Yo-Jong's new job will be as an alternative member of the Central Committee - the chief decision-making body over which Kim presides. She is pictured (left) with the dictator (right) in 2014

He said North Korea was now a 'substantial nuclear threat to the US' and warned that his rapidly developing nuclear force is 'exerting big influence' on the international community as he delivered a speech in Pyongyang.

Kim made the remarks a month after declaring his secretive state had completed its nuclear armament in the wake of a ballistic missile test.

It comes after his foreign ministry hit out at Trump's 'criminal' new national security document calling it a 'proclamation of aggression aimed at holding sway over the world'.

In the document, announced on Monday, Trump said Washington had to deal with the challenge posed by North Korea's weapons programmes.

But in a statement released today, Pyongyang said: '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.'
The swimmer who drowned after being caught in rough surf on the far NSW north coast has been identified as 22-year-old Ravneet Singh Gill.

Mr Singh, a student from India who was described friends as 'golden hearted', died after eight people were rescued when swept out to sea at Duranbah Beach on Christmas Day.

The group began drifting into deeper waters around 4pm on Monday, as two surf lifesavers and and surfers raced out to help bring them to shore.

Dean and Sean Harrington, who are known globally as stunt duo The Mad Hueys, were among those attempting to rescue the people and have lashed out at those who stood by and watched.

'To all those surfers yesterday at D'bah who watched two lifeguards, me and my family save six people and one drowned, f*** you,' the pair posted on Instagram.

'If you see someone in trouble you help them.

'Some poor family has lost a life because people were standing around watching and doing f*** all, it's f***ing bulls**t.'

The swimmer who died after being caught in rough surf on the Gold Coast has been identified as 22-year-old Ravneet Singh Gill

Mr Singh, a student from India who was described his friends as 'golden hearted', died after eight people were rescued from being swept out to sea at Duranbah Beach on Christmas Day

The group of swimmers began drifting into deeper waters around 4pm on Monday

Mad Huey stunt duo, Sean and Dean Harrington,helped lifesavers rescue the group of swimmers and slammed those who stood by and watched

The twins lashed out at those who stood by and watched as the pair struggled to bring the distressed swimmers to shore

Mr Singh was found face down in the water when help reached him, and despite lifesavers describing it as a routing rescue, he was unable to be saved after 30 minutes of CPR.

He was described by friends as the best swimmer in the group, and was 'very excited' to take everyone to the ocean.

'It was his plan to swim at the beach. Another friend said we'll swim at the pool but he said we should go down to the beach,' Mr Singh's friend Sukhmander Dhaliwal told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

'He was (looking forward) to Christmas too, to enjoy his holiday.'

The other seven men who needed to be rescued were taken to Tweed Heads Hospital but have since been released.

Mr Singh was described by friends as the best swimmer in the group, and was 'very excited' to take everyone to the ocean

'It was his plan to swim at the beach. Another friend said we'll swim at the pool but he said we should go down to the beach,' Mr Singh's friend Sukhmander Dhaliwal said

The Harrington twins took to social media after the incident distressed at the lack of concern from onlookers and also singled out a kite surfer who passed as the pair were trying to pull a man to shore.

'And that kite boarder who nearly ran me over twice when I had an unconscious man in my arms you can get f***ed,' they wrote.

Lifesavers worked tirelessly to pull all swimmers from the water and have been praised for their heroic efforts.

Surf Life Saving NSW said the incident was the 17th coastal drowning since July and the rising figure was concerning.

CEO Steven Pearce said lifeguards put in a heroic effort to save the man's life.

Mr Singh was found face down in the water when help reached him, and despite lifesavers describing it as a routing rescue, he was unable to be saved after 30 minutes of CPR

Two surf lifesavers and the Harrington twins raced out to help bring the group of swimmers to shore

'This tragedy reinforces why we are so determined to ensure that our safety messages are heard and understood,' he said in a statement.

The 22-year-old man who drowned is believed to be an Indian national, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports.

Two other swimmers were taken to hospital in a stable condition.
Wednesday's coin-flip conclusion to a nail-biting Virginia legislative election might have to wait.

The Democrat in a tied race for a House of Delegates seat that could affect which party controls the chamber says she'll ask a court to declare the tie invalid.

Shelly Simonds' lawyers said Tuesday that they'll ask the court to reconsider its ruling after last week's recount.

If Simonds were declared the winner in the 94th District in Newport News, it would split control of the legislature 50-50  with a newly elected Democratic govenror.

Currently it's 51-49 in favor of Republicans.

Last week Democrat Shelly Simonds (right) was told she had won a Virginia statehouse race by a single vote, but now she's going to court to invalidate the final vote that left her election tied

Del. David Yancey talks with reporters outside the Newport News courthouse after a three-judge panel certified the 94th District in Newport News as tied last Wednesday

Attorney Ezra Reese said the court violated election law by counting a ballot for Republican Del. David Yancey a day after the recount.

The ballot showed ovals for both candidates filled-in, but Simonds' bubble was then crossed out  and the rest of the ballot was filled out exclusively in favor of Republicans.

The Virginia State Board of Elections is set to hold a random drawing on Wednesday, with the two candidates' names being placed into film canisters and then into a bowl.

The Simonds campaign has asked the board to delay the drawing. Simonds and Yancey are tied at 11,608 votes each.

'On Wednesday the judges decided to allow my opponent to pull one vote and look at one vote, and that is not part of the recount process. My team followed the rules of the recount process, and the other side really didn't.

Simonds says the final vote approved by a three-judge panel should never have been allowed since it was too late to challenge the process

Election officials in Newport News, Va., examined ballots that a computer failed to scan. Initially Yancey won by ten votes. Then after the recount he lost by one. But ultimately a three-judge panel ruled that a disputed ballot should be counted for Yancey, resulting in a dead heat

Simonds isn't arguing that the intent of the voter who casted the contested ballot was unclear. She's saying instead that it was too late to raise a challenge when Yancey's lawyers spoke up.

Early last week Simonds had been declared the winner in the 94th District race. But a day later, and after a whirlwind toufr of TV interviews, her Cinderella story found its pumpkin.

Even if she's declared the winner, however, there's still one more wild card in play.

About 120 miles to the north in Fredericksburg, another contest still hangs in the balance, thanks to 100 ballots wrongly distributed to residents of a split precinct who were asked to weigh in on the wrong statehouse race.

At stake is which bills are taken up and moved for votes. And, of course, bragging rights for another two years.

But either way, the Democrats posted historic gains this year in the wake of Republican Donald Trump's stunning White House victory in 2016.

Before the Nov. 7 general election, Virginia Republicans held 66 seats to the Democrats' 34 in the legislature, along with a majority in the state Senate.
Luann de Lesseps made a very bad situation even worse early Sunday according to a police report of her arrest obtained by Page Six.

The Real Housewives of New York star was out partying with friends Saturday when she allegedly slipped into a room at The Colony Hotel with a man while a maid was still cleaning the space.

De Lesseps was staying at the hotel but not in that room, and when a guard was unable to get her to leave two police officers were called to the scene.

That is when a 'highly intoxicated' de Lesseps reportedly barricaded herself in the room, and when an officer managed to get a key for entry she struck him on the chest and slammed the door in his face.

The report goes on to state that when she was finally cuffed, de Lesseps managed to slip out of her restraints and screamed 'Im going to f***ing kill you' at police while trying to escape from the scene.

She continued to say that while she was being taken to the Palm Beach Police Station and put in a holding cell.

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Chow down: Luann De Lesseps was seen enjoying a beachside BBQ on Christmas with her brother

On the go: De Lesseps was arrested after reportedly breaking into a room at The Colony despite having one on the floor below

Looking better: She then reportedly screamed 'Im going to f***ing kill you' at police while trying to escape from the scene

De Lesseps was seen for the first time since her first court appearance while enjoying a beachside barbecue on Christmas at her brother's home in Jupiter.

It is unclear if she was drinking but she was sitting in front of an open bottle of wine.

The reality star, 52, arrived at the Palm Beach Courthouse just after 9am on Sunday, almost eight hours after she was taken into custody and booked by police.

The Real Housewives of New York star got no sleep it seemed as she stood in front of the judge with her limp and greasy hair covering her face, make-up smeared and wearing the same soiled dress she had on Saturday night when she first hit the town.

At one point during the proceedings de Lesseps attempted to respond when Judge Ted Booras mentioned she might have a drinking problem, but was quickly told to remain silent.

'Dont say anything,' ordered Judge Booras, who seemed concerned that de Lesseps might incriminate herself with her response.

News of her arrest was first reported by The Palm Beach Post, while WPVI captured the reality star during her court appearance early Sunday.

Judge Booras informed de Lesseps that she needed to hire a lawyer for the 'serious charges' she is facing, just before releasing her from custody.

De Lesseps was told she could return to her home in New York because this was her first offense according to the judge, who also allowed her to forego posting any bail and instead released her on her own recognizance.

'I dont think it would be that hard to find you,' said Judge Booras of the Housewives star, who had been filming the upcoming season of her show just days before in New York City.

Worse for the wear: De Lesseps, 52, appeared in Palm Beach County Courthouse on Sunday (above) after her arrest earlier that day at a nearby hotel

Multiple counts: She is charged with battery on law enforcement officer, disorderly intoxication, resisting an officer with violence and two counts of corruption by threat

Silence: She was told to remain silent at one point during the proceedings when she tried to address the issue of a possible drinking problem

Video courtesy of WPTV

De Lesseps, who appeared with a public defender for her court appearance, was arrested in the early morning hours of Sunday following an incident that resulted in her being charged with five counts.

She will be back in court next month to address those charges: battery on a law enforcement officer, disorderly intoxication, resisting an officer with violence and two counts of corruption by threat.

Battery on a law enforcement officer is considered a third-degree felony which is punishable by a maximum of 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

The disorderly intoxication charge is a second-degree misdemeanor which is punishable up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

Mugging for the camera: News of her arrest was first reported by The Palm Beach Post

Resisting an officer with violence is a third-degree felony which could land de Lesseps behind bars for 5 years and forced to pay a $5,000 fine.

This means that de Lesseps could find herself behind bars for more than a decade in the wake of her arrest.

A few hours after her court appearance, de Lesseps addressed her arrest on Twitter.

'I want to offer my most sincere apologies to anyone that I might have offended with my behavior,' wrote de Lesseps.

'This was my first time in Palm Beach since my wedding and being here brought up buried emotions. I am committed to a transformative and hopeful 2018.'

That 'transformative' 2018 will include at least one more trip to palm Beach for de Lesseps, who is due back in court on January 25, at which point the state with formally file charges in the case.

It almost one year ago to the day that de Lesseps married Tom D'Agostino in Palm Beach, seven years after her divorce from Count Alexandre de Lesseps.

She and the Count have two children, Victoria and Noel, who both appear to have been in France with their father at the time of de Lesseps' arrest.

De Lesseps' marriage to D'Agostino, which her Bravo co-stars all said they thought was doomed from the start, was over by August and the two have since finalized their divorce.

D'Agostino was also in Palm Beach over the weekend with his new girlfriend Anna Rothschild.

It is not clear why de Lesseps was done, but she was seen getting ready to party earlier in the day on Saturday with her friend.

One source claimed earlier this year that de Lesseps' New Year's Eve nuptials were less about true love and more about an aging divorcee desperate to secure her ever-loosening grip on reality stardom.

A close friend of D'Agostino told DailyMail.com that it was Tom who filed for divorce after growing tired of being cuckolded by his new wife during their brief marriage.

'It has been really difficult for Tom because he did love her,' said his friend.

'But she only married him because she was becoming irrelevant on the show and needed a new story line.'

And as D'Agostino's friend explained, that was still just one of the couple's many problems.

'She cheated, she was unfaithful, she was prone to violent outbursts,' revealed the friend, making their way through a laundry list of accusations.

Those violent outbursts allegedly included de Lesseps biting D'Agostino days before their wedding and leaving him covered in blood when she scratched his cheek at a posh Upper East Side eatery in July.

It doesnt take much for her to punch, bite, slap or scratch him,' noted the friend, who described de Lesseps' behavior as 'bats*** crazy' at times.

Gang's all here: De Lesseps has been busy filming the upcoming season of Housewives (above with the cast last week)

Husbands and wife: Luann with Count Alexandre in 2007 (left); with D'Agostino in July (right)

Kids incorporated: De Lesseps and the Count have two children from their first marriage, Noel and Victoria (above in November)

Another friend who knows both members of the couple tells DailyMail.com that it was clear from the beginning this romance was made for television.

'Stevie Wonder can see what Luann did here,' jokes the friend of the estranged pair.

'She knew shed had a very boring season, except for drunkenly falling into the bushes in Mexico, so she needed something to ensure Bravo cast her for another year.'

The friend then added that de Lesseps has been holding on to her position as one of the show's leading ladies with an iron grip ever since she was demoted back in season six.

'She was downgraded a few years back and it nearly killed her being a friend of the Housewives rather than a fully-fledged cast member,' revealed the friend of the couple.

'If shes filed for divorce before the reunion was filmed in mid-July, she wouldve had to discuss it. So shes filed now after the reunion, so shell have a full season to discuss it next year.'

And while some may find the entire scenario to be a bit uncouth, the friend applauded Luann for her tenacity.

'Its a very smart move by the nurse from Connecticut. No one hustles better or is more cunning than Luann,' said the friend.

It worked out too, as she is a featured cast member in the upcoming season.
Noah's Ark could soon be found, if one group of explorers is to be believed.

In the Bible it is claimed the ark settled on the 'mountains of Ararat' in Turkey after 150 days.

In 2010, a group of evangelical Christian explorers claimed to have found traces of the biblical ship on the mountain.

But their research was widely dismissed by experts who said it lacked real evidence.

Now a California-based 'ark hunter' believes there is new evidence Mount Ararat is where the ark and its inhabitants came aground - and the new claims have received similar reception from the scientific community.

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Previous research has claimed to have found traces of the biblical ship on the mountain, and now a US researcher has says he is convinced the vessel's remains is there (artist's impression)

MOUNT ARARAT Many believe that Turkey's Mount Ararat, the region's highest point, is where the Noah's Ark and its inhabitants came aground thousands of years ago. In 2010, a group of Chinese and Turkish evangelical explorers set out on an expedition to explore the region and find the vessel's remains. After a few weeks, they claimed to have found wooden specimens from an ark-like structure 4,000m (13,000 ft) up the mountain. The team claimed they carried out carbon dating on the wood, which proved it was 4,800 years old, around the time the Ark is said to have been afloat. Although considered a historical event, most scholars and archaeologists do not believe in a literal interpretation of the Ark story. Nicholas Purcell, a lecturer in ancient history at Oxford University told MailOnline the claims were the 'usual nonsense'. 'If floodwaters covered Eurasia 12,000ft [3,700 metres] deep in 2,800BC, how did the complex societies of Egypt and Mesopotamia, already many centuries old, keep right on regardless?' Talking back in 2010 when the claims were first made, Mike Pitt, a British archaeologist, said the evangelical explorers had yet to produce compelling evidence. He said: 'If there had been a flood capable of lifting a huge ship 2.5 miles [4km] up the side of a mountain 4,800 years ago, I think there would be substantial geological evidence for this flood around the world. And there isn't.' Advertisement

More than 100 researchers from around the world recenlty came together as part of a three-day international symposium on Mount Ararat and Noah's Ark in Agr in Turkey to see if they can find the ark's final resting place.

'My purpose is to visit the sites around the mountain to find clues about catastrophic events in the past', said Professor Raul Esperante from the Geoscience Research Institute.

The Geoscience Research Institute is sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

On their website it states their mission is to 'discover and share an understanding of nature and its relationship with the Biblical revelation of the Creator God'.

In 2010, a group of Chinese and Turkish evangelical explorers set out on an expedition to explore the region and find the vessel's remains.

After a few weeks, they claimed to have found wooden specimens from an ark-like structure 4,000m (13,000 ft) up the mountain.

The mountain is the highest peak in Turkey, standing more than 5,100 metres (16,500 ft) tall.

The team claimed they carried out carbon dating on the wood, which proved it was 4,800 years old, around the time the Ark is said to have been afloat.

The vessel was said to measure '300 cubits, by 50 cubits, by 30 cubits', which translates to up to 515ft long, 86ft wide and 52ft high.

Professor Esperante is convinced this is true and requires more 'rigorous, serious scientific work' in the area, writes the Express.

He has urged for international investment into a full investigation.

'The result of my findings will be published in books, publications and journals, but at this point it is too early to know what we are going to find', said Professor Esperante.

'Once the scientific community knows about the existence of Noah's Ark in Mount Ararat, we can make it available to the general public.'

Nicholas Purcell, a lecturer in ancient history at Oxford University told MailOnline the claims were the 'usual nonsense'.

'If floodwaters covered Eurasia 12,000ft [3,700 metres] deep in 2,800BC, how did the complex societies of Egypt and Mesopotamia, already many centuries old, keep right on regardless?'

Another expert says that Mount Ararat can't be the location of the ark because the mountain did not form until after the flood waters receded

In the Bible, God commands Noah to build a vast ship, the ark - capable of saving himself, his family and a representation of the world's animals.

God was spurred by the wickedness and corruption of man, vows to send a great cleansing flood.

Deeming Noah to be the only righteous man worth saving, God commands him to build a vast ship.

According to the Bible, when Noah has completed his task, and God has sent 'two of every sort' of animal to the Ark, the flood waters rise until all mountains are covered and life (except fish) is destroyed.

In 2010, a group of Chinese and Turkish evangelical explorers set out on an expedition to explore the region and find the vessel's remains. They claimed to have found wooden specimens (pictured) from an ark-like structure 4,000m (13,000 ft) up the mountain

Researchers claim that Noah's Ark could finally be uncovered on Mount Ararat (file photo). The mountain is the highest peak in Turkey, standing more than 5,100 metres (16,500 ft) tall

'Noah's Ark, the Flood is not a myth but a real incident mentioned in all holy books', said Dr Oktay Belli from Istanbul University.

However, Dr Andrew Snelling young-Earth creationist with a Phd from the University of Sydney says that Mount Ararat can't be the location of the ark because the mountain did not form until after the flood waters receded.

Although considered a historical event, most scholars and archaeologists do not believe in a literal interpretation of the Ark story.

Talking after the initial claims in 2010, Mike Pitt, a British archaeologist, said the evangelical explorers had yet to produce compelling evidence.

He said: 'If there had been a flood capable of lifting a huge ship 2.5 miles [4km] up the side of a mountain 4,800 years ago, I think there would be substantial geological evidence for this flood around the world. And there isn't.'
With the holiday demand now dying down, analysts say shipments of Apples $999 iPhone X could soon plummet.

Apple will slash its sales forecast for the iPhone X in the first quarter to 30 million units, a Taiwanese newspaper said on Monday, citing unidentified sources - down from what it said was an initial plan of 50 million units.

The experts say the high price of the iPhone X  Apples most expensive handset yet  and its lack of interesting innovations could deter many buyers.

Apple will slash its sales forecast for the iPhone X in the first quarter to 30 million units, a Taiwanese newspaper said on Monday, citing unidentified sources - down from what it said was an initial plan of 50 million units. Stock image

iPHONE X COSTS JUST $357.50 TO MAKE Apple new flagship iPhone X makes the company more money per phone than its iPhone 8 model, according to an analysis. A report from TechInsights found the iPhone X's flashier parts cost Apple 25 percent more than the iPhone 8, but that it retailed 43 percent higher. The iPhone X smartphone costs $357.50 to make and sells for $999, giving it a gross margin of 64 percent, according to the firm, which tears down technology devices and analyzes the parts inside. The analysis found: The 5.8-inch (14.8 cm) edge-to-edge display and associated parts cost $65.50, compared with $36 for the iPhone 8's 4.7-inch display, the analysis found.

Stainless steel chassis of the iPhone X, which cost $36 versus $21.50 for the aluminium housing of the iPhone 8. Advertisement

According to Sinolink Securities analyst Zhang Bin, shipments could be as low as 35 million in the first quarter  roughly 10 million less than previously estimated, Bloomberg reports.

Shares in several of Apple Inc's Asian suppliers fell for a second straight day on Tuesday, hurt by a report from Taiwan's Economic Daily and some analysts saying that iPhone X demand could come in below expectations in the first quarter.

Apple has not publicly disclosed quarterly sales targets for the iPhone X, which went on sale in November.

Some analysts have also flagged disappointing demand.

U.S.-based JL Warren Capital is predicting shipments of just 25 million units as consumers baulk at the 'high price point and a lack of interesting innovations'.

Chinese broker Sinolink Securities said it expects the model's price would dampen consumer enthusiasm for the product, adding that slow production rates could also hinder sales.

But others were more bullish.

'Our work continues to suggest the March and June quarters will have a significant amount of iPhone X make-up shipments,' Chicago-based Loop Capital said in a note last week, forecasting shipments of 40-45 million units in the first quarter of 2018, up from an estimated 30-35 million units in the current quarter.

Analysts at Jefferies have also forecast around 40 million iPhone X sales for the first quarter.

An Apple spokeswoman said the company does not comment on market rumors.

During a trip to China this month Apple CEO Tim Cook said he 'couldn't be happier' with the demand for the iPhone X in the country.

Apple suppliers that were most hit included Genius Electronic Optical Co Ltd which dropped 2.4 percent on Tuesday to take its losses this week to 11.4 percent.

During a trip to China this month Apple CEO Tim Cook said he 'couldn't be happier' with the demand for the iPhone X in the country

Pegatron Corp also fell on both days, losing 3.2 percent this week.

But falls for Foxconn, one of Apple's main suppliers formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, were milder and it has lost only 1.8 percent over the two days.

A Reuters analysis of Chinese social media shows that interest in the iPhone X - which spiked around its launch - has not kept pace with the highly popular iPhone 6 released in 2014, which helped then drive massive sales for Apple in China.

There were only 4.97 million Weibo posts mentioning the iPhone X so far in December compared to over 11 million for the iPhone 6 in the equivalent period in 2014, the analysis showed.

Apple's stock has risen over 50 percent in 2017 and is currently valued at just under $900 billion.
These days artificial intelligence is so advanced that robots trade shares, make restaurants suggestions and diagnose diseases.

But can a robot get a dance floor jumping?

It is a question that Prague's Karlovy Lazne Music Club has endeavoured to answer by employing a specially adapted former automotive industry robot as a DJ in the popular nightspot.

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These days artificial intelligence is so advanced that robots trade shares, make restaurants suggestions and diagnose diseases. But can a robot get a dance floor jumping? A Czech club has employed a robo-DJ

HOW IT WORKS The robot has special software that helps it choose songs. It can select discs from nearby racks, and put them into one of three music players. It can even scratch records and dance. The arm-shaped robot has a pincer at the end, and works on hourly rotations with its human programmer. Advertisement

The robot is shaped like a giant arm capped with a pincer, and has shared deck duties at the club with its human programmer in an hourly rotation each night for the last three weeks.

'People are excited (about the robot), because they haven't seen anything like this around Europe, and I am not sure if there is something similar in the world,' club manager Adam Lipsansky told Reuters.

The DJ robot was created after the club's management challenged a robotics firm to the task.

Equipped with special software to help it choose songs and mounted on a stage above the club's dance floor, the robot selects discs from nearby racks and puts them into one of three music players in front of it.

It can scratch records and also dances.

While some clubbers told Reuters that they enjoyed the robot's musical efforts, others remained unconvinced.

Equipped with special software to help it choose songs and mounted on a stage above the club's dance floor, the robot selects discs from nearby racks and puts them into one of three music players in front of it

The DJ robot was created after the club's management challenged a robotics firm to the task

'I don't like the robot,' said Marcia Lopes, 24, a tourist from Mexico.

'It can't feel what the people want to dance to.

'There is no emotion behind the music. When there is a real person, they know, what fun is like.'
Relations with Canada very important for Ukraine, especially in context of Ottawa's presidency in G7 - Groysman

Cooperation between Kyiv and Ottawa is one of the priorities of international work of the Ukrainian government, Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman has said during a meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.

"Relations with Canada are one of the important issues of the international component of work of the Ukrainian government, especially in the context of Ottawa's chairmanship in the Group of the Big Seven," the premier said.

He thanked the government of Canada for the warm welcome during the visit of the Ukrainian governmental delegation to Canada and noted that he is always glad to welcome Canadian partners in Kyiv. Groysman added the agenda of relations between the two countries is very rich.

Cooperation between the countries has a wide range: from the agricultural sector to the sphere of aircraft building and joint space exploration. An important instrument of cooperation is also the free trade area (FTA) agreement, which has already allowed doubling mutual trade.

"Now we need to make full use of the potential of the FTA Agreement," the head of the Ukrainian government said.

Freeland, in turn, offered support to Kyiv in the format of Canada's supremacy in the G7 Group.
NASA has captured the highest-resolution images yet of a massive asteroid that skimmed past Earth earlier this month  and, the observations reveal a huge, mysterious void at its center.

The space rock, known as 3200 Phaethon, made its closest approach to Earth on Dec 16 at about 6.4 million miles (10.3 million kilometers) away.

According to the space agency, this is the closest the asteroid will come to Earth until 2093.

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NASA has captured the highest-resolution images yet of a massive asteroid that skimmed past Earth earlier this month. The huge space rock, known as 3200 Phaethon, made its closest approach to Earth on Dec 16 at about 6.4 million miles (10.3 million kilometers) away

PHAETHON The asteroid is named after the son of the Greek sun god Helios 'Phaethon' because it passes so close to the sun. Legend claims the young demi-god was challenged to prove he was related to Helios, who was said to pull the sun across the sky. To prove his divine provenance, Phaethon rode his father's chariot, but was unable to control the horses, who then ran wild across the sky, dragging the sun with them. Earth was almost destroyed in the ensuing chaos, which scorched the planet, burned vast amounts of vegetation and created the great deserts of Africa. Advertisement

The latest images were captured using Puerto Ricos Arecibo Observatory Planetary Radar, not long after the instrument returned to normal operation following Hurricane Maria.

In the images, the somewhat spherical object can be seen with a huge depression at the equator thats thought to be at least several hundred meters large.

It also has a conspicuous dark feature near one of the poles, NASA notes.

These new observations of Phaethon show it may be similar in shape to asteroid Bennu, the target of NASAs OSIRIS-Rex spacecraft, but more than 1,000 Bennus could fit inside of Phaethon, said Patrick Taylor, a Universities Space Research Association (USRA), Columbia, Maryland, scientist and group leader for Planetary Radar at Arecibo Observatory.

The dark feature could be a crater or some other topographic depression that did not reflect the radar beam back to Earth.

The new observations conducted from Dec 15-19 show Phaethon to be about 3.6 miles (6 kilometers) wide.

This means its larger than previously thought, by about .6 miles (1 kilometer).

It passed by Earth this month at about 27 times the distance between our planet and the moon.

In the images, a somewhat spherical object can be seen, with a large depression at the equator thats thought to be at least several hundred meters large. It also has a conspicuous dark feature near one of the poles, NASA notes

Arecibo is the most powerful astronomical radar system on Earth, but suffered minor damage in the recent hurricane that struck Puerto Rico.

Now, its back up and running.

Arecibo is an important global asset, crucial for planetary defense work because of its unique capabilities, said Joan Schmelz of USRA and deputy director of Arecibo Observatory.

We have been working diligently to get it back up and running since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico.

At its closest approach, the asteroid was estimated to be around 6.4 million miles away from our planet  27 times the distance between the Earth and the moon (stock image)

Before its approach, NASA revealed asteroid 3200 Phaethon is classed as 'potentially hazardous.'

The latest approach is the closest the asteroid has been to Earth since December 16, 1974, when it was around 5 million miles away - although we were blissfully unaware at the time.

In a statement about the asteroid, which was first discovered in 1983, a spokesperson for Nasa said: 'With a diameter of about 5km, Phaethon is the third largest near-Earth asteroid classified as "Potentially Hazardous".'

The next pass is predicted to be in 2093 when it is expected to pass at just over 1.8 million miles (2.9 million kilometres) away.

The asteroid is named after the son of the Greek sun god Helios 'Phaethon' because it passes so close to the sun. Legend claims the young demi-god almost destroyed Earth by stealing his father's (bottom right) chariot (top of image) and scorching Earth with the sun (top left)

NASA'S PLANETARY DEFENSE SYSTEM During a recent pass of another asteroid, Nasa used its international network of observatories to recover, track and characterise asteroid 2012 TC4. As it started to approach Earth in the coming months, large telescopes were used to detect it and establish the asteroid's precise trajectory. The new observations have helped refine knowledge about its orbit, narrowing the uncertainty about how far it will be from Earth in future passes. Advertisement

Earlier this month, the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University in Konigsberg, Russia, published a video tracking the path of Phaethon.

The video explains that the asteroid's unusual orbit will see it pass closer to the sun than any other named asteroid.

3200 Phaethon has puzzled scientists because it has features of both an asteroid and a comet.

In one of its previous close encounters with Earth, scientists spotted dust streaming from the space rock that resembles the melting ice tails seen tailing most comets.

But Phaethon's orbit puts its origins in a region between Mars and Jupiter where asteroids commonly originate.

Typically, icy comets come from colder regions of space beyond Neptune.

In a statement, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University said: 'Apparently, this asteroid was once a much bigger object.

'But its many approaches to the sun have caused it to crumble into smaller pieces which eventually formed this meteor shower.

'If so, the asteroid itself could be the residue of a comet nucleus.

'The asteroid's extremely elongated orbit, thanks to which it sometimes gets to the Sun closer than Mercury and it sometimes moves away farther than Mars, is another argument in favour of this theory.'
He's a journalist, TV presenter, loving boyfriend, devoted father and... Chef?

That's right, back in 2014, Karl Stefanovic released 'Karl Cooks: Be A Legend With These Easy No-Fuss Recipes - If Karl Can Cook It SO CAN YOU.'

This Christmas, there's no better time to re-visit the Today star's cook book, spanning more than 60 recipes across seven chapters.

Tis' the season: This Christmas, there's no better time to re-visit Today star Karl Stefanovic's magnum opus: Karl Cooks Be A Legend With These Easy No-Fuss Recipes - If Karl Can Cook It SO CAN YOU'

'So you've opened this book because it has a good-looking TV bloke on the front who obviously doesn't mind having a bit of fun - correct?' reads the introduction.

'I must admit, when I was approached to do this book I laughed it off and thought, who in their right mind would buy that?'

Further down, he insists all of the tasty dishes can be perfected by anyone: 'These recipes are like me: simple and straightforward.'

Epic! Released in 2014, Karl Cooks , spans more than 60 recipes across seven chapters, and serves as a time capsule from a very different time in the 43-year-old's life

After joking about the excessive length of his opener, the 43-year-old also quipped: 'I love food and drink with friends and family...'

'Well mainly friends; family can be judgemental or noncommital about my cooking, so they can go jump.'

Yummo! 'So you've opened this book because it has a good-looking TV bloke on the front who obviously doesn't mind having a bit of fun - correct?' reads the introduction

Karl Cooks' 10 best recipes 1. Mini Sauso' Rolls 2. Brownies with a Twist 3. Krackin' Kebabs 4. When Paddock Meets Sea 5. Coleslaw for Kings 6. Quickest Pav Ever 7. Prawns on a Stick 8. Cheeky Mangoes 9. Chivalrous Chocolate Puddings 10. Pastrami Toastie Advertisement

He also included a handy 'cooking key,' with images indicating whether a dish is 'No worries (2/5),' 'C'mon, don't be a wuss (3/5),' or 'No Cheating! Follow the instructions (4/5)'.

The father-of-three's 'Roast Chicken A La Karl,' for example, is a two-out-of-five difficulty, whereas anyone can cook his 'Speedy Spaghetti (1/5)'.

In the image for the chapter 'When The Wife's Away,' Karl was pictured holding his favourite world's greatest Dad mug.

He also provided three simple steps for when the 'missus' was out of town.

'Step One: Don't panic. Step Two: Make This Great Food. Step Three: Crack Open A Beer And Eat,' he wrote.

In the description for his tasty 'Pizza Trays' the chef joked: 'Nothing says home-alone-without-the-missus quite like pizza.'

Who knows? He continued: 'I must admit, when I was approached to do this book I laughed it off and thought, who in their right mind would buy that?'

Karl's life has clearly changed a lot since he published Karl Cooks back in 2014, most notably the dissolution of his marriage with wife of 21-years, Cassandra Thorburn.

Now dating stunning model Jasmine Yarbrough, the book serves as a time capsule of a different stage of his life.

The steps: He also provided three simple steps for when the 'missus' was out of town: Step One: Don't panic. Step Two: Make This Great Food. Step Three: Crack Open A Beer And Eat'

One thing that hasn't changed is Karl's proudly Australian humour, on display in the sign-off to his undeniable magnum opus.

'Onwards and upwards. Get a snag up ya!' he wrote - an inspiring message for all budding chefs this Christmas.

Changed man: Written back in 2014, a lot of the references are now outdated, including several regarding his ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn - Karl now dates Jasmine Yarbrough (pictured)
Television and media personalities are known for making headlines.

And several Aussie stars certainly created some of the biggest this year.

From Karl Stefanovic's whirlwind romance with Jasmine Yarbrough, to PR queen Roxy Jacenko locking lips with her ex Nabil Gazal, Daily Mail Australia takes a look at the shock stories of 2017.

From Karl Stefanovic's whirlwind romance with Jasmine Yarbrough to PR queen Roxy Jacenko locking lips with millionaire Nabil Gazal: The shock stories of 2017

Karl Stefanovic, 43, appeared to confirm his new romance with Jasmine Yarbrough, 33, by packing on the PDA at a boat party on Sydney Harbour in February.

The sighting came just months after the Today show co-host announced his split from wife of 21-years, Cassandra Thorburn, 46, in September last year.

This past October, Karl gushed over his model-turned shoe designer girlfriend Jasmine, telling The Daily Telegraph: 'There is a lot of love in my life. She's a very strong and passionate person.'

Shock split: Karl debuted a new romance with model Jasmine Yarbrough following his split with wife Cassandra Thorburn (pictured)

Smitten: This past October, Karl gushed over his model-turned shoe designer girlfriend Jasmine, telling The Daily Telegraph: 'There is a lot of love in my life. She's a very strong and passionate person'

While Roxy Jacenko's husband Oliver Curtis was spending time behind bars for conspiracy to commit insider trading, the 37-year-old PR queen was pictured locking lips with her millionaire ex-boyfriend, Nabil Gazal.

The sensational photos, taken in May, saw the married mother-of-two in an intimate embrace with the property developer at his luxury Sydney apartment at a post-dinner party.

Embracing in front of large glass windows located near a balcony, the pair appeared unfazed about hiding their PDA session from outside eyes.

Locking lips: While Roxy Jacenko's husband Oliver Curtis was spending time behind bars for conspiracy to commit insider trading, the 37-year-old PR queen was pictured locking lips with her millionaire ex-boyfriend, Nabil Gazal

Breaking her silence: Despite rekindling her romance with Oliver (pictured), following the shock sighting, Roxy admitted to news.com.au in August, that at the time she thought her marriage was over: 'I'd spoken to a lawyer about divorce, and he (Oliver) knew that, I'd told him'

Former felon: Oliver spent a year behind bars at Cooma Correctional Centre for conspiracy to commit insider trading

Despite rekindling her romance with Oliver following the shock sighting, Roxy admitted to news.com.au in August that at the time she thought her marriage was over.

She said: 'I'd spoken to a lawyer about divorce, and he (Oliver) knew that, I'd told him.'

Meanwhile, October saw Lisa Wilkinson, 58, announce her departure from Channel Nine's the Today show.

Brood: The high-profile couple share two children together, daughter Pixie, six, and son Hunter, three

The television presenter took to Twitter to share the news she would appear on the panel of current affairs program The Project.

Lisa's shock announcement came just a day after an explosive report claimed her contract negotiations with Nine had been 'stalled'.

The Sunday Telegraph alleged that the former women's magazine editor was holding out on re-signing, until she was granted 'pay parity' with co-host Karl Stefanovic.

It was suggested the reason Lisa wanted the same money as Karl, who was 'rumoured to be on twice as much'.

No more Today: Meanwhile, October saw Lisa Wilkinson, 58, announce her departure from Channel Nine's the Today show

Jumping ship: The television presenter took to Twitter to share the news that she had taken up role with rival Channel 10

Claims: Lisa's shock announcement came just a day after an explosive report claimed her contract negotiations with Nine had been 'stalled'. The Sunday Telegraph alleged that the former women's magazine editor was holding out on re-signing, until she was granted 'pay parity' with co-host Karl Stefanovic

The Australian reported that Karl earns at least $2 million a year in a three-year contract with a potential bonus that could take his salary to $3 million if ratings are hit.

Lisa later confirmed that she left Channel Nine because of the pay gap.

Former Home And Away star Johnny Ruffo, 29, shocked fans when he revealed that he had a brain tumour in October.

The actor told Daily Mail Australia he went to hospital with a migraine before being rushed into emergency surgery.

He said: 'On Sunday I went into hospital with a migraine. I had to have emergency surgery to have a brain tumour removed. I am on the mend and feeling positive. Keep me in your thoughts.'

Johnny had 95 per cent of the tumour removed, and underwent chemotherapy and six weeks of radiotherapy for brain cancer.

Shock surgery: Former Home And Away star Johnny Ruffo, 29, shocked fans when he revealed that he had a brain tumour in October

Life or death: Johnny had 95 per cent of the tumour removed, and underwent chemotherapy and six weeks of radiotherapy for brain cancer

The Living Room host Barry Du Bois, 57, also shocked the public and his co-hosts by revealing his cancer had returned for a second time during a segment on the Channel Ten show.

Barry, who was first diagnosed with plasmacytoma myeloma in 2010, made the heartbreaking announcement to Amanda Keller, Dr Chris Brown and Miguel Maestre, as they quickly comforted the star, holding back tears.

During the candid chat, the R U OK ambassador revealed that his cancer is much more aggressive than his previous diagnosis six years ago but remained optimistic that he would beat his battle against the debilitating disease once again.

Plasmacytoma myeloma is a cancer that attacks a human's healthy bone marrow, with Barry due to receive a stem cell transplant and bone marrow retrieval after completing a round of chemotherapy just before Christmas.

Cancer shock: The Living Room host Barry Du Bois, 57, also shocked the public and his co-hosts by revealing his plasmacytoma myeloma had returned for a second time during a segment on the Channel Ten show in October

Staying hopeful: Barry is due to receive a stem cell transplant and bone marrow retrieval after completing a round of chemotherapy just before Christmas

An American reality star shocked viewers when she casually revealed her vibrating sex toy on Channel Seven's Seven Year Switch.

But jaws really dropped when the controversial student's past life as a webcam model was revealed.

Kaitlyn Isham soon made headlines for her raunchy past after sexually explicit photos of her surfaced online, and bizarre YouTube videos came to light in April.

Channel Seven released a statement at the time, claiming the footage was filmed during a 'low point' of Kaitlyn's life after she suffered the loss of her 19-year-old brother, Eric Lind Isham, in 2010.

Raunchy reality star: An American reality star shocked viewers when she casually revealed her vibrating sex toy on Channel Seven's Seven Year Switch

Shock past as webcam model: Kaitlyn Isham soon made headlines for her racy past after sexually explicit photos of her surfaced online, and bizarre YouTube videos came to light in April as Seven's Seven Year Switch began airing

REVEALED: Channel Seven released a statement at the time, claiming the footage was filmed during a 'low point' of Kaitlyn's life after she suffered the loss of her 19-year-old brother, Eric Lind Isham, in 2010

'As she rebuilt her life and came to terms with the heartbreaking loss of a treasured family member, Kaitlyn took control of mistakes she had made and tried to remove the offending vision that was no longer a truthful representation of her or her life,' the statement read.

One homemade video showed the reality TV star holding a banana suggestively as she rapped, 'I flash my tits and give boys an erection', later licking a TV screen featuring US President Donald Trump.

'slut shaming' controversy: On another romance-related reality TV show, a shock reveal of two contestant's pasts (Leah Costa and Simone Ormesher) as topless waitresses did not fare well with audiences

On another romance-related reality TV show, a shock reveal of two contestant's pasts as topless waitresses did not fare well with audiences.

While Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson and his sister Kate were surprised at the Leah Costa and Simone Ormesher's secret pasts, many viewers were more horrified at the apparent 'sl*t shaming' that played out during the episodes.

Photos and videos of both women's topless waitress past surfaced since the show began airing in July, with Matty confronting the girls about the news on the series.

Footage was unearthed of Leah wearing just a miniskirt while vigorously whipping a mystery man's bare bottom

Meanwhile, pictures of Simone working as a topless waitress also surfaced with the blonde bombshell later telling OK! Magazine that she did not like the job, but insisted it helped her become the woman she is today

Footage was unearthed of Leah wearing just a miniskirt while vigorously whipping a mystery man's bare bottom.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, Leah previously confirmed that she once worked as a topless entertainer and said she was not ashamed of her past.

Meanwhile, pictures of Simone working as a topless waitress also surfaced with the blonde bombshell later telling OK! Magazine that she did not like the job, but insisted it helped her become the woman she is today.

Looking for love: Sophie Monk stole the show as she let slip she would become the first celebrity Bachelorette at The Logies in April

Before Matty J chose his lady love Laura Byrne, Sophie Monk stole the show as she let slip she would become the first celebrity Bachelorette at The Logies in April.

The unlucky in love media personality was excited to date many potential suitors on Channel Ten's hit dating show, with hopes of finding true love.

Wanting to get married and have kids with her winner, she claimed she wanted someone that didn't come from the entertainment industry and wasn't a high-profile personality.

However, Sophie ended up with millionaire public Stu Laundy, who is yet to divorce from his ex-wife and can't have children due to a prior vasectomy.

Perfect pair? Wanting to find a guy who was not high-profile or from the entertainment industry to get married to and have kids with, Sophie ended up choosing millionaire Stu Laundy as her winning beau, who is yet to divorce from his ex-wife and has had a vasectomy

New role! Former Bachelor AND Bachelorette star Sam Frost was faced with backlash earlier this year when she announced she would make her move from radio presenting to an actress on popular soap Home And Away

Former Bachelor AND Bachelorette star Sam Frost was faced with backlash earlier this year when she announced she would make her move from radio presenting to an actress on popular soap Home And Away.

The acting novice copped criticism for being cast in the series back in July, with Sam hitting back at critics on Instagram: 'I am not afraid to challenge myself, to push through barriers. I work incredibly hard professionally & personally to constantly grow, learn and evolve.'

She was given ample camera time to prove doubters wrong during her debut last week, appearing in the fatal car crash scene during Monday's season finale.

The 28-year-old ran her car into Pia Miller's character Kat Chapman and her runaway lover Robbo (played by Jake Ryan) as they were driving out of the main township.

It's believes the tragic car accident signals the exit of Pia's police officer character from the series.
Last week, casino magnate James Packer was spotted getting close with a mystery woman in Aspen, later revealed to be 'New York socialite' Kylie Lim.

It's now emerged that Kylie, who was born and raised in Mission, British Columbia, is somewhat of a seasoned traveller, frequently flaunting holiday snaps on Facebook.

As fans clamour for more information about 50-year-old Packer's new flame, one of the biggest questions remains: where did the Canadian-born local meet a billionaire?

Where did they meet? As fans clamour for more information about 50-year-old James Packer's new flame, Canadian-born Kylie Lim, one of the biggest questions remains: where did they meet?

Bora Bora is the most likely meeting place for the pair, in the wake of The Australian claiming the couple have been seeing each other for 'several months.'

According to bikini snaps on Kylie's social media, she was holidaying on the tropical Island for several weeks - if not longer - around July and August this year.

Back in June, fans may remember Karl Stefanovic leaving the Today show mid-episode, only to be pictured the next day aboard his best-mate Packer's yacht.

The location? None other than sun-drenched Bora Bora, the Crown mogul pictured on-board, surrounded by his good mates, crew, and a few bikini-clad women.

Bora Bora! Bora Bora has firmed as the most likely meeting place for the pair, in the wake of claims the couple have been seeing each other for 'several months'

While Karl returned to work the following week, Packer is believed to have stayed on the Arctic P - his 87-metre super-yacht, frequently parked in Povai Bay.

Judging by Kylie's snaps, she was soaking up French Polynesian rays in a skimpy bikini as early as August 6, although how long she'd been there for remains unclear.

It's perfectly feasible that Packer may have seen the beauty from afar, or bumped into her on during a day trip on the island proper.

Fancy seeing you here! According to bikini snaps on Kylie's social media, she was holidaying on the tropical Island for several weeks - if not longer - around July and August this year

Adding more weight to theory is the fact the Canadian spent at least three weeks in Bora Bora - a destination more commonly visited for much shorter periods of time.

The pair have been inseparable this past week as they holiday in Aspen, but Packer has 'no plans' to bring his new woman back to Sydney, he told Fairfax.

Remember when? Back in June, fans may remember Karl Stefanovic leaving the Today show mid-episode, only to be pictured the next day aboard his best-mate Packer's yacht

The location? None other than sun-drenched Bora Bora, the Crown mogul pictured on-board, surrounded by his good mates, crew, and a few bikini-clad women (bikini babes not pictured)

Rather, he told Private Sydney that he won't be returning to his hometown until Crown Sydney is completed in 2020.

Friends of the billionaire told Fairfax Media that James' new woman was '30-something' New York socialite Kylie Lim.

Meeting place: While Karl returned to work the following week, Packer is believed to have stayed on the Arctic P - his 87-metre super-yacht, frequently parked in Povai Bay

Bora Bora bonding? Judging by Kylie's snaps, she was soaking up French Polynesian rays in a skimpy bikini as early as August 6, although how long she'd been there for remains unclear

The beauty is a regular on the social circuit, with photos posted to Facebook showing Kylie holidaying in Miami, Ibiza, and her home country of Canada.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Kylie for comment.

Who's that girl? It's perfectly feasible that Packer may have seen the beauty from afar, or bumped into her on during a day trip on the island proper
Former X Factor star Rachel Adedeji has given birth to her first with Jason Finegan.

The star, who is now known for her role as Lisa Loveday in the long-running Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, delightedly took to Instagram with a sweet snap of the newborn on Christmas Day where she revealed her bundle of joy was a week early.

Rachel captioned the adorable image: 'Merry Christmas guys!! I was blessed to have received my Christmas present a whole week earlier than expected. We welcomed baby Adedeji-Finegan on the 21st of December at 5:38am weighing a healthy 8lbs14oz.'

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'I'm blessed!' Former X Factor star Rachel Adedeji, 26, has given birth to her first with Jason Finegan

'Blessed to receive my Christmas present a week early!' The star took to Instagram with a snap of the newborn on Christmas where she revealed her bundle of joy was a week early

Rachel was due to be expecting her first child on December 27, however was given an amazing surprise of delivering a week early.

Giving it a few days to settle into motherhood, the multi-talented star killed two birds with one stone as she wished her followers a Merry Christmas, while also revealing she had given birth a few days earlier.

The image saw her younger lying on a bed covered in a chunky knitted grey blanket.

While pregnant, Rachel turned to her co-star and new mum Jennifer Metcalfe for advice on motherhood, after successfully hiding her bump for six months.

Rachel and Jason were due to be expecting her first child on December 27, however were given an amazing surprise of delivering a week early

Speaking to Closer magazine, she explained: 'Jen has been amazing - I couldn't ask for a better friend. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I was like, 'Jen, what do I do?!'

'She's an amazing mum and seeing her and Greg with Daye is just adorable. We've been talking about holidaying together once my baby arrives.'

And clearly excited at the prospect of motherhood, Rachel said she feels 'ready' to be a mother.

She told told The Mirror: 'I feel ready to be a mummy,' while Jason added: 'We are both really excited, nervous of course but we both feel ready. A Christmas baby!'

'She's an amazing mum!' While pregnant, Rachel turned to her co-star and new mum Jennifer Metcalfe for advice on motherhood, after successfully hiding her bump for six months

'I'm excited!' Rachel recently revealed she was 'ready' to be a mother

Rachel tied the knot with her partner Jason back in 2015 in Buckinghamshire and took to her Twitter page just before she walked down the aisle to thank people for their wishes.

She wrote at the time: 'Can't believe the day is finally here. In the next few hours I'll be a blushing bride. Thank you to everyone for your wishes. Xx (sic).'

The happy couple celebrated the big day with a honeymoon in Indonesia last December.

Earlier this month, Rachel took to social media to shame smokers who light up right outside the front door of a women's hospital.

Rachel vented her frustration at visitors who smoke right outside the entrance of Liverpool Women's Hospital which exclusively treats pregnant women and their babies - leaving her to walk through a curtain of smoke.
She's taking some time out of her busy schedule to visit family over the festive period.

And away from the Victoria's Secret runway, Georgia Fowler proves she can still pose up a storm as she lay seductively on a lounge chair on Christmas Day.

With her face half covered by an artistic shadow the 25-year-old held tightly onto her niece as she drank her morning coffee beside the tree.

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She's the angel on the tree! Victoria's Secret model Georgia Fowler poses seductively while drinking a black coffee on Christmas Day

Her lithe limbs were on full display as she glanced pensively at the camera wearing a tan and white striped jumpsuit.

Last month the gorgeous New Zealander was in the Bahamas for a photo shoot and wore a stunning red swimsuit beside the crystal clear waters.

Taking to Instagram to document her travels, the brunette beauty shared a photo of herself perched on the edge of a yacht mid-way through the glamorous shoot, captioning the image with: 'Not crabby about this on set with @calzedonia.'

Model genes! Her lithe limbs were on full display as she glanced pensively at the camera wearing a tan and white striped jumpsuit (pictured here with her sister Kate)

'Not crabby about this on set with @calzedonia': Georgia Fowler, 25, looked every inch the budding supermodel as she posed in a bright red swimsuit during a photo-shoot in The Bahamas this Thursday

Georgia completed her breezy look with a simple gold necklace and matching stud earrings, which she showcased in a selfie shared to her Instagram Story on Thursday.

Previously the blue-eyed beauty spoke to Today Extra about the exclusive party that took place after the Victoria's Secret fashion show in Shanghai.

'We all had a big party in the hotel, it was a lot of fun,' Georgia told the program.

Glamorous: Georgia completed her breezy look with a simple gold necklace and matching stud earrings, which she showcased in a selfie shared to her Instagram Story on Thursday

Breaking the diet! Previously Georgia revealed to Today Extra that Victoria's Secret Angels pigged out on pizza, hot chips and champagne after the annual fashion show this month

The brunette beauty added: 'There were some good cocktails and champagne, there was some pizza, hot chips - actually I think I had fish and chips.'

Georgia - who featured in the show for the second consecutive year - said the models 'had a blast' back at their hotel to cap off the highly-anticipated night.

'It's an emotional experience reliving the moment. There were lots of dance circles and it was good fun,' she told hosts David Campbell and Sonia Kruger.

The genetically-blessed model also revealed the discipline of Victoria's Secret stalwarts Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio.

Treat: Speaking to Today Extra, the 25-year-old (pictured with Nadine Leopold and Megan Williams) said the crew of stunners treated themselves to some deep-fried and cheesy foods after flaunting their enviable figures on the famous Victoria's Secret catwalk

Indulging: 'There were some good cocktails and champagne, there was some pizza, hot chips - actually I think I had fish and chips,' Georgia said

She said she felt motivated by the pair, who encouraged fellow models to be in the hotel gym everyday before the show.

'I've always looked up to them since before I can even remember. Adriana has been an idol of mine - she was on my high school diary,' Georgia said.

'Watching how hard they all trained every day gave me so much motivation.'

Georgia said she hopes to be invited back to the fashion show again, aspiring to match Adriana's run of 19 appearances.
Emma Roberts joined her mother Kelly Cunningham for some last-minute shopping in the Hamptons.

The 26-year-old actress wore an all-black ensemble on Sunday while running Christmas errands.

Emma kept warm in a black puffy jacket with a furry hood that she wore over a black and white plaid shirt.

Mother and daughter: Emma Roberts was spotted running some last-minute Christmas errands on Sunday in the Hamptons with her mother Kelly Cunningham

The Scream Queens star also wore black trousers with frayed cuffs and snakeskin Freda Salvador boots.

Emma accessorized with black sunglasses and was plugged into earbuds.

Kelly also kept it simple in all-black with matching scarf, sweater, jeans, boots, sunglasses and purse.

It's been a family and friends holiday period for Emma who was spotted last week with Lea Michele, 31, in New York City.

Ladies in black: Kelly and daughter Emma kept it simple in black outfits

Lea and Emma starred together in the Fox horror comedy series Scream Queens for two seasons.

Emma was born in Rhinebeck in upstate New York to Kelly and actor Eric Roberts, 61, who is the older brother of actress Julia Roberts, 50.

Kelly later married rock bass player Kelly Nickels, 55, and they have 16-year-old daughter Grace together.

Christmas shopping: Emma and her mother were shopping on Christmas Eve in the Hamptons

Emma has four films scheduled for release in 2018 including In A Relationship, Billionaire Boys Club, Little Italy and Paradise Hills.

She made her acting debut at age nine in the 2001 drama Blow.

Emma had a starring role in the 2013 comedy We're The Millers alongside Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis. It grossed more than $269 million with a budget of $37 million.
She sailed to victory on the Perpetual Loyal during the 2016 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

And as a pregnant Erin Molan sits out of this year's event, she revealed via her Instagram posts on Tuesday that she's suffering from chronic morning sickness.

A text message exchange with colleague Darryl 'Big Marn' Brohman, saw the 34-year-old comparing her condition to being out on the water: '(It's) way worse'.

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'Way worse than being out on sea': Erin Molan, 34, took to Instagram on Tuesday, complaining of chronic morning sickness, as she sits out of this year's Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

Taking to her Instagram Story, Erin shared a screen grab of a text message exchange between herself and her Channel Nine colleague, Darryl 'Big Marn' Brohman.

Darryl, 61, asked the expectant mother whether morning sickness is worse than motion sickness.

He wrote: 'Seeing it's Sydney to Hobart day today I am interested in knowing if Morning Sickness is worse than Sea Sickness? Can u let me know please'.

Humour: Taking to her Instagram Story, Erin shared a screen grab of a text message exchange between herself and her Channel Nine colleague, Darryl 'Big Marn' Brohman. Darryl, 61, asked the expectant mother whether morning sickness is worse than motion sickness

Erin responded candidly: 'Bro - way worse - ps do you win money on this? I want half. Merry Xmas to you and darling. We love you xxx'

Erin responded candidly: 'Bro - way worse - ps do you win money on this? I want half. Merry Xmas to you and darling. We love you xxx'.

And just shortly after, the fiancee of policeman Sean Ogilvy, 41, shared throwback snaps from last year's Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, once again vocalising the discomfort of morning sickness.

Erin wrote: 'MASSIVE FOMO...wishing all those taking part in today's Sydney to Hobart a safe journey...but not too quick - would like our World Record to stand for more than a year!!! Still pinch myself and can't believe I got to experience it all.

'Heart breaking failure the first year then world record breaking success the second. Incredible privilege to be a part of - plus helping to raise millions of dollars for sick kids along the way. Something to tell my own little Bubba about one day!

Comparing the sea to morning sickness: And just shortly after, Erin shared throwback snaps from last year's Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, once again vocalising the discomfort of morning sickness

The Sydney-based star captioned the image in part: 'To be honest - what I'm doing today isn't much different to open sea racing - just using the bathroom instead of over the side of the boat'

'Ps to be honest - what I'm doing today isn't much different to open sea racing - just using the bathroom instead of over the side of the boat,' she continued.

Last year saw Erin sail to victory on the Perpetual Loyal yacht, smashing the record time by almost five hours.

The vessel crossed the finis h line in one day, 13 hours, 31 minutes and 20 seconds at about 2.30am.

Expectant: The blonde beauty confirmed she was pregnant with her first child to fiance Sean Ogilvy, 41, during a Channel Nine news bulletin earlier this month: 'Sean and I are very blessed and very excited to announce that we are having a child, which is slightly terrifying but beautiful news'

The blonde beauty confirmed she's expecting during a Channel Nine news bulletin earlier this month.

'Sean and I are very blessed and very excited to announce that we are having a child, which is slightly terrifying but beautiful news,' Erin told viewers.

Erin became engaged to Sean in April, presenting his longtime ladylove with a House of K'dor diamond ring, estimated to be worth $100,000.

Connected: The sports journalist has been updating her 157,000 Instagram followers with her pregnancy journey
Theirs is one of the strongest marriages in Showbiz.

And Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban looked more in love than ever in a very sentimental Christmas selfie on Monday.

The couple, who have been married for 11 years, wrapped their arms around each other as they snuggled up in front of the backdrop of Palm Beach, Sydney.

Making memories of us! Nicole Kidman looks very merry as she snuggles up to husband Keith Urban for sweet Christmas snap in Sydney

Big Little Lies star Nicole posted the image on her Facebook page, wishing her fans a 'Merry Christmas'.

The famous red head was absolutely stunning and ethereal in a white lace dress.

And the actress, who is known for her love of PDAs with her hubby, looked very merry in the snap.

Rock solid: Keith and Nicole have been married for 11 years

Meanwhile, country crooner Keith went casual and showed off his tribal tattoos in a fitted T-shirt.

Not pictured were the duo's children - Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret - who touched down in Australia with their parents last Friday.

No doubt the entire Kidman/Urban family spent Christmas Day with Nicole's mother Janelle, her sister Antonia and their extended family.

They were all pictured at Palm Beach the day before where they enjoyed some fun in the sun.

Nicole recently told US Weekly of her Christmas plans: 'We go back for the heat. We want to be on the beach for Christmas, no snow. We love the ocean and shrimp!'

Meanwhile, Woman's Day recently reported that Nicole and Keith are planning a 'permanent' move back to Australia.

'Nicole has been longing to move back to Oz for some time now,' a source claimed.

'She and Keith have always said they'd eventually settle here, they were just waiting for the right time.'
He was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer earlier this year.

But former Home And Away star Johnny Ruffo was filled with Christmas cheer on Monday, posting a sweet snap of his family and girlfriend Tahnee Sims on the day.

The lovely couple, who battled his diagnosis together, looked happy standing alongside Johnny's brother Michael and his partner Rosie Bieganski.

'Now I just need my hair back': Johnny Ruffo spends Christmas with his girlfriend Tahnee Sims four months after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer

Earlier, the 29-year-old posted a comparison photo four months after receiving life saving radiotherapy treatment to show how the time has healed his scars.

'What a huge difference, now i just need my hair back,' he wrote in the caption on Instagram.

The 29-year-old underwent emergency surgery in August, posting a photo of his stapled forehead to update fans on his condition.

Dab on! But Johnny Ruffo was filled with the Christmas cheer on Monday, posting a sweet snap of his family and girlfriend Tahnee Sims on the festive day

Earlier, the 29-year-old posted a comparison photo four months after receiving life saving radiotherapy treatment to show how the time has healed his scars

'So I have the news. It was a bit of a shock and I've got an interesting journey ahead and a bit of a battle. I am starting aggressive treatment for the next few months to fight the diagnosis of brain cancer. Please stay positive for me and ill try to update you guys on my progress,' he wrote online at the time.

But months later Johnny's scar is almost non-existent as he finishes the year off with his loved ones.

He finished his radiotherapy treatment at Chris O'Brien's Life House in October, but admitted at the time he still had a 'long road ahead.'

Work in progress: He finished his radiotherapy treatment at Chris O'Brien's Life House in October, but admitted at the time he still had a 'long road ahead'

The beginning of the journey: The 29-year-old underwent emergency surgery in August, posting a photo of his stapled forehead to update fans on his condition

In September, Johnny spoke on Nova's Fitzy and Wippa show about being rushed to the emergency department by Tahnee.

Johnny revealed the blonde beauty was in 'absolute tears' when she found out he had a brain tumour, before signing off on his surgery to have it removed.

'It's 8am in the morning and she gets a call from the emergency department, saying "you need get down here immediately because he's got a brain tumour", so she was in absolute tears at the time,' Johnny said.

His brave girlfriend: Johnny revealed the blonde beauty was in 'absolute tears' when she found out he had a brain tumour, before signing off on his surgery to have it removed

Heartbreaking: After the surgery, doctors told him he would have died if he didn't go to emergency, and would have fallen asleep at home and had a brain aneurysm

'And she had to drive down there and they said "look, we need to do an emergency operation." Because by this stage, I had slipped into a coma,' he added.

'She had to sign a form to give permission.'

Johnny said that doctors told Tahnee there was a one in 20 chance he could die from the operation.

After the surgery, doctors told him he would have died if he didn't go to emergency, and would have fallen asleep at home and had a brain aneurysm.

The surgeon removed 95 per cent of the tumour, and the other five percent is believed to have been removed during the course of radiotherapy.
Illegal armed groups have shelled the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Donbas twice over the past 24 hours, despite the declared ceasefire, the press center of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) headquarters has reported.

"In general, Russian-terrorist forces have violated the ceasefire regime twice over the past day. In both cases, the Ukrainian military did not return fire. The units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces ensure the implementation of all measures to maintain the ceasefire along the entire contact line and strictly adhere to the Minsk agreements. None of our defenders were injured as a result of enemy shelling," the press center said in a report on Facebook early on Tuesday.

In the Donetsk sector, at around 19.00, illegal armed groups started firing on fortified positions of the ATO forces near the village of Pavlopil. Five 120mm mines were launched toward the Ukrainian positions from the temporarily occupied settlement of Sosnivske.

In the Luhansk sector, militants used small arms near Stanytsia Luhanska.

In addition, an enemy UAV banned by the Minsk agreements was recorded near the village of Novhorodske.
She's the PR maven who admitted earlier this month her two children are 'very lucky'.

And that was very apparent on Tuesday when Roxy Jacenko was spotted boarding a private jet with her husband Oliver and their two children Pixie, six, and Hunter, three.

Dressed casually in a grey t-shirt emblazoned with the word 'Paris', the 37-year-old cheekily poked out her tongue as she boarded the flight, with a straw bag by The Paradise Catcher and a smaller Hermes Birkin on her arm.

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Living the high life! Roxy Jacenko was spotted boarding a private jet with her husband Oliver and their two children Pixie, six, and Hunter, three, on Tuesday

She paired the understated look with comfortable ripped denim shorts and crisp white sneakers with her blonde hair arranged in beachy waves.

Roxy was joined by a sleepy-looking Pixie, who rubbed her eyes as she walked along the tarmac.

The fashionable six-year-old wore a grey Marc Jacobs T-shirt and dark blue denim skirt, matching her stylish mother with a pair of white shoes.

Waking up! Roxy was joined by a sleepy looking Pixie, who rubbed her eyes as she walked along the tarmac

Cute as a button! Three-year-old Hunter wasn't far behind the pair and wore a navy flannelette shirt

Baby number three! Roxy held onto a doll as her daughter Pixie prepared to get onto the plane

Roll out the red carpet! The gang headed towards the plane

Three-year-old Hunter wasn't far behind the pair and wore a navy flannelette shirt, blue shorts and black Nike sneakers with a white cap to protect his face from the sun.

Meanwhile, Oliver carried a small rucksack and overnight bag towards the luxurious plane, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and a backwards cap.

The famous family were joined by a number of friends on the journey, who were no doubt excited to experience the first class mode of transport.

Friends on hand! Family friends attended the Boxing Day flight

It is believed they were taking the short flight to Queensland after Roxy mentioned travelling to the Gold Coast over the New Year in a recent news.com.au article.

Throughout the interview Roxy spoke candidly about last year's trauma, namely 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.

Holiday time: It is believed they were taking the short flight to Queensland after Roxy mentioned travelling to the Gold Coast over the New Year

Holding hands! The children were holding on tight when they exited the plane

Smiling now! She said Christmas last year 'was low key and for the kids,' adding that it was a 'very confusing' experience

Sharing a joke! Oliver had a conversation with a member of staff who appeared comfortable by the relaxed setting

She said Christmas last year 'was low key and for the kids,' adding that it was a 'very confusing' experience.

'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.'

Just one day before: On Christmas day the PR queen curated a lavish breakfast at home before the entire family enjoyed a celebratory lunch at The Park Hyatt in The Rocks

Concentrating! The famous workaholic has evidently been enjoying the summer break with her family

What are they doing there? It's not clear why the iconic family chose Queensland as their holiday destination

Jetting off! The family boarded a private plane to escape on holiday

On Christmas day the PR queen curated a lavish breakfast at home before the entire family enjoyed a celebratory lunch at The Park Hyatt in The Rocks.

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 and Hunter 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'.

In flight entertainment... or not! Roxy recently admitted that while Pixie and Hunter are 'very lucky kids', she happily completed their Christmas present requests this year
She's the beloved former Bachelorette who has been hinting at a possible engagement over the last few months.

And on Tuesday, Georgia Love sent fans into meltdown when she shared a photo of what looked to be a wedding invitation on social media.

Taking to Instagram, the 29-year-old shared an illustration of herself wearing a white strapless gown while rumoured fiance Lee Elliott, 36, sported a blue suit.

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On Tuesday, Georgia Love sent fans into meltdown when she posted a drawing on what looked to be an invitation of the pair walking down the aisle

'My favourite gift for @leeroyelliott yesterday,' revealed Georgia.

'Thank you for capturing the night we met in the cutest possible way,' she added crediting the illustration's artist.

And although the photo complete with Lee's donkey was a visual representation of their first night on The Bachelorette, the image threw fans off their game - with many thinking it was a wedding announcement.

Their first night: 'Thank you for capturing the night we met in the cutest possible way,' she added crediting the drawing's artist

Caught off-guard: 'I legit thought it was a super cute engagement announcement for a full 20 seconds,' wrote one fan

Concerned fans: 'I thought you were getting married ffs don't ever play me like this again,' wrote one invested fan of the pair

'I thought you were getting married ffs don't ever play me like this again,' wrote one invested fan of the pair.

'I legit thought it was a super cute engagement announcement for a full 20 seconds,' added another.

Although no official news of an engagement, Lee recently told NW that a wedding was in the near future.

Wedding bells? 'I've already started saving for the ring'

'I've already started saving for the ring,' he confessed.

'The worst thing is we have so many weddings this year, and all the brides have ridiculous rocks as well, so I'm like "Oh my gosh"!'

And celebrating their second Christmas as a couple, the loved-up pair have been inseparable getting into the festive spirit.
Their rumoured romance has been making headlines across Australia for the past few weeks.

And although James Packer was spotted getting close to a mystery woman revealed to be Kylie Lim just last week in Aspen, it appears their relationship may have been going on for quite some time.

Indeed, photos taken in June show New York socialite Kylie kicking back on the 50-year-old's boat, The Arctic P, while it was docked in Bora Bora.

There she is! James Packer's 'New York socialite girlfriend' Kylie Lim was spotted on the magnate's super yacht in Bora Bora back in June

Wrapping a towel around her bikini, the brunette beauty looked every bit relaxed as she held onto a water bottle on-board the 87-metre super yacht.

While Kylie was seen enjoying the views from the vessel's rooftop, James was spotted enjoying the company of some other friends on level one.

Wearing a blue shirt, casino magnate sat indoors as he looked out the window of his anchored ship.

Coincidence? Wrapping a towel around her bikini, the brunette beauty looked every bit relaxed as she held onto a water bottle on-board the 87-metre super yacht while James Packer sat down on the level below

Secret romance: According to The Australian, the pair have been seeing one-another for 'several months', leaving fans wondering whether the couple met during the Bora Bora jaunt

According to The Australian, the pair have been seeing one-another for 'several months', leaving fans wondering whether the couple met during the Bora Bora jaunt.

According to bikini snaps on Kylie's social media, she was holidaying on the tropical Island for several weeks - if not longer - around July and August this year.

In photos taken of Kylie on-board James' ship, she was soaking up the French Polynesian rays in skimpy bikinis as early as June 21, although how long she'd been there for remains unclear.

Water babe: According to bikini snaps on Kylie's social media, she was holidaying on the tropical Island for several weeks - if not longer - around July and August this year

Beauty: As seen in photos of Kylie (right) on-board James' ship, she was soaking up the French Polynesian rays in skimpy bikinis as early as June 21, although how long she'd been there for remains unclear

It's perfectly feasible that Packer may have seen the beauty from afar, or bumped into her on during a day trip on the island proper.

Adding more weight to theory is the fact the Canadian spent at least three weeks in Bora Bora - a destination more commonly visited for much shorter periods of time.

The pair have been inseparable this past week as they holiday in Aspen, but Packer has 'no plans' to bring his new woman back to Sydney, he told Fairfax.

Loved up: The pair have been inseparable this past week as they holiday in Aspen, but Packer has 'no plans' to bring his new woman back to Sydney, he told Fairfax

Keeping a low profile? Friends of the billionaire told Fairfax Media that James' new woman was '30-something' New York socialite Kylie Lim

Rather, he told Private Sydney that he won't be returning to his hometown until Crown Sydney is completed in 2020.

Friends of the billionaire told Fairfax Media that James' new woman was '30-something' New York socialite Kylie Lim.

The beauty is a regular on the social circuit, with photos posted to Facebook showing Kylie holidaying in Miami, Ibiza, and her home country of Canada.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Kylie for comment.
They delighted fans by recreating some of their most famous comic moments during their 30th anniversary show on Christmas Day.

But Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders proved their new material could be just as funny on Monday, as they left viewers in stitches by impersonating the Kardashian family.

The sketch, hilariously titled 'the Karcrashians', saw the duo mock Kim's famously voluptuous derriere, before poking fun at their speech, heavily made-up faces and even their recent accusations of airbrushing.

Kar-crashians: Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders proved their new material could be just as funny on Monday, as they left viewers in stitches by mocking the Kardashian family

The scene kicked off with Jennifer drawling to a friend on the phone, clad in glamorous leather leggings and brunette extensions.

However the hilarity only heightened when Dawn walked in - sporting a face of patchy make-up and a huge fake derriere underneath her skirt, to embody her Kim character.

First strutting into the kitchen, Dawn then began to panic and shriek as she greeted Jennifer - flapping her arms wildly behind her, before sighing: 'Oh, it's just my big fat a***, I thought it was someone behind me!'

Dolled up: The sketch, hilariously titled 'the Karcrashians', saw the duo mock Kim's famously rounded derriere, before poking fun at their speech and heavily made-up faces

'Oh my god like what?': The scene kicked off with Jennifer drawling to a friend on the phone, clad in glamorous leather leggings and brunette extensions

Having recovered from her scare, she immediately began to pout and snap selfies on her iPhone, before sighing once again and wailing: 'Ugh, I'm like so exhausted, like completely stressed!'

While Jennifer attempted to alert her to the fact her make-up wasn't blended, Dawn simply continued in reference to Kim's Paris heist last year: 'Ever since Paris I just feel so anxious all the time and like...'

However, her partner in crime cut her off to break out of character, and hilariously address the ridiculousness of the sketch.

Rear she is: However the hilarity only heightened when Dawn walked in - sporting a face of patchy make-up and a huge fake derriere underneath her skirt, to embody Kim

Hilarious: She panicked and shrieked as she greeted Jennifer - flapping her arms wildly behind her, before she sighed: 'Oh, it's just my big fat a***, I thought it was someone behind me!'

She said in a huff: 'Just stop this! It's ridiculous. I don't understand why we're doing this.'

To which Dawn said: 'Jennifer, we're connecting with the kids, we're being relevant!'

While Jennifer noted they were only performing to 'a sea of grey', in a playful dig at their age, Dawn simply responded with another joke towards the Kardashians: 'But you've missed the whole point.

Poking fun: Having recovered from her scare, Dawn began to snap selfies on her iPhone, before sighing once again and wailing: 'Ugh, I'm like so exhausted, like completely stressed!'

Modern: While Jennifer broke out of character and deemed the scene 'ridiculous', Dawn went on to joke: 'Jennifer, we're connecting with the kids, we're being relevant!'

'Because I won't look like this when it goes out will I? I'll be much smaller, and here will be flattened and this smoothed round,' she said, gesturing to her exaggerated behind, before continuing: 'I'll be totally airbrushed!'

With Jennifer storming away from the scene, Dawn ended the sketch by turning her rear to the audience once again and pouting for the camera - stating: 'Just concentrate on this, let's break the Internet!'

The scene went down a storm with fans, who immediately took to Twitter to praise the duo for their hilarious impression.

At war: The scene ended with Jennifer storming off, after Dawn assured her she would be fully airbrushed before the sketch aired, in another dig at the Kardashians

In stitches: The scene went down a storm with fans, who immediately took to Twitter to praise the duo for their hilarious impression

One wrote: 'The French and Saunders Kardashian sketch had me nearly in tears omfg #frenchandsaunders'

While others added: '#frenchandsaunders doing the Kardashians has to be one of the funniest things Ive seen today!', 'Dawn ripping Kim K and her fat fake a**! #frenchandsaunders' and 'CRYINGGGG at French & Saunders doing The Karcrashians on @BBCOne #frenchandsaunders'

Another praised the pair for creating a more modern scene, writing: 'I love @DawnFrench, she's hilarious in all Music skits. I fear some #culturalrefs will be lost on viewers under 30, unlike her brilliant Kim Karcrashian! #frenchandsaunders'

We want more! Others noted how their new material was just as funny as their old, and called for further series'

As others poked fun at the Kardashian family themselves, writing: '#frenchandsaunders Absolutely Brilliant. Funny and Topical, especially taking the P out of that Tallentless family.'

And '#frenchandsaunders about time someone did a comedy sketch on the Kardashians.'

A further fan acknowledged the success of their new material against their classic moments, writing: 'You almost forget just how funny and innovative #frenchandsaunders were. Their new sketches are just as funny.'

While another even called for the duo to continue the episode as a full series, writing: '#frenchandsaunders so funny the perfect end too Christmas day any chance of a new series'
She's previously spoke of her desire to spend Christmas on the beach in Australia.

And Nicole Kidman did just that this week as she hit Sydney's Palm Beach for a jog on Christmas Day.

The 50-year-old actress cut a sporty figure in a white jumper and black capri leggings as she worked up a sweat by the crashing shoreline.

Fit and festive! Nicole Kidman, 50, hit Sydney's Palm Beach for a jog on Christmas Day

Her laid-back ensemble was completed with a pair of rectangle-frame sunglasses, a Nike cap and a pair of runners.

Nicole, who appeared to go without makeup for the off-duty occasion, was spotted listening to music on her phone, which she gripped in one hand.

The fiery-haired thespian arrived in Australia last week with her husband Keith Urban and their daughters Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.

Sporty-chic! Her laid-back ensemble was completed with a pair of rectangle-frame sunglasses, a Nike cap and a pair of runners

Meanwhile, rumours have been swirling that Nicole and Keith are planning to make a permanent move back Down Under.

According to Woman's Day source: 'Nicole has been longing to move back to Oz for some time now.'

'She and Keith have always said they'd eventually settle here, they were just waiting for the right time.'

There's no place like home! Meanwhile, rumours have been swirling that Nicole and Keith are planning to make a permanent move back Down Under

It comes after the Hollywood star took home Best Supporting Actress at Australia's AACTA Awards earlier this month.

The talented star won the gong for her roles in Lion and Top Of The Lake: China Girl on Wednesday night.

It caps off a huge year for the star who also scored Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA nods for Lion.

In addition to her critical acclaim for that film, the talent also won an Emmy for her role on the blockbuster miniseries Big Little Lies, which she also produced.

Nicole was also named as one of the ten best performers of the year by The New York Times for her roles in this year's praised movies, The Beguiled and Killing Of A Sacred Deer.
After a year of fervent sexual assault claims in Hollywood, music manager and talent show judge Louis Walsh has opened up about the allegations made against him in 2011.

The 65-year-old X Factor star won 500,000 in damages in a case he filed against The Sun newspaper after they published details of a story concocted by a man named Leonard Watters about Louis sexually harassing him in a Dublin nightclub.

'I thought I was finished in the business, especially dealing with boy-bands and girl-bands and all that,' he told the Sunday Independent. 'People are going to think that there's something not right here.'

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'I thought I was finished!' Louis Walsh reflects on the false sexual assault claims made against him in 2011... branding it 'the worst time of my life'

He was indeed innocent and the accuser landed himself in jail for six months for making up the claims.

'That was the worst thing that ever happened to me in my life,' Louis added. 'Without a doubt. I thought my life was finished. Honestly. I didn't know. Everybody told me not to fight, that I would never win. Everybody told me that.'

Louis did fight, and won.

The Westlife manager is set to appear on Ireland's Got Talent in the new year alongside Michelle Visage, Jason Byrne and Denise Van Outen - having racked up an impressive 13 seasons on The X Factor.

New gig: The Westlife manager is set to appear on Ireland's Got Talent in the new year alongside Michelle Visage, Jason Byrne and Denise Van Outen - having racked up an impressive 13 seasons on The X Factor

Stalwart: Louis has racked up an impressive 13 seasons on The X Factor

Louis sat out the show's 11th run, when Simon Cowell replaced him with Nick Grimshaw.

'I was happy because I knew that the people weren't going to like Nick Grimshaw because he has never done what I do. He just sits in a studio and presses buttons. He has never had to grovel and graft to get gigs for a band. That's all I have ever done all my life.'

The sexual assault case of 2011/2012 swung a wrecking ball into the heart of Walshs life and was the start of 18 months of hell for The X Factor judge.

The smoke of disgrace threatened to ruin him and cloud his career, to blacken his name and to take away everything he had worked for throughout decades in the music industry.

Strain: The sexual assault case of 2011/2012 swung a wrecking ball into the heart of Walshs life and was the start of 18 months of hell for The X Factor judge

At his lowest point, he contemplated suicide, revealing to the Daily Mail in an interview a week after he won the case: I thought: I cant go home! What if no one believes me? I saw bottles of pills and thought of taking them.

When case against The Sun was won, the paper read out an unreserved apology, admitting that Louis had done nothing wrong; he was awarded just over 400,000 in damages, plus his costs, which he estimates were more than a million.

It wasnt about the money  it was about clearing my name, he said at the time. I had been dreaming of it for the past year and a half.

I wanted them to apologise, and I wanted revenge, to be honest. I wanted them to suffer, and I wanted people to know what they did to me.

Fighting back! When case against The Sun was won, the paper read out an unreserved apology, admitting that Louis had done nothing wrong; he was awarded just over 400,000 in damages, plus his costs, which he estimates were more than a million

Moving on: People see the words X Factor judge and grope and they think there is no smoke without fire. That is the problem. I had to do something. It was such a personal thing against me#,' he said

The unemployed dance teacher who made the claims went to prison in the July of 2012 for wrongly accusing Louis of groping him in the Krystle nightclub in April 2011.

Louis dismisses him as an opportunist who wanted money and fame.

After winning the case, Louis had messages of congratulations and support from celebrity friends such as Sarah Ferguson, Gary Barlow, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne.

Determined: He revealed that Simon Cowell had initially urged caution when Walsh threatened to sue the newspaper, but Walsh was adamant

Coming out on top: Louis had messages of congratulations and support from celebrity friends such as Sarah Ferguson, Gary Barlow, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne

He revealed that Simon Cowell had initially urged caution when Walsh threatened to sue the newspaper, but Walsh was adamant.

I had to, he says. There was not one iota of truth in it  and it went around the world in seconds.

People see the words X Factor judge and grope and they think there is no smoke without fire. That is the problem. I had to do some- thing. It was such a personal thing against me.

Afterwards, Simon said to him: It is amazing that you won: now put it behind you and move on.
She caused a stir with her racy onscreen antics on Celebrity Big Brother and Ex On The Beach.

And Jemma Lucy stole the limelight once again as she suffered a wardrobe malfunction while soaking up some winter sun in Gran Canaria on Christmas Eve.

The 29-year-old reality star flashed a little too much of her eye-popping assets when her tiny cut-out swimsuit slipped to the side while she clambered over some rocks on the Spanish island.

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Oh dear: Jemma Lucy, 29, stole the limelight once again as she suffered a wardrobe malfunction while soaking up some winter sun on holiday in Gran Canaria

Jemma looked every inch the beach babe in her skimpy printed one-piece, which featured a halter neckline and side cut-outs.

She showed off the results of her second Brazilian bum lift and surgically enhanced breasts in the sizzling swimwear as she strolled along the beach.

Styling her dark hair in a simple middle-parting, she appeared to go make-up free for the solo beachside outing.

The Oxford born beauty had no trouble in moving on from the incident last week where she was at loggerheads with Chanelle McCleary, 25, on the red carpet.

Cheeky: The Ex On The Beach star flashed a little too much of her eye-popping assets during the sun-drenched getaway

Surgery fanatic: She showed off the results of her second Brazilian bum lift and surgically enhanced breasts in the sizzling swimwear as she clambered over some rocks

The pair reportedly had to be restrained by doormen, an onlooker claimed to the Manchester Evening News.

The reality stars then made social media their battlefield for their war of words with Jemma branding Chanelle the 'dregs of Manchester' in the heat of the moment.

Meanwhile, Chanelle hit back at her rival as she branded her 'nothing more than a bully' on Twitter following the clash at Impossible nightclub.

Jemma said: 'It's funny when you turn up to an event and the dregs of Manchester are there. The Chanelle McCleary 's of Manchester are there and they try and start on you.

Oh dear: The Oxford born beauty had no trouble in moving on from the incident last week where she was at loggerheads with Chanelle McCleary (pictured), 25, on the red carpet

At loggerheads: The pair reportedly had to be restrained by doormen, an onlooker claimed to the Manchester Evening News

'Embarrassing babes. I don't think she even knows what I'm rollin' with. You ain't coming near me. I got knuckle dusters and dat. Handcuffs and dat,' she added, in the clip posted on Snapchat and shared on Twitter.

Chanelle replied: 'No hate around me' yet you go straight on Snapchat trying to start saying your rolling with knuckle dusters #cringe #youaintagangsta.'

She then shared the video saying: 'Typical @jem_lucy started with me then got your little bodyguard involved thinking your f***** Jay z, then left the event and went on Snapchat chatting s***.

'Stop begging attention, your nothing more than a bully, you've tried bullying the wrong person you h*e I ain't scared of u (sic).'

Spat: The reality stars then made social media their battlefield for their war of words with Jemma branding Chanelle the 'dregs of Manchester' in the heat of the moment

Chanelle's representative told MailOnline the row kicked off when Chanelle went to take a photo with Jemma who accused Chanelle of having a problem with her.

'Neither of them were backing down so most of the shouting was "Don't start on me". It came out of nowhere to be honest,' her management said.

'Chanelle has always been nothing but nice to her even though she knows people have bad things to say, she takes people for face value.

'Her friend Jsky was getting a pic with her so he called her over, she stood next to her and she said "I heard youve got a problem with me, if you think that then pull me aside".'

Not having it: Meanwhile, Chanelle hit back at her rival as she branded her 'nothing more than a bully' on Twitter following the clash at Impossible nightclub

Her representative said Jemma 'did it in front of a group of people and photographers, started drama then left the event and went straight on Snapchat to call Chanelle names.

'Chanelle doesnt dislike Gemma and never had a problem so it caught het by surprise. She doesn't think Gemma is a girls' girl.'

MailOnline previously contacted a representative for Jemma for comment.
She's the glamorous model who lives a life of luxury with her son Zion, two, and husband Gary Clark Jr. by her side.

And on Tuesday, heavily pregnant Nicole Trunfio took to social media to share precious family moments from her very lavish Christmas celebrations.

Taking to Instagram the 31-year-old wished her 226,000 fans a Merry Christmas after flaunting her luxury presents she received from her husband.

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Lucky girl! On Tuesday, heavily pregnant Nicole Trunfio took to social media to showcase her luxury Christmas presents she'd received from husband Gary Clark Jr.

'Santa just gets me,' she captioned with love heart eyed emojis tagging Gary's Instagram handle.

The photo saw a grey MacBook Pro costing up to $4100 underneath a large Cartier box.

Nicole then shared a post dedicated to something money can't buy- her loving family.

Family first: Nicole then shared a post dedicated to something money can't buy- her loving family

Time to celebrate: 'Happy holidays to all of the beautiful families out there, we can't wait till ours becomes 4,' she wrote adding the hashtag 'nothing beats family'

'Happy holidays to all of the beautiful families out there, we can't wait till ours becomes 4,' she wrote adding the hashtag 'nothing beats family'.

Celebrating the festivities at a Christmas party, the young family took a moment to capture the auspicious event.

Sitting beneath the tree, Nicole concealed her baby bump with Zion sitting on her lap with Gary by her side.

Sending her wishes: Celebrating the festivities at a Christmas party, the young family took a moment to capture the auspicious event

In October, Nicole confirmed she was expecting her second child, a girl, on Instagram.

'We cannot wait for her arrival and to extend the ever-growing love of our family,' she wrote.

The Perth-native's new arrival is due early January in two weeks time.
She spent her second Christmas with Mark Wright as a married couple this year, with her partner dropping a major hint that they're ready to start a family.

And Michelle Keegan proved she fits in perfectly with the Wright clan, as she joined forces with her sister-in-law Jess Wright for a powerhouse karaoke rendition of Tina Turner's Proud Mary on Christmas day.

The beaming Our Girl actress, 30, sipped a glass of champagne and danced along with former TOWIE star Jess during the festive family party with her in-laws.

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Rolling on the river: Michelle Keegan joined forces with sister-in-law Jess Wright for a powerhouse karaoke rendition of Tina Turner's Proud Mary on Christmas day

Filmed by Mark's dad Mark Snr, Jess and Michelle looked utterly comfortable as they grinned and sung along to the upbeat smash hit.

Sweeping their hair up and donning casual T-shirts, the brunette beauties seemed to be loving the casual night in.

They were later joined by Mark and his mum Carol for a wild group singalong while paying tribute to their beloved West Ham by singing I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles.

Clutching a drink in her hand, Carol appeared to be in great spirits as she swayed at the front of the group with her arms outstretched.

Loving life: The beaming Our Girl actress, 30, sipped a glass of champagne and danced along with former TOWIE star Jess during the festive family party with her in-laws

Showing off those vocals: Filmed by Mark's dad Mark Snr, Jess and Michelle looked utterly comfortable as they grinned and sung along to the upbeat smash hit

Showing off his lavish living room and kitchen festooned in disco lights and festive decorations, Mark Snr joked: 'Yes I can safely say the house has now been taken over for sure.'

Michelle's night in with her in-laws comes after husband Mark gave his biggest hint that they could be ready to start a family together.

Sharing a snap of Michelle doting over a baby on her lap, he captioned the picture: 'Getting the practise in.'



Keeping it casual: Sweeping their hair up and donning casual T-shirts, the brunette beauties seemed to be loving the casual night in

Thick as thieves: Michelle proved her bond was ultra-strong with her husband Mark's sister

Sparks first flew when the couple started dating back in December 2012, which is now five years ago.

They were engaged in September 2013 and went onto tie the knot in May 2015, so it is no surprise that the former TOWIE star has babies on the brain.

Despite Mark's hints, Michelle recently revealed she has 'no plans' to have children in the near future because it is not 'realistic' in a Women's Health magazine interview.

The whole gang: They were later joined by Mark and his mum Carol for a wild group singalong while paying tribute to their beloved West Ham by singing I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles

Having a whale of a time: Clutching a drink in her hand, Carol appeared to be in great spirits as she swayed at the front of the group with her arms outstretched

Ready for Christmas: Showing off his lavish living room and kitchen festooned in disco lights and festive decorations, Mark Snr joked: 'Yes I can safely say the house has now been taken over for sure'

In October 2017, the actress did however confess she has 'always been broody' and she would love to have 'four' kids.

She told the publication: 'Weve not planned anything and realistically nothing can happen right now because Im too busy. But Ive always been broody. I love kids and I want four, so hopefully in the near future.'

They are finally getting to spend some quality time together over the festive period as they plan to have their second Christmas together as husband and wife.

Santa baby: Jessica slipped into a festive sweater and Father Christmas hat as she posed by their heavily decorated tree

Bring in the big boys: She shared a snap of brother Mark grinning as he set up the karaoke machine

The married lovebirds have spent the good part of eight months apart due to their intense work schedules.

Soap star Michelle recently wrapped up filming the latest series of Our Girl in South Africa, while Mark has been in Los Angeles for his presenting gig on Extra.

Speaking of their time apart, a source told The Mirror in recent weeks: 'Michelle and Mark have spent most of the year apart and it has not been easy.'

'In 2018, Michelle is determined they dont spend as much time away from one another.'

'Getting the practise in': It comes after Mark dropped a huge hint that he's ready to start a family with Michelle when he shared snap of his wife doting on baby on Christmas Eve
She's the former Victoria's Secret model who has also featured in Vogue, GQ and Harper's Bazaar.

And while her modeling career continues to go from strength to strength, on Wednesday, Sarah Stephens revealed she was now trying her hand at acting.

Speaking to Confidential, the 27-year-old stunner said the move felt like a 'natural progression'.

Moving on: While her modeling career continues to go from strength to strength, on Wednesday, former Victoria's Secret star Sarah Stephens revealed she was now trying her hand at acting

'It feels like a natural progression, I am really enjoying moving into acting,' she said.

'I started doing TV commercials and I love that side of the industry.'

'I've been going to acting classes and I have an agent who looks after me,' she added.

It's time: Speaking to Confidential , the 27-year-old stunner said the move felt like a 'natural progression'

Found her new passion: 'I started doing TV commercials and I love that side of the industry'

And it seems as though the friend of Megan Irwin-Blake transition's been a slow but steady move.

Speaking to Vogue at the end of 2015, Sarah revealed she had taken some time away from the modelling industry to go to school and really try her hand at acting.

'After my year off to really pursue acting, as well as classes here and there, I landed a role in the film The Witch which saw our director, Robert Eggers, claim the prize for best direction at Sundance,' she exclaimed.

One step at a time: And it seems as though the friend of Megan Irwin-Blake transition's been a slow but steady move

But it hasn't been easy for the star- who also spoke about the pressures of the industry after she landed a coveted spot in the 2008 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show when she was just 18.

'There was a lot of press and people either loved or loathed me,' she recalled.

'Youve got to be able to take the good with the bad and not let it get to you. Be strong!"
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, citing several sources in the State Department.

According to sources, the total defense package of $47 million includes the sale of 210 anti-tank missiles and 35 launchers.

If the president announces his approval, the plan will be submitted for consideration by the U.S. Congress within 30 days and then transferred to the State Department, the television channel reports.

"The sale of anti-tank missiles, which could possibly include the U.S.-made Javelin system, provoked a strong reaction from Russia on Saturday, saying it 'crossed the line,' and could threaten to derail Trump's calls for better relations with Moscow," the report says.

National Security Council spokesperson Marc Raimondi, in turn, told ABC News that the United States had "nothing to announce at this time."

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that Kyiv would receive lethal defensive weapons from the United States and that U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had confirmed this to him in a phone conversation.

"As we have agreed with President Trump, calmly and without unnecessary noise, Ukraine shall receive lethal defensive weapons from the United States. This fundamental and long-awaited decision of the American administration was confirmed during my yesterday's talk with State Secretary Rex Tillerson," he wrote on his page on Facebook late on Saturday, December 23.

In his opinion, "along with strengthening sanctions against Russia, this step is an adequate response to the continuation of the occupation of the Ukrainian territory, the failure of Moscow to fulfill its commitments, and the continued pouring of heavy weaponry in Donbas."

It was reported on December 21 that the U.S. presidential administration had approved the sale of Model M107A1 Sniper Systems and associated equipment to the tune of $41.5 million to Ukraine.
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Jeremy Piven was not sitting at home this Christmas worrying about the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.

Instead, the 52-year-old Entourage actor vacationed in Maui, Hawaii where he paddle boarded, swam and enjoyed the warm weather.

The New York native was not alone. With him was his stunning actress girlfriend Darcie Lincoln who looked incredibly fit in her little pale pink bikini.

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Life's a breeze: Jeremy Piven looked to be having a ball as he paddle boarded with his girlfriend in Maui, Hawaii on Saturday

Beauty on the beach: The actress from Brighton looked very toned in her little two piece bathing suit

Drying off: The British star had her hands on her hips as she stood by a car after their paddle session

Piven seemed to not have a worry on his mind as she laughed and smiled away on Saturday.

The actor also was showing off a toned physique as he wore only grey-and-white shorts with no T-shirt. The star added a straw hat to keep the sun off his face.

Jeremy looked comfortable paddling away on his board, using a stick to help him along.

Fit: The actor was showing off a toned physique as he wore only grey-and-white shorts with no T-shirt. The star added a straw hat to keep the sun off his face

Strong lady: His lady love showed off her muscles while going down the flat water way

Fancy: The Son Of God actress was nicely styled for her day of beach fun. She not only had her raven locks nicely blow out, but she added long silver earrings that went nicely with her Hamsa hand necklace

His lady love did the same as she showed off her muscles while going down the flat water way.

The Son Of God actress was nicely styled for her day of beach fun. She not only had her raven locks nicely blow out, but she added long silver earrings that went nicely with her Hamsa hand necklace.

And the star from Brighton wore a lovely bikini that was a pretty pale pink with laces up the front. She also had a nice pink pedicure.

Don't worry be happy: Piven seemed to not have a worry on his mind as she laughed and smiled away

The movie star has also been in The Bible, Women Of The Bible and Never Let Go.

She is in post production on the film False Witness with Sandy Batchelor and Kevin Interdonato.

This sighting comes after Piven's CBS TV series Wisdom of the Crowd was canceled after just 13 episodes.The network has decided to wrap up Piven's drama series after the original 13 episodes are aired. There are currently four new episodes still to air.

Leader: Piven stayed several feet ahead of his new gal as he seemed to have fun on the water

Chic: The star from Brighton wore a lovely bikini that was a pretty pale pink with laces up the front. She also had a nice pink pedicure

It comes after allegations surfaced that Piven had sexually abused or harassed multiple women, which the Mr Selfridge star has denied.

Piven - who portrays Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur Jeffrey Tanner in the CBS drama - thanked the show's viewers via Twitter on Monday.

'Wanted to thanks all of you guys for supporting us at #WisdomoftheCrowd,' he tweeted.

Her resume: The movie star has also been in The Bible, Women Of The Bible and Never Let Go. She is in post production on the film False Witness with Sandy Batchelor and Kevin Interdonato

'Sorry we don't get to continue with this great family we have created. Proud of the work we did and we will Finish out our 13 episodes with full hearts!'

An industry insider told DailyMail.com earlier this month that Piven had been an 'emotional wreck' since the allegations surfaced and that he broke down in tears while filming his series.

He then walked off set in front of stunned production staff, according to the source.

'Jeremy is a mess, he broke down in tears as we were working on a scene and he left the set. Filming was stopped. He has become an emotional wreck within the last week as these allegations mount against him,' the source said.

The backside of their day: The couple loaded their boards and paddles into a white pick-up truck

No show: This sighting comes after Piven's CBS TV series Wisdom of the Crowd was canceled after just 13 episodes.The network has decided to wrap up Piven's drama series after the original 13 episodes are aired. There are currently four new episodes still to air

'Everything appears to be getting on top of him. The set has been increasingly tense.'

The source said Piven has kept 'himself to himself' since the allegations emerged with producers asking production crew to be 'sensitive' when dealing with the actor.

Piven was accused on Twitter of sexual harassment and assault by 38-year-old actress Ariane Bellamar at the end of October who claimed the star groped her twice, once in his trailer on the Entourage set and the other at the Playboy mansion.

That was followed by actress Cassidy Freeman who said on her Instagram page that Piven engaged in 'predatory behavior' towards her when she was 'far too young.'

This one is over: The star with his cast mates on the CBS series Wisdom Of The Crowd; Piven is seen far right

His biggest hit: Piven with Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon and Adrian Grenier on Entourage

And then two more women have since come forward accusing the Emmy winning actor of sexual assault and harassment.

Washington-based advertising executive Tiffany Bacon Scourby, 39, and Hawaii-based porn star Isis Taylor both say Piven attacked or harassed them.

Anastasia Taneie has also come forward saying she was working as a 23-year-old background actress on Entourage in 2009 when Piven, then 44, cornered her in a darkened corridor and groped her breasts and genitals.

Piven has denied all allegations of sexual assault saying they 'are absolutely false and completely fabricated.'
Catherine Zeta-Jones seems to be having the vacation of a lifetime.

On Monday the 48-year-old beauty shared images from her trip to Cambodia after touring India.

The Chicago star leaned on her 73-year-old husband Michael Douglas as they enjoyed tea and cakes while taking a boat down a river.

Still in love: Catherine Zeta-Jones seems to be having the vacation of a lifetime. On Monday the beauty shared images from her trip to Cambodia

She also shared a rare photo of her two children Dylan, 17, and Carys, 14.

They were standing by a water pump that the family had donated.

The Oscar winner captioned the image: 'The best Christmas gift. Today we went to see the well we donated to some families in Cambodia. Such a joy for us. '

Both children looked happy as they beamed for the cameras.

Her joy: She also shared a rare photo of her two children Dylan, 17, and Carys, 14. They were standing by a water pump that the family had donated

And in another photo the entire family can be seen standing together near a body of water with a palace in the background.

Catherine was dressed perfectly for the jaunt as she had on a hat, scarf, shirt and slacks with a camera around her neck.

Douglas was stylish in a sweater around his neck, a short and khakis.

Family of four: And in another photo the entire family can be seen standing together near a body of water with a palace in the background

This comes after Michael revealed the name of his newborn granddaughter.

The 73-year-old actor became a grandfather for the first time on Monday when his eldest son Cameron - who he shares with ex-wife Diandra - and his partner Viviane Thibes welcomed a daughter into the world - naming her Lua. Michael said: '[We are] all ecstatic about baby Lua.'

Michael revealed he and his significant other will be known as Bubba and Zeze to little Lua.

New grandparents: Douglas reveals his granddaughter's name is Lua and that she'll call him and Zeta-Jones 'Bubba and Zeze'... as the family celebrate with an Indian safari

New addition: Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Cameron Douglas, Michael's son, who has welcomed daughter Lua

He added to PEOPLE magazine: 'Dylan and Carys love being an aunt and uncle and we're so happy to be her Bubba and Zeze.'

The family are currently enjoying a visit to India, which Catherine has been gushing over in recent Instagram snaps.

The family have been to the Taj Mahal and on a tiger safari.

Cameron, the eldest son of the Hollywood actor, announced the arrival of a daughter on Monday night, one year after completing a seven-year prison sentence.

The 39-year-old praised his 'beautiful Amazon warrior' girlfriend Viviane Thibes, 40, for the miracle in an Instagram post.

He wrote: 'Today my appreciation for Mothers all over the world has reached new heights...

On vacation: Michael has children Dylan, 17, and Carys, 14, with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, and he revealed he and his significant other will be known as Bubba and Zeze to little Lua

On their travels: The family are currently enjoying a visit to India, which Catherine has been gushing over in recent Instagram snaps

Stunning: The family have been to the Taj Mahal and on a tiger safari

'Today I took part in a miracle as my baby girl was introduced to the world through a beautiful Amazon warrior... Im so proud of you.'

Alongside the sentimental announcement, Cameron shared a picture of the Brazilian yoga-instructor during her pregnancy as she showed off her bare bump in a meditation pose.

News of Cameron's first baby joy broke in August, with a source telling People: 'Everyone is thrilled for him. Michael is looking forward to being a grandfather.'

Welcome to the world: Cameron shared a picture of his pregnant girlfriend Viviane Thibes, 40, after witnessing the 'miracle' of childbirth

'I love you': The proud new dad shared a gushing post about his 'Amazon warrior' on Monday night

Close: The 38-year-old Hollywood native welcomed a baby girl on Monday with his yoga-instructor girlfriend Viviane Thibes, 39 (here in November)

Cameron was last seen with his famous father just three weeks ago, at the movie premiere for Cocaine Godmother: The Griselda Blanco Story.

He also brought along his pregnant girlfriend, just ahead of the arrival of their first child.

Wall Street actor Michael, 73, also has son Dylan, 17, and daughter Carys, 14, with Oscar-winning actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, 47, his wife of 17 years.

The arrival comes one year after Cameron was released from prison after serving seven years for drug possession.

He received a five-year sentence for possession of heroin and selling methamphetamine.

His sentence was extended when he admitted to smuggling drugs into prison.

The star - who appeared in 2003's It Runs In The Family with his dad Michael as well as grandfather Kirk Douglas, 101 - has been sober ever since.

Thibes was first seen with Cameron just after he was released from prison in August 2016.
She welcomed her fifth child Beau with husband Dean McDermott on March 2 of this year.

And on Monday night, Tori Spelling posed in matching pajamas with Dean and their five children: Liam, 10; Stella, nine; Hattie, six; Finn, five; and Beau, nine months.

The McDermott brood dressed in gingerbread patterned onesies in front of their decorated Christmas tree.

Family is everything: Tori Spelling posed in matching pajamas with Dean and their five children: Liam, 10; Stella, nine; Hattie, six; Finn, five; and Beau, nine months

Tori, 44, was pictured in the back besides Dean, 51; she styled her platinum tresses in twin braids on each side of her head.

The mom of five wore red lipstick for the festive occasion.

The former Beverly Hills 90210 actress captioned the slideshow on Instagram with: 'One of my fave holiday traditions is wearing matching family PJ's on Christmas Day.'

Tori continued: 'I think this year's are my fave so far. And, it's Baby Beau's 1st Christmas. You have to swipe thru the pics. The tushes with "sweet cheeks" is too cute! Thx @littletrendsetter.'

Cheeky: The former Beverly Hills 90210 actress captioned the slideshow on Instagram with: 'One of my fave holiday traditions is wearing matching family PJ's on Christmas Day'

He's six-foot-three! Dean was too tall for one picture Tori shared on her Instagram page

The TV star posted a shot of with her kids as they showed of the message on the back of their pajama onesies; it read: 'Sweet cheeks.'

In September, Tori revealed to Us Weekly at the L.O.L. Surprise Party! event in Hollywood that she and Dean may want to have a sixth baby.

She told the magazine: 'I do like even numbers and I was always a big fan of The Brady Bunch.'

In September, Tori revealed to Us Weekly at the L.O.L. Surprise Party! event in Hollywood that she and Dean may want to have a sixth baby.

Tori continued: 'So three boys, three girls would be ideal. But we're blessed and you know, who knows?'

Tori and Dean married on May 7, 2006 in Wakaya, Fiji; Dean has a son named Jack, 19, from his previous marriage to Mary Jo Eustace.

Tori became a household name after starring as Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210, which was produced by her father Aaron Spelling.

Having some fun: She told the magazine: 'I do like even numbers and I was always a big fan of The Brady Bunch'
She hit headlines in April for engaging in a threesome with former Spice Girls star Mel B and her estranged husband Stephen Belafonte.

But Lady Victoria Hervey put the drama behind her as she frolicked on the beach in Barbados on Tuesday.

The 41-year-old socialite couldn't resist flaunting her slender figure in a heavily printed bikini as she topped up her tan.

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Beach babe: Lady Victoria Hervey, 41, couldn't resist flaunting her slender figure in a heavily printed bikini as she topped up her tan on the beach in Barbados

Victoria looked in her element as she lined the shores in her skimpy bikini which served to accentuate her slim figure.

The Jump star's two-piece put focus on her impossibly flat stomach, as well as her long, lean legs.

Victoria's long blonde tresses were styled into two braided puns and she shielded her low-key make-up look with gold tinted shades.

The former Christian Dior model first hit the scenes as a high profile socialite in the late 90s - briefly dipping her toes into reality TV, fashion and journalism.

Lapping up the sun: The socialite looked in her element as she lined the shores in her skimpy bikini which served to accentuate her slim figure

Slender: The Jump star's two-piece put focus on her impossibly flat stomach, as well as her long, lean legs

Victoria commanded attention with more than her outfits when she returned to the small screen on Celebrity Showmance and reality series Living With Lady Victoria.

However, back in April she came to worldwide prominence after news emerged she had a threesome with Mel B and her estranged husband Stephen Belafonte.

The television sensation was said to be terrified that their antics had been recorded by Stephen and it would be leaked to the media.

Rise to fame: The former Christian Dior model first hit the scenes as a high profile socialite in the late 90s - briefly dipping her toes into reality TV, fashion and journalism

Scandal: She hit headlines in April for engaging in a threesome with former Spice Girls star Mel B and her estranged husband Stephen Belafonte

She is absolutely mortified that her sex life could become public property,' a close friend told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview.

'The last thing she wants is to star in a sordid sex tape or to have horrible details of her private life dragged through the divorce courts.'

Mel had filed for divorce from ex-husband of 10 years Stephen Belafonte in March.
Spencer Pratt and his wife Heidi Montag Pratt took a suburban stroll in Los Angeles Tuesday with his younger sister Stephanie and their son Gunner Stone safe in his pram.

It was the first public sighting of the The Hills actress cooing over her first nephew, who will turn 3 months next Monday, after healing her long-running feud with brother Spencer.

The FIT alum sported a grey knit cap, fur-hooded denim jacket, and leopard-print pants for the post-Christmas family outing.

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Suburban stroll: Spencer Pratt and his wife Heidi Montag Pratt (R) took a walk in Los Angeles Tuesday with his younger sister Stephanie (L) and their son Gunner Stone safe in his pram

Stephanie waited to hold the 'precious angel' until he weighed 12lbs because she worried he was too 'fragile,' and she gushed that the 'soul mates' created the 'perfect family.'

'Spencer, I'm so proud to see you as the father we all knew you would be,' Pratt wrote on Instagram Thursday.

'You were always the best Big Bro to me & our fights were always because of you protecting me & taking responsibility for things you didnt need to...

'@heidipratt you are mom goals & you were even before you had Gunner. You've loved, supported & taken care of my brother for 12 years in a way that can't even be described with words.'

'I love you and Heidi & Gunner so much  they say theres no such thing as perfect but your family and its love is the definition of perfect. God bless all of you'.

Squeee! It was the first public sighting of the 31-year-old Drunk History UK actress cooing over her first nephew, who will turn 3 months next Monday

Calls the baby 'Bubba': The FIT alum sported a grey knit cap, fur-hooded denim jacket, and leopard-print pants for the post-Christmas family outing

Stephanie's rift with Spencer was documented on The Hills and came to a head in August, when the blonde branded her brother 'evil.

She also wrote on Instagram at the time: 'Some of the most poisonous people come disguised as family.'

The star - who appears on British reality show Made In Chelsea - also confessed she hadn't been told about Heidi's pregnancy and instead had discovered the news online.

'I think I'm literally the only person who didn't [know]. I just felt really left out. I don't feel part of my family', she told Heat magazine.

Aunt: Stephanie waited to hold the 'precious angel' until he weighed 12lbs because she worried he was too 'fragile,' and she gushed that the 'soul mates' created the 'perfect family'

Pratt wrote on Instagram Thursday: 'Spencer, I'm so proud to see you as the father we all knew you would be......@heidipratt you are mom goals & you were even before you had Gunner'

Meanwhile, the 31-year-old new mother cradled her baby boy following her announcement Thursday that she's already shed 25 of the 40lbs of baby weight she gained.

'Mostly just running around the house,' the Hashtaggers actress told E! News.

'I just don't put Gunner down very often, so I'm bouncing on the ball with him sometimes for four hours straight. I am just running around so much that I think [the weight] is shedding so quickly, plus breastfeeding. And running around with my dogs and Gunner, I literally don't stop all day.'

'Mostly just running around the house!' The 31-year-old new mother cradled her baby boy after announcing Thursday that she's already shed 25 of the 40lbs of baby weight she gained

The Hashtaggers actress told E! News: 'I am just running around so much that I think [the weight] is shedding so quickly, plus breastfeeding. And running around with my dogs and Gunner, I literally don't stop all day'

Man with the plan: Heidi - who now weighs 121lbs - has also had base fitness training sessions with Michael Casey (R), who also sculpts the bulging biceps of her 34-year-old husband

Heidi - who now weighs 121lbs - has also had base fitness training sessions with Michael Casey, who also sculpts the bulging biceps of her 34-year-old husband.

'This was the most amazing, heart filling, blessed Christmas of my life!' the podcaster - who boasts 2.4M social media followers - wrote on Monday.

'Thank you God! Last year I dreamed and prayed for this angel! What a dream come true!'

The podcaster wrote on Monday: 'This was the most amazing, heart filling, blessed Christmas of my life! Last year I dreamed and prayed for this angel! What a dream come true!'

And he's only in diapers! The Celebrity Big Brother duo's cherubic child has already gone on acting auditions and boasts a verified Instagram account with 61K followers

The Celebrity Big Brother duo's cherubic child has already gone on acting auditions and boasts a verified Instagram account with 61K followers.

It's hard to believe that just four years ago, Spencer said on their E! special After Shock: 'I wouldn't want to be Spencer Pratt's kid. I'd have a kid if there was no Google or YouTube.'

And it's only been seven years since the USC grad - who sells crystals - and his sibling and wife first found worldwide fame starring on MTV's The Hills.
No one could accuse InfoTrack owner Christian Beck of talking up his Sydney-Hobart supermaxi.

On Christmas Eve, Beck memorably described his boat as a "shitbox".

A few hours before the start of the Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race on Tuesday, Beck was again playing down the prospects of his boat, which as Perpetual LOYAL last year took line honours in record time.

"To go out there and everyone thinking you're going to win and to not win would be bad so I thought I would talk the boat down a bit," Beck said.

"But the truth is it is by far the cheapest of the four (supermaxis).

"I think, realistically, money does matter in these boats.

"I love the boat, it's a lot of fun, but it just doesn't have a good chance of winning against these other three because they are very, very good and they've spent a lot of money."

Beck was targeting being first out of Sydney Heads rather than first to Hobart.

"The only way we can win is if Comanche breaks down or does something stupid," Beck said.

"But with the navigator (Stan Honey) on there, I don't think anyone is going to do anything stupid.

"Only if they break down and then we have to beat Wild Oats, which is going to be virtually impossible, I think.

"The modifications they have done are apparently very good for these conditions. They will probably be giving Comanche a strong run for her money.

"I think our chances of winning are very low."

Beck said his colourful description of the boat had been well received by his crew.

"They liked it because what they said to me is that they can't say that, only I could say that, so I think they were relieved I said that," Beck said.

Senior members of another supermaxi, Black Jack, also played down their chances.

"We'll claim the underdog. We're from Queensland so we have to," skipper Mark Bradford quipped.
Supermaxis LDV Comanche and Wild Oats XI have come dangerously close to colliding in the early stages of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

A tack from Wild Oats XI 15 minutes in brought it very close to LDV Comanche, which appeared to fly a protest flag.

.Black Jack and LDV Comanche made the early running, with eight-time line honours winner Wild Oats XI jumped at the start before closing up.

In an easterly breeze of around eight knots, light air specialist Black Jack shaded LDV Comanche by one second around the first turning mark and was first out of the Sydney Heads.

Wild Oats XI turned the mark in third, over a minute behind the first two, with Wild Oats X fourth ahead of InfoTrack.
A police officer questioning a teen shoplifter has been surrounded by a gang of youths and assaulted at a Melbourne shopping centre.

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested for theft and police are searching for a second youth over the assault on the police officer at Highpoint Shopping Centre on Tuesday afternoon.

Police say the officer was arresting the 16-year-old when he was assaulted by a second teen before being surrounded by a large gang of youths of African appearance.

The officer was treated by paramedics at the scene.
Today's Birthday, December 27: Australian serial killer Ivan Milat (1944 - ).

Arguably the most notorious serial killer in Australian history, Ivan Milat had his seventh application for a review into his cold-blooded murder convictions quashed earlier this year.

Convicted of the infamous 1990s NSW backpacker murders, the 73-year-old has been serving consecutive life sentences in Goulburn Correctional Centre's SuperMax wing for the past two decades.

In October, NSW Supreme Court justice Megan Latham dismissed his latest bid for a review, noting points raised had already been considered in previous applications.

Born in Sydney in 1944, Milat grew up in Bossley Park on the city's outskirts, one of 14 children belonging to a large immigrant Yugoslavian family.

Given the sheer size of the family, his hard-working and strict parents found it difficult to contain Milat and his mischievous brothers.

Dating back to age 17, Milat started flirting with the law as police filed charges in relation to home invasions, car thefts and armed robberies.

The former road worker was acquitted of the rape of two female hitchhikers in 1971, who testified that he had pulled a knife before the alleged assault.

Between 1989 and 1992, several backpackers went missing outside Sydney, leading to a widescale scouring of bushland in the Belanglo State Forest.

The search recovered the bodies of seven dead male and female travellers, of Australian, British and German backgrounds.

The killer used a wide variety of methods including beating, strangulation, shooting, stabbing, decapitation and sexual assault, the autopsies confirmed.

Investigators believed the deaths were connected due to similarities at some of the crime scenes but it took British backpacker Paul Onions - forced to run from Milat after being picked up while hitchhiking in 1990 - to link his moustachioed attacker to the area in 1994.

This allowed police to finally raid Milat's property and after 15 weeks of trial, he was found guilty in July 1996 and handed seven life sentences plus an extra six years for the Onions attack.

Milat's celebrity has grown further behind bars with consistent appeals, prison antics (foiled escape plan, ingesting razor blades and amputating a finger), speculation he carried out more killings and the popular television series Wolf Creek and Catching Milat.
A 10-year-old boy has been shot during an attempted armed robbery at a home in Queensland's south.

Two men, one armed with a gun and another with a machete, entered a Brown Plains home on Tuesday just before 8pm and an argument broke out.

During the fight the boy suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder while a 31-year-old-man was shot in the stomach. Both are non-life-threatening injuries.

A police dog was also injured by another dog, as was the dog handler, while police were tracing the offenders.
Saakashvili not to come for questioning to SBU on Tuesday

The leader of the Movement of New Forces party and former Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, has said he will not come for questioning to the main investigation department of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) on Tuesday, December 26, his lawyer, Ruslan Chornolutsky, has said.

An Interfax-Ukraine reporter said that Chornolutsky told journalists outside the building of the main investigation department early on Tuesday that his client had received the summons on interrogation and on taking samples for examination. The defense lawyer said that it was illegal to hold these investigative actions simultaneously.

"We have already asked for these investigative actions to be separated. We have already filed a petition. Today we do not intend to enter the investigator's office to conduct investigative actions," he said.

Saakashvili, in turn, noted that he would come for conducting investigative actions, "when everything is done in accordance with the law."

"I will come if everything is done in accordance with the law, if there are two summons... If they want a sample of my voice, I'll sing to them," he said.

As reported, Saakashvili was called in for questioning to the SBU on December 22, but he and his lawyers asked the SBU to postpone this investigative action for another day as Saakashvili had to attend a session of Kyiv Court of Appeal on December 22.

At the same time, on December 22, Kyiv Court of Appeal postponed until January 3, 2018 the consideration of a complaint from the prosecutor's office against the refusal of the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv to place Saakashvili under house arrest.
Unions are preparing to fight the rise of casual employment, setting up a bitter battle with industry groups in a showdown affecting millions of Australian workers.

The ACTU wants to see a "proper" definition of casual work included in the Fair Work Act and employees given the option of converting to permanent positions after six months of regular work with one company.

"The issue of casualisation, the casualisation of jobs, is going to be a key focus of the whole trade union movement next year in 2018," ACTU secretary Sally McManus told The Australian on Wednesday.
Senator Jeff Flake, pictured with Donald Trump in this December 5, 2017 photo, has been critical of both the president and his Republican party

US President Donald Trump may face competition to be the Republican party's nominee for the 2020 White House race if he decides to pursue a second term, a US senator said in an interview broadcast Sunday.

"I do believe if the president is running for re-election, if he continues on the path that he's on, that that's going to leave a huge swath of voters looking for something else," Jeff Flake, one of the few elected Republicans to publicly criticize Trump, said in an interview on ABC's "This Week."

"If he's the Republican nominee again, we're likely to see an independent candidate" in the November 2020 presidential election, said Flake, who announced this fall that was stepping down from his Senate seat in late 2018.

"He's probably inviting a Republican challenge as well" for the 2020 primaries to tap a nominee for the Republican party, he warned.

Sitting presidents are typically considered shoo-ins as the nominee for their party at the end of the first term, although an intra-party challenge is not unheard of.

Democratic President Jimmy Carter faced off against Senator Ted Kennedy in 1980, and four years before that, Republican President Gerald Ford clashed with Ronald Reagan.

Flake is among the few Republican lawmakers who have publicly criticized the president, both on a personal level and for his policies which the senator deems extreme.

"You look at the audiences cheering for Republicans... you look out there and say, those are the spasms of a dying party," he said in the interview.

"By and large, we're appealing to older white men. And there are just a limited number of them. And anger and resentment are not a governing philosophy."

Flake was circumspect when asked if he was considering a run in 2020.

"I don't rule anything out but it's not in my plans," he said.

Congressman Charlie Dent, a leading Republican moderate in the House of Representatives who is also stepping down next year, on Sunday denounced what he characterized as the party's blind loyalty to Trump.

"The issue is loyalty to the man. To the president. And for some, loyalty is not enough. You have to be angry and aggrieved," he said on ABC.

"I have said to folks, if I set myself on fire for them, they would complain that the temperature of the flame is not hot enough."

Dent said that even though he expects Republicans to maintain their legislative majority in mid-term elections in November 2018, the party can still expect to lose seats.

His advice to colleagues: "Be prepared for the worst because this could be a really tough year."
Nighttime temperatures are plummeting to just four degrees Celsius at the Ain Issa camp in northern Syria

Khadija Alloush made it out alive from Syria's battle-ravaged Raqa with her five children, but she lost her seven-year-old son to the biting cold of life in a displacement camp.

As temperatures drop, tens of thousands of civilians forced out of their homes by Syria's war are spending yet another winter in flimsy plastic tents or abandoned half-finished buildings.

And without heating, blankets and warm clothes, or access to proper medical care, even a simple cold can turn deadly.

"My son died because of the cold," weeps Khadija, 35, her features drawn and exhausted a week after the sudden death of little Abdel Ilah.

After fleeing fighting in the Islamic State group's former bastion Raqa, Khadija's family sought refuge in the Ain Issa camp about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north.

Now nighttime temperatures are plummeting to just four degrees Celsius (39 Fahrenheit).

"He coughed and had a fever in the middle of the night. The next day, he was dead," Khadija tells AFP, drawing her four young children close to her.

"May God spare us in this cold," she says.

More than 17,000 people have sought refuge in the Ain Issa camp's 2,550 tents, set up in neat rows exposed to the elements.

Most of the residents fled assaults against IS in Raqa, as well as Syria's province of Deir Ezzor to the southeast.

Many of their homes have been flattened, their towns and villages reduced to ruins without electricity or running water. Returning is not an option.

- 'Haven't stopped coughing' -

According to the United Nations, which supports the camp, there is no new health care clinic to cater for expanding areas of the sprawling facility.

More than half of the residents say their tents need repairs or maintenance to protect against the cold.

Tens of thousands of civilians forced out of their homes by Syria's war are spending yet another winter in flimsy plastic tents

To keep the inside of their tents dry, many in the camp have put up an extra layer of nylon tarps and resort to using rocks to weigh down plastic sheeting to prevent water seeping in.

Camp manager Jalal al-Ayyaf acknowledged there was a "lack of medication" available to displaced families in Ain Issa.

"There are no statistics on infant mortality, but deaths have been caused by illnesses" exacerbated by the cold, Ayyaf said.

Children dash between the camp's makeshift alleyways, some of them barefoot despite the chill. A few are wrapped up in oversized sweaters and jackets.

In a part of the camp set up as a market, groups of women are gathered around a pile of secondhand clothing, examining jackets and trousers.

Without enough winter clothes, families are using blankets to fashion coats and other warm garments, says International Committee of the Red Cross spokeswoman Ingy Sedky.

"In winter time, children become even more vulnerable and exposed to additional health hazards," she says.

Zeinab Khalil, a mother of four from Syria's eastern Albu Kamal, says they are being treated well at the camp, "but we need heating, blankets".

"Because of the cold, my children and I haven't stopped coughing since we arrived," says the 35-year-old.

Crouching in front of her tent, Umm Youssef boils water in a large black pot over a bonfire to bathe her grandchildren.

"The most important thing is that the children can be warm," says the 55-year-old, her face shielded from the wind by a purple shawl with black polka dots.

"Because of the cold, we're constantly looking after the children."

- 'We have nothing' -

"We spent 10 days without mattresses or blankets. There's no heating and it's freezing," says Umm Omar, 50, a native of Syria's Deir Ezzor who sought refuge in the camp two months ago with her family.

Despite the cold, Umm Omar sits outside her tent chopping vegetables for lunch.

Residents at the Ain Issa camp in northern Syria say that, without heating, blankets and warm clothes, or access to proper medical care, even a simple cold can turn deadly

"We have nothing in the tents, we sleep one on top of the other. They gave us five blankets but we're seven people," she says, describing aid distributions as increasingly irregular.

Since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011, more than six million people have been displaced internally, many of them multiple times as fighting engulfed the country.

Some 750,000 of them live in camps, transit centres, and other buildings like schools or warehouses, according to the UN.

A half-destroyed school in a rebel bastion outside of Damascus is home to about 100 people, including 71-year-old Abu Mohammad Shahhad.

He escaped fighting near his house in Hosh al-Dawahira to take refuge in the school building in Hammuriya, both areas in the rebel bastion of Eastern Ghouta.

A four-year government siege of the area has made it almost impossible for 400,000 residents to get desperately needed goods and medicine.

"There are no window frames or even glass" to protect from the cold, says Abu Mohammad.

"We even burn plastic here to stay warm."

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Crosses are planted on a hillside at the White Cross Monument, in Ysterberg, near Langebaan, South Africa, each one marking a white farmer who has been killed in a farm murder

"They beat him with a pole... and you could hear the bones breaking," said Debbie Turner, recounting her husband's murder in a slow, defiant voice.

She refuses to talk about him in the past tense and sleeps with a photo of him close by.

"I miss him so terribly -- it's just so hard," she said, sitting in front of the frail-care unit that has been her home since the attack at their farm.

Robert "Oki" Turner, 66, was beaten to death before her eyes six months ago on their isolated stretch of mountain land in South Africa's northeastern Limpopo province.

He was one of the latest victims of a long campaign of violence against the country's farmers who are largely white.

The rural crime epidemic has inflamed political and racial tensions nearly a quarter-of-a-century after the fall of apartheid.

Farm murders are just one issue that reveals how South Africa is struggling with violence, an economic slowdown and divisions along race lines.

The Turners moved to the verdant region, half-way between Kruger national park and Zimbabwe, some 30 years ago.

On their property, which spans dozens of acres, they grew gum trees which they sold to craftsmen or for firewood.

"Until about four or five years ago, we were very open. We didn't have a key for our house -- we would go away and nothing would have happened," she said.

But then the extreme violence that had long afflicted major cities engulfed rural areas like theirs.

Break-ins, hostage takings and killings became common -- with attackers often making off with just a few hundred rand (less than $20), a mobile phone or a hunting rifle.

The Turners were targeted after nightfall on June 14 when two armed men stormed their farm. Debbie was alone after her husband stepped out to fix a water tap.

- Savagely beaten -

"They said 'we want money'. I said I haven't got money," recounted Debbie.

"They dragged me all over the house and put me under the shower and turned it on and left me for 15 minutes.

Police respond to an incident in which a farm worker was held at gunpoint and a chainsaw was stolen on November 2, 2017, in Tzaneen, South Africa

"Then they decided to try to rape me. I said 'please don't rape me, I've got HIV'."

Some time later, Oki was found slumped motionless covered in blood after being savagely beaten by the attackers searching for the key to the couple's safe.

He died in hospital a few hours later.

Dozens of white farmers are murdered in similar circumstances in South Africa every year.

In the absence of detailed statistics, the scope and scale of the crimes has become a battleground.

AfriForum, a pressure group that advocates on behalf of the country's nine-percent-strong white population, is one of the forces seeking to shape the debate around farm murders.

"Farmers are living in remote areas, they are far from police stations," said the group's vice president, Ernst Roets.

"There are political factors that play a role here. We are concerned about hate speech, political leaders who... would say for example 'the white farmers should be blamed for everything'."

He is particularly damning of Julius Malema, the firebrand leader of South Africa's radical left, who has called on his followers to "retake the land" from whites.

In 2012 President Jacob Zuma sang a struggle-era song containing the words "shoot the farmer, shoot the Boer".

Agriculture, like much of South Africa's economy, remains in the hands of the white descendants of colonial-era settlers.

White farmers control 73 percent of arable land in the country compared with 85 percent when apartheid ended in 1994, according to a recent study.

Calls for "radical economic transformation" to benefit the black majority have gained traction as unemployment has soared.

They are frequently coupled with accusations that the white minority control a disproportionate share of the nation's wealth.

- 'We built this country' -

That narrative has alarmed many white rural communities.

"We're being hunted," said Pauli, a 43-year-old farmer who declined to give her surname.

More militant white farmers describe the violence they face as "genocide" and use the casually racist rhetoric of the apartheid era.

Farmer Hans Bergmann, 65, was attacked on his farm a few months ago in Tzaneen, South Africa

"They (black people) truly think that we have stolen the country from them," Limpopo-based farmer Gerhardus Harmse told AFP.

"We built this country, show me anything, any place that the blacks built -- there isn't any. They cannot build, they destroy."

The radical fringe has become increasingly vocal.

Last month, some supporters flew the flag of the old white-minority government during a protest against farm murders.

The demonstration called on the government to guarantee farmers special protection -- something that police minister Fikile Mbalula categorically refused.

"All deaths of all South Africans must be met with disgust," wrote Mbalula in a Twitter post. "My problem is that farm murders are racialised and politicised."

While black farmers have so far been largely reluctant to march with their white colleagues, they face many of the same risks.

"We don't feel protected by the government," said Vuyo Mahlati, president of the African Farmers Association of South Africa.

"We need to deal with everyone trying to utilise farming as a centre of a right-wing political discourse. That we are not going to allow."

- 'I will go back' -

Feeling abandoned by the government, many white farmers have taken steps to protect themselves.

Some patrol their land under moonlight, pistols tucked into their belts, to deter would-be attackers.

Others undergo commando training in anticipation of the worst.

A long campaign of violence against farmers, who are largely white, has inflamed political and racial tensions nearly a quarter-of-a-century after the fall of apartheid in South Africa

Among them is Marli Swanepoel, 37, who owns a farm in Limpopo.

"You have to be prepared. You have to protect yourself," said the mother-of-three.

Hans Bergmann was recently assaulted on his farm, but takes a different approach.

Some weeks ago, armed men broke in to rob his safe, tied him up and shot him in the foot.

"In South Africa everybody thinks farmers have a lot of money," he said.

Bergmann, who is in his sixties, declines to carry a gun or abandon his land.

"I just accept it... where do I go from here if I leave the farm?" he said.

Debbie Turner is scathing of the police who have yet to catch her husband's killers -- or even take a statement from her.

"It shows that what happened that night doesn't mean anything to these people," she said.

"I'm angry against those people who killed my husband. Sometimes I wish they could hang them."

But she will not be leaving any time soon, vowing: "One day I will go back to the mountain."
North Korea is preparing to launch a satellite, it has been claimed, as outside observers warn that the nuclear-armed regime's space programme is likely to be a cover up for more for weapons tests.

Pyongyang is under multiple UN sanctions over its nuclear and missile tests and is prohibited from carrying out any launch using ballistic missile technology including satellites.

But South Korean daily newspaper Joongang Ilbo reported: 'Through various channels, we've recently learned that the North has completed a new satellite and named it Kwangmyongsong-5.

'Their plan is to put a satellite equipped with cameras and telecommunication devices into orbit.'

North Korea is preparing to launch a satellite, it has been claimed, as outside observers warn that the nuclear-armed regime's space programme is likely to be a cover up for more for weapons tests (pictured in February)

Kim Jong-un launched the country's Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite in February 2016, which most in the international community viewed as a disguised ballistic missile test.

A spokesman for the South Korean military joint chiefs of staff said there was 'nothing out of ordinary at this moment' but added that Seoul was watching out for any provocative acts 'including the test of a long-range missile disguised as a satellite launch'.

The report came as the North's ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reasserted the regime's right to launch satellites and develop its space technology.

Kim Jong-un launched the country's Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite in February 2016, which most in the international community viewed as a disguised ballistic missile test

In a commentary published on Monday and titled 'peaceful space programmes are sovereign countries' legitimate rights', the daily said Pyongyang's satellite launches 'absolutely correspond' with international laws concerning space development.

At a UN General Assembly committee meeting in October, North Korea's deputy UN ambassador Kim In-ryong said his country has a 2016 to 2020 plan to develop 'practical satellites that can contribute to the economic development and improvement of the people's living'.

He stressed North Korea's right to produce and launch satellites 'will not be changed just because the US denies it'.

North Korea is believed to have successfully put a satellite into orbit in December 2012 after years of failures dating back to 1998 when it launched a pilot satellite and named it Kwangmyongsong-1.

Earlier this month, the Russian newspaper Rossiyskaia Gazeta quoted a Russian military expert, Vladimir Khrustalev, as saying that North Korea was expected to launch two satellites - an Earth exploration satellite and a communications satellite - in the near future.

Khrustalev made the remark after returning from his week-long trip to North Korea in mid-November when he met with representatives of the country's National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA), the Russian daily said.

Tensions have soared as the isolated regime has staged a series of atomic and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests -- most recently on November 29.
Earlier this year China sent its sole aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, through the Taiwan Strait

Frequent and increased Chinese military drills pose an "enormous threat" to Taiwan's security, Taipei warned on Tuesday in an annual defence review that starkly highlighted rising cross-strait tensions.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified at some point -- by military force, if necessary.

The two sides split after a civil war in 1949. Although Taiwan is a self-ruling democracy, it has never formally declared independence.

Beijing has stepped up drills around the island since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen took office last year, as she refuses to acknowledge both sides are part of "one China".

Local media estimate Chinese warplanes have conducted at least 20 drills around Taiwan this year, compared to just eight in 2016.

The latest known drill took place last week when several Chinese planes, including jet fighters, passed through the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan to the Pacific and back.

The frequent drills "have created enormous threat to security in the Taiwan Strait," Taiwanese defense minister Feng Shih-kuan said in the 14th national defense report released Tuesday.

The report highlighted the David versus Goliath mismatch between the two rival's forces, saying Taiwan's military needed to adapt to a "multiple deterrence strategy" in the face of the fast-growing Chinese army.

The report estimated Chinese troop numbers at two million compared to around 210,000 in Taiwan's army.

"Taiwan cannot compare with China's defense budget and military developments," Feng said in the report.

Instead Taiwan was "seriously reviewing and drawing a plan to develop asymmetric warfare to deter advances by the Chinese military," he added.

In response to increasing China's electronic warfare capabilities, Taiwan established its own cyber army command centre this year, which currently has around 1,000 people, according to the ministry.

It has also restructured its air force to centralise its anti-aircraft and missile defense command.

Chinese jets also flew over the Sea of Japan (East Sea) earlier this month, prompting South Korea and Japan to scramble jets.

China's air force said then it was the first time its aircraft had flown through the Tsushima Strait between South Korea and Japan.

Earlier this year, China sent its only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, through the Taiwan Strait during a drill as a show of strength, but it did not enter Taiwanese waters.
Indian troopers on guard in Kashmir: the region has seen its bloodiest year for a decade

Government forces have killed the commander of a Pakistan-based militant group in Indian-administered Kashmir, police said Tuesday, as the disputed territory ended its deadliest year for a decade.

Noor Mohammad Tantray, the head in the Kashmir valley of the Jaish-e-Mohammad group, was trapped in a house outside the main city of Srinagar on Monday evening along with his associates, triggering a fierce overnight gunbattle.

Police described the operation as a "significant breakthrough" after Tantray's body was found under debris on Tuesday.

Police and troops cordoned off a group of houses at Samboora, "which resulted in a fierce gunbattle leading to elimination of top JeM commander Noor Mohammad Tantray," police said in a statement.

Tantray's two associates managed to escape, a police official said on condition of anonymity.

The 47-year-old JeM commander, who was only three feet tall according to police reports, was described by officials as a new "security headache" when he took over as head of the group in Indian Kashmir last year.

According to police he spent 12 years in jail after being convicted in a case of militancy in 2003, but jumped parole two years later to rejoin JeM.

As the news of Tantray's death spread, hundreds of residents shouting "Go, India, go back!" spilt onto the streets, throwing stones and clashing with government forces who fired tear gas and pellet guns.

At least six protesters were injured, a police officer said.

Kashmir was divided between India and Pakistan at the end of British colonial rule over the subcontinent in 1947. Both claim the entire Muslim-majority territory in full.

Since 1989 rebel groups including JeM have been fighting Indian troops and police deployed in the Himalayan territory. They seek its merger with Pakistan or its independence.

The fighting has left tens of thousands, mostly civilians, dead.

Violence had steadily decreased during the last decade but this year some 350 deaths have been reported following the Indian army's anti-militant offensive dubbed "Operation All-Out".

Officials and rights groups say 210 suspected rebels, mostly locals, 57 civilians and 82 troops or police have been killed this year.
Bangladesh police arrested a 25-year-old social media activist as he tried to leave the country on charges that he defamed Islam and the Prophet Mohammed, authorities said Tuesday.

Immigration police detained Asaduzzaman Noor, known as Asad Noor on his YouTube channel, at Dhaka airport on Monday evening, inspector Mohammad Shahidullah told AFP.

'The charge against him is that he hurt religious feeling by mocking Prophet Mohammed and made bad comments against Islam, the prophet and the Koran on Facebook and YouTube,' he said.

Asaduzzaman Noor, known as Asad Noor on his YouTube channel, was arrested on Monday night

Shahidullah said hundreds of Muslims staged demonstrations against Noor this year in the southern coastal town of Amtali after the head of an Islamic seminary filed a case against him.

Noor was charged under Bangladesh's strict internet laws and could face up to 14 years in jail if found guilty.

Rights groups have accused the Bangladesh government of muzzling dissent and targeting atheist bloggers who have used social media to criticise religion.

Rights groups have accused the Bangladesh government of targeting atheist bloggers who have used social media to criticise religion

In 2013, four Bangladeshi bloggers were arrested after nationwide protests in which Islamic groups demanded the execution of atheist commentators. They were later freed.

In recent years, atheist and secular voices have been targeted by Islamist extremist groups, who have hacked to death a dozen bloggers, publishers and activists, and forced others to flee overseas.

Following the attacks, the government launched a crackdown on extremist groups.

In July last year however militants stormed a Dhaka cafe and massacred 22 hostages, including 18 foreigners, in an assault claimed by the Islamic State group. Security forces have since killed more than 70 alleged militants.
Duterte on Saturday comforts a relative of one of the victims of the fire

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte vowed Tuesday to get to the truth about a blaze in his home city that killed 37 call centre workers.

He said he made the promise during a meeting on Monday night with the families of those killed in a shopping mall fire in the southern city of Davao.

"I assured them... that the truth will -- let the truth come out," Duterte said. "That is what they are asking for. Just the truth of what happened."

The justice and labour departments have ordered separate investigations into Saturday's blaze.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre has said his office would investigate with a view to bringing criminal charges.

A spokesman for Davao City mayor Sara Duterte, the daughter of the president, also quoted her as promising to press charges if warranted by the results of the investigation.

The fire broke out in the four-storey NCCC Mall shortly before it opened to shoppers. But it killed 37 people working in a 24-hour call centre for US-based market research firm SSI on the top floor.

At a Davao hospital Tuesday families of the dead waited in a silence broken only by occasional sobs as government workers tried to identify the charred remains before releasing them to relatives.

Social welfare officers said that so far, five bodies had been turned over.

Rhen Muyco recalled the last words his 25-year-old daughter Renzi Nova spoke to her family as the fire raged Saturday.

"Ma, there is a fire here. If something happens to me, I love you all," she said by mobile phone.

Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello said Tuesday his office was launching an inquiry separate from the justice department's investigation.

"We just want to find out the cause of the fire and if there was compliance with safety and health standards," he told AFP.

The Associated Labor Unions said the high death toll and the extent of the blaze suggested that rules on fire exits, sprinkler systems and other safety measures had not been followed.

Mall administrators have denied that fire exits were inadequate or blocked.

Deadly blazes occur regularly in the Philippines, with fire safety rules often disregarded due to corruption or exploitation.

The fire was just one of a series of tragedies that turned the usually festive Christmas season in the Philippines into one of grief for many.

At least 240 people were killed, with over a hundred still missing, when Tropical Storm Tembin struck the country's main southern island of Mindanao on Friday, causing floods and landslides throughout the weekend.

On Monday 20 people were killed in a road accident in the northern Philippines as they headed for a traditional Christmas mass.

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The Tianjin Second Intermediate People's Court in China where an activist, known by the online pseudonym "Super Vulgar Butcher", was sentenced to eight years in prison on December 26, 2017, after he refused to plead guilty to charges of 'subverting state power'

China sentenced an activist known by the online pseudonym "Super Vulgar Butcher" to eight years in prison Tuesday, one of the harshest punishments meted out to the group of lawyers and activists swept up in a major crackdown on civil society two years ago.

The punishment handed to Wu Gan, who refused to plead guilty to charges of "subverting state power", was intended as an unmistakable signal to anyone who would dare to challenge the state's authority, his lawyer told AFP.

Wu was taken into custody in May 2015 just weeks before authorities unleashed a ruthless campaign later dubbed the "709" crackdown, rounding up over 200 people involved in activities considered sensitive by the ruling Communist Party.

The outspoken social media figure had attracted authorities' attention with performance art and caustic commentary on Chinese society and politics that he published online.

Explaining its verdict, a court in Tianjin said Wu was "dissatisfied with the current system of governance, and that gradually produced thoughts of subverting state power".

By "hyping up hot incidents", Wu "attacked the national system that is the basis for state authority and the constitution", the court said.

Wu also "spread fake information" and "insulted others online", the statement said.

The prominent activist, with his recognisable bald head and glasses, became the subject of the state's ire for using his larger-than-life online persona to draw public attention to human rights cases.

He called himself "butcher" because he saw himself as taking the fight to authorities, promising to "slaughter the pigs". He later added "super vulgar" to his handle in response to complaints about his use of crude language to make his case.

His bold approach to seeking justice for those he saw as wronged by the government attracted praise from rights defenders, but was unpopular with the authorities, who saw him as a thorn in their side.

His family life became the subject of intense scrutiny by state media in May 2015 in what many activists saw as a sign of a looming crackdown on rights defenders.

He was "a representative figure in leading actions to support other human rights defenders and significant human rights cases outside court," according to Patrick Poon, a China researcher at Amnesty International.

Wu's lawyer Yan Xin said the sentence was aimed at setting "an example so other activists will say they are guilty when accused of crimes against the state".

"It's clear (Wu) was sentenced so harshly because he refused to plead guilty," he said.

Several supporters travelled to Tianjin to attend the trial but they were "pursued relentlessly by police" and forced to go home, an activist told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Outside the courthouse, over a dozen police officers prevented an AFP reporter from watching the trial.

-- 'The question of torture' --

The government's message to dissidents was highlighted by a very different sentence passed down on the same day for another figure who was also caught up in the "709" crackdown -- named after the date of the first disappearance on July 9, 2015.

In contrast to the heavy penalty for Wu, a court in Changsha exempted former human rights lawyer Xie Yang from serving a sentence after he pleaded guilty to "inciting subversion of state power".

He had worked on numerous politically sensitive cases, such as defending mainland supporters of Hong Kong democracy activists.

Yan Xin (L) and Ge Yongxi, lawyers for Chinese activist Wu Gan, known by the online pseudonym "Super Vulgar Butcher", sit at a hotel after Wu was sentenced at a court in Tianjin, on December 26, 2017

Xie was released on bail in May after what critics described as a show trial.

The court said Xie had been "long influenced by anti-China forces," according to the official Xinhua News service.

He had "travelled overseas several times to receive training organised by anti-China forces and seek links with subversive forces, both domestic and overseas," it said.

Xie had previously claimed that police used "sleep deprivation, long interrogations, beatings, death threats, humiliations" on him, allegations that became the focus of a rare letter by a number of western embassies in Beijing directly criticising the government's handling of the case.

But on Tuesday he denied he had been tortured, according to a video on the court's official Weibo social media account.

"On the question of torture, I produced a negative effect on and misled the public, and I again apologise," he told judges.

The court said he would face no criminal penalties following his full confession.

Another prominent rights lawyer who was arrested during the 2015 crackdown, Wang Quanzhang, has yet to stand trial.
The leader of the Movement of New Forces party and former Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, has said he plans to sue the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and to file a lawsuit on the protection of his rights at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

"The SBU kidnapped me from home, used force, without law and a single document... We are preparing a lawsuit against the SBU for bandits, an attack, abduction of a person. We are also preparing a lawsuit at the ECHR. In the lawsuit I will demand compensation for my abduction," he told reporters outside the building of the SBU's main investigation department in Kyiv on Tuesday, where he arrived for questioning.
Syrian regime representatives and opposition delegates along with other attendees take part in the session of Syria peace talks in Astana on December 22, 2017

More than three dozen Syrian rebel groups, including influential Islamists, have rejected a Russian-led initiative for talks next month in Sochi on ending Syria's war.

Russia and Iran, both key allies of Syria's regime, agreed with opposition backer Turkey on Friday to hold a "Congress of National Dialogue" in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on January 29 and 30.

Syria's government swiftly said it would attend but rebels have pushed back, calling it a Russian bid to eclipse a United Nations-led process in Geneva.

"We completely reject Russia's attempt to circumvent the Geneva track," the rebels said in a joint statement published Monday.

"We call on all forces to stand in one rank against these alarming dangers."

It was signed by 40 factions, including Islamist powerhouse Ahrar al-Sham and groups that have been backed by the United States such as the Mutasem Brigades.

Some of the factions played a significant role in the rebellion since the war broke out in 2011 but most have either been sidelined by other groups or control only small pockets of land.

Mustefa Sejari, a top Mutasem Brigades figure, told AFP on Tuesday that rebels could not see Russia as an honest broker.

"From the beginning, we said whoever wants to play an intermediary and guarantor role in Syria needs to be neutral, fair, and honest in its support of political transition," Sejari said.

"Russia has not done these things -- it is a partner in the killing of the Syrian people," he added.

- Kurds insist on role -

Syria's conflict erupted in 2011 with anti-government demonstrations, but it has since morphed into a complex war drawing in world powers, including Russia.

Repeated attempts to reach a political solution to the war have failed, with the UN-backed process in Switzerland bearing little fruit.

Russia, Turkey, and Iran began hosting talks between Syria's government and armed rebels in Kazakhstan earlier this year, and announced the Sochi conference at the most recent round last week.

The United Nations has yet to firmly endorse the summit, and opposition representatives have largely been wary of it.

Syria's Kurds, which run semi-autonomous regions across the country's north, welcomed the Sochi initiative on Tuesday.

"We have a right to take part and represent our people in it," said the statement, signed by Kurdish and Christian parties as well as an alliance including the powerful Democratic Union Party (PYD).

The PYD and its armed wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG), have never been invited as a separate delegation to Syrian peace talks in Geneva or Astana.

Turkey considers the PYD a "terrorist" organisation because of its links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party and has said it would oppose any talks involving the PYD.

But even if the debate over attendees is resolved, the main stumbling block over any political solution remains the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with much of the opposition sticking firm to calls for his ouster.
Migrants sell mobile telephones from a street stall in the Moroccan capital on December 19, 2017

Unable to reach Europe in search of a better life, Aliou Ndiaye settled in Morocco instead, giving up on his original goal like thousands of other sub-Saharan African migrants.

"Everyone has the right to go to another country to try their luck," the 31-year-old former fish exporter from Senegal told AFP.

"Lots of people are trying to reach Europe, but some end up staying to make a living."

Seven out of 10 West Africa-born migrants stay on the continent, according to a December study by the Moroccan think tank OCP Policy Center.

Discouraged by the danger of passing through countries such as Libya and by harsh policies aimed at preventing migrants going to Europe, many settle in "transit" countries including Morocco.

Ndiaye said he gave up after he realised reaching Spain was "too hard".

He took on several informal jobs and finally set himself up as a street vendor in Rabat, where he expects to remain.

His story illustrates a trend that has gained increasing attention from Moroccan politicians, civil society and researchers.

Morocco has turned from a transit country into a host country for immigrants, according to the government's High Commission for Planning.

"The Moroccan authorities have switched from a security approach, which criminalised illegal immigration, to a discourse of integration," said Mehdi Alioua, former head of a group that helped migrants.

He said the new approach involves moving migrants from border regions to the country's big cities, taking them further from their ultimate goal -- reaching Europe.

That has meant that many stay on in Morocco.

Rabat has become home to many sub-Saharan Africans who work at informal markets in the capital, while others, still hoping to make it to Europe, live in informal camps near bus stations and eke out a living by begging.

- Tensions -

But their growing numbers have created tensions. In November, residents clashed with sub-Saharan youths living in a camp in Casablanca.

"You can't be welcomed with open arms everywhere you go," said Olivier Foutou, a 34-year-old Congolese.

But he called Morocco "the most welcoming country in Africa" and criticised fellow migrants "who think only of Europe and do not want to integrate".

Like many West Africans, he originally headed to Morocco for study, attracted by the quality of the education system and the possibility of scholarships.

He has stayed ever since, and sings in the choir at Rabat's cathedral, a meeting point for the city's small Catholic community.

Another choir member, Jean Baptiste Dago-Gnahou, fled war-ravaged Ivory Coast years ago and ended up in Rabat by "destiny".

In his 40s, he is teaching French and currently has no plans to return to his homeland.

Papa Demba Mbaye left his job as a teacher in Senegal seven years ago to "live the adventure in Morocco".

He was attracted by promises of work at a call centre, a growing sector in need of French-speakers.

He soon discovered that it was a "job with no future", and has since established himself as a French teacher.

He has written two books -- "The life of a Senegalese in Morocco" and "Seven reasons why I love Morocco".

Keen to build links between sub-Saharan Africans and Moroccans, he also runs a theatre troupe on the outskirts of Rabat.

Despite Morocco's new migration policies and the kingdom's efforts to re-integrate with the African Union after decades outside the bloc, it is hard to gain permanent residency.

"I heard the king say on the radio that it would be a lot easier, but I have the impression that he was not heard," Mbaye said.

The authorities are currently processing some 25,000 residency applications. A similar "regularisation" campaign in 2014 saw around 23,000 people gain renewable residency.

It is hard to estimate how many African migrants are living in Morocco, especially as many are clandestine.

Official statistics show that around 35,000 had residency in 2014, according to the OCP Policy Center.

That is slightly above the number of European migrants who came for work or seeking a retirement home under the Moroccan sun.
Analysts say Beijing's repressive policies in Xinjiang have engendered riots and terrorist attacks by members of the mostly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority that calls the area home, although China disputes the claim

Ministers from Afghanistan, Pakistan and China met in Beijing on Tuesday where they agreed to work together to tackle the threat of terrorism tied to China's vast western Xinjiang region.

The first trilateral meeting of foreign ministers from the countries comes as China steps up its investment in its neighbouring nations as part of its trillion-dollar One Belt One Road investment initiative.

China depends on Afghanistan and Pakistan to help control Xinjiang's borders, where analysts say Beijing's repressive policies have engendered riots and terrorist attacks by members of the mostly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority that calls the area home, although China disputes the claim.

Beijing regularly accuses exiled Uighur separatist groups such as the shadowy East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) of orchestrating attacks in resource-rich Xinjiang and other parts of China.

It has expressed concern about Uighur militants finding sanctuary in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"We agreed to cooperate in fighting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and without any distinctions of any sort," said Afghan foreign minister Salahuddin Rabbani after the meeting.

Afghanistan will continue its "resolute fight against ETIM and their support groups and networks, and overall counterterrorism cooperation", he added.

China has long pushed the international community for support in addressing the problem, which it says stems from the infiltration of "radical" religious groups into Xinjiang.

In response, Beijing has placed strict controls on religious practice in the region, turning it into a virtual police state, in a campaign that analysts say has enflamed separatist sentiment.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said the three parties had reached complete consensus in fighting terrorism, adding that China would also "fully leverage" Xinjiang as a base for economic cooperation with the bordering countries.

China's Belt and Road infrastructure project seeks to revive ancient trade routes, including a massive overland network stretching through Xinjiang and neighbouring Afghanistan and Pakistan towards Europe.

China's expanding economic presence in Pakistan and Afghanistan has also brought some terrorism related setbacks.

This summer two Chinese citizens travelling on business visas to Pakistan were kidnapped in Quetta, the provincial capital of mineral-rich Balochistan province. The Islamic State group claimed responsiblity for killing them.

Pakistan said at the time that the two had been engaged in illegal preaching.
The journalists were arrested in October while filming a documentary in Naypyidaw

Foreign and local journalists jailed for flying a drone near Myanmar's parliament could be released from prison in early January after police dropped additional charges that carried at least three more years behind bars, their lawyers said Tuesday.

Lau Hon Meng from Singapore and Mok Choy Lin from Malaysia, who were on assignment for Turkish state broadcaster TRT, were detained late October along with Myanmar journalist Aung Naing Soe and driver Hla Tin while shooting a documentary in the capital Naypyidaw.

Expecting to receive a fine, they confessed to flying the drone but were instead sentenced to two months in jail under Myanmar's aircraft act.

They faced an additional three years after being accused of violating Myanmar's import-export law, while the two foreign journalists were also charged with immigration offences that carried a maximum five-year prison term.

But police dropped those extra charges "as the defendants didn't compromise state security", defence lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told AFP on Tuesday.

The judge is now expected to dismiss the case at the next hearing on Thursday, which would allow the journalists to be released in early January when they complete their initial two-month sentence.

"The outlook is good," Aung Myo Kyaw, the lawyer for Mok Choy Lin, told AFP when asked whether the journalists would be released soon.

The reporters' arrests came as Myanmar faces intense global scrutiny over a military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims that UN officials say amounts to ethnic cleansing and possibly genocide.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has led some of the sharpest international criticism of the crisis, which has forced some 655,000 Rohingya to flee across the border to Bangladesh since late August.

TRT has not confirmed the subject of the documentary but said the reporters told Myanmar's Ministry of Information about their filming plans in advance.

Their arrests also sparked alarm over deteriorating press freedom in Myanmar, where two local journalists working for Reuters have been held incommunicado for two weeks after they were arrested for allegedly possessing classified documents.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have not been allowed any contact with families, lawyers or colleagues and could face a maximum sentence of 14 years in jail if convicted.

Rights groups say both cases highlight a backsliding of press freedom under civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who came to power in 2016 after decades of outright military rule.

At least 11 reporters have been arrested in 2017, while dozens of other online defamation cases are still pending.

Activists say Myanmar's rich and powerful are increasingly using the country's defamation laws to muzzle the media and civil society.
The Briton was arrested at Hurghada airport when customs officers found almost 300 Tramadol pills in her luggage

An Egyptian court sentenced a British woman to three years in prison on Tuesday, convicting her of trying to smuggle drugs into the country, a judicial official said.

Laura Plummer, 33, was arrested at Hurghada airport when customs officers found almost 300 Tramadol pills in her luggage.

The strong painkiller is tightly controlled in Egypt where it is often abused as a recreational drug.

Plummer and her relatives had told British media that she was bringing the painkillers for her Egyptian boyfriend who suffers from back pain.

The verdict can be appealed.
New Delhi accused Pakistani authorities of disrespecting the cultural and religious sensibilities of Jadhav's family

India Tuesday accused Pakistan of harassing the family of an alleged Indian spy on death row, saying their meeting was held in an "atmosphere of coercion".

Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav met his mother and wife in Islamabad on Monday, their first meeting since his arrest in Pakistan last year on charges of espionage and terrorism, allegations India has rejected.

"It appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion," the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement shortly after top Indian officials debriefed his family in New Delhi.

The ministry alleged that Jadhav's conversation during the meeting was "tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan."

Pakistani officials say Jadhav, who was arrested in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan, confessed to spying for Indian intelligence, and describe him as "the face of Indian terrorism in Pakistan".

Jadhav was found guilty in a closed trial by a military court and sentenced to death on charges of espionage and terrorism.

India took the case to the International Court of Justice which suspended his execution until it passes final judgement in the case.

Pictures released by the Pakistan government on Monday showed Jadhav and his family speaking through a glass barrier at the foreign ministry in Islamabad.

An Indian diplomat was present during the meeting, which lasted 40 minutes, but was not allowed to talk to the prisoner or listen to the conversation with his family.

New Delhi said Pakistan disrespected the cultural and religious sensibilities of Jadhav's family, alleging they were asked to change their clothes, and that his wife was ordered to remove her "mangal sutra" -- a necklace worn by married Hindu women.

The Indian foreign ministry added that Pakistani authorities did not return the shoes Jadhav's wife was ordered to remove.

It also accused Islamabad of allowing local journalists to "harass and hector" the Jadhav family, violating an understanding between Islamabad and New Delhi to not allow the media "close" access.

India also raised concerns over Jadhav's health, although he was seen sitting up in the grainy pictures. Pakistani officials said he was in good health.

New Delhi has maintained that Jadhav is innocent and that he was kidnapped by Pakistani authorities, also accusing Islamabad of violating the Vienna Convention by denying Jadhav consular access.

The nuclear-armed neighbours routinely accuse one another of sending spies into their countries.

Jadhav joined India's prestigious National Defence Academy in 1987 and was commissioned as an engineer in the Indian Navy in 1991 before reportedly starting a business in Iran.
JetBlue says no one was hurt after a plane went off the taxiway upon landing at Boston's Logan airport

A JetBlue flight went off the taxiway after landing in Boston, the airline said on Tuesday, as frigid conditions and snow hit the northeastern United States.

No injuries were reported after the flight from Savannah, Georgia, "went off of a taxiway shortly after landing at approximately 7:15 pm" on Monday, Christmas Day, a JetBlue statement said.

"Buses transported customers from the aircraft to the terminal."

Earlier in the day, Boston's Logan International Airport had temporarily stopped flights from arriving or departing because of weather conditions, The Boston Globe reported on its website after a blizzard hit the area.
More than half of registered Syrians in Lebanon live in extreme poverty, struggling to eke out a living while sheltering in informal tented settlements or unfinished buildings

The number of registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon has dropped to below one million for the first time since 2014, the United Nations told AFP on Tuesday.

As of the end of November, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) counted 997,905 Syrian refugees -- a vast majority of them women and children -- registered in Lebanon.

"The number reached one million in April 2014, and this is the first time it drops below that," UNHCR spokeswoman Lisa Abou Khaled told AFP.

Numbers were decreasing, Abou Khaled said, as refugees had resettled in third countries, returned to their homes in Syria, or passed away.

From 2011 until September this year, nearly 49,000 Syrians left Lebanon as part of the United Nations' resettlement programme to third countries including the United States, Sweden, and France.

Others left on their own, making the dangerous sea journey to reach Europe.

"We cannot confirm how many returned to Syria. They don't necessarily tell us, but we know it's a few thousand in 2017," Abou Khaled said.

From 2011 until September 2017, nearly 49,000 Syrians left Lebanon as part of the United Nations' resettlement programme to third countries including France

She said the United Nations revised its numbers on a quarterly basis to assess who remained in Lebanon and what support they required.

In December 2016, the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon was 1,011,366.

In the first six months of 2017, it dropped by 10,315, then again by more than 3,000 between June and November 31.

More than five million Syrians have fled the country's conflict since 2011 to neighbouring Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon, and even higher numbers are displaced internally.

The influx has tested Lebanon, a country of just four million that already struggled with overstretched resources.

More than half of registered Syrians in Lebanon live in extreme poverty, struggling to eke out a living while sheltering in informal tented settlements or unfinished buildings.

Lebanese politicians have increased their calls in recent months for refugees to return home, with large parts of the country under government control but left in ruins.
Protesters gather in Rania in the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region on December 20, 2017

At least 600 people have been arrested since protests began last week against authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan over corruption and the fallout from a failed independence push, lawmakers said Tuesday.

They said hundreds of them were still being held over the unrest, which saw protesters torch offices of political parties in the autonomous region in northern Iraq as anger boiled over at the fallout from an independence referendum.

Five demonstrators were shot dead and dozens wounded by security forces in the town of Rania a week ago.

Out of the 600 or more people detained, up to around 300 protesters are still being held "without any legal basis" in Sulaimaniyah province, said Sarwa Abdul Wahid, a lawmaker with the Goran opposition party.

They "were not brought before a judge and did not see their families or lawyers", she said, alleging mistreatment of the detainees, mostly young Goran supporters.

Another Kurdish lawmaker, Hoshyar Abdallah, said hundreds of people had been arrested.

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 fuelled ire over official graft.

The protests have ebbed in recent days in the face of tight security.

The speaker of the regional parliament, Yusuf Mohammed of Goran, announced his resignation at a news conference on Tuesday, saying he had received death threats without elaborating.

He had been unable to fulfil his duties for the past two years in any case because of political divisions that have paralysed the Kurdish parliament since 2015.

A judge meanwhile ordered the release on bail of Shaswar Abdul Wahid, a former television station head who founded a protest movement, his lawyer said.

He had been arrested a week ago when returning from London.
According to the Italian daily La Repubblica, smugglers have lowered the price of crossing to 400 euros, partly because of the bad winter weather, but are still cramming a maximum number of people into dinghies.

Some 255 migrants were rescued overnight in the Mediterranean off the coast of Libya, just before a front of bad weather hit the area, the Italian coastguard said Tuesday.

The non-governmental organisation Proactiva Open Arms picked up a rubber dinghy carrying 134 people, including seven children, on Monday night. They were to be transferred to the Aquarius rescue ship operated by another NGO, SOS Mediterranee, before being taken to Pozzallo in Sicily.

A military ship from the European anti-smuggling operation Sophia also rescued 121 people aboard two other boats, the coastguard said.

According to the Italian daily La Repubblica, smugglers have lowered the price of a crossing to 400 euros ($475) per person, in part due to the bad winter weather, but they are still cramming as many migrants as possible into the dinghies.

In his traditional Christmas address on Monday, Pope Francis urged people around the world not to forget the plight of migrants, who had been "driven from their land" because of leaders willing to shed "innocent blood".

No-one should feel "there is no room for them on this Earth," Francis told tens of thousands of worshippers gathered at the Vatican for his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" Christmas message.
Former Georgian president and leader of the Movement of New Forces party Mikhail Saakashvili has the right to obtain a Dutch citizenship and residence permit, since he is married to a Dutch citizen, Foreign Minister of the Netherlands Halbe Zijlstra said on Friday.

"He is married to a Dutch citizen, and according to the Dutch legislation he can apply for and get a [Dutch] passport," the Dutch television and radio company NOS quoted the minister as saying.

Saakashvili is married to 48-year-old Sandra Roelofs, who is a native of Terneuzen, the Netherlands. The couple has two sons.

Saakashvili earlier said several European countries offered him to acquire their citizenship, but he intended to defend his right to hold a Ukrainian passport.
Japan will not move its embassy to Jerusalem, Jordan's state news agency has reported Foreign Minister Taro Kono as saying

Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Tuesday held talks with his Jordanian counterpart, who said Jerusalem's fate should be decided in talks after Washington recognised the city as Israel's capital.

The status of the city should be decided "through direct negotiations and according to the relevant international resolutions", Ayman Safadi was reported by the Petra state news agency as saying.

US President Donald Trump's controversial decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital has triggered Palestinian protests and was rejected in a non-binding UN General Assembly resolution.

Only eight countries sided with Washington at the UN, including Guatemala, which said on Sunday it would follow the US in moving its embassy to Israel to the holy city.

In Amman on Tuesday, Kono said longstanding US ally Japan would not be shifting its diplomatic mission to Jerusalem, Petra agency said, agreeing that the city's status should be decided at negotiations.

Israel seized the eastern part of Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed it in a move not recognised by the international community.

Israelis see the whole of the city as their undivided capital, while the Palestinians view the east as the capital of their future state.

The United Nations has long said the only way to forge peace is to have two states -- Israel and Palestine -- with Jerusalem as the capital of both and the borders returned to their status before the 1967 war.

Israel and Jordan in 1994 signed a peace treaty, which recognises Amman's special status as official custodian of Jerusalem's holy Muslim sites.
A statement from the Russian foreign ministry said US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson initiated a call on December 26, 2017, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov regarding North Korea's nuclear programme

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday discussed North Korea's nuclear programme with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, stressing the need to start a negotiations process.

"The sides were united in the opinion that nuclear missile projects in North Korea violate the demands of the UN Security Council," the Russian foreign ministry said after the two men spoke by telephone.

Lavrov "once again highlighted that it is unacceptable to exacerbate tensions around the Korean peninsula with Washington's aggressive rhetoric toward Pyongyang and increasing military preparations in the region," it said.

"It was underlined that it is necessary to move from the language of sanctions to the negotiating process as soon as possible," the statement said, adding that it was Tillerson who initiated the call.

The UN Security Council on Friday slapped new sanctions on North Korea that will restrict oil supplies vital for its missile and nuclear programmes, the latest response to Pyongyang's ICBM test last month.

US 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.

Pyongyang has slammed the UN sanctions as an "act of war".

Moscow has called for talks between North Korea and the United States, warning of a "risk of uncontrolled escalation". Russia has also criticised Washington's military drills with South Korea saying it provokes Pyongyang.
Oren Hazan (R) is a provocative figure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party

Israel's parliament has decided to give a controversial rightwing lawmaker a security detail after a widely-shared video showed him insulting Palestinians heading to visit detained relatives, a spokesman said Tuesday.

Oren Hazan, a provocative figure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, dispensed the abuse on Monday after boarding a bus of Palestinians allowed to exit the Gaza Strip to see family members held in an Israeli jail.

"Your relatives belong in the ground," he says in the footage, demanding that passengers denounce "terrorist acts" against Israel.

"Your son is a dog," he tells a woman from the coastal enclave.

Hazan used the stunt to criticise Israel's policy of allowing permits for such visits while Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas allegedly hold three civilians and the bodies of two Israeli soldiers.

One woman replies: "Speak to Hamas to see your children, not us."

Footage of the incident has been shared widely on Palestinian and Israeli social media, and prompted a rare response from a spokesman for the armed wing of Hamas.

"Instead of sending an idiot to carry out childish acts... try to resolve the issue with courage and without intimidating women," Abu Obeida said in a statement to the Israeli authorities.

It is not the first time Hazan has sparked controversy.

In 2015, he was suspended from his position as deputy speaker of Israel's parliament after a televised report accused him of involvement in pimping and drugs.

This May, Hazan was heavily criticised after taking a selfie with US President Donald Trump as he landed in Israel.

In August, Netanyahu intervened to stop Hazan meeting a Jordanian lawmaker on the border, fearing a fistfight.
BARTOW, Fla. (AP) - The Latest on a small plane crash in Florida (all times local):

12:20 p.m.

Officials say four people have been confirmed dead after a twin-engine plane crashed in Florida.

Polk County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Tina Mann said in a statement that a total of four fatalities had been confirmed in the crash Sunday morning at Bartow Municipal Airport.

Mann said that when fire rescue crews arrived at the scene, the plane was already fully engulfed in flames.

In a separate statement, the sheriff's office said the plane was heading east into heavy fog when it took off from the airport.

The sheriff's office said the plane crashed shortly after takeoff at the end of a runway. The statement said the crash was "likely related to the fog."

The names of the victims were not released, pending notification of next of kin.

Bartow is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Orlando.

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10 a.m.

Authorities say multiple people have died in a small plane crash in Florida.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office says a twin-engine plane crashed Sunday morning at the end of a runway at Bartow Municipal Airport.

The sheriff's office statement says there were "several deaths." No additional information about the pilot or passengers aboard the plane has been released.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will be investigating the crash.
PARIS (AP) - French authorities say about 200 skiers were stranded in chair lifts when a gondola broke down at a resort in the French Alps. Rescue operations are underway and no one has been reported injured so far.

An official with the prefecture in the eastern Isere region told The Associated Press on Sunday that most of the skiers were evacuated after spending one or two hours stuck on the gondola at the Chamrousse resort.

The gondola cars run 25 meters (82 feet) above the ground.

Violaine Demaret, the prefecture official, says two civil security helicopters dropped rescue personnel over every car to open the roof hatches, release the skiers inside and lower them down to safety.

Demaret says the rescue operation should be completed before nightfall.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - The transmitter attached to a great white shark being tracked on Twitter has fallen silent.

The research group Ocearch says the transmitter on the shark known as Mary Lee has not sent a signal since June 17, when she was swimming off the New Jersey coast.

Founding chairman Chris Fischer and his crew caught and tagged the 16-foot shark off Massachusetts in 2012. Since then, thousands of people have followed Mary Lee on a Twitter page managed by Ocearch .

In a Florida Times-Union report , Fischer said the transmitter's batteries simply may have died, partly because Mary Lee surfaced frequently, which triggered more signals.

Fischer said he expected Mary Lee to live another 20 years.

An Ocearch vessel will depart Jacksonville University next month to search for additional sharks to tag.

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Information from: The (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union, http://www.jacksonville.com
JERUSALEM (AP) - An Israeli military court has extended the detention of a Palestinian teen who was filmed kicking and slapping Israeli soldiers, footage that made her a national hero and sparked a debate in Israel about the soldiers' refusal to respond to her blows.

Ahed Tamimi, a blonde 17-year-old from the West Bank village of Nebi Saleh, was arrested last week by Israeli troops and faces charges of attacking soldiers. The court on Monday extended Tamimi's detention, along with those of her mother and cousin, for four days for questioning.

Tamimi was filmed earlier this month outside her family home shouting, pushing, kicking and slapping Israeli soldiers, who fended off the blows without retaliating. Her father said she was upset when she approached the soldiers over the shooting with a rubber bullet minutes earlier of her 15-year-old cousin. The military confirmed rubber bullets had been used following what it said was a violent demonstration, but had no information about who was shot.

ISRAEL OUT - Palestinian Ahed Tamimi Is escorted at a military court near Jerusalem, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017. The 16-year-old girl who is seen in a video kicking and pushing two Israeli soldiers near her West Bank home is being celebrated by Palestinians as a symbol of a new generation resisting a 50-year-old Israeli occupation. (AP Photo/Oren Ziv)

Three days after the confrontation, amid an uproar in Israel, Tamimi was arrested from her home in a pre-dawn raid.

Palestinians are celebrating her as an icon of a new generation of resistance to Israeli occupation.

In Israel, the soldiers' decision not to react to Tamimi's seeming provocation has stirred a debate about deterrence, with some saying the army was humiliated.

Tamimi has made headlines in the past, including in 2015, when she bit the hand of a masked Israeli soldier who was holding her now 14-year-old brother in a chokehold during an attempted arrest. A video of the incident was widely watched, earning her an invitation to meet with the Turkish president.
LONDON (AP) - Harry Kane set the English Premier League record for goals in a calendar year, raising his total to 39 with a hat trick Tuesday that led Tottenham over Southampton 5-2.

Kane headed in Christian Eriksen's free kick in the 22nd minute, breaking the Premier League's previous record of 36 set by Alan Shearer in 1995.

Eriksen, Dele Alli and Heung-Min Son combined to set up an easy finish for Kane in the 39th. Kane scored Tottenham's final goal in the 67th, lobbing the ball over goalkeeper Fraser Forster for his record sixth Premier League hat trick this year.

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane goes to shoot and score his side's 5th goal and his third of the game during their English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at Wembley stadium in London Tuesday, Dec 26 2017. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

"It was hard not to think about it going into the game being level," Kane said. "As always, I wanted to win the game first and foremost but of course I wanted to score as a striker. To get that goal early on and get that record was a great feeling and I could enjoy the rest of the game."

Kane has played in 36 league matches this year, six fewer than Shearer's 1995 total. The English forward has 57 goals this year for club and country, moving two ahead of Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Argentina for the most among players in Europe's five major leagues

Alli curled in a shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 49th, then set up Son two minutes later for a 4-0 lead. Sofiane Boufal pulled a goal back for Southampton in the 64th and substitute Dusan Tadic scored in the 82nd.

"I want to congratulate Harry Kane. Massive achievement for him - well deserved," Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said. "We are all so, so, so happy. It's an amazing thing to celebrate."

Spurs won for the fourth time in five league games and remaining one point behind fourth-place Liverpool, which routed Swansea 5-0.

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane applauds the fans as he walks around the pitch with the match ball after scoring a hat-trick at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at Wembley stadium in London Tuesday, Dec 26 2017. Tottenham won the match 5-2. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, applauds the fans as he walks around the pitch with the match ball after scoring a hat-trick, at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at Wembley stadium in London Tuesday, Dec 26 2017. Tottenham won the match 5-2. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane watches as he scores his sides 5th goal and his third of the game during their English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at Wembley stadium in London Tuesday, Dec 26 2017. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, heads the ball to score the opening goal of the game during their English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at Wembley stadium in London, Tuesday, Dec 26 2017. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min, centre, celebrates with teammate Tottenham Hotspur's Dele Alli, right and Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane after he scored his sides 4th goal of the game during their English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at Wembley stadium in London Tuesday, Dec 26 2017. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, centre, celebrates scoring his sides 5th goal and his hat-trick with teammates Dele Alli, left, and Son Heung-min during their English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at Wembley stadium in London, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017. Tottenham won the match 5-2. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, heads the ball to score the opening goal of the game during their English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at Wembley stadium in London, Tuesday, Dec 26 2017. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
NEW HARMONY, Utah (AP) - A Utah sheriff's deputy said Tuesday he was desperate and numb from the cold as he punched and stomped his way into a frozen pond on Christmas Day to pull out an 8-year-old boy who had fallen through the ice while chasing his dog.

With cuts on his forearms, Washington County sheriff's Sgt. Aaron Thompson said at a news conference that rescuers believe the child was in the 37-degree water for about 30 minutes until the deputy rescued him.

"I couldn't feel anything. I didn't notice anything when I was doing it," Thompson said. "I knew that time was of the essence. I had a very short window to get that child out of the water."

Washington County sheriff's Sgt. Aaron Thompson speaks at a press conference in Hurricane, Utah, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017, following his rescue of an 8-year-old boy who fell into an icy pond in New Harmony on Monday. Authorities have not offered details about the boy's condition but Thompson said at a news conference Tuesday that deputies were hopeful for the boy. (Alex Cabrero/The Deseret News via AP)

Sheriff's Lt. David Crouse said the boy was hospitalized in Salt Lake City but he didn't have details on his condition. Thompson said deputies were hopeful.

The boy fell through the ice in the town of New Harmony, north of St. George.

After arriving at the scene, Thompson, who had served on a search and rescue dive team, began searching an area where a woman reported seeing the boy's hand flail about four minutes earlier.

The deputy stomped to break through the ice and work his way deeper, pounding with his hands and fists.

"As the ice got thicker, I couldn't break it with my arms and my fists anymore, so I had to jump up on top of the ice, putting my weight on it, and then pound on it to get it to break," he said.

When he went into the water, his toes brushed against reeds growing on the bottom of the pond and water reached his neck.

He swished his arms and legs around before finding the boy beneath the ice about 25 feet from the shoreline.

Thompson was treated for symptoms of hypothermia and released from a hospital Monday night. He said he lost the feeling in some fingers but sensation had returned by Tuesday.

He expects to return to work by early next week.

The Spectrum of St. George reported that Sheriff Cory Pulsipher praised the deputy.

"He hates having the spotlight on him, but he's a hero," Pulsipher said.

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This story has been corrected to show that it was a Washington County sheriff's deputy involved, not Washoe County.

In this Monday, Dec. 25, 2017 photo provided by the Washington County Sheriffs Office, a search and rescue team work on the edge of a frozen pond in the town of New Harmony, north of St. George, Utah. A sheriff's deputy in southern Utah punched through the frozen pond on Christmas Day to rescue drowning 8-year-old boy. Washington County sheriff's Lt. David Crouse said the boy was chasing his dog Monday evening when another child saw him fall through the ice. (Washington County Sheriffs Office via AP)
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - A man who authorities say sprayed a foul-smelling brown liquid on produce at a South Carolina grocery store now faces federal charges.

Charleston Police said 41-year-old Pau Hang was arrested Oct. 15 after a manager saw him empty a bottle of liquid with a bad odor like feces on the produce and other items at a Harris Teeter store in Charleston.

A police report suggested Hang was a contractor and was angry because he thought the store owed him money.

A federal grand jury indicted Hang earlier this month on charges of attempting to tamper with a consumer product and tainting a consumer product to cause commercial harm.

Court records did not list a lawyer for Hang, who remains in jail on a $200,000 bond.
BEIJING, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has pledged better diplomatic work to serve the development of China and the world.

As the largest developing country, the diplomatic work of China should serve the creation of a better external environment for the country's modernization, Wang said in an interview with journalists of the People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

"On the other hand, we also need to take our international responsibilities and make new contributions to the development and progress of humanity," he said in the interview, which was published in the Monday edition of the newspaper.

Wang said China will make every possible effort to host the Boao Forum for Asia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation and the China International Import Expo next year to "open a new chapter" for win-win cooperation between China and other countries.

He also said China will promote the healthy development of China-U.S. relations, maintain high-level strategic coordination with Russia, consolidate the sound momentum for relations with European countries, and work to build a framework for major-country relations featuring overall stability and balanced development.

He said China will deepen its friendship with neighbors and seek political settlement regarding issues such as the Korean peninsula and Afghanistan.

Wang said that in 2018, China will implement the results reached at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and put in place mechanisms to boost cooperation.

The foreign minister said China will also participate in global governance, make economic globalization more open, inclusive and beneficial to more people, and advance international cooperation in responding to climate change and fighting terrorism.

Moreover, he said China will participate in making rules regarding emerging sectors, such as cyberspace and outer space, and will oppose all forms of protectionism.

To better serve the country's development, Wang said China will expedite communication and exchanges among Chinese and foreign personnel, improve consular services and explore building a safety network for overseas Chinese.
CHISAGO CITY, Minn. (AP) - A Minnesota couple delivered their baby on the side of a road while rushing to the hospital on Christmas Day, just two minutes after the mother's water broke.

Taylor and Hannah Lindeman told the Star Tribune that they were forced to pull over along Highway 8 at the edge of Chisago City and Wyoming to wait for an ambulance.

Taylor Lindeman says they were on the way to a St. Paul hospital in minus-2 degree (minus-19 Celsius) weather, but the baby "had other plans." Hannah Lindeman gave birth to a daughter, Poppy, in the car's front passenger seat.

In this Monday, Dec. 25, 2017 photo, Taylor Lindeman leans in over his wife Hannah and newborn daughter, Poppy, at United Hospital in St. Paul, Minn. The Minnesota couple delivered their baby on the side of a frigid road while they were rushing to the hospital on Christmas Day. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP)

A police officer arrived shortly after the birth and tied off the umbilical cord with a shoelace from Hannah's boot.

The couple expects to return home from United Hospital on Wednesday.

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This story has been altered to correct Hannah Lindeman's name, which was misspelled "Hanna" in one sentence.

In this Monday, Dec. 25, 2017 photo, Hannah Lindeman holds her newborn daughter, Poppy, at United Hospital in St. Paul, Minn. Husband, Taylor Lindeman delivered their baby on the side of a frigid road while they were rushing to the hospital on Christmas Day. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP)
LIMA, Peru (AP) - Former President Alberto Fujimori apologized to Peruvians on Tuesday for the wrongs committed under his government in the 1990s, issuing a vaguely worded statement two days after he received a presidential medical pardon that freed him from prison.

The 79-year-old Fujimori spoke in a videotaped message from a hospital in the capital. He received the pardon after serving less than half of a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses.

"I am aware that the results during my government were well received on one side, but I recognize that I have let down other compatriots," he said. "To them, I ask for forgiveness with all my heart."

A woman walks past a group of police who are standing guard outside the clinic where former President Alberto Fujimori was admitted, in Lima, Peru, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017. Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski granted a medical pardon to the jailed former strongman who was serving a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses, corruption and the sanctioning of death squads. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

Fujimori had not previously apologized, asserting even during his sentencing hearing that he was innocent. He led the country in 1990-2000 and was found guilty for the killings of 25 people in a campaign against the leftist Shining Path terrorist group.

"He has to ask forgiveness from his victims, from the families of those who were lost, who can't spend Christmas with their families," Marisa Glave, a member of parliament, said on local television network America.

Fujimori, who has been diagnosed with arrhythmia and tongue cancer, also thanked President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski for pardoning him and sparing him from serving another 14 years in prison.

The decision, which was announced on Christmas Eve, sparked large protests across the country on Christmas Day.

The president said Fujimori was being let go for humanitarian reasons, but many believe it was part of a backroom deal struck to protect Kuczynski from impeachment on corruption charges. Human Rights Watch declared it a "vulgar political negotiation."

Abstentions by lawmakers from a party led by Fujimori's son allowed Kuczynski to narrowly avoid being impeached late Thursday over a payment that his consulting firm received from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, which has been accused of bribing public officials throughout Latin America.

A U.N. official said Tuesday that Peru's president should not have acted alone in granting the pardon.

Amerigo Incalcaterra, the South America representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, noted in a statement that the U.N. told Kuczynski's government in October that the seriousness of Fujimori's crimes warranted involvement of the international community in deciding on any pardon.

Such a pardon "requires a rigorous analysis in each case, considering the gravity of the facts in the framework of a transparent and inclusive process, in the light of international human rights standards," Incalcaterra wrote.
ATLANTA (AP) - Rapper T.I. spent Christmas Eve spreading holiday cheer among some single mothers, helping them with their last-minute shopping for gifts.

In a video T.I. posted on social media, the Grammy-winning artist entered an Atlanta-area Target on Sunday and called for all single mothers present to follow him. He strolled through the store alongside several mothers, went to the cash register with them and then paid for their Christmas presents.

T.I. says he spent $20,000 within a 30-minute stretch. He had to leave after that because of a flight.

FILE - In this Sept. 17, 2016, file photo, T.I. performs during the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta. Rapper T.I. spent Christmas eve spreading holiday cheer among some single mothers, helping them with their last-minute shopping for gifts. In a video T.I. posted on social media, the Grammy-winning artist entered an Atlanta-area Target on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017, and called for all single mothers present to follow him. He strolled through the store alongside several mothers, went to the cash register with them and then paid for their Christmas presents. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

This isn't the first time T.I. has surprised shoppers by paying for their gifts. He appeared at metro Atlanta stores around Christmas in past years to help mothers in need, including making two different stops at Walmart stores in 2016.

___

Corrects spelling to Christmas Eve from Christmas eve throughout.
NEW HARMONY, Utah (AP) - The Latest on a deputy rescuing a boy from a frozen Utah pond (all times local):

5 p.m.

A southern Utah sheriff's deputy who punched through a frozen pond on Christmas Day to rescue a drowning 8-year-old boy says authorities believe the boy was in the cold water for about 30 minutes.

Authorities have not offered details about the boy's condition but Sgt. Aaron Thompson said at a news conference Tuesday that deputies were hopeful for the boy.

Thompson appeared with cuts on his forearms and says he spent about two minutes breaking through the ice before locating the boy underneath it.

Thompson was treated for symptoms of hypothermia and cuts and bruises.

He says he lost feeling in some of his fingers Christmas night but that sensation returned Tuesday morning.

Thompson says he hopes to return to work later this week or early next week.

___

1:30 p.m.

A southern Utah sheriff's deputy who punched through a frozen pond on Christmas Day to rescue a drowning 8-year-old boy has been released from the hospital.

Terri Draper with Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George said Tuesday that Washington County sheriff's Sgt. Aaron Thompson was released from the hospital after being treated for symptoms of hypothermia and cuts and bruises.

The boy also was hospitalized, but his condition hasn't been released.

Authorities say Thompson will speak Tuesday afternoon at a press conference, where authorities planned to release more details.

___

8:10 a.m.

A sheriff's deputy in southern Utah punched through a frozen pond on Christmas Day to rescue a drowning 8-year-old boy.

Washington County Sheriff's Lt. David Crouse says the boy was chasing his dog at about 5 p.m. Monday when another child saw him fall through the ice on a pond in New Harmony north of St. George.

He says sheriff's Sgt. Aaron Thompson broke a path through the ice until he was close enough to dive in and locate the boy about 25 feet from the shoreline.

Crouse says the boy was airlifted to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George where his condition has not been released.

The deputy also has been hospitalized with cuts and bruises and symptoms of hypothermia. The extent of his injuries wasn't immediately known.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A prosecutor says authorities are still investigating the motives of an Egyptian man who shot at police in several locations in Pennsylvania's state capital, wounding one of them, before dying in a shootout.

Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico gave no new information Tuesday about Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty's motives. The 51-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen fired at a police officer Friday afternoon in front of the state Capitol and later at a state trooper, wounding her.

El-Mofty was killed in a confrontation with city and state police officers about a mile from the Capitol.

Marsico says agents know where El-Mofty purchased his guns. The FBI and Pennsylvania State Police are aiding the investigation.

Federal officials say El-Mofty was admitted to the U.S. from Egypt on a family-based immigrant visa.
DRAPER, Utah (AP) - More than a dozen members of the Utah National Guard are preparing for a year-long deployment in Afghanistan.

A departure ceremony is planned Thursday at Utah Guard Headquarters in Draper for 15 soldiers from the 142nd Military Intelligence Battalion.

Lt. Col. Steven Fairbourn said Tuesday they've been assigned to a mission in Afghanistan where they will process and analyze country-wide information to help U.S. forces gain a better understanding of the battlefield and fight enemy insurgents.

The soldiers will travel to Fort Hood, Texas and then Fort Bragg, North Carolina for several weeks of training before heading overseas. The 12-month deployment is in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel.

Fairbourn says the Utah Guard is proud thankful for their service and mindful of the sacrifice the soldiers and their families make for the nation's defense.
The widower of murdered MP Jo Cox has encouraged people to talk to their loved ones this Christmas Eve.

Brendan Cox is facing his second Christmas without Jo, mother to their two children Cuillin and Lejla.

Extremist Thomas Mair was jailed for life for killing the Labour MP in the days before the Brexit referendum last June.

Brendan Cox, widower of MP Jo Cox

Mr Cox wrote on Twitter: Weird thing to do on Christmas Eve but Id encourage everyone to take a moment to imagine losing the person you love most in the world.

Weird thing to do on Christmas Eve but Id encourage everyone to take a moment to imagine losing the person you love most in the world. Imagine what you would wish you had said to them. Then take a moment to say it.  Brendan Cox (@MrBrendanCox) December 24, 2017

Imagine what you would wish you had said to them. Then take a moment to say it.

The tweet rapidly gained traction on the social media site, racking up more than 5,000 retweets and 14,000 likes.
Five people have been confirmed dead in a fiery small plane crash in Florida.

The Polk County Sheriffs Office said the crash on Sunday morning at Bartow Municipal Airport immediately killed the 70-year-old pilot and four adult passengers.

The sheriffs office identified the pilot as Lakeland lawyer John Shannon. His passengers included his two daughters, his son-in-law and a family friend.

Several people are reported to have died in a plane crash in Florida (John Linton/PA)

They were identified as 24-year-old Southeastern University student Olivia Shannon, 26-year-old Baltimore teacher Victoria Shannon Worthington, 27-year-old University of Maryland law student Peter Worthington Jr and 32-year-old Lakeland teacher Krista Clayton.

Sheriffs office spokeswoman Carrie Horstman said Mr Shannon had filed a flight plan to fly on Sunday from Bartow to Key West.

The twin-engine Cessna 340 crashed shortly after take-off.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has used his Christmas Day sermon to reflect on the terrorist atrocities and deceitfulness of populist leaders witnessed in 2017.

The Most Rev Justin Welby told worshippers at Canterbury Cathedral that much could be learnt from the Nativity story, where Jesus is power seen in humility.

Preaching at the Sung Eucharist service, he made what will be interpreted by some as a jibe at US President Donald Trump by contrasting the son of God with populist leaders that deceive their people.

And in an echo of Pope Franciss address at Christmas Eve Mass in the Vatican, the Archbishop drew a parallel between the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and the refugee crisis.

He told the congregation: The nature of those who have power is to seek to hold on to it.

(Gareth Fuller/PA)

In 2017 we have seen around the world tyrannical leaders that enslave their peoples, populist leaders that deceive them, corrupt leaders that rob them, even simply democratic, well-intentioned leaders of many parties and countries who are normal, fallible human beings.

We have experienced across our country terrorism that kills the innocent, claiming that it is the path to freedom in God.

The nature of God who has all power, and from whom all power comes, is to lay it aside for loves sake and thus without fear, force or manipulation to offer true freedom for every human being.

The Archbishop this year publicly spoke out against Mr Trump when he shared videos from far-right group Britain First via Twitter.

He said at the time: It is deeply disturbing that the president of the United States has chosen to amplify the voice of far-right extremists.

Earlier on Monday morning the Church of Englands most senior cleric gave his Christmas message a modern twist by publishing extracts in a Twitter thread, complete with a hashtag.

1. You might be wondering why Christians today are celebrating the birth of Jesus to young, poor parents in a war-torn country ruled by an infant-slaughtering, family-murdering psychopath... read on.  Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) December 25, 2017

2. Were celebrating because this helpless baby, born in the lowest place, is the God who has brought and continues to bring more freedom than all earths most powerful leaders.  Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) December 25, 2017

3. Look into that manger. God has all power - yet he lays that power aside for loves sake. And so without fear, force or manipulation he offers true freedom for every human being.  Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) December 25, 2017

4. Look into that manger and see Jesus: a divine-human leader who doesnt subdue or diminish His followers. He enables them to be all that a human being can be - to be truly liberated.  Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) December 25, 2017

5. This light of truth and love needed witnesses then, and it needs them today. Thats the calling of every Christian, in everything we do and say.  Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) December 25, 2017

6. Thats why were celebrating today. Because Christ is born - and were all invited to share in the life and freedom he brings. And thats why I truly wish you all a very Merry Christmas. #GodWithUs  Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) December 25, 2017

Across the globe, the Pope put the migrant crisis at the heart of his festive reflections, saying that the story of the holy birth had particular relevance as millions of people were driven from their land.

The Archbishop struck a similar note during his sermon, saying: We are drawn to stories of freedom and purpose.

In Star Wars an abandoned orphan on a desert planet turns into a knight leading the struggle for freedom.

Platform nine and three quarters takes Harry Potter into a world of magic and purpose.

(Gareth Fuller/PA)

Not so in the gospel stories, even those of Christmas. Yes, the shepherds see angels. Yes, Mary and Joseph have dreams and are chosen as special people.

Yet after the moments of miracles life goes on almost as before  the shepherds return to their sheep, Joseph settles back as a carpenter, Mary raises children.

They flee as refugees, like over 60 million people today.

Yet their story is the beginning of ours, it is an invitation to lives of freedom, found through Gods freely offered love.
A nurse caring for sick children at Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) described the moment they wake up to presents on Christmas Day as the best feeling in the world.

Hannah Sharman, a senior staff nurse caring for children with heart conditions on 24-bed Bear ward, described how she and her colleagues lay out gifts for the children overnight ready to be unwrapped in the morning.

Ms Sharman, who has worked four overnight shifts ending on the morning of the 25th, said it was a really difficult time for youngsters to be in hospital but that her team did all they could to make it as Christmassy as possible.

This year, up to 250 children are expected to wake up on Christmas morning at Gosh, the hospital said.

The 28-year-old, from east London, said: I will always give up any of my time to be with the children who are unfortunate enough to go home and spend Christmas with their families.

Just being able to put out the presents for them and watch them wake up in the morning with a smile on their face, its the best feeling in the world.

Its always a pleasure to be part of their special day, she added.

To mark the day, staff don silly hats and reindeer antlers and play games with the children, who received a very special visit from Santa in the days leading up to Christmas.

Children that are well enough can have Christmas dinner in the Lagoon canteen, while those who are most sick will have a tray brought to their beds.

Families, patients and staff are also invited to attend a Christmas Eve carol concert and midnight mass in the hospital chapel.

#MerryChristmas from everyone at Great Ormond Street Hospital! Your support helps more and more families to be together on this most special of days. Thank you! https://t.co/ELkQnouV0V pic.twitter.com/MDKI4ES9AF  GOSHCharity (@GOSHCharity) December 25, 2017

Three-year-old Esme has aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the aorta, and is in Gosh waiting for a transplant.

Her mother, Linda, from Reading, said: At Christmas we want everyone to be happy, as healthy as they can be and be together.

In the new year we hope Esme will get her new heart and continues to become better, is thriving, and ultimately we would like her to get home.

We couldnt express our gratitude to the nurses and staff at Gosh enough for the care they have given Esme, and continue to give to her and our family.

There is no way we could thank them enough.

Its #ChristmasEve! Santa and his elves took time out from their busy schedule to visit the patients, families and staff at GOSH  including six-month-old Ilyas, who donned his own Santa hat for the occasion! pic.twitter.com/1jSGrGyMT0  GOSHCharity (@GOSHCharity) December 24, 2017

James Linthicum, senior chaplain at Gosh, said the hospital does everything humanly possible, short of having a baby in the manger to ensure children of all faiths and backgrounds can enjoy the magic of Christmas.

Mr Linthicum will be doing his 11th Christmas Day ward round this year, accompanied by a Muslim chaplain and, for the first time, a rabbi.

James Linthicum (Gosh/PA)

He said: A director of nursing whos no longer with us used to say Once you establish the fact that nobody wants to be here, then its the greatest place in the world to be.

So if you start from that point, it is an amazing place. Everybody makes an effort. The nurses make an effort, the doctors, the families.

We have siblings come in, Father Christmas visits normally  I can tell you where the chimney is, its in the old building, thats the one he comes down. And its just an amazing sense of being in it together.

Theres a sense of hopefulness, and really for me, I use a phrase from O Little Town of Bethlehem, this is a place where the hopes and fears of all the years meet.

Parents are hopeful because this is one of the most amazing hospitals in the world, but its also fearful because your child has to be in one of the most amazing hospitals in the world.

Addressing patients and former patients he said: Youre amazing. Christmas would not be Christmas for me, much as Id like for you all not to be here, the fact that you have been and are, you make it probably the most meaningful day of the year, by your willingness to either muddle through or rejoice in it or even share difficulties.

But the fact that youre here and that we all share a hope of some kind is a true blessing, its my Christmas gift.

He said he hoped everyone could draw from Christmas the message of hope, adding: I hope the children realise what gifts and blessings they are to us.
Beijing (People's Daily) - 375 million people may have to change occupations by 2030, and a third of this number are Chinese, said a report on the impact of automation from McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) released in early December.

Automation technologies including artificial intelligence and robotics will generate significant benefits for lifting productivity and economic growth, said the MGI report titled, Jobs lost, jobs gained: Workforce Transitions in a Time Of Automation.

About half of all global job opportunities have the potential to become automated by adapting current technology, in addressing human concern on being replaced with machines.

60 percent of occupations, at least one-third, had the potential to become automated based on the assessment of todays technological capabilities.

Potentials occupation changes

The report reveals a mosaic of potential occupation shifts in the years ahead, and how it will impact skills and wages.

Findings have revealed that automation has the potential to disrupt human workplaces, but the results are varied according to country and occupation.

By 2030, 16 percent of todays jobs in China will be filled by machines, as explained in the chart below, leveling the global average to 15 percent.

But in the US and Germany, both developed countries represented in the chart below, the number is estimated to reach almost 25 percent, a figure far higher than other national averages.

The numbers indicate how high wage earners within the work force of developed nations stand a greater chance of being replaced by a machine.

However, other job areas will experience steady growth. New job opportunities will emerge, and some will be replaced with other opportunities.

Professionals, caregivers, and managers will be in high demand by 2030. Occupations that cannot be filled by a machine.

Future jobs shifts. Photo: McKinsey Global Institute

130 million new jobs in the elderly healthcare industry are expected, along with higher salaries.

By 2030, at least 300 million people aged 65 or older will need the support of some kind, way above the number from 2014, as shown in the report.

Demand for caregivers will increase in developed and developing countries, especially for those who will need home care, personal aide, and nursing assistants.

Jobs related to developing and deploying new technology can also expect growth.

The future of work in China

China will face the greatest number of job shifts, and at least 120 million can expect to change their job.

Fortunately, employment opportunities will exist to offset the impact of automation and the decline of the nations workforce. According to the report, machinists and cooks will see a drop in employment opportunities.

Chinas workforce transitioned from agriculture to manufacturing over the course of 25 years (1990-2015).

Through automation technology, China could experience labor shortages which would hamper advancements in productivity. But the country it will see an increase in its elderly population by 2030, as 17 percent will be 65 or older, thus giving rise to opportunities in the private healthcare sector.

Overall, the McKinsey Report shows how China will benefit from the impact of automation.

Compiled by Fang Tian
Meghan Markle gave a boost to another Canadian fashion brand when she attended her first Christmas church service with the royals.

Prince Harrys fiancee wore a 986 long camel-coloured wrap coat in baby alpaca wool by Sentaler, which boasts as worn by Meghan Markle on its website.

(Joe Giddens/PA)

The coat is described as having a signature wide collar that works in harmony with the longer length while the fit and flare-vented hem are said to keep the femme feel of a sophisticated classic that will be worn season after season.

Anyone hoping to snap up their own version will have to wait two months as stocks were sold out, with the website announcing it was available for pre order and will ship February 2018.

Ms Markles look also included knee-length brown suede boots and a stylish matching brown hat, while she was clutching a brown leather and suede Chloe pixie bag, which sells for over 1,000.

She also appeared to be wearing the same earrings from Canadian fine jewellery brand Maison Birks which she wore for her first public outing after the engagement announcement in November.

The snowflake earrings cost over 5,000.
LONDON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Ecuadorian striker Jose Angulo had his ban for testing positive for cocaine raised from one year to four years on Monday after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld FIFA's appeal against his original sanction.

Angulo, who joined Spanish club Granada last year but never played for them, failed a drug test with his former Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle after the first leg of the final of the Copa Libertadores in July 2016.

He was suspended for 12 months by a tribunal of south American confederation CONMEBOL but FIFA appealed against that punishment in April this year.

"Following the appeal of FIFA, CAS heard the parties and scientific experts on 31 October 2017," a statement said.

"The CAS Panel in charge of the arbitration has determined that the facts submitted by the player did not match with the evidence produced by the scientific experts, has set aside the CONMEBOL decision and replaced it with a new decision in which Jose Enrique Angulo Caicedo is sanctioned with a four-year period of ineligibility, commencing on 20 July 2016."

Angulo, 22, returned to Independiente del Valle after his ill-fated move to Granada.

No further details were provided. (Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
AMMAN, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Syrian rebel groups on Monday rejected Russia's planned Sochi conference on Syria, saying Moscow was seeking to bypass a U.N.-based Geneva peace process and blaming Russia for committing war crimes in the war-torn country.

In a statement by around 40 rebel groups who include some of the military factions who participated in earlier rounds of Geneva peace talks, they said Moscow had not put pressure on the Syrian government to reach a political settlement.

"Russia has not contributed one step to easing the suffering of Syrians and has not pressured the regime that it claims it is a guarantor by move in any real path towards a solution," the rebel statement said.

Russia, which has emerged as the dominant player in Syria after a major military intervention over two years ago, received backing from Turkey and Iran for holding a Syrian national dialogue congress in the Russian city of Sochi on Jan. 29-30.

"Russia is an aggressor country that has committed war crimes against Syrians... It stood with the regime militarily and defended its politically and over seven years preventing U.N. condemnation of (Syrian President Bashar) Assad's regime," the statement said.

Moscow says it targets militants but rebels and residents say the Russian air strikes conducted since a major aerial campaign over two years ago has caused hundreds of civilian casualties in indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas away from the frontline.

Some rebels said they had not yet made up their mind.

U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said that Russia's plan to convene the congress should be assessed by its ability to contribute to and support the U.N.-led Geneva talks on ending the war in Syria. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Sandra Maler)
China's financial hub of Shanghai will limit its population to 25 million people by 2035 as part of a quest to manage 'big city disease', the cabinet has said.

The State Council said on its website late on Monday the goal to control the size of the city was part of Shanghai's masterplan for 2017-2035, which the government body had approved.

'By 2035, the resident population in Shanghai will be controlled at around 25 million and the total amount of land made available for construction will not exceed 3,200 square kilometres,' it said.

The goal to control the size of the city was part of Shanghai's masterplan for 2017-2035. Pictured: A woman eats fruit in the old quarters of Shanghai today

State media has defined 'big city disease' as arising when a megacity becomes plagued with environmental pollution, traffic congestion and a shortage of public services, including education and medical care.

Many of China's biggest cities also face surging house prices, stirring fears of a property bubble.

Shanghai, which sits on China's eastern coast, had a permanent population of 24.15 million at the end of 2015, the official Xinhua news agency said last year.

The city has also said it would intensify efforts to protect the environment and historic site as part of its masterplan.
By Ryan Woo and Muyu Xu

BEIJING, Dec 26 (Reuters) - China exported no oil products to North Korea in November, Chinese customs data showed, apparently going above and beyond sanctions imposed earlier this year by the United Nations in a bid to limit petroleum shipments to the isolated country.

Tension has flared this year over North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes, pursued in defiance of years of U.N. resolutions. Last week, the U.N. Security Council imposed new caps on trade with North Korea, including limiting oil product shipments to just 500,000 barrels a year.

Beijing also imported no iron ore, coal or lead from North Korea in November, the second full month of the latest trade sanctions imposed by U.N.

China, the main source of North Korea's fuel, did not export any gasoline, jet fuel, diesel or fuel oil to its isolated neighbour last month, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday.

Beijing's move to turn off the taps completely is rare. In March 2003, China suspended oil supplies to North Korea for three days after Pyongyang fired a missile into waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

Chinese exports of corn to North Korean in November also slumped, down 82 percent from a year earlier to 100 tonnes, the lowest since January. Exports of rice plunged 64 percent to 672 tonnes, the lowest since March.

Trade between North Korea and China has slowed through the year, particularly after China banned coal purchases in February. In November, China's trade with North Korea totalled $388 million, one of the lowest monthly volumes this year.

China has renewed its call on all countries to make constructive efforts to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, urging the use of peaceful means to resolve issues.

But tension flared again after North Korea on Nov. 29 said it had successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile test that put the U.S. mainland within range of its nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile Chinese exports of liquefied petroleum gas to North Korea, often used for cooking, rose 58 percent in November from a year earlier to 99 tonnes. Exports of ethanol, which can be turned into a biofuel, gained 82 percent to 3,428 cubic metres. (Reporting by Muyu Xu and Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Meng Meng and Hallie Gu; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
BEIJING, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Chinese imports of coal from key supplier Australia slipped in November from a year ago, customs data showed, hit by heavy traffic congestion in Australian ports.

Shipments from Australia <COA-AUCN-IMP> fell 0.3 percent in November from the same month a year ago to 5.59 million tonnes, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday. That compared with October's 5.61 million tonnes.

More than 300 large dry cargo ships have been waiting outside Chinese and Australian ports in a maritime traffic jam for over a month, choking supplies to the world's second-largest economy.

"Demand for high-quality coal is surging as the country has imposed stringent rules to curb emissions and improve energy efficiency," said Wang Fei, a coal analyst at Huaan Futures.

High-grade coal from Australia, with lower pollutants such as sulphides and higher energy value, has seen increasing demand from utilities and industrial plants in China.

As part of a national battle against air pollution, China aims to reduce consumption of low-grade bulk coal by 200 million tonnes by 2020.

China is expected to import around 260 million tonnes of coal in 2017, according to data from China National Coal Association.

Over the first 11 months, the world's largest coal consumer brought in 248.17 million tonnes of the commodity..

Arrivals from Russia <COA-RUCN-IMP> rose 10.9 percent from a year earlier to 1.92 million tonnes in November, customs data showed. Imports from Mongolia <COA-MNCN-IMP> were down 17.8 percent at 2.76 million tonnes.

Indonesian coal supplies <COA-IDCN-IMP> tumbled 33.9 percent from a year ago to 3.41 million tonnes, dampened by the decreasing demand for lower-grade varieties of the fuel.

China's appetite for coal was buoyed earlier this month when the central government scaled back its plan to convert northern cities to using natural gas for heating due to a shortage of that commodity.

Thermal coal on the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange soared on Dec. 18 to a record 645.4 yuan ($98.55) a tonne.

State planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), has approved three new coal mines with combined annual capacity of 32 million tonnes since the beginning of December, a bid to ensure coal supplies during future winters.

The NDRC has also urged coal miners to put more high-grade coal projects into operation "as soon as possible".

Local media reported on Thursday last week that China has loosened restriction on coal imports through Shanghai and several other ports.

($1 = 6.5487 Chinese yuan) (Reporting by Muyu Xu and Ryan Woo; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell and Tom Hogue)
MANILA, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Four pro-Islamic State militants were killed in airstrikes by Philippine troops in a southern province where the rebel group launched a Christmas Day attack, a military spokesman said on Tuesday.

Members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) attacked Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao on Monday, burning two houses and prompting residents to flee, said Captain Arvin Encinas, spokesman for the 6th Infantry Division.

The latest military operation follows last month's shelling of BIFF gunmen in support of ground attacks in an area of marshland between the provinces of Maguindanao and Cotabato, about 170 km (106 miles) from Marawi City.

The shellings took place as the military pushes on with a new offensive after the country's biggest urban battle in decades in Marawi, which was occupied for several months by Islamic State loyalists including BIFF fighters.

The militants' occupation of Marawi and their dogged resistance spread alarm in the region about the rise of extremism and radical aspirations to create an Islamic State caliphate.

(Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz; Editing by Nick Macfie)
BELGRADE, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Serbia has extradited to Turkey a Kurdish political activist who had been seeking asylum, a police official said on Tuesday, defying a recommendation by the United Nations' Committee against Torture.

Cevdet Ayaz requested asylum in Serbia earlier this year after fleeing Turkey, where he had been sentenced to 15 years in prison over alleged activities against the constitution, the Belgrade-based N1 TV quoted his lawyer Ana Trkulja as saying.

It also quoted her as saying that Ayaz had been extradited to Turkey on Monday and that his brother had been asked to contact a police station in Istanbul where he was being held.

The U.N. Committee against Torture (UNCAT) issued a recommendation on Dec. 18 urging Belgrade to refrain from extraditing Ayaz.

The Serbian police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Serbian courts had ruled that all preconditions for the extradition had been met and that Justice Minister Nela Kuburovic had acted accordingly.

"The motion by the U.N. came after that (decision) ... The police only performed the extradition procedure," the official said.

Officials at Serbia's Justice Ministry, which approved Ayaz's extradition, were not immediately available for comment on the case.

On Monday UNCAT chairman Jens Modvig warned Serbia, a candidate for European Union membership, to adhere to its international obligations.

"Serbia is in the process of extraditing Mr. Ayaz to Turkey ... Serbia, please be aware of your UNCAT obligations," Modvig wrote on his Twitter account.

Rights groups accuse Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan of using a state of emergency declared after the 2016 coup attempt to quash decades-long Kurdish dissent and political opposition.

Turkey, which is also a candidate for EU membership, denies using torture.

Serbia, the legal successor to the now-defunct Yugoslavia, has ratified the U.N. convention against torture, which came into force in 1987.

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic has sought to boost trade ties with Turkey, and Erdogan visited Belgrade in October.

(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Gareth Jones)
The culture of Impunity is part of our political psyche. When democracy fails the Democratic Institutions crumble and they are unable to function in an independent manner said Dr. Deepika Udugama, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission at a panel discussion on Challenges and Achievements of Fighting Impunity in Sri Lanka at the International Symposium held to Promote Freedom of Expression and the Rule of Law in Asia through ending Impunity for Crimes against Journalists in Colombo on the 4th of December.

Seated from left to right: Nalaka Gunawardena, Thevanayagam Premanath, Sanjana Haththotuwa, Dr Deepika Udagama, Sonali Samarasinghe and Ruwan Gunasekera

The introductory remarks at the event were made by Minister for Finance and Media while the keynote speech was delivered by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Both speeches were given wide publicity through the media the following day but the discussions that followed were confined to the auditorium.

"Challenges and Achievements of Fighting Impunity was the theme of discussion of session two of the day and moderated by Nalaka Gunawardena"



Challenges and Achievements of Fighting Impunity

Challenges and achievements of Fighting Impunity in Sri Lanka was the theme of discussion of session two of the day and moderated by Nalaka Gunawardena a Writer, Journalist and Development Communication Specialist in Sri Lanka. Nalakas opening remarks were Journalism is Not a Crime.

The Panel comprised of Sonali Samarasinghe Wickremathunge, Minister Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York, Dr. Deepika Udugama Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission, Sri Lanka, Thevanayagam Premanth - Editor Uthayan Newspaper, Police Media Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera and Sanjana Haththotuwa - Senior Researcher Centre of Policy Alternatives Sri Lanka.

Police Spokesman SP Gunasekera presented facts and figures on crimes against journalists in the decade prior to 2015 and stated that no crimes had been committed against journalists subsequent to 2015.

The Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka Dr. Deepika Udagama was quick to refute these facts referring to two attacks on journalists that had taken place in the South while editor of the Uthayan Newspaper, Thevanayagam Premanath said that even after 2015 journalists and media institutions were facing harassment and intimidation.

This session may be considered as the most interactive session of the summit with Minister of Law and Order and Southern Development Sagala Rathnayaka requesting the microphone to add on to what the Police spokesman mentioned and assure the audience that investigations on crimes committed against journalists would be prioritized.

Sanjana Haththotuwa reiterated that Prior to January 8, 2015 we were scraping the barrel of every Press Freedom Index (PFI) in the world. The context in this country was extremely violent and extremely disturbing and it is even not possible now to even reflect on those times and imagine how we endured. Our PFI has improved since then, but, nevertheless, I have greatest suspicion and doubts if these kinds of events held by UNESCO in five star hotels will create any kind of reversal or changes of policy that looks back at the past and robustly has people accountable for what happened in the past or projects into the future and changes policy so that what happened in the past wont be repeated. So, the optimism shown by Minister Sagala Rathnayaka here today has to be tempered with a dose of reality.

"The first session was on National protection and Impunity mechanisms in Asia discussed by a panel"



National Protection and Impunity Mechanism in Asia

The first session was on National protection and Impunity mechanisms in Asia discussed by a panel comprising Laxman Datt Pant (Chairperson, Media Action Nepal), Ilias Alami ( Operations Manager Afghan Journalists Safety Committee), Angkhana Neelapaijit (Commissioner, National Human Rights Commission Thailand), Fathimath Isha Afeef (Journalist Maldives Independent), Geeta Seshu (Journalist and Member of UNESCOs Media Freedom Committee India), Owais Aslam Ali (Pakistan Press Foundation moderated by Guy Berger Director on Division on Freedom of Expression and Media Development of UNESCO way forward, including raising awareness and reinforcing capacities. The topic discussed in the session after the evening coffee break was the Way forward, including raising awareness and reinforcing capacities by a panel comprising of Ranga Kalansooriya - Regional Advisor, International Media Support, Banchita Chakma - Commissioner National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh, Laxmi Murthy - International Federation of Journalist Asia Pacific (IFJ) and Mehdi Benchelah - Senior Project Officer, Division of Freedom of Expression and Media Development UNESCO. The panel was moderated by Jacqui Park - Director International Federation of Journalists.

The recap was by Misako Ito from UNESCOs Bangkok Office and Al Amin Yusuph from UNESCOs New Delhi Office moderated by Bambang Harymurthi Editor-in-Chief - Tempo Indonesia. The final remarks were made by Toby Mendel - Executive Director, the Centre for Law

and Democracy.



Dr. Deepika Udugama is the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission.
In 1945 almost 10,000 men, women and children were killed on board cruise liner the MV Wilhelm Gustloff as they fled the advancing Russian Army.

It is the naval disaster that dwarfs the Titanic but is rarely mentioned despite being the largest maritime catastrophe in history.

The ship set sail from Gdynia, then Gotenhafen, in occupied Poland and was bound for Kiel in northern Germany, but was attacked by a Russian submarine in the Baltic Sea in January 1945.

It sank in less than 40 minutes, causing the deaths of 9,343 people including about 5,000 children.

The fate of the vessel was a far cry from its intended use as a luxury liner for the 'master' German race and had no class division system so 'ordinary' people could enjoy holidays just like the rich.

Despite the death toll being six times greater than the loss of life on the Titanic, the sinking of the former German cruise liner is hardly known of.

By January 1945 the area of Prussia was threatened by the rapid Russian advance from the east, leading to Operation Hannibal - a massive naval evacuation of German troops and civilians there.

Although the 685ft long ship was carrying about 1,000 army soldiers and members of the Gestapo, there were also around 9,000 civilians.

As it headed west it was spotted by a Russian submarine. The German ship was armed with anti-aircraft guns but they had frozen and were useless.

The Russian submarine fired three torpedoes at the 25,000 tonne ship which all hit and delivered massive damage.

Some of the 9,343 victims died in the explosions and others were crushed to death in a stampede by panicked passengers but the majority either drowned or succumbed to exposure in the freezing conditions.

The ship was never designed for military use, having been built as a cruise liner for the Nazi Strength Through Joy tourism programme that aimed to bring middle class leisure activities to the masses through a ballot system. (Daily Mail)
Photo: BBC

London (People's Daily) - On Christmas Day the BBC aired its annual holiday message from Queen Elizabeth II.

Her Majesty paid special tribute to London and Manchester, two cities that suffered terror attacks this year, and later stressed the importance of family.

Photo: BBC

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who died and those who lost so much, and we are indebted to members of the emergency services who risked their own lives this past year saving others, said the Queen.

Five terror attacks struck the UK during 2017, along with a tenement building fire that claimed almost 80 lives.

Photos of Queen Elizabeth II with her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburghwere on display while she discussed her 70-year marriage to Prince Phillip and the unending support he has always given her.

Over the summer, Prince Philip, at the age of 96, officially retired from public duties.

Queen Elizabeth stressed how it didnt matter if people were watching her holiday address on a laptop or smartphone, or on television, the one thing that will never change is family spending time together.

Home is a place of warmth, familiarity, and love, the Queen emphasized, and mentioned the royal family is looking forward to new additions in the coming year.

She referred to not only the third child from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge expected in April but also the princess-to-be, Meghan Markle, who will marry the Queens grandson, Prince Harry, in May.
Islamabad (DAWN.COM) - Kulbhushan Jadhavs wife and mother met the convicted Indian spy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after arriving in Islamabad on Monday morning via a commercial flight.



Jadhavs mother, Avanti, and wife, Chetankul, made a stop at the Indian High Commission prior to the 40-minute-long meeting with the spy, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Dr. Muhammad Faisal said.

India has requested that the family should not have any interaction with the media, the FO spokesperson said.



Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, was arrested in Pakistan on espionage charges.

He was captured by security forces on March 3, 2016, in Balochistan and sentenced to death by a military tribunal earlier this year for his involvement in terrorism and espionage.
The Disaster Management Centre has decided to observe two minutes of silence from 9.25 a.m. to 9.27 a.m. today, as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives by the tsunami disaster that hit the coastal belt of Sri Lanka on December 26, 2004.

The main commemoration ceremony will be held at Peraliya in Hikkaduwa, where one of the largest single rail disasters took place as a result of tsunami waves. Commemoration events will also be held in all 25 districts with the support of Divisional Secretariats and Divisional Disaster Management Centres.

Tidal waves of up to 30 metres, caused by a series of earthquakes measuring a magnitude of 9.1 to 9.3, took place in the epicenter off the West coast of Sumatra, affecting 14 countries including Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Somalia, Thailand, Bangladesh, South Africa, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania and the Seychelles.

One of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history, the 2004 tsunami had reportedly killed 230,000-280,000 people in 14 countries. However, estimates state that in Sri Lanka, 36,603 people perished, some 5,000 went missing and another 800,000 displaced as a result of the catastrophe. The disaster has affected not only lives but also property amounting to billions or rupees.

Tsunami flooding consisted of three main waves with the second being the largest and most destructive. It hit the country approximately two hours after the earthquake. This influenced the authorities to implement a proper disaster management mechanism.

As a result, the Disaster Management Act came into being in 2005 and the Disaster Management Centre was established instituting a national disaster risk management system. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)
Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis in his Christmas eve mass Sunday urged the worlds 1.3 billion Catholics not to ignore the plight of migrants who are driven from their land because of leaders willing to shed innocent blood.



So many other footsteps are hidden in the footsteps of Joseph and Mary, the Argentine pontiff, himself the grandson of Italian migrants, told worshippers in Saint Peters Basilica.



We see the tracks of millions of persons who do not choose to go away but, driven from their land, leave behind their dear ones.
Northern Province (NP) Governor Reginald Cooray said today that Tamil politicians in the North were being provided security by Sinhala Police officers as they could trust them.

"We should find out the reason why they are not trusting Tamil Police officers," the Governor said at an event in Jaffna, where a boat-transport service, that could accommodate 40 passengers, was launched between the Eluvaithivu and Analaithivu islands from the Karampon Ferry in Kayts.

The ferry service will facilitate the transport of people who are living in these areas, with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Navy.

He said that Rs. 132 million had been allocated for this programme by the office of the District Secretary, Jaffna.

District Secretary N. Vedanayagam, Private Secretary to Governor J.M. Somasiri, Governors Secretary L. Ilangovan, Rear Admiral Jayantha de Silva of Northern Province and residents of Eluvaithivu and Analaithivu attended the event. (Romesh Madushanka)
The exercise of Presidential Pardon for convicted prisoners should be regulated by clear guidelines to avoid arbitrary application and to ensure proper means for the release on compassionate grounds, the three-member UN Working Group has said in a report.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has also identified significant challenges to the enjoyment of the right to personal liberty in Sri Lanka, resulting in arbitrary detention across the country.

The report, which was released on December 15, said that serious consideration should be given to abolishing the death penalty in Sri Lanka.

The Working Group said it observed overcrowded prisons and noted that remanded and convicted persons were held under the same facilities.

Long-term prisoners and persons serving life sentences are held in harsh conditions with limited time for family visits, lack of opportunities to work and participate in other vocational, educational or recreational activities and limited out-of-cell time.

The authorities must ensure that the prison system is aimed at the rehabilitation and re-integration of inmates, they said.

The three-member delegation comprised of Jose Antonio Guevara Bermudez, Leigh Toomey and Elina Steinerte.
Apple faces lawsuits after admitting it purposely slows down old iPhone devices

Photo: CGTN

US tech giant Apple is facing lawsuits after the company admitted last week that it was deliberately slowing down the performance of its older iPhones.

Apple confirmed last week in a statement that a necessary software feature released a year ago with operating system updates to protect older iPhones from unexpectedly shutting down, may occasionally hurt the performances of some older devices with less battery capacity.

Online in China and the rest of the world, iPhone users didn't seem to buy Apple's explanation. Many argued that Apple was purposely slowing down old iPhone devices through upgrading the iOS operating system was a way of forcing consumers to buy newer iPhones.

Photo: Global Times

The iPhone users argued Apple should have notified customers about the issue before the update.

Two different class-action lawsuits were filed in California and Illinois on Dec 21 alleging just that. In a federal suit filed in Chicago, five customers claim Apple is engaging in deceptive, immoral and unethical practices in violation of consumer protection laws, the Chicago Sun Times reported.

In the California lawsuit, two law school students at the University of Southern California argue Apple installed the performance-stifling update without the device owner's permission, the Mercury News reported.

In the statement, Apple didn't mention whether the new updates will include a notification of the issue or simply an option to turn off the update.

Apple has not publicly responded to the lawsuits.
Russia's Red Army Choir returns from tragedy for 2018 concert in China

The Alexandrov Ensemble, or Red Army Choir, will return to China at the beginning of 2018, a year after a fatal plane crash canceled its 2017 show in China.

The choir, scheduled for perform in Beijing earlier this year, will entertain audiences at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing every night from January 4 to 7.

The group's repertoire includes Moscow Nights, Katyusha, The Sacred War, The Volga Boatmen's Song and Kalinka, all popular in China.

The choir's return has attracted thousands of bookings as the choir is expected to have an extra show on the afternoon of January 6, organizers announced on Monday.

The December 25, 2016 plane crash, when the ensemble was en route from Sochi to Syria to entertain Russian troops there for Orthodox Christmas celebrations, killed 64 members.

Among those killed in the crash was the choir's conductor Valery Khalilov.

The choir is named after its first director Alexander Alexandrov, who wrote the music for the State Anthem of the Soviet Union, which in 2000 became the national anthem of Russia with new lyrics.

He also orchestrated the song The Sacred War," a song that inspired the Soviet Red Army fighting Nazi Germany in World War II.
DHAKA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese consortium has been constructing Bangladesh's first eco-friendly power plant with ultra modern clean coal technology at Payra in Patuakhali district, some 204 km south of capital Dhaka, near a maritime port.

In March last year, Bangladesh signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with the consortium of two Chinese firms for the installation of some 1.56 billion U.S. dollars coal-fired power plant.

Officials of the consortium of the Chinese firms -- China Energy Engineering Group Northeast No. 1 Electric Power Construction Co., Ltd. (NPEC) and China National Energy Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. (CECC )-- and the Bangladesh-China Power Company Limited (BCPCL), a joint venture of China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) and Bangladesh's North-West Power Generation Company Limited (NWPGCL), had then signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

The 1320 MW Thermal Power Plant Project (1st phase will be eco-friendly with clean coal technology and have two units which are expected to be commissioned in April and October, 2019 respectively.

Bangladeshi State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has recently visited the plant construction site and expressed his deep satisfaction with the progress of the work.

"We're building this power plant with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina government's own finance, Chinese government's finance and Chinese Exim Bank financing. We are satisfied with the progress of the project so far achieved," he said.

"You can see the quality of work. They are building a super-critical coal fired power plant here. So far 31 percent work has been done."

Hamid said Chinese companies have finished the their tasks so far before scheduled times. Quality of work is good, he added.

"We do believe that we will get a cost effective power plant here," he said and added this power plant will be the best one among other power plants so far built in Bangladesh.

The consortium of the Chinese firms is assigned for the plant's engineering, procurement and construction while BCPCL is its executing agency.

The project will cost an estimated 1.56 billion U S. dollars.

The plant which is to be built on a 397-hectare land is a part of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina government's plan to set up a series of coal-fired power projects to generate 40,000 MW electricity by 2030. Officials say the consortium has a schematic plan for implementing another mega project of the same capacity and technology, 100 MW solar and 50 MW wind power plant projects at the same location.

It intends achieving excellence in power generation and power growth of Bangladesh.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on finance has pulled up the finance ministry for locking a whopping Rs 9.85 lakh crore (Rs 9.85 trillion) in appeals only for direct taxes.

New Delhi: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on finance has pulled up the finance ministry for locking a whopping Rs 9.85 lakh crore (Rs 9.85 trillion) in appeals only for direct taxes. Out of this, over Rs 6.71 lakh crore is locked in appeals pending at Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) level making the situation unimaginable, said the panel.

There are around 2.83 lakh appeals pending before the CIT(A) through out the country. Another Rs 1.40 lakh crore is locked in appeals at Income-Tax Appellate Tribunal level involving 88,000 cases. About Rs 1.66 lakh crore is locked in appeals in high courts involving 41,000 petitions and Rs 7,500 crore in locked in dispute in Supreme Court.

The committee recommended a massive and prompt steps be taken to stop this trend. It asked the government to enact law for time-bound, early disposal of cases. In its reply, the ministry had said that it has issued a number of circulars in contentious issues to bring clarity in the tax regime and eliminate or reduce tax disputes.

As far as indirect taxes are concerned, CBEC has decided that the threshold limit below which appeals are not to be filed by the department in Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) and high courts has been raised to Rs 10 lakh and Rs 15 lakh respectively, said the ministry. Special leave petitions received from the field formations for filing appeals in Supreme Court against High Court orders are examined critically at the higher level in the board and opinion of the law officer (AG) also taken so that SLPs are filed only in the desiring cases, said ministry.

Also cases are withdraw in all cases in the High Court and CESTAT where there is a precedent Supreme Court decision. The finance ministry said that zonal chief commissioner have been directed to identify cases fit for withdrawal amongst the cases pending in appeal before CESTAT and High Court.

Only 1.7% Indians paid tax in FY15:

Just over 2 crore Indians, or 1.7 per cent of the total population, paid income tax in the assessment year (AY) 2015-16, according to data released by the I-T department. The number of income-tax return filers increased to 4.07 crore in assessment year 2015-16 (FY 2014-2015) from 3.65 crore in the previous year but only 2.06 crore actually paid tax as the others claimed income below taxable limits.

In FY14, 1.91 crore, out of 3.65 crore who filed returns, had paid income tax. But the total income tax paid by individuals declined to Rs 1.88 lakh crore in FY15 from Rs 1.91 lakh crore in FY14.
Mumbai: Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) founder Vijay Mallya is a victim of flamboyance and arrogance rather than any political conspiracy, Air Deccan chairman G.R. Gopinath has said. Mr Gopinath, who is credited with making flying affordable through the no-frills airline, also said that the prevalent regulations forced KFA to acquire his company.

He sold Air Deccan to KFA for a total consideration of `1,000 crore in 2007, during the heydays of the aviation sector. I think he (Mr Mallya) has become more a victim of flamboyance and arrogance than of any political conspiracy, Mr Gopinath told PTI. The near-bankrupt Kingfisher Airlines has been grounded since 2012 and owes banks over Rs 9,000 crore, far less than bigger defaults in sectors like metals and infrastructure.

A regular at partying circles, Mr Mallya, whose interests include F1 and an annual calendar, moved to London amid growing attention from the Indian law enforcement agencies and courts. He has now become the poster-boy of defaults.
The Sensex closed the day at 34,010.61, up 70.31 points or 0.21 per cent after hitting an intra-day high of 34,061.88.

Mumbai: Continuing with their winning momentum, the equity markets soared to a record high on Tuesday with the Sensex scaling above the 34,000 level mark for the first time.

After trading flat for the most part of the day, the markets witnessed strong upward momentum towards the fag end of the trading session amidst fresh buying in select index heavy weights and short covering ahead of the expiry of the December derivative contracts.

The Sensex closed the day at 34,010.61, up 70.31 points or 0.21 per cent after hitting an intra-day high of 34,061.88.

Similarly, the Nifty surpassed its key psychological barrier of 10,500 level mark to close at 10,531.50, up 38.50 points or 0.37 per cent.

Despite subdued activity from overseas investors, our markets soared to a record high on the back of strong investments made by domestic institutional investors and high net worth investors. The broader sentiment remains positive amidst an improvement in Indias macros. On Tuesday, the debt resolution plan announced by R-Com also triggered a rally in other telecom stocks as well as some of the lenders that has an exposure to company, said Santosh Meena, senior research analyst at Swastika Investments.

The sudden rally in the market during the last hour of trading according to him surprised traders who had created bearish bets in anticipation of a correction.

They were forced top cover their bearish position, which provided further momentum to the market, he said.

According to the provisional data released by the stock exchanges, foreign portfolio investors (FPI) sold equities worth Rs 44 crore while domestic institutions bought stocks worth Rs 544.50 crore.

We witnessed a sharp move in the upward direction after convincingly surpassing the higher end of Niftys previous range of 10,372- 10,490. Going ahead, we may see extension of the rally towards 10,575 10,600, but we believe that the move will not be as swift as it should be otherwise, said Sameet Chavan, derivative analyst at Angel Broking.

The broader markets also participated in the rally with 1,662 stocks traded on BSE closing the day higher as compared to 1,085 stocks that declined.
Mumbai: Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma are amongst the best on-screen jodi of Bollywood who delivered awesome films like Band Baaja Baaraat (2010), Ladies vs Ricky Bahl (2011) and Dil Dhadakne Do (2015). Their fun banter and camaraderie off-screen talks a lot about their friendship too.

During a recent interaction with a leading magazine, the 'Lootera' actor was all praises for Anushka Sharma. He spoke at length about her success and more. Ranveer said, "it's wonderful to see how far she has come. She was always amazing as an actor, but her craft has gotten more solid. She's also come into her own as a person. She's comfortable with herself and clear about her choices."

Both Ranveer and Anushka made their debut under Aditya Chopra's Yash Raj Films' 'Band Baaja Baarat' (2010) and 'Rab Ne Bana De Jodi' (2009) respectively and they consider the filmmaker-producer as their mentor. Ranveer revealed that Aditya cites Anushka's example and tells him to do the right things constantly. He quipped, "Tu nalayak hai... seekh kuch Anushka se... (You are useless, learn something from Anushka)."

Anushka has always said that she is an introvert and recluse too. Talking about it, Ranveer said that he knows this nature of the gorgeous beauty and enjoys annoying her because of it. He also said that they share a volatile friendship.

Ranveer concluded by saying, "But we share a great camaraderie. She's an honest person, almost to a fault."

On the work front, Ranveer is waiting for the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus 'Padmavati' and currently prepping up for Zoya Akhtar's 'Gully Boy' and Kabir Khan's ''83'. Anushka, on the other hand, will be back on the sets of Aanand L.Rai-SRK's untitled film in January. She will also be seen playing a lead role in her next home production 'Pari'.
Mumbai: An Andheri metropolitan court has ordered the Amboli police station to conduct an inquiry against actor Shraddha Kapoor and one of the producers of the Bollywood movie Haseena Parkar on allegations related to cheating and criminal breach of trust.

The allegations were levelled by a Dadar-based garment manufacturer, who claimed that the film producer did not promote his brand as part of the deal between them. The court asked the cops submit its report before February 15.

An Amboli police officer said, We will have to call the producer and actress Shraddha Kapoor against whom the allegations have been made by the complainants. We will have to investigate with their other colleagues, as well as check documents related to the same issue. We will then submit the report in court , which will then take further decision in the matter.

The criminal complaint has been filed against Shraddha, for allegedly not promoting fashion label AJTM during the promotional activities of the film, in violation of an agreement. The actor was not available for comment.

The firm, M&M Designs, which supplied dresses for the actor in the movie, had filed a private complaint against the producer and the actor.
A five-minute public service spot addressing cyber violence went viral in Thailand today.

The latest production from Thai company CP All, known for creating promo spots tackling hot-button issues, ends their latest work with a voice that says, Dont judge anyone by one-sided stories. Open your mind before judging anyone for a better society.

The scripted cyber violence spot depicting a cruel woman collecting rent from stall keepers at a market had 13 million views on CP Alls Facebook page and about 1.4 million views on its YouTube channel by December 25. The video was first posted online December 15.

The short video tells the story of how a few Internet users uploaded short clips of a landlady collecting rent from stall keepers at a market.

The woman is rude and mean to the stall keepers.

In the first clip, she yells and throws a scale to the ground.

Another clip features two thugs carrying a stall keeper against his will while she shouts, Bring him here! Follow me this way!

The first clip went viral shortly after it was posted online and received 3 million views in 72 hours.

Similar to what is seen on the Internet, violent content can spread fast.

Internet users turned into vigilantes out for justice against a woman who oppressed the poor.

But the short videos only featured one side of the story.

The woman dropped the weight scale because the stall keeper was ripping off customers by short weighing the items people bought from him.

And the two thugs were carrying the stall keeper to a safe spot so he could lie down and recover from dizziness.

It turns out the woman is kind-hearted and helped the stall workers transition from their street vendor jobs.

The video revealed the truth behind online behavior as Internet users typically believe most of what they see, and post messages using foul language to defend their views.

Cyber violence is a growing problem in Thailand. A study conducted on 1,200 vocational and secondary students in Bangkok found that slightly more than half had been victims of cyber bullying. But online violence acted out against people other than students has hardly been addressed.

According to the Thai newspaper The Nation, last August a group of Thai tourists were victims of an online witchhunt after they were filmed walking in a fragile thermal area at Yellowstone National Park in the US.

Afterwards, a Thai Facebook page called Social hunter1 published the photos of the tourists and included their social media accounts featuring witch hunt threats.

The video received many comments, most of them attacking the group, who unknowingly wandered into an off-limits zone.

One of the tourists explained that his group had followed another group of Westerners who had already been in the same area. He said they immediately left the area after a man shouted a warning.

My Thai friend told me cyber violence in Thailand often happens to pop stars, which could be true to many countries.

I think to some extent this ad started positive dialogue for people to take the issue seriously.

Today we hear stories and news from the online world, but how should we judge them? How do we know that what we are watching is authentic and the real story?

Thai netizens shared their thoughts on the issue. I selected a few reactions on the ad.

 Ex pected: Do not judge people just as what we see in a clip or in the online world. Many peoples lives have been ruined because others share content about them.

 Mirinma: I'm not sure if this is the case, but I think this is a good idea. My first feeling is guilty as we are one of those people who take and share a short clip without really know the whole story. Thanks for sharing this with me.

  : It is a reflection of the current society. Everyone will believe what they see, but never to ponder over the cause of the problem. People nowadays tend to share things with hashtags like #sharedfirst #isthewinner, without caring about whether someone would get hurt or be affected by what they share.

 Boontarika Nat: This is a very good reflection of society. Through watching a short clip does not mean that things are always as what we see. We should think harder more before judging anyone from a few seconds of video.

PhoeNixNon: Oh, that's the first time that I saw this real brutalization. I do not know what to do. We should not judge people from outside. We should not judge people from one-side alone.
Fahadh Faasil was seen in three films this year.

Thiruvananthapuram: Malayalam actor Fahadh Faasil was arrested here on Monday and later released on bail in connection with registration of his luxury vehicle in Puducherry using "forged" documents.

The Crime Branch wing of Kerala Police recorded the award-winning actor's statement when he appeared before the investigation officials here for questioning, sources said.

The actor was released on a bond of Rs 50,000 and two solvent sureties, a senior crime branch official said.

The statements given by Fahadh would be verified, and further action would be taken in this regard, he said.

According to police, the actor had used fake documents to register his car in Puducherry to evade the 20 per cent tax in Kerala on luxury cars costing Rs 20 lakh and above.

A resident of Kerala, he had availed vehicle loans from his home state, and got his vehicle registered in Puducherry, they said. He also forged documents to show that he was a resident of the Union Territory, police added.

Similar cases were registered against actor-turned-BJP MP Suresh Gopi and actress Amala Paul.
Anu Emmanuel, who is currently one of the most sought-after actresses in tinsel town, says she is lucky to be able to land exciting projects. Im enjoying the life of an actress ever since I debuted as the leading lady. I feel blessed and lucky to be able to land happening projects, shares the doe-eyed beauty. After making her Telugu debut with Majnu, the actress has been roped in as the leading lady in big ticket flicks like Allu Arjuns forthcoming film Na Peru Surya...Naa Illu India, Pawan Kalyans Agnyaathavaasi, and Naga Chaitanyas untitled film with director Maruti.

I think the biggest challenge for any actor would be to pick up the right roles for the subsequent releases after debut. Fortunately, I had a slew of Telugu films lined up, much before my debut film released. Language is another common challenge coupled with being away from home for long. But of course, I have been getting used to that now (smiles).She adds, Im enjoying the whole movie life  waking up early, going to the shoot, reading scripts, preparing for the part and dealing with the industry people  its all exciting and challenging too. The more Im doing it, the easier it is becoming. All this is making me feel liberated, maybe because I am an actor by choice.
Mumbai actress Simran Pareenja, who shot to fame with Hindi soap opera Kaala Teeka, will be making her acting debut in Nikhils forthcoming film Kiraak Party, directed by Sharan Koppisetti. Talking about her experience, the Punjabi-born shares, I play a college-goer who is the daughter of a police officer and controlled by her parents. Its a mature role and my character likes to read and write. Its like a breath of fresh air after having played bahu roles in soap operas. Since I was playing my age, I could relate to my role. In real life too, I like being in my own space.

Narrating how she landed the project, Simran says, When I came for the audition, I didnt know the language, but I was determined to do it in Telugu. After I came on board, I hired a Telugu tutor to get my language and diction right.The actress admits that she did get nostalgic shooting for the youthful entertainer. I could relive all my college days where we had fun with friends, bunking college, having parties, student elections, etc, she says.

Simran finds a world of difference between television and the silver screen. Both industries are in complete contrast; while TV is more spontaneous, films are dramatic. If you shoot 12 scenes per day for a serial, in showbiz, you just shoot for a couple of scenes. But Im enjoying the best of both worlds. The people on the sets of my Telugu film are very warm and pamper me, even calling me bacchu! Apparently, the actress has also got a taste of South Indian delicacies. I am used to having parathas, but of late, I have been savouring rice, idli, pesarattu, pongal, etc. Im amazed to see the different types of chutneys that are served for breakfast, she muses.
A set of wooden slips contain an executive order from emperor Qin Shihuang for a nationwide search for the elixir of life. (Photo: Pixabay)

New archeological research has shed fresh light on China's first emperor -- creator of the world-famous terracotta army -- and his quest for eternal life, state media reported.

A set of wooden slips found in the central province of Hunan contain an executive order from emperor Qin Shihuang for a nationwide search for the elixir of life, along with replies from local governments, according to Xinhua news agency on Sunday.

It cited Zhang Chunlong, a researcher at the provincial institute of archaeology, as saying the emperor's decree reached even frontier regions and remote villages.

Qin Shihuang's obsession with eternal life was well-known: he was responsible for the massive underground mausoleum in the northern province of Shaanxi filled with nearly 8,000 terracotta soldiers built to protect him in the afterlife.

By studying the 36,000 wooden slips -- found in 2002 at the bottom of a well in Hunan -- archaeologists have uncovered not only the imperial order to find an "elixir of life", but also the often embarrassed responses from local authorities who struggled to meet his demands.

According to Xinhua, a village called "Duxiang" reported to the emperor that it had failed to discover a miraculous potion, but that the search was continuing.

Another place, "Langya," suggested that "an herb collected from an auspicious local mountain" might do the job.

The texts were written on a series of wooden slats originally connected to each other by strings. This technique was the most common medium of writing in China before the appearance of paper at the beginning of the first millennium A.D.

Qin Shihuang's sereach for immortality was doomed to failure: he died in 210 BC after reigning for 11 years.

The Qin dynasty -- notorious for its book burnings and executions of literati -- laid the foundation for China as a unified nation that has persisted for two millennia.
People who are left-handed are more likely to be atheists, according to a study which suggests that religious people have fewer genetic mutations.

Researchers at Oulu University in Finland, said that in pre-industrial times religiosity was passed on like other genetic attributes because it was associated with greater stability, mental health and better social behaviour.

Lack of belief in god is connected to genetic mutations which cause attributes such as left-handedness or autism, according to the study published in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science.

Modern religious people were likely to be descended from those who were highly religious in pre-industrial times, researchers said.

"By contrast, atheists and believers in the paranormal would, disproportionately, never have reached adulthood or never have been born, because these beliefs, though very different, are partly an expression of the breakdown of selection and thus of rising mutational load," they said.

Researchers identified people who were either left handed or had autism or schizophrenia and examining whether they were more or less likely to be religious, The Telegraph reported.

It found that there was a "weak but significant" association between left-handedness and being non-religious, and a stronger one between autism and being non-religious.

Studies have previously established that around 40 per cent of someones religiousness is determined genetically.
Chennai: The city police have launched a search for a youth who robbed money at knifepoint from an employee of a private company in broad daylight in Coimbatore. Police said on Monday that the youth, identified as Ananth, 26, had grabbed Rs 500 cash from the short pocket of 54-year-old Maharajan, a resident of Amman Kulam near Ramanathapuram, after waylaying and threatening him at knifepoint when the latter was returning home from a chicken stall on Sunday morning. The youth had reportedly demanded money for an alcoholic drink, but as Maharajan refused, he was forcibly relieved of his cash before the youngster took to his heels, police said.
Chennai: The city police continued to act tough on speeding motorcycles on city roads with police teams seizing about 100 motorbikes along Santhome High road and nearby areas late on Sunday night. FIRs have been registered against more than 80 of the riders under various sections in several police stations in Mylapore district, according to a senior police officer.

Though, curbing traffic menace is essentially a traffic problem, we had to intervene and put in law and order teams into it as it has become a menace, especially late in the night, the officer added. Most of the bikes seized are in the category of 150 cc and above and would be produced before court, police said.

Mylapore Deputy Commissioner, P Saravanan said that the crackdown is a continuation of the efforts by the city police to curb speeding on city roads. Cases have been booked under several sections including 336 IPC (act endangering life or personal safety of others), he added.

On December 3, police detained at least 20 youngsters and their motorbikes for speeding after one of the bikes injured an Assistant Commissioner of Police while speeding along Sardar Patel road. The bikers didn't stop the vehicle despite injuring the police officer after which the police teams swung into action. The bikes had first gathered near a private hospital in Adyar, from where the youngsters began to speed, supposedly as part of weekend racing. The crackdown will continue during New Year's Eve too and we would detain youngsters who drive in a way that endanger the public, a senior police officer said.
Karimnagar: Tense situation prevailed in Karimnagar town and its surrounding areas after clashes between two student unions. Students pelted stones at each other in the Shathavahana University campus on the outskirts of the Karimnagar town on Monday. University registrar Komal Reddy declared the university closed and shut down the hostels. He asked students to vacate the hostels and postponed the ongoing examinations. No student was injured in the clash.

Police forces led by commissioner Mr V.B. Kamalasan Reddy rushed to the spot and dispersed the two groups and took the premises under their control. ABVP students in large numbers reached to the university alleging that the student union representing the Dalits, Bahujans and Left had burnt the copies of Manusmruthi and a flexi of Bharatha Matha. The Bahujan students resisted the ABVP students and subsequently there was an altercation. The Dalit and Left unions refuted the allegations that they have burnt a Bharatha Matha flexi, saying they just burnt copies of Manusmurthi. Karimnagar police commissioner Mr V.B. Kamalasan Reddy appealed to students not to resort to violence and attack each other.
Hyderabad: Any educated unemployed person having a four-wheeler, 2.5 acres of wet land or five acres of dry land will be ineligible to get dole from the AP government. Besides, the beneficiary should be between the ages of 18 and 35 years, and should not be pursuing formal education.

The government has prepared draft guidelines for the pay out of unemployment allowance to about 10 lakh persons from the 2018-19 financial year.

As part of this, the government recently collected data on unemployment from all districts and found that there were 20.19 lakh unemployed youth in the state.

The scheme is designed to upgrade skills of educated unemployed youth to make them employable. The government said that the applicants must be unemployed and should be natives of AP.

The minimum educational qualification is 10+2 or technical courses like ITI.

The beneficiarys family should be below the below poverty line, and one unemployed person from a family will be considered for the scheme.

A family, for the purpose of the scheme, means a group of individuals drawing rations on a single civil supplies card. Those who have availed financial assistance or loan under any state or Central government sponsored self-employment scheme are not eligible to get the dole. Those who are working in public or private sector, quasi-government or are self-employed are not eligible for the assistance.

The rate of allowance per month will be uniform irrespective of age and qualification and the suggested allowance is Rs 1,000 per month. The state government has estimated total budget required per annum for 10 lakh persons for six months is Rs 600 crore.
BENGALURU: With summer approaching, water shortage will again be one of the major concerns for Bengalureans. The home automation company, SmartHomes, has designed a smart water meter  WaterOn, which not only measures water consumption but also sends details to a mobile app so that residents can use water judiciously. Most housing complexes in the city do not meter the water consumption of residents individually, but charges are shared by everyone, leading to excessive use of water.

Resident Welfare Associations (RWA) seem keen on installing smart meters in their housing complexes. Our main reason to opt for WaterOn is to cut the big expenditure on water tankers. The technology gives you alerts wherever there is a leakage and your water consumption details are given on the app, said Mr Anand Kumar, Secretary of Mythri Maiden. After installing WaterOn, water consumption at the apartment complex with 28 flats has come down to 256 kilolitres from 394 kilolitres.

SmartHomes founder Vivek Shukla said, RWAs are the key drivers of the apartment community. Our research revealed that the consumption drops by 35% if we start metering. The consumption level is never equal and whoever uses less, pays less, and no one has to pay for others.

For people living in high rise apartments, water comes at a huge cost. It not only includes the cost of purchase of water from water tankers but also the cost of pumping it to overhead tanks.

Efficiency proved

Name of the apartment: Vandana Springs

Size of the apartment: 74

WaterOn installed on: December 2016

Water Usage per month before installation: 238 KL

Water Usage per month after installation: 155 KL

Water Saved per month: 83 KL (35% reduction in water usage every month)
About 1,000 students sat on their school playground writing letters to their parents on Dec. 25. When finished, the letters were sealed and stamped and then sent out by the teachers.

Writing family letters is part of the school's campaign to teach students to express gratitude to their parents, said president of the Chengdu May Flower Senior Technical School in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu.

The activity is also aimed at promoting communication between children and parents. Some students said they almost forgot the format of a letter because they haven't written letters for a long time, and others came to tears while expressing their feelings toward their parents.
Garbage, excessive noise, drug peddling: Residents have a long list of woes against commercial establishments operating out of their neighbourhoods. Relentless protests against these businesses left the BBMP with no choice but to crack down on illegal establishments. Traders who will be forced to shut shop, however, say the licences were issued to them by the Palike, which allowed norms to be flouted in return for the revenue these establishments would earn, reports Aknisree Karthik.

Quiet, tree- lined avenues, where people set out to walk at leisure and neat roads lined with houses and leading to parks where the residents of a neighbourhood relaxed. This was the Bengaluru of the past. Sadly, the city today bears no resemblance to this idyllic setting anymore.

Gone are its trees and also the peace. In their place are residential roads lined with several commercial establishments and burdened with honking cars and bikes that destroy the calm.

A senior BBMP official recalls that going by the citys Master Plan 2015, no commercial outlets can come up in residential areas with roads less than 40 feet wide. But the rule is blatantly violated in many areas. For instance, DVG Road, which is listed in a main residential zone in the plan and is less than 40 feet wide, is today fully commercialised, points out the official.

Unfortunately, most traders operating in residential areas like DVG Road have been issued trade licences by none other than the BBMP itself, he admits. And so now the civic agency is in a fix as it has to ask them to move, despite allowing them to violate the law in the first place. The problem is that the BBMP saw trade licenses as a big source of revenue and hardly worried if the applicant was opting for a residential area or a commercial. Only now with citizen activism gaining is it having to consider this more carefully, he adds.

A file photo of 10 A Main Indiranagar.

One of the areas where people strongly objected to the commercialisation was Indiranagar. After its repeated complaints failed to fetch any response, the federation of resident welfare associations of the locality knocked on the doors of the Karnataka High Court, which, in turn, directed the BBMP to take measures to curb illegal commercial establishments from coming up in residential areas. It also directed the Bengaluru Development Authority(BDA) not to change the land-use of any residential area to allow these units to operate in it.

Acting on the courts order, the BBMP issued a public notice in December 2016, directing commercial establishments to stop their illegal operation in residential areas. It also served individual notices to over 12,000 establishments in residential areas across the city.

But it did nothing more, raising suspicion that it had merely served the notices to evade contempt of court. Ask Mayor Sampath Raj about the brickbats the BBMP has received over this and he admits that it did issue trade licenses to commercial units functioning in residential areas when it should not have.

But now our officials have issued individual notices to the illegal units operating in these localities. If they do not move out their trade licences will be cancelled, he warned.

Adding that no matter how big or small the units, they would have to adhere to the law, he asserted, Our officials will in future strictly enforce the law. But before the BBMP cracks the whip, the Mayor plans to call a meeting of the residents, traders and officials concerned to discuss the matter.

Party, but dont disturb the peace

Some neighbourhoods are inconvenienced more than others by the commercial units in their midst and complain of loud music being played at odd hours, drunk men shouting on their streets, breaking of liquor bottles near houses, drug peddling, and illegal parking.

Says Mr D S Rajashekar, president of the Citizens' Action Forum, "Its not only inconvenient, but lives of people too are under threat due to the commercialisation of residential areas. As most units are illegal and do not provide parking space, their customers just park their cars and bikes before our houses for hours. And when we question them they rain abuse on us and sometimes even beat up people."

The activist deplores that some rooftop bars play loud music till 1 am and upto 3 am in some areas. Dont the people have the right to live peacefully in their homes? We are not against partying or playing of music. Our concern is that it should not disturb the peace. How can a senior citizen be expected to sleep in this racket? he asks, welcoming the recent crackdown on the rooftop pubs and bars by BBMP Joint Commissioner (East), Dr Ashok.

As for the High Court order against commercial units , he believes it is not being followed as they have political connections and are protected. The BBMP has merely issued notices to them to evade contempt of court, it is an eyewash, he contends, warning,  If the High Court order to curb the menace of commercialisation of residential areas is not followed, then we will have no choice but to approach it again with a contempt petition.

Noise pollution: What the law says

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, which monitors the noise pollution levels in the city, says noise should not exceed 45 decibels in residential areas, 55 decibels in commercial areas and 70 decibels in industrial zones between 10 pm and 6 am. And at night the noise level cannot exceed 40 decibels. But in areas like Indiranagar, Koramangala, M G Road, Old Airport Road, Brigade Road and Majestic the noise level crosses these limits. Those found violating the law can be imprisoned for up to five years

Residents will form human chain if bbmp doesnt act: Nitin Seshadri, Koramangala Third Block Resident Welfare Association

The civic body has utterly failed to curb the commercialisation of residential areas. We have been fighting against this for many years without success. The BBMP first issued a public notice and then served individual notices to the illegal commercial outlets, but even this has not put a stop to it as its officials are often hand in glove with these establishments.

Commerical units find it cheaper to move into residential areas as the rents here are low and the building owners allow them in their greed to make more money. But why dont the officials check if the applicant is eligible for a commercial or residential zone when issuing trade licenses? If officials make up their mind to curb this menace they can do so in a few days with the help of the Commercial Tax Department, which issues the VAT certificate, Bescom, and BWSSB. But they don't bother. The BBMP should therefore be held responsible for reducing peaceful residential areas to noisy commercial hubs.

As if the inconvenience caused by these commercial units was not enough, we have legal units blatantly violating norms. Although BBMP building bylaws insist on every commercial building reserving space in its basement for parking, these are violated.

While there is no provision in the bylaws for rooftop bars and pubs, many illegally run them , play loud music, and disrupt the peace by greasing the hands of officials.

If the BBMP doesn't take action, residents will have no choice but to form a human chain outside illegal establishments until they close. If this doesn't help, we may have to approach the high court again.
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar were also in attendance at the meeting where Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetankul met Sushma Swaraj. (Photo: Twitter | ANI)

New Delhi: A day after they met Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan, his mother and wife on Tuesday met External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj at her residence for a complete debrief before leaving for the External Affairs Ministry (MEA).

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar were also in attendance at the meeting where Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetankul met Swaraj.

Jadhav, an ex-naval officer had been convicted in Pakistan in March 2016 for 'spying' and subsequently sentenced to death, a verdict that India challenged in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to no avail.

After months of petitioning, Jadhav's mother and wife were allowed to meet him on Monday in Pakistan.

Meeting between Commander Kulbushan Jhadev & his family in progress pic.twitter.com/THG925V1fO  Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) December 25, 2017

Jadhav, was however, allowed to meet his family members with a glass barrier in between and they could speak to each other only via intercom.

This insensitive behaviour towards a prisoner on death sentence raised many eyebrows.

Read: Kulbushan Jadhav meets wife, mom from behind glass screen

On being questioned on the issue, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dr Mohammed Faisal said the glass partition was there for "security reasons" and Jadhav and his family had been intimated about the same, prior to the meeting.

Faisal substantiated his stance by adding that Islamabad considered Jadhav as "the face of Indian terrorism, especially in Pakistan."

Monday was also witness to bizarre ups and downs with respect to Jadhav, as Pakistan first stated that he was getting consular access, then drastically changed the statement after India refuted the claim.

Pakistan establishment's insensitivity did not end at the glass barrier either. It later released pictures of Avanti and Chetankul on the foreign office's Twitter handle, peculiarly captioning it as the two "sitting comfortably" in the foreign office.

The mother and wife of Commander Jadhav sitting comfortably in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pakistan . We honour our commitments pic.twitter.com/hILiMyp7Zl  Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) December 25, 2017

Soon after the meeting between Jadhav and his family members, Pakistan held a press conference on Monday where a video was shown that was apparently shot before Jadhav got to meet his kin.

The video showed Jadhav thanking the Pakistan authorities for the grand gesture.

None of the released visuals of Jadhav show him to be in "an excellent healthy condition," as claimed by Pakistan in a medical report prepared by a German doctor of a Dubai-based hospital. It also claimed that Jadhav's Body Mass Index (BMI) was ideal for his height.

On the contrary, there might have been injury marks on the back of his neck as reported by some television channels, which the MEA did not affirm or deny.

The date on the report was handwritten and it was not clear where his medical examination was performed.

Pakistan had earlier been adamant about not letting Jadhav's family to meet him or allow him consular access.

Monday's meeting was made possible after months of international pressure.
An earthmover demolishes slums in East Marredpally. The slumdwellers have given up the land to be redeveloped with 2BHK houses. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: The 2BHK housing project for the urban poor made little progress this year. Despite promising to complete the construction of about 50,000 houses, the GHMC managed to build just 176 in the whole year. A total of 1 lakh houses are proposed to be built in the city. The civic body has acquired 650 acres of land Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medchal and Sangareddy districts and has to invite tenders to construct the houses. Each 560 sq.ft unit with two bedrooms, two toilets, kitchen and hall will be handed over free of cost.

The corporation will construct 90,000 2BHK houses at 69 locations where vacant land is available. Another 10,000 units will be constructed by redeveloping 40 slums. In August, the GHMC finalised tenders for 59,520 units at 88 locations and started work on 27,734 of them at 40 places.

The corporation assured that it would complete and hand over about 600 2BHK units by Diwali at Mansoorabad, Arukala Nancharamma basti and Lambadi thanda at Nacharam. Till date, it has managed to complete only 176 units at Lambadi thanda. This is only the second location where the project is complete, after 396 houses were constructed at IDH Colony in New Bhoiguda in 2015.

A GHMC official said that the project was being delayed by court cases and fund crunch. The corporation has a tough job ahead in 2018 as it has not only to complete construction of all the houses but also hand over the units to beneficiaries prior to the general elections. A GHMC official said the project would be completed in time if the government released funds on schedule. If there is no money, work would be stalled.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir, at a function at a government hospital in Maharashtra on Monday, asked doctors to join Naxals. (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: Clarifying his earlier statement on a few doctors, whom he advised to join Naxals, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir on Tuesday said that he respects doctors.

Ahir, who made the remark on Monday at a function at a government hospital in Maharashtra, said his anger was against one doctor who was absent from the event.

"The organiser was himself absent. I have not spoken against the profession but a particular doctor. Whatever I said was for the civil surgeon and no one else. I respect doctors from the bottom of my heart. I just showed my anger on absence of some doctors from the event," he told ANI.

Ahir got angry with a civil surgeon who didn't attend a hospital inauguration ceremony. He lost his temper on learning that the surgeon was on leave.

"I am a minister chosen by democracy. Why did they go on leave despite knowing about my arrival?" asked Ahir.

An angry Ahir also advised the absent doctor to join the Naxals.

"If there is no faith in democracy, then join the Naxalite movement; we will shoot you. There is no need to distribute tablets here. Naxalism does not like democracy," Ahir said.

Gadchiroli, Chandrapur and Gondia districts are the Naxal-affected areas of Maharashtra.
Acting on a tip-off, a crack team of Jammu and Kashmir police cordoned off a house where two JeM militants were believed to be holed up. (Photo: File PTI /Representational)

Srinagar: Top Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist Noor Mohammad Tantray, considered the brain behind the terror outfit's revival in the Valley, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, an Army official said.

The 47-year-old was wanted in various terror incidents earlier this year, including a suicide attack at the BSF camp at Srinagar airport, and had become an irritant for the security forces.

"The divisional commander of JeM, Noor Mohammad Tantrey alias Noor Trali, was killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Samboora area of Pulwama," the official said.

He said that the body of Tantray, who stood at just three feet tall, was recovered along with one weapon on Tuesday morning.

A crack team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, acting on a specific input, had cordoned off a cluster of houses at Samboora which resulted in a fierce gun battle leading to the elimination of the top JeM commander.

A police spokesman termed the killing a "significant breakthrough" for the security forces and said the slain terrorist was convicted in a case registered in 2003 in Delhi.

He was serving a sentence at Central Jail Srinagar and was out on parole in 2015, the spokesman said.

Consequently, he remained in Tral at South Kashmir and became a major overground worker of the JeM in the region, they said. In July 2017, after the Aripal encounter in which three JeM terrorists were killed, Tantray went underground and soon became the key man of the terror outfit in coordinating and organising attacks at different places, he said.

He was one of the chief architects of the attack on BSF camp near Srinagar airport in October, the spokesman said, adding that he was also wanted in a number of terror attacks in south and central Kashmir.

Tantray hailed from Tral area of south Kashmir and his death is being seen as a blow to the terror group as he was the key man in reviving the JeM in south and central Kashmir.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah makes an offering at a dargah at Lakshmeshwara in Gadag district on Monday. (Photo: KPN)

Hubballi: With Goa Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar reportedly reluctant to hold talks with Karnataka on sharing of Mahadayi river water until the Assembly elections are over here, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah upped his attack on BJP leaders on Monday for their drama on the issue.

Calling BJP national chief, Amit Shah the director of the drama, he said Parrikar should fix the date and time for the talks if he was being honest about releasing drinking water to drought-hit areas of Karnataka.

Mr Siddaramaiah, who was speaking to reporters in Gadag, said Mahadayi farmers had seen through the drama being enacted by the BJP to mislead them. "The BJP cannot fool people of Karnataka. (Its state chief ) Yeddyurappa will never become CM, he declared.

The Chief Minister also said the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal would never admit Mr Parrikars letter to Mr Yeddyurappa promising to release water to Karnataka.

I challenge the Goa CM to write a similar letter to the tribunal to prove his concern for the distressed farmers of our state, he added.

CM said Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal would never admit Mr Parrikars letter to Mr Yeddyurappa promising to release water to Karnataka.
Bengaluru: The state government has been claiming to have released Rs 7,888 crore to improve the infrastructure in the city ahead of next years Assembly elections, but in reality the BBMP is yet to receive Rs 4,415 crore.

The infrastructure in Bengaluru can be improved if the government keeps up its word of releasing the funds promised in the budget. It is not just the state government, even the union government is yet to release funds, said sources in the BBMP.

The state government in its budget had promised Rs 7,888 crore for white topping, lake development, asphalting, flyovers and other projects. But, it has failed to release nearly 50 per cent of the amount promised, they said.

Every year, the state government releases funds under the 14th state finance corporation and Nagarothana schemes. In the last two years, it has announced an increase in the allocation for the civic body. The state government till now has released only Rs 3,473 crore of the Rs 7,888 crore. Grants announced by the state government in 2016-17 to the tune of Rs 1,017 crore are still pending, forcing the BBMP to go slow on infrastructure projects and payments to contractors, the sources said.

The union government too has failed to keep up its promise. It had stated that funds would be released to the Palike under the 14th finance commission and Swachcha Bharat campaigns. In 2017-18, Rs 265.29 crore was promised, but a meagre Rs 132.65 crore was released, the sources said.

With the Assembly elections scheduled to be held in the next four months, the BBMP should exert pressure on the state government to release the dues. Getting the funds released ahead of the elections will help the BBMP take up more projects and woo urban voters, the sources said.

The mayor, standing committee members and BBMP commissioner should take a delegation to the government to ensure the dues are released to take up more white topping and other necessary projects, they said.
Bengaluru: Claiming that the pontiffs objecting to the expert committee formed to look into granting of an independent religious status to Lingayats/Veerashaivas were pro-BJP, a forum formed to pursue the demand voted in favour of the panel on Monday.

Speaking to reporters here, forum members JD(S) leader, Basavaraja Horatti, former IAS officer, S M Jamdhar, Mr Jayanna and Mr Basavaraj Patil also claimed that the Veerashaiva/Lingayat leaders convention in Gadag on Sunday was not a Akhila Bharathiya Veerashaiva Mahasabha, show but of the Panchapeeta. The pontiffs, who participated in it were pro-BJP. One of the pontiffs at the convention alleged that the Chief Minister was dividing the community, but this is not true. Another pontiff called the three ministers involved in the movement three idiots, they deplored, noting that the report of the seven-member expert committee would be discussed by the state Cabinet before it takes any action in the matter. Also, all applications received by the government from the Veerashaiva Mahasabha, Mathe Mahadevi, the Panchapeeta and Viraktha mutts would be forwarded to the expert panel, which would go through them and make its recommendations to the Karnataka State Minorities Commission.

The Veerashaiva Mahasabha and Panchapeeta pontiffs don't have valid documents to support their argument and fear their application will be rejected. The Panchapeeta seers are responsible for the ongoing confusion. They should keep quiet till we get the separate religion tag. They are playing worse politics than seen in the corridors of Vidhana Soudha," they charged.

Recalling that their plea for a separate religious status for Lingayats/Veerashaivas was rejected by the Union government in the past, they said another memorandum would be submitted to it on the issue.

Basava Dal threatens to boycott pancha peetas

The Rashtriya Basava Sena has threatened to boycott heads of the Pancha Peetas if they continue to oppose the formation of a seven-member expert panel to look into applications seeking separate religion status for Lingayats.

In a release here on Monday, Dr Ravi Biradar of the Sena dubbed the heads of the five Peetas as 'opportunists' who want government rules and regulations to be tuned as they wish.

It was this same group of seers who went to former PM Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee seeking Scheduled Caste benefits for 'Beda Jangama'.

In fact, hundreds of sub-castes among Lingayats will get benefits which religious minorities get and even associations and mutts wil get aid from the government. "We need not take lessons from these pontiffs. Basavanna is the founder of Lingayat religion and the vachanas are our religious text. In fact, 99 sub-castes come under the umbrella of one religion-Lingayat," he said.
Bengaluru: Several government pre-university colleges across the state are running short of teachers as more than 2,600 posts are lying vacant. Students have been compelled to either learn on their own or go for tuitions.

The recruitment process started in 2015, but two years later, the Pre-University Education (PUE) Department is yet to fill all the posts. The state has 1,269 government colleges and 12,000 posts sanctioned by the Department, but over 2,600 posts are still vacant.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Tanveer Sait had said that the technical team is trying to resolve the issue soon, but the students continue to struggle.

A government college principal, Dhinkar (name changed), said, We were asked to recruit part-time teachers as there is a shortage of teachers in many departments.

According to information from the PUE Department, there are 11,87,174 students in first year and second year PUC (Arts  3,35,571, Science  3,95,916 and Commerce  4,55,687). As the demand for commerce courses has increased over the last few years, the stream has seen the highest staff crunch.

Mr Sait said, As the demand for commerce has gone up, we are shifting the teachers posts from Science to Commerce and filling up the vacancies. I think by February-end, all the teacher and principal posts will be filled.

Business, Kannada and English studies are next, with over 250 vacancies. Not just teachers, some PU colleges dont even have principals.
Mumbai: We are just extremely happy that the family reunited after 21 long months in Islamabad. Once they come back, we will ask what happened there and will worry about the rest later, said an elated Subhash Jadhav, the brother of navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav (47).

Another relative, who spoke to this newspaper, said he hoped Pakistan would free Kulbhushan.

Vijay Konjiya, a close friend of the Jadhavs said in excitement, This is a very happy news for all of us who know the Jadhavs because we know how much the family wanted to meet Kulbhushan. Right now, the fact that the family is reunited is much more important than the amount of time they spend together.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a relative told this paper, Kulbhushans mother and wife must be exhilarated after looking at him. I cannot even imagine the look on their faces. We are just waiting to see them, so that we will feel the same joy that they felt while meeting him.

However, Dalbir Kaur, the sister of Sarabjit Singh, who died in a Lahore jail in 2013, said in Chandigarh that Pakistan played a cruel joke by not allowing Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet his wife and mother freely and dubbed the entire exercise a drama. When it was held under such tight security and close relatives are separated by a glass screen, it has little meaning, she said.
NANNING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- South China's Nanning has joined a growing number of other cities to ban the use of shared electric bikes.

Authorities in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, banned fledging electric bike sharing businesses in a statement issued last week, citing safety and regulatory concerns.

"Electric bikes, which are heavy and fast, will cause great damage and economic loss when accidents happen," said an official with the city's transport department.

Officials with the department added that many of the city's electric bikes were unlicensed, and their users often violated traffic rules.

Nanning, a city of about 7 million residents, has more than 2 million registered electric bikes. Local regulations have banned electric bikes, motorcycles, and tricycles from being used to transport passengers for a fare.

Chinese cities including Shanghai, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou and Xi'an have issued guidelines to halt shared electric bikes, in an effort to regulate the booming bike-sharing industry.

China now has around 70 bike-sharing brands, with more than 16 million bicycles on the streets nationwide and 130 million users, according to the Ministry of Transport.
According to former district BJP president, Rajkumar Telkur, the district administration hosted a sumptuous dinner for the CM, his Cabinet colleagues and senior officials spending a huge amount of public money.

Kalaburagi: A Rs 10-lakh dinner for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in silver plates, which was hosted for him during his visit to Kalaburagi on Sunday to participate in the Sadhane Sambhrama programme, has put the district administration as well as the ruling Congress in a tight spot. With elections to the State Assembly round the corner, the issue has come in handy for the BJP to attack the Congress.

According to former district BJP president, Rajkumar Telkur, the district administration hosted a sumptuous dinner for the CM, his Cabinet colleagues and senior officials spending a huge amount of public money. Minister for irrigation M.B. Patil, Kalaburagi district incharge minister Sharanprakash Patil, Yadgir District Minister Priyank Kharge, former minister Sharanabasappa Darshanapur and Aland MLA B.R. Patil were among the VVIPs who were served dinner in silver plates and bowls.

We have no objection to the district administration hosting the dinner for the CM. But what is questionable is dinner in silver plates and bowls spending huge money. Each plate of food served was charged Rs 800. A special caterer from Hyderabad was brought in for the purpose. Mr Siddaramaiah often flaunts his socialist background and claims to be a Lohiaite. Our district in-charge minister claims he is so honest that he doesnt even accept a cup of tea offered to him. Should people who day in and day out talk about their honesty, spend public money for such a programme?, Mr Telkur asked.

He claimed that while the CM and his Cabinet colleagues were served dinner in silver plates, the public were served food which had worms the same evening at Sedam town at a public meeting which Siddaramaiah addressed.
Bengaluru: In a setback to the organisers of the much-talked-about Sunny Nights, featuring Bollywood actor Sunny Leone, the city police on Monday officially denied permission for the event which was scheduled on the New Years Eve at the White Orchid Hotel in Nagavara.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North-East Division) Girish S. issued a letter to the event organiser, Harish, managing director of The Time Creation, following a High Court order on Thursday, directing the police to decide whether they are giving permission to the event or not.

Rejecting the permission, the police laid down the reasons, including no proper clarification on various issues ranging from permission to be obtained from various departments to proper requisite arrangements.

The letter states that as many as 10,000 police personnel will be deployed across the city on the New Years Eve and adequate police staff will not be available for the Sunny Nights event.

Cops moot separate rows for men, women at MG, Brigade

If all goes according to the plan, MG Road and Brigade Road, the hotspots for the New Year celebration, will have women and men rows separating the two genders. The plan which has been tabled by the city police is yet to be finalised.

The separation by genders is aimed at preventing sexual harassment as the police last year faced severe criticism when women complained about being victims of molestation on MG Road and Brigade Road.

Thousands of people, both men and women, gather on MG Road and Brigade road at midnight to celebrate the New Year. It becomes difficult to ensure safety of women. Even if some untoward incident happens, it becomes nearly impossible to identify and catch the culprits considering the jam-packed roads. Separate rows will ensure total safety of women and may prevent untoward incidents, a senior police officer said. Police are pondering measures to ensure the safety of women following a Karnataka HC order, which recently directed police to ensure no untoward incident occurs in the city or state during New Year celebrations.

The move has got a favourable response from public. Smitha, a software engineer with a private firm, said that the segregation will be a good idea to ensure the safety of women. All kinds of people come to MG Road and Brigade Road. Some to celebrate the New Year, while some to take advantage of the crowd. In this mixed crowd, it is practically impossible for the police to keep eye on everyone. Having separate rows for men and women is an ideal solution, she said.
Hyderabad: A 38-year-old native of Suryapet was found dead in Australia on Monday. The man, identified as Adinarayana Reddy, 36, had gone to Australia to study six months ago, sources said.

Adinarayana Reddys body was found under suspicious circumstances by the locals who informed the police, the source said. A case was registered under relevant sections of the law and an investigation was started.
Hyderabad: From four hours of power cuts in the capital barely three years ago, to the promise of 24x7 free supply to the agriculture next year, the state has journeyed from darkness to light. No other state provides round the clock power to the agriculture sector. When it was formed in 2014, Telangana state had a power deficit of 2000 million units (MU). This situation has reversed and the state is projected to have a surplus of 3,282 MU next year.

In 2014, the total power demand was 50,916 MU and the government could supply 48,788 MU, a deficit of 2,178 MU. In a turnaround overseen by Transco and Genco chairman and managing director Devulapally Prabhakar Rao, the state will have surplus power of 3,282 MU though the demand is projected to grow to 64,291 MU for 2018-19. The per capita power consumption in the state is 1,394 units, above the national average of 1,010 units. The state has added a record 18,785 MU in four years, taking the power availability from 48,788 MU in 2014 to an estimated 67,573 MU next year.

TS Genco has set a target of producing 27,000 MW of power by 2020, a major portion earmarked for lift irrigation projects and agriculture pump sets. Lift irrigation projects will need 11,500 MW, up from a mere 400 MW four years ago. To meet this demand, TS Genco has taken up work on six new power projects with total capacity of 6,840 MW. The 600 MW Kakatiya Thermal Power Project Stage II was commissioned and synchronised with the grid in October 2015.

In the next three years, power officials are expecting the capacity will be about 16,306 MW, the additional power coming from Kothagudem Thermal Power Station (800 MW), Bhadradri (,1080 MW), NTPC (4,000 MW), Yadadri (4,000 MW), Singareni Collieries (800 MW) and from central generating stations (800 MW). The government has signed agreements with Chhattisgarh to purchase 1,000 MW to 2,000 MW. In solar power generation, the state stood topped in country with 3,000 MW. An energy official said this would go up. An energy official said that there would be no gap between demand and supply.
Actor Rajinikanth is meeting his fans for six days in Chennai, beginning December 26. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Chennai: On the first day of his six-days-meeting with fans, actor Rajinikanth on Tuesday said that he would join politics in "God wills".

He further added he would take a decision on his political debut on December 31.

"I am not saying I will join politics...I will announce my stand on December 31," the actor said.

"I am not new to politics. I got delayed. Entering is equal to victory," Rajinikanth added.

He said he is "hesitant" to enter politics since he know its dynamics.

Talking further about making his debut in politics Rajinikanth elaborated, "We need to be prepared well when we go to a battle. We need to fight to win or there's no use of going to a battle."

Addressing fans in May for a similar photo-op, the 67-year-old actor had said, "Let us face the war when it comes" which was seen as an indication that he might enter politics.

Referring to the statement made months ago, Rajinikanth on Tuesday said, "War means only election. Has it come now?".

Rajinikanth also paid tribute to former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, whose death in December 2016 is seen to have left a vacuum in Tamil Nadu politics, especially the ruling AIADMK.

"I was humbled when Jayalalithaa met me at my house," the actor said whose ties with the former chief minister were patchy but cordial towards the end.

The 67-year-old actor met around 1,000 fans across 18 districts on Tuesday while announcing his decision on his likelihood to join politics.

Addressing his fans the actor said, "I'am excited to meet my fans. I had planned meet with my fans in advance."

"Rajinikanth in show business but he's not a showman," said director Mahendran who was also present at the meeting of fans.

The producer who launched Rajini as hero in film Bairavi, Kalaignanam, also addressed the fans.

#Rajinikanth interacts with fans in Sri Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam in Chennai pic.twitter.com/gUNLeXlFTq  ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

The six-day meet on Tuesday began with a silent tribute to cyclone Ockhi victims.
Mumbai: Being one of the more challenging professions, journalism often sees individuals risking their lives in their search for truth and in a bid to bring it to masses.

Journalism is a trying, tiring, and often a thankless profession. Though media is considered as the fourth pillar of democracy in India, journalists in the country and across the world, often face extreme danger from the powerful for speaking their minds and the truth.

The fragility of a journalists life was further highlighted in the past one year when at least five truth-seekers were killed in India alone.

The latest casualty in this profession was freelance journalist Rajesh Sheoran, who was murdered on December 21, in Charkhi Dadri, Haryana.

Sheorans death came days after Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released their annual report on crimes against journalists, stating that 65 journalists had been killed worldwide in 2017.

With Sheorans name added to the list, the list now stands at 66.

According to the RSF's report, Indias rank was 136 in 2017 in the World Press Freedom Index, lower from 133 in 2016.

India lost one female and four male journalists in 2017.

Voices which were muted in 2017 include:

Gauri Lankesh

Gauri Lankesh (Photo: File)

Gauri Lankesh, editor of the Kannada weekly Lankesh Patrika, was killed outsider her home in Bengaluru. Three assailants shot at Lankesh seven times as she was opening the door of her house in southern India, on the evening of September 5.

Three bullets pierced through her head, neck, and chest.

Aged 55, Lankesh was considered a fearless editor and a staunch critic of the Hindu right-wing in the country. She was known for the courage and determination with which she defended womens rights and criticised the caste system and Hindu nationalism.

She had already received death threats, especially on the Internet.

Her last editorial explained how fake news had contributed to the BJPs election victory in 2014.

Her death was marked by widespread protests and outrage from the media.

The Karnataka government announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information leading to her killers. Four months on, no arrests have been made so far.

Santanu Bhaumik

Santanu Bhaumik. (Photo: Facebook)

Barely three weeks after Lankesh was shot dead, another journalist from a local TV news channel in Agartala, Santanu Bhaumik was abducted and killed in the West Tripura district while covering the agitation and road blockade by the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) demanding a separate state.

Bhawmik, a journalist from 'Dinrat' news channel, was present at the road blockade by the IPFT at Mandai when he was hit from behind and abducted.

Bhaumik was found with serious stab injuries and was rushed to Agartala Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.

Sudip Datta Bhowmik

Sudip Datta Bhowmik. (Photo: Facebook)

Just 35 kilometres from where Santanu was killed, a journalist working with a Bengali newspaper, Sudip Datta Bhowmik was shot dead by a constable of the Tripura State Rifles (TRS) in Bodhjung Nagar, Tripura following an altercation.

Bhowmik, 48, was a reporter with a local newspaper 'Syandan Patrika'. The scribe was gunned down inside the headquarters of the 2nd battalion of TSR in Tripura.

Sudip was reportedly shot at point-blank range, after an altercation broke out between the constable and the journalist. The editor of the newspaper where Bhowmik used to work alleged that he was killed for exposing financial irregularities in the paramilitary force.

Naveen Gupta

Naveen Gupta (Photo: ANI/ Twitter)

Naveen Gupta, a journalist with Hindi daily Hindustan, was shot dead at Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh on 30 November. Gupta, who was in his 30s, was sprayed with bullets by attackers, three to four in number, while he was coming out of the toilet of his hosiery shop. Five bullets pierced his face and chest.

The attackers fled from the spot.

The reason for the killing is unclear.

Rajesh Sheoran

Rajesh Sheoran (Photo: Screengrab)

The most recent incident involves journalist Rajesh Sheoran, whose mutilated body was discovered in Haryanas Charki Dadri, on December 21.

The lifeless body of Sheoran, 36, resident of Umarwas village was found on the Kaliyana road on the outskirts of Dadri town in Charkhi Dadri district. He was working with a magazine. Police said a passerby informed them about a body lying alongside the road and identified Sheoran through an identity card he had on him.

According to reports, Sheron's body was discovered with his legs separated from his torso, with police adding that it appeared that he had been repeatedly run over by a vehicle.
Chennai: The much-awaited session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly is expected to be convened in the second week of January and it will begin with the address by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, sources said here on Tuesday.

Sources said the groundwork for convening the sessionhas already begun and preparatory work for the Governors address to the Assembly is underway.

Though finer details like the tenure of the session and its business have not been worked out yet, the sources confirmed that the Assembly would be convened in January. Usually, the first session of the Assembly in the New Year begins with Governors address and lasts anywhere between a week to ten days.

Usually, the first session of the Assembly in the New Year begins with Governor's address and lasts anywhere between a week to ten days. The sources said exact dates of the session would be announced in the next few days.

Provisions in the Constitution mandate that state assemblies should be convened every six month, the sources said adding that since the last budget session concluded on July 19, the assembly should meet in January. The session, once convened, will be a stormy one since the DMK and independent MLA T T V Dhinakaran, who won the R K Nagar bypoll on Sunday, are expected to demand that Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami prove his majority on the floor of the House.

The DMK and Dhinakaran have been demanding convening of the Assembly since August when 18 MLAs owing allegiance to the rebel AIADMK leader submitted letter of withdrawal of their support to the Chief Minister. Stalin had knocked at the doors of Raj Bhawan as well as the Madras High Court seeking a direction to Palaniswami to prove his majority.

Dhinakaran's maiden enter into the Assembly, his camp feels, would embolden several of his supporters within the AIADMK legislature party to openly support him and even vote against the government if a no confidence motion is brought against Palaniswami dispensation. The rebel leader has been harping onto his sleeper cells within the legislature party and reiterated even on Sunday that they would come out in the public during the no confidence motion.

Palaniswami won the trust vote on the floor of the assembly on February 18 amid ruckus by the DMK members who were evicted much before the voting. With only 11 legislators owing allegiance to the then rebel O Panneerselvam voting against it, the Palaniswami government won the trust vote.
Sarabjit Singhs sister Dalbir Kaur on Tuesday called the meeting of Kulbhushan Jadhav with his wife and mother a well planned drama by Pakistan. (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: Lashing out at Pakistan for not allowing former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet his mother and wife freely, Sarabjit Singhs sister Dalbir Kaur on Tuesday termed the entire exercise by Islamabad as a "cruel joke".

Dalbir dubbed the meeting, which the Pakistan held as a "humanitarian gesture" to mark the birthday of its founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, a "black spot" in the name of humanity.

"What happened with us in 2008, same thing happened with Jadhav's family. Only the difference was that we met Sarabjit inside a jail and they in a well planned drama... It is the same story like Sarabjit's.

"(Pakistan) They are not worth trusting. It is a black spot in the name of humanity. We can call it a well planned drama by Pakistan," she said and added that India should take up Jadhav's case even more forcefully now.

Dalbir also went to Pakistan in 2011 to meet his brother Sarabjit, who was sentenced to death over terrorism charges. He, however, died in the prison after some inmates attacked him in 2013.

Meanwhile, the wife and the mother of Jadhav met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi.

The two women returned this morning after meeting Jadhav, who has been convicted of spying and is on a death row, in Pakistan.

Jadhav's meeting with his family members was not any ordinary meeting as they were separated by a glass barrier.

The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), to this end, clarified that the screen was placed due to security reasons and that Jadhav already knew this would be the setting.

Pakistan had agreed to facilitate the visit of Jadhav's family and also assured their safety, security, and freedom of movement in the country.

Jadhav was arrested in March this year, in Balochistan, Pakistan, 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 Indian Navy.
Bengaluru: Union Minister and BJPs Karnataka election in-charge Prakash Javadekar on Monday remarked that Congress had betrayed Karnataka by not doing enough to resolve the Mahadayi drinking water row.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr Javadekar said, The Congress is the real culprit for its double talk on Mahadayi. When the Congress was ruling at both the Centre and in the state, it did not take steps to resolve the crisis. Actually the project got in-principle approval during then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayees tenure and canal work had started when B.S. Yeddyurappa was Deputy Chief Minister and K.S. Eshwarappa was the irrigation minister in the BJP-JD(S) coalition government. However, Mr Siddaramaiah has discontinued Kalasa- Banduri work for drawing water from Mahadayi, he explained.

In all magnanimity , Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had agreed to resolve the Mahadayi issue keeping in mind the drinking water crisis in Karnataka. But the Congress has been instigating people after Mr Parrikar agreed to talks. Once B.S. Yeddyurappa becomes CM after the 2018 polls, things will move fast on the implementation of the Kalasa Banduri project, Mr Javadekar said.

In Goa, the Congress is opposing the project, but here, they are raising questions against the BJP. Even Congress former President Sonia Gandhi assured people of Goa that Congress will not allow a single drop of water to flow to Karnataka from Mahadayi. It shows the love of the Congress for Karnataka, Mr Javadekar remarked bitterly.

The BJP leader also criticized the remarks made by KPCC working president Dinesh Gundurao on his Raj Bhavan visit.  When I checked into Raj Bhavan for a halt, the Governor had left for Gujarat. I never met the Governor at Raj Bhavan but the Congress is making baseless statements that I met the Governor and discussed politics. This is nothing but ridiculous, Mr. Javadekar added.
Hubballi: State BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa has said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has no moral right to compare his governance to that provided by former CM, late Devaraj Urs during his tenure.

Addressing the Parivarthana Yathra at Ranibennur in Haveri district on Monday, Yeddyurappa challenged Siddaramaiah to dissolve the Assembly and prove his popularity by facilitating early elections in February first week next year. Stating that it is shameful on the part of the CM to equate himself with Urs, he alleged that Siddaramaiah is misleading people about his achievements while collecting bribe from contractors and officials.

Siddaramaiah is projecting himself as the next CM again though Karnataka stands first in corruption, rape cases and illegal activities. He claims to be another Devraj Urs and is uttering lies that he worked for the development of the backward classes. But he has no right to compare himself to such a great leader, Yeddyurappa said.

Accusing the CM of engaging in daylight robbery by encouraging illegal sand mining and import of sand bags, he said the Congress is pushing the state into bankruptcy. Lambasting the government for imposing conditions for women wanting to avail the benefits of Bhagyalaxmi scheme launched by him, Yeddyurappa said that Congress is sowing the seed of communalism through money and muscle power.
Police in Guangzhou of southern China have issued the countrys first WeChat ID on Dec. 25. The e-ID can be used in place of a physical ID card for identity authentication, whenever and wherever necessary, Guangzhou Daily reported on Dec. 26.

The e-IDs will be tested in Guangdong province before being promoted across the country by January 2018.

Guangdong residents can apply for and obtain a black-and-white e-ID using WeChats facial recognition feature, which can be used to prove ones identity; for instance, for real-name registration in Internet cafes.

Residents can get an updated version of e-ID via an identity authentication app developed by the police, set a password for it, and scan their physical ID cards on the platform. This e-ID is more useful and can be used for things like business registration.

Guangzhou police have teamed up with Internet giant Tencent, China Construction Bank, and 10 other agencies to facilitate the incorporation of e-IDs into citizens smartphones.
Hyderabad: The Communist Party of India (CPI) has asked the state government to convene an all-party meeting over the conflict between Adivasis and Lambadas communities over the ST reservations.

CPI senior leader Chada Venkata Reddy on Monday said that he had written a letter to Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao a few days ago asking him to convene an all party meeting at the earliest in view of the rising tensions in few districts.

On December 16, Adivasi and Lambada groups attac-ked each other following the desecration of a statue of Adivasi hero Kumaram Bheem, forcing police to use tear gas shells.

The scuffle reportedly began when Lambada youth obstructed and beat the Adivasis, who were proceeding towards Utnoor to stage a protest in front of the office of the Int-egrated Tribal Development Agency regarding the issue.

The Adivasis retaliated by attacking Lambada shops and smashed vehicles parked in front of houses in Hasnapur.
Chennai: Keeping his fans and public on suspense mode yet again, superstar Rajinikanth on Tuesday said he would announce his stand on entering politics on Sunday at the end of a six-day meet with his supporters here.

I will announce my stand on political entry on December 31, Rajinikanth said, sending his fans into a rapturous frenzy in his opening remarks at the event held at his Raghavendra Thirumana Mandapam in Kodambakkam.

If the fans thought that the moment they had been waiting for  their thalaivars political journey  had finally come after a gruelling two-decade wait, they were mistaken. The Tamil superstar, whose Kala is expected to hit the screens in the first half of 2018, kept up the suspense by saying, It does not mean that I will come to politics...I will announce my stand (on Sunday), Rajinikanth said.

Explaining to his fans on why he is hesitant to enter politics, Rajinikanth said he was in a dilemma only because he knew the entire dynamics of how the field works. Politics is nothing new for me. I have been in politics since 1996 Had I not known its dynamics, I would have said okay, he said.

Referring to his war remark, the actor asked, war means only election. Has it come now? If we go to war, we should win. To succeed in a war, valour alone is not sufficient, strategy is important.

Whether people are keen or not, the media is enthusiastic to know if I will join politics, he said, talking about the excitement in media circles about

his possible political entry.

Tuesday was the first day of six-day-long meeting that Rajinikanth Fans Club Association organised for his supporters to have an audience with him, besides clicking a photograph. A similar meeting in May saw the superstar exhorting his fans to be ready for war.

Rajinikanth has been ambivalent on his political entry since 1996, when he openly put his weight behind the DMK and then fledgling Tamil Maanila Congress that helped the Dravidian party capture power with a brute majority. After his appeal to vote for DMK-TMC alliance in 1998 and to defeat the PMK in 2004 failed at the hustings, the superstar kept low when it came to politics only to speak about it in 2017 after the demise of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa the previous year.

Parties divided over Rajini's political entry

Tamil Nadus political fraternity seems to be divided on actor Rajnikanth's much-anticipated political entry, with the ruling AIADMK saying it was his democratic right while Opposition DMK is waiting for the official word.
In the backdrop of Rekhta, an annual Urdu event in Delhi, I was searching for In Custody, Shashi Kapoors lyrical epitaph about the demise of a beautiful language. It was to be his last movie. What I picked up also were two completely unrelated films, which I think the late actor-director would have approved. Saeed Mirzas Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Ata Hai and M.S. Sathyus Garam Hawa showed up in a totally changed political context. Both movies were made by Leftist partisans with plots that showed self-absorbed Christian and Muslim families spurred by their circumstances to veer towards the social mainstream of red banners and revolutionary slogans. In Garam Hawa, released in 1973, Salim Mirza is a follower of Gandhiji during the turbulent days of Partition. Let down by his own brother who migrates to Pakistan, Mirza suffers the ignominy of being a Musl-im who stayed back in communally riven Agra. He is traumtatised when someone hits him with a brick after his tonga wades into a hostile Hindu neighbourhood. Salim Mirza, played by the inimitable Balraj Sahani, is arrested on familiar charges of spying for Pakistan. He had apparently sought a local map detailing his own haveli to settle a family dispute, which went against him. Relea-sed from the humiliating lockup, his hopes drained, Salim boards a tonga with his wife and son, played by Farooq Sheikh. On the way to the train station from where they would leave for Pakistan, the tonga encounters a traffic jam. Theres a massive crowd of slogan-chanting men, waving red banners of protest, demanding jobs and colleges. The son is allowed to slip into the crowd, and soon Salim Mirza, muttering how long can one live alone hands the house keys to his wife and asks the tonga-driver to take her back to their home. He then wades into the slogan-shouting crowd.

Albert Pinto (1980) is played by Naseeruddin Shah. Its the story of a car mechanic, a Christian youth who is proud of his work, who flaunts his first name-calling relationship with rich clients who admire his fine knowledge of their cars. Alberts father is a trade union leader who cuts a sorry figure with his family as they think he is foolish to alienate powerful mill owners. When his father returns home one day with his shirt torn from an assault by the mill owners henchmen, Albert Pinto understands the meaning of his fathers love of waving the trade union flag. Salim Mirza and his son Sikander came to the sanctuary of the robust Indian Left to rid themselves of a spurious communal binary. Albert Pinto comes to the Left through a secular, economically rooted compulsion. Both films flagged the promise of a Nehruvian India, where mainstream society was still thought to be striving for a socially-equitable future, where religious identity was discouraged. Cut to the Modi era. The Left is confused about how to describe the hateful politics unlea-shed on unsuspecting Indians. Is he a fascist, or is he a bad ruler lacking in civic sense? The Left has all but disappeared from the scene. Earlier this month, dozens of Catholics were arrested by the police in central India while singing Christmas carols. The familiar charge was they were trying to convert people. When a group of priests went to the police station to ask about the detentions, their parked car was torched, by a mob belonging to a right-wing Hindu group.

Theodore Mascarenhas of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, has the facts to vindicate his peoples innocence. He, however, knows the community is on the back foot. The Left will come to the rescue, Sathyus Salim Mirza had hoped. What he finds today is that the supposedly secular Congress Party, led by a great-grandson of Nehru, seems embarrassed to be seen with Muslim leaders in Gujarat lest the election is lost for an unwitting reason. Salim Mirza is in a soup. But what about his brother who went over to Pakistan? How would he be coping with the upsurge of Deobandi and Barelvi identities? Perhaps it is time for Sathyu and Saeed Mirza to update their scripts  or write an honest, heart-rending epitaph as Shashi Kapoor did.

By arrangement with Dawn
Seventy years after Independence India remains a superpower in waiting. The Prime Ministers Office highlighted the Trump administrations 68-page National Security Strategy looking forward to Indias emergence as a leading global power and stronger strategic and defence partner. The PMO didnt say needy Indians grab the largest number of American H-1B visas. Like the British politician who wanted Africans as brothers, not brothers-in-law, Mr Trump moved to cut the influx of high-tech Indian workers by issuing fewer visas, doubling visa fees, imposing an employment ceiling and other restrictions. Britain was similarly ambivalent. India was one of the first countries Theresa May visited in 2016 after the Brexit vote, draping herself in a silk and zari saree for Bengalurus Someshwa-ra Temple. Indians were more interested in visas than trade. Adam Smi-ths nation of shopkeepers wouldnt trade visas for exports. Ignoring the carrot of a 33 per cent rise in sales under a new India-UK trade agreement, Ms May lived up to the reputation she had earned during her six years as UK home secretary of being a toughie on South Asian visitors. The Post-Study Work Visa for Indian students seeking practical experience after qualifying in Britain wasnt revived. Chinese nationals were given two-year multiple-entry visas for longer visits at no extra charge.

Londons Pakistan-origin mayor qualified as an honorary Indian. He thought Britain should apologise for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Ms May, however, didnt. Kulbhushan Jadhavs wife and mother visited him in jail. The death sentence stood. Vijay Mallya, wanted in India for alleged tax evasion, money laundering and fraud, refused to leave London. He cited Rajan Pillai, the Singapore-based biscuit king found dead in his Tihar Jail cell. Even Russian prisons were a lot better, said his British lawyer. Adani Australia was acc-used of damaging the environment. Denied concessional bank loans and refused Chinese financing, Gautam Adani cancelled a $2.6 billion mining contract in Australia. Travel boomed. Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma were married in Italy. Nitin Gadkari attended the Indian Journalists Association dinner in London. Fourteen countries welcomed Narendra Modi. Germany clarified that Prince Harry was not marrying Angela Merkel but an unknown Meghan Markle. Sri Lanka didnt offer a peacekeeping force for Kashmir. Mr Modi didnt advise Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on suppressing Catalan secessionists. He signed seven agreements instead. Eleven were signed with Spains much smaller neighbour but visiting Portugal was ghar wapsi in reverse. Time was when Lisbon called Goa a Portuguese province. Now, its PIO Prime Minister makes Portugal an Indian province.

Mr Modi ignored Rakhine when visiting Myanmar. He ignored Palestine when he became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu, however, didnt cancel his threatened return visit when India voted against Mr Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital. Israels ambassador in New Delhi explained that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Trump were above the UN. The UNs criticism of Kazakhstans curbs on most freedoms didnt discomfit Mr Modi. Kazakhstan is Indias main uranium supplier. ArcelorMittal Temirtau is Kazakhstans main steel producer. Mr Modis two-day visit saw India promoted to full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Moscows blossoming ties with Pakistan prompted no suspicion of Russian intervention in Gujarats polling to make Ahmed Patel chief minister! No bricks were thrown over Doklam at the Brics summit in China. Nor over China encircling India with initiatives in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Bh-utan remained the missing link. Nepal elected a Prime Minister who had cut his political teeth in West Bengal chanting Chinas Chairman is Our Chairman. Like Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Nepal rushed to join Chinas Belt and Road Initiative. India didnt. Michael Pillsbury, director of the Hudson Institutes Centre on Chinese Strategy, told US Congressmen Mr Modi was the only statesman in the world who stood up to Beijing. The BRI, a network of infrastructure projects inclu-ding the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor through Indian territory that Pakistan occupies, violates Indian sovereignty, he said.

China again blocked Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar being branded a global terrorist. The US expressed concern at Jamaat-ud-Dawa emir Hafiz Sae-eds plan to contest Paki-stans 2018 elections. Released from house arrest, Hafiz, mastermi-nd of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack, said Pakistan must pressure China, Russia and other countries to stop India from committing terrorism in Pakistan. Russia taunted the Uni-ted States for not pressuring China to allow India into the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Chinas non-participation enabled India to join the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies. India, the worlds seventh-largest economy with the worlds third-largest military by personnel strength and fifth-largest defence budget, applied to the Australia Group on the nonproliferation of chemical and biological weapons. It is waiting to join the UN Security Council and the G-7 club of major industrialised economies. Too many qualified Indians are trying to escape to the US and Britain for India to be respected as a global force. Oscar Wilde thought the youth of America was its oldest tradition. It has been going on now for 300 years, he wrote. Indias destiny seems to be regarded as perpetually emerging. As Narendra Modis aides prepare for next years prime ministerial jaunts to Abu Dhabi, Argentina, China, Singapore, South Africa and Sri Lanka for starters, Indians might feel justified in wondering whether India will remain an emerging country exporting ski-lled manpower for the next 300 years.
The meeting permitted by Pakistan between Kulbhushan Jadhav, the retired Indian Navy officer on death row in Pakistan on charges of spying, and his mother and wife in Islamabad on Monday, was a laughable choreographed attempt at perception management. Pakistan has tried to play the event as a humanitarian gesture in keeping with Islams idealistic principles. It became evident, however, that through a show of humanitarianism Islamabad was seeking to produce a favourable impact on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the Hague. The ICJ is hearing Indias appeal for Mr Jadhavs early release after the court stayed his execution earlier this year, upholding New Delhis contention that the former naval officer was given the death sentence by a Pakistani military court without being given fair trial, legal representation or consular access, in violation of the Vienna Convention.

Indias case is that the retired officer was engaged in legitimate business in Iran and was abducted from there by Pakistanis and presented as an Indian spy seeking to foment terrorist activity in Pakistan. Long infamous for backing terrorists, thus jeopardising regional peace, Islamabad seeks to manufacture so-called evidence that may suggest that it is, in fact, India that promotes terrorism. The meeting between Mr Jadhav and his mother and wife, who had specially flown to Islamabad for the opportunity after their pleas bore fruit, was in fact no meeting. They were separated by a glass barrier and spoke through the intercom. Indias deputy high commissioner was present, but only to watch the proceedings through another glass partition and not able to hear the conversation.

In short, the meeting was notional. This was the extent of Pakistans humanitarian gesture on the birth anniversary of its founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah, which Islamabad officially advertised. To add to the tawdriness of the exercise, and underlining the strictly proximate nature of an event billed as an emotional family meeting after Mr Jadhavs 22 months on death row, it was held in a shipping container in the Pakistan foreign ministrys parking lot, not even in a proper room. The Pakistan government released a video that showed Mr Jadhav thanking Pakistan for its kindness. However, the video shows what looks to be a torture mark on the prisoners neck. India has so far not commented on this. But a government spokesman on Tuesday accused Pakistan of cultural insensitivities. The prisoners relatives were asked to remove a mangalsutra and bindi on the pretext of security, and his wifes shoes were not returned to her. The stage-managing of this so-called emotional family drama was meant to impress the ICJ, not to earn brownie points with Indian public opinion or the Indian authorities. The theatre over, Islamabad will resume firing across the Line of Control and push terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump speak on the phone with children as they track Santa Claus movements with the North American Aerospace Defense Command Santa Tracker on Christmas Eve at the Presidents Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, on Monday. (Photo: PTI)

Vatican City: Pope Francis used his Christmas message on Monday to call for a negotiated two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, after US President Donald Trump stoked regional tensions with his recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital, Reuters reported. Francis spoke of the Middle-East conflict and other world flashpoints in his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) address, four days after more than 120 countries backed a UN resolution urging the United States to reverse its decision on Jerusalem.

Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two states within mutually agreed and internationally recognised borders, he said.

We see Jesus in the children of the Middle-East who continue to suffer because of growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, he said in his address, delivered from the balcony of St. Peters Basilica to tens of thousands of people. It was the second time that the Pope has spoken out publicly about Jerusalem since Trumps decision. On that day, Francis called for the citys status quo to be respected, lest new tensions in the Middle East further inflame conflicts.
Islamabad: Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed has opened a JuD election office in the political vicinity of Lahores NA-120 constituency.

Saeed confirmed that JuD would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the Milli Muslim League (MML). Senior officials of police said the MML had earlier contested in the same constituency.

We did not provide him security as JuD is a banned organisation, a senior police officer said.

The government has requested a court in Islamabad not to consider MMLs plea seeking its registration as a political party, saying the group would breed violence and extremism in politics.

The interior ministry made it clear that the state will not allow mainstreaming of jihad outfits.

The NA-120 seat fell vacant because of the disqualification of former PM Nawaz Sharif in the Panama Papers case.

Saeed said India was forcing Pakistan to abandon the Kashmir cause. This is the right time to enter politics to persuade the world by establishing an independent foreign desk to highlight the Kashmir cause, he said.
Jadhav and his family sat across divided by a glass barrier which the officials said was necessitated due to security threats. (Photo: DC)

Islamabad: Convicted Indian national Kulbushan Jadhavs wife and mother met him on Monday along with Pakistani and Indian diplomats here.

Jadhav and his family sat across divided by a glass barrier which the officials said was necessitated due to security threats.

The meeting was arranged at the foreign ministry and the guests were given VVIP protocol, which invited all-round criticism.

A contingent of media representatives covered every development despite the fact that they were not allowed to speak to the duo from India.

An agency report in Mumbai quoted Jadhavs friends, neighbours and well-wishers saying they were relieved to see the former Naval commander looking fit and fine during his interaction with his family adding that he appeared emotional as he talked to them.]

Dr Fareha Bugti attended the meeting for Pakistan while Indias Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh represented his country. They were, however, not allowed to sit close enough to listen to the familys conversation. The two, wife Chetankul and mother Avanti, arrived at Benazir Bhutto Interna-tional Airport via Emira-tes Airlines flight EK-612 in the morning and left the same day. All roads leading towards diplomatic enclave were closed and red zone area was sealed temporarily with barriers. 500 police officials were appointed for security.

A day before the much- hyped meeting, Foreign office spokesperson Dr Mohammed Faisal had said hanging Jadhav did not suit Pakistan as his existence would keep the case alive. The spokesperson said Pakistan was in no hurry to execute the alleged Indian spy as he still had his mercy appeal pending before the army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Pak says Jadhav-kin meet not the last one

Even if the army chief rejects his appeal, he can still file another appeal with the President (Mamnoon Hussain). The Army chief can take a decision in minutes or years. Same is the case with the President. His (Jadhavs) existence is better than his death for us. This will keep the case alive. Or he will vanish like Ajmal Kasab (who was executed by India for alleged role in 2008 Mumbai attacks), said the spokesperson.

He said the delay in Jadhavs execution is not to bargain for Colonel Mohammed Habib (retd) release.

On Monday, briefing the reporters after Jadhavs meeting with his family, Dr Faisal said that convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav was the face of Indian terrorism. Jadhavs meeting with his family, he said, was a positive gesture from Pakistans side as the country had nothing to hide.

The spokesperson noted that the Indian government had not provided an explanation as to how an Indian passport was used with a fake name.

Dr Faisal maintained Indian media was allowed to be part of this meeting however, there was no response.

This meeting was not done to win at the International Court of Justice rather it was just to show that Pakistan thoroughly believes in basic human rights.

Jadhavs wife wanted to speak to the media, he said adding, the family was not allowed to meet Jadhav physically as security was paramount. There was a partition between the two parties in the meeting due to security reasons, he added.

On Jadhavs medical condition, the spokesperson said that detailed reports vividly show that he was in perfect health.

Responding to a question, Faisal said that this will not be the last time that the family is meeting Jadhav, they will be given permission later on too. He said that this is not providing consular access but only on a categorical basis.

The foreign ministry also issued a video clip where Jadhav thanked the government of Pakistan for arranging the meeting with his family.
Bengaluru may be the world's most dynamic city, but it does not have even a basic disaster management module to handle man-made catastrophes.



In fact, the provisional Master Plan 2031, prepared by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), has no meaningful mention of disaster management, keeping in mind the vertical growth of Bengaluru, a key requirement in the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines.

Curiously enough, the master plan only says the 2005 disaster plan should be followed while applying for a No Objection Certificate. It has avoided any mention of the 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. Areas housing high-rise buildings do not have vacant plots nearby to mount rescue operations.

"The provisional master plan does not address these points," he said.

Vulnerable spots

A National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) official, who did not wish to be named, said there is no sufficient space even around the Metro stations for evacuation in case of a bomb scare or a terror attack. Same is the case with malls in residential areas.

Nearly 10,000 people gather in malls and other buildings, but no plans have been made for emergency evacuation and congregation of people, the NDRF official pointed.

There is no mention of fire safety around the city's small-scale industries and storehouses. The official said that the master plan has also failed to indicate where the fire stations would come up. Areas prone to disasters should have a hazard mapping and vulnerability assessment, he said.

Thippeswamy N K, town planner, BDA, said the BBMP should make decisions with regard to mitigating fire and man-made tragedies.

The master plan mentions that those seeking permission for construction should follow norms as defined by the NDMA.
Friends and well-wishers of Kulbhushan Jadhav, the businessman who has been sentenced to death by a military court of Pakistan, said that their campaign to bring him back would continue.



Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, has been accused of being an agent of Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), the external intelligence agency of India.

Hours after Jadhav's mother Avanti Jadhav and wife Chetankul Jadhav met him in Islamabad on Monday, the friends and well-wishers are confused about the outcome.

"We want to know how he is mentally and physically. The mother and wife of Kulbhushan did 'namaskar' when they went there....see how courteous they were," said Tulsidas Pawar, one of his friends.

"Our campaign will continue till he comes back," said another friend Sachin Kale.

"We are with him and the Jadhav family," he said.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Vietnam's Mekong Delta were evacuated as the region braced for the arrival of Typhoon Tembin after the storm left more than 160 people dead in the Philippines, AP reports from Hanoi.



Weather forecasters were expecting the delta's southern tip to be in Tembin's path, and said heavy rain and strong winds starting tonight could cause serious damage in the vulnerable region, where facilities are not built to cope with such severe weather.

National television station VTV reported that several hundred thousand people were evacuated from their houses, which are mostly made from tin sheets and wooden panels.

In Vung Tau city, thousands of fishing boats halted their monthslong fishing trips to return to shore.

Typhoons and storms rarely hit the Mekong Delta. But in 1997, Tropical Storm Linda swept through the region, killing 770 people and leaving more than 2,000 others missing.

Over the weekend, Tembin unleashed landslides and flash floods that killed at least 164 people and left 171 others missing in the Philippines, according to Romina Marasigan of the government's main disaster-response agency.

Initial reports from officials in different provinces placed the overall death toll at more than 230, but Marasigan warned of double counting amid the confusion in the storm's aftermath and said the numbers needed to be verified.

More than 97,000 people remained in 261 evacuation centers across the southern Philippines on Monday, while nearly 85,000 others were displaced and staying elsewhere, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

The hardest-hit areas were Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur provinces and the Zamboanga Peninsula. Tembin hit the Philippines as a tropical storm but strengthened into a typhoon before blowing out of the country Sunday into the South China Sea toward Vietnam.

Philippine officials had warned villagers in accident- prone areas to evacuate early as Tembin approached and the government was trying to find out what caused the widespread storm deaths, Marasigan said. She added that it was difficult to move people from homes shortly before Christmas.

"We don't want to be dragging people out of their homes days before Christmas, but it's best to convince them to quietly understand the importance of why they are being evacuated," Marasigan said at a news conference in Manila.

Tembin was among a series of disasters to hit the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines at the peak of Christmas preparations.

An inter-island ferry sank off northeastern Quezon province Thursday after being lashed by fierce winds and big waves, leaving at least five people dead. More than 250 passengers and crewmen were rescued. Earlier in the week, another tropical storm left more than 50 people dead and 31 others missing, mostly due to landslides, and damaged more than 10,000 houses in the central Philippines.
Those, who aspire to enter electoral politics, may find it useful as it is the advice of an experienced politician, who has contested many elections.



A simple lunch for the voters may not ensure their support in the polls. If one wants a sure commitment from the voters then one must serve liquor and chicken.

Infamous for his controversial remarks, often against his own government, Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar said that the poor voted for those, who gave them "liquor and chicken".

"Baati-chokha kachha vote, daaru murga pucca vote" (votes of the poor are unsure if one gives the voters only simple food....for sure vote give them liquor and chicken)," Rajbhar, who was president of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), said while addressing party workers at Balrampur town on Sunday.

Condition of poor

The minister said this was why there was no change in the condition of the poor. "The politicians know they can secure the votes of the poor in this way and therefore they do not bother about them," he remarked.

This is not the first time that Rajbhar has courted controversy. The SBSP president had once threatened to send those parents to jail, who failed to send their children to school. He had also said that the BJP's one-month expenditure was equal to the amount spent by his community members on liquor in a single day.

Rajbhar has also embarrassed his own government by way of his remarks.
In July 1997, when Lalu Prasad was arrested for the first time in fodder scam, there was total chaos and mayhem on the streets of Bihar.



Lalu's men hit the roads and resorted to violence which forced the then CBI joint director U N Biswas to seek Army's help to arrest a person who by then had resigned as the chief minister and anointed his wife Rabri Devi to the top post.

Twenty years down the line, when Lalu was arrested once again on 23 December in one of the six on-going fodder scam cases against him, there is complete peace and harmony in Bihar but there is also deep anger and anguish amongst his supporters who have unflinching faith in the man who gave voice to the oppressed in the post-Mandal era.

"I am getting feedback from across the state that people have become more sympathetic towards Lalu. And such sympathisers are not only Yadavs and Muslims but also other backward class (OBCs) and Dalits.

Suddenly people have started viewing this judgement on caste lines, particularly after former chief minister Dr Jagannath Mishra was acquitted while Lalu was jailed in the same case," RJD vice-president and former Rajya Sabha member Shivanand Tiwary told DH.

Tiwary opined that there was a strong reaction simmering within the society following the foul language used by leaders like Nitish Kumar, Sushil Modi and Ram Vilas Paswan against Lalu after the latter was incarcerated on Saturday. "Those who are writing Lalu's political obituary are living in a fool's paradise. Lalu has emerged stronger after every setback," argued Tiwary.

To buttress his point, the veteran Socialist, who has worked closely with Nitish as well as Lalu, said, "People had written off Lalu when he was jailed in September 2013. But the RJD emerged as the single largest party in the 2015 Assembly election.

His supporters are simply not ready to buy the theory that he could be one of the conspirators in the embezzlement of a relatively small amount (Rs 90 lakh Deogarh treasury case)." Another social scientist Ajay Kumar concurred and argued that Lalu's support base would remain intact. "Rather it will swell further in the days to come, as most of the people view the judgement on caste lines. Those journalists who are willing to write off Lalu will be sadly mistaken" he averred.

Meanwhile, the jail administration in Ranchi allowed a few close aides of Lalu to meet the RJD chief in Birsa Munda Jail on Monday. "Lalu ji is fine. He met us after his pooja (prayers)," said Jharkhand RJD president and former minister Annapoorna Devi.
A top commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit was killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in Samboora village of Pulwama district on Monday.



Sources said a gunfight erupted after a joint team of the armys 50-Rashtriya Rifles and special operations group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police laid siege in Samboora, Pulwama, 32 km from here, late on Monday night, following inputs about the presence of some militants in the area.



Two JeM militants, who were trapped in a house, fired on the search party which was retilatated. In an overnight encounter the house was brought down by the security forces, they said.



A police spokesman said that the body of one militant has been recovered so far along with arms and ammunition.He identified the slain militant as Noor Mohammad Trantray alias Noor Trali, a divisional commander of the JeM outfit.



The slain militant was one of the chief architects of the BSF camp attack near Srinagar airport this year (October). He was heading the Jaish in Kashmir. Besides he was wanted in a number of offences in south and central Kashmir, he said.



Jumped parole



The forty-seven-year-old Trali was arrested in Delhi in 2003 and sentenced to life by a POTA court in 2011. He was released on parole in 2015 but reportedly jumped parole and rejoined militancy.The police said his death is a big blow to the JeM as he was the key man in reviving the outfit in south and central Kashmir.



J&K Director General of police, Shesh Pal Vaid in a tweet said that the slain militant along with his associates were planning to attack a convoy on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.There was input about the presence of two to three militants near the national highway planning to attack a convoy. One body of a militant has been recovered so far and the search for others is going on, the DGP tweeted.



Despite being a dwarf, JeM commander Trali had kept security forces on their toes in south Kashmir with his guerrilla tactics.



Dwarf commander



According to police, the three-foot tallTrali was instrumental in the revival of JeM in the Valley in the second half of 2017. Being a dwarf, Trali gave a slip to security forces many a time as nobody doubted him to be a dreaded militant. He was a thinking militant and brave enough to even drop militants at the attack site and sometimes recce the spot himself, a senior police officer told DH.



Trali was a resident of Tral area, from where Burhan Wani and Zakir Musa also hail.



He had a good network in and around Tral area and was considered as an interlocutor between various militant organisations operating in Kashmir. Trali was the bridge between Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba and JeM militant outfits in south Kashmir, the officer said.



A local news gathering agency, quoting JeM spokespersons statement, said Trali was its operational chief who had joined the outfit in 2000.



He (Trali) was arrested in 2003 and was languishing in various Indian jails for 12 years. His escaping from prison in 2015 was a big blow to Indian forces as he reorganised and strengthened the outfit, the statement said.



According to police records, Trali took the centre stage after most of the top commanders of Hizbul and LeT were killed in the first six months of this year. It was he who revived the JeM in Kashmir, particularly in the southern districts of Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam. He was also good in recruiting local youths, police said.



After remaining defunct in Kashmir for almost a decade, the JeM came back on the scene, plotting fidayeen (suicide) attacks, including one on Pulwama police district lines in which eight police and paramilitary forces and three militants were killed.Trali was the key plotter and coordinator of a fidayeen attack on the BSF camp outside the high-security Srinagar airport, in which a BSF official and three militants were killed, police said.
Actor Rajinikanth on Tuesday said he would announce his decision on joining politics on December 31.



"I will announce my political stance on December 31", the actor said during a photo session with fans in Chennai.



Claiming that he was not new to politics, Rajinikanth said he needs some time to study and chalk out a strategy.

Terming elections as "war", the actor said bravery is not enough to win a war. "Strategy is required to win," he said.



Rajini said more than the people, the media is interested in knowing about his political plans.



Appealing to his fans not to focus on the negative information circulated in social media, the actor said, "focus on positive thoughts".
The Mangaluru police anti-rowdy Squad has arrested a drug dealer and his associate, here on Monday.



Mangaluru's infamous drug peddler Carl Lewis D' Cunha alias (29) Austin of Hampanakatta and his associate Anoop D Almada (26) were arrested by The south zone anti-rowdy squad.

Police have recovered banned substances such LSD, MDMA and MDM from the duo.

The squad had captured an inter-state gang of drug peddlers dealing in the same kind of hallucinogens weeks ago. Carl and Anoop who headed that gang were absconding since then.

The squad headed by south zone ACP K Rama Rao has recovered 93 MDM tablets, a car, three mobiles and Rs 30,850 cash from the accused according to Mangaluru Police Commissioner T R Suresh.

The police had arrested K B Sunil, Shravan Poojari, Roshan Vegas and Bashim Basheer of the same gang earlier, and recovered a big haul of drugs from them.

Police said Carl D' Cunha was also running a drug racket in Bengaluru and there are cases registered against him in 2014 and 2015.
Bihar in 2017 witnessed one of the most dramatic political realignments in recent history as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dumped the Grand Alliance, comprising his JD(U), arch rival Lalu Prasad's RJD and the Congress, to rejoin the BJP-led NDA.



While witnessing the cataclysmic political developments, the state was also ravaged by floods which affected 19 districts of north Bihar, rendered close to a million homeless and claimed more than 500 lives.

Shortly after the installation of the new government, the Srijan scam involving fraudulent transfer of hundreds of crores from the treasury to an NGO came to light.

The state government promptly ordered a CBI inquiry amid allegations from the Opposition that the NGO enjoyed patronage from many top leaders of the ruling coalition.

Driven by the conviction that social evils must be eradicated for the fruits of development to reach all, Nitish also launched campaigns against dowry and child marriage, claiming that these reforms would transform the society in no smaller measure than his previous radical step of prohibition had done.

However, incidents like hooch tragedies in Rohtas and Vaishali districts and killing of a policeman by liquor smugglers in Samastipur as also frequent seizures of huge quantities of liquor across the state despite a stringent prohibition law raised question mark on the liquor ban being practical.

Nitish took the drastic step of severing ties with the "Mahagathbandhan" four years after he had snapped his 17- year-old association with the BJP in protest against the latter making Narendra Modi its prime ministerial candidate.

The sharp hostility between the two leaders began giving way to bonhomie which became evident at the "Prakash Parv" in January, when at a function held to celebrate 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh Modi and Nitish shared dais and showered praise on each other.

During the Assembly polls in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh in February, the JD(U) gave up its earlier enthusiasm for Opposition unity and maintained a studied distance notwithstanding the Congress forming an alliance with the Samajwadi Party and the RJD throwing its weight behind the coalition.

Earlier, last year, Nitish had ruffled the feathers of his coalition partners by coming out in support of Modi's demonetisation decision, which the Congress and the RJD criticise till date.

That all was not well with the "Mahagathbandhan" became more than obvious when Nitish decided to support the candidature of Ram Nath Kovind in the presidential polls.

The chief minister defended his decision citing Kovind's exemplary conduct as the governor of Bihar and contended that the Congress-led UPA, by belatedly fielding former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, was fighting a lost battle.

However, the turning point came with the CBI filing a case in connection with the land for hotels scam against Lalu Prasad and his family members, including his younger son and the then deputy chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.

Nitish's suggestion that Yadav give a public explanation was rejected by the RJD and he resigned from the chief minister's post citing irreconcilable differences with his alliance partner.

The BJP came up with the offer of support and a new government was installed with Nitish being sworn in as the chief minister less than 24 hours after having stepped down.

The stormy developments did not leave the JD(U) unscathed, though, with the party's former president Sharad Yadav and Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar, an old Nitish loyalist, raising a banner of revolt.

Defying party diktats, the duo took part in functions held by the RJD and openly accused the chief minister of having betrayed the mandate of 2015 Assembly polls.

Nitish, who is also the JD(U) president, however, scored a few points by expelling all Sharad loyalists from the party, successfully defending a case against the rebel faction's claim over the party symbol before the Election Commission and finally getting both Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar disqualified from the Rajya Sabha.

The collapse of the Grand Alliance also caused turmoil in the state unit of the Congress, which stands bitterly divided into two factions, one said to be close to Nitish and the other more comfortable with the RJD.

Infighting led to the removal of Ashok Choudhary as the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee chief. The rival faction has been accusing Choudhary of plotting a split at the instance of Nitish in whose Cabinet he was a powerful minister and with whom he is said to maintain good relations.

The RJD has been having its own share of woes with Prasad routinely appearing before a CBI court in Jharkhand in connection with cases related to the fodder scam. His Rajya Sabha MP daughter Misa Bharti, her husband Shailesh and Tejashwi have been grilled by the ED in a money laundering case.

His wife Rabri Devi refused to appear before the ED in Delhi despite as many as six summonses following which Enforcement Directorate officials came to Patna to interrogate her.

The couple's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, too, faces a probe by the state vigilance bureau in a soil purchase scam.

Prasad's grip over the party which he had founded, nevertheless, appears firm. While he himself was elected, unopposed, as the party's national president for a term that ends in 2020, a resolution declaring Tejashwi as the RJD's chief ministerial candidate was passed at the party's recently held national council.

Another key decision taken by the Nitish Kumar government was to introduce reservations in outsourced services, a move that has been described by critics as an attempt to bring quota system in the private sector through backdoor.
Frequent and increased Chinese military drills pose an "enormous threat" to Taiwan's security, Taipei warned on Tuesday in an annual defence review that starkly highlighted rising cross-strait tensions.



China views Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified at some point - by military force, if necessary.

The two sides split after a civil war in 1949. Although Taiwan is a self-ruling democracy, it has never formally declared independence.

Beijing has stepped up drills around the island since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen took office last year, as she refuses to acknowledge both sides are part of "one China".

Local media estimate Chinese warplanes have conducted at least 20 drills around Taiwan this year, compared to just eight in 2016.

The latest known drill took place last week when several Chinese planes, including jet fighters, passed through the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan to the Pacific and back.

The frequent drills "have created enormous threat to security in the Taiwan Strait," Taiwanese Defence Minister Feng Shih-kuan said in the 14th national defense report released on Tuesday.

The report highlighted the David versus Goliath mismatch between the two rival's forces, saying Taiwan's military needed to adapt to a "multiple deterrence strategy" in the face of the fast-growing Chinese army.

The report estimated Chinese troop numbers at two million compared to around 2,10,000 in Taiwan's army.

"Taiwan cannot compare with China's defense budget and military developments," Feng said in the report.

Instead Taiwan was "seriously reviewing and drawing a plan to develop asymmetric warfare to deter advances by the Chinese military," he added.

In response to increasing China's electronic warfare capabilities, Taiwan established its own cyber army command centre this year, which currently has around 1,000 people, according to the ministry.

It has also restructured its air force to centralise its anti-aircraft and missile defence command.

Chinese jets also flew over the Sea of Japan (East Sea) earlier this month, prompting South Korea and Japan to scramble jets.

China's air force said then it was the first time its aircraft had flown through the Tsushima Strait between South Korea and Japan.Earlier this year, China sent its only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, through the Taiwan Strait during a drill as a show of strength, but it did not enter Taiwanese waters.
The UK-India ties grew steadily in 2017, with the British government laying the groundwork for a new post-Brexit economic partnership with New Delhi amid concerns over its tough stance on movement of professionals and students between the two nations.



The cultural strand of the bilateral relationship may have dominated the year, with grand celebrations at some of the UKs major institutions to also mark 70 years of India's independence, but the Foreign Office highlighted that other aspects of the ties remain equally at the forefront, especially within the context of Brexit.

"Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi described the connection between our people as a 'living bridge' and that link has been strengthened during the 2017 UK-India Year of Culture," said a UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spokesperson.

"Our economic relationship is thriving and we want to expand our 16 billion pounds worth of bilateral trade, generating more jobs and building skills in the coming years, especially looking ahead to intensifying our trading relationship after Britain leaves the EU," the spokesperson said.

Describing the two countries as "modern, diverse and vibrant democracies", the UK government is keen to step into the New Year by building on the "shared connections and values" which make for a "natural partnership" as Britain prepares to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April, 2018.

Prince Charles, who will be stepping in for the Queen as the head of the Commonwealth at this year's proceedings, had extended a formal invitation to Prime Minister Modi during a high-profile visit to India in November.

"Next year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will provide an opportunity for the UK, India and all Commonwealth members to build a reformed and revitalised Commonwealth that is more prosperous, secure, sustainable and fair for all our citizens," the FCO spokesperson noted.

As the UK prepares for a potential Modi visit for the summit next year, it will be keen to edge a little closer to the much-anticipated free trade agreement that both sides are expected to clinch once Britain has formally exited the EU by March 2019.

A joint working group on trade set up to lay the groundwork for a new post-Brexit economic partnership has held a few meetings this year but progress on that front is unlikely to be very significant until Britain is seen to soften its stance on the free movement of professionals and students.

Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Y K Sinha, has been making that point at various platforms, most recently in November at the London launch of the Indian Professionals Forum (IPF), a non-profit think-tank for Indian diaspora related policy advocacy set up to strengthen India-UK relations.

The envoy said that as Indian professionals will play an important role in defining the "contours of a winning partnership between India and the UK", freer movement of professionals between the two countries will be central to any "mutually beneficial agreement" in the future.

The latest UK Home Office statistics held up some promise as the declining trend among Indian students coming to study at UK institutions seems to have reversed somewhat, with 2,962 more students coming to study in the UK in 2017 to make up a total of 14,081, up 27% from last year's 11,119.

Indian student numbers are now closer to the US (15,039) but still far behind the UK's largest overseas student category of China (88,258).

London Mayor Sadiq Khan during his India visit had said he was "lobbying" with the British government to change its stringent visa norms, which he termed as a "big mistake".

Recently, the Theresa May government changed its visa policy for non-EU (European Union) nationals to curb its soaring immigration figures. The policy which came into effect in November will affect a large number of Indians, especially IT professionals.

One of the loudest voices claiming there is no bar on the number of Indian students who can come to the UK under the Theresa May-led Conservative party government was the senior- most Indian-origin minister in the UK Cabinet, Priti Patel.

However, she had an extremely turbulent year as she was forced to resign as Secretary of State for International Development after a series of damaging revelations around a dozen undisclosed meetings with Israeli political leaders during a "holiday" to the country.

The Gujarati-origin MP, who characterises Prime Minister Modi as a "great friend" of Britain, has since been shunted to the back-benches of the Tory party.

However, her pro-Brexit views are expected to bring her back into the headlines soon as the UK continues to negotiate a tenuous agreement with the EU over its future trading relations with the 27-member economic bloc.

Security issues are expected to be central to the ongoing negotiations, especially against the backdrop of Britain being the target of major terrorist attacks throughout the year.

A car rampage into the side wall of the Palace of Westminster, which houses the Parliament complex, in central London in March was followed by a suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester in May and a knife attack on the streets of London days later in early June.

A few days later a vehicle stormed towards a mosque in Finsbury Park area of London, adding to an already heightened sense of terror alert in the country.

The UK and India had been also locked in a stalemate over the election for the International Court of Justice. India's Dalveer Bhandari and Britain's Christopher Greenwood were both hoping to win re-election.

Just before the 11th round of voting, Britain withdrew its candidate, paving the way for India's victory.

The UK media termed the defeat as a "humiliating blow" for the country even as India asserted that the hard-fought race will not impact the bilateral ties.

As the year comes to a close, it will be the extradition trial of liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya that will continue to be in the limelight.

The trial, to determine if the 61-year-old businessman can be forced to return to India to face charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to nearly Rs 9,000 crores, is set to conclude in December.

But with the verdict expected only in January 2018, this news is all set to spill over into the New Year and keep India-UK relations within the context of their extradition treaty in the news for some months to come.

The year 2017 had been ear-marked as the UK-India Year of Culture, which was inaugurated in style with a historic royal reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in February.

The 91-year-old monarch had an impromptu lesson in some classical mudras with Indian dancer Arunima as she opened the doors of her London home to Indian music and dance.
Egyptian authorities executed 15 people on Tuesday who had been convicted in a terrorism-related case dating back to 2013, Khaled Al-Masry, a defence lawyer in the case said.

The 15 men were convicted of the murder of military personnel during a militant attack in Arish, North Sinai, on 15 August 2013. The assault on a checkpoint left one army officer and eight soldiers dead.

A military court issued a preliminary death sentence against the defendants in 2015.

In November of this year, the High Military Cassation Court rejected an appeal against the sentence, and the 15 men were issued with final verdicts.

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must intervene and resolve the Mahadayi river water sharing dispute between Karnataka and Goa.



He was speaking to reporters here in Hubbali, on Tuesday.

Siddaramaiah again, expressed displeasure over the fact that Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had written to Karnataka BJP President B S Yeddyurappa, that he was willing to hold talks; and not to him.

"As Parrikar has written to BSY and not me, the letter has no legal value. Both Goa and Centre are enacting a political drama," Siddaramaiah maintained.

Reacting strongly to Yeddyurappa's remarks on Monday, that the Assembly should be dissolved and the CM should declare elections, Siddaramaiah asked,"Is Yeddyurappa the election commissioner? People have given us a mandate for five years. Let BJP meet us in May during the polls,"

Bundh in four districts

Mallaprabha, Mahadayi, Kalasa-Banduri Raitha Horata Samiti has called a bundh protesting the delay of the two state governments and the nonchalance of the Centre, in resolving the Mahadayi deadlock.

The bundh has been called in Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag and Bagalkote districts on December 27 from 6 am to 6 pm. If the bundh fails to persuade politicos to action, a dharna would be held in front of the parliamentarians of the region, Samiti leaders informed.
China and Pakistan will look at extending their $57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday, part of China's ambitious Belt and Road plan linking China with Asia, Europe and beyond.



China has tried to position itself as a helpful party to promote talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, both uneasy neighbours ever since Pakistan's independence in 1947.

Their ties have been poisoned in recent years by Afghan accusations that Pakistan is supporting Taliban insurgents fighting the US-backed Kabul in order to limit the influence of its old rival, India, in Afghanistan.

Pakistan denies that and says it wants to see a peaceful, stable Afghanistan.

Speaking after the first trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Wang said China hoped the economic corridor could benefit the whole region and act as an impetus for development.

Afghanistan has urgent need to develop and improve people's lives and hopes it can join inter-connectivity initiatives, Wang told reporters, as he announced that Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to mend their strained relations.

"So China and Pakistan are willing to look at with Afghanistan, on the basis of win-win, mutually beneficial principles, using an appropriate means to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan," he added.

How that could happen needs the three countries to reach a gradual consensus, tackling easier, smaller projects first, Wang said, without giving details.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said his country and China were "iron brothers", but did not directly mention the prospect of Afghanistan joining the corridor.

"The successful implementation of CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) projects will serve as a model for enhancing connectivity and cooperation through similar projects with neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and with central and west Asia," he said.

India has looked askance at the project as parts of it run through Pakistan-administered Kashmir that India considers its own territory, though Wang said the plan had nothing to do with territorial disputes.

China has sought to bring Kabul and Islamabad together partly due to Chinese fears about the spread of Islamist militancy from Pakistan and Afghanistan to the unrest-prone far western Chinese region of Xinjiang.

As such, China has pushed for Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve their own ties so they can better tackle the violence in their respective countries, and has also tried to broker peace talks with Afghan Taliban militants, to limited effect.

A tentative talks process collapsed in 2015. Wang said China fully supported peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban and would continue to provide "necessary facilitation".

The Belt and Road infrastructure drive aims to build a modern-day "Silk Road" connecting China to economies in Southeast and Central Asia by land and the Middle East and Europe by sea.
The army's Ghatak commandos on Monday crossed the Line of Control in an area near Poonch in Jammu & Kashmir to strike at a temporary camp of the Pakistani army, killing three soldiers and injuring one.



The Indian commandos went nearly 300 metres inside Pakistan territory to avenge the killing of four Indian Army soldiers from the 2nd Sikh regiment, including Maj Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, in cross-border firing in Rajouri sector.

The Pakistani soldiers killed in the retaliatory cross-border raid in the Rakh Chakri sub-sector belonged to the Baluch regiment of the Pakistan army's 12th Division.

"It was a local tactical operation that lasted about 8-10 minutes a a hit and run operation," said a source in the army.

The operation comes close on the heels of the gunning down of a Pakistan army sniper on Sunday at Jhangar sector near Rajouri.

Probably for the first time in recent years such an operation took place in the Jammu region that comes under the 16 Corps of the army.

Such actions generally take place in areas north of Pir Panjal that is looked after by the Srinagar-based 15 corps.

Cross-border strikes on Pakistan army posts and terror camps do take place in the state, but such engagements were seldom publicised in the past.

The tradition was broken last year when the army a after a political endorsement a went to the town with its sensational claim of a "surgical strike" on September 29, 2016, to avenge the Uri attack.

Unlike the surgical strike, there has been no political ownership of the present cross-border raid.

The Indian army even officially refused to either confirm or deny the movement across the 740-km Line of Control (LoC).

Since 2016, the disputed boundary between the two neighbouring nations witnessed increasing military action, which is on a steady rise.

As many as 61 Indian army personnel were killed in the state in 2017 in counter-insurgency operations, ceasefire violation and while stopping infiltration bids.

Until December 25, there were nearly 823 incidents of ceasefire violation as against 228 across the LoC in 2016, in addition to 221 such incidents along the international border manned by the Border Security Force.

The number of ceasefire violations in 2014 and 2015 was 153 and 150, respectively, suggesting how the tension in the border areas flared up in the last 24 months as the NDA government hardened its stand on Jammu & Kashmir.

Resumption of a comprehensive bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan was stalled following the terror attack on the Indian Air Force's Pathankot base in January 2016.
On Monday evening, the Karnataka police saved from drowning, a group from Huliyurdurga, Tumakuru district, vacationing in Goa.



The vacationers group comprised Kunigal businessman Dayanand's family and friends.

According to Dayanand, the revelers had been to Raibag in a boat on Monday morning.

On their way back, at about 2 pm, the boat developed a technical snag. So the entire group was stranded mid-water.

"The boat driver said that it would take one hour for him to fix the snag. But it was hard to hang on and not tumble over, as the waters were choppy and the boat was rocking continuously ," recalled Dayanand.

The terrified holiday makers called the Goa police, who didn't respond to their SOS calls.

They then sent videos of their predicament to Kannada media houses.

Soon, the Karnataka police rushed with another boat and rescued them, Dayanand told DH adding, it was 6.50 pm by then.

There were about 45 people from Karnataka and Maharashtra in the boat. Many children under the age of five years were on it.

"If our police had not rescued us, we might have drowned," said Dayanand gratefully.
The Karnataka government does not need lessons in financial management from State BJP President B S Yeddyurappa, said Chief Minister Siddararamaiah.



Speaking at the Sadhaneya Samavesha in Honnalli, Davanagere, on Monday, the CM said Yeddyurappa was talking without having complete information about the state's financial condition.

Siddaramaiah said that the Congress had enacted the Fiscal Responsibility Act in 2012 according to which, financial management guidelines had been laid down for the government to follow.

"In order to maintain fiscal health, it is required to maintain higher income levels, GDP over 25 percent and a budget deficit no greater than three percent," Siddaramaiah said adding, "Yeddyurappa has not studied all this".

"The fiscal health of the state is good. Former Prime Minister and noted economist Manmohan Singh who visited the state two months ago said that Karnataka is in the number one spot in the country. We don't need a certificate from Yeddyruppa," the CM taunted.

Siddaramaiah said the main objective of the budget was to ensure equality and similar benefits for all classes of people.

"There can't be a dalit budget, backward class budget, youth budget etc.," he pointed out.

Taking a dig at the former chief minister, Siddaraimaiah said,"Yeddyurappa covered himself with a green shawl while presenting the budget, but never did much for farmers. He ordered police to shoot at farmers who were protesting for manure".
Security officials in Islamabad asked former navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife to remove their 'mangal sutras' before they met him on Monday.



Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetankul were also asked to remove their bangles and 'bindis' and to change their attire before they were allowed to talk to him via an intercom.

Pakistani officials kept their ears and eyes open throughout the 40-minute meeting and even repeatedly stopped Avanti from speaking to Jadhav in Marathi.

Islamabad on Monday claimed that its decision to allow Jadhav to meet his family as "a humanitarian gesture", though it portrayed him as the "face of terrorism" India allegedly sponsors in Pakistan.

On Tuesday, New Delhi made public the ordeal the women underwent after they met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and narrated their experience.

New Delhi stated that though Islamabad had promised not to give the media close access to Avanti and Chetankul, they were harassed and hectored by Pakistani journalists.

Some media persons were also allowed on multiple occasions to approach the two women closely and hurl false and motivated accusations against Jadhav, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated.

A source said that some people posing as journalists also hurled abuses like 'qatil ki maa' (or mother of a murderer) at Avanti when she and her daughter-in-law were leaving for the Indian High Commission in Islamabad after meeting Jadhav.

New Delhi noted that the "overall atmosphere" of the meeting was "intimidating" for Avanti and Chetankul contrary to the assurance earlier given by Islamabad.

Chetankul's shoes were not returned after the meeting due to "some inexplicable reasons" and New Delhi cautioned about any "mischievous intent" by Islamabad.

New Delhi said that Jadhav was apparently "under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion" during his meeting with his mother and wife.

"Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative about his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being," said Raveesh Kumar, MEA spokesperson.

Another source said that Avanti and Chetankul had noticed scars on Jadhav's head and neck.

Avanti had also asked Jadhav to tell the truth to the Pakistan government that he had business interests at the Chabahar port in Iran and had nothing to do with the allegations against him.

India's Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan, J P Singh, was allowed to accompany Avanti and Chetankul to the Pakistan Foreign Office.

"The meeting was started without his (Singh) presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with officials concerned. Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed," said Kumar.

Jadhav has been in Pakistani custody since March 2016 on charges of "spying".
With the domestic aviation market reaching a new high by flying 10 crore passengers this year, 2018 will be a big year for the sector when the government disinvests its stakes in national carrier Air India.



The Group of Ministers (GoM) under Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is burning the midnight oil to finalise the contours of the strategic disinvestment of the national carrier, which has amassed a loss of over Rs 50,000 crore

The industry will be keenly watching the developments on Air India early next year and how much money the government would earn through divesting its stakes. There will be intensive bidding for the national carrier and the winner may end up marching ahead with a substantive slice of the market.

A week before the government decided on disinvesting Air India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the country's aviation regulator, came up with a figure that lit up the industry's mood.

It said, for the first time in country's aviation history, domestic carriers flew more than one crore passengers (in May) in a month.

This feat was repeated again in November at 1.05 crore and it led to breaching another landmark. This time, Indian carriers carried more than 10 crore fliers for the first time in a calendar year.

Then came the rolling out of regional connectivity scheme or UDAN to connect otherwise unconnected small towns by air. Fares were capped at Rs 2,500 crore for a one-hour-long flight as per the scheme and around 80 unused or underused airports were connected.

If these presented a rosy picture for the sector, all was not easy for the carriers and their staff.

Fliers became more aggressive and the staff were at the receiving end, airlines claimed, while passengers faulted "uncouth" behaviour.

History was created when the government came out with a 'no-fly list' for the first time after repeated incidents of misbehaviour with airline staff.

The slapping of an Air India airport manager by Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad triggered an avalanche of protests, leading to the government finalising the contours of putting erratic and violent fliers on the check.

However, such incidents did not deter the airlines from expanding their fleet. Market leader IndiGo announced its plans to buy 50 ATR turbo-prop planes, a deal that could run into $1.3 billion at list price, with an aim to tap the regional aviation market.

SpiceJet, GoAir and Jet Airways are also expecting more planes in their fleet next year.

Next year could see better finances for domestic airlines. Credit rating agency ICRA has recently said that domestic airlines are expected to reduce losses this fiscal ending March, riding on healthy seat occupancy coupled by a moderation in capacity, rise in tourism demand and economic environment.

However, it has warned that inadequate aviation infrastructure, which has constrained the performance of airlines, remains a bottleneck. This would be one area where the government would have to work on.
Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said, in reality, it is the BJP that is creating mischief in Karnataka today.



"The BJP is a drama troupe headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP National President Amit Shah from Delhi. The BJP members in the state are actors. They are enacting this play with the upcoming elections in mind," the minister alleged.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he said that, eyeing the polls, State BJP President B S Yeddyurappa went to meet Amit Shah in Delhi to discuss the Mahadayi river water sharing dispute and later wrote to Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parikkar.

"Because of this, Parikkar replied to Yeddyurappa in three days. Earlier, when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote the Goa CM, he did not reply," Reddy pointed out.

"Yeddyurappa who went all the way hoped to return with good news for the state. But now that his plan has not fructified, he is nitpicking. Farmers who have been fighting for 800 days, for Mahadayi water are now enraged and are calling for bundhs and protests. It is wrong to say the Congress is responsible for this," the minister said in reply to a question.

"Yeddyurappa's speech doesn't make sense. How will AICC President Rahul Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi be affected if Karnataka gets Mahadayi water?" Reddy questioned.

He suggested that Yeddyurappa, for his won sake, should get rid of his habit of referring to other political leaders in the singular in his public statements.
Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry suggested in a meeting on Tuesday with Ethiopian counterpart Workneh Gebeyehu that the World Bank act as an impartial third party in the technical committee studying the effects of construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on downstream countries.

Shoukry said that the bank has experience that could facilitate reaching an agreement within the tripartite committee, according to ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid.

Shoukry expressed Egypt's trust in the World Bank's impartiality and its ability to use efficient technical experts, adding that he will submit this recommendation to Sudan within days.

Gebeyehu promised to study the Egyptian proposal and respond in the earliest opportunity.

The meeting between Shoukry and Gebeyehu was held in Ethiopia's Addis Ababa to discuss "breaking the deadlock" regarding the work of the tripartite technical committee of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan.

The Egyptian minister stressed how critical the Nile's water supply is for Egypt's security, adding that "promises and good intentions are not enough."

Shoukry said the three countries should be committed to the framework of the March 2015 trilateral agreement known as the Declaration of Principles signed by Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, particularly in regards to the dam's filling process and annual operations.

Shoukry also expressed Egypt's concern over the setbacks in the work of the tripartite technical committee, which is impeding progress on the impact studies.

Last November, negotiations between the three countries broke down over how to conduct technical studies of the dam's potential impact on downstream countries, where Egypt approved the initial report by the European consultancy firms, though Ethiopia and Sudan demanded major amendments to the proposed studies.

Shoukry said that Egypt approved the initial report given that it is a technical study that bears neither interpretation nor politicisation, adding that Egypt trusts the professionalism and impartiality of the consultancy firm.

Shoukry also stressed that the Declaration of Principles is clear on the importance of conducting the studies before the filling process begins and that all three countries should be in agreement on the rules of filling and operating the dam.

Gebeyehu said that his country is committed to the Declaration of Principles and the success of negotiations and cooperation between the three countries, stressing that Ethiopia has no intention of harming Egypt's water interests.

Shoukry also met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, where they discussed the upcoming visit by Desalegn to Cairo in January, Abo Zeid said.

Shoukry and Desalegn also discussed bilateral relations as well as the challenges facing negotiations over the Renaissance Dam.

According to the Declaration of Principles, disputes should initially be referred to the ministerial level. If the disputes are not resolved, they should be referred to the level of foreign ministers, and then to the presidential level.

Referring the dispute on the studies to the ministerial level took five months, after which it was referred to the higher level of foreign ministers, according to Egypt's State Information Service.

The dam, situated near Ethiopia's border with Sudan, is slated for completion next year and is expected to generate 6,000 megawatts of electricity.

Ethiopia hopes to be able to export electricity generated by the dam, which will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa.

Egypt, however, has expressed concerns that the dam might reduce its share of Nile water that stands at 55 million cubic metres currently.

Ethiopia maintains that the dam will not have any negative impact on Egypt or Sudan.

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Award-winning actor Parvathy, barraged with abuses on social media over remarks she made against misogyny in films, has responded to the hate campaign by filing a police complaint.



The actor, by calling out as regressive some of the lines spoken by actor Mammootty's character in his 2016 film Kasaba, had won support from groups concerned over problematic gender dynamics in Malayalam films.

She, however, has since been hounded by angry fans and others who dismiss her and an industry women's collective she is part of as "hypocritical" and "attention-seeking".

Sources said Ernakulam South Police have filed an FIR based on Parvathy's complaint and the Kochi Cyber Crime Investigation Cell is tracking identities of people who posted abusive content against the actor on social media platforms.

"We've communicated with relevant officials in YouTube, Twitter and other social media companies, seeking their assistance in the probe," a senior official in the cyber cell told DH on Tuesday.

The official said the unit commenced investigation in the case on December 16.

Parvathy made the remark against lines from a scene in Kasaba, spoken by the lead character, a police officer, played by Mammootty, during an open forum discussion held as part of the 22nd International Film Festival of Kerala, in Thiruvananthapuram.

The actor said she was "disappointed" to see an accomplished performer like Mammootty speaking lines that belittled women.

"There are people who say that cinema only reflects life. It's true but it all depends on the line we draw whether we glorify it (such actions) or not. When the hero says the line, it gets glorified and gives a licence to many other men to do the same thing," she had said.

The actor was targeted by people who identified themselves as Mammootty fans and critics of "feminists", through a series of abusive threats on social media.

Mammootty is yet to make a statement on the issue. Parvathy did receive support from her colleagues in Women in Cinema Collective, a recently formed group of woman professionals in the Malayalam film industry and others, including ministers T M Thomas Isaac and J Mercykutty.
The Congress, on Tuesday, attacked the BJP-led NDA government over Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde's 'we are here to change Constitution' remark, saying abusing the oath of office and denigrating the Constitution are the distinctive features of the Narendra Modi dispensation.



The party also took umbrage at Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir's statement against doctors who did not attend a function in which he was present, saying they should join Maoists so that they could be shot dead.

"One will change the Constitution to remove 'secular,' the other will shoot doctors. They should speak more and tell us what the real BJP is. Mob tried to disrupt an inter-faith marriage in Ghaziabad. Will the two ministers change the Constitution to ban such marriages or shoot the couple?" senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said in tweets.

At a press conference, party spokespersons Gaurav Gogoi and Khusbu Sundar said Hegde's remarks exposed the BJP's "false love" for B R Ambedkar, the father of Indian Constitution, whom they used to keep propagating to win votes.

"Hypocrite BJP, which pretends to respect Ambedkar's Constitution, is showing its true colours as it embarks on a sinister mission to alter the ethos of the Constitution," they said, asking whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would respond to it.

"The BJP-RSS school of thought is engrained in bigotry, hate, divisiveness and prejudices that envision a monolithic culture. It is diametrically opposite to the liberal and inclusive traditions of India and the progressive thoughts of Ambedkar and the makers of modern India," they said.

Hegde, a five-time Lok Sabha MP who became a minister in the last reshuffle, waded into controversy on Monday, saying that describing oneself as secular had become a fad, that the Constitution had changed several times and would change in the future too. "We are here to change the Constitution and we'll change it," he said on the use of the word secular in the Constitution.
Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil on Tuesday said that his government will not be able to commence works on the six proposed medical colleges as it had failed to get financial approval for the same.



Speaking to reporters here, Patil said that the Finance department had not given clearance for the construction of these colleges as the amount required for each college was Rs 200 crore.

The colleges were to come up in Chitradurga, Bagalkot, Haveri, Yadgir, Chikkaballapur and Chikkamagaluru, and works were to start this year.

The minister said after the Congress government came to power, it had announced the setting up of 13 medical colleges in the state. Of these, works on six colleges (with 150 seats each) had commenced in Bidar, Kalaburagi, Koppal, Karwar, Kodagu and Chamarajanagar.

He said the department was hopeful of the medical college at the Bowring and Lady Curzon hospital in the city starting operations next year. This meant that an additional 150 seats would open up at the time of admissions next year. The government had written to the Medical Council India for necessary clearances, he said.

Patil said the foundation stones for the proposed super-speciality hospitals in the three revenue divisions of Mysuru (Rs 140 crore), Kalaburagi (Rs 110 crore) and Belagavi (Rs 150 crore) would be laid in one month's time as the required amount had been made available.

The upgraded Kidwai Memorial Institute of Cancer, at a cost of Rs 250 crore, will be thrown open in March 2018, and the government was planning to invite President Ram Nath Kovind for its inauguration, the minister said.

BDA site controversy

Patil, who is in the midst of a controversy for "eyeing" a 4,000-sq-ft site in HSR Layout allotted by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) under 'G' category in 2011, maintained that the Authority was to be blamed for the confusion.

He said he was eligible for a site in Bengaluru and he had applied under 'G' category. The BDA was free to allot him a site in any of its layouts.

"An internal enquiry is going on in the BDA. My political opponents are trying to use this against me as the elections are nearing. The BDA should either allot the said site to me or to the complainant who was allotted the same before me," he said.
Green shawls waved high as farmers decided to continue their stir after BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa failed to convince them on the Mahadayi river dispute on Tuesday.



Hundreds of farmers have camped outside the BJP headquarters in Malleswaram for the past four days, seeking clarity on the release of Mahadayi river water to the parched north Karnataka districts, especially after Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar wrote to Yeddyurappa stating that his government was okay with parting with 7.56 TMC to meet drinking water needs.

Farmer leader Veeresh Sobaradmath, who is leading the Mahadayi agitation, broke down as he announced that talks with Yeddyurappa failed. Yeddyurappa was seen having an animated discussion with Sobaradmath and other farmer leaders. He told them that he had done his part in getting Parrikar to agree for talks on water sharing.

Farmers, however, were not convinced.

"We were promised release of water, but all we got - after four days of peaceful protest - was a copy of the letter the Goa CM has written. We have been cheated," Sobaradmath said, as farmers raised anti-Yeddyurappa slogans. Farmers waved theri green shawls signifying continuation of their protest.

The agitating farmers decided to intensify their stir on Wednesday by taking out a rally to Raj Bhavan, the Election Commission, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's home office and former prime minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda's residence.

The Mahadayi river dispute is a three-decade-old dispute involving Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa. Karnataka has demanded diverting some share of the Mahadayi river from its tributaries Kalasa and Banduri to the drought-hit districts of north Karnataka.

Water Resources Minister M B Patil rushed to show solidarity with the farmers. He told farmers that the State government had written to Goa four times and to Prime Minister Narendra Modi thrice seeking resolution of the dispute. "We want 7.56 TMC from Mahadayi, which includes 3.56 from Kalasa and 4 from Bandura. The total yield of the river is 200 TMC, of which 45-48 TMC is on our side. We have claimed 36 TMC as ours, but we urgently need 7.56 TMC as an interim measure," Patil said. "Whatever Goa wants to do should be done before February 6, when the Mahadayi Tribunal will start the final hearing."

Earlier in the day, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Dinesh Gundu Rao visited the farmers.

Members of the Kannada film industry, headed by Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce president Sa Ra Govindu, visited Malleswaram to show their support. "No political party should indulge in politicking when it comes to farmers. The Mahadayi water has to be released," actor Chethan stressed.
With more number of organisations extending support for the call given for Malaprabha command area bandh on Wednesday (December 27), twin cities are expected to be shut for a day once again on Mahadayi issue, after a gap of several months.

The bandh call has been given by Mahadayi and Kalasa-Banduri Horata Samanvaya Samithi and other farmer organisations and the Malaprabha command area covers four districts-- Dharwad, Belagavi, Gadag and Bagalkot.

The 6:00 am to 6:00 pm bandh on Wednesday here would begin with Mahadayi agitators will gather at the NWKRTC's depot at Hosur at 6:00 am. From there, they would take out rally and visit market places asking shop-keepers to stop business. Members of various organisations would take out rally from different areas and would gather at Chennamma Circle.

Protesters have also planned to stage rasta roko at different places, and to picket Union Government offices and MP's office and residence also. Farmers from surrounding villages are also expected to take part in the protest.

In last several years, Hubballi-Dharwad have experienced several bandhs, sometimes repeatedly, on Mahadayi issue. Now, charging that State BJP President B S Yeddyurappa's act of getting a letter from Goa Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa was a disappointing one, Mahadayi agitators are observing another bandh, seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to resolve inter-state dispute over Mahadayi water sharing.

"On Wednesday, we would stop the movement of buses, while autorickshaw drivers' association has also extended the support for the bandh. Schools and colleges would remain closed, while a large number of students are also expected to participate in the protest. However, we would ensure that medical shops, hospitals and patients do not face problem," Malaprabha Mahadayi Kalasa-Banduri Raith Horata Okkuta honorary president Shivanna Hubballi, Corporator Rajanna Koravi and others said.

They told media persons here on Tuesday that announcements were being made using autorickshaws, while citizens were being requested to take part in protest, instead of considering it as a holiday.

"After this bandh, we will discuss about staging protest in New Delhi and in front of residences of all MPs from the State, during the winter session of the Parliament," Mr Koravi added.

In addition to the prime minister's intervention in Mahadayi issue, waiver of farmers' loans with nationalised banks, rectifying errors in Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), and minimum support price for crops are also the demands of the agitators.

Heavy bundobust

To maintain peace and to prevent any untoward incident during the bandh, around 2,000 police personnel along with six KSRP platoons would be on bundobust duty, while liquor sale is also prohibited from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.

"Measures have been taken to prevent bad elements taking the advantage of the situation, while preventive arrests would also be made if needed. Traffic diversion would be made wherever needed. Damage for properties and life should not be caused during the bandh," Police Commissioner M N Nagaraj said.

Operations of buses would be suspended, but police protection would be provided if the NWKRTC decides to run some buses on particular routes. Protection would be given for government offices also, he added.

Meanwhile, NWKRTC Chairman Sadanand Danganavar has made an appeal to the people not to damage buses during the bandh, adding that the bus service would be suspended till evening.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, Karnatak Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), Karnataka Rajya Pakshateeta Raitha Hitarakshana Samiti, Jewellers' Association, Ola Cab Owners' Association and other organisations have extended support for the bandh.

No schools, colleges, exams

Deputy Commissioner S B Bommanahalli has declared holiday for all schools and colleges in the district on Wednesday (December 27).

Karnatak University Dharwad (KUD) and Karnataka State Law University (KSLU) have postponed the examinations scheduled on Wednesday to December 31. Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and Akkamahadevi Women's University have also postponed the examinations which were scheduled to be held on Wednesday.
Mangaluru Mayor Kavitha Sanil has appealed to citizens to download the Swachhata App so that the city gets a better ranking in the Swachh Sarvekhsan 2018, which will commence from the first week of January.



Briefing reporters here on Tuesday, she said that since not many have downloaded the app, it would take a toll on city's score in Swachh Bharat ranking. The number of downloads of Swachhata App and people's feedback on it about MCC's efforts to redress their complaints carries 1,400 marks. Only 363 people have downloaded the app so far, while over 17,000 people have downloaded the app in Mysuru and other competing cities, she said.

For downloading 5,000 Swachhata app, there is 150 marks. There are marks for using the app as well.

Incidentally, Mangaluru City Corporation was ranked third in the second sanitation rating of 476 cities behind Mysuru and Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation, in 2016. In 2017, the City stood at 63rd position, as only 283 persons had downloaded the app and started using Swachhata app.



A team of officials from the central government's Urban Development Department (UDD) will visit the city in the first week of January to survey cleanliness and the work done under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. Based on details gathered through a field survey, the government will rank cities and towns from across the country.

MCC Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer said that citizens will be asked various questions related to waste collection, improvement in the city's cleanliness, door-to-door waste collection, presence of adequate number of toilets and concerns of citizens over the city's cleanliness. Citizens can lodge any complaints on improper waste collection in any locality or no water supply in public toilets through the app as well.

Segregation of waste

MLA J R Lobo said that the authorities have identified 170 places where garbage is dumped haphazardly alongside the road within Mangaluru City Corporation limits. The civic body has chalked out an action plan to check such dumping of garbage. Further, he said that the segregation of waste from source will commence from January 16 in all the 60 wards. Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt Ltd, the contract agency of the corporation collecting and transporting all waste from the city, will be directed to get ready for collecting dry and wet waste separately.

Vasudeva Rao, representing Ramakrishna Mission, said that volunteers from Ramakrishna Mission are visting various places in the city and are guiding the citizens about how to download the app.

DH News Service
Traffic rule violators may have to spend some time with road accident victims at surgical Out Patient Departments (OPDs) of hospitals to understand others' pain.



The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is proposing community service for offenders. The violators of traffic rules may be compelled to spend time in surgical OPDs with road accident victims, the ministry informed the parliamentary panel which vetted he Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill.

"If a person spends time with road accident victims in the OPD, it will sensitise him/her to follow traffic rules and how rule-breakers cause danger to others' lives," said an official in the Road Transport Ministry. Spending time in OPDs is apart from paying fine for breaking rules.

The ministry will bring out detailed rules about the types of traffic offences that would attract community service.

The ministry informed the Rajya Sabha select committee, which vetted the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017, about its plan to bring changes to the existing system. The committee, in its its report tabled in the Rajya Sabha last week, said these stringent rules will help improve road safety and bring down accident rates.

Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari hopes to get Upper House's nod for the bill, which was already passed by the Lok Sabha. The long-pending bill proposes to overhaul traffic and road safety issues and stipulates stringent punishment to errant drivers.

According to a report on road accidents prepared by the ministry, drivers' fault was the single-most important factor responsible for road accidents (84%) in 2016 in the country.

The government also proposes to make provisions for two drivers for heavy commercial vehicles which run more than 500 km and regulate the speed of vehicles. The Road Transport Ministry also proposes to enhance punishment for drunk driving up to seven years, in line with the proposed amendments in IPC. At present, drunk drivers causing death are booked under section 304A (causing death due to negligence) and face two-year jail term or fine or both.

The government also plans separate rules for bringing uniform standards for breath analysers.
Three days after the CBI court acquitted former chief minister of Bihar Dr Jagannath Mishra in the fodder scam, the three-term chief minister said the premier investigating agency had distorted facts to frame him.

In a communique to DH on Tuesday, Mishra, who also served as Union minister in the P V Narasimha Rao Cabinet, cited several instances of "distortion by the CBI" while framing him.

The CBI had accused Mishra of granting an extension to the late Shyam Bihari Sinha, the main accused in the fodder scam, and granting promotion to another accused Ram Raj Ram.

"The fact is that when Ram Raj Ram was promoted on September 23, 1988, I was not even the chief minister. I took charge as chief minister in December 1989," said Mishra, adding that the CBI later termed the distorted fact a "typing error".

"Bhagwat Jha Azad was the chief minister when Ram was promoted in 1988. But instead of his (Bhagwat Jha) name, the CBI included my father's name as an accused," Nitish, son of Jagannath Mishra, told DH.

Mishra said that as the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, he had pointed out at a press meet in Patna on June 4, 1993 that around Rs 1,200 crore had been withdrawn illegally from different government treasuries.

"But the CBI gave credit to the BJP MLA Sushil Modi for this disclosure and also mentioned that Modi raised the issue in the Assembly on June 25, 1993. This was another blatant lie by the CBI, as no Assembly sitting took place on June 25, 1993.

This can be verified through records," said the former chief minister.

"It was I, who, as leader of the Opposition, raised the issue in the Assembly about the illegal withdrawal of a huge sum and asked for the dismissal of the Lalu government and imposition of financial emergency in Bihar in 1993.

"But the CBI, for reasons best known to it, framed me and charged me with having nexus with Lalu. It was a rubbish allegation," said Mishra, now relieved after the CBI court exonerated him in fodder scam case RC 64A/96 on December 23.

"In public life, politicians often make recommendations for transfers, posting and promotions. But these recommendations have no mandatory influence over the government. The CBI, which appeared to be biased against me, unnecessarily dragged my name, spread faslehood and damaged my reputation," said the former chief minister, who has now almost retired from politics.
A criminal court in Egypt's Red Sea governorate sentenced on Tuesday a British woman to three years in prison for smuggling prescription painkillers into the country.

Laura Plummer was arrested in October upon arrival at Hurghada airport after 400 tablets of the opiate painkiller Tramadol were found in her possession.

Possessing Tramadol without a prescription is a felony in Egypt.

The 33-year-old woman from Hull has maintained her innocence since her arrest, insisting that the Tramadol tablets were for her Egyptian partner who suffers from chronic back pain.

The black market for Tramadol has grown in Egypt over the past decade, with many using the drug recreationally as a heroin substitute.

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City residents, already troubled by the dug-up roads to replace the underground drains, had a rude shock when contractors asked for money to link the connection to their houses.



Sign boards are placed closer to the labyrinth of hollowed-out streets, informing residents that the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board is replacing the Underground Drains (UGD), but there is no mention of paying the contractors to link their drainage lines back to the newly laid system.

"They've dug up the place and laid the new UGD lines, but they demand money from the senior citizens residing here to connect their independent houses to the UGD," Shankar Poti, a resident at Defence Colony in Indiranagar, said. "This is totally unregulated."

There are instances where the contractors - or labourers working for them - severe the water connection to make sure they get the money, Poti said.

They ask for Rs 5,000 to connect the houses to the drains, but the amount could vary, depending on the area. Commercial establishments are asked to pay Rs 18,000 to connect their premises. It is usual for contractors to strike up an understanding with the residents.

The money a contractor collects from each resident in a neighbourhood would be far more than the sums paid for the work given to him through a tender process.

Former deputy mayor S Harish raised serious objections to the unregulated payments. "I ensure that not a single penny is paid for the contractors for the work," he said. "At's the BWSSB's responsibility to ensure that the contractor completes the work within the tender conditions and doesn't harass the residents. Without such conditions, the work shouldn't be awarded."

BWSSB, chief engineer (maintenance), H M Ravindra said house service connections are not part of the tender condition.

"Residents can pay a nominal charge for connecting their drainage outlets with the newly laid underground lines," he said. "Af the contractor demands more, they can alert the local BWSSB engineers. But it's a practice that we don't include house service connections in the contract."

Ravindra did not specify the precise "nominal" amount residents should pay to the contractors.

BoX

Water woes

* Contractors demand Rs 5,000 or Rs 18,000 at many places

* Cut water connection to ensure payment

* Ex-deputy mayor objects to harassment of residents
Year-end cheer for bars recovering from inactivity



QUOTES

We hope the makeover of the street will be completed by December 31 and we will have more footfalls

- Liton Saha, manager, Easy Tiger pub

If the authorities want to separate us in the name of security, we will choose another place

- Mayur Verma, student



BENGALURU, DHNS: Bars and pubs in the vicinity of MG Road, hit by a mid-year suspension of operations, are looking forward to brisk business on New Year's Eve.

Hundreds of liquor vends remained closed from July 1 for about four months, following a Supreme Court order.

The court had directed governments to enforce a ban on the sale of liquor along highways.

On paper, MG Road is a national highway. The court eventually said the order did not apply to highways within municipal limits. Businesses began to limp back to normalcy from November 13.

Other problems have dogged the posh shopping area. Church Street, which houses dozens of bars and restaurants, has remained dug up for a major part of the year.

Liton Saha, manager of Easy Tiger pub, said, "We hope the makeover of the street will be completed by December 31 and we will have more footfalls." The cover charge at his restaurant is Rs 1,000.

Raghu, who manages Le Rock on Brigade Road, said, "We have limited offers this year because of the losses. Our attraction is that we have a DJ night for our customers," he said.

Deepak Batavia, president, Church Street Shop Owners' Association, said, "The BBMP has assured us the stretch will be free for pedestrians on New Year's Eve."

Some shop owners have suggested men and women be given exclusive spaces to celebrate, but the idea, many say, is impractical.

Party time, but at home

Charmi Y Shith, a student, said the restrictions would push people to usher in the new year in the comfort of their homes.

Tasneem Sulthan, a techie, said families would like to be together on a night of partying.

"It doesn't make sense to separate men and women. It's not just about boyfriends and girlfriends, even families celebrate New Year together," she said.

Activist Peter Samson Babu feels separate areas are no solution. "If the police can't secure even a 2-km radius, what is the purpose of the home ministry and the commissioner?" he said.

Mayur Verma, a student, said, "If the authorities want to separate us in the name of security, we will choose another place."
Four people were arrested on Monday for the murder of a youth on December 21 at Roshan Nagar in DJ Halli.



Chota Shahid (25), Chennai Shahid (30), Albaz (22) and Taufeeq (22), all residents of Roshan Nagar, murdered Rizwan Sheikh (22) for demanding his silver chain back from Chota Shahid, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East Division) Ajay Hilory said.

On the day of the murder, Sheikh went to Chota Shahid's residence and created a scene as he demanded his chain. An angry Shahid returned with four of his associates to attack Sheikh, who was busy preparing for his older brother Irfan's wedding, scheduled for the following day.

Shahid called Sheikh for a talk, but assaulted him with three of his associates. In a fit of rage, he stabbed Sheikh's chest with a knife and fled the scene.

Sheikh was rushed to a nearby hospital and was later shifted to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, the police said.

The four youngsters confessed to the crime during interrogation on Monday. The police produced them before the court on Tuesday, and the accused were remanded to judicial custody.
The results of Bangalore University's examinations held in December are likely to be delayed as the lecturers have decided to boycott the evaluation process which was to begin on Tuesday.



The Karnataka Government College Teachers' Association is boycotting evaluation as some of the lecturers have been asked to return their dearness allowance. This will affect the evaluation of about 22 lakh answer papers of the University students belonging to various courses.

The evaluation process was to begin at the Central college campus on Tuesday. The group has submitted their demands to the registrar (evaluation) of BU, Prof C Shivaraju.

President of the association, Dr H Prakash said that the University Grants Commission owes arrears to several lecturers of government and aided colleges. The order to revise the payscale which was to be given in 2006 was passed in 2009. So, teachers recruited after 2006 are also eligible for arrears, he reasoned.

Recently, the Department of Collegiate Education had ordered that the government degree college lecturers to return the arrears paid to them as Dearness Allowance. The reason given was that the arrears were calculated only on basic pay and not on allowances. Lecturers protested against this saying that there was no direction from UGC on this regard.

Ramesh Babu, JD(S) MLC visited the site of the protest and interacted with the lecturers.

Meanwhile, Shivaraju said that the paper evaluation was supposed to be completed by January 10, when colleges will reopen. "The boycott will affect the schedule. We will bring this matter to the notice of the government," he said.

About 3.5 lakh students appeared for examinations of nine courses including BA, BSc, BCom, BBA, BBM among others. About 4,000 lecturers were appointed for the evaluation.
Mysuru, dhns: The launch of electric trains between Bengaluru and Mysuru on the recently completed double track will now take place in the second week of January. The SWR had scheduled the launch on Tuesday.



Sources in the SWR said, even though Union Railway Minister Manoj Sinha had agreed to attend the function, the dates of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah could not be adjusted. The state BJP MPs are trying to get the prime minister for the launch at a later date. The function may be shifted to Mysuru and Modi will attend it. As Mysuru is the chief minister's home town, Modi's visit may help the BJP in the polls, added sources.
Bengaluru: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said that BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa was lying about releasing

Rs 100 crore at one go for the Kalasa-Banduri canal project, when he was at the helm.

Speaking to reporters here, Kumaraswamy said that Yeddyurappa, as chief minister, over a period of four years (2008-2011), had released only Rs 69 crore, and not Rs 100 crore as he had claimed.

In fact, from 2005 till date, the total amount set aside for the project was around Rs 200 crore he said. "In 2005-06, Rs one crore was allocated, and Rs 57 lakh was spent while in 2006-07, Rs 42 lakh was utilised out of the Rs one crore allocated. In the year 2007-08, Rs 25 crore was allocated, but only Rs 2.38 crore was spent; while in 2008-09, Rs 12 crore was spent."

In 2009-10, Rs 36 crore was spent, he said, adding that Yeddyurappa was exaggerating the amount utilised. "Where is the question of Yeddyurappa as deputy chief minister releasing Rs 100 crore during the JD(S)-BJP coalition? As deputy chief minister and chief minister, he has only sanctioned Rs 69 crore," said Kumaraswamy.

While Rs 30 crore had been set aside for the project during the D V Sadananda Gowda regime (2011-12), Rs 19.80 crore was spent when Jagadish Shettar was the chief minister (2012-13). The Siddaramaiah government had spent Rs 81.27 crore ever since it came to power, till date, he said.

'Scared of Modi

Kumaraswamy said that the state BJP leaders including the 17 BJP Lok Sabha MPs were responsible for the present fiasco over the Mahadayi dispute.

"The BJP leaders are so useless that they failed to even impress upon the prime minister to intervene and settle the matter. JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda was the one who took the initiative. The BJP leaders are scared to stand before Modi. They should stop attacking the JD(S) unnecessarily," he added.
Bengaluru, dhns: The forest department has called for applications from volunteers to help them befriend local residents in and around forest areas.

The department feels that it will help understand problems faced by local residents, besides roping them in containing forest fire. "It is a dry season and forests are vulnerable. We do not want the forest fire havoc which the state saw in January in Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) to repeat," a senior forest official said.

Over 100 acres of forest in Gundre and Kalkere range was gutted. By the end of February, 2,500 hectares of forest was gutted in BTR alone. A forester also died while trying to control the fire in BTR in January. Forest Minister Ramanath Rai had ordered a CID probe in the matter. But the report is yet to be prepared.

"It is known that forest fires are man-made. If locals are employed and involved with the department, forests face less threat. Through volunteers, we are communicating with communities and understanding their problems. We are also making them realise the importance of forests," the official said.

The department wants to emulate the Gopalaswamy Betta range example everywhere. No fire incident has been reported there in the past five years. This is because the range forest officer there has built a close bond with locals and engages them in various activities. Earlier, through eco-development committees, foresters would interact with locals. But now, these committees are promoted only when projects are to be implemented. During interactions, locals have told volunteers that they need proper roads, electricity, land and loan exemptions.

The department, on its website, invited volunteers three months ago. But so far, merely 20 volunteers, including techies from Bengaluru, have volunteered to work on weekends. They have shown interest in the forests of BR Hills, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, Bannerghatta National Park, Bandipur and Nagarhole tiger reserves. To attract more volunteers, the department has promised free accommodation and free bus safari. Some are also engaging with staffers at checkposts, to enforce night traffic ban, snare combing and interacting with schoolchildren through eco-clubs.
Egyptian military personnel have been deployed on Tuesday to assist police in protecting public institutions and facilities as well as places of worship and major traffic ways in several governorates during Christmas celebrations.

Security patrols, military police personnel, and rapid deployment forces have been stationed in vital areas and at joint checkpoints with police forces.

Egyptian Christian churches have been repeatedly targeted by terrorist attacks in recent years.

Coptic Orthodox Egyptians, who make up 90 percent of all Christians in the country, celebrate Christmas on 7 January, though a minority of Christians observe the holiday on 25 December.

Christians make up about 10 to 15 percent of Egypts 90 million people.

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SEATTLE  Early plans have been filed for an 80-unit apartment building at 815 N.E. 66th St.

Investor Peixin Wu acquired the two parcels in 2015 for $2.8 million. Now, on behalf of his Nustone LLC, developer Emerald Bay Equity LLC is planning a seven-story building with no parking and a small amount of retail or commercial space.





. . .
Egypt's Minister of Manpower Mohamed Saafan said in a statement on Tuesday that Ali El-Sayed Morsi, an Egyptian national who was recently beaten in Jordan by a group of Jordanian citizens, is in a coma.

Morsi, who is receiving treatment at Gabal Al-Zaiton Hospital's intensive care unit, is in critical condition and is showing minimal response to external stimuli.

The Egyptian citizen was reportedly attacked and dragged on the ground by a group of men on Sunday, suffering serious injury after hitting his head with a metal object.

The Jordanian prosecutor-general is investigating the incident, which reportedly resulted from a dispute over money regarding the sale of a car.

"All of those involved in the assault on the Egyptian citizen have been arrested," the ministrys statement said, adding that the Jordanian labour minister Ali Ghezawi has visited Morsi and assured that Jordan will bear the cost of his treatment.

The Jordanian labour minister has condemned the attack, stressing the brotherly relations between Egypt and Jordan and his appreciation for Egyptian labour in the country.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that it is following up on the case and on Morsis medical condition.

There are nearly 636,000 Egyptians residing in Jordan, according to a 2015 census.

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Russia plans to build a luxury hotel on the ISS

Russia seems to have recognised the potential for space tourism and has announced plans to create a luxury hotel on the ISS.

The planned luxury hotel in space, will offer private cabins having big windows, dedicated personal hygiene facilities, exercise equipment and also a WiFi connection. Additionally visitors to the luxury hotel on the ISS will get the opportunity to go on spacewalks with a professional Russian cosmonaut.

The expedition will be a rather costly affair at $40 million per person and people who would like to stay for a month and go on a few spacewalks, would need to spend $20 million more.

According to commentators, though spaceflight continues to be out of reach of all but the richest, but for those who have the means, spending $60 million on an unforgettable trip only experienced by a handful of people in our planet's history might be worth it.

The luxury hotel on the ISS is under construction of the Russian Roskosmos State Corporation and according to Popular Mechanics, which was able to access a detailed proposal, the new 15.5 metre-long module would weigh a massive 20 tons and provide 92 cubic meters of space.

It would accommodate four sleeping quarters sized around two cubic metres each and two ''hygiene and medical'' stations of the same volume. Each private room would also have a porthole 228 millimeters in diameter (9 inches), while the lounge area of the module would have a giant 426-millimetre (16-inch) window.

According to the Russian company RKK Energia, the tourist module would take a minimum of five years to build, Popular Mechanics reported. This means the module would not be up and ready for use until 2022, less than a decade before the station is scheduled to retire.
As the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act moves from Congress to President Trumps desk, U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R-Ala.) celebrated final House passage of H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Roby said the historic tax reform plan will benefit working families and boost job growth.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reduce the tax burden on American families and grow our economy  and Im glad we could deliver, Roby said. "Under this legislation, a median income American family will get a tax cut of approximately $2,100 not just one year, but annually. Its their money to begin with, and I believe families know how to spend it better than the government does. I look forward to the Senate swiftly passing this bill and the President signing it into law.

H.R. 1 is the first overhaul of the federal tax code since 1986. The bill claims to lower income tax rates for families and businesses while closing special interest loopholes.

The U.S. House of representatives passed the bill on Tuesday, Dec. 19. The Senate voted on the bill in the early morning hours Wednesday, Dec. 20, and it passed along party lines 51-48, with the final result announced by Vice President Mike Pence, who presided over the vote. Due to some technical changes, the house had to revote on the bill, which also passed. On Dec. 22, President Trump signed the bill into law.

For moms and dads working to make ends meet, an extra couple thousand dollars can make a big difference, said Roby in a video press release.

Roby pointed out that the bill lowers business taxes, saying the U.S. effective tax rate for business is among the highest in the world.

All that does is send jobs overseas and make it harder for small businesses to succeed, she said. Lowering the rate from 35 percent to 21 percent is more globally competitive, said Roby, and is expected to boost the economy and spur job growth in the U.S.

In addition, Roby said the tax rate preserves student loan interest deductions and other tax breaks people count on.

Those kept in the tax reform bill include the deduction for teachers expenses, medical expense deduction, mortgage interest deduction and charitable tax deduction. It also doubles the child tax credit and eliminates the individual mandate tax penalty associated with Obamacare.

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) also released a statement regarding his vote and support for the tax reform bill.

The Senate (Wednesday) passed historic legislation to deliver pro-growth, middle-class tax relief to the American people," said Senator Shelby. "This bill not only lower the individual and corporate tax rates, lightening the burden on small businesses, but it works to revitalize our economy  impacting current and future generations to come. Across the nation, this legislation will help create jobs, increase paychecks, and make the tax code simpler and fairer.

I am proud that we are able to work together to fulfill our commitment to deliver real tax reform and put money back in the pockets of the middle-class Americans who have earned it. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change Americans lives for the better.
A man convicted of the robbery and/or attempted robbery of two Coffee County banks in 2010 and 2011 could be returning to prison after authorities claimed he violated the terms of his supervised release with multiple positive drug tests.

Benjamin Michael Smith was indicted in June of 2012 for the Feb. 16, 2010 attempted robbery of Citizens Bank in Enterprise and the Dec 5, 2011 robbery of CB&T Bank.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced in January of 2013 to 40 months in federal prison followed by a period of supervised release of at least three years.

Federal authorities recently petitioned a federal judge for revocation of his supervised release after Smith apparently failed multiple drug tests in 2017.

According to court documents, authorities claim Smith attempted to thwart a random drug test in Coffee County earlier in December by attaching a device to his person in an attempt to falsify the test. He later admitted to using methamphetamine. Court documents further indicate Smith admitted to using methamphetamine more than three times over the course of one year in violation of the terms of his supervised release.

A final revocation hearing is set for Jan. 10 in federal court in Montgomery.

According to earlier reports, Smith was 22 and living on Kinnon Drive in Enterprise at the time of the first attempted bank robbery of Citizens Bank in 2010. There, he walked up to the door with his face covered, but found the door locked. He then drove up to the drive-thru window and claimed to have a grenade. When he failed to get any money, Smith drove away.

On Dec. 5, 2011, at about 10 a.m., Smith walked into CB&T wearing a motorcycle helmet and a red surgical mask. As he approached the teller he pulled off the helmet and pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his head. The teller said she noticed a metal object in his waistband. He demanded money and was given $6,336, which he placed inside of his helmet. He then returned to the parking lot and drove away.

Following leads from surveillance videos, witnesses led law enforcement to believe Smith was the suspect. He was living in or near Pensacola when he was lured back to Enterprise under the guise he could illegally purchase 27 Lortab pain killers. Enterprise Police set up the sting. He was arrested after returning to Enterprise on Dec. 9, 2011.
A Christmas morning fire heavily damaged a home in a Dothan subdivision off John D. Odom Road.

Dothan Fire Department Battalion Chief Pete Webb said smoke was visible when units responding to the 9:53 a.m. call arrived at 514 Riveredge Parkway.

The fire quickly burned through the roof but firefighters were able to pull out a lot of heirlooms and personal effects for the family, Webb said.

The home sustained a lot of water damage, but no one was injured.

Webb said the fire is under investigation but it appears a gas stove somehow vented into the overhead space.
The rumors started to build months before the 2017 election cycle regarding then-Mayor Mike Schmitz.

The popular mayor was gearing up for a Congressional campaign.

No, he was actually looking at a state Senate run.

Not that at all. Schmitz is going to run for governor.

He actually isnt going to run for anything and will pursue a career as a senior triathlete.

Schmitz surprised everyone other than those closest to him in June when he took to Facebook to announce a run for chairman of the Dothan City Board of Education.

Schmitz cited a deep respect for teachers in his announcement and credited his fifth grade teacher with instilling in him a desire to succeed.

Schmitz said that he wanted to help the city school system build the same partnerships and community support that helped the city be successful during his terms as mayor.

He won the race easily and began his term with one of the biggest decisions any school board faces -- who to hire as superintendent.

Past superintendent Chuck Ledbetter had recently announced that he accepted a job to lead Pike Road Schools. The school board in place at the time moved forward with the hiring process (state law requires a hire to be made within a certain period of time) and it appeared as if a decision would be made before the new school board was seated.

Instead, the new board was seated and received an extension from the State of Alabama to take more time to hire a superintendent.

After interviewing six candidates, a majority of the board voted to extend an offer to Phyllis Edwards, former superintendent of Decatur City Schools in Georgia.
Islamist militants have killed 45 people around the Iraqi town of Hawija in the nearly three months since the government declared its "liberation" from the Islamic State group, police said Tuesday.

The Iraqi government declared victory at the start of October over IS militants in Hawija, their last urban stronghold in the country located about 300 kilometres (185 miles) north of Baghdad.

Since then, "at least 45 members of the security forces and civilians have been killed in IS attacks," said a senior police officer in Kirkuk province.

Over the same period, "the Hashed al-Shaabi pro-government militia, police and paramilitary units have killed 288 jihadists and arrested another 55," the officer told AFP.

Iraqi military expert Sarmad al-Bayati said the presence of IS militants "still represents a real threat to the region".

Bayati said the IS extremists hide during day but "have total control of certain areas at night."

According to expert Hisham al-Hashemi, around 3,000 members of the Iraqi security forces were stretched thin over 18,000 square kilometres (6,950 square miles) -- an area larger than Kuwait.

Bayati said the IS militants were still carrying out "attacks and kidnappings and because of that, many displaced people are refusing to return home".

A senior police official who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity said Iraqi forces had "concentrated on the town and main roads during the operation to liberate Hawija".

"Some jihadists surrendered" during the assault but others took refuge in the Hamrin mountains, valleys and underground hideouts, the official added.

Those who stayed behind had no other choice but to fight to the death, according to an Iraqi army general who also wanted to remain anonymous.

They "threaten residents who have family members in the security forces or who provide information to the troops. They have already killed several," said the general.

General Ali Omran, commander of operations in Kirkuk province, said on Monday that seven IS militants had been shot dead after killing six Hashed fighters, including a commander and his son.

A day before, a senior officer told AFP a tribal leader commanding a group of fighters and his wife had been killed at an Islamist militant "roadblock" between Kirkuk and Hawija.

On December 9, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi proclaimed victory in the three-year war to expel the Islamist militants from Iraq, a declaration that experts say was premature.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

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Related Tunis says UAE attack fears do not justify treatment of Tunisian women

The UAE, which angered Tunisia by banning Tunisian women from its passenger flights, has intelligence that female Islamist militant returning from Iraq or Syria might try to use Tunisian passports to stage terrorist attacks, a Tunisian government official said.

Tunisia had demanded the United Arab Emirates apologise for the travel ban - saying that the UAE had provided no explanation - and on Sunday it suspended the Dubai-based airline Emirates from operating at Tunis airport.

Since then, Saida Garrach, an advisor at the Tunisian presidency, told local radio Shems FM that the UAE had "serious information over the possibility of terrorist acts as part of returning fighters leaving Iraq and Syria," and that the two countries were now working together to address the threat.

"There are terrorist plots in several countries," Garrach said in an interview conducted on Monday and posted on the station's website.

"What concerns the United Arab Emirates is the possibility of terrorist acts committed by Tunisian women or by Tunisian passport holders," she said.

Garrach criticised the way the threat had been communicated to Tunisia.

"We are fighting terrorism together with the United Arab Emirates and we are coordinating to solve this problem. But we cannot accept the way Tunisian women are treated and don't accept what has happened to Tunisian women at airports."

Tunisia is among the countries with the highest per capita number of militant Islamists, a problem linked to widespread radicalisation among disillusioned youths and a loosening of security controls after Tunisias 2011 uprising.

The military defeat of the Islamic State (IS) militant group in most of Syria and Iraq this year has prompted many foreign militants and their families to go home. IS has also lost its main stronghold in Tunisia's neighbour Libya.

More than 3,000 Tunisians are known to have travelled abroad to wage Islamist militancy, according to the interior ministry. A year ago the interior minister said 800 had come back to Tunisia, where they have been jailed, monitored or put under house arrest.

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Japfa to acquire remaining interest in dairy business for US$263.1 million

Japfa Ltd. announced that it has entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire the outstanding shares in AustAsia from Black River Funds which is managed by Proterra Investment Partners LP.

AustAsia consists of the company's two principal subsidiaries - AustAsia Investment Holdings (AIH) Pte. Ltd. and AIH2 Pte Ltd. These subsidiaries own the group's dairy business comprising dairy farms in China and Indonesia, as well as its Greenfields milk downstream business.

Japfa currently holds a 61.9% and 64.4% stake in AIH and AIH2 respectively, while Black River Funds owns the remaining interest.

Under the proposed transaction, the company will acquire Black River Funds' 38.1% stake in AIH and 35.6% stake in AIH2 for an aggregate consideration of US$263.1 million, comprising call option shares of US$19.6 million (based on the cost of investment of Black River Funds) and sale shares of US$243.5 million, which was arrived at, after arm's length negotiations on a "willing-buyer, willing-seller" basis taking into account AustAsia's earnings and dairy industry earnings multiples.

The acquisition will bolster the Japfa's overall profile. Gaining full control over its dairy business, which has been a strong engine of growth, will enable the group to align AustAsia's objectives with its long-term strategic goal of becoming a fully integrated milk and food player in emerging markets.

In China, AustAsia commands leadership position in terms of raw milk yields, while in Indonesia, its enjoys strong brand equity with Greenfields as the top fresh milk brand. With its upstream milk business substantially in place, the group will now focus on strengthening its downstream capabilities.

In addition, with AustAsia as a wholly-owned subsidiary, Japfa will enjoy full contribution from its dairy business which has recorded consistent profitability, despite the prevailing low raw milk price environment.
Al-Ahram Chairman Abdel-Mohsen Salama said on Tuesday that issuing an initial public offering (IPO) of 25 percent of the assets owned by the news organisation could help alleviate its financial woes in the future.

Salama made the comments at Al-Ahram 2025 conference, which marked the 142nd anniversary of Al-Ahram institution.

While speaking about a long-term plan to reform Al-Ahram, the chairman said that the IPO is an idea for the future.

Salama said that the development plan for Al-Ahram aims at reducing its deficit by 80 percent in 2020.

Salama highlighted that Al-Ahrams debts amount to EGP 1.6 billion ($89.5 billion), which he said is negligible compared to the EGP 100 billion worth of assets owned by the institution.

The reform plan includes developments in the advertising sector as well as financial and administrative reforms.

Salama, who is also head of Egypts press syndicate, said that the Al-Ahram-owned Al-Ahram Company for Investment has different subsidiaries under its umbrella in medicine, tourism, and other fields.

Al-Ahram has "assets that are worth more than EGP 100 billion [$5.6 billion]. If I offer [an IPO of] only 25 percent, I will generate EGP 25 billion [$1.4 billion]," Salama said.

The chairman stressed that Al-Ahram's main domain will always be journalism, with investments only helping the organisation develop this sector.

There has never been an IPO of any state-run Egyptian media organisation to date.

National Press Organisation head Karam Gabr said during the conference that no assets owned by national newspapers will be sold unless it is a neglected asset, and the revenues will be used in another investment.

Journalism is great, but it will not be able to cover all the expenses of [state press] institutions.

Gabr also ruled out the possibility of the national press being privatised in Egypt.

We will not allow anyone to exterminate our patriotic press... or [allow the national press] to be privatised, he said.

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Actress Lainie Kazan, who portrayed the role of the mother in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, was arrested on Christmas Eve for shoplifting groceries.

Arrested For Shoplifting

The 77-year-old actress who played the hilarious mother Maria Portokalos in the 2002 hit comedy, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and the 2016 sequel that followed, was arrested on Sunday, Dec. 24. She was arrested for stealing groceries from a store in Los Angeles.

According to TMZ, Kazan entered a Gelson's supermarket in California's San Fernando Valley area at approximately 4 p.m. on Sunday and loaded her cart with groceries worth $180.

She then placed the food items into several reusable shopping bags, walked out of the store and tried to make a run for her car but an employee from the supermarket stopped her and called the police.

When she was apprehended, Kazan claimed that she left without paying for the groceries because she did not have any money to pay for the items. The actress was then arrested for petty theft, handcuffed and escorted to a police station where she was cited and released from custody without bail.

Kazan's Acting Career

Although Kazan is best known for her role in one of Hollywood's highest grossing romantic comedies, she has been acting since the late 1960s. The actress also picked up an Emmy nod for her guest appearance on the show St. Elsewhere in 1988.

She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the 1982 film, My Favorite Year, and also received a Tony award nomination for the musical adaptation of the film. Apart from the My Big Fat Greek Wedding films, the actress has also featured in films such as The Delta Force (1986), Harry and the Hendersons (1987), and Beaches (1988) among others.

She also made several appearances on television shows, including Ugly Betty, in which she featured as the mother of Bobby, a character who was soon to become the main character's (America Ferrera) brother-in-law.

She also appeared in an episode of Fire and Nice as well as Season 7 of Desperate Housewives, in which she played a self-employed neighbor of Teri Hatcher's character.

Earlier this month, another star from the cast of My Big Fat Greek Wedding was in the news. Actor Bruce Gray, who played the father of the groom in the popular comedy, died on Dec. 13, at the age of 81 after losing a battle with cancer.
In K Puttaswamy v Union of India (2017a), a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court held that the right to privacy is a fundamental right and that, at its core, it means the right to be let alone.1 But the right to be let alone when, where, by whom, and in relation to what?

As conceived in AngloSaxon jurisprudence, the right to privacy initially focused on protecting private spaces, such as the home, from state interference on the belief that a mans home is his castle and he exercises sovereign power within that space (Peter Semayne v Richard Gresham 1604). Subsequently, court decisions expanded this right to protect intimate relationships, such as the family and marriage, from state intervention (Griswold v Connecticut 1965). More recently, the right to privacy has been understoodincluding in the Puttaswamy caseas protecting individual autonomy by preserving a persons bodily integrity, as well as her autonomous decision-making capacity.
In November and December, the ESRF welcomed four student-scientist pairs from Mexico, Senegal and Cyprus within the frame of the Lightsources for Africa, the Americas and Middle East Project (LAAMP).

These faculty-student (FAST) teams were awardees of the 1st LAAMP call for projects in 2017. The project aims to enhance advanced light sources (AdLS) and crystallographic sciences in Africa, the Middle East, Mexico and the Caribbean. By enhancing AdLS and crystallographic sciences, major challenges facing these regions can be addressed through the wide range of research carried out at light sources. For example, through a better understanding of how viruses work, scientists can help tackle the devastation caused by Zika, Ebola and HIV. By studying energy producing or energy storage systems, materials research can help develop modern energy systems. X-ray techniques will also offer the non-destructive exploration of important archaeological and palaeontological treasures of these regions.

Dr Diouma Kobor and PhD student Ndeye Coumba Yande Fall have travelled from the University Assane Seck of Ziguinchor in Senegal. They are learning the techniques available on the ESRFs ID12 and ID13 beamlines with ESRF scientists Manfred Burghammer and Fabrice Wilhelm to help further their research into the nano structure of silicon and the electromagnetic properties of perovskites.

Im studying photo sensitive materials for my PhD and hope to improve their performances and develop new materials in this field, says Ndeye Coumba Yande. Its my first experience in a synchrotron and the first time for me in France. The ESRF offers amazing opportunities in all areas of science. One day Id like to work in the African Light Source so its important for me to learn as much as possible now about how these instruments work.

Its Dioumas second visit to the ESRF. The first time was for the First African Light Source (AFLS) Conference and Workshop hosted by the ESRF in 2015. He says: This project is the logical follow-on from the AFLS workshop. To build and run a light source we also need a good network of people with the knowledge on how to use synchrotron radiation and the different techniques available. We need to prepare and train these people before the AFLS is up and running. Here, the ESRF is helping us to train Africas future scientists. We acknowledge ICTP, ESRF, AfLS and their partners for this excellent and innovative joint project that is LAAMP.

FAST-teams and hosts in the entrance hall of the ESRF. Left to right, back row: Marine Cotte, Hiram Castillo (ESRF), Ndeye Coumba Yande Fall (Senegal), Fabrice Wilhelm, Jean Susini (ESRF), Diouma Kobor (Senegal), Kirsi Lorentz (Cyprus), Ed Mitchell (ESRF). Front row: Ibrahim Serroukh, Marco Garduno, Julio Cesar Lerma Hernandez, Maria Elena Fuentes (Mexico), Grigoria Ioannou (Cyprus), Alberto Bravin (ESRF). C. Argoud.

Ibrahim Serroukh is a professor and lecturer at the University of Queretaro in Mexico. He is also a board member of the Mexican synchrotron radiation source project. With PhD student, Marco Garduno Ramon he is working with ESRFs Alberto Bravin on ID17 beamline on applied medical research into first stage diagnosis and therapy in breast cancer. Weve been learning about using phase contrast techniques for imaging and mammography. Im very impressed by the very high level of science and technology and also by the organisation of the ESRF. Its amazing to see how the ESRF has made it easy for people from all over the world to work together despite the diversity of their cultures and backgrounds. The ESRF is definitely the right place for us to pursue our research. Its just a shame its 9000 kms away from Mexico.

Dr Kirsi Lorentz, Assistant Professor, and her 2nd year PhD student, Grigoria Ioannou, from The Cyprus Institutes (CyI) Science and Technology in Archaeology Research Centre (STARC) are both bioarchaeologists who study ancient human remains to understand more about life in the past. Their work focuses on the ancient Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.

In collaboration with Marine Cotte and Wout de Nolf on ID21, weve been able to map metal element localisation in 5000-year-old human hair samples, says Kirsi. This information helps to distinguish between the different processes that led the metal elements to be integrated on or within the hair, such as environmental pollution, craft activities or taphonomic contamination. It is not possible to map metal element localisation with conventional laboratory based methods at the required level of detail, and therefore synchrotron light is crucial to our research.

For example, weve been able to detect elevated levels of copper within our 10 m thick hair cross sections, and map copper localisation. We will be submitting a proposal for beamtime to further explore these research questions at the ESRF.

Their two months at the ESRF have also included discussions with beamline scientists at several other ESRF beamlines to explore further research directions, as well as training in different sample preparation techniques, and lab-based methods of analysis.

Concerning her first impressions of the ESRF, Grigoria says she is captivated by the sense of a united research community: Im impressed by the wide range of disciplines coming together at ESRF for one purpose, that of research. Despite all the different cultures, we are a community with a similar mindset, one that is focused on producing high quality research.

One of the FAST-teams from Mexico with ESRF staff on the ID17 beamline. From left to right: Caterina Amendola (Master's student from Politecnico Milano), Herwig Requardt, Alberto Bravin, Alberto Mittone (ESRF), Ibrahim Serroukh and Marco Garduno (University of Queretaro, Mexico). ESRF/C. Argoud

Im from Chihuahua, a state in northern Mexico. We grow a lot of apples there and thats one of the reasons why I chose my research topic, says Julio Cesar Lerma Hernandez. He is in the first year of a PhD in chemical science at the University of Chihuahua. He studies the structure of polyphenols to better understand which molecules are responsible for the antioxidant activities in apples and their derivatives. Hes come to the ESRF with tutors Erika Salas Munoz and Maria Elena Fuentes to learn about X-ray diffraction and small angle X-ray scattering techniques.

Maria Elena Fuentes admits to having been a fan of synchrotron radiation for many years. There are so many synchrotron techniques and its better to know a few if you want to work in a synchrotron. Im a crystallographer and Im here to work on organic compounds with XRD, she explains. You cant beat synchrotron techniques when you are looking into the atomic and electronic structures of active molecules, she adds.

The LAAMP project will continue in 2018 and the ESRF expects to welcome more FAST teams in the future. Many of the 2017 awardees have applied for LAAMP continuing grants to pursue the work started during their recent placements at the ESRF.

About LAAMP

LAAMP is an IUPAP-IUCr (International Union of Pure and Applied Physics  International Union of Crystallography) project approved and funded under the 2016-2019 International Council for Science (ICSU) Grants Programme.

The ESRF is one of the ten advanced light sources (AdLS) that are collaborative partners of LAAMP. For the first call for applications for faculty-student (FAST) teams, seven teams were awarded two-month placements within the structures of the collaborative partners. Four of the seven teams were welcomed by the ESRF between October and December 2017.

Visit the LAAMP official website.

Text by Kirstin Colvin
Slovakia is considering quitting coal by 2023  the goal that was set by the countrys Environment Minister Laszlo Solymos at the One Planet summit in December in Paris. This, however, stands in opposition to the claims of Prime Minister Robert Fico who said, while walking throughout the mines, that if we have things under control, we will do everything for the coal production to continue (in Upper Nitra).

Slovakia has two power plants but only one of them  Novaky  receives governmental subsidies to burn domestic lignite, mostly produced in three mines in Upper Nitra. Slovak consumers pay about 100 million every year to fund the subsidies. According to Robert Fico, sustaining coal mining and power is in the general economic interest. The mining in the region has for long been considered a leading contributor to the countrys energy supplies and electricity balancing as well as regional employment. The three mines employ about 4,000 Slovaks and the mining companies claim that 11,000 in total depend on the Slovak coal industry.

At the same time, EUs Energy Commissioner, Maros Sefcovic, is making a case for a transition to geothermal energy in Upper Nitra. There are apparent contradictions in Slovakias environmental strategy. According to the recently released draft of the governments 2030 environmental strategy, the country should embrace a progressive phase-out of power and heat production from coal due to local air pollution, calling Slovakias annual 100 million subsidies for coal power environmentally damaging. The Slovak European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic listed the Upper Nitra region as one of the EUs three pilots in the EUs newly launched Coal Regions in Transition Platform. He sees the potential of region in transitioning from coal to geothermal energy.
Tunisia suspended flights by Emirates following a public criticism over security measures in the United Arab Emirates targeting Tunisian women. The countrys transport ministry said it had suspended Emirates flights to Tunis until the airline company finds a proper solution that will be in accordance with international law and agreements.

A few Tunisian women said during their travel to the Gulf state with Emirates that they had been delayed and some had to undergo additional examination of their visas. We contacted our Tunisian brothers about security information that necessitated taking specific procedures, Anwar Gargash, the UAE foreign minister, tweeted. We should avoid misleading attempts  We highly value Tunisian women and respect them, he added but did not elaborate further.

Tunisia asked the UAE ambassador to explain the situation but the envoy said that the decision was implemented just for a short period of time and the restrictions had been removed. Despite the explanation, Tunisian rights groups condemned the measures as discriminatory and racist. Tunis had been trying to fix diplomatic relations with the UAE, which were damaged by the 2011 Arab Spring revolution. Moreover, the ties worsened after the Islamic party al-Nahda, which has strong relations with Qatar, came to power in the North African country.

Qatar diplomatic crisis started in June 2017 when Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt withdrew their ambassadors from the small Gulf country and imposed trade and travel bans. This latest crisis could be also seen as an escalation of the wider Qatar-Saudi Arabia proxy conflict. Riyadh cited Qatars support of terrorism as the main reason for their actions, insisting that Qatar has violated a 2014 deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
International waters beyond national boundaries are currently free-for-all and thus not properly regulated as a result of which they are being polluted and overfished. To address the situation, 140 countries are using the United Nations as a platform to act and establish a treaty to protect and regulate the high seas. Following more than 5 years of talks, UN members are now about to agree to draft a new rulebook by 2020, which aims to establish conservation areas, catch quotas and scientific monitoring. This is the biggest opportunity to change the status quo we have ever had, commented Will McCallum, the head of oceans at Greenpeace. It could change everything.

Maria Damanaki, a former EU Commissioner for Marine Affairs and Fisheries who is now in charge of the Nature Conservancy, commented that this move could ?open the way to create a Paris Agreement for the ocean. This could be the most important step I have seen in my 30 years working on oceans. Only 3.5% of the worlds oceans are currently regulated and protected which leads to the high seas being increasingly over-exploited and contaminated by pollution, fishing and seabed mining. There are multiple stressors and they are all getting worse, said Ms. Damaki.

Environmentalists have come in support of a treaty and ocean activists believe that this momentum will lift the subject to the same level as climate and land biodiversity and ultimately lead to a legally binding set of rules. This has led Aulani Wilhelm, SVP, Center for Oceans at Conservation International to argue that the science is clear on the role oceans play in ensuring the current and future livability of the planet. If we want our oceans to continue to provide food, absorb carbon, and regulate climate for the planet, protecting the biodiversity of the high seas is critical.
Hi. My partners 190 visa was refused back in March this year as he only got 55 points awarded. He now wants to apply for a family visa 489 because he can get extra points for family sponsor and also Australian Work experience. In his 190 visa he was given 10 points for overseas Work experience - my question is will these 10 points be granted again for overseas Work experience in his 489 application? Or is it up to the case officer and there is no guarantee of consistency within the DIBP?
AUSTIN  The day after Mohanad Albdairi began his enlistment in the Army Reserve, recruiters called him back with bad news: Immigrants, even those here legally, can no longer join the Reserve force.

Albdairi, 32, an Iraqi immigrant, had served in the New Iraqi Army, formed with the support of the U.S. after occupying the country, then worked as an interpreter for U.S. forces until threats by militants forced him to flee the country.

He underwent extensive background checks to get his special immigrant visa but was told hes a security risk who cant join the Army Reserve.

The October rule change temporarily halting National Guard and Reserve recruitment of noncitizens is the latest barrier to immigrants joining the military, critics of the new policies said.

Thats the first time in American history that green card holders have been barred from joining the military, said Margaret Stock, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army and an immigration lawyer in Alaska. Its unprecedented, to be barred openly from joining the Guard and Reserve.

The Department of Defense announced this fall that foreign enlistees in the armed forces will have longer wait times to become citizens, and it continued suspension of a program that allowed visa holders with special skills to join the military.

Most enlistees must have lawful permanent residence, known colloquially as a green card. Under the George W. Bush administration, Stock helped develop a program to allow visa holders who hadnt obtained or werent eligible for green cards but who had certain language skills and medical training to join the military.

The Military Accessions Vital to National Interest Program, known as MAVNI, was created to fill much-needed positions in the military. It was suspended last year under then-President Barack Obama. Stock blamed its halt on what she called anti-immigrant sentiment that appears to be rampant and has infected the Pentagon.

Anthony M. Kurta, a retired rear admiral who at the time was acting undersecretary at the Pentagon, signed three memos in October that critics said erect hurdles for immigrants to enlist. Kurta was with the office last year when the MAVNI program was suspended, Stock said, and is President Donald Trumps nominee for its deputy undersecretary.

Along with continuing the suspension of MAVNI, Kurtas memos require noncitizens to undergo a background check, which can take months, before they can report for basic training.

Kurtas memos didnt ban joining the Guard and Reserve outright, but neither the Guard nor Reserve have a way of running background checks before enlistment takes place, so they had to halt all recruitment of green card holders.

Albdairi has a green card, but he cant join the Reserve under the new policy. The Defense Department is in the process of creating a system to run background checks on Guard and Reserve enlistees before they begin training, said Army Maj. Dave Eastburn, a Pentagon spokesman. The new rule was created because immigrants were completing basic training before their background checks were completed, Eastburn said.

It actually helps the service member in the long run, but it potentially could prolong the process, he said. By completing the background check prior to service member shipping  theres no potential holdup at the end of basic training due to the background check not being done.

The memos also require green card holders to serve 180 days before they can begin the citizenship naturalization process, adding significant delays to lawful permanent residents going through the militarys expedited citizenship program

Another recruiting tool most recently used after the 9/11 terrorist attacks expedited naturalization allowed enlistees to begin a shortened citizenship process after one day of service. Lawful permanent residents are limited in what duties they can perform for the military, and many who enrolled in the expedited process and took part in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Naturalization at Basic Training Initiative became citizens upon graduation.

It is in the national interest to complete the security investigation before we grant someone honorable service, particularly in the case where that characterization is considered in an application for citizenship, Stephanie Miller, the Defense Departments director of accessions, told the Pentagons in-house news service.

The delays effectively serve as a barrier for immigrants to enlist, Stock said. The wait times are onerous and will drive away qualified foreign-born recruits, she said.

This doesnt help security at all, Stock said. It makes things worse. It means a lower-quality workforce in the military. And it gives away the United States largest home-court advantage. Weve always welcomed immigrants. Weve won wars because we had them in the ranks.

The U.S. population is 13.5 percent foreign-born, lower than it was at the start of the 20th century but up from historical lows 40 years ago.

Theyre basically saying 13.5 percent of the population is off-limits, Stock said. That means they have to give a lot more waivers for depression  pot use, drug use, criminal (convictions). Thats what theyre doing. Theyre letting more low-quality native (-born) people into the military right now than they would have to let in if they were recruiting immigrants.

Of the 1.98 million people who joined the armed forces between 2000 and 2010, only 3.8 percent were noncitizens, according to a 2013 thesis by students at the Naval Postgraduate School. A 2011 study conducted for the Defense Department by CNA Analysis and Solutions found that immigrants have a lower attrition rate in the armed forces and represented a growing share of the 18-29 population targeted for recruitment.

The study also found that noncitizens who are eligible to enlist may possess language and cultural skills that are useful in theater, or medical and technical skills that can be used to fill high-demand, low-density occupations.

Eastburn rejected Stocks assertion that the new policies will result in a personnel shortfall.

Theres no shortage and theres no need to issue waivers to anyone who wouldnt otherwise be eligible to serve, Eastburn said.

Albdairi, whos studying criminal justice at Austin Community College, said he saw enlisting in the Army Reserve as a way to give back to a country that had welcomed him, and also to help his family. He acknowledges that hes struggled to find gainful employment and thought serving in the Reserve would be a way to supplement his income.

Active duty isnt an option, he said, because his wife doesnt speak English and needs his help caring for their two children and still suffers from the trauma of seeing her uncle gunned down in front of her, retribution by militia members for the help Albdairi gave the U.S. He still blames himself for the mans death.

I decided to join the Army because part of me appreciates this country for my familys safety, he said. And part of me, to be honest, Im tired of these jobs. So Im thinking of doing something part time for the Army and serve this country. Because my life is over in Iraq. This is my country now.

Albdairi was enrolled in college when the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003. The next year he joined the New Iraqi Army and served until 2006. After leaving the military, he worked as an interpreter for U.S. forces until he got his visa six years later. That included not just translating, but explaining Iraqi culture, right down to naming conventions, which U.S. military personnel didnt always understand.

I always enjoyed it because I want to help people, Albdairi said of his time as an interpreter. I know both sides, my people and the U.S. Army. Im in the middle.

After hed been on the job about a year, Albdairi said, militias in Iraq began targeting interpreters and their families. He had to move his family out of Baghdad and he couldnt leave the U.S.-controlled Green Zone.

In 2008, he applied for a special immigrant visa, which allows interpreters in Iraq and Afghanistan to come to the U.S., but it took four more years before he could come here and get a green card.

Albdairi spent a few months in San Antonio before moving to Austin at a friends suggestion. Hes washed dishes, worked as a delivery driver and as a driver for ride-hailing apps. Albdairi said hes disappointed he couldnt join the Army Reserve and that hed have to wait a year for background checks if he wanted to go active duty.

I spent three years with the Iraqi Army and five years with the U.S. military, he said. Its in my blood. I want to do something to help this country.

Stock called Albdairi a perfect example of why this new policy makes absolutely no sense. The background checks he underwent to serve as an interpreter and come to the country on the special immigrant visa should have assuaged any concerns that hes a security risk, she said.

If they cant get a guy like him into the military, you know what they have to use? she asked. Unvetted foreign contractors at great expense to the U.S. taxpayer.

jbuch@express-news.net
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The Smith family usually attends Christmas Day Mass at the Oblate Missions, home to Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto and the Virgen de Guadalupe Tepeyac de San Antonio, to enjoy both nature and God.

The service is usually held outside, in front of the grotto sanctuary, under a canopy of trees. The family appreciates the intimate, relaxed atmosphere.

Its not a very pretentious church  it is under the trees, said Patricia Smith, 50. Very, very close to nature and therefore close to God.

On Christmas morning this year, it was too cold to hold the service outside. Just before the 9 a.m. service, the temperature was less than 40 degrees. Nevertheless, Smith, her husband, Scott, and 9-year-old son, Thaddeus, came anyway. The Mass was held instead inside the small chapel adjacent to the grotto.

Another, larger service was held in Spanish at 11 a.m. in the nearby pastoral center. The Mass took place on the backdrop of an elaborate figurine village, flanked by Christmas trees.

During the first service, Father Leo Perez reminded a congregation of about 60 people that Christmas is a time for opening their hearts to Jesus and those in need. He talked about the Hispanic tradition of holding a posada, which includes a re-enactment of Mary and Josephs journey to Bethlehem, followed by a fiesta.

Todays Mass is like the end of the posada, Perez said. Were letting Jesus in today. He is born in our hearts on this day.

Around Christmastime, Perez said people should reflect on their actions and how they impact others.

When we say that we are opening our heart to Jesus, then well have to treat the people we live with and work with with dignity, Perez told those gathered. And when we open our hearts to the peace of God, well have to make sure that our world, which is almost on the brink of a nuclear war, will have to be transformed and will have to be a world of peace.

Dedicated in December 1941 by the archbishop of San Antonio, Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto was built by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate of the Southern U.S. Province. The concrete shrine is a replica of the original cave in Lourdes, France, where the Virgin Mary appeared in 1858 to 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous, who was later canonized as St. Bernadette.

Atop the grotto is the Hill of Tepeyac, featuring a statue of the Lady of Guadalupe, an acknowledgment of the Oblate missionaries work in Hispanic communities.

It feels (like) a holy place, said Connie Salinas, 64, who has attended services at the site since 1999. You can feel all the presence of God.

After the service, the Smiths walked over to a nearby Nativity scene to pose for a photo. Others climbed past railings strung with lights to the top of the Hill of Tepeyac, where the landing was crowded with bouquets of flowers.

The grotto is a place of religious significance year-round, but it is a particularly special place to celebrate Christmas, Perez said.

The grotto is a shrine to Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes. We couldnt have Christmas without Mary. She had a very special part in giving birth to Jesus, he said. Thats why its so special to us at this Marian shrine.

lcaruba@express-news.net | Twitter: @LaurenCaruba
After the launch of the first major serial run of its new flagship series, Fendt 1000 Vario, in Autumn 2016, Fendt can now announce the first production milestone for the world's most powerful standard tractor. On Wednesday, 20 December 2017, much earlier than expected, the 1000th Fendt 1000 Vario rolled off the production line.

The 380 hp Fendt 1038 Vario was ordered through the highly successful Canadian Fendt dealer, Maple Lane Farm Service Inc., Mount Forest, Ontario, and will be delivered to Jeremy and Herman Terpstra at their dairy farm, Terpstra Farms Ltd, in Brussels, Ontario, Canada. The special-milestone tractor is set to sail to Canada in the next few days, and will be in the hands of the Terpstra family in late February 2018. "We are delighted with the excellent worldwide acceptance of our new 1000 Vario high-power tractor models. At up to 517 hp, they have shaped a new market and are now delivered in a total of 35 countries throughout Europe, North and South America, Africa, Australia and Asia," says Peter-Josef Paffen, Chairman of the AGCO/Fendt Management Board.

The Fendt 1000 Vario was a blank-canvas innovation that filled the previous gap in the 380-517 hp power range for standard tractors. This was the first time a model has been designed to the requirements of professionals in large-scale farming from around the world, and is seen as Fendt's first global tractor model.

Its outstanding features include a comprehensive and fuel-saving low-rpm concept "Fendt ID", a new generation of Fendt Drive technology "Fendt VarioDrive", up to 60 km/h transport speed and a smart ballast design including tyre control pressure system.

Multi-stage market launch for an exceptional product

Fendt premiered the launch in July 2014, with a preview in front of the international press at the world-famous Neuschwanstein Castle at Fussen in Bavaria. The first photos and details of the 500 hp Fendt 1050 Vario standing in front of Neuschwanstein Castle grabbed worldwide attention. A year later, production started on the first pilot series followed by a full presentation before and during the world's leading international trade fair, Agritechnica 2015. In 2016, interested farmers were able to test the Fendt 1000 Vario live as it toured Europe and North America. From September 2016, the first larger quantities of the 1000 series were produced, and were soon delivered to its first customers. The feedback from customers after first use was extremely positive.

16 international awards for the Fendt 1000 Vario

The Fendt 1000 series received a total of 16 international awards in 6 different countries for its sophisticated overall concept, special technical detailed innovations and for its new design. Among them the "Tractor of the Year 2016", "Machine of the Year 2016" in the XXL Tractor category and the coveted "Public Award", gold medals and much more.

500 units in Fendt Nature Green and Challenger Yellow delivered to North and South America

The 1000-series models have gone down a storm in the US market and Canada. 310 Yellow units have now been delivered through the Caterpillar dealer network under the Challenger AGCO brand and almost 200 units via the Fendt dealer network. The first demonstrations at major customers in South America are also promising.

500 units in Europe, Africa, Australia/New Zealand and Asia

The other half of the 1000 delivered 1000-series models went to customers in Europe, Africa, Australia/New Zealand and Asia. Priority countries ordering higher quantities are Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Russia and Denmark.

Two new world records for DLG PowerMix fuel consumption

Now also confirmed by an independent expert! The German Agricultural Company, DLG, and the editorial staff of profi magazine tested two Fendt 1000-series models and determined the fuel consumption on the new DLG PowerMix roller dynamometer. The result: The Fendt 1042 Vario consumes an average total of 236 g/kWh of diesel across the 12 different PowerMix cycles. The Fendt 1046 Vario uses another two grams less than that, at 234 g/kWh. That sets two new world records in fuel consumption. The low-rpm concept and a number of new technical detailed solutions offer decisive advantages in terms of fuel consumption and overall economy.

Source : Fendt
There was a bit of a fall in the protein market at the start of December when the weather event through south-eastern Australia was not as severe as first thought, but since then values have held relatively steady, said Nick Crundall, Market Check domestic markets and pools manager.
Freedoms thirst for more milk for its Shepparton plant has also seen it recruit new farmers  and about 50 million litres a year of extra supply  from Victorias Goulburn and Murray valleys and the NSW Riverina in the past six months.
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A former Siemens executive indicted by the DOJ in 2011 for bribing officials in Argentina pleaded not guilty in federal court in New York City Friday.

Eberhard Reichert, 78, a German citizen, was released on bond of $500,000.

Hes scheduled to go on trial in July 2018.

Reichert is one of eight former Siemens executives and agents indicted in December 2011 for a criminal conspiracy to violate the FCPA, launder money, and commit wire fraud.

All were non-U.S. citizens living outside the United States.

Reichert agreed to be extradited to New York after his arrest in Croatia in September this year.

In 2008, Siemens AG pleaded guilty to violating the FCPA. It settled with the DOJ and SEC for $800 million.

Reichert was one of 17 current or former managers of Siemens charged in Argentina in December 2013. They were accused of bribing officials to help win a contract to produce national identity cards in the late 1990s.

Reichert worked for Siemens from 1964 to 2001 as an executive of Siemens Business Services.

Only one other of the so-called Siemens-8 has appeared to answer criminal charges in the United States.

In September 2015, Andres Truppel, the former CFO of Siemens Argentina, appeared in federal court in New York. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the antibribery, internal controls, and books and records provisions of the FCPA, and to commit wire fraud.

Truppel, a dual citizen of Germany and Argentina, admitted that he and others paid nearly $1 million to a former official in Argentinas Ministry of Justice.

As part of his plea, Truppel agreed to cooperate with authorities.

____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
Leather products retailer Da Milano foresees a Rs 300-crore turnover by opening 150 new outlets across India for its three brands in the next three years. The company, which operates 70 stores in India and six abroad, expects to close the current fiscal with a turnover of Rs 200 crore. It also plans to open stores in Singapore and London by the next fiscal.The company, which recently opened its new store in Dubai, sells three brands  Da Milano, Rosso Brunello and Wooba.

Leather products retailer Da Milano foresees a Rs 300-crore turnover by opening 150 new outlets across India for its three brands in the next three years. The company, which operates 70 stores in India and six abroad, expects to close the current fiscal with a turnover of Rs 200 crore. It also plans to open stores in Singapore and London by the next fiscal.#

"We expect overseas operations to contribute to our turnover in a big way. We are a affordable luxury leather brand and the price points at which offer our products makes the brand attractive," Da Milano managing director Sahil Malik told a news agency. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Despite economic uncertainty and issues related to skilled manpower availability, 2017 has been a great year for British fashion and textile manufacturers, half of whom saw an increase in turnover, says the annual Make it British survey. On an average, textile production was up by 25 per cent and many are now running double shifts to keep up with the demand.Make it British is an independent company founded by designer Kate Hills to help promote UK manufacturing and brands.

Despite economic uncertainty and issues related to skilled manpower availability, 2017 has been a great year for British fashion and textile manufacturers, half of whom saw an increase in turnover, says the annual Make it British survey. On an average, textile production was up by 25 per cent and many are now running double shifts to keep up with the demand.#

The survey covered nearly 100 manufacturers from across the fashion and textile sector, ranging from small workshops producing luxury womens wear to big textile mills.As more British companies look to source locally and restore their production back to the United Kingdom, 58 per cent of manufacturers received more interest from customers, a press release from the company said citing the survey.The increase in production and turnover is being helped in part by the exchange rate working in UK manufacturers favour. As the pound loses its value our turnover has increased by 30 per cent, one manufacturer reported.Thirty per cent of UK textile manufacturers are exporting more than they were in 2016, yet still a third of those surveyed said that they werent yet exporting.Ageing workforce is a concern, with nearly half of the manufacturers worried about the age of their staff. Two thirds have an average workforce age of over 40 at their factories, but many are taking on young people through apprenticeships. But attracting young people to the industry is proving tough. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Allocation of a budget of Rs 1,200 crore for fiscal 2017-18, a gamut of incentive and subsidy schemes to boost the handloom and powerloom sectors, initiating work to set up the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park in Warangal district and efforts to woo weavers who migrated to other states marked the year in the textiles sector of Telangana state in south India.discusses the key developments.

Telangana was earlier part of undivided Andhra Pradesh state. There are 16,879 working handlooms and 49,112 powerlooms in the state at present.

About Rs 373 crore was earmarked for the handloom sector and Rs 827 crore for powerlooms and their modernization in the budget. In August, the state announced a string of incentives, including capital subsidy, for the next five years for new and existing enterprises to boost the textile sector. Part of the Telangana Textile and Apparel Incentive Scheme 2017, the sops aim to attract investment and generate job opportunities.



A capital subsidy of 25 per cent for conventional textile units and 35 per cent to technical ones manufacturing medical textiles, geotextiles, agrotextiles and protective clothing was announced.



In government textile parks, the state will take complete responsibility for providing a common effluent treatment plant for use by individual industrial units, the circular said.



Sops to facilitate return of weavers from Telangana who migrated earlier to other states were also announced. More than 23,000 weavers from the state are said to have returned home following government initiatives in the last three and a half years.



In November, the government launched a revised Rs 100-crore yard subsidy scheme in cotton-rich Warangal to benefit nearly 35,000 weavers. The 20 per cent subsidy on purchase of cotton, wool and silk yarns, dyes and chemicals by weavers and their cooperative societies was doubled to 40 per cent. Additionally, beneficiaries can avail the central governments 10 per cent subsidy.



A host of other measures, including a Rs 10.5-crore loan waiver, setting up of handloom and powerloom corporations, and administrative sanction for a handlooom park in Gadwal city, were announced as well. The loan waiver will benefit about 2,500 handloom weavers. Each weaver will receive a waiver of up to a lakh rupees.



Handlooms and textiles minister KT Rama Rao asked officials in April to formulate a handloom directory containing details of the weavers so that policies could be framed to directly offer subsidy benefits to them.



Rama Rao also sought setting up of a separate corporation for wide marketing and increase in sales of handloom items. Geo-tagging and Aadhaar-linking of all the 16,776 handlooms functioning in the state under 5,505 weavers societies was completed to implement welfare schemes. The officials of the handlooms department also carried out a study of the Cooptex of Tamil Nadu to work on the same model in Telangana.



In June, the government placed an order for one crore saris worth Rs 200 crore with powerloom weavers in Rajanna districts Sricilla town, which has been in the news for high suicide rates due to unemployment. The saris were distributed to women living below the poverty line during a festival. The state government also placed orders for bedsheets and blankets for hospitals with powerloom weavers there.



In November, the government decided that orders for producing fabric for school uniforms under the Rajiv Vidya Mission and Bathukamma sarees and other materials will be placed only if powerloom weavers upgrade their looms to produce value-added fabric. Out of a total 50,000 powerlooms in the state, Sircilla town hosts more than 30,000. The government also undertook upgradation of powerlooms in Sircilla.

State chief minister K Chandrasekhara Rao on October 22 laid the foundation stone of the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park, an integrated textile cluster on 1,200 acres near Shayampet in Warangal. This is the first industrial park project to reach this stage in three years after the state was formed.



The government plans to invest Rs 1,000 crore in the project featuring common effluent treatment, zero-liquid discharge facilities and readymade sheds. With an estimated 27,000 direct and 50,000 indirect employment potential from this park, there is a plan to expand it to 2,000 acres.



Rao said over a dozen firms have come forward to set up their manufacturing bases at the park with a cumulative investment of over Rs 3,900 crore. The project aims to bring back local textile workers who had migrated to Surat in Gujarat, Bhivandi in Haryana and Sholapur in Maharashtra after the Azam Jahi Textile Mill in Warangal closed.



A visiting Korea Federation of Textile Industries (KFTI) delegation in August had expressed satisfaction over the location and infrastructure of the park.



In April, a new training and garment production centre was launched with 40 Juki sewing machines at the textile park near Sircilla to provide employment to women. The number of machines will gradually be increased to 150. The government has plans to set up an apparel park at Sircilla by investing Rs 30 crore.



Amazon India signed an agreement in August with the state department of handloom and textiles to educate and train weavers and artisans to directly sell their products to the firms customers online. This will boost sale of popular handloom products from Pochampally, Warangal, Gadwal, Narayanpet and Siddipet.



Cotton was sowed on a record 47.72 lakh acres in the state this year. However, cotton production is feared to have come down drastically because of pink bollworm pest, unseasonal rains and inferior quality seeds. Pink bollworm is estimated to have eaten up 40 per cent of the crop this year. The states agriculture and marketing departments estimate a fall in production from 3.30 crore quintals estimated earlier to 2 crore quintals.



Incidents of distressed cotton farmers committing suicide were reported in the state in November-December.



The state also directed all district collectors in December to take stringent action against sale and supply of unapproved herbicide tolerant cotton variety developed by Monsanto and directed them to immediately destroy the produce. The state is concerned over widespread cultivation of this genetically-engineered cotton seed by farmers. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Mitsubishi Corporation Telephone: +81-3-3210-2171 Facsimile: +81-3-5252-7705

TOKYO, Dec 26, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement on its participation in a residential development project underway in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. The project is being developed by Phuc Khang Investment and Construction Corporation (PK), a real estate developer in Vietnam. MC is already engaged the real estate development business in two cities in Vietnam - Binh Duong in the suburbs of HCMC and Hanoi, but this project will be its first in central HCMC, the country's largest real estate market.The project is located just 4 km southwest of the center of HCMC and is being developed by PK. The complex boasts distinctive features, including all units having the highly popular river view as well as high-performance functions that are quite advanced in Vietnam such as energy-efficient and water-saving technology, greening and insulation, among others. The project is mainly targeting HCMC's rapidly growing middle class.HCMC is the largest city in Vietnam, both in terms of population and economic scale. With steady economic growth resulting in an expanding middle class and accelerating demand for infrastructure development, including new urban transportation systems, the HCMC market is expected to continue seeing an increase in the demand for housing and other real estate. Starting with this project, MC's aim is to continue working with PK to execute other real estate projects in HCMC.About Mitsubishi CorporationMitsubishi Corporation (MC; TSE: 8058) is a global integrated business enterprise that develops and operates businesses across virtually every industry including industrial finance, energy, metals, machinery, chemicals, foods, and environmental business. MC's current activities are expanding far beyond its traditional trading operations as its diverse business ranges from natural resources development to investment in retail business, infrastructure, financial products and manufacturing of industrial goods. With over 200 bases of operations in approximately 80 countries worldwide and a network of over 500 group companies, MC employs a multinational workforce of nearly 60,000 people. For more information, please visit www.mitsubishicorp.com.Source: Mitsubishi CorporationContact:Copyright 2017 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Parker Aerospace, a business segment of Parker Hannifin Corp. (PH), announced a pump call-out agreement with Emirates for its 777X aircraft. Emirates is the launch customer of the new Boeing aircraft with an order book of 150 777X. Parker will provide the hydraulic engine-driven pump and AC motor pump on the fleet of 777X wide-body airplanes. Emirates, currently the largest operator of the Boeing 777 aircraft, expects to take delivery of the first 777X in 2020. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
eCommerce Analytics Leader to Integrate with Ascential's One Click Retail for Comprehensive eCommerce Insights and Performance Measurement Solution

DUBLIN andBOSTON, Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Clavis Insight, a leading eCommerce insight provider for product manufacturers, announced its acquisition by Ascential plc, an international, business-to-business information company. Ascential is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a FTSE 250 company.

Clavis Insight will form a part of Ascential's Information Services division alongside One Click Retail. One Click Retail, based in the US, provides accurate sales and share estimates at SKU level to help major brands optimize their eCommerce activities, particularly on Amazon.

The integration of the two businesses will create an enormous opportunity to provide customers with one of the most comprehensive, accurate and actionable eCommerce insights and analytics solutions across online retailer sites worldwide.

Garry Moroney, Founder and CEO of Clavis Insight, said:

"We look forward tojoining Ascential and integrating with OneClickRetail to deliver the gold standard in eCommerceaction-readyinsights and performance measurementfor product manufacturers.Working with tier one brands around the world, Clavis has grown into a global leader and I am confident that combining the expertise of One Click Retail, and Ascential's other leading products, will further extend ourcomprehensive solutions and value proposition for this industry."

Duncan Painter, Chief Executive Officer of Ascential plc, said:

"We are delighted to welcome Clavis Insight and the team to Ascential. By combining the Clavis and One Click Retail product offerings, we are creating a leading eCommerce insights platform globally, with products and services, which are at the forefront of the industry. Clavis and One Click Retail are both high-growth, globally scalable businesses and we look forward to creating a new, accurate, comprehensive and actionable product, which is greater than the sum of its parts. We are very much looking forward to being able to further support our global customers to assist them in accelerating further their growth."

Spencer Millerberg, Founder of One Click Retail, said:

"We are delighted that Ascential has been able to acquire Clavis Insight. The combination of One Click Retail with Clavis to create a leading eCommerce Insights platform is exactly what our customers have been asking for. It's a beautiful match."

For further information, contact:





Clavis Insight media inquiries

Christine Perkett, Perkett PR (617) 504-8687 christine.perkett@clavistechnology.com





Ascential media inquiries

FTI Consulting +44(0)203 727 100 Jamie Ricketts and Adam Davidson





One Click Retail media inquiries

Pola Hallquist, Apothecary Communications (866) 213-9210 ext. 801 phallquist@apothecarycommunications.com



Notes for Editors:

About Clavis Insight

Clavis Insight is a global leader in online channel insights for product manufacturers, and a principal innovator at the forefront of the eCommerce analytics revolution. The company has developed a powerful framework - 6Ps eCommerce Intelligence' - for organizing and prioritizing eCommerce analytics and actions to drive online channel success for brands. Global manufacturers use their daily eCommerce analytics and insights to drive sales in their categories online, to optimize content for brand equity enhancement, protection and product information compliance, and to deliver consistent, unified reporting on online retailer brand presence and performance.

Headquartered in Dublin, with offices and local market expertise in Boston, London, Paris and Shanghai, Clavis Insight is the strategic partner to hundreds of the world's largest and most popular brands in over 50 countries.

Clavis Insight was founded by Garry Moroney and employs around 170 people. The Clavis Insight management team are joining Ascential as they can see the potential to accelerate their business.

For more information on Clavis Insight 6Ps eCommerce Intelligence' visitwww.clavisinsight.com.

About Ascential plc

Ascential is a global business-to-business information company that informs and connects the business world in 150 countries through market-leading Information Services and Exhibitions & Festivals.

Ascential powers the global trend forecasting service WGSN, environmental risk data business Groundsure, eCommerce analytics provider One Click Retail, the prestigious Cannes Lions festival for the branded communications industry, the world's premier payments and financial services congress Money20/20 and MediaLink, a U.S.-based advisory and business services firm.

Ascential's premium products enable focus, growth and value. The company provides customers with world class content and connections empowering their businesses to be the best informed and best connected. www.ascential.com

About One Click Retail

One Click Retail is a leader in eCommerce data measurement, sales analytics and search optimization for brand manufacturers in North America and Europe. Using a combination of website indexing, machine learning and proprietary software to estimate weekly online sales and traffic figures with 90%+ accuracy down to the SKU level, One Click Retail has developed one of the most accurate, trusted and reliable data platform in the marketplace. The One Click Retail Product Suite provides 1st and 3rd party business intelligence across the largest online retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Macy's, and Home Depot. The world's top brands-such as Procter & Gamble, Panasonic, Nestle, Philips, and Sony-rely on One Click Retail insights to drive sales and profitability across eCommerce.

One Click Retail was acquired by Ascential plc in 2016.

For more information, visit the company's website, www.oneclickretail.com, and visit One Click Retail onTwitterandLinkedIn.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/622745/Ascential_Clavis_Insight_Once_Click_Retail_Logo.jpg
Regulatory News:

NANOBIOTIX (Paris:NANO) (Euronext: NANO ISIN: FR0011341205), a late clinical-stage nanomedicine company pioneering novel approaches for the local treatment of cancer, today provides a recap of its activities and achievements in 2017 and an overview of its anticipated 2018 milestones.

Strong news flow anticipated for 2018

Acceleration and expansion of clinical development

First data showing strong potential of NBTXR3 lead product in high risk elderly H&N patients

Progress in first European market approval but notified body requests more time to finalize technical evaluation

Completion of recruitment of Soft Tissue Sarcoma PII/III

Structuration of company to become a fully integrated pharma company

52M raised with two private placements

From first data in new immuno-oncology program to FDA approval to start a first clinical trial combining NBTXR3 and anti-PD1 antibody

I 2017 Review

Regulatory and premarket activities

CE mark progress, December update

Nanobiotix, in accordance with the notified body for medical devices (LNE/G-MED), has followed a pathway for CE marking that involves two steps within Annex II: The conformity of the full quality assurance system and the product technical file.

As part of the Annex II process, LNE/G-MED audited Nanobiotix in October 2017 regarding the design, development, manufacturing and commercialization of the product. No major findings were identified by the auditors, which presumably puts the Company in a good position to obtain Annex II.

Regarding the technical file, LNE/G-MED recently informed us they would need a few more months to finalize the evaluation required for CE marking.

Medical Affairs activities

Nanobiotix establihed in the second half of 2017 a strong international team of experienced medical science liaison officers to support the dissemination of knowledge and the use of NBTXR3 within the international medical community prior to approval. To support these developments, Nanobiotix recently opened two new affiliates in Europe, in Germany and in Spain.

Nanobiotix opens new manufacturing facility

In November 2017, Nanobiotix expanded its manufacturing capabilities to increase its production capacities for the commercial launch and clinical trials needs. This new facility is located in the Villejuif BioPark, a scientific research and innovation center just outside of Paris, France. The new facility will supplement the existing capacities.

NBTXR3's development

Soft Tissue Sarcoma (STS) Phase II/III, "Act.In.Sarc" pivotal trial (www.actinsarc.com)

March 2017, positive interim analysis: pre-planned interim analysis was based on the results of two-thirds of the patients included - 104 out of a total of 156 patients were analyzed. Based on the available safety and efficacy data, the Independent Data Monitoring Committee recommended the continuation of the ongoing Phase II/III trial of NBTXR3 in soft tissue sarcoma.

October 2017: Nanobiotix completed patient inclusion for the Phase II/III trial. The Company expects to present the results of this trial in Q2 2018.

Phase I/II head and neck trial in high risk elderly patients

June 2017: Nanobiotix presented first results from its Phase I/II head and neck cancer trial with NBTXR3 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO) annual meeting.

Good safety and promising signs of efficacy and long-term control: The results showed a very good safety profile for NBTXR3 with no Adverse Events (AEs) and no Serious Adverse Events (SAEs) in frail elderly patients with stage III/IV cancer, seven out of nine patients achieved a Complete Response at a 10% dose level or more. Patient follow-up showed a potential impact on long-term disease control.

July 2017, in light of the promising results, Nanobiotix filed a protocol amendment to include 44 additional patients. Up to 15 additional sites in Europe would be added for this expansion phase.

November 2017 Prof. Christophe Le Tourneau, the trial's Principal Investigator, presented an update during the Trends in Head and Neck Oncology conference (THNO), with a patient median follow up of 14.2 months, confirming the potential impact of NBTXR3 on the long-term response of the treatment.

Immuno-oncology Program

Preclinical data presented at three major international conferences in 2017 demonstrating that NBTXR3 activated by radiotherapy could generate an adaptive antitumor immune response, turning "cold" tumors in "hot" tumors:

American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2017, Washington D.C

" Immunotherapy workshop Incorporating Radiation Oncology into Immunotherapy " co-sponsored by the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), Bethesda

" co-sponsored by the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), Bethesda Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Annual Meeting, National Harbor

November 2017, first human data presented at SITC showing that NBTXR3 could transform a cold tumor into a hot tumor in Soft Tissue Sarcoma. In November, Nanobiotix presented new clinical data confirming NBTXR3's significant potential role in immuno-oncology at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Annual Meeting.

These data showed the potential of NBTXR3 to transform "cold" tumors into "hot" tumors. They showed that NBTXR3 activated by radiotherapy induces a different and significant adaptive immune pattern versus radiotherapy in patients with soft tissue sarcoma.

These clinical and preclinical data indicate that NBTXR3 could play a key role in immuno-oncology.

December 2017: FDA approved Nanobiotix' IND application for a study of NBTXR3 activated by Radiotherapy in combination with anti-PD1 antibody in lung, and head and neck cancer patients

Nanobiotix will start in Q2 2018 a new phase I/II clinical trial with NBTXR3 activated by radiotherapy in combination with anti-PD1 antibody in the U.S. The multi-arm trial will include locoregional recurrent and/or metastatic lung, and head and neck cancer patients that are either anti-PD1 naive or non responders at 12 weeks. The phase II portion of the trial will investigate the potential of NBTXR3 to transform anti-PD1 non-responders into responders and increase responses of anti-PD1 antibody in locoregional recurrent HNSCC amenable to re-irradiation.

Corporate and financial events

Nanobiotix appointed senior executive from pharmaceutical industry, as Chief Operating Officer

At the beginning of 2017, Nanobiotix appointed Alain Dostie, an oncology industry veteran from the pharmaceutical industry, as Chief Operating Officer to oversee NBTXR3 product development and commercialization.

52M raised with two private placements

Nanobiotix realized two private placements in order to support the acceleration and the expansion of the development and commercialization plan and to expend its financial visibility. These operations opened the opportunity for Nanobiotix to welcome new European and U.S. qualified biotech investors. The cumulated amount of money raised is about 52.3 M.

II 2018 Forthcoming news flow: selected milestones

2018 should be another year of growth for Nanobiotix with multiple new and ongoing projects!

First presentation of liver Phase I/II trial data (primary and metastasis) to be presented at ASCO-GI

First patient recruitment in Phase I/II clinical trial in the US looking at the potential of NBTXR3 to transform anti-PD1 non responders into responders. The multi-arm trial will include recurrent and/or metastatic lung, and head neck cancer patients

Presentation of the results of Phase II/III STS, after last patient has been treated and the analysis is complete

First market approval in Europe, CE marking

Interim update from Phase I/II head and neck cancer trial with high risk elderly patients

Additional news on other clinical trials and programs

About NBTXR3

NBTXR3 is an injectable aqueous suspension of hafnium oxide nanoparticles designed as an innovative therapeutic agent for the treatment of solid tumors, currently in clinical development by Nanobiotix.

Once injected intratumorally, NBTXR3 can deposit high energy within tumors only when activated by an ionizing radiation source, notably radiotherapy. Upon activation, the high energy radiation is physically designed to kill the tumor cells by triggering DNA damage and cell destruction and improve clinical outcomes.

Promising results indicate that NBTXR3 activity could be applicable across solid tumors triggering immunogenic cell death, leading to an immune response, reinforcing a local and potentially systemic effect, and contributing to transform "cold" tumors into "hot" tumors. NBTXR3's major characteristics are represented by a high degree of biocompatibility, one single administration before and during the whole therapy and the ability to fit into current standards of radiotherapy care.

NBTXR3 entered clinical development in 2011 in a Phase I/II with patients suffering from advanced soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities and is currently in the final stages of its subsequent phase II/III. In parallel, it is currently being tested in numerous Phase I/II clinical trials with patients suffering from locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity or oropharynx (head and neck), liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastasis), locally advanced or unresectable rectal cancer in combination with chemotherapy, head and neck cancer in combination with concurrent chemotherapy, and prostate adenocarcinoma.

About NANOBIOTIX: www.nanobiotix.com

Nanobiotix (Euronext: NANO ISIN: FR0011341205) is a late clinical-stage nanomedicine company pioneering novel approaches to the treatment of cancer. The Company's first-in-class, proprietary technology, NanoXray, enhances radiotherapy energy with a view to providing a new, more efficient treatment for cancer patients.

NanoXray products are compatible with current radiotherapy treatments and are meant to treat potentially a wide variety of solid tumors including soft tissue sarcoma, head and neck cancers, liver cancers, prostate cancer, breast cancer, glioblastoma, etc., via multiple routes of administration.

NBTXR3 is being evaluated in: soft tissue sarcoma (STS), head and neck cancers, prostate cancer, and liver cancers (primary and metastases). Additionally, head and neck cancer and rectal cancer trials led by Nanobiotix's Taiwanese partner, PharmaEngine, are underway in the Asia Pacific region.

The Company is also running research programs in immuno-oncology, with its lead product NBTXR3, which could have the potential to bring a new dimension to cancer immunotherapies.

Nanobiotix is listed on the regulated market of Euronext in Paris (ISIN: FR0011341205, Euronext ticker: NANO, Bloomberg: NANO: FP). The Company's Headquarters are based in Paris, France, with a U.S. affiliate in Cambridge, MA.

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Nanobiotix and its business. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that Nanobiotix considers to be reasonable. However, there can be no assurance that the estimates contained in such forward-looking statements will be verified, which estimates are subject to numerous risks including the risks set forth in the update of the reference document of Nanobiotix filed with the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorite des Marches Financiers) under number D.16-0732-A01 on December 27, 2016 (a copy of which is available on www.nanobiotix.com) and to the development of economic conditions, financial markets and the markets in which Nanobiotix operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks not yet known to Nanobiotix or not currently considered material by Nanobiotix. The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause actual results, financial conditions, performance or achievements of Nanobiotix to be materially different from such forward-looking statements.

This press release and the information that it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe for, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for, Nanobiotix shares in any country.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171226005098/en/

Contacts:

Nanobiotix

Sarah Gaubert, +33 (0)1 40 26 07 55

Director, Communications Public Affairs

sarah.gaubert@nanobiotix.com

contact@nanobiotix.com

or

Noel Kurdi, +1 (646) 241-4400

Director, Investor Relations

noel.kurdi@nanobiotix.com

investors@nanobiotix.com

or

Media relations

France Springbok Consultants

Marina Rosoff, +33 (0)6 71 58 00 34

marina@springbok.fr

or

United States RooneyPartners

Marion Janic

+1 (212) 223-4017

mjanic@rooneyco.com


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - United Airlines has apologized and given a $500 travel voucher to a woman who has accused United Airlines of giving her first-class seat to a Texas congresswoman.



Jean-Marie Simon, a 63-year-old teacher from Washington D.C., accused the airline of preferential treatment and giving her seat to Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat.



According to the airline, its internal systems showed the passenger cancelled her December 18 flight from Houston to Washington, D.C. after a weather delay. However, Simon has denied cancelling the flight and said she was moved to a seat in Economy Plus on the flight.



Simon had posted a tweet with a picture of Lee sitting in the seat that was assigned to her. She said that the airline gave her seat away, without notifying her and getting her consent.



United Airlines said it upgraded Jackson Lee automatically after Simon cancelled her flight, as Lee was the next person on the airline's upgrade list. Jackson Lee also said in a statement that she 'asked for nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary.'



A spokesman for the airline said it has issued an apology to Simon and offered her a voucher to correct the wrongdoing. However, Simon has claimed in a tweet that the corporate office of United Airlines did not issue an apology.



'United has NOT apologized. Man at call center, answering my form complaint, said he was very sorry, but far from written apology United owes. And $500 voucher was issued at gate right after United cancelled my flight, not part of 'apology package',' Simon tweeted.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Minneapolis police have removed the memorial erected by a white nationalist group in memory of Justine Damond, an Australian woman who was fatally shot by a black police officer in July. Members of 'Identity Evropa' on Friday placed a memorial outside the Minneapolis Police Department's 5th Precinct, calling it a 'shrine' to Justine DPolice officer Mohamed Noor fired at the 40 year-old Australian woman when she approached his police car to report a woman screaming outside her Minneapolis home. No formal charges were brought against the Somali-American, and a prosecutor suggested there was not enough evidence for it. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman blamed 'investigators' for not doing their jobs. Police Department spokesman John Elder said an officer cleaned up the memorial after the department was notified about it. 'We cannot allow any memorial and anything like that to be put up at that location,' Elder said. On Sunday, Minneapolis Mayor-elect Jacob Frey condemned the placement of the memorial outside the precinct. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - India is set to become the world's 5th largest economy next year overtaking the United Kingdom and France, according to a report on Tuesday. India is currently ranked 7th in the list and is expected to move up to the 5th position in 2018, according to the Center for Economics and Business Research, a London-based consultancy. The country is expected to climb to 3rd spot by 2032. Meanwhile, China is likely to overtake the United States as the world's No.1 economy in 2032, the study says. The Indian economy growth was impacted in the first quarter of the current financial year after the country decided to scrap high-value banknotes and implemented a new sales tax system. Growth slumped to 5.7% for the 3 months ending June but recovered slightly to 6.3% for the quarter ending September. 'Despite temporary setbacks... India's economy has still caught up with that of France and the UK and in 2018 will have overtaken them both to become the world's fifth largest economy in dollar terms,' said CEBR deputy chairman Douglas McWilliams. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
FORT PIERCE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / December 26, 2017 / Twin Vee PowerCats, Inc.'s (OTC PINK: TVPC) has been designing and building semi-custom, dual-hull boats for over 23 years. While the core of the company's production caters to off-shore recreational and commercial use, "Twin Vee boats are also designed and purchased for media production due to their stability, ride superiority, and star quality," says Preston Yarborough, Twin Vee PowerCats, Inc.'s Director of Product Development and Board Member. According to Yarborough, there are many examples of celebrities and production companies preferring a Twin Vee boat over all other brands.



Guy Harvey, marine scientist, conservationist, and artist with a Twin Vee during a Guy Harvey Research Institute event

There are over seven thousand Twin Vee boats around the world. And while most Twin Vees are used for fishing, transportation, or water recreation - some Twin Vee boats are used to help film various movie and television projects across the globe. "Twin Vee boats have been used to shoot a James Bond film, multiple Pirates of the Caribbean movies, a special with Michael Phelps during Discovery Channel's Shark Week, and for a variety of Lifetime movies," remarks Yarborough. Most recently, the production staff from the 2017 remake of "Baywatch" was also in talks with Twin Vee to provide boats for the film.



A custom Twin Vee 36-footer rigged with a camera for film production

Perhaps the most prolific owner of a Twin Vee boat is Robert Brown, a professional photographer based in Southern California. "I have a long 10-year history now using my Twin Vee 36-footer, and it is the perfect hull made for what I do. I utilized this boat on many of my jobs. For instance, it was the only private boat hired to be one of the two on water live television boats for the Americas Cup event in San Francisco in 2014. My Twin Vee 36-footer was also the main filming platform for the feature film, 'Chasing Mavericks,' the television shows Dexter and Numb8rs, as well as many commercials. It is currently my third power catamaran, and I love it."



Robert Brown's Twin Vee boat used during the filming of an episode of 'Dexter.'

In addition to its use in filming television shows and movies, it is not uncommon to find some notable people on a Twin Vee boat. According to Yarborough, one of the members of Twin Vee PowerCats, Inc.'s management team, country music legend Hank Williams Jr, a former governor of Louisiana, and one of the founding members of the tech company Intel all own Twin Vee boats. Even supermodels like Kendall Jenner and Hailey Baldwin have been known to enjoy the smooth ride of a Twin Vee.



Hailey Baldwin & Kendall Jenner on a Twin Vee - courtesy of Bella Hadid's Instagram (bellahadid)



Kendall Jenner and other models on the bow of a Twin Vee

"We are so proud of the jobs the men and women of Twin Vee accomplish on a daily basis," says Yarborough, "Their hard work is reflected in the vast amounts of loyal customers that utilize Twin Vee boats for everything from fishing to filming movies." Yarborough and the rest of the Twin Vee management team are looking forward to 2018 to release new boat designs and upgrades to their product line. "Whether you're a celebrity, film producer, a fisher, or a family seeking fun on the water, we remain committed to manufacturing the best riding boats on the water at the greatest value for our customers, without skimping on the quality we have always been known for."

About Twin Vee PowerCats, Inc.

Headed by CEO Joseph Visconti, originally founded in 1994, the company designs, manufactures and sells recreational and commercial twin-hull power boats under the Twin Vee brand name. Over the past 23 years, the company has concentrated on perfecting the high-speed twin-displacement hull design, also known as a "catamaran powerboat." For more information, go to www.twinvee.com or visit Twin Vee Powercats, Inc.'s Facebook page.

Contact:

Joseph Visconti

info@twinvee.com

(772) 429-2525

SOURCE: Twin Vee PowerCats, Inc.
Mumbai: Crippled Reliance Communications (RCom) announced yet another debt revival plan on Tuesday claiming full debt resolution by March but without involving any conversion of debt into equity and exiting the SDR framework, apart from coming on-board of a strategic investor.

But the company did not name the new investor.

Announcing the resolution plan, company chairman Anil Ambani told reporters that the new plan has the support of a Chinese lender that had dragged it to the NCLT for dues running into $1.8 billion, and would see RCom bringing down its mountain of debt by Rs 25,000 crore.

RCom stock rallied 35 percent on the BSE to Rs 22.01 percent after the announcement. The company has a debt over Rs 44,000 crore.

Debt resolution involves RCom exiting SDR framework with no conversion of debt into equity and zero write-off by lenders, Ambani said, adding he expects full closure by March 2018.

He said the deal involved an eight-stage asset monetisation process under an oversight committee headed by former RBI deputy governor S S Mundra with members from Trai and the whole process will be completed in 40 days flat.

The proceeds from asset monetisation will be used only to pay back the lenders, including China Development Bank with whom the company sealed an out-of court settlement last evening in Beijing.

On the no hair-cut for lenders, he said the new plan involves zero equity conversion for lenders and bond holders. The debt resolution also involves part transfer of spectrum installments, Ambani said.

It can be noted that 31 lenders led by SBI had met over the weekend.

Late last month RCom had presented what it called a 'no-loan write-off' plan where lenders are to convert Rs 7,000 crore of debt into equity.

The 'no-loan write-off' plan also involves repaying of up to Rs 17,000 crore loans out of proceeds from monetisation of spectrum, tower and fibre assets.
Jackky Bhagnani, who debuted in the industry with F.A.L.T.U in 2011, had almost disappeared after his film with Arshad Warsi, Welcome to Karachi in 2015. The actor is finally said to be returning to the showbiz, that too with a take on the cult, Rajesh Khanna starrer Anand.

Anand, which had a storyline of strong friendship having the strongest of two actors from Bollywood till date, Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan, it would be really interesting to see if Jackky could match the expectations. The social satire has been titled Anandwaa.

Mumbai Mirror reports that Jackky's Anandwaa is being made as a comic satire where the characters will be fighting difficult life situations with much humor. The producer of the film, Prernaa Arora confirmed that their choice for the film is Jackky and the film will start rolling in February 2018. "Jackky was our first choice because we felt he would be able to portray the role of Anandwaa with sensitivity and the right comic timing. The project goes on the floors in February 2018," Prerna said to Mumbai Mirror.

Director Abir Sengupta, who has been involved with Anandwaa since the beginning, also said to the same publication, "I have written this script as homage to the classic Anand but it's in no way a remake. It's about a man who learns to make the most of his life."

Earlier, there were rumors of Abir approaching Rajkummar Rao for Jackky's role. But then Jackky soon came into the scene as reports claimed that he would be producing the film as well. The Youngisthan actor has completely denied the claims of producing the project. Jackky also denied any prior information about Rajkumar Rao being offered the film.

I had no clue that Rajkummar Rao was earlier doing the role. I have made a conscious decision not to act in my home productions," Bollywood Hungama quotes Jackky as saying.
The animator famous for bringing Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd to life has died at the age of 99, as reported by BBC.

During his illustrious career spanning over 60 years, Bob Givens joined hands with companies like Disney, Warner Bros and Hanna-Barbera as an exceptional animator. Givens also sketched cartoon favourites such as Tom & Jerry, Daffy Duck, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Popeye.

One of the last surviving figures from the golden age of animation, Givens started his career in 1937 at Disney where he used to draw Donald Duck and Snow White cartoons. He then joined Warner Bros in 1940 and eventually became world famous for his brilliant work on the Bugs Bunny character. Givens career also encompassed TV ads, including commercials for Raid.

Los Angeles Times reports that his initial drawings were rumoured to be 'too cute' for the type of cartoons the company was looking to produce. But Givens sketches emerged as the first official design for the lead character of the Looney Tunes franchise, making him a famous in the industry.

Along with Tex Avery, Givens worked on the redesign of Bugs Bunny before the characters debut in the 1940 animated short A Wild Hare. The film also introduced the iconic phrase, "What's up, Doc? which became synonymous with the character.

Outside of Looney Tunes, the celebrated animator also worked on layouts for Garfield and Friends (Season 1 - Season 4) and Bobby's World (Season 1 - Season 5).

Bobs daughter, Mariana Givens, has confirmed her fathers death on her Facebook page as she revealed Bob died on 14 December in Burbank, California from acute respiratory failure.
Nearly 11 months after it was denied a censor certificate on various grounds, Hindi feature film Modi Ka Gaon  now renamed as Modi Kaka Ka Gaon  loosely inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development agenda, will finally hit the screens all over India on 29 December, the filmmakers said.

"In the first phase, the Hindi film will be released for around 600 screens in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, east Punjab and Uttarakhand. The rest of the country will be covered soon thereafter," film producer Suresh K. Jha told IANS.

Promos, posters and banners went up on prominent roads and several cinema halls and multiplexes in Mumbai city and suburbs, besides other cities in the country this week, heralding Modi Kaka Ka Gaon.

The development comes close on the heels of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) giving the censor certificate to the movie in late November. It had been refused for eight months since last February.

Jha reiterated that the film is "not a biopic on Modi", but the story has been inspired by the Prime Minister's vision and agenda for the country's progress. "I am keen that the work of the great leader should be highlighted since some people are making false propaganda and harming the country's interests," Jha said.

In February this year, then CBFC Chairman Pahlaj Nihalani had declined to certify the film on various gorunds and set a precondition of a No-Objection Certificate from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and Election Commission of India (ECI) for clearing it.

Jha wrote to the PMO and ECI, but they did not respond, after which he moved the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) and won the case there in October.

In its October 12 order, the FCAT said that there are no statutory basis or justifiable requirements for getting NOC from PMO and ECI. "The requirement to obtain NOC from the PMO, since either references are made to the PM or a character is portrayed as the PM, have no legal basis or foundation," the FCAT ruled.

"The statutory responsibility for certification of films is cast upon the CBFC Board under the Cinematograph Act. (It) cannot be delegated to different statutory authorities, departments or individuals," the order added. It noted Jha's contentions that though the film has been inspired by Modi's zeal, development plans and strategies, the scenes in the film are imaginary and not reproductions of any actual events.

"This was a major victory for us. All the objectionable points raised by the CBFC were crushed by the FCAT and we decided to finally release the film this month-end," Jha said. Nihalani's reluctance stemmed from the ongoing assembly elections in some states at that time (early 2017), the resemblance of the main protagonist to Modi, references to Pakistan's Uri attacks, news-speeches related to the PM and a character named 'Pappu' Bihari featuring in the film.

The FCAT also considered Jha's plea that 'Pappu' is a baby's pet/nick name in many parts of India and later it supercedes the child's given name. Also, in the past, there have been instances like Bollywood song 'Pappu Can't Dance Saala' and an advertisement Pappu Pass Ho Gaya.

"Although it is not a biopic on Modi, throughout our film, we represent the working of our PM, his dream of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Smart India and Digital India," Jha explained.

On the Modi look-alike, he said when the film is about Modi's development agenda and vision of transforming India, how can it be portrayed with somebody else who does not resemble him. However, in the changed avatar, Modi Kaka Ka Gaon, he has deleted controversial references like 'Pappu' and direct references to the Uri attack and the PM in sync with the CBFC's requirements.

Mumbai businessman Vikas Mahante enacts the main character of Modi. Television actors Chandramani M. and Zeba A. portray the other important roles in the 135-minute-long film, directed by Tushar A. Goel.

It was shot last year extensively on locales in Mumbai, Patna and Darbhanga, detailing the Prime Minister's aim of transforming all rural and urban centres into Smart Villages and Smart Cities. With seven songs featuring, the music for the film is directed by Manojanand Chaudhary.
Narcos co-creator Christopher Brancato is happy that he found a global hit in Netflix's drug drama Narcos, whose story has fascinated people world over.

The first two seasons of the Netflix series chronicled the rise and eventual fall of the notorious Colombian cocaine king Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) through the eyes of DEA agents Javier Pena and Steve Murphy (Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook).

Brancato said filmmaker Eric Newman was developing a movie on Escobar for 17 years but he felt it would be hard to tell the story as a 2-hour-long film. He eventually suggested they give it a 20-episode treatment at Netflix.

Brancato, who has been involved with features like Species II and Hoodlum, said it is hard to create a show that becomes "such a big hit" and had even told himself that he may never really see global success. "I just wanted one (hit show) and I don't necessarily need another. I don't want to live in this bitter-sweet weird 'I got to have another show which is as big as that one'. No.

"I just wanted one. What it (Narcos) has afforded me... it has given me a chance to visit India, go to Rome, Brazil. All over the world, people are weirdly fascinated with the show," he told PTI in an interview.

Brancato said Escobar was not the central figure of the first episode but the team, including Brazilian director Jose Padilha, decided to change that.

"My initial instinct was to start with Escobar in the might of his power and Jose said, 'In Brazil, nobody knows who Escobar is, we better show how he became a drug dealer.' The minute he said that, I said, 'Yes, you are right'.

"He was highly influential on things like using voice- overs. I didn't want to use it at first. It is such a cheap (instrument) but he was like, 'for this show it can work', and he was right! I realised what he wanted to do was a TV version of his movie in Brazil, Elite Squad: The Enemy Within."

The series with a local story attained global success and Brancato recalls when Narcos was first announced he was "so jealous" as he was not part of it.

"They took a year from there on to find a structure and it came to me. So I was born to do it, in terms of the combination of research, collaborating with the director, the producer, going to Columbia, researching Escobar, the role of cocaine and commerce.

"It was a stew. I had tons of information in my head about Escobar, the DEA and somehow figured out a way to type out and express it with historical events as the centerpiece of each of the ten episodes."

As part of its plans to create groundbreaking content for the Jio platform, Siddharth Roy Kapur's Roy Kapur Films had invited Brancato to India earlier this month to conduct a special masterclass on creating, writing and directing original series.

Narcos recently finished its third season where it narrated the story of Cali cartel. The fourth season is already under production in Mexico.
Superstar Rajinikanth, who has started meeting his fans from various districts of Tamil Nadu in a six-day-long outreach from today, has made it loud and clear that he will announce his stance on politics on 31 December.

"I want to apologize for not being able to meet you on my birthday. I know every year lots of my beloved fans come to see me on my birthday. I have never stayed at home on my birthdays for the past three decades. I always wanted to be alone on my birthdays. So, please accept my apology," said Rajinikanth, who was accompanied by director Mahendran and producer Kalaignanam on the dais.

Rajinikanth said the press and media seem inquisitive about his political entry more than the general populace.

"I had earlier mentioned that let us face the war when it comes. By war, of course, I meant the election. I'm not new to politics. I have been a witness to it since 1996. I have been hesitant about my plunge since I thoroughly know the dynamics of politics and its depth. If we step on the battlefield, we should win the war. More than courage, you need prudence and proper strategy to rise in triumph. Everyone keeps saying that I'm procrastinating needlessly. So, I will announce my political stance on 31 December. I'm not saying that I will come to politics (smiles). I said I would announce my decision on 31st," said Rajinikanth, putting an end to all speculations.

Rajinikanth also gave his piece of mind on the negativity on social media platforms. "Self-control and discipline are two essential things in life. Please take care of your parents and educate your children well. Nowadays, social media is replete with ghastly negative thoughts and memes. Don't focus too much on it. It will subconsciously affect you. To discard negative thoughts, you need to do meditation or get inspired by positive thinking. Always be positive," he said.

Rajinikanth also recalled his friendship with veteran filmmaker Mahendran, who flagged the event. "My friendship with Mahendran sir started from Aadu Puli Aattam; he was the film's writer. He was sure of making his own film and casting me as his hero. He was the one who coined this term 'Rajini-Style.' His encouraging words made me pull off the Kaali character in Mullum Malarum. He took my acting skills to the next level. After watching the film, our late ex-Chief Minister Jayalalithaa sent me a bouquet with a message which read, 'Congratulations! Excellent Performance.' Mahendran sir is one of my long-time well-wishers in the industry," said Rajinikanth.

Today, Rajinikanth is meeting fans from Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, and Nilgiris.

Here's the complete schedule of his six-day-long fan meet:

27/12/17: Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram.

28/12/17: Madurai, Virudhunagar, Namakkal, Salem.

29/12/17: Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Vellore, Erode.

30/12/17: North Chennai, Central Chennai, South Chennai.

31/12/17: North Chennai, Central Chennai, South Chennai.

On the career front, Rajinikanth will have two releases in 2018 including Shankar's magnum opus 2.0 and Kabali filmmaker Pa Ranjith's Kaala. While 2.0, produced by Lyca Productions, is slated to hit screens on 27 April, the makers of Kaala are reportedly aiming for an August release.
On 28 April, 2017, when film buffs across the world enjoyed watching SS Rajamouli's box-office behemoth Baahubali 2: The Conclusion in special midnight and early morning shows, cinephiles in Tamil Nadu were in for a rude disappointment.

The special exhibits scheduled at 3 AM, 7 AM, and 8 AM across various districts in Tamil Nadu got canceled since Arka Media Works had refused to provide the KDM, which enables the film's release in theatres. Later, reports emerged that it was due to payment default by producer Raja Rajan of K Productions to Arka Media Works. The shows finally resumed from matinee after Arka team agreed to provide KDM on a daily basis.

Now, producer Gnanavel Raja, who has lost the Chengalpet Kanchipuram Tiruvallur Film Distributors Association election to distributor Arulpathy, has brought significant details behind the Baahubali 2: The Conclusion deal to public attention. Gnanavel Raja resigned from the secretary post of Tamil Film Producers Council and contested for the president position in this crucial distributors association election. While Arulpathy was declared the winner last night with 248 votes, Gnanavel received 194 votes.

Explaining the shady Baahubali 2: The Conclusion fiasco, Gnanavel said, "Selvinraj is the president of Tamil Nadu Distributors' Federation. But I have not seen him distribute any film in his career. He is merely a puppet of financier Anbu Cheziyan. Selvinraj's every move is based on Anbu Cheziyan's instructions. His intervention in any dispute regarding distribution is mostly based on Anbu Cheziyan's command. Arka Media Works, the producer of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, sold the Tamil Nadu theatrical and overseas rights for the film's Tamil version to SN Raja Rajan of K Productions, who traded in the foreign rights to various third parties. Later, the Tamil Nadu rights for the film were procured by veteran producer Aascar Ravichandran, who also paid an advance amount of Rs 8 crores."

Gnanavel also explained how Anbu Cheziyan's high-handed decision-making affected the film's release on time. "Anbu Cheziyan, with the help of Arulpathy, coerced Raja Rajan to prepare a second agreement with Sri Green Productions for Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, whose rights were already sold. They made Saravanan from Sri Green Productions file a complaint in the federation saying the rights of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion belonged to them as per the contract. Eventually, Aascar Ravichandran, one of the seniors in the industry, was called to the Federation for a negotiation and he gave in to the pressure. If this Federation could corner Aascar Ravichandran, a legend who is known for delivering multiple blockbusters in his heydays, what would be the plight of a relatively new producer? After individual areas were sold, Anbu took a sum of Rs 24 crores from Sri Green Productions. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion was valued at Rs 34 crores in Tamil Nadu and went on to collect a share of Rs 70 crores. But Arka Media Works is yet to receive Rs 14 crores from Tamil Nadu distributors despite being a highly successful outing for all stakeholders involved."

Gnanavel, who is currently waiting for the release of his upcoming production Thaanaa Serndha Kootttam, also apprised how Ajith's Viswasam could also face a pre-release issue. "Producer Thiagarajan of Sathya Jyothi Films released Vivegam smoothly. Now, Arulpathy and others will definitely hamper the release of Ajith's Viswasam by asking some of the distributors to file a complaint with the Federation stating that they incurred heavy losses on Vivegam. Then, Thiagarajan will be called for negotiation to settle the dispute. Finally, Thiagarajan will be made to sell the rights of lucrative territories like Chengalpet and Madurai to compensate for Vivegam. It is their precise modus operandi to put pressure on producers," Gnanavel expounded.

Now, a source from the trade alerts says that Suriya's Thaanaa Serndha Koottam, directed by Vignesh Shivan, could also experience pre-release hiccups. "However, Gnanavel is very determined to bring the film for Pongal 2018 come what may. All the issues will be tackled head-on over the next few days," the source added.
Steven Spielbergs newsroom legal drama The Post has made an impressive debut, as expected from a director of his stature, in its limited release at nine sites, raking in a solid $495,000 as reported by Variety.

The film is projected to bring in another $215,000 on Christmas and an estimated $720,000 over the first four days for Fox in the domestic market. The Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep starrer had a limited release on 22 December, playing at three Los Angeles locations, three in New York City and three in the Washington DC before it goes in for a wide release on 12 January, 2018, as reported by Variety.

The film has received rave reviews and is a strong contender for the award season, boasting of six Golden Globe nominations to begin with. The Post brings together two powerhouse actors, Streep and Hanks, for the first time.

The film is based on the Washington Post's role in exposing the classified Pentagon Papers in 1971, which provided previously undisclosed details over the involvement of the US government in the Vietnam War, and the legal battle that ensued between the government against the press.

Hanks plays the editor Ben Bradlee and Streep is in the role of the publisher Katherine Graham. The rest of the cast includes Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Jesse Plemons, Matthew Rhys, Michael Stuhlbarg, Bradley Whitford and Zach Woods.

The films release is the seventh best average per screen opening in 2017. Call me By Your Name scored the best average for a three-day limited release opening this year, as reported by Variety.
By Chaitanya Mallapur

As many as 103 people accused of being Islamic State sympathisers have been arrested across 14 states by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the central counter terrorism law enforcement agency, and other state security agencies, according to government data.

Uttar Pradesh  Indias most populous state  reported the most (17) arrests, followed by Maharashtra (16), Telangana (16), Kerala (14) and Karnataka (8), said this reply to the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) by Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, minister of state for ministry of home affairs, on December 20, 2017.

These states accounted for 69 percent of all arrests across 14 states.

"Very few individuals (from India) have come to the notice of the central and state security agencies who (sic) have joined Islamic State, Ahir said in his reply to the Parliament. Telangana had most arrests per 100,000 Muslim population in the state, followed by Uttarakhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Source: Rajya Sabha; Population data from Census 2011; Telangana Statistical Year-Book 2017.

The NIA registered a case against five Islamic State sympathisers from Keralas Kannur district on 17 December, 2017, The Times of India reported on 17 December, 2017. The case was registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967.

Indian youth are lured by offering house, meat, chocolates and women by Islamic State operatives, India Today reported on 30 May, 2017. Over 100 people from Kerala are suspected to have joined Islamic State over the years, India Today quoted Kerala police as saying on 11 November, 2017.

Islamic State responsible for 25 deaths every day in 2016

Islamic State is a designated global terrorist organisation which has recruited thousands of foreign fighters with violent extremist ideology inciting terrorist acts.

Islamic State was responsible for most attacks (1,133) and deaths (9,114) by any terrorist organisation in 2016, according to the Country Reports On Terrorism 2016 released on July 2017 by the US Department of State.

Islamic State was responsible for nearly 25 deaths  including perpetrators  every day worldwide in 2016, up from 17 every day in 2015. Islamic State is a designated global terrorist organisation that has recruited thousands of foreign fighters with violent extremist ideology inciting terrorist acts.

Islamic State was responsible for most attacks (1,133) and deaths (9,114) by any terrorist organisation in 2016, according to the Country Reports On Terrorism 2016 released on July 2017 by the US Department of State. The terror organisation was also responsible for nearly 25 deaths  including perpetrators  every day worldwide in 2016, up from 17 every day in 2015.

Source: Department of State, United State of America, Note: * Includes perpetrators; ** Excludes attacks attributed to branches of ISIS or ISIS-inspired individuals

Deaths caused by Islamic State increased 48 percent from 6,178 in 2015 to 9,114 in 2016 while persons kidnapped or taken hostage by Islamic State increased 74 percent from 4,805 in 2015 to 8,379 in 2016.

Attacks by Islamic State outside Syria and Iraq increased 80 percent from 44 in 2015 to 79 in 2016.
New Delhi: An expert committee set up by the Delhi government will soon present its recommendations on the norms to be followed by city hospitals, including in medical investigation and for behavioural protocols, a member said on Tuesday.

The nine-member panel was set up on 13 December and is headed by the director-general of health services, Kirti Bhushan.

"Very soon we should be able to come up with our recommendations. A large part of the work is over as we have analysed the data on hospitals and nursing homes," the member told PTI on condition of anonymity.

"We have had one meeting, and soon we will have our next meeting, after which we should be able to arrive at the final recommendations."

Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain had said that the committee has been requested to submit its recommendations by 31 December.

"I think we should be able to present it by that stipulated time," the member said.

She also said a few norms recommended will apply to both government and private hospitals in the city, while others will be only for private entities.

On 13 December, Jain, while announcing the constitution of the panel, had said that it would also recommend the Delhi government the norms to be followed by private hospitals in the city, including on capping the margin of profit from the sale of medicines.

"They will not be mere recommendations. The Delhi government will use them to come up with protocols related to medical services," Jain had said.

Asked if the step was prompted by the recent alleged incidents of overcharging and medical negligence by two upscale private hospitals, he had said: "No. We have been pro-actively working on it for months."

On what prompted the setting up of the panel, Jain had said his department had received several complaints related to alleged overcharging, refusal or delay in providing immediate medical care to victims of crime or road accidents, or hospitals compelling patients to purchase drugs from in-house pharmacy, rude behaviour by healthcare workers and delay in initiating medico-legal cases.

The members on the panel include Indian Medical Association president Dr KK Aggarwal, Delhi Medical Council president Dr Arun Gupta, former president of Delhi Medical Association, Dr RK Gupta, and experts from the government.

They will offer suggestions that will seek to "develop a mechanism for eradicating cuts and commissions in medical practice", the government said.
Bengaluru: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday distanced itself from Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde's claim that the party will change the Constitution and remove the word "secular" from it.

"The party (BJP) doesn't want to get involved with what Hegde has said. What he spoke about is not an issue for us," BJP spokesperson for Karnataka Vamanacharya told IANS.

The Union minister of state for skill development and entrepreneurship had on Monday said the BJP was in power to "change the Constitution".

"People agree with the word secular as it is mentioned in the Constitution. It (the Constitution) has changed many times before and we have come to change the Constitution," Hegde said at an event in Kuknur in Koppal district, about 400 kilometre to the north of the state capital.

Those who call themselves secular are like people "without parentage", the minister had said.

"If someone says I'm a Muslim, Christian, Lingayat, Brahmin or a Hindu, I feel happy because they know their roots. For those calling themselves secularists, I don't know what to call them," the 49-year-old minister said.

Calling Hegde's statements "disparaging", the Congress' state unit said the BJP was "denigrating the ideals" on which the Constitution is based.

"Our country is built on the ideals of secularism and co-existence of people of all castes, creeds, races and religions.

"Our Constitution is based on ideals, which the BJP is denigrating by allowing Hegde to make such disparaging statements," said the working president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Dinesh Gundu Rao.

Hegde, who hails from Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district, about 400 kilometre to the northwest of Bengaluru, was appointed as the Union minister in September after a Cabinet reshuffle.

He has been a Lok Sabha lawmaker from the Uttara Kannada constituency for five terms.
Mumbai: Observing that nowadays anybody can join the BJP and is rewarded with a post, senior party leader Haribhau Bagde has said that the cadres can now only oppose murderers and mad people from getting inducted into the party fold.

Bagde, who is the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker, was speaking at a meeting of senior party workers in Aurangabad yesterday to mark former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's birthday.

He said that in past, the intention of those who joined politics was social service and not self-interest.

"Earlier, a lot of thought used to go into deciding whom to induct into the party and whom to give the posts. It was just like the inquiries we make while selecting proper groom for our girls.

"But now the situation has changed. Anyone can come in and is rewarded with a party post. There are a lot of changes in the party as people also change," he said.

Now, BJP workers can only oppose murderers and mad people from getting inducted into the party, Bagde said.
Srinagar: Centre's special envoy on Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma on Monday, for the first time, visited north Kashmir's Kupwara district which frequently experiences cross-border tension as it is used by terrorists to infiltrate into the Valley.

Sharma's visit follows his tour of south Kashmir, the epicentre of homegrown militancy.

He arrived in Kupwara on Monday afternoon and began his meetings with various delegations, who had lined up at the government house in the frontier district of the Kashmir Valley, officials here said. Among the first to meet Sharma was the family of cab driver Asif Iqbal Bhat, who was allegedly killed by the Indian Army earlier this month during an encounter.

The family members, who were called by the district administration to meet Sharma, conveyed their anger over Bhat's killing.

Bhat was seriously injured after being hit by a bullet in Thandipora in Kralpora area of the Kupwara district and was shifted to a hospital. He later succumbed to his injuries.

Police has lodged an FIR in the Police Station Kralpora and an investigation has been launched. However, the Army has maintained that the deceased was caught in a cross-fire between troops and militants.

The other delegations apprised Sharma, the former Director of Intelligence Bureau, about the problems faced by them during heightened tension along the Line of Control or during a cordon off by security forces and search operations carried out by the Army.

Employment, lack of power supply and non-availability of food grains especially during the winter months also figured during the discussions with Sharma.

The Centre's representative had announced earlier that he will be travelling to the Valley during the harsh winters. Tomorrow he is expected to meet people in Baramulla in north Kashmir.

In the last week of November, Shrama, a 1979-batch IPS officer, had met people in Anantnag and Pulwama in south Kashmir.

Shrama is on his third visit to the Kashmir Valley after being appointed as the Centre's representative for talks with various groups on Kashmir in October this year.
Beijing: China on Tuesday said it will maintain communication with India over the transboundary rivers in the wake of lakes and dams being formed on the Yarlung Tsangpo due to earthquakes in Tibet and which pose a danger to Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

Massive landslides caused by a series of earthquakes in Tibet region have darkened the waters of the Brahmaputra river which originates as the Yarlung Tsangpo in China.

According to reports, a huge amount of debris has accumulated and blocked three locations, forming natural dams on the river across a 12-kilometre stretch in China.

India worries that these three landslide-induced dams and lakes may give way, leading to a huge deluge downstream.

"According to verification by the relevant authorities, I can tell you that this lake is to the east section of the China-India boundary. It is caused by natural factors, it is not man-made," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

"I noticed that Indian professional authorities have made an analysis and clarification on this. We hope the Indian media will not make a groundless speculation on this and the Chinese side will, through the existing channels, maintain communication with the Indian side on the cross-border rivers." Hua said.

India and China have an understanding on exchange of data, but in 2017, New Delhi said that Beijing has not done so.
For years, the scientific community has been talking about the uselessness of experimenting on dogs. According to most scientists and companies that produce pharmaceuticals, dogs have no role to play in proving any drug's usefulness for humans.

Thirty years ago, I created the CPCSEA in the Environment Ministry. This was supposed to be the apex centre for deciding which experiments and which animals were to be used in India. It was supposed to bring in new ideas and promote safe animal alternatives. Unfortunately, instead of putting first class scientists on it, it was soon overrun by low level ministry directors, and it degenerated into a dull and senseless office which simply holds meeting every now and then to rubber stamp useless and repetitive experiments that lead nowhere, and instead push up the prices and delay the issuance of vital drugs.

In October 2017, the first ever conference on the use of dogs in testing and research was held in Hyderabad. The event was organised by People For Animals India, partnered by Cruelty Free International, a London-based scientific research agency, to bring attention to the practical and ethical problems associated with the laboratory testing of dogs. It was attended by government workers and by the 16 Indian companies that test on dogs.

Every year, over two lakh dogs are used for testing worldwide to evaluate the safety of new chemicals and drugs. Most regulatory agencies around the world require a non-rodent species (usually dogs) to be used in pre-clinical trials to test the effect (pharmacokinetics  which means the study of the movement of drugs in the body, including the processes of absorption, distribution, localisation  and toxicity) of new chemicals before the tests are conducted on humans. This includes testing of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, pesticides etc.

Beagles are the most commonly used breed of dogs for animal testing, owing to their passive nature and small size. These dogs are kept in cages for years until the study is complete, and undergo very invasive and painful procedures during this time. Their vocal cords are sometimes cut so they cannot bark when hurt. These dogs rarely have access to veterinarians and are often not even given painkillers. When rescued, test dogs have been seen to have enlarged hearts and various diseases due to their high stress environments. They are also very anxious and scared of humans. It is a difficult task to rehabilitate even those dogs that manage to make it out of laboratories.

The practice of using dogs has become a part of most regulatory protocols over the decades, despite lacking a scientific basis. The tests on dogs do not validate any drugs. The tests conducted on dogs have no added value and usually do not provide any new useful data which an original test on rodents cannot. It continues to be practiced despite immense public opposition and clear scientific and ethical arguments against it. In fact, tests done on dogs in the '50s delayed penicillin coming into the market, as dogs were found allergic to it and they died. When they were bypassed and humans were administered the test, it turned out to be a lifesaver.

For years, scientists believed that the central physiological functions of circulation, respiration, and nervous system were common to all mammals. However, no species of animals have been identified which has the same absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion processes of drugs as humans. It is unlikely that such an animal species will ever be found. Despite this, there is a persisting opinion that animal research has made a significant contribution to the treatment of human diseases. This is not based on fact, as most of the research using animals is known to be wasted.

The primary objection to the specific use of dogs in testing is thus simple  the data derived from dogs is not predictive enough to be applied to the case of humans. Any conclusions that come out of this forced extrapolation (an act of inferring an unknown from something that is known) between two such different species is largely unreliable. And the scientists know that. So, instead of paying attention to, or taking any interest in, the results of tests on dogs, it becomes simply one more step to fulfil on paper for bureaucrats, before they can get down to the real testing on human beings  which is the only test that matters.

For example, if a new drug is already known to have a 70 percent chance of not being toxic for humans, a negative test conducted on dogs will increase this probability to just 72 percent. The dog test thus does not provide significantly new or supporting evidence. It does, however, have a huge financial and ethical cost.

Dogs have always been found to be inconsistent predictors of toxic responses in humans. A study conducted, at the School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, as early as 1982 found that most derivatives of the drug Benzodiazepine, used in many common medicines, have a much smaller half-life in dogs as compared to humans. As these drugs are processed and metabolised much faster in dogs, results of tests conducted on dogs become irrelevant to predict the side effects or toxicology on humans.

A study by Nerviano Medical Sciences, Italy, found that the CYP3A enzyme, which is present in all animals and is used to study drug toxicity, is extremely specific to the species being tested. The extrapolation of such data to human subjects is a risky exercise. Dogs are not a good metabolic model for humans due to major differences in their cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs), which are the key enzymes involved in the metabolism of over 90 percent drugs. Other research has also proven that the results obtained by studying drug metabolising enzymes in animals could not be extrapolated for humans due to the molecular differences among different species.

The Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacodynamics at the University of Illinois conducted a study where 43 drugs were administered to dogs and humans. The overall correlation with regard to drug absorption and efficacy was relatively poor (r2 = 0.5123) in comparison to an earlier rat versus human study on 64 drugs (r2 = 0.975). In fact, even poorer than rats, which are tested on to begin with simply as a basic exercise. The data could not be used to build a better understanding of the effects on humans.

Further studies, including one conducted by AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical company, have shown that several drugs when tested are observed to be free in the plasma of animals, meaning that they do not bind to proteins as they might do in humans and are thus irrelevant for human comparison.

Despite the consistently proven lack of scientific value, tests on dogs continue to be demanded by government regulatory bodies. This can have adverse repercussions on humans. Like penicillin, there could be a number of drugs/chemicals which have an unfavourable reaction on dogs, but may not have such a reaction on humans. There is a risk that a number of potentially useful compounds will be discarded at an early stage due to these early negative results.

On the other hand, there are high chances of drugs passing the tests on dogs but reacting unfavourably on humans. Many toxic compounds can wrongly reach the stage of human testing, and can harm humans in clinical trials. Few people know that 92-94 percent of all drugs which pass pre-clinical tests fail in clinical trials on humans  this fact has been revealed by Cruelty Free International after examining hundreds of thousands of studies. This happens largely due to unforeseen toxicities which did not show up in animal tests. Even worse, half of the drugs that get past human trials have been subsequently withdrawn, or re-labelled due to adverse drug reactions which were not detected in animal tests.

The advances in neuroscience and related technology make the practical need and ethics for conducting tests on dogs increasingly questionable. The advent of new technology provides a number of alternatives. Computer simulation programs have been developed, which can simulate cell models to help study effects of drugs at the molecular and cellular level. Such in-silico studies have a better scope at providing important results than studies on animals, as there is better control over the experiment parameters.

Another new method of testing is in-vitro testing, or the Tox21 method, which employs cells obtained from live humans. For example, anti-cancer studies are conducted on human cancer cells taken during surgeries by biopsy. This type of testing also gives researchers a more controlled environment, making the results more reliable and reproducible.

These, and other new methods, have a number of benefits over testing on animals, particularly dogs  they save huge amounts of time and money, they provide more reliable results, the ethical concerns are minimal and the financial and practical implications of rearing animals etc. are much lower. There are benefits for all involved if a move is made away from animal testing, particularly laboratory testing of dogs.

My teams rescue the beagles that are still alive after the experiments have been done on them for years. If you were to see their state, and realise that all this suffering was for nothing, you would be appalled. The first step has been taken by holding the conference. The pharmaceutical industry says it would prefer not to use them. Now the bureaucrats and government scientists need to change the protocols that are using our tax money to inflict so much unnecessary harm.

To join the animal welfare movement contact gandhim@nic.in, www.peopleforanimalsindia.org
New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday condemned the Pakistani government for the treatment meted out to Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer currently lodged in a Pakistani jail, and his family and asked the Centre to spell out its policy and steps to get him released.

Congress spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi criticised the "flip-flop" and "inconsistent" policy of the BJP-led central government towards Pakistan which, he said, was creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and asked it to exert international pressure on Pakistan to help secure an early release of Jadhav.

"The Congress condemns the Pakistani government for meting out an inhuman treatment to the family of Kulbhushan Jadhav. They have insulted Indians and Indian women in particular and we strongly condemn it.

"The Congress party wants Kulbhushan Jadhav to return to India. We condemn Pakistan for the treatment meted out to Jadhav as he looked under a lot of stress. We want the Government of India to take concrete steps in securing an early release of Jadhav and it should find a way out," he told reporters in New Delhi.

Gogoi added that the government's "flip-flop", "blow hot and cold", "ambiguous" and "inconsistent" policy towards Pakistan would not help as it was adopting a policy of birthday wishes at times and that of biryani at other times.

"Such an inconsistent policy of the government is creating an atmosphere of uncertainty for the people of the country and will not help secure Jadhav's release," he said.

The Congress spokesperson also expressed concern over Jadhav being tried and convicted in a military court in Pakistan, even when he was not a prisoner of war as he was not caught in a military conflict.

"We are concerned about Jadhav's release. We want the Government of India to clarify its policy and steps to get him released from Pakistan.

"We condemn Pakistan for the treatment meted out to Jadhav as we are worried about his health. The Pakistani government has not honoured its promises made to the Indian government," he said.

India on Tuesday hit back at Pakistan, accusing it of violating the mutual understandings as regards Jadhav's meeting with his mother and wife at the Pakistani foreign affairs ministry building yesterday, and said the former naval officer appeared coerced and under a considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction.

Jadhav, who was captured in March, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation India has dismissed as concocted.

New Delhi says Jadhav was kidnapped in Iran where he had legitimate business interests after retiring from the navy, and brought to Pakistan.

To save Jadhav, India had moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.

During Monday's meeting, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen, while his mother and wife sat on the other side. They spoke through an intercom and the entire 40-minute proceedings appeared to have been recorded on video.

Pakistan went so far as to have the "mangalsutra", bangles and "bindi" of Jadhav's mother and wife removed before they could meet him, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

"For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, Jadhav's wife's shoes were not returned to her after the meeting," the statement added.
Thiruvananthapuram: A central team landed in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday to assess damages caused by Cyclone Ockhi, which struck the southern districts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu on 30 November.

A total of 74 persons have been killed and according to the Latin Diocese, more than 250 continued to remain missing. The team, consisting of disaster management experts, was led by Vipin Mallik, a top official in the home department.

While Malik would visit the southern districts, another team would be in Kochi to assess the damages caused in other places like Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram districts.

"We will be going around to make our assessment and then we will prepare our report," said Malik to reporters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, during his visit to the state, had assured both the beleaguered fishing community and the Kerala government of prompt relief and rehabilitation assistance.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought a Rs 7,340-crore relief package to mitigate the fisher folks' sufferings.

It included compensation for the dead; assistance to the permanently disabled and those who suffered injuries; also for construction of homes; educational assistance; writing off loans and other programmes meant for the overall relief for the fisher folks in the state.

The central team was visiting Thiruvananthapuram on the same fateful day when 13 years back a tsunami left 172 persons dead in Kollam and Alappuzha districts.
The Narendra Modi government has, after an extensive search spanning over a period of eight months, decided to elevate the director of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), DP Singh, as the new chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC). The Commission is mandated to realise the twin objectives of allocating funds for university development as well as to promote quality of teaching and research.

Universities and colleges that enrol over 30 million students for post-secondary education are expected to produce educated, trained and skilled youths who can effectively function in the globalised knowledge economy to enable the country to reap the benefits of 'population dividend'.

Improving quality and fostering excellence in the performance of institutions is a critical challenge that the policy-makers must address under the aegis of UGC. A concerted effort should be made to rectify the deficiencies in our higher education systems, especially in respect of the governance and funding of most universities. They suffer from ad-hoc approaches adopted by the government to deal with such critical issues as maintenance of a standard of higher education and financial support for upgrading infrastructure including academic and research faculty.

In view of the critical role of university activities, mainly teaching, research and innovation and its impact on the productivity of resources and competitiveness of the economy, an attempt is made below to identify the priorities and challenges before the new chairman of the UGC.

Quality assurance in higher education

International comparisons on the bases of such parameters as access, equity, funding and quality demonstrate that India is lagging far behind in promoting the high quality of relevant education among the universities and colleges, which is why none of the universities qualifies for inclusion in the top performers of the world.

At least, three-fourths of universities have not gone through the process of accreditation. They are producing 'unemployable graduates' on a massive scale, which is causing huge wastage of resources. Research and development activities are at the low ebb that does not support creativity and innovation, which are critical for surviving in global competition. It is urgent therefore to strengthen all the higher education institutions (HEIs) to effectively respond to the societal aspirations for higher learning and earning in the knowledge economy. Specifically, the following measures need to be applied by UGC:

Of the central universities (40), at least fifty percent of them are hardly operationalised to the fullest capacity in terms of required infrastructure, including staff as per the UGC's guidelines. As high as 35 to 45 percent faculty positions are perpetually vacant for the last several years. Not only quality of education suffers but also the intended educational benefits are not reaching to the people of the regions wherein these universities have been established.

The 'deemed to be universities' (DUs) (123) have largely been established under private management, on the recommendation of UGC u/s 3 of the UGC Act to the Central government. On the grounds of unacceptably lower standards of teaching and research, commercialisation of education and rampant corruption in admissions and recruitment of staff, the 'Tandon Committee' questioned the credibility of a large number of DUs.Unfortunately, UGC has not been carrying out a mandatory inspection of these institutions to ensure academic quality. In fact, the UGC has failed to seek compliance with regulatory provisions as most DUs are owned and managed as 'family businesses' by influential political leaders and business houses.

Likewise, the state governments have encouraged the private sector to establish unitary universities (over 350) for augmenting opportunities for higher learning. The establishment of private universities and colleges is viewed as a profitable venture. UGC has not been able to enforce the relevant guidelines for maintenance and promoting quality teaching and research.UGC must expedite the process of identifying public and private HEIs for providing administrative and financial support in a strategic manner, as already announced by the government three years ago. This task of identifying the 'institutions of eminence' may be taken in a mission mode so as to accomplish it at the earliest.

NAAC, a subsidiary body of UGC, must also speed up the system of institutional approval and accreditation. The process of accreditation must be expeditiously carried out for promoting academic and financial accountability of the institutions. Only 32 and nine percent universities and colleges are rated as 'A' grade.Until all the eligible institutions are accredited by NAAC, the HEIs may be asked to prepare and put the self-assessment reports in public domain, preferably, on the website, so that the stakeholders are empowered to make an informed decision about the choice of credible courses of studies offered by different HEIs.

Open and distance learning (ODL) institutions, which enrol one-third of students in higher education, offer huge opportunities for providing low-cost education to anyone and anywhere. However, the offer of programs in such institutions lack quality assurance and most dual mode universities make huge savings that are utilised for subsidising conventional education.There is thus inequity in financing ODL institutions without assuring the quality of relevant programs. Quality of education is unduly jeopardised for a petty financial gain, which the system offers due to considerable economies of scale. Unfortunately, UGC, as a regulator, has been oblivious to the lack of quality and efficiency in the functioning of ODL institutions, including all the fourteen Open Universities.

The interface between university and industry is critical not only for sharing of technical expertise and financial resources but also for improving the overall productivity of the respective sectors. The progress made for promoting interaction between industry and academia has been tardy due to lack of government's pressure for promoting cooperation and coordination of activities between HEIs and industry-business entities. UGC must create conducive conditions for a healthy cooperation between industry and academia. And, the government must enforce it.

A merit-based admission policy, such as the national eligibility and entrance test (NEET), would not only contribute to quality enhancement but also go a long way in eliminating the scourge of corruption in the education sector, particularly the practice of accepting capitation fees by the management of private institutions. The Banks would be keen to sanction loans to meritorious students who join accredited institutions, whose graduates easily secure jobs and repay the loans.

Funding of higher education

Performance and accountability of HEIs should be the main criteria for funding various programs, lack of which is chiefly responsible for the unacceptably lower quality of teaching and research in higher education. This has resulted in growing size of underemployed or unemployable graduates.

While the norms and criteria of funding comparable programs widely differ for all the central sector institutions that are largely subsidised, the cost burden on students in self-financing universities also differs due to variation in unregulated tuition fees and other charges.Students from economically deprived groups naturally suffer more than others due to unequal opportunity for learning.

The mechanisms of funding must, therefore, be reviewed to evolve strategic approaches to transform higher education such that entrepreneurial education, training, research and innovation could be effectively promoted so that every graduate can effectively function in the knowledge economy; and, to equalise opportunities for higher education across the regions and socioeconomic groups.

The following may be considered:

The government support for the development of higher education and research is less than one percent of the GDP. Fiscal policy should, therefore, be articulated to explore alternative means of financing HEIs so that quality of education is not compromised. The central government's budgetary policy should take into account the financial needs of private HEIs; and, accordingly, allow for raising long-term concessional loans for infrastructure development, since activities of HEIs are critical for ensuring overall productivity of resources and competitiveness of the economy.

Quality of higher education has to be improved by investing more for modernisation of infrastructure, rather than thinly spreading limited resources on populist programs, such as the creation of new universities without operationalising the existing ones.

The functioning of private HEIs, mainly the aspects of sources and methods of financing their activities, should be monitored to arrest both the growing commercialisation of education and deterioration in the quality of teaching and research.

The UGC was expected to do more than what it has achieved to salvage the HEIs from perpetual obsolescence. In the era of declining or stagnant government support for higher education, articulation of an efficient funding policy is urgently called for supporting and strengthening HEIs, which are critical for shaping the destiny of the society and economy.For instance, the central government has collected Rs 83,497 crore on account of secondary and higher education cess, since 2007 to 2017 but it has utilised merely 7.73 percent, which reflects the lackadaisical approach and attitude of the government towards the development of higher education and research.

Moreover, under the Rashtriya Uchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), HRD ministry has withdrawn UGC's grants to the extent of fifty percent and has directly taken the initiative to improve access and quality of higher education in the states' sector. Unfortunately, one-fourth of the total allocation has been utilised in the last five years. Clearly, available funds have not been utilised for the purpose for which budgetary allocation was made.

An overall trend in funding higher education indicates that there is a gradual shift towards greater reliance on students' fee contributions, which in turn is supported by easily available students loans. At least, ten percent students, over three million, avail of loans for pursuing their technical and professional education. Students' (consumers) oriented approach to offer courses of study and recovery of educational costs should be evolved, as discussed below.

The scope of fiscal concessions, such as tax incentives for investment in education by the students, parents and other donors, should be made duly attractive. Specifically, the following tax incentives to students and parents may be considered:

Currently, the only deduction of interest is allowed under Section 80E of the Income Tax Act. Deduction of Principal Loan Repayment should also be allowed as a deduction under section 80E as is currently permitted for home loan repayments u/s 80C of the Income Tax Act.

Currently, the only deduction of Tuition Fees is allowed under Section 80C. Deduction of expenses other than Tuition Fees relating to education should also be allowed as a deduction under section 80C

Student loans

The social and private benefits of higher education support the case for a continued mix of private and public funding. A successful and effective partnership between public and private sectors would, however, depend on students friendly Income Contingent Loan (ICL) policy, which is designed with two purposes in mind: One, for those students who wish to avoid up-front payments, they ensure that education can remain free during the period of study; and two, the entire amount of loans should be fully income contingent, rather than mortgage based. ICL policy is considered superior to the existing students' loan scheme, which is regressive.

'For-profit' institutions

The contemporary educational scenario in its larger part is regarded as a lucrative business. The current legal ban on 'for-profit' institutions has hardly prevented private institutions from extracting profits albeit through non-transparent and possibly illegal means.

If profit-making is allowed to incentivise investment in higher education, the demand for quality education and skills development could be met by aligning educational objectives and the fiscal incentives determined by the market forces.

The education sector has attracted a large number of investments, from the entrepreneurs and industrialists. The unprecedented investment in the education sector, although termed as a philanthropic and charitable activity by the investors, needs careful scrutiny, because there is a tacit acceptance of the prevailing system of charging capitation fees by private institutions, for profit making.

A separate window for channelising funds into the education sector 'for-profit' may, therefore, be opened, to attract domestic and foreign investors, in select areas of studies having a significant bearing on entrepreneurship development and high earnings in modern industry and business organisations.

The regimes of direct taxes and regulatory framework should, however, be such that 'flight-by-night operators' should be discouraged.

In effect, thus, the three major players and service providers, namely the central and state governments, 'not-for-profit' and 'for-profit' private institutions would simultaneously participate and compete with one another for providing a high quality of relevant education at competitive fees and other charges. And, UGC must facilitate it in a transparent manner.

The author is an advisor, Yes Global Institute, and former member University Grants Commission.
Brenton GieseyChris Janson will be ringing in the new year with a performance of his powerful new single, "Drunk Girl." Chris will join NBC's Megyn Kelly TODAY on Jan. 5 to sing the song.

I am so excited to debut 'Drunk Girl' on national television, Janson said in a statement. Its a special song, and I cant wait to share it.

Chris' "Drunk Girl" follows his previous chart-topper "Fix A Drink." Both songs are featured on his sophomore album, Everybody. "Drunk Girl" was released to radio earlier this month and has already landed on many Best of 2017 lists.

"Drunk Girl" offers a word of advice to any man who ever considered taking advantage of a woman who's had too much to drink: don't.

"Take a drunk girl home/Let her sleep all alone," the lyrics go. "Leave her keys on the counter, your number by the phone/Pick up her life she threw on the floor/Leave the hall lights on/walk out and lock the door/That's how she knows the difference between a boy and man/Take a drunk girl home."

After the national debut of "Drunk Girl," Janson will perform his first-ever headlining show at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium on Feb. 5. Later that month, he'll join Cole Swindell on his Reasons To Drink Tour.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Former naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, convicted of espionage in Pakistan, met his wife and mother in Islamabad on Monday. His family was allowed to meet Jadhav a day before they met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday.

However, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said Pakistan conducted Monday's meet in a way that "violated the letter". Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Kumar called the whole exercise an "attempt to bolster false and unsubstantiated narrative of Jadhavs alleged activities".

Here's the full text of the MEA statement:

As you are all aware, the mother and wife of Shri Kulbhushan Jadhav met him yesterday in Islamabad. The meeting took place after requests by India for family access.

Prior to the meeting, the two Governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format. There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments.

However, we note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings. This included:

i. The Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Shri Jadhav. This was despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access.

ii. Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security.

iii. The mother of Shri Jadhav was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, although this was clearly the natural medium of communication. She was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and eventually prevented from proceeding further in this regard.

iv. Deputy High Commissioner was initially separated from family members who were taken to the meeting without informing him. The meeting was started without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed.

For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Shri Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard.

From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Shri Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being.

We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned. Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude.

The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Shri Jadhavs alleged activities. You would all agree that this exercise lacked any credibility.

The text has been taken from the official website of Ministry of External Affairs and has not been edited for content or style by Firstpost.
Chandigarh: Haryana police has decided to double the reward money from Rs 1 lakh to two lakh for information leading to the arrest of absconding Dera Sacha Sauda functionary Aditya Insan, who is alleged to be a key culprit behind the mob violence on 25 August.

Panchkula police said on Tuesday that besides Aditya, three other key accused were evading arrest.

"We have recommended to the government that the reward money in case of Aditya Insan be doubled from Rs 1 lakh. As regards the other three accused, the reward money leading to their arrest will remain Rs 50,000. The informer's name will be kept secret," Panchkula DCP Manbir Singh said over the phone.

Aditya Insan was named a key accused by the Haryana Police in connection with incidents of violence that followed Sirsa-headquartered Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction in a rape case.

In September, a lookout notice was issued against Aditya Insan, who was a spokesman of the Dera then.

Manbir Singh said that Haryana police had also pasted posters of the four wanted persons at several locations including five in Uttar Pradesh.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Panchkula police was also carrying out raids at various places including to trace out Aditya Insan.

Recently, the state was pulled up by a full bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court for its failure to nab Aditya Insan.

During a hearing of the case on the violence that broke out in Haryana following Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction, the high court full bench asked the state whether Aditya Insan was such a trained criminal that he has disappeared like "Shaktiman".

Most of the jailed sect chief's confidants including Honeypreet Insan, who was on the run after his conviction, were arrested as Haryana police registered 173 FIRs with nearly 1,000 Dera followers as accused.

Haryana remained on edge after the Sirsa-headquartered sect chief was convicted by a special CBI court, triggering widespread violence and arson, mainly in Panchkula and Sirsa, leaving 41 dead and scores injured.

The Dera chief, now lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping two disciples.
Indian Army commandos crossed the Line of Control on Monday evening and killed three Pakistani soldiers, two days after four Indian Army men, including a Major, were shot dead in an ambush in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri sector, media sources said on Tuesday.

The commandos crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and killed three Pakistani soldiers, while one was injured in the "action" on Monday evening. According to PTI, the Army conducted the operation along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rawlakot sector. The strike was conducted by a small group of four-five Indian 'Ghatak' commandos. The small team went around 200-300 metre across the LoC and carried out the strike. The operation lasted for 45 minutes and the team returned to their camp without sustaining any injuries.

According to IANS, sources said it was a "tactical" operation conducted at 6 pm on Monday after the Pakistan military men tried to cross over the LoC, allegedly to plant IEDs on the Indian side of the border.

DawnNews reported that this act "received a strong response" from the Pakistani side. "The shelling occurred at Rukh Chakri sector in Rawlakot and received a strong response from Pakistani forces," the report said, quoting Pakistani military's media wing the Inter-Services Public Relations. They said it was an "unprovoked heavy cross-border shelling by Indian forces."

"The fire was immediately responded by own troops and the locations were effectively engaged from where the fire was being received. Resultantly the fire stopped. A contact was established on hotline with the Indian side and an immediate flag meeting between the local commanders has been demanded," the release said.

According to PTI, sources said Pakistani soldiers killed in the operation were from Pakistan Army's Baluch regiment and the temporary post targeted by the Indian Army was in an area which Pakistan calls Rukh Chakri sector.

This temporary post of the Pakistan Army was put under extensive surveillance much before the operation was carried out on the instruction of the local commander of the Army unit.

Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Nirmal Singh said that this operation by the Indian Army was a "fitting reply" to Pakistan. "Whenever they dare to do such acts, they are forced to face its consequences," he said, according to ANI.

Fitting replies are being given to Pakistan. Whenever they dare to do such acts, they are forced to face it's consequences. They took life of four of our soldiers & in response, we took our revenge & will continue taking strong revenge in coming times: Nirmal Singh, J&K Dy CM pic.twitter.com/lAWro9KozY  ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

On Sunday, two Pakistani snipers, who were trying to target Indian soldiers on the LoC, were killed in Indian firing on the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts. The Monday deaths take the Pakistani casualty toll to five in two days.

Sources told IANS that this action was not a 'surgical strike', similar to the one conducted on 29 September, 2016, when Indian Army commandos crossed the LoC to target terror launch pads inside the Pakistan-occupied territory.

The Indian Army said they killed dozens of terrorists and their sympathisers in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the covert operation that came nearly 10 days after a terror attack on a military base at Uri near the LoC that killed 19 soldiers on 18 September last year.

The Indian Army has been adopting a "tough" approach in dealing with ceasefire violations and terrorist activities in the last one year. Pakistan has violated the ceasefire 881 times along the LoC and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir this year, killing 30 people.

With inputs from agencies
Indian Army jawans on Monday crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and killed three Pakistan Army soldiers, the news agency ANI reported.

The report, which quotes intelligence sources, added that the attack was in retaliation to four Indian Army jawans being killed in Keri sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Saturday.

Indian Army troops crossed over the Line of Control (PoK) & killed three Pakistani army soldiers, one Pak soldier injured. This was in retaliation to the four Indian Army personnel killed on Saturday in ceasefire violation by Pakistan: Intelligence Sources  ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

However, Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan Army's publicity wing claimed that Pakistani troops gave a "strong response" to the attack.

"The shelling occurred at Rukh Chakri sector of Rawlakot and received a strong response from Pakistani forces," Dawn News reported, quoting the ISPR.

India had initiated the "unprovoked ceasefire violation" that led to an exchange of fire between the two countries' border forces, ISPR alleged.

Pakistan violated the ceasefire 881 times along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir this year, killing 30 people.

Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir had said on 19 December that Pakistan violated ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir 771 times till 10 December, and 110 times along the IB till November-end.

The truce between India and Pakistan along the IB, LoC and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003.

With inputs from PTI
Srinagar: Noor Mohammad, a top Jaish-e-Mohammad militant, was killed on Tuesday in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama District of Jammu and Kashmir, according to an army official.

"The Divisional Commander of JeM Noor Mohammad Tantrey alias Noor Trali was killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Samboora area of Pulwama," the official said.

He said the body of the militant has been recovered along with a weapon.

Encounter underway between security forces and terrorists in J&K's Pulwama; One terrorist killed, search operation underway. (visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/QG5ZuuF54c  ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

The official said the operation was still in progress.
Jammu: Airing political views on personal social media accounts could now land Jammu and Kashmir government employees in trouble. The government barred its employees from using their social media accounts for any political activity by amending the conduct rules for them.

The government has added a sub-rule in the Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees Conduct rules which states that no government employee shall engage in any criminal, dishonest, immoral or notoriously disgraceful conduct on social media which may be prejudicial to the government.

"They shall also not use their personal social media accounts for any political activity or endorse the posts or tweets or blogs of any political figure," the rule states.

The employees shall also not use their accounts in a manner that could reasonably be construed to imply that the government endorses or sanctions their personal activities in any manner whatsoever, it said.

The order said that the employees shall also not post inflammatory, extraneous messages in an online community with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional response.
Chennai: Unidentified persons on Tuesday pelted stones at the party office of Deepa Jayakumar, niece of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, police said.

Deepa told reporters that the incident took place around 12.30 am when a group of persons pelted stones at the office of her MGR Amma Deepa Peravai at T Nagar in Chennai.

Some window panes were damaged in the incident and police later inspected the spot.

She expressed suspicion that some acquaintances could be behind the incident. Deepa has filed a complaint with Mambalam Police and a probe was on, police said.
Bengaluru: Amid raging differences on the issue of separate religion status to Veerashivas/Lingayats, the Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said he was not making attempts to divide any religion.

"I'm not attempting to divide any religion. Five (forums) of them have given petitions, I have sent the five petitions to the (state) minorities commission," he told reporters at Hubbali in north Karnataka.

Veerashaiva/Lingayat is a numerically strong and politically-influential community concentrated largely in the northern part of Karnataka, and owes allegiance to the 12th century "social reform movement" initiated by philosopher Basaveshwara.

Siddaramaiah said Veerashiva Mahasabha says they want a separate religion, but it should be Veerashiva-Lingayata dharma, while Lingayats maintain they want only Lingayat dharma.

"What should I do, tell me? As a government, as they have given the petition, with responsibility, I have referred all the petitions to the minority commission," he added.

Siddaramaiah's comments come a day after seers and representatives of Veerashiva tradition at a rally on Sunday reiterated their stand that Veerashaiva and Lingayats were one and the same and attempts to divide the community should be thwarted.

They also demanded dissolution of a seven-member committee set up to study the demand for separate religion status, with some even terming it as a move for political gains keeping 2018 assembly polls in mind.

The Karnataka State Minorities Commission (KSMC) has formed the committee, headed by retired high court judge HN Nagamohan Das, to look into the issue and submit a report within four weeks.

The committee will be examining three petitions demanding separate minority religion for Lingayats, one petition arguing that they are Hindus and the other one by the Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha that demands minority religion tag for Veerashaiva-Lingayat together.

The demand for a separate religion tag to Veerashaiva/Lingayat faiths has surfaced amidst resentment from within over projecting the two sects as the same.

The Veerashaiva Mahasabha' asserts that Veerashaiva and Lingayats are the same, the other group wants the separate religion tag only for Lingayats.

The latter believes that Veerashaiva is one among the seven sects of Shaivas, which is part of Hinduism.

The BJP and several sections of the Hindu community have maintained a cautious stance keeping away from the move to give Veerashaiva/Lingayat separate religion status.

They have accused the Siddaramaiah government of dividing the society to draw political mileage ahead of assembly elections due early 2018.
A wounded Kashmir moved into 2017 shadowed by a dramatic change: The post-Burhan Wani situation in the previous year had recorded close to hundred civilian killings, the folklore of Wani had travelled far and wide, and the support for militants was at all-time high. Fewer militants were killed and many more were joining their ranks. Kashmir was slipping into anarchy.

The situation was particularly alarming in the four districts of south Kashmir  Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag, the epicentre of the 2016 protests where mainstream leaders and activists were virtually chased out of their homes. The events of 2016 had given militants the muscle. They started flexing it on the mainstream. Many scenes filmed by militants themselves and uploaded on social media showed local leaders threatened at gunpoint to 'apologise' for 'ditching the cause', serving as a warning for others.

The shrinking of mainstream politics also brought onto the scene militant commanders like Sabzar Bhat, the famed successor of Wani who threatened to carry forward what the killing of his predecessor had left midway, ie glamourisation of the militancy. It also pushed recycled militants like Yasin Itoo up the ladder in militant ranks. Itoo, the operational commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, was a Jama'at-i-Islami activist who was indoctrinating youths to join the militancy.

Operation All-Out

To get a handle on the situation, security agencies prepared a blueprint, containing a list of more than 200 militants who were deemed to be threats to the peace in Kashmir; names like Itoo and Sabzar were on top of the list. Their hideouts were identified using technical and human intelligence. Launched in the middle of the year, 'Operation All-Out stirred passions in the Valley.

As Kashmir simmered with anger, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti appointed Munir Khan, who has a wealth of experience in counterinsurgency operations, as the Valleys new top cop. His task was simple: Coordinate operations against militants while avoiding civilian casualties. Khan worked tirelessly. "Our first task was to target the militant leadership. When you kill the commanders, there will be no one to motivate the new cadre. I feel pride in saying that 18 top commanders of different militant groups were killed this year, which includes heads of LeT, Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish," Khan, 57, told Firstpost early this year.

There were indeed major gains for security forces. Over 210 militants were killed this year in coordinated operations between the Army, the Jammu and Kashmir Police, and paramilitary. The top leadership of Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba, and also Jaish-e-Mohammad  that staged a deadly comeback this year in the regions turbulent security situation  was wiped out. However, at least 75 personnel from the Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police, had to lay down their lives during these operations.

Paying the price

The victory against militants and militancy, however, came at a deeply tragic cost: More than 50 civilians were killed, allegedly by security forces, as protests intensified in the Valley, the latest victims of which are two women who have left behind barely months-old toddlers. Their faces are emblematic of the price paid by ordinary people for being who they are. Their moist, expectant eyes tell the story of pain Kashmir seemingly has to endure, endlessly.

While over 200 militants were neutralised this year, many of them were locals. However, the scale at which funerals of militants attracted attention and mass participation last year, also went down. According to official data, close to 200 local youths joined militancy in the last two years. But the gains that the militants had made in year 2016 in terms of recruitment when the Valley was seething with rage after the killing of Wani in July last year, were lost in 2017. In spite of mass support, militant killings in encounters continued unabated, a strategy that is likely to continue in 2018.

Operation All-Out has in no uncertain terms been a success. But what next? Has the killing of militant leadership stopped new youngsters from joining militancy? At least 117 local youths have joined various militant groups this year. And many more are waiting for the right time and opportunity. Will killings solve the Kashmir problem? More than 8,000 militants have been killed in Kashmir since the insurgency erupted in the early 1990s. Has killing them brought peace to the region?

As many Army officers and Jammu and Kashmir Police chief SP Vaid have said, security forces can only tackle militancy. They can't end it. It is time for the Centre to take a brave political move that can end the cycle of violence in Kashmir once and for all.
New Delhi: Hurriyat separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's younger son Naseem Geelani on Tuesday ignored the National Investigation Agency (NIA) summons in connection with its probe into alleged terror funding by Pakistan-based terrorist groups to stoke unrest in Kashmir Valley.

"He did not depose before the agency investigators today(Tuesday)," an NIA official told IANS.

The official declined to say if any new summons had been issued to the younger Geelani.

The counter-terror probe agency had summoned Naseem, a professor at Sher-e-Kashmir Agriculture University in Srinagar, last week to appear before the agency on Tuesday at its headquarters in south Delhi's Lodhi Road area.

Earlier, the NIA has grilled Naseem twice in the case. The agency has also grilled his elder brother Naeem, a doctor by profession, twice over a span of a fortnight.

The anti-terror agency, which has been probing terror funding by Kashmiri separatists and has so far arrested half-a-dozen separatists including SAS 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 terror funding in the Valley against several top separatist leaders in the month of May.

On 24 July, 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 5 September also arrested two alleged stone-pelters, Javed Ahmad Bhat of Kulgam and Kamran of Pulwama, in connection with the probe into the terror funding to keep unrest alive in the Kashmir Valley.

On 7 November, 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.
The Kerala High Court earlier this week gave a remarkable and progressive judgment on the dignity of motherhood. The court asked a very important question: Can the State, or its instrumentality as an employer, discriminate against a woman employee based on compelling family care giving responsibility (caring for her child)? The court also stated that "no service regulations can stand in the way of a woman for claiming protection of her fundamental right of dignity as a mother", and emphasised that the government should come up with legislation to protect employees from discrimination at the workplace due to their family responsibilities.

But from the policy point of view, the question remains: Do we need another legislation to protect the dignity of motherhood or can it be subsumed within an already establishment law?

In the present case, the Kerala High Court examined the petition of a working woman who had been confronted with a working environment that did not adhere to gender equality and was suited to men only. The petitioner KT Mini was working as an assistant at the Life Insurance Corporation and had 17 years of unremitting service. She began working with LIC in 1989 in Calicut.

Her second child, born in 2001, was diagnosed with mild autism characterised by speech impairment and abnormal social behavior. In 2007, the petitioner, on leave, took her child to Chennai for treatment. Later, when her banker husband was posted in Bahrain, Mini joined him in order to look after their child.

During this period, LIC ignored her request for extension of leave or transfer to Bahrain, and began disciplinary action against her and removed her service. After this incident, Mini was compelled to resort to legal action.

The courts approach towards Mini's petition is liberal  it recognises the issues that working women face in employment, and how laws fall short in helping translate constitutional and fundamental rights for working women. The court stated: "Though there is no protective legislation to protect a working woman against compelling family responsibility discrimination, the constitutional court cannot ignore involvement of fundamental rights as against the State. The question of legality of disciplinary proceedings should not be assessed in the narrow compass of rules or regulations of the corporation, but rather within the framework of fundamental rights qua principles relating to family responsibility developed through international human rights law embedded into our constitutional principles."

The judgment recognises that in the current social climate, motherhood is a right that has to be protected by an employer in certain circumstances. More importantly, it subsumes motherhood and the right to dignity as a mother under Article 21 which protects life and personal liberty: "Personhood of a woman as mother is her acclaim of individuality essentially valued as liberty of her life. This was so designed by culture, tradition and civilisation. Mother's role in taking care of the child has been considered an honour; she enjoyed such status because of her position in respect of the child. If for any reason she could not attend her workplace due to her duties towards her child (compelling circumstances), the employer has to protect her personhood as a 'mother'. If not that, it will be an affront to her status and dignity."

Another important observation from the court was that in today's world, a woman cannot be compelled to choose between motherhood and employment, and a woman employee should not be expected to surrender self-respect and fear against her if she is unable to attend work because of a "compelling family responsibility".

However, the court, in the judgment, repeatedly states that there is no legal framework for protecting the dignity of motherhood at the workplace, and the legislature should advance a legislation to protect employees against discrimination due to family responsibilities.

But is another legislation really necessary? Earlier this year, the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017  an amendment to the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961  was passed in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and received the president's assent as well. It came into force from 1 April, 2017. The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, protects the employment of women during the time of maternity and entitles her to something known as "maternity benefit", which is a full paid absence from work. The amendment to Act increased paid maternity leave, identified enabling provisions to work from home, necessitated mandatory creche facilities in establishments that employ 50 or more employees, and added adoptive and commissioning mothers in the definition of mother.

My argument is that instead of looking at drafting and adopting a new legislation for protecting employees against discrimination and safeguarding the dignity of motherhood, there should be newer provisions added to the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, so that employers can introduce such mechanisms.

The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act does an excellent job in terms of expanding definitions and stretching out the procedural apparatus for initiating change in workplaces towards motherhood. However, it does not look at substantive changes that can be brought about through its use. The amendment also does not mention implicit and explicit ways that the working mother will strike a balance between work and motherhood. In many work spaces, the notion of "work/life balance" means very little because employers perceive that their responsibility is complete as soon as it has provided maternity leave and/or benefit to the new mother. The amendment act has a provision that makes it mandatory for employers to educate women about maternity benefits available to them; this provision should be used to instill sustainable and feasible ways in which a working mother feels secure in her workplace.

The Kerala High Court judgment is not just a notional one, and inspires further policy action; it relies on the framework of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to delineate the intricacies of a policy that will respect motherhood and not discriminate against mothers  "Convention on rights of child, cast an obligation on the State to respect the responsibility, rights and duties of parents. ICESCR Convention also obligates the State to take special measures for protection of children without any discrimination. UDHR also mandates that motherhood and child are entitled for special care."

In my opinion, the judgment shall be instrumental in changing the landscape of maternity benefits, if implemented in policy terms.
Nothing was more soul destroying for a billion plus Indians than the cold and clinical photograph we saw on Monday of naval officer and death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav meeting his mother and wife under Pakistan supervision.

It was, at best, an autocratic and arrogant display of contempt and we should see it that way. This Pakistan regime has no affection for India. What kind of a meeting was it? A thick glass window disallowing even the faintest of touches and conversation through a telephone. Nothing warm or intimate about that and come to think about it, pretty much a metaphor for the relationship between the two countries.

The idea that in some way this degree of separation is the protocol is nonsense. What is most surprising is that the Indian people are not incensed by this mockery of a meeting. We seem to accept that some concession is better than no concession and suddenly, the cards are held and being dealt by Pakistan, which is very far from the days of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling which gave favoured India and censured Islamabad.

What is it about us as a people that our indignation has such a short life? We are ready to leap up and demonstrate our outrage over trivial issues ranging from banning movies, finding offence in stray remarks by celebrities, getting into a tizzy about a beauty contest or the way someone has dressed, and yet a man is being treated so unfairly and we are doing nothing about it.

Jadhav symbolises India and the need to save him from the manufactured justice of a kangaroo military court is imperative. We started off well when we went to the ICJ and then we sort of petered out.

The government must let Pakistan know in no uncertain terms what the fallout will be if the death sentence is carried out. Financially, militarily, in trade, and across the board relations. Make it an issue, not a sidebar.

This invitation to Jadhav's wife and mother is a travesty. And the way it has gone down is made only worse by the distant presence of a consular officer who has still not been allowed to meet Jadhav. Even here he was reduced to a mere escort who was out of earshot. It was a hurtful charade and it is incumbent upon us to send the message to Jadhav that the country is behind him, more so after this humiliating demonstration.

He is so very alone and must now feel even more deserted. We need to give him not just moral support, but the support of our country. For all intents and purposes, this so-called humanitarian gesture could have been less painful if it had been a Skype or WhatsApp call. What great calamity would have occurred if Kulbhushan had been allowed to have contact with his wife and his mother?

All of us have sort of resigned ourselves to a que sera sera scenario. Our politicians are silent, the public is indifferent, the media is stuck in neutral and no one wants to understand that Islamabad is thumbing its nose at us. Where are these NGOs and advocacy groups that leap out of the woodwork to ban some scene in a film or return awards or war over placing statues? Do all our leaders have feet of straw that they cannot say out loud that Indian lives matter? There is a time to tarry and a time to tweet.

It is necessary to bring the Jadhav issue to the forefront and make it a predicate to other bilateral issues. Jadhav represents India and the chances that he is going to be paraded about and executed one bleak day have not reduced after this meeting.

On the contrary, there is something sinister about the statement from the Foreign Office spokesman Mohammed Faisal that this is not the final meeting. Whichever way you hack it, it sounds ominous. Even to articulate this sentiment at this juncture means it could have been a farewell meet or that the next meeting will be so and that, by inference, the decision to carry out the capital punishment has already been made.

It will be a sad day for India if we allow this to happen. On the diplomatic highway there are milestones, some real and some symbolic. Often, the latter assumes a certain weightage and become paramount. The Jadhav case is one of these milestones. If we weakly sit back and allow the man to be pilloried and do nothing about it by way of sanctions and demands we are going to lose this confrontation on several fronts and allow the setting of an ugly precedent.

We have the power to put things to right. Prisoners have been exchanged before. Deals have been made and concessions granted to protect our citizens. On the flip side of reasonable concessions there are also clear warnings of the repercussions that might follow. We need to reiterate these.

India does not want to wake up one morning and discover that the meeting of the Jadhav family behind a wall of glass was the final one. Forget condemnation in the aftermath. Show our wrath now and stand by this singular Indian life.
New Delhi: India on Tuesday slammed Pakistan for the manner in which the meeting between death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav and his wife and mother were conducted, saying Islamabad "violated the letter and spirit of our understandings" over the meeting.

In a statement, India said the manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath "was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Jadhav's alleged activities" and "the exercise lacked any credibility".

It also said that ahead of the meeting, the two women were made to remove their mangalsutra, bangles and bindi and were not allowed to converse in their mother tongue Marathi.

It said that Jadhav's wife, Chetankul's shoes were taken away and not returned, while some media persons outside the foreign office in Islamabad, where the meeting was held, hurled invective at the women.

India also said that from the feedback received of the meeting, "it appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion" and that "most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being."

The statement was released after Jadhav's mother and wife met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at her residence earlier in the day. They were accompanied by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and the ministry spokesperson.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a statement. "Prior to the meeting, the two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format.

"There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments.

"However, we note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings.

The violations included the Pakistani press being "allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Jadhav.

"This was despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access."

The MEA statement said that under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded.

"This included removal of mangalsutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security.

"The mother of Jadhav was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, although this was clearly the natural medium of communication. She was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and eventually prevented from proceeding further in this regard."

It said that Indian deputy high commissioner JP Singh, who accompanied Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetankul, was initially separated from the two women who were taken to the meeting without informing him.

"The meeting was started without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed.

"For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of Jadhav's wife were not returned to her after the meeting.

"We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard," he stated.

"From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being."

Kumar said that India regrets that contrary to assurances, "the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned".

"Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude.

"The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Jadhav's alleged activities. You would all agree that this exercise lacked any credibility," the statement said.

In a meeting described as a "humanitarian gesture" by the Pakistan government on the birth anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Jadhav was allowed a face-to-face meeting with his mother and wife after a gap of 22 months, at the Pakistan Foreign Office in Islamabad on Monday.

However, they were separated by a glass partition in the heavily-guarded building and spoke through an intercom, watched at a distance by JP Singh who escorted them to the meeting.

Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April, following which India moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May.

India has said that Jadhav is innocent and has maintained that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had gone for handling his businesses after superannuation from the Indian Navy.

Despite the death verdict, Pakistan last week reiterated that he was not under threat of an immediate execution as his mercy petitions were still pending.
A day after Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on death row in Pakistan for alleged spying, met his family in Islamabad on Monday, his mother and wife called on External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi on Tuesday, according to media reports.

Mother and wife of #KulbhushanJadhav leave from residence of EAM Sushma Swaraj in Delhi pic.twitter.com/FFWIb4HcvJ  ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar were also present at Swaraj's residence, ANI reported.

On Monday, Jadhav met his wife and mother  but from behind a glass screen  in a carefully choreographed event that unfolded in tweets, photos and TV footage.

The Indian envoy who was present, was allowed to witness the meeting at a distance. This was the first meeting between Jadhav, who was convicted of espionage in Pakistan, and his family, since his arrest on 3 March, 2016.

Meeting between Commander Kulbushan Jhadev & his family in progress pic.twitter.com/THG925V1fO  Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) December 25, 2017

The meeting ended at around 3.40 pm.
Indore: Another ashram of molestation-accused 'godman' Baba Virendra Dev Dixit has been found in Indore of Madhya Pradesh and three girls rescued from there, said police on Tuesday. Two of the rescued are minors.

The minor girls have been handed over to Childline India Foundation, a non-government organisation for children in distress, while the elder one has been sent to the local unit of Nari Niketan. The registers recovered from this ashram mention names of several other women, including some old women.

"We came to know of a spiritual centre of the 'godman' in Subhash Nagar area of the city. We raided the centre on Monday night and rescued three girls, out of which two are from Bihar and one from West Bengal," Indore deputy inspector general of police Harinarayan Chari Mishra told IANS.

The police officer said, "The two girls have been sent to Childline and the third to Nari Niketan, and action is being initiated against the house owner for not informing the police about the irregularities taking place there."

Last week, the Delhi Commission for Women had rescued more than 45 minor girls from two different ashrams run by Dixit where girls and women were allegedly being kept in illegal confinement in the name of religious preaching.

The Delhi High Court has ordered a CBI investigation into the matter and slammed the Delhi Police for not taking any action on various FIRs of girls and women allegedly lured to an ashram in Rohini area on the pretext of spiritual guidance and raped there.

Dixit is on the run ever since the raids on his National Capital-based ashrams last week.
The Maldives, in an attempt to soothe frayed nerves in New Delhi, has reached out to the Indian government and asked about the possibility of hosting a high-level bilateral visit. A report in The Times of India said the modalities of the talks are still being worked out, but the visit is expected to take place early next month.

Such bilateral talks, in case the move does materialise, would come at an opportune time for New Delhi, just days after it suspended three members of a local body for meeting Indian Ambassador Akhilesh Mishra. That had come soon after Male signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China, a series of developments that had worried India.

Furthermore, a pro-government newspaper had described Narendra Modi as "anti-Muslim", and said India was an "enemy nation", the Times of India report said. President Abdulla Yameen has now denied that the editorial reflected his government's position in any way and called India the country's "closest friend" and ally.

After the three local Opposition party councillors were suspended for meeting Indian envoy Mishra, New Delhi was reportedly keeping a close watch on the developments in Male. Indian diplomats had reached out to the local authorities to understand the rationale. "We are in touch with the government authorities on this issue," The Indian Express had quoted a source as saying.

Referring to the Maldives-China free trade agreement, India had said on 14 December that it expected the Indian Ocean archipelago nation to be "sensitive" to New Delhi's concerns.

Stating that India attached the highest importance to its relations with Maldives, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the two countries have "strong historical and civilisational linkages, and also at the people-to-people level". "We are also committed to support democracy, development and stability in Maldives. It is our expectation that as a close and friendly neighbour, Maldives will be sensitive to our concerns in keeping with its India first policy," The Indian Express report had quoted him as addressing a media briefing.

These concerns would appear to be justified, especially since Maldives has signed 12 agreements with China, including a pact to jointly promote the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative, The Times of India said in a separate report. The agreements with the Maldives are part of Beijing's continuing efforts to persuade South Asian countries to adopt the OBOR programme, and hand over infrastructure construction projects to Chinese companies, the report added. The Maldives has also reportedly allowed three Chinese warships to dock in Male.

India has also been apprehensive about reports that Beijing could establish a military base in the Maldives. However, both China and Male have refuted these reports and said New Delhi's fears were groundless. The Hindu quoted Maldivian vice-president Ahmed Adeeb as saying, "We don't want to give any of our neighbours, including India, any cause for concern. We don't want to be in a position when we become a threat to our neighbours."

Beijing too refuted these fears. Peoples Daily, the official newspaper, ran a report which quoted a senior military officer as saying that China did not own any military base abroad, nor did it seek military expansion.

If Modi does end up visiting Maldives, it would be the prime minister's first visit to the neighbouring country. A PTI report had stated that the Maldives "voiced its hurt" at Modi not visiting it during his trip to the region.

"We had extensive discussions with Indian side for a possible visit by Modi, but we were told that the environment was not conducive for his visit," said Fathimath Inaya, deputy minister in Maldivian foreign ministry. "We are hurt that the prime minister could not visit this time."

With inputs from agencies
Bengaluru: Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde has kicked up another controversy, mocking secularists with his remark that they are unware of their parentage.

The remark by the five-time Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka comes months ahead of the Assembly elections in the southern state, and sparked condemnation from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who said the BJP leader does not know parliamentary or political language.

Hegde, 49, said a new tradition was in vogue, where people project themselves as secular, but asserted he would feel "happy" if someone claims with pride that he is a Muslim, Christian, or a Lingayat, or a Brahmin, or a Hindu.

"I feel happy because he (the person) knows about his blood, but I don't know what to call those who claim themselves secular," said the minister for skill development and entrepreneurship. "Those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don't have their own identity. They don't know about their parentage, but they are intellectuals," he said at an event organised by the Brahman Yuva Parishad in Kukanur town of Koppal district on Monday.

He launched the Parishad's website and women's wing. Urging people to identify with their religion or caste, Hegde said, "I will bow to you, you are aware of your blood. But if you claim to be secular, there arises a doubt about who you are."

He said he respects the Constitution but it "will be changed" in the days to come. "We are here for that and that is why we have come," he said.

Hitting out at Hegde, Siddaramaiah said the minister has not studied the Constitution, does not know parliamentary or political language. He said Hegde has not learnt the social system and added that people belonging to various religions live in India.

"Each and every individual in this country is an Indian, and every religion has equal right and opportunity. He does not have this basic knowledge," Siddaramaiah told reporters in Hubballi.

Hegde is no stranger to controversies. A case was recently registered against him for allegedly using derogatory language against Siddaramaiah at Kittur in Belagavi district. He had been slapped with cases for his "hate speeches", including one where he allegedly equated Islam with terrorism.

Commenting on the Tipu Sultan Jayanti controversy in Karnataka, Hegde was also quoted as having said at a public meeting that it is a matter of time before Chief Minister Siddaramaiah starts making people celebrate "Kasab Jayanti", referring to Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Hegde was criticising Siddaramaiah for state-wide celebrations to mark Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary on 10 November. The union minister was known to be vehemently opposed to the state celebrations of Tipu Jayanti since it was started in 2015 and had called the festival a "shameful event glorifying a brutal killer".
Islamabad: Pakistan on Tuesday summoned India's acting deputy high commissioner to protest "unprovoked" firing by the Indian Army that killed its three soldiers along the LoC.

The Foreign Office in a statement rejected reports that the Indian Army commandos crossed the Line of Control in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir and smashed a post.

"The false claims by India about the alleged cross LoC adventures are a figment of their imagination and counter-productive for peace and tranquillity on the LoC, it said.

"The Indian actions got a befitting response from the Pakistani side and their guns were silenced," it claimed

The Foreign Office spokesman said Director General (SA & SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned India's acting deputy high commissioner and "condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations" by Indian forces in the Rakhchikri sector.

He claimed that the firing "provided a cover for the planting of IEDs by non-state actors", resulting in the death of three soldiers.

Faisal urged the Indian side to "respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC."

The Indian Army sources in New Delhi earlier said a "small group" of 'Ghatak' commandos carried out a tactical level selective targeting of the Pakistani post around 200-300 metres across the LoC last evening in which three Pakistani soldiers were killed and one was injured.

The operation is seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel by a Border Action Team (BAT) of the Pakistan Army in Keri sector Rajouri district three days ago.
Fatehgarh Sahib: A magazine featuring slain militant Burhan Wani of the Hizbul Mujahideen on its cover was on sale at the Jor Mela following which Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said the police would look into the matter if there was any anti-national activity.

On his visit, the chief minister was confronted by media about the sale of the controversial magazine.

If there is any anti-national activity, police will look into it, Singh said.

An article on global terror group, the Islamic State (IS) and a picture of Jagtar Singh Hawara, convicted in chief minister Beant Singh assassination case, also featured in the 42-page magazine.

The Jor Mela, which began on 25 December and ends on 27 December, is held every year to commemorate the 'martyrdom' of Sahibzada Baba Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Baba Fateh Singh, the young sons of the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.
Angul (Odisha): Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday said his organisation is committed to "Hindutva" and does not play politics.

"RSS does not play politics. It is committed to Hindutva, which means tolerance," he said at an event which was attended by Union ministers Jual Oram and Dharamendra Pradhan and a large number of RSS workers.

Hinduism is a way of life and not just a religion; Hindus across the world have always given a message of peace and never tried to interfere in the independence of any country, Bhagwat said.

"When the western world looks east, they find India and China. But they (western world) do not have faith in China due to its aggressive attitude. All have faith in India. India can emerge as a global leader," he said.

He claimed that minorities are safe in India and Muslims "live happily here".

The RSS chief is on a three-day visit to Odisha.
Hyderabad: Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily has said that no decision has been taken on whether Sonia Gandhi would continue to occupy the position of UPA chairperson or make way for new party president Rahul Gandhi.

Moily acknowledged there are calls for her continuation in the position, but said Rahul Gandhi, who assumed charge as the Congress president earlier this month, is also capable of holding the post.

"Rahul Gandhi is also capable," the former Union minister told PTI on Monday.

The decision on the UPA's chairmanship has not yet been taken and "it is left to them (Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi)," he said.

Ever since Sonia Gandhi stepped down as the Congress president, there was speculation whether Rahul Gandhi would assume charge of the UPA chairperson or she would continue in the position.

Asked if it would "help" if Sonia Gandhi continued to be the UPA chairperson, Moily declined to comment and said, "Ultimately, it's between them (Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi); they will have to take a call."

He said Sonia Gandhi has "managed the party very well" during her 19-year tenure as the Congress president, adding that "she has to continue to be active in providing advice and, while running the party by Rahul ji, she has to be behind him always."

She should continue to be a part of the decision-making process and her "wise counsel" should always prevail on the Congress, the former chief minister of Karnataka said.

On TMC leader Derek O'Brien's statement that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has the "finest credentials" to take on the BJP in 2019, Moily said it's not an "objective" assessment.

He argued that ever since Sonia Gandhi became the party president and also the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), she has provided "best leadership" for the party and also the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

"Most of the coalition partners...including the Left...TMC...everybody joined. That kind of leadership should be holistic, comprehensive and it should be inspiring." Moily said.

"That kind of inspiring leadership in the country...inspiring coalition was done under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi," he said.

"Even now, she should continue to play that effective role. That's why people say that she has to continue as the CLP leader, the chairman of the coordination committee and also the coalition (UPA)," he further said.

On O'Brien's remark that if the anti-BJP forces come together, they can defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2019 elections, Moily said it's possible.

"It has been proved. Even the TMC was a part of our (Congress-led UPA) government, the Left parties also supported...even the Samajwadi Party, Mayawati supported us. There is a history. The anti-BJP forces always united under the inspiring and dynamic leadership of Sonia Gandhi," he said.
Mumbai: IAS officer Radheshyam Mopalwar, who was sent on leave over allegations of bribery in August this year, was on Tuesday reinstated as vice-president and Managing Director of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

He was removed as the MD of the Maharashtra government undertaking MSRDC over audio clips in which he was purportedly heard fixing a deal for a plot in Mumbai.

The relief for the senior bureaucrat came in the wake of reports that a probe committee appointed by the government had found that the audio clips may have been tampered with.

A General Administration Department (GAD) order issued on Tuesday said Mopalwar's leave of 145 days from 3 August to 26 December this year has been approved and he has been reinstated on his earlier post.

Mopalwar was in-charge of Sammruddhi Corridor, a dream project of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, envisaging construction of a super communication highway connecting Mumbai with Nagpur.

After the audio clip surfaced, Mopalwar was sent on leave and an inquiry committee headed by former Chief Secretary Johnny Joseph was set up by the government after the Opposition raised the issue.

While removing Mopalwar, Fadnavis had said though there was no evidence of graft against the officer, he was being removed from the post till the inquiry was over.

The opposition parties have been demanding action against the senior bureaucrat after the audio clips, in which he is allegedly heard fixing a deal for a piece of land in suburban Borivali, came to light.

The Rs 46,000-crore expressway, also called Samruddhi Mahamarg (prosperity corridor), is being implemented by the MSRDC.

Last month, the Anti-Extortion Cell in neighbouring Thane district arrested a private detective and his wife for allegedly extorting Rs 1 crore from Mopalwar.

The couple told the officer that they would leak the recordings of his phone calls if they were not paid Rs 7 crore, police had said.
Jamshedpur: Security personnel arrested a top CPI (Maoists) leader from Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district during an anti-Maoist campaign on Tuesday, police said.

The Maoist leader was arrested from an area under the jurisdiction of Patamda police station, the police said.

A loaded country-made pistol of 7.65 bore, five cartridges, one magazine, four bundles of codex wire, 25 detonators and explosives were recovered from the Maoist leader's possession, a police officer said.

The Maoist was allegedly involved in all major Maoist attacks in the East Singhbhum district, including the gunning down of JMM MP Sunil Mahato in 2007, the police said.

"We have arrested Rajendra Singh Munda alias Gudru alias Raju alias Chandan during a joint anti-Naxal operation by the CRPF and the district armed police in the early hours today," Senior Superintendent of Police Anoop T Mathew said.

Munda is a resident of Balidih in the adjoining Seraikela-Kharswan district, the SSP said while addressing a press conference in Jamshedpur.

Mathew said Munda was involved in all major Maoist activities for over a decade.

He was also involved in the killing of JMM MP Sunil Mahato, the landmine blast near Burudih dam in Ghatsila sub-division that claimed lives of 14 CRPF jawans in 2009 and the Chekam landmine blast, he said.

The SSP also said that the Maoist leader confessed to his crimes during interrogation.

Several cases are pending against him in adjoining West Bengal, he said.

"We have informed the West Bengal police since many cases are pending against him in Midnapore, Jhargram and Purulia districts there," he said.

"We have also informed the CBI because the agency was investing Mahatos killing," the SSP said.
New Delhi: All Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers have been asked to submit details of their assets by January and warned that the failure to do so would lead to a denial of vigilance clearances needed for promotions and foreign postings.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has written to all Central government departments, states and union territories asking them to ensure submission of Immovable Property Returns (IPRs) by IAS officers working with them by 31 January, 2018.

"In view of the DoPT's instructions dated 4 April, 2011, it is reiterated that failure to ensure timely submission of IPR would result in denial of vigilance clearance," Establishment Officer and Additional Secretary PK Tripathi said in the recent missive.

According to the 2011 instructions, officers who did not submit their IPR as on 1 January, 2018, on time would be denied vigilance clearances and will not be considered for promotions and empanelment for senior-level posts in the government of India.

"Those who do not submit property details on time will not be considered for any posts of the Central government including foreign postings," a senior DoPT official said.

An online module has been designed for the purpose of filing of the IPR. Officers have the option of uploading the hard copy of the IPR by 31 January in the online module, the 22 December letter said.

There are 5,004 IAS officers working across the country, according to the DoPT's latest data.
Islamabad: Three Pakistani soldiers were killed on Monday and one was injured in cross-border shelling by Indian security forces along the Line of Control (LoC), Pakistani media reported.

"The shelling occurred at Rukh Chakri sector in Rawlakot and received a strong response from Pakistani forces," the DawnNews reported, quoting Pakistani military's media wing the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

India had initiated the "unprovoked ceasefire violation" that led to an exchange of fire between the two countries' border forces, the ISPR alleged.

The development came two days after the Pakistani troops killed an Indian Army major and three jawans and injured another in Keri sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

The truce between India and Pakistan along the International Border, Line of Control and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November, 2003.
Srinagar: In a major blow to the Jaish-e-Mohammad, Noor Mohammad Tantray, considered the brain behind the terror outfit's revival in the Valley, was killed in an encounter at Samboora area in South Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said on Tuesday.

The body of 47-year-old Tantray was recovered on Tuesday morning after an encounter broke out in Pulwama during the night. He was wanted in various terror incidents earlier in 2017, including a suicide attack at the BSF camp at Srinagar airport.

Terming his killing as a "significant breakthrough", the police said that a crack team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, acting on a specific input, cordoned off a cluster of houses at Samboora which resulted in a fierce gun battle leading to the elimination of the top JeM commander.

Tantray was a convict in a case registered in 2003 in Delhi and was serving his sentence at Central Jail, Srinagar, until he was out on parole in 2015.

Consequently, he remained in Tral at South Kashmir and became a major overground worker of the JeM in the region, they said.

In July 2017, after the Aripal encounter in which three JeM terrorists were killed, Tantray went underground and soon became the key man of the terror outfit in coordinating and organising attacks at different places.

He was termed by the police as the "chief architect" of the BSF camp attack near Srinagar airport this year besides being wanted in a number terror offences in South and Central Kashmir.

Hailing from Tral area of south Kashmir, Tantray's death is being seen as a blow to the terror group as he was the key man in reviving the JeM in south and central Kashmir.
Chennai: The tsunami victims of 2004 in Tamil Nadu were remembered on the 13th anniversary of the killer phenomenon that caused widespread destruction.

Emotional relatives remembered their near and dear ones, 13 years after the waves swallowed them on a Sunday morning in coastal districts like Chennai, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar and Handloom Minister OS Manian paid tributes to the departed souls at Chennai and Nagapattinam respectively.

Mourners held special prayers, took out candle-light processions and paid floral tributes, besides pouring milk into the sea in these districts to remember their loved ones who were swept away by the giant tidal waves.

Prayers and tributes were held in Chennai and Nagapattinam, with the latter bearing the brunt of the tsunami. At Nagapattinam, when the clock struck 9:17 am, people rose to observe a minute's silence to pay homage to the 6,065 persons who lost their lives.

Floral tributes were paid at the Tsunami memorial park in the Nagapattinam collectorate complex. Inmates of a Home for tsunami orphans participated in the events.

District collector C Sureshkumar and other officials participated in silent marches, candle light processions and in paying floral tributes. Memorial services were held in neighbouring Karaikal as well.

At Velankanni, a special mass was conducted at the Shrine Basillica in memory of the tsunami victims. A silent procession was also held.

At Nagore, tributes were paid to those who were buried in the land owned by the Dargah. The graveyard of the dargah of Saint Hazrath Syed Shahul Hameed Quadir Wali at Nagore, which is more than 500 years old, witnessed mass burials 13 years ago. More than 300 bodies were buried here, of which nearly 150 were Muslims. The rest were those of Hindus and Christians.

At Tarangambadi, an inter-faith prayer was held. Fishermen in coastal districts kept off the sea as a mark of respect for the victims.

Triggered by an undersea earthquake in Indonesia, a massive tsunami struck the Tamil Nadu coast on 26 December, 2004, causing massive damage to life and property across the state.

Nagapattinam faced the maximum fury of the natural disaster even as other coastal districts like Chennai, Cuddalore and Tiruvallur suffered.

About 7,000 people in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry died that day. The government later launched a series of

rehabilitation measures for the affected people.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh's ruling BJP unit on Monday urged the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to give up its "rigid and archaic stand" about triple talaq and join the voice of thousands to give Muslim women equality, security and their honour.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state President Mahendra Nath Pandey said that to ensure rights to the Muslim women, the AIMPLB should support the legislation brought by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Central government. "There are many Muslim countries where triple talaq is banned and Muslim women get equal rights to live their lives honourably," he said.

He also went on to credit the BJP for the Muslim women growing more vocal about their rights and against triple talaq. "There is no provision of triple talaq in the Shariat and this legislation is about giving the basic human rights to the Muslim women," he said.

Pandey also dismissed the doubts aired by the AIMPLB at their emergency meeting here on Sunday where they called the proposed bill an interference in their personal laws. This Bill is for protection of the rights of the women from the Muslim community, Pandey said.
The bodies of two teen sisters were found hanging from a tree in Barola village in Noida's Sector 49 in Uttar Pradesh, according to several media reports.

Bodies of two minor girls found hanging from a tree in Noida's Sector-49 pic.twitter.com/NeGxkzU5DE  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 26, 2017

According to a report in India Today, the police retrieved the bodies upon receiving information from the villagers in Barola. The sisters, Laxmi (18) and Nisha (14), hailed from Bulandshahr.

The bodies were discovered at 4 am on Tuesday, NDTV reported. Although the post-mortem is awaited, police said that prima facie there were no signs of assault.

The mother of the victims has accused Ravi, a distant nephew, of murdering the sisters, reported Hindustan Times. The sisters allegedly urged a woman whom Ravi intended to marry to leave him, according to the report.

Though the police are treating it as a case of suicide, AK Singh, Superintendent of Police, told Hindustan Times that they were considering "few aspects" that could be behind the deaths.
State-run Lala Lajpat Rai Medical College in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut hosted an alumni event Monday marked by performances by Russian belly dancers, and saw an ambulance used to ferry alcohol, according to several media reports.

Meerut: Liquor cartons stored in an ambulance van, Belly dance performance at alumni function of state-run Lala Lajpat Rai Medical college (25.12.17) pic.twitter.com/MQSBEpUpfG  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 26, 2017

The event involved doctors from the 1992 batch, who were celebrating silver jubilee of their graduation in Uttar Pradesh.

The incident came to light after video footage of the belly dancers performing among cheering doctors went viral on social media.

According to a report in India Today, bar tenders, including women in Christmas caps, are seen serving drinks to doctors in the footage as they dance to popular tunes.

College authorities and the Uttar Pradesh government have ordered investigations. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath "severely reprimanded" the district magistrate and the chief medical officer, India Today further reported.

Acting principal Vinay Agarwal said he had no prior knowledge of the incident. "I got to know about it in the evening and I am yet to hear from the organisers. We are yet not clear if ambulances of the institute or some other private hospital were deployed for the purpose," Agarwal was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

I got to know that Russian Belly dancers were called and liquor was stored in an ambulance van, it is absolutely wrong, it should not have happened at a state run medical college. Inquiry has been ordered into the incident: Rajkumar, CMO, Meerut pic.twitter.com/MbxzMFXFEJ  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 26, 2017

News18 reported that the ambulance was used to transport several cartons of liquor to the party on Monday.

State director general for medical education and former principal of the college KK Gupta has demanded an explanation from the college "at the earliest".

"My big question to them is how the administration allowed this in the first place. Nobody, not even the principal, will be spared if found guilty," he was quoted as saying by News18.

Gupta added, "This never used to happen in our time. Music and dancing was fine, but it was never such a vulgar display."
Ujjain: A day after Arunima Sinha, the first female amputee to scale Mount Everest, alleged that her disability was mocked at when she visited the Mahakal temple, the temple authorities on Tuesday said a specific "dress code" had to be followed to enter the sanctum sanctorum.

Madhya Pradesh's Women and Child Development Minister Archana Chitnis has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Sinha, a former national-level volleyball player, had on Monday said she felt "greater pain" while visiting the temple than climbing Mount Everest, the world's highest peak at 8,844 metres.

The temple authorities said men had to be clad in "dhotis" (shola), while women had to wear a saree to enter the sanctum sanctorum during the "bhasma aarti", a unique practice observed at the temple in the early hours every day.

"According to the temple traditions, women wearing a saree and men in dhotis are allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum during the bhasma aarti in the morning," the temple's administrator, Avdhesh Sharma, said.

He added that Sinha had come to the temple at around 4.30 am on 24 December and was told about the tradition by the priests and security personnel.

Sharma said generally, those not wearing a dhoti or a saree were allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum, but the entry was restricted during the "bhasma aarti".

He said entry to the sanctum sanctorum during the "bhasma aarti" was only allowed through pre-booked slots and added that Sinha had reached the temple on a short notice.

The temple authorities also made public the CCTV footage, in which the security personnel were purportedly seen talking to Sinha.

However, Sinha told reporters that the footage also showed a man entering the temple's sanctum sanctorum wearing jeans.

"Not allowing a person wearing jeans or pants in the sanctum sanctorum is wrong. In the footage, a man is seen entering the restricted area wearing jeans. Why was I not allowed? Only because I am a disabled woman? I am a devotee of Lord Shankar," she said.

The 29-year-old mountaineer also said she did not intend to seek an apology from anyone over the incident.

Recounting her unpleasant experience, she had earlier said her disability was mocked at when she visited the temple.

"I am very sorry to tell you that I felt greater pain in visiting Mahakal temple (at Ujjain) than scaling the Everest. My disability was mocked at there (at Mahakal)," Sinha had tweeted on Monday.

She had also tagged the Prime Minister's Office and the Madhya Pradesh chief minister's office in her tweet.

Sinha was pushed out of a running train by robbers in April, 2011, while she was resisting a robbery attempt. As a result, one of her legs had to be amputated below the knee.

She is the first Indian amputee to climb the Everest. Meanwhile, Chitnis apologised to Sinha for the incident and said the mountaineer was the pride of the country.

In a statement, the minister said she had asked the Ujjain divisional commissioner to conduct an inquiry into the incident.

Chitnis said she had also told the officials that such incidents should not take place in the future.

She added that she would talk to the priests at the temple and also visit Lucknow soon to meet Sinha. The temple houses one of the 12 "jyotirlingas" in the country.
New Delhi: Wife of Kashmiri separatist Yasin Malik has not shown any interest in visiting India nor has she applied for a visa since her two-year visa expired in 2015, a home ministry official said, refuting the Pakistani citizen's claims that she was denied the travel document.

Mushaal Hussein Malik has been quoted in media reports as saying that India has not allowed her to meet Malik and his family for about three years and New Delhi should show "humanitarian gesture", the way Pakistan allowed Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet his wife and mother in Islamabad on Monday.

She was given a two-year visa in 2013. The home ministry official said Mushaal Hussein Malik had visited India twice in 2014 and since then she has neither applied for visa nor showed any interest in visiting the country.

'Yasin married Mushaal, a Pakistani national, in 2009.
Ahmedabad: Chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states on Tuesday said the saffron party's victory in Gujarat for the sixth consecutive time in recently-held polls was a remarkable achievement.

Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Assam, and Bihar praised Vijay Rupani, who took oath for the second consecutive time as Gujarat chief minister at a function held in Gandhinagar.

"It is a matter of great pleasure for all of us. Gujarat developed a lot during the tenure of Narendra Modi as chief minister. Some people were assuming that BJP will not come back after Modi left the state as prime minister. But it is a matter of immense pleasure that the BJP managed around 50 percent vote," said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also congratulated Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who came to Gandhinagar but could not attend the swearing-in ceremony, said the recent electoral outcome shows that people have reposed their "faith and trust" in Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.

"I express gratitude to voters and give best wishes to (Vijay) Rupani and Nitin Patel for bringing the BJP back to power for the sixth time. Congratulations to the BJP for Gujarat victory. Gujarat has given a different model of development, and it is a faith and trust towards Modi that BJP keeps winning and coming back to power (in Gujarat)," Chouhan told reporters after the event.

His Chhatisgarh counterpart Raman Singh said the poll result was the result of hard work put in by Modi and Shah.

"Gujarat has again voted for BJP government. We thank Modi and Amit Shah who worked hard to achieve this. It will be a history that the BJP will rule a state for 27 years," Singh said.

Manohar Lal Khattar, Sarbananda Sonowal, and Nitish Kumar  three chief ministers of Haryana, Assam, and Bihar, respectively  also extended their best wishes to the new government.

Rupani and Nitin Patel sworn in on Tuesday along with 18 other ministers.

The event, held near the state secretariat in Gandhinagar, was attended by Modi, Shah, besides the chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states.

With 99 MLAs, the BJP has a simple majority in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, 16 less than its 2012 tally of 115.

The opposition Congress, which had won 61 seats in 2012, managed to increase its tally to 77 this time around. The strength of the party and its allies in the new House is 80.

Rupani and Patel were elected as the leader and deputy leader of the BJP legislature party, respectively, at its meeting held on 22 December.
Thiruvananthapuram: Top Kerala BJP leaders, led by state party President Kummanem Rajasekheran, on Tuesday called on Kerala Governor P Sathasivam and urged him to intervene to end the violence unleashed by the CPM cadres against their workers.

"We are forced to approach the Governor, as there is no point in waiting to get justice from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan," said Rajasekheran in his letter to the Governor.

"Since the Vijayan government assumed office in May last year, 15 BJP/RSS workers have been killed, 600 attacks against their cadres have taken place, hundreds of our cadres have been seriously injured and crores of money has been lost on account of the damages caused in the attack," Rajasekheran added.

The letter mentioned that according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures, Kerala leads in political violence in the country.

"Of late, the CPM violence against their cadres has increased in districts like Thrissur and Kottayam. We have again come to the Governor seeking his immediate intervention to end the violence against our cadres," said the letter.

It pointed out that ever since the violence unleashed by the CPM caught national attention, their modus operandi had changed.

"If earlier they used to engage in killing, now they ensure that there is no killing, instead their opponents are crippled for life," the letter said.

"We cooperated with the call given by the chief minister and took part in all the peace talks of the government. But there has been no abatement in attacks and hence we have approached you."

"We seek your immediate intervention to see that you call for a report from the state police chief and the home secretary and then take appropriate steps," read the letter.

The governor assured the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation that he would do the needful.
New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government's move to bring a bill criminalising triple talaq (instant divorce in a single sitting) is unwarranted and politically motivated, the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) said on Tuesday.

The Modi government is likely to introduce the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which makes instant divorce a criminal offence that would attract a jail term of up to three years, this week in Parliament.

"When the Supreme Court has already banned triple talaq, there is no need to bring such a law. If divorce has not happened in the first place, where does the need to criminalise the act arise?" CPM Lok Sabha MP Mohammed Salim told IANS.

"As far as demanding a ban on the practice of triple talaq is concerned, we have been raising this issue when politicians like Narendra Modi had not even heard of the term triple talaq. But we recognise that divorce is a civil matter and there is no need to criminalise it," he added.

He said that the present bill is "arbitrary" and "politically motivated" as no stakeholders such as the Muslim community, women rights groups, civil society and Muslim scholars, had been consulted on the need and shape of such a legislation.

"The government has said that the practice of triple talaq is rampant even after the Supreme Court banning it. Does the government have any empirical evidence to back this claim? Where is the data and who conducted the survey?" he said.

Salim said there is no need to make a national law on something that is not practiced widely.

He said that triple talaq cases are few and far apart and that too among uneducated people in remote areas.

"There are other issues with this too. For example, if a man is jailed for uttering 'talaq, talaq, talaq', who will take care of his dependents, including the wife and children? How will this man be able to pay the lawyers to defend himself in the court?" the CPM leader said.

He said that a more practical approach would be to strengthen Section 498 and triple talaq can be brought under the ambit of domestic violence.

He said that there are many other issues of national concern such as farmers' plight and agrarian crisis, but the Modi government "is not concerned" about them.

"As for women rights, what is this government doing to stop women trafficking?" the MP demanded to know.

He said that if the government is adamant on introducing the bill in Parliament, his party would demand that it should be referred to the Standing Committee for consideration and have a "more holistic view on the legislation".
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Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, chief ministers of all BJP-ruled states and those governed by NDA allies are expected to attend the ceremony, Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani said.

The new Gujarat government led by Vijay Rupani will take the oath of office and secrecy at a grand ceremony in Gandhinagar today in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and a galaxy of senior BJP leaders and chief ministers of NDA-ruled states.

Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and CMs of all BJP-ruled states to be present

The names doing the rounds for Cabinet berths are Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Kaushik Patel, Ganpat Vasava, Dilip Thakor, Babubhai Bokhiria and Pradeepsinh Jadeja.

"Most of the senior leaders who were ministers in the last government are expected to make it to the ministry," sources said.

Apart from Rupani and Nitin Patel, six to nine Cabinet and around 15 ministers of state are expected to take oath, party sources said.

Opposition Congress, which had won 61 seats in 2012, managed to increase its tally to 77. The strength of the Congress and its allies in the new House is 80.

Six ministers in the previous government lost in the recently-concluded Assembly elections. Assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora too bit the dust. With 99 MLAs, the BJP has a simple majority in the 182-member Assembly, 16 less than its 2012 tally of 115.

Strength of Congress, allies in the new House is 80

Born in Rangoon (now Yangon, Myanmar) Rupani, 61, joined an RSS shakha as a schoolboy, before graduating to the BJP via the Sangh's students wing--the ABVP. His unwavering loyalty to the RSS and proximity to BJP chief Amit Shah apparently helped low-profile Rupani clinch Gujarat's chief ministership for the second time running despite the party's narrow victory in the recently-concluded Assembly polls.

Rupani, a low-profile RSS loyalist who has the trust of Amit Shah

That he also successfully contained disenchantment with the government over farm distress in some parts of the state, and economic slowdown due to demonetisation and GST roll-out, also stood him in good stead.

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the BJP's face in the high-octane election campaign, Rupani, coming from the relatively small Jain community, steered the party machinery in the state, neutralising the incumbency factor against his government and surviving a violent quota stir by the Patidar community, the bedrock of the party's support base.

Modi was BJP's face during polls but Rupani steered party machinery in Gujarat

Vijay Rupani and his wife Anjali visit Panchdev temple in Gandhinagar ahead of swearing-in

Similarly, cabinet minister and Dalit leader Atmaram Parmar had lost the elections. The BJP needs to find a suitable replacement for him as well.

With BJPs OBC face and Health Minister Shankar Choudhary losing the elections, the BJP is looking for a new backward leader to take his place. The Congress has invested in young leaders like Alpesh Thakor in these elections to mobilise backward communities for future electoral gains.

BJP is looking for a new backward leader to replace Shankar Choudhary

The Gujarat Assembly will also have a new Speaker this time around as the incumbent Ramanlal Vora has also lost the election. Two former chief ministers  Shankar Singh Vaghela and Anandiben Patel  also did not contest.

Unlike his previous tenure, Rupani in his second innings will be facing a resurgent, aggressive and numerically largest opposition in decades.

Rupani, who worked mostly in the party organisation in Gujarat, fought his first Assembly election in 2014, winning a by-election from Rajkot West. This time he won from the same seat with an impressive margin of over 53,000 votes.

Though the BJP's tally fell below 100 in a long time, his selection also suggested that the top party leadership wanted continuity before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Though only a second-time MLA, Rupani made a mark as an able administrator.

Both, Rupani and Patel, were elected unopposed at a meeting of the BJP legislators in the presence of central observers-Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and party general secretary Saroj Pandey. "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 a press conference.

Though the BJP retained power in the key western state for a record sixth straight term, there was speculation over whether Rupani would continue to hold the post given the party's narrow victory. In the recently-concluded Assembly election, 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.

The Union minister said he asked the MLAs to come up with more names for the two top posts, but as nobody came forward, Rupani and Patel were declared elected as the leader and deputy leader of the legislature party.

Arun Jaitley had said that the central observers asked the MLAs for names for the posts of the leader and deputy leader of the legislature party, and one of them  Bhupendra Sinh Chudasama  suggested Rupani and Patel. Five other MLAs backed Chudasama's proposal.

How the BJP zeroed in on Rupani's name

Rupani, who successfully staved off a spirited challenge from the Congress, overcoming the incumbency factor, farm distress, angst and anger over demonetisation and GST in the state with a large population of traders, will have to show his political sinews and sagacity when Narendra Modi bids for a second shot at power in 2019.

Rupani was made the chief minister in August last year after his predecessor Anandiben Patel resigned in the wake of the growing Dalit unrest in the state after the Una flogging incident a month before, and the Patidar quota agitation, which had begun on a violent note in 2015.

"We will do an analysis of our defeat in districts where we won fewer seats. We will also interact with the local people (to understand the reasons for it)," he said, adding the government will work for all sections without discrimination.

After his election, Rupani said although over 49 percent vote share in the Assembly polls was a "huge achievement" for the BJP in Gujarat, the party would analyse its defeat in districts like Amreli, Gir-Somnath and Morbi, where it lost a majority of seats.

Rupani promised to look into BJP defeats in key districts

Rupani was always the front-runner for the CMs post. Moreover, the BJP knew replacing Rupani at this juncture would send the signal that all is not well. In the recently concluded polls, BJP retained power by winning 99 seats in the 182-member Assembly, while the Congress claimed 77. Six seats went to others, including three Independents.

Replacing Rupani would have sent the wrong message to voters

According to The Times of India , Rupani is likely to keep the number of ministers under 20, against the maximum provision of 27 (15 percent of the total number of MLAs). The report added that such a setup will give Rupani the scope for expansion at a later stage.

Cabinet size to be pegged at under 20 for now

A bachelor of law, Rupani was a Rajya Sabha member between 2006 and 2012. It was under him as chairman of the Gujarat Tourism Development Corporation in 2006 that the hugely successful advertisement campaign 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki' featuring megastar Amitabh Bachchan was launched to promote the state as a tourism hotspot. He was the chairman of the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board in 2013.

According to The Times of India , Vijay Rupani will be hosting luncheon for Narendra Modi and other guests at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently reaching the venue. The prime minister is currently undertaking a roadshow amid a rousing welcome.

Swearing-in ceremony to be held at 11 am

As the Mayor of Rajkot in 1996-97, he endeared himself to people of the city with his initiatives for improvement of civic infrastructure.

Rupani, who was then with the ABVP, was jailed for nearly a year during Emergency.

It soon spread elsewhere, particularly in Bihar, where socialist legend Jayaprakash Narayan gave a call for 'Total Revolution'. The movement finally led to the fall of Indira Gandhi government and installation of the first non-Congress dispensation at the centre under Morarji Desai.

Rupani honed his political skills in the crucible of the Gujarat Navnirman agitation, a socio-political movement in 1974 by students and the middle-class against economic crisis and corruption in public life.

The outgoing Rupani ministry had seven Patidar ministers among a total of 25. In accordance with constitutional mandate, the government can have a maximum of 27 ministers in the 182-member assembly.

Nitin Patels continuance as deputy CM is being read as a signal to the influential Patidars that the community will be well represented in the ministry. Multiple BJP sources tipped party state president, Jitu Vaghani, and his predecessor RC Faldu, both Patidars, to find a place in the government, reported Hindustan Times.

Patidars likely to be given key berths this time too

Newly-elected Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani and his cabinet will take oath at Helipad Ground inside New Secretariat complex in Gandhinagar, reports The Indian Express.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has arrived in Gandhinagar for the swearing-in ceremony of the Gujarat chief minister, reports Financial Express.

Here is the list of ministers who will be sworn-in today

Not just 18 NDA chief ministers but also BJP patriarch LK Advani and BJP are on the stage for the swearing-in ceremony of the Vijay Rupani cabinet.

Shankersinh Vaghela, former chief minister and one-time BJP stalwart is also on the stage.

The three original builders of Gujarat BJP on one stage

Rajkot West MLA and incumbent chief minister Vijay Rupani has been sworn-in for the second consecutive time.

Mehsana MLA Nitin Patel is sworn-in as deputy chief minister for the second consecutive time. He was first sworn-in as deputy chief minister in August 2016.

Former state BJP president RC Faldu, a Patidar leader, has been sworn-in as a cabinet minister.

Saurabh Patel, former industries minister has made a comeback into the Vijay Rupani cabinet.

Tribal leader and senior BJP leader Ganpat Vasava has again been sworn-in as a cabinet minister.

J ayesh, son of BJP leader Vitthalbhai Radadiya, has been given a cabinet rank this time.

Puroshottam Solanki, the incumbent fisheries minister and Bhavnagar strongman, has again found a place in the Gujarat cabinet.

There are 10 ministers of state who will be sworn-in today, along with 9 cabinet ministers and the chief minister.

Here is the brief profile of Gujarat's new CM

A Brahmin, Dave hails from Gujarats Saurashtra region and is also a three-term MLA.

Vibhavariben Dave only woman to be sworn-in as MoS

Kishore Kanani takes oath as a MoS. He had been a part of the Gujarat cabinet before. He belongs to the Surat region of Gujarat. He belongs to the Patidar Community, reports Financial Express.

Kishore Kanani last one to take oath

Six ministers from the politically-influential Patidar community were sworn as ministers in the incoming Gujarat council of minister.

Puroshottam Solanki, the incumbent fisheries minister and Bhavnagar strongman, has again found a place in the Gujarat cabinet.

There are 10 ministers of state who will be sworn-in today, along with 9 cabinet ministers and the chief minister.

Here is the brief profile of Gujarat's new CM

A Brahmin, Dave hails from Gujarats Saurashtra region and is also a three-term MLA.

Vibhavariben Dave only woman to be sworn-in as MoS

Kishore Kanani takes oath as a MoS. He had been a part of the Gujarat cabinet before. He belongs to the Surat region of Gujarat. He belongs to the Patidar Community, reports Financial Express.

Kishore Kanani last one to take oath

Six ministers from the politically-influential Patidar community were sworn as ministers in the incoming Gujarat council of minister.

The new Gujarat government led by Vijay Rupani would take the oath of office and secrecy at a grand ceremony in Gandhinagar on Tuesday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and a galaxy of senior BJP leaders and chief ministers of NDA-ruled states. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place at 11 am at Helipad Ground inside New Secretariat complex in Gandhinagar.

However, unlike his previous tenure, Rupani in his second innings will be facing a resurgent, aggressive and numerically largest opposition in decades.

The Gujarat Assembly will also have a new Speaker this time around as the incumbent Ramanlal Vora has also lost the election. Two former chief ministers  Shankar Singh Vaghela and Anandiben Patel  also did not contest.

Along with Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel, several others are also expected to be sworn-in by Governor OP Kohli. Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, chief ministers of all BJP-ruled states and those governed by NDA allies are expected to attend the ceremony, Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani said.

He said several Union ministers and senior leaders of the party have also been invited, besides saints and religious leaders of different faiths, Vaghani said.

Apart from Rupani and Nitin Patel, six to nine Cabinet and around 15 ministers of state are expected to take oath, party sources said.

"Most of the senior leaders who were ministers in the last government are expected to make it to the ministry," sources said.

The names doing the rounds for Cabinet berths are Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Kaushik Patel, Ganpat Vasava, Dilip Thakor, Babubhai Bokhiria and Pradeepsinh Jadeja.

Some new faces are likely to be inducted as ministers of state.

Six ministers in the previous government lost in the elections. Assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora too bit the dust.

With 99 MLAs, the BJP has a simple majority in the 182-member Assembly, 16 less than its 2012 tally of 115.

Opposition Congress, which had won 61 seats in 2012, managed to increase its tally to 77. The strength of the Congress and its allies in the new House is 80.

Rupani and Patel were elected as the leader and deputy leader, respectively, of the BJP legislature party at its meeting on December 22.
Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met his 97-year-old mother in Raisan village near Gandhinagar.

The prime minister met his mother, Hiraba, who lives with his younger brother Pankaj Modi in Raisan, before the swearing-in ceremony of Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his new council of ministers.

"After his arrival at Ahmedabad airport this morning, Modi first reached Raisan and spent some time with his mother and enquired about her health", a BJP leader said.

After that, he headed to the venue of the swearing-in ceremony in the state capital.

Though Modi has visited Gujarat several times in the past two months in the run up to the recently-concluded Assembly elections, he could not meet his mother, apparently due to his hectic schedule.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumars presence at the oath taking ceremony of Vijay Rupani in Gandhinagar has opened the door for the JD(U) chief to play a larger role in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in times to come.

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP's) visible differences with its alliance partner Shiv Sena in Maharashtra has established the importance of Janata Dal (United) as an ally within the NDA, ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

However, it took Nitish 14 years to cross that bridge.

In 2003, a year after the Gujarat riots, Nitish, then Union railway minister, had visited the state for inaugurating a rail project and praised Narendra Modi, who was at the helm in state. But things changed drastically, only five years after the incident, when Nitish the chief minister was readying for the next Assembly elections.

In an effort to woo minority votes, Nitish did not allow Modi to campaign in Bihar. Relations between the two regional satraps further deteriorated when Nitish cancelled a dinner for Modi in Patna in 2010, after the BJP advertised a photo of him alongside Modi in prominent newspapers.

But despite the discomfiture, Nitish continued his alliance with NDA and the BJP-JD(U) combine registered a massive victory in 2010 Bihar Assembly elections. However, Modis elevation as BJPs prime ministerial candidate did not go down well with Nitish and he announced the end of 17 years of bonhomie with the BJP in 2013.

However, the Bihar chief minsiter could not stop the Modi wave in 2014 Lok Sabha elections and his party was reduced to two seats in the Lok Sabha. Stunned by the defeat, Nitish then decided to join hands with his old foe Lalu Prasad Yadavs Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which ensured a thumping victory for Mahagathbandhan in 2015 Assembly elections.

However, this alliance of compulsions, as JD(U) leaders admitted, lasted only 18 months when Nitish took a U-turn and decided to reunite with BJP. The move although was announced on 27 July this year, signs of Nitish softening towards the BJP were visible from much before. Nitish was one of the first non-BJP chief ministers to openly support surgical strike against Pakistan and the Modi government's move to demonetise Rs 500 and 1,000 notes. The prime minister, on his part, heaped praise on the Bihar chief minister when he came to participate in birth anniversary of Guru Govind Singh in Patna last year.

The BJP has sensed the importance of Nitish after the hard fought victory in Gujarat. JD(U) general secretary Sanjay Jha, close aid of Nitish who accompanied him at the swearing-in ceremony of Rupani, said, Till very recently Opposition rued that Nitish lost a chance to project himself as a national leader. But who can deny the fact that he still is an undisputed leader and commands respect across the country.

Nitish ji will definitely try to strengthen NDA to win 2019 general elections. If it requires campaigning outside Bihar, he would be okay with that, Jha asserted adding that BJP top brass and Nitish had better understanding of the political situation and there should be no confusion about that.

The next big challenge for BJP is to retain its government in Rajasthan, Madya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh bound to go to polls next year, apart from Karnataka. Social analyst Shaibal Gupta believes that Nitish could prove a useful asset for the BJP if he campaigns in these states.

BJP actually needs a leader like Nitish. He is a popular face even in Gujarat where Patidars seem to have voted for Congress in a large number. Same applies to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where he can help consolidate OBC vote bank, Gupta said.

Nitish's clean image and an inclusive approach is also being cited as a boon for the NDA, apart from his traditional Kurmi caste support base. A top leader of JD(U) said that Nitish was specially requested to attend the function as his presence at the oath-taking ceremony of Rupani also marked a show of strength for the NDA .
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena will hold internal polls to elect its party president on 23 January which happens to be the birth anniversary of its founder (late) Bal Thackeray.

According to sources, incumbent Sena president Uddhav Thackeray will be re-elected at the party meeting to be held at Rang Sharda auditorium in suburban Mumbai, as there will be no other nomination for the post.

Uddhav Thackeray took charge as the party president on 23 January, 2013, after the death of his father Bal Thackeray (86) in November 2012.

"Uddhav had refused the post of 'Shiv Sena Pramukh' saying it will be only Balasaheb who will remain as pramukh or the chief. Uddhav dissolved the post of executive president which he served in Balasaheb's lifetime and took the post of 'Paksh Pramukh' (Shiv Sena party president)," sources said on Tuesday.

Once the procedure of electing the party president is completed, Uddhav will choose his new team.

"He may either retain the old team or give a chance to new faces," sources said.

The election will be held to comply with the Election Commission's (EC's) directives to political parties to hold internal organisational elections, according to sources.
Patna: Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday lambasted RJD leaders for alleging that party supremo Lalu Prasad had been framed in the fodder scam case as part of a "conspiracy" that led to his conviction by a CBI court at Ranchi last week.

"Solid evidence of the fodder scam came from 60 files of the Bihar government recovered during a raid, containing registration numbers of vehicles used for carrying tonnes of fodder", Sushil Modi tweeted.

"Upon investigation it came to light that many of these vehicles were two-wheelers. Those who have been alleging a conspiracy against Yadav should explain whether the BJP had a role in getting these files prepared", he said.

The Bihar minister was one of the petitioners on whose PIL the Patna High Court had, in 1996, ordered a CBI inquiry into the fodder scam.

He was reacting to allegations by RJD leaders like national vice-president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, who has been camping in Ranchi since Lalu's conviction on Saturday and citing a book written by a former IPS officer to buttress his claim that the former Bihar chief minister had been framed in the case as part of a conspiracy.

"There was no conspiracy. The scam was a result of the greed for amassing wealth that could sustain one's seven future generations", Modi remarked sarcastically.

He also took potshots at the RJD supremo's wife Rabri Devi, herself a former chief minister, who had on monday said "bhagwan ke ghar der hai, andher nahin" (there is delay in divine dispensation, not injustice).

"Those who have faith in God do not misuse power to amass benami property", Modi said in another tweet, hinting obliquely at the money laundering cases that have been slapped against Rabri Devi, her daughter Misa, son-in-law Shailesh and sons Tej Pratap and Tejashwi.
Chennai: Sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran on Monday rejected the E Palaniswamy-led ruling camp's charge of a 'tacit understanding' between him and DMK in the RK Nagar by-election, which he won. Dhinakaran, who on Saturday won the 21 December bypoll trouncing nearest AIADMK rival by a margin of over 40,000 votes, said DMK appeared to have made "an arithmetic mistake" and was 'overconfident'.

He was responding to questions from reporters here on AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and co-coordinator K Palaniswami's charge that his victory was due to a 'tacit understanding' between him and DMK.

They have claimed that the win was achieved by a "conspiracy" of Stalin and Dhinakaran and it would not affect the AIADMK. In a related development, expelled AIADMK Rajya Sabha member Sasikala Pushpa called on Dhinkaran and congratulated him.

Puspha, who was sacked by the then Chief Minister and party supremo J Jayalalithaa last year for alleged anti-party activities, met Dhinakaran at his residence here.

Dhinakaran took a swipe at DMK, saying the opposition party was "overconfident" following its performance in the assembly polls last year when it secured over 55,000 votes in the constituency, then won by late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa.

"DMK was overconfident that it had allies, and 55,000 votes (polled in the 2016 Assembly polls). But situation will change in every election," he said.

On the AIADMK's allegation that DMK diverted its votes to Dhinakaran as part of their 'tacit understanding,' he wondered how that was possible. "A party (DMK) that is in existence for 70 years, aided by the support of allies, seems to have just made an arithmetic mistake," he said.

He might have received DMK votes as those voters may have also preferred him, "but a DMK worker will not vote for someone else even if their party leader asks them to do so," Dhinakaran said.

He added that he and the people of RK Nagar had a common thread that it was 'Amma's constituency,' referring Jayalalithaa having represented the city segment till her death in December last year.

To a question on the charge of money distribution made against him by leaders of the ruling AIADMK, the newly elected legislator made counter allegations, saying it was they who gave cash to the voters.

He wanted the Election Commission to probe both complaints. Emerging from her meeting with Dhinakaran, Pushpa said he had won overcoming many difficulties and challenges. "He has secured a historic, Himalayan victory," she told reporters separately.

The MP, who created a furore when she claimed in the Rajya Sabha last year that she was "slapped by a leader," said she came to congratulate Dhinakaran. Although Pushpa was expelled from AIADMK last year, she continues to be recognised as a party MP in Rajya Sabha.
Ahmedabad: Vijay Rupani, a low-profile RSS man who has the trust of BJP president Amit Shah, is back in the chief minister's chair after having survived the incumbency factor and a violent quota stir by the Patidars.

Born in Rangoon (now Yangon, Myanmar) Rupani, 61, joined an RSS shakha as a schoolboy, before graduating to the BJP via the Sangh's students wing  the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the BJP's face in the high-octane election campaign in his home state, Rupani, belonging to the relatively small Jain community, steered the party machinery in Gujarat, neutralising the incumbency factor against his government and surviving quota stir by the Patidar community, the bedrock of the party's support base.

That he also successfully contained disenchantment with the government over farm distress in some parts of the state, and economic slowdown due to demonetisation and roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), also stood him in good stead.

Despite the BJP's tally falling below 100 in a long time, Rupani's selection also suggested that the top party leadership wanted continuity before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Though only a second-time MLA, he made a mark as an able administrator.

Rupani, who worked mostly in the party organisation in Gujarat, fought his first Assembly election in 2014, winning a bypoll from Rajkot West. This time he won from the same seat with an impressive margin of over 53,000 votes.

A bachelor of law, Rupani was a Rajya Sabha member between 2006 and 2012.

It was under him as chairman of the Gujarat Tourism Development Corporation in 2006 that the hugely successful advertisement campaign 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki', featuring megastar Amitabh Bachchan, was launched to promote the state as a tourism hotspot.

He was also the chairman of the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board in 2013.

When the Rajkot West seat fell vacant in October 2014 after Speaker of the Assembly Vajubhai Vala was appointed the Karnataka Governor, Rupani won the bypoll.

On 19 February, 2016 he was appointed the chief of the Gujarat BJP. It was seen as a victory for the Amit Shah camp in the state unit.

When the state's first and only woman chief minister Anandiben Patel resigned in August 2016 following allegations of inept handling of the Patidar and Dalit agitations, Rupani was catapulted to the hot seat.

Rupani honed his political skills in the crucible of the Gujarat Navnirman agitation, a socio-political movement in 1974 by students and the middle-class against economic crisis and corruption in public life.

It soon spread elsewhere, particularly in Bihar, where socialist legend Jayaprakash Narayan gave a call for 'Total Revolution'. The movement finally led to the fall of Indira Gandhi government and installation of the first non-Congress dispensation at the centre under Morarji Desai.

Rupani, who was then with the ABVP, was jailed for nearly a year during Emergency.

As the mayor of Rajkot in 1996-97, he endeared himself to people of the city with his initiatives for improvement of the civic infrastructure.

Rupani's mettle as a politician will be tested again in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when Modi bids for a second shot at power. Delivering Gujarat to the BJP is the least he would expect from Amit Shah's man in Gandhinagar.
For the BJP, the Gujarat election was special. So was the swearing in ceremony in Gandhinagar. By holding a gala event, inviting chief ministers of all 18 BJP-NDA states, leadership sought to convey multiple messages to its sympathisers and political rivals, particularly the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi.

First, by choosing a non-controversial, low-profile, caste-neutral Vijay Rupani to lead the state once again, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah sent a message down the line that there was continuity in government and governance. That the party won the election on basis of performance of the incumbent and has thus gone ahead for next five years with Rupani and deputy chief minister Nitin Patel.

Second, by inviting chief ministers of all 18 states (19th state would be Gujarat where the ceremony was being held) and other coalition leaders at the Centre, the BJP showcased the ruling NDA's pan-India spread. At present, BJP rules 14 states on its own and reigns in five in an alliance. Which explains the BJP's ability to stitch political and social coalitions and run them successfully.

Over the years, the BJP has mastered the art of making swearing in ceremonies for new governments grand public affairs, but the 26 December, 2017, event in Gandhinagar stands out. It manifested at the peak of BJPs power: Firmly at the Centre for past three-and-half years, no longer confined to be a North Indian party and letting the people know that BJP, in alliance with right partners, had effectively become an all-India party. Party leadership is aware that it still has miles to go in becoming a dominant party in coastal states, but it is working towards that.

Recently, Modi said at a BJP parliamentary party meet that victory in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat had additional significance: The party, with its alliance partners, rules 19 states, an honour which even Indira Gandhi at the height of her power didnt have. During Indiras reign, the Congress held a maximum of 18 states.

Third, there was clear message for the newly-anointed Congress president: That Rahul was going against the unified might of the NDA. The Congress slide is evident from the fact it now rules only four states (two in the North East): Punjab, Karnataka, Meghalaya and Mizoram . Of the four Congress-ruled states, Karnataka and Meghalaya are going to the polls. Modis continued popularity and ability to weave magic among electorate has always been a challenge for Rahul.

Fourth, Nitish Kumars presence at the ceremony was noteworthy. When Nitish severed ties to the BJP and moved closer to the Congress, it seemed as though he could be Oppositions face to challenge Modis popularity and charisma in 2019, but with his return to the NDA, the most credible face in the Opposition ranks is gone. The Oppositions' loss is the ruling BJP's gain. From the pictures beamed live to the nation, it was clear that Bihar chief minister was one of the star attractions at the dais. Modi and Shah spent some time with him before departing the venue.

Fifth, it was also an occasion for Modi to express his gratitude to the people who voted for the BJP for the sixth consecutive time. He turned his journey from the airport to circuit house in Gandhinagar into a virtual road show. He tried to give the impression that he continues to be connected with people in his home state.

The choice of ministers in government formation indicated that the leadership did some brain storming to strike the right social and regional balance. The Patidars, who had consistently supported the BJP and made news in the run-up to the polls due to their perceived grievances, got the lion's share. Eight ministers, including deputy chief minister Nitin Patel come from that community. Out of 99 BJP MLAs, 32 come from Patidar community. Tribal community got two representatives in the government, Dalits got one. Other Backward Castes got six representatives in Cabinet, upper caste Brahmin and Rajput community got one each. A woman was also inducted.

Though this time the BJP secured fewer seats in Saurashtra, they, in a bid to regain their base, gave top priority to the region by naming seven MLAs, including Rupani, as ministers from the region. Three from North Gujarat, five from Central Gujarat and five from South Gujarat have been made ministers. The BJP-NDA caravan moves to Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday to put on an equally grand swearing in ceremony. The excitement in scenic Shimla would be greater among rank and file because here the party has snatched power from the Congress.
Reuters

Two Israelis have filed an over $120 million class-action lawsuit against Apple a week after the maker confirmed that it is deliberately slowing down older iPhones to avoid the devices from shutting down owing to old batteries.

According to a report in Israeli newspaper Haaretz late on Monday, the suit filed here argued that the company breached its basic duties toward users by failing to disclose that 'innocent' software updates would negatively impact their phone use.

The claimants said that the software updates impaired their ability to browse the web, check email and use various applications.

"There is no doubt that information about the device slowing is important, and cardinal, and users had the right to get (that information) from Apple before deciding whether to install the software updates," the lawsuit was cited as saying.

On Friday, Apple faced two class-action lawsuits from the iPhone users in the US.

Sulaiman Law Group, Ltd, which operates as Atlas Consumer Law, was representing several plaintiffs in a class-action complaint against Apple in Illinois. A report in Quartz said that a second lawsuit was filed in California.

People who owned iPhone 6, 6s, and 6s Plus devices have been complaining that their devices shut down spontaneously even though they had sufficient battery.

Apple acknowledged the bug and introduced a fix in an update to its operating system software, iOS 10.2.1, which the company said would largely remedy the issue.

Apple claimed that it introduced the software updates that slowed the phones to make aging batteries last longer.

However, Atlas Consumer Law said that the iOS updates, plaintiffs claim, were engineered with this very purpose in mind -- fraudulently forcing iPhone owners to purchase the latest model offered by Apple.
Sheldon Pinto

We are approaching the end of 2017. While the year in smartphones took off with a boring start with the flagships with typical high-end specifications, Samsung, Google and Apple made it exciting enough to get everyone hooked and interested in smartphone technology all over again.

2017 will also be the year, where machine learning and artificial intelligence made it to smartphones. While artificial intelligence is the next level and the broader picture, machine learning forms the building blocks of AI.

Google more than anyone else spearheaded the machine learning movement, one that should see more Android smartphone manufacturers follow suit, doing more with less, taking hardware performance to its limits.

So without further ado, may I present to you our list of top picks when it comes to flagship smartphones that are priced over the Rs 30,000 price bracket.

#1 The Samsung Galaxy Note 8: The all-rounder

While Samsung needs a thunderous applause (and a pat on the back) for the massive comeback for both the gorgeous Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy Note 8, the bigger sibling takes the top spot on our flagship ranking.

The Galaxy Note 8 did not just make us forget all of those fiery Note 7 memes, but it cemented Samsungs spot in the smartphone space, by offering not just great design, but innovations in AI (Bixby) and bragging rights that could silence all those OnePlus fans when it came to numbers.

While the design was breathtakingly stunning, Samsung drew the line and set new standards for premium flagships, one that many other manufacturers still find hard to follow. In short, the Note 8 was the premium flagship smartphone to separate the boys from the men.

What makes it great:

> Great design

> Amazing camera performance (still and video)

> Breath-taking Super AMOLED Infinity Display,

> S Pen with new messaging features

#2 Apple iPhone X: New technologies and gutsy design

While Samsung did send across some strong tremors in the smartphone space, Apple looked like it was prepared. Prepared to be courageous once again or so it seemed from the several leaks and rumours that precede every iPhone launch. This also meant that we expected to see a few more parts falling off the next new iPhone.

But 2017 was different. Apple launched not the usual two but an expected third tenth anniversary iPhone X as well.

And so it had to be special, which in Apples understanding of things meant, taking a few parts off. After the 3.5 mm headphone jack (with the iPhone 7) Apple decided that it was time, it killed the Home button along with Touch ID on a smartphone that would reflect the companys future plans.

It was a gutsy move, not just from a design perspective, but also from a UI standpoint because millions of iPhone fans would now have to relearn a few things (apart from emptying their pockets). The lack of a home button meant that more gestures would now have to be introduced on what now appeared to be a Palm Pre-like webOS interface.

With the lack of Touch ID, Apple introduced Face ID. This reduced the need to press down on a button, and instead just lift the phone to unlock.

Learning curve aside, the design changes added a few things. Instead of a normal display, iPhone X users now had an extra notch at the top to deal with. But they seemed to have taken it in stride as iPhone sales show no signs of slowing down. At the moment, its just Apple thats trying to keep up with production.

The iPhone X is also the most expensive production smartphone to be introduced ever. With price tags in India now starting from a staggering Rs 92,430 (for the base model).

What makes it great:

> Stunning design

> Unbeatable video capture with 4K 60 fps recording

> Zoom camera with dual OIS

> Face ID

> That price tag!

#3 Google Pixel 2: The best camera by a mile

While Samsung showed the world how powerful hardware can produce some breath-taking low light photos, Google had other plans. As with everything Google, the search giant wanted to prove a point about how important software is to the smartphone ecosystem.

And so it did! While the Made by Google event saw plenty of hardware announcements, it was clear that machine learning was the central theme. And with that Google also announced the Pixel 2 with machine learning smarts.

Sprinkles of artificial intelligence and machine learning already exist in Googles ecosystem of services and applications, but Google wanted to show outright what the power of software combined with machine learning is truly capable of.

Since 2016, every other smartphone manufacturer out there was pulling out dual camera smartphones from their magic hats. So gutsy Google in 2017 (the year of dual cameras), took what appeared to be a risk, by launching the Pixel 2/2 XL with a single sensor camera. But this single sensor (both in the front and back) used Google's machine learning smarts to outwit not just Android and iOS competition but laid the foundations of what we should expect from smartphone imaging in the future.

Google proved to the world that it could take better photographs using just one camera and the power of machine learning. The Pixel 2 smartphone used the power of Googles HDR+ photos, machine learning and some mind-bending algorithms to produce class-leading Portrait photos using a single camera not just in daylight, but low light as well. Google basically turned smartphone imaging into a science and for that we are thankful!

What makes it great:

> That camera and the science behind the imaging

> Unadulterated Android experience

> Machine learning software bits

#4 HTC U11: The no frills premium flagship

So you are not yet caught on to the taller display sporting flagships? Instead, you love bezels because of their practicality? And you wants an everyday smartphone that delivers the basics expected from flagships. Thats what we got when we reviewed the HTC U11.

The smartphone was HTCs long-awaited comeback and it sadly came at a time when a part of its team was acquired by Google (thats why the Pixel 2 is more practical than fancy).

And what a comeback it was! A new design philosophy, a stunning camera, a plain Jane but accurate Super LCD display, and top notch specifications (at least for the variant that came to India).

In short, HTC in 2017 finally satiated the thirst of HTC fans around the world and delivered a flagship that does not miss out on a single new technology. It is the practical all-rounder that added sense to the sensible for smartphone flagships in 2017.

What makes it great:

> Bold design

> Use of a brilliant LCD display in 2017

> U Sonic audio

> The strongest performing Android smartphone

#5 OnePlus 5T: Value for money

The OnePlus is a smartphone that we personally love to hate. Its the bad boy of the smartphone industry, offering overkill specifications (who needs 8 GB RAM?), but then calling itself practical.

This year, OnePlus is on our list as it is hard to ignore the value for money the device offers at Rs 32,999.

Nowhere else will you get this level of performance, an 18:9 display (sorry OnePlus 5 owners) and great battery life in a thin and light package that sounds too good to be true, given its pricing.

You also get the standard OnePlus bragging rights when you buy one online.

What makes it great:

> Hardware in numbers

> Accessible flagship level performance

> Great software

2017 saw some recent tech cementing itself in the premium smartphone segment. We still lead the dongle-life as wireless technologies (like Bluetooth audio and wireless charging) have yet to evolve to a level where they are practical and offer more benefits over conventional wired systems.

With talks about AI, coming from every smartphone manufacturer this year, its easy to say that 2018 will see plenty of automation, heavy use of machine learning in premium flagship smartphones. Stuff that will trickle down and benefit even the mid and budget segments.

Who knows we may also see some radical design decisions such as folding smartphones. So here's looking forward to more action in this space next year.
tech2 News Staff

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the state-owned telecommunication company, has announced the launch of a new feature phone, Detel D1. The company revealed that the device will go on sale for a price of just Rs 499.

According to a detailed report by The Mobile Indian, BSNL is also offering a deal on voice calls, which is bundled with the device. The device will be available across the country and will be known as the D1. The bundled offer will include a tariff plan for Rs 153. To make it clear, the Rs 499 mentioned above is inclusive of this plan as the device is priced at Rs 349 in addition to the separate Rs 153 tariff. Manoj Sinha, Minister of Communication for Government of India was there to unveil the feature phone.

People who decide to buy this device will get Rs 103 as talktime out of the box with 365-day validity, and they can make calls from their BSNL number to any other BSNL number at 15 paise per minute. The company will charge 40 paise if the D1 user decides to call anyone else on other telecom networks.

Considering that D1 is not the only high profile feature phone to launch this year, it is a no-brainer to compare it with the other high profile feature phone in the market. The D1 pales in comparison to what the JioPhone has to offer because, on one hand, BSNL will give a phone for Rs 499 along with call rates that translate to about 686 BSNL-to-BSNL minutes and about 257 minutes from BSNL to any other network per month. There is no data or 4G here and you will just get a basic phone for phone calls and SMS services.

JioPhone, on the other hand, provides unlimited calls and unlimited data for Rs 153 per month. This includes 0.5 GB high-speed data access every day in addition to a much superior feature phone with Wi-Fi, internet browsing, and apps. It does cost about Rs 1,500 where users have to pay Rs 500 for registration and Rs 1,000 as a security deposit.

The difference between the two phones is that the D1 is for those users who cannot afford to spend more than Rs 500 a year. As good as the JioPhone is, it does demand a Rs 153 per month investment to take advantage of its capabilities.0

A step towards #NewIndia, today launched @BSNLCorporate mobile handset Detel with attractive calling plan just at Rs. 499/- per year /1 pic.twitter.com/2zSVTAI9Us  Manoj Sinha (@manojsinhabjp) December 23, 2017

The D1 plan includes a personal ring back tone, which is a tune that anyone calling you will get to listen to before you receive the call.

Moving on to the features of the device, the D1 packs a 1.44-inch monochrome screen with a physical keypad for operation. It also comes with a single SIM slot along with a 650 mAh battery. According to the report, Detel has also added other features that are popular with feature phones like FM Radio, speaker, torch, phonebook and vibration mode.

Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.
tech2 News Staff

The Pixel 2 / 2 XL represents the second generation of Google's flagship smartphones. Unlike a Samsung or an Apple, Google Pixel handsets are not easily available across the country in physical stores. They launched with 1,000 offline stores, but it looks like Google will have to do a lot more to ensure steady sales of its flagship smartphones in the face of intense competition.

According to a report in The Economic Times, Google is getting ready to open brick and mortar stores in India to improve the sales of its Pixel devices, said people who are familiar with the matter. Post the launch of the Pixel 2 / 2 XL in India, we had already seen a lot of pop-up stores at various malls which let people experience these phones first-hand. Many large format retail stores have dedicated store-within-stores for the Pixel as well.

According to sources, Google will be focussing on improving the number of experience centres across India, as the response from these activities has been encouraging. Some malls where these experience zones were set up have already got inquiries from Google regarding setting up of physical stores according to the report. Mall executives have said that the experience zones enable the brand to showcase their phone's features in a more impactful manner than mere online destinations such as Flipkart where Pixel 2 / 2 XL are selling.

The tentative timeline for the physical Google stores is in the latter part of 2018. While Google hasn't officially commented, one of the sources familiar with the matter has said that Google has hired a senior Apple executive to be part of its expansion plans.

Also, these expected physical stores will not just sell Pixel smartphones, but would also be the destination for other Google hardware products. Google's portfolio of hardware products includes Chromecast, Google Home smart speakers, Daydream View virtual reality headsets and more.

It is not known if the Google stores would be a single-brand retailing licence or will be operated via franchisees. Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi are owned and operated by franchisees in India. Apple is also seeking a single-brand licence to open its own stores in India as well.
Reuters

Israels markets regulator will propose a regulation to ban companies based on bitcoin and other digital currencies from trading on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, he said on Monday.

Shmuel Hauser, the chairman of the Israel Securities Authority (ISA), told the Calcalist business conference he will bring the proposal to the ISA board next week. If approved, it would be subject to a public hearing and then the stock exchange bylaws would need to be amended.

If we have a company that their main business is digital currencies we would not allow it. If already listed, its trading will be suspended, Hauser said, adding the ISA must find the appropriate regulation for such companies.

Hauser did not identify any companies that would be affected by his ban, but at least two firms listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) now describe digital currencies or the technology behind them as essential to their business: Blockchain Mining and Fantasy Network.

Shares of Blockchain, which on Sunday changed its name from Natural Resources, have soared some 5,000 percent in the past few months since it announced it would shift its focus from mining for gold and iron to mining cryptocurrencies.

It was down 4.2 percent in afternoon trading on Monday. Blockchain was not immediately available for comment.

Fantasy Networks, a former gaming firm, said this month it was studying the possibility of operating in the blockchain field -- the technology underpinning cryptocurrencies. Its share price quadrupled before losing 50 percent in the past two weeks.

Earlier this month, Hauser said bitcoin-based companies would not be included in stock exchange indexes. In a 19 December statement to TASE, Fantasy Networks acknowledged those remarks, saying: These restrictions ... could harm investment in the company and even exclude it from trade on the stock exchange.

Bitcoin is a publicly available ledger of a finite number of digital coins, which backers say can be used as a currency without the support of any countrys central bank. It is mined by computers, which are awarded new coins for working out complex mathematical formulas. Several other cryptocurrencies have also been launched that work on similar principles.

The value of a bitcoin plunged by 30 percent to below $12,000 on Friday as investors dumped the cryptocurrency after its sharp rise to nearly $20,000. It recouped some losses to trade above $14,000 on the Bitstamp platform, down 9 percent on the day.

We feel that the prices of bitcoin behave like bubbles and we dont want investors to be subject to that volatility and uncertainty, Hauser said. There is an importance to signal to the market where things are... Investors should know where we stand.

The proposal to block digital currency firms from the stock exchange will probably be the last move for Hauser, who will step down next month after 6-1/2 years as ISA chief.

But once its on its way it will continue to be pursued, said Hauser, who will be replaced by Anat Guetta. He said he hopes she will promote easing capital gains taxes and focus on regulatory enforcement.
tech2 News Staff

If recent reports are to be believed then it would seem that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) could be manufacturing the next generation of Qualcomm's flagship SoC which is going to be called as the Snapdragon 855.

Earlier chipsets such as the Snapdragon 835, 820 and the recently launched 845 were all manufactured by Samsung. But a report from Nikkei Asian Review claims that TSMC has been given the contract for the next generation chipset.

"Qualcomm is engaging TSMC to roll out a modem chip very soon in the first half of 2018 and TSMC will manufacture the mobile giant's upcoming flagship Snapdragon processor, known as Snapdragon 855, before the end of next year", an industry official was quoted as saying according to the report.

In the past, TSMC has made Qualcomm's Snapdragon 808 and the 810 SoC as well as Apple's A11 Bionic chipset and Huawei's HiSilicon Kirin 970.

The new processor is reportedly going to adopt TSMC's latest 7-nanometer technology which is also going to be part of the new Apple iPhone chipsets launching in 2018, according to the report.

Currently, the Kirin 970 and A11 Bionic chip have been developed using TSMC's 10nm technology.

Qualcomm's recently unveiled Snapdragon 845 chipset which is said to be coming on the flagships of 2018 such as the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Xiaomi's Mi 7.
Beijing: China on Tuesday hosted top Afghan and Pakistani officials in a bid to mediate a long-simmering conflict between Kabul and Islamabad.

The trilateral meeting was held between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Afghan and Pakistani counterparts, Salahuddin Rabbani and Khawaja Asif, respectively, to encourage economic and security cooperation between the three countries.

The first trilateral minister-level dialogue in Beijing came as China expands its economic interests in Pakistan.

"China, Afghanistan and Pakistan, as three neighbours, will naturally try to strengthen cooperation amongst each other," Wang was quoted as saying by state broadcaster CCTV. "This is fully in accordance with our common interests, and is a good thing for us."

"We have agreed to help Afghanistan in the peace process and to improve relations between Kabul and Islamabad. Pakistan will take practical action over the Afghan peace process," he said at the joint press conference.

"We will also be present at the Kabul Process meeting which is going to be held in February," he said, adding, "We called on the Taliban to join the peace process and Pakistan has announced their support for peace talks between Taliban and the Afghan government. China will also support the Afghan peace process."

Rabbani, meanwhile, said that the Afghan government was committed to cooperating with China.

"We will continue our efforts to fight terrorism. Fighting terrorism needs joint cooperation. We believe this will improve our relations with Pakistan to fight common threats," he said.

Pakistan's Asif called Kabul and Islamabad two "strong brothers". "Pakistan urges for border management and solving the refugees issues with Afghanistan," he said.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the three Foreign Ministers had an in-depth exchange on mutual political trust, reconciliation, development, counter-terrorism efforts and security cooperation between Pakistan, China and Afghanistan, Xinhua news agency reported.

The meeting highlighted China's growing role in global hotspots as US President Donald Trump's administration embraces a more inward-looking foreign policy. China's media reported that President Xi Jinping has sought to present China as a responsible alternative to the US, shifting from a longstanding policy of keeping a low profile in international affairs.

The three countries had agreed to establish the mechanism during Wang's visit to Kabul and Islamabad in June.

China is investing more than $50 billion in Pakistan to create an economic corridor that would link its remote western region to the Arabian sea. Beijing's leaders have also boosted economic and trade ties with Afghanistan.
Taipei: Frequent and increased Chinese military drills pose an "enormous threat" to Taiwan's security, Taipei warned in an annual defence review that starkly highlighted rising cross-strait tensions.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified at some point  by military force, if necessary. The two sides split after a civil war in 1949. Although Taiwan is a self-ruling democracy, it has never formally declared independence.

Beijing has stepped up drills around the island since Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen took office last year, as she refuses to acknowledge both sides are part of "one China". Local media estimate Chinese warplanes have conducted at least 20 drills around Taiwan this year, compared to just eight in 2016.

The latest known drill took place last week when several Chinese planes, including jet fighters, passed through the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan to the Pacific and back. The frequent drills "have created enormous threat to security in the Taiwan Strait," Taiwan defense minister Feng Shih-kuan said in the 14th national defense report released on Tuesday.

The report highlighted the David versus Goliath mismatch between the two rival's forces, saying Taiwan's military needed to adapt to a "multiple deterrence strategy" in the face of the fast-growing Chinese army.

The report estimated Chinese troop numbers at two million compared to around 210,000 in Taiwan's army. "Taiwan cannot compare with China's defence budget and military developments," Feng said in the report.

Instead Taiwan was "seriously reviewing and drawing a plan to develop asymmetric warfare to deter advances by the Chinese military," he added.

In response to increasing China's electronic warfare capabilities, Taiwan established its own cyber army command centre this year, which currently has around 1,000 people, according to the ministry. It has also restructured its air force to centralise its

anti-aircraft and missile defense command.

Chinese jets also flew over the Sea of Japan (East Sea) earlier this month, prompting South Korea and Japan to scramble jets.

China's air force said then it was the first time its aircraft had flown through the Tsushima Strait between South Korea and Japan.

Earlier this year, China sent its only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, through the Taiwan Strait during a drill as a show of strength, but it did not enter Taiwan waters.
Lima: Peruvian police on Monday fired tear gas and clashed with protesters marching against the pardon of ailing ex-president Alberto Fujimori, who was serving a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses.

Current president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski ordered the pardon of Fujimori and seven other prisoners on Sunday on humanitarian grounds, once again placing himself in the middle of a political crisis just days after he avoided impeachment.

On Monday, protesters called for the departure from office of Kuczynski, who later defended his decision in a televised message to the nation.

"Out, out PPK! Out, out PPK!" angry demonstrators chanted in reference to the president, who had promised during his electoral campaign the previous year that he would not free Fujimori.

"Fujimori, murderer and thief. No to the pardon!" read one of the signs held by the protesters, some of whom also carried a giant Peruvian flag.

Relatives of victims of Fujimori's brutal rule took part in the march.

"We are here as relatives to reject this illegal pardon, because it does not correspond to the gravity of the crimes," Gisella Ortiz, representative of a group of families of victims, told reporters.

A strong force of anti-riot police moved through the streets of Lima and sought to prevent the demonstrators from heading to the clinic where Fujimori is hospitalized, firing tear gas canisters and erecting barricades to disperse them.

A cameraman from the state television station TV Peru was beaten by police and was being treated in hospital, the station's president Hugo Coya wrote on Twitter.

Failed impeachment bid

On Monday night, Kuczynski defended his decision to pardon Fujimori.

"I am convinced that those of us who feel democratic should not allow Alberto Fujimori to die in prison, because justice is not revenge," Kuczynski said.

"It is about the health and chances of life of a former president of Peru who, having committed excesses and grave errors, was sentenced and has already completed 12 years" in prison, he said.

The president had earlier said his decision to grant the pardon relied on a medical evaluation that Fujimori suffered a progressive and incurable illness and that conditions in prison "represent a grave risk to his life."

But the move came after Fujimori's son Kenji drained votes away from a parliamentary bid Thursday to impeach Kuczynski on suspicion of corruption, sparking speculation the pardon was political.

The condition of Alberto Fujimori, 79, was "delicate" and "a decision will be made" based on how he responds to treatment at the Centenario Clinic, a doctor at the facility, Alejandro Aguinaga, told reporters.

He said there was no prospect of Fujimori leaving soon.

Fujimori was transferred from his cell to a clinic Saturday suffering from low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat.

"He remains in intensive care. His condition is favorable but other tests are necessary," Aguinaga said.

He said the ex-president had already undergone scans of his brain and heart, and stated that the cardiac problem was accentuating "various degenerative pathologies."

Brutal, undemocratic reign

Fujimori has been hospitalised on several previous occasions, the last time in September, and has had heart, back and stomach trouble as well as several operations to remove cancerous growths from his tongue.

The former leader has spent more than a decade imprisoned for ruthlessly cracking down on political rivals and for ordering dozens of murders and overseeing other brutal tactics.

Despite his conviction for human rights abuses, however, Fujimori retains a level of popularity in Peru for having defeated left-wing guerrillas and for stabilizing the economy after a period of crisis.

That dichotomy has come to the fore with the pardon: dozens of supporters gathered in front of the hospital looking after him, while opponents later demonstrated in Lima against him.

Fujimori, of Japanese descent, ruled Peru between 1990 and 2000. His reign quickly became autocratic after a 1992 internal coup in which he dissolved the legislature.

The pardon was Kuczynski's first major act after surviving the impeachment bid that was spearheaded by Kenji Fujimori's sister, Keiko, who is also a legislator and who narrowly lost the last presidential election.

Kuczynski, a former Wall Street Banker, was accused of lying to cover up $5 million in payments received from disgraced Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht.

He faces a struggle to influence Peru's opposition-dominated Congress, where his party has just 18 seats.
Houston: Community members in Dallas have planned a bench dedication ceremony and memorial service for the Indian toddler Sherin Mathews, who was found dead in a culvert in mysterious circumstances in October.

The dedication ceremony for three-year-old will be held on 30 December at the Restland Funeral Home in Dallas, Texas. Following the memorial service, a bench dedication and dove release will take place, WFAA television station reported.

The space has been landscaped and provided by Restland as a place for the community to reflect and honour Sherin, adopted by Indian-American couple Wesley Mathews and Sini Mathews.

The dedication, mostly on park benches, provides a lasting tribute in honour of a loved one.

On 7 October, an Amber Alert was issued for Sherin after her adoptive father, Wesley Mathews, called police and alerted them of her disappearance.

At that time, Wesley told police he took his daughter, Sherin, outside at 3 am on Saturday to discipline her for not drinking her milk. According an affidavit, he told her to stand near a large tree in the backyard. When he went outside 15 minutes later, his daughter was gone.

Sherin's body was found a few weeks later in a culvert nearby the Mathews' home.

David Turnblad, a family service counselor at Restland said he was impacted Sherin's story and knew he had to do something to help with the bench dedication.

Turnblad met a man named Gene met through the Nextdoor app. Gene had the bench but needed a place to put it.

"The thing that I really like is that Richland Park is a very diverse neighbourhood and this crosses all the religious cultural lines, they've all disappeared," Turnblad said. "It's about the community."

Turnblad said it's not about money, its about recognising the impact that this has had on so many people's lives.

Mike Wilfong, the community outreach director for Restland said he's happy to be apart of this dedication process.

"People haven't had that chance or opportunity to get together and start that process to begin to come to terms and move toward healing," he said.

On 7 October, Wesley called police and reported Sherin missing. He had initially told police that Sherin disappeared overnight after he ordered her to stand outside at about 3 am for not drinking her milk. When he returned, Wesley said she had disappeared and that her location was unknown.

Wesley later changed his tune, saying Sherin choked to death after he "physically assisted" her as she drank her milk.

Wesley was arrested and charged with felony injury to a child, which carries a sentence of up to life in prison.

Wesley's bond is set at $1 million and faces up to life imprisonment if convicted of the first-degree felony. Sini's bond is set at $100,000 and faces up to two years in a state jail if convicted of child abandonment or endangerment.

A judge has also denied access to both Wesley and Sini to their biological daughter, now living with relatives in Houston, saying they were not fit to be parents due to what happened to their adopted daughter, Sherin.

A private ceremony was held on October 31 for Sherin. At that time, the burial location was kept a secret, considering the intense press and social media attention in the case.

On 10 December, the location of the toddler's final resting place has been revealed. The headstone is located in the southwest portion of the cemetery at the Turrentine- Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home in Dallas, Texas.
New Delhi: The Trump administrations decision earlier this year to pull out of the historic 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, saying the Obama-era deal was an attempt to diminish the US economy and take jobs away, has not stopped incredible global momentum to curb global warming.

Environmental advocates believe that, amidst the shadow of the US decision, 2017 has seen progress in new climate action, ranging from the World Bank announcing it won't fund upstream oil and gas projects after 2019 to a range of commitments from brown to green investments by companies joining the Global Big Shift campaign.

In a major initiative, the World's No.1 polluter, China, this week announced plans to start a market-based carbon-trading system, initially in over 1,700 power-generating firms, to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius and aiming to cut greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels.

Taking the lead, French President Emmanuel Macron this month called "The One Planet" summit in Paris -- the birthplace of the Paris Agreement -- to mark its second anniversary, to speed up development of decarbonisation pathways by nations and to do something serious about climate mitigation and adaptations.

Observers say the summit was both a celebration of the historic achievement of the Paris Agreement and an opportunity for the countries that are willing to go further and faster in transitioning their economies to demonstrate the action they are taking.

"President Macron deserves a lot of credit for marking the second anniversary of the Paris Agreement by getting world leaders together. The climate challenge needs more than a single champion, but President Macron is certainly doing his bit," British charity Christian Aid's Senior Climate Change Advisor, Mohamed Adow, told IANS.

At The One Planet summit, more than 200 civil society organisations from nearly 60 countries released a letter calling on multilateral development banks, including the World Bank Group, and G20 governments to end public financial support for fossil fuels by 2020 at the latest.

With the US government withdrawing funds to deal with climate change, such as the $2 billion pledge to the Green Climate Fund, the European Union announced nine billion euro climate finance contribution at The One Planet summit to achieve climate goals.

In a related announcement at the summit, 225 of the most influential global institutional investors, with more than $26.3 trillion in assets under management, launched a new collaborative initiative to engage with the world's largest corporate greenhouse gas emitters to step up action on climate change.

The Paris gathering took place less than a month after the successful conclusion of the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn (COP-23) in November and was the first in a series of international summits to help countries to raise the bar and bolster their national climate action plans  crucial to achieving the Paris Agreement's goals.

Interestingly, Trump is continuing support to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, one of the most successful international environmental treaties that celebrated its 30th anniversary in Montreal last month.

India, a signatory to the Protocol since 1992, has been proactive in compliance and played a key role in achieving the historic Kigali Amendment last year for phasing down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), powerful greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.

The parties to the Montreal Protocol committed $540 million for the developing nations during the joint 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Vienna Convention and the 29th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol that were held in Canada last month.

And the US alone will take a nearly 25 per cent share of the total funding.

"We've seen incredible support for the Kigali Amendment, and much of this is due to the fact that we've also had strong support from businesses," UN Environment head Erik Solheim told IANS. "The process is proceeding very well and financial support for the mechanism has also been very strong. As such, I'm optimistic that this trend will continue," Solheim added.

At the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, India reiterated provisions for finance  both for adaptation and mitigation  and technology transfer for climate actions from the developed nations.

A day after a major victory for India and developing countries on climate action before 2020 that the developed world agreed to discuss in subsequent two years, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan told IANS that provisions for finance, technology transfer and capacity-building support to developing nations are critical.

Stressing that COP-23 was crucial as it would set the stage for the 2018 Facilitative Dialogue, accelerate pre-2020 action and firm up the modalities for implementing the Paris Agreement, he said India has undertaken ambitious mitigation and adaptation action.

The Centre for Science and Environment's Deputy Director, Chandra Bhushan, however, believes this year was a damp squib as far as global environmental negotiations and actions are concerned.

"There is a big gap between the global action required and the collective action of countries to address issues like climate change. In 2017, this gap was further widened with the withdrawal of the US from the Paris Agreement; 2017, therefore, was a damp squib as far as global environmental negotiations and actions were concerned," Bhushan, who was given the Partnership Award by UN Environment last month for providing policy and research support to the negotiations during the Kigali Amendment, told IANS.
Washington: US President Donald Trump's legal team is standing by its prediction that a central part of the probe into Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election will conclude quickly, the media reported.

Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow reasserted in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Monday that the parts of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe involving Trump would end soon, though he did not mention specific dates, The Hill magazine reported.

"I know we, collectively, the lawyers, are looking forward to an expeditious wrapping up of this matter," Sekulow said.

A spokesman for Mueller's team declined to comment on the report.

Experts have said it was unlikely that the special counsel's probe will wrap up anytime soon, given the scope of the investigation that has reached into the upper echelons of the White House.

Mueller's team has brought charges against four individuals in the Russia probe, most recently Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty on 1 December to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Trump's lawyer weighed in on the probe on Monday as the president celebrated Christmas at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.

Over the weekend, Trump ratcheted up his feud with FBI leadership, swiping at deputy director Andrew McCabe and former FBI director James Comey.

In one tweet, Trump appeared to weigh in on a Washington Post report that said McCabe planned to retire in the coming months after receiving his full pension benefits. "FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!" Trump tweeted.
Brussels: The Russian authorities' decision to bar Opposition leader Alexei Navalny from running in next years presidential election raises questions about the vote, the European Unions foreign service said in a statement on Tuesday.

The central election commission said on Monday Navalny was not eligible to run in the 18 March election due to a suspended prison sentence. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and says the case is politically motivated.

The decision "casts a serious doubt on political pluralism in Russia and the prospect of democratic elections next year," the EU's External Action Service, or EEAS, said in a statement.

"Politically-motivated charges should not be used against political participation," the EEAS said. It urged the Russian authorities "to ensure that there is a level playing field" in the presidential vote in March and in all other votes.

The EEAS said that Navalny was denied the right to a fair trial in his prosecution in 2013, according to the European Court of Human Rights, to which Russia is a signatory.

Polls show President Vladimir Putin is on course to be comfortably re-elected, meaning he could remain in power until 2024. Navalny has been jailed three times this year and charged with breaking the law by organising public meetings and rallies.

The European External Action Service (EEAS), set up in 2009, runs a network of diplomats around the globe, drafts policy papers for EU foreign ministers and is led by the EUs top diplomat Federica Mogherini, who visited Moscow in April this year.
Moscow: Russia is ready to act as a mediator between North Korea and the United States if both parties are willing for it to play such a role, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

Moscow has long called for the two sides to hold negotiations aimed at reducing tensions over the nuclear and missile programme North Korea is pursuing in defiance of years of UN Security Council resolutions.

Russias readiness to clear the way for de-escalation is obvious, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a phone call with reporters.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Monday for Washington and Pyongyang to start negotiations, saying Russia was ready to facilitate such talks.

Though US diplomats have said they are pursuing a diplomatic solution, President Donald Trump has said Pyongyang must commit to giving up its nuclear weapons before any talks can begin.

The UN Security Council unanimously voted to impose new sanctions on North Korea on Friday in response to its recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, a move North Korea called an act of war, tantamount to a complete economic blockade.
Islamabad: Pakistan plans to adopt American and European-style surveillance to keep tracking the foreigners visiting the country, according to a media report.

In the latest meeting of an intra-provincial committee, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan should adopt a tracking system being used by the US and European countries to keep an eye on foreigners, the Urdu language Express News reported.

There is a dire need of having such tracking system which will be helpful in monitoring the movement of foreigners, the minister said.

Asif made the remarks after the secretary of the ministry of foreign affairs raised the issue of Afghan students studying in various seminaries in Pakistan, it said.

The secretary briefed the committee on the links of these students with militancy in Pakistan on which the national security advisor said there should be surveillance of all such students and on expiry of their visit visas they should be sent back to their homeland.

The secretary said they are closely monitoring the situation and might change the visa regime very soon.

In April, then interior minister Nisar Ali Khan had ordered the immediate suspension of issuance of visas on arrival to foreigners to avoid any irregularities in the database.

He had also ordered the Ministry of Interior to revise and update visa rules.
Davao: Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte vowed on Tuesday to get to the truth about a blaze in his home city that killed 37 call centre workers.

He said he made the promise during a meeting on Monday night with the families of those killed in a shopping mall fire in the southern city of Davao.

"I assured them... that the truth will  let the truth come out," Duterte said. "That is what they are asking for. Just the truth of what happened."

The justice and labour departments have ordered separate investigations into Saturday's blaze.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre has said his office would investigate the fire with a view to bringing criminal charges.

The fire broke out in the four-storey NCCC Mall shortly before it opened to shoppers. But it killed 37 people working in a 24-hour call centre for US-based market research firm SSI on the top floor.

At a Davao hospital Tuesday families of the dead waited in a silence broken only by occasional sobs as government workers tried to identify the charred remains before releasing them to relatives.

Social welfare officers said that so far, five bodies had been turned over.

Rhen Muyco recalled the last message his 25-year-old daughter Renzi Nova sent the family as the fire raged on Saturday.

"Ma, there is a fire here. If something happens to me, I love you all," the phone message read.

Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello said Tuesday his office was launching an inquiry separate from the justice department's investigation.

"We just want to find out the cause of the fire and if there was compliance with safety and health standards," he told AFP.

The Associated Labor Unions said the high death toll and the extent of the blaze suggested that rules on fire exits, sprinkler systems and other safety measures had not been followed.

Mall administrators have denied that fire exits were inadequate or blocked.

Deadly blazes occur regularly in the Philippines, with fire safety rules often disregarded due to corruption or exploitation.

The fire was just one of a series of tragedies that turned the usually festive Christmas season in the Philippines into one of grief for many.

At least 240 people were killed, with over a hundred still missing, when Tropical Storm Tembin struck the country's main southern island of Mindanao on Friday, causing floods and landslides throughout the weekend.

On Monday 20 people were killed in a road accident in the northern Philippines as they headed for a traditional Christmas mass.
Parachinar: A suspected United States (US) drone attack along the Pakistani-Afghan border killed an Islamist militant commander from the Taliban-allied Haqqani Network, a Pakistani official and two members of the Haqqani group said.

The Pakistani official said it was not immediately clear whether the missile struck on the Afghan or Pakistani side of the border. The members of the network and an eyewitness reached by Reuters said the incident took place inside Pakistan.

There have been multiple suspected United States drone strikes in the mountainous border region separating Pakistans Kurram Agency from Afghanistan since United States president Donald Trump took office in January.

Trump has taken a hardline stance on Pakistan, which he says provides safe haven to terrorists including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network carrying out attacks in Afghanistan.

Tuesdays suspected drone attack targeted the vehicle of a militant commander named Jamiuddin, said the Pakistani official, who is based in the area, speaking on condition of anonymity, added that it also killed an associate of the commander.

A senior member of the Haqqani network told Reuters: Maulvi Jamiuddin was our trusted man. He was part of our organisation and used to facilitate our fighters during their movement inside Afghanistan.

He added that Jamiuddin was travelling in his car in Pakistans Kurram region and that none of his associates were killed in the attack.

Jamiuddin stopped the car...for conversation on his cellular phone when the drone fired two missiles and killed him on the spot, another Haqqani member said.

Rehmanullah, a resident of the area who uses only one name, said he saw the strike near the Mata Sanghar area of Kurram Agency, across from the Afghan province of Paktia.

I saw two missiles hit the vehicle and the people inside were killed, he told Reuters by telephone.

An increase in drone strikes that hit inside Pakistani territory is one of the steps United States officials have said could be taken if Islamabad does not end safe havens for militants.

Pakistan has sought to play down several recent drone strikes inside the border, with officials saying they were on the Afghan side even though local residents said they were in Pakistan.

In October, three suspected strikes in two days killed 31 people who officials said belonged to the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network, allied to the Taliban.

Those attacks came days after a Canadian-American couple held hostage by the Taliban were freed from the area in Pakistans northwest, striking a rare positive note in the countrys often-fraught relations with the United States.
Popular chipset maker Qualcomm has received permission to test autonomous vehicles on public roads in California in its efforts to enter the self-driving car market. Californias Department of Motor Vehicles has issued the permit authorizing testing for one vehicle and three drivers.

Back in September, Qualcomm announced the 9150 C-V2X chipset which lets cars communicate with other cars as well as infrastructure like traffic lights. This technology is said to be working alongside the chipset that is dedicated to autonomy by improving safety. Qualcomm has already begun field trials of Ford vehicles with companys chipsets in San Diego County and the company will also expand to Michigan, China, Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Qualcomm technology is currently aimed at telematics and infotainment systems. The company has also had plans to acquire NXP, which sells several automotive components, however, the deal never got sealed. Apart from Qualcomm, Nvidia also has the permit to test self-driving cars in California which it got just over a year ago, Samsung joined the list earlier this year. Nvidia has several automotive partners, including Tesla, Toyota, and Volvo.

Nakul Duggal, Qualcomms vice president of product management for automotive said: We certainly expect to be a key player in the autonomous space. However, he declined to comment about the companys products and its products that could enable autonomous driving.

Source | Via
OPPO has opened its first ever flagship OPPO Store in Shanghai with an aim to create communication between the brand and its customers. In the newly opened store, customers are free to explore the wide-range of OPPO products. The company also introduced R11s New-Year edition that will be available at the flagship store.

Customers are free to explore the products and they can also make purchases if they feel satisfied with any of the available products. The company also mentioned that it gradually scale up its retail presence in the days to come and Shanghai is the first to get. Apart from just product display, the OPPO Flagship store lets you mingle with friends by clicking photos without any boundaries and norms.

The OPPO R11s New Year edition packs the exact same specifications as the original R11s. It packs 6.01-inch (21601080 pixels) Full HD+ 18:9 AMOLED display and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-Core processor with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. It runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat with ColorOS 3.2. The device will be available in the Flagship store along with many other OPPO products.

Commenting on the same, Alen, Vice President of OPPO, said:
Home-furnishings brand Pier 1 has become the latest U.S. store to succumb to the retail apocalypse after revealing Monday it would file Chapter 11 bankruptcy and pursue a sale.

The company cited the bankruptcy filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Richmond, Virginia, due to slowing sales, and added that it would complete the closure of up to 450 store locations, including all its stores in Canada, that it announced earlier this year.

In recent months, we have taken significant steps forward in our business transformation and cost-reduction initiatives, Robert Riesbeck, Pier 1s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer said in the statement. Todays actions are intended to provide Pier 1 with additional time and financial flexibility to unlock additional value for our stakeholders through a sale. We are moving ahead in this process with the support of our lenders and are pleased with the initial interest as we engage in discussions with potential buyers.

To date, the brand has closed or launched store-closing sales at more than 400 locations.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % PIR n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. AMZN AMAZON.COM INC. 3,049.44 +26.60 +0.88%

Pier 1 is just one of a growing number of retailers closing their doors as consumers lean away from traditional brick-and-mortar shopping in favor of buying online. The rise of e-commerce outlets like Amazon has made it harder for physical retailers to attract customers and forced companies to change or adopt new strategies.

FOX Business breaks down which brands closed stores or filed bankruptcy in recent months.

Abercrombie & Fitch

The chain has closed hundreds of store locations over the last few years while placing an increased emphasis on online sales and smaller retail formats. In May, Abercrombie & Fitch said it would close three flagship store locations, including one in New York, and redesign 85 others.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % ANF ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. 31.67 -4.18 -11.66%

Aerosoles

The New Jersey-based womens footwear company filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and announced plans to move forward with a significant reduction of its retail locations. While its unclear how many of Aerosoles 88 locations will be affected, the chain said it plans to keep four flagship stores in New York and New Jersey operational, NJ.com reported.

American Apparel

A fashion brand known for its edgy offerings, American Apparel shuttered all of its 110 U.S. locations in 2017 after filing for bankruptcy. The brand has since been acquired by Canada-based Gildan Activewear, which bought its intellectual property in an $88 million deal.

BCBG

The Los Angeles-based brand listed liabilities of more than $500 million when it filed for bankruptcy in February 2017. The chain closed 118 store locations nationwide that year, though more than 300 remained in operation under a company-wide reorganization.

Bon-Ton Stores Inc.

The struggling department store filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to court papers filed in February. The chain, which operates 256 stores in 23 states, also announced it planned to close 42 stores in 2018 as part of a restructuring plan.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % BONTQ BON TON STORES 0.0001 +0.00 +4,900.00%

The Childrens Place

A fixture at shopping malls, the childrens clothing retail said it will close hundreds of store locations by 2020 as part of a shift toward digital commerce.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % PLCE THE CHILDREN'S PLACE INC. 64.78 +5.88 +9.98%

CVS

The pharmacy retailer said it would close 70 store locations in 2017 as part of a bid to cut costs and streamline its business. CVS still operates thousands of stores nationwide.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % CVS CVS HEALTH CORP. 104.50 +2.46 +2.42%

Dressbarn

Dressbarn said it would close all of its approximately 650 store locations in the coming weeks, acknowledging that the chain "has not been operating at an acceptable level of profitability in today's retail environment."

Ticker Security Last Change Change % ASNA n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Dollar Tree

The discount retail chain said it would close as many as 390 of its Family Dollar stores around the country and convert roughly 200 others to Dollar Tree locations. The Family Dollar brand has struggled since it was acquired for roughly $9 billion in 2015.

Fred's

The discount retail chain said it plans to close an additional 104 stores by the end of June citing the move is a necessary step to restructuring.

Foot Locker

After reporting fourth-quarter earnings that were far better than expected, the sports retailer said it would close 165 stores in 2019 and invest to upgrade its remaining locations in a bid to boost margins and improve customer experience.

Forever 21

Retailer Forever 21 became the latest retailer to file for bankruptcy protection. The seller of womens, mens and kids clothing and accessories made the announcement September 29. As part of its restructuring strategy, the Company plans to exit most of its international locations in Asia and Europe but will continue operations in Mexico and Latin America., according to a company statement.

According to a court filing, Forever 21 has listed assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion to $10 billion. This was an important and necessary step to secure the future of our Company, which will enable us to reorganize our business and reposition Forever 21, said Linda Chang, Executive Vice President of Forever 21, Inc."

The Company also announced that its Canadian subsidiary filed for and was granted protection through the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Toronto.

Gap

At first parent, Gap said it would spin off its more successful Old Navy brand into its own company while closing about 230 Gap stores around the world, or roughly 50 percent. Fast forward to January 2019 and those plans have been scrapped. Old Navy will stay put under the Gap umbrella. In a statement, the retailer said that while the purpose of the spinoff was for "value creation" it no longer made sense to the board of directors, who determined the "cost and complexity of splitting into two companies, combined with softer business performance, limited our ability to create appropriate value from separation," said Robert Fisher, Gap Inc. interim president and chief executive officer.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % GPS GAP INC. 14.56 +0.74 +5.39%

Guess

Guess announced plans to close 60 of its struggling U.S. store locations in 2017 as part of a plan to refocus on international markets.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % GES GUESS? INC. 21.89 +1.50 +7.38%

Gymboree

The children's clothing retailer was expected to file for bankruptcy for the second time in two years, The Wall Street Journal reported this week. The company will shutter 900 stores and seek a potential sale of its other brands.

Hhgregg

The electronics retailer said it would close all of its 220 stores and lay off thousands of employees when it failed to find a buyer after bankruptcy proceedings.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % HGGGQ HHGREGG 0.002 +0.00 +199,900.00%

J.C. Penney

The department store chain closed 138 stores in 2017 while restructuring its business to meet shifting consumer tastes. The retailer also announced plans to open toy shops in all of its remaining brick-and-mortar locations. J.C. Penney plans to close 24 more stores in 2019.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % JCP n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

The Limited

After a brutal holiday season in 2016, the clothing chain closed all 250 of its physical stores in January 2017 as part of a bid to focus on ecommerce. The closures reportedly resulted in the loss of about 4,000 jobs.

Macys

At the start of the new year, Macy's announced it would close 28 stores. Before the doors could even shut on those locations, the retailer announced plans to close 125 department stores over the next three years as part of an effort to streamline its business and adjust to a difficult sales environment.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % M MACY'S INC. 26.11 +1.57 +6.42%

Michael Kors

With same-store sales plunging, the upscale fashion retailer said it would close as many as 125 stores to adapt to a difficult, promotional sales environment.

Payless

The discount shoe retailer will file for bankruptcy for the second time in two years later this month and close all of its approximately 2,300 stores in the U.S., Reuters reported, citing sources with knowledge of the situation. The company previously filed for bankruptcy in April 2017.

RadioShack

The once-prominent electronics outlet shut down more than 1,000 store locations in 2017. The brand now operates just 70 stores nationwide, down from a peak of several thousand.

Sears, Kmart

Sears Holdings is one of the most prominent traditional retailers to suffer in a challenging sales environment. The brand filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Oct. 15, 2018, and said it would close more than 140 of its 700 remaining stores as part of its bid to restructure its debt. The company is set to hold an auction in January to determine whether it will be sold to its former CEO, Eddie Lampert, or liquidate its remaining stores.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % SHLDQ SEARS HOLDINGS CORP. 0.02 +0.00 +12.68%

Signet Jewelers

The parent company of Kay Jewelers and Zales said it would close more than 150 stores locations in fiscal 2020 amid declining store traffic. Signet also closed 262 stores in fiscal 2019 as it looks to refocus its business on e-commerce.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % SIG SIGNET JEWELERS LTD. 71.92 +5.00 +7.47%

Shopko

The Wisconsin-based retailer cited a sizable debt load and "competitive pressures" in its decision to file for bankruptcy. The chain will close 38 stores and sell off its pharmacy business as part of a restructuring plan.

Topshop

The British retailer will close all 11 of its U.S. stores after its parent company, Arcadia Group, filed for bankruptcy.

Toys R Us

The venerable toy outlet filed for bankruptcy in September 2017 amid mounting debt and pressure from wary suppliers and was forced to liquidate its remaining stores and inventories in 2018. The company is currently out of business, though rumors of a comeback persist.

Victoria's Secret

Parent company L Brands announced in late February that it would shutter 53 Victoria's Secret store locations amid sagging sales, after closing 30 stores in 2018. The venerable brand is contending with shifting fashion tastes as rivals embrace inclusive and comfortable styles.

Wet Seal

The teen fashion brand shuttered its 171 stores in 2017 after previously filing for bankruptcy in 2015. Declining foot traffic at malls and pressure from competitors like Zara and H&M contributed to Wet Seals demise.

FOX Business' Thomas Barrabi and Shawn M. Carter contributed to this report.
Craft breweries are raising a glass to the Republicans new tax overhaul: It cuts the excise tax on beer. Retailers, long saddled with heavy tax bills, will get relief. So will some high-profile names in corporate finance, led by Wells Fargo.

The tax measure that President Donald Trump signed into law Friday distributes benefits across a range of American industries, from construction to health care.

As a general rule of thumb, everybodys doing well under this bill, Martin Sullivan, chief economist at Tax Analysts, says of U.S. companies. When you give out a trillion in tax breaks, its hard to create a lot of losers.

No wonder the stock market has been roaring in anticipation of fatter after-tax corporate profits. The new law slashes the corporate tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent. It applies a low one-time tax to the profits that corporations have long kept overseas to avoid paying taxes under the current higher rate.

It also delivers a windfall to people who pay personal taxes on business earnings. It lets companies immediately write off the full cost of new equipment. And it showers goodies on some individual industries, such as craft brewers, distilleries and wineries.

The reasoning behind shrinking the tax burdens of corporations is to free up money for companies to invest in buildings, equipment and people and thereby juice the economy  and, in turn, benefit workers. Yet mainstream economists have expressed mainly doubts that workers will benefit much from corporations lower tax burdens.

In dollars, the biggest tax savings from 2018 through 2027 go to manufacturers: $261.5 billion, according to an analysis by the University of Pennsylvanias Penn Wharton Budget Model. Next-most-fortunate are insurance and finance companies ($249.4 billion) and retailers ($171.4 billion).

Supporters of the Republican tax bill point out that Americas 35 percent corporate tax is one of the highest among advanced economies. But the tax code is so riddled with loopholes that few corporations have actually paid that list price. Without the new law, the effective tax rate across all industries would have been 21.2 percent next year. With it, the effective rate across industries drops all the way to 9.2 percent in 2018, according to the Penn Wharton Model.

Not all industries have gained equally from loopholes. Retailers, for example, would have paid a 27.5 percent rate in 2018; under the new law, theyll pay just 15.6 percent.

The tax bill is a big shot in the arm for retailers, who have traditionally paid taxes at nearly the full amount, says Matthew Shay, CEO of the National Retail Federation.

Shay says he thinks the bill will help retailers accelerate investment in e-commerce and mobile technology. He also predicts that the bill will induce foreign-owned retailers to shift investment dollars into the United States.

Finance and insurance companies would have paid an effective corporate tax rate of 26.1 percent next year. Now, it will be 14.3 percent. Analysts at Goldman Sachs have estimated that the tax law will boost big-bank earnings per share by 13 percent next year. The top beneficiary will be Wells Fargo, which has been dogged by scandals over cheating customers. It will enjoy an 18 percent earnings surge in 2018, Goldman estimates.

Technology companies like Apple and Googles parent Alphabet Inc. can now catch a break on profits theyve stored abroad. Under current law, corporations must pay the U.S. corporate tax on overseas earnings, but not until they return the money.

So tech companies have kept a big chunk of profits overseas  $669 billion worth at the end of last year, according to Moodys Investors Service.

The tax overhaul imposes a discounted one-time levy on those earnings  15.5 percent for earnings held in cash or other liquid assets and 8 percent for earnings held in harder-to-sell assets. That means tech companies can return the money the United States with less of a tax burden. But their employees may not have cause to rejoice: CFRA analyst Scott Kessler predicts that tech companies will use most of the money they repatriate to buy back their stock and pay shareholder dividends.

The tax bill let craft brewers cross something off their longstanding wish list: The federal excise tax they pay will be halved to $3.50 a barrel on the first 60,000 barrels. Wineries and distillers also get tax breaks.

At COOP Ale Works in Oklahoma City, founder Daniel Mercer forecasts a tax windfall of about $60,000 next year. The 8-year-old brewery, which has quadrupled its staff to 31 in the past 2 years and whose annual revenue has reached $5 million, was already planning to invest $2 million in equipment. The tax savings will contribute to that project and also helps with building tap rooms, and tap rooms are a really high-margin source of revenue, Mercer says.

The tax plan also benefits owners of pass-through businesses, who pay personal income tax on business earnings: It lets them deduct 20 percent of the first $315,000 in earnings. The pass-through provision will help Esther Novis, who owns the Young Scientists Club, a company in Jamestown, Rhode Island, that sells science kits and other toys that encourage children to dabble in science.

Margins in the toy industry are very small, Novis says. If theres more money left over because we pay less taxes, we can be a little more competitive and invest in new products.

Like many Americans, Peter Koehl of Skullduggery Inc., a toy maker in Anaheim, California, isnt yet familiar with the details of the tax changes.

As with most government actions, we hope for the best and brace for the worst, Koehl says. I can confidently tell you that a significant percentage of any windfall will be invested in things that either increase sales or efficiencies.
"A stock dividend is something tangible -- it's not an earnings projection; it's something solid, in hand. A stock dividend is a true return on the investment. Everything else is hope and speculation."  Richard Russell.

Many investors love owning dividend stocks as they pay shareholders real money at consistent intervals. These companies are often very stable cash-printing machines that offer investors some sense of safety. But without eye-popping dividend yields, some great companies are overlooked, including The Hershey Co. (NYSE: HSY) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE), which fall short of the requirements for many dividend watchlists.

Moving on up

On Monday, Pfizer made a move its investors are sure to enjoy as it announced a 6% increase to its dividend payment to $0.34 per share. That's a very solid 3.6% dividend yield, even if not an eye-popping 4% to 6% yield that many income investors hunt for. Minus a cut during the past recession, Pfizer's dividend track record is impressive: The first-quarter 2018 dividend will be the 317th consecutive quarterly dividend paid out. But wait, there's more. In addition to the 6% increase to the dividend, Pfizer also announced that the board of directors authorized a new $10 billion share repurchase program in addition to the $6.4 billion remaining under the current authorization.

Pfizer's increasing dividend and massive share repurchase program emphasize its commitment to returning value to shareholders, but the company also offers investors a strong business with upside. Pfizer's scale alone offers competitive advantages for developing its pipeline of new drugs, and it has historically generated tons of cash flow from a diverse range of drugs. That pipeline should only get more lucrative for investors as its Xeljanz gains traction in immunology and Ibrance develops into a winner for breast cancer.

While 2017 was a solid year for Pfizer, some investors expected more of a splash in the form of acquisitions that never materialized. Despite no major acquisitions, Pfizer is a cash-printing machine that dishes a lot of value back to investors through dividends and share buybacks, and if 2018 contains a splash acquisition, it could help drive the stock price higher.

Better for you

Everyone loves a good snack, and over its 85-year history, Hershey has dominated much of the U.S. chocolate market with brands that include Reese's and Kit Kat, in addition to its namesake Hershey's brand and many others. But consumers in general, especially millennials, are looking for healthier snacks, and as we approach 2018, it's clear that Hershey is trying to capitalize on that opportunity to expand its brand portfolio.

The "better-for-you" snack opportunity is why Hershey announced it would be acquiring Amplify Snack Brands (NYSE: BETR), a snack-food company focused on developing healthier snacks such as its well-known Skinny Pop brand that will become Hershey's sixth largest brand. The deal is valued at $1.6 billion, or roughly 15 times Amplify's full-year adjusted EBITDA.

It's a move that can move the needle in the near term as management expects the acquisition to be accretive to adjusted earnings in the first year post closing, and for annual run-rate synergies to check in at $20 million over the next two years alone. The move helps Hershey expand its reach into the snack aisle and gives it an opportunity to reignite growth by helping Amplify improve its scale, distribution, and brand management.

While investors wait for Hershey to continue gobbling up opportunities in the healthier snack market, rest assured that management will continue to return value through dividends and buybacks, as you see in the graph above. Hershey is committed to a dividend payout ratio of at least 50%, and it has dished out roughly $5 billion in dividends and repurchases over the past decade. At a current dividend yield of 2.3%, and as management expands through acquisitions, Hershey is a sweet dividend stock many investors overlook.

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French authorities have launched a judicial probe in a tainted baby milk scandal in which several million products were recalled over fears of salmonella contamination.

A judicial official said Tuesday the Paris prosecutor's office opened a preliminary investigation for "endangering lives of others," ''unintentional injuries by negligence" and "aggravated fraud."

The official wasn't authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.

The probe is targeting French diary giant Lactalis, which has apologized to customers and said tests confirmed a salmonella outbreak at one of its production sites in Craon in western France after renovation work earlier this year.

French health authorities have said 31 infants across France contracted salmonella in recent months within days of consuming baby milk made in the Craon factory. None died, though 16 were hospitalized. All are OK now.

The recalls affected about 30 countries.
Talk-show host Tavis Smiley isn't just upset with PBS for firing him on sexual misconduct charges. He's upset about his depiction in the media.

Smiley believes that if he hadn't talked publicly about romantic relationships with subordinates at his company, the behavior that led to his downfall, the public would make little distinction between him and those who have been accused of sexual assault or rape.

Conflation of different forms of misbehavior  the idea itself is controversial  is one of the issues facing media organizations covering the fast-moving story of sexual misconduct that went into overdrive with investigations into Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein's behavior.

"The media is painting with too broad a brush," Smiley said. "We have lost all sense of nuance and proportionality in how we cover these stories."

Actor Matt Damon was torched for broaching the topic recently. He told ABC News that all accused men shouldn't be lumped together because there's a spectrum of behavior. There's a difference between a pat on the rear and child molestation, he said.

"Both of those behaviors need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldn't be conflated, right?" he said.

Actress Minnie Driver called Damon tone-deaf. Actress Alyssa Milano, who began a cultural movement by urging other women who have been harassed to proclaim #MeToo on social media, tweeted in reply that victims are hurt by all forms of misconduct. All are evidence of misogyny.

Still, as the rush of stories about misbehavior slows down  if it slows down  the point Damon raises will loom larger. Debate over the consequences of Sen. Al Franken's groping continues despite his resignation. The New York Times noted the difficulties in deciding whether to fire reporter Glenn Thrush following documentation of his unwanted drunken advances on women. Thrush was suspended and stripped of his White House beat.

The New York Daily News groups many of its stories about misconduct allegations under the tag "Perv Nation." The newspaper makes clear that not all allegations are the same, said Daily News executive Rebecca Baker, also president of the Society of Professional Journalists.

However, she said, "I don't think the media can tell people what to think or stop people from conflating things."

Society is in the midst of a debate over changing norms of behavior that's very intense and not very organized, said Nicholas Lemann, former dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Distinctions can fall by the wayside with the temperature so high, he said.

"It's a good way for society to change its values," Lemann said. "It's a bad way to protect individual rights."

In Smiley's case, PBS agreed that his history of dating subordinates was the central issue in his firing. But a PBS statement also spoke mysteriously of "other conduct," giving no other details in order to protect the privacy of people who complained about him.

An unwillingness, or inability, to specify behavior that results in discipline can contribute to conflation. In firing reporter Ryan Lizza, the New Yorker magazine cited "improper sexual behavior." Lizza said his bosses mischaracterized "a respectful relationship with a woman I dated." Her lawyer disputed this, saying the relationship wasn't respectful, but wouldn't say why.

A television news producer recently dismissed because of his behavior is concerned that he will be lumped in with bad-behaving media men like Matt Lauer or Charlie Rose, and had his lawyer issue a statement saying his client was never "accused of any physical contact, language of a sexual nature or any sort of lewd conduct."

But how he's judged is ultimately out of his control, since neither employer nor employee will publicly say what the person actually did that cost him his job.

Early stories on misconduct cases  think the Times and New Yorker on Weinstein, The Washington Post on Rose and Roy Moore  were meticulously reported and have proven airtight. The challenge for news organizations is maintaining that rigor with more women coming forward to tell their stories and the pressure for scoops ratchets up.

"If you don't have one of these things really nailed down, it's a very bad thing for you," Lemann said. "Whoever gets one of these things wrong, it's going to be very embarrassing."

The story has already led to some unorthodox decisions. Vox.com assigned a woman who alleged harassment by Thrush, who said the incident still made her angry, to report and write on accusations by her and others. Having someone with a clear personal stake report such a sensitive story would make many news organizations squeamish, although no substantive questions have been raised about her work.

Conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt wrote in The Washington Post about rough justice being dispensed by the media, "much of it deserved." Even the worst offenders deserve due process, he said. It isn't easy or quick  but other victims are watching, wondering whether it is safe to speak out.

"Rarely does media have such a complicated job with stakes as high as these," he wrote.
Now that the GOP has passed its sweeping tax reform legislation, which is expected to alter tax rates for millions of Americans, it may not be too long before some employees see those changes reflected in their paychecks.

Its expected that the Treasury Department will come out with withholding tables in January, [so] employees might see the effect in [their] paychecks in February, Pete Isberg, vice president of government relations at payroll services firm ADP, told FOX Business.

President Donald Trump said Americans could expect bigger paychecks beginning in February, which may hold true for those who will both experience reduced rates under the new tax system and have taxes withheld from their weekly income. The IRS withholding tables will come out once the agency has reviewed the approved legislation in its entirety, which includes massive changes to the current infrastructure. Those changes will then be processed and integrated by payroll companies and employers.

Isberg, however, pointed out that it could take longer for certain employers depending on their arrangements. While employers who use a big payroll processing firm like ADP may have an easier time with the transition, employees at small businesses or other companies may have to wait a bit longer for the changes to be fully implemented, Isberg noted.

Not every payroll processor is as calm about the pending changes as ADP. The American Payroll Association (APA), which represents 21,000 members and 17,000 employers, wrote a letter to Congress in early December saying that its members were already starting to panic about having to implement herculean changes in such a short amount of time.

Whatever version of this tax reform measure is enacted will not make minimal changes to the tax system, the letter read. It will turn much of the system, especially the payroll withholding infrastructure that is the underpinning of our entire economy, upside down.

One potential snag, cited by both Isberg and APA, is employee forms. All employees may need to submit entirely new W-4 forms in accordance with the revamped tax law, which eliminates exemptions, in order to request withholding taxable income. That task, realistically, cannot be accomplished at the very start of the year, Isberg said, so that is one area where his firm is working with the IRS on a potential compromise. There could also be some additional responsibilities placed on employees to make sure the data is collected quickly and accurately, he added.

Meanwhile, the APA letter asked Congress to provide transition relief for U.S. employers throughout the coming year.

ADP, which is responsible for one out of every six paychecks for U.S. workers, said that while the timing isnt the most convenient, it is not be the first time changes have been enacted just before the beginning of a New Year.

Weve been through this many, many times, Isberg said.
A media mogul whose company owns three beleaguered newspapers picked a Christmas quarrel with his newsroom union when he appeared to stuff his own stocking with a $15 million consulting deal.

Tronc Chairman Michael Ferro, whose company owns the LA Times, Chicago Tribune and New York Daily News, awarded himself $15 million in consulting contracts, upsetting the Los Angeles Times newsroom union in the process.

According to an SEC filing, Ferro hired Merrick Media  which is also owned by Ferro  for a deal that pays $15 million over three years to provide certain management expertise and technical services.

The deal seems to indicate he is paying himself an additional $5 million per year through 2020, and the Los Angeles Times Guild was not pleased with the news.

It mocked Ferro in a posting to its website. The additional cash would cover the cost of his sleek Bombardier jet and any other luxury travel he chooses to indulge in, according to the Guild.

In fact, Ferro gets the money even if he never takes to the skies again  or leaves the house. This is all according to a SEC filing that Tronc clearly timed for the Friday afternoon before Christmas, the Guild continued.

The filing states the annual fee of $5 million will be paid in cash, in advance on the first business day of each calendar year. The deal doesnt specifically state what Merrick Ventures will actually do.

It essentially replaces the leasing arrangement in which Tronc paid Ferros Merrick Ventures for his own use of the jet. That act of plundering cost Tronc -- and its newsrooms -- $4.6 million between February 2016 and last September, the Guild wrote.Ferro is now free to spend nearly twice that amount per year on the jet or anything else he desires. And he wont have to break out the travel expenses on future SEC filings.

The Los Angeles Times Guild organizing committee has asked Tronc to allow NewsGuild, the organization that represents our journalists at The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Reuters and the Associated Press, to recognize NewsGuild as its representative.

The Guild also did a little math to support why it is so upset with Ferro and his timing might not be so great, as the union is seeking to win approval from Los Angeles Times newsroom employees in a vote on January 4.

This is a historic moment for this newsroom, capping months of conversations on what we can do to safeguard the future of the Los Angeles Times and its journalists, the Organizing Committee said in a statement.

If Ferro flew first class on a commercial airline, instead of on a private jet that costs $8,500 an hour, his sacrifice;' would go a long way toward giving us decent raises each year, while lowering our healthcare premiums and restoring our accruable vacation pay. And hed still have plenty of legroom, the group wrote.

The Guild also claims that Tronc executives pay themselves more than their counterparts: at similar media companies such as The New York Times and Gannett despite layoffs and budget cuts throughout the company.

Hypocrisy at its highest point, the group wrote.

The Jan. 4 vote will be conducted via secret ballot and counted on Jan. 19.

All of those Tronc executives also have employment contracts  which means their wages and benefits are guaranteed in writing. And yet theyre fighting to keep you from negotiating a Guild contract, the Guild wrote. Lets stop the looting of The Times by voting yes for the Guild on Jan. 4.
What a royal headache.

The British government is in a tizzy that Prince Harry and fiancee Meghan Markle reportedly want to invite former President Barack Obama to their spring wedding, according to The Sun. The government fears that President Trump will take it as a snub, according to a report Tuesday.

Harry has made it clear he wants the Obamas at the wedding, so its causing a lot of nervousness, The Sun reported, citing a senior government official. Trump could react very badly if the Obamas get to a royal wedding before he has had a chance to meet the Queen.

The relationship between Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May has been a rocky one, with the leaders lashing out at one another during a number of controversies.

Most recently, May chastised Trump, calling him wrong for retweeting anti-Muslim videos posted by a far-right British group in November.

And while the prince bonded with the Obamas during the Invictus Games in September in Toronto, his bride-to-be referred to Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign as divisive and misogynistic.

The Sun reported that May could have the final word on whether the president will be on the guest list for the May 19 wedding.

Click here for more on this story from The New York Post.
An employee at a chicken processing plant in Minnesota has been convicted of intentionally contaminating chicken and causing a massive poultry recall in 2016.

According to Food Safety News, in June of 2016 the Minnesota-based GNP Company had to recall almost 56,000 pounds of Goldn Plump and Just BARE branded chicken after it was found to be contaminated by sand and black soil. After an investigation, 37-year-old Faye Slye of Cold Spring, Minnesota, reportedly confessed to contaminating chicken with plastic bags of dirt and sand shed filled from the plants parking lot.

Slye was reportedly filmed by the companys surveillance cameras, and there was dirt and sand from the parking lot on her sleeves.

Slye has been convicted of two counts of causing damage to property in the first degree, a felony, and shes been sentenced to 90 days in prison. She will also be on probation for five years, and she also has to pay $200,000 to the company in restitution for causing the recall. The tainted products were reportedly shipped to foodservice and retail operations nationwide, and nearly 28 tons of poultry had to be recalled and destroyed instead of ending up on someones plate.
As we prepare for 2018, many of us are getting ready to make resolutions to change something about our lives in the new year. Search the phrase new year resolution ideas on Google without the quotation marks and youll find millions of lists of things you can resolve to do.

If youre able to read all these lists you might want to resolve to find something better to do with your great abundance of free time.

If youre too busy to read millions of lists, let me save you a lot of time. Just make this one resolution: resolve to tell yourself the truth about a very important topic  yourself. Most of us dont do that.

Im not suggesting that were compulsive liars  that every word coming out of our mouths is a fib, or like Jack Nicholsons Col. Nathan Jessep in A Few Good Men that we cant handle the truth.

Rather, Im saying that many of us bury ourselves alive under in a pile of lies. The result? We keep ourselves from reaching our true potential. We never discover the maximum level of happiness we could attain or the maximum level of service we could perform.

Were usually much better at being honest with others than we are at recognizing the truth about our own lives.

Here are the three most common lies we tell ourselves about ourselves, along with the price we pay for living with those untruths and the benefits that would accrue to us if we faced the facts.

Lie #1: Its not that bad.

Yes, it is.

Whether its a relationship with a spouse or child, or a job, our weight, our health, or any other significant part of our lives, were often afraid to acknowledge reality when its painful, difficult or unsatisfying.

Yet things cant get better until we get real with ourselves about whats going on.

In Alcoholics Anonymous, the first step in quitting drinking is acknowledging that one has a drinking problem. Until then, all the group meetings in the world wont do a bit of good.

Similarly, until we can tell ourselves the truth about how unhappy we might be with a relationship, a job, our home, or any other vital circumstance of our lives, theres no way anything can change.

Weve got to tell the truth about the parts of our lives we wish we could sweep under the rug, because as any competent therapist will tell you, there is no rug. Things can only get better when you admit how bad they are  if, in fact, things arent good enough.

Youve got only one life on this Earth. So how much longer will you put off happiness and success, however you define those terms?

Lie #2: Its not going to get any better.

Your future has nothing to do with your past, the great motivator Tony Robbins tells us. Thats true, but only if youre willing to accept the idea that things can get better.

Ask anyone who dropped 25 pounds and finished her first 10k run. Or the person whose career, company or industry got downsized, who retrained and got a new job, and who is now happier  maybe even making more money than ever before.

The truth is that things can get better, but only if we commit to making changes. Things dont get better by themselves. As the old saying goes, you can only coast downhill.

If unhappiness motivates you to make a change in your life, its been called divine dissatisfaction. If you are willing to use that unhappiness as a lever for improvement, amazing things can happen.

Are you willing to work to bring about the change you want to see? If you are, then your future has nothing to do with your past.

Lie #3: I cant because Im  (fill in the blank: too old, too young, too busy, not smart enough, discriminated against, whatever).

When you say these things, you are acting like a con artist. And you are the primary victim of your con. Mostly out of fear, we construct imaginary limitations around ourselves. We use these self-imposed limits to keep us from getting ahead  like an invisible wall blocking our progress.

This invisible wall keeps us from opening that new business, registering for that class, saying yes to that person who wants to date us, hire us, marry us or whatever.

Look in the mirror and paraphrase President Reagans famous 1987 speech at the Berlin Wall by telling yourself: Tear down this wall!

When President Reagan said those words, few people expected the Berlin Wall would come down in the foreseeable future. But in November 1989 the gates opened and demolition of the wall began. In in the same way, you can make the invisible wall holding you back come crashing down.

Rabbi Naftali Bier  co-founder of the Kollel of Greater Boston, a Jewish educational institution  says that God created every human being for a purpose. If we arent living our purpose, we suffer and the world suffers.

Its time to stop playing small. Its time to stop hiding behind our age, gender, race, appearance or limitations  real or imaginary. Plenty of people of all types have succeeded, once they overcame their internal defeatism.

So never buy into the negative mindset telling you that youre too  something to succeed. You were made too marvelously to believe a lie like that.

As the year draws to a close and people start draw up New Years resolutions, most dont resolve anything  because they have already bought into one, two or even all three of the lies listed above.

But if you resolve to tell the truth to yourself about yourself  the whole, unvarnished, warts-and-all truth about what needs to change in your life and what you want to do next  amazing things can happen. Growth, change, happiness and success can all begin.

But if you resolve to tell the truth to yourself about yourself  the whole, unvarnished, warts-and-all truth about what needs to change in your life and what you want to do next  amazing things can happen. Growth, change, happiness and success can all begin.

And above all, remind yourself of the core truth: you were created in Gods image. That advantage can help you overcome just about every disadvantage.

Have a happy, healthy, abundant and all truth-filled New Year!
One of the nations most prestigious liberal arts colleges is advancing a queer theology agenda with hopes of destabilizing traditional beliefs about what the Bible says about gender and sexuality.

Swarthmore College, founded by Quakers, is offering courses in queering the Bible and queering God. The courses were first reported by Campus Reform.

Queering the Bible is a one-credit class that surveys queer and trans readings of biblical texts.

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By reading the Bible with the methods of queer and trans theoretical approaches, this class destabilizes long held assumptions about what the Bible  and religion  says about gender and sexuality, the course description reads.

The schools religion department is also teaching a class that questions the sexuality of the Almighty called, Queering God: Feminist and Queer Theology.

The God of the Bible and later Jewish and Christian literature is distinctively masculine, definitely male. Or is He? the course description reads. If we can point out places in traditional writings where God is nurturing, forgiving, and loving, does that mean that God is feminine, or female?

Key themes of that particular class include exploring the tensions between feminist and queer theology and examines feminist and queer writings about God.

Critics blasted the colleges religion courses and suggested they were meant to undermine Christianity.

This is about sanitizing and neutralizing the prohibitions on homosexual acts that Scripture unequivocally condemns, one observer noted online.

The president of Truett-McConnell University, a conservative Christian school in Georgia, accused Swarthmore of prostituting the Bible.

If there were a list entitled, Best Snowflake Colleges in America, I am quite certain that Swarthmore College would be near the top of the list, Dr. Emir Caner told the Todd Starnes Radio Show. Keep in mind, this is an institution of higher learning that has produced such accomplished politicians as failed presidential candidate Michael Dukakis.

While I am not surprised that lost people would so prostitute Scripture, perhaps there is a rainbow at the end of the storm when the student comes across John 3:16 and recognizes Gods unconditional love for them through Jesus Christ, Caner said. Perhaps such an open-minded student will recognize the conviction of the Holy Spirit over the noise of liberal indoctrination, bow their knee to the One True Living God and be transformed.

Dr. Robert Jeffress, the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas and a spiritual advisor to President Trump, warned about the spiritual dangers of twisting Gods word.

In suggesting that God is queer Swarthmore College is guilty of nothing short of modern day idolatry, Jeffress told the Todd Starnes Radio Show.

When you read the Bible you will discover that God reserved His harshest condemnation for individuals and nations that practiced idolatry  creating an imaginary god who conformed to a cultures immorality, Jeffress said.

Swarthmore College did not return my calls seeking comment. Nor did they respond to a question about whether they had read the Book of Revelation, Chapter 22, Verse 19.

I also inquired about whether the religion department will be offering courses on Queering Mohammed or Queering the Koran.

Something tells me they wont be respond to that query either.
President Donald Trump and members of his family wrapped up Christmas at their Mar-a-Lago club on Monday, while also spreading some holiday cheer by providing a feast to the various law enforcement and military service members protecting the first family during their visit.

I hope everyone is having a great Christmas, then tomorrow its back to work in order to Make America Great Again (which is happening faster than anyone anticipated)!" the president tweeted in the evening, after a day with his family.

Earlier on Christmas morning, the president and first lady Melania Trump released a video message, with Mrs. Trump saying "at this time of year, we see the best of American and the soul of the American people." President Trump added his own remarks, calling on Americans to "renew the bonds of love and good will between our citizens and most importantly we celebrate the miracle of Christmas."

For Christians we remember the story of Jesus, Mary and Joseph that began more than 2,000 years ago. As the book of Isaiah tells us, for to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. This good news is the greatest Christmas gift of all, the reason for our joy and the true source of our hope.

His Monday remarks re-emphasized the Christmas comments he made on Sunday night, when he appeared to take credit for what he views as his successful role in making the holiday merry again.

People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again, the president tweeted on Christmas Eve. I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Meanwhile, administration sources confirmed to Fox News that the president also provided and paid for hundreds of Christmas dinners served up to the U.S Secret Service agents and officers, military service members and Palm Beach County sheriff deputies who were working Christmas Day at Mar-a-Lago.

Described as a Christmas feast," served in the Mar-a-Lago ballroom, the buffet meal included a menu of turkey, stuffing, potatoes and dessert. The buffet was offered from the early afternoon into the evening, in an effort to cover two of the shifts for security personnel working the holiday.

Earlier in the morning, the first lady snapped a festive and widely circulated selfie on social media. Using a Snapchat filter, the image showed her wearing a Santa hat with illuminated, flying reindeer and the caption #MerryChristmas.

The president had on otherwise quiet official day on Monday. He was briefed earlier in the day about a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed at least six people. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.
A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday ruled that a challenge to President Trumps voter fraud panel does not have the legal standing to move forward.

In a U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit opinion, Judge Stephen Williams did not rule on the merits of the case but instead said the plaintiff -- the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) -- is not a voter and therefore has no legal standing to sue for alleged violations of the 2002 E-Government Act.

EPIC has suffered no informational or organizational injury from the defendants attempt to collect voter data without first producing an assessment, Williams wrote.

The privacy-rights group had sought to sue Trumps controversial election integrity commission, alleging the panel violated federal law by gathering massive amounts of information on the countrys registered voters.

Several privacy watchdogs have spoken out against the panel and have questioned whether the information gathered would be kept safe from hackers. They also raised concerns that the data could be used for nefarious political purposes like voter suppression.

The Trump administration argues that collecting large quantities of voter data is legal because the panel is not a federal agency and doesnt have to do an impact assessment to show whether it violates privacy rights or not.

EPIC countered that because the panel operates as part of the General Services Administration  a federal agency  it must prove its not infringing on the privacy rights of millions of Americans before it can act.

The voter fraud commission is led by Vice President Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. It has asked all 50 states and D.C. to hand over publicly available data from state voter rolls and sensitive information about voters.

Virginia, Kentucky and California are among states that have said they wont comply.

The commission also has been a frequent target of civil and voting-rights groups which argue there is no definitive evidence of widespread voter fraud in the United States.

Kobach disagrees, and has described the fears about voter suppression as baffling.
President Trump on Tuesday blasted the so-called dossier  which was compiled during the 2016 campaign and contained salacious allegations against him  as a pile of garbage and accused the FBI of relying on it to go after his campaign.

The president weighed in on Twitter, in response to a Washington Times report that was discussed on Fox & Friends.

WOW, @foxandfrlends Dossier is bogus. Clinton Campaign, DNC funded Dossier. FBI CANNOT (after all of this time) VERIFY CLAIMS IN DOSSIER OF RUSSIA/TRUMP COLLUSION. FBI TAINTED. And they used this Crooked Hillary pile of garbage as the basis for going after the Trump Campaign! he wrote.

The Washington Times reported that the FBI, while not repudiating the dossier, has acknowledged its central charges are unsubstantiated.

Congressional Republicans have been investigating how much federal investigators relied on the dossier, and specifically whether they used it to justify a surveillance warrant against ex-Trump adviser Carter Page. Former British spy Christopher Steele compiled the document, after being hired by Fusion GPS -- an opposition research firm that got funding from the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

Fox News reported last week that during a closed-door session with the House Intelligence Committee, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe stood by the documents credibility but, when pressed to identify what in the salacious document the bureau had corroborated, cited only the fact that Page had traveled to Moscow. Beyond that, investigators said, McCabe could not even say that the bureau had verified the dossiers allegations about the specific meetings Page supposedly held in Moscow.

TRUMP SLAMS MCCABE

Trump also has stepped up his criticism of McCabe in recent days, in tweets posted over the weekend from his holiday retreat in Mar-a-Lago. Responding to a Washington Post report that McCabe plans to retire early next year, he wrote:

FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!
The year that began with the narrative of Trump-Russia collusion is ending with an unexpected plot twist  the Trump administration is confronting and cracking down on Russia on several fronts, a development drawing praise from some of the presidents biggest critics.

Allegations that Trump associates helped Moscow meddle in the 2016 campaign havent gone away. But the administration still has demonstrated a willingness to challenge Russia in ways that even former President Barack Obama avoided.

Significantly, the administration has approved a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine.

The new arms include American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles that Ukraine wants to boost defenses against Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Previously, the U.S. provided equipment and training, letting private companies sell some small arms like rifles. Obama had considered sending lethal weapons to Ukraine  but left office without doing so.

Trumps decision comes after the State Department and Pentagon signed off earlier this year.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert issued a brief statement on the development stressing that the assistance is entirely defensive in nature.

Meanwhile, the administration last week also imposed sanctions on five Russians under the Magnitsky Act, passed by Congress in 2012 in response to the death of Russian whistleblower Sergei Magnitsky.

The additions include Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Chechnya. The Treasury Department said Kadyrov oversaw disappearances and extrajudicial killings and is believed to have ordered the killing of one of his political rivals. Kadyrov, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was widely believed to have already been on a classified list of U.S. sanctions targets.

Both administration decisions won praise from lawmakers often critical of Trump.

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Fox News Sunday that he supports the decision on weapons for Ukraine.

It's a clear message to Russia that we will not allow them to continue to compromise the sovereignty of Ukraine. Russia will continue to push as far as they can. It was important for the United States to tell Russia that we will support Ukraine's ability to defend itself, Cardin said.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Armed Services Committee, issued a statement calling the move a significant step in the right direction that is years overdue.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., also called the sanctions decision a good step in the right direction, in an interview with The Daily Beast.

There still may be a disconnect between Trumps public tone toward Russia and the actions of his administration.

Speaking to reporters while visiting Vietnam in November, Trump said its very important to get along with Russia and other countries. Asked about the meddling allegations, Trump said he thinks Putin truly feels he did not meddle in the U.S. election  and suggested its time to look forward.

What he believes is what he believes. What I believe is we have to get to work, Trump said. I feel that having Russia in a friendly posture, as opposed to always fighting with them, is an asset to the world and an asset to our country, not a liability.

TRUMP UNVEILS NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY

Trump and Putin continue to communicate regarding common challenges, including terrorism. Earlier this month, Putin personally thanked Trump for a CIA tip that helped thwart an attack in St. Petersburg.

Russia, meanwhile, railed against the recent Ukraine decision, with a top diplomatic official telling the state RIA Novosti news agency that the U.S. move raises the danger of derailing the process of peaceful settlement in Ukraine.

While Trump did not mention election meddling during his public address last week outlining his administrations new National Security Strategy, the document itself holds little back.

It accuses actors such as Russia of using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies.

The strategy also accuses China and Russia of challenging American power, influence, and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity, while looking 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.

Signs of an increasingly combative situation with Russia began emerging earlier this year. In late August, the administration ordered Moscow to close posts in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and New York City.

The decision was in retaliation for Putin kicking out more than 700 U.S. diplomats  after Trump, reluctantly, signed a sanctions law passed by Congress.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
One of the most transformative years in the federal judiciary began with uncertainty and ends on a political high note for President Trump.

The White House, after winning confirmation for Neil Gorsuch to fill the Supreme Court seat held by the late conservative icon Antonin Scalia, has moved with record speed to fill vacancies on the lower federal courts  a surefire way for a president to help cement his legacy.

As of mid-December, 19 of Trump's 66 total nominees this year have been confirmed by the Senate.

By comparison, then-President Barack Obama had made only 26 choices  including Justice Sonia Sotomayor  half of whom were confirmed by mid-December 2009.

The impact under Trump is especially being felt on the appellate level, which could act as insurance of sorts if those judges are more inclined to support his policies as they face legal challenge across the country.

"The importance of this dramatic reshaping of the entire federal court system cannot be overstated," said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Fox News contributor. "While it is easy to focus on the U.S. Supreme Court, lower and appellate court judges will make decisions that impact ordinary Americans on a daily basis for decades to come."

It has not been all smooth for the Trump team. Three nominees were withdrawn by the White House in recent days after questions were raised about their record and temperament. In a confirmation hearing that essentially went viral, then-nominee Matthew Petersen stumbled repeatedly under questioning as he acknowledged not knowing basic trial court terminology, essential if he were to be a trial judge, say legal experts.

Yet, with 143 current vacancies -- almost half of them considered "judicial emergencies" with shorthanded courts and heavy caseloads -- more opportunities await the new president in the new year.

ANOTHER SUPREME DECISION?

Of those opportunities could be another early-term Supreme Court appointment.

With the unusually influential help of outside advisers, Trump made an immediate impact on the country just 11 days after taking office in 2017, choosing Justice Gorsuch to fill Scalias Supreme Court seat. The 50-year-old Colorado native -- and youngest justice -- quickly displayed that promised "reliable" conservative record.

Now, White House aides are quietly hopeful they might soon get another chance to move the shaky conservative majority on the bench solidly to the right.

"If a vacancy should arise again, this White House is going to be ready to go. They already have a working list of candidates to fill a seat. They've been through the process once before," said Thomas Dupree, a former top Bush Justice Department official and now an appellate attorney. "So I would say, take the Gorsuch model, and do it again."

Trump might get the chance as early as spring, when retirement announcements from the high court are typically made. Justice Anthony Kennedy -- a moderate-conservative and powerful deciding vote on so many hot-button issues -- tantalized Washington last summer, amid unfounded rumors he would step aside after three decades. The tight-lipped 81-year-old senior associate justice still has given no public indication he is ready to go.

TRUMP ADDS 5 NAMES TO SCOTUS NOMINEE LIST

But Trump already has a list. When Gorsuch was selected, he was among a list of 21 names then-candidate Trump promised he would rely on exclusively to complete the high court. The list of possibles has since expanded to 25, with the latest four added in November.

'The importance of this dramatic reshaping of the entire federal court system cannot be overstated.'  former House Speaker Newt Gingrich

Among those newly added was Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who sits on the same high-profile D.C. appeals court as Merrick Garland  the Obama pick stalled and sidelined by Republicans. Three current justices (and Scalia) came from that appeals bench. Government sources and court watchers say the 52-year-old Kavanaugh, a former law clerk for Kennedy, would be among those seriously considered for any near-term Supreme Court vacancy.

Also in the mix:

Judge Amul Thapar, 48, on the Cincinnati-based 6th Circuit federal appeals court. While still a district court judge, Thapar was interviewed in January by the president for the Scalia seat, and would become the first Asian-American Supreme Court justice.

Judge Thomas Hardiman of the Philadelphia-based 3rd Circuit federal appeals court. The 52-year-old Pittsburgh native was the remaining finalist for the seat Gorsuch now holds.

Judge Joan Larsen, also of the 6th Circuit, also was a former law clerk for Scalia, speaking at his memorial service. Some sources say Larsen, who turns 49 this month and served on Michigan's high court, may need some more federal bench experience before ever reaching the high court.

Judge Diane Sykes of the Chicago-based 7th Circuit appeals court, has long been a favorite of conservatives, having been considered for the high court in the Bush years. She too was a Trump high court finalist, but her age -- she turns 60 this month -- may be a factor for a president seeking a justice with a potentially longer tenure.

The planning, of course, all presumes a new vacancy will occur in Trump's first term. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, at 84 the oldest member of the court, has privately indicated she has no intention of leaving. Kennedy too may decide to stay for another year at least.

"He is aware, as we all are, that Trump promised to put justices on the court who would overturn Roe v. Wade, who would perhaps undermine equal rights for gays and lesbians," said Elizabeth Wydra, president of the Constitutional Accountability Center. "So he is not going to be eager to throw that legacy away. The best steward of Justice Kennedy's legacy is Justice Kennedy, and that will give him an impetus to stay on the bench."

VACANCY STARES

Conservative activists concede having Kennedy on the bench creates a measure of uncertainty into the new year, concerning whether many of the president's legislative priorities will survive judicial scrutiny.

The so-called "travel ban" cases are working their way through the appeals process and could reach the justices this spring. The third version of Trump's immigration and visitor policies includes a ban on travel into the U.S. from six mostly Muslim countries. The case could be major test of executive authority over foreign policy and immigration.

Other pending court challenges where Republicans on Capitol Hill and the White House could face court setbacks include gun control, gerrymandering, religious freedom, abortion, transgender servicemembers in the military, and the war on terror.

But those issues may have a harder time reaching the justices if the various lower courts speak with one voice on such hot-button disputes. Since the Supreme Court is a purely discretionary body -- taking only those cases it wants to resolve, and typically only when there are differing legal interpretations in the lower courts -- many issues remain on the judicial back burner.

That, legal experts say, puts a priority on Trump ensuring the 874 federal judgeships with lifetime tenure remain mostly right-leaning. And they have so far, with the Senate's help. Gone is the 60-vote, filibuster-proof threshold required to confirm judicial candidates. Gorsuch benefitted from a simple 51-vote majority to earn his seat, after rule changes engineered by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky..

Many advocacy groups on the left remain frustrated.

The judicial nominations process is spinning out of control under the Trump administration," said Nan Aron, president and founder of the Alliance for Justice. "It is disgraceful that in their stampede to rush through as many judicial nominees as possible, Republican partisans on the Judiciary Committee continue to trample basic standards for nominees, longstanding Senate practice and their own Democratic colleagues."

Trump has given credit for his third branch successes to several mostly obscure conservative legal minds, who provided outside resources and advice during the Gorsuch selection and confirmation drama. That includes Leonard Leo, who took a leave of absence from the Federalist Society to be the president's private point man on all things judges. He says Trump would be ready if given another chance to burnish his legacy.

"I think it's important the president and the Republican Party continue to pick individuals to the Supreme Court who are really committed to the ideals that Justice Scalia stood for. Those play well with the American people, those are the right ideals for moving the court forward, and that worked" with the Gorsuch confirmation, Leo told Fox News.

When it comes to the selection process, "The president is very entrepreneurial, he's always open to new ideas. But I think the Gorsuch nomination tells you everything you need to know about what he's looking for, and that I don't think will change at all."
It was a holiday weekend, but President Donald Trump and rival Bernie Sanders didnt exactly exchange greeting cards.

Instead, the political foes clashed via Twitter over the nations new tax legislation, which Trump signed into law Friday.

Today, it was my great honor to sign the largest TAX CUTS and reform in the history of our country, the president tweeted, soon after signing the $1.5 trillion bill.

On Saturday, Trump touted the plan as the culmination of a successful first year in the Oval Office.

The Tax Cut/Reform Bill, including Massive Alaska Drilling and the Repeal of the highly unpopular Individual Mandate, brought it all together as to what an incredible year we had, he tweeted.

Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, prefaced his weekend tweets by posing a question Thursday.

Doesnt it tell us a lot about Republican priorities, Sanders asked, when the tax breaks for corporations are permanent, while the tax cuts for working families expire at the end of 8 years?

Then on Saturday, Sanders poked fun at reports that Trump had told friends during a Mar-a-Lago dinner in Florida on Friday night that, You all just got a lot richer.

At least Trump is finally telling the truth about his tax bill, Sanders wrote.

That same day, however, the president reminded his Twitter followers:

The Stock Market is setting record after record and unemployment is at a 17 year low. So many things accomplished by the Trump Administration, perhaps more than any other President in first year.

Then Sunday, Sanders presented alternatives for what the U.S. could have done with the $1.5 trillion value of the tax legislation.

What we could do with $1.5 trillion:

-Make college tuition-free

-Provide universal preschool

-Repair our crumbling infrastructure

-Fund CHIP for 107 years

-Rebuild Puerto Rico

What Republicans did:

-Give tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations.

Sanders added, in a separate tweet:

If I were the Republicans, I would worry very much about 2018, referring to next years mid-term elections.

But Trump seemed unfazed by any talk of problems at the polls for the GOP. As he tweeted Saturday:

Remember, the Republicans are 5-0 in Congressional races this year.
Disney has started updating the security policies at several of its resorts in Walt Disney World.

Guests staying at one of the three monorail hotels  the Grand Floridian, Polynesian and Contemporary resorts  near the Magic Kingdom have already experienced the tighter security policies, which include the removal of the Do Not Disturb door sign. The markers have been swapped out for Room Occupied signs that will alert maintenance and staff that guests are currently in their rooms, but will not stop Disney staff from coming in.

DISNEY WORLD SLAMMED FOR 'HORRIBLE' ANIMATRONIC TRUMP THAT 'LOOKS LIKE JON VOIGHT'

The sign accompanies another new policy that requires Disney employees to enter each hotel room at least once a day to ensure the safety and security of guests and property, Walt Disney World News Today reports.

Under the old rules, employees would pass by rooms marked with the Do Not Disturb sign. However, now Disney says the hotel and its staff reserve the right to enter your room for any purpose including, but not limited to, performing maintenance and repairs or checking on the safety and security of guests and property.

Though guests will no longer have the option to keep staff out, the company assures that its guests will be given notice prior to entering the room by knocking and announcing that they are coming in, WDWNT reports.

Some have reportedly hypothesized that the tightened security measures are a response to the Las Vegas shooting at Mandalay Bay that claimed the lives of 58 people earlier this year. According to WDWNT, the monorail resorts have similar vantage points into crowded areas. However, Disney officials have not made any statement as to why they are introducing the new policies.

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The changes are expected to roll out to other Walt Disney World Resort Hotels in the coming weeks, but some Disney guests are already balking at them.

We bought a motor home when I retired because of all the security issues, a Disney guest told the Associated Press. Like, you never know when somebody can come in your room when youre not in your room.
Christmas may be over, but these flight attendants voices will be remembered well into the new year.

Two flight attendants spread seasonal cheer around the world by belting out classic Christmas songs to busy holiday travelers  to much applause.

Virgin Australia flight attendant Bethany Sagg kicked off the holiday celebrations last week by alerting passengers to an announcement over the PA system, and then launching into a stunning rendition of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Once Sagg quietly starts the song, those waiting for their plane in the Melbourne, Australia lounge can be heard quieting down in the background to pay attention to the attendants incredible voice.

SOUTHWEST PASSENGER WOWS WITH SURPRISE SONG AND DANCE

Meanwhile, in Houston, TX, Southwest Airlines flight attendant Charise Miles gave those traveling over the busiest weekend of the year something to sing along to.

Miles won over stressed holiday travelers with her strong delivery of Ill be Home For Christmas  which earned her many rounds of applause and several victorious whoops while she sang. But Miles wasnt just singing to cheer up the passengers.

The 42-year-old flight attendant told ABC News, I went through a divorce in 2012 and I was so depressed during the holidays. In 2012 I made a vow that I was not going to sit home and be depressed during the holidays, so I picked up trips to work during Christmas so I can sing my way through Christmas.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Suzi Pitts, one of the travelers waiting to board, told ABC News that once Miles started singing, everyone "stopped and turned and couldn't believe what we were hearing -- how beautiful!"'

"It was just a joy, Pitts continued. When we were taxiing in after landing she sang [again] to us ... and everyone just erupted in applause.
Erika Crooks remembers the day well. On Memorial Day weekend four years ago, she, her husband and their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter went to a local Target near their home in Elk Grove, Calif., to purchase barbecuing supplies. When they returned, their home was engulfed in flames.

It was like an out-of-body experience, Crooks, 33, told Fox News. You see fires on TV and are desensitized to them. But you never know when it's going to be your home.

It was a last-minute decision that saved Crooks and her family from the flames; she and her husband decided to make the trip to Target a family outing, opposed to one of them staying home with their young daughter, she said.

It was like an out-of-body experience."  Erika Crooks

Crooks family, who had only been living in the house for five months, watched their home burn for roughly seven hours before the fire was contained. The fire marshal on duty that day told Crooks that it was an exterior fire, most likely sparked by something flammable thrown into a trashcan near their home.

I was shocked, frightened and saddened, she said. I wanted to run in and grab pictures and my daughters favorite blanket -- material things that you take for granted.

Crooks family lost a lot that day. But thanks to a $100 gift card from the California Fire Foundations SAVE program, they were able to buy food and pajamas for their daughter that night.

The foundation works with local fire agencies to provide immediate, on-site assistance to families that have suffered a residential loss of at least 25 percent, according to its website.

It also provided assistance to those who were impacted by the wildfires in Southern California, which scorched hundreds of thousands of acres, destroyed more than 1,000 structures and forced more than 200,000 people to evacuate at the height of the fires.

The foundation gave roughly 500 gift cards to Southern Californians who were affected by the wildfires, Lou Paulson, chairman of the California Fire Foundation, told Fox News.



Here's how the wildfire victims have been helped so far.

President Trump approves California's disaster declaration

On Jan. 2, President Trump declared that a "major disaster exists in the state of California." He also ordered federal assistance to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by wildfires, mainly in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties where the Thomas Fire has hit the hardest.

Certain non-profit organizations were also eligible to receive funds, according to a statement from the White House.

Trump previously declared a state of emergency in California on Dec. 8, which allowed federal assistance to supplement the state and local response to the fires. His declaration was in response to a letter from California Gov. Jerry Brown. Los Angeles, Ventura, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Riverside counties will receive federal assistance.

More specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency, the emergency management agency said in a statement. Emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, was also provided at 75 percent federal funding.

United Way of Ventura County

In a partnership with the American Red Cross of Ventura County and the Ventura County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services, the United Way of Ventura County started the Thomas Fire Fund to assist community relief efforts in the county, which was primarily been impacted by the Thomas Fire. This wildfire -- which is now the largest in the state's history -- has scorched more than 281,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,000 structures.

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army Ventura Corps accepted food, water and money donations to help those who were impacted by the wildfires, especially those who were evacuated to the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Up until Dec. 9, the organization served a combined total of 4,619 meals to evacuees at the fairgrounds and at Nordhoff High School in Ojai, Calif., which also served as a temporary evacuation center.

The Red Cross

Roughly 615 people who were forced to leave their homes due to the wildfires sought refuge at the 13 Red Cross community shelters in Southern California.

Go Fund Me

Many individuals started fundraising campaigns on Go Fund Me in light of the wildfires.

California Community Foundations Wildfire Relief Fund

The California Community Foundation's Wildfire Relief Fund provides immediate and long-term wildfire recovery efforts. Since 2003, the fund has raised $3.5 million to support relief and recovery efforts.

More specifically, the fund supports those who have suffered long-term mental or health issues as a result of wildfires, helps to rebuild homes and provides financial assistance to victims, among other things.

L.A. Kitchen

L.A. Kitchen provided meals to firefighters and displaced wildfire victims.

Humane Society of Ventura County

The Humane Society of Ventura County housed more than 100 animals due to the wildfires. At the time, they were in need of basic animal supplies such as: cat food, alfalfa, hay, water troughs, hoses, flashlights and rabbit food.
The Chicago Police Department is getting sued for rewriting rules on officers' use of stun guns  without input from the citys police union.

Police are now deterred from using stun guns on people who are running away, intoxicated, or vulnerable to injury.

The tightened policy follows an August investigation by the Chicago Tribune on the department's reliance on the devices, the newspaper reported Monday.

Following controversies from officers alleged misuse of force, Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson overhauled the departments policies and introduced the rules in May and enacted them in October, the report said.

Critics assailed the policy as being too permissive, while the union representing rank-and-file cops argued the department did not have the right to change the rules without its input, the report said.

Consequently, the new policies face a pending challenge from the union. It filed a complaint with the Illinois Labor Relations Board, arguing that the department violated the unions collective bargaining rights by implementing new rules without negotiating, the Tribune reported.

Craig Futterman, a University of Chicago law professor, is suing the police department over its practices, and said the new policy does not go far enough. He told the newspaper that advising officers to avoid shocking people with a stun gun in certain situations is a half-measure.

They still refuse to stop telling ... officers that its OK to Taser people who pose no immediate threat to anyone, he said. You need hard and fast rules on this.

Taser is a brand of stun gun manufactured by Axon, an Arizona company.



On the other hand, Geoffrey Alpert, an expert on use of force and a criminal justice professor at the University of South Carolina, lauded the departments move, but said it will be worth little without solid training, supervision and discipline.

The rule changes also come as Chicago police have acquired more stun guns. Frank Giancamilli, a spokesman for the Chicago Police Department, told the newspaper that the department had 745 in 2015 and has about 4,000 now.

Click here for more from the Chicago Tribune.
Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said she was an "easy target" and alleged racism may be behind accusations she received preferential treatment on a United Airlines flight last week.

The Texas congresswoman sent a series of Tweets on Tuesday reposting her statement about the Dec. 18 incident, in which she said she and and a flight attendant, both African Americans, were seemingly an easy target. She originally released the statement Friday on Facebook.

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 wrote on Twitter. This saddens me, especially at this time of year given all of the things we have to work on to help people.

The controversy erupted after passenger Jean-Marie Simon was informed by a gate attendant that her ticket was not in the system while she was attempting to board a flight bound for Washington D.C. After denying that she canceled her flight, the airline gave her a $500 voucher and reseated her in the Economy Plus section in row 11.

WOMAN CLAIMS UNITED GAVE HER SEAT TO DEMOCRAT REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

Simon later realized Jackson Lee was sitting in her original first class seat and claimed Jackson Lee received preferential treatment. She alleged that after she complained and snapped a photo of Jackson Lee in her seat, another flight attendant sat next to her and asked if she was going to be a problem.

The lawmaker, however, maintained in her statement that she did nothing wrong and said she didnt ask for anything exceptional or out of the ordinary and received nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary.

Jackson Lee said she wasnt directly involved in the incident but saw a disruption by an individual walking back and forth in the cabin.

I could overhear her speaking with a flight attendant (an African American woman), she said. I saw the gate agent go to the seat of the individual who was walking back and forth before we took off.

The lawmaker concluded by apologizing to the woman if it is perceived that I had anything to do with this.

AIRLINE APOLOGIZES TO WOMAN WHO SAID HER FIRST-CLASS SEAT WAS GIVEN TO TOP DEM

But as an African American, I know there are too many examples like this all over the nation, she added. I hope one day, we will accept our collective diversity.

United Airlines denied preferential treatment and told Fox News that their records showed that Simon canceled her flight from the mobile app after it was delayed for weather.

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, the company said in a statement.

Simon denied canceling her ticket. In response to Jackson Lees statement, Simon told the Houston Chronicle that she had no idea who was in my seat when I complained at the gate that my seat had been given to someone else.

There is no way you can see who is in a seat from inside the terminal, she added.
A Kentucky man has been accused of harboring a vicious animal after a Christmas Eve pit bull attack in which a woman was killed and her husband injured.

Bell County deputies determined after an investigation that the two pit bulls who "savagely attacked" Lorriane Saylor, 66, and her husband in Arjay Sunday morning belonged to their neighbor, Johnny Dale Lankford, 42.

Johnny Saylor manged to shoot the dogs afterward, killing one of them. The second dog, which was shot in the chest, ran off and wasn't found until Monday afternoon, when deputies were notified that the dog had returned home. Deputies and an animal control officer put down the dog.

Lankford was told of the charge at the Bell County jail, where he is being held on separate charges of assault, domestic violence, unlawful imprisonment and an outstanding warrant. Those charges were brought in connection with an arrest Friday.

Records show Lankford was still locked up Tuesday in lieu of $25,000 bond.

Saylor died after suffering massive injuries to her neck, face and shoulder in the attack, WYMT-TV reported.

Johnny Saylor was attacked when he stepped outside to look for his wife.

They had my brother halfway out the door, chewing on his arm, James Saylor told the station.

He said he distracted the dogs long enough for his brother to run back inside and grab a gun.

Deputies said the Johnny Saylor shot the dogs with a .22 caliber pistol.

He was bitten on his head, arm and hand.

Vicious Christmas Eve Pit Bull Attack Leaves Kentucky Woman Dead, Husband Injured

James Saylor lived next door to his brother and ran to help when he heard barking. He knew the dogs.

Id seen them, but I didnt think theyd be mean like that, he told the station.

Bell County Coroner Jay Steele said he has known Lorraine Saylor and her husband for nearly 30 years.

"They were just a super nice couple and I can't even begin to put myself in his shoes, it's overwhelming the circumstances and what he found," Steele told the station, referring to the husband.

He said the couple were the type of persons who worried more about neighbors and friends than she did herself.

They're just a very giving couple, he said.
It was a Christmas (Eve) miracle for an American icon.

Jeff Woods, a lieutenant at the Charles County Sheriff's Office and bird handler, was called to help a full-grown female bald eagle, which was found lying on the side of a road in La Plata.

According to the sheriff's office's Facebook page, Woods captured the eagle with a net and transported her to the Owl Moon Raptor Center, a wildlife rehab that specializes in birds of prey.

Suzanne Shoemaker, the director of the Owl Moon Raptor Center, told Fox News in an interview on Tuesday that the bird may have fractured her coracoid, the bone that connects a birds shoulder to its breastplate and is critical for flight. She suspects that the bird flew into a power line.

The eagle is on her feet and is improving, Shoemaker said, adding that shes receiving supportive care and pain medication. Caretakers have also wrapped the bird's wing so it is immobile, she said.

The injured bird will be moved to Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, a wildlife rescue center in Delaware. Shoemaker said that this facility will be able to further care for the eagle, as Owl Moon Raptor Center, which receives roughly 200 raptors a year, primarily deals with emergency care before transferring the birds to other facilities.

If the eagle doesnt improve, there is a possibility she could be euthanized, she said, as caring for adult bald eagles is expensive and tricky. But Shoemaker isnt too worried.

If there's any hope, she will be given a full attempt to recover and be released," Shoemaker said. Im optimistic.
Police charged a Florida man with murdering his wife during a domestic dispute after they found her body on the couple's one-year anniversary.

The body of Lori Lynn Upthegrove, 51, was found on Christmas Even in a wooded area in Titusville, Florida. Her husband, Timothy Upthegrove, 53, has been charged with second-degree murder and was ordered held without bail.

The couple were involved in an argument at their home that become violent on Dec. 18, the authorities said in a statement. Lori was reported missing by her family members the following day.

After killing her, police say, Timothy put her body into the back of her vehicle and dumped it in the woods.

POLICE REMOVE WHITE NATIONALISTS' MEMORIAL FOR WOMAN SHOT BY SOMALI COP

Loris husband initially told investigators that he last saw his wife driving away from their home and later found her SUV abandoned at a gas station. He later changed his story, claiming that she had thrown her car keys at him.

According to posts on social media, the couple tied the knot on a Florida beach on Dec. 24, 2016.

Timothy Upthegrove has an extensive criminal record that includes past charges of domestic battery by strangulation, burglary, larceny, property damage, trafficking in stolen property, probation violations and contempt of court.

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office's arrest database includes 16 different mugshots for him from various years.
A memorial created by a white supremacist group to honor an Australian woman killed by a Somali officer last summer has been removed by Minneapolis police.

John Elder, a Minneapolis Police Department spokesman, told Minnesota Public Radio News that an officer cleared the memorial when the department learned it was displayed outside its headquarters.

"We cannot allow any memorial and anything like that to be put up at that location," Elder told the radio station.

In July, Justine Ruszczyk Damond, 40, was shot and killed by Officer Mohamed Noor after she called to report a possible sexual assault. Noors partner, Matthew Harrity, was reportedly startled by a loud noise near their squad car.

Damond died at the scene. No charges have been filed.

RELATIVES OF AUSTRALIAN WOMAN KILLED BY SOMALI-BORN MINNEAPOLIS COP CAST DOUBT ON INVESTIGATION

Identity Evropa, a white nationalist group founded in Northern California, said on its Twitter account it put up the memorial Friday. The group posted pictures of the memorial with a caption reading: One family will be having an incomplete Christmas this year. On Friday, Identity Evropa activists created a shrine for Justine Damond at the 5th Precinct in Minneapolis, MN, where her Somali-born killer -- whom a judge recently decided not to charge -- was assigned.

The group helped organize participants in the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August.

The memorial to Damond consisted of a framed portrait, candles, roses and signs reading, "United We Stand." The Star Tribune reported that only the extinguished candles remained on Saturday night.

Jacob Frey, Minneapolis mayor-elect, condemned the memorial.

I condemn the perpetrators and their tactics in the strongest possible terms, Frey said in a statement. Identity Evropa and those who share their values have no place in our city. Hate has no place in Minneapolis. Period.

Hennepin County Attorney Michael O. Freeman has yet to decide whether to file criminal charges against Noor. Freeman expressed frustration during a union holiday reception earlier this month, telling activists he did not have enough evidence to charge Noor and said investigators havent done their job.

He also suggested that Noors refusal to speak to investigators had put prosecutors in a difficult position.

MINNESOTA WOMAN KIDNAPPED AT GUNPOINT HOME SAFE, EX-BOYFRIEND STILL AT LARGE

"I have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, (that) the moment he shot the gun, he feared for his life. And he used force because he thought he was gonna be killed," Freeman said. "But I can't. He won't answer my questions because he doesn't have to, OK?"

Freeman later apologized to investigators and said his comments had been ill-advised.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A woman and two children have been shot and killed Monday during a potential domestic violence incident at a Phoenix apartment, officials say.

The suspect barricaded himself inside one of the apartment complexes, and after a few hours, began shooting at the officers, ABC 15 Arizona reported.

Police were able to secure the area and take the suspect into custody after a brief exchange of fire, the station reported.

Officers found two children, ages 11 and 10 months, deceased inside the unit.

The woman was discovered dead outside the apartment, the report said.

One officer injured in the shootout was rushed to the hospital and in stable condition, officials told the station.

Kristen Alexander, 26, had been sitting in a parking lot since the afternoon after arriving home from a trip to Ohio, the Arizona Republic reported.

"I can't believe it's Christmas and there's a shooting or whatever's going on. It's eerie. I feel bad for whoever is going through this," Alexander told AZFamily.com.

"We're just trying to go home and open presents, she said. But we can't get in there yet."

Residents told the Republic the shooting occurred in the northeast quadrant of the complex, and that the alleged shooter lived in a three-story unit.

"It's beyond crazy," resident Gibson Daoud said. "It's as sh--ty as it can get on Christmas Day."
A Utah man who donned body armor and brandished a "battle ax" was shot Christmas morning after threatening to detonate explosives and attack police officers, officials said.

Benjamin Dee Wilcken, 38, was arrested Monday after an hours-long standoff with police, FOX13 Salt Lake City reported.

Cedar City Police, Iron County Deputies and a SWAT team were reportedly dispatched to a home after receiving a call late Sunday night about a man threatening to harm himself in a house where children were present.

CHICAGO POLICE STUN-GUN POLICY CHANGES HAVE OFFICERS' UNION BALKING

Authorities attempted to negotiate with Wilcken after he allegedly threatened them and neighboring residents with explosives, which forced authorities to evacuate the surrounding area as a precaution. No explosives were found during a search of the home.

Two officers tried to subdue Wilcken with stun-guns after he allegedly threatened to hurt them with what he reportedly referred to as a battle ax, but, according to FOX13, Wilcken's military-style body armor protected him.

Police then shot Wilcken once in the chest. The standoff ended around 3 a.m. Monday when the suspect surrendered, the Deseret News reported.

Wilcken was reportedly taken to Cedar City hospital and treated for self-inflicted injuries that were non-life-threatening, and upon release from the hospital, was jailed at the Iron County Jail for second-degree felony complaints of assaulting a police officer and making threats against a person or property, in addition to misdemeanor complaints of disorderly conduct and intoxication.

2 VIRGINIA DEPUTIES SHOT RESPONDING TO DOMESTIC DISPUTE ON CHRISTMAS EVE

According to the Deseret News, Wilcken pleaded guilty in 2013 for assaulting an officer and attempting to drive under the influence.

Cedar City Police Sgt. Jerry Womack told the newspaper Wilcken was known to local police prior to Sundays incident.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tragedy struck for a woman who was hit by a car while walking to Christmas Mass in New York.

Police said Barbara Rizzi, 70, was struck by a 2016 Nissan four-door sedan shortly after midnight as she crossed a busy road in Patchogue, Long Island, on her way to church.

Rizzi was pronounced dead after a North Patchogue rescue squad took her to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center.

FLORIDA PLANE CRASH KILLS 5 IN CHRISTMAS EVE 'TRAGEDY'

No charges were filed against the 20-year-old Patchogue woman who was driving the car. She was not injured.

Suffolk County Police detectives say anyone with information about the crash should contact them at 631-854-8552.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Canada is moving to expel a Venezuelan diplomat from the country and strip his credentials in retaliation after his Canadian counterpart was kicked out of the South American nation.

The latest developments come after months of sanctions and criticism by Canada against Venezuela, which two days ago declared Canada's charge d'affaires persona non grata. They stripped him of his diplomatic credentials and barred him from returning to the country.

Officials from Canada and the United States have been increasing critical of President Nicolas Maduro's government for consolidating power and isolating the country's opposition parties ahead of next year's presidential elections.

Venezuelan national constituent assembly president Delcy Rodriguez accused Canadian diplomat Craig Kowalik of meddling in the country's politics and tweeting "rude and vulgar" comments about the nation.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday that Venezuela's ambassador to Canada, who had already been withdrawn by his government to protest Canadian sanctions, was no longer welcome in the country in response.

She also declared the Venezuelan charge d'affaires persona non grata.

"Canadians will not stand by as the government of Venezuela robs its people of their fundamental democratic and human rights, and denies them access to basic humanitarian assistance," Freeland said in a statement released on Christmas Day.

"We will continue to work with our partners in the region ... to apply pressure on the anti-democratic Maduro regime and restore the rights of the Venezuelan people."

Venezuela drew international condemnation on Wednesday when its pro-government constitutional assembly effectively stripped three of the country's most influential opposition parties of the right to participate in next year's presidential election.

It followed a threat by Maduro to punish the opposition groups for boycotting recent mayoral elections, protesting what they considered an unfair, rigged system run by a dictatorship.

Canada has already imposed sanctions against 40 key members of Maduro's regime since September.

Freeland said the officials had been implicated in "corruption and gross human rights abuses."

Economic sanctions are also being carried out by the Lima Group, a body made up of Canada and 11 other Latin American countries.

Freeland called Venezuela's decision to expel the Canadian diplomat a typical move by the Maduro regime, saying that efforts to restore democracy in the country have been consistently undermined.
A Chinese court has sentenced a prominent activist known as the Ultra Vulgar Butcher to eight years in prison for subversion.

The Tianjin No. 2 Intermediate People's Court found activist Wu Gan guilty of subverting state power and handed down his sentence Tuesday.

Wu was among the first activists and lawyers caught up in an intense crackdown by authorities that began in 2015. His case was heard in court in August after detention of more than two years.

Vaguely defined subversion charges are frequently leveled against human rights activists and perceived political foes of China's ruling Communist Party.

Wu had become known for attention-grabbing campaigns. In one, he posed for online portraits brandishing knives that he said he would use to "slaughter the pigs" among local officials who'd done wrong.
Mexican authorities have arrested a man suspected of ordering the March killing of journalist Miroslava Breach.

The National Security Commission said in a statement that the 43-year-old suspect was detained along with two others Monday morning in the town of Bacobampo, Sonora state.

It identified him as the head of a criminal gang with a strong presence of parts of Sonora and Chihuahua states.

Chihuahua Gov. Javier Corral alleged in a tweet that the man was the "intellectual author" of the murder.

Breach was a correspondent for the national newspaper La Jornada. She was shot eight times outside her garage in Chihuahua city the morning of March 23.

At least 10 journalists have been killed this year in the country, one of the world's deadliest for the profession.
A North Korean ambassador to the United Nations says the U.S. claim that Pyongyang was behind the Wannacry ransomware attack earlier this year is a baseless provocation and demanded Washington back up its accusations with evidence.

The North's U.N. ambassador in charge of U.S.-related issues says North Korea believes Washington is using the allegation to create an "extremely confrontational atmosphere."

Pak Song Il told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from New York late Monday: "If they are so sure, show us the evidence."

The WannaCry ransomware attack infected hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide and crippled parts of Britain's National Health Service in May.
An Egyptian court on Tuesday convicted a British woman of smuggling hundreds of powerful painkillers into the country, sentencing her to three years in prison.

The woman, 33-year-old Laura Plummer from Hull, has maintained her innocence since her arrest in October on arrival from Britain at Hurghada, a Red Sea resort city. She has insisted the Tramadol tablets were for her Egyptian partner, who suffers chronic back pain.

Tramadol is listed by Egyptian authorities as an illegal drug given its wide use as a heroin substitute. It's legal in Britain. Plummer's family says she had no idea that bringing the painkillers to Egypt was illegal. She did not try to hide them, they said.

The conviction came as a surprise since the hearing was supposed to be taken up by the argument of the defense. Plummer's lawyers immediately lodged an appeal.

Plummer, a shop worker, appeared in court on Monday, but the judged adjourned the hearings to Tuesday. Her mother, Roberta Sinclair, was in Hurghada for the trial.

Her sister, Rachel Plummer, said the family's hopes now hinged on the outcome of the appeal. "We're just hoping. Even half of that (three years' imprisonment) would be better. Anything less than three years. She doesn't deserve that."

The Plummers' local member of parliament, Karl Turner, said Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt had raised her case with Egyptian authorities.

"I am hopeful that good sense will eventually prevail," he told BBC Radio 4's The World At One. "This is a damning indictment actually of the Egyptian authorities in the sense that good sense and fairness certainly hasn't prevailed in this case," he said.

"This is a decent woman who has made a terrible mistake who shouldn't be incarcerated in any prison, never mind an Egyptian prison."
A French children's magazine has been withdrawn from newsstands after it admitted a "mistake" in writing that Israel wasn't a "real country."

The news editor for Youpi, a magazine for children from 5 to 8, told The Associated Press on Tuesday the January issue was being removed from kiosk sales in France and Belgium after writing that Israel was among a few states in the world that aren't "real countries."

Bertrand Fichou said he humbly apologizes for the mistake and that his intention wasn't to challenge the legitimacy of the state of Israel.

He said that "I'll blame myself for it all my life."

The two-sentence text caused an uproar on social media, and French Jewish group CRIF asked the publisher to remove the January issue from sales.
An Israeli military court extended the detention of a Palestinian teen who was filmed kicking and slapping Israeli soldiers.

Ahed Tamimi, a blonde 17-year-old from the West Bank village of Nebi Saleh, has become a national hero since the incident.

Tamimi was arrested last week by Israeli troops and faces charges of attacking soldiers. An Israeli military court on Monday extended her detention, along with those of her mother and cousin, for four days for questioning.

Tamimi was filmed earlier this month outside her family home shouting, pushing, kicking and slapping Israeli soldiers, who fended off the blows without retaliating.

Palestinians are celebrating her as an icon of a new generation of resistance to Israeli occupation, while the soldiers' restraint stirred uproar over what some perceive as the army's humiliation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An American grandmother, an 11-year-old boy, and a couple from Washington state were among 12 people killed in a bus crash in Quintana Roo, Mexico, on Tuesday.

Passengers from Royal Caribbean cruise ships were being transported to the Chacchoben Ruins in Costa Maya, along the eastern coast of Mexico, when the bus overturned.

Authorities have now determined that driver negligence and excessive speed caused the crash. A preliminary manslaughter investigation indicated the driver lost control of the bus and when he tried to get it back on the narrow highway, the bus flipped, struck a tree and landed in vegetation along the roadside, the Associated Press reported.

"We can confirm the death of multiple U.S. citizens in a bus accident in Quintana Roo, Mexico, on December 19, a State Department official said in a statement following the incident. "We are aware of several U.S. citizens injured in the accident."

We express our heartfelt condolences to all those affected by this tragedy. We are in contact with local authorities, and will continue to monitor the situation. We have staff on the scene and at local hospitals to assist victims and loved ones, the official added.

Overall, eight Americans, two Swedes, a Canadian and a Mexican tour guide died in the crash.

Below is what we know so far about the victims.

Fanya Shamis

Fanya Shamis, a 78-year-old grandmother from Coconut Creek, Fla., was among those killed, her grandson, Benjamin Shababo, 18, told the Sun-Sentinel.

He added that other family members were involved in the crash.

We dont have really concrete information, Shababo said. Were all scared. Its just really scary to process this in my head that possibly something really bad happened to them.

Daniel & Anna Behar

Daniel Behar, 11, and his mother, Anna, 46, were both killed in the crash Tuesday.

Anna's mother, and Daniel's grandmother, was Fanya Shamis, who also was killed in the crash.

A family uncle told WUSA that both Anna and Daniel, of Lorton, Va., died when the bus crashed.



Jody & Andy Fritz

Jody and Andy Fritz, both 51 and of South Sound, Wash., were both killed in the bus crash, The Olympian reported.

Jody, who reportedly began working as an assistant principal at an elementary school in September, "was just a down-to-earth person who was committed to the education of children," the school's superintendent, Dana Rosenbach, said.

Andy was an environmental science instructor at a technical college and was "well known in the South Sound running community," the News Tribune reported.

The couple met in Massachussetts and reportedly leave behind their two sons.



Stephanie Horwood

Stephanie Horwood of Gatineau, Canada, was among those killed in the crash. She was a week shy of celebrating her 42nd birthday, CTV Ottawa News reported.

Horwood's husband, Fred Reinthaler, and their two children, ages 9 and 11, reportedly suffered minor injuries in the accident.

Theres honestly so much I can say about her but words would never do her justice, longtime friend Michelle Earle told the Ottawa Citizen of Horwood. She was an incredible person, full of life and love.

Bob Bever

A church in Tennessee confirmed that one of its parishioners, Bob Bever, was killed in the bus crash.

Cecilia Aparicio-Rascon, a bookkeeper at Saint Mary Catholic Church in Athens, Tenn., told a local news station that Bever, 68, was killed. She added that his wife and two daughters were injured in the crash.

Manuel de Jesus Acosta

Manuel de Jesus Acosta, the guide who was leading the excursion to the ruins, also died in the crash, according to ABC News. Additional details about Acosta are not currently available.

Laura & Christopher Couallier

Laura Couallier, 52, and her husband, Christopher Couallier, 55, died in the bus crash. A family member confirmed the deaths to WCVB. Laura, who was originally from Gloucester, Mass., lived with her husband in Florida.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan have issued a joint appeal to Taliban militants to join peace talks following a meeting organized by China to mend strained relations between the two governments.

A joint statement Tuesday by the three governments called for a "broad-based and inclusive peace and reconciliation process" following near-daily Taliban attacks in areas across Afghanistan.

The three governments said they "call on the Afghan Taliban to join the peace process at an early date."

China organized the meeting to repair relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Afghan authorities have accused Pakistan of providing a safe haven for the Taliban, which was overthrown in 2001 as the Afghan government by a U.S. invasion.
Syrian rebel fighters and opposition groups have blasted Russia's role in Syria, strongly rejecting its proposed peace talks expected next month.

In a series of statements Tuesday, 40 rebel groups, including some of Syria's most prominent, as well as political opposition umbrella groups, said Moscow's proposed talks are an attempt to "circumvent" the United Nations-led process.

Russia's proposed talks are scheduled for Jan 29-30 in Sochi, announced following the latest fruitless round of U.N.-led Geneva talks. The U.N. Special envoy for Syria said he would assess whether Sochi talks would support the U.N.-led political process.

The rebel groups said Moscow has asked the opposition to give up their demand for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down, while failing to pressure his government to pursue "a path to real resolution."
Virginia State Parks will offer free parking Jan. 1, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy special hikes or self-guided hikes on more than 500 miles of trails across 37 state parks.

For added fun, Virginia State Parks will hold the First Day Hikes Photo Contest (vspfdh2018.hscampaigns.com) and the New Year Challenge (dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/other/1st-day-hikes). Each contest has a $500 gift certificate as the top prize, as well as other prizes.

Other parks with multiple hikes and difficulties include Pocahontas, Bear Creek Lake, Holliday Lake and TwinLakes state parks.

Some of the more unique hikes include Grayson Highlands State Park, with the possibility of seeing wild ponies.

New River Trail State Park will feature a hike and bike on the new mountain biking trail. At False Cape State Park, hikers will take the Terragator, the beach transport vehicle, down the beach and then hike to the North Carolina border.

Hikers can see bison at Wilderness Road State Park and amazing geological formations at Natural Tunnel and Natural Bridge state parks. The hike at Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park includes a tour of the historic town of Big Stone Gap.

Several parks will offer special refreshments, including Bear Creek Lake, Caledon, James River, Powhatan, Shenandoah River and Smith Mountain Lake state parks.

Many hikes highlight the history and culture of the parks, including Civil War sites Sailors Creek and Staunton River Battlefield, iron mining at Fairy Stone State Park and the history of the Lees of Virginia at Leesylvania State Park.

Virginia State Parks welcomes bikes and horseback riders at parks with those facilities. Leashed dogs are welcome everywhere except False Cape State Park. Details for all hikes can be found at bit.ly/VSPFDH2018.

For details about Virginia State Parks activities and amenities or to make a reservation, call 800/933-7275 or visit virginiastateparks.gov.
Caroline woman killed in crash on Christmas

A 44-year-old Caroline County woman was killed on Christmas morning in a single-vehicle accident on Stonewall Jackson Road between Thornburg and Guinea.

Carrie Lynn Jenni, 44, of Woodford was driving a 1993 Toyota Camry westbound on Stonewall Jackson (State Route 606) near Amanda Lane about 9 a.m. Monday when she lost control in a curve. Her car hit a ditch, spun around and rolled over several times, state police said in a news release.

Jenni, who was not wearing a seat belt, died at the scene. She was alone in the car.

State police said speed is being considered a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation.
A man accused in a Christmas Day hijacking in North Carolina led Virginia State Police on a high-speed chase between Richmond and Spotsylvania County that ended in a shootout on Interstate 95 early Tuesday morning, police said.

Authorities charged Jerrell C. Richardson, 21, of South Carolina, with eluding police, assault on a police officer, possession of marijuana, driving without a license, reckless driving and driving without headlights, according to a news release from state police.

No troopers or drivers were injured in the more than three-hour ordeal. The suspect, who was shot during the gunfire exchange, was treated at Mary Washington Hospital for injuries not considered life-threatening before being released early Tuesday, the news release said.

Richardson is being held without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail.

The incident began in Virginia about 8:40 p.m. Monday, when state police received a bulletin from the Dinwiddie County Sheriffs Office about a 2015 Ford Escape that was reportedly stolen from a gas station in Thomasville, N.C., earlier in the day.

Henrico County authorities found the Ford Escape at a gas station at Chamberlayne Avenue and U.S. 1 in Richmond an hour later. The vehicle fled the parking lot when a Henrico officer and trooper approached it, the news release said. Authorities pursued the vehicle north on Interstate 95, with the Ford Escape going more than 120 mph.

Around mile marker 119 in Spotsylvania, about one mile north of the Thornburg exit, the Ford Escape rammed a state police cruiser at least twice, the news release said. The driver jumped from the vehicle, which was still moving, and ran toward the median.

As troopers followed the driver on foot, he shot at them, state police said. One trooper returned fire before the suspect disappeared into the wooded median.

I95 was closed in both directions. State police said that was to protect drivers and to make sure the suspect would not get away. State police K-9 and tactical teams as well as a Fairfax County Police Aviation unit responded to help in the search.

The suspect was found just before 1 a.m, according to the release, and he surrendered without any further incident. Police recovered a firearm at the scene and marijuana from the Ford Escape.

State police are in contact with authorities in South Carolina, North Carolina and other agencies in Virginia. The investigation is ongoing, and more charges are expected, the news release said.
Culpeper County officials understood that returning the George Washington Carver Center to the top quality vocational school it was during the 1970s and 80s would not be an easy task.

But gradually the tide is turning, and within the foreseeable future, things may once again be buzzing at the 70-year-old facility.

About three years ago, the Virginia Tech Extension office contracted with the county to use part of the building and land for horticulture purposes. A canning and commercial kitchen is also planned under this program.

Then last summer, Robert Hodge, president of the American Institute of Welding, rented part of one building for a welding school. Earlier this month, the first class of students completed the Level 1 course and, after taking an American Welding Society exam, left the program as certified welders.

We have no problem getting students, said Hodge, who operates another school in Chantilly. There is a tremendous need for this kind of training.

This need is evidenced by the fact that five of the initial six students had their $1,850 tuition paid for by the stone quarry where they are employed. These men already have jobs, but now they will have better jobs.

The sixth student came from Germanna Community College, which is partnering with Culpeper County in this vocational training program.

The possibility of starting a welding school at Carver was sparked several years ago when Hodge and Laura Loveday, the countys current grant writing specialist, met at a conference in Richmond.

We began talking and I told him that Culpeper would be an ideal place to start a new school, recalled Loveday, who then worked in planning and zoning. He came down, looked over the available space and decided to locate his school here.

Supervisor Sue Hansohn, who has pushed for more vocational education for years, said she was thrilled when Hodge made the decision.

There is such a great need for vocational training and we want to revitalize this facility, she said. We have big plans for Carver and this is the next block.

The building opened in 1947 as George Washington Carver Regional High School and served Culpeper, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties. It closed in 1969 and two years later became Piedmont Vocational School, which survived through the 1980s.

A third block may not be far behind. A machinist school, under the umbrella of New Pathways, a nonprofit group comprised of local businessmen and educators, is expected to open in either January or February.

The Level 1 welding course, taught by Josh Lauck, involves three eight-hour Saturdays.

Everything in Level 1 is pretty much hands-on, Lauck said. The students get 23 hours of practical education and one hour of safety training.

There is also a Level 2 course available for more advanced students.

Each Culpeper class is limited to eight students (Hodges Chantilly operation accommodates 10).

Thats really about all we can handle, Hodge said.

Hodge is so pleased with the response to his Culpeper welding school that he is considering opening another one in Fredericksburg.
Troops from Fort Bragg will roll into King George County next spring for training, but they wont wear uniforms or carry weapons.

And instead of preparing themselves for battle, these soldiers will help local government in areas where its understaffed. They may help put on rabies clinics or conduct CPR classes, assist in the county mapping office or perform engineering assessments on some of King Georges older buildings.

Whatever tasks are agreed upon between King George officials and representatives from the 98th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), the teams will be highly valuable to the county, said Neiman Young.

Young is familiar with both worlds. Hes been King Georges county administrator since late February after spending 23 years in the Army, including three combat missions to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Before he retired as a major, he served and deployed with many of the people who still work with the 98th. While at Fort Bragg, Young planned two VTEs, or Validation Training Exercises, like the one set for King George the week of April 15.

Maj. Michael Sarro stressed how important it is for soldiers to train in real-world environments before they deploy to foreign fields. There, they help military commanders by being the link between them and the civil populations affected by their operations.

Sarro recently briefed the King George Board of Supervisors on the operation. He said the group typically trains in Puerto Rico, but had to find a different location after Hurricane Maria damaged the island in October.

The 98th group will send 32 soldiers, or eight teams of four people each, to King George. Another 10 people will work as the Exercise Control Group, or ECG, and coordinate logistics to make sure the exercise is as realistic as possible.

And another 20 people, including the exercise commander and his staff, will operate at the battalions Tactical Operation Center, or TOC, at Fort A.P. Hill.

Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Ruby Brabo said Sheriff Steve Dempsey and Fire and Rescue Chief David Moody are on board and excited about the opportunity.

Its a new experience for our county, but it sounds like it will be a winwin for us and you, she told Sarro.

Sarro said his group works with residents to identify real-world problems which are then passed along to county officials.

We dont fix anything, he added, stressing that his groups purpose is to serve as a link between the people and the government that serves them.

He said the 98th could spend thousands of dollars to simulate such an exercise, but that its much better for soldiers to train in a real-world environment instead of a scripted setting.

Young says the teams have a lot of the same skill sets as county workers, such as emergency medical service, geographic information systems or engineering.

They can actually beef up our staff to address priority issues that we just dont have the bench of personnel to address, Young said.

Young said he was considering asking other localities in the Fredericksburg region to participate. That way, the whole region can benefit, he said, and the teams can cross some other requirements off their training list, such as conducting convoys and maintaining communications from remote locations.
Two area localities are partnering with the University of Mary Washington and Rappahannock Community College to offer training in cybersecurity.

The Fredericksburg Economic Development Authority and King George County each have agreed to commit $7,500 in cash and $3,000 worth of marketing assistance to secure a grant from Go Virginia. Thats a business initiative that looks to create jobs by fostering regional collaborations in business, education and government.

The $243,000 grant would be administered by UMW and cover all costs for 30 to 40 students to earn credentials as a certified information systems security professional, or CISSP. The grant would cover the study course at RCC, the two-year program at the Dahlgren campus of UWM and the $700 exam, said Kimberly Young, executive director of continuing and professional studies at UMW.

Ruby Brabo, chairwoman of King George Countys Board of Supervisors, was excited that the program would make it easier for residents to seek high-paying jobs at the Naval Support Facility Dahlgren or with other industries. She said the Navy base recruits people from as far away as Oklahoma and Puerto Rico because there arent enough qualified candidates in the region.

I think this is definitely a win for us, she said.

Brabo said some informational technology positions at the base, which pay more than $60,000 a year, require the certification. Young said the nearest official training for CISSP is in Vienna, although Germanna Community College in September approved a new two-year course that would give graduates an associate of applied science degree in cybersecurity.

The community college also offers noncredit workforce development training in the same subject.

The support by King George and Fredericksburg would guarantee the localities a minimum of 10 participants in the class, Young said.

According to technology websites, the CISSP designation is a globally recognized standard of achievement and sought by IT professionals in fields such as security auditor, security systems engineer, security architect and chief information security officer.

More than 93,391 people worldwide have attained the CISSP credential since May 2014. The program gives participants the skills to design, engineer, implement and manage their overall information security program to protect organizations from growing sophisticated attacks, according to the website simplilearn.

Its not clear when the certification program would be offered at the Dahlgren campus of UMW. For more information, contact Young at 540/286-8076.

The CISSP designation is a globally recognized standard of achievement and sought by IT professionals in fields such as security auditor, security systems engineer, security architect and chief information security officer.
The worst part was the spikes inside my shoes.

Or maybe the worst part was the dimness, my world reduced to shadows.

Or the prickly static and loud banging that crowded out the sounds I really needed to hear, such as the instructions of the woman who had placed me in that darkened room, where I was trying to match socks, though my fingers couldn't feel.

Why was I there? What was I supposed to do? Whose socks were these?

I knew what was happening in the larger sense: I was at Brightview West End, a senior living facility in Rockville, Maryland, participating in a training session for caregivers of dementia patients.

The Virtual Dementia Tour, which has trained people at thousands of facilities across the United States, aims to increase empathy for dementia patients by showing them what it feels to walk in their shoes - their painful, destabilizing shoes.

"Once the headphones are on, you won't be able to ask any questions," said Albina Misini, director of Brightview West End's dementia care section, as she placed them on my head. Through goggles that rendered everything dark, foggy and yellowed, I could kind of see her mouth move; she was giving me instructions to do something. But thanks to the cacophony of voices, clanking and other sounds, this was what I heard:

". . .. . .. . ... . ..... . .. . .. . ... . .. . ...

. . ... fold all of the . . ...

. . .... . .. . ...... . .. . .. . .. . .. . ... . .."

"I didn't hear any of that," I warned her.

No reply.

"I didn't hear what you said," I said, more forcefully.

But that was it. I was guided into a darkened room with a dresser, nightstands and a double bed covered in a mess of clothes.

The door closed behind me. I edged toward the bed. Each step drove plastic shards into the bottoms of my feet, so I pitched forward, walking unsteadily, to lessen the pain.

Folding. I could do that. The two pairs of oversize gloves on my hands made me clumsy, but I managed to fold what appeared to be a pillowcase, a shirt, a towel. I felt proud, even cocky. But the socks? I saw only dark shapes, and it was impossible to feel whether the fabrics were thin or thick, stretchy or not. Then, out of nowhere - BAM! - a loud crash made me jump. And every few seconds a flash of white light stabbed the darkness.

I turned to the dresser, where a stack of plastic plates stood beside napkins, cups and some plastic cutlery. It seemed reasonable to lay a place setting. But my mind was spinning. Fork on the right? No, on the left, next to the knife. How long since I've set a table? The knife goes with the spoon. Oh, wait, the napkin . . .

But hold on - why was I even setting the table?

I later learned this impulse to arrange and straighten things is common as people with dementia try in vain to master their environments - as were many of the reactions that I and the other trainees had during the tour. Its developer, P.K. Beville, started thinking about how to better serve older patients in the 1980s while working as a psychological evaluator of nursing home patients.

Over 2 million people in 20 countries have taken the Virtual Dementia Tour since 2002, at care facilities, home health-care organizations, state agencies, colleges and universities, according to its website. About 3,000 have purchased the components so they can give their own tours.

The tour helps fund Beville's nonprofit organization, Second Wind Dreams, which fulfills wishes of nursing home patients. The Georgia-based organization also provides visits, gifts and cards for people in nursing homes who are alone on holidays.

In developing the tour, "I was mainly curious about how the brain dies, and what are the behavioral implications of cell death in the brain," said Beville, who wrote a PhD dissertation about sensitizing care facility staff to what having dementia is like.

She studied brain imaging of people with dementia and looked at how the affected areas relate to actual behavior to create the right experiences as part of the project.

"After eight minutes during the tour, we began to see some of the behavioral responses that we actually see in a memory care unit," she said.

The tour creates empathy for the caregiver, but feedback from participants also helped provide insight into why patients with dementia behave in certain ways. "When a person comes through the training and we ask why they did certain things that look bizarre, like a person with dementia, they can answer."

Trainees wear goggles that imitate the loss of peripheral vision associated with dementia; they also mimic the effects of cataracts, macular degeneration and yellowing that are common as one ages. Gloves make it harder to manipulate tools, push buttons or feel anything, to approximate the reduced sense of touch and depth perception associated with dementia. People with dementia are often unable to block out background noise, so the headphones amplify ambient sounds until they interfere with normal functioning. The spiky shoe inserts mimic peripheral neuropathy, the numbness and pain from nerve damage that often affects hands and feet.

The tour is constantly being updated. Beville is working on adding a temperature component, because people with dementia have trouble interpreting whether their surroundings are hot or cold, and a video that imitates the frightening visions experienced by people with Lewy body dementia.

After my eight minutes in the training room, Misini removed my headphones, and relief washed over me. Afterward, watching trainees go into the room two at a time, I was struck at how much their actions and body language - and no doubt mine as well - resembled that of dementia patients: the unsure shuffle, the dazed expression, the sudden barking out of a disembodied word.

I was also shocked at how many instructions I'd missed. It turned out that I was supposed to have put on a white sweater, written a three-sentence note, set the table for four, folded all of the towels, and filled a cup with water and drunk it.

Before the tour, Hannah Asuakyi, a resident assistant at Brightview, had been telling me about a patient who thought she saw someone in her room, which made her afraid to sleep there. Fifteen minutes later, Asuakyi herself was taking mincing steps down the hall, reaching out for the wall to steady herself.

After being read a different set of instructions from mine, she crept into the room. She peered around the corner at the bed, then backed up to the wall and plastered her body against it.

Without the gear, I noticed things I hadn't seen the first time. A strobe light sent intermittent white flashes across the room. A sign on the wall listed some instructions, but they were missing words and printed in varying font sizes.

Asuakyi stayed glued to the wall until Misini led her out and removed her headphones. Then she started laughing. "I didn't know where I was going! I couldn't see you. You left me so I didn't know, and I saw someone on the bed. I was scared."

Trainees often report feeling nausea, disorientation and frustration. And some, like Asuakyi, feel fear.

Hermine Ngom, a medication technician who had just emerged from the room, looked stricken. "I just - if that's how they are, I just . . ." She sighed and shook her head. "I was confused and hot and nervous."

At a debriefing afterward, the trainees learned more about what they'd just experienced. Along with limiting mobility, vision, and hearing, the tour is designed to disorient and confuse. Some people get a hoarding impulse - they might pick up all the plates or towels and walk around with them - a response seen in some dementia patients as they try to control an environment they are increasingly losing control of.

"What we did to you was create short-term memory loss," said Patrick Doyle, director of dementia care at Brightview, which has trained employees at 34 of its facilities around the United States. "Even if you heard the task, you forgot when you went in . . . A lot of people say, 'You never read me those instructions.' "

"I felt like there was something wrong on top of the bed, so I just fixed it," said Elisa Portillo, a medication technician.

Doyle nodded. The impulse to fix something that looks disheveled is a common feature of dementia. So is "shadowing" - mimicking the actions of someone else in the room. "So if you see someone else folding laundry, you figure they must know what they're doing."

Ngom said she thinks she will be more likely to go over and talk to a patient who is alone, after noticing that someone - an observer from Brightview - was sitting in the room while she was there. "I was going, 'Why is she just standing there; why isn't she helping me?' "

After having been so sure someone was lying on the bed, Asuakyi said she will be more compassionate with patients who think they see intruders. "They see differently. I saw differently. So when they say something like that, I will do it better; I will assure them that they are safe."

Administrators at facilities where staff members have undergone the training say it has made caregivers more patient. "I've seen those CNAs slow their pace down some," said Linda Blackstock, a registered nurse and weekend supervisor at Four County Health and Rehabilitation, a skilled nursing facility in Richland, Georgia. "Where they used to say, 'Come on, get your shoes and socks on, let's go.' Well, the patient has no idea what they said.

"Now, the person leads them to the room, asks them where their socks are, asks where their shoes are . . . because [they know] they didn't understand more than one instruction at one time."

Sometimes, it is the long-term caregivers who are affected most by the tour. At Azura, which has 14 care facilities in Wisconsin, a woman who had been doing it for 25 years took the tour and then burst into tears.

"She said, 'For 25 years I thought I knew, and I realized I didn't know anything,' " said Paula Gibson, a spokeswoman there. "She said, 'I'm going to appreciate them so much more now.'"
MCLEANBijan Ghaisars family had a tradition of driving into Washington, D.C., from their home in McLean every Christmas Eve to see the National Christmas Tree near the White House. This Christmas Eve, his family stood outside of a U.S. Park Police station on the George Washington Memorial Parkway and pleaded for information on why Ghaisar was shot and killed by Park Police officers more than a month ago.

We want everybody here that has stayed silent, protecting our sons shooter, to know that staying silent is the equivalent of pulling the trigger, said his mother, Kelly Ghaisar. We are demanding that someone start talking about the killing of our son.

Ghaisar, 25, was shot by one or two Park Police officers as he sat inside his Jeep Grand Cherokee in the Fort Hunt area of Fairfax County on Nov. 17. His family said he was unarmed. The Park Police said Ghaisars Jeep had been involved in a traffic accident on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Alexandria and that Ghaisar left the scene. Park Police officers then pursued him along the parkway, with a Fairfax County officer behind them. When Ghaisar stopped, two officers walked toward his Jeep and began firing, a witness told The Washington Post.

Three days after the shooting, the Park Police handed off the investigation to the FBI. The Justice Departments civil rights division and the U.S. Attorneys Office in Washington is overseeing the investigation.

Neither the Park Police nor the FBI has explained why Ghaisar was shot, who the officers were, or the circumstances surrounding the initial accident and pursuit. The shooting was captured by the Fairfax officers in-car camera, but that video has not been released. The Park Police do not have in-car or body-worn cameras.

Ghaisars family said Ghaisar, an accountant who grew up in McLean and lived in Tysons Corner, was shot three times in the head. He lived for 10 days, and was pronounced dead on Nov. 27.

A Park Police spokesman did not reply to a request for comment Sunday.

The Ghaisar family stood outside the Park Polices Parkway Station, near Turkey Run Park in McLean, holding signs that read, It has been 37 days since you shot our Bijan, All we want for Christmas Is who shot him and why? #WeAreBijan.

Ghaisars mother, father James, sister Negeen and brother-in-law Kouros Emami stood silently for several minutes, then attempted to go inside the station. No one would open the door, though staff working at the station earlier had allowed a reporter inside to use the bathroom. Kelly Ghaisar pressed the intercom button and was told someone would come out, but no one did. She called the phone number for the Park Police and was told someone would speak with them, but no one did.

After the Ghaisars left, a Park Police officer drove up and said he was given instructions to refer the family to the FBI.

We have no answers, Kelly Ghaisar said. We dont know why. We dont know if they read him his rights. We have no idea what they did to him. He was a peaceful, loving son. Theres got to be justice for Bijan, and we will not stop.

Christmas was Bijan Ghaisars favorite holiday, his family said, including the annual trip to the national tree.

Today, were here instead, his sister Negeen said.

Bijan was our Santa, his mother said. He delivered all of our Christmas gifts, in the Jeep he was shot in, to all of our family and friends.
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Northern Europe continues to be a threat to an already over-supplied UK market.

While the weak pound reduces the competitiveness of European production, the cost of production in mainland Europe is lower than here in the UK, due to better yields/crop utilisation and a generally lower cost base, says Andersons director Jay Wootton.

In late September, dig results from the North-western European Potato Growers group suggested an increase in North European production of 14% compared to last year. Quality is understood to be reasonable.

See also: Farmers unaware of multimillion pound safety breach fines

Summary Higher yields and lower production costs have sustained competition from Northern Europe in the packing and frozen sectors

Potential investigation of whole-crop processing by key UK processor is a positive move

Supply chains need to make better use of the harvested crop

The UK market for processed product continues to grow and the lack of investment in processing facilities generally is a concern, if growers are to take advantage of that market, says Mr Wootton.

Continental processors are well placed to take advantage of the opportunities provided, and displace home-grown tonnage.

Ware growers reviewing their strategy would do well to consider the option of processing contracts. However, the relative economics between ware and processing, and the productive capacity of their land base, will be dictating factors.

The investigation of whole-crop processing is an interesting, though not a simple, proposition, he says.

Using more of the crop should be an objective throughout the supply chain. At farm level, the fraction of the crop graded out can vary significantly, usually due to mechanisation and the resulting ability to size grade accurately, and the quality of grading labour.

A number of technical improvements can be made, such as grading and paying more attention to harvester set up and tuber handling. Also, the sector needs to do all it can to retain access to Eastern European labour, which remains crucial for productivity, he adds.

But the biggest efficiency gains come from selecting the right land in the first place. That gives you the best chance of growing the right potatoes and being able to harvest them well, ensuring as much of the crop as possible can be used.

Farmers Weekly says David Jones, deputy arable editor Potato growers may have lifted a heavy crop but prices in the open market are depressed, a wet summer could herald disease problems in the spud store, while there are concerns about blight-resistant strains. A cold late spring played havoc with tuber numbers and tuber size, and growers often struggled to meet the strict size demands of the supermarket packers, so most will be hoping for a kinder season in 2018 and better prices.
Farmers Weekly looks back at the biggest stories to hit the headlines from April to June including the surprise appointment of Michael Gove as new Defra secretary and our fly-tipping campaign Stop the Blot.

Defra secretary Michael Gove pledged to put farmers at the heart of post-Brexit policy-making after a general election which saw him return to the heart of government.

Prime minister Theresa May  who had previously and repeatedly ruled out going to the polls  surprised political commentators by calling a snap election for 8 June.

See also: Opinion  Heres what I want for Christmas, Mr Gove

The result didnt go her way  forcing her to form a minority government.

Despite still being prime minister, Mrs Mays government is reliant on support from Northern Irelands Democratic Unionist Party and the Scottish Conservatives. Both parties have MPs with strong farming connections among their numbers.

Gove appointed

The election also paved the way for Mr Goves reappointment to the Cabinet  becoming the sixth Defra secretary in just seven years.

Perhaps mindful of the governments precarious position, he pledged an open and frank dialogue with farmers as it develops post-Brexit agricultural policy.

Without a majority, the government is less able to do what it wants when it comes to policy formation.

After the election, farm leaders called for a more consensual approach to Brexit if the government is to secure a satisfactory deal for agriculture.

The NFU wants continued tariff-free and frictionless access to the EU single market. But it is hard to see how this can be achieved when the government remains determined the UK will leave both the European single market and the customs union.

Tariff-free and frictionless access to the single market has previously only been afforded to those countries who are members of the EU, European Free Trade Association or the customs union  and those countries are expected to accept free movement of labour, which Mrs May has also ruled out.

Wider neonics ban

It is also clear that  like Mrs May  growers and livestock producers wont get everything their own way. Mr Gove has already pledged support for a wider ban on neonicotinoid seed treatments, for example, to cover all crops.

In the post-Brexit era, farmers will also have to do more in return for support.

Despite pledging to make Brexit work for farmers, that is likely to include undertaking more environmental work in return for payments and the eventual abolition of direct subsidies, especially for the UKs largest farmers.

Fly-tipping campaign aims to clean up countryside

Fly-tipping is out of control in our countryside, which is why Farmers Weekly launched a major campaign to tackle the illegal dumping of rubbish on farms.

The scale of rubbish being dumped in the countryside by unscrupulous operators in farmyards, gateways and rural fields has increased.

Ruthless gangs of organised criminals operating mainly around the urban fringes are targeting farms with easy access from motorways  and dumping lorry-loads of waste to avoid costs.

In March, we revealed how Shropshire grower Andrew Nicholls, 70, faced an 18,000 clean-up bill after 100t of industrial waste was dumped on his land.

Like a warzone

In April, Essex grower Harry Fisher told how criminal gangs regularly smash farm gates and dump lorry-loads of recycled rubbish on his 240ha arable farm in Rainham, which is like a war zone.

An FW survey of nearly 1,200 people, carried out in July in association with CLA Insurance as part of our Stop The Blot campaign, laid bare the crisis affecting our countryside.

About two-thirds of farmers said they had been a victim of fly-tipping. Most said they had been targeted on multiple occasions, typically twice a month.

Our campaign has uncovered serious failings in policy and unacceptably low penalties for offenders  despite tougher sentencing guidelines introduced in 2014.

Councils pay the costs for clearing waste from highways. But farmers are responsible for removing waste dumped on private land  and can be prosecuted if they fail to do so.

CLA president Tim Breitmeyer said: We will continue to highlight the issue of fly-tipping on private land until a reasonable and fair solution can be introduced to ensure clearing up other peoples rubbish is not the responsibility of the landowner.
No more interim, Batchler named new Blacksburg football coach Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat. Josh Batchler achieved one of his dreams when he was named the new Blacksburg High head football coach Monday evening. He had served as...

Indians hit growth spurt just in time Gaffney coach Dan Jones never wavered when the Indians were blown out by South Pointe in the season opener. He never wavered when the Indians struggled to beat Hammond. He...
Building left uninhabitable : 14 people rescued from burning apartment building in Bonn

BONN On Monday evening, firefighters were called to a fire in an apartment building in Bonn-Endenich. 14 persons were rescued from the fire, and the house was left uninhabitable.

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On Christmas evening, the fire department rescued 14 people from a burning apartment building in Bonn-Endenich. A fire had broken out in the basement of a multi-family house on Kolpingstrasse at around 7:30 pm. Residents made an emergency call, reporting strong smoke and heat coming from the basement of the building.

As the fire department informed, "dramatic scenes took place". From the front door and from the windows of the staircase and the apartments on the upper floors, heavy black smoke was pouring in as emergency vehicles arrived. Numerous residents were at their windows or on their balconies crying for help. Because of the thick smoke, the escape route out of the building was cut off.

14 people rescued

One fire department squad entered the basement with breathing apparatus in order to fight the flames in the basement and secure the way into the building. Meanwhile, other firefighters rescued the people from their apartments. Nine adults, five children and five dogs were brought to safety via an aerial ladder, portable ladders or through the stairwell. Three other residents had evacuated before the fire department arrived.

Emergency services treated the 17 people, one woman was slightly injured and taken to a hospital in Bonn.

The cause of the fire was thought to be work on a motor scooter. Police spokesperson Frank Piontek said it was believed that the fire began in the basement following a flash fire or small detonation which probably triggered the fire. The investigation continues.

Building is uninhabitable

Firefighters had the blaze under control after a few minutes, but the house is uninhabitable until further notice. Damage to the electric system and the building itself are too serious to continue living there. According to the police, power cables were hanging down. The entire power supply in the apartment house had to be turned off.

Evacuated residents found shelter with family, relatives or friends. The City of Bonn and support services of the Malteser help organization had meanwhile organized emergency accommodation, but nobody needed to make use of that offer.

The deployment of the fire brigade, which had dispatched around 50 firefighters, ended at around 10:30 pm after about three hours.
Traditional visit : Mayor of Bonn thanks city employees

Bad Godesberg In many families, working over the holidays is a topic of discussion. Especially on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve, many people are working at jobs that are crucial to city operations.

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Not all employees have the holidays off to stay at home and celebrate with their families. Police, the fire department and hospital staff are used to working or being on call at all times of the year. Especially at Christmas and on New Year's Eve, more and more alcohol-related accidents happen on the streets, police and fire department employees report from many years of experience.

Likewise, transportation services such as bus and train, as well as taxis must continue to function on time to get customers to their destinations. Many other jobs also need to be staffed on public holidays when others are celebrating.

The mayor of Bonn traditionally uses the morning of December 24 for a symbolic visit to the workplaces of city employees in homes for the elderly and fire departments, to thank the employees for their special dedication. Besides paying a visit to the city police unit at the Bonn Central Train Station, Lord Mayor Ashok Sridharan and city director Wolfgang Fuchs also dropped by the Sankt Elisabeth senior citizens home.

From there, the two city officials went to Fire Station 3 on Friesdorfer Strae. Employed at the fire station are 16 firefighters, an emergency physician and two paramedics. The mayor enquired as to their wishes or concerns. The department head Florian Munz explained that the holiday work schedule was coordinated very closely with the individual employees and that they were especially considerate of families with children. He also spoke about desired implementation of renovations for the more than forty-year-old building where the employees are headquartered.

Lord Mayor Sridharan thanked the fire department for ensuring the protection of the people in all kinds of unpredictable situations. Thanks were also given to the heads of the Bonn Volunteer Firefighters, Jochen Stein, and his deputy Carsten Schneider.

Further visits were made to Lengsdorf and Dusidorf. Rene Fuchs, the eleven-year-old son of the Bonn City Director, used the opportunity to accompany his father and test out the seat of the aerial ladder - but he didnt let on if he was considering the profession of firefighter.
Stormy Christmas weather : Weather service warns of storms around Bonn

Bonn If you are thinking about a long walk on the day after Christmas, caution is advised: high winds and strong wind gusts are expected in Bonn and Rhine-Sieg County.

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The day after Christmas promises to be a bit uncomfortable: The German Weather Service has issued an official warning for wind gusts in Bonn and stormy winds in Rhine-Sieg-County. Gusts of wind with speeds of up to 60 to 70 kilometers per hour are expected by the afternoon.

At elevations above 400 meters, gust of wind up to 85 km/h can occur, causing tree branches to break off. The warning is valid until 4pm. The temperature is expected to reach a maximum of eight degrees Celsius under mostly cloudy skies. At middays, the sun could even peek through for a few hours. In the evening, it is expected to be cloudier again.

On Wednesday, it will be more gray on gray. With temperatures up to seven degrees Celsius, the sun will not make it through the clouds, and in the evening light rain is possible. Similar weather is also expected on Thursday and Friday. With a maximum of five degrees Celsius, it is expected to remain mostly cloudy, and frost is likely overnight. On the weekend, the forecast shows slightly warmer weather but the chances of sunshine do not increase.
The two sides have been separately ruled since Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists fled to Taiwan after the Chinese civil war, but the government in Taipei has never declared official independence. Surveys in Taipei show most Taiwanese oppose unification.

"They will try to test Taiwan's government's will to defend itself," said Shane Lee, political scientist at Chang Jung Christian University in Taiwan. "They believe that continued threats will really bend Taiwan to its claim."

China is conducting the long-range flights in part to warn Taiwan against moving toward formal independence at the risk of a military strike, analysts say.

China considers self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory that must eventually be unified. Officials in Beijing resent Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen for not accepting their "one-China" principle, which would bind the two sides under one flag, as a condition for any talks.

Planes from China flew near Taiwan in November and December, raising concern last week at the presidential office in Taipei. Over the past two years, Chinese military units have sent planes 10 times just outside the Taiwanese air defense zone, former Taiwan defense minister Andrew Yang estimates.

Taiwan is facing a new source of pressure from rival China as the communist government increasingly often sends military aircraft to skirt the island, a challenge to the local armed forces.

 Show of Strength

China runs the world's third most powerful military after the United States and Russia. Taiwan's armed forces rank 18th, according to the database GlobalFirePower.com. The flights send a message to multiple countries, scholars say. Some of China's aircraft fly near outlying Japanese islets and on over the Pacific Ocean.

China wants to prove it can send ships and planes past the "first island chain," said Joshua Pollack, editor of The Nonproliferation Review in Washington.

The U.S. Navy and its allies, all leery of Chinese expansion, have normally dominated the waters east of that chain, which runs from Russia to the Philippines. The chain includes Taiwan.

China said in its official news media it had "fulfilled its long-held dream of breaking through" the island chain after ships passed in 2013 between Japan and Russia.

 Exercises Near Taiwan

A year ago December and into January, China sent an aircraft carrier, its only one at the time, around Taiwan. Six Chinese bombers flew through the Miyako Strait north of Taiwan in July. Bombers and other aircraft flew through the strait in November as well as through the Bashi Strait separating Taiwan from the Philippines. On December 11 the Taiwan defense ministry said Chinese fighter planes had made another round through the two straits.

"This year there are many drills and training missions taking place surrounding the Bashi Strait," said Yang, also secretary-general of the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies think tank. "We have to watch very closely what kind of tactics or fighting capabilities they have possessed so as to come up with countermeasures."

China has also shown discontent with the 20-month-old Tsai government by scaling back tourist arrivals to Taiwan, according to travel agencies in Taipei. Analysts and government officials suspect Beijing as well of persuading two countries to switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China over the same period.

 Measured Response

Taiwan, which sits 160 kilometers from China at its nearest point, has sent its own aircraft to monitor China's movements and urged people on the island to stay calm.

Yang said the Ministry of National Defense in Taipei is probably now considering how to ensure Chinese aircraft avoid flying into its air defense identification zone. Neither side wants a mishap, he added, while both sides know how to avoid one.

Taiwan is also developing its own naval ships and a trainer jet to keep its military up to date. Its chief foreign arms supplier, the United States, approves only occasional sales, such as a $1.42 billion package announced in June, to avoid angering Beijing too often.

On Dec. 21, Tsai called China's flights around Taiwan a conflict with regional stability. She ordered an air force command center to step up vigilance.

Taiwan's armed forces will "just keep silent and then send their airplanes in the sky and send their ships watching," predicted Liu Yi-jiun, public affairs professor at Fo Guang University in Taiwan. "Then probably we can make the point clear."
General knowledge of Antarctica is fairly basic for most of the public, i.e. it's hard and dangerous to reach, it's miserably frozen, it's a really big continent, and not many people dare to stay there year round unless they are researchers. But, there are some things you are missing out on if you don't update your knowledge. Here's just some of them -





water lakes













The continent has water lakes and streams.





Todays study, published in Nature, shows that the network of lakes and streams is actually widespread on top of many ice shelves, transporting water for up to 75 miles. Some ponds were found to be up to 50 miles long. The fact that there are these huge rivers moving water for hundreds of kilometers, thats even quite an exciting discovery, lead study author Jonathan Kingslake, a glaciologist at Columbia Universitys Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, tells The Verge.





Lake Vostok is one of the most studied water systems. This lake is at above 11,000 feet sea level. The lake is under 13,000 feet of ice. It has been isolated from the outside world for 15 to 25 million years!





Once core samples were taken, there was quite the surprise. There were signs of life! Micro-organisms were found, away from exposure to the outside world, isolated and evolving millions of years.





dead forests









Fossilized trees and leaves were found in Antarctica.





A period of warmer climate around 15 million years ago, known as the Miocene period, could have had areas of the Antarctic resembling the kind of forested tundra seen today in New Zealand or parts of Chile. Chemical study of the leaf wax samples indicates that during the summer months, the coast of Antarctica could have been as warm as 15F.



warm caves





As ice-locked as Antarctica is, we often forget it is also volcanic. Caves near these volcanoes provide a warm environment one could wear t-shirt in and ones in which life is very possible.



( LINK ) A study led by the Australian National University around Mount Erebus, an active volcano on Ross Island in Antarctica, showed extensive cave systems.

Lead researcher Ceridwen Fraser said forensic analyses of soil samples from the caves had revealed intriguing traces of DNA from algae, mosses and small animals.

While most of the DNA was similar to mosses, algae and invertebrates found elsewhere in Antarctica, not all sequences could be fully identified.

aurora australis





Whereas the northern hemisphere has northern lights or aurora borealis, the southern hemisphere has southern lights or aurora australis.





largest desert in the world

Not many realize it, but Antarctica is the largest desert in the world. A desert is defined by getting less than 10 inches of a rain a year.

LINK) The Antarctic Polar Desert covers the continent of Antarctica and has a size of about 5.5 million square miles.

signs of life



LINK) "I think this entire ice sheet is alive. That has yet to be proven," said John Priscu, a professor at Montana State University, who has been doing field work in Antarctica for 27 years.



What is proven, Priscu said, is that bacteria are in the ice. Not many, by microbial standards  300 cells in 1 milliliter of ice vs. 100,000 cells in seawater  but they're there, in tiny veins of liquid water that crisscross the solid ice and serve as "little houses," Priscu said, which also contain nutrients that could feed a hungry microbe.



"The question is, are they living there? Is it a functional ecosystem?" he said. In the lab, ancient bacteria from ice samples 420,000 years old, retrieved from more than 2 miles (3 km) inside the ice sheet, have quickly shown signs of life. "We melt the water, and they grow," Priscu told OurAmazingPlanet.



However, it's not clear if the ice is simply acting as a preservative, and keeping the same microbes intact until they're given a warm meal, or if an active microbial community is plodding along inside the ice sheet.





Did you know, there are parts of Antarctica that have not received rain or snow for 2 million years???



Antarctica mysteries

A place as remote and inhospitable as Antarctica is going to draw some attention. Recently, a lot more attention has been drawn to it because of some unusual visitors like the royal family and an astronaut, but there is reason to ponder the mysteries because it is a very untapped entity.





One legend is of the Ningen, a supposed water monster that the Japanese whalers reported. It was said to be completely white, 65-98 feet long, with legs, arms, and even fingers like a human. Verification of such a creature has not occurred, but the thought of such a thing in the frigid waters of the Southernmost region of the planet gives one chills of delight.





New Swabia was a region of Antarctica explored by the Germans in the late 1930s. Although it was a temporary base, many have perpetuated the concept that the Nazis knew of something down there that was worth claiming or perhaps even found a way to settle under the ice shelf and make their escape.






Queen Elizabeth II and senior members of the British royal family, along with newcomer Meghan Markle, an American actress engaged to Prince Harry attended a Christmas church service on Monday as a crowd of local residents gathered.

Markle smiled and gave a brief wave in her first public appearance with the queen. She and Harry stopped to talk with several locals on their way back to the queen's residence.

"She was very, very lovely," said Judith Wallis, a woman who chatted briefly with the couple. The crowd was larger than in previous years, perhaps because of curiosity about Markle.

The queen was joined by her husband, Prince Philip, and close family members including grandson Prince William and his wife, Kate, who is expected to give birth to the couple's third child in the spring.

Elizabeth, 91, and Philip, 96, missed last year's church service because they had the flu, but they seemed in good health during Monday's brief appearance. Philip walked back to the queen's house with other royals, but Elizabeth opted to be driven.

She and Prince Charles' wife, Camilla, rode to and from the service in a chauffeured Bentley with a horse-themed hood ornament, perhaps chosen by the queen, who loves horses and horse racing.


bohlah at 26-12-2017 01:58 PM (4 years ago) (m)

Two Nigerian women have been appointed the heads of language services for East and West Africa respectively.



They were appointed as part of the BBC World Services further expansion in Africa.



Based in Nairobi, Rachael Akidi Okwir, the Head of East Africa Languages, will be managing services in Afaan Oromo, Amharic, Somali, Swahili and Tigrinya.

Two Nigerian women have been appointed the heads of language services for East and West Africa respectively.They were appointed as part of the BBC World Services further expansion in Africa.Based in Nairobi, Rachael Akidi Okwir, the Head of East Africa Languages, will be managing services in Afaan Oromo, Amharic, Somali, Swahili and Tigrinya.

While Toyosi Ogunseye, who is based in Lagos as the Head of West Africa Languages, will be managing Afrique, Hausa, Igbo, Pidgin and Yoruba.Rachael was the Editor of the flagship radio programme Focus on Africa.



She joined the BBC World Service as a producer in 2002 and has worked across various platforms and programmes including Network Africa, The World Today, Focus On Africa TV and the website, bbcafrica.com In recognition of her leadership qualities and potential, Rachael was selected for the inaugural BBC News Leadership Programme.



Born in Uganda, her career in journalism started as a freelance contributor to Ugandan newspapers and radio stations whilst a student at Makerere University.





Toyosi Ogunseye was the Editor of the Sunday Punch, one of Nigerias most widely read newspapers. She was the first female editor in the 45 year history of the company.



An award winning journalist with a passion for investigative reporting, she has won over 30 awards and was the first Nigerian to win the prestigious Knight International Journalism award.



Toyosi is a fellow of President Barack Obamas Young African Leaders Initiative and currently sits on the board of the World Editors Forum. She holds an MSc in Media and Communication and is currently studying for a PhD in Politics and International Relations at the University of Leicester. While Toyosi Ogunseye, who is based in Lagos as the Head of West Africa Languages, will be managing Afrique, Hausa, Igbo, Pidgin and Yoruba.Rachael was the Editor of the flagship radio programme Focus on Africa.She joined the BBC World Service as a producer in 2002 and has worked across various platforms and programmes including Network Africa, The World Today, Focus On Africa TV and the website, bbcafrica.com In recognition of her leadership qualities and potential, Rachael was selected for the inaugural BBC News Leadership Programme.Born in Uganda, her career in journalism started as a freelance contributor to Ugandan newspapers and radio stations whilst a student at Makerere University.Toyosi Ogunseye was the Editor of the Sunday Punch, one of Nigerias most widely read newspapers. She was the first female editor in the 45 year history of the company.An award winning journalist with a passion for investigative reporting, she has won over 30 awards and was the first Nigerian to win the prestigious Knight International Journalism award.Toyosi is a fellow of President Barack Obamas Young African Leaders Initiative and currently sits on the board of the World Editors Forum. She holds an MSc in Media and Communication and is currently studying for a PhD in Politics and International Relations at the University of Leicester.

Post Reply I have been reporting on latest news from Nigeria for almost 10 years now. I report on every possible news area I come across, but always ensure my reports are compiled with dignity and fact to uphold my personal values and duty as a journalist Posted: at 26-12-2017 01:58 PM (4 years ago) | Addicted Hero
China is building refugee camps for up to half a million people and more military installations along the border with North Korea, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported last Saturday.

Last summer, Chinese authorities told the provincial governments in Jilin and Liaoning near the border with North Korea to build facilities that can accommodate up to 500,000 refugees, the daily quoted a Communist Party official as saying.

The provincial governments are reportedly stocking up on emergency food supplies and tents.

The Chinese military, meanwhile, is building three-story housing units and shower facilities for troops in Jilin, the paper said. Local authorities claimed that they are building the facilities to prepare for "theft" by North Korean refugees crossing the frozen river into China, but their real purpose seems to be to accommodate more troops who will tighten border controls in an emergency.

The plan for the refugee camps was leaked earlier this month in a document from the state-run China Mobile's Jilin branch office. The document, circulated on Weibo, reads in part, "We've checked network connection status in five locations, including ChangbaI, under authorities' plan to build refugee camps there."

Changbai sits across the Apnok River from the North Korean city of Hyesan and Samjiyon in Ryanggang Province.

The plans imply the first tacit admission by China that it may not always be able to protect the North Korean regime.


In much of the country, states are offering localities less financial help than they were before the recession. That won't change anytime soon.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Yo-jong made a rare appearance in public seated next to top officials at a Workers Party congress.

The picture, which appeared in the Friday issue of the state-run Rodong Shinmun, points to her growing importance inside the paranoid regime.

Kim is sitting next to her brother's right-hand man Choe Ryong-hae and Workers Party secretaries Kim Pyong-hae, O Su-yong and Pak Tae-song. That suggests she has been quietly promoted to the party's inner sanctum.

Her name already appeared on the list of the Politburo in October.


U.S. reconnaissance satellites have spotted Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean vessels on the West Sea around 30 times since October.

According to South Korean government sources, the satellites have pictured large Chinese and North Korean ships illegally trading in oil in a part of the West Sea closer to China than South Korea.

The satellite pictures even show the names of the ships. A government source said, "We need to focus on the fact that the illicit trade started after a UN Security Council resolution in September drastically capped North Korea's imports of refined petroleum products."

The U.S. Treasury Department placed six North Korean shipping and trading companies and 20 of their ships on sanctions list on Nov. 21, when it published spy satellite images taken on Oct. 19 showing a ship named Ryesonggang 1 connected to a Chinese vessel.
GREENSBORO  Much has been said about coal ash since that grimy waste product shot to the top of North Carolinas political agenda after the 2014 spill into the Dan River.

Its a pretty safe bet that, in all that time, nobody has ever praised the stuff for its beauty or elegance.

But that could change if Greensboro artist Caroline Armijo succeeds with a coal ash project that attempts to meld the worlds of artistic creativity, scientific inquiry, civil rights and film history.

Armijo recently won a $350,000 grant from ArtPlace America to use coal ash in making a public art display near a controversial Stokes County power plant. The work of art will honor a man born in that area, the late composer and arranger Jester Hairston, who created the music for the 1963 movie Lilies of the Field.

Sidney Poitier became the first African-American actor to win an Academy Award as best actor for his starring role in the film with its catchy Amen anthem assembled by the Belews Creek-born Hairston, whose singing voice dubbed for Poitiers on the soundtrack.

In homage, Armijo plans to make decorative lilies out of coal ash.

Im hoping to create a mold and then use encapsulated coal ash in the artwork, Armijo said of the project, which is expected to take about 2 years to complete. The flower blossoms will be from the mold.

She said she envisions employing technology developed at N.C. A&Ts Center for Composite Materials Research to cast giant lilies using a special blend of polyurethane and recycled coal ash designed in A&Ts lab to withstand years of outdoors exposure.

A Stokes County native, Armijo persuaded officials at the ArtPlace National Creative Placemaking Fund to back her project and create a public space near Duke Energys Belews Creek Steam Station, both to memorialize Hairston and to encourage the productive reuse of roughly 12 million tons of submerged ash near the coal-fired power-generating plant in Stokes County.

The plant and its massive ash basin were built in the early 1970s near the site of a former tobacco plantation where composer Hairston was born and where earlier generations of his family apparently had been enslaved.

Armijo said the project is aimed at providing a recreational and cultural resource for the community of Walnut Cove near the Belews Creek plant. Ideally, it also would help spur Duke Energy to recycle the coal ash submerged in the plants storage basin instead of capping in place, Armijo said.

Were looking for an alternative solution to clean up the site because we dont want it to be capped in place, she said, referring to Duke Energys current plan to leave the ash in its present location under a waterproof covering that critics consider insufficient.

She said she also hopes the art project will bring attention to the coal ash research at A&T and lead to development of a pilot plant at or near Belews Creek using the labs technology, which can manufacture a variety of items, ranging from park benches to utility pole cross arms.

Environmental issues

Armijo, 43, is the wife of Enrique Armijo, an associate professor and associate dean for academic affairs at the Elon University School of Law in Greensboro. They have two young children.

She knows the area around the Duke Energy plant quite well as the daughter of attorney Jerry Rutledge, who has practiced in Walnut Cove for about 40 years. She grew up in nearby Germanton.

Armijo is a mixed-media artist who also describes herself as a strong advocate for the environment.

In fact, she approached the coal ash issue first as an environmentalist who belongs to two groups that want to lift the burden of coal ash pollution from the small and politically powerless communities that often border the regions coal-fired power plants, Belews Creek-based Residents for Coal Ash Cleanup and the regional Alliance of Carolinans Together Against Coal Ash.

In that capacity, she began meeting in 2016 with two of Greensboros foremost coal ash experts, Kunigal Shivakumar, who directs N.C. A&Ts composite materials center, and center consultant Wade Brown.

She had heard about the research centers pioneering work with coal ash to develop techniques to lock up its potentially harmful chemicals in a solid matrix that either can be stored as-is for generations or molded into durable items for the building industry. End products include everything from military-grade wallboard capable of resisting an explosion to household door and window molding.

Its quite safe, Shivakumar said recently. We know that coal ash is one of the best natural sources to use in making products.

Significant in Stokes

Armijo also notes that the plant at Belews Creek has had a disproportionate effect on the areas black residents, so that recognizing Hairston with its coal ash has special meaning.

The predominantly African-American community of Little Egypt was flooded decades ago in creating Belews Lake as the steam stations cooling pond, she said.

Today, the largely black subdivision of Walnut Tree borders Walnut Cove not far from the plant and is part of a federal lawsuit filed in early December against Duke Energy for alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act.

Armijo and her fellow environmentalists initially hoped that Duke Energy would select Belews Creek as one of several coal-fired sites where it plans to build processing plants to recover ash for use by the concrete industry. But the Stokes plant didnt make the cut, and Duke instead chose plants near Salisbury, Goldsboro and Moncure.

Coal ash is not officially considered a hazardous material. But it contains trace elements of such chemicals as arsenic, hexavalent chromium, selenium and vanadium that can threaten water quality given the gigantic quantities of ash that Duke Energy has amassed at 14 sites across North Carolina.

New opportunities

In the meantime, Shivakumar and Brown are looking for an opportunity to ramp up their technology to manufacturing scale. And Armijo said she thinks the attention that her art project garners could help with that by perhaps attracting financial support for a pilot plant near Belews Creek to demonstrate the practicality of A&Ts manufacturing techniques.

Its promoting our technology and promoting art, Shivakumar said of Armijos project.

Armijo said she submitted her proposal to ArtPlace America after seeing a Facebook advertisement last January that asked if you have an idea for a public art project highlighting a particular place.

And I was like, Well, yes, I do have an idea,  Armijo said.

ArtPlace America is a partnership involving a number of private nonprofit foundations, federal agencies and financial institutions supporting projects that make art a physical part of a communitys planning and development process.

Armijo, Shivakumar and Brown are at the start of that planning process for the Belews Creek artwork. Armijo said she envisions the development of a walking tour that might involve Walnut Coves Fowler Park, with perhaps an archway of metalwork adorned by giant lilies made of A&Ts coal ash substance.

This is my first foray into making molds, so I will be working closely with the lab at A&T, Armijo said.

If the plan that is developed in the coming months does involve a walking tour or greenway, she said it also could include other decorative castings along the way made out of the coal ash-based material.

Armijo figures that adorned with seven lily blossoms, the main structure alone would consume a little more than 10 tons of coal ash.

In her proposal to the ArtPlace officials, she also suggested the possibility of a base made of concrete fortified by coal ash and stamped or stained with a visual representation of Jester Hairstons Amen.

Exposed to the elements every day, the blend of coal ash and polyurethane should last as long as any other material suitable for outdoor applications, said Brown, a chemist who invented a key step in the process that helps fuse the various ingredients.

Youd paint it, just like you would metal, he said, noting that final durability testing will be completed shortly on both painted and unpainted samples.

Plans coming

Of course, theres a lot of planning to be done before Armijos public art project needs its first drop of paint.

That opening phase of the project is scheduled to begin with a kickoff ceremony next month in Walnut Cove during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend.

Armijo said she knows that with millions of tons of coal ash submerged from decades of coal-fired power production, her arts initiative and A&Ts manufacturing process are not the magic bullet that alone can vanquish coal ash as a potential threat to water quality, aquatic life and human health.

We realize that there is not only one solution, she said. With a problem this big, there has to be six or seven different solutions. But this definitely can play a part.
WASHINGTON  To hear Donald Trump talk, you'd think Barack Obama was the president who stole Christmas.

Although Trump doesn't generally single him out by name on this subject, the president's meaning is unmistakable when he declares, as he has done since long before the holiday season, that's he making it OK to talk about Christmas again. Obama, it would seem, did not. But that's not what the record shows.

A look at that matter and others that arose in a week bristling with action on taxes and Trump's words on foreign policy, politics and more:

TRUMP: "People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again. I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!  a tweet Christmas Eve.

THE FACTS: "Merry Christmas," the president said when presiding over the lighting of the National Christmas Tree and celebrating "the birth of our Savior."

That president was Obama, marking "my family's Christian faith" and other faiths in his final Christmas tree ritual in office, in 2016.

The White House holidays under the Obamas had plenty of Christmas trappings and cheer. Obama offered a more general holiday message on the official greeting card, but wished "Merry Christmas" at the National Tree lighting, on his Twitter account and in his weekly address.

Trump explicitly criticized Obama in 2011, tweeting that the president had "issued a statement for Kwanzaa but failed to issue one for Christmas." In fact, that year Obama wished people "Merry Christmas" from his Twitter account and gave a video address with wife Michelle Obama in which he wished people a "Merry Christmas and happy holidays."

Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton also offered greetings marking Kwanzaa, the weeklong African heritage festivities starting Tuesday. The White House said Trump will also have a statement on Kwanzaa.

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TRUMP: "The bottom line is, this is the biggest tax cuts and reform in the history of our country. This is bigger than, actually, President Reagan's many years ago."  remarks to reporters Friday.

THE FACTS: Not so, in either case. For months Trump has refused to recognize larger tax cuts in history, of which there have been many, or to grant that other presidents have enacted big tax cuts since Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. The White House won't explain how he arrives at his conclusion.

An October analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget found that it would be the eighth biggest since 1918. As a percentage of the total economy, Reagan's 1981 cut is the biggest followed by the 1945 rollback of taxes that financed World War II. Trump's plan is also smaller than cuts in 1948, 1964 and 1921, and probably in other years.

Additionally, a Treasury Department analysis found Reagan's 1981 tax cut had an annual average cost of nearly 2 percent of GDP. This would translate into roughly $400 billion in today's dollars. The current tax cuts peak at $280 billion in 2019.

Valued at $1.5 trillion over 10 years, the plan is indeed large and expensive. But it's much smaller than originally intended. Back in the spring, it was shaping up as a $5.5 trillion package. Even then it would have only been the third largest since 1940 as a share of gross domestic product. The government uses percentage of GDP to measure most budget and tax issues over time because that measure puts tax revenues and federal outlays in context relative to the entire economy.

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VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: "You're delivering on that middle-class miracle."  to Trump at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday.

THE FACTS: Modest doesn't usually make for a miracle. Pence's praise to the boss reflects Trump's assertion that "it's a tax bill for the middle class," as he often put it, but average people are not the prime beneficiaries of the tax cuts. Aside from businesses, rich people get the most.

The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimates the biggest benefit of the new law will go to households making $308,000 to $733,000. Households making over that should get a tax cut worth 3.4 percent of their after-tax income. For the richest 0.1 percent (making over $3.4 million), the tax cut should be worth 2.7 percent of their after-tax income. For middle-income earners: 1.6 percent, the center estimates.

Moreover, 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 also see benefits from the business tax cuts, in the form of more jobs and higher wages.

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DEMOCRATIC SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER: "Their bill increases taxes on lots of middle-class people. ... According to the Tax Policy Center, the top 1 percent of earners in our country gets 83 percent of the benefits."  remarks Tuesday.

THE FACTS: The tax cuts are not nearly as lopsided as many Democrats are portraying them. Almost all of the middle class would initially pay less in taxes.

For the next eight years, the vast majority of middle-class taxpayers  those earning between $49,000 and $86,000  will receive a tax cut, albeit a small one. In 2018, nine-tenths of the middle class will get a cut, according to the Tax Policy Center. In 2025, 87 percent will. The tax cut won't be very big: just $930 next year for the middle one-fifth of taxpayers, the center's analysis concludes. For those paid twice a month, that's about $40 a paycheck.

Schumer and other Democrats who have blasted the plan as a middle-class betrayal are basing their assertions on the fact that nearly all personal tax cuts expire after 2025. That would result in a slight tax increase for about two-thirds of the middle class by 2027. The top 1 percent would still get a cut that year.

Only in 2027 do the wealthiest taxpayers get 83 percent of the benefit, as Schumer says. In 2018, roughly 21 percent of the tax cut's benefits go to the richest 1 percent, a much smaller figure, though still a disproportionate share. Just 11 percent will go to the middle one-fifth.

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REP. NANCY PELOSI, House Democratic leader: "86 million middle class families get a tax hike."  tweet Wednesday.

THE FACTS: She's ignoring all the middle-class tax cuts before 2027; that year, taxes will be slightly higher for the middle class unless the cuts are extended.

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TRUMP on his tax legislation: "Obamacare has been repealed in this bill."  remarks Wednesday.

THE FACTS: It hasn't. The tax plan ends fines for people who don't carry health insurance. That's a major change but far from the dismantling of the health law.

Other marquee components of Barack Obama's law remain, such as the Medicaid expansion serving low-income adults, protections that shield people with pre-existing medical conditions from being denied coverage or charged higher premiums, income-based subsidies for consumers buying individual health insurance policies, the requirement that insurers cover "essential" health benefits, and the mandate that larger employers provide coverage to their workers or face fines.

Also, the tax law doesn't repeal fines for uninsured individuals until the start of 2019, meaning the "individual mandate" is still in force for next year unless the administration acts to waive the penalties.

___

TRUMP: "When the individual mandate is being repealed, that means Obamacare is being repealed because they get their money from the individual mandate."  remarks Wednesday.

THE FACTS: This is also wrong. The fines on people who don't carry health insurance only provide a small fraction of the financing for the program. Most of the money comes from higher taxes on upper-income people, cuts in Medicare payments to service providers, and other tax increases.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that fines from uninsured people would total $3 billion this year, while the government's cost for the coverage provided under the health law would total about $117 billion.

___

TRUMP on his predecessors: "They put American energy under lock and key."  speech Monday.

THE FACTS: On the contrary, energy production was unleashed during Obama's presidency, largely because of advances in hydraulic fracturing that made it economical to tap vast reserves of natural gas. Oil production also greatly increased, reducing imports. Before the presidential election last year, the U.S. for the first time in decades was getting more energy domestically than it imports. The government estimated this year that the U.S. could switch from being a net importer of energy to being a net exporter as early as 2019, depending on what happens to oil prices, energy resources and economic growth.

Trump, a Republican, has rolled back some obstacles for the coal industry, which indeed complained of overregulation by Obama, a Democrat. But coal's decline in recent years was driven mainly by competition from cheap natural gas.

Despite his rhetoric about U.S. energy production, one of Trump's most consequential actions as president has been to open the U.S. to another source of foreign oil, with his approval of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada.

Obama's two-term predecessor, Republican George W. Bush, was no adversary of the energy industry. Neither president put energy "under lock and key."

Associated Press writers Josh Boak and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report.
COLUMBUS, Ohio  A disgruntled mail carrier facing dismissal has been charged with aggravated murder for fatally shooting his supervisor at a suburban Ohio post office and with murder for killing a postmaster outside of her apartment complex.

Twenty-four-year-old DeShaune Stewart, of Columbus, was naked during both slayings Saturday morning inside the Dublin post office and at an apartment complex in nearby Columbus, police said.

Stewart is charged with killing 52-year-old Lance Dempsey at the post office just before 4:30 a.m. Stewart had been scheduled to walk his mail route on Saturday, Columbus homicide Sgt. David Sicilian said.

Columbus police dispatchers received a 911 call around 7:15 a.m. about a man with a gun chasing a woman outside the apartment complex, about 4 miles from the post office. Patrol officers arrested Stewart and recovered a handgun after he tried to run away.

The body of the postmaster, Ginger Ballard, 53, was found lying between two vehicles. A police affidavit filed with the murder charge in Franklin County Municipal Court said Ballard died instantly of blunt-force trauma to the head after being thrown to the ground, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

Police earlier described Ballard as a postal inspector. The Dispatch has reported that documents found online refer to her as the Dublin postmaster.

Sicilian described the slaying to reporters earlier Saturday as "workplace violence" involving a suspect who retaliated against two people involved in his pending dismissal from the U.S. Postal Service.
HOUSTON  United Airlines has apologized and given a $500 travel voucher to a passenger who accused the airline of giving her first-class seat to U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat.

An airline spokeswoman said Monday that its internal systems show the passenger, Jean-Marie Simon, canceled her Dec. 18 seat from Houston to Washington, D.C. after a weather delay.

Simon denies that she canceled the flight. She was given a seat in Economy Plus on the flight, and told the Houston Chronicle she saw Jackson Lee sitting in the seat that was assigned to her.

United says it upgraded Jackson Lee automatically and not because she was a member of Congress. The congresswoman says in a statement that she didn't ask for anything "exceptional or out of the ordinary."
Korea's exports are expected to surpass the US$600 billion mark for the first time next year.

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency said in a report Monday that Korea's exports are expected to rise 4.8 percent in 2018 to $606.4 billion. Earlier, the Korea International Trade Association projected exports at $602 billion next year.

Shipments grew for the first time in three years this year to $578.6 billion, up a whopping 16.8 percent.

KOTRA said a recovery in manufacturing and the IT market, eased relations with China and rising global oil prices should lead to improved prices of Korea's key exports. But it warned that the North Korean nuclear and missile threats could pose obstacles.

Exports are expected to rise both to advanced and emerging economies. Although there are concerns over strengthened trade barriers in the U.S., Korea's exports to the country are expected to rise 1.9 percent from 2016 thanks to growing demand for IT and other high-tech products.

China's economy is expected to post stable growth next year, leading to increased consumption. Together with the easing of a boycott of Korean goods, that is expected to result in exports to the country growing eight percent.

Exports to Europe are projected to rise 1.5 percent, to Japan 4.5 percent, to ASEAN 10.6 percent, to India 8.8 percent, to Latin America 3.8 percent and to the Commonwealth of Independent States 10.4 percent.

KITA polled 514 companies that exported more than $500,000 worth of goods and found that 91.4 percent expect shipments to grow next year.


U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley invited representatives from 64 countries to a Jan. 3 reception to thank you for your friendship to the United States.

The list of friends has some strange omissions, including: Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Denmark ...

Our nations strongest allies were among 128 countries that voted for a U.N. resolution last week denouncing President Donald Trumps recent announcement that the U.S. officially recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and will move its embassy there from Tel Aviv. Only eight other U.N. members, including Israel, voted to support the U.S. position. Thirty-five abstained, and 21 were absent.

The large number of abstentions and absences came in response to blatant threats by Haley and Trump. Before the vote, she warned U.N. members of consequences if they opposed the U.S. position, and Trump hinted that U.S. aid would depend on their votes.

Let them vote against us. Well save a lot. We dont care, he said.

The attempted intimidation didnt work and might have been an empty threat. Only hours after the vote, Vice President Mike Pence was in Afghanistan making promises of more U.S. assistance  even though Afghanistan opposed the U.S. on Jerusalem.

One thing should be clear: The U.S. has the sovereign right, as it stated, to place its capital anywhere a host country permits  with or without the approval of the United Nations.

At the same time, its the U.N.s long-stated position that the status of Jerusalem must be resolved through negotiations between Israel and Palestinians, and that a two-state solution is required for lasting peace. Trumps rash move undercuts Palestinian claims to any part of Jerusalem and dashes hopes for new peace talks.

More concerning are Trumps tactics. Bullying doesnt win friends. It isnt the way the United States should conduct diplomacy.

Unfortunately, this seems to be part of Trumps America First approach to the rest of the world. Hes suggested that the U.S. would come to the assistance of NATO allies only if theyre paid up in their financial obligations to the organization. He said the U.S. should have taken Iraqs oil after ridding it of Saddam Hussein. Does he think the U.S. should be a military mercenary, conducting wars for profit?

And is it policy now to decide which countries get U.S. aid  whether hunger relief, disaster assistance or in response to outbreaks of disease  depending on whether they vote for or against our positions at the United Nations? Why not just threaten military action against countries that get out of line?

Thats not how a great nation should use its power, and it isnt how the United States ever conducted itself before. American aid is justified for humanitarian reasons  we help because we can  and also for strategic purposes. The United States earns friends in the world, bringing stability to chaotic places and giving hope to the poor and struggling. Thats why the world has viewed the United States as such a special place.

Our great country is respected again in Asia, Trump tweeted during his trip there last month. Hes made similar claims.

Not one Asian country, except Israel, voted to support us in the U.N. last week. Few anywhere did. Thats not respect. Trump wont win respect through threats or taunts or a policy of vote-buying at the U.N.

(What if North Korea and Iran had voted with us last week? Would they have been invited to Haleys thank-you reception? Would they be in line for foreign aid?)

Friendships and alliances are forged through common interests, goals and values. What does it tell the rest of the world when the president of the United States makes one U.N. vote a test of friendship? The result says that his friendship means less to other countries than he thinks.
EDEN  A newspaper carrier was not injured early Saturday morning when he came under gunfire in a northern Eden neighborhood.

At approximately 3:15 a.m. on Dec. 23, Eden patrol officers and a detective responded to the Grand Oaks neighborhood to investigate the incident.

A brand new carrier on his first shift was delivering the Saturday edition of the News & Record, when he parked on the side of the road at the corner of Sunset and Hillcrest Drive. A car with four males pulled up alongside the vehicle.

According to the carrier, the window of his vehicle was cracked, when one of the men in the other vehicle started talking to him.

Feeling uncomfortable with the situation, the carrier gassed his car and took off quickly down Sunset, towards Shamrock Court.

The carrier told police that as he drove away, shots were fired at his vehicle. Its unclear how many shots were fired, and bullets never struck the vehicle.

According to Deputy Police Chief Clint Simpson, the incident is remains under investigation.

The newspaper route includes seven days of delivery of News & Record, and also RockinghamNow on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Circulation officials with the two newspapers, both part of BH Media, are considering changing the delivery time to daylight hours for carrier safety.
Mi Ranchito III is a Peruvian restaurant in Norwalk that has two other locations in Stamford.

If you could see me right now I am saying Peruvian with hand quotes. The reason for this is pretty much every south-of-the-border restaurant in our area sees no reason to stay within its geographical boundaries. The foods of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Peru, Brazil and Ecuador all seem to find their way onto the menus. Unless you feel the need to be transported to a particular country (for the price of lunch), I say the more the merrier.

Mi Ranchito has been popular in Stamford for quite a while. There are two reasons: the food is very good and inexpensive. This is not a fancy-dining experience, rather a very hearty square meal in a comfortable, folksy atmosphere. I am delighted to say Norwalk, with its kaleidoscope of nationalities, has had a restaurant rebirth.

When I dine here, as I often do, I look to see what is on the tables of the people around me. I also look to see if the people who ordered the dishes are familiar with the cuisine. Often the waitstaff at this type of place is not fluent in English (and heaven knows, I sadly speak not one word of any language but my own). So pointing to what someone else is eating makes life easy. The menu at Mi Ranchito has numbers for the various dishes, and color pictures, so again, simply pointing at something is an option.

More Information Mi Ranchito III 21 N. Main St., Norwalk See More Collapse

My favorite menu item is the seafood paella. I dont know what the deal with paella is in Peru. I always thought of it as Spanish, but whatever its roots are at Mi Ranchito it is masterfully cooked with lots of long-grain white rice saturated with the juices of high-quality seafood. The shrimp, in particular, is first-rate  big pink crescents that are plentiful and snappingly fresh. On that note I ordered the shrimp soup, which was as luscious as the paella. Same great shrimp, hunks of potato and creamy broth that tasted of the ocean.

At the restaurant I saw quite a few men who looked like workmen on their lunch break. If I had a physically demanding outdoor job, I would also eat here regularly. The food tastes like Mama is in the kitchen, everything is affordable and the portions so gigantic that, unless you are doing hard labor, you will have plenty to take home.

Another of my favorite menu items are the black beans, yellow rice and fried plantains. I ordered a large plate of this triumvirate, which came with soft tortillas on the side. Again, huge portions and utterly delicious. If you want an all-starch meal, you can order fried yucca and fried potatoes. At Mi Ranchito, there is a choice of Peruvian cerviche or cerviche Guatemalan style. Both feature seafood marinated until cooked in a spicy lemon brine.

While the hearty chicken soup is exactly the comfort food you would expect, there are more exotic items on the menu for the adventurous. Cow Foot Soup, Tongue Tacos and Beef Heart Fried Rice are a few.

Wildly popular in Central America are pupusas, although they are rarely served in American restaurants. If you have never had a pupusa, you are in for an addictive treat. Papusas (the national dish of El Salvador) are a griddle-cooked dough made from masa (corn) flour that is filled with everything from cabbage to potatoes, shredded pork to cheese. Papusa aficionados request a cup of Mi Ranchitos Aji, a Peruvian hot sauce poured into the center of the warm papusa. Personally, I love a plain, unfilled pupusa served on the side with a hearty bowl of soup. If you like to dip things, papusas work well.

Waiting for my meal at Mi Ranchito, I picked up a magazine on a table by the entrance. It was glossy and beautifully photographed and I could not understand one word as I do not speak Spanish. I was, however, able to figure out an interesting article about papusas. They are El Salvadorian and are one of the earliest foods of the indigenous people of this region. While they are primitive in nature, they are not as easy to make as one would think. Even celebrity chef Nigella Lawson hesitated to print a recipe for papusas on her blog because they are so tricky.

Every November El Salvador throws a Papusa Festival, where chefs and home cooks from all over vie for the blue ribbon. From the color photos to the festive native costumes, this is one festival I want to attend. In the meantime, I will indulge at Mi Ranchito III, which is a much closer drive from my house in Ridgefield.

Jane Stern, a Ridgefield resident, coauthored the popular Roadfood guidebook series with Michael Stern. Join her each week as she travels Fairfield County finding a great meal in unexpected places for $20 or less.
GREENWICH  Standing in the Knights of Columbus dining room Christmas noon, Greenwichs Grand Knight took a quick survey of the crowd.

I see one empty seat in the place at this point, said Michael Lally, who heads the local chapter of the Knights of Columbus.

Staggered tables filled the room dotted with faces both familiar and unknown to Lally. Poinsettias sat as centerpieces, and the wafting odors of turkey and gravy filled the air.

For 43 years, Greenwichs Knights of Columbus has hosted a holiday meal at its West Putnam Avenue headquarters for those who have nowhere else to go. Each season, volunteers have tirelessly served the community.

On Monday, 82 people attended the celebration, which was made possible through the help of a few dozen volunteers. For 29 of the diners, transportation also was provided by volunteers.

This is a good turnout this year, said Knights of Columbus member Tom Pankosky.

Since he joined the Catholic charity in 1983, Pankosky has helped with Christmas dinner nearly every year, except while he lived abroad. When his son was younger, the boy would join on Christmas morning and afternoon to lend a hand; now, a son-in-law takes the time to help.

Pankosky said that on Christmas, everyone needs to be with someone, even if its just for a few hours.

Many of the volunteers return each year. In the kitchen, the same group of men has arrived every year in the early hours of the morning to cook up the holiday feast. This year, the cooks prepared 47 meals for those who were homebound in addition to the scores of meals served at the hall.

Fe Joaquin has been coming to the dinner for a decade, she said, bringing her family members as they visited. This year, her 14-year-old granddaughter, Lorelyn Dino, sat at Joaquins table.

The food, Lorelyn said, was really good.

At another table, first time attendee Ann Secombe described the dinner as high-quality. She heard about the event through Greenwich Time and decided to go and meet people from the community, she said.

A glance around the room showed a diversity of diners: Some young, others old, some in groups, others alone.

Look around. We have a wide variety of people in here, Lally said. I mean, right from this little baby in a high chair to senior citizens.

Some, like 13-year-old Elizabeth Miller, had given up their own early Christmas traditions to help out. Elizabeth, who came to Greenwich from North Carolina to spend Christmas with her grandfather, a Knights of Columbus member, was among the youngest volunteers.

He said it was a good cause for everyone, and I thought it would be helpful, and I like to give back to everyone, she said.

Added Lally, Its the right thing to do.
Kids artworks at Shanghai Tower

By:Wu Qiong | From:english.eastday.com | 2017-12-26 09:52

Artworks mostly created by pupils are on display at the Shanghai Tower. [Photo/Kankanews.com]

As one of Shanghais landmarks, the Shanghai Tower is not only a tourist destination but also a place to showcase common peoples art. On Christmas Eve, an exhibition featuring school students and teachers drawings and paintings kicked off on the buildings ground floor.

One of the paintings on show at the Shanghai Tower [Photo/Kankanews.com]

A total of 128 artworks including sketches, woodblock prints, watercolors, clay sculptures and computer graphics are on display. 90% of them are created by students from Shanghais Fushan Foreign Language Primary School, while the others are crafted by teachers.



One of the paintings on show at the Shanghai Tower [Photo/Kankanews.com]

The kids are very excited to see their artworks on display in Chinas tallest building. Im honored to have my drawing displayed at the Shanghai Tower. It is a memorable experience I will cherish for a lifetime. I will keep drawing, no matter how busy I am with my studies, said a fifth grader.



According to a staff member at the Shanghai Tower, it has been the first time that the Shanghai Tower opens its doors to host an exhibition featuring primary school students and teachers works of art. Whats more, the Shanghai Tower aims to show richer and more diverse exhibitions.

The exhibition will be on until January 6, 2018.




This past spring the cook and food writer J. Kenji Lopez-Alt took the stage at Italys Teatro Scientifico del Bibiena, in the small city of Mantua, with sacrilege on the brain. Lopez-Alt, known to his devotees simply as Kenji, is a soft-spoken 38-year-old partial to sandals and backyard woodworking, but his laid-back affect obscures a taste for provocation. Mantua is in Lombardy, the birthplace of risotto, and Lopez-Alt, in town to speak at a food festival, had come to tell his audience that the way theyd always made the dish  a technique passed down by two centuries worth of beloved, rice-whispering nonnas  could stand some rejiggering. Italians are the most emotional people in the world when it comes to their food, Lopez-Alt says. So I knew I was in for some trouble.

Making risotto the time-honored way involves three basic steps: Saute aromatics in fat, toast rice in that mixture, then stir in broth slowly so that the starch thickens to create a creamy sauce. The problem, Lopez-Alt argued onstage, is that this method pits the dish against itself. If only you could prolong the grain-toasting stage, youd get a huge enhancement of flavor  a nutty-brown aroma, almost like toasted pine nuts  but all that toasting would destroy your starches: no creaminess. So he proposed a workaround. Rinse your uncooked rice with broth first and set aside that starchy liquid; toast the rice like crazy; then stir the broth back in, reintroducing the starches you safeguarded in step one. This way, Lopez-Alt explains, you get creaminess and flavor.

Not everyone in the room saw it that way. When the post-talk Q&A began, a woman tried to ask Lopez-Alt something about freezing basil. Suddenly, another woman cut her off and, in a stream of angry Italian, told me I was disrespecting risotto and shitting on hundreds of years of tradition. A stammering moderator managed to return the microphone to the frozen-basil lady. Then, perhaps fearing further revolt, he ended the session altogether. Its a very unorthodox way of approaching risotto, Lopez-Alt concedes.

Lopez-Alts best-loved recipes crackle with an elegant, egghead contrarianism. At the Food Lab, the hit blog he writes at Serious Eats, he delights in telling readers that the way theyve always cooked something is suboptimal, proposing crafty alternatives arrived at through obsessive trial and error. Among his most popular posts is a 2010 investigation into why the most delicious French fries are fried twice, during which Lopez-Alt uses high-precision Starrett dial calipers to verify that the crust formed on a twice-fried fry, at 39/1000ths-of-an-inch, is over twice as thick as the 17/1000ths-of-an-inch crust formed on a fry that is only fried once. In 2015, Lopez-Alt put out The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science, a hefty kitchen manual that sold nearly 500,000 copies and won the James Beard Award for General Cooking. Today, his fans include prominent chefs (Tony Maws, Alton Brown) and a passionate cadre of amateur cooks, among whom his word is authoritative. (A lot of recipes dont actually work, says a cookbook editor at a rival publisher. Kenjis work.) The Times dubbed him the nerd king of Internet cooking; the food writer Helen Rosner calls him a religion.

Related Stories Kenji Lopez-Alt Literally Never Stops Thinking About Food

Lopez-Alt, who studied biology at MIT before deciding that a career spent experimenting with food sounded more fun, likes to size up a particular dish, come up with a list of parameters for what I want the end result to be, then try to find a problem with the recipe as we know it that Im going to solve. Like any good scientist, hes committed to following the facts wherever they lead. Often you find that traditional techniques work really well, he says, but its nice when you find that they dont. Ten years ago, as a young test cook at Cooks Illustrated, Lopez-Alt struck upon the idea of substituting vodka for some of the water in a piecrust dough, thereby reducing the production of gluten, too much of which can make for unappetizing toughness. Christopher Kimball, the magazines notoriously hard-to-please founder, praised the vodka trick as brilliant and deemed the recipe foolproof; the technique has since permeated the home-cooking world so thoroughly that you may well have used it yourself without knowing its author.

In addition to his risotto and piecrust breakthroughs, Lopez-Alt has made signature innovations to a wide range of foods. He discovered that slow-cooking steak first, then pan-searing it, contra tradition, results in more even cooking and no loss of juiciness. Before roasting potatoes, he parboils them in water doctored with baking soda, which encourages the breakdown of pectin, thus creating more surface area and more crunch. To get the perfect char on a Neapolitan pizza, top to bottom, he forms the pie in a hot cast-iron skillet, transfers it to a broiler, then finishes it off back in the skillet. He sings the praises of sous-vide circulators, pricey gizmos that cook food at perfectly uniform temperatures, but also devised a simple home substitute: plunging bags of sealed food into a beer cooler filled with hot tap water.

Lopez-Alts fans refer to such innovations as hacks  an apt analogy, given that he lives in the Silicon Valley suburb of San Mateo and describes his social circle and fan base alike as heavy on engineer types who appreciate his combination of technical rigor and wily sabotage. My readership is mostly men and some Asian women  the techie demographic, he says. A Manhattan native, Lopez-Alt moved to California three years ago, when his wife, Adri, who has a doctorate in cryptography, landed a job on Googles security team. He never adored New York, he says, and took readily to life as a suburban homebody.

In the coming weeks, Lopez-Alt plans to add a new line to his resume: restaurateur. With two partners, hes opening Wursthall, an enormous, 9,800-square-foot beer hall in downtown San Mateo. It will feature German beers on draft and a menu of sausages and reimagined pub food that Lopez-Alt is precision-engineering to please. His take on a pulled-pork sandwich, for instance, features meat cooked sous-vide, shaped into disks, then flipped over a hot grill to crunch up the exterior: Americans love crunch and sizzle  the sound of browned flavors  more than anyone in the world, he says.

What fascinates Lopez-Alt about starting a restaurant is the technical challenge: designing a menu and breaking it down into a sequence of moves that hired cooks can execute, to the letter, on his behalf. What he doesnt care about, really, is restaurants. For a guy launching a food emporium in one of the worlds most food-obsessed regions  a place heavy on Michelin stars and philosophically dominated by farm-to-table don Alice Waters  Lopez-Alt is surprisingly uninterested in foodie culture. I have very few impressions of the food scene here, he confesses, because we dont go out to eat much. And when we do, we want it to be friendly and convenient. When he lived in New York, his favorite spots to eat out were Union Square Cafe, Motorino, and Uncle Boons  unfussy places that prioritize well-executed comfort food above all other concerns. Among his happiest discoveries in Silicon Valley is Chef Zhao Bistro, an unheralded Sichuan joint with 90s-office-style drop ceilings and stainproof glass-topped tables.

For Lopez-Alt, who has built an entire brand synonymous with perfectible cooking, the stakes with Wursthall are especially high. Creating foolproof recipes for home cooks is one thing; cranking out foolproof grub at restaurant scale is another thing entirely. Thats the No. 1 point of pressure in all of this for me, he says. People are going to come in with an impossibly high bar: This is gonna be the best X Ive ever had! And hopefully it will be, but maybe it wont, because its impossible to operate at that level all the time at a family restaurant where youre paying 14 bucks a plate! The DIY king of internet cooking, in other words, isnt sure how the whole IRL thing is going to work out.

A nerd chefs experiment: Eggs boiled for 30-second intervals from 0 to 12 minutes. Photo: Courtesy of Kenji Lopez-Alt

Its early morning, and Lopez-Alt is already in his kitchen, fine-tuning a salmon marinade and testing out some sausages. He and Adri live with their infant daughter, Alicia, on a block of close-set ranch homes. (Born James Kenji Alt, he added Adris surname to his own when they married.) He stands barefoot before a digital scale, wearing relaxed-fit jeans and a T-shirt with BABY DADDY across the chest. He measures one and a half ounces of canola oil, then grinds a quarter-ounce of coriander, noting these measurements on a sticky pad. The recipe is for his next book, a sequel to The Food Lab that will focus more on everyday cooking.

When Lopez-Alt is developing a recipe, he will devote days, if not weeks, to analyzing different variations on, say, butter-browning or pasta-par-cooking methods  analysis that he documents in the clear, affably goofy language of a high-school chemistry teacher with a talent for vivid explanation and a weakness for atrocious puns. (Pasta la vista, baby!) In one 5,000-word post titled The Science of the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies, Lopez-Alt explains in a laughable degree of detail how he used 32 pounds of flour to perform over 100 individual tests, the results of which were 1,536 cookies and 21 overarching Cookie Facts (No. 16: Stirring Warm Dough Alters Chocolate Dispersal).

His kitchen is modest by suburban standards, but to him it feels palatial compared to the one in the Harlem apartment where he wrote The Food Lab. I had a Hotpoint oven, he recalls fondly, and I could just stand in one place and pivot from one task to another. This kitchen is actually a little too large for me. The range is a noncommercial Wolf  not a restaurant burner  that came with the house. Its about as fancy a range as Im comfortable with, because I dont want to test on something no one would ever actually cook on, he says. Thats why chefs often write terrible recipes  because theyre out of touch with how people at home actually cook.

By Lopez-Alts count, there are only two truly high-end gadgets in his arsenal: a prototype griddle called a Cinder, which was developed by a Y-Combinator-backed start-up, and a Breville PolyScience induction burner, which has a list price of $1,800. He keeps both in a closet alongside a small, pistol-shaped tool that catches my eye. Thats a cold smoker, Lopez-Alt says. You can put in wood chips and smoke a block of cheese. Its sort of like an automated bong. He grins. My friend smoked some pot out of it.

Lessons Learned From 100 Cookie Tests: 1. Corn Syrup = Soft, Wide, Dark, and Flexible Cookies: Compared to using only sugar (left), substituting just an ounce of corn syrup completely alters the cookies texture. Photo: Courtesy of Kenji Lopez-Alt

Thanks to his Well, actually approach to cooking, Lopez-Alt acknowledges, Ive been accused of mansplaining. But his intent is the opposite: to empower readers to deviate from his recipes as they see fit by illuminating the science underlying a given dish. (If, say, you like your cookies denser and fudgier than he does, youve learned from his recipe that those qualities correlate to the proportion of egg yolks to egg whites in your dough, and you can tweak accordingly.) He feels he gets lumped in unfairly with an obnoxious, troll-prone segment of his fan base. Ill see these dudes on social media who use what they learned from Food Lab to put other people down. Even he has come into their crosshairs: Ill post a photo of something Ive cooked, and they tell me, I cant believe you did it this way. Sometimes I think: What have I unleashed? He adds, Im on the Star Wars sub-Reddit a lot, and people there are just so into one-upping each other with their knowledge of the extended Star Wars universe. I think all fans are sort of horrible.

Lopez-Alt drizzles his marinade over a thick cut of fish. Then, multitasking, he commands an Amazon Echo to activate one gizmo that he keeps in near-constant use: his sous-vide circulator. Alexa, tell Joule to set the temperature to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. The Joule, a sleek white cylinder submerged in a tub of water, burbles into action on his countertop; he squeezes eight chubby sausages into an airtight plastic bag and, when the temperature is right, dunks them.

Lopez-Alt is testing these sausages for Wursthall. Rather than making his own sausages in-house  a prohibitively expensive and time-consuming process  he plans to contract with a high-end vendor and then dial in his own combinations of ingredients and flavors. Lopez-Alt has been auditioning contenders for months; todays batch comes from an outfit in San Francisco that he refers to as hipster butchers. Young guys with beards. The kind of place that could have popped up in Brooklyn a few years ago.

Lopez-Alt is starting Wursthall with a local bar owner and self-described Kenji fanboy named Adam Simpson, who approached him with the idea, and a third partner, Tyson Mao. Lopez-Alt said yes with little hesitation  in addition to providing a showcase for his ingenuity, it would allow him to feel more rooted in his new city. They decided that sausages would be the backbone of the menu because they pair well with beer, they can be cooked in great numbers with a high degree of predictability, and they will stand out in a town whose food scene is a mishmash of strip-mall fast food interspersed with pockets of revered ramen joints and artisanal bakers.

2. White Sugar = Thin and Crisp; Brown Sugar = Tall and Moist: White sugar (left) makes the cookie spread wide, while slightly acidic brown sugar causes it to rise higher. Photo: Courtesy of Kenji Lopez-Alt

Wursthalls guiding principle, Lopez-Alt explains, is a few things done well. But in building out the menu beyond sausages, he wants to inject each dish with what he learned at Cooks Illustrated to call an aha moment  a hook that elevates it. To that end, there will be a sight gag of a chicken-schnitzel sandwich where the bun is roughly one-third the size of the chicken patty, creating an eye-popping, Saturn-like silhouette. Itll look generous, he says, and it makes the whole thing more fun and more shareable  with your table, but I mean with the internet. Thats something that, as an online writer, is second nature to me.

He puts the salmon into his broiler, then glances at the sausages, grimacing. Im not hopeful about these, he says. Look at all that fat leaking out. They werent cased properly. When the links are done, he holds one between a thumb and forefinger, frowning as it droops dejectedly.

No springiness, he says, shaking his head. This indicates it wasnt emulsified right. After a quick pan sear, he arranges the sausages on a carving block and tries the lamb merguez. The flavors good, he observes, but its way too soft. The parsley-and-cheese sausage is worse: Just mush, like hamburger. The eighth sausage has a surprising snappiness, but by this point the bearded butchers are on the ropes. This ones actually good, but I dont know if they just accidentally got it right, he says. A success ratio of one out of eight isnt good.

3. Creaming Butter = More Texture: Melting butter (left) before combining it with sugar and eggs makes the cookie squatter and denser, while beating cool butter until its fluffy leavens the cookie and gives it some lift. Photo: Courtesy of Kenji Lopez-Alt

Lopez-Alt enrolled at MIT in 1998 intending to pursue a career in science. But despite the hopes of his father, a professor of microbiology at Harvard, and his mother, who regarded cooking as a deeply unserious calling, he made it only about halfway to his biology degree before deciding that laboratory science was boring and gravitating toward kitchen jobs in Boston. (He wound up graduating with a degree in architecture.) His elite background notwithstanding, he doesnt sneer at mainstream tastes: His favorite band is the Beatles, and his most-clicked-on recipe is a no-knead pan pizza formulated explicitly to evoke the taste of 80s-era Pizza Hut, which reflects his sweet spot for fast food done well. My contention, he says, is that in any city where theres a Popeyes, Popeyes serves the best fried chicken in that city. Their chickens very salty, the crust is really craggy, which means high surface area, the spicing is good, and they cook in volume, so their oil level is always right.

Lopez-Alt is suspicious of most forms of connoisseurship. He tells me he could never imagine himself as a wine geek, because of wines irreducibly squishy subjectivity. Wine is inherently less democratic than food, he says. With food, you have hamburgers and pizza  that thing that everyone thinks is good. Thats not the case with wine, where the balance is shifted to nonmeasurable, non-tastable things, like stories about the winegrower and the terroir and trends in the wine world. Theres a snobbery to it.

When it comes to eating out, he knows that good service matters nearly as much as good food, but his definition of good service is avowedly minimalist. He has little patience for the bits of ancillary theater that restaurants routinely serve up alongside cooking, and so at Wursthall there will be no mini-biographies of the animals and vegetables on your plate, no charming spiels about the farmers who raised them. Questions of decor and music and employee dress fall mercifully outside his jurisdiction.

A few feet from Lopez-Alts kitchen island, a Canon EOS 5D Mark II stands at the ready on a tripod. He photographed every recipe for The Food Lab himself, and part of the books counterintuitive appeal is the obstinate plainness of its images. Unlike the prettified portraiture familiar to us from Bon Appetit and a trillion overhead Instagram brunch shots, his photos have a utilitarian quality that underscores his emphasis on untrendy, evidentiary sturdiness: Theres nothing I do in the book just for the sake of making the photos look good.

The Food Lab features numerous dishes that are almost antagonistically unsexy, including green-bean casserole, cheesy broccoli casserole, and three-day meatloaf. Lopez-Alt explains his interest in such hoary American staples as threefold: nostalgia for the Betty Crocker stuff his mother learned to make when she moved to the U.S. from Japan, the enduring hunger for middle-of-the-road American classics, and the challenge of trying to elevate a workhorse dish in a way that will legitimize peoples love of lowbrow food. Part of the appeal is, This guys trying to make meatloaf taste good? Theres nothing more lowbrow than meatloaf, but now its in this big beautiful book. Thats me saying: Its okay to like meatloaf.

Recently, Lopez-Alt took a family vacation to Washington State, spending a few days near Olympic National Park. The closest grocery was a Walmart, he says, and we wound up making dinner one night from an Old El Paso hard-shell taco kit. Lopez-Alt commemorated that dinner on Instagram with a post captioned awwwwww yeah. #fuckauthenticity. Describing it now, he shrugs. People love that shit  and it was fine! He admits a difference in kind between authentic cuisines and their bastardized offspring, but not a default difference in quality. Im doing a hard-shell-taco recipe in my next book, he says.

4. Warm Dough = Perfect Melt: Warming the dough to 80F and gently swirling it melts the tiniest bits of chocolate but leaves the larger chunks intact. Photo: Courtesy of Kenji Lopez-Alt

One morning in late fall, with Wursthalls opening looming, Lopez-Alt parks his Prius outside the restaurant  or outside the construction site in the process of becoming the restaurant, anyway. Alicia bobs in a carrier strapped to his chest. Inside, a workman attends to some wall paneling. We go in search of Adam Simpson, weaving amid boxes of stock pots and taking care not to trip on tangles of loose wiring. Were getting there, he says. The final coats of paint, the final walls are going up.

We find Simpson downstairs, inspecting what will become a mens room. Lopez-Alt presents him with a Tupperware container containing two prototype meatless sausages.

Its crazy that this is vegan, Simpson says, nodding in approval.

Im using this enzyme that binds proteins, Lopez-Alt replies. Its way under-salted, but once you get the texture down, you can make them any flavor you want.

Simpson takes Lopez-Alt back upstairs to show him the layout of the kitchen, which will be open to the dining room. The hand-washing station for the cooks will be too close to the doorway there, Lopez-Alt points out. He squints at an enormous Vulcan flattop griddle. That doesnt seem like its level.

Lopez-Alt is ultimately breezy about such details. We wont know about kitchen flow until the place is open and there are line cooks moving through there and customers ordering certain things more than others, he says. Far more stressful is the issue of designing a menu that will work at scale. Executing a dish in a restaurant is different from a home cook, whos only making it once, he says. Here, its gonna be the same thing 100 times a night. If its Saturday and the line cook has 40 sausages on the grill at once, can they perfectly cook each one? Lopez-Alt gestures to a little room off the kitchen where he intends to install a small armada of sous-vide circulators  one of the safeguards hes building into the process. It minimizes those points of variability, he says, because cooking sous-vide gives you guaranteed results.

All the same, he acknowledges that no matter how much you plan, therell be mistakes. The important thing is to keep perspective and realize theres no way  He trails off, contemplating the inevitable nightly mishaps, the democratic vagaries of Yelp, the diehard mansplainers in his fan base who are sure to descend on the place in droves. Its like on the internet, he finally declares. Therell always be some jerk whos unhappy no matter what.

Kitchen Lab Notes In his next book, slated for 2019, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is bringing his scientific rigor to everyday meals. Here, a glimpse into the experimentation that went into a single recipe for a red-curry paste that uses traditional ingredients: The Goal

Getting the most flavor out of hard-to-grind ingredients like chiles and coriander in the shortest time possible. The Problem

The best method by far to extract flavor from inside plant cells  and this isnt an old wives tale  is a mortar and pestle. But when youre making a big batch of curry paste, it can take an hour. Trial and Error

Using a food processor or a blender sped up the process but didnt bring out the flavors. I probably tried 18 different variations. I started with tough ingredients in the food processor to see if I could break them down enough. I added water in a blender and made it more of a smoothie, but its really difficult to fry a milkshake. The Aha Moment

Freezing is your friend. Freezing destroys the texture and structural integrity of vegetables. People always think of that as a negative, but the ice crystals break down cell walls. For curry paste, it gives you a head start. Back to the Lab

I tried a bunch of freezing variations: pounding then freezing, making it more liquid. But to get maximum flavor and reproduce the texture, I started completely freezing all the ingredients before grinding them with the mortar: the chiles, coriander, everything else. Eureka!

Instead of an hour, it takes you 15 minutes  and just five in the mortar and pestle. Chris Crowley

*This article appears in the December 25, 2017, issue of New York Magazine.
Developed by four-year-old startup Skyroot Aerospace, the event marks the private sector's maiden foray into the launch vehicle segment after the space segment was thrown open to private players in 2020.
The sponsors of the initiative are concerned that the activation model will cut the benefits of unemployed job seekers whenever their own attempts to promote their employment prospects and find employment fail to bear fruit.

Almost 5,000 people have signed a citizens initiative demanding that the newly approved, so-called activation model for unemployment security be scrapped.

Job seekers, however, cannot decide the outcome of recruitment processes. It is the employer who does. It is therefore unreasonable to punish job seekers if the employer chooses to recruit another applicant, the sponsors state.

Job seekers also cannot decide whether or not the employment services that support their career plans are available in their home region, let alone whether or not they will be selected for the services they have applied for.

Both of the decisions, they remind, fall within the purview of the Employment and Economic Development Offices (TE Offices).

A minimum of 50,000 statements of support are required to present a citizens initiative to the Parliament. The initiative to scrap the activation model must receive the requisite number of statements of support by mid-2018.

The Finnish Parliament voted last week in favour of introducing the activation model at the beginning of next year by a vote of 103 for and 90 against. The model stipulates that job seekers will lose 4.65 per cent of their unemployment benefits if they fail to work for a pre-determined number of hours or participate in employment services over a three-month period.

Several members of the opposition have similarly criticised the activation model, describing it as a means to oppress job seekers. Antti Rinne, the chairperson of the Social Democrats, has promised to abolish the activation model if the opposition party is part of the ruling coalition after the parliamentary elections of 2019.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Emmi Korhonen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
Ville Niinisto, an ex-chairperson of the Green League, estimates that the draft bill would introduce virtually no significant improvements to animal welfare in spite of the publics hopes and growing understanding of the suffering of livestock.

The Finnish government has come under heavy criticism after it unveiled its draft bill to reform the animal welfare act on Thursday, 21 December, 2017.

When it comes to animal rights, Finland is a developing country, he summarises on Facebook.

Up to 90 per cent of Finns are of the opinion that animal welfare could be improved in Finland, according to a Eurobarometer conducted in 2015.

Niinisto shifts the blame for what he calls a diluted draft bill to both the Centre and National Coalition Party, namely to ex-Ministers of Agriculture Jari Koskinen (NCP), Petteri Orpo (NCP) and Kimmo Tiilikainen (Centre), and the current Minister of Agriculture, Jari Leppa (Centre).

The ministers repeatedly refused to meet representatives of animal welfare organisations and the animal welfare group of the Finnish Parliament. The bill was ultimately presented in a diluted form. It is not consistent with the development elsewhere in the world, he states.

He views that the only genuinely welcome proposal in the bill is that to prohibit the use of farrowing crates, which are used to house sows and newborn piglets for weeks in order to ensure the safety of the piglets. The prohibition, however, will only enter into effect after a transition period of 15 years.

The proposal is relatively vague when it comes to pain management, and it does not prohibit the use of tie-stall barns, guarantee access to running water and prohibit fur farming or even improve the [farming] conditions notably, adds Niinisto.

Animalia, a Finnish non-governmental organisation promoting animal rights, has similarly demanded that the draft bill be sent back to the drawing board.

It is no wonder that this was unveiled on the darkest day of the year, because the draft bill does not stand the light of day, Heidi Kivekas, the acting executive director of Animalia, stated in a press release on 22 December.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, she reminded, claims in its press release that the species-typical behaviour and intrinsic value of livestock were to serve as the premise of the bill.

This premise was forgotten during the drafting process, and the outcome is bland, she said. Countries such as Sweden, Norway and Denmark are light years ahead of Finland in terms of tie-stall barns and farrowing crates, for example.

Veikka Lahtinen, a campaign coordinator at Animalia, added that the draft bill would continue to allow the tethering of dairy cattle to stalls for most of their lives and the use of farrowing crates for sows despite the fact that movement is one of the foremost behavioural needs of all species.

Animalia also admits that the draft bill would introduce some minor improvements, such as the prohibition to raise animals for exhibition purposes.

The expectations, however, should be higher when reforming a decades-old piece of legislation, highlighted Lahtinen. Whenever you reform a 20-year-old law, you have reason to expect major improvements. This is a wretched proposal that cannot be approved under any circumstances, he said.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Pekka Sakki  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
BRISTOL, Va.  According to a recent poll conducted by the Bristol Herald Courier, Bristol residents long for new retail options in the Twin City, but the factors that go into locating a new chain might put some of their top choices out of reach.

The poll, called Business Wish List, asked the question: What new retailers would you like to see come to the Twin City in 2018?

Jeannette Rosenbalm, one of the polls participants, picked Trader Joes  she knows where all the stores are located within a reasonable driving distance, including locations in nearby Knoxville and Asheville.

Each time she shops there, the Bristol, Tennessee, resident asks if the chain store will come to the Twin City.

The product is nice and fresh, Rosenbalm said. They also have a well-stocked selection of wine, and the thought of bringing new jobs to the region is very promising as well.

The top two retailers in the poll were wholesale club Costco and The Cheesecake Factory, an upscale eatery that serves lunch and dinner and at least 30 different varieties of cheesecake.

Though the poll has generated community interaction, there is no indication that any of these sought-after chains will land in the Mountain Empire. Some of the coveted companies said there are specific factors they consider when scouting out new locations for their stores.

Last year, one trendy restaurant chain, The Cheesecake Factory, eyed more than 1,000 new locations across the country. It chose only 7.

The company currently operates 194 restaurants in 39 states. Long term, the company sees the potential to grow The Cheesecake Factory concept to 300 company-owned restaurants.

But requirements for high-end household income and population can sometimes exclude Bristol and surrounding cities and towns from serious consideration. The chain looks for communities with an average household income of between $50,000 and $70,000.

The median income for Bristol, Tennessee, sits at $34,632, while the average income in Bristol, Virginia, sits at $30,636, according to data from the Census Bureau.

Kohls, a discount department store chain based in Wisconsin, said a poll, such as the one created by the Bristol Herald Courier, would not make a difference in where it chooses a new location.

The chain has more than 1,100 locations nationwide, and the decision on when and where to open a new store is selective, according to company spokeswoman, Melanie Hochschild.

At this time, weve not announced any plans to open a new store in [the] community, Hochschild said. Kohls has an ongoing real estate assessment process, and at any given time, Kohls is reviewing sites in communities nationwide. We do not comment on speculation.

Another chain getting attention is Publix, which first announced plans for a Bristol, Virginia, location in 2016. The Florida-based grocery chain was expected to be constructed in the planned $40 million Jefferson Trace shopping center near Lee Highway off Interstate 81s Exit 7.

The center was being leased and developed by Birmingham, Alabama-based Blackwater Resources before the project fell through and plans were withdrawn for the center, which was expected to create 400 jobs and include more than 275,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.

Last month, Blackwater announced it purchased two lots, totaling 31 acres, at The Falls retail development off Interstate 81s Exit 5 in Bristol, Virginia.

Its unclear if Publix plans to locate to The Falls. Kimberly Reynolds, spokeswoman for Publix, told the Bristol Herald Courier in an emailed statement that the chain is still interested in Bristol and  are still considering other opportunities in the market.
When the painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware" was first revealed to the public in the early 1850s, it was a smash hit. It toured major cities, drawing crowds and gold medals. A poet wrote an ode to it. The artist quickly painted a second version, to be shipped off and exhibited abroad.

It isn't hard to see why art historian Barbara Groseclose calls it "the very emblem of patriotism for Americans." The enormous canvas depicts perhaps the most crucial moment in the War of Independence, Gen. George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas night in 1776. After months of embarrassing failures, Washington ordered thousands of troops to stealthily cross the icy waters under cover of darkness. The next morning, in Trenton, New Jersey, their surprise attack on the Hessians (German mercenaries fighting for the British) provided a much-needed morale boost.

In the painting, Washington stands proudly in a boat, seemingly certain of America's destiny.

But here's the thing: That multicity tour the painting went on? It was in Germany - Berlin, Dusseldorf and Cologne, to be exact. The artist? A German. And the ode to it? Auf Deutsch.

That second version that was sent abroad? It was sent to the United States.

In fact, when Emanuel Leutze started his masterpiece, his intention was not to ignite the patriotic passions of Americans, but to inspire his fellow Germans to be as patriotic as he knew Americans already were.

In 1848, a wave of rebellion spread across Europe. It started small with a revolution in Sicily, and then grew. In Denmark, protesters demanded a formal constitution. French citizens forced the creation of the Second French Republic. In London, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published "The Communist Manifesto."

At the time, the German Confederation comprised dozens of independent states, dominated by two monarchs jockeying for control. During the revolutions of 1848, demonstrations of peasants, students and intellectuals sprang up throughout the states, demanding democratic reforms and touting pan-Germanism.

It was in this cauldron that Leutze decided to paint Washington. Although German by birth, he had spent his formative years in Philadelphia before returning to Dusseldorf for art school. Leutze had seen firsthand the power of seemingly disparate groups uniting for the cause of freedom, and he hoped his painting would inspire his countrymen to act like, well, countrymen.

Unfortunately for Leutze, the revolution dissolved faster than he could paint. An attempt at a national assembly called the Frankfurt Parliament collapsed under the weight of its intellectualism, and many "Forty-Eighters," as they came to be known, were forced to emigrate.

After its German tour, the first version of "Washington Crossing the Delaware" ended up in the Bremen art museum. In an odd twist of fate, it was destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II.

Leutze went with the second version to the United States, where the response was even greater than in the German states. A magazine review called it "incomparably the best painting yet executed of an American subject . . . full of earnestness without exaggeration." A newspaper said it was "the grandest, most majestic, and most effective painting ever exhibited in America." Mark Twain, ever the satirist, had a different view, calling it a "work of art which would have made Washington hesitate about crossing, if he had known what advantage would be taken of it."

Tens of thousands stood in line to see it at exhibitions in New York and the Capitol Rotunda in Washington. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the painting now resides, within a year nearly every home had a print, engraving or needlework version displayed on the mantel.

Eventually, Leutze resettled in New York, where Congress commissioned him to paint another American classic, the massive "Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way," which still hangs in the Capitol.

Even with his reputation as a painter of American patriotism cemented in history, Leutze still hoped that someday his birth country would be as unified as his adopted one. In 1859, he wrote to a friend: "I will always . . . to the German fatherland or to the spirit of Germany, as We think of it, remain true."
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One of V P Singhs contributions during his up-down-up career was his description of politics as the art of managing contradictions. It stemmed from tensions during the high tide of the coalition era in the early 1990s, but thousands of miles away, today it is Theresa May who seems to be successfully managing contradictions over the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. That she is still in Downing Street at the end of a year she would rather forget is an achievement in itself.

From calling a wholly unnecessary election in June to securing a larger mandate for Brexit but losing majority, to doing a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party to stay in power, to dealing with constant talk of a coup against her Tory MPs are notorious for being ruthless to leaders who dont deliver a majority  to floundering in the early stages of Brexit talks in Brussels, to a car-crash speech at the Conservative party conference, and losing as many as three cabinet ministers  May has seen it all. But she still managed to put up a feisty performance during the last Prime Ministers Question Time of the year on December 20.

As the corridors of power in Westminster wind down for Christmas and the holiday season, there is a consensus that if 2017 was a difficult year for May, 2018 promises to be even more trying. The hard-lifting in Brussels is yet to begin, particularly on the future of Britains trade relations with the EU, and time is already running out before the exit deadline of March 29, 2019 to strike a deal that will satisfy both the Leavers and Remainers (dubbed Remoaners in the news media). When trade deals take years  the EU-Canada deal was negotiated over seven years, and the one between India and EU is nowhere near completion  it is unlikely that a deal can be conjured up in time before the deadline.

And there lies the nub of the Brexit imbroglio. Britain voted to leave the EU (52% to 48%) largely on promises on immigration and funding that were either lies or impossible to deliver. But having voted to leave the EU, the leading lights of Mays Brexit team continue to promise that they will secure the same trade and other benefits that are available to a member-state in negotiations, but stop paying large sums of money to Brussels, curb free migration of people from within the EU and also not be subject to EU laws and courts; in short, Britain will be able to have the cake and eat it too  an aspiration that causes some mirth in Brussels and European capitals, since cherry-picking is not exactly on offer.

All of which makes 2018 a year that not many in Whitehall and Westminster really are looking forward to. Britons on both sides of the Brexit argument will soon know what shape the final withdrawal deal will look like, and whether it is really worth leaving a group that is not only Britains largest trading partner, but whose membership since 1973 has benefited the country in many ways. There is not one aspect of daily life that is not governed by EU-wide rules, or does not have a European dimension. Extricating from the mass of EU laws and directives is a gigantic task in itself, and one that is sucking up energy of Whitehalls bureaucracy. Many insist that the exit procedure itself is complicated enough to ensure that the deadline of March 29, 2019 is unlikely to be met: for example, the final withdrawal deal, if and when it is finalised, will need to be ratified by the parliaments of each of the 27 EU member-states before the deadline for Brexit to take effect.

May has survived the June electoral disaster primarily because there is no other candidate on whom the Conservative party can agree and also because she is seen as the least worst person to be in charge of Brexit (think of Boris Johnson or Michael Gove or David Davis and you get the point); she has managed to stay on through a delicate balancing act between the Leavers and Remainers within her party. The fear of dislodging her and paving the way for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to enter Downing Street is also holding her die-hard critics in the party at bay.

David Cameron, Mays predecessor, launched a campaign in 2011 to put Great back into Britain. Few remember or talk about it today, as the prospect of Brexit makes Britain seem more insular than ever, never mind the magisterial declarations by May and other leading lights that leaving the EU will actually allow the country to be more global. May has already had to compromise in Brussels on the future of EU citizens in Britain and the Northern Ireland border issue. If 2017 was annus horribilis for her, it will be clear a few months into 2018 how long she will remain in power and if Brexit is really worth it when the balance sheet becomes clear during tough talks in Brussels.

Prasun.Sonwalkar@hindustantimes.com

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The results of the RK Nagar by-election in Tamil Nadu took everyone by surprise. The surge in favour of Sasikala Natarajans nephew TTV Dhinakaran, who contested as an independent candidate, was palpable, but few could predict that he would topple the two established Kazhagams of Tamil politics: the AIADMK and the DMK. In the end Dhinakaran won by a margin of 40,707 votes, ahead of E Madhusudhanan of the AIADMK.

Allegations of rampant distribution of money were made against both Dhinakaran and the AIADMK. Between them the two factions of the AIADMK garnered almost 1.4 lakh of the 1.76 lakh votes cast. But clearly it was much more than money power that turned the tide in Dhinakarans favour. He succeeded in making himself the focus of the campaign. Smiling and unflappable under pressure (he was seen performing a puja during the recent IT raids against him ), his leadership qualities and composure stood out. The fact that he gambled big, staking his career on the RK Nagar result (a defeat may have ended his immediate political prospects) seems to have won the appreciation of Tamil Nadus voters.

Still, the story of how an independent candidate, without a symbol until three weeks ago and no clear ideology swept an election humbling the two Goliaths of Tamil Nadu politics is worth examining . If it was just anger against the ruling AIADMK, why did the benefit not go to its long-time rival DMK? While some of the surge for Dhinakaran can be explained by the split in the AIADMK vote, the implosion of the DMK was hardly expected. IDhinakaran taking half of the 97,000 votes that the AIADMK polled in 2016 in R K Nagar was plausible; him wresting 60% of the DMKs 57,000 votes was not.

The principal opposition party suffered the humiliation of losing its deposit in a seat in Chennai for the first time in more than 50 years, raising doubts about its claim to be the party-in-waiting to form the next government. For a party, which was celebrating the acquittal of A Raja and Kanimozhi in the 2G case just 24 hours before the RK Nagar result, it came like a serious blow.

The result will be a bitter pill to swallow for the ruling AIADMK under chief minister Edappadi Palanisamy and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam. They would not have minded a defeat at the hands of the DMK but to be beaten by Dhinakaran leaves them with the prospect of an unstable government. The matter of the disqualification of 18 MLAs allied to the victorious candidate earlier is sub-judice. All it will take to make the governments position precarious is for a few more to cross over -- and that could happen soon. The state assembly should meet in the two months and there could be a floor test that could precipitate the next crisis.

Will Dhinakaran pull the government down? Beyond extracting revenge on the EPS-OPS faction, what will he gain by this? Can he replicate the RK Nagar result across the state? While these questions are being raised, an attempt could be made to evolve a compromise between the two factions and keep the government in place. The AIADMK government has more than three years left in office and TTV would gain nothing by pulling it down. A compromise formula can see him wield greater power in the party and the government. It will also give him time to consolidate his position. Tamil Nadu is in for interesting times. The breaking news season is not ending anytime soon.

(The author is a political analyst based in Chennai. The views expressed are personal.)
While I was certainly privileged to have conducted the democratic worlds largest election in 2009, I was also well placed to see the many fault lines that were beginning to fracture our democracy. Many of these negative forces have already weakened the countrys democratic structure so much that I sometimes wonder whether we can ever hope to realise the aspirations of our freedom fighters, who sacrificed so much to gain independence from colonial rule. Sadly, foreign domination has been replaced in some measure by our home grown oligarchy that possesses both money power and muscle power. This has swept away everything that Gandhiji stood for when he said, I understand democracy as something that gives the weak the same chance as the strong.

During the early elections, the statutory limits on individual and party funding were, by and large, adhered to. In the afterglow of the Independence movement many politicians were able to keep their expenses under control. During the 70s and 80s elections started to became more expensive as the structure of politics changed into a more fragmented polity. This period also witnessed the arrival of a new set of politicians for whom the freedom movement was just a passing phase of history and who had little or no respect for democratic values. Political funding, too, became more obscure. For instance, donations made to political parties enabled contributions of amounts below Rs. 20,000 to remain undeclared.

During my five-and-a-half years in the Election Commission of India (ECI), I witnessed the growth of money power as a hydra-headed monster. No sooner that we cut off one head than others would appear to replace it. The 2009 Thirumangalam by-election in Tamil Nadu gained both national and international notoriety for the novel methods developed by parties to bribe voters. This Thirumangalam formula has sadly been replicated everywhere and ingeniousmethods have been developed to beat the statutory limits of expenditure which is Rs 70 lakh for the General Election and up to 28 lakh for an Assembly seat. In a rare unguarded moment a former Maharashtra Minister let slip that he had spent Rs.8 crore on his 2009 election, when the prescribed limit at that time was Rs.40 lakh. The ECI issued a notice to him. He quickly recanted and said he was misquoted. As is common knowledge, politicians across the board spend far above the statutory ceilings making sure that they are not caught in the process.

Equally distressing is what I could call muscle power. In a recent book, When Crime Pays, Milan Vaishnav argues that the combination of money power and muscle power have become important determinants in winning elections. In both the 15th as well as the present Lok Sabha, almost 30% of the members have one or more criminal case registered against them. What is even more distressing is that half of these are for heinous offences such as murder, attempt to murder, extortion, rape, dacoity and kidnapping. During the course of my meetings with officials, both civil and police, I found that the actual percentage of criminality is higher because I am told that many cases had been hushed up or in some way settled in favour of the local musclemen/politicians. Till the 1980s many mafias would support candidates from outside, with the hope that upon his victory, the candidate would look after their interests. It was only a matter of time before they decided that they were better off contesting elections themselves.

I have made an analysis of the results in the recently-concluded elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. In Himachal Pradesh, according to their self-declared affidavits, 61 out of a total of 338 contesting candidates have criminal cases registered against them. This represents 18% of the total. More interestingly, the number of candidates with criminal records who won are 22 out of 61, a whopping 36%! Not surprisingly, 67% of the winning candidates with criminal records are crorepatis.

Meanwhile, in Gujarat, there were 253 candidates with criminal cases out of a total of 1819 contesting candidates. This represents 14% with criminal records. The number of winning candidates with criminal records was 47 out of 182, or almost one in four. 81% of the winning candidates with criminal records are also crorepatis. It is interesting to note that out of 47 winners with criminal antecedents, 38 are crorepatis.

A possible solution may lie with the Election Commission convening a meeting of all recognised political parties to hammer out a solution to exclude all candidates with criminal antecedents from being nominated by them as candidates. If the model code of conduct could be agreed upon by political parities amongst themselves, the exclusion of alleged criminals, particularly those whose have committed heinous offences, could also emerge by political consensus.

Navin B Chawla is Indias 16th chief election commissioner and conducted the 2009 general elections

The views expressed are personal
As many as 1,200 bovines died at a government-run shelter in Gwalior over the last four months, spurring a blame game between the caretaker and the local municipal body.

While the civic body blamed the consumption of polythene and other waste products for the cattle deaths, the caretaker cited overcrowding and poor infrastructure at the shelter as the prime cause.

The disturbing revelation comes in the wake of Union minister Maneka Gandhi suggesting standard operating procedures for the upkeep of gaushalas (cow shelters) across India, which have witnessed a bovine mortality rate of 10% in recent years. The cattle deaths would have gone unreported if local residents had not raised the alarm after seeing 10 carcasses being transported out of the cow shelter one day.

Autopsies conducted on a few of the cows revealed that they had been feeding on polythene, glass pieces and vermillion, said Upendra Yadav, veterinary doctor of the Gwalior municipal corporation.

City mayor Vivek Narayan Shejwalkar clarified that not all the dead animals were cows. They included bulls and calves abandoned by nearby villagers too. Damage to the animals digestive system was identified as the primary cause. Polythene blocks intestines and other organs in the digestive tract, he said.

However, shelter caretaker Swami Rishabhanand disagreed with the civic bodys contention. Overcrowding and poor infrastructure are the main reasons for their deaths. Ailing bovines are forced to live with healthy calves due to space constraints, and this leads to the spread of infection, he said.

Ironically, the reason attributed by the municipal body for the deaths betrays its own inability to observe proper hygiene in Gwalior  ranked as the 27th cleanest city in India under the Swacch Bharat survey-2017.

The civic body is offering nothing but a lame excuse; the cows are dying of starvation and lack of proper medical care, said social activist Sudhir Sapra. But if polythene is really the reason, municipal officials should take the blame for failing to keep the city clean. Cattle housed at the shelter have been dying for a year now.

Congress spokesperson KK Mishra said the cattle deaths have exposed the ruling partys hypocrisy. On one hand, our chief minister (Shivraj Singh Chouhan) is holding religious yatras, and on the other, his administration is failing to save cows. The cattle deaths depict the double standards of this government, he added.

The development, however, has forced the Gwalior municipal corporation to undertake compulsory registration and geo-tagging of cows. Tagging will make it easier for us to track cows, and take action against owners who have abandoned them. Also, we are encouraging people to use cloth bags instead of polythene ones, said Shejwalkar.

RK Rokade, director of the Madhya Pradesh cow commission (Gau Seva Ayog), said one should not read too much into the matter. The death of 1,200 cows in four months is unusual, but it should also be noted that most of the cows taken into the shelter are old and ill. This is a major cause for the high mortality rate. We have also asked the government to impose a blanket ban on polythene. We will further probe the matter after checking post-mortem reports, he said.

A manual prepared by Gandhi, an avowed animal activist, prescribes protocols for everything from feeding cows to disposal of carcasses. She has asked the animal husbandry department and animal welfare board of India to adopt the document.

(With inputs from Mahesh Shivahare)

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Every New Year brings with it a robust list of exciting new books waiting to be read, enjoyed, analysed, loved or hated. Even if you havent got around to finishing your reading list for 2017, it shouldnt stop you from getting excited about the many good ones 2018 has in store. Here are 10 titles that were looking forward to in the New Year.

Why I am a Hindu by Shashi Tharoor (Aleph, January)

Most of us may not reflect on the faith we are born into, observing rituals and festivals out of habit rather than any deep understanding of their philosophy and history. But in a post-truth world where religious ideologies and identities are being twisted to incite violence and suit vested interests, it helps to know facts, or at least try to search for them. In this ambitious undertaking, author and intellectual Shashi Tharoor writes about one of the worlds oldest religions, Hinduism, and the thinkers and schools of thought that have contributed to its philosophies. More importantly, he explains how it is different from an ideology it is often mistaken to be  Hindutva.

Poonachi: The Story of a Black Goat (Westland, January) and two sequels to One Part Woman by Perumal Murugan (Penguin Random House, November)

Perumal Murugan seems to be getting back at his detractors in the best possible way  by being prolific. If 2017 saw him release a poetry collection and a book of short stories, he returns to full-length fiction in 2018 with Poonachi and two sequels to One Part Woman. Poonachi, Murugans first novel since the Madras High Court upheld his right to write and dismissed the petition to ban One Part Woman, is, as says the title, the story of a goat and also  according to the book blurb  a commentary on the human condition and the vulnerabilities of the artistic life.

The One Part Woman double-sequel looks at the two ways Kali and Ponnas story could go after the chariot festival. In one version, together they try to navigate an uncertain future, while in the second, Ponna returns home only to find that Kali has killed himself.

Na Bairi Na Koi Begana by Surendra Mohan Pathak (Westland, January)

In this first instalment of a three-volume autobiography, Hindi crime fiction writer Surendra Mohan Pathak, 77, writes of his childhood in pre-Partition Lahore and then in Delhis refugee camps. Also part of the narrative is his account of his college days in Jalandhar and how he discovered pulp fiction that led him to his true calling. An eventful life recounted by the grand-daddy of Hindi thrillers is not something to be missed.

The first part of writer Surendra Mohan Pathaks three-volume autobiography will be published simultaneously in Hindi and English.

The Death of a Paharia: Stories by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar (Speaking Tiger, March)

In his earlier works, Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar has written about the Santhal culture and the harsh realities that are a part of the everyday for the tribal people of Jharkhand. His debut book, The Mysterious Ailment of Rupi Baskey (2014), set in a Santhal village, won the 2015 Sahitya Akademi Yuva Purashkar. His second, an unsettling collection of 10 short stories, The Adivasi will not Dance (2015), focused on the exploitation and poverty tribals of the mineral-rich region live with. The book is also the most recent literary survivor of belated hurt sentiments and a needless controversy. The people of Jharkhand are once again the subject of Shekhars next collection of stories, The Death of a Paharia.

Macbeth by Jo Nesbo (Penguin Random House, April)

When a globally-acclaimed crime fiction writer takes on the task of retelling one of Shakespeares most famous tragedies, it is, clearly, something to watch out for. Norwegian writer Jo Nesbo, who has explored the dark side of human nature and ideas of morality and evil in his bestselling thrillers, takes Shakespeares ambitious and ill-fated general to the 1970s as Inspector Macbeth who is chasing drug lords. The book is part of the Hogarth Shakespeare project in which bestselling novelists retell the Bard of Avons plays in modern settings. We cant wait to see what Nesbo does with Macbeth.

Barracoon: The Story of the Last Slave by Zora Neale Hurston (HarperCollins, May)

In 1927, Zora Neale Hurston went to Alabama to meet Cudjo Lewis, 95, the last-known survivor of the Atlantic slave trade. Like millions of other Africans, Cudjo had been captured and smuggled to America where he was forced to work as a slave till the end of the Civil War in 1865. Barracoon is a never-published-before account of Cudjos life as told by Hurston, author of the American classic Their Eyes Were Watching God, and is based on her interviews with him.

21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari (Penguin Random House, August)

Israeli professor Yuval Noah Hararis excellent book Sapiens (2015) was an international bestseller and is probably the only book to be publicly recommended by Bill Gates, Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg. While his second, Homo Deus (2017), looked to the future and made it to the Time magazines list of top ten non-fiction books of 2017, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century will be about the here and now. In the book, Harari will look at contemporary issues, such as immigration, terrorism, fake news as well as ideas like resilience and humility. A voice of reason amid the chaos and madness that has been 2017? Were all ears.

Red Birds by Mohammed Hanif (Bloomsbury, October)

Five years after his book on Baloch dissidents, The Baloch Who Is Not Missing And Others Who Are, British-Pakistani author Mohammed Hanif is back with a work of fiction. Described by the publisher as a book about war, family and the tensions between America and the Muslim world, Red Birds follows Major Ellie, an American pilot who crash lands in a desert, and a teenage Muslim boy Momo, trying to live by his wits in a nearby refugee camp.

Raavan: Orphan of Aryavarta by Amish (Westland, October-November)

A book in a bestselling series by an insanely popular writer is like a celebrity baby. You know it is going to be famous even before it is born. The third book in Amish Tripathis Ramachandra series tells the backstory of the mighty king of Lanka. Weve loved Amishs imaginative retellings in the past and itll be interesting to see how he interprets one of the most famous villains of ancient Indian literature. Like the first two books  Scion of Ikshvaku (2015) and Sita: Warrior of Mithila (2017)  Raavan will end with the abduction of Sita and books four and five will take the story forward.

Pajamas are Forgiving, Twinkle Khanna (Juggernaut, to-be-announced)

Whether it is menstrual hygiene, feminism or poking fun at the Bhai of Bollywood, Twinkle Khanna is never the one to shy away from difficult issues or back down from her stand. Her writing is humorous and intelligent and social satire is her strength. Her first novel Pajamas are Forgiving is the story of a woman who is stuck in an ayurvedic retreat with her ex-husband and his younger second wife. If the book blurb is anything to go by, it promises to be just as entertaining as Mrs FunnyBones.

Twinkle Khanna poses for a photograph during the launch of her debut book Mrs Funnybones in 2015. (AFP Photo)

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Critics have demanded that Myanmars de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyis name should be removed from one of the most popular childrens books of 2017. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is a collection of the life stories of real women who challenged the status quo and became role models for young girls across the world.

When the book, written by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo, was published last year, Suu Kyi was deemed a worthy subject. She was the winner of the Nobel peace prize and epitome of courage in the face of oppression.

But widespread criticism over her response to violence against the Rohingya Muslims, described by the UN as ethnic cleansing, has triggered calls for her to be taken out of future editions.

In response, the authors said: Were monitoring the situation closely and we dont exclude the idea of removing her from future reprints.

The book devotes two pages to each of its role models, which includes Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie, Hillary Clinton, Serena Williams, among many others.

It quotes Suu Kyi as saying: Since we live in this world, we have to do our best for this world. The write-up charts her story from her protests against the junta through 21 years of house arrest to her release and leadership.

On the books Facebook page, a parent wrote: I bought this book for my three-year-old daughter as an antidote to the tyranny of pink princess publishing. It is filled with inspiring female role models who dont rely on a prince to sort their lives out. I was dismayed to see this page effectively canonising Suu Kyi. I hope the publishers issue another edition...

Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi, who has raised concerns in parliament about the Rohingya crisis, said: I often wonder how it can be possible to go from being one of the most admired and respected civil rights champions, a symbol of courage, patience and principle, to someone who shows such lack of compassion.

Suu Kyi, who has won more than 120 international honours, including the Nobel prize, was last week stripped of her Freedom of the City of Dublin award and earlier lost her Freedom of Oxford accolade, the Guardian reported.

The Dublin decision came after musician and activist Bob Geldof returned his own Freedom of the City in protest. St Hughs College Oxford, where Suu Kyi studied, has taken down her portrait. It is estimated that 650,000 Rohingya Muslims have been forced to flee to Bangladesh since the crackdown by Myanmars security forces began.

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DEHRADUN: The Dehradun police has nabbed over 539 drug peddlers this year, seized drugs worth over Rs 6.79 crore and booked 391 cases under the Narcotics Drug and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

According to the police, over 86 kg charas, 4 kg smack, 11 kg opium, 100 gm heroin, 70 kg ganja, 73 kg bhang patti,128 kg doda post, 16,855 drug tablets, 6647 injections and 20,867 capsules have been seized in the district.

Dehradun district alone accounts for over 70% of drug hauls in Uttarakhand. Sources said an ever increasing number of educational institutes in Doon and the districts proximity to Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh (from where most of the drug supply gets pumped in) are the key factors for the spread of drug network.

On Monday itself, the police arrested nine accused for drug peddling in five cases. Five members of the interstate Cobra Gang, which supply drugs to college students and factory workers in Dehradun, were among those arrested , the police said, adding smack worth Rs 30 lakh was seized from them.

Dehradun senior superintendent of police (SSP) Nivedita Kukreti Kumar said the police was trying to go in a systematic way to crack down on drug dealers and smugglers. It is a continuous process, and sustained efforts over a period of time is what gives the results while dealing with drug networks, Kumar told HT.

Citing the example of the Cobra Gang, Kumar said the police had arrested five members associated with the network in October. After their arrest, we worked in depth to gather details of who all they were in touch with, which ultimately led to the dismantling of the gang. If we have to target organised crime, we have to go step-wise climbing up the ladder, the SSP said.

The police has increased vigil on the border along Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh ahead of the New Year. Intensive checks of vehicles and drivers are on. On the Christmas night alone, we issued over 100 challans on the motorists for drink and rash driving, the SSP said.

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After the recent assault on its volunteer fighting bootlegging in west Delhis Narela, the Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) announced it would intensify its campaign against the illegal sale of liquor in the city.

The commission says illicit liquor continues to thrive in the city. And its claims are backed by police seizures, which show that all kinds of liquor, smuggled mainly from Haryana, continue to fuel the trade at the cost of revenue and health.

The seizure trends of countrymade liquor is particularly alarming. Police data show that this category of alcohol, brewed in Haryana, has seen an annual increase of 25% in seizure over the past two years.

As many as 4.36 lakh bottles were seized till November 15 this year, which is nearly 25% more than the 3.50 lakh bottles seized last year and 56% more than the 2.79 lakh bottles in 2015.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal said that in her future drives, special emphasis would be on curbing the sale of illicit countrymade liquor.

They sell it cheaper and make it easily available by stocking it in homes as we saw in the case of bootleggers who attacked our volunteer in Narela. The smugglers reduce the premium by avoiding duty. Santra and Musambi are the colloquial terms used for these countrymade liquors supplied by these bootleggers and the trade is almost omnipresent. At a government-owned shop, a bottle is available for Rs 50. But the same bottle is sold for Rs 20 in the black market by avoiding excise duty, said Maliwal.

Delhis excise commissioner Amjad Tak said there are over 90 government-run shops of countrymade liquor in Delhi. But neither the excise nor DCW officials agreed to share their opinion on the need for more legal shops within Delhi to meet the growing demand.

Deputy excise commissioner, Praveen Mishra, said the inflow of illicit countrymade liquor was not just causing loss to the exchequer but had other implications. In our shops, we issue annual contracts and the prescribed amount is stocked. This also means quality checks are done. But there is no way we can conduct these checks on smuggled alcohol, which may damage the health of people. Mishra said almost 100% of the seizures are from Haryana.

The DCW chief said she suspected a nexus between the liquor mafia and police. There is some direct nexus, otherwise why wont the police be active in cracking down on the illegal liquor mafia. In our last raid, a police inspector and woman constable were beaten up and yet there was no FIR. This shows the nexus, she said.

She said the Lieutenant Governor and the police commissioner needed to crack down on the liquor mafia.

Delhi police chief spokesperson, Dependra Pathak, contested these claims and said the force was proactive in curbing the illegal trade. On the spike in seizure of illicit liquor, he said it was more of a sign of better detection rather than a reflection on more sales. In future, we would even consider stringent laws such as MCOCA on those found with repeated involvements, he added.

Another problem is staff crunch. The excise departments enforcement teams run with a skeletal staff of nine inspectors and 60 junior staff who are on deputation from Delhi Police.

The officials also questioned the excise policy of Haryana, saying it incentivised bulk sale and in order to meet sale targets, shop owners encouraged smuggling of countrymade liquor to Delhi.

Haryanas acting excise commissioner Yogesh Kumar, however, said district-level teams were active in all areas to check the outflow.
The Delhi government has blamed the lieutenant governor for rejecting the recently announced doorstep delivery of public services project leading to a fresh flashpoint between the two. The L-G office, however, denied the charge and clarified that the proposal was not rejected but, instead, sent back to reconsider its present form.

Citing privacy and safety concerns, the L-G office suggested that the system be digitised so that citizens are able to avail the services online.

L-G (Anil Baijal) rejects proposal of doorstep delivery of 40 government services like caste-birth-address certificates, licences, social welfare schemes, pensions, registrations. L-G sends it back for reconsideration. L-G says digitalisation of services enough. No need for doorstep delivery (sic), Delhis deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia wrote in a tweet on Tuesday.

The Delhi Cabinet had on November 16 approved the Doorstep Delivery of Public Services scheme, which aims at providing 40 key public services, such as caste and birth certificates, licences, vehicle registrations, and pensions to senior citizens and physically challenged among others, from eight department of the government.

Under the doorstep delivery scheme, a government representative would visit the applicants house on a phone call to collect, certify and upload their documents.

Sisodia said in a series of tweets that most of these services were already digital yet long queues in offices were witnessed. Despite digitalisation, most people still have to run around government offices with documents, he said.

The L-G has taken a decision without knowing field reality. Announcement of doorstep delivery scheme was welcomed by all sections of society. Huge setback in Delhi governments efforts to provide good and corruption free governance, he added.

Should L-G have powers to express differences of opinion with elected government on such critical matters of public interest? Ultimately, it is the public that suffers, Sisodia said.

Reacting to the allegations, the L-G office said the proposal was not rejected but had suggested to consider an alternative model.

LG (Baijal) has observed that there are issues with the present proposal as it would introduce another layer of human interface with its attendant complications including concerns associated with safety and security of women/senior citizens, possibility of corruption, delays, loss of documents, breach of privacy, L-G office said in a statement.

The statement said the digital delivery of services was the most effective tool to eliminate corruption as it removes human interface, minimizes delays and discretion.

LG has advised that the matter be reconsidered with the aim to put in place a model which provides for 100% digital delivery of services to people and facilitates access to bridge the digital divide. To provide access to the internet, the government can consider enabling the unemployed youth to set up internet kiosks where these services can be accessed and made available, the statement said.
The financial accounts of around 1,700 private schools in the city will be audited by the Delhi government in a move to stop unjustified fee hike.

The government said that the move was necessitated after it received a number of complaints regarding fee hikes from parents.

The action comes days after the Delhi High Court stayed a recent government order allowing private unaided recognized schools to hike fee to implement the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC).

The government will get financial statements of the school for the last three years audited by a chartered accountant. The report of the chartered accountant will then be approved by officials from the Directorate of Education.

On Tuesday, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and other stakeholders held a meeting in which the CM gave his nod for the audit. The auditing process will be completed in three months.

Last year, the government had conducted an audit of around 150 private schools, which were built on Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land. The schools built on DDA land need prior permission of the government to hike their fees.

The government, during the audit of these schools, had found that many institutions siphoned money collected through fees to their parent societies.

Many schools were found to have spent huge amount of money on developing school buildings, even though various court orders have made it clear that the schools can only spend on furniture, fixtures and equipment. Some schools had also undertaken construction of other buildings under the society, using school fees, Atishi Marlena, advisor to education minister Manish Sisodia, said.

Marlena also said that some schools were found to have spent more money on school building per square metre than five star hotels.

We saw this trend in the DDA schools and have now decided to get the financial accounts of last three years of all schools audited through charted accountants, she said.

Marlena said the Delhi School Education Act and Rules (DSEAR) 1973 allows for conducting audit of private schools if the director (DOE) is not satisfied with the fee estimate given by the school.

Under Section 24 (3) of DSEAR, 1973, the director of the Directorate of Education can order a review of the fee estimate proposal submitted by the school under section 17 (3) if it is not satisfated, she said.

If any school is found to be violating the rule, then the government can either take over the school or derecognize it.

Marlena also said that they are going to make the process of submitting fee estimates online.

Private schools, however, said they were not happy with the governments move. SK Bhattacharya, president of Action Committee Unaided Recognised Private School said, There is no objection to auditing of school accounts, but the government cannot assume all schools are wrong. If there is any suspicion on any particular school then conduct an audit. But doing it for all schools is futile.

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The family of a 58-year-old man, who visited Max hospital, Shalimar Bagh, for the treatment of a heart condition, has alleged that he died on Monday because of the hospitals negligence.

We had taken him to the hospital for an angiography. The doctors found that there was blockage in three arteries and said he needed a bypass. Then, they informed us that three stents had been put in, said Sanjay Sharma, nephew of the deceased Kamlesh Sharma. The family alleged that the doctors had not even sought their consent.

This comes a week after the Court of the Financial Commissioner stayed the order of the Delhi government cancelling the hospitals licence for wrongly declaring a newborn dead.

The family also alleged that the doctor under whom the patient was admitted was actually on leave. We kept asking the doctor taking care of him to let us meet the doctor under whom he was admitted. They said that he would come and speak to us shortly. When my uncles condition started deteriorating, we again asked to meet the doctor so that we could decide whether we should take him to another hospital. Again we got the same reply, said Sanjay.

It was after Kamlesh was declared dead and the family went to the accounts department that they were told the doctor in question was on leave, the family said.

The family also said that the bill of over Rs 3 lakh was waived off by the hospital initially, but they were asked to pay up when they went to collect the body. It was only after we filed a police complaint that they waived off the entire bill, said Sanjay, except for the Rs 10,000 that had been paid on admission.

The hospital in its statement said, The patient was brought into the Emergency on December 25 afternoon with complaints of chest pain and breathlessness. Initial ECG confirmed acute STEMI (heart attack). Further investigation revealed Triple Vessel Disease (blockage in three major arteries). The patient was 58 years old and had a history of diabetes, hypertension and smoking. Despite due efforts by the medical team, the patient could not be saved.

Aslam Khan, DCP (northwest), said inquest proceedings under section 174 of CrPC was initiated on the familys complaint. Our request to form a board of doctors to conduct the autopsy has been accepted by the Delhi government. The autopsy will be conducted on Wednesday. Further action would be taken once we get the autopsy report, said Khan.
The district judge of trial courts in New Delhi have asked all judicial officers in Delhi to desist from insisting on posting of a particular prosecutor or naib court in their court.

The administrative order was passed by District and Sessions Judge (headquarters) Talwant Singh following a communication received from the office of the director of prosecution, the in-charge of posting prosecutors in trial courts here, expressing concern over the conduct of judges.

The Directorate of Prosecution claimed that a large number of judges are time and again insisting on posting a particular prosecuting officer or naib court (policeman posted in each court) in their courts.

The circular stated that all the additional sessions judges/ chief metropolitan magistrates/ additional CMMs/ MMs are advised to note that the Directorate of Prosecution is an independent agency which has to run its administration in an independent, legal and justified manner.

It said that it is the prerogative of the office of Directorate of Prosecution to allocate public prosecutors for representing the state before the criminal courts and there is no justification in demanding that a particular PP/ APP etc be appointed in a particular court or to refuse to allow newly promoted APPs to perform their duty in the sessions court.

The circular further said that any correspondence with the office of the chief secretary or the home secretary has to be done through the office of the District and Sessions Judge.

The practice of passing judicial orders for posting of a particular public prosecutor in the court may kindly not be resorted to, it said.

The circular said it was expected that all the judicial officers will comply with the advice and allow the Directorate of Prosecution to perform its duties in a lawful, dignified and justified manner without creating any undue pressure upon the said officer.

The district judge, who had held a meeting with the director of prosecution, said he was informed that a few judges were even going to the extent of threatening to write letters to the chief secretary/home secretary of the Delhi government in this regard and in some cases, even judicial orders have been passed.

The circular said though the Directorate of Prosecution provides all sorts of assistance for effective administration of criminal justice system, such demands by judges create hindrance in the smooth functioning of the system because it is not practically feasible on all occasions to fulfil the these demands of the judges of Delhi district courts.

Moreover, the practice of posting of a particular PP/ APP and naib court as per directions of the judges is creating difficulty in smooth functioning of the directorate, it said.

It was also mentioned by the Directorate of Prosecution that a few additional sessions judges were reluctant to avail services of newly-promoted additional public prosecutors (APP) in their courts on the ground that they do not have sufficient experience whereas those APPs have already worked in trial courts for a long time.
The nursery admission process for approximately 1,600 private schools in Delhi will commence on Wednesday, with parents having time till January 17 to submit their application forms.

Though a High Court order earlier this year had allowed the imposition of an upper age limit suggested by the directorate of education for entry level classes, the education department has said that the order will be applicable only from the next academic year.

The Delhi governments proposed upper age limit, which said that a student would need to be less than four years of age to be eligible for nursery, less than five years for kindergarten and less than six years for admission to Class 1, had been challenged in court.

Although the Delhi High Court had earlier this year disposed these petitions, the directorate of education has said that the age limit will be applicable only for the 2019-20 academic year, with a view to provide adequate notice/time to the parent/guardians to plan for the admission of their wards.

This year, the government is not bringing any changes in the admission criteria and schools get to decide their own rules and allot the 100 points accordingly. The various criteria that the schools will divide the 100 points for admission into will include distance, first child, girl child and alumnus.

all private unaided recognised schools shall develop and adopt criteria for admission which shall be fair, reasonable, well defined, equitable, non-discriminatory, unambiguous and transparent, the directorate of education said in a circular.

The directorate had also abolished 62 other criterion, which were found to be unfair, unreasonable and non-transparent in January last year. Later, the high court had upheld around 50 of these, including parents education, smoking, drinking and food habits, and direct interviews and oral tests of them and their wards.

Race for nursery seats The nursery admission process for 1,600 pvt schools will commence on Wednesday. This year, the schools get to decide their own rules for admission process The nursery admission process for 1,600 pvt schools will commence on Wednesday. This year, the schools get to decide their own rules for admission process SCHEDULE 2017 DECEMBER 27: Sale of admission forms to start 2018 JANUARY 17: Last date to submit application forms in schools

FEBRUARY 2: Schools to upload marks given to each student based on the points system

FEBRUARY 15: Schools to display first list of selected students with points allocated to each student

FEBRUARY 16-20: Resolution of queries by parents regarding allotment of points

FEBRUARY 28: Schools to display second list of selected students with points allocated to each student

MARCH 15: Subsequent lists, if any

MARCH 31: Closure of admission process FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WHAT IS THE NUMBER OF NURSERY SEATS IN EACH SCHOOL?

Each school has a different number of seats at entry level but it cannot be less than the highest number of seats it has had over the last three years. Check a schools notice board, website and DOE website  edudel.nic.in  for more details WHERE CAN I FIND THE CRITERIA ADOPTED BY A SCHOOL AND THE POINTS ALLOTTED?

Private unaided recognized schools can set their own admission criteria and points, which will be displayed on their website and also on DOE website. ARE THERE ANY CRITERIA THAT SCHOOLS CANNOT ADOPT?

The government had abolished 62 parameters of 2015-16 that were found to be unfair, unreasonable Sale of admission forms to startLast date to submit application forms in schoolsSchools to upload marks given to each student based on the points systemSchools to display first list of selected students with points allocated to each studentResolution of queries by parents regarding allotment of pointsSchools to display second list of selected students with points allocated to each studentSubsequent lists, if anyClosure of admission processEach school has a different number of seats at entry level but it cannot be less than the highest number of seats it has had over the last three years. Check a schools notice board, website and DOE website  edudel.nic.in  for more detailsPrivate unaided recognized schools can set their own admission criteria and points, which will be displayed on their website and also on DOE website.The government had abolished 62 parameters of 2015-16 that were found to be unfair, unreasonable CANASCHO MAKE BUYING O APROSPECTUS COMPULSORY?

Buying theschool prospectus or an applicationformisnot mandatory.Forms will be available online and schools cannot charge a processing feeexcepta registrationfee of Rs 25, which is non-refundable HOW CAN I KNOW THE POINTS ACHIEVED BY MY CHILD?

Schools will display the points given to each applicant on their website on February 8, 2018. Schools will announce the first list of selected candidates on February 15 WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR DRAW OF LOTS?

A draw of lots will be conducted in front of the parents if more than one student gets the same points. Parents will also get to see the slips being used for the draw. A video of the process will be recorded and the footage has to be preserved for at least three months HOW CAN A PARENT SEEK REDRESSAL OF A GRIEVANCE?

Parents will get five days after the announcement of the first list during which they can approach the school authorities with queries. Parents can also complain to the DoEs monitoring cell or register their complaints on Directorate of Educations website and non-transparent. These include oral tests, interviews, achievement of parents, non-smoking parents, food preferenceSchools will display the points given to each applicant on their website on February 8, 2018. Schools will announce the first list of selected candidates on February 15A draw of lots will be conducted in front of the parents if more than one student gets the same points. Parents will also get to see the slips being used for the draw. A video of the process will be recorded and the footage has to be preserved for at least three monthsParents will get five days after the announcement of the first list during which they can approach the school authorities with queries. Parents can also complain to the DoEs monitoring cell or register their complaints on Directorate of Educations website

The 1,695 private recognised schools were asked to upload their criteria and the points to be assigned to each to the directorate of educations portal by Tuesday, failing which their admission process would be kept in abeyance. Parents would then be able to view these online and also the schools websites to see if their children qualify, and have until January 17 to submit their application forms at the school.

As of 7pm on Tuesday, the admission criteria for 993 private schools were available for on the directorate of educations website. Most schools have assigned the maximum number of points (up to 90) to how far an applicant resides from the school.

The first list of selected students with points allotted to them will be displayed by February 15. Queries raised by parents will be resolved between February 16-20, and a second list will be displayed by February 28. Subsequent lists will be released, if seats remain, before the admission process closes on March 31.
Commuters will not get any relief from the perennial jam at the Ashram traffic junction any time soon as the project to construct a tunnel below the Ashram intersection is caught in a bureaucratic hurdle.

The tunnel, which will allow signal-free travel from Nizamuddin to New Friends Colony or Jamia University on Mathura road, will be built by the Public Works Department (PWD).

The department, however, has not been able to start construction work because it is waiting for financial approval from the central as well as the Delhi government.

The project was conceptualised in 2016 end and its financial approval is awaited for nearly a year, a PWD official told Hindustan Times.

Under the project, the PWD will build a 750-metre tunnel below the Ashram Chowk intersection between Nizamuddin railway over bridge and CSIR apartment on Mathura road.

Once the project is completed, it would benefit commuters passing through the busy Ashram crossing which records approximately 4.29 lakh vehicles every day.

The estimated cost of the tunnel is around Rs 87 crore and 80% of the funds will come from the Centre while 20% will be borne by the Delhi government.

According to sources, other than exchange of files between the PWD, and the central and the Delhi government, there is little progress on the project. The construction work of the tunnel could not start as estimate approval is yet to be granted for the project. There had been no visible progress in the last one year, the official said.

The official added that once the financial approval is given, the tendering process will begin and the project will be completed within 12 to 15 months.

Officials said that preliminary estimates of the expenditure were sent to the Centre as well as the Delhi government for approval but the files came back with certain observations. The estimates were sent again after corrections but they were returned with more comments. In October this year, we sent the estimate proposal after fulfilling all the necessary details to the Centre for approval. Now we are waiting for the approval, another PWD official said.

In March this year, the department had sent revised estimates to the Delhi government but again the observations were raised, the official added. We received the observations in November this year. We have again sent the revised estimates to the Delhi government this month (December) and are now waiting for the approval, he said.

Delhi governments principal secretary (finance) SN Sahai told Hindustan Times: I am not in town so cannot tell much about this. The government is serious about development projects so it is not right to say that it is being stopped deliberately. They (PWD) must not be putting the (estimate) proposal in a correct and detailed manner.

Ashram intersection has been a traffic bottleneck for over past two years because of the Metro construction work, and repairs of flyover and road.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday came down heavily on Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal after the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) increased a combined water and sewer tariff in the city by 20% for consumption of more than 20,000 litres per month.

Delhi Jal Board is a corrupt white elephant and now the people will have to pay price for Kejriwal governments protection to its corruption, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari told reporters after meeting Lt governor Anil Baijal at Raj Niwas in New Delhi.

The BJP also demanded withdrawal of the water and sewer tariff hike.

With the decision of the (DJB) to hike the rate of water by 20%, the real face of Arvind Kejriwal government has been exposed before the people of Delhi which had shed crocodile tears on the decision of increasing the metro fares, Tiwari added.

He said due to this hike, the people of Delhi will have to bear additional burden of Rs 500-600 crore.

No change in water tariff in Delhi for households using upto 20,000 litres per month for third consecutive year. Above 20,000 litres, a 20% combined hike on water and sewer charges approved in Delhi Jal Board meeting, a government official tweeted.

The BJP MP from northeast Delhi said: The people are already suffering from the loot in the form of additional charges by the private power supply companies under the patronage of Kejriwal government and now this additional burden in the form of hike in water charges.

Tiwari apprised Baijal of several problems of the people of the city. He also lodged a protest over the water tariff hike and urged him to withdraw it.

He said: Just after coming to power Kejriwal government had announced about supplying 20,000 litres of water free of charge and had claimed that it will benefit 20 lakh consumers. But in reality, the free water supply is not reaching even to about 2 lakh consumers what to talk of 20 lakh consumers in Delhi, he said.

It will compel the Kejriwal government to withdraw the hike in the prices of basic amenities, Tiwari added.
New Delhi India has an ambitious target of providing higher education to 40 million students by 2020 and to achieve the goal it should allow foreign universities to operate in the country -- either through partnerships or letting them open their own campuses, says the vice chancellor of an Australian university.

Ian Jacobs, a surgeon-turned-academician heading the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, is exploring how his institution can cater to the enormous demand and avail the massive opportunities in Indias education sector, one of the worlds largest.

But the environment around and the structure of Indias education system is challenging amid tight regulations even as reforms planned in the sector are exciting for international institutions and education businesses.

The structure of higher education and regulations around it in India make that quite challenging. We are looking at how to do that and exploring innovations to do that, Jacobs told IANS during a trip to India.

At the moment, it is not possible for an international university to open its own campus in India. But it may be possible for us to partner with an Indian university so that we can bring to India the depth of experience that we have in quality higher education at a very large scale. That is what we are exploring. It is quite a complicated environment to do that.

India has set an aggressive target of achieving 30% gross enrolment ratio (GER) in higher education by 2020. GER is the total enrolment in higher education among the population in the age group of 18-23.

According to the ministry of human resource development, Indias GER was 24.5% in 2015-16, a quantum jump over the last decade when it was a mere 10% in 2004-05. But the enrolment ratio is still low compared to Chinas 26% and Brazils 36%.

To achieve the 2020 target and allow more and more young men and women access to higher education, Jacobs said, his university was ready to contribute and create opportunities for new jobs and play a role in opening up the young peoples eyes to the opportunities for their life.

We provide higher education of quality on a large scale. And that is something India very badly needs. The ambition in India is to educate many millions of young people to degree level.

Jacobs said India also needed foreign university collaborations because the scale of operations of high-quality educational institutions in the country would not be able to deliver on the governments target and the countrys need.

India, of course, needs high quality (education), but it also needs scale and UNSW can contribute to expand that scale. We can provide it partly by students from India coming to UNSW.

But the real exciting thing would be to be involved in India -- providing higher education to Indians in India. We are looking to partner with existing universities. We are looking how to do that. We are at a very exploratory stage.

UNSWs pro vice chancellor Laurie Pearcey said the Indian governments Institutions of Eminence or the 10+10 initiative -- to give 10 public and 10 private institutions unprecedented administrative and financial autonomy -- has thrown up possibilities for partnering with foreign universities.

Once these 20 universities are identified, they will operate with a high level of autonomy and international partnerships through joint degrees, through articulation agreements, through large international research collaborations... All of that would be made possible on a scale that is currently not really accessible for foreign universities in India, Pearcey said.

He said the proposed Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill that seeks to permit foreign players into the higher education system could make things better for the country.

The Institutions of Eminence initiative is really exciting... that is going to give India a chance to develop autonomous institutions which can do great research and will give the great education, he added.

He also felt tight regulations in the education sector in India come at the expense of collaborations with world-class institutions.

Regulation is a good thing but at the end of the day the government is interested in quality and at the same time that does come at the expense of collaboration.

Former Indian diplomat Amit Dasgupta, UNSWs country head in India, said besides the 10+10 initiative India needed 400 new universities and 40,000 new colleges to achieve a 30% GER by 2020.

If you need to upgrade, if you need to have quality faculty, one has to ask what is the purpose of higher education.

And that purpose will determine the kind of collaboration. If the purpose is only employability, that is one approach. If the purpose is innovation and research, that is another approach. But I think all of this gets combined somewhere and I think this upgrading is going to only happen through collaboration with world-class foreign universities.
Kolkata Presidency Mentor Group chair Professor Sugata Bose has said the group is exploring options to reach out to brilliant students in districts for bringing in the best brains to Presidency University.

Bose, the Gardiner Professor of History at Harvard University, said they wanted to attract the best brains to Presidency University and the Mentor group intends to visit districts and reach out to meritorious students.

We must ensure the students come to know about the details regarding the subjects and courses on offer at Presidency. The modalities can be chalked out in due course, the Mentor Group chair told reporters on the sidelines of the Convocation of Jadavpur University here.

We have to bring the talents, he said.

Presidency Mentor Group had been set up by West Bengal chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to charter a roadmap for making Presidency University a pre-eminent institution of learning in the world.

Bose said the mentor group will make an assessment of the overall situation in the university and find out how much progress has been made after 2011.

One thing I can say, there had been no political influence in any faculty recruitment since 2011-12 and everything had been done on purely academic merit, he commented.

Bose said while the best universities in the world are more flexible in allocating funds to retain the human resources (faculty), in India the varsities are bound by set rules by UGC (University Grants Commission).

While the Centre can allocate fund for brick and mortar (infrastructure), all professors and assistant professors are paid as per UGC directives, he said hinting the situation should change.

Bose said that at a recent higher education consultative committee meeting in Delhi he had pointed out that all Central and state universities should be given autonomy to enable them to reach excellence.

To a question about education minister Partha Chatterjee commenting that the heritage structure of Presidency was tinkered with during renovation work, Bose said, the Mentor group will talk to the minister as well as Alumni Association and university authorities on the issue.

The mentor group has already held talks among its members about several issues including this one, he said.

We will discuss everything threadbare at a meeting in the end of January, he said.
Sure, a little black dress is always on par for the Christmas party scene, but who says festive dressing has to be so cut and dry?

We are loving fashionable ladies in red -- from Miss World Manushi Chhillar to Bollywood A-lister Kangana Ranaut -- who know better and prove that whether youre attending a party, headed out to dinner, or going on date night, you cant go wrong with the sultry shade. Not only is the crimson colour seasonally appropriate (without venturing into ugly sweater territory), but it also has a self-assured confidence that we love. (Hello, Amrita Arora!)



We scoured social media to showcase how your favourite celebrities are rocking attention-getting red designs. From silky slip dresses to breezy maxis, here are eight not-so-basic celebrity outfits that switched it up and looked festive this Christmas. (All photos: Instagram)

Actor Kangana Ranauts clingy, figure-flattering off-shoulder knee-length dress hugged her in all the right places.

Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillars full-sleeved high-neck knit dress had a 1970s vibe and a style that elongated and slimmed at the same time.

Known for its heat-seeking qualities, the colour red isnt necessarily associated with softness or a romantic vibe, but TV personality Malaika Arora proved otherwise with delicate red-and-white blooms on her maxi dress.

Malaikas younger sister, former VJ,Amrita Aroras glamorous turn in a sequined midi-length dress was not only merry and bright, but also thoroughly sophisticated. And that slit!

Actor Salman Khans rumoured girlfriend, Romanian actor Iulia Vantur demonstrated the power of red in a sleek slip dress with a minimal-effort-maximum-impact quality.

Actor and author Soha Ali Khan showed us that red doesnt always have to be merry and bright, you can inject neutral accessories into the colour for a slightly more modern look.

We get it -- red naturally has look at me qualities, and so you dont need a bevy of bells and whistles to stand out. Just look at actor Alia Bhatts sleeveless red dress, sans a shimmering neckline, beaded embroidery, and lace embellishments.

Actor Katrina Kaif sported a vest dress, which looked nonchalantly sexy and totally comfy.

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Many of us drag our feet when it comes to the gym, but are more than happy to burn the dance floor on nights out. What if we could dance our way to fitness? Pune-based Aarti Pandey is out to make sure we do exactly that.

Pandey is the co-founder of Folk Fitness, a fitness program that blends regional dance forms with an intense workout. And not just popular ones like garba or bhangra, Pandey makes sure traditional dances like tipanni (from Gujarat), and dulpodam and dekhni (from Goa) are also incorporated.

She had been a dance enthusiast throughout her childhood and teenage years, but realised the power of dance only when she went through a difficult pregnancy. Dancing helped her bounce back from depression. Folk Fitness was born out of a desire to create a fitness routine that was authentic to India, unlike Pilates or Zumba. Launched in August 2015, they now have nearly 700 certified trainers taking Folk Fitness sessions in 18 cities across India.

We talk to Pandey about the concept:

Apart from popular dance forms like bhangra, garba and lavani, tell us a little about the lesser known dance forms that Folk Fitness incorporates.

Every folk dance has a story to tell. The steps are majorly influenced by their geographical areas. Each folk style has a functional workout but some styles have more impact on certain muscle groups. We have a dedicated research and development team which works on creating new workout routines for every month with 10-11 new folk dances. Some of the folk styles are incorporated into our routine are:

 Ghoomar is a traditional folk dance from Rajasthan and it is mainly performed by veiled women who wear ghagharas. The movements involve an upper body workout focusing on the oblique, triceps, biceps, wrist, and back.

 Performed during the period between Diwali to Purnima, the baredi dance belongs to Madhya Pradesh and it is quite an intriguing folk form. The group consists of 5-10 male dancers and is choreographed by a head male performer. The functional movements in baredi extensively impact biceps, arms, calves and shoulders thus helping in the strengthening of muscles in the upper body.

 In West Bengal, devotees perform dhunuchi dance during Durga Puja. Dhunuchi dance helps us to strengthen our fists, shoulders and biceps. The extensive movement of the arms is very good for the upper body workout.

 Bhavai, from the core of Gujarat, is derived from the Sanskrit word bhava which means emotion. Bhavai means expression of your emotions or feelings. It is based on the stories and episodes of communities and common life of people of North Gujarat. Bhavai helps you express your emotions and makes you stress free. It is very energetic and humorous, and works as a great stress buster.

Is the focus at Folk Fitness more on burning calories, or learning and remembering new choreography?

As Folk Fitness is a result-oriented routine, we follow a very scientific approach towards selecting folk forms. Burning calories is one of the benefits of Folk Fitness. The entire workout routine is created in a way that it is a holistic and works on mind, body and soul. We take care of your muscle strength, flexibility, agility, endurance and cardio as well. Our focus, primarily, is on making the one hour of your fitness time your me-time of the day. Weve noticed that people enjoy the music, and those who do the sessions on a regular basis eventually remember the choreography too.

Whats a typical Folk Fitness session like?

Every session starts with meditation to completely phase out of the worldly problems of the participants. Then, we do the warm up, which is critical to begin the whole body workout. The session is then dedicated for upper body, lower body and cardiovascular exercises. In Folk Fitness, we have deliberately kept cardio in the end because when we start any workout, the primary source of energy is carbohydrates of our body. Once we have worked out for 25-30 minutes the source of energy comes from the fat in our body and that is when maximum fat loss happens.

While one is busy learning and following particular moves from their instructors, each session is also intellectually engaging as you learn about different states of India. Every trainer is taught about the different folk dances, the story, and health benefits behind them -- which is then used as an engaging tool in their classes.

The session ends with a cooling down which mentally, physically and spiritually stimulates a person to face the entire day or be a stress busting session to end their day.

How did you go about researching the lesser known regional dance forms?

Ashwin Pandey, co-founder of Folk Fitness, has over 13 years of experience in folk dances. During this period, he has had the opportunity to travel to many villages and tribes, spend time with the locals and understand folk culture. He has written down the meanings behind folk songs and dances.

How many dance forms are you well versed with?

Growing up, I learnt Bharatanatyam and then learnt Latin dance styles. I specialised in salsa, bachata, and merengue. I have learnt ballroom dances including jive, cha-cha-cha and foxtrot. I have also specialised in rumba and samba.

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As hard as one might try to avoid watching bad movies, they have a habit of sneaking up on you when you least expect them to - like some sort of ghoul from a twice rebooted horror franchise. Speaking of which, youll find many reboots in this list, along with unwanted sequels, cringeworthy comedies and at least one bold original movie.

Compiling this list was, in hindsight, a far easier task than watching these movies. And honestly, theyre some of the worst ever made (imagine, Geostorm couldnt find spot), and each of them, on a different day, could have competed for the top spot.

A quick glance at the top 10 offers interesting insights into how Hollywood makes movies - in a nutshell, theyre all born out of greed. But for those looking for silver linings in this dumpster fire of a year can take pride in certain achievements - Universals Dark Universe has been axed (well done, everyone), the Pirates franchise has no plans (at least as of now) for another installment, the Transformers series got rid of Michael Bay and will focus on spinoffs, and in what has to be one of 2017s most triumphant displays of human unity, no one turned up for Baywatch.

Without further ado, here are the top 10 worst Hollywood films of 2017 (in no particular order, except number one):

The Bye Bye Man

The Bye Bye Man is hardly a movie. To call it one would not only be blasphemous to a 100-year-old art form, but also an insult to innocuous 5-letter-words in this, or any other language.

Read our review here.

Rings

Not only does Rings utterly disrespect the fascinating lore established by its predecessors, and the Japanese source novels, it also raises an eyebrow in genuine surprise when you look around in disbelief at the sheer purposelessness of it all.

Read our review here.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

To call it a slight improvement on its predecessors is similar to declaring that you would rather have your pinkie bitten off by an infected zombie instead of your index finger, simply because it is shorter. Theyre both going to hurt. Dont stick your hand down the zombies mouth.

Read our review here.

Baywatch

It is said that US marines forced Saddam Hussein to watch South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut  a movie in which he is depicted as Satans boyfriend  over and over again in the days leading up to his hanging. However, in the future, to ease the pain of anti-terror operatives, confused by which movie to show Basher al-Assad or Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, might I suggest Baywatch.

Read our review here.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Pirates of the Caribben: Salazars Revenge (as it was titled here) is a film that feels twice as long as it really is, and roughly five times as boring. Its the sort of film that, when confronted with the challenge to be creative, chooses to have its characters topple over for laughs instead.

Read our review here.

The Mummy

The Mummy is sexist. Its also very racist. The characters are so poorly written, we dont know a thing about them aside from what their most immediate goal is. Its cringe-inducingly unfunny when it tries to joke, and its hysterical when it tries to be serious. Its biggest blasphemy, however, is that it robs Tom Cruise of his heroism.

You can read our review here.

The Book of Henry

Director Colin Trevorrows head-scratchingly misguided film falls into the you have to see it to believe it category - its a movie so terrible, so jaw-droppingly tone deaf that you almost expect him to lose the Star Wars gig based on it. Oh, wait.

Transformers: The Last Knight

It took six human beings to edit together this heap of rusty scrap metal into a whole, possibly with hammers and screws. It took four people to write it, and thousands to composite its undeniably magnificent special effects, and yet, the one man whose job it was to bring it all together, was busy flexing his muscles and smouldering at his own reflection in the mirror. Michael Bay earned a paycheck, as did the rest of his cast.

Read our review here.

The Emoji Movie

Its the poop emoji personified.

Read our review here.

Daddys Home 2

In which alleged domestic abuser Mel Gibson encourages a child to commit sexual assault in a post-Harvey Weinstein world. Let that sink in.

Read our review here.

Stay tuned for our list of the best films of 2017, coming soon.

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The author tweets @RohanNaahar
Three artificial lakes formed in the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet region of China following an earthquake last month could pose a threat to millions of people in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, experts have said.

The landslide-induced lakes, the sizes of which and the volume of water in them are yet to be ascertained, were formed after a 6.4 magnitude quake took place on November 17 at Nyingchi in southern China.

The Yarlung Tsangpo is known as Siang in Arunachal Pradesh and becomes the Brahmaputra after joining the Lohit. If the artificial lakes join or burst, millions of people residing along the banks of both Siang and Brahmaputra downstream could get affected.

There have been speculations about the cause of increased turbidity in both rivers since last month. The real cause of the muddy waters was known and the three lakes detected after satellite data of the area was released by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and some foreign agencies a few days ago.

If there is a sudden breach in these lakes, there could be large-scale devastation. The Indian government should take the issue up with China and ensure such an eventuality doesnt happen, water expert Dulal Goswami told the Hindustan Times.

The fear is not entirely unfounded. In June 2000, at least 30 people were killed and there was a significant loss to property in Arunachal Pradesh after an artificial lake burst on the Yigong Tsangpo river.

While the formation of the three lakes is not good news for people of the region, some experts say there might not be an immediate cause of worry.

Luckily, the incident happened during the lean season when there is less rainfall and the amount of water in the Yarlung Tsangpo is relatively less. So there no cause of much concern immediately, said Mirza Zulfiqur Rahman, a senior research fellow at Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G).

However, theres a unanimity on the issue that there should be more clarity on part of the government agencies while disseminating news of such events so that there is no panic among the millions who could be affected.

Organs of the government should speak clearly and urgently when such things happen. We had no clue about what was happening for over a month before it became clear about the lakes formed due to the quake, said Goswami.

News reports about the increase in turbidity in Siang and Brahmaputra said it could be due to large-scale construction activity in China, possibly a tunnel to divert water from the Yarlung Tsangpo.

This deliberate keeping away of data from the public due to geopolitical and others factors leading to all sorts of assumptions and fear is not good, Rahman told HT.

Experts say efforts should be undertaken at the level of both Indian and Chinese governments to routinely monitor the water level in the lakes and ensure it is released in a phased manner before the onset on monsoon next year.

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Two days after Union minister Anantkumar Hegde started a row by saying the BJP would remove the word secular from the Constitution, his party distanced itself from his remark.

The party doesnt want to get involved with what he said. What he spoke about is not an issue for us, BJPs spokesperson for Karnataka, Vaman Acharya, said. Meanwhile, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah hit out at Hegde, saying a Manuvadi like him does not understand the Constitution.

Speaking at an event on Sunday, Hegde also took a dig at secularism, saying it was a new trend followed by those did not know their parentage. The Union minister of state for skill development said he felt happy when people identified themselves as Muslim, Christian, Lingayat, Brahmin, or a Hindu. Those are people who know their history. But I do not know how to address those who call themselves secular. Those who do not know their parents call themselves secular.

Hegde said he would prostrate before those who identified themselves by their religion or caste, but I get suspicious when someone claims to be secular, he said.

Some people say that the Constitution says [Secular]. That is true and we respect the Constitution. But the Constitution has changed many times in the past and will change in coming days. It is to change the Constitution that we have come, he said. He added that those accusing the right wing of wanting to follow Manusmriti did not know that smritis were the Constitutions of their times.

The ministers statement also drew a sharp response from the Congress. It is not a secret that the sole agenda of RSS and BJP is to change and modify the basic nature and structure of the Constitution and to impose their hate filled, bigoted and prejudiced ideology on India and its people, spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi said.

(With inputs from HTC, Delhi)
A youth on Monday has surrendered before the Himachal Pradesh police admitting that he made the hoax call about the presence of a bomb at the inter-state bus terminal (ISBT) in Mandi last week.

Sandeep Kumar (21), a student of Masters in Computer Application (MCA) has reportedly told police that it was because of the Blue Whale challenge that he made the hoax.

The hoax had created panic among the public, thus putting the police, fire brigade, health department and administrations top officials on their toes on Thursday.

Sandeep Kumar, a resident of Mandi, said he did it to complete the Blue Whale challenge. It was also revealed that he had earlier also tried to commit suicide by over speeding the bike, said a police officer.

His mobile has been seized and is being scanned, the officer said.

The cops are also investigating if there is any other friend of Sandeep trapped in the deadly challenge.

It all happened when Mandi bus stand assistant in-charge, Netra Singh, received a call from an unknown number at around 10am on Thursday, informing him about the presence of a powerful bomb fixed at the bus stand premises. Before Netra could ask the caller about his identity, the call was disconnected.

The police were immediately informed and public was requested to vacate the premises.

The police with the help of bomb disposal and dog squad searched the entire bus stand but found nothing suspicious.
Award-winning Malayalam actor Parvathy, who filed a police complaint on Tuesday after she was persistently trolled for commenting against some dialogues in top actor Mammoottys film Kasaba, said she did so as the issue wasnt about her anymore.

Speaking to NDTV, the Take Off actor said: This is now much bigger than me. Its not about me only. Its about how women are treated when they respectfully put forward a different opinion. Weve been silenced for years. I have been in this industry for eleven years and I must thank the fans for their support.

Parvathy, had recently called the dialogues in the Mammootty starrer misogynist. She was viciously trolled and abused on various online platforms by the veteran actors fans.

According to police, a case has been registered by the Ernakulam South Police in this regard.

She forwarded a complaint to me... and investigation has commenced on this, IG Manoj Abraham, nodal officer, Cyberdome told PTI.

At an open forum organised on the sidelines of the recently held International Film Festival of Kerala, she voiced her opinion against glorifying misogyny on screen and expressed concern about the absence of women perspective in cinema.

To prove her point, Parvathy said she had recently watched Kasaba.

Though she did not mention the actors name, she said the film had disappointed her as it featured a great actor mouthing misogynistic dialogues.

She had also said such kind of dialogues from a superstar would give a wrong impression to people.

Condemning the online attacks, finance minister Thomas Isaac had tweeted that they were deplorable and praised Parvathy for making Kerala proud by winning the best actress award at IFFI.

Known for her variety of roles in various languages including Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi, Parvathy bagged the Best Actress award in the recently concluded International Film Festival of India.

She has also secured the Kerala State Film Award for the best actress.

(With HT inputs)
All IAS officers have been asked to submit details of their assets by next month and warned that the failure to do so would lead to a denial of vigilance clearances needed for promotions and foreign postings.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has written to all Central government departments, states and Union territories asking them to ensure submission of Immovable Property Returns (IPRs) by IAS officers working with them by January 31, 2018.

In view of the DoPTs instructions dated April 4, 2011, it is reiterated that failure to ensure timely submission of IPR would result in denial of vigilance clearance, establishment officer and additional secretary PK Tripathi said in the recent missive.

According to the 2011 instructions, officers who did not submit their IPR as on January 1, 2018, on time would be denied vigilance clearances and will not be considered for promotions and empanelment for senior-level posts in the government of India.

Those who do not submit property details on time will not be considered for any posts of the Central government including foreign postings, a senior DoPT official said.

An online module has been designed for the purpose of filing of the IPR. Officers have the option of uploading the hard copy of the IPR by January 31 in the online module, the December 22 letter said.

There are 5,004 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers working across the country, according to the DoPTs latest data.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will visit Shimla on Friday to seek feedback from party workers and candidates on the reasons for their recent defeat in the state assembly polls.

This will be Gandhis first trip to the state capital after taking over the reins of the party. Congress general secretary Naresh Chauhan said the party president will conduct two sessions  one in the forenoon and another in the afternoon  in this regard. Rahulji will meet the partys senior leaders, besides other officer-bearers and candidates, to assess the causes of our defeat, he explained.

The Congress secured 21 of the 68 seats in the state assembly, with its voting percentage decreasing from 42.81% to 41%.

A few days ago, the Congress had undertaken a first-of-its-kind review to analyse the electoral reverses suffered in the Himachal Pradesh assembly polls. A majority of the candidates cited infighting, sabotage by local leaders, and lack of resources as the reasons for their defeat.

In a meeting chaired by All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge Sushil Kumar Shinde, party candidates and legislators recommended strict action against a number of local and top-rung leaders who allegedly worked against the partys interests during the polls. While some presented audio and video clippings as proof of certain Congressmen sabotaging the partys electoral prospects, others reportedly accused former chief minister Virbhadra Singh of promoting local leaders who had their own interests in mind. Among the complainants was Deepak Rathore, who was said to have produced videographic proof of certain Congress leaders backing CPI(M) candidate Rakesh Singha in the elections.

Singha, who had emerged victorious from the Shimla urban seat in 1993, made it to the Vidhan Sabha from Theog on this occasion. The returning officer had rejected the nomination of Vidya Stokes, a veteran Congress leader, for failing to complete the required formalities.
Commandos of the Indian Army crossed the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday night and killed at least three Pakistani soldiers in a tactical retaliatory strike, government sources said on Tuesday, amid heightened military and diplomatic tension between the two neighbours.

The attack was carried out two days after four Indian Army personnel, including a Major, were killed by Pakistan in an ambush in Kashmirs Keri-Rajouri sector.

The sources said the military action could not be termed a surgical strike -- like the one conducted last September, when Indian army commandos went across the LoC to target alleged terror launch pads operated by Pakistan.

The Indian Army officially declined to confirm or deny whether its commandos had crossed the LoC, but the Pakistan Army on Tuesday confirmed the death of three soldiers at Rukh Chakri sector in Rawlakot, describing it as unprovoked heavy cross-border shelling by Indian forces.

On Tuesday evening, Pakistan summoned Indias acting deputy high commissioner to protest the unprovoked firing.

The Pakistani foreign office rejected reports that the Indian commandos crossed the Line of Control and attacked a post. The false claims by India about the alleged cross LoC adventures are a figment of their imagination and counter-productive for peace and tranquillity on the LoC, it said.

The Indian actions got a befitting response from the Pakistani side and their guns were silenced, Pakistan said.

Mondays raid, conducted 250m across the LoC by five to seven soldiers of an infantry battalions Ghatak commandos, was planned at the local level.

A defence source said that at 6pm on Monday, the commandos launched the cross-border raid under suppressive fire from the Indian posts and destroyed two Pakistani posts in Rawalakot sector.

They were manned by the troops of Baluch Regiment. At least three Pakistani soldiers were neutralised and five others were injured, some of them critically, the source said.

The raid was to send a message that the Indian Army will retaliate swiftly and strongly to rogue actions, another source said.

This exchange of attacks takes place in the backdrop of a major diplomatic row between the two countries over former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by Pakistan for alleged espionage.

The border raid took place hours after Jadhavs wife and mother were allowed to meet with him in Islamabad.

On Tuesday, India accused Pakistan of violating mutual understandings of Jadhavs meeting with his family, saying the Indian national appeared coerced and under considerable stress during the tightly controlled interaction.

Avanti and Chetankul Jadhav met external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and foreign secretary S Jaishankar on Tuesday but the details of their interaction were not made public.

Since the 2016 Surgical Strike, this is the first incident of Indian soldiers crossing the Line of Control, though sources said from time to time Indian troops do cross the border while undertaking operations.

With inputs from Imtiaz Ahmad
Tensions between India and Pakistan spiralled Tuesday, with New Delhi crying foul over the treatment of the family of death row convict Kulbhushan Jadhav and Islamabad blaming its neighbour for unprovoked firing that killed three of its soldiers.

Commandos of the Indian Army crossed the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday night in the Poonch sector and killed three Pakistani soldiers in a tactical retaliatory strike, government sources said.

The attack was carried out two days after four Indian Army personnel, including a Major, were allegedly killed by Pakistan in an ambush in Kashmirs Keri-Rajouri sector, and a day before the Indian foreign ministry hit out at Pakistan for the treatment meted out in Islamabad on Monday to the wife and mother of death-row convict Kulbhushan Jadhav.

The sources said the military action could not be termed a surgical strike  like the one conducted in September 2016, when Indian army commandos went across the LoC to target alleged terror launch pads operated by Pakistan. Mondays raid, conducted 250m across the LoC by five to seven soldiers of an infantry battalions Ghatak commandos, was planned at the local level.

The raid was to send a message that the Indian Army will retaliate swiftly and strongly to rogue actions, a source said.

The Indian Army declined to comment, but the Pakistan Army on Tuesday confirmed the death of three soldiers at Rukh Chakri sector in Rawlakot, describing it as unprovoked heavy cross-border shelling by Indian forces. The Pakistan foreign office, however, categorically rejected reports that Indian forces had crossed the LoC to attack Pakistani troops, calling them a figment of the imagination.

This exchange of attacks took place in the backdrop of a major diplomatic row between the two countries over former Indian Navy officer Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by Pakistan for alleged espionage.

Jadhav was allowed on Monday to meet his mother Avanti and wife Chentankul through a glass partition in Islamabad  which Pakistan said was evidence of its humanitarianism and generosity. But India accused Pakistan of harassing Jadhavs family, saying their meeting was held in an atmosphere of coercion.

The external affairs ministry alleged that Jadhavs conversation during the meeting was tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan.

In a strongly worded statement, Indias ministry of external affairs said: The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Shri Jadhavs alleged activities. You would all agree that this exercise lacked any credibility.

The statement also pointed out that Jadhavs mother was not allowed to speak to him in her mother tongue and that his wifes mangalsutra was removed citing security concerns.

Avanti and Chetankul Jadhav met external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and foreign secretary S Jaishankar on Tuesday but the details of their interaction were not made public.

Islamabad had said on Monday that Jadhav, who has been convicted by Pakistan for alleged espionage -- a charge that India denies  had been allowed to meet his family members on humanitarian grounds on the birth anniversary of the nations founding father Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Pakistan says its security forces arrested Jadhav, a spy who used the alias Hussein Mubarak Patel, from Balochistan on March 3, 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran. India maintains that Jadhav is innocent and that he was kidnapped from Iran, where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

The International Court of Justice has halted Jadhavs execution on Indias appeal pending a final verdict by it.

With inputs from Imtiaz Ahmad
The Jammu and Kashmir government has banned employees from posting anything critical about the administration even on their private social media accounts.

No government employee shall engage in any criminal, dishonest, immoral or notoriously disgraceful conduct that may be prejudicial to the government on the social media, an order issued by the commissioner secretary of the general administration department read.

The directive, which amends the Government Employees Conduct Rules-1971, also barred them from using their personal accounts to endorse posts, tweets or blogs by political figures. Furthermore, employees were told to desist from using their accounts in a manner implying that the government endorses or sanctions their personal activities. They shall not post inflammatory or extraneous messages in an online community with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional response, or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion, the order read.

Conduct rules prescribe punishment ranging from a fine of one months salary to dismissal from service.

The opposition, however, was far from impressed. So, will this amendment to the J&K Govt Employees Conduct Rules-1971 also cover the Information Dept press officers attached with ministers who openly write against the NC and its leaders? Or is it just meant to gag criticism of the govt? asked National Conference spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu on Twitter.

The government order came a day after Shailendra Kumar Misra, a serving IPS officer, was asked to explain why he had objected to the practice of terming the killing of Kashmiri militants as a success during a public speech meant to mark the ninth anniversary of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. The officer, who heads an armed police battalion here, instead labelled the elimination of separatist fighters as our collective failure because eradicating militancy and bringing the youth back into the mainstream was of paramount importance.

State director general of police SP Vaid said Misra has been asked to explain his conduct.

The state government faced severe criticism for its handling of the 2016 summer unrest, in which 100 civilians were killed and thousands seriously injured.

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India said on Tuesday the meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family was held in an atmosphere of coercion, asserting that Pakistan violated the letter and spirit of the understandings amid increased border tension between the two countries.

The external affairs ministry said Jadhav was clearly tutored and that his appearance during the meeting, which lacked any credibility, raised questions over the Indian nationals well being.

From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, a day after Jadhavs mother and wife met him at the heavily guarded building of the Pakistan foreign office in Islamabad.

There was a glass screen between Jadhav and his family members during the entire meeting and they spoke through an intercom device.

A former Indian naval officer, Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for espionage. India maintains that he was on business and had the execution stayed by appealing to the International Court of Justice.

The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Jadhavs alleged activities. You would all agree that this exercise lacked any credibility, Kumar said.

Kumar also said Jadhavs family was heckled by the Pakistani media that was allowed to hurl false accusations despite the agreement that they would not be allowed close access.

Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security, the ministry said.

It also added that shoes of Jadhavs wife were not returned for some inexplicable reason despite her repeated requests. Kumar cautioned against any mischievous intent in this regard.

Jadhavs wife and mother were accompanied by the Indian deputy high commissioner JP Singh to the ministry, and as per the agreement with Pakistan, was to be present during the meeting.

However, Kumar said Singh was separated from the family and not informed of when the meeting began, and was later not granted access as promised.

During the meeting, Jadhavs mother was also not allowed to speak in her native tongue.

The mother of Shri Jadhav was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, although this was clearly the natural medium of communication. She was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and eventually prevented from proceeding further in this regard, Kumar said.

With inputs from PTI
Former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhavs wife Chetankul and mother Avanti met external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi on Tuesday, a day after they visited the alleged Indian spy sentenced to death by a military court in Pakistan.

Foreign secretary S Jaishankar and ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar were also present at Sushma Swarajs residence.

Mother and wife of #KulbhushanJadhav leave from residence of EAM Sushma Swaraj in Delhi pic.twitter.com/FFWIb4HcvJ  ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

His wife and mother returned on Tuesday morning after meeting the convicted Jadhav from behind a glass barrier at the Pakistan foreign ministry in Islamabad for the first time since his arrest in March 2016.

The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) clarified that the screen was placed due to security reasons and that Jadhav already knew this would be the setting.

It was there due to security reasons. We had already told them that you will be able to meet him but a security barrier would be there, Dr Mohammed Faisal, Pakistan Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, replied to a poser by ANI, in a press briefing in Islamabad.

Pakistan, however, said this would not be the last such meeting but described Jadhav as the face of Indian terrorism.

In what appeared to be choreographed moves, the Pakistani foreign office released photos of the meeting, a pre-recorded video of Jadhav, sentenced to death for alleged espionage, thanking the Pakistani government, and a medical report that claimed he was in good health.
A top official of the Mahakal temple on Sunday defended employees who denied differently abled mountaineer Arunima Sinha entry into the sanctum sanctorum of the religious institution, stating that they had done the right thing by stopping her.

Temple administrator Avdhesh Sharma said that while the employees never intended to offend Sinha, the first amputee to scale the Mount Everest, she could not be permitted to enter the garbha griha in a track suit.

It is a centuries-old tradition at the Mahakal temple that after the bhasma aarti, when the garbha griha is closed for the general public, only those wearing clothes that are not stitched (like dhotis and saris) would be allowed inside. Arunima was wearing a track suit. Had the employees allowed her inside in those clothes, we would have been forced to take action against them, said Sharma.

Sharma claimed the temple administration was not informed about Arunimas visit. We usually provide the requisite clothes to VIPs who want to visit the garbha griha when it is closed to others. No arrangements were made in this case because we did not know she was coming. State minister Archana Chitnis sent a message to the police chowki, stating that Arunima wanted to view the bhasma aarti. So, police escorted her to the Nandi hall, from where people view the ritual. Nobody informed us that she wanted to enter the garbha griha, the temple administrator clarified.

Sinha had told the Hindustan Times over the phone that the temple employees behaved rudely with her outside the garbha griha. Please see the video footage. They refused to let me in even though I pleaded that I was disabled. I broke down when they repeatedly denied permission in harsh tones, and my dignity was hurt, she said.

Questioning the logic behind such age-old rules about clothes, she asked: In which Shastra is it said that only those wearing unstitched clothes can entry the garbha griha? And all this could have been said politely.

Sinha said both Sharma and Chitnis have apologised to her, and asked her to visit the temple again.

A national-level volleyball player, Sinha was pushed out of a running train while resisting a robbery attempt in April 2011. One of her legs had to be amputated below the knee.
Theres cow protection and then there is cow protection, according to Union minister and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi.

Concerned over the poor upkeep of gaushalas (cow shelters) across India and the high mortality rate of the animals kept there, Gandhi has  in her individual capacity and not that of a minister  penned the countrys first-of- its-kind manual that lays down the standard operating procedures for running such shelters.

In the foreword to her gaushala manual, Gandhi says: A gaushala may have a mandir (temple) in it venerating the cow, but it rarely has a sick bay in which the animal is treated.

India had around 122 million cows according to the 19th Livestock Census conducted in 2014. It isnt clear how many of them find their way to gaushalas which also house bulls, oxen, and buffaloes.

According to a 2014 reply in Parliament, there are about 3,030 gaushalas in country, of which 1,325 are run by various animal husbandry departments of the states. Grants made to gaushalas are covered under the grassland development category of the National Bovine Mission, a scheme predating the Modi government.

Majority of the gaushalas in the country are poorly run where the old and abandoned animals are herded in one small enclosure. The mortality rate in gaushalas is 10% a month. The idea behind writing the manual is to make such shelters more sensitive to the need of the animals that are sought to be saved and also make them financially viable, added Gandhi, who holds the women and child development portfolio in the NDA government.

The cow is a holy animal for the Hindus and over the past three years, India has seen an increase in attacks on alleged smugglers by self-styled vigilantes. Their aim is to stop cow smugglers and those who illegally trade in beef (cow slaughter is illegal in several states), but the victims have sometimes been innocent cattle traders and those who skin the carcasses of dead animals. With farmers finding it unviable to look after their non-productive and aged cows, many of these animals land up in gaushalas. Many of these, though, are in poor condition and, until now, there has been no effort to prescribe standards for them.

Exposing how owners manhandle cows in the shelter, Gandhi further writes in the foreword, After some time gaushalas degenerate into semi dairies. The group controlling the gaushalas starts segregating the milking cows from the old and sick ones. These are fed better, made to breed and the milk is collected and distributed among these people. The calves are often sold on the sly to butchers.

Gandhis manual addresses that gap: from how to construct an animal shelter to the kind of food to be served; from protocols of rescue to disposal of carcasses; from the kind of veterinary services that should be offered to the manufacture of eco-friendly products from cow dung, the document covers it all across 12 chapters.

Gandhi says she will send the manual to gaushalas across the country. She also plans to request government departments such as the one in charge of animal husbandry and agencies such as the Animal Welfare Board of India to adopt the manual.

One of the chapters gives tips on making gaushalas financially viable by using cow dung to produce gobar gas and compost. The manual recommends that gaushalas also approach companies for a portion of their Corporate Social Responsibility funds to finance the creation of modern sheds, biogas plants and solar units.

And since the cow is considered holy, even organising religious discourses on the importance of cows, gaukathas by seers and saints could help raise funds for gaushalas, according to the manual.

Gaushalas are a concept unique to India. In other countries when animals grow old they are exterminated. Here we do not kill them but keep them in appallingly unhygienic conditions. The majority of them are run either by individuals or NGOs who depend on donations. With donations drying up over a period of time, the upkeep of such shelters takes a hit, Gandhi said.

Dr Manilal Valliyate, India CEO, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals welcomed a manual to have SOPs that lay down the basic, non- negotiable standards of running gaushalas.

The living condition in majority of the shelters, even those run by government agencies are horrifying. The animals are not fed properly, live in unhygienic condition and most do not have qualified veterinarians. The Rajasthan government run Hingonia gaushala is a case in point where last year 500 cows died in ten days, Dr Valliyate said.

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India considers the nuclear proliferation in North Korea as a threat to its own national security and will continue to demand an in-depth investigation into how the country acquired nuclear technology, people familiar with the matter in the Indian foreign policy establishment said.

They maintained that New Delhi holds China and Pakistanboth nuclear power nationsresponsible for the rise of North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and wants the linkages between North Korea and China and Pakistan to be probed by the international community. The government has discussed this with a group of parliamentarians while briefing them on New Delhis stance on North Korea, the people added, asking not to be identified.

India will participate in the Vancouver dialogue-- a discussion initiated by the US and Canada and including France, South Korea and Japan-- on North Korea on January 16.

New Delhis position assumes significance at a time when Trump administration is raising the pitch against the dictatorial regime amid a series of missile tests by Pyongyang.

On Friday, the UN Security Council cleared a fresh set of strict sanctions against North Korea after the Kim Jong-un regime launched its latest ballistic missile, which Pyongyang claimed, can reach anywhere on the US mainland. The US drafted the resolution after negotiating with China, North Koreas closest ally.

The people added that Pyongyang is aware of Indias concerns, especially its links with Pakistan, over missile and nuclear technologies.

While India is not a signatory of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons or the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it points out that North Korea at one point of time, was a signatory. The secretive regime later pulled out.

North Korea has an embassy in Delhi, but negligible trade ties with India. The National Democratic Alliance government has maintained close ties with Japan and South Korea, both rivals of Pyongyang.

On September 3, New Delhi issued a press statement after Pyongyangs nuclear test. India deplores the nuclear test. It is a matter of deep concern that DPRK has once again acted in violation of its international commitments which goes against the objective of the denuclearization of Korean peninsula, the statement said.

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Pakistan on Tuesday summoned Indias acting deputy high commissioner to protest unprovoked firing by the Indian Army that killed its three soldiers along the LoC.

The foreign office in a statement rejected reports that the Indian Army commandos crossed the Line of Control in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir and smashed a post.

The false claims by India about the alleged cross-LoC adventures are a figment of their imagination and counter- productive for peace and tranquility on the LoC, it said.

The Indian actions got a befitting response from the Pakistani side and their guns were silenced, it claimed

The foreign office spokesman said director general (SA & SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned Indias acting deputy high commissioner and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian forces in the Rakhchikri sector.

He claimed that the firing provided a cover for the planting of IEDs by non-state actors, resulting in the death of three soldiers.

Faisal urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC.

The Indian Army sources in New Delhi earlier said a small group of Ghatak commandos carried out a tactical level selective targeting of the Pakistani post around 200-300 metres across the LoC last evening in which three Pakistani soldiers were killed and one was injured.

The operation is seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel by a Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army in Keri sector Rajouri district three days ago.
The Congress condemned on Tuesday the Pakistani government for the treatment meted out to Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer currently lodged in a Pakistani jail, and his family and asked the Centre to spell out its policy and steps to get him released.

Congress spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi criticised the flip- flop and inconsistent policy of the BJP-led central government towards Pakistan which, he said, was creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and asked it to exert international pressure on Pakistan to help secure an early release of Jadhav.

The Congress condemns the Pakistani government for meting out an inhuman treatment to the family of Kulbhushan Jadhav. They have insulted Indians and Indian women in particular and we strongly condemn it.

The Congress party wants Kulbhushan Jadhav to return to India. We condemn Pakistan for the treatment meted out to Jadhav as he looked under a lot of stress. We want the Government of India to take concrete steps in securing an early release of Jadhav and it should find a way out, he told reporters here.

Gogoi added that the governments flip-flop, blow hot and cold, ambiguous and inconsistent policy towards Pakistan would not help as it was adopting a policy of birthday wishes at times and that of biryani at other times.

Such an inconsistent policy of the government is creating an atmosphere of uncertainty for the people of the country and will not help secure Jadhavs release, he said.

The Congress spokesperson also expressed concern over Jadhav being tried and convicted in a military court in Pakistan, even when he was not a prisoner of war as he was not caught in a military conflict.

We are concerned about Jadhavs release. We want the Government of India to clarify its policy and steps to get him released from Pakistan.

We condemn Pakistan for the treatment meted out to Jadhav as we are worried about his health. The Pakistani government has not honoured its promises made to the Indian government, he said.

India today hit back at Pakistan, accusing it of violating the mutual understandings as regards Jadhavs meeting with his mother and wife at the Pakistani foreign affairs ministry building yesterday, and said the former naval officer appeared coerced and under a considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction.

Jadhav, who was captured in March, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation India has dismissed as concocted.

New Delhi says Jadhav was kidnapped in Iran where he had legitimate business interests after retiring from the navy, and brought to Pakistan.

To save Jadhav, India had moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.

During yestedays meeting, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen, while his mother and wife sat on the other side. They spoke through intercom and the entire 40-minute proceedings appeared to have been recorded on video.

Pakistan went so far as to have the mangalsutra, bangles and bindi of Jadhavs mother and wife removed before they could meet him, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, Jadhavs wifes shoes were not returned to her after the meeting, the statement added.
Tamil Nadus political fraternity seems to be divided on actor Rajnikanths much-anticipated political entry, with the ruling AIADMK saying that it was his democratic right while opposition DMK is waiting for the official word.

India is a democratic country. Anybody can join politics. It is up to the people to accept it or not, people are the judges, senior AIADMK leader and state Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar said.

Handlooms minister OS Manian, however, told reporters in Nagapattinam that politics may not be ideal for Rajinikanth, considering his health.

The 67-year-old actor had availed medical treatment, including at Singapore-based Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre in 2011 for some illness.

Manian said the actor should take the political plunge immediately, if he really wanted to do so.

DMK Rajya Sabha MP, TKS Elangovan said it would be appropriate to react once the actor officially declares that he would be joining politics.

For any party, ideology and stand on key matters including language is important, he told PTI.

BJP state unit chief Tamilisai Soundararajan said her party had always welcomed the actors political debut.

She said they could see a determination and clarity in his address.

CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP TK Rangarajan said he is a good friend..any voter can become a candidate, establish a party and fight election...it is his democratic right.

But let him first enter politics, outline his policies and politics, Rangarajan said and added that only then a reaction would be correct.

The charismatic actor, who enjoys cult status in the Tamil film industry, on Tuesday said he will announce his stand on entering politics on December 31.
A top Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militant, who masterminded several attacks on security forces and was looking to revive the Pakistan-based outfit in the Valley, was killed in an overnight encounter in south Kashmir, security officials said on Tuesday.

Noor Mohammad Tantray (47), who was barely four feet tall and had a pronounced limp, recently took over as the divisional commander of the JeM in south Kashmir, the hotbed of militancy.

Wanted for several terror offences Noor Mohd Tantray of JeM was killed at the Samboora encounter, deputy inspector general of police (south Kashmir range) SP Pani tweeted.

Acting on a tip off, a Jammu and Kashmir Police team cordoned off a cluster of houses in Pulwamas Samboora village, leading to a fierce gun battle.

Two of Tantray accomplices, believed to be foreign militants, managed to escape in the dark when the firing broke out, police said.

According to director general of police SP Vaid, the militants were planning to attack a security convoy.

Body of Tantray, who jumped parole five months ago, was recovered along with a weapon on Tuesday morning from the rubble of the house where the militants were hiding.

We had missed him only by few minutes in the past and I was sure he would run out of luck soon as his height was his biggest disadvantage. With each passing day, the search narrowed, a police official, involved in the operations, said on condition of anonymity.

Called merchant of death by a special court in Delhi, Tantray was looking to revive Jaish that lost several senior men this year, police sources said.

Tantray was the chief architect of the attack on a BSF camp near the Srinagar airport in October, a police statement said. A Border Security Force trooper and three militants were killed in the strike.

He was also involved in a grenade attack on the cavalcade of Jammu and Kashmirs public works minister Naeem Akhtar on September 21.

Tantray was arrested in Delhi in 2003 for terror links and possessing around Rs 19 lakh of hawala money, police said. He was sentenced to life by a prevention of terrorism act, better known as Pota, court in 2011.

He served a part of his sentence in the Capitals Tihar jail before being moved to Srinagar. After he was granted parole, Tantray stayed in Tral and started helping Jaish, police said. He jumped parole around five months ago, sources said.

In July, after the Aripal encounter in which three Jaish militants were killed, Tantray went underground and emerged as a key man of the outfit, coordinating and organising attacks, police said.

Tantrays killing is the latest in a string of high-profile counter-insurgency operations that have dealt blows not only to Jaish but Laskhar-e-Taiba as well as the home-grown Hizbul Mujahideen. Security forces have killed around 200 militants in Kashmir this year.

Hundreds of people participated in Tantrays funeral in his native village of Aripal in Pulwama district. Trains and remained suspended in south Kashmir and mobile internet services were cut off in some neighbouring areas.

With agency inputs

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The Narendra Modi government is set to introduce in the Lok Sabha on Thursday a bill seeking to criminalise triple talaq, providing a legal framework to prosecute Muslim men calling off marriages using a custom outlawed by the Supreme Court.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill is listed for introduction in the Lok Sabha by law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on December 28, according to the list of business in the Lower House.

The bill, prepared by an inter-ministerial group headed by home minister Rajnath Singh, makes instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat in any form  spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp  illegal and void, and provides for a jail term of three years for the husband.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which opposes the proposed law, has requested Prime Minister Modi to withdraw the bill.

The boards president Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadwi wrote in a four-page letter to the Prime Minister that the bill was against Saria or Islamic law and infringes constitutional rights guaranteed to religious minorities.

Should the Centre go ahead with the bill, the AIMPLB would oppose the move and make people aware that neither it nor other true representatives of Muslim women were consulted before preparing the legislation, the letter said.

The All-India Muslim Womens Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) called the AIMPLB anti-women for opposing the bill and trying to create a divide to block the proposed law in Parliament.

AIMWPLB president Shaista Amber said: Triple talaq is a draconian way to destroy the lives of women and it should be banned as it is un-Islamic. We support the government for bringing the bill as it protects the right of Muslim women who are treated as slaves by men.

The move against triple talaq follows numerous complaints by Muslim women, who were divorced through the customary practice and denied alimony and other rights.

Talaq-e-biddat involves Muslim men divorcing their wives by mentioning the word talaq, meaning divorce, three times in quick succession, sometimes over email, WhatsApp messages or letters.

In August, the top court struck down the custom as arbitrary and unconstitutional in a verdict that was hailed as a watershed moment for gender justice in India.

The triple talaq debate forged an unlikely coalition between women groups, Prime Minister Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party which wanted the customary law quashed, against some Muslim outfits that contended the state had no right to interfere in religious matters.

Talaq-e-biddat is banned in 22 Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan and ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia. Muslim men in India can still divorce using two other forms of talaq that have a three-month cooling off period.

The proposed law would be applicable only to instant triple talaq and it would empower Muslim women to approach a magistrate seeking subsistence allowance for herself and her minor children.

The woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate.

(with inputs PTI inputs)

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The All-India Muslim Womens Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) said on Tuesday that the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), while opposing a proposed bill that criminalises the practice of triple talaq, should not try to blackmail the government by accusing it of interfering in religious matters.

The president of the womens board, Shaista Amber, said she would tour the country to highlight the real face of the AIMPLB and its anti-women attitude.

Clerics have misguided the community for long by their wrong interpretation of the Quran. At a time when the social media and internet have bridged the divide among the people, it has also brought to light the real meaning of the verses of the Quran which term women equal to men, Amber, who was in Uttar Pradeshs Bahraich, said.

Amber said Muslim clerics were terming the Hindus, who were supporting the womens cause, as communal but they should remember that injustice would not be tolerated for long.

Triple talaq is a draconian way to destroy the lives of women and it should be banned as it is un-Islamic. We support the government for bringing the bill as it protects the right of Muslim women, who are treated as slaves by men, she said.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 criminalises the practice of saying talaq three times in one go  done sometimes even over email and messenger service  and imposes a prison term of up to three years and fine on husbands who violate the law.

The proposed bill also empowers Indian Muslim women by giving them a larger say in dissolving marriages, giving them custody of minor children and the right to seek alimony from their estranged husbands, according to the cabinet-cleared controversial legislation.

The bill defines triple talaq as any pronouncement (of divorce) by a person upon his wife by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form, or in any other manner. It proposes to make the practice a punishable offence and is set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha next week.

She added that the AIMPLB formed in 1972 to solve socio-familial issues in the Muslim community but instead of protecting the rights of women, the board ensured they were not treated at par with men.

After Saira Bano case, when the government is moving ahead with the bill against triple talaq, AIMPLB is creating hurdles just to give the message to the community that they always oppose the government, which is mostly dominated by leaders of other communities, she said.

Amber said she met Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a delegation of Muslim women to press for the bill on August 8.

We proposed punishment and penalty for those who do not give equal right to women. I am thankful to the government for acting on the issue. AIMPLB is opposing the bill and abusing the rights of women, she said.

Amber questioned the AIMPLB as to why it was afraid of the bill against triple talaq.

Why dont they consider Muslim women as equal partners? Why do they want to create a communal feeling among the Muslims when the society is going for reforms? Why are they saying the bill would promote interference in religious matters? Why do they want to protect such men who use women and abandon them at their will? she asked.

She said Muslim women and educated men were supporting the bill and those misusing triple talaq should not go unpunished.

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Gujarats sixth BJP government, headed by Vijay Rupani, will be sworn in on Tuesday, amid indications that there will be new faces in his ministry and the presence of Patidar leaders will be strong as usual. (Live updates)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah are scheduled to attend the swearing-in ceremony at the secretariat ground in Gandhinagar, where Rupani will take charge as chief minister for his second successive stint.

Nitin Patel, a Patidar leader, too has retained his post as deputy CM and will be sworn in.

More than a dozen legislators are also expected to take oath of office at the ceremony to be presided over by Governor OP Kohli.

Preparations underway for the swearing-in ceremony of the Vijay Rupani government at the secretariat ground in Gandhinagar. (HT Photo)

Patels continuance as deputy CM is being read as a signal to the influential Patidars that the community will be well represented in the ministry.

Multiple BJP sources tipped party state president, Jitu Vaghani, and his predecessor RC Faldu, both Patidars, to find a place in the government.

The outgoing Rupani ministry had seven Patidar ministers among a total of 25. In accordance with constitutional mandate, the government can have a maximum of 27 ministers in the 182-member assembly.

The new Rupani ministry is likely to have a fresh look because five outgoing ministers lost the assembly polls held in two phases on December 9 and 14. Besides, the BJP did not give tickets to six ministers for the elections.

Among those who lost, two were cabinet ministers  Dalit leader Aatmaram Parmar and Chiman Shapariya. Outgoing speaker Ramanlal Vora, another Dalit leader of the party, also lost.

Three ministers of state  tribal leader Shabsharan Tadvi and OBC leaders Shankar Chaudhary and Kesahji Chauhan  too lost in the polls.

With the partys prominent Dalit, tribal and OBC leaders losing, Rupani is facing a challenge to build a new leadership for these sections in his government, said a senior BJP leader.

Former minister Ganpat Vasava, who retained his seat, Mangrol (ST), is likely to retain his cabinet rank, said a source.

Heavyweights Saurabh Patel and Govind Patel, who were dropped in the first Rupani government formed in August 2016, are expected to make a comeback, the source added.

Senior BJP leader Nima Acharya, who retained Bhuj seat, is a front-runner among women winners tipped to get a ministerial berth, said the source. The other contenders are Sangita Patil and Vibhavri Dave.

Party leaders believe Rupani may induct a junior minister from south Gujarats tribal belt, where the BJP matched its strong 2012 performance.

Overall, the BJP won 99 seats, 16 less than in the 2012 elections. It suffered extensive losses in Saurashtra region, a hub of farmers and Patidars, who are agitating for OBC status.

From winning 32 of 48 seats in Saurashtra region in 2012, the BJPs tally slid to 19 in 2017. The Congress, boosted by support from Hardik Patel, convener of Patidar Anamat Anadolan Samiti, made inroads into Saurashtra.

The politically influential Patidars, who constitute around 12% of states 60 million population, hold sway in nearly 60-odd seats.

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The World Bank will provide a US $318 million loan for modernisation of irrigation projects in Tamil Nadu and help small and marginal farmers improve water management and adopt climate resilient techniques.

The project will also help increase market opportunities for small and marginal farmers.

A tripartite agreement has been signed today between the central government, the World Bank and the Tamil Nadu government, an official statement said.

About 500,000 farmers, of which a majority are small and marginal, are expected to benefit from improved and modernised tank irrigation systems, it said.

Under the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation Project, about 4,800 irrigation tanks and 477 check dams across 66 sub-basins will be rehabilitated and modernised to deliver bulk water to irrigation systems in the state.

Tamil Nadu is a water stressed state that continues to experience water shortages which are expected to exacerbate in future, said Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.

Rehabilitating and modernising irrigation tanks will improve the reliability and availability of irrigation water for farming communities, making them less prone to climatic hazards. More than 160,000 ha of currently partially irrigated lands will come into full irrigation under this project, Khare said.

This project will help Tamil Nadu scale up its efforts to unlock the full potential of its agriculture sector. It will support farmers improve efficiency of water used in farming, diversify into high value crops and produce crops that are resilient to increasing threats of climate change, said John Blomquist, Programme Leader and Acting Country Director, World Bank, India.
A delegation of agitating doctors met cooperative minister Ajay Singh Kilak at his official residence and submitted a charter of demands on Tuesday evening.

A delegation of All Rajasthan In-Service Doctors Association (ARISDA) submitted a seven-point charter of demands, which include cancellation of transfer orders of 12 doctors; withdrawal of cases filed against the doctors during the period of agitation; removal of RAS officer from the department and ending the new post created for the RAS officer; running all hospitals in one shift like hospitals under the medical colleges; adjusting mass leaves of doctors in CL/PL and others.

After submitting the draft, the delegation immediately left the ministers residence as they were scared of getting arrested.

A delegation of doctors met me and gave me a draft of their demands. I will pass it on to the health minister, Kali Charan Saraf, who will take a decision. I am simply trying to act as a bridge between the doctors and the government, Kilak said.

After the high courts order on Monday, we had given the doctors 24 hours to join duty. From Wednesday, we will start taking strict action against the striking doctors, Saraf said.

He said that most of their demands have been met and a few are being processed, but their demand for withdrawal of the transfer orders will not be accepted as the government has the right to transfer doctors.

Saraf said that the doctors will be arrested under the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA) 1970 and the government might even take the extreme measure of cancelling their registration.

It is to be mentioned that the doctors strike entered its 11th day on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a press release from the health department informed that after the high courts order a number of in-service doctors have joined duty. It stated that the doctors joining duty will not be arrested.
In an exemplary departure from tradition, Prasenjit Goswami, a primary school teacher, donated the entire money kept aside for his fathers shradh ceremony for the treatment of a patient who needs kidney transplant.

The shradh ceremony was performed adhering to all the rituals, but Goswami cancelled the customary treat meant for friends and relatives and handed over Rs 50,000 on December 24.

Read: Muslims forego Muharram procession to fund cancer treatment of Hindu man in Bengal

The beneficiary, Ashok Roy, drives e-rickshaws and struggles to make both ends meet. Worse, over the past couple of months, he has lost the ability to take out his rickshaw.

My father always wanted to help people in need. His lessons encouraged me, said Goswami, who is 50 and a bachelor. He teaches at Chanditala Siakhala Primary School.

His father, Probhaskrishna, died on December 6 at the age of 89. In his gesture, Goswami had the full support of his septuagenarian mother Bandana.

I decided long ago not to spend money on treating friends and family members during shradh ceremony, as I felt the money could be utilised better, he said.

Read: Kolkata synagogues a site of Jewish-Muslim harmony

While he had never revealed this idea before his parents, his mother readily supported him when Goswami told her his plans.

A resident of Nikashipara in Kundughat, Chandernagore, Ashok Roy, who is about 40, fended for a family that consisted of mother, wife and a child. He was the sole breadwinner of the family, but is confined to bed for the past two months.

His misfortune multiplied when he got divorced from his wife.

Roy underwent dialysis a few times at SSKM Hospital in Kolkata. The doctors told him that kidney transplantation was the only option for him. To fund his treatment, Roy sold a part of a plot of land he owned.

Read: Muslims organise funds for Hindu womans wedding in Bengal village

Help came from unexpected corner when I had started losing hope, said Roy. The family is now looking for a kidney donor for the transplant.

Goswami, who lives at Chinsurah, neighbouring Chandannagar, came to know about the condition of Roy through his friend, Ujjwal Ali Khan, vice-chairman of Chinsurah-Mogra panchayat samiti (administrative block). Goswami then visited Roys home to verify what he had heard.

The teacher came back from Roys house and told his mother that he would hand over the money kept aside for the treat.

He seems to be an angel. A gesture like this is rare indeed, said Mandira, Roys mother.
At least 32 people in Uttar Pradeshs Unnao were operated for cataract at a government hospital in torchlight on Monday night, prompting authorities to transfer the districts top health official and suspend a doctor for negligence and violation of norms.

The surgeries were conducted under the light of two torches at the primary healthcare centre (PHC) in Nawabganj, which like many rural areas of Uttar Pradesh gets electricity for only 12 hours a day.

This is height of negligence. No one will be spared, Unnao district magistrate Ravi Kumar N said on Tuesday.

Kumar ordered a probe by joint magistrate Manish Bansal and additional chief medical officer RK Gautam after he was told about the surgeries, which were carried out during an outage.

Power went off at around 7pm on Monday night and came back on Tuesday morning, sources said.

Chief medical officer (CMO) Rajendra Prasad gave the permission for the surgeries in violation of norms, sources said. While Prasad was transferred, PHC superintendent Dinesh Dass was suspended for negligence.

The CMO overlooked rules that said surgeries should be conducted at community health centres that were better equipped, sources quoted probe findings as saying.

A five-bed facility, the Nawabganj PHC took in 32 patients even though it is not equipped for eye surgeries.

PHCs are the cornerstone of rural healthcare that typically have one physician and provide basic care.

Dr Nutan Saxena, who carried out the free-of-cost surgeries along with two others, works with an NGO, Jagdamba Sewa Samiti, which got the patients from Kanpur.

After the procedure, the patients lay on the floor for more than six hours in biting cold and were provided blankets and mattresses only after the district magistrate rushed a team of medical officers to Nawabganj, sources said.

A team of doctors was examining the patients on Tuesday evening after they were hurriedly sent off in the morning when they complained of itching.

Most of us have severe itching in the eyes. It is unbearable and doctors are not attending to us, Rajaram, who is from Mahatawan, told HT earlier in the day.

There is an acute shortage of ophthalmologists in Uttar Pradesh and to bridge the gap, the state government has entered into a contract with non-government organisations.

The NGOs bring in people who need surgeries and also arrange for cataract surgeons, with the government providing the infrastructure.

For Mondays surgeries, the NGO was to be paid Rs 1,000 per patient, officials said.

The Nawabganj health centre had a generator for power backup but the NGO did not use it as it would have to buy diesel to operate it, villagers told HT.
The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a probe into an alleged belly dance performed by Russian artistes at the alumni function of a state-run medical college in Meerut on Monday.

State medical and technical education minister Ashutosh Tandon said he has set up a committee headed by the director general of medical education to investigate the issue. The incident was extremely unfortunate. I have asked the probe committee to submit its report in three days, after which we will decide on the future course of action, he said on the sidelines of a function at Gorakhpur on Tuesday.

The matter came to light after a video of Russian artistes performing a belly dance at the Lala Lajpat Rai Medical College went viral. Allegations of an ambulance being used to transport liquor bottles were also raised.

Liquor cartons stored in an ambulance van. (Photo tweeted by ANI)

The organisers of the event, held to mark the golden jubilee of the colleges 1967 batch, maintained that there was nothing objectionable about the belly dance. Belly dance is a form of art, and an expert  Russian dancer Ela  was invited to perform at the function, said Dr Parvez, who headed the 35-member organising committee of the event. The doctors watched the dance with their families.

Dr Parvez, however, denied reports that an ambulance was used to transport liquor. It bore some empty cartons and gifts, not bottles of alcohol, he said.

Doctors of the 1992 batch organised the event for the 1967 batch, Dr Parvez told HT, adding that the medical college has been holding alumni meets for the last 35 years. The event had nothing to do with the hospital as it was held on the medical college lawns, he said.

Dr Parvez claimed that the organising committee had completed all the formalities involved, including obtaining the licence for a one-day bar and applying for permission from the college and local administration. Dr Vinay Aggarwal, acting principal of the college, had given everything in writing to the district magistrate, he said.

Dr Vinay Aggarwal was unavailable for comment.
Nearly a decade after a beautician stole a newborn from a municipal hospital in Jogeshwari, a metropolitan Magistrate court in Andheri convicted the accused Naznin Shaikh.

Naznin was convicted on the sole testimony of the babys mother, Reeta Yadav, and was sentenced to one year imprisonment with a fine of Rs 3000. However, the court had to let off the other accused over serious discrepancies in the prosecution case.

Yadav had given birth to a boy on May 5, 2007. Two days later, on May 7, Naznin along with the other accused Nafisa Ansari came to the hospital posing as nurses. The lady took the kid from the mother, claiming that the baby had fever and would be required to shift into special care for an hour, after which the family could go and check. However, when the family went to check, the nurse and kid were missing. On realising that the accused had taken the baby, a case was registered at Meghwadi police station.

The police arrested Naznin and Ansari on May 13, 2007 and boy was found in their possession. Yadav was called to the police station and the accused were identified.

During investigation, police recovered a basket and other belongings of the baby from the house of third accused Anisa Shaikh after which, Meghwadi police filed a chargesheet against three accused Naznin, Ansari and Anisa. Before the trial could begin Anisa died and the case against her was dropped.

The prosecution during the trial could only bring two witnesses, Yadav and another, who was witness to seizure of articles from Anisas house. However, the court had to discard the evidence of the other witness due to several discrepancies. The witness told the court that when they went to Anisas house on May 19, 2007 they found the boy and his belongings. The kid was handed over to the mother much before on May 13, 2007.

Apart from this, the prosecution could not bring anything on record about where the boy was taken and how he was kept. The prosecution also brought no evidence on association of the other accused  Nafisa and her role in the case

There is no evidence given on record as to what happened to the child after the said boy was kidnapped. There is no whisper in the form of circumstantial evidence even as to how the child was kept, the court observed.

The court after considering all the evidence acquitted Nafisa from all the charges.

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With eighteen months of his term still left, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is likely to reshuffle the states bureaucracy. With news that chief secretary Sumit Mullick is likely to take over as state chief information commissioner (SCIC) early next month, Fadnavis will get a chance to rejig top bureaucrats and appoint new administrative heads for key departments, the citys civic body and the governments infrastructure agencies such as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Corporation (MMRDA) and City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco).

Sources close to the chief minister said he will use this opportunity to choose administrative officers of his choice, who will be expected to play a significant role in delivering his promises ahead of the elections in 2019. Significantly, this reshuffle is likely to coincide with the cabinet reshuffle, which is expected to be taken up by Fadnavis soon.

If the state Assembly elections are held with the Lok Sabha elections  the ruling party is planning for this  the state government has less than 18 months to complete its ongoing projects and plans. The government has aimed at commissioning at least one of the three under-construction Metro lines in Mumbai. It wants construction of the Navi Mumbai airport, the Shivaji memorial in the Arabian sea, the coastal road and the CMs pet project, the Mumbai-Nagpur expressway, to begin in the next few months. Fadnavis wants to improve the BJPs position in Mumbai, which sends 36 MLAs to the 288-member Assembly.

Additional chief secretary (finance) Dinesh Kumar Jain is the frontrunner for Mullicks post. Sources close to Fadnavis said he would prefer new secretaries to head key departments, including urban development and finance as well as in the chief ministers office (CMO). The current MMRDA chief UPS Madan and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Ajoy Mehta, Cidco chief Bhushan Gagrani and principal secretary (finance) RA Rajeev are in the list of probables for the key jobs. Praveen Pardeshi, currently additional chief secretary in CMO, principal secretary (urban development) Nitin Kareer, principal secretary (revenue) Manu Kumar Srivastava and Rajeev are being considered for the top posts at BMC and MMRDA.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which has not had an independent head after Radheshyam Mopalwar, who was sent on compulsory leave in August, is likely to get a new boss. The corporation is significant for Fadnavis as it is nodal agency for the Mumbai-Nagpur expressway project.

With the Assembly elections are likely to be held along with the Lok Sabha polls in May 2019, we have got hardly one-and-a-half years to perform. Just like cabinet reshuffle, even the bureaucratic appointments are important in the last leg of our five-year tenure. We are already facing the farmer distress in rural areas and expect the unrest to decrease once the money of the loan waiver get credited to the accounts of the farmers. In urban areas, the completion of big-ticket infrastructure projects holds the key in getting the support of the people. The reshuffle in the bureaucracy, which may prove to be last the overhaul by our government, will aim to achieve these goals, said a senior BJP minister on the condition of anonymity.

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As the party season begins, the Mumbai police are all set to crack down on drink driving.

Teams from 34 traffic divisions in the city have been deployed to watch out for those taking to the wheel drunk from December 25 to January 1. We have started the campaign to promote safe driving, said Amitesh Kumar, joint commissioner of police, traffic.

More officers are likely to be deployed in the periphery of bars and pubs. The department is also spreading the message on social media through their campaign #CarolsForMumbai that has already caught peoples attention owing to the catchy captions.

If merrymaking, dont go around driving after drinking, the caption reads on a post with a message wishing the city a Merry Christmas urging revellers to have a designated driver if they are planning to drink.

One person responded to the post with a tongue-in-cheek comment, How many check nakas in the city today?

The Maharashtra governments nod to allow hotels, restaurants, pubs, bars and lounges serve alcohol till 5am (on December 24, 25 and 31)  comes as an added challenge, said police officers.

Like previous year, the Mumbai police teams are unlikely to have fixed checkpoints. It means they will keep changing their spots through the night, making it difficult for drunk drivers to escape.

The pubs and bar owners have also been advised to ensure safety of their patrons and keep a lookout on whether they are driving after having consumed alcohol.

The action by the Mumbai and traffic police has reduced cases of drink driving. Those coming to bars and hotels in groups ensure they have a designated driver. Otherwise, they book a cab. We will also arrange for valet service for those who have brought their vehicles, said Santosh Shetty, Indian Hotels and Restaurants Association (AHAR).

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The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Tuesday, signed an agreement with contractors for packages 1 and 3 of its ambitious Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project.

The 21.80-km-long MTHLa sea link will connect Sewri in Mumbai to Nava Sheva at Chirle in Raigad district.

MMRDA officials confirmed that the project will commence next year.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Japanese transport minister Keiichi Ishii were present during the signing.

The project work has been divided into three packages. The contract has been awarded to consortiums namely L&T and IHI Japan (package 1), Daewoo and Tata Projects (package 2), and L&T (package 3).

Today we have taken a major step towards attaining faster connectivity with Navi Mumbai and Konkan region and its development. The project will open up innumerable avenues in terms of connectivity, communication, infrastructure and job opportunities, Fadnavis said.

The total cost of the project is Rs17, 843 crore and construction period is around 5 years. It is expected to decongest Mumbai and provide a faster alternative route to Sion-Panvel highway for motorists travelling towards Raigad.

The Indo-Japan relationship will go a long way with this project. We are committed to join hands with India for the development of infrastructure as we strongly believe that only efficient infrastructure puts countries on the forward path, Keiichi Ishii said.

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Mumbai: Angry over the governments failure to respond to their demands, Maratha community outfits have announced that they will restart their agitation, this time on the birth anniversary of Maratha warrior-king Shivaji, on February 19.

Drawing inspiration from the successful Patidar agitation in Gujarat, the community has warned that it will resort to similar methods to showcase its strength ahead of the 2019 Maharashtra state election.

The outfits had a slew of demands, including reservations in government jobs and institutes of higher education.

In a state-level meeting held in Panvel on Monday, community leaders decided to name their new agitation 19 se 2019 tak  from Shivajis birth anniversary to the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in 2019.

The government has failed to fulfil its promise to meet the communitys demands within four months, the leaders added, referring to the resolution that had been reached after a series of protests across the state culminated in a massive silent march on August 9.

THE DEMANDS Reservation as part of the Other Backward Class category in government jobs and institutes of higher education Strengthening of the Annasaheb Patil Financially Backward Development Corporation (APFBDC), which was launched a year ago by the PM but still doesnt have a president Hostels for economically backward students.

There is anger among community members as the government has failed to understand the sentiments of the community that held 58 silent marches across the state, said Virendra Pawar, one of the conveners of the morchas. We have decided to adopt different forms of agitation, by moving on from silent marches, if our demands are not met by February 10. Patidars have shown their strength in the Assembly elections in Gujarat. We are a much bigger community by comparison and are all set to showcase our power.

The government had announced that it would include 605 courses in scholarship schemes for the economically backward classes, but has dropped medical courses from this list, Pawar added.

Not a single hostel has been approved for Marathas, even after the announcement of hostels in our districts. A year after the launch of a financially backward development corporation by the prime minister, a president has still not been appointed. The government has also failed to make the State Backward Class Commission submit its report, which is needed if there are to be reservations in due time, Pawar said.
Mumbai: Promising admission to a medical college in Navi Mumbai, two people allegedly cheated a Borivli resident of Rs 28.75 lakh.

The Kasturba Marg police are investigating the cheating case after the complainant, 47-year-old Rima Balsara approached the police. Balsara made contact with the two in August 2016, to discuss securing admission for her nephew, said a police official.

They promised to secure a seat in DY Patil medical college, said senior police inspector Satish Raorane.

Balsara paid Rs 28.75 lakh for the seat, after which the accused became evasive and kept making excuses for why Surti was not on the admissions lists.

Balsara eventually gave up hope, and lodged a complaint with the police.

The suspects are not associated with the college. We are investigating whether they are agents who have done this before, said an officer.

The duo remains at large.

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The bodies of two teenage girls were found hanging from a tree in a shanty quarter in Barola village in Noida Sector 49 early on Tuesday.

The sisters, 18 and 13, were asleep according to their mother who checked at around 3 am.

However at 4.30 am, I checked again and realised that they were missing, said the mother, thinking that they must have gone to attend natures call.

But after some time, she heard a hue and cry and people were yelling that the girls were found dead.

Neighbours bolted the house from outside, suspecting honour killing.

The girls family came out only after the police came and brought the bodies down from the tree.

Although police are, for now, treating the case as suicide, the victims mother accused a distant nephew, Ravi, of murdering her daughters.

Prima facie, we are treating this as a suicide case. However, there are a few aspects in the case which suggests otherwise, said AK Singh, superintendent of police (city), adding that they were investigating some aspects of the case.

Singh also said that apart from neck injury, no other injury marks were present on the bodies.

The mother has accused Ravi of killing her two daughters as they had allegedly persuaded a woman, who he brought from Mumbai and intended to marry, to leave him.

The girls family comprises the father, mother, three other sisters and a brother. They used to live in a rented room for the past one year. The father is a sanitation worker at a private hospital in Sector 50.

The elder girl used to work as a cook at Eldeco Apartments in Sector 93A while the younger one was going to school.

In May 2014, two teenage sisters were found hanging from a tree in Uttar Pradeshs Badaun after they went to relieve themselves in the night. The case shot to limelight and drew national outrage after it was alleged that they were gang raped and murdered.

After a five-month probe, the CBI concluded that the girls had killed themselves because of family pressure owing to disapproval of their friendship with a villager, who was under the scanner but was later cleared.

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On December 20, a Comptroller and Auditor General report said unused funds, the absence of a long-term plan and the lack of pollution abatement works are hampering the rejuvenation of the Ganga. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the nodal body for cleaning the Ganga, the report added, could not utilise any amount out of the Clean Ganga Fund, which meant that the amount of Rs198.14 crore (as of March 31, 2017) was lying in banks.

In an interview with HT, Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaans Manoj Misra explains what has gone wrong and what needs to be done to clean the river.

KD: The CAG has slammed the government for failing to utilise funds for Ganga rejuvenation. What is the problem?

MM: Non-utilisation of funds could be due to either poor decision-making or long gestation period of concerned projects. Or it could also be due to uncertainty within the establishment about the best way forward. It is not funds but true understanding about what a river needs for its revival that is at the root of river ills in our country. It is well known that both Ganga and Yamuna Action Plans (with primary focus on pollution abatement through laying of sewers and construction of STPs) have failed and thus should we not look for learnings and lessons from these failures rather try and take the same route just because funds have to be spent.

This government began with talking about ensuring aviate (unfettered flow) and nirmalta (wholesomeness of water) in our rivers. But soon enough all talks of aviralta was forgotten and only nirmalta became the focus without realising that there cannot be a sustained nirmalta without first ensuring aviralta. Here lies the crux and difference between success and failure in the river rejuvenation efforts. Aviralta shall cost little except policy change and some compromise with net hydro-power generation to ensure e flows downstream of all our dams and barrages.

KD: Slamming the central government for inaction, the CAG report said that NMCG could not finalise the long-term action plans even after more than six-and-a-half years of signing of agreement with the consortium of Indian Institutes of Technology. What should a long-term plan involve?

MM: Long term action plan has by necessity to do with ensuring aviralta in our rivers. The report of the IIT consortium did suggest a workable way forward but since it was a creation of a previous regime its report was consigned to the dust bin. There is lot of hard work and good analysis in that report. Between the Ganga Authorities Notification (a good initiative by the present regime) and the IIT consortium report there is good road map for Ganga rejuvenation in place. But is there real political will for the cause over and above the slogans?

KD: Is the focus on sewage treatment plants the main problem? People also dont seem to be involved.

MM: Focus on STP as a river solution is the problem. Technologies like the STP as we understand is an issue related with runaway urbanisation and a municipal challenge. It is an issue squarely within the ambit of ministry of urban development. To link it and offer it as a silver bullet for river rejuvenation is a folly and takes away focus from the real ills facing our rivers. Which is dwindling flows. Yes, a total lack of peoples say or involvement in running of STPs is another problem. Sewage is created by people, so why should they not be involved in finding a lasting solution for it?

KD: Governments/experts often cite the example of Thames and Danube clean up. But is it right to draw parallels?

MM: No two rivers anywhere, least of all in different continents are similar. European rivers like the Thames and Danube had primary issues of pollution and floodplain conversions and flow wasnt as much an issue as their climate ensured steady flows. But for us in India flow is the key concern as our rivers get their flow primarily during the three monsoon months and then remain dependent on aquifer-fed base flows which in the current scenario of monsoonal flows is held captive in reservoirs behind dams and barrages compounded with large scale ground water extraction has left our rivers waterless and lifeless. Clearly such examples and comparisons are misplaced.

KD: The government is promoting inland waterways. Is it good for the river?

MM: Inland waterways are not a new concept. With good flows our rivers always catered to the use of waterways for transportation. But then there was natural flows in our rivers and transportation was non-invasive.

But what is now planned in low flow rivers will be a double whammy for them since this is being promoted on alien (read western) concepts and practices. Large-scale and continuous dredging as planned shall sound a death knell to whatever little life exists in our rivers. The already disturbed aquatic ecology of our rivers shall be further adversely impacted and it is anyones guess given how the tremendous silt load that our rivers like Ganga carry whether such commercial transportation use of our rivers is even sustainable on a long-term basis and that we shall not be left with large number of non-performing assets littered all along the river.

KD: There are so many faith-based organisations that are rallying for rivers. Are their plans scientifically and environmentally sound?

Not to our understanding.

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Indias emergence as a great regional and global power is predicated on how effectively it manages its own periphery. If its neighbours are afflicted with political turmoil or economic crises, these inevitably spill across Indias borders demanding both political attention and resources. If another major power, inimical to Indias interests, entrenches itself in any neighbouring state, then India will inevitably become preoccupied with coping with the threat . In these circumstances, an expansive foreign policy, such as articulated through Act East, Development Partnership with Africa or the more recent Quadrilateral among India-Japan-Australia and U.S., will suffer from the constant pulls and pressures within Indias own neighbourhood. Indias economic resources and diplomatic firepower are limited. The challenge in 2018 will be to balance the demands of the neighbourhood against the compulsions of a global role. Strategic thinking requires a careful assessment of where the focus must lie currently. There should also be a major review of neighbourhood policies to determine what has succeeded and what has failed so far and why.

Over the past decade a significant asymmetry of power has emerged between India and China. This has translated into a much more active and interventionist Chinese role in each of our neighbouring countries. Chinese economic and security presence in Pakistan has been greatly enhanced thanks to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Pakistan has a powerful Chinese shield behind which it can pursue even more hostile policies towards India, including cross-border terrorism. In Nepal, China has actively intervened in domestic politics to enable a China-friendly government to take power. This, in turn, will hasten infrastructure and connectivity links across the Tibet-Nepal border. The erstwhile forbidding Himalayan fortress has been breached at multiple locations. We are aware of the Hambantota saga in Sri Lanka and the leasing of an entire atoll to Chinese interests by the Maldives. Both island countries are critical to Indo-Pacific security but are drifting into a closer embrace with China. Both are also negotiating free trade agreements with China, even while Sri Lanka resists a Comprehensive Economic Partnership with India. Bangladesh, too, is being tempted by generous Chinese offers for infrastructural development. More recently, it was China which brokered an agreement on the Rohingya issue between Myanmar and Bangladesh, a good-offices role that should naturally have been Indias. And in Bhutan, the Doklam incident brought on apprehensions of the country being drawn into an India-China conflict. There are Bhutanese citizens who would like to derive benefits from Chinas infrastructure assistance and trade across the Bhutan-Tibet border. This is the landscape which will test Indian policy-makers in the coming year.

In 2018,we must translate the rhetoric of according priority to the neighbourhood into sustained practice. There has to be continuous and high-level political engagement with each of our neighbours. We may need to appoint several special envoys, perhaps at the minister of state level to remain engaged with not only the political leadership but also with opinion makers and civil society in neighbouring countries. A high-level empowered committee, led by the ministry of external affairs, should be authorised to consider and implement their recommendations . The divisions in the ministry of external affairs and the diplomatic missions responsible for the neighbourhood will need to be significantly strengthened in order to support the expanded level of engagement.

Delays in execution of commitments made to neighbours has been a perennial shortcoming. Indias credibility suffers as a result, particularly in comparison to Chinas record. This is a governance issue but it is unlikely that systemic change will overcome this in the foreseeable future. It may be necessary to create special vehicles to undertake projects in neighbouring countries in view of their critical importance.

India has a large and expanding market and regional trade enjoys the advantage of proximity. In principle, this should translate into lower prices for goods traded across subcontinental borders. This can be leveraged only if there is efficient cross-border physical connectivity and procedures that allow the swift movement of goods and peoples across borders. Despite this being an obvious and urgent requirement there has been very slow progress. Furthermore, India is the key transit country for virtually all subcontinental trade. If it has to emerge as the transport node for the region, it must aspire to become the most efficient, cost effective and convenient transport corridor, opening up its highways, railways, waterways and ports to all its neighbours. A successful strategy must rest on leveraging the very scale and dynamism of its economy to become the economic and commercial partner of choice for its neighbours.

Every neighbour will be tempted to use the so-called Chinese card to extract concessions from India. India should not fall victim to a fear of losing ground to China. We must not let China dictate the contours of our neighbourhood policy. India can leverage assets in the subcontinent that are unmatched by any other country. A long-term approach will entail a careful accounting of these assets as well as our vulnerabilities, including policy shortcomings which must be overcome. This may be reviewed and refined as the situation evolves. There will be crises which may need swift and even unpleasant responses but the larger picture should never fall through the cracks of tactical compulsions.

Shyam Saran is a former Foreign Secretary and a Senior Fellow, CPR

The views expressed are personal
The Punjab wildlife department and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWFN), with the help of the forest department, released 10 gharials  the Indian variety of crocodile  into the Beas river at Gagrewal village, 30 km from district headquarters, on Monday.

The fish-eating reptiles, aged 3, were brought to the spot from the Chhatbir Zoo in Mohali.

The animals had reached Gagrewal village in a special truck on Monday from the Chhatbir zoo in Mohali, said district forest officer (DFO) Charanjit Singh. The department has not released these gharials at Harike wetland, the largest wetland in northern India and the most favorable location for the species, due to a protest from farmers there.

Farmers are apprehensive that the animal is dangerous for humans and damages crops. Farmers had recently sent a memorandum to Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on their opposition to the release of gharials. If the state government wants to release the reptiles in the wetland, It should purchase farm land of the farmers falling near the river. We will not allow the government to release the animals in the river, the memorandum had said.

Soon after resolving farmers concerns, we will release the gharials in the Harike wetland as well, DFO Charanjit added.

Dept working on project for a decade

The departments have been working on the project for the past decade. In 2005, the Punjab State Wildlife Board had recommended the reintroduction of wild gharials in the Beas river area as it is less polluted than the Sutlej river. The proposal was also moved to the central government for approval.

These gharials, a shy reptile, belong to fish-eating species and do not attack human being or any animal. The reptile is at the top of the food chain in freshwater sources. Its presence in the river will help increase the yield of fish for human consumption, the DFO added.

Baba Bakala MLA Santokh Singh Bhalaipur, chief wildlife warden Dr Kuldeep Kumar and conservator of forest Nidhi Srivastava were present when the gharials were released into the river.
The dera violence that claimed 36 lives and singed Panchkula, a spell of heavy rain that almost downed the tricity, mayhem on PU campus, double murder in Mohali and a spike in crime dominated 2017 that had only a few positive tidings.

1. Death by a BMW car

Akansh Sen in happier times. (HT File)

In a party gone wrong, Akansh Sen, 28, a relative of former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh, was allegedly run over by a BMW car in Sector 9 on a cold February night. He later succumbed to his injuries at PGIMER. Even though Akanshs friends identified both the accused  Balraj Singh Randhawa, 31, allegedly driving the car, and co-accused Harmehtab Singh Rarewala, alias Farid (32) on the very first day, the cops are still clueless about the whereabouts of Randhawa who has been declared a proclaimed offender. Rarewala, who was arrested seven days after the murder, is facing trial. He is a grandson of the erstwhile PEPSU chief minister, Gian Singh Rarewala

2. The Ekam murder case

Ekam Dhillon with wife Seerat. (HT File)

The year began on a grisly note for Mohali when an auto driver alerted the cops after finding an abandoned suitcase with blood on it. The police opened it to find the body of Ekam Singh Dhillon, 39, an alumnus of YPS. The six-footer was allegedly shot dead by his wife Seerat Dhillon with her licenced 9mm pistol at their rented accommodation in Phase 3B1, and packed into a suitcase. Seerat first fled her house, but later surrendered. At present, the trial is underway in the court and the main witness, Tul Bhadhur, has gone missing. Seerat, a niece of former Congress MLA, Ajit Inder Singh Mofer, is lodged in Ropar jail. Both, Seerat and Ekam were accused in the multi-crore Citrus Council scam.

3. When PU turned into a battlefield

All hell boke loose when cops refused to allow protesting students to meet VC on April 12.

Panjab University saw one of its worse episodes of campus violence on April 12 when students protesting against fee hike clashed with the police, which unleashed teargas and lathis to disperse them. The students were demanding a rollback of the fee hikeit was increased by up to 1000% for some coursesby the cash-strapped varsity. The protest turned violent after students were prevented from entering the office of Vice-Chancellor Prof AK Grover. At least 15 policemen besides some students were injured; some were even sent to hospital. More than 50 protesters were taken into custody. The UT police booked 66 students for sedition only to have the complainant, a security officer at PU, say that his complaint had been misinterpreted. Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala, a former student and ex-senator of PU, described the police action as the most brutal attack on students ever in the history of PU. Later in May, the PU capped the fee hike at 10%. The protests saw SFS, a low-key student wing, taking the centrestage in the student council elections.

4. Liquor ban: From fear to cheer

On April 1 this year, the Supreme Court banned the sale of liquor within 500 metres of the state and national highways. The UT suffered heavy losses as over 30 outlets on Madhya Marg and 40 on the Sector 35/43 road were hit by the order. More than 2000 people lost their jobs in the churn that followed, but the order was modified four months later. The apex court order was triggered by the petition of Chandigarh-based NGO Arrive Safe. But following a partial rollback that exempted highways within the municipal limits, hotels and bars within UT were allowed to serve booze, providing much cheer to hotel and bar owners.

5. Chandigarh swachh no more

In a major setback to the civic body in May this year, Chandigarh slipped from its exalted second position last year to an unenviable 11th slot in the Swachh Survekshan Survey 2017 under Swachh Bharat MissionUrban (SBM-U). The warning signs were there for everyone to see. Sanitation was a major issue in the municipal corporation house with councilors pointing to its deteriorating condition and the anomalies in the allotment of the contract to a Delhi-based company. Even MP Kirron Kher came down heavily on this issue in one of the house meetings. The garbage processing plant at Dadumajra was also in the news for its standoff with the MC. Even today, the plant is processing only 40 % of the garbage.

6. Chandigarh, the new diabetes capital

A Lancet study found that overall prevalence of diabetes is 13.6% in Chandigarh, which is the highest in 15 states. At 14.6%, the city also has a high pre-diabetic prevalence or chances of being diagnosed with diabetes. The study was conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes study, and published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. Interestingly, 27% of the citys poor were also found having diabetes. Experts blame the lazy attitude of the residents for the high prevalence of diabetes. Over time, diabetes can damage the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. Adults with diabetes have an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.

7. Varnika stalking case

Varnika Kundu in action after the case. (HT File)

Varnika Kundu, 29, was returning home to Panchkula after meeting some friends in Chandigarh on the night of August 4 when she found herself being followed by Haryana BJP chief Subhash Baralas son Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar in a white Tata Safari. Kundu, daughter of a Haryana-cadre IAS officer, said the boys intended to abduct her and even tried to open the door. The case, which grabbed national headlines, turned the city into a media circus with television channels following its every twists and turns. Though the police initially arrested the duo for stalking and wrongful restraint, and released them on bail within hours, they were later charged with attempted abduction, and have been in jail for over 100 days with the court refusing them bail four times. The UT police came under fire for dragging its feet on the case.

8. That sinking feeling: When the tricity got flooded

The skies opened up on August 21, flodding the tricity and exposing the administrations claims of being well-prepared for the rains. (HT File)

The heavens poured like never before in the tricity one fine morning on August 21. By the time it was 10, normal life had come to a grinding halt. Hundreds of office-goers were stranded, houses were flooded, and the government machinery was missing in action. Even the Panchkula-Yamuna Nagar national highway that is under construction got washed away at four places. Soon, videos of cars floating in the rainwater went viral. A 5-year-old boy was electrocuted to death near his house in Sector 20, Panchkula. The city received 121- mm in just over two hours. The extreme rain event exposed the glaring flaws in the drainage system, which was equipped to handle only 25 to 35 mm of rain. It also gave lie to the administrations claims of being well prepared for the monsoon. Mohali was the worst hit.

9. 36 die in Panchkula dera violence

On August 25, Panchkula witnessed unprecedented violence in its four-decade history. Minutes after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was convicted for rape by the CBI court, his followers went on the rampage. They clashed with security forces, torched government and private buildings in various sectors before army opened fire and shot down 36 people. The Zirakpur-Kalka highway and HAFED chowk in Sector 5 were the epicentre of violence, which spread in the entire region. One hour of mayhem left a permanent scar on the city, which is still struggling to come out of its trauma. Ram Rahims adopted daughter Honeypreet and other close aides have been booked for plotting this mayhem along with 1000 others. Ram Rahim was also questioned for his role in the violence, but is yet to be formally booked.

10. Fastest trial in 10-year-old rape case

A fast-track trial court in Chandigarh sentenced two brothers to life imprisonment till death for raping their 10-year-old niece, who gave birth to a child in August after the Supreme Court dismissed her abortion plea. The landmark trial was concluded in a record three-and-a-half months after the case came to light. The girl was found to be 30-week pregnant when her mother took her to a hospital following stomachache this July. The girl then accused an uncle, her mothers cousin, who was a guard at a local hotel. Police arrested him but the case turned on its head after the DNA samples of the girls child  who was born on August 17  didnt match with those of the older uncle, a father of three. More than a fortnight later, the mans younger brother was arrested and he turned out to be the main culprit. The court of additional district and sessions judge Poonam R Joshi imposed a fine of Rs 305,000 on the convicts in the case that made headlines in India and abroad.

11. KJ Singh murder

KJ Singh was murdered by Gaurav of UP.

Former senior journalist KJ Singh, 63, and his mother Gurcharan Kaur, 92, were found murdered in their house in Phase 3b2, Mohali, in September, sending shock waves in the tricity. The house was bolted from the outside and the two bodies were found lying on the bed inside. The police failed to crack the case despite the Punjab government setting up a special investigation team to look into it. Finally, a month later, they arrested Gaurav Kumar, a native of Uttar Pradesh. It was claimed that KJ had an altercation with Gaurav following which the latter murdered him and his mother. KJ Singh worked in various leading newspapers in Chandigarh like The tribune, Indian Express and Times of India. Though the police claim to have solved the murder, several questions remain unanswered.

12. Mohali hotelier shoots wife

NRI hotelier Nirankar Singh in Mohali. (HT File)

Mohali witnessed a strange murder of passion in October when a 60-year-old hotelier fired at his NRI wife from a pointblank range following an altercation in their car in Phase X. Nirankar Singh Sarao fired six shots at his wife, Kulwant Kaur, 62, and then drove her to Fortis Hospital in Phase 8, where she was declared brought dead. Singh had returned from the United Kingdom in 2004 to set up Sarao Hotel in Phase 10. Last month, his children gave a statement to the investigating officer, saying it was a pre-meditated attack and Sarao wasnt suffering from a medical ailment as he had claimed.

13. A cylinder blast that destroyed a family

Seven people were killed when a cylinder burst in a Sector 10 house in Panchkula on the eve of Diwali. It turned out to be a black Diwali for commerce professor Tarsem Chand Garg who lost both his sons in this tragedy. One of them was a PEC graduate, while the other, an IIM graduate working as a banker in Mumbai, was here for the festivities. While the police investigation is slow and hasnt been able to pinpoint the cause of the blast, the state government has agreed to set up a burn unit in the Sector 6 government hospital since precious time was lost in transporting the injured to Chandigarh.

14. Conversion rates shoot up by 55 times

The UT administration allowed the conversion of residential properties from leasehold to freehold after three years, but after revising the rates up to 55 times, creating much heartburn among house-owners. This is evident from the fact that the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) received just one application for conversion in the last two months, while the UT estate office has received none. There are around 45,000 property owners in the city, whose property is on leasehold. The Municipal Corporation gave another jolt to the residents when it increased the property tax by 10% in August after a gap of 13 years. Little wonder then that both Congress and BJP leaders are demanding a rollback of these rates.

15. The auto gangrape

The city was horrified when a 21-year-old woman from Dehradun was gangraped by three persons, including the driver of the auto she had boarded on November 17. The victim had taken the auto around 7.45pm after attending her first stenography class in Sector 37. She was going to her PG accommodation in Mohali. But the driver, Irfan, headed towards Sector 42 on the pretext of refuelling the vehicle. Later, he drove her to a jungle opposite the petrol station in Sector 53, where the trio committed the heinous act. The police have arrested the three accused  Mohammed Irfan (29), Mohammad Garib and Kismat Ali, alias Poppu. The public outrage over this incident has forced the administration to revisit autos. The administration has mandated the verification of auto-drivers besides keeping a close eye on their paper work.

16. Parking problem peaks in Chandigarh

Nearly 18 months after the municipal corporation scrapped it, paid parking was reintroduced in June this year with smart parking. The civic body, which suffered a loss of 5 crore when it failed to auction its parking lots, converted them into smart parking lots from December 8, and also doubled the parking fees from 5 to 10 per entry (for four hours) and 10 for every two hours thereafter. This move may have streamlined parking in all the 26 parking lots of the city, but its left people fuming. Now MC is planning to make 70 more paid lots in various markets. To discourage residents from buying cars, the administration also plans to tax the second car by the same owner up to half the price of that car.

17. When cops said, drink and be damned

The police increased the frequency of the nakas and armed the traffic cops with better equipment. (HT File)

This year, the Chandigarh traffic police cracked the whip on sozzled drivers like never before. A total of 5,986 drunk driving challans were issued between January 1 and December 16, the highest in the past seven years. Entry and exit to Sector 26, the bar hub of the city, became the favorite hunting ground for cops with alcometers. The police increased the frequency of the nakas and armed the traffic cops with better equipment, including 50 new breath analysers. Later to outwit tech-savvy drivers, cops started mobile nakas. The cops also suspended the licences of 3600 drivers for speeding, drunk driving, talking on mobile phone or jumping the red light.
Over 240 MPs have signed an early day motion in the House of Commons, expressing support to a memorial for the thousands of Sikh soldiers who died or were injured during the two World Wars while fighting for the British armed forces.

Initiated by Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, the motion has been signed by 244 MPs from across the political spectrum  the largest for any such motion in the current parliament. It is also supported by the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs.

The demand for the memorial was first made in a publication called the Sikh Manifesto before the 2015 general election. It was furthered by Sadiq Khan during his election for London mayor and his recent visit to Amritsar.

He reportedly said during his visit to the Golden temple: Britain and the world owe a huge debt to the Sikh servicemen and women who fought alongside British troops during the First and Second World Wars.

These brave individuals sacrificed an enormous amount to defend the freedoms that we enjoy today and it is only right that there is a memorial in our capital city to honour the Sikhs who fought to preserve our freedoms.

Narinderjit Singh, general secretary of campaign group Sikh Federation (UK) said in a statement: In 2015 virtually all candidates standing in the election from all political parties backed the need for a permanent monument to highlight Sikh sacrifices in the First World War.

Ideally the exact site needs to be determined before the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, he said.

The early day motion says: That this House appreciates the extraordinary bravery and sacrifices of Sikh soldiers in service of Great Britain, including during both World Wars, and supports the erection of a permanent national monument in a prime central London location to commemorate and highlight these contributions.

It also notes that for over a decade there has been a demand from various quarters for the installation of such a national monument and welcomes the recent statement by the Mayor of London, who said it is only right that these brave individuals should have a memorial in our capital city.

The motion also says, Though Sikhs made up only two per cent of the population of British India, they formed 20 per cent of the British Indian Army during the First World War, and that hundreds of thousands of Sikh soldiers saw active service during the two major wars and many other conflicts.

It further notes that more than 83,000 turbaned Sikh soldiers laid down their lives and more than 100,000 were injured during the World Wars; and calls on the government to actively support a memorial dedicated to those who made or were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom of our country.

Under parliamentary rules, early day motions are formal motions submitted for debate in the House of Commons. However, very few are actually debated. They allow MPs to draw attention to an event or cause and MPs register their support by signing individual motions.

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The 50-km four-laning project that will reduce the travel time between Chandigarh and Patiala by over 30 minutes is set to miss its deadline for the third time.

Courtesy: Delay in constructing a flyover in Banur, which is proving to be a major bottleneck on the Zirakpur-Rajpura stretch of the national highway.

Presently, it takes more than one-and-a-half hour to reach Patiala from city. The road connects Chandigarh to the Malwa belt of Punjab, including Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda and Fazilka districts, besides parts of Haryana, such as Sirsa.

The Rs 600-crore project that includes 12 bridges, including 700m Bahadurgarh flyover, underpasses and a railway overbridges is being executed by Centrodorstroy (India) Pvt Ltd.

The Zirakpur-Patiala four-laning project was to be completed by March 2017, but later the deadline was extended to October 2017.

However, the project that began in September 2015 is yet to be completed, and it seems unlikely that the new deadline of January 31, 2018, will be met.

MISSED DEADLINES Zirakpur-Patiala four-laning project began in September 2015 It was to be completed by March 2017 Later the deadline was extended to October 2017 Now, it is proposed to be completed by January 31, 2018

Meanwhile, the stretch remains choked with traffic throughout the day. It is also highly accident-prone, with at least two accidents being reported daily.

UNDERPASS BONE OF CONTENTION

The design has already been changed twice after the agitation by locals residents, said Hussan Lal, principal secretary, Punjab public works department (building and roads). First, they wanted more space to enter a religious place along the bypass.Later, modifications were necessitated for constructing an underpass to the grain market.

Earlier, there was no provision for the underpass in the flyover plan, but conceding to the demand of locals the authorities took permission from the Union ministry of road and highways.

But now there are issues with the width and height of the proposed underpass. The ministry in its letter has approved the size of 3 metre by 6 metre.

Residents and farmers are complaining that the space provided is very narrow, said Banur municipal committee member Happy Kataria. It will be difficult for them to move trucks and tractor-trailers through it.

Kataria said the project has already missed its deadlines because of these agitations. Unless the issues are resolved, the project will keep getting delayed, he said.

Sources said residents will have to again write to the ministry to raise their demand. Following it, a technical team will visit the spot and decide on the matter.

Lal said the project will be completed by January 31, if there is no agitation.
In a story by Punjabi writer Amrita Pritam, two female friends meet after years and one asks the other Are you still single?

The other one who has become a writer replies that she has married a young man. When asked his name her reply is: Mr. Pen!

So it was with Renuka Nayyar, who entered as a lone woman in a newsroom made up of men with a pen in hand, and paved the way for others of her tribe. A prolific writer and columnist who authored eight books succumbed to cancer in a Ludhiana hospital where she was being looked after by her brother. She had been fighting cancer for over a year.

A gutsy single woman, she took up gender and rural societal issues and was awarded the Ladli National Media Award 2010 for her column Adhi Duniya published in the Hindi and Punjabi editions of a local newspaper.

She was also the first woman journalist of this conservative paper she joined in the 1970s. After retiring as assistant editor, she took to writing books and published five. Her novella Newsroom, based on her experiences, won her appreciation.

I have recounted what a woman pioneer has to face in an all-male world and recorded the good, the bad and the ugly as I experienced it, Renuka would say with her familiar chuckle and run her fingers through her short hair.

It wasnt easy to move on in a patriarchal set-up without a sugar daddy, conciliation here and there and heartbreak too but our Renu went through it all.

She was a determined soul indeed. Recently the Kendriya Hindi Parishad announced an award of1 lakh to the book. It is sad that she will not be there to receive it early next year. Sad also that she died a week before her birthday on January 1.

She managed many impossible feats like doing a Ph D in Hindi literature and that to with famous writer Virender Mendiratta. Most recent was biography of her guide titled Qissa Ek Darvesh Ka. Mendiratta recalled her as A hard working and focussed researcher who travelled to meet Hindi poet Mahadivi Verma and many others for her research.

Poet Chander Trikha said, She was amazing. As soon as she finished one book, she planned the next and accomplished her goal in a short time. I recall while still in a job she would go to a nearby masjid where she learned Urdu from a maulvi.

Her other books include Gramin Patrika, Adhi Duniya and Tapdi Pagdandion ke Raahi (interviews with contemporary women writers) and Agnipath ke Raahi, essays on male writers.

She would have moved on to write more but health was not one her side. Anyway, I feel we will meet again somewhere to share a cup of tea and a puff of nicotine. So long Renu!
Police have arrested three persons for defrauding 36 farmers in Punjabs Sangrur district and recovered Rs 57 lakh and 2.6kg gold from them.

The accused have been identified as Satnam Singh (the mastermind) of Ladda, Sattar Khan of Palasaur and Harwinder Singh alias Babbu of Dhuri.

The three, who were running an arhatiya shop, had fled to Azerbaijan and then to Thailand from where they were deported after the Punjab Police shared information about them with their Thai counterparts.

They were arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi the moment they landed there the next day on December 21, said DIG (Patiala range) Sukhchain Singh Gill at a press conference on Tuesday.

After interrogation, the police recovered the cash and gold from Satnams house, he said.

Gill said they are on police remand till Wednesday.

Satnam worked at an arhatiyas shop as a munim (accountant) in Dhuri a decade ago. Later, he started his own business of an arhatiya with Sattar and Babbu his employees, said the DIG.

First, Satnam cheated on his employer Charanjit Singh, an arhatiya from Dhuri, and transferred Rs 83.53 lakh of different farmers into his bank account. Later on, he issued cheques to farmers for crop payment but they were dishonoured due to insufficient balance in his account, the police said, adding they spent Rs 16 lakh abroad

The issue came to light when Charanjit and some farmers filed a complaint against Satnam on November 8 in Dhuri. They were nabbed by the Thai police when they were about to flee to Australia and deported them to India, said Sangrur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Mandeep Singh Sidhu.
Though snow eluded Shimla and other hill towns this Christmas, heavy tourist inflow was witnessed in Himachal, leading to traffic snarls at various places.

Anticipating heavy rush, since Christmas was falling right after a weekend, the administration had made elaborate arrangements but the unprecedented number of vehicles hitting the roads caused great inconvenience to the locals.

Police sources told Hindustan Times that around 5,000 to 7,000 vehicles entered Shimla on Monday while the town has parking space for only around 1,200-1,500 vehicles.

The large number of tourist vehicles moving on Shimla roads slowed down the traffic movement in the town. The government, meanwhile, threw open nearly half a dozen restricted road for parking vehicles, expecting heavy tourist rush.

Rajesh Saini, a tourist from Chandigarh, who had come to the town in anticipation of a White Christmas, said, I had come here hoping to enjoy the snow on Christmas. But there is no snow, either in Shimla or in Kufri. But he added, The weather is cool and enjoyable.

Another tourist from UPs Pratapgarh, Vijay Kumar Dubey, said, Last year, there was snowfall in the town on Christmas but time, the weather is clear. We are still enjoying the weather.

The picture in Manali too is similar. Heavy tourist rush has choked the town. Since there are no proper parking facilities, heavy tourist rush has choked the city, said Sandeep Sharma, a shopkeeper from Manali.

A tourist from Ludhiana, Anil Mahajan, said he had come to Manali to enjoy the Christmas holidays but the traffic snarls played spoilsport. Manali is a beautiful tourist town but the traffic jam spoiled our plans, he said.

Room occupancy full

The room occupancy in hotels and lodges of Shimla and Manali have reached 100% ahead of New Year. Hotels are full to its capacity in Manali till New year, said Manali Hoteliers Association president Gajender Thakur. Rachit Sood, a Shimla hotelier, said, We are still receiving inquiries for hotel booking but there is hardly any scope now. He added, We are expecting a white new year.

IMD prediction

Shimla meteorological centre has predicted dry weather over the next one week. Weather is expected to remain dry and night temperature may decline in some places, said Shimla Met centre director Manmohan Singh.
Actor Rajinikanth said on Tuesday he will announce his decision on his much-awaited political debut on December 31, adding to the suspense whether he will fulfil his fans desire of seeing him in a new avatar in Tamil Nadu, where the death of former chief minister and AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa created a void.

Theres been so much speculation about my political entry. I am not saying I will definitely come into politics. I will announce my decision on December 31. I am not new to politics. I have been reluctant because I am aware of the losses one has to incur in this journey, Rajinikanth said as he kicked off his six-day long fan meet.

You need carefulness and strategy to enter the politics. When the time comes to step on the battlefield, you have to win. We need to fight to win or theres no use of going to a battle, he told his fans in Chennai amid a rousing response even though he kept his speech very short.

The 67-year-old actor, who enjoys cult-status in the Tamil film industry, will meet over 1,000 fans for the next five days across 18 districts.

I am excited to meet my fans. I had planned the meet with my fans in advance, he said at the event, which saw directors Mahendran and Kalaignanam accompany him.

In Tamil Nadu, where film stars and personalities dominate politics, there is a tremendous interest on what the superstar, who enjoys a close rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will do when it came to politics. Buzz over his political debut peaks every time he meets his fans and addresses them.

Read | The political opportunity for Rajinikanth has come and gone

Speculations that Rajnikanth and actor Kamal Haasan would step into the political arena swirled after Jayalalithaas death in December 2016. Rajnikanth hinted as much in May when he met fans after a gap of few years and Haasan said in November he was ready to take the plunge.

God decides what we have to do in life at every phase. Right now, he wants me to be an actor and I am fulfilling my responsibility. If god willing, I will enter politics tomorrow, Rajinikanth had said sparking off speculations of his imminent entry.

He also mentioned his brief stint in politics when he supported the DMK in the 1996 Tamil Nadu assembly elections on Tuesday, saying it was a political accident.

Supporting a political alliance 21 years ago was a mistake on my part. My name was misused by a lot of politicians and some of them even earned money using my name. My support is for no party, he added.

Rajinikanths announcement comes after the RK Nagar bypoll  the constituency represented by Jayalalithaa  saw a shock defeat of the ruling AIADMK on Sunday. TTV Dhinakaran, a sidelined AIADMK leader who contested as an independent, won by a staggering margin that outpaced even that of Jayalalithaas.

The superstar advised his fans to stay away from drinking and smoking. He said that not only do these habits affect someones health but also their decision-making ability.

I always used to wonder how people can lose their whole wealth because of drinking. It took me a while to realise that drinking leads to bad decision making, and a few bad decisions and end someones life. I have been personally affected by drinking and smoking, please dont fall prey to it, he said.

The superstar also asked his fans to ignore negative social media messages and urged them to focus on positive thoughts.

Also read | Stardom alone will not help political fortunes of Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan
If youre travelling to China, a visit to the life-sized ancient Terracotta Warriors near the mausoleum of Chinas first emperor Qin Shi Huang in Shaanxi province is a must. New archaeological research has shed fresh light on Chinas first emperor who built the Army and his quest for eternal life, state media reported.

A set of wooden slips found in the central province of Hunan contain an executive order from emperor Qin Shihuang for a nationwide search for the elixir of life, along with replies from local governments, according to a Xinhua news agency report on Sunday.

It cited Zhang Chunlong, a researcher at the provincial institute of archaeology, as saying the emperors decree reached even frontier regions and remote villages.

Archaeologists estimate the pits near Xian in the Shaanxi province contain more than 8,000 terracotta warriors. (Getty Images)

Qin Shihuangs obsession with eternal life was well-known. He was responsible for the massive underground mausoleum in the northern province of Shaanxi filled with nearly 8,000 terracotta soldiers built to protect him in the afterlife. By studying the 36,000 wooden slips  found in 2002 at the bottom of a well in Hunan  archaeologists have uncovered not only the imperial order to find an elixir of life, but also the often embarrassed responses from local authorities who struggled to meet his demands.

According to Xinhua, a village called Duxiang reported to the emperor that it had failed to discover a miraculous potion, but that the search was continuing. Another place, Langya, suggested that an herb collected from an auspicious local mountain might do the job.

The texts were written on a series of wooden slats originally connected to each other by strings. This technique was the most common medium of writing in China before the appearance of paper at the beginning of the first millennium A.D.

Qin Shihuangs search for immortality was doomed to failure  he died in 210 BC after reigning for 11 years.

The Qin dynasty  notorious for its book burnings and executions of literati  laid the foundation for China as a unified nation that has persisted for two millennia.

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Bandgi returns to Bigg Boss 11. We soon see Shilpa Shindes brother entering the house too. Hina Khan shouts the loudest as boyfriend Rocky enters the house as well. Next to walk in is Luv Ranjans mother and he is worried what she might say on the show. Akashs mother Sunita is on the show and he has this to say, My mother snores so much. Akash and Luvs mothers name is Sunita and they are quite happy about this.

Vikas Gupta is overjoyed to see his mother but Priyank Sharma breaks down when his mother walks in. They are all across a wall from the contestants.

Hina shouts so loud that Rocky can hear her across the wall. Shilpa believes their relatives will soon start fighting. Luv says he is ready to give up captaincy to meet his mother.

.@eyehinakhan and Luv Tyagi have an intense discussion about the game! Watch #BB11 tonight at 10:30 PM. #BBUnseenAction pic.twitter.com/7h4YbVWCnb  Bigg Boss (@BiggBoss) December 26, 2017

Comedy competition jeetne ke liye gharwalon ne ki sabhi hadde paar! Tune in tonight at 10:30 PM only on #BB11. pic.twitter.com/jnyDWK8ami  COLORS (@ColorsTV) December 26, 2017

Bigg Boss announces that relatives have entered the house as part of a task. They will be new padosis who will judge the contestants on various mini-tasks. The winner will not only be safe during nominations but will also get to meet their relatives.

The first task is a cooking competition for 60 points. Most of the contestants struggle through the task. After the relatives taste the food, Shilpa emerges as the winner.

The next task demands contestants to make fun of others. The one which makes relatives laugh the loudest will win. Contestants use this opportunity to poke fun at others. It is Hina who comes out top during this contest.

Priyank is upset that Shilpa made fun of her dancing while Vikas believes his mother was being sarcastic when she voted for Luv.

Meanwhile, there is trouble brewing between the relatives. Shilpas brother and Vikas mother have a moment of disagreement but it is handled diplomatically. Akashs mother, meanwhile, reiterates that he is a close relative of composer Vishal Dadlani. She says Vishal tweeted saying he has never met Akash but he was lying. She says her wedding album has photos of the entire family and Akash met him when he came to Mumbai.

Akash had said earlier in the show that he is related to the Bollywood music composer but Vishal had tweeted that he doesnt know the dude on Bigg Boss.

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China and Pakistan will look at extending their $57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday, part of Chinas ambitious Belt and Road Initiative linking China with Asia, Europe and beyond.

China has tried to position itself as a helpful party to promote talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, both uneasy neighbours ever since Pakistans independence in 1947.

Their ties have been poisoned in recent years by Afghan accusations that Pakistan is supporting Taliban insurgents fighting the US-backed Kabul in order to limit the influence of its old rival, India, in Afghanistan.

Pakistan denies that and says it wants to see a peaceful, stable Afghanistan.

Speaking after the first trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Wang said China hoped the economic corridor could benefit the whole region and act as an impetus for development.

Afghanistan has urgent need to develop and improve peoples lives and hopes it can join inter-connectivity initiatives, Wang told reporters, as he announced that Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to mend their strained relations.

So China and Pakistan are willing to look at with Afghanistan, on the basis of win-win, mutually beneficial principles, using an appropriate means to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, he added.

How that could happen needs the three countries to reach a gradual consensus, tackling easier, smaller projects first, Wang said, without giving details.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said his country and China were iron brothers, but did not directly mention the prospect of Afghanistan joining the corridor.

The successful implementation of CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) projects will serve as a model for enhancing connectivity and cooperation through similar projects with neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and with central and west Asia, he said.

India has looked askance at the project as parts of it run through Pakistan-administered Kashmir that India considers its own territory, though Wang said the plan had nothing to do with territorial disputes.

China has sought to bring Kabul and Islamabad together partly due to Chinese fears about the spread of Islamist militancy from Pakistan and Afghanistan to the unrest-prone far western Chinese region of Xinjiang.

As such, China has pushed for Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve their own ties so they can better tackle the violence in their respective countries, and has also tried to broker peace talks with Afghan Taliban militants, to limited effect.

A tentative talks process collapsed in 2015.

Wang said China fully supported peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban and would continue to provide necessary facilitation.

The Belt and Road infrastructure drive aims to build a modern-day Silk Road connecting China to economies in Southeast and Central Asia by land and the Middle East and Europe by sea.
Gunmen have killed 10 people in attacks on two Christian-dominated villages in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna, a hotbed of ethnic and religious strife, officials said Tuesday.

On Christmas Eve, six people were killed when gunmen suspected to be ethnic Fulani Muslims stormed Ungwan Mailafiya, they said.

The killings followed an attack in nearby Nindem late Friday where gunmen opened fire on a congregation, killing four and injuring 10, said a local lawmaker.

While we were mourning the deaths at Nindem ... the security personnel received distress calls of another attack at Ungwan Mailafiya, parliamentarian Shehu Nicholas Garba said in a statement.

By daybreak on Christmas, six persons had been confirmed killed, including a child of about six years old, and many others injured, he said.

A spokesperson from the state government said troops had been deployed to prevent further violence.

Southern Kaduna has for three decades been locked in tit-for-tat killings between indigenous Christian farming communities and Muslim Hausa and Fulani settlers.

The dispute was originally over land and grazing rights but has lately degenerated into ethnic and religious conflicts, leaving hundreds dead.
Former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhavs meeting with his family, almost two years after he was arrested near the restive Balochistan province hogged the front pages of all major Pakistani newspapers on Tuesday.

While the reportage was pivoted on Pakistans humanitarian and goodwill gesture in permitting the Indian nationals mother Avanti and wife Chetankul to pay him a visit, the reports ignored how a glass wall was placed and multiple cameras were set up to scuttle what was supposed to be a private meeting.

There was no physical contact and the photos released by the Pakistan foreign office showed a pale looking Jadhav interacting with his family through an intercom behind a glass window which was placed next to what appeared as a tissue box.

Meeting between Commander Kulbushan Jhadev & his family in progress pic.twitter.com/THG925V1fO  Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) December 25, 2017

Indias deputy high commissioner JP Singh, who accompanied the family was allowed to observe the events only from another glass chamber.

One good deed should beget another. Such decisions should serve as a template for others to follow, including in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, where innocent blood continues to be spilled, Pakistans leading daily The Dawn quoted a foreign office spokesperson as saying.

Front page of Dawn (Dawn.com)

Following a slightly belligerent approach, The News International linked Mondays events with the Indian Armys alleged ceasefire violation that left three Pakistani soldiers dead across the Line of Control (LoC).

India returns Jadhav gesture by martyring 3 soldiers on LoC, the newspaper front page headline said.

Front page of The News International (thenews.com.pk)

The Nation reported how the people in Pakistan were irked and felt outraged about the Jadhav family reunion, despite the authorities dubbing him the face of Indian terror.

Front page of The Nation (thenation.com.pk)

Pakistan press also harped on a pre-recorded video of Jadhav, where the death row prisoner is seen thanking the Pakistani government for the treating him with dignity, honour and in a very professional manner.

The Front page of Pakistan Today (Pakistan Today)

Front page of Pakistan Observer (Pakistan Observer)

After the 40-minute long meeting, Pakistani foreign office also released a medical report that claimed he was in good health.

Jadhav was arrested in March 2016 and then sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in April on charges of espionage and terrorism. India managed to stay the execution by appealing to the International Court of Justice in May.

India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

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A suspected US drone attack along the Pakistani-Afghan border killed an Islamist militant commander from the Taliban-allied Haqqani Network, a Pakistani official and two members of the Haqqani group said.

The Pakistani official said it was not immediately clear whether the missile struck on the Afghan or Pakistani side of the border. The members of the network and an eyewitness reached by Reuters said the incident took place inside Pakistan.

There have been multiple suspected US drone strikes in the mountainous border region separating Pakistans Kurram Agency from Afghanistan since US President Donald Trump took office in January.

Trump has taken a hardline stance on Pakistan, which he says provides safe haven to terrorists including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network carrying out attacks in Afghanistan.

Tuesdays suspected drone attack targeted the vehicle of a militant commander named Jamiuddin, said the Pakistani official, who is based in the area, speaking on condition of anonymity, added that it also killed an associate of the commander.

A senior member of the Haqqani network told Reuters: Maulvi Jamiuddin was our trusted man. He was part of our organisation and used to facilitate our fighters during their movement inside Afghanistan.

He added that Jamiuddin was travelling in his car in Pakistans Kurram region and that none of his associates were killed in the attack.

Jamiuddin stopped the car ... for conversation on his cellular phone when the drone fired two missiles and killed him on the spot, another Haqqani member said.

Rehmanullah, a resident of the area who uses only one name, said he saw the strike near the Mata Sanghar area of Kurram agency, across from the Afghan province of Paktia.

I saw two missiles hit the vehicle and the people inside were killed, he told Reuters by telephone.

An increase in drone strikes that hit inside Pakistani territory is one of the steps US officials have said could be taken if Islamabad does not end safe havens for militants.

Pakistan has sought to play down several recent drone strikes inside the border, with officials saying they were on the Afghan side even though local residents said they were in Pakistan.

In October, three suspected strikes in two days killed 31 people who officials said belonged to the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network, allied to the Taliban.

Those attacks came days after a Canadian-American couple held hostage by the Taliban were freed from the area in Pakistans northwest, striking a rare positive note in the countrys often-fraught relations with the United States.
Peruvian police on Monday fired tear gas and clashed with protesters marching against the pardon of ailing ex-president Alberto Fujimori, who was serving a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses.

Current President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski ordered the pardon of Fujimori and seven other prisoners on Sunday on humanitarian grounds, once again placing himself in the middle of a political crisis just days after he avoided impeachment.

On Monday, protesters called for the departure from office of Kuczynski, who later defended his decision in a televised message to the nation.

Out, out PPK! Out, out PPK! angry demonstrators chanted in reference to the president, who had promised during his electoral campaign the previous year that he would not free Fujimori.

Fujimori, murderer and thief. No to the pardon! read one of the signs held by the protesters, some of whom also carried a giant Peruvian flag.

Protesters march near Centerio hospital after Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski pardoned former President Alberto Fujimori in Lima, Peru, December 25. (Reuters )

Relatives of victims of Fujimoris brutal rule took part in the march.

We are here as relatives to reject this illegal pardon, because it does not correspond to the gravity of the crimes, Gisella Ortiz, representative of a group of families of victims, told reporters.

A strong force of anti-riot police moved through the streets of Lima and sought to prevent the demonstrators from heading to the clinic where Fujimori is hospitalized, firing tear gas canisters and erecting barricades to disperse them.

A cameraman from the state television station TV Peru was beaten by police and was being treated in hospital, the stations president Hugo Coya wrote on Twitter.

Failed impeachment bid

On Monday night, Kuczynski defended his decision to pardon Fujimori.

I am convinced that those of us who feel democratic should not allow Alberto Fujimori to die in prison, because justice is not revenge, Kuczynski said.

It is about the health and chances of life of a former president of Peru who, having committed excesses and grave errors, was sentenced and has already completed 12 years in prison, he said.

Protesters clash with police near Centerio hospital after Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski pardoned former President Alberto Fujimori in Lima, Peru, December 25. (Reuters )

The president had earlier said his decision to grant the pardon relied on a medical evaluation that Fujimori suffered a progressive and incurable illness and that conditions in prison represent a grave risk to his life.

But the move came after Fujimoris son Kenji drained votes away from a parliamentary bid Thursday to impeach Kuczynski on suspicion of corruption, sparking speculation the pardon was political.

The condition of Alberto Fujimori, 79, was delicate and a decision will be made based on how he responds to treatment at the Centenario Clinic, a doctor at the facility, Alejandro Aguinaga, told reporters.

He said there was no prospect of Fujimori leaving soon.

Fujimori was transferred from his cell to a clinic Saturday suffering from low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat.

He remains in intensive care. His condition is favorable but other tests are necessary, Aguinaga said.

He said the ex-president had already undergone scans of his brain and heart, and stated that the cardiac problem was accentuating various degenerative pathologies.

Brutal, undemocratic reign

Fujimori has been hospitalised on several previous occasions, the last time in September, and has had heart, back and stomach trouble as well as several operations to remove cancerous growths from his tongue.

Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori (C) and his daughters Sachi (L) and Keiko wave to supporters outside the voting station where he cast his ballot in national elections held April 9 2000. (Reuters File Photo)

The former leader has spent more than a decade imprisoned for ruthlessly cracking down on political rivals and for ordering dozens of murders and overseeing other brutal tactics.

Despite his conviction for human rights abuses, however, Fujimori retains a level of popularity in Peru for having defeated left-wing guerrillas and for stabilizing the economy after a period of crisis.

That dichotomy has come to the fore with the pardon: dozens of supporters gathered in front of the hospital looking after him, while opponents later demonstrated in Lima against him.

Fujimori, of Japanese descent, ruled Peru between 1990 and 2000. His reign quickly became autocratic after a 1992 internal coup in which he dissolved the legislature.

The pardon was Kuczynskis first major act after surviving the impeachment bid that was spearheaded by Kenji Fujimoris sister, Keiko, who is also a legislator and who narrowly lost the last presidential election.

Kuczynski, a former Wall Street Banker, was accused of lying to cover up $5 million in payments received from disgraced Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht.

He faces a struggle to influence Perus opposition-dominated Congress, where his party has just 18 seats.
Federal agents discovered four preserved foetuses in the Detroit warehouse of a man who sold human body parts, confidential photographs reviewed by Reuters show.

The foetuses were found during a December 2013 raid of businessman Arthur Rathburns warehouse. The foetuses, which appear to have been in their second trimester, were submerged in a liquid that included human brain tissue.

Rathburn, a former body broker, is accused of defrauding customers by sending them diseased body parts. He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is set for January.

How Rathburn acquired the foetuses and what he intended to do with them is unclear. Rathburns lawyers did not respond to requests for comment, and neither the indictment nor other documents made public in his case mention the foetuses.

This needs to be reviewed, said US Representative Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee who recently chaired a special US House committee on the use of foetal tissue.

Blackburn recoiled when a Reuters reporter showed her some of the photographs, taken by government officials involved in the raid.

In four of the photos, a crime scene investigator in a hazmat suit uses forceps to lift a different foetus from the brownish liquid. In three other photos, a marker that includes a government evidence identification number lies beside a foetus.

The actions depicted in these photos are an insult to human dignity, said US Representative Bob Goodlatte, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. A Republican from Virginia, Goodlatte said that if individuals violate federal laws and traffic in body parts of unborn children for monetary gain, they should be held accountable.

Blackburn said the discoveries in Rathburns warehouse raise questions about the practices of body brokers across America. Such brokers take cadavers donated to science, dismember them and sell them for parts, typically for use in medical research and education. The multimillion-dollar industry has been built largely on the poor, who donate their bodies in return for a free cremation of leftover body parts.

The buying and selling of cadavers and other body parts  with the exception of organs used in transplants  is legal and virtually unregulated in America. But trading in foetal tissue violates US law.

In most states, including Michigan, public health authorities are not required to regularly inspect body broker facilities. As a result, its impossible to know whether body brokers who deal in adult donors are acquiring and profiting from foetuses.

Blackburns call for action came in response to a Reuters series that exposed abuses in the human body trade and what Blackburn called lax oversight and lax enforcement of the industry.

Photos from inside Rathburns warehouse offered a stark example of government failures to police the industry. They include images of rotting human heads, some floating face up in a plastic cooler. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which has been investigating Rathburn and other body brokers, declined to comment.

Blackburn said she found other Reuters stories about the body trade disturbing.

As part of the news agencys examination of the industry, for example, a Reuters reporter was able to purchase two human heads and a cervical spine from Restore Life USA, a broker based in Blackburns home state of Tennessee. The deals were struck after just a few emails, at a cost of $900 plus shipping.

It is sickening how easily Restore Life sold the parts to Reuters, Blackburn said.

Told of Blackburns concerns, Restore Life owner James Byrd said his company has invited her to tour our facility and to review the policy and procedures we have in place.
Profiteers on both sides of the war lined their own pockets at their countries expense

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Civil War typically evokes images of daring soldiers in blue and gray whose fortitude and self-sacrifice on the battlefield drew the respect and wonder of equally patriotic citizens, all willing to endure home front hardships in order to win the war. Yet for a self-serving group of officials, manufacturers, and other profiteers, the war was a chance to advance their own interests at the expense of their countrymens blood and treasure.

[quote style=boxed float=left]Worse than traitors in arms are the men, pretending loyalty to the flag, who feast and fatten on the misfortunes of the nation, while patriot blood is crimsoning the plains of the south, and bodies of their countrymen are mouldering in the dust. U.S. House Committee on Government Contracts, March 1863[/quote]

The eras industrialists and financial elite, to be sure, included men who invested heavily in the Union to help the nation. But drawing the line between profiteering and the normal business practices of the period is not so easy. Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles name is usually found in the pantheon of Union heroes. Nevertheless, Welles allowed his cousin, the purchasing agent George Morgan, to procure vessels for the Navy and receive what now might seem scandalously high commissions for them. Those commissions, however, were normal for the era.

Major General James Wolfe Ripley, the Union Armys chief of ordnance from 1861 to 1863, is another leading figure sometimes called a war profiteer, although he more accurately should be considered a mere obstructionist, as he was opposed to the Army risking the adoption of any advanced weaponry, even when it might have helped the Union causeparticularly the Spencer repeating rifle.

Many business magnates rose to the challenge to help the cause, but regrettably their patriotic response was not universal. What should have been a time of national unity was instead exploited by some individuals and companies for personal gain. They shamelessly billed the government for products and services that were abysmally substandard or were never delivered. Their patriotism extended only as far as it benefited their pocketbooks.

War profiteering did not pick sides eitherit flourished above and below the Mason-Dixon Line. Presented here is our Top 10 list of what Civil Warera author Henry Morford labeled the shoddocracy in his novel The Days of Shoddy.

10. Brig. Gen. Justus McKinstry

A New York native, Justus McKinstry graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1838, and served in the Second Seminole War and the Mexican War. As a major in the spring of 1861, he was appointed quartermaster for the Department of the West under Maj. Gen. John C. Fremont, who promoted him to brigadier general that September.

In April 1861, after the Confederate firing on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor led to war, Fremont was tasked with creating a large army in a hurry, and he turned to McKinstry to purchase the necessary supplies. McKinstry in turn awarded government contracts to crooked suppliers, who would give him kickbacks.

McKinstrys corrupt practices provoked multiple investigations, and in the fall of 1862 he was court-martialed and convicted of fraud and neglect of duty. He was dismissed from the service on January 28, 1863the only general officer on either side to be dismissed for fraud.

Publicly shamed, unemployed, and deprived of his Mexi-can War pension, McKinstry ran through his ill-gotten wealth quickly. His wife and sons left him, and when he died in St. Louis in 1897, a final affidavit regarding his estate stated simply: Said soldier left no property.

9. William Sprague IV

For William Sprague IV, success in politics was secondary to success in business. His familys textile business, the A&W Sprague Manufacturing Company, established the worlds largest calico-printing mill in Cranston, R.I., supported by five textile mills across New England. In 1860 Sprague was elected governor of Rhode Island at age 29. In 1863 he was appointed to fill a U.S. Senate seat from Rhode Island and held that position until 1875.

The outbreak of war presented Sprague with a conflict. As governor he pledged his states support of the Union; however, the ban on the purchase of Confederate cotton threatened his business. Desperate, Sprague implored federal and military officials for a permit to bring Southern cotton past the Union blockade, but was denied.

In 1863 Sprague leaped at a scheme proposed by Texas blockade-runner Harris Hoyt. Sprague gave Hoyt money to buy three ships, one of which was sent to Havana and sold to a British straw man, allowing it to sail under the British flag and therefore immune from U.S. intervention. The ship then sailed to Matamoros, Mexico, just across the Rio Grande from Texas. In Matamoros, Hoyt traded the cargo (which included oils, nails, soap, butter, twine, medicine, and weapons) to Confederate officials for a load of cotton. The British ship then sailed to New York. Through this scheme, Sprague acquired hundreds of smuggled bales of cotton.

In December 1864, Union officials arrested Charles Prescott, skipper of one of the SpragueHoyt ships. Prescott confessed everything. Sprague responded by writing a panicked denial to Maj. Gen. John Dix, who was in charge of the investigation. Nevertheless, Sprague was arraigned on six charges of treason. Fortunately for him, Dix was also suspected of smuggling goods when he had commanded troops occupying Norfolk, Va. Due to Lincolns assassination on April 14, 1865, public attention rapidly shifted away from Spragues crimesthis self-serving profiteer was never convicted.

8. Samuel Colt

Samuel Colts revolving pistol, patented in 1836, represented a breakthrough in firearms technology and dominated the market for two decades. Colt devised a way to manufacture the revolver in several models, using innovative assembly-line techniques, and became one of Americas wealthiest men.

Colt apparently had no complaint with slavery and, in the 1850s, sold his revolvers to both Northern and Southern customers. But when the war broke out in 1861, public accusations that Colt was a Southern sympathizer convinced him to limit his sales to the North.

Production of a Colt revolver cost between $4 and $9. Colt sold revolvers to the British government for $12.50 and to American civilians for $14.50. Initially, however, he charged the U.S. government $25. The difference was pure profit. To ensure his market, Colt made generous donations to senior Northern politicians and gave them elaborately engraved Colt pistols. A comparable Remington revolver cost as little as $13, but Colt convinced Union procurement officers that his revolver was superior. During the war, Colts Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Conn., sold hundreds of thousands of revolvers to the government, while Remington sold only a few thousand prior to mid-1863.

Colt died in 1862 at the age of 47. He left his wife and son an estate valued at around $15 million (equivalent to about $350 million today).

7. Bounty Jumpers

Although many Civil War soldiers were volunteers, as the war dragged on both the Union and Confederate governments resorted to conscription to fill their armies ranks. Until 1864, draftees were permitted to hire substitutes, as finance magnate J.P. Morgan notably did to avoid military service. Groups of draft-eligible men pooled funds as a sort of insurance to hire a substitute in case any member was drafted. Families could decide which family member would go to war and who would stay home.

Local, state, and national authorities also offered cash bonuses to lure men to enlist. Bounty jumpers arose to take advantage of this system. They would enlist as a substitute, collect a bounty, then desert from their unit before reaching the front lines. After traveling to a new area, the bounty jumper simply repeated the lucrative process. One scoundrel, John Larney, claimed to have collected bounties from 93 Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New York regiments.

The practice was more profitable in the North, where bounties started at $300, compared to payments of $50-$100 in rapidly devaluing Confederate dollars. With Northern state and local governments adding funds to a Union bounty, the amount could easily exceed $1,000.

By 1864 bounty jumping had become a capital crime, and perpetrators were more likely to be executed than military deserters.

6. Simon Cameron

Born into poverty in 1799, Pennsylvanian Simon Cameron relied on his charm to rise through a series of business positions. Before the Civil War, he made a fortune in railroads and canals and invested his fortune in the banking industry, then gave low-interest loans to politicians to buy his way into politics. Before the election of 1860, he had been a Whig, a Democrat, and a Know-Nothing, leaving each party when he could no longer manipulate it to his benefit.

He was elected to the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in 1845, but left the party in 1849 after failing to get reelected. He returned to the Senate in 1857 as a Republican. Unsuccessful in his quest for the Republican nomination for president in 1860, he used his influence to support former Illinois congressman Abraham Lincoln.

To show his appreciation, Lincoln appointed Cameron to his Cabinet as secretary of war. Northern newspapers quickly began reporting evidence of underhanded dealings. Lucrative government contracts for goods and services went to Camerons friends. He purchased defective muskets, threadbare uniforms, spoiled barrels of pork, and blankets that were never delivered.

Cameron used his contacts in the railroad industry to avoid the appearance of profiting from this mess. Rather than sending payments directly to Cameron, merchants and traders would overpay to ship their goods on railroads in which Cameron had invested.

By the end of 1861, Cameron had become a liability. Lincoln pushed him to resign as secretary of war on January 14, 1862, but because of Camerons political control of Pennsylvania, the president awarded him the ambassadorship to Russia. He stayed there for less than a year, and eventually returned to the Senate two years after the war.

5. Southern Plantation Owners

The Souths large plantation owners proved reluctant to sacrifice for the Cause. For example, after the capture of New Orleans in AprilMay 1862, Union Flag Officer David Farragut pushed upriver in a failed attempt to capture Vicksburg, Miss. Although Farragut didnt succeed in capturing the city, his Union fleets proximity to the riverside plantations (and his promises to confiscate slaves along the way) frightened so many proprietors that they abandoned their plantations altogether and moved their slaves deeper into the Confederacy, where it would be harder for them to escape to Union lines. The planters departure secured their property (the African Americans they held in bondage) but seriously weakened Confederate forces by denying access to supplies and foodstuffs that could have been grown on the riverside plantations.

Meanwhile, as food shortages spread throughout the South, the Confederate government encouragedbut could not legally compelplanters to grow corn and other food crops. Many planters preferred growing profitable cash cropscotton and tobacco. Even when condemned by their government, a large number of planters chose to continue growing cash crops, which could be smuggled out of the Confederacy and sold for exorbitant prices. Cotton, which had gone for as little as 10 cents a pound in 1860, soared to $1.89 a pound by 1863.

Owners of large plantations had the connections and the resources to smuggle cotton to mills in Britain and even the North, reaping tremendous profits. What couldnt be sold immediately, moreover, could be held until the end of the war, when it was expected to sell for at least $1 a pound. Even Southern farmers with smaller holdings who were far from the front lines questioned their governments expectation that they should support the Confederate war effort by growing low-paying food crops to feed faraway soldiers.

Ultimately the lack of food was as effective as any military tactic in breaking the Confederacy. Starving soldiers and civilians eventually lost the will and, most important, the strength to fight.

4. DuPont Powder Company

Defense contractors are a principal beneficiary of warfare. E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, commonly known as DuPont, was established in 1802 as a gunpowder mill. Although the Civil War cut off profitable sales to Southern customers, Union military contracts more than made up for any lost business.

The federal governments increased demand for gunpowder quickly depleted DuPonts available resources. Recognizing the need for potassium nitrate (saltpeter), a key ingredient in gunpowder, the Union paid to send DuPonts leading chemist, Lammot Du Pont, to England in November 1861. With $3 million in hand, he purchased enough saltpeter to supply the Union Army for at least three years.

By the end of 1862, DuPont had increased its price per pound of gunpowder to 18 cents, up 2 cents (more than 10 percent). DuPont blamed the increase in price on the rise in cost of materials and the difficulties associated in obtaining saltpeter, but neglected to mention that the government had already paid for it.

In March 1863, the Lincoln administration pushed back against DuPonts price increase by passing a tax on profits, amounting to 1 cent per pound on gunpowder. DuPont accordingly raised the price of its gunpowder to an unprecedented 26 cents per pound. In November 1863, the government added another half-cent tax; DuPont raised its price to 30 cents per pound. The U.S. Treasury by then was so depleted it was unable to make immediate payment, forcing DuPont to wait for more than the half a million

dollars in tainted profits it was dueworth $7 million today.

3. Brooks Brothers

The four Brooks brothersElisha, Daniel, Edward, and Johntook over their familys New York clothier business in 1850. Prior to the Civil War, Brooks Brothers introduced a popular ready-to-wear suit and provided uniforms for several state militias.

Brooks Brothers provided suits for President Lincoln, as well as dress uniforms for many Northern generals, including Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, Philip Sheridan, and Joseph Hooker. On the night he was assassinated, Lincoln was wearing a Brooks Brothers frock coat.

At the beginning of the war, the state of New York placed an order for 12,000 Union-blue uniforms, including jackets, coats, and trousers. The contract was open to competitive bidding, but given the urgency of the war, potential suppliers were given only 24 hours to submit a bid. Most firms placed bids based on the current availability of the correct cloth, but Robert Freeman, representing Brooks Brothers, claimed that only his firm could supply the necessary material. He committed to delivering 2,000 uniforms each week.

Within days it became clear that not only did Brooks Brothers not have the necessary material, there wasnt even enough material available in the local market to complete the order. Brooks Brothers received permission to substitute a gray cloth of equal quality but instead used substandard, recycled or remanufactured wool material known in the garment industry as shoddy. The cloth was shabby and irregular in color, with dark gray stripes, patches of green, and spots of brown. Its texture was gritty and uncomfortable. It began to fall apart within weeks, unable to withstand rain or even regular wear. Furthermore, the workmanship was dubious at best. Some jackets were missing either buttons or buttonholes, while seams remained unsewn.

Fingers pointed in every direction. Under questioning from the New York legislature, Elisha Brooks refused to divulge how much money his company had saved by substituting shoddy cloth, but he and his company were eventually forced to replace about 2,300 uniforms at a cost of more than $45,000 (approaching nearly $1 million today). So widespread was the problem of overpayment for inferior products, the word shoddy itself evolved to describe anything, not merely clothing, of poor quality or substandard workmanship.

2. George Opdyke

New Jersey native George Opdyke lived in Cleveland and New Orleans as a young man. He learned the textile business and made a small fortune selling poor-quality garments to Southern plantation owners to clothe their slaves. By 1832 he moved to New York and operated a large clothing factory. Now a millionaire, he also entered politics. He served a term in the state legislature and lost his first bid for New York City mayor in 1859.

Alongside his rivals, the Brooks brothers, Opdyke took huge orders from the military to produce uniforms, boots, belts, caps, and haversacks. Elected mayor in December 1861, Opdyke used his position to approve uniforms produced by his factory using the same shoddy cloth making up the defective Brooks Brothers uniforms. In addition to shoddy cloth uniforms that quickly fell apart, Opdykes factory produced other substandard military equipment: boots with soles made from glued-together wood chips that fell apart on the march and glued-together haversacks that likewise disintegrated. Opdykes support for the war backfired in the summer of 1863, when protests over the new conscription laws led to widespread rioting and violence in Manhattan, in what became known as the New York City Draft Riots. Opdykes support of these laws drew hostility, and many of his factories and warehouses were looted and burned to the ground. His political reputation suffered greatly, and he lost the mayoral election held later that year.

Opdykes woes didnt end there. After the Republican National Convention in 1864, Albany Evening Journal editor Thurlow Weed, the states premier power broker, began using his newspaper to attack political opponents, including Opdyke. Weed alleged that Opdyke was a secret partner in a munitions company that received nearly $200,000 from the city of New York after one of their factories was destroyed during the 1863 Draft Riots, while Opdyke was mayor. Further, Weed alleged, Opdyke had received millions more from extorted payments, kickbacks, bribes, and a secret partnership with the Brooks brothers.

Opdyke responded by suing Weed for libel. The trial lasted nearly a month. Finally, with Opdykes nefarious dealings clear to jurors, Weeds trial ended on January 11, 1865, in a hung jury. Apparently, the jurors could not agree upon whether Weed should be completely acquitted or be required to pay a nominal amount of 6 cents in damages. Opdyke did not hold public office again, but he was never charged with treason or held responsible for sending substandard-quality materials to the military.

1. J.P. Morgan

Born in 1837, John Pierpont Morgan, founder of J.P. Morgan & Co., was a financier and banker. He specialized in corporate finance, becoming known for taking over and reorganizing troubled businesses. During the postwar Gilded Age, he arranged the merger of Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form General Electric. He was also involved in the formation of AT&T, Chase Manhattan Bank, International Harvester, and U.S. Steel. He was ranked by Forbes.com as the second most influential businessman of all time. At the beginning of the Civil War, though, he was just 23 years old and operating his first business out of a one-room office in New York, with the help of a $300,000 loan from his father.

In August 1861, Morgan used his political connections to purchase 5,000 Hall .52-caliber, breech-loading carbines from the War Department. These obsolete, Mexican Warera rifles had been condemned by the Ordnance Department, and their breech-loading mechanisms had a dangerous proclivity to explode upon firing, often killing or maiming soldiers. The government was liquidating them as scrap metal at the bargain-basement price of $3.50 each.

Morgans operatives approached Department of the West commander John Fremont and offered to sell him 5,000 rifles at $22 each. Fremont, desperately in need of small arms, readily agreed to the outrageously inflated price. Morgan completed the sale of the guns before he had actually completed the purchase, allowing him to pay for it with the money from the sale and pocket the $92,500 difference.

Morgan had the rifles re-bored to the standard .58-caliber, thereby making the barrels weaker and increasing the risk of the weapons exploding. When federal officials belatedly realized theyd been had, the money had already changed hands and there was nothing they could do. Morgan, incidentally, avoided any personal Civil War military service by hiring a substitute for $300about the amount of profit he pocketed from selling 16 of his defective Hall rifles.

Melinda Musil, a regular contributor to Americas Civil War, writes from Independence, Mo.in the heart of the Trans-Mississippi Theater.
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Don't think of this as a top 10 list. I've written enough of those for a lifetime; you've probably read enough for a lifetime. Instead, please help yourself to a dozen of Houston's best new restaurants of 2017.

They managed to open and shine brightly during a roller-coaster year for the city's restaurant business. Early on, the high-flying Treadsack group imploded, toppling the well-regarded Hunky Dory and Bernadine's. Then came Houston's frenetic Super Bowl moment, with its spate of high-profile, high-pressure openings.

Late spring heralded the city's latest in our recent run of James Beard Best Chef Southwest medalists: Hugo Ortega, whose win followed those of Chris Shepherd (2014) and Justin Yu (2016). In late August, Hurricane Harvey stopped restaurant business nearly cold, followed by a slump - including some big-name closures - from which the industry is still recovering.

TOP 100: Now you can search all 100 of this year's top restaurants by name, neighborhood and cuisine

In the midst of the flooding and misery, food and beverage folks stepped up with relief efforts to help feed a poleaxed populace; and later, when restaurants reopened, to restore a much-needed sense of normalcy.

Through it all, major launches (and a seemingly endless stream of poke shops) just kept coming, right up to the wire of 2018. I've excluded intriguing newcomers such as Nancy's Hustle and Maison Pucha from consideration, simply because their openings came too late in the year for evaluation.

Similarly, I've scooped up a couple of deserving spots that opened in mid-December 2016, too late to be counted in that year's list.

It's worth noting that three of these worthy new spots are in downtown hotels, with another close by. That's an exciting development, considering that our hotel dining scene has been grim and our city center sadly lacking in serious, nonsteakhouse options for years now. Make that decades.

So onward into the New Year. These interesting new restaurants will help it taste great.

1. XOCHI

This Oaxacan restaurant is the jewel in Hugo Ortega's crown, and a dazzling addition to downtown Houston. In a sleek, subtle corner room at the new Marriott Marquis hotel, Ortega and company turn out stirring, complex moles and fragrant house-made masa specialties. They're all based on regional ingredients from the southwestern Mexican state of Oaxaca, just a hop across the border from the chef's family's rancho in Puebla state. It's a labor of love, and it shows in everything from antojitos to head-spinning entrees to meticulous agave-based cocktails, not to mention brother Ruben Ortega's showstopping desserts. Check out the appealing happy-hour menu for a sample. You'll be back. 1777 Walker (inside the Marriott Marquis), 713-400-3330; xochihouston.com

2. AQUI

One can argue in good faith that it's wrong to patronize Paul Qui's restaurant. The Houston native was charged with domestic assault last year in Austin, where he made his name with the Uchi brand and his own restaurants. What cannot be argued is the thrilling fare being produced by Qui's Houston chef de cuisine, Gabriel Medina, who with his work here leaps right into the top tier of Houston talents. Just as impressive are desserts by Common Bond alumna Jillian Bartolome, whose Bibingka dessert of sweet coconut bread with salted duck egg is one of the year's best bites. Ditto for the swirl of tart, savory, herbal notes that make the raw dishes and "perfect bite" small plates sing - from a frisky raw-tuna kinilaw to a suave foie gras torchon sparked with mustard seeds, shiso and pickled pears. The room is svelte and modern. The wine list and cocktails are ace. And the front of the house fairly purrs. 520 Westheimer, 713-360-7834; aquihtx.com

3. ONE FIFTH

Whether it was sending forth awe-inspiring cast-iron steaks sizzled in butter and herbs or Tripa alla Romana so tender and piquant it would make an actual Roman weep, Chris Shepherd's format-swapping restaurant has rocked both its incarnations to date. Housed in the 1920s Montrose church that was home to Mark's, both One Fifth Steak and One Fifth Romance Languages (an ode to the cooking of France, Italy and Spain) delivered big flavors and ingenious ideas in a setting designed for fun. Chef de cuisine Nick Fine, who keeps it all humming along, is one of the breakout stars of the year; and one of the year's finer sights is Shepherd himself behind the cold bar counter and at the wood oven, having a blast. You will, too. 1658 Westheimer, 713-955-1024; onefifthhouston.com

4. KIRAN'S

You know what was fun in 2017? Tasting the way the estimable chef Kiran Verma, one of the city's first proponents of upscale Indian cuisine, has refreshed her repertoire and outlook at her posh new digs in Upper Kirby. Working with talented New Orleans Creole guy Dominick Lee, Verma has introduced playful genre-bending dishes such as shrimp and upma "grits" with pickled okra, or that old warhorse chicken tikka masala reworked as spunky fried chicken in the lightest cloak of spicy red gravy. From zippy street-food items to serious Subcontinental-themed cocktails, the new stuff has polish, soul and humor. Note to vegetarians: The pick-four feast is the stuff of dreams. Even the flatbreads and pappadum have style to spare. And that tart carrot emulsion served with the mirchi pakoras, whole shishito pepper fritters, is so vivid you won't leave a single drop. 2925 Richmond, 713-960-8472; kiranshouston.com

5. MABA PAN-ASIAN DINER

How do I love chef Wayne Nguyen's fast-casual spot in Midtown? Let me count the ways. The prices are insanely affordable for such inventive, accomplished fare. The room radiates a certain spunky, inexpensive chic. And Nguyen's interesting ideas - which blend his Vietnamese immigrant background with the skills he picked up at his wife's family's Chinese restaurants - constitute a joyous expression of 21st-century Houston. The warm wonton salad alone, in its electric fish sauce vinaigrette, cartwheels of jalapeno and shallot done two ways, is a dish I could eat every day. Nine bucks? Believe it. It's all fresh, clean, balanced and original, from Trung Sisters bacon-wrapped shrimp with Thai basil and lemon butter, to an osso buco salad done Szechuan style, braised and chilled to get a faint gelatinous texture that is deeply Vietnamese. This self-taught chef is a huge talent, and one to watch. 510 Gray, Suite D, 832-834-6157; mabahouston.com

6. THEODORE REX

It's not every year that a top-rated, national-caliber chef closes down the restaurant that made him famous. Yet that's what happened when Justin Yu converted five-year-old Oxheart, the tiny tasting-menu spot that was arguably the city's best restaurant, into the more casual bistro Theodore Rex. (It's named for his nephew.) The look is softer, more homespun. The tight menu's a la carte. The vibe is more about hanging out with friends than staying focused on a quietly orchestrated night of theater. Kitchen crew, under the direction of chef de cuisine Jason White, no longer present each dish with a detailed description. Yet taste such low-key pleasures as the addictive tomato toast, or the buttery, comforting rice with butterbeans and threads of greenery, and you'll want to ask how they did it. The ingredients remain intensely seasonal and local. Yu's impeccably layered, earthy sensibility still applies. The offbeat wine list and playlist remain a blast. I'm not as riveted by T Rex as I was by Oxheart, but I am full of curiosity about how this fledgling spot will define itself in 2018. 1302 Nance, 832-830-8592; trexhouston.com

7. RIEL

The delight I take in Ryan Lachaine's Riel springs from its original point of view: the chef brings his Manitoba and Ukrainian heritage to bear on contemporary Gulf Coast ideas and ingredients. Sound like fun? It is, from the supple little cheddar pierogi dumplings that escort a top-flight hanger steak, to a stirring beet borscht crowned with creme fraiche and dill. Royal Red shrimp might come with pickled fennel salad and coriander yogurt on the tightly edited seasonal menu; or head cheese might meet prickly-pear mustard on a soda cracker. A capable bar (try the Borscht Sour with Aquavit), a smart wine list and a couple of lengthy counters for walk-ins make the experience even more entertaining. 1927 Fairview, 832-831-9109; rielhtx.com

8. YAUATCHA

Chinatown boosters may scoff at the prices of this fiercely chic London-based import, but it says something encouraging about the Houston market that there's a place for an elegant take on dim sum. Everything from the immaculate, detailed tea service to the thin-skinned morel dumplings is just so, right down to the startlingly beautiful Franco-Asian desserts. Go for the steamed, baked and pan-fried sections of the menu for maximum joy; the regular cooked items, while capable, are not as enthralling. And do not shy from ordering a cleverly made cocktail or some wine from the interesting list. They make a dim sum session here into a different kind of party. 5045 Westheimer (at the Galleria), 713-357-7588; yauatcha.com/houston

9. OXBOW 7

Imagine the refectory on a generation starship. That's the curious feel of Bryan Caswell's Oxbow 7 in downtown's new Le Meridien hotel, where mid-century silhouettes bump up against a futuristic chandelier that rears from the floor like a mighty tree, and colorful wall murals swirl as a backdrop. Caswell - whose flagship Reef, damaged by Harvey, should reopen in the New Year - says this is the most personal menu he's ever done, and I agree: it has both humor and a big bayou heart. Consider the delightful "East Texas caviar service," a potato-chip dirigible set upon sauce gribiche and interleaved with ghost-pepper-tinged choupique (Louisiana bowfin) eggs, along with thin shavings of hot link. Or brilliant pickled shrimp in a watermelon/fish sauce dressing, to wrap Vietnamese style in Bibb lettuce cups with tart watermelon rind. Or fat little quail stuffed with peppery boudin and glazed with satsuma marmalade. A fascinating wine list by Nate Rose, including plenty of affordable options, is a huge plus. 1121 Walker, 713-487-6137; oxbow7.com

10. LUCIENNE

It's great to see the underrated chef Jose Hernandez back in a French kitchen again, and in a glamorous new downtown hotel to boot. Lucienne, up a grand, sweeping staircase at Hotel Alessandra, boasts a whimsical contemporary look and a menu full of little luxuries. Lamb tartare with quail egg and toast, delivered in its own silvery rack; lobster and fennel bread pudding made voluptuous with beurre blanc; a marvelously thin apple tart with Calvados sauce. Such are the enticements of a modern French menu that can be had in a tasting format (4 courses for $55 and 6 for $75) or a la carte. The wine list's on the conservative side. And good news for hotel guests or impromptu walk-ins: there's a chef's counter up front overlooking the kitchen. 1070 Dallas, 713-242-8555; hotelalessandra-houston.com/lucienne.htm

11. POTENTE

Scintillating pasta dishes are just one of the treats in store for diners at the luxe Potente, Astros owner Jim's Crane's stately pleasure dome next to the ballpark. The Astros' dazzling World Series run gave the modern Italian restaurant a celebratory fizz that has yet to wear off: holiday makers are invited to shoot selfies with the team's golden trophy, which matches the restaurant's dark, glittering decor. Settle back for lots of Old School service, a big-name wine roster, and a frisky menu presented on a light-up tablet. Chef Danny Trace, whose mom is Italian, has made the leap from Brennan's with Louisiana wit intact, which gives his take on Italian real personality. Don't miss his lush truffled cacio-e-pepe-style spaghetti; his agnolotti with sweet potato and crab; or his autumn fettuccine with fall squash, pancetta and pecorino. 1515 Texas, 713-237-1515; potentehouston.com

12. PINKERTON'S BARBECUE

Pinkerton's opened in the middle of last December, and it's a spot deliciously reflective of the city's current barbecue renaissance. Pitmaster Grant Pinkerton has his own distinctive restrained smoke style, along with an appreciation for regional Gulf Coast fare that makes everything from the sides to the cocktails (yes, cocktails!) taste deeply personal. Quality meats and towering sandwiches aren't the half of it here. Late hours supplied by continuous pit shifts are a boon to the supper crowd. So is a suitable wine list compiled by Pinkerton pere. Such restaurant comforts are a welcome new wrinkle in our barbecue scene. Pass the duck and sausage jambalaya, please; and do you have that smoked boudin on special? Oh yeah, I'll need a piece of that banana layer cake, too. 1504 Airline, 713-802-2000; pinkertonsbarbecue.com
The first question out of Asma Mirza's mouth when she makes a new acquaintance these days is, "Are you single?" If she gets a yes, the 27-year-old CEO quickly follows up with a request to swab the inside of her new friend's cheek, in hopes it will help them find true love.

Often, people look at her like she's crazy. They'll ask, "What does my DNA have to do with love?"

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According to an ever-growing body of scientific research, the answer is: quite a bit. That's why Mirza and 26-year-old geneticist Brittany Barreto have spent the last year huddled in their downtown Houston office, working steadily to launch the nation's first genetics-based dating app, Pheramor.

Their phone-based app, which they plan to officially roll out in February, combines genetic information with data gleaned from social media posts to create user profiles.

"Scientists can actually predict who's attracted to whom," Barreto explained. "It has to do with your pheromones."

And the genes that control those ever-important pheromones can be analyzed through a simple cheek swab.

Barreto first learned this as a sophomore in college, during a genetics class at Drew University in New Jersey. And for her, the world stopped spinning for a moment as an idea was implanted in her mind. She raised her hand and asked, "Could I make a GeneHarmony.com?"

She wasn't met with as much enthusiasm as she felt herself.

"The professor was like, 'Yeah, I guess so.' Like, 'You could. That's a thing,'" she said. "And everyone kind of looked at me and was like, 'That's so Brittany. She's just strange.'"

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She tuned out the eye rolls, and tucked away the idea for safe-keeping.

"Over the past seven or eight years, I've just told friends or boyfriends, and my mom. And everyone has always been like, 'You should do it.' But it was always, like, fear and timing, and not knowing how," she said.

Then last year, while finishing up her doctorate in genetics at Baylor College of Medicine, she pitched the idea of a DNA-based dating app at an accelerator program, where Mirza, who had just graduated from Duke University, was also in attendance.

"Brittany went up, and she pitched this. And I think we were like, the only women at the accelerator," Mirza said. "And so, she looked at me, and she was like, 'I want you on my team.' And I looked at her, like 'I want to be on your team.' And that's how we met. Brittany brought in the genetics, and I have a background in expansion and capacity building - taking a project and scaling it."

Also at the accelerator was Bin Huang, a doctoral candidate at Rice University, studying computational biology. Mirza and Baretto brought him on as Pheramor's third co-founder, putting him in charge of developing an algorithm for their idea.

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Mirza and Barreto are optimistic about their endeavor, but it's not a sure thing. While the Pew Research Center reports that 15 percent of American adults have used online or mobile dating apps - up from 11 percent in 2013 - there are a handful of big apps that attract the largest share of daters. And tapping into the online dating market isn't easy. Two dating apps that utilize DNA in slightly different, less streamlined, ways than Pheramor have previously launched in Canada, with little success. But Mirza and Barreto remain optimistic.

And while their idea for Pheramor may sound complicated, the science is actually pretty simple.

"Genetic-based human attraction has to do with pheromones. And when we smell pheromones, what we're actually smelling is how diverse someone's immune system is compared to our own," Barreto explained, matter-of-factly.

"Evolution is very strong. So we're smelling each other, trying to figure out who is the best person to mate with," she continued. "And that's what love at first sight actually is. It's smelling someone's pheromones from across the room, and your brain says, 'Oh my Gosh, that's the most perfect pheromone profile I've ever smelled in my entire life. I love them.'"

When someone swabs their cheek with a Pheramor kit, the lab Mirza and Barreto work with isolates and scans 11 genes, which scientists have linked to factors for attraction. (Mirza and Barreto declined to share which exact genes they're analyzing; they'd rather not give away their algorithm's secret sauce.)

"That's it," said Barreto. "I won't know what you look like, what your heritage is, what your disease status is. I won't know any of that. All I know is the 11 genes for attractions, from which I'll know who you think is hot and who you won't like."

That data then heads to Huang's team, and is dropped into an advanced formula, along with a variety of personality traits pulled from a user's social media profile.

"All the research shows that initial attraction through your genetics is what will get two people together," Mirza said. "But what fulfills a longtime relationship is commonalities. So the way we account for both of those is through your genetics, and then through your social media."

Rather than asking users to fill out their own profiles, Pheramor will pull details from someone's profiles, like favorite bands and books. Even political affiliations. This will save time for Pheramor's target demographic - young professionals, between the ages of 18 and 44 who are constantly looking for efficiencies. But perhaps more importantly, it will remove some of the self-reporting bias that comes with creating your own dating profile.

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Dating apps are big business these days: The market is estimated to be worth about $2 billion. And more than 40 million Americans rely on dating apps and websites to help them find love. But, according to a report from eHarmony.com earlier this year, 53 percent of people lie on their profiles. And that's not counting the people who enter such bland answers that they fail to stick out from the pack.

"A lot of our research comes from me using all the apps and coming back to the office, saying, 'We need to solve this problem.' So many profiles, people just write, 'I love adventure, and I'm super laid back.' And it's like, 'Who are you? What does that mean?'" Baretto said, exasperated. "And then you meet them, and they're not even adventurous. So us building the profile for users takes away the idea that someone has a standard profile that they write to put up on a dating app. Instead, it's a reflection of how you show yourself on social media."

Pheramor hasn't officially launched yet. As of now, the three co-founders are trying to reach a critical mass of users - hence Mirza's proclivity to swab everyone in arm's reach. While they'd like to tackle world domination in the future, the co-founders are currently focused on hitting the 3,000-member mark, which is all it will take to create a viable sample size to officially launch in Houston.

And the founders have high hopes that their home city is the ideal place to begin their venture.

"Houston is a place for a lot of med-tech start-ups, and we're a social technology start-up, and we feel like this is something that we really created a space for in Houston," Mirza said.

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And the demographics here sync perfectly with Pheramor's market: about one in three people inside the city's limits is between the ages of 25 and 44, according to data from the U.S Census program. Additionally, the App-analytic firm SmartApp recently ranked Houston as the city with the largest saturation of dating app users in all of the U.S., with 16 percent of residents swiping for love on their phones.

"We want to help the ones who don't have time to go on seven bad first dates," Mirza said. "For us, with this app, our data will be able to tell you whether you're wasting your time or not."

Sound cynical? It's not meant too. Barreto constantly emphasizes that while data may be run in labs and on computers, the crux of Pheramor is just as romantic as an adorable meet-cute, in which someone bumps into an attractive stranger on a train, or in a coffee shop.

"I'm a hopeless romantic. And for us, the romance is still there," she said.

"But there's metrics behind this," Mirza added. "So, yes you can meet someone on a train and have that initial attraction. But what if you never met that person? What if the only way you could meet them is through our app? The way I see it, we're helping you find those missed connections. Because we're bringing those metrics for what that spark would be. And most people see that spark once or twice in their life. But if you actually knew where that comes from, maybe you'd find more sparks."
Native Houstonian Bear Dalton has worked in the wine business for 40 years - 30 as a wine educator. He became a fine-wine buyer for Spec's in 1996 after postings with multiple local distributors and has an extensive knowledge of and a special affinity for champagne. In time for New Year's Eve, we asked him to pick his favorite French fizz at a wide variety of prices, from the luxury cuvee category to bargain bubbles.

Barons de Rothschild Blanc de Blancs NV

Dalton's score: 96

A joint venture of the five branches of the Rothschild family, it's 100 percent chardonnay from Grand Cru's in the Cote du Blanc (Avize, Cramant, Mesnil-Sur-Oger, Oger and Vertus). Forty percent of the cure is reserve wine, and it ages on the lees for 48 months. "Pale-gold straw in color, it's dry, medium-bodied with fresh acidity," Dalton says, calling it "classic chardonnay champagne with citrus fruit, lots of freshness, elegant texture and real complexity and depth. It's a sort of blanc de blancs version of Krug's Grand Cuvee."

Price: $94.99

2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs

Dalton's score: 98

The base wine is 100 percent free-run chardonnay fermented with partial malolactic fermentation and aged in tanks and barrels (5 percent of cuvee in new French oak barrels). After the second (in bottle) fermentation, it ages 10 years on the lees. "The result," Dalton explains, "is a wine with the focus and citrus of a blanc de blancs," but the aforementioned wine-making "pulls it back toward the stylistic middle (think Dom Perignon) with tree-fruit flavors, defining minerality and plenty of toast. A delicious champagne that transcends the more typical aperitif style of blanc de blancs."

Price: $159.29

Castelnau Brut Reserve NV

Dalton's score: 92&

A blend of chardonnay (43 percent), pinot meunier (47 percent) and pinot noir (10 percent), it contains 15 percent reserve wines and ages almost seven years on the lees with a dosage of 8 grams per liter. Dalton notes the "rich straw color" and how it's "fully sparkling; dry, medium-bodied with fresh acidity and scant phenolics. Rich and toasty with red fruits and enough citrus and a creamy texture. Lovely in the mouth, the richness makes it an incredible value."

Price: $37.99

Abel Charlot NV

Dalton's score: 90&

A blend of 15.5 percent chardonnay, 38.5 percent pinot noir and 46 percent pinot meunier with 22 percent reserve wines, it was aged 24 months on the lees and dosed to 10 grams per liter. "Straw color with hint of pale copper and fully sparkling; dry, medium-bodied with fresh acidity and scant phenolics," Dalton notes. "Toasty, rich, creamy with fine subtle red fruit with citrus and toast. Has an earthy minerality and more richness than expected. Easy to drink and like. It's from the Castelnau Co-op but not made by Castelnau."

Price: $19.94
Almost a year into Donald Trump's presidency, the border wall he passionately promoted throughout his election campaign amounts to eight prototypes, no more than 30 feet long each, sitting in a desert outside San Diego.

No funding has been appropriated by Congress to advance the project beyond the testing phase. There's no final design. And despite Trump's rallying cry that Mexico would pay for the barrier, that country hasn't contributed a peso.

The wall, an emotional centerpiece of Trump's populist candidacy, is resurfacing as Washington turns from tax legislation to a fight over government spending for the rest of the fiscal year. A spending package Congress plans to debate in January will test whether his promise can ever be fulfilled.

Tensions over immigration are returning to center stage as Democrats seek to use the January spending measure to restore legal protections against deportation to hundreds of thousands of people brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Trump has said he would like an agreement to fund the wall in return, and he resumed pressing for the wall even as he celebrated Republicans' tax overhaul.

"We're calling on Congress to fund the border wall, which we're getting very close to," Trump said Dec. 20 during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. "We have some wonderful prototypes that have been put up. And I may be going there, very shortly, to look at them in their final form."

Despite being a central component of Trump's winning presidential campaign, the border wall has run into opposition from both Democrats and Republicans. As the White House seeks to recap its accomplishments - senior administration officials gathered reporters last Thursday to tout Trump's first year - significant progress on a border wall is not one of them.

"I'm not surprised, that a year into his presidency, we say 'Gee, why hasn't that wall been built?"' said Barbara Perry, a presidential historian at the University of Virginia. "Well, that was one of those things that was so outrageous that it was never going to happen."

The White House didn't respond to requests for comment.

Trump has occasionally vented frustration with the pace of progress on the wall, but has nonetheless projected confidence that it will eventually be built.

"We're going to get the wall," Trump said Dec. 8 at the White House. "If we don't get the wall, then I got a lot of very unhappy people, starting with me."

In April and September, Congress passed short-term funding bills that didn't include any funding for the proposed wall.

Recently, Trump has pointed to the prototypes as a sign of progress.

The prototypes, which were completed in October near San Diego, were funded with money re-purposed from the existing Department of Homeland Security budget. Trump signed an executive order in January calling on the department to "immediately plan, design and construct a physical wall along the southern border."

The structures are about 30 feet tall and at least six feet deep, and are currently being tested for durability and evaluated for other features such as aesthetics, said Carlos Diaz, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Four of the prototypes were made of reinforced concrete, and four were made of non-concrete materials, he said.

After the evaluation phase, which began at the end of November and is scheduled to take at least 30 days, the department will decide on a final design, Diaz said.

"We're talking about engineers and scientists and border patrol agents providing their input on what works best," he said. "Based on that, there's going to be a recommendation in the future."

But Congress hasn't appropriated any funding for continuing the project next year, and there is no timeline for when the border wall might be constructed.

"Everything we do in 2018 will require an appropriation," U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Deputy Commissioner Ronald Vitiello told reporters in October after the prototypes were completed. CBP requested $1.6 billion in 2018 funding for the border wall. The House passed a budget with the funding but the measure hasn't been approved by the Senate.

Several senators, including Arizona Republican Jeff Flake, have objected to spending taxpayer money to build a wall along the border.

Even Trump's DHS Secretary conceded the wall isn't necessary for the full length of the border.

"There is no need for a wall from sea to shining sea," DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said last month at her confirmation hearing.

In addition to funding, a wall could run into obstacles including private property rights, environmental concerns and geographical factors that could make construction difficult along several sections of the border.

Estimates of construction costs range from $12 billion to $21.6 billion, and the Mexican government has steadfastly refused to contribute to the cost.

"Our country will not pay, under any circumstances," Mexico's foreign ministry said in an August statement. "This statement is not part of a Mexican negotiating strategy, but rather a principle of national sovereignty and dignity."

While Trump said repeatedly on the campaign trail that Mexico would pay for the wall, he has largely dropped that applause line since taking office.

Yet amid Republican celebrations over the tax legislation, Trump's promises on the wall haven't been forgotten by some of his supporters.

"Today's BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: Miles completed yesterday-Zero; Miles completed since Inauguration-- Zero," conservative commentator Ann Coulter posted on Twitter on Dec. 18. "'NEXT UPDATE TOMORROW."
The Anti-Defamation League expressed "deep concern" Tuesday over a sermon by a Houston imam that included references to killing Jews, but in a statement, the imam expressed remorse for the language he used. He said in no way does he support violence.

Local Muslim religious leaders also called the sermon problematic, saying that the imam's message does not represent the views or sentiments of the Houston Muslim community.

The ADL said that in a sermon posted on YouTube, Imam Raed Saleh Al-Rousan of the Tajweed Institute in west Houston stated:"Judgment Day will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews. The Muslims will kill the Jews."

In a statement Tuesday evening, the imam said: "I believe that hatred can only thrive in climates of fear, anger and ignorance. Because of this, I welcome the opportunity to meet with Jewish leaders and other community leaders in the near future."

According to the ADL, the speech came two days after President Donald Trump announced his plan to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Israel's capital.

Dayan Gross, ADL Southwest Regional Director, said the sermon reflects hatred and has no place in any mosque or house of worship.

"We know that the ideas espoused by Imam Al-Rousan do not reflect those of the vast majority of Muslims in our area, many of whom are our partners in promoting interfaith relations and who have told us they are appalled by this rhetoric," he said in a statement. "We appeal to all Houstonians to not generalize or attack the Muslim community as a whole for the words of one individual."

The sermon was posted on YouTube but has since been removed.

In his statement, the Iman said: "Regarding my sermon ... it must be understood that I unequivocally affirm and uphold the dignity, sanctity and value of all human life, including  of course  people of the Jewish faith.

"I must also state in no uncertain terms that I am absolutely and completely opposed to and disgusted by all forms of terrorism, all terrorists, and I oppose anyone who would commit, call for, or threaten violence against civilians.

"This is why as a person of faith and a religious leader, that I am mortified that an impassioned sermon I gave in light of President Trump's Jerusalem declaration is being seen as a call for the very things I despise."

He went on to say he hopes "to establish new and meaningful relationships with my neighbors in the Jewish community."

Local Muslim leaders also issued a joint statement late Tuesday.

In it they said senior Muslim leaders have been in direct contact with Imam Raed to discuss his sermon, "and he has expressed profound regret and willingness to work with Jewish and interfaith leaders to try and correct the situation."

They added that he is aware that his words have caused serious harm.

"There should be no doubt - we stand with the Jewish community to combat anti-Semitism, and we remain confident that the Jewish community stands with us to combat Islamophobia and hate in all forms," they said in the statement. "We are and will continue to be, partners in dialogue and understanding, despite fringe statements from any side."
AUSTIN - Justin Nelson stood with his wife around the island in their kitchen and had one final gut check about campaigning to become Texas' next attorney general: Were they really ready to give up a year of their lives so he could run as an underdog for the state's third-highest political office?

Democrats have lost every race for statewide office for more than 20 years. Political analysts say even if a so called "blue wave" of Democratic voters flood polling places in next year's election out of frustration with the Trump administration, Democrats like Nelson are still unlikely to break into statewide office.

But Nelson, an Austin-based trial lawyer counting on support from generous Democratic donors, contends 2018 can be different in a race running against Ken Paxton.

"I don't think most people know (Paxton) is under indictment," Nelson said recently from a table at Julio's, his favorite Austin neighborhood restaurant. "I really believe to my core we need actual choices to run for office and I see an indicted, corrupted, extreme attorney general that looks like he's going to get a pass from his own party, and I feel that we can do better."

Nelson is political newcomer who specializes in high-stakes civil litigation including fraud, patents and constitutional issues for Susman Godfrey LLP, which is active in Democratic political circles, and his accolades include being named as among the "World's Leading Patent Practitioners" by Intellectual Asset Management magazine and chaired the Economics of the Profession Committee in the American Bar Association's Intellectual Property Division. He has also practiced and taught constitutional law and is an adjunct professor at The University of Texas School of Law.

He said he wants to sell voters on his qualifications and remind them that their state's top lawyer has his own legal troubles.

But that might be a hard sell to some voters. Paxton is a tea party darling in Texas politics who won the office handily in 2014 despite talk of potential indictment before his election. He has since built his reputation on battling the Obama administration, fighting abortion, pushing to end deferred action for immigrants who arrived in the country as children and defending the state's controversial sanctuary cities law known as SB4.

A Collin County grand jury indicted Paxton months after he took office in 2015. He faces two charges of felony criminal securities fraud and a third lesser criminal felony charge of failing to register as an investment advisor. Paxton maintains his innocence and argues he is the victim of a political witch hunt. He is expected to face a jury as early as March, although a federal court dismissed similar charges against him early this year.

Relying on indictment

Many expected Paxton would be surrounded by challengers eager to push him out of office after years of him operating under a cloud of controversy and criminal charges. Although several Republicans from his own party toyed with the idea, none stepped up, giving him a free ride to the general election where Republicans have slaughtered Democrats by at least 20 percentage points in recent statewide races.

Nelson plans to lean into Paxton's legal troubles by highlighting to voters that their state's stop law enforcement officer faces trial for fraud. The charges stem from Paxton allegedly failing to tell members in his investment group he would make a commission when convincing them to buy stock in a North Texas tech company. He was a member of the Texas House back then, and the charges are not affiliated with his government service.

"It's an embarrassment to Texans," Nelson added. "We should be outraged. If he's defrauding his friends, what's he doing to the rest of us?"

Paxton's campaign is confident Texas voters will find Nelson too liberal for their taste.

"Nelson's last-minute candidacy is going to be rejected by the voters of Texas because his political support of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards is at odds with the mainstream conservative values of Texans," said Matt Welch, Paxton's campaign spokesman.

Nelson contends he would in fact be a better fit for the attorney general's office: He's a non-politician who clerked for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor of the United States Supreme Court and Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

'I need to educate people'

The attorney general's office in recent years is known for taking controversial cases to the state and United States Supreme Court. The office is also responsible for defending the state and U.S. constitutions in court, representing the state in litigation, approving the issuance of public bonds, protecting against consumer fraud, enforcing child support agreements, issuing grants helping crime victims financially recover, opine on open record requests and issue advisory opinions.

Nelson plans to put his own money into the race, but he won't have enough to self-fund a race that could easily cost more than a $1 million.

With Nelson ready to throw punches at the attorney general, the race has the potential to get ugly, he said. Is he and his wife willing to put their family through this, they asked themselves.

The answer was yes, he said, adding that real people should be involved in politics.

"This isn't a kamikaze mission," said Nelson. "People don't know me. I need to educate people."
Jeannette Clift George, a Golden Globe nominated actress, native Houstonian and local theater company founder, died Saturday at 92.

George was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as Corrie ten Boom in the 1975 film "The Hiding Place," which was about a family who sheltered Jewish neighbors during the Holocaust and then were imprisoned in a concentration camp.

Even prior to that role, George had made a name for herself in Houston's theater life. In 1967, she founded Houston's After Dinner (A.D.) Players Theater Company, which is Christian based, according to the company's Facebook page.

The company produces six Main Stage shows each year and is "committed to producing plays and programs that uphold human value, offer creativity and promote literacy and education."

In a Christmas Eve Facebook post, the company paid tribute to the woman who led them for nearly five decades.

"Those who knew and loved Jeannette well will remember her laughter, her winsome teaching, her life-long passion for theatre and her steadfast love for her Lord Jesus Christ," it read. "Her presence among us will be sorely missed."

George received numerous awards throughout her lifetime, including the Matrix Award for outstanding contribution to the community through her playwriting; the Delta Gamma Fraternity Shield Award for distinguished achievement; and the 1998 Texas Baptist Communications Award.

Along with her distinguished acting career, George was an author and Bible teacher.

"Her friendship, her teacher and her writing have been treasured by many," a company news release stated.

She held honorary degrees from Dallas Baptist University and Houston Baptist University. She is a distinguished alumna of The University of Texas at Austin Theatre and Dance Department.

A memorial service will be held in January at Houston's Second Baptist Church, 6400 Woodway Drive. Details still are pending.
The killing at dawn was eerily familiar, like so many other early-morning deaths.

Police received the call just before sunrise - shots fired at an after-hours club. One young man was dead.

That September morning, 26-year-old Alberth Sinisterr-Villegas was gunned down inside the Allure Lounge on Richmond Avenue. His death came months after a fatal Dec. 30 melee outside Club Life on Fannin Street and a shooting that injured two at Xplicit lounge in February.

None of the clubs should have been serving alcohol at the time - but they were, investigators say. And the results were deadly.

At least 50 people have been killed since 2010 in violent outbreaks at Houston-area clubs operating without liquor licenses or after hours at licensed clubs that were later closed, sued or fined for selling alcohol after 2 a.m., a Houston Chronicle investigation of police, court and state records found.

Dozens more have been wounded, robbed or assaulted as the clubs operated unfettered for months or years, their owners pulling in what county officials say are huge sums of cash at the expense of the surrounding community's safety.

Because of gaps in regulatory oversight, owners and landlords of unlicensed bars often face only minor punishments.

More Information By the numbers:after-hours bars 27: People killed after hours at licensed bars in Houston since 2010 23: People killed at unlicensed bars in Houston since 2010 22: Locations sued or closed by the Harris County Attorney's Office since Jan. 1, 2017 17: Restraining orders filed against properties harboring after-hours clubs in the first 10 months of 2017 See More Collapse

"It's a criminal enterprise," said Celena Vinson, a lawyer in the Harris County Attorney's public nuisance office. "They're just criminals playing with a system that kind of allows them to."

Since Jan. 1, County Attorney Vince Ryan's office has obtained restraining orders against 22 Houston clubs described in court documents as public nuisances and hubs for gang violence, drug trafficking, prostitution and sexual assault.

For neighbors living in fear of late-night brawls and random gunfire, the closures can't come soon enough.

Lines of people wait outside to get into the after-hours clubs, lured on social media by promises of "free trash can punch" and "Jell-O shots all night."

Property owners, however, may not know what's going on inside the clubs because of a "shell game" of management that transfers from one person to another, said Jason Fowell, who represents Ben Wah Property, the Club Life landlords who he said are not fighting efforts to shut down the unlicensed bar that county officials say is operating there.

"It's a terrible situation for the property owner," Fowell told the Chronicle.

Representatives for club management could not be reached for comment.

'Tons of money'

Houston, with its sprawling strip malls and lack of zoning laws, had for decades been a magnet for illegal nightclubs. And for decades, law enforcement had successfully worked to shut them down.

But the internet changed things.

"Social media has driven this after-hours phenomenon," said Assistant County Attorney Rosemarie Donnelly. "It is more prevalent for that reason."

Previously, club operators had to attract customers through word-of-mouth. Now, they simply use anonymous online aliases to build and then mobilize devoted, frequently underage party-goers to storefronts around the city, many of which are imperceptible to outsiders until the wee morning hours  or until tragedy strikes.

Chris Porter, a spokesman for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, called unlicensed clubs "a big public safety concern." But there are limits to the agency's authority over them, he said.

It's impossible, he notes, to revoke or suspend a license that never existed in the first place. Instead, TABC takes what Porter called a "support and advisory role," sharing public complaints and permit records with local law enforcement. Police then conduct undercover sting operations before referring the cases to county attorneys' offices, which in turn pursue restraining orders to close the establishments.

Sgt. J. Robles, with the Houston Police Department's Vice Division, said the brazen way many unlicensed clubs advertise online has made it easier for his team to find them. But even successful sting operations can only do so much.

Restraining orders, meanwhile, are efficient for shutting down single locations. But in many cases, bar managers simply use the names of friends or family to open new storefronts, while landlords claim in court that they were unaware the clubs were unlicensed or selling alcohol after hours. In some cases, there isn't even a formal lease, making it even more difficult to prove landlords willfully violated the law.

"These are big locations," Vinson said. "They're making tons of money. They're profitable. How a landlord for these types of clubs, where murders are happening, isn't aware of what's going on - it's really hard to believe."

'Party with us tonight'

Even before the shooting at Allure Lounge in September, authorities were well-acquainted with the stretch of Richmond Avenue between Fondren and Gessner in southwest Houston.

Ryan's office had months earlier filed suits against two clubs in the 9300 block of Richmond Avenue. Both were the scenes of early-morning killings, including one in which a gunshot victim was found in a charred car down the road, police records show. The clubs also shared a parking lot with a daycare that opened at 6 a.m. - the same time many patrons were spilling out.

In the 9200 block, court records show that three clubs were operating at the time of Sinisterr-Villegas' death, including Allure Lounge. In the year before his death, Houston police responded to dozens of calls reporting violent crimes at the location, including a July 30 shooting that injured one person in the parking lot, police records show.

On Aug. 3, Houston vice officers conducted an undercover sting at one of the clubs, named ALAA, arresting a bartender and manager on charges they violated state liquor laws, court records show.

But that didn't stop drinks from flowing next door: Court records show that days later, another club, Blush Lounge, posted online advertisements bragging about being the only Houston establishment open during city-wide curfew hours for Hurricane Harvey.

Court records show that the property owner, Wonsong Investment Company, did not respond to multiple letters about the three clubs, including one that came a few days before Sinisterr-Villegas was killed.

Wonsong Investment Company did not respond to multiple calls for comment.

An attorney for Jose Ruiz, who according to court documents was the operator of Blush Lounge, said his client is being unfairly blamed for the actions of the two other clubs.

Houston attorney Jack Fuerst said Blush Lounge did not sell alcohol, and that any advertisements for alcohol there had been posted by rival clubs.

"It's a very vicious business," Fuerst said. "And there are other clubs in the area, and in order to ruin the other businesses, they put out fake fliers showing and telling that they're selling liquor."

'Free liquor all night'

Homeowners near the Dixie Warehouse in southeast Houston said they have complained for months about the club, which was temporarily shut down in October by a court order.

An undercover sting by Houston police on Oct. 20 found about 300 people inside the warehouse, many of them underage, with a juvenile tending the makeshift bar, according to court records.

Ryan's office won a restraining order against the club at 3365 Dixie Drive on Oct. 24 - eight days after police say a patron was robbed at gunpoint, 12 days after another person was shot and eight months after a 19-year-old was critically wounded by gunfire there, court records show.

Neighbors declined to speak publicly, fearing retaliation, but they point to the bullet-shattered windows at one house adjacent to the parking lot. Others tell of losing their internet and cable service after the telephone poles straddling the property were damaged by gunshots.

Online advertising made no secret of what the club was offering, according to the county attorney's office.

"Free liquor all night," read one online advertisement cited in court records.

"The coolest drinking party of the summer," read a separate online advertisement for the "#HTXDrunkFest" at the club in June, court records show.

People identified in court filings as owners or operators of Dixie Warehouse could not be reached for comment. Court documents do not list an attorney representing them.

A man whose phone number was listed on one advertisement and who said he was a promoter for the club, said no alcohol was sold there.

"Just water and soda," he said, when reached by phone.

Getting tough

Lawmakers have in recent years strengthened TABC's enforcement abilities, including a 2015 bill that allowed TABC to issue five-year bans on licenses for those who use another person's liquor permit.

"The Legislature has already given TABC the authority it needs to regulate businesses which hold a license to sell alcohol," said Porter, TABC spokesman.

But cracking down on unlicensed bars is more difficult, Porter and others said.

"It's a conundrum," said state Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, noting as others have that the off-the-books nature of unlicensed clubs makes containing their spread extremely difficult.

"We'd have to set up a regulatory scheme," he said.

That'd be difficult, given the diversity of Houston and Texas. Coleman and others also suggested spreading out criminal or civil penalties to all parties involved in managing unlicensed clubs. That, too, would only do so much, given that many operate without any formal documents.

Vinson and Donnelly, meanwhile, suggested stronger civil penalties that would levy fines based on the number of days a club operated illegally.

Until then, they said, they will continue the fight - even if it sometimes feels like an uphill battle.

"It's a game," Vinson said. "And a lot of times it works in their favor."
View our special online presentation at HoustonChronicle.com/AliveInside to read the series in full, explore more photos and videos and watch how other patients with severe brain injuries are coping.

***

Danielle McNicoll wheeled her fiance into his hospital room after physical therapy, then turned his power chair to face a mirror and ran her fingers through his hair. He never would have let it get this long, she thought.

"Are you ready for a trim, Nick?" Danielle said as she pulled out a set of electric clippers.

Nick Tullier stared back at his reflection, expressionless.

He still looked like the man she'd met four years earlier, when he was a regular at her salon in Baton Rouge, La. Nick, a sheriff's deputy, would show up after his shift every other Friday, still in his uniform, and ask for Danielle by name. She started dressing up on days she knew he'd be there.

They flirted, dated, then fell in love. "I feel like there's a big magnet between us," she'd told him early on, "just drawing us together."

Then, last summer, she thought she'd lost him. He and five others were gunned down by a former Marine and black separatist who had come from Missouri to Louisiana to kill cops. Nick was one of three who survived, but just barely. The doctors who saved his life told his family he would never regain consciousness. One suggested removing his feeding tube, to help speed the inevitable.

Now, nearly a year later, Danielle flicked on the clippers and moved them gently across Nick's scalp, taking extra care as she trimmed the left side of his head, where a bullet had exploded through his skull.

Consciousness and controversy Medical advances in the 1950s and '60s gave rise to the debate over when to withdraw life-sustaining care. Despite breakthroughs in scientific knowledge over the past 20 years, medical care and end-of-life decisions are still shaped, in large part, by a primitive understanding of brain injuries and consciousness. 1972 Bryan Jennett, a British neurosurgeon, and Fred Plum, an American neurologist, coin the term "persistent vegetative state" in a landmark paper published in Lancet, describing such patients as "incapable of communication and without hope of recovery as social human beings." 1976 In a landmark case, the New Jersey Supreme Court orders a hospital to honor the request of Karen Ann Quinlan's parents to remove her ventilator. Doctors had determined the woman was in a vegetative state. The court rules that keeping her alive would be "cruel and unusual." 1990 In the first right-to-die case to reach the U.S. Supreme Court, justices rule 5-4 that the parents of Nancy Cruzan of Missouri needed to present "clear and convincing evidence," such as a living will, that their daughter wouldn't want to live in a vegetative state before they could direct the hospital to remove her feeding tube. The case established that the right to die was not guaranteed by the Constitution, and it set out guidelines for what was required for a third party to refuse treatment on behalf of a loved one. 1994 Research finds that, of those in a vegetative state one month after a traumatic brain injury, more than 50 percent regain consciousness after one year. The finding prompts the American Neurological Association to issue guidelines eliminating the use of the term "permanent" in assessing patients believed to be unconscious following brain injury. 2001 In one of the first legal cases involving an end-of-life decision for a "minimally conscious" patient - a year before that term was officially established - the California Supreme Court rules that the wife of Robert Wendland does not have the authority to remove his feeding tube. Though the court holds that a family member can withhold artificial nutrition and hydration from a patient in a vegetative state, the justices view that as quite different from when a patient is conscious but incompetent because such a patient might perceive the effects of starvation and dehydration. 2002 A task force of leading neurologists and rehab physicians releases a report defining, for the first time, the state of heightened awareness that many vegetative patients seem to emerge into, dubbing it "the minimally conscious state." 2005 A federal court orders a hospital to remove Terri Schiavo's feeding tube, ending a decadelong legal battle and one of the nation's most famous end-of-life controversies involving a vegetative patient. The case swung public sentiment in support of "death with dignity" and led to a surge in the number of people signing living wills to direct physicians and loved ones when to withdraw medical care after an accident. 2009 A study of patients in nursing homes finds that 41 percent of those with vegetative state diagnoses are, in fact, minimally conscious, confirming previous reports of high misdiagnosis rates and raising concerns that thousands of conscious patients had been denied an opportunity for rehabiltation. See More Collapse

"Nick is very particular about his hair," she said a minute later, snipping a quarter-inch off the top with scissors.

She talks about him like that, in the present tense, but it's impossible to know how Nick's former thoughts and desires square with the man he is today. The Nick who survived.

When he arrived at this Houston rehabilitation hospital a few months after the shooting, a neuropsychologist quickly determined he wasn't in a coma or a vegetative state, as previously thought, but was drifting in the netherworld between consciousness and brain death. He knew who he was and where he was but could do little to show it.

GRAY MATTERS: Why I spent a year reporting on severe brain injuries

The revelation amazed Danielle and Nick's parents, even if they weren't sure what it meant. Doctors here, at TIRR Memorial Hermann, are among the best in the country at treating patients with so-called disorders of consciousness. But even they couldn't say how much Nick, 41, would recover.

Would he ever talk again? Or walk?

He was fortunate to have made it this far. Thousands of people are discharged to nursing homes or acute care hospitals each year, assumed to be unconscious after suffering a severe brain injury. Experts now believe a staggering number of these patients - more than 40 percent, according to some estimates - are covertly aware, in what scientists have dubbed the "minimally conscious state."

They are trapped inside themselves, mislabeled by physicians untrained in identifying subtle signs of consciousness and cut off from therapy by insurance companies unwilling to cover people seemingly damaged beyond repair. Some never even make it out of the intensive care unit, where doctors and nurses too often prod families to withdraw life support, apparently unaware of the brain's ability to heal and rewire itself over the course of months and even years.

Dr. Joseph Fins, a medical ethicist who has spent decades working with severely brain-injured patients, calls their treatment "the civil rights issue you never heard of." No one knows for sure how many people are mislabeled as vegetative, and therefore cut off from rehab, because no effort has ever been made in the U.S. to identify or count minimally conscious patients. One study pegs their number at as many as 280,000.

"Try to imagine it," said Fins, a professor at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. "Lying in bed, aware of your surroundings but unable to communicate, and nobody is talking to you. Nobody is working with you. It's a horror story."

With the right treatment, Danielle believes Nick will keep improving, little by little. That someday, she'll hear his voice again and his playful laugh. She already feels like her best friend has returned to her, even if he can't say so. Even if she's doing all the talking, carrying on a perpetually one-sided conversation, determined to maintain their magnetic bond.

"He's in there," she says when people ask, refusing to acknowledge even the possibility of the alternative.

Danielle set the scissors aside and brushed clippings off his neck. She rubbed gel in her hands and slicked his hair into a spike - the way he likes it. As she backed away, Nick's gaze suddenly locked on himself in the mirror, and for a moment, his mouth formed into a smirk.

It was subtle, not the wide grin he'd flashed the day they met, but for now, it was enough.

"See," Danielle said, wrapping her arms around Nick's broad shoulders, "we're still cute together."

By then, though, his smile had faded.

***



Ten months earlier. July 17, 2016.

Nick had told Danielle he didn't want to go to work that morning. It was a Sunday, when they normally slept in and ate breakfast together. He was exhausted after days of responding to protests, part of the unrest that swept the country after a string of high-profile shootings of black men by police.

Danielle gave him a kiss as he headed out the door and told him to be safe, though, for once, she wasn't worried. He was supposed to be patroling a sleepy section of town. A couple of hours later, she texted him: "I'm bored. Is it time for you to come home yet?"

By then, Nick was speeding toward a distress call: "Shots fired, officer down! Shots fired, officer down!"

He pulled into a parking lot near the scene of the violence and stepped out to inspect an empty Chevy Malibu. Then gunfire exploded from nearby woods.

The first bullet ripped through his stomach, shredding his intestines. As Nick toppled into his car, two more bullets hit him, one in the left shoulder, the other through his head, rattling his skull and filling his brain stem with shrapnel.

Another officer drove up as bullets whizzed by. He grabbed Nick, tossed him into his cruiser, then sped toward paramedics. Blood poured from Nick's body as an ambulance raced him to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center.

On an operating table, his heart gave out. Doctors managed to revive him all four times he went into cardiac arrest, but in those critical minutes, his brain was starved of blood and oxygen, setting off a microscopic cascade.

At first, panicked cells in his brain would have released glucose reserves, providing energy to keep fragile neurons alive. After about a minute, those reserves would have been depleted, and brain cells responsible for regulating chemistry would begin to fail. When that happens, chemicals that normally facilitate brain function - potassium, sodium and calcium - are unleashed in toxic proportions.

As medics pressed on Nick's chest that day, nerve fibers that carry electrical currents between regions of his brain - the pathways of consciousness - were collapsing in rapid succession.

By the time doctors stabilized his body, they believed, based on experience and training, that they had not done it fast enough to save his mind.

***

Danielle waited in a private room with Nick's parents. At first, they knew only two things: Nick was alive, and at least a few other officers were not. The screams of their loved ones had echoed through the hospital.

Finally, after several hours, they were led into a recovery room. Nick's head was wrapped in bandages, and his face was swollen. A ventilator pumped air in and out of his lungs. His eyes were closed.

The surgeons explained how they had stopped the bleeding from his abdomen and worked to ease the swelling in his brain. Despite their efforts, the doctors weren't confident Nick would survive the night. "I'm sorry," one of them said, before leaving them to cry and pray.

Nick was still alive the next morning, but that same doctor warned he probably wouldn't live much longer.

After a week, when Nick had started breathing on his own, a neurosurgeon sat the family down and showed them scans of his damaged brain. Only a small number of people recover after a traumatic brain injury, such as a gunshot to the head, he told them. Even fewer get better after their brain has been starved of oxygen for more than a few minutes, what doctors call an anoxic brain injury, because that type of injury causes more widespread damage, affecting virtually every brain cell.

It was highly unlikely, the doctor said, Nick could overcome both.

Danielle and Nick's family spent hours talking to him in the weeks that followed, checking his pupils, squeezing his hand, praying they would feel him squeeze back. Once, Nick seemed to move his arm. That's just posturing, the doctors said. Later, Nick's toes curled. A reflex of a damaged nervous system, they explained.

Danielle would sit at his bedside, quietly singing love songs, hoping for a flicker:

"So I'm gonna love you

Like I'm gonna lose you

I'm gonna hold you

Like I'm saying goodbye."

One afternoon, Nick appeared to wiggle his toes in response to her voice. She asked him to do it again: "Nick, move your toes. If you can hear me, move your toes."

He eventually did as she asked, or seemed to, at least. The doctors still weren't convinced. Nick's father, James, recalled that one, in particular, was especially pessimistic.

I know your family needs to get together to discuss  the doctor had said, after suggesting a life bound to a hospital bed and a feeding tube might not be one worth living.

James cut him off.

"Let me tell you something," he said, raising his voice. "We don't unplug."

Danielle held Nick's hand and shuddered: Had he heard that exchange?

***

A half century ago, there wouldn't have been a plug to pull.

Dramatic improvements in intensive care in the 1960s led to a new class of patients: those whose bodies had been saved - kept alive with breathing machines and feeding tubes - but whose brains were believed damaged beyond repair.

Doctors discovered that an injured brain generally would shake off a coma - a totally unresponsive, eyes-closed state - within a month. Most patients then graduated into a state of "wakeful unresponsiveness" that neurologist Fred Plum, in 1972, named the "persistent vegetative state." Those patients, Plum wrote, appear to be awake but are unaware of their surroundings.

The new classification forced people to begin contemplating questions without easy answers: What is a life worth living? And who gets to decide?

Three years later, a 21-year-old New Jersey woman downed too many gin and tonics - and maybe some Valium - at a friend's birthday party. She passed out at her apartment, and by the time paramedics revived her, her brain had been starved of oxygen for at least 15 minutes.

After weeks of watching her stare blankly from a hospital bed, Karen Ann Quinlan's parents made a gut-wrenching decision, one now repeated hundreds of times each day across the country: They asked to have her ventilator removed.

Hospital officials balked at the request, fearing repercussions from a county prosecutor who had threatened to bring homicide charges if they complied. The legal battle that followed went all the way to the New Jersey Supreme Court, which, in 1976, sided with the family. In its opinion, the court wrote that the state had no interest in forcing Quinlan to "endure the unendurable, only to vegetate a few measurable months with no realistic possibility of returning to any semblance of cognitive or sapient life."

The case made national headlines, ushering in the rise of the right-to-die movement in the United States. It also cemented a view that has persisted for four decades: Severely brain-injured patients are, in many cases, better off dead. Consciousness became the legal and moral dividing line.

That outlook led physicians to rethink their longstanding philosophy of saving lives at any cost, and helped make palliative and hospice care mainstream in America, two movements that prioritize a patient's comfort over medical intervention. It also caused clinicians and insurers to begin viewing many brain-injured people - patients such as Nick Tullier - as a class beyond hope.

"We assume they are not conscious, when often they are," said Fins, the medical ethics professor. "We assume there's no value in rehabbing them, even as there's growing evidence to the contrary."

Fins has given lectures to medical groups, testified before Congress and penned dozens of essays calling for a radical change in how brain injuries are diagnosed and treated in America. The problems begin in the trauma center, he said, where well-meaning doctors are in a hurry to help families discern hope from hopelessness.

In a recent study of trauma-center outcomes in Washington state, researchers found that a third of patients who'd suffered an anoxic brain injury as a result of cardiac arrest had life-sustaining medical care withdrawn less than 72 hours after arriving at the hospital, long before anyone can accurately predict their likelihood of recovery.

Among those who died after having care prematurely withdrawn, the researchers estimated one in seven might have gone on to recover some level of functional independence. Nationally, the researchers concluded, as many as 2,300 cardiac arrest patients could be saved each year by waiting at least three days before removing life support. Thousands more could be saved by applying the same rule after someone suffers a stroke, or a traumatic brain injury.

"Without a doubt," Fins said, "we are letting people die in the hospital who might otherwise recover."

Among those who survive severe brain injuries, the majority are deemed vegetative and steered toward hospice, rather than rehab, said L. Syd Johnson, a neuroethicist at Michigan Technological University. The failure to correctly assess and diagnose such patients, she said, has led to "an acceptance that their right to die is their only remaining right."

If consciousness defines who is and who isn't a person, Johnson said, "then we have to acknowledge that we are wrong 40 percent of the time."

Back in 1976, the hospital in New Jersey complied with the court's order to turn off Quinlan's breathing machine. But she didn't die as the court had expected. Instead, she began breathing on her own. Her parents, devout Catholics, couldn't bring themselves to remove her feeding tube after that.

They, like many who've followed, drew a distinction between withholding medical care and withholding food or water. Quinlan lived another decade, mostly tethered to a bed, before dying of pneumonia.

What might have been happening inside her brain all those years?

Scientists are only now beginning to understand.

***

Five weeks after the shooting.

Nick wasn't showing meaningful signs of progress, at least not according to doctors in Baton Rouge. His family knew they needed to get him to a hospital more specialized in treating chronic brain injuries, but like most people in their situation, they had no idea where to turn.

On Aug. 23, 2016, President Barack Obama stopped in Baton Rouge to get a look at the city following historic floods there. James Tullier managed to arrange a meeting. His son's story had become national news.

At the airport, James handed the president a note listing his family's concerns and needs. Obama skimmed it, then called over his shoulder for his personal physician, Dr. Ronnie Jackson, a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy. Jackson, Obama told James, would make sure Nick got the care he needed.

By then, Danielle and Nick's parents were convinced a miracle was unfolding. Nick had been moving his feet and toes more consistently. He'd squeezed their hands once or twice. He'd even blinked his right eye one time when they asked.

A couple of weeks later, the Tulliers had a decision to make. Jackson had recommended rehab facilities that specialize in treating patients like Nick. One was in Chicago, another in Houston.

They read everything they could about both hospitals and arranged calls with liaisons at each. They consulted again with Jackson, as well as Vice President Joe Biden's personal doctor, before settling on TIRR Memorial Hermann, and a soft-spoken rehab physician named Dr. Sunil Kothari.

As they were finalizing arrangements to transfer Nick, James and his wife, Mary, pulled Danielle aside. For months, she'd barely left their son's bedside. But she was only 23 years old. Not yet his wife.

"Danielle, Nick's got a long road ahead of him," James told her. "There ain't nobody gonna be mad at you if you decide to stay in Baton Rouge."

A few days later, Nick was strapped into a small jet bound for Houston.

Danielle wasn't far behind. She drove west along Interstate 10 toward Texas, unaware of the struggle ahead.

___

ALIVE INSIDE:

After deputy Nick Tullier was shot in the head, one doctor suggested removing life support. But he wasn't in a vegetative state, as physicians believed. Like thousands with similar injuries, Tullier was conscious, just unable to show it. Read how a Houston hospital restores patients with severe brain injuries here.

Part 1: How a Houston hospital restores patients with severe brain injuries

Part 2: Consciousness reborn: Doctors often miss the signs

Part 3: Rehab. Tests. Will. Endurance. Doctors realize 'the brain is not hardwired'

Part 4: Can patients find new meaning in life?

VIDEO STORIES:

At TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston, people once thought as good as get find a shot at recovery. Read how patients with severe brain injuries share a common struggle here.

ALIVE INSIDE:

Have you or a loved one suffered a severe brain injury? Tell us your story.

SUBSCRIBE:

Click here to support our journalism.

___

Mike Hixenbaugh writes about health care and medicine for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Send him tips at mike.hixenbaugh@chron.com.




President Donald Trump's get-tough policies toward immigrants living in the U.S. illegally may win points with his supporters, but they are exacting a steep price from those who fled to the U.S. seeking better lives and now face a forced return to the dangers they tried to escape.

One of them is Mexican journalist Emilio Gutierrez Soto who came over in 2008 and requested asylum but was given a temporary work permit while awaiting a decision. He didn't get an answer until last July, nine years later, when an immigration judge in El Paso denied his request.

Gutierrez, 54, and his son came to the U.S. to escape death threats from a Mexican general angry about stories he had written for El Diario del Noroeste describing abusive behavior by soldiers in the northern state of Chihuahua. He feared they would kill him and believes they still would if he returns.

A number of U.S. and international press organizations have taken up his fight while he appeals the decision. An immigration appeals board initially upheld the asylum denial in November and ordered Gutierrez out of the country, but now is reconsidering the case.

Unfortunately, Gutierrez and his son Oscar, 24, have been placed in detention while the matter is being decided.

In October, Gutierrez flew to Washington to accept the National Press Club's John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award on behalf of this year's winner, which was the entire Mexican press. On Dec. 11, he spoke again to the club, but this time it was a news conference by telephone from the detention center.

We agree with the National Press Club, which said in a Dec. 13 letter to the appeals board that sending Gutierrez back to Mexico "could be tantamount to a death sentence by an immigration judge."

Perhaps the board didn't take death threats to Mexican journalists seriously enough in its first decision, but we do because numbers don't lie.

The National Human Rights Commission in Mexico says 73 journalists have been killed since 2010, including 11 this year, according to a new U.N. report that called those numbers "a picture for the situation of journalists in Mexico that cannot be described as other than catastrophic."

We would urge the appeals board to act quickly because Gutierrez and his son are in detention and in limbo, having been in the latter for a long time. Based on what we know about this case, there is no good reason not to grant amnesty and we would urge the board to do so.
Comstock

A recent editorial in the Houston Chronicle, titled "Out of Whack" declared that conservative leaders like Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Patrick and myself should stop "playing to a narrow base of angry voters" and work with local government officials on the "serious issues" that face our area. While I cannot speak for anyone else, I have advocated for a third west side reservoir to be built in response to Hurricane Harvey along with other colleagues. The Chronicle editorial Board is missing what is really "out of whack" is the tremendous increase in local property tax bills that have taxpayers angry.

For example, according to the certified annual financial report for Harris County, from 2013 to 2016, the average home has seen a 36.4 percent increase on the county portion of their property tax bill in just three years! In other words, Harris County, in just their general fund alone, collected over $400 million more every single year! When you include additional taxing entities, the average tax bill in Harris County has risen from $3,582 in 2013 to $4,675 in 2016 - more than a 30 percent increase! While county tax bills grew an average of 36.4 percent, city of Houston tax bills, due to a voter imposed tax rate cap similar to Senate Bill 1, only grew 21.5 percent over the same period of time. I believe that property tax reform is one of the most serious issues facing all Texans and I will continue to advocate for conservative solutions to Texas challenges to bring down this double digit rate of growth year after year on property tax bills.
Lois Elese Scholfield Green, 99, passed away Saturday, Dec. 23, 2017, at Licking Nursing Home-Hickory Manor.

She was born Sept. 30, 1918, in Redfield, Kan., daughter of Walter Bright and Beulah F. Lumen Scholfield. She and Edgar William Green were married March 13, 1938, in Redfield, Kan.

She was a trained hairdresser and homemaker. She enjoyed making afghans, sweaters, potholders and dishrags to share with friends and family.

She served her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, remaining an active supporting member of the Methodist church all her life.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 62 years, Edgar on Dec. 14, 2000; four brothers, Gene, Mick, Dick and Joe; a sister; Martha; and a great-granddaughter.

Survivors include two sons, Robert L. Green of Licking and Gary Edgar Green of Mountain Home, Ark.; a brother, Victor of Wichita, Kan.; many grandchildren, step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces and nephews.

Services are 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29, at Fox Funeral Home under the direction of Grant Heithold and Pastor Paul Richardson. Burial will be in Craddock Cemetery.

Online condolences may be made at www.foxfh.net.
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Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.
The Conservation Commission gave approval for borings to determine the suitability of a boardwalk as part of the Mohawk Bike Path.

North Adams Conservation Commission OKs Borings for Bike Path



Greenman-Pedersen engineers Seth Campbell and Lindsey Barbee presented to the commission.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The Conservation Commission last week gave the go-ahead for borings to be taken along the proposed Mohawk Bike Path next month.



Commissioners on Monday determined a negative determination of applicability of the Wetlands Protection Act but set certain conditions to ensure they were aware of actions being taken in the area near Harriman and West Airport.



Engineers from Greenman-Pedersen Inc. of Wilmington, project managers for the 3.5-mile trail that will run from Simonds Road in Williamstown to Harriman & West Airport, said five borings will be done on city property just north of the airport.



"The intent of the borings is to get some subsurface soil and rock information because the proposed Mohawk trail/bicycle path is intended to go over the wetlands rather than create permanent impacts," said GPI engineer Lindsey Barbee. "So we're looking at some type of boardwalk structure."



The City Council last month accepted a 9.6-acre lot owned by Bay Colony LLC that will allow a one-mile city path to piggyback on the 2.5 miles project running through Williamstown. The area in question is an overgrown wetlands bordering a cul de sac to the east and links into the airport property to the south.



Barbee, and colleague Seth Campbell, said the borings would be done by GEI Consultants Inc. of Holyoke, an environmental engineering firm.



"The idea is to complete five borings, 60 foot depth if we can, and a track-mounted drill rig out of Holyoke is going to do that," Barbee said.



Access would be through the airport and she estimated one or two days to do all five borings. The work was expected to occur in January, possibly February, when there was enough snow and cold to alleviate any impact on the area in question.
Palestinians Use Christians as Pawns, Israel Protects Them

The Fellowship | December 26, 2017 A picture taken on December 23, 2017 shows a general view of Christmas decorations in the Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity (back) in the Palestinian West Bank town of Bethlehem. / AFP PHOTO / Musa AL SHAER (Photo credit should read MUSA AL SHAER/AFP/Getty Images)

While Palestinians often try to act as friends of the Holy Lands Christian community, it is only so they can exploit Christians in their fight against the Jewish state. JNS Ariel Ben Solomon explains that by defending its Christian minority, Israel shows itself to be the true friend of Christians:

The Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israeli Muslim figures often voice support for Christians and seek to utilize them in the struggle against Israel, but it is the Jewish state that stands out as a defender of Middle East Christians.

In a Christmas message last Friday, PA President Mahmoud Abbas called President Donald Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital an insult to millions of people worldwide, and also to the city of Bethlehem.

The exploitation of Christianity by the Palestinians is not new, as their leaders have for years claimed that early followers of the faithand even Jesus himselfwere Palestinian, even though Palestinian nationalism is a creation of the 20th century as a response to Zionism.

But how much do Muslim Palestinian or Israeli Arab leaders actually care about Christians?

Dexter Van Zile, the Christian media analyst at the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), told JNS that the population of Christians in the West Bank has not declined during the past few decades, as anti-Zionists claim as a talking point against Israel.

The reality is a bit more complex: Under Jordanian control, the Christian population declined in the West Bank and east Jerusalem from about 60,000 in 1949 to 42,000 in 1967. The Christian population in the West Bank was about 52,000 in 2007, which indicates that Jewish control over the area was in fact good for the Christians, he said
Microsoft Making TLS 1.2 Mandatory for Office 365

Washington, DC - Microsoft has announced plans to enforce TLS 1.2 on its Office 365 platform. Starting on March 1, 2018 all client-server and browser-server combinations must use TLS 1.2 or later protocol versions (1.3) to be able to connect to Office 365 services without issue.

Although current analysis of connections to Microsoft Online services shows that very few customers still use TLS 1.0 and 1.1, we are providing notice of this change so that you can update any affected clients or servers as necessary before support for TLS 1.0 and 1.1 is disabled. If you are using any on-premises infrastructure for hybrid scenarios or Active Directory Federation Services, make sure that these infrastructures can support both inbound and outbound connections that use TLS 1.2.

TLS 1.3 is gaining wider support and the older versions of TLS are beginning to represent a potential security threat. Microsoft was quick to assure people that its TLS 1.0 implementation has no known security vulnerabilities.

Because of the potential for future protocol downgrade attacks and other TLS vulnerabilities, we are disabling the use of TLS 1.0 and 1.1 in the service.

TLS or Transport Layer Security is successor to SSL. That being said, theyre still colloquially know as SSL certificates, previous versions of the SSL protocol have been found vulnerable to it has no been fully deprecated. And with release of TLS 1.3, you can expect more and more companies to end support for 1.0 and 1.1.

Microsoft provided a link to a recent white paper to help with any TLS 1.0 dependencies.
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A policeman went above and beyond the call of duty by making the dreams of an autistic teenager come true.

Johnny Morin is a 15-year-old boy from Texas.

Morin, who is on the autism spectrum, has one ultimate wish - to become a police officer one day.

Morins uncle, Carlos Saldivar, used to go to Bradfield Elementary School in Dallas with Craig Dockter, as reported by CBS DFW.

Dockter has since become a Garland police officer, so Saldivar got back in touch with his old classmate to make his nephews dreams a reality.

Dockter and Saldivar had been planning the surprise for months and it was all worth it in the end for Morins priceless reaction.

CBS DFW

When Morin first met Dockter, he couldnt contain his excitement.

He ran past his uncle, past his mum, everybody, ran to me, gave me a hug, and called me by the name, and Id never met him, says the police officer.

Dockter let Morin blare the siren in the police car, took him for a ride and even gave him a badge of his own.

CBS DFW

Morins stepmother, Sonia Rodriguez, explained what the exchange meant for the young boy and his family.

Hes very much loved, she said. He has a lot of people that love him, and so were glad that he got, that Officer Craig is able to make his dream come true.

According to the National Police Autism Association, theres no reason why a person on the autism spectrum cant become a police officer in the UK if they pass all the requirements.

Officers with Asperger syndrome (a form of autism without intellectual impairment) can be found at all levels of the police service, their website states.

Some were diagnosed with the condition after several years service, having successfully passed the entry assessment centre alongside non-disabled (or neurotypical - NT) candidates.

The National Police Autism Association is a national support group for people with autism and other neurodiverse conditions in the UK police force.
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When Karen Anvil went to watch the royal family on Christmas, she wasnt expecting to come away with one of the most iconic photos of the day.

Anvil is a single mother with one daughter, both of whom were very keen to join the crowds at Sandringham on Christmas Day.

Anvil explained how in the past, her ill health has sometimes hampered her and her daughters Christmas Day plans.

 Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton appear together at Royal Family Christmas Day service

Karen Anvil (GoffPhotos)

Three years ago, I was hospitalised. I had sepsis due to kidney problems, Anvil told The Independent.

I suffered ill health for seven years. Im better now thank god, but Ive always been ill.

Anvils daughter said she wanted to visit Sandringham on Christmas, so Anvil promised that they would go the next year when she was feeling better.

The pair ventured out to watch the royals the following year, but it wasnt until this year that Anvil discovered her talent for photography.

Their day started off normal, with Anvil and her daughter joining the throng of people waiting for the Royal family at 8.15am.

We were going to visit some relatives for Christmas dinner and I thought this would be a good way to break up the day, she said.

Recommended Hundreds flock to catch glimpse of Meghan Markle on Christmas Day

We really wanted to see Meghan, so we made a morning of it. It really is as simple as that!

At 10.55am, the moment came when Anvil snapped the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry walking alongside one another.

We couldnt believe that all four of them came in a line, which was mad, she said. That was amazing!

The excitement at the prospect of seeing Prince Harrys bride-to-be was palpable, with Anvil describing the crowds response as a Mexican wave of cheers.

 Royal Wedding: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's first interview

When Anvil posted her photo online, she didnt expect the immense reaction that it received.

Her photo currently has 13,000 likes on Twitter and Anvil has been contacted by news outlets from around the world to hear about her story.

Anvil was initially happy to give the photo away for free, before being advised by royal photographers to not be too hasty.

At first I was giving the photo away, but then I was advised by royal photographers to get an agent, she said.

They passed this guy called Ken Goff on to me and he has been amazing, really helpful and lovely.

By enforcing the copyright on her incredible photo, Anvil may now be able to put some of the money towards her daughters university education.

Im a single parent, I have been from the day she was born. Im a proud single mum, she said.

It just so happened that I got that lucky picture. I didnt want to gain anything from it."
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Every year on 26 December, the annual commemoration of African-American culture that is Kwanzaa begins.

Observed predominantly in the US and across nations of the African diaspora in the Americas, people celebrating Kwanzaa honour their African ancestry by exchanging presents and enjoying a large feast with loved ones.

While Kwanzaa occurs around the time of other festive holidays such as Christmas and Hanukkah, it isnt associated with a religion.

The festival was founded by Maulana Karenga, an author and activist who was involved with the Black Power movement in the 1960s and 1970s.

It was first celebrated just over a half a century ago, in an effort to instil racial pride and unity within the black community.

So how was Kwanzaa first created, what does the name mean and how is it celebrated? Heres everything you need to know:

How did it begin?

Kwanzaa was created by Karenga in 1966.

Karenga was an activist during the 1960s, co-founding the black nationalist US Organisation in 1965.

Kwanzaa is a celebration of community, family and culture that was established as a way for African-Americans to reconnect with their roots and heritage.

Karenga explained the significance of the festival while at an event at the Memorial Art Gallery at the University of Rochester in 2013, during which he said: the celebration of Kwanzaa is about embracing ethical principles and values so the goodness of the world can be shared and enjoyed by us and everyone.

Kwanzaa has been compared to Juneteenth, an American holiday that occurs on 19 June to commemorate the abolition of slavery in the US state of Texas in 1865.

When is it?

Kwanzaa occurs over the same seven days every year, from 26 December until 1 January.

It lasts seven days in order to honour the core seven principles of the festival, as outlined by Karenga.

These seven principles are called Nguzo Saba, otherwise known as the seven principles of African Heritage.

These principles are Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (co-operative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuuma (creativity) and Imani (faith).

What does Kwanzaa mean?

Pronounced kwahn-zuh, the term Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase matunda ya Kwanza, meaning first fruits of the harvest or first fruits.

First fruits festivals are celebrated in December and January in Southern Africa, to coincide with the southern solstice.

Karenga purposely chose for Kwanzaa to have seven letters in its name in order to align with the holidays seven principles.

How is it celebrated?

Families that celebrate Kwanzaa do so in different ways. However, festivities usually involve dancing, singing, gifts and a large feast.

Those observing the festival will often decorate their houses with fruits, a black, red and green flag, and a Kinara - a candle holder that holds seven candles.

Three red candles are placed on the left of the Kinara, three green candles are placed on the right and a black candle is placed in the middle.

In addition to the Kinara, there are several symbolic items associated with Kwanzaa, including Muhindi (corn) and a Kikombe cha Umoja (a unity cup). All of these items are placed on a Mkeka (mat).

The festival ends with a feast, or Karamu, on the last day.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Those celebrating Kwanzaa will greet each other with the phrase "Habari Gani?" during the seven-day period, which means "How are you?" in Swahili.

In 2009, author of Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African-American Holiday Tradition Keith Mayes told the Associated Press that he believes 500,000 to two million Americans celebrate Kwanzaa.

However, a 2012 study conducted Public Policy Polling found that four per cent of participants said that they celebrate Kwanzaa, which therefore means that more than 13 million people in the US may observe the festival.
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Piers Morgan has revealed how an eagle-eyed viewer helped save him from cancer after noticing something unusual about his appearance.

The Good Morning Britain host was contacted by a melanoma expert who spotted an alarming blemish on his chest while watching the ITV documentary Serial Killer with Piers Morgan in November.

Concerned, Morgan quickly went to get the blemish checked and was told that, if left unchecked, it could have turned cancerous.

Recommended Sleeping with your mobile phone could cause cancer and infertility

The 52-year-old presenter said that Gillian Nuttall, founder of Melanoma UK, emailed him after a mark just above his open-neck shirt caught her attention.

Piers, at the risk of sounding like a lunatic, Im just watching your programme and theres a blemish on your chest. Have you had it checked? she wrote.

After visiting a healthcare professional, Morgan explained that a top dermatologist took one look at the mark and immediately removed it.

Much further delay, he informed me, and it might well have turned cancerous.

Give that lady a gold star, Morgan said.

Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests  but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty

Thanks, Gillian. Oh the irony of a serial killer inadvertently helping to save my life. Merry Christmas!

Since then, Nuttall has taken to social media to explain how the events unfolded.

He was interviewing a serial killer and I watched it  he had an open neck shirt on and it caught my eye, she wrote.

Recommended Husband who shared photo of dying wife says Facebook suspended account

I stopped the TV and looked closely  it really bothered me so as Id got his email, just thought quick shove in the right direction wont harm.

Nuttall founded Melanoma UK in 2007, which supports patients who have been diagnosed with the deadly form of skin cancer thats commonly detected when a mole appears on the body.
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Johnny Fox was professional sword-swallower and magician who entertained audiences across the America to help them, as he said, forget about the sadness and the madness in the world.

Fox was by his own count one of around only 20 sword swallowers working in the US  dedicated performers who travel from festival to carnival preserving the traditions of the circus sideshows. He did coin-tricks as well as comedy and was known, according to the organisers of the local Maryland Renaissance festival  where hed worked for 37 years  to drive an eight inch spike into his nose and to swallow five-foot balloons. (Renaissance happen all over the States and recreate Elizabethan England with costumes, jousting and the like.)

The 64-year-old had practiced fire-swallowing until he learned it was detrimental to his health  he died from cancer.

But his calling card was his sword act, which he taught himself for job security when he was in his twenties. Copycats could and did attempt to replicate his magic shows but few if any would dare to open wide and turn the sharp end of a sword in the direction of their throat.

Thousands if not millions saw his act on prime time television shows hosted by the likes of David Letterman. Thousands more watched him perform at Renaissance festivals and other gatherings.

He said the most important trait of a sword swallower was the ability to conquer fear  and thats not to mention the gag-reflex.

You have to surrender and open up, Fox told the New York Times in 1999. The trick, he continued, is the ability to relax and dilate your throat, the pharynx and the epiglottis  when we swallow, they both open.

To counter suspicions that he was using a retractable blade, he sometimes employed a glowing sword that made light emanate from his throat. He was said to swallow swords up to 22 inches long, and up to 16 swords at a time.

In another feat, he swallowed a screwdriver.

Twist it around a couple of times so my butt doesnt fall off, he told NPR in October, and make sure I do it clockwise, not counter-clockwise,

Fox was born in Minneapolis in the early fifties. An uncle of his entertained family members by inserting needles into his thumb, the Times reported.

Fox grew up in Connecticut, where he was living when his father took him to the Eastern States Exposition, a New England fair where he saw curiosities including The Giant From Reykjavik, Iceland, 8-foot-8, The Lobster Boy, Alive, and The Monkey Girl, Alive.

Such so-called freaks, he told one local newspaper, were his superheroes because they had the courage to stand in front of the public, hearing people say nasty things.

The fair also provided his introduction to sword swallowing. He recalled his brothers incredulity: Dont believe it, its fake.

Foxs father encouraged his boyhood interest in magic, giving him a book about Harry Houdini. Fox began his performing career in Florida but gradually became known around the country. He once appeared in a television commercial that required him to munching on light bulbs.

In New York City, he operated a museum: The Freakatorium, El Museo Loco, that featured such items as a narwhale tusk, a two-headed turtle, conjoined piglets preserved through pickling, and relics billed as clothing having belonged to Tom Thumb; and entertainer Sammy Davis Jrs glass eye. The museum closed in 2005, after five years, due to an increase in rent.

Fox was married and divorced four times. Survivors include his partner of two years, Tammy Calvert, a son from his second marriage, to Susan Kelly; a brother and a sister.

He delighted in providing his audiences with a means of escape from daily life, and the struggle it often entails, with an act that was both difficult to watch and impossible to ignore.

Its gross and disgusting, I know, he once told The Washington Post. But youll watch.

John Robert Fox, born 13 November 1953, died 17 December 2013

 The Washington Post
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The Archbishop of Canterbury has used his Christmas sermon to focus on terrorist atrocities and the deceitfulness of populist leaders during 2017.

The most Rev Justin Welby told worshippers at Canterbury Cathedral on Monday the baby Jesus represented power seen in humility.

He also criticised deceitful populist leaders, in what some have interpreted as a veiled reference to US President Donald Trump.

Recommended Archbishop of Canterbury links Trump and Brexit to fascism

Rev Welby told the congregation: The nature of those who have power is to seek to hold onto it.

In 2017 we have seen around the world tyrannical leaders that enslave their peoples, populist leaders that deceive them, corrupt leaders that rob them, even simply democratic, well intentioned leaders of many parties and countries who are normal, fallible human beings.

We have experienced across our country terrorism that kills the innocent, claiming that it is the path to freedom in God.

The nature of God who has all power, and from whom all power comes, is to lay it aside for loves sake and thus without fear, force or manipulation to offer true freedom for every human being.

The head of the Church of England criticised Mr Trump last month for his retweets of the far-right group Britain First.

In an interview days later, he then admitted he was baffled by the support the President enjoyed from fundamentalist Christians in the US.

In similar fashion to the Pope, the archbishop also used his Christmas Day sermon this year to draw comparisons between the Nativity story and the plight of modern day refugees.

He added: "We are drawn to stories of freedom and purpose.

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 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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 Star Wars an abandoned orphan on a desert planet turns into a knight leading the struggle for freedom. Platform 9 and three quarters takes Harry Potter into a world of magic and purpose.

Not so in the gospel stories, even those of Christmas. Yes, the shepherds see angels. Yes, Mary and Joseph have dreams and are chosen as special people.

Yet after the moments of miracles life goes on almost as before - the shepherds return to their sheep, Joseph settles back as a carpenter, Mary raises children.

They flee as refugees, like over 60 million people today. Yet their story is the beginning of ours, it is an invitation to lives of freedom, found through Gods freely offered love.
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The husband of murdered MP Jo Cox has been reminded the world is still full of good people after an outpouring of kindness, following a Christmas Eve tweet.

Brendan Cox was inundated with messages after he took to the social media site on Christmas Eve

"Id encourage everyone to take a moment to imagine losing the person you love most in the world. Imagine what you would wish you had said to them. Then take a moment to say it, he wrote.

The post was shared 16,000 times and liked by more than 47,000 people. Many people also shared their own stories of bidding farewell to a loved one during the Christmas period.

Mr Cox was clearly surprised that his post had met with such a positive response.

"Wasnt at all expecting this outpouring of kindness to me or to each other in this thread," he wrote in a second tweet. "A lovely reminder at the end of the year that bad shit happens but the world is still full of good people."

The 39-year-old, spent Christmas with his children Cuillin, six, and four-year-old Leijla, the second since his wife and their mother was murdered by right wing extremist Thomas Mair. The MP for Batley and Spen was walking through Birstall, when Mair shot and stabbed her in broad daylight.

After Mr Cox's original tweet hundreds or people responded on Twitter.

Mark Edgerton wrote: Lovely thought, Brendan. Having lost several loved ones in my lifetime, l know the power in keeping their memory alive, and in chatting away to them regularly, as if they were still here. Keeps me sane, in an increasingly mad, mad world. My thoughts are with you and your family.

Other users shared similar messages of love and loss.

I lost my loved one six months ago. I want you to know that whatever you think was not said by you to Jo (thats the name of my late husband too) as she was taken from you so cruelly, she knew it all anyway, she knew you and your kids were her world and she was so loved. Rosie x.

Beautifully put. My brother Michael died on Christmas Day 1978 when I was 12 & he was 17. I understand completely what you mean. Sending you all love. Nik, Phil, Lizzy & Emily. Xx, Nicky Clarke added.

I lost my Daughter in April 2015, the pain is unbearable, my only child. Your wife was an amazing human being as is her legacy. Youre an inspiration, said another.

Mr Cox recently spoke out about difficult it is to bring up children as a single parent ahead of his second Christmas without his wife.

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

Jo and I often talked about single parents and how much we admired them and how hard it must be. And it is, basically. Its shit, he told The Sun. Its those little things like, Does Lejla have a cough or has she got pneumonia? Is this bump supposed to be there? Are the kids getting on okay at school? All judgments you have to take as a parent that are all entirely on you.

Mr Cox, who has often called on Britain to unite against hatred in the wake of his wifes tragic death, added: Theyre very good with me. They frequently ask me how Im doing. Theyre just incredibly loving kids.
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Interpreters for Syrian refugees should be given psychological support as a priority due to the stress the work causes, according to a study.

Researchers found that while arrangements under the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Programme (SVPRP) had exceeded the expectations of refugees, there were concerns about support given to interpreters.

The study, which looked at how the scheme was rolled out in Edinburgh as a way to provide guidance for other authorities, highlights how the workers were often the only available staff to families, which saw them build close relationships.

Interpreters reported breaking into tears during meetings and suffering bouts of depression as a result of what they were dealing with, often providing help out of hours.

SVPRP is a programme which commits the UK Government to resettling 20,000 Syrian refugees. It was announced by the Government following a public outcry over the fate of those attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean.

More than 8,000 refugees have so far arrived in the UK under the scheme, which has had a truly transformative impact on peoples lives, according to a recent report from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Refugees have said they are grateful for the genuine welcome they have received in the UK, and are heartened that their children have been able to attend school and catch up on lost education, the report said.

But the latest study, published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health, indicates that not enough support id put in place for the interpreters required to support the families.

One of the interpreters said in the study: I just feel down and depressed because every day you are hearing what theyve been through and it brings back memories to me, because weve been through this as well in my country  I was crying with them.

Another added: Ive done quite a lot of work with the police, hospitals and courts, but the fact that you establish a relationship with the families, things affect you.

NHS Lothian consultant Dermot Gorman, co-author of study, said: Its always variable with each worker, each one has a different approach, but some would be going out on a Saturday evening to put in papers for appointments.

It could be stressful for interpreters. They were hearing stories that perhaps had resonance with their own lives.

Dr Gorman said the programme has been largely successful and was confident the country could take in more of those in need.

Problems identified include language problems for the new arrivals and difficulties with navigating NHS services, which led to them using interpreters as a first point-of-call for assistance.

The study focused on Edinburgh as it was one of the first in Scotland to take in large numbers through the resettlement scheme. It was announced last week that Scotland had taken in its target of 2,000 refugees three years ahead of schedule.

Th researchers reviewed the successes and downfalls of the programme through the experience and opinions of interpreters during 2015 and 2016, and have called on a number of recommendations to be implemented. In its conclusion it said psychological support for them should be prioritised.

Counselling is available for staff, but the paper said its availability should be reinforced in training for interpreters. It adds that management should consider the workers own histories when giving them jobs.

The findings, have been fed back to City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian.

Professor Alison McCallum, NHS Lothians director of public health and public policy, said: We are committed to ensuring all our staff, especially those who experience stressful situations through their work, have access to a range of occupational health support services to help them deal with stress and trauma.

Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis Show all 7 1 /7 Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis The Solidarity With Refugees group said Saturdays protest aimed to show our Government and the world that Britain is ready to welcome more refugees. Rex Features Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis People march through central London as they take part in a protest rally organised by Solidarity with Refugees in a bid to urge the Government to take more action on the migrant crisis Press Association Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis The protest comes days before world leaders meet to discuss crisis at UN General Assembly Press Association Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis Demonstrators made their way from Park Lane to Parliament Square in London on Saturday afternoon Press Association Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis Marchers chanted refugees are welcome here and waved banners reading no-one is illegal and lets help people Press Association Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis The march was supported by charities and groups including the Red Cross, Asylum Aid, Save the Children, Hope Not Hate, Oxfam and the UN Refugee Agency Rex Features Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis In the wake of Alans death, David Cameron pledged to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK over the coming five years but there have been additional calls to re-home those who have already reached Europe, as well as asylum seekers coming from other conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan Rex Features

These services are made available to all our staff, including our interpreters, so that they are able to seek help when they need it.

A City of Edinburgh Council spokeswoman said: We encourage all staff who encounter stress in their role to come forward and access the various support networks we have in place.

We are aware of the report and will be considering whether it has any further implications for the support we give our interpreters.
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Recent terror attacks in the UK have affected domestic family tourism but failed to deter international visitors, as 2017 saw record tourist levels, an industry boss has said.

Central London attractions saw a fall in numbers of around 17 per cent on average between May and the second week of September compared with 2016, according to Bernard Donoghue, director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (Alva).

During that time there were four terror attacks in the UK, three of which happened in the capital, killing more than 30 people.

Mr Donoghue said that young families were the largest group of those avoiding the capitals zone one, saying: These are parents under-35 with kids aged around seven, they have reacted significantly to the attacks.

Because they werent brought up in the shadow of the UK and the IRA this is their first experience of domestic terror, while some of us who are older may take it in our stride and keep calm and carry on.

But they are going elsewhere, places like Bath, Bristol, Oxford, instead.

But 2017 has been a record year to date for visitors to the UK in general and London in particular, with growth set to continue for 2018, he added.

There were 30.2 million visits to the UK from overseas in the first nine months of the year, up 7 per cent on the same period in 2016, projected to reach 39.9 million by the end of the year, the latest VisitBritain figures show.

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

Visitor numbers from the US jumped by around 14 per cent thanks to the way British emergency services dealt with the attacks, a lack of hysterical press reporting, and the draw of the weak pound, Mr Donoghue said.

He added Alva research showed the public found safety barriers, bollards and bag searches at popular spots really reassuring in a way they would not have done five years ago.

Meanwhile, Tom Jenkins, chief executive of the European Tourism Association, said the public were rationalising the spate of attacks, realising they could happen anywhere.

He said: The nature of free and open societies is people are vulnerable at any stage. Its perfectly easy for anyone to grab an axe and start swinging.

Terror used to be a major and sensational disruption to the travel industry. In the 1980s and early 1990s we saw mass cancellations, a real failure of nerve on an epic scale.

Around half of holiday reservations from North America to Europe in 1986 were cancelled following Americas bombing of Libya, with travellers fearing reprisal attacks, he noted.

Recommended How tourism can safeguard African wildlife

Mr Jenkins added: Since then weve seen a gradual reduction in public concern, and a concomitant raising of government concern, with administrations engaging in ostentatious closing of doors in the aftermath of attacks.

Regarding the bollards springing up, its all part of the decoration that reminds us terrorism works insofar as it conducts government spending and policy.

The threat posed is almost certainly minimal, and fear would stop everyday life if we let it.

PA
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Germanys foreign minister has said the UKs Brexit agreement could serve as a model for the EUs relations to other non-member countries in the future.

Sigmar Gabriel said if negotiators created a smart arrangement, it could be used as a map to forge more solid ties with Turkey and Ukraine.

The UK is still negotiating its withdrawal from, and future relationship with the EU, with Brexit set to occur on 29 March 2019.

Speaking to Germanys Funke media group, Mr Gabriel said: If we can reach a smart agreement with Great Britain that outlines its relations with Europe after Brexit, then that could serve as a model for other countries.

In particular, he foresaw a new, closer form of customs union with Turkey, provided the situation in that country improved in relation to human rights under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Mr Gabriel said he did not see either country joining the EU any time soon, so alternative forms of closer cooperation were needed.

Under an existing specific customs union agreed in 1995, most goods may travel between the EU and Turkey without customs restrictions.

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

An association agreement currently exists between Ukraine and the EU which fosters political cooperation and trade.

The UK settled the first tranche of Brexit withdrawal issues in December, though many issues remain outstanding.

Brexit negotiations are now moving on to the terms of the UKs transition out of the bloc between 2019 and 2021 and future trading arrangements.
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Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg is in line to receive a knighthood for his political and public service in the New Years honours list, according to reports.

The ex-Liberal Democrat leader served at the top of Government for five years in the wake of the financial crash, while his party was in coalition with the Conservatives.

Since losing his seat in Parliament, Mr Clegg has been a vociferous anti-Brexit voice, urging the country to hold a second referendum when the terms of the UKs withdrawal are known.

 Nick Clegg and Miriam Gonzalez Durantez describe telling son he has cancer

Recommended Farage says supporting Brexit has cost him a knighthood

Mr Clegg first sat as a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2004 before becoming the MP for Sheffield Hallam.

Three years later he won a contest against Chris Huhne to take the leadership of his party and following the election in 2010, took it into coalition with a David Cameron-led Conservative party.

He served as deputy prime minister for five years bringing the UK through the post-2008 crisis period, but enduring an immense amount of criticism for Coalition policies including deep austerity.

The decision to increase university tuition fees, despite having pledged not to during the election campaign, was cited as having particularly damaged his partys relations with the voting public.

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. 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At the 2015 election the Lib Dems lost 49 seats, with many going to their former coalition partners.

Fellow Lib Dems who also served in Government during the coalition years, Sir Vince Cable and Sir Ed Davey, have already received knighthoods.

Sources told the Daily Mail Mr Clegg was in line for the honour.

A party spokesman told the paper: We dont comment on any honours list speculation.

Mr Clegg has advocated a further referendum on the UKs EU membership, and earlier this year met the blocs chief negotiator Michel Barnier with other anti-Brexit politicians.
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A man who admitted to raping a child for nearly a decade told her to get over it when she confronted him on social media as an adult, police said.

Ronnie Lynn Gipson, 45, apparently admitted to initiating sexual contact with the girl from when she was 4-years-old until she was 12.

The Arkansas native would allegedly use the code do you want to play when he wanted to engage with sexual activity with the child.

His victim, who now serves in the Air Force, recently reported the abuse and on request of investigators confronted Gipson on social media.

During the exchange he apparently told her to get over it and it is done, the Kansas City Star reported.

Following his arrested, Mr Gipson allegedly admitted to raping the woman when she was a child, telling police that it began she was three or four.

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The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. 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He is said to have told officers that he did not have intercourse with her until she turned 8, according to the River Valley Leader.

Currently held on a $500,000 (375,000) bond, Mr Gipson faces a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison and a maximum of life.

He has been ordered to have no contact with his victim whatsoever.
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A man who says he sent a box of manure to Donald Trumps treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin in protest against the Republican tax bill has compared his actions to those of Jesus.

Robby Strong has claimed responsibility for the gift-wrapped box containing horse manure, which was delivered to former hedge fund manager Mr Mnuchins Los Angeles home on Saturday.

The package sparked a bomb scare, with authorities including Secret Service agents reportedly dispatched to the property.

In a Facebook post, Mr Strong shared images of a card apparently attached to the parcel, stating he was returning the gift of the Christmas tax bill to the treasury secretary.

However, Mr Strong has now likened his protest to the Biblical story of Jesus expelling money lenders from the temple.

Speaking to southern California public radio station KPCC, he said: In the long run, if we dont do stuff like this, what are we going to have left?

What I did, I would like to compare to what Jesus did when he went into the temple and overturned the tables of the money-changers, who were exploiting the people financially in the name of religion.

I feel like thats what the GOP has done to the American people.

Robby Strong claims he was the person who sent the gift-wrapped parcel to Mr Mnuchin's home (Robby Strong/Facebook)

The sweeping, $1.5 trillion tax reform bill proposed by the Republicans and signed into law last week were a key part of Mr Trumps agenda.

The president has repeatedly boasted of his plans to cut taxes since assuming office and described the legislation as a bill for the middle class and a bill for jobs.

However, critics of the bill have cited a Congressional Budget Office study which concluded people earning less than $100,000 will see their taxes rise.

Corporation tax has been slashed from 35 per cent to 21 per cent and the super-rich, including Mr Trump himself, are projected to pay less.
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Donald Trump will become the first US president in nearly a century to end their first year without hosting a state dinner.

Running for office, the US leader criticised events like them, although they are viewed by many as as an important diplomatic tool. Often they include a showy arrival ceremony and an elaborate dinner at the White House.

Mr Trump disparaged former President Barack Obama for holding state dinners, and he was particularly critical when he Mr Obama held a state dinner during a 2015 visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

 Ten great things Donald Trump will give the world in 2018

I would not be throwing [Xi] a dinner, Mr Trump said at the time. I would get him a McDonalds hamburger and say weve got to get down to work.

But earlier this year, on a tour in Asia, Mr Trump boasted about the red carpets, military parades and fancy dinners that Asian leaders had provided for him.

Magnificent, he declared at one point on the trip to describe an event that had been hosted in his honour.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said there was no singular reason why Mr Trump is yet to extend a state visit invitation, adding that Mr Trumps administration hopes to schedule a state visit early next year.

Ms Sanders did not say who was being considered for the diplomatic honour.

A state visit typically is offered as a sign of friendship and to showcase strategic ties between countries that are important to each other, said Anita McBride, a veteran of three Republican administrations who last served as chief of staff to first lady Laura Bush.

The White House is the world stage to elevate that, she said. These occasions really go a long way to solidify and strengthen relationships.

Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Show all 22 1 /22 Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump talk as they leave the Army Museum at Les Invalides in Paris AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump arrive for the group photo at the G7 Taormina summit on the island of Sicily in May 2017 Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Mr Trump was pressed on the subject at the G7 summit in Italy Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump gives a speeech at the Warsaw Uprising Monument on Krasinski Square Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May during a ceremony at the NATO headquarters before the start of a summit in Brussels, Belgium Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Montenegro's Prime Minister Dusko Markovic is seen to the right of Donald Trump at a Nato summit in Brussels REUTERS Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis meeting with US President Donald J. Trump EPA Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis poses with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump arrives at Palazzo del Quirinale ahead of the meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella Ufficio Stampa Presidenza della via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is seen during a joint press conference with the Palestinian leader at the presidential palace in the West Bank city of Bethlehem AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas meets US President Donald Trump PPO via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with US President Donald Trump prior to the President's departure GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering a speech at the Israel Museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump lay a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance as White House senior advisor Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump watch on during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem accompanied by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump look at a display of Saudi modern art at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud take part in a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips King Salman presents Donald Trump with The Collar of Abdulaziz al-Saud Medal at the Royal Court Palace on 20 May AP Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is welcomed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk on the South Lawn prior to their first foreign trip Getty Images

Mr Trump has often bragged about his strong relationships with many of his foreign counterparts.

He hosted Mr Xi at his Florida estate in April, treating the Chinese leader to a full dinner  not the aforementioned burger  and what Mr Trump described as the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake.

President Xi was enjoying it, the President said.

While Mr Trump has also met with many world leaders at the White House, sometimes over lunch, they do not compare to a state dinner.

Mr Trumps visit to Beijing in November opened with a lavish arrival ceremony, with Mr Trump and his wife, Melania, being greeted at the airport by Chinese and American dignitaries standing at attention, with a band playing military music and scores of flag-waving children chanting welcome.

The US leader was then whisked away for a private tour of the Forbidden City, which included dinner. The meal was a first for a visiting foreign leader at Beijings historic imperial palace since the founding of modern China. Mr Trump also raved about an outdoor opera performance.

The following morning, a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People featured a military parade. Mr Trump said the world was watching and claimed to have received telephone calls about it from around the globe.

Nothing you can see is so beautiful, the President said at the time.

Mr Xi also honoured Mr Trump at a state banquet, playing video highlights from the Chinese leaders visit to Florida, along with clips from Mr Trumps trip and the screening of a video of the American Presidents granddaughter, Arabella, singing in Chinese.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
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The United States government has claimed to have negotiated a significant cut to the United Nations budget.

The US Mission to the UN said the 2018/19 budget would be slashed by over $285m (213m) and reductions would also be made to the UNs management and support functions.

But the announcement did not make clear what effect the budget reduction will have on the US contribution.

 Ten great things Donald Trump will give the world in 2018

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, said the inefficiency and overspending of the organisation is well-known.

We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked, she said.

This historic reduction in spending  in addition to many other moves toward a more efficient and accountable UN  is a big step in the right direction.

While we are pleased with the results of this years budget negotiations, you can be sure well continue to look at ways to increase the UNs efficiency while protecting our interests.

It comes after Donald Trump threatened to cut off aid to any country in the UN that voted against his decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Let them vote against us, the US President said. Well save a lot. We dont care.

Ms Haley sent letters to over 180 countries warning them Washington would be taking the names of those who voted against the US.

Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Show all 22 1 /22 Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of Difa-e-Pakistan Council a coalition of right wing Islamic parties, burn an effigy of US President Donald Trump, during a protest in Quetta, Pakistan EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli police scuffle with a Palestinian protester outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City Getty Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn pictures of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu following Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli forces disperse Palestinian protesters outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City on 7 December 2017 AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC), an Islamic organization, chant slogans as they burn Israeli and US flags during a protest against Donald Trump in Peshawar REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinians paint an 'X' over the face of a picture of US president Donald J. Trump which was painted on the Israeli separation wall in Bethlehem EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protestors burn the Israeli flag and a poster of US President Donald Trump in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of a Pakistani religious party rally against Donald Trump in Lahore AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn the US and Israeli flags in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital A poster depicting U.S. President Donald Trump is burnt during a protest against Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in the West Bank city of Ramallah REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli forces detain a Palestinian protester during clashes that followed protests against US President Donald Trump recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Hebron AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn an effigy of U.S. President Donald Trump AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters shout slogans against Donald Trump EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital A Palestinian protester wears a Guy Fawkes mask used by the anonymous movement during clashes with Israeli troops in Hebron AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian demonstrators clash with Isralei troops during protests AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of a Pakistani religious party chant anti-American slogans during a rally in Islamabad, Pakistan AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Pakistanis burn a representation of the U.S. flag during a protest rally in Hyderabad AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Young Palestinian women look on as smoke billows from burning tyres as fellow Palestinian demonstrators clash with Isralei troops AFP/Getty Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protesters burn a picture of U.S. President Donald Trump at a protest in Islamabad REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protestors shouts slogans against US President Donald Trump as they hold Palestinian and Turkish flags during a protest near the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protestors put their feet over a picture of US president Donald Trump during a protest in the West Bank City of Nablus EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Pakistani protesters burn tires at an anti-Donald Trump rally in Multan AP

The UN General Assembly went on to vote overwhelmingly to denounce Mr Trumps decision.

The nonbinding resolution declaring the US decision on Jerusalem null and void was approved 128-9.

It reaffirmed what has been the UNs stand on the divided holy city since 1967: Jerusalems final status must be decided in direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Trump administration made it clear the vote would have no effect on its plan to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
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A topless activist from the feminist group Femen tried to snatch the statue of the baby Jesus from the nativity scene in St. Peters Square on Monday but was stopped by police as she grabbed it.

A Reuters photographer said the woman jumped over guard rails and rushed onto the nativity scene shouting God is woman. She had the same slogan painted on her bare back.

A Vatican gendarme stopped her from taking the statue and she was detained. The incident happened about two hours before Pope Francis delivered his Christmas message to some 50,000 people in the square.

The groups website identified her as Alisa Vinogradova and called her a sextremist. It says the goal of the group, which was founded in Ukraine, is complete victory over patriarchy.

A Femen activist staged a similar action on Christmas Day 2014 but managed to take the statue out of the crib before she was arrested.

Reuters
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An Israeli MP hurled abuse at Palestinian families as they rode a bus to visit their imprisoned relatives.

Oren Hazan shared footage of the confrontation online on Monday, in which he branded one womans son a dog and an insect.

Mr Hazan, a controversial, right-wing Knesset member for Israels ruling Likud party, said on Twitter the prisoners were terrorists who belong in the ground.

The clip shows several heated exchanges with bus passengers, one in which Mr Hazan tells a mother her son is a dog and an insect.

The woman responds: My son is the best of men. A dog is whoever calls him a dog.

Mr Hazan replied: Ill make sure you cannot visit here anymore and well do everything so you will not get in.

You are not welcome here, you have to understand well, you raised your son to murder.

Families on the bus were travelling from the Gaza Strip to see relatives at Nafha prison in southern Israel as part of an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) convoy.

Suhair Zakkout, Gaza spokeswoman for the ICRC, condemned the incident.

In a statement, she said: Families have the right to visit their loved ones in a dignified manner.

It is the responsibility of the competent authorities to ensure that the visits take place safely and without interference.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. 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In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. 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Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Mr Hazan, who said he boarded the bus to campaign for the cancellation of family visits for those imprisoned for terror offences, is known for staging publicity stunts.

In 2017, he sneaked into a reception for Donald Trump during his visit to Israel, posing for a photograph with the US President.

In August, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly stepped in to stop Mr Hazan travelling to fight a Jordanian MP at the West Bank border.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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The pilot of a Syrian military jet died when he was shot down by insurgents, according state television in the country.

The plane was downed over the northern Hama province, which has seen intense aerial strikes by Russian and Syrian air forces in the countrys civil war.

Dozens of civilians have been killed in the bombing of towns away from front lines in the last few weeks, according to rescue workers and witnesses.

The fighting has continued as proposed peace talks by Russia were rejected by Syrian rebels and opposition groups.

They have accused Moscow of failing to apply necessary pressure on its ally, Syrian president Bashar Assad, to end the conflict.

Forty rebel groups said the talks expected next month are an attempt to circumvent the United Nations-led process, which has made virtually no progress since it began in 2014.

The groups, including Ahrar al-Sham, Army of Islam, and western and regionally backed Free Syrian Army groups, said Moscow asked them to give up their demand for Mr Assad to step down.

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

But they rejected the call, calling Russia an aggressor that has committed war crimes against Syrians.

They said they are committed to the UN-led Geneva process, and urged the international community to end the bloodshed, now in its seventh year.

Agencies contributed to this report
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I was standing in a press of people, shuffling along at the pace of a just-wakened sloth. Around me was bamboo, several storeys high and greenish blue  a beautiful sight that I was struggling to enjoy, in between the busloads of crowds and the stuttering pace.

Every few seconds, someone would stop to take a selfie, cleverly framing the rest of us out, and so we continued, tortuously slow, trudging in fits and starts through the copse of bamboo. I couldnt get away from them, nor they from me, and I felt my blood pressure rising as another selfie stick threatened to whack me in the face the moment I looked up at the greenery instead of down at the path in front of me.

I had heard great things about the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in Kyoto. There were beautiful photographs on Instagram, and one of those auto-play videos on Facebook had even featured it as a top place to go to experience forest bathing, (shinrinyoku in Japanese). Everything Id heard about forest bathing suggested that the point of it was the serenity you get from it  but this place was so busy it was stressing me out.

Arashiyama's bamboo forest is a place to forger yourself  and selfies (John Gillespie/Flickr)

To me, the word shinrinyoku [is more about] people appreciating the coexistence with nature in silence, so hiking in the busy mountains doesnt seem [like] shinrinyoku, says Kozue Oka, director of the non-profit organisation Mirai no Mori (Future Forest). Mirai no Mori  an organisation Ive volunteered for  provides outdoor experiences for children in care. It believes the outdoors has healing properties that children, particularly those facing serious challenges or trauma, can benefit from.

Kazunari Ueda, a hiking guide in Gifu Prefecture, agrees. Shinrinyoku is taking a walk in the natural [not farmed] forest, experiencing the smell of the trees, listening to the sound of the wind and the voices of the birds, looking at the komorebi, he says. Komorebi is the dappled light that is filtered through the leaves of a tree canopy. Shinrinyoku leaves you refreshed, gives a change of scene, and allows you to forget terrible things.

Uedas words are backed up by Japanese government whose agencies tout the benefits of forest-bathing on their websites, citing studies which found that spending time in the woods can boost immune function, reduce stress hormones, and cause you to physically relax.

Theres even a not-for-profit in Japan dedicated to all things forest-bathing called the Forest Therapy Society. It was founded in 2008 by a research group that reviewed studies about the positive health benefits of the forest on the human body.

To date, the society has conducted psychological and physiological experiments across Japan and has certified 62 sites as Forest Therapy sites, where participants heart rates and blood pressure were measured and shown to be favourable in comparison to urban environments.

The Forest Therapy Society also tries to encourage sites that are barrier-free and accessible to all. Forest therapy is not about hiking or mountain climbing, Secretary General Myra Suzuki tells me via email. Even those who cant traverse steep and narrow paths can benefit from the forest. Their aim is for forest therapy to be a part of rehabilitation, she says.

The cedar forests on Yakushima are an ideal place to soak up the forest (64/Wikimedia Commons)

Outside Japan, forest-bathing has been embraced as a hot new wellness trend. You can, if you want, shell out to have a guru lead you in meditation in a pine-scented clearing.

But it doesnt have to be that complicated: all you need is a forest and yourself. Its hard to say what the best conditions for forest therapy are, says Suzuki. But [rather than] just walking in the woods, we think its good to take your time, do some yoga or tai chi. I think that the number one condition for effective forest therapy is that the path taken matches the needs of the person taking it.

Are there any downsides? I guess you could meet a bear, or get a spider web on your face, says Ueda. And if you dont have rain gear you could get caught in a sudden downpour.

Suzuki agrees. A favourite saying of Japanese guides is, The forest is good for the body, and there are no side effects.

Where to go forest bathing in Japan

Although the beauty of some of the most famous forests may have been eclipsed by their popularity, theres no shortage of sites in Japan. A whopping 67 per cent of the country is covered by forest; outside a few heavily touristed areas, much of it is untrammelled by overseas visitors.

Kamikochi is quieter and ideal for forest-bathing (Selena Hoy)

The island of Yakushima, near Kagoshima in Kyushu, is covered in ancient cedars and hundreds of kinds of moss. The mysterious forest served as the inspiration for the Ghibli Studios animation Princess Mononoke.

Naruko Gorge, in Miyagi Prefecture, cuts a deep cleft through the Ou Mountains. The gorge is a riot of colour in autumn, and in the nearby hot spring town of Naruko Onsen, you can even bathe  for real  in a natural open-air hot spring called Mori no Yu, or Forest Bath.

Mirai No Moras Kozue Oka suggests visiting the Okutama and Chichibu areas, both within spitting distance of Tokyo but so heavily forested youll quickly forget the city.

Ueda sticks closer to home. My recommended place is Hirayu Hot Springs in Gifu Prefecture where I live. Near Hirayu Hot Springs, Kamikochi in Nagano Prefecture is also good. Kamikochi is located in the Northern Japan Alps and has snowcapped mountains reflected in mirror-like lakes.
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Laura Plummer deserves sympathy. The 33-year-old shopworker from Hull had already endured 11 weeks of incarceration in an Egyptian cell when she learned on 26 December that she had been sentenced to three years for drug smuggling.

Her offence: flying to Egypt with almost 300 doses of tramadol in her baggage. She was taking them in for her partner, who suffers from chronic pain following a car accident.

After hearing the judgment from Red Sea town of Safaga, her MP lambasted the Egyptian authorities. Karl Turner, Labour member for Hull East, called the sentence a damning indictment of the countrys government and said the court had got it wrong.

Good sense and fairness certainly hasnt prevailed in this case, he told the BBC. This is a decent, honest, hardworking Hull woman who in my view is guilty only of being naive.

Mr Turners well-intentioned intervention has not helped. For Ms Plummer and her distraught family, the key issues are how the case looks from Cairo, and the diplomatic tension between the UK and Egypt.

As Ms Plummers family and legal team raised the profile of her case, troubling information began to emerge that called into question the mitigation that it was all a silly misunderstanding.

Tramadol is a strong painkiller. The NHS says it is prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain, for example after an operation or a serious injury.

The key word is prescribed: unlike some less-powerful analgesics, tramadol is available only on prescription.

Because tramadol can be addictive, and is used by some people recreationally, the Department of Health limits prescriptions to 30 days treatment.

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Ms Plummer was carrying far more than that. As Egypts embassy in London will have noted, she had not been prescribed the drugs. Instead, she says a colleague had given them to her, though it is unclear how her supplier came by such a surplus.

Egypt, in common with every other big country, has a serious problem with opiate abuse. Heroin addicts sometimes use tramadol as a substitute for their drug of choice, which gives it a market value well above the cost of manufacture.

Ms Plummers defence team is to appeal the sentence. On many previous occasions in which British travellers have received long jail terms abroad for drugs offences, they have been shown clemency and allowed to leave the country. There are two reasons why Cairo may not take this approach.

The first is a belief among law enforcers that an example needs to be made to dissuade other Westerners agreeing to take drugs into Egypt for their partners: if the perception took hold that leniency will be shown to unwitting offenders, it could encourage others to recruit dupes to import illegal substances.

Secondly, Cairo is quietly furious with the two-year prohibition on British airlines using Sharm el Sheikh airport.

The ban was imposed shortly after the crash of a Metrojet flight from Sharm el Sheikh to St Petersburg, which killed 224. It is thought that a bomb was placed on board the Russian jet at Sharm el Sheikh airport. While every other country has lifted their prohibition on flying to Egypts top resort, the UK ban remains in place.

Ms Plummers case first emerged in early in November, just as Egypts tourism minister was arriving in London.

The minister, Mohamed Yehia Rashed, told The Independent: The timing now is perfect to see the comeback of British tourism to Sharm el Sheikh. The threat that is currently in the tourism environment in general is not addressed to Egypt. It is addressed to every human being trying to travel.

He was thanked politely for expressing Cairo's view, but nothing changed. Meanwhile, the Foreign Office was quietly applying pressure on the Egyptian government to show compassion to the young woman detained in Hurghada. At the time I wrote: In theory Laura Plummer could face many years in prison for drug trafficking, but British travellers in similar circumstances are often released much earlier.

Yet with the UK showing no inclination to lift a ban that has cost tens of thousands of jobs, it is unsurprising that there is no great enthusiasm in Cairo to show mercy to someone who, in the words of her MP, is a decent woman who has made a terrible mistake.
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The United Arab Emirates has information that Tunisian women or women travelling on Tunisian passports might commit terrorist acts in the Gulf country, Tunisias state news agency TAP said.

Tunisia late on Sunday suspended flights from Dubai carrier Emirates to Tunis, with officials saying the airline was refusing to carry female Tunisian travellers.

Emirates has given no reason for not allowing female Tunisians to board its flights since Friday.

A spokesman for Tunisias presidency did not elaborate on the security threat in a brief TAP article.

Emirates had stopped its Dubai-Tunis connection on Monday.

In Tunisia, anger has been building after women said they had been banned at Tunis airport from boarding Emirates flights to Dubai.

Tunisian civil organisations and political parties called on the government to respond. Foreign Minister Khemais Jhianoui told a local radio station the UAE should apologise for the travel ban, which he said its authorities had not informed Tunisia about.

Reuters
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Januarys leaden skies and post-Christmas gloom can take their toll, which is why a winter break in the sun is such an appealing idea. You can find a few destinations within a relatively short flight, or go for the long-haul option. And if youre planning ahead for April, have a look at some of these tempting ideas.

Go now

Lanzarote

Lanzarotes dramatic volcanic landscapes give this Canary island an eerily lunar appearance. In January, temperatures are pleasantly in the low 20s, perfect for splashing about in the beaches of Playa Blanca and exploring the spellbinding Timanfaya National Park. The five-star Princess Yaiza Suite Hotel & Resort has a huge choice of pools and restaurants and has direct access to the beach. Classic Collection is offering seven nights B&B from 999pp including Gatwick flights and transfers, departing 13 January.

Cape Verde Islands

This volcanic archipelago off the coast of West Africa is only an hour behind the UK, so theres no jet lag to worry about. The newly opened Hilton Cabo Verde Sal Resort is right on Santa Maria Beach and has an extensive nautical centre as well as a spa. Cape Verde Experience has seven nights B&B at the Hilton from 999pp for an 11 January departure from Birmingham, including flights, UK airport lounge access, transfers and visas.

St Lucia

Its the dry season in this corner of the Caribbean, where temperatures are hovering in the high 20s  excellent for a January escape. Surrounded by tropical vegetation overlooking Labrelotte Bay, the four-star Windjammer Landing Villa Beach resort offers direct access to a white-sand beach. Hayes & Jarvis has a seven-night room-only break at the Windjammer from 1,849pp, including flights from Gatwick for a 21 January departure.

Goa

January is the coldest month in Goa  meaning the temperatures are only in the mid-20s to low 30s. One mile from Anjuna Beach in north Goa is Casa Anjuna hotel, a beautifully restored Portuguese colonial mansion full of antiques and with its own pool. Goa Experience has a weeks B&B from 799pp, including Gatwick flights on 18 January and transfers. Or treat yourself to a fortnight from 1,099pp departing 17 January.

Friendship Bay in Bequia (Alexanderkur/Wikimedia Commons)

Book now for April

Morocco

Marrakech is delightful in April  mid-20s temperatures make shopping in the busy souks a more relaxing experience. Get into Medina life by staying in a riad, specifically the new Riad Star, which at one point was the home of Josephine Baker. Fleewinter has a three-night break in Riad Star from 20 April from 190pp, including breakfast and airport transfers. Flights are extra but can be arranged.

St Vincent and the Grenadines

April is low season in this sleepy string of Caribbean islands, which means a welcome dip in prices. Book by 28 February to save 240 on a week at laid-back Bequia Beach Hotel right on Friendship Beach on the island of Bequia. Inspiring Travel Company has a weeks B&B from 1 April onwards from 1,799pp, including flights, inter-island flights and transfers.

Portugal

Away from the resorts of the Algarve is the Sagres peninsula, with its sandy beaches, pine forests and dramatic cliffs overlooking the Atlantic. Follow the Rota Vicentina and Fishermans Trail hiking routes on a four-night self-guided walk with Headwater. Prices start at 689pp for departures throughout April, and include breakfast, two dinners, maps and luggage transfers. With flights, the price starts at 889pp.

Mary Novakovich is editor at large at 101holidays.co.uk
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We are sitting by the phone hoping, Richard Ratcliffe said over the weekend  the hope was that his wife, Nazanin, a charity worker imprisoned since April 2016 by the Iranian government, might be released by Christmas Day.

Unsurprisingly, instead of going all mushy and Christmassy, the Islamic Republic stayed true to form  immoral, ruthless and uncompromising.

The Supreme Leader was never going to change his cloaks for a Santa outfit, filling stockings with freedom and long-denied human rights.

The notorious Judge Abolghassem Salavati, who handed Nazanin her five-year sentence, was never going to be singing carols outside a Tehran metro station or, better, handing himself over to international authorities to be investigated and possibly prosecuted for a history of human rights abuses that have got him banned from entering the EU.

Now Irans Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence issued for the Sweden-based scientist Ahmadreza Djalali.

Like Nazanin, Djalali has been detained arbitrarily since April 2016. He stands accused of having worked with the Israelis to kill four Iranian nuclear scientists between 2010 and 2012.

(A scientist who has worked with Mossad to kill Iranians scientists would have to have a serious screw loose to take up an invitation from Tehran University and leave his wife and two children in Stockholm to risk certain death.)

The EU and the UK must redraw their view of Iran, as they must of Saudi Arabia. These countries will be better friends to the West if pressure is brought on them to change  not the con of a change that Saudi Arabia is experiencing now but the encouragement of a spring of human rights.

Irans status as a pariah state must be restored  sadly it is only Donald Trump making this argument.

The EU and the UK can make it in a more intelligent manner: we cannot be doing business with a country that proposes to kill a family man and scientist who seems to have visited his country of birth, like Nazanin, in good if misplaced faith.

And Westerners can kick off cleverly targeted sanctions to hurt state agencies rather than the people  and a rethink on the nuclear deal  by ceasing travel to Iran. It may be a cool destination as few go there but its tourism industry is helping to normalise the brand of one of the worlds human rights offenders.

There is little point travelling to Iran and commenting on how charming and hospitable people are unless youve looked up the names of people like Reza Shahabi, Narges Mohammadi and Arash Sadeghi, unjustly imprisoned, innocent individuals in a country with no respect for due process.

Djalali has been denied a defence, prompting Amnesty International to say: This is not only a shocking assault on the right to a fair trial but is also in utter disregard for Ahmadreza Djalalis right to life. It is appalling that the Iranian authorities have deliberately denied Ahmadreza Djalali the right to a meaningful review of his conviction and sentence.

There are reports that he has been tortured and has been subjected to a forced confession for the camera.

I recently wrote to my local MP Vince Cable about Aung Sang Syu Kis intransigence in the face of the Rohingya refugee crisis. Within weeks I received not only his reply but also the reply he received from the Foreign Office, signed by Boris Johnson.

I am going to write to him today to ask that he call on the Foreign Secretary to demand commuting of Ahmadreza Djalalis sentence.

In November, 75 Nobel prize laureates called for him to be freed. Perhaps its time for leading scientists in the UK to start their own  Brian Cox, Robert Winston and others must also write to their MPs.

Djalalis wife, Vida Mehrannia, told The Independent that her husband denies all the charges against him, not least having held up to 50 meetings with Mossad.

I really dont know how to cope, she said. They are dragging an innocent man to the noose. Somebody has to do something to stop this.

Like Richard Ratcliffe, she is probably sitting by the phone, hoping.
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Nothing has changed, nothing has changed, Theresa May declared, even though she had just executed a spectacular U-turn on her flagship policy for the better off to pay more towards their social care. The dementia tax was dumped just four days after it was launched in the Conservative Party manifesto.

The May brand was tarnished and did not recover. The policy alienated natural Tory supporters, while her volte face destroyed the strong and stable platform on which her snap election was built. Her refusal to admit it revealed an unattractive, stubborn streak.

The climbdown was probably Mays nadir in 2017, but she had such an annus horribilis that there were other contenders. With the benefit of hindsight, her decision to call an election on 8 June was the biggest of her several mistakes. But a 20-point lead in the opinion polls, and a chance to crush Labour, win a personal mandate and strengthen her hand in difficult Brexit negotiations, left even the straight-dealing vicars daughter unable to resist temptation.

Recommended UK companies are already preparing for a no deal Brexit

Election

The Tory campaign was dysfunctional; there was no one in charge. The Prime Minister, untested in the pressure of an election, was uncomfortable in the spotlight. Unusually, her party did not campaign on the economy  in keeping with her foolish mantra of ignoring the Cameron-Osborne playbook. She wanted a Brexit election, but without saying much about Brexit, so other issues such as austerity were bound to come to the fore.

Theresa May proved to be uncomfortable in the spotlight (Getty) (Getty Images)

There were two Tory campaigns  a strong and stable one devised by Lynton Crosby, the Australian strategist, and another built on the manifesto written by Nick Timothy, one of Mays two joint chiefs of staff, which distanced the party from Thatcherism and attacked the unacceptable face of business. Crosbys version won out. But it emphasised continuity rather than the change offered by Timothys. May had unlearnt the lesson of the EU referendum a year earlier: many voters were hungry for change.

That opened the door to Jeremy Corbyn, whose hastily drafted left-wing manifesto offered real change, notably an end to austerity. The Labour leader had a brilliant campaign. Although the British Election Study found that people viewed Brexit as the most important issue, the unspun Corbyns personal appeal won over many undecided voters. So did Labours values, epitomised by its slogan for the many, not the few.

May was saved by the Scottish Conservativess revival under Ruth Davidson (PA)

The single most dramatic moment of the political year was the exit poll broadcast at 10pm on election night. Against all the odds, it predicted that the Tories would lose their overall majority. It was right. The Tories won 42 per cent of the vote but lost 13 seats, while Labour won 40 per cent and gained 30 seats. The two parties combined share of the vote was the highest since 1970. Labour, rather than the anti-Brexit Liberal Democrats, hoovered up the Remain vote. May was saved from the humiliation of a Corbyn-led minority government, by Scottish Tories revival under Ruth Davidson; they gained 12 seats while the Scottish National Party lost 21.

May, who had hoped for a majority of 60, considered resigning but decided to carry on, probably out of what she saw as her duty  to steady the ship and keep Corbyn out-- rather than to cling on to power.

DUP deal

Mays weakened position forced her to cobble together a confidence and supply agreement with the 10 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MPs from Northern Ireland, giving her a working majority of 13. The magic money tree so derided by the Tories bore fruit -- and 1bn for Northern Ireland. Mays dependence on the DUP would later return to haunt her during the Brexit negotiations.

Theresa May with DUP leader Arlene Foster (left), as DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson (second right) and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip Gavin Williamson, sign the deal (PA)

The Prime Minister was forced to scrap a wide-ranging Cabinet reshuffle. Her ministers demanded the sacking of Timothy and Fiona Hill, the other chief. Their abrasive approach had made too many enemies. May looked lost without her two long-standing advisers. She plumbed new depths when she declined to meet local residents at the scene of the horrific Grenfell Tower fire. It underlined Mays lack of emotional intelligence.

Tory manifesto proposals were dropped  more grammar schools, social care reform, means-testing pensioners winter fuel allowances and ending the triple lock under which the state pension rises by at least 2.5 per cent a year. As one minister put it: Weve got no money, no majority and no alternative leader.

Theresa May was criticised for not speaking to those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire (AP)

May renewed her pledges to tackle burning injustices and help those just about managing. But she was slow to turn her rhetoric into action. Plans to reform executive pay and put workers on boards were diluted; she blew hot and cold about a cap on energy prices. When Alan Milburn and his fellow members of the Social Mobility Commission resigned in protest at the lack of focus on the issue, he rightly said that the all-consuming Brexit process left the Government with no capacity for much else.

Brexit

Timothys influence lived on after his departure. Crucially, he had persuaded May to implement the 2016 referendum with a hard Brexit outside the single currency and customs union and the remit of the European Court of Justice. Ministers admit the implications were not thought through  and became apparent only once the talks were underway. May, a Remainer anxious to reassure Tory Leavers, triggered Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon in March to kickstart exit talks. This was another mistake, coming before a Cabinet divided over Brexit had discussed what the UKs long-term relationship with the EU should be. May also handed the EU a precious advantage  the two-year time limit for a withdrawal agreement under Article 50. Her trump card was the UKs divorce payment, but she conceded on that in an attempt to move the negotiations on to a trade deal.

Plans to move Boris Johnson in a reshuffle were shelved after Theresa Mays disastrous closing Tory conference speech (Getty)

Incredibly, the Cabinet did not start to debate its long-term Brexit goals until December, 18 months after the referendum. May had repeatedly put off any attempt to bridge the gulf between the Chancellor Philip Hammond, who wanted to stick close to the EU economy, and Boris Johnson, who argued for a clean break. When Hammond won a two-year transitional deal and the tide appeared to shift his way, Johnson erupted and issued a series of counter-demands. His public opposition undermined May, and her decision to make him Foreign Secretary came back to bite her.

In December, after a false start in which the Democratic Unionist Party scuppered a deal, May again defied predictions she would be forced out by clinching a phase one Brexit agreement four days later. It was a remarkable bounce back. But just when it seemed she could end the year on a high, reality returned. She suffered her first Commons defeat as Prime Minister, when 11 pro-European Tories joined opposition parties to demand a meaningful vote for MPs on her Brexit deal next autumn.

Tory conference

Plans to move Johnson in a reshuffle were shelved after yet another contender for Mays worst moment of the year. Her closing speech to the Tory conference in Manchester in October was ringed in the Downing Street diary as an important fightback moment. It was a disaster, and a metaphor for a year of Mayhem: she was knocked off her stride by a prankster who handed her a mock P45 and suffered a prolonged coughing fit.

Comedian Simon Brodkin, also known as Lee Nelson hands the Prime Minister a mock P45 during her keynote speech (PA) (PA Wire/PA Images)

Then some letters making up the slogan on the set behind her fell off. The nightmare was enough to spark a short-lived coup by Tory MPs, but they failed to muster the 48 names needed to force a vote of confidence in May as party leader. There was still no alternative in the eyes of her MPs.

Sexminster

Sir Michael Fallon resigned as defence secretary, saying his conduct fell short (Reuters)

When May might have thought things could only get better, they got even worse. For once, the crisis was not of her own making as the sexual harassment allegations engulfing the Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein spread to Westminster. She insisted on the resignation of Michael Fallon, her loyalist Defence Secretary, and a cloud hung over her as the Cabinet Office investigated into Damian Green, her closest political ally and de facto Deputy Prime Minister. A week after Fallons departure, Priti Patel, the International Development Secretary, quit after she pursued a freelance policy on Israel. Two Black Wednesdays in a row led to renewed speculation that May was running out of road.

Just when it appeared Mays rollercoaster year would end on a high, there was yet another big dip. On her third Black Wednesday, the inquiry into Green found that he made misleading statements last month about the polices discovery of pornography on his office computers in 2008. May had no option but to sack her friend since their days at Oxford University. It meant the political year ended on a sad rather than happy note for May, now a more isolated figure even in her own Government.

Labour

Although the Tories won the 2017 election, to them it felt like defeat. Conversely, Labours third successive defeat tasted like victory. Labour was outspent by the Tories, but outgunned them by building a movement of 570,000 members and a huge presence on social media which helped persuade many young adults to register and to vote. Under-47s were more likely to vote Labour than Tory.

Corbyns close allies were surprised, and his internal critics even more so. They scrapped plans for another leadership challenged and, if that failed, to launch a new centre party. A few critics argued that Labour had missed a unique opportunity to win against such a feeble Tory leader. But most acknowledged that Corbyns personal triumph gave him the right to lead the party into another election.

Some accused Jeremy Corbyns party of missing an opportunity to win against a feeble Tory leader (AFP) (Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP)

Labour hopes that will come soon but will be disappointed: if there is one thing that unites the Tories, it is a desire to delay an election until 2022.

By then May will be gone from Number 10, as her party will not allow her to lead it into another election. Yet she is still in office, if not power, after a year in which repeated reports of her political death proved exaggerated. It was such a difficult year that having a Budget which did not backfire and merely surviving until Parliaments Christmas recess seemed like quite an achievement. Indeed, she taunted Corbyn that she was still standing at the years final session of Prime Ministers Questions, while he had failed to make good his own prediction of being PM by Christmas.

May knows that many battles lie ahead; on the fraught EU negotiations, they have only just begun. Indeed, the final verdict on 2017 will be delivered only when the Brexit saga finally draws to a close.
One person was confirmed dead when suspected Boko Haram militants attacked Molai, outside Maiduguri, Borno state, on Monday, military and witnesses said.

The attack, which occurred in the evening, was repelled by government forces.

As soldiers fought to minimise damage, hundreds of villagers, mostly women and children, fled their communities during the dark hours into the state capital.

According to some of the returning residents of Molai who spoke with newsmen on Tuesday, the gunmen arrived in large number shooting from guns mounted on the back of pickup trucks.

Most of the villagers said they were able to escape. They said only a mentally unstable motor park worker, popularly known called Goodluck, was shot and killed.

Returnees walked over hundreds of empty shells of AK47 and AA bullets that littered the highway.

We have not seen such terrible incident in a long time, said a young man in his mid 20s who identified himself as Bashir.

The Boko Haram gunmen came heavily armed; most of them were carrying AA(antiaircraft) rifles and shooting sporadically. We all took to our heels. I never knew most of us could survive it. Only one man, a Fulani guy who is not that mentally stable but works here at the park as tout helping to get passengers for taxis. He never knew the attack was big so he came out to the roadside only to be shot by the insurgents, he said.

The corpse of the victim had not been evacuated as it was covered with sac and left by the roadside at the time PREMIUM TIMES visited Molai.

A military truck that was obviously hit by some explosive from the insurgents, was seen standing on its side in the middle of the road leading to Molai, while a burnt motorcycle belonging to the insurgents was also spotted some metres ahead.

The theatre commander of the Operation Lafiya Dole, Rochas Nicholas, said the attack was effectively repelled by soldiers and no life was lost.

He said the insurgents were out to steal food from the civil populace.

The statement by Mr. Nicholas, a major general, which was issued on Monday night, said No lost of lives to own troops and normalcy has since been restored. Meanwhile troops have been on the trail of the remnants of the terrorists. Unfortunately, during their retreat, they set two vehicles on fire and some thatched houses at the outskirts of the city gate.

Both ground troops and the Nigerian Air Force are on hot pursuit and interdicting the fleeing terrorists that are now in disarray.

On the way out of Molai, soldiers of the Nigeria army and operatives of the Civillian-JTF were sighted trying to push the destroyed truck off the middle of the road.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
The Federal Government have placed a curfew in Bwari following a series of clashes between Gwari and Hausa youths.

The security personnel prevented residents from moving around and sent back home motorists taking their families out for Christmas celebration.

It was gathered that the violence broke out after a fight between a Hausa and Gwari youth on Sunday night, which led to the death of the latter.

The death of the Gwari youth, it was learnt, angered his kinsmen who carried out a reprisal on the Hausa community during which a market was torched by a mob.

The clash, which was believed to be the fallout of the leadership tussle between the two chiefs in the area, began at about 10am when many residents were in church for the Christmas service.

One of our correspondents, who visited the scene, observed that many of the houses were shut while majority of residents were asked to stay indoors until the security situation improved.

Three vehicles, belonging to the National Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Road Safety Corps, were observed patrolling the area.

Many of the recreational parks, hotels and other fun spots in the town were deserted as residents could not go out due to fear.

It was learnt that some of the churches that were observing their Christmas service hurriedly ended the service for security reasons.

The FCT police spokesman, Anjuguri Manzah, confirmed the violence, adding that armed policemen had been deployed in the town to contain the crisis.

The details of the incident are still sketchy, but our immediate objective is to contain the violence and ensure the security of lives and property, he said on the telephone.

Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Administration has imposed a 6pm to 6am. curfew on Bwari township.

The Minister of FCTA, Mallam Muhammad Bello, after a closed-door meeting with stakeholders in the Area Council, declared the curfew while assessing the damages caused by a crisis that erupted in the town on Monday.

He told newsmen that three people died during the clash.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
Three government officials were killed by gunmen on Christmas Eve attacked Utonkon community in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, killed three persons and left five others injured.

Many were also declared missing as a result of the attack which happened as the local government chairman was distributing Christmas gifts to politicians and others in the area.

The Benue State Police command confirmed the attack in the area and disclosed that three persons died and five were seriously injured in the attack.

Also confirming the incident, the Chairman of Ado Local Government Council, Mrs. Blessing Unogwu, stated that the local government protocol officer and four other staff ran into them but escaped unhurt.

The incident occurred at a time that my protocol officer and four other persons were in the community with some goats given to me by His Excellency, Benue state governor to distribute to stakeholders in the area. They were distributing the items when the armed men came on bikes and began to shoot sporadically.

There was no problem on ground in the community. Everybody was going about their normal business when suddenly hoodlums came with this deadly act.

While the shooting was going on, the protocol officer immediately called me and l quickly draw the attention of the Divisional Police Officer, who mobilised his men and we rushed to the area but before we got there, the invaders had all escaped.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, confirmed the incident and said three deaths were recorded during the attack while five others who sustained injuries had been taken to the General Hospital at Otukpo for treatment.

Yamu said, The information at my disposal indicated that the attack was carried out by two yet-to-be identified gunmen who stormed the village on motorbikes. But investigation into the matter has commenced. We have drafted more police to the area.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
Nollywood actress and producer Eniola Badmus, released her annual Christmas photos and of course had people talking with the creativity employed for the shoot.

Rocking her Chritsmas PJS, the actress posed with a ram for the shoot beside her Christmas tree.

Now many feel using a ram for the shoot is sexy, others feel its a no no for them.

Source: Naijaloaded
The CEO of Innoson Group said in a statement Monday that he withdrew his fundamental rights enforcement lawsuit against the anti-graft EFCC after he learnt that the GTBank had allegedly compromised the process.

Innocent Chukwuma, against whom the EFCC slammed a four-count of fraud last month, said an ex-parte application he filed before a Lagos court was summarily taken over by GTBank before it was determined.

GTBank became aware of the pendency of the suit, got all the copies of the processed filed in the suit, then filed a counter affidavit and on December 21 and got it assigned to a complaint judge, according to the statement signed by Cornel Osigwe, corporate communications lead at Innoson.

Mr. Chukwuma filed the ex-parte motion on December 20 to compel the EFCC to respect his fundamental rights, a day after he was arrested by anti-graft operatives at his residence in Enugu.

He said even though GTBank was not joined in the suit, the bank allegedly sent its legal representatives to pry on the court process filed by Mr. Chukwumas lawyers.

Mr. Osigwe said the attention of the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court had been drawn to the matter for a thorough investigation.

A spokesperson for GTBank could not be reached for comments Monday morning.

On November 30, the EFCC slammed fraud charges on Mr. Chukwuma, the industrialist owner of the indigenous auto manufacturer, Innoson Motors.

The allegations border on attempted fraud, stealing, and forgery of shipping and financial documents.

His arrest followed his failure to honour an invitation from the EFCC, the agency said.

Mr. Chukwuma, however, denied receiving any invitation for questioning. He challenged the EFCC to produce evidence of any invitation sent to him before the public.

The industrialist was released in the evening of December 20, but his trial is expected to commence soon, although no date has been fixed yet.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
Davido has finally reacted to Wizkid bringing him on stage to perform together at his Sold-out concert that went down at Eko Hotels in Lagos.

The DMW Boss shared a video of the moment when they all came out on Stage at Wizkids concert, with the overexcited crowd cheering them up!

Davido noted he loves the Star Boy.. He wrote on his Instagram page; 2 KINGS ONE KINGDOM ! Congrats @wizkidayo LOVE U BRO ! See yall on the 27TH !! 30BG

and then Wizkid replied; Nuff Love forever my bro. 27th shut down!

Source: Nairaland
New Telegraph

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday revealed why his health has improved dramatically.

Daily Trust

The president said this in a documentary entitled Buhari: Beyond the Iron and Steel aired on Nigerian Television Authority last night by the Presidency.

The Sun

The Catholic Archbishop of the Metropolitan Sea of Lagos, His Grace, Adewale Martins, in this interview said owing to failure in governance and good leadership, Nigerians have become like sheep without shepherd, declaring that the country has lost sense of direction.

Vanguard

Gunmen, armed to the teeth and dressed in military fatigue on Sunday raided the Kaduna home of the former Chairman the Presidential Task Team on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina.

Punch

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, stirred up a fresh controversy over his real age when he said he thought he was 74 but was told he was 75.

Daily Times

Corps Marshal of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) Boboye Oyeyemi has expressed appreciation to both his personnel and motoring public for their conduct during the first phase of the Corps special operations targeted at safe motoring during the Christmas.

Leadership

Vice president Yemi Osinbajo has described as such a shame the sad reality that Christmas has been, to some extent, celebrated amid the discomfort caused by fuel scarcity.

The Nation

Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose on Monday dispensed petrol to residents of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital at government approved price of N145 per litre.

Tribune

A combined team of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and security agents on Sunday uncovered illegal reservoirs of fuel in Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday gave a hint of what he did to make his health improve significantly following several months of illness.

The president travelled to the UK twice earlier in the year for treatment of his undisclosed ailment, spending over hundred days.

Mr. Buhari said his absolute adherence to doctors instructions and orders was responsible for his improved health conditions.

It has been a tumultuous year. I thought I was 74 but I was told I was 75, he said.

I have never been so sick even the 30 months civil war (when) I was stumbling under farm of yams or cassava but this sickness I dont know but I came out better.

All those who saw me before and when I came back said I look much better, but I have explained it to the public that as a General I used to give orders now I take orders; the doctors told me to feed my stomach and sleep for longer hours that is why I am looking much better.

Mr. Buhari spoke when he received a delegation of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, residents who paid him Christmas homage in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said 2017 has been a very tough year for Nigeria, but expressed optimism that 2018 will be a more prosperous one.

He, however, noted with delight that God had answered the prayers of Nigerians as the rainy season was good and farmers recorded bumper harvest across the country.

It has been a tough year for Nigeria and I hope next year will be a much more prosperous one.

But God listened to the majority of us, the rainy season was very good and some states have got very good information from home; I never knew that the people from Kano who are more resourceful used to go to my area and hire farms, this year nobody hired farm, and nobody regretted it.

And again the second one from the Gov. of Sokoto State said all the people that really registered early to perform last pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia were farmers. But he didnt tell me if they took additional wives.

But I am very pleased that people have gone back to the land with very good harvests, he said.

Mr. Buhari used the opportunity to commend religious leaders for partnering with government in ensuring peaceful co-existence among the diverse ethno-religious groups in the country.

He stated that reports reaching him from security organisations across the country indicated that the religious leaders had been assisting the security agents in the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the society.

I thank you very much for coming, especially the religious leaders.

I am very pleased you are doing your best from the intelligence I am getting to make sure that people live as good neighbours and good Nigerians, said the president.

The head of delegation and Minister of the FCT, Musa Bello, had earlier thanked God for not only restoring the Presidents health, but also making him stronger and better looking.

He said: This is the third homage and we have never seen you better as you look today.

The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, FCT Chapter, Jonah Samson, lauded the Buhari administration for its performances in the fight against corruption and insurgency in the country.

Mr. Samson, who also commended the administrations efforts towards ensuring security of life and property of citizens, urged the government to provide additional employment opportunities to address youth restiveness in the country.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of Christmas cards to the president by the FCT minister and the Chaplain of the Aso Rock Chapel.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
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In the early hours of Christmas morning, Sandra Morey felt some pain and was wondering if she could she could be going into labour.

After waking the kids, her husband Darren rang an ambulance because the pains had gotten so strong.
Two cheers for US President Donald Trump. Without him, the West would still regard populism as a problem unique to Central and Eastern Europe, writes Radoslaw Sikorski.

Yet Trumps presidency is as clear a demonstration as there could be of the fact that populism is not merely a product of the alleged immaturity of post-communist countries.

Leo Tolstoy supposedly said that the further one is from events, the more inevitable those events seem. So it is with todays populist surge.

It wasnt inevitable that Polands Law and Justice Party (PiS) would come to power with 38% of the vote in 2015; nor was it inevitable that Trump would win the US presidency, despite having received almost three million fewer votes than his opponent.

In both cases, luck and the competitions incompetence played a role, just as they did in bringing decidedly liberal forces to power in France in 2017.

Still, as we head into 2018, we should recognise that another year of populist turbulence beckons. After all, there is nothing new about populist politics in democracies, whether young or old. In the 19th century, the free silver movement divided the United States in much the same way that Brexit divides Britain today.

Populists succeed by exploiting citizens alienation from an establishment that has failed or is unable to respond to some salient challenge  for example, low crop prices and debt deflation in the US in the 1870s, or migration in the European Union today.

They usually propose simple solutions to complex problems. And once in power, they usually fail to deliver on their promises, but only after they have spent all the publics money.

Wise establishmentarians accommodate some populist arguments within their own political programs. After these concessions are made, emotions tend to cool, and social stability can be restored.

So, what are the foremost populist grievances today? Judging by countries like Poland and Hungary, there are at least three: class resentment, demographic despair, and threatened identities. Each of these grievances has a legitimate basis, and all need to be addressed.

Contrary to popular belief, none of these grievances is strictly economic.

In Poland, incomes have been rising and inequalities have been falling for 25 years. Yet at the same time, ordinary people have become increasingly suspicious of elites feeding at the trough while everyone else allegedly struggles to make ends meet.

Part of the problem is that expectations have outrun reality. When expectations go unmet, people begin to suspect that the social compact itself is unfair. It is this sense of unfairness, far more than income levels, that has fueled support for populist movements.

After all, one can earn much more than the Polish minimum wage and still resent the fact that the global rich are squirrelling away trillions of dollars in tax havens, or that transnational companies routinely shirk their tax obligations.

Moreover, populists, despite their racist rhetoric on the issue of migration, are not wrong to intuit that a generous welfare state is incompatible with open borders.

There are a billion people on the other side of the Mediterranean Sea who cannot be blamed for wanting to live in a European welfare state. Many of them live in countries with neither welfare nor even a functioning state.

Europe cannot accept everyone. There are legitimate discussions to be had about tolerable immigration rates, Western countries absorptive capacity, and border controls.

Moreover, it is fair to ask if there are better ways than mass migration to address the problems associated with an aging population, such as by extending child benefits and parental leave. What has been most irksome to populists and their sympathizers is that merely raising such questions exposes one to accusations of intolerance, or worse.

As to the third populist grievance, it was predictable that those left behind in the age of globalisation and meritocracy would fall back on collective identities as a source of dignity.

And in Poland and the US, in particular, this trend has been reinforced by a decline in religiosity.

Nationalism is the last refuge of those who fear losing a way of life. It is partly a reaction of endangered majorities that do not want to become minorities.

Now, alongside this list of grievances, consider the fact that, historically, every communications revolution has led to a political revolution. In a world of unregulated social media, populist demagogues do not have to do much to stoke the confusion, paranoia, and cynicism that are already smouldering within the electorate.

Looking forward, policymakers and political leaders need to address the fundamental concerns that populists have tapped. First, we need to fix capitalism, by ensuring that social contributions are rewarded more appropriately than they are today.

Even if we concede that financiers make a larger social contribution than doctors, are we really expected to believe that they contribute a thousand  let alone ten thousand  times more?

Likewise, it is time to freeze out companies and individuals that maintain accounts in OECD-designated tax havens. The EU, for its part, is right to insist that multinationals pay taxes wherever they do business.

Member states need to support the Commissions proposals for tougher controls.

Second, governments need to reassert control over national  or, in the case of the EU, supranational  borders. Citizens want a say over who comes to live in their midst, and under what conditions. And they want to ensure that those who do come plan to be good neighbors.

Third, politicians must stop mining cheap nationalism for tactical electoral advantages. They owe it to voters to explain why their interests will be better protected through multilateralism. This is especially true for the EU, which needs to cultivate more European patriotism, perhaps through joint military action on the periphery.

Finally, the Internet, social media, and other new technologies need to be regulated, either by pressuring companies to police themselves, or by enacting new legislation. Like any world-changing invention, digital technologies have obvious downsides that cannot be ignored.

These are difficult but achievable goals. Contrary to the defeatism that has become rampant nowadays, we can, through democratic means, enact legislation and adopt regulations that address the problems populists have identified. But we need to hurry. If we dont act, the populists will  and with far more damaging results.

* Radoslaw Sikorski is a former Polish foreign minister. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2017. www.project-syndicate.org
Vladimir Putins torso, which he sometimes bares during sporting pursuits, is a familiar part of his public image. How much Putin reveals of the man behind the buff exterior is another question, writes Jim Heintz.

After 18 years as Russias leader  and with another six-year term sure to follow a March election  Putin doesnt show the appetites or vulnerabilities that can personalise Western politics, even when staged or spun. If he has moments of merriment or melancholy, they happen in private.

The presidents air of shadow, distance and restraint also stands out in Russias more rigid political culture. Never has Putin burst into wild dancing a la Boris Yeltsin or confessed a boyish affection for arena rock like Dmitry Medvedev did as a self-described Deep Purple fan.

He may be chronically on guard, deliberately not exposing his inner life out of concern that opponents could

exploit it. Or he might be exhibiting his essence: a man so focused on power that other interests blur. When US President George W Bush met Putin in 2001 and said hed got a sense of his soul, some critics snorted that Putin had no soul.

He doesnt like people naturally, said Mikhail Zygar, a top editor at independent Dozhd TV and the author of All The Kremlins Men. He considers those politicians who talk about values to be cheating him.

Yet others see a strong strain of warmth in Putin. Easygoing, encouraging and even healing is the description offered by Yuri Tolstoy, who was one of Putins law professors in Leningrad, now St Petersburg.

Tolstoy, 90, says the 65-year-old president visited him this autumn after he received Russias highest civilian honor. I must say that after the recent meeting with Vladimir Putin, my health has improved. He has filled me with life energy, Tolstoy said.

He is a charming and witty man. He is sincere and open in communication with anyone, another of Putins former professors, Dzhenevra Lukovskaya, said. Speaking globally, Id say President Putin meets the challenges of the national self-identification of Russia.

Russia appears to be the self-identification of Putin as well. If he lacks an overarching system of ethics and moral imperatives, he has an essential sense of being Russian, perhaps of embodying Russia itself.

Hes not there because hes believes hes a dictator. No, he believes hes the man whos trying to save the country, Zygar said. At the same time, Putin is not a strategical player as he is portrayed; he is a very tactical player, he is good at responding in Zygars view.

He cited Russias military offensives in Syria as an example. Putins motivation in starting the Syria campaign was exasperation with the international criticism over Russias backing for separatist rebels in Ukraines war.

Whats known of Putins youth suggests that he hungered for two kinds of power  visible and clandestine  in an environment imbued with both Russias suffering and its valour.

Putin was born on October 7, 1952, to factory-worker parents in Leningrad, a city pervaded by memories of a nearly 900-day Nazi siege during World War II. One of his older brothers died of diphtheria during the siege; the other died a few months after birth.

According to First Person, a book of interviews published after he became acting president in 1999, Putin and his parents lived in a dismal communal apartment with a wretched toilet down the hall. Putin said he responded to the rough circumstances by becoming a childhood hooligan, one of the few in his school barred from joining the Communist Young Pioneers. In his early adolescence, Putin channeled his aggressive tendencies into the martial arts, a sport he practiced avidly into late middleage.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin talk during the family photo session at the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam. Pic: Jorge Silva/Pool Photo via AP

In a moment of naive determination, he says he went to a local KGB office to ask about joining the spy service.

He was told the agency was highly sceptical about the trustworthiness of prospective agents who walked in from the street. All those years in university, I waited for the man at the KGB office to remember me, Putin said. One day a man came and asked me to meet with him. He didnt say who he was, but I immediately figured it out. If they didnt want to say where, that meant it was there.

Putins ultimate assignment with the KGB turned out to be Dresden, in the Soviet Unions close ally, East Germany. When Putin later rose to prominence in Russia, many sniffed that being posted in a friendly country didnt speak well of his acuity in the intelligence game.

I would not exaggerate the importance of his KGB years, where he was more of a bureaucrat than a spy, Zygar said. Instead, he sees Putins epiphany as something that happened after he left the KGB and became a deputy of Anatoly Sobchak, St Petersburgs reform-minded mayor.

Sobchak was such a democrat at heart that he allowed an open election and then accepted his defeat in it.

That was a tragedy for Sobchaks team and a tragedy for Putin personally and that was the lesson: how you should never repeat those mistakes: free and fair elections, open debates and really influential opposition, Zygar said.

The lesson is likely to apply to the 2018 presidential election. The only truly influential opposition aspirant, anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny, is almost certain to be blocked from the ballot because of a felony conviction.

That means Russians who hope to see Putin unseated focused on longshot Ksenia Sobchak  Anatoly Sobchaks daughter, a television personality who has never held office and who as yet has not qualified for the ballot. Putins dominance of Russias politics manifested itself with extraordinary speed.

Few, if any, politicians have stepped more quickly from the shadows to subject of rapt interest at home and abroad. Before being named Yeltsins prime minister in August 1999, he was head of the Federal Security Service, one of the KGBs successor agencies, a post that inherently lacks visibility.

Yeltsin shuffled prime ministers at an alarming rate, and Putin might have become just another to go through the revolving door. However, the next month, while commenting on the early days of the second war against Chechen rebels, he made an impression.

If we capture them in the toilet, then we will waste them in the outhouse, he said Adamant, macho, and a touch of crude language  the remark seemed to reveal the essence of Vladimir Putin.

Hes rarely strayed from that public image since then. Occasionally, theres a brief sweet moment of him cuddling one of the puppies foreign dignitaries have given him. Glimpses of the private man are few. He makes no appearances with his two adult daughters. The 2013 announcement that he and wife, Lyudmila, were divorcing was a piece of precise stagecraft. The couple appeared on national television at an opera intermission, praised the performance and then said they were separating.

Control appears so integral to Putins nature it can be difficult to visualise how he would cope with not being Russias president. If he wins re-election, he would be termed out of office in 2024.

I do not expect him to retire after the presidency. I think he is more likely to take some other position overseeing things in Russia from a different perch, Dmitry Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Centre, said.
In 2017, corruption became a byword for politics on almost every continent, framing government action in countries as different as China, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil, writes Janine R. Wedel.

CORRUPTION and its attendant scandals toppled presidents and prime ministers, cut down political opposition leaders, and fueled populist revolts worldwide.

Without accounting for systemic official misconduct, our current era of political turbulence simply doesnt make sense.

In Brazil, investigations have been ongoing into what one judge has described as a scheme of systemic corruption between public officials and the Brazilian oil giant Petrobras.

As a result of the investigations, President Dilma Rousseff was impeached and removed from office in August 2016, and former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was convicted and sentenced to prison in July of this year.

Similarly, in South Korea, a corruption scandal led to President Park Geun-hyes impeachment and removal from office in March, and to the imprisonment of Lee Jae-yong, the heir apparent at Samsung, in August.

In Pakistan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted by the countrys Supreme Court in July. He is now facing corruption charges for London real-estate purchases that he allegedly made in the 1990s through offshore companies and under his childrens names. The assets had gone unreported until they were revealed by the 2015 leak of the Panama Papers.

In Russia under President Vladimir Putin, corruption flourishes at the nexus of state politics and big business, with loyal oligarchs also reliably executing Putins political agendas. But corruption is also being exported. Indeed, Putin spreads his formula of illiberalism, nationalism, and authoritarianism to former Soviet states, Europe, and even the US.

And in Hungary, allegations of cronyism have dogged Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has strengthened his hold on power by cultivating close ties with the countrys oligarchs.

As I have documented over the past decade, corruption is not just about graft or illicit transactions. It also includes legal violations of the public trust, often committed by shadow elites who assume a tangle of roles in the public and private sectors, sometimes simultaneously.

The proliferation of officials pursuing their own interests and escaping accountability has not been lost on ordinary people.

In the US, what I call the new corruption was a central concern of both the Tea Party on the right and Occupy Wall Street on the left. Both movements objected to the 2008 Wall Street bailout, and saw it as evidence of a rigged system.

In each of the last three years, Chapman Universitys Survey of American Fears found that concerns about corruption weigh more heavily on Americans minds than even crime, terrorism, or deaths in the family.

Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016 partly by exploiting these concerns. Yet despite his promise to drain the swamp, he spent 2017 expanding and deepening it. All manner of Trump associates have found work and increased their cachet on K-street, Washingtons lobbying hub.

Some have sought work lobbying for foreign powers, even though candidate Trump railed against his rival for supposed foreign influence. Moreover, Trump assembled a team of advisers with direct financial connections to the sectors they are supposed to oversee, as well as former lobbyists, including some working for foreign regimes.

Trump himself has imbued public corruption with a level of flamboyancy unlike anything America has seen in decades  if ever.

Among his many violations of the public trust, Trump has declined to fully divest from his business holdings or release his tax returns and has installed family members in powerful official and unofficial positions.

Moreover, some of Trumps cabinet members have tapped into public resources for their own personal and private use. So far, the only official to have been held accountable for this is Tom Price, who resigned as Secretary of Health and Human Services in September, after news outlets reported that he had billed taxpayers for numerous chartered flights.

Trump and his associates might very well face serious corruption charges eventually, depending on what former FBI Director Robert Mueller finds in his ever-widening investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Already, Mueller has brought charges against Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and Manaforts longtime associate, Rick Gates. Many observers doubt that the Trump administration will last until the end of its electoral term in 2020.

But citizens should be forewarned that when anti-corruption efforts ensnare senior officials, a lengthy period of uncertainty often follows. For example, the vast anti-corruption investigation in Brazil has won international praise, but it has not restored political or financial stability.

On the contrary, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, Brazil is suffering unprecedented voter dissatisfaction, with no obvious leader to rebuild public trust.

What follows from anti-corruption investigations depends largely on a countrys political and economic context. For example, because political power in Pakistan is routinely shuffled among family members, Sharif, upon being deposed, tried to name his brother as his successor. In September, his wife was elected to fill his former parliamentary seat.

In other countries, anti-corruption probes have been used by authoritarian regimes to neutralize opponents.

In July, Polands government, controlled by the illiberal Law and Justice (PiS) party, partly succeeded in its efforts to subordinate the judiciary to political control, arguing that the courts had been corrupted by elites.

And in China, President Xi Jinping has made savvy use of an anti-corruption campaign to purge political rivals and settle scores  a campaign that Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman appears to be mimicking in his effort to concentrate power in his own hands.

Owing to its one-party system, China has been able to keep up the appearance of stability during its intensifying crackdown. But some analysts argue that widespread discontent is brewing beneath the surface, and that endemic corruption among the countrys ruling elites is eroding the political systems sustainability.

That points to a final visible trend this year: citizens pushing back against corruption in all of its forms.

In Poland, widespread protests forced the president to veto much of the PiSs attempted judicial power grab. In Venezuela, protests against cronyism were ongoing throughout the year.

And in Russia, thousands of citizens took to the streets to protest Putins kleptocratic regime  inspired, in part, by the anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny, who has been mobilizing the Russian opposition with his crooks and thieves campaign targeting Putins United Russia party.

In many countries nowadays, civic activism may be absent on most issues. But corruption isnt one of them. People cared enough about it to upend politics in 2016 and again in 2017. There is no reason to believe that 2018 will be any different.

Janine R. Wedel is an anthropologist and University Professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2017. www.project-syndicate.org
Confessions by major tobacco companies about years of deceptive marketing should not lull people into thinking the industry is becoming altruistic, write Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Tabare Ramon Vazquez

WE all know how bad tobacco is, that it kills millions of people every year, and that it harms many more. We also know that tobacco companies have consistently lied about how much damage their products cause.

But now, even Big Tobacco has been forced to state the facts publicly. After losing a string of appeals following a 2006 US federal court ruling, four companies have been forced to reveal the truth behind years of deceptive marketing, by publishing advertisements containing corrective statements in US newspapers and on television.

These public statements acknowledge that the companies  Philip Morris USA, RJ Reynolds Tobacco, Lorillard, and Altria  knew the damage their products cause but kept selling them anyway.

And it is not just courts that are taking action against the tobacco industry. The recent decision by French bank BNP Paribas to stop financing and investing in tobacco companies  including producers, wholesalers, and traders  is just the latest sign that public health is finally being put ahead of commercial interests.

Still, we must not be lulled into believing that these overdue confessions reflect an industry undergoing altruistic catharsis. They resulted from the combined pressure of the US justice system, tobacco-control advocates, and the sheer weight of evidence against the industrys misleading marketing of light and mild tobacco products.

They should be regarded as a warning: The industry couldnt be trusted in the past, and it shouldnt be trusted to do the right thing in the future.

Even today, the same tobacco companies are marketing new products that they claim are less harmful  like heat-not-burn devices, which vaporise tobacco to produce a nicotine-containing aerosol  and funding front groups purporting to work for a smoke-free world.

The world has witnessed similar tactics elsewhere, from Uruguay to Australia, where tobacco companies launch costly legal challenges against legitimate regulation of its deadly products. Despite such losses, it will no doubt continue looking for ways to oppose tobacco restrictions.

To be sure, the court-ordered airing of corrective statements in American media does represent a victory for truth. It brings closure to an important US Justice Department lawsuit, filed in 1999 under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, and then left partly unresolved, until October 2017, during a decade of appeals and legal wrangling following the 2006 decision.

The statements detail the deadly health effects of smoking and second-hand smoke, including the fact that low-tar and light cigarettes are no less harmful than regular ones; that smoking and nicotine are highly addictive; and that cigarettes are intentionally manipulated to maximize the ingestion of nicotine.

Even cigarette manufacturers admit that their products contribute to 1,200 US deaths each day. Around the world, tobacco use kills more than seven million people annually.

Enough is enough; at this critical moment, we must not let the momentum slip. Governments and health organisations like ours are at war with the tobacco industry, and we will continue fighting until we beat Big Tobacco.

If national leaders, health ministers, and finance chiefs ever wondered how far they should go to regulate tobacco products, Big Tobaccos admissions, together with investors second thoughts, have provided an answer: as far as necessary. Governments face a moral and legal imperative to use the strongest possible measures to protect their citizens from tobacco.

One way forward would be for more governments to implement commitments enshrined in the World Health Organizations Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The WHO FCTC provides guidelines on topics such as tobacco taxation, public awareness and education, and package warnings. These measures have helped save millions of lives in the last decade, not to mention hundreds of billions of dollars in health costs.

But more can be done, which is why we are calling on governments around the world to strengthen implementation of the WHO FCTC by accelerating action on the MPOWER tobacco control policies  measures intended to strengthen country-level implementation of the WHO FCTC.

Together, these frameworks represent the strongest defense countries have against the tobacco industry.

Moreover, governments should endorse the Protocol to Eliminate the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, which aims to prevent illicit trade, such as smuggling.

While 33 countries and the European Union have signed the protocol, it needs the support of seven more governments before it can enter into force.

And, finally, looking ahead to the UNs High-level Meeting on Non-communicable Diseases in 2018, government leaders must be prepared to demonstrate their commitment to protecting people from heart and lung disease, cancer, and diabetes, by supporting stronger tobacco controls.

With its recent admissions, Big Tobacco has been forced to reveal its true nature. However reluctantly, these companies have called on all of us to reject their products. We think it is time to take them up on the offer.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a former minister of foreign affairs of Ethiopia, is Director-General of the World Health Organization. Tabare Ramon Vazquez is President of Uruguay. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2017. www.project-syndicate.org
Recent Census 2016 data flagged the 30% growth in the number of people with a PhD in five years.

It rose from just under 22,000 in 2011 to 28,759 when the last census was taken in April 2016.

Analysis of the details by the Irish Examiner reveals that there was a significantly bigger rise in the number of women with a doctorate degree.

The relevant figures grew by nearly 3,800, or by 42%, from under 9,000 to 12,643. However, male PhDs were up just 23% from 13,018 to 16,016.

This has helped to close the overall gap, meaning women now make up 44% of those with PhDs in Ireland, up from 41% in five years.

The corresponding gender figures for Irish PhD holders are up by very similar proportions, to 11,346 men and 9,406 women.

Irish people still account for just over 70% of those with a PhD in this country, but the data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) suggests the economy is still relying on economic immigration of highly-qualified workers.

After the 20,750 Irish PhDs, one-third more than in 2011, UK citizens are the next-largest nationality. The 1,769 UK nationals in Ireland with a PhD represents a modest 3% increase in five years.

PhD nationalities

Irish: 20,752 (+33% since 2011)

UK: 1,769 (+3%)

US: 803 (+31%)

German: 521 (+23%)

Irish-US: 451 (+39%)

Italian: 428 (+63%)

French: 407 (+26%)

Irish-UK: 316 (+33%)

Spanish: 228 (+47%)

Polish: 197 (+32%)

Indian: 153 (+28%)

Multi-nationality: 143 (+361%)

Chinese: 142 (+31%)

Irish-Canadian: 121 (0 in 2011)

Dutch: 120 (+29%)

Romanian: 99 (+68%)

Canadian: 96 (-15%)

Australian: 87 (-6%)

Irish-other European: 85 (+15%)

Irish-Australian: 65 (0 in 2011)

Greek: 64 (+68%)

Portuguese: 62 (+100%)

Pakistani: 59 (+16%)

Not stated: 56 (+10%)

Russian: 50 (-15%)

However, the next-biggest cohort of PhD holders are from the US, up 31% since 2011.

Another 451 hold dual Irish-US nationality, a 39% increase since the previous census. This may reflect the fact that Irish-Americans were the biggest dual Irish nationality group counted in Census 2016.

Just over 17,500 people declared themselves Irish-American, out of 104,784 people with dual nationalities.

Nearly two-thirds of the total dual-Irish cohort were born overseas.

The 2.6% of Irish-Americans with a PhD is more than four times the 0.6% across the entire population.

However, around 2% of Irish-UK and Irish-Polish people living here also have PhDs, from total dual-nationality populations of 15,428 and 9,273, respectively.

In the Dail this month, Labour Party TD Joan Burton raised concerns about the ability of recent PhD graduates to secure stable jobs.

She said those wishing to pursue academic careers were only getting modest salaries if they secured posts as lecturers in institutes of technology.

People would earn far more working in the information technology sector, in the commercial business sector, as accountants, lawyers or finance experts, said Ms Burton.

She told Higher Education minister of state Mary Mitchell OConnor she needs to address these issues or many of the countrys brightest and best would leave Ireland or go into non-academic fields where their skills are properly rewarded.

The minister said a 2015 national framework for doctoral education aims to ensure those doing PhDs complement their discipline-specific knowledge with developing transferable skills.

As well as maximising PhD graduates employability, Ms Mitchell OConnor said it addresses how colleges should work together to improve the experience and outcomes for those taking on doctoral studies.
The State Examinations Commission has reported that the size of its annual deficit more than tripled last year to over 2.2m.

The SEC attributed its deteriorating financial position on insufficient provision within its budget for the increasing number of students sitting the two exams.

The number of students sitting Leaving Certificate exams has risen steadily in recent years up from 55,577 in 2013 to 58,543 this year  an increase of 5.3%.

The rate of change is slower at Junior Certificate level with the numbers sitting the exams over the same period up 2.2%  going from 60,327 in 2013 to 61,654 in 2017, Concern raised by the SEC about its finances could pave the way for increases in the standard exam fees of 116 for the Leaving Certificate and 109 for the Junior Certificate.

The SEC also blamed its growling losses on an increase in the number and scale of special arrangements it provides for students with disabilities to sit tests.

Last year, the SEC granted 20,209 reasonable accommodations to 16,674 candidates in various forms such as tape recorders, scribes, word processors and grammar and writing waivers.

Administering the concessions required the SEC to establish 10,685 special centres.

The annual deficit at the SEC has now grown from 356,808 in 2014 to 722,729 in 2015 to 2,206,642 last year.

The latest accounts filed by SEC show accumulated losses at the Athlone-based body stood at over 3.6m at the end of 2016.

The sharp deterioration in its losses arose despite increases in the SECs two mains sources of funding last year  the Oireachtas grant increased by 1.3% to 55m and exam fee income was up 1.8% to 9.2m.

According to the SEC financial statement for 2016, such increases were offset by increases in staff costs to 58m which was mostly due to external staff hired to oversee the exams as well as administrative expenses.

In the report, the SEC chairman, Patrick Burke, also acknowledged that measures taken to address weaknesses in its fixed asset register, which had been identified in recent audits, were not fully complete by the end of 2016.

As a result of a review into the factors causing a deficit between 2014 and 2016, the SEC has recommended it should improve its budget estimate process as well as its financial reporting arrangements.

The Commission is satisfied that the measures adopted will address the accumulated deficit over time, said Mr Burke.
The Fianna Fail leader has said Government is unable to cut through bureaucracy to solve the housing and homelessness crisis, which has left almost 9,000 without a home this Christmas.

Mr Martin called on the Government to intervene and dramatically increase the amount of social housing local authorities are building, while the State must also become involved in constructing affordable housing.

Yesterday, the Knights of St Columbanus distributed 3,500 free Christmas Day meals in Dublin, through sit- down meals in the RDS, and takeaway meals delivered to shelters and to those in need.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Mr Martin said housing and health are now the most important issues for his party when it comes to the confidence and supply agreement that is keeping the Government in place.

His comments came after Fianna Fail back-bencher Eugene Murphy claimed that the lack of delivery on housing could be the issue that brings down the Government in 2018.

Mr Martin said: We are committed to the confidence and supply; we want to see it through, but obviously it depends on delivery of the policy areas that are contained within the confidence and supply.

So we are not giving anybody a blank cheque for the next long period; we are taking this step by step. We got through the budget; it took a good year and a bit to get things going on mental health, to get things going on the drugs treatment fund. But its slow and thats frustrating.

Ministers dont seem to be able to get through the bureaucracy and get things done.

Mr Martin added that Fianna Fail now sees it as its obligation to get movement on the housing and homelessness emergency, adding: It is without question the social stain of this generation.

November homelessness figures showed a 4% increase on the previous month, with 5,524 adults and 3,333 children without a home and living in emergency accommodation such as hotels, hostels, and B&Bs.

At the same time rents and the price of houses have also been climbing.

Mr Martin said: There has been an absence of real commitment to building council houses. I dont think they wanted to build social houses on any sufficient scale. We have been waiting a year and a half now for an affordable housing scheme.

People cant buy houses now at the prices that they are at in Cork and Dublin. So basically the State must now intervene in the market, build council houses, but also build affordable houses.

Last week, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said that 1,000 social homes have been completed, while 3,600 homes are on site, with another 2,000 homes ready to go on site.

Brother Kevin Crowley who founded the Capuchin Day Centre for Homeless People in Bow Street, Dublin

But the minister also admitted that it will take a considerable amount of time before enough houses are built to cope with demand and solve the housing crisis.

He said: Its an absolute priority for Government to fix this crisis and to fix the problem and its going to be with us until we get those homes built.

Mr Martin said he was taken aback when he visited Dublins Capuchin Day Centre recently, claiming no progress on a request for a childcare worker and social worker had been made since his previous visit in April.

The childcare worker is more pressing because there were worries around the child protection issues for homeless children living in hotels, but even in the context when they come in to have meals, he said.

I am just wondering, why someone in authority and the ministers are included, didnt just say to officials make these professional appointments. Get them in there and make them happen.
Micheal Martin has also attacked the Governments Strategic Communications Unit (SCU) vowing to shut the 5m spin unit down if comes into power after the next general election.

The SCU set up by Leo Varadkar, aims to promote the work of Government in a more cohesive manner, however Fianna Fail and other members of the opposition have been fiercely critical of the unit claiming it has been used it as a propaganda tool.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Martin said: The SCU is wrong. It represents the utilisation of tax payers money to advance a political agenda.

Turning his attention to Mr Varadkar he said: The Taoiseach tends to be hyper-partisan at times, he needs to watch that I think.

My biggest criticism of him at the moment is the degree to which the blurring of the lines is occurring between party politics and Government office.

He accused the Taoiseach of being obsessed with wrapping himself around positive news stories such as the development of the new National Childrens Hospital, which has been priortised by the SCU.

What we really want is the national hospital to set itself up, get built and provide services to children, why does the Taoiseach have to have a campaign about it? he said. He is saying its about information, its not, its about propaganda.

I dont think the SCU, any time soon, will be giving us an update on homelessness, or analysis on homelessness, waiting lists, or deficiencies in childcare, home care packages... I could go on.

When asked, he said Enda Kenny would have possibly handled the Maurice McCabe email scandal better than Mr Varadkar.

Micheal Martin with Enda Kenny

Enda Kenny was clear Fianna Fail were facilitating the Government, said Mr Martin. He understood that, I think the new Government needs to understand that a bit better and need to have more respect for issues that are raised by opposition TDs.

A bit more humility from time to time doesnt go amiss.

The controversy centred around 2015 emails which were sent to then Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald and detailed a legal strategy to undermine whistleblower Maurice McCabe taken by an Garda Siochana at the OHiggins Commission.

Both Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein tabled motions of no confidene in former Tanaiste Ms Fitzgerald before she finally resigned.

The lesson really was we should have met earlier, Mr Martin said of the crunch meetings with Mr Varadkar which eventually staved off a December general election.

There was too much of an arrogance, a dismissive attitude to the questions that Alan Kelly was putting, to the questions that we were putting in Leaders Questions we were told, how dare you ask the questions, there is nothing here, and then subsequently emails started appearing and the earlier answers were undermined and the credibility of the Government was coming under question.
Leo Varadkar has also said the Government will assist in any way to facilitate Pope Francis visit to Ireland next year.

His comments on the Church of Scientology come after Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin called the religious congregation, which recently established a centre in Ireland, a cult.

Speaking at his partys Ard Fheis in October, Mr Martin said: These types of cults can be very damaging to people, particularly to young people.

The best way forward needs to be examined, it may not be legislated. I think ultimately in situations like this it is about education.

The Head of Scientology, David Miscavige, visited Dublin in October to open a new centre for the religion.

The building in Firhouse includes a conference centre with room for 1,100 people, but the census shows there are just 87 Scientologists in Ireland.

Asked about Scientology during a round-table briefing with journalists, Mr Varadkar said: I know there is a genuine concern about the fact or the possibility that it could be a cult.

At the same time I think we always have to balance freedom of religion or freedom of association on the one hand with protecting people from being exploited, and that is always a challenge.

However, he dismissed Mr Martins suggestions that it requires Government examination, stating: I read stuff, like you do. I dont know enough about the Church of Scientology to know whether or to what extent the allegations made against them would require Government intervention of some sort.

Mr Varadkar said he would be loath to go down that route of Government interfering with religious groups or putting restrictions on peoples freedom of association in any way.

Asked about the Popes visit to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families next year, the Taoiseach said the Government had met heads of the Catholic Church in Ireland and there would be ongoing dialogue ahead of the trip.

The visit of Pope Francis to Ireland is expected to cost around 20m and the Church has already begun fundraising to cover the expense.

Mr Varadkar said there would be further meetings with the Church in the New Year.

They asked that we have someone here in the department as a contact point to assist them in the co-ordination and we made that available to them, said Mr Varadkar.

We just dont know yet if will be a very short visit just for the Meeting of World Families or whether it will be an extended visit involving other things such as Northern Ireland, but we are very much at their disposal and the government will assist in any way to facilitate Pope Francis visit.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has confirmed the Pope is expected to say Mass in Phoenix Park when he visits next summer.

However, speaking on RTEs Today with Sean ORourke last week, the archbishop said that the types of events possible during the visit in August were quite limited due to the Popes age of 81.
As well as its doorstep sandwiches, the Long Valley owes some of its fame to the celebrated Father Theobald Mathew, whose greatest effort  and greatest failure  was his attempt to bring sobriety to the city.

When Father Mathew established the Cork Total Abstinence Society in 1838 he probably was not surprised that a section of the citys drinking classes saw it as a challenge.

It is unlikely, though, that Corks patron saint, whose grim statue still frowns down on revellers on St Patrick St, would have expected a full-frontal assault on his attempts to bring sobriety to the city.

Within a few short years, retaliation came in the form of a splendid new hostelry full of Victorian charm and eccentric clientele. Built on a site of a former post office stable, the Long Valley opened its doors on Winthrop St in 1842 and has been defying the Apostle of Temperance ever since.

One of the most fiercely debated pub quiz questions in Cork City is which pub is closest to The Statue. Patrons of the Long Valley insist it is the closest within weaving distance and it remains more in tune with the citizenry of Cork than the teetotal campaign ever was.

But, as anyone who has ventured through the stout outer doors and sidled along the wood-panelled entrance hallway to the wonders within or spied a friend in the corner snug will know, the Long Valley isnt all about the drink.

Owner and ringmaster Peadar Moynihan ensures that the food, the service, and the genial staff are just as tempting, following a tradition established by his father, Humphrey, who died in 1994 and his mother, Rita, who passed away in 2014.

He is the third generation of Moynihans to run the bar. It was bought by Peadars grandfather, John, in 1927 and celebrates its 90th year under the family ownership this year.

The Long Valley has always been a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach, with, near its entrance, a bevelled glass window displaying exotic wine, vodka, whiskey, and liqueurs, as well as small, cut-crystal glasses.

To the immediate right there is a hand-made frame showing an outline of the Great Cork International Exhibition of 1903 which was held in the Mardyke.

The snug is, in itself, a shrine to craftsmanship, with its etched windows and silver pewter door knobs. It even has its own diplomatic table, a stoutly built piece of furniture that was once the property of the American embassy in Dublin.

It was shipped to Cork in the 1930s on foot of plans to open a consulate in the city, but these were abandoned and the table found its final resting place in the Long Valley.

In the cavernous main bar, the bomb-proof wooden counter remains unchanged from when it was installed. From fore to aft, beautiful hand-crafted tables, a stucco-styled glass panel partition, floor tiles almost as thick as the Valleys famous sandwiches, and a mens toilet partially open to the elements complete the picture of a place apart.

The late Humphrey Moynihan of the Long Valley Bar, pictured with brothers John Ring and Charlie Ring from Blarney Street in 1987

The large table halfway down on the right is from the Celtic, a White Star Line ship that ran aground off Roches Point near Cork Harbour on December 12, 1928. Among the works of art on view is a fine bust of the composer Freddy May by Cork sculptor Seamus Murphy.

That visual assault is accentuated by the staff, who move behind the bar, pouring pints for parched university students and constructing those skyscraper sandwiches at lunchtime for office workers from the South Mall.

As poet Theo Dorgan once put it: It would take a strong man in the full of his health with the help of three small children to munch through their mouth-watering sandwiches.

The undisputed historian of the Long Valley is Jack Lyons, an erudite regular and confidante of Peadar.

We share reminisces of his student days of the 1970s and mine in the 1980s when Humphrey and Rita reigned supreme behind the bar.

To both of us  as to most other customers  they were Mr and Mrs Moynihan. In return, according to their custom, clientele were either Mr, Mrs, or Miss. First names were reserved for family and close friends.

Mrs Moynihan was never Rita and even the most truculent customer observed this social etiquette or suffered a period in purgatory.

Humphrey had his eccentricities, among them a propensity for playing gramophone records of German military marching songs while occasionally helping students with their essays.

I remember on one occasion his attempting to explain to me the intricacies of quantum mechanics, using slops from my pint as a blackboard. It was one of the best tutorials I ever had.

Patrons in The Long Valley, Winthrop Street Cork in the run-up to Christmas 2017. Pic: Larry Cummins

Humphrey was a bit of a showman and always made an entrance, wheeling his bicycle through the entrance to the safety of the alcove at the end, then divesting himself of a long overcoat to reveal his uniform  a white starched butchers apron.

Like his wife, he had his standards and would always insist on good manners.

Ive actually been barred from the Long Valley twice, says Jack Lyons, once during the early 70s when I got too big for my boots and called a pint using the name Humphrey.

Mr Moynihan peered down the bar towards me over his spectacles and, leaning across the counter enquired of me: Did we go to school together? 

Jack got the message, along with his barring order.

His second? That was when Mrs Moynihan saw the need to cut off my Murphy supply when, disorientated, I began to sip from someones pint of Guinness.

Mrs Moynihan was probably wearing her white butchers coat at the time, a custom her husband adopted in the 1950s when he took over running the bar from his father.

In her witty book, The Bushmills Irish Pub Guide, Sybil Taylor reveals the origin of the butchers coats as Humphrey explained it to her. Oh yes, well, he nodded and grinned, I saw a New York bar on the television, where they all wore the white coats with black aprons. I thought it looked good. Its a Victorian custom  goes with an old-fashioned bar. People like it.

That tradition has mostly gone but new ones have emerged, including a weekly poetry event called O Bheal (word of mouth) which features guest poets and an open mic held every Monday night in The Hayloft Bar, above the Long Valley.

It was originally a cocktail bar with its own concoction called The Gorillia.

The mixture was phenomenal, says Jack, who tells a great yarn about one night in the 50s when the late president Erskine Childers, who at the time was the Minister for Posts & Telegraphs, attended a reception at the Imperial Hotel.

When it was over he still had a thirst so headed over to the Long Valley followed by an entourage of some 30 people. He got into the bar just before closing time but at some stage around three oclock in the morning with everyone still being served there was a loud rap on the door. Two guards walked in demanding to know why all these people were still drinking well after closing time.

The notebooks came out with the customary lick of the pencil as they proceeded to write down names of those Found On.

Humphrey saw what the guards were about to do and walked over and said to the two of them: Right. If youre gonna take any names here buoy you can start with the Minister for Posts & Telegraphs  hes over there.
THE LEADER of the Isle of Wight Council, Cllr Dave Stewart, has voiced his support for a road bridge across the River Medina.

Cllr Stewart made his comments at a meeting of Cowes Town Council on December 14 when he declared his personal support for a fixed link road bridge across the river, saying the council was looking at the option strategically.

Cllr Stewart was at the meeting to answer questions about the troubled 3.2 million floating bridge which has been plagued with problems since it was launched in May.

Speaking after the meeting, he said: "As you are aware, we have a clear regeneration plan in Newport Harbour. As we have spoken to investors and other interested parties, it is clear a fixed link across the Medina would be of benefit in a number of ways. I think we need to scope it out as almost a pre-feasibility study."

Meanwhile, pressure group, the Floating Bridge Stakeholders Group, said a bridge across the Medina was fine as a 'long-term goal' but did not solve the problem of connectivity for pedestrians between the two towns.

The service was suspended while engineers sorted out a number of issues including grounding, noise, and cars suffering damage as they boarded and disembarked from the bridge.

It was brought back into service earlier this month for a 'trial' period but apart from a brief suspension of the service last week has been running normally.

Meanwhile, the Cowes and East Cowes branch of the Labour Party has expressed their support for staff on the floating bridge who have been on the 'front line' of the bridge's recent difficulties.

Will Matthews, Assistant Branch Secretary and Island Youth Officer said: "The crews and support staff have had a very difficult job to do, and have faced great criticism over a situation which is not of their making. We wish to recognise that they are carrying out their duties with great professionalism, and are facing enormous pressure, as well as uncertainty about their futures and, in some cases, financial hardship."
The state Insurance Department has opened an investigation into the termination of health insurance for at least 109 employees by the co-operators of Alpha Aluminum LLC.

The plant at 1300 Cunningham St. in Winston-Salem closed without any fanfare in July 2016, with no voluntary WARN Act wage-and-benefit filing to local and state officials, and no statements to local media by co-operators Robert Gamba and Josh Hoyt.

Insurance officials indicate Gamba and Hoyt may have violated state law by collecting money for health insurance premiums after coverage was canceled, at first temporarily and then permanently.

When asked about the possibilities of the co-operators being charged with a felony, Insurance Department spokesman Barry Smith said officials are still early in the (investigation) process. We dont want to speculate on where it will lead.

It appears your employer is in violation of General Statutes 58-50-40, Melissa Davis, a complaint analyst in the departments Consumer Services Division, wrote in a letter sent to former employee Andre Evans.

Evans recently revived efforts with state officials to gain employees wage and benefit reimbursement.

To further investigate the matter, we are requesting that you send the department copies of your pay statement advising the funds were removed, Davis wrote.

You can also reach back out to your employer to advise them they are in violation of the above felony to see if there is any additional assistance they can provide in the matter.

Evans and former employee Harold Neal said they didnt learn their health insurance had ended until they were told it was no longer in effect when they tried to fill prescriptions.

Evans submitted his complaint to insurance officials in part after learning of the mostly successful ending for employees from a similar 2009 shutdown and health insurance premium cancellation by William Rodgers Sr., owner of defunct Pace Airlines Inc.

In April 2013, Rodgers accepted a deal in Forsyth Superior Court to reimburse 150 Pace employees about $445,000 in unpaid medical claims stemming from his failure to pay health-insurance premiums.

He agreed to enter a deferred prosecution program to avoid jail time on one count of willful failure to pay group health-insurance premiums to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and 26 counts of willful failure to deliver notice to employees. He faced a possible five to 20 months in prison on each count.

The critical difference between the Alpha Aluminum and Pace cases is that Pace was forced into bankruptcy by its creditors, which gave the bankruptcy trustee more leverage to pursue claims.

Complaint filed

Evans earlier filed a complaint with the N.C. Labor Department, pursuing reimbursement on up to six weeks of missing wages and benefits.

Labor investigators determined more than $71,000 in wages and benefits went unpaid to 28 employees by the companys co-operators. The missing amounts ranged from $1,000 to $5,615.

The former employees claim they worked an extra week while company officials tried to attract a proposed buyer.

However, on April 10, the department chose to close the case without resolution  citing a lack of funds by the co-operators  and informed the claimants of that decision.

The employer has refused to voluntarily pay the back wages, according to the letter sent by Labor investigator Dawn Beasley.

This office has decided not to take legal action on your behalf. You are free to pursue the back wages on your own in court.

Employees must file a lawsuit in federal court to assert WARN rights, which has produced occasional success, such as in 2016 when former employees of the closed Yadkinville hospital were able to secure a settlement with the hospitals for-profit operator.

Its so frustrating that we cant get a lawyer to take up our case given we clearly were cheated out of our wages and they never filed the WARN Act notice, Neal said.

Michael Walden, an economics professor at N.C. State University, said WARN lawsuits could be moot if the company is depleted of assets and funds.

Thats the likely case since they have ceased operations, Walden said. If the lawsuit goes forward, and even if it is successful for the plaintiffs, it could be an empty victory if there are no monies for compensation.

Executives move on

Gamba and Hoyt have not responded to interview requests from the Winston-Salem Journal.

Gamba, a veteran of the aluminum industry, lists on his LinkedIn profile that he served as the president and chief executive of Alpha from June 2014 to June 2016. The profile says his employment since July 2016 is senior procurement manager for Arconic, based in Pittsburgh.

Hoyt was the majority owner of Alpha, along with other silent investors. His LinkedIn profile says he is the president and owner of Metallic Conversion Corp. of Highland Park, Ill.

Labor officials charged Alpha with failing to maintain employee records for wages and vacation according to the N.C. Wage and Hour Act. The record-keeping civil penalty was $125.

The company also was cited for failure to maintain time records for the six-week period. The company was fined $125 for each complaint, but the amount was reduced to the maximum $2,000 allowed by law.

Labor officials reached Gamba on Oct. 28, 2016, and Nov. 30, 2016. He acknowledged the claims of missing wages and benefits likely were correct. He was given a Dec. 14, 2016, deadline to pay the wage and benefits obligation.

On Nov. 30, 2016, Gamba informed this office there was no way possible he could enter into a settlement agreement, that there is simply no money to pull from.

Even though Gamba was given an extension, until April 10, 2017, to pay the missing wages and benefits, he failed to do so.

The department also sought payment from Hoyt, but his attorney argued in February he was not responsible for the wages and benefits because he was not an employer. The department said Hoyts personal liability would remain unresolved pending additional litigation steps.
After some lean years, law schools might be poised for a comeback.

More people are sitting for the LSAT, the exam required for entry into most U.S. law schools. And law schools in North Carolina and around the country say applications for next falls class are up from last year  in some cases significantly.

The uptick in interest is welcome news for U.S. law schools, where enrollment has fallen to 40-year lows in the wake of the Great Recession.

So whats behind this revived interest? Law school officials have some theories.

Economic recovery

The Great Recession hit law firms hard. Some laid off attorneys. Many cut back on hiring new law school grads. Prospective students shied away from borrowing $100,000 or more for a degree that no longer guaranteed a high-paying job.

From 2010 to 2015, according to the American Bar Association, the number of law school applicants fell by nearly 40 percent. Overall enrollment at U.S. law schools this fall stood at a little more than 110,000  25 percent below the peak in 2010.

North Carolinas six law schools  Campbell, Duke, Elon, N.C. Central, UNC-Chapel Hill and Wake Forest  fared a little better. Applications at all six are down 35 percent since 2011, according to the numbers they reported to the ABA. Combined enrollment declined 10 percent.

Since 2015, however, the Law School Admission Council reported increases in people sitting for the LSAT in each of the past two years. The number of people taking the exam is up about another 25 percent this year.

Officials at all six N.C. law schools say their applications are running ahead of last year. Applications at UNC-Chapel Hill are slightly up, according to a spokesman there. Wake Forest reports a significant jump. Applications to Campbell Universitys law school as of mid-December are up about 8 percent over a year ago.

Jay Shively, assistant dean for admissions and financial aid at Wake Forest University School of Law, said more undergraduates are showing up to hear his presentations during college visits.

My gut tells me that theres more interest in law schools than theres been in the past few years, Shively said. Employment may not be at pre-bust levels, but its definitely a healthier job market than it was five or six years ago.

In the wake of the Great Recession, some law firms are revamping their traditional partnership management arrangements and starting to embrace innovation and new technology. Luke Bierman, dean of the Elon University School of Law, said such changes have been wrenching for those in the legal profession.

As with any changes, they create dislocation and opportunity, Bierman said. A lot of smart kids might figure that there are some jobs (available) and that maybe this isnt a bad time to get into the legal profession.

A Trump bump?

One of the defining moments of the start of Donald Trumps presidency was thousands of attorneys rushing to the aid of people stuck at airports after the sudden announcement of a ban on refugees and citizens from seven majority-Muslim nations.

Law school admissions officers say those positive images of lawyers have stuck with prospective law school students.

Dexter Smith, assistant dean of admissions and financial aid at Campbells Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, said many law school applicants say theyre interested in civil rights, immigration, health care and international law.

These are issues that are very prominent in the media right now, Smith said. Theres a little more interest now  a little more passion  in civic duty.

Catherine Bonventre, the pre-law adviser at Guilford College, said the students she meets with dont usually list the president as one of their motivations for considering law school.

Rather, she said, they talk about a passion for social justice or immigration law. A couple said they were inspired by Amal Clooney or Bryan Stevenson, high-profile human rights attorneys who spoke at Bryan Series events the college sponsored.

I wouldnt rule out the impact of Trump, said Bonventre, an assistant professor of criminal justice. But nobodys explicitly said (his name) to me.

New programs

Bierman said applications to Elon Law are up 60 percent since last year  and that Elon is one of two U.S. law schools with an increase in application volume of more than 50 percent.

He suspects the jump is fueled by the recent overhaul of Elon Law. Most law schools require three years to complete a degree. Elons standard program is now just two-and-a-half years, and its curriculum puts more emphasis on real-world legal experiences than traditional law schools. The school graduated its first class to complete the 2.5-year program in December.

Weve shown that this kind of learning is viable and has a place in legal education, Bierman said. I think its exciting to this generation of students.

Wake Forests law school announced in November that it would accept scores from the GRE, the most widely taken graduate school exam, in place of the LSAT. Shiveley said its too early to tell if this decision has had any effect on applications.
Two former R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. buildings near the Whitaker Park complex have been named to the National Register of Historic Places.

The three-story Reynolds leaf buildings known as 2-1 and 2-2 are located at 951 Reynolds Blvd., across from Woodland cemetery.

They were named to the register Oct. 26, the N.C. Department of Natural Cultural Resources said Tuesday. The 2-1 building was built in 1937, while the 2-2 building was built in 1955.

Also included are the Southern Railway spur line trestle, an office building and the boiler and pump house, all built in 1922.

Because of the buildings proximity to Hanes Rubber Co.s 1917 tire manufacturing factory, office and employee village, the area was known as Tiretown.

According to the department, building 2-1 housed two essential elements of the tobacco manufacturing process: stemming and redrying, both necessary to reduce leaves to strips that could be incorporated into tobacco products.

Building 2-2 provided more square footage for the redrying process and allowed for the installation of more advanced equipment. The stemming process was automated in 1953, leading to a sharp reduction of employment in the buildings.

The buildings appear to be the citys only extant R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. structures constructed primarily for these purposes, the agency said.

The buildings were de-emphasized following the 1961 opening of the $32 million Whitaker Park manufacturing facility  $265 million in todays dollars  to accommodate growth of Reynolds new filtered cigarette brands Salem and Winston.

Neither building is in current use. They are owned by Whitaker Park Development Authority, a nonprofit group that took ownership of the site in January.

Also named this year to the register was Banner Elk School in Avery County.

Designed by architect D.R. Beeson and completed in 1940, the school is locally significant as the only building that represents the early 20th-century effort in Avery County to consolidate and improve the public schools with assistance from federal New Deal programs.

It is also significant as an excellent and intact example of a WPA-funded school building displaying elements of the Colonial Revival style of architecture.

Counting the nine new additions this year, North Carolina now has more than 3,000 listing on the national register.

That includes the August 2014 inclusion of the former R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. headquarters, which has been converted into the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel.

The National Register is a vital tool for preserving our states historic resources, said Susi Hamilton, secretary of the Natural and Cultural Resources department. These figures reaffirm North Carolinas national leadership in the historic preservation movement.

As of Jan. 1, 2017, more than 3,570 historic rehabilitation projects have been completed in the state with an estimated private investment of nearly $2.4 billion.
WASHINGTON  One of the biggest beneficiaries of the massive, slapdash tax bill that President Trump and Republican lawmakers celebrated at the White House on Wednesday will be, wait for it, President Trump. What a coincidence!

The rest of Trumps wealthy family will benefit lavishly as well, including his son-in-law and all-purpose adviser Jared Kushner. And, of course, its not a coincidence at all. The chance that this president would preside over a revision of the tax code without lining his own pockets was zero. Anyone who believed Trumps claim that the tax bill would cost me a fortune hasnt been paying attention.

It is not possible to calculate precisely how much money the president will save, since he  unlike all other recent presidents  refuses to release his tax returns. But the figure is surely in the millions, assuming Trump is anywhere near as wealthy as he claims. His extended clan will have plenty of liquidity for Donald Jr. and Eric to jet off to Africa and kill more leopards and water buffaloes; for Jared and Ivanka to disappear on ski trips whenever they need to claim deniability regarding the latest administration outrage; and for the president himself to consume as many Big Macs, Filet-o-Fishes and chocolate shakes as his constitution can bear.

Trump claims to be worth $10 billion; Forbes estimates his wealth at $3 billion, and some analysts believe the true figure is lower. Any way you look at it, however, hes a wealthy man  and the tax bill, which Trump signed Friday, is designed to make the very rich even richer.

Like all 1-percenters, Trump will benefit from the lowering of the top tax rate from 39.6 percent to 37 percent. But thats just for starters. As is always the case with the tax code, the devil is in the details.

Trump conducts his business affairs through hundreds of pass-through companies whose income is taxed at the personal rate, not the corporate rate. The House wanted to dramatically slash the pass-through rate across the board, but the Senate initially balked. At the last minute, however, the Senate wrote into the final bill a 20 percent deduction for pass-through income. If a taxpayer had, say, $100 million in pass-through earnings, he or she would only be taxed on $80 million; the rest would be tax-free.

At first, senators sought to limit this sweetheart deal to companies with large numbers of employees or high payrolls  unlike Trumps pass-through businesses, which are mostly paper entities. But the final legislation gives the full deduction, regardless of the number of employees, to pass-through companies that own a lot of depreciable property, such as commercial real estate. Which just so happens to be the presidents livelihood.

It would be hard to craft a measure more tailor-made to enrich Trump and his family.

If he wanted to avoid even the appearance of corruption, of course, Trump could decline to take this tax break or donate an equivalent amount to the Treasury. Somehow I doubt either of those things will happen.

Trump also gets to continue using a frequently abused tax loophole called like-kind exchange. Usually, if you sell a piece of property at a profit, that profit is considered income and is taxed. Creative accountants and tax lawyers came up with ways to structure sales so that they technically qualified as trades, meaning that as far as the IRS was concerned, there was no income to tax. This practice is now ending for all types of property  except real estate. Another coincidence, Im sure.

Oh, and most businesses will be negatively affected by a measure capping the amount of interest expenses they can deduct  except real estate investors and hotel operators, which are explicitly exempted. If this were a movie, lobbyists and lawmakers would have hammered out this last provision in a back room at the Trump International Hotel.

On the flip side, Trumps ability to deduct the state and local taxes he pays in New York would be drastically limited. But that is nothing compared to the likely upside.

Join with me in a thought experiment. Imagine that the legislature of some other country  Brazil, say, or Mozambique, or Thailand  decided to rewrite the tax code, with no public hearings or expert testimony, in a way that benefited the rich overall, with maximum financial gain for businesses like that of the sitting head of government. What would you say?
Reading skills and comprehension are essential to achieving success in todays world, so it was fitting that last Wednesday was Dolly Partons Imagination Library Day, thanks to an official proclamation from Mayor Allen Joines.

Partons book program mails free books once a month to children from birth to age 5 in participating communities, the Journals Fran Daniel reported recently. The program has been around since 1995, but only started in Forsyth County recently, thanks to Smart Start of Forsyth County Inc.s sponsorship.

Our goal is to register all Forsyth County children ages birth to 5 in the program, Jackie Lofton, deputy executive director for Smart Start of Forsyth County, told the Journal.

The child would get a book in their home, Lofton told the Journal. The book would be mailed directly to the child with their name on it, which adds to a bit of excitement and anticipation of getting the book.

There are about 24,000 children from birth to age 5 in Forsyth County, Lofton told the Journal.

The state legislature provided funds for Smart Start to expand Partons Imagination Library into North Carolina during its 2017 legislative session  $3.5 million for 2017-18 and $7 million for 2018-19. After 2019, Smart Start will need help sustaining the program, Lofton told the Journal.

Were looking for partnerships or donations, community support to help pick up the books, volunteers, civic clubs who might want to hold book drives and things like that, Lofton told the Journal.

Were fortunate to have a variety of efforts to help children start reading, including the Reach Out and Read program that supplies doctors with books. Its also important for parents and other caregivers to be supportive by reading to their children and instilling a love for literature.

The ability to read and comprehend whats read promotes employment, health and civic engagement, as well as encouraging curiosity and sheer joy. The lack of such skills contributes to crime and poverty. Every little bit helps. It doesnt hurt to have Dolly Partons glitter power behind the program, attracting some participants who might otherwise miss out.

To register children for the program, go to www.SmartStart.org/Dolly-Partons-Imagination-Library/.
KEARNEY  Fifty-seat jetliners will provide commuter flights to Denver beginning in fall 2018.

Kearney City Manager Mike Morgan announced Tuesday the federal Department of Transportation selected Skywest Airlines  which operates as United Express  as the Essential Air Service provider for the city of Kearney.

We had recruited SkyWest when we knew jet service was the likely outcome with the pilot challenges, Morgan said about the behind-the-scenes work that led to Kearney acquiring 50-seat jet service.

We stayed in touch and continued to explore them (SkyWest), Morgan said.

He credited Mayor Stan Clouse, Councilman Bruce Lear and others for landing the 50-seat jets for Kearney.

The two-year DOT contract awarded to SkyWest is worth $3,675,276 per year and will begin in fall 2018 when reconstruction of Kearney Regional Airports main runway is complete on Sept. 1 or earlier.

The Federal Aviation Administration is paying 90 percent of the cost for the $12 million runway project, which will open the door for jet service at the Kearney airport.

SkyWest is part of the United Airlines network, which will be marketed as United Express. The carrier will feature bookings, connections and baggage transfers that will access United Airlines global network.

Flight schedules and prices will be announced in the summer.

This is exciting news that was the result of a lot of hard work by staff, City Council, various citizen committees, the Chamber of Commerce and others, Clouse said. United Express operated by SkyWest will provide an outstanding air service choice for not only recreational travelers but business travelers as well.

SkyWest/United Express will replace Alaska-based PenAir. The airline was serving Kearney  as well as North Platte and Scottsbluff  but it declared bankruptcy in August.

Enplanements with PenAir had risen more than 70 percent compared to the prior carrier, Great Lakes, and were on pace to reach 7,000 in 2017. Great Lakes boarded 4,054 in 2016 and 4,545 in 2015.

The DOT had ordered PenAir to continue its service in Kearney until a new carrier was contracted, but PenAir said its lack of pilots made serving Kearney, North Platte and Scottsbluff impossible.

PenAir received $3,513,473 during its first year flying from Kearney to Denver.

SkyWest/United Express currently serves Hays, Kan., with 50-seat regional jet flights to Denver.

This is definitely the goal, especially with United Express branded service, Morgan said. Being a United brand you knew the type of service they provide and it is all very good.
KEARNEY  On Aug. 22, Central Community College began classes in its $23 million, 66,000-square-foot Kearney Center. The structure was completed without a bond issue using $10 million from a successful capital campaign and cash from CCCs reserves.

The new building didnt tap taxpayers, and because of its design, the building someday wont tap commercial power, as CCC leaders have deemed that the facility eventually will be energy self-sufficient.

Opening of the CCC Kearney Center ranked as the top education story of 2017, and was one among many educational construction projects underway or announced in 2017.

Success of CCCs capital campaign for its new Kearney Center was built on the growing workforce needs for graduates trained in technical skills and trades. CCC serves a 25-county area, and Buffalo County is the fastest growing in the CCC area. The communitys rapid growth spurred Kearney area business and industry leaders to support efforts to enhance and broaden career training opportunities at CCC.

The Kearney Center features a variety of strategies to make it one of the most energy-efficient structures in Nebraska because long term, CCC wants the building to function with on-site solar panels or wind turbines.

The impetus to build the energy-efficient building came from CCC President Greg Smith, who signed a declaration that CCC intends to be carbon-neutral on all of its campuses. Smith and his wife also pledged $600,000 to the capital campaign.

KPS cutting costs

Already stinging from a $1.9 million setback in state, federal and local funding this year, and anticipating another state aid shortfall of $1.5 million or more in 2018, Kearney Public Schools will change school day schedules to squeeze more instruction out of its limited faculty.

KPS will implement the changes in fall 2018 by extending daily school hours, adding new curriculum, allowing high school students to take 10 classes per year instead of the current eight, and giving K-8 students one day off each month.

In addition to the funding challenges, KPS also is contending with steady enrollment growth. Additions at Northeast and Buffalo Hills elementary schools are to accommodate some of the added students.

Superintendent Kent Edwards explained the schedule changes will help KPS rein in expenses next year while administrators and the KPS Board of Education look for additional savings for fiscal 2019.

Edwards said KPS and other schools could face budget challenges similar to those at the University of Nebraska, which faces a funding gap of $50 million.

To balance the 2018 budget, the KPS Board voted to dip into cash reserves, delay some building maintenance, reduce transportation costs and hire a firm to reduce energy consumption.

Edwards said the KPS Board will be considering additional cost containments because board members anticipate funding challenges to continue. He said the goal will be maintaining quality schools and avoiding big tax hikes.

Construction at UNK

Millions of dollars in construction is unfolding or is planned at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

The projects are:

University Village will nearly double the size of the UNK footprint when its complete in 20 years. The first phase is the $16 million Village Flats student housing. Funding for the 99-unit residence hall is from $12 million in revenue bonds and $4 million from a UNK surplus fund.

The $6.4 million early childhood education center will cater to UNK employees and the community. Education majors will benefit from exposure to children from many backgrounds, Chancellor

Doug Kristensen said. If youre going to be a master teacher, youre going to need experience with at-risk children.

The $30 million, 80,000-square-foot STEM Building will combine teaching spaces for science, technology, engineering and math. Plans for the structure were revealed last week. It will replace the Otto Olsen Building, which was identified for replacement in 1998 when Kristensen still was serving in the Nebraska Legislature.

A $6 million remodeling of the Nebraskan Student Union will begin in 2018.

Funding cuts at UNK

Operational and staffing expenses went under the microscope in 2017 as leaders at the University of Nebraska at Kearney looked for efficiencies to help the University of Nebraska system address an almost $50 million funding gap.

UNKs share of spending reductions will be about $5.4 million over the next two years, including $2 million in fiscal 2018.

Chancellor Doug Kristensen said much of the $2 million funding gap UNK must absorb in 2018 will be covered by tapping cash reserves and by hiking tuition 5.4 percent. Tuition will rise by 3.2 percent in fiscal 2019, but thats when real spending reductions kick in.

Task forces searched for strategic cost reductions across the NU system. Kristensen said the goal at UNK will be to reduce costs while maintaining academic quality, protecting mission-critical functions, enhancing enrollment and implementing the strategic plan.

UNK and other NU campuses implemented a hiring freeze, curtailed travel and cut mileage reimbursement, among cost containment strategies in 2017, and are reviewing all campus functions, programs and faculty.
Islamic State swept into northern Iraq in 2014, but the door opened for it three years earlier, when the U.S. withdrew its troops from the Middle East country. Left on their own, Iraqi troops dropped their guns and fled the onslaught. Islamic State militants then ruled the northern city of Mosul and a host of other cities and towns with nihilistic brutality that entailed public beheadings and the use of women as sex slaves. It took three years for Iraqi troops to regroup, and with the help of U.S. military advisers and airstrikes, retake Mosul and the rest of Islamic State-held Iraq.

Today, Mosul slowly rebuilds. The remnants of Islamic State have scattered into the desert. Game over? Hardly. Yes, Islamic State has been vanquished, but Iraq remains fertile ground for a comeback.

The U.S. and Baghdad are stepping up talks about maintaining a U.S. military presence in the country, USA Today recently reported. Its not known how large an American contingent would be involved, but its role would likely mirror that of U.S. troops in the bid to defeat Islamic State  advising Iraqi commanders and providing surveillance and intelligence help. James Jeffrey, a former U.S. ambassador to Iraq and now a foreign affairs analyst, told USA Today that the new contingent probably would be smaller than the current force of 5,500 soldiers.

Keeping American boots on the ground in a part of the world as unstable as Iraq is never an easy decision, but it behooves both Iraq and the U.S. to hammer out a deal.

Iraqs peace is desperately fragile. Shiite-led Baghdad continues to marginalize the countrys Sunni minority, leaving the nation vulnerable to a resurgence of Sunni-led militancy down the road. Islamist insurgencies have a way of lying low and flaring up when the time and circumstances are ripe.

And consider this: Islamic State doesnt need a caliphate to maintain its online appeal to lone wolves, like the Uzbek immigrant who killed eight people in Manhattan in a truck attack on Halloween, or the Bangladeshi who tried to blow himself up in a crowded New York subway station Dec. 11.

An American military intelligence presence is needed in Iraq to ferret out and neutralize whatever Islamic State is up to, whether that be web propaganda or suicide bomb attacks in Baghdad.

Though Islamic State is beaten in Iraq, the fight is not over, Defense Secretary James Mattis said in November. Even without a physical caliphate, Islamic State remains a threat to stability.

Chicago Tribune
The well-known Toronto pastor who officiated Canada's first legally recognized same-sex marriages is delivered his final sermon Sunday. Rev. Brent Hawkes rides a in car during Toronto's Pride Parade on Sunday, June 28, 2015. Hawkes, who is also known for officiating Jack Layton's state funeral in 2011, is retiring after serving as senior pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto for more than 40 years. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
The governing Saskatchewan Party, the Opposition New Democrats and even the seatless Liberals will elect new leaders in the coming months, and that could affect the decade-long political status quo in the province. Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall speaks to reporters following his last question period at the Saskatchewan Legislature on Thursday, December 7, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mark Taylor
ISRAEL OUT - Palestinian Ahed Tamimi Is escorted at a military court near Jerusalem, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017. The 16-year-old girl who is seen in a video kicking and pushing two Israeli soldiers near her West Bank home is being celebrated by Palestinians as a symbol of a new generation resisting a 50-year-old Israeli occupation. (AP Photo/Oren Ziv)
FILE - This Monday, Dec. 11, 2017 file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Syrian President Bashar Assad watch the troops marching at the Hemeimeem air base in Syria. Nearly seven years into the conflict, the war in Syria 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. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
A Kenosha native has written a new book about Wisconsin in the Civil War that shines a light on some of the untold stories of Wisconsin natives. Ron Larson said that its critical for any Civil War buff to know about everyone who served if they want to fully understand the conflict.

If you dont know that African Americans and Native Americans were living in Wisconsin and shared this experience  you have an incomplete understanding, Larson said.

Larson wrote Wisconsin and the Civil War, because of valuable new scholarship that has been done in the past couple years. Additionally, the advent of the internet has made some research easier.

More than 80,000 Wisconsinites (about 10 percent of the states population) fought in the war. That included at least 110 African Americans, at least 469 Native Americans, and a handful of women.

Larsons book contains stories of people like Ellenboro native Rebecca Peterman, who pretended to be a man and served on the front lines, fighting at South Mountain and Antietam in 1862. Returning north in 1865, she was exposed by newspaper reporters in Chicago, who spread her story so far and wide that she was unable to re-enlist. She was briefly tossed in jail before she vanished from history.

I wanted to focus on those stories that havent been told as much, Larson said. They were here. They were an important part of the society. You need to know and understand them.

Larson, who spent about a year and a half researching and writing the book, said it is also about the birth of Wisconsin. The state was just 12-years-old when the war began, and many of our signature industries blossomed during the conflict, including brewing and cheese-making.

Creation stories are important to history, and this is the Wisconsin creation story, he said.

Larsons book contains photographs from Kenoshas Civil War Museum that have never been published before. Museum Curator Doug Dammann said that the book would be interesting to Civil War buffs as well those who are not familiar with this part of our nations history.

If you are new to the subject, Rons book offers a great overview, Damman said. His book certainly covers the military story of the regiments and soldiers, but there are also chapters on Wisconsin politics, Wisconsins role in helping fugitive slaves escape along the Underground Railroad, how the states economy changed, how cities and towns like Kenosha changed, why immigrants from foreign countries chose to relocate to the state, and how the role of women in society was altered. Even people who have read a lot on Wisconsins role during the Civil War will find this to be new information.

Reading letters at the museum gave Larson an appreciation of how entire Wisconsin communities went to war. Many soldiers letters contained a litany of updates about fellow troops, with the clear intention that the news would be shared around the neighborhood at home.

Other letters were almost too frank to be read aloud to anyone. Larson quotes Wisconsin 21st Infantry soldier Charles W. Carrs description of a battle: Oh, Sarah, you cannot imagine the horror of war. No pen nor tongue can begin to tell the misery I have seen.

Larson is no stranger to the lives of soldiers. He served for two years in the U.S. Army, and he has also witnessed five other conflict zones as a photographer (Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Turkey).

He said that he feels its important to share the participants stories, whether they happened 150 years ago or yesterday, were in battles, or just in the horse stables at Camp Randall.

A lot of these letters are about the mundane existence of life in the military. Most of it is boring-as-hell tedium. That makes it more real for me. Ive had similar experiences. I have empathy for them, he said.

Wisconsin and the Civil War by Ronald Paul Larson is available at the Civil War Museum, 5400 First Avenue. It is also available through online sellers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Target.
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ALL TIMES IN EST/GMT ------------------------------------------------------- 1100/1600: The USDA releases weekly U.S. export inspections for grains, oilseeds. Note: Delayed from Monday due to the Christmas holiday. 1130/1630: The Treasury Dept weekly sale of 3-, 6-month bills. 1300/1800: The Treasury Dept. sells 4-week bills, 2-year notes. ------------------------------------------------------- DIARY - Federal Reserve Events U.S. Indicators (Washington economics team)

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.
(Refiles to change date in the headline)

ANKARA, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Here are news, reports and events that may affect Turkish financial markets on Tuesday.

The lira stood at 3.8026 against the U.S. dollar at 0449 GMT, little changed from a close of 3.8090 on Monday.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year bond was at 11.94 percent in spot trade at Monday's close.

The main BIST 100 share index rose 0.60 percent to 111,765.00 points on Monday.

CAPACITY AND MANUFACTURING CONFIDENCE DATA

Turkish capacity utilisation an manufacturing confidence data will be announced. (1130GMT)

ISRAEL DEPORTS TWO TURKS

Israel has ordered the deportation of two of three Turks who were briefly arrested during Palestinian demonstrations last week after U.S. President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the Interior Ministry said on Monday. EMERGENCY RULE DECREE

A new emergency decree in Turkey could allow vigilantes to carry out political violence with impunity against opponents of the government suspected of involvement in last year's coup attempt, Turkey's main lawyers' groups said on Monday. JOURNALIST TRIAL

A Turkish judge ordered four prominent journalists and senior staff from the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper to remain in jail for at least two more months during their trial. ERDOGAN

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will travel to Chad for an official visit. He will meet with Chad President Idriss Deby, and later hold a joint news conference.

For other related news, double click on:

Turkish politics Turkish equities Turkish money Turkish debt Turkish hot stocks Forex news All emerging market news All Turkish news For real-time quotes, double click on:

Istanbul National-100 stock index , interbank lira trading , lira bond trading (Writing by Ezgi Erkoyun)
HANOI, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0434 GMT.

December 26 USD/VND mid-point 22,425 USD/VND interbank 22,709/22,710 USD/VND unofficial 22,750/22,765 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.30/36.56

Interbank offered rates Overnight 0.7-1.3

1 week 0.8-1.5

1 month 2.0-2.6

3 months 4.4-5.0

NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016 the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point.

The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources.

One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co.

For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on .

For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom)
(Adds quote in paragraph 3, pictures tag)

By Ahmed Rasheed

BAGHDAD, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Iraqi Oil Minister Jabar al-Luaibi said on Monday he was optimistic there would be a balance between supply and demand by the first quarter of 2018, leading to a boost in oil prices.

Global oil inventories have decreased to an acceptable level and there were positive signs that oil market prices would improve significantly in 2018, Luaibi told journalists.

"I am optimistic, and during the first quarter of next year there will be more balance between supply and demand, which will reflect positively on improving global oil prices," he said.

A slight rise in oil production in the United States in December might have some effect on prices, he added.

Luaibi was speaking at a signing ceremony with China's state-run Zhenhua Oil. Iraq reached an agreement with Zhenhua to develop the southern portion of the East Baghdad oilfield. The oil ministry expects the costs needed to develop the oilfield could reach $3 billion, said Abdul Mahdi al-Ameedi, who heads the oil ministry's licensing and contracts office.

Iraq has made significant changes to the new service contract with the Chinese company that links global oil prices and the cost of development, he said.

"It's a new contract with new amendments which we made to overcome the chokes and lapses in our previous service contracts," Luaibi told journalists.

The new contact will allow Zhenhua to receive a $3.5 fee for each barrel of crude produced from the oilfield, Ameedi said, and will serve as a model for all upcoming contracts with international companies.

"The East Baghdad contract was drafted in a way to significantly minimise the cost of oilfield developments. This contract will be a model for the following oil deals," he said.

Iraq plans to utilise 20 million cubic feet of gas produced as a by-product of oil production from the East Baghdad oilfield to supply a nearby power station, Ameedi said.

He said he expects the signing of the East Baghdad final deal to take place in March.

The head of the state-run Midland Oil Company, Jalal Ahmed, told reporters that the increase of crude output from East Baghdad oilfield, which he said was now producing 10,000 barrels per day, will be used to feed a nearby major electricity station near Baghdad.

Jalal also said his company has plans to upgrade production from the Neft Khana oilfield near the Iranian border to 8,000 barrels per day from the current 2,000.

(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Cairo, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Egypt will choose between four to five international banks to arrange the next euro bonds issuance, Finance Minister Amr El-Garhy told Reuters on Tuesday. "Egypt will conduct a short road show to promote euro bonds issuance during January", he said. "About 22 banks have applied to arrange the latest Eurobond issuance", he added.

(Reporting by Ehab Farouk; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)

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.
(Repeats for additional subscribers, no changes in text)

* No N.Korean iron ore, coal or lead imported in Nov-customs

* Beijing turns off commodities trade taps as tensions grow

* New sanctions imposed by U.N. Security Council last week

By Ryan Woo and Muyu Xu

BEIJING, Dec 26 (Reuters) - China exported no oil products to North Korea in November, Chinese customs data showed, apparently going above and beyond sanctions imposed earlier this year by the United Nations in a bid to limit petroleum shipments to the isolated country.

Tension has flared this year over North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes, pursued in defiance of years of U.N. resolutions. Last week, the U.N. Security Council imposed new caps on trade with North Korea, including limiting oil product shipments to just 500,000 barrels a year.

Beijing also imported no iron ore, coal or lead from North Korea in November, the second full month of the latest trade sanctions imposed by U.N. China, the main source of North Korea's fuel, did not export any gasoline, jet fuel, diesel or fuel oil to its isolated neighbour last month, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday.

Beijing's move to turn off the taps completely is rare. In March 2003, China suspended oil supplies to North Korea for three days after Pyongyang fired a missile into waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

Chinese exports of corn to North Korean in November also slumped, down 82 percent from a year earlier to 100 tonnes, the lowest since January. Exports of rice plunged 64 percent to 672 tonnes, the lowest since March.

Trade between North Korea and China has slowed through the year, particularly after China banned coal purchases in February. In November, China's trade with North Korea totalled $388 million, one of the lowest monthly volumes this year.

China has renewed its call on all countries to make constructive efforts to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, urging the use of peaceful means to resolve issues.

But tension flared again after North Korea on Nov. 29 said it had successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile test that put the U.S. mainland within range of its nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile Chinese exports of liquefied petroleum gas to North Korea, often used for cooking, rose 58 percent in November from a year earlier to 99 tonnes. Exports of ethanol, which can be turned into a biofuel, gained 82 percent to 3,428 cubic metres.

(Reporting by Muyu Xu and Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Meng Meng and Hallie Gu; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)

* China takes no N.Korea iron ore, coal or lead in Nov -customs

* Beijing urns off commodities trade taps as tensions grow

* New sanctions imposed by U.N. Security Council last week

(Adds link to graphic, background on North Korea's oil needs, table of North Korea trade data)

By Ryan Woo and Muyu Xu

BEIJING, Dec 26 (Reuters) - China exported no oil products to North Korea in November, Chinese customs data showed, apparently going above and beyond sanctions imposed earlier this year by the United Nations in a bid to limit petroleum shipments to the isolated country.

Tensions have flared anew over North Korea's ongoing nuclear and missile programmes, pursued in defiance of years of U.N. resolutions. Last week, the U.N. Security Council imposed new caps on trade with North Korea, including limiting oil product shipments to just 500,000 barrels a year.

Beijing also imported no iron ore, coal or lead from North Korea in November, the second full month of the latest trade sanctions imposed by U.N. China, the main source of North Korea's fuel, did not export any gasoline, jet fuel, diesel or fuel oil to its isolated neighbour last month, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday.

November was the second straight month China exported no diesel or gasoline to North Korea. The last time China's jet fuel shipments to Pyongyang were at zero was in February 2015.

Since June, state-run China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) has suspended sales of gasoline and diesel to North Korea, concerned that it would not get paid for its goods, Reuters previously reported. Beijing's move to turn off the taps completely is rare.

In March 2003, China suspended oil supplies to North Korea for three days after Pyongyang fired a missile into waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

It is unknown if China still sells crude oil to Pyongyang. Beijing has not disclosed its crude exports to North Korea for several years.

Industry sources say China still supplies about 520,000 tonnes, or 3.8 million barrels, of crude a year to North Korea via an aging pipeline. That is a little more than 10,000 barrels a day, and worth about $200 million a year at current prices.

North Korea also sources some of its oil from Russia.

TOTAL TRADE LESS THAN $400 MILLION

Chinese exports of corn to North Korean in November also slumped, down 82 percent from a year earlier to 100 tonnes, the lowest since January. Exports of rice plunged 64 percent to 672 tonnes, the lowest since March.

Trade between North Korea and China has slowed through the year, particularly after China banned coal purchases in February. In November, China's trade with North Korea totalled $388 million, one of the lowest monthly volumes this year.

China has renewed its call on all countries to make constructive efforts to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, urging the use of peaceful means to resolve issues.

But tensions flared again after North Korea on Nov. 29 said it had tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile that put the U.S. mainland within range of its nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile Chinese exports of liquefied petroleum gas to North Korea, used for cooking, rose 58 percent in November from a year earlier to 99 tonnes. Exports of ethanol, which can be turned into a biofuel, gained 82 percent to 3,428 cubic metres.

Imports November yr-on-yr % Jan-Nov % change

change Coal (76.42)

- (100.00) 4,813,954 Iron ore 7.49

- (100.00) 1,656,552 Lead ore & 7,255.00 concentrates - (100.00)

149 Molybdenum 345.69 33.07 ores & concs 82

1,036 Zinc ores & 97.00 concentrates - (100.00)

2,415

Exports Gasoline (48.43)

- (100.00) 46,159 Diesel (72.87)

- (100.00)

1,032 Jet fuel 41.93

- (100.00)

1,270 Other fuel (76.06)

- (100.00) 22,012 Fuel No. 5-7 (21.52)

- (100.00)

4,886 LPG 12.32

337 30.74

2,489 Ethanol 203.94

3,428 81.97 33,576 Refined lead 7,255.59

- (100.00)

149 Synthetic 3.52 rubber 36 18.17

476 Corn 2,381.02

100 (82.00) 50,118 Rice (10.14)

672 (63.95) 34,353 Sugar na 4,714.00

5,750 59,503 Cotton (25.17)

4 (88.29)

1,369 Soymeal 140.06

1,090 (11.38) 22,886 Soyoil 39.41

10,878 57.32 89,244

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ China's trade with North Korea ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Muyu Xu and Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Meng Meng and Hallie Gu; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell and Tom Hogue)
SUKHOTHAI, Thailand, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Thailand's cabinet on Tuesday approved a tax incentive it hopes will get Thais to visit provinces that do not attract huge numbers of foreign and domestic tourists.

The junta will allow Thais a tax deduction of up to 15,000 baht ($457.74) on what they spend on items, such as food, hotels and accommodations, in 55 "secondary" provinces with less tourism income than others, Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong told reporters.

The provinces offering the tax break include parts of the country's south, north and northeast regions.

Tourism has been a bright spot, along with exports, in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy.

The tourist sector accounts for about 12 percent of gross domestic product.

The government predicts a record 35.4 million foreign visitors this year, up 9 percent from last year. For 2018, it forecasts Thailand will attract 37 million-38 million tourists.

($1 = 32.77 baht)

(Reporting by Pracha Hariraksapitak; Writing by Orathai Sriring; Editing by Richard Borsuk)
NEW YORK, Dec 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday sold $26 billion of two-year, fixed-rate government notes at a yield of 1.922 percent, the highest yield at a two-year auction since September 2008, Treasury data showed. The ratio of bids to the amount of two-year Treasuries offered was 2.52, the lowest reading in a year. This gauge of overall auction demand was 2.73 at the previous two-year note sale in November. (Reporting by Richard Leong; Editing by James Dalgleish)

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.
* No N.Korean iron ore, coal or lead imported in Nov-customs

* Beijing turns off commodities trade taps as tensions grow

* New sanctions imposed by U.N. Security Council last week

(Writes through)

By Ryan Woo and Muyu Xu

BEIJING, Dec 26 (Reuters) - China exported no oil products to North Korea in November, Chinese customs data showed, apparently going above and beyond sanctions imposed earlier this year by the United Nations in a bid to limit petroleum shipments to the isolated country.

Tension has flared this year over North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes, pursued in defiance of years of U.N. resolutions. Last week, the U.N. Security Council imposed new caps on trade with North Korea, including limiting oil product shipments to just 500,000 barrels a year.

Beijing also imported no iron ore, coal or lead from North Korea in November, the second full month of the latest trade sanctions imposed by U.N. China, the main source of North Korea's fuel, did not export any gasoline, jet fuel, diesel or fuel oil to its isolated neighbour last month, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday.

Beijing's move to turn off the taps completely is rare. In March 2003, China suspended oil supplies to North Korea for three days after Pyongyang fired a missile into waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

Chinese exports of corn to North Korean in November also slumped, down 82 percent from a year earlier to 100 tonnes, the lowest since January. Exports of rice plunged 64 percent to 672 tonnes, the lowest since March.

Trade between North Korea and China has slowed through the year, particularly after China banned coal purchases in February. In November, China's trade with North Korea totalled $388 million, one of the lowest monthly volumes this year.

China has renewed its call on all countries to make constructive efforts to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, urging the use of peaceful means to resolve issues.

But tension flared again after North Korea on Nov. 29 said it had successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile test that put the U.S. mainland within range of its nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile Chinese exports of liquefied petroleum gas to North Korea, often used for cooking, rose 58 percent in November from a year earlier to 99 tonnes. Exports of ethanol, which can be turned into a biofuel, gained 82 percent to 3,428 cubic metres.

(Reporting by Muyu Xu and Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Meng Meng and Hallie Gu; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
By Ko Dong-hwan





The owner of two dogs that attacked neighbors has been jailed.







Seoul Northern District Court sentenced the man, surnamed Lee, 32, to eight months' jail without hard labor on Sunday for allowing his Presa Canario and Dogo Argentino to escape his house and injure the neighbors in June.







The dogs were in the front yard of Lee's house in Dobong-gu, Seoul, when he left. The Dogo Argentino was on a leash wrapped around a pole while the Presa Canario was loose. The door had an electronic lock and a chain lock.







After Lee left, the Argentino broke free and both dogs managed to ram through the door. They bit two people who later required extensive medical treatment. Another person tripped while fleeing the dogs.







Emergency services killed the Dogo Argentino and captured the other dog.







The court said: "Living with dogs with a particular nature of assaulting humans requires taking precautionary measures and being responsible for the damage done when the dogs go out of control."


By Jung Min-ho





Joo Jin-woo
President Moon Jae-in talks with members of a presidential committee on low birthrate and aging society at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. / Yonhap



By Kim Rahn



Helping people achieve a work-life balance will be key to the government policy to raise the nation's birthrate, according to a presidential committee on low birthrate and the aging society, Tuesday.



The committee highlighted the need for a "paradigm shift" by acknowledging childbirth and childcare as people's rights, rather than pushing state-led policies that focus on raising figures such as the number of newborns. Korea's birthrate stood at 1.17 last year, the lowest in the world, according to Statistics Korea.



"Previous measures against the low birthrate were not enough; they were not wrong but they couldn't catch up with the rapidly decreasing birthrate and aging society," President Moon Jae-in, head of the committee, said in a committee meeting at Cheong Wa Dae. "Maybe now is the last chance to address this serious demographic crisis."



Moon said measures to raise the birthrate should be fundamentally changed, saying lowering financial burdens for marriage, childbirth and childcare was not enough. "We have to pay attention to women's lives," he said. "It is most important to help women marry, have babies and raise them while maintaining their lives and work at the same time; this is the fundamental solution to the low birthrate."



So the key task will be to reform social structures to help people realize a work-life balance, committee vice head Kim Sang-hee said. "The work culture that requires long work hours has to be changed; this will help parents have more time with their children," she said.



Parents should be allowed to work fewer hours or have flexible work hours when their children are young, and the government will have to help small companies hire more workers to cover by providing financial support or other benefits, the committee said.



It said fathers also need to be more engaged in childcare because many women shun having babies out of concerns that childcare will fall entirely on them in the still patriarchal society.



For this, the government should raise parental leave allowance; incentives to those taking the leave are recommended; and fathers should be allowed to take short-term leaves frequently rather than a year-long one, it said.



The committee said expanding public childcare is also an important factor, such as setting up more public daycare centers and expanding childcare services to elementary schoolchildren.



It plans to have more discussions on such measures and come up with a roadmap early next year.



"We need to review whether those measures meet the reality and can improve people's daily lives effectively and immediately," Kim said.


By Francis Wilkinson



Remember when President Donald Trump was going to exploit the vulnerability of Democratic senators from red states and entice them to vote for his agenda? Last Wednesday, the Senate passed the Republican tax-cut plan without a single Democratic aye. It wasn't an anomaly; party-line votes are a mainstay of the Trump era.



Ten Democratic senators are up for re-election in 2018 in states won by Trump. These are the Democrats who were poised to work with Trump not just on an imagined infrastructure bill but on taxes and opioids, deregulation and energy. A handful of Democrats represent carbon-energy-producing states: How hard could it be to get their votes?



"I was an easy pickup. Very easy pickup," Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a state that Trump won by 42 points, told Politico. "And a couple, two, three other Democrats would have been easy pickups, if they had just made an effort."



Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri represents a state that's only been getting tougher for Democrats. Back in January, she seemed to be signaling her readiness to work with Trump. "Our country does its best work in the center," McCaskill told a town hall last summer.



Why Trump wasted the opportunity to enlist McCaskill and the others is an important question. Trump had powerful reasons to court Democrats. A plurality president who had lost the popular vote by almost 3 million votes, he was historically unpopular in the country and despised by the guardians of democratic norms and government ethics in Washington.



His frequent appeals to racial resentment may have powered his 2016 campaign, but they put him on the downside of electoral demographics: He will face a browner electorate in 2020 than he did in 2016. A couple of Democratic supporters could have provided a little extra cover for his sins and stumbles.



Yet instead of working to become less polarizing, Trump has become more so. The stunning victory of Democrat Doug Jones in the special Senate election in Alabama was largely due to a spectacularly bad opponent. But it also underscored how uncompelling Trump's agenda is even in a die-hard conservative state.



Paul Maslin, Jones's pollster, said the campaign was mostly able to sidestep Trump altogether. "I don't think it ever occurred to (Jones) or us to consider being more supportive of Trump," Maslin emailed. "We were simply never going to engage Trump on any terms  supportive or not."



While government-by-mood-swing may explain much of Trump's style, it doesn't explain his consistent partisanship. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made no effort with Democrats either, which suggests that the cause is not incompetence.



Middle-class tax cuts, infrastructure spending and other Trump campaign promises could have lured susceptible Democrats, at least occasionally, into a GOP-led majority. Instead, Republicans focused on rewarding GOP donors, undoing whatever Barack Obama had done and appealing to the party's resentful base  all while sanctioning Trump's personal money grubbing. There was nothing in that mix for any Democrat.



"The drive to please the party base has been in place  certainly among the Republicans  for some time," said George Washington University congressional scholar Sarah Binder in an email.



Binder points to President George W. Bush celebrating his narrow victory in 2004 by launching an unpopular partisan effort to privatize Social Security. "Why move to the center  or why accommodate the other party's interests  if the rewards at the ballot box are delivered by turning out the base?"



For Obama and Democrats, mostly party-line votes on a post-financial-crisis economic stimulus plan, Dodd-Frank bank regulations, an auto-industry rescue and the Affordable Care Act were worth the political pain. It seems that Trump and his party have reached a similar conclusion about their transfer of wealth from tomorrow's taxpayers to today's plutocrats.



It's hard to view Trump's failure to co-opt Democrats as anything but intentional. He had the opportunity to split Democrats  moderates working with Trump would've driven the left insane  and protect himself, by advancing popular legislation. Trump is frequently out of his depth, but he knew what he was doing here. There was no point in recruiting Democrats to a presidency they were sure to gag on.





Francis Wilkinson writes editorials on politics and U.S. domestic policy for Bloomberg View. He was executive editor of the Week. He was previously a national affairs writer for Rolling Stone, a communications consultant and a political media strategist. The above article was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


South Korean soldiers patrol along a barbed-wire fence near the militarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Paju, South Korea, Dec. 21. / Reuters



By Staff Reporter





Will 2018 be the year that war breaks out in North Korea? In 2017, the hermit state's nuclear crisis escalated to its highest level in decades.

Reflecting the seriousness of the past 12 months' events, Beijing's advisers recently urged it to prepare for war that could come to the Korean peninsula as early as 2018.

So far, there is no sign the crisis can be reversed.

In the concluding year, Pyongyang fired some 23 missiles in 16 tests. In September, it conducted its sixth and largest nuclear weapons test, notwithstanding the pressure of strict United Nations sanctions.

Punitive moves have included stronger measures by China, the North's greatest trading partner and ostensible ally, amid loud calls by the US for Beijing to "do more" to curb North Korean aggression.

As the North Korean crisis tops the agenda in Sino-US relations, dealing with the issue has tested the two countries' complex relationship.

Pushing for harsher sanctions against North Korea, US President Donald Trump fired off salvoes on Twitter accusing China of failing to help Washington contain Pyongyang's aggression. The first UN Security Council sanctions under the Trump administration came in June with China's help, targeting Chinese companies' financial ties to North Korean missile and nuclear programmes.

Later that month, the US slapped deeper unilateral sanctions on Chinese individuals, a bank and companies. One of the targeted firms told the South China Morning Post that it no longer did business in North Korea.

China also supported a UN resolution that seeks to ban nearly 90 per cent of refined petroleum product exports to North Korea on Friday.

Beijing bristled at the pressure from Washington. Saying all sides needed to work towards a solution, China's foreign ministry championed the dual suspension of North Korea's nuclear programmes and US-South Korea military drills.

In February, China said it would suspend all coal shipments from the isolated kingdom, one of North Korea's top exports to China. Chinese imports of North Korean goods continued to decline, causing Chinese traders along the border to feel the pinch.

Despite these measures, Pyongyang continued its series of missile tests, including the successful launch of its first intercontinental ballistic missile in July. Talk of military options increased, as analysts predicted developments would escalate "right to the brink" before China and the US could effectively come together.

China announced sweeping new sanctions against North Korea in August, expanding the restrictions to include iron, iron ore and seafood. The Post obtained customs data showing plummeting Chinese exports of electricity and oil and gas products to North Korea, even as food exports such as corn and bananas surged substantially. On the flip side, North Korea exported more garments to China as Beijing's coal ban took its toll.

North Korean businesses in China, such as restaurants, have been ordered to shut down; North Korean workers in China are supposed to be sent home next month after the Chinese government ordered all North Korean businesses to shut down within 120 days from September 11.

That was the date the UN Security Council imposed a new round of sanctions against Pyongyang over its repeated ballistic missile and nuclear tests.

Even so, several analysts doubted the moves would stop North Korea's continued march towards having nuclear weapons.

Later in August, Beijing banned new joint ventures with North Korea, in line with UN sanctions. Analysts said China's government was likely to support more sanctions on Pyongyang, including on crucial oil exports, although it would be careful not to push its historical ally to the point of regime collapse.

The chilling effect on China's relationship with North Korea was palpable. China's air force staged drills over the Yellow and East seas near the Korean peninsula. Meanwhile, analysts interpreted naval drills in the Yellow Sea as a "warning" to both North Korea and the US.

The Sino-North Korean Friendship Bridge across the Yalu River  a route for 80 per cent of trade between the countries  was suspended for what officials described as temporary maintenance activity. Tour operators stopped offering trips to North Korea.

Officials indicated China would end student exchanges to the reclusive state; and geologists warned their North Korean counterparts of consequences if an underground nuclear test site were to collapse.

In November, President Xi Jinping sent a top envoy, Song Tao, to visit North Korea.

But the diplomat's apparent failure to meet with Kim was described by analysts as a "snub" to Beijing. Days later, Pyongyang conducted another missile test, after which China's top diplomat Wang Yi spoke with "regret" about the increasing regional tensions.

As the US remains steadfast in its refusal to take military options off the table, its military has increased communications with its Chinese counterpart.

Uncertainty and concern continue to loom over the Korean peninsula. While Beijing has repeatedly said it will not allow war or chaos in the area, officials and scholars have quietly suggested the country should ready itself for a worst-case scenario.

Chinese analysts also acknowledge that Beijing is losing control over its neighbour and former ally.

Raising the alarm for many, residents of Jilin, a northeastern province bordering North Korea and Russia, were told on December 6 in a full-page newspaper announcement to prepare for nuclear disaster.

Chinese scientists have also warned about the possibility of an implosion of the Punggye-ri test site not far from the North Korea-China border, posing a potential nuclear disaster for Jilin.
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his Lao counterpart Bounnhang Vorachith review the honour guard of the Vietnam Peoples Army at the welcoming ceremony. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong receives Lao Party General Secretary and President Bounnhang Vorachith. The two Party chiefs hold talks. On December 19, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Tran Dai Quang hosted a banquet in Hanoi to welcome the Lao leader during his official friendly visit to Vietnam. In the photo: Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivers a welcoming speech. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Lao Party General Secretary and President Bounnhang Vorachith, President Tran Dai Quang, and artists pose for a photo at the banquet. President Tran Dai Quang receives his Lao counterpart at the Presidential Palace. President Tran Dai Quang has a meeting with Lao Party General Secretary and President Bounnhang Vorachith. The two presidents co-chair a press conference at the Presidential Palace to conclude the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Solidarity Year 2017. At the Governments Headquaters, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc meets with Lao Party General Secretary and President Bounnhang Vorachith during his official friendly visit to Vietnam. Meeting between Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Lao Party General Secretary and President Bounnhang Vorachith. National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan receives Lao Party General Secretary and President Bounnhang Vorachith. The two Party chiefs visit the photo exhibition on the special solidarity of Vietnam and Laos in Hanoi. The Lao Party chief visits the Kim Lien Historical Relic Site in Nam Dan district, Nghe An province. The Lao top leadern and delegates visit the house where President Ho Chi Minh was born.


PRESS RELEASE

China, Russia, and Iran Commence the Reconstruction of Syria

Dec. 24, 2017 (EIRNS)China, Russia, and Iran are putting together plans and packages for the urgently needed reconstruction of Syria, after six and one-half years of war by British-organized terrorists has reduced large swathes of that nation to rubble.

The United Nations special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura has said rebuilding Syria will cost at least $250 billionand it likely will be significantly higher.

Bloomberg reports Dec. 23, in "China Makes Move in Syria as U.S. Says No Rebuilding under Assad," that Qin Yong, vice-president of the China-Arab Exchange Association, estimates there could be about $2 billion of Chinese investment in the first stage. Qin disclosed hes been escorting Chinese companies to the Syrian cities of Damascus, Homs and Tartus, and "they are eyeing projects to build roads, bridges, airports and hospitals and restore electricity and communications," according to Bloomberg.

Bloomberg continued,

"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 Jinpings 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."

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin expounded upon Russias plans during his meeting with Syrian President Bashar al Assad in Damascus last week. The Dec. 18, Al Masdar News reported that Rogozin announced projects, to be built jointly with Syria, in "oil producing facilities, infrastructure facilities, railroads, ports, and the energy sector." Rogozin also spoke of joint Russian and Syrian plans to develop Syrias phosphate deposits. "Theres a big phosphate deposit in Syria. In many countries this product is in high demand," Rogozin was quoted by RT. Rogozin also proposed that Russia uses Syrian ports to ship "Russian wheat not only to Syria, but via Syria to Iraq and nearby countries."

At the same time, Iran has signed an agreement with Syria to repair portions of Irans power grid, and to build a 540 megawatt capacity power plant in Latakia province.

The British are moving forcefully to block all Western participation in Syrian reconstruction, locking them into an outmoded geopolitical worldview. In April, the EU, Arab nations, and the United States had committed to $9.7 billion for humanitarian aid and rebuilding in Syria. But in September, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson abruptly announced, that the funds would be not be forthcoming until there were "a political transition," meaning that President Assad must be removed first.

On Dec. 14, Russian President Putin rebuked this madness, stating, "All people of goodwill around the world should understand that if we do not resolve this together, it will be their problem."

Oblivious to reality, on Dec. 19, British-Israeli asset, Rep. Elliot Engel (D-N.Y.) introduced into Congress, on behalf of himself and others, H.R. 4681, titled, "No Assistance for Assad Act," which would attempt to make as U.S. policy that "United States assistance ... for recovery, reconstruction, or stabilization" would be withheld for that part of Syria under the government of Bashar Assad, and would only be avaiable for parts of Syria outside the control of the sovereign government. This will be debated in January 2018.

Sane forces, serious about developing Syria, would do well to read the report, "Extending the New Silk Road to West Asia and Africa" by Hussein Askary and Jason Ross, which provides essential underpinnings.
PRESS RELEASE

Failure To Pass Disaster Aid Package Intensifies Devastation

Dec. 24, 2017 (EIRNS)The failure of the U.S. Congress to pass a Disaster Aid Package, will have serious consequences, some of which will literally mean life or death, for millions of citizens in Texas, Florida, and especially Puerto Rico.

On Dec. 22, the House of Representatives passed a $81 billion Disaster Relief Package, on a bipartisan basis by a vote of 251 to 169. But the Senate has taken no action. The House bill included $27.6 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, $26.1 billion for Community Development Block Grants, and $12.11 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers. An important portion of the proposed allocations for Community Development Block Grants, and the Army Corps, were for public works-infrastructure.

The bill may not be taken up again until mid-January.

On Sept. 20, Hurricane Marias 155 mph winds buzz-sawed through Puerto Rico. On Dec. 11, Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rossello and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo advanced a sound long-term $17.8 billion power plan, entitled "Build Back Better" that would not merely replace, but build a vastly superior electricity grid/power system.

Without such fundamental change, Puerto Rico has experienced the loss of 1.248 billion customer-hours of electricity, according to research published by the Rhodium Group. This constitutes the largest blackout in United States history, whether from hurricane, other natural disaster, or human error.

This is producing emigration under duress. More than 10,000 Puerto Rican children have enrolled in the Florida school system during the past three months, which would suggest their parents went with them, reports the Dec. 23 Vox. The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at the City University of New York estimates that Puerto Rico will lose up to 470,355 residents by the end of 2019, approximately 14% of the population.

The need for LaRouches Four Laws, providing the Hamiltonian directed credit system to finance the Build Back Better plan, is intensely urgent.
PRESS RELEASE

Russian Government Condemns U.S. Decision To Provide Lethal Anti-Tank Weapons to Ukraine

Dec. 24, 2017 (EIRNS)The Russian government has reacted very strongly to the U.S.s government decision to provide anti-tank missiles to Ukraine.

The Dec. 23 Wall Street Journal, in an article entitled, "U.S. To Send Antitank Weaponry to Ukraine, Entering New Phase in Conflict" reported that

"President Donald Trump has signed off on a decision to provide Ukraine with lethal defensive weaponry, including portable antitank armaments, U.S. officials said Friday, in a major shift in the years long conflict.... The decision to send Javelin anti-tank missiles places Washington closer to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The administration notified Congress on Friday, U.S. officials said."

The FGM-148 Javelin, is a light-weight, portable anti-tank missile system, that uses automatic infrared guidance.

"The United States has crossed a line by announcing its intention to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Dec. 23, in a statement posted to the Foreign Ministry website. "U.S. weapons are capable of leading to new casualties in our neighboring country and we cannot remain indifferent to that."

"The United States is clearly prompting [Ukraine] to new bloodshed," Ryabkov said.

"Kyivs revenge-seekers have already been shelling Donbas everyday 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 to do it."

"Washington is trying to present itself as an intermediary, but it is an accomplice in fomenting a war," Ryabkov stated, and that "Russophobia is obstructing the views of many" in the United States.

Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said,

"This decision undermines the work on implementation of the 2015 Minsk agreements. In fact, [this decision] supports Kievs party of war, that is, the political forces which are for use of force in settlement of the Donbass problem. This is unacceptable."

Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Russian Federation Councils Foreign Affairs Committee asserted, "Washingtons recent decision, alas,... is in favor of war, not peace."
Dec. 25, 2017 (EIRNS)In a Dec. 25 interview with RT, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said:

"I dont think that anyone who is in his right mind would like to start a war on the Korean Peninsula. Not only Russian, but also American experts and American officials voiced the assessments of the consequences, including the enormous loss of human life. You cant strangle North Korea. You cant impose a total blockade,"

he said.

He continued (in RT's paraphrase):

"The minister adds he feels obliged to describe how the US actually conducts its diplomacy over the Korean crisis. In September, they signaled to Moscow that they would not stage military exercises and that Pyongyang should not be worried until at least next spring. But then the US launched an emergency exercise, which North Korea ignored. And yet another exercise was held later, one of unprecedented scale, which did make Pyongyang react.

"Lavrov says the Americans are trying to cover up their actions with legalities, saying they break no rules when conducting military exercises in the region. But diplomacy is not an area where such tricks work."
In less than a week, 2018 begins. Those who manage California businesses should take the following steps during this shortened last workweek of the year.

Remove references to salary history and criminal convictions from employment applications

Starting Jan. 1, 2018, applications for employment in California may no longer ask applicants to disclose their criminal history or their salary history. The reason to ban the box asking whether an applicant has a criminal record is to avoid perpetuating the stigma of prior convictions and the premature disqualification of applicants who otherwise may have the right credentials for a particular job. The reason to ban discussion of an applicants prior salary, unless the applicant volunteers the information, is to avoid perpetuating past salary levels that may have been influenced by gender.

Employers should remove these inquiries from paper and online application forms. Employers also should instruct those who interview applicants  by phone or in person  not to solicit this information. The consequences for violating these new prohibitions are unclear. But no employer wants to be the first to find out.

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Make sure employees doing equivalent work are receiving equivalent pay

California employers are prohibited from paying men and women and whites and racial and ethnic minorities different wages for substantially similar work unless the employer can show that any differences are justified by a factor other than sex, race or ethnicity. That imposes a duty on employers to ensure that any gaps are closed or justifiable.

Several Fair Pay Act cases were filed this year in California trial courts, including against high-profile California employers. Dont make your workplace the one whose behavior triggers a major ruling.

Schedule sexual harassment training for your supervisors

California employers with 50 or more employees must provide classroom or other effective interactive training in the prevention and correction of sexual harassment no later than six months after an employee assumes, or is hired to perform, supervisory duties, and to all supervisors every two years. Recent changes in this law require that the training cover general workplace bullying and harassment based on gender identity.

According to a recent New York Times article, the most effective training, researchers say, is at least four hours, in person, interactive and tailored for the particular workplace  a restaurants training would differ from a law firms.

With the intense recent attention to sexual harassment across industries, and given that California law imposes liability for sexual harassment even on employers with a single employee, the wise employer will go beyond the bare requirements of the training law. The state law itself underscores that it is only a minimum and does not discourage an employer from providing longer, more frequent, or more elaborate training to meet its obligations to take all reasonable steps necessary to prevent and correct harassment and discrimination. Training is not sufficient to address the persistent problem of workplace harassment, but it is necessary.

Update your employee handbook

Because every year brings new workplace laws, make it an annual practice to revise your handbook to reflect current law. Out-of-date policies may be used against your company if a dispute ripens into a lawsuit.

Have a great 2018.

Dan Eaton is a partner with the San Diego law firm of Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek, where his practice focuses on defending and advising employers. He also is an instructor at the San Diego State University Fowler College of Business, where he teaches classes in business ethics and employment law. He may be reached at eaton@scmv.com. His Twitter handle is @DanEatonlaw.
Unions have caught a whiff of a rare opportunity to organize a whole new set of workers as recreational marijuana becomes legal in California.

The United Farm Workers, Teamsters and United Food and Commercial Workers are looking to unionize the tens of thousands of potential workers involved in the legal weed game, from planters to rollers to sellers. The move could provide a boost to organized labors lagging membership  if infighting doesnt get in the way.

The United Farm Workers, co-founded by iconic labor leader Cesar Chavez, says that organizing an industry rooted in agriculture is a natural fit, and that growers could label their products with the unions logo as a marketing strategy.

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If youre a cannabis worker, the UFW wants to talk with you, national Vice President Armando Elenes said.

But United Food and Commercial Workers, which represents grocery store employees, meat packers and retail workers, registered its intent to organize cannabis workers across the country.

We would hope they respect our jurisdiction, UFCW spokesman Jeff Ferro said.

Teamsters organizer Kristin Heidelbach said theres no need for unions to battle each other. There will be plenty of workers needing representation as small cannabis businesses run by happy stoner types give way to large pharmaceutical corporations, she said.

The green rush that begins in 2018 is an opportunity for unions to regain influence that began declining in the late 1950s, said David Zonderman, a professor of labor history at North Carolina State University. But discord between unions could upend it, as could resistance from cannabis business leaders.

Are they going to be new age and cool with it, Zonderman said, or like other businesspeople, say, Heck, no. Were going to fight them tooth and nail?

Last year, California voters approved sales of recreational marijuana to those 21 and older at licensed shops beginning Jan. 1.

Cannabis in California already is a $22-billion industry, including medical marijuana and a black market that accounts for most of that total, according to UC Davis agriculture economist Philip Martin. Medical marijuana has been legal since 1996, when California was the first state to approve such a law.

Labor leaders estimate recreational pot in California could employ at least 100,000 workers from the north coast to the Sierra Nevada foothills and the San Joaquin Valley, harvesting and trimming the plants, extracting ingredients to put in liquids and edibles, and driving it to stores and front doors.

Pot workers have organized in other states, but California should be especially friendly territory for unions, said Jamie Schau, a senior analyst with Brightfield Group, which does marketing analysis on the marijuana industry.

The state has one of the nations highest minimum wages and the largest number of unionized workers across industries. Its laws also tend to favor employees.

At least some workers say theyre open to unionizing.

Im always down to listen to what could be a good deal for me and my family, said Thomas Grier, 44, standing behind the counter at Canna Can Help Inc., a dispensary in the Central Valley community of Goshen.

The dispensary  with $7 million in yearly sales  sells medical marijuana.

Called a bud tender, Grier recently waited on a steady flow of regular customers walking through the door to pick out their favorite strains.

He said that so far, no unions have contacted him. Grier gets along with his boss and said he doesnt want to pay union dues for help ironing out workplace disputes. But he hasnt discounted the possibility of joining.

After recently entering the marijuana industry, Los Angeles resident Richard Rodriguez said one sticky traffic stop three months ago converted him into a hard core Teamster. Hed never been in a union until this year.

Rodriguez said an officer pulled him over while he was delivering a legal shipment of pot. He was accused of following too closely behind a semi-truck and was detained for 12 hours, he said.

A union lawyer stepped in, and Rodriguez said he was released without being arrested or given a ticket.

Most companies cant or are unwilling to do that, he said, because employees are easily replaced.
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 operate 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% for qualifying shippers.

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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. The process of entering San Diego can stretch to five or six hours if the truck is twice pulled over for secondary inspection  first as it leaves Mexico, and again as it enters 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 paperwork to Michael Horn, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer. Horn immediately shared some of the documents with Rosa Maria Barrientos  an official with Mexicos Tax Administration Service  who worked in a separate booth. Within minutes, the truck in question 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 Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism.

Companies in Tijuanas booming manufacturing industry are expected 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 potential beneficiaries.

U.S. customs officials have said they expect the program to cut inspection times in half.

The new system underscores the collaboration at the border between the U.S. and Mexican agencies. 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 began 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 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.

Meanwhile, this is 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 renegotiated.

We are not waiting to see what happens, said Luis Hernandez, president of the Tijuana Maquiladora Assn. We are moving forward.

sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com
Less than a month after Tesla Inc. unveiled a new backup power system in South Australia, the worlds largest lithium-ion battery is already being put to the test.

It appears to be far exceeding expectations. In the last three weeks alone, the Hornsdale Power Reserve has smoothed out at least two major energy outages, responding even more quickly than the coal-fired backups that were supposed to provide emergency power.

Teslas battery last week kicked in just 0.14 seconds after one of Australias biggest plants, the Loy Yang facility in the neighboring state of Victoria, suffered a sudden, unexplained drop in output, according to the International Business Times. The week before that, another failure at Loy Yang prompted the Hornsdale battery to respond in as little as four seconds  or less, according to some estimates  beating other plants to the punch. State officials have called the response time a record, according to local media.

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The effectiveness of Teslas battery is being closely watched in a region that is in the grips of an energy crisis. The price of electricity is soaring in Australia, particularly in the state of South Australia, where a 2016 outage led 1.7 million residents to lose power in a blackout. Storms and heat waves have caused additional outages, and many Australians are bracing for more with the onset of summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Hornsdale battery system, which uses the same energy-storage tech found in Teslas electric cars, is one of Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musks newest projects.

In March, Musk, who is known for setting high goals and only sometimes meeting them, vowed on Twitter to deliver a battery system for South Australias struggling grid within 100 days or it would be free. By early July, the state had signed a deal with California-based Tesla and the French-based energy company Neoen to produce the battery. And by Dec. 1, South Australia announced it had switched on the Hornsdale battery.

Fed by wind turbines at the nearby Hornsdale wind farm, the battery stores excess energy that is produced when the demand for electricity isnt peaking. It can power up to 30,000 homes, though only for short periods  meaning that the battery must still be supported by traditional power plants in the event of a long outage.

Nonetheless, the Hornsdale reserve has already shown that it can provide whats known as contingency service  keeping the grid stable in a crisis and easing what otherwise would be a significant power failure.

And, more important, the project is the biggest proof of concept yet that batteries such as Teslas can help mitigate one of renewable energys most persistent problems: how to use it when the sun isnt shining or the wind isnt blowing.

Fung writes for the Washington Post.
U.S. companies are bringing new trade lawsuits against their foreign competitors with a scope and frequency not seen in more than 15 years, government documents show, as a wave of new complaints builds under President Trump.

A Washington Post analysis of Commerce Department data found 23 new trade disputes initiated since January, making 2017 the busiest year for tariff cases since 2001. The new cases target trade between the U.S. and 29 countries, the most in any year since 2001.

The cases include fights over Korean washing machines, Spanish olives, Chinese aluminum foil, Vietnamese tool chests, Argentine biodiesel and Canadian jetliners. The U.S. trade warriors include financially strapped solar panel manufacturers, downsizing Rust Belt steel plants and declining California olive farms.

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Several requests came from companies that are under foreign ownership. And in a shift from previous years, some profitable corporations are asking the government to place new restrictions on their foreign rivals, taking advantage of a recent change in federal law.

The surge of complaints comes as the White House moves to redefine Americas role in the global economy.

At President Trumps direction, we have told American businesses that we will be more enforcement minded than any recent administration, while also remaining committed to a fair and transparent process that is professionally and impartially implemented, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in an emailed statement. They know we will stand with American workers in the face of unfair trade practices.

Tariff cases typically start when U.S. companies formally accuse foreign competitors of dumping products in the United States at unfairly low prices or benefiting from unfair subsidies, or both. Then the Commerce Department and a quasi-judicial U.S. agency called the International Trade Commission decide what to do.

Ross has said he wants the government to bring more cases on its own, something that could let companies save on legal expenses. The Commerce Department took its first step in that direction in a November tariff action against sheet metal distributors in China, the first government-initiated action since 1985.

The Washington Posts count of 23 new disputes in 2017 is based on the number of petitioners bringing new tariffs; if, for example, a single U.S. company asks for tariffs on products from 10 countries, the Post treated it as a single new dispute even though such an action would spur 10 Commerce Department investigations. When calculated based on the number of new investigations  as the Commerce Department tends to represent the trend in its news releases  there were 79 new investigations in 2017, reflecting a 65% jump over the previous year and a 16-year high.

Since most of the new cases are just beginning to work their way through the governments deliberative process, it is too early to tell whether they will succeed.

Some companies are pushing for price quotas, which forbid foreign firms from selling below a given price. And in two cases this year, three companies have invoked a powerful and seldom-used U.S. trade lever called the safeguard provision, which imposes blanket taxes on products regardless of the country of origin. Such cases are unique in that they require a direct sign-off from the president; before Trump took office, no company had asked to be safeguarded in this way since 2001.

The fact that we have already seen two of these cases in 2017 should be a clear signal that corporate America thinks the Trump administration is going to grant it protection, said Chad Bown, a fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a research and policy organization focused on global trade.

The Trump administration is preparing to rule on both cases early next year.

The U.S. companies seeking tougher import duties argue that trade restrictions are needed to level the economic playing field and sustain American jobs, and have little to do with politics or Trump.

For instance, a Washington state paper company called North Pacific Paper Co., or Norpac, is accusing Canadian competitors of flooding the U.S. market with less-expensive product. As a result, Norpac, which sells paper for newspapers and other industries, said it has had to cut its staff from about 450 to 350 employees in the last year.

Meanwhile, two Californian family-owned olive farm conglomerates, Bell-Carter Foods and Musco Family Olive, are asking the Commerce Department to counteract Spanish olive farmers that they say are propped up by an elaborate system of farm subsidies there.

A coalition of U.S. biodiesel manufacturers claims rivals in Indonesia and Argentina are selling their product in the United States at unfairly low prices. It says the Argentine government also is giving tax breaks to exporters to unfairly subsidizing the industry.

Two companies asking for blanket safeguard protection  Georgia-based Suniva and Oregon-based SolarWorld USA  are solar panel manufacturers that make photovoltaic cells, the tiny chips that convert solar energy into usable power.

Over the last few years, they claim, a flood of less-expensive components from Chinese solar manufacturers has put them at a disadvantage; the two firms have since filed for bankruptcy and have laid off thousands of workers.

Their claim, however, does not have the backing of others in their industry: The trade group Solar Energy Industries Assn. opposes the tariff, which it argues would cause 88,000 jobs to be lost elsewhere in the industry. The International Trade Commission ruled in SolarWorlds and Sunivas favor in October, but the two companies said the duties it recommended are too small.

Others seeking tariffs are not suffering nearly as much. The third company asking for broader safeguard protection  Chicago-based home appliances giant Whirlpool  logged $5.4 billion in sales this year.

But Whirlpools profit margins have been dwindling for years, and the company says thats in part because it is losing market share in a key product category  washing machines  to Korean manufacturers LG and Samsung. Whirlpool argues they have been dumping washing machines in the United States for years and moving their production centers around the world to avoid earlier tariffs.

In arguing against tariffs, the foreign companies have pointed out that they also employ Americans.

No one should doubt our commitment to creating jobs in the U.S. We have been marketing our products here for nearly 40 years and have more than 18,000 workers, Samsung Senior Vice President John Herrington said in a statement rebutting Whirlpools tariff request. We know what it means to be an American manufacturer, we are an American manufacturer, and we are in it for the long run.

Several of the companies asking for import protection are actually under foreign ownership. They include the U.S. subsidiary of Nan Ya Plastics. The Taiwanese plastics manufacturer is asking for new restrictions on Korean and Taiwanese polyester products as part of a long-running trade dispute.

A U.K.-based metals conglomerate called Ferroglobe has asked for U.S. restrictions on silicon metal from Australia, Brazil and Norway. It is waging a parallel trade war in Canada, where it is asking for new restrictions on silicon imports from four countries.

DAK Americas, the North Carolina subsidiary of one of Mexicos largest textile firms, is teaming up with Indorama Ventures USA, the U.S. arm of an Indian firm. They are asking for restrictions on textile products from Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan and Taiwan.

The complex international connections of those asking for tariffs  and the often strong U.S. presence of the companies they are targeting  illustrates a problem for import duties: Foreign companies that find themselves slapped with tariffs can sometimes avoid them by moving production to a third country, or even to the United States.

Tariffs really dont work.... If you apply a tariff, they can still move that good through another country, Barry Zekelman, chief executive of Illinois steel pipe manufacturer Zekelman Industries, told the cable channel CNBC this summer.

Zekelman is teaming up with four other steel firms  ArcelorMittal, PTC Alliance, Webco Industries and Michigan Seamless Tube  to call for a broader system of quotas that would set fixed minimum prices for foreign firms.

Steel companies like Zekelman  which account for about half of the new requests in 2017  got a tease of broader-reaching action when early in Trumps term, the White House announced it is investigating whether to label foreign-made steel and aluminum a national security risk, something that would impose harsh restrictions on foreign steel imports.

That effort, though, has been stalled for more than six months. In a July 25 interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said any action on specialty metals is waiting till we get everything finished up between healthcare and taxes and maybe even infrastructure.

Then, on Nov. 28, the Commerce Department took the highly unusual step of bringing a tariff case on its own, asking for tariffs above 57% on aluminum sheet metal from China. Officials insisted the effort was separate from the earlier specialty metals investigation.

In a shift from past years, some companies bringing cases are faring relatively well against their rivals.

Boeing is one of the largest U.S. exporters, a company that maintains healthy profit margins selling commercial jets to airlines and advanced weaponry to the U.S. military.

None of that stopped the Chicago aerospace manufacturer from claiming in an April 27 complaint that it has been illegally harmed by Canadian jet maker Bombardiers 2016 deal with Delta Air Lines for 75 CS100 jetliners. It asked for tariffs on 100- to 150-seat jets from Canada, a category in which Boeing does not compete.

Boeings lawyers may be emboldened by a 2015 trade law that made it easier for profitable corporations to win U.S. trade disputes. The Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 bars the International Trade Commission from turning down trade cases purely on the basis that the petitioning company is profitable.

The Commerce Department surprised the aerospace industry in September when it ruled in Boeings favor, proposing a 300% import duty that would make U.S. sales untenable for Bombardier.

But Bombardier may have already found a way to avoid the new fee. It recently agreed to sell the rights to the CS100 to Airbus, a French manufacturer that is Boeings primary competitor in the commercial jet market. And the announcement came with a twist: Future production of the C-series aircraft would be moved from Canada to Alabama, where Airbus already operates a production facility.

Its not intended to circumvent anything, but the fact is that when you produce an aircraft in the U.S., its not subject to any U.S. import tariff rules, Bombardier President Alain Bellemare said in October.

Gregg writes for the Washington Post.
Here are the 2018 SAG Awards nominees reactions to their nods

The on-camera talent recognized during the 24th Screen Actors Guild Award nominations on Wednesday shared their excitement and gratitude for the special honor bestowed upon them by the acting community.

The SAG Awards serve up laurels for actors and ensemble casts working in television and film as voted by their peers. The awards show, hosted by The Good Place star Kristen Bell, will take place on Jan. 21.

LIST: The 2018 SAG Award nominees

In statements to the Los Angeles Times, several nominees repeatedly thanked their drama families, particularly the casts and crews of their respective projects. Heres what some of them had to say about the recognition:

Alison Brie. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Alison Brie, GLOW

It is such a great honor to be recognized by my fellow actors with this nomination. I am so proud to be part of a show that celebrates the craft of acting, with all its pitfalls and glories, and to be able to work with such a diverse group of insanely talented women. GLOW has meant the world to me and Im deeply thankful for this recognition for me and the cast. Thank you SAG-AFTRA!!

Millie Bobby Brown. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things

Screen Actors Guild! Thank you SO much for recognizing me and our cast for the second year in a row! This means the world coming from you, our peers. I am so lucky and honored to have the privilege of playing Eleven  a strong, powerful, badass, strange, wonderful character! Cant wait to celebrate with my Stranger Things family!

Timothee Chalamet. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Timothee Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name

What an incredible morning! This nomination is very close to my heart because its from the actor. When we made Call Me By Your Name, we had no idea what it would turn into. The experience in making the film with Armie [Hammer] was so special, and yet, we just didnt know. Simply put, Ive been blown away by the response this film has received. And, to be included in ensemble along with my Lady Bird family (congrats, Saoirse [Ronan]!) makes this recognition that much more special.

David Harbour. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

David Harbour, Stranger Things

If it isnt wildly apparent by now, Ill say it directly  I love actors! To be recognized by my peers in such distinguished company gives me a special joy. And Millie [Bobby Brown] and the show! Beyond.

When I act, when I create, I feel alive, full to bursting, and I feel of service to the mysterious goodness that firmly exists in this world. I have been rewarded with a life that indulges in the primacy of self, but at its core and at its purest and its best, it is a life of service. A service to audiences. To prod and poke when necessary, to comfort and entertain when times seem dark, to ever expand the human experience, to offer a reason to live, to celebrate to the gods the great gift and scourge that is consciousness. Sometimes it means expressing iron intellect and rigorous truth that bonds us all in the achingly profound wisdom of no escape. Sometimes it means revealing the intimate moments of endurance, of unexpected kindness, unasked for love. And sometimes it simply means making a fierce and joyful noise, to spin, to twirl, to throw your hands up with the relentless dips and climb aboard this roller coaster of life. Ya know, to dance. *insert Hopper dancing gif*

Thank you for recognizing me, as it might mean itll be easier to get more jobs doing it.

Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water

I am beyond thrilled to have received the honor of this nomination. And to receive it from fellow colleagues is huge to me. Guillermo [del Toro], this film and the entire cast and crew hold a very special place in my heart and always will. Each and every one of them made me better. I am truly delighted more than I can really express in words but my heart is fit to burst with pride for us all. Thank you dearest SAG members. Thank you for your embrace.

Sean Hayes. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Sean Hayes, Will & Grace

I am so honored to be recognized in this category with these extraordinary actors. I love acting because I love actors. I also like to bake sometimes.

Richard Jenkins. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water

I am thrilled and humbled to be nominated by my peers for a SAG Award. This union is very close to my heart. Well, the SAG card is in my wallet, so its a little further south.

Zoe Kazan. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Zoe Kazan, The Big Sick

Thank you to SAG for honoring The Big Sick ensemble with a nomination. It means so much to us, especially from our acting peers. I am deeply proud to be a part of this film and to have brought Kumail [Nanjiani] and Emily [V. Gordon]s story into the world, especially at this time. We are particularly moved to have been recognized as an ensemble, as this was such an extraordinary collaborative experience Im excited to be reunited once more with my movie family, and to share this with Kumail, Holly [Hunter], Ray [Romano], Zenobia [Shroff], Anupam [Kher], and Adeel [Akhtar] and everyone else who helped bring The Big Sick to life.

Nicole Kidman. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies

What an amazing morning! Thank you to SAG-AFTRA for recognizing Big Little Lies in such a significant way. Ive been acting since I was 14 and have dedicated an enormous amount of my life to my craft so to be acknowledged by my acting family is the most incredible honor.

Jason Bateman and Laura Linney. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Laura Linney, Ozark

I am so proud to be included in a list of such wonderful actresses who have raised the bar so high. What an amazing year for women in television. And I am especially proud to be representing Ozark with my TV spouse, the ever deserving Jason Bateman! Thank you SAG-AFTRA!

Marc Maron. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Marc Maron, GLOW

I am stunned and excited to be recognized by other actors in this way. I really never thought this was possible in my life. It helps to be surrounded by amazing actors and to have such a defined and well written character as Sam Sylvia and to be on a show as unique as GLOW. I am just a small part. So, thanks SAG for recognizing me and the mind-blowing ensemble that is GLOW.

Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, The Big Sick

We are so lucky to have been graced with the enormous talents of every single member of our cast. They each put a piece of themselves into our story and we are thrilled at being recognized. Thank you. And a special shout out to Holly Hunters individual nomination!

Now we have to go tell our real parents that they arent actually nominated.

Bob Odenkirk. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul

I am thrilled to get this nomination from my fellow actors! At Better Call Saul I am surrounded by an ensemble of excellence  Michael McKean, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, everybody raises my game. Thank you to SAG-AFTRA.

Gary Oldman. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Gary Oldman, The Darkest Hour

No actor could ever deny the special satisfaction that comes from being recognized by your fellow artists  we all share the same challenges, insecurities, and uncertainties, chief among them, the question am I any good? this nomination, and in the wonderful company of the other nominees, is so very satisfying.

Margot Robbie. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

Im so incredibly moved and excited to be nominated by my fellow actors. I feel very fortunate to be able to have had the opportunity to bring Tonyas story to the big screen. Thank you to Steven [Rogers] for his brilliant and unique script, to Allison [Janney] and Sebastian [Stan] for being such incredible screen partners and to Craig [Gillespie] for his amazing direction and perfectly capturing the tone and essence of the film. Im so honored to be recognized among the truly powerful and wonderful women in the category. I cant wait to celebrate with everyone.

Sam Rockwell. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

It is such an honor to be nominated by your fellow actors, I have been a proud member of the Screen Actors Guild for as long as I can remember. To share it with this wonderful ensemble whom I have had the pleasure to work with over the years and others I got to collaborate with for the first time is truly special. I want to thank Martin McDonagh, our director and writer, for crafting these characters, as well as Woody [Harrelson], Fran [McDormand] and the rest of the cast who brought the town of Ebbing to life on screen. I am thrilled.

Ray Romano. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Ray Romano, The Big Sick

This is awesome but I wont believe it till the recount.
Since losing his job as an oil rig driver six years ago, Wayne Mingo has struggled to put food on the table.

The holidays have been more stressful than joyous for him, as he worries about how to afford toys for his two children.

On Christmas Day, he sat down to a free turkey dinner at Hollywood United Methodist Church with Jeremiah, 8, and Kaliyah, 12.

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After they finished eating, Jeremiah and Kaliyah would get to pose for photos with Santa Claus and pick out toys from a room stacked with action figures, stuffed animals, dolls and books.

Joining them were hundreds of other needy Angelenos: retirees, homeless people, working families with young children. The line started near the churchs main entrance on Franklin Avenue and snaked up Highland Avenue, not far from the Hollywood Bowl and the Dolby Theater, where the Oscars are held.

Wayne Mingo, from left, Emmethia Smith, Kaliyah Smith and Jeremiah Mingo enjoy a free Christmas meal at Hollywood United Methodist Church. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times )

Things are looking up for Mingo, 52, who recently started driving for Uber and Lyft.

It doesnt feel good when I cant support my family fully, especially at this time of the year, he said.

The free meal has been a Christmas tradition in Hollywood for more than 30 years. Temple Israel of Hollywood, which started the event, is a joint organizer with the Hollywood United Methodist Church.

This year, the interfaith theme broadened as ILM Foundation, which has roots in Islam, joined the organizing team.

Nearly 300 volunteers roasted 100 turkeys and served them with stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, apple pie and ice cream.

Donors provided free clothing, blankets and toys. Audrey Gardner, a volunteer who runs the toy room, said she uses the $400 holiday bonus she receives from her job to buy toys for the event.

Attendance has been down lately, despite the rising number of homeless people and the increasing cost of living in Los Angeles. About 700 people came to the church last year, compared with as many as 1,200 in previous years, said Ilyse Pallenberg, a board member at Temple Israel and one of the events co-chairs.

This year, organizers used the hopeful hashtag #feed1000.

The joy, to see the kids having this carefree day, is pretty incredible, Pallenberg said. We all pass homeless people every day. I keep a stash of $1 bills in the car  I dont know if thats the right thing to do.

As her four-year-old daughter enjoyed a bowl of vanilla ice cream, Francesca Reyes, 24, described the difficulties of surviving on minimum wage.

She makes about $10.75 an hour as a cashier at a wholesale market. Her mother, Emma, brings in about $175 a week as a babysitter. The family shares an apartment in Koreatown for $900 a month. Sometimes I dont even know, Reyes said when asked how she pays the bills. Rents going up. Foods going up.

The Christmas charity extended to animals. Isabelle, a four-year-old Chihuahua mix, sat on her owner Jim Foleys lap, eyeing Foleys plate but not daring to steal a bite.

Then a volunteer stopped by with two thick slices of turkey for Isabelle. She quickly wolfed them down.

Tonya Bennett, Foleys roommate, said she has not had a Christmas tree for over a decade. Nor do the roommates exchange holiday gifts. Money is too tight.

Jim Foley, 62, shares a free Christmas meal with his dog, Isabelle, at Hollywood United Methodist Church. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times )

Bennett, 51, pays the $987 rent on their studio apartment, as well as their other household expenses, with her $1,380 disability check. Foley, 62, has not been able to find work, despite applying for dishwashing, construction, security and retail jobs.

This year, in search of the holiday meal they could not afford to cook for themselves, Bennett and Foley googled Christmas dinner and came across the Hollywood event.

Weve been struggling a real long time, said Foley

cindy.chang@latimes.com

For more news on the Los Angeles Police Department, follow me on Twitter: @cindychangLA
A Los Angeles psychologist claims to have left the festively wrapped box of manure outside the Bel-Air home of U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin that spurred a Secret Service investigation, billing it as a political protest against the recently passed tax bill.

Robert Strong, a Kentucky native now living in L.A., appears to have enthusiastically documented the act on Twitter and Facebook, posting photos of himself with a shovel and a Santa-spangled box full of manure and describing it as a Secret Santa project.

One of his Facebook posts shows an envelope labeled To Stevie and a card from The American People inscribed, Were returning the gift of the Christmas tax bill. Its [expletive].

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And in a YouTube video posted on Christmas Day, Strong declared that the prophets of old often did shocking things to highlight the injustice against which they preached.

For me, that was delivering a gift-wrapped box of [horse manure] to parallel the idiocy of the complete  bill thats been passed, Strong said.

Strong told AL.com, which was first to identify him as the person claiming to have delivered the box, that it was an act of political theater meant to inspire others to step up their activism. Since his name was revealed in the media, his Facebook page has been deluged with both tickled supporters and outraged critics, who dubbed his act harassment.

Strong downplayed the idea that the box could have alarmed Mnuchin or created a dangerous situation, saying it was something a frat boy may do to another frat boy, AL.com reported.

The Secret Service said Monday that it had found a person who had claimed responsibility for delivering the package and had interviewed him, but declined to confirm whether that person was Strong.

The United States Secret Service takes all threats, both alleged and confirmed, seriously, public affairs specialist Cody Starken wrote in an email. As a matter of practice we do not comment on our protective intelligence, possible criminal investigations, and interviewing practices.

A neighbor spotted the box Saturday in Bel-Air and called police, who cordoned off the area for two to three hours and called in the bomb squad. The manure inside the box was dumped, but the box itself and the accompanying note were retained as evidence, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The Secret Service, which is charged with protecting federal officials, has taken over the investigation.

The Times was unable to reach Strong on Monday evening. Strong, who has been active with the Occupy L.A. movement, told KPCC that he was surprised he hadnt been arrested and realized that he might have jeopardized his job working for Los Angeles County as a psychologist.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

Twitter: @AlpertReyes
Shuttered storefronts, broken sidewalks and darkened staircases for years have greeted pedestrians making their way from the border to downtown Tijuana. Now promoters of the city are hoping to dramatically change that unsettling first impression.

A $13-million project dubbed Umbral de las Americas, or Threshold of the Americas, envisions a renewed entryway, with plazas, new lighting, wide ramps and a broad new bridge over the Tijuana River channel to connect the border with Avenida Revolucion, the traditional tourist district.

Its going to be a place where you want to linger, to be entertained, rather than a place where you just want to walk fast, said Aaron Victorio, executive director of Tijuanas Economic Development Council, or CDT, a private-sector planning group that has been championing the project.

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Just across from San Ysidro, the project covers a 3/4-mile route from the PedWest pedestrian entrance at the San Ysidro Port of Entry to the giant arch at the northern end of Avenida Revolucion. The pathway runs through an area in transition, at once booming with activity and new construction and struggling with urban decay, with empty shops, an entrenched homeless population and a persistent stench that rises from the concrete Tijuana River channel.

The aim is to make walking into Tijuana a safer, shorter and more pleasant experience, both for tourists and visitors to the city. The changes are part of a larger effort to revitalize the citys historic downtown near the U.S. border, an area slowly being transformed with new living spaces, cultural venues, breweries, restaurants and cafes.

PedWests opening in 2016 underscored the need for a better pedestrian connection from the border to Tijuanas downtown. U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures show an average 12,000 daily northbound crossers through Pedwest  close to 60 percent of the total northbound pedestrian traffic, and a similar number is estimated to cross southbound.

It should be better, said David Bernal, a 22-year-old Tijuana resident who crosses the border at PedWest to get to and from his job at Northgate market in San Diego. After dark, I dont go through here, he said as he was heading home at sunset.

Funding for the project so far has come from a variety of government sources, including Baja Californias state government and the Tijuana municipal government. With roughly one-fourth of the funds now in hand, the first phase is scheduled to move forward early next year and be completed by September. This will involve rebuilding a pedestrian corridor lined with small shops known as Callejon Articulo 123, and include putting the electric wiring underground and offering merchants incentives to rebuild their facades.

Anything that can help downtown Tijuana, anything that makes it easier to get there, will be helpful for future development, said Genaro Valladolid, a Tijuana real estate broker who has championed mixed-use and condominium developments in the area. Right now, when you cross, its a very unpleasant, unwelcoming experience.

The projects centerpiece comes in the second phase and involves rebuilding the Naciones Unidas pedestrian bridge that spans the Tijuana River, broadening it, and building cultural plazas on either end. The structure includes giant steel tubes that hold up the bridge that will form a giant X  an allusion to the x in Mexico. The final phase contemplates a pathway connecting to PedWest.

This project will allow us to show that yes, we can improve, we can change, and we can renew all the way from the entrance of Tijuana to other areas of the city, said Gabriel Camarena, CDTs president.

While the timing of the funding to complete the project is uncertain, the CDT is confident it will come through, said Victorio, the executive director.

And while a redesigned entrance to downtown cant solve all the problems of the area, the Umbral project is an important first step, proponents say. It is part of the solution, though not the complete solution, said Arturo Echanove, a Tijuana architect who helped select the current design.

Umbral de las Americas is one of five projects adopted by CDT from a long-term Metropolitan Strategic Plan that lists 214 priority projects for the region that spans Tijuana, Tecate and Rosarito Beach.

The need for such a project was first mentioned in the plan back in 2012, said Victorio. In 2014, the council collaborated with a Mexican architecture publication, Arquine, calling for conceptual designs to redevelop the area. Some 400 proposals were sent in from around the world, including Uruguay, France and China, with the winning design submitted by a U.S. team.

It was a great concept, but it wasnt really doable, Victorio said, adding that the estimated cost of $70 million was too high. We said, lets do something that is reachable for us.

Earlier this year, a new invitation for proposals was issued, this time to eight local companies. Three came through, and in August a winning team was selected by a jury that included CDT; agencies from the Baja California government, the city of Tijuana, the federal government and the citys main architecture and engineering groups.

The idea is to renew the area, to make it livable, walkable and safe, said Sergio Celis, a Tijuana engineer who heads the 12-member interdisciplinary team that was selected. Its the entrance to Mexico  it should be a proper one.

For Elba Palos, the changes wont come a moment too soon. Her curio shop at the edge of Tijuanas Mercado de Artesanias has seen few customers in recent years. They dont come any more, she said. Its a real struggle. We want more people to come.

sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com

Dibble writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
China has now assumed the mantle of fighting climate change, a global crusade that the United States once led. Russia has taken over Syrian peace talks, also once the purview of the American administration, whose officials Moscow recently deigned to invite to negotiations only as observers.

France and Germany are often now the countries that fellow members of NATO look to, after President Trump wavered on how supportive his administration would be toward the North Atlantic alliance.

And in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the U.S., once the only mediator all sides would accept, has found itself isolated after Trumps decision to declare that the U.S. recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

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In his wide-ranging speech on national security last week, Trump highlighted what he called the broadening of U.S. influence throughout the world.

But one year into his presidency, many international leaders, diplomats and foreign policy experts argue that he has reduced U.S. influence or altered it in ways that are less constructive. On a range of policy issues, Trump has taken positions that disqualified the United States from the debate or rendered it irrelevant, these critics say.

Even in countries that have earned Trumps praise, such as India, there is concern about Trumps unpredictability  will he be a reliable partner?  and what many overseas view as his isolationism.

The president can and does turn things inside out, said Manoj Joshi, a scholar at a New Delhi think tank, the Observer Research Foundation. So the chances that the U.S. works along a coherent and credible national security strategy are not very high.

As the U.S. recedes, other powers including China, Russia and Iran are eagerly stepping into the void.

One significant issue is the visible gap between the president and many of his top national security advisors.

Trumps national security speech was intended to explain to the public a 70-page strategy document that the administration developed. But on key issues, Trumps speech and the document diverged. The speech, for example, included generally favorable rhetoric about Russia and China. The strategy document listed the two governments as competitors, accused the Russians of using subversion as a tactic and said that countering both rival powers was necessary.

Russia reacted angrily: America continues to evince its aversion to a multipolar world, President Vladimir Putins spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, said.

At the same time, Trumps refusal to overtly criticize Russia, some diplomats say, has emboldened Putin in his military actions in Ukraine, where Russian-backed rebels are battling a pro-West government in Kiev. Kurt Volker, the administrations special envoy for Ukraine, said that some of the worst fighting since February took place over the past two weeks, with numerous civilian casualties. Volker accused Russia of massive cease-fire violations.

Nicholas Burns, who served as a senior American diplomat under Republican and Democratic administrations, said the administrations strategy was riddled with contradictions that have left the U.S. ineffective.

Trump needs a strong State Department to implement its strategy, he said. Instead, State and the Foreign Service are being weakened and often sidelined.

Trumps policy of the last 12 months is a radical departure from every president since WWII, Burns said in an interview. Trump is weak on NATO, Russia, trade, climate, diplomacy. The U.S. is declining as a global leader.

The most recent example of U.S. isolation came with Trumps decision to formally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, delighting many Israelis, but angering Palestinians and reversing decades of international consensus.

On Thursday, an overwhelming majority of the U.N. General Assembly, including many U.S. allies, voted to demand the U.S. rescind the decision.

For the last quarter-century, successive U.S. governments have held themselves up as an honest broker in mediating peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. Trump insisted he is not giving up on a peace deal, but most parties involved interpreted his announcement as clearly siding with Israel.

From now on, it is out of the question for a biased United States to be a mediator between Israel and Palestine, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a summit of more than 50 Muslim countries that he hosted in Istanbul. That period is over.

Daniel Kurtzer, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel and Egypt under Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush, said that if a peace deal is to be made now, it wont be from American policy.

Trump took himself and the administration out of the peace process for the foreseeable future, he said.

Trump had boasted of his ability to convene Muslim leaders during his trip to Saudi Arabia in May, but that would seem far less possible today. In Jordan, arguably Washingtons closest Arab ally in the Middle East, government-controlled television has started 24-hour broadcasts of invitations to follow a Twitter account whose hashtag roughly translates as Jerusalem is ours  our Arabness.

Regional leaders and analysts also say that for all of Trumps tough rhetoric, they see few concrete steps by the U.S. to counter Irans steady expansion of its military, economic and political influence, a perception that Iranian leaders are happy to exploit.

Trump is ranting and making empty threats, said Hamid Reza Taraghi, a conservative Iranian politician with close ties to Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Russia, China and Iran are gaining ground in the Middle East, and America is losing ground and influence.

That view is also shared by Iranian moderates, with whom the Obama administration thought it could work.

The reality on the ground in the Middle East is that the American administration has failed to form an efficient coalition against its self-proclaimed enemies, said Nader Karimi Juni, an independent Iranian analyst who writes for reformist dailies and magazines.

Now Russia is celebrating its victory in Syria, and America is watching as an onlooker, Juni said.

In Syria and Iraq, the U.S. under Trump has succeeded in helping its allies drive Islamic State militants out of their strongholds. But Washington has opted to take a back seat in the other conflicts roiling the two countries.

This month, another round of U.N.-mediated and U.S.-backed peace talks on Syria wrapped up in Geneva without any progress. Instead, a Russia-led process is gaining traction.

Even some longtime opponents of Assad quietly acknowledge that Sochi, the Black Sea resort where Russia aims to convene a Syrian peoples congress next year, and not Geneva, will be the focus of efforts to bring an end to the war.

Trump has won praise in parts of South Asia, a region his team has re-dubbed the Indo-Pacific and where it is favoring India and Afghanistan over Pakistan. The administration has asked Congress for $350 million in aid to Pakistan for 2018, not quite one-tenth the amount Washington provided five years ago.

Afghan officials say they are encouraged by Trumps renewed pressure on neighboring Pakistan to take decisive action to stop militant groups operating from its soil.

Our partnership, which reflects a renewed U.S. commitment, will set the conditions to end the war and finally bringing peace to Afghanistan, Afghan President Ashraf Ghanis office said in a statement.

But even there, officials say they worry that Trumps bellicose rhetoric will strengthen Chinas status as a power broker.

China has also benefited from Trumps refusal to join other nations to work against climate change. Even as Trump removed climate change from the list of threats menacing the United States, China announced it would begin phasing in an ambitious program to curb carbon emissions by establishing the worlds largest market for trading emissions permits.

Trump was not invited to an international climate summit hosted earlier this month by French President Emmanuel Macron because of his decision to pull the United States out of 2015 international climate deal.

You cannot pretend to be the guarantor of international order and get out of [an accord] as soon as it suits you, Macron told France 2 TV.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

alexandra.zavis@latimes.com

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Staff writers Zavis and Bengali reported from Beirut and Mumbai, respectively. Special correspondents Ramin Mostaghim in Tehran, Omar Medhat in Cairo and Samir Zedan from Bethlehem, West Bank, contributed to this report.
Two Border Patrol agents bent to study the sandy dirt like animal trackers  what they call cutting for sign.

They didnt have to look far.

Just yards from the Rio Grande, Agent Lee Smith pointed to footprints and scraps of carpet. Smugglers tie carpet to their shoes in hopes of covering their tracks, he said. Smith followed the rough trail through thick brush, his fellow agent close behind, wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a long gun.

They saw no one. But the agents sensed smugglers watching, waiting.

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They come right across. Whats here to stop them? Smith said.

In the late 1990s, border traffic moved from Southern California to remote desert stretches of Arizona; by 2013, it moved east again to Texas Rio Grande Valley, the epicenter of migration and enforcement ever since. Now, one of the things driving the Trump administrations push for millions of dollars in new border security measures is a troubling new reality: New smuggling routes are opening up, and some of them are even further west, in Texas Big Bend region.

The river here, about 60 miles east of El Paso, is just a few yards wide, one of the reasons Border Patrol agents in Big Bend have seen worrying increases in smuggling, attacks on agents and immigrant deaths.

Theres hundreds of these crossings just in our area of operation, Smith said. The drug cartels, they own this part of the land. We have conceded large swaths of the border. There are areas where there are not agents for days.

The vast Big Bend, he said, is the absolute weakest link on the southern border.

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This has always been formidable country. The Chihuahuan high desert is full of prickly cat claw and temperatures that soar above 100 degrees on summer days and dip below freezing on winter nights. Rising above the desert are the snow-covered Chinati, Chisos and Davis ranges.

But the landscape that created a stunning backdrop for movies like No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood and Giant is no longer acting as a deterrent to border crossers.

Last month, agents worst fears were realized.

En espanol: Podria el Big Bend en Texas ser el eslabon mas debil de la frontera? 

Two Border Patrol agents were injured while investigating smugglers who had reached a culvert under Interstate 10, about 55 miles north of Porvenir. Both suffered serious head injuries. Agent Rogelio Martinez died. Agent Stephen Garland is still recovering and has trouble remembering what happened, investigators say.

The FBI is still investigating the incident and officials have offered up to $70,000 for information leading to a resolution of the case.

Just as immigrants once tried to cross the Arizona desert unprepared, Central Americans are arriving in Big Bend without cold weather gear, abandoned to the elements by smugglers. Immigrants tell agents that smugglers advertise the area as an easy crossing, the least patrolled stretch of border.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agent Aaron Bonsell checked signs of smuggling activity near the Rio Grande river in the Big Bend area last week: footprints with bits of carpet embedded, which smugglers use to hide their tracks. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times )

U.S. Customs and Border Protection divides the southern border into nine sectors. Big Bend is the largest: 135,000 square miles, 510 miles of river, a quarter of the entire southern border.

The sector stretches north to include 118 counties in Texas and all of Oklahoma. Yet it has the smallest staff of any southern border sector, about 500 agents assigned to a dozen stations and several highway checkpoints including one in Sierra Blanca, notorious for large drug busts. Thats fewer agents than have been assigned to a single station in the Tucson sector, Smith said.

President Trump has promised to add 5,000 Border Patrol agents, potentially doubling Big Bend staffing, but with high turnover, agents said that they would still be spread thin.

With such a small staff, agents usually patrol alone, with hand-me-down technology from other areas, including radios so spotty agents have erected makeshift cell towers in the brush to boost reception. Sometimes they just yell.

They dont have observation towers along the border as in the Rio Grande Valley, and their single aerostat blimp hovering overhead, unlike those used in the Valley, is not equipped with infrared technology, Smith said.

You know what it helps? Smith said. Migrants. They use it as a guide: Go that direction.

The only time they received drones, agents complained, was when the devices were sent west from southeast Texas for safekeeping before Hurricane Harvey hit in August.

Since the summer, Big Bend saw the biggest increase in unaccompanied youth caught on the border, mostly Central Americans: 278 since the federal fiscal year that began in October, up 74% from last year. By contrast, the number of youths caught in the Rio Grande area dropped 64% during the same period.

Border Patrol agents in Presidio, Texas, process an immigrant, one in a group of 50 from Guatemala and Honduras. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times )

At the same time, Big Bend saw drug seizures drop, Smith and other agents said. Thats because smugglers use the immigrants as decoys, they said, and abandon dozens at a time to overwhelm agents, before sending drug mules with 50-pound backpacks of marijuana in their wake.

Big Bend agents caught 6,000 people last fiscal year, which ended in September. During the next two months, they caught 1,646 people, putting them on pace to far exceed last years total.

Big Bend agents seized 40,852 pounds of marijuana last fiscal year, but 4,211 pounds in the first two months of this year. Thats more than a thousand pounds less per month.

As conditions deteriorated, some agents said they feared a death was inevitable, even though an agent hadnt died on the job since 1929, when one was killed by bandits smuggling liquor during Prohibition.

FBI officials are still investigating the incident involving the two Border Patrol agents that appears to have occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on Nov. 18. The two men had been looking into some unspecified activity near a culvert and were found later with head injuries and broken bones.

Border Patrol agents continue to patrol the area, but so far have found no conclusive clues.

Walking the 9-foot-deep concrete culvert where Martinez, 36, was found fatally injured, Smith pointed out signs of recent smuggling: A gray backpack, a mans black-and-white checked shirt, an empty water jug in a holder sewn from a pair of blue jeans.

Up on the highway, traffic zoomed past a lighted sign advertising Reward for information Border Patrol agent death.

Days after the agents were injured, another was sent to investigate potential smuggler activity in a culvert farther south, alone. The agent, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak, didnt encounter anyone, but he was nervous: His two backup agents at a nearby station had been sent north to help after the attack.

If it picks up here, were just going to be unprepared, Smith said.

He and other agents said they need more staff, improved radios, cameras and other equipment. Otherwise, they worry they may become overwhelmed the way Rio Grande Valley agents were by tens of thousands of Central American youth and families in 2014.

They also worry for the immigrants unprepared for the harsh conditions of Big Bend. This month, agents patrolling by air spotted 15 Guatemalan men lost in the desert. The agents caught and brought them to a station, but the immigrants were already suffering hypothermia. One died. Immigrant families often turn themselves in, Smith said, but agents are increasingly discovering skeletons in the desert.

Recently a group of 50 immigrants  mostly Guatemalan families and a couple of Hondurans  turned themselves in at Presidio, about 250 miles east of El Paso. Across from the bustling Mexican town of Ojinaga, connected by an official bridge and makeshift river crossings marked by guide wires, Presidio has become a hot spot for families who claim asylum, agents said.

On the Mexican side stands a roughly 50-foot-high retention wall topped with razor wire, set back from the river, built after a flood in 2008. Agents said it may be time to build a similar wall on the U.S. side.

A day after the Central American group arrived, half a dozen agents were still processing them in the Presidio station, a collection of trailers with reward posters on the door for Martinez. One by one, the immigrants turned over their belongings  shoes, backpacks, toys  in exchange for numbered tags they would later use to reclaim them.

Four women huddled with three children on pallets on the concrete floor. Agents would like to expand and improve the holding area, eventually moving to a permanent building.

Thats on our wish list, said Border Patrol Agent Rush Carter, a spokesman for the agency in Big Bend.

Instead, they lined up a dozen of the immigrants, including a young mother clutching a baby, outside where Border Patrol vans waited to take them to two other Big Bend stations. Agents there would have to interrupt other duties to help process the latest arrivals.

molly.hennessy.fiske@latimes.com

Twitter: @mollyhf

ALSO

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Mayor Margaret Gentle stood before a room of residents and city employees in North Port, Fla., explaining why, after almost 15 years as their leader, she would be stepping down.

Her reelection race had ended in a tie, with Gentle and her challenger, Frank Coulter, each receiving 1,554 votes.

The city attorney determined that the race would be decided by a coin toss, but Gentle wouldnt stand for that. That, she said, would demean the voters of North Port, a city south of Tampa.

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''I will not in any way participate in a coin flip for the highest office of this city, Gentle said that day in 1987. I wont degrade the office.

Three decades later, no one has figured out a more advanced way to handle a tied election  other than by chance or, in some cases, holding another election.

On Wednesday, the question of whether Republicans will remain in the majority in the Virginia House of Delegates could be determined by two film canisters, placed in a bowl.

If the film canister pulled has Democrat Shelly Simonds name inside, then the House of Delegates would be split between Democrats and Republicans. If Republican David Yanceys name is pulled, then Republicans would maintain their 51-49 majority.

However, Simonds attorneys are set to file legal motions Wednesday that could delay the drawing, their argument being that three judges made a clear legal error in how they certified the election results.

Determining a tied election by drawing lots might seem archaic, but in least 23 states, its allowed at some level for general elections, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Ties are more common in American politics than people may think, but to have one make such a crucial difference at a relatively high level of government  11,608 votes each for the two candidates in Virginias 94th District  isnt.

To have the entire balance of the state legislature dependent on one seat, and that seat being dependent on one vote  that does not happen often, said Barry Burden, director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin.

Rather, tied elections are usually found at a more local level and involve a smaller number of overall voters  for example, the race for a school board seat.

A coin flip is often used to decide such races, but in several cases, settling a tied election is left up to local leaders. Election outcomes have been determined by drawing names out of hats, jars and even cardboard boxes.

Earlier this year, an election for village president in Colp, Ill.  population 224  was determined by coin flip after both candidates tied with 11 votes each.

Last year, after a tie in the race for a seat on the city council in West Jordan, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City, the winners name was drawn  thanks to a council members large collection of hats  from a pilgrim-style hat.

In 1992, to settle a tie in a Republican primary race for a state House election in Arizona, two candidates  Richard Kyle and John Galord  settled on a game of five-card stud.

Seated at a table in a courtroom, Arizona House Speaker Jane Hull, a Republican, wore a green casino visor and arm garters as she shuffled the cards. Kyle won, with a pair of sevens.

In 1990, a tied mayoral election in a coastal town in Greece was determined by a judge pulling a name from a jar.

The winner, leftist candidate Dimitris Kounenakis, didnt choose the path of humility in his subsequent comments.

I believe luck confirmed reality  that we were the better party, he said.

Graham Butch Lenton, a mayoral candidate in Winton, Australia, likely captured the attitude of many candidates when chance doesnt go their way in settling a tied contest.

In 2008, Lenton and his opponent, Ed Warren, each received 423 votes. Warren won after his name was drawn from a hat.

What gets me is that the election is run fair and square according to the rules and then you get knocked off by Lady Luck, Lenton told a Brisbane newspaper, the Courier-Mail.

Reema Amin, a reporter with the Daily Press of Newport News, Va., contributed to this report.

jaclyn.cosgrove@latimes.com

Twitter: @jaclyncosgrove
Contrary to what many predicted, President Trumps end-of-year accomplishment list isnt that skimpy.

Thats an analytical observation. For many, particularly liberals and Democrats, Trumps first year hasnt been merely bad. Its a great evil, a grievous wound to the American body politic.

But even that is a kind of partisan tribute to whats been accomplished on his watch: A record number of judicial appointments, including a Supreme Court justice, the defeat of Islamic State, repeal of the Obamacare individual mandate, tax reform and major rollbacks of various regulations, from arctic drilling to Net Neutrality.

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It hasnt exactly been smooth sailing. Trump is the most unpopular first year president in American history, for reasons far beyond mere bad press.

Trumps success (such as it is) is less attributable to sudden mastery of the issues than staying out of the way of rank-and-file Republican policymakers.

Still, among conservatives, the tally of wins has sparked an intramural debate. The most prominent one is how Trump skeptics and avowed Never Trumpers should respond to them. For writers such as the Washington Posts Jennifer Rubin and the Atlantics David Frum, the only legitimate response is either to ignore these successes or denigrate them, lest people lose sight of the threat Trump poses to the country. Others, including myself, argue instead that one neednt deny the merits of a policy victory simply because the president might get credit for it.

This debate skips over the larger question of whether these victories happened because of Trump or despite him.

On one level, the president always gets the credit  or blame  for anything that happens on his watch. But Trump poses a challenge to such superficial scorekeeping. No president in American history has rejected Harry Trumans The Buck Stops Here motto as vehemently or consistently as this one. He never accepts responsibility for his own mistakes, never mind those of his administration or party. When American troops die, the commander-in-chief blames the generals. When legislation fails, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the establishment are at fault.

Trump boosters agree. Conservative writer Roger Simon argues that all remaining Never Trumpers must apologize for being wrong about the president. He chalks up Trumps astoundingly successful first year to the fact the president is a quick study.

But what evidence is there that Trump has actually learned the art of presidential management?

Aside from the mandatory flattery required of Republican elected officials, theres remarkably little testimony that Trump has involved himself in the process of governing. Tax reform was carried across the finish line by the GOP congressional leadership. Net neutrality was repealed by independent Republicans at the Federal Communications Commission.

Foreign policy is a more mixed bag. If the president deserves credit for the defeat of Islamic State, its because he let the generals do their thing. On the other hand, credit (or blame) for recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel or pulling out of the Transpacific Partnership and Paris accord on climate change certainly goes to him.

In general, it seems to me that Trumps success (such as it is) is less attributable to sudden mastery of the issues than staying out of the way of rank-and-file Republican policymakers, activists and bureaucrats.

For instance, the task of selecting judicial appointees, starting with Justice Neil Gorsuch, has largely been outsourced to the Federalist Society. When the president revealed his new national security strategy last week, his speech  the usual campaign blather  had only a passing resemblance to the underlying document. The tax bill is clearly more in line with House Speaker Paul Ryans ideology than candidate Trumps supposed populism. As for a counter example: When Trump was hands-on with Obamacare repeal, he often revealed he didnt even know what was in the legislation.

In 2016, some conservatives argued that Republicans should vote as if we live in a parliamentary democracy, electing a party not a person. Trumps 3,000 political appointees would be better than Hillary Clintons. That argument had its flaws, not least that voters tend not to compartmentalize that way  which is why the GOP faces a potential bloodbath in the 2018 midterms.

But theres merit to it as well. To listen to Trumps cheerleaders, the biggest obstacle to conservative victories is the party establishment, when in reality it looks more like theyre running the show.

jgoldberg@latimescolumnists.com

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook
To the editor: News about the environment has been so sad lately. On the front page of Fridays Los Angeles Times, you had a story about park rangers being killed by elephant poachers in Congo, and on the Opinion page you had an article about Congress opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil drilling.

We have already lost a large portion of our natural resources, but it seems that humans will not be satisfied until all of them are gone. This is not just an American problem, it is a worldwide problem. Only a small percentage of the global population is working on conservation, and we are losing.

I hate to say it, but the artifical-intelligence apocalypse might be the planets best hope.

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Brent Trafton, Long Beach

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To the editor: Yes, we should be outraged. But we continue to enjoy cheap cars and cheap gas, so we are placated for now. We should be able to vest our outrage in consumer choice, like we do with organic food.

The American mantra of capital markets would have you exercise your buying power. But you cant buy what hasnt been priced. The cost of burning fossil fuels for energy isnt priced into anything we buy. We pay for it on the back end, in the form of climate disasters, oil spills, health crises from chemically tainted water, insurance premiums and more.

Advocacy for carbon pricing is the only way for consumers to make a fair choice for renewables. You should be able to see the cost of carbon like a label on your food. Without it, outrage over environmental wrongs is wasted.

Pam Brennan, Newport Beach

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To the editor: Brad Meiklejohn is extremely upset, as are millions of Americans, by the Republicans obsession with oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

This is shortsighted greed by the Republicans, its always been one of their goals, and its a despicable act against America.

Elections definitely have consequences.

Mindy Taylor-Ross, Venice

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To the editor: I appreciate The Times Editorial Boards attention to the ME TOO Congress Act, which will reform the way workplace misconduct cases  including sexual harassment  are handled in Congress. (How to make sexually misbehaving politicians pay, editorial, Dec. 13)

However, I respectfully disagree with the boards characterization of our proposal to require members of Congress who engage in workplace misconduct to repay taxpayers for the amount of the settlement as misguided.

Taxpayers shouldnt be footing the bill while Congress gets its house in order. Based on recent reports of member misconduct, it is clear that taxpayer-funded settlements have utterly failed to discourage this appalling and illegal behavior.

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The editorial board is conflating workplace cultural change with financial exposure. This is a false choice. We can hold Congress accountable for its toxic culture while also holding members responsible for their repulsive actions.

The bill outlines specific changes to accomplish both of those goals. For example, it would cut down on repeat offenders by requiring annual public reporting of settlement amounts and the employing office of the offender.

I urge the editorial board to reconsider its support of the status quo. Hard-working taxpayers should be left off the hook for the disgraceful behavior of a few members of Congress.

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough)

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Barring last-minute intervention by the Supreme Court, the militarys ban on enlisting transgender troops is set to fall next week, despite President Trumps tweets.

If so, it would be the rare instance of a major change in U.S. military policy that takes place despite the opposition of the commander in chief.

But it was also unusual for the president to try to halt a developing policy by issuing a tweet that surprised top officials.

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A series of federal judges has rejected the presidents position, most recently with rulings on Friday, and administration lawyers are running out of time to revive the ban before the Pentagon plans to begin accepting transgender recruits on Jan. 1.

In July, Trump tweeted that he had decided he would not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military. The tweet came with little, if any, advance consultation with military officials, who have not shown much enthusiasm for reinstating the ban.

Trump insisted the Pentagon not follow through on the Obama administrations plan to end the ban on enlisting transgender troops in 2017. The outgoing administration had conducted a lengthy study within the U.S. military and also funded a RAND Corp. analysis which found that other nations, including Australia, Canada, Israel and the United Kingdom, had suffered no loss of operational effectiveness, readiness or cohesion after enlisting transgender personnel.

At Trumps insistence, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis put off until Jan. 1 the time when transgender individuals could openly enlist. The president also called on the military to discharge transgender personnel and to halt funding of sex reassignment surgical procedures.

But in recent weeks, four federal judges have blocked part or all of Trumps directives. The latest ruling came Friday from U.S. District Judge Jesus Bernal in Riverside. He acted based on a suit filed on behalf of seven plaintiffs who wish to serve in the military, including Aiden Stockman, a transgender man from California who wants to join the Air Force.

The judge agreed with the plaintiffs that the presidents ban discriminated improperly based on sex or gender, and therefore, violated the Constitutions promise of the equal protection of the laws.

Also Friday, two U.S. appeals courts  in Washington, D.C., and Virginia  refused emergency requests from the administration to lift lower court orders and maintain the enlistment ban after Jan. 1.

It must be remembered, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said, that the transgender individuals who went to court seek to serve their nation with honor and dignity, volunteering to face extreme hardships, to endure lengthy deployments and separation from family and friends and to willingly make the ultimate sacrifice of their lives if necessary.

In response, Justice Department spokeswoman Lauren Ehrsam said, We disagree with the courts ruling and are currently evaluating our next steps.

Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said we are grateful to the D.C. Court of Appeals for recognizing that our plaintiffs simply want to serve their country.  Experience has shown that allowing qualified transgender candidates to serve strengthens our military and our country.

RAND had estimated that there were between 1,300 and 6,600 active duty transgender service members, Minter noted.

The administrations lawyers have argued repeatedly that courts must defer to the presidents judgment on military matters. It would be unusual if they did not file an emergency appeal in the Supreme Court. To prevail, they would have to convince at least five justices that the government would suffer an irreparable harm if the ban on enlisting transgender personnel ended on Jan. 1.

The Department of Defense has been getting ready for the change. A Dec. 8 memo advised sector and battalion commanders on transgender applicant processing.

As always, every applicant will be treated with dignity and respect, it said, instructing commanders that recruits must be addressed by the name and gender pronoun they prefer.

Applicants will be evaluated per established DoD standards for the purpose of qualifying for Military Service, the memo said. Ultimately, Commanders are responsible for upholding and maintaining the high standards of the U.S. military at all times and in all places.

Major questions before the Supreme Court this fall 

david.savage@latimes.com

On Twitter: DavidGSavage
Four state lawmakers who face sexual harassment allegations have $2 million in surplus campaign funds, but experts believe they might not be able to tap the money to defend themselves against ongoing investigations.

State law allows elected officials to accept political contributions into legal defense funds to defray the cost of defending themselves against criminal, civil or administrative probes involving their actions as public officials.

The Legislature has hired outside attorneys to investigate claims of sexual misconduct against Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D-Woodland Hills), Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) and recently resigned Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima). There also is an inquiry into allegations from a former lawmaker of unwanted hugging from Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Los Angeles). None of them has yet filed papers to create a legal defense fund.

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Political attorneys and observers say there are doubts about whether the men can create legal defense funds given that some of the allegations involve actions taken in nightclubs, hotels and other places away from their official offices.

Legal defense funds are allowed by state law because legislators have legal risks, which include lawsuits and investigations involving their official actions, according to Chapman University law professor Ronald D. Rotunda, a former member of the state Fair Political Practices Commission.

Currently, 24 state and local politicians in California have active legal defense funds for which they can solicit unlimited political contributions from supporters. Experts say the law is subject enough to interpretation that it may take a court decision or a clarifying opinion by the FPPC on a specific case should any of the politicians under investigation opt to create one.

Former staff members to Mendoza have alleged he treated female aides inappropriately, inviting them to a hotel stay and asking one to visit his home to work on her resume. Mendoza has $567,000 in surplus campaign funds.

Three more women accuse California assemblyman of sexual misconduct 

Dababneh, who has $1.1 million in his campaign accounts, has announced he plans to resign at the end of December as he faces an investigation by the Legislature into allegations that he masturbated in front of a lobbyist in a bathroom at a 2016 party at a Las Vegas hotel.

Bocanegra resigned last month after multiple women accused him of making unwanted sexual advances that included groping legislative staffers at a Sacramento bar. He has $293,000 in surplus campaign funds.

Hertzberg, who has $290,000 in surplus campaign funds, faces a complaint from former Assemblywoman Linda Halderman that she was uncomfortable with his repeated hugs after she asked him not to touch her.

All four men have denied wrongdoing.

The FPPC declined to comment on specific cases, pointing instead to state law. It says legal defense funds can be raised and spent only on defending against investigations and legal challenges arising directly out of the conduct of an election campaign, the electoral process, or the performance of the officers governmental activities and duties.

Money from the legal defense funds may be spent on attorneys fees and other legal costs related to the defense, including court filing fees, travel for attorneys to meet with investigators and payment of fines, except for allegations involving personal benefit of campaign funds.

When state Sen. Ron Calderon was indicted in 2014 on charges of using his official position to promise legislative action in exchange for bribes, he was able to tap political contributions raised in a legal defense fund to help pay for high-profile attorney Mark Geragos.

Mendoza used a legal defense fund in a dispute last year with the FPPC over how much he reported his home is worth, but that fund was disbanded earlier this year. Through a spokesman, Mendoza said he has no plans to use political contributions to defend him.

Have you experienced sexual harassment in government or politics? Please share your story 

It is unclear whether the others might consider using legal defense funds. Bocanegra and Dababneh did not return calls seeking a comment.

Not knowing the scope of the investigation, were unable to comment on how the Senator plans to defend himself, Hertzberg spokeswoman Katie Hanzlik said.

Private attorneys including former FPPC general counsel Bob Stern say Mendoza may have the best case to do so because the accusations involve female staff members in his office.

I dont think Dababneh can do so if criminal or civil actions are brought against him, but probably Mendoza can [use the fund] since the actions took place at his work site, Stern said.

Dave Gilliard, who has advised many Republican state lawmakers on politics but is not an attorney, agreed that Dababnehs actions as an invited guest at a party indicate they do not involve his official position.

Dababneh should not be allowed to establish a legal defense fund to defend himself against complaints that come from his actions while he was a private citizen, Gilliard said.

Bocanegra might not be able to establish a legal defense fund because he has left office and the funds are available only to candidates and officeholders. Dababneh faces the same problem if he does not establish a legal defense fund before his resignation is effective on Jan. 1.

Lawyer for lobbyist who accused Asssemblyman Matt Dababneh of sexual misconduct seeks details about investigation 

Republican political attorney Thomas Hiltachk has doubts about whether any of the legislators can use legal defense funds. I dont think sexual harassment ever arises out of either ones status as a candidate or officeholder, he said.

Meanwhile, those who have contributed to campaigns for the accused are waiting to see the outcome of the investigations.

These charges are problematic but Tony [Mendoza] is my friend and I stand by him, said Mary Ann Tipton, a retiree from Cerritos who donated $100 to Mendozas latest campaign.

Courtney Reynaud of Clovis, an executive with a debt collection firm, said she regrets contributing to $100 to Dababnehs 2018 reelection campaign before the news of the allegations broke.

Im disappointed, said Reynaud, who donated because she liked that Dababneh was a moderate, pro-business politician. Ive lost faith in Matt.

patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com

Twitter: @mcgreevy99
Wait  did the president really say, Mission Accomplished? By Marc Olson Some are recalling the last time a president declared Mission accomplished, in May 2003 when George W. Bush was talking about Iraq. (Stephen Jaffe / AFP/Getty Images) President Trump on Saturday morning thanked his allies in a tweet that declared the airstrikes on Syria perfectly executed, but he might have wished hed stopped there. Instead, he ended his message with the phrase, Mission Accomplished! Thats a line that might have a previous president shaking his head. On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush declared an end to major combat in Iraq under a Mission Accomplished banner aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. That war, which began in March 2003, grew into a prolonged conflict that didnt end until 2011. In 2008, the White House said it had paid a price for the backdrop. A perfectly executed strike last night. Thank you to France and the United Kingdom for their wisdom and the power of their fine Military. Could not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2018 Facebook

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Auditor says Pentagon is censoring key data on the war in Afghanistan By Shashank Bengali The Pentagon is blocking the release of data showing how much of Afghanistans territory lies outside government control, censoring a key metric used to gauge progress in the 16-year war, a watchdog agency said Tuesday. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, an auditing agency established by Congress, said in its latest report that the Pentagon instructed it not to release unclassified data on how many districts and people are controlled or influenced by insurgent groups. This is the first time SIGAR has been specifically instructed not to release information marked unclassified to the American taxpayer, the head of the agency, John F. Sopko, wrote in a letter. Sopko also said the U.S.-led military coalition, for the first time since 2009, classified information about the size and attrition rates of the Afghan security forces, important indicators of progress in building up army and police forces on which the U.S. already has spent $70 billion since 2002. The decision to withhold more information from congressional oversight and the public comes amid growing violence in Afghanistan and an intensifying combat mission involving a greater number of American troops. Following a series of bombings in Kabul that left at least 136 people dead in 10 days, President Trump signaled on Monday that he was focused on trying to win the conflict militarily, saying, We dont want to talk with the Taliban. But data released by SIGAR since 2015 have shown how the insurgents have gained ground against Afghan security forces. In its previous quarterly report, the watchdog said that only 57% of Afghanistans 407 districts were under Afghan government control or influence as of August 2017, the lowest level of control since it began tracking the statistic in December 2015. The steady decline in government control should cause even more concern about its disappearance from public disclosure and discussion, Sopko wrote. The watchdog also accused the Pentagon of overstating the impact of its efforts to combat drug cultivation and trafficking, among the Talibans main sources of revenue. The Pentagon touted airstrikes that destroyed 25 drug labs in November and December, saying it eliminated nearly $100 million of Taliban revenue. The labs being destroyed are cheap and easy to replace, SIGAR said. According to some estimates, they only take three or four days to replace. Facebook

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Women journalists shunted to rear for Pences visit to Western Wall By Noga Tarnopolsky The view from the womens section. (Noga Tarnopolsky / Los Angeles Times) Vice-President Mike Pences 48-hour visit to Israel stumbled into a public storm Tuesday when female reporters covering his final stop at Jerusalems Western Wall were penned behind four rows of their male colleagues. White House officials told stunned journalists that the arrangement emanated from a request made by the Western Wall rabbi, Shmuel Rabinowitz, and followed Western Wall rules. Some women journalists said they could not recall such treatment in the past. In a statement to Israels Channel 10 news, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation said it was exactly as it was during the visit of the U.S. president to the Western Wall last May. Later in the day, in a statement to the newspaper Haaretz, the foundation blamed the United States embassy in Tel Aviv and Israeli security officials for the segregation, and announced they would reexamine the way they handle such events. Women who covered previous VIP visits said the Pence arrangements were significantly more onerous than previous visits, when male and female journalists were separated but not offered substantially different work conditions. LIVE coverage of our male colleagues granted access to cover VP at Western Wall as we are penned into #PenceFence pic.twitter.com/k3svkxfQsa  Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) January 23, 2018 The arrangement reflected procedures at the Western Wall, Judaisms holiest site, where on regular days, men have access to two thirds of the area available for prayer. Tal Schneider, the diplomatic analyst for Globes, a financial newspaper, protested that the separation of men and women may be valid for the requirements of Orthodox prayer, but no one is praying here. We are here to work. I dont appreciate being restricted in my ability to work because I am a woman, she said. The discriminatory attitude towards women is infuriating and is unbefitting of a modern country. Yael Freidson, the Jerusalem affairs correspondent for Yediot Ahronot, Israels widest circulation newspaper, said she worried that her editors could choose male colleagues for the next assignment, knowing they would have better access. Before Pence arrived, journalists were herded onto a specially constructed platform in the middle of the Western Walls esplanade, with women guided to the right behind a white fence, and men, many carrying cameras, directed to the left, where they had more than double the space. Towards the end of the vice presidents 10-minute visit, male journalists were permitted into the VIP tent where he received a gift from Rabinowitz, while the women remained in their enclosure. None of the men publicly protested the treatment of their female colleagues. Israels Association of Women Journalists filed a formal complaint with Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, herself a woman. Facebook

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Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, after his pardon from Trump, says hell run for Senate in Arizona By Kurtis Lee (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press) (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press) Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who last year was pardoned by President Trump in a case stemming from his enforcement tactics aimed at immigrants, announced Tuesday he will run for the open Senate seat in his home state. I am running for the U.S. Senate from the Great State of Arizona, for one unwavering reason: to support the agenda and policies of President Donald Trump in his mission to Make America Great Again, Arpaio, 85, said on Twitter. Hell enter a Republican primary for the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Jeff Flake. Last summer, Trump pardoned Arpaio, who was convicted in July of criminal contempt for violating a federal court order to stop racially profiling Latinos. It was Arpaios roughly quarter-century as sheriff that gave him a national reputation for his tough treatment of people suspected of being in the country illegally. Repeated court rulings against his office for civil rights violations cost local taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. In the early 1990s, Arpaio directed construction of a tent city for immigration detainees, a measure he said was intended both to alleviate overcrowding and to underscore his aggressive enforcement measures. But it was open to the burning Arizona sun, and drew widespread criticism. After Trump entered the presidential race in July 2015, Arpaio invited him to Phoenix to talk about a crackdown on illegal immigration. He endorsed Trump just before the first votes in the Iowa caucuses in 2016 and frequently spoke out on behalf of Trumps campaign. Facebook

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President Trump ends controversial voter fraud commission By Kurtis Lee President Trump signed an executive order late Wednesday ending the voter fraud commission he launched last year as the panel faces a flurry of lawsuits and criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike. Trump signed the order disbanding the commission rather than engage in endless legal battles at taxpayer expense, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, created by executive order in May with the stated goal of restoring confidence and integrity in the electoral process, has faced a barrage of lawsuits in recent months over privacy concerns, as the commission sought personal data on voters across the country. Read More Facebook

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Congress returns to work with slimmer GOP majority to accomplish Trumps agenda By Lisa Mascaro Congress returns to work this week with unfinished business on spending, immigration and other crucial issues, but with an even narrower GOP majority that will make it tougher to move on President Trumps agenda. The House and Senate will convene Wednesday, swearing in the newly elected Democratic senator from Alabama, Doug Jones, and Minnesotas Tina Smith to replace a fellow Democrat, Sen. Al Franken, who is resigning as the latest high-profile public figure sidelined by allegations of sexual misconduct. The change gives Republicans only a one-seat margin in the Senate. Trump, fresh off passage of the GOP tax cuts bill, is pushing lawmakers to pivot quickly on his new year priorities of infrastructure investment and immigration, as well as his foreign policy agenda. But another legislative victory seems far off. Republicans have struggled to hold their majority together and Congress first must tackle critical stalled agenda items that leaders punted to 2018. Read More Facebook

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Trump threatens to cut off U.S. aid to Palestinians By Tracy Wilkinson President Trump on Tuesday angrily threatened to cut off U.S. aid to Palestinians as punishment for what he called their failure to show appreciation or respect to the United States. Writing on Twitter, the president compared the Palestinians to Pakistan, a nuclear-armed ally that abruptly drew his ire this week and a similar threat to drastically curtail aid. He accused the Palestinians of recalcitrance in what he described as their refusal to negotiate a peace deal with Israel. Palestinian officials have said they can no longer use Washington as a broker to restart peace talks with Israel following Trumps Dec. 6 decision to overturn decades of U.S. policy and recognize the disputed city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and ultimately to move the U.S. Embassy there. The Palestinians also claim part of Jerusalem as the capital of an eventual independent state. Until now, the United States and most of the world agreed the citys political status was a matter to settle in final peace talks. The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly condemned any effort to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital, and the Palestinian leadership said it would not meet with Vice President Mike Pence, who had planned a trip to the region. That trip is on hold. [W]e pay the Palestinians HUNDRED [sic] OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect, Trump wrote on Twitter. [W]ith the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them? In response to Trumps tweet, Hanan Ashrawi, a senior Palestinian official, issued a statement saying: Palestinian rights are not for sale. By recognizing Occupied Jerusalem as Israels capital Donald Trump has not only violated international law, but he has also singlehandedly destroyed the very foundations of peace and condoned Israels illegal annexation of the city. We will not be blackmailed, she said. President Trump has sabotaged our search for peace, freedom and justice. Now he dares to blame the Palestinians for the consequences of his own irresponsible actions! The United States does not pay large amounts of money directly to the Palestinian Authority, the government that rules over parts of the Palestinian West Bank. Instead, most money goes to the U.N., refugee or aid agencies and even Israel to pay for roads, welfare, schools, security and other Palestinian projects. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, said Tuesday that the administration was planning to cut off one of those organizations, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, until the Palestinians return to the negotiating table. UNRWA, which receives around $300 million annually from the U.S., for years has been the lifeline to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It was not clear if Haley was threatening to cut all U.S. support for the agency. Special correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky in Jerusalem contributed to this report. Facebook

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The White House stops short of calling for government overthrow in Iran By Brian Bennett President Trump wants Iran to give its citizens basic human rights and stop being a state sponsor of terror, his top spokeswoman said, but the White House stopped short of calling for a change of government in Tehran. If they want to do that through current leadership, if thats possible, OK, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters. Sanders praised the organic popular uprising, which she said the widespread protests in Iran represented. The protests grew out of years of years of mismanagement, corruption, and foreign adventurism have eroded the Iranian peoples trust in their leaders, she said. Earlier Tuesday, Trump called Irans government brutal and corrupt and wrote in a tweet: The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching! Trump also blamed President Obama for foolishly giving Iran money that he said went to fund terrorism. The money he referred to were funds belonging to Iran that had been frozen by the U.S. and were released as part of the deal in 2015, which blocked Irans development of nuclear weapons. The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their pockets. The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Facebook

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Retirement of Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch clears the way for a Mitt Romney revival By David Lauter The retirement of Utahs senior senator, Orrin G. Hatch, opens the way for a widely expected Senate bid by Mitt Romney, the Republicans 2012 presidential nominee and a frequent critic of President Trump. Although Romney previously served for two terms as governor of Massachusetts (and was raised in Michigan, where his father was governor and his mother ran for the Senate), he comes from a prominent Mormon family with strong ties to Utah. He also served as chief executive of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Hes viewed as a strong candidate for the Senate seat. Romneys criticisms of Trump, however, could prompt a challenge in a Republican primary. Trump was widely reported to have tried to convince Hatch to run for a seventh term, in part to head off a Romney candidacy. Last month, Romney and Trump were on opposite sides of one of the biggest political fights of the fall  the battle over the Senate seat from Alabama. The president strongly supported Roy Moore, the Republican candidate who had been accused of sexual misconduct by several women. Romney called Moore a stain on the GOP. Roy Moore in the US Senate would be a stain on the GOP and on the nation. Leigh Corfman and other victims are courageous heroes. No vote, no majority is worth losing our honor, our integrity.  Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) December 4, 2017 On Tuesday, Romney tweeted praise for Hatch, but did not immediately reveal his own plans. I join the people of Utah in thanking my friend, Senator Orrin Hatch for his more than forty years of service to our great state and nation. Read my full statement: https://t.co/YwjUpjez5y  Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) January 2, 2018 Facebook

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U.S. calls on Iran to unblock social media sites amid protests By The Associated Press The Trump administration is calling on Irans government to stop blocking Instagram and other popular social media sites as Iranians are demonstrating in the streets. Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein says the U.S. wants Iran to open these sites. He says Instagram, Telegram and other platforms are legitimate avenues for communication. The United States is encouraging Iranians to use virtual private networks, known as VPNs. Those services create encrypted links between computers and can be used to access blocked websites. Goldstein says the U.S. is still communicating with Iranians in Persian through State Department accounts on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. He says the U.S. wants to encourage the protesters to continue to fight for whats right. Goldstein says the U.S. has an obligation not to stand by. Read More Facebook

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Trump blasts Democrats in advance of immigration meeting By Brian Bennett The day before a meeting of administration officials and congressional leaders on outstanding legislative business, President Trump accused Democrats of doing nothing to hammer out an immigration deal to protect from deportation people brought to the country illegally as children. Democrats are doing nothing for DACA  just interested in politics, Trump wrote in a Tweet on Tuesday morning, referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program by its acronym. Democrats are doing nothing for DACA - just interested in politics. DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start falling in love with Republicans and their President! We are about RESULTS.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer along with the Republican leaders, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are scheduled to meet on Wednesday at the Capitol with Trumps legislative director, Marc Short, and budget director, Mick Mulvaney. The White House on Tuesday said the meeting is to discuss separate spending caps on military and domestic programs. Yet the Democrats insist the discussion also must include a variety of legislative issues that Trump and Congress punted into the new year  on immigration, the budget, healthcare and more. That stance reflects Democrats leverage: Republicans need Democratic votes to pass a government-funding bill and avert a federal shutdown when the current funding expires Jan. 19. Democrats especially want separate legislation replacing the Obama-era DACA program; Trump in September ordered a phase-out of the program, beginning March 6, and called on Congress to act before then on an alternative way to address the plight of the group. However, Trump has demanded that any alternative must be part of a package including both money for a border wall and immigration limits. Democrats are opposed. Facebook

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Pakistan hits back after Trump accuses its leaders of lies and deceit By Aoun Sahi Pakistan lashed out Monday after President Trump accused its leaders of lies and deceit and suggested the United States would withdraw financial assistance to the nuclear-armed nation it once saw as a key ally against terrorism. U.S. Ambassador David Hale was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to discuss the presidents statement, U.S. Embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire said. Pakistan lodged a strongly worded protest, according to two foreign office officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Pakistans prime minister, Shahid Abbasi, called a Cabinet meeting for Tuesday and a meeting of the National Security Committee on Wednesday to discuss Trumps New Years Day tweet. It was the presidents latest broadside against Pakistan after a speech in August in which he demanded its leaders crack down on the safe havens enjoyed by Taliban militants fighting U.S.-backed forces in neighboring Afghanistan. Read More Facebook

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Trump again cheers on Iran protests By Laura King President Trump expressed renewed support Sunday for protesters in Iran, declaring that people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. In a tweet from his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, the president said the nationwide economic protests that began on Thursday  and have taken on wider political overtones as they have grown in size --- were a signal that Iranians will not take it any longer. Big protests in Iran. The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 The presidents earlier hailing of the protests drew condemnation from Irans government. A Foreign Ministry spokesman called his comments deceitful and opportunistic. Following an overnight report of the first two fatalities stemming from the protests, Trump raised some eyebrows by expressing concern over human rights violations as authorities move to crack down on the demonstrations. During his first year in office, the president has shown scant inclination to press foreign governments to respect the fundamental rights of their citizens. The USA is watching closely for human rights violations! Trump said in his tweet Sunday. Some domestic critics have pointed to the presidents inclusion of Iranian nationals in his travel ban, suggesting he was more interested in bashing the Tehran government than in supporting freedom of speech in Iran. Even some of the presidents allies said that supporting the protesters on social media did not amount to making policy. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he had urged Trump to give a national address laying out his Iran strategy. President Trump is tweeting very sympathetically to the Iranian people, Graham said on CBS Face the Nation. But you just cant tweet here. You have to lay out a plan. Facebook

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Australian diplomats tip a factor in FBIs Russia inquiry By Associated Press Australian High Commissioner Alexander Downer. (Alastair Grant / Associated Press) An Australian diplomats tip appears to have helped persuade the FBI to investigate Russian meddling in the U.S. election and possible coordination with the Trump campaign, the New York Times reported Saturday. Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos told the diplomat, Alexander Downer, during a meeting in London in May 2016 that Russia had thousands of emails that would embarrass Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, the report said. Downer, a former foreign minister, is Australias top diplomat in Britain. Australia passed the information on to the FBI after the Democratic emails were leaked, according to the Times, which cited four current and former U.S. and foreign officials with direct knowledge of the Australians role. The hacking and the revelation that a member of the Trump campaign may have had inside information about it were driving factors that led the FBI to open an investigation in July 2016, the newspaper said. White House lawyer Ty Cobb declined to comment, saying in a statement that the administration is continuing to cooperate with the investigation now led by special counsel Robert Mueller to help complete their inquiry expeditiously. Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and is a cooperating witness. Court documents unsealed two months ago show he met in April 2016 with Joseph Mifsud, a professor in London who told him about Russias cache of emails. This was before the Democratic National Committee became aware of the scope of the intrusion into its email systems by hackers later linked to the Russian government. The Times said Papadopoulos shared this information with Downer, but it was unclear whether he also shared it with anyone in the Trump campaign. Facebook

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Trump offers fresh support for protesters in Iran as demonstrations continue By Lisa Mascaro Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching! pic.twitter.com/kvv1uAqcZ9  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2017 President Trump again offered support Saturday for anti-government protesters in Iran, where a third day of demonstrations, the largest in years, spilled across the country amid fears of a crackdown. Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching! Trump wrote on Twitter. Trump took a break from playing golf near his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to tweet clips from his speech to the United Nations General Assembly in September when he called for Iranian democratic reforms. Iranian authorities warned of potential violence as the street demonstrations, which began over economic conditions, swelled into frustrations with the theocratic rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Trump has maintained a hawkish stance toward Iran, sharply criticizing the landmark nuclear disarmament accord that Tehran reached with then-President Obama and five other nations in 2015. In October, Trump declined to certify the accord to Congress although the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says Iran is complying with it. Several conservative GOP senators signaled their support for Trumps position and backed the protesters in Iran. Others in Congress did not immediately respond, however, amid conflicting reports over who had organized the demonstrations. Even after the billions in sanctions relief they secured through the nuclear deal, the ayatollahs still cant provide for the basic needs of their own people, said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a Trump ally and opponent of the nuclear deal. We should support the Iranian people who are willing to risk their lives to speak out against it, he added. Trump initially tweeted his support on Friday night. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement at that time as protests spread. There are many reports of peaceful protests by Iranian citizens fed up with the regimes corruption and its squandering of the nations wealth to fund terrorism abroad, Sanders said. The Iranian government should respect their peoples rights, including their right to express themselves. The world is watching. Facebook

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When it comes to U.S.-Russia relations, it takes two to tango, Kremlin says By Sabra Ayres The deteriorating relationship between the United States and Russia is one of the biggest disappointments of 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman told reporters today. Russia would like to rebuild relations between the two adversaries, but it takes two to tango, Dmitry Peskov said today during a conference call with the press. We want and are looking for good mutually beneficial relations based on mutual respect, mutual trust with all countries, primarily with European ones, including the United States, but it is necessary to dance tango, as they say. Peskov blamed the ongoing anti-Russian Russophobia in Washington for playing a major role in blocking the two countries from moving forward in their relationship. U.S. investigations into the Trump presidential campaigns alleged collusion with the Kremlin during the 2016 U.S. election and accusations that the Kremlin tried to interfere with the electoral process continue to cast a dark shadow over the relationship, he said. Peskov told reporters that Moscow was perplexed by the investigations. The Kremlin has continued to deny having any involvement with the Trump campaign or doing anything to interfere with the American election. This is definitely a U.S. domestic affair, but in this case it naturally hurts our bilateral relations, which is regrettable, Peskov said. Relations between the U.S. and Russia have been categorized as the worst theyve been since the end of the Cold War. This year, Washington and Moscow have engaged in a diplomatic tit-for-tat in which both sides have been forced to reduce diplomatic staff, embassy properties have been repossessed by the hosting countries and visa services have been interrupted. The U.S. diplomatic mission to Russia shrank from 1,200 personnel, including some Russian local staff, to just over 450 across all its three consulates and embassy in Moscow. In the U.S., Russia was forced to vacate its San Francisco consulate. Moscow has also blamed anti-Russian sentiments on the recent decision by the International Olympic Committee to ban Russian teams from wearing their tricolor uniforms or flags during the upcoming games in South Korea. The international body accused some of the Russian national teams of doping. Facebook

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U.S. and Turkey resume reciprocal issuing of visas but frictions remain By Tracy Wilkinson The United States and Turkey began issuing reciprocal visas again on Thursday, more than two months after normal visa service was suspended in a dispute over the arrest of two U.S. diplomatic staffers in Istanbul  the latest friction between the two nominal allies. The State Department said it was lifting the visa restrictions after it was assured by the Turkish government that U.S. Embassy employees would not be arrested when performing their official duties. But the Turkish Embassy in Washington denied assurances were offered concerning the ongoing judicial processes, and suggested that the arrests were legal and justified. It is inappropriate to misinform the Turkish and American public that such assurances were provided, the embassy said in a statement. The dispute has aggravated the already tense relationship between the United States and Turkey, which is a member of the NATO military alliance. The two countries have clashed over U.S. support for Kurdish rebels in Syria and over Turkeys demands that the U.S. extradite a Turkish cleric who lives in rural Pennsylvania. After a failed coup attempt killed more than 250 people in July 2016, Turkeys autocratic president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, launched a harsh crackdown on his political opponents, arresting or firing tens of thousands of teachers, police, journalists, military officers and others. Erdogan accused Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic educator and former political ally, of orchestrating the coup. Gulen, who has lived in a compound in the Pocono Mountains, has denied any involvement. The Justice Department has so far denied Turkeys repeated demands to extradite Gulen. Erdogan raised the issue again at the White House in May, but his visit ended in a public relations disaster when his security guards brutally beat peaceful protesters outside the Turkish ambassadors residence. Two Turkish employees of the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul were arrested this fall for alleged ties to the 2016 coup attempt. The U.S. responded by suspending most visa services at its missions in Turkey in October. The Turkish government reciprocated in November. State Department officials said they have repeatedly demanded more information about any formal charges against the two employees. They reiterated on Thursday that serious concerns about the allegations remained. Facebook

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Trump: China caught RED HANDED allowing oil to reach North Korea By Brian Bennett (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) President Trump isnt taking a holiday vacation from Twitter. In one of three tweets early on Thursday from his West Palm Beach golf club, he charged that China was caught RED HANDED allowing oil shipments to reach North Korean ports. Pronouncing himself very disappointed, Trump in effect was acknowledging the failure of his months-long effort to convince China to clamp down further on energy shipments going to the isolated country, which relies heavily on Beijing, as a way to pressure North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2017 Trumps tweet came after a South Korean newspaper published what it said were U.S. spy satellite images of Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean ships. The United Nations Security Council, which includes China, has voted repeatedly to restrict fuel shipments to North Korea. Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping in November to cut off North Koreas oil supply entirely, the American ambassador to the U.N., Nikki R. Haley, said at the time. It is unclear if Trumps admonishment of China was based on news reports or classified information he received from U.S. intelligence officials. There was no daily intelligence briefing on Trumps public schedule Thursday. He is expected to return to Washington next week after spending the Christmas holiday and New Years Eve at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. Facebook

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President Trump again falsely claims hes signed more bills than any president By Brian Bennett President Trump visits a firehouse in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Wednesday. (Nicholas Kamm / AFP) After another morning at his Florida golf club, President Trump visited firefighters and paramedics at a West Palm Beach firehouse and praised his own performance as president, including with a false boast. Trump touted his administrations work to roll back government regulations and cut taxes and claimed credit for the stock market hitting record highs. He also said hes signed more bills into law than any other president, which isnt true. We have signed more legislation than anybody, Trump said, standing in front of a rescue vehicle inside the fire station. We have more legislation passed, including  the record was Harry Truman a long time ago, and we broke that record, so we got a lot done, Trump said. An analysis by GovTrack, a website that tracks bills in Congress, shows that Trump has signed the fewest bills into law at this point than any president in more than 60 years, back to Dwight D. Eisenhower. Facebook

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Trump administration urges Russia to reinstate monitors in Ukraine, lower violence By Tracy Wilkinson Sergei Lavrov (AFP/Getty Images) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asked Russia on Wednesday to reinstate its military personnel at a monitoring station in eastern Ukraine intended to quell escalating bloodshed. In a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, Tillerson also urged Russia to lower the level of violence and underscored the Trump administrations concern over increased fighting in Ukraine, the State Department said in a statement. Russia last week withdrew its monitors from the Joint Center on Coordination and Control, which is tasked with verifying a much-violated ceasefire between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists. Moscow cited what it called restrictions and provocations from Ukrainian authorities that made it impossible for the observers to do their jobs. Washington has accused the pro-Russia forces of being responsible for many of the truce violations. Late last week, the State Department also announced plans to provide Ukraine with lethal defensive weapons, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, a decision that angered Moscow. The State Department statement did not say whether the weapons deal came up in Tillersons conversation with Lavrov. The two also discussed North Korea, its destabilizing nuclear program and the need for a diplomatic solution to achieve a denuclearized Korean peninsula, the statement said. Russia has offered to serve as a mediator between Washington and Pyongyang, but direct talks do not seem likely at this point. Facebook

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U.S. sanctions two more North Korean officials for ballistic missile program By Tracy Wilkinson The Trump administration announced sanctions Tuesday against two more North Korean officials for their alleged role in Pyongyangs expanding ballistic missiles program. The Treasury Department is targeting leaders of North Koreas ballistic missile programs, as part of our maximum pressure campaign to isolate [North Korea] and achieve a fully denuclearized Korean Peninsula, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said in a statement. The nuclear-armed country tested an intercontinental ballistic missile last month that U.S. officials said appeared capable of reaching New York or Washington, a significant milestone in the countrys growing arsenal. The Treasury Department identified the two North Korean officials as Kim Jong Sik, who reportedly is a key figure in the ballistic missile program and led efforts to switch missiles from liquid to solid fuel (which makes them easier to hide before launch), and Ri Pyong Chol, who was reported to be a key official in the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The sanctions block banks, companies and individuals from doing any business with the targeted officials. It also allows the U.S. government to freeze any American assets owned by the officials. On Friday, the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted to add more sanctions on North Korea, its third round this year. The new measures order North Koreans working abroad to return home within two years, and ban nearly 90% of refined petroleum exports to the country. In a statement published Sunday by North Koreas state-run KCNA news agency, the foreign ministry denounced the new U.N. sanctions as an act of war. We define this sanctions resolution rigged up by the US and its followers as a grave infringement upon the sovereignty of our Republic, as an act of war violating peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the region and categorically reject the resolution, it said. Facebook

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Salt Lake Tribune calls on Sen. Orrin Hatch to not seek reelection in scathing editorial Perhaps the most significant move of Hatchs career is the one that should, if there is any justice, end it. The last time the senator was up for reelection, in 2012, he promised that it would be his last campaign. That was enough for many likely successors, of both parties, to stand down, to let the elder statesman have his victory tour and to prepare to run for an open seat in 2018. Clearly, it was a lie. Read the editorial>> Facebook

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Christmas Eve, Trump on Twitter: New attacks on FBI official, decrying Fake News By Laura King President Trump launched a Christmas Eve attack on FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, whom he accuses of favoritism toward his former opponent, Hillary Clinton, and also returned to a longtime favored theme, excoriating the news media for failing to sufficiently extol his accomplishments. .@FoxNews-FBIs Andrew McCabe, in addition to his wife getting all of this money from M (Clinton Puppet), he was using, allegedly, his FBI Official Email Account to promote her campaign. You obviously cannot do this. These were the people who were investigating Hillary Clinton.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2017 Thank you President TRUMP!! pic.twitter.com/LKdkT0FL99  oregon4TRUMP (@shawgerald4) December 23, 2017 The Fake News refuses to talk about how Big and how Strong our BASE is. They show Fake Polls just like they report Fake News. Despite only negative reporting, we are doing well - nobody is going to beat us. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2017 Trump, who is spending the holidays at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, also sent Christmas greetings to deployed military personnel, praising them for success in the fight against terrorism. The early-morning swipe at McCabe followed a flurry of tweets attacking the deputy FBI chief on Saturday. McCabe, who has been a lightning rod for Republican attacks on the FBI, is expected to retire early in the new year. How can FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, the man in charge, along with leakin James Comey, of the Phony Hillary Clinton investigation (including her 33,000 illegally deleted emails) be given $700,000 for wifes campaign by Clinton Puppets during investigation?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2017 FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2017 Critics say the president and his allies are in the midst of a systematic campaign to denigrate the FBI and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is looking into potential collusion by the Trump campaign in Russias attempts to sway the 2016 presidential election. In a pair of statements on Twitter, Trump again expressed scorn regarding news coverage of his administration. For months, the president has been particularly critical of reports regarding the Russia investigation and more recently has repeatedly complained he does not receive enough credit for a booming stock market. In his video conference message to troops overseas, the president made apparent reference to the fight against the militants of Islamic State, who over the last year have lost most of the territory they previously controlled in Iraq and Syria, including former strongholds in Mosul and Raqqah. Were winning, Trump told military personnel deployed in Qatar, Kuwait, Guantanamo Bay and aboard the guided missile destroyer Sampson. Reporters traveling with the president heard his address, but were ushered from the room before he took questions from the troops. The president often breaks with longtime custom and makes politically charged statements at events in which he addresses military personnel. Facebook

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Trumps Wells Fargo tweet cited in court hearing as reason to remove Mulvaney as CFPB acting chief By Jim Puzzanghera A recent tweet by President Trump about possible penalties against Wells Fargo & Co. was cited during a court hearing Friday as a reason for removing White House official Mick Mulvaney as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The attorney for Leandra English  the bureaus deputy director who has said she is the rightful acting head  said Trumps tweet showed he was trying to exercise improper influence over the independent consumer watchdog. I think that [tweet] shows you this isnt just some hypothetical concern, the attorney, Deepak Gupta, told Judge Timothy J. Kelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia during a nearly two-hour hearing. Read More Facebook

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Trump administration recognizes Honduran presidents reelection By Tracy Wilkinson The Trump administration on Friday formally recognized the incumbent president of Honduras, conservative Juan Orlando Hernandez, as the winner of a bitterly contested presidential election held last month. In a statement, the State Department congratulated Hernandez while also acknowledging widespread irregularities in the Nov. 26 vote and calling for a robust national dialogue to overcome political discord in the Central American country, a close ally of the administration. The Organization of American States, which monitored the election, said it was so flawed that only a new round of voting could establish a fair and transparent outcome. But the U.S. rejected that determination. Uproar over the contest led to demonstrations in Honduras that left numerous civilians dead after state security forces opened fire on the protests. Activists and others voiced criticism Friday of the administrations decision. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), a leading Democratic voice on Central American issues, said he was angry and deeply disturbed by the State Department decision. The recent elections in Honduras were deeply flawed, chaotic and marred by numerous irregularities, McGovern said. U.S.-Honduran cooperation on matters such as drug-trafficking, violence and immigration requires a credible, legitimate government that has the support of its people, in Honduras, McGovern said. Hernandezs victory also was controversial because it was the first time a sitting president was allowed to run for re-election, barred until now by the Honduran Constitution. Facebook

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Senate Leader Mitch McConnell says fixing DACA is no emergency until March By Lisa Mascaro Amanda Bayer, left with banner, and Marisol Maqueda, right, join a rally in support of so-called Dreamers outside the White House. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday hes committed to allowing a vote on a bill for so-called Dreamers in January, but sees no rush to resolve the deportation threat posed by President Trumps decision to end a program protecting immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. There isnt that much of an emergency there, he said. There is no emergency until March. Well keep talking about it. Trump called for phasing out by March the Obama-era program that allows the young immigrants, many of them longtime residents, to get two-year deferrals of any deportation threat so they can legally attend school or work. Beneficiaries must be vetted for security purposes. Trump told Congress to come up with a legislative alternative for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which President Obama created by executive order, to protect those currently eligible. A bipartisan Senate group has been working with the White House, but talks stalled this week amid administration demands for curbs on legal immigration flows in exchange for protecting the DACA recipients. Meanwhile, Dreamers and immigrant advocates stormed the Capitol in recent days pressing for the help promised by Trump and Democratic congressional leaders that failed to materialize in the years final legislation. Advocacy groups say more than 120 immigrants each day are falling out of compliance without DACA renewals, putting them at risk of deportation. The number that is projected to swell to more than 1,000 a day in March. Weve been gridlocked on this issue for years, McConnell said. We want to have a signature. We dont just want to spin our wheels and have nothing to show for it. Facebook

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President Trump signs tax bill By Noah Bierman (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump on Friday morning signed a sweeping tax-cut measure  his first major legislative achievement  before heading off for a Christmas vacation at his Mar-a-Lago property in Palm Beach, Fla. The president also privately signed a short-term spending bill to fund government operations through Jan. 19. Congress approved it Thursday, after Republican leaders were unable to bridge differences in their own party as well as with Democrats to get agreement on funding for the full fiscal year. The stopgap bill punts fights on immigration and other issues to January. The tax bill, approved earlier this week in Congress in largely party-line votes, slashes corporate tax rates from 35% to 21% and also includes a host of other provisions for individuals, all intended to boost the economy. Critics point to nonpartisan analyses showing that the package, including changes greatly reducing the number of estates subject to taxes, steers the bulk of tax benefits to top earners and the wealthy, including Trump, despite his repeated claims that hell take a hit. Trump signed the bill quietly Friday, but held a public ceremony with Republican lawmakers on Wednesday after the bills passage; he also tweeted about the measure extensively. He is expected to hold another public ceremony after the New Years holiday. Facebook

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Pelosi urges Ryan to prevent Republicans from curtailing Houses Russia probe By Chris Megerian House Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin greets House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Friday urging him to ensure the Houses investigation into Russian interference with last years presidential campaign is not cut short. The American people deserve a comprehensive and fair investigation into Russias attacks, wrote Pelosi, of San Francisco, in her letter. Political haste must not cut short valid investigatory threads. The House Intelligence Committee has been probing the issue since March 1, and Democrats have repeatedly warned that Republicans are trying to wrap up its work prematurely. Pelosi said Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, should take urgent action to ensure this investigation can continue. AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan, said Pelosi simply wants to see this investigation go on forever in order to suit her political agenda. Whether it concludes next month, next year, or in three years, she will say it is too soon, Strong said in a statement. She added, The investigation will conclude when the committee has reached a conclusion. The committees work is led by Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R-Texas). His spokeswoman, Emily Hytha, said he remains committed to conducting this investigation as thoroughly and expeditiously as possible. With more interviews scheduled, the investigation shows signs of extending into next year, Bloomberg reported Friday. BREAKING: Steve Bannon and former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski have been sent letters requesting they testify to House Intel panel in early January, per @HouseInSession  Laura Litvan (@LauraLitvan) December 22, 2017 Facebook

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Congress votes to avert government shutdown, but Senate fails to pass disaster aid package By Lisa Mascaro ( (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)) Congress approved a temporary spending bill to prevent a government shutdown, but failed to complete work on an $81-billion disaster aid package to help California, Gulf Coast states and Puerto Rico recover from wildfires and hurricanes, as lawmakers scrambled Thursday to wrap up business before a Christmas break. The stopgap measure continues federal operations for a few more weeks, setting up another deadline for Jan. 19. But it left undone a long list of priorities that members of both parties had hoped to finish this year. Read More Facebook

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Wells Fargo says raises were not linked to tax bill passage  then backtracks By James Rufus Koren Wells Fargo & Co.s move to raise its minimum pay to $15 an hour was part of a long-term plan and not related to the passage of the Republican tax overhaul as the company implied, said a bank spokesman, who later backtracked and stated the hikes were a result of the bills approval. The bank was among several large corporations to publicly announce pay raises or new investments immediately following the final House vote in an apparent public relations offensive to boost the popularity of the tax bill The San Francisco bank had implied the direct linkage to the tax legislation in a news release Wednesday, shortly after Congress passed the tax overhaul, which slashes the corporate tax rate to 21% from 35% starting Jan. 1. Read More Facebook

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Obamacare signups beat expectations, despite Trump administrations opposition By Noam N. Levey President Trump with Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Despite Trump administration efforts to discourage people from signing up, the number of people enrolling for Affordable Care Act coverage nearly hit last years level, the government revealed Thursday. Exchange open enrollment for 2018 coverage ended w/ approx 8.8M people enrolling in coverage. Great job to the @CMSGov team for the work you did to make this the smoothest experience for consumers to date. We take pride in providing great customer service.  Administrator Seema Verma (@SeemaCMS) December 21, 2017 The 8.8 million people who enrolled in the 36 states that use the federal governments healthcare.gov system significantly exceeded most forecasts. The Trump administration stopped most outreach and other efforts this year aimed at getting people to sign up. The president also repeatedly said publicly that Obamacare was dead. Open enrollment continues in California and several other states that run their own healthcare marketplaces. The figures from the federal government indicate that when those states wrap up for the year, the number of people covered by Obamacare will be nearly the same as in 2017. Read More Facebook

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U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly condemns U.S. policy change on Jerusalem despite Trumps threats By Tracy Wilkinson The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted Thursday to condemn President Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite Trumps threats to punish countries that voted against the U.S. position. The resolution passed in an emergency session at U.N. headquarters in New York with 128 in favor, nine opposed and 35 abstentions. The nonbinding resolution demands that Washington rescind its declaration, which included a plan to transfer the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in coming years. The resolution value is mostly symbolic, showing how isolated the U.S. is in the move. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., warned this week that she would be taking names of countries that opposed the U.S., and Trump on Wednesday suggested he might cut U.S. aid to governments that voted in favor of the resolution. Let them vote against us, Trump said. Well save a lot. We dont care. The U.S. recognition of Jerusalem reversed decades of international consensus on the political status of the divided city. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as their capital in a future independent state. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said the U.N. was facing an unprecedented test and that history would remember those who stand by what is right. Facebook

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Democrats defend Robert Mueller, saying Russia investigation must be allowed to continue By Chris Megerian Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) speaking during a committee hearing earlier this year. (Molly Riley / Associated Press) House Democrats said they will fight Republican attempts to discredit and undermine the work of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is investigating whether President Trumps associates helped Russian meddling in last years election. There is an organized effort by Republicans, in concert with Fox News, to spin a false narrative and conjure up outrageous scenarios to accuse special counsel Mueller of being biased, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) said. Trump has said he has no plan to fire Mueller, but Democrats are alarmed by escalating criticism of the special counsels work. Why is the president afraid of the facts and the truth? Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) said. He added, No matter what the facts are, were satisfied if the investigation is complete. A letter of support signed by 171 Democratic members of Congress will be sent to Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller, a former FBI director, and oversees his investigation. Rosenstein has defended Mueller in the face of Republican criticisms. Facebook

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U.S. blacklists Myanmar army general who it says oversaw atrocities against Rohingya Muslims By Shashank Bengali The Trump administration on Thursday blacklisted a Myanmar army general who it said oversaw human rights abuses committed by security forces against Rohingya Muslims. Imposing economic sanctions against the general, Maung Maung Soe, was the toughest action the United States has taken in response to a brutal army offensive that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has described as ethnic cleansing. In a statement, the Treasury Department said it had examined credible evidence of Maung Maung Soes activities, including allegations against Burmese security forces of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and arbitrary arrest as well as the widespread burning of villages. The Rohingya are an ethnic and religious minority of about 1 million people in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, also known as Burma. The United Nations says that more than 640,000 Rohingya have fled the country since August, after the army launched clearance operations in response to attacks carried out by a Rohingya insurgent group against security forces. Rohingya refugees in crowded camps in neighboring Bangladesh have described horrific violence by Myanmar forces, including mass rapes, summary executions and children being burned alive. The aid group Doctors Without Borders estimates that 6,700 people were killed in the first month of the operation. Myanmar authorities deny committing atrocities and say that only a few hundred fighters were killed. Maung Maung Soe was chief of the armys Western Command, which carried out the offensive. He was transferred from his position last month, according to news reports. He was one of 13 individuals worldwide who were blacklisted Thursday under a new U.S. law that gives the Treasury Department authority to target officials for human rights abuses and corruption. Others included former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh; Gulnara Karimova, daughter of the late Uzbekistan dictator Islam Karimov; and Artem Chaika, son of Russias prosecutor-general. Today, the United States is taking a strong stand against human rights abuse and corruption globally by shutting these bad actors out of the U.S. financial system, said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. The sanctions freeze any assets Maung Maung Soe holds in the United States and bars Americans from doing business with him. It is also a sign of how quickly U.S. relations with Myanmar have soured. Under the Obama administration, the United States forged closer ties with the former military dictatorship and eased economic and political sanctions as the country began implementing democratic reforms. But Myanmar, which does not regard the Rohingya as citizens, has lashed out at the international community over the current crisis. It has jailed journalists, blocked access to affected areas in the western state of Rakhine and this week barred a U.N. human rights investigator from entering the country. Rohingya activists said the U.S. action would not have much effect on a country that survived under economic sanctions for years. It is the whole military institution that has a policy to persecute these people, said Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist and blogger in Germany. According to the U.S.s own definition, the army is carrying out ethnic cleansing. They have a responsibility to protect these people. Sanctions on one person are really not enough. Facebook

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Dreamers will have to wait until next year for Congress long-promised protections By Lisa Mascaro Amanda Bayer, left with banner, and Marisol Maqueda, right, join a rally in support of so-called Dreamers outside the White House. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press)) A promised year-end deal to protect the young immigrants known as Dreamers from deportation collapsed Wednesday as Republicans in Congress  fresh off passage of their tax plan  prepared to punt nearly all remaining must-do agenda items into the new year. Congressional leaders still hope that before leaving town this week they can pass an $81-billion disaster relief package with recovery funds for California wildfires and Gulf Coast states hit during the devastating hurricane season. But passage even of that relatively popular measure remained in doubt as conservatives balked at the price tag. Rather than finish the year wrapping up the legislative agenda, the GOP majorities in the House and Senate struggled over their next steps. Read More Facebook

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Chants of protest drown out any caroling this holiday season at the Capitol By Lisa Mascaro U.S. Capitol Police arrest a man wearing a Santa Claus hat during a protest against the Republican tax bill. (Alex Edelman / AFP/Getty Image) Outside the U.S. Capitol, the lights on a towering Christmas tree are flipped on each evening, giving the Engelmann spruce a festive twinkle; inside the marble halls, wreaths and garlands decorate doorways and alcoves ahead of the holidays. But the spirit of the season has been punctuated by other sights: a Jumbotron parked across from the Capitol reflecting pool broadcasts images of young immigrants who face deportation; Little Lobbyists, children with complex medical needs, were featured in a recent news conference; protesters filed into the visitor galleries to shout against the Republican tax plan. While its beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Capitol, its also shaping up to be a holiday season of protest. Read More Facebook

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Tax bill simplifies filing for some but complicates it for others  and dont count on that postcard By Jim Puzzanghera A priority of the Republicans tax overhaul was simplification, and they drove home the point this fall with an omnipresent prop: a red-white-and-blue postcard. Were making things so simple that you can do your taxes on a form the size of a postcard, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) said last month, pulling one from his jacket pocket as he and Republican leaders unveiled their bill. They gave a couple of the cards to President Trump at a White House meeting a few hours later and flashed them often during news conferences and TV interviews in the coming days. Read More Facebook

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Top U.N. human rights official reportedly wont seek reelection The top United Nations official for human rights, who has frequently criticized the Trump administration, has reportedly decided not to seek a second term, saying his work had become untenable. Zeid Raad Hussein, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, notified his staff in an email that was obtained by several news outlets, including Agence France-Presse. Staying when his four-year term is up for renewal at the end of August might involve bending a knee in supplication, AFP quoted Husseins email as saying. Hussein is a Jordanian prince who has criticized, among other things, President Trumps attempts to ban visitors or refugees from six predominantly Muslim countries. The news comes a day before the U.N. General Assembly is expected to vote on a nonbinding resolution condemning the Trump administrations formal declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a decision that went against international consensus. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., has warned she will be taking names of those who vote against the United States on Thursday. Trump echoed that sentiment Wednesday, voiced support for Haley and implying to reporters that he would consider cutting off U.S. aid to countries that vote against the U.S. Well, were watching those votes, Trump said. Let them vote against us. Well save a lot. We dont care. On Monday, the United States lost a Security Council vote 14-1 on a binding resolution that would have required Washington to rescind its declaration. Haley then vetoed the resolution. Facebook

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Top Democrat warns Trump not to fire Mueller or interfere with his investigation By Chris Megerian Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, one of the top Democrats involved in the congressional inquiries into Russian interference in last years election, said Wednesday that any attempt by President Trump to interfere with the separate criminal investigation would be a gross abuse of power. Warner, who is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, delivered his warning from the Senate floor as Republicans escalate their criticism of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and his team of prosecutors and FBI agents. Some Democrats believe Trump is laying the groundwork to fire Mueller even though the president has publicly denied it. Mueller was appointed in May after Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey. In the United States of America, no one, no one is above the law, not even the president, Warner said. Congress must make clear to the president that firing the special counsel or interfering with his investigation by issuing pardons of essential witnesses is unacceptable and would have immediate and significant consequences. Some Democrats say the White House may try to in effect short-circuit the Mueller investigation by replacing Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein, who is the only official empowered to fire Mueller. Rosenstein recently told Congress that the special counsel is acting appropriately and that he would not dismiss Mueller without just cause. Facebook

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We have essentially repealed Obamacare, Trump says after tax bill passes By Brian Bennett President Trump at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday at the White House. (Chris Kleponis / Getty Images) President Trump is celebrating Republicans passage of the tax overhaul bill as a two-fer: On Wednesday, in addition to tax cuts, he checked off his promise to repeal Obamacare, pointing to a provision in the bill to end the penalty on Americans who dont get health insurance. We have essentially repealed Obamacare, Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. Other provisions of the 2010 Affordable Care Act are still in place, and Trump and congressional Republicans failed completely on the replace half of their vow to repeal and replace the program. In Trumps view, however, stripping away the laws individual mandate to get insurance or else pay a tax penalty amounts to repeal of the whole law. Congressional analysts have said that millions of people would lose insurance as a result, either by choice or because they cannot afford it without subsidies, and that premiums would increase for others as younger, healthy people drop coverage. We will come up with something much better, Trump said, adding that block grants to states could be one approach. By his comments, Trump tacitly acknowledged that repeal of the mandate is likely the best he can do following Republicans failure this year to agree on a repeal-and-replace bill. Looking back on his first year, Trump also boasted of his administrations efforts against the Islamic State and increased immigration enforcement. He said he had not given up on funding a border wall or tightening immigration law to limit citizens ability to resettle foreign relatives in the country. He said he would very shortly visit the border with Mexico near San Diego to see wall prototypes that have been built. He didnt answer a reporters shouted question about how he would personally benefit from the tax bill. Facebook

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House gives final OK to GOP tax plan, sending it to Trump By Lisa Mascaro Congress gave final approval to the GOP tax plan Wednesday, 224-201, after the House took an unusual do-over vote to clear up differences with the Senate-passed bill. The $1.5-trillion package now heads to President Trump, who plans to sign it into law. The House had approved the tax bill on Tuesday but was forced to take another vote Wednesday because a couple of provisions in the version it approved were found to be in violation of Senate procedures. Those provisions were dropped before the Senate gave its approval early Wednesday. Critics complained the Republicans rushed to pass the sweeping tax plan to deliver Trump a year-end legislative victory, but supporters shrugged off the problems as minor. The tax plan dramatically cuts corporate rates and provides some individual rate reductions, overhauling the tax code for the first time in 30 years. Facebook

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Trump administration effort to block immigrant from having an abortion fails By David Savage Scott Lloyd is director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) President Trumps lawyers rushed to the Supreme Court and U.S. appeals court in Washington on Monday evening to file emergency appeals seeking to prevent an immigrant in detention, dubbed Jane Roe in court, from having an abortion. That set the stage for a legal showdown on whether the administration can block pregnant minors in custody from choosing to have an abortion. But the legal clash, which the administration has seemed eager to have, fizzled out Tuesday when the governments lawyers admitted the 17-year-old unaccompanied minor in their custody was actually 19. They said they had obtained her birth certificate and realized she was not a minor after all. As a result, Roe, who is 10 weeks pregnant, will no longer be held in a detention center for immigrant minors, and will not be subject to an administration policy that tries to prevent minors in immigration detention from having abortions. Administration lawyers told appeals court judges Tuesday night that Roe was being sent to a facility for adults and likely would be released until her immigration status can be resolved. In a brief order, the D.C. Circuit Court agreed to put the case on hold, but told government attorneys to confirm that she will be permitted to obtain an abortion. The administration had earlier tried to delay another young woman, referred to in court as Jane Poe, from having an abortion, but officials relented on Monday because she was 22 weeks pregnant and nearing the time limit for a legal abortion. Facebook

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Senate panel rejects Trumps pick to lead Export-Import Bank, a leader in the effort to shut it down By Jim Puzzanghera A Senate committee on Tuesday rejected President Trumps nominee to lead the Export-Import Bank, extending the chaos at the embattled agency whose job is to help U.S. companies sell their goods abroad. Two Republicans joined all Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee in voting against former Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) to be the banks president. Garrett had been a vocal critic of the Ex-Im Bank and a leader of a conservative effort that shut the bank down for five months in 2015 by blocking its congressional authorization. He and other bank opponents branded the banks aid as crony capitalism. Read More Facebook

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Congress proposes $81-billion disaster aid package, including funds for California wildfires By Lisa Mascaro Congress is set to consider an $81-billion disaster aid package that includes wildfire recovery money for California and other Western states as well as hurricane relief with a price tag reflecting a year of record-setting natural calamities. The legislation, the text of which was released late Monday, would provide almost twice as much as the $44 billion the White House sought last month to cover relief efforts along the Gulf Coast and in the Caribbean. Republican congressional leaders added more money after California lawmakers objected that the administration had failed to include help for areas damaged by wildfires and Democrats protested that the overall amount President Trump asked for was insufficient. Read More Facebook

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White House blames North Korea for worldwide WannaCry cyber attack By Noah Bierman The Royal London Hospital, a victim of the unprecedented global cyberattack in May. (Niklas Hallen / AFP/Getty Images) The White House officially blamed North Korea on Tuesday for the cyberattack in May known as WannaCry that infected hundreds of thousands of computers in 150 countries, affecting healthcare, financial services and vital infrastructure. Thomas P. Bossert, assistant to the president for homeland security and counter-terrorism, noted in a briefing with reporters that the consequences were beyond economic. He warned that North Koreas malicious behavior is growing more egregious. Bossert did not specify what evidence American officials have to blame North Korea, citing security issues, but he cited the countrys prior attacks as revealing hallmarks of how Pyongyang and its network of hackers operates. He said other allied countries had joined the United States in making the determination. The administration did not announce any penalties on the regime, which is already subject to severe sanctions over its nuclear program. They want to hold the entire world at risk, Bossert said of North Koreas rulers, referring to the nations nuclear and missile provocations as well as its alleged cyberattack. Given its isolation and international sanctions, North Korea is desperate for funds. Bossert said the country did not appear to make much money on the ransom attack, as word spread that paying a ransom did not result in getting computers unlocked. Its primary goal, he said, was spreading chaos. Bossert and Jeanette Manfra, assistant secretary of homeland security for cybersecurity and communication, said the United States, through a combination of preparation and luck, escaped the worst of the attack, as a patch to the malware was found before U.S. companies and other interests were severely crippled. However, Manfra said, We cannot be complacent. Bossert added, Next time were not going to get so lucky. Manfra praised Microsoft and Facebook for their efforts to combat WannaCry and to block more recent attempts to hack U.S. systems. She and Bossert urged more cooperation and information-sharing from American and multinational companies, arguing a united front is vital to protecting against bad actors who do not differentiate between government and business. Bossert rejected criticism that the the Trump administration has more aggressively called out North Korean cyberattacks than it has Russias meddling in the 2016 election. He said the administration has continued the national emergency initiated by President Obama. Facebook

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GOP lures some mountain bike groups in its push to roll back protections for public land By Evan Halper When their vision of creating a scenic cycling trail through a protected alpine backcountry hit a snag, San Diego area mountain bikers turned to an unlikely ally: congressional Republicans aiming to dilute conservation laws. The frustrations of the San Diego cycling group and a handful of similar organizations are providing tailwind to the GOP movement to lift restrictions on the countrys most ecologically fragile and pristine landscapes, officially designated wilderness. Resentment of these cyclists over the longstanding ban on mechanized transportation in that fraction of the nations public lands presents a political opportunity for Republicans eager to drill fissures in the broad coalition of conservation-minded groups united against the GOP environmental agenda. Read More Facebook

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Vice president postpones Israel trip a second time in case his vote is needed to pass tax cut bill By Noah Bierman (Ethan Miller / Getty Images) Vice President Mike Pence is delaying his trip to Egypt and Israel for a second time in case he is needed to break a tie in the Senate for the tax bill that is expected to pass narrowly this week. Two White House officials confirmed the changed schedule, which they say is unrelated to to protests in the region over the administrations decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital. Pence had initially been scheduled to leave last Saturday. Late last week, the White House moved the trip back a few days to Tuesday night, in case Pence was needed to break a Senate tie. But Monday, they decided to postpone the trip further, to January, given the possibility of a late Senate vote and the coming holidays. He wants to see it through the finish line, said a White House official, referring to the tax measure that is a centerpiece of the Republican legislative agenda. We dont want to leave anything to chance. The mid-January dates will allow Pence more breathing room to merge schedules with embassies and hotels, the official said. Trump still plans to address the Israeli Knesset, a high-profile venue to discuss the Jerusalem decision where it is most popular. Facebook

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Trump judicial pick who drew ridicule at hearing withdraws By Associated Press A White House official says the Trump judicial nominee whose qualifications were questioned by a Republican senator has withdrawn his nomination. Matthew Petersen, who was nominated by President Trump to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, has been the subject of widespread ridicule since he was unable to define basic legal terms during his confirmation hearing Wednesday. A White House official says Petersen has withdrawn his nomination and that Trump has accepted the withdrawal. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the development publicly. Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy pressed Petersen, a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, who testified he had never tried a case, on his qualifications to the bench. Facebook

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Trump says McCain will return to Washington if needed for tax vote By Laura King President Trump said Sunday that Sen. John McCain, who is battling an aggressive form of brain cancer, was returning home to Arizona for the holidays but would come back to Washington if needed to cast a vote on the Republicans tax overhaul bill. The Arizona Republicans office announced last week that McCain was receiving treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington for complications from his cancer treatment. McCains daughter Meghan tweeted earlier Sunday that her 81-year-old father would be spending Christmas in Arizona. The Senate is expected to vote early this week on the tax cut legislation, but the GOP appeared to have secured sufficient support without McCains vote. John will come back if we need his vote, Trump told reporters as he returned from a weekend at the presidential retreat at Camp David. Hes going through a very tough time. Facebook

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Putin calls Trump to thank him for U.S. help foiling terrorist strike By Laura King Vladimir Putin phoned President Trump to thank him for what the Russian president said was CIA help in foiling a terrorist attack, the Kremlin said on Sunday. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed the two leaders conversation to reporters. It was the second time that the two leaders had talked in four days; Trump called Putin on Thursday to thank the Russian leader for lauding the U.S. economy. Putin, in his annual year-end news conference, had praised Trump for a strong performance by the U.S. stock market. Perhaps ironically, given his credit to the CIAs recent help, Putin at that news event dismissed as hysteria the consensus among American intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign. In reporting Putins call to Trump on Sunday, the official Russian news agency Tass said Putin thanked his American counterpart for information shared by the US Central Intelligence Agency that had helped break up a plot to set off explosives in St. Petersburgs landmark Kazan Cathedral and elsewhere in the city, which is Russias second-largest. Russian authorities last week had credited their countrys counter-intelligence service, the FSB, for foiling the attacks. They reported that seven people affiliated with Islamic State had been detained in St. Petersburg in connection with the plot. The FSB, the successor organization to the KGB, announced Friday that the group had planned to carry out the attacks on Saturday, and that one of those in custody had confessed to the cathedral bomb plot. Facebook

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Mnuchin: Government shutdown unlikely but could happen By Laura King Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said on Sunday that a government shutdown this week was unlikely but possible. A two-week stopgap spending bill passed by Congress earlier this month provided enough funding to keep the government running through Friday. A deadlock on another temporary funding measure would open the door to a possible shutdown. I cant rule it out, but I cant imagine it occurring, Mnuchin said on Fox News Sunday, suggesting everyone had an interest in avoiding the government grinding to a halt and federal workers going unpaid, especially in the holiday season. I would expect that both the House and Senate, Republicans and Democrats, understand if they cant agree on this, they need to have another short-term extension to move this to January, the Treasury secretary said. We cant have a government shutdown in front of Christmas. In May, irate over concessions made to Democrats in hammering out a spending measure, President Trump tweeted that a good shutdown might help matters. While both parties agree that a government shutdown involves a degree of disruption that is not beneficial to either side, shutdowns in 1995-96 and in 2013 mainly caused a backlash against Republicans. The latest funding measure is to be taken up after a vote on a massive GOP tax overhaul, expected by midweek. Facebook

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Trump transition team says sensitive emails should not have been shared with Robert Mueller By Chris Megerian (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) President Trumps transition team is crying foul over how special counsel Robert S. Mueller III obtained emails for his investigation into Russian meddling in last years campaign and possible Trump campaign complicity. Kory Langhofer, a lawyer for the transition team, sent a letter to Congress on Saturday saying there was an unauthorized disclosure of emails. While the Trump transition is long over, the transition team remains a nonprofit organization. Its emails were hosted by the General Services Administration, a federal agency. Mueller reportedly obtained the emails directly from the agency. There are attorney-client communications, Langhofer said in an interview. There are executive-privileged communications. He added, What were asking Congress to do is to take some legislative action to make sure this never happens again. Peter Carr, a spokesman for the special counsels office, defended the process for obtaining emails. When we have obtained emails in the course of our ongoing criminal investigation, we have secured either the account owners consent or appropriate criminal process, he said. The letter was first reported by Fox News. A request for comment from the General Services Administration was not immediately answered. This story has been updated with a comment from the special counsels office. Facebook

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Virginia house arrest is ending for Paul Manafort By Chris Megerian (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) A federal judge agreed Friday to end Paul Manaforts house arrest in Virginia, allowing President Trumps former campaign manager to return to Florida while awaiting trial. The decision followed a dispute between Manaforts legal team and prosecutors working for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who accused Manafort of violating a court order restricting public statements about the case. Under the terms of the judges order, Manafort will be allowed to live at his home in Florida as long as he stays within Palm Beach and Broward counties and obeys a curfew from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. If he misses a court appearance, he would forfeit four properties valued at $10 million total. The deal, which includes GPS monitoring, is not as permissive as Manafort originally sought. He had asked to be able to travel freely among Florida, New York, Virginia and Washington. Manafort faces criminal charges of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering. He has pleaded not guilty. Facebook

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GOP negotiators enhance child tax credit to win over Sen. Rubio By Lisa Mascaro Republican negotiators slightly increased the refundable portion of the expanded child tax credit in their tax plan, raising it to $1,400 in hopes of winning back Sen. Marco Rubios (R-Fla.) support ahead of next weeks vote. Rubio announced Thursday he was withholding support after negotiators ignored his push to make the expanded tax credit, which increases from the current $1,000 to $2,000 in the proposed bill, fully refundable for lower- and moderate-income filers. The refundable portion in the original bill was $1,100. The Florida senator argued that was not enough to help working-class Americans, many of whom already view the GOP plan as tilted toward the wealthy. Rubios office was waiting to see the final text before commenting on whether the change was enough to win him over. We have not seen the bill text, and until we see if the percentage of the refundable credit is significantly higher, then our position remains the same, Rubios spokeswoman said. Negotiators meeting Friday before unveiling the bill said they thought they had the support they needed from Rubio and other holdouts. Im confident both chambers will pass it next week, said Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). Facebook

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Sen. Marco Rubio opposes GOP tax bill, depriving leaders of crucial support By Lisa Mascaro 20.94% Corp. rate to pay for tax cut for working family making $40k was anti-growth but 21% to cut tax for couples making $1million is fine?  Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 12, 2017 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) says he is currently opposed to the GOP tax plan because it fails to include his proposed enhancements to the child tax credit, leaving leaders without crucial support ahead of next weeks expected vote. Republicans can only lose two GOP senators from their slim 52-48 majority as they push the plan forward under special budget rules to prevent a Democratic filibuster. Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday altered his planned Israel trip so he could be on hand, if needed, to cast a tie-breaking vote. Rubio, and GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, have fought to increase the child tax credit, doubling it to $2,000 in the GOP plan, but they also want to increase its refundability. They argue it will lower taxes on middle-income families at a time when the tax plan is being criticized as tilted to the wealthy. Sen. Rubio has consistently communicated to the Senate tax negotiators that his vote on final passage would depend on whether the refundability of the Child Tax Credit was increased in a meaningful way, Rubios spokeswoman said. Lee stopped short of opposing the bill, but his spokesman said Wednesday he is undecided. GOP leaders, though, have said they believe they have the support for passage. Facebook

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White House gives Roy Moore a unsubtle shove: Time to concede By David Lauter (Alex Wong / Getty Images) The White House sent a clear signal Thursday to the defeated Republican candidate for Senate in Alabama: Its time to concede. Roy Moore refused to concede the race on Tuesday night when Doug Jones, the Democrat, was declared the winner. Election night results show Jones winning by about 1.5 percentage points, three times more than the states standard for a recount. Although a few absentee and provisional ballots remain to be counted, theres no indication they would change the result. On Wednesday, Moore notably did not call to congratulate Jones  even as President Trump and other leading Republicans did. Instead, he released a video declaring the battle rages on. Asked at the daily news briefing whether the White House thinks Moore should concede today, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, It probably sounds like it maybe should have already taken place. Sanders also dismissed the idea, pushed by some Moore supporters, that Jones victory was tainted in some fashion. Asked if the Democrat had won fair and square, she said, I think the numbers reflect that. The states Republican senator, Richard Shelby, offered a similar comment in an interview with MSNBC in which he said he was willing to work with Jones. If I was 25,000 votes behind, its not going to change much, Shelby said. Facebook

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House Speaker Paul Ryan says hes not leaving anytime soon By Lisa Mascaro House Speaker Paul D. Ryan shot down suggestions Thursday that he might soon be retiring. Stories often circulate that party leaders, especially the House speaker, are stepping aside. Ryans tenure has been as rocky as that of his predecessor, Rep. John Boehner, who abruptly resigned in 2015 amid GOP infighting. Asked Thursday if he would be leaving, Ryan answered a simple no, as he left his weekly press conference in the Capitol. Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who reluctantly took over the speakers gavel after Boehners departure, had just finished talking up the GOP tax plan, which leaders hope to pass next week. He also outlined his sweeping agenda for his longtime goal of entitlement reform of welfare benefits next year. Two stories published Thursday suggested Ryan may soon be out. This is pure speculation, said spokeswoman AshLee Strong. As the speaker himself said today, hes not going anywhere anytime soon. Facebook

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GOP leaders reach tax deal, cutting corporate rate to 21% and top individual rate to 37% By Lisa Mascaro Republican leaders on Wednesday agreed on a revised plan to cut taxes that would lower the corporate rate from 35% to 21% and drop the top individual rate for the richest Americans to 37%, according to GOP senators and others briefed on the deal. The tentative accord marked a significant step in the Republican push to have a tax bill on President Trumps desk by Christmas. Leaders did not release details of the compromise or the text of a final bill as negotiations continued. Its critically important for Congress to quickly pass these historic tax cuts, Trump said Wednesday, promising that Americans could begin to reap the benefits of the plan as early as February, if passed. Critics, however, said the latest changes  particularly the lowering of the top individual rate from the current 39.6%  only reaffirmed several independent analyses that show the bulk of the savings from the Republican plan would go to businesses and the wealthy. Read More Facebook

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Farenthold to retire from House amid harassment accusations By Associated Press Texas Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold wont seek reelection next year, two Republicans said Thursday, adding his name to the list of lawmakers leaving Congress amid sexual harassment allegations that have cost powerful men their jobs in politics, the arts and other fields. The accusations against Farenthold surfaced in 2014, when a former aide sued him alleging sexually suggestive comments and behavior and said shed been fired after she complained. The lawmaker said he engaged in no wrongdoing and the case was settled in 2015. But the House Ethics Committee said last week that it would investigate Farenthold after congressional sources said hed paid an $84,000 settlement using taxpayers money. Though Farenthold said hed reimburse the Treasury Department, such payments have drawn public criticism from people saying lawmakers should use their own money for such settlements. A House official said Farenthold spoke twice Wednesday to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), while another official said the congressman spoke once with Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) who heads the GOPs House campaign committee. Those discussions suggested that Farenthold may have come under pressure from leaders to step aside. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. Last week, three lawmakers facing accusations of sexual harassment announced their resignations. Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) have already left Congress while Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) has said he will step aside soon. Mike Bergsma, Republican county chairman in Farentholds home county of Nueces, Texas, said Fare
If the worst should come to Bayside Village, residents at the Newport Beach mobile-home park can take comfort in knowing theyll see Judy Kane at her best.

Kane, who lives in the cozy park overlooking the Back Bay, leads the neighborhoods Community Emergency Response Team. Several Newport neighborhoods have CERTs, or groups of volunteers who are trained to respond to natural or man-made disasters when police, firefighters or medics cant be on the scene immediately. Theyre ready for earthquakes, fires, plane crashes, whatever may come their way.

But not every neighborhood has an incident command center to coordinate its response.

Kane made that happen for Bayside Village.

On the communitys north side, next to the shuffleboard courts, sits a new 12-by-15-foot shed packed with supplies  a generator, first-aid kits, drinking water, cardboard splints, a defibrillator, glow sticks for emergency lighting and siphons for gasoline and to suck water out of the swimming pool to be filtered for consumption. It even has a few cans of Coca-Cola to stanch bleeding (the acidic drink helps constrict blood vessels). The lawn outside can be a triage center and a place for a helicopter to evacuate the injured.

Bayside Village has about 275 homes. It isnt officially a retirement community, but many of its residents are older.

If theres a disaster, we need to help each other, Kane said.

Judy Kane and her husband, Michael, study a map of the Bayside Village mobile-home park at its incident command center. (Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer )

About 2 years ago, Kane, a 68-year-old retired insurance broker, took on the challenge of building the Bayside Village CERT. Shes taken first-aid classes from the city Fire Department and the American Red Cross, learned Morse code and earned a ham radio license. She oversees 10 zone captains who will search the houses closest to them.

Theyve had drills to prepare for catastrophe.

But we dont want it to happen, ever, ever, Kane said.

The shed, christened in November, cost more than $10,000. The price was split between the homeowners association and Michael Gelfand, who owns the land beneath the mobile homes.

Kane has other pursuits as well. For the past 15 years, she and her husband, Michael Irish Kane, have run a ministry that brings the gospel to senior citizens in nursing facilities. Their network of pastors visits more than 50 facilities a week.

Judy Kane even heads Bayside Villages Rockwell-esque Fourth of July parade.

Her husband said Kane, whom he tenderly calls Judith Ann, has a gift for organization. When she has a project, shes definitely in charge.

She does it really sweetly, and thats hard to find, he said.

This is an installment of Unsung Heroes, an annual feature that highlights otherwise overlooked members of the community.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD

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Unsung heroes: Brad and Trish Miller bring food and friendship to Main Beach
Most Galapagos Islands tours encourage participants to bring cameras. A new tour is described as an island photo adventure designed by photographers.

The 11-day Galapagos Photo Safari, organized by INCA (International Nature & Cultural Adventures), cruises to nine islands with two naturalists and two photographers from Frozen Hiker Photography, a St. Paul, Minn., organization that offers workshops and photo classes.

The photographers will focus on helping participants learn the best ways to capture images and then to process them using advanced photo-editing software.

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Trip highlights include snorkeling among sea lions and kayaking with sea turtles. Group size limited to 14.

Dates: June 7-16

Price: From $9,195 per person, double occupancy. Includes round-trip flights to the Galapagos from Quito or Guayaquil, Ecuador; accommodations in Quito or Guayaquil and on Santa Cruz Island; yacht accommodations, meals, guides, activities and transfers, Galapagos transit tax and all arrangements as specified in the itinerary. International airfare not included.

Info: INCA, (510) 420-1550

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Bicycle and hike on this tour of Joshua Tree and Palm Springs

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
In Las Vegas, the DJs will be rocking, the booze flowing freely and the sky erupting in fireworks as revelers usher in 2018 amid increased security.

The massive Americas Party, which drew more than 300,000 revelers last year, is on. Coming just three months after 58 people were killed in the Oct. 1 mass shooting in the city, visitors can expect to see more police officers and National Guard troops on hand than in 2016.

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In Las Vegas, it is no surprise that an over-the-top theme extends to the New Years Eve fireworks. At the stroke of midnight, more than 80,000 rockets will light up the night sky as they are launched from seven Strip resorts: Aria, Caesars Palace, MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood Resort, Stratosphere, TI and The Venetian.

While most people chose to party for free along the world-famous Strip, clubs and parties (though still jam-packed) can offer special vantage points.

1. The High Roller

Toasting from the High Roller comes with boasting rights too. Youll be ringing in the new year at the worlds highest observation wheel (for now). (The honor will shift to the East Coast in 2018 when the New York Wheel, 80 feet taller than Vegas wheel at 630 feet, is scheduled to open..

Single midnight rides on the High Roller cost $150. Or you can splurge on entire cabin for up to 25 people starting at $4,500.

2. Hyde Bellagio

Back at ground level, the indoor-outdoor Hyde Bellagio nightclub has great views of the fireworks and the resorts famous dancing fountains. Formal attire is suggested for Countdown by the Lake, which begins at 9 p.m. General admission from $50.

3. Paris Las Vegas

A dash across Las Vegas Boulevard takes guests from Italy to France. At Paris Las Vegas, two party spots  Beer Park and Chateau Nightclub & Rooftop  are teaming up to host a joint rooftop party with prime spots for the fireworks. Various packages are available and include an open bar from 9 p.m. to midnight.

Tickets start at $125.

4. Hard Rock Cafe

Dont overlook the Hard Rock Cafe. It has an outdoor deck thats perfect for fireworks watching and people-watching. While the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is more than a mile off the Strip, the Cafe sits in an enviable location right along Las Vegas Boulevard. The $195-per-person tickets include an open bar, food stations serving appetizers, party favors and a DJ spinning high-energy hits.

5. Drais

Resident DJ Chris Brown will be playing to a packed house at Drais Nightclub. Located on the roof of the Cromwell, the uber-popular club provides a perfect perch for the pyrotechnics, particularly those shot off from just across the street at Caesars Palace. The black-tie party, which includes two glasses of bubbly, costs $125 for women and $175 for men.

Folks who want to create their own pyrotechnic shows can head to neighboring Nye County, where several year-round fireworks stores will be open this weekend.

Pahrump, a town about 60 miles west of Las Vegas, offers visitors a safe, supervised spot from which they can fire off their purchases.

Fireworks Over Pahrump, which takes place from 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday and Sunday, is a place where you can launch your own fireworks for free. Participants, however, must have permits from one of the five local fireworks stores.

The rules

Despite the large presence of law enforcement, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers will remain relatively unobtrusive on New Years Eve. They do, however, enforce ordinances that prohibit these items during the big bash:

 Backpacks

 Coolers

 Electric carts

 Glass bottles

 Oversize purses

 Strollers

Although recreational marijuana became legal in Nevada this year, you cannot smoke or consume it in public, including outdoors along Las Vegas Boulevard. The resorts along the street also ban the use of pot.

Fireworks for personal use also are tightly restricted in Clark County, which includes greater Las Vegas.

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travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
Myawady Sayadaw, a crimson-robed monk whose eyes dance behind round spectacles, casts himself as a genial warrior in Myanmars long struggle against military rule.

Inside his monastery stands a tall stone monument to students killed in pro-democracy protests. In 2007, he and tens of thousands of monks marched peacefully in streets nationwide, staring down columns of soldiers in what was dubbed the Saffron Revolution.

Today, with the military having yielded some powers to an elected government, Myawady Sayadaw peppers his sermons with references to human rights and interfaith understanding. But when it comes to Myanmars most explosive political issue  the army-led purging of Rohingya Muslims  the outspoken monk becomes taciturn.

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Buddha loves all people and teaches us to try to resolve suffering, but we have a duty to protect our country at the same time, he said at his simple monastery outside the northern city of Mandalay.

Most of the Muslims, he went on, are extremists.

In Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, hatred for the Rohingya runs far deeper than the fears over Islamist terrorism that the army has used to justify a ruthless, four-month crackdown in the western state of Rakhine. Soldiers have killed, raped or maimed thousands of Rohingya, according to international human rights groups, and more than 640,000 have fled across the border to refugee camps in Bangladesh.

The antipathy toward the small Muslim minority  in a country that is 90% Buddhist  is a virulent brew of ethnic, economic and religious nationalism promulgated for decades by the military, and spread easily via social media across a population with some of the lowest education levels in Southeast Asia.

It is built fundamentally on racial differences: The Rohingya, who are denied citizenship in Myanmar, are physically and culturally more similar to the peoples of Bangladesh and India than to Myanmars ethnic Bamar majority. Scholars say they descend from Arab and Persian traders who arrived in what is now western Myanmar more than 1,000 years ago.

Those differences have driven a deep wedge through this country of 50 million. Of all the monks, student activists, ethnic guerrillas and other dissidents who once opposed the armys abuses, almost none have spoken up for the countrys most beleaguered people.

All these democratic activists, when they talk about human rights and citizens rights, they have a prejudice  the Rohingya are not included, said Thet Swe Win, director of the Center for Youth and Social Harmony, a Myanmar nonprofit.

No one is on the Rohingyas side. That is the tragedy here.

Myawady Sayadaw, abbot of a monastery outside Mandalay, says most of the Muslims expelled from Myanmar are extremists. (Shashank Bengali / Los Angeles Times )

For years, Myanmars army has rallied Buddhists by claiming a Muslim plot to overtake the country. It rewrote the countrys arcane citizenship laws to exclude the Rohingya, and routinely ignored hardline monks who spewed hatred toward Muslims.

The propaganda was seemingly confirmed after a small insurgent group  the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, or ARSA  rose up last year and began attacking Myanmar security forces. Now monks such as Myawady Sayadaw freely reconcile Buddhas nonviolent teachings with a military offensive that some call a possible genocide.

Once ARSA emerged, it allowed even pro-peace, pro-interfaith people in the country to write off the Rohingya as a terrorist threat, no matter how implausible that is, said Matthew Walton, a professor and Myanmar expert at the University of Oxford.

In this case, government officials have a very good sense of what public sentiment is, so almost no one is going to object to something nasty about the Rohingya.

There was little outcry in October after one of the countrys most influential monks, Sitagu Sayadaw, gave a speech at a military base in which he appeared to justify ethnic cleansing. He invoked a parable about an ancient Sri Lankan king who was advised not to grieve for the many Hindus he killed in battle because non-Buddhists were not human beings.

Myawady Sayadaw said his fellow clergymans words were dangerous. But in the next breath he accused the international media of exaggerating the violence against the Rohingya.

Outsiders shouldnt blame our country so easily, he said. We need to search for the truth in Rakhine state. I dont believe the media reports, and our people dont believe them either.

Bangladeshs Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque, seated at right, and his Myanmar counterpart U Myint Thu reaffirm their commitment on Dec. 19 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to begin repatriating Rohingya in January despite rights groups warning that their safety is still not assured. (Sam Jahan / AFP/Getty Images )

No one is on the Rohingyas side. That is the tragedy here.  Thet Swe Win, activist

Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who spent years under house arrest and now heads the civilian government, has been pilloried internationally for defending the military, but remains Myanmars most popular politician.

Of the dozens of ethnic minority groups that long battled the army for greater rights, only one  a womens organization representing ethnic Karen, many of whom are Christians  has issued a statement condemning the militarys campaign against the Rohingya.

As one of the few Myanmar activists to champion the Rohingya cause, Thet Swe Win, 31, has come under attack on social media. Nationalist groups have labeled him a maggot and accused him of taking bribes from Muslim countries.

His mother said she couldnt support his work. Friends have deserted him.

Most of the people inside Burma, all the information they get is from government propaganda and from nationalist groups, he said. So this is how most Burmese people believe that those Rohingya are not from our country.

When the army took power in 1962, it began pushing the narrative that the Rohingya had been brought into Myanmar illegally by British colonial rulers, who used laborers from present-day India and Bangladesh to build roads and infrastructure. The generals created an educational system that inculcated bigotry in generations of schoolchildren.

One Rohingya, Wakar Uddin, remembers such lessons from his days as a sixth-grader in Rakhine in the late 1960s. His class read a story that described Indians as filthy street-sweepers with monstrous features; Uddin recalled liberal use of the slur kalar  used to describe dark-skinned people  and that when the teacher read from the book, Buddhist students laughed and applauded.

That book was poison, said Uddin, a biology professor at Penn State who directs the Arakan Rohingya Union, an advocacy group.

Over 50 or 60 years, the army provided fertile ground for hate, and putting that into the mind of a third- or fourth-grader brings you the results we are seeing today, he said.

Rohingya refugees on the move near the Bangladesh and Myanmar border in October. (Munir Uz Zaman / AFP/Getty Images )

Even as the Myanmar government and Bangladesh pursue a plan to repatriate Rohingya refugees starting in January, the state-supported climate of hate makes it all but impossible to imagine that many could return.

If we were Buddhists, the whole Bamar majority would take our side. But we are Muslims, said Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist who fled Myanmar at 16 and now lives in Germany. They dont want this population in the country. This is the national policy.

Public officials can say just about anything about Rohingya without fear of it diminishing their stature. In 2009, Myanmars consul general in Hong Kong wrote a letter to foreign diplomats calling the Rohingya ugly as ogres with dark brown skin. (By contrast, he said, his own skin was fair and soft  and good looking as well.) The remark did not hurt his career; the military government later appointed him ambassador to Switzerland.

This year, when a Rakhine state lawmaker was asked by a BBC journalist about soldiers sexually assaulting Rohingya women, he giggled. Soldiers could not have committed mass rapes, he explained, because Rohingya women were very dirty.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news from South Asia
A snare drum rattles. Whistles and horns blare. Thousands of demonstrators, harassed by snow flurries and sleet, trudge along a downtown boulevard fringed by gaudy shops and shout epithets into the night.

For much of the past year, Romania has been rocked by the biggest demonstrations since the collapse of Nicolae Ceausescus communist government in the Christmas Revolution nearly three decades ago. This time, the protests have sought to clean up what is perceived as one of Europes most crooked countries.

Yet the sense is that the protest movement has hit a wall.

The situation just keeps getting worse, said one demonstrator, Adrian Salanti, a 44-year-old IT engineer participating in the march from Bucharests Victory Square, the hub of the anti-corruption protests, to the countrys sprawling marble Parliament.

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A woman holds a placard reading In 89, my parents feared the bullets and didnt go out (to protest) / What is YOUR excuse today, not to go out? during a protest next to the Parliament in Bucharest on Dec. 21, 2017. (Daniel Mihailescu / AFP/Getty Images )

He lamented Romanian lawmakers latest attempts to overhaul the justice system, which many see as an effort to politicize the judiciary. He is angry that many Romanian politicians appear determined to get away with graft.

There is huge pressure from the street, but the government keeps making these laws to protect themselves, said Salanti.

Corruption is endemic in Romania, which ranks 57th out of 176 countries in Transparency Internationals rankings of corruption perceptions  far from the worst, but lower on the list than most European countries. The underground economy was estimated at some $46 billion for 2016, or around 22% of GDP, according to local media reports.

In one case presently before the courts, anti-corruption officials contend that former finance minister Darius Valcov received late-night bribes in a Bucharest cemetery, where he would go to avoid being bugged. The bribes included cash, gold bars and promises of artwork, including paintings by Renoir and Picasso and sketches by Andy Warhol.

The crisis began in February when the ruling Social Democratic Party formed a coalition government with a smaller center-right party and attempted to decriminalize corruption involving less than about $50,000.

After Parliament passed an emergency decree in the dead of night, the protests erupted, forcing the government to backtrack.

At their apex, the demonstrations drew upwards of half a million people, crying slogans such as: Like thieves in the night! and Justice, not corruption!

That marked a moment of political awakening for many young and urban Romanians. For many, tackling corruption became a daily obsession.

Women take part in a demonstration in support of the judicial system and against recent law adjustments adopted by the ruling coalition on Dec. 17, 2017, in front of the government headquarters in Bucharest, Romania. (Daniel Mihailescu / AFP/Getty Images )

It has taken over my life, said Razvan Diaconu, who helps administer a Facebook group, Corruption Kills, instrumental in spreading information about the protests. I wake up in the morning and I worry what has happened overnight; I come out of work meetings and start scrolling to see what my government has done to screw me.

However, the protests have since dwindled and activists have struggled to transform them into meaningful political participation, analysts say.

People are much clearer about what they dont want, but less precise about positive alternatives, said Radu Umbres, a political anthropologist and lecturer at Bucharests National School of Political Sciences and Public Administration.

The ruling coalition seems laser-focused on delegitimizing the demonstrators and hampering the countrys National Anti-Corruption Directorate. The agency has prosecuted a slew of corrupt politicians in recent years.

The latest legislation, approved last week by Parliament, has drawn widespread criticism from both the European Union and the U.S. State Department  which usually abstains from criticizing Romania, among NATOs staunchest members and largely amenable to economic deregulation.

The changes give the Justice Ministry control over the countrys judicial monitoring unit, presently overseen by a council of magistrates. A special prosecuting unit will be established to investigate magistrates. The use of video and audio evidence will be curtailed during trials.

The State Department last month noted with concern that the legislation could undermine the fight against corruption and weaken judicial independence.

Many demonstrators note that the governments maneuverings are consistent with a broader rightward swing  and attempts to undermine judicial independence  in other Central and Eastern European nations, notably Poland and Hungary.

Certainly, Social Democratic lawmakers are borrowing narrative tools from abroad, describing protesters as paid stooges of the philanthropist George Soros, a favorite scapegoat of Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Hungarys Viktor Orban.

The Anti-Corruption Directorate, meanwhile, constitutes a parallel state according to ruling party statements.

Liviu Dragnea, the head of the ruling party, is widely seen as among the intended beneficiaries of the legislation. He was convicted in 2016 of electoral fraud and is on trial for abuse of office. The anticorruption agency last month froze some $32 million of Dragneas assets.

He is alleged to have formed a criminal group and skimmed EU funds from public works projects while council chairman in southern Teleorman County. His previous conviction has barred him from becoming prime minister, a position that he is said to covet.

The Anti-Corruption Directorate has won widespread acclaim, both nationally and abroad, with a reported conviction rate of around 90%  spreading serious fear among Romanias political and business classes.

However, there are lingering questions about both its methods  parading handcuffed subjects before the news media during arrests  and impartiality, amid fears of politicized prosecutions and the role of the intelligence services in its activities. The secret police conduct an estimated 20,000 wiretaps for the agency each year.

Back at the recent snow-harried protest, the demonstrators reached Parliament; its windows darkened, few lights glowing. They flooded the surrounding streets, bellowing boos of contempt and newly popularized slogans.

They stood waving their placards, shouting at an empty building.

Johnson is a special correspondent.
A Bethlehem Township man shot his mother 11 times, killing her Friday afternoon and then spent hours firing roughly 115 rounds at police before killing himself.

Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli, Pennsylvania State and Bethlehem Township police and the Northampton County coroner called the joint news conference Tuesday afternoon to discuss Friday's standoff that left two dead.

Authorities publicly identified the victim as the mother of the shooter Marylouise Meixell-Moyer, 62, but could offer no motive for the shooting that led to an hours-long standoff.

"It is hard to get inside the mind of someone like this," Morganelli said.

Authorities release details about an 8-hour standoff where a gunman allegedly fired upon police last week in a Bethlehem Township neighborhood before killing himself. Posted by lehighvalleylive.com on Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Township police were called to the home about 1:30 p.m. for a report of a bleeding woman lying on the lawn of 1543 Dennis St.

When Officer John Meehan arrived and tried to check on the body, Justin Erik Kephart, 36, began firing on the officer and a concerned neighbor, township police Chief Dan Pancoast said.

Authorities could not say if Kephart specifically targeted police Friday.

"It was more than likely it was his intent to take other bodies and they were probably going to be wearing blue uniforms," Bethlehem Township Police Sgt. Daryl LaPointe said.

Meehan took cover behind a car parked in front of the home. As he tried to discern where the gunfire was coming from, Meehan lifted his head up, one hand on the car the other holding his gun, Pancoast said.

Kephart began shooting at Meehan again and one shot went between his hand and head, narrowly missing the officer, the chief said.

"We're very, very fortunate that we did not have a police officer shot," Morganelli said. "I think you understand that when you hear about the number of rounds that were fired."

Then, Meehan and the neighbor spent almost an hour taking cover behind a parked car and truck on opposite sides of the street awaiting rescue by a Bearcat, an armored police vehicle.

Meanwhile, Meixell-Moyer lay dead on the front lawn. Authorities said mother and son had a tumultuous relationship and an argument may have preceded the shooting.

Coroner Zachary Lysek said that Meixell-Moyer, 62, who sometimes lived at the Dennis Street home, was shot 11 times and her death had been ruled a homicide. She died around 1:24 p.m, Lysek said.

Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Joseph Sokolofski said the majority of the shots were sustained as Meixell-Moyer walked from the home, including two to the back of her head.

An eight-hour standoff ensued, which included a cellphone call from Kephart to his father, telling him he had killed his "mom" and "a cop," according to court papers.

Township police were first assisted by surrounding departments. The Pennsylvania State Police SERT team took over and began trying to negotiate with Kephart.

No police officers were actually wounded, although several faced gunfire, authorities said.

"I felt like I was in a war zone really," Morganelli, who spent four hours in the neighborhood Friday, said.

As a felon, Kephart was prohibited from owning any firearms, Morganelli said, noting he had a domestic violence and drug related convictions. Kephart pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver in 2009 in Lehigh County, according to online court records.

"Once again, we see that criminals can always get guns when they want them," Morganelli said,"and the fact that he could not possess a firearm, even though that is the law, did not prevent him from getting one,"

It is believed that he obtained the guns from his father's extensive firearms collection, Sokolofski said. It is unclear if Kephart took the guns without permission or was given the guns by his father.

Police found a Saiga semi-automatic 12 gauge shotgun and two, semi-automatic Russian assault rifles -- an AK 47 and an AK 74 -- near Kephart's body, Sokolofski said. Some drug paraphernalia was also found in the home, he said.

Preliminary examinations of the weapons show no indication they were modified to fire as automatic weapons, Sokolofski said, adding he is not a firearms expert. Initially, police said they believed Kephart was firing an automatic weapon. Sokolofski said that was probably based upon the sound of the gunfire.

Police entered the home after they saw Kephart lying motionless in the basement. Police found 14 rifle casings in the first floor living room and then about 100 rounds beneath two basement windows, Sokolofski said.

Kephart lived in the Dennis Street home with his maternal grandmother Rosemarie Meixel, who owns the home, but is currently in a rehabilitation facility, Lysek said.

State police attempted to negotiate with Kephart, making one or two short phone calls to him, but were not successful, Sokolofski said. He continued to fire upon officers in vehicles.

Sokolofski declined to provide details of the negotiation tactics used, but he did confirm flash bangs were used at one point.

Kephart died of a single gunshot wound to the head and his death has been ruled a suicide, Lysek said. Kephart has no known history of mental illness, he said. Toxicology tests are pending.

Over the holiday weekend,

, according to the

.



Dale C. Kephart, 68, was pronounced dead at 3:52 p.m. Christmas Day at home at 1920 E. Jonathan St. in Allentown, the coroner's office said.

Allentown police responded at 3 p.m. Monday after being alerted to the death, Capt. Tony Alsleben said. There wasn't a note or other communication indicating why Dale Kephart killed himself, Alsleben said.

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Bethlehem Twp. standoff: Gunman shot mom 11 times before unloading on cops

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
By Fred Stine

Within the next few months, Hope Township's Planning Board will be voting whether to allow a gas and diesel service plaza at Hope's Route 80 Interchange. If approved, three 15,000 gallon fuel tanks will have to be strapped down into Hope's aquifer to prevent the tanks from floating, because of the area's high water table.

The project is known as the Singh application. The applicant's engineer acknowledges that the state Department of Environmental Protection has designated the site as a wellhead protection and a prime groundwater recharge area, and that the groundwater is high enough that petroleum tanks need to be strapped down into the ground. However, he states the board (and Hope residents) should not worry because there are no public wells drawing water from that groundwater source.

Is he kidding? Does that mean the board and residents of Hope (and downstream Belvidere and White Township) should throw caution to the wind and sacrifice this important source of fresh water for the short-term profit of a potential polluting business?

The engineer wants the board to believe the gas station owner will conduct all the scheduled monitoring and maintenance on the pollution control devices, of which there are many, to keep the contaminants out of the groundwater and adjacent Beaver Brook. This is a real concern because this applicant had leaky tanks at another one of his stations, and according to newspaper reports, a separate corporation owned and was responsible for the tanks, while the applicant owned only what was above ground.

A few years ago, when Hope Township approved Nathan's Hot Dogs (now Dunkin' Donuts) to build across the street from the site of this proposed service plaza, a condition of that approval was the owner had to monitor stormwater runoff flowing into the adjacent wetlands on a quarterly basis for five years. According to Hope Township records, Nathan's performed the monitoring once.

There's just too much at risk for the board to put the responsibility of the town's safety and health in the hands of a business whose objective is profit. Hope Township's water needs to be protected. It is not the board's job to allow the applicant to make a profit at the expense of township residents.

The applicant's engineer also argues that the soils at the site have poor infiltration. The actual soils testing shows otherwise. This matters a great deal with how large the stormwater collection system must be. The project already needs many variances.

The developer's engineer is trying to convince the planning board he can get by with the undersized stormwater basin that already exists on the site.The Delaware Riverkeeper Network's engineering expert disagrees. The stormwater basin helps protect the water quality of nearby Beaver Brook, which the state has recommended for greater protection because of the excellent fisheries in the Beaver Brook and Pequest River. An undersized basin won't protect the creek or those living downstream.

The engineer claims there are no threatened and endangered species within a quarter-mile of this site. The DEP report obtained by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network clearly shows otherwise, including evidence of bobcat on the site.

The planning board needs to see through this smokescreen and deny this project. The site is zoned for some development, and the ordinances say whatever is built must not cause pollution or other type of environmental degradation.

What can put Hope's residents and the environment at greater risk than burying 45,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel into a groundwater recharge area located a half-mile upstream from historic Hope Village? The planning board must vote "no."

Fred Stine is the citizen action coordinator for the Delaware Riverkeeper Network.
Pennsylvania's two-day snow record was a fluid guideline on Tuesday morning as Erie added 19 inches between midnight and 6 a.m. after picking up a local record 34 inches on Christmas Day, the National Weather Service in Cleveland reported on Twitter.

The previous state record for a two-day storm -- 44 inches March 20-21, 1958, in Morgantown (which is in Caernarvon Township in Berks and Lancaster counties) -- was smashed within 30 hours with the possibility of more snow during the day and up to seven more inches overnight, the weather service said.

"We had a very intense lake-effect snow band that set up over Erie County that dropped one to three inches per hour," meteorologist Zach Sefcovic told goerire.com on Monday. "The city of Erie and some of the surrounding townships had anywhere from eight to 12 inches of snow within a short, maybe six-hour at most, period on Christmas morning."

Erie, PA picked up 19" of new snow from midnight to 6 AM. This brings the storm total to 53" over the past 30 hours, shattering many records. This is the greatest 2-day total in the entire state of PA (prev. record 44" in Morgantown, PA 3/20-21/1958).  NWS Cleveland (@NWSCLE) December 26, 2017

The two-day total topped Erie's previous 13-day record of 52.8 inches between Dec. 31, 1998, and Jan. 12, 1999, the weather service said.

A lake effect snow warning remains in place until Wednesday, the weather service said.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
April began with a reassurance from Laois Offaly Garda Chief John Scanlon that the public could have trust in their local police and in the Garda Siochana head.

He spoke after revelations over drink driving breath tests and wrongful prosecutions of motoring offences.

They should not have any fears in relation to the integrity and honesty of the Gardai attached to the Laois-Offaly division, the Chief Supt said.

There were good signs for Portlaoise hospital when two consultant obstetricians and two neonatologists were appointed, linked with the Coombe. Two temporary ED consultants also came on board, two new radiologists, were sought, and two MAU doctors promised, all welcomed by Minister Flanagan who said the hospital remains my priority.

An African man ran riot with a metal bar in Portlaoise, smashing the windows of his council flat and terrifying the public.

Gardai used pepper spray and batons to arrest him. He was understood to have had mental health issues, and spent days fter the incident sleeping rough in the town.

A grand plan was launched for the future of Portlaoise up to 2040, to stitch the town back together, between the old and new sides, partly by pedestrianising Lyster Square with an underground carpark.

Traders however feared it could end their businesses.

A man was stabbed on the street after he caught the attention of a person waiting in court to have his case heard.

The victim had just been released from Portlaoise prison campus.

The population of Laois was announced as 84,697, up by 5.1 percent over the previous five years, faster than the national average of 3.8 percent, from Census 2016.

Laois citizens are younger than average, with the average age being 35.6, compared to the national average of 37.4.

There was fresh hope for Laois Cystic Fibrosis patients with a deal agreed by the government to buy Orkambi.

Our Duke won the Irish Grand National, with big celebrations by the Laois owners, the Cooper family syndicate from Coolrain.

The Irish Prison Service confirmed that it would start building a new high security wing at the start of 2019, and an upgrade of facilities in the meantime.

The number of patients on trollies in Portlaoise hospital hit a ten year high in March, at 358, over six times greater than the 56 recorded in 2006.

A Rosenallis U-16 hurler was hit unconscious with a hurl during a game against Clonaslee, and brought by ambulance to hospital.
Although I will meet a lot of wild animals the biggest challenge I face is hypothermia. Temperatures will go from -0 to 40 degrees. When I camp for the night I will have to hang my food 10 feet in the air and away from my tent. If I kept it in or anound the tent I could wake up to grizzly bears.

- Extreme sportsman John Bolton from Portarlington, preparing for his Rocky Mountain cycle in aid of Laois Hospice.

It is clear that all of these robberies are perpetrated by people who are either out of their head on drugs or stealing to feed their drug habit.

- Judge Keenan Johnson, who dealt with four separate cases of Laois men robbing shops with knives to get drug money.

I would not be at all fearful about the future of Portlaoise. I would be very confident that as we build towards a population of 30,000, we are becoming a city - we are becoming a city fast.

- John Mulholland, Laois County Council Chief Executive, on the public realm revamp of Portlaoise.

More luck to yee lads. It looks lovely like one of these shiny happy towns n California. Please God I won't be here to see it.

- John Dunne's response to the town plan for Portlaoise commissioned by Laois County Council.

As long as I can remember, from childhood until now, there was nothing like this that would give me any hope for the future.

- Rosenallis man, Daniel McDonald, whos e campaign has helped secure affordable treatmentfor Cystic Fibrosis patients.

It's an incredible result. I felt going to Fairyhouse today that he would win. The press had talked him down in recent days, but we knew hog good he was, and he did it. I was never in any doubt.

- Sloane Cooper on our Duke's Irish Grand National win.

The ground floor will have an exhibition area, and sections for adults, teenagers, children. The first floor will have a study and a community meeting room, and the third floors are for staff and storage.

- Laois County Council Director of Services Donal Brennan on the design for the new county library in Portlaoise, expected to cost 5 million to construct.
Its been a bit of a roller coaster ride for Naas Hospital in recent days.

A survey carried out about the experiences of patients was largely positive towards the facility.

And at one point last week, Wednesday morning, there were 32 patients on trolleys.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, perhaps the most media savvy of the public service trade unions releases these figures every day for every public hospital in the State.

They represent the numbers admitted to hospital through the accident and emergency departments at a time when there is no bed immediately available.

Overcrowding is a problem generally and some hospitals, like Limerick and Galway, generally fare much worse than Naas.

But for a few days last week and again yesterday Naas was well up there in terms of hospitals overcrowding figures. And this prompted the Health Service Executive to implement its escalation policy, a list of measures designed to tackle delays caused by overcrowding..

The patients survey showed a high level of satisfaction overall among patients who participated in the National Patient Experience Survey (NEPS), which is a joint partnership between the various health authorities.

The survey was in the main good news for the hospital and the people working there. 85% of patients had a good or very good experience while this figure fell to 74% for the of patients at hospital admission stage.

But there were some criticisms tool  criticisms which the hospital say it is working to address.

Less than half (48%) of people did not always have enough time to talk a doctor about their care of treatment, a bothersome statistic which may or may not be blamed on resources at the hospital.

A little more than than (54%) could not always find someone on the hospital staff to talk to about their worries and fears.

Exactly half said they were not informed about potential side effects of medication to watch for at home.

The survey took place in May of this year  during which nearly 600 patients were discharged but only slightly less than half of them participated.

Some 82% said they waited more than six hours in the emergency department before being admitted. It is acknowledged by the authorities that this length of time is means Naaws is performing below the national average and lengthy waiting times are associated with poor outcomes.

Perhaps the bottom line though is that most people said they were treated with respect and dignity and had confidence win the hospital staff treating them.

The hospital says it is working to with staff to improve emergency department waiting times and that a hospital wide awareness about the importance of giving time to patients to discuss their care and treatment has been promoted .

Also a programme is to be introduced to improve the effectiveness of communication between doctors and their patients.

The hospital is to set up a working group to improve hospital processes around patient discharge which will focus on danger signals for the patients to watch out for at home after discharge.

On balance the majority of people using the hospital can have confidence in the service; most do anyway. Moreover the shortcoming identified are being addressed in a planned manner.
AN alcoholic who admitted having a sawn-off shotgun which was found in a car following a road accident in Limerick was to be paid a few hundred euro for acting as backup during the sale of the firearm, a court has has heard.

Brian Healy, aged 51, who has an address at Sexton Street North, Thomondgate has pleaded guilty to suspicious possession of the firearm at Cregane, Bruree, on February 3, last.

During a sentencing hearing, Detective Garda David Gee said Healy was a passenger in a silver Volkswagen Passat which collided with a van around two miles on the Limerick side of Charleville.

The car was being pursued by gardai at the time as it had driven off at speed having been stopped in Charleville a short time earlier.

Following the collision Healy and the driver of the car were taken to University Hospital Limerick for treatment.

Judge Tom ODonnell was told the Turkish-made sawn-off shotgun was found in the footwell of the passenger seat by members of the fire service who attended the scene of the road collision.

The driver of the car, who was also charged and brought before the court, has since died, he was told.

Yvonne Quinn BL said her client was of material assistance and made admissions following his arrest.

She said while he was aware the gun was in the car, he had no role in acquiring the firearm and did not intend using it.

She said he met the driver a few weeks earlier and agreed to accompany him to Mallow where he had arranged to sell the firearm.

However, the sale fell through and the pair were returning to Limerick when the collision happened.

Ms Quinn said Healy, who has a number of previous convictions, was to be paid around 250 which he intended using to have a good weekend.

His sole motivation was to get 250. He had tunnel vision, he was only thinking of getting money to fuel his addiction, she said.

Judge ODonnell has indicated he will impose sentence in February.
A JUDGE has said people who live alone in rural parts of County Limerick have to be protected from burglars who target their homes.

Judge Tom ODonnell made his comments as he jailed a young man who admitted breaking into a house near Knocklong earlier this year.

Tyrone OConnor, aged 28, who has an address at St Brendans Drive, Charleville, pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary relating to an incident at Lackelly on March 31, last.

In a victim impact statement, the 76-year-old victim described how he no longer feels safe in his own home as a result of the burglary during which a rifle and cash were taken.

During a sentencing hearing, Garda Cathal Ryan told Limerick Circuit Court said the house was broken into by a number of men late at night while the occupant was not at home.

However, on his return to the house he could see lights on and figures moving around inside so he rang his son who lives nearby.

Garda Ryan told Lily Buckley BL, instructed by State Solicitor Aidan Judge, the house had been ransacked and the gun safe forced open by the culprits.

In addition to a legally-held rifle, several thousand euro in cash was taken along with the CCTV recording system. The gun was located outside but the cash was never recovered.

Two men, including the accused, were arrested a short time later by gardai having been observed hiding in a nearby field.

Imposing sentence, Judge ODonnell said people should feel safe in their own homes and should be able to live alone without fear.

He said a message needs to go out that such incidents are not acceptable and will not be tolerated.

The judge said it was an aggravating factor that OConnor had deliberately targeted a house which was located in an isolated rural area of County Limerick.

It was an easy target, he said adding that his previous criminal history was also an aggravating factor.

While the defendant made admissions and pleaded guilty, Judge ODonnell said a custodial sentence was warranted given the long-lasting impact that such offences can have on rural communities.

He imposed a five year prison sentence back-dating it to the date of the offence.
#FIFA World Cup Ghana coach 'happy' to see old pupil Son Heung-min in Qatar When South Korea and Ghana square off in their second Group H match of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this month, it will also set up a reunion for a coach and a former player o...
A man wielding a machete was shot and wounded by police early Christmas Day after assaulting his wife in a home near Hayward, officials said.

The incident occurred about 1:45 a.m. when Alameda County sheriffs deputies responded to a domestic violence call on the 22300 block of Princeton Street in an unincorporated area, said Sgt. Ray Kelly of the Sheriffs Office.
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Anyone who lives in the northwest quadrant of Laredo is familiar with the intense truck traffic that burgeons from the tollbooths of the World Trade Bridge.

But this commerce equals dollar signs for the customs brokers, trade, and logistics and manufacturing companies that call Laredo home, and for the City of Laredo, which collects tolls on the trucks going southbound.

To protect Laredo's place as the country's No. 1 inland port, the city, state and federal governments have expressed that they want to increase the number of lanes at the World Trade Bridge from eight to 16.

In the meantime, the city plans to spend over $10 million toward a "FAST lane" that will allow pre-certified trucks to glide into the U.S. without having to be inspected on both sides of the river.

RELATED: Zetas massacre suspect deported at international bridge in Laredo

And in November, the city applied for a huge federal grant that would help pay for the construction of five direct connectors from I-35 to Loop 20 and two additional main lanes and shoulders that connect the World Trade Bridge to I-35, a $130 million project.

So officials on this side of the river want the goose that laid the golden egg, as this bridge is often referred, to grow a little fatter.

In Mexico, however, officials want an entire second goose.

In a June 12 letter to Oscar Callejo, Mexico's vice secretary of infrastructure, Texas Secretary of State Rolando B. Pablos asks for Callejo's plans to address congestion at the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo international bridges.

"I have heard on several occasions about the City of Laredo's plans to expand the World Trade Bridge by adding eight lanes. I have also heard about plans to expand crossing capacity by building a new international bridge somewhere within the urban footprint," Pablos wrote.

In Callejo's reply, dated June 20, he lists seven reasons why a new bridge south of Laredo and Nuevo Laredo would offer "important comparative advantages" over an expansion at the World Trade Bridge: A new bridge is self-financing in Mexico, the land is available to build roads that connect to it, it would balance the traffic at region's bridges, etc.

Mexico's Department of Communications and Transportation main objective is to "boost private investments in technically and financially viable projects," Callejo wrote.

"In this sense (the Department of Communications and Transportation) is certain that the only option to help relieve the present saturation of the system, and also to provide assistance during extraordinary events such as the storm that paralyzed operations for several days in May, is to build the project Nuevo Puente Internacional Laredo 4/5," Callejo wrote.

Talk of Laredo's fifth bridge  Nuevo Laredo's fourth, hence the moniker "bridge 4/5"  dates back years. Both the city and county wanted sole control over the project in 2003; they hired separate consultants, submitted separate applications to compete for the same presidential permit, and in the end spent millions of dollars on a project that never got off the ground.

But now, Mexican customs broker and entrepreneur Glafiro Montemayor has promised $300 million toward the construction of bridge 4/5, and possibly even roads leading away from the bridge, Mayor Pete Saenz told LMT last week.

"Frankly, as a mayor, when people say they've got $300 million to invest on border structures, a bridge in particular, we've got to pay attention," Saenz said.

READ MORE: Laredo PD responds to the arrest of 'La Gordiloca'

And the reason Mexico has chosen this site for a new bridge is because it's private money, Saenz said. The Mexican government would not have to finance the vast majority, if any, of the project.

But officials and stakeholders on the U.S. side do not want to let the World Trade Bridge expansion fall to the wayside so as to concentrate only on a new bridge.

In November, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and Saenz wrote a letter to Luis Videgaray Caso, Mexico's secretary of foreign affairs, asking him to consider both the World Trade Bridge expansion and the bridge 4/5 project.

"If agreement cannot be reached between the three levels of governments on both sides of the border regarding both WTB and a new International Laredo Bridge 4/5, the Laredo region will be bypassed by other southern border projects where stakeholder consensus exists," Cuellar wrote.

"We do not find it helpful to find written correspondence from a Mexican transportation official prematurely dismissing any of our Laredo region's international transportation projects without adequate and open binational discussions," Cuellar continued. He could not say what correspondence this refers to.

So on Dec. 15, Cuellar called a meeting at the World Trade Bridge to discuss these bridges and get the Mexicans and Americans on the same page.

In attendance were representatives U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Sen. John Cornyn's office, the U.S. Department of State, Texas Secretary of State, Texas Department of Transportation, the City of Laredo, Webb County and stakeholders in the private sector. Plus, from Mexico: Callejo, Glafiro Montemayor, and representatives from the City of Nuevo Laredo, the State of Tamaulipas, the Secretary of Foreign Relations, Service Tax Administration, and others.

"The message is simple  we're unified in Laredo," Cuellar said.

He told the group that they need to understand that bridge 4/5 is part of the longtime plan for Laredo, but the immediate need is for the World Trade Bridge expansion, Cuellar told LMT.

He took a few Mexican officials on a helicopter ride to the site of where bridge 4/5 is proposed, between Rio Bravo and El Cenizo. He showed them the sparse infrastructure that exists there on both sides of the border, Cuellar said.

RELATED: Pair of crime investigations now classified as homicides by Laredo Police

At one point, the binational bridge committee, which meets annually, was only set to talk about bridge 4/5. Cuellar said he told Mexican officials that he wants the World Trade Bridge expansion on the agenda as well, and everyone at the meeting agreed to progress both bridge projects, he said  World Trade Bridge short-term, bridge 4/5 long-term.

"We're saying now at this point, both are important. Let's not fight over which one comes first," Saenz said.

And Cuellar said he offered to find a private investor for the Mexican side of the WTB if that's what's holding those officials back from embracing the expansion.

It's a safe bet, he said.

What's next for bridge 4/5

Montemayor, the potential investor for the 4/5 project, was not available to comment on this story Friday.

But Saenz said if he had his way, he'd be building the bridge now.

"They've been gung-ho for years. (Montemayor has) been working on this project for 15 years probably, or longer," he said.

On the U.S. side, the Hachar Trust owns the land for the proposed bridge, and has said informally that it's willing to donate 300 acres for this project, Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina said.

But before anything gets started, the city and county would need to commission a study to make sure this is the best location for a fifth bridge.

"It's got to be objectively done. Because that's the right thing to do toward making decisions, using data," Saenz said. "... But I suspect that if there's $300 million on the Mexican side, chances are the studies are going to align themselves to that site because it stands to reason."

And the city and county haven't quite agreed on how the bridge's ownership will be worked out.

Tijerina said 100 percent of this project is the county's, although he's definitely inviting the city's involvement.

Webb County is always looking at how to bring in more revenue, he said, and right now their two main sources are property taxes and oil and gas activity.

"This is the reason the 4/5 bridge is so important," he said.

But the city must operate the bridge, Saenz said, since they're in the bridge business.

"I know the county has said that they need to participate someway somehow, and I think there could be room for the county, but they can't just get the gravy and not put in some of the liability. We're working things out," the mayor said.

Regardless, Tijerina told LMT last week that he was on cloud nine after Cuellar's meeting, and that the progression of the bridge 4/5 project has been a priority for his three years in office.

"This project literally turned around in 24 hours," he said.

El Cenizo Mayor Raul Reyes agreed that this bridge is long overdue, and said it's something he's been supporting since he took his office in 2004.

Although it would not provide a direct benefit to the 3,000 people of El Cenizo, it would go on to create jobs and improve infrastructure, Reyes said.

"I'm ecstatic to say the least," he said.

Private sector

The argument of some people in the trade industry has been that all the warehouses are already in north Laredo, and a bridge to the south of the city doesn't make much sense.

READ MORE: Man found near empty liquor bottles fired gun after argument with wife, LPD report states

"But I figure in 15, 30 years from now, we'll be so saturated that we'll need that bridge. The concern the city has had and maintains is we don't want a fifth bridge competing with our other bridges when these other bridges could still handle the traffic," Saenz said.

In an unsigned letter dated Dec. 12, the presidents of the Laredo Motor Carriers Association, the Laredo Licensed U.S. Customs Brokers Association and the Association of Logistics & Forwarding Agents spelled out their concerns for building a bridge so far south  33 miles away from the warehouse district, they say.

According to their letter, bridge 4/5 is unlikely to succeed because no infrastructure exists for commercial traffic at the proposed site, a presidential permit to begin its construction will take three to five years, and if the bridge were to connect to the proposed "outer loop," all of this commercial traffic would bypass Laredo entirely.

Enrique Gonzalez, president of the Laredo Licensed U.S. Customs Brokers Association, said this letter, which was titled as a press release, was meant as a rough draft, and it got out to many more people than it was intended to.

Gonzalez said these associations support all advancements in infrastructure, and agreed with the consensus coming out of Cuellar's meeting to move forward with both bridges. The congressman put it all in perspective, Gonzalez said.

"Let's get trailers crossing. Let's get going," he said.

Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com
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Albany

In the midst of a revitalizing warehouse district, the old Argus Press building remains a sign of industrial decay and unrealized potential.

You may know it. The building at 1031 Broadway is a landmark marked by two prominent towers, huge windows and decorative yellow brick. Other than Nipper, it's probably the most distinctive thing in its neighborhood.

For those of you who are like me and hope to see change at the Argus, I come to you today with encouraging and discouraging news.

More Information Contact Chris Churchill at 518-454-5700 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse

The encouraging: Albany County controls the dilapidated Argus, which is near Druthers Brewing Co., and is ready to put the building in private hands.

The discouraging: The county may return it to the longtime owner who failed to redevelop the building and lost it to tax foreclosure.

That owner is Menands resident Michael O'Brien Jr., who owes the county $473,101 in back taxes and fees on the property. O'Brien is apparently ready to pay off the debt, and the county is ready to hand the Argus back to him.

In fact, the County Legislature was set to vote on doing just that earlier this month when Chris Higgins, the Democrat from Albany, rose and asked a rather logical question: What in the name of Marcus Reynolds are we doing?

Reynolds?

He's the architect of the Argus. He also designed the Delaware & Hudson Railway building that's now SUNY headquarters.

Actually, Higgins didn't mention Reynolds. But he did want to know why the county would sell the landmark to someone who proved a poor caretaker. At the very least, Higgins said, the former owner should be required to tell lawmakers exactly what he has planned for the Argus.

Fair points, I think.

"They sat on it for years, they didn't pay taxes, they're bad neighbors," Higgins said about 1031 Broadway Associates, the business name used by O'Brien.

Higgins' objections inspired Todd Drake, the Republican from Latham, to stand and launch a rant  his word, not mine  of his own.

What message is the county sending, Drake asked, if it allows a property owner to avoid paying taxes while letting a building fall into disrepair  only to hand it back when a neighborhood revives?

"I think it's obscene," Drake said. "It's an insult to taxpayers."

Pretty good rant, I think.

I'd guess that O'Brien wouldn't love it. Yet when I talked to him last week, O'Brien said he wasn't aware that the Argus had inspired so much legislative passion.

O'Brien didn't want to comment on the controversy, but he did contest the assertion that he no longer owns the building.

That's a bit confusing. I'd point O'Brien to the letter sent last month by his attorney, Peter Pastore, to County Executive Dan McCoy. The attorney describes it "as a formal request to reacquire" the Argus.

Well, I don't know why you'd reacquire something you already own. Pastore didn't respond to a request for comment.

I attempted to ask O'Brien about some of his other properties, including the old Larkin restaurant on Lark Street and former Williams Press complex in Menands, which is marked by graffiti and broken windows. O'Brien objected when I described the Williams building as an eyesore but otherwise declined to comment.

I'll grant that "eyesore" is a subjective description and that a different beholder's eyes might not be as irritated by the condition of the Williams Press building. I invite you to drive by and decide for yourself.

In any event, I reached out to McCoy's office to talk about all this and was put in touch with Michael McLaughlin, its director of policy and research.

McLaughlin said what's happening with the Argus is standard procedure. The county generally works even with property owners so delinquent that they have lost ownership of a building. Ultimately, the decision to sell each property rests with the County Legislature.

The leniency is due, in part, to the county not wanting to be in the real estate business. It doesn't want to be seen as taking properties away from owners who are willing to pay. Plus, $473,000 is a big sum to be recovering on behalf of taxpayers.

Fair enough.

But it's worth considering what the future of the Argus building will be without new ownership. The Historic Albany Foundation has been so worried about ongoing neglect there that it put the building on a list of most-endangered city landmarks.

If you want to see what the Argus and Williams buildings could be, check out the old Albany International complex, which is about halfway between them on Broadway. It has been converted to beautiful apartments.

The Lofts at One Broadway, as they are known, are an asset instead of an eyesore. They improve their neighborhood, rather than degrading it. They prove that good ownership really matters.

cchurchill@timesunion.com  518-454-5442  @chris_churchill
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Laredo Police Department headquarters were filled with families and young children Tuesday and Thursday, as the annual tradition of distributing toys and bringing smiles to the children in the community continued.

The Blue Santa program, which began in the 1980s at LPD, gave away toys to more than 600 families, with over 2,400 children receiving a gift this year.

READ MORE: 'La Gordiloca' arrest part of a 'fluid and ongoing' investigation, LPD says

Sgt. Robert Medina, one of the event's organizers, said police officers look forward to the event because it is their time to give back to the community.

Medina said the only requirement to sign up to receive a toy is an identification and to provide the age and gender of the children. The gifts are only for children ages 1-10. Registration is open for one week in November.

Some parents come and pick up the toys to take home and wrap so they can give to their children, Medina said.

He said that for some children in the community, the toy they get from the program is the only Christmas gift they'll receive.

The event happens in the evening to allow working parents to take their children not only to pick up their gift but also to take a picture with Blue Santa.

All the gifts are purchased with money obtained through donations from local businesses and corporations, Medina said.

READ MORE: Man found near empty liquor bottles fired bullet after argument with wife, LPD report states

Local restaurants also participate and donate food for the kids and the volunteers.

Medina said the program aims to change the light in which children view police. He wants for children to know that police officers are there for them and that they should not be afraid to approach them.

"We don't want the kids to only see us at a bad time," Medina said. "(They only see us when) we're stopping their parents, giving them a ticket or coming to their house when something bad happens."
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Laredo police have ongoing investigations into two cases that had previously been unreported as homicides, according to records provided by LPD.

One case involves a mother of three whose body was found after firefighters extinguished a blaze at a central Laredo home. The other: a 56-year-old father of four whose body was stumbled upon by a child playing in the brush in east Laredo.

RELATED: Laredo PD responds to arrest of Laredo social media star

On Oct. 2, Eloise Hodges Diaz, 50, was found dead after firefighters responded to a blaze in the 3400 block of San Agustin Avenue by Lafayette Street.

Investigator Joe E. Baeza, Laredo Police Department spokesman, said shortly after the incident that there were no apparent signs of foul play. However, LPD investigators have since logged the case as a homicide.

First responders were dispatched to the structure fire at about 11 a.m. at the home. The Laredo Fire Department said the blaze was confined to the kitchen and bedroom areas. Firefighters found Diaz in the kitchen with heat-related injuries, officials said.

On Nov. 28, Juan Jose Morales, 56, of El Salvador, was found dead in the area of Estrella and Los Altos drives, located off Texas 359, about 4.5 miles east of Loop 20.

First responders were dispatched to a deceased person report at about 6 p.m. after a minor who was playing in the brush discovered Morales' body.

READ MORE: Man found near empty liquor bottles fired gun after argument with wife, LPD report states

On Dec. 13, about two weeks later, Laredo police released a picture of a woman whom they are trying to identify in connection with the case.

Investigators said she is wanted for questioning only.

To provide information on either case, call police at 956-795-2800 or Laredo Crime Stoppers at 727-TIPS (8477).
On Dec. 13, more than 300 guests gathered at the home of Marcia and Brig Smart to celebrate the eighth annual Ambassadors for Texas Children's Hospital Holiday Party.

Guests were dressed in their holiday best as they entered a winter wonderland. The Smart residence was warm and welcoming, adorned with three festive trees, holiday lights and plenty of holly and jolly to go around. It was the picture-perfect setting for a merry time filled with food, music and joyful holiday spirit.
It was a busy year in The Woodlands, with some matters, including Hurricane Harvey damage and a controversy over Confederate statues getting national attention.

Some other matters, including a controversy over a massive house undergoing seemingly never-ending construction and concerns about a proposed bill that opponents feared would bring development to Jones State Forest, sparked local furors.

Here is a recap of some of the biggest events of the year.

RESIDENTS IN PRUITT ROAD AREA RESCUED DURING HARVEY

When Hurricane Harvey hit in late August, parts of The Woodlands Township were flooded, with scores of homes being damaged. At the height of the storm, members of The Woodlands Fire Department and volunteers with boats and trucks performed water rescues in flooded neighborhoods near Spring Creek, which had topped its banks.

As drenching rains came down and homes in the Pruitt Road area became surrounded by the rising waters, several people were taken from their homes to dry land by crews in flat-bottom boats. One rescued resident, Kathy Woods, said as she climbed into a deputies patrol car that she had just been ferried from a home that had been built in the 1940s.

Once the storm was over, and as residents began to rebuild their lives, many sought answers to why flooding was so bad in areas of The Village of Creekside Park, including Timarron and Timarron Lakes, which is in the jurisdiction of Montgomery-Harris Counties Municipal Utility District 386. The residents formed a group-Stop the Flooding in MUD 386-to seek solutions to the flooding issues the neighborhoods have faced since the Tax Day flood of 2016, the Memorial Day flood also in 2016 and Hurricane Harvey.

WOODLANDS BOARD WELCOMES STROMATT

In late December, The Woodlands Township Board of Directors welcomed its newest member, Carol Stromatt, and bid farewell to outgoing Director Laura Fillault, during a reception at township's offices. Stromatt ousted Fillault after she had served one term in office by winning 54 percent of the vote in the November election for the Position 7 seat on the board. During the reception, Stromatt expressed thanks to the community for its support.

"Thanks everybody for coming out tonight," she said. "Thanks everybody who got out and voted. I'm look forward to serving you, the residents of The Woodlands."

Fillault also spoke, saying it had "been a sheer joy serving."

"It's been a great couple of years and I wish Mrs. Stromatt the best of luck as she goes forward," Fillault added.

Directors Ann Snyder and John McMullan, who both won re-election without any opposition, were also welcomed back for another two-year term during the gathering.

BUNCH'S COMMENTS OVER CONFEDERATE STATUES SPARKS UPROAR

Just a few weeks after Harvey hit The Woodlands, a storm of a different nature gripped the community when the chairman of the township's Board of Directors, Gordy Bunch, suggested The Woodlands could provide a home for statues of Confederate soldiers that were being taken down in other areas.

"What's happening across the state and across the country is ridiculous regarding eliminating history," Bunch said during a Sept. 19 gathering of the Texas Patriots PAC, a tea party group.

"We don't have a lot of history here in The Woodlands because we're only 42, 43 years old," Bunch said. "For all these folks in Dallas, in Austin and San Antonio and other places looking to relocate their history, might I suggest they can take those assets over here."

When a report of his comments was posted online, a furor arose on social media, with Bunch's comments even making national news. He later apologized and also posted a video on Facebook walking back his offer.

"I want to apologize for the comments I made at a meeting the other night regarding the potential moving of statues to our community," Bunch said in the video. "The only interest that I would ever have in such divisive statues is if they could be used for education purposes in a museum setting where we could educate current and future generations regarding the failures of our past from our history."

CREIGHTON TRIES TO BLOCK REMOVAL OF 'HISTORICAL MONUMENTS'

In a related matter, Texas state Sen. Brandon Creighton, who was speaking at the Tea Party meeting when Bunch made his offer, had earlier tried to block attempts to remove what he described as "historical monuments" from the Texas Capitol grounds in Austin. Creighton, a Republican whose district includes The Woodlands and has a district office in the township, had proposed a bill during the Legislature's special session that would have barred any possible removal of the Sam Houston statue in Houston and other historical monuments across Texas. The measure never made it out of committee before the special session came to an end.

RESIDENTS IN FUROR OVER "MONSTROSITY' IN GROGAN'S POINT

In October, outrage over a massive home in the Grogan's Point neighborhood described in a real estate listing as "spectacular" began to bubble over as neighbors said they were fed up with the seemingly never-ending work on the massive house. Described by residents as a "monstrosity," an "eyesore" and a "never-ending construction site," neighbors on Longspur Drive said the home, which is more than 18,000 square feet and covers nearly 3 acres, had been under various stages of construction for nearly four year. In late October the township filed suit against the owners of the home, Alexandro Rovirosa Martinez and Tanya Marquez Gutierrez. In the lawsuit, the township claims the couple had been "continuously" violating the township's covenants and "habitually failing to apply for and renew approvals."

SIERRA CLUB GIVES LOCAL STATE LAWMAKERS FAILING GRADES

Also in October, four Montgomery County state lawmakers were given failing grades from the Sierra Club for their positions on environmental matters.

Creighton was one of 10 state senators who were graded with an F, while Rep. Mark Keough, of The Woodlands, and Rep. Cecil Bell Jr., of Magnolia, also were given an F rating from the non-profit organization.

Will Metcalf, who represents Conroe in the House, received an F- and was described by the Sierra Club as an "epic failure." Metcalf dismissed his failing grade, describing the organization as a "liberal group based in Oakland, California" and saying the Sierra Club rarely gives a Republican a "decent rating."

CREIGHTON'S JONES STATE FOREST BILL GENERATES WAVE OF PROTEST

As for Creighton, he ran into opposition from the Sierra Club, as well as a wave of outrage from local residents, over a bill that he had introduced earlier this year that critics feared would have brought development to Jones State Forest. During an April 9 meeting an overflow crowd of more than 200 people jammed into the Knights of Columbus building on FM 1488 to voice their opposition to Creighton's Senate Bill 1964. He eventually had the wording of the measure changed so that it would protect the forest, instead of allowing development in a portion of its 1,722 acres. Still, the Sierra Club remained opposed. The bill passed the Senate unanimously, but never made it out of the House during the Legislature's regular session and was not brought up during the special session.

Incidentally, Keough had been asked to file the bill but he declined, according to Jason Millsaps, Keough's chief of staff. Millsaps told The Courier of Montgomery County in April that Keough had turned down the request over concerns about how much space in the forest could be developed. Keough had been invited to the April community meeting, but was unable to attend, according to Millsaps, because he was still recovering from injuries he suffered in a car crash in late March.

KEOUGH SUFFERS BROKEN RIBS IN AUSTIN CRASH

In a March 28 crash, Keough suffered broken ribs when the Lexus he was driving hit a truck in an intersection in Austin. Keough was knocked unconscious and was taken to an area hospital, where doctors originally believed he had suffered a stroke while driving. But Keough says after several doctors visits and tests it was determined he had not had a stroke, but rather appeared to have experienced what he described as sleep deprivation.

"A stroke, anything like that, not a chance," Keough told The Courier in November. "I'm healthy, I have lost about 20 pounds and I'm feeling good.

"I'm ready for this race."

An Austin Police Department spokesman said Keough was not cited in the crash and the case has been closed.

KEOUGH RUNNING FOR COUNTY JUDGE

Keough, instead of seeking another term in the Texas House, announced that he is running for Montgomery County judge in the March 2018 Republican Party primary election challenging Judge Craig Doyal. The two squared off in a debate earlier this month over the planned Texas 249 toll road project, with Keough terming toll roads as "another form of taxation." For his part,during the debate Doyal said he was not a "big fan of toll roads" but that "if there is no other way to pay for a road and you are drowning and drowning, there are few other options for funding."

The winner of the Doyal-Keough primary race will face Democratic challenger Jay Stittleburg in the general election in November.

NEW LAW MAKES REQUIRES LONE STAR CONSERVATION DISTRICT BOARD BE ELECTED

During the regular session of the Legislature, Keough, as well as Will Metcalf, were sponsors of a bill they both introduced in the Texas House that required that board members of the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District be elected instead of appointed. A companion bill was introduced in the state Senate by Brandon Creighton. The final version of both laws also reduced the number of board members from nine to seven and restricted board members to serving no more than three four-year terms. Gov. Greg Abbott signing the new rules into law in May.

KEOUGH HOG BILL BECOMES LAW

Another Keough bill easily passed both the House and the Senate before being signed into law in June, but brought private chortles from some local leaders. Keough's House Bill 3535 allows the hunting of feral hogs from balloons. Keough and backers of the measure who had argued on its behalf pointed out that hunting from helicopters had its limitations because of the noise they make.

"Any way we can think to rid ourselves of those feral hogs," Keough said in October, a little more than a month after the bill became law.

"I don't know what the future holds for it, to be honest. I never thought this would be a huge industry but anything we can do to help with the feral hog problem," Keough said.

Balloonists had opposed the law, arguing that firing guns from balloons was unsafe.
DRESDEN, Germany - On a recent winter morning, Gertraude Bauer and Gerda Noack went shopping in communist East Germany.

"Here we have a lunchbox," said Carmen Mesech, who appeared to be a sales assistant at the Intershop store, an upscale communist-era establishment where the women were examining merchandise.

"This used to be so popular," Bauer responded with a smile.

"And the bread in it was always fresh," added Noack, gazing into the distance.

The two 93-year-olds spent much of their lives in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR). Now, decades later, the vanished communist era appeared - at least for them - to be back. The Intershop store they were browsing in was, of course, a reproduction, and the song playing in the background, "Old Like a Tree," had long ago disappeared from the radio.

Then a door opened and a nurse came in. It was time for the two Alzheimer's patients' daily nap and, for now, an end to their retro shopping tour.

Bauer and Noack, who live in a nursing home in this eastern German city, have suffered for years from Alzheimer's, the degenerative disease that robs patients of their capacity to remember. For just a few minutes, however, they give the impression of having overcome their condition and regained control over their memories. To them, life in formerly communist East Germany, a country that merged with West Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, is more vivid than experiences they may have had only minutes ago.

"People with dementia often still have a good long-term memory, whereas their short-term memory does not really work anymore. They may not remember relatives and family so well, but they can remember very well certain details from decades ago," said Ursula Beer, a volunteer at the nursing home.

The Alexa nursing home where Noack and Bauer live is trying to trigger such memories by re-creating settings from the communist era as a form of therapy. While other nursing homes are also trying to help their residents remember details of their lives, what is going on here could well be the only concerted effort to re-create for its residents an entire historical era.

"At the beginning, we had no real idea how we could give (the residents) some of their vitality back," said Gunter Wolfram, the nursing home's 49-year-old director. "Dementia residents often have this challenge of being unable to structure their own lives and not really knowing what to do with themselves."

One widely used form of therapy involves showing patients the old tools of their trade - for example, giving a former hairdresser combs, to reactivate memories. But that approach seems to work only if the patient was enthusiastic about his or her line of work; in East Germany, where one's choice of professions was heavily regulated by the state, few were.

The response was much more striking when Wolfram bought a 1960s-era East German motor scooter more than two years ago to decorate his nursing home. "They remembered features of the scooter and told us stories about how they had gone on trips with their friends in the past," he said of the patients.

He went on to buy other items commonly used in communist East Germany during the 1960s, including old radios, passports, hair dryers, even widely known ice cream advertisements. He displayed them in a dedicated "memory room" that also featured a small supermarket, a traditional living room and comfortable chairs.

Wolfram and his team of nurses soon noticed changes among patients who spent their days in an environment modeled after the Germany they had once known. They began to drink more water and eat more, and could suddenly go to the toilet again by themselves. "They showed abilities they did not show at all prior to that," Wolfram said.

For the experiment to succeed, younger nurses also had to learn more about the GDR, so they could credibly appear as if they were living in an era they had never experienced. "I managed to learn a lot about East Germany from my older colleagues and, of course, through interacting with older people here," said Mesech, 33, the nurse who was acting as an Intershop staffer when Noack and Bauer came by.

Beer, who is 64 and actually remembers that period, helps everyone out, sharing anecdotes about her first visit from behind the Iron Curtain. "I remember the first time I was allowed to travel to West Germany and I saw kiwi fruit there. And I thought: Why do they have such funny potatoes," she recalled.

Some nurses also acknowledged drawing inspiration from the movie "Good Bye, Lenin!" which tells the story of a pro-communist mother who suffers a heart attack after her son is arrested for taking part in an anti-government protest. When she finally wakes up from a coma, the Berlin Wall has come down and her beloved communist country is collapsing. Her family decides to re-create East Germany for her and pretend as if nothing has changed, fearing she may suffer a fatal attack if she learns the truth.

Soon after the nursing home experiment was launched, Wolfram's team expanded the initiative by another decade. A second room was refurbished based on architecture and everyday items common in the 1970s. In the nursing home's entrance, visitors are now also welcomed by a painting depicting the Berlin Wall - the best-known symbol of communist East Germany's failure as a state and its subsequent demise.

More than 100,000 East Germans tried to flee their country between 1961, when the wall was built, and 1989, when it came down in an almost bewilderingly peaceful revolt. At least 270 people died trying to cross the border into West Germany. East German soldiers were instructed to fire at any of their compatriots who attempted to escape the politically repressive and economically bankrupt system.

And yet, many former East Germans - born in a country that no longer exists - still have mainly positive memories of that era. They also remember a country in which women were equal counterparts of their male co-workers, receiving the same pay and having the same responsibilities, and in which unemployment was low. "Apart from the difficulties, there were also very pleasant memories, from the first love of the first moped and those little freedoms that you had," Wolfram said.

He himself faced repression under the communist regime after his family requested a permit to leave the GDR legally. His personal unease about suggestions that he might be glorifying the GDR is on display just a few yards from the 1960s-themed memory room: The large room next door is set up as a Hollywood-themed cinema and includes a bookcase stocked with travel guides for places such as London, Scotland and Greece.

Most East Germans were both barred from watching Hollywood movies and from traveling to the West until 1989, and those places seemed unimaginably far away to them. Now, in the nursing home, Hollywood and East Germany are separated by just a thin wall. The plan is, in a few years, to also re-create the 1980s - the decade the Wall came down.

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Video: The Alexa nursing home, located in Dresden, Germany, is recreating spaces from communist-era East Germany as a form of therapy for their patients with dementia.(Joyce Lee,Rick Noack/The Washington Post)

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China hosted top diplomats from Afghanistan and Pakistan on Tuesday in a bid to mediate a long-simmering conflict between the neighboring countries.

Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif joined their Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Tuesday to discuss possible economic and security cooperation. The first trilateral minister-level dialogue in Beijing comes as China expands its economic interests in Pakistan.

"China, Afghanistan and Pakistan, as three neighbors, will naturally try to strengthen cooperation amongst each other," Wang was quoted as saying by state broadcaster CCTV. "This is fully in accordance with our common interests, and is a good thing for us."

The meeting highlighted China's growing role in global hotspots as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration embraces a more inward-looking foreign policy. President Xi Jinping has sought to present China as a responsible alternative to the U.S., shifting from a longstanding policy of keeping a low profile in international affairs.

The three ministers agreed to work together on political mutual trust, reconciliation, development cooperation, connectivity, security cooperation and counter-terrorism, according to a joint media release issued by Pakistan's foreign ministry. The countries will host their second meeting in Kabul in 2018.

"A broad-based and inclusive peace and reconciliation process, which is 'Afghan-led, Afghan-owned', and fully supported regionally and internationally, is the most viable solution to end the violence in Afghanistan," they said in the statement, calling on the Taliban to join the peace process.

China hoped the meeting could set up a communication platform for Afghanistan and Pakistan that would allow the two countries to build trust, enhance understanding and improve ties, Wang said, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

The three countries agreed to establish the mechanism during Wang's visits to Kabul and Islamabad in June.

China is investing more than $50 billion in Pakistan to create an economic corridor that would link its remote western region to the Arabian sea. Beijing's leaders have also boosted economic and trade ties with Afghanistan.

Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of providing a safe haven for Taliban militants looking to overthrow the U.S.-backed government in Kabul. Several rounds of meetings in the past few years between the U.S., China, Pakistan and Afghanistan failed to facilitate meaningful peace talks.
President Donald Trump called it proof of the need to build a wall; Sen. Ted Cruz said it was a "stark reminder" of insecurity along the border.

To everyone, it seemed like a horrendous example of the dangers that Border Patrol officers face as they cover vast, remote and unforgiving territories.

But a month after a middle-of-the-night incident in which one Border Patrol agent was killed and another, who is said to have no memory of what happened, was severely injured, no one seems to know how the men came into harm's way off an interstate in West Texas.

It was initially thought to be an attack, perhaps by migrants or drug smugglers. But the FBI says it also was possible the men were hurt accidentally. The Culberson County sheriff, Oscar Carrillo, who is helping with the investigation, seemed to favor that theory when he told The Dallas Morning News that the men could have been hit by a truck driving along the interstate next to where they were found.

"If this was an assault, believe me, as sheriff, I'd be the first one out there emphasizing safety in our community and with our deputies, pairing them up," he told the newspaper. "But from what I know and see, that was not the case here."

That hypothesis has angered the border agents' union, The National Border Patrol Council, whose leadership fiercely insists that the men were attacked. Chris Cabrera, a spokesman for the organization, went as far as to call Carrillo a "dingbat" on his weekly podcast.

"All these other theories, it's tarnishing the name of our agents," he said in an interview.

The immediate, politicized reactions from Trump, Cruz and other elected officials have died down, as weeks have passed without any more clarity as to what happened.

It was just after 11 p.m. Nov. 18, when, according to the FBI, the two agents at the heart of the mystery responded to unspecified "activity" near a culvert, or drainage tunnel, that carries water underneath Interstate 10 near Van Horn.

One of the agents, Stephen Garland, then called for help. When colleagues arrived, they found both men with major head injuries and broken bones, and took them to a local hospital. The men were flown to a larger hospital in El Paso, where the other agent, Rogelio Martinez, died early the next morning.

Immediately afterward, the FBI said that it would spearhead an inquiry into the incident, which they were treating as a "potential assault against a federal officer," according to Jeanette Harper, a spokeswoman for the agency. Assaults against Customs and Border Protection officers, including Border Patrol agents, reached 720 in the 2017 fiscal year, the most in at least five years, according to data from the agency.

Tip proves fruitless

Harper said the FBI had collected forensic evidence that was being analyzed at its laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, and was also "aggressively" following up on leads that came into the agency's tip line.

One of those led to a search warrant being issued for a car belonging to two brothers. But later, Harper said the agency had not arrested anyone, or even identified anyone "of interest," in the investigation, suggesting that the tip about the brothers may not have proved fruitful.

Angie Ochoa, who was engaged to marry Martinez when he died, said she even went to the scene of the incident, escorted by one of her fiance's co-workers, after she became fed up with the shifting accounts of what may have happened. "None of it made sense so I wanted to see for myself," she said.

Uncertainty in the case

Part of the challenge of establishing what exactly happened to the men is the remoteness of their work. Border agents patrol rocky deserts, often in the middle of the night, where there are very few, if any, other people around. The incident in November happened outside a tiny town of less than 2,000 people. The other agent, Garland, who has been released from the hospital, is said to have no memory of what happened.

Martinez's father, Jose Martinez, said in an interview shortly after his son died that after seeing his son in the hospital, he thought the injuries were too severe to have been caused by an accident. "I believe someone put a trap," he said. The elder Martinez said he had often worried about his son working alone in the middle of the night.

Another sign of the uncertainty surrounding the case can be found in the descriptions of the rewards offered by the FBI and the state of Texas.

The state is offering $20,000 for information "leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol agent and the serious injury of another."

The FBI's $50,000 reward is for "information leading to the resolution of this case."
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ROSE CITY - It was before dawn when the woman responsible for running this small town's 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.

Before Thanksgiving, residents were among 3,750 people in Southeast Texas 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 hasn't charged for tap water since the boil order was issued.

Ratcliff had hoped new tests would get the order lifted in time for the new year. 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 city's plans.

At 5:15 a.m. Thursday, Ratcliff rushed to the tower above the town's water plant behind City Hall, all still being rebuilt after the storm and surrounded by a mix of mud and debris.

Ratcliff's 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.

'Doesn't seem like Christmas'

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. She's 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 we'll get some answers, or some help. I try my best, but sometimes it's not enough when you've 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 doesn't 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.

Across the street from City Hall, City Secretary Tonya Veazey set up her Christmas tree under a carport serving as her family's kitchen and den, with a couch, TV, smokers and a grill.

"I've 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 didn't have money for flood insurance, we're rebuilding penny by penny, paycheck by paycheck," said Tonya Veazey, 34, wearing a "Come Hell or High Water Texas Strong" T-shirt.

Paycheck to paycheck

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 didn't 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 neighbor's 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.

'We survived'

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 a black 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 Year's.

"That's 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 can't afford to rebuild, but hope to find a larger trailer.

"I'm just thankful we've 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.
Kristina (Kristy) Gonzalez Guerra passed away peacefully and quietly with her loving family by her side on Friday, December 22, 2017 at her home after a courageous battle with a short illness. She was 44 years of age.

She attended local schools and graduated from United High School in 1991. She served as the official photographer of the schools yearbook and continued to pursue her love of photography as a hobby after graduation. Kristy had an indomitable spirit and loved life and lived her life to the fullest. She was a world traveler and visited over 20 countries in her short life. She was an avid skier, loved the outdoors, and loved animals, especially, horses. Her energetic approach to life was contagious. Kristy was self-driven, determined and didnt mind working hard to obtain her goals. Above all, she was a very compassionate and very caring human being, which earned her the respect of all who knew her. She was generous with friends and strangers as well, sharing her skills, time, and knowledge to help others. Kristy had many friends, here and abroad, and had a gift for expressing her love and support to all her family and friends. Her life and passion were her two sons and her daughter and her life revolved around them. Their happiness was always her priority and she dedicated her life to them and worked tirelessly to build lasting memories of their time spent together even to the very end. Kristy was a loving and devoted daughter and sister and no one could have asked for a better niece or cousin. She brought enormous joy and love to all the family gatherings, and her deep faith and love of God and the Blessed Virgen gave her a sense of purpose and direction.
By the end of this decade, 2 in 3 job openings will require some higher education. And, yet, we still live in a country where too many bright striving Americans are priced out of the education they need. It is not fair to them and is sure not smart for our future.

President Barack Obama uttered those prophetic words during his 2015 State of the Union address, describing an initiative for future students attending community colleges at no cost.

Fifty years ago, higher education was a luxury, viewed as a supplement to a growing industrial labor market requiring only a high school diploma for a livable wage. But such jobs have steadily declined, while higher-skills positions have spiraled.

For many Latinos, the cost of college is out of reach, even when they qualify for financial aid. A labyrinth of forms, academic research styles, even collaborative and accelerated readings become overwhelming for students unprepared for college.

As someone who attended community college, I must acknowledge that assimilating into the academic environment was crucial in helping me grow intellectually and prepare socially for university life. After attaining my associate degree, I transferred to the University of Texas at Austin, earning my Bachelor of Arts in political science and history. Later, I was admitted to UTSA, earning a Master of Arts in history.

I saw many first-generation colleagues fail because of academic culture shock. According to the Washington-based Excelencia in Education organization, many first-generation Latinos struggle with completing developmental reading and writing programs to make the next leap into college level academia.

Latino students also grapple with completing course requirements for an associate degree, as well as registering for courses that transfer to four-year universities. Without family and collegiate support, the safety net falls apart and not everyone survives.

Fortunately, theres hope.

Catch the Next Inc., or CTN, is a college-readiness program focusing on underserved communities and accelerating the success of students unprepared for college-level writing and mathematics. It uses an academic framework called the Casita Model, supported by five pillars of academic engagement: gateway courses, math pathways, accelerated English, learning frameworks and mentoring. The homelike atmosphere allows students to bond with other first-generation students. Field trips and motivational summer seminars at UT Austin are standard.

Families are included in a special Noche de Familia sit-down dinner, where parents meet mentors and college staff involved in their childrens educational experience. CTN engages the parents of first-generation students unfamiliar with higher education.

Because of Maria Martha Chavez Brumell, chief executive officer and former Yale dean, I am officially a part of La Familia, informing other Latinos about our blossoming organization. Among the Alamo Colleges District, Palo Alto College was the first to adopt the data-driven program, and its success has prompted other area colleges to take notice. CTN recently visited Northwest Vista, St. Philips and San Antonio College to encourage them to join La Familia of Catch the Next Inc.

Our hope is that the remaining campuses in the Alamo Colleges District will join us in enriching the Latino college population.

Alfredo Torres Jr. is a copy editor for CTN: a Journal of Pedagogy and Ideas, and an independent research historian working at Palo Alto College.
1 Mexico quake: A Christmas day earthquake shook southern Mexico. There were no immediate reports of damage. Mondays temblor was centered near the Pacific coast resort city of Acapulco, where the shaking was felt strongly and many people left their homes. Civil defense chief Sabas de la Rosa Camacho said some shopping malls were evacuated after the temblor. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake had a magnitude of 4.7 and its epicenter was 26 miles north-northeast of Acapulco. It also triggered the seismic alarm system in Mexico City, where nerves are still raw from a Sept. 19 quake that killed 369 people including 228 in the capital. Another deadly earthquake hit farther south in Mexico earlier that month.

2 Pardon in Peru: Perus president announced Sunday night that he granted a medical pardon to jailed former strongman Alberto Fujimori, who was serving a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses, corruption and the sanctioning of death squads. President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski released a statement on Christmas Eve saying he decided to free Fujimori for humanitarian reasons, citing doctors who had determined the ex-leader suffers from incurable and degenerative problems. The 79-year-old Fujimori, who governed from 1990 to 2000, is a polarizing figure in Peru. Some Peruvians laud him for defeating the Maoist Shining Path guerrilla movement, while others loathe him for human rights violations carried out under his government and some human rights groups quickly criticized the pardon.

3 Teen ousts father: The eldest son of President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines resigned his post as the vice mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao on Monday after his teenage daughter implied he had beaten her, prompting an all-out social media war between the two. Paolo Duterte quit his job just days after deadly floods and a large building fire struck Davao, the largest city on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. The city is a stronghold of President Duterte, who gained his national reputation for being tough on the drug trade during his long tenure there as mayor. In announcing his resignation Monday to the City Council, Paolo Duterte cited the social media fight, as well as his failed marriage to Lovelie Sangkola, the teenagers mother, and recent accusations tying him to a crime ring.

4 Afghanistan attack: A suicide bomber struck Monday near an office of the Afghan intelligence service in the capital, Kabul, killing at least six people, including a woman in a passing vehicle, officials said. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said another three people were wounded in the attack, adding that the exact target was unclear. The bomber was on foot and detonated his suicide vest on the main road, he said. Both the Taliban and the local Islamic State affiliate have carried out several past attacks in the capital, mainly targeting security forces.

5 Arrest in journalists death: Mexican authorities have arrested a man suspected of ordering the March killing of journalist Miroslava Breach, a correspondent for the national newspaper La Joranada. The National Security Commission said in a statement that the 43-year-old suspect was detained along with two others Monday morning in the town of Bacobampo, Sonora state. It identified him as the head of a criminal gang with a strong presence in parts of Sonora and Chihuahua states.

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BAGUIO, Philippines (AP)  A passenger bus collided with a van carrying pilgrims to Christmas Mass at a church in the northern Philippines on Monday, leaving 20 people dead more than two dozen injured, police said.

Police Chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula said all those killed in the pre-dawn collision in La Union provinces Agoo town were in the smaller van, locally known as jeepneys. Another 10 van passengers, along with the driver and 17 other occupants of the bus were injured.

The vans engine was ripped off due to the impact of the crash.

The van passengers were bound for Our Lady of Manaoag, a Roman Catholic church in northern Pangasinan province that has long been popular among pilgrims and Catholics praying for the sick and impoverished, police said.

Rickety passenger buses and jeeps, lack of safety signs, poor law enforcements and reckless driving have been blamed for many road tragedies in the Philippines.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Bahrains Military High Court on Monday sentenced six Shiites to death, 15 years in prison and revoked their nationality on charges of attempting to assassinate the commander-in-chief of the countrys defense force, who oversees the appointment of military judges.

The state-run Bahrain News Agency said the case involved 18 defendants, eight of whom were tried in absentia. The group was charged with a number of crimes, including forming a terrorist cell.

Seven of the defendants were sentenced to seven years in jail and stripped of their Bahraini nationality. Five were acquitted. The state news agency said those found guilty have the right to appeal the verdict with the militarys high court of appeals.

The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights criticized the verdicts, saying the militarys judiciary is prosecuting civilians for simply exercising their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. It alleged that the defendants were subjected torture and solitary confinement.

Bahrain, a tiny island-state off the coast of Saudi Arabia, is majority Shiite, but ruled by a Sunni monarchy. The country, which hosts the U.S. Navys 5th Fleet, was roiled in Shiite-led protests in 2011, but the government cracked down on protesters with help from Emirati and Saudi troops.

Since the crackdown, some Shiite militant groups in Bahrain have launched deadly attacks on police and security forces. Bahrains government accuses Shiite-led Iran of backing militant groups in their attacks  a charge Tehran denies.

Since 2011, military courts have tried hundreds of defendants. A government-appointed investigation after the protests criticized the use of the courts, saying they were employed to punish those in the opposition and raised a number of concerns about their conformity with international human rights law.

BEIRUT (AP)  Syrian government forces have captured new areas south of the capital Damascus near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, increasing pressure on insurgents.

The government-controlled Syrian Central Military Media reported that Syrian troops and their allies captured Monday three new areas from al-Qaida-linked Levant Liberation Committee. It added troops are now about 500 meters (yards) from the shrine of Sheikh Abdullah that is sacred to the countrys Druze community.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Right said the fighters are now besieged in the village of Beit Jin and nearby areas after a 10-day intense offensive. It added that negotiations are underway to evacuate insurgents to the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib.

Israel has been concerned about the push by Syrian troops and their Iran-backed allies close to its border.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A suicide bomber struck outside a government intelligence office near the presidential palace in the Afghan capital on Monday, killing six civilians, officials said.

Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said three other civilians were wounded in the rush-hour attack in Shashdarak, a Kabul neighborhood with several government offices and a heavy security presence.

Police cordoned off the area, which links eastern parts of Kabul to the city center. Witnesses said the attack occurred outside the main entrance to a security compound.

Uniformed forces closed off the main roads. Ambulances were seen leaving the scene, apparently taking casualties to hospitals, said Qadir Salem, a bystander.

Mariam Attaie, a commuter who was heading to work when the attack occurred, wrote on her Facebook page: My day has been started with sorrow and grief, I was just few meters away from todays explosion, my ears stopped working for few minutes.

The bombing comes a week after militants stormed a National Directorate of Security training center in Kabul, which in recent months has been repeatedly targeted by suicide bombers with ties to the Islamic State and the Taliban.

The Islamic State asserted responsibility for the attack through its Amaq News Agency.

The group has been ratcheting up attacks on government buildings and, most recently, Shiite mosques in Kabul, inflicting heavy civilian casualties.

GUATEMALA CITY  Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Guatemalas decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem, almost three weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump took the controversial step of recognizing the city as the capital of Israel.

From here I would like to say to the president of Guatemala: God bless you, my friend, President Morales, Netanyahu said at the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem on Monday.

God bless both our countries  Israel and Guatemala. We are waiting for you here in Jerusalem.

Guatemala is the first country to follow Trumps decision, which unleashed a barrage of criticism from Arab, European and Muslim leaders.

The prime minister added that he believes more countries will do the same. Well, here is the second country and I reiterate: It is only the beginning and it is important.

President Jimmy Morales said Sunday that he had instructed Foreign Minister Sandra Jovel to initiate the move and had informed Netanyahu of the decision.

Both Israelis and Palestinians prize Jerusalem as their capital and Trumps decision was seen by Palestinians as endorsing Israels control over the entire city.

Israel occupied the eastern half of Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed the territory, an action that was not internationally recognized.

The announcement was met with derision among Palestinians.

It looks like Jerusalem has become a way out for lots of leaders that are in trouble domestically whether its Netanyahu, Trump or Morales, said Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee member.

Last week, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to rebuke the U.S. for its recognition of Jerusalem.

Only nine countries  including Guatemala  voted against the resolution, while 128 countries were in favor. Thirty-five countries abstained.

The status of Jerusalem has been one of the most sensitive and explosive issues in the decades-long conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Israel has long claimed Jerusalem as its undivided capital, while the Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state.

More than 300,000 Palestinians live in East Jerusalem, which includes holy sites for Jews, Muslims, and Christians.

MOSCOW aa Russias Central Election Commission refused to register opposition leader Alexei Navalny as a candidate in the 2018 presidential elections, confirming warnings that he wouldnt be allowed on the ballot because of a criminal conviction.

Navalny, an anti-corruption activist and critic of President Vladimir Putin, denounced the case against him as a politically motivated effort to keep him off the ballot. The European Court of Human Rights pronounced his conviction illegal, but he was re-tried and found guilty on the same charges and given a five-year suspended sentence in February.

These sentences were falsified, Navalny told the election commission in Moscow. No one will recognize the election process or the results.

Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova responded angrily that the panel didnt have the legal authority to overlook his criminal conviction. Youre swindling the youth of the country, she said before lecturing Navalny on how to conduct a smarter, more careful political campaign.

After the decision, Navalny released a pre-recorded video on Twitter calling for a voters strike aa a boycott of the election aa and pledging to monitor the election for violations and refusing to recognize the results.

Navalny announced his plan to run for the presidency a year ago, defying repeated warnings from officials that he would not be allowed on the ballot because of a legal provision that blocks people with serious criminal convictions from running until at least a decade after completing their sentences.

Thousands of his supporters demonstrated in more than a dozen cities around Russia Sunday in support of his candidacy.

Navalny emerged as an organizer of mass protests over alleged ballot rigging in 2011-2012, the biggest demonstrations since Putin took power almost 20 years ago. In 2013, Navalny got nearly enough votes to force a run-off against a Putin ally in the Moscow mayoral election. Over the past year, his anti-Kremlin protests have attracted large crowds in cities across the country, including thousands of young people.

Putin is expected to win a fourth presidential term easily in the March election. This month, he defended the decision to keep opposition figures like Navalny out of political life, comparing him to former President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia, who is widely reviled in Russia for his role in the 2008 war between the two countries.
INTUTO, Peru  Amadeo Garcia Garcia rushed upriver in his canoe, slipping into the hidden, booby-trapped camp where his brother Juan lay dying.

Juan writhed in pain and shook uncontrollably as his fever rose, battling malaria. As Amadeo consoled him, the sick man muttered back in words that no one else on Earth still understood.

Jeintavea, he said that sweltering day in 1999. I am so ill .

The words were Taushiro. A mystery to linguists and anthropologists alike, the language was spoken by a tribe that vanished into the jungles of the Amazon basin in Peru generations ago, hoping to save itself from the invaders whose weapons and diseases had brought it to the brink of extinction.

A bend on the wild river, as they called it, sheltered the two brothers and the 15 other remaining members of their tribe. The clan protected its tiny settlement with a ring of deep pits, expertly hidden by a thin cover of leaves and sticks. They kept packs of attack dogs to stop outsiders from coming near. Even by the end of the 20th century, few people had ever seen the Taushiro or heard their language beyond the occasional hunter, a few Christian missionaries and the armed rubber tappers who came at least twice to enslave the small tribe.

But in the end it was no use. Without rifles or medicine, they were dying off.

Measles took Juan and Amadeos mother. Finally, a fatal form of malaria killed their father, the patriarch of the tribe.

The strange thing was how quiet Amadeo was, said Tomas Villalobos, a Christian missionary who was with him when Juan died. I asked him, How do you feel? And he said to me: Its over now for us.

Amadeo said it haltingly, in broken Spanish, the only way he would be able to communicate with the world from that moment on. No one else spoke his language anymore. The survival of his culture had suddenly come down to a sole, complicated man.

The entire fate of the Taushiro people now lies with its last speaker, a person who never expected such a burden and has spent much of his life overwhelmed by it.

The waters of the Peruvian Amazon were once a vast linguistic repository, a place where every turn of the river could yield another dialect, often completely unintelligible to people living just a few miles away. But in the past century, at least 37 languages have disappeared in Peru alone, lost in the steady clash and churn of national expansion, migration, urbanization and the pursuit of natural resources.

Nicholas Casey is a New York Times writer.
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Lifestyle / Travel

Dec 23, 2017 | By LUXUO

Outdoor Travel Trail: Discovering Jeju Islands Most Popular UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites

Crisp clean autumn air, birds chirping at midday and the silvery blond rastafarian heads of pampas grass rising at least seven feet above ground along a hiking trail at Geomun Oreum makes you forget one key thing about the place: Jeju, the largest island off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, is still considered a potentially active volcano site.

Fondly nicknamed by locals as the Island of the Gods, Jeju is a popular destination for Koreans, in particular, honeymooning newlyweds looking for a romantic getaway in a beautiful setting. The threat of volcanic activity is currently minimal, for although Jejus mountains may not be extinct, the most recent dynamic activity according to scientists monitoring Jejus volcanic movements, was estimated to be 5,000 years ago at Sangchang-ri.

Jejus geological history spans millions of years and make for a fascinating conversation on how it permeates local culture, the landscape and even weather. The islands combination of volcanic rock, temperate climate and frequent rainfall resembles the island of Hawaii, offering visitors an alluring range of Jeju activities: hiking trails, tangerine picking, including South Koreas highest peak, the majestic Halla-san, exploring underground lava tubes, and horse riding along sandy beaches. This natural beauty is what earned Jeju island the coveted UNESCO World Natural Heritage designation, where three of Jejus most notable natural sites  Hallasan, Seongsan Ilchulbong, and the Geomun Oreum Lava Tube System  were acknowledged for ecological and geological importance.

The islands volcanic terrain and four seasons creates a landscape vastly different from that of Malaysias  instead of limestone caves, Jeju has volcanic lava tunnels, and instead of year-long, green tropical jungle, Jejus slopes are covered in pine and maple, amongst other species, that change according to seasons.

While Malaysians have typically been drawn to Seoul for its ample shopping choices, as well as cafes and dining experiences, an increasing number of Malaysians are spending more on authentic travel experiences, health and wellness, making Jeju the perfect destination awaiting discovery. Regular direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to the island of Jeju by Korean Air and AirAsiaX make it easily accessible for Malaysians to uncover the islands UNESCO gems. If there was any good timing to pick up on Jejus UNESCO trail, it would be now, with the islands designation now in its tenth anniversary.

The kingdom of oreum: exploring Geomun Oreum, Jejus most well-known parasitic cone

Oreum  a natural phenomenon called a parasitic cone  is formed from volcanic activity, and is so abundant on the island that there are more than enough to climb one every single day of the year. Amongst the 368 known oreum, the most well-known is Geomun Oreum. Each oreum is uniquely shaped by the location and conditions, but Geomun Oreum, which means black mountain, stands out due to the density of crater vegetation that creates a darker hue on its overall landscape.

The autumn months are the most ideal for exploring Jejus oreum, when nature puts on its best show of colours: gold-hued grass underfoot, leaves of deciduous trees turning vibrant reds and yellows, and tall, silvery pampas grass nodding in the direction of a comfortable autumn chill. Closer to the middle of the crater, within the dense forest are deep crevices that have sliced through layers of scoria and basalt, creating natural water channels for purified rainwater to reach the ground. Apart from trees and trails, Geomun Oreum is littered with historical remnants of war: 20th century military structures built by Japanese invaders hiding from the Allied forces remain, used again later by the people of Jeju seeking refuge during a transitional period between 1948 and 1949, when heavy-handed, anti-communist measures were carried out to crush rebels.

Manjanggul: one of the longest lava tunnels in the world

Only 400 hikers are allowed to ascend Geomun Oreum daily, and they have to register at the Visitor Centre for a guided tour along one of the four trails, which range from 1-4 hours in completion time. Starting the hike early in the day would be advisable, as it then allows time for lunch before moving on the next best site to visit in sequence  Manjanggul, or Manjang Cave, formed when lava flowed from Geomun Oreum 2.5 million years ago, creating astonishing underground structures like lava stalagmites and more impressively, perfectly symmetrical tunnels appear ethereal in the fluorescent lights that illuminate the tunnel chambers.

Only 1 kilometre of the 13 kilometre long Manjanggul is open for public viewing, but within that length, its standout physical traits are apparent. Passageways are well-preserved, allowing visitors a firsthand glimpse at how lava travelled in its molten state. Micro-topographic features are visible along the tunnel walls, perfectly straight, symmetrical lines running parallel with visitors as they walk further into the cave. Walking the entire length of the open section may take up to two hours, as there is only one entrance and exit along a wet and uneven floor, carved and pock marked long ago by flowing lava.

Sun-gazing at Seongsan Ilchulbong

Upon emerging from the depths of the underground lava tunnel, there may be just enough time before sundown to enjoy a spectacular view of the island atop Seongsan Ilchulbong, another one of Jejus famous oreum. Inversely, it is also known as sunrise peak. The climb up the 182-metre high peak is nearly 90 degrees at some parts but made convenient by a man-made staircase. Hence, it is highly popular with crowds of locals and foreigners alike, ascending the peak in all manner of attire, from heeled office shoes to hiking boots.

At sunrise or sunset, one main lookout point before reaching the top of the crater affords hikers a panoramic landscape of Jeju Island showered in golden, twinkling sunlight. When hikers reach the top, there is stadium-style seating to observe the many shapes of natural rocks and the grassy, bowl-shaped basin separating visitors from the edge of the crater. Whats clear at the peak is how the oreum received its name. Seongsan describes a mountain resembling a castle, and Ilchulbong is a summit from where one can view the suns movements, from sunrise to sunset.

Seongsan Ilchulbong is also the same location to see the legendary Haenyeo women of Jeju in action  a group of highly-skilled, elderly women who free dive for catch like abalone, octopus and shellfish to support their families. The divers perform their ritual four times throughout the day, with the last performance at 4PM. From the pre-dive preparations to returning with bounty, the lady divers present an impressive show, braving the currents and low visibility, yet returning with fresh catch and even slicing up some for visitors to sample.

Hallasan: South Koreas highest peak

The UNESCO trail on Jeju island is only complete when youve climbed Hallasan. Standing at 1950 metres, it is the highest summit in South Korea with a diverse and vibrant ecosystem. To date, over 1,800 plant species and 4,000 species of insects and animals have been identified, awaiting exploration and discovery from hikers of all ages and nationalities.

The claim that Hallasan is an easy climb is debatable, partially depending on the route chosen. There are five main trails, all of which are not longer than 10KM and have a combination of wooden stairs and rocky basalt pathways that require good hiking sticks and shoes to navigate. To reach the highest point, hikers can choose between the picturesque but more challenging 8.7KM Gwaneumsa trail, or easier but longer Seongpanak trail which is 9.6KM to the summit. Beginner hikers have the option of taking the shorter trails like Eorimok or Yeongsil that go about 1,200 metres up the mountain, but provide views that are no less spectacular and reasonably challenging. Along these easier routes is where one sees the passion that Koreans and Jeju locals have for hiking. Anyone will feel the intensity of the hike even on these easier trails, but throughout the entire length of the trails, people who go past are from a broad spectrum of ages, from white-haired senior couples to five-year-olds accompanied by their parents.

Amidst the rocks and the Jeju flora and fauna, there is something in the crisp autumn air that energises even those amongst us who seem less able to carry feats of physical strength. During the descent, a disabled lady hiker with one leg was seen ascending the steps in crutches, wearing only basic flat shoes. Before getting duly worried, it is comforting to know that Hallasan has monorail tracks that run parallel to the trails, built for emergencies like transporting injured hikers. While this disabled hiker was not quite at a halfway point and did seem tired, she appeared undaunted and disinterested in slowing down. But on this peak known as the mountain of the gods, miracles are bound to happen.

Words by Shermian Lim
Cars

On display at Berth C1, the Majesty 48 from Gulf Craft is ideal for both holiday a long weekend sojourn, and is a welcome addition to the brands ever-growing list of luxury superyachts.

Dec 26, 2017 | By Andrea Sim

The 49-foot and 2-inch (15 m) Majesty 48 motor yacht will be one of the international iconic superyachts on display at the highly-anticipated Phuket Rendezvous 2018, taking place from January 4-7, 2018. The event will bring back some of the worlds most sought-after boating brands where guests can tour the luxurious superyachts, join in the curated list of activities and and soak up the exciting atmosphere.

Majesty 48 on Display at Phuket Rendezvous 2018

Built by Gulf Craft Inc., the Majesty 48 motor yacht features an unprecedented amount of topside deck ideal for families to entertain and host a large group of guests from its viewing decks. In addition to the abundant light, generous space and high-quality finishes for the Majesty 48, passengers can also hop over to the panoramic main deck and enjoy the skylight and gentle breeze.

The saloon, dining area and the galley are located on the same deck. With an ultimate blend of design, styling, safety and performance, Majesty 48 imbued some of the most important features that current yacht owners are looking for.

Famed for its engineering precision and impressive styling, this yacht by Gulf Craft has been designed for leisure cruising, making it one of the most preferred choices for both expedition and long weekend voyage. For entry-level yacht owners who would like to easily manage the fly-bridge yacht by themselves, the Majesty 48 aims to provide that experience for all those aboard.

With over 25 years of experience in boat building and providing a vast range of products, which are very well suited to the region, Gulf Craft aims to offer luxury, amenities and comfort to both existing and future yacht owners. The Dubai-based manufacturers Gulf Craft Inc., will comprise of other brand of luxury yachts under its wings, including Majesty Yachts, Nomad Yachts, Oryx and Silvercraft.

Do remember to come by Berth C1 and view the Majesty 48 yacht offered by Go Boating Thailand Ltd., a one stop solution partner to meet all your boating requirements.

Regional Broker, Go Boating (Thailand) will be the exclusive dealer in Thailand for Gulf Craft. Visit the website at www.goboatingthailand.com and more details on Phuket Rendezvous here.
This month marks the anniversary of the December 1970 Polish protests  or Black Thursday  when the workers of Polish coastal cities of Gdansk, Szczecin, Gdynia and Elblag rose in protest against a huge increase in prices of basic food products, but were harshly repressed by the so-called Peoples Army. The cost of striking against price rises was high: 46 workers and students were killed and thousands injured in the stand-offs, just a week before Christmas.

Building on the lessons of the Polish June days of 1956, the workers organised in all-city soviets and instinctively adopted the slogans and tactics of the Petrograd workers in 1905. The shipyard workers were quickly joined by comrades in other industries, for instance from the transport and manufacturing sectors. Echoing the Hungarian uprising of 1956, they even received some symbolic support from individual low ranking bureaucrats. Although the workers protest was ultimately drowned in blood and the strike committees broken up by the state, the situation forced Premier Gomuka to resign. However, it would not be until over a decade later that the independent workers unions were recognised as legal.

Whose December?

This event is subject to much falsification and distortion. The bourgeois propagandists attempt to appropriate and whitewash the December events of any class content under the Catholic-nationalist banner. On the other hand, the contemporary apologists for Stalinism worldwide will either ignore what happened or condemn the Polish workers with empty slanders, under the banner of their blind defence of the Stalinist bureaucracy. None of these people can relate to the living experience of the working class.

It is for the workers and youth, seeking answers but unable to find a hint of explanation to what happened from either of these camps, to whom we present our perspective. This article is for the class descendants of the protagonists of these strikes that seek to rediscover these events.

Marxists, unlike spokesmen for Stalinism and capitalism, place themselves at the standpoint of the working class, and argue on the basis of facts, so that the workers know the truth and so that they can learn from history. The lessons and traditions of 1970 are in the veins of Polish workers. Understanding these lessons can help them arm themselves with faith in their own strength in the ideas of socialist revolution.

Gdansk workers walkout / Image: Dzieje

The day the spark was struck

On Saturday 13 December 1970 the Stalinist government increased the prices of the most basic food commodities, including bread and meat products. The decision itself was made by the Political Committee of the Polish United Workers Party (AKA the Communist Party). The decision, however, was not born from abstract whims or individual nastiness of the leaders of the Communist Party, although their callousness certainly informed their decision. The most important contribution was the very nature of the despotic Stalinist state, established in Poland not in the image of Petrograd in 1917 but of Moscow in 1944. It is therefore necessary to understand Stalinism in order to understand the causes of the price crisis in 1970.

Following the occupation of the Polish territories by the Red Army in 1943-1944, the Stalinist bureaucracy in Moscow was not left with many options. Like in other countries in the region, a Popular Front government was introduced: a Stalinist tactic of attempting a coalition between the workers parties and the bourgeois parties. Like in the French and Spanish Popular Fronts, it was clear that the Soviet bureaucracy was prepared to negotiate and compromise with the capitalists, but unlike in Spain or France the real power rested upon the Red Army and the Stalinists were in control.

Specific difference between France and Poland was that in the latter there were no capitalists to make alliances with. Most of them fled before the Red Army. A certain degree of enthusiasm by the Polish working class, glad to see the back of the brutal Nazi occupiers, met the advance of the Red Army, with the illusion that victory would mean also the overthrow of capitalists and landlords. That was the nature of the revolutionary upsurge of the immediate post-war period.

The Polish masses themselves were still fresh after the experience of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, when they took the city from the Nazis in less than a week through mass occupations. Although the Stalinists relied on the enthusiastic masses to expropriate the capitalists, they swiftly moved to eliminate any elements of workers power that sprung out of the spontaneous movement in favour of expropriation. Events were therefore maintained within the limits decided by the Stalinist leadership. This set the precedent for the nature of the state for the next 45 years.

The Stalinist bureaucracy could not allow any regime of workers democracy to consolidate. The Bezpieka (Polish Stalinist secret police) would be used to torture and execute any political opposition. The state, the armed bodies of men, would constantly turn their guns on the workers seeking true emancipation. In the slogan of the 1980 mass movement, the workers were prepared to say loudly on multiple occasions: Socjalizm tak - wypaczenia nie! (Yes to Socialism, no to distortions!). It is in this spirit that the revolts of 1956, 1970, 1976 and 1980 were prepared. Following the steps predicted by Trotsky, once the economic change had happened, capitalism was overthrown and replaced by a system based on the model of Stalinist USSR, it immediately posed the question for the workers to fight for a political revolution, to kick out the Stalinist bureaucrats. With the introduction of genuine workers ownership, control and management over industry and the establishment of a regime of workers democracy. In this way, the international socialist revolution would once more continue on the lines of 1917.

Apart from a general plan for the economy, not a trace was left in the policies adopted by the Stalinists of Lenin and Trotskys Bolshevism. The commitment to the international socialist revolution was nothing but a smokescreen for the Kremlin, to hide the privileges of the bureaucracy. Eventually, bureaucratic mismanagement and corruption would hit the brake hard enough that despite its initial achievements, the planned economy faced severe crises. The price increases and the Polish workers strikes were directly caused by this situation. It was rooted in the incompatibility of genuine socialism with isolation and with the privileges and unaccountability of the Stalinist bureaucrats.

Thus it was on the Saturday that the prices went up. The new prices for these products were announced on the radio in the evening, with the average increase being 23 percent. For instance, the price of flour went up by 17 percent, fish went up by 16 percent and jam and fruit products increased by 36 percent. The news was spread by the press on Sunday the 13th. This was met with an outrage by the workers, and the Gdansk shipyard halted production on the Monday morning. The strike spread to other industries, and the anger culminated at a mass protest in the city centre. By late afternoon, the workers were joined by groups of students, and the first confrontations with the police occured.

"Solidarity with the coastal working class" / Image: Polskie Radio

Black Thursday  the strike spreads

It is this day that the army followed the cold-blooded orders of the local authorities and opened fire on the workers. The first shots were fired in Gdynia. Machine guns were used to mow down the workers who had just got off their morning train to the shipyard. Among them was Zbyszek Godlewski (Better known as Janek Wisniewski). This 18-year-old Gdynia shipyard worker became a popular symbol of these events. His body was carried on a door through the streets of Gdynia. On that day, began another symbol of the movement  a Polish flag drenched in the young workers blood.

Janek Wisniewski and the blood stained flags / Image: Polskie Radio

By the late afternoon, thousands of workers were out on the streets of Gdansk, Gdynia, Szczecin, Supsk and Elblag. In Szczecin, protesters were also met by tanks and rifles. The protest erupted into riots, leading to 16 deaths and dozens injured. In Szczecin, the local Communist Partys headquarters (today hosting a regional Pekao Bank branch) were burned down by the protesters. Similar riots erupted in Gdansk. Eventually strikes spread to cities in the middle and southern parts of Poland  they reached Biaystok, Nysa, Oswiecim, Warsaw and Wrocaw, although these were of a smaller scale and short-lived.

By Saturday, the general strike continued and the workers formed and elected a Szczecin City Soviet, which involved over 100 workplaces and thousands of workers throughout the city. The Szczecin workers were de facto in charge of the city for five days. In the national context, however, the movement had already reached its ebb  in the absence of a national leadership for the movement the tired workers representatives in other cities signed agreements with the bureaucracy, which promised to fulfill the workers demands. In the end, only some of these promises were carried through, contributing to deepen the tensions between the working class and the regime which would emerge on a much bigger scale with the 1980 mass movement. The isolated Szczecin workers also eventually accepted an agreement with the Stalinist management.

This magnificent movement of the Polish workers was once again a tremendous display of the power, tenacity and willingness to struggle of the working class, despite the lack of a legal organisation or trade unions. In the middle of the period where the workers were more occupied with preparations for Christmas, the whole mood throughout the country was turned on its head in less than 24 hours. The workers may have gritted their teeth at the past price increases, but the new prices imposed during the weekend preceding an important holiday tipped them over the edge. It is through the experience of this struggle that the workers were slowly learning that the power to abolish the bureaucracy and establish a democratic workers state was in their hands.

The workers demands expressed the general mood. Despite what some of the contemporary bourgeois propagandists would like to imply, there was not a trace of the demand to return to capitalism. The workers were challenging not the basic premises of the planned economy, but on the contrary, the privilege and power of the Stalinist corrupt bureaucracy over it. Among the demands were for the officials to be elected and receive no more than an average workers wage, and for those bureaucrats responsible for the economic crisis to be removed from their positions. The workers also called for the return to the old prices and freedom for political prisoners.

The strikes bore an enormous influence on the general experience of the Polish workers. The Szczecin shipyards halted work once more as early as January 1971, and on May Day demonstrations that year, their voice was raised again in commemoration of the fallen workers and called for justice upon those responsible for murdering them. Image: Polskie Radio

A lot of things have changed since 1970. The 1980 revolutionary movement of the Polish working class shook the Stalinist regime from top to bottom. The temporary compromise of the Gdansk agreements of 31 August 1980 allowed the formation of independent trade unions and granted the main workers demands, but were reversed by General Jaruzelskis coup of December 1981.

The right wing leaders of Solidarnosc consolidated their rule over the organisation after the working class movement reached an ebb in the 1980s. They have preached for the return to capitalism in one chorus with the leaders of the so-called Communist Party. The same careerist politicians and leaders who carried membership cards of the Communist Party and Solidarnosc turned into the most faithful managers of the capitalist system. It comes as no surprise that Lech Waesa peeked out of his peaceful mansion life to call for the striking workers to be beaten up with batons.

If the workers today were putting forward the radical slogans of December 1970, the bourgeois so-called patriots who claim to inherit the legacy of December 1970 would be tripping over themselves to condemn the workers as anti-Polish and communist.

It is on the basis of these experiences that the workers will recognise who is with them and who is not. In a period of sharp turns and sudden changes, reinforced by the capitalist crisis and the militancy of Polish workers, the current right-wing, nationalist frenzy will collapse, as more radical and tremendous Decembers are fought by the workers in the coming period.
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. -- A plan to transfer ownership of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station to a cleanup contractor will be the topic of a Jan. 4 public hearing before the Vermont Public Utilities Commission.

Plant owner Entergy Corp. says selling the now-shuttered nuke to NorthStar Group Services Inc. means the site could be decommissioned in 15 years instead of six decades.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission had previously agreed to let Vermont Yankee mothball the plant until 2068, with site restoration complete by 2075.

State officials, during a year-long review, have expressed skepticism whether NorthStar will have the money to complete the cleanup properly, according to Vermont Digger.

Vermont Yankee plans to move spent radioactive fuel rods from the reactor building to dry cask storage in the spring.

The plant at 546 Governor Hunt Road in Vernon is located on the west side of the Connecticut River, five miles north of the Massachusetts border. It closed in 2014, removing 604 megawatts of capacity from the New England power grid.

Entergy in 2016 announced it would sell the plant, including a $475 million decommissioning trust fund, to subsidiaries of NorthStar. The companies anticipated the transaction would close by the end of 2018.

The sale can't go through without approvals from the Public Utility Commission and the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

If you go:

What: Public hearing on Vermont Yankee transfer and cleanup

Where: Brattleboro Union High School, 131 Fairground Road

When: Jan. 4, 7 p.m., with informational open house starting at 6 p.m.
LANESBOROUGH -- A doe was allegedly shot, killed, and gutted on posted private property within eyesight of a local home, and Massachusetts Environmental Police are investigating.

Lanesborough police responded, but the officers somehow failed to obtain the men's names, a property caretaker told the Berkshire Eagle. It is illegal to shoot a gun within 500 feet of a dwelling. The caretaker also believes a shotgun was used, even though shotgun season ended Dec. 9.

According to the Eagle, on Dec. 20 a young man knocked on the door of Algird Sunskis and asked if he could retrieve a buck which ran off after he shot it the night before. Sunksis said yes. Ten minutes later, an older man with a gun on his shoulder knocked and asked if he could pull up his truck to retrieve the deer. Sunksis said yes.

Sunksis soon heard a bang and saw three men dragging a large doe to a second truck. He confronted them and said to leave the doe, which was gutted and still steaming. When police arrived, they reportedly walked the property and told the men to follow them to the police station.

Sunksis said when he later spoke with local police, they said they didn't get the men's accurate names but would check game stations for reports of a doe and buck of similar size. A large deer heart and liver remained on the snow-covered property the next day, a reporter for the newspaper observed.



Sunksis, a former hunter himself, told the Eagle he was upset because his great-grandchildren often play on a swingset 300 or 400 feet from where the shooting occurred. He also said it's common courtesy to "bury the guts" while hunting.
Five Berkshire County towns are not happy that Charter-Spectrum will make their cable television subscribers rent new set-top boxes at $6.99 per month.

The Five Town Cable Advisory Committee had considered taking Charter to court, but the Boston-based KP Law advised against it, reports the Berkshire Edge.

Committee members had pointed to a franchise agreement Charter inherited in its $65 billion acquisition of Time Warner that says new "technological developments" may not come at a financial burden to customers.

Lawyer William Hewig III cited federal law which says franchisees may not "prohibit, condition, or restrict" a cable system's customer technology. He suggested that the towns of Lee, Lenox, Stockbridge, Sheffield, and Great Barrington instead "turn to their legislators and representatives for relief."

The commission has now asked Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey to intervene, according to WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

In Great Barrington on Dec. 19, the five-member committee met in open session after one town representative strongly objected to the chairwoman's call for a closed-door discussion, the Edge reports.

Charter is now delivering its signal in digital-only format. It requires signal decryption through the boxes. Committee members said they view the box rental requirement as a back-door rate increase. Charter issued a memo saying it has not breached its license or franchise agreement by going digital.

Members have complained that Berkshire County should not be in the Albany, New York, television market, because residents miss out on Massachusetts news from Boston and Springfield. Charter has said it has no control over the matter, and that towns should take it up with the Federal Communications Commission.

Last year when NBC affiliate WWLP Channel 22 was pulled from Charter's Berkshire County line-up, the region's congressional delegation wrote to both companies in a failed bid to keep the Springfield TV station broadcasting in the state's westernmost county.

In the Springfield area, Charter in February started charging customers a break-out fee of $4.47 for its local broadcast services.
Homelessness remains a problem in Western Massachusetts' largest city, particularly among families with children.



Federal data released this month identified Springfield as second-highest in the nation among small cities in the number of families with children experiencing homelessness, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and home to the state's biggest homeless population outside Boston.



While the number of homeless in Massachusetts dipped 10 percent year over year, the overall number has increased 16 percent since 2007.

In Springfield, the numbers of families with children living homeless barely budged between 2016 and 2017.



When HUD performed its annual homelessness check on "a single night in January 2017" -- the methodology used to get its estimates -- they recorded 553,742 homeless people in the United States. Two-thirds of them were sheltered in emergency or transitional housing, a third were unsheltered.



17,565 of these were in Massachusetts -- the plurality, 6,135, in Boston -- and 1,941 were part of families with children in Springfield, which has a population of roughly 153,000.



While the total number of homeless in Massachusetts reflected a dip of just over 2,000 from the 2016 figure, Springfield moved from third in 2016 to second-highest in the nation among smaller cities in families with children experiencing homelessness, overtaking Honolulu, Hawaii.



By several orders of magnitude, Massachusetts dwarfs all other states in New England combined in homelessness, according to the data.



In Boston, 9.4 residents of every 10,000 are homeless, by far the highest ratio in the state, while Springfield's ranks second-highest at 4.94 per 10,000, or 2,311.



The figure landed Springfield 10th in the nation among small cities in individuals experiencing homelessness, while Boston ranks ninth among all cities.



The report also showed that while Massachusetts struggles more than most states with homelessness, it has some of the best coverage of any state in terms of finding them temporary shelter.



While HUD uses consistent methodology and its figure is considered a relatively accurate snapshot, it does not reflect the number of homeless living with family and friends or in some other temporary living space.
A JetBlue Airways plane slid off of the taxiway at Boston's Logan International Airport on Christmas Day.

Officials say JetBlue Flight 50 from Savannah, Georgia, briefly skidded when it landed on Monday at 7:15 p.m., the Associated Press reported. There were no injuries.

The plane was making its way to the gate when it "somehow drove into the grass," Massport spokeswoman Jennifer Mehigan said in an e-mail to The Boston Globe. The taxiway connects the runway to the terminal.

Firefighters helped passengers off of the plane and they were bused to the terminal.

The Massachusetts Port Authority told WHDH-TV, Channel 7 that snow forced the airport to close its runways for a short period Monday morning. Massport officials say runways were cleared by 11:30 a.m.
A two-alarm fire at a multi-family home in Taunton displaced six people on Christmas night.

Firefighters responded to the Second Street home around 10:54 p.m. to find heavy flames emanating from the third floor, the Taunton Fire Department said in a press release.

While the apartment where the fire started was vacant, a first floor apartment and rear apartment were occupied, forcing those inside to flee the building into the frigid December night. The Taunton Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross responded to offer assistance to the house's residents.

A second alarm was called due to weather conditions and the size of the fire, the Taunton Fire Department said. Firefighters managed to contain it to the third floor and got to work extinguishing the blaze.

"This fire was quickly knocked down by Engine 3, who happened to be about a quarter-mile away at the station," Taunton Fire Chief Timothy Bradshaw said in a statement. "Thankfully there were no injuries. But, it's still very sad to see two families uprooted from their home on Christmas night."

Fire investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire. No injuries were reported.

The house suffered water damage, forcing authorities to shut of electricity to the building. The home's six residents continue to be displaced.
Why are apprenticeships a good idea that have never really taken off in the U.S.?
Editors note: This is the first in a five part series looking back at the top five stories in cops and courts; government and civic affairs; education; miscellaneous and offbeat; and events and happenings

Phillip Stroupe II caught in McDowell

A Weaverville man who was the subject of a manhunt across Western N.C. for five days was caught in McDowell and subsequently charged with murder in Henderson County. Between July 22 and July 26, 39-year-old Phillip Michael Stroupe II was wanted on several charges in Yancey, Buncombe and Avery counties. As the pursuit reached McDowell, Stroupe was apprehended by local and state authorities near Riverside Market on U.S. 70 West. As Stroupe awaits local charges, he currently faces murder charges in Henderson County in the disappearance and death of 68-year-old Thomas Bryson, who was reported missing during the manhunt and later found dead.

20 arrested in national drug conspiracy

A year-long probe and five months of raids across multiple counties led to the arrests of 20 suspects in what authorities called a national drug conspiracy. From April 18 to Sept. 13, the McDowell County Sheriffs Office charged 20 individuals in a drug enterprise that stretched between western N.C. and California. The investigation started in late summer 2016 with a probe at the home of 36-year-old Jamie Leonard Tate of Nebo, one of the alleged ringleaders. A raid across McDowell, Burke and Catawba counties yielded 20 pounds of meth and $500,000 in cash. As charges mounted, the final suspect and second alleged ringleader  35-year-old Dwayne Bullock of Newton  was arrested in National City, Calif.

McDowell assistant principal charged with stealing money

A McDowell High School assistant principal faces felony larceny charges after allegedly taking money from the school on two occasions. On Oct. 30, 41-year-old Nick Shosho of Cedar Drive in Marion was charged by the McDowell County Sheriffs Office after $564 in school funds had been reported missing from the school. Shosho, who was hired for the 2017-18 school year, was suspended without pay following an investigation. According to a letter from Charter Schools USA, Shosho, while acting as principal of Cardinal Charter Academy in Cary, resigned in June after he was accused of misusing funds at the school prior to his employment in McDowell.

One killed when stolen church van crashes

A Swannanoa man was killed in a motor vehicle collision after leading police on a chase through Marion in a stolen church van. On Sunday, Nov. 26, 39-year-old Timothy Joe Millington of Swannanoa was spotted by authorities driving a church van reported stolen from Iglesias Bautista Monte Sinai Church earlier that day. During a high-speed pursuit with Marion police and county deputies, the vehicle was found overturned around a curb on Greenlee Road; Millington was pronounced dead on the scene as a result of the crash. Further investigation by Marion P.D. revealed that Millington had also stolen a Jeep from Buncombe County, reported the day before the high-speed pursuit.

One sheriff passes, one to step down

A former McDowell County sheriff passed away in October and the acting sheriff announced his plans to retire six weeks later. On Oct. 11, former sheriff Jackie Turner Sr. died at the age of 72. Turner assumed office in 1994 and served until retiring in 2008, tackling issues in the county like meth labs, cleaning up Little Mountain and video gambling in his 14 years. Acting sheriff Dudley Greene announced on Nov. 27 that he would not file for re-election in 2018. In a letter to the McDowell News, Greene, who succeeded Turner as sheriff in 2008, said that he would be retiring, meaning McDowell voters will pick a new sheriff in 2018.
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With more than 10% of older adults indicating that pet ownership is their major source of companionship, there is an obvious need to examine if pet ownership influences bio-markers of healthy ageing.A team of researchers from University College London and the University of Cambridge therefore set out to examine these relationships in older people.They used data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) - an ongoing, longitudinal study of a representative sample of men and women who, when recruited in 2002-03, were aged 50 or more and living in England.The researchers analysed data on more than 8,700 adults with an average age of 67. Data have been collected every two years using personal interviews, self-completion questionnaires, and a nurse assessment of physical functioning.A third of participants owned a pet, with 18% owning a dog, 12% a cat, and 3% another animal.After taking into account a range of relevant variables such as smoking and drinking, the researchers found no evidence of a strong association of any type of pet ownership with walking speed, lung function, standing up from a chair, grip strength, leg raises, balance, nor three blood inflammatory markers, memory, or depression.And these results held true after separate analyses of male and female pet owners.The researchers point out that this is an observational study, so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, and they outline some limitations that could have affected the results.Nevertheless, they conclude: "At least in the present cohort study of older adults in England, animal companionship seems to confer essentially no relation with standard physical and psychological bio-markers of ageing."Source: Eurekalert
*Editor's note: The Huron Daily Tribune started running the Top 10 stories of 2017. Here is No. 10...

Huron County's sheriff and prosecutor remained at odds in 2017.

The years-long rift between Sheriff Kelly J. Hanson and Prosecutor Timothy J. Rutkowski deepened when Rutkowski remained on a case involving Hanson's close relative this summer.

Rutkowski told the Tribune in a written communication that he is not required under the law to recuse himself from the case.

Hanson said Rutkowski's move to stay on the case was retaliatory.

This summer, the Michigan Attorney General's Office (AG) closed an investigation and found no wrongdoing in Rutkowski's handling of a 2014 case involving the son of a former Huron County Circuit Court judge.

In that case, Rutkowski recused himself, and a special prosecutor was appointed.

Hanson filed a complaint months later with the AG asking that the office look into the issue, while questioning the process by which a special prosecutor is appointed.

When the investigation concluded In July, John S. Pallas, an official with the AG, urged both the sheriff and prosecutor in separate letters to work as partners in law enforcement.
*Editor's note: The Huron Daily Tribune started running the Top 10 stories of 2017. Here is No. 9...

The start of the 2018 school year was a big topic over the past year.

On Sept. 29, the Huron Intermediate School District (HISD) was granted a waiver by the Michigan Department of Education that would allow Huron County schools to start the school year before Labor Day.

The HISD was given a three-year waiver, meaning for the next three years schools could start early.

The early start was dependent on the local districts approving the change to the calendar.

So far all but Harbor Beach schools have approved the earlier start to school, meaning the 2018-19 school year will now start Aug. 28, 2018.

The new calendar will have school for Aug. 28-30, followed by four days off for Labor Day, followed by a four-day school week and a full five-day school week.

Schools in the HISD will then look at if the early start was effective before agreeing to start early for the remaining two years of the waiver.


Contributed photo

MIDDLETOWN  Middlesex Community College has been named a Silver Level Military Friendly School Award recipient in the category of Small Community College Connecticut for 2018.

Victory Media is originator of the family of Military Friendly employment, entrepreneurship, and education resources for veterans and their families, according to a press release. For more than a decade, these ratings have set the standard for colleges demonstrating positive employment and education outcomes for veterans and their families, the release continued.
LONDON - For the past nine decades, the British monarch has broadcast a Royal Christmas Message, a fusty but revealing time capsule written in a clipped Royal Family haiku, the fewest possible lines of script about the state of the world - as seen through the eyes of the head of the House of Windsor.

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Broadcast on Monday continued in its earnest tradition, paying homage to the "extraordinary bravery and resilience" of the citizens of London and Manchester, who experienced "appalling attacks" with knives, vehicles and a bomb, by mostly homegrown Islamist terrorists.

The queen also notably said she looked forward to welcoming "new members" to the family in 2018, and though Elizabeth did not mention Prince Harry's fiancee by name, the broadcast featured an engagement photograph of the American actress Meghan Markle, who is due to marry the ginger prince in May 2018.

A few hours before the Royal Message, the British media noted that Markle was allowed to break with tradition by attending Christmas Mass with the 91-year-old queen.

Markle was photographed walking arm-in-arm with Harry as they made their way from Sandringham House to the church in Norfolk.

This was big enough news to merit coverage on the BBC.

Millions in Britain and the 52 Commonwealth nations still watch and listen when the short, prerecorded message airs at 3 p.m. Greenwich time on the dot.

It is like an episode of the popular TV series "The Crown" or a clip from the Oscar-winning film "The Queen" with Helen Mirren, but real.

The broadcasts serve as a kind of annual summing-up of the year, with news good and bad about the doings of royal family - births of children and future heirs, anniversaries, jubilees and deaths.

Yet they always touch on the events of the greater world.

And so the broadcasts have dealt with the Great Depression, the rise of Nazism and the Second World War, the threat of nuclear annihilation in the 1950s, the space race, the role of women, the wonders and challenges of new technologies, recessions, the 9/11 attacks, Afghanistan and Iraq, and a lot of volcanoes, hurricanes, famines and earthquakes.

The first radio broadcast in 1932 by King George V was scripted by the writer Rudyard Kipling and began with the words: "I speak now from my home and from my heart to you all."

They were - and still are - intended to unite Britain and Commonwealth, and to sell the brand.

On Monday, the queen sat in white dress, with a string of pearls, beside a desk and addressed her subjects.

She began with a bit of British self-depreciating humor, noting that 2017 marked an anniversary of sorts.

"Sixty years ago today, a young woman spoke about the speed of technological change as she presented the first television broadcast of its kind. She described the moment as a landmark," Elizabeth began.

The videotaped address then pivoted to a clip of a young queen giving her first televised Christmas address in 1957.

"Six decades on, the presenter has evolved somewhat, as has the technology she described," she said.

The palace insists the queen writes her own Christmas address, with consultation from advisers.

She continued, "Back then, who could have imagined that people would one day be watching this on laptops and mobile phones, as some of you are today?"

The queen praised the ambulance and security forces, as she remarked not only on the 2017 terrorist attacks but a fire at the Grenfell public housing estate in London that left 71 dead.

The Guardian newspaper wrote, "the Queen chose the theme of 'home' for a highly personal Christmas broadcast," noting her focus on the attacks and the Grenfell fire. (The queen showed up and expressed her condolences to victims of both.)

"Reflecting on these events makes me grateful for the blessings of home and family and, in particular, for 70 years of marriage," the queen said. "I don't know that anyone had invented the term 'platinum' for a 70th wedding anniversary. When I was born, you weren't expected to be around that long."

She continued, speaking of her 96-year-old husband: "Even Prince Philip has decided it's time to slow down a little, having, as he economically put it, done his bit. But I know his support and unique sense of humor will remain as strong as ever as we enjoy spending time this Christmas with our family, and look forward to welcoming new members into it next year."

The queen ended on a religious note. "We remember the birth of Jesus Christ, whose only sanctuary was a stable in Bethlehem. He knew rejection, hardship and persecution," she said. "And, yet, it is Jesus Christ's generous love and example which has inspired me through good times and bad."
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Bill Melvin, owner of Liquid Asset Partners, says the new operators of the Skip Barber Racing School will bring the famed academy back to its original glory.

Liquid Asset Partners, which purchased the name and assets of the school in bankruptcy court last summer, has sold the school's brand to DeMonte Motorsports, an operator of racing schools based in Long Island, New York.

"We look forward to nurturing Skip Barber Racing School's existing relationships as well as creating new opportunities as we reinvigorate the brand," said Anthony DeMonte, the new owner of Skip Barber Racing School. The first classes will be held in March, he said.

"They're experienced racers," said Melvin, who has retained a minority interest in the school. "They have their own school they've been operating with nice success over the years on the East Coast."

Skip Barber Racing School, a 40-year-old institution whose alumni includes racing drivers Michael Andretti, Danica Patrick, Juan Pablo-Montoya, Bill Elliot, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Petty, was sold to Liquid Asset Partners for $830,000 under an agreement approved by a New York bankruptcy court on Tuesday, Aug. 8.

The school was founded by race car driver Skip Barber in 1975. Barber sold the school and its name in 1999. Besides well-known racers, celebrities Al Pacino, Charlie Sheen and Jerry Seinfeld were among its students.

Since purchasing the school, Melvin sold off most of its assets, which included a fleet of race cars and related equipment, in an online auction.

Based in West Michigan, Melvin's company typically handles the inventory and equipment that's left behind when mid-sized businesses fail.

Last year, Melvin made a splash in the motorsports world when he acquired the assets of Erik Buell Racing (EBR), a high performance motorcycle company operating in the shadow of industry leader Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Co. in Milwaukee, Wis.

Melvin briefly operated the EBR as a motorcycle manufacturing company before closing the factory and converting the business in a parts warehouse and supplier for EBR motorcycles.

This past spring, Melvin conducted an online auction to complete the liquidation of Family Christian Stores, the nation's largest retailer of Christian books and merchandise which closed all of its 240 stores in 40 states.
Daniel Kaluuya in "Get Out." (Photo provided to MLive.com by Universal Pictures)

By John Serba | jserba@mlive.com

To heck with making tough decisions  my usual retrospective of the years 10 best films has been stretched to 15 for 2017. Heres a countdown to the best of the batch, all of them inspiring motion pictures willowing around in the gray area between great films and my favorites, and followed by some honorable mentions that I couldnt bear to omit.

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15. 'Blade Runner 2049'

Thirty-five years after Ridley Scotts cinema sci-fi masterpiece, Denis Villeneuve delivers a sequel that dares to push the original movies ideas further down a thoroughly compelling existential road. Its a slow burn of gorgeous, desolate cinematography and big ideas, led by Ryan Gosling as an artificially intelligent replicant whose identity quest leads him to Harrison Fords house.

Read the review

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14. 'Wind River'

Taylor Sheridan is one of cinemas great new voices. He penned screenplays for Sicario and Hell or High Water, then wrote and directed Wind River, a tantalizing hybrid of Western, crime procedural, noir and revenge-thriller sensibilities. Jeremy Renner smolders quietly beneath a battered Stetson, playing a Wyoming tracker helping Elizabeth Olsens green FBI agent hunt down the man who murdered a young American Indian woman. Few dramas this year held us in such a tight thrall.

Read the review

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13. 'The Post'

Steven Spielberg winds tight this 1970s Pentagon Papers drama fetishizing the glory days of newspapers and activist journalism, which sure seems poignant now (he said, deftly tripping over some political commentary). You wont be even remotely shocked to learn that Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep give tours-de-force as the leads of a bountiful acting ensemble.

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12. 'Call Me By Your Name'

This drama, a snapshot-collage documenting a teenagers not-quite-carefree summer of sexual discovery in gorgeously sun-soaked rural Italy, is a classic example of a film that brings it home down the stretch  especially during its final shot, which dares you to look away. Director Luca Guadagnino settles deep into a lazy, sunny groove before focusing hard and tight, hitting us square in our hearts. Timothee Chalamet is a raw jewel as the 17-year-old experiencing bittersweet joy and priceless pain; Michael Stuhlbarg is a marvel as his father, delivering a powerhouse monologue that leaves us sitting in our theater seats, trying to put ourselves back together.

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11. 'Wonder Woman'

Gal Gadots sword-and-shield superfeminist is the heroine we need right now: earnest, focused, pure of heart. Those of us growing weary of struggles between light and darkness beneath one (male, of course) heros cape and/or cowl will find refreshment in director Patty Jenkins forthright sincerity, which easily eclipses the boilerplate third-act CGI smash. The "no-man's land" sequence is perhaps the year's most righteous stretch of film.

Read the review

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10. 'mother!'

All Jennifer Lawrence wants is these people out of her house. And theyre not leaving. The years most divisive film (until Star Wars: The Last Jedi, of course), from gifted provocateur Darren Aronofsky, is a terrifying, stressful two hours, unfolding with the anti-logic of a suffocating nightmare you cant shake even after youve sucked down six cups of coffee. It made me uncomfortable and anxious. Which, of course, makes it great art.

Read the review

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9. 'Good Time'

This tightly wound thriller establishes filmmaker brothers Benny and Josh Safdie as a force. A fiercely committed Robert Pattinson is a bank robber implicating his mentally challenged brother  played by Benny Safdie, whos a terrific actor, too  in his crimes. The film is stylish and gripping. Overlook it no longer.

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8. 'The Disaster Artist'

Oh, delicious irony: The making of the worst movie ever makes for one of the best movies of 2017. James Franco may say Oh, hi to an Oscar nomination for playing Tommy Wiseau, the verbally and psychologically incomprehensible creator of The Room, a terrifically awful masterpiece of miscalculation that earned a rabid cult following. That wasnt his intention, of course. But art has a way of profoundly transcending the artist, doesnt it?

Read the review

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7. 'Mudbound'

This Netflix original - underappreciated for that reason - is a wrenching drama set in rain-soaked rural Mississippi in the 1940s, and it's the most emotionally affecting film I saw all year. Its an ambitious and detailed mosaic of hardship: Jason Clarke and Carey Mulligan are young landowners whose ambition exceeds their knowhow; Rob Morgan and Mary J. Blige are the progenitors of a black family in their employ; Garret Hedlund and Jason Mitchell are sibling and son of the respective families, bonding over their traumatic World War II service. Director Dee Rees frames the tragedy of racism in a harsh, truthful light, but never forgets that love always supersedes hate, even in the darkest of days.

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6. 'Lady Bird'

Is there a scene from 2017 funnier than Saoirse Ronan and Beanie Feldstein singing their broken hearts out to cornball Dave Matthews hit Crash? Actress/screenwriter-turned-director Greta Gerwig firmly establishes herself among films great original and authentic voices with this brilliant, unflaggingly funny year-in-the-life story of a teen navigating through many awkward senior-year rights-of-passage.

Read the review

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5. 'War for the Planet of the Apes'

Go ahead, this film implores, stare at the apes. As long as you want. The beasts are so lovingly rendered to the eye, ear and heart, we can't help but lose ourselves, and maybe see a part of ourselves, in the shocking realism of their computer-generated faces  and their poignant journey to find their place, and their peace, in a world torn apart. Few expected this franchise, reborn after decades dormant, to redefine blockbuster filmmaking, but here we are.

Read the review

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4. 'The Florida Project'

Sean Baker so convincingly sows authenticity from the parking lots of crummy Orlando motels, you feel like youre eavesdropping on peoples microdramas. He captures the carefree lives of children and the burdened lives of adults trying to find themselves, or hide from themselves, in the shadow of Disney World, the self-proclaimed happiest place on Earth.

Read the review

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3. 'Dunkirk'

Christopher Nolan cuts right to the bone with this vise-grip World War II drama that finds poetry in the procedural, and shrewdly ties together three narrative timelines into one concise, knockout finale. Few things were more memorable on the big screen this year than experiencing the roar and rumble of Nolans fighter planes.

Read the review

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2. 'Get Out'

Jordan Peeles directorial debut is a powder-keg horror-satire, as funny as it is disturbing. An inspiring Daniel Kaluuya is a black man feeling unease while visiting his white girlfriends well-moneyed, ultra-liberal family for the first time  and learns his discomfort is terrifyingly justified. Peeles tone borders on mischievous as he funnels commentary on modern American racism through a traditional horror template, referencing everything from Guess Whos Coming to Dinner to Suspiria and The Stepford Wives. This is crackling, smart filmmaking.

Read the review

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1. 'The Shape of Water'

The Creature from the Black Lagoon is the Frog Prince sweeping Sally Hawkins mute heroine off her feet in Guillermo del Toros lovely, funny, original and unforgettable fairy tale horror-comedy. She rows a raft of terrific performances, including Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon and Richard Jenkins. Its every moment is exquisite.

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HONORABLE MENTIONS

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Honorable mention - holy sheet: 'A Ghost Story'

This contemplative stretch of narrative innovation stars Casey Affleck as a dead man observing his mourning wife (Rooney Mara), invisible, beneath a ghosts white sheet. Filmmaker David Lowery (Aint Them Bodies Saints) dares not only to manipulate this ghost-persons  and therefore our  perspective of time, but to show Mara devouring an entire pie in real time. Few movies this year were so fearless, idiosyncratic, or quietly poignant.

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Honorable mention - animation for blockheads: 'The Lego Batman Movie'

Batman, your mythos has been dismantled. This funny, ridiculous, raucous thing is a rarity: clever even the 10th time through. (I would know  my offspring was obsessed with it for weeks.) This movie is high-octane irreverence, roasting Dark Knight tropes hot and fast. Warning: avoid this if you don't believe Batman deserves at least a light satirical barbecuing.

Read the review

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Honorable mention - kill your idols: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'

I hesitate to put Star Wars films on my year-end lists because nostalgic fandom clouds my critical judgment. This one is especially controversial, because it ended up being a love-it-or-hate-it affair. Curious. It defies franchise formula, and the second half is a processional of powerful dramatic punches. I loved it. Director Rian Johnson loads it with ideas that challenge what we love about Star Wars  and made me love it even more.

Read the review

Related: All 9 "Star Wars" movies, ranked from worst to best

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Honorable mention - time to say goodbye: 'Last Flag Flying'

Richard Linklaters sort-of-sequel to 1973 classic The Last Detail is an affecting drama with strong performances by Bryan Cranston, Laurence Fishburne and Steve Carell as former Marines on a road trip, reunited 30 years after their troubled tour of duty in Vietnam. Their task this time? Bringing the body of Carells son home after hes killed in Iraq. Richard Linklater continues to be one of the best directors in the game.

Read the review

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Honorable mention - time to say goodbye, part II: 'Lucky'

Shed a tear for Harry Dean Stanton, who passed away in 2017, but not until he made this extraordinary, funny, sometimes autobiographical, always poignant microdrama about a 90-ish man struggling with the concept of mortality. A career character actor, Stanton rarely enjoyed a starring role, so we should relish this  and its not hard to draw parallels to his marvelous lead performance in Paris, Texas.

Read the review

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Honorable mention - what the hell did I just watch: 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer'

Pair this with mother! for the double feature thatll push you over the edge. Yorgos Lanthimos follow-up to his breakthrough, The Lobster, is an intense, intensely strange thriller set in a subtly rendered netherworld whose denizens speak with chilly formalism, and where a teenage boy  played by a terrifyingly effective Barry Keoghan  can channel some bizarre force of destiny, for lack of a better phrase, to torment and torture a family led by Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman. This is not for the weak of constitution.

Read the review

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Honorable mention - head shots: 'John Wick: Chapter 2'/'Atomic Blonde'

The co-directors of 2014s brilliant ballet of brutality John Wick split up and made their own movies, which offer the years most meticulously choreographed action. David Leitchs Atomic Blonde is the more slight of the two, but casts a delectably icy Charlize Theron as a badass kicking bad asses all over 1980s Berlin  and does so most deliciously during a virtuoso single-shot sequence full of fists, guns and wrecked cars. Chad Stahelskis Wick sequel is richer story-wise, building a comic-book mythos around Keanu Reeves blank cypher of an unyielding assassin. Both films are stylegasms in the best sense of the non-word.

Review: Atomic Blonde

Review: John Wick: Chapter 2

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Honorable mention - superhero subversion: 'Logan'

No spandex costumes, no world-saving, no excessive CGI maelstroms  this is the Unforgiven of comic-book films, mirroring the simultaneous upending and embracing of genre tropes Clint Eastwood fostered in his Western classic. Hugh Jackman played X-Men hero Wolverine/Logan in many films before this, but here, he finally gets to sink his claws into the meat of the character. A scene in which old men lie in bed and weep stood out above the times Wolverine cuts up bad guys, which speaks volumes.

Read the review

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Honorable mention - the year's most bananas movie: 'Kong: Skull Island'

This quasi-cartoon rendering of the classic giant ape pushes all the right buttons for fans of the monsters-stomp genre. Jordan Vogt-Roberts directs with color and panache, and Kong delivers a satisfying payoff when he pounds the guts out of some mutant dinosaurs. John C. Reilly is the movies aw-shucks heart; Samuel L. Jackson and John Goodman chew almost as much scenery as the giant ape. Nobody will call this great cinema  but it is great fun.

Read the review

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Honorable mention - sew what: 'Phantom Thread'

There's no way director Paul Thomas Anderson and actor Daniel Day Lewis can follow "There Will Be Blood," the greatest film of the 21st century so far. So ratchet down your expectations a couple of clicks and appreciate this subtle, understated drama starring Lewis  in his final role before retirement  as a famous fashion designer who gives up a life of fastidious bachelorhood after meeting Alma, played by a revelatory Vicky Krieps. Of course, there's a troublesome psychological thread woven through this yarn. Anderson hasn't made a mundane film yet.

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MORE ON MOVIES

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"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" (Photo provided to MLive.com by Disney/Lucasfilm)

"Star Wars":

All 9 "Star Wars" movies, ranked from worst to best

Review: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' is a cinematic force

Review: "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" is gritty and dark, and often great

Review: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is a fresh, fun riff on old ideas

The pros and cons of being a diehard "Star Wars" fan

How a "Star Wars" lifer should gauge expectations for "The Force Awakens"

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" spoiler-free world premiere first thoughts

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Reviews:

"Wonder Wheel"

"The Disaster Artist"

"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

"Last Flag Flying"

"Lady Bird"

"Coco"

"The Man Who Invented Christmas"

"Justice League"

"The Florida Project"

"Murder on the Orient Express"

"The Killing of a Sacred Deer"

"Daddy's Home 2"

"Thor: Ragnarok"

"Lucky"

"A Bad Moms Christmas"

"Suburbicon"

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Lists:

The 10 classic Christmas movies you should watch every year

Holiday movies 2017: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' and 32 others, ranked

Adam Sandler's 5 worst, 5 best and 5 weirdest movie roles

The 27 biggest movies of fall 2017, ranked from least to most anticipated

20 cult movies and forgotten gems you (probably) haven't seen

30 movies you need to see before you die

The best movies of 2017 (so far)

The worst movies of 2017 (so far)

All the 'Planet of the Apes' movies, ranked worst to best

All the Spider-Man movies, ranked worst to best

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Streaming recommendations:

24 Netflix Christmas specials and movies you can stream now

20 more new Netflix movies you need to see

20 Netflix movies you should be streaming now

25 of the best Amazon Prime movies streaming now

20 new Netflix movie recommendations

20 must-see Netflix stand-up comedy specials
ANN ARBOR, MI - After accumulating nearly 10 inches of snow over the past two days, southeast Michigan is experiencing its coldest day of the year on Tuesday, Dec. 26.

According to the National Weather Service, Tuesday morning temperatures reached yearly lows in Ann Arbor, at 3 degrees below zero, White Lake, 7 degrees below zero, Port Huron, 9 degrees below zero, and Detroit, 3 degrees.

The high temperature was expected to reach around 10 degrees in Ann Arbor. The low tonight will drop to around 1 degree below zero, according to the weather service.

There was a small chance of an additional half-inch of snow Tuesday, according to the weather service.

Wind chill values were expected to reach 6 degrees below zero Tuesday, and subzero lows could persist over the next couple days.

Temperatures were expected to rise later in the week, but won't break 20 degrees, per the weather service.

Trent Frey, a National Weather Service meteorologist, advises staying indoors if possible.

Frey said those you must go outside should limit the amount of exposure, dress in layers and carry roadside emergency kits in case of vehicle breakdowns.
BAY CITY, MI -- A Farwell man is going to spend nearly two decades behind bars for trying to get a teen in Southeast Asia to send him lewd photos.

U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington on Thursday, Dec. 21, sentenced 31-year-old Nathan J. Bowling to 210 months -- or 17.5 years -- in federal prison. The judge recommended he serve his time at Federal Correctional Institution Elkton in Columbiana County, Ohio. Ludington also recommended Bowling be placed in a first-priority sex offender treatment program.

Once he has served his sentence, Bowling is to be on supervised release for an additional 10 years and must register as a sex offender. Ludington also ordered Bowling pay a $100 assessment fee as well.

Bowling in August pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a child. Prosecutors dismissed charges of distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

By pleading, Bowling admitted that on or about Oct. 7, 2016, he engaged in an online chat with someone he believed to be a 17-year-old girl living in the Philippines. He offered to buy her a cellphone if she would "lasciviously exhibit her genitals and pubic area over the Internet by creating a live visual depiction of herself using Skype," his plea agreement states.

As part of his plea, Bowling admitted to similarly propositioning two more underage girls via the Internet on May 4 and May 8, 2016.

The case against Bowling began on a state level. In March, a Clare County sheriff's detective interviewed Bowling on a criminal sexual conduct complaint. At that time, Bowling told the detective he views "more porn than the normal male."

When the detective asked him what would be on his computer, Bowling said "there may be an illegal video of a guy and his young daughter, but that he may have deleted it," an FBI agent's affidavit states. "Bowling also stated that, while pretending to be a female online, he had received photographs from females online who claimed to be 15 years old."

Investigators obtained a search warrant for Bowling's laptop and had it forensically examined, discovering numerous files of apparent child porn.

Detectives later contacted the FBI office in Bay City regarding the possibility that Bowling had produced child porn. Transcripts of Skype chats featured Bowling bragging about having taken photos or used hidden cameras to take lewd images of a 16-year-old, the affidavit states.

The FBI later determined Bowling's laptop had been used to transfer child porn over the Internet.

Bowling was initially charged in the 80th District Court on two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct using force or coercion and single counts of using a computer to commit a crime and child sexually abusive material. Those charges were dismissed on June 22 so the case could go to a federal court.
GRAND BLANC, MI - A lawsuit filed by the parent of a 13-year-old Grand Blanc student alleges a teacher used excessive force to keep their child inside of a classroom.

The lawsuit filed in October is over an alleged June 6, 2017, incident at Grand Blanc East Middle School in which a teacher gave the male student math problems to complete, but the student said he did not understand the work he was given.

The teacher then placed a desk in front of the exit and sat on top of the desk, according to the lawsuit.

The student, who suffers from Autism Spectrum Disorder, said he was not going to complete the problems just because he was being kept in the room.

He was told by the teacher he would not be allowed to have lunch until he completed the work, to which the student said he wanted to call his mother but was not allowed to do so.

When the student attempted to leave the room, the lawsuit states he brushed the teacher's shoulder.

That's when the teacher allegedly pushed the student against a wall, pulled him to the floor, and "with extreme force physically holding him down," per the lawsuit. The student began stating the teacher was hurting him and started to cry.

The student "accidentally punched" the teacher while trying to free himself and began to panic due to being locked in the room for at least 15 minutes during the incident.

The lawsuit states the teacher and the district violated the Michigan Persons With Disabilities Civil Rights Act, Michigan Department of Education Standards and the school code. It also claims false imprisonment, gross negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Greg Mair, the district's attorney, declined comment on the suit. H. Elliot Parnes, attorney for the parent, did not return a phone call by an MLive-Flint Journal reporter for comment on the case.

A jury trial date has been set for Dec. 11, 2018, according to court records.
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Intimation of the outcome of the meeting of the Rights Issue Committee of Jost's Engineering Company Limited (the 'Company') held on December 26th 2017 for allotment of 1,68,223 Equity Shares of face value Rs. 10 each at a price of Rs. 594 per Equity Share (including a premium of Rs. 584 per equity share) on a rights basis. Letter attached.Source : BSE

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Moneycontrol Research

Having exhausted its traditional method of generating revenue through stake sales, the government is increasingly seeking to raise funds through a complete takeover of companies within the same sector.

It is advantageous for the government to push such deals rather than smaller divestments which barely yield meaningful money. These strategic takeovers bring in lump sum as the company taking over has to pay the government the entire amount for its stake rather than a conventional way of the share swap.

Had a private sector player adopted such a route, shareholders would have raised corporate governance concerns. Few protest when public sector companies are taken over this way, despite the fact that non-promoter shareholders of the target companies do not benefit in any way.

Take the case of the recently announced takeover of ONGC and HPCL where the government gets around Rs 33,000 crore when ONGC buys out governments holding of HPCL. However, as per Sebi rules, government companies are exempted from making the offer open to if the ultimate ownership remains the same and the premium paid for the acquisition is less than 25 percent above the market value.

In many profit-making public sector companies, government stake has fallen over the years through successive divestments. Apart from the oil companies, there are few companies in the mining space like Coal India which can help the government raise big money for its divestment. Going forward, smaller divestments would not be enough to fill the high divestment targets that have been set over the last few years.

Divestment as a source of filling the budget deficit is likely to last a few more years as the government resorts to merging companies in the same sector.

The next big structured divestment will be in gas transportation giant GAIL India. Refiners Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corp are keen to acquire gas utility GAIL that will help it integrate their operations. However, GAIL is keen on being picked up by ONGC, especially after it takes over HPCL.

This naturally makes more sense as the entire gamut of exploration, refining, and transportation will be covered by a single company thus capturing the entire value chain. The government's 54.89 percent stake in GAIL is currently worth about Rs 46,700 crore.

For the companies concerned, it makes sense that they are merged and integrated rather than being islands of growth. With the economy opening up and global players entering the country it makes sense to have strong integrated players.

However, this method of meeting the divestment target cannot last for long. Mainly because there are few companies, apart from the oil sector ones that have cash on their balance sheet or the borrowing power to acquire companies in the same sector.

What the trend suggests is the government is close to selling the last big pieces of family silver. Though it can still sell the stake in the merged entities the amount to be raised through them will be small. In short, going forward the divestment targets of the government will come down drastically. The only way to keep fiscal deficit under control will be through higher taxes.
Sweden-based air purifier firm Blueair, which counts India as a priority market, expects to corner 10 per cent market share in the country by 2020, a company official has said.

The company that operates in the premium space, doubled its sales this year and expects to continue in the same vein for at least the next two years.

"Though we only operate in high-end of market, our aim is to address at least 10 per cent of the market...If we have to reach the target levels by 2020, we need to double our sales at least for the next two years," Blueair Director West and South Asia Region Girish Bapat told PTI.

He declined to divulge the present market share details of the company.

The nascent air purifier market in the country is pegged at Rs 350 crore that clocked a growth of 40 per cent this calendar year, with 28 brands vying for a share at present.

For Blueair, India is a priority market in terms of future potential and the company expects the fledgling air purifier industry to be a Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,800 crore market in the next three years, Bapat said.

He added that India is definitely on top in terms of priority for Blueair not in terms of current contribution of value or numbers.

Outside India, "We are very strong in markets like China, Japan, Korea and the US," he said.

"India is top most in terms of priority when it comes to the future potential of the market. It is a question of when that turn (inflection) happens. We expect that to happen sometime in the next two to three years," Bapat noted.

In the next two to three years, India would be one of the major markets for air purifiers in the world, he said, adding that in three years, by 2020, "we expect the industry should be Rs 1500 to Rs 1800 crore, from Rs 350 crore. We are just waiting for that inflection point."

Though the air purifier market is concentrated in Delhi NCR, especially in winter, he noted that as per the qualitative indicators, the awareness levels have increased among people in the country.

The company has its presence in four cities -- Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru -- and plans to expand it to to 20 -25 cities in the next two to three years.

At present, Blueair is importing all its products and Bapat said that "manufacturing (in India) is not on cards right away because the industry is very small. In future we will definitely consider manufacturing".

The company is also planning to launch products in the outdoor category in 2018.

"The products for auto segment or in-cars, we will definitely introduce in the coming year. We have launched our masks in China, we still haven't done that in India, but that is another product that we will launch in the coming year," he said.
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Anand Mahindra celebrated Christmas with some nostalgia and a teaser for fans of classic motorcycles.



Were sorry youve missed out on your favourite ride for all these years, Santa...Were working on getting it back for you...A shiny new one, but with all the character of your old steed... pic.twitter.com/lgj0C7staC

 anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) December 25, 2017



The Mahindra Group Chairman tweeted a picture of an old print advertisement featuring Santa Claus making his rounds on a BSA motorcycle, the iconic British brand that catered to the British Army during World War II.

Mahindra's caption caught the eye because in October last year, M&M's subsidiary Classic Legends acquired BSA and its existing global brand rights in a Rs 28 crore deal.

BSA was once the world's largest producer of motorcycles, enjoying its heyday in the middle of the 20th century. But Japanese manufacturers stole its thunder in the 80s with their high-volume and low-cost business models, reducing BSA and other British brands like Triumph to a shadow of their former selves.

In July this year, M&M Managing Director Pawan Goenka confirmed that the company was working on new BSA bikes, but did not provide a timeline for its rollout. And neither did Mahindra.

There is speculation on online forums that a BSA bike might see the light of day by 2019 and will be produced at the company's manufacturing unit at Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh.

M&M currently produces cheap, lightweight 2-stroke commuter bikes but is making a foray into the premium segment with a series of acquisitions over the last couple of years.

Apart from BSA, the company also acquired the iconic Jawa and Yezdi brands, as well as a controlling stake in Peugeot Motorcycles.
Nearly all outlets of fast-food chain McDonald's in east India, and several in the north have shut shop after logistics partner Radhakrishna Foodland cut off supplies. The closure is a fallout of the feud between McDonalds India (MIPL) and local partner Connaught Plaza Restaurants (CPRL).

The vendor, in a letter accessed by PTI, cited reduction in volume, an uncertain future, and non-payment of certain amount as reasons for the supply cut.

"Our long-standing logistics vendor Radhakrishna Foodland allegedly in collusion with McDonald's corporation and their wholly owned subsidiary McDonald's India Pvt Ltd....has decided to hold back stock paid for approximately Rs 10 crore by us," Bakshi is said to have written in a letter to the landlords and developers of his outlets.

However, Bakshi sounded confident the temporary business setback allegedly caused by malicious actions of the American company (McDonald's) and its India subsidiary MIPL will be dealt with promptly and alternative arrangements made to resume services to the customers.

CPRL, an equal venture between Vikram Bakshi and MIPL, was formed in 1995 with investments of roughly USD 5 million from Bakshi. However, differences emerged between the two parties in 2008 when MIPL offered to buy out Bakshis share in the venture first at the same amount as his initial investment and later at a revised price of USD 7 million or a 40 percent premium to his original investment.

Considering the venture had by then grown significantly with nearly 70 outlets, Bakshi was disappointed by the offer and decided to get the firm valued by a third party -- Grant Thornton, which then valued CPRL at USD 331 million in 2009. Bakshi's 50 percent share in the venture, as per the Thornton valuation, stood at USD 100 million net of all debt deductions.

Despite turning profitable in 2010, Bakshi was voted out from his position as companys Managing Director in August 2013 at a board meeting where nominee directors of MIPL accused him of wrongdoings. Bakshi then moved NCLT against his removal alleging oppression from MIPL.

A series of allegations and counter-allegations followed with arbitrations invoked at London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) by MIPL.

The NCLT ruled in Bakshis favour in 2017 renaming him as CPRLs MD in July.

LCIA, on its part, ordered independent valuation of CPRL and directed Bakshi to sell his stake in the venture. However, in another turn of events, MIPL ended the franchise agreement with CPRL in August. At this point CPRL owned roughly 169 McDonald's outlets in the Northern and Eastern parts of India.

Both MIPL and Bakshi have now moved the Delhi High Court. Bakshi has claimed the withdrawal of the franchise to be contempt of NCLT order while MIPL has challenged the NCLT order. The matter is now pending with four legal entities including the NCLAT.
Indias largest non-life insurer New India Assurance has bagged the aviation insurance cover mandate for Air Deccan.

Nearly 10 years after pioneering low-cost air travel model, Air Deccan has come back to the sector under regional connectivity scheme. The airline has ambitious plans of expanding in this segment in a big way by riding on the economic boom in smaller cities pan-India.

New India Assurance is the leader in aviation insurance covering all major airlines of India like Air India, IndiGo, Spice Jet, Vistara and Go Air.

Among other big projects in non-aviation businesses, New India Assurance had recently bagged the health insurance project of Rajasthan Government under its Bhamasha Swasthya Bima Yojana (BSBY) covering about 4 crore citizens. The company said, it will execute health insurance for about one crore families across the State under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

This is one of the largest health insurance schemes in the country as it gives cover for cashless treatment for 1,401 diseases of Rs 3 lakh for 663 critical and Rs 30,000 each for 738 general illnesses. The total insurance premium involved is more than Rs 1,200 crore per annum with the state bearing Rs 1,261 per family.
Reliance Communications (RCom) has finalised a new resolution plan to reduce its debt by up to Rs 39,000 crore through prepayment and form a new RCom with debt levels under Rs 6,000 crore, company chairman Anil Ambani told the media here.

The resolution plan involves exiting strategic debt restructuring (SDR) and monetising some of the company's assets, including transfer of spectrum liabilities by March 2018.

The asset monetisation plan includes sale of wireless, tower and fibre portfolios, mobile switching nodes and real estate, and the entire process was completed in record time of 49 days.

Anil Ambani, chairman of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, said the resolution plan is an all-cash deal that involves no conversion of debt to equity and will have zero write-offs to lenders and the deal transactions will aim to complete full and final closure in a phased manner between January and March 2018.

Addressing the media, Ambani said the resolution plan involves development of 125 acres of land at DAKC (Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City in Navi Mumbai) worth Rs 25,000 crore.

The new RCom will now be a B2B company and will have undersea cable business and 4G spectrum sharing with Reliance Jio. It will be run with a capital-light approach with a debt of under Rs 6,000 crore.

"We have received 15 non-binding offers for stake sale in RCom and the entire asset monetization would go into prepayment of the dues to the lenders," Ambani said.

The telecom company, which has a total debt of nearly Rs 45,000 crore, has been facing a series of petitions at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) by domestic lenders, Chinese banks and most recently, a public relations firm.

Of the total debt, Rs 25,000 crore is domestic debt and remaining Rs 20,000 crore is in the form of foreign loans and bonds.

The company has struggled to repay its dues because of increased competition after the entry of Reliance Jio and falling tariffs in the telecom industry. RCom has already decided to shut its 2G wireless business and merge its 4G services with its enterprise unit.

RCom story so far

The Anil Ambani-promoted firm has been looking to sell assets to reduce the debt on its books. In June, the companys domestic lenders decided to invoke the SDR scheme and convert Rs 7,000 crore of debt into a majority equity holding.

As part of the plan, the company had said it would raise Rs 33,000 crore through asset sales. At the time, the company planned to merge its wireless business with Aircel and sell stake in its mobile towers business to Canadian investor Brookfield Infrastructure.

Neither of the deals went through.

Trouble mounted after shares of Reliance Communications fell below the agreed conversion price of Rs 24.71 per share. This meant that lenders would take a hit immediately upon conversion.

In November, RCom defaulted on its outstanding US dollar bonds - the first such default by an Indian company in 15 months. In the same month, China Development Bank filed an insolvency plea against the company. Operational creditors, including Ericsson and Manipal Technologies, have also filed insolvency pleas.

In November, RCom sold its direct-to-home subsidiary, Reliance BIG TV, to Veecon Media and Television for an undisclosed amount.
Solar

RN Bhaskar

From the look of it, the bureaucracy seems bent on sabotaging Prime Minister Modis plan to create jobs, encourage solar and ensure power for all. The ministry has set aside Rs 23,450 crore for rooftop solar. But look closer, and it strikes you as a joke. More so, if one considers the sequence of events.

The sequence

On October 11, 2017, Moneycontrol wrote about an electrification plan that could create 83 million jobs from solar energy.

The article talked about the need to focus on rooftop solar. It made a case for decentralised clusters in the hands of private entrepreneurs, which would actually fulfill the governments agenda of power for all.

It talked of the enormous employment potential rooftop solar held out for India if it adopted the German model advocated by the late minister Hermann Scheer. And it talked about ending the current subsidy regime with a new one, which could let the entrepreneur encourage wealth generation in rural areas (the table below is a snapshot of all that was written about in that article).

On December 18, the ministry came out with a paper on rooftop solar. Termed as a concept note, it talked about SRISTI  an acronym for Sustainable Rooftop Implementation for Solar Transfiguration of India.

The plan was an attempt to take the dust off of an older policy announced in February 2016.

The government had finally, after several years of exhortation by this author, agreed to focus on rooftop solar.

Sristi, the way it has been designed, is laughable because of several reasons.

First, it is just a rehash of a decision that was taken in February 2016, to permit 40 GW of rooftop solar.

There was nothing new about this concept note that sought to transfigure India.

Second, the only thing new about this plan is the allocation of subsidies to various states. The total value of incentives works out to an impressive Rs.23,450 crore. But the manner in which this incentive has been apportioned is unimaginative and bizarre. It will create huge problems for power distribution companies (discoms). They could actually start bleeding more heavily than at the moment.

Even after disguising many losses as agricultural consumption, the average ATC losses exceed 24 percent (see chart below). Despite the much-vaunted schemes like UDAY (Ujwal discom assurance yojana), discoms have not been able to return to the 23 percent achieved three years ago. The present Sristi scheme could aggravate the losses. But more on that later.

Third, the entire incentive structure is so convoluted (chart below) that it is bound to create more disputes than resolve issues. The only sustainable part about this concept note will be the constant scope for disputes. That will only make the bureaucrat that much more indispensable to adjudicate matters. Since there are no clear-cut guidelines, you can be sure that all these disputes will eventually clog up the courts even more, or make state-owned discoms go bust. It could make the ease of doing business in India a big joke!

Fourth, the largest potential for solar power lies in rural areas. There is not a word about that sector (see chart). Much of the losses (and theft) come from this category of consumers. Decentralising this sector, and allowing someone to handhold farmers into starting small businesses should have been the way forward. Instead, as the chart alongside shows, there are suggested targets for commercial and industrial sectors, government buildings, residential sectors and others. But there is no mention about the agricultural sector where the opportunities and the challenges lie. Moreover, state-owned discoms are unlikely to be capable of dealing with the existing mess. But it could be through the implementation of a distributed, off-grid cluster power generation model, as advocated by the Moneycontrol article in October 2017.

In fact, if one allows rooftop solar to be implemented in households and commercial establishments first, without adopting a cluster, distributed, off-grid model, discom losses will mount. This is because the rural sector gets power at around Rs 1.20 a unit. Households get it at around Rs 6. Industry gets it at around Rs 8, commercial establishments at around Rs 12, and malls and hoardings at around Rs 14 (the actual tariffs may vary from state to state, but this is the general pattern adopted all over India). The average cost of power for state discoms is usually between Rs.4-7 a unit (except for states like Himachal Pradesh, which gets cheap hydro power).

The subsidy that the farmer gets when power is supplied to him at Rs 1.2 a unit is cross-subsidised by the higher tariffs paid by householders, industrial and commercial establishments. If you allow non-farm players to get solar power at around Rs.3-5 a unit, state discoms will have less subsidy money to play around with. This could either mean higher taxes on the one hand, or bigger losses on the other. Dispensing with subsidies altogether will not be politically feasible.

Obviously, some bureaucrat has created a concept note that could spell ruin and disaster for the entire country. The only way out, then, will be to discontinue solar power altogether and let status quo prevail.

Is this the kind of sabotage that some bureaucrats are planning? After all, remember how even the Economic Survey 2017 was misled into stating that solar power is more expensive than other kinds of power. Do some bureaucrats want to give solar a bad name so that power theft and losses continue? Or is it plain incompetence? Someone will have to take a call on this.

It would appear that the architects of Sristi want to promote state-owned discoms. That is evident from the prescription of dos and donts for such companies (see chart). The entire concept note goes against the prime ministers concept of minimum government, maximum governance. The concept note will make the power sector ungovernable, and help further bloat the size of the bureaucracy.

If the prime minister wants to create jobs, he must focus on rooftop solar. But to make it relevant to India it must be through the decentralised cluster model, financed by capitalising all state losses for ten years. It must cover the rural sector. And he must focus on a middle layer which helped Germany create more jobs than even the automobile sector.

Including the rural sector is crucial, because this is where most of the losses and theft take place. The government cannot do this. It needs the involvement of the private sector.

A good example of this is the way Torrent managed to reduce theft and losses in the Bhiwandi district of Maharashtra. This was after several failed attempts by state discom officials to stanch power losses and theft for decades. Torrent did in less than three years what the state could not do in three decades. This has become case study material for most management schools in India.

Sristi can thus be described as the work of incompetent officials at best. At worst it is the handiwork of crafty bureaucrats who wanted to see the governments push for solar rooftop to fail.

Either way, it is not a happy commentary either on the government or its bureaucrats.
A huge gate with inscription Ayapa Ato (welcome) greets visitors to the picturesque Hong Village, nestled in the rainforests of Lower Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh.

The hill-girdled hamlet, spanning 58 sq km, with a total population of 9,800, as per 2011 census, is known for its unique fish farming and sustainable agricultural techniques.

Of late, however, Hong village is reeling under various nagging problems, which are in many ways hampering its tourism prospects and are in need of urgent government attention.

"One of the major problems in this village is the dilapidated condition of the roads. Many tourists are not willing to visit the place that boasts of the first Kasturba Gandhi Ashram in the whole of North East," Robin Hibu, a resident of the village and a Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police, said.

Without roads nothing can move ahead here, Hibu, who is also the first IPS officer from the state, said.

Zila parishad member of Hong village Tilling Sambyo said that the unique fish-cum-paddy culture practiced by the Apatani community has drawn many tourists to this hamlet from faraway places. "Not many visitors come to Hong village these days. We are trying our best to woo back the tourists but pathetic road condition is a major hindrance," lamented Sambyo.

Erratic power supply is another problem the villagers face here, Sambyo said.

"The village, inhabited by the hard-working Apatani community, considers tourists as their god. Four homestay facilities were established in the village to accommodate visitors. There used to be a time when these homestays would be full round the year," he said.

Sambyo further explained that the tourists, who come to the village, also visit the Talley Valley wildlife sanctuary, home to bear, tiger, leopard and hornbill.

"On an average, around 5000 foreign tourists visit the village every year," Sambyo added.

The village is inhabited by 11 clans of the Apatani community and they co-exist peacefully, head gaon burha (village headman) Tilling Duri said.

"Lack of proper road and other basic facilities, including water supply, are some of the reasons why people no longer wish to stay here," he rued.

With the Ziro cultural landscape finding a mention in the tentative list of UNESCO's World Heritage sites in 2014, the state government should take care to preserve the traditional and cultural heritage of the village, Duri said.

Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, who also holds the Finance, Planning and PWD portfolios, during a programme on November 16, had assured to provide additional funds for repair and maintenance of the roads.

Echoing similar sentiments, Lower Subansiri district deputy commissioner Kemo Lollen also said the construction of roads in the entire district would be taken on priority basis as the state government has already sanctioned funds.

Sambyo, however, said that there are no signs of construction work in the area yet and if the repair work was not undertaken immediately, the place would lose its charm among the tourists.
A huge surge in the final hour of trade pushed benchmark indices higher and closed at record high levels. The Sensex ended above 34,000-mark, while the Nifty ended above 10,500-mark.

The day was largely dominated by flat moves on both indices, as the Street could have taken a backseat due to the ongoing holiday season. Metals and pharma were the top gainers on indices. In the broader markets, midcaps continued to shine, as the Nifty Midcap index ended higher by 0.82 percent. The BSE Midcap and smallcap closed with healthy gains as well.

The Nifty Bank too turned positive in the final hour of trade, as the index erased all of its losses.

The Sensex was up 70.31 points or 0.21% at 34010.61, and the Nifty up 38.50 points or 0.37% at 10531.50. The market breadth was positive as 1,688 shares advanced, against a decline of 1,084 shares, while 178 shares are unchanged.

Among stocks, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Yes Bank provided support to Nifty Bank, while HDFC Bank was a laggard.

Stocks such as Jet Airways, SAIL, DLF, and JSPL hit intraday 52-week highs.

Shares of Anil Ambani-led Reliance firms rose 2-31 percent intraday on Tuesday on the back of announcements related to debt reduction issues.

Reliance Communications, Reliance Infrastructure, Reliance Capital and Reliance Power gained big on the back of this announcement.

In a press conference, Ambani announced that the firm will announce the strategic debt restructuring (SDR) and have achieved full resolution for the company. There will be no equity conversion for lenders and zero write-off to lenders, he told mediapersons in Mumbai.

Further, he said that the company will reduce Reliance Communications debt by Rs 25,000 crore and the transactions will be closed in a phased manner between January and March 2018.

Shares of Alembic Pharmaceuticals rose 1 percent in the early trade as its associate company Rhizen Pharmaceuticals received USFDA approval for cancer drug. The stock ended on a flat note.

Welspun Corp added 13.5 percent intraday as it bagged an order for supply of 124 K MTs pipes. The stock ended 4 percent higher.

Coromandel International touched 52-week high of Rs 558.60, gaining 3 percent as it announced acquisition of bio-pesticides business of EID Parry for Rs 338 crore.

Among commodities, gold rallied by Rs 100 to Rs 29,975 per ten gram at the bullion market on the back of positive global cues amid increased buying by local jewellers.

Silver followed suit and advanced by Rs 170 to Rs 38,870 per kg due to increased offtake by industrial units and coin makers.

Marketmen said a firm trend overseas where gold hit a more than three-week high in low-volume trade amid a weaker dollar, mainly kept the precious metals higher.

The underlying sentiments continue to remain positive. However, with indices trading at record highs investors and traders should be cautious. With lack of any fresh positive triggers on the domestic bourses, we expect the market to consolidate in the near term. Investors can continue to accumulate fundamentally sound stocks on dips, Jayant Manglik, President, Retail Distribution, Religare Securities said in a statement.
The S&P BSE Sensex created history on Tuesday as it surpassed Mount 34000 for the first time to hit a fresh record high of 34,005.37 while the Nifty50 rose to a lifetime high of 10,515.10.

The S&P BSE Sensex rallied from 33000 on October 25 to 34000 on 26 December, a rally of 1000 points or nearly 3 percent. But, as many as 347 stocks have positive returns in the similar period up to 60 percent in the S&P 500 index.

Almost 40 stocks rose in the range of 30 percent to 60 percent from October 25 to December 22nd, 2017 which include names like 8K Miles (up 67%), Minda Industries (up 62%), Praj Industries (up 59%), Polaris Consulting (up 59%), HEG (up 49%) etc. among others.

But, not every stock rallied. As many as 153 stocks gave negative return up to 26 percent in the S&P 500 index from the period 25 October to 22nd December 2017 which include names like Bank of Maharashtra (down 26 percent), Bharti Infratel (down 19 percent), OBC (down 17 percent), Central Bank of India (down 17 percent), SREI Infra (down 16 percent) etc. among others.

The index rose above Mount 33000 with a gap on 25 October and since then it has been a turbulent run for the index. The index created two bottoms 15 November and 6th December before bouncing back which closely resembles a double bottom structure.

The index is now trading above its key short-term moving averages and looks set to hit fresh record highs in the year 2018.

A poll conducted by the Moneycontrol.com highlighted that index is on track to hit fresh record highs up to 37000-38000, but the important part is that 34000 could be the base for markets.

As many as 62 percent of the poll respondents feel that the S&P BSE Sensex is on track to stay above Mount 34000 throughout the year 2018 and could even touch 37000-38000.

Almost 15 percent of the respondents feel that it will hover in the range of 33000-33500 while the rest 8 percent feel that it will move in the range of 33500-34000.

Global brokerages such as BofAML, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, and BNP Paribas see Indian market to touch fresh record highs in the next calendar year.

BNP Paribas has the most aggressive target on Sensex among all the other global investment banks which have come out with their strategy reports.

BNP Paribas maintains its overweight stance on Indian markets and sees the S&P BSE Sensex heading towards 37,500, which translates into an upside of nearly 10 percent from current levels.
Kunal M. Jain has resigned as co-fund manager of fixed income from Indiabulls Asset Management Company with immediate effect, a notice from the fund house said.

Consequently, Jain ceases to co-manage Indiabulls Income Fund, Indiabulls Monthly Income Plan, and Indiabulls Gilt Fund. Jain was appointed as the co-fund manager on Oct 7, 2016.
22:27 That's all for today, readers. Thanks for staying on with our coverage of the day's action. Your enthusiasm encourages us to better our coverage every day. Do come back tomorrow for more news, views and insights.

21:57 Sri Lankan govt to release 20 Indian fishermen, tomorrow. 12 fishermen are from Rameswaram, 4 from Mandapam & Nagapattinam each, tweets

ANI.

21:14 Canara Bank to raise up to Rs 3,500 crore through QIP

Canara Bank today said it will raise up to Rs 3,500 crore capital through a qualified institutions placement (QIP) route.

The decision in this respect was taken at the bank's board meeting held today.

"The board of bank at its meeting held on December 26, 2017 has decided to raise additional equity share capital amounting up to Rs 90 crore through qualified institutional placement (QIP) route, by issuing up to 9 crore equity shares of a face value of Rs 10 each with a premium to be decided as per the applicable guidelines/regulations for an aggregate amount not exceeding Rs 3,500 crore inclusive of such premium," it said in a regulatory filing.

20:27 China offers to extend CPEC to Afghanistan at first trilateral dialogue

China on Tuesday offered to extend its ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan as the three nations pledged to step-up counter terrorism cooperation and not to allow any country, group or individual to use their territories for terror acts.

In the first meeting of its kind since the three sides agreed to establish a trilateral dialogue mechanism in June, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, his Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani and Pakistan counterpart Khawaja Asif met here and discussed issues concerning their interests.

Presiding over the meeting after his recent shuttle diplomacy, Wang said China and Pakistan would like to extend the USD 50 billion CPEC to Afghanistan after reaching "gradual consensus".

20:14 IDBI Bank disengages Moody's from rating bonds

State-owned IDBI Bank today said it has disengaged Moody's Investors Services (Moody's) to rate its bond programmes.

"Upon reviewing the rating engagements with various foreign rating agencies, IDBI Bank has decided to terminate all the rating contracts/engagements with Moody's Investors Services (Moody's) for various issues made under the MTN (medium term note) Bond Programme," IDBI Bank said in a regulatory filing.

Earlier in August, Moody's had downgraded the foreign currency senior unsecured MTN programme rating of IDBI and its DIFC branch to (P)B1 from (P)Ba2.

Ba2

under-capitalised

The global ratings firm had also downgraded the bank's local and foreign currency bank deposit ratings to B1 fromciting reasons that the lender remains significantlyand that government's capital infusions have been insufficient to repair the bank's balance sheet.

The Shiv Sena will hold internal polls to elect its party president on January 23 which happens to be the birth anniversary of its founder (late) Bal Thackeray.

According to sources, incumbent Sena president Uddhav Thackeray will be re-elected at the party meeting to be held at Rang Sharda auditorium in suburban Mumbai, as there will be no other nomination for the post.

Uddhav Thackeray took charge as the party president on January 23, 2013, after the death of his father Bal Thackeray (86) in November 2012.

19:56 SEBI may ease FPI norms, moots new governance model for MFs

Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is mulling easing access norms for investment by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) and bringing a new framework to strengthen the governance structure for mutual funds, senior officials have said.

Also, the SEBI has plans to review the framework for credit rating agencies (CRA) as it seeks to check the menace of 'rating shopping' and 'pick-and-choose' approach in their actions.

19:28 Defamation complaint: Court sets aside summons to Cyrus Mistry

A Mumbai sessions court on Tuesday quashed and set aside summons issued by a magistrate's court to ousted Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry and others in connection with a Rs 500 crore defamation complaint filed by Tata Trusts' R Venkatramanan.

Mistry and the other accused had approached the sessions court after the metropolitan magistrate issued the summons in July this year directing them to appear before it.

18:57 Essar Oilfields bags contracts from Mercator Petroleum

Essar Oilfields Services has bagged three drilling contracts from Mercator Petroleum in the Cambay Basin. The contracts involve drilling two new oil wells and an optional well in the Cambay Basin, and with these, the company expects to clock USD 48 million in revenue this financial year.

18:48 Govt. of India and World Bank sign loan agreement for Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project

Government of India and World Bank have signed a USD 318 million loan agreement for the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project to promote climate resilient agriculture technologies, improve water management practices and increase market opportunities for small and marginal farmers, the Ministry of Finance said in a tweet.

"The project will rehabilitate and modernize about 4,800 irrigation tanks and 477 check dams, spread across 66 sub-basins, in delivering bulk water to irrigation systems. About 500,000 small and marginal farmers, will benefit from improved & modernized tank irrigation systems," the finance ministry added in another tweet.

18:30 Kremlin says ready to mediate North Korea-US talks, if both sides willing

Russia is ready to act as a mediator between North Korea and the United States if both parties are willing for it to play such a role, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

Moscow has long called for the two sides to hold negotiations aimed at reducing tensions over the nuclear and missile programme North Korea is pursuing in defiance of years of UN Security Council resolutions.

18:12 Vietnam escapes damage after typhoon takes heavy toll in Philippines

A storm that battered the Philippines killing more than 230 people in floods and landslides lost its power on Tuesday as it passed over Vietnam where hundreds of thousands had taken cover.

Vietnam, like the Philippines, is regularly battered by typhoons that form over the warm waters of the Pacific and barrel westwards into the land.

The storm entered Vietnamese water but weakened to a tropical depression and did not cause any casualties, the disaster prevention committee said.

18:00 BREAKING | GST Return Filing Numbers

The Finance Ministry has said that the total GST collection for the month of December 2017 is Rs. 80,808 crore (till 25th December 2017).

- Rs. 13,089 crore have been collected as CGST.- Rs. 18,650 crore has been collected as SGST.- Rs. 41,270 crore has been collected as IGST.

- Rs. 7,798 crore has been collected as Compensation cess.

17:52 Govt. of India and World Bank sign loan agreement for Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project

Government of India and World Bank have signed a USD 318 million loan agreement for the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project to promote climate resilient agriculture technologies, improve water management practices and increase market opportunities for small and marginal farmers, the Ministry of Finance said in a tweet.

"The project will rehabilitate and modernize about 4,800 irrigation tanks and 477 check dams, spread across 66 sub-basins, in delivering bulk water to irrigation systems. About 500,000 small and marginal farmers, will benefit from improved & modernized tank irrigation systems," the finance ministry added in another tweet.

17:40 West Bengal Congress takes out rally against FRDI Bill

The West Bengal Congress today took out a rally outside the RBI office here to protest against the proposed Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill, 2017.

Led by Congress chief whip in the state assembly Manoj Chakraborty, several party MLAs and senior leaders participated in the protest rally.

17:26 Sources say around 50 lakh taxpayers filed GSTR3B for the month of November, according to a CNBC-TV18.

17:16 IndiGo to operate flights to Vijaywada from March 2018

Low-cost carrier IndiGo will operate flights to Vijaywada from March 2, 2018, making it the airline's 50th destination on its network.

The announcement follows the launch of IndiGo's ATR operations last week with its brand new ATR 72-600 connecting Hyderabad and Mangalore.

16:27 China halts oil product exports to North Korea in November as sanctions bite

China exported no oil products to North Korea in November, Chinese customs data showed, apparently going above and beyond sanctions imposed earlier this year by the United Nations in a bid to limit petroleum shipments to the isolated country.

Tensions have flared anew over North Korea's ongoing nuclear and missile programmes, pursued in defiance of years of U.N. resolutions.

16:24 Dr Reddy's launches generic cancer injection in US

Pharma major Dr Reddy's Laboratories today said it has launched a generic version of Melphalan Hydrochloride for injection, used in the treatment of cancer, in the US.

The launch follows approval of Melphalan Hydrochloride for Injection, a therapeutic equivalent generic version of Alkeran marketed by Apotex Inc, by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), it said in a statement.

15:59 Bar on wilful defaulters not a moral issue, says IBBI chief

Keeping out wilful defaulters from bidding for stressed assets is not a "moral issue", but a choice between certainty and uncertainty, IBBI Chairperson MS Sahoo said.

His comments come against the backdrop of the government, through an ordinance last month, barring wilful defaulters from bidding for stressed assets under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

15:39 For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Shri Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard: MEA

15:35 It appears that Kulbhushan Jadhav was under considerable stress & speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health: MEA (ANI)

15:19 Have engaged with unsecured creditors, expect resolution over next few weeks: Anil Ambani

15:13 Shares of Anil Ambani-led Reliance firms rose 2-31 percent intraday on Tuesday on the back of announcements related to debt reduction issues.

At 15:05 hrs Reliance Communications was quoting at Rs 20.75, up Rs 4.44, or 27.22 percent. Reliance Power was quoting at Rs 43.25, up Rs 1.70, or 4.09 percent. Reliance Infrastructure was quoting at Rs 542.65, up Rs 14.85, or 2.81 percent. Reliance Capital was quoting at Rs 518.50, up Rs 33.60, or 6.93 percent.

15:05 Hope to have a new strategic partner for Reliance Communication to cut overall debt: Anil Ambani

14:59 New RCom to have undersea cable biz and 4G spectrum sharing with Jio: Anil Ambani

14:55 Anil Ambani says major stress in telecom sector was in wireless biz, hence rationalised the business

14:43 BREAKING | Reliance Communications Chairman Anil Ambani is addressing a press conference now. He says Reliance Communications has successfully achieved a resolution plan that involves no conversion of debt to equity and zero write-offs to lenders.

14:13 First meeting of newly-elected Gujarat cabinet to be held on Wednesday at 10 am in Gandhinagar (ANI)

13:58 Finance Ministry is likely to issue first tranche of recapitalization bonds to public sector banks in early January. Recapitalization bonds will not be sold in open market and will be issued to all banks: FinMin sources (ANI)

13:51 Indian Army kills three Pak soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir

The Indian Army has killed three Pakistani soldiers during cross-border firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rawlakot sector, Army sources said on Tuesday.

The firing, seen as a retaliation to the killing of four Army personnel, took place around 6 pm yesterday.

One Pakistani soldier was also injured in the gunfire.

13:38 Hindi feature film 'Modi Ka Gaon' - now renamed as 'Modi Kaka Ka Gaon', will finally hit the screens all over India on Friday.

13:32 Panchayat elections in J&K will be held from 15th February, 2018. State people will always choose ballots over bullets, says Mehbooba Mufti, tweets News 18.

13:05 PM Modi being seen off by Gujarat Governor OP Kohli & CM Vijay Rupani after the oath-taking ceremony of the newly formed Council of Ministers of the Gujarat government (PIB)

12:59 Top headlines of the day:

- Vijay Rupani sworn in as Gujarat CM

- India may trump UK, France to be the fifth largest economy

- Rajinikanth to announce decision related to his political ambitions on December 31

- Kulbhushan Jadhav's kin meet External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj

- McDonald's may shut all outlets in east India, several in north

12:46 Subramanian Swamy directs BJP towards alcohol prohibition

12:35 Vijay Rupanis cabinet will have 7 Patidars, 5 OBCs, 3 STs, 2 Kshatriyas, 1 Brahmin, 1 SC and 1 Jain

12:26 India business optimism positive, but slides to lowest in four years: Report

Business leaders in India remained largely positive, but their level of optimism has dropped to its lowest level in four years even as it has hit a two-year high in the Asia-Pacific, says a report.

According to a Grant Thornton report, Asia Pacific business optimism has hit a 2-year high, largely driven by improvements from its two biggest economies, China and Japan, and region-wide positivity on prospects for increased trade.

12:17 Mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav leave after meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Delhi.

12:03 Meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav's family and External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj underway (News 18)

11:59 Saurabh Patel, Ganpatsinh Vestabhai Vasava and Jayeshbhai Vitthalbhai Radadiya take oath as ministers in Gujarat government (ANI)

11:54 Dilipkumar Viraji Thakor, Ishwarbhai Ramanbhai Parmar and Pradipsinh Jadeja take oath as ministers in Gujarat government (ANI)

11:41 Nitin Patel takes oath as deputy CM for second consecutive term (ANI)

11:37 Vijay Rupani takes oath as chief minister of Gujarat (ANI)

11:29 UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje Scindia and Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh at swearing-in ceremony of CM elect Vijay Rupani and others in Gandhinagar (ANI)

11:25 Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar at swearing in ceremony of Gujarat CM and others in Gandhinagar (ANI)

11:19 Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani to take oath in Gandhinagar. Twelve new faces to replace incumbents, tweets News 18

11:15: Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh and Ram Vilas Paswan & BJP President Amit Shah are all present at swearing-in ceremony of CM elect Vijay Rupani (ANI)

10:59 Lenders circle over Videocon, JP Associates close to resolution

Lenders to debt-ridden Videocon Industries are set to refer the company to the bankruptcy court because they are unsure about whether the companys proposed debt recast program will meet the Reserve Bank of Indias conditions to deal with defaulters.

On a related note, the restructuring of Jaiprakash Associates account is expected to be completed before the December 31 deadline, three senior bank officials told The Economic Times on the condition of anonymity.

10:57 Bitcoin enthusiasts should be wary of Digmine, a new malware

There is a new malware on the horizon, and it is out to get your cryptocurrency. This cryptocurrency-mining bot, 'Digmine' first surfaced in South Korea and is spreading fast throughout the world, according to Trend Micro, a Tokyo-based cybersecurity firm.

The only way the malware can spread is via the desktop version of Facebook Messenger when used on Google Chrome which helps the perpetrators take over the Facebook account. The malware is disguised to look like a video file being shared over Messenger.

10:36 20 ministers, including CM Vijay Rupani and Deputy CM Nitin Patel, to take oath shortly in Gujarat

10:17 Mere 1.7% Indians paid income tax in AY 2015-16

Just over 2 crore Indians, or 1.7 percent of the total population, paid income tax in the assessment year (AY) 2015-16, according to data released by the I-T department.

In the previous AY 2014-15, 1.91 crore, out of 3.65 crore who filed returns, had paid income tax.

10:14 Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to crowd gathered after arriving in Ahmedabad

10:07 Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches Ahmedabad, to attend swearing-in ceremony of CM elect Vijay Rupani. (ANI)

10:00 CBI arrests two more persons for graft in Pragati Maidan revamp case

CBI has arrested two more persons in connection with alleged corruption in the Rs 2,150 crore re-development project of ITPO Complex at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.

The CBI arrested Sanjay Kulkarni, managing director of Capacite Structures, and Ghaziabad-based middleman Rishabh Agrawal in connection with the corruption case, taking the total number of people arrested to four, sources said.

09:56 India on course to become worlds fifth-largest economy

As per a report by Britains Centre for Economics and Business Research, India looks set to leapfrog Britain and France next year to become the world's fifth-largest economy in dollar terms.

India's ascent is part of a trend that will see Asian economies increasingly dominate the top 10 largest economies over the next 15 years.

China is likely to overtake the United States as the world's No.1 economy in 2032, the report added.

09:34 I am not new to politics. Entering is equal to victory. I will announce a decision on December 31: Rajinikanth

09:26 Sensex hits 34,000, Nifty opens at record high

The Indian market began the truncated week on a positive note, with the Nifty trading above 10,500-mark. TCS, BHEL, Tata Power and GAIL were the top gainers

09:06 iPhone X sales may see a dip

In what may be as rude jolt to Apple, analysts have lowered iPhone X shipment projections for the first quarter of next year, according to a Bloomberg report.

Amid challenges from Samsung and Chinese brands like Oppo and Xiaomi, the Cupertino-based company needs to rework its strategy as high price of its product seems to have played a part in the lacklustre demand.

08:55 Top JeM militant Noor Mohammad killed in encounter in J&K

Noor Mohammad, a top Jaish-e- Mohammad militant, was killed today in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama District of Jammu and Kashmir, according to an Army official.

"The Divisional Commander of JeM Noor Mohammad Tantrey alias Noor Trali was killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Samboora area of Pulwama," the official said.

He said the body of the militant has been recovered along with a weapon. The official said the operation was still in progress.

08:52 Coming soon: Made in India aircrafts for commercial routes

This piece of news is going to be a big boost for the Make in India programme. As per a report in The Times of India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has allowed Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd manufactured Dornier 228 to be used for civilian flights.

HAL may also look at selling this plane for civil use in neighbouring countries such as Nepal and Sri Lanka," a DGCA official told TOI.

The HAL describes its 19-seater Dornier 228 as "highly versatile multi-purpose light transport aircraft. It has been developed specifically to meet the manifold requirements of utility and commuter transport, third level services and air-taxi operations, coast guard duties and maritime surveillance."

08:41 UltraTech, Piramal-Bain, Shree in fray to bag Binani Cement

Countrys top cement companies like UltraTech Cement and Shree Cement and the stressed asset investment fund of Piramal Enterprises and Bain Capital Credit have made aggressive bids for Binani Cement as per a report in Business Standard.

Lenders are expecting bids to come in higher than the cement companys debt of Rs 3,682 crore, as against significant haircuts taken by banks in other Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) cases.

08:30 Huaweis India unit slashes workforce by a third

Chinese gear maker Huaweis India unit has cut its workforce by a third as the telecom sector goes through an unprecedented wave of consolidation, as per a report in The Economic Times.

There has been a job cut since early this year with nearly 30% of the employees having now gone out of the company (Huawei), a company source told ET.

It (job cuts) is a regular human resource (HR) practice, and the organisation is in constant churn that also depends upon the completion of various projects, a Huawei executive told ET.

08:17 Government likely to give Sebi powers to regulate private placements

The government is planning to relax a few key norms in the Companies Act to give Sebi more powers over private placements so that there's no conflict with the proposed crowdfunding norms, reports Mint.

At present, private placements by unlisted firms are regulated by the MCA, while Sebi regulates fundraising activities by listed firms.

08:10 Government spending, deficit in focus ahead of Budget 2018

As per a report in The Economic Times, some top officials in the government feel that there should not be any spending cut on key programmes to meet the fiscal deficit target.

The reasoning is that fiscal slippage, if any, is likely to be from the revenue side because of the disruption caused by the imposition of the GST and not reckless spending.

08:00 Vijay Rupani to take oath as CM today in Prime Minister Narendra Modis presence

Rupani was elected the leader of the BJP legislature last week. Nitin Patel will continue as the deputy chief minister in the new government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, senior ministers in the Union council and chief ministers from 18 BJP ruled states are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

Welcome to Moneycontrol's live news blog. Stay tuned for the latest news updates from the country and across the world
CNBC-TV18 brings you a brand new week of Bull's Eye. It's the popular game show where market experts come together to dish out trading strategies for you to make your week more exciting and compete with each other to see whose portfolio is the strongest.

Remember these are midcap ideas not just for the day, but stocks that look attractive in the medium-term as well.

This week, Shahina Mukadam, Pankaj Jain and Ruchit Jain battle it out for top honours.

Below their top stock picks and analysis:

Shahina Mukadam, Independent Market Expert

Buy Dabur India with a stoploss at Rs 345 and target of Rs 365

Buy HCC with a stoploss at Rs 37 and target of Rs 48

Buy Bharat Electronics with a stoploss at Rs 182 and target of Rs 195

Buy Tata Power with a stoploss at Rs 87 and target of Rs 98

Pankaj Jain of SW Capital

Buy Team Lease with a stoploss at Rs 2320 and target of Rs 2600

Buy Future Consumer with a stoploss at Rs 75 and target of Rs 83

Buy Shriram EPC with a stoploss at Rs 28.75 and target of Rs 34

Buy Network 18 Media with a stoploss at Rs 59 and target of Rs 65

Ruchit Jain of Angel Broking

Buy Bharat Forge with a stoploss at Rs 717 and target of Rs 750

Buy Allcargo Logistics with a stoploss at Rs 188 and target of Rs 215

Buy Brigade Enterprises with a stoploss at Rs 311 and target of Rs 342

Buy Can Fin Home with a stoploss at Rs 482 and target of Rs 530
Sharmila Joshi of sharmilajoshi.com told CNBC-TV18, "At this price Karnataka Bank for me is a hold. I would think that some of these bank are better place to in terms of non-performing assets or other banking parameters to sort of whether the storm going ahead, so for me at this price Karnataka Bank is a hold."

At 15:15 hrs Karnataka Bank was quoting at Rs 152.45, up Rs 0.35, or 0.23 percent.

The share touched its 52-week high Rs 181.15 and 52-week low Rs 104.25 on 02 June, 2017 and 27 December, 2016, respectively.

Currently, it is trading 15.84 percent below its 52-week high and 46.24 percent above its 52-week low.
live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Shares of Tata Power gained over 3 percent on the back of an order win by its arm in Russia.

Tata Powers Russian subsidiary Far Eastern Natural Resources LLC has bagged the mining licence for a thermal coal mine in Kamchatka province in far east Russia.

"The subsidiary participated in the financial auction process at Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka today (on December 22, 2017) and was awarded a license at approximately USD 4.7 million," Tata Power said in a BSE filing.

The Kamchatka project site has been declared as special economic zone and will qualify for various concessions including protection against change of laws.

It said the coal mine has high quality thermal coal reserves of 380 million tonnes, which the company aims to deploy for its facilities in Mundra and Trombay as also sell in far east Asian markets.

The company intends to carry out a detailed exploration and implement the project in a phased manner to reach a stable throughput of 8 to 10 million tonnes per annum, it added.

At 09:54 hrs Tata Power Company was quoting at Rs 94.00, up Rs 0.95, or 1.02 percent. It touched an intraday high of Rs 96.20 and an intraday low of Rs 93.60.

With inputs from PTI
The bulls remained in control of D-Street despite weak global cues to take the index to a fresh record high of 10,545.45 on Tuesday. The index formed a bullish candle for the second consecutive day in a row which closely resembles a Hanging Man kind of pattern on daily charts.

The index continues to make high highs and higher lows which suggest that the bullish momentum remains intact, but considering the fact we are trading near record highs some consolidation cannot be ruled out.

Investors who are long on Nifty can consider booking partial profits while for the rest of the position a strict stop loss below 10,426 could be placed, suggest experts.

A Hanging Man is a bearish reversal candlestick pattern which is usually formed at the end of an uptrend or at the top. In a perfect 'Hanging Man' pattern either there will be a small upper shadow or no upper shadow at all, a small body and long lower shadow.

The market witnesses a significant selloff in the beginning just like we saw in Tuesdays trading session but still manages to recoup some of the losses and closes near the opening level.

The Nifty50 which opened at 10,512.30 slipped to an intraday low of 10,477.95 which made a long lower shadow, but then bulls took control and pushed the index to a record high of 10,545.45 which made a small upper shadow.

Albeit Nifty50 registered a new lifetime high it witnessed a Hanging Man kind of formation after moving in a narrow range of around 60 points. However, as momentum is quite strong and favouring bulls it looks prudent to ride the rally with a stop below 10426 levels on closing basis, Mazhar Mohammad, Chief Strategist  Technical Research & Trading Advisory, Chartviewindia.in told Moneycontrol.

Traders are advised to take a cautious stance as we head towards critical resistance points of 10600  10,650 levels and they should consider part profit booking in next trading session as we head higher towards 10,600 levels and remain focused on extremely stock specific opportunities, he said.

India VIX moved up by 3.99 percent at 12.05. Volatility moved higher after declining in the last six trading sessions. Overall lower volatility is supporting the Bullish bias of the market.

We have collated the top ten data points to help you spot profitable trade:

Key Support & Resistance Level for Nifty

The Nifty closed at 10,531.5 on Tuesday. According to Pivot charts, the key support level is placed at 10,491.17, followed by 10,450.83. If the index starts to move higher, key resistance levels to watch out are 10,558.67 and 10,585.83.

Nifty Bank

The Nifty Bank closed at 25,675.2. Important Pivot level, which will act as crucial support for the index, is placed at 25,576.24, followed by 25,477.27. On the upside, key resistance levels are 25,743.54, followed by 25,811.87.

Call Options Data

Maximum Call open interest (OI) of 55.45 lakh contracts stands at strike price 10,500, which will act as a crucial resistance level for the index in the December series; followed by 10,600, which now holds 45.19 lakh contracts in open interest, and 10,700, which has accumulated 35.20 lakh contracts in OI.

Call writing was seen at a strike price of 10,600, which saw the addition of 2.16 lakh contracts, followed by 10,700, which added 1.82 lakh contracts.

Call unwinding was seen at strike price 10,400, which shed 4.49 lakh contracts, followed by 10,300 which shed 2.32 lakh contracts.

Put Options Data

Maximum put OI of 70.90 lakh contracts was seen at strike price 10,000, which will act as a crucial base for the index in December series; followed by 10,400, which now holds 59.26 lakh contracts and 10,200 which has now accumulated 48.42 lakh contracts in open interest.

Put writing was seen at strike prices 10,500 (9.17 lakh contracts added), followed by 10,100, which saw the addition of 1.12 lakh contracts.

Put unwinding was seen at strike 10,000, which shed 4.21 lakh contracts, followed by 10,300, which shed 1.98 lakh contracts and 10,200, which shed 1.54 lakh contracts.

FII & DII Data

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth Rs 44.07 crore, while domestic institutional investors also bought shares worth Rs 544.5 crore in the Indian equity market on Tuesday, as per provisional data available on the NSE.

Fund Flow Picture:

Stocks with high delivery percentage:

High delivery percentage suggests that investors are accepting the delivery of the stock, which means that investors are bullish on the stock.

90 stocks saw long build-up:

48 stocks saw short covering:

A decrease in open interest along with an increase in price mostly indicates short covering.

42 stocks saw short build-up:

An increase in open interest along with a decrease in price mostly indicates short positions being built up.

29 stocks saw long unwinding:

Long unwinding happens when there is a decrease in OI as well as in price.

Bulk Deals:

HCL Infosystems: Parth Infin Brokers bought and sold 18.3 lakh shares.

Jet Airways: Crossland Trading bought and sold 6.02 lakh shares.

Reliance Communications: Adroit Financial Services traded 2.71 crore shares. Shaastra Securities traded in 4.22 crore shares.

Manav Patel traded in around 16 lakh shares at Rs 21 apiece.

Analyst Meet/Briefings:

Shriram City Union Finance to meet IIFL in Chennai on 27 December.

Stocks in news:

Canara Bank:

The board of the bank decided to raise additional equity capital amounting to Rs90 crore through QIP route by issuing Rs9 crore equity shares of face value Rs10.

Alembic Pharma:

This is to inform the exchange that our Associate Company, Rhizen Pharmaceuticals S.A. (Rhizen) has released a Press Release announcing that the USFDA has granted Orphan-Drug Designation for Tenalisib (RP6530).

Dr Reddys Laboratories:

Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd has launched Melphalan Hydrochloride for Injection, a therapeutic equivalent generic version of Alkeran (melphalan hydrochloride) for Injection used in the treatment of certain types of cancer and approved in the US market by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), said a report.

Maruti Suzuki:

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, the seller of every second car in India, has raised its sales target for the second time in two years to 2.5 million units every year by 2025, said a Mint report quoting two people with knowledge of the matter.

Pidilite Industries:

Adhesives and industrial chemicals manufacturer Pidilite Industries said its board has approved a share buyback proposal of up to Rs. 500 crore.

ITC:

Certain individuals and NGOs have filed Special Leave Petitions against Cigarette warning, along with a prayer for stay of the judgment.

IDBI Bank:

State-owned IDBI Bank on Tuesday said it has disengaged Moodys Investors Services (Moodys) to rate its bond programmes.

Punjab & Sind bank:

The Board of Directors in its meeting dated 26th December 2017, resolved and approved raising of equity capital through Public Issue (Follow on Public Offer) / Right Issue / Qualified Institutional Placement(s) / Preferential Issue or any other mode or a combination(s).

Yes Bank:

The private sector lender announces the acquisition of more than 5% stake in One Point One Solutions Limited ('OPOSL').

Prestige Estates:

The company announced the acquisition of 66.66% stake in a Group Company, Prestige Projects Private Limited for Rs324 Crore.

NBCC:

The company announced Offer for sale of Share to eligible employees of NBCC (India) Limited. The overall pool size of shares available to NBCC's employees under Employee Share Sale would be up to 25,16,013 equity shares of face value of Rs. 2/- each ('Equity Shares').

11 stocks under ban period on NSE

Security in ban period for the next trade date under the F&O segment includes companies in which the security has crossed 95 percent of the market-wide position limit.

Securities which are banned for trading include names such as Balrampur Chini, DHFL, DLF, GMR Infra, IFCI, HDIL, Jet Airways, Jain Irrigations Systems, JP Associates, Reliance Capital and Wockhardt.
Representative Image

Criticising the government over the rise in crimes against women, the Congress today asked it to strengthen the criminal justice system to check such crimes.

Congress spokesperson Khushboo Sundar trained her guns on the BJP, alleging that three BJP-ruled states -- Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra -- topped the list of rapes and abductions/kidnappings of women in the country, even as Delhi continued to be the "rape capital" of the country.

"It is high time the BJP strengthens the criminal justice system and take tangible action to reduce crime against women," she told reporters.

Khushboo said the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) Report, 2016 reveals the "hollow claims" of women security and exposes BJP's deception of 'mahila suraksha' (women protection).

She said that a 19-year-old woman was gangraped in a moving car when she was going from Gurgaon to Noida, on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new metro line in Noida.

Earlier, she said, another 20-year-old woman was raped by five men in Delhi and repeated incidents of violence against women and continuous rise in crimes in the NCR region is a matter of grave concern.

"The BJP which heavily politicised the Nirbhaya gangrape and talked about providing security to women is in charge of the same in the capital, yet Delhi continuous to hold this tag of being the 'rape capital of India'," she said.

Citing NCRB figures, she said, total crimes against women in India have increased in 2016 as compared to 2015 by almost 3 percent and 3,38,954 incidents of crimes against women took place in 2016 as compared to 3,29,243.

She said while Madhya Pradesh has 4,882 rape cases reported, Uttar Pradesh has 4,816 and Maharashtra has 4,189 cases of rape.

She added that Uttar Pradesh has 12,994 and Maharashtra 6,170 cases of kidnapping and abduction of women. Bihar is a distant third.
Delhiites consuming over 20,000 litres of water per month will have to pay 20 percent more from February 1, with the Delhi Jal Board approving a tariff hike today.

The decision, taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who holds the water portfolio, was criticised by the opposition BJP and the Congress with its leaders attacking the AAP chief by invoking his vocal opposition to the recent metro fare hike.

The government maintained that the hike will affect not more than 15 percent of the consumers as around 85 percent households will continue to be covered by the scheme under which no charge is levied for consumption of up to 20,000 litres a month.

DJB vice chairman Dinesh Mohaniya said the agency had to go for the hike due to financial constraints in the wake of implementation of the seventh pay commission recommendations and the imposition of 18 percent GST on new pipes.

The 20 percent hike will be on volumetric charge, which is currently Rs 21.97 per 1,000 litres of water for those consuming between 20,000 and 30,000 litres per month.

The service charge for this slab is Rs 219.62.

The sewer charges are 60 percent of the volumetric charge. Since the hike will be applicable on volumetric charges, the water bills will differ from household to household.

"For example, consuming 23,000 of water per month earlier costed Rs 465.55 per month, it will now be Rs. 514.79 per month; an increase of Rs. 49.24 per month.

"For consumption of 25,000 litres of water per month, the bill now will be Rs. 599.14 which earlier used to be Rs. 535.86; an increase of Rs. 63.28 per month," the government said in a statement.

Customers who use over 30,000 litres a month currently pay Rs 292.82 in service charge and Rs 36.61 per 1,000 litres in volumetric charge.

The DJB will not charge households consuming up to 20,000 litres a month, in line with the subsidy scheme of the Kejriwal government, which was a key poll promise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an official said.

In 2015, days after coming to power, the AAP government had hiked water tariff by 10 percent for consumers falling above the 20,000 litres category, keeping with an annual automatic 10 percent rate hike mechanism put in place by the Sheila Dikshit government in 2009.

However, in 2016, the government decided against following the auto mechanism and put another hike on hold.

The current hike comes three months after Kejriwal took over the ministerial portfolio of water after the removal of Kapil Mishra.

Mishra latched on to the issue and tweeted: "20% increase is huge. A budget promise is broken. Kejriwal was ready to give 1500 crore to reduce metro fare, why can't same money be used to reduce water tarrif???"

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari met Lt Governor Anil Baijal and demanded his intervention in the matter.

"The decision to raise the water and sewer charges by 20 percent is an irresponsible action of the government," Tiwari said.

BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta requested the LG to direct the chief minister to roll back the hike.

"The man who is raising hue and cry over increase in Delhi Metro fare shows no scruples in hiking tariff by 20 percent," Gupta said.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken said that the the AAP government is going back on all the promises that it had made with people before coming to the power.
The urban development department of the Delhi government has received a proposal from the civic bodies for allowing them to levy a "user charge" on residential and commercial establishments for door-to-door garbage collection, an official today said.

Presently, garbage collection is outsourced to various contractors, who collect waste from 'dhalaos' or dumps.

Sources in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), however, said it was made the nodal agency for this on behalf of the civic bodies, but the proposal moved last year was "not brought in the municipal House, but came through the Commissioner's office".

The proposal essentially seeks an amendment to the bye- laws related to sanitation under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi Act, 1957, they said.

A senior official in the urban development department said they have "received the proposal".

"Since the proposal was not made through the House, essentially, we would expect the Delhi government to refer it back to MCD," a source in the SDMC said.
Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy CM Nitin Patel along with Governor Om Prakash Kohli during the swearing-in ceremony at Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad on Tuesday. PTI Photo by Santosh Hirlekar (PTI12_26_2017_000036B)

Three of the ministers in the newly-formed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Gujarat have criminal cases against them, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) released on Tuesday.

The average assets of the 20-member council of ministers headed by Vijay Rupani is Rs 13.34 crore, with 18 of the 20 ministers being crorepatis.

Saurabh Yashvantbhai Dalal Patel from the Botad constituency was the richest, followed by Parsotambhai Odhavjibhai Solanki from Bhavnagar rural and Radadiya Jayeshbhai Vitthalbhai from Jetpur.

According to an Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report, Patel have declared assets worth Rs 123.78 crore while Solanki declared assets worth Rs 45.9 crore and Vitthalbhai having 28.5 crore.

The minister with the lowest declared asset is Khabad Bachubhai Maganbhai from Devgadhbaria constituency with assets worth Rs 35.45 lakh.

A total of 13 ministers have declared liabilities out of which the minister with the highest liabilities is Vitthalbhai with Rs 16.04 crore of liabilities.

On their educational qualifications, it said a total of nine (45 per cent) ministers have declared their educational qualification of 12th standard or below while 11 ministers are graduates or have higher degrees.

The 20-member cabinet includes only one woman.

Vijay Rupani today took office as Gujarat chief minister for a second straight term, after a hard-won victory over the Congress, at a glittering ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a galaxy of BJP leaders but boycotted by the Congress.

Rupani was sworn-in by Governor O P Kohli at the head of a Council of Ministers -- nine Cabinet ministers and 10 ministers of state (MoS).
Opposition parties today slammed Delhi's AAP government over the increase in water and sewer charges, with the BJP calling it an "irresponsible" decision and the Congress accusing the ruling party of "breaking" its poll promises.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari met Lt. Gov. Anil Baijal after the Delhi Jal Board earlier today approved a combined 20 percent hike in water and sewer charges for consumption above 20,000 litres a month, effective from February 2018.

Tiwari sought Baijal's intervention in the matter.

"The decision to raise water and sewer charges by 20 percent is an irresponsible action of the government," he said.

Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta too urged Baijal to ask Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to rollback the hike.

"The man who is raising a hue and cry over the increase in the fares of the Delhi Metro shows no scruple in hiking (water and sewer) tariff by 20 percent," Gupta said.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken said the AAP was going back on the promises it had made to the people before coming to power.

"The Kejriwal government has been systematically breaking all its elections promises as within days after coming to power in 2015, water charges were hiked by 10 percent," Maken said.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the SAD-BJP MLA, said the hike was a "betrayal" by the AAP government.

"Resorting to increase in charges of necessities of daily life Kejriwal has failed to keep his promises of providing cheaper services in Delhi," Sirsa said in a statement.
The suspense over superstar Rajinikanths possible foray into politics continues. The actor will be meeting his fans for six days starting Tuesday in what is being seen as an attempt to gather feedback.

Rajinikanth will meet his fans till December 31. For the last few months, every time, his name crops up, speculation is rife that perhaps this time he will announce his political entry. During his last interaction with fans, he had said he will take the decision on political debut at the right time.

TTV Dinakarans emphatic victory in the RK Nagar bypolls has accentuated the political flux in Tamil Nadu politics triggered by J Jayalalithaas death last December. The merged AIADMK faction, known as the EPS-OPS group, has been involved in a protracted battle with Dinakaran over Jayalalithaas legacy.

The opposition DMK, now being led by MK Stalin, is yet to find its footing after consecutive defeat in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The recent judgment in the 2G scam exonerating A Raja and Kanimozhi has also disrupted the internal dynamics within the Karunanidhi family.

Two people who met Rajinikanth met over the last week had different versions on the timing of his political plunge. "He has made his political intentions clear. During his meet with fans, he is all set to make the announcement. He has decided not to wait longer," the source said.

The other person who met the superstar also said that Rajinikanth will enter politics but not soon. "Rajinikanth will certainly enter politics but he won't be announcing it anytime soon. There should be a context when he makes that announcement and he is in no hurry to do so," said the person.

While Rajinikanth's political entry is widely speculated, there is only one person who can decide when that announcement would be made and that's the superstar himself. As a dialogue in his film Muthu says,"No one can predict my arrival. But when the time is right, I will be there."

It is up to the star to decide when the right time will be.
Venkaiah Naidu

Praising the Parsi community for its contribution towards the nation building and the country's economy, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said secularism was in the DNA of every Indian much before it was enshrined in the Constitution.

Naidu was addressing the members of the Parsi community at the concluding ceremony of the three-day Iranshah Utsav at Udvada in Valsad district of Gujarat, about 200 kms from here yesterday.

"'Sarva dharma sama bhava' (equality of all religions) epitomises India's secular ethos. India is a land of diverse cultures and religions. Secularism was in the DNA of every Indian much before it was enshrined in the Constitution," he said.

"The values of tolerance and respect for all religions have been part of the Indian ethos from time immemorial. Unless there is social cohesion, communal harmony and religious tolerance, the progress and development of the country will suffer," Naidu added.

The contribution of the Parsi community in the economy of the country is significant, which is why India's economy ranks third in the world now, he claimed.

He also lauded the community for making "invaluable contribution" towards the nation building and in diverse fields.

"Freedom fighter Dadabhai Naoroji, industrialist JRD Tata, nuclear scientist Homi Bhabha, music conductor Zubin Mehta are a few among the several stalwarts, who contributed towards India's growth and glory," Naidu said.

"Although Parsi community represents a minuscule portion of our total population, the contribution made by them in the overall economic development of the country has always remained in the forefront," he added.

According to Naidu, the government would endeavour to make Udvada a global destination for tourism.

Udvada Utsav, which started in 2015 on the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, showcases the glorious history of Parsis over 1,300 years.

Vada Dasturji Khurshed K Dastoor, high priest of Iranshah Atash Behram, Udvada and member of National Commission for Minorities, said, "Shreeji Pak Iranshah (Atashbehram) is the link between the past and present times of the Parsi community. It is the witness to the religious pride of our illustrious forefathers and proof of inspiration for younger generation.
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) today launched a new scheme for the poor that will allow them to buy meal for Rs 10 from the civic body's kiosks during the day, officials said.

According to them, the Atal Jan Aahar Yojana has been started to make a nutritious full meal accessible to the needy, in a phased manner.

The scheme was started at kiosks in five different locations of south Delhi.

The menu offers puri, chapattis, rice, rajma, vegetables, chhole and halwa. The meal will be available for sale at Rs 10 daily from 11 am to 2 pm, the SDMC said in a statement.

South Delhi Mayor Kamaljeet Sehrawat along with Chairman of the civic body's Standing Committee Bhupender Gupta and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Matiala launched the scheme from Matiala Chowk under Najafgarh Zone.

Sehrawat said an important promise in the election manifesto is being fulfilled on the Good Governance Day celebrated on the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

"The scheme is being implemented in a phased manner. It will be expanded, in terms of more centres and distribution timings to including dinner as well," she said.

Leader of House Shikha Rai along with New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi distributed food at a kiosk in Green Park under the South Zone.

Meanwhile, the NDMC also launched a pilot project on the same line from a kiosk in Shalimar Bagh.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy said on Tuesday India should go to war with Pakistan and split it into four parts.

Reacting sharply to the treatment meted out to the mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav, on death row in Pakistan over alleged espionage, Swamy, a Rajya Sabha member, said "serious homework" for the war should begin "right now".

"Whatever treatment was given to the mother and wife of Kulbhushan (Jadhav) is akin to Draupadi's vastraharan that resulted in Mahabharat.

"It's very unfortunate and we are hurt...and now time has come when we should wage war against Pakistan to tear it apart into four pieces," he told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.

The mangalsutra, bangles and bindi of Jadhav's wife and mother were reportedly removed before the tightly-controlled interaction he had with them, according to an external affairs ministry statement in New Delhi.

"I don't say that we should do this (declare war) immediately, but we should start doing serious homework for this right now," Swamy said, adding "it's my personal opinion and it often becomes party's opinion also."

Swamy said splintering Pakistan was the only solution to India's running feud with its neighbour.

When asked if yesterday's surgical strike by the Indian Army, in which three Pakistani soldiers were killed, was a befitting reply to them, he said,"It's okay, but for a permanent solution, Pakistan needs to be split."

Calling Pakistan an "envious and vengeful" country, he ruled out the possibility of other countries joining the conflict in the event of an Indo-Pak war.

He also sought an immediate end to the External Affairs Ministry issuing medical visas to Pakistani nationals. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has been facilitating grant of visas to ailing Pakistani nationals as a humanitarian gesture.
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The next bottle of water you buy on a train could have come from a coal mine.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has joined hands with state-owned coal mining company Coal India for a project to use excess groundwater from mines to manufacture purified packaged drinking water sold under IRCTC's Rail Neer brand.

Rail Neer is popular among railway commuters, but IRCTC only manages to meet 37 percent of the demand for bottles of drinking water on trains.

A railway official told Financial Express that a mining site at Argada near Ranchi in Jharkhand has been identified for the purpose of setting up a bottling plant.

IRCTC currently has seven operational bottling plants in the country, with a combined production capacity of 8.3 lakh litres per day.

Water will be supplied from the adjoining coal mines to this plant for purification. Mines have surplus groundwater which comes out as a result of coal extraction, the railway official told the newspaper.

Every year, all of Coal Indias mines put together produce close to 5,700 lakh cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water, of which less than half gets utilised by the company itself. A further 1,091 lakh cusecs of water is supplied to villages and communities located around the mines.

At the end of each year, Coal India is typically left with surplus of more than 2,000 cusecs of water. The plan is to put up plants wherever there is surplus water and a few sites have been identified. However as of now, it will start from Ranchi, the above-mentioned official told the newspaper.

The plan is still in its nascent stages, with a techno-feasibility test yet to be conducted to determine how big the plant can be and how much it can produce.

The idea to use excess water produced at coal mines to produce drinking water was first suggested during railway minister Piyush Goyals meeting with all senior officials of Indian Railways earlier this year. Goyal also holds charge of the coal ministry at the moment.

The proposed plant at Ranchi is expected to produce around 1 lakh litres of potable water every day once operational. Apart from this, Indian Railways also floated tenders for seven more bottling plants in November.

Three of these seven plants  Vishakhapatnam, Kota and Bhubaneswar  with a combined capacity of 2.7 lakh litres of packaged water per day are expected to be up and running by March 2019.
Jai Ram Thakur

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and chief ministers of many BJP-ruled states would attend the swearing-in ceremony of Jairam Thakur as the new chief minister of Himachal Pradesh today.

The ceremony would be held at the historic Ridge ground here, Thakur said.

The five-time MLA from Seraj in Mandi was elected leader of the BJP legislature party yesterday after the party ousted the Congress from power in the state by winning 44 out of the 68 seats in the Assembly polls.

Thakur said apart from Modi and Shah, chief ministers of many BJP-ruled states would attend the swearing-in ceremony.

The ceremony would be brief and some ministers would also take oath, but their names are yet to finalised, he said.

Elaborate security arrangements are being made for the swearing-in ceremony and the prime minister is likely to address people at the Ridge.
Sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran rejected the K Palaniswami-led ruling camp's charge of a 'tacit understanding' between him and DMK in the RK Nagar byelection, which he won.

Dhinakaran, who won the December 21 bypoll trouncing nearest AIADMK rival by a margin of over 40,000 votes, said DMK appeared to have made "an arithmetic mistake" and was 'overconfident'.

He was responding to questions from reporters here on AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and co-coordinator K Palaniswami's charge that his victory was due to a 'tacit understanding' between him and DMK.

They have claimed that the win was achieved by a "conspiracy" of Stalin and Dhinakaran and it would not affect the AIADMK. In a related development, expelled AIADMK Rajya Sabha member Sasikala Pushpa called on Dhinkaran and congratulated him.

Puspha, who was sacked by the then Chief Minister and party supremo J Jayalalithaa last year for alleged anti-party activities, met Dhinakaran at his residence here. Dhinakaran took a swipe at DMK, saying the opposition party was "overconfident" following its performance in the assembly polls last year when it secured over 55,000 votes in the constituency, then won by late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa.

"DMK was overconfident that it had allies, and 55,000 votes (polled in the 2016 Assembly polls). But situation will change in every election," he said. On the AIADMK's allegation that DMK diverted its votes to Dhinakaran as part of their 'tacit understanding,' he wondered how that was possible. "A party (DMK) that is in existence for 70 years, aided by the support of allies, seems to have just made an arithmetic mistake," he said.

He might have received DMK votes as those voters may have also preferred him, "but a DMK worker will not vote for someone else even if their party leader asks them to do so," Dhinakaran said. He added that he and the people of RK Nagar had a common thread that it was 'Amma's constituency,' referring Jayalalithaa having represented the city segment till her death in December last year.

To a question on the charge of money distribution made against him by leaders of the ruling AIADMK, the newly elected legislator made counter allegations, saying it was they who gave cash to the voters. He wanted the Election Commission to probe both complaints. Emerging from her meeting with Dhinakaran, Pushpa said he had won overcoming many difficulties and challenges. "He has secured a historic, Himalayan victory," she told reporters separately.

The MP, who created a furore when she claimed in the Rajya Sabha last year that she was "slapped by a leader," said she came to congratulate Dhinakaran. Although Pushpa was expelled from AIADMK last year, she continues to be recognised as a party MP in Rajya Sabha.
In the field of science and innovation, 2017 has been a buzzing year. From back-flipping robots and artificially intelligent gamer bots to the synthetic uterus to 'grow' a baby  the year saw several new discoveries and advancements.

We pick 10 most interesting and epoch-changing scientific developments of the year, not in any particular order.

Metallic Hydrogen: Scientists at Harvard University successfully metastabilised the Hydrogen metal after turning the gas into metal by applying about five million times the atmospheric pressure at it.

This is the holy grail of high-pressure physics. Its the first-ever sample of metallic hydrogen on Earth, so when you are looking at it, you are looking at something which never existed before, said Isaac F Silvera, Thomas D Cabot professor of the natural science at the Harvard.

In addition to helping scientists answer fundamental questions about the nature of matter, the material is theorised to have a wide range of applications, ranging from room-temperature superconductors to powerful rocket propellant.



Nuclear alien UFO from North Korea pic.twitter.com/GUIHpKkkp5

 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 23, 2017

Elon Musk-led space startup successfully managed to relaunch and reland a used Falcon 9 rocket booster in March. Last week, the rocket booster made another flight into space when it lifted off 10 communication satellites.

The re-usable rockets will revolutionise space exploration by making it cheaper and saving about USD 18 million per launch.

Apart from this, the company is also working on another variant of Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy which will be used for planned Mars voyages by the company.

DeepMind AI innovations: The sister firm of Google has been making giant leaps in the field of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), and one of them in 2017 was remarkable.

The Alphabet subsidiary in July released a paper detailing how its AI agents taught themselves to navigate complex virtual environments which involve various terrains. The firm also released a video which shows how the agents learn to jump, run, crouch and climb without any aid.

The video may seem funny but it records a big step towards the autonomous AI movement.

The bang of neutron stars colliding: Two neutron stars collided in deep space, and though only a faint signal was recorded, its bang was heard in the scientific communities pretty loudly.

On August 17, a team of four Carnegie astronomers (along with peers from different Universities) provided the first-ever glimpse of two neutron stars colliding. They also obtained the earliest spectra of the collision, which may allow them to explain how many of the universes heavy elements like gold, platinum, etc. were createda decades old question for astrophysicists.

Scientists think that neutron star mergers create many heavy elements, such as gold, platinum, and uranium. But until now it has been impossible to confirm that idea, said a release by the University.

The life-saving cocktail of viruses: In April, a 69-year-old man was brought back from two-month comma by injecting a cocktail of bacteriophages, tiny viruses that specifically attack and kill bacteria.

Tom Patterson had fallen ill gravely due to an antibiotic-resistant acinetobacter infection. Incidentally, his wife, Steffanie Strathdee, a scientist who had worked on alternative therapies, along with others, used a mix of phages available at that time to rescue her husband.

However, no one exactly knows which virus from the mix worked.

The lost land: Researchers in the beginning of the year published a study revealing the existence of a brand new continent on the planetZealandia.

Source: Geosociety.org

The 4.9 million kilometre region of the southwest Pacific Ocean is made up of continental crust, researchers said. The region is elevated relative to surrounding oceanic crust, has diverse and silica-rich rocks and a relatively thick and low-velocity crustal structure.

Also Read: Zealandia, the lost continent was closer to land level than it was thought earlier

Though, today it is 94 percent submerged, mainly as a result of widespread Late Cretaceous crustal thinning preceding supercontinent breakup and consequent isostatic balance.

Deep roots of humankind: A relook at the skull found in 1961 in a cave in Morocco pushed back the history of mankind to more than 300,000 years ago.

The researchers determined that the fossil could be the oldest remains of Homo sapien, a full 100,000 years older than fossils from Ethiopia that had held the record as the oldest widely accepted remains of archaic H. sapiens.

Synthetic womb: The physicians at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia succeeded in keeping a foetal lamb alive in a uterus-like plastic sack for weeks.

The foetuses were placed in the biobag after 22 weeks of the first signs of development. At such a premature time, neither human nor lamb foetus can survive outside the uterus.

The foetuses in the bags were kept for four weeks and they grew hair and developed lungs during that time. All eight lambs which were part of the trial eventually survived.

The successful imitation of a uterus, if also works for humans, can prove to be life-saving for babies which are premature.

Gene editing: A team of researchers in Portland, Oregon successfully edited the gene of human embryos.

Borrowing from a gene-editing technique called CRISPR, the team changed the DNA of a large number of one-cell embryos. Though this is not the first attempt at editing the genes of an embryo but the attempt is believed to have broken new ground both in the number of embryos experimented upon and by demonstrating that it is possible to safely and efficiently correct defective genes that cause inherited diseases, said a report in MIT Technology Review.

The embryos were not intended to be implanted, though, and, none of the embryos was allowed to develop for more than a few days.

Life beyond earth: Astronomers of the European Organisation for Astronomical Research discovered a planet in the habitable zone of a dim star 40 light-years away from Earth which was dubbed as the best place to look for signs of life beyond the Solar System.

The planet named LHS 1140b receives about half as much sunlight from its star as the Earth and lies in the middle of the habitable zone. The orbit is seen almost edge-on from Earth and as the exoplanet passes in front of the star once per orbit it blocks a little of its light every 25 days.

This is the most exciting exoplanet Ive seen in the past decade, said lead author Jason Dittmann of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (Cambridge, USA). We could hardly hope for a better target to perform one of the biggest quests in science  searching for evidence of life beyond Earth.

Apart from these, there were other notable innovations and developments in the field of science and technology which could transform the future. Among them were cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) which allows scientists to create freeze-frame images of complex molecules as they interact with each other; Teslas 100 MW battery which responded in record time (140 milliseconds) to a power failure in Australia, Cassini's fatal fall , among others.
Image courtesy: Creative Commons

Bitcoin enthusiasts, beware! There is a new malware on the horizon, and its out to get your cryptocurrency.

This cryptocurrency-mining bot, 'Digmine' first surfaced in South Korea and is spreading fast throughout the world, according to Trend Micro, a Tokyo-headquarted cybersecurity firm.

The only way the malware can spread is via the desktop version of Facebook Messenger when used on Google Chrome which helps the perpetrators take over the Facebook account. The malware is disguised to look like a video file being shared over Messenger. After the hackers take over your account, they have access to your friend list which helps spread the malware.

What we know so far is that the malware only operates through Google Chrome and opening the infected video file on Messenger running on any other platform wont result in an infection.

After South Korea, Digmine has since spread in Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, the Philippines, Thailand, and Venezuela. It is likely to reach other countries soon, given the way it propagates.

Security researchers from Trend Micro say the perpetrators are trying to mine a cryptocurrency called Monero (which is a favourite in the dark web black market), an alternative to the wildly valuable and volatile Bitcoin.

Cryptocurrency mining through malware has surged because of the recent rise in the value of the bitcoin. "The increasing popularity of cryptocurrency mining is drawing attackers back to the mining botnet business," said Trend Micro.

TrendMicro disclosed its Digmine findings to Facebook which promptly removed Digmine-related links from its platform. Facebooks official statement states that, "We maintain a number of automated systems to help stop harmful links and files from appearing on Facebook and in Messenger. If we suspect your computer is infected with malware, we will provide you with a free anti-virus scan from our trusted partners. We share tips on how to stay secure and links to these scanners on facebook.com/help ."
If you have clicked on the Youtube app on your Amazon FireTV, an interesting notification would have popped up. It said, "Starting 1/1/2018, YouTube will not be available on this device."

Then it will direct you to a list of streaming media devices and smart TVs you can instead stream Youtube on.

Why has Amazon decided to take down one of its most popular apps?

Google and Amazon have been at loggerheads since YouTube had been barred on Amazon's Echo Show in September 2017.

A Google spokesperson made a statement regarding its battle with Amazon stating that since Amazon doesn't carry Google products like Chromecast and Google Home, nor does it make Prime Video available for GoogleCast users, Google is no longer supporting YouTube on Echo Show and FireTV, 'given this lack of reciprocity.'

Amazon has also stopped selling some of Nest's key products on its website that compete directly with its own line of smart speakers and smart TV boxes.

This combined with the fact that Amazon is the largest retailer in the world, makes being blacklisted a negative impact on sales even for a company of Google's size.

Meanwhile a source informed the tech website Engadget that the bone of contention had actually been Amazon's implementation of its own hacked version of Youtube instead of working with Google to build versions of its app for FireTV. This move affects majorly Google's ability to collect on some of the ad revenue that comes from its videos.

Amazon's official statement regarding the matter reads,"Echo Show and FireTV now display a standard web view of YouTube.com and point customers directly to YouTube's existing website. Google is setting a disappointing precedent by selectively blocking customer access to an open website. We hope to resolve this with Google as soon as possible."
The instant messaging app WhatsApp will stop functioning on certain mobile phones which carry outdated versions of Blackberry, Android, Symbian and Windows operating systems.

The Facebook-owned service in a blog post said that in order to focus the efforts on the mobile platforms the vast majority of people use, the company will be ending support for WhatsApp Messenger on the following mobile platforms by the end of the year: BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10 Windows Phone 8.0 and older.

Earlier in June this year, the support for Nokia Symbian S60 was ended. Before that, support for Android 2.1 and Android 2.2, Windows Phone 7 and iPhone 3GS/iOS 6 were stopped by the company in December 2016.

Many of the platforms had received an extended support such as Blackberry OS, and Nokia Symbian S60. The company, however, clarified that there would be no further extension for BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10 Windows Phone 8.0.

WhatsApp has also planned to stop supporting Android versions 2.3.7 and older after February 1, 2020. Nokia S40 has received an extension till December next year. After that, the support will end.

The instant messaging app has introduced multiple feature-heavy updates such as My Status and Delete For Everyone that maybe the reason behind such a move as older phones can't sustain these updates.
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Reliance Communications is close to resolving its lingering debt problems with its asset sale plan taking definitive shape, thus averting any need for write-offs of any loan or conversion of debt into equity by banks, according to the companys Chairman and Managing Director Anil Ambani.

With the company set to exit the strategic debt restructuring process it was negotiating with its 35 lenders, the companys debt will come down to Rs. 6,000 crores from Rs. 45,000 crores currently, Ambani said.

The 40-day exercise that the company undertook will help it escape from the clutches of the National Company Law Tribunal that its foreign lenders had approached to recover their debt.

Ambani said the company had received 75 expressions of interest for sale of its various assets and definitive documents were at an advanced stage of negotiation with the entire process being overseen by a committee headed by Reserve Bank of India deputy governor SS Mundra.

All the final binding bids have already been received by the lenders and we expect a full and financial closure of all the transactions for all the modules that we are running to be completed between January and March 2018 which is the next three months, Ambani said at a press conference in Mumbai. He said the entire monetization process was to be solely used to prepay the debt of the lenders.

Those words from the junior Ambani sent shares of his company soaring to the days high of Rs. 23 before closing the session at Rs. 21.33 on the BSE, still up as much as 30.78 per cent from Fridays close. Markets were closed Monday on account of Christmas.

He said the companys asset monetization programme comprised five modules related to its wireless business and 125 acres at its Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City campus in Navi Mumbai. The five modules of the mobile business included the companys spectrum portfolio, its 40,000 towers, optic fiber network, mobile switching nodes spread over 5 million square feet of space and real estate that is not part of the Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City campus.

Ambani said the company had also run a process, run by real estate consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle, to select a contractor to develop and monetize 20 million square feet at the knowledge city. According to him, bids from five developers had been received for the purpose. He said HDFC Realty had pegged the gross proceeds from the development of the land at Rs. 25,000 crores. He said a special purpose vehicle holding this real estate will have long-term debt financing of Rs. 10,000 crores on a non-recourse basis.

Speaking on the shape the company would take once the debt resolution is put behind, Ambani said the new Reliance Communications would be a B2B company with 90 percent of its revenues being annuity in nature and half the revenues coming from overseas.

Ambani said the company had also received non-binding interest from nine companies to acquire strategic stake in it, pegging its enterprise value, post all the restructuring and debt pre payments, at Rs. 15,000 crores.

The stripping down of Reliance Communications business is an outcome of the onslaught of competition brought in by the second coming of Mukesh Ambani in telecom when his company and Reliance Industries subsidiary Reliance Jio Infocomm launched its services.

The entry of Jio has led to a spate of mergers and acquisitions in the sector which has seen Bharti Airtel acquiring Telenor and Tata Teleservices business, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular merging and Reliance Communications shutting most of its wireless business. The Anil Ambani company spared the international voice traffic business, consumer broadband and 4G post-paid dongle services from the axe. These businesses have been moved to the companys enterprise segment.

Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.
Anil Ambani, Chairman of Indias Reliance Communication, addresses a news conference at the companys headquarters in Mumbai, India (PTI)

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Months after voicing fears of an emerging monopoly in the sector and a forceful shutdown of Reliance Communications' consumer business, Anil Ambani on Tuesday said telecom has become a money guzzler where only those with deep pockets can survive.

Even the "mighty" house of Tatas had to "gift away" their telecom business (to Airtel), Ambani asserted, sounding bitter about the regulatory framework, saying the long time taken to clear RCom's merger with Systema Shyam Telecom represents the "unease of doing business".

"This is a crisis of the wireless telecom sector and it has engulfed many, many people and many, many companies. If it is the mighty house of the Tatas who had to gift their business, then very little has to be said about other corporate groups. The writing was on the wall," the embattled RCom chairman told reporters here announcing yet another revival plan for his nearly crippled telecom business.

It can be noted that the entry of his elder brother Mukesh's Reliance Jio which made the largest revenue earner voice calls free and priced data aggressively, has wrecked the financials of every company and resulted in a massive consolidation in the sector with Vodafone and Idea announcing a merger in March to stay floating.

"It's a clear signal that this is something which is not for 10 players to enjoy. This is more for 2-3-4 players to enjoy and those who have either unlimited money or those who have the ability to raise unlimited amount of money," Ambani said, without naming any company.

"You really need a pipeline into the RBI's printing press if you want to be in the wireless business because it is a guzzler of currency, every minute, every hour and every single day," he added.

After the failure of its debt-reducing plans like sale of the tower unit and a merger with its immediate rival Aircel, RCom was forced to exit the flagship consumer facing business in this November and also charted a future course which will limit its offerings to the enterprise segment going forward.

"You are on a perpetual treadmill. Capex never ever stops, it is every day. You got to be really geared in terms of your balance sheet, in your cash flow, in financial structure to do that," he said.

The comments come months after Ambani had told his shareholders that the sector was in ICCU and warned of a monopoly in the sector.

Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.
With an aim to reach 500 locations across India in the next three to four years, North Eastern Carrying Corporation (NECC) is on an expansion drive. The logistic firm with a strong base in the east and North East part of the country is now planning to spread its roots wider across the region. With 150 vehicles already in its fleet, NECC will be adding more trucks in the next two years.

Having re-organized their operational structure this year, NECC is now developing profitable routes and reworking the existing, less profitable routes by deploying their own vehicles and increasing wallet share of the profitable accounts.

NECC has also made a name for itself when it comes to on-time door-to-door deliveries. Besides, a robust network, through a mix of rail and road transportation, adds further to its prowess, which helps in decreasing operational costs and optimizing service levels.

A strong strategic partnership with vendors and associates over the years has also helped NECC to seamlessly move millions of tons of cargo to a number of locations without any errors.

GST too can be credited for having been a game changer for the logistics industry. We believe this is an extremely positive step for the economy. From a logistics point of view it will result in significant time and cost savings in the actual movement of vehicle which will translate into saving of fuel consumption and better turnaround time which would indirectly impact the overall cost, said NECC Director, Utkarsh Jain.



The company is also looking to leverage its proven capabilities in critical sectors like mining, FMCG, textile, automobiles and pharmaceuticals. To tap better opportunities, he said the company is gearing-up to expand its reach to 500 locations across India in the next two-three years from the current 250.

Having an established operational set up across the country, NECC has even expanded beyond the borders to Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, as an integrated logistics solutions firm.

NECC currently has 250 offices across India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Its Current warehousing space of 1.5 million sq. feet includes owned and leased under management facilities.

From a digital infrastructure perspective too, NECC is well equipped. The operations are all IT enabled, while all the owned and attached fleet are GPS enabled, to enable tracking at any given point.

On widening of NECCs services, Jain said the company is considering entry into the air logistics segment. It may happen by end of 2018 or early 2019. This is a segment which is currently under-served. There will not be any requirement for major investments and can be successfully implemented with the existing infrastructure, as we already have presence in all major cities, Jain said.

In 2016-17, the company had posted revenues of Rs 548.69 crore as compared to Rs 539.75 crore in 2015-16, up 1.66 per cent.
China has opened the worlds longest glass floor bridge on Sunday. The bridge which stretches 488 metres connects two steep cliffs in the Hongyagu Scenic Area in Pingshan county of Shijiazhuang, Hebei province.

The bridge is 2 metre wide and hangs 218 metre above the valley floor. That makes it about 66-storey high.

The bridge is paved with 1,077 panes of transparent glass, each 4 centimetre thick, and weighs a total of 70 metric tons.

An aerial view of the bridge. Source: People's Daily

The China Daily reported that it took 18 months to build the bridge and it can withstand strongest winds.

Tourists taking pictures at the bridge. Source: People's Daily

However, the bridge is said to be designed to shake a little when a visitor reaches its middle.

An aerial view of the world's longest glass-floor bridge in the Hongyagu Scenic Area in Hebei province. Source: China Daily

The maximum capacity of the bridge, by design, is 2,000 people but its expected that only 500 people will be on it at a time, as per the report.

Vistors walking down the bridge. Source: People's Daily

A number of glass floor bridges have been constructed in China lately. The record for the longest glass floor bridge was previously held by a 430 metre long and 6 metre wide bridge in Grand Canyon Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie, Hunan province.

Work on the world's longest glass-floor bridge proceeds in the Hongyagu Scenic Area in Hebei province earlier this month. Source: China Daily
One of Burke Countys top high school seniors recently learned he will have the chance to pursue one of the finest university educations in the nation.

Jack Swanson, a 12th-grader at Freedom High School in Morganton, found out on Dec. 12 he had been accepted to Harvard University. Kelly Baker, Swansons calculus teacher at Freedom, said he will be the first Patriot to attend the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based institution in more than a decade.

Swanson said the process that led to his acceptance at Harvard was about a year in the making.

I started thinking about what colleges I wanted to apply to last year or there around, and I decided that Harvard would be my No. 1 choice, Swanson said. So, I applied to Harvard through the early action program. Through that, you can only apply to one private school early, and I picked Harvard.

I heard back on Dec. 12. I was pretty nervous before getting results. I tried to open them in the most symbolic way possible, if you will, so I went to my elementary school with a couple of my friends. They send portal updates, so you log in and check. Thats where I found out I was accepted.

Swanson, who earned a perfect score on the ACT, said he called his mother, Amy Swanson, first before calling some of his friends and then Baker.

To me, its such a huge accomplishment for him, Baker said. Hes got such a tremendous work ethic.

Baker said Swanson constantly has been dedicated to his school work. She has taught him in pre-calculus, honors calculus and AP calculus. This year, Swanson has served as a teachers assistant of sorts for Baker through one of his elective classes. Baker instructs students from Freedom and Draughn High in the class in person and by live video stream. She said Swansons ability to assist her has allowed her to split her in-person instruction between the two campuses.

Amy said finding out her son would be going to Harvard  and doing so as the first person in their family to attend a four-year university  was one of her proudest moments.

Im very proud of him. He started in middle school working toward working on getting into a great college, she said. He has applied himself the last eight years and hes worked so hard on this. There are many nights he was home studying or working on a paper instead of being out with his friends.

In the evenings and on the weekends, he works so incredibly hard. I had a great feeling when he applied to Harvard. I just had a feeling he was going to get in. Of course, I kept it to myself, but when he told me that Tuesday night, I was just thrilled for him that his dream has come true.

Amy said her son has a great amount of potential. Due to her status as a single parent, Jack wont have to pay tuition at Harvard. He also is working on applying for several scholarships, she said. Amy said Jack has been a great role model for his younger siblings. The family will visit the campus in April and move him in over the summer.

While at Freedom, Jack has participated in extracurricular activities like Quiz Bowl and Math Team. He also has been a Cub Scout and volunteers with the Burke County Democratic Party and its Young Democrats program.

Jack plans to major in government and politics at Harvard with an eye toward pursuing a career path in that field. He also is considering enlisting in the U.S. Air Force, his mother said. Jack credits much of his success to his family and teachers who have helped him along the way.

Definitely, whats helped me the most is having great teachers like Mrs. Baker and Mr. (Tim) Fossett, Jack said. Going into high school, I wasnt entirely sure what direction I wanted to take. Neither of my older siblings actually attended a four-year university, so I was kind of navigating it on my own.

Going into that was difficult, but with teachers like that, it made it a lot easier. It was made easy for me. I had a lot of supportive friends and doing those advanced classes like AP classes was just a fun experience overall. I deeply appreciate learning in general, so I think having teachers like Mrs. Baker and Mr. Fossett facilitated my joy in learning.

Justin Epley can be reached at jepley@morganton.com or 828-432-8943.
FHA, Lenders, and Investors Continue HMDA Changes

Congrats to The Money Source. It is on a major hiring spree to build an in-house ad agency in the greater Detroit area. The marketing team will serve and promote the fintech company's rapidly growing $21 billion customer portfolio.

At the other end of the scale...These aren't the first, and won't be the last in a business where many are experiencing contracting volumes and contracting margins. Bank of the Ozarks of Little Rockwill stop originating home loans for resale on the secondary market, a line of business that had "operated at essentially break-even." And I've heard from a few people that wholesaler 1st California Mortgage (First Cal) will fund its last loan later this week, after reportedly eliminating its AE workforce several weeks ago and perhaps switching its focus to servicing. Every company is taking a hard look at the continued high cost of originating loans, regardless of channel, and evaluating profitability. Watch for plenty of changes in 2018.



HMDA

Recall that on December 21, the CFPB issued a statement regarding compliance with the HMDA final rule and amendments last September to the HMDA final rule. Although the Bureau did not delay the January 1, 2018 effective date as some had hoped, it acknowledged the difficulties of coming into compliance with the new requirements, stating that the Bureau "does not intend to require data resubmission unless data errors are material or assess penalties with respect to errors for data collected in 2018 and reported in 2019." According to the CFPB, compliance with the HMDA requirements pose "significant system and operational challenges" and therefore, institutions should focus the 2018 data collection on identifying areas for improvement in their HMDA compliance management systems for future years. The Bureau further advised that it expects that supervisory examinations of 2018 HMDA data will be "diagnostic" to help "identify compliance weaknesses, and will credit good-faith compliance efforts." However, institutions will still use the CFPB's new HMDA Platform for data collected in 2017. The FDIC and the OCC issued similar announcements, Financial Institution Letter FIL-63-2017 and OCC Bulletin 2017-62 respectively, and other regulators are expected to do the same.



Law firm Buckley Sandler points out that, "The Bureau's stated intent to focus on 'good-faith compliance efforts' and 'material' errors in the early days of the new HMDA requirements is like the approach taken for implementation of the Ability-to-Repay/Qualified Mortgage Rule and the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule. While this flexible approach is generally beneficial for lenders and consumers, it does produce some uncertainty over what will be considered 'good faith' or 'material.'"



The Bureau also announced its intent to engage in additional HMDA rulemaking that may (i) re-examine the criteria determining whether institutions are required to report data; (ii) adjust the requirements related to reporting certain types of transactions; and (iii) re-evaluate the required reporting of additional information beyond the data points required in HMDA, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Act.

From Ohio a note to me said, "HMDA 2.0 has just become even more costlier. Instead of implementing the program in 10 days, they just delayed the penalty part of the HMDA 2.0

FHA is informing mortgagees of planned changes in the FHA Connection (FHAC) system to capture expanded borrower demographic information that mortgagees must begin collecting on January 1, 2018, in accordance with the new Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) Final Rule. This information is available to be collected on the Demographic Information Addendum to the Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA). These changes, however, will not be implemented in FHAC by the January 1st collection date. In the interim, FHAC has been temporarily modified to: Allow mortgagees to submit the demographic information collected if the currently available fields in FHAC match the borrower(s) submission; or Permit the fields to be left blank, if the demographic information collected does not match the currently available fields in FHAC. FHA has not yet established an implementation date for the expanded demographic information changes in FHAC - look for an announcement in the coming weeks.

To support the HMDA requirements, AmeriHome is implementing requirements for Sellers to complete the Uniform Loan Identifier (ULI) Field in Correspondent Connect, and to provide the new Demographic Information Addendum (DIA). Loan sales to AmeriHome are typically categorized as Purchaser Code 71 - Credit union, mortgage bank, or finance company for a Seller's HMDA reporting purposes.

Pacific Union will require delegated correspondent clients to provide the Universal Loan Identifier (ULI) number along with the new Demographic Information Addendum, which will be required for all mortgage loan applications taken on or after January 1, 2018. This is a new HMDA Requirement which becomes effective the first day of January.

Plaza posted the following announcement: In anticipation of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) rule implementation in 2018, you are permitted to collect additional data on your applicant. For applications received in 2017, collect race, ethnicity, and sex according to the URLA Appendix B instructions. The additional HMDA data is required for all loans with a final action taken date on or after 1/1/2018. Correspondents who will submit a lender-delegated loan will also need to supply your Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) and the Unique Loan Identifier (ULI) for each loan. Plaza has provided further information to answer some basic questions and clarify some of its requirements.

Effective for loans dispositioned on or after 1/1/2018: for HMDA reporting purposes, Fifth Third Mortgage Company, as purchaser, may be classified as number (71) - "credit union, mortgage company or finance company". Universal Loan Identifier (ULI) - Identifier assigned to identify and retrieve a loan or application that contains the FI's LEI, an internally generated sequence of characters, and a check digit. For Delegated and Post-Close Non-delegated loans, the lender must provide the ULI the generated for the loan - lenders can use the Closed Loan Submission Checklist. For Non-Delegated Pre-close loans, Fifth Third will generate a ULI.

In accordance with the HMDA requirements, for applications taken January 1, 2018 or later, WesLend will require all Brokers to provide the new Fannie Mae Demographic Information (DI) Addendum to the 1003 as a part of their loan submission. The DI Addendum will replace Section X. of the 1003 and will be used to collect the new expanded Government Monitoring Information (GMI) pertaining to race and ethnicity. Effective January 1, 2018, all 1003s must contain the DI Addendum. If a DI Addendum is not included with the 1003 or if the old version is provided, the loan submission will be considered incomplete. Loan Set Up cannot hold incomplete files longer than two business days. If the 1003 and DI Addendum are not received within the allotted timeframe, the loan submission will need to be resubmitted as a new loan submission.



Capital Markets

Turning the way-back machine to Friday, the 10-year Treasury note finished last week yielding 2.49% after a week of positive economic news. What nudged rates on Friday? New and existing home sales were strong as well as builder sentiment. Areas recently hit by natural disasters, the West and South, has the largest increased in new home sales; +31% and +15% respectively. This may suggest that buyers may be replacing lost homes. Additionally, the share of new homes sold but not yet under construction was above its 5-year average of 31% with a reading of 35%.

There was some optimism that the passage of the tax bill would lead builders to begin constructing lower priced homes, which have been in short supply due to low profit margins. It will remain to be seen what effects the changes to the mortgage interest deduction, now limited to $750,000, and the cap of $10,000 on state and local taxes will have on home prices, demand, and resales in higher priced areas. The increase in the standard deduction could reduce the financial incentive for younger households to become homeowners as well.

Yes, it is already Tuesday, and we do have a full week of economic news ahead of us. If you care about property values back in October, there's the S&P CoreLogic Case Shiller indices today, along with some figures from Richmond and Dallas on manufacturing. Tomorrow, is the MBA's survey on last week's application data, as well as Consumer Confidence and Pending Home Sales. Thursday is Initial Jobless Claims and some trade figures. In what is expected to be thin trading all week, we find the 10-year yielding 2.49% and agency MBS prices nearly unchanged versus last week's close.

Events and Webinars

In FHA training news, register for January 10th FHA webinar which will focus exclusively on SFDMS reporting requirements and is open to all FHA-Approved Servicers, the January 17th webinarproviding FHA-Approved Servicers an opportunity to review various default scenarios and the SFDMS reporting, the January 24th webinar in which FHA-approved servicers the opportunity to review what causes fatal and non-fatal errors in Single Family Default Monitoring System (SFDMS) reporting, and what can be done to prevent or fix the problems, and/or the January 31st webinar to learn the consequences of failing to update the Single-Family Default Monitoring System (SFDMS).

Peoples Bank and Community Banks Mortgage, a division of NBH Bank, announced the 4th Annual 2018 Colorado Real Estate & Lenders Summit on January 18th in Glendale. This is CO's largest combined Real Estate and Lender Event, and one can register for free. Speakers include Joe Niego (Buffini & Company), Karl Mecklenburg (Former Denver Broncos Pro-Bowler), Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. (Economist), and Matt Tully (Government & Industry Relations Expert).

There's the Friday, January 19th CMLA Luncheon at the Denver Marriott South at Park Meadows. Have lunch with representatives from FHA, VA, USDA, and the HUD-184 program. This expert panel will highlight new and/or changing loan programs and how that might affect you in 2018.

This year's Independent Mortgage Bankers Conference program, January 22nd-25th, developed by IMBs for IMBs, is shaping up to be the best ever. Sessions are packed with concrete and actionable information. each crafted to provide you with practical takeaways. The popular TechLive session is back as a general session completely focused on fintech solutions to digital mortgage.

"Use the upcoming CalyxVision 18 user conference to fast track your mortgage business. Conference offerings include everything from LO marketing and sales training to hands-on, advanced Calyx training classes to help you take full advantage of your software's capabilities and integrated service providers. The conference, from Calyx Software, will be held 2/11-2/14, in San Francisco, and is designed to equip you and your mortgage staff with strategies and best practices to significantly improve your business through actionable steps. Register at CalyxVision.com."

The Mortgage Collaborative hosts its 2018 Winter Conference at the Grand Del Mar hotel in San Diego, CA 2/11-2/13. "TMC's conferences provide a very different experience than other industry events, as the format is almost exclusively lender-led discussion based sessions on very specific industry issues and topics. TMC's conference goal is to have all attendees walk away feeling like it was productive time well spent outside of the office, and armed with very actionable ideas and initiatives that they can implement into their businesses upon returning home."
Cabot Oil to sell Eagle Ford Shale assets

HOUSTON -- Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation has reached an agreement to sell its operated and non-operated Eagle Ford Shale assets to an affiliate of Venado Oil & Gas LLC for $765 million.

The divestiture includes approximately 74,500 net acres (65,100 operated and 9,400 non-operated) of Eagle Ford Shale leasehold primarily located in Frio and Atascosa counties. Production from these properties during the third quarter of 2017 was 15,656 barrels of oil equivalent per day. This transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2018, subject to customary closing conditions and adjustments.

Separately, the company announced the sale of its remaining East Texas assets to an undisclosed buyer. This transaction is expected to close on or before July 1, 2018, subject to customary closing conditions and adjustments.

Cash proceeds from these transactions, in addition to the company's current cash position and its outlook for significant free cash flow generation during its three-year plan through 2020, are expected to allow Cabot to continue to enhance shareholder value by delivering double-digit growth per debt-adjusted share from its

Marcellus Shale position; providing sustainable dividend growth; enhancing its share repurchase program; further strengthening its balance sheet; and funding any potential increases in future activity in its ongoing exploratory programs, depending on the outcome of initial testing efforts in these areas during the first half of 2018.

Longtime oil and gas leader pushing energy tax in Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  A group led by a longtime oil and gas industry leader is seeking a public vote in November on whether to impose an across-the-board 7 percent tax rate on oil and natural gas production in Oklahoma to help fund public education.

Mickey Thompson with Restore Oklahoma Now, Inc. filed paperwork on Wednesday with the secretary of state's office. About 90 percent of the revenue would be earmarked for a $4,000 teacher pay raise and to address the ongoing teacher shortage. The other 10 percent would fund early childhood education.

The former head of an oil and gas industry trade group, Thompson says early estimates show the tax hike would generate about $333 million in the upcoming fiscal year.

The group will have 90 days to get about 123,000 signatures.

MVP Holdings plans midstream infrastructure in STACK

WICHITA, Kansas -MVP Holding, LLC announced the formation of Great Salt Plains Midstream Holdings LLC, a joint venture between MVM Midstream LLC (an entity formed with Energy Spectrum Partners VII LP and MVP Holdings) and Chisholm Midstream, LLC (a subsidiary of Chisholm Oil & Gas, LLC). The new JV will expand crude oil and gas infrastructure and provide more optionality for producers in the rapidly growing STACK play of Central Oklahoma. In addition, GSPM will enable its producer customers in the area multiple marketing options, including a direct line into the strategic Cushing crude oil complex.

MVP will contribute recently acquired assets, including the 115-mile Great Salt Plains Pipeline from Cherokee, OK to Cushing, OK to the joint venture, which is supported by long-term acreage dedications and throughput commitments from active Oklahoma producers and crude marketing companies. Additional plans call for immediate expansion of the Great Salt Plains crude system to provide for initial crude gathering and transportation of up to

The natural gas STACK platform will consist of the placement and build out of a state-of-the-art cryogenic processing facility in Major County, OK. The Silver Lake Plant will have initial capacity to process up to 70 million cubic feet of natural gas per day with expansion capacity of up to 220 MMcfd. The facility will include over 130 miles of gas gathering lines and multiple compressor stations. It is expected to be in service in the second quarter of 2018.

Crude oil in Washington tops 1 million barrels per week

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP)  Figures show railroads ship more than 1 million barrels of crude oil across Washington each week.

The Spokesman-Review reports information from October 2016 through September of this year indicate railroads shipped nearly 56 million barrels of crude oil across Washington in 82,000 rail cars. Most of the oil trains enter the state from Idaho, transporting light crude from North Dakota.

The state last year began requiring facilities that receive crude oil by rail to notify the state officials in advance of shipments. The information is shared with emergency managers along the rail route. The Department of Ecology later publishes quarterly reports summarizing the volumes.

The state says railroads began shipping crude oil through Washington in 2012, and volumes have increased over time.

Washington's reporting rule also applies to pipelines, which must report information about crude oil volumes twice per year.
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For some, Christmas isnt just about being with family and friends. Its about giving back to strangers in need.

Volunteers joined forces to help homeless community in Parramore

The group later brought Christmas to family in need

Group said they're always looking for volunteers



Kimberly Bell spent Christmas morning feeding the homeless in Orlando, setting up shop under the 408 where many homeless in the community.

I hate to see people go without and just seeing this, its like, 'what can I do, how can I help?'" said Kimberly Bell.

It was the first ever event for Bell's new charity, Purple Hands Help Center.

I just like helping people, I love giving back. I just thought this was the best way of doing it," she said. Im trying to open a homeless shelter to help everyone who is in need."

Bell and her family members handed out toiletries and meals to needy people. As they worked, scooping sausage and macaroni, they intermittently burst out into Christmas carols.

But they weren't alone in their charitable endeavors Monday.

Stephanie Bowman and a band of volunteers handed out handmade scarves and hats to homeless in the same spot.

We looked down, we were getting ready to leave. We were done," said Bowman. It fills my heart to know we arent the only ones down here.

This spot under the 408 is one that Bowman knows well.

I was homeless in this area, the Parramore area, almost 19 years ago," she said. When I was in challenging times in my life, especially when I was homeless, I felt like I didnt matter.

In her lowest hour, family services took away her two children. But Bowman got help, gained confidence and years later, started her own non-profit, One Heart for Women and Children.

We help a lot of families with food, clothes and different household goods. Helping families that are in transition," Bowman said.

After they finished work in Parramore, the all-volunteer group headed to a Carver Shores home to bring Christmas to a family in need.

I was like, 'What am I going to do when they get up? What am I going to do when I get up? How will I explain his to them?'" said the homeowner, Denise, about her worry of telling her seven children they couldn't afford presents.

Then Bowman and friends arrived, packages in hand, and filled up the living room with colorfully-wrapped gifts.

Im in awe and hopeful now, and loved," said Denise, tears welling in her eyes.

Now two women who share the same goal are one step closer to joining forces.

I hate to see people go without and just seeing this, its like what can I do, how can I help?" said Bell.

We love to laugh with people, we love to feed people," said Bowman. Theres a lot of love down here, theres a lot of connection and community.

On the last Sunday of each month, One Heart for Women and Children serves hot meals to between 200 to 400 people at their Rio Grande Avenue location.

They said that theyre always looking for volunteers and donors.

Click here for more information on One Heart for Women and Children.

To help out Purple Hands Help Center with their goal of assisting the homeless, email PurpleHandsHelpCenter101@yahoo.com.
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Back in 1947, Carl Henry Wood made a request of his new daughter-in-law. He asked her to paint the windows of the familys grocery store in Paducah, Texas, for the Christmas season.

Oh, no, I cant, she responded, but her father-in-law was firm.

Yes, I need you to do that, he said, and thus began a tradition that has lasted 70 years.

The couple later moved to Memphis, Tenn., where they ran a grocery store with floor-to-ceiling windows. Mary Woods daughter Renee Williams of Plainview remembers those years clearly.

I was just a little girl, she said. Mother would draw a line at the bottom of the window, and I could paint below the line  but I could not paint over the line.

Williams remembers learning to write her name on the window, and the fun times she had when a neighbor boy came to paint with her.

We were covered with paint from head to toe and had to have a bath. You couldnt see the bottom of the tub, she recalls, laughing.

Mary Woods Christmas window paintings became well-known, and the innovation of glass storm doors allowed her to decorate doors for friends and neighbors.

She had a list of people who wanted their doors painted, Williams recalls. She never charged for it  it was her gift to people.

One year when Williams was a special education assistant at Hillcrest Elementary School, her mother visited, and then-principal Greg Brown asked if she would paint windows at the school. She did so two years in a row. However, the third year, she couldnt come.

Renee, Brown said, Ive been spoiled. I need that window painted.

As her mother had in 1947, Williams responded, Oh, no, I cant.

It turned out that she could, and she has been painting windows for the school district since then. When Brown transferred to the Central Office, she added the Central Office. When Lori Glenn went to College Hill, she painted their windows, and when Amy Meek went to Thunderbird, she painted windows there.

At this point, Williams paints windows for five Plainview schools, plus the Central Office. She has been decorating windows in the school district for the past eight years.

And the tradition continues. Williams daughter Mary Steen, a speech therapist, recently painted a door at her son Williams school. The grandson of Carl and Renee Williams, William is also the grandson of Sylvia Steen and the late Preston Steen.

Williams says she collects images from various sources including television, Pinterest and Google.

Then, when Im standing in front of the window, I see what inspires me, she said.

Painting the windows this year was especially important to Williams, as she suffered a shoulder injury in April. Her desire to paint the windows was one of the goals that inspired her to work toward recovery.

At 95, Williams mother still paints her own front door. She also used her calligraphy skills to write Merry Christmas on cards sent to veterans for the DAR.

Im not an artist like my mother, Williams said. She was a real artist. Her specialty was roses.
MERIDEN  Newly appointed City Council Majority Leader David Lowell understands leading the council is a big responsiblity.

I certainly take it very seriously, Lowell said. I serve at the pleasure of all the people in Meriden  those that voted, those that didnt vote, and I recognize that responsibility. This is not about me. Its about the people in this city and thats why it's an important role.

Lowell was sworn in as majority leader on Dec. 4, replacing Councilor Brian Daniels. First appointed to fill a vacancy on the council in 2013, Lowell won re-election later that year.

He grew up in Simsbury and moved to Meriden 32 years ago to begin his career as a paramedic for Hunters Ambulance. He worked as a paramedic for 12 years before moving into management at Hunters, eventually becoming chief operating officer.

You are typically catching people in their worst time ... Ive seen a lot, I think Ive helped a lot of people, he said.

His role at Hunters gives Lowell insight into how the citys police, fire and emergency dispatch departments work together.

Lowell also serves as president of the Association of Connecticut Ambulance Providers. His involvement in the organization prompted his move into politics.

It gave me some exposure to the processes, statutes, regulations, how the governmental systems work and I suppose that, in addition to my affinity for community service, got me interested in local politics, Lowell said.

While Lowell believes few truly partisan issues face the city, he hopes to foster unity with the minority caucus to help move the city forward.

Promoting work as a team is a big deal for me and thats what I hope to bring to the majority leader position, Lowell said. Our whole council, regardless of the make up by party, are 12 people that I believe honestly want to do the right thing for the city and to the extent that we can all do that together, thats great.

Lowell hopes to continue promoting business growth, including downtown redevelopment.

Development breeds more development and all of the developments have so many moving parts that we will be very busy over the next several years to bring all of these in a coordinated fashion to successful completion, Lowell said.

Daniels expressed confidence in Lowells ability to lead the council.

I expect that David will bring to the role of majority leader the integrity, work ethic, fact-based decision-making, and objectivity with which he has fulfilled his prior roles on the City Council, Daniels said. Meriden is fortunate that David is willing to assume the wide-ranging responsibilities of this position and to dedicate so much more of his time to the future of Meriden.

Lowell lives in Meriden with his wife and dog Caleigh, a boxer. He has two adult daughters. In his spare time he enjoys making wine, woodworking and coordinating the citys Spirit of Giving program, which he founded 16 years ago.

ltauss@record-journal.com

203-317-2231

Twitter: @LeighTaussRJ
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(Bloomberg) -- Almost a year into Donald Trumps presidency, the border wall he passionately promoted throughout his election campaign amounts to eight prototypes, no more than 30 feet long each, sitting in a desert outside San Diego.

No funding has been appropriated by Congress to advance the project beyond the testing phase. Theres no final design. And despite Trumps rallying cry that Mexico would pay for the barrier, that country hasnt contributed a peso.

The wall, an emotional centerpiece of Trumps populist candidacy, is resurfacing as Washington turns from tax legislation to a fight over government spending for the rest of the fiscal year. A spending package Congress plans to debate in January will test whether his promise can ever be fulfilled.

Tensions over immigration are returning to center stage as Democrats seek to use the January spending measure to restore legal protections against deportation to hundreds of thousands of people brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Trump has said he would like an agreement to fund the wall in return, and he resumed pressing for the wall even as he celebrated Republicans tax overhaul.

Were calling on Congress to fund the border wall, which were getting very close to, Trump said Dec. 20 during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. We have some wonderful prototypes that have been put up. And I may be going there, very shortly, to look at them in their final form.

Pillar of Campaign

Despite being a central component of Trumps winning presidential campaign, the border wall has run into opposition from both Democrats and Republicans. As the White House seeks to recap its accomplishments--senior administration officials gathered reporters last Thursday to tout Trumps first year--significant progress on a border wall is not one of them.

Im not surprised, that a year into his presidency, we say Gee, why hasnt that wall been built? said Barbara Perry, a presidential historian at the University of Virginia. Well that was one of those things that was so outrageous that it was never going to happen.

The White House didnt respond to requests for comment.

Trump has occasionally vented frustration with the pace of progress on the wall, but has nonetheless projected confidence that it will eventually be built.

Were going to get the wall, Trump said Dec. 8 at the White House. If we dont get the wall, then I got a lot of very unhappy people, starting with me.

Executive Order

In April and September, Congress passed short-term funding bills that didnt include any funding for the proposed wall.

Recently, Trump has pointed to the prototypes as a sign of progress.

The prototypes, which were completed in October near San Diego, were funded with money re-purposed from the existing Department of Homeland Security budget. Trump signed an executive order in January calling on the department to immediately plan, design and construct a physical wall along the southern border.

The structures are about 30-feet tall and at least six feet deep, and are currently being tested for durability and evaluated for other features such as aesthetics, said Carlos Diaz, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Four of the prototypes were made of reinforced concrete, and four were made of non-concrete materials, he said.

No Construction Timeline

After the evaluation phase, which began at the end of November and is scheduled to take at least 30 days, the department will decide on a final design, Diaz said.

Were talking about engineers and scientists and border patrol agents providing their input on what works best, he said. Based on that, theres going to be a recommendation in the future.

But Congress hasnt appropriated any funding for continuing the project next year, and there is no timeline for when the border wall might be constructed.

Everything we do in 2018 will require an appropriation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Deputy Commissioner Ronald Vitiello told reporters in October after the prototypes were completed. CBP requested $1.6 billion in 2018 funding for the border wall. The House passed a budget with the funding but the measure hasnt been approved by the Senate.

Several senators, including Arizona Republican Jeff Flake, have objected to spending taxpayer money to build a wall along the border.

At Least $12 Billion

Even Trumps DHS Secretary conceded the wall isnt necessary for the full length of the border.

There is no need for a wall from sea to shining sea, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said last month at her confirmation hearing.

In addition to funding, a wall could run into obstacles including private property rights, environmental concerns and geographical factors that could make construction difficult along several sections of the border.

Estimates of construction costs range from $12 billion to $21.6 billion, and the Mexican government has steadfastly refused to contribute to the cost.

Our country will not pay, under any circumstances, Mexicos foreign ministry said in an August statement. This statement is not part of a Mexican negotiating strategy, but rather a principle of national sovereignty and dignity.

While Trump said repeatedly on the campaign trail that Mexico would pay for the wall, he has largely dropped that applause line since taking office.

Yet amid Republican celebrations over the tax legislation, Trumps promises on the wall havent been forgotten by some of his supporters.

Todays BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: Miles completed yesterday-Zero; Miles completed since Inauguration-- Zero, conservative commentator Ann Coulter posted on Twitter on Dec. 18. NEXT UPDATE TOMORROW.

To contact the reporter on this story: Toluse Olorunnipa in Washington at tolorunnipa@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Mike Dorning, Joshua Gallu

2017 Bloomberg L.P.
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NEW HAVEN  The Connecticut Beekeepers Association (CBA) is holding sign ups for Beekeeping School.

One session will be held on Saturday, January 20 at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street in New Haven. A second class is offered Saturday, Feb. 3 at the Housatonic Valley Regional High School, 246 Warren Turnpike Rd in Falls Village.

The schools hours are 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The fee is $50. For more information or to register, go to: ctbees.org/bee-school.

Topics covered include terminology, basic equipment, a basic primer on bees, how to start, manage and keep a colony healthy and how to process honey.

The Connecticut Beekeepers Association has been serving Connecticut Beekeepers since 1891.
The worst part was the spikes inside my shoes.

Or maybe the worst part was the dimness, my world reduced to shadows.

Or the prickly static and loud banging that crowded out the sounds I really needed to hear, such as the instructions of the woman who had placed me in that darkened room, where I was trying to match socks, though my fingers couldn't feel.

Why was I there? What was I supposed to do? Whose socks were these?

I knew what was happening in the larger sense: I was at Brightview West End, a senior living facility in Rockville, Maryland, participating in a training session for caregivers of dementia patients.

The Virtual Dementia Tour, which has trained people at thousands of facilities across the United States, aims to increase empathy for dementia patients by showing them what it feels to walk in their shoes - their painful, destabilizing shoes.

"Once the headphones are on, you won't be able to ask any questions," said Albina Misini, director of Brightview West End's dementia care section, as she placed them on my head. Through goggles that rendered everything dark, foggy and yellowed, I could kind of see her mouth move; she was giving me instructions to do something. But thanks to the cacophony of voices, clanking and other sounds, this was what I heard:

". . .. . .. . ... . ..... . .. . .. . ... . .. . ...

. . ... fold all of the . . ...

. . .... . .. . ...... . .. . .. . .. . .. . ... . .."

"I didn't hear any of that," I warned her.

No reply.

"I didn't hear what you said," I said, more forcefully.

But that was it. I was guided into a darkened room with a dresser, nightstands and a double bed covered in a mess of clothes.

The door closed behind me. I edged toward the bed. Each step drove plastic shards into the bottoms of my feet, so I pitched forward, walking unsteadily, to lessen the pain.

Folding. I could do that. The two pairs of oversize gloves on my hands made me clumsy, but I managed to fold what appeared to be a pillowcase, a shirt, a towel. I felt proud, even cocky. But the socks? I saw only dark shapes, and it was impossible to feel whether the fabrics were thin or thick, stretchy or not. Then, out of nowhere - BAM! - a loud crash made me jump. And every few seconds a flash of white light stabbed the darkness.

I turned to the dresser, where a stack of plastic plates stood beside napkins, cups and some plastic cutlery. It seemed reasonable to lay a place setting. But my mind was spinning. Fork on the right? No, on the left, next to the knife. How long since I've set a table? The knife goes with the spoon. Oh, wait, the napkin . . .

But hold on - why was I even setting the table?

I later learned this impulse to arrange and straighten things is common as people with dementia try in vain to master their environments - as were many of the reactions that I and the other trainees had during the tour. Its developer, P.K. Beville, started thinking about how to better serve older patients in the 1980s while working as a psychological evaluator of nursing home patients.

Over 2 million people in 20 countries have taken the Virtual Dementia Tour since 2002, at care facilities, home health-care organizations, state agencies, colleges and universities, according to its website. About 3,000 have purchased the components so they can give their own tours.

The tour helps fund Beville's nonprofit organization, Second Wind Dreams, which fulfills wishes of nursing home patients. The Georgia-based organization also provides visits, gifts and cards for people in nursing homes who are alone on holidays.

In developing the tour, "I was mainly curious about how the brain dies, and what are the behavioral implications of cell death in the brain," said Beville, who wrote a PhD dissertation about sensitizing care facility staff to what having dementia is like.

She studied brain imaging of people with dementia and looked at how the affected areas relate to actual behavior to create the right experiences as part of the project.

"After eight minutes during the tour, we began to see some of the behavioral responses that we actually see in a memory care unit," she said.

The tour creates empathy for the caregiver, but feedback from participants also helped provide insight into why patients with dementia behave in certain ways. "When a person comes through the training and we ask why they did certain things that look bizarre, like a person with dementia, they can answer."

Trainees wear goggles that imitate the loss of peripheral vision associated with dementia; they also mimic the effects of cataracts, macular degeneration and yellowing that are common as one ages. Gloves make it harder to manipulate tools, push buttons or feel anything, to approximate the reduced sense of touch and depth perception associated with dementia. People with dementia are often unable to block out background noise, so the headphones amplify ambient sounds until they interfere with normal functioning. The spiky shoe inserts mimic peripheral neuropathy, the numbness and pain from nerve damage that often affects hands and feet.

The tour is constantly being updated. Beville is working on adding a temperature component, because people with dementia have trouble interpreting whether their surroundings are hot or cold, and a video that imitates the frightening visions experienced by people with Lewy body dementia.

After my eight minutes in the training room, Misini removed my headphones, and relief washed over me. Afterward, watching trainees go into the room two at a time, I was struck at how much their actions and body language - and no doubt mine as well - resembled that of dementia patients: the unsure shuffle, the dazed expression, the sudden barking out of a disembodied word.

I was also shocked at how many instructions I'd missed. It turned out that I was supposed to have put on a white sweater, written a three-sentence note, set the table for four, folded all of the towels, and filled a cup with water and drunk it.

Before the tour, Hannah Asuakyi, a resident assistant at Brightview, had been telling me about a patient who thought she saw someone in her room, which made her afraid to sleep there. Fifteen minutes later, Asuakyi herself was taking mincing steps down the hall, reaching out for the wall to steady herself.

After being read a different set of instructions from mine, she crept into the room. She peered around the corner at the bed, then backed up to the wall and plastered her body against it.

Without the gear, I noticed things I hadn't seen the first time. A strobe light sent intermittent white flashes across the room. A sign on the wall listed some instructions, but they were missing words and printed in varying font sizes.

Asuakyi stayed glued to the wall until Misini led her out and removed her headphones. Then she started laughing. "I didn't know where I was going! I couldn't see you. You left me so I didn't know, and I saw someone on the bed. I was scared."

Trainees often report feeling nausea, disorientation and frustration. And some, like Asuakyi, feel fear.

Hermine Ngom, a medication technician who had just emerged from the room, looked stricken. "I just - if that's how they are, I just . . ." She sighed and shook her head. "I was confused and hot and nervous."

At a debriefing afterward, the trainees learned more about what they'd just experienced. Along with limiting mobility, vision, and hearing, the tour is designed to disorient and confuse. Some people get a hoarding impulse - they might pick up all the plates or towels and walk around with them - a response seen in some dementia patients as they try to control an environment they are increasingly losing control of.

"What we did to you was create short-term memory loss," said Patrick Doyle, director of dementia care at Brightview, which has trained employees at 34 of its facilities around the United States. "Even if you heard the task, you forgot when you went in . . . A lot of people say, 'You never read me those instructions.' "

"I felt like there was something wrong on top of the bed, so I just fixed it," said Elisa Portillo, a medication technician.

Doyle nodded. The impulse to fix something that looks disheveled is a common feature of dementia. So is "shadowing" - mimicking the actions of someone else in the room. "So if you see someone else folding laundry, you figure they must know what they're doing."

Ngom said she thinks she will be more likely to go over and talk to a patient who is alone, after noticing that someone - an observer from Brightview - was sitting in the room while she was there. "I was going, 'Why is she just standing there; why isn't she helping me?' "

After having been so sure someone was lying on the bed, Asuakyi said she will be more compassionate with patients who think they see intruders. "They see differently. I saw differently. So when they say something like that, I will do it better; I will assure them that they are safe."

Administrators at facilities where staff members have undergone the training say it has made caregivers more patient. "I've seen those CNAs slow their pace down some," said Linda Blackstock, a registered nurse and weekend supervisor at Four County Health and Rehabilitation, a skilled nursing facility in Richland, Georgia. "Where they used to say, 'Come on, get your shoes and socks on, let's go.' Well, the patient has no idea what they said.

"Now, the person leads them to the room, asks them where their socks are, asks where their shoes are . . . because [they know] they didn't understand more than one instruction at one time."

Sometimes, it is the long-term caregivers who are affected most by the tour. At Azura, which has 14 care facilities in Wisconsin, a woman who had been doing it for 25 years took the tour and then burst into tears.

"She said, 'For 25 years I thought I knew, and I realized I didn't know anything,' " said Paula Gibson, a spokeswoman there. "She said, 'I'm going to appreciate them so much more now.' "
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Christmas was a big day for President Donald Trump. His first Christmas as president gave him the opportunity to fulfill a campaign promise -technically.

Trump had promised his supporters - many of whom are upset at the increasing secularization of the Christmas holiday - that they would be able to say "Merry Christmas" again if they elected him.

On Sunday night, Christmas Eve, Trump tweeted: People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again. I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Although no American was barred from wishing others a "Merry Christmas" before Trump entered the White House, some of his supporters were frustrated, if not angered, by the number of politicians saying "Happy Holidays" in addition to "Merry Christmas." President Barack Obama, Trump's predecessor, wished Americans a "Merry Christmas" multiple times when he was president - and continues that tradition to this day.

But Obama also recognized that America included people who did not celebrate Christmas but marked other winter holidays - or none at all. This truth actually did not appear to be much of a problem for Trump before he launched his 2016 campaign, considering that his previous holiday greetings on Twitter were of the more inclusive kind.

But some within Trump's base, especially the white evangelicals who voted for him in high numbers, are uncomfortable with America increasingly becoming a multifaith nation.

RELATED VIDEO: President Trump, Melania Give Christmas Greeting

Evangelical leader Franklin Graham told Fox News that it is essential that people know that Christmas is a Christian holiday. "Christmas is really about the birth of Jesus Christ, and that's what we're all celebrating," he said.

"Christmas is all about Christ. I'm so excited that the president isn't afraid to mention the name of Jesus Christ," he added.

It's a sentiment that many others echo. Melissa Cobb, a 48-year-old hairstylist in Linden, Tennessee, told The Washington Post's Jenna Johnson that she was offended by what she considers the disappearance of Jesus from the holiday commemorating his birth.

"It offends me to see at the stores, where they just do 'Happy Holidays' or 'Seasons Greetings.' It should be 'Merry Christmas.' Put Christ back into Christmas. That's what it's supposed to be . . . I just wish we would all get on the same page."

But the likelihood of Americans getting on "the same page" as Cobb and other Trump supporters about the meaning of Christmas is not good.

The majority of Americans do not primarily view Christmas as a religious holiday. According to Pew Research Center polls, only 46 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas as primarily a religious (rather than cultural) holiday, a 5 percent decrease from 2013.

And this doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon, considering that millennials are even less likely than older adults to include a religious component in their Christmas celebration.

And most Americans recognize this, with a majority of adults - 56 percent - saying the religious aspects of Christmas are less emphasized in society than in years past.

When asked whether Christian symbols such as nativity scenes should be allowed on government property, thepercentage of Americans who say such displays should not be allowed is growing - from 20 percent three years ago to 26 percent today.

Although most Americans gladly celebrate Christmas and probably will continue to wish others a "Merry Christmas," for many Trump supporters, America won't truly be great again until Christianity regains its central position in this increasingly multifaith and secular society.

But the data suggests that for many Americans, what would make the nation great is acknowledging the diversity of its citizens' values while allowing them the freedom to celebrate the birth of Christ as they please.
The prospect of a lesbian unseating a Republican incumbent in a red-leaning Virginia district once seemed unfathomable.

Now it seems unremarkable.

In three weeks, nurse practitioner Dawn Adams will take her seat as the first openly gay woman to serve in the Virginia General Assembly. But she received little national attention after the Nov. 7 Democratic sweep that also saw the ascension of the first transgender, Latina and Asian-American women to the legislature.

The relatively muted response to her win reflects how rapidly attitudes have changed in Virginia and how candidates who happen to be gay or lesbian are seen more as the norm instead of a liability, LGBTQ advocates say.

"People have understood it's not an issue that's going to play well if you try to demonize people just because of who they love," said James Parrish, executive director of Equality Virginia.

Adams, whose victory over Del. G. Manoli Loupassi, Richmond, the Republican incumbent, was maintained after a state-funded recount Wednesday, will join a legislature with three openly gay men. She will also join several other lesbians making a mark in politics this year.

Seattle elected its first lesbian mayor. State senators in California chose the first woman, who is also a lesbian, to lead their chamber. And a Democratic lesbian won a GOP-held legislative seat in a conservative part of Oklahoma.

Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, a lesbian elected in 2009, marvels at how reactions to these milestones have quieted since news of her victory landed on the front page of an Indian newspaper.

"It speaks to the quality of the candidates and the work that elected officials do all over the country that they are seen more and more as competent candidates who are also LGBTQ, and not LGBTQ candidates running for office," said Parker, who now leads the Victory Fund to elect such candidates. "We are working really hard to achieve a time when LGBTQ candidates are as mainstream as any other candidates might be."

Adams, 53, declined an interview request and downplayed the historic nature of her candidacy in a statement.

"It is encouraging to see candidates like myself being elected in the commonwealth of Virginia and beyond, not because of the color of their skin, their gender, their religion or their sexual orientation, but because of their substantive ideas for dealing with the issues," Adams said.

But during her campaign, she talked about the importance of running as a lesbian.

"After marriage equality became the law of the land, there was a visceral shift in our culture; and though many people still embrace hate, those on the fence seemed to fall off just enough to let love get the upper hand," she wrote in a questionnaire to Equality Virginia. "With that shift, it seemed safe to come 'out' and I have done that in the biggest way I can think of by running as an openly gay/lesbian candidate."

Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax, one of the three openly gay men in the Virginia legislature, faced a whisper campaign about his sexual orientation in his 2005 reelection bid and didn't publicly come out until a decade later. He says the environment has changed for gay politicians.

"It is something that has become so routine in life now, and so many people are out to their family and friends and colleagues at work," Sickles said. "Virginia's changed, just like the country's changed."

That hasn't stopped what critics call anti-gay bills from coming out of the state legislature.

In Virginia, lawmakers rejected a gay judicial nominee (who was championed by Adams' opponent, Loupassi) five years ago after social conservatives objected. For the past two years, Gov. Terry McAuliffe, D, has vetoed bills protecting those who discriminate against same-sex couples from penalties.

Advocates say openly LGBTQ people in public office can help stop these kind of bills.

"The presence of these groups changes the way that others in the legislature respond," said Don Haider-Markel, a political scientist at the University of Kansas who studied LGBTQ candidates. "And they serve as really strong models for other potential candidates who say: 'There's a person like me. I can do that too and run for office.' "

He said growing ranks of gay and lesbian candidates since the 1990s paved the way for shifting public attitudes. The same can't be said for openly transgender candidates, who are newer to elected politics.

In Virginia, Adams' candidacy was overshadowed by Danica Roem, a transgender woman who defeated a socially conservative incumbent who referred to her as "he" and called himself Virginia's "chief homophobe."

Roem attracted more media attention and money from across the nation than Adams did, as well as more attacks from social conservatives.

In contrast, Adams raised the fewest dollars of any Democrats who unseated Republicans and didn't become a lightning rod for the religious right. She was seen as an underdog against Loupassi, a moderate who criticized her fiscal policies instead of her identity and has supported gay rights. Their district is a Republican-leaning stretch of suburban Chesterfield and Richmond city that is seen as fairly tolerant.

Adams' campaign website includes a photo of her with her partner of 15 years and touts endorsements from LGBTQ groups. On the trail, she tapped her health policy background to emphasize the importance of expanding Medicaid and integrating care.

"Sexual orientation just wasn't an issue at all," said Bob Holsworth, a former political scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University who lives in the district. He said the election results came down to Loupassi getting caught in an anti-Trump wave.

"The thing that hurt him was the 'R' after his name," Holsworth said. "That was far more of a scarlet letter than someone's sexual orientation."

While advocates celebrated the victory of Adams and other candidates, they say LGBTQ people are still underrepresented in government.

The Victory Fund recently released a report tallying 448 LGBTQ elected officials in the United States - and argued that 21,000 more should be elected to better reflect the population. Thirteen state legislatures have no openly gay or transgender lawmakers.

"The LGBT community has advanced a lot in the last 15 years, light-years and light-years. However that progress can be turned back just as quickly, if not quicker," said Sean Meloy, the fund's political director. Sexual orientation "doesn't have as much quote-unquote baggage, but at the same time, the United States is not universal in its acceptance and embrace of LGBT people."
BRUSSELS - British ships and a helicopter were dispatched over the Christmas holiday weekend to track an "upsurge" of Russian naval vessels passing near British waters, the British Navy said Tuesday, as British and NATO leaders warn of Russian naval activity at levels unseen since the Cold War.

At least four Russian ships, including a warship and an intelligence-gathering ship, passed near British waters starting on Saturday, the British Navy said. The traffic on the water meant British sailors on the Royal Navy frigate St. Albans spent Christmas tracking their Russian counterparts. Those sailors planned to return to port on Tuesday, the navy said, although they remained on high readiness.

The ship traffic came days after the head of the British military warned in an interview of the threat of Russian submarine activity near the sensitive undersea data cables that carry Internet traffic between North America and Europe.

"I will not hesitate in defending our waters or tolerate any form of aggression," said British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson in a statement announcing the holiday maneuvers. "Britain will never be intimidated when it comes to protecting our country, our people, and our national interests."

Russian ships routinely sail through international waters near British territory as they pass from ports in northern Russia into the open Atlantic or into the Mediterranean, where they have been involved in Russia's intervention in Syria. Before formally entering Russian naval service, ships are often tested in the international waters of the North Sea, which may have been the case for at least one of the Russian ships when the St. Albans arrived to monitor it.

The British Navy did not allege any misbehavior or territorial violations, and because it does not routinely publicize its encounters with Russian ships, it was not immediately clear how unusual the Christmas movements were.

In its statement, the British Navy said that "the festive season has seen an upsurge in Russian units transiting U.K. waters."

The navy said that a Russian warship, the Admiral Gorshkov, passed close to British territorial waters Saturday and that the St. Albans frigate was dispatched to escort it as it passed through the North Sea. It released several grainy photographs of the two ships sailing closely to each other in what appeared to be choppy waters.

The Russian ship is still undergoing testing and has not yet formally entered into service, according to its shipbuilder.

Because the Admiral Gorshkov is still in sea trials, it probably does not yet pose a military threat, said Michael Kofman, an expert on the Russian military at the Center for Naval Analyses.

The Gorshkov is a prime example both of the strength of the Russian naval rearmament and of its shortfalls. NATO leaders have said that Russian naval activity is at levels unseen since the end of the Cold War, the payoff of a modernization and investment program that started shortly after Russia's incursion into Georgia in 2008.

But progress has been hampered by shoddy construction and technical difficulties. The Gorshkov is the long-awaited flagship of a new class of stealth missile frigate. Originally scheduled to enter service in 2013, shipbuilders said Monday it was still undergoing tests 11 years after construction started.

That pace is significantly slower than is typical for Western warships. The ship was plagued by delays in the delivery of its weapons systems and by an engine fire during construction that kept it moored for more than a year in its shipyard in St. Petersburg.

"Unfortunately, no chances have been left to raise the flag aboard the Gorshkov this year," the president of the United Shipbuilding Corp., Alexei Rakhmanov, told the TASS newswire agency on Monday. He said the ship's advanced technology was still undergoing evaluations, and that once they were done, it would skip a further testing period and enter military service immediately. The accelerated schedule is a possible sign of pressures following years of delays.

Separately, a Russian intelligence-gathering ship sailed through the English Channel on Sunday, tracked by the H.M.S. Tyne, a 261-foot-long patrol vessel. And a Wildcat helicopter based in Yeovilton, in southern England near the English Channel, was sent to monitor two other Russian ships, the British Navy said.

British Air Chief Marshal Stuart Peach said last week that his nation's doctrine was to closely track Russian vessels that neared British waters. He said that he believed NATO needed to focus on maintaining open lines of communication across the Atlantic in the face of a resurgent Russian navy.

"Of course, we respect freedom of navigation," he said in an interview, "but equally we also shadow and monitor."

---

The Washington Post's David Filipov in Moscow contributed to this report.
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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."

Now Playing: In order to get humans deeper into space, scientists need to know how long periods of space travel will affect the human body. Josh King has the story (@abridgetoland). Video: Veuer

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
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Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar called on the district attorney's office to help investigate the death of 6-year-old Kameron Prescott, who was killed when deputies opened fire on an unarmed woman last week.

In a statement released Tuesday, the sheriff said District Attorney Nico LaHood will assign an assistant district attorney and an investigator to provide "independent investigative assistance" in the case.

RELATED: 2 dead after BCSO deputy-involved shooting, manhunt through San Antonio suburb

"The additional investigator will help in the review of evidence and witness statements as the case develops," the statement read. "Sheriff Salazar and District Attorney LaHood remain committed to working together in the best interest of the public."

The move comes after the case garnered national media attention.

On Thursday, deputies pursuing suspected car thief Amanda Lenee Jones, 30, tracked her to a mobile home park in Schertz and allegedly caught her breaking into the home where Kameron lived.

READ MORE: Friends, family say Amanda Lenee Jones was troubled but loving, loyal

She was on the home's front porch when four deputies opened fire, killing Jones. One of the bullets also struck Kameron in the abdomen. He was pronounced dead shortly after.

Deputies said they believed that Jones, who had allegedly previously threatened to shoot deputies, was armed with a gun, but it was later discovered she was holding a "tubular object."

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.

Reporters John Tedesco and Caleb Downs contributed to this report. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @FaresInSA
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After catching a few breaks himself, Atour Eyvazian knows what a helping hand can do.

The U.S. Embassy in Turkey helped Eyvazian reach America in 1984 after he spent 40 days in a Turkish prison, having escaped his home country of Iran in the midst of a brutal war there.

Upon arriving in the United States, Eyvazian couldnt speak a word of English, he said. With nowhere to go, he lived with his uncle and worked the overnight shift as a janitor at a Jack in the Box.

RELATED: Woman catches 'Sweet San Antonio Angel's' act of kindness at Walmart on video

Eyvazian, 52, now owns 53 Jack in the Box and eight El Pollo Loco restaurants in San Antonio. And this Christmas, he decided to give back to the community. From morning to midafternoon Monday, he and his employees at El Pollo Loco on West Commerce Street served Christmas meals to people with nowhere else to go, many homeless.

For Eyvazian, part of the inspiration for the service came from his own history. Without his uncle, Eyvazian said, I would be on the street, too.

Thats why I have a soft spot for stuff like this, he said. I dont know, I just feel peoples pain. A lot of places are closed today, and these folks, they need food.

RELATED: San Antonio teacher buying school supplies for students gets pay-it-forward surprise

About 200 people showed up for a meal, receiving two pieces of chicken with mashed potatoes and stuffing. Eyvazian said he didnt require employees to work, but about 30 volunteered to serve meals and visit with the guests. They will be receiving overtime pay for their good deed.

Stephanie Martinez, director of operations for Eyvazians El Pollo Loco restaurants in San Antonio, said she felt mixed emotions while serving the food.

Youre happy, but then youre kind of sad because you see these people coming in that dont have a family, have no shelter, have no food, Martinez said. A lot of them were just saying thank you so much, because this is the first warm meal weve had in years.

That just touched my heart, she added. It was an amazing experience.

Jasper Scherer is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | jscherer@express-news.net | @jaspscherer
Police on Monday arrested a 35-year-old man after he allegedly broke into his ex-girlfriend's apartment, "bit her several times" and threatened her daughter who called 911, according to court documents.

Jesse Almanza, of San Antonio, now faces a charge of burglary of a habitation with intent to assault. He was booked into the Bexar County Jail, and a magistrate remanded him without bond. According to online court records, Almanza has faced 11 criminal charges prior to his arrest on Monday.
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A former Bexar County deputy was arrested on Christmas Eve after he allegedly choked his girlfriend, who is a San Antonio-area police officer, and smothered her with a pillow to quiet her screams, according to court records.

Jesse Aaron Massey, 30, of San Antonio, was booked into the Bexar County Jail on Christmas on a charge of assault on a family member by choking or strangulation. His bail was set at $50,000 and he bonded out later the same day.

RELATED: SAPD: Man drives off Loop 1604 overpass, gets trapped in car

Massey, who was hired to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office in 2013, according to the Texas Tribune's Government Salaries Explorer, began arguing with his girlfriend around 9 a.m. on Dec. 22 because Massey didn't like that she "talked with other officers," according to his arrest affidavit.

"[Massey] then pushed the victim onto the bed and began to choke her with both of his hands," reads the arrest affidavit from an officer with the San Antonio Police Department. "The victim could not breathe, but she did not lose consciousness. The victim began to scream for help, and the defendant choked her multiple times."

The girlfriend told police Massey first tried covering her mouth with his hand, and when that didn't work, smothered her with a pillow. He then disassembled her service weapon, police radio, stun gun and cell phone, police said.

She did not report the incident to authorities.

The alleged assault came just a few weeks after Massey voluntarily resigned from the Bexar County Sheriff's Office during the first week of December, according to David Barrera, a spokesman for the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. He had been employed for roughly four and a half years.

On Dec. 24, one of Massey's friends called police to let them know that Massey had recently resigned from the sheriff's office and that he was drunk and threatening suicide by cop. The friend, who is a police officer in Austin, also said Massey had told him about assaulting his girlfriend, authorities said.

RELATED: Report: Undocumented mother charged with capital murder after allegedly suffocating baby in S. Texas

San Antonio police responded to Massey's home, and a Hollywood Park police sergeant went to the girlfriend's residence to see if she was okay. He found her at the apartment and discovered she had visible neck injuries consistent with choking, police said.

Back at Massey's residence, more officers had arrived to provide backup, as the Austin police officer had reportedly informed authorities that Massey may suffer from PTSD and possibly had weapons and a K-9 dog in his residence.

Once San Antonio police had been notified by the Hollywood Park police sergeant of Massey's girlfriend's injuries, they were able to obtain an arrest warrant and book him into jail.

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
Vice President Mike Pences obsequiousness at a recent Cabinet meeting  Thank you for seeing through the course of this year an agenda that is truly restoring this country  and on, and on  might be appropriate at a Communist Party Central Committee meeting, or at a despots birthday party. But it is not the language of any self-respecting republic.

The divestment of self-respect is a qualification for employment in the Trump administration. Praising the Dear Leader in a Pence-like fashion seems to be what the Dear Leader requires. President Trump divides the world into two categories: flunkies and enemies. Pence is the cringing, fawning high priest of flunkiness.

It is precisely the claim of miracles by mediocrities that makes it hard for some of us to judge Trumps first-year record with any objectivity. In comparison to his claims of world-historic change, Trump has accomplished little. But how does Trumps record compare to more realistic expectations?

The Republican case for Trump comes down to: the appointment of conservative judges, including Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court; the defeat of the Islamic State; and tax and regulatory reform. Whatever your view of the merits of these actions, they are consequential. Add to this the facts that Trump hasnt blown up the world or suspended the legislature, and Trump is gaining a strange new respect among some conservatives.

There is less here than meets the eye. Trump chose Gorsuch from a Federalist Society list, and didnt fatally undermine Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells careful confirmation effort. The demolition of the Islamic State was largely the continuation and culmination of an Obama-era strategy. And the tax overhaul, with serious virtues such as the cut in corporate rates, also has serious distributional and deficit problems.

This agenda was remarkable only for being so typical. Any Republican president from the 2016 primary field would have appointed conservative judges, continued the offensive against the Islamic State and cut taxes and regulations. (He or she would also, in all likelihood, have succeeded at Obamacare replacement.) But this is precisely the point. Trump spent the political capital of his first year  the highest it will ever be  on a few, generic GOP goals. Despite the fulminations of the left, this is not as frightening as some of the alternatives.

It is important to count our blessings, even when they are meager. But for Republicans and conservatives, it is also important to count the costs  the tonnage on the other side of the balance.

The war against terrorism has been rebooted on the basis of anti-Muslim bigotry, which undermines domestic law enforcement and anti-radicalization efforts. Authoritarian regimes around the world  now shielded from human rights criticism  feel more secure. Fleeing refugees feel more desperate and friendless. The president is conducting delicate nuclear negotiations with demeaning pet names. Morale at the State Department is in collapse, leading to the hemorrhaging of diplomatic talent and experience. Trump has alienated important allies with demands for protection money. America has stepped back from effective economic competition in Asia, leaving China a more dominant regional power. Russia, in all likelihood, has helped elect a favorable American president in the largest intelligence coup of modern history.

Trump has tried to undermine the credibility of important institutions  the courts, the FBI, intelligence agencies, the media  that check his power and expose his duplicity. He has used his office (and Twitter account) to target individual Americans for harm without due process. He attacks the very idea of truth in a daily torrent of despicable lies. The moral authority of the presidency is in tatters. He has made our common life more vulgar and brutal and complicated the moral education of children. Racists are emboldened and included in the GOP coalition. He has caused a large portion of Republicans to live in an alternate reality of resentment and hatred, which complicates the possibility of governing and is likely to discredit the party among the young, minorities, women and college-educated voters for decades to come.

After a year, this much is clear: Almost all Trumps accomplishments are the work of traditional Republican policy staffers and congressional leaders. Almost all Trumps failures are functions of his character. And that isnt going to change.

michaelgerson@washpost.com
Apart from hosting and possible maintenance costs, there are not exactly downsides to having your own website. Even if its just a personal blog it can always become more useful down the line, if you utilize it in the right manner. In other words, more
By Online Desk

Before coming to the important judgments of 2017, lets have a look at the current scenario of Indian Judiciary.

Pendency of Cases

According to the most recently available government data, more than 26 million cases are currently pending in our courts across the country. Of these, two million cases have been awaiting justice for a decade or more.

An Indiaspend analysis of available data showed that Indian courts need atleast 12 years to clear the backlog. The disposal rate varies from state to state but in case of Gujarat, it will take nearly 287 years to decide the pending cases.

Former Chief Justice of India T S Thakur had said that courts in the country require more than 70,000 judges to clear the pending cases. TS Thakurs plea to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi over shortage of judges is flawed.

Do we really need 70,000 judges?

TS Thakurs claim of 70,000 judges finds its basis in the recommendations made by the Law Commission of India in its 120th Report released in 1987. It states that ratio of judges per million of population should be increased to 50.

The sanctioned strength of Judges and Judicial officers in District and Subordinate Courts stood at 21,320 as on 30.06.2016. Out of these 16,070 posts were filled up as per December 31, 2015. Even if all these vacancies are filled, there are not enough court halls / court rooms available.

Keeping all this aside, 2017 has been a landmark year for the Indian Judiciary system. While some of these judgments helped in re-enforcing our belief in the legal system, others have ignited new debates.

All these judgments are significant in their own manner as some of them come from the apex court and has the final power to interpret the law of the country.

Following is a list of 6 such significant judgments of the year 2017.

1. Right to Privacy as a fundamental right (Justice K.S.Puttaswamy (Retd)& ... vs Union Of India & Ors) WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO.829 OF 2013

In this historical judgment, a nine-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar unanimously declared that the right to privacy is a fundamental right and protected under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

Article 21 stipulates that no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty, except according to the procedure established by law.

This petition challenged the constitutional validity of governments Aadhaar push.

More importantly, this enables an Indian citizen to challenge any action of the state which violates their privacy, under the writ jurisdiction.

This was a setback to the government as they had earlier told the court that privacy was a common law right but not a fundamental right.

In addition to this, the court also said that sexual orientation is part of the right to privacy and similarly the right to choose ones food habits. This certainly has implications on Section 377 of IPC and even the Beef ban.

Section 377 criminalises acts against the order of nature, including consensual sex between couples who are from LGTBQI community (lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, queer, intersex)

2. Instant Triple Talaq as unconstitutional (Shayara Bano vs Union of India and others) Writ Petition (C) No. 118 of 2016

The judgment was made in response to seven different petitions filed by Muslim women who faced harassment due to triple talaq. While the lead petition was filed by Shayara Bano in 2016 as her husband divorced her through triple talaq after 15 years of marriage.

Her petition challenged the validity of talaq-e-bidat or Instant triple talaq as they violate the fundamental rights under Articles 14, 15, 21 and 25 of the Indian Constitution.

The Supreme Court bench struck down the practice of Instant triple talaq as unconstitutional by 3:2 majority. The verdict asserted that this practice of Instant talaq is discriminatory for women.

Shayara Bano case is not the first one that brought out the issue of gender discrimination for Muslim women before the court. Another milestone case in Muslim womens fight for rights has been Shah Bano maintenance case of 1986. This case took note of different personal laws and asserted the need to implement the Uniform civil code.

Relying on this judgment, Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill which criminalises Instant triple talaq will be tabled in the Parliament.

3. Nirbhaya Rape case (Mukesh & Anr vs State For Nct Of Delhi & Ors) CRIMINAL APPEAL NOS. 609-610 OF 2017

Nirbhaya case shook the entire country for its brutal and barbaric nature.

In 430 pages of judgment, the three-judge bench of Supreme Court upheld the death penalty awarded to convicts in Nirbhaya case.

On December 6, 2012, five adults and one juvenile repeatedly raped a 23-year-old physiotherapist in a bus in Delhi before beating the victim and her friend with a metal rod and dumping them on a road. The victim succumbed to her injuries and was dubbed Nirbhaya for fighting till her last breath.

All of the adult convicts were sentenced to death; one of them committed suicide in prison while the juvenile was sentenced to three years in a reformation home.

Supreme Court dismissed the convicts appeal against the Delhi High Court which confirmed capital punishment awarded by Trial court in 2013.

4. Ram Rahim Case

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the leader of Dera Sacha Sauda, was found guilty of raping two female devotees in 1999. Singh was sentenced to two consecutive 10 years terms, one for each conviction by a special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Panchkula, Haryana.

Following the conviction of spiritual guru, violent clashes and multiple instances of arson were reported between police and Dera Sacha Sauda followers across Panchkula in Haryana. Around 35 people died and more than 250 people were injured.

The ML Khattar government in Haryana failed to make adequate arrangements and the court lambasted the government for failing to do its duty.

Later on, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the state government to attach the properties of Dera Sacha Sauda for the loss resulted due to violence.

5. Aarushi Talwar case

On May 16, 2008, 13-year-old Aarushi Talwar was found dead in her bedroom in her house in Jalvayu Vihar, Noida. A day later, the familys domestic help Hemraj who was till now a prime suspect was also found dead on their terrace.

Police first suspected that it is a case of honor killing and hence the parents came under the scanner. Though, there was no evidence to substantiate their claim.

The case was then handed over to the CBI who convicted the parents Rajesh and Nupur Talwar for murder and destruction of evidence and awarded life imprisonment to both.

The couple filed an appeal in Allahabad High Court challenging CBIs order. The Allahabad High court acquitted the dentist couple after four years in prison.

This mysterious case has evoked public interest and resulted in media trials. Not stopping at that, a book and two movies have been made on the Aarushi Talwar murder case.

6. 2G Scam

Former Telecom Minister A. Raja was acquitted in the case along with DMK Chief M. Karunanidhis daughter Kanimozhi and 15 others. Raja and others were charged for undervaluing of telecom spectrum and he was also accused of accepting a bribe by a telecom operator.

It all started with the CAG report which quantified the scam loss to the tune of Rs. 1.76 crore. The report stated that licenses were allotted to ineligible applicants who had not divulged pertinent information and submitted fictitious documents.

This explosive report dubbed this case as one of the biggest scams in the country which ultimately led to UPAs downfall in 2014 General elections.

Special CBI judge O P Saini, who acquitted former telecom minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others in the case, said the CBI cannot absolve itself of the burden to prove its case by piggy riding on the so-called high magnitude of the case and the media hype.

Before coming to the important judgments of 2017, lets have a look at the current scenario of Indian Judiciary. Pendency of Cases According to the most recently available government data, more than 26 million cases are currently pending in our courts across the country. Of these, two million cases have been awaiting justice for a decade or more. An Indiaspend analysis of available data showed that Indian courts need atleast 12 years to clear the backlog. The disposal rate varies from state to state but in case of Gujarat, it will take nearly 287 years to decide the pending cases. Former Chief Justice of India T S Thakur had said that courts in the country require more than 70,000 judges to clear the pending cases. TS Thakurs plea to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi over shortage of judges is flawed. Do we really need 70,000 judges? TS Thakurs claim of 70,000 judges finds its basis in the recommendations made by the Law Commission of India in its 120th Report released in 1987. It states that ratio of judges per million of population should be increased to 50. The sanctioned strength of Judges and Judicial officers in District and Subordinate Courts stood at 21,320 as on 30.06.2016. Out of these 16,070 posts were filled up as per December 31, 2015. Even if all these vacancies are filled, there are not enough court halls / court rooms available. Keeping all this aside, 2017 has been a landmark year for the Indian Judiciary system. While some of these judgments helped in re-enforcing our belief in the legal system, others have ignited new debates. All these judgments are significant in their own manner as some of them come from the apex court and has the final power to interpret the law of the country. Following is a list of 6 such significant judgments of the year 2017. 1. Right to Privacy as a fundamental right (Justice K.S.Puttaswamy (Retd)& ... vs Union Of India & Ors) WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO.829 OF 2013 In this historical judgment, a nine-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar unanimously declared that the right to privacy is a fundamental right and protected under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. Article 21 stipulates that no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty, except according to the procedure established by law. This petition challenged the constitutional validity of governments Aadhaar push. More importantly, this enables an Indian citizen to challenge any action of the state which violates their privacy, under the writ jurisdiction. This was a setback to the government as they had earlier told the court that privacy was a common law right but not a fundamental right. In addition to this, the court also said that sexual orientation is part of the right to privacy and similarly the right to choose ones food habits. This certainly has implications on Section 377 of IPC and even the Beef ban. Section 377 criminalises acts against the order of nature, including consensual sex between couples who are from LGTBQI community (lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, queer, intersex) 2. Instant Triple Talaq as unconstitutional (Shayara Bano vs Union of India and others) Writ Petition (C) No. 118 of 2016 The judgment was made in response to seven different petitions filed by Muslim women who faced harassment due to triple talaq. While the lead petition was filed by Shayara Bano in 2016 as her husband divorced her through triple talaq after 15 years of marriage. Her petition challenged the validity of talaq-e-bidat or Instant triple talaq as they violate the fundamental rights under Articles 14, 15, 21 and 25 of the Indian Constitution. The Supreme Court bench struck down the practice of Instant triple talaq as unconstitutional by 3:2 majority. The verdict asserted that this practice of Instant talaq is discriminatory for women. Shayara Bano case is not the first one that brought out the issue of gender discrimination for Muslim women before the court. Another milestone case in Muslim womens fight for rights has been Shah Bano maintenance case of 1986. This case took note of different personal laws and asserted the need to implement the Uniform civil code. Relying on this judgment, Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill which criminalises Instant triple talaq will be tabled in the Parliament. 3. Nirbhaya Rape case (Mukesh & Anr vs State For Nct Of Delhi & Ors) CRIMINAL APPEAL NOS. 609-610 OF 2017 Nirbhaya case shook the entire country for its brutal and barbaric nature. In 430 pages of judgment, the three-judge bench of Supreme Court upheld the death penalty awarded to convicts in Nirbhaya case. On December 6, 2012, five adults and one juvenile repeatedly raped a 23-year-old physiotherapist in a bus in Delhi before beating the victim and her friend with a metal rod and dumping them on a road. The victim succumbed to her injuries and was dubbed Nirbhaya for fighting till her last breath. All of the adult convicts were sentenced to death; one of them committed suicide in prison while the juvenile was sentenced to three years in a reformation home. Supreme Court dismissed the convicts appeal against the Delhi High Court which confirmed capital punishment awarded by Trial court in 2013. 4. Ram Rahim Case Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the leader of Dera Sacha Sauda, was found guilty of raping two female devotees in 1999. Singh was sentenced to two consecutive 10 years terms, one for each conviction by a special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Panchkula, Haryana. Following the conviction of spiritual guru, violent clashes and multiple instances of arson were reported between police and Dera Sacha Sauda followers across Panchkula in Haryana. Around 35 people died and more than 250 people were injured. The ML Khattar government in Haryana failed to make adequate arrangements and the court lambasted the government for failing to do its duty. Later on, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the state government to attach the properties of Dera Sacha Sauda for the loss resulted due to violence. 5. Aarushi Talwar case On May 16, 2008, 13-year-old Aarushi Talwar was found dead in her bedroom in her house in Jalvayu Vihar, Noida. A day later, the familys domestic help Hemraj who was till now a prime suspect was also found dead on their terrace. Police first suspected that it is a case of honor killing and hence the parents came under the scanner. Though, there was no evidence to substantiate their claim. The case was then handed over to the CBI who convicted the parents Rajesh and Nupur Talwar for murder and destruction of evidence and awarded life imprisonment to both. The couple filed an appeal in Allahabad High Court challenging CBIs order. The Allahabad High court acquitted the dentist couple after four years in prison. This mysterious case has evoked public interest and resulted in media trials. Not stopping at that, a book and two movies have been made on the Aarushi Talwar murder case. 6. 2G Scam Former Telecom Minister A. Raja was acquitted in the case along with DMK Chief M. Karunanidhis daughter Kanimozhi and 15 others. Raja and others were charged for undervaluing of telecom spectrum and he was also accused of accepting a bribe by a telecom operator. It all started with the CAG report which quantified the scam loss to the tune of Rs. 1.76 crore. The report stated that licenses were allotted to ineligible applicants who had not divulged pertinent information and submitted fictitious documents. This explosive report dubbed this case as one of the biggest scams in the country which ultimately led to UPAs downfall in 2014 General elections. Special CBI judge O P Saini, who acquitted former telecom minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others in the case, said the CBI cannot absolve itself of the burden to prove its case by piggy riding on the so-called high magnitude of the case and the media hype.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Before being let in for meeting Kulbhushan Jadhav at the Foreign Office building in Islamabad, Pakistani authorities made his wife and mother remove their mangalsutra, bangles and bindi and also made them change their attire, India said on Tuesday, slamming the meeting conducted across a glass panel as "lacking in credibility" and "intimidating".

Jadhav, who is on death row on charges of alleged spying and terrorism, met his mother Avanti and wife Chetankul

on Monday after 22 months, since his arrest by Pakistan on charges of spying.

The face-to-face meeting was conducted across a glass wall and the two sides spoke via a telephone speaker.

Avanti, who is in her 70s, was also prevented from speaking to her son in her mother tongue. Every time she lapsed into Marathi, she was stopped and made to speak in Hindi or English, as a senior Pakistani official of the India Desk monitored the interaction.

"Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included removal of mangalsutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security.

"The mother of Shri Jadhav was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, although this was clearly the natural medium of communication. She was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and eventually prevented from proceeding further in this regard," India said in a statement.

The footwear of Jadhav's wife was also taken away and not returned.

"For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Shri Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting," India said, and warned "We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard".

#WATCH MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on meeting of #KulbhushanJadhav's mother and wife with Jadhav in Islamabad pic.twitter.com/O6HkKoc7WK  ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

The Pakistani media also hurled invectives at the two women outside the Foreign Office building.

"The Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Shri Jadhav. This was despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access," the statement said.

Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh, who was allowed to accompany the two women, was kept in a separate glass cubicle from the two women, and could watch the proceedings from a distance. He was initially not allowed into the meeting venue.

"Deputy High Commissioner was initially separated from family members who were taken to the meeting without informing him. The meeting was started without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed," the statement said.

India also voiced concern at the appearance of Jadhav and his well being, remarking that he looked as though he was "under considerable stress" and was "speaking in an atmosphere of coercion" and that his statements "were clearly tutored" and designed to "perpetuate" Pakistan's allegation that he was a spy and involved in terrorism.

"From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Shri Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being.

"We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned. Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude.

"The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Shri Jadhav's alleged activities. You would all agree that this exercise lacked any credibility," India said.

The statement said the meeting took place after requests by India for family access to Jadhav.

India said that ahead of the meeting, the two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format.

"There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments.

"However, we note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings," India said, listing out the way the meeting was conducted and the manner in which the two women were treated.

The women, who left for India on Monday evening, met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here in the morning. They were accompanied by Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

After the Monday meeting, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry had released a video message of Jadhav - as part of a propaganda offensive, in which Jadhav thanked Islamabad for the "grand gesture" for allowing the meeting.

The second 'confessional' video released by Pakistan, after Jadhav's meeting with his wife and mother:

I have been treated with dignity and honor - Kulbhushan Jadhav pic.twitter.com/YTGUXUfJqq  Pakistan Defence (@defencedotpk) December 25, 2017

"I requested a meeting with my wife and mother and I am thankful to government of Pakistan for this grand gesture," he said.

In the video Jadhav is shown as saying that "he worked for Indian intelligence agency RAW" and that he entered Pakistan through Iran. Jadhav also said that he was arrested by Pakistan's security agencies from Balochistan.

Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April, following which India moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May.

India has said that Jadhav is innocent and has maintained that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had gone for handling his businesses after superannuation from the Indian Navy.

Despite the death verdict, Pakistan last week reiterated that he was not under threat of an immediate execution as his mercy petitions were still pending.

Pakistan has said that the meeting does not mean any change in Pakistan's stance regarding Jadhav.

NEW DELHI: Before being let in for meeting Kulbhushan Jadhav at the Foreign Office building in Islamabad, Pakistani authorities made his wife and mother remove their mangalsutra, bangles and bindi and also made them change their attire, India said on Tuesday, slamming the meeting conducted across a glass panel as "lacking in credibility" and "intimidating". Jadhav, who is on death row on charges of alleged spying and terrorism, met his mother Avanti and wife Chetankul on Monday after 22 months, since his arrest by Pakistan on charges of spying. The face-to-face meeting was conducted across a glass wall and the two sides spoke via a telephone speaker. Avanti, who is in her 70s, was also prevented from speaking to her son in her mother tongue. Every time she lapsed into Marathi, she was stopped and made to speak in Hindi or English, as a senior Pakistani official of the India Desk monitored the interaction. "Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included removal of mangalsutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security. "The mother of Shri Jadhav was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, although this was clearly the natural medium of communication. She was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and eventually prevented from proceeding further in this regard," India said in a statement. The footwear of Jadhav's wife was also taken away and not returned. "For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Shri Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting," India said, and warned "We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard". #WATCH MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on meeting of #KulbhushanJadhav's mother and wife with Jadhav in Islamabad pic.twitter.com/O6HkKoc7WK  ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017 The Pakistani media also hurled invectives at the two women outside the Foreign Office building. "The Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Shri Jadhav. This was despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access," the statement said. Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh, who was allowed to accompany the two women, was kept in a separate glass cubicle from the two women, and could watch the proceedings from a distance. He was initially not allowed into the meeting venue. "Deputy High Commissioner was initially separated from family members who were taken to the meeting without informing him. The meeting was started without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed," the statement said. India also voiced concern at the appearance of Jadhav and his well being, remarking that he looked as though he was "under considerable stress" and was "speaking in an atmosphere of coercion" and that his statements "were clearly tutored" and designed to "perpetuate" Pakistan's allegation that he was a spy and involved in terrorism. "From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Shri Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being. "We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned. Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude. "The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Shri Jadhav's alleged activities. You would all agree that this exercise lacked any credibility," India said. The statement said the meeting took place after requests by India for family access to Jadhav. India said that ahead of the meeting, the two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format. "There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments. "However, we note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings," India said, listing out the way the meeting was conducted and the manner in which the two women were treated. The women, who left for India on Monday evening, met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here in the morning. They were accompanied by Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. After the Monday meeting, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry had released a video message of Jadhav - as part of a propaganda offensive, in which Jadhav thanked Islamabad for the "grand gesture" for allowing the meeting. The second 'confessional' video released by Pakistan, after Jadhav's meeting with his wife and mother: I have been treated with dignity and honor - Kulbhushan Jadhav pic.twitter.com/YTGUXUfJqq  Pakistan Defence (@defencedotpk) December 25, 2017 "I requested a meeting with my wife and mother and I am thankful to government of Pakistan for this grand gesture," he said. In the video Jadhav is shown as saying that "he worked for Indian intelligence agency RAW" and that he entered Pakistan through Iran. Jadhav also said that he was arrested by Pakistan's security agencies from Balochistan. Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April, following which India moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May. India has said that Jadhav is innocent and has maintained that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had gone for handling his businesses after superannuation from the Indian Navy. Despite the death verdict, Pakistan last week reiterated that he was not under threat of an immediate execution as his mercy petitions were still pending. Pakistan has said that the meeting does not mean any change in Pakistan's stance regarding Jadhav.
By Online Desk

The year 2017 saw series of Political turbulence across the world. The democratic protests against the ruling governments were muffled and politicians and activists from the opposition were targeted in several countries.

Kenya Elections

Kenya faced blatant violation of human rights as nearly ninety-two people were killed and dozens of others were sexually assaulted during the election turbulence.

According to a report of the independent Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, Most victims "were felled by the bullet" and authorities must account for "how the officers under their command used the live ammunition that had been assigned to them."

Residents hold their hands up in the air towards police, as a man genuflects, right, next to the body of a man who had been shot by the forces. (Photo | AP)

The group reported 86 cases of sexual assaults, saying it was "extremely worried" by the usage of violence "as a weapon of subjugation" during political crisis.

The turmoil started after the Kenyan Supreme Court nullified the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta and ordered fresh elections that opposition leader Raila Odinga boycotted and Kenyatta won.

Anger remains high among supporters of Odinga as dozens were killed in clashes with security forces.

The Police have conveniently denied accusations levelled against Kenyan security forces.

Zimbabwe Elections

Zimbabwes current crisis began on November 8 when Robert Mugabe, who has ruled since independence in 1980, removed Emmerson Mnangagwa from his post as vice-president.

The sacking of Mnangagwa immediately invited action from the countrys army chief.The Chief General Constantino said the army was prepared to act to end purges within Mugabes Zanu-PF party. At a news conference after Mugabe's ouster, he said the attempt was aimed at purging politicians who fought for the countrys independence.

CaptionZimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa speaks after being sworn in at the presidential inauguration ceremony in the capital Harare. (Photo | AP)

Mnangagwa is a veteran of the Zimbabwe's freedom movement.Some Zimbabwean nationals are still expressing concern since the two former military commanders are in top Cabinet positions.

Soldiers are still visible on the streets of the capital and have mounted roadblocks on all major highways.

Crisis in Venezuela

2017 has been a turbulent year for Venezuela, which holds the world's largest oil reserves. As a result of months of continuous protests, the country faced steep fall in prices and production of crude oil.

The crucial point came in March when the pro-Maduro Supreme Court essentially took over functions of the

opposition-led National Assembly. Though the controversial ruling was later modified, the opposition began a campaign of street protests from April to July.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro gives a press conference at Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas. (Photo | AP)

However, the attempts made by the opposition to tackle Maduro through the regional elections backfired. They lost most of the governorships despite exit polls indicating their victory. The opposition alleged fraud, but their complaints were not considered seriously as Maduro cemented his authority by the time. Three of the four major opposition parties refused to field candidates for contests because of irregularities and allegations of fraud detected in the previous gubernatorial elections.

Emergence of Catalonia

Spain's worst political crisis in decades showed few signs of abating after Catalan separatist parties clinched parliamentary majority in an exceptional election called by the country's prime minister Mariano Rajoy, who remained stubborn in his refusal to consider independence for Catalonia.

The election results strengthened the separatist leader Charles Puigdemont as he managed to win 70 seats in the parliament. Rajoy's conservative Popular Party secured just three seats, a major embarrassment for the prime minister who took unprecedented steps to put down the Catalan independence movement.

Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, right, speaks during a media conference in Brussels. (Photo | AP)

Puidgemont is quoted by the Associated Press as saying, "More than 2 million people are in favor of Catalonia's independence. Recognizing reality is vital if we are to find a solution."

The future of the country is an anomaly, since the new parliament would not be able to elect him for the post unless

he returns to Barcelona, the regional capital, where he is likely to be arrested . Rajoy dismissed Puigdemont and his government after an illegal declaration of independence by Catalonia's parliament

on October 27. Puidgemont, later, fled to Belgium to avoid prosecution charges for violating the Spanish Constitution

Protests in Honduras

Protests erupted across Honduras following an official declaration that President Juan Orlando Hernandez has won re-election, even as the Organization of American States proposed a re-do of the disputed vote.

The OAS, which sent election observers to the country for the November 26 election, issued a statement saying it was impossible to determine the outcome with enough certainty due to irregularities.

An anti-government protestor stands next to burning barricade blocking a road, on the outskirts of Honduras. (Photo | AP)

According to Associated Press, the problems listed by the organisation were "deliberate human intrusions into the computer system, intentional elimination of digital traces," opened ballot boxes and "extreme statistical improbability regarding levels of participation within the same department,"combined with the narrow vote differential.

Supporters of challenger Salvador Nasralla blocked streets and highways around the country with burning tires and rocks. At least 17 people have died in violent street clashes since the election.

(With inputs from AP)

The year 2017 saw series of Political turbulence across the world. The democratic protests against the ruling governments were muffled and politicians and activists from the opposition were targeted in several countries. Kenya Elections Kenya faced blatant violation of human rights as nearly ninety-two people were killed and dozens of others were sexually assaulted during the election turbulence. According to a report of the independent Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, Most victims "were felled by the bullet" and authorities must account for "how the officers under their command used the live ammunition that had been assigned to them." Residents hold their hands up in the air towards police, as a man genuflects, right, next to the body of a man who had been shot by the forces. (Photo | AP) The group reported 86 cases of sexual assaults, saying it was "extremely worried" by the usage of violence "as a weapon of subjugation" during political crisis. The turmoil started after the Kenyan Supreme Court nullified the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta and ordered fresh elections that opposition leader Raila Odinga boycotted and Kenyatta won. Anger remains high among supporters of Odinga as dozens were killed in clashes with security forces. The Police have conveniently denied accusations levelled against Kenyan security forces. Zimbabwe Elections Zimbabwes current crisis began on November 8 when Robert Mugabe, who has ruled since independence in 1980, removed Emmerson Mnangagwa from his post as vice-president. The sacking of Mnangagwa immediately invited action from the countrys army chief.The Chief General Constantino said the army was prepared to act to end purges within Mugabes Zanu-PF party. At a news conference after Mugabe's ouster, he said the attempt was aimed at purging politicians who fought for the countrys independence. CaptionZimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa speaks after being sworn in at the presidential inauguration ceremony in the capital Harare. (Photo | AP) Mnangagwa is a veteran of the Zimbabwe's freedom movement.Some Zimbabwean nationals are still expressing concern since the two former military commanders are in top Cabinet positions. Soldiers are still visible on the streets of the capital and have mounted roadblocks on all major highways. Crisis in Venezuela 2017 has been a turbulent year for Venezuela, which holds the world's largest oil reserves. As a result of months of continuous protests, the country faced steep fall in prices and production of crude oil. The crucial point came in March when the pro-Maduro Supreme Court essentially took over functions of the opposition-led National Assembly. Though the controversial ruling was later modified, the opposition began a campaign of street protests from April to July. Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro gives a press conference at Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas. (Photo | AP) However, the attempts made by the opposition to tackle Maduro through the regional elections backfired. They lost most of the governorships despite exit polls indicating their victory. The opposition alleged fraud, but their complaints were not considered seriously as Maduro cemented his authority by the time. Three of the four major opposition parties refused to field candidates for contests because of irregularities and allegations of fraud detected in the previous gubernatorial elections. Emergence of Catalonia Spain's worst political crisis in decades showed few signs of abating after Catalan separatist parties clinched parliamentary majority in an exceptional election called by the country's prime minister Mariano Rajoy, who remained stubborn in his refusal to consider independence for Catalonia. The election results strengthened the separatist leader Charles Puigdemont as he managed to win 70 seats in the parliament. Rajoy's conservative Popular Party secured just three seats, a major embarrassment for the prime minister who took unprecedented steps to put down the Catalan independence movement. Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, right, speaks during a media conference in Brussels. (Photo | AP) Puidgemont is quoted by the Associated Press as saying, "More than 2 million people are in favor of Catalonia's independence. Recognizing reality is vital if we are to find a solution." The future of the country is an anomaly, since the new parliament would not be able to elect him for the post unless he returns to Barcelona, the regional capital, where he is likely to be arrested . Rajoy dismissed Puigdemont and his government after an illegal declaration of independence by Catalonia's parliament on October 27. Puidgemont, later, fled to Belgium to avoid prosecution charges for violating the Spanish Constitution Protests in Honduras Protests erupted across Honduras following an official declaration that President Juan Orlando Hernandez has won re-election, even as the Organization of American States proposed a re-do of the disputed vote. The OAS, which sent election observers to the country for the November 26 election, issued a statement saying it was impossible to determine the outcome with enough certainty due to irregularities. An anti-government protestor stands next to burning barricade blocking a road, on the outskirts of Honduras. (Photo | AP) According to Associated Press, the problems listed by the organisation were "deliberate human intrusions into the computer system, intentional elimination of digital traces," opened ballot boxes and "extreme statistical improbability regarding levels of participation within the same department,"combined with the narrow vote differential. Supporters of challenger Salvador Nasralla blocked streets and highways around the country with burning tires and rocks. At least 17 people have died in violent street clashes since the election. (With inputs from AP)
By Online Desk

As the year 2017 comes to a close, lets take a look back at a series of major terror attacks around the world that made headlines. The year 2017 saw a number of terrorist attacks even in the powerful countries such as UK, US and other western countries which wreaked havoc around the world.

Marchs Westminster attack, the shocking scenes at Manchester Arena, the London Bridge attack, Texas church shooting have time and again brought a fear of terror among the masses.

Since the start of 2017, there have been 1,099 attacks, and 7,455 fatalities across the world, according to the data provided by Esri Story Maps.

Many of the gravest attacks have taken place in nations relatively overlooked by the majority of the public including Nigeria, Yemen, Somalia, and Bangladesh.

1st January 2017, Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul was greeted on New Year's by a gunman from Uzbekistan who opened fire at a night club, killing 39 people. Around 69 people were injured in the attack, for which IS claimed the responsibility. The gunman had trained in Afghanistan according to Turkish authorities.

Istanbul terror attack | AFP

22nd March 2017, London, UK

Khalid Masood drove a rental car into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge before exiting the vehicle and stabbing a police officer to death at the entrance to Parliament. Four other people died as a result of the rampage, and 50 were left injured. Masood, 52-year-old British man, was shot dead by other officers.

He acted alone, police said, but may have been inspired by ISIS.

London Bridge terror attack | AFP

3rd April 2017, St. Petersburg, Russia

On 3 April 2017, a terrorist attack using an explosive device took place on the Saint Petersburg Metro between Sennaya Ploshchad and Tekhnologichesky Institut stations. Seven people (including the perpetrator) were initially reported to have died, and eight more died later from their injuries, bringing the total to 15. At least 45 others were injured in the incident. The explosive device was contained in a briefcase. The suspected perpetrator was named as Akbarzhon Jalilov, a Russian citizen who was an ethnic Uzbek born in Kyrgyzstan.

St. Petersburg terror attack | AFP

7th April 2017, Stockholm, Sweden

Four people were killed and at least fifteen were injured when a man drove a truck down a busy shopping street. Rakhmat Akilov, a failed asylum seeker from Uzbekistan, had confessed to the crime.

The 39-year-old also allegedly admitted being a member of ISIS and told police investigators that he had achieved what he set out to do.

Stockholm terror attack | AFP

9th April 2017, Tanta, Egypt

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the deadly bomb attacks on two Egyptian Coptic churches on Palm Sunday, in which at least 43 people were killed leaving over 100 injured. The first bomb went off at Nile Delta City, inside St. George Church, in which at least 27 people were killed and 78 were injured. The second one struck Saint Marks Cathedral in Alexandria, in which 16 people were killed and at least 41 were injured.

Egyptian Coptic churches terror attack | AP

20th April 2017, Paris, France

A policeman was killed on the Champs Elysees in Paris in reportedly a terror-related attack.

ISIS have claimed responsibility for the killing, which came just days before the French presidential election. The gunman was identified as Karim Cheurfi, a 39-year-old man who allegedly served 15 years in prison for three attempted murders. The attacker was shot dead at the scene.

Paris terror attack | AFP

22nd May 2017, Manchester, UK

The Manchester terror attack killed at least 22 people and injured 59 others at Ariana Grande's concert at Manchester Arena on 22nd May. A lone suicide bomber detonated explosives among teenage fans leaving the concert at 10.33pm.

Manchester terror attack | AFP

3rd June 2017, London Bridge and Borough Market, UK

Three men drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge before going on a stabbing rampage at bars in nearby Borough Market. The attack killed eight people and injured more than 40 others. The attackers were shot dead by police. Police named the attackers as Khuram Shazad Butt, 27; Rachid Redouane, 30; and Youssef Zaghba, 22. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, though the group provided no evidence for its involvement.

London Bridge and Borough Market terror attack | AFP

17th August 2017, Barcelona, Spain

A terrorist ploughed a van into crowds, killing 13 people and injuring more than a hundred, in Barcelona's Las Ramblas in the afternoon. Hours later, police shot dead five attackers wearing fake suicide vests after the second attack in Cambrils, a coastal town south of Barcelona.

Barcelona terror attack | AFP

15th September 2017, London Subway, UK

At least 22 people were injured when an apparent bucket bomb exploded on a London subway, causing mass panic and flash burns.

London Subway terror attack | AFP

1st October 2017, Las Vegas, US

Stephen Paddock a 64-year-old native of Mesquite, Nevada fired more than 1,100 rounds from his suite on the 32nd floor of the nearby Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas. A total of 58 people (excluding Paddock) lost their lives as a result of the shooting. The fatalities included 36 women and 22 men. An additional 546 people were injured. About an hour after Paddock fired his last shot into the crowd of 22,000, he was found dead in his room from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His motive is unknown.

Las Vegas terror attack | AP

14th October 2017, Mogadishu, Somalia

A massive blast caused by a truck bombing in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, killed at least 512 people and injured 316. Another 62 people remain missing. The truck was detonated after it was stopped; the actual target of the attack is believed to have been a secure compound housing international agencies and troops.

Mogadishu terror attack | AP

31st October 2017, New York City, US

Sayfullo Saipov, 29, from Uzbekistan, allegedly drove a rented truck into a crowd of pedestrians and cyclists on a bike path near the World Trade Center in Manhattan. The attack killed 8 people and injured at least 12 others. New York City officials later confirmed the attack was carried out in the name of ISIS.

New York City terror attack | AFP

9th November 2017, Texas, US

A black-clad gunman armed with an assault rifle opened fire on a small-town Texas church during Sunday morning services, killing 26 people and wounding 20 in the last mass shooting to shock the United States. Authorities did not identify the gunman, saying only that he was a "young white male, maybe in his early 20s," who was wearing a bulletproof vest and found dead in his vehicle after being confronted by a local resident.

Texas terror attack | AP

24th November 2017, Sinai mosque, Egypt

The al-Rawda mosque was attacked by roughly 40 gunmen during Friday prayers in Egypt's North Sinai Governorate. The attack killed 311 people and injured at least 122, making it the deadliest attack in the Egyptian history.

Sinai mosque terror attack | AP

As the year 2017 comes to a close, lets take a look back at a series of major terror attacks around the world that made headlines. The year 2017 saw a number of terrorist attacks even in the powerful countries such as UK, US and other western countries which wreaked havoc around the world. Marchs Westminster attack, the shocking scenes at Manchester Arena, the London Bridge attack, Texas church shooting have time and again brought a fear of terror among the masses. Since the start of 2017, there have been 1,099 attacks, and 7,455 fatalities across the world, according to the data provided by Esri Story Maps. Many of the gravest attacks have taken place in nations relatively overlooked by the majority of the public including Nigeria, Yemen, Somalia, and Bangladesh. 1st January 2017, Istanbul, Turkey Istanbul was greeted on New Year's by a gunman from Uzbekistan who opened fire at a night club, killing 39 people. Around 69 people were injured in the attack, for which IS claimed the responsibility. The gunman had trained in Afghanistan according to Turkish authorities. Istanbul terror attack | AFP 22nd March 2017, London, UK Khalid Masood drove a rental car into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge before exiting the vehicle and stabbing a police officer to death at the entrance to Parliament. Four other people died as a result of the rampage, and 50 were left injured. Masood, 52-year-old British man, was shot dead by other officers. He acted alone, police said, but may have been inspired by ISIS. London Bridge terror attack | AFP 3rd April 2017, St. Petersburg, Russia On 3 April 2017, a terrorist attack using an explosive device took place on the Saint Petersburg Metro between Sennaya Ploshchad and Tekhnologichesky Institut stations. Seven people (including the perpetrator) were initially reported to have died, and eight more died later from their injuries, bringing the total to 15. At least 45 others were injured in the incident. The explosive device was contained in a briefcase. The suspected perpetrator was named as Akbarzhon Jalilov, a Russian citizen who was an ethnic Uzbek born in Kyrgyzstan. St. Petersburg terror attack | AFP 7th April 2017, Stockholm, Sweden Four people were killed and at least fifteen were injured when a man drove a truck down a busy shopping street. Rakhmat Akilov, a failed asylum seeker from Uzbekistan, had confessed to the crime. The 39-year-old also allegedly admitted being a member of ISIS and told police investigators that he had achieved what he set out to do. Stockholm terror attack | AFP 9th April 2017, Tanta, Egypt Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the deadly bomb attacks on two Egyptian Coptic churches on Palm Sunday, in which at least 43 people were killed leaving over 100 injured. The first bomb went off at Nile Delta City, inside St. George Church, in which at least 27 people were killed and 78 were injured. The second one struck Saint Marks Cathedral in Alexandria, in which 16 people were killed and at least 41 were injured. Egyptian Coptic churches terror attack | AP 20th April 2017, Paris, France A policeman was killed on the Champs Elysees in Paris in reportedly a terror-related attack. ISIS have claimed responsibility for the killing, which came just days before the French presidential election. The gunman was identified as Karim Cheurfi, a 39-year-old man who allegedly served 15 years in prison for three attempted murders. The attacker was shot dead at the scene. Paris terror attack | AFP 22nd May 2017, Manchester, UK The Manchester terror attack killed at least 22 people and injured 59 others at Ariana Grande's concert at Manchester Arena on 22nd May. A lone suicide bomber detonated explosives among teenage fans leaving the concert at 10.33pm. Manchester terror attack | AFP 3rd June 2017, London Bridge and Borough Market, UK Three men drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge before going on a stabbing rampage at bars in nearby Borough Market. The attack killed eight people and injured more than 40 others. The attackers were shot dead by police. Police named the attackers as Khuram Shazad Butt, 27; Rachid Redouane, 30; and Youssef Zaghba, 22. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, though the group provided no evidence for its involvement. London Bridge and Borough Market terror attack | AFP 17th August 2017, Barcelona, Spain A terrorist ploughed a van into crowds, killing 13 people and injuring more than a hundred, in Barcelona's Las Ramblas in the afternoon. Hours later, police shot dead five attackers wearing fake suicide vests after the second attack in Cambrils, a coastal town south of Barcelona. Barcelona terror attack | AFP 15th September 2017, London Subway, UK At least 22 people were injured when an apparent bucket bomb exploded on a London subway, causing mass panic and flash burns. London Subway terror attack | AFP 1st October 2017, Las Vegas, US Stephen Paddock a 64-year-old native of Mesquite, Nevada fired more than 1,100 rounds from his suite on the 32nd floor of the nearby Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas. A total of 58 people (excluding Paddock) lost their lives as a result of the shooting. The fatalities included 36 women and 22 men. An additional 546 people were injured. About an hour after Paddock fired his last shot into the crowd of 22,000, he was found dead in his room from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His motive is unknown. Las Vegas terror attack | AP 14th October 2017, Mogadishu, Somalia A massive blast caused by a truck bombing in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, killed at least 512 people and injured 316. Another 62 people remain missing. The truck was detonated after it was stopped; the actual target of the attack is believed to have been a secure compound housing international agencies and troops. Mogadishu terror attack | AP 31st October 2017, New York City, US Sayfullo Saipov, 29, from Uzbekistan, allegedly drove a rented truck into a crowd of pedestrians and cyclists on a bike path near the World Trade Center in Manhattan. The attack killed 8 people and injured at least 12 others. New York City officials later confirmed the attack was carried out in the name of ISIS. New York City terror attack | AFP 9th November 2017, Texas, US A black-clad gunman armed with an assault rifle opened fire on a small-town Texas church during Sunday morning services, killing 26 people and wounding 20 in the last mass shooting to shock the United States. Authorities did not identify the gunman, saying only that he was a "young white male, maybe in his early 20s," who was wearing a bulletproof vest and found dead in his vehicle after being confronted by a local resident. Texas terror attack | AP 24th November 2017, Sinai mosque, Egypt The al-Rawda mosque was attacked by roughly 40 gunmen during Friday prayers in Egypt's North Sinai Governorate. The attack killed 311 people and injured at least 122, making it the deadliest attack in the Egyptian history. Sinai mosque terror attack | AP
Haven't bought your Thanksgiving turkey yet? A look at local prices.

While farms like Helgers in Tiverton have already sold out of turkeys, there are still frozen and fresh birds for sale at local markets.
Reporter

Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
New Delhi: The Home Ministry has directed all NGOs, business entities and individuals who receive funds from abroad to open accounts in any of the 32 designated banks, including one foreign, within a month for higher level of transparency.

It also asked them to ensure that such funds are not utilised for activities detrimental to the national interest.

The directive to the NGOs, companies and individuals to open foreign contribution accounts in banks, which are integrated with the central governments Public Financial Management System (PFMS), came for providing a higher level of transparency and hassle-free reporting compliance, according to the ministry order, accessed by the PTI.

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010 provides for the regulation of acceptance of the foreign funds or foreign hospitality by certain individuals, associations, organisations and companies "to ensure that such contributions or hospitality is not being utilised for the activities detrimental to the national interest", it said.

Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred under the FCRA, 2010, the central government hereby directs all persons who are either registered or who have sought prior permission under the FCRA 2010 to open their bank accounts as mandated in one or more banks in the list of the 32 banks, the order said.

This exercise shall be completed expeditiously within one month (by 21-01-2018) with intimation of the details of the bank accounts to the ministry under a prescribed form, it said.

The central government has already decided that all banks where the FCRA registered persons and organisations have opened their foreign contribution accounts would be integrated with the PFMS for providing a higher level of "transparency and hassle-free" reporting compliance.

While some banks have already integrated their systems with the PFMS for compliance of the central governments order, many banks have still not completed the integration of their systems with the PFMS despite repeated letters, directions and meetings, the home ministry said.

The 32 designated banks where individuals, NGOs and other entities can open their accounts are: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, ICICI Bank, The Cosmos Co-Operative Bank, Bank of Baroda, State Bank of India, South Indian Bank, IDBI Bank, Central Bank of India, Corporation Bank, Karur Vysya Bank, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Ltd, The Catholic Syrian Bank Ltd, HDFC Bank, UCO Bank, IndusInd Bank Limited, City Union Bank and Syndicate Bank.

Allahabad Bank, The Jammu and Kashmir Bank Ltd, Punjab National Bank, Allahabad UP Gramin Bank, DCB Bank Ltd, Manipur State Co-op Bank, Vijaya Bank, Bombay Mercantile Co-operative Bank Ltd, Yes Bank, Oriental Bank Of commerce, Dena Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Andhra Bank and Axis Bank are the others.

The PFMS, which functions under the Controller General of Accounts in the Ministry of Finance, provides a financial management platform for all plan schemes, a database of all recipient agencies, integration with core banking solution of banks handling plan funds, integration with state treasuries and efficient and effective tracking of fund flow to the lowest level of implementation for plan scheme of the government.

It also provides information across all plan schemes/ implementation agencies in the country on fund utilisation leading to better monitoring, review and decision support system to enhance public accountability in the implementation of plan schemes.

Introduction of the PFMS resulted in effectiveness and economy in public finance management through better cash management for government transparency in public expenditure and real-time information on resource availability and utilisation across schemes.

It also resulted in improved programme administration and management, reduction of float in the system, direct payment to beneficiaries and greater transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.

Early this year, the home ministry had asked around 9,000 NGOs and other entities to open their accounts in banks having core banking facilities and furnish details for real-time access to security agencies in case of any discrepancy.

The Narendra Modi-led government tightened the rules for NGOs and took action against all such entities for violation of various provisions of the FCRA 2010 which include non- filing of annual returns as mandated in the law.

Last week, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told Parliament that the registrations of 18,868 NGOs were cancelled between 2011 and 2017 for violating laws. Following the action, foreign funding to Indian NGOs has also come down drastically--from Rs 17,773 crore in 2015-16 to Rs 6,499 crore in 2016-17.

Rijiju had said the quantum of foreign funding received by NGOs in India in the last three years were: Rs 15,299 crore in 2014-15, Rs 17,773 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 6,499 crore in 2016-17.

Currently, around 10,000 FCRA-registered NGOs are operating in the country.
Mumbai: Stock benchmarks crossed new milestones today, with the Sensex topping 34,000 for the first time and the Nifty hitting a fresh high of 10,515.

The 30-share index crossed the 34,000-mark by jumping 65.07 points, or 0.19 per cent, to 34,005.37.

The gauge had rallied 184.10 points in the previous session on Friday on the back of strong buying by domestic institutional investors.

There was support from all sectoral indices, driven by technology and oil and gas, with gains of up to 0.90 per cent.

The NSE Nifty spurted 22.10 points, or 0.21 per cent, to a new peak of 10.515.10.

Analysts said domestic institutional buying and interest among retail investors amid robust foreign funds inflows lifted mood.

Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 107.87 crore while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) had also purchased equities worth a net Rs 371.53 crore on Friday, as per provisional data.

ONGC, Dr Reddy's and TCS surged 1.86 per cent.

Asian stocks were mixed ahead of year-end holidays.
Srinagar: Terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed suffered a major blow on Tuesday when its top commander Noor Mohammad Tantray, considered the brains behind the terror outfit's revival in the Valley, was killed in South Kashmir, police said.

Two of his accomplices, believed to be foreign terrorists, managed to escape under the cover of darkness when the encounter broke out at Samboora village in Pulwama district, they said, adding that the two would be tracked down soon.

According to Director General of Police S P Vaid, the militants had gathered in the area and were planning to carry out an attack on a convoy of security personnel.

There was input about presence of two to three terrorists near the national highway who were "planning to attack convoy", the DGP tweeted.

Terming the killing of 47-year-old Tantray as a "significant development", the police said the terrorist was wanted in various terror incidents earlier this year, including a suicide attack at the BSF camp at Srinagar airport, and had become an irritant for the security forces.

"The divisional commander of JeM, Noor Mohammad Tantray alias Noor Trali, was killed in a gun battle with security forces in Samboora area of Pulwama," the police said in a statement.

The body of Tantray, who was four feet two inches tall, was recovered along with one weapon this morning from the rubbles of the house where the terrorists were hiding.

A crack team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, acting on a specific input, had cordoned off a cluster of houses at Samboora which resulted in a fierce gunbattle leading to the elimination of the top JeM commander.

A police spokesman said Tantray, who was a close aide of the 2001 Parliament attack case mastermind Ghazi Baba, was convicted in a case registered in 2003 in Delhi.

He served a sentence at Central Jail in Srinagar and was out on parole in 2015, the spokesman said.

Consequently, he remained in Tral at South Kashmir and became a major overground worker of the JeM in the region, the police said.

In July this year, after the Aripal encounter, in which three JeM terrorists were killed, Tantray went underground and soon became the key man of the terror outfit in coordinating and organising attacks at different places, he said.

He was one of the chief architects of the attack on a BSF camp near Srinagar airport in October, the spokesman said, adding that he was also wanted in connection with a number of terror attacks in south and central Kashmir.

Tantray hailed from Tral area and his death is being seen as a blow to the terror group as he was the key man in reviving the JeM in south and central Kashmir.
New Delhi: The CBI has arrested two more persons in connection with alleged corruption in the Rs 2,150 crore re-development project of ITPO Complex at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, in which NBCC chairman-cum-managing director Anoop Mittal has been made an accused, agency sources said on Monday.

The CBI arrested Sanjay Kulkarni, managing director of Capacite Structures, and Ghaziabad-based middleman Rishabh Agrawal in connection with the corruption case, taking the total number of people arrested to four, the sources said.

The agency booked Mittal, Kulkarni, Agrawal, public servant Pradeep Mishra and the alleged bribe delivery person, Akashdeep Chouhan, in the case on December 22.

It alleged in the FIR that the contract to redevelop the prime land at Pragati Maidan was awarded to Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Pvt. Ltd. and Shapoorji Pallonji Qatar WLL for Rs 2,149.93 crore by NBCC, and Mumbai-based Capacite Structures was trying to get that work from Shapoorji Pallonji on a subcontract.

Kulkarni had approached Agrawal, the middleman, having good contacts with public servants for getting the subcontract in favour of the company, it alleged.

The FIR alleged Agrawal approached Pradeep Kumar Mishra, a public servant in an intelligence agency who was on deputation and was also close to certain senior functionaries of NBCC Ltd.

Under the influence of Mishra, Mittal "strlongly directed" the executive director of NBCC to settle the matter in favour of Capacite Structures, it alleged.

The CBI said infurtherance 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.

After the meeting, Mittal assured Kulkarni and Mishra about getting work from Shapoorji Pallonji and that if Capacite Structure does not get the work, he would "ensure that it would not be given to any one else", the FIR alleged.

The agency arrested Mishra, while he was allegedly receiving the promised bike as illegal gratification from Akashdeep Chouhan, staff of Kulkarni, the sources said.
New Delhi: Former National Security Advisor and an old China hand Shiv Shankar Menon sees Chinas demographic and geographical positioning as the biggest stumbling block in its metamorphosis into a real global power.

In a crowded, hedged environment, China has very little it can do in terms of geography. Also, with seas around her, it makes its geographical situation worse, said Menon speaking at a conference in Goa last week.

He further said that Chinas demographic challenges show a relatively small window of economic opportunity. Explaining that the drivers for foreign policy were namely demographics, economy, technology and politics, Menon said that one should not exaggerate the opportunities around China today.

By 2040, China will have the age profile of what Japan has today. It will not just affect economics of the country, but will also affect military preparedness of China, said the former NSA.

Pointing out the military prowess of the Asian giant, Menon said the world might be economically multipolar but militarily its still unipolar with regional variations.

Global corridors have been buzzing with talks of China trying to change the world order, to challenge the western hegemony. Menon, however, raised his concerns over the same. China is still a revisionist power. It still seeks to adapt and change the present US order, he added.

Professor Richard Rigby from the China Institute at Australian National Institute said that despite opening up its economy in the last two decades, the Chinese Communist Party continues to crackdown on free speech, indicating persisting vulnerabilities for the Chinese state.

Recently, a former member of Chinas top military body killed himself as he was facing a probe under Xi Jinpings crackdown on corruption. Further, the country has also blocked Dalai Lamas mobile app and a host of over 13,000 websites as part of the administrations crackdown on internet freedom.

Most of Xis long speech during the 19th party Congress was on domestic issues. Chinas growth is gradually blurring lines of domestic and foreign policy, Rigby said.

Shiv Shankar Menon also said that ultra-nationalism in the Chinese foreign policy is often a tool to serve domestic political purposes. The primary purpose of Chinese regimes, as all other regimes, is to stay in power  stability over everything else, said the former NSA.
New Delhi: The Delhi government on Tuesday raised water tariffs in the national capital for the first time since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power nearly three years ago. Families consuming more than 20,000 liters of water per month will now have to shell out Rs 28 per litre extra every month, which works out to a hike of 85 paise per day. However, the government has not decided to raise the tariff for families that consume less than 20,000 liters.

No change in water tariff in Delhi for households using upt o 20,000 litres per month for third consecutive year. (For those consuming) above 20,000 litres, a 20% combined hike on water and sewer charges approved in Delhi Jal Board meeting, Nagendar Sharma, Delhi government spokesperson and advisor to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, said after a meeting of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

This is the first ever water hike in the last three years and DJB Vice-Chairman Dinesh Mohaniya, who is also the AAP MLA from Sangam Vihar, said, No change in water tariffs, still 20 kl free per family, just Rs 28 increased per month above 20 kl, its just 0.85 paisa per day.

During the 2013 and 2015 Delhi Assembly elections, the AAP rode to power on a campaign against high water tariffs in the city. Arvind Kejriwal had promised that after coming to power, the AAP government in Delhi would provide free water to Delhi residents who consumed less than 20,000 litres a month.
New Delhi: Lt Governor Anil Baijal has sent back to the Delhi government a proposal for doorstep delivery of public services for reconsideration, with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia terming it a "huge setback" to the AAP dispensation's efforts to providing a graft-free governance.

Hitting out at Baijal over the move, Sisodia wondered whether the L-G should have powers to express difference of opinion with an elected government on such critical matters of public interest. The proposal pertains to delivery of 40 public services, including driving licences, caste certificates and new water connections, at the doorstep of citizens.

The Delhi Cabinet had approved the proposal last month and sent it to the L-G for his approval. "L-G rejects proposal of doorstep delivery of 40 govt services like caste-birth-address certificates, licences, social welfare schemes, pensions, registrations...etc. "LG sends it back for reconsideration. LG says digitisation of services enough. No need for doorstep delivery (sic)," Sisodia said in a series of tweets.

However, the L-G clarified, "The proposal for doorstep delivery of services not rejected. Only advised to reconsider the proposal and suggested alternate model."

In a statement, the L-G office said the present proposal has implications on safety and security of women, and senior citizens, possibility of corruption, bad behaviour, breach of privacy, loss of documents and others and adds unnecessary expenditure for the government and the people.

The development may trigger a tussle between the AAP dispensation and the L-G office. In a tweet, the deputy chief minister alleged, "LG has taken decision without knowing field reality. Announcement of doorstep delivery scheme was welcomed by all sections of society."

He also sought to know if the Lt Governor should be able to scuttle such measures due to which the people are "suffering". "Should LG have power to express difference of opinion with elected govt on such critical matters of public interest n be able to scuttle such measures? Public hugely suffering because of that," Sisodia wrote on the microblogging site.

"Most of these services r already digital. Yet, long queues in offices. Despite digitalization, most people still hv to run around govt offices with docs etc. Under doorstep delivery scheme, a govt rep wud visit ur house on a ph call to collect, certify n upload ur docs (sic)," he said.

According to the statement issued by the L-G office, Baijal has advised that the matter be reconsidered with an aim to put in place a model which provides for full digital delivery of services to people and facilitates access to bridge the "digital divide".
New Delhi: An alumni meet of Meeruts Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial (LLRM) Medical College grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons on Monday afternoon.

A video of the event, which shows Russian Belly dancers performing on stage amid cheering doctors, has since gone viral on social media platforms.

Pictures of an ambulance, stacked with liquor, have also gone viral.

Meanwhile, the LLRM administration and the UP Government have both ordered a probe and demanded strict action against all those responsible for the bacchanalia.

The party started on Monday afternoon and soon picked pace after an ambulance, packed with several cartons of liquor, made its way into the government medical college, which is Meeruts premier medical institution. The party was organised to bring together LLRMs batch of 1992 for the silver jubilee of their graduation.

Vinay Aggarwal, the acting-principal of LLRM Medical College, claimed that he did not know of the incident at the time. He said it was not clear whether the organisers had used ambulances from the institute itself or had hired private vehicles for the party. The Uttar Pradesh Government, however, said it was taking a strict view of the entire case and anyone, whether it were the organisers or the LLRM administration, found guilty would be punished.

Dr. KK Gupta, UPs Director General (Medical Education), told News 18, I am absolutely appalled at what has happened and I have ordered an inquiry into this. I have demanded an explanation from LLRM at the earliest. My big question to them is how the administration allowed this in the first place. Nobody, not even the principal, will be spared from action if they are found guilty in this case.

Gupta, who is also a former principal of LLRM, said, Humare samay mein yeh sab nahi hota tha. Gaana-bajaana theek tha, lekin kabhi ashleelta nahi hoti thi (This never used to happen in our time. Music and dancing was fine, but it was never such a vulgar display)."
New Delhi: Indian Army personnel crossed the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday night to enter Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and killed three Pakistani soldiers and injured another.

The latest development, as reported by news agency ANI, was a mission reportedly undertaken as a retaliatory measure against a ceasefire violation by the Pakistani Army on Saturday, which claimed the lives of four Indian soldiers.

However, this is not the first time that the two rival Armies have lost people in cross-border attacks.

At least one incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan was reported on a daily basis in Jammu and Kashmir between 2015 and 2016. Twenty-three security personnel lost their lives in this period, the Home Ministry had said in an RTI reply.

It said Pakistan had breached the truce along the Line of Control 449 times in 2016 as compared to 405 violations in 2015. As compared to 220 terror incidents reported in Jammu and Kashmir in 2012, there were 322 incidents in 2016, in which 82 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed, the ministry said.

In 2014, starting July, there were close to 15 major incidents of ceasefire violations that were reported and resulted in the death of over 20 people, including security personnel. In 2015, there were many more incidents of ceasefire violations.

JANUARY 2015: Three Indian soldiers and two Pakistan soldiers were reportedly killed in January.

JULY 2015: India reportedly lost three of its soldiers and a month later, maximum violations were reported and both sides reported casualties, including security personnel and civilians.

SEPTEMBER 2016: In one of the biggest attacks on the Indian Army, 21 soldiers were killed by unknown militants at an Army base in Uri. Almost 10 days after the Uri attack, the Indian Army said it had conducted surgical strikes against suspected militants in PoK, which the Pakistan administration denied.

OCTOBER 2016: Pakistan said its soldiers had come under fire in Bhimber and India said that Pakistan had started the firing. Six civilians in Poonch were reportedly injured due to firing from Pakistan on October 3 and on October 4 an Indian Army soldier was injured in Naushera. Further, 3 to 4 Indian soldiers were injured on October 5.

NOVEMBER 2016: On November 22, Pakistans Border Action Team (BAT) allegedly killed three Indian soldiers and mutilated one of the bodies in Machchil, Kupwara. The Indian Army responded and said that retribution to this cowardly attack would be heavy. Pakistan denied the accusation.

On November 23, India attacked Pakistani posts and heavy firing on a passenger bus killed 9 civilians. Pakistan, however, claimed 7 Indian soldiers were killed in the retaliatory firing, which was not confirmed by India.

DECEMBER 2016: On December 2, a BSF jawan was injured by a Pakistan sniper in Bhimber and towards the end of the month, it was reported that Pakistan had fired at Indian posts but no casualties were reported.

FEBRUARY 2017: In February, the Pakistan Army said that three of its soldiers had been killed in cross-border firing.

MAY 2017: In May, India claimed that Pakistan had killed and mutilated 2 of its soldiers, a claim Pakistan again denied. A month later, three incidents were reported, which reportedly killed 3 Indian civilians and injured 9 others, including a BSF officer.

JUNE 2017: In June, there were reports of the Indian Army having eliminated Pakistans BAT, comprising 5 soldiers.

JULY 2017: Around July 1, a Pakistani civilian was reportedly injured after Indian soldiers fired in Rawalkot. A week later, an off-duty soldier and his wife were killed and their children reportedly injured as Pakistan fired in Poonch. Pakistan reportedly said that it was retaliatory firing after Indian sides attack killed two people. On July 12, two Indian soldiers were killed in Kupwara.

SEPTEMBER 2017: In September, India lost three of its security personnel, including one BSF jawan in ceasefire violations across the LoC.

OCTOBER 2017: Around October 2, an Indian soldier was killed in Poonch and almost a week later, eight Indian Army soldiers were injured in unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops. Various other skirmishes in October resulted in Pakistan claiming that at least two civilians had been killed. India claimed that an Army porter was killed and a girl was injured in Baramullah.

NOVEMBER 2017: A BSF constable was reportedly killed in Samaba sector.

A look at the data provided by the South Asian Terrorism Portal (SATP) shows that in 2014, there were 51 ceasefire violations along the LoC and 38 along the international border (IB). The same year, three soldiers were killed along the LoC and one on the IB. One civilian was killed along the LoC in 2014 and 10 were killed along the International Border.

A year later, in 2015, the number of ceasefire violations along the LoC rose to 98 and along the International Bureau increased to 131. Along the LoC, security forces were killed and 3 along the IB. Number of civilians killed in 2015 along the LoC were 10 and another 10 along the IB.

In 2016, according to SATP, there were 93 violations along the LoC and 12 such breaches along the IB.

The number of security personnel killed in 2016 along the LoC stood at 10 and there were 3 such deaths along the IB.

Further, 15 civilians lost their lives along the LoC in 2016 and this year, as of December 17, there were 192 ceasefire violations along the LoC and 36 such violations along the IB. There were 21 security personnel deaths reported along the LoC, and 2 along the IB. The number of civilians killed this year along the LoC was 13 and one person along the IB.
New Delhi: Indian Army personnel crossed the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday night to enter Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and killed three Pakistani troops and injuring another, news agency ANI reported.

This mission was reportedly undertaken as a retaliatory measure against a ceasefire violation by the Pakistani Army on Saturday, which claimed the lives of four Indian troops.

Lt General HS Panag, the former General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC in C) of Army's Northern Command and Central Command, said the only option is to adopt covert warfare against Pakistan. This whole conflict has been reduced to a game of kabaddi on the LoC. They kill 3 of ours, we go kill 4 and vice versaThe point here is that we cannot have an all out war with Pakistan because it is a nuclear state and so are we. Only option is to adopt covert warfare in Pakistan and keep our house in order, he said.

A Major and three Army jawans were martyred on Saturday after Pakistani troops opened fire on a patrol unit in Keri sector of Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district.

The incident took place when chief minister Mehbooba Mufti was touring the border district to address peoples grievances.

Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh were grievously injured during the ceasefire violation and succumbed to their wounds, the Army said in a statement.

This year both the LoC and International border have seen massive spike in ceasefire breaches.

Figures presented in the Lok Sabha recently showed that Pakistan has violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir 771 times till December 10 this year, and 110 times along the International Border till November-end. Around 30 people including 14 army personnel, 12 civilians and four BSF personnel were killed in these ceasefire violations this year.

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.
New Delhi: Monday's meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian who is on death row in Pakistan, and his wife and mother violated the letter and spirit of the understanding between the two countries, Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.

The meeting took place in Islamabad and Pakistan made it clear that it did not constitute "consular access" and repeated its old allegations against the Indian prisoner.

New Delhi said the meeting, which Pakistan called a humanitarian gesture, violated our understandings.

Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included removal of mangalsutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security, said India.

New Delhi further maintained that the family was prevented from talking in their mother tongue. Kulbhushan's mother was also repeatedly interrupted.

New Delhi said that India's Deputy High Commissioner was allowed to join the meeting only after 'pressing the matter with the concerned officials'.

"Deputy High Commissioner was initially separated from family members who were taken to the meeting without informing him. The meeting was started without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed," said MEA.

New Delhi expressed apprehension against any 'mischievous intent' by not returning the shoes of Jadhav's wife.

"For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Shri Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard," said MEA.

New Delhi maintained that Jadhav appeared under 'considerable stress' and was speaking in an 'atmosphere of coercion'.

"From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Shri Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being," said MEA.

The MEA said that the meeting lacked any credibility.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April, following which India moved the ICJ in May. The ICJ halted his execution on India's appeal pending the final verdict by it.

Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel from its restive Balochistan province after he reportedly entered from Iran.

India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.
New Delhi: Two days before tabling of the Muslim Women Bill in Parliament, some women who came out against triple talaq believe that criminalizing the practice wont get them gender justice, instead the law would only be a ploy for the government to target Muslim men.

However, other victims of the triple talaq practice beg to disagree.

Muslim women activists who fought in the Supreme Court and had suffered because of the un-Islamic practice argue that criminalization cannot serve the objective as marriage is a civil matter.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 will be tabled in the Lok Sabha on December 28, 2017 and Ravi Shankar Prasad will introduce the Bill to protect the rights of married Muslim women and stop the practice of instant triple talaq.

Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), one of the petitioners in the case titled Muslim Women's Quest for Equality, says that the Bill should be referred to the Standing Committee of the Parliament and amendments should be made.

Speaking on the important gender-just provisions that should be included in the Bill, Zakia Soman from BMMA said that the purpose of this Bill is gender justice, Criminalization in itself cannot serve the objective.

Recognizing the importance of deterrence in law, the group further demands, The deterrence in this law should be guided by the other progressive laws such as the bigamy law, dowry law or the law against domestic violence. Marriage is a civil matter and there is punishment. It should be treated like that and there should be a fear of punishment, said BMMA.

Citing an example of the bigamy law of Section 494 of the IPC, Soman said bigamy is a non-cognizable but bailable offence. Violation of the triple talaq law should invite penalty and punishment accordingly and proportionately, Soman said.

However, triple talaq victim Arshiya Ismail, who is the chief training officer in a Army College, said, Marriage is a civil act but instant triple talaq should be criminal. If that does not happen, men will always find a way out.

Ishtar Jehan, who is the crusader against instant triple talaq hailing from Bengal, also believes it should be treated as a civil matter.

Nazia Elahi Khan, Ishtar Jehan's lawyer said, The punishment for triple talaq should be stricter, preferably as a civil matter because there are provisions. The culprit should be put behind bars at least for three years and the Bill should make sure instant triple talaq is punishable.

The Bill should lay down the procedure of divorce as per the talaq-e-ehsan method involving reconciliation and mediation between husband and wife over a period of at least 90 days. Besides, in case of divorce following this procedure, the wife should be provided financial support for herself and her children, added Soman.

The Muslim women groups have been calling for a codified Muslim family law based on the Quran and compliant with the Constitutional provisions.

This would enable Muslim women to get gender justice in family matters. The Muslim women must get legal parity just like Hindu women and Christian women through codified law, added Soman.

Bebaak Collective, one of the womens rights groups who favoured a law against triple talaq on December 21, 2017 spoke out against the criminalization of instant triple talaq. The Bill, in their opinion is a vicious ploy of the BJP government to criminalize Muslim men with the new law.

Formulated in the name of safeguarding womens rights, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill fails in its primary mission. Activists of Bebaak Collective that was one of the interveners in the Supreme Court case, say, If this law is passed, it will not only criminalize Muslim men but adversely affect Muslim women and children, whose survival will be at stake.
iStock/Thinkstock(BOSTON) -- A JetBlue plane skidded off the taxiway at Boston's Logan Airport Monday night after reportedly hitting a patch of ice.



JetBlue Flight 50 from Savannah, Georgia, encountered the ice shortly after landing at Logan at around 7:15 p.m., skidding off the taxiway, spinning as it slid and ending up facing the opposite direction, according to ABC Boston affiliate WCVB-TV.



The plane reportedly came to a stop between two taxiways.



Responding to air traffic controllers after the incident, one of the plane's pilots said, "Everythings fine. We just skidded on the ice," according to an audio transcript.



When told that emergency personnel would be responding, the pilot said, "We just need a tow."



"No injuries have been reported at this time," a JetBlue representative told ABC News. "Buses transported customers from the aircraft to the terminal."



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Ek din aisa kaam karunga ki duniya mujhe yaad rakhegi [One day Ill do something that the world will remember me by]. Shambulal Regar, one of the most infamous persons in India today, said this to a friend around a year-and-a-half ago.

Coming from a person who had suffered a string of business losses, was buried under debt, and couldnt stay sober for long, the idea sounded slightly fanciful to his friend. It sounded like the routine desire that people voice at least once in their lifetimes. But it did not, to Chandulal (name changed), sound anything like a pledge.

Having brutally murdered a Muslim for his religion and recorded it on a widely shared video a fortnight ago, Shambhulal has since the last fortnight not only created a name for himself, he has created a communal fissure in Rajasthan the likes of which the state hasnt seen in decades.

Protest marches by Muslims and counter protest marches by far right Hindu groups have been held in immediate succession, violently in the latter case. Reactionary Hindu protests have broken out in various cities across Rajasthan, including Kota, Udaipur, Bhilwara and in the state capital Jaipur.

With state assembly elections only a few months away, more such marches are being planned. Social campaigns are busy mobilising people in Regars name.

Some political Hindu outfits have meanwhile promised to take care of the educational expenses of Regars children, others have assured his family free rations and groceries for a year. Those close to Regars family say that privately some lawyers have also volunteered to fight Regars case pro bono. And there are already strong rumours that Regar will fight as an independent candidate in the assembly elections, from jail.

Ye chunaavi varsh hai. Agar chunaav jeetna hai to Hindutva ko laana hi hoga aur Hindutva ko leke aaye to Shambhu ke samarthan mein utarna hi hoga [This is an election year. If we have to win the elections we will have to bring in Hindutva and if we do that then we will have to support Shambhulal Regar], said a senior member of Bajrang Sena, a right wing Hindu group.

No one in Rajsamand knows for sure why the mild-mannered, easy-go-lucky, yoga practicing, father of three, brutally murdered a Muslim migrant labourer on video.

I have spent 8 years with him. Not once have I seen him angry. He loved children. He would never allow anyone to raise their hand at a child nor shout at them. For the last few years he would go to the nearby lake and practice Yoga, taking the kids along. They loved him, said Sohan a friend.

Shambhulal had tattooed his daughter, suffering from a mental illness, holding the globe, on his chest. His brother Lokesh points to the tattoo as a proof of Shambhulals love for children.

So what turned him into the dreadful killer?

His friends claim Shambhulal was under threat from the Muslim labourer from whom he rescued a Hindu girl. They also point out that he was in a debt of Rs 2 lakh, which is not a small amount for someone like him who came from a poor Dalit family, all of whose 15 members lived in a very small house in a very humble locality.

Some other things about him stand out. For instance, the fact that Shambhulal was quite ambitious.

Rajsamand and other small towns around Udaipur have made name for themselves from the flourishing marble business. Regar too wanted to get rich trading in marble. So he went first to Gurgaon, 15 years ago, where his business partner duped him and then to Anand, Gujarat, where again he lost all his money. Chandulal, his friend and disciple, followed him everywhere.

Shambhulal also was a spendthrift.

He wanted to enjoy himself. So we went to all the big cities. We also went to Delhi and visited the good bars there. Shambhuji always used to say enjoy yourself because you only live once.

Both eventually got tired and bored of their lifestyles. They returned to Rajsamand where Shambhulal tried to get a loan to start a new business. No bank approved. All this while his creditors were closing in. So Shambhu decided to sell a property in his mothers name.

He was quite hungry for fame.

Chandulal, to whom Regar boasted of doing something big, was the one who first introduced Regar to social media. It was about one and a half years ago. Internet prices had dropped quite drastically. We used to spend most of our time watching videos on the internet. On Shambhujis request I opened his Facebook account, showed him how to browse Youtube and connected him with WhatsApp.

Chandulal began working at his brothers furniture shop, but just like Shambhulal, felt restless all the time.

So it happened one fine day. I asked Shambhuji, who is also my guru, what do you think will we do in our lives? We are nobodies in this world, coming from a place whose name many havent heard. Thats when he talked about doing something memorable and look how the world knows him now, Chandulal said beaming with pride.

At the same time he was warming up to the idea of Hindutva.

Some time after he started watching different videos, and he was mostly interested in news, he began talking about Hindutva. He didnt talk much except saying that we have to do something about it soon. He also said that he didnt trust any of the existing Hindu outfits. He wanted to do something independently.

It didnt take him long. On the morning of December 6  a day that is celebrated by extremist Hindu groups to commemorate the demolition of Babri Masjid  sometime between 11:30 and 12, Shambhulal Regar brutally murdered Afrazul. His 13 years old nephew recorded the entire episode on phone.

According to a senior police officer, Regar arrived at the spot a day earlier with his nephew to rehearse the sequence. His family members say that both had wholesome dinner the previous night, the usual breakfast on the fateful morning, between which both slept peacefully. After his arrest, Regar went on to claim that he killed the wrong Muslim. According to some friends he expressed remorse on finding out the actual identity of his victim.

While the body of his victim  Mohammed Afrazaul  was still smouldering, the video of the murder started appearing on local Rajsamand WhatsApp groups. The motive of the murder wasnt immediately clear. By evening local television channels started showing a blurred footage of the video. Few hours later other videos, in which Regar talked about his motives, also appeared. The brutal murder turned out to be a communal hate crime. The WhatsApp videos spread like a wildfire throughout the country. Both Shambhulal Regar and Rajsamand gained instant and widespread notoriety.

Among many far right Hindu groups hes since become a legend for some. A bit like Mumtaz Qadri, who after shooting down the man he was supposed to protect  Salmaan Taseer  became a hero for Pakistans Islamists.

Extremist outfits like Bajrang Dal have been taking out protest marches in his support, songs have been composed in his praise, people have replaced their own display pictures on social media with those of Shambhulal.

A BJP state office bearer, who did not want to be named, boasted about having swapped his WhatsApp display picture with that of Shambhulals.

Shambhulals friends, many of who were rounded up by police and interrogated for days, express themselves on condition of anonymity. Usne hamare andar sote hue Hindutva ko jagaya hai [He has awakened the sleeping Hindutva in us], said Bhupesh [name changed], going on to peddle conspiracy theories like Love Jihad, Land Jihad and so on.

At what time did they find out these phenomena?

Only recently. After this he refused to entertain the subject anymore.

Another friend of Shambhulal (contrary to the popular belief he seemed to be very friendly and quite social) said this about his friend: Humko to garv hai uspe. Ismein koi sharm ki baat nahi. Love jihad ka matter hai. Hamare mohalle mein hi agar ek do case hai to socho pure Bharat mein kitne case honge. Unke pure samaj mein dar bitha diya hai usne. Ye ek chetaavani hai. [Were proud of him. Whats there to be ashamed of? Its an issue of Love Jihad. If there have been a couple of cases in our street, imagine how many cases must there be in the whole country. Their community is scared now. This [murder] is a warning].
Ujjain: After the ill-treatment of amputee climber Arunima Sinha snowballed into a major controversy, administration of the Mahakal Temple here has expressed regret over the incident.

Reacting to the incident, Madhya Pradesh Women and Child Development Minister Archana Chitnis has said that she would personally visit the athlete to convince her to visit the temple again.

Sinha, who has scaled Mount Everest in 2013, had sent the administration into tizzy after she took to Twitter to say that she was ill-treated at the Mahakal temple and wasnt allowed to enter the garbgriha (sanctum sanctorum) to seek blessings.

Chitnis said that she has sought a report from Ujjain commission about the incident. It would be made sure, she faces no inconvenience next time she comes to the temple, she said. Arunima is Indias daughter and we all are proud for her achievements, she added.

It was the minister who had invited the inspiring mountaineer to her home town in Burhanpur for addressing a youth convention. On way back, Sinha had visited Mahakal temple but was denied entry as temple staff objected to her western attire.

Despite the athlete explaining them about her physical constraints, she was not allowed to enter garbhagriha and was made to seek darshans on LED screen. Her assistants also were prevented from accompanying her into the temple.

An upset Sinha had narrated her ordeal on twitter on Monday, tagging PM and CMs official handles into her complaint.

Temple administrators Avdhesh Sharma on Tuesday said that the CCTV footage of the incident has shown that the woman employee posted outside the garbhgriha did not handle the situation properly and that they apologise to the athlete and invite her to visit the temple again.

Talking to News18, Sinha flayed the behaviour of temple staff despite the fact she was a differently-abled visitor. No temple in India should segregate on the basis of outfits, she demanded, alleging that a boy wearing jeans had come out while she was being denied entry.

Congress leader Kamal Nath attacked the Shivraj Chouhan government over the incident. The treatment meted out to Arunima Sinha at Ujjain has exposed Shivraj governments policies on girls and the differently-abled, Nath tweeted.

The incident came couple of weeks after the President bestowed an award on the temple for excellent disabled-friendly arrangements.

Sinha, a former national volleyball player had lost one leg after she was thrown out of a moving train by some goons in 2011. Despite losing a leg in the incident, she became Indias first amputee climber to scale Mount Everest in 2013.
New Delhi: The doctor flown in from Dubai by the Pakistani security establishment to examine Kulbhushan Jadhav prior to his meeting with wife and mother had no clue who his patient was and the medical report was made public without his consent for political reasons, News18.com has learnt.

On Monday, Pakistans Foreign Office released photographs of Jadhavs family meeting him, along with a medical certificate signed by a German doctor declaring that hes in excellent health. However, questions were raised on one of the photographs wherein a blue blemish could be seen behind Jadhavs right ear.

During the medical examination on December 22, there were no head bruises nor ear lobe missing, sources privy to the medical examination said.

The German doctor who works with a Dubai hospital was contacted by a Pakistani physician a couple of weeks ago and the travel arrangements, including flights and visa, were quickly arranged for his trip to Islamabad. The doctor did not know who was being examined. All that was told was that it was the medical evaluation of a VIP, sources said.

The sources said that the doctor was met at the airport by a contact and a driver who took him to a secured compound, around 30-40 minutes away from the Islamabad airport, where the medical examination was conducted.

The doctor met Jadhav for about an hour and the latter is said to have answered all his questions directly, except that there was not much he could recall about a viral infection he had in 2012. The doctor had ordered for lab tests, X-Ray and ECG well before coming to Islamabad which showed complete restitution of Jadhavs liver function. All results were normal, sources told News18.

The report, signed by a German doctor, said Jadhav's health was excellent and he had no injuries.

Not much is known about the three other people who were present in the room during the time the medical examination took place, except that they stood silently.

The medical report was made public by Pakistan without taking the doctors consent. This was an absolutely private examination. The intention behind making it public is political and stands opposite to medical ethics This is absolutely unfair, said a sources close to the doctor.

Jadhavs wife and mother met him for the first time on Monday after his detention in March 2016 on charges of espionage, but they were seated across a glass partition at the Pakistan Foreign Office. The two women reached the Pakistan Foreign Office in Islamabad amid tight security arrangements on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Foreign Office has clarified in a statement that they have not granted India consular access to Jadhav. The Pakistani media had earlier reported that the Islamabad has granted consular access after denying the same for 22 times in a row. The reports quoted Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, which was downplayed by New Delhi. India maintained that an Indian diplomat was only accompanying Jadhav's family and it cannot be construed as consular access.

The ministry of external affairs on Tuesday said, It appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and wellbeing.

According to MEA officials, Jadhavs mother has said that he looked and behaved differently. He was not his own self he has puffed cheeks and he seems to be under a lot of stress, she has told MEA.
New Delhi: Hours after the government hit out at Pakistan and accused it of violating the letter and spirit of understanding on Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with his family, Islamabad categorically rejected Indias assertions and claimed the Indian naval officers mother had thanked the country for the humanitarian effort.

The ministry of external affairs, in a statement earlier in the day, had said that the entire exercise lacked any credibility. "Pakistan went so far as to have the mangal sutra, bangles and bindi of his mother and wife removed before they could meet him," the ministry said.

The statement made by Jadhav in the confession video was also clearly tutored and designed "to perpetuate the false narrative" of his alleged spying in Pakistan, it said in the no-holds-barred statement against Islamabad's conduct.

Pakistan, however, termed the allegations baseless and said its openness and transparency belies these claims.

The Indian baseless allegations and twists, that come 24 hours later, about the visit of the wife and mother of Commander Jadhav, a convicted terrorist and spy, who has confessed to his crimes, are categorically rejected, a statement from the office of the spokesperson read.

It added that had the concerns of the Indian side been serious, Jadhavs family members or the Indian envoy accompanying them would have raised them during the meeting itself.

We do not wish to indulge in a meaningless battle of words, it said, adding that media was readily available to the family, but at a safe distance, as requested by India.

On New Delhis contention that the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned, it said that the mother of Jadhav had expressed her satisfaction after the meeting.

The fact is that Cdr. Jadhavs mother publicly thanked Pakistan for the humanitarian gesture. This was recorded by the media. Nothing more needs to be said, read the statement.
In September 2016, the aftermath of the Uri terror attacks, he was leading the planning and execution of the Indian Armys surgical strikes against terror pads in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Over a year since the 2016 strikes and a day after the army conducted retaliatory strikes killing 3 Pakistani personnel, Lt Gen (retired) DS Hooda, the man behind one of Indias most decisive military missions, speaks to News18s Uday Singh Rana about the sustainability of cross-border strikes.

You led Indias surgical strikes in September 2016. What was the difference and similarity between that strike and the one on Monday?

There are many response options that the army has when responding to such attacks. I think the terminology is not so important here. The fact is that the action has been taken. We say there is a certain sanctity to the Line of Control. But if we have people from Pakistan coming in every day, with ceasefire violations taking place every day, so I think that sanctity is completely lost.

It was said that cross-border strikes would be the exception rather than the rule. Why, then, are they happening more often from both sides?

Im not sure we can say its happening more often. It has happened in the past. It isnt the first time Pakistanis have crossed over to our side. As far as learning lessons are concerned, I dont think the aim was to stop Pakistan from supporting terrorism in Kashmir. The intention was to tell them that there are terrorists on your side and they shouldnt feel secure. We also needed to send a message to our own countrymen. If something is going to happen on our side, it doesnt mean the army will sit quietly.

Lt Gen (retd) Panag compared Indias military strategy of cross-border strikes to a Kabaddi match. Do you think thats a fair comparison to make?

What should be the response to actions like this? What is expected from us? Will the Indian Army sit on its hands? The army should take a call on what they can do and when they can do it. We cant keep sitting in our own territory in response to actions that are clearly sponsored by the Pakistani Army. The responsibility of bringing calm to the LoC lies with Pakistan. We have always told them that if they want things to calm down, they should keep a check on things that are happening on their side.

Can this be a long-term strategy? Can India sustain it?

To me, it should carry on as long as there is a need to put pressure on Pakistan. It is definitely sustainable, we have enough capability and enough troops on the ground. Do we want to continue this? Well, the ball is in Pakistans court. The Indian Army is not happy that there is violence because the people who are dying are our comrades.

So we cant even say when this confrontation will end?

Absolutely not. The prerogative is with Pakistan, not India.
New Delhi: In a heart-warming incident, Congress president Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter on Monday to send across a big hug to a woman, wished her a happy birthday and a merry Christmas.

Gandhis virtual hug and wishes came hours after a Twitter user Dipali Sikand posted a picture of her grandmother cutting a cake on her 107th birthday. "Today my grandmother turned 107. Her one wish. To meet @OfficeOfRG Rahul Gandhi ! I asked her why? She whispers....He's handsome !" she captioned it.

Today my grandmother turned 107. Her one wish. To meet @OfficeOfRG Rahul Gandhi ! I asked her why? She whispers ... He's handsome ! pic.twitter.com/k3wUaSMKfE Dipali Sikand (@SikandDipali) December 25, 2017

What, however, she didnt expect was for Gandhi to acknowledge it and send her his wishes. From his official Twitter handle, the Congress president tweeted, "Dear Dipali, Please wish your beautiful grandmother a very happy birthday and a merry Xmas. Please also give her a big hug from me. Best, Rahul."

Dear Dipali, Please wish your beautiful grandmother a very happy birthday and a merry Xmas. Please also give her a big hug from me. Best, Rahul. https://t.co/lcp8NUa8Di Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 25, 2017

Well, that wasnt the end of it all. Sikand took to the social media site an hour ago to tell the world that Gandhi had spoken to her grandmother too.

:And as if this was not enough @OfficeOfRG Mr.Gandhi called and personally wished my Nani!! This is #TrueHumaness. Thank you all of you for the blessings for her . Each one of them matter, she wrote.

And as if this was not enough @OfficeOfRG Mr.Gandhi called and personally wished my Nani!! This is #TrueHumaness. Thank you all of you for the blessings for her . Each one of them matter. https://t.co/ftvZ1pmhsJ Dipali Sikand (@SikandDipali) December 25, 2017

This is probably the first time that Gandhi has had a one-on-one Twitter conversation with someone. While the Congress chief has acknowledged all important days, including anniversaries of veteran leaders, freedom fighters, festivals and has also expressed concern over incidents whenever necessary, this is the first time that he has interacted with a follower on Twitter. Will we see a more interactive social media feed in the times to come? Watch this space for more!
Srinagar: Top Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist Noor Mohammad Tantray, considered the brain behind the terror outfit's revival in the Valley, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, an Army official said.

The 47-year-old was wanted in various terror incidents earlier this year, including a suicide attack at the BSF camp at Srinagar airport, and had become an irritant for the security forces.

"The divisional commander of JeM, Noor Mohammad Tantray alias Noor Trali, was killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Samboora area of Pulwama," the official said.

He said that the body of Tantray, who was a little over four feet tall, was recovered along with one weapon this morning.

A crack team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, acting on a specific input, had cordoned off a cluster of houses at Samboora which resulted in a fierce gun battle leading to the elimination of the top JeM commander.

A police spokesman termed the killing a "significant breakthrough" for the security forces and said the slain terrorist was convicted in a case registered in 2003 in Delhi.

He was serving a sentence at Central Jail Srinagar and was out on parole in 2015, the spokesman said.

Consequently, he remained in Tral at South Kashmir and became a major overground worker of the JeM in the region, they said.

In July 2017, after the Aripal encounter in which three JeM terrorists were killed, Tantray went underground and soon became the key man of the terror outfit in coordinating and organising attacks at different places, he said.

He was one of the chief architects of the attack on BSF camp near Srinagar airport in October, the spokesman said, adding that he was also wanted in a number of terror attacks in south and central Kashmir.

Tantray hailed from Tral area of south Kashmir and his death is being seen as a blow to the terror group as he was the key man in reviving the JeM in south and central Kashmir.
Bengaluru: Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde has kicked up yet another controversy by mocking "secularists" and saying the BJP would change the Constitution in days to come.

Hegde mocked secularists and said they are unaware of their parentage. Urging people to identify with their religion or caste, Hegde said, "I will bow to you, you are aware of your blood. But if you claim to be secular, there arises a doubt about who you are."

He said he respects the Constitution but "it will be changed in the days to come".

The remark by the five-time Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka comes months ahead of the Assembly elections in the state and led to condemnation from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who said the BJP leader does not know parliamentary or political language.

Hegde, 49, said a new tradition was in vogue, where people project themselves as secular, but asserted he would feel "happy" if someone claims with pride that he is a Muslim, or a Christian, or a Lingayat, or a Brahmin, or a Hindu.

"I feel happy because he (the person) knows about his blood, but I don't know what to call those who claim themselves secular," said the minister for skill development and entrepreneurship.

"Those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don't have their own identity...They don't know about their parentage, but they are intellectuals," he said at an event organised by the Brahman Yuva Parishad in Kukanur town in Koppal district on Monday.

Siddaramaiah said Hedge has not studied the Constitution. Each and every individual in this country is an Indian, and every religion has equal right and opportunity. He does not have this basic knowledge," Siddaramaiah said.

Hegde is no stranger to controversies. A case was recently registered against him for allegedly using derogatory language against Siddaramaiah at Kittur in Belagavi district. He had been slapped with cases for his "hate speeches", including one where he allegedly equated Islam with terrorism.

Commenting on the Tipu Sultan Jayanthi controversy in Karnataka, Hegde was also quoted as having said at a public meeting that it is a matter of time before Chief Minister Siddaramaiah starts making people celebrate "Kasab Jayanti."
New Delhi: A 19-year-old woman was allegedly thrashed and raped by two men who then left her outside a metro station in Dwarka, following which the accused were arrested, the police said on Monday.

According to the police, the woman was found in unconscious state yesterday(Sunday).

In her complaint, the woman said she had taken a cab from Shiv Chowk area in Gurgaon late on Saturday night. Three persons were already in the cab then, they said.

After one person got down near Rajokri border area, the the vehicle started to roam around in areas near Delhi-Haryana border, a police official said.

The accused then took her to an isolated place, thrashed and raped her. They then threw her out of the car near a metro station in Dwarka, the police said.

Following the complaint, a case a registered and the two accused were arrested, they said.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has had a very busy year, passing judgements in cases that have far reaching consequences.

As 2017 comes to an end, News18 looks at the key verdicts delivered by the Supreme Court and the repercussions they would likely have on India in the year to come.

No Appeal for Votes In the Name of Religion

The year kicked off with the Supreme Court ruling that candidates cannot seek votes on religious lines, not limited only to the candidates religion but also the religion of the voters.

In Abhiram Singh vs CD Commachen, a seven judge constitution bench in a 4:3 ruling held that an election will be declared annulled not only if the votes are sought in the name of the religion of the candidate but also when the candidate appeals for votes on the basis of the religion of the voters, candidates election agents or anyone else with the consent of the candidate appearing for the poll.

The apex court interpreted Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People Act. The bench was led by the then CJI, TS Thakur.

No Re-promulgation of Ordinances

A seven judge bench headed by the then CJI, TS Thakur and six other justices heard a case where the petitioner sought a definitive ruling on whether a 1989 Bihar law for taking control of the management of Sanskrit schools in the state which was passed through an ordinance several times was valid or not.

The court ruled that the government cannot legislate through ordinances repeatedly without placing them before the legislature. The question of whether any rights, liabilities, obligations would survive an ordinance which had ceased to exist, would have to be tested against public interest and constitutional necessity, the court had said.

Under Article 123 of the Constitution, the president is granted legislative powers to issue an ordinance when Parliament is not in session. The law, however, requires that an ordinance be approved by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha within 6 months of its promulgation. Similar powers are granted to governors of states.

Right to Privacy is a Fundamental Right

One of the most important verdicts of the Supreme Court delivered by a nine judge bench unanimously upholding privacy as a fundamental right. In the 547-page verdict, the court overruled certain landmark verdicts such as the MP Sharma case of 1958, ADM Jabalpur case, and the Kharak Singh case of 1961.

Out of the varied definitions given to privacy to highlight its importance, the court held that privacy at its core was about the preservation of personal intimacies, the sanctity of family life, marriage, procreation, the home and sexual orientation. The court ruled that privacy also connoted a right to be left alone. Privacy safeguards individual autonomy and recognizes the ability of the individual to control vital aspects of his or her life. Personal choices governing a way of life are intrinsic to privacy.

The verdict was a landmark one for more than one reason and it is also slated to have an impact over several pending litigations before the apex court and several other high and lower courts.

Instantaneous Triple Talaq is Invalidated

One of the most talked about verdicts of the year was the one which also led the rumour mills buzzing about a uniform civil code being imposed.

The court intervened after several petitions asking it to examine the Muslim personal law which allowed a man to divorce his wife by pronouncing three talaqs at one go. This case was also accompanied with regular news reports that Muslim husbands were abandoning their wives at an alarming rate or were resorting to bigamy.

When the five judge bench started hearing the case, along with the question of triple talaq, the bench was also asked to hear the matter of polygamy and Nikah Halala which the court declined to interfere in.

The court in the ration of 3:2 held that instantaneous triple talaq was not a part of Muslim personal law and that was against the constitution. The court declared this form of divorce as illegal but was careful not to intervene in the realm of personal laws. Now, the government had proposed the Muslim Women (Protection of Marriage) bill, 2017, which aims to criminalize this form of divorce and makes it punishable with three years of imprisonment.

Laws Relating to the Arrest of a Foreign Ship

A bench led by Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman delivered an important verdict in relation to maritime laws, when the court held that arrest of a foreign ship for a maritime claim is permissible only if there is no change of ownership between the date when the claim arose and the date of arrest of ship.

The verdict shifted the focus of enforcement of a maritime claim from when it was filed to when the arrest was made. The judgment also laid down important guidelines relating to contracts which ruled that when a new contract is drafted over an existing one, the altercation must go at the root of the original contract.

The verdict will be a precedent for various maritime disputes to be heard by the court and contractual matters referred to the apex court.

Death Penalty of Nirbhaya Rapists Upheld

One of the verdicts which was the most awaited one from the court was the ruling on whether death penalty would be granted to the accused in the Nirbhaya gang rape case.

In May this year, the Supreme Court upheld the Delhi High Court and trial court decision to award death penalty to all four convicts in the December 16, 2012 gang rape and murder case. The execution of Mukesh (27), Pawan Gupta (20), Vinay Sharma (21) and Akshay Thakur (29) was made certain by the SC with only an option of mercy petition left to the President.

The court while upholding the death penalty stated that the devilish manner in which Nirbhaya was treated looked like a story from a different world where humanity was inconceivable.

The court ruled that aggravating factors had outweighed the mitigating factors and that the DNA, fingerprint and other scientific evidences were supportive of the ruling.

Justice Bhanumathi in her separate judgment stated, Its a tsunami of shock in the minds of the collective and destroyed humanity. Death for all four. Aggravating circumstances outweigh mitigating circumstances. If at all a case warrants death sentence, its this. Human lust was allowed to take demonic form.

Dent on Jayalalithaas Glory and Associates Held Guilty

A month after Jayalalithaa passed away, the Supreme Court held Sasikala, Ilavarasi and Sudhakaran as guilty in the disproportionate assets case and ordered them to surrender forthwith before the trial court concerned.

Though the case against Jayalalithaa abated, the court set aside the then AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala's acquittal by the Karnataka High Court in the Jayalalithaa disproportionate assets case and "restored in full" the trial court conviction of September 2014.

Sexual Intercourse with Minor Wife is Rape

In a verdict that could save the lives of several child brides in India, the Supreme Court read down Exception 2 in Section 375 of IPC and ruled that sexual intercourse with a minor wife amounts to rape. The court has stated that the exception will be read as "sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under 18 years of age, is not rape".

Before the Supreme Court verdict, the section did not find a man guilty of rape for having sexual intercourse with wife older than 15 years of age. As child marriage is a crime, this exception created conflict between laws.

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act of 2012 defines 'children' as those aged below 18. It has specific provisions declaring that 'penetrative sexual assault' and 'aggressive penetrative sexual assault' against children below 18 is rape.

Justice Karnan Convicted for Defamation

A sitting High Court judge being sentenced to jail is not something that happens often in this country, but on June 12, Justice CS Karnan became the first sitting High Court judge to retire in absentia after he eluded the Supreme Court arrest order, and ended up being sentenced to six months in jail for contempt.

Justice Karnan walked out free last week from the Calcutta jail after serving his six months imprisonment. The order was passed by no less than seven senior-most judges in the top court and Director General of Police, West Bengal, was ordered to ensure the HC judge is made to serve the sentence.

The then Chief Justice of India J S Khehar, who was heading the seven-judge bench, had said that he wanted to send out a message loud and clear that judiciary will not hesitate to act against even one of its own.

The apex court sentenced the judge to jail after Justice Karnan alleged that the top court judges were corrupt and passed judicial orders against the SC judges even though the court had stripped him off his judicial powers before sentencing him.

A New System of Equality  Senior Designations in SC

Indira Jaisingh, one of the senior advocates who had given up her senior advocate gown for a new system of senior designation of advocates, breathed a sigh of relief when the apex court introduced a new system for designating senior advocates by a committee headed by the CJI and other members being two senior judges, Attorney General and another member from the bar to decide. The court also ruled the same procedure for the High Courts too.

This was a major effort to streamline and bring in transparency into the process of designating advocates as seniors.

The court while delivering the verdict also applauded Jaisingh for her effort to bring in her more transparency into the system and so that complete value is given to the credibility, objectiveness and fairness of the system. This system of appointing a senior advocate was through a strict process of scrutiny leaving no scope for any doubt or dissatisfaction in any matter.

Freedom of Speech and Expression is Sacrosanct

Just when the country is caught in a confusion as to whether a movie should depict history accurately or can be subjected to the makers imagination, the Supreme Court had ruled that freedom of expression was sacrosanct.

While dealing with a petition to ban the screening of a documentary An Insignificant Man which is based on the life of Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, and the court ruled that since freedom of speech and expression is a sacrosanct right, such rights cannot be ordinarily interfered with.

Rejecting the plea, the court declined to direct the Central Board of Film Certification to stay the release of the film in cinema halls across the country.

The courts have to be extremely slow to pass any kind of orders in such situations and should allow a creative man to enjoy in writing a drama, philosophy and book of any kind or project it in on celluloid or theatre, the top court said.
American Airlines Flight 2160 from Boston has just arrived in Washington, D.C., and Bette Nash, 81, helps the passengers disembark. They embrace her, take photos, and express their thanks. It's always like this. After six decades crossing the skies as a flight attendant, Nash still has impeccable style, incredible energy and a constant smile. She has lost only one thing: her anonymity.

Kendra Taylor, a passenger, beams after taking a selfie with the octogenarian, whom she had hoped to meet. "When I saw her I was like, 'Oh my gosh.' I just saw her on TV last week!" In a dark suit accented by a colored scarf, with her hair in a bun, Nash lends herself to accolades and plays with the compliments. She is the undisputed star of the Airbus jet, rather than the captain, Mike Margiotta, who emerges from the flight deck. "Very professional," he says of his model hostess. "She's got that old-school way of doing things."

In the United States, pilots must retire at 65 but there is no such restriction on commercial flight attendants, of whom Bette Nash is probably the world's most senior. See her gliding through the terminal concourse, pulling her suitcase, and it's hard not to be taken by the admiring words one hears about her. "I start my day at 2:10 in the morning. I have two alarm clocks and when they go off I don't lie there, I get up," Nash says. At her home in Virginia, bordering Washington, Nash prepares food for her only son, who is disabled, and who will be waiting for her return to solid ground.

Primped, and fueled by "a couple of eggs," she arrives before sunrise at Ronald Reagan National Airport. Nash prefers the Washington-Boston-Washington route, on which she gets priority because of her incomparable seniority. She was 21 years young and Dwight Eisenhower was president when Eastern Air Lines recruited her as a "stewardess," a word which -- like Eastern itself -- has disappeared from use.

At that time, travel by air was the preserve of a certain elite. "There were a lot of men because they were doing business, and women came on with their fur coats, and their finery and their hats and everything. You didn't have... the flip-flops and the sneakers and things you do today," Nash says. Her own uniforms ranged, through the years, from conservative, to elegant, and "wild."

"When (president) John Kennedy came into office and everything, things started opening up, so we wore crazy uniforms. We even had hot pants for a brief period, and these boots," she remembers. In those earlier times, which seem almost prehistoric, there were no plastic meal trays. Hostesses cooked lobster and duck a l'orange equally well, and carved the meat. In first class, passengers dined with silverware and porcelain. "We had five carts: we'd start with a beverage cart, then we'd have an hors d'oeuvre cart, then we'd have the entrees cart." Desserts followed, and then finally came "a cordial cart." There was no mixing of classes. Flights were either all first class or "tourist" class.

In the less-opulent class, "we sold sandwiches and milk. Sandwiches were 50 cents and milk was 15 cents," Nash says. "We just had coffee, tea, hot chocolate and bouillon." Strikes, mergers, buyouts, Nash has gone through all the somersaults of the US aviation industry. She even worked for Trump Shuttle, an airline briefly owned by current President Donald Trump in the early 90s.

During one unforgettable approach to Washington, her plane was hit by turbulence so violent that part of a toilet separated, and it seemed as though a wing hit the ground. "It was just terrible," Nash said, recalling lightning that "kept on coming in and I think we even flew over the White House that night, which was really illegal." The plane had to return to New York.

Ten years ago, for her 50th anniversary on the job, Nash's plane was welcomed on the tarmac by sprays of water from fire engines -- an honor normally reserved for veteran pilots or the baptism of a new plane. Who imagined that Nash would still be there ? "I am not going to work until I am 90," she says, before adding on the subject of retirement: "I don't want to think about it!" Bette Nash will celebrate her 82nd birthday on December 31.
Bigger than Prague and some say more beautiful, Budapest's belle epoque boulevards, cafes and locals playing chess in steaming outdoor thermal spas have long attracted tourists.

But for some locals the city's tourism sector is booming too literally.

"My walls shake from music at night, it's impossible to sleep," says Dora Garai, a weary resident of the Hungarian capital's inner seventh district, these days called the "party quarter".

"In the morning I often have to clean vomit off my car," she says, the flat where she has lived all her life a beer can's throw away from a raucous 2,000-capacity all-night bar complex.

The 32-year-old now fronts a residents' group that has held marches in protest at the situation, mirroring unease in other European cities from Barcelona to Amsterdam.

The main attraction for the revellers is that Budapest gives more bang for your buck, Melanie Kay Smith, a Budapest-based academic at the Corvinus University, told AFP.

Hundreds of visitors interviewed for an upcoming report by Smith's students said they chose Budapest, within easy reach on dozens of budget flights daily, for the "cheap alcohol" and "the party".

"We get so much here for so little," a group of young Danes said, beaming, on a recent night out.

Beer rarely costs more than 1.50 euros ($2.50), while a glut of Airbnb flats are on offer for under 30 euros a night.

Hedonistic thermal bath parties, and all-night opening hours add to the lure for thirsty youth, mostly hailing from expensive northern Europe, and often Brits on stag nights.

Offers on the pissup.com website, for example, include the "Killer Attila Warrior Weekend", or steaks and beers followed by a "sensational lesbian show".

Moving out

Annual arrivals have almost doubled since 2009 to 3.5 million last year, with Athens the only large city forecast to grow faster in 2017, according to Euromonitor.

Even in winter the neighbourhood is choked with taxis and rickshaws transporting revellers. The Corvinus study counted 800 bars and restaurants, double the number just five years ago.

"Are you ready to party?!" roared a young Hungarian through a megaphone at his foreign student pub-crawl group.

"People can always move out if it bothers them," he shrugged.

Some of the estimated 15,000 residents of the area's compact grid of 19th-century streets, traditionally called the Jewish district after its many synagogues, have done just that.

No official data exist yet but one in five people of some 300 residents told Corvinus that they were "considering moving out" due to noise, litter and public urination.

"People used to live here," reads an ominous bronze plaque put up near a party hostel in the heart of the zone.

Despite soaring property prices driven by investor demand for rental apartments many live in council accommodation and cannot sell, said Dora Garai, or, like her, refuse to budge.

"Why should I move out just because people come here for a few days to behave how they like," she said.

Midnight closing?

Garai's group, set up in April, now has over 1,000 members who share experiences on Facebook.

"Last night a drunk Englishman looking for his Airbnb apartment rang every doorbell in our building," one said.

Bars should shut by midnight, not the current 6:00 am, the group demands, while City Hall should create a party zone outside the downtown.

But midnight closing would put him out of business, said Abel Zsendovits, manager of the popular Szimpla Kert (a grungy "ruin bar" in a formerly derelict building), dubbed one of the world's best pubs by Lonely Planet in 2014.

"Yes, the situation outside is unsustainable now," he admitted. "So bring in fines for anti-social behaviour, more police, street cleaning and public toilets".

At weekends his colleagues don green jackets and try to calm down street noise, part of a "Night Mayor" idea launched by an association of bars.

The residents though are unconvinced that such a business-led initiative will end their woes.

Nor would a proposed local referendum on midnight closing that would likely see low turnout given the outer part of the district is unaffected by the problems.

Ultimately, Budapest needs to upgrade from low-budget "laissez-faire" tourism, says Smith. "Prices will have to go up somehow".
The news of Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli's wedding took the nation by storm. They tied the knot in a hush-hush ceremony in the Italian city of Tuscany and made the official announcement of their wedding on Twitter. Ever since then, the fans of 'Virushka' have been on cloud nine celebrating the union of the two.

While Virat and Anushka hosted a reception in Delhi for the family members and select dignitaries, the two are currently having a gala time at the second reception being held in Mumbai. The likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kangana Ranaut, Karan Johar, Rekha, Madhuri Dixit and Sidharth Malhotra have already arrived but amidst the inside photos and videos that have surfaced on social media yet, it's Ranbir Kapoor who has stolen the limelight.

The actor, who featured alongside Anushka in Karan Johar's film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, a story of unrequited love, friendship, friend-zoning and heartbreaks, decided to share a moment with the newly weds. He went to congratulate the couple on stage and struck a classic ADHM pose with two.

While Anushka played a non-conformant Alizeh, Ranbir played a passionate lover Ayan Sagar in the film. Interestingly, when Anushka's wedding was announced, a Channa Mereya meme featuring a heart-broken Ranbir was also doing the rounds of social media. And it looks like we can finally stop crying to Arijit Singh's much-loved number now.

Post the wedding celebrations, the couple is expected travel to South Africa where the Indian captain will prep for the upcoming series and Anushka will spend New Year's Eve with him. And soon after, Anushka will return to Mumbai in the month of January to begin the next schedule of Anand L Rai's film co-starring Shah Rukh Khan.
New Delhi: In an effort to fasten the process of approval of the Motor Vehicle Act (Amendment) Bill 2017 pending in the Rajya Sabha, which will bring about radical changes in the way road transport is managed in India, minister for surface transport, Nitin Gadkari is hopeful that the Bill will find the light of the day before the Winter Session comes to a close.

We are trying to push for the Bill so that the Rajya Sabha passes it as soon as possible. Currently it is with the Rajya Sabha Select Committee due to difference in opinion the parties had regarding the Bill in the last Monsoon Session. However, we are hopeful it will be passed in this session, Gadkari told News 18.

The Bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha, and is awaiting Rajya Sabha's nod. It will turn into a law after the Presidents signs it.

Motor Vehicle Act (Amendment) Bill 2017 assumes importance due to stark changes in the law which is as old as 30 years. It proposes high penalties for various traffic offences, three-year jail for parents of minor drivers causing fatal accidents and a tenfold increase in compensation for families of accident victims.

A report released by the Union road transport and highways ministry in September said road accidents killed 150,785 people across India in 2016, a rise of 3.3% as compared with 2015 when 146,000 road fatalities were reported.

According to a World Bank report, road accidents cost India about 3% of its gross domestic product every year.

Main features of the bill include:

- It makes Aadhaar card mandatory for getting a driving licence and vehicle registration.

- For deaths in hit-and-run cases, the government will provide a compensation of Rs 2 lakh or more to the victim's family. Currently, the amount is just Rs 25,000.

- The bill has provision for protection of Good Samaritans. Those who come forward to help accident victims will be protected from civil or criminal liability. It will be optional for them to disclose their identity to the police or medical personnel.

- The minimum fine for drunk driving has been increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000.

- The fine for rash driving has been increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000.

- Driving without a licence will attract a minimum fine of Rs 5,000 as against Rs 500 at present.

- The fine for over-speeding will go up from Rs 400 to Rs 1,000-2,000.

- Not wearing seat belt would attract a fine of Rs 1,000 as against Rs 100 at present.

- Talking on a mobile phone while driving will attract a fine of Rs 5,000, up from Rs 1,000.

- The time limit for renewal of driving licence is increased from one month to one year before and after the expiry date.
Patna: Senior Janata Dal (United) leader and former speaker of Bihar assembly, Uday Narayan Chaudhary, has revolted against his own party and accused the Nitish Kumar-led state government and the Centre of framing Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family for political reasons.

Speaking to News18, Chaudhary said he was ready to face action as there was no essence of democratic values left in the party organization. He said he would now openly raise his voice against what he called were the anti-people policies of Nitish government in the state and Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) framed DMK leaders in 2G scam, Congress leader Ashok Chavan in Adarsh society scam and many others who did not toe their line. But what happened? Ultimately it emerged that there was no scam. What has Laluji done? This so called fodder scam is of 900 crore and Lalu was in no way involved directly with the activities of animal husbandry department. He is a voice of downtrodden and fought against social injustice and this is the reason why he is facing such tough times, Chaudhary said.

The RJD supremo was convicted by a CBI court on Saturday in the second of the five fodder scam cases against him. The quantum of punishment will be decided on January 3.

When asked how Nitish Kumar was involved in the cases, he said, Everybody knows what a state government can do. See the other cases recently lodged against the Lalu family. He is being framed by both state and central government.

Off late, Chaudhary has been raising issues of reservation and injustice with Dalits for which his party had warned of strict action.

However, he dared the party leadership to take action and vowed to continue raising his voice.

I am prepared for that. Nobody can snatch my right to speak for the people. Nitish government did not allow reservation in promotion, did nothing to stop atrocities against Dalits and announced reservation in outsourced jobs which wont help marginalized sections. So, I am prepared for the inevitable. I know they will take action against me. But that will not deter me.
New Delhi: With three of Delhis Rajya Sabha seats heading for elections next month, a confrontation seems to be emerging within the Aam Aadmi Party yet again between the party establishment and founder member Kumar Vishwas.

A group of AAP leaders from Rajasthan, where Vishwas is the state unit chief, met members of the partys Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and demanded that Vishwas be fielded as the AAP candidate for the Ajmer Lok Sabha by-election against Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot. This comes at a time when Vishwas has made it clear that he wants to stake his claim, as a founding member, for a Rajya Sabha seat come January.

AAP leader Sunil Agiwal, who was in Delhi on Monday, told the press that he had proposed Vishwass name for the upcoming Ajmer bypoll. Agiwal said that he had proposed Vishwass name because he always tells them that he has his family in Rajasthan and has worked in the state.

However, sources close to Vishwas told News 18 that the AAP Rajasthan chief was less than keen to take up the Ajmer challenge. He, in fact, thinks this was a ploy to keep him from getting the Rajya Sabha ticket.

Kumar bhai sees through these tricks. You see, the people who were in Delhi are those who were appointed by (Delhi Deputy CM) Manish Sisodia Ji, when he was Rajasthan chief. After Kumar Vishwas took over, he did not remove anybody from their respective posts. However, it is clear that these people want to work for Arvind (Kejriwal) and Manish rather than the party, an AAP leader close to Vishwas said.

He added, Kumar is not keen at all on contesting this election. He, instead, wants to go to the Rajya Sabha. He has earned that seat owing to his status as a founding member of the AAP. The establishment is trying to deny him that.

The party is expected to nominate three members to the Rajya Sabha soon, with elections to the Upper House due on January 16. In addition to Vishwas, senior party leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh are said to be the other frontrunners for the posts.

Sources close to Kejriwal had, however, indicated to News 18 that the party was considering nominating outsiders, who were experts in their fields, to the Rajya Sabha instead of party leaders.

The name of former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan, too, had been doing the rounds. Owing to its numbers in the Delhi Assembly, the AAP will be able to win all three seats.

Speaking to News 18 in October, ahead of the partys National Council (NC) meeting, Vishwas did not deny that he would like a Rajya Sabha seat.

I have never held any post and I have never taken anything from the party. I have only given to AAP. If I get a (Rajya Sabha) ticket, its all good. If I dont, then that is fine too. Everything is in Gods hands. I have been raising issues related to the party ever since the Punjab elections. Other people said that we lost Punjab because of EVMs. I said that EVMs are only one of the reasons why we lost. But there were reasons of our own. We have to look at those, he had said.
Bhopal: With Madhya Pradesh headed for its crucial Assembly elections next year, opposition Congress has already started out its search for spokespersons.

More than 300 applicants have already responded to the talent search on the partys social media handles in what party sources claim is a move to dismantle favouritism in a faction-ridden state unit of the Congress.

The shortlisted candidates will now be interviewed before the final appointment is done. And some of these candidates have higher education degrees such as LLM, MTech, PhD and MPhil, etc.

Applications have been invited for the posts of spokespersons at state and district level. Congress has sought applications particularly from speakers, researchers, content writers and social media handlers, who according to a senior party leader, has helped them improve their performance in Gujarat.

Online selection of recruits is the brainchild of party state in-charge Deepak Babaria who is of the view that the traditional process of appointing party spokespersons results in leaders favouring their supporters and somewhere the talent is overlooked, a party leader told News18.

Besides, the move is also being seen as part of Congress increasing focus on social media to revive the alliance with the masses given, the massive outreach of the social media.

An executive from the partys Communications Wing told News18 that the party has sent out Google Forms to officebearers in districts, Seva Dal, NSUI, Youth Congress, Women Congress and others via WhatsApp groups.

Those who have applied for the posts include highly qualified ones with LLM, Mtech, PhD and MPhil degrees, said the executive adding that the process is churning out professionals who otherwise remain untraceable for the party.

However, initial posting in the party wont be a permanent one as the party would keep evaluating their performances and promote or transfer accordingly.

Congress has further laid eligibility criteria for the applicants and mentioned that candidates should be a member of the Congress or should have been following party ideology. The applicants would also be required to furnish recommendations from two local party leaders.

Confirming the process, party chief spokesperson KK Mishra told News18 that spokespersons are they partys voice, so we are going for this online process to look for talented persons. Gifted candidates would be shortlisted and groomed by the party for future, he said.
Patna: Is Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars presence in the swearing-in ceremony of Vijay Rupani in Gandhinagar a precursor to him playing a wider role in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the times to come?

The fact that it took 14 years for the Bihar CM to visit Gujarat again underlines the importance of his visit.

Time has come a full circle for Nitish. In 2003, a year after riots, he visited Gujarat for inaugurating a rail project and praised Narendra Modi, who was the chief minister at the time. But things changed five years later when Nitish was readying for Assembly elections in Bihar.

In an effort to woo minority votes, Nitish did not allow Modi to campaign in Bihar. Equations of these two regional satraps deteriorated when Nitish cancelled a dinner for Modi in Patna in 2010 when the BJP advertised a photo of him with Modi in newspapers.

Despite being at unease, Nitish continued his alliance with BJP and the combination registered a massive victory in 2010 Assembly elections. However, Narendra Modis elevation as BJPs prime ministerial candidate did now go down well with Nitish and he announced the end of 17 years of bonhomie with the BJP in 2013.

But the Bihar Chief Minsiter could not stop the Modi wave in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. His own party was reduced to two seats in the Lower House of the parliament. Stunned by the defeat, Nitish decided to join hands with old foe Lalu Prasad Yadavs Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which ensured a thumping victory for Mahagathbandhan in 2015 Assembly elections.

However, this alliance of compulsions, as JDU leaders admit, lasted only 18 months when Nitish did a U-turn on July 27 this year and decided to return to the NDA fold and dumped RJD, which was facing corruption charges.

The signals though were apparent much before that when Nitish openly supported Modi government's surgical strike against Pakistan and demonetisation move. In turn, Prime Minister Modi heaped praise on Nitish when he came to participate in the birth anniversary of Guru Govind Singh in Patna last year.

Post BJP's Gujarat victory, where it faced stiff resistance from Congress, the party realises the importance of Nitish Kumar. JD(U) general secretary, Sanjay Jha, close aide of Nitish who accompanied him to the swearing-in of Rupani, said, Till very recently Opposition rued that Nitish lost a chance to project himself as a national leader. But who can deny the fact that he still is an undisputed leader and commands respect across the country.

Nitish ji will definitely try to strengthen NDA to win 2019 general elections. If it requires campaigning outside Bihar, he would be okay with that, Jha said, adding that both the top brass of BJP and Nitish have better understanding of the political situation and there should be no confusion about that.

The next big challenge for BJP is to retain its government in Rajasthan, Madya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, which go to polls in 2018, and make a comeback in Karnataka.

Social analyst Shaibal Gupta believes that Nitish could come handy for the BJP if he campaigns in these states.

BJP actually needs a leader like Nitish. He is a popular face even in Gujarat where Patidars or Patels seem to have voted for Congress in a large number. Same applies to Rajasthan and MP where he can help consolidate OBC vote bank, Gupta said.

Not only Kurmi factor, the caste he belongs to, but his clean image and inclusive approach is being cited as a boon for the NDA. A top leader of JD(U) said that his leaders presence in the swearing-in ceremony of Rupani also marked a show of strength for the NDA and Nitish was specially requested to attend the function.
New Delhi: Vijay Rupani has been sworn-in as the Gujarat chief minister at a mega show in Gandhinagar on Tuesday morning. Almost all senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah are attending the event. Even Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is attending the event and is seated next to Nitin Gadkari.

Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel were administered the oath of office by Gujarat Governor Om Prakash Kohli.

PM Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, LK Advani, Yogi Adityanath, senior ministers of the Union council and chief ministers from 18 BJP-ruled states are attending Rupani's swearing-in ceremony in Gandhinagar.

Vijay Rupani, who was roped in as a replacement of former Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, will enjoy his first term as a full-time chief minister with this.

With more than two dozen MLAs, including six ministers, failing to return to the newly-constituted Gujarat Assembly, the BJP government in the state may see some new faces making the cut. Chief Minister Vijay Rupanis first challenge is in picking his new team and striking the regional and caste balance.

With BJPs OBC face and Health Minister Shankar Choudhary losing the elections, the party is looking for a new backward leader to take his place as the opposition Congress has invested in young leaders like Alpesh Thakor in the elections to mobilise backward communities for future electoral gains.

Similarly, cabinet minister and Dalit leader Atmaram Parmar had lost the elections. The BJP needs to find a suitable replacement for him as well. Congress supported Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani won the elections from Vadnagar as an independent and the party may aggressively deploy Mevani in the days ahead both within and outside Gujarat.

Unlike his previous tenure, Rupani in his second innings would be facing a resurgent, aggressive and numerically largest opposition in decades. The Gujarat Assembly will also have a new speaker this time around as the incumbent Ramanlal Vora has also lost the election. Two former Chief Minister Shankar Singh Vaghela and Anandiben Patel also did not contest.

Rupani was always the front-runner for the CMs post. Moreover, the BJP knew replacing Rupani at this juncture would send the signal that all is not well. In the recently concluded polls, BJP retained power by winning 99 seats in the 182-member Assembly, while the Congress claimed 77. Six seats went to others, including three Independents.

According to sources, names of at least three other leaders were discussed for chief ministership  Union ministers Smriti Irani and Mansukh Mandaviya, and Nitin Patel.
Bhopal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was there, BJP chief Amit Shah was present and so were the chief ministers of 18 BJP-ruled states. Even party partriach LK Advani came all the way to Gandhinagar to attend the oath taking ceremony of Vijay Rupani as Gujarat chief minister.

But one man was conspicous by his absence  Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Chouhan had left for Gujarat by the state plane early on Tuesday, but returned to MP without attending the glittering ceremony, raising eyebrows.

He gave flowers to Rupani and his deputy, Nitin Patel, at the venue where the ceremony was to take place but left before it started. When he reached Guna around 2pm, he was caught by mediapersons and asked about his absence from the ceremony.

I had congratulated shri Vijay Rupani and the deputy chief minister and sought permission from party president Amit Shah for leaving the function, he told reporters.

His reason? He had to attend two functions in Ashoknagar and Kolaras (Shivpuri) that he had committed to prior to the function in Gandhinagar. He said he had to attend another function in Bhopal in the evening. Any other meaning of the absence should not be drawn, he said.

But that has not stopped the speculation in political circles. Rumours are abuzz that the BJP top brass is considering a change of leadership in the state. The two places where Chouhan held public meetings on Tuesday are going to by-polls and the CM is desperate to hold on to the seats after losing Chitrakoot constituency to Congress.

The CMs publicity managers also swung into action and shared a video of him addressing a public meeting in Piprai in Shivpuri in order to put the speculation to rest.
Bengaluru: It seems Karnataka BJP is being sucked into a Goan quagmire ahead of Assembly elections due in April/May 2018.

A week after state BJP triumphantly declared that it has found a solution to Mahadayi river water dispute between Goa and Karnataka, the situation has gone from bad to worse embarrassing the entire party.

Last week, the BJP national president Amit Shah had facilitated a meeting between Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar and Karnataka BJP president BS Yeddyurappa in New Delhi to find a temporary solution to the complex issue. After the meeting a beaming Yeddyurappa had declared that Goa had agreed to resolve the issue and release 7 TMC Ft of water for drinking purposes. He had also attacked chief minister Siddaramaiah for not doing enough to engage Goa in talks to find an amicable solution.

Breaking protocol, a day later Goa CM wrote a letter to Yeddyurappa promising to release the water for drinking purposes in the parched MumbaiKarnataka region. The ruling Congress attacked Goa CM Parrikar for going against established norms for electoral gains. An angry CM Siddaramaiah told the media that he was keeping quiet just because interest of the state was much more important to him than personal prestige.

However, he said that Goa CM should have addressed the letter to him, not to Yeddyurappa.

The meeting between Parrikar and Yeddyurappa caused tremors in Goa. Parrikars alliance partner Goa Forward Party led by Vijay Sardesai openly opposed any talks with Karnataka saying that dispute should be resolved only by the Tribunal. According to BJP insiders, it also threatened to pull out of the BJP government in Goa on the same issue. A cornered Parrikar changed his tune to save his government and said that tribunal was the most appropriate body to end the dispute.

An embarrassed Karnataka BJP started scrambling for cover. In the meantime a few hundred farmers from MumbaiKarnataka region rushed to Bengaluru and pitched a tent in front the state BJP office demanding that Yeddyurappa must keep his words by getting Mahadayi water to Karnataka.

The Congress immediately seized this opportunity and extended its support to farmers sit-in protest outside the BJP state office.

Several top Congress leaders, including Dinesh Gundurao and M B Patil, met them giving moral support.

Yeddyurappa, who is touring the state, rushed to Bengaluru to pacify the agitating farmers on Tuesday. It led to heated exchange of words between him and the famers causing more embarrassment to his party.

The people from MumbaiKarnataka region have been demanding that they must get water from Mahadayi river which originates in Karnataka and joins the Arabian sea after flowing through Goa. The same river is known as Mandovi in Goa. Goa has been opposing any deal with Karnataka saying that it cant spare Mahadayi water.

The Mumbai-Karnataka region with 56 Assembly seats is a stronghold of the BJP and Lingayats are the dominant caste here. Any mishandling of the crisis may go against the saffron party in the ensuing elections.

Speaking to News18, Yeddyurappa said: Congress is responsible for this. Siddaramaiah, Rahul Gandhi and Goa Congress leaders are adding fuel to the fire. They are creating the trouble to defame BJP. They dont want any solution to the crisis.

The Kannada film fraternity is divided over whether to support the agitation or not. Shivarajkumar, famous Kannada film star and son of thespian Rajkumar, has refused to back any agitation taking place outside a political party office in an election year.

Meanwhile, the agitating farmers have threatened the BJP that they will not go back until and unless they get the promised water from Mahadayi river.
China has closed more than 13,000 websites since the beginning of 2015 for breaking the law or other rules and the vast majority of people support government efforts to clean up cyberspace, state news agency Xinhua said on Sunday. The government has stepped up already tight controls over the internet since President Xi Jinping took power five years ago, in what critics say is an effort to restrict freedom of speech and prevent criticism of the ruling Communist Party.

The government says all countries regulate the internet, and its rules are aimed at ensuring national security and social stability and preventing the spread of pornography and violent content. A report to the on-going session of the standing committee of China's largely rubber-stamp parliament said the authorities had targeted pornography and violence in their sweeps of websites, blogs and social media accounts, Xinhua said.

As well as the 13,000 websites shut down, almost 10 million accounts had also been closed by websites, it added. It did not give details but the accounts were likely on social media platforms. "Internet security concerns the party's long-term hold on power, the country's long-term peace and stability, socio-economic development and the people's personal interests," Xinhua said.

More than 90 percent of people surveyed supported government efforts to manage the internet, with 63.5 percent of them believing that in recent years there has been an obvious reduction in harmful online content, it added. "These moves have a powerful deterrent effect," Wang Shengjun, vice chairman of parliament's standing committee, told legislators, according to Xinhua.

Authorities including the Cyberspace Administration of China have summoned more than 2,200 websites operators for talks during the same period, he said. Separately, Xinhua said that over the past five years, more than 10 million people who refused to register using their real names had had internet or other telecoms accounts suspended.

China ushered in a tough cybersecurity law in June, following years of fierce debate around the controversial legislation that many foreign business groups fear will hit their ability to operate in the country. China maintains a strict censorship regime, banning access to many foreign news outlets, search engines and social media including Google and Facebook.

Watch: Tech and Auto Show | Ep 24 | Honor 7X, TVS Apache RR 310, Volvo XC60 & More
It is not just in India, Chinese players grew 125 percent Year-on-Year (YoY) and captured 29 percent of the Bangladesh handset market in the third quarter this year -- up from 13 percent 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 percent market share, but its sales declined 24 percent 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 percent market share. Chinese player Huawei clinched the third spot in the smartphone segment with 8.5 percent 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 percent market share. Another Chinese player iTel, at number five, captured 6.9 percent share of the smartphone market. The Bangladesh handset market grew 19 percent (Y-o-Y) and one percent sequentially. Smartphone shipments contributed to 24 percent 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 percent of the Indian mobile phone handset market in the first quarter of 2017 -- with a 180 percent (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.

Watch: Tech and Auto Show | Ep 24 | Honor 7X, TVS Apache RR 310, Volvo XC60 & More
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 Japans tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant. The device is 13 meters (43 feet) long and designed to give officials a deeper view into the nuclear plants 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 plants decades-long decommissioning.

Japans 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 Toshibas new probe at Fukushimas 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 hope to find melted debris.

The device looks like a giant fishing rod about 12 centimetres (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 centre 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.

Watch: Tech and Auto Show | Ep 24 | Honor 7X, TVS Apache RR 310, Volvo XC60 & More
Paris: A French children's magazine has been withdrawn from newsstands after it admitted a "mistake" in writing that Israel wasn't a "real country."

The news editor for Youpi, a magazine for children from 5 to 8, told The Associated Press today the January issue was being removed from kiosk sales in France and Belgium after writing that Israel was among a few states in the world that aren't "real countries."

Bertrand Fichou said he humbly apologises for the mistake and that his intention wasn't to challenge the legitimacy of the state of Israel.

He said that "I'll blame myself for it all my life."

The two-sentence text caused an uproar on social media, and French Jewish group CRIF asked the publisher to remove the January issue from sales.
Moscow: Russia is ready to act as a mediator between North Korea and the United States if both parties are willing for it to play such a role, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

Moscow has long called for the two sides to hold negotiations aimed at reducing tensions over the nuclear and missile programme North Korea is pursuing in defiance of years of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

"Russia's readiness to clear the way for de-escalation is obvious," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a phone call with reporters.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Monday for Washington and Pyongyang to start negotiations, saying Russia was ready to facilitate such talks.

Though U.S. diplomats have said they are pursuing a diplomatic solution, President Donald Trump has said Pyongyang must commit to giving up its nuclear weapons before any talks can begin.

In a phone call, Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday that "Washington's aggressive rhetoric" and beefing up of its military presence in the region had heightened tension on the Korean peninsula and was unacceptable.

"The necessity of the fastest move to the negotiating process from the language of sanctions was underscored," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously voted to impose new sanctions on North Korea on Friday in response to its recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, a move North Korea called an act of war, tantamount to a complete economic blockade.
New York: US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Sunday touted a quarter billion dollar cut to the UN's annual budget, capping off a contentious year between the Trump administration and the international body.

"We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked," Haley said in a statement.

Haley said the US had negotiated a $285 million reduction of the UN budget for 2018-2019 compared to the budget for 2016-2017.

Her announced total was $85 million more than the $200 million cut that a UN news article said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres backed in October.

The UN's two-year budget is roughly $5.5 billion, and the total US contribution to the UN is more than any other nation. Haley's statement did not mention how or if the US contribution will be altered.

Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for Guterres, said the UN is "currently studying the impact of the newly adopted budget numbers on the UN operations. We expect to have a statement out later today."

A US official told CNN that the UN's administrative and budget committee "agreed on a range of issues related to the UN's regular budget, peacekeeping budget, oversight and management matters and reform initiatives."

Among the points of agreement, the official said, included cuts with a "focus on bloated management and support functions and rationalizing services," and adjusting budget levels for Darfur and Haiti. Earlier in the year, the UN reduced its peacekeeping role in Darfur, which caused concern among some human rights activists.

The US official said the agreement secured funding for political missions in Libya, Yemen, Colombia, Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, as well as creating a special envoy for Myanmar. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last month said actions by Myanmar's government against the Asian nation's Rohingya Muslim minority amounted to "ethnic cleansing."

Haley's Christmas Eve announcement on cuts to the UN budget for 2018-2019 came days after the US exercised its first veto in years at the UN Security Council. Every other member of the body, including US allies, voted in favor of a proposal affirming international opposition to recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, days after President Donald Trump did so and declared the US would one day move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the contested holy city.

The UN General Assembly went on to vote on the same issue, passing a non-binding resolution disapproving of the Trump administration's decision.

Ahead of the general assembly vote, Haley announced the US was "taking names" of those voting against the US, and afterward, she held a party where the only countries invited were nations that did not support the resolution on Jerusalem.

Trump praised Haley's actions before he left the White House for Christmas.

"Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care," Trump said.

Trump campaigned in part on a pledge to reduce US commitments abroad, and Haley entered her post questioning the value of the US' funding of the UN.

Earlier this year, Haley cheered cuts to the UN's peacekeeping budget, and Sunday's announcement on further reductions to the UN's overall budget included a vow by the ambassador for the "America First" administration to seek further reductions for the UN budget.

"You can be sure we'll continue to look at ways to increase the UN's efficiency while protecting our interests," Haley said Sunday.
In February of 1985, the Rev. James Rose was working for the New York Police Department as a traffic supervisor when he says God called him into ministry.

Rose, 79, had been living in New York for 34 years after moving from his birthplace, Wingina in Nelson County, after sixth grade. He had been working for the New York City Department of Transportation for 12 years at the time.

After a near-death experience involving an accidental intake of drugs that landed him in the psychiatric ward of a hospital, Rose said God saved him.

My life has never been the same. I knew the Lord was trying to tell me to give up what I was doing. He had something better for me to do. Right now, when I look back on it, I know the Lord was telling me had I not changed, I would not be here today, Rose said.

Rose became an ordained deacon at Crossroads Baptist Church in Long Island, New York, and a licensed minister at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in New York.

I thank God for changing me because it made me a better person, that I can see things clearly, I can love people better and most of all love God, love Him and serve Him, Rose said.

Rose questioned why God chose him to go into ministry and said God told him his life experiences could help others going through the same situations and possibly help people change their lives.

While Rose was traveling to Rock Hill, South Carolina, with the pastor from Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, he said he received another message.

One day, the Lord came to me and said, Why dont you go back home where youre from? So I started coming back home, returning from New York to Virginia. I reinstated my membership with Saint Hebron Baptist Church, Rose said.

In 1996, Rose returned to his roots in Nelson County when he was elected pastor of Saint Hebron Baptist Church in Wingina, the same church where he was baptized. He traveled every first and third Sunday from New York to Wingina to conduct services for a year before officially settling back in Nelson County in 1997 when he retired.

Rose retired after 23 years of being a traffic supervisor, overseeing 358 officers and 25 supervisors.

After serving as pastor at Saint Hebron for six and a half years, Rose decided to leave the church and fellowship with other Nelson County churches.

In 2007, Rose was elected pastor of Montreal Baptist Church in Shipman and continues to preside there.

I have a small congregation, but we do have love, and we get along good together. I love them dearly. Theres nothing I wouldnt do for them, and they know that, Rose said.

With a small congregation, Rose has been able to get to know members of the church more personally, and vice versa.

Hes a very kind and caring person, said Shirley Elcox, treasurer of Montreal Baptist Church. Hes really willing to go all out. He really helps a lot of people. Hes really involved in the community. Hes a really good person, one of the best that weve had at Montreal. I dont think you can find a better person than Rev. Rose. I think most people that know him feel the same way.

When Rose returned to Virginia, one of his former pastors and deacons encouraged him to get involved with the community. So Rose joined multiple community organizations, among them the Rockfish Baptist Association, Habitat for Humanity, the Nelson Heritage Centers board of directors, the Blue Ridge Area Mobile Food Pantry and the Lovingston Senior Center.

Hes fondly given the nickname the Community Preacher because hes always supporting other churches, other organizations, other events, whatever is going on. You can always expect to see Rev. Rose there, said Dee Green, founder of Unity in Community (UIC), a Nelson County nonprofit that helps those less fortunate in the county. Rose is a member of UIC.

Helping members of the community is a priority for Rose because hes able to see the needs of the community, Rose said.

He loves volunteering for the Blue Ridge Area Mobile Food Pantry, which serves 250 to 300 families every month.

Even in [Montreal Baptist Church], I emphasize giving to the community and helping those that are in need. I tell them you might not be in need today but you dont know what might happen tomorrow. You might be in need, so always reach out and help somebody thats in need, he said.

Due to his concern about senior citizens in the county, Rose is a member of Lovingston Senior Center, where he visits on Mondays and Tuesdays each month.

I enjoy being around other seniors. We have a good time. We fellowship with one another. We kid and joke with one another, Rose said. Just because we are old, it doesnt mean we cant do things and enjoy life. A lot of people think old people cant do anything. We enjoy life just like everyone else.

In an attempt to bring all the churches of Nelson County together, Rose reached out to about 45 pastors of all denominations in 2015 to fellowship and worship together. He created Minister Interfaith Alliance, which currently has about 10 pastors of different churches that are really involved, he said.

If we cant get together down here, how are we going to get together in Heaven? It all starts down here to bring the churches together, to fellowship together, to worship together, to love one another, Rose said. It all begins with the leaders, the pastors. If we can get the pastors together, then we can get the people together.




The firms director, Mr Kudakwashe Tagwirei, urged the private sector to join Government in funding agriculture as it is the backbone of the economy. Mr Tagwirei said this last Thursday during the launch of the Command Livestock, Fisheries and Wildlife attended by Cabinet ministers and captains of industry among others.

From a Sakunda perspective, we want to provide sound funding, we have something which can kick-start the programme, we are thinking of providing about $10 million to kick-start your programme in livestock, said Mr Tagwirei. The event was attended by Agriculture, Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister Chief Air Marshal Perrance Shiri (Rtd).



Secondly, we also think that we can participate on the poultry side because we believe that Government does not need to give guarantees on that programme because it is a short programme, two months or so. We can be able to assist you as Government in providing the necessary support to do with poultry, maybe up to one million to two million (dollars) a month. That is what we are going to support initially. He implored other private players to work with Government to support agriculture saying there were downstream benefits.



Let me say to my friends in the industry, if there is a better way of helping this economy to grow it is to support agriculture. If you do not support agriculture, whatever you might want to embark on will be a futile exercise, he said. Mr Tagwirei said the participation of his firm in the Command Agriculture had yielded benefits for the country in the form of a bumper grain harvest.



In the last programme, we believe that $200 million went into the economy because farmers were on their farms and as a result of that, a lot of them bought fuel, which is my core business, and that is how the economy grows. I am in the fuel sector, and if you look at it from my side, I am already benefiting on the fuel side because of farmers. Most probably you are also going to benefit in your business, so let us come and support this programme, said Mr Tagwirei.



If anyone tells you that Government will not support you or there are delays, it is not true because Government is willing to support anyone who comes up with a good idea and I am a testimony to that. So, I am encouraging you as friends in business to come and work with Government.



Mr Tagwirei said with the success of Command Agriculture, Zimbabwe was set to reclaim its status as the breadbasket of the Sadc region. Speaking at the same occasion, Grain Millers Association chairperson, Mr Tafadzwa Musarara said his organisation would fund 100 hours of air quelea birds control in the Middle Sabi. He said they would also enhance their efforts in production of stockfeeds and making sure that they were correctly priced. Herald Sakunda Holdings has unveiled a $10 million funding package to kick-start Command Livestock and will also bankroll the production of up to two million chickens per month as the fuel firm maintains its partnership with Government in strategic policy interventions to revive the national economy.The firms director, Mr Kudakwashe Tagwirei, urged the private sector to join Government in funding agriculture as it is the backbone of the economy. Mr Tagwirei said this last Thursday during the launch of the Command Livestock, Fisheries and Wildlife attended by Cabinet ministers and captains of industry among others.From a Sakunda perspective, we want to provide sound funding, we have something which can kick-start the programme, we are thinking of providing about $10 million to kick-start your programme in livestock, said Mr Tagwirei. The event was attended by Agriculture, Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister Chief Air Marshal Perrance Shiri (Rtd).Secondly, we also think that we can participate on the poultry side because we believe that Government does not need to give guarantees on that programme because it is a short programme, two months or so. We can be able to assist you as Government in providing the necessary support to do with poultry, maybe up to one million to two million (dollars) a month. That is what we are going to support initially. He implored other private players to work with Government to support agriculture saying there were downstream benefits.Let me say to my friends in the industry, if there is a better way of helping this economy to grow it is to support agriculture. If you do not support agriculture, whatever you might want to embark on will be a futile exercise, he said. Mr Tagwirei said the participation of his firm in the Command Agriculture had yielded benefits for the country in the form of a bumper grain harvest.In the last programme, we believe that $200 million went into the economy because farmers were on their farms and as a result of that, a lot of them bought fuel, which is my core business, and that is how the economy grows. I am in the fuel sector, and if you look at it from my side, I am already benefiting on the fuel side because of farmers. Most probably you are also going to benefit in your business, so let us come and support this programme, said Mr Tagwirei.If anyone tells you that Government will not support you or there are delays, it is not true because Government is willing to support anyone who comes up with a good idea and I am a testimony to that. So, I am encouraging you as friends in business to come and work with Government.Mr Tagwirei said with the success of Command Agriculture, Zimbabwe was set to reclaim its status as the breadbasket of the Sadc region. Speaking at the same occasion, Grain Millers Association chairperson, Mr Tafadzwa Musarara said his organisation would fund 100 hours of air quelea birds control in the Middle Sabi. He said they would also enhance their efforts in production of stockfeeds and making sure that they were correctly priced. Herald
He said council should appoint a disciplinary committee as soon as possible and the affected directors should appear before it. Cllr Chinyowa protested that they were not being given the chance to speak, although he had raised his hand before Cllr Mandere, hence the acting mayor was being unfair.




There are a lot of things which I will not be able to say, but I have already talked to maiguru Mai Tongo about what he said to me. But what you want to know is that I knew by that time that this was going to be it. I was not going to see him.

He told me, My brother this is it, go and take the forces there in Chimoio . . . I want you to be in Marondera before the end of this ceasefire. I said, but when is the ceasefire? Have you agreed? And he said we will agree, but it was on the 4th and the ceasefire was signed on the 21st of December.



He said, go, but we will not meet. And I said where will you be and he said, but I told you we will not meet. Ndomirira ipapo, General Chiwenga (Rtd) told a bemused gathering of the Tongogara family and senior Government officials, standing in soaking rain.



The widow of General Tongogara, Mrs Angeline Tongogara, said she was happy with the recognition her husband had received following the renaming of the King George VI Barracks to General Magama Tongogara Barracks.



The service was attended by various dignitaries who included Minister of Presidential Affairs Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Minister Webster Shamu, members of the Tongogara family and trustees of the General Tongogara Trust.



General Tongogara died in a car accident in Mozambique on December 26, 1979, just a few days after the ceasefire.



The late national hero was recently honoured when the King George V1 Barracks was renamed after him. herald The late national hero General Josiah Magama Tongogara had a premonition about his death and knew that he was never going to see a free Zimbabwe. This was revealed by Zanu-PF Vice President General Constantino Chiwenga (Rtd) at a memorial service to mark the 38th anniversary of the death of General Tongogara at the National Heroes Acre yesterday.There are a lot of things which I will not be able to say, but I have already talked to maiguru Mai Tongo about what he said to me. But what you want to know is that I knew by that time that this was going to be it. I was not going to see him.He told me, My brother this is it, go and take the forces there in Chimoio . . . I want you to be in Marondera before the end of this ceasefire. I said, but when is the ceasefire? Have you agreed? And he said we will agree, but it was on the 4th and the ceasefire was signed on the 21st of December.He said, go, but we will not meet. And I said where will you be and he said, but I told you we will not meet. Ndomirira ipapo, General Chiwenga (Rtd) told a bemused gathering of the Tongogara family and senior Government officials, standing in soaking rain.The widow of General Tongogara, Mrs Angeline Tongogara, said she was happy with the recognition her husband had received following the renaming of the King George VI Barracks to General Magama Tongogara Barracks.The service was attended by various dignitaries who included Minister of Presidential Affairs Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Minister Webster Shamu, members of the Tongogara family and trustees of the General Tongogara Trust.General Tongogara died in a car accident in Mozambique on December 26, 1979, just a few days after the ceasefire.The late national hero was recently honoured when the King George V1 Barracks was renamed after him. herald
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The Trump administration is apparently still stewing about the UN's vote on Jerusalem last week. Ambassador Nikki Haley issued a stark statement tying US financial support of the UN with whether it met US demandsthe fourth time in a week's time the US has done so, the New York Times notes. To wit, the US government says it negotiated a significant cut in the UN budget, reports the AP. In a statement Sunday, the US Mission to the UN said the UN's 2018-2019 budget would be slashed by more $285 million, noting reductions would also be made to the UN's "bloated" management and support functions. The announcement didn't make clear the entire amount of the budget or specify what effect the cut would have on the US contribution.

Haley said the "inefficiency and overspending" of the organization is well-known, that "we will not let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of," and that the US would continue to "look at ways to increase the UN's efficiency while protecting our interests." The Times notes this stance is in line with President Trump's ongoing criticism of the UN, which last December he tweeted was "sad" and "just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time." But critics say the US' approach could backfire and end up "subverting respect," per the Times, and human rights groups note that while they agree inefficiencies should be cut, they're keeping a wary eye on developments. "Its crucial that we don't curtail the UN's ability ... to save the lives of men, women, and children worldwide," says the UN director at Human Rights Watch.

(Read more United Nations stories.)
Sen. Orrin Hatch is the Salt Lake Tribune's 2017 Utahn of the Year, a distinction the state's biggest paper says it gives the person who had the biggest impact on the year, "for good or ill"and in the Republican senator's case, it definitely wasn't for good. In an editorial, the Tribune says it is time for the 83-year-old Hatch to "call it a career" after 42 years in the Senate, citing his role in dismantling two national monuments, his work on the controversial tax overhaul as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and his "utter lack of integrity that rises from his unquenchable thirst for power." Hatch, now in his seventh term, is the longest-serving Republican senator in history.

The "anti-environmental, anti-Native American and, yes, anti-business decommissioning" shrinking of the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments appears to be "basically a political favor the White House did for Hatch" in return for his support of the tax plan, the Tribune editorial board writes. But what should end his career, the Tribune writes, is the fact that he promised in 2012 that this would be his last term, but now appears to be planning another run in 2018. The paper calls the flip-flop "basically a theft from the Utah electorate." Mitt Romney was rumored to be planning a run for the Senate seat if Hatch stepped down, the Hill notes. (Insiders say Trump has been pushing for Hatch to stay on.)
A prominent activist who called himself the "Ultra Vulgar Butcher" was given an eight-year prison sentence Tuesday for subversion, the harshest sentence handed down in a sweeping crackdown on rights campaigners. Per the AP, the Tianjin No. 2 Intermediate People's Court said in an online statement that Wu Gan had made many remarks online that "attacked state power" and accused him of hyping cases that "discredited state organs" by organizing illegal public gatherings, causing trouble, and making abusive comments online about other people. It said such actions were part of a series of criminal activities seeking to "overthrow state power and the socialist system." In court, Wu struck an irreverent note in his remarks following the sentence, saying he was "grateful to the party for granting me this lofty honor," per his lawyer, Ge Yongxi.

Vaguely defined subversion charges are frequently leveled against human rights activists and perceived political foes of the ruling Communist Party. Wu was among the first activists and lawyers caught up in an intense crackdown by authorities that began in 2015. He'd become known among rights advocates and lawyers for his attention-grabbing campaigns, including one in which he posed for online portraits brandishing knives that he said he'd use to "slaughter the pigs" among local officials who'd done wrong. Wu was detained in May 2015 for two years after traveling to Nanchang to put pressure on a judge. He was released on bail in May after pleading guilty to the charges, and his secretive one-day trial was held in August. Another human rights activist says Wu's fight for justice "will inspire more and more people to stomp on this government." Wu will appeal the court's ruling, his lawyer says.

(Read more China stories.)
President Trump couldn't stop talking about the red carpets, military parades, and fancy dinners that were lavished upon him during state visits on his recent tour of Asia. "Magnificent," he declared at one point. But Trump has yet to reciprocate, reports the AP, making him the first president in almost a century to close his first year in office without welcoming a visiting counterpart with similar trappings. Trump spoke dismissively of state dinners as a candidate, when he panned President Obama's decision to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping in a 2015 state visit. "I would not be throwing (Xi) a dinner," Trump said at the time. "I would get him a McDonald's hamburger and say we've got to get down to work." Last month, though, it was Xi's turn to literally roll out the red carpet. The Chinese leader poured on the pageantry as he welcomed Trump to Beijing on what was billed as a "state visit, plus."

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said there is no "singular reason" why Trump hasn't extended a state visit invitation yet. Trump and Xi met at Trump's Florida estate in April, and Trump treated Xi to a full dinnernot the aforementioned burgerand what Trump described as "the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake." Trump has also met at the White House, sometimes over lunch as well as abroad, with many of his foreign counterparts. But nothing compares to a state visit, which are reserved for when the US wants to put on its "best face," says a former liaison between the White House and visiting foreign dignitaries. "It's a really important arrow in a president's quiver when it comes to the diplomatic nicety side of his work." Trump's decision to not extend a state visit invitation could be partly because his first year was a chaotic one; a state visit is also a massive undertaking and Trump has been running the government with a bare-bones staff.

(Read more President Trump stories.)
The oldest tree at the White House is set to be taken down later this week, bringing to an end a piece of Americana that's been in place in DC since the mid-1800s. Per CNN, the Jackson Magnolia, one of several magnolias on the presidential grounds, has been the subject of efforts over the years to keep it strong and healthy, but federal arborists were recently brought in and found "the overall architecture and structure of the tree is greatly compromised," according to National Arboretum documents. The only thing keeping the tree erect, in fact, are the cables put in place to hold it up, and that cable system is now starting to falter. A White House official says first lady Melania Trump made the call to cut the tree down after seeing the paperwork, which says the magnolia's woes may have started as long as 50 years ago.

"We believe eventually, the tree will fail," tree inspectors now write in their report. The magnolia has a love story behind it, though a bittersweet one. Just over a month after Andrew Jackson won the 1828 presidential election, his wife, Rachel, died, of an illness Jackson swore was exacerbated by attacks from his political foes. The new widower is said to have brought with him to Washington a sprout from one of Rachel's favorite magnolias on their Tennessee plantation, though when exactly it was planted at the White House is murky. Per the Oakridger, the sapling may have grown in various conservatories before arriving in DC, taking root at the White House as late as 1835. The White House plans to take a piece of the magnolia and plant it where the original stood. CNN and the Oakridger detail events that have taken place near the tree and past presidents who've enjoyed it. (Read more White House stories.)
A French children's magazine has been withdrawn from newsstands after it admitted a "mistake" in writing that Israel wasn't a real country. The news editor for Youpi, a magazine for children ages 5 to 8, told the AP on Tuesday the January issue was being removed from kiosk sales in France and Belgium after the magazine noted that Israel was among a few states in the world that aren't real countries. Per i24NEWS, the blurb in full read: "We call these 197 countries 'states,' like France, Germany, or Algeria. There [are] a few more, but not all other countries in the world agree that these are real states (for example, Israel or North Korea)."

Bertrand Fichou, the magazine's news editor, tells the AP that he humbly apologizes for the mistake and that his intention wasn't to challenge the legitimacy of the state of Israel. He said that "I'll blame myself for it all my life." The two-sentence text caused an uproar on social media, and French Jewish group CRIF asked the publisher to remove the January issue from sales. Its president, Francis Kalifat, tells i24NEWS that the "publication conveys political revisionism" that serves to "delegitimize" Israel "by targeting its youngest readers."

(Read more Israel stories.)
Tensions between Russia and Britain are heating up on the high seas. Britain's Royal Navy has dispatched ships and a helicopter in recent days to track and, in some cases, escort Russian naval ships near UK waters, reports the Washington Post. The British warship HMS St. Albans escorted the Russian Admiral Gorshkov frigate on Monday through what British officials called "areas of national interest" on Christmas Day, per the AP. In addition, a Royal Navy helicopter tracked other Russian vessels in the area. And on Christmas Eve, a navy vessel escorted a Russian intelligence-gathering ship through the North Sea and English Channel.

"Britain will never be intimidated when it comes to protecting our country, our people, and our national interests," said British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson on Tuesday. The incidents at sea follow a difficult visit to Moscow by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson just before Christmas. Johnson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov disagreed on a number of policy points, reflecting increasing tensions between Britain and Russia. Johnson accused Russia of meddling in Britain's internal affairs but said there were still areas in which the two countries could work together. British officials warned this month that Russian ships may cut undersea internet cables in a bid to disrupt communications and commerce.

(Read more Russia stories.)
An Egyptian court on Tuesday convicted a British woman of smuggling hundreds of powerful painkillers into the country, sentencing her to three years in prison. The woman, 33-year-old Laura Plummer from Hull, has maintained her innocence since her arrest in October on arrival from Britain at Hurghada, a Red Sea resort city. She has insisted the Tramadol tablets were for her Egyptian partner, who suffers chronic back pain. Tramadol is listed by Egyptian authorities as an illegal drug given its wide use as a heroin substitute, per the AP. The drug is legal in Britain. Plummer's family says she had no idea that bringing the painkillers to Egypt was illegal. She did not try to hide them, they said.

The conviction came as a surprise since the hearing was supposed to be taken up by the argument of the defense. Plummer's lawyers immediately lodged an appeal. Plummer, a shop worker, appeared in court on Monday, but the judged adjourned the hearings to Tuesday. Her mother, Roberta Sinclair, was in Hurghada for the trial. Her sister, Rachel Plummer, said the family's hopes now hinged on the outcome of the appeal. "We're just hoping. Even half of that (three years' imprisonment) would be better. Anything less than three years. She doesn't deserve that."

(Read more Egypt stories.)
Sen. Orrin Hatch responded to being named the Salt Lake Tribune's 2017 Utahn of the Yearfor, among other things, his "utter lack of integrity that rises from his unquenchable thirst for power"by tweeting a sort of thanks. "Grateful for this great Christmas honor from the Salt Lake Tribune," he tweeted Monday. The New York Times reports his message generated "ridicule" online, with some floating the idea that Hatch tweeted after reading only the headline and not the blistering accompanying editorial. In a Tuesday tweet, Hatch rep Matt Whitlock wrote, "You'd have to be very new to Twitter Hatch to think this tweet was anything but tongue-in-cheek. This is at least the 4th editorial the Tribune has written in the last two years urging Hatch to retire. Might as well have a chuckle about it. On Christmas."

Editorial page editor George Pyle disputed that in comments to the Times, saying, "We've never called for him to resign. We have said more than once that he promised in 2012 that he would not run again and should keep that promise." The Tribune reports Whitlock also waved the editorial off as clickbait. His statement: "Everyone celebrates Christmas differently. We all sincerely hope the members of The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board find joy this holiday season in something beyond baselessly attacking the service and integrity of someone who [has] given 40 years for the people of Utah, and served as one of the most effective lawmakers of all time just to satisfy their unquenchable thirst for clicks." Hatch doesn't seem to be holding a grudge against the Tribune: USA Today reports he later tweeted a "great editorial" from the paper on the corporate tax rate cut. (Read more Orrin Hatch stories.)
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New Delhi:

The Delhi government was unlikely to implement the e-way bill mechanism under the Goods and Services Tax as Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today said the AAP dispensation was not in favour of the new system.

Addressing representatives of GST Support Market Committees, Sisodia said the e-way bill system violates the one nation, one tax concept, for which the GST was envisioned.

In the GST Council meeting, we have said the Delhi government is not in support of e-way bill. It is in violation of the one nation, one tax concept, he said.

He said that if traders in the city say they may face problem due to e-way bill, the Delhi government will not implement it.

According to officials, the e-way bill system, which is scheduled to be launched in the country from February 1, is for intra-state movement of the commodities under the GST.

They said it will be applicable to the goods worth above Rs 50,000 and are bound for sale beyond 10 km. This system will give powers to tax officials to check the e-way bill code at any point during the transportation.
Kolkata:

Veteran actor Partha Mukhopadhyay, who had acted in many Bengali classics, died of cardiac arrest at a city hospital on Monday. He was 70.

He was suffering from kidney problems and was admitted to the hospital on November 22, a family member said. He is survived by wife.

Mukhopadhyay had portrayed a number of roles in classics like Atithi, Balika Badhu, Amar Prithivi, Baghbandir Khela, Agniswar and had made his mark as a character actor in 1970s and 1980s.

He had the distinction of having acted in films helmed by renowned directors such as Tapan Sinha, Tarun Majumdar and Goutam Ghosh.

The actor had also earned praise from matinee idol Uttam Kumar for his role in Agniswar (1975).

Also Read: Music composer Dominic Frontiere dies at 86

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grief on his demise and recalled his contribution to the Bengali film industry.

"My deepest condolences to the members of his family at this hour of grief," she said.

His body was taken from the South Kolkata hospital to his residence and then to Technicians' Studio where members of film industry paid last respect.

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New Delhi:

Congress leader Manish Tewari on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should bring back Kulbhushan Jadhav, on death row in Pakistan, and asked if his government has the determination to do so.

Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April.

"@narendramodi Mr. Prime Minister you need to bring this Gentleman back home. Does your government have the determination to do what it takes and walk the talk??????," Tewari tweeted along with a picture of Jadhav.

-@narendramodi Mr. Prime Minister you need to bring this Gentleman back home. Does your government have the determination to do what it takes and walk the talk ?????? pic.twitter.com/drujZ18rH4  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 25, 2017

Jadhav met his wife and mother on Monday at the heavily guarded Foreign Affairs Ministry building in Islamabad.

The meeting came after The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) asked Pakistan in May to stay 47-year-old Jadhav's execution.

Also Read: After Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with wife, mother, Pakistan releases new video

Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province after he reportedly entered from Iran. It claims that he was in possession of an Indian passport that identified him as Hussein Mubarak Patel.

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

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New Delhi:

Vijay Rupani took oath as the 14th Chief Minister ofA GujaratA at a grand ceremony at the new Secretariat complex in Gandhinagar on Tuesday.A Vijay Rupani became the chief minister of the state for the second time.

Meanwhile Nitin Patel was sworn is as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state. A total of 20 ministers took oath.A Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and Chief Ministers of 18 NDA ruled States are attending the function.

Rupani and his wife offered prayers at the Panchdev Mahadev temple at AhmedabadA before the swearing-in ceremony. With 99 MLAs, the BJP has a simple majority in the 182-member Assembly, 16 less than its 2012 tally of 115.

Earlier on Friday, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced 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.

Here are the highlights:A

# Swearing-in ceremony of the Vijay Rupani-led council of ministers ends.



# RC Faldu, Bhupindrasinh Chudasama and Kaushik Patel take oath as ministers in Gujarat government



# Saurabh Patel, Ganpatsinh Vestabhai Vasava and Jayeshbhai Vitthalbhai Radadiya take oath as ministers in Gujarat government

# Dilipkumar Viraji Thakor, Ishwarbhai Ramanbhai Parmar and Pradipsinh Jadeja take oath as ministers in Gujarat government

#RC Faldu sworn-in as ministerA

# Nitin Patel sworn in as Dy CM



# Vijay Rupani takes oath as Gujarat Chief MinisterA A

PM Modi with former Gujarat CMs Keshubhai Patel and Shankersinh Vaghela at swearing-in ceremony of CM elect Vijay Rupani and others in Gandhinagar pic.twitter.com/03kfa3hTFy a ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017





#WATCH Live from Gujarat: Swearing-in ceremony of CM elect Vijay Rupani in Gandhinagar https://t.co/iKpAbRb9uV a ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

# Union Cabinet ministers at the swearing-in ceremony



# LK Advani, Anandiben Patel also on the daisA

#Here is the list of 20 ministers who shall be sworn in today

20 ministers including CM Vijay Rupani and Deputy CM Nitin Patel to take oath shortly #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/fKGgb6LVb8 a News Nation (@NewsNationTV) December 26, 2017

# UP CM Yogi Adityanath arrives at the venue

# 20 ministers including CM Vijay Rupani and Deputy CM Nitin Patel to take oath shortly

A # aFeeling blessed after offering prayers to Panchdev Mahadev Temple in Gandhinagar. Prayed for Gujaratas welfare,a tweets Vijay Rupani ahead of swearing-in ceremony.

WATCH: PM Modi greets crowd on his way from airport in Ahmedabad https://t.co/sJFXkmrc1a a ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

# Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to crowd gathered on his way from the airport in Ahmedabad



Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to crowd gathered on his way from the airport in Ahmedabad pic.twitter.com/uXJ3u0UBhP a ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

# NarendraA Modi reaches Ahmedabad.A Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently reaching the venue. The prime minister is currently undertaking a roadshow amid a rousing welcome.A





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New Delhi:

Indian Army troops on Monday crossed over the Line of Control (LoC) and killed six Pakistani soldiers leaving one injured in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), said news agency quoting intelligence sources.

The Army sought to retaliatory action to avenge the killing of four Indian Army personnel on Saturday in ceasefire violation by Pakistan. The raid reportedly happened in 12 Division of the 59 Baloch Unit in PoK.

We got a go-ahead to cross over and carry out an operation to avenge the killings of four soldiers including a major rank officer, a government source told DNA newspaper. The Pakistani soldiers killed by Indian Army have been identified as sepoy Sajjad, sepoy Abdul Rehman and sepoy M Usman.

The injured soldier on the Pakistani side has been identified as sepoy Athzaz Hussain. According to a statement by Pakistans Inter-Services Public Relations, Indian forces opened fire along the Line of Control killing three of their soldiers.

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 Kashmirs Rajouri district. On Sunday, a Pakistani sniper was killed by Indian soldiers in cross-border firing in Jhangar Sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

Also Read: Top Jaish-e- Mohammad militant Noor Mohammad killed in encounter in J&K

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Jammu:

He was just four feet two inches tall and walked with a limp. Noor Mohammad Tantray, the Jaish-e-Mohammad commander who was gunned down on Tuesday, stood out in a crowd but his mental acuity more than made up for that disadvantage, officials said.

Called "merchant of death" by a special court in Delhi, Tantray was believed to be the brains behind several terror strikes, including the attack on the BSF camp outside the Srinagar airport on October 3 and on state minister Naeem Akhtars cavalcade in Tral on September 21 this year.

The end came during the intervening night of December 25 and 26 at Samboora in Pulwama district of South Kashmir, not far from his home in Tral.

The killing of the 47-year-old JeM divisional commander, who was out on parole, is a "significant blow" to the terror group's operations in the Valley, officials said.

"We had missed him only by few minutes in the past and I was sure he would run out of luck soon as his height was his biggest disadvantage. With each passing day, the search narrowed," a senior police official, involved in the operations, said on condition of anonymity.

Tantray's limp also made it difficult for him to disappear into a crowd and police officials were sure they would be able to isolate him.

After escaping from the Aripal encounter -- in which three JeM militants were killed -- at Tral in April this year, Tantray had been on the radar of the Special Unit of the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

Their efforts to track him down finally bore fruit on Christmas night when he was trapped in a house and could not escape. His two other accomplices, believed to be foreign militants, managed to flee, an official said.

Tantray, who spent eight years in Tihar jail, had intensified his activities since his release on parole in 2015.

A close aide of Jaish commander Ghazi Baba, who masterminded the 2001 attack on Parliament, Tantray was arrested from Delhi's Sadar Bazar on August 31, 2003.

Also read: Army crosses LoC, guns down six Pakistani soldiers to avenge killing of Jawans



He was arrested along with four others and charged with conspiracy to carry out terror attacks in various parts of the national capital.

The five militants were arrested following an encounter in which two terrorists were killed. Besides arms and ammunition, police also recovered a sum of Rs 19.20 lakh from Tantray.

Then special POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) judge R K Gauba words proved prophetic when Tantray emerged as the most wanted militant in the Kashmir Valley after his release from jail, an official said.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2011 in the case and shifted to Srinagar's Central Jail in 2015 before being released on parole. His parole was extended by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court same year.

While sentencing him along with others under the stringent anti-terror law in 2011, the judge had said the challenge posed by terrorism had to be met "head-on by a multi-prolonged strategy".

"India's war against terrorism is to be waged not only by security measures but also by all organs of the state, including the judiciary which must share the responsibility of dealing with such elements with an iron hand," he said.

Terming the five "merchants of death", the court had said the "foot soldiers of forces inimical to India and bent upon sabotaging the peace and tranquility here, besides posing a serious threat to its unity, sovereignty and integrity, have to be neutralised".

The "merchants of death" had to be locked away for the rest of their lives "...in order that they are suitably de- fanged and blunted so as to be of no further use to the enemy", the judge had said in his seven page order.

Tantray's terror graph validated the judge's words, said an official.

Also read: Three Pakistani soldiers killed in firing by Indian Army, claims Pak media



Tantray is believed to have provided logistical support to JeM militants who stormed the Police Lines in Pulwama in August this year. Eight security personnel and three militants were killed in that attack.

He was allegedly involved in the JeM attack on the BSF camp, outside the Srinagar International Airport, on October 3, in which one BSF officer and three militants were killed.

Tantray was also found to be involved in the grenade attack on State PWD Minister Naeem Akhtars cavalcade in Tral on September 21.

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New Delhi:

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir, annoyed by the absence of senior doctors from a function he was attending on Monday at a government hospital in Maharashtra said "these people" should join the Naxals if they don't believe in democracy, and the government will then shoot them down.



Ahir was speaking at the inauguration of a 24x7 store for generic medicines at a government-run hospital in eastern Maharashtra's Chandrapur, which he represents in the Lok Sabha.



"The mayor came, the deputy mayor came but what stopped the doctors from coming for the event?" an angry Ahir asked.



"What do the Naxals want? They don't want democracy... So these people (the absent doctors) don't want democracy, then they should join the Naxals. Why are you here? Then (once you join the Naxals) we will pump you with bullets, why you are dispensing pills here?" Ahir said, punning on the Marathi word 'goli' -- which means both a pill and a bullet.



Ahir wondered if it was appropriate for doctors to go on leave when a "democratically-elected" minister was on a visit.



Chandrapur is one of the four districts in Maharashtra which have been identified by the central government as affected by Left-Wing Extremism.A



(With PTI inputs)

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Ahmedabad:

Vijay Rupani, a low-profile RSS man who has the trust of BJP President Amit Shah, is back in the chief minister's chair after having survived the incumbency factor and a violent quota stir by the Patidars.

Born in Rangoon (now Yangon, Myanmar) Rupani, 61, joined an RSS shakha as a schoolboy, before graduating to the BJP via the Sangh's students wing--the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the BJP's face in the high-octane election campaign in his home state, Rupani, belonging to the relatively small Jain community, steered the party machinery in Gujarat, neutralising the incumbency factor against his government and surviving quota stir by the Patidar community, the bedrock of the party's support base.

That he also successfully contained disenchantment with the government over farm distress in some parts of the state, and economic slowdown due to demonetisation and roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), also stood him in good stead.

Despite the BJP's tally falling below 100 in a long time, Rupani's selection also suggested that the top party leadership wanted continuity before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Though only a second-time MLA, he made a mark as an able administrator.

Rupani, who worked mostly in the party organisation in Gujarat, fought his first Assembly election in 2014, winning a bypoll from Rajkot West. This time he won from the same seat with an impressive margin of over 53,000 votes.

A bachelor of law, Rupani was a Rajya Sabha member between 2006 and 2012.

It was under him as chairman of the Gujarat Tourism Development Corporation in 2006 that the hugely successful advertisement campaign 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki', featuring megastar Amitabh Bachchan, was launched to promote the state as a tourism hotspot.

He was also the chairman of the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board in 2013.

When the Rajkot West seat fell vacant in October 2014 after Speaker of the Assembly Vajubhai Vala was appointed the Karnataka Governor, Rupani won the bypoll.

On February 19, 2016 he was appointed the chief of the Gujarat BJP. It was seen as a victory for the Amit Shah camp in the state unit.

When the state's first and only woman chief minister Anandiben Patel resigned in August 2016 following allegations of inept handling of the Patidar and Dalit agitations, Rupani was catapulted to the hot seat.

Rupani honed his political skills in the crucible of the Gujarat Navnirman agitation, a socio-political movement in 1974 by students and the middle-class against economic crisis and corruption in public life.

Also read: Vijay Rupani to take oath as Gujarat chief minister today; PM Modi, CMs of NDA-ruled states to attend oath-taking ceremony

It soon spread elsewhere, particularly in Bihar, where socialist legend Jayaprakash Narayan gave a call for 'Total Revolution'. The movement finally led to the fall of Indira Gandhi government and installation of the first non-Congress dispensation at the centre under Morarji Desai.

Rupani, who was then with the ABVP, was jailed for nearly a year during Emergency.

Also read: Vijay Rupani takes oath as Gujarat Chief Minister, Nitin Patel sworn in as Dy CM

As the mayor of Rajkot in 1996-97, he endeared himself to people of the city with his initiatives for improvement of the civic infrastructure.

Rupani's mettle as a politician will be tested again in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when Modi bids for a second shot at power. Delivering Gujarat to the BJP is the least he would expect from Amit Shah's man in Gandhinagar.

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New Delhi:

India on Tuesday hit back at Pakistan, accusing it of violating mutual understandings on Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with his family, and said the Indian national appeared coerced and under considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction.

Pakistan went so far as to have the mangal sutra, bangles and bindi of his mother and wife removed before they could meet him, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.



Also, most of Jadhav's remarks were clearly tutored and designed "to perpetuate the false narrative" of his alleged spying in Pakistan, it said in a no-holds-barred statement against Islamabad's conduct.



Summing up its anger, India said the manner in which Pakistan conducted Jadhav's meeting on Monday with his family violated the letter and spirit of understandings that the two countries had.



Countering Pakistan's contention that the meeting was a humanitarian concession, India's statement said "this exercise lacked any credibility."



"From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion," the MEA statement said.



"We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned," it said.

Also read: Pak played cruel joke, meeting just a drama: Sarabjit Singh's sister

Family members, however, handled the situation with "great courage and fortitude," the ministry said. The 47-year-old Jadhav's "appearance also raises questions of his health and well being."



The meeting, at the Pakistani foreign affairs ministry in Islamabad, took place after repeated requests by India for family access.



Jadhav, who was captured in March, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted.



New Delhi says Jadhav was kidnapped in Iran where he had legitimate business interests, and brought to Pakistan. To save Jadhav, India moved the International Court of Justice, which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.



During yesteday's meeting, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen while his mother and wife sat on the other side. They spoke through intercom and the entire 40-minute proceedings appeared to have been recorded on video.



Before the meeting, the two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels and had reached "clear understandings" on the meeting's modalities and format, the MEA statement said.



While India "scrupulously abided by all its commitments," Pakistan violated the letter and spirit of the understandings, it said.



Despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access, Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to "approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations" about Jadhav, the statement said.

Also read: Kulbhushan meets family in Islamabad; Pak claims meeting granted as 'humanitarian grounds' on Jinnah's birthday

India also accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of family members under the pretext of security. "This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security," it said.



Jadhav's mother was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, Marathi. She was repeatedly interrupted when she tried to speak in Marathi and eventually prevented from proceeding further, it said.



Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh, who accompanied the two women, was initially separated from them.



They were taken to the meeting without informing Singh, and the meeting was started without him, the statement said.



It added that Singh could join only after pressing the matter with officials, but was still kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed.



"For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests," Jadhav's wife's shoes were not returned to her after the meeting," it said.

India on Tuesday strongly reacted and showed regret to the way Pakistan conducted the meeting between former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family, asserting that it violated the letter and spirit of understandings, and raised questions over the health and well being of the Indian national.

"From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion," the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said, a day after Jadhav's mother and wife met him at the heavily guarded building of the Pakistani foreign office in Islamabad.

There was a glass screen between Jadhav and his family during the entire meeting and they spoke through an intercom device.

The MEA said most of Jadhav's remarks were "clearly tutored" and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan.

"His appearance also raises questions over his health and well being," it said.

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Meerut:

In a shocking incident, doctors allegedly used an ambulance to ferry cartons of liquor and called Russian belly dancers to entertain themselves in an alumni meet organised at state-run Lala Lajpat Rai Medical College campus in Uttar Pradeshs Meerut.

The alleged incident came to light after a video after a video went viral on social media.

The video shows liquor cartons of foreign brands being carried in an ambulance with registration number UP 15 CT, women bartenders wearing Christmas caps serving serving drinks to the doctors.

In the video one can also see doctors dancing to popular Bollywood tunes.

According to reports, doctors from 1982 batch boozed, danced and watched the dancer performing their belly acts during the silver jubilee function, which was organised by the Old School Association.

The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a probe after the video was aired on news channels.

Also read| Maharashtra: MoS Hansraj Ahir asks doctors to join Naxal ranks on finding them on leave



Ashutosh Tandon, State medical and technical education minister, said, The incident is extremely unfortunate. I have ordered a probe and seeked report within three days.

He added that the UP governments future course of action will be decided according to report submitted by the probing team.

Dr Parvez, who headed the organising committee of the event, denied liquor bottles being carried in the ambulance. He said, The ambulance contained gifts and empty cartons.

Also read: Delhi's Max hospital terminates two doctors' services for wrongfully declaring newborn baby dead



He added that the doctors watched the dance along with their families. We had completed all formalities to conduct the event including permission from college and local administration to organise alumni meet. We had also obtained licence for one-day bar.

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Islamabad:

Pakistan on Tuesday summoned India's acting deputy high commissioner to protest "unprovoked" firing by the Indian Army that killed its three soldiers and "categorically rejected" claims that Indian commandos crossed the LoC to carry out a daring operation.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said the Indian actions "got a befitting response from the Pakistani side and their guns were silenced."

It categorically rejected India's claims that the Indian Army commandos crossed the Line of Control in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir and smashed a Pakistani post.

"The false claims by India about the alleged cross LoC adventures are a figment of their imagination and counter- productive for peace and tranquillity on the LoC," it said.

The statement said Director General (South Asia & SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned India's acting deputy high commissioner and "condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations" by Indian forces in the Rakhchikri sector.

The firing "provided a cover for the planting of IEDs by non-state actors", resulting in the death of three soldiers, it said.

Faisal urged the Indian side to "respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC."

The Indian Army sources in New Delhi earlier said a "small group" of 'Ghatak' commandos carried out a tactical level selective targeting of the Pakistani post around 200-300 metres across the LoC on Monday evening in which three Pakistani soldiers were killed and one was injured.

The operation is seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel by a Border Action Team of the Pakistan

Army in Keri sector Rajouri district on Saturday.

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New Delhi:

Noor Mohammad, a top Jaish-e- Mohammad militant, was killed on Tuesday in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama District of Jammu and Kashmir, according to an Army official.

"The Divisional Commander of JeM Noor Mohammad Tantrey alias Noor Trali was killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Samboora area of Pulwama," the official said.

He said the body of the militant has been recovered along with a weapon.

The official said the operation was still in progress.

Also Read: Three Pakistani soldiers killed in firing by Indian Army, claims Pak media

Earlier on Monday, three soldiers of Pakistan Army were killed and one injured after Indian Forces retaliated to unprovoked firing from across the border.

On Monday, Indian Army troops crossed over the Line of Control (PoK) & killed three Pakistani army soldiers, one Pak soldier injured. This was in retaliation to the four Indian Army personnel killed on Saturdaya in ceasefire violation by Pakistan, as per Intelligence Sources.

Indian General of Police, Muneer Khan, gave his statement on the attack, saying, "We came to know of presence of a JeM terrorist who was the mastermind of all attacks carried out by JeM. Encounter continued till early morning, JeM terrorist was killed & one AK-56, pistol and magazines were recovered."

We came to know of presence of a JeM terrorist who was the mastermind of all attacks carried out by JeM. Encounter continued till early morning, JeM terrorist was killed & one AK-56, pistol and magazines were recovered :IGP Kashmir Muneer Khan on #Pulwama encounter pic.twitter.com/0141XRE1cF





(With agency inputs)

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Unnao:

The district administration today suspended the chief medical officer after reportsA surfaced that 32 cataract patients were operated upon in torch light for want of steady electricity supply at a state-run facility here.

"Taking a serious note of the matter, the Uttar Pradesh government acted promptly and suspended CMO Rajendra Prasad," Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh told PTI.

He said incharge of the community health centre (CHC) at Nawabganj has also been removed.

A report has been sought by the state health department regarding the entire episode.

According to the visuals that went viral on social media, 32 cataract operations were done at the CHC in Nawabganj yesterday in torch light as there was no electricity or power back-up there.

The CMO earlier said the acting district magistrate has ordered a probe into the matter and the organisation entrusted with the task could be blacklisted, if found guilty.

Meanwhile, some relatives of the patients complained that they were not provided with any beds after the procedure, and that they were made to lie down on floors despite extreme cold weather conditions.

Also read: Delhi HC no to terminating 25-week-old pregnancy of minor



Uttar Pradesh has attracted bad press for a series of 'medical disasters' in the recent past, with the death of more than 60 children, mostly infants, at a government hospital in Gorakhpur being the latest case in point.

Also read: IMA opposes draft National Medical Commission bill



A hospital in Farukhabad recorded 49 deaths -- 30 in neo-natal ICU and 19 during delivery -- between July 20 and August 21 this year, reportedly due to a lack of oxygen supply.
Vatican City:

Lamenting "the winds of war" blowing around the world, Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message on Monday called for a two-state solution to find peace in the Middle East and prayed that confrontation can be overcome on the Korean Peninsula.

The pope took particular aim at areas of global tension where President Donald Trump is playing a critical role.

Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital has ignited fresh violence in the Middle East, while confrontation with North Korea over its nuclear tests has escalated tensions in Asia.

"The winds of war are blowing in our world and an outdated model of development continues to produce human, societal and environmental decline," the pope said in his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" ("to the city and to the world") Christmas message and blessing from the central balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square.

As Christians celebrated the birth of Jesus, the pope depicted suffering reflected "in the faces of little children," citing war and other tensions in the Middle East and Africa.

He asked for peace for Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and prayed "that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two states within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders."

Francis also prayed for an end to confrontation on the Korean Peninsula and that "mutual trust may increase."

The Christmas message has become an occasion for popes to survey suffering in the world and press for solutions. Francis urged that "our hearts not be closed" as the inns of Bethlehem were to Mary and Joseph before Jesus' birth.

Also Read| Rome: Pope Francis addresses Easter Day mass, requests end to 'horror and death' in Syria

The pontiff lamented that Syria remains "marked by war," that Iraq has been "wounded and torn" by fighting over the last 15 years and that ongoing conflict in Yemen "has been largely forgotten."

Also Read| Rohingya crisis: Pope Francis to visit Bangladesh, will take stock of refugees living in filthy camps

Recalling his recent trip to Bangladesh and Myanmar, the pope urged the international community to work "to ensure that the dignity of the minority groups present in the region is adequately protected."

The pontiff also recalled children who risk their lives at the hands of human traffickers to migrate to safer lands, who suffer because their parents don't have work or who are forced into labour themselves, sometimes fighting as child soldiers.

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Police in Minoh, Osaka Prefecture, have arrested a 26-year-old woman, her 24-year-old common-law husband and his 20-year-old male friend on suspicion of killing the woman's four-year-old son.

According to police, the woman, Mai Tsutsui, called 110 at around 2:20 a.m. Monday and said her son, Ayumu, wasn't breathing, Fuji TV reported. Police went to the apartment and found the boy lying on his bed, unconscious. He was taken to hospital where he was confirmed dead.

Police said doctors informed them that Ayumu had at least 10 bruises on his face and body.

The woman lives in a municipal housing unit with her common-law husband, Shogi Matsumoto, his friend Toshio Okura, Ayumu and her two-year-old son. Police said the two-year-old also had bruises on his body.

Neighbours were quoted by local media as saying that they would often hear the sound of children crying coming from the apartment in October and November.

Police said Matsumoto and Okura have admitted hitting Ayumu on Sunday night as a means of disciplining him, and said they knew the boy might die. They also said they hit him in front of Tsutsui. However, police said she has denied abusing her son.

Dec 26 (ANNnewsCH) - aeaceaa4acaaeaaseaaaaaaaaYaaaaaaeaaaeaaaaaSSaaaaYaaaaaaSaaaYa
The Japanese government has decided to allow families of gambling addicts to restrict their kin from using public gambling facilities and online betting. The move comes as Japan prepares to legalize casinos.

Senior officials from ministries concerned agreed on the measure at a recent meeting to curb gambling addiction.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiro Sugita spoke about families affected by relatives who are diagnosed with gambling disorders or struggling with symptoms. He said gambling facilities should not allow such people to use their services.

The officials agreed to call on public gambling providers to limit access of addicts if members of their families make the request. They include horse racing, cycle races and "pachinko" parlors.

The measures will involve banning sales of betting tickets and refusing entry to outlets.

In response, the Japan Racing Association will begin suspending gambling addicts from betting online starting on Thursday.

A similar measure is to be taken at bicycle and motorbike racing next April.

The government plans to call on casino operators to follow suit after passage of a bill to introduce facilities called integrated resorts that include casinos.
Japan's Information-technology Promotion Agency and the industry ministry have concluded a 15-year project to enable computers to handle all kanji characters.

They have assigned universal codes and registered 60,000 characters based on international standards.

Distinctive universal codes need to be assigned to individual characters and letters so that computers can handle them.

The codes were initially allocated to only 10,000 kanji characters.

Computer makers have assigned codes that make it possible for their products to display some of the remaining characters. But these can't be correctly displayed on other makers' products that don't share the codes.

Experts say the project not only enables computers to correctly show all names written in kanji, but will also make it possible to accurately analyze big data. This includes the names of places using various Kanji characters.

An agency official says attention has been given to names in family registries, as this is important to establishing identity. But he says computers have trailed behind in handling Kanji names accurately. He predicts enabling computers to correctly handle characters will become even more important.
The Japanese economy has been recovering moderately since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's second administration was launched in December 2012, with a gleam of hope now seen for pulling out of deflation.

This reflects the yen's weakening, higher stock prices and a recovery in corporate earnings.

At the same time, there are concerns over the side effects of the Bank of Japan's prolonged massive monetary easing, part of Abe's five-year-old reflationary policy agenda, dubbed Abenomics. One focus is the appointment of a successor to BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, whose term expires next spring.

"Our consistent policy of monetary easing has achieved results to a certain extent and led to the current economic situation," Kuroda told a press conference last week, endorsing his own handling of monetary policy.

Positioning monetary easing as the "first arrow" of Abenomics, Abe appointed Kuroda, a proponent of easing policy, as chief of the central bank.
A man and woman who were arrested after the death of their 33-year-old daughter confessed they confined her to a tiny room for around 15 years due to a mental illness they say made her violent, police sources said Monday.

The police said that an autopsy showed the woman, Airi Kakimoto, whose body was recovered on Saturday from her Neyagawa home in western Japan's Osaka Prefecture, froze to death and that she was in a state of extreme malnutrition, weighing only 19 kilograms and standing 145 centimeters tall.

Her 55-year-old father, Yasutaka Kakimoto, and 53-year-old mother, Yukari Kakimoto, reported her death to the police on Saturday and were arrested on the initial charge of illegally disposing of a body.

The woman is believed to have died around Dec. 18.

The police are now looking to build confinement and other charges after the couple admitted to investigators that they had held her in a room of around 3 square meters since she was 16 or 17 years old, the sources said.

The parents allegedly told police that recently they had only fed their daughter once a day.

According to the police, the Kakimotos renovated their house to add the small room fitted with a double door that can be unlocked only from the outside and a monitoring camera.

Inside the unheated room, there was a makeshift toilet and a tube designed to allow the woman to drink water from a tank sitting outside.
STAMFORD  A chimney fire destroyed a home Sunday night on Old N. Stamford Road, according to the Stamford Fire Department.

The fire department said firefighters from both the Stamford and Belltown stations responded at about 9:45 p.m. to a single family home at 114 Old N. Stamford Road.

When they arrived, firefighters found that the fire, which had reportedly started in the residences chimney, had spread to the homes attic.

Firefighters ventilated the attic space through the residences roof and the blaze was extinguished by 10:45 p.m. No injuries were reported.

The fire department said fire, smoke and water damage rendered the home uninhabitable. The Stamford Fire Marshals Office is investigating the cause of the blaze.

kat.russell@stamfordadvocate.com
MIDDLETOWN  Representatives of several local groups joined efforts last week for the culmination of the annual Adopt-A-Family program, which pairs community volunteers with needy families around the holidays.

Members of the South Fire District IAFF Local 3918, Connecticut Valley Hospital Police, Middletown High School Jazz Band & Choral Club, Fellowship Church congregation and choir, and Middletown Elks Lodge #771 held the gift-presenting program Dec. 16.

It is a joint venture between the South Fire District union and Middletown Elks, according to a press release.

The event was kicked off by a visit and welcome remarks from Middletown Common Councilman and Elks Trustee Gerry Daley.

Again this year, multiple families from the Middletown community were adopted by area first responders. Gifts and food were collected by South Fire personnel, their sponsors and Elks members, delivered to the lodge, and then presented to the families.

Santa, riding on the South Fire apparatus, greeted a group of children waiting for Santas arrival, the release said.

Consistent with the Elks motto of Elks Care, Elks Share, the Elks several years ago joined the program. Again this year, the local chapter received an Elks National Foundation Community Grant which helped purchase gifts.

The Elks also hosted a welcome reception for the families and volunteers.

The Adopt-A-Family program began over 20 years ago by Middletown Police Officer Rob Siena, who wanted to help families in need during the Christmas season, according to the Elks.
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If you're thinking of taking a far-flung trip abroad this holiday season, you may want to consider some research first.

Every year American travelers die sudden, unnatural deaths abroad, and since 2002, these numbers have been made public on the US State Department's website. In 2016, a total of 843 US citizens died from more than a dozen causes such as homicide, drowning and drug-related deaths.

Beyond just stoking the morbid fascination of American tourists, this data can prove helpful for travelers heading into countries with recent State Dept. travel warnings. It can even be used to pinpoint US deaths in certain cities or regions within countries.

So what was the number one cause of death for all Americans abroad last year? Unceremoniously, it was traffic accidents, which comprised 27 percent of all deaths. Terrorism, on the other hand, accounted for just under 2 percent of American deaths.

Mexico led all countries in 2016 with 264 American fatalities, a figure more than eight times greater than Thailand, which took second place with 32 deaths.

Mexico consistently ranks number one in American fatalities and is also the top country in the world for American travelers, drawing close to 39 percent of all American travelers last year while contributing to about one third of the total US deaths abroad.

Canada, by contrast, drew 17 percent of all US tourism in 2016 but only accounted for 1.3 percent of all deaths, according to the State Department.

Mexico also led all countries with 75 homicides, while Jamaica and the Philippines tied for second place with 8 homicides apiece.

In terms of terrorism, a total of 15 Americans died in terrorist actions last year, the majority coming in Belgium and France. Only four Americans died in armed conflicts, all in Syria.

Other countries that made the top 10 include Australia, Germany, China and Costa Rica.

Now Playing: A study of 1,000 Instagram posts with the hashtags #vacationmode and #vacay determined where people most most like to enjoy a drink. Buzz60's Nick Cardona has more. Video: Buzz60

Other notables from the data:

 Cambodia continued to lead the world in the rate of drug-related deaths among US citizens.

 A total of 15 percent of deaths last year were classified as "other" or "unknown."

More Americans died of drowning than homicides (156 drownings vs 144 homicides)

 The two least common causes of death were disaster (2 deaths) and air accidents (5 deaths).

 The total does not include health and illness-related deaths such as disease, heart attack or stroke.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has urged the Federal High Court in Lagos to refuse an application by four companies linked to former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

The four companies had pleaded guilty to laundering $15,591,700.

The commission alleged that a former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to President Jonathan, Waripamo Dudafa, allegedly got part of the money from former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

EFCC said Dasuki withdrew the money from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and handed it over to Dudafa.

The commission said Dudafa laundered the money through the companies.

He is currently being tried along with a lawyer, Amajuoyi Briggs, and a banker, Adedamola Bolodeoku.

They pleaded not guilty.

But the four companies charged along with them pleaded guilty to money laundering charges and were convicted.

They are Pluto Properties and Investment Company Limited, Seagate Property Development and Investment Limited, Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited.

Mrs. Jonathan in a separate suit, is laying claims to the money in the companies accounts.

In a fresh motion on notice filed on their behalf by Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), the companies are praying the court to order a reversal of their guilty plea, saying they were not given a fair hearing.

The companies are praying for an order setting aside their conviction by Justice Babs Kuewumi on November 2, 2016.

According to them, their trial and conviction were done in gross violation of their right to fair hearing.

They sought an order for a retrial of the case as the proceedings so far done amounted to nullity, void and unsustainable in law.

The companies said their conviction occasioned a miscarriage of justice to them.

They were represented by their directors when they were arraigned on September 15 last year.

But EFCC in its counter-affidavit deposed to by an investigating officer Musbhau Yahaya, said the companies application was an abuse of court process, and that the judge cannot be asked to overrule himself.

On what led to the companies conviction, Yahaya said sometime in 2015, the EFCC received cogent and irresistible intelligence that Dudafa allegedly warehoused proceeds of unlawful activities in the companies Skye Bank Plc accounts.

The operative said EFCC analysed the intelligence and discovered that on November 26, 2014, Dasuki applied to the Governor of CBN via a letter dated November 26, 2014 with reference number NSA/366/S for the release of $47,000,000.

The operative said the money was part of N10billion earmarked for special services, adding that it was handed in cash to one Mr. S. A. Salihu, a Director of Finance and Administration at the Office of the NSA.

The governor of CBN granted this request and delivered the sum to Salisu as instructed by Dasuki. Upon receipt of the said sum, Salisu handed over this money to his boss, Dasuki, in 11 suitcases.

Dasuki in grand conspiracy with the first defendant (Dudafa) handed over the money to the first defendant.

In the course of his service as the Special Assistant to the former President on Domestic Affairs, the first defendant abused his office by corruptly enriching himself, the deponent said.

According to the commission, Dudafa also allegedly deposited various huge sums of United States dollars in cash in the companies accounts.

In a bid to disguise and conceal the proceeds of his unlawful activities, the fourth to seventh applicants (the companies) were procured mainly to retain the proceeds of the first defendants unlawful activities.

The fourth to seventh applicants each opened an account with Skye Bank Plc, the deponent said in the counter-affidavit.

EFCC said those who pleaded guilty on the companies behalf were actually their directors, namely Friday Davis, Agbor Baro, Bioghowori Fredrick and Taiwo Ebenezer.

According to the commission, after prosecuting counsel Rotimi Oyedepo reviewed the case following the companies plea, the judge asked the representatives if they were in agreement with the facts.

The representatives who are directors of the applicants admitted unequivocally that they agreed with facts reviewed by the prosecution.

Upon a calm reflection of the evidence led by the prosecution against the fourth to seventh defendants/applicants and the pleas of their directors who represented them, this Honourable Court found the applicants guilty and convicted them as charged, the commission said.

EFCC said the companies application was an abuse of court process and was filed in bad faith, adding that the court had become functus officio (cannot re-open the case).

The prosecution said the companies filed a Notice of Contention at the Court of Appeal in which they sought an order varying the guilty plea, but it was struck out.

EFCC said the companies were yet to appeal against the Court of Appeal judgment.

The conviction of the fourth to seventh defendants did not occasion any miscarriage of justi ce to the applicants or any party in this proceeding, EFCC said.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that 2017 had been a very tough year for Nigeria, but expressed optimism that 2018 will be a more pro...

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that 2017 had been a very tough year for Nigeria, but expressed optimism that 2018 will be a more prosperous one.The president stated this when he received a delegation of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) residents who paid him Christmas homage in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.He, however, noted with delight that God had answered the prayers of Nigerians as the rainy season was good and farmers recorded bumper harvest across the country.It has been a tough year for Nigeria and I hope next year will be a much more prosperous one.But God listened to the majority of us, the rainy season was very good and some states have got very good information from home; I never knew that the people from Kano who are more resourceful used to go to my area and hire farms, this year nobody hired farm, and nobody regretted it.And again the second one from the Gov. of Sokoto State said all the people that really registered early to perform last pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia were farmers. But he didnt tell me if they took additional wives.But I am very pleased that people have gone back to the land with very good harvests, he said.Buhari used the opportunity to commend religious leaders for partnering with government in ensuring peaceful co-existence among the diverse ethno-religious groups in the country.He stated that reports reaching him from security organisations across the country indicated that the religious leaders had been assisting the security agents in the maintenance of peace and tranquility in the society.I thank you very much for coming, especially the religious leaders.I am very pleased you are doing your best from the intelligence I am getting to make sure that people live as good neighbours and good Nigerians, said the president.Buhari, who also spoke on his recent miraculous medical recovery, said his absolute adherence to doctors instruction and orders was responsible for his improved health conditions.He said: It has been a tumultuous year. I thought I was 74 but I was told I was 75 I have never been so sick even the 30 months civil war (when) I was stumbling under farm of yams or cassava but this sickness I dont know but I came out better.All those who saw me before and when I came back said I look much better, but I have explained it to the public that as a General I used to give orders now I take orders; the doctors told me to feed my stomach and sleep for longer hours that is why I am looking much better.The delegation and Minister of the FCT, Alhaji Musa Bello, had earlier thanked God for not only restoring the Presidents health, but also making him stronger and better looking.He said: This is the third homage and we have never seen you better as you look today.The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), FCT Chapter, Mr Jonah Samson, lauded the Buhari administration for its performances in the fight against corruption and insurgency in the country.Samson, who also commended the administrations efforts towards ensuring security of life and property of citizens, urged the government to provide additional employment opportunities to address youth restiveness in the country.
The Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, has said the provision of necessary equipment for military and security services in the country should not be politicised.Dickson said it was the responsibility of government to place priority on security to be able to develop society.A statement on Monday by Dicksons Special Adviser on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the governor as having made the comment during a tour of military and security formations in Yenagoa on Sunday.Dickson visited the headquarters of the 16 Brigade, Nigerian Army, and the Police Officers Mess in Yenagoa to felicitate with the officers and men at Christmas.He encouraged the security forces to do more in the efforts to combat crime in Bayelsa State, the Niger Delta and the entire country.He called on the political leadership to take the challenge to give the necessary support to the military and security agencies, whose efforts were required to realise the objective to develop society.Dickson said, I want to assure you that under my leadership, the issue of security and stability will continue to be on the front burner. The first responsibility of any administration is to encourage the work for peace and stability. You cant have development without security.I want to also use this opportunity to say what I have said all along that the political leadership in our country should rise to the occasion and support the great work that our men and women in uniform are doing.There should be no partisanship, no brinkmanship, no showmanship when it comes to the issue of giving necessary support and equipment to our men and women in uniform who are the only people that have volunteered to serve our nation at the risk of their lives.According to the governor, Bayelsa is one of the safest states in the federation and indeed the safest in the South-South because of the collaborative efforts of the government and the security agencies.Dickson, who assured security agencies of greater collaboration in 2018, urged them to redouble their efforts for security, peace and stability of the state next year.In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa State, Mr. Amba Asuquo, commended the governor for his sustained support to police operations in the state, including the donation of the best Officers Mess and a complete police band to the command.The commissioner said 72 suspects, arrested after a show of force in Yenagoa on Saturday, were being screened.He added that a suspect, who robbed the manager of a new generation bank and another robber, who shot his colleagues while attempting to shoot a victim, were also in police custody.Also, the Commander, 16 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Kelvin Aligbe, who also hosted Dickson, thanked the governor for providing the brigade with resources that aided the realisation of its operational objectives.Aligbe said, Your Excellency, this is not an opportunity to patronise your person, but I will not miss this opportunity to declare how happy, how fulfilled we are, and how wonderful you have been to us in this journey particularly for the 16 Brigade that is the youngest in the Nigerian Army.In a very short time, you ensured that we took off and we are not just running, we are actually flying and we are achieving all the operational objectives set out for us in the division by the COAS.
Gunmen on Christmas Eve (Sunday) raided the Kaduna home of the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Team on Pension Reforms, Abdulra...

Gunmen on Christmas Eve (Sunday) raided the Kaduna home of the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Team on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina.The gunmen were allegedly said to be in search of cash and ammunition in the house.Residents of Kano Street, Kawo New Extension, Kaduna where the house is located, said some of the gunmen came in military uniform, while others were in mufti.The spokesman for the Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Aliyu Mukhtar, who confirmed the incident, noted that the command got a report from the Divisional Police Office in Kawo regarding the raid.We got a report from the DPO Kawo of Police Station regarding the raid on Mainas house. But we are yet to confirm whether they are really officials of the EFCC. Investigation is ongoing, he told our correspondent on phone on Monday.According to an eyewitness account, the gunmen came in a Hilux van, armed with guns and stationed in front of the house.The gun-wielding men, the eyewitness said, had begun surveillance of the area between 5pm and 8pm when another car, a Peugeot 406 with plain clothes security personnel, forced the gate open and drove into the compound.But on entering the house, the operatives met a security guard, Imrana Ahmadu, and quickly handcuffed him, just as they forced him to take them round the four-bedroom flat.The 22-year-old Ahmadu while speaking with journalists said the gunmen continued to ask him whether the house belong to Maina or whether he (Maina) was staying there.Ahmadu said the gunmen told him that they were from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to carry out search on the house for alleged hidden arms and ammunition as well as cash (money).He said, They came in military uniforms and Hilux van with another small car after they had forced the gate open around 8pm.They handcuffed me and started forcing doors open to the bedrooms. They turned everything upside down.They were communicating with somebody somewhere in Hausa, directing them to one room or the other where to find cash.They must have been disappointed because at the end, they found nothing, neither cash nor arms as they claimed.They now drove away with me and dumped me in the bush along Mando Road close to the Kaduna International Airport.They said I should go to any police station so that the police can unlock the handcuff on my hand.I hid my handcuffed hand in my shirt, so that nobody could suspect me and that was how I got a commercial motorbike that took me to the Kawo Police Station where the handcuff was unlocked.The spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, could not be reached on the telephone for comment.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday stirred up a fresh controversy over his real age when he said he thought he was 74 but was told he ...

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday stirred up a fresh controversy over his real age when he said he thought he was 74 but was told he was 75.Buhari spoke when the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammed Bello, led a delegation to pay him Christmas homage at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.The President, joined by state governors and other top government officials, celebrated his 75th birthday penultimate Sunday. He was said to have been born on December 17, 1942, in Daura, present day Katsina State.While thanking his guests for the visit, Buhari recalled the health challenge that kept him away from the country for months earlier in the year and admitted that 2017 had been a tumultuous year for him.The President said he had recovered well from the sickness because he obeyed his doctors who instructed him to be eating and sleeping well.He said, I am very grateful (to you) for taking time out on a very important day to come out and spend it with us.It has been a tumultuous year. I am thinking I am 75. I thought I was 74 but I was told I was 75.I have never been so sick, not even during the 30-month civil war that I was stumbling under farm of yams or cassava.But this sicknessI dont know, but I came out better. All those who saw me before said I look much better when I came back.But I have explained it to the public that as a General, I used to give orders. But now, I take orders. The doctors told me to feed my stomach and sleep for longer hours. That is why I am looking much better.Buhari said he appreciated the visit because he respects good neigbourliness both at individual and national levels.He said that was why immediately after his inauguration as President in 2015, his first foreign trip was to Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Benin Republic.If you are in good terms with your neigbours, then you can make some savings for development.But if you start fighting your neigbours, then I am afraid the resources you have you will lose it in trying to be very clever.So I try to be very close to my neigbours both individually and nationally. I thank you very much for being very good neigbours, he added.The President admitted that 2017 has been a tough year for Nigeria.He expressed the hope that next year would be more prosperous for the country.
Prophet Anene Nwachukwu of Rhema Deliverance Mission, Lagos, has released his prophecies for 2018.

Prophet Anene Nwachukwu of Rhema Deliverance Mission, Lagos, has released his prophecies for 2018.

According to him, there will be greater turmoil in the political arena in 2018, months before the 2019 general elections.





He also urged older politicians that have dominated Nigerias political space for long to vacate the space for the younger generation with fresh ideas to move the country forward.





In an interview with the Sun Newspaper, he said: We will witness a better Nigeria in 2018. However, we must pray seriously.





There will be serious political crises. The National Assembly will be at loggerheads with the presidency and vice versa. There will be a lot of intra and inter-party squabbles.





Nigerians must pray hard to avert the confusion and its dire consequences.





We need young men with fresh ideas to carry the youths along. Good people are afraid to come into politics because evil people have occupied the space and frustrate genuine people.




Millions of Nigerians celebrated Christmas on long queues at filling stations as the scarcity of petrol continue in the territory.

Millions of Nigerians celebrated Christmas on long queues at filling stations as the scarcity of petrol continue in the territory.Long queues were observed in most fuel stations visited on Monday, which included NNPC, Oando and Total filling stations.Mr Chris Abiti, in an interview, said he and his family have been at the NNPC Mega Station in Central Area for more than an hour and its getting closer to his turn.Abiti said that something urgent needed to be done to avert the recurrent scarcity during festivities, especially Christmas and New Year seasons.Its not the leadership problem or government at fault. Its a systemic failure of some private company and individuals causing the problems.Something urgent most be done to spare Nigerians from this yearly agony. We should not continue like this, he said.Abiti added that NNPC mega station was better than other fuel stations because the queue moving.In a separate interview, Aminu Ibrahim, said he was not happy about the fuel situation, festive season should be enjoyed and not spent in the fuel station.He called on the Federal Government to passionately look into the fuel problem in 2018.Similarly, Mr Teso Joseph, disclosed that he has been at Oando filling station at Zone 4 for over five hours and that the queue is not really moving.He said the station staff sell to some selected people and also in kegs.NAN reports that fuel scarcity began in Abuja and other parts of the country since early December.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Tuesday said that Intelligence gathering is very important and perhaps the major key they (NAF) adopts in unleashing positive attacks on Boko Haram terrorists.The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, AVM Olatokunbo Adesanya, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, noting that it is intensifying efforts in the fight against insurgency and other crimes in the country.Adesanya said NAF and other services had since 2015 intensified efforts to decimate the insurgents.He said the terrorists no longer held any of the countrys territories not even hoisting their flags in these areas, adding that they were now attacking soft targets.He said that what the service was doing basically, especially in the fight against the insurgents, was Intelligence Surveillance Recognisance (ISR) mission.He said the aim of ISR was to gather intelligence which NAFs fighter jets would later share with surface forces in the battle field and launch attacks on the insurgents hideouts and their logistics.The director added that the service had devoted a lot of resources, especially in the area of intelligence gathering, which led to the recovery of some of the Chibok girls and other hostages held by the insurgents.With intelligence gathering, we are able to bomb their logistics and supply lines. And these usually cripple their plans to regroup and restraegise to attack soft targets.We have been doing these on regular basis and it has gone a long way in disorganising the terrorists, he said.Adesanya also said that apart from the aerial support in the fight against the insurgents, NAF had contributed immensely to the ground troops .We have also contributed immensely in the area of evacuating victims of the insurgency to a safer place for better treatment.As well as supplying logistics to the troops, especially food, to feed the personnel located in remote areas in the North-East, he said.He said the service had also ensured that there was peace throughout the country by deploying its personnel to all the six geo-political zones.In the South-South, we are on steady air patrol and this has enabled the service to destroy several oil bages containing stolen crude oil.We are ever on the lookout for pipeline vandals and other miscreants who pose threats to the nations critical assets.In the South-West, we have been able to contain oil bunkering and other criminal activities, especially in the Arepo Area of Ogun, and other threats from other zones of the country.In the South-East, we have also deployed our personnel to ensure peace in the area, especially during the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) disturbance, he said.The director said the service would continue to ensure the security of the country, including protection of lives and property.
A Jersey City man serving a 12-year sentence in the strangling death of a New York man is getting a new trial, thanks to the details of his confession to the crime.

In a decision released Tuesday, a state appeals court overturned the manslaughter conviction of Anwar Belton because when he admitted to the crime, his version of events suggested the death occurred while he was defending another person, and that negated his guilt.

Belton admitted putting Victor Castillo in a headlock in an Atlantic City motel room in early 2010, but said he was trying to get Castillo to stop biting a prostitute with whom the man was having an altercation, the decision said.

Castillo later died from suffocation due to the severe headlock.

Anwar Belton

Belton said he had only met the woman that night, but rushed to her aid when she and Castillo began fighting.

Belton, 37, was initially charged with murder. In a deal with prosecutors, he agreed to plead guilty to aggravated manslaughter.

(The woman, Ericka Pugh, of Harlem, N.Y., was also initially charged with murder, and has since served a five-year manslaughter term.)

The trial judge accepted Bolton's plea, despite concerns from the prosecutor that Belton - in admitting his actions - had actually provided himself a defense by saying he was only "trying to stop (Castillo) from hurting (Pugh)," the decision said.

After hearing this, the judge and defense attorney should have probed the possibility of a "defense of others," argument, the appeals court said.

Belton once before attempted to appeal his conviction, unsuccessfully. In that decision, the court said biting was not considered serious bodily harm, and the "defense of others" argument was a "frivolous pursuit."

The current appeal, though, took a new look at the case and Belton's plea - which they found defective. Appellate judges also said the previous decision minimized the biting.

"Serious bodily harm could certainly result from the victim biting (the woman's) hand so firmly that (she) could not extricate it; and so stubbornly that the victim would not relent despite defendant's placement of a headlock," they wrote.

"The jaw is a powerful instrument."

Belton was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2013, with a mandatory minimum of 10. He's currently at a prison in South Jersey.

The appeals court ordered his pre-conviction bail restored and a trial court review within 30 days.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A jury has convicted two Newark men on 17 counts of drug-related charges for their roles in what prosecutors called a "substantial operation" to distribute narcotics in the North Ward of the city.

Adalberto Garcia, 27, and Ramon Vega, 58, were convicted on conspiracy, drug possession and drug distribution charges earlier this month after a trial before Superior Court Judge Martin Cronin, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino said in a release.

Vega and Garcia were arrested on Clifton Avenue in August of last year after an investigation by the Essex County Sheriff's Office. The men were charged with 30 counts, including intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school and multiple counts of drug possession including ecstasy, oxycodone, tramadol, Xanax, cocaine and marijuana. The two were acquitted on gun related charges.

Both men, who have prior convictions, will be sentenced on Feb. 13 and could face 20 years to life in prison.

"It is clear that the defendants were not only selling narcotics to drug users, but also sold to low level drug dealers. This was a substantial operation that distributed narcotics to the entire North Ward of Newark, New Jersey," Assistant Prosecutor Sean Dickson said.

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.
The state-appointed superintendent for Newark schools will step down in February, paving the way for the district to select its own leader for the first time in 22 years.

Superintendent Christopher Cerf announced last week he would resign on Feb. 1 -- the same day the state's takeover of Newark schools will officially end.

"Now is the time to focus on how we can all work together to ensure an orderly transition proceeds when we return from winter recess," Cerf wrote in an email to district employees on Thursday, hours after the School Advisory Board accepted his resignation. "To be clear, the most important action the board will take in the coming months is the search for and selection of a permanent superintendent."

The state Board of Education seized control of Newark's public schools in 1995 after a state probe accused district officials in a 1,798 page report of mismanagement, neglect and corruption. Since then, the state has appointed the district's superintendents, who have veto power over the local school board.

After years of raucous battles between state-appointed school leaders and Newarkers who felt they had little say in the governing of their schools, the state in September approved returning local control of the district. Last week, the state approved a transition plan, that details a timeline and the search process for a new superintendent.

"This plan puts the district in the best position to transition to full local control, while ensuring that it builds on the progress it has made over the years," Governor Chris Christie said in a statement after the plan was approved. The plan was assembled by district leaders, the school board, Mayor Ras Baraka's office and input from the public.

Under the transition plan:

On Feb. 1, the School Advisory Board will no longer be advisory and become a fully-functioning Newark Board of Education, giving it the power to hire and fire its own superintendent.

Newark residents will vote on Nov. 6, 2018 on whether they want an elected school board or one appointed by the mayor.

The transition plan will set milestones and guide the district through Jan. 31, 2020

A new superintendent will be selected by May 31 headed by a search committee of three board members, three Newark leaders jointly selected by the mayor and education commissioner, and one member appointed by the commissioner.

The new superintendent, who is in charge of the day-to-day management of 64 public schools, will begin July 1.

Cerf, a former state education commissioner, was appointed to the district in 2015. Under his tenure, student scores on the state standardized exam known as PARCC have risen, as have graduation rates. The district increased its retention rate of effective and highly effective teachers to 96 percent, submitted a balanced budget and sold closed school buildings to plug the deficit.



Once Cerf resigns, Deputy Superintendent Robert Gregory will take over as interim superintendent until a permanent replacement is found.

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.
Two New Jersey residents were killed in Delaware on Saturday when their vehicle was hit head-on by a man sought in a carjacking, according to Delaware State Police.

The victims, a 77-year-old man and a 92-year-old woman, both from Mantua Township, were exiting Delaware Park Casino in Newark shortly before 5 p.m. when their 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis was struck by a 2015 Nissan Altima driven by Stephen R. Goodman, 33, of Wilmington, Delaware.

Goodman entered the casino property at a high rate of speed and had passed several vehicles before crossing a double-yellow centerline and slamming into the Mercury, police said.

The 77-year-old driver died at the scene, while his passenger died later at Christiana Hospital. Goodman was transported to Christiana Hospital with serious injuries.

Goodman was wanted by Wilmington Police for stealing the Nissan during a carjacking earlier Saturday, police said.

Investigators confirmed that Goodman was not being chased by police at the time of the crash.

He was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, carjacking, receiving stolen property, driving at an unreasonable speed and driving while suspended.

Police have not released the names of the victims because authorities are still trying to notify next of kin.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
At last January's Women's March on New Jersey, civil rights activist Edith Savage-Jennings spoke before 7,500 people who showed up for the local rally at the Statehouse in Trenton.

"I beg and implore you," Savage-Jennings told the fired up crowd, "do not let this be your last march."

For many marchers, it won't be their last women's rally. The organizers of the Women's March on New Jersey say they are planning an encore event Jan. 20 in Morristown.

Women's March on New Jersey 2018 will be one of dozens of marches across the country that will try to continue the momentum and spirit of the massive 2017 Women's March on Washington, D.C., and its sister marches. The grass roots movement, which began after the election of Donald Trump, was designed to send the new president a message about women's rights and other issues on the eve of his inauguration.

Many organizers are hoping to make the marches an annual event.

"This time we'll go beyond our state capital to amplify our voices to the people across New Jersey. We seek to encourage them to use their power to vote instead of relying on the elected officials we have," Elizabeth Meyer, an activist from Branchburg who founded last year's Women's March on New Jersey, said in her announcement of the 2018 march.

The Jan. 20 march will begin at 11 a.m. at Morristown Town Hall on South Street, then continue to Morristown Green, where a series of speakers will address the crowd, organizers said. The event is expected to last three hours.

Meyer said organizers have secured the permits for the march and are working with police and parking authorities on the logistics. No tickets are needed to attend, though marchers are asked to register to help get a headcount for planning purposes.

Morristown was chosen to host the event because it is home to several grassroots organizations and has open space to hold what is expected to be a large crowd.

The town, with its Revolutionary War history, also fits the march's motto "Power to the Polls," a focus on getting people to the polls for November's mid-term elections.

"We will be marching (and freezing) in the footsteps of revolutionaries that have come before us. What better grounds for women and allies to gather who are staging a revolution of our own?," Meyer said.

By some estimates, the 2017 Women's March movement was the largest single-day demonstration in recorded U.S. history, with between 3 million and 5 million people participating in more than 600 marches and events nationwide.

New Jersey sent at least 300 charter buses to the Women's March on Washington, where an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 people marched.

In addition to the 7,500 people who showed up at the Women's March on New Jersey in Trenton in January, several thousand marchers participated in a similar event in Asbury Park. Other Women's Marches were held in Mount Laurel, Pompton Plains, Westfield and Wyckoff.

Among the other 2018 Women's March events:

The organizers of last year's national Women's March on Washington, D.C., are planning an anniversary event -- a

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Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook.
Early last week, New Jerseyans were smitten by the inspiring career story of Jared Pilosio, a former Chris Christie intern who just five years ago was tasked with ambushing the teacher's union director in an attempt to catch him in some awkward YouTube moment.

The James O'Keefe-wannabe has come a long way since being hatched in Lee Atwater's basement: After failing at political skullduggery in Feb. 2012, Pilosio was rewarded with a job under David Wildstein at the Port Authority, and three years later, at age 27, he nearly doubled his salary at New Jersey Transit.

And now he manages $1.8 billion in Superstorm Sandy resiliency projects at NJT.

Political connections are sticky glue for the governing class, but Christie has turned it into an especially repugnant form of adhesive: The Record reported Monday that NJ Transit has hired or promoted 10 executives with connections to his administration since 2014 - all while the agency was circling the drain - with eight of those 10 salaries north of $141,000.

This isn't to suggest Pilosio doesn't have talent, because video cameras are hard to keep still when you are chasing your boss's political enemies through restrooms and such.

But we wonder whether this is the kind of public servant Gov.-elect Phil Murphy had in mind Wednesday, when he called NJ Transit a "national disgrace" and vowed to "not just clean the house, but to knock it down and rebuild" it, because NJT must be given a "commuter-focused and future-focused leadership."

It's an overdue assessment. The nation's third-largest commuter rail system is an omnishambles, and Murphy needs to remember it got that way because of his predecessor's spoils system.

The consequences were described by former NJT Chief Compliance Officer Todd Barretta in September, when he told a joint committee that the inexcusably employed allies of Christie used their authority "to terrorize every other employee," leading to an evacuation of qualified personnel.

It's unclear whether Murphy and his new major domo for transportation, Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, grasp the toxic environment these patronage hires have created.

But anyone can see the consequences: Under eight years of Christie's stewardship, NJT has known mostly for budget shortfalls, horrendous service, rate increases, safety violations, federal sanctions, aging equipment, discrimination suits, derailments, management dysfunction, and a death on the platform in Hoboken.

Yes, and for drowning $120 million worth of rolling stock in a swamp during a hurricane.

It was all part of that "media-created crisis" Christie derided last year.

But just as it was at the Port Authority, Christie's NJT will mostly be known for patronage, and its effects on organizational morale and performance.

Assemblyman John Wisniewski calls NJT "a case study of Christie's approach to government in the extreme - you hire your friends, you take away money to serve your own (political) needs, and hide problems until you can dump them on your successor. And through it all, the public be damned."

Gutierrez-Scaccetti, a rock-solid choice, has a knotty task ahead as NJT Board Chairman and head of the Department of Transportation. She must find a director who can help her reverse an intractable budget problem, find new sources of revenue, make a real commitment to public service, and get the implementation of positive train control - the collision-avoidance system - back on schedule. And she has to do it while Gateway funding is in doubt.

But it all starts with re-staffing: The existing management culture must be purged.

There are 11,000 people who work at NJT, and most of them are dedicated state workers who are just as flummoxed by the degradation of what was once a national model. Murphy owes it to these employees - and to 924,000 daily commuters - to provide them with better leadership.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
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Don Cheadle arrives at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards - Universal Music Group After Party at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in Los Angeles.(Willy Sanjuan/AP Photo)
A large portion of a famed Magnolia tree, at left, planted on the south grounds of the White House by President Andrew Jackson in 1835 has become too weak to remain standing, in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017. Removal is planned for this week while President Donald Trump and his family are away for the holidays. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)(Andrew Harnik)
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.
SCHLESWIG  Crossgrain Woodworking received the Iowa Small Business Development Center Business of the Month award for December.

Owner Devon Evers didnt necessarily set out to start a woodworking company, but what started out as a hobby quickly morphed into something much larger.

While he was working on a farm between Kiron and Deloit, he built a cabinet for himself.

His sister posted a picture of the cabinet on Facebook, which was the spark that started everything.

She posted it, and somebody asked if I would build them a piece, Evers told The Denison Bulletin & Review. I did that, and it turned out well, and another person asked for a piece.

And another, and then another.

Pretty soon, I was working late evenings and weekends after work, he said. Id be working in my basement at my house and building all these pieces, and I really liked it a lot. It came to the point where I knew I wanted to do it full time.

He did a lot of saving money and a lot of praying.

I wanted it to be a Christian-based company, I knew that, he said. Thats where Crossgrain came along  A little bit of cross grain wood and Christ.

Evers added: I wanted to help others with what we are doing, spread the word and live my life the way he wants me to.

In 2014, he built a woodshop that took up about a third of a barn on his parents farm.

It was just me in this tiny little area, he said. You could hardly build two pieces and have enough room to move around.

Evers worked 11- and 12-hour days, and the business started to take off. He took his works to vendor shows in Des Moines, Sioux City and Lincoln, Nebraska, as well as to the former Uptown Market in Denison.

Evers worked to build the brand by giving donations to fundraisers for the Monarch Boosters and Pheasants Forever.

As the business grew, he started receiving calls from farther and farther away.

Our first big one was for a conference table in Des Moines for a social media company, Evers said. To this day, I dont know how they found me.

The company, Happy Medium, ordered a 10-foot by 4-foot solid oak conference table.

Once the table was finished, delivering it became another adventure that involved transporting the table on a tiny trailer and then getting it up a narrow flight of stairs and around several corners.

It was a learning experience, Evers said. It was fun and we kind of cut our teeth on that.

In February 2015, he decided Crossgrain Woodworking needed a bigger space. He had just hired his first employee, Phil Wieman, when he moved the business to Schleswig.

Phil came along and he has been awesome, Evers said. He started out talented and its amazing now to see what he can do. I can throw him a project and (when its done) its exactly how I would have built it.

Crossgrain Woodworkings new location is right next to Cheetas Bar & Grill.

I wanted a bigger space and I wanted to have a face to the business, and this place worked out well because it was right uptown, he said.

Chamber & Development Council of Crawford County Executive Director Evan Blakley helped Evers secure financing through Region XII Council of Governments. Todd Rausch, SBDC regional director, also helped.

Evers bought new tools and equipped the building for business.

It was very nerve-racking, he said. I didnt go to school for business or anything like that.

His biggest achievement has been learning how to run a business and manage employees, he said. He has one full-time employee and one part-time employee.

Business is booming, though.

It seems pretty consistent that we have 20 to 25 projects at any time on our waiting list, Evers said.

They dont exactly work an assembly-line process, but he and his workers have become very good at building tables, he said.

We can get a full table done in a week but I think we are about six weeks out typically on new table orders, Evers said.

Along with tables, the company specializes in sliding barn doors, shiplap wall coverings, cabinets and hutches.

Their most unusual item so far is the tower for an 8-foot high, 1,850 pound bell for Immanuel Lutheran Church in Schleswig.

The company purchases lumber from dealers all across Iowa and they go as far as Wisconsin to purchase reclaimed oak.

One of their biggest projects was to make 30 tables, a wooden stage floor and all the custom doors for the new Stables on Copper Ridge event center in Denison.

That was a big milestone for us, Evers said. A lot of times were building one or two one-off custom pieces. With that we built 30 tables that all had to look the same.

Everss next step will be to build a design studio that will be separate from the workshop. He also plans to move beyond just woodworking.

Were getting into a lot more modern pieces, with more steel and industrial looks, he said. I think were willing to change with the time. I dont just want to be known as a company that builds rustic furniture.
WEST DES MOINES  Approximately 12,000 Iowa members of the armed services and their families will receive pork care packages from the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation and Iowa Select Farms to celebrate the holiday season, according to information released through Iowa Select Farms.

Every member of all Iowa military units will receive $40 worth of coupons good for various pork products, including pork, ham, ribs, bacon and ground pork, equating to $480,000 in free pork, according to the press release.

Were very thankful for our troops and proud to be able to support them during the holidays, said Jeff Hansen, president and CEO of Iowa Select Farms and co-founder of the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation. We know that we could never repay the debt we owe to them for our security, but bringing military families together for a festive meal is our humble way of trying.

Employees of Iowa Select Farms are delivering the pork care packages to all units of the Iowa National Guard, along with the 132nd Fighter Wing, Iowa Air National Guard; 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard; U.S. Army Reserves; U.S. Navy Reserves; and U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. Pork care packages were also delivered to the Iowa National Guards Survivor Outreach Services for 600 Iowa families of fallen soldiers.

The pork care packages have received wonderful feedback, said Jen Sorenson, communications director for Iowa Select Farms. Coming together to share a meal is so important for families, especially this time of year. We know that some of the fondest memories are made around the table, and we hope that these care packages can help families make wonderful memories together.

The coupons can be redeemed at any local grocery store, regardless of brand or cut. They can be used for a variety of pork products, from ribs and bacon to pork. This is the fourth consecutive year that Iowa Select Farms and the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation have provided the pork care packages to military families.
The bounty hunter broke into a house in east Omaha, terrorized a family by sweeping through and clearing rooms with gun drawn and then ... realized he was at the wrong place.

In turn, prosecutors in January filed felony burglary charges against Duane Wilson III  a 25-year-old rookie employee with Gallagher Bail Bonds in Council Bluffs.

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine blasted Tom Gallaghers bounty hunters, comparing them to vigilantes and saying they arent welcome in Omaha.

Now an unlikely source has ridden to the bondsmans rescue.

Douglas County District Judge Shelly Stratman has dismissed the burglary charge against Wilson, ruling that the bounty hunters actions were not out of line with court rulings that govern the actions of bounty hunters. She agreed with Assistant Public Defender Scott Sladeks arguments, citing state law and admittedly dated court rulings governing bounty hunters.

One of those: a 1957 Nebraska Supreme Court ruling that says the state may not interfere with the (bondsmans) control over someone on bail. Another: an 1872 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said bail bondsmen may pursue a bail skipper into another state; may arrest him on the Sabbath; and, if necessary, may break and enter his house for that purpose.

Stratman wrote: If the state desires to curtail the broad powers of bail bondsmen, then it ought to do so legislatively rather than through selective criminal prosecution.

Kleine said he eventually may ask the Nebraska Legislature to draw up more laws to rein in bounty hunters. But first, he said, his office will appeal the judges dismissal of the case.

Kleines paramount concern: the peril of such confrontations. Fugitives should be apprehended by officers in the Metro Area Fugitive Task Force, not by armed vigilantes, Kleine said.

And Kleine had an even more pointed concern: This bounty hunter broke into the wrong house.

That is at least one difference-maker here, Kleine said. This isnt the house of the person who skipped bail. Its the house of a family who was totally innocent and was terrorized. Something very bad could have happened.

According to police reports:

Gallaghers business was looking for a 17-year-old who had been bailed out of the Pottawattamie County Jail. The teen had failed to show up for his court date.

The morning of Monday, Jan. 30, a couple and their 13-year-old daughter were at their house near North 13th and Fort Streets in Omaha.

Margaret Vazquez, 37, and the 13-year-old heard a knock at their door. Before they could open it, a white man forced the door open, smashing a hole in the drywall.

Someone pushed open the front door with gun drawn, the police report says.

Vazquez repeatedly asked who the man was but didnt get a response. Vazquez said the suspect had his finger on the trigger and looked ready to shoot at any time as he walked through the house clearing rooms like a SWAT team wannabe.

The intruder left. Once he was out of the house, Vazquez demanded to know who he was. He displayed a badge that didnt look like a police shield or a sheriffs star, the woman said.

He then went next door and knocked on the door of the Vazquezes neighbor. At some point he figured out that the address he was looking for was on 13th Street East, 2 miles away.

The family was rocked by the intrusion. The daughter is now afraid to sleep in her own home and (is) now talking with her school counselor as she is afraid all the time, a police report said.

Wilson wasnt carrying a gun, Gallagher has said. The bail bondsman said he doesnt carry a gun, and neither do his employees.

Omaha police disagree. They noted that the bounty hunter eventually found the right address. There, the fugitives mother told police she heard pounding on the door and someone yell OPD!

He then began to yell that he wanted her son, according to the police report. The white male then began to search all the rooms in the house ... gun in his hand.

In an interview with Omaha police, Wilson said his flashlight might have been confused with a handgun.

Wilson stated that he knows that Nebraska does not recognize bounty hunters but felt that he still had the right to enter the residence, the report said.

Stratman essentially agreed.

The district judge, a former prosecutor, wrote that Nebraska, unlike other states, has a paucity of laws governing bounty hunters. Basically, two vague paragraphs are devoted to the subject.

A search of Nebraska law ... yields little guidance ... (or) parameters for their conduct, Stratman wrote.

By contrast, Stratman cited 15 other states that have laws that are at least twice as long as Nebraskas and that specifically regulate bounty hunters conduct.

One of those states: Iowa.

Iowas regulations include the requirement that bounty hunters notify law enforcement of their plans to apprehend a bail jumper.

In bringing charges against Wilson, Deputy Douglas County Attorney Jim Masteller had noted an Iowa case that was extremely similar to this one.

In 1997 a bounty hunter was convicted of burglary after he broke into the Des Moines mobile home of a couple and their three children. The bounty hunter kicked open a door  knocking the male homeowner into a wall. He declared he was looking for some Mexicans and threatened to smack the female homeowner if she didnt shut up.

He then realized he was in the wrong home, apologized and went to the right place  the trailer next door.

A jury convicted him of burglary. In upholding the bounty hunters conviction, the Iowa Supreme Court wrote that the 1872 U.S. Supreme Court ruling does not lend support for the proposition that a bounty hunter has some authority to break into the home of an innocent party.

Kleine said his attorneys will point to that ruling in their appeal of Wilsons case.

He agreed with Judge Stratman that the law may need expansion. But it doesnt negate Kleines belief that Wilson committed burglary by invading the sanctity of a familys home.

If this is allowed to happen, in effect they could just start breaking into houses all over the place to find the person theyre looking for, Kleine said. You simply cant allow this kind of behavior.

This isnt the first time Omaha authorities have sounded alarms about bounty hunters.

Last year Omaha police were called to an armed standoff in the parking lot of the Relax Inn, 60th and L Streets. In that case, prosecutors say, a fugitive and bondsman both displayed guns  and Omaha police were left to sort out who was the bad guy.

In August 2016, Kleine considered charges against a Council Bluffs bail bonds employee after several bystanders reported a possible kidnapping in Omaha. That kidnapper turned out to be a bounty hunter.

On Nov. 20, 2017, a Council Bluffs man wanted on driving under suspension charges alleged that four employees of Gallaghers manhandled him at the Quik Trip on the Northwest Radial near Hamilton Street. The Omaha City Prosecutors Office has cited the employees with misdemeanor assault and false imprisonment.

Gallagher didnt return phone calls last week seeking comment. In previous interviews he has lamented that Omaha authorities are preventing him from doing his job.

People think the (Missouri) River is a magic line they can hide behind, Gallagher said. With Kleine supporting that, its made my life hell. Were going to do what the law allows us to do.

Kleine said he is, too.

When you allow people to act as vigilantes, it can put a lot of innocent people in jeopardy, Kleine said. Im going to do everything I possibly can to prevent this activity from going on.
TREYNOR  Roland Burger is always the first one to arrive, ready to give. And in the process, hes saved hundreds of lives.

When a blood drive is set up at the Treynor Community Center, Burger will be there to sit back in a chair, relax his arm and donate a pint.

On Dec. 14, the 91-year-old World War II army veteran gave gallon No. 29, pint No. 3 of the red stuff to the American Red Cross.

The organization said each pint can save up to three lives  meaning Burger has possibly saved more than 700 people he has never  and probably will never  know.

God gave me a healthy body and a good life, so I try to help others, was the reply Burger gave when asked why he donates blood. Plain and simple. Theres always a need. If you can give blood, you should.

Burger, originally from De Witt, Nebraska, wounded up in Treynor in an odd twist of fate following his military service.

While in the Army, Burger said he would donate blood because a superior officer told him doing so would get him a weekend leave pass.

Whether or not that was true, Burger did not know. But donate he did  a pass followed, he said with a laugh.

After he came home from his military service  he ended his service as a medic  Burgers current flame broke his heart and went off with another man. He was in the hunt for a change when he struck up a conversation with a man who just so happened to own some farmland near Treynor.

Well sir, in 1947 he offered me 90 bucks a month plus room and board to come out and work the fields, Burger recalled.

Goodbye, Nebraska. Hello, Iowa.

Burger has been a Treynor man ever since, and it was in Treynor he eventually met and married his wife, Wilma.

Together, they raised two children, including a daughter, Emily Hoegh.

Burger had not kept up donating blood after his military service.

But when Hoegh needed open heart surgery in 1975 while she was still in high school, he came to see the need for blood donations once more.

I started donating again. I set a goal for 20 gallons in my life, Burger said.

That goal has easily been surpassed, and Burger doesnt plan to stop anytime soon. As long as they let him keep donating, hell keep the blood pumping.

Which is good, because the Red Cross states Burger, who donates every 56 days as is the regulation, is part of 3.4 million blood donors who do so regularly.

The process is simple and usually takes less than 15 minutes, during which Burger usually chats with other donors and Red Cross workers.

Im always here, every 56 days, Burger said.

On Dec. 14, Burger was joined by his daughter, Linda Anderson, and his nephew Austin Schmidt. The trio donated blood together, something Burger said he was very proud of.

I think its so neat, he said. From now on, if they want to donate, Ill go with them.

For more information on donating blood, go to redcross.org/give-blood.

Nonpareil photographer Joe Shearer contributed to this story.
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BLUE GRASS  Police say all four people killed by an early Christmas morning house fire in eastern Iowa belonged to one family.

The blaze erupted a little after 12:30 a.m. Monday in Blue Grass. Police say one of the four people inside the home managed to escape but died later at a hospital. The three others perished inside the ranch-style house.

Blue Grass police Sgt. Garrett Jahns said Tuesday that he couldn't release any of the victims' names or ages yet but that the four were related.

State Fire Marshal Division spokesman Ron Humphrey says the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Blue Grass is a community of about 1,500 residents 150 miles (240 kilometers) east of Des Moines.
An effort to mitigate flooding and improve water quality throughout Iowa continues as the state announced the creation of an award for watershed stakeholders.

The Iowa Watershed Approach is a five-year project funded by a $96.6 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant. Leading the effort is the University of Iowa-based Iowa Flood Center and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

In conjunction with that work, the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance has partnered with Iowa State University, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Districts of Iowa to create the new Iowa Watershed Award to honor watershed coordinators in the state. The alliance was created by Iowa Corn, the Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association.

The award will recognize up to five honorees that receive funding for their local watershed program and for their own professional development, according to the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance.

Iowas watershed coordinators are critical to the future success of improving water quality and meeting the goals of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, said Sean McMahon, executive director of the alliance.

In southwest Iowa, the West Nishnabotna River Watershed Authority and East Nishnabotna River Watershed Authority have brought together stakeholders from government, business, agriculture and the nonprofit sector to tackle clean water issues. Cara Marker-Morgan with Golden Hills Resource Conservation and Development in Oakland is the watershed coordinator for both the West and East Nish.

Across Iowa, watershed communities are working together to improve water quality, build soil health and reduce flood risk. Watershed coordinators, project staff who provide partnership-based management and stewardship in a watershed, are a key ingredient to the success of these locally driven water quality efforts, the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance said in a release.

The West Nishnabotna River watershed stretches from around Aspinwall in Crawford County to the north and down to Sidney in the south and touches about 27 towns and 10 counties.

The East Nishnabotna River watershed stretches from Templeton in Carroll County south to Riverton in Fremont County and includes portions of 19 towns and nine counties.

Water has no respect for our political boundaries, Allen Bonini with the Department of Natural Resources said during a meeting earlier this year in Oakland. This mechanism allows us to address it in this context. A city or county might participate in multiple WMAs.

Recipients of the Iowa Watershed Award will be announced at the two-day Iowa Water Conference, scheduled to begin March 21 in Ames. Applications are currently being accepted until Jan. 31 and will be evaluated by a panel of judges.
The weather forecast this week for the region is simple: Cold.

Snowfall this week wont be significant in western Iowa, but cold air will dominate.

Two meteorologists said on Christmas Day that the entire week will be chilling.

Only Thursday will provide a bit of relief. Both the National Weather Service and AccuWeather said Thursday will bring a high in the mid-20s.

Were just in a pattern thats allowing a lot of the cold air up in Canada to come barreling down, said Dave Fobert, a Weather Service meteorologist based in Valley, Nebraska. Its going to be considerably colder than what weve seen so far this season.

Fobert said there would be light amounts of snow, if any, this week.

Mike Doll, meteorologist with Pennsylvania-based AccuWeather, generally agreed that it would fairly dry and extremely cold.

There might be a bit of snow Thursday, Doll said. That doesnt look to be a major event.

Overnight lows will drop below zero, Fobert said. Wednesday morning will be especially cold, he said, at 5-10 below. Early morning of the last day of the year, Sunday, might be equally cold, he said.

Doll said he didnt expect record-breaking cold in the Council Bluffs-Omaha metro area. The record low for Dec. 27 in Omaha is 15 below, Doll said, set in 1886.

But temperatures generally will be 15 degrees below normal for this time of year, he said.

After the minor warmup on Thursday, temperatures will descend again. Fobert said early morning of the last day of the year, Sunday, might be as cold as Wednesday.

Doll said the entire central United States will endure cold air out of Canada this week. Some spots in Nebraska, such as Valentine, will have slightly colder temperatures than Omaha.

Doll advised that people check on elderly relatives, friends and neighbors; that they let water drip a bit and run the heat somewhat so that pipes dont freeze; and that pets not be forgotten outside.
Morgan Kinkade, a Council Bluffs native and currently a student at the University of Northern Iowa, plans to travel coast to coast next summer, but not in a car or in a plane.

Shell rely on pure foot power, and shell do it for a good cause.

Kinkade will be among 30 students nationwide participating in the 4K for Cancer, a program of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, a nonprofit organization. Its a run to raise funds and awareness of young adults with cancer, Kinkade said.

Her team of runners will cover 4,000-plus miles from San Francisco to New York City from June 17 through Aug. 4, 2018. Two other teams will head from San Francisco to other east coast cities. Each runner will be expected to cover between six and 16 miles per day.

There will be periodical rest days and the runners will get the chance to visit with cancer patients, offer support and learn more about cancer treatments. There will even be college scholarships handed out to patients.

I will also have the leadership position as the trainer of our team, she said. This means I will lead stretches, help prevent injuries and help rehab any injuries.

Every runner like herself will be required to raise at least $4,500 prior to the run to help support services to these particular cancer victims and their families. Its also hoped that donations can be raised along the route, she added.

Each evening, the runners will be hosted by community churches, schools, YMCAs and other organizations offering a place to sleep.

Kinkade has gotten involved not only because she enjoys running, but because cancer has affected her family over the years.

I want to help people who are in hospitals, she said. Im seeking fundraising ideas.

Though the exact run route wont be announced until next month, its very possible it will come through the Council Bluffs area, Kinkade said.

Even if it doesnt, theres a good chance one of the other running teams may come through here, she added.
Russian-appointed authorities in the occupied Ukrainian city of Kherson say power is being partially restored following what they have called a Ukrainian terrorist attack on power lines. The southern city was cut off from power and water supplies on Sunday after three power lines were damaged in the region that Moscow illegally annexed in September. Ukrainian officials have not responded to the allegations, although officials have previously claimed that Russia was deliberately turning off the power in order to force civilians to evacuate in anticipation of a Ukrainian counteroffensive to retake the city. Rolling blackouts around Ukraine continued on Monday.
For the prosecution team at the Pottawattamie County Courthouse, putting together the case against Wesley Correa-Carmenaty was a practice in organizing the chaos of several crime scenes spread over two states while holding their grief and anger in check.

The shooting death of Pottawattamie County Sheriffs Deputy Mark Burbridge, the wounding of Deputy Pat Morgan and an Omaha corrections officer, and the carjacking of a Glenwood woman were all carried out by the same man within minutes of each other but separated by miles.

Complicating things was the bitter truth each lawyer, court employee and investigator had to face and yet not focus on  that one of their own was gone.

Everyone here who wanted to be a part of the prosecution was allowed to, Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber said. But some didnt because it was too close to home, which we understood.

Correa-Carmenaty plead guilty to the murder of Burbridge and received a life sentence plus extra time  ensuring he will never again enjoy freedom. But Wilber said they were prepared to go to trial and convince a jury of Correa-Carmenatys guilt.

I would say 90 percent of this job is preparation for battles that never take place, Wilber said.

The scope of the evidence was massive.

The crime scenes were the sally port of the Pottawattamie County Jail where the deputies were shot, the intersection of Big Lake Road and North 16th Street where Correa-Carmenaty tried to carjack a man and shot him, the intersection of 25th Street and Avenue I where he carjacked a woman and then the Cuming Street entrance to Highway 75 in Omaha where Correa-Carmenaty crashed the vehicle and was arrested by Omaha Police Department officers.

Wilber began with assigning tasks and lawyers to each scene. Employees had to work with Omaha authorities and with the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigations laboratory in Ankeny concerning Burbridges autopsy and other major tasks.

Staying organized was the primary goal, Wilber said. We wanted to be sure everything was handled the right way.

But another challenge loomed on the horizon of the investigation: How would the team find an impartial jury for such a high-profile case?

Everyone knew about it, Wilber said.

If given a large enough pool of potential jurors in Pottawattamie County, enough time and resources, Wilber said they probably could have pulled it off.

But they only had three days to pick a jury. In which case, a mistrial would have been declared and a change of venue issued. Most likely in Woodbury County, Wilber added.

But it didnt come to that. Correa-Carmenaty eventually plead guilty to the charges and accepted his sentence.

The courtroom hearing was filled to standing room only with members of Burbridges family, Morgan himself, Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker, more law enforcement and many media organizations.

Leading up to the plea, Wilber had to perform rumor control after he began to receive calls and emails from people purporting hearing Correa-Carmenaty was being offered some kind of deal in return for a guilty plea.

That was never the case, he said. I had to say on record we were not offering a deal. Life in prison, take it or leave it.

Burbridges children spoke to their fathers killer and condemned him. Correa-Carmenaty, through an interpreter, said he felt bad for murdering Burbridge.

Afterward, Wilber said he harbors mixed emotions about the plea. He was disappointed at the time  hundreds of manhours at least  that went into the prosecution to prove their case.

But the relief that came with the guilty plea was substantial. Sparing the family and friends of those hurt by Correa-Carmenatys actions the pain of reliving that day was good for all involved, Wilber said.

And well never worry about appeal issues, he said.

Jury trials are reliably unpredictable. Despite any amount of preparation, jury selection, witness vetting and solid evidence, things can go wrong, Wilber said.

Witnesses can forget things. And, while we were certain of each witness, we had almost 70 people we wanted to call to the stand, he said.

Wilber offered his thanks once more to the area agencies that made the workload bearable, including the Council Bluffs Police Department, the sheriffs office and others.

The plea brought closure and relief, Wilber said, to us, to the families and to the county.
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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.
A new lawyer in North Platte received $10,000 in help moving to town, thanks to the North Platte Area Chamber of Commerce and Development Corporation, as well as her employer.

Audrey Bellew began working for the Brouillette Law Office in North Platte in the fall. WorkNP, an incentive program to recruit workers to North Platte, helped cover her moving costs and other expenses, such as taking the bar exam, she said.

With WorkNP, the Chamber matches up to $5,000 of what the qualifying employer gives, said Gary Person, president and CEO of the Chamber.

Bellew was the first person to benefit from the relocation program.

Employers qualify by paying $20 or more an hour to an employee who relocates to North Platte, said Megan McGown, the Chambers vice president of economic development and marketing. The program works as a loan thats automatically forgiven as long as the employees agree to work for their employer for three years.

The 70 grants have no industry requirement, and the Chamber is flexible on the $20-an-hour threshold, especially if the employee will make that much by the end of the three years, McGown said. Each of the chambers roughly 585 members can be approved for up to two grants. Money comes from the Chambers Quality Growth Funds.

Bellew is a 2011 North Platte High School graduate who attended the University of Nebraska College of Law in Lincoln. Between semesters, she worked as a law clerk for the Brouillette Law Office and shadowed many of the other lawyers. She was offered a full-time job shortly before her last semester of college, she said.

McGown described Bellew as one of our young bright minds that went away to school and came back. While the Chamber hopes the funds help bring in new residents, we also recognize the value of keeping young people here, she said.

North Platte was really good to me, said Bellew, who described involvement on her high school mock trial and speech teams, as well as a great mentor system.

Bellew plans to practice family law, as well as law in the juvenile court system and business law.

I can imagine myself raising kids and having a family in this community, Bellew said.
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, Washington. 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 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, New Jersey, 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, Illinois, about an hour outside of Chicago. The next year, Leahy sent it back. Its still going. Leahy always mails the card from Union, Illinois, 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.
MERRILLVILLE  Fieler Elementary School teachers Kim Drapac and LaToya Tyson jumped at the opportunity to work with young children in a pilot early kindergarten program at the school.

Merrillville schools interim Superintendent Michael Berta said the early kindergarten classes at Fieler are designed to engage students in age-appropriate activities.

"These activities will increase the probability of success in academics now and as the kids progress in school. The class is very success orientated and the kids experience joy in learning," Berta said. "We will monitor the success of these students as they progress in the future."

Berta said discussion already has begun to maintain the Fieler early kindergarten program for the 2018-19 school year as well as possibly expanding the experience for more children next year.

"Providing quality educational experiences for these young students certainly is much more desirable then having to remediate later," he said.

Indiana is one of 35 states that doesn't require kindergarten, and in fact, doesn't mandate that children start school until they are 7. Indiana education leader Jennifer McCormick has said she would like to lower the compulsory attendance age to 5 to require children to be in school two years earlier.

Early kindergarten pilot program

Fieler Principal Lynne Peters said there are 34 4-year-olds in the program right now with a "sizeable" waiting list.

The children are in class all day just like other schoolchildren in the building. There are 461 students in the kindergarten through fourth-grade school.

Peters said administrators believe the early intervention and instruction for children will make a big difference in their academic progress throughout their school years.

"We have many children whose first school experience is when they enter kindergarten," she said. "The early kindergarten program, which is free to parents, allows us to build a foundation. This is the pilot year for it. The children were screened so we had initial data on them. It's a full-day program and students get bus transportation, and some are dropped off to school by their parents."

After children complete the early kindergarten program, they move on to regular kindergarten and are far more ready for it because of this early learning experience, Peters said.

Teachers work to prepare children for school

Drapac and Tyson have both created a fun and cohesive classroom designed to interest the little ones. Both teachers have been trained to work with youngsters and use a curriculum that teaches the children English, Spanish and sign language.

Each classroom offers the children a variety of centers including a drawing center, work tables for letters and sounds and the shape center where they can build puzzles.

Drapac, in her seventh year teaching, transitioned from working in the autistic program.

"Mrs. Tyson and I both thought this was a phenomenal and amazing program," she said. "The goal is not just academics but also social and emotional. In addition to the academics, we teach the children how to be in school and what school is all about.

"In Merrillville, we believe that the earlier the intervention, the better. One of the goals of this program is for them to come loving school, following the rules and learning how to be a respectful citizen. Our curriculum is really good because we have several different cultures in our school district and it exposes them to that. The children are learning sign language and they're grasping that even better than older kids."

Both teachers say sign language has provided an unexpected benefit.

Tyson said it's been a great behavioral benefit in that children can sign when they have to go to the bathroom without interrupting the class.

Tyson, who earned a degree in early childhood education, is in her eighth year at Fieler. She said she is licensed to teach students from birth to third grade. In her time at Fieler, she has taught second grade for five years and for two years at third grade before moving into the early kindergarten program.

"This is the foundation of what we do," Tyson said. "We want to have a positive impact on children especially in the areas of their social and emotional growth, and behavior. Once a child gets an understanding of school and the importance of school, there are fewer issues as they move forward into other grades and they perform better academically."

Tyson said she is a strong proponent of structure, and teaches students what to expect during the school day.

"The first semester, we're busy with making sure that children understand how to be in school," she said, "and second semester, we'll focus heavily on academics."
Nebraskas prison crunch is decades in the making. A potentially forced resolution of sorts looms much nearer.

By July 1, 2020, Nebraska must have a prison population at or below 140 percent of capacity to avoid a prison overcrowding emergency. If the figure exceeds that, state law requires the Board of Parole to immediately consider nearly all parole-eligible inmates for release.

Given that the present prison situation has been caused by countless years of indecision and reactionary policies, it would certainly behoove the state to proactively prepare for this upcoming deadline.

Two-and-a-half years may seem far away, but a thoughtful plan is required to ensure the safety of both the general public and the reintegration of those inmates into society. After all, its been only a little more than three years the Nebraska Legislature passed a handful of criminal justice reform measures after Nikko Jenkins killed four people in Omaha following his release from state custody.

The most recent seven-member legislative committee charged with examining the Nebraskas prisons system notes, in a report issued last week, that a prison overcrowding emergency would be far more sweeping than merely meeting the 140 percent figure.

Instead, state law mandates the inmate population be reduced to 125 percent of its 3,435-person design capacity  requiring the release of more than 1,000 prisoners as it stands today. In itself, that would no doubt be a logistical nightmare. Before their paroles, though, these people also would need to be adequately prepared for re-entry into society.

In his three years in office, Gov. Pete Ricketts has attempted to turn the tide on chronic underfunding to the Nebraska Department of Correctional Service. Hes had some success  most notably, a bonus and incentive program the report indicated has reduced astronomical turnover among prison staffers  but a road as long as Nebraska faces cant simply be traversed overnight.

Nebraska has recently seen a bit of a decline in its prison population. This falls addition of 100 beds at Community Corrections Center-Lincoln helped drop the state from the ignominious perch of second-most-overcrowded prisons in the nation to the fourth. However, the state simply cant  and shouldnt  build its way out of this situation.

All seven recommendations in the committee report  which involved reducing overcrowding, maintaining staff, better readying inmates for their eventual release and closely examining sentencing statutes  are ideas the Journal Star editorial board can wholeheartedly endorse.

Only one of those, however, addresses a ticking time bomb with a concrete deadline. And the committees assessment that it would be prudent planning for the state to be prepared should a number of inmates be considered for parole under this statutory scheme hits the nail on the head.
EAST CHICAGO  Four-year-old Garrion Glover Jr. was watching cartoons in his mothers living room the same night he was allegedly shot and killed by his uncle, newly unsealed court records show.

Lamario E. Delgado-Gonzalez, 23, was taken into custody Dec. 17 in Normal, Illinois, in connection with the May 11 death of Garrion at the boys Indiana Harbor section apartment, East Chicago police said.

Delgado-Gonzalez was extradited Dec. 21 to Lake County and is now in custody at the Lake County Jail on charges of murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death and reckless homicide, court records show.

Delgado-Gonzalez was charged in October, but the court records were sealed until Delgado-Gonzalez's arrest.

The defendant is jailed without bond. A formal court appearance has not yet been scheduled, according to court records.

In interviews with police, Delgado-Gonzalez denied owning a weapon or having any involvement in Garrions death, but Instagram photos from his account show the 23-year-old sitting on the couch and holding a gun in that very apartment, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case.

Mother: Garrion did not shoot himself

Relatives told police after Garrions death the boy must have found a weapon in his apartment and accidentally shot himself, but the Lake County coroner's office later ruled his death a homicide and the investigation continued.

East Chicago police said in June they had been suspicious about inconsistent statements given during the investigation into Garrions death. The boy suffered a gunshot wound to the neck.

Police were dispatched May 11 to the 3500 block of Guthrie Street for a report of an assault with firearm. Garrions mother said she was awakened by a noise in the living room, where Garrion had been watching television and Delgado-Gonzalez had allegedly been sleeping on the couch.

The child was found lying on the floor on his back, bleeding from the mouth, not far from the couch where Delgado-Gonzalez had been sleeping, court records show. When the mothers boyfriend tried to wake Garrion up, Delgado-Gonzalez allegedly stirred awake and asked what happened.

Garrions mother told police she did not believe her son could have shot himself.

Police located a .45 caliber semiautomatic handgun on a pile of clothes across from the couch. A spent shell casing was found stuck in the gun.

A computer check showed the weapon used was registered to a person out of South Bend. Police called the persons guardian and she said the gun had been missing for about three years, but no one reported it stolen.

The boys mother told police Garrion had never touched a real gun and that she did not allow weapons in her house, according to court records.

Police: Uncle said he was asleep, high

Asked about that night, Delgado-Gonzalez initially told police in an interview he had been in a (marijuana) coma, and offered no explanation as to why there was a bullet hole in the couch where he was sleeping, court records show.

No casings or bullets were recovered from Garrions body or during a search of the residence, but the couch where Delgado-Gonzalez had been sleeping had damage to the left arm rest consistent with a bullet ricochet.

A red blood smear was located on the right side back cushion of the couch, court records show. A second blood smear was found on the carpet in front of the couch closest to the damaged armrest.

Garrions body was found not far from the couch.

There was no indication that a projectile hit the floor where the blood stain was located, and the only indication of a trajectory of the bullet is the damaged left arm rest of the couch.

Based on the wound tract and damage to Garrion's right cheek, the weapon would have been held against his right cheek in a downward position, the affidavit stated.

Instagram photos discredit uncle's claim

Delgado-Gonzalez submitted to a gun residue test, which was positive, and then told police he would only talk with an attorney present, according to court records.

Delgado-Gonzalez allegedly later agreed to be interviewed without his attorney, but still denied owning a gun despite police showing him Instagram photos of him holding a gun in that same apartment. A stress test conducted on Delgado-Gonzalez showed deception, court records show.

Bloomington, Illinois, police said Delgado-Gonzalez was arrested Dec. 17 in Normal and booked into the McLean County Jail about 3 a.m., The (Bloomington) Pantagraph reported. The Normal Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force and K-9 units from Bloomington and Normal assisted in the arrest.

The boy's uncle had been living there the past month, the mother said.

Crime scene photos taken that night show cartoons were playing on the television.
VALPARAISO  More than 100 police officers, command staff and coalition members gathered at the Porter County Substance Abuse Councils annual breakfast recently to recognize law enforcement and community engagement.

Sheriff David Reynolds' opening remarks highlighted the dedication and commitment of the law enforcement community to keep the roadways free of drunken and impaired driving and crimes related to substance use disorder.

"There were 946 arrests and convictions from September 2016, to October 2017, thanks to a concerted effort by all the police officers in this room," Reynolds said.

"We are proud to recognize their unwavering efforts today by publicly honoring them for their outstanding contributions."

Porter County Sheriffs Department Officer Michael Damjanovic and Indiana State Police Officer Andy Rasala shared top honors with the total of 42 DUI arrests each.

Other officers recognized were: Burns Harbor, Cpl. Tim Lucas (11) and Assistant Chief Jeremy McHargue (6); Chesterton, Officer Aaron Miersma (16); Hebron, Chief Joshua Noel (14), Cpl. Robert ODea (10) and Officer Adam Jaskowiak (10); Kouts, officers Adam Jaskowiak (12) and Dolores Mueller (6); Odgen Dunes, Troy Calabro (4); Portage, master patrolmen Steven McGraw (13) and Brian Graves (12); Porter, officers Kevin Rospierski (9) and Dan Dickey (5); Porter County Sheriffs Department, Officer Dale Marshall (35) and Valparaiso Police Department, officers John Nuppnau (21) and Michelle Kodicek (19).

Officers were acknowledged with a certificate of appreciation. Porter County Coroner Chuck Harris was recognized as the only known coroner in the state to personally deliver death notifications to families of the victims.

Council President and Drunk Driving Task Force Chairman Tim Beach was recognized with the Leadership Award from the council and the Award of Excellence as well. Council Executive Director Dawn Pelc was presented an Award of Excellence from Reynolds.

Other award recipients were: Megan Johnston, Coordinator Recovery Connection, who received the Breaking the Stigma Recovery Award; Reynolds, Community Matters  Law Enforcement Leadership; Harris, Awareness Matters  Prevention; Todd Willis, Awareness Matters  Treatment; Jenny Harkel  Lifetime Achievement; Chad Clifford, Front Porch Music  Community Matters - Partnership; and Master Patrolman (Portage Police Department) Robert Nichols and Sgt. Jamie Erow (Porter County Sheriffs Department) Community Matters  Law Enforcement.
A number of people were lined up against the wall watching Alvin McClain's fifth annual Loving and Caring Ministry Christmas Dinner Celebration in apparent awe.

They had been drawn in by McClain and his 30 volunteers' smiles, food and gift raffles, but appeared too shy to wade deeper into the feast at the Best Western Plus Portage Hotel and Suites.

McClain beckoned them to come closer and know him better.

He worked the crowd with hugs and greetings. "Love you brother. Good to see you. We have lots of tables and a lot of food in here," McClain said.

He was hosting one of two Christmas dinners for local families in need and travelers to Northwest Indiana. "Its my third year here," Becky Sanders, of Morocco, said. She said it started when she was staying at the Portage hotel and McClain invited her in.

Away from crowd, McClain acknowledged about mid-afternoon, "We've had about 230 come in, but I wanted 250." He said the money raised for his event will also finance a gift to a woman.

He said a fire that destroyed his family's Portage home just before Christmas 2011 inspired him to give back to the community.

"I do enjoy it. Its a lot of work. I'll rest later. I have a passion about giving these people Christmas," he said.

Nine miles west at Gary's Genesis Center, some 700 were feasting at state Rep. Vernon Smith's 30th annual Spirit of Christmas Dinner.

Smith has been representing the City of Gary and nearby communities in the Indiana General Assembly for 27 years. He served 19 years on the Gary City Council, received his bachelor's degree from Indiana University in 1969, holds advanced degrees in education and has been a principal in the Gary schools.

But on Christmas Day he was in the middle of the food line passing out ham and turkey.

He holds the dinner annually in the name of the holiday as well as two women who made a positive impact on his life  former Gary School Corp. educator Patricia Tillotson and his mother, the Rev. Julia E. Smith.

"The first we held was at Williams Schools, where I was principal. We only had about 100. We didn't have much money and it was an effort to get that first one started," Smith said.

He said good food and commitment to charitable works has helped the event grow annually. "As soon as this is over, tomorrow morning, after I've rested, I'll go out and find gifts at sale prices," he said.

Lynn and Jim Smit, who were among the more than 70 volunteers helping the Gary event's success, said they enjoyed their first time attending. "Its a very religiously oriented organization. There was a prayer and they told the Christmas story and Bible stories," Jim Smit said.

"I feel wonderful, helping those in need and bringing blessings to other people," Lynn Smit said.
WINFIELD  The Town Council has adopted an ordinance making it unlawful for any person to shoot, fire or discharge any firearm within town limits.

The ordinance, officials said, is targeted at what they call "irresponsible" gun owners, the kind who in the past have caused stray bullets to hit windows, fences and even inside homes. The ordinance aims to not restrict people from using guns legally, but still provide guidance on gun use.

It states it should not otherwise prohibit the legal possession, purchase or use of firearms in accordance with applicable Indiana law.

"This gives us a start," Town Council President Gerald Stiener said.

The vote to adopt the ordinance passed 3-1. Voting yes were Stiener, Timothy Clayton and Dave Anderson. Jim Simmons voted against it, and Bridget Baird was absent.

Simmons said he believes the ordinance needs some revisions.

"I think it's a work in progress still, and I don't think we're ready for it," he said. "There are too many gray areas."

Simmons said the town is changing, and he doesn't like to hear that houses have been hit with bullets. He also said it is hard to determine the responsibility of people after the fact.

"I don't think this ordinance is quite the answer, yet," he said.

About a dozen residents spoke either in favor or against the ordinance last week. Some just had questions about it.

Resident Joe Mays said he favors the ordinance and that it has exceptions for hunting. He has heard of at least four instances in which stray bullets have struck a home, and the ordinance gives some leverage that could prevent that from happening.

Township Trustee Paulette Skinner, who was at the council meeting, asked that the ordinance be taken "back to the drawing table."

Stiener said he could envision a time in which Winfield is completely built out, and it will be illegal to discharge a weapon anywhere. But in the meantime, the ordinance creates a standard while protecting the rights of gun owners.

He also said the ordinance could be tweaked in the future.
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Students enrolled in the Engineering and Design program of Southern Union State Community College gained real-world experience during fall semester by partnering with Opelika Utilities in a Tech Challenge.

The semester-long project allowed students to collaborate with engineers at Opelika Utilities in creating design concepts. Students were asked to redesign a tool that is used in drinking-water distribution, with the goal of improving efficiency.

This is a great opportunity for our students, said Steve Manos, SUSCCs Engineering and Design instructor. Anytime we can collaborate with our community partners to help our students, we are excited to do so.

Second-year students enrolled in the program were broken into teams of two to four students each. The four teams were named after former SUSCC deans Rod Britt, Mary Jean White, Pat Salatto and Barbara Segrest.

The teams presented their design concepts mid-semester to representatives from Opelika Utilities, and received feedback. They then took the suggestions, finalized the designs and produced a model to present at a final demonstration held last week. Team Britt walked away as the winner.

Good employees are our lifeblood, and we need employees who have critical skills," said Dan Hilyer, General Manager at Opelika Utilities. We established this partnership with the goal of giving students practical experience with hopes that they will be able to contribute to our community, and maybe even our company, once they leave Southern Union.

For more information on the Engineering and Design Program at SUSCC, contact Manos at smanos@suscc.edu. Registration for the spring semester is Jan. 4, 5 and 8, and spring semester classes begin Jan. 9.
Members of parliament from Tooro region skipped the Tooro People's conference for fear of being castigated for supporting the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2017.

The controversial bill passed majorly by ruling party MPs last week, paves way for the scrapping of the presidential age limit and extending the tenure of members of parliament from five to seven years.

The decision has drawn angry reactions from voters forcing some legislators to stay away from public events for fear of reprisal. Only 3 out of the 15 legislators from the region attended the annual Tooro People's conference.

Only Alex Ruhunda (Fort Portal Municipality), Lawrence Akugizibwe (Mwenge North) and their Mwenge Central counterpart, Tom Butime attended the conference. Ruhunda, despite being an NRM MP publicly opposed the age limit bill.

Minister Tom Butime was booed for his support for the age limit bill

Speaking at the conference, Butime who also doubles as Local Government minister, said his other colleagues, who he declined to name, told him that although they are in full support of the conference, they couldn't attend for fear of being attacked by people because of their support for lifting the presidential term limits.

"I think you must be surprised why most of the MPs from Tooro are not here. Some of them told me that they do not want to attend because they will be abused because of last week events in parliament", Butime said.

He claimed that shortly after the passing of the bill, some voters took to social media to insult the legislators. According to Butime, the MPs promised to attend subsequent conferences when the situation normalises.



Butiime's comment drew murmurs from the participants while some of them booed him. He defended his position to support the scrapping of the presidential age limit, saying his voters approved the proposal during his consultations.

"I voted to lift the term limits because people from my constituency supported it. We should learn to respect the opinions of the leaders", Butime said.

Responding to Butime's comments, Prof Edward Rugumayo, the chairperson of the Tooro Elders Forum, said that it was a pity that the leaders failed to turn for fear of being insulted.

"It is a pity that our leaders thought they would be insulted at the conference. This conference tolerates the views of every person irrespective of their political ideology", Rugumayo said.
Unidentified thugs raided the offices of Citizens' Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) in Nsambya today morning, Tuesday at about 2.25am.

According to CCEDU coordinator Crispin Kaheru, the thugs took off with the guards gun.



"Our @cceduganda offices in Nsambya were raided by thugs last night! They beat up the guard and took off with his gun. We are yet to assess the level of damage caused," reads a post on Kaheru's facebook page.

Launched in 2009, CCEDU describes itself as a global coalition of about 800 organisations advocating for electoral democracy around the world.

CCEDU offices that were broke into. Photo: courtesy

Police has not yet commented on the raid. The raid on the CCEDU offices is similar to several others that have occurred targeting offices of non-governmental organisation over the past few years.

A matrix organised by the by National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders Uganda (NCHRDU), shows that at least 24 premises of Non-governmental organisations and civil societies have been broken into since 2012.

Some of the NGOs and civil societies than have fallen victim to raids by thugs in the recent past include among others the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI), Legal Aid Service Providers Network (LASPNET), Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF), Human Rights Network for Journalists (HRNJ-Uganda) and Reach the Youth Uganda.

Others are Action Group for Health Human Rights and HIV/AIDS (AGHA), Action Aid International Uganda, Environmental Alert, Land and Equity Movement in Uganda (LEMU) and Uganda Road Sector Support Initiative.
CEDAR FALLS  Natalie Brown started from scratch. Now shes in the dough  cookie dough, that is  with a new confectionery item.

Brown, the entrepreneur who started Scratch Cupcakery a few years ago, has now started (Just)Dough, selling edible cookie dough by the cone, cup, in canoli, shakes and other ways.

The dough is safe to eat.

The cookie dough doesnt have any eggs, and we heat-treat all of our flour, Brown said.

She started selling items out of the Scratch Cupcakery location at 315 Main St. on the Cedar Falls Parkade just before Christmas.

There were crazy lines, she said. We were just floored.

Her staff tries to wheel out new products each year, and that kind of response is a bonus.

She hopes to introduce (Just)Dough products at her stores in West Des Moines and Coralville next month. Theyll have a separate display case from other items in the store. She plans to launch a stand-alone (Just)Dough retail outlet in Cedar Falls at a location yet to be determined.

The concept is a little like an ice cream shop with cookie dough, Brown said. Were looking for (Just)Dough to become a brand like Scratch.

I dont have a timeline, Brown said. Im looking for locations. I definitely want it to be based in Cedar Falls, for sure, my hometown.

Brown opened her first Scratch gourmet cupcake store in Cedar Falls in 2010.

In 2014, the company won a statewide Battle of the Brands competition sponsored by a Des Moines advertising agency, and Brown was inducted into the Junior Achievement Cedar Valley Business Hall of Fame.

She was a 2012 Courier 20 Under 40 honoree. She holds degrees from Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo and Upper Iowa University in Fayette.
Fraser Seitel

Good riddance to 2017, without a doubt the worst year ever.

So sayeth Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer and Rachel Maddow and Jake Tapper and the New York Times and the other Democratic Party faithful, whose every waking moment has been consumed with the visage of an orange-tufted megalomaniac who has made their lives a living hell for the past year.

The nations 45th President, they lament, is a coarse and vulgar and vile man. And, of course, they have a point.

But unless the Democrats change their PR tune, theyre destined to continue wallowing in their own misery, as Republicans maintain their Congressional hold in 2018 and even  heaven forefend  regain the Presidency in 2020.

The fact is, almost half the population  63 million Americans  voted Donald Trump President  and in the year since, the Democrats havent provided one valid reason for those people to change their vote next time around. If anything, theyve given them even more reason to keep voting Republican.

So, as we head into the New Year, what can Nancy and Chuckie and Lizzy and all the rest of the disheartened Democrats do to regain their winning ways? Heres a PR formula they might think about.

Find new faces

The Democrats, shining beacon for Millennials and dreamers and socially-conscious young people, are burdened by old and tired leaders.

Senate Minority Leader Schumer, whos been around since forever and has been on television longer than that, has become a broken record, defined principally by self-promotional Sunday press conferences and senseless sound bytes.

Likewise, House Minority Leader Pelosi, a multi-millionaire many times over married to a prominent venture capitalist, continues to rankle her own members as she rails, toothlessly, about protecting the poor and disenfranchised.

Further, the partys two most celebrated saviors, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, are unabashed socialists, who would capsize capitalism the minute they were granted power. Neither can be elected President.

As to fresh faces, Kirsten Gillibrand is a climber, whod desperately love to be included in the mix. But the New York senator was a serial recipient of Donald Trump contributions and was labeled a lightweight by a man who should know. Gillibrands New Jersey colleague Cory Booker is another chomping at the Presidential bit, but he, too, fits the lightweight description, accomplishing little as mayor of Newark.

Meanwhile the Republicans have been fortifying the younger side of the party, with leaders like Paul Ryan and Marco Rubio and Kevin McCarthy ready to replace old-timers like Trump and Mike Pence and Mitch McConnell.

So, the first thing Democrats need to do is to find younger, able-bodied working men and women to lead their party.

Stop whining

When Barack Obama was President, Democrats regularly accused Republicans of being the party of no. And they were right. But today, with the despised Trump in the saddle, Democrats have fallen into the same trap.

Consider Trumps tax bill, which not one Democrat in Washington had the nerve to vote for. How could they vote for it when their leaders were so apocalyptic in their pronouncements of the havoc the tax bill would surely cause?

Pelosi labeled it a Frankenstein, which raises taxes on 86 million middle class households. Schumer agreed that when middle-class families see their taxes go up, theyll know Republicans are to blame.

But when, exactly, will these families see their taxes go up?

The most likely answer is about eight, nine or 10 years from now, when the individual tax cut part of the bill lapses. That means  and you dont have to have a Wharton economics degree to figure this out  if youre an American who receives a pay check each month, youll receive more money and pay less taxes for the next decade or so.

So, in 10 years, if Congress doesnt pass new legislation (which, of course, it will!), then and only then will you see your taxes go up.

Now Democrats correctly argue that homeowners and tax payers in states like New York and New Jersey will lose write-offs, but the point remains that all the Democrats whining about the tax bills harsh impact on wage earners will likely fall apart once people begin seeing more take home pay in their monthly pay checks.

In other words, all the whining and nay saying thats become the only thing Democrats seem to do these days will most likely come back to bite them in the buttocks.

A better plan would be to, well 

Get a plan

In other words, stand for something.

Right now, nobody quite knows what Democrats support. All we know is that theyre all anti-Trump.

Are they also all-in liberal crusaders, a la Sanders/Warren, ready to cut off Wall Street and big business as soon as they seize power? Or are they more moderately-inclined, like the new Alabama Senator-elect Doug Jones, whod like to see the nations business keep percolating but with much more done in behalf of the climate and people who have less?

For example, if Democrats were honest, theyd support elements of Trumps tax bill that clearly help the middle class, but theyd object, instead, to unfair elements, like the hedge fund carried interest loophole that Trump promised he would end but wasnt touched in the tax bill.

The key is to drop the blanket negativity to everything Trump, accept the measures that make sense, but adopt a clear plan  about climate, dreamers, the poor, the middle class, etc.  that can be easily understood and clearly articulated.

And heres what this new Democratic plan ought to begin with 

Embrace business

The American economic system is based on every individuals right to make a living and support his or her family.

But the Democrats seem to disagree with this fundamental American precept. To them, business is the enemy.

At the same time, Democrats speak about supporting jobs; they talk about stopping Wall Street, shackling the banks and crippling big business. But how can you have more jobs if youre doing whatever you can to limit the purveyors of employment?

The fact is, you cant.

And if Democrats really want to regain power, not to mention the White House, they better recognize that you cant win in America being anti-business.

If he doesnt understand much else, Donald Trump at least recognizes that promoting American business is the only way to go. If Democrats dont get that message, after all their nightmares of the past year, well then they better stock up on Zantac.

***

Fraser P. Seitel has been a communications consultant, author and teacher for 40 years. He may be reached directly at [email protected]. He is the author of the Prentice-Hall text The Practice of Public Relations, now in its eleventh edition, and co-author of Rethinking Reputation and Idea Wise.


WATERLOO -- A Salvation Army bell ringer has been arrested on suspicion of being intoxicated.

Waterloo Police were called to the University Avenue HyVee, 4000 University Ave., for an intoxicated bell ringer.

When they arrived, they located Arisha Lucas, 43, of Waterloo. Police reports say she appeared intoxicated and had a strong odor of alcohol on her breath.

Lucas declined to provide a breath sample, according to police.

She was arrested for public intoxication and released Dec. 23 on an order to appear in court.
The autistic man loves trains and he loved streetcars, and long has told his brother and sisters that he rode on Omahas final streetcar in 1955.

The claim was always suspect to his younger siblings, said Denny Hanley, because he had a tendency to exaggerate.

John Hanley Jr., whom his family calls Johnny, is now 77. Recent public discussion of a possible streetcar line in Omaha reminded the Hanleys of his tale.

It seemed unlikely, said sister Kathleen McGahey, noting that the final run was only for dignitaries.

Johnny was 14. He was the oldest of the Hanley kids who grew up at 50th and Chicago Streets on the Dundee line.

He loved riding, and Kathleen said he had a savant-like knowledge of streetcar routes.

Said Denny: This was his freedom, his escape, his joy. Everything else in his life was complicated, confusing and difficult.

Streetcars went away, and life in the city moved on. Johnny lived at home with parents Kathleen and John Sr., an attorney, and worked at the downtown post office, loading bags into trucks.

He rode buses to and from work, retiring after more than 30 years. He never grew to love buses and often reminisced about streetcars and the last ride.

Despite the familys doubts about his being there, there was no doubt about their love for their developmentally disabled sibling.

I have often said the world would be a better place if everyone could spend 10 minutes with my brother, Denny said. He will be your best friend in a matter of minutes. He is the kindest, sweetest man.

Never married, John Hanley Jr. talks about rock n roll history, streetcars and trains, and current events.

After his mother died, he and his dad moved to a retirement center. And at the 2007 funeral after John Sr. died at 90, a representative of the VFW presented Johnny the flag that had draped the World War II veterans coffin.

As the family walked away, Johnny said: I guess were orphans now.

But still a family.

Last summer, Kathleen attended the annual Dundee Day celebration and came across a copy of Dundee, Nebraska: A Pictorial History. She bought it to give to Johnny, and then flipped through the pages  until she was startled by page 31.

It showed a photo of a streetcar near 50th Street and Underwood Avenue with a banner on the side, Official Last Trip. Three official-looking men stood in front  and in the background stood the unmistakable form of 14-year-old Johnny Hanley, wearing earmuffs and a tan jacket.

So he was right all along! Here was proof that he, at the least, was present.

Did he make the actual final ride on the streetcar with the dignitaries? He told the family the streetcar operator knew him by name and invited him on board.

The photo was shot by train enthusiast William Kratville, and the Hanleys contacted his daughter, Cate, in Wisconsin. She searched her late fathers negatives and found it.

His files didnt identify the people in the photo, nor did a caption in the Dundee pictorial book. World-Herald coverage in 1955 mentioned streetcar operator Joseph McCabe but showed different photos and no listing of the final riders.

Richard Orr, a streetcar enthusiast who died in 2013, shot film of streetcars, including the final ride. In the late 1990s he transferred the film to a video, Streetcars of Omaha and Council Bluffs, 1947-1955.

The Hanleys recently watched the video and saw a slender figure through a window that looked like Johnny, wearing the same color of tan jacket as in the photo. They no longer doubt that Johnny made the final ride.

Said Denny: We believe 100 percent that he was on it.

To celebrate, all four of his siblings, including sisters Margaret Ross and Mary Sindelar, took him to dinner this month at Cascios Steakhouse for Johnnys Christmas party.

They surprised him with a framed copy of the last ride photo.

He wept when he saw it, Kathleen said. I had never seen my brother cry tears of joy. Sad tears many times. A boy with autism was often misunderstood back in the 40s and 50s.

The family also took him to the Durham Museum in the old Union Station. As he has before, he got on the old streetcar on display and waved out the front window.

Last week another framed copy of the last-ride photo went on display at his favorite lunch spot, Shirleys Diner in Millard.

Johnny, Denny quipped, thinks hes famous now.

* * * *

Correction: An earlier version of this column misspelled the last name of Denny Hanley.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  Jeff Kowunna used his drone to record this years celebration of another successful bowhead whaling harvest for one of the oldest Alaska Native settlements.

The video from the three-day event in remote Point Hope, at the edge of the Arctic Ocean, showed whaling captains sharing the flippers with residents, traditional drumming and dancing, and the ever-popular blanket toss, where villagers use seal skins to heave each other into the air.

But Kowunnas plan to share this unique slice of Inupiat culture online was thwarted by the areas notoriously slow satellite connection.

This month, the 34-year-old whale hunter is ready to try again. His community of 700 and several other isolated Alaska towns are getting a commodity much of the U.S. has long taken for granted: high-speed Internet.

Ive been counting the days, Kowunna said of the broadband he hopes will help him connect more immediately with the world with posts from gatherings like the June whaling feast, or Qagruk, while updating folks who have moved away. I think its going to be a lot smoother sailing as far as streaming to the web.

The new service is part of a planned international fiber-optic system from Anchorage-based wholesaler Quintillion that eventually will connect London and Tokyo via the Arctic. Its the result of several factors, representatives say, including technical advances, private investors willing to bet on the system, and a warming Arctic environment that opened up a limited construction season, allowing crews to bury hundreds of miles of subsea cable off Alaskas upper coast.

Clearly, 20 years ago, even 10 years ago, the situation with the ice in that part of the world would have made the progress much more difficult to accomplish, Quintillion spokesman Tim Woolston said.

The effect on far-northern Alaska  where many rely on a subsistence lifestyle for food  could be dramatic: No more classroom computers crashing during lessons, software taking an entire day to download, movies buffering for hours, and sophisticated medical equipment sitting partially unused.

A project like this is critical, said Mike Romano with NTCA-the Rural Broadband Association, which represents 850 small telecom and broadband service providers in the U.S. and Canada. Connecting rural communities remains a significant broadband challenge because of the higher cost of delivering service far from metropolitan hubs.

Alaskas 1,400-mile portion of the international project includes a land trunk line between Fairbanks and the Prudhoe Bay oil fields that went live in the spring. Quintillion has not released plans or a timetable for the larger project and will not say how much has been spent so far in the private venture. New York private equity firm Cooper Investment Partners is anchoring the financing.

Ship crews finished installing the last Alaska segment of subsea cable in October, and the network became available to telecom providers Dec. 1.

The improved service wont be cheap, said Jens Laipenieks, CEO of Arctic Slope Telephone Association Cooperative, which serves three of the affected communities. Laipenieks expects the cost to drop when the final two phases are built and more wholesale tenants join the system.

Still, commodities always cost more in the Arctic, where everything has to be flown or shipped up. Fiber-optic is no exception, but the expense has not dampened enthusiasm, according to utility officials.

Thats just the reality of being in an ultra-rural market, Laipenieks said. But the technology will never be the limiting factor again.

Not everyone is sold on the new link. In Point Hope, Inupiat artist and traditional skin-boat maker Henry Koonook worries people will be more distracted by the online world than they already are. Koonook himself has nothing to do with computers, even to connect with prospective buyers.

That little box  what they call a laptop and iPhones  is ruining our people, he said. Its helping them with their education and stuff like that, but theyre drifting away from the culture and traditions, and its going fast.

Others have big plans for tapping into the faster and more reliable service.

The Arctic Slope Regional Corp., an Alaska Native corporation and minority investor in the Quintillion project, is developing an online store featuring artwork by its shareholders, a tourism platform for its eight villages and a repository of stories and videos featuring Inupiat elders.

Its just limitless what we can do now, said Cheryl Stine, its chief administrative officer.
VENTURA | A Ventura man led law enforcement on a police chase spanning four counties on Christmas Day, officials said.

Justin Thomas Glidden, 30, was driving a green 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue at about 12:22 a.m. Monday, Dec. 25, at the intersection of 237th Street and Balsam Avenue, south of Ventura, when a Cerro Gordo County deputy attempted to stop him for a traffic violation.

According to court documents, Glidden refused to stop and continued to elude deputies.

The pursuit continued west into Hancock County on gravel roads before entering Wright County on gravel roads and some paved county roads.

Speeds at some points reached 90 mph, the sheriffs department said in a release.

The driver made no attempt to stop and fled in excess of 25 mph over the posted speed limit, the criminal complaint said.

Law enforcement continued to pursue Glidden along the outskirts of Belmond before re-entering Cerro Gordo County in Meservey then into Franklin County on Balsam Avenue.

Glidden then turned east onto County Road C13, continued for a mile and attempted to slow down for a turn at Cardinal Avenue in Franklin County.

A Cerro Gordo County deputy intentionally made contact with Gliddens car in a PIT maneuver and stopped the pursuit.

A Cerro Gordo County patrol car and a Hancock County patrol car sustained minor damage during the pursuit. The Oldsmobile sustained disabling damage. There were no injuries.

After Glidden was caught, law enforcement discovered he had a barred driving status. Glidden has two prior driving while barred charges in Cerro Gordo County in the past two years, according to court records.

Glidden was charged with:

Eluding law enforcement vehicle

Driving while barred

Driving under suspension

Driving while license denied, suspended or canceled

Improper use of registration

Operation without registration

Failure to obey traffic control device

Failure to wear/maintain safety belts

Glidden was booked in the Cerro Gordo County Jail and is held for $1,000. No court date has been set.

Belmond Police, Iowa State Patrol, Hancock, Wright and Franklin County Sheriffs Offices assisted in the pursuit.
The U.S. Postal Service is reminding Omaha-area homeowners to clear away snow and maintain a safe, accessible path to mailboxes.

Customers who receive door-mail delivery should keep sidewalks, steps and access ways clear of snow and ice. Customers receiving street-side mailbox or centralized cluster neighborhood mailbox delivery also need to maintain a safe and clear pathway to their mailboxes.

Guidelines for safe delivery:

 Customers are asked to clear snow from curbside boxes at least six feet on both sides so the carrier can approach and leave without backing up.

 Walkways should be cleared to allow enough traction to avoid slips and falls.

 Steps must be kept clear of ice and snow and in good repair.

Omaha letter carriers, who make numerous stops daily, do their best to deliver mail, officials said. But when mailboxes and approaches to mailboxes are buried in snow and ice, it can be difficult for carriers to make safe deliveries.

Officials said letter carriers are urged not to deliver to mailboxes and locations considered unsafe.
As Vice President Pence fawningly praised Donald Trumps 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 Trumps left and guarding his flank, trying to avoid the political fracas of this presidency. Hes the rare Trump appointee who doesnt 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: Hes the Trump official whos admired by people who dont 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. Hes a Stoic, with an almost superstitious dislike for the spotlight. Its notable that he has avoided gloating this year about victory over the Islamic State, recalling Gen. Ulysses S. Grants refusal to visit Richmond after its collapse to the Union army in 1865. Mattis clearly abhors the political parlor games that are part of Trumps Washington.

Mattis watched the near-dismemberment this year of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, his friend and ally. After White House leaks about Tillersons prospective firing, Mattis seemed to embrace him more closely in interagency debates. The controversy around Tillerson was a reminder that theres no adult swim in this administration; Trump owns the pool.

Rumors of Tillersons death proved premature: Hes still the administrations point man on North Korea, traveling to Canada last 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; Cottons 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 Tillersons 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 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.
I agree with Dec. 22 Public Pulse writer Thomas Hansen (Murante should tackle real problem) regarding State Sen. John Murantes plans to renew push for state voter ID law (Gretna senator plans to renew push for state voter ID law, Dec. 20 World-Herald).

Murante must not read The World-Heralds articles about the many problems with corrections, foster care and the payment of providers, health care funding for our children, the states looming revenue shortfall, low commodity prices, the shortage of skilled workers, the changes with the federal tax proposal as it impacts state funding and more.
Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia:

Steven Cohen is returning to managing other people's money in a few days, ending a two-year ban after pleading guilty to securities fraud charges and paying $1.8bn in fines and civil penalties for failing to police the action of one trader in his former hedge fund, SAC Capital.

But despite boasting of his pre-scandal reputation of consistent solid returns, investors are wary of Cohen's new hedge fund, citing reasons from higher fees, longer withdrawal time, and of course his tainted reputation, reported the New York Times.

So far, Cohen's hedge-fund-in-waiting has raised $4bn in commitments and received half of it. The fund is a far cry from the $14bn that his hedge fund office SAC Capital used to manage before it was shut down.

Powerful Wall Street institutions are taking a cautious approach, said the NY Times. JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley, which will handle trades for the new firm, have not yet committed to offering their wealthy customers a chance to invest with Mr. Cohen's new fund, according to the paper.

It was reported in October that Cohen is considering charging management fees of at least 2.75 percent and may pass on certain costs to investors for the first time, people familiar with t......................

To view our full article Click here
Writers conference: Here's a great way to start the new literary year. Writers in the Grove presents its 2018 Authors Conference, featuring former Oregon State Poet Laureate Paulann Petersen, author Deborah Reed, literary agents Holly Lorincz and Chip MacGregor, and editors Jessica Morrell and Kristin Thiel. They'll focus on publishing poetry, memoir and fiction. The conference runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at the Forest Grove Senior & Community Center, 2037 Douglas St. Registration is $60: writersinthegrove.com. Optional private consultations and small group sessions are available for additional fees. All proceeds will benefit the senior center.

Before we turn the calendar and put the old year fully behind us, here are a few last 2017 titles worth noting:

Laini Taylor: Attention, fans of Portland author Laini Taylor's young-adult fantasy Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy: She's published a companion novel featuring the young Czech couple who play sidekicks to her heroine, Karou. "Night of Cake and Puppets" (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 218 pages, $16.99) reveals the full story of how Zuzana and Mik became a couple - a meet-cute only briefly mentioned in the trilogy. Illustrator Jim DiBartolo, Taylor's husband, provides numerous lovely images.

Dan DeWeese: In Propeller magazine editor-in-chief Dan DeWeese's new novel, the setting is Portland during the Obama years and the dramatis personae consist of various "young creatives" who haven't landed jobs at Wieden+Kennedy or Laika or some other corporate bubble-with-benefits. "Gielgud" (Propeller Books, 301 pages, $15.99) is a very earnest examination of the lives these folks end up with instead. There are no goofy "Portlandia" moments here; rather, "Gielgud" comes across as a reality check for those who think the city's been all but taken over by carefree creatives.

Denise Chanterelle DuBois: In "Self-Made Woman: A Memoir" (University of Wisconsin Press, 224 pages, $26.95), Portlander Denise Chanterelle DuBois narrates a particularly excruciating transgender experience. A child of the 1960s, she received no support from her family; she left home and descended into years of disastrous attempts to suppress her identity. The book is unsparing in its graphic depictions; it's a wonder DuBois is alive and confident enough today to have written and published it.

Zack Davisson: The folklore expert and essayist for the "Wayward" series from Portland-based Image Comics has published an elegant, entertaining little book that will appeal to fans of both folklore and felines. "Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan" (Chin Music Press/Mercuria Press, 142 pages, $18.95) illuminates the title subject with Davisson's crisp, conversational essays, interspersed among beautifully reproduced artwork showing the Japanese fascination with bakeneko, nekomata and, perhaps best known in the West, maneki neko, the cat that holds up one paw in an inviting gesture.

Forest Avenue Press: The most recent title from Portland's Forest Avenue Press is a retelling of an 1834 Alexander Pushkin fable about a young engineer obsessed with learning an old countess' secret to a grand win at cards. Michael Shou-Yung Shum's debut novel, "Queen of Spades" (256 pages, $15.95), centers the action in a fictional casino in Snoqualmie, Washington, not too far from where the author himself once dealt poker. As the plot moves toward an unforgettable hand of faro, the characters, with a little help from magical realism, exemplify the role and impact of chance in our lives.
MASON CITY -- Frigid temperatures outside were no match for the warmth, food and fellowship inside the Rolling Acres Christian Reformed Church Monday.

It was the setting for the annual Community Christmas Dinner and dozens of residents partook in the hospitality.

Danielle Crom of Mason City surveyed the long line of people in the serving line from her position behind the biscuit table.

"That's what it's all about," she said. "Good attitudes and having fun."

Her nine-year-old son, Matt, was helping her with the rolls and butter. Husband Chris and daughter Olivia, 13, were also among the many volunteers on hand to help make the dinner a success.

Matt said he was enjoying helping and seeing all the people. "It's fun," he said.

Nearby, in the sanctuary, musicians were playing and singing Christmas music to listeners sitting in pews, either waiting to get in line for their meal or enjoying some quiet moments afterwards.

The annual dinner has been a Mason City tradition for decades with several churches rotating as hosts for the event.
PITAL, Costa Rica  Plenty of people knew that the numbers didn't add up in pineapple fields here that stretch like green carpets beneath brooding volcanoes.

They knew it in Washington, D.C., where the head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program saw Costa Rica was shipping more organic pineapples than it was certified to grow.

They knew it in Pital, hub of the world's biggest pineapple exporter.

Costa Rica's surplus indicated that someone was mislabeling fruit produced less expensively with chemicals forbidden for organic products  thereby cheating U.S. consumers, who pay high premiums when trusting the USDA organic seal.

A Costa Rican government investigator assembled 1,500 pages of evidence. He found that PrimusLabs, a USDA-accredited certifier, improperly approved Costa Rica's Del Valle Verde Corp. as a grower of organic pineapples.

In Pital, neighboring organic farmers felt vindicated. They believed they had further examples of how the pineapple company had gamed the USDA. U.S. importers, hurt by competition they considered unfair, expected strong action by regulators.

But they got nothing of the kind. Instead, a NerdWallet investigation found, the USDA punted  kicking a gaping hole in the credibility of its organics seal.

The USDA closed the case last summer without addressing the extensive Costa Rican investigation.

Not only did the USDA allow farming company Valle Verde to choose and pay Primus for organic certification  a conflict of interest enabled by federal rules  but the agency trusted the accused certifier to declare the grower innocent.

"It's a horrible story," said Alexis Baden-Mayer, political director of the Organic Consumers Association. "This information was handed to the National Organic Program on a silver platter, and they still don't take the enforcement actions that are permitted under the law."

If the USDA won't act when presented with stark evidence of fraud, critics ask, how can consumers rely on the agency to police any of the annual $43 billion in U.S. organically certified food?

The answer is that the system can't be trusted, NerdWallet found.

USDA appoints certification gatekeepers

The National Organic Program, a USDA division with a $9 million budget, sets standards for labeling and accredits the agency's 80 certifiers worldwide. Many certifiers have solid records. Growers, processors and handlers they approve sell legitimately organic food under the USDA seal.

But the system is ripe for abuse.

The USDA allows growers and processors to choose their own certifiers from its accredited list. The certifiers then get paid by those producers, even getting percentage of sales, a financial incentive that creates a conflict of interest.

Swindlers among the 37,000 businesses certified worldwide can double their money by misrepresenting food grown conventionally with chemicals banned for organics. But the USDA has only one compliance officer for every $9 billion in sales. The fine for each violation is capped at $11,000.

Failures found in the USDA's certification extend to corn and other bulk products, as The Washington Post reported in May regarding a shipload of conventional soybeans sold as organic for a $4 million windfall.

USDA investigators handling the Valle Verde pineapple case lacked law enforcement experience, according to their public profiles, and the compliance unit lagged at times hundreds of cases behind.

NerdWallet also reviewed USDA records in another Costa Rican case, one in which the agency USDA did not prosecute an exporter who confessed to mislabeling 400,000 pineapples as organic  a racket he's accused recently of repeating.

USDA officials refused, throughout three months of interview requests, to speak with NerdWallet.

Primus executives did not respond to repeated requests for comment. The company, which sold in 2015 and changed its name to Primus AuditingOps, approved sanitary conditions four years before at a U.S. cantaloupe plant that killed 33 people in a listeria outbreak.

Customs records show that since 2015, Valle Verde's "USDA organic" shipments to the United States have grossed more than $6 million  a $3 million markup from conventional fruit. The company's Costa Verde-brand pineapples, which its managers insist are organic, continue reaching Safeway, Ralphs and other U.S. chains.

Competing U.S. importers are aghast.

"Why would you rob a bank, when the USDA looks the other way?" asks Stuart Follen, owner of SL Follen Co., which imports organic pineapples. "Just go into the produce business and mislabel stuff."

Pineapple boss runs ranch

Northern Costa Rica's pineapple king is Luis Alberto del Carmen Barrantes Quesada. The 48-year-old has built an organic fruit venture at extraordinary speed.

Barrantes heads Del Valle Verde Corp., a longtime conventional grower with subsidiaries that export fresh and frozen pineapples. He prizes his Disney-style spread with a rodeo ring, show horses and 20 bulls.

Concern for the environment prompted Barrantes to begin growing organics in 2013, he says. Valle Verde was able to plant them immediately on fields that had never been chemically treated, he says. The company jump-started the business by buying organics from local USDA-certified farms and exporting them.

But nearby organic farmers, including some who supplied Valle Verde, tell other stories.

Jose "Pepe" Castro Otarola told the Costa Rican investigator that after his USDA-certified farm sold organic pineapples to Valle Verde, a company worker had him sign duplicate invoices that could be used to exaggerate export quantities.

Castro watched Valle Verde workers dump a truckload of his organics into a rinse that had just been used for conventional fruit, he said in an interview on Costa Rica's Flecha TV news.

Werner Lotz, another local grower, sold organic fruit to Valle Verde in amounts that the company inflated, the investigator wrote. To produce that much fruit, he calculated, Lotz's farm would have had to have been nine times its 5-hectare size.

Valle Verde's former farming manager provided an even more troubling view.

Nestor Andres Ramirez Acuna, who managed the company's farming operations through 2012, says it had no plans then for organics, a conversion requiring lengthy preparation to buy natural fertilizers, train workers, segregate conventional crops and overhaul farming methods.

"We used pesticides in the fields where they grow these organic pineapples," said Ramirez, who convinced the investigator that the land should not have been certified.

Barrantes denies the farmers' allegations.

Investigator starts digging

While farmers say they saw irregularities on the ground, officials in Washington D.C. and Costa Rican officials flagged the country's pineapple surplus.

In March 2016, a top official at Costa Rica's agriculture ministry assigned Jose Miguel Jimenez Mendez, an agrochemist and certified inspector, to investigate.

"I discovered that pineapple being exported was not organic," said Jimenez, as he alleged in two meticulously documented reports.

He wrote that he found chaos in the ministry file documenting the transition of fields from conventional to organic. The USDA normally requires farmers to wait three years to plant in a field that once grew conventional crops, allowing chemicals to dissipate.

The ministry had allowed some land to convert in weeks instead of years, Jimenez wrote. Valle Verde's files showed plots changed sizes and locations, he wrote.

Fields lacked required vegetation barriers between organic and conventional crops, he wrote. Soil analyses and land-use records were missing. Pages had been mysteriously added to the record, he wrote.

Jimenez checked with suppliers of plastic sheets, which organic growers often use for weed control. He found that Valle Verde hadn't bought enough plastic for its acreage.

"There are so many irregularities that it's just unbelievable," Jimenez said.

He also found that numbers didn't balance at the Valle Verde subsidiary that shipped frozen pineapple chunks to U.S. grocery chains.

Jimenez examined records of 47 Valle Verde shipments exported to the United States and sold for $2.3 million during a one-year period. He concluded that shipping containers held an illegal mix of conventional and organic fruit.

Jimenez's boss, Francisco Dall'Anese Alvarez, a reformer with a family history of fighting government corruption, had chosen Jimenez to investigate because he feared other officials were too cozy with Valle Verde.

Dall'Anese, director of the ministry's Phytosanitary Service, acted on the findings in May 2016, suspending organic certification of Valle Verde's processing plant, which sliced and froze pineapples for export.

Another USDA-accredited certifier, Germany's Kiwa BCS Oko-Garantie GmbH, followed the ministry's lead and also suspended the plant.

But then the case turned sideways. Dall'Anese left the government because, he says, he refused to sign false documents unrelated to the Valle Verde case.

With Dall'Anese gone, an agriculture ministry panel reversed the suspension of Valle Verde's organic status. Kiwa also lifted its suspension.

The panel dismissed Jimenez's investigation as biased, irresponsible and arbitrary.

Jimenez said he "was never called in to explain different aspects of the report, or how I'd reached conclusions."

Valle Verde's farm subsidiary had its certification renewed by Primus' Costa Rica branch in December 2016.

Soon after earning those certification fees for Primus, Humberto Gonzalez Guerrero, the certifier's Costa Rica director, jumped to the same position at Kiwa, taking the Valle Verde farm account with him.

Gonzalez said Kiwa and Primus have certified Valle Verde correctly.

USDA drops the pineapple

The USDA received hundreds of pages of Jimenez's investigative findings. But public records show that instead of directly investigating, the agency left the matter to Primus and Kiwa.

USDA compliance officer Karin French launched what could have developed into a full-fledged investigation of the certifiers and Valle Verde.

But like others at the agency, French lacked investigative or law enforcement experience, according to her LinkedIn entry. Nothing in the case file indicates that she traveled to Costa Rica.

On Aug. 3 of this year, the USDA issued a case closure memo signed by Betsy Rakola, the department's new compliance and enforcement director. Rakola's extensive LinkedIn entry also lists no investigative or enforcement skills.

Her memo did not address Jimenez's findings. It did note that "several additional complainants, who appear to be competitors" of Valle Verde had voiced concerns of fraud.

"However, these complainants were unable to provide any verifiable evidence of fraudulent activity by the certifier," she wrote.

The agency's failure to directly investigate either the certifiers or Valle Verde doesn't surprise Richard Mathews, who served in senior USDA National Organic Program positions for a decade, ending in 2009.

Mathews says that the agency's backlogged team of five compliance officers routinely depends on certifiers to investigate.

Mathews, now director of the Western Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, blames former National Organic Program director Miles McEvoy for the disarray.

McEvoy retired in October, not long after the USDA Inspector General said the agency allows imports to be sold as organic despite the food having been fumigated at U.S. borders with prohibited pesticides.

Testing fruit

NerdWallet bought 12 Costa Verde-brand fresh pineapples in Oregon and California, and a bag of Valle Verde frozen chunks in Texas, for testing by a USDA-compliant lab. The tests detected no prohibited chemicals.

Pineapple farmers say the results don't prove the absence of chemicals because they are hard to detect if applied at the start of the growing period, when their effect would be greatest.

Agricultural engineer Jean-Marc Caminade, pineapple sales manager for global fruit conglomerate Compagnie Fruitiere Paris, says he began buying organic-labeled pineapple from Valle Verde in 2015.

But he says that he stopped buying after the company repeatedly failed to supply government inspection forms to prove each shipment was organic.

Blood, sweat and organics

Caminade recently visited what he considers an authentic organic farm, Valle del Tarso, which sits northwest of Pital. Here, farmhands live and breathe organics.

Production manager Isaac Bustos Boza stresses prevention, taking extraordinary measures to safeguard his MD2s, organic versions of the Gold Extra Sweet variety of pineapple revered worldwide.

"Once you have a disease, it's explosive. There's no way you're going to control it in 70,000 plants," says Bustos, an agronomist.

Instead of applying a chemical to kill worms, Valle del Tarso uses a natural product from the Australian neem tree. The farm makes natural insecticides from chili pepper and tea. It ferments organic fertilizers from pineapple waste.

The farm is the kind of enterprise that Mark Kastel, co-founder of the nonprofit watchdog Cornucopia Institute, cites when urging skeptics not to write off all organics as bogus.

"If you just paint this as being a corrupt system," Kastel said, "you're throwing literally thousands of families under the bus."

Bogus exports are undercutting the legitimate industry so much that Compania Frutera La Paz, a big Pital-area fruit processor, decided in November to cut its losses by selling frozen organic pineapples as conventional.

La Paz managers say the company took a $100,000 hit.

Police close in

In recent weeks, Costa Rican television reporters have converged on pineapple fields, questioning more farmers about Valle Verde.

Amid the publicity, owner Barrantes may be ready to walk away. An agriculture ministry official says the company is withdrawing some farms from organic status.

A ministry official inspecting a neighboring farm recently reported a telltale odor he suspected was from an organics-prohibited pesticide applied to a Valle Verde organic field. The ministry is investigating.

On Dec. 5, the ministry disclosed that Costa Rica's national police had seized documents concerning the agency's decision to lift Valle Verde's suspension as an organic processor. A week later, company competitors challenged that reversal in a lawsuit that accuses officials of ignoring evidence and railroading Jimenez, the inspector.

After two turbulent years, the Valle Verde pineapple saga is undergoing a plot twist. But the word around Pital is that more growers are lining up to play the organic game.

And Pital isn't the only place that stinks.

--Richard Read/NerdWallet.com

NerdWallet investigative reporter Alex Richards contributed to this article.
WASHINGTON -- U.S. companies are bringing new trade lawsuits against their foreign competitors with a scope and frequency not seen in more than 15 years, government documents show, as a wave of new complaints builds under President Donald Trump.

A Washington Post analysis of Commerce Department data found 23 new trade disputes initiated since January, making 2017 the busiest year for tariff cases since 2001. The new cases target trade between the United States and 29 counties, the most in any year since 2001.

The cases include fights over Korean washing machines, Spanish olives, Chinese aluminum foil, Vietnamese tool chests, Argentine biodiesel and Canadian jetliners. The U.S. trade warriors include financially strapped solar panel manufacturers, downsizing Rust Belt steel plants and declining California olive farms.

Several requests came from companies that are under foreign ownership. And in a shift from previous years, some profitable corporations are asking the government to place new restrictions on their foreign rivals, taking advantage of a recent change in federal law.

The surge of complaints comes as the White House moves to redefine America's role in the global economy.

"At President Trump's direction, we have told American businesses that we will be more enforcement minded than any recent administration, while also remaining committed to a fair and transparent process that is professionally and impartially implemented," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in an emailed statement. "They know we will stand with American workers in the face of unfair trade practices."

Tariff cases typically start when U.S. companies formally accuse foreign competitors of "dumping" products in the United States at unfairly low prices or benefiting from unfair subsidies, or both. Then the Commerce Department and a quasi-judicial U.S. agency called the International Trade Commission decide what to do.

Ross has said he wants the government to bring more cases on its own, something that could let companies save on legal expenses. The Commerce Department took its first step in that direction in a November tariff action against sheet metal distributors in China, the first government-initiated action since 1985.

The Washington Post's count of 23 new disputes in 2017 is based on the number of petitioners bringing new tariffs; if for example a single U.S. company asks for tariffs on products from 10 countries, the Post treated it as a single new dispute even though such an action would spur 10 Commerce Department investigations. When calculated based on the number of new investigations -- as the Commerce Department tends to represent the trend in its news releases -- there were 79 new investigations in 2017, reflecting a massive 65 percent jump over the previous year and a 16-year high.

Since most of the new cases are just beginning to work their way through the government's deliberative process, it is too early to tell whether they will ultimately succeed.

Some companies are pushing for price quotas, which forbid foreign firms from selling below a given price. And in two cases this year, three companies have invoked a powerful and seldom-used U.S. trade lever called the "safeguard" provision, which imposes blanket taxes on products regardless of the country of origin. Such cases are unique in that they require a direct sign-off from the president; before Trump took office, no company had asked to be safeguarded in this way since 2001.

"The fact that we have already seen two of these cases in 2017 should be a clear signal that corporate America thinks the Trump administration is going to grant it protection," said Chad Bown, a fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a research and policy organization focused on global trade.

The Trump administration is preparing to rule on both cases early next year.

The U.S. companies seeking tougher import duties argue that trade restrictions are needed to level the economic playing field and sustain American jobs, and have little to do with politics or Trump.

For instance, a Washington state paper company known as North Pacific Paper, called NORPAC, is accusing Canadian competitors of flooding the U.S. market with less expensive product. As a result, NORPAC, which sells paper for newspapers and other industries, said it has been forced to trim its staff from about 450 to 350 employees in the past year.

Meanwhile, two family-owned olive farm conglomerates, Bell-Carter Foods and Musco Family Olive, are asking the Commerce Department to counteract Spanish olive farmers that they say are propped up by an elaborate system of farm subsidies there.

A coalition of U.S. biodiesel manufacturers claims rivals in Indonesia and Argentina are selling their product in the United States at unfairly low prices. It says the Argentine government also is giving tax breaks to exporters to unfairly subsidizing the industry.

Two companies asking for blanket "safeguard" protection -- Georgia-based Suniva and Oregon-based SolarWorld USA -- are solar panel manufacturers that make photovoltaic cells, the tiny chips that convert solar energy into usable power.

Over the past few years, they claim a flood of less-expensive components from Chinese solar manufacturers have put them at a disadvantage. Suniva has since filed for bankruptcy and shed hundreds of jobs. SolarWorld laid off 360 in Hillsboro last summer after its German parent declared itself insolvent, which is the equivalent of U.S. bankruptcy. It has since announced plans to hire back some workers.

The companies' claim, however, does not have the backing of others in their industry: The trade group Solar Energy Industries Association opposes the tariff, which it argues will cause 88,000 jobs to be lost elsewhere in the industry. The International Trade Commission ruled in SolarWorld's and Suniva's favor in October, but the two companies said the duties it recommended are too small

Others seeking tariffs are not suffering nearly as badly. The third company asking for broader safeguard protection -- Chicago-based home appliances giant Whirlpool -- logged $5.4 billion in sales this year.

But Whirlpool's profit margins have been dwindling for years, in part because it claims it is losing market share in a key product category -- washing machines -- to Korean manufacturers LG and Samsung. Whirlpool argues they have been dumping washing machines in the United States for years and moving their production centers around the world to avoid earlier tariffs.

In arguing against tariffs, the foreign companies have pointed out that they also employ Americans.

"No one should doubt our commitment to creating jobs in the U.S. We have been marketing our products here for nearly 40 years and have more than 18,000 workers," Samsung senior vice president John Herrington said in a statement rebutting Whirlpool's tariff request. "We know what it means to be an American manufacturer, we are an American manufacturer, and we are in it for the long run."

Several of the companies asking for import protection are actually under foreign ownership. They include the U.S. subsidiary of Nan Ya Plastics. The Taiwanese plastics manufacturer is asking for new restrictions on Korean and Taiwanese polyester products as part of a long-running trade dispute.

A U.K.-based metals conglomerate called Ferroglobe has asked for U.S. restrictions on silicon metal from Australia, Brazil and Norway. It is waging a parallel trade war in Canada, where it is asking for new restrictions on silicon imports from four countries.

DAK Americas, the North Carolina-based subsidiary of one of Mexico's largest textile firms, is teaming up with Indorama Ventures USA, the U.S. arm of an Indian firm. They are asking for restrictions on textile products from Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan and Taiwan.

The complex international connections of those asking for tariffs - and the often strong U.S. presence of the companies they are targeting - illustrates a problem for import duties: Foreign companies that find themselves slapped with tariffs can sometimes avoid them by moving production to a third country, or even to the United States.

"Tariffs really don't work . . . if you apply a tariff they can still move that good through another country," Barry Zekelman, chief executive of Illinois-based steel pipe manufacturer Zekelman Industries, told the cable channel CNBC earlier this summer.

Zekelman is teaming up with four other steel firms - ArcelorMittal, PTC Alliance, Webco Industries and Michigan Seamless Tube - to call for a broader system of quotas that would set fixed minimum prices for foreign firms.

Steel companies like Zekelman -- which account for about half of the new requests in 2017 -- got a tease of broader-reaching action when early in Trump's term the White House announced it is investigating whether to label foreign-made steel and aluminum a national security risk, something that would impose harsh restrictions on foreign steel imports.

That effort, though, has been stalled for more than six months. In a July 25 interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said any action on specialty metals is "waiting till we get everything finished up between health care and taxes and maybe even infrastructure."

Then on Nov. 28 the Commerce Department took the highly unusual step of bringing a tariff case on its own, asking for tariffs above 57 percent on aluminum sheet metal from China. Officials insisted the effort was separate from the earlier specialty metals investigation.

In a shift from past years, some companies bringing cases are faring relatively well against their rivals.

Boeing is one of the largest U.S. exporters, a company that maintains healthy profit margins selling commercial jets to airlines and advanced weaponry to the U.S. military.

None of that stopped the Chicago-based aerospace manufacturer from claiming in an April 27 complaint that it has been illegally harmed by Canadian jet-maker Bombardier's 2016 deal with Delta Air Lines for 75 CS100 jetliners, asking for tariffs on 100- to 150-seat jets from Canada, a category in which Boeing does not compete.

Boeing's lawyers may be emboldened by a 2015 trade law that made it easier for profitable corporations to win U.S. trade disputes. The Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 bars the International Trade Commission from turning down trade cases purely on the basis that the petitioning company is profitable.

The Commerce Department surprised the aerospace industry in September when it ruled in Boeing's favor, proposing a massive 300 percent import duty that would make U.S. sales untenable for Bombardier.

But Bombardier may have already found a way to avoid the new fee. The company recently agreed to sell the rights to the CS100 to Airbus, a French manufacturer that is Boeing's primary competitor in the commercial jet market. And the announcement came with a twist: Future production of the C-series aircraft would be shifted from Canada to Alabama, where Airbus already operates a production facility.

"It's not intended to circumvent anything, but the fact is that when you produce an aircraft in the U.S. it's not subject to any U.S. import tariff rules," Bombardier president Alain Bellemare said in October.

-- The Washington Post
St. Mary's Cathedral, the regal home of the Archdiocese of Portland, has ambitious plans to change its gathering spaces to enhance its place in the Catholic community and its historic neighborhood.

The seat of the Archdiocese and its own parish, St. Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is home to 800 families, a destination for visiting Catholics, and the go-to venue for locals' life-cycle events and for regional ceremonies like ordinations and civic funerals.

Built in 1926 on its present site in Northwest Portland, the stately cathedral known for its top-drawer acoustics and intricate stained-glass windows was renovated in 1995 to coincide with the Archdiocese of Portland's 150th anniversary. But the rest of the facility remained the same, without useful or attractive spaces to congregate after Mass, to gel as a community outside the cathedral.

"When I first came here, nobody knew each other," said Msgr. Patrick S. Brennan, pastor of St. Mary's Cathedral since 2011. Sure, parishioners would shake one another's hand during its five weekend Masses and other services, but leaving the cathedral meant leaving the premises.

To create places to gather, Brennan has set in motion a $15 million fundraising campaign to update the building's footprint and its very culture.

"We have lots of visitors to our church, which is wonderful, but we also have lots of parishioners that may not know each other," said Lara Tennant, who, with her husband and five children have been at St. Mary's Cathedral for 18 years. The Tennants are among hundreds of donors who already have participated in the Cathedral Project that launched last summer and has raised $4 million in pledges.

Tennant continued, "It's a very warm place, but it doesn't always come across that way. There is not a physical place for receptions and events for the community to join together, and that creates a separation."

The outdoor space adjacent to the cathedral used to be Cathedral School's yard. (The pre-K through 8 parochial school was built in 1917 and relocated in 1961 to its current site, across the street from St. Mary's, at Northwest 17th Avenue and Couch Street.)

"Our courtyard still looks like a schoolyard," Brennan said.

The courtyard has an ill-placed flagpole in the middle of a raised bed of grass between the cathedral and a dimly lit, three-story building Archbishop Alexander K. Sample used to call home.

"We are the mother church of the Archdiocese of Portland, and we also are a neighborhood parish," said Brennan, noting that at 12 percent of the population -- more than 430,000 people -- Catholics make up the largest denominational group in western Oregon. "The time has come to pull people together, build up, and create community."

Carol F. Herman, a parishioner since 2012 and also a project donor, said the need for a large gathering space was underscored by Brian Doyle's June 2 funeral. Held inside the cathedral with hundreds in attendance, his memorial was moving and beautiful, but there was nowhere to gather on-site afterward. "It's been a long, long time coming," she said.

Brennan said he's been in conversation for years with many parishioners about their communal goals and how a building renovation would help meet them. He chatted informally with architectural firms to discuss the Cathedral's needs, desires, and vision for its next century and beyond.

Stand-out architectural firm Hacker Architects Inc. last April earned the contract to upgrade, retrofit, lighten, and repurpose St. Mary's roughly 12,000 square foot footprint. Architect Stefee Knudsen, associate principal of the firm, said she and colleagues listened to more than 200 parishioners (including the choir, building committee, event coordinator, and parish office employees) and then drew up diagrammatic plans.

Color renditions were placed at the cathedral's entrance. Brennan said parishioners did not shy away from offering their opinion, nearly all of which were positive.

Knudsen said her firm's plans responded to the parishioners' clear goals: To value beauty along with fiscal responsibility; to foster community within the parish; to be a destination for visitors, events, and receptions; and to be a great neighbor in its corner of Northwest Portland.

Game-changing updates include creating a Parish Hall, whose high-ceilinged entrance at 17th Avenue, directly across from the Cathedral School's entrance, will be festooned with windows letting is as much natural light as possible. To achieve this look and use, the architects will open a portion of the ground ceiling to the second floor, creating a spacious commons area. And the erstwhile schoolyard will be will be raised up and turned into a courtyard with access to the Parish Hall via large sliding-glass doors.

This multi-use hall will hold 220 people for sit-down receptions, study sessions, and perhaps a library or exhibit area about the history of the Archdiocese of Portland, whose establishment in 1848 predates statehood, Brennan said.

Local Catholics up until the era of President John F. Kennedy tended to keep a low profile, Brennan said. Today, though, "We'd like to give this cathedral a higher profile. The improvement of this historic building we also see as a little gift to our city that we love and a reflection of our own pride."

He envisions St. Mary's having its own docents and becoming part of Northwest Portland walking tours that would include its equally historic neighbors of faith, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and Congregation Beth Israel.

Travel Portland's Megan Conway, senior vice president of communications, said her office fields a few calls a month about the city's cathedral and general religious offerings. "I'm from St. Paul, Minn., and the Cathedral of St. Paul is a huge draw," she said. "So there's a market in the tourism space for that here, too."

Brennan hopes fundraising for the Cathedral Project will wrap up this spring, paving the way for construction to commence. The renovation will take at least a year.

"People know the time has come, and we need it," Brennan said.

-- Jenn Director Knudsen
As a former Portland Public Schools special education teacher, I recognize the complexities of providing services to students in the least restrictive environment. Access Academy for talented and gifted students and Pioneer Special School for special education students with social/emotional needs were both designed to provide services to students who are unable to succeed in general education.

In her Dec. 17 op-ed piece, Portland School Board co-vice chair Julie Esparza Brown applauds Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero for dismantling Pioneer to return students to an inclusive environment. She fails to remind readers that Guerrero is giving Pioneer to Access. The current Access program is being displaced to reopen middle schools.

Brown states, "I teach our future special education teachers that the best learning occurs when students, including those on individual education programs, are with their peers and have access to the wide range of academics, sports, after school activities and other programs offered in our comprehensive schools." Brown presents a flawed argument. If inclusion is best for the special education Pioneer students, what about the talented and gifted Access students? I agree with Brown, except when inclusion isn't working in the best interest of the students and families.

I am writing this letter in agreement with the Pioneer community, who protests this move of its effective therapeutic school. Reopening middle schools is a costly proposal but shouldn't be done on the backs of vulnerable populations. As we consider costs associated with reopening middle schools, remember that Pioneer is on the Youngson-Holladay site. Holladay Annex is the only PPS school designed and built for PPS special education students.

Karen Moon, Southeast Portland
Sheriff's deputies arrested a Douglas County woman suspected of using a heavy flashlight to bludgeon her 94-year-old neighbor for no apparent reason, authorities said Tuesday.

Leta Allen, 54, faces an assault charge after the brutal beating on Dec. 22 left Tiller resident Agness Campbell blood-soaked and bruised, court records show.

The nonagenarian had to later be airlifted from her rural home east of Canyonville to a hospital in Medford for treatment, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said.

"She just went crazy," Campbell said of Allen, according to a probable cause affidavit. "Agness said she had no idea why her neighbor was hitting her."

The elderly woman told deputies that Allen had brought cookies to her South Umpqua Road home just moments before the suspect started smashing her head and face with the flashlight, court records show.

Campbell told deputies that Allen also whipped out a pistol and showed it to her. "She thought her neighbor was going to shoot her," wrote Douglas County Deputy Brent Everett in his report.

Allen told deputies and Campbell's adult children that a bearded man had broken into the elderly woman's home and was responsible for the attack, the probable cause affidavit says. She was later arrested and lodged in the Douglas County Jail.

The bizarre incident is not the first time Allen's account to law enforcement has conflicted with that of a person involved in a violent episode.

In December 2016, she reported to the sheriff's office that her son, Dustin Lowe, had stabbed himself in the face in neck, The Roseburg News-Review reported at the time.

Lowe, who was eventually treated at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, told police that Allen stabbed him.

No arrests were made in that incident.

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh

skavanaugh@oregonian.com

503-294-7632 || @shanedkavanaugh
A Lake Oswego woman and her 12-year-old daughter died Monday when their speeding car careened into oncoming traffic along U.S. 26 and struck another vehicle, Oregon State Police said.

The Christmas Day tragedy, which occurred in Wasco County, also injured a pair of Portlanders in the other car, police said.

Deirdre Lynne Mackey, 48, and her young daughter were driving east in a 2008 Nissan Versa when the car, believed to be driving too fast, suddenly lost traction and crossed into oncoming traffic around 3:25 p.m. near milepost 65, said Sgt. Kaipo Raiser.

A westbound 2018 Subaru Outback carrying Darrow Geordan Rupp, 41, and Maria Suzanne Veltman, 39, was unable to stop and plowed into the passenger side of the Nissan, Raiser said.

Mackey and her daughter both died at the scene, police said.

Medical personnel rushed Rupp and Veltman to Legacy Emanuel hospital, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

U.S. 26 remained partially closed for over 10 hours during the course of the investigation, police said.

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh

skavanaugh@oregonian.com

503-294-7632 || @shanedkavanaugh
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian via AP

by Jamie Hale | The Oregonian, OregonLive

If your 2018 New Year's resolution is to get out and hike, there's no better way to start out on the right foot than by joining up with a First Day Hike.



State parks in Oregon are once again joining the national event, hosting 24 guided hikes at 22 park sites across the state on Jan. 1. Most hikes will be at parks in Portland, the coast and the Willamette Valley, with a few others in the Columbia River Gorge and farther-flung regions of the state.



New to the event this year is online registration, which is by no means required, but can be helpful for rangers leading the tours. Hikers going to Smith Rock State Park, however, should be sure to register as there will only be 35 spots available at the enormously popular park site.



The guided hikes are a good introduction to local park sites, and can be a good excuse to get out in the cold or rainy weather that's sure to come. Just be sure to keep that resolution alive long enough to visit the rest of Oregon's beautiful state parks.

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Tryon Creek State Park. (Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)

PORTLAND

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Banks-Vernonia State Trail: 9 a.m. Meet at the Buxton Trailhead.

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Milo McIver State Park: 9 a.m. Meet in the Riverbend lower boat launch parking lot.

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Tryon Creek State Natural Area: 9 a.m. Meet at the Nature Center.

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Historic Columbia Highway State Trail. (Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian)

COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

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Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail: Noon. Meet at the Mark O. Hatfield Visitors Center West Trailhead.

NOTE: While most of the trail is still closed due to the Eagle Creek fire, the trail going east from Hood River toward The Dalles is still open.

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Silver Falls State Park. (Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)

WILLAMETTE VALLEY/CASCADES

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Champoeg State Heritage Area: There are two hikes, one at 10 a.m. and the other at 2:30 p.m. Meet at the Visitor Center.

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Elijah Bristow State Park: Noon horse ride. Bring your own horse and meet in the equestrian parking area.

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Silver Falls State Park: 10 a.m. Meet at the South Falls Lodge porch.

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State Capitol State Park: 10 a.m. Meet at the Capitol steps.

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Valley of the Rogue State Park. (Courtesy of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department)

SOUTHERN OREGON

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Collier Memorial State Park: 9 a.m. Meet at the Logging Museum Cookhouse.

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TouVelle State Park: 1 p.m. Meet at the Area F parking lot.

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Valley of the Rogue State Park: Hike and bicycle ride. Bicycle ride at 11 a.m. Meet at Rogue River bridge - John F. Fleming Veterans Memorial Park. Hike at 1 p.m. Meet at the Valley of the Rogue program area.

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South Beach State Park. (Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)

OREGON COAST

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Cape Lookout State Park: Noon. Meet in the Cape Lookout Trail parking lot.

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Crissey Field State Recreation Site: 2 p.m. Meet at the base of the stairs adjacent to the parking lot.

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Darlingtonia State Natural Area: 1 p.m. Meet in the parking lot.

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Humbug Mountain State Park: 10 a.m. Meet at the campground flag pole.

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Oswald West State Park: 10 a.m. Meet in the main parking lot on the southern end near the shop.

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South Beach State Park: 10 a.m. Meet in the South Beach day-use area.

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Sunset Bay State Park (Coos Bay area): 1 p.m. Meet at the Sunset Bay gazebo.

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Sunset Beach State Recreation Site (Astoria area): 10 a.m. Meet in the Sunset Beach parking lot.

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William M. Tugman State Park: 10 a.m. Meet in the day-use area at the gazebo.

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Smith Rock State Park. (Jamie Francis/The Oregonian)

EASTERN/CENTRAL OREGON

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Emigrant Springs State Heritage Park: 11 a.m. snowshoe hike. Meet in the day-use parking lot to the right of the entrance.

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Smith Rock State Park: 10 a.m. Meet at the Welcome Center. Hike limited to 35 participants. Reserve your spot online here.

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

NORTHWEST TRAVEL GUIDES

The most iconic landmarks in Oregon: These are the places we all know and love, the landmarks both natural and manmade that root us to our home.

Oregon's best roadside attractions: From the Oregon Vortex to the Enchanted Forest, here are the best roadside attractions in Oregon.

Portland's best holiday lights: Portland is a veritable wonderland during the holiday season. Here are the 10 best light displays around.



--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB

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MASON CITY | Subzero temperatures and snow are expected for the remainder of the week, forecasters say.

The National Weather Service on Tuesday issued wind chill advisory for North Iowa, running through 10 a.m. Wednesday. Forecasters warn the conditions can cause frostbite to exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.

Temperatures are expected to improve slightly on Wednesday, with a predicted high near 7 degrees and a wind chill of minus 25.

Snow is possible after midnight Wednesday into Thursday, with possible accumulation of 1 to 3 inches Thursday.

The National Weather Service forecast keeps northern Iowa in very cold air throughout their seven-day forecast with the lowest temperatures expected on Saturday and Sunday, State Climatologist Harry Hillaker said Tuesday. Some moderation in temperatures is expected toward the middle of next week with temperatures close to normal by the end of next week, normal highs around 25 and lows around 8.

There is a 40 percent chance of snow Friday afternoon into Saturday, with a high around 8 degrees and a low of minus 9. Temperatures are expected to stay below zero for the weekend.

Hillaker said a cold spell like the one predicted for this week should occur about once per winter. The coldest day last year, Dec. 18, brought a high of minus 1 and a low of minus 23, according to Hillaker.

Winters in 1963 and 1966 brought subzero temperatures for nearly three weeks.

Daily low temperatures have been zero or lower for as many as 20 consecutive days, Jan. 12 to Jan. 31, 1963, and Jan. 16 to Feb. 4, 1966, Hillaker said.

In 1970, Hillaker said the Mason City Airport recorded five consecutive days  Jan. 17 through Jan. 21 with daily high temperatures of zero or lower.
Guns above children. It's the Iowa way.

Gov. Kim Reynolds' administration this month killed off a set milquetoast proposed regulations drafted by state Department of Human Services that would have finally imposed basic requirements for firearm storage at childcare centers, reported the Des Moines Register.

The rules were pretty straight forward: Firearms must be unloaded and locked up, ammunition should be kept separately and parents should be notified if a childcare center keeps a weapon on the premises.

Clearly, DHS staffers considered this slate of proposed rules a watered-down compromise to what should be in place. They basically said as much in the documents attached to the rule, that went out of the way to note that it strongly discourages firearms in childcare facilities.

But even DHS' incredibly self-aware fig leaf to Iowa's gun lobby wasn't good enough. Suddenly, and without warning, the proposed rules -- designed to keep guns out of the hands of young children -- disappeared from the Dec. 13 agenda of Iowa Council on Human Services, which must OK regulations before they take effect.

Mark Anderson, chairman of Iowa Council on Human Services, said he had never seen an item just evaporate from the agenda like it did here.

It took just one call to Reynolds' office from Iowa Firearms Coalition's lobbyist to stop the common-sense process in its tracks.

There should be no question about who holds power over the Reynolds administration.

This week, Reynolds defended her decision to scuttle rules that can only be described as minimally invasive. The Legislature should hash it out, Reynolds said. There needs to be more discussion, she insisted.

In essence, Reynolds handed the issue to the GOP-run Legislature, which would rather see guns in courtrooms and bars than impose any type of limitation.

Reynolds punted, kicking the issue to the Legislature lest she be blamed for imposing even the most minor limits on gun owners. So much for strong leadership from the Governor's Office, especially when heading into an election year.

Iowa's in the minority regarding its lack of any regulation over guns in childcare centers. In 2013, a survey conducted by Early Learning Policy Group found that just 12 states don't regulate guns in childcare centers. State-level regulations range from all-out bans to those similar to what DHS proposed.

And no one is arguing that the proposed rules were outside the authority of the Reynolds' administration. Instead, the rush to quash the rules were all about politics.

They're politics so toxic that even the rights of parents are superseded by bizarre hypothetical fever dreams where a gun owner might be inconvenienced. They're politics so paranoid that even the most justified oversight of gun ownership is considered an attack on the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. They're politics that have rendered the likes of Reynolds unwilling to face honestly legitimate questions about public safety, even that of children.

DHS officials were correct: Guns have no place in a childcare facility. But the agency's proposed requirements for gun safes, ammunition storage and parental notification were a legitimate attempt to navigate politics that have paralyzed any and all honest discussion about guns in America.

Even that attempt didn't cut it for an administration so cowardly that Iowa's gun lobby unilaterally dictates policy.
A 21-year-old Beaverton man is facing a count of open murder, among other felonies, in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred Friday night in Gladwin County.

Tre Alan Friend was arraigned Sunday in 80th District Court on charges of open murder, carrying a concealed weapon and felony firearm. Each charge is a felony, with the open murder charge punishable by up to life in prison, Magistrate Karen Moore said.
 Dow High wrestler Dustin Fletcher on his 100th career victory.

 The first responders honored at this year's Project Blue Light ceremony.

 Sister Mary Rebecca Koterba, who was named as the new executive director of Catholic Family Service.

 Kyle Sanborn and the crew of Center Stage Theatre's production of "The Santaland Diaries," which performed during the weekend.

 Jaxson Lewis, who collected more than 1,400 socks to donate to local shelters.

 Saginaw Valley State University professors Jay Scott and Danilo Sirias, who were awarded that school's Braun Scholarship.

 Mike Krecek on his retirement as Midland County public health director.

 Those who were recently recognized with Employee Service Awards by the Midland County Board of Commissioners.

 Mary Kane, who opened her new business, New World Yoga and Meditation, in Midland.

 Lauren and Shelby Vigue and Jenna Dunn, who helped return Danielle Balzer's lost Alaskan malamute.
Congress has passed historic tax relief for American families.

I supported this legislation because it will let hardworking Michigan residents keep more of their own money.

The legislation doubles the standard deduction for individuals and married couples to $12,000 and $24,000, respectively, meaning they will pay zero percent tax on that part of their income.

The legislation also doubles the child tax credit to $2,000 per child for working parents.

This is a pro-family policy that will help residents who are living paycheck to paycheck, and many have told me what increasing the tax credit would mean to them.

Increasing the child tax credit would mean a lot for my family. The cost of everything is going up and our paychecks are not getting any bigger. The tax credit would give us money back, is what a mother in Beaverton told me.

It would help our family immensely: clothing, bills, diapers, food, and the list goes on, said a father from Perry.

Well be able to afford new clothes for the kids, said another dad, this time from Eagle.

Even those who are not eligible support increasing the child tax credit.

We are retired but I would like to see young families get relief, said one Sanford resident.

With this real tax relief, not only will these families save more money in April 2019 when they file their annual income taxes, they will also see more in their paychecks, possibly as soon as February, as new lower tax rates take effect and the IRS withholds less money from their paychecks.

Of course, the historic tax reform passed by Congress is about more than the child tax credit.

Deductions for medical expenses, charitable contributions, mortgage interest, adoption expenses, and state and local taxes will continue.

In education, the $250 deduction for teachers buying school supplies remains, as does the interest deduction for student loans, and the exemption for graduate students receiving tuition waivers.

In addition to tax relief for families, there is also tax relief for small businesses.

So many of the partnerships, LLCs and S corporations that make up the small businesses on Main Street in our communities are taxed at more than 39 percent.

I have an S Corp, all profits become my personal income, said one business owner from Alma.

Under this new law, his effective tax rate would be no more than 29 percent.

That is a huge savings for small businesses and many have said they will share it with their workers.

We can spend more money in the community and hire, or give raises, said a St. Johns business owner.

This would be a huge incentive to invest in higher wages, better benefits and new equipment for our business, said another from Cadillac.

Finally, its important to note that so many defenders of the broken status quo have resorted to scaring people about tax reform, saying that it threatens funding for the safety net that so many folks depend on.

This is not true and I will be working to keep the promises the federal government has made to our seniors.

Lower tax rates, a bigger standard deduction, a bigger child tax credit, and bigger paychecks, means more money for Michigan families, small businesses and our communities.

As one resident from Roscommon told me, Any time a family can keep more of their own earnings and spend it as they see fit, it is a good thing.

I could not agree more and I am proud to support real tax relief for Michigan families.

Congressman John Moolenaar represents Michigans Fourth Congressional District which is made up of Clare, Clinton, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Mecosta, Midland, Missaukee, Ogemaw, Osceola, Roscommon, Shiawassee, and Wexford counties, and parts of Montcalm and Saginaw counties.
ALBANY, New York, Dec. 26, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transparency Market Research (TMR) has carved a new research report on the global CMP slurry market, which delivers insights for the forecast period (2017-2026). The report estimates critical factors such as entry of new vendors to impel growth prospects of the market in the near future. Majority of new vendors are established players in production of core electronic device components. These vendors are likely to develop & introduce advanced materials and chemicals equipped with latest technologies.

The global market for chemical mechanical polishing/planarization (CMP) slurry is fragmented owing to occupancy of several vendors. Major players in the market are continuously taking efforts to increasing their presence globally by employing key strategies such as joint ventures, mergers & acquisitions, and new product development. Key market players identified by the report include Fujimi Corporation, Evonik, 3M, Applied Materials, BASF, Dow Chemicals, FujiFilm, Samsung Electronics, Hitachi Chemical, and Cabot Corporation.

CMP Slurry to Witness Growing Demand in Front-end Semiconductor Applications

The global market for CMP slurry has been projected to register a spectacular CAGR through 2026. Worldwide sales of CMP slurry is estimated to account for nearly US$ 3,500 Mn revenues by 2026-end. With the rise of the semiconductor materials and equipment industry, engineers are continuously working on the optimization of CMP processes for enabling an ever-surging slurry dilution, and evaluating new pad entrants in the market. Unlike front-end semiconductor applications, the back-end processing has long utilized CMP slurries. However, with the transistor level becoming critical, CMP slurry is now observed as the enabling technology for front-end processing as well. It is being deployed in an array of front-end applications, particularly in memory devices, and for implementing metal gate integration schemes.

Brochure Download for Research Insights at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=36632

The front-end semiconductor applications involve several different stages wherein various materials are needed to be polished, thereby entailing requirement for different type of slurries. The advent of new device structures is creating demand for new single-layer slurries with fixed product development cost, making it challenging for suppliers to attain return on investment (ROI), which they acquire with copper and tungsten slurries.

APEJ to hold Lions Share of Global CMP Slurry Market during 2017 to 2026

According to the report, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is expected to hold the lions share of the market during 2017 to 2026. In addition, sales of CMP slurry in APEJ is projected to register the fastest growth through 2026. The CMP slurry markets in North America and Japan are expected to trail behind that in APEJ, in terms of revenue share. The market in North America will ride on a comparatively lower CAGR than in Japan through 2026. Revenues from CMP slurry sales in Middle East & Africa (MEA) and Latin America will continue to be sluggish throughout the forecast period.

On the basis of product type, CMP slurries made up of aluminum oxide is anticipated to remain the most lucrative, followed by those made up of ceramic. Revenues from sales of both these product segments are projected to account for nearly two-third market share by 2026-end. Sales of CMP slurry made up of cerium oxide are projected to register a relatively higher CAGR in the market through 2026. This product segment is also expected to remain financially worthwhile in the market, with sales estimated to surpass US$ 600 Mn by 2026-end. Sales of CMP slurry made up of silica will account for the lowest revenue share of the market during the forecast period.

Browse Research Release at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/cmp-slurry-market.htm

Silicon wafers are expected to remain the most remunerative as well as the fastest expanding application of CMP slurry, followed by optical substrates. Disk-drive components are anticipated to be the least lucrative application of CMP slurry through the forecast period.

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NORMAL  Two Normal-based high school marching bands will ring in the new year by performing in unusual destinations.

The Marching Wildcats of Normal Community West High School are traveling to New Orleans while the Marching Pioneers of University High School will visit Florida and the Bahamas.

The trip is a chance for us to see other bands and improve ourselves, said Stephanie Rinehart, Normal West junior and saxophone player. Im excited to go on a trip as a group. Plus, Ive always wanted to go to New Orleans because, well, jazz.

The group then will perform in a New Years Eve parade and do some sightseeing in the birthplace of jazz through a ghost tour and visits to the French Quarter, Mardi Gras World and the National World War II Museum.

Its great for students to see how bands perform from other parts of the country. They gain everything from the tourism aspect to the social and educational aspect. Its an exciting musical and educational experience, said Ryan Budzinski, a Normal West band director.

The Normal West musicians will spend the countdown to midnight on a riverboat with other high school bands.

Im most excited to meet new people. In regular competitions, we usually just see a lot of bands from Illinois and Indiana, but this trip will have people from all over, said Hunter Landstrom, Normal West junior and drum major.

Most high school marching bands make large trips every two to four years. Students spend the years between fundraising for the cost of the trip.

Seventy-four students with the U High marching band will leave after the new year for their five-day trip, stopping first to tour NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, then joining a cruise to Nassau, Bahamas, and ending with a visit to Universal Studios in Florida before returning home.

Our wind symphony will play a couple pieces on the boat for other travelers. On the island, our marching band will give another performance in Rawson Square, said Jessen Smith, U High band director.

Smith said the purpose of large-scale trips for band students is to share their talent, meet other musicians and see new places.

Its an opportunity for the band as a family to spend time together, relax and have fun. The kids work pretty hard and theyve definitely earned this trip, he said.

Since the end of the marching band season in the fall, both bands have been attending extra rehearsals to stay sharp.

U High senior and drum major Alex Keene said marching band trips do more than unite the band members through music.

Through the various performances we participate in on trips, we connect to diverse groups of people and strengthen community bonds, said Keene, tenor saxophone player. I have grown immensely over the past four years with the help of this amazing band, and Id like nothing more than to commemorate that by going on this trip with them.

Band students aren't the only ones taking trips over winter break.

The show choir at El Paso-Gridley High School is traveling to Des Moines, Iowa, in the first week of January for a competition.

The choir's director, John Shaffer, said four of the choir groups  Hi Fidelity, Modulations, Dynamics and Crescendo  will "defend their titles" from previous competitions such as grand champion, outstanding vocals, best ballad and outstanding choreography.
BLOOMINGTON  The Bloomington Police Department is asking for the publics help in locating a woman last seen about 11 a.m. Christmas Day.

Carmon D. Edwards, 53, who may be suffering from a recent cognitive decline, was reported missing Monday. Police say she was driving her light gold (champagne) colored 2004 Mitsubishi Galant with Illinois license plate 8219185. Edwards was believed to be traveling toward Washington and/or Pekin for a family gathering.

Carmon is white and about 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 140 pounds and has hazel eyes and brown/reddish hair. She may have been wearing blue jeans and a dark blue coat.

The Bloomington Police Department is working jointly with the Illinois State Police on this case. Anyone with information is asked to contact Bloomington Police Department at 309-820-8888 or Det. Jeff Engle at 309-434-2371.
CLINTON  A seminar on church security measures is planned next month in Clinton in response to a church shooting in Texas that left 26 people dead.

Its really a sad thing that we have to address this in such a large scale, but it is a reality in todays world, unfortunately, said DeWitt County Sheriff Jered Shofner, an organizer of the Jan. 9 seminar at First Christian Church in Clinton.

Also participating are Clinton Police Chief Ben Lowers and Ron Coventry, a security consultant and founder of the Shooter School Weapons Training Site in Atwood.

The free event, which begins at 6 p.m., is designed for church leaders, employees and volunteers, Coventry said. Shofner, Lowers and Coventry began discussing the idea after the Nov. 5 shooting at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs.

Its a reality that churches are being targeted and after the Texas incident, it was time to start pushing the security portion for the churches in our area, Coventry said.

The seminar will focus on preventing violence in churches; preparing a proactive, trained response to threats; and an explanation of the best practices to use in the case of an active shooter.

We are going to talk a little bit about the history of violence in churches and what motivates people to act on violence in a place of worship, Coventry said. We will discuss assessing threats, how to better secure the facilities and situational awareness, such as how to identify someone who is about to do violence, and how to de-escalate the situation before anything happens, if possible.

Shofner hopes for a big turnout.

Since making the announcement, we have received a lot of positive feedback and our church leaders want to know what to do, just in case, he said.

Coventry said there are a variety of reasons why churches are picked for violent acts.

A lot of them do some form of drug and alcohol counseling and domestic violence counseling and at times, that could be the fuel to add to an already existing fire, he said. Each situation is different. But its better to do something, rather than nothing. Its better to have the knowledge and never have to use it, rather than not have the knowledge when you need it.

Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP on the DeWitt County Sheriffs Office Facebook page.
NEW YORK, Dec. 26, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wolf Popper LLP has filed a class action lawsuit against Kobe Steel, Ltd. (OTC:KBSTY) (OTC:KBSTF) and certain of its officers, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (17-cv-10085), on behalf of all persons who purchased or acquired American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) of Kobe Steel on the open market in the U.S., during the period May 29, 2013 through October 12, 2017, and were damaged thereby. This action alleges claims for violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.



If you are a member of the Class, you may file a motion no later than February 26, 2018 to be appointed lead plaintiff. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Investors who purchased Kobe Steel ADRs during the Class Period and suffered losses are urged to contact Wolf Popper to discuss their rights.

Kobe Steel is one of Japans largest steel manufacturers and a major supplier of aluminum and copper products.

During the Class Period, Kobe Steel repeatedly misrepresented the quality of its products and the integrity of its operations by emphasizing that it offers excellent products and services with special attention to product safety as it has an organizational culture that is highly sensitive to compliance issues.

Defendants statements pertaining to Kobe Steels products and performance of its operations were materially false and misleading because the company had intentionally falsified data on many of its aluminum, copper, iron and steel products, and knowingly sold products that failed quality control tests.

During the week of October 13, 2017, Kobe Steel admitted to falsifying inspection certificates on its core products in its aluminum and copper and iron and steel segments and not complying with customer standards. As a result, Kobe Steel ADRs cumulatively declined $2.37 or approximately 40% during that week.

Wolf Popper has successfully recovered billions of dollars for defrauded investors. The firms reputation and expertise have been repeatedly recognized by the courts, which have appointed the firm to major positions in securities litigation. See www.wolfpopper.com.

Attorney Advertising: Prior Results Do Not Guarantee A Similar Outcome.

For more information, please contact:

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Iranian banks seal deal to get 'unlimited funds' from Russia

12/26/17

Source: Press TV

Iran says four of its banks have signed an agreement with the Export Insurance Agency of Russia (EXIAR) to provide "unlimited funds" for development projects to be carried out by domestic and international contractors in the Islamic Republic. The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) in a statement said the agreement had been signed between the EXIAR and Bank Sepah, the Export Development Bank of Iran, Bank Parsian and Bank Pasargad.

This followed a basic agreement that the four banks and EXIAR had signed earlier in mid-October, Iran's IRNA news agency reported.



Iran had earlier been able to seal similar deals with several European as well as Asian financial institutions.



In late September, Austria's Oberbank signed a major finance deal with over a dozen Iranian banks based on which it would provide 1 billion in credits to the country's companies that invest in the Iranian economy.



Oberbank's initiative - that was seen in Tehran as the first of its kind in many years - was followed on the same day by a similar agreement between Denmark's Danske Bank and several Iranian banks.



Accordingly, Danske Bank would allocate a credit line of 500 million for investments by Danish businesses in Iran.



On a related front, France's state investment bank Bpifrance (BPI) announced also in September that it planned to provide funds to French companies that invest in the Iranian economy from next year.



BPI France CEO Nicolas Dufourcq was quoted by media as telling reporters that his bank would grant up to 500 million ($598 million) in annual credits to companies that venture into the Iranian market.
Parliament has passed the Framework Agreement between the Government of Ghana and the Government of the Republic of Mauritius for the development of technology and business parks in Ghana.



The Framework Agreement has, as part of its terms, the establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to develop, implement and manage technology and business parks in Ghana.



The SPV which is to be known as the Tema Technology Park Limited shall be incorporated as a limited liability company under the Companies Act, 1963 (Act 179) of Ghana.



The terms of the agreement also enjoined Ghana and Mauritius and any of their agencies to enter into a shareholders agreement to govern their relationship as shareholders of the SPV.



Mr Ken Ohene Agyapong, Chairman of the Committee on Communications, who moved the Committees report for the House to approve, noted that the project which would be established as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between Ghana and Mauritius would facilitate the transfer of technology from the latter to the former through Research and Development (R&D) activities.



He said R&D activities would foster greater interaction among industry, academia, educational and training institutions and the business and finance sectors.



He said the project would assist a great deal in building the capacity of export oriented and small and medium scale ICT businesses and position them to maximise their potential for growth, job creation and revenue generation.



Mr Agyapong also explained that the government of Ghana was requires to provide among others the initial land for phase one of the project and lease additional plots to the SPV for the development of subsequent phases of the project.



He said Ghana was to provide all such infrastructure required by the SPV during the operational phase (including all offsite services and access to the sites, power, water supply and telecommunication facilities).



While, the Government of Mauritius was responsible for designing and preparing the master plan of the project in consultation with the Government of Ghana, for the implementation.



He said the Government of Mauritius was also required to invest an amount of $75 million in the project and ensure that funds were available for the project at all times.



Mr Daniel Ashiamah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Buem in his contribution praised the idea of the technology park, saying it was a very good project, which would lead to technological transfer and job creation.

He said the governments responsibilities to the project, which made up its 40 percent share in terms of electricity, water, roads leading to the place should be performed well.



He stressed the need for the government to develop local content policy for the project for the people in the area to benefit from the venture.



Mr Samuel Nartey George, MP for Ningo/Prampram in his contribution, noted that the Framework Agreement that would to lead to the establishment of the Ghana Smart City in Dawa in the Ningo/Prampram constituency was a build-up on the Tema Industrial Park in the Ghana Free Zones area.



He commended the Ministry of Communication for the project and urged it to ensure that Ghana becomes the ICT hub for the West African sub-region.



He appealed to the Ministry of Finance to support the Ministry of Communication in the execution of the project by way of exemptions of duties for the equipment that would be brought in for the project.



Mr Sam George also stated that the Committee recommended to the Ministry that they should consider the shareholding structure again, since there has been some increase in the land acreage that the Government of Ghana was supposed to put in as its initial share of equity, which was from 6.1 to 20 hectares of land.



He appealed to the government to pay compensation to the land owners whose land would be taken over for the project.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Mr Carlos Ahenkorah, MP for Tema West and Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry on Friday apologised to Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for North Tongu, for outbursts against him earlier in the week.



He said: My brother, Okudzeto Ablakwa is still my senior in Parliament. That exchange we had should not have happened because we are two gentlemen; we must move past this, the MP said, at a mini press conference at the Parliament House, in Accra.



Mr Ahenkorah equally sent an apology to the Speaker of Parliament, fellow Members of Parliament and Ghanaians.



A furious Mr Ahenkorah, a first-time Member of Parliament, representing the people of the Tema West Constituency in the august House on Tuesday, had been accused of using the Presidency for profiteering, for which Minority Chief Whip Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak and Mr Ablakwa were calling for a probe.



There allegations that the government had charged between $25,000 and $100,000 to allow expatriates sit close to the President at the event at recent Ghana Expatriate Business Awards event.



As Mr Ablakwa, who is also the Ranking Member of Foreign Affairs spoke to journalists on the matter, an incensed Mr Ahenkorah interrupted the interview and rained insults on Mr Ablakwa at the Parliament House.



Mr Ahenkorahs emotional outburst has been condemned by the public, and his actions in the profiteering saga had since come under scrutiny.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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ATLANTA, Dec. 26, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vicapsys Life Sciences, Inc., (OTCBB:VICP) ("VLS" or the "Company"), formerly SSGI, Inc., today announced the completion of its previously entered into Share Exchange Agreement with shareholders of ViCapsys, Inc.



Pursuant to the Share Exchange Agreement, each current shareholder of ViCapsys will receive 1.5 shares of the same class of shares which such shareholder held in ViCapsys, and the ViCapsys shareholders will own, in the aggregate, 87.45% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of VLS, on an as converted to common stock basis.



Upon the closing of the Share Exchange Agreement, Vicapsys became a wholly-owned subsidiary of VLS. As a result of its acquisition of Vicapsys, VLS is now a development stage biotechnology company that is advancing a proprietary localized immune modulator targeting the treatment of type 1 diabetes, post-surgical abdominal adhesion formation, and diseases of the skin including post-trauma keloid formation,



VLS, formerly SSGI, Inc. previously changed its name to Vicapsys Life Sciences, Inc., in anticipation of the closing of the Share Exchange Agreement and requested a symbol change from ticker symbol SSGI to the current symbol VICP.



Please follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Vicapsys/



About Vicapsys Life Sciences



VLS is a development stage biotechnology company that is advancing a proprietary localized immune modulator. VLSs technology allows physicians to control the bodys immune system in regional areas around an implant, which reduces the risk of transplant rejection or fibrotic overgrowth due to foreign body recognition. The product offers wide ranging benefits in multiple surgical applications including, organ transplants, medical device implantations, wound healing and immune mediated skin diseases, without the need for systemic immune suppression. VLS is currently investigating three initial pipeline products treating type 1 diabetes, post-surgical abdominal adhesion formation, and post-trauma keloid formation. The company intends to develop and license other technologies related to immune modulation going forward. For more information, visit http://www.Vicapsys.com .

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward- looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), not limited to Risk Factors relating to its business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.



Contact Information



Vicapsys Life Sciences

Jason Assad

470-505-9905

Jwassad@bellsouth.net
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A disinterested pharmaceutical industry and the conundrum of finding a convincing placebo are just two reasons experts say there has been little quality research into medicinal marijuana. Medical marijuana is shown in Toronto, November 5, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy
This photo provided by Tesla shows the front of the new electric semitractor-trailer unveiled on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. The move fits with Tesla CEO Elon Musk's stated goal for the company of accelerating the shift to sustainable transportation. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-HO, Tesla, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
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FDA APPROVES NANOBIOTIX'S FIRST IMMUNO-ONCOLOGY TRIAL:

A PHASE I/II STUDY OF NBTXR3 ACTIVATED BY RADIATION THERAPY (SABR) FOR PATIENTS WITH NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER OR HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA CANCER TREATED WITH AN ANTI-PD1 ANTIBODY (NIVOLUMAB OR PEMBROLIZUMAB)

First Nanobiotix immuno-oncology trial will be conducted in the U.S.

Multi-arm trial targets sub-population of advanced and metastatic lung (NSCLC), and head and neck cancer patients (HNSCC).

Evaluation of NBTXR3's potential to turn anti-PD1 inhibitor (nivolumab or pembrolizumad) non-responders at 12 weeks into responders

Trial will also include Head & Neck (HNSCC) cancer patients that are anti-PD1 inhibitor naive

Expands the potential for NBTXR3 to help locoregionally recurrent or metastatic disease patients through reirradiation or treatment in a single lung or liver metastase



Paris, France and Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, December 26, 2017 - NANOBIOTIX NANOBIOTIX (Euronext: NANO - ISIN: FR0011341205), a late clinical-stage nanomedicine company pioneering new approaches to the treatment of cancer, today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for NBTXR3, a first-in-class nanoparticle designed for direct injection into cancerous tumors, activated by stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and administered in combination with an anti-PD1 antibody (nivolumab or pembrolizumab).

Laurent Levy, CEO of Nanobiotix, stated: "The FDA's approval of Nanobiotix's IND application for this trial is a major milestone for our Company.We're ready and excited to launch our first immuno-oncology clinical trial in the U.S. combining NBTXR3 with a checkpoint inhibitor. Advancing our demonstration of NBTXR3's potential to turn checkpoint inhibitor non-responders into responders could be game-changing, and the approach could address the unmet medical needs of a significant number of patients. Based on existing pre-clinical and clinical data, NBTXR3 could become a backbone in immuno-oncology."

The IND approval enables Nanobiotix to initiate NBTXR3-1100, a Phase I/II prospective, multi-center, open-label, and non-randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of NBTXR3 activated by SABR combined with checkpoint inhibitors (nivolumab or pembrolizumab). NBTXR3-1100 includes three cohorts of patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), or with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study will be conducted in two consecutive phases. The first of these will be dose escalation, followed by a dose expansion phase. The study will seek to enroll between 36 to 72 patients in Phase I and 40 patients in Phase II.

NBTXR3-1100's dose escalation phase is based on a classical 3+3 Phase I study and planned as a 3-level program to identify the appropriate dose of NBTXR3 injected into the tumor as well as the activation dose of SABR. While NBTXR3 and Radiotherapy doses will be escalated, the anti-PD1 antibody dose will remain constant. One approved anti-PD1 antibody for the dose expansion phase will be selected based on the preliminary risk-benefit ratio assessment observed in Phase I portion of the trial.

Primary and secondary endpoints will evaluate efficacy and safety, while exploratory endpoints further characterize the treatment-induced genomic alterations previously reported, including enriched cytokine activity and markers of adaptive immune response and T-cell receptor signaling pathways.

The NBTXR3-1100 trial will be led by coordinating investigator Tanguy Seiwert, M.D., of The University of Chicago Medical Center, and principal investigator Jared Weiss, M.D., of The University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.

The potential for immuno-oncology agents to boost immune system response by priming it for active attack against tumor cells has long been a source of excitement.

While the response to checkpoint inhibitors in so-called "hot" tumors, infiltrated by T-cells and characterized by an inflammatory profile, has been striking with long-lasting clinical benefits in some cancer patients, most patients exhibit little or no response to existing treatments.

According to published data, only 15% to 20% of non-small-cell lung cancer patients (NSCLC), and 13% to 22% of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients (NHSCC) respond to current immunotherapy treatments.

The physical mode of action by which NBTXR3 works induces a different immunogenicity and could be the key to significantly increasing the number of cancer patients who can benefit from immuno-oncology therapies.

As presented earlier this year at ASCO & SITC 2017, NBTXR3 activated by radiotherapy was shown to induce a specific adaptive immune pattern that could potentially convert a non-responder into an immune-responsive patient receptive to treatment with available checkpoint inhibitors.

On top of NBTXR3's core developments as a single agent across seven oncology indications, Nanobiotix's immuno-oncology combination program opens the door to new developments, potential new indications, and important value creation opportunities.

The first patient first visit in the potentially paradigm changing trial is expected in Q2 2018 with with first expected results in the summer of 2019.

***

About Nanobiotix's immuno-oncology research program

Many IO combination strategies focus on 'priming' the tumor, which is now becoming a prerequisite of turning a "cold" tumor into a "hot" tumor.

Compared to other modalities that could be used for priming the tumor, NBTXR3 could have a number of advantages: the physical and universal mode of action that could be used widely across oncology, the one-time local injection and good fit within existing medical practice already used as a basis for cancer treatment, as well as a promising chronic safety profile and well-established manufacturing process.

After 18 months of development, the Company presented preclinical proof of concept demonstrating that NBTXR3 actively stimulates the host immune system to attack tumor cells.

Recently, Nanobiotix presented new translational data. Taken together, these non-clinical and preliminary clinical results confirm that NBTXR3 activated by radiotherapy could efficiently prime an adaptive antitumor immune response, turning "cold" tumors in "hot" tumors. Additionally, these results suggest that the physically-induced response and subsequent immune activation triggered by the NBTXR3 treatment could be generic. Results suggest that NBTXR3 activated by radiotherapy could transform tumors into an effective in situ vaccine, opening up very promising perspectives in the treatment of local cancer and metastases.

On top of the Company's core development activities, these findings could open new collaborations for NBTXR3 through combinations with other immuno-oncology drugs.

About NBTXR3

NBTXR3 is an injectable aqueous suspension of hafnium oxide nanoparticles designed as an innovative therapeutic agent for the treatment of solid tumors, currently in clinical development by Nanobiotix.

Once injected intratumorally, NBTXR3 can deposit high energy within tumors only when activated by an ionizing radiation source, notably radiotherapy. Upon activation, the high energy radiation is physically designed to kill the tumor cells by triggering DNA damage and cell destruction and improve clinical outcomes.

Promising results indicate that NBTXR3 activity could be applicable across solid tumors triggering immunogenic cell death, leading to an immune response, reinforcing a local and potentially systemic effect, and contributing to transform "cold" tumors into "hot" tumors. NBTXR3's major characteristics are represented by a high degree of biocompatibility, one single administration before and during the whole therapy and the ability to fit into current standards of radiotherapy care.

NBTXR3 entered clinical development in 2011 in a Phase I/II with patients suffering from advanced soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities and is currently in the final stages of its subsequent phase II/III. In parallel, it is currently being tested in numerous Phase I/II clinical trials with patients suffering from locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity or oropharynx (head and neck), liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastasis), locally advanced or unresectable rectal cancer in combination with chemotherapy, head and neck cancer in combination with concurrent chemotherapy, and prostate adenocarcinoma.

About NANOBIOTIX: www.nanobiotix.com

Nanobiotix (Euronext: NANO / ISIN: FR0011341205) is a late clinical-stage nanomedicine company pioneering novel approaches to the treatment of cancer. The Company's first-in-class, proprietary technology, NanoXray, enhances radiotherapy energy with a view to providing a new, more efficient treatment for cancer patients.

NanoXray products are compatible with current radiotherapy treatments and are meant to treat potentially a wide variety of solid tumors including soft tissue sarcoma, head and neck cancers, liver cancers, prostate cancer, breast cancer, glioblastoma, etc., via multiple routes of administration.

NBTXR3 is being evaluated in: Soft tissue sarcoma (STS), head and neck cancers, prostate cancer, and liver cancers (primary and metastases). Additionally, head and neck cancer and rectal cancer trials led by Nanobiotix's Taiwanese partner, PharmaEngine, are underway in the Asia Pacific region.

The Company is also running research programs in immuno-oncology, with its lead product NBTXR3, which could have the potential to bring a new dimension to cancer immunotherapies.

Nanobiotix is listed on the regulated market of Euronext in Paris (ISIN: FR0011341205, Euronext ticker: NANO, Bloomberg: NANO: FP). The Company's Headquarters are based in Paris, France, with a U.S. affiliate in Cambridge, MA.

Contact

Nanobiotix



Sarah Gaubert

Director, Communications & Public Affairs

+33 (0)1 40 26 07 55

sarah.gaubert@nanobiotix.com /

contact@nanobiotix.com







Noel Kurdi

Director, Investor Relations

+1 (646) 241-4400

noel.kurdi@nanobiotix.com / investors@nanobiotix.com Media relations



France - Springbok Consultants

Marina Rosoff

+33 (0)6 71 58 00 34

marina@springbok.fr



United States - RooneyPartners

Marion Janic

+1 (212) 223-4017

mjanic@rooneyco.com

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Nanobiotix and its business. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that Nanobiotix considers to be reasonable. However, there can be no assurance that the estimates contained in such forward-looking statements will be verified, which estimates are subject to numerous risks including the risks set forth in the reference document of Nanobiotix filed with the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorite des Marches Financiers) under number D.17-0470 on April 28, 2017 (a copy of which is available on www.nanobiotix.com) and to the development of economic conditions, financial markets and the markets in which Nanobiotix operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks not yet known to Nanobiotix or not currently considered material by Nanobiotix. The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause actual results, financial conditions, performance or achievements of Nanobiotix to be materially different from such forward-looking statements.

This press release and the information that it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe for, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for, Nanobiotix shares in any country. At the moment NBTXR3 does not bear a CE mark and is not permitted to be placed on the market or put into service until NBTXR3 has obtained a CE mark.
FILE - This Monday Dec. 11, 2017 file picture shows a general view of the Lactalis plant and milk production site where possible source of the outbreak has been identified in Craon, western France. A tainted baby milk scandal affecting some 30 countries is growing, as French dairy giant Lactalis recalled millions more products globally because of salmonella contamination. (AP Photo/David Vincent, File)
In this May 19, 2015 photo, Wu Gan also known as the Ultra Vulgar Butcher is seen behind bars at police station in Nanchang city in eastern China's Jiangxi province. A Chinese court on Tuesday, Dec 26, 2017 sentenced the prominent activist to eight years in prison for subversion. (AP Photo)
The winter of 1974 my husband and I took a trip to a small out-island in the Bahamas. We knew it was remote and with few amenities but it was within our budget and we agreed that it would be good for Dick who's diabetes & asthma were acerbated by the cold weather.

After a flight to Eleuthra and a short boat ride we found ourselves in a picturesque fishing village on the island of Spanish Wells. The people were very friendly and the island was so small that we were able to see it all on the first day. The fishermen were on shore that week so the local watering hole was really hopping and they were thrilled to have a new set of ears to listen to their folklore. We also met the only other visitor to the island. He was a man in his 40s, casually dressed in beach garb and we could tell he was a regular and very well liked.

We found that we had a mutual interest in cards and spent the night playing penny-ante poker and trading stories. The next day was raining and we took up the card playing again. It was fun at first but then we realized that Dick was starting to have a hard time breathing. Our new friend became quite concerned for him since there were no phones, no doctors and no way to get medications quickly. He told us that he had a good friend, a Scottish doctor, who worked at Treasure Cay, a resort on the Island of Abaco. He said he would make all the arrangements and that we could transfer our next 5 days in Spanish Wells to the resort in Abaco. He was as good as his word and we soon found ourselves on a small private plane heading to Abaco. When we landed there was a chauffeur driver waiting for us and he whisked us off to our beach-front cabana at Treasure Cay. We were still in shock when Dr. Hameish Fraser arrived. He told us his friend (and ours) had contacted him and that he was at our disposal. It was such a comfort to have this friendly man welcome us and it was just in time. Dick was getting in trouble with his breathing again and the doctor put him to bed and started him on medication. It would be three days before he was able to get up and Dr Fraser visited every day.



During that time I wandered the beach and marveled at the white sand and the teal colored ocean that lapped the shore. It truly is a paradise on earth, I thought, but can we afford it? The day before we left I went to the office to settle our bill. What bill?, said the manager. I explained about the transfer of funds from Spanish Wells and she just smiled. It seems that our card-playing friend was a co-owner of Treasure Cay and both he and Dr. Fraser refused payment. Of course I wrote a heartfelt letter to him but I never got an answer. I have thought of that so often over the years and still marvel at the generosity of those two amazing men.
FILE - In this March 11, 2010, file photo, empty frames from which thieves took "Storm on the Sea of Galilee," left rear, by Rembrandt and "The Concert," right foreground, by Vermeer, remain on display at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Midnight Dec. 31, 2017, is the deadline to collect a doubled reward being offered for information leading to the recovery of 13 works worth an estimated $500 million. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, File)
FILE - In this May 16, 2017, file photo, a woman places a candle in front of pictures of murdered journalists Miroslava Breach, left, and Javier Valdez during a demonstration against the killing of journalists, outside the Interior Ministry in Mexico City. Mexican authorities have arrested a man suspected of ordering the March killing of journalist Breach. The National Security Commission said in a statement that the suspect was detained along with two others Monday, Dec. 25, in the town of Bacobampo, Sonora state. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
The misfortunes of Venezuela's state-owned oil company are now roiling the clear waters of the Caribbean Sea.

Once the region's driving force, Petroleos de Venezuela SA, or PDVSA, as it's known, faces the prospect of losing its footprint in the Caribbean over unpaid bills and the inability to deliver on its promise to supply cheap crude oil and fuel to its partners in the PetroCaribe program. The beleaguered state-owned oil giant has seen its executive ranks decimated as the authoritarian Maduro regime imprisons executives and installs military officers in their place.

PDVSA lost a stake in a Cuban refinery and a storage-tank lease in the Bahamas in the past year. Now it faces losing shares in refineries from Jamaica to Curacao, and storage tanks from St. Eustatius to Bonaire. That's a turnaround from a decade ago, when PDVSA picked up assets and friends across the region ahead of a planned boost to its production that never happened.

Plagued by a heavy debt load and crippled by U.S. sanctions, Venezuela has seen its oil output slump to below 2 million barrels daily from more than 3 million barrels in 2013, leaving behind a trail of underutilized refineries, broken promises, unpaid bills and overdue facilities maintenance.

Recent events seem to indicate PDVSA will involuntarily exit the Caribbean, said Mara Roberts Duque, a New York-based analyst at BMI Research.

If they are not able to keep these Caribbean assets in good condition, they will have major implications down the supply chain, as the assets complement those in Venezuela, Duque said by phone. They can't do it with their domestic assets. They also need facilities in the Caribbean to supplement their domestic output of refined products.

Storm Is Brewing

PDVSA exports of crude oil, fuels to Caribbean drop to nine-year low, in barrels per day

2016 123 ok Source: PDVSA's annual reports

The hodgepodge of terminals serve as a platform to both store and ship crude oil and products, which account for more than 95 percent of Venezuela's total exports. The storage tanks in Bonaire can hold as much as 10 million barrels and are used mainly to handle fuel oil cargoes bound to China and Singapore. The PDVSA refineries in the Caribbean make up 16 percent of the company's global oil processing capacity, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

PetroCaribe

PDVSA rolled out its oil diplomacy accord, known as PetroCaribe, in 2005 under the guidance of the late president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, financed by oil prices near $100 a barrel. As crude production by one of OPEC's founding members falls and debt mounts, it makes sense to downsize, said Kurt Barrow, an analyst at IHS Markit.

They can't afford to maintain facilities and they need every dollar or bolivar to make bond payments and finance their government, Barrow said by phone from Houston. They are struggling to maintain in any sort of fashion their domestic oil and gas infrastructure.

And even as Venezuela is set to pump the least oil in three decades as drilling companies retreat amid unpaid bills and widespread complaints over poor oil quality, PDVSA also grapples with the arrests of at least 65 officials at the company and its U.S. refining unit Citgo Petroleum Corp. President Nicolas Maduro has said the detentions are meant to curb corruption, but critics have said it represents a power struggle in the ruling socialist party.

Among those held were Nelson Martinez and Eulogio del Pino, who over the years alternated as PDVSA's president and oil minister. Maduro appointed Manuel Quevedo to run the company. The major general, who has no oil-industry experience, is charged with ramping up production in the country with the world's largest oil reserves. The commodity is a mainstay of the economy in Venezuela, and collapsing prices have led to widespread social unrest and even starvation.

The appointment of unproved managers puts more strain on PDVSA's ability to make its heavy schedule of bond payments in coming years. The cash-strapped company, which struggles to sell its oil to the U.S. because of sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump, owes bondholders about $14 billion by 2020. China, which came to the rescue repeatedly in past years, has shown signs of impatience after China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., known as Sinopec , sued PDVSA in U.S. courts.

Rosarys Ysturiz, a spokeswoman for PDVSA, didn't immediately return a call and email seeking comment.

The insurmountable wall of debt due in the next seven years will eventually force a hard default on Venezuela, Thomas Onley, an analyst with Facts Global Energy, said. If China and Russia relax terms on the oil-for-cash agreements to allow the Latin American country to postpone loan payments and sell oil for hard currency, it could help Venezuela to buy more time.

Voluntarily or involuntarily getting rid of assets in the Caribbean won't solve their problems, Onley said by phone from London. There are many things that need to happen, and one of them is, oil needs to reach $80 before things start looking good for them.
Pemex's crude menu has just gotten simpler.

If it's the traditional, heavier Maya you're after, step right up, but traders with a palate for lighter, sweeter crudes will have to look elsewhere.

Isthmus exports fell almost 16 percent in November from the previous month while Pemex stopped sending Olmeca, Mexico's lightest crude, for a third consecutive month, according to the latest data from Mexico's state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos. Exports of heavier grades mostly comprised of Maya increased almost six percent to nearly 1.27 million barrels a day -- some 91 percent of Mexico's total crude exports.

Mexico's Light Crudes Vanish from Market

Barrels a day

Maya* Isthmus Olmeca

Pemex data

* Includes Altamira and Talam heavy crudes

U.S. light shale oil, which has been growing as Isthmus and Olmeca decline, is the most probable candidate to fill the gap left by Mexico in Asia, an important buyer of Isthmus, said Erik Broekhuizen, head of tanker research at Poten & Partners Inc. in New York. With less Isthmus crude available, they would look to their next door neighbors.

In November, Pemex declared a force majeure on some Isthmus cargoes, delaying crude shipments at East Coast ports. Two of those crude shipments were made in December, while another -- the Suezmax vessel Sonangol Maiombe booked by Cosmo -- was forced to replace its order of Isthmus with Maya, according to a person familiar with the operations. Pemex declined to comment, stating that the company doesn't disclose strategic information.

Switching to Sweet

Refiners in Asia, particularly in China, which is shifting toward a sweeter crude slate due to new sulfur requirements, are likely to buy U.S. light crude in place of Mexican supply, while the Middle East and Russia could also be contenders, said Jon Sudduth, a crude oil market analyst at Energy Aspects in London. Maya still prices competitively in Asia, so they're still buying Maya, he said.

A number of factors have converged to wipe Mexican light crude off the export map, said Alejandra Leon, Latin America upstream director at IHS in Mexico City.

Mexico's light crude production has fallen and is expected to continue falling because fields are maturing, Leon said by phone. The refineries in Mexico are restoring operations and need more light crude that had previously been sent for export, while at the same time U.S. shale oil output is rising and taking the place of Mexico's lighter grades.

While lighter crudes may be off the menu for some time to come, new major discoveries in Mexico by private companies such as Italy's Eni and a consortium including US-based Talos Energy, Mexico's Sierra Oil & Gas and Premier Oil of the U.K. could eventually result in a revival of lighter Mexican grades over the next several years, said Leon.

Operating Rates

Mexico's six refineries have been operating at 41 percent of their capacity in the first 10 months of the year due to a series of natural disasters and unplanned outages stemming from a lack of maintenance. With the gradual return to normal operations at the Salina Cruz, Minatitlan and Madero refineries, lighter grades that had been sent for export are now needed to feed them. Mexico's aging refineries depend on a mix of both heavy and light grades.

If you keep the lighter crudes for domestic utilization, then you'll get better product yields from that, rather than running more Maya, said Sudduth from Energy Aspects. And then use Maya as your export crude.

Mexico could also start to import U.S. lighter crude as part of a swap announced several years ago, said Sudduth. In 2015, Mexico and the U.S. agreed to exchange some U.S. supply for Maya amid the broader lifting of U.S. oil trade restrictions.

Given their current situation with declining production, Mexico's going to have to look somewhere else for light crude to feed its refineries, he said. So, could they import? I think that they should, it would make more sense.
Agents from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General were at St. Francis Center for Rehabilitation & Healthcare on Nov. 1. The facility was fined $782,250 this month for deficient care. Read more

St. Francis Center for Rehabilitation & Healthcare in Darby was fined a total of $782,250 this month for deficiencies found during inspections in January and August, Pennsylvania Department of Health records show.

A fine for $675,750, stemming from an August inspection that found that a patient had developed "wounds that went down to the bone with exposed tendon" and resulted in revocation of St. Francis' license, is among the 10 largest fines nationally during the last three years, according to the latest federal data on nursing-home penalties.

Regulators also levied a $106,500 fine for deficiencies found in January, including the failure for 12 hours to provide pain medications to a patient admitted after major surgery and other failures to properly administer medications, resulting in actual harm to patients.

"St. Francis was unable to provide comment," a spokeswoman said Tuesday. She also declined to say whether St. Francis will appeal the fines.

On Dec. 18, the Delaware County facility, which has 273 beds and is one of six centers sold in 2014 by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to Center Management Group of New York, succeeded in its appeal of the license revocation and received a six-month provisional license.

With the provisional license, St. Francis is allowed to resume admitting new patients. Regulators had banned it from doing so since September. During the August inspection, St. Francis had 258 residents, a figure that had fallen to slightly more than 200 on Oct. 20. The spokeswoman would not say how many residents St. Francis now has.

Agents from the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office raided St. Francis on Nov. 1, carrying out records and interviewing residents and their family members about the care they were receiving.

The fines against St. Francis, issued Dec. 15, came as the nursing-home industry appears to be making headway in a push-back against a surge in financial penalties toward the end of the Obama administration.

"The use of [civil monetary penalties] is out of control" and "strangling the industry," Mark Parkinson, president and chief executive of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, wrote in March to U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Tom Price.

HHS's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which regulates nursing homes, issued a series of guidance documents during the summer and fall that ratcheted back some of the enforcement practices the nursing-home industry found most troubling.

Under the old guidelines, certain fines for severe infractions would accumulate on a daily basis until inspectors revisited the facility to see that the problem was fixed. Proposed guidelines, issued Oct. 27, "creates the assumption that CMS will lower per day [civil monetary penalties] for immediate jeopardy deficiencies prior to a revisit," according a comment on the new rules by the Center for Medicare Advocacy.

In addition, the proposed guidance gives CMS regional offices more leeway to decide whether a facility should be fined immediately for an incident that could have resulted in death or serious injury but resulted in no harm to the patient.

That change is also a bad idea, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, a Washington nonprofit, said, noting, "The reason for having an enforcement structure is to prevent injury from ever occurring through a process of inspection, citation, and imposition of penalties."

Even on a state level, nursing-home enforcement appears to be in flux.

In the first four months of this year, Pennsylvania regulators fined nursing homes a total of $796,750, more than the $639,500 total for the three years ended Dec. 31, 2016. The state imposed 95 fines this year through April. But from May through November, the state levied just two fines for a total of $18,000.

A Pennsylvania Department of Health spokeswoman did not respond to a request for an explanation of the decline in fines.

It is unclear whether the fines levied against St. Francis were state or federal penalties.
In a year of reviews, these stood out.

Best new restaurant

In a year that celebrated the growing sophistication of suburban dining, it's little surprise that 2017's best new restaurant was not in Philly. True, Hearthsides co-chefs Dominic Piperno and Aaron Gottesman drew on their time at Vernick (and Zeppoli and Fat Ham) to harness the wood-fired magic of their memorable New American menu. But this ambitious BYOB owned by Piperno and his wife, Lindsay, is a complete package, from the gorgeous room to the polished service and inspired food, and a compelling reason for everyone to visit Collingswood.

Dish of the year

Too many of our old food traditions are fading, but Joey Baldino cooked with the angels of Italian South Philly on his shoulders this year at the Palizzi Social Club as he breathed fresh life into the homey favorites of his youth. No dish haunted my dreams like his spaghetti with crabs, a tangle of snappy strands in gravy so deeply steeped it was a zesty tomato tidal wave of sweet and briny crustacean. Not a member of the club? You can cook like a son of the Italian Market, too  because we've got the recipe.

Rising star chef

"Rising son chef" is more like it, because Jesse Ito learned the art of Japanese cooking from a master, his father, Matt (formerly of Fuji in Haddonfield fame), who's behind the scenes at Royal Izakaya. Jesse has stepped into his own spotlight there with a one-man omakase show at a cloistered back counter where eight lucky diners get to watch him create some of the most exquisite sushi tasting menus this side of Tokyo.

Best updated classic

How to remake a revered institution all your own? Chad and Hanna Williams got married in the kitchen of Friday Saturday Sunday the moment they completed a total renovation of the restaurant renaissance fixture. But it's what they did afterward  reimagining the bi-level space with a beautiful downstairs bar and airy upstairs dining room for Chad's cutting-edge cuisine  that has allowed them to write a compelling new chapter for a generation that believes Philly's real restaurant revolution is happening now.

Server of the year

Betty Woods and I haven't always been close. "I don't like Craig LaBan, because he'd never come to a place like this," she said, before realizing (much later) that I'd been sitting across the counter from her at the Mayfair Diner. We've since patched it up. And now it's impossible not to admire a consummate professional who's worked 46 years serving "the real people" despite the fact her husband, Ed Mulholland, sold the Northeast landmark more than a decade ago: "It's so easy when I do a job I am passionate about. You can do your job for the money, but if that's all you care about you'll never make it."
Rev. Nicolas ORourke, left, and Cathedral Dean Judith Sullivan, right, at the Episcopal Cathedral, where a jazz-infused Watch Night for Racial Justice event will take place the afternoon and evening of New Years Eve. Read more

"Why should the devil have all of the good music?"

 1960s "jazz ministry" pioneer Rev. John G. Gensel

Worship, jazz, the 19th-century abolition of slavery, and today's protests against racial violence will all converge this New Year's Eve at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral in what may become an annual event: Watch Night for Racial Justice.

It starts at 4 p.m. with a three-hour jazz concert and continues with a 7 p.m. interfaith watch service.

The lineup includes prominent Philadelphia jazz musicians Jay Fluellen, Ruth Naomi Floyd, Lourin Plant, Sumi Tonooka, and DeVonne Gardner. But don't think the jazz  once called "the devil's music"  will be toned down for the grand cathedral.

"I thought about it, but I couldn't do it," says Lovett Hines, artistic director of the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts, whose student ensemble will perform at the event. "It's a classic form of music and should be performed in the better places."

The evening reflects the Watch Night tradition of New Year's Eve church vigils in black churches to commemorate the Emancipation Proclamation. The cathedral's version is a benefit for POWER (Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower and Rebuild), an organization that draws on the support of roughly 50 local congregations to work for better education, health care, and employment conditions.

"It's important for us as artists to shine a light on important causes," said vocalist Gardner, 72, who will sing "Come Sunday," the signature song from the famous Sacred Ellington concerts of the '60s. Initially, those concerts were controversial for "bringing the Cotton Club to church," as the saying went, and Gardner, who sang in 1968's Second Sacred Concert, has watched firsthand as the music has grown in stature.

"Every man prays in his own language. There's no language that God doesn't understand," she says. "He [Duke Ellington] was very religious, and that is why he brought jazz into the church."

This particular Watch Night project originated with Thomas Lloyd, the classically trained director of music at the Episcopal Cathedral and composer of Bonhoeffer, which was recorded by the Crossing and nominated for a Grammy Award last year. "I was feeling a need to respond in some way  to the deteriorating racial climate of the country," Lloyd says.

Tapping into the Watch Night tradition came about during conversations with Fluellen. Lloyd wanted to broaden the dialogue to some of the social issues that POWER champions.

The idea was new to the Episcopal Cathedral but not foreign. "I knew only a little bit about Watch Night," said the Rev. Judith Sullivan, dean of the cathedral, "but it seemed like a perfect fit for us. We care deeply about upholding the dignity of every individual." In fact, the church gives away 20,000 pounds of food per month.

Involving POWER gives the concert purpose beyond the symbolic, Lloyd says. The pay-what-you-wish admission is a "free will" offering to benefit POWER and the Episcopal Cathedral Table Ministries in West Philadelphia. The artists  whom Hines describes as "not just great musicians but great people"  are donating their services.

"There's a need for a combination of social services and social action  This is a way to affirm that," says Lloyd. "It's not a Republican or Democrat thing. Most of the lobbying work [done by POWER] is about basic values."

The group is known for its targeted and effective campaigns  from protests to raise the minimum wage for airport workers to initiatives to encourage the vote in zip codes with low turnouts. Sometimes, members will simply arrive in the offices of key congressmen to be what the organization's fund-raising chair, the Rev. Sandra Brown, calls "a moral presence."

"It's our faith that commands us to do what we do," she says. "Because of our faith, we're able to stand for others." POWER says it represents some 50,000 people across its various religious communities. Its endorsements are for policy platforms, not particular political candidates.

Translating such ideals into music would seem to warrant choirs  gospel and otherwise. Lloyd says that couldn't happen for this year's inaugural Watch Night.

Choirs may come along next year  assuming the event becomes annual. "If people respond to it and say, 'Yes, we need this'  then it could happen," he says, "because racism isn't going away."

Benefits extend beyond the fund-raising for POWER and music for the audience. The young members of the Clef Club ensemble stand to gain historic Watch Night perspective on the music they're playing. "A lot of young people think that what they're doing now is new," Hines says. "But for young people, a career that's laced with history is based in truth. History makes that journey for young people more poignant."

Ultimately, they have to make the music their own. When Gardner was working with Ellington, she says, she had no other choice. "He didn't tell you how to do anything. He didn't even say anything," she says. "I was used to singing formal music written on the page. This was brand-new music. I had to find my way through that. And I did."
Temple freshman Adam Gasiewski, left, and freshman Emily Beck, wrote the popular book, "Milk and Vine,", a parody of poet Rupi Kaur's "Milk and Honey." Read more

Adam Gasiewski, 19, and Emily Beck, 18, were as devastated as anyone when the short-form video platform Vine was shut down this year. When the Temple University freshmen channeled their despair into a book released in October, the last thing they expected was to become best-selling authors.

They say their book, Milk and Vine: Inspirational Quotes from Classic Vines, has sold around 155,000 copies, catapulting them at one point to the top of Amazon's best-seller list. The book is a parody of Canadian poet Rupi Kaur's hit Milk and Honey, a collection of poems she posts on Instagram that have won her almost two million followers. Milk and Vine contains dialogue from Beck and Gasiewski's favorite Vine videos in Kaur's minimalist, offbeat style alongside simple illustrations.

The book has outsold mainstream authors like Jeff Kinney, creator of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and former President Barack Obama. It even surpassed the original Milk and Honey, as well as its follow-up, The Sun and Her Flowers.

It's an astonishing achievement, considering that Milk and Vine started as a joke after the couple, who have been dating since high school, went to Barnes & Noble in the Rittenhouse.

"I always wanted to write a book, and I wasn't sure what," says Gasiewski, a computer science major from Bucks County. When they spotted Milk and Honey, they decided it was ripe for parody.

They wrote Milk and Vine for their friends. They self-published it on Amazon because they wanted a physical copy.

They produced their final draft in a few days. Gasiewski handled formatting and transcribing their favorite Vines, and Beck produced the illustrations, though, as the Northeast Philly native and political science major admits, she is not an artist.

"We just imagined people opening a book and seeing these vulgar, ridiculous phrases when they expected something deep," Beck says.

By early November, the book had gone viral. Gasiewski's tweet showing a copy of Milk and Vine in a refrigerator has been retweeted about 63,000 times and has 150,000 likes.

The book hit No. 1 on Amazon's best-seller list by Nov. 7, which Gasiewski and Beck call an indescribable accomplishment. "We're just two college students, and we're No. 1 followed by Obama," Beck says. "Really?"

The book has since dropped from the top spot, hovering between ninth and 18th place, Gasiewski says. But it's still beating out major publishers that put serious money behind marketing campaigns.

Beck says Milk and Vine and Milk and Honey are frequently bought together on Amazon, which "is poetry to us."

The book's success is rooted in the shuttering of Vine. Twitter reportedly purchased the service for $30 million in 2012 and shut it down in January, leading to histrionic responses from fans. Although users cannot upload new videos, they can watch old ones, leading to perpetual nostalgia for a beloved, defunct platform.

Gasiewski cites Milk and Vine's success as a sign of Vine's cultural impact.

Milk and Vine's impact can be measured in its "blacklash." Gasiewski and Beck have been accused of plagiarizing Kaur and condemned for not initially crediting the original Vine artists, often kids of color, who inspired the poems in the book. The pair, however, have spoken to copyright lawyers, who have assured them it doesn't violate any laws.

They have also released a statement saying that although they were "saddened by the onslaught of hate coming from a few of you," the book "doesn't infringe on any copyrights."

"We needed a framework to put these Vines in, and this simplistic style, where the poems are short, fit," Gasiewski says. "I think it's an honor that your book is so famous that people are parodying it. You have to know about that book to have that context to appreciate this."

Gasiewski and Beck say they don't plan to compensate the Vine artists who inspired their book but have since credited them.

"Obviously, it's something where we should have credited them from the beginning," Gasiewski says. "We didn't know it would be a big deal."

But it was a big enough deal to inspire similar releases, including Vine and Tea by Max Stein and Vine and Honey by Ben Mark. Gasiewski and Beck say there is plenty of parody to go around.

Criticism and copycats haven't deterred Gasiewski and Beck from continuing their project. They plan to add an audiobook option featuring the poems read by a stately sounding British man they hired through the odd-job app Fiverr.

They are also working with a publisher to get Milk and Vine into stores but nothing has been finalized. They hope to get it into Barnes & Noble, site of their inspiration.

A sequel is in the works that could be released by spring. Gasiewski says it would chronicle more classic Vines that didn't make the first cut.

"There are still a lot more out there and we're going to let fans give some input on what they want to see."

Future works, the couple says, will move away from Vine but will stay focused on internet culture because "there are a lot of books to be made about memes," Gasiewski says. With the success of Milk and Vine, Gasiewski and Beck could fill that niche, especially with the news that Vine 2.0 may be on the horizon, as teased by Vine cofounder Dom Hofmann this month, which Gasiewski and Beck say they find exciting.

Whatever the future holds, they say they are open. After all, once you've had a hit book based on a social media platform that has been dead for light-years in internet time, pretty much anything seems possible.

"You can definitely write a book about anything," Beck says. "You may think it's stupid, but there could be a whole other group of people that think it's a genius idea."
Among people who think deeply about the best way for people to get from Point A to Point B, billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk is a visionary. From his electric Tesla cars to his reusable SpaceX supply rockets and his proposal for an underground Hyperloop commuter tunnel, Musk is credited with reimagining transport as we know it.

But Musk revealed a crucial blind spot recently when he lashed out on Twitter at Jarrett Walker, a SEPTA transit consultant who was hired this year to help modernize Philadelphia's bus routes.

Musk, it turns out, doesn't much care for a mode of transportation that is considered crucial to the health of big cities: mass transit.

Although Musk's views should come as no surprise, given that Tesla is the company that turned electric cars into a luxury commodity, Musk stunned the audience at a tech conference in early December when he suggested that mass transit had no future. After telling the group that mass transit "sucks," he explained that he prefers "individualized transport" because buses and trains are filled with "a bunch of random strangers, one of whom might be a serial killer."

After his remarks were picked up by Aarian Marshall at Wired magazine, Walker was so dismayed, he took to Twitter to reprimand the inventor. He suggested Musk was an elitist for his disdain of transit and suggested that innovations like driverless cars and the Hyperloop would help only the rich.

"You're an idiot," Musk shot back.

Musk picked the wrong transportation expert to criticize. After helping cities like Houston dramatically increase ridership, Walker has become something of a celebrity among transit planners. Dozens came to his defense and Vancouver, British Columbia, planner Brent Toderian started a hashtag, #greatthingsthathappenedontransit!, to recount pleasant interactions between strangers on buses and trains.

Like Musk, Walker has upended the conventional wisdom about transportation. Because he believes that frequency and reliability are the key to running a successful bus network, he has often advised cities to rethink unpopular routes and focus attention on high-demand corridors. Walker's company, Jarrett Walker + Associates, is currently taking a hard look at Philadelphia's bus network.

Although Musk later deleted the tweet criticizing Walker, the impact of the exchange ricocheted around the Twittersphere. That was in large part because Musk's anti-transit sentiments cut to the heart of urbanist unease over driverless cars, a technology that Tesla has been trying to perfect. Although some hope those autonomous vehicles will be a boon for cities by reducing the need for land-intensive parking lots, others worry that the reverse will happen. Walker has warned that driverless cars will take up the same amount of space as regular cars. They could also encourage more of the kind of low-density land use that produced suburban sprawl.

Along with developing driverless cars, Musk's company is working on a system of tunnels, the Hyperloops, that would allow commuters to bypass street-level traffic. Maryland officials have already given Musk permission to start experimental boring. Unlike transit, which follows a fixed route, Musk claims his Hyperloop would take people door to door without the need for transfers for other modes.

"I think public transport is painful. It sucks," Musk said in his remarks. "Why do you want to get on something with a lot of other people, that doesn't leave where you want it to leave, doesn't start where you want it to start, doesn't end where you want it to end? And it doesn't go all the time."

But Walker and other transportation experts predict that the Hyperloops will never be able to handle large volumes of users and will end up as bypasses for the very rich. Some Hyperloop scenarios show the system serving private cars, while others suggest it would used by pods accommodating a dozen or so people, all going to the same destination. But many doubt whether any scenario is technologically or economically feasible.

"The reigning fantasy of Musk's argument is that we must always 'take people all the way to their destination,'" Walker wrote in a blog post last year. "To do this we must abolish the need to ever change vehicles  from a train to a bus, from a car to a train, from a bus to a bike  and of course we also abolish walking."
Police investigate the scene where a robbery suspect crashed his car at South 49th and Walnut streets in West Philadelphia before he was shot by police. Read more

Police shot and wounded a robbery suspect after he crashed his car in West Philadelphia, officials said.

The preliminary investigation indicated that a plainclothes officer opened fire on the man Tuesday morning after the suspect "made movements, gestures toward his waistband," said Capt. Sekou Kinnebrew, a police spokesman. Officers had identified themselves as police before the shooting. There is no word yet if police recovered a weapon.

The suspect was initially reported to be in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the chest.

Police said the robbery took place about 9 a.m. at deli at 52nd and Irving Streets.

About 9:40 a.m., an officer saw a black SUV with New Jersey plates that matched the vehicle used in the robbery on the 5200 block of Hazel Avenue, and then watched as a man got in and drove away, officials said. Police followed.

At 49th and Walnut Streets, the SUV crashed into another car, officials said.

The plainclothes officer then approached the SUV and that's when the shooting occurred.

Police said the SUV had been reported stolen.

The investigation is in its early stages and there are no details yet regarding the police pursuit of the suspect's vehicle.
I am continually amazed by the lack of understanding of federal public land laws and policies by politicians with Governor Bullocks article President should see first-hand what makes America great. He sent his inaccurate article to the liberal Washington Post. The American Antiquities Act of 1906 16, USC 431-433 states  may reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which in all cases shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected.

First important fact is these lands are now and will continue to be public lands of the U.S.A. The law itself was to protect sites, not create vast reserves on what already is public land. Second, existing public land laws protect the integrity of these public lands and sites under the existing Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, 43 U. S. C.1701 including other Public Land Laws.

Federal public land cannot be sold, period, or transferred to states to sell and remains a no-brainer to nowhere. Still to find out is how the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation receives $8.5 million per year in federal farm subsidies on OUR public state lands. Where does all the dough go? How about an audit? Maybe Governor Bullock can tell us voters?

These are federal public lands before and after any monument that will continue to be managed by BLM under public land law. The obvious change would be closing public land access roads and, by doing that, is an anti-hunting tool and also loss of recreational use. I recall the Missouri River Breaks Monument by President Clinton vividly with 12 years as a biologist in Malta. On those public lands the monument closed off 46 miles of access roads which drastically impacted hunting and recreation opportunity. Gone then was excellent mule deer hunting. All that land was and still is public land to be managed by the BLM, but vehicle access for all including seniors and disabled was lost with the monument creation. But then President Clinton was anti-hunting and anti-gun ownership.

The public is misinformed about these monuments by politicians these days who never look at an accurate public land status map or laws. I have asked that specific question at a Montana State Land Board meeting in Helena; they would not answer. In Montana we have nearly eight million acres of federal BLM land and 17 million acres of National Forest. We have five million acres remaining of public state land in Montana. The selling any of these public lands before any on-the-ground first-hand professional inventories of every single acre is theft of Montana public lands -- so tell that to the Washington Post, governor!

The governors article is so misleading, political and inaccurate. Who are the ones actually selling public land and violating antiquities and historic preservation laws? It is the Montana State Land Board under Governor Bullock! They have sold nearly 70,000 acres of OUR public state land under the misguided Land Banking Program and with no provision to purchase or replace land sold. I was involved with the state Land access issue from day one starting in 1976 while hunting north of Malta. Governor Stephens signed HB 778 into law on April 21, 1991 for recreational use on 5.2 million acres of OUR public state lands.

The Governor now should read the Montana Attorney Generals Report of 1996 where the Board of Regents illegally sold state land and violated state laws. Montanas state lands were being sold with no professional inventory of a single acre under the Montana Antiquities Act 22-3-421-M.C.A. or for historic values and all the State Laws violated as today are identified in that report. I am pleased we have Mr. Zinke as Secretary of the Interior to oversee our federal public lands and they are in good hands not like Montana where I am worried and no first-hand for Montana.

Jack D. Jones of Butte, a Montana native, worked as a wildlife biologist in Montana for 36 years with the Bureau of Land Management.
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Japan 4G SIM Card Review

How to get mobile data in Japan? Most of us will rent the Japan 4G Pocket WIFI as it is reliable and can share to multiple users. What if there are no more units left to rent? That happened to me earlier this month as I was traveling to Osaka and Okayama in Japan. The holiday season kicked in and most of the Japan 4G Pocket WIFI were all rented out. There is another possibility of renting the Japan 4G Pocket WIFI in Japan but I chose to get the Japan 4G SIM Card as it is the cheapest.

If you booked with Klook.com, you have an option of 1GB Data for 6 days (RM 38), 3G Data for 8 Days (RM 78) or Unlimited 4G Data for 8 days (RM 121). For Japan 4G Pocket WIFI (Malaysia pick up), you can get it for RM 17 per day and Japan 4G Pocket WIFI (Japan pick up), you can get it for RM 28 per day. Since I was traveling alone for 8 days, I tried the Unlimited 4G Data for 8 days (RM 121) for the first time.

After I booked with Klook.com, I had the choice to pick up at Kansai International Airport or at JR Namba Station. You just need to show them the voucher on your mobile and they will pass the 4G SIM Card to you. Since I was rushing to Okayama, I picked up at Japan Holiday Travel OCAT Tourist Information Center (1/F), JR Namba Station in Osaka.

It is quite easy to use the 4G SIM Card as there are manual in English. Within minutes, my phone was running on local 3G/4G signal. I used the 4G SIM Card in the Osaka and Himeji area (mostly in cities).

For the reception, you can get 4G+ at most times but in terms of speed, it is not fast that I expected. Honestly, the Japan 4G Pocket WIFI is faster but if you are not a data heavy user, the Japan 4G SIM Card is good for you. Get the Japan 4G SIM Card with Klook.com and remember to review to get extra credits for discounts on your next purchase at Klook.com. Book it at https://www.klook.com/activity/3110-sim-card-japan-osaka/ (Osaka) and https://www.klook.com/activity/3613-sim-card-japan-tokyo/ (Tokyo).

Wilson Ng A Father and traveler who enjoys to eat, shop, travel and taking pictures with Samsung S22 Ultra and Sony ZV-1. Im a full time blogger, youtuber and father for two. I used to travel around 17 International trips per year but now staying at home. Remember to follow us at www.instagram.com/placesandfoods and www.youtube.com/placesandfoods. For advertisements or features, contact me at [email protected] See author's posts
Exploring the Valley of the Kings: A Visitor's Guide

Written by Jess Lee

Updated May 20, 2021

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Ever since Howard Carter opened up King Tut's tomb to reveal the treasures of the child king, the Valley of the Kings has captured the imaginations of travelers.

The vividly painted tombs of Thebes' pharaohs allow visitors a glimpse at the burial rites and death rituals of Ancient Egypt, and today remain the most popular attraction on the west bank of Luxor.

Walkway in the Valley of the Kings

A visit here is a highlight of any Egypt trip but can be demanding due to the stifling heat and swarms of visitors.

It's important to note that tombs open and close to the public in rotation in an attempt to help preserve the wall paintings, which have suffered severe degradation from the humidity caused by so many visitors.

Most tombs listed below are usually open. They are listed in order of their tomb number.

Valley of the Kings tomb

On This Page:

Tomb of Ramses VII (1)

The Tomb of Ramses VII is a small, unfinished tomb. It's much smaller, with just two chambers and a corridor, than many other tombs due to hasty finishing, as the pharaoh died unexpectedly.

A Greek inscription shows that this tomb was known and accessible during the Ptolemaic period.

Tomb of Ramses IV (2)

Tomb of Ramses IV | Dennis Jarvis / photo modified

An ancient staircase with a ramp in the middle leads to the entrance of this tomb. Look on the lintel of the door to see Isis and Nephthys worshiping the sun, with the ram-headed sun god and a scarab depicted within.

On the right-hand entrance wall, you can see two figures of Copts raising their hands in prayer. According to an inscription, one of them is "Apa Ammonios the martyr."

The scenes and inscriptions were painted on stucco, almost all of which has fallen away. In the main chamber is the pharaoh's granite sarcophagus covered with inscriptions and reliefs.

Ceiling in the tomb of Ramses IV | Dennis Jarvis / photo modified

Tomb of Ramses IX (6)

Tomb of Ramses IX

This beautiful tomb has some excellent wall paintings.

In the first corridor on the left-hand wall, you can see the pharaoh depicted in the presence of Harakhty and Osiris.

Farther along, above the doors of two small undecorated chambers, is a text from the Praising of Re.

Just beyond the second chamber is a text from the 125th chapter of the Book of the Dead, which contains a declaration by the dead man of his freedom from sin.

On the right-hand wall, the pharaoh is depicted in a chapel in the presence of Amun and the death goddess Meretseger.

Above the doors of the side chambers are representations of snakes and dog- and bull-headed spirits, with an inscription giving the beginning of the "Sun God's Journey through the Underworld."

In the second corridor, look on the left to see a snake rearing up in a vertical position. To the right of this and in the niche are figures of gods (from the Praising of Re), while below the niche is the king, followed by the goddess Hathor.

Beyond this, on the left, are texts from the Book of the Dead and then a scene of the pharaoh in the presence of the falcon-headed Khons-Neferhotep, with a falcon hovering over his head.

The third corridor depicts the pharaoh presenting an image of Maat to Ptah, before whom the goddess herself is standing. Beyond this, you can see the pharaoh's resurrection (his mummy lying on a hill with his arms raised above his head), with a scarab and the sun above the mummy.

From here, you enter the first chamber with its roof supported on four pillars.

A short passage runs down to the tomb chamber, which contained the sarcophagus. On the wall are figures of gods and spirits.

On the vaulted ceiling are two figures of the sky goddess, representing the morning and evening sky, while below her are constellations and stellar barques.

Tomb of Merneptah (8)

Tomb of Merneptah

The entrance corridors, with texts from the Praising of Re (on the left a very fine painted relief of the king before Re-Harakhty) and scenes from the Realm of the Dead (from the Book of the Gates), run fairly steeply down to an antechamber containing the granite lid of the outer coffin.

From here, steps lead down to a three-aisled hypostyle hall with a barrel vault over the central aisle and flat roofs over the side aisles.

In this chamber is the lid of the royal sarcophagus depicting a recumbent figure of the pharaoh.

The lid, which as usual is in the form of a royal cartouche, is beautifully carved in pink granite. The carving of the pharaoh's face is particularly fine.

Tomb of Ramses VI (9)

Tomb of Ramses VI

This tomb, originally begun for Ramses V, is notable for the excellent preservation of its painted sunk reliefs (though they are inferior in style to those of the 19th Dynasty).

Three corridors lead into an antechamber, beyond which is the first pillared chamber with which Ramses V's tomb ended. On the left-hand walls, you can see scenes of the sun's journey through the Underworld according to the Book of the Gates.

Two corridors, with scenes from the sun god's journey through the Underworld according to the Book of what is in the Underworld, lead into another antechamber, the walls of which are covered with texts and scenes from the Book of the Dead.

Beyond this is the second pillared chamber, still containing remnants of the great granite sarcophagus.

On the walls are texts relating to the Underworld, while on the vaulted ceiling are two figures of the sky goddess, representing the day sky and the night sky, with the hours.

The tomb contains numerous Greek and Coptic graffiti.

Hot air Balloons over the Valley of the Kings

Tomb of Ramses III (11)

Reliefs in the Tomb of Ramses III

Although the reliefs are not particularly well executed here, they are notable for their variety and the excellent preservation of the colors.

In the first corridor, to the right and left of the entrance, you can see the goddess Maat kneeling, sheltering with her wings those who enter the tomb.

In the third side chamber, look up to the upper row of scenes on the left to see a kneeling Nile god bestowing gifts on seven fertility gods (with ears of corn on their heads.

The fourth side chamber, on the right, was the pharaoh's armory and contains wall paintings of the sacred black bull Meri on the "Southern Lake" (on the left) and the black cow Hesi on the "Northern Lake" (on the right).

The sun's journey during the fourth hour of night is depicted on the fourth corridor. This leads you into the sixth chamber with a sloping passage with side galleries and four pillars, on which the pharaoh is depicted in the presence of various gods.

Landscape of the Valley of the Kings

Walls on the left (beginning on the entrance wall) show the sun's journey through the fourth part of the Underworld (Book of the Gates), while the walls on the right depict the sun's journey through the fifth part of the Underworld (Book of the Gates).

In the seventh chamber, you see the pharaoh conducted by Thoth and the falcon-headed Harkhentekhtai on the right, while on the left, the pharaoh is presenting an image of Truth to Osiris.

In the tenth room, the pharaoh's sarcophagus once stood. His mummy was found at Deir el-Bahri and is now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Tomb of Tausert & Setnakht (14)

Tomb of Tausert & Setnakht

This double tomb is one of the largest in the Valley of the Kings.

It was originally built for Tausert, wife of Seti II, who ruled for the last two years of the 19th Dynasty. It's thought that she had the tomb constructed to hold both her and Seti II, but the tomb was taken over by her immediate successor, the Pharaoh Setnakht, who expanded it, tunneling deeper into the ground to create a burial chamber for himself.

Setnakht also made changes to some of the tomb's decoration, and in the lower reaches of the tomb complex, original paintings portraying Tausert were later replaced by scenes depicting Setnakht.

The highlight here remains Tausert's burial chamber, where the room is dominated by a large scene of a winged and ram-headed sun god portrayed emerging from the underworld.

Tomb of Seti II (15)

Lower chambers of the Tomb of Seti II | Gary Todd / photo modified

Seti II's tomb was probably built by Setnakht after he decided to take the pharaoh's original burial place for himself.

This tomb is a much smaller affair than the neighboring Tomb of Tausert & Setnakht.

The decorative work here lacks the careful detail of some other tombs, and as the tomb has been open since antiquity you can spot Greek and Latin graffiti on the chamber and corridor walls.

The finest wall reliefs are seen near the tomb entrance, and the upper reaches of the sloping corridor portrays scenes of Anubis from the Litany of Ra.

In Seti II's burial chamber, the stone sarcophogus is still in situ.

Tomb of Ramses I (16)

This tomb is currently not open to the public.

A sloping corridor and a steep staircase lead down to the tomb chamber, in the middle of which is the open red granite coffin of the king, with pictures and texts painted in yellow.

The walls of the chamber are covered with colored scenes and inscriptions.

On the entrance wall, look to the left to see Maat and Ramses I before Ptah. To the right, Maat and the pharaoh are making an offering to Nefertum, while behind is the symbolic knot of Isis.

On the left-hand wall to the right of the door and above it are scenes from the third section of the Book of the Gates. First we see the gateway, guarded by a snake, then the journey through the third division of the Underworld. In the middle, the boat is being drawn by four men towards a long chapel in which are the mummies of nine gods.

Doorway to a tomb

Tomb of Seti I (17)

Wall painting in the Tomb of Seti I

The tomb of Seti I is also known as Belzoni's Tomb after Belzoni opened up the tomb in October 1817.

The reliefs are far superior in quality and state of preservation to any others in the Valley of the Kings. It was closed to visitors for years due to preservation issues but has recently been opened again and is now one of the Valley of the King's star attractions.

Scenes of the sun's journey through the fourth division of the Underworld (fourth part of the Book of the Gates) are depicted in the first pillared chamber.

At the beginning is the fourth gateway, guarded by a snake, then, in the middle row, the solar barque drawn by four men, while in front of it are spirits with a coiled snake, three ibis-headed gods, and nine other gods ("the spirits of men who are in the Underworld").

From the first pillared chamber, a flight of 18 steps leads down by way of two corridors with representations of the "opening of the mouth" ceremony into an antechamber, with fine reliefs of the pharaoh in the presence of various gods of the dead.

A short flight of steps leads into the second pillared chamber. The scenes and inscriptions in this room are merely sketched out in red and black on stucco.

On the pillars, the pharaoh is depicted before various deities. The scenes on the rear wall show the sun's journey during the tenth hour of night (10th part of the Book of what is in the Underworld).

Beyond is the third pillared chamber, from which a ramp flanked by steps leads down to the mummy shaft. This consists of a front portion with six pillars and a rear portion with a vaulted roof, on a lower level.

In the front section are scenes in the realm of the dead from the Book of the Gates. In the rear section was the pharaoh's alabaster sarcophagus, now in the Soane Museum in London.

The king's mummy was found at Deir el-Bahri and is now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Valley of Kings- Tomb of Sethos I Map (Historical)

Tomb of Tuthmosis III (34)

Tomb of Tuthmosis III

The Tomb of Tuthmosis III is in a narrow and steep-sided gully some 250 meters south of the tomb of Ramses III. This tomb is currently not open to the public.

A sloping corridor down to a staircase with wide niches on the right and left, with a farther corridor beyond, leads to a square shaft five to six meters deep, probably intended to deter tomb robbers; it is now crossed by a footbridge. T

he roof has white stars on a blue background.

Beyond the shaft is a chamber with two pillars, and on the walls are lists of 741 different deities and demons.

At the left-hand end of the rear wall, a staircase leads down to the tomb chamber, which has the oval shape of a royal cartouche. The ceiling, with yellow stars on a blue background, is supported on two square pillars.

The walls are covered with well-preserved scenes and texts from the Book of what is in the Underworld. Those on the pillars are of particular interest.

On one side of the first pillar is a long religious text, while on the second side are Tuthmosis III and his mother in a boat (at the top) and the king suckled by his mother in the form of a tree (below).

The sarcophagus is of red sandstone with painted scenes and inscriptions. It was empty when the tomb was opened, but the mummy was found at Deir el Bahri.

The grave goods from the four small side chambers are now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Hieroglyphics in the tomb of Tuthmosis III

Tomb of Amenophis II (35)

From the entrance, steep flights of steps and sloping corridors descend to a shaft (now bridged over), at the foot of which is a small room, and beyond this, the first chamber (undecorated) with two pillars. This tomb is currently not open to the public.

At the left-hand end of the rear wall is a flight of steps leading down to a sloping corridor, at the end of which is the second chamber with six pillars. To the rear of this chamber, on a lower level, is a crypt.

On the pillars, the king is depicted in the presence of the gods of the dead, while on the walls are finely executed scenes and texts from the Book of what is in the Underworld.

In the crypt is the king's sandstone sarcophagus, in which the mummy of Amenophis II was found intact with a bunch of flowers and garlands.

On each side are two chambers in which many mummies, no doubt brought here to be safe from tomb robbers, were found including those of Tuthmosis IV and Amenophis III (18th Dynasty) and Siptah and Seti II (19th Dynasty).

Valley of Kings- Tomb of Amenophis II Map (Historical)

Tomb of Tutankhamun (62)

Tomb of Tutankhamun

Discovered by Howard Carter on November 4, 1922, the Tomb of Tutankhamun is by far the Valley of the King's most famous tomb.

Tutankhamun was the son-in-law of Akhenaten, and died (in circumstances unknown) in his 18th or 19th year.

Although the tomb was broken into soon after the pharaoh's burial, it remained almost intact, together with its rich furnishings.

These furnishings, the famous "Treasures of Tutankhamun" (mostly now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo), were the largest and most valuable find of grave goods ever made in Egypt, giving an overwhelming impression of the splendor of a royal burial in Pharaonic times.

A flight of 16 steps leads down to the entrance on the east side of the tomb.

The doorway opens into a narrow passage, 7.5 meters long, and at the far end, another door gives access to an antechamber, the largest chamber in the tomb, which was found filled to overflowing with grave goods of all kinds.

At the southwest corner (far left) is a side chamber. At the north wall, two life-size wooden statues of the pharaoh were found.

Sarcophagus in the Tomb of Tutankhamun | Ralph.Torello / photo modified

In the middle of the chamber is the sarcophagus, of yellowish crystalline sandstone. Its sides are covered with religious scenes and texts, and at the corners are four relief figures of goddesses with wings protectively outspread.

The pharaoh's mummy was contained within three richly decorated wooden coffins inside the sarcophagus.

On the east side of the tomb chamber is a small store room. On the walls of the chamber are painted scenes, rather hastily executed, showing Pharaoh Ay, Tutankhamun's successor, performing the "opening of the mouth" ceremony on the mummy, and Tutankhamun making offerings to various gods.

Valley of Kings- Tomb of Tutankhamun Map (Historical)

Tomb of Ay (23)

Tomb of Ay | Silke Baron / photo modified

The Tomb of Ay (successor to Tutankhaman) sits outside the main Valley of the Kings tomb area, in the West Valley, a roughly two-kilometer walk west from the main Valley of the Kings visitor's center.

Because of its isolation from the other open tombs, most visitors tend to give it a miss.

You are highly likely to get the tomb to yourself and that, combined with the barren beauty of the surrounding cliffs, with no tour bus in sight, on the walk here is one of the major reasons to venture here.

Inside, the tomb only has decoration in the burial chamber. The corridors are plain.

The burial chamber paintings, though, are notable among the royal tombs for depicting scenes from daily life. One scene shows Pharaoh Ay fishing, while another portrays him hunting hippos. There is also a large wall painting of baboons.

Valley of the Kings History: Ancient Egypt's Necropolis of the Pharaohs

Valley of the Kings

The valley takes its name from the sumptuously furnished tombs constructed here for the pharaohs of the 18th, 19th, and 20th Dynasties.

In contrast to the pyramid tombs, which had previously been favored, these tombs consist of a series of passages and chambers hewn from the rock.

Like the chambers within the pyramids, these were intended only for the reception of the sarcophagus: the temples dedicated to the cult of the dead pharaohs were built in the plain.

The tombs usually have a succession of three corridors leading into their innermost recesses.

The third corridor leads into an antechamber, beyond which is the main chamber, its roof often supported by pillars, with a cavity in the floor in which the heavy granite sarcophagus was deposited.

Adjoining the main chamber are various subsidiary chambers.

Since it was believed that the dead man, accompanied by the sun god (or perhaps having become one with the sun god), sailed through the Underworld at night in a boat, the walls of the tombs were frequently adorned with texts and scenes depicting this voyage and giving the dead man instruction on its course.

The scenes and texts were chiefly taken from two books closely related to one another.

The first is the Book of what is in the Underworld, which has 12 chapters, since the Underworld (Duat) was thought of as being divided into 12 parts or caverns, corresponding to the 12 hours of the night.

In the center of each of these scenes is a river on which the ram-headed sun god and his train are sailing in the solar barque, briefly dispensing light and life. The banks of the river, above and below, are populated by spirits, demons, and monsters, which greet the sun god as he passes, and fend off his enemies.

The second book is known as the Book of the Gates, which also deals with the sun's nocturnal voyage through the 12 parts of the Underworld.

Between these various parts are massive gates guarded by giant snakes, whose names the dead man must know. Two gods and two fire-breathing snakes guard the approach and greet the sun god. In other respects, the conception of the Underworld is similar to that of the first book.

A third work can be called The Sun God's Journey through the Underworld. It depicts the sun god addressing the spirits and monsters of the Underworld, who are exactly portrayed in long rows.

Other texts used in decorating the walls of the tombs were the Praising of Re (or Litany of Re) and the Book of the Opening of the Mouth.

The former, which appears in the first two corridors, contains a hymn to the sun god, whom the dead man had to invoke under 75 different names when he entered the Underworld in the evening.

The latter teaches the various ceremonies, which had to be performed in front of the statue of the dead man so that it could eat and drink what had been set out for it in the tomb.

Tips and Tours: How to Make the Most of Your Visit to The Valley of the Kings

Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

Private Tour: This private Valley of the Kings tour includes pickup and drop-off from your hotel, as well as entrance fees and tours of three tombs in The Valley of the Kings plus Deir al-Bahri (the Temple of Queen Hatshepshut) with an Egyptologist guide. Like all West Bank tours, it also includes a stop at an alabaster shop.

Tickets: A Valley of the Kings general entry ticket grants you entry to three of the open tombs. There are usually eight that can be visited (the ticket office displays a list of the currently open tombs). As well as the general entry ticket, there are another four tombs that can also be visited with separate, individual tickets. These tombs are Tutankhaman, Seti I, Ramses VI, and Ay.

Timing: Tour groups based in Luxor hit the Valley of the Kings at around 8am, and from 10am, the bus tours from the Red Sea resorts arrive. Your best bet for the least crowds is to come here after 2pm, when the big bus tours have mostly gone, or if you're an early riser get here at 6am, when the tombs open.

What to Bring: A flashlight is extremely handy for the darker corners of the tombs, and if you're planning on being here for a while, bring snacks. The only food on offer is at the tourist bazaar near the visitor center, which is quite a hike from the tombs.

Tipping the Tomb Guardians: Tomb guardians have ridiculously low salaries and supplement this with tips from visitors. This means that they sometimes shadow visitors into the tombs trying to be helpful and point things out to you, hoping for a tip. Although some tourists can find this annoying, please remember that for the tomb guardians, this is the only way to supplement their meager pay. Those that do tip them (EGP5-10 is enough) usually also have a more interesting tomb experience and are shown things that are otherwise easily missed. At the least, a tip means that you won't be hassled.

Visitor Center: The Valley of the King's visitor center has clean toilets, a ticket booth, and an excellent model of the entire valley. The adjoining tourist bazaar sells cold drinks and snack food.

Tomb Train: A little electric train runs from the visitor center up to the start of the tombs area. When it's boiling hot, it's worth the minimal fee it costs to hop on this and skip the walk.

The Deir el-Bahri Walk: If time permits, it is well worth returning to the West Bank plain by the hill path, which runs direct from the Valley of the Kings to Deir el-Bahri. The walk, strenuous but not difficult (stout footwear needed), takes about 45 minutes. It affords magnificent views  at first down into the desolate Valley of the Kings, and then, from the crest of the ridge and on the way down, into the curiously shaped amphitheater in which Deir el-Bahri lies enclosed within steeply sloping hills, and over the fertile green plain on both sides of the Nile, with its palms, massive temple ruins, and river running in between.

Getting to the Valley of the Kings

By Private Taxi: Most independent travelers arrive by private taxi, which you can hire from the East Bank or from the waterfront car park in front of the ferry terminal on the West Bank. There are no taxi meters, and you have to haggle for a price (bartering for half-day or full-day hire is normal). If you're short on time and want to see a lot of the monuments on the West Bank, a taxi is a good idea.

Most independent travelers arrive by private taxi, which you can hire from the East Bank or from the waterfront car park in front of the ferry terminal on the West Bank. There are no taxi meters, and you have to haggle for a price (bartering for half-day or full-day hire is normal). If you're short on time and want to see a lot of the monuments on the West Bank, a taxi is a good idea. By Tour Bus: Nearly all hotels and all travel agencies in Luxor arrange daily West Bank tours, which usually include the Valley of the Kings and Deir al-Bahri, and often the Valley of the Queens and Medinet Habu.

Nearly all hotels and all travel agencies in Luxor arrange daily West Bank tours, which usually include the Valley of the Kings and Deir al-Bahri, and often the Valley of the Queens and Medinet Habu. By Bicycle: For those with time up their sleeves, hiring a bike to commute around the West Bank is a great idea. Be warned though, the road up to the Valley of the Kings is a long, hot, uphill ride.

More Related Articles on PlanetWare.com

Luxor: If you're planning to spend some time in Luxor check out our list of things to do in Luxor, and our Visitor's Guide to Karnak, and Karnak's Temple of Amun. Learn about the history and what to look for at these sites.

Around Luxor: There are plenty more historic monuments in the area surrounding Luxor. See our articles on Abydos, the Temple of Kom Ombo, and Edfu's Temple of Horus for inspiration and ideas for day trips.
14 Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Mae Hong Son

Written by Meagan Drillinger and Diana Bocco

Updated Jul 13, 2022

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The city of Mae Hong Son is often overlooked on a first-time trip to Thailand. But that is a true shame, as it is located in one of the most beautiful provinces in the country.

The province, also called Mae Hong Son, is a rugged northern area with rolling mountains, a fusion of Thai and Burmese culture, and some of the most stunning landscapes you'll see in the country.

Mae Hong Son township is known for its dense forests and mist-shrouded valley and lies in the mountainous border region between Thailand and Burma. It's a magical city on its own, but the province is also home to fantastic attractions and things to do that ought not be missed.

The province can easily be reached from Chiang Mai, the largest city in northern Thailand. Tourists can hop inexpensive local buses or minivans to various destinations in Mae Hong Son once they arrive in town. But one of the best ways to explore Mae Hong Son is to rent a car or a motorbike and go at your own pace.

For some inspiration and ideas on things to do once you arrive, see our list of top tourist attractions in Ma Hong Son.

1. Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu

Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu | Photo Copyright: Meagan Drillinger

Make the half-hour trek to the top of Doi Kong Mu hill through dense forest, and you'll find this unique temple with two white chedis plus some of the best views of Mae Hong Son you can find anywhere. Two enormous Burmese-style lion statues greet you at the foot of the overgrown staircase to the top.

The chedis-which date back to the 1800s and are topped by golden spires-hold the ashes of one of the chief disciples of the Buddha, as well as the ashes of the governor who ordered the construction of the temple. The chedis are "guarded" by Naga, a mythological snake and a lion-like creature called a Chinthe. At night, the chedis are lit and can be seen from the town.

Short on time? No need to hike to the top. A winding road up the mountain via motorbike can take you up to the chedis in less than 10 minutes. Accommodation: Where to Stay in Mae Hong Son

2. Buat Luk Khaeo Festival

Buat Luk Khaeo Festival | fred blandford (14 +... / photo modified

This festival, held once a year, honors young boys between the ages of 10 and 13 who are ordained as novice monks. Mae Hong Son is the place to see this celebration, as it is more colorful here than anywhere else in the country. The three-day festival is held at the beginning of April each year (perfect timing if you plan to stick around for Songkran, the Buddhist New Year).

The novices, known as nakh, participate in several activities throughout the festival, including having their heads shaved and receiving saffron monk habits. The most entertaining event for tourists is the first-day procession, when the boys wear elaborate costumes and are lifted up on adults' shoulders to be led to the temple with music and great fanfare.

3. Burmese Temples

Burmese Temples | Photo Copyright: Meagan Drillinger

Standing next to each other by a little lake in the southern part of town, Wat Chong Kham and Wat Chong Klang are Burmese-style temples. Especially notable for tourists is the Wat Chong Klang wiharn, which holds over 30 statues brought to Thailand from Burma around 1860.

The temples are surrounded by a park used by the locals for recreation. There's also an outdoor market here, where temple visitors can buy hill tribe handicrafts, traditional sweet snacks, and textiles.

4. Take it Slow at Pai

Street in Pai | Photo Copyright: Meagan Drillinger

This small town near Mae Hong Son is loved by both locals and tourists for its slow pace and beautiful natural surroundings. There's no shortage of guesthouses and quaint eateries, not to mention bungalows occupied by long-haired hippie wannabes strumming guitars and lazing in hammocks.

Nearby tourist attractions include a waterfall, the Pai canyon, and a chance to go tubing down the Pai River. Located about 3.5 hours from Chiang Mai, Pai is easily accessible by minivan, motorbike, or a short flight.

Today Pai is a bit more of a tourist attraction than a hippie hideaway. Expect to see lots of young backpackers wobbling on scooters, and entire streets that cater to a late-night crowd. Still, Pai is a wonderful home base from which to explore the natural beauty in this section of the province.

5. Get Off-the-Beaten-Track Travel at Mae Sariang

Rice paddy at Mae Sariang

Pai may be a favorite place to visit among backpackers on a soul-seeking experience, but Mae Sariang holds its own charm for those willing to get a bit off the beaten path. Smaller and lacking Pai's notoriety, Mae Sariang promises quiet authenticity  an opportunity for a true northern Thai experience.

Here, you can trek to local hill tribes, bike through the town, purchase local handicrafts, and visit many temples. Being one of the few foreigners in the area will give you a different perspective on life in rural Thailand.

Mae Sariang is about three hours south of Mae Hong Son city, so either leave early in the morning for a long day trip or plan on spending a night somewhere along the way.

6. Ride the Mae Hong Son Loop

Scenery along the Mae Hong Son Loop | Photo Copyright: Meagan Drillinger

You can take in all the sightseeing highlights of the province by following the popular Mae Hong Son Loop route. Many travelers rent a motorbike and spend a few days riding through mountains and countryside, with stops at waterfalls and small towns along the way. The loop includes Doi Inthanon, the highest peak in the country, as well as Mae Hong Son town, Mae Sariang, Pai, and Chiang Mai (typically the starting point).

Allow several days to enjoy the sights, stop for food, and photo ops along the way, and to relax as well-many of the small villages offer homestays or guesthouses for a simple but satisfying night of rest.

The route is beautiful at any time of year, but keep in mind that end of February and into March is the burning season in Mae Hong Son. This means that the air quality can be quite poor on most days, and you'll be swapping endless views for smokescreens.

7. Visit the Padong Longneck Village

Padong

About 1.5 hours from Mae Hong Son town, you can visit the Padong Longneck Village, where members of a local hill tribe still stretch their necks with golden rings. Girls begin wearing the rings at age four and more are added until they turn 25. Tourists pay a fee to enter the village, and often to take photographs as well.

There are many tour options for visiting the local ethnic minority communities, known as hill tribes-but all are not created equal. Tour companies, looking to make money off unique lifestyles and traditions, often exploit groups. These communities are fascinating, but make sure to research companies and packages before you purchase.

Many local resorts will offer personalized tour opportunities, or you can do a homestay in a village rather than popping in for a photoshoot while on a bus tour around the region.

8. Explore the Region's History at Ban Rak Thai

Ban Rak Thai | Photo Copyright: Meagan Drillinger

Much is made of Thailand's proximity to Burma, and rightly so, as many Burmese live in Thailand as migrant workers and refugees. But China also sits in close proximity to both countries and Ban Rak Thai stands as a testament to that nation's history.

Ban Rak Thai, about 20 kilometers northwest of Mae Hong Son, is home to mostly Chinese immigrants. The Chinese who live here are the direct descendants of General Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist troops who, after losing the war against Communist China, fled to Burma and then Thailand rather than following their leader to Formosa (now Taiwan). Many of the men work for the Thai police or as guards and officials along the Thai-Burmese border.

Today the region is known for its oolong tea, and many of the restaurants surrounding the reservoir offer tea tasting of the rich and fragrant indigenous beverage. The peaceful village feels like stumbling into a slice of China right in Northern Thailand, and the drive to reach it is a spectacular, winding route through the tea fields.

9. Discover an Authentic Shan Village

Shan Villages | Shaun Dunphy / photo modified

The Shan people have fought both the Burmese and Thai government for decades, and ongoing violence and upheaval often force refugees across the border. The Shan state lies just across the border from Thailand, and, as a result, there is a good deal of Shan influence in some Mae Hong Son areas.

If you're interested in visiting a Shan village, one of your best options is to hire a local guide who knows the area. You can also find your own way to the Mae Lana village near Soppong-surrounded by rice paddy fields, this small village does not receive much commercial tourism, so you'll have a better chance of seeing authentic local customs and maybe even catch a Buddhist ceremony at the temple.

10. Relax by the Fish Cave

Fish Cave

Known as Tharn Pla in Thai, this popular tourist destination is exactly what it sounds like: a pool fed by a small river that is home to an array of exotic fish you can feed, a short hiking trail, and a number of food stalls.

Located about 17 kilometers from Mae Hong just off a highway, this place can be hard to find but worth the effort if you're after a relaxing couple of hours in a cool shady park by the water.

Despite the name, there's no cave here but instead a jungly hill surrounding the stream where the giant fish live-and giant they are, with some of the blueish brook carp reaching one meter long.

11. Explore the Massive Tham Lot Cave

Tham Lot Cave

Thailand's biggest cave is over 1,600 meters long and is home to huge chambers, plenty of stalactites, and even signs of prehistoric life. When archeologists first explored this cave in the 1960s, they discovered not only pottery but also teak coffins-left behind by the ancient Lawa tribe that once inhabited the cave.

You can explore the cave on foot if you hire a local guide, or you can get on a bamboo raft that will follow the Nam Lang River, which flows through the cave.

The cave is inhabited by bats and swifts, a perfect combination for an impressive sunset show- as the sun starts to set, the swifts return to the cave for the night, followed by the colony of bats exiting on their own dance across the sky.

12. Pang Tong Royal Development Project

Huai Pang Tong Reservoir

This special protected park on the banks of the Huai Pang Tong Reservoir is not only a beautiful natural area, but also a community where hill tribes live and grow a number of plants, including avocados and Chinese pears. The cool climate here is also ideal to grow roses and hydrangea, which many locals do to sell at the markets.

The land surrounding the lake is covered in soft rolling hills and evergreen forests, perfect for hiking, relaxing in the shade, or picnicking. Visitors can also get on a raft for a sightseeing tour or interact with the park rangers to find out more about the endangered Laew, a small green frog that calls this area home.

13. Namtok Mae Surin National Park

Mae Surin Falls

Located very close to Mae Hong Son town, this 399-square-kilometer park is home to waterfalls, caves, and the Doi Pui mountain, which reaches 1700 meters at the peak.

The park's main waterfall is Mae Surin Falls, one of the tallest in the country at over 100 meters high. During the dry season (November to February), you can hike to the bottom of the falls, but this gets trickier and more dangerous as the monsoon rains arrive. You can see the waterfall from the parking lot of the park at any time, though-so you can always get a good picture even if a hike is not on the cards.

The Pai River, which runs through the park, is a good place for rafting-and visitors can even camp on the shore.

14. Yun Lai Viewpoint

Yun Lai Viewpoint

Located in the small town of Pai near the Myanmar border, the Yun-Lai Viewpoint is one of the most stunning attractions in the area. Though the view over flowering meadows and the city is beautiful at any time of the day, the best time to arrive is at 6am, so you can catch the sunrise. When the sun starts to rise, you'll get a panoramic view over a sea of mist as the sunlight turns the sky into shades of yellow.

To get here, rent a scooter or catch a ride on a songthaew taxi. Get off at the top of the mountain, and walk down a trail through a field to find the viewing platform. There's a very small fee to get on it, but the entrance ticket includes a cup of green tea at the on-site cafe. You can also get coffee and pastries here if you need a little pick-me-up.

Path to the Yun Lai Viewpoint | Photo Copyright: Meagan Drillinger

While there isn't much else to do up here, you can rent a bungalow for the night right at the viewpoint and catch the sunrise the next morning.

Where to Stay in the Mae Hong Son Area for Sightseeing

Mae Hong Son doesn't have any luxury accommodations. Here, visitors have a choice between comfortable mid-range hotels or simpler accommodations in bungalows or family-owned hotels. Many of the best accommodations are either outside town, surrounded by their own green oasis of tropical jungle, or smacked right in the middle of everything in the center of the city.

Mid-Range Hotels: The closest you'll get to luxury (but with surprisingly affordable prices) is the Imperial Mae Hong Son Resort , which offers grounds covered in a teakwood forest, an outdoor swimming pool, and a restaurant on site. Rooms are spacious, and some offer a pool view.

, which offers grounds covered in a teakwood forest, an outdoor swimming pool, and a restaurant on site. Rooms are spacious, and some offer a pool view. Sib-Lan Buri Resort offers accommodation in spacious rooms that are basic but comfortable and come with garden views and their own outdoor deck.

Budget Hotels: For clean and modern rooms with big balconies that overlook the mountains, the B2 Mae Hong Son Premier Hotel is a very good choice. The hotel offers a pool and is in a good location in the center of town.

is a very good choice. The hotel offers a pool and is in a good location in the center of town. Piya Guest House is also in town, with simple but clean rooms that overlook a lake or the swimming pool. The small cafe at the hotel serves breakfast only, but there are plenty of places to eat just down the street.

More Related Articles on PlanetWare.com

Exploring Chiang Mai: The city of Chiang Mai is just a short flight away from Mae Hong Son, and it's often the starting point for travels around the area. If you're making the city your home base, make sure you spend time exploring some of the top tourist attractions in Chiang Mai before you head to Mae Hong Son. For help finding the ideal accommodation, check out the top places to stay in Chiang Mai.
13 Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Kanchanaburi

Written by Casey Hynes and Diana Bocco

Updated Jun 23, 2021

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The city of Kanchanaburi is a microcosm of what makes Thailand such a fascinating country. You'll find a blend of historical sightseeing opportunities, as well as lush tropical wilderness areas, where you can appreciate the unique natural beauty of the Land of Smiles.

Kanchanaburi was once the site of Neolithic civilizations, evidenced by artifacts of ancient societies and burial sites that ha ve been excavated here. In the mid-20th century, the city became notorious as the home of the Bridge on the River Kwai, the controversial structure built to support the Thai-Burmese railway by prisoners of war during WWII.

Nature lovers will also find plenty of things to do. Several national parks lie in the surrounding area, with opportunities to see stunning waterfalls; impressive cave systems; and a diversity of wildlife, including wild gibbons, monkeys, and birds. Located only a two- to three-hour drive from the big-city attractions of Bangkok, Kanchanaburi is easily accessible via bus or train.

Plan your trip with our list of the top tourist attractions in Kanchanaburi.

See also: Where to Stay in Kanchanaburi

1. Walk or Ride on the Bridge on the River Kwai (Death Railway Bridge)

Bridge on the River Kwai (Death Railway Bridge)

Called the "Bridge on the River Kwai" because of the famous movie of the same name, the Death Railway Bridge is the best-known historical landmark in Kanchanaburi. It was erected through the forced labor of British, Dutch, and American prisoners of war during WWII.

The bridge was part of the Thai-Burmese "Death Railway," so named because of the scores of men who died during its construction. Japanese forces oversaw the project, as the railway would have helped bring supplies to their troops who were fighting the British in neighboring Burma.

Today, you can walk or ride a train across this bridge, sections of which are from the original structure. Market stalls surround the area selling food and souvenirs.

2. Get a History Lesson at the Thailand Burma Railway Centre & Kanchanaburi War Cemetery

Thailand Burma Railway Centre & Kanchanaburi War Cemetery | David McKelvey / photo modified

The well-curated exhibits of the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre provide an excellent overview of the railway's history and the brutal conditions suffered by the POWs and forced labourers who built it. Poignant personal accounts, photographs, artifacts, and videos illuminate this dark slice of history, from the Japanese invasion to the lives of some of the survivors after the war.

After absorbing all the museum exhibits, take a short stroll through the well-maintained Kanchanaburi War Cemetery across the street. Also known as Don-Rak War Cemetery, this is the final resting place of nearly 7,000 British, Dutch, and Australian prisoners who died during construction of the Death Railway.

Walking past the graves and reading the inscriptions can be an emotional experience, especially when you realize how young some of the prisoners were. Even more sobering is the fact that these graves represent only a small number of the prisoners who died toiling under unimaginably harsh conditions to construct the railway. Address: 284/66 Sangchuto Road, Tambon Ban Tai, Amphoe Mueang Kanchanaburi, Chang Wat Kanchanaburi

3. Hellfire Pass & Memorial Museum

Hellfire Pass & Memorial Museum

The Hellfire Pass is a 500-meter-long portion of rock that 1,000 prisoners of war dug out (by hand) to pave the way for the Death Railway. Seven hundred of those men died during the 12-week digging period. Today, it's possible to walk the old railway track into the jungle (which takes about four to five hours), and visit a memorial museum honoring those who died.

Established by the Australian government to honor Allied POWS, the museum tells the poignant stories of these men through artifacts, tools, photos, and multimedia displays. The audio headsets are highly recommended.

Location: Highway 323, about 80 kilometers from Kanchanaburi

4. Hike Erawan National Park

Erawan National Park

Jungly Erawan National Park offers a soothing counterpoint to some of Kanchanaburi's emotionally charged historical attractions, and the picturesque seven-tiered Erawan Falls are the star attraction. The water cascades down the mountains in a serene setting, surrounded by lush vegetation and limestone mountains.

A scenic hiking trail leads up to the top of the falls (look out for thieving monkeys along the way), and the turquoise pools are a lovely spot to take a refreshing swim on a hot day. Dip your feet in the water, and you might feel fish gently nibbling at your toes.

Keep an eye out for other wildlife in the national park, including elephants, gibbons, and king cobras. (You'll want to be wary of that last one.) If you're up for a bit of exploration, check out the park's Tham Phra That Cave. You can wander through four cavernous rooms and admire the ancient stalagmites and stalactites. Try to arrive earlier in the day to beat the tour buses.

Location: 65 kilometers from Kanchanaburi

5. Get Up Close with Gentle Giants at Elephant's World

Elephant's World

Most people come to Thailand with the hopes of having a divine experience with an elephant, Thailand's most revered creature. Elephant's World provides visitors an opportunity to do that in an ethical way. The elephants here are rescues that have suffered from years of labor and abuse.

Rather than riding elephants or watching them perform shows, you spend the day in the service of the animals - preparing food for them and bathing them in the river. It's a way to care for abused elephants and volunteer in a meaningful way. Official site: http://www.elephantsworld.org/

6. Chungkai Cemetery

Chungkai Cemetery

Also called Chonk-Kai Cemetery, this now peaceful area on the banks of the Kwai Noi River is home to the graves of more than 1,700 POWs (1,400 Commonwealth and 300 Dutch casualties), and was also the site of a former POW camp. The ground where these prisoners are buried is the same place they founded a church and cemetery during their years of internment.

Many of those laid to rest died at the nearby hospital. Like the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, this one is also beautifully landscaped. It lies about two kilometers south of the city and is easy to reach from town by bike.

7. Enjoy the Quiet Khuean Srinagarindra National Park

Khuean Srinagarindra National Park

Surrounded by lushly-cloaked hills, Srinagarind Dam, along the Khwae Yai River, is the centerpiece of peaceful Khuean Srinagarindra National Park. You'll find less crowds here than nearby Erawan National Park. Within its borders are impressive cave systems with stalagmites and stalactites, and the park is also home to a diverse range of wildlife, including civets, bats, leopards, and slow lorises.

While here, be sure to visit the lovely Huay Mae Khamin Waterfalls, which you can reach by boat or 4WD vehicle. The small park near the viewpoint over the dam makes a lovely place for a picnic.

Location: 115 km from Kanchanaburi

8. JEATH War Museum

JEATH War Museum | shankar s. / photo modified

This sobering museum was designed as an exact replica of an actual prisoner of war camp. Located on the grounds of Wat Chai Chumphon, the museum is maintained by a monk and allows travelers a look at the harsh realities of life within these camps.

The replica includes bunks, photographs, and other authentic items, and the displays include written accounts from actual prisoners of war, their family members, and authors who interviewed POWs. The name of the museum is derived from those countries that were involved in these events: Japan, England, Australia/USA, Thailand, Holland.

9. Learn about Local History at the War Museum at the Bridge

War Museum at the Bridge

History buffs will enjoy sifting through some of the diverse artifacts and exhibits at this quirky war museum. In addition to its collection of WWII relics and memorabilia, the museum also provides a more in-depth look at Thai history. You'll find displays related to ancient battles between Thailand and Burma, Thai political history, old Japanese vehicles, helmets, uniforms, photographs, and seemingly incongruous old Khmer-style carved works.

Other exhibits recreate the atrocious conditions of the POW camps with life-size figures. The museum also offers great views of the Bridge on the River Kwai.

Location: River Kwai Bridge, Kanchanaburi

10. Discover the Ruins at Prasat Muang Singh National Park

Prasat Muang Singh National Park

It's worthwhile stopping by this historical park with its ancient ruins, once an outpost built by the Khmers. Despite its original purpose, there's something almost magical about standing in the presence of such an old and elegant structure.

Here, you'll find a preserved shrine, tower gates, and ancient inscriptions in the courtyard. It's thought to be one of the satellite cities of Angkor, the capital of the Khmer empire. At the museum on the premises, you can view artifacts and relics discovered at the site.

11. Ban Kao National Museum

Ban Kao National Museum

Step back 4,000 years to the Neolithic period and marvel at artifacts from deep into Thai (and human) history at this intriguing museum on the banks of the Kwai Noi River. Founded at the site of a Neolithic burial center discovered by an Allied prisoner of war, Ban Kao National Museum displays the remains of several skeletons, bone jewelry, shell ornaments, tripod pots, axes, and other articles excavated from the area.

This is one of the most important prehistoric archaeological sites in the country.

Location: About 35 kilometers from Kanchanaburi

12. Find Your Way to Sai Yok Yai Waterfall

Sai Yok Yai Waterfall

This is a waterfall fit for a king. Indeed, King Rama V once visited this site, and it's been praised in Thai songs and poems. The falls are found within the Sai Yok Yai National Park, but are set back three kilometers from the road, so be prepared to do some walking or hop on a motorbike. You can also take a dip in the river or skim along it between the towering rock walls.

13. Travel Back in Time at Mallika City, 1905 A.D.

Mallika City

Before King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) enacted the "Slavery Abolition Act" in 1905, over one third of the Siamese (Thai) population were slaves. The recreated village of Mallika takes visitors back to the years after that, when people had to learn to be self sufficient and adopt new trades and ways of life.

In Mallika, you can visit an ancient market and shop for souvenirs, clothes, and traditional dishes using Satang, an ancient type of money you can get when you buy your admission ticket.

The large grounds of the village are home to traditional Thai buildings, including floating houses, a rice production house and kitchen (where you can learn about rice winnowing and milling), and a Saphan Han, a bridge that could be turned manually to allow boats to pass.

You can also visit a jasmine garden, see a Reuan Dieow traditional house where commoners lived, and even climb the City Tower for breathtaking views of the countryside beyond Mallika city. If you stay till the evening, you can grab dinner and a show here, too. Shows vary throughout the year and include Khon (classical Thai pantomime), several forms of traditional dance, and Sword Play, showcasing aspects of an ancient form of Thai martial arts. Official site: http://www.mallika124.com/en/

Where to Stay in Kanchanaburi for Sightseeing

If you're visiting Kanchanaburi for the first time and want to see the top attractions, the most picturesque, peaceful, and popular place to stay is along the River Kwai, near the famous Bridge on the River Kwai. If you're seeking a more central location, within walking distance of plenty of restaurants and shops, the city of Kanchanaburi makes a great base. Here are some highly rated hotels in these areas:

Luxury Hotels: Kanchanaburi has few luxury options, and they lie in tranquil riverfront locations, quite a distance from the main attractions. The colonial-style Dheva Mantra Resort with a spa, spacious rooms, a sprawling pool, and gorgeous gardens, sits about eight kilometers from the Bridge on the River Kwai.

with a spa, spacious rooms, a sprawling pool, and gorgeous gardens, sits about eight kilometers from the Bridge on the River Kwai. Even farther away from the bridge, the boutique X2 River Kwai Resort commands a beautiful location on a bend in the river and flaunts an ultra-modern industrial style.

Mid-Range Hotels: In a great location, within walking distance of the Bridge on the River Kwai, Felix River Kwai has spacious, clean rooms in red-roofed buildings that are spread out among palm-studded gardens. You can relax at the two swimming pools and spa.

has spacious, clean rooms in red-roofed buildings that are spread out among palm-studded gardens. You can relax at the two swimming pools and spa. If you prefer to stay in town, close to shops and restaurants, U Inchantree Kanchanaburi is a modern boutique hotel on the banks of the River Kwai, with cozy rooms and friendly staff.

is a modern boutique hotel on the banks of the River Kwai, with cozy rooms and friendly staff. Also in town, The Bridge Residence Hotel still lies within walking distance of the bridge and is popular for its large, modern rooms with comfy beds and flat-screen TVs.

Budget Hotels: For great views over the countryside, it's hard to beat The Vista Pool Villa , which offers large air-conditioned rooms with private pools.

, which offers large air-conditioned rooms with private pools. Another popular budget option is the Good Times Resort , with air-conditioned rooms, a pool, and friendly staff, a 20-minute walk from the Bridge on the River Kwai. Guests love the Thai cooking classes.

, with air-conditioned rooms, a pool, and friendly staff, a 20-minute walk from the Bridge on the River Kwai. Guests love the Thai cooking classes. Just a short tuk-tuk ride away from the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery and other attractions, the River Kwai Bridge Resort offers air-conditioned rooms, free breakfast, and a pool.

More Must-See Places to Visit near Kanchanaburi

Bangkok: Less than two- to three- hours' drive from Kanchanaburi are all the top tourist attractions of Bangkok, including its magnificent Grand Palace. Not far from Bangkok, you can also explore the attractions of Ayutthaya, Thailand's former capital.

Sun, Sand, and Sea: If you're looking for a beach fix, see our article on the popular tourist sites of Pattaya, just a short hop from Kanchanaburi, and things to see and do on Phuket Island, farther south. Northeast of Phuket, the city of Surat Thani is the gateway to the famous beach destinations of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao.

Khao Yai National Park: Immerse yourself in Thailand's natural beauty at mountainous Khao Yai National Park, about 300 kilometers east of Kanchanaburi. Explore jungle waterfalls and lakes, and see an astounding diversity of wildlife, including elephants, black bears, clouded leopards, and king cobras.
I think Sam Wilson's newspaper article about the state's poor safety record captured the problem well. It expressed a negative bent and offered few solutions. I've had a different experience in addressing a very poor accident and injury record among 300 employees working in western Montana. When I met the crews, I laid out my plan.

I know you are busy, hard working employees who are distressed by a poor safety record. I also know that each of you could better use my salary to improve your own programs. So, here's the deal, I propose we all work to eliminate my job.

There were guffaws, but right then their outlook changed to one that was hopeful. And that's key. Each was struggling with low morale due to a problem with no apparent solution. Their safety record couldn't improve until each believed it was possible and acted accordingly.

I used many standard safety techniques and innovatively addressed unique safety issues -- like surviving an encounter with a bear.

Injuries were particularly challenging. I put bulletin boards in each break room. Across the top it said, WORK SAFELY. Along the bottom: DO IT FOR THOSE YOU LOVE. Employees posted photos of children, significant others, and pets. The idea was to give them a positive message that they would look at often.

Year three -- the employees had no vehicle accidents and only two injuries. So, I resigned and the position was not refilled. The employees continued with an excellent safety record because they were confident they could.

Sincerely,

Carole Mackin

Helena
A California Highway Patrol officer was killed on Christmas Eve when a suspected drunk driver crashed his car into the officer's patrol vehicle, which was parked on the side of Interstate 880 in Hayward, CHP officials said.

Officer Andrew Camilleri was killed in a crash on Christmas Eve. (Photo: California Highway Patrol)

Officer Andrew Camilleri, 33, was married and had three children who expected their father to come home and help them open Christmas presents, said Asst. Chief Ernest Sanchez at a news conference Monday morning.

Camilleri and his partner, Jonathan Velasquez, had stopped their patrol SUV on the right shoulder of the highway, southbound near the Winton Avenue exit, to monitor traffic using a radar gun and other equipment, reports the Los Angeles Times.

At around 11:30 p.m., a red Cadillac hit the CHP vehicle from behind at high speed, Sanchez said.

The impact was so violent that the SUV was crushed to the size of a small compact vehicle. The 22-year-old driver, who is from Hayward, is suspected of smoking marijuana as well as drinking alcohol before the crash, Sanchez said.

Velasquez, who was sitting in the driver's seat, was injured and later released from the hospital. Camilleri, who was in the right front seat, died at the hospital. Both officers were wearing seat belts.
James Hetfield delivered gifts to Vail (CO) PD officers. (Photo: All Within My Hands foundation/Twitter)

Metallica frontman James Hetfield spread holiday cheer this year by delivering presents to police officers and firefighters in the Colorado town he now calls home, reports Ultimate Classic Rock.

Acting on behalf of the band's All Within My Hands foundation, Hetfield visited the police and fire departments in Vail, CO, on Dec. 20 and 21, bringing Starbucks gift cards to personnel during both visits. Hetfield also posed for photo ops with police and firefighters, as shared by the All Within My Hands Twitter account.
Deputy Kelly Fredinburg died in a 2007 crash. (Photo: Marion County Sheriff's Office)

A Mexican man who was charged in a crash that killed an Oregon sheriff's deputy in 2007 and then mistakenly released 10 months ago has been arrested again, authorities said.

Oregon State Police said in a statement Sunday that it learned Alfredo de Jesus-Ascencio, 29, had been caught in Mexico, reports the Associated Press.

A grand jury had indicted him on charges of criminally negligent homicide more than a decade ago after a head-on collision that killed his 19-year-old passenger and Marion County Deputy Kelly Fredinburg.

De Jesus-Ascencio was critically injured but out of the hospital by the time a judge issued a warrant for his arrest.

He fled to Mexico and wasn't caught until January 2017. He was mistakenly let go a month later because of an administrative error at the prison in Baja California. Oregon State Police said de Jesus-Ascencio was arrested Thursday in Michoacan, a western Mexican state.
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By Bernie Woodall

(Reuters)  A man claiming to be the person who delivered a gift-wrapped package of horse manure at the Los Angeles home of U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Monday he did it to protest the federal tax overhaul signed into law last week by President Donald Trump.

Robert Strong, 45, a psychologist for the Los Angeles County Public Health Department, said by telephone he left the poop-filled parcel addressed to Mnuchin and Trump in the driveway outside Mnuchins home in the posh Bel Air community.

KNBC-TV, an NBC television affiliate in Los Angeles, reported Mnuchin was not home at the time. The package was found by Mnuchins neighbor.

Protest really should be funny, Strong told Reuters. Peoples eyes glaze over when they just see angry people in the streets. He believes the new tax law will hurt poor people.

Neither the U.S. Secret Service nor the Los Angeles Police Department, both of which investigated the incident, would confirm Strong was responsible. The Secret Service interviewed an individual who admitted delivering the package, but no charges had been filed against him as of Monday afternoon.

LAPD Lieutenant Rob Weise said it was possible whoever left the package did not break any criminal laws. While he is not assigned to investigate the incident, Weise said if the box did not present any danger, it would not be illegal. The LAPD bomb squad X-rayed the box before opening it on Saturday.

In a photo of the card Strong posted on Twitter, he wrote Misters Mnuchin & Trump, Were returning the gift of the Christmas tax bill and signed it Warmest wishes, The American people.

Strong said a Secret Service agent, accompanied by six police officers, showed up at his house to question him on Sunday night, and the agent chided him, asking, Are you ashamed of your behavior?'

The White House declined to comment on Monday and officials with the Treasury Department could not be reached.

(Reporting and writing by Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Additional reporting by Yeganeh Torbati in Washington and Roberta Rampton in West Palm Beach, Fla.; Editing by Steve Gorman and Susan Thomas)
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It looks like Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona might be challenging Trump for the presidency in 2020.

Flake announced in October he intended not to run for re-election in 2018. On Sunday, during an appearance on ABCs This Week, Flake responded to the question of whether he would be challenging President Trump in the next election cycle by leaving the door open.

I dont rule anything out, but its not in my plans, he said.

Though Flake is an outspoken Trump critic who has recently been enjoying the reputation of being one of the few honorable Republicans who puts country over party  he recently donated money to the senatorial campaign of Democrat Doug Jones over accused pedophile Republican Roy Moore, for instance  its worth noting that Flake votes in line with Trump over 90% of the time.
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Despite recent reports that the Russia investigation could last at least another year, Trump and his lawyers are still convinced that its winding down and will end soon.

Jay Sekulow, one of Trumps lawyers, was quoted in a Wall Street Journal report Monday repeating the belief that his client would be let off the hook in the near future. I know we, collectively, the lawyers, are looking forward to an expeditious wrapping up of this matter, he said.

Trumps legal team has been predicting the probes end for weeks now. First, they expected it to wrap up shortly after Thanksgiving, then the prediction changed to shortly after New Year.

Insiders familiar with the investigation have told reporters there is no indication of it concluding any time soon, and some officials close to Trump fear that hell have a meltdown when he realizes how much longer its likely to continue.

Though there seems to be no concrete proof that the probe will soon be put to rest, a few Democratic legislators, such as California Rep. Adam Schiff, have publicly expressed concerns that the GOP will try to shut it down before long.

Im increasingly worried Republicans will shut down the House Intelligence Committee investigation at the end of the month, Schiff tweeted nearly two weeks ago. Republicans have scheduled no witnesses after next Friday and none in 2017 [sic]. We have dozens of outstanding witnesses on key aspects of our investigation that they refuse to contact and many document requests they continue to sit on.

A recent rumor that Trump was going to fire special counsel Robert Mueller  who he technically doesnt have the authority to fire  on December 22 ultimately ended up being false, however there is evidence that the GOP is doing all it can to derail the investigation. After half a year of being grilled and attacked by Republicans, FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe announced his plans to retire in early 2018.

Trump and other Republicans have also multiplied their efforts to paint Mueller and his team as biased and the presidents lawyers additionally accused the special counsel of unlawfully obtaining thousands of emails regarding the administrations White House transition. Muellers team subsequently dismissed the accusation as nonsense.

Two weeks ago, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told the House Judiciary Committee that he has so far not seen any good cause to fire Mueller. When asked how he would respond if he were asked to fire the special counsel, Rosenstein said, I would follow regulation. If there were good cause, I would act. If there were no good cause, I would not.

While it looks like Mueller and the probe are safe for now, one has to wonder if the confidence Trumps lawyers feel in the investigation ending soon is rooted in some belief that the president and GOP can somehow bring it to a close by putting pressure on the people most easy to break down.
Before plunging into despair over the decline and fall of the Twin Cities dining scene, consider this: While there were what appeared to be a record number of restaurant closings, the metro area was inundated with a deluge of openings. The additional good news is that quantity is not drowning out quality, not by a long shot.

Gavin Kaysen, the Star Tribune's 2017 Chef of the Year, launched Bellecourin Wayzata in March, giving diners a taste of scrupulous French bistro cooking, along with a spectacular bakery, the work of Spoon and Stable pastry whiz Diane Yang.

Chef Jamie Malone returned to a regular restaurant gig after a too-long absence, transforming the former Grand Cafeinto a destination for modern French fare that's interpreted through her own singular point of view and skill set.

St. Paul's venerable Lexingtoncame back to life and then some with a top-to-bottom remake (including a rooftop patio) led by chef Jack Riebel and restaurateurs Josh Thoma and Kevin Fitzgerald.

On the subject of remakes, Kenwood chef Don Saunders found a way to make the former La Belle Vie space work with his appealing 510 Lounge and Private Dining.

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After decades of burying its restaurants inside the museum, the Walker Art Center wisely used food and drink as a welcome mat, and a great one, with Esker Grove.

Chefs Stephan Hesse and Tyge Nelson brought good times (love that bar) and sharp cooking skills to a new Mexican favorite, Pajarito.

Black Sheep Pizza guru Jordan Smith turned his obsession with Texas barbecue into wood-smoked reality with his excellent StormKing BBQ, and Sushi Fix founder Enkhbileg (Billy) Tserenbat translated a happy Mexican beach vacation into seafood-focused Baja Haus(then sold Sushi Fix).

First-time restaurateur Anne Spaeth got an immediate grasp on what the dining-out public wants  fast-fine dining  and that is how Bon Apptit magazine is describing the quick-service, high-quality trend at the Lynhall.

Minneapolis North Loop neighborhood, already the region's hottest restaurant real estate, got even hotter with the addition of Red Rabbit, Kado No Mise(and its Kaiseki Furukawa), Nolos Kitchen, Jun, Dalton Wadeand Rise Bagel Co.

Two former Piccolo chefs took over the lease (hence the name Tenant) of the diminutive space and took the tasting menu format in an exciting (and shortened) new direction.

There were plenty of significant late-in-the-year openings, too: Octo Fishbar, Hai Hai, Bardo, the Hasty Tasty, Martina, Book Club, Mizu, Lucky Oven Bakeryand Benedicts Morning Heroes.

Can Can Wonderlandand the Seventh Street Truck Park, two raucous but very different indoor food-and-drink playgrounds, made going out fun. Dough Dough first as a food truck, then as a Mall of America outpost  did the same, by jumping on the cookie dough trend. Ditto the Naughty Greek, and its accessible and modern approach to food sold on the sidewalks of Athens.

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The Marquette Hotel pulled its restaurant down to a more visible street location and dubbed it Jacques; in January, the hotel's former Basils, perched on a third-floor balcony overlooking the IDS Crystal Court, will become breakfast-focused the Jolliet House.

A few blocks away at the Le Meridien Chambers hotel, chef Mike Rakun's Mercydedicated itself to becoming downtown's neighborhood hangout. Haskells Wine Cheese Barbecame the first food-and-drink outlet (well, after Target's new liquor store) to open on Nicollet Mall after the thoroughfare's endless renovation. Another downtown innovation: Elevate Food Hall, which draws a half-dozen popular quick-service counters on a single, above-the-skyway floor.

Other openings included Smith Porter, Genos, Station Pizzaeria, Gray Duck Tavern, Green Lantern, Nine Twenty Five, Union 32 Crafthouse, Waldmann Brewery Wurstery, Hazelwood Food Drink, Twin Cities 400 Tavern, Sphere Bar + Restaurant, RahMN, Brunsons Pub, Pad Ga Pow, Come Pho Soup, the Coveand Burrigato.

Plenty of restaurateurs double-up their businesses during the year, adding a second location, including Revival, Afro Deli, the Bad Waitress, Bay Leaf Indian Cuisine, Bep Eatery, Kyatchi, Cheesecake Factory, Coalition, Cov, Crisp Green, Maya Cuisineand St. Paul Bagelry.

There was also a burst of coffeehouse activity, with the arrival of Botany Coffee, Cafe Astoria, Northern Coffeeworks, Vlo du Nord, a St. Paul branch of Spyhouse Coffeeand second locations for Five Watt Coffeeand Pennys Coffee. Sisters Sludgemoved to roomier digs and added beer and wine.

A number of chains established Twin Cities beachheads during the year, including GrabbaGreen, Tasty Pot, HopCat, Lao Sze Chuan, Portillos, Roti Modern Mediterranean, Costa Vida Fresh Mexican, Old Southern BBQ Smokehouseand Pork Mindys.
Are you looking for a New Year's resolution with long-term investment value? Look no further than solar energy in 2018.

Declining installation costs, utility-offered rebates and federal tax incentives have made solar systems a reality for more Americans each year. Rochester utility companies are recommending rebate programs to customers in hopes of drawing more interest to clean energy.

"As the industry continues to grow, it puts downward pressure on prices," said Curt Shellum, owner of Solar Connection , a Rochester-based solar installer.

While a residential solar system can cost upward of $20,000 to install, Shellum said the long-term investment is worthwhile.

The system can be paid off in less than 10 years, he said, and produces roughly 30 years' worth of energy output.

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"Within that lifetime of the system, it's probably going to  quadruple the amount of electricity value that you put into it," Shellum said. "Once the system is paid for, then it's just really no energy bill."

Rochester Public Utilities offers a "Conserve and Save" rebate program to customers installing residential or commercial solar.

Under the program, customers may receive a one-time payment of 50 cents per watt on systems ranging from 0.5 kW to 10 kW in size. Rebates can total up to $5,000.

"It is not a cheap endeavor. That's why we offer the rebate to cover 50 cents a watt on those panels  to incentivize customers to take a look at installing that and to help ease that upfront cost as well," said RPU Communications Coordinator Tony Benson.

Customers who qualify for the RPU rebate program must sign a net metering agreement and agree to a home energy audit to ensure their residence is already energy efficient, Benson said.

Limited funding is available in RPU's program, he said. Those interested in learning more about RPU solar rebates can attend a free community education class on Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to noon at Northrop Community Education Center in Rochester.

"It's an opportunity for customers to ask questions at that time, more pointed questions regarding possibly installing solar at their home," Benson said.

Utility solar rebate programs, when paired with a 30 percent federal tax credit offered for solar technologies, can significantly reduce the cost of system installation, Shellum said.

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"If you had the combination of the Rochester Public Utilities rebate and the tax credit  it would probably pay for over 40 percent of the cost," Shellum said.

As installation prices drop and more incentives are offered, he said solar energy will continue to grow in appeal.

"There's pros and cons to any energy production method, but this one definitely has a lot of strengths," Shellum said.
When I started at Rochester Community and Technical College, I knew challenges lay ahead of me. Little did I know at the time, but school work would be the least of my concerns.

The human heart is a funny thing. I studied it in anatomy, looked at its chambers and blood vessels carefully as I tried to remember the flow of blood. Our hearts beat, they race, and they can even ache. They are the biological clock of our complex structure, keeping our body on track 24 hours a day.

All of this you probably know, but what you might not know, and I know I sure didn't, is what it looks like when it fails. When the clock stops ticking.

Sixty years, six months and 28 days into my mother's life, I would watch her clock stop. My mother, Carmella Buffa, passed away last April from a condition known as radiation-induced restrictive cardiomyopathy. That means that heart muscle became too still to pump blood throughout her body efficiently.

The radiation that caused this was from her two previous battles with breast cancer. This causes myriad other health problems such as recurring fluid buildup, liver problems, and cardiac renal syndrome. That means not only was her heart failing, but the heart failure was causing kidney failure.

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The majority of my mom's days were spent in the hospital. Every morning I watched her weigh herself. I made her low-sodium breakfast, set out her dose of medications for the morning, made sure she didn't drink too much liquid with them for fear of reaching her two-liter daily fluid limit.

However, there are some things I never saw my mother do. I never saw her ask why this was the life she was given. I never saw her complain, and I never saw her lose her faith.

After my mother's death, I resumed school and took my final exams. I spent the summer working at Mayo Clinic as a personal care assistant. I now attend the University of Minnesota Rochester and live four hours away from my family. I plan on applying to Mayo School of Health Science for surgical first assisting with the hope of specializing in, of course, cardiac.

When the Echo staff approached me to write this article, I was hesitant. My story is one that people could easily pity. Pity is not what I am asking for.

At a yoga class recently, my instructor quoted Barry Magid. He said, "Just sitting means just that. That 'just' endlessly goes against the grain of our need to fix, transform, and improve ourselves  the most effective way of transformation is to leave ourselves alone."

I ran myself ragged for six months bringing my mom to every doctor and specialist I could. I gave her every medication they suggested and controlled everything she ate and drank. I was miserable. Worse, I could never figure out why my mom was so content. Not only in those months of severe sickness, but her whole life. She held her faith close and followed her heart, never wanting for more and simply loving life and loving me.

As I struggle with my grief, I find that the idea of "just being" isn't so crazy after all. Each one of you reading this and myself are doing the best we can in this moment. I strive to follow my mom's example as I worry less about the future, leave the past behind me, and enjoy this breath that I am breathing right now.

Health is precarious, and bodies fail just like my mom's did. What lasts is the lives you uplift and the legacy you leave behind. I am my mom's legacy, and I intend to make her proud through my career and by learning to love myself as she loved me.

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I encourage everyone to take a step back this holiday season and just be. Enjoy where your life is right now. It will never be here again. Death put a lot into perspective for me. Don't let it do the same for you. Instead, let what you have in this life give you perspective and remember you are doing the best you can.
It was a celebration of the traditions of the Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos, at the first annual Day of the Dead Dinner, Nov. 3 at Peace United Church of Christ. More than 100 people attended the event, which was a benefit for Listos Preschool and Childcare, and raised $4,200 to fund scholarships and programming at the center.

The evening included authentic Mexican food  pozole, tostadas and churros  traditional dance performances, cultural displays, and a silent auction.

"We have a saying," said Veronica Flock, Day of the Dead dinner chairwoman. "As long as you have music, dance and food, everything will be OK."

In opening remarks to dinner attendees, Flock explained the tradition of Dia de los Muertos.

"It's an ancient tradition that emerged in the country of Mexico, and is a mix of Christianity and indigenous culture."

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Twelve original pieces inspired by Mexican folk art sugar skulls were auctioned off during the evening. Each of the pieces was created by a local artist.

Josephine Bauza, one of the artists who painted a plaster skull for the celebration, attended the event with her niece, Alessandra Bauza, and her sister, Sara Bauza.

"I have done something like this before," Josephine said. "We do this in our country."

The Bauzas said they wanted to attend the dinner not just in support of Listos, but also in celebration of life.

"My sister has conquered cancer," Sara said. "Tonight we are celebrating life."

Helenand Don Staleyattended the dinner in support of Flock, their friend. Having previously vacationed in Mexico, the Staleys were hoping to learn more about the culture and traditions surrounding Dia de los Muertos.

Marie Neher, who attended with her daughter, Sarah Neher, was part of the original group that founded Listos.

"We were looking at having a preschool here, and Christina( Valdez, director of Listos) approached us with her idea. It was a good match."

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Attendees Sarahand Ed Doddhave a son enrolled in Listos.

"We were excited to learn it was a dual immersion school," Ed said.

Sarah said she grew up in Colorado, in an area with many native speaking Spanish.

"I know how useful it is to be able to speak two languages," she said."Listos is really doing good work."

Ana Johnson, a Listos board member, attended the event with friends Eddie Olson, and Jenand John Bruce.

Johnson said she had previously been to a Day of the Dead celebration in the Twin Cities area, but she was glad Listos was hosting one.

"This is awesome, I'm glad it's here," she said.

Joy Balls-Berryattended the dinner with her mother, Joyce Balls.

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"This night is an opportunity to celebrate the heritage that Listos is bringing to the community, the expanding cultural awareness about diversity."

Listos, which means both smart and ready in Spanish, is Rochester's first and only Spanish-English immersion preschool and childcare facility. It opened its doors in 2015 and provides half day and full day programming to children ages 3 to 5 years old.

For more information, visit www.listoskids.org .
I'm an Affordable Care Act Navigator, which means it's my job to help anyone who needs it find access to health insurance. I wasn't very aware of the challenges faced by transgender Montanans before doing this job. But now I believe that our transgender neighbors should have the same rights and access to public facilities as all other Montanans.

I-183 threatens those rights and intrudes on personal freedoms, all while asking local governments to foot the bill for unreasonable and unethical regulations. The proposed initiative would force Montanans to submit to anyone demanding to see paperwork before allowing access to facilities in public spaces, such as libraries, parks and schools.

And all of this will cost Montana real money. North Carolina lost $5 billion in federal funding, $40 million in business investment and 1,250 jobs after enacting a similar bathroom bill. I hope you'll join me in supporting transgender Montanans and opposing I-183.

Marguerite Jodry

Billings
Though Rochester Public Schools has seen dozens of headlines this year, perhaps none will have as big an impact long term as its need for a space.

With one major construction project finished up, and another beginning, as well as converting classrooms formerly reserved for art and music into grade-level classrooms at several district elementary schools, it's clear the district is looking for space.

Many parents, teachers and administrators began noticing the space crunch at a number of schools this fall , though leaders have been hinting at the possibility of a new school building for the last year.

With consistent enrollment growth over the last five years, reaching its peak of 17,987 students this year, many of the schools are at capacity  some even overflowing. The district is beyond capacity at eight schools, as defined by Minnesota Department of Education standards, and nearing capacity at four others.

"The last three years, we've been off on our projections  we've gotten more kids," said Superintendent Michael Munoz. "It looks like it's going to continue to grow the next several years.

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"We know we're starting to get crowded in some of our sites, and we know we can't continue with the existing buildings, it's not going to meet our needs down the road," Munoz said.

Now, school leaders say something new is likely on the horizon in the next three years.

"As we continue to dig deeper into the numbers, that could change," Munoz noted. "Between now and then, we're hoping boundary adjustments will buy some time  as will the Hoover addition."

This means the coming year will be a big one of planning for the school district, in which it will formulate its plan for a new building  or two. Because it's the elementary and middle schools where crowding is worst, a new building would have to serve K-8 students, or the district would need two separate buildings for elementary and middle school students.

Though Munoz noted nothing has been decided, the idea to build a new school didn't come without considering other options.

That includes non-traditional schedules that would have allowed buildings to be used year-round, or opening up classrooms. Superintendent Michael Munoz said the district's long-range facilities planning committee has done research and contacted districts that have used such non-traditional models. In both cases, it solved the problem temporarily, but didn't work well in the long term.

Also in discussion, a shared space downtown that would host retail or something else on the street level, with classrooms on the upper floors, said school board Chair Woman Julie Workman.

Whatever the solution, Munoz hopes it will accommodate district growth for the at least the next decade.

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Attempts to alleviate space issues with a major expansion for pre-K programming over the last two years have provided some relief, but not enough.

First, district leaders decided to renovate the out-of-use Burr Oak School, converting it into an 11-classroom Mighty Oaks Early Learning School for the district's youngest students. Now, after backing out of purchasing the 45,000-square foot former Minnesota School of Business building , the district is completing a major renovation of Hoover Elementary that will double the building's footprint to make space for its youngest learners.

The two-phase renovation will allow the district to consolidate many of its early childhood programs into one space, with at least a dozen additional classrooms .

And if the district decides building is the route, it's likely the district will need to purchase land for a new building, Workman said. Munoz said the cost for taxpayers will be alleviated because in the 2019-2020 school year the district will pay off the construction of Century and Riverside, along with the additions from Longfellow, Mayo, and Hawthorne. In 2020-2021 the district will pay off renovations at Mayo and Hawthorne.

A discussion at the school board's January study session, which has yet to be scheduled, will provide more detail on how the district and school board will approach planning, Munoz said.

"You have to focus on the present, but you have to keep an eye on the future, and this is a pretty important future," Munoz said.

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Other top education stories of 2017

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Growth seems to be the overall theme across Rochester's education scene. And with that has come some changes in leadership.

 Momentum at UMR:It's been a year of change and momentum for the decade-old University of Minnesota Rochester. The university's chancellor, Stephen Lehmkuhle, who was with the college from its outset, retired . Succeeding him as an interim leader is UMR's Vice Chancellor Lori Carrell .

The college also had its largest incoming freshman class, with 200 new students, putting it on track toward its enrollment goals. The college is also taking steps to secure its downtown campus footprint with the $ 2.6 million purchase of the VFW Post building .

 RCTC interim president to retire:After two years with temporary leadership, Rochester Community and Technical College's search for its next permanent president got underway in October.

Current interim President Mary Davenport announced her retirement in September ; she has led the college since July 2016. Before that, Joyce Helens , former president of St. Cloud Technical and Community College, took the reins at RCTC with a six-month interim appointment.

Both of these leaders followed President Leslie McClellon's departure after a controversial 18-month tenure and resulting resignation.

 Crossroads College to remain in Rochester:After a year of uncertainty, Crossroads College has a future in Rochester thanks to two partnerships  one with Bear Creek Christian Church, and another with a California-based university.

After years of challenges, from dipping enrollment to financial woes, the 104-year-old Christian college closed its doors in the fall of 2016, just days before classes were slated to start. Now, the 38-acre campus in Southwest Rochester will be run by Bear Creek Christian Church, and will offer classes through a partnership with Hope International University

 Saint Mary's University creates a campus:After breaking ground in August, a 10,000-square foot expansion to Cascade Meadow will turn what was formerly a science center into a campus for the Winona-based college .

Saint Mary's has had a sometimes quiet, but steady presence in Rochester since 1985. The expansion signals a move toward growth.

Since 2015, the college has been moving its graduate and professional programs from RCTC to Cascade Meadow. The addition will open up space for graduate programs and a recently announced physician assistant program.

The original 16,000-square-foot building opened in 2011 and was financed by Rochester philanthropists Jack and Mary Ann Remick. Saint Mary's acquired the building in 2015.

 RPS continues through OCR agreement, community response and discipline changes:The school district entered its third year under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, following a finding that black and Hispanic students accounted for a disproportionate share of discipline referrals in the fall of 2015 .

The district has grappled with the finding for two years, prompting strong community response and changes within the schools on how discipline is handled.

But the changes have come with some frustration, with some teachers feeling their authority is held back . Others say it's just an adjustment period the district is going through with the changes.

 Rochester Catholic Schools turnover:The 1,500-student Rochester Catholic School system has seen a lot of change this year , including leadership turnover and a major rebrand.

In June, the four-school system's director, Michael Brennan, left to take another job, longtime activities director Marv Peters retired, as did Holy Spirit Principal Lynette Lenoch. In November, Lourdes announced that it's interim activities director would no longer hold the position.

Those leadership changes were accompanied by a plan to ramp up the system's academic and elective offerings, including more options for students to earn college credit while in high school, and more internships and workplace experience.

School leaders are also looking to expand the student body. Leaders say they have space to grow. About 430 kids attend Lourdes High School, far from its capacity of 625.
Just when you think the world is a little too jaded, and maybe even the holidays have become a chore, along come Betty Fiek-Johnson and her husband, Jerry Johnson.

Theirs is a love story, to be sure, but it's also a story of renewal, of new beginnings, of compromise and of humor.

Sunday, Christmas Eve, was their wedding anniversary. Their firstanniversary  and it came 70 years after their first date.

Young love

Betty and Jerry met as students at the University of Minnesota in 1947. Neither one remembers the specifics of that meeting, just, "we saw each other, I guess"  maybe in the dining room  "and started dating," Betty said.

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She was a nursing student; Jerry, a self-described farm boy, was in the agricultural program.

They dated for more than two years, but the relationship ended in 1949.

"She told me she didn't want to be a farm wife," Jerry said.

"We just kind of slid out" of the relationship, Betty said.

"Then slid back in," they said in unison.

But we're getting ahead of the story.

Three weddings

In February 1950, Jerry married Hazel Knox. Eight months later, Betty married Harlen Fiek.

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The next year, Jerry and Betty both were asked to be attendants at the wedding of mutual friends.

Hazel and Harlen sat together at that wedding, Jerry said, as he and Betty stood at the altar with their friends.

From then on, the Johnsons and the Fieks saw each other periodically  every 10 or 15 years  at the anniversary parties of those mutual friends.

And life went on.

Betty and Harlen eventually settled in Northeast Rochester, where she worked as a nurse. They raised four children.

Jerry and Hazel lived on the family farm near Norseland, north of Mankato, raising crops, dairy cattle and five children.

"The only time we ever saw each other was at those wedding anniversaries," Jerry said of the Fieks.

"We were acquaintances," Betty said; certainly, she smiled, they never exchanged Christmas cards.

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A new normal

Harlen Fiek died in 2010 after nearly 60 years of marriage; Hazel Johnson spent her final years in a nursing home and died in 2016, more than 66 years after she and Jerry were married.

In addition to her grief, Betty was worried: "I tried so hard not to be a burden" to her children.

Life took on a new normal, and there was something to look forward to: Those friends of theirs would be celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary in June.

Betty attended the party with her daughter, Char Burkhard, of Rochester.

Jerry arrived alone.

"I saw Betty and Char sitting at a table, and I thought, 'I'd better go over and talk to her,'" he said. "I always felt like I'd dropped her like a hot potato" when they broke up in 1949.

Betty laughed at that.

"No, I never thought that," she said. "I just didn't think it was going anywhere. If we were meant to be together, we would be  and we just never did."

Over cake and coffee, Jerry asked if he could come visit her sometime, and Betty agreed. They made tentative plans as they left the anniversary party.

"On the way home, we were talking," Burkhard said, "and Mom said, 'If he comes to Rochester ,' and I said, 'Oh, there's no doubt he's coming.' I knew he would."

A second first date

The two dipped a toe back into the relationship waters in August 2016.

"I was a lot more ready than she was," Jerry said. "I had the same old feelings that I'd had years ago."

He drove to Rochester, where Betty made them dinner (pork chops, they said), then took him to her favorite park.

There were more than a few laughs as the two figured out how to answer Jerry's question: What do 88-year-olds do on a date?  though the stories are strictly "off the record," Betty said.

"She's always been young," her daughter said, "but I didn't even give a thought to her dating at 83 after our dad died. Not that I minded; I just didn't think about it.

"She never looked or acted her age, but now I see that spark back in her," Burkhard said. "To hear them reminisce about their memories  I think it's brought the youth back. Anybody who makes her happy is OK with me."

A quick wedding

The courtship included long telephone conversations twice a day, because Jerry still lived on the farm near Norseland, and Betty still lived in her Rochester home.

There was definitely a learning curve, Betty said, "but we're just having a ball. It's good, but it's different. You have to find your own way."

For the two octogenarians, the way led to yet another wedding in a story already full of important ones.

"My son said, 'Good night, Mom, if you guys want to see each other more, you should just get married,'" Betty said.

And they should do it soon, the couple agreed, "because, you know," she laughed.

So about four months after that second first date, the two "kind of eloped" on Dec. 24, 2016.

"We did it quietly because we thought people would think we were crazy," Betty said.

The newlyweds, who said they "haven't counted up all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren yet," honeymooned in Alaska.

"Then we had to figure out what we were going to do," Jerry said, "because we had such deep roots" in their respective lives  including their homes.

The agreement

That's where the art of compromise comes in, the couple said last month, as they celebrated Betty's 90th birthday in Rochester.

It was part of the rotation they employ: two weeks at the house Betty's lived in for 50 years, then a 103-mile drive to spend two weeks at the farm that's been in Jerry's family since before Minnesota was a state.

Despite her avowal 70 years ago not to be a farm wife, Betty  who grew up on a farm  has come full circle.

"I'm living on a farm again," she smiled. "I love it. I can see forever, and that really brought it home for me: seeing the stars, the moon; I love the open spaces."

The biggest concern is a simple one: remembering what food is at which house, Betty said, "because we have everything we need; God has been good to us."

"The only thing we don't agree on now is politics," she laughed, "and we just don't talk about it."
ALBERT LEA  Dozens of union workers returned to their Mayo Clinic jobs today after a contentious week away that saw SEIU Healthcare Minnesota representatives deliver a bag of coal to Mayo's front door.

The lengthy contract dispute boiled over last week when SEIU held a one-day strike at Mayo's Albert Lea hospital, which prompted Mayo to bring in replacement workers for seven days. Union officials have characterized it as a lockout over Christmas, but Mayo has called it a walkout  noting that SEIU picked the date and knew what the hospital's response would be to ensure patients' safety.

It's believed to be the first strike in Mayo's 128-year history. The two sides will return to the negotiating table on Thursday for the first time since May.

"We were surprised to see Mayo telling the press during the lockout that they wanted to negotiate, because that hasn't been the message at all over the last year," said Justin Yost, who has worked in the utilities department for 14 years. "We are looking forward to getting back to work and doing our jobs to make sure our hospital runs safely. It was amazing getting the support we got from the community over the last week."

It's unclear how many employees were impacted by the strike and ensuing time off work. SEIU has said that 92 percent of the 79-member general group voted to authorize the strike, but Mayo reports that 20 percent of employees scheduled to work crossed the picket line last week. Six maintenance engineers also participated in the strike, but they were allowed to return to work the following day.

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The sticking point in negotiations is language that allows Mayo to alter benefits language without returning to the table. SEIU has balked for more than two years, but Mayo characterizes the language as standard in most of its other union contracts.

Mayo previously leveled criticism at SEIU leadership for the strike, but it welcomed back the union employees today after their time away from campus.

"We welcome our employess back after their union forced them to strike over the holidays, and are looking forward to seeing if the union will renew (its) commitment to negotiating in good faith," Mayo spokeswoman Ginger Plumbo said via email.

However, impacted employees didn't actually miss out on any wages. SEIU continued to pay the employees it says were locked out through the holiday season, with a $10,000 assist from the Minnesota Nurses Association.

The initial strike prompted Albert Lea visits from five of the six DFL gubernatorial candidates, all of whom offered varying critiques of Mayo while vying for union support. Congressman Tim Walz visited Albert Lea later in the week after missing the initial strike to take part in the tax bill vote in Washington, D.C.
WANAMINGO  Darrell Nesseth doesn't look anything like Santa Claus.

He's trim, clean shaven and doesn't own a flashy red suit. But make no mistake, Nesseth is a Santa of sorts.

Every December for the past 10 years, Nesseth has volunteered to deliver clothes and toys to help needy families in Donna, Texas. Rather than a sleigh, the Wanamingo Township man relies on his 18-wheeler to get the job done. A Red Wing nonprofit  Connecting Connections  gathers donations for the annual Texas delivery. The group's director, Patti Riebold, said that if it weren't for Nesseth's willingness to donate his truck and time to the cause, the group wouldn't be able to get the socks, cribs, dishes and dolls to low-income families.

"It's invaluable," Riebold said. "He's never missed a year. I don't know if I would ever be able to find anyone else who would do this."

But Nesseth's delivery streak almost came to an end. On Aug. 5, 2016, the trucker had a heart attack and was airlifted to the hospital. His heart stopped for 5 minutes. Emergency responders who treated him later visited him at the hospital and confided they were worried he wouldn't make it.

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"They couldn't believe I was still alive," Nesseth said.

Now 81-years-old, Nesseth still works full time as a trucker. He got his first trucking job in 1957 working for Goodhue County Lime Co. for $1 an hour. He did other jobs for awhile  working at a meatpacking plant and as a carpenter while farming on the side. In 1987, he decided to do trucking full time.

"It's kind of fun to go through the country. I think I've hauled in and out of every state except six of them in the northwest corner through the years," he said.

So how did these yearly trips begin? It all started with the Rev. Gene Hasselquist, a former longtime pastor at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Red Wing. Hasselquist moved to Donna, Texas, in 1988. He started volunteering at a local elementary school and saw tremendous need. The town of less than 17,000 sits along the border with Mexico. Many families in the area live at or below the poverty level.

"They closed the school one day last year when it was 40 degrees because the kids didn't have warm enough clothes to wear for the school bus," he said.

At first, Hasselquist began taking loads of donations down in a rented truck. He later bought a trailer to transport supplies. But when the level of need became clear, Hasselquist approached Riebold at Connecting Connections to see if it would be possible to load a tractor-trailer with donations.

Eventually, Riebold was given Nesseth's name. She didn't know him but decided to call and ask if he'd be willing to haul the goods to Texas.

"I didn't have to talk him into it or anything. He just said, 'Yeah,'" Riebold said.

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So why did Nesseth agree to make the 1,495-mile trip for the charity? The answer is simple.

"(Patti) asked me to," he said.

Nesseth is a quiet man, and he certainly does not like being in the limelight. His wife of 60 years  LaVerne  knows that. But she secretly called the Post Bulletin anyway to share Nesseth's story of volunteering. What does she think about her husband's Christmas deliveries?

"I think it's great. I really do," she said.

It's all the more meaningful following last year's health scare.

"We're lucky to have him. I loved him anyway  now even more because he's here," she said.

Others interviewed agree that Nesseth deserves attention for all that he has done to make sure the donations keep flowing to Donna, Texas.

"He's just a top-notch guy," Hasselquist said. "He's got a heart of gold."
MINNESOTA LAKE, Minn.  It's hard for a farmer to pull back on his giddy-up. Just ask John Volz.

"You can't do what you used to do, and you still want to do it," he said.

Forced by declining heath to end his daily visits to the family farm, Volz walked from his house in town to his garage in the backyard, and did what he knows. He got to work.

Nine months later, the 79-year-old has built a thousand wooden toys for children who might otherwise go without.

"I just don't stop that easy," said Volz, who was diagnosed earlier this year with Lewy body dementia.

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This fall, in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Volz sent 450 toys to Houston. Other toys have been delivered, or soon will be, to a family shelter, a hospital and a mission in Arizona.

Minnesota Lake volunteer firefighters will also be packing Volz's toys in Christmas stockings for distribution to local children.

"I am so proud of him for what he does and so proud of the transition he's making," says Chris Volz, John Volz's wife.

Chris Volz wondered how her husband would cope with being away from the farm for the first time in his life.

"You can take the man off the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the man," she said. "That's him; he's a farmer through and through. He was born to be a farmer."

Chris Volz said her husband would spend eight to 15 hours a day on the farm now run by their nephew. "Then all of a sudden, we were both here together."

The disease has already taken a toll. Twice John Volz has needed stitches on his forehead because of falls. It's also becoming more difficult for him to put his thoughts into speech.

Still, even after building a thousand toy tractors, cars and trucks, John Volz isn't ready to quit.

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"There's some more stuff that I want to make," he said, "when I get a little older, you know."
Pity the poor liberal Democrats. Once upon a time leading Democrats understood the need for tax reform. Its not necessary to go back to John F. Kennedy or even the bipartisan tax reform of 1986 to see this. If you paid close attention to Hillary Clinton ten years ago when she was still in the Senate, she noted publicly that our corporate income tax system needed reform, and even Obama declared that he thought the corporate income tax rate should be lowered to around 25 percent. But he never pursued the idea, even though it would have been an easy bipartisan achievement for him. What explains this resistance?

The mystery deepens when you realize that if even eight or 10 Democratic senators had decided to support tax reform and bargain with Republicans, they might well have been able to keep the state and local tax deduction beloved of insolvent blue states everywhere, and probably the Obamacare individual mandate. One thing a handful of Democrats would easily have preserved is the prohibition on oil exploration in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), which has been the holy grail for environmentalists for nearly 40 years. By their intransigent opposition, Democrats were completely routed. What explains this shortsightedness, if not political incompetence?

The sudden liberal concern with the federal deficit is not to be credited, of course. And its long been true that liberals only like tax changes that are targeted at their favored interests, which is why they dont like across-the-board tax cuts. A more likely reason is the political calculation that full-on resistance to Trump is a good political strategy if not a necessity. This is sound on the surface for two reasons: first, the increasingly leftist Democratic base would punish severely any Democrat who cooperated with Republicans on tax reform. Second, intransigence is seen as the best path back to power in the next election, and in the short term this calculation may prove out. Next Novembers mid-term election may well be a Democratic wave for all of the usual reasons along with the unpredictability of how Trumps unusual personality and performance play out.

But I think theres a deeper reason emerging for why liberals have become intransigent and have moved even sharply to the left. Unfortunately you need to be embedded, as I am, deep in the cocoon of academia to make it out. If you hang around the intellectual left for very long, you discover they are obsessed today with neo-liberalism. Now, at first you might think that neo-liberalism is the lefts equivalent of neo-conservatismthat is, an updated form of liberalism adapted to new circumstances. In fact there was a self-conscious effort in the mid-1980s for give birth to a neo-liberalism that would be the counter to newly influential neo-conservatism. Charles Peters, the long-time editor of the Washington Monthly, edited a short book entitled A Neo-Liberal Manifesto, which was mostly warmed over Gary Hart speeches.

In fact the neo-liberalism that the left discusses today is an object of complete contempt, and is quite different from what Peters and other smart liberals meant 30 years ago. The term has well-neigh replaced the bourgeoisie in the lexicon of leftist class hatred. Neo-liberalism refers to the market-friendly policies of successful liberal politicians like Tony Blair and Bill Clintonaccommodations made of political necessity if the Labour Party and the Democratic Party were ever going to win national elections again. Recall that Clinton was for free trade and ending welfare as we know it, culminating in agreeing late in his presidency to cut the capital gains tax. As the liberal writer Richard Reeves wrote about ten years ago, Wittingly or not, the Democrat [Clinton] who ran as the agent of change gave up after a couple of years and joined the Reagan revolution. By 1999 Reeves capitulation was complete: Reagan, in fact, is still running the country. President Clinton is governing in his shadow. . . Tony Blair ostentatiously abandoned the Labour Partys long-standing principle of nationalizing key industries, and when in office did noting to reverse any of the dramatic privatizations that Margaret Thatcher achieved.

Some on the left hated the Clinton and Blair accommodations at the time, but their electoral success was hard to argue with. But now that Republicans are back in charge, the left is chafing to get even with the compromises of neo-liberalism. This, more than his sexual peccadillos, is the main reason for the newfound hostility to Clinton on the left just now.

If you want to see how this works in action, check out this primal scream that appeared recently in The Guardian that my pal (and Power Line reader) Ben Zycher drew my attention to. The article starts off sensibly enough, noting that all of the 50 ways you can fight climate change as an individual are just gimmicks of what wed call virtue signaling. But then the author gets to the real problem:

Neoliberalism has conned us into fighting climate change as individuals Martin Lukacs . . . The political project of neoliberalism, brought to ascendence by Thatcher and Reagan, has pursued two principal objectives. The first has been to dismantle any barriers to the exercise of unaccountable private power. The second had been to erect them to the exercise of any democratic public will. Its trademark policies of privatization, deregulation, tax cuts and free trade deals: these have liberated corporations to accumulate enormous profits and treat the atmosphere like a sewage dump, and hamstrung our ability, through the instrument of the state, to plan for our collective welfare. . . At the very moment when climate change demands an unprecedented collective public response, neoliberal ideology stands in the way. Which is why, if we want to bring down emissions fast, we will need to overcome all of its free-market mantras: take railways and utilities and energy grids back into public control; regulate corporations to phase out fossil fuels; and raise taxes to pay for massive investment in climate-ready infrastructure and renewable energy  so that solar panels can go on everyones rooftop, not just on those who can afford it. Neoliberalism has not merely ensured this agenda is politically unrealistic: it has also tried to make it culturally unthinkable. Its celebration of competitive self-interest and hyper-individualism, its stigmatization of compassion and solidarity, has frayed our collective bonds. It has spread, like an insidious anti-social toxin, what Margaret Thatcher preached: there is no such thing as society.

Its always nice when these folks let the mask slip and reveal their hatred of individual freedom and capitalism, and the open embrace of a statism that is indistinguishable from fascism. Lukacss conclusion is: Jeremy Corbin will save us! You can expect the same impulse to dominate the Democratic Party as it heads toward 2020. Elizabeth Warren or Bernie will save us! Anything less than this will not be tolerated by the increasingly leftist base of the Democratic Party. And this is the best thing Trump has going for him.
The Associated Press is carrying on a daily war against the Trump administration. Would the AP declare a Christmas truce? Of course not. On Christmas Eve, the AP reported, as it does every year on that day, from Bethlehem. AP reporters Jalal Hassan and Imad Isseid write:

It was a subdued Christmas Eve in the traditional birthplace of Jesus on Sunday, with spirits dampened by cold, rainy weather and recent violence sparked by President Donald Trumps recognition of nearby Jerusalem as Israels capital.

***

Claire Degout, a tourist from France, said she would not allow Trumps pronouncement, which has infuriated the Palestinians and drawn widespread international opposition, affect her decision to celebrate Christmas in the Holy Land. The decision of one man cannot affect all the Holy Land, she said. Jerusalem belongs to everybody, you know, and it will be always like that, whatever Trump says.

Needless to say, no pro-Trump or pro-Israel voices are quoted.

Trump abandoned decades of American policy Dec. 6 by recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital and saying he would move the U.S. Embassy to the holy city.

As our readers know, this is just plain wrong. President Trumps order is not only authorized but directed by the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 (Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel; andthe United States Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999), which was unanimously reaffirmed by the Senate in June. But at the AP, accuracy is often sacrificed to Trump-bashing.

I dimly remembered seeing similar AP stories from Bethlehem on past Christmas Eves. As you might expect, the AP has always used the story to push its pro-Palestinian agenda. Thus, one year ago Ismail Kushkush reported for the AP on a happier Christmas Eve:

Adding to the holiday spirit for the Palestinians, locals celebrated a key diplomatic victory at the United Nations the day before, where the Security Council passed a resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

So it was a merry Christmas. But trouble still lurked:

Despite the Christmas cheer, Mideast politics loom large in the background  the concrete barrier that surrounds parts of Bethlehem is just one hulking reminder. It was built by Israel last decade during the second Intifada, or uprising, when Palestinian suicide bombers attacked buses and cafes. Israeli says the barrier is meant to keep out Palestinian attackers, but because it dips inside the West Bank, Palestinians see it as a land grab that also stunts their economy.

It turns out that the Israeli security fence is a consistent feature of the APs Christmas Eve reporting from Bethlehem. December 24, 2015:

Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal led a procession from his Jerusalem headquarters into Bethlehem, passing through a military checkpoint and past Israels concrete separation barrier, which surrounds much of the town. Israel built the barrier a decade ago to stop a wave of suicide bombings. Palestinians say the structure has stifled Bethlehems economy.

December 24, 2014:

Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal, the top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, led a procession from his Jerusalem headquarters into Bethlehem, passing through Israels concrete separation barrier, which surrounds much of the town. Israel built the barrier a decade ago to stop a wave of suicide bombings. Palestinians view the structure as a land grab that has stifled the towns economy.

December 24, 2013:

The heavy turnout, its highest in years, helped lift spirits in Bethlehem as leaders expressed hope that the coming year would finally bring the Palestinians an independent state of their own.

***

Despite the Christmas cheer, Mideast politics loomed in the background. In order to enter Bethlehem, Twals motorcade had to cross through the hulking concrete separation barrier that Israel built during the uprising. Israel says the barrier is needed to keep attackers from entering nearby Jerusalem, but Palestinians say the structure has stifled the town and stolen their land.

December 24, 2012:

For their Palestinian hosts, this holiday season was an especially joyous one, with the hardships of the Israeli occupation that so often clouded previous Christmas Eve celebrations eased by the recent recognition by the United Nations of an independent state of Palestine.

***

[Patriarch Twal] then set off in a procession for the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Jesus traditional birthplace. There, he was reminded that life on the ground for Palestinians has not changed since the U.N. recognized their state last month. Patriarch Twal had to enter the biblical town through a massive metal gate in the barrier of towering concrete slabs Israel built between Jerusalem and Bethlehem during a wave of Palestinian suicide bombings in the last decade.

December 24, 2011:

Located on the southeastern outskirts of Jerusalem, Bethlehem is surrounded on three sides by a barrier Israel built to stop Palestinian militants from attacking during a wave of assaults in the last decade. Palestinians say the barrier has damaged their economy by constricting movement in and out of town. Twenty-two percent of Bethlehem residents are unemployed, the Palestinian Authority says. Israeli settlements surrounding Bethlehem have added to the sense of confinement.

December 24, 2010

But the bloodshed has left its mark. Visitors entering the town must cross through a massive metal gate in the separation barrier Israel built between Jerusalem and Bethlehem during a wave of Palestinian attacks last decade. The Roman Catholic Churchs top clergyman in the Holy Land, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal, crossed through the gate in a traditional midday procession from Jerusalem.

December 24, 2009:

[Patriarch Fouad] Twal and his convoy of dozens of vehicles entered Palestinian-controlled territory through a massive steel gate in Israels heavily guarded West Bank separation barrier, escorted by Israeli soldiers and police in jeeps. The barrier and the heavy Israeli security presence served as reminders of the friction and hostilities that have thwarted peace efforts. We want freedom of movement, we dont want walls, Twal said after passing through the barrier. We dont want separation fences. We hope that things will become more normal for us.

December 24, 2008:

Bethlehem has suffered from the Israeli-Palestinian fighting of recent years, and is now surrounded on three sides by concrete slabs and fences  part of a barrier Israel has built against Palestinian suicide attackers, some of whom came from Bethlehem. The Palestinians see the barrier as a land grab and say it has strangled the towns economy.

December 24, 2007:

Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah, the top Roman Catholic official in the Holy Land, began Christmas celebrations with his annual procession from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Sabbah could enter Bethlehem only after passing through a massive steel gate in Israels separation barrier  a stretch of concrete slabs built to keep suicide bombers from reaching Israel. Israeli mounted policemen escorted Sabbah, in his flowing magenta robe, to the gate, and border police clanged it shut behind him.

December 24, 2006:

To get to town, Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah, the Roman Catholic Churchs highest official in the Holy Land, rode in his motorcade through a huge steel gate in the Israeli separation barrier that separates Jerusalem from Bethlehem. Israel says it built the barrier to prevent Palestinian suicide bombers from reaching Israeli population centers. Palestinians view the structure, which dips into parts of the West Bank, as a land grab.

December 24, 2005:

Israels imposing separation barrier at the entrance to town dampened the Christmas spirit and provided a stark reminder of the unresolved conflict.

***

The separation barrier prevented tourists from walking into town on the biblical-era route likely used by Jesus and Mary. Instead, they entered through an Israeli checkpoint.The wall has got to go. Its a wall of shame. Jesus is a uniter not a divider, said James Elsman, a 69-year-old lawyer from Detroit.

I never knew being a reporter is so easy! There are other recurrent themes, too, like the kilt-clad Palestinian scouts that keep cropping up and the interchangeable, generic quotes from American Christian tourists. I am pretty sure I could write next years AP story on Christmas Eve in Bethlehem without bothering to go to Bethlehem.

For the AP, the news isnt as much about facts as it is about point of view.
Robert Strong is the Los Angeles psychologist who claims to have left the festively wrapped box of manure outside the Bel-Air home of U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin that spurred a Secret Service investigation, billing it as a political protest against the recently passed tax bill. Here I am quoting from Emily Alpert Reyess Los Angeles Times story.

Robert Strong, in other words, is the face of the Resistance as it presents itself among the Democrats and their mainstream media adjunct. Strongs feat, one might say, gives expressive form to the hysteria supported by Democratic congressional leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. Indeed, Strong himself proclaims the art of his feat. He calls it an act of political theater meant to inspire others to step up their activism.

Somehow I doubt that Strong will be given the renown he has earned. The media coverage devoted to Strongs feat appears to be limited. The Los Angeles Times credits AL.com with first identifying Strong as the perpetrator in this story. A Google search on Robert Strong turns up very little in the way of coverage of this illustrative story.

The Secret Service has so far declined to confirm that Strong is the artist. We learn from the Reyess cautious Times story that Strong is a Kentucky native now living in L.A. who appears to have enthusiastically documented the act on Twitter and Facebook, posting photos of himself with a shovel and a Santa-spangled box full of manure and describing it as a Secret Santa project.

Psychologist Strong, like his colleagues among the Resistance, appears to be nuts. He likens himself to the biblical prophets of old. Yesterday he posted his Christmas sermon on YouTube. (Reyes links to it in her story.) In it Strong declared himself the prophet of poo. Invoking Martin Luther, he proclaimed that he nailed 95 feces onto the gate of the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States. In Robert Strong the man and the moment have met.

Via Ed Driscoll/InstaPundit.

UPDATE: I see that Drudge has now picked up on the story, linking to an unilluminating three-paragraph AP placeholder. Drudge also links to fuller stories posted by Reuters and, of course, the Daily Mail.
The Washington Post is worried. The lead headline in todays paper edition reads: Mueller criticism grows to a clamor  FBI Conspiracy Claim Takes Hold  Driven by activists, GOP lawmakers, Trump tweets.

Turnabout is fair play. Last year around this time, an honest newspaper could easily have written: Trump criticism grows to a clamor  Russia Collusion Takes Hold  Driven by activists, Democratic lawmakers, leaks.

A year ago, an honest newspaper could not have written that the Trump collusion criticism was driven by the FBI. The facts supporting such a headline were not known. Now we have good reason to suspect that the FBI was, in fact, advancing the collusion claim.

The FBI reportedly offered money to Christoper Steele to continue his work on the anti-Trump dossier (in testimony before Congress Rod Rosenstein refused to say whether the FBI paid or offered to pay for the dossier). The FBI may well have used information in the dossier to secure approval of surveillance efforts from the FISA court.

The FBI also helped push the dossier into the publics consciousness. Its general counsel, James Baker, reportedly told reporter David Corn about the dossier, thus enabling Corn to write about it just before the election. And FBI director Comey briefed president-elect Trump on the dossier, which led to publication of its contents by BuzzFeed.

We also know about the quest of Peter Strzok, a high-level FBI man, for an insurance policy against a Trump presidency.

But lets return to the Washington Posts story about growing criticism of Mueller. The three distressed Post writers are less than fully open when it comes to informing readers what  other than activists, GOP lawmakers, and Trump tweets  is causing criticism of Mueller to grow to a clamor.

They acknowledge that it has something to do with Strzoks role as Muellers former top investigator. However, they do their best to make Strzok seem innocuous.

The story introduces him by noting that he called Trump an idiot and predicted that Hillary Clinton would win the election in a landslide  statements that dont distinguish him from tens of thousands of government employees and millions of other Americans. They also quote a former colleague of Strzok who says:

To think Pete could not do his job objectively shows no understanding of the organization. We have Democrats, we have Republicans, we have conservatives and liberals. . . . Having personal views doesnt prevent us from independently following the facts.

The problem with peddling this happy narrative is that it ignores Strzoks anti-Trump zeal, his obvious desire to impress his mistress, and his damning statement about the need for an insurance policy against Trump becoming president. The Post, in fact, never mentions that statement.

The Post also manages to ignore the hyper-partisan nature of Muellers staff, even excluding Strzok, whom he reassigned. There is a passing reference to Andrew Weissmanns gushing note to Sally Yates praising her for her resistance to Trump, but no discussion of the ideologically one-sided composition of Team Mueller  a marked contrast to Ken Starrs balanced staff.

Even with that diverse staff, Starr was successfully portrayed as spearheading a vast right-wing conspiracy. Its not surprising that as more and more evidence emerges of bias within Muellers team, criticism mounts and takes hold.

Mueller himself is a Republican. But he is also a friend of James Comey, another fact the Post ignores. The steady stream of evidence of Comeys anti-Trump animus and manipulative conduct has contributed to declining faith in Mueller.

And then, theres the fact that Mueller appears to have come up empty so far on collusion by Trump. A prosecutor investigating a president is bound to lose credibility if, after an extended period of time, he neither produces evidence against the president nor exonerates him of the set of crimes that supposedly underlie the investigation.

A prosecutor who cannot credibly be accused of bias  either personal or within his team  buys himself time and patience from the public. Mueller is not that prosecutor.

In sum, the Posts account of how Mueller lost the near-universal support he enjoyed earlier is shallow.

The Posts story is significant, nonetheless. Clearly, the Post is concerned that, as it states, the growing criticism of Mueller threatens to shadow his investigations eventual findings.

It does, indeed. A recent Harvard poll found that 54 percent of voters believe that as the former head of the FBI and a friend of James Comey, Mueller has a conflict of interest in the proceedings. Meanwhile, only 35 percent believe that evidence of collusion between Trump and Russia has been found.

Im sure Mueller believes his own press-clippings, but the public no longer does. The press, it seems, is beginning to realize this.
The first time my parents left my brother and me alone overnight, it was New Years Eve. Being the wild-eyed, raucous partiers that we were, we celebrated our freedom by watching one of those countdown shows on television, popping a batch of popcorn and drinking Dr Pepper.

And thus was a tradition born. For the next several years, we observed New Years Eve, separately or together, with popcorn and Dr Pepper.

The point is that New Years Eve traditions are easy to make. But around the world, they seem to share a couple of themes.

Many cultures look to New Years Eve or New Years Day as a time to hope for prosperity. That is why many cultures celebrate with a pot of beans or lentils, which, because there are so many of them in a serving, represent abundance.

Other cultures focus on the end-of-year, beginning-of-year theme of continuity, by specifically serving foods that are round.

And some cultures combine these two ideas by placing a prize  often a coin  inside a round cake or bread. Whoever gets the piece with the prize or coin is said to be assured of wealth and good luck in the coming year.

Thats the case with the Greek tradition of serving Vasilopita.

Vasilopita is named for St. Basil, whose feast day is Jan. 1 for the Eastern church and Jan. 2 for the Western. Practically every family in Greece has its own recipe for Vasilopita, but the one I baked from Food from Many Greek Kitchens is truly stunning.

This elegant cake is dense and not too sweet. It is flavored with the zest of orange and lemons, scented with vanilla and brandy, and graced with a hint of almonds. It can also be beautiful; it is traditionally decorated with sliced almonds in a pretty pattern or with powdered sugar sifted over a doily.

I chose to decorate mine in another traditional method for the New Year, cutting out the numbers of the year 2018 to use as a stencil, with powdered sugar flurried over the cake. When I removed the numbers, their crisp image was clear in the sugar, reminding all of the reason for the celebration.

For my next New Years inspiration, I looked to the American South, where I can attest that Hoppin John is indeed a staple of the holiday. Hoppin John is nothing less than black-eyed peas cooked with a ham hock, and yet it is also, somehow, so much more.

Perhaps it is the fact that this simple dish of ham-and-beans is made with 16 ingredients, proof of the extra care that is taken for the New Years celebrations. Even so, it is just beans cooked with ham and mirepoix (onion, carrot and celery), spiced with a hot pepper and flavored with a bay leaf and thyme, served on basmati rice.

Typically, Hoppin John is served on plain white rice, but the recipe I used gets great mileage out of the basmati substitution. Even better is this brilliant idea: It uses the flavored water that the beans were cooked in to also cook the rice. These simple tricks elevate an everyday dish to a comforting treat worthy of the new year.

In Italy, the holiday is also often celebrated with a plate of beans, only in this case it is sometimes lentils. The lentils are frequently cooked with sausage, but because that is too close in concept to Hoppin John, I decided instead to go the vegetarian route with Polenta with Lentils in Tomato Sauce.

What could be more Italian than that?

Its a straightforward dish, lentils plus garlic plus mirepoix plus tomatoes on polenta, but I made my own version of it fancier by pan-frying the polenta. All it takes is the forethought to make the polenta the night before. By morning, it can be cut into wedges and then fried until it is crisp and golden on the outside, and creamy on the inside. Its almost too good for lentils, but not quite.

Finally, I turned to Japan for a tradition that is said to assure a long life. Every New Years Eve, many Japanese eat Toshikoshi Soba, a noodle soup. The idea is that the noodles represent longevity, especially when they are slurped up without breaking them.

As with so many Japanese dishes, the base is dashi, a broth you can make yourself from bonito flakes, but I just used boiling water and a powder I bought at an international market. To this I added kaeshi, a blend of soy sauce, mirin and a little sugar that I did make myself. Combined, the two have a marvelous umami taste that is the perfect backdrop for soba noodles, which are made from buckwheat.

If you want, you could just serve the dish as is, but much of the fun of Toshikoshi Soba is deciding which ingredients to add into it. Chopped green onions are almost required, but I also added spinach leaves, a very popular seven-ingredient red pepper spice called shichimi togarashi and thin, dried seaweed called nori.

In Japan, it is often served with fishcakes called kamaboko, which I once saw described as a Japanese version of gefilte fish. And I know one Japanese native who adds a raw egg, allowing the heat of the broth to cook it. Thats not necessarily typical, but she does it because she likes it.

Isnt that how traditions begin?

VASILOPITA

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

1 coin, such as a quarter

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 heaping tablespoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

14 tablespoons (1 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon grated orange zest (1 large orange)

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

 cup brandy

 cup milk

 cup blanched almonds, finely chopped

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 11-inch springform cake pan. Thoroughly wash the coin with soap and water until it is impeccably clean. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a bowl.

2. Whip the butter and sugar together with handheld beaters in a large bowl until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each one. Beat in the vanilla and the orange and lemon zests. In turn, fold in one-third of the dry ingredients, the brandy, another third of the dry ingredients, the milk and the remaining dry ingredients. Fold in the almonds. Scrape into the springform pan. Drop in the coin, trying to keep it upright, not flat.

3. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire cake rack to cool completely.

4. Put a doily on top of the cake and dust with powdered sugar before removing it to reveal a lacy pattern. You can also cut a stencil of the numbers of the new year and dust that.

Per serving: 402 calories; 18 g fat; 9 g saturated fat; 99 mg cholesterol; 7 g protein; 52 g carbohydrate; 27 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 168 mg sodium; 115 mg calcium

Recipe from Food from Many Greek Kitchens, by Tessa Kiros

HOPPIN JOHN

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1 cup dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight or boiled 2 minutes and kept in the hot water for 1 hour

7 cups water

1 medium onion, cut into quarters

1 carrot, peeled and cut into quarters

1 celery rib, cut into quarters

1 smoked ham hock or  pound slab bacon

1 dried hot chile

1 bay leaf

1 thyme sprig

Large pinch of kosher salt

2 cups basmati rice

3 scallions, chopped

2 tomatoes, halved, seeded and chopped

Several basil leaves, chopped or torn

Extra-virgin olive oil

 cup tomato chutney or your favorite hot sauce

Directions

1. Wash and pick over the peas, removing any misshapen ones or pebbles. Place the peas in a large saucepan, add the water and bring to a simmer. Add the onion, carrot, celery, ham hock, chile pepper, bay leaf, thyme sprig and salt, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.

2. Drain the peas reserving the broth. Remove bay leaf, onion, carrot, thyme, pepper and celery. Remove meat from ham hock and chop into bite-sized pieces. Return peas and chopped meat to the pan, along with a little broth to keep them moist.

3. Transfer 3 cups of the reserved broth to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the rice and cook until it is fluffy and tender and has absorbed almost all of the liquid, 16 to 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the rice continue to steam, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes while you reheat the peas. Add the remaining broth to the peas and reheat gently. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer the rice to a serving bowl and spoon the warm peas and broth on top. Scatter the chopped scallions, tomatoes and basil over the peas. Drizzle everything with a little extra virgin olive oil and finish with a large dollop of the chutney.

Per serving (based on 6): 342 calories; 10 g fat; 2 g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 13 g protein; 49 g carbohydrate; 5 g sugar; 6 g fiber; 541 mg sodium; 43 mg calcium

Adapted from Frank Stitts Southern Table, by Frank Stitt

POLENTA WITH LENTILS IN TOMATO SAUCE

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 cups medium-grind cornmeal

 cup brown lentils

1 bay leaf

1 medium garlic clove

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, minced

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced small

1 celery rib, diced small

1 (14.5-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, drained

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

1. Place 8 cups water in a large pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons salt and lower the heat to medium. Whisk in the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream; this should take almost 2 minutes. Make sure to whisk the cornmeal continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Continue whisking as the cornmeal comes back to a boil. Simmer, whisking constantly, until the polenta starts to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Reduce the heat until the polenta is at the barest simmer. Cover and cook very slowly, stirring with a wooden spoon every 10 minutes until the cornmeal loses its raw flavor, 35 to 40 minutes.

3. While the polenta is cooking, bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the lentils, bay leaf and garlic, and simmer over medium heat until the lentils are tender but still a bit firm, about 25 minutes. Drain, discard the bay leaf and garlic, and set aside.

4. While the lentils are cooking, heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot and celery, and saute over medium heat until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.

5. Add the tomatoes. Simmer until the sauce thickens somewhat, about 10 minutes. Add the lentils and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to heat through. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. When the polenta has finished cooking, stir in the butter and add more salt if needed. Divide the polenta among large individual bowls. Spoon some of the lentils and sauce over each portion. Serve immediately with grated cheese passed separately at the table.

7. For extra elegance, make the polenta the night before and refrigerate it in a couple of skillets, making sure the polenta is no more than an inch or so thick. The day you are serving the dish, slice the polenta into wedges and pan fry a few wedges at a time in plenty of butter over medium-high heat. Cook on one side until golden brown and lightly crispy, then flip and cook until the other side is the same.

Per serving (based on 6): 345 calories; 13 g fat; 4 g saturated fat; 11 mg cholesterol; 11 g protein; 50 g carbohydrate; 4 g sugar; 10 g fiber; 121 mg sodium; 58 mg calcium

Adapted from The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook, by Jack Bishop.

TOSHIKOSHI SOBA (YEAR-END NOODLE SOUP)

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

6 ounces dried soba noodles

5 cups basic dashi stock (homemade, or buy the powdered form)

 cup soy sauce

3 ounces (6 tablespoons) mirin

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Spinach, optional

Kamaboko (fish cakes), optional

Shichimi togarashi (seven-ingredient red-pepper spice), optional

Nori seaweed, optional

Wasabi, optional

Eggs, optional

1 green onion, finely chopped

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add soba noodles and lower the heat to a simmer; do not cook in a rolling boil. Cook until the noodles are cooked through but still chewy, about 3 minutes. Drain the noodles immediately and rinse in a bowl of cold water. Change the water several times to remove all starch from the surface of the noodles. Place in a colander and set aside.

2. Make the dashi stock in a large pot and add the soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Heat, and when the stock is hot, add the soba noodles; simmer gently until they are heated through.

3. Place noodles into serving bowls and add soup. Add any of the optional toppings you desire; if using eggs, make sure the soup is very hot before cracking the egg into the bowl  the heat of the soup will somewhat cook the egg. Garnish with the chopped green onions.

Per serving (without optional ingredients): 143 calories; no fat; no saturated fat; no cholesterol; 7 g protein; 25 g carbohydrate; 2 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 2,089 mg sodium; 33 mg calcium

Adapted from justhungry.com
MIDDLE TOWNSHIP  Recover the church. Rehab the cemetery. Above all, respect the dead.

Those are the goals Will Keenan set for himself when he purchased the Goshen United Methodist Church and nearby cemetery on Route 47, and but for one major misstep, Keenan believes hes held true to his vision.

Not all area residents agree, particularly not Donald and Eileen Douglass, Goshen residents whose ancestors are buried in the cemetery.

At issue was a Halloween fundraiser Keenan had planned for the cemetery  and later canceled parts of due to negative response  that included a seance and a buried-alive experience.

We have plots there, Donald Douglass said, referring to two plots given him by his father for Donald and Eileen. We assumed that the graveyard is sacred, but its not sacred. I feel that hes dishonored the graveyard.

Last week, Donald Douglass said not only did he no longer want to one day be buried in the cemetery, he was considering moving his parents remains to another graveyard.

But that starts the dominoes. Should I move my grandparents? Should I move my great-grandparents?, he said.

Bishop McHugh students send light to orphanage in Haiti MIDDLE TOWNSHIP  The nights will be brighter at orphanages in Haiti, giving kids a chance to study, thanks to the efforts of a group of children at Bishop McHugh Regional Catholic School.

Keenan, a Hollywood stuntman, cult movie star and development consultant for Bollywood films, bought the church and graveyard earlier this year from the United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey, and in one of his first actions, renamed the building the Church of St. Babs after his recently deceased mother.

Purchasing the cemetery, Keenan said, was part of the deal required by the church. He drained his funds to buy the property, paying all cash, and then formed a nonprofit business.

Carolyn Conover, director of communications for the United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey, could not confirm Keenans assertion he had to buy the church and cemetery together but said the church had reached out to families with concerns about the graveyard.

Cemeteries are a very special place in the life of a church, Conover said. Theyre sacred and places of respect.

Prior to that, Keenan said, his neighbors in Goshen were happy with his efforts. He had begun restoration of the church and cleaned up the cemetery.

6 arrested in 3 Middle Township drug raids MIDDLE TOWNSHIP  Six people face a variety of drug charges after the police Street Crimes Unit led by Sgt. Ken Martin conducted three separate raids, according to a press release.

Honestly, Keenan said in an interview last week, if anything was going to upset people, I thought that renaming the church after my mother would be it.

But neighbors found favor in his actions. They embraced Keenan and what he described as his rock n roll church, he said. A church for people recovering from addictions. A sanctuary for those folks who need a few nights of safety. A place of worship for any religion, as well as those who have no religion at all.

The church of misfits, Keenan said. The church of second chances.

Keenans vision for the church seemed right at home in the 19th century town of Goshen.

But it was his Halloween plans for the cemetery that drew the ire of residents.

An event planned as a fundraiser for his endeavor of saving the church and cemetery went awry when he offered tours of the graveyard with historically accurate representations of those buried in the cemetery, a seance, and a buried-alive experience.

In the latter, people had the opportunity to lie in a coffin in shallow grave and then the lid would be closed and they would have to knock for their freedom.

It was his one great mistake, Keenan said.

Im a spiritual dude, he said. With the buried-alive experience, I wanted to give people the chance to appreciate life.

As outrage grew in Goshen, Keenan said he canceled the majority of the Halloween event, especially after his neighbors marched on the church in what he called a town-hall meeting.

Bronze certification makes Middle a better place to live, officials say MIDDLE TOWNSHIP  A Sustainable Jersey recertification is important to area residents because it increases the quality of life for people in Middle Township, as well as making the municipality a better place to live, an official said last week.

I got on my knees in this church and begged their forgiveness, he said. And then I led them out to that shallow grave and filled it in by myself.

Keenan, raised a Catholic and a former altar boy, describes himself as deeply spiritual, and said all of the events he planned around Halloween were to remind people they were alive and to be thankful for that.

Everyone who comes in here is being ministered to at some point, he said.

Donald Douglass doesnt agree, and last week compared Keenan to a character from Leave it to Beaver.

To me hes an Eddie Haskell, Donald Douglass said. Yes, Mrs. Cleaver. No, Mrs. Cleaver. And then he does what he wants.

Last month, Donald Douglass told Township Committee members he didnt believe Keenan had canceled the Halloween event. Eileen Douglass said the cemetery was still decorated, and she was concerned about Keenans lack of respect for the dead.

People still own grave plots there, with plans to be buried in the cemetery, she said.

According to the Douglasses, 10 to 11 people own plots at the cemetery. Some have receipts for the purchase, at least one dating to the 1950s. Others have no more than a memory of the plot purchase.

None has plot deeds of which Donald Douglass is aware.

Ive got a scrap of paper somewhere that shows that my father bought two plots, Donald Douglass said.

At the November committee meeting, Township Attorney Frank Corrado said the sale of the cemetery to Keenan raises a lot of issues.

Im not sure how the church could sell property that you have rights to, Corrado said, referring to the plots. The township is as surprised as anybody when we found out the church and cemetery were sold to a private person.

Man found dead in wooded section of Rio Grande MIDDLE TOWNSHIP  A dead man was found at a makeshift campsite off Satt Boulevard in the Rio Grande section of the township at about 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, Middle Township police said.

Corrado said he was researching the sale of the cemetery.

Im looking into any regulatory actions that the township can take concerning cemeteries, he said.

Conover said she could not comment on the legality of the sale of the cemetery, and that a church attorney would contact The Gazette. As of last week, no contact had been received.

For his part, Keenan said he would honor any commitments for burial at the cemetery that were made by the Methodist Church.

It doesnt matter if they have a receipt, Keenan said. If they truly believe in their hearts that they have a plot here, they will be buried in this cemetery.

There arent many plots left, he said.

Only a few. But I plan to be buried here.
NORTHFIELD  Police and the FBI are searching for a man wanted in several bank robberies in Delaware, Pleasantville and most recently the local Sun National Bank.

Authorities identified the suspect as Thomas Dougher, a serial bank robber, who is wanted in several area robberies, Special Agent Jessica Weisman of the FBIs Northfield office said Tuesday.

He is wanted in a Tuesday morning bank robbery in Northfield and another that took place Saturday at the PNC Bank on the Black Horse Pike in Pleasantville, she said.

Police were called to Sun National Bank just after 11 a.m. Tuesday for the robbery. Officers were seen inside the building on Tilton Road near Cresson Avenue late Tuesday morning, and customers were not allowed inside at the time.

Dougher was identified as the suspect in a robbery Dec. 20 at Artisans Bank, 2424 Pulaski Highway, in Newark, Delaware, where a man handed a teller a note with demands. The robber ran on foot with cash, according to Delaware State Police.

Dougher is described as a white man between 40 and 50 years old. He was seen at the Saturday bank robbery with a gray beard, authorities said. He is also a known gambler who has ties to Atlantic City, Weisman said.

Delaware State Police said Dougher is thought to be a suspect in bank robberies across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
MILLVILLE  On Christmas Day, members and volunteers at Elks Lodge No. 580 opened their doors to recruits from the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May for a special holiday dinner.

Chief executive officer and organizer of the dinner Arlene Hickman said the event is a way for the community to show its appreciation for the young people who are just two or three weeks into their training.

We wanted to give them a day without drill sergeants, Hickman joked.

This year was the third year the Elks Lodge hosted the dinner for 185 recruits.

Hickman said 100 members and volunteers prepared dozens of trays of baked ham, turkey and all the fixings to feed recruits on the holiday leave. Community members donated trays of dessert and baked goods, which was a first stop for many recruits.

Since they cant have coffee or sweets at the center, its their first stop here, said Hickman. We must have gone through 200 pots of coffee in 20 minutes.

Just as important as the home-cooked meal is the opportunity to call family and loved ones. Men and women crowded around power outlets to charge phones and make long distance calls or video chats.

Its weird being away from family this holiday, said Scott Walker, 23, from Paris, Kentucky.

Walker said he had an extended phone call with his parents and siblings, which he hasnt been able to do since leaving home for training at the beginning of the month.

Its my first holiday away from home, Walker said, but everyone here treats you like youre family.

Volunteer Pamela Carti has helped with the dinner every year, knowing firsthand how tough the holidays can be on military families. Her son, currently a staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, spent many holidays away from home.

As a mom, you think about your kid being alone on Christmas, and its sad. You miss them, and they miss you. But its nice to know that they are being cared for during the holidays, said Carti.

I dont know why they didnt have dinners like this when I was young, said Phil Green. Green, a Navy veteran and member of the Elks, recalled the holidays he spent away from home.

After-dinner activities included a projector to watch holiday movies, billiards and shuffleboard, as well as socializing with Elks members, many of whom are veterans.

You get to live like a civilian for a few hours, said recruit Jacob Crowl, 20, of southern California.

The recruits reported back to the training center Monday night and will continue with five more weeks of training before graduation in late January.
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP  A Cape May County man and a Pennsylvania woman died on Christmas after a head-on car crash on the Black Horse Pike.

Lorri Thomas, 45, of Collingdale, Pennsylvania, was driving a car east when she crossed the center line into the westbound lanes. Thomas car crashed into a car driven by Carol Badgley, 52, of Seaville in Upper Township, who was with her father, Robert, 85, also of Seaville, police said.

Officers responded at 2:57 p.m. Monday to the area of milepost 38 for the two-car crash.

Thomas, who was not wearing her seat belt, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. It is unknown why she crossed the center line.

The Badgleys were taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus, where Robert Badgley died from his injuries.

No tire marks were visible on the roadway Tuesday in the area of the crash.

The Collings Lakes, Weymouth and Laureldale volunteer fire companies, Township of Hamilton Rescue Squad, AtlantiCare paramedics, AtlantiCare medical helicopter, Atlantic County Prosecutors Office and New Jersey State Office of the Medical Examiner responded.

Collings Lakes Fire Chief Bill Donnelly said the department helped extricate one entrapped victim from the vehicle, which took less than two minutes.

Everybody did the best they could; unfortunately, that was the outcome, he said.

Traffic was delayed for several hours while the crash scene was cleared.

The cause remains under investigation.
Bring back weather scan

Up until about six weeks ago, there were two weather channels provided by Comcast. The original weather channel and the weather scan channel. The weather scan channel provided constant local information.

For some reason, Comcast decided to remove the channel. In my opinion, this was a huge mistake. I used the weather scan channel every day several times a day. I wrote to Comcast to voice my displeasure with the removal of the channel. I received back a polite email that stated my comments would be passed on to management.

Everyone who used this channel and counted on it to help plan their days or maybe even weeks should take the time to voice their objections to Comcast. If Comcast hears from enough people, hopefully they will bring back the weather scan channel.

John C. Penman

Margate

Trump, Christie great

I shall never forget 2017 and Donald Trumps great leadership during his first year as president. Seeing him win election was one of the most fabulous times in my life and hopefully he will continue tearing the Democrats apart as he has done since starting to do away with the swamp.

Liberals have tried in every way to run Trump out of town without success and the outstanding Trump years will continue.

I never cared for Trump when he operated casinos in this horrible state run by liberals, but became a fan on that wonderful election night.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also has done an outstanding job as an opponent of liberals. I realize that with the coming of Gov.-elect Phil Murphy, everything will go down hill, so good luck to everyone.

Barry Koob

Egg Harbor City

GOP will be defeated

I do not consider myself a fortune teller but I believe that almost every elected Republican now holding office will be replaced in the next elections. The recently enacted tax cuts are letting the middle class down again.

I think President Trump has alienated his supporters from the middle class.

The last election results where Democrats won many contests reflects only the tip of the iceberg as to what the next election will reflect. Trump has accomplished nothing in almost a year, caused chaos around the world with his inane tweets and has left poor impressions of America with its allies.

The tax bill probably will be viewed as the last straw and all Republicans up for election will be replaced by middle-class voters.

Karl Nuebler

Galloway Township
DECATUR  The leader of the NAACP Decatur branch called Tuesday for a blue-ribbon committee to look into causes of the citys rising murder rate after its 10th homicide this year.

With the shooting death of Marvin T. Murphy, 39, on Christmas Day, the city had more than doubled its 2016 homicide total and tied with 2011 for the greatest number of murders in the past decade.

Now some people will say these shootings are spontaneous and there is nothing you can do, said Jeanelle Norman, longtime president of the branch. But whatever the situation is, it behooves this city to have some type of study so that we can assess, with more accuracy, exactly what is happening.

Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe said she would be willing to work with Norman to see how such a committee could take shape.

I think she and I need to sit down and figure out what this needs to look like and how we can make it truly effective, Moore Wolfe said Tuesday night. I have so much respect for Dr. Norman and, if there is anything we can do to fix this, we have to try.

Other community leaders on Tuesday called for exploring solutions that included greater sentences for those convicted of violent crimes, stricter gun laws and more community involvement.

The remarks came as detectives continued to investigate the murder of Murphy, who was found by police at a residence in the 1600 block of North 32nd Street around 9:30 p.m. He was taken to Decatur Memorial Hospital and pronounced dead at 10:58 p.m., Macon County Coroner Michael Day said.

Police did not reveal the circumstances of the murder. Detective Sgt. Steve Carroll said the department had called in extra manpower and described the investigation as ongoing and intense.

Were working multiple leads, and were working new leads as they come in, he said.

Wider discussion

Decatur Police Chief Jim Getz said his officers have a solid track record of bringing killers to justice, but he said the courts must hand down sentences that keep persistent violent criminals off the streets.

Ill be honest with you, Im not satisfied with some of the sentencing that is coming down for these crimes, Getz said. I think sentences need to be tougher. That is what keeps our community safe, and safety is what keeps people moving into Decatur and keeps people from moving away.

The police chief also said that statistics show many of those being killed or hurt were involved in criminal activity, especially drugs.

Getz was not commenting on the latest murder. But in general, he said, violent crimes involving random, innocent victims are rare. If you are going to Walmart to go shopping or going out to a restaurant to eat or visiting a family member in town or whatever, its highly rare that you would be the victim of crime, he said.

Norman works closely with Getz as a member of the Area Leaders Educators Response Team (ALERT), which helps to disseminate accurate information in the wake of major events like police-involved shootings. She said the chief had a point.

But she said people indulging in risky behavior do not explain all of Decaturs violence. She pointed to the case of Decatur motorist Rafael Graham, 70, who survived multiple gunshot wounds Oct. 16 after apparently being targeted at random in a hold-up.

He was just driving down Monroe, and he gets shot, said Norman. So not every shooting is drug- or gang-related.

Norman said the police deserved praise for continuing to do an excellent job, but she said it is time for wider community involvement to help them, such as the proposed commission.

We have to work at this because eventually Decatur is going to be defined for something we dont want to be defined as, she added.

While ready to discuss the idea, Moore Wolfe was under no illusions about how hard the committees task might be.

Setting up a committee would not be the hard part, she said. The hard part is really effecting change and figuring out what is really causing this (the shooting violence) and really fixing it.

A matter of faith

Pastor and community activist the Rev. Courtney Carson has frequently spoken out in the wake of gun violence and on Tuesday renewed his call for tougher gun laws.

He said weapons are too readily available to criminals, and communities such as Decatur and Chicago will continue to bear the brunt of gun deaths until that availability changes.

We need more common-sense gun laws, said Carson, a member of the Decatur school board. I believe we would then live in a safer place.

He echoed Normans call for more community involvement and more outreach efforts from churches and role models working to turn lives away from crime. The most criminal-minded individual can come out of that hell-like condition, he said. I think its just a matter of faith.

Carson invited people to attend a multi-denominational service at 10 p.m. New Years Eve at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. He said the theme is unity and the service will address community violence.

Arrests in most cases

Of the murders being investigated this year, police have made arrests in the majority of the cases.

Keirsean M. Bond, 26, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the shooting death of Todd Feldkamp, 48, of Effingham, whose body was found Nov. 18 behind a house in the 1600 block of North Edward Street. Police have said Bond, who was arrested Nov. 20, was the not the gunman but have not made another arrest in the case.

Kwantrevis D. Richardson, 20, is charged with first-degree murder in the Oct. 31 shooting deaths of Michael E. Roberts-Mathenia, 43, and Johnathon T. Ballance, 34. The two were found dead in a Park City mobile home community residence.

Zachary M. Pherigo, 17, has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder in the Oct. 16 shooting death of Justin Lee Murphy Jr., his 2-year-old nephew.

Jason A. White, 27, and Ryan Waters, 20, have been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Zachary Hubbartt of Windsor. Hubbartts body was found at a residence in the 1200 block of East Condit Street on Aug. 27. Autumn D. Billings is charged with obstructing justice in the crime.

Demesheo M. Lovelace died after being gunned down in Greenwood Cemetery on July 2. The three suspects in the crime are Darelle Fox, 31, his brother Joseph Fox, 27, and Shawn Eubanks, 25. They were charged with first-degree murder.

Duan L. Lewis, 23, was arrested March 29 and faces a charge of first-degree murder in the death of a 5-month-old girl. The girl died March 28 after suffering head injuries March 23, and her cause of death was listed as "consistent with shaken baby syndrome."

Two other cases are active, but detectives said at inquest hearings that they had no witnesses and were searching for leads in both:

James M. Basse, 40, of Decatur, was found in the 1400 block of East Wood Street on Sept. 15 dead of multiple gunshot wounds.

Adrian T. Chatman was found dead in the 800 block of West Decatur Street shortly after midnight on Sept. 26.

Not living in fear

Residents of North 32nd Street, living just a few blocks from the Christmas Day murder scene, said Tuesday they werent going to let this killing, or Decaturs rising homicide rate, overshadow their lives.

Retired special education teaching assistant Naomi Culter moved into her home in September. She said she was shocked to find out there had been a shooting death close to the cozy ranch with the big backyard that suited her perfectly, but she wont allow the news of the shooting to chase her away.

You cant control where bad things happen or how they happen or who they happen to, said Culter, 66. That is just life. You have to take the good with the bad and go with it.

Culter, who lives with her oldest daughter, Tonja Francisco, took the same philosophical view about Decaturs homicide rate. Culter believes Decatur is no worse than many other towns when it comes to crime, she said, and we cant permit crime statistics to rule our lives.

She does, however, take note of them.

But do I feel unsafe here? No, I dont, she said. What is the purpose of living if you are going to live in fear? If you do that, well, thats not living.

Francisco, 46, takes a similar view to her mother. You get used to hearing about crime but you dont live in fear, she said. Thats not how to live your life.

Culter said that not letting crime get you down doesnt mean you dont feel for the victims of it and the lives it affects. And she said crime that stains the joy of what is supposed to be the happiest time of the year seems particularly tragic.

Death like this is sad anytime, but even more so on a holiday, she added. I guess the devil is always around, testing us.
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





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Jaipur, Dec 21 : A total of 141 persons, including two students of the Sawai Man Singh Medical College, have tested positive for HINI virus in Rajasthan, since December 1 and 14 of them have died, an official said on Thursday.

Public Health Department Director Dr V.K. Mathur confirmed that two medicos and a computer operator of Mahila Chikitsalaya had tested positive for the virus on Thursday.

The two medicos were staying in the medical hospital's hostel that houses around 450 students.

"We sent a medical team immediately and screened these students. Medicines were also given to around 24 students who showed influenza symptoms," the official told the media here.

The official said 3,344 persons were diagnosed as suffering from swine flu between January 1 and December 20, of which 259 had died.

He said seven newly-appointed Rajasthan Administrative Service officers undergoing training at the Officers Training School here had tested positive on Wednesday, following which the institute was evacuated.

Mathur said HINI cases in the state were on the rise though the situation was not that alarming as all precautions were taken to check its spread.

Mathur said isolation of patients was sacrosanct and those exhibiting influenza-like symptoms should isolate themselves to ensure others were not infected.

Health Minister Kali Charan Saraf said all steps were taken to review diagnosis facilities for swine flu patients and to ensure availability of Tamiflu medicine across the state. He has also directed doctors and officials to remain alert.

The state has been witnessing a rise in swine flu cases and the situation has worsened owing to strike of doctors in Rajasthan.
Srinagar, Dec 23 : 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 Kashmir's Poonch district, an army official said.

According to the official, Pakistan violated the ceasefire and fired on an Indian Army patrol.
Jammu, Dec 24 : Indian and Pakistan troops traded heavy fire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Sunday, a defence official said.

The Pakistan Army used mortars, automatics and small arms to target Indian positions on the LoC in the Shahpur area.

"Firing and shelling exchanges started at 1.30 p.m., and were continuing," the official added.

Sunday's clashes on the LoC comes a day after four Indian soldiers were killed in Keri sector of Rajouri district.
DECATUR  St. Teresa High School looks after its own.

Angela Bean, 15, a sophomore at St. Teresa, has been diagnosed with pseudopapillary tumors on both her liver and pancreas. Angela will have surgery at Lurie Childrens Hospital in Chicago in January, the Whipple, which is a major surgical procedure that will require her to stay in the hospital for at least five weeks.

During that time, her parents will split their time between the Ronald McDonald House in Chicago and Decatur, where Angela's two younger brothers, one at St. Patrick School and another at home, will be staying.

St. Teresa sent out an appeal to students, their families and alumni to help collect gas and grocery gift cards for the Beans, and to ask for prayers. On Dec. 15, the school's Jeans 4 Quarters fundraiser was designated for the family as well.

Her mother, Adriene, said Angela first discovered a lump on her abdomen in 2015. It grew and became painful, and Angela had a CT scan which showed a large mass.

The doctors weren't sure where it was attached, Adriene Bean said. We were sent to St. John's (Hospital) in Springfield. She had her first surgery on Oct. 14, 2015. The doctor used a conservative approach to resect the tumor that was attached to her pancreas.

Angela has had two more surgeries, for stents placed in her main pancreatic duct. Tests showed that the tumors are malignant and will grow back. That means regular scans to keep an eye on the area, and in August, she started feeling off. In October, she had an attack of what the family initially thought was pancreatitis.

She went to the (emergency room) and their scan showed a growth, Adriene Bean said. One of the hospitalists suggested we take her to Luries Children's Hospital due to the rareness of her tumor.

After the surgery in January, and the long hospital stay, the next steps depend on whether the tumors come back. Angela is a dedicated student, and will be homeschooled during her treatment and recovery. The hope is for her to go back to school at St. Teresa when she's well enough.

We are very stressed, but determined to enjoy the holiday season, and her 16th birthday is the day before surgery, Adriene Bean said. Just trying to take it one day at a time, and very grateful that she is in the hands of a renowned surgeon who will provide her with the best of care.

Angela is keeping her spirits up as best she can. Her cousin, Hannah Bean, recently had a heart transplant, and the two girls encourage each other.

I'm really thankful to have such a great support system from my family and my boyfriend (Colton Centers), Angela said. Without them, I'm not sure how I'd be getting through this. I'm extremely thankful to be lucky enough to have such a great surgeon and surgical team working on me. This whole ordeal is extremely stressful, but I'll get through it with everyone by my side.
Shimla, Dec 24 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah will attend the swearing-in of Jairam Thakur as the new Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister here on December 27, the party said on Sunday.

Thakur, a confidant of Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, will take oath as the new Chief Minister along with his Cabinet colleagues at the Ridge in the state capital.

The Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states will attend the swearing-in ceremony, said a senior BJP leader.

Earlier in the day, newly elected legislators of the Bharatiya Janata Party chose five-time legislator Thakur as their leader.

He along with senior leaders later met Governor Acharya Devvrat to stake claim to form the new state government.

The BJP wrested power in Himachal from the Congress, winning close to two thirds majority with 44 seats in the 68-member assembly. The Congress won 21 seats, independents two and the Communist Party of India-Marxist one.
Shimla, Dec 25 : The new Himachal Pradesh cabinet, to be headed by new and 'young' Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, will be a blend of old and new faces.

An indication in this regard was given by Thakur himself.

"The cabinet will have both experienced and new faces," he told reporters here in his first official interaction with reporters a day after being elected as the BJP Legislature Party leader in the Assembly.

Thakur said that his top priorities would be restoring law and order situation, to do away with the VIP culture, to review all decisions of the previous Congress government in past three months, to minimise wasteful expenditure and to develop tourism infrastructure.

Five-time legislator Thakur, who rose through the ranks and is known for his humble, clean and low-profile nature, will be sworn-in as Chief Minister at the Ridge here on December 27 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah.

The Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states will also attend the swearing-in ceremony. Almost 10 of them have confirmed their presence.

However, Thakur, a confidant of Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, refused to comment on the size of the cabinet and to reveal the names of his cabinet colleagues.

He also refused to comment whether his cabinet colleagues will also take oath with him.

The new ministers in his 11-member cabinet likely are former Cabinet ministers Rajeev Bindal, Kishan Kapoor, Sarveen Chaudhary, Mohinder Singh, Congress rebel Anil Sharma, Narinder Bragta and Ramesh Dhawala and new faces could comprise Gobind Thakur, Vikram Jaryal, Rakesh Pathania and Rajeev Sahjal.

Sarveen Chaudhary, if inducted, will be the lone woman minister in the cabinet.

Thakur, at 52 the youngest to head the government, belongs to the Rajput community with a significant presence in the hill state.

He won his fifth consecutive assembly election from Seraj, earlier known as Chachiot in Mandi district, defeating Chet Ram of the Congress.

He will be the first Chief Minister from Mandi, the second biggest district of Himachal after Kangra. In these elections, the BJP won nine out of the 10 assembly seats in Mandi.

Earlier Chief Ministers of Himachal hailed from Shimla, Kangra and Sirmaur districts.

Thakur was a Cabinet minister in the BJP government led by P.K. Dhumal from 2007 to 2012.

Doing his graduation from a Mandi college, he went to Panjab University in Chandigarh for his post-graduation. Thakur is married to Sadhna Singh, a doctor by profession.

The BJP wrested power in Himachal Pradesh from the Congress, winning close to a two thirds majority with 44 seats in the 68-member Assembly. The Congress won 21 seats, independents two and the Communist Party of India-Marxist one.

Thakur emerged as a front runner after Dhumal and state party chief Satpal Satti were defeated in the November 9 elections. The poll results were declared on December 18.
Moscow, Dec 26 : Russia's central election commission on Monday rejected the registration of the opposition leader's candidacy for the country's upcoming presidential race.

According to local media, 12 out of 15 commission members voted against Alexei Navalny's bid to register as a candidate in the March 2018 election to run against popular incumbent Vladimir Putin.

Navalny, who leads the anti-corruption Progress Party, said he would appeal the decision before Russia's constitutional court, adding that he was nonetheless "aware that the court is part of the same system."

A prominent Putin critic, Navalny has been arrested multiple times by Russian authorities, who have charged him with several counts of embezzlement and fraud; this led to a conviction in 2013 and another in 2014, though the prison sentences were later suspended.

Due to his official criminal record, the election commission decided to deny Navalny his application by arguing that he had lost his right to passive suffrage following the convictions.

Thousands of Navalny's followers on Sunday had taken to the streets in several cities throughout Russia to support his candidacy.
Riyadh, Dec 26 : Around 20 Saudi Arabian princes and officials accused of corruption were released after accepting financial settlement, local media reported Monday.

Among those released were a former official of the Finance Ministry and a number of businessmen, an advisor to the Saudi government was quoted by the Sabq online news website as saying, Xinhua reported.

More people are expected to be freed soon as part of the government's pledge to end the country's largest corruption case in history that has attracted attention worldwide.

The Saudi government officially announced early this month that 159 individuals were arrested over corruption charges. Most of them have agreed on financial settlement.

Early last month, local media reported that 11 princes and 38 sitting or former ministers were arrested over corruption charges.

The arrest orders were issued by a panel formed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The panel also announced that it is reopening the case of the 2009 Jeddah deadly floods and investigating the case related to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Coronavirus.

The panel summoned 320 individuals to provide more information, while detaining a number of suspects. It has also frozen 376 bank accounts of the detainees or related persons.
Tehran, Dec 26 : The Supreme Court of Iran has approved the death sentence on an Iranian researcher over spying for Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, Tehran Times reported on Monday.

Ahmad Reza Jalali, the convict, had admitted that he had eight meetings with Mossad's agents and that he had received money in return, Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi was quoted as saying.

Jalali had passed information to Mossad agents about projects related to the Defence Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), including information about the AEOI plants, the ministry's plans and blueprints of important buildings belonging to the ministry and the AEOI, the prosecutor said.

He had also provided Mossad with the names and information of top executives of the AEOI and the Defence Ministry, Jafari-Dolatabadi said, adding that according to Jalali's confessions, he had used flash memories to gather information from the individuals' computers.

"The aforementioned person provided (to the Mossad intelligence agency) complete and documented information about 30 top figures working on research, military, defence and nuclear projects, including the two killed, Ali Mohammadi and (Mohammad) Shahriari" in 2010, he said.

The convict was given money and was granted a Swedish citizenship for himself and his family in exchange for the information, he added.

The prosecutor also said Jalali's death sentence was upheld by Supreme Court on December 2, 2017.

Jalali, who has been in prison since April 2016, was shown on national TV earlier this month confessing to providing information to Mossad about Iranian military and nuclear scientists, including two who were assassinated in 2010, according to the report.
London, Dec 26 : Actor James Norton says being linked to James Bond was "wonderful".

Before Daniel Craig agreed to play James Bond again, Norton was a frontrunner to take over.

The 32-year-old actor now hopes Craig does "five more movies" so he can keep the rumours at bay, reports bbc.co.uk.

"It's lovely, wonderful and complimentary to be involved in that conversation but it's just a rumour mill and that's as far as it goes," Norton said.

At the moment, Norton is looking forward to drama "McMafia". The eight-part series sees him play a successful banker who is drawn into his family's Russian underworld -- with 007 comparisons.

In episode one, he appears in a tuxedo, mingles with women at a casino, fights bad guys and appears in the sea in some tight trunks.

"I did mention at the time that those scenes would possibly contribute to the (Bond) rumours but 'McMafia' is its own beast. I hope Daniel Craig does five more movies and can keep the rumours on himself. I'm a big fan of his and - selfishly - I'd like him to carry on."
Ottawa, Dec 26 : Canada has announced its decision to expel the Venezuelan embassy's charge d'affaires in retaliation after the government in Caracas declared a Canadian diplomat persona non grata.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland announced the measure on Monday in a statement that also said the Venezuelan ambassador, whom Caracas withdrew from the country in protest against the sanctions adopted by Ottawa, "is no longer welcome in Canada", reports Efe news.

"The Venezuelan government has announced that Canada's chargA d'affaires in Caracas has been declared persona non grata and will be expelled from the country. This action is typical of (President Nicolas) Maduro's regime, which has consistently undermined all efforts to restore democracy and to help the Venezuelan people," Freeland said.

"In response to this move by the Maduro regime, I am announcing that the Venezuelan ambassador to Canada - who had already been withdrawn by the Venezuelan government to protest Canadian sanctions against Venezuelan officials implicated in corruption and gross human-rights abuses - is no longer welcome in Canada. I am also declaring the Venezuelan chargA d'affaires persona non grata."

The Canadian minister added: "We will continue to work with our partners in the region, including through the Lima Group, to apply pressure on the anti-democratic Maduro regime and restore the rights of the Venezuelan people."

On December 22, the speaker of the National Constituent Assembly (ANC), Delcy Rodriguez, told the Brazilian ambassador to Venezuela, Ruy Pereira, and the Canadian charge d'affaires in her country, Craib Kowalik, that each was now persona non grata.

Canada and Brazil have both been seen in recent months to support the Venezuelan National Assembly legislature with its opposition majority, and to oppose the establishment of the ANC, whose members belong entirely to the ruling party.
Lima, Dec 26 : Thousands of people took to the streets across Peru to protest against the pardon granted to former President Alberto Fujimori, which exempts him from completing a 25-year prison sentence for human rights violations.

In Lima, some 6,000 people demonstrated peacefully on Monday. It ended with at least one arrest and the police dispersed the demonstration with tear gas, reports Efe news.

The protesters at first wanted to march towards the Government Palace, headquarters of the executive, or to the clinic in which Fujimori is hospitalised, but instead was ended in front of the Palace of Justice.

The demonstrators demanded that the pardon be quashed, given that it favours impunity for Fujimori.

He was sentenced in 2009 to 25 years in prison for his responsibility in the massacres of 25 people in Barrios Altos in 1991 and La Cantuta in 1992, perpetrated by the undercover military group Colina, and the kidnapping of a journalist and a businessman in 1992.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski signed the pardon for Fujimori, 79, on Sunday, only three days after he narrowly survived an impeachment vote by Congress, due to the 10 votes from Fujimori's party, led by Kenji Fujimori, son of the former president, who had called on several occasions for a pardon for his father.

The pardon was granted for humanitarian reasons, allegedly because Fujimori is suffering from a "progressive, degenerative and incurable disease" and is at risk of aggravation due to prison conditions, according to a statement from the Presidency of Peru.

According to the report by the medical board that recommended the pardon, Fujimori is suffering from paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, hypertension, mitral insufficiency, tongue cancer that has needed six operations and a lumbar hernia.

Fujimori was transferred on December 22 from the prison and is currently hospitalised in a clinic in Lima, where on Sunday his children brought him the news of the pardon.

Demonstrations against the pardon also took place in other cities such as Arequipa, Ayacucho, Puno, Tacna and Trujillo, among others.
Mexico City, Dec 26 : Despite widespread differences over trade and immigration, Mexico has claimed of stronger ties with the US in 2017, the Foreign Ministry announced.

At the start of the year, President Enrique Pena Nieto formulated 10 goals and five principles to guide his country's relationship with the new US government under President Donald Trump, Xinhua news agency quoted the ministry as saying on Monday.

The goals included getting a commitment from Washington to respect the legal rights of Mexican citizens and ensuring the free flow of remittances from the US that is a pillar of Mexico's economy.

The principles range from holding comprehensive negotiations that also covered security, terrorism, migration and drug trafficking, as well as North American integration, involving Mexico, Canada and the US.

The ministry said Mexico strengthened political dialogue with US authorities at the highest level. Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray visited the US over 20 times this year to meet with White House and other officials.

Ties between the two countries strained ahead of Trump assuming office in January, thanks to his campaign promise to stem illegal immigration from Mexico by building a wall along their shared border.

A number of prototypes of the wall have reportedly been built and are being tested.

Trump's campaign pledge to also bring industries and jobs back to the United States affected bilateral ties, as well as his insistence that the North American Free Trade Agreement between the two countries and Canada be renegotiated to minimise what he perceived as Mexico's unfair trade advantage.

Nevertheless, the ministry stressed that the two countries have deepened cooperation in several areas, mainly in border security and development.
Washington, Dec 26 : US President Donald Trump's legal team is standing by its prediction that a central part of the probe into Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election will conclude quickly, the media reported.

Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow reasserted in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Monday that the parts of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe involving Trump would end soon, though he did not mention specific dates, reports The Hill magazine.

"I know we, collectively, the lawyers, are looking forward to an expeditious wrapping up of this matter," Sekulow said.

A spokesman for Mueller's team declined to comment on the report.

Experts have said it was unlikely that the special counsel's probe will wrap up anytime soon, given the scope of the investigation that has reached into the upper echelons of the White House.

Mueller's team has brought charges against four individuals in the Russia probe, most recently Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty on December 1 to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Trump's lawyer weighed in on the probe on Monday as the president celebrated Christmas at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.

Over the weekend, Trump ratcheted up his feud with FBI leadership, swiping at Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and former FBI Director James Comey.

In one tweet, Trump appeared to weigh in on a Washington Post report that said McCabe planned to retire in the coming months after receiving his full pension benefits.

"FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!" Trump tweeted.
With arctic conditions settling in over Central Illinois for the next several days, residents are being urged to stay aware of the dangers of cold weather.

The National Weather Service in Lincoln issued a wind-chill advisory for much of Central Illinois, including Decatur and Macon County, that will last until 10 a.m. Wednesday, and those frostbite-inducing temperatures wont warm up over the next week.

Here are five ways to be prepared:

What's coming

The weather service said the region would be experiencing a prolonged period of below-normal temperatures through the next seven days. Wednesday will see a high of just 11 degrees with wind chills of minus 10 to minus 15 degrees, according to the Decatur forecast.

The wind-chill advisory noted the danger of hypothermia and frostbite, which can occur in as little as 30 minutes to exposed skin. Counties affected include Macon, Logan, DeWitt, Piatt, Christian, Moultrie, Douglas, Champaign and McLean. As the night progressed, the weather service advisory began to add counties farther south that previously had been under a hazardous outlook due to low temperatures earlier in the day.

The warmest day in the next week, according to the weather service, could be Friday, when the high temperature for Decatur is 22 degrees. There is also a chance of snow on Friday and Saturday.

Dont look for a reprieve anytime soon: New Years Eve will see a high of 10 degrees and New Years Day will climb only to 13 degrees in Decatur, according to the forecast. The chance of snow will vary by day.

Normal highs for this year are about 36 degrees, and lows usually reach 14, the weather service said. The record is a little farther down the thermometer: minus 29 degrees on Dec. 26, 1914.

Were not expecting a whole lot of precipitation with any of those systems; there are a lot of variables in our models, said Heather Stanley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Lincoln. Pay attention to the forecast going into the weekend, because it will be changing.

A large swath of the Midwest was under a wind chill advisory or warning as well, including North Dakota and Wisconsin, as well as parts of South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan and Indiana.

Outside attire

Its best to stay indoors if possible, but the Illinois Emergency Management Agency offers the following clothing tips for those who must be outside:

Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing in several layers.

Wear outer garments that are tightly woven, water-repellent and hooded.

Wear a hat. A significant amount of body heat is lost through the top of the head.

Wear mittens that are snug at the wrist. Gloves allow your fingers to cool faster than mittens.

Cover the mouth and nose with scarves to help protect lungs from cold air.

Keep your feet as dry as possible. Wear wool socks.

Your health

If you must be outdoors, watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia, the IEMA said.

Frostbite is severe reaction to cold exposure of the skin that can permanently damage fingers, toes, the nose and ear lobes.

Symptoms are numbness and a white or pale appearance to the skin. When symptoms are apparent, seek medical help immediately. If medical help is not immediately available, slowly warm the affected areas.

Hypothermia, or low body temperature, is a life-threatening condition brought on when the body temperature falls below 95 degrees. Symptoms of hypothermia include slow or slurred speech, incoherence, memory loss, disorientation, uncontrollable shivering, drowsiness, repeated stumbling and apparent exhaustion.

If these symptoms are detected, take the person's temperature. If below 95 degrees, immediately seek medical attention.

If medical help is not available, begin warming the person slowly. Always warm the body core first. Do not warm the arms and legs first because this can force the cold blood toward the heart and can lead to heart failure.

Pet health

Many people believe that Illinois law prohibits leaving animals out in freezing weather, but thats not the case, according to officials from Macon County Animal Control.

The state law that took effect Jan. 1, 2016, makes it a misdemeanor to cause injury to an animal by leaving it in extreme weather conditions. In other words, the animals owner is not breaking the law until it is hurt.

But animal control wardens still have discretion and authority to intervene if they believe the animal is in danger, Chief Warden Kris Horton.

If we come out and the animal appears to be in distress, we will take it, she said.

Animal control administrator Sgt. Matt Reynolds of the Macon County Sheriffs Office encouraged anyone who is concerned about an animals welfare to call animal control at (217) 425-4508 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, or (217) 424-1311 after hours.

We take calls all the time and we investigate things of that nature, he said. We do have wardens that are on duty after hours and have them on call at all times.

Wardens check that animals have shelter in an enclosure with a roof and walls, some type of bedding and access to unfrozen water. Reynolds and Horton stressed that anyone leaving an animal outside in the cold should check on it often.

Its always better to bring them in. They feel cold like everybody else does, Horton said. They can get frostbite on their feet, ears, noses. If they are outside, they have to have shelter that is adequate to provide relief from the heat or cold.

The state law specifically mentions dogs and cats, but Reynolds said the sheriffs office also looks after the welfare of larger animals, such as horses and livestock.

Animal control will find a temporary foster situation for any larger animals that wardens feel are in distress or danger, he said.

Space heaters

Use caution when operating space heaters, which Inspector Dave Gagnon of the Decatur Fire Department said are a fairly common cause of fires in Decatur.

Space heaters should be used on a level, hard surface, and should not be within three feet of anything flammable: drapery, clothing, rugs or paper. They should be plugged in directly to an outlet and not an extension cord.

Gagnon said many people place the heaters in doorways to counteract a cold draft coming in, but that creates a danger of catching the door frame on fire.

The department responded to one serious fire caused by a space heater in October. The house at 1042 N. Union St. did not have working electricity, and a neighbor had allowed the people living there to heat the home by plugging the space heater into an extension cord from the neighbor's house. A dozen people were displaced by that fire.
Tokyo, Dec 26 : Japanese authorities on Tuesday will repatriate eight North Korean fishermen whose vessel washed ashore on the country's northern coast.

The eight men, who are currently at an immigration centre in Nagasaki prefecture, will be taken to Kansai airport where they will board a China-bound flight, and will continue their journey to North Korea from there, Efe news quoted government officials as saying.

They washed up on a beach in Akita prefecture after their boat broke down while squid fishing, the men told the Japanese authorities.

In November, 24 North Korean fishing boats ended up in Japanese waters.

One of the cases, which received widespread media attention, was that of a group arrested for allegedly stealing home appliances and other equipment on an islet in northern Japan, where the suspects took shelter after their boat went adrift.

The North Korean fishermen had taken a television, a motorcycle, a refrigerator, a rice cooker and other items belonging to a local fishermen's cooperative, besides causing damage to the property, according to media reports.

The number of North Korean boats that ended up on the Japanese coast were 66 in 2016, 45 in 2015, 65 in 2014 and 80 in 2013.
New Delhi, Dec 26 : A day after their meeting across a glass panel with Kulbhushan Jadhav in Islamabad, the mother and wife of the Indian national on death row in Pakistan, met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here on Tuesday.

According to reports, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar accompanied Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetankul during the meeting at Sushma Swaraj's residence.

In a meeting described as a "humanitarian gesture" by the Pakistan government on the birth anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Jadhav came face to face with his mother and wife after a gap of 22 months at the Pakistan Foreign Office in Islamabad on Monday.

Separated by a glass partition in the heavily-guarded building, they spoke through an intercom watched by the Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh who escorted them to the meeting.

Jadhav's family was later taken to the Indian High Commission before their return to India late on Monday night via Oman.

The two women did not speak to the media in Islamabad.

Pakistan has said that the meeting does not mean any change in Pakistan's stance regarding Jadhav.

Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April, following which India moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May.

India has said that Jadhav is innocent and has maintained that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had gone for handling his businesses after superannuation from the Indian Navy.

Despite the death verdict, Pakistan last week reiterated that he was not under threat of an immediate execution as his mercy petitions were still pending.
Srinagar/New Delhi, Dec 26 : Indian Army commandos crossed the Line of Control and killed three Pakistani soldiers, penetrating around 200-300 meters on the other side of the de facto border, two days after four Indian soldiers, including a Major, were targeted and killed by Pakistan in cross border firing.

Sources said it was a "local tactical level action", and it was a short distance raid.

The sources, however, didn't term the action a surgical strike -- like the one conducted on September 29, 2016, when Indian army commandos crossed the Line of Control to target terror launch pads inside Pakistan-controlled territory.

The source called it a "tit-for-tat" action to avenge the killing of the Indian soldiers. Four to five Ghatak Commandos were involved in the action. Ghatak Commandos are special operations capable infantry platoon.

The post targeted was of 59 Baloch regiment of the Pakistan Army, and at least three Pakistan soldiers were killed while one was injured. The source added that as per intelligence inputs, there can be three more casualties on Pakistan's side.

The incident took place along the Naushera sector of Rajouri district, and the Pakistan post targeted was in Rukh Chakri sector of Rawalkot.

The sources said it was a "tactical" operation conducted at 6 p.m. on Monday after the Pakistan military men tried to cross over apparently to plant IEDs on the Indian side of the border.

Since the 2016 Surgical Strike, this is the first incident of Indian soldiers crossing the Line of Control, though sources said from time to time Indian troops do cross the border while undertaking operations.

Pakistan Army confirmed the death of three soldiers in an "unprovoked heavy cross-border shelling by Indian forces" at Rukh Chakri sector in Rawlakot.

The incident took place two days after four Indian soldiers, who were part of a patrol party, were killed by Pakistan troops in heavy cross-border firing along the LoC in the Rajouri sector.

On Sunday, two Pakistani snipers, who were trying to target Indian soldiers on the LoC, were killed in Indian firing on the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts.

The Monday deaths take the Pakistani casualty toll to five in two days.

The Indian Army claimed to have killed dozens of terrorists and their sympathisers in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in the covert operation that came nearly 10 days after a terror attack on a military base at Uri near the LoC that killed 19 soldiers on September 18 last year.
Mumbai, Dec 26 : Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani on Tuesday said the company has achieved full resolution of Reliance Communications' debt restructuring that will reduce its debt by Rs 25,000 crore, bringing it down to Rs 6,000 crore.

"We have achieved resolution that involves Reliance Communications exiting strategic debt recast. Clearly and truly this is a historical achievement for any group. RCOM debt will reduce by Rs 25,000 crore, The entire monetisation process to repay debt of lenders will be completed by January-March 2018," Ambani told reporters here.

Reliance Communications had close to Rs 45,000 crore debt on its books in October 2017.

Saying that going forward Reliance Communications will be a buisness-to-business (B2B) company, he added the company achieved this debt restructuring by asset monetisation and selling real estate.
Rabat, Dec 26 : Morocco dismantled nine terror cells during 2017 -- a significant decrease in the number of busted terror cells compared to the last few years.

In 2015, security services in the north African kingdom busted 21 terror cells and 19 in 2016, according to statistics from Morocco's counter-terrorism agency, the Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations (BCIJ).

The number of terror suspects also declined drastically in 2017. The number of arrested people did not reach 200 this year, while it exceeded 275 in 2015 and 2016.

In an interview with Morocco's official MAP news agency, BCIJ Director Abdelhak Khiame ascribed the decline in busting of terror cells to Morocco's proactive security approach, which is part of larger multidimensional counterterrorism efforts.

He also warned of the threats posed by returning battle-hardened foreign fighters, noting that Morocco has since 2015 arrested 92 Moroccans returning fighters, including 20 fighters in 2017.

The latest counterterrorism operations took place on Monday in the southern Souss-Massa region. Four people were arrested over suspected links to terror organisations in the three-city raid.

However, the most serious threat posed by the busted cells this year came from a cell that was busted in the northern city of Fez last October.

On October 14, Morocco announced the arrest of 11 people with suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) group, saying their cell was planning attacks in sensitive areas in coordination with an affiliate of IS. Authorities deemed the cell as "extremely dangerous".

During a heavy police raid, firearms, ammunition, knives, gas canisters and chemical products used in bomb-making were seized.

In less than a month, police arrested six terror suspects in two separate counterterrorism operations in Fez, which is a tourist destination and spiritual centre.

Morocco adopts a strict approach regarding returning fighters. The country's terrorism law criminalises joining of armed groups and returning fighters are, therefore, systematically arrested.
New Delhi, Dec 26 : India on Tuesday slammed Pakistan for the manner in which Islamabad conducted the meeting between death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav with his mother and wife, saying it "violated the letter and spirit of our understandings".

India said the two women were made to remove their mangalsutra, bangles and bindi and were not allowed to converse in their mother tongue Marathi.

"We note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings," India said in a statement.

It said that Jadhav's wife, Chetankul's shoes were taken away and not returned, while some media persons outside the Foreign Office in Islamabad, where the meeting was held, hurled invectives at the women.

India also said that from the feedback received of the meeting, "it appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion.

"Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being."

The two sides had met across a glass panel and had to speak through an intercom.
Dhaka, Dec 26 : A Bangladeshi blogger accused of posting a message on Facebook allegedly offensive to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad has been arrested by the police.

Immigration authorities detained the writer and youtuber identified as Asaduzzaman Noor alias "Asad Noor" at Dhaka airport while he was trying to leave the country on Monday, Efe news agency cited an airport official as saying.

"He had an open case in Amtoli area in Barguna district under the Information and Communication Technology Act. Today we handed him to a cyber tribunal," said the official.

Barguna police superintendent Bijoy Bosak confirmed that the case against Noor had been filed in January after the accused published a Facebook message considered blasphemous and since then there has been an arrest warrant pending against him.

Residents of Barguna held demonstrations in January following the publication of the post, according to Amtali police spokesperson Amirul Islam, who said that the accused had been on the run since the beginning of the year.

Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority country, witnessed a spate of Islamist attacks between 2013 and 2016 targeting members of religious minorities, foreigners, homosexual activists, thinkers and secular bloggers critical of fundamentalism.

Almost 90 per cent of the 160 million inhabitants of Bangladesh are Muslims, who have traditionally been moderate.
New Delhi, Dec 26 : Parliament will meet again on Wednesday after a four-day break amid continued logjam over Congress' demand for apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat election campaign.

The two houses will meet after a weekend and two-day holiday on Christmas.

The government's efforts to bring a bill to criminalise instant triple talaq, which has been listed for introduction on Thursday, may also lead to a tussle with the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) conveying its intent to oppose the bill.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has also expressed its reservations over penal provisions in The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 while Communist Party of India leader D. Raja has said it should be referred to the standing committee.

CPI-M leader Mohammed Salim said that Modi government's move to bring a bill criminalising instant triple talaq was unwarranted and politically motivated.

He said when Supreme Court has already banned triple talaq, there is no need to bring such a bill.

"As far as demanding a ban on the practice of triple talaq is concerned, we have been raising this issue ever since politicians like Narendra Modi had not even heard of the term triple talaq. But we recognise that divorce is a civil matter and there is no need to criminalise it," Salim said.

He said that the bill was "arbitrary" as stakeholders such as the Muslim community, women rights groups and civil society have not been consulted.

Salim said that there is no need to make a national law on something that is not practiced widely.

BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab said there were some concerns regarding the penal provisions which will be raised during during the discussion on the bill.

"At the time of introduction, it will only the constitutional viability which will be questioned. At the time of introduction, there will not be much resistance."

The two houses have witnessed repeated disruptions since the start of Winter Session of Parliament on December 15 over Modi's remarks against the former Prime Minister with the Congress vociferously raising the issue.

While Rajya Sabha has seen daily adjournments, the Congress has been staging protests and walk out in the Lok Sabha.

Other bills on the government's agenda in this week include The High Court and the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Condition of Services) Amendment Bill, 2017 and The Representation of the People's (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
Beijing, Dec 26 : China and Pakistan want Afghanistan to join their multi-billion dollar economic corridor, a key component of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative which India has spurned over sovereignty issues.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the proposal during a trilateral meet with his Pakistani and Afghani counterparts - Khawaja Asif and Salahuddin Rabbani respectively, in Beijing.

According to Afghan news outlet Pajhwok Afghan News, Yi said Beijing and Islamabad are willing to extend the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) by including Kabul in it.

"The successful implementation of CPEC projects will serve as a model for enhancing connectivity and cooperation through similar projects in neighbouring countries including Afghanistan, Iran and Central and West Asia," he added.

The CPEC - a network of highways, railways, roads and special economic zones, which connects China's Xinjiang with Pakistan's Gwadar port, is opposed by India as it passes through Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which is claimed by New Delhi.

Attending the trilateral meet here in Beijing, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Asif said the project will benefit Afghanistan and other countries in the region.

"Successful implementation of CPEC projects will serve as a model for enhancing connectivity and cooperation through similar projects with neighbouring countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Central and West Asia."

China has always sought to allay India's apprehensions about the project, describing it purely as an economic initiative.

Beijing also says the project will not affect its neutral stance on the Kashmir issue.
Bengaluru, Dec 26 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday distanced itself from Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde's claim that the party will change the Constitution and remove the word "secular" from it.

"The party (BJP) doesn't want to get involved with what Hegde has said. What he spoke about is not an issue for us," BJP spokesperson for Karnataka Vamanacharya told IANS here.

The Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship had on Monday said the BJP was in power to "change the Constitution".

"People agree with the word secular as it is mentioned in the Constitution. It (the Constitution) has changed many times before and we have come to change the Constitution," Hegde said at an event in Kuknur in Koppal district, about 400km to the north of the state capital.

Those who call themselves secular are like people "without parentage", the minister had said.

"If someone says I'm a Muslim, Christian, Lingayat, Brahmin or a Hindu, I feel happy because they know their roots. For those calling themselves secularists, I don't know what to call them," the 49-year-old minister said.

Calling Hegde's statements "disparaging", the Congress' state unit said the BJP was "denigrating the ideals" on which the Constitution is based.

"Our country is built on the ideals of secularism and co-existence of people of all castes, creeds, races and religions.

"Our Constitution is based on ideals, which the BJP is denigrating by allowing Hegde to make such disparaging statements," said the working president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Dinesh Gundu Rao.

Hegde, who hails from Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district, about 400km to the northwest of Bengaluru, was appointed as the Union Minister in September after a Cabinet reshuffle.

He has been a Lok Sabha lawmaker from the Uttara Kannada constituency for five terms.
Two women from Robinson died in a single-vehicle traffic crash in Champaign County shortly before 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Illinois State Police said.

The women, 55 and 78, were passengers in a 2016 Ford Edge driven by an 81-year-old man, also from Robinson, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said the vehicle was traveling north on Illinois 130 about a quarter of a mile north of Champaign County Road 400 North when it left the roadway, entered the ditch and struck a tree.

The 55-year-old passenger and the driver were taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The driver and 78-year-old passenger were wearing seatbelts, police said.

The crash remains under investigation.
Gandhinagar, Dec 26 : Vijay Rupani and Nitin Patel were sworn in as Gujarat Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister respectively for a second stint along with 19 Ministers at a grand function here on Tuesday, days after the BJP's narrow victory in the state assembly polls.

The function held in the lawns of the Gandhinagar state secretariat, was attended by a horde of BJP dignitaries including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and national BJP president Amit Shah.

Rupani, who won the Rajkot West constituency seat with a whopping margin of over 54,000 votes over his Congress rival Indranil Rajyaguru, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor O.P. Kohli. Rupani served as Chief Minister from August 7, 2016 till the 2017 elections, following Anandiben Patel's resignation as Chief Minister citing the age factor.

Nitin Patel, who won the Mehsana constituency seat with a margin of around 6,000 votes, had also served at the newly-created position of Deputy Chief Minister from the time of Anandiben's resignation.

Nine cabinet Ministers and 10 Ministers of State were also sworn in.

Ranchodbhai Chanabhai Faldu, who was an MLA of BJP in 1998-2002, 2002-2007 and was also state BJP president, was the first to be sworn in as cabinet Minister.

Bhupendrasinh Manubha Chudasama, who won the Dholka constituency seat with a meagre margin of 350 votes, was sworn in. Since 2012 he has been a cabinet Minister.

The other cabinet ministers sworn in were Saurabh Patel (Dalal) who also won on a thin margin of around 900 votes from Botad constituency. Dalal was also a former cabinet Minister during Narendra Modi and Anandiben's reign. He was removed from the cabinet after the Rupani government was formed last year.

Ganapat Vasava, Jayesh Radadia, Dilip Thakore were sworn in as cabinet ministers. They were also part of the cabinet in the previous government.

The new faces that were inducted were Kaushikbhai Jamanadas Patel, who had served as Minister of State for energy, urban development departments and cabinet minister of energy, in the earlier BJP governments.

Another new face as cabinet minister was Ishwarbhai Parmar, who was a Minster of State in the Rupani government.

Other than that 10 Ministers of State were also sworn in.

Chief Ministers of 18 of the states led by the BJP were also present. Apart from that senior BJP leader L.K. Advani and Union Ministers were also present in the function.

After the oath ceremony, Modi took to Twitter assuring the people of Gujarat that the BJP government will leave no stone unturned in further developing the state, which the party has ruled since 1995.

"Congratulations to Vijay Rupani, Nitin Patel and all those who took oath as Ministers. My best wishes to this team in their endeavour to take Gujarat to new heights of progress," Modi said.

"People from all walks of life joined the oath taking ceremony in Gandhinagar to bless the team that took oath today. We cherish these blessings and their affection," he said.

"Political leaders, Chief Ministers of various states, our esteemed NDA allies and respected former Chief Ministers of Gujarat joined the occasion, making it even more special," the Prime Minister said.

Modi, who was Gujarat's Chief Minister between 2001 and 2014, went nostalgic and shared pictures of the ceremonies when he took oath in the past.

"Attending today's oath taking ceremony in Gujarat brought back memories of the ceremonies in 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2012 when I got the opportunity to serve Gujarat as CM," he said.

"I would once again like to thank the people of Gujarat for giving the BJP this opportunity to serve the state. The bond between Gujarat and BJP is extremely special. I assure my Gujarati sisters and brothers that we will leave no stone unturned in further developing Gujarat," Modi added.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who also attended the oath ceremony here, tweeted, "Attended the oath-taking ceremony of Vijay Rupani as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. I am confident that Gujarat will continue its forward march on road to development and prosperity under the able leadership of Rupani."
Jammu, Dec 26 : The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday issued an order to restrict and prevent its employees from engaging in social media sites in a manner that can be prejudicial to the interests of the administration.

A notification issued by the state's General Administration Department in winter capital Jammu said: "No government employee shall engage in any criminal, dishonest, immoral or notoriously disgraceful conduct on social media which may be prejudicial to the government."

"They shall also not use their personal social media accounts for any political activity or endorse the posts or tweets or blogs of any political figure and also shall not use their accounts in a manner that could reasonably be construed to imply that the government endorsed or sanctioned their personal activities in any manner whatsoever."

The notification said it in no unclear terms that "they shall not post inflammatory, extraneous messages in an online community with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal, on topic discussion".

The order is an attempt by the state government to prevent its employees from engaging in any social or political debate in social media that might paint the authorities in bad light.
New Delhi, Dec 26 : Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Tuesday slammed BJP ministers for their remarks on changing the Constitution to remove the word secular and "shooting the doctors", saying this was the "true face" of the BJP.

"MoS (Home) and MoS (Skill Development) reveal the true face of BJP," Chidambaram said in a series of tweets.

"One will change the Constitution to remove 'secular', the other will shoot doctors. They should speak more and tell us what the real BJP is."

Chidambaram also said: "Mob tried to disrupt an inter-faith marriage at Ghaziabad. Will the two ministers change the Constitution to ban such marriages or shoot the couple?"

Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Anantkumar Hegde had said that the BJP has come to power to change the Constitution and will do so in the near future. He also termed secularists were like people without parentage.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir made a statement equating senior doctors in a government hospital to Maoists.

"What do the Naxals (Maoists) want? They don't want democracy. I handle the Home Ministry, so I know it. These people (referring to the senior doctors) don't want democracy. So they should join Naxals. Why do you stay here? Go there, and then we will shoot you with bullets," he had said.
Islamabad, Dec 26 : Pakistan on Tuesday summoned the Indian Acting Deputy High Commissioner here and condemned the "unprovoked" ceasefire violations by the Indian Army and also "categorically rejected" India's claims of having crossed the Line of Control.

A statement from the Foreign Office said the Director General (South Asia & SAARC), Mohammad Faisal, said the "unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian forces in the Rakhchikri sector on the LoC, provided a cover for the planting of IEDs by non-state actors, resulting in the shahadat of three soldiers and injuring another".

Faisal "categorically rejected the Indian claims that there was any crossing of the LoC by the Indian forces. The Indian actions got a befitting response from the Pakistani side and their guns were silenced", he added.

He said the "false claims by India about the alleged cross LoC adventures are a figment of their imagination and counter-productive for peace and tranquility on the LoC".

Faisal urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations.

The summoning came after Indian Army commandos in a "tit-for-tat" operation intruded some 300 metres across the LoC and killed at least three Pakistani soldiers, two days after four Indian Army men, including a Major, were shot dead in a surprise attack by Pakistan.

Indian defence sources called it a "tactical retaliatory strike", decided at a local level by the brigade commander.

The sources said four to five Ghatak Commandos were involved in the operation. Ghatak Commandos are drawn from infantry and trained to carry out covert special operations.

"It was a tit-for-tat action... Whatever Pakistan does to us, we will do the same," the official said, warning that more such operations would be conducted if Pakistani forces continue targeting Indian troops.

The sources said the action was taken around 6 p.m. on Monday after some Pakistani military personnel tried to cross over apparently to plant IEDs on the Indian side of the border.

They said Pakistani forces belonging to 59 Baloch Regiment had set up a temporary post close to the LoC in Rukh Chakri sector of Rawalakot and "at least three Pakistani soldiers were killed while one was injured". They said it was possible that the casualty figure may be higher.

The incident took place along the LoC in Poonch.
New Delhi, Dec 26 : Condemning remarks by BJP Union Ministers on changing the Constitution and shooting the doctors, the Congress on Tuesday termed them "against the idea and ideals of India" and asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi will break his silence on the issue.

It also said "abusing the oath of office" and "denigrating the Constitution and its values" have become distinctive features of the Modi government.

"All these statements have a common link and agenda. They are meant to propagate and practice the sectarian ideology of the BJP-RSS. We shall fight this challenge in Parliament and in the court of people," said Congress spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi.

"RSS and BJP's sole agenda is to change and modify the basic nature and structure of the Constitution and to impose their hate filled, bigoted and prejudiced ideology on India and its people.

"Hypocrite BJP which pretends to respect Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution is showing its true colours as it embarks on a sinister mission to alter the ethos of the Constitution," he said.

Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde had said that the BJP has come to power to change the Constitution and will do so in the near future to remove the word secular from it, while Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir had equated senior doctors in a government hospital with Maoists and said they get bullets.

Terming these statements "malicious and sinister attempts" which "have not only denigrated and demolished the values, principles and the soul of the Constitution but has also exposed their false love for Babasaheb Ambedkar", Gogoi said: "Will the Prime Minister break his silence on the remarks by Hegde, who openly spoke about changing the Constitution. We take strong exception to this remark.

He said Ahir's "ridiculous statement" was "an outright insult to the medical profession and those who save lives".

Also noting that Modi attended the oath-taking ceremony of the new Gujarat government, whose ministers included Bachubhai Khapad who faces three criminal cases, Gogoi asked if the Prime Minister will take cognizance of this fact and have him dropped from the ministry.

He also said that BJP's Uttar Pradesh minister Prakash Rajbhar has insulted the poor by saying that they give their vote because of alcohol and chicken, adding this "clearly demonstrates the anti-poor mindset of the BJP and its government".
New Delhi, Dec 26 : Condemning Pakistani authorities for inflicting insult on Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife by making them remove their mangalsutra, bangles, footwear and bindi and getting their dress changed, the Congress on Tuesday said India should give them "an appropriate reply".

The party said the Indian government should immediately come up with a clear policy towards Pakistan.

"We condemn this conduct of the Pakistani authorities. This behaviour was inhuman. They have shown disrespect towards Indian women... The Congress party also wants that Kulbhushan Jadhav be released," said Congress spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi.

"We express our concern. Jadhav has been charged in a military court when he is not a prisoner of war. He was not held during a military conflict. As long as he is charged in a military court, our party is concerned about his release...," said Gogoi.

He said the Congress party wanted that the Indian government should make its policy clear as to how would secure Jadhav's release.

Under the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) norm, the family had met him, but the party wanted him released.

"We condemn the actions of Pakistani government, because from the television visuals he looked very stressed. We are worried about his health conditions. He was also forced to give false statements.

"The assurance which was given by Pakistan to Indian government was not kept. India should take strict action against the manner in which Indians have been insulted. They should give them an appropriate reply," he said.

The Congress leader also said that the flip-flop strategy of the government towards Pakistan was making the atmosphere very insecure for the people of India and the soldiers at the border.

"The government should immediately form a policy towards Pakistan," Gogoi added.

Before being let in for meeting Kulbhushan Jadhav at the Foreign Office building in Islamabad, Pakistani authorities made his wife and mother remove their mangalsutra, bangles and bindi and also made them change their attire, India said on Tuesday.

India also termed the meeting conducted across glass panels as "lacking in credibility" and "intimidating". The two sides spoke via a telephone speaker.

Jadhav, who is on death row on charges of alleged spying and terrorism, met his mother Avanti and wife Chetankul on Monday after 22 months of his arrest by Pakistan.
New Delhi, Dec 26 : Shajahan Velluva Kandy, an alleged Islamic State operative arrested by Delhi Police here after his deportation from Turkey in July, was on his second mission to go to "perform hijrah to Syria" on a fake passport, the NIA said.

The revelation came out after the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over the investigation of the case on September 5 following Home Ministry orders, filed a chargesheet against Kandy and his associate Mohammad Mustafa on December 23 in a special court here.

The chargesheet said that "Mustafa facilitated Kandy in procuring an Indian passport in the name of Mohammad Ismail Mohideen on the basis of forged documents, despite having knowledge of his intention to go to perform hijrah to Syria".

"Kandy is a member of proscribed international terrorist organisation ISIS. In October 2016, he along with his family went to Turkey via Malaysia with intention to go to Syria for fighting on behalf of the terrorist organisation. However, while crossing the Turkey-Syria border, he was apprehended along with his family by the Turkish authorities and deported to India on February 10.

"After deportation, Kandy acquired a new Indian passport. On March 31, he along with Mustafa went to Bangkok enroute to his final destination, Syria. Mustafa returned to India on April 1 while Kandy went to Turkey and was again apprehended by the Turkish authorities while crossing over to Syria," the NIA chargesheet said.

A case against Kandy, a resident of Kerala's Kannur, was initially registered at by the Special Cell of Delhi Police on September 5. He had been arrested on July 1 at the Indira Gandhi International Airport after being deported by the Turkish authorities. Mustafa was arrested from Chennai on July 12.
Jaipur, Dec 26 : As medical services in Rajasthan remained paralysed for the 11th day on Tuesday and deaths were reported due to the strike by doctors, state Health Minister Kalicharan Saraf said the government would not take any action against doctors who had joined duty by December 26, but would follow the state High Court orders and act against doctors who had failed to do so.

Meanwhile, sources said the Rajasthan Civil Service Appellant Tribunal has directed Ajay Chaudhary, who is leading the doctors' protests, to join duty by December 29.

The sources claimed that the Tribunal has also directed that FIR be filed against doctors due to whose dereliction of duty around 300 patients have died in the state.

The doctors' strike has left medical services paralysed with several deaths reported in different parts of the state. The Congress has claimed that more than a dozen persons have died in Ajmer.

Meanwhile, most doctors have gone underground fearing arrest after the High Court on Monday directed the state government to deal strictly with striking doctors.

The Rajasthan High Court for the first time remained open for routine work on Christmas on Monday.

The division bench of Rajasthan High Court, which was headed by Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and D.C. Somani directed the state government to deal with the striking doctors with an iron hand.

"Apprehend the doctors under the law and even under the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA) 1970," ordered the High Court.

The court remained open to hear a PIL filed by Abhinav Sharma, advocate of Rajasthan High Court, who requested the Chief Justice to take up the matter urgently as doctors had called for closure of all kinds of medical services, including private medical hospitals and medicine shops, on December 25.

The doctors' strike has also taken political overtones with the Congress party accusing the state administration of instilling fear among the doctors fraternity.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot speaking to media, held the BJP government responsible for the crippling of medical services in Rajasthan.

"The government should leave its adamancy and start a dialogue with doctors to ensure the strike ends at the earliest.

"How can the government be so insensitive? Why can't it see so many people dying owing to lack of medical services in the state. More than a dozen people have died in Ajmer which speaks a lot about the failed medical services here. However, the state government is yet to listen to the problems of doctors," he added.

Earlier the All Rajasthan In-Service Doctors' Association lawyer at a press conference said that the doctors would resume work only after "the vindictive action" against them is stopped.

The lawyer had said the government should withdraw the transfer orders of 12 in-service doctors, including the President of All Rajasthan In-Service Doctors Association.

Initially, the doctors had planned to go on mass leave on December 15 against the transfers, but the government invoked RESMA and started arresting doctors, he had said on behalf of the striking doctors.
Bengaluru, Dec 26 : Karnataka's ruling Congress and the opposition BJP on Tuesday blamed each other on the deadlock over getting Mahadayi river water from neighbouring Goa to the four drought-hit districts in the state's northern region.

Even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the inter-state dispute, BJP's state unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa said the state Congress leaders should convince their Goan leaders to allow their Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to settle the issue amicably.

"As Parrikar has agreed to discuss the issue with Karnataka, Siddaramaiah should ensure his party's leaders in Goa do not oppose releasing the river water for the drinking needs of the people in the northern districts of our state," Yeddyurappa told reporters here.

The 77km-long Mahadayi or Mandovi river originates at Bhimgad in the Western Ghats in Belagavi district of north-west Karnataka and flows into the neighbouring Goa and eventually joins the Arabian Sea.

Though the river flows runs 29km in Karnataka and 52km in Goa, its catchment area is spread over 2,032km in the southern state as against 1,580km in Goa.

Karnataka has been asking Goa since 2001 to release 7.6 thousand million cubic feet of the river water to meet the drinking needs of its people in Hubballi-Dharwad, Gadag, Bagalkote and Belagavi districts and irrigating their farmlands.

Karnataka plans to build two canals at Kalasa and Banduri, which are the tributaries of the river in the state, to divert and supply the water to the four districts.

The Mahaydai Water Disputes Tribunal, headed by Justice J.N. Panchal, on July 28, 2016 rejected the state's petition for releasing the river water, citing various grounds, including ecological damage the twin canal projects may cause.

With the state assembly election due in April-May 2018, BJP's National President Amit Shah prevailed upon Parrikar to consider releasing the water on humanitarian grounds and boost the party's poll prospects in the state.

Softening his stand, Parrikar wrote to Yeddyurappa on December 21 that he was open to discuss the issue with his Karnataka counterpart and allow the state to draw a certain quantity of water from the river to meet the needs of its people.

"Parrikar should have written the letter to me to or our government and not to Yeddyurappa, who is a BJP lawmaker," Siddaramaiah told reporters at Hubballi, about 410km from here.

Meanwhile, farmers' organisation in the region has called for a dawn-t-dusk shutdown in the four affected districts of Bagalkote, Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadad on Wednesday in protest against the failure of the ruling Congress and the BJP in resolving the issue.

About 500 farmers, including women and children, who have been staging a protest demo at the BJP's state unit office in the city since Monday, have threatened to intensify their agitation if the issue was not resolved soon.
Jaipur, Dec 26 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was on Tuesday taken ill, reporting with low fever and an ankle sprain.

Raje, who was in Dholpur on Tuesday, has been advised by doctors to take rest and avoid any travel. She will not be attending the oath taking ceremony of Jai Ram Thakur as Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, officials said.

The Chief Minister was to visit Shimla on Wednesday to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Thakur as Chief Minister of a BJP government.

The ceremony is to be held at the historic Ridge ground in Shimla.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and Chief Ministers of many BJP-ruled states are to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
New Delhi, Dec 26 : Expressing concern over the gang rape of a 19-year-old woman in Noida, the Congress on Tuesday asked the Narendra Modi government to strengthen the criminal justice system and take tangible action to reduce crime against women.

"Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was inaugurating the new Metro line in Noida, a 19-year-old was gang-raped in a moving car when she was on her way to Noida from Gurgaon," said Congress spokesperson Khushboo Sundar.

"Earlier, another 20-year-old girl was raped by five men in Delhi. Repeated incidents of violence against women and continuous rise in crimes in the NCR region is a matter of grave concern," Sundar said.

The BJP, which politicised the Nirbhaya gang-rape case to the hilt and talked about providing security to women, was in charge of the capital now, yet Delhi continued to hold the tag of "rape capital of India", she said.

"It is high time the government strengthens the Criminal Justice System and takes tangible action to reduce the crime against women," the Congress leader said.

Pointing to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) Report 2016, the Congress said it exposed the hollow claims of women security under the present regime.

Total incidents of crime against women in India had increased in 2016, as compared to 2015, by almost 3 per cent and 3,38,954 incidences of crimes against women took place in 2016, as compared to 3,29,243, she said.

Referring to the NCRB data, the party also highlighted how crime against women had increased in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states.

Three BJP states -- Madhya Pradesh (4,882), Uttar Pradesh (4,816) and Maharashtra -- top in the number of rape cases (4,189), while two BJP-ruled states -- Uttar Pradesh (12,994) and Maharashtra (6,170) -- top in abduction of women.

Bihar is a distant third, according to the report.

Delhi reported 33 per cent (13,803 out of 41,761 cases) of total cases of crimes against women, followed by Mumbai (12.3 per cent or 5,128 cases) during 2016. Delhi also reported the highest crime rate (182.1) compared to the national average of 77.2.
Noida, Dec 26 : The wife of alleged mastermind in a Rs 3,700 crore Ponzi Scheme has been arrested by Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh Police, an senior police officer said on Tuesday.

Ayushi Aggarwal, wife of Anubhav Mittal, was arrested on Monday from Pune.

Mittal's father Sunil Mittal was arrested earlier and Ayushi was declared as accused in the FIR in the case.

"During investigation it was found that Sunil Mittal was one of the two directors of the Ablaze Info Solutions Pvt Ltd while Ayushi was made an additional director after she got married to Anubhav. She was directly responsible for the affairs of the company," Deputy Superintendent of Police, STF, Rajeev Narayan Mishra told IANS.

"Aggarwal, a native of Uttar Pradesh, was changing his locations frequently to evade her arrest. Finally, our team traced her from Sai Ganga Society in Khondwa area of Pune. She was absconding since after the ponzi scam was busted in Noida and a non-bailable warrant was issued against her," he said.

The company launched an online social media portal named Socialtrade.biz, swindling Rs 3,700 crore from around 7 lakh people, who were promised handsome returns by clicking on web links, the officer added.

"UP-STF busted this biggest internet scam in February and had arrested Anubhav along with two of his colleagues," he added.

Aggarwal was booked under the Prize Chits and Money Circulation (Banning) Act and other relevant charges including cheating registered against her in various police stations of Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad districts, he said.
Washington, Dec 27 : President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the FBI was "tainted" and used a "bogus" dossier to investigate his alleged links to Russia's supposed inteference in the 2016 US presidential election.

"And they used this Crooked Hillary pile of garbage as the basis for going after the Trump Campaign!" Trump said in a Twitter post.

Trump was referring to a dossier, presumably harmful to his reputation, compiled last year by a private investigator and paid for, in part, by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign team, Efe reported.

In October, The Washington Post reported that the Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party had funded the investigation, which came to light after the November election and amid allegations about links between Trump and the Kremlin.

"WOW ... Dossier is bogus. Clinton Campaign, DNC funded Dossier. FBI CANNOT (after all of this time) VERIFY CLAIMS IN DOSSIER OF RUSSIA/TRUMP COLLUSION. FBI TAINTED," Trump tweeted.

Michael Caputo, a former Trump adviser, praised the president's tweets about the FBI, calling his posts an "insurance policy" against political bias in the federal law enforcement agency's investigations.

"The President's tweets are an insurance policy for the American people to make sure that its leading law enforcement organization remains unbiased," Caputo said on CNN's "New Day."

Tump has lashed out repeatedly at the FBI and US intelligence agencies.

In May, the president fired FBI Director James Comey, who was investigating alleged connections between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign.
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Nicole Brown was hired as a crop insurance specialist in MidAtlantic Farm Credit's Denton, Maryland office. Crop insurance is immensely important to farmers and their families, to ensure their business remains stable during unexpected circumstances.

MidAtlantic Farm Credit recently announced the hiring of Nicole Brown as a crop insurance specialist. She will be based in the associations Denton, Maryland office.

We are excited to bring Nicole on as part of our crop insurance team, says Kathi Levan, Farm Credits crop insurance manager. She brings a wide range of industry knowledge, and were looking forward to her getting to know and work with our customers.

As a crop insurance specialist, Brown will work closely with Farm Credit customers to help them find the right risk management solution for their operation. Crop insurance is immensely important to farmers and their families, to ensure their business remains stable during unexpected circumstances, says Brown. I grew up on my familys farm, and being able to help local farmers succeed has been a dream of mine. Im excited to fulfill that dream as a member of the Farm Credit family.

Prior to joining Farm Credit, Brown was a soil conservation technician with the Queen Annes County Soil Conservation District. She graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in agricultural and extension education. Brown resides in Centreville, Maryland.

About MidAtlantic Farm Credit

MidAtlantic Farm Credit is an agricultural lending cooperative owned by its memberborrowers. It provides farm loans for land, equipment, livestock and production; crop insurance; and rural home mortgages. The co-op has over 11,300 members and over $2.7 billion in loans outstanding. MidAtlantic has branches serving Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is part of the national Farm Credit System, a network of financial cooperatives established in 1916 to provide a dependable source of credit to farmers and rural America.
We work with our clients to develop and install a security solution that exceeds their expectations, while being extremely aware not to interfere with their ability to perform their daily operations.

Total Security, a leading commercial and home security systems company announced today that it has recently completed a large warehouse security camera installation project on Dewitt Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. Hired by Watermark Designs, a leading manufacturer of decorative plumbing fixtures, bathroom accessories, lighting and elegant hardware for the luxury commercial and residential markets, to complete a major security system overhaul for the buildings 60,000 square foot warehouse this December 2017. Total Security engaged the Client with its unique service model from end to end, completing the project successfully without business interruption.

Specifically, Total Security was hired to install a High Definition IP Security Camera System with VMS Software to view all the cameras on one very large screen within the executive office. The installation consisted of 74 HD 4 Megapixel IP dome cameras and 3 Network Video Recorders (NVR's). The system was designed and installed by Total Securitys experienced team, who first conducted a comprehensive security audit of the warehouse space and then planned the strategic placement of cameras in areas such as their Machine Shop, Plating Area, Polish Room, Lacquer Room, along with assembly area and entire outdoor perimeter areas and Office areas.

Total Security understands the unique challenges faced by large manufacturing warehouse facilities in New York. According to Total Securitys CEO Matt DiMicco, We work with our clients to develop and install a security solution that exceeds their expectations, while being extremely aware not to interfere with their ability to perform their daily operations.

He added, Watermark Designs warehouse is a very large facility with high ceilings and many employees working. We used our company scissor lift to run the wires and suspend cameras from the rafter with piping allowing for appropriate coverage. All of our solutions are custom tailored to their individual needs, and we guarantee their satisfaction when the project is complete.

Total Security was selected based on their professionalism, capabilities, and expertise along with pricing and an understanding of the customer's needs. Our philosophy is that when it comes to an installation of this size, the project is the basis for a long term relationship, said Mr. DiMicco. Watermark Designs understood our long term vision and that our team would be there to offer a best in class warranty along with Free Lifetime technical support to them. This is the Total Security difference.

Total Security invites any business requiring any type of security system to be installed to contact them for a FREE onsite evaluation. Total Security can be reached at (516) 775-2304 or for more information, visit http://www.totalsecurityny.com/warehouses-and-storage-facility-video-surveillance-systems-nyc-long-island-ny/.

About Total Security Integrated Systems

Total Security is the industry leader in commercial security systems and home security systems in Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, Long Island and the State of New Jersey. Rated A+ by the BBB, Total Security installs a variety of quality security systems, such as video surveillance, access control, intercoms, biometrics & GPS Tracking and security cameras. The companys security camera showroom and headquarters are based out of 206 Hempstead Turnpike, West Hempstead, NY 11552. New York areas that Total Security Integrated Systems serves: Nassau County, Suffolk County, Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, NYC and Westchester. They serve all of New Jersey as well.
RippleNami, Inc., a blockchain data visualization solution provider, is tapped among the Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America by Entrepreneur magazines Entrepreneur360 List. This coveted compilation delivers the most comprehensive analysis of leading private companies in America. Entrepreneur recognizes RippleNami for mastering a dynamic corporate profile of impact, innovation, growth and leadership.

We view this best-in-class designation by Entrepreneur as further evidence that our technology and market approach to connect the unconnected provides the superhighway towards smart country development, said Jaye Connolly-LaBelle, chairman and chief executive officer. RippleNamis blockchain data visualization platform empowers 5 billion unconnected global citizens, governments and entities to connect through its easy-to-use blockchain and data visualization solution.

Phil Gahn, founder and chief business development officer, echoed that we continue to aggressively introduce and deploy RippleNami's proprietary technology solution with developing countries so they can improve policy decisions, bridge the vast technology gap and provide global financial inclusion for their citizens.

Our annual evaluation is a 360-degree analysis of top privately-held companies representing and serving a variety of industries, explains Lisa Murray, Chief Insights Officer of Entrepreneur Media, Inc. These businesses are real-world case studies for any entrepreneur who seeks to master the four pillars that can greatly impact the longevity and growth of their businesses. With the Entrepreneur 360, success is measured by achieving balance throughout the entire organization, predicated by revenue.

RippleNami recognizes that people around the world when empowered with real-time and easily accessible information can connect and foster unimaginable change. RippleNami is redefining blockchain and mapping with its unique visualization platform that consolidates big data and provides strategic information that matters most. Its cost-effective, device agnostic, cloud-based platform delivers millions of real-time actionable data points on an intuitive map to customers across enterprises, nonprofits and governmental agencies. By enabling critical decision-making and enhanced collaboration, this seamless integration and unlimited customization and scalable architecture allows RippleNami customers to chart their own world, streamline communication and improve operational effectiveness.

Honorees were selected through a comprehensive study of independently owned companies using a proprietary algorithm and advanced analytics. The algorithm was built on a balanced scorecard designed to measure four metrics reflecting major pillars of entrepreneurshipinnovation, growth, leadership and impact.

About RippleNami, Inc.

RippleNami develops and deploys complete blockchain-based solutions to accelerate mass adoption of digital technologies in developing countries. RippleNami solutions drive new standards for cost-effectiveness and scalability, empowering any nation through digital transformation, and swiftly benefitting from its Smart Country status. RippleNamis blockchain data visualization platform integrates diverse data sets from unlimited sources. The platforms visualization capabilities paint a multi-dimensional picture of all strategic information to promptly identify trends, patterns and gaps to design and inform strategies faster. RippleNami solutions enable emergent economies to generate process, manage, share and transact information on a national scale  opening up a world of opportunities for economic inclusion for its citizens and independence for the nation. For more information about RippleNami, visit http://www.ripplenami.com.

About Entrepreneur Media, Inc.

For nearly 40 years, Entrepreneur Media Inc. has been serving the entrepreneurial community providing comprehensive coverage of business and personal success through original content and events. Entrepreneur magazine, Entrepreneur.com, and publishing imprint Entrepreneur Press provide solutions, information, inspiration and education read by millions of entrepreneurs and small business owners worldwide. To learn more, visit entrepreneur.com. Follow us on Twitter at @Entrepreneur and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/entmagazi For additional details on the E360 List and the companies recognized, visit: http://www.entrepreneur.com/360
angelMD Logo

AngelMD, an investment and networking platform connecting innovative medical startups, physicians, investors, and industry partners, announced today that it has completed a Syndicate funding round for Aqueduct Critical Care. Aqueduct focuses on products that improve the ease of use, patient mobility, and safety related to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) draining, as well as intracranial pressure monitoring (ICP).

There are a number of fundamental problems with today's treatment for CSF drainage and ICP monitoring. The first of these is that the technology hasn't evolved in decades, leading to mobility and monitoring issues for the patient. In most cases, patients are required to spend their time in an intensive care unit (ICU) under intense supervision. Every patient movement can interrupt the CSF flow, requiring frequent medical staff intervention.

Aqueducts SED system feature set includes automatic controls, a gravity-fed system, touch-screen programming, and console-based sensors which allow the device to automatically adjust CSF flow rates to compensate for patient movement. This automatic adjustment, regulation of flow rate, and alarm system anchors SED into the position of becoming the standard of care for patients whose ICP is being managed by CSF drains.

We are pleased to partner with AngelMD, said Tom Clement, co-founder and CEO of Aqueduct Critical Care, Inc. As a serial medical device entrepreneur, I value the AngelMD financial investment and, even more importantly, the physician network they bring to the partnership. Expanding our network of physicians experts is invaluable for a company at our stage.

The Aqueduct team also sees a pathway to help with dementia. As defined by the Alzheimers Association, normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a brain disorder in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain's ventricle, causing thinking and reasoning problems, difficulty walking, and loss of bladder control. Aqueducts lumbar drain holds the promise of better outcomes for NPH patients in a huge and growing market.

CSF drainage is a common need for many patients with central nervous system disease or injury. Current technology requires ICU level care and has not changed in 50 years, said Syndicate Lead and AngelMD Scientific Advisory Board member Navdeep S Rai, MD, FACP, FCCP. Aqueduct has an elegant solution that makes me question why someone didnt think of this before. The drainage system will modernize management of these patients, decreasing resource needs while improving data collection and alarm systems. We will be moving more patients out of costly ICUs. The recently-approved lumbar drain will fundamentally change the way we diagnose NPH, currently the only reversible cause of dementia.

About AngelMD

AngelMD is an investment and networking platform connecting innovative medical startups, physicians, investors, and industry partners. Leading physicians from all over the US have joined AngelMD to help source, evaluate and advise companies in biotechnology, medical device, and healthcare technology. For more information, visit http://www.angelmd.co.

About Aqueduct Critical Care

In 2013, Aqueduct Critical Care, Inc. was founded to address the problems associated with the current CSF drain and ICP monitoring systems. Currently, Aqueducts Smart External Drain (SED), an FDA cleared external CSF drainage and ICP monitoring system is in use at a handful of centers around the US in a post-marketing trial for ventricular indications.
C-TRAC, the Center for Technology, Research and Commercialization, will be hosting the week-long #AFSmartBases-3PT CyberWorx Design Sprint at the United States Air Force Academy January 23  26, 2018.

CyberWorx educates Air Force Airmen while simultaneously partnering with industry to solve cyber problems facing our Nation. Design thinking  a structured framework for understanding and pursuing innovation in ways that encourage outside-the-box thinking  figures prominently in the CyberWorx Sprint process.

The Center for Technology, Research and Commercialization (http://www.c-trac.org), located at the Catalyst Campus in downtown Colorado Springs, is a Colorado 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that assists the Academy by supporting the needs of the CyberWorx program.

The #AFSmartBases-3PT Sprint will create a proof of concept, sufficient to create a minimum viable product, for incorporating smart- and cloud-based technologies into physical fitness tracking and testing for Airmen to ensure the Air Forces personnel readiness and time management during PT testing and back-end reporting and monitoring. This effort will also offer opportunities for conceptualizing, experimenting with, and evaluating the feasibility of using secure IoT technologies for potential Air Force Smart Base applications.

This will be the third Sprint to focus on Smart Bases, the creation of Air Force bases that fully leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) and similar smart technologies to improve mobility, automation, learning and sharing, and cybersecurity. The previous two Smart Bases Sprints were successful at demonstrating the advantages of this approach, and this Sprint will build on their results.

Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson recently pointed out, "Innovation is the hallmark of the United States Air Force. From time to time it is important to refresh our science and technology strategy, to step back from the programs and

problems of today and project 10 or 20 years into the future." The #AFSmartBases-3PT Design Sprint expects to further this objective with the additional analysis and prototyping of Smart Base technologies.

CyberWorx is looking for industry partners to explore and experiment with the best ways to move forward on Smart Base concepts. Industry members and academic leaders who wish to contribute to this week-long design sprint are encouraged to begin the process by contacting the Center for Technology, Research and Commercialization (C-TRAC) at info(at)c-trac.org or applying here. Benefits of participating include interfacing with Air Force cadets, Air Force leaders and stakeholders, building relationships and partnerships with other commercial industry participants, and providing recommendations for implementing commercial products and solutions and data analytics techniques for the Air Force enterprise.

Industry partners from the following fields are invited to apply: Fitness Technology, Fitness Performance Measurement & Tracking, Data Management & Analysis, Internet of Things (IoT), Technology Innovation, Wearables, RFID, Health Care, Physical Training, Systems Engineering, IT Systems, Back-End Data Support, Fitness/Gym CIO.
Meidl's mission is to increase awareness about the need for contractors and property owners to call 811 before doing any digging or excavation projects.

Two-time Olympian and Team USA Flag Bearer Cliff Meidl will be partnering with DigAlert at the Rose Parade 2018.

Meidl, a member of the 1996 and 2000 USA Olympic Kayaking Team, is honored to have been selected to ride in the Rose Parade 2018 DigAlert (Underground Service Alert Southern California) Call 811 Float, designed and built by Fiesta Floats.

This will mark the second time Meidl participates in the Rose Parade following his appearance in 2015. The theme of this years Rose Parade is Making a Difference, in recognition of individuals in the community who work tirelessly for those in need, without accolades or reward. Fittingly, actor and life-long humanitarian Gary Sinise will be this years Grand Marshall.

For several years, Meidl has been a national safety ambassador and spokesperson for the fast-growing Call 811 Before You Dig movement. His mission is to increase awareness about the need for contractors and property owners to call 811 before doing any digging or excavation projects. Meidl explains that, By calling 811 before you dig, utility owners can send representatives out to your place of excavation to mark the locations of their underground utilities and thus avoid damage to existing underground facilities and prevent injuries.

Cliff Meidls inspiring personal story contributes to his passion for working with DigAlert. While operating a jackhammer on a construction worksite when he was just 20 years old, he made contact with three live electrical cables that sent thousands of volts of electricity through his body and nearly took his life. Thankfully, fast-acting first responders were able to resuscitate Cliff after his heart failed. Over 15% of his body was burned due to the severe electrical shock  including serious exit wounds on his back and the back of his head; but most of the damage was done to his knees. The extreme electricity burned over one-third of the bone in both of his knee compartments.

When I finally regained consciousness in the hospital, Meidl recalls, I realized the extent of my injuries and wondered about the quality of life ahead. Despite doctors recommendations of amputating both legs, Cliffs parents fought and found Dr. Malcolm Lesavoy, a UCLA Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon, who saved Cliffs legs with an innovative transplant procedure that re-built his knees by grafting muscle.

After several years of intense rehabilitation, Cliffs younger brother, Norman, introduced him to Outrigger canoeing and kayak paddling. He quickly fell in love with the sport and excelled through hard work and determination. Ten years after his unfortunate accident, Cliff realized his childhood dream of becoming an Olympian. He made the USA Olympic Kayaking Team and competed in both the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Cliffs story is one of resilience and strength  not only did he beat the odds, he shattered them. Competing twice in the Olympic Games was a triumph and honor for Cliff. At the Sydney Olympic Games, Cliff was bestowed one of the highest honors as an Olympian  he was chosen to be Team USA Flag Bearer and lead the entire US delegation carrying the American flag into the Opening Ceremony.

Since then, Meidl has served as a national media spokesperson in the construction Safety and Call 811 Before You Dig industries, including DigAlert. He uses his own experience as a messenger through motivational speaking to encourage workers to uphold the highest of safety standards at all times. His mission perfectly aligns with DigAlerts goal to reduce damages and save lives by taking preventative measures whether on construction sites or at home in their communities.

Being unfamiliar with your worksite surroundings and shortcuts often lead to danger and can result in injury or death, says Meidl. However, if I can get the message out, an experience such as mine may inspire others to work safely and look out for their fellow employees.

What better way to keep everyone safe than to raise awareness about such an invaluable organization at an event as exciting as The Rose Parade?
Dear Dr. Roach: I am a 58-year-old male who takes losartan for high blood pressure and Prilosec for GERD. A couple of times a day, I get a tingling on the left side of my neck from roughly my left ear to my chin. Sometimes it occurs when I'm chewing, but sometimes not. It never lasts more than a few minutes. It can be rather intense, but doesn't hurt. Do you have any idea what's going on? I haven't told my doctor just because I don't want to sound like a baby.

-- M.P.

A: Tingling sensations usually are due to nerve problems, such as compression. There is a nerve that runs from the ear to the chin, called the mandibular nerve; it's also called the V3 division of the trigeminal nerve. ("V" because it's the fifth nerve that comes off the brainstem; "3" because it's the third part of the trigeminal nerve. So it is the third division of the fifth cranial nerve.)

There are several potential problems with the nerve that could produce tingling: Pressure on the nerve from the jaw might be causing it. Some people get tingling before an episode of shingles. Dental problems sometimes can generate a sensation along the whole range of the nerve. Trigeminal neuralgia causes recurrent episodes of intense electrical sensations; some people get other sensations before the pain starts.

Temporal arteritis, a potentially dangerous inflammation of the blood vessel, can cause jaw pain when chewing; however, there are other symptoms that are common, which you didn't mention.

I guarantee your doctor will not think you are a baby. When I have a patient who seldom sees me for acute issues and comes in with a new problem, I take it more seriously. You should get it evaluated.

Body hair responds to testosterone

Dear Dr. Roach: I am 71 and never was hairy. But several years ago, every hair on my body, it seems, decided to go on a nonstop growth spurt! My wife says, when she trims my back, that gorillas would be envious of me.

I asked my doctor about it, and she said: "Don't worry, it's normal in some men at your age." Why the sudden growth, what purpose would it serve, and why in just some men?

-- J.K.

A: Body hair in men generally is responsive to testosterone. Although testosterone levels tend to decrease over the adult lifespan, the hairs in some men become more sensitive to the growth effects of testosterone. That's the most likely explanation. It's also possible that your testosterone is abnormally high: Perhaps your doctor checked that, since an elevation is very rarely caused by a tumor.

I am always cautious about assigning purpose to physiological changes. Many people feel that there is likely some evolutionary advantage to the physiological changes we see, but I don't think that's always the case. Sometimes the reasons are very complex, defying easy explanation. In any case, I have no explanation for why hair cells become more sensitive to testosterone, nor why testosterone levels decrease in men as they get older. Many physiological processes do better with testosterone levels in the range of young men: That's a major reason for supplementing testosterone in older men with symptoms.

Interestingly, scalp hair has a different response to testosterone from body hair: Scalp hair is more likely to fall out with testosterone.

***

Readers: The booklet on thyroid gland problems explains this and other common thyroid illnesses. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Roach, Book No. 401, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 with the recipient's printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.
Dana Taschner's outstanding professional accomplishments exemplify how one person can make a profound difference in the lives of others. Senator Dianne Feinstein

U.S. News and Best Lawyers recognized Dana Taschner as Lawyer of the Year. Taschner is top ranked, National Tier 1 in Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Plaintiffs. Taschner's distinct honor recognizes the individual attorney in a geographic location who receives the highest overall peer-feedback in a specific practice area.

In addition to being named Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year for Los Angeles, Taschner received the Client Champion Award from Martindale-Hubbell, recognizing Taschners excellence for clients. Taschner has been AV-Preeminent Rated for 25-consecutive years, obtaining the highest peer rating standard for legal knowledge and ethical standards.

Taschner Law Firm was founded in 1991, after he worked as a trial attorney at the world's largest law firm. Taschner is known for landmark cases in product liability, civil rights, and technology. Mr. Taschner is consistently involved in many of the largest personal injury cases in the state and country. The Wall Street Journal described Taschner as a legal luminary and Huffington Post called Taschner a great plaintiff lawyer.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, said Taschners selfless and inspirational service to the community and outstanding professional accomplishments exemplifies how one person can make a profound difference in the lives of others.

Former California Governor Gray Davis said, Through outstanding leadership and advocacy, Taschner provided the voice of justice in protecting the basic human rights of his clients. His selfless dedication is an inspiration for all Californians. The Governor said, I am very pleased to honor Dana Taschner, who reminds us of the stature that comes from principled work and whose boundless energy is to be commended by the people of this Great State.
3D illusion decorative nightlight specialists open their e-doors to customers worldwide.

Grapevine, Texas  December 2017

Pet3DLEDs.com, a leading manufacturer of innovative 3D illusion decorative nightlights in North America today announced its e-doors have been opened to the public worldwide. The company, which prides itself on crafting unique one-of-a-kind decorative nightlights, is committed to sharing pet-love with its customers around the globe through its pet-themed nightlights.

Its debut product offering is a remote-controlled pug-themed decorative nightlight available for purchase online at Pet3DLEDs.com.

We are thrilled to be opening our doors to pet and pug-lovers around the world, says the owner and CEO of Pet3DLEDs. Even more symbolic for us is the debut of our first product, the pug-themed 3D illusion decorative nightlight. We love pets and pugs have a special place in our hearts.

The company also announced that it would be donating a portion of its sales to pet rescues worldwide. Speaking on this development, the CEO said: "We recognize that our true success is not measured by the scale of our business, but by the impact that our businesses effect on the world around us." To learn more about Pet3DLEDs' charity efforts, click here.

The company revealed that it planned to expand its product offerings in the short term, to include other pets and dog breeds, as well as custom orders.

We are delighted with the feedback and response we have received so far and look forward to introducing more products to the global market soon. Definitely sometime in January 2018.

Also noteworthy is the company's commitment to delivering its products to its global customer base in an efficient and timely manner. The company is offering free worldwide deliveries on orders of $75 and above.

To this end, the company has partnered with USPS.com to provide shipping services to global destinations. By partnering with USPS, Pet3DLEDs will ensure that its products are delivered at affordable prices to its customers globally and on time.

Beyond that, in a show of confidence in its products, Pet3DLEDs.com accepts returns within 30 days after receipt of the product by its customers. "We are confident in our product. We know that all our customers would be greatly pleased with their purchases. However, in the rare case that they aren't, we need them to know that we gladly accept returns", remarked the CEO. Returns are free within the US.

Finally, the company also recently launched its Affiliate Program open to bloggers, social media influencers, pet charities and other individuals. Through its Affiliate Program, affiliates earn 10% commission on Qualifying Purchases. Speaking on this development, the CEO said "When website owners and bloggers who are affiliates create links and customers click through those links and buy products from Pet3DLEDs.com, they earn 10% referral fees. Its free to join and easy to use." Please read more about the Pet3DLEDs Affiliate Program here.

To learn more about the product, contact the company at +1 844-739-6814 or email, info@pet3dleds.com, or visit the company's website.

About Pet3DLEDs

Pet3DLEDs is a family-run business based in the U.S. We sell various home decor and party supplies. Recently, we have added to our growing catalog of products, pet-themed 3D illusion nightlights.
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Armenias Minister of Economic Development and Investments Souren Karayan discussed cooperation in the manufacturing sector with Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov in Moscow yesterday.

The two also discussed possible Russian investment in Armenias electro-technical and diamond sectors.

It was decided to create a working group tasked with increasing cooperation in the manufacturing sector, with emphasis on studying prospects of joint exports to third countries.
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There's a certain point at which a hobby can become too much.

The World Health Organization is considering adding "gaming disorder" to the list of mental health conditions in its next update of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), according to a beta draft of the document.

The 11th version of the ICD is not yet set, but the addition would be a recognition that a pastime can become problematic if it leads to a form of addictive behavior.

Specifically, the draft's language states that gaming behavior could be a disorder if it meets three characteristics: if a person loses control over their gaming habits, if they start to prioritize gaming over many other interests or activities, and if they continue playing despite clear negative consequences.

This would add gaming to a list of other behaviors that can become problematic if people lose control over them, including gambling and disorders related to the use of substances like alcohol, marijuana, caffeine, or nicotine.

Gaming covers any activity from playing Two Dots on your iPhone to sitting down in front of a custom-built gaming PC for hours. Putting uncontrollable engagement in that category of activities on the list would give doctors and mental health professionals a way to officially diagnose someone with the condition.

But to be clear, this doesn't mean that all gaming is addictive or could lead to a disorder. It's only if the behavior is severe enough "to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning," according to the draft. In other words, it has to be intense enough to harm personal relationships or interfere with school or work.

The psychology of games

The psychological community has been debating whether gaming is addictive enough to be described as a disorder for some time. So far, the American Psychiatric Association has declined to classify gaming addiction as a disorder but has said it merits further research.

Part of the problem is how to distinguish between simply spending a lot of time playing games and actual addictive behavior.

Scientists need to "establish a clear-cut distinction between someone who may use games excessively but non-problematically and someone who is experiencing significant impairment in their daily lives as a consequence of their excessive gaming," a group of researchers from Nottingham Trent University in the UK wrote in a paper published last summer in the Journal of Addictive Behavior.

There are plenty of stories about individuals whose gaming behavior has become problematic  people have gotten so caught up in online games that they've ruined relationships and lost jobs. Compulsive gaming and problematic substance use can also go hand in hand.

But problematic gaming may also serve as a dysfunctional coping mechanism for some, according to the Nottingham Trent researchers. Someone who is struggling with depression or anxiety may turn to gaming or abuse substances like alcohol as a way to relieve those symptoms.

Benefits and harms

Figuring out the degree to which playing games is harmful (or helpful) is all about context, according to Bruce Lee, an associate professor of international health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Lee wrote in a column for Forbes that gaming habits can also be psychologically beneficial.

On the positive side, research has shown that game playing can relieve stress, improve problem-solving abilities, and enhance traits like eye-hand coordination. Technologies that we think of as for gaming, like virtual reality, can also be used in psychological therapy.

Yet people can struggle to find a healthy balance with gaming.
So after my fun-packed tour of Casablanca, Marrakech and Agadir I got on a flight on November 19, and headed straight to New York. On arrival at JFK Airport, I made my way to New Jersey on a rather costly Uber trip to New Jersey ($163) but seeing my pregnant fiancee and ever-fun mother-in-law welcome me with such happiness was worth every cent!

I arrived at least two days ahead of the due date so in case the baby decided to come early I would be there. On November 21 I went with my fiancee to see her gynaecologist and soon we realized that we had miscalculated our due date. Instead of Tuesday, November 21, it was rather Friday, November 24 (plus or minus 14 days anyway!!!).

After the doctor performed some quick checks, he predicted the baby would come over the weekend or latest by Monday, November 27. Our families on hearing the news started guessing the day the baby would arrive, most hoped it would be Saturday (so he could be Kwame just like my late father) but I had a feeling, especially guided by what the doctor had said, that the baby would arrive on Monday.

READ ALSO: Joyce Blessing escapes death in car accident

Another thing I had miscalculated was the day for the finals of Miss Universe 2017, a program I had agreed to attend during my stay in the US. Initially, I thought the finale was on Saturday, November 25 but found out last minute that it was rather Sunday, November 26. Now, I was faced with the dilemma of going to Las Vegas for Miss Universe, and possibly missing the birth of my son in New Jersey in the process.

After a last-minute ticketing, my fiancee accompanied me to the Airport on Sunday morning and I left Jersey with a 6.20am American Airline flight. I made a connecting flight at Dallas, Texas and I arrived in Las Vegas around 12.40pm (local time). I got to my stunning hotel, The Cosmopolitan around just around 2 pm, bathed and dressed up for the Miss Universe finale, which was starting at 4 pm.

After dressing up, I quickly stepped down to the Wicked Spoon Buffet to grab something to eat. And at $49 there was so much good food to eat but I had to rush to meet up with Menaye Donkor (Country Director for Miss Universe Ghana), so we could go to Planet Hollywood for the show.

Well, the Miss Universe finale was fun and worth my journey because Ghanas Ruth Quarshie made the Top 16 cut. After the show, I joined Menaye and Ruth for dinner before we headed to the Caesars Palace for a little Miss Universe after party.

When I returned to my hotel room I set up my alarm since I wanted to wake up early by 6 am to get ready for my 9.40 flight. I woke up in the morning and noticed some missed calls from my mother-in-law, and immediately I got worried. I called back and she told me my fiancee went into labour around 2 am (New Jersey time), and she was in the hospital being monitored by doctors.

Now the fear of missing the birth of my son had become real. I started blaming myself for missing the big moment, which was my main reason for travelling to the U.S. I also read a text message from my aunt in Virginia, who was scolding me when she found out on social media that I had left for Vegas. So I told her that my fiancee was in labour before I went into the shower.

I dressed up to get ready for the airport in a confused state of happiness, expectation and guilt. I texted my fiancee to apologize for not being there during her labour and encouraged her to be strong during the process.

When I got to the Vegas airport I called my mother-in-law for updates and she explained that the doctors had put my fiancee on oxygen because she had a little fever but all was well. I got on the flight and when I got Charlotte, North Carolina airport around 4:53 pm (local time), I called her again, and this time she said the baby had arrived, and my fiancee was fine too.

Now calm, I texted my aunt who was already scolding me for leaving my pregnant fiancee in the first place, that the baby and mother are doing well. I also sent a similar message to my mother on WhatsApp and explained that I was at the airport heading to New Jersey.

I made my way to board my flight to New Jersey with plans of how to order flowers and balloons to congratulate my fiancee lingering on my mind. When I arrived in New Jersey around 8:30 pm. I checked online if I could order any but I wasnt successful.

I called my mother-in-law to tell her I would pick an Uber home, so she didnt have to come pick me up. When I got home I could tell my mother-in-law was tied to take me to the hospital to see the baby and mother, so I tried to get as much information about the birth as possible.

She then opened up to tell me my fiancee has undergone a caesarian section a delayed childbirth. She served me so fruits and when I couldnt eat it like I usually do, she realized I wanted to go and see them at the hospital. She said and I remember clearly, Yaw I know you cant sleep without seeing them, so you lets go!!!

I was so expectant and happy when we got in the car. But when we arrived at my fiancees ward, I saw her in tears. A nurse had just come to tell her the baby was in critical condition. We calmed her down and made our way to go see the baby and find out what was going on.

Although my mother-in-law in her earlier conversations with me on phone, mentioned that the baby had some stuff blocking his nose at birth, she made it seem it was nothing to worry about in order not to stress me up during my journey to New Jersey.

After going through security and getting a tag on my wrist as the daddy of the boy, we made our way to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the University Hospital to see baby Nathan for the first time.

I broke down and shed some tears seeing my son in so much discomfort with tubes running all over his body, and a machine shaking him up almost violently. This was not what I had imagined on my way to see him, and the sharp contrast just broke me down. But I knew I had to be strong for my fiancee and our baby, Nathan as the doctors updated me on the babys condition.

Nathan was suffering from meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). MAS can happen before, during, or after labour and delivery when a newborn inhales a mixture of meconium (the early stool passed by a newborn soon after birth) and amniotic fluid (the fluid in which the baby floats inside the amniotic sac).

Nathan inhaled meconium, which blocked his airways. Although air could flow past the meconium as he breathed in, it was trapped in his airways when he breathed out. This made it difficult for him to breathe.

MAS can affect the baby in a number of ways, including chemical irritation to the lung tissue, airway obstruction by a meconium plug, infection, and the inactivation of surfactant by the meconium.

MAS is often related to fetal stress, as was the case of Nathan due to delayed birth. My fiancee had a long and difficult delivery until doctors finally decided to operate on her to bring the baby out. In the process, the baby became distressed resulting in hypoxia (decreased oxygen), which made his intestinal activity increase and cause relaxation of the anal sphincter. This relaxation then moved meconium into the amniotic fluid, which Nathan eventually inhaled.

Treatment for Nathan began right after delivery. The doctors inserted a laryngoscope into the trachea to remove any meconium. Several tests, such as a blood test that helps determine if the baby is getting enough oxygen and a chest X-ray that can show patches or streaks on the lungs that are found the baby, were conducted. And in fact the following days, more would be conducted.

After seeing Nathan and getting an insight into the issue we returned to my fiancee in the ward to give her more details and assure her that all would be well. Due to the long flight I had back to Jersey, my mother-in-law suggested that we go home and get some rest so we could come back in the morning.

The following day and indeed the rest of my stay in New Jersey were spent in the hospital, hoping for a positive response from baby Nathan and a speedy recovery and healing for my fiancee. Day in day out, my fiancee was getting stronger and was able to go see Nathan in the NICU all by herself but Nathans progress was not consistent.

Nathans treatment included oxygen therapy, antibiotics to treat infection, nitric oxide inhalation, and frequent blood tests to see if he was getting enough oxygen. Since he had severe aspiration, he needed mechanical ventilation. An artificial surfactant was put into his lungs to help keep the air sacs open. He was also put on a special ventilator, which vibrated air enriched with extra oxygen into his lungs.

Nitric oxide was added to the oxygen in the ventilator, which dilated the blood vessels and allowed more blood flow and oxygen to reach Nathans lungs.

After going through these treatments for days, we were given more distressful news when the doctors said Nathan was not responding as expected, and there was the need to explore a higher intervention at the Beth Israel Hospital. The doctor said there might be the need for Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), a form of cardiopulmonary bypass, meaning that an artificial heart and lung will temporarily take over to supply blood flow in Nathans body.

ECMO lowers the fatality rate for these severely distressed babies from 80% to 10%. The University Hospital was not an ECMO centre, so we signed a consent form to transfer our baby. So Nathan was transferred to the Beth Israel Hospital.

The transfer brought the whole family more worries, and our prayers heightened every step of the way. When Nathan arrived at Beth Israel, he was not placed on ECMO immediately; he was placed on an advanced ventilator to see how he responded before possibly going through ECMO.

In the first 48-hours, the doctors were happy with how he was responding and so decided to keep him on the ventilator for more observation. And just like the miracle, we all prayed for, each day Nathan showed slight improvements.

Sadly due to some responsibilities in Ghana, I was soon faced with the dilemma of leaving while Nathan was still at the hospital but I cheered myself up with the slow progress he was making, and the fact that he would not need ECMO.

In fact, before I left for Ghana, Nathan had been taken off the antibiotics and the levels of his intake of oxygen and nitric oxide had been dropped. Before leaving, we requested for the NICU email updates so on a daily basis, I could know how Nathan was faring.

In Gods perfect timing, I spent my last day with Nathan at a period when he was now good enough to be touched. In the first two weeks, he required heavy sedation so we were not allowed to do anything that could excite him too much since he had many tubes and wires attached to him; and of course, the risk of complications with infections.

So I rubbed some hand sanitizer in my palms and finally touched Nathan for the first time. I played with him before and as if he could hear my jokes, he squeezed my finger that I placed in his palm. I left New Jersey for New York later that evening to catch my flight back to Ghana the following morning.

When I got to Ghana, the news of progress continued; each day I would get an email from the NICU on Nathan. Each day either one tube was removed or his dependence on some medication had reduced. My fiancee kept me up to date with photos, videos and at some stage the NICU even allowed us to do video calls.

Nathan was soon taken off the ventilator completely and put into a small incubator, and later he made his way into a baby court with the only tube attached to him being one for taking in breast milk. And as he made more progress with feeding from a bottle and eventually directly from his mums breast, we wondered if Nathan would be strong enough to come home before Christmas.

In the early hours of December 24 (Ghana Time), that answer came; and it was positive. I watched with joy and excitement via WhatsApp video call, as his mother and grandmother cheerfully dressed him up and carried him from the NICU home.

Yes, we finally got Nathan home to his crib that has been waiting for him for four weeks after his birth, and just in time to bring us some real Christmas cheer. If ever we had a Christmas wish, this was it!
According to the controversial relationship expert, the only duty of the side chick was to reduce his partner's stress, adding that is why they are known as mistresses.

He believed that if a woman ended up falling in love with a married man then there was something mentally wrong with her.

In an interview with www.ghanaweb.com, Lutterodt said: Mistress means 'miss your stress' but caution to you these mistresses if you fall in love with somebodys husband, there is brain damage on you. The mistress dresses like an ashawo and an ashawo should never have a broken heart

He mentioned Ghanaian prostitute Queen Farcadi, who recently disclosed in an interview with Berla Mundi on the Late Afternoon Show on GHone TV, that she fell in love with one of her clients and as a result got pregnant.

READ MORE: Counsellor rebukes Yvonne Nelson over childbirth
His comments comes on the heels of heated debate about the state of Ghana's movie industry. Many analysts have argued that the industry is collapsing due to lack of patriotism while others have attributed it to indiscipline and complacency.

Speaking to Accra-based Zylofon FM, Kofi Asamoah indicated that the cause was due to indiscipline in the industry.

In his opinion, many actors and actresses lacked discipline.

He lamented that many actors do not respect because they believe they are now on top of their game.

When asked to reveal such actors, the movie director did not hesitate to mention actresses Benedicta Gafah and Salma Mumin.

He said the duo did not have any respect for time, and after arriving late on set, they give flimsy excuses for why they were late on set.
Alin Marin from Romania was reported by the odditycentral.com as having gone to the concert wearing black and pink womens swimming suit and a pair of skinny jeans.

He then began to steal phones from people in attendance and piling them in the compression suit, little did he know that the police were scattered among the crowd as a result of lessons from previous events.

Alin Marin succeeded in stealing the phones alright, but was arrested shortly after he exited the venue.

Reports say the Birmingham Crown Court charged Marin with theft on Monday 18 December, and he will serve a three-year sentence in jail.

Sergeant Julia Slater of the West Midlands police said This was organized pickpocketing. Marin went equipped to steal phones and took advantage of revelers enjoying themselves in the standing area.

READ ALSO: Drug dealer arrested after boarding a police car he mistook for a taxi
He said it as an honour for him to join a large gathering of enthusiastic children of Ghana clad in their beautiful dresses and "father Christmas hats" dancing to different Ghanaian music.

His comments come at the back of a colourful party for over 2000 children at Kyebi in the Eastern Region to mark the annual President's Children Christmas Party organised by the Gender Ministry.

The party was also graced by the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin.

He reiterated his government's resolve to end child marriage, trafficking of children, Child Abuse, Defilement and rape and advised parents to give special attention to the welfare of their children for their better future.

Ms Djaba on her part called on the children and Ghana at large to take advantage of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education and the Free Senior High (SHS) School policy introduced by President Akufo-Addo to educate themselves and become future leaders.

READ ALSO: Mahama sends Christmas message to Ghanaians

She said the President Akufo-Addo administration was initiating workable policies that were encouraging more Ghanaians to work harder for development and prosperity.

Ms Djaba said social interventions such as; the Capitation Grant, School Feeding Programme, Free School Uniforms and National Health Insurance Scheme were opportunities that would help children grow up to become responsible citizens.

She urged parents, guardians and teachers to protect and take good care of children entrusted in their "I urge all children to take very good care of themselves so as to maintain your dignity and self-esteem and not to fall prey to unscrupulous deviants who would want to destroy your bright future".

Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II praised the President for implementing the Free SHS policy and advised parents to ensure that all children of school going age were in school.
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According to him, he had no doubt that Nana Addo is committed to fulfill all the promises he made during the 2016 election.

He said he would work hard and turn the fortunes of the nation for all to enjoy.

Daasebre Oti-Boateng speaking at a grand durbar in Koforidua to climax a three-day tour of Nana Addo in the Eastern region, he said as a chief, he was ready to support the president achieve all his promises.

Speaking on the creation of new districts, the Omanhene indicated that New Juaben in terms of population and size deserved a metropolitan status and therefore did not expect a split of the municipality rather.

He also called for the re-designing of a rail project in the region which used to be a vibrant railway system that facilitated trading and business that has ignored Koforidua in development.

He has therefore appealed to the government to revamp the project.

According to him, Koforidua railway lines networked many other towns within the region adding that "it therefore makes economic sense to improve the railway line in Koforidua under any project to revamp the railway sector".

As part of his tour, President Akufo-Addo visited some abandoned government projects, and assessed work done on some roads, and addressed durbars of Chiefs and people in the region.

The tour, which began at Somanya, saw the President inspect the abandoned Community Day Senior High School at Oterkpolu in the Yilo Krobo Municipality.

He also inspected completed works on the Nkawkaw-Atibie road in Kwahu, then an inspection of a proposed Technical College at Akyem Afosu in the New Abirem District, and a visit to the Youth Training Centre at Takorase in the Denkyembuor District.
President Nana Akufo-Addo told Aljazeera that legalisation of homosexuality is bound to happen in Ghana if public opinion for its legalisation grows stronger.

I dont believe that in Ghana, so far, a sufficiently strong coalition has emerged which is having that impact on public opinion that will say: Change it [the law], lets then have a new paradigm in Ghana."

I think it is something that is bound to happen like elsewhere in the world, they are activities of individuals of groups, he said.

When asked: Whats going to provoke it, whats going to make it happen? Akufo-Addo said: Oh, like elsewhere in the world, the activities of individuals [and] groups.

The president, however, pointed out that: At the moment, I dont feel and I dont see that in Ghana, there is that strong current of opinion that will say: This is something that we need even deal with. Its not, so far, a matter which is on the agenda.

However, Nana Akufo-Addos comments did not go down well with many Ghanaians, who feel that his comments suggest an endorsement of homosexuality.

But speaking to Accra-based Joy FM, Charles Palmer-Buckle said the presidents response was right since he was only stressing on Ghanas cultural reality as it relates to homosexuality.

The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra said the 1992 Constitution considers the practice an offence so there is no argument about that.

The President is not God, he cannot say that Ghana will never accept it. He said culturally, it is not an issue that Ghanaians will accept," he said.

Palmer-Buckle explained that the Catholic Church believes that homosexuals are also children of God just like the murderer and heterosexual and therefore their rights have to be defended.
President Akufo-Addos decision to appoint some 110 Ministers including deputies and regional ministers, generated mixed reactions among Ghanaians, as this was the highest number of appointees any government has had since the Fourth Republic.

It came as a surprise to many, with others suggesting that the president was only rewarding party loyalty by giving out those positions.

But Nana Akufo-Addo defended the move, saying that additional talents were needed to ensure success in critical sectors.

A year into his mandate as president, the Ghana Journalists Association 2016 Journalist of the Year, Kwame Sefa Kayi has pointed that out of the 110 ministers appointed, Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu has been the best.

I think Peter Amewu has done well, he said.

Mr Amewu championed an anti-galamsey course and it has since yielded results.

The ace broadcaster, however, did not give a direct answer when asked who his worst minister was, except to say that Dominic Nitiwul should have kept quiet on Mahama, it was irrelevant. He shouldnt have spoken.

Dominic Nitiwul had demanded that John Mahama vacates the residence as it was sited on military land.

He criticized the previous administration for their poor handling of matters relating to the armed forces, claiming that land belonging to the military had been sold off to government officials at the time.

His comments were described as irresponsible by Former President John Dramani Mahamas aide, Joyce Bawah Mogtari.

Kwame Sefa Kayi further debunked rumours that he had been offered appointment by the current government.
Syria's government swiftly said it would attend but rebels have pushed back, calling it a Russian bid to eclipse a United Nations-led process in Geneva.

"We completely reject Russia's attempt to circumvent the Geneva track," the rebels said in a joint statement published Monday.

"We call on all forces to stand in one rank against these alarming dangers."

It was signed by 40 factions, including Islamist powerhouse Ahrar al-Sham and groups that have been backed by the United States such as the Mutasem Brigades.

Some of the factions played a significant role in the rebellion since the war broke out in 2011 but most have either been sidelined by other groups or control only small pockets of land.

Mustefa Sejari, a top Mutasem Brigades figure, told AFP on Tuesday that rebels could not see Russia as an honest broker.

"From the beginning, we said whoever wants to play an intermediary and guarantor role in Syria needs to be neutral, fair, and honest in its support of political transition," Sejari said.

"Russia has not done these things -- it is a partner in the killing of the Syrian people," he added.

Kurds insist on role

Syria's conflict erupted in 2011 with anti-government demonstrations, but it has since morphed into a complex war drawing in world powers, including Russia.

Repeated attempts to reach a political solution to the war have failed, with the UN-backed process in Switzerland bearing little fruit.

Russia, Turkey, and Iran began hosting talks between Syria's government and armed rebels in Kazakhstan earlier this year, and announced the Sochi conference at the most recent round last week.

The United Nations has yet to firmly endorse the summit, and opposition representatives have largely been wary of it.

Syria's Kurds, which run semi-autonomous regions across the country's north, welcomed the Sochi initiative on Tuesday.

"We have a right to take part and represent our people in it," said the statement, signed by Kurdish and Christian parties as well as an alliance including the powerful Democratic Union Party (PYD).

The PYD and its armed wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG), have never been invited as a separate delegation to Syrian peace talks in Geneva or Astana.

Turkey considers the PYD a "terrorist" organisation because of its links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party and has said it would oppose any talks involving the PYD.
"I miss him so terribly -- it's just so hard," she said, sitting in front of the frail-care unit that has been her home since the attack at their farm.

Robert "Oki" Turner, 66, was beaten to death before her eyes six months ago on their isolated stretch of mountain land in South Africa's northeastern Limpopo province.

He was one of the latest victims of a long campaign of violence against the country's farmers who are largely white.

The rural crime epidemic has inflamed political and racial tensions nearly a quarter-of-a-century after the fall of apartheid.

Farm murders are just one issue that reveals how South Africa is struggling with violence, an economic slowdown and divisions along race lines.

The Turners moved to the verdant region, half-way between Kruger national park and Zimbabwe, some 30 years ago.

On their property, which spans dozens of acres, they grew gum trees which they sold to craftsmen or for firewood.

"Until about four or five years ago, we were very open. We didn't have a key for our house -- we would go away and nothing would have happened," she said.

But then the extreme violence that had long afflicted major cities engulfed rural areas like theirs.

Break-ins, hostage takings and killings became common -- with attackers often making off with just a few hundred rand (less than $20), a mobile phone or a hunting rifle.

The Turners were targeted after nightfall on June 14 when two armed men stormed their farm. Debbie was alone after her husband stepped out to fix a water tap.

Savagely beaten

"They said 'we want money'. I said I haven't got money," recounted Debbie.

"They dragged me all over the house and put me under the shower and turned it on and left me for 15 minutes.

"Then they decided to try to rape me. I said 'please don't rape me, I've got HIV'."

Some time later, Oki was found slumped motionless covered in blood after being savagely beaten by the attackers searching for the key to the couple's safe.

He died in hospital a few hours later.

Dozens of white farmers are murdered in similar circumstances in South Africa every year.

In the absence of detailed statistics, the scope and scale of the crimes has become a battleground.

AfriForum, a pressure group that advocates on behalf of the country's nine-percent-strong white population, is one of the forces seeking to shape the debate around farm murders.

"Farmers are living in remote areas, they are far from police stations," said the group's vice president, Ernst Roets.

"There are political factors that play a role here. We are concerned about hate speech, political leaders who... would say for example 'the white farmers should be blamed for everything'."

He is particularly damning of Julius Malema, the firebrand leader of South Africa's radical left, who has called on his followers to "retake the land" from whites.

In 2012 President Jacob Zuma sang a struggle-era song containing the words "shoot the farmer, shoot the Boer".

Agriculture, like much of South Africa's economy, remains in the hands of the white descendants of colonial-era settlers.

White farmers control 73 percent of arable land in the country compared with 85 percent when apartheid ended in 1994, according to a recent study.

Calls for "radical economic transformation" to benefit the black majority have gained traction as unemployment has soared.

They are frequently coupled with accusations that the white minority control a disproportionate share of the nation's wealth.

'We built this country'

That narrative has alarmed many white rural communities.

"We're being hunted," said Pauli, a 43-year-old farmer who declined to give her surname.

More militant white farmers describe the violence they face as "genocide" and use the casually racist rhetoric of the apartheid era.

"They (black people) truly think that we have stolen the country from them," Limpopo-based farmer Gerhardus Harmse told AFP.

"We built this country, show me anything, any place that the blacks built -- there isn't any. They cannot build, they destroy."

The radical fringe has become increasingly vocal.

Last month, some supporters flew the flag of the old white-minority government during a protest against farm murders.

The demonstration called on the government to guarantee farmers special protection -- something that police minister Fikile Mbalula categorically refused.

"All deaths of all South Africans must be met with disgust," wrote Mbalula in a Twitter post. "My problem is that farm murders are racialised and politicised."

While black farmers have so far been largely reluctant to march with their white colleagues, they face many of the same risks.

"We don't feel protected by the government," said Vuyo Mahlati, president of the African Farmers Association of South Africa.

"We need to deal with everyone trying to utilise farming as a centre of a right-wing political discourse. That we are not going to allow."

'I will go back'

Feeling abandoned by the government, many white farmers have taken steps to protect themselves.

Some patrol their land under moonlight, pistols tucked into their belts, to deter would-be attackers.

Others undergo commando training in anticipation of the worst.

Among them is Marli Swanepoel, 37, who owns a farm in Limpopo.

"You have to be prepared. You have to protect yourself," said the mother-of-three.

Hans Bergmann was recently assaulted on his farm, but takes a different approach.

Some weeks ago, armed men broke in to rob his safe, tied him up and shot him in the foot.

"In South Africa everybody thinks farmers have a lot of money," he said.

Bergmann, who is in his sixties, declines to carry a gun or abandon his land.

"I just accept it... where do I go from here if I leave the farm?" he said.

Debbie Turner is scathing of the police who have yet to catch her husband's killers -- or even take a statement from her.

"It shows that what happened that night doesn't mean anything to these people," she said.

"I'm angry against those people who killed my husband. Sometimes I wish they could hang them."
Russian undersea naval activity in the North Atlantic has reached new levels, and NATO is worried that the undersea cables connecting North America and Europe and the rest of the world are being targeted.

"We are now seeing Russian underwater activity in the vicinity of undersea cables that I don't believe we have ever seen," US Navy Rear Adm. Andrew Lennon, commander of NATO's submarine forces, told The Washington Post. "Russia is clearly taking an interest in NATO and NATO nations' undersea infrastructure."

Moscow's subs appear to be interested in the privately owned lines that stretch across the seabed, carrying insulated fiber-optic cables. The cables are strewn across the world's oceans and seas, carrying 95% of communications and over $10 trillion in daily transactions.

Blocking the flow of information through them could scramble the internet, while tapping into them could give eavesdroppers a valuable picture of the data flowing within. The cables are fragile and have been damaged in the past by ships' anchors, though usually in areas where repairs are relatively easy.

has also sounded alarm about Russia's apparent focus on the undersea cables. "There is a new risk to our way of life, which is the vulnerability of the cables that criss-cross the seabeds," he said earlier this month.

Lennon's and Peach's warnings are only the latest about Russian undersea activity in the vicinity of important underwater infrastructure.

The New York Times reported in late 2015 that increased Russian naval activity near the lines led US military officials to fear Moscow planned to attack the cables in the event of conflict. US officials said they had seen elevated Russian operations along the cables' routes in the North Sea and Northeast Asia and even along US shores.

NATO members and other countries in Europe grow more concerned about what they see as assertive Russian activity on the ground, in the air, and at sea around the continent.

Russian planes have had numerous near-misses with their NATO counterparts over the Baltics in recent months, and Russia's massive Zapad 2017 military exercises in Russia and Belarus during September had NATO on edge.

Moscow has also pursued naval expansion, with a focus on undersea capabilities. A modernization program announced in 2011 directed more money toward submarines, producing quieter, more lethal designs. Moscow has brought online or overhauled 13 subs since 2014, according to The Post.

Among them was the

In March 2017, Adm. Vladimir Korolev, commander of the Russian navy, said the Russian navy in 2016 "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," Korolev added. "This is an excellent sign.

Western countries have also pursued their own buildup in response.

While US plans call for curtailing production of Virginia-class attack subs when

The US is looking to s

The number of frigates  typically used for anti-submarine warfare  in use by NATO allies has fallen from about 100 in the early 1990s to about 50 today, prompting the US to rush to field more in the coming years.
Sometimes, getting into a serious relationship means that sex becomes less, well, sexy. Both people are busy and there's no time to do it. One person would rather have a glass of wine and watch "This Is Us." It's gotten boring.

These aren't reasons to be ashamed  you're hardly alone in your plight and there are plenty of potential solutions out there.

I recently spoke to Rachel Sussman, a relationship expert and marriage counselor in New York City, about the most common problems couples encounter related to physical intimacy, and her typical approach to helping them. Read on to see what's really going down in your friends' bedrooms.

Partners have mismatched sex drives

Sussman said this is the most common problem she sees related to physical intimacy. Typically, one person wants to have sex more often than the other, who's either happy with the amount of sex they're having or wants even less.

Sussman usually takes a two-pronged approach. She'll work with the person whose sex drive is lower to see if there's anything they can do to increase it. She'll also work with the person whose sex drive is higher to be patient with their partner and to manage their expectations around sex.

Sometimes "the person with the higher sex drive takes on a predator-like role and that's not healthy," Sussman said.

She might even give the couple "exercises": For example, they have to try snuggling and the partner with the higher sex drive has to resist the urge to initiate sex.

The couple isn't having sex at all

Interestingly, Sussman said that couples in this situation "are not always upset about it." Instead, "they feel they should be doing something about it" and think, "This can't be normal."

Sussman's approach here is to "dig a little bit." She said, "I want to see what it was like when they were [first] dating. Did they both have a sex drive then? Did they have a lot of sex back then? What kind of sex did they have? What were the patterns? How did it feel?"

If it turns out the couple used to have a more active sex life, Sussman tries to figure out what's changed. It could be many things, she said: they're stressed, they've gotten too familiar with each other, they're repressing their sex drive, or they've gone so long without sex that now they're shy with each other. It's possible, too, that one person is having an affair.

In many cases, Sussman will assign the couple to have sex more often, then come back and report to her how it went. "More times than not, they'll come back and they'll say to me, 'That was a lot of fun. I don't know why we don't do that more.'"

Interestingly, Business Insider's Jessica Orwig reported that one study found couples assigned to double the amount of sex they were having didn't wind up any happier. The Carnegie Mellon researchers behind the study recommend focusing on quality, not quantity  though this strategy might not apply to couples who aren't having any sex.

The relationship isn't as passionate as it used to be

Sussman's view is that the inevitable decline of passion in a romantic relationship is evolutionary. Thousands of years ago, people didn't live long enough to have to sustain passion with the same person for 50 years. Now, many of us do.

So when it comes to sustaining that passion, Sussman said, "you've got to be creative."

One strategy is to schedule "sex dates"  a tip Business Insider has heard before. That's especially helpful if you're both busy, if you have young kids, or if one partner goes to sleep earlier than the other.

"Don't feel like something's wrong with your relationship if you don't naturally have [passion]," Sussman said. It takes work to develop and maintain it.

In fact, Pamela Regan, a psychologist at California State University, Los Angeles who studies romantic relationships, previously told me that's something couples in love-based marriages can learn from couples in arranged marriages. The level of passion in a relationship may fluctuate and it doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong  as long as you have faith that it will return and the willingness to help lure it back.

One partner isn't open  or doesn't seem open  to the other's sexual fantasies

In some cases, Sussman said, one person might have sexual fantasies they don't feel comfortable sharing with their partner. In other cases, they may have tried sharing a sexual fantasy, only to be told they're "perverted."

A similar issue Sussman's seen is that one partner enjoys watching pornography and the other doesn't. Or, one partner was "caught" watching pornography and the other partner doesn't feel comfortable with it.

The couple isn't sure how to pursue an open relationship

More and more couples are coming to Sussman with this issue, she said. Usually they're trying to figure out "if it's something that they think they could even do." Or, they might want to talk about setting "rules" for pursuing an open arrangement.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, "What is an open relationship?" was one of Google's most-searched terms related to relationships in 2017.

Biological anthropologist Helen Fisher, who is also the chief scientific adviser to dating site Match, previously told Business Insider there are two kinds of open relationships: swingers and polyamorous couples. Swingers go out together and have sex with other people; polyamorous people typically have individual romantic relationships with others.

Fisher cautions that if you're thinking about initiating an open relationship, be prepared to set a lot of rules  and potentially to feel more jealous than you thought you would.
Uber's fast-growing food-delivery business is now bigger and more important than Uber's conventional taxi business in numerous cities across the world.

Uber told Business Insider that UberEats was bigger than Uber's transportation app in 19 European cities, and Toussaint Wattinne, a general manager for UberEats in London, described UberEats as among the world's fastest-growing food-delivery services.

"When we attribute our growth and try to improve our service, the first thing that plays a big role is the restaurant selection we're able to provide," Wattinne said at Uber's London office in the Aldgate neighborhood. The office has about 45 UberEats employees, a figure that is expected to grow by about 50% in 2018.

Fueled by the billions of dollars that Uber has raised from investors, UberEats operates in more than 30 countries. The UK is one of the largest geographical markets for UberEats, Wattinne said, adding that the service was live in 40 UK cities.

"We've partnered with over 8,000 restaurants now in the UK," he said. "The most popular brands on the platform range from McDonald's to Duck and Waffle to Pret and Prezzo. Being able to offer those restaurants is a key factor in people not only downloading the app and testing it for the first time but coming more often. As we grow this selection we see that people come to the app more often."

Wattinne added: "The second thing we look at is how quick and how reliable we are when we deliver your food. And so typically that's a strength of ours given our history of the logistics and the technology that we have in that regard. We are able to deliver  London is one of the fastest cities in the world  in under 25 minutes on most occasions."

UberEats is bigger than Uber in Milan, Madrid, and Grenoble

UberEats now brings in more revenue than Uber's ride-hailing business in cities like Milan, Madrid, and Grenoble, France  three European cities where the business has doubled in size since launch.

The Uber subsidiary  born three years ago in Los Angeles as UberFresh  is on track to do $3 billion in sales by the end of the year, according to a leaked document seen by the Financial Times. UberEats reportedly had a turnover of $700 million (527 million) to $870 million (656 million) for the second quarter of this year, while Uber's total gross bookings during the period were $8.7 billion (6.6 billion).

Wattinne refused to comment on the report or go into any detail about UberEats' financials. "They're healthy and they're very promising," he said. Wattinne also refused to disclose how many meals UberEats delivered a day and what the average size was for each order.

A rival, Deliveroo, has roughly 2,000 active couriers in the UK and takes a commission of about 30% on all orders made through its app. Some analysts, however, have questioned whether companies like UberEats and Deliveroo can be profitable when the margins are so low, but Wattinne disputed this.

"When we think of margin it has to be from the courier, the restaurant, and the platform standpoint, as that's the only way we have a long-term business working," he said. "However, what we are seeing is very strong potential and very strong numbers in a number of markets already, and the UK is definitely on a very healthy trajectory. But in short, the business model is very healthy. There is room for all these three players to make a reasonable and quite decent margins."

Amid strong competition from companies like Amazon Restaurants and Deliveroo in the UK, UberEats is exploring how it can build customer loyalty. It hasn't ruled out the idea of introducing a paid-for subscription plan that would most likely give customers the opportunity to get their food delivered free of charge and may also give them access to more restaurants or special menus. Deliveroo introduced a subscription plan of its own this year, which costs 7.99 a month in the UK.

UberEats has no plans to open Deliveroo-style kitchens

One area where UberEats has no plans to follow Deliveroo is setting up its own kitchens and leasing them out to busy restaurants that need more space to handle takeaway orders.

"We're a tech company, and what we know how to do is provide the data and provide the technology and logistics infrastructure," Wattinne said. "We do not have the ambition to run our own kitchen, to operate our own real estate, or to start producing our own food. That's just not what we are best at."

Unlike Uber's ride-hailing business, UberEats has largely managed to stay out of the limelight since launching. The UberEats app, which uses the same payment card and profile information as the main Uber app, recently underwent a redesign, possibly in a bid to further distance itself from its naughty big brother.

"We want to make it clear and make it up front that it is a separate app, it's a separate experience, it's got its own advantages," Wattinne said. "Yes, we're on the same fundamentals of logistics, of efficiency, of speed of delivery. But we're bringing you an entirely new experience.

"You are going to get to experience new food, you are going to get to experience the best food around you, and so we want that to be front and center. So that's what this does by making 'Eats' a bit bigger and more front and center.

Prices could increase if UberEats is forced to classify couriers as workers

One potentially challenging issue is whether it will have to classify its couriers  who are paid about 4.50 for each delivery  as workers. Some couriers say they struggle to earn minimum wage on the UberEats app when it's quiet.

Asked to speculate how this would affect UberEats, Wattinne said: "It would change the operating model, which would very likely increase the cost structure due to the lower flexibility. And that value is lost and therefore needs to be redistributed somewhere, so, most likely, it might be the end user. Putting numbers behind that would be very, very hard."

In Wattinne's view, the environment isn't as toxic for those in the office as some media reports might lead people to believe.
The Registrar while inspecting some designated Computer Based Test (CBT) centres in the state on Tuesday, December 26, expressed concern over the candidates' attitude towards the UTME registration.

Oloyede said the Board was accused of giving only one month for registration last year and despite announcing the commencement of the registration exercise since December 6, the candidates are still not coming out for registration.

He said, I want to state categorically that the board will not give any extension after the expiration of February 6, 2018, deadline. So, I am calling on all JAMB candidates, Direct Entry (DE), United Tertiary Matriculations Examination (UTME) and foreign students to come forward and register for the exam, we have started registration on December 6, 2017 and we are closing on February 6, 2018,

ALSO READ: How to register for 2018 UTME

However, the Registrar expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance with which the Computer Based Test Centres owners are carrying out the registration exercise.

The Registrar who is the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin said, ''I am happy that CBT centres in Kano are duly following our registration guidelines and processes.

JAMB to deploy malpractice device for 2018 UTME

Meanwhile, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) recently said the deployment of the CCTV device during JAMB examinations had come to stay to tackle examination malpractice.
Morning briefing: Wisconsin Legislature not expected to do much in 2018
Commuters who boarded a vehicle with the suspect raised an alarm which invited the presence of the police due to the offensive smell that oozed out of the carriage.

Abimbola Oyeyemi, the Police Public Relations Officer for Ogun state noted that Olusola mentioned that he was taking the corpse of the infant for a burial in Lagos when questioned, Punch News reports.

A statement offered by the PPRO disclosed that the suspected ritualist had embarked on a trip from Kwara state until he was arrested. His explanation concerning how he came to be in possession of a human body appeared unconvincing which prompted a decision to take him to a police station.

The suspect was arrested at Sapade Motor Park when he was about boarding a vehicle with the corpse, which was wrapped in a polythene bag. The odour coming out of the bag aroused the suspicion of people at the motor park, and they quickly alerted the police.

Upon the information, the Divisional Police Officer, Isara division, CSP Yusuf Taiwo, led policemen to the scene and the suspect was promptly arrested. Upon searching his bag, the corpse of a dead baby was found.

On interrogation, the suspect claimed that he was coming from Offa, Kwara State, and heading for Lagos, where he intended to bury the baby. Not satisfied with the claim, he was taken to the Isara division for further investigation, Oyeyemi mentioned.

Meanwhile, state police commissioner, Ahmed Iliyasu, gave an order insisting that the suspect be transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, located in Eleweran according to Punch.

Ritual killings in Nigeria - is it tied to bad governance?

Killings inspired by an intention to fulfill fetish interests is one of the highlight of a crime infested Nigeria battling with political crisis and poor governance. It is believed that the latter is the main motivation when it concerns engaging in wealth making sacrifice.

A desire to get money has promoted a nature of wrongdoing among Nigerian who are getting more desperate than before. This has made it rather comfortable to link the rate of crime to the state of the economy which favours only the rich.

Perhaps it is not out of place to assume that maybe the people can rediscover their humanity when the elected representatives in government start to offer them what they are entitled to - good governance as opposed to making a promise of change which remains yet to be effected.

The Christmas holiday has been a hard one for the populace who have had to deal with difficulties associated with the scarcity of fuel, a menace that has become a yearly challenge.
It is time for a boat trip in Lagos!

1. The skyline from sea

A look at Lagos skyline from the sea is something special. All the skyscrapers from Lagos Island, Eko Atlantic, and the shore.

ALSO READ: 5 extraordinary aquatic adventures on Lagos coast

2. The special kind of luxury you only get on a yacht

Spend a few hours or the whole weekend onboard a yacht and you would feel the luxury fall on you.

You can choose boats for only the two of you or yachts with room for up to 40 people for your special event. On a yacht, you are completely free to do whatever you want. Stop for swimming or diving, dine with your friends, or just lay down in the sun while the wind gently keeps you a little cooler than if you would be on shore.

3. Go wherever you want

Do you want to go to Tarkwa Bay? Or take a look at Victoria Island from the sea? Or so far out that you do not see land anymore? No problem, on a yacht there are no roads that limit you from moving in any direction.

ALSO READ: Top 5 reasons you must visit Lagos

4. Go for an exciting fishing trip

Fishing in Lagos is a tradition that goes way back. A long time ago, the only ones that lived in Lagos were fishermen. Now you have a possibility to go for deep sea fishing in the waters of Lagos but this time on a yacht, just book a fishing boat with crew and have them to take you to some great fishing spots.

5. A lot to see nearby

Do you have time for only a short trip? No problem, there is a lot to see nearby. On a two-hour cruise, you will be able to go to Tarkwa Bay, Ilashe, Ibeche and Badagry.
According to a report by Punch, the killings followed an attack on a congregation enjoying the Christmas carol at Nindem, Godogodo Chiefdom on Friday, December 22, 2017.

It was also reported that four persons were killed, while eight others sustained varying degrees of injury in the previous attack.

Governor Nasir El-Rufais Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan appealed for calm among the natives, saying the military authorities had been deployed to the area.

Kaduna Government reacts

Governor El-Rufais aide, Samuel Aruwan who addressed journalists on Christmas day in Kaduna, said, Today, the military authorities notified the Kaduna State Government of the attack on Ungwan Mailafiya community, which occurred late last night (Sunday). It followed an attack on Nindem on the night of December 23, 2017.

The state government has been working with security agencies to fortify the area to deter an escalation and reassure residents of their safety. Accordingly, the commander of Operation Safe Haven, who has temporarily moved to Kafanchan to coordinate the operation, has confirmed that more assets are being deployed in the Southern Kaduna area.

Negative elements must not be allowed to undo all the hard work done to restore peace and security. The government commiserates with the families of the victims.

ALSO READ:7 Important things you should know about crisis

The governors spokesman enjoined all communities in the affected areas to stand together, and support the security agencies to thwart what looks like a predetermined plot to create anarchy at this period.
The partys Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Prince Diran Odeyemi described the issue as a national disgrace.

He said How many other inconsistencies are in Mr. Presidents biodata submitted to INEC? We are sure there are more. And the world is waiting on the body to give details about our President.

We advise INEC to revisit those forms President Buhari filled in all elections he had participated in, especially those he filled before 2015 elections to unearth other inconsistencies therein. In a normal clime, the electoral umpire would have set in motion verification modalities to avoid further national embarrassment and expose Mr President.

Come to think of it, a leader that does not know his real age, could not be said, to have sound knowledge of the people and country he governs, let alone knowing the peculiarities of the governed. This is simply not the kind of president Nigeria needs at the moments.

Not too long ago, Nigeria became laughing stock with the inappropriate designation of German Chancellor, Angela Merkel as President of West Germany by President Buhari.

We recall President Buhari once admitted that his age would slow down his performance in office. For a country that could fall into an emergency situation anytime, like the present government-failing induced fuel scarcity, we dont need a president that forgets things easily.

We advise Mr. President to consider turning in his resignation letter to avoid further slowing down the country because of his age, and to also safe our corporate image as a country that had a Presidential with occasional memory failure, he added.
The Minister of FCTA, Malam Muhammad Bello, after a closed-door meeting with stakeholders in the Area Council, declared the curfew while assessing the damages caused by a crisis that erupted in the town on Monday.

He told newsmen that three people died during the incidence.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the curfew followed a criss that erupted between two suspected cult groups in the town on Christmas day.

NAN learnt that the crisis broke out in the early hours of the morning when some suspected groups of cultists stormed the centre of the town, forming barricades and burning car tires at major junctions.

The rioters deprived commuters and motorists of access to public roads and forced many residents to remain indoor.
EFCC operatives arrestedthe chairman of Innoson Motors at his Enugu home on Tuesday, December 19, 2017.

Chukwuma was alleged to have forged some documents in a transaction involving his bankers, GTBank.

Subsequently, the anti-graft agency reportedly filed fraud charges against Innoson Motors boss.

In its response, Osigwe said that the alleged fraud charges filed by the EFCC is a ploy orchestrated to justify the Gestapo style of arrest used in bundling Dr Chukwuma out of his residence.

He also issued a statement saying Our attention has been drawn to the fraud charges filed against Chief Dr Innocent Chukwuma OFR popularly known as Innoson by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. We deem it fit to alert the general public that the alleged fraud charges filed by the EFCC is a ploy orchestrated by the Commission to justify the Gestapo style of arrest used in bundling Dr Chukwuma out of his residence and furthermore the charge is an action taken in bad faith to change the narrative to portray Innoson in bad light and divert the attention of the public who have continued to condemn the illegal action taken by the Commission

We have some reservations with the publications of the details of the suit in question on some online blogs because the charge which EFCC purports to file against has a temporary suit number, vis - temp/3315c/2017.

This number is written with red pen at the top most right side of the charge published at EFCC's page. By this temporary number it means that the charge is not yet before any court in Lagos state. Also, it means that the charge cannot be acted upon by any court in Lagos state and it cannot be served on any party as well. As it is, the charge has not been filed. So while the media noise by the commission of filling fraud charges against Innoson? We believe that it is a Volte face.

Furthermore we are alarmed at how low EFCC could descend to be used by GTB to destroy the Nigerias foremost entrepreneur. We have it now in Good authority that there is a grand conspiracy by an International competitor of Innoson Vehicles who have conspired with a financial institution to pull down Innoson Vehicles at all cost because of the latest increase of patronage of Innoson Vehicles by the Federal Government.

But we are amazed that EFCC, a Federal Government Agency who is supposed at all times to defend indigenous Nigerian companies who are working hard to make Nigeria great will allow itself to be used as a tool to kill and destroy these companies, he added.

Particulars of Offence

Osigwe also called on Nigeria to ask EFCC if GTB as a bank has any license to import motorcycle spare parts or CKD.

He said a cursory look at the charges filed by EFCC at court is both laughable and constitutes a National embarrassment. The motorcycles being deemed the property of GTB were ordered by Innoson from its manufacturers and suppliers with a loan from GTB. Under letter of credit transaction, in international trade, bills of ladings are consigned to Banks not because the Banks  consignees  are the owners of the goods but rather to ensure that the seller is paid and the buyer receives the goods.

Adding that Mere consignment or endorsement of a bill of lading does not confer title in the goods covered by the bill of lading to either the consignee or the endorsee. Where consignment or endorsement of a bill of lading is intended as a security for loan, consignment or endorsement in such circumstance does not transfer title in the goods to the consignee or the endorsee.

All Innosons letter of credit transactions, through GTB, where confirmed LCs. In letter of credit transactions (LC), particularly but not exclusively confirmed LC, the term is cash against documents. Shipping documents are not released by the advising/correspondent Bank to the Issuing Bank until the Issuing Bank pays for the goods. At all material times, Innoson paid 25% of every LC value before it was opened.

The media hype of EFCC portrayed Innoson and its promoter as having stolen goods belonging to GTB. We note that attempt of EFCC to get the courts to retry a matter Innoson had already secured judgment on.

Till date, EFCC never told Innoson why he was arrested except to say on pages of newspapers that he was arrested because of his fraud at SEC and forgery of documents to obtain tax waivers.

While we await to be served the court papers, we want to advice the EFCC that if there is any complaint by GTB to EFCC, Innoson should be invited by the commission to clear its name, EFCC will then conducts its investigation before taking matter to court.
According to a report by Punch, Maina's home was raided on Sunday, December 24, 2017 by gunmen seeking cash and ammunition.

How it all happened

According to an eyewitness on Kano Street, Kawo New Extension, Kaduna where the house is located, the gunmen came in a Hilux van, armed with guns and stationed in front of the house.

It was further alleged that some of the gunmen came in military uniform, while others were in mufti.

The gun-wielding men, tit was further alleged, had begun surveillance of the area between 5pm till about 8pm when another car, a Peugeot 406 with plain clothes security personnel, forced the gate open and drove into the compound.

It was further reported that on entering the house, the gunmen met a security guard, Imrana Ahmadu, and quickly handcuffed him, just as they forced him to take them round the four-bedroom flat.

Imrana Ahmadu recounts ugly experience

Giving his account of the ugly experience, the 22-year-old Ahmadu Imrana said the gunmen continued to ask him whether the house belong to Maina or whether he (Maina) was staying there.

In his words: They came in military uniforms and Hilux van with another small car after they had forced the gate open around 8pm.

They handcuffed me and started forcing doors open to the bedrooms. They turned everything upside down.

They were communicating with somebody somewhere in Hausa, directing them to one room or the other where to find cash.

They must have been disappointed because at the end, they found nothing, neither cash nor arms as they claimed.

They now drove away with me and dumped me in the bush along Mando Road close to the Kaduna International Airport.

They said I should go to any police station so that the police can unlock the handcuff on my hand.

I hid my handcuffed hand in my shirt, so that nobody could suspect me and that was how I got a commercial motorbike that took me to the Kawo Police Station where the handcuff was unlocked.

The Police confirms raid on Maina's home

The spokesman for the Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Aliyu Mukhtar, confirmed the incident saying that the command got a report from the Divisional Police Office in Kawo regarding the raid.
In a statement signed by the association's executive secretary, Olufemi Adewole, it said the current crisis is as a result of the corporation assuming the role of 'sole importer'.

The statement further rejected allegations that marketers are hoarding products to sabotage the economy, revealing that the depot of its members are currently empty.

The statement read, "It is on record that any time NNPC assumes the role of sole importer there are issues of distribution, because it is marketers who own 80 percent of the functional receptive facilities and retail outlets in Nigeria.

"Historically, DAPPMA members imported about 65 percent of the nation's total fuel consumption. Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) imports about 15 percent and PPMC/NNPC imports the balance of 20 percent.

"However this scenario changed drastically due to several challenges faced by marketers. Our members' depots are presently empty. However, if the PPMC/NNPC can provide us with petrol, we are ready to do 24-hour loading to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians and for the fuel queues to be totally eliminated.

"Sadly, some people have blamed marketers for hoarding products. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth.

"Hoarding is regarded as economic sabotage and we assure all Nigerians that our members are not involved in such illicit act.

"We, petroleum products marketers, do empathise with all Nigerians who are going through difficulties at this time by spending hours on fuel queues because of the current fuel scarcity due to no fault of theirs."

ALSO READ: Osinbajo spends Christmas at fuel depots to monitor supply

Fuel scarcity

The country has been plagued with the crippling crisis of fuel scarcity since the opening week of December, with fuel queues at filling stations growing longer every passing day.

The NNPC has made several promises to solve the problem with the commission blaming the problem as a sabotage by marketers who are hoarding fuel.

On Sunday, December 24, 2017, a combined team of the NNPC, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and security agents uncovered illegal reservoirs of fuel in Abuja.

Hundreds of jerry cans, 200-litre drums, and 500 litre tanks were uncovered in a sting operation by the team in the city center.

Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru, said it was saddening to make such discoveries in the city center when less than 500 meters away, motorists were on endless queues.
Buratai, who spoke at Gwoza, headquarters of Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno, also said the celebration attested to the resilience of the Nigerian Army in the operations.

The insurgents, led by the so-called Shekau had captured Gwoza toward the end of 2014 and declared the town headquarters of their Caliphate until April 2015,when the military liberated it from the terrorists.

Represented by Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Alkali, the Chief of Administration, the chief of army staff urged the troops to maintain the momentum of the ongoing operations to flush out remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists from the North-East.

He also charged the troops to be loyal to constituted authority.

Since assumption of office in 2015, the army chief has made it a tradition to celebrate with troops in the frontline in the North-East, to boost their morale.

He celebrated the 2016 Christmas with soldiers at Damasak in the West of Borno, a border area between Nigeria and Niger Republic.

Buratai also celebrated the 2017 Eid-el-Kabir with troops at Mafa, in Borno East as well as Nigerias 57th Independence anniversary with troops at the Theater Command, Operation Lafiya Dole, in Maiduguri.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that inhabitants of Gwoza and surrounding villages turned out in large numbers to celebrate with the troops, while various cultural groups from the area added colour to the occasion.

The Theatre Commander, Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicolas, and Maj.-Gen. Nuhu Angbazo, the Chief of Civil/Military Affairs, joined troops of the 26 Task Force Brigade in rendering the Christmas Carol to thrill the gathering.

NAN also reports that Maj.-Gen. Mani Yusuf, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division, in his vote of thanks, announced that he had a message for the Boko Haram terrorists.

At that moment, every journalist, who turn up to cover the event adjusted his seat and got set to jot down the message or record it.

But Yusuf called on the Artillery to send the message, and in quick succession, three huge sounds from the artillery rented the air, creating fear in some civilians at the occasion.

The bang revibrated around the long stretch of the hill which provides natural protection to Gwoza.

There is no cause for alarm, it is a message to Boko Haram and they understand it, Yusuf said.

In an interview, Sen. Ali Ndume (APC Borno South), an indigene of Gwoza, who was at the occasion, described the army as everything to the people of Gwoza.

The Army are everything, almost everything to us; they are our teachers because they get involved in teaching our children, they are our doctors, and even share their ration with our people.

Ndume called on other security agencies, including the Police and the Civil Defence to work with the army in the maintenance of the peace and security prevailing in the town and environs.

Ndume also called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, to complement the armys efforts by reopening the Mobile Police Force Training College in Gwoza to beef up security in the area.

The insurgents had attacked, destroyed the institution and kidnapped a number of personnel in the school at the height of the insurgency in Borno.

The lawmaker described Gwoza people as resilient and vowed that they would not surrender the town to the terrorists.

If they try to come back, we will not run away, but will cooperate with the army to resist them.

We are not going to run away, so, let nobody  terrorists be deceived that they are going to chase us away. We wont run away, if we are going to die, we will die with the Nigerian Army.

On the the complaint of inadequate potable water by the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and other people in the community, Ndume said there were already 10 functional boreholes in the town.

He said those boreholes were provided through combined efforts of the State Government, the legislators representing the area and some Non-Govermental Organisations (NGOs).

Ndume, however, noted that enough water could not be provided in the area and the North-East, generally, because of the rocky nature of the the region.

Rep. Asabe Vilita (Gwoza, Chibok, Damboa) Federal Constituency, appealed to parents not to donate their children and wards to terrorists again for use as suicide bombers.

My call to parents is that they should shun this ugly trend of giving their children to the terrorists.

We need to collaborate with the security agencies to win the war against insurgency.

Aiding the terrorists will not solve the problem, rather it will aggravate it. Those giving their children to the terrorists are not helping themselves, they are not helping Gwoza and they are not helping Nigeria, Vilita said.

Gwoza still hosts over 8, 000 IDPs, scattered in three camps  JSS camp, 2259, 20 Housing Estate, 5,532 and Wukani, 1, 200.

The common complaint in all the camps is shortage of water.

NAN gathered that since the recapture of Gwoza, the terrorists had made several failed attempts to attack the town, but were repelled and neutralised by troops.

Gwoza is located at the base of a huge hill stretching down to Cross River to the South and Central Africa Republic, to the North.

Troops have taken positions on the hill to check and neutralise infiltration by remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists.

To the East of the town is Mandra mountain, a border between Nigeria and Cameroon and bordering Gwoza to the West is the Sambisa forest.

It had been speculated that some remnants of insurgents loyal to Shekau were hibernating on the mountain, but reports show that they had been flushed out by air bombardment by the Nigerian Air Force.

Gwoza is one of the towns hardest hit by the nine-year insurgency. The terrorists had destroyed many structures, including houses, places of worship and schools before retreating.

In the midst of this, posters of politicians seeking election and re-election in 2019 currently adorn the insurgency-ravaged ancient town.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items included food items, toiletries, mattresses and clothing.

Dogara, who was at the Treasure Orphanages Foundation, Karu, to present some of the items, said that his donation to charity homes was a way of giving back to the society.

The Speaker urged children at orphanage homes to remain focused and be disciplined in their efforts to attain greatness in life.

Dont dwell much on the circumstances you have found yourselves, not being with your immediate families, but always look up to God."

Each person has particular gift deposited in him by God. Many didnt have much, but achieved a lot, so stay focused and always be disciplined, Dogara said.

Earlier, Mrs Sarah John, the founder of Treasure Orphanages Foundation, solicited for a legislative framework that would enable orphans to have free access to health.

John said that said that the Speakers donations would improve the living standard of the orphans.
On Monday, protesters called for the departure from office of Kuczynski, who later defended his decision in a televised message to the nation.

"Out, out PPK! Out, out PPK!" angry demonstrators chanted in reference to the president, who had promised during his electoral campaign the previous year that he would not free Fujimori.

"Fujimori, murderer and thief. No to the pardon!" read one of the signs held by the protesters, some of whom also carried a giant Peruvian flag.

Relatives of victims of Fujimori's brutal rule took part in the march.

"We are here as relatives to reject this illegal pardon, because it does not correspond to the gravity of the crimes," Gisella Ortiz, representative of a group of families of victims, told reporters.

A strong force of anti-riot police moved through the streets of Lima and sought to prevent the demonstrators from heading to the clinic where Fujimori is hospitalized, firing tear gas canisters and erecting barricades to disperse them.

A cameraman from the state television station TV Peru was beaten by police and was being treated in hospital, the station's president Hugo Coya wrote on Twitter.

Failed impeachment bid

On Monday night, Kuczynski defended his decision to pardon Fujimori.

"I am convinced that those of us who feel democratic should not allow Alberto Fujimori to die in prison, because justice is not revenge," Kuczynski said.

"It is about the health and chances of life of a former president of Peru who, having committed excesses and grave errors, was sentenced and has already completed 12 years" in prison, he said.

The president had earlier said his decision to grant the pardon relied on a medical evaluation that Fujimori suffered a progressive and incurable illness and that conditions in prison "represent a grave risk to his life."

But the move came after Fujimori's son Kenji drained votes away from a parliamentary bid Thursday to impeach Kuczynski on suspicion of corruption, sparking speculation the pardon was political.

The condition of Alberto Fujimori, 79, was "delicate" and "a decision will be made" based on how he responds to treatment at the Centenario Clinic, a doctor at the facility, Alejandro Aguinaga, told reporters.

He said there was no prospect of Fujimori leaving soon.

Fujimori was transferred from his cell to a clinic Saturday suffering from low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat.

"He remains in intensive care. His condition is favorable but other tests are necessary," Aguinaga said.

He said the ex-president had already undergone scans of his brain and heart, and stated that the cardiac problem was accentuating "various degenerative pathologies."

Brutal, undemocratic reign

Fujimori has been hospitalized on several previous occasions, the last time in September, and has had heart, back and stomach trouble as well as several operations to remove cancerous growths from his tongue.

The former leader has spent more than a decade imprisoned for ruthlessly cracking down on political rivals and for ordering dozens of murders and overseeing other brutal tactics.

Despite his conviction for human rights abuses, however, Fujimori retains a level of popularity in Peru for having defeated left-wing guerrillas and for stabilizing the economy after a period of crisis.

That dichotomy has come to the fore with the pardon: dozens of supporters gathered in front of the hospital looking after him, while opponents later demonstrated in Lima against him.

Fujimori, of Japanese descent, ruled Peru between 1990 and 2000. His reign quickly became autocratic after a 1992 internal coup in which he dissolved the legislature.

The pardon was Kuczynski's first major act after surviving the impeachment bid that was spearheaded by Kenji Fujimori's sister, Keiko, who is also a legislator and who narrowly lost the last presidential election.

Kuczynski, a former Wall Street Banker, was accused of lying to cover up $5 million in payments received from disgraced Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht.
"Other countries will recognise Jerusalem and announce the relocation of their embassies. A second country did it and I repeat it: there will be others, it's just the start and it's important," Netanyahu said in a statement.

Guatemala's announcement on Sunday came after the UN General Assembly approved a motion rejecting US President Donald Trump's controversial decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Israel seized control of the eastern part of the city in the 1967 Middle East war and sees all of Jerusalem as its undivided capital. The Palestinians view the east as the capital of their future state.

No countries currently have their embassies in Jerusalem, instead keeping them in the Israeli commercial capital Tel Aviv.

On Thursday, two-thirds of UN member states rejected Trump's decision.
Ninety percent of those cases remain unsolved.

But authorities on Monday detained Juan Carlos Moreno Ochoa, the "intellectual author" of Breach's killing, said Javier Corral, governor of the northern state of Chihuahua, where Breach was murdered in March.

The state's attorney general, Cesar Augusto Peniche, told the Reforma newspaper that man arrested is allegedly a member of the "Los Salazar" criminal organization.

Another man, Ramon Zavala, wanted for allegedly being the alleged gunman who actually shot Breach, was himself killed on Friday by unidentified assailants.

Breach, a veteran crime and politics reporter for the newspapers La Jornada and Norte de Juarez, was found dead inside her car with gunshot wounds to the head on March 23 in Chihuahua.

One of her last stories was on a war between two rival capos in the Juarez drug cartel.
CSX Corp. on Dec. 22 named James Foote as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Formerly Chief Operating Officer, Foote had been acting CEO since Dec. 14 after E. Hunter Harrison was placed on medical leave. Harrison died Dec. 16. Foote will also join the CSX Board of Directors.

Foote, a senior executive with more than 40 years of railroad industry experience in finance, operations and sales and marketing, was named Executive Vice President and COO of CSX in October 2017. Prior to joining CSX, He was President and CEO of Bright Rail Energy, a technology company formed in 2012 to design, develop and sell products that allow railroads to convert locomotives to natural gas power. Before heading Bright Rail, Foote was Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing with CN, which he joined in 1995 as Vice President of Investor Relations to assist the companys privatization. He also served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing-Merchandise. Foote began his career in the railroad industry in 1972 as a laborer in the mechanical department with the Soo Line Railroad in Superior, Wisc. For nine years, he worked union operating positions with Soo Line and Chicago & North Western full time while earning his undergraduate and law degrees.

I worked alongside Hunter for more than a decade, said Foote. His pioneering approach to railroading unlocked significant efficiencies and value, and we remain focused on delivering on this vision for CSX, our customers and our shareholders. The execution of Precision Scheduled Railroading is well under way, with the most critical components of the implementation completed and beginning to generate measurable operating improvement. We look forward to providing an update on our strategic progress and to showcase our deeply talented management team at our upcoming investor day in March.

While we continue to mourn the loss of Hunter Harrison, the Board of Directors is pleased to announce Jim Foote as his successor, said CSX Chairman Edward J. Kelly III. Jim has decades of railroading experience, and the Board is confident of his ability to lead the company. He has already had a markedly positive impact. The Board looks forward to working with him.

In related news, CSX is reconsidering its decision to withdraw from the Howard Street Tunnel double-stack clearance project in Baltimore. The Baltimore Sun reported on Dec. 19 that members of Marylands congressional delegation, representatives of Gov. Larry Hogan, and Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh met with Jim Foote to discuss CSXs position. Sen. Ben Cardin told newspaper that Foote agreed to have an open mind about the tunnel.

CSX was officially non-committal: CSX had a productive discussion about the Howard Street Tunnel with the Maryland Congressional delegation and representatives from the offices of Gov. Hogan and Mayor Pugh, a spokesman said. CSX appreciates the partnership we have developed with the state, city and port, and we look forward to continuing the dialogue with them about our plans moving forward.

The late E. Hunter Harrison cancelled the $425 million project, a public-private partnership that would have relied on a combination of federal, state, and CSX funding, telling a Nov. 29 investor conference that hes philosophically opposed to receiving government money and that the East Coast has too many ports competing for traffic. When you start taking their money, they want to try to tell you how to run your companyand they ought be able to, Harrison said. Nobody wants to be told their ports not the super port. But somebodys got to wake up to that. And sometimes its got to be us by saying we cant invest in that with shareholder money because its not a good investment.

CSX had been committed to investing $145 million, while the Maryland Department of Transportation had earmarked $125 million. Maryland officials in December 2016 had applied for a $155 million federal FASTLANE grant, then reapplied this past summer after the Trump Administration changed the program requirements.
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Associate Editor John Nichols has been with The Capital Times since 1993 and has become one of Wisconsin's best-known progressive voices. He is the author of seven books on politics and the media and he also writes about electoral politics and public policy for The Nation magazine.
Criminal case opened in Bulgaria on complaint of Russian businessman Andrey Varganov

MOSCOW, December 26 (RAPSI) - The prosecutor's office of the city of Silistra on the complaint of Russian businessman Andrey Varganov opened a criminal case against his former business partner Chudomir Dobrev Ivanov for a number of articles, including fraud, forgery of documents and misappropriation of property.

In 2014, Varganov organized a business in Bulgaria jointly with local partners for the delivery and sale of coal. However, in the summer of 2017 it turned out that the funds transferred to the account of the established company were illegally appropriated. Moreover, in 2015-2016, hundreds of thousands of euros passed through the account of the company.

The businessman was forced to declare his Bulgarian partners to the Prosecutor's Office, as well as to seek help from the Russian Embassy in Sofia and the Consulate in Varna, as he and his family began to receive threats.

Witnesses testify that the financial position of Bulgarian partner Chudomir Dobrev Ivanov, as well as his father, the priest Dobri Chakov Ivanov, starting from 2014 has improved significantly - a number of new luxurious cars appeared in the family, a private church was built on the land belonging to the fathers villa.

According to Andrey Varganov, there are signs of collusion in this case, as it was father Dobri who persuaded him to start a joint business with his son in Bulgaria, and later gave fake information about the firm's activities. Further Chudomir Dobrev Ivanov tried to prevent his Russian partner from turning to investigative authorities, citing the fact that one of his close relatives works in the Prosecutors Office in Silistra.

The materials in this case have been transferred to the Commission for the removal of illegally acquired property, which in Bulgaria is connected to the investigation only in particularly serious cases - when the corruption component is traced in the case. This Commission checks the compliance of incomes and expenditures of citizens for the last 10 years. In case of their inconsistency, confiscation of property occurs.

"We are satisfied with the results of the investigation," Konstantin Karanikolov, a lawyer of Andrey Varganov, told RAPSI. The Prosecutor's Office of Silistra did a serious job. It is very difficult to investigate such economic crimes. Most often, the investigative authorities follow a simpler way, qualifying such cases as civil. In this case, the Prosecutor clearly saw all the signs of a criminal offense. "

In accordance with the Criminal Code of the Republic of Bulgaria, the maximum penalty for the article on appropriation is up to 8 years of imprisonment. In the case of aggravating circumstances, including collusion, the punishment may be up to 15 years of imprisonment.

Up to now there are no comments from the representatives of Chudomir Dobrev Ivanov at the RAPSIs disposal.




Case of Russian high-ranking investigator reaches court

MOSCOW, December 26 (RAPSI)  A criminal case against head of the Investigative Committees Internal Security Directorate Mikhail Maksimenko, charged with taking $550,000 in bribes, has been forwarded to the Moscow City Court for hearing, the press-service of the Prosecutor Generals Office stated on its Telegram account.

Actions of the defendant were classified as taking two large-scale bribes. He is to stay in detention until January 19, 2018.

According to prosecutors, in 2016, Maksimenko and his accomplice received $500,000 bribe for help with one of criminal cases. He is also charged with taking $50,000 bribe in 2015 for organizing unlawful criminal prosecution of law enforcement officers in the interests of a bribe-giver.

The defendant has been arrested along with other high-ranking investigators, his deputy Alexander Lamonov and the First Deputy Head of the Investigative Committees Moscow Directorate, General Denis Nikandrov.

The three officers were detained as part of a case over extortion of 8 million rubles (about $138,000 at the current exchange rate) that involved a gang leader Zakhariy Kalashov. In addition, investigators believe that they extorted 10 million rubles (about $170,000) from a head of a large joint-stock company. The defendants deny their connections to Kalashov.
Federation Council backs life sentence for terrorist recruitment

MOSCOW, December 26 (RAPSI)  The Federation Council, the upper house of Russias parliament, on Tuesday approved a bill toughening punishment for recruiting terrorists up to life sentence.

The document was adopted by the State Duma on December 14.

The bill is aimed to tighten counteracting financing and organizing terrorist and extremist activities. Crimes related to such financing or any form of inducing people to commit crimes of terrorist nature may result in penalties ranging from fines of up to 700,000 rubles (nearly $12,000) to life sentence.

The draft law also extensively defines terrorism propaganda term. Committing this crime would be punishable by up to 5 years in prison.

Currently, punishment for recruiting terrorists may only reach as high as 10 years in prison.
Government backs abolishing limitation period for pedophile crimes - childrens ombudsman

MOSCOW, December 26 (RAPSI)  Anna Kuznetsova, Russia's children's rights commissioner, said during a press breakfast on Tuesday that a proposal to abolish the statute of limitations for sexual crimes against children had been endorsed by the government.

The ombudsmans office began working on a comprehensive bill to enhance protection of minors from sexual violence including pedophilia last year. The bill in particular envisages restriction of possible communication between child molesters and minors on the Internet, and creation of a special database of such criminals to bar them from employment with education institutions.

According to the childrens rights commissioner, many crimes committed years ago are being revealed just now, but it is impossible to punish criminals. In October, Kuznetsova said that the percent of sexual crimes against children had increased. Currently, over 12,000 crimes are revealed compared to 8,000 in 2012, she noted.

Earlier, the children's rights ombudsman spoke in favor of establishment of the so-called registry of pedophiles. This list is to include information on all citizens responsible for committing crimes against childrens sexual inviolability. The criminals are to be put under administrative supervision for the rest of their lives. The proposal was supported by Russias Interior Ministry.
The people of Wisconsin gave Taiwan-based Foxconn a billion-dollar gift for Christmas, on top of $3 billion they had already promised the company. So far, they havent even received a thank-you card  just the promise of the most expensive taxpayer-funded jobs in history.

This summer, Wisconsin politicians announced they had lured a new Foxconn LCD flat panel plant to southeast Wisconsin with a $3 billion incentive package, in return for a $10 billion investment from the company. But, like many government giveaways to the corporate sector, the bill to taxpayers has gotten even bigger. The Wisconsin Economic Development Agency agreed to a significant reduction in Foxconns commitment, down to $9 billion. This was after the state legislature okayed the deal without nailing down the details.

The state legislative bureau estimated it would take 25 years  until 2043  until the Wisconsin government received enough in additional tax revenues to match the initial $3 billion investment. At $4 billion-plus, the break-even point will recede even further into the future.

A former U.S. senator once talked about how government spends a billion here and a billion there, and pretty soon it adds up to real money. The Foxconn giveaway already adds up to a lot of money  close to $1800 per Wisconsin household, even in parts of the state that wont benefit directly from the plant.

But Wisconsinites arent the only ones who will pay the tab. At between $250,000 and $1 million per job, the Foxconn deal will raise the entry stakes for every jurisdiction seeking to attract new investments  or perhaps even just to retain them. Just like the value of your home is determined by how much the house down the street sold for, the going rate for government giveaways to companies is based partly on how much other governments have demonstrated a willingness to pay.

The steep price Wisconsin has committed to paying to host Foxconn will ripple across other states and municipalities. In 2015 alone, state and local business incentives came to $45 billion, including tax credits, property tax abatements, investment tax credits, R&D tax credits and customized job training, according to the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. And the cost has been going up; business incentives have more than tripled since 1990.

So the jobs may go to Racine County, but the price will be paid by taxpayers everywhere.

And the Wisconsin state government is not even sure what the full price is yet  or how many jobs they will actually be getting for it. The village and county where the plant is to be located have chipped in another $764 million in tax incentives. The state has also agreed to spend over $400 on new roads and road widenings and improvements to facilitate the plant. (Although some of these transportation improvements were anticipated eventually.)

Local residents dont just get to pay for the boondoggle through their taxes; they can also expect to pay increased electricity rates. American Transmission Company has announced it will spend $140 million to build a new substation to provide electric power to Foxconn, with the cost to be charged to electricity customers in southeast Wisconsin.

How many jobs will the deal actually create? The notion of 13,000 jobs is actually a goal, not a guarantee. The legislative bureau acknowledged that some estimates place the probable payroll as low as 3,000. The agency tasked with holding Foxconn accountable has a history of failing to verify job-creation claims and rewarding companies that fall short of quotas, according to state audits. How long will the jobs actually last? Foxconn has launched an extensive commitment to automation and robotics, eliminating tens of thousands of jobs in China with the introduction of specially-designed Foxbots  with the stated goal of eliminating almost their entire global workforce.

Moreover, how many of the jobs will actually go to residents of Wisconsin  the people paying for the party? The legislative bureau had estimated that about 10 percent of Foxconn workers would be residents of nearby Illinois. But a preliminary analysis commissioned by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation estimated as many as half of the construction workers and Foxconn workforce could come from outside the state.

The most ironic aspect of the deal is that the biggest shortage the states economy faces is not jobs, but the people with the skills needed to perform them. We need bodies, Gov. Scott Walker has admitted. Actually, they need skilled people. So much so that Walker has pledged to spend $6.8 million on an ad campaign to help attract residents from out of state to work for Foxconn. The state will spend $20 million on worker training over two years to ensure a pipeline of workers for Foxconn  and for small businesses that lose employees to the massive plant.

Rather than investing in people, too many governments are giving money to corporations in the pursuit of jobs that may not last long and may never return the investment. Wisconsin is setting the pace right now with its multi-billion dollar giveaway to Foxconn. Maybe it is time for governments to kick the habit. Sometimes, just saying no could be a viable strategy.
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Price: $ 5,900 Property Address: 604 Palmer Road Seller State of Residence: Pennsylvania State/Province: Pennsylvania Zip/Postal Code: 15410 City: Adah Property Type: Duplex Number of Bedrooms: 2 Number of Bathrooms: 1 Sale Type: Existing Homes Setting: Suburban Year Built: 1900 For Sale by: Owner Location: 154**, Adah, Pennsylvania

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Times Up is committing money and organizing capacity to empower blue-collar and often-disempowered women, who are frequently women of color.
The time is ripe to accede to the founders' plea to declassify them as promoters.

Image: A file photograph of Infosys founders (Left to right): Nandan Nilekani, S Gopalakrishnan, N R Narayana Murthy, K Dinesh, N S Raghavan and S D Shibulal. Photograph: Kind courtesy, Infosys Technologies

The appointment of Salil Parekh as Infosyss second non-founder chief executive, four months after the acrimonious exit of the companys first such CEO, Vishal Sikka, presents Indias second largest information technology services provider with an opportunity to heed the request of its co-founders made three years ago of being declassified as promoters.

This will provide the Infosys board the freedom to run the company without the added pressure of coping with the anxieties of its founders, who have held a nebulous status within the company ever since mentor N R Narayana Murthy appointed a professional successor in 2014 and stepped aside after his second stint at the helm of the company.

As promoters, Infosyss co-founders retain all the legal liabilities, including those of insiders, which come attached with that status under company and stock exchange laws.

But after 2014, when they had divested themselves of the responsibility of running Infosys, the continuing status of Infosys founders as promoters has meant that they bear all the burdens of being legally responsible for decisions the management makes.

This was the proximate reason for the founders request to the companys management for declassifying them as promoters.

The promoter group, including family, collectively owns 12.76 per cent of Infosys.

The board, however, had requested the founders to stay on as promoters, principally as a confidence-building exercise with clients and shareholders at a critical juncture for Infosys.

Mindful, perhaps, of the excoriating criticism that accompanied his return as executive chairman in 2014, replacing the last co-founder, D Shibulal, to shore up the companys faltering performance, Mr Murthy declined a board position once Mr Sikka took charge.

Mr Murthy owns less than 1 per cent of Infosys through direct holdings but his family holds 3.44 per cent, making it the companys largest single shareholder.

Seen against this background, Mr Murthy was well within his rights to raise concerns in 2016 about irregularities in the $200-million purchase of the Israeli infotech company Panaya -- the controversy that led to Mr Sikkas exit.

To be sure, his publicly expressed reservations, following a whistleblowers allegations, did Infosys little good, a point that should have occurred to him in his avatar as a concerned promoter.

Still, his revelations about the value of the deal and questionable departures by senior executives soon after the acquisition forced the Infosys board to launch an independent inquiry, a good move that was vitiated by its decision to withhold the report from the public, including Mr Murthy.

Nandan Nilekanis return in a firefighting role suggested Infosys and its promoters were well-nigh inseparable, raising serious doubts about the sustainability of the companys governance model.

But Mr Nilekani has manifestly demonstrated that he is uninterested in continuing his managerial role in the company.

It is worth noting that it was only after the Infosys founders request for declassification that the Securities and Exchange Board of India moved to reconsider the regulatory framework for promoters.

Its Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements Regulations now allow promoters to be declassified under a stringent set of norms -- non-involvement in day-to-day management being one of them.

This provides the Infosys board with a modus operandi to accede to the request of its founders to convert themselves into public investors.
They feed the hungry and enable hotels and restaurants to prevent waste.

Aditi Phadnis reports on how a simple idea became a movement transcending borders.

The Robin Hood Army is a totally decentralised organisation that bridges the gap between the hungry and the set-ups that have food to spare -- hotels, dhabas, restaurants.

Photograph: @robinhoodarmy/Facebook.

Is it charity? Not really.

Is it philanthropy? Not exactly.

If you volunteer to be part of the Robin Hood Army (RHA) all you have to donate is your time -- once a week -- to get surplus food from restaurants to people who are less fortunate.

It is a totally decentralised organisation that bridges the gap between the hungry and the set-ups that have food to spare -- hotels, dhabas, restaurants.

Local chapters are run by groups of friends (and the circle is ever widening) who want to make a difference in whatever small way they can. For example, restaurants in Green Park, New Delhi, will contribute to the homeless of the locality via volunteers who live in Green Park.

Volunteers are largely students and young working professionals. The less fortunate sections that the RHA helps to serve include homeless families, night shelters, orphanages, and patients from public hospitals.

If you volunteer to be part of the RHA all you have to donate is your time -- once a week -- to get surplus food from restaurants to people who are less fortunate.

Photograph: @robinhoodarmy/Facebook.

The brainchild of Neel Ghose and Anand Sinha, the RHA works across 22 cities in India -- including in neighbouring Pakistan.

Ghose was living and working in Lisbon, Portugal, when he stumbled upon Refood, an organisation that redistributes excess food to the needy through volunteers.

"I observed their processes and spent some time with the founder understanding the basic workings of the model, before deciding to try something similar back home with Anand. The need, of course, was much greater in India" Ghose says.

RHA is the brainchild of Neel Ghose (left) and Anand Sinha.

Photographs: @NeelGhose/LinkedIn and @anandsinha3/Twitter.

The way it works is: Small teams -- mostly young professionals -- scout for local restaurants, convince them to donate surplus food, identify clusters of people in need -- such as the homeless and orphanages -- and carry out weekly distributions.

A WhatsApp group called the Boiler Room, has the heads of all city chapters across India and Pakistan. Through this, best practices are shared among the teams so that 'we can learn from each other'.

The teams run like mini start-ups.

Ghose says local problems -- and solutions -- are the key.

In Delhi, for instance, in the current phase of harsh winter, RHA will suspend food distribution and will focus on making sure the homeless have adequate warm clothes and blankets to see them through the cold spell.

"The overall objective is to inspire the community to give back to those who need it most," said Ghose.

The organisation has no political or religious backing. It is very careful in ensuring that the food it offers is safe to be consumed. And it accepts no monetary donations. If people want to, they can give in kind; or better still donate their time.

RHA operates in 53 cities worldwide, including multiple chapters in Pakistan.

Photograph: @robinhoodarmy/Facebook.

There is an RHA in Pakistan as well. Ghose says Sarah Afridi (who set up RHA Pakistan) was a friend from college.

"We studied together at the London School of Economics. When the Peshawar school attack occurred, I called to offer my condolences. We started talking about the Robin Hood Army and realised that both countries are plagued by similar evils of hunger, wastage, and inequality. This is a way we can create real impact. Currently, Team Pakistan has chapters in Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore with a couple of hundred active Robins" he says.

So far, RHA has fed 4,23,6531 people. This is 1 per cent of the people who are hungry.

Their army comprises 12,550 volunteers. And they operate in 53 cities worldwide.
The electoral bounty reaped by the Congress was nothing more than an ill-gotten gain of a casteist, divisive campaign; nothing to be proud of and certainly not a moral victory, argues Vivek Gumaste.

IMAGE: Rahul Gandhi offers prayers at the Somnath temple during the Gujarat election campaign: 'Nothing could be more ironic and telling than this sight,' notes Vivek Gumaste. Photograph: PTI Photo

It was the mother of all elections, a no holds barred, high stakes, high strung contest with far reaching ramifications for both the contenders.

For the Bharatiya Janata Party it was their citadel, their impregnable bastion and the home turf of their popular PM that could exhibit no vulnerability.

For the Congress, there was a lot riding on this election; a fight for survival after a string of devastating defeats that seemed to portend the near eclipse of this legendary party; and for its heir apparent, Rahul Gandhi it was a litmus test of his leadership with his anointment as party president imminent.

The Gujarat verdict when it came was quintessential amphibology: One that was open to starkly contrasting interpretations as per one's perspective: Both sides could claim victory with a certain degree of logic.

The Congress deemed it a 'moral victory' while the BJP responded, 'Jo jeeta wohi Sikander.'

At the outset there appeared to be an element of truth in both assertions.

The BJP had won a clear majority for the sixth consecutive term overcoming insurmountable incumbency odds but with a significantly reduced margin (a drop from 115 to 99 seats).

For the Congress it was ostensibly a spectacular revival coming as it did on the heels of the humiliating debacle in UP: An increase of 16 seats, up from 61 to 77.

But do these final numbers tell the entire story?

Was there a significant dent in the BJP's popularity?

Was the increased seat tally an indicator of the Congress' resurgent acceptability or was it merely the outcome of an astute but cringe-worthy electoral strategy?

These are the questions germane to the analysis of the Gujarat verdict.

Lost in the mesmerisation of numbers and the high decibel tooting of a Congress revival was an occurrence of far greater significance: A watershed moment in political history.

The Gujarat election of 2017 signalled the political capitulation of Nehruvian secularism, the lynchpin of Congress ideology.

Nehruvian secularism was a flawed ideology that centered on the devaluation of the Hindu identity and one that had been executed with an even more faulty strategy of minority appeasement and vote bank politics: Its demise was inevitable.

The Congress' proclamation that 'Rahul Gandhi is not only a Hindu, but a "janeu-dhari" Hindu (one who wears the sacred thread)' along with his endless forays to temples all across Gujarat represents a total surrender: A carte blanche acceptance of the nihility of Nehruvian secularism and a final acknowledgement of the dominance of Hindu nationalism.

Nothing could be more ironic and telling than the sight of the great grandson of Nehru (the man who had frowned upon the restoration of the Somnath temple and opposed its inauguration in 1951 by then President Rajendra Prasad) paying obeisance at the same temple nearly 66 years later.

In 1951 Nehru had written to Dr Rajendra Prasad: 'I confess I do not like the idea of your associating yourself with a spectacular opening of the Somnath temple. This is not merely visiting a temple... but rather participating in a significant function which unfortunately has a number of implications.' (Sarvepalli Gopal, Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru).

The second disturbing element of the Congress campaign in Gujarat was its unabashed exploitation of caste.

The offer of reservations to Patidars was crass political opportunism sans probity or rationale, but not surprising.

The Congress is well-known for engineering caste dissensions to win elections; its nefarious history dates back to the 1980s and Madhavsinh Solanki.

Adrija Roychowdhury states in the Indian Express (external link):

'The Congress came to power in 1980 with an electoral strategy of appealing to the backward castes and classes... They contested the state elections on the basis of the KHAM (Kshatriyas, Harijans, Adivasis and Muslims) strategy. The KHAM constituted 55 per cent population and the newly-elected Congress government ensured that they were entitled to caste-based reservations...'

'As soon as Solanki established himself as chief minister, a new era of politics was ushered into the state -- the era of caste politics.'

Finally, Roychowdhury rightly concludes about the current verdict:

'While the Patidar and OBC factors were unsuccessful in shaking the BJP's stronghold on the state, the marked improvement made by the Congress in its electoral performance shows that caste did in fact have a role to play. Is Gujarat then, in the era of caste politics 2.0?'

On the other hand, the BJP ran an inclusive campaign that conformed to its slogan of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' and reached out to one and all including the Muslim community as these reports indicate:

'The BJP began this purported connect with Ahmedabad's traditional Muslim neighbourhood, even as Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi undertook road shows across Gujarat, sipping tea at wayside stalls along with the traditional fried gram flour snack -- the ubiquitous ganthiya -- as his party strategists carefully kept any Muslim symbolism out of his tour plan.' (Indian Express: External link).

'While BJP bosses have asked local party leadership across Gujarat to reach out to Muslims, the Congress' local leaders have, on occasions, tried to keep the community at an arms length.' (Business Standard: External link).

Finally, coming to the actual vote share: The Congress did register a 2.5% increase compared to 2012 (41.4 per cent vs 38.93 per cent). This increase would have been more significant had it come at the expense of the BJP but this was not so.

In fact, the BJP increased its vote share from 47.85% to 49.1%, suggesting that its overall popularity was firmly intact barring a few areas of weakness.

In conclusion, the electoral bounty reaped by the Congress was nothing more than an ill-gotten gain of a casteist, divisive campaign; nothing to be proud of and certainly not a moral victory.

In reality, it was an unequivocal moral triumph for the BJP that saw its philosophy vindicated beyond doubt.

Vivek Gumaste is a US-based academic, political commentator and the author of My India: Musings of a Patriot.
All Indian Administrative Service officers have been asked to submit details of their assets by next month and warned that the failure to do so would lead to a denial of vigilance clearances needed for promotions and foreign postings.

The department of personnel and training has written to all central government departments, states and union territories asking them to ensure submission of Immovable Property Returns by IAS officers working with them by January 31, 2018.

"In view of the DoPT's instructions dated April 4, 2011, it is reiterated that failure to ensure timely submission of IPR would result in denial of vigilance clearance," Establishment Officer and Additional Secretary P K Tripathi said in the recent missive.

According to the 2011 instructions, officers who did not submit their IPR as on January 1, 2018, on time would be denied vigilance clearances and will not be considered for promotions and empanelment for senior-level posts in the government of India.

"Those who do not submit property details on time will not be considered for any posts of the central government including foreign postings," a senior DoPT official said.

An online module has been designed for the purpose of filing of the IPR. Officers have the option of uploading the hard copy of the IPR by January 31 in the online module, the December 22 letter said.

There are 5,004 IAS officers working across the country, according to the DoPT's latest data.

Image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses trainee IAS officers at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie in Uttarakhand. Photograph: PIB
Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat are over. Another set of state elections is due in 2018. Heres an assessment of the next round of the electoral challenge and how it could change Indias political equations.

Karnataka: Which better caste combination?

IMAGE: Yeddyurappa, from the BJP, is doing all that he can to ensure that the state of Karnataka votes for him. Photograph: @BSYBJP/Twitter

Scheduled for April, the Karnataka election campaign is already underway. A Congress government headed by Siddaramaiah, former leader from the Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal-Secular, is fighting for another term. The main challenge is led by B S Yeddyurappa, a former chief minister, once imprisoned briefly on a graft charge. Yeddyurappa has already been named as chief minister if his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, should come to power.

Siddaramaiahs pluses? An excellent orator, from the Kuruba (shepherd) community which is socially and economically backward. This gives him the sort of appeal enjoyed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The downside? Not a collegial leader, strongly anti-intellectual and doesnt seem to notice corruption.

Karnataka is a mini country, with all the contradictions and asymmetries. After the information technology revolution, Bengaluru is the hub of all that is creative but the city has next to no urban planning and is growing at a pace the government cant keep up with.

In Mandya, wealthy cotton farmers are committed to the JD-S; in arid north Karnataka and coastal Karnataka, the BJP has a base. The state has an assertive and vigorous minority population; one of the largest contingents of kar sevaks during the demolition of the Babri Masjid came from Karnataka.

The real politics is in caste coalitions. In the previous election, the Congress came to power on the back of a carefully wrought combination of some Vokkaligas, some Lingayats (both powerful middle castes) and mainly because of the support of Dalits and Muslims.

This time, Yeddyurappa is working furiously to make dents in the Dalit vote. He has criss-crossed the state twice already, eating at Dalit households, holding meetings with them and generally trying to win them over. However, he has acknowledged detractors in his own party, who have made no secret of the fact that they will work to contain him. The BJPs biggest danger is internal sabotage.

Nagaland: Fishing in a tribal brew

IMAGE: Most MLAs in Nagaland have withdrawn their loyalty from T R Zeliang.

The states politics are all its own and heavily tribe-driven. Currently ruled by a Democratic Alliance of Nagaland, in which the primary partner is the Naga Peoples Front, there is little more than tribal loyalty acting as a glue in keeping the coalition together.

Recently, the NPF split, pushing most MLAs to withdraw their loyalty to T R Zeliang and moving to the faction led by Shurhozelie Liezietsu. The immediate reason was Zeliang announcing 33 per cent reservation for women. However, in a comedy of errors, Zeliang returned to being CM.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has a good relationship with NPF. The unease lies in the framework agreement of a Naga accord signed between the Indian government and the Manipur-based National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak Muivah) in 2015. This recognises the militant group as part of the political mainstream. The accord cautiously acknowledges the aspirations of the Naga people to have a homeland or Nagalim.

However, the exact terms have not been made public. The fear is that areas currently known as Nagaland might be made contiguous with Manipur to carve out a Greater Nagalim in which some non-Naga tribes might become minorities. The new entity could threaten existing interests, financial and political, and create new ones.

The election will play out against a subtext of contested and shared sovereignty. The BJPs Ram Madhav is a pivotal figure in extending the partys hold and discourse in the northeast. Yet, the party acknowledges that with the churchs dominance, the BJP can at best have a creative alliance with political groups, not a sustainable and independent unit.

Tripura: No more a duopoly

IMAGE: Manik Sarkar has been in office in Tripura since 1998, leading the Left for 4 terms.

For years, Tripura had only two parties -- the Congress and the Left Front, principally, the Communist Party of India-Marxist. In 2016, six legislators of nine originally elected to the state assembly on Congress party tickets switched to the Trinamool Congress.

Later, they shifted to the BJP. One of the three remaining Congress legislators has informally joined the BJP, whose national president, Amit Shah, has had triumphant rallies in Agartala and other places in Tripura.

Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has been in office since 1998, having led the Left to power for four terms. A sensible and no-nonsense politician, leading by example. Also one who crushes all dissent, using state power.

The government is now vulnerable to anti-incumbency, especially from its employees who have only recently been grudgingly given a small pay hike. The tribals have remained a devoted voter base of the Communists since the 1960s but this bastion is also under threat.

The Congress is moribund, harking back to a feudal royalist legacy. In the circumstances, the BJP believes Tripura is ripe for the picking. While it isnt easy to dislodge the Left, there is no denying the fact that Tripura is seen as a state with potential for growth by the BJP.

Meghalaya: New hopes, older realities

IMAGE: Meghalaya is currently ruled by a Mukul Sangma-led Congress government. Photograph: PTI Photo

We won no seats in the last assembly election. But, in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the BJP was first in six of the seven assembly constituencies in Shillong, said Nalin Kohli, Bharatiya Janata Party secretary in charge of Meghalaya. The party has decided it will contest all the assembly seats on its own.

The church plays a big role in elections. The BJP has pressed into service Union Tourism Minister K J Alphons to reassure Christian leaders that issues like the beef ban will not be forced on Meghalaya.

The state is ruled by a Mukul Sangma-led Congress government. Two independent MLAs have already crossed over and more are expected to after the current and last session of the state assembly concludes.
A man with a hatchet tried to rob a South Side restaurant worker Monday night in the back lot of the business, but the robber fled without getting any money.

The 35-year-old Asian woman was not injured in the attempted robbery that was reported at about 10:10 p.m. at Edo Japanese Restaurant, 532 S. Park St., Madison police said.

"The victim only spoke Mandarin Chinese, so the suspect ended up fleeing on foot without getting anything," said police spokesman Sgt. Paul Jacobsen.

The suspect was a man, 6 feet, 2 inches tall, skinny, wearing black clothing and something covering his face.
TORRINGTON  LARC announces the following winners of the 16th Annual Festival of Trees. The awards are based on over 200 individuals that submitted ballots during the week-long event held at Valerie Manor.

Best of Show: First Place  Torringford School (Peacock Tree); Second Place  Torrington Savings Bank (Employee Handmade Ornament Tree); Third Place  Harwinton Womans Club (Handmade Doll House)

Most Creative: First Place  Friends of LARC (Snow Theme Tree); Second Place  Annmarie Davis (Holiday Style Dress Form); Third Place  The Scherbner Family (Outer Space Tree)

Most Traditional: First Place  Torrington Savings Bank (Employee Handmade Ornament Tree); Second Place  Reflections Serenade at Brandywine (Holiday Tree); Third Place  TIE Olivia & Renee Lemieux (Red & Gold Tree)

Friends of LARC (Snow Theme Tree): Childrens Choice: First Place  Friend of LARC (Dr. Seuss Tree); Second Place  Torrington Library (Teachers Supply Tree); Third Place  Friends of LARC (Snow Theme Tree)

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all that participated in this years Festival of Trees said Michael Menard, Executive Director, in a written statement. With the generosity of the community, we raised over $20,000 which will benefit our local friends with disabilities. This support is critical as we continue to face ongoing cuts from the State of Connecticut. The Festival of Trees would not be possible without our dedicated committee, volunteers, sponsors, and all those that donated beautiful items.

All funds raised from the festival enhance the lives of local adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In the past, funds helped to purchase clothing for individuals in need, furniture for residents living in group homes, program supplies and recreational activity scholarships, educational materials for adults in the vocational program, enrichment field trips for the students, and camper scholarships for children with special needs. Proceeds from the festival also allow LARC to offer four quarterly Dinner Dances for the individuals.

The Arc of Litchfield County (LARC) is a nonprofit agency in Northwest Connecticut founded by families in 1964 to support loved ones with disabilities. LARC envisions a world where people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are included and supported in the community in ways that make it possible for them to achieve their full potential.

Registration now open for Penguin Plunges

WINSTED  Registration is now open for the Penguin Plunge to benefit Special Olympics Connecticut at soct.org. The Penguin Plunge event gives participants the opportunity to come together with friends and other warm-hearted individuals in their community to have fun and do good. Participants jump into the chilly waters of a lake or ocean in an exciting, festive atmosphere and earn great incentive prizes by raising money online to support Special Olympics year-round sports, health and fitness programs for people of all abilities.

Special Olympics Connecticut will host five Penguin Plunge events during its anniversary year in 2018, including Farmington Penguin Plunge at Winding Trails in Farmington on Sunday, Jan, 28, featuring the Cool School Challenge; Middletown Penguin Plunge at the Polish Falcons Club at Crystal Lake in Middletown on Saturday, March 3; Winsted Plunge at Highland Lake in Winsted on Saturday, March 3; Shoreline Plunge at Ocean Beach Park in New London on Sunday, March 4; and Westport Penguin Plunge at Compo Beach in Westport on Saturday, April 7.

In addition to the plunge into icy waters, event highlights will include music, refreshments, a parade of plungers and an awards ceremony. To join in, participants must raise a minimum of $100 and be at least eight years old. Costumes and team outfits are encouraged. In addition to incentives that include apparel and backpacks, awards for best costume, top fundraising individual and top fundraising group will be handed out. Signing up early helps participants reach their fundraising goals and ensures they receive a FREE event t-shirt. For details and to register to Plunge, visit soct.org. Questions? Call 203-230-1201 or email specialolympicsct@soct.org. Also, follow Special Olympics Connecticut on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Donate Life Connecticut launches awareness campaign

The Connecticut Coalition for Organ and Tissue Donation, dba, Donate Life Connecticut, recently launched a series of public awareness campaign ads on cable television aimed at educating residents about the importance of organ donation, both living and deceased, clarifying misleading myths, and increasing the number of registered organ donors who can potentially give the gift of life to someone in need. Donate Life Connecticut is dedicated to increasing the number of registered organ and tissue donors in Connecticut and beyond through public education and awareness.

It takes just two minutes to register to be a donor and during this season of giving, the gift of an organ or tissue transplant may truly mean the gift of renewed health, the promise of more time with loved ones, and the miracle of tragedy turned into hope. There are now more than 116,000 people waiting for organ transplantation in the United States and every day, 22 patients die due to lack of available organs. Visit www.donatelifect.org for more information.

Nature center to hold winter hike

WOODBURY  Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust is holding a winter hike on Saturday, Jan. 13 at the Van Vleck Sanctuary in Woodbury.

The cold winters of New England can be hard on us even with heated houses to keep us warm. Our wildlife is not as lucky as we are. Join naturalist Edward Boisits on this walk to learn ways the wildlife around us copes with the ice and snow.

The group will meet at 10 a.m. at the Flanders Studio parking lot which is located at the intersection of Flanders and Church Hill Roads in Woodbury. This will be about a two hour walk and appropriate for all skill levels. Please dress appropriately for the weather.

The hike is open to the public and free of charge, though donations that go towards Flanders programming always welcomed. Those interested may register online at www.flandersnaturecenter.org or call 203-263-3711, ext. 10, for more information.

Larson invites residents to public forum

BARKHAMSTED  Residents are invited to join Congressman John B. Larson for a public forum on the GOP tax plan that passed in Congress this week. Congressman Larson has heard from many constituents who have expressed their concerns about this plan. People are genuinely concerned about how this overhaul will affect them and their families. The Congressman will talk about the potential impacts this will have here in Connecticut and take questions from audience members.

Barkhamsted Public Forum will be held Dec. 30, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Barkhamsted Highway Garage Community Room, 33 New Hartford Road, Pleasant Valley.
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TORRINGTON  Approximately 25 children in the Litchfield County area will spend the holidays in shelters including FISH and NWCT YMCAs Winchester Emergency Shelter.

Bears and books were raised as part of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessnesss Be Homeful for the Holidays promotion, through which people could donate Paddington gifts to children in shelters with the money raised going to the Be Homeful Fund, thanks to generous support from the CT REALTORS Foundation, Citizens Bank and United Way.
WATERBURY  Sixteen Naugatuck Valley Community College students who will graduate in January and May with certificates in Advanced Manufacturing were recently honored at the Sixth Annual Presidential Awards Ceremony. The event was held at NVCCs Technology Hall on its Waterbury campus and sponsored by the Smaller Manufacturers Association of Connecticut (SMA). The students are enrolled in a two semester program in Advanced Manufacturing Technology.

The program equips them with skills to foster career growth in the manufacturing field. NVCC President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D., Provost James Troup, faculty and staff from the College along with industry partners and representatives from Thomaston Savings Bank were present to commemorate the achievement.

Stephen Lewis, President and CEO of Thomaston Savings Bank and colleague Kimberly Lebron, a Senior Vice President and Chief Loan Officer, presented a scholarship to one of the programs top performing students. Because the bank has historically worked with many local manufacturers whom they saw struggling to find skilled help, they decided to help build a pipeline of skilled workers through the scholarship which is awarded to a qualified student each year.

I have seen what this program can do for many lives. You need to give yourselves the chance that you deserve and that society needs you take, President De Filippis said to students whom she encouraged to continue their studies. President De Filippis started the awards program six years ago as an incentive for Advanced Manufacturing Students to perform well in their studies by providing additional training at no-cost. Twenty-four students with grades of a B or better were recognized and received a prepaid OSHA 10 safety training class. The top ten students from the class, who were also recognized at Wednesdays ceremony, received a prepaid introduction to additive manufacturing, Solidworks, and 3-D Printing class in addition to the OSHA 10 certificate training class. Both classes will be held at the College in January.

Students who received certificates in Advanced Manufacturing Machine Technology are qualified to work in machine technology and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) manufacturing environments. The certificate provides desired work skills by combining hands-on instruction, interactive lab experiences, theory, and possible on-site manufacturing internships. There is no doubt that Connecticut is on a manufacturing up-turn. All indications point to a resurgence of manufacturing jobs here in Connecticut, said Joseph DeFeo, Program Director for NVCCs Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center. It is now vital that we create the skilled work force needed to meet the manufacturing needs of companies such as Electric Boat, Pratt & Whitney and Sikorsky Aircraft over the next 5-10 years. We take this as our mission and believe we are well positioned to educate, train, and then provide the skilled workers to meet the growing demand.

The certificate curriculum is available at: nv.edu/amtc. Manufacturers or potential students interested in the program can contact Deirdre DAmore at 203-575-8014 or DDAmore@nv.edu to learn more about NVCCs manufacturing program in Waterbury.

The Advanced Manufacturing Technology Program is funded by the Connecticut Advanced Manufacturing Initiative (CAMI). Additionally, NVCC has more than 200 industry partners that support the program including Branson, Kimberly-Clark, Memry Corporation, Stanley Engineering, and UTC. The program has a 100 percent job placement rate.

Story contributed by Naugatuck Valley Community College.
TORRINGTON  Young artists ages 5 to 10 from CAFTA (Connecticut Academy For The Arts) After School Creativity Program recently dropped their Holiday Art Bomb on the City of Torrington at 104 Main St., in the old Libby Furniture Building. The students have worked on this project since Nov. 1.

The theme they chose was The Nutcracker, because they had been studying about Tchaikovsky's holiday masterpiece and watching videos of the famous Mariiinsky Ballet in Russia for inspiration. Students began by choosing their favorite characters and developing them into drawings, and eventually made 3-D cutouts to appear in the window vignettes.
Houston, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 12/26/2017 --If there is any company that can help a person get out of jail quickly, then that is All About Bail Bonds. The company has been around for many years, and they are the name to trust when someone convicted of felony charges or DWI needs to make bail. They also can help arrange for misdemeanor bail bonds and non-arrest bail bonds. The company works according to a simple belief, and that is that everyone deserves a chance in getting justice. It is not always the case that whoever gets arrested is a criminal. There might be false allegations and All About Bail Bond's believes everyone deserves a fair chance. That a person should be free until all the evidence is presented. All About Bail Bonds helps in achieving that by arranging for a quick bail bond in Conroe and Harris County, Texas.



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Nearly 400 people converged on First United Methodist Church for the Downtown churchs annual free Christmas meal, and they left Monday with their stomachs full and their hearts content.

It was a blessing to me, said Virginia Cox, who said she will be homeless in one week. It gave us life.

Cox, a first-timer at the holiday feast, came with her fiance, Thornton White, who said he has been living in his van since late November.

I took a picture with Santa, like I was a kid again, White said, with a big grin.

Throngs of people filled the churchs entry rooms, waiting for their turn to take a seat at one of the tables of eight, while some family groups were led downstairs where special tables were set up so they could dine together.

Volunteers  from the church and from the community  served up heaping plates of roast turkey, honey-glazed ham or Southern-style meatloaf along with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and sauteed cabbage, while bowls of candied yams and holiday breads were passed around, family style. A dessert table along the side of the room was laden with Christmas cookies, brownies, cake and pie.

Plans for First United Methodists Christmas meal start months in advance and the cooking begins a couple of days ahead. One team of workers peeled 150 pounds of russet potatoes on Saturday for the mashed potatoes, while others spent part of their Christmas Eve day cutting cabbages and onions.

Longtime volunteer Beverly Brazzel designed the menu and was lead cook, overseeing the food preparation and carving the meats. Im grateful to know that someone has something to eat today, that they have a full stomach on Christmas, she said.

About 100 volunteers help with the event.

Were serving a community and were feeding our spirit to be part of this, said Karen Andro, director of the churchs Hopes Home Ministries, which coordinates the meal.

Andro said the dinner costs about $3,000, paid through donations of cash as well as hams from Second Harvest food bank, pies from Hubbard Avenue Diner in Middleton and an array of foods brought in by church members and the community.

Another volunteer, John Haines, was welcoming people at the door. I know most of the people here  from the streets, he said.

Haines had been homeless, sheltering at various locations around Madison. For a time, he lived across the street from the church, under a tree, until crews cut my house down, he said.

One cold November, a church parishioner approached him and invited Haines into First United Methodist for a cup of coffee.

They treated me like a human being, Haines said. It was the first place where they welcomed me with open arms.

Haines was lead cook at the churchs Christmas dinner last year. As he spoke to a reporter, Haines gestured to another volunteer, John Reynolds, the man who had extended his hand to Haines.

I was homeless myself (in the past), Reynolds said. When youve traveled through whatever your journey, you want to save some others. That is His message, Reynolds said.

Not all of the volunteers or the diners have experienced homelessness. Sarah Goldstein, who came with her son, said she craved the camaraderie after her husband, Rev. Jeff Goldstein, died two years ago. The couple had been married for 58 years and were ministers of an alternative church, the Peoples Church of Madison, she said, visiting inmates in prison and residents of the Menominee reservation.

So I came here to see the children and the men with silver hair and ponytails, she said.

Goldstein said she ate some of the dinner and a lot of the desserts. She said she enjoys both the food and the companionship. Especially homeless people  Madison has to do more for them, she said.

White, who came with his fiancee, said hes been attending First United Methodists Christmas dinners for years, and also comes for the Wednesday lunches the church offers.

I never miss their meals, White said. I get full and I get happy.
China's government has cancelled a ban on coal-fired heating in northern cities after blaming local officials for "hasty" gas conversions that left residents without winter fuel.

On Dec. 4, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) sent an "extra urgent" notice authorizing 28 northern cities to resume using coal for winter heating if their mandated projects for switching to natural gas or electricity remained incomplete.

The about-face on the government's order to replace coal with cleaner fuel in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in time for the heating season was first reported by the independent daily The Paper following complaints from citizens who were left with no heat at all.

Public anger boiled over after China Youth Daily published video images of children at a primary school in Hebei province's Quyang county who were forced to sit outside in the winter sun because their classrooms were too cold.

The Ministry of Education demanded "immediate" action to provide heating after students at another primary school showed signs of frostbite, the official English-language China Daily said.

The incidents have been a major embarrassment for the government's environmental policy, which has sought to avoid a repeat of last winter's smog crisis with a crash program of fuel conversions in areas where coal burning affected air quality in Beijing.

A joint government and municipal action plan for the 28 cities was released as far back as last March, calling for Beijing, Tianjin, Langfang and Baoding to ban small coal- fired furnaces by the end of October, among a host of other measures for the region.

"Areas in these cities will be declared completely 'coal free,'" the official Xinhua news agency reported on March 31.

But it wasn't until Aug. 24 that the MEP issued its own 143-page action plan, laying out a series of tough targets and penalties.

The goals included a 25-percent cut in smog-causing particles known as PM2.5 for the region by the end of this year compared with 2012, echoing targets first set by the government in 2013.

To meet the standards, some coal-fired industries were ordered to suspend operations completely for the winter, while others faced steep production cuts.

The MEP plan also required 3 million households in the 28 cities to substitute gas or electricity for coal as a heating source for this winter, which runs from mid-November to mid- March.

By mid-September, the fuel switching had turned into an outright coal ban.

"In the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and nearby areas, 28 cities will now use only natural gas, electricity and renewable energy for heating," Xinhua reported at the time.

Scramble for heating equipment

The new goals touched off a scramble for new boilers, heating equipment, distribution networks, power lines and gas connections.

"The construction of the necessary pipelines and storage tanks to support this dash for gas at the household level has been an immense task and cost billions of yuan," said China energy expert Philip Andrews-Speed at National University of Singapore in a recent post.

But the wholesale replacement of entire urban heating systems by the deadline proved too big a challenge.

"It doesn't matter how much money is available and how much governments push," Andrews-Speed said by email. "It is not possible to transform urban energy systems in a few months."

One official at a power plant owned by China Huadian Corp. stated the obvious in a quote cited by China Daily.

"To replace coal with clean energy for heating in all of Hebei is a huge project, and it takes time," the official said.

Government pressure to meet the deadlines apparently outweighed realistic assessments of how long the conversions would take, leaving consumers with no heat when winter began.

In areas where gas service became available, the sudden jump in demand produced price spikes and shortages.

As early as mid-October, the government's top planning agency warned local authorities and petroleum producers that supplies would be "insufficient" during peak demand periods.

A cold winter would make the "supply and demand situation ... more severe," the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on Oct. 16.

By the first week of December, prices for liquefied natural gas (LNG) had jumped 60.2 percent from September levels, the Communist Party-affiliated Global Times said.

Last week, the NDRC reported that gas consumption through November soared 18.9 percent from a year earlier to 209.7 billion cubic meters (bcm), while domestic gas production of 133.8 bcm rose only 10.5 percent.

Despite the sequence of decisions and statements from the central government, some state media tried to blame local officials for the fiasco.

"That the supply of gas has been insufficient to meet the demand has resulted in many residents in north China's Hebei province not having the heating they need, which indicates local policymakers were too hasty in implementing their gas-for-coal energy policy," said China Daily on Dec. 5.

"What has gone wrong in northern China is the way this laudatory policy has been implemented," it said.

Chinese energy company ENN Group builds a liquefied natural gas storage facility in Baoding, northern China's Hebei province, Dec. 5, 2017. Credit: Reuters Blame the NDRC

Despite efforts to shift the blame, responsibility for the poor policy coordination seemed to fall squarely on the NDRC and the central government.

The episode is reminiscent of the NDRC's effort in 2010 to meet five-year energy efficiency targets by cutting electricity to homes, factories and even hospitals as the deadline approached at the end of the year.

"As with the energy intensity reduction program for 2005-2010, central and local governments are struggling to meet at the last moment the targets set by the 2012-2017 air pollution reduction program," Andrews-Speed said. "Unintended consequences are the side effect."

It may be too soon to tell how long the disruptions will last, but the blunders are likely to result in a cycle of higher energy costs, shortages and renewed coal consumption that could go on for months.

There were signs last week that the problems were spreading beyond the northern areas.

In central China's Hubei province, the government of Wuhan city imposed a limit on household gas supplies of 150 cubic meters per month after shortages reduced pressure in pipelines, threatening safe operation, state media said.

In another Xinhua report suggesting less impact, the MEP said Sunday that 5.6 percent of villages in the northern region had encountered gas shortages after completing conversions from coal.

In November, the region experienced a 41.2-percent drop in PM2.5 concentrations from a year earlier, the MEP said.

On Monday, the MEP said that 96,000 households that had no heat on Dec. 15 had now been supplied either with gas, coal or electric heaters, China Daily reported.

The impact on gas supplies has already driven coal prices to new highs. On Dec. 11, coal futures hit a record of 689.8 yuan (U.S. $104.86) per metric ton, Reuters said.

But in some cities where old boilers and furnaces have been scrapped, a return to coal for heating this winter may prove difficult.

In its criticism of "local policymakers," China Daily also slammed city officials for not conducting "thorough investigations in advance" and having the foresight to know that the central government's fuel-switching initiative might not come off as planned.

"Some of the coal-burning boilers might also have been kept in operation to provide heating when necessary if there was an insufficient supply of gas," the paper said.

Unexpected, indirect costs

Aside from the suffering and expense it has caused, the bureaucratic debacle may result in a host of unexpected and indirect costs.

China's state-owned petroleum companies have been ordered to take costly steps and "keep natural gas prices basically stable" to ease the sudden gas shortages, according to Xinhua.

In one instance, China National Offshore Oil Co. (CNOOC) is spending U.S. $10 million (66 million yuan) to lease two LNG tankers for increased storage to meet emergency demand, Reuters reported on Dec. 6.

"LNG tankers are not only among the most expensive merchant vessels to hire, but keeping the fuel super-chilled is energy intensive and costly, much more expensive than putting crude on an oil tanker for later sale," the report said.

CNOOC may take a beating on the deal because LNG prices are likely to drop by the time it sells the stored gas, according to Reuters.

CNOOC is planning to send over 100 trucks to make round- the-clock deliveries of LNG from southern import terminals in Guangdong province to the cities in the north, China Daily said.

The fuel mix-up may be a setback for the air quality gains that Beijing hoped to achieve this winter by closing its coal-fired power plants and switching to gas.

On Dec. 7, Beijing's City Management Commission said the NDRC had "ordered an immediate restart to coal-fueled generators to ease the shortage of liquefied natural gas in northern China," Caixin magazine said.

The backtracking on coal-fired power in the capital may bring the consequences of the crisis full circle after the 28 northern cities were ordered to switch fuels in order to reduce the smog in Beijing.
Cambodias Appeals Court on Tuesday upheld an earlier ruling that denied bail to two former RFA reporters arrested last month on charges of espionage, according to their lawyer, who vowed to challenge the decision.



Keo Vanny told RFA that the Appeals Court upheld last months ruling by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on the grounds that the case involving former RFA Khmer Service reporters Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin is still under investigation.



The pair were taken into custody on Nov. 14 by police who initially said they had been detained for running an unlicensed karaoke studio. They were later accused of setting up a studio for RFA and were formally charged with illegally collecting information for a foreign source under Article 445 of Cambodias Criminal Code.



They have been held in pre-trial detention in Prey Sar Prison for 44 days and face a possible jail term of up to 15 years if convicted.



Keo Vanny called Tuesdays ruling entirely unfair and refused to accept it, given my clients have not committed any offenses related to the charges against them.



There are no grounds on which the court should continue to detain my clients since, according to legal principles, the accused should be entitled to their freedom, he said.



Granting my clients bail would not cause public chaos, he added.



It was not immediately clear how Keo Vanny plans to challenge the Appeals Court ruling.



RFA closed its operations in Cambodia in September amid a government crackdown on the media, and the two reporters have denied the charges against them.



Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin told the Appeals Court at their hearing Tuesday that they had not sent any state secrets to any foreign nations while working for RFA, according to Keo Vanny, and said they had only reported on land and social issues, which is not prohibited by law.



They also pledged not to flee the country and to continue to cooperate with the court, noting that they had already handed their passports over to the authorities.



On Monday, the pair testified at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in connection with the charges against them.



Call for release



Yoeung Sotheara, legal and monitoring officer at the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL), echoed Keo Vannys call to release the reporters, noting that they had surrendered their passports and their families had signed statements assuming responsibility for them.



He added that the two men are of sound character and suggested there is no reason they would not return to the court to participate in future hearings.



I believe that the case of the [former] RFA reporters is not serious, when compared to other cases involving drug dealing or murder, in which defendants are sometimes granted leniency or bail, he said.



The case of the former RFA reporters is not so severe that the court should refuse them bail, he added.



In November, dozens of journalists signed an open letter calling on court officials to drop their case against Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin, saying the charges are having a chilling effect on the media and restricting press freedom.



Both the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also called for the release of the journalists in statements last month.



RSF ranked Cambodia 132nd out of 180 countries in its 2017 World Press Freedom Index, and warned that the Southeast Asian nation is liable to fall in next years index.



Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Authorities in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin on Tuesday handed down an eight-year jail term to an outspoken human rights activist detained amid a nationwide crackdown on lawyers and associated activists.



Detained rights activist Wu Gan, 42, known by his online nickname "The Butcher," was sentenced by the Tianjin No. 2 Intermediate People's Court after being found guilty of "incitement to subvert state power," the court said in a statement.



"He engaged in a series of actions that incited the subversion of state power and the overthrow of the socialist system, seriously harming national security and social stability," according to the indictment against Wu.



"Wu Gan began to develop subversive thoughts after growing dissatisfied with the current political system in this country," the court said. "He then used online information platforms over a long period of time to send out large volumes of posts attacking the government and the constitutional state system, disseminating his subversive ideas."



"In league with a number of followers of illegal religion, professional petitioners, a minority of lawyers and others, he carried out an act of performance art in the guise of protecting people's rights ... leading to an illegal assembly and the disturbance of public order," it said.



Wu had also "libeled others" online and spread "false news and information," including about government departments, the court said.



Wu's defense attorney Ge Yongxi rejected the verdict and sentence.



"The Butcher is innocent, and this harsh sentence was unjust, and he will definitely be appealing," Ge said.



He said Wu had told the court that he was honored to receive the sentence and that he would "roll up my sleeves and redouble my efforts."



He said the harsh sentence is likely linked to the fact that Wu had refused to confess to the charges against him during interrogation and torture at the hands of police.



"I think they were in a big hurry to finish the hearing, so Wu Gan never got the chance to say he would appeal the sentence," Ge said. "But he told me last time we met that he would definitely appeal if found guilty."



"I think the main issue here is that Wu Gan still holds the view that none of his actions constituted a crime, and he has no intention of doing a deal with the [ruling] Chinese Communist Party," he said.



"So of course the party will punish him."



Security was tight outside the court buildings, with roads outside sealed off behind a police security cordon, eyewitnesses said.



Two of Wu's supporters, Lu Zuoyu and He Zongwang, who traveled to Tianjin in the hope of attending the hearing, were taken away from the area by police, Lu told RFA.



"He Zongwang and I got there in the morning to attend the Butcher's hearing, only to be stopped by more than a dozen plainclothes cops who wouldn't let us [into the court]," Lu said. "We got into an argument with them, so they grabbed us and put us in their vehicle and took us down to the local police station."



"The whole place was under security lockdown, and you couldn't even walk past [the court] on the opposite sidewalk ... and they weren't allowing traffic down there either," he said.



Tortured during interrogation



Wu's lawyers say he has suffered torture under interrogation since his initial detention in the eastern province of Jiangxi.



In a complaint filed to the Tianjin municipal state prosecutor's office, they wrote that Wu had been interrogated "more than 300 times" since his incarceration began.



"Wu Gan has been subjected to illegal treatment during his detention," the complaint said.



It said Wu had been repeatedly and illegally held in solitary confinement, tortured, and deprived of his right to complain and to access legal advice.



The complaint called on the prosecutor's office to investigation the allegations, "to find out which departments and individuals are responsible."



Wu was initially detained by police during a performance protest he titled "Selling my Body to Raise Funds" in Nanchang city in eastern Jiangxi province.



He was trying to help finance a legal defense for Huang Zhiqiang, Fang Chunping, Cheng Fagen, and Cheng Lihe, who were jailed in Jiangxi's Leping city for robbery, rape, and dismembering a corpse.



The four received suspended death sentences in 2000 that were later commuted to jail terms, but their lawyers and rights activists say their confessions were obtained through torture, and that the men are victims of a miscarriage of justice.



Meanwhile, the official media has hit out at Wu for his criticism of the police shooting of a man at a railway station in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang in May 2015.



Wu likely drew the ire of authorities by expressing doubts online over the credibility of the governments investigation of the killing, rights groups have said.



Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wen Yuqing for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Singaporean journalist Lau Hon Meng (center-L), and Malaysian journalist Mok Choy Lin (center-R), are escorted during their trial at a court in Naypyidaw, Nov. 10, 2017.

Myanmar police on Tuesday dropped additional charges against two foreign journalists, their interpreter, and driver, sentenced to two months in jail for illegally flying a drone over to film near parliament in the countrys capital Naypyidaw.

Singaporean journalist Lau Hon Meng, and Malaysian journalist Mok Choy Lin, their interpreter Myanmar interpreter, Aung Naing Soe, and driver, Hla Tin, were arrested on Oct. 27 as they worked on a documentary for Turkish Radio and Television Corporation subsidiary TRT World.

On Nov. 10, a judge sentenced the four to two months in prison for violating the colonial-era Aircraft Act.

Naypyidaws Zabuthiri township court also charged them with illegally bringing a drone into Myanmar under the 2012 Import-Export Act, and the two journalists were further charged with violating Myanmars Immigration Act on Nov. 27, after their visas expired while they were in custody.

Charges under the latter two acts will be formally withdrawn at the final hearing on Dec. 28, the online news journal The Irrawaddy reported.

The plaintiff, police lieutenant Tun Tun Win, appeared in court today and withdrew the charges against the four under the import-export act, the journalists lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said.

He said in court that the Detkhina district police station believes the four did not intend to endanger national security by flying the drone, so high-level police officials ordered that the case against them be dropped, Khin Maung Zaw said.

Tun Tun Win also told the court that the decision to dismiss the charge against the foreign journalists was intended to advance Myanmars relationships with Malaysia and Singapore, he said.

The other plaintiff, immigration official Htay Win, also agreed to drop the charges.

Had the four been convicted of violating the import-export law, they would have faced an additional three years in prison. Furthermore, the two journalists could have received sentences of up to five years for violating the immigration law.

Lau Hon Meng and Mok Choy Lin will be released from jail when they complete their sentences during the first week of January.

Their sentencing was criticized by a member of the Myanmar Press Council who said the punishment was too harsh, and by international press freedom group the Committee to Protect Journalists, which called for their immediate release.

The detentions are part of a string of jailings of and lawsuits against the media in Myanmar since de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her civilian-led National League for Democracy (NLD) party came to power in April 2016.

Rights groups have accused the government of backpedaling on press freedom in the still-developing democracy. Several of the charges against journalists have been filed by the countrys military, which wields great power over Myanmars politic and control its security forces.

Two Myanmar nationals working for Reuters news agency were arrested on Dec. 12 for allegedly possessing illegal government documents about security forces in northern Rakhine state, where a military crackdown has driven hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims into neighboring Bangladesh.

If found guilty, they could be sentenced to up to 14 years in prison.



Reported by Win Ko Ko Latt and Khin Khin Ei for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
A Tibetan man who set himself on fire and died on Saturday in western Chinas Sichuan province has been identified as a husband and former Kirti monastery monk who opposed Beijings rule in Tibetan areas of China, Tibetan exile sources say.



Konpe, aged about 30, set himself ablaze at around 6:00 p.m. on Dec. 23 on the main road of Ngaba town, a site of numerous self-immolations and other protests calling for Tibetan freedom, a Tibetan monk living in India told RFAs Tibetan Service.



While Konpe was burning, police and other people arrived and extinguished the fire and took him to Barkham hospital, reaching there around 10:00 p.m., Lobsang Yeshe, spokesman for the India branch of Kirti monastery, said, referring to a hospital in a neighboring county.



However, he died at about 5:00 p.m. on Dec. 24, Yeshe said, citing contacts in Ngaba.



Detailed information on Konpes identity and condition were briefly delayed owing to a communications clampdown imposed by Chinese authorities in the area.



However, a video obtained on Saturday by RFA and circulating widely on social media shows a person engulfed in flames and walking down the street, while a woman nearby can be heard calling out in tears to exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.



Afterwards, Chinese authorities sent a message to Konpes family and relatives, telling them he had died and saying they should come to the hospital to collect his remains, Yeshe said, adding that restaurants and shops in Ngaba remained closed on Dec. 24 and 25 out of sympathy for Konpes family.



Death rituals performed



Family members are now performing death rituals for Konpe, a second source in Dharamsala, India, told RFA on Dec. 25.



But Konpes father has now been detained by authorities in Barkham, who tell him that tens of thousands of yuan [10,000 yuan = U.S. $1,530] were spent on Konpes medical treatment before he died, the source, Kirti monastery monk Kanyag Tsering said.



Konpe, a former resident of the Chukle Gongma pastoral community in Ngaba countys Cha village, married Kelsang Lhamo, a daughter of the Rawa family in Meuruma Settlement No. 2, about a year ago and had joined her family there, Tsering said.



His fathers name is Gyakyab and his mothers name is Trindok, Tsering said.



He has two brothers and three sisters. One brother is a Kirti monk. Konpe himself joined the monastery as a young child, but later disrobed, Tsering said.



Konpes protest brings to 152 the number of self-immolations by Tibetans living in China since the wave of fiery protests began in 2009.



Most protests feature demands for Tibetan freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from India, where he has lived since escaping Tibet during a failed national uprising in 1959.



Reported by Sangye Dorjee for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Benpa Topgyal. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Rewards provided by authorities in northwest Chinas Xinjiang region to tipsters for outing would-be terrorists are also being offered to those reporting ethnic Uyghur officials and public figures suspected of disloyalty to Beijing, according to sources.



Earlier this month, officials told RFAs Uyghur Service that authorities had earmarked 100 million yuan (U.S. $15.2 million) to reward residents of Hotan (in Chinese, Hetian) prefecture who report acts of terrorism in the predominantly ethnic Uyghur-inhabited area.



The Counter-Terrorism Reward Resolution, enacted by the Hotan prefectural government, set aside the money for information on suspicious activities, and for individuals who attack or kill terrorists, the sources from Qaraqash (Moyu) county said, confirming an earlier report by state media.



But while prior reports referred to high pay-outs for information on a range of behaviors from a planned violent terrorist attack on high density public areas to women in full dress or bearded men, a source in nearby Guma (Pichan) county recently told RFA that the campaign is also targeting so-called two-faced Uyghurs in the region.



A security guard at the Guma county police station said that the county Public Security Bureau, Ministry of Justice, and the local procuratorate had each made announcements regarding the reward campaign in late August and early September.



The guard said that the announcements offered 900,000-1 million yuan (U.S. $137,530-$152,815) for anyone reporting religious extremists who interfere with the judiciary, local administration, or education, or who attempt to obstruct implementation of the constitution.



But he also referred to two articles in the notice that specifically mention rewards for informants who report officials and public figures who assist criminals or commit criminal offenses, suggesting that the campaign also seeks to root out those in positions of authority who try to undermine Chinese rule in the region.



Anyone who provides clues about government officials who deliberately assist criminals in evading punishment, hand them light sentences, or release them before the completion of their sentence, will be awarded 300,000-900,000 yuan (U.S. $45,840-137,530), he said, referring to Article 8 of the announcement.



Anyone who provides information with evidence on the criminal offenses of two-faced party members or cadres, or of two-faced religious figures who harbor extremist views, will receive 200,000-500,000 yuan (U.S. $30,560-76,400), he added.



Two-faced is a term applied by the government to Uyghurs who do not willingly follow directives and exhibit signs of disloyalty that can include promotion of extremist sentiment, providing support to separatist groups, or publishing information that harms the unity of the country or distorts the history of Xinjiang.



The guard said that security personnel and other residents of Guma consider the campaign a means of making money, and regularly look for ways to collect the cash, which would provide a substantial supplement to their regular salaries.



Mao-era campaign



Zumret Tursun, a Uyghur political analyst living in Norway, told RFA that while similar policies have promised to reward would-be spies on terrorist activities in past years in Xinjiang, the new directive is the first to include compensation for reporting two-faced officials and public figures throughout the region.



Tursun, a former university professor from Xinjiangs capital Urumqi, likened the reward program to the 1956 Hundred Flowers Campaign under Mao Zedong, when Chinese citizens were encouraged to express criticism of the Communist Party, only to be publicly denounced and sentenced to prison labor camps in the name of rooting out rightist dissidents.



Recently  someone working in the police force who had assisted my relatives [in Urumqi] in the past called them and asked them not to mention anything to anyone about what he did for them, she said.



He said, At the moment, a new version of a Mao-era campaign is taking place that aims to dig out two-faced cadres. Let me keep my job and look after my familyplease do not mention to anyone what I did for you.



Tursun said that during the campaign, which will last 150 days, authorities will be looking for any information related to two-faced activities during the last five years.



As part of the campaign, authorities have relocated collaborators from largely Uyghur-inhabited southern Xinjiang to the capital to follow and watch over the cadres there.



The government promised them Urumqi hukous [residency cards] and high salaries in a bid to encourage them to dig out anything that happened in the past, she said.



The government also said that they must find all the people responsible, including anyone involved in the beginning, middle, or end of the [past incidents].



The Chinese authorities are using the campaign to sow mistrust within the Uyghur community, Tursun said, noting that such large rewards are hard to ignore.



People cant hope to make that amount of money during their entire lifetime, no matter how high their salaries areits like winning the lottery, she said.



But the huge sums show that the Chinese authorities are acting like mad dogs because they have repeatedly failed to implement control of the Uyghur region.



Uyghurs living [in Xinjiang] are still resisting [Chinese rule]even the peasants are using their shovels to fight back, she said.



Now they are trying to find traitors, using our own people to finish us  But the people should now know that the Chinese wont trust anyone as long as they are Uyghur.



Ongoing crackdown



Since Xinjiang Communist Party chief Chen Quanguo was appointed to his post in August last year, a series of harsh policies has been initiated targeting Uyghurs in the region, where members of the mostly Muslim ethnic group complain of religious and cultural repression and harassment under Chinese rule.



Thousands of Uyghurs accused of harboring extremist and politically incorrect views have been detained in political re-education camps and prisons throughout Xinjiang since April as part of an ongoing crackdown.



China regularly conducts strike hard campaigns in Xinjiang, including police raids on Uyghur households, restrictions on Islamic practices, and curbs on the culture and language of the Uyghur people, including videos and other material.



While China blames some Uyghurs for terrorist attacks, experts outside China say Beijing has exaggerated the threat and that repressive policies in Xinjiang are responsible for an upsurge in violence there that has left hundreds dead since 2009.



Reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by Alim Seytoff. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
As the UW-Madison Arboretums eighth director, Karen Oberhauser enjoys the quiet patch of forest and prairie in the midst of the city the way many do, with walks and bike rides to admire its beauty.

But as she grows more involved in research and projects at the Arboretum, where she took over as director on Oct. 1, Oberhauser is hoping that others see it as more than just a serene place to walk, run or cross-country ski.

Our hope is that at least some of those people that are using it for recreation or respite will get involved and learn more about the land, Oberhauser said, learn some of the challenges of maintaining this land in the middle of an urban area, take some of our classes, go on some of our free walks and use it in more ways.

And in the process, she said, perhaps some will become the citizen scientists that she hopes will assist the many research projects ongoing at the Arboretum as part of its function as an outdoor laboratory.

During her first months on the job, Oberhauser said shes been getting to know the Arboretum and the staff. Shes walked the 17-plus miles of trail across the Arboretums 1,200 acres and visited eight of the Arboretums 11 outlying properties, which are located outside of Madison.

I was pretty excited about what I learned, she said. Of course, the land is incredible. Its an honor to be working here. The people are amazing. Its just a really dedicated and knowledgeable staff, and in many ways I feel like Im joining a well-oiled machine, which feels good.

Oberhauser is a Wisconsin native, but apart from a year getting a teaching certificate, and visiting her daughters who studied at UW-Madison, she hadnt spent a lot of time on campus. She grew up in Clintonville, then attended Harvard University, where she received a bachelors degree in biology.

After taking time off to work as a bicycle messenger in San Francisco, Oberhauser earned a teaching certificate at UW-Madison, then taught biology, chemistry and earth science in Onalaska for three years. From there she attended graduate school in ecology, evolution and behavior  kind of a fancy way of saying zoology  at the University of Minnesota, and remained there first as an adjunct professor, then as a full faculty member starting in 2002.

What led her to the Arboretum, she said, was a desire to do something different in her field, something other than another faculty job or a traditional academic leadership post. When the job at the Arboretum came up, she said, it just seemed perfect. I still kind of pinch myself that I applied for one perfect job and I got it.

While at Minnesota, Oberhauser became an expert in monarch butterflies. At first she studied them, she said, because they were an organism of convenience for her, a good species to answer specific questions she had about how the world works.

But with graduate students, she expended her research focus, studying monarch diseases, migration and the environmental cues that trigger migration. She and her students did research at monarch overwintering sites in Mexico, where most monarchs in the world cluster into a very small area. For about the past 10 years, Oberhauser said, her research has been focused on conservation, as monarch butterfly numbers have plummeted.

Oberhauser is on the board of a small nonprofit organization, called the Monarch Butterfly Fund, that raises money to support monarch conservation in Mexico. She is also co-chair of the Monarch Joint Venture, an umbrella organization of groups working on monarch conservation in the U.S. The Arboretum is now part of that organization.

Monarchs depend on habitat, and what the Arboretum is all about is habitat, she said. So yeah, its a great connection.

Theres plenty more going on at the Arboretum. The diverse property plays a pivotal role in storm water management for Lake Wingra, Oberhauser said, which is ringed about two-thirds around by Arboretum lands.

Storm water is a huge problem for us but its a great opportunity for studying how cities manage their storm water, she said. Were doing this huge service for the city of Madison and Dane County by improving the quality of Lake Wingra and the Yahara River watershed. So thats a big focus of our research.

Another is prairie restoration. Curtis Prairie, planted by botanist John T. Curtis and famed conservationist Aldo Leopold, is the planets oldest prairie restoration. That and Greene Prairie, which Oberhauser said was planted differently using lessons learned from Curtis Prairie, are the focus of research.

Oberhauser calls it humbling to follow in Leopolds footsteps, and thinks often of the legacy of those who came before her, and the legacy shell leave. But the team that works with her is part of that legacy as well.

Its humbling, she said, but its kind of empowering that we build, that we really stand on the shoulders of giants, which provides a really good foundation.

Another focus is citizen science, in which the public gets involved in helping with scientific tasks, such as data collection. An example of that, Oberhauser said, is citizen involvement in work being done to protect the rusty patch bumble bee, which has been found at the Arboretum.

Shes hoping to build on that, and has talked about ways to work with the state Department of Natural Resources and other entities to train citizen scientists.

Oberhauser said that she also wants to work more with UW-Madison faculty to involve the Arboretum more in their research.

I think its a perfect place for graduate students and undergrads to do research, so were looking to build those connections with campus, but also to really increase involvement with our staff.
A Prince George County man has been arrested in the shooting death of a teenager during a gathering of friends in Colonial Heights on Christmas Eve, according to Colonial Heights police.

Jeffrey Kyle Stephenson, 23, of the 2100 block of Chemin Road in Prince George was charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony, police said.

Stephenson is being held without bond at Riverside Regional Jail, and he is scheduled to appear in Colonial Heights General District Court on Wednesday morning.

The victims name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, police said.

Officers responded to a shooting at 6:15 p.m. Sunday and discovered that a teenage male had been brought to the TriCities Emergency Center, where he died shortly after arrival.

Detectives determined that the shooting occurred in the 500 Block of Riverview Road.

Detectives are continuing their investigation and ask anyone with information to contact Colonial Heights police at (804) 520-9300 (select option 7) or Chesterfield/Colonial Heights Crime Solvers at (804) 748-0660.
Madisons longtime mayor, Democrat Paul Soglin, said Tuesday that he plans to formally launch a campaign for governor in a few weeks, which would make him the oldest of the nine top-tier candidates seeking to unseat Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

Soglin, 72, made the announcement on Twitter and Facebook. Hes been toying with entering the race since June, saying as recently as last week that he planned to launch his candidacy in mid-January, barring an unexpected development.

Reached by phone Tuesday by the Wisconsin State Journal, Soglin said he plans to make a formal announcement the second week in January and declined to comment further.

Soglin, a staple in Madison politics for more than 40 years, is known for his liberal policies, bushy mustache and sometimes taciturn demeanor. He was first elected mayor in 1973 and has held the position, on and off, for a total of 20 years.

Soglin told his supporters Tuesday that social media will play an important role as he rolls out his campaign. President Donald Trump and other politicians, including Walker, have tapped into the power of Twitter and other platforms in recent years to speak directly to their supporters and push their political agendas.

Soglin said he would post a message Wednesday about housing and he encouraged supporters to like and share it so we can see the potential of using Facebook. Soglin has about 3,800 Twitter followers and is followed by more than 1,000 people on Facebook.

Walker, who is seeking a third term as governor, has more than 188,000 followers on Twitter on his official account and 287,000 followers on his personal account he uses for campaigns.

Walker, 50, said in June that he would love a chance to run against Soglin, who was an anti-war protester on the UW-Madison campus before being elected mayor in 1973 at age 28.

Walker dismissed Soglin as an unabashed throwback to the 1960s radical liberal, and refused to give him any credit for Madisons strong economy, saying unemployment is low in the capital city because of state government and UW.

Soglin has said that Madisons economic growth has been driving positive numbers statewide, and that this could be a focal point of a run for governor. He has also said that support from around the state, not just in Madison, has fueled his consideration of a run.

When Soglin first floated the possibility of a run back in June, he pointed to the unlikely success of another septuagenarian, 76-year-old Bernie Sanders. The senator from Vermont, who ran for president in 2016, won the Wisconsin primary. Soglin was a Sanders delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

The other highest profile Democratic candidates for governor are: state Superintendent Tony Evers; state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, of Alma; state Rep. Dana Wachs, of Eau Claire; former state Rep. Kelda Roys, of Madison; statewide firefighter union leader Mahlon Mitchell; former state party chairman Matt Flynn; Milwaukee businessman Andy Gronik; and political activist Mike McCabe.

Roys, at 38, is the youngest candidate. Mitchell, at 40, is the next youngest.
ROANOKE  Most people who encountered Bekah and Derrick Quirin along the Appalachian Trail thought they were out on a day hike with their baby.

Then they got up close. They saw the dirt. They caught a whiff of the couple, that aroma of people who have been walking for miles and havent showered in days.

Thats when they learned the Quirins were through-hiking the trail with their 1-year-old daughter, Ellie. The Roanoke family completed the entire 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail this summer.

Shes a really happy baby, and she loves being outside, Bekah said. She just flourished out there on the trail.

Ellie is the first known baby to complete the Appalachian Trail. She technically didnt hike it, because she spent most of the trek in a child backpack.

Also, because of her age, Ellie wasnt permitted to summit Katahdin, the trails majestic mountain terminus in Maine. The title of youngest through-hiker belongs to Christian Thomas, also known as Buddy Backpacker, who walked the trail in 2013 with his family at the age of 5.

The Quirins, both 26, are outdoorsy people. They have degrees in outdoor leadership and years of trail experience. Theyve managed recreation programs in South Carolina, where they lived before moving back to the Roanoke Valley, and are trained as wilderness first responders.

We thought about how we could incorporate Ellie into that lifestyle early on, Bekah said. We had to adjust our lifestyle when we had a baby, but we wanted to get as close as we could to bringing her on outdoor adventures.

On March 20, they set off from the McAfee Knob trailhead in Roanoke County and headed south to Georgia. From there, they drove to Maine and marched back to McAfee Knob on Sept. 30.

Ellie didnt even know how to walk when they started. Her parents carried her in a backpack, but they often let her out to explore. Creeks and streams were her favorite to play in.

Shed grab sticks and play in the dirt or mud, Bekah said. She was never bored. We didnt even have to bring any toys.

The mission of the trip was spending time with Ellie, not necessarily earning any recognition for hiking the trail with a baby. Bekah said that her husband sometimes missed Ellies first moments, such as when she first rolled over or said her first word. Being on the trail together was a bonding experience.

It was great to experience things together instead of me being by myself, Bekah said. I have lots of great memories of us together, and that was really special.

The experience wasnt without difficulties. The Quirins said the main challenge was Ellies added weight on their backs. On one day, the couple hiked so long that the physical strain limited Bekahs breast milk supply. Upon seeing ill people on the trail, she worried about Ellie catching a stomach bug, although that never happened.

The Quirins encourage other parents to get outdoors with their children. They dont necessarily have to hike the entire Appalachian Trail  they can go on a day hike or weekend hike.

You dont need to go on a through-hike to have great outdoors memories with your kids, Bekah said.

The Quirins are part of local branch of Hike It Baby, an international organization that encourages parents to expose their children to nature through free hikes and urban walks.

Volunteers organize regular hikes in the Roanoke Valley, and the website wwww.hikeitbaby.com maintains a calendar of hikes. Bekah Quirin said typically mothers and their babies will hike during the day and fathers are more likely to go for hikes in the afternoons after work.

Theres something about putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation, she said.
WASHINGTON  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 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 on 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? Its impossible to argue with a fool or a liar. It is also difficult to convince people of ones earnestness or commitment to standards if they fundamentally dont 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 Washington Posts 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 Spielbergs new movie is that The Post may be the best rebuttal yet to the fake news mantra. Its the story of the Posts 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 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 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. Though the paper has long been considered a Graham family enterprise, it was Katharines father, Eugene Meyer, who bought the paper in 1933 at a bankruptcy auction, eventually handing over the reins to Katharines 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. So 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 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 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, 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, 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.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Its been 12 weeks and counting, and Puerto Rico still flounders in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, left to beg for federal help. The politics and indifference underlying the islands desperation recall the lyrics of Stephen Sondheim 60 years ago in West Side Story:

Nobody knows in America

Puerto Ricos in America!

The plot of that Broadway musical was rooted in the great migration in the 1950s as Puerto Ricans  American citizens in good standing  fled hardship on their beloved commonwealth island for fresh opportunity and better government benefits in mainland states. A similar diaspora occurred during the recent recession, when 400,000 migrated. Now, thousands upon thousands more have been leaving each week as the island staggers.

Florida has received more than 230,000 Puerto Ricans since the Sept. 20 hurricane, and experts predict the outflow to places such as New York and Pennsylvania could increase by more than 300,000 in the next two years unless a radical rebuilding takes place for Puerto Ricos 3.4 million residents.

The Trump recovery imprint has been far clearer in Gulf Coast states hit by hurricanes this year than on an island that has so little political clout. A double standard in the law was quickly clear after the storm when a federal cap on Puerto Ricos food stamps limited the amount of emergency food aid. Texas and Florida had no such restraints after their hurricanes.

As of last week, only about 60 percent of Puerto Ricos power had been restored. Power remains the key to ever regaining normalcy in business, education and home life. But the island is suffering the longest blackout in United States history. An estimated 700 generators are providing emergency power, with officials hoping for something more permanent no earlier than next summer.

The island was reeling under $74 billion in debt even before the hurricane hit, and its news tends to get worse, not better. Its government counted a death toll of 64 in the first 42 days after the storm, but a detailed survey by The Times found that 1,052 more people than usual had died. More lives are at risk now, with older residents and those with chronic health conditions threatened as the on-again-off-again power grid affects medical machinery.

Nearly half of Puerto Ricos residents rely on Medicaid, which is not as well funded federally on the island as it is in the states. ...The problems are compounded by a looming financial crisis that experts say could leave a quarter of the islands residents without medical care early next year unless Congress and the Trump administration extend special help.

Washington caps the islands Medicaid assistance. This means that while federal revenue covers 75 percent of the Medicaid bill for low-income states such as Mississippi, Puerto Rico gets only about 15 percent to 20 percent coverage. So it resorts to local budgeting and more debt, thereby worsening the bankruptcy spiral. ...

The shaky island government, spendthrift in the past, will have to convince Washington it is reform-minded, as with the recent resignation of the head of the dysfunctional power authority. The island has requested $94.4 billion in federal rebuilding aid, including $17.8 billion to replace its power grid and $31.1 billion for housing. So far, about $5 billion has been approved by a Congress far more preoccupied with cutting upper-bracket taxes than helping troubled Americans.

In the meantime, the exodus continues. Everyone there will have moved here, Anita sings in West Side Story.

The current debate on the island has a more anguished edge about whether to go or stay. Yo no me quito (Im not quitting) has become the vow of those determined to stay to work for a recovery that is hardly in sight.
On March 1, 2018, Kristall, the diamond manufacturer based in Smolensk, turns 55 years old. In the now distant 1963, the factory launched in this city was the first in the domestic industry to start cutting diamonds. It still remains the largest diamond processing center in Russia, providing significant additional value to the precious stones mined in the country.





The highly professional work of Smolensks diamond cutters contributed to the fact that the world market began talking about the "Russian Cut" as a way to cut top quality diamonds. For diamonds cut this way, buyers were willing to pay and paid premiums - sometimes as high as 10 percent.

On the eve of its jubilee, Smolensk's Kristall organized a tour of the diamond manufacturing factory for mass media, during which journalists were familiarized with a number of its units, including the diamond marking center, the laser sawing section, the diamond cutting and polishing shop, and also visited the factory museum. Upon completion of the tour, the CEO of Kristall, Maxim Shkadov gave a press conference.







He said that the outgoing year proved to be difficult for Kristall due to a number of factors that arose in previous years. Last year, Russia zeroed the customs duty on the export of rough, which led to its appreciation for Russian buyers. At the same time, there was registered a speculative increase in rough prices on the backdrop of a decline in polished prices. In addition, the diamond market witnessed a sharp escalation of competition. In India, which has practically turned into a global monopoly of diamond processing using cheap labor, diamond manufacturers are switching over to the latest technologies and now producing all categories of diamonds, although earlier they produced only small-size stones.

Nevertheless, in this environment Kristall manages to maintain the highest quality of work and thereby maintain its position in a highly competitive market. Smolensks company is one of the few in the world that manufactures "Triple Excellent" diamonds on a mass scale. According to Maxim Shkadov, this is what helps Kristall survive.





Speaking about the fate of the diamond industry in Russia, Maxim Shkadov mentioned the decrees issued by the President of the Russian Federation, which point to the need of creating new jobs in the country, and said that natural resources should be processed within the country and it is in this area where new jobs can be created. The countrys government is moving in this direction developing a "road map" for the domestic diamond industry, the purpose of which is to develop the industry and liberalize trade.







At the end of November, Sergey Ivanov, President of ALROSA paid an official visit to Kristall, where he noted that despite the fact that diamond manufacturing in Russia is stagnating Kristall continues to develop and has good prospects. Currently, both companies are about to sign a three-year contract for the supply of rough diamonds, which will allow the Smolensk-based company to have a full workload and keep jobs intact.







"Currently, we have a manufacturing base, which is one of the best in the world. Our diamond cutters and our specialists just cannot be left undemanded. This is absolutely obvious," Maxim Shkadov said. In his opinion, the fact that Kristall is in the process of signing a new three-year agreement with ALROSA, which expanded the scope of the previous agreement in terms of volume and product range, permits to see a certain perspective.





Touching upon the situation in the global diamond industry, Maxim Shkadov mentioned the latters excessive crediting, which reached $ 15 billion, and the role played by India, which, in his opinion, creates a certain danger for all stakeholders in the world market.

Since the bulk of Kristall's goods goes for export, it is important for the company to have safe sales channels in the world market, where, however, competition is increasing from other luxury goods, as well as from synthetic diamonds, which, according to Maxim Shkadov, gradually kill the market of small-size natural diamonds.







In these conditions, he noted, the activity of the Diamond Producers Association (DPA) aimed at generic promotion of natural diamonds is important.

According to Maxim Shkadov, Kristall has practically no outflow or turnover of its workforce. The company has its own licensed training center, which issues diplomas of the state standard. In addition, Kristall in team with the Smolensk branch of the Moscow Power Engineering Institute developed a program for those wishing to obtain a state higher education diploma of "Diamond Processing Manager." The profession of diamond cutter in the present conditions is unique, and those who own it value their jobs, he said.

"It takes three years to prepare a good diamond cutter," the CEO of Kristall said. Our initial cycle of training in this profession lasts six months. And then people come to fulfill the companys output rates, which are rigid enough, in the course of three years. Besides, up to 25% of trainees fail to continue their study, because, as it turns out, not everyone is ready for this work - it is quite complicated. According to our statistics, around 25% of trainees drop out in the process of training and another 25% of them leave the factory while trying to meet the companys output rates. So, approximately 50% remains." This year, Kristall enrolled 80 students to teach them the profession of diamond cutter.







Currently, Kristall relies on increasing its labor productivity and efficiency in processing rough diamonds, which yields good results and allows the company to move forward, to a positive target, although the manufacturer does not so far fully cover its costs. Much attention is paid to marketing strategy and dealing with customers. Although Kristall's products are mainly aimed at wholesale buyers and the company promotes them, including on its own online platform, its marketing department recently launched an online retail store offering certified diamonds for customers who, among other things, can themselves try and create jewelry pieces of their own design using the websites services.

As Maxim Shkadov emphasized, all the efforts of Kristall are now aimed to prevent disruptions in the supply of rough diamonds to the companys production facilities, preserve the enterprise, its personnel and operate in the market environment that exists today.

Vladimir Malakhov, Rough&Polished, Smolensk  Moscow





All images by courtesy of Kristall Press Service




On December 22, ALROSA Supervisory Board approved the sale of ALROSA gas assets at a public auction and key terms and criteria of the sale. To vote on this issue, representatives of the Russian Federation in the Supervisory Board received relevant directions from the Government of the Russian Federation required under the procedure.

100% blocks of shares of Maretiom Investments Limited and Velarion Investments Limited that hold 100% of shares in JSC Geotransgaz and 100% of stakes in Urengoy Gas Company LLC are put up for auction as a single lot.

Auction participation applications will be accepted from December 26, 2017 to January 29, 2018. As per the documentation, the date of the auction will be February 19, 2018.

The reserve price at the auction is set at RUB 30 billion with the bidding step of RUB 100 million.

In accordance with the terms of license agreements, JSC Geotransgaz and Urengoy Gas Company LLC are engaged in gas and gas condensate production on the territory of Beregovoy and Ust-Yamsoveisky license areas in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District.

JSC Geotransgaz carries out commercial development of Valanginian gas condensate deposit and Cenomanian gas deposit at its licensed area of Beregovoye oil and gas condensate field.

Urengoy Gas Company LLC is engaged in geological prospecting, planning and surveying, research and development of the area and commissioning of existing deposits of Ust-Yamsoveisky licensed area into commercial operation.




. 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.
CSX

CSX Corp. on Dec. 22 named James Foote as president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. Formerly chief operating officer, Foote had been acting CEO since Dec. 14 after E. Hunter Harrison was placed on medical leave.

Harrison died Dec. 16. Foote will also join the CSX Board of Directors.

Foote, a senior executive with more than 40 years of railroad industry experience in finance, operations and sales and marketing, was named Executive Vice President and COO of CSX in October 2017. Prior to joining CSX, He was President and CEO of Bright Rail Energy, a technology company formed in 2012 to design, develop and sell products that allow railroads to convert locomotives to natural gas power.

Before heading Bright Rail, Foote was Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing with CN, which he joined in 1995 as Vice President of Investor Relations to assist the companys privatization. He also served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing-Merchandise. Foote began his career in the railroad industry in 1972 as a laborer in the mechanical department with the Soo Line Railroad in Superior, Wisc. For nine years, he worked union operating positions with Soo Line and Chicago & North Western full time while earning his undergraduate and law degrees.

I worked alongside Hunter for more than a decade, said Foote. His pioneering approach to railroading unlocked significant efficiencies and value, and we remain focused on delivering on this vision for CSX, our customers and our shareholders. The execution of Precision Scheduled Railroading is well under way, with the most critical components of the implementation completed and beginning to generate measurable operating improvement. We look forward to providing an update on our strategic progress and to showcase our deeply talented management team at our upcoming investor day in March.

While we continue to mourn the loss of Hunter Harrison, the Board of Directors is pleased to announce Jim Foote as his successor, said CSX Chairman Edward J. Kelly III. Jim has decades of railroading experience, and the Board is confident of his ability to lead the company. He has already had a markedly positive impact. The Board looks forward to working with him.

In related news, CSX is reconsidering its decision to withdraw from the Howard Street Tunnel double-stack clearance project in Baltimore. The Baltimore Sun reported on Dec. 19 that members of Marylands congressional delegation, representatives of Gov. Larry Hogan, and Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh met with Jim Foote to discuss CSXs position. Sen. Ben Cardin told newspaper that Foote agreed to have an open mind about the tunnel.

CSX was officially non-committal: CSX had a productive discussion about the Howard Street Tunnel with the Maryland Congressional delegation and representatives from the offices of Gov. Hogan and Mayor Pugh, a spokesman said. CSX appreciates the partnership we have developed with the state, city and port, and we look forward to continuing the dialogue with them about our plans moving forward.

The late E. Hunter Harrison cancelled the $425 million project, a public-private partnership that would have relied on a combination of federal, state, and CSX funding, telling a Nov. 29 investor conference that hes philosophically opposed to receiving government money and that the East Coast has too many ports competing for traffic. When you start taking their money, they want to try to tell you how to run your companyand they ought be able to, Harrison said. Nobody wants to be told their ports not the super port. But somebodys got to wake up to that. And sometimes its got to be us by saying we cant invest in that with shareholder money because its not a good investment.

CSX had been committed to investing $145 million, while the Maryland Department of Transportation had earmarked $125 million. Maryland officials in December 2016 had applied for a $155 million federal FASTLANE grant, then reapplied this past summer after the Trump Administration changed the program requirements.
Florida East Coast Railway

Florida East Coast Railway (FECR) recently provided training for emergency responders on railway safety issues associated with various equipment used in daily rail operations.

The training took place in Floridas Volusia and Palm Beach counties. FECR said Dec. 26 that it had partnered with The Safety Train, an independent organization that operates a tank car train that has an onboard classroom and tank cars.

The railway said The Safety Train enables experts from FECR, fellow railroads and environmental services companies to offer hands-on training dealing with hazardous materials transportation equipment and LNG, a clean-burning natural gas.

Our goal is to provide employees, customers and first responders in the communities we serve with the knowledge required to help us be the safest and most reliable railroad in North America. The safety for our employees and communities is our primary mission as we strive to provide timely service to our customers, explained Fran Chinnici, FECRs senior vice president and chief operating officer.

FECR has pioneered the use of LNG as a locomotive fuel.

LNG allows the FECR to improve its carbon footprint, the railway said, adding that it is enabled to reduce emissions for a cleaner environment in the communities it serves.

As we continue to implement the latest equipment, processes and technology to improve our operations and overall sustainability, we simultaneously ensure the highest level of safety and reliability, Chinnici said.

FECR also said it intends to conduct similar training with other counties on Floridas east coast in the days ahead.
Facebook Inc. (FB) said that requests for user data from governments worldwide continued to increase.

According to Facebook's latest semi-annual Transparency Report, requests for account data from governments increased by 21 percent globally to 78,890 from 64,279 in the last report, which covered the second half of 2016. The Transparency Report was previously called the Government Requests Report.

The countries that were most active in making requests to Facebook for account data were the U.S., India, the UK, Germany and France. The governments of these countries had more than 50 percent of their requests granted.

The U.S. government made 32,716 requests for data in the latest period, up 26 percent from the second half of 2016, Facebook said in its latest report. Facebook granted 85 percent of the U.S. government's requests.

"Fifty-seven percent of the data requests we received from law enforcement in the U.S. contained a non-disclosure order that prohibited us from notifying the user, up from 50% in our last report," Facebook Deputy General Counsel Chris Sonderby said in a blog post.

Facebook also said that for the first time, it has expanded the report beyond government requests to provide data regarding reports from rights holders related to intellectual property - covering copyright, trademark and counterfeit.

In the first half of 2017, Facebook received 224,464 copyright reports about content on Facebook, 41,854 trademark reports, and 14,279 counterfeit reports.

According to Facebook, the number of content restrictions for violating local law increased by 304 percent globally to 28,036 in the first half of 2017 from 6,944 in the second half of 2016.

This increase was primarily driven by a request from Mexican law enforcement to remove instances of a video depicting a school shooting in Monterrey in January. Facebook said it restricted access in Mexico to 20,506 instances of the video in the first half of 2017.

Meanwhile, there were 52 disruptions of Facebook services in nine countries in the first half of 2017, compared to 43 disruptions in 20 countries in the second half of 2016.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Democrats and Republicans have long been at odds about how to handle healthcare, but President Donald Trump has expressed confidence lawmakers will eventually work together to address the issue.

Trump offered his optimistic assessment in a post on Twitter on Tuesday, citing the inclusion of the repeal of Obamacare's individual mandate in the recently signed GOP tax reform bill.

"Based on the fact that the very unfair and unpopular Individual Mandate has been terminated as part of our Tax Cut Bill, which essentially Repeals (over time) ObamaCare, the Democrats & Republicans will eventually come together and develop a great new HealthCare plan!" Trump tweeted.

White House officials have recently said Trump would sign two bipartisan bills intended to address issues related to Obamacare.

One bill crafted by Senators Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., would provide funding for a key Obamacare insurance subsidy program.

A second bill from Senators Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Bill Nelson, D-Fla., would fund a reinsurance program for high-risk insurance enrollees.

Collins reportedly agreed to vote for the Republican tax reform legislation after receiving assurances that the two bills would receive votes in the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ken., indicated in an interview with NPR last week that Republicans would shift away from repeated efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare in 2018.

Noting that Republicans will have an even smaller majority in the Senate after Democratic Senator-elect Doug Jones of Alabama is seated, McConnell said the GOP will "probably move on to other issues."

McConnell argued the repeal of the individual mandate as part of the tax reform bill "takes the heart out of Obamacare" and indicated he wants to focus instead on stabilizing the insurance .

However, other Republicans such as Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., have pledged to move forward with efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare.

"To those who believe - including Senate Republican leadership - that in 2018 there will not be another effort to Repeal and Replace Obamacare -- well you are sadly mistaken," Graham said.

"By eliminating the individual mandate in the tax bill we have pulled one of the pillars of Obamacare out," he added. "But by no means has Obamacare been repealed or replaced."

Graham indicated he would continue to push for a bill repealing and replacing Obamacare by block-granting money back to the states.

(Photo: Michael Vadon)

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Hubbell Inc. (HUBB) announced Tuesday morning that it has agreed to acquire Aclara Technologies LLC for approximately $1.1 billion in cash.

Hubbell gapped open higher this morning and has continued to rise in early trade. The stock is now up 2.83 at $138.06. Hubbell has been on an upward trend for the past month and has climbed to a new high for the year.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Report: 19 Yemeni civilians killed in more than 57 US-Saudi aggression airstrikes in one day





SANAA, Dec 26 (Saba)  At least 19 civilians were killed, Including children and women, and 62 others wounded in more than 57 airstrikes launched by US-backed Saudi-led aggression coalition warplanes on several Yemeni provinces over the past day, officials and medics told Saba on Tuesday.



In the Capital Sanaa, seven civilians were killed, and other five injured, including a girl, in four airstrikes on a guard's house in a cemetery in Maeen district west of the capital.



In Dhamar province, southern of the capital Sanaa, at least 4 civilians were killed and other 55 injured in five airstrikes on Customs Department in the province. Most of the injured were in critical conditions.



In Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, eight civilians were killed, and two were injured in Saudi aggression airstrikes on Zuribah area of Zabaid district.



Also in Hodeidah, the US-baked Saudi aggression warplanes carried out more than twenty air raids on Khokhah district, causing heavy damage to residents properties.



Meanwhile , the fighter jets of the aggression launched an airstrike on a taxi while it was parking in a main street of Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.



In northern province of Saada, planes of the aggression conducted six air raids on Razeh district, leaving huge damage on civilians properties.



The aggression warplanes also waged ten airstrikes on Kutaf district, and other three air raids on Baqem district in Sadaa.



In Hajjah, northwest of the country, the US-backed Saudi aggression coalition fighter jets waged three airstrike on Haradh and Medi districts.



In Nehm district, about 50 km north of Sanaa, the aggression fighter jets carried out two air strikes on Ramadhah junction road, damaging resident's houses and farms.





Writing by Sameera al-Mahdi, Editing by Zak

Saba

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[26/December/2017]
Ah Liki Wholesale and Krissy Company gave away prizes worth more than $39,000 at their Vaitele store on Friday.

The prizes were part of a Christmas promotion the company had run. From 2,000 entries, 31 winners were selected.

Company representative, Lemalu Elizabeth Seuoti, said the prizes was their way of thanking their customers for their support.

This is our way of giving back to our people here in Samoa for they have not only been supporting Ah Liki, but also Krissy Company, the main source behind this draw.

We are just happy and there are always people out there who are willing to help our company out and this is our small way of giving back to the people of Samoa, she said.

The prizes comprised of hampers worth $40, bluetooth headphones, PS4 bundle, mountain bikes and more.

One of the winners was April Manu, a mother of three who expressed gratitude to company for the opportunity to win something for this festive season.

I am very thankful for this promotion that I am able to get this gift. As a mother, this is a good Christmas present for me since I am always so focused on getting things for my kids, I do not need to get a gift for myself, the Krissy Company got me one instead, she said.

She added it is a great gift because not only will she share the gift with her kids, but also it is a good way to exercise and stay healthy.
Its the cold truth. Reading the story Mother tells of escaped prisoners attack horror published in the Weekend Observer last week immediately sent shivers down the spine.

It wasnt just for the graphic details of what unraveled at Ululoloa that morning. The people involved, especially the name Lautiti Tualima, brought back chilling memories of another gruesome attack, which made world headlines a few years ago. It would be fair to say Samoa tourism is still trying to recover from.

Considered one of Samoas most dangerous criminals, back in 2015, Tualima broke away from Tafaigata and somehow managed to find his way to Tiavi.

There at a remote resort carved into a tree, Tualima committed one of the worst cases of rape ever told against a couple who were in Samoa to celebrate their wedding. Having spent great quality time in Samoa, the Australia duo were getting ready to head to the airport to board their flight home when the unthinkable happened.

Tualima broke into their room, outmuscled and tied the man down and then he proceeded to rape his wife at knifepoint while he looked on. The shocking details of what unfolded have been well told.

Suffice to day his behaviour attracted world attention to Samoa where Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi was forced to defend the reputation of this country as a safe place for tourists. How can we forget that infamous 60 Minutes episode filmed on 4 July 2016 at the Prime Ministers office?

A lot was said during that interview which divided opinions across the nation.

But the Prime Minister extended an invitation to the crew of 60 Minutes to come (back) before the 1st of June next year. Around the time of our Independence. He promised that things would be a lot better then.

Well that was six months ago. Whether 60 Minutes crew returned we dont know.

What we do know is that if they did come, they would have an even more sensational programme to film and tell the world. Thats because not only has Prime Minister Tuilaepas government been unable to complete the new Prison, Tualima has struck again.

Last week he was among four prisoners who escaped from Tafaigata and allegedly attacked two family homes at Ululoloa.

One of the victims is a prominent businesswoman and mother of three who was left with facial injuries and nightmares about the ordeal. Speaking to the Weekend Observer, the woman who asked for her name to be withheld, said she is scarred for the rest of her life.

She is convinced that it was Lauititi who broke into her bedroom.

He leaned towards me with a knife and pushed me onto the bed, she said. He threatened to stab me and then he punched me on the face. At some point, my youngest daughter woke up and was screaming and he pulled her off the mattress.

I had to take control of the situation. I just told him - just relax and that my purse is there, just take it. He just took my iPhone and ran off.

The woman went on to tell The Weekend Observer she was afraid for her familys safety.

My daughters were in the kitchen with some other knives trying to fend off the others who were outside.

I thought it was just Lauititi there and it wasnt until I spoke to my daughters. When I screamed they saw another guy running out of the house and thats when I realised there were two guys in the house.

We are grateful that the businesswoman and her children survived.

But we fear to even imagine what could have happened had these guys had weapons on them?

The question is, how many more innocent members of the public must be subjected to this kind of treatment before this government wakes up about the need to ensure prisoners are kept behind bars?

Whats the point of the Police investigating and finding these criminals and the Court sentencing them if the Prison is not secured enough for them to stay there? Now obviously Tualima is considered one of the most dangerous criminals in Samoa and yet if he is able to escape quite easily, what does that tell us of security at the prison?

Samoa, especially Prime Minister Tuilaepas government, needs to wake up and do a better job to protect the innocent citizens of this country  and visitors  who continue to be subjected to abuse and hurt caused by prisoners behaving as if they can do anything they like.

The incident from last week involving Tualima and other prisoners is yet another slap in the face of this government who seem to be more concerned about catching Ole Palemia rather that doing what they are paid to do which is to protect members of the public.

The fact is we are tired of hearing the same excuses every time prisoners break away and hurt innocent people. We dont want to hear any more excuses. The government should just hurry up and complete the new prison and spend money wisely to ensure prisoners are kept in there.

What do you think?

Have a safe Wednesday Samoa, God bless!
Re: Samoa and Israel

I completely disagree with this editorial. Samoa should stand for what is right. What is right is that a two state solution is the only principled solution to that mess.

This means East Jerusalem is the rightful capital of a future Palestinian state.

The illegal settlements on there by Israeli settlers are a disgrace. The Palestinians are an oppressed people living under an occupation by a state foisted on them by Europeans who exported illegal immigrants to Palestine.

Ben Netanyahu is a criminal.

Samoa should not be supporting these two clowns Netanyahu and Trump. They were brought to power by racists; extremists; and radicals.

Furthermore, Samoa owes nothing to Trump after he pulled out of the Paris Climate Change Accord.

PS Jeffrey
Dear Editor,

No modern-day president more bombastic and dynamic in driving world media nuts than President Donald J. Trump.

Trump is like the sun; as the sun gives life to the earth and so is Trump gives life to the Twitterverse because of his out-of-this-world addiction to tweets.

Since his inauguration Pres. Trump had to fight the G.O.P non-believers, the progressive liberal Democrats, the news media, and a whole lot others.

But for the sake of Christmas season, I focus on perhaps the most important decision of Trumps presidency; he brought back Jesus Christ at the centre of American politics after eight years of absence.

And with it, Trump brought back Christmas holidays at the apex of this seasons celebration, together with the newly signed Tax overhaul that gives extra thousands of dollars to the American workers to make their Christmas merrier than before.

Including the appointment of a conservative Supreme Court judge that will shape U.S. laws in generations to come.

Truly, this all-important appointment cannot be appreciated fully at this time.

At the same time, no one should never underestimate its impact and importance because years from now people will forget Trumps pompous style and even his ridiculous hairstyle but not the appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.

As a Christian nation, we should join together in thanking President Donald J. Trump for his leadership at the White House, regardless of our religious denominations.

He had to fight the agnostic, the atheist, the non-Christians, and especially the progressive liberals in an effort to bring back the very reason that made America the greatest nation on earth.

For me, this action alone merits a grateful gesture from all Christians here and abroad to despite Trumps obvious human weaknesses and his seemingly intended egotism.

To Pres. Donald J. Trump, thank you for being our Grinchy Claus.

Have a Merrier Christmas and Happier New Year to you and your family!

Merry Christmas Samoa!

Ryan Chrisian Flor Nemes
Eight families will have one more special reason to remember this Christmas season.

While the world celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Monday, the families welcomed new-born babies at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital and Tuasivi Hospital in Savaii.

Among them is a baby boy who has also been named Christmas Pita.

This was confirmed by Dr. Tapa Fidow, Senior Registrar at T.T.M.H.

Six were born in Upolu and two were born in Savaii.

Six babies were born in T.T.M. Hospital with the first being a girl delivered at 1:10am, he said.

There were no complications met within the hospital and everything went well. There were two born in M.T.2. Savaii with the first being birth being a girl and born at 8am.

Secolasitica Pita was among the mothers who gave birth on Christmas day.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer yesterday, she said she felt nothing but joy as she welcomed her son, Christmas Pita.

Hailing from the village of Levi, Mrs. Pita explained that this was her first child born on Christmas day.

Right now all I am feeling is exceeding joy, she said.

This is my third child. My eldest is four years old and my other one is two. This is my first baby born on Christmas day so I am so happy with that; thats why I named him Christmas.

Baby was born at nine pounds and there were no complications at all.

Mrs. Pita also added she was not aware that her baby would be born on Christmas day but she feels extremely lucky and thankful to God with how it all worked out.
The Police have arrested a well known criminal who had been on the most wanted list with an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

This was confirmed by the Police in a statement.

The statement does not name the criminal".

But it says the man is a suspect in a number of unsolved burglary cases" .

Earlier today whilst everyone celebrated Christmas, the police chased a well known criminal who was wanted on a warrant of arrest issued by the court after he failed to appear to answer to charges filed against him in February 2017, the statement said.

This particular individual was also wanted by Police on a number of unsolved burglary cases.

Police resources were pulled from General Policing, Domestic Violence Unit, Traffic, Forensic, K9 and Tactical Operation to assist the Criminal Investigation Division with the pursuit. Furthermore, the support of the community made it possible for police to apprehend this individual. He is now in custody.

The Police thanked the villages of Ma'agao, Vigi-fou and Moataa for their assistance in the arrest made.

Also during the weekend, the Police responded to a call from a member of the public concerning illicit drugs (marijuana) being sold at the Tafaigata area.

As a result, the police apprehended two male individuals who were in possession of a troubling quantity of marijuana. Both men have been charged accordingly and are now awaiting their court cases.

Eradicating the issue of drugs and access to marijuana in Samoa requires a whole of community approach.

The Samoa Police Service would not be able to do its role if it wasnt for the courageous members of our community who are reporting these matters to us.

The S.P.S. wishes to extend its sincere appreciation to the general public who are continuing their support by being vigilant and reporting suspicious matters to the police.

We hope that every family in Samoa enjoys the Festive Holidays with zero drugs in our streets/homes and community.
The Attorney Generals Office is considering whether to appeal the Supreme Courts decision to quash the criminal conviction of former Deputy Prime Minister, Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo.

This is according to A.G. Criminal Division Senior Prosecutor, Rexona Titi in response to questions from the Samoa Observer.

Two weeks ago, Supreme Court Justice Mata Keli Tuatagaloa ruled that the appeal against sentence is upheld.

The sentence imposed is quashed and the appellant is discharged without conviction, her ruling says.

Titi told the Samoa Observer the Courts decision was that the guilty plea verdict remains.

But the sentence was set aside and substituted with a sentence of discharge without conviction.

Regarding the appeal, Titi was not sure whether they will file an appeal.

As to your question of appeal, as with any other case before the Court, our office needs to review decision whether there are in fact any grounds to further appeal the matter.

Efforts to get comments from Member of Parliament, Fonotoe have been unsuccessful as of press time.

In 2014, District Court Judge Vaepule Vaemoa Va'ai, convicted Fonotoe on a charge of inciting or encouraging the obstruction of a Police officer from executing his/her duty.

The charges and conviction stemmed from an incident on Beach road on the night of Friday 4 October, 2013, where Fonotoe was alleged to have obstructed Police work.

Fonotoe appealed the decision and had since been upheld by the court.

According to Justice Tuatagaloas ruling, Fonotoe, 50, had a clean record prior to the offence.

He has a distinguished record of service as a public servant and as a senior lawyer for more than 20 years.

He has been a Member of Parliament since 2005 and has represented Samoa to regional and international meetings and no doubt has built a reputation both regionally and internationally.

Mr. Merediths reputation as a lawyer and being able to practice has already been affected when a conviction was entered against him.

A conviction will affect him practicing as a lawyer (issuance of a practicing certificate) and continuing to be a member of the Samoa Law Society.

Violence is a relevant factor to the degree of culpability of the offender.

It is always an aggravating factor where it is involved in the commission of an offence.

In the same vein, it must also be appreciated in sentencing where there is no violence involved. In this case there was no violence involved.

Justice Tuatagaloa also noted the public apology by Fonotoe on television (in my view) is to the whole of Samoa which would include the police officers involved and the Ministry of Police.

The public apology by Mr. Meredith who is a public figure can be said to restore confidence in the role of police officers in enforcing the law that may have been disrespected and undermined by Mr. Meredith.

Apologizing on television is an acknowledgment by Mr. Meredith personally for his behaviour which public apology also shows great remorse on Mr. Merediths part.

Justice Tuatagaloa concluded that in the particular circumstances of this case, she is of the view that the direct and indirect consequences of a conviction on Mr. Meredith far outweigh the gravity of his offending.

I hold this ground of appeal successful.

A discharge without conviction under s. 104(5) Shall be deemed to be an acquittal, she said.
Being separated from families and friends in times like Christmas is not easy.

But for Samoan students studying in China, being able to spend time with other Samoan students makes the burden a lot lighter.

This is according to Raymond Schuster who is working on his Masters Degree in Huagong Chemical University in Beijing, China.

Its hard especially in China where they dont celebrate the birth of the Messiah Jesus Christ, he said.

So having the holidays away from home, most especially Christmas is always the hardest time.

However when you meet other Samoans and plan a Holiday get together, it makes it a lot easier. So the other Samoan students that we got together attend different Universities and live in other parts Beijing.

We have been doing this every year as part of coming together as a family to celebrate Christmas under one roof.

Mr. Schuster has been away for more than five years.

He said he felt blessed being able to celebrate Christmas with other Samoan students.

For us right now, its nearing our finals, he said. This is our last get together where we encourage our new comers to be strong and to focus on why they left home in the first place.

Its never easy but for us who have been living in China for a long time, we tend to play the older brother figure to the new Samoan students here for the first time.

Lastly, they want to wish Samoa a very Merry Christmas.

On behalf of the Samoan students attending School in Beijing, I want to wish all our families a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Please continue to pray for us as we have finals up ahead.
The rising number of Asian businesses is good for Samoa.

But it also comes with very serious consequences Samoans need to be alert about.

This is the belief of father of four, Apulu Sapati, 67, from the village of Faleasiu.

Mr. Sapati said there are always two sides of every story.

The good side of the Chinese businesses coming to Samoa is that they provide job opportunities, he said.

Another good thing for them coming to Samoa is that competition will make prices come down.

Mr. Sapati met the Village Voice team at the Mulifanua Wharf. He was about to depart for Savaii with his family.

Mr. Sapati is worried that the Chinese businesses will drive out many Samoans who are running businesses.

The reality of Samoa local businesses owners right now is that they are closing shop and some of them are going back to sell B.B.Q next to the road.

Many local businesses cannot compete with the Chinese. This is bad for Samoa because these local business owners are serving their families, villages and churches and yet they are closing because of the Chinese.

We have to be careful about this.

Mr. Mulitalo is also concerned about the land.

Lots of Chinese are now settling in Samoa and some of them have bought land, he said.

Their population is rising and they are spreading all over Samoa. I fear what will happen in the future.

Mr. Mulitalo said the government needs to be vigilant.

Like I said, the Chinese coming to Samoa is good but we have to watch them very carefully, he said.

We cannot fall asleep while they slowly take over businesses and eventually our country.
Life in Samoa is not exactly what the tourism brochures promise as paradise.

The reality is that some of the poorest people find daily living a struggle.

Simplicity though is sometimes best.

And thats how Mua Mulitalo, a 29-year-old father from Falelauniu copes.

Like many families, Mr. Mulitalo said money is always an issue.

Me and my wife both dont work at the moment but we have four children to support, he said.

We are living with my wifes family members and we help each other.

The limited land at Falelauniu is a challenge.

We do not have enough lands here to start a plantation for us, he said.

Mr. Mulitalo met up with Village Voice while he on his way home from helping a mate finish a project.

He shared about how his family is coping.

Me and my wife are running a canteen around our area, he said.

We sell cinnamon and pork buns to the families around here.

We sell this stuff from Monday to Saturdays. Its good money but it is hard work. We know what we have to do. We have to work hard for four children and thats why we will never give up.

Mr. Mulitalo added many people in Samoa struggle because they are lazy.

We all know that life is hard in Samoa but the only solution is to work harder, he said.

Father within families need to work harder. They are supposed to be role models. It doesnt matter what, they have to work harder and be brave.

Mr. Mulitalo added that even though his work is hard, but he is happy because its the only way that can provide for his children.

The work I am doing is very hard. I cover long distances and we have to ensure we sell everything we produce during the day because we cant save it for the next day.

But the only thing I keep reminding myself is that I love my children and I dont want to see them starve. I want to ensure they always have enough food and clothes and thats me fulfilling my role as a father.
Westfield Horton Plaza, sold recently to a French real estate company along with the rest of the Westfield chain, needs help.

Many tenant spaces are vacant and more are going empty as leases expire.

The fortress-like design no longer fits spruced-up downtown.

The retail world is changing and all shopping centers have to adapt to the age of Amazon.

Should the mall be razed or saved?

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Horton Plazas future: Heres the full story.

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Westfield Horton Plaza was a quiet place during the holidays: No Santa, no Christmas tree, few shoppers.

But there was big news that may mean big changes to the mall that spurred downtowns revitalization over the past generation.

A French real estate company, Unibail-Rodamco, bought Westfields 35 malls in the U.S. and Britain for $15.7 billion to add to its 69 centers in continental Europe.

No plans have been announced but the step comes none too soon for 32-year-old Horton Plaza, which has lost numerous shops and restaurants in recent months.

Westfield had been mulling ideas for a decade or more and even razed one of its original departments in anticipation of a major makeover. But the company instead focused on a $600 million upgrade to its Westfield UTC property.

A panel of local planners, architects, a real estate economist and downtown civic leader gathered recently at the Union-Tribunes office to ponder what might happen to the multi-tiered, 900,000-square-foot mall that rocked the retail world when it opened in 1985.

Their ideas? A lightly remodeled center with streets and view corridors reopened; a radical takedown replaced by a half-dozen mixed-use towers; or a more organic makeover that somehow captures current innovations in working, shopping and living in an urban center.

Sometimes projects like that have an unusual life, said Daniela Deutsch, an architect who worked on possible Horton redos a decade ago. They kind of ignite and die quickly. It was a powerful thing and I think it can be revitalized and reinvented.

Daniela Deutsch (Howard Lipin / U-T )

Vicki Estrada (Howard Lipin / U-T )

Gary London (Howard Lipin / U-T )

Gary Smith (Howard Lipin / U-T )

Frank Wolden (Howard Lipin / U-T )

Mike Stepner (Howard Lipin / U-T )

Real estate economist Gary London remembers Aug. 8, 1985, when thousands of San Diegans celebrated on the eve of the ribbon cutting.

The best party that San Diego ever had was opening night at Horton Plaza, he said. I remember standing outside Nordstrom and seeing the downtown skyline. It reminded me of Manhattan. It was the most amazing thing ever. In the moment it was built, it was exactly the right solution.

Veteran San Diego planner Mike Stepners memory goes back even further, to the early-1970s, when newly elected Mayor Pete Wilson enticed developer Ernest W. Hahn to try a new type of downtown retail center.

It would not only reintroduce shopping after years of a store exodus but also reinvigorate south of Broadway, then a no-go zone for respectable people because of all the X-rated bookstores, peep shows and bawdy bars and flop houses.

Frank Wolden, an architect hired by the newly formed Centre City Development Corp., soon moved over to the Jerde Partnership that Hahn hired to design the center. Jerde also designed the Los Angeles Olympics of 1984 and numerous Horton-inspired centers around the world.

It was the first introduction of experiential design into urban thinking, Wolden said.

Jerde conceived of Horton as an Italian hilltown, where visitors would get lost as they wandered through five levels of shops and restaurants. They would encounter pastel-colored, Post-Modern architecture and a nod to historic buildings that stood there before.

Gary Smith, the president of the San Diego Downtown Residents Group who moved downtown two years before Horton opened, said he had to drive to Point Loma for the nearest grocery before Horton opened and a nearby Ralphs soon followed. Tourists, conventioneers and suburban shoppers came to take a look.

Every weekend that place would be packed with people coming up from Mexico, tons of them, spending money right and left, Smith said.

In subsequent years, the Gaslamp Quarter was cleaned and thrived. The San Diego Convention Center opened and expanded. New housing, office and hotels went up. Petco Park and the new Central Library jump started redevelopment in East Village. The downtown waterfront spruced up. New federal and state courthouses opened. The San Diego Trolley expanded.

Today, the Gaslamp and ballpark district are the hot spots downtown. Fashion Valley and Westfield UTC have been refreshed and expanded to capture top-market shoppers. The Internet, Amazon, Uber and Lyft have all transformed American life.

Horton Plaza tried to keep up but it lost three of its four original department stores, one of which was demolished to expand Horton Plaza park. The Gap has announced its closing and other retailers are said to be on their way out as their leases expire. The top-floor food court only has five eateries.

For Westfield, it was clear for years that it didnt work, Deutsch said. It ended up being a fortress because it didnt work otherwise (when it first opened). Now its ready for a revision and crack it open to the city.

The fortress is made of two huge parking garages on the south and west side, built not only to house shoppers cars but also to make access difficult for the riffraff that populated the Gaslamp Quarter in the 1970s and 80s. That defensive wall now discourages Gaslamp revelers from venturing into Horton.

Ernie (Hahn) told me when Horton first happened that 20 years from now, it wouldnt look like anything today, Stepner recalled. He projected it would be redeveloped a number of times.

Vicki Estrada has operated her landscape architecture firm overlooking the mall for 31 years.

For 25 years, the design worked fine, she said.

Estrada offered one approach to Horton: open up its vistas and recreate the original street grid, when Second and Third Avenue ran through the site north and south, and E and F streets ran through east and west.

You can see all the way through (the mall), she said. Instead of mall-type shops, you go urbanist. They look like streets and offices and you honor the blocks that were there.

Deutsch said early redevelopment plans called for stripping away the colorful stucco and simplifying and modernizing the look but the geometry would remain largely in place.

It was a palace, clean, state of the art, transparent, she said. But in my opinion it was luxurious but dry. It might have worked as retail. My question is would this work for the city.

A later iteration would have inserted offices and housing in terraces above the ground level.

They always wanted to have a mixed-use component, Europeanified, she said, speaking from her upbringing in Romania and education in Germany.

London said whats likely to happen is that the new Horton Plaza will include much less retail, perhaps only 200,000 square feet, about 75 percent less than today. Shops and restaurants would mostly occupy the ground floors of a half-dozen high-rise office, hotel and residential buildings.

Whether its the new (French) company or they spin it (to another owner), its going to happen much quicker, he said.

Whatever happens, Deutsch said, the original vision of Horton as a new kind of urban place should remain. Thats why its been such a long, painful process  because we dont want to lose this heart of the city.

Westfield Horton Plaza was sold recently to a French real estate company. https://t.co/APsnBe8AC1 What do you think should happen to it?  Union-Tribune Ideas (@sdutIdeas) December 26, 2017

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roger.showley@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-1286; Twitter: @rogershowley
More change is coming to the transportation industry in the next five years than has taken place over the last 50 years. Automakers, information and technology providers and electronics firms are joining to create the next-generation of transportation. And that will include cars that you drive, cars that drive you, cars that talk to each other, cars that talk to you and cars that will become a personal assistant to meet you at the airport, get the groceries and return the dog from the groomer.

Many in the auto industry call this new frontier a mobility revolution, but this jump to hyperdrive will not happen without fair warning  and much-improved roadways.

Pointing the way will be electrified cars and cars that will electrify and entertain at the 2018 San Diego International Auto Show, which will open its five-day run on Thursday, Dec. 28, in the downtown convention center. The 525,000-square-foot show  the second largest auto show in California  is, essentially, the largest (non-selling) new car showroom in town.

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Fresh from debuts at this months Los Angeles Auto Show, the auto show will have more than 20 vehicles to be seen publicly for the second time. Among them:

Audi RS5 coupe, with 450 horsepower.

Buick Enclave Avenir SUV, a higher level of luxury.

Hyundai Kona, compact SUV crossover.

Infiniti QX50 and face-lifted QX80 SUVs.

2018 Jaguar E-Pace compact SUV.

2019 Range Rover Sport plug-in hybrid.

2018 Jeep Wrangler, redesigned.

Kia Stinger Sportback, the brands new hatchback halo.

Lincoln Nautilus, the redesigned and renamed MKX SUV.

Lexus RX 350L, the three-row, extended-wheelbase model.

Mazda6 midsize sedan, redesigned.

Nissan Kicks subcompact crossover. The first new Nissan nameplate in the last eight years.

Saleen S1, 450-hp, carbon-fiber supercar.

Subaru WRX STI Type RA, named for its Nurburgring Record Attempt.

Signs of the times

The Eco Center and the Mobility Zone have grown significantly in size and content this year, likely just a sign of the times for those seeking cleaner vehicles and also a maturing population seeking creative ways to maintain their mobility.

The Eco Center will have more support from major manufacturers. Included this year will be Volvo showing plug-in hybrid versions of the S90 sedan, XC60 midsize SUV and the larger, seven-seat XC90. Honda will promote its family of Clarity sedans with plug-in hybrid, fuel cell and battery-electric models.

The Mobility Zone has expanded to 10,000 square feet (4,000 more than last year) and will again be organized by Poway-based GoldenBoy Mobility, an innovator and fabricator of unique designs to modify vehicles. It has worked with many San Diegans to adapt their vintage, off-road and family vehicles with creative solutions for access. Several vehicles, including a modified pickup truck, will show alternative seating solutions and ramps for easier entry and exit from a vehicle. Also planned for the display is a race car with driving controls, a Trophy Truck for desert racing and a side-by-side all-terrain vehicle.

Exotics

The Exotics Vault at the northern end of the floor is an expansive 20,000 square feet that will corral some of the most ultra-luxury and

performance vehicles not commonly seen on area roads. Among them, the just introduced Saleen S1 supercar ($100,000) with a carbon-fiber body and 450-horsepower, high-output turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder. It is capable of 0-60 mph acceleration in 3.5 seconds, Saleen says.

Test Drives

There will be 11 Test Drives from 13 automakers, which adds up to an impressive 79 different models to try out, including Camp Jeep.

Test Drives are an extension of the show and provide tremendous opportunities for ticket holders to comparison shop by actually driving new vehicles, while learning about their features and technologies from product specialists, said auto-show director Kevin Leap, with the New Car Dealers Association San Diego, which puts on the show.

Camp Jeep, the most popular thrill ride at the show, will be back for its ninth year with some new obstacles among its sprawling, 40,000 square foot indoor off-road experience, with the 20-foot-tall Jeep Mountain. Pro drivers navigate the 10-minute course for wide-eyed passengers.

Ins and outs

With corporate support for the first time, the Jaguar and Land Rover brands will display more 12 vehicles from their ever-growing model lines. Headliners in the Jaguar display will include the new XF Sportbrake wagon and E-Pace compact SUV crossover. Range Rovers top pick will be the 2019 Range Rover Sport PHEV, the companys first plug-in hybrid.

No shows will include BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac and Mitsubishi.

Maynards Garage

I will be on site most days in Maynards Garage Lounge, in the M-19 area of specialty vehicles at the northern end of the center. Stop by to talk cars, rest your feet and get my opinion on the latest and greatest new vehicles. At noon Saturday, Dec. 30, Ive convinced my Wheels freelancers to spend an hour or so in Maynards Garage to talk about their specialties and maybe even sell a few books. On hand will be:

David Newhardt, chief photographer for Mecum Auctions and a prolific author of automotive coffeetable books. Newhardt will have his latest hardback, The Complete Book of Chevrolet Camaro, 2nd Edition: Every Model Since 1967.

Jack Brandais, a native San Diegan, has written the bimonthly Weekend Driver feature for more than 10 years. He will have copies of his latest book, Weekend Driver San Diego.

J. Daniel Jones, also a photog and videographer, writes the Project Rev column about specialty automotive businesses in the county and the Original Owners feature about San Diegans who have owned and loved their cars since new. Dan has recently published his first novel, Carality, a novel based in New Orleans that looks into the back side of a collector-car auction, with its connections to an alleged Nazi staff car owned by Hitler.

Joe Michaud, the Wheels motorcycle expert, has written a monthly road test for many years and is a respected magazine writer and motorcycle restorer.

The auto show is a non-selling environment, giving consumers the chance to learn, compare and evaluate at their leisure, said show director Leap. If youre in the market for a new car in the next 12 months, you can do all your homework in one spot and in one day.

IF YOU GO

Dec. 28-Jan. 1: San Diego International Auto Show, downtown convention center, 111 W. Harbor Drive, 92101

Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday.

Tickets: General admission $15 ages 13-61; military with ID and seniors (62 and older) $12; children 7-12 $11. Sunday will be Chevrolet Family Day when kids 12 and under are free with a paid adult. Participating local dealerships will offer $2 discount coupons and there will be a $3 discount coupon in the U-T for Dec. 29 Newspaper Day.

Social media: #sdautoshow

Info: SDAutoShow.com.

Mark.Maynard@sduniontribune.com
A vision hatched nearly three years ago to create an interconnected trail system that stretches across much of the county is inching ahead with a recent vote of the Poway City Council.

Officials agreed to fund the creation of designs for a pedestrian tunnel that would be built beneath state Route 67 just north of the intersection of Poway Road and the highway.

The designs, which will cost the city $22,000, with half that amount being reimbursed by the county, would then be submitted as part of a state grant application.

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Should the California Department of Transportation make the funding available, the tunnel could be built, thereby connecting Poways trail systems from the Mt. Woodson/Potato Chip Rock west of the highway with the Iron Mountain trails system to the east.

But the vision that has the tunnel at its core is far greater. The dream is then to purchase about 800 acres of privately owned land near Iron Mountain, and to extend the trail system to Dos Picos County Park in Ramona.

Just as important, the tunnel would make it possible for users of other trails to connect to the Poway trails at sort of an uber-hiking hub that would include a greatly expanded parking lot at the Iron Mountain trailhead.

That connectivity will be something that will be remembered and thought of for generations, Councilman and hiking enthusiast Jim Cunningham said following last weeks vote. People may look back and wonder how it all happened. It happened with the vote here before Christmas.

Originally, the concept was to build a pedestrian/wildlife bridge over the highway, but Caltrans nixed that concept, saying it would cause visual problems for motorists approaching the Poway Road intersection. Its not known how much it would cost to construct the tunnel, but it is expected to be significantly less than the $6 million estimated to build a bridge, said Bob Manis, the citys director of development services.

The idea of the trail connection was first brought up by Jim Hagey, a developer and avid hiker who represents the owner of about 800 acres of land near Iron Mountain, a bit more than half of which is in Poway, who he says would be willing to sell the property.

Hagey, County Supervisor Dianne Jacob, Cunningham and Poway Mayor Steve Vaus met in 2015 to discuss the possibility. They announced a partnership to make it all happen and last year the county entered into an agreement to buy 160 acres of land in the area using a $200,000 grant.

Hagey said he was delighted to hear Poway had appropriated the money for the tunnel designs, calling it an important beginning.

That tunnel will connect Iron Mountain to Lake Poway, and then theyll have another little offshoot that goes over to Mt. Woodson and up to the San Diego River trail, which in turn would reach the Pacific Crest trail, he said. So its a crucial thing, that tunnel. It would be a great thing.

Looking further out, Hagey said a north/south trail could be connected linking perhaps Mission Valley to the Iron Mountain area, thereby creating a massive system.

You really will have a countywide trail network, he said.

But a long road awaits before a tunnel could be built, the additional land could be acquired, and the Iron Mountain parking lot could be expanded.

The state transportation grant that officials are hoping will come through is designed to get people off the roads. The concept is that people could bike to the Iron Mountain trail parking lot from all over the area, store their bicycles in lockers, then take buses to work. They also think equestrians could benefit greatly from the expanded parking lot because they could take their horse over to the east side of the highway from there and ride for almost unlimited miles.

jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones
The holidays may be winding down, but a handful of yuletide-minded performing-arts events will continue right up to the new year and beyond.

Heres a roundup of seasonal stage shows you can still catch around San Diego County:

A Christmas Carol

Theres no stopping Scrooge: The Welk stages Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens musical adaptation of the Dickens classic about miserly Ebenezer. 1 p.m. Wednesday and Sunday; 1 and 8 p.m. Thursday and Saturday. Through Dec. 31. Welk Resort Theatre, 8860 Lawrence Welk Drive, Escondido. $59 (pre-show meal is an additional $21). (888) 802-7469 or welktheatersandiego.com.

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Festival of Christmas

The longtime Lambs holiday tradition gets a brand-new script from resident playwright Kerry Meads: A Fargo Christmas: North of Normal, which weaves music into the story of a North Dakota church facing an uncertain future. 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 6 p.m. Sundays. Through Dec. 30. Lambs Players Theatre, 1142 Orange Ave., Coronado. $22-$78 (discounts available). (619) 437-6000 or lambsplayers.org.

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin

The accomplished playwright-actor-musician Felder returns to town with this moving piece about the composer behind White Christmas and a host of other American classics. 7 p.m. Wednesdays; 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. (Check with theater for exceptions.) Through Jan. 7. San Diego Reps Lyceum Stage, 79 Horton Plaza, downtown. $56-$97 (discounts available). (619) 544-1000 or sdrep.org.

Peter Pan and Tinker Bell  A Pirates Christmas

The Lythgoe Family Panto  styled after a British theater tradition  returns to town with a new show whose cast includes both young local actors and several TV stars. 7 p.m. Fridays; 1 and 5 p.m. Saturdays; 12 and 4 p.m. Sundays (no 4 p.m. show Dec. 31); plus 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 27-28. Through Dec. 31. Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Avenue, downtown. $25-$64; golden ticket (ages 4-12 only) for special onstage experience, $60 additional. (619) 570-1100 or sandiegotheatres.org.

Kwanzaa Time

Jennie Hamilton directs young student actors in this piece exploring the seven principles of Kwanzaa, the African-American holiday celebration. 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Through Dec. 31. Community Actors Theatre, 2957 54th St., Oak Park. $10 (under age 5 admitted free). (619) 581-2634 or communityactorstheatre.com.

A Culture Shock Nutcracker

The movement troupe Culture Shocks modernized, 100-dancer-strong version of the holiday favorite has broadened from hip-hop to a pop-culture celebration that takes in everything from Beauty and the Beast to David Bowie. 7 p.m. Friday; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 6 p.m. Sunday. Jan. 5-7. Culture Shock at the Spreckels Theatre, 121 Broadway, downtown. About $15-$45. (800) 745-3000 or cultureshockdance.org/nutcracker/.

jim.hebert@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @jimhebert
San Diego expects to get a windfall of new revenue from the citys tax on recreational marijuana sales that begin Jan. 1, but officials concede they are taking guesses at how many millions per year the tax will generate.

Estimates presented to the City Council this month predict $5.5 million per year initially, with steady increases up to $13.7 million in the budget year that ends in June 2023.

Thats below the $22 million to $35 million of annual revenue predicted last year by the citys independent budget analyst, and the finance officials responsible for the new estimates say they erred strongly on the conservative side.

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The numbers are based on sales tax the city now receives from medicinal marijuana sales at legal dispensaries, but most expect legalization of recreational sales to prompt a sharp surge in demand.

The estimates also only include tax from the roughly 20 legal dispensaries expected to operate in the city, not tax from as many as 40 businesses expected to operate marijuana cultivation, manufacturing and distribution businesses.

Revenue could also spike if San Diego sees a sharp increase in sales from marijuana tourism, which had a strong impact in the first two states to legalize recreational marijuana: Colorado and Washington.

Another variable is the rate of the citys marijuana tax, which was approved by 69 percent of city voters in November 2016.

Its slated to start at 5 percent and increase to 8 percent in July 2019, but the City Council has the discretion to boost it to 15 percent at any time.

The size of San Diegos marijuana black market, comprised mostly of illegal delivery services, is another factor.

If legalization of recreational marijuana significantly shrinks the black market, the city will collect more tax revenue. But if the city tax allows black market operators to charge significantly less for the drug, the black market could grow.

A state analysis completed last summer projects illegal marijuana in California, now estimated at 75 percent of the market, will eventually shrink to just under 30 percent after recreational sales begin next week.

The analysis, conducted by the University of California Agricultural Issues Center at the request of the state Bureau of Marijuana Control, predicts recreational sales will eventually be 61.5 percent of the overall market and the black market will be 29.5 percent.

The analysis predicts sales of medicinal marijuana, now estimated at 25 percent of the market, will end up at about 9 percent. It also says legal sales will increase from $2 billion total to about $5 billion total.

City officials didnt use that analysis in their estimates, which were based only on sales at existing medical dispensaries and estimates of how many dispensaries beyond the current 11 would eventually operate in the city.

We dont have a whole lot of data at this point to really come up with our projections, Matt Vespi, the citys deputy director of financial management, told the City Council during a recent public hearing.

Another factor that could affect revenue from San Diegos marijuana tax is medicinal purchases, which are exempt from the tax, making up a large share of the market despite the availability of recreational marijuana.

Critics of the citys tax say many customers will choose medicinal marijuana, which will remain available at local dispensaries, because its exemption from the tax will make prices lower.

Leaders of the local marijuana industry disagree. Alex Scherer, who owns and operates a legal city dispensary, said recreational sales are expected to significantly outpace medicinal.

Thats because there are hassles associated with buying medicinal marijuana and because legalization of recreational marijuana will eliminate a stigma, prompting more people to try the drug.

Medicinal customers must continue to get a doctors recommendation, which costs $40 to $60 and must be updated annually.

And California will begin requiring a state identification card on Jan. 1 that costs $100 per year and is necessary to avoid paying taxes on medicinal marijuana.

The final variable affecting revenue from San Diegos marijuana tax is whether the city continues to have a near monopoly on the legalized industry, making it a sort of Mecca for sales. San Diego is the only city in the county to have legalized an entire supply chain for the drug.

While many cities across the region quickly moved to prohibit both dispensaries and production after California voters legalized recreational marijuana in November 2016, many are expected to eventually reconsider.

For example, Chula Vista and Imperial Beach discussed allowing legal dispensaries this month. And La Mesa plans to allow cultivation.

The higher tax revenue estimate by the independent budget analyst last year was based primarily on sales and tax revenue in Denver.

The IBAs Chris Olsen said by telephone that his office hasnt done a subsequent analysis. He said the citys estimates seem quite low, but that taking a conservative approach seems appropriate because there are so many unknowns.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
Three people died Monday evening in a three-vehicle collision on southbound Interstate 5 in Oceanside, California Highway Patrol officers said.

The Medical Examiners office late Tuesday identified two of the three people as husband and wife Jose and Ruth Cortez, both 80 years old, of San Diego. The third person was identified only as a man from Escondido.

Family members of the elderly victims said on social media Tuesday that the couple were returning home from a Christmas gathering in Glendale when the crash happened.

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Though this is a great loss for my family and the sadness is at times unbearable we find comfort that they were together and had one last (Christmas) with their family, said Allan Cortez, one of their sons, on Facebook.

When reached by phone on Tuesday, Cortez said he was at a loss for words and declined to comment further.

The crash happened near state Route 76 about 5:20 p.m. CHP Officer Mark Latulippe said Monday. Witnesses told officers a 1996 Nissan sedan was about to exit SR-76 when the driver suddenly tried to turn back to the main freeway lanes and a struck a barrier.

The car, driven by the Escondido man, moved to the far left lane, where a 2016 Nissan Sentra hit the older vehicle, causing it to catch fire, Latulippe said.

The Escondido man driving the older vehicle died, and so did an 80-year-old man and woman from San Diego, who were passengers in the newer Nissan, Latulippe said.

The driver of the newer Nissan, a 65-year-old San Diego woman, was taken to a hospital with injuries that were considered moderate, Latulippe said.

A third vehicle sideswiped one of the wrecked cars, but that driver not was hurt.

Lanes of southbound I-5 were closed for about two hours while officers investigated, Latulippe said. The cause of the collisions, and whether drugs or alcohol were factors, had not been determined as of Tuesday morning.

The triple fatality accounted for all the roadway deaths that occurred in San Diego County over the just-ended holiday weekend. Statewide, vehicle crashes claimed 27 lives over the last three days  nine fewer than last year.

City News Service and staff writer Lyndsay Winkley contributed to this report.
The tree was trimmed and the garlands hung with care Monday at the nonprofit Serving Seniors headquarters downtown, where volunteers served a holiday feast of Cornish hen, stuffing and more to needy senior citizens -- many of whom would have otherwise spent the holiday hungry and alone.

About 300 low-income seniors were expected to attend the nonprofits annual Christmas Day celebration at its headquarters, and the charity planned to deliver meals to an additional 700 seniors at their homes or the charitys other locations in San Diego County, spokeswoman Lori Gremel said Monday.

For many of the seniors, the meal was a break from the hunger and isolation that defines their lives, Gremel said.

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Most of those the charity helps are homeless or live by themselves in subsidized housing, where they often struggle to pay for basic needs on as little as $150 per month, Gremel said.

Theyre here because they dont have any food -- thats the bottom line, Gremel said.

Reggie Burkett, 77, self-described hippie and retired taxi driver, said he has attended the charitys lunch for at least three consecutive years.

I come for the Cornish game hens, he said with a laugh.

The Christmas feast is easily his favorite meal the charity serves during the year, but, If Im broke, its delicious no matter what they serve.

Along with food, the charity offers something else that is in short supply for many of those it serves: companionship.

Anne Cobb, 66, of San Diego, said she lives alone in subsidized senior housing and was attending Christmas lunch at Serving Seniors for the third year running because I dont know where else to go.

She said she used to spend the holiday with her mother, who died a few years ago. Now she is on her own.

Its better being around people than by yourself, Cobb said. I hate spending Christmas alone. Its really bad.

Volunteers donning plastic aprons served ladies first and called everybody sir or maam as part of the nonprofits efforts to protect seniors dignity and show them respect.

Volunteer Kenneth Corley, 67, a retired auto mechanic who lives in San Diego, said he would be joining his own family later in the day to celebrate Christmas, but first he wanted to make sure the seniors had everything they needed.

Eating his own lunch between seatings, Corley kept leaping up from his seat to stop seniors from leaving without collecting their gift.

Gremel, the nonprofits spokeswoman, said this year seems busier than usual, probably because the booming housing market has raised rents, squeezing the finances of seniors on fixed incomes.

She said two of every five senior citizens in San Diego have to choose between rent and food every day. Serving Seniors serves nearly 600,000 meals per year to seniors struggling with poverty and hunger.

For information about how to support Serving Seniors, visit www.servingseniors.org or call (619) 235-6572.

Watchdog Videos On Now Sexual misconduct accusers worry deputy is being protected 6:16 On Now City funded $2-million waterfront bathroom 1:26 On Now Public water district charges customer for legal work, response to records request On Now Video: Tiny homes won't be reused amid housing, homeless crisis On Now Attorney General seeks documentation for Miss Middle East On Now Rep. Hunter probe covers possible fraud On Now Video: SDG&E delaying solar credit for some low-income housing tenants On Now Video: Former San Diego Junior Theatre teacher sentenced for sex with teen girl 0:24 On Now Video: Shelter volunteers believe they were fired for finding a dog a home 0:49 On Now McKamey Manor is leaving San Diego 3:35

morgan.cook@sduniontribune.com
Listed for: $12,900,000

Located with in Rancho Pacificas private gates, this five-bedroom estate brings you to a tropical retreat. The Balinese-inspired design features acacia koa wood throughout the home, custom monkey pod wood ceilings and birch floors. The kitchen counters and backsplash are jade green onyx slabs, which is prized for its exotic and translucent qualities. Two generously sized islands fit comfortably within the gourmet kitchen. The massive great room opens on multiple sides to the exterior for completely seamless indoor/outdoor living. One patio boasts an outdoor fireplace and living wall feature. With a style that is minimalist yet luxurious, youll feel like youre entering a serene hideaway or private spa every time you come home. From the backyard, take in unobstructed views of the valley and mountains. Enjoy living near Del Mar, Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe village with plenty of shopping and dining, as well as being just minutes to the Fairbanks Ranch Country Club.

This amazing estate features five en-suite bedrooms, seven bathrooms in all, a movie theater and dedicated office suite within 9,600 square feet of interior living space. Enjoy 270-degree unobstructed views with no neighbors in sight. Imported Acacia koa wood from the Hawaiian islands is used throughout the home. The great room, dining room and office suites boast monkey pod wood ceilings, birch floors and African mahogany trim. The entire home has radiant heated floors, Savant home automation system and Visualint security cameras.

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A New York-based rap artist, one of 14 people indicted in San Diego in a cross-country drug trafficking ring, was sentenced Monday to more than four years in federal custody for money laundering.

Sonja Shenelle Holder  also known as Sonja Blade  of Brooklyn, New York admitted conspiring to launder more than $326,000 in cash deposits used to pay for travel from the East Coast to Southern California, where someone else involved in the ring acquired cocaine and other drugs, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

The drugs, including cocaine and the ultra-potent synthetic opiate fentanyl, were distributed in New Jersey, prosecutors said.

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U.S. District Judge William Hayes sentenced Holder, 37, to 50 months. Others in the case have been sentenced to terms ranging from 14 months to 120 months. A couple of those indicted remain fugitives.

The drug trafficking ring has been described in court records as a family-run group out of Riverside County with ties to Mexicos Sinaloa cartel.

Its leaders have been identified as Hugo Adalberto Adrian Ramirez; his wife, Maria Ayala; his son, Hugo Norberto Adrian Jr. and his daughter, Crystal Adrian  all of whom are from Corona.

Most of the family members cases have been resolved, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Hugo Adalberto Adrian Ramirezs case is still pending.
More than 25 years of lawsuits, court rulings, aborted sales and property transfers over the landmark Mt. Soledad cross in La Jolla have finally come to an end, closing one of the longest legal battles over religious symbols on public property in the country.

On Wednesday the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a one-page ruling ordering the end to the latest round of appeals and dismissal of the case, because the central issue  a religious symbol standing on government property  was moot.

Thats because in July 2015 the Mount Soledad Memorial Association agreed to purchase the cross and the land beneath it for $1.4 million from the Department of Defense. While that was seen as the beginning of the end, the plaintiffs in the suit who were seeking removal of the cross needed time to review the terms of the sale and work out other details.

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It took more than a year for that to be worked out, lawyers for the Defense Department said in a motion filed Aug. 25. A settlement agreement resolves all remaining issues, including attorneys fees, arising from the federal governments acquisition, ownership and 2015 disposition of the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial, they wrote.

The short motions and brief order from the court mark a muted end to a legal battle initiated in 1989, involving both the city of San Diego and then the federal government. The case traveled several times up and down the federal courts, including two trips to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The issue was always the same: opponents said that the cross on public property violated the prohibition in state and federal constitutions prohibiting the government from endorsing one religion over another. Supporters countered the cross had been a longstanding landmark and ultimately argued it was a secular sign of service and sacrifice by military veterans.

Courts consistently sided with opponents of the display. But that didnt temper the passions of people on both sides of the issue as the case played out in what appeared to be an endless series of court hearing over the years.

I think this now resolves the case, said David Loy, the legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego & Imperial Counties, which has long fought alongside other plaintiffs opposed to the presence of the cross.

The government doesnt own the cross or the land underneath it any more, Loy said. The government is no longer in the business of endorsing religion.

The cross site, with a panoramic view of the city, was on land owned by the city of San Diego for decades. The city was the first defendant in the initial suit filed by Vietnam War veteran and atheist Philip K. Paulson in 1989.

U.S. District Court Judge Gordon Thompson ruled in 1991 that the cross, which is 29 feet tall and stands on a base that lifts it to a height of 43 feet, was unconstitutional and had to be moved off public land.

That triggered rounds of appeals and two attempts by the city to sell the property. Both were blocked by federal courts, which ruled that various terms of the sales violated the constitution because they gave a preference to buyers who planned to keep it as a religious symbol.

By 2006 the city was under pressure, facing the spectre of a daily $5,000 fine from the courts if it did not abide by the 1991 ruling ordering the cross off public land. At that time the U.S. Congress stepped in at the urging of local legislators and took the property by eminent domain, handing it to the Defense Department for use as a war memorial.

That move then triggered a second round of lawsuits, this time with the federal government as defendant. A group called Jewish War Veterans sued, as did veteran Steve Trunk, replacing Paulson after his death in 2006.

In 2008, cross supporters got a victory when U.S. District Court Judge Larry Burns in San Diego ruled that the cross was not a religious symbol, but one of service and sacrifice. That ruling was appealed and in 2011 the 9th Circuit again ruled in favor of opponents, overturning Burns ruling and concluding the cross was a distinctively Christian symbol and could not remain on public land.

That ruling was under appeal when in 2015 the sale of the property to the private Mount Soledad Memorial Association went through. Lou Scanlon, president of the group, said Thursday ending the case was welcome.

Its a pleasure to be able to operate without the cloud of litigation hovering over the monument, he said.

Jim McElroy, the lawyer for Trunk who has been involved in the case for two decades, said it the long battle was worth it.

From our perspective I think I can say that after 25 years we finally got the message through, that a 40-foot, 20-ton ubiquitous symbol of Christianity on public property is not constitutional, he said.

A cross in some form had stood on the site since 1913, and had long been the site of sunrise Easter services since the 1950s. After the litigation began in 1989, the base of the cross filled in with plaques commemorating services of veterans.

A condition of the sale to the association requires that the site be maintained as a veterans memorial in perpetuity.

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Sen. Jeff Flake, R.-Ariz., on Sunday repeated a frequent criticism of his party that could be a bigger challenge for them in the 2018 elections than President Donald Trump's unpopularity - a lack of diversity.

The conservative lawmaker said on ABC's "This Week":

"When you look at some of the audiences cheering for Republicans, sometimes, you look out there and you say, 'those are the spasms of a dying party.'

"When you look at the lack of diversity, sometimes, and it depends on where you are, obviously, but by and large, we're appealing to older white men and there are just a limited number of them, and anger and resentment are not a governing philosophy," he continued."

This is a familiar critique of the GOP that even conservative lawmakers have become increasingly vocal and concerned about. In recent large-scale elections, most people of color have voted Democrat and most Republicans are white, according to the Pew Research Center. And most women have voted for the Democratic candidate while the Republican often wins the male vote.

Just before the election for the Alabama Senate seat - which featured the Trump-backed Roy Moore, a conservative evangelical known in part for his controversial comments about people of color, Muslims and gay people, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel presented a two-page memo to White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly detailing the GOP's challenges with women voters, according to Politico.

The article said:

"The warning, several people close to the chairwoman said, reflected deepening anxiety that a full-throated Trump endorsement of accused child molester Roy Moore in the special election - which the president was edging closer to at the time - would further damage the party's standing with women. McDaniel's memo, which detailed the president's poor approval numbers among women nationally and in several states, would go unheeded, as Trump eventually went all-in for the ultimately unsuccessful Republican candidate."

Moore hoped to occupy the seat previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a longtime Republican who is regularly criticized by the left for having a low view of diversity in his oversight of the Justice Department.

On Sessions, Rep. Maxine Waters, D.-Calif., previously told The Washington Post's Jonathan Capehart:

"I think he's a racist, I think he's a throwback and I don't mind saying it, any day of the week. ... I think that Jeff Sessions is very dangerous ... and I think that he absolutely believes that it's his job to keep minorities in their place."

Perhaps aware of this perception, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., asked former Alabama governor Robert Bentley - who resigned amid allegations of inappropriate behavior with a female staffer - to appoint a woman to the vacant Sessions' seat.

"We are made up of old white men in the Republican Party," McConnell told Bentley, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. "If you could consider a woman, that would be really good for the party."

The latter part of Trump's first year in office has been dominated by conversations about women in power, politics in positions of influence.

Most women in Alabama voted against Moore, according to Post exit polls. Many of them were mothers disgusted by the allegations he faced and the way his campaign responded to the women accusing him of assault. And others viewed him as a localized version of a president who is facing more than a dozen sexual-harassment allegations himself.

And some of Trump's lowest approval ratings come from people of color, according to Gallup polls.

As the #MeToo conversation continues on Capitol Hill and the country approaches the first anniversary of the Women's March on Washington, conservatives have found themselves in a party led by a president consumed with maintaining the support of his base. But a core strategy of many veteran politicians is not just keeping one's base but expanding it. The hope is usually that people who were not originally on board will come to embrace said lawmaker's vision of America.

With Trump experiencing record low approval ratings compared to previous presidents, Flake, McConnell and the RNC seem aware that the nationalism preached by former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon may be sufficient to keep some passengers of the Trump train aboard. But if Republicans are going to be in the business of making America great for all citizens, these individuals have concluded that something has to change - and those shifts probably need to start at the top.
On Dec. 17, the Morning News published an article by Mayor Stephen Wukela titled, "Drilling off South Carolina coast a bad idea." An editor's note listed several other prominent people who had co-signed this article.

In the past two years I have written 12 letters concerning the environment and energy. I have noted several environmental disasters including Ixtoc 1, Deep Water Horizon, Exxon Valdez and Burmah Agate. I included the reasons for these disasters. All of these disasters could have been prevented. Greed was the root cause of all of them. Defective cement and various cost-cutting measures were the causes of Deep Water Horizon. Improper positioning of the drill collars was the cause of Ixtoc 1. Failure to repair the collision avoidance radar, crew-size reduction and traveling outside the normal shipping lanes were the causes of Exxon Valdez. Liberian registration and improper seamanship were the causes of Burmah Agate.

Mayor Wukela's article is an excellent testimony to why we need a comprehensive energy policy. People demonstrate against and file lawsuits against oil and gas extraction and transport. But they still want the energy and other products that these commodities provide. The authors of this article, for environmental and economical reasons, are against offshore drilling, but they allow oil fired and natural gas fired power plants to be built. These fuels will not rise out of the ground on their own. As I have stated before, we should not be burning up our source of fuel for transportation and our source for plastics and other petrochemicals. There are many other fuels for electricity production: nuclear power, wind power, solar power, tidal power and geothermal power. Hydroelectric power has already been developed about as much as it can be and has created environmental problems of its own.

If we do not want off shore drilling because of environmental concerns and unsightly drilling rigs, then we must learn to live with the sources of power that we have and to manage them properly. We must develop sources of power that are the stuff of science fiction now. There is no such thing as a free ride forever.

In order to achieve a balance among the environment, adequate energy supplies to meet our demands, cost, availability and responsibility to future generations, we must have a comprehensive and effective energy policy. However, I doubt that this will happen for several reasons. It will cost money; therefore it will be unpopular and will cost votes. The executives of the various energy companies will fight tooth and nail to prevent such a thing unless it is in their favor; and then it will not be comprehensive. If we do try to make a real energy policy, the wrong people will be involved in making it.

Throughout my 74 years I have heard many people complaining about what they don't want or what they want for free. I would really like to see people collaborate, decide what we really want and come up with a real plan for achieving the goals. I will never live to see this. The technology exists; the political will does not.

LAWRENCE D. WEBER

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The cities of San Francisco, New York and Philadelphia filed a sweeping federal lawsuit Tuesday accusing the U.S. Department of Defense of failing to live up to its legal duty to notify the FBI when a member of the military is convicted of a crime that would bar them from buying or possessing firearms.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Virginia, accuses the defense department, the Army, Navy, Air Force and a host of high-ranking Pentagon officials  including Secretary of Defense James Mattis  of unevenly feeding reports about convictions and dishonorable discharges to the FBIs criminal background check system for the past two decades.

The cities are working with the San Francisco-based Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the New York law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, which is representing them.

In their joint complaint, the cities contend that these kinds of reporting lapses allowed Devin Kelley  a former member of the Air Force who was court-martialed and convicted of assaulting his wife and stepson in 2012  to purchase the assault-style weapon that hes accused of using to kill 26 people at a church in Texas last month. Kelley, who was discharged from the Air Force in 2014, killed himself shortly after the mass shooting.

According to federal law, Kelleys assault conviction should have prevented him from purchasing or possessing a firearm. But the Air Force admitted that it failed to report the conviction to the FBI.

Now Playing: President Trump has called for "extreme vetting" of immigrants from Muslim-majority countries in response to terrorist incidents, but has yet to take any action on gun laws in response to the deadly mass shootings that have occurred during his time in office. Veuer's Chandra Lanier has the story. Video: Veuer

The cities said their suit is intended to prevent such senseless carnage from ever again being inflicted by current or former members of the military who should be blocked from acquiring guns or licenses to carry guns.

Since the Texas shooting, numerous federal officials have acknowledged that the defense department has failed to fully inform the FBI of all military convictions, as required.

In a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee this month, Glenn Fine, acting inspector general for the defense department, testified that the military failed to tell the FBI about 31 percent of service members criminal convictions between Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2016.

Fine said that the defense department first reviewed its criminal history data-sharing practices with the FBI in 1997. That review, Fine said, found significant deficiencies in the military services compliance with the requirement to submit criminal history data to the FBI.

Last month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the situation alarming and unacceptable. He ordered the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to review the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which is used by law enforcement and gun dealers to determine whether someone is legally allowed to purchase or possess a firearm.

Sessions specifically asked the FBI and ATF to identify any federal government entities that are not fully and accurately reporting information to the background check system, and to develop a plan to make sure reporting is done correctly in the future.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Lauren Ehrsam, a spokeswoman for the Department of Justice, declined to comment on the lawsuit.

The cities want the courts to appoint an independent and apolitical branch of government to ensure that the defense department complies with its obligation to share information about military criminal convictions with law enforcement in order to strengthen background checks.

The national criminal background check system is the backbone of common-sense gun regulations, San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said in a statement announcing the citys participation in the lawsuit.

The Defense Departments failure to fulfill its legal duty and accurately report criminal convictions puts innocent Americans at risk, he said. It is past time to ensure that were doing everything we can to keep guns out of the wrong hands.

Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa
Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg

In a strange reversal of the Founding Fathers vision of Congress, members of the House of Representatives, designed to be closest to the people and elected every two years, face less real competition for their seats than senators. In 2014 and 2016, House incumbents re-election rates were 95 percent and 97 percent, respectively, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, and the figure hasnt dropped below 85 percent for at least half a century. Fortunately, the Supreme Court may be embarking on a belated effort to draw some boundaries on the partisan gerrymandering that contributes to such results.

A striking illustration was recently provided by the election of Doug Jones, the Democrat who won a close Senate race in deeply Republican Alabama while somehow, as one analyst pointed out, losing six of the states seven contorted congressional districts. The only district that went for Jones encompasses much of rural western Alabamas African American population while sprouting conspicuous tentacles that draw in predominantly black areas of urban Montgomery and Birmingham. That renders neighboring districts more white and conservative while concentrating an inordinate share of reliably Democratic voters in a single constituency.
Surely no type of artist has to spend more time convincing his own audience of his legitimacy than the magician does.

At Marrakech Magic Theater, at least, Jay Alexander has a parry at the ready for every imaginable thrust. No, it wont compromise your masculinity to come onstage and make glancing physical contact with another man. No, he really cant see through his three types of blindfold, one layer of which is black tape thatd peel his eyebrows off if he didnt ChapStick them first. No, hes not using a whole deck of the 10 of spades. That would be stupid, he said more than once at a Friday, Dec. 22, performance of his ongoing show.

But with his sleight of hand  and, in one slightly icky but no less cool instance, sleight of mouth  Alexander emphatically isnt trying to make you feel stupid, even as hes anticipated your every bit of skepticism. His mien throughout his card tricks, mind reading, number games and feats of extraordinary coincidence is that of a nerd with overweening enthusiasm  enthusiasm he only wants you to share. It freaks me out every time, he frequently offers after card tricks, only partly in jest.

Just descending the steps to the theater, which is in the lower level of Marrakech Moroccan Restaurant (whose appetizers and drinks are available for purchase preshow), is enough of an experience to pique your enthusiasm. Vintage posters of magicians past  In mid-air Carter materializes a bowl of water weighing 150 lbs  line the darkened stairwell and the walls of the lounge, which is all arabesque arches, stained glass lanterns and crushed velvet banquettes.

There, Alexander performs close-up magic (one-on-one tricks, sans the conceit of a stage) 30 to 40 minutes before the official show starts in a tiny jewel box theater across the hall. No party on Dec. 22  be it preteen birthday revelers or middle-aged cocktail swillers  could outwit his ability to redirect attention away from the actual trickery. The way he rubs his forefinger and thumb together, with near-surgical precision, makes for a kind of hypnotic dance. The tiny undulation is so specific, so incisive, that your adult brain can rediscover, for just a moment, long-lost childhood fantasies that it might really be possible for the supernatural to possess a human hand.

In the theater itself, Alexander offers a glimpse into his process, explaining a few of the physical tells and psychological rationales that help him guess in which hand, say, an audience member might hide a ring. (One hint: When youre assessing which way a liars face is pointing, the nose knows.) Its a canny bit of openness, because as his effects introduce more and more variables, thereby making his guesses and coincidences more and more improbable, you have a slightly more nuanced metric for appreciating just how much expertise lies behind a deceptively simple maneuver.

Though Alexanders patter occasionally becomes cheesy or repetitive  frequent testaments to his own artistry make you wish for less conversation, more action  a bit of vulnerability near the shows end refreshes, especially if you walk into Marrakech Magic Theater with stereotypes about magicians. Magic, Alexander says, helped him overcome crippling childhood shyness resulting from a speech impediment and dyslexia. Is that magic (or meta-magic)? Maybe. But like Alexanders show as a whole, its also the product of years of craft, persistence and ardor.

Lily Janiak is The San Francisco Chronicles theater critic. Email: ljaniak@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LilyJaniak

Marrakech Magic Theater: Performed by Jay Alexander. Ongoing. 90 minutes. $45. Marrakech Magic Theater, 419 OFarrell St., S.F. www.sanfranciscomagictheater.com

To see a trailer: https://vimeo.com/223681686
Depending on what media you consume, 2017 probably didnt look like a great year to you, either. Wildfires, hurricanes, a global refugee crisis, a mass reckoning with our societys sexism, the death of Tom Petty  and on top of it all, The Emoji Movie.

This can only be good news for bars.

2017 in Bay Area bar openings may not have been the banner year that 2016 was: Its hard to beat that 12-month period in which we got Pacific Cocktail Haven, Wildhawk, Louies Gen-Gen Room, Pagan Idol, the Treasury and High Treason.

Nevertheless, 2017 certainly looked good for Matt Conway, Anthony Healy-London and Josh McAdam. The trio, which owns Hayes Valley standard bearer Brass Tacks, opened two new bars this year: Anina, directly next door to Brass Tacks, and Junior on 24th Street. Colorful and bright, with a large outdoor patio that gets packed on weekend afternoons, Anina is the citys best new spot for day drinking. The menu is heavy on spritzes, aperitif cocktails, Sherry and vermouth  a context that allows onetime Bar Star Conways longtime signature, the irresistible Knife in the Water cocktail ($10), to shine.

This years Resurrection Award goes to Biig , the Non Plus Ultra groups new incarnation of their short-lived and much-hyped Vantaggio Suites bar, Big. Slightly larger than its 400-square-foot antecedent, Biig is decadent, lacking menus and encouraging reservations. Its luxuriousness may feel a little out of place in the Tenderloin (it replaced the 21 Club), but it delivered one of the most fun nights of drinking I had all year.

Leah Millis/The Chronicle

Still, Biig cant match the hedonism of Cold Drinks , the Scotch bar at China Live conceived (and since abandoned) by veteran bartender Duggan McDonnell. The click bait is its menus $52 cocktail, a Rob Roy variation made with Chivas Royal Salute 21, but its the other cocktails  a vegetal take on a gimlet; a tower of mango and habanero; a Peking duck fat-washed Old Fashioned  that form the deeper story here. It may be the most photogenic new bar in town, and  you heard it here first  wins the prize for Best Cocktail Name of the Year, for its Long Islay Iced Tea.

Most Memorable Cocktail, meanwhile, goes to the Elote, which lives at the Douglas Room, the new cocktail bar from Mo Hodges and Brian Felley of nearby Benjamin Cooper. The Elote is the sort of drink that reads as a gimmick  the main ingredient is roasted corn, Vitamixed and cheeseclothed  but makes perfect sense when you taste it. With mezcal, green chile liqueur, orgeat, brandy and lemon, its savory, creamy, barely smoky, a little bit funky. I can still taste it.

Then there was Charmaines , the rooftop bar at the Proper Hotel led by Josh Harris and Morgan Schick, also of the Bon Vivants consulting group. Stylish, cozy and answering to San Franciscos endless hankering for more rooftop drinking spaces, Charmaines showcases a mellower, less polarizing cocktail style than what weve come to expect from the Bon Vivants signature bar, Trick Dog.

Paul Chinn/The Chronicle

Not all of this years top-notch cocktail bars came in flashy packaging. In Oakland, Jenny Schwarz and Jackie Gallanagh opened Slainte , a homey Irish pub thats about a lot more than just Guinness and Bushmills. Schwarz, who also owns nearby Hopscotch, has created a smart collection of Irish whiskeys and a menu of simple, balanced cocktails, quietly inflected with Celtic accents  an Earl Grey-added Bee Sting; a Bitter Lemon made with Tequila.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

The Bay Area got a new legend-status restaurant wine list, too, at Great China in Berkeley. The restaurant itself isnt new  the Yu family has operated it since 1985  but it was in 2017 that owner James Yu, son of the restaurants founder, debuted a killer wine list that hes been building up for years. Its become the favorite destination for wine-industry folks, thanks to its deep Burgundy selection and benevolent markups (some wines cost literally hundreds of dollars less here than at other Bay Area restaurants). Im still thinking about a bottle of 2002 Nikolaihof Vom Stein Federspeil  a Riesling aged under flor, a veil of yeast  from Austrias Wachau Valley ($90).

In Napa, Ryan Stetins and master sommelier Matt Stamp opened wine bar-cum-shop Compline. The name may be hard to pronounce (its COMP-lyn), but the bar is easy to like and has quickly revealed itself as a watering hole for locals. The wine list has a few opportunities for balling out (2007 Leroy Les Boucheres Meursault, $885) but is generally geared toward casual drinking, and most of the retail shelf is devoted to bottles under $40. There are weekly blind tasting flights, in case you want to show off. Naturally, the selection is #NapaStrong, but it wades into every classic wine region.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

Another great wine bar masquerading as restaurant opened in Oakland: Perle , run by former Fleur de Lys sommelier Marcus Garcia. An extensive wine list hews closely to the classics, with much of its menu devoted to wines made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Although the space feels laid back, Perle practices serious wine service, taking particular care with wine temperature (more important than you likely realize).

Brewery openings seemed to slow down this year; then again, how could they have kept up with prior years? This year brought a new Henhouse taproom, another Woods outpost in the Sunset, Old Kan Beer & Co. in Oakland and, most notably, Almanac Beer Co., which found a home on 24th Street and became my favorite new place to drink beer this year. (OK, Almanac opened on Dec. 30, 2016, but were calling it 2017.) Like many local breweries, Almanac releases new beers nearly every week, but few others have Almanacs stylistic breadth  its impossible to keep up with the brewerys fast-rotating cast of fruit beers, barrel-aged sours, bright IPAs and rich stouts. The taproom just introduced brunch, and owners Jesse Friedman and Damian Fagan are working on opening another taproom in Alameda.

That, however, might be for next years roundup.

Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine, beer and spirits writer. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob

Esther Mobleys favorite new places to drink in 2017

Anina, 420 Hayes St., S.F. www.aninasf.com

Biig, 98 Turk St., S.F. www.barbiig.com

Cold Drinks, 644 Broadway, at China Live, S.F. www.chinalivesf.com

Douglas Room, 345 Taylor St., at the Tilden Hotel, S.F. www.thedouglasroom.com

Charmaines, 1100 Market St., at the Proper Hotel, S.F. www.properhotel.com

Slainte, 131 Broadway, Oakland www.slainteoakland.com

Great China, 2190 Bancroft Way, Berkeley www.greatchinaberkeley.com

Compline, 1300 First St. #312, Napa www.complinewine.com

Perle, 2058 Mountain Blvd., Oakland www.perlewinebar.com

Almanac Beer Taproom, 2704 24th St., S.F. www.almanacbeer.com
Amid a December marked by unseasonably low rainfall, forecasters finally see the possibility of a storm moving into the San Francisco Bay Area on Sunday.

"Two of the three computer models are indicating a round of rain beginning New Year's Eve and then New Year's Day," says Steve Anderson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Monterey. "How much? What time is it going to start? It's too early to tell.
By PTI: (Eds: Updating)

By Nachiketa Narayan

Patna, Dec 26 (PTI) Bihar in 2017 witnessed one of the most dramatic political realignments in recent history as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dumped the grand alliance, comprising his JD(U), arch rival Lalu Prasads RJD and the Congress, to rejoin the BJP-led NDA.

The year proved to be a bad one for Lalu Prasad as he was ousted from the grand alliance and also had to go to jail.

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On December 23, a special court in Ranchi convicted him and 15 others in a fodder scam case 21 years after it had surfaced.

The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3. The 69-year-old RJD leader is now lodged in the Birsa Munda jail.

While witnessing the cataclysmic political developments, the state was also ravaged by floods which affected 19 districts of north Bihar, rendered close to a million homeless and claimed more than 500 lives.

Shortly after the installation of the new government, the Srijan scam involving fraudulent transfer of hundreds of crores from the treasury to an NGO came to light. The state government promptly ordered a CBI inquiry amid allegations from the opposition that the NGO enjoyed patronage from many top leaders of the ruling coalition.

Driven by the conviction that social evils must be eradicated for the fruits of development to reach all, Kumar also launched campaigns against dowry and child marriage, claiming that these reforms would transform the society in no smaller measure than his previous radical step of prohibition had done.

However, incidents like hooch tragedies in Rohtas and Vaishali districts and killing of a policeman by liquor smugglers in Samastipur as also frequent seizures of huge quantities of liquor across the state despite a stringent prohibition law raised question mark on the liquor ban being practical.

Kumar took the drastic step of severing ties with the "Mahagathbandhan" four years after he had snapped his 17- year-old association with the BJP in protest against the latter making Narendra Modi its prime ministerial candidate.

The sharp hostility between the two leaders began giving way to bonhomie which became evident at the "Prakash Parv" in January, when at a function held to celebrate 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh Modi and Kumar shared dais and showered praise on each other.

During the assembly polls in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh in February, the JD(U) gave up its earlier enthusiasm for opposition unity and maintained a studied distance notwithstanding the Congress forming an alliance with the Samajwadi Party and the RJD throwing its weight behind the coalition.

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Earlier, last year, Kumar had ruffled the feathers of his coalition partners by coming out in support of Modis demonetisation decision, which the Congress and the RJD criticise till date.

That all was not well with the "Mahagathbandhan" became more than obvious when Kumar decided to support the candidature of Ram Nath Kovind in the presidential polls. The chief minister defended his decision citing Kovinds exemplary conduct as the governor of Bihar and contended that the Congress-led UPA, by belatedly fielding former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, was fighting a lost battle.

However, the turning point came with the CBI filing a case in connection with the land for hotels scam against Lalu Prasad and his family members, including his younger son and the then deputy chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.

Kumars suggestion that Yadav give a public explanation was rejected by the RJD and he resigned from the chief ministers post citing irreconcilable differences with his alliance partner. The BJP came up with the offer of support and a new government was installed with Kumar being sworn in as the chief minister less than 24 hours after having stepped down.

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The stormy developments did not leave the JD(U) unscathed, though, with the partys former president Sharad Yadav and Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar, an old Kumar loyalist, raising a banner of revolt.

Defying party diktats, the duo took part in functions held by the RJD and openly accused Kumar of having betrayed the mandate of 2015 assembly polls.

Kumar, who is also the JD(U) president, however, scored a few points by expelling all Sharad loyalists from the party, successfully defending a case against the rebel factions claim over the party symbol before the Election Commission and finally getting both Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar disqualified from the Rajya Sabha.

The collapse of the Grand Alliance also caused turmoil in the state unit of the Congress, which stands bitterly divided into two factions, one said to be close to Kumar and the other more comfortable with the RJD.

Infighting led to the removal of Ashok Choudhary as the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee chief. The rival faction has been accusing Choudhary of plotting a split at the instance of Kumar in whose cabinet he was a powerful minister and with whom he is said to maintain good relations.

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The RJD has been having its own share of woes with Prasad before his conviction routinely appearing before the CBI court in Jharkhand in connection with cases related to the fodder scam. His Rajya Sabha MP daughter Misa Bharti, her husband Shailesh and Tejashwi have been grilled by the ED in a money laundering case.

His wife Rabri Devi refused to appear before the ED in Delhi despite as many as six summonses following which Enforcement Directorate officials came to Patna to interrogate her. The couples elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, too, faces a probe by the state vigilance bureau in a soil purchase scam.

Prasads grip over the party which he had founded, nevertheless, appears firm. While he himself was elected, unopposed, as the partys national president for a term that ends in 2020, a resolution declaring Tejashwi as the RJDs chief ministerial candidate was passed at the partys recently-held national council.

Another key decision taken by the Nitish Kumar government was to introduce reservations in outsourced services, a move that has been described by critics as an attempt to bring quota system in the private sector through backdoor.

A new mining policy brought in July to put a check on illegal sand mining became a major bone of contention. The same has been stayed by the Patna High Court, which has also directed the state government to ensure that mining was allowed under the old provisions.

An appeal against the high court order has been turned down by the Supreme Court. Truck operators in the state went on a strike in November in protest against stringent restrictions imposed on transportation of sand while the RJD, often accused of being in cahoots with the states sand mining mafia, has seized the opportunity to blame the government for a slump in construction activities which has rendered many workers jobless.

Another Patna High Court order stating that contractual teachers in the state were entitled to get salary at par with their regular counterparts has also left the cash-starved government in a bind. PTI NAC ZMN

--- ENDS ---
Dengue fever is the worlds most pernicious mosquito-borne virus, afflicting as many as 400 million people a year  making the latest setback in the effort to stop the scourge all the more frustrating.

The vaccine Sanofi spent more than two decades and $1.8 billion developing should be given only to people who have already been infected with the virus pending a full safety review, the World Health Organization said last month.

Thats raising the stakes for vaccine candidates from Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. and the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Both products are in end-stage clinical trials, and developers are hoping to avoid the problems that caused Sanofi to cut the value of its vaccine inventory last month.

People who have never had dengue before being immunized with the Paris companys Dengvaxia shot had a greater risk of developing severe disease if they were later infected naturally, an analysis of six years of data showed.

Its a real fly in the ointment for everything thats ahead, said Cameron Simmons, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Melbourne, who was involved in early Dengvaxia research and studies dengue at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. The next generation of vaccines is going to take longer. The hoops to demonstrate safety are going to be more stringent.

Besides Dengvaxia, which is approved for use in 19 countries, there are no other licensed vaccines or specific medicines to fight dengue, and efforts to control its mosquito vector havent stopped the virus extending its reach from the tropics of Asia and the Americas to southern France and Madeira, Portugal.

Almost 400 million infections occur worldwide annually, Simmons and colleagues estimated in 2013, and theres been a 30-fold increase in the number of cases over the past 50 years, according to the World Health Organization.

We recently received disappointing clinical news on Dengvaxia, which will constrain the outlook for the vaccine, Sanofi Chief Executive Officer Olivier Brandicourt told analysts recently.

Dengue is caused by one of four distinct strains, or serotypes, of dengue virus that typically cause a sudden onset of fever, as well as headache, rash and muscle aches and pains so severe that the disease is known as breakbone fever. In a small subset of cases, sufferers can develop potentially fatal bleeding and shock.

Severe dengue is thought to occur more frequently from subsequent infections caused by a serotype different from the one that caused the initial illness, due to a phenomenon known as antibody-dependent enhancement. A similar pattern may occur in some vaccinated people, researchers Scott Halstead and Philip Russell wrote in a review paper last year.

Dengvaxia, which is administered in a three-shot regimen over 12 months, is what is known as a chimeric vaccine, one that uses components of all four dengue serotypes on a yellow fever vaccine backbone. Takedas experimental two-shot immunization uses a dengue serotype-2 backbone on which components of the three other serotypes are attached.

Immunization with that vaccine may expose the bodys immune cells to additional parts of the dengue virus that may elicit broader adaptive immune responses, according to a paper published in the journal Science last month.

An independent data-monitoring committee evaluating its safety hasnt raised any concerns and studies so far show the vaccine achieves sustained responses to all four serotypes regardless of previous dengue exposure, said Rajeev Venkayya, president of Takedas vaccines unit. Results are slated late for 2018, the company said last month.

We are very confident in the program, and that confidence has not changed at all in light of the most recent news about Sanofis Dengvaxia, Venkayya said in an interview. We are fully committed.

The Philippines halted its Dengvaxia immunization program pending a review and consultation with groups including the World Health Organization, the countrys health department said on Dec. 1.

Analysts at Credit Suisse have cut their peak sales estimates for Dengvaxia to $10 million from $300 million, seeing a serious impact on its potential in nationwide vaccination programs, even in countries at high risk of dengue.

Sanofi said the vaccine had sales of just $26 million in the first nine months of the year, citing a difficult political and economic environment among other factors.

Even so, the company said it is committed to reducing the threat of dengue and it will continue monitoring the long-term impact of vaccination while investing in reliable, rapid and cost-effective tests to support the use of vaccines.

The next generation of dengue vaccines are expected to be superior to Dengvaxia and provide broader protection, yet its unclear whether it will correct the problems Sanofi has encountered, said Duane Gubler, professor emeritus at the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore.

The National Institutes of Health-produced vaccine, which requires a single shot, is being evaluated in an advanced trial in Brazil that is due to wind up next May.

A partially effective Dengvaxia, meanwhile, can still be a useful weapon, said Gubler, who wrote the main medical text on dengue in 1997 and is a Takeda vaccine patent holder.

One thing weve learned is that cellular immunity is going to be a lot more important than we thought it was, he said. Given the difficulty in developing a dengue vaccine with balance for all four strains, another lesson is that we should not wait until we get the perfect vaccine before we introduce them.

James Paton is a Bloomberg writer. Email: jpaton4@bloomberg.net
I felt like Santa Claus earlier this month  the Amazon.com version, at least.

Ive spent the past few weekends trying my hand as a driver for Amazon Flex, the companys Uber-esque platform that lets everyday people like you and me deliver packages with our own cars.

The program, which debuted in 2015 and is now active in 50 cities, helps Amazon complete the last mile for customer orders  the final stretch of a delivery that is short in distance, yet often the most expensive part of the e-commerce supply chain. Its becoming increasingly important as Amazons shipping costs could balloon to $7 billion this holiday quarter while the tech giant meets growing customer expectations  in particular from its Prime members, who pay $99 per year to receive free 2-day shipping on millions of items, among other benefits.

Amazon Flex covers not only Amazon.com orders, but also items from Prime Now, the companys two-hour delivery service; AmazonFresh, its grocery delivery service; and Amazon Restaurants.

My experience thus far has been fascinating and actually sort of fun during the holidays, when many are relying on Amazon for their gift shopping. Its not a glamorous high-paying job by any means  youre a contractor, not an employee, using your own car and paying for your own gas without any direct benefits from Amazon. But its also relatively simple, thanks to Amazons impressive technology and demand for more people to deliver packages.

RELATED VIDEO: Amazon Prime Expands to More Than 8,000 Cities For Last-Minute Shopping

Now Playing: Amazon Prime Expands to More Than 8,000 Cities For Last-Minute Shopping Amazon Prime will now accommodate folks countrywide by making its service available to more than 8,000 cities. That means same-day delivery and free one-day shipping. Once more, Amazon also says that customers can expect orders placed just before Christmas to be delivered on the same day. Just a reminder: Amazon doesnt control some of the logistics for actually delivering many orders. Deliver companies, like UPS and DHL, have said that the excess amount of holiday packages has caused delays. Video: Wibbitz

The slick Amazon Flex app powers everything, from scanning your packages at a pickup center, to figuring out what routes to take, to ultimately confirming that an order has been delivered  which includes taking photos of packages left at a doorstep.

Ive done two shifts for Amazon.com orders and made $118.50 total, not counting gas expenses and overall wear and tear on my car. They were quite different  one evening I only had to deliver three packages and made $60, while a week later I spent nearly three hours on a Saturday afternoon stopping at more than 35 different houses within a half-mile of each other. (Note: Im donating my earnings to GeekWires Geeks Give Back campaign to support the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship)

Its funny watching customer reactions when a guy in a beanie, hoodie, and sweatpants  not a uniformed UPS or USPS driver, for example  shows up on their doorstep, package in hand.

Are they doing private deliveries now? asked one nice elderly woman as she did a double-take.

(Side note: Amazon says you are free to choose your attire while delivering for Amazon Flex.)

To become a Flex driver for Amazon.com deliveries, you need to meet some basic requirements; a smartphone and a 4-door vehicle for starters. Amazon also runs a background check and asks you to watch a series of instructional videos that are always accessible on the app. Other than that, its pretty easy to join the program.

Once activated on Flex, you find work by checking on available blocks that Amazon offers, which frequently change and vary on time, pay, and pickup location.

First day on the job

For my first attempt, I chose a $60 three-hour shift from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on a Sunday evening, starting from the pickup center in Seattles Georgetown neighborhood. The app pushed a notification one hour prior, providing me directions to the center.

I rolled up and waited in a long line of cars also working the same shift. I had a nervous excitement, kind of like arriving on the first day of a job. After driving into the warehouse and parking, I found an Amazon rep who had a QR code I scanned with the app that checked me in. He noted that there werent a ton of packages to be delivered on this particular night.

The evening shift seemed to consist partly of packages that couldnt be delivered by other drivers during the day. I was only given three orders, all of which were to customers in the Bellevue area, east of Seattle.

I scanned each package with the app and put them in my car. One was extremely heavy and large; I wondered how I was going to actually get this to someones doorstep by myself.

When I was ready to leave, the app automatically directed me to the first stop, as decided by Amazons algorithms. You can also choose your own route and order of delivery, but I followed what Amazon provided. The maps software is based on HERE, originally developed by Nokia. Amazon may be avoiding Google Maps or Apple Maps because it wants to keep its delivery data close to the vest.

After arriving at the first house, the app automatically knew where I was and prompted me to scan the package. It noted that there was no recipient needed, meaning I did not have to hand the package to a person. I rang the doorbell  Amazon recommends this for deliveries before 8 p.m.  and handed off the box to my first customer. Amazon asked me where I left the package  the recipient; a receptionist; front door; back door; secure mailroom; etc.  and I checked off the appropriate box.

Next up was an apartment, which proved to be much more complicated. The recipient did provide an access code, but it was difficult finding the specific complex, especially in the dark. I spent an extra ten minutes trying to locate the actual apartment.

Finally, I arrived at the door and knocked. No one responded. This was another no recipient needed, but when I selected the front door, the app asked me to take a photo of where I left the package. This was one of several times during my Amazon Flex work when I thought about the increasing number of package thefts and what companies are doing to prevent them.

The app does provide a way to call the customer or Amazon support, which is helpful. If youre unable to deliver a package, you drive back to the pickup center when your shift is complete and drop it off.

On the way to my third delivery, I had some time left in my block, so I stopped for a quick bite at Burgermaster  a classic joint around Seattle, and a favorite of Bill Gates.

Speaking of Gates, my third and final package was addressed to a home in his Medina neighborhood. It wasnt for the Microsoft co-founder, but the home seemed like a mansion at the end of a windy road. The package itself was massive, and I barely could lift it up the stairs to the doorstep. It seemed a little unreasonable for Amazon to expect a Flex driver to deliver this box, particularly to this specific home, without any help from a trolley or cart.

The customer greeted me at the door and had a lot of questions: why was I driving a regular car? Does Amazon deliver on Sunday?

My job was done after 71 minutes and 20 miles of driving, with a burger break in between  not bad for $60. Amazon asked a few survey questions at the end of the shift as a way for me to provide feedback.

My next Flex experience was much, much different.

41 packages, 3 hours, $58.50

I nabbed a 3-hour shift on a Saturday afternoon, set to start at a facility in North Seattle. This one was much different  not a big warehouse, but a small dedicated Amazon Flex office with a parking lot.

I parked, walked into the office, and checked in by scanning a QR code. Shortly after that, a friendly attendant lifted a blue cover off of this:

GeekWire

41 packages? For me? In my car? Wowza.

The attendant told me that 15 packages per hour was the average workload, so I prepared myself for a full 3-hour shift.

I had watched some how-to Amazon Flex videos on YouTube uploaded by other couriers and learned that some people strategically organized packages in their vehicle depending on address and drop-off order, to speed up the delivery process.

After scanning each package with my smartphone, I wasnt quite sure how to position each box in my car to optimize for efficiency. I wish Amazon made this process more systemic, because I ended up spending a lot of time searching for the right package during my drive.

This shift took much longer than my first  two hours and 25 minutes  but I drove less than 10 miles. Some quick observations from this particular shift:

All 41 packages were within a one-mile radius. At some points there were deliveries for three consecutive houses  it was another reminder of how dominant Amazon has become.

I saw several Ring doorbells, which seem like a good way to prevent package theft or at least have a way to see whats going on your doorstep.

When I had an issue, the app seemed to have an answer. For example, sometimes my GPS wouldnt detect that I was at a particular address and the app wouldnt allow me to continue with a delivery. However there was an option in the app  Im at the address but my GPS isnt working  that let you continue, which was clutch.

I felt a little nervous leaving my car running while I made a delivery  I had 41-plus packages in the back of my car that were clearly visible.

I also wondered if people thought I was a porch pirate, given my attire and how I was walking around carrying Amazon boxes. This article notes Amazon drivers being confused for thieves.

Sometimes it was tough finding a safe place to park, especially on busy streets.

The work was somewhat labor intensive  getting in and out of your car each time, carrying heavy packages, etc.

I forgot to scan one package at the outset, so I had to bring it back to the Amazon Flex pickup facility when my shift was over.

Analysis

Amazon Flex, like other gig economy services such as Uber or Postmates, provides people with an easy way to make some cash. Signing up is simple; the work isnt too demanding; and you get paid within a few days.

Amazon says you can make up to $18-to-$25 per hour. After subtracting costs of gas; parking/tolls; smartphone data usage; and wear and tear of your car, the pay seems to be a little more than minimum wage. The job can also get stressful when you deal with apartment buildings, app errors, or other problems.

But being able to pick from plenty of shifts and make a quick buck is pretty nice, especially if youre trying to pay a bill or supplement your primary income. To that point, it would be difficult to justify doing Amazon Flex for a full-time gig.

Amazon Flex provides a flexible opportunity for Delivery Partners looking to turn free time into supplemental or part-time income, Amazons FAQ page reads. The available delivery blocks may fluctuate week to week and are not guaranteed.

My experience so far has been pretty smooth, but a quick look on Glassdoor and Indeed reveals some complaints. Other Flex drivers are also suing Amazon, claiming that they should be treated as employees, not contractors.

This Gizmodo story also described Amazon Flex as a network of supposedly self-employed, utterly expendable couriers enrolled in an app-based program which some believe may violate labor laws. It noted that government agencies and customers alike are nearly oblivious to the programs existence.

Does Amazon Flex make sense economically for the company? Amazon paid me $60 to deliver three packages  not so sustainable  but it also paid me $58.50 to deliver 41 packages, which comes out to about $1.50 per order.

Its unclear how that stacks up to a paying a company like UPS, or a third-party delivery provider like OnTrac. One thing is certain: Amazons drones, if they ever make it, would be much more cost-effective.

So why did Amazon launch Amazon Flex? Put simply, the company needs help. Long ago, Amazon relied on USPS and UPS to get its packages delivered. Fast forward to today, though, and the company is not only selling more products on its site, but also guaranteeing speedy delivery to customers, in particular its valuable Prime members.

Amazon Flex is just one part of the companys expansive logistics network. As it continues to make more first- and third-party products available on its site, many of which are eligible for 2-day shipping, Amazon is looking at new ways to manage and deliver the inventory.

The tech giant still relies on USPS and UPS, but it also now uses its own trailer trucksand jumbo jets to deliver packages.

For third party sellers, Amazon is reportedly testing a service called Seller Flex in the U.S. that consists of the company picking up packages sold on its site directly from the third-party warehouses. Its an expansion of Fulfillment by Amazon.

Handling more deliveries itself would give Amazon greater flexibility and control over the last mile to shoppers doorsteps, let it save money through volume discounts, and help avoid congestion in its own warehouses by keeping merchandise in the outside sellers own facilities, Bloomberg reported in October.

The company also recently expanded its Lockers concept with a Amazon Hub, a new delivery locker for apartment lobbies that accepts packages from any sender, shipped via any carrier. Its the latest move by Amazon to expand its physical retail and delivery infrastructure, ranging from its Whole Foods acquisition to its rollout of the Treasure Truck into new markets across the country.

As Amazon invests more into its delivery infrastructure, the companys traditional retail rivals, including Walmart, Best Buy and Target, are also spending big on their own e-commerce and shipping initiatives in an effort to keep up with the e-commerce juggernaut.

Amazon has an advantage over those competitors, in that it can leverage growing profits from its Amazon Web Services cloud computing division to allow its e-commerce operations to run on razor-thin profits margins, and even at a loss.

MORE FROM GEEKWIRE:

Amazons rising shipping costs and related initiatives to manage delivery logistics also demonstrate the larger shift toward online shopping. For the first time this year, shoppers surveyed by Deloitte say they are planning to spend a majority of their holiday budgets online  51 percent  compared with 42 percent in store, and 7 percent through catalogs and direct mail. Adobe reported that a record $6.59 billion was spent online in the U.S. on Cyber Monday, an increase of 16.8 percent year-over-year  the largest online shopping day in history.

So all that being said, would I recommend driving for Amazon Flex? I found the job to be straight-forward and relatively stress free. A few 3-hour shifts here and there provide nice little boost to your wallet. Its nice knowing what work youll be doing, at what time, and how much youll be paid upfront, versus driving around for a platform like Uber where its a bit more spontaneous.

Amazon Flex isnt the right fit if youre looking for full-time work, but if you have some free time and dont mind driving your own car for the job and using your own smartphone, its worth a look.

This story originally appeared on GeekWire.
A 41-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of distributing and possessing thousands of videos and photos of child pornography  the second child porn arrest announced Tuesday by the San Francisco Police Department.

Gilbert Francisco of San Francisco is facing charges for possessing more than 600 files of child pornography and three counts of distribution of child pornography, according to the San Francisco Police Department.
NASHVILLE  Democrats eager to take control of the Senate next year are turning to the state of Tennessee, where a popular Democratic former governor is running for the seat being vacated by the retirement of Republican Sen. Bob Corker.

Neither of Tennessees two top GOP candidates, Rep. Marsha Blackburn and former Rep. Stephen Fincher, has the kind of personal baggage Republican Roy Moore had in the Alabama race won by a Democrat. But both have wholeheartedly embraced President Trump at what Democrats hope is exactly the wrong time.

Tennessee is clearly in play, said Paul Maslin, a pollster who worked for the campaign of Doug Jones, the first Democrat elected in a quarter century in Alabama. Jones rival, Moore, was besieged by decades-old accusations of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls when he was in his 30s. Moore denied the allegations.

Former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen, a known quantity in Tennessee, has kicked off his Senate run from a position of strength.

He starts with credibility among Tennesseans that Doug Jones didnt have or almost no Democratic challenger in any of the other Republican states would have next year, Maslin said.

Trumps margin of victory was 28 percentage points in Alabama and 26 points in Tennessee, though his poll numbers have slipped somewhat since. And while Fincher and Blackburn slug it out to the primary, Bredesen can concentrate on a message of being a problem-solver who can fix the mess in Washington.

With Republicans up 51-49 in the Senate next year, the stakes will be high in November.

Much was made of Democrats 25-year losing streak in Senate races in Alabama until the Dec. 12 special election. In Tennessee its been two years longer since Al Gore was the Democrats last victorious Senate candidate, in 1990.

Corker declined in a recent interview to weigh in on what the Alabama race portends for those vying to succeed him. But he noted the recent Virginia governors race  won by a Democrat  showed Republicans could be losing their grasp on once-reliable GOP voters.

The tone of much of the conversation coming out of Washington is a turnoff, said Corker, who has feuded with Trump.

Erik Schelzig and Jonathan Mattise are Associated Press writers.
CHICAGO  The good news for many in the Northeast and Midwest was that it has been a white Christmas. The bad news was that a blizzard swept into parts of New England and bitter cold enveloped much of the Midwest.

Even the usually rainy Pacific Northwest got snow. The National Weather Service says its only the sixth time since 1884 that downtown Portland, Ore., had measurable snow  only an inch or two  on a Dec. 25.

A blizzard warning was issued Monday for portions of Maine and New Hampshire, with forecasters saying snow of up to 10 inches and wind gusts up to 50 mph could make travel dangerous to impossible.

Most businesses were already shuttered on Christmas Day in New England. One of the few open was the Tobacconist cigar shop in Tewksbury, Mass., where area resident Dwayne Doherty said he welcomed the fresh blanket of snow.

Im actually happy, he said, chuckling as he made his way to his pickup. We havent had snow on Christmas at all in the last few years. Its actually perfect.

States from Montana and the Dakotas to Wisconsin expected wind chill temperatures in places at 40 below zero, the National Weather Service said. The upper half of Iowa and northern Illinois also braced for subzero temperatures.

Minnesota was experiencing its most frigid Christmas Day since 1996, with wind chill as cold as 35 degrees below zero, KSTP-TV reported. The National Weather Service warned that those whose skin was exposed in such conditions could get frostbite in as little as 15 minutes.

Snow amounts in the Midwest were not large for this time of year. A storm system that swept from Nebraska through Iowa dropped around 2 inches of snow on Chicago, the weather service said.

Chicagos OHare International Airport was reporting just six cancellations and average delays of only 15 minutes around noon Monday. There were no cancellations at the citys other major airport, Midway, and delays were less than 15 minutes on average.

In addition to slowing travel in New England, the storm was responsible for some power failures. Eversource reported more than 20,000 customers in eastern Massachusetts without electricity, the bulk on Cape Cod which was feeling the brunt of strong winds.

Most of Indiana had been under winter weather advisory with officials urging motorists to stay put unless they absolutely had to travel. Northern Indiana had been expecting up to 5 inches with slightly less in the southern part of the state.

New England was expected to get up to 8 inches of snow. Strong winds were predicted for Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, with gusts up to 65 mph.

Mountain areas in parts of Colorado, Montana and Wyoming received more than 1 foot of snow, which started Saturday. It was good news for holiday skiers and resorts that have struggled with a slow start this season.

But it meant a heightened warning of avalanches in higher elevations outside of ski areas.
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OKLAHOMA CITY  After his sister was slain and his mother ran into the accused killer, out on bail, in a grocery store a week later, California billionaire Henry Nicholas became a fierce advocate for the rights of crime victims.

He donated millions from his fortune as co-founder of tech giant Broadcom in Irvine, Orange County, to create a so-called crime victims bill of rights dubbed Marsys Law after his slain sister Marsalee  and add it to the states constitution in 2008.

Now Nicholas is taking his crusade nationwide, with teams of lobbyists, public relations firms and high-powered political strategists converging on other state capitols for a similar push. But while the idea of standing up for crime victims is an easy sell politically, complaints are mounting that the initiative is becoming a testament to the danger of unintended consequences.

Not just defense lawyers, but some local prosecutors, police and victims advocates are concerned that the laws extensive victim-notification requirements could impose crippling costs and administrative burdens on smaller towns and counties with limited resources. Supporters maintain those complaints are exaggerated and that any increased workload is worth the benefit of helping crime victims.

Still, law enforcement and victims advocates in some places are calling for its defeat or reversal.

Our local government does not have enough money to operate and protect victims adequately already. Now we have these unfunded mandates that are coming through Marsys Law to local governments without the resources to pay for them, said Leo Gallagher, county attorney in Lewis and Clark County, Mont.

Montana passed the measure in 2016, but the states Supreme Court recently tossed it out citing flaws in how it was written.

Marsys Law requires that crime victims be notified and heard in most criminal proceedings, receive protection and full and timely restitution and be allowed to confer with prosecutors. It also expands victims privacy rights and prohibits unreasonable delay of criminal cases.

The measure has been approved by voters in six states  California, Ohio, Illinois, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota  and efforts have been launched in at least nine more.

Skeptics are trying to push back.

When we first heard about it, we thought it was a no-brainer, said Darla Juma, who runs the victims witness assistance program in two counties in North Dakota, where the ballot measure passed last year. But there are counties that dont have a victims advocate, and now theyre having to send notices, notify victims. Whos going to pay for that work?

Sean Murphy is an Associated Press writer.
The incident occurred when BMC was conducting a demolition drive in a slum area of Santa Cruz, and the residents, journalist Priyanka Borpujari and other women started protesting.

By PTI, Press Trust of India: At least five persons, including a woman journalist, were booked on Wednesday for allegedly obstructing a demolition drive being carried out by the BMC and manhandling a woman police constable at suburban Santa Cruz, police said.

The incident occurred when the civic body was conducting a demolition drive at Ambedkar Nagar in Santa Cruz (East), an official said.

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As residents in the slum area started a protest against the action, journalist Priyanka Borpujari and other women also joined in, he said.

Some slum-dwellers, including women, entered into a scuffle with BMC and police personnel, during which a woman protester allegedly bit a hand of the police constable, he said.

An offence was registered against Borpujari and her four colleagues at BKC Police Station.

Nobody was arrested so far, he said, adding that a probe is underway.

ALSO WATCH | 25 years after Babri Masjid demolition, Ayodhya still battles for developmen

--- ENDS ---
NEW YORK  Talk-show host Tavis Smiley isnt just upset with PBS for firing him on sexual misconduct charges. Hes upset about his depiction in the news media.

Smiley said he believes that if he hadnt talked publicly about romantic relationships with subordinates at his company, the behavior that led to his downfall, the public would make little distinction between him and those who have been accused of sexual assault or rape.
Former President Barack Obama crying on stage, a police officer racing to the scene of shooting at a Florida airport, and a Libyan woman crying in a rescue boat after having just lost her child are a glimpse into the 101 most powerful Getty news photos taken this year.

This year's photos captured President Donald Trump's first year in office and the devastation left behind by Hurricane Harvey in Texas. Some of the photos in the slideshow above are graphic in nature.
A California Highway Patrol officer, just hours from getting off duty and going home to open Christmas presents with his wife and three young children, was killed when an impaired driver swerved off the road and slammed into his patrol vehicle, which was parked near an on-ramp to Interstate 880 in Hayward, the CHP said Monday.

Andrew Camilleri Sr., 33, of Tracy, a CHP officer for a year and a half, was killed in the crash at 11:20 p.m. on Christmas Eve, CHP officials said. His partner, Officer Jonathan Velasquez, was treated at a hospital for lacerations and released Monday, said Sgt. Rob Nacke, a CHP spokesman.

Today is not a holiday for the Highway Patrol. Today is about a tragic loss of one of our own, one by the name of Andrew Camilleri, who we will consider a hero now and forever, CHP Assistant Chief Ernest Sanchez said at a news conference Monday in Hayward.

Sanchez said the driver who hit the officers, a 22-year-old Hayward man, was hospitalized with serious injuries. He is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, specifically marijuana. The drivers name has not been released.

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I come to you with a broken heart, but also anger, Sanchez said. This person chose to drive while under the influence of alcohol and also drugs, and this needs to stop.

The two officers were assigned to a maximum enforcement Christmas Eve patrol for drunken drivers and speeders and were parked on the shoulder of southbound I-880 near the Winton Avenue on-ramp when a red Cadillac moving at a high rate of speed drifted off the roadway and struck their vehicle from behind, Sanchez said.

Sanchez said both officers were sitting in the patrol vehicle with their seat belts on. Velasquez was in the drivers seat, while Camilleri was in the front passenger seat.

The impact was so severe that it turned a utility vehicle into a very small compact vehicle, Sanchez said. So it kind of gives you an idea of the speeds that were involved.

He said he had to notify Camilleris wife, Rosanna, of her husbands death. The couple have a 12-year-old daughter and two sons, ages 2 and 6.

The children were expecting their father to come home and help open Christmas presents, Sanchez said.

He said the driver responsible for the fatality will face serious felony charges when he is released from the hospital.

This individual was coming home from a party and obviously had too much to drink and maybe too much to smoke, Sanchez said. We have enough evidence and enough statements that have been made today to allow us to charge this individual.

Camilleri joined the Highway Patrol in August 2016 and graduated from the CHP Academy on March 3, the patrol said. He was assigned to the Hayward area office.

He grew up in the Tracy area and graduated in 2002 from West High School in Tracy, according to an article published in April in the Tracy Press. While in high school he participated in the CHP Tracy offices Explorer Program for students interested in law enforcement careers.

He worked for 13 years for Clark Pest Control in the Tracy area before finally realizing his dream of becoming a member of the CHP.

Andrew was drawn to this profession due to his courage, his integrity and his desire to serve, said Capt. Tim Pearson, commander of the CHP Hayward area office. Andrew was a great man who loved his job, who loved his family.

Gov. Jerry Brown and his wife, Anne Gust Brown, released a statement Monday lamenting the loss of Camilleri. The governor said flags at the state Capitol would be flown at half-staff in the officers honor.

Anne and I are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic loss of Officer Camilleri, who died yesterday while working to keep our communities safe, Brown said. We join his family, friends and the entire California Highway Patrol in mourning his death and in honoring his sacrifice.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko

How to help CHP Officer Andrew Camilleris family

For those wishing to help Officer Camilleris family, the CHP says the California Association of Highway Patrolmen Credit Union will establish a benevolence fund that will direct all donations to the officers immediate family members. The account is scheduled to be opened Tuesday afternoon, and the fundraising site will be available at www.facebook.com/chpgoldengate.
By PTI: Jaipur, Dec 26 (PTI) Agitating Rajasthan government doctors met a a group of ministers today as part to attempts to resolve an 11-day deadlock over their demands related better work conditions including salary benfits.

The meeting was scheduled following Rajasthan High Court directives regarding take action against the doctors who do not resume work by December 26.

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"A round of meetings was held with the group of ministers. Consensus is yet to be reached on a few issues. We honour the courts order, which is in favour of doctors. The association will take a final call that is in the interest of doctors as well as people," general secretary of All-Rajasthan In-service Doctors Association (ARISDA), Dr Rakesh Hirawat said.

Health Minister Kalicharan Saraf issued a statement today saying that he was receiving information that in-service doctors are returning on work after the court directives.

The government has not arrested in-service and resident doctors returning on job, but stern action will be taken against those not returning to their job, an official said. PTI AG ADS

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By India Today Web Desk: Telugu actor Allu Arjun was the cynosure of eyes at the pre-release event of his brother Allu Sirish's upcoming film Okka Kshanam. Directed by Vi Anand, the film also has Surbhi, Seerat Kapoor, Srinivasa Avasarala and Jayaprakash in important roles.

It is no secret that Tollywood stars enjoy a huge fan following. In fact, the fan wars between Allu Arjun and 'Power Star' Pawan Kalyan's fans are quite well known. However, this time, the fans at the event crossed a line and made Allu Arjun lose his cool.

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Allu Arjun lost his temper when he was interrupted by the over-enthusiastic fans who were shouting and whistling the whole time. In a stern voice, the actor asked the fans to keep quiet and allow him to deliver his speech.

He said, "It is basic manners for anyone to not shout when someone is talking. I know, these functions are meant to be celebrated in such fashion, but fans should know better and lower their voices when someone starts to speak on stage. Do not interrupt when a person is sharing their feelings."

After listening to 'Bunny', as the actor is popularly called, the fans kept quiet and let Allu Arjun deliver his speech. He further asked the fans to take this advice seriously.

Allu Sirish, who plays the lead role in Okka Kshanam pacified the enthusiastic crowd by saying that his brother Allu Arjun is still in his character from Naa Peru Surya.

ALSO WATCH: Chiranjeevi's return to the big screen, Salman-SRK to reunite on screen

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By PTI: Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 26 (PTI) The main server and a computer of the Mercantile Cooperative bank here was today affected in a ransomware cyber attack, suspected to be from overseas, the police said.

"One computer and main server has been affected by the virus," IG Manoj Abraham, Nodal officer, Cyberdome told PTI.

As per the warning on the affected computer screen, the files have been encrypted and if it is to be retrieved, ransom in the form of bitcoin has to be remitted, he said.

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It is suspected that the cyber attack has come from overseas.

Cyber police, which has begun investigations, said the attack was not serious as bank transactions had not been hit.

Some affected files were restored using backup system, the police said.

In a ransomware cyber attack in June this year, six computers of the Southern Railway office here had been hit by the WannaCry virus but there was no data loss. PTI UD A BN

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Avika Gor says the two are best of friends.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Actress Avika Gor says people often talk about her "romantic relationship" with her former Sasural Simar Ka co-star Manish Raisinghani, but she asserts they are just the "best of friends".

Apart from acting, the Balika Vadhu star enjoys going behind the camera.

"This (directing short films) started because of Manish's and my fans. Back then in Sasural..., there were no romantic scenes between me and Manish. Fans wanted us to see us together. So, we wrote a five-minute script and put it on YouTube. People really liked it.

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"Manish was always into photography. I was also learning with him. It was interesting then we thought to do something from the heart, and then we started making films. Now, our film is travelling to different parts of the world," Avika told IANS.

They launched the poster of their short movie "Ankahee Baatein" at the 69th Cannes Film Festival's Short Film Corner last year.

But the news of the two dating kept popping up. Was she affected?

"Absolutely not. I was 13 when all of this (dating rumours) started. He was 32. So there was no point of even thinking about stupid stuff like this. Whenever those articles came, we laughed it off."

"Even now since we travel together, people talk, but it doesn't matter. We don't give any importance to the rumours. We are still best of friends. I don't have the time to be in a relationship right now," she added.

She is currently seen in the Colors show Laado - Veerpur Ki Mardaani.

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North Korea will continue enhancing its nuclear defensive potential and the United States should put up with the idea that Pyongyang wont give up these weapons, its Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

December 26, 2017, 11:36 North Korea calls on US to give up dreams that Pyongyang will abandon nuclear weapons

STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 26, ARTSAKHPRESS:"We will further consolidate our self-defensive nuclear deterrence aimed at eradicating the US nuclear threats and establishing the balance of force with it," the ministry said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Pyongyang is developing its nuclear weapons to protect its sovereignty and peoples lives against "the blackmail of American imperialists," it said. "The US should not forget that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has rapidly emerged as a strategic state capable of posing a substantial nuclear threat to the US mainland."

"If the US wants to live in safety, it needs to stop its hostile policy against the DPRK. It should also give up dreams that we will abandon our nuclear weapons," the ministry said.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula again flared up in late November when Pyongyang carried out a new missile launch after a 2.5-month pause. According to the KCNA, a Hwasong-15 new-type missile covered a distance of 950 kilometers in a span of 53 minutes rising to an altitude of 4,475 kilometers. Pyongyang claimed that this missile was capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and the entire US territory was within its range.

On Friday, the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed a resolution toughening sanctions against North Korea following its November 29 ballistic missile test. The document further restricts supplies of crude oil and oil products and insists all countries expel North Korean workers in a span of 24 months. The resolution envisages other restrictions that concern exports of industrial equipment, heavy machinery and transport vehicles to North Korea and imports of North Korean commodities.
The rather shameful incident was captured on camera. Bar tenders, including women in Christmas caps, are seen serving drinks to doctors, who later dance on popular tunes.

By Usman Chaudhary, Shivendra Srivastava: Russian belly dancers gyrate amid catcalls, doctors dance and booze flows freely. This is not a scene from a Bollywood potboiler or B Grade movies, but the premises of state-run Lala Lajpat Rai Medical College in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.

The shocking incident came to light when the doctors-from the 1992 batch-boozed, danced and watched the belly dancers at the Silver Jubilee function, which was organised by the Old School Association on Monday.

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The rather shameful incident was captured on camera. Video footage shows an ambulance with registration number UP 15 CT 2860 loaded with cartons of liquor parked in the premises. Bar tenders, including women in Christmas caps, are seen serving drinks to doctors, who later dance on popular tunes.

According to sources, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has severely reprimanded the district magistrate and the chief medical officer. An inquiry has been ordered to find out if the principal had any role in the incident and few heads could roll, the sources added.

Acting principal Vinay Agarwal said that he was "unaware of the incident, which came to my knowledge via the media". "We will investigate the incident," he said.

Chief medical officer Rajkumar said, "I got to know that Russian belly dancers were called to perform and liquor was stored in an ambulance van. It is absolutely wrong; it should not have happened at a state-run medical college." An inquiry into the incident has been ordered, he added.

Watch: Belly dancers and booze at state-run medical college in Meerut

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Savvy business travelers always try to carry on everything theyll need on their trips. But if there are occasions when you go on a longer trip and need to check a bag, watch out for brand-new airline rules banning a specific kind of checked luggage: smart bags. [FULL STORY & COMMENTS]

The latest generation of products from luggage manufacturers is incorporating various new technologies into an item that was previously very low-tech. So modern smart bags can provide things like tracking technology, built-in scales, and power ports to juice up your electronic devices on the go. But those functions all require a power source, and that source is generally a lithium-ion battery in the luggage.

More Information Chris McGinnis tracks fares and travel news on the TravelSkills.com blog. Sign up for email alerts or follow him on Twitter @cjmcginnis See More Collapse

The problem with lithium-ion batteries is that they sometimes spontaneously combust  and that means airlines dont want to take the chance of having them in a baggage hold.

Some luggage makers have quickly responded to the new rules. For example, the new Away line of luggage, which has a store in San Francisco's Hayes Valley, now has bags with pocket-sized batteries that pop out easily if the bag needs to be checked. Then you just carry it on with you since the batteries are allowed in the cabin- more on that here.

In the past few weeks, Delta, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines have all issued advisories warning customers that effective January 15, smart bags powered with a lithium-ion battery that cannot be removed will no longer be accepted as checked luggage. If the passenger can take the battery out of the luggage and carry it on, no problem. Otherwise, he has a real problem if he shows up at the airport with one of the now-banned bags.

If the customer is able to take the bag into the cabin with them, the customer will be able to leave the battery installed, Americans advisory said. But Delta said that smart bags with non-removable batteries will not be accepted as a checked or carry-on bag. Likewise at Alaska, Smart bags will be allowed as carry-on baggage, if they meet carry-on size limits and if its possible to remove the battery from the bag if needed, the company said.

Other airlines are likely to follow suit. So if any of your loved ones are planning to buy a new smart bag as a holiday gift for their favorite frequent traveler, make sure they get one with a removable battery.

Chris McGinnis is a travel blogger and editor of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.
Ng Han Guan/Associated Press

China hosted top diplomats from Afghanistan and Pakistan on Tuesday in a bid to mediate a long-simmering conflict between the neighboring countries.

Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif joined their Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Tuesday to discuss possible economic and security cooperation. The first trilateral minister-level dialogue in Beijing comes as China expands its economic interests in Pakistan.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans latest emergency decree risks inciting political violence by giving legal cover to pro-government vigilantes, opposition parties and legal authorities warned.

The order, declared Sunday in the Official Gazette, grants sweeping immunity for acting against terrorism or attempts to overthrow the government. Civilians wont face legal consequences for actions against last years coup attempt, or  more importantly  anything that could be considered its continuation, the decree said.

Erdogan and his allies regularly accuse political opponents of furthering the agenda of coup plotters, raising concern  and fear  about how broadly the decree will be interpreted. Opposition parties led by the Republican Peoples Party, or CHP, said the measure provides immunity not just to those who fought back a failed coup attempt by a faction of the military on July 15, 2016, but also to supporters of the government intent on stifling political dissent.

Theyve paved the way for anyone who claims to be fighting against terrorism to slaughter everybody else, Ozgur Ozel, a CHP parliament whip, said in televised remarks in the western province of Manisa. They will unleash vigilantes on us in a future democratic rally and will face no charges.

Ozels comments were echoed across Turkeys normally fractured opposition spectrum. Meral Aksener, a former interior minister who leads the newly established Iyi Party, said in a Twitter post that the decree risks dragging Turkey into a civil war by allowing civilians to use weapons on the pretext of suppressing rebellion. It also legitimizes use of paramilitary forces, according to Ziya Pir, a lawmaker with the pro-Kurdish party HDP.

Even Abdullah Gul, a former president who co-founded the AKP with Erdogan, warned of events that could upset us all and called for the law to be revised. Its wording is inappropriate for legal language and is worrying from the perspective of rule of law, he said on Twitter, in an unusual criticism of his successors policies.

More than 200 people, including civilians, were killed on the night of the coup attempt. There have also been widespread accusations of violence against rank-and-file soldiers who were following their commanders orders.

The decree was vaguely worded in terms of its time frame and its targets. Party spokesman Mahir Unal said it applied only to the events of July 15 and 16, 2016, but that timeline isnt spelled out in the order.

Onur Ant is a Bloomberg writer.
Farmers in Karnataka have been protesting about the sharing of water of the Mahadayi river with Goa since June this year.

By India Today Web Desk: Farmers in Karnataka booed away BJP state President BS Yeddyurappa when he tried to talk to them outside BJP headquarters there. Talks between the farmers' group and Yeddyurappa have failed to reach a conclusion.

Farmers have been protesting in Bengaluru for immediate resolution of the Mahadayi river dispute for more than 3 days now.

The farmers demand Yeddyurappa to ensure an immediate resolution of the Mahadayi water dispute. Farmers in Karnataka are demanding the resolution of the dispute of sharing of the Mahadayi river with Goa.

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Assembly elections will be held in Karnataka some time around May next year. BJP national president Amit Shah is expected to visit Bengaluru on December 31 to hold a core committee meeting about election preparations in the state.

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BRUSSELS  British ships and a helicopter were dispatched over the Christmas holiday weekend to track an upsurge of Russian naval vessels passing near British waters, the British Navy said Tuesday, as British and NATO leaders warn of Russian naval activity at levels unseen since the Cold War.

At least four Russian ships, including a warship and an intelligence-gathering ship, passed near British waters starting on Saturday, the British Navy said. The traffic on the water meant British sailors on the Royal Navy frigate St. Albans spent Christmas tracking their Russian counterparts. Those sailors planned to return to port on Tuesday, the navy said, although they remained on high readiness.
BEIRUT  Syrian rebels and opposition groups on Tuesday rejected Russias proposed peace talks, accusing Moscow of failing to pressure its ally, President Bashar Assad, to end the conflict.

In a series of statements, 40 rebel groups, including some of Syrias most prominent, as well as political opposition groups, said the talks expected next month are an attempt to circumvent the U.N.-led process, which has made virtually no progress since it began in 2014.

The rebel groups said Moscow has asked them to give up their demand for Assad to step down.

We reject this, and we affirm that Russia is an aggressor that has committed war crimes against Syrians, the statement signed by 40 rebel groups said. Russia has not contributed with a single move to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people and it has not pressured the regime it claims it guarantees to move an inch toward any real path toward a resolution.

The rebel groups, including Ahrar al-Sham, Army of Islam, and a number of Free Syrian Army groups, said they are committed to the U.N.-led Geneva process, and called on the international community to end the bloodshed, now in its seventh year. Political opposition groups and governing bodies in rebel-held areas also have rejected Russias proposed talks.

The talks are scheduled for Jan. 29-30 in Sochi, and were announced after talks among Russia, Iran, which back the government, and Turkey, which supports the opposition.

Syrias government said it would attend the talks. Assad told reporters recently that the Sochi talks have a clear agenda of discussing new elections and possibly amending the constitution.

The fate of Assad has been the main point of contention in all previous rounds of talks. The opposition has long called for a transitional period in which Assad would have no role, something the government refuses to even consider.

The Sochi talks would open up a fourth track of talks between parties to the complex conflict. The United Nations own Geneva program has been supplemented by technical talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, brokered by Russia, Iran and Turkey.

Russia periodically opens a third track through Cairo. Egypt has provided a base for Syrian reformists seen as acceptable to the Damascus government.

Its not yet clear who will attend the Sochi talks.

Sarah El Deeb is an Associated Press writer.
Augusta Capital has bought a second property which it plans to add to an industrial property fund scheduled to launch next year.

The Auckland-based company has unconditionally agreed to buy a 2.37 hectare site in the Auckland suburb of Penrose for $19.1 million, which will be acquired by Augusta's upcoming industrial fund, settling on March 29, it said in a statement. The industrial property currently houses packaging firm Graphic Packaging International New Zealand, which will sign an eight-year lease and surrender the front of the site. That part of the building will be demolished and redeveloped.

"The unconditional contract on 862 Great South Road demonstrates further momentum for the establishment of the industrial fund," managing director Mark Francis and chief operating officer Guy French-Wright said. "The acquisition also reinforces the previously stated intention for the Fund to be weighted towards the Auckland industrial market."

Augusta agreed to buy an industrial site in Wellington's Seaview for $44.9 million as a seed asset for the fund, which is expected to raise between $50 million and $70 million of equity when it launches in 2018.

The firm is completing due diligence on two more Auckland industrial properties and will provide more details next year when it also firms up the timing for the fund's launch.

The unnamed vendor of the property has agreed to underwrite $12 million of shares in the new fund, secured by a right to set off against the purchase price.

Augusta shares last traded at $1.065 and have gained 8.9 percent this year.

(BusinessDesk)

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The New Zealand dollar was little changed against the yen after minutes of the Bank of Japan's last policy meeting showed a strong desire to maintain stimulus measures for the time being.

The kiwi traded at 79.54 yen as at 8:30am in Wellington from 79.50 yen late yesterday. The kiwi rose to 70.32 US cents from 70.20 cents yesterday. The trade-weighted index was at 73.83 from 73.79.

Most members of the Bank of Japan's policy board deemed it appropriate to keep monetary easing in place, according to the minutes of their October meeting, that were released yesterday. The minutes show they didn't see the need for further stimulus. The kiwi edged up against the greenback but remains in the 69.52 US cents to 70.37 cents range it has traded in since mid-December.

Trading is likely to remain subdued as market participants take advantage of the shortened trading week between Christmas and New Year to take time off. "The market is going to be quiet for the balance of the week," Jason Leinward, chief executive at FirstLine FX Currency Strategy, told Reuters.

It traded at 90.97 Australian cents as at 8am in Wellington from 90.94 cents late yesterday and rose to 4.6003 yuan from 4.5897 yuan. It was at 59.26 euro cents from 59.14 cents and traded at 52.54 British pence from 52.51 pence.

(BusinessDesk)

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Six people died after a boat capsized today in the Ponnani region of Kerala's Malappuram.

Bodies being brought to a nearby hospital after a boat capsized in Kerala's Malappuram (Photo: PS Gopikrishnan Unnithan)

By P S Gopikrishnan Unnithan: Six people, including three students, died after a boat they were travelling in capsized in the Ponnani region of Kerala's Malappuram.

Three people have been rescued: Two girls and a man.

The man's condition is a bit critical - he has been taken to Thrissur medical college.

One of the survivors said there were as many as nine people in the boat

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Search operations are still under way to ensure no one has been left behind.

The Narayanippuzha river, where the incident happened (Photo: PS Gopikrishnan Unnithan)

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By PTI: (Eds: Updating with more quotes)

By K J M Varma

Beijing, Dec 26 (PTI) China today offered to extend its ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan as the three nations pledged to step-up counter terrorism cooperation and not to allow any country, group or individual to use their territories for terror acts.

In the first meeting of its kind since the three sides agreed to establish a trilateral dialogue mechanism in June, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, his Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani and Pakistan counterpart Khawaja Asif met here and discussed issues concerning their interests.

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Presiding over the meeting after his recent shuttle diplomacy, Wang said China and Pakistan would like to extend the over USD 50 billion CPEC to Afghanistan after reaching "gradual consensus".

He said China and Pakistan are willing to work with Afghanistan, on the basis of win-win, mutually beneficial principles, using an appropriate means to extend the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan.

The three countries could reach a gradual consensus, tackling easier, smaller projects first, Wang said.

In his address, Asif referred to CPEC, describing it as a flagship project of Chinas ambitious Belt and Road Initiative but remained silent about its extension to Afghanistan.

"The successful implementation of CPEC projects will serve as a model for enhancing connectivity and cooperation through similar projects in neighbouring countries including Afghanistan, Iran and Central and West Asia," he added.

Chinas offer to extend CPEC is significant from Indias point of view considering New Delhis strong objection to the project which traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The offer assumes significance in the backdrop of India- Iran-Afghanistan plans to provide access to Afghanistan to use Irans Chabahar port located close to Pakistans Gwadar Port.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to improve their ties and to realise harmonious co-existence, promising to resolve their concerns through comprehensive dialogue and consultation, Wang told reporters after the meeting.

Pakistans proposal - to set up working panels in politics, military, intelligence, economy and refugees -- was echoed by Afghanistan and supported by China, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Without naming the US or India, Wang said the trilateral dialogue was not targeted at any other party nor will it be subject to influence from other countries or forces.

The dialogue will complement other existing mechanisms and contribute to peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region, he said.

In his remarks, Foreign Minister Rabbani highlighted the importance of Afghanistans sovereignty and peace, without directly referring to Kabuls oft repeated allegations of Pakistans support to Taliban and sheltering its militants.

"We appreciate Chinas sincere support to sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity as well as our peace and development efforts," Rabbani said.

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In a joint statement issued at the end of the talks the three sides reiterated their firm resolve to fight the menace of terrorism.

"They expressed their strong determination not to allow any country, organisation or individual to use their respective territories for terrorist activities against any other countries," the statement said.

Observers say the reference to any country and organisation is significant considering that both Pakistan and Afghanistan accuse each other of fomenting violence in their respective counties.

The statement said the three sides agreed to strengthen counter-terrorism coordination and cooperation in an effort to combat all terrorist organizations and individuals without any discrimination.

"The three sides will communicate and consult on developing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Counter- Terrorism Cooperation," it said. The statement also called for the Taliban to be included in the peace process.

They reaffirmed that a broad-based and inclusive peace and reconciliation process, which is "Afghan-led, Afghan-own", and fully supported regionally and internationally, is the most viable solution to end the violence in Afghanistan.

"In this regard, they call on the Afghan Taliban to join the peace process at an early date," the statement said.

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China has stepped up efforts to forge peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan after US President Donald Trump announced a new South Asia policy blaming Islamabad for terrorist attacks in Afghanistan and India.

Trumps South Asia policy giving importance to India and inviting New Delhi to play bigger role in reconstruction of Afghanistan has also raised eyebrows in Beijing and Islamabad.

The Foreign Ministers trilateral mechanism was formed after Wang?s visit to the two countries in June as part of his shuttle diplomacy.

Asif also said it was agreed that peace and stability in Afghanistan was essential to realise the shared objective of development, deepening connectivity and economic prosperity.

He said Pakistan emphasised the importance of border management, return of Afghan refugees and intelligence sharing for effective counter terrorism cooperation.

"We look forward to a response to our proposal for the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for the solidarity and for early operationalisation of five working groups," he said.

The second China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers Dialogue will be held in Kabul next year. PTI KJV ZH

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By PTI: Bhopal, Dec 26 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan paid a visit to Gandhinagar today and congratulated Vijay Rupani, who was sworn-in as chief minister of Gujarat for the second consecutive time today.

However, Chouhan could not attend the swearing-in ceremony as he had to rush back to his state for prior commitments.

"Chouhan left the Gujarat capital early as he was scheduled to take part in various programmes in his home state at Kolaras and Piprai," an official of the public relations department said.

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In a tweet, Chouhan informed that he took BJP president Amit Shahs permission to leave early in view of his prior commitments. PTI MAS ADU NP

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Erica Garner, 27, the eldest daughter of Eric Garner, remained in a Brooklyn hospital on Tuesday, although doctors "are supposed to be bringing her out of her coma", according to updates being posted on her Twitter account.

Garner has been hospitalized since she suffered an apparent heart attack on Saturday, according to family members on social media.

She went into a coma after suffering cardiac arrest that was triggered by an asthma attack, according to the Daily News. The mother of two was unable to breathe on her own, the News reported, citing information from family.

"The Garner/Snipes family wants to thank you all for your prayers and support. At this moment there are no updates on Erica's condition. They ask that you take this holiday to enjoy your loved ones and self care. More updates will come as they are available," said a post on Erica Garner's official Twitter account Monday morning.

The account is being updated by "a worker," according to one of the messages on Sunday.

As of 10:43 p.m. Monday, Garner's condition had not changed.

Thank you all for your continued support for Erica. Her condition has not changed today. I will update again in the morning.  officialERICA GARNER (@es_snipes) December 26, 2017

The worker reported to Twitter at 9:06 a.m. Tuesday, that Garner was supposed to be brought out of the coma.

The worker has since been escorted out of the room, according the account. It was not clear when further updates would be posted.

The woman's father, Eric Garner, died while he was being arrested in Tompkinsville for allegedly selling loose cigarettes in 2014.
Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has brought relief to an elderly couple whose valuables were stolen while they were travelling by increasing their compensation by eight times.

By Sneha Agrawal: Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has brought relief to an elderly couple whose valuables were stolen while they were travelling from Bengaluru to New Delhi in the 2 AC of Sampark Kranti.

They increased their compensation by eight times viewing the hardships and harassment they had gone through.

Urmila Chadha and her husband Sushil Chadha boarded Sampark Kranti in 2012 to attend a wedding in the Capital.

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Urmila woke up in the middle of the night to use the washroom and she returned to her seat only to find that her bag was missing. It had a lot of jewellery and Rs 16,000 in cash.

The couple were later informed that the bag was in the possession of Gonda Railway Police Station. They reached there and were handed over but an empty bag.

Chadha's moved the Delhi district consumer forum, alleging that cash and valuables to the tune of Rs 5 lakh had been stolen.

They also accused the railways of negligence. The district forum awarded them Rs 15,000 as compensation, observing that once the ticket fare is paid to the Railways for reservation, it is accountable for the safety passengers and their luggage.

The couple, dissatisfied with the nominal amount, moved Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, which held that the duo should be paid to Rs 1.25 lakh instead, causing the trouble they had for their missing valuables.

--- ENDS ---
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In an effort to even the playing field for the borough's public schools, an $800,000 grant awarded to Staten Island's District 31 will finance a new community-wide equity initiative.

The Staten Island Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York and FSG -- a consulting firm specializing in nonprofit organizations and foundations -- partnered to fund the grant. The equity work targets Staten Island's pre-K through grade 12 students over the next 18 months.

As the Advance has previously reported, City Department of Education (DOE) school profile data reveals inequities between North Shore and South Shore schools. North Shore schools are ethnically and racially more diverse, but have historically lower reading and math scores and lower attendance rates than those on the South Shore.

North Shore schools often have fewer enrichment opportunities, and a greater concentration of school families fall below federal poverty guidelines, based on their eligibility to receive free school lunch.

GRANT COMPETITION NATIONWIDE

In an Advance editorial board meeting, District 31 Superintendent Anthony Lodico said he was approached about the grant opportunity. FSG was looking to expand its work with students, and was interviewing school districts around the country.

"We found out a little over a month ago that we were selected," Lodico said. "[The grant] is going to help us deepen the work around equity and excellence and really building and forging even better partnerships in the community to get this work done, and so we have an advisory group that is already formed."

The project will also coincide with City Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina's plan, Equity and Excellence for All: Diversity in New York City Public Schools, which has five-year goals to increase the number of students in "racially representative schools," decrease the number of economically stratified schools and increase the number of inclusive schools that serve English language learners and students with disabilities.

"We are going to kick this off officially at the end of January with a three-day workshop and with a larger working group of about 40 to 50 people so it's exciting," Lodico said. "It fits into the whole equity and excellence focus that the chancellor talks about all the time."

NORTH SHORE EQUITY FOCUS

The Staten Island Foundation also partnered with FSG this year to create the Staten Island Alliance for North Shore Children and Families, an early childhood initiative to improve wellbeing for children from birth to 8 years old.

"It really is focused on the North Shore and on birth to grade three, and helping make sure that children and families are getting the support they need," Lodico said. "So by grade three, kids are on grade level and are socially and emotionally equipped to be successful in school."

The committee, made up of cross-sector stakeholders, is tasked with developing strategies to confront systemic barriers to opportunity.

"As a first step, this included disaggregating data by race, ethnicity, and geography, and inquiring as a group about the disparities that existed," FSG wrote in a blog post.
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Earlier this year, while writing a preview story for a show by Broome-based performer Dalisa Pigram, I had the good fortune to make contact with Pigram's great uncle, Senator Patrick Dodson.

Senator Dodson told me a little about the politics behind Pigram's work, Gudirr Gudirr.

He was proud of the use of dance to convey the Indigenous messages inherent in the work and said: "In using art instead the hard-edged arguments of adversarial politics, we can get to the truth of the message much quicker and in a more palatable form."

Gudirr Gudirr is one of my five dance picks for 2017.

That work, and the other four I have chosen and ordered alphabetically by title, were all formidable and moving in their individual ways.
The Delhi government had announced the proposal to start home delivery of several government services about a month ago.

By India Today Web Desk: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has rejected Delhi government's proposal to offer doorstep delivery of several government services.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had announced the home delivery of basic government services, such as birth certificates, licenses, pensions, welfare schemes etc, about a month ago. The announcement was seen as a people friendly decision by many.

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Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has called it a "huge setback" in Delhi government's efforts to provide good governance to the people of the national capital.

In a series of tweets, Manish Sisodia said that the public is suffering because of the difference of opinion.

LG rejects proposal of doorstep delivery of 40 govt services like caste-birth-address certificates, licences, social welfare schemes, pensions, registrations..etcLG sends it back for reconsideration. LG says digitalization of services enough. No need for doorstep delivery. 1/N- Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) December 26, 2017

Most of these services r already digital. Yet, long queues in offices. Despite digitalization, most people still hv to run around govt offices with docs etc. Under doorstep delivery scheme, a govt rep wud visit ur house on a ph call to collect, certify n upload ur docs.2/N- Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) December 26, 2017

LG has taken decision without knowing field reality. Announcement of doorstep delivery scheme was welcomed by all sections of society. Huge setback in Del govt's efforts to provide good and corruption free governance.. 3/N- Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) December 26, 2017

Should LG have power to express difference of opinion with elected govt on such critical matters of public interest n be able to scuttle such measures? Public hugely suffering because of that... 4/4- Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) December 26, 2017

The issues is seen as another scuffle between Kejriwal-led Delhi government and the Centre. The Delhi government has also approached the court alleging that the Lieutenant Governor has been sitting on their proposals and schemes.

Manish Sisodia also tweeted an infographic with the caption "Today I feel sad for people of Delhi...". In the phonographic, Sisodia alleges that the LG has taken the decision without knowing the ground reality and also said that this decision raises serious "constitutional concerns".

Today I feel sad for people of Delhi... pic.twitter.com/L7LLLHDuRP- Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) December 26, 2017

--- ENDS ---
In the days before Christmas a dangerous new tone crept into the ongoing political combat surrounding the investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and suspected Russian efforts to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

There have been warnings of a constitutional crisis and the reckless suggestion of a coup d'etat.

Former FBI director Robert Mueller is considered to have an unimpeachable reputation. Credit:AP

Just over a week ago the high profile Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, an old friend of Donald Trump, said on her program there was a "criminal cabal" against Mr Trump inside senior federal law enforcement circles and called for "a cleansing  in our FBI and Department of Justice ... it needs to be cleansed of individuals who should not just be fired, but who need to be taken out in cuffs".

The same day her colleague Jesse Watters went further, warning his viewers of a potential coup. "The scary part is we may now have proof the investigation was weaponised to destroy his presidency for partisan political purposes and to disenfranchise millions of American voters," he said. "Now, if that's true, we have a coup on our hands in America."
Demand for well-located, zoned industrial sites will be competitively sought after in the upcoming year. As 2016-17 saw growth of up to 40 per cent in value within some industrial precincts, these values should now remain steady in 2018." Mr Curry said the pre-lease markets and supply chain advances in technology would drive pre-lease inquiry in 2018. ''As companies try to improve margins and their earnings before interest and tax, opportunities such as the Moorebank Intermodal Logistics Park will continue to capture significant interest from the Corporate Industrial heavyweights.'' Moorebank Intermodal A new development in south-west Sydney at AMP Capitals Crossroads Logistics Centre, Casula, is now underway, with the official sod-turning ceremony taking place at the site of WesTracs new purpose-built facility.

The facility includes a warehouse, workshop and regional office for WesTrac, one of Caterpillars largest authorised dealers, that will occupy nearly 24,000 square metres. Construction will begin in earnest in the coming weeks and is expected to be completed by mid-2018. WesTrac signed a long-term lease with AMP Capital at Crossroads Logistics Centre in March 2017. AMP Capital managing director, office and industrial, Luke Briscoe said the location was a perfect fit for WesTrac. Crossroads offers a strategic location for companies such as WesTrac and Electrolux. Its located in the growth corridor of south-west Sydney, offers access to arterial road and transport infrastructure as well as retail and lifestyle amenities for workers,'' Mr Briscoe said. ''Our strategy is to work with our industrial tenants, such as WesTrac, to develop a site that meets their needs and were delighted that construction is now underway on this development.

Electrolux has leased a site at AMP Capital's Crossroads industrial estate, Casula, Sydney According to JLL, buoyed by significant infrastructure development activity, a rise in online retail and the greater pervasiveness of automation, the Sydney industrial sector was undergoing a structural evolution not previously seen before. In the first half of 2017 alone, JLL recorded about 750,000 square meters of gross leases in Sydneys industrial sector. The research says take-up, in the first three quarters, exceeded the average 10-year annual figure. This now marks three consecutive years that leasing volumes have been above the long-term average. Take-up volumes in 2015 and 2016 both exceeded 1 million square metres. This was due to tenants relocating as a result of withdrawals for alternate use rezoning and infrastructure projects.

In 2017, leasing activity was lifted by organic growth and tenants have been looking to achieve efficiencies by consolidating into larger facilities or campus-style accommodation. More recently, a growth in demand from retailers, both online and in-store, looking to facilitate digital orders has lifted the underlying requirements for industrial space. Demand from these sectors have reached record highs. Constrained supply Rezoning, stock withdrawals and increasing demand from the e-commerce and retail sector are among the driving forces underpinning constrained supply and what JLL believes could be part of structural changes driving activity in the medium to long term. Despite this sustained surge in demand, the supply of new industrial floor space has yet to rise. The rate of new development activity has been limited by the rising scarcity of developable land.

The Sydney market has had four consecutive years with supply below the 10-year average of 524,000 square metres. However, looking to 2018, JLL Research thinks there will be a rise in completions. About 294,000 square metres of industrial floor space is under construction and 260,000 square metres of developments are approved with an anticipated completion in 2018. JLLs Michael Wall, head of industrial - NSW, said increased pressure for development stock had exerted upward pressure on land values. Mr Wall said developers were working through existing land banks and now seeking opportunities to buy large land parcels in strategic locations to accommodate the underlying demand for well-located facilities. We are advising our occupier clients with an upcoming requirement to outline how real estate will support their strategic objectives in their business plans and move to secure a pre-lease or existing facility prior to another uplift in rents over 2018. In Sydneys outer central west, average land values (1 hectare serviced allotment) increased in suburb from $450 a square metre in 2015, to $550 a square metre in the third quarter of 2017.
By now, hopefully, we're all feeling relaxed and comfortable. Having both Christmas and New Year's Day fall on a Monday seems to work well; the usual pre-holiday rush getting presents organised and wrapped wasn't quite as chaotic this year as usual.

In an ideal world, of course, we'd devote time and effort to these activities rather than simply list them as items on checklists to be ticked off. The real problem is aligning our personal objectives with others' expectations: matching our desires with the way others expect us to behave.

Illustration: Michael Mucci

Achieving this is increasingly problematic. It won't become any easier in the coming year, either. The personal sphere  that little bubble in which we exist as masters of our own destiny  is increasingly under threat. Others are shaping, pushing and pulling it, this way and that.

It's as if we're living amid a huge experiment, one in which the x and y axes are moving continually further apart. We have no idea when the centre will suddenly snap.
The bananapocalypse is coming. That's the likelihood that sometime in the next decade, bananas may disappear, victims of a fungal pathogen known as Panama Disease.

Panama Disease may be the cause of this disaster, but it's also a symptom of a bigger problem afflicting global agriculture: a failure to diversify.

The demise of the Cavendish banana is only a matter of time. Credit:Robert Rough RNR

The most devastating case study in the dangers of monoculture comes from Ireland in the 1840s. A fungal pathogen known as Phytophthora infestans, better known as potato blight, in 1845,destroyed that year's crop of Lumper potatoes, then raged across the rest of Europe. It's estimated that a million people died of starvation in Ireland alone.

And so it was with the banana. Though bananas come in hundreds of shapes, sizes, colours and flavour profiles, a single cultivar became the fruit of the masses in the late 19th century: the Gros Michel banana, otherwise known as Big Mike.
I never learned to ride a surfboard but often wished I had. I grew up in Regents Park, in Sydney's western suburbs. The largest mass of water I swam in was Bankstown swimming pool, "Banky Baths" as it was called, where I often saw Don Talbot training his squad that included the Konrads Kids: Ilsa and John.

At some point, when I was about 10-years-old, friends took me to a beach for the first time. I was dumped, rolled and tossed about in the surf so many times, I cried. Sand got into my mouth. My skin was a water-melon pink and blistered; but deep down in some part of me, I knew that visit to Manly beach was one of the best adventures that I'd experienced.

A lone surfer striking out to catch a wave, challenging the sea as much as the sea is challenging him, may be a symbol of some greater quest that everyone embarks on. Credit:Robert Shakespeare

Forward to 1963 and Jack Nitzsche releases his classic surfing instrumental The Lonely Surfer. The sound captures my imagination beyond reckoning. He'd taken Phil Spector's Wall of Sound out of the studio and transported it to the sea, mixing the human with the elemental in a confrontation that is frightening, awesome, majestic in its climax. The recording is a masterpiece.

A lone surfer is striking out to catch a wave, challenging the sea as much as the sea is challenging him. Why is the surfer "lonely"? Is he a symbol of some greater quest that everyone embarks on? What's going on inside him as he heads out to sea? The music carries the pulse of the sea beneath him as it rises and falls, heaves relentlessly, eases off and pushes again. Continues rising. The sea will not give up; but neither will the surfer.
There's a pair of Jimmy Choo sparkly pumps I've had my eye on for some time. Only after reading about the harmful effects glitter has on the planet I am not sure they belong in my wardrobe.

Glitter has been getting a bad rap but that shouldn't mean we have to banish the sparkle from our closets altogether. Besides, looking like a mirror ball on New Year's Eve is not only acceptable, it's heartily encouraged.

Bold sparkle in jewelled tones, as seen on Lupita Nyong'o, is shaping as the hottest red carpet trend of the moment. Credit:AAP

As more international fashion brands move to ban fur (hooray!), it's likely major brands will begin to look at microplastics as one of the new areas for improvement in sustainable fashion.

And while we're not there yet, there are plenty of things we can do to set the ball rolling, starting with boycotting those cheap glitter hats from the two-dollar shop that used to be your fancy-dress fallback.
New wills are top of the "to-do list" for the new year. Briscoe had one that was 20 years old, while Bo doesn't have one. Briscoe, who works as a production manager, owned a flat before she met Bo and had asked about updating her will to ensure her partner would inherit. Instead, they've sold the property and plan to buy a place together. She and Bo have already put in place some legal protection for each other in recent months, combining finances and setting up binding nominations for their superannuation accounts. Hacker says binding death nominations, which are separate to a will, usually last for three years before they have to be renewed. Some funds can be invalidated by marriage. De facto protection

Hacker says is also important for couples in de facto relationships to make a will and estate plan that includes a power of attorney. Sometimes those in de facto relationships can be treated unfairly if one partner dies or is critically ill or injured in the absence of a will and estate plan, she says. A partner in a de facto relationship may not be considered next of kin and not included on the death certificate or allowed to make medical decisions on behalf of their partner, she says. That may lead to situations where friends of the couple are asked to sign affidavits stating that they believe the couple were de facto, or the surviving member of the relationship being required to make public details about the relationship that are private or personal. Hacker says marriage automatically invokes these rights.

Briscoe says it's a huge relief to know that marriage will simplify the next-of-kin rights for health care and end-of-life decisions. "Obviously there's a massive symbolic significance to the marriage, but it's also the straightforwardness of the legal situation," Briscoe says. DIY will kits It can be tempting to save on legal fees and use a DIY will kit, such as those available from newsagencies or the internet. However, that could be a false economy. Those with blended families, in particular, are likely to find paying a lawyer to draw up a will well worth the money.

"The courts are littered with examples of do-it-yourself wills that have gone wrong", says Brian Hor, special counsel, superannuation and estate planning at Townsends Business and Corporate Lawyers. "Unless you are a specialist estate planning lawyer, there is a high probability you will get it wrong  and simply end up imposing unwarranted anxiety and frustration and legal expense upon your loved ones at the worst possible time for them." Update will Stephen Hardy, national manager of estate planning at Equity Trustees, says it is important not just to create a will, but to keep it up to date.

The consequences of putting the will in the bottom drawer and forgetting about it can mean more problems than not having a will at all. For example, in the breakdown of a marriage in most states even when a divorce is finalised, it does not mean the will is necessarily revoked. "If a will has not changed to acknowledge this, then there is the possibility of the former partner having a legal say in how the will is administered," he says. Hardy knows of cases where marriages have ended acrimoniously and the will has not been changed to reflect this bitter breakdown, with the estranged partner still being the executor and sole beneficiary of the will. Changes to family structure

Hardy says changes to the structure of a family, and changing dependants, will often require a will to be changed. "The birth of new grandchildren, arrival of stepchildren or half-siblings could require a rewording of a will to ensure everyone is treated appropriately," he says. Hardy says, in his experience, it's often when a will doesn't get changed to reflect new family circumstances that there can be costly court cases where aggrieved parties feel they have been poorly treated. Give particular thought about whom to make executor of the will. People often nominate their spouse or a trusted friend who is of roughly the same age, but consider if it will remain feasible as you get older. Michael Tiyce, a lawyer and principal of Tiyce & Lawyers, says wills should be reviewed about every five years  earlier if there is a major change in family or financial circumstances.

Binding agreements Binding financial agreements, also known as prenuptial agreements, are more watertight than they used to be due to court decisions and prenups' increasing popularity, Tiyce says. Prenups can be drawn up during the course of a relationship, not just at the start. Under the law, if a couple lives together for just two years their financial assets can be divided the same way as if they had been married for decades. Tiyce says binding financial agreements appeal to those who are in their second or third marriage, especially where they are bringing assets into the marriage.
The co-owner of high-profile art gallery and auction house Mossgreen says creditors will not be out of pocket after the shock news the company has gone into voluntary administration.

Paul Sumner, who is also chief executive and co-founder, said the move was due to debts following the company's rapid expansion and the withdrawal of its key investor.

Mossgreen chief executive and co-founder Paul Sumner: "We've probably grown a little bit fast considering that the market plateaued.'' Credit:Michael Rayner

On December 21 Mossgreen, which has branches in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland, thanked customers via its Facebook page for their 2017 support and announced its holiday office closure.

The next day, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission announced that administrators had been appointed for Mossgreen Pty Ltd.
The head of the environmental watchdog has resigned after a year of intense scrutiny, in which he referred the body to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Barry Buffier, 71  once described by Opposition Leader Luke Foley as "the most powerful public servant in NSW"  served as chairman and chief executive of the NSW Environment Protection Authority since 2012.

EPA chief Barry Buffier is set to leave the authority on January 8. Credit:Max Mason Hubers MMH

This year, a Fairfax Media investigation revealed significant problems with the way the EPA policed illegal asbestos dumpers and questionable policies around land contamination.

Asked about Mr Buffier's main achievements on Monday, Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton referred to his "significant career in the public sector", thanked him and wished him well in retirement.
On a scorching day at Narrabeen Lakes last summer, five-year old Amina Anderson almost drowned in the blink of an eye.

"We turned around and saw her submerged underwater. When we pulled her out of the water, she wasn't responding, and her chest was making a cracking noise  I thought she was going to die," Amina's mother Tdjanaya Anderson-Rosser said.

Tdjanaya Anderson-Rosser with her daughter, Amina, 5, who nearly drowned at Narrabeen Lakes last year in Sydney. Credit:Janie Barrett

Amina was one of the lucky ones. She was quickly rushed to hospital, where doctors carefully monitored her and treated her for possible pneumonia. She was eventually discharged later that day fully healthy.

But tragically, many are not as fortunate. In NSW, 461 children have drowned in the last 15 years. For every child that dies, up to nine others are hospitalised for drowning. Many who survive suffer from permanent brain injuries which can leave them with lifelong learning difficulties.
The hospital is one of the largest facilities in Delhi, which caters to over 2,000 patients every day.

By Baishali Adak: One of the biggest government hospitals of Delhi, Hindu Rao, will soon get a facelift with the North Municipal Corporation of Delhi planning to build a multidisciplinary health block at the cost of Rs 105 crore.

A proposal to this effect was presented at the NMCD house meeting on Friday. The Hindu Rao Hospital, situated on the northern ridge on Malka Ganj road, is one of the largest facilities in this part of the city and caters to over 2,000 patients daily.

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It includes departments of gynaecology and obstetrics, cardiology, neurology, ENT, skin, burns and plastic surgery.

Plus, it has a regional blood bank, neonatal intensive care unit and thalassemia day care unit. The municipal health programmes run from here, such as anti-rabies injections, are also very popular.

A senior official said, "The existing old structure will be demolished at a cost of Rs 6 lakh and the new construction will commence as soon as we float a tender for construction work."

"We are estimating that the new health block, complete with all facilities, new equipments, lights, machines, operation beds, etc. will cost us about Rs 105.41 crore," he added.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HOSPITAL

In 1951, the Delhi government converted this erstwhile nursing home into a general hospital offering basic preventive and curative OPD services with 127 beds for in-patients.

The MCD took over the hospital in 1958 and the union ministry of health designated this hospital as a referral hospital in 1963.

The hospital also caters to the medical and health needs of a number of referred patients from the dispensaries and colony hospitals managed by the MCD, the nearby public hospitals managed by Delhi administration, and many charitable and private institutions.

A new medical college was started here in July 2013 and has been named North MCD Medical College. With a seat of 50 MBBS students, it is affiliated to the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University.

Interestingly, NMCD has been facing several problems in running its several hospitals due to high cost. It earlier announced that it would merge four of its hospitals.

The civic body on an average spends close to Rs 400 crore on its five hospitals. It charges only Rs 5 as receipt.

The NMCD has been reeling under a large deficit, which is likely to top with Rs 2,700 crore again.

It also proposed to hand over Balak Ram Hospital, which is under construction, to the Delhi government once it became fully operational.

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The ties binding two of Sydney's most controversial families, the Ibrahims and the Mehajers, are set to be tightened after a senior Nomads bikie and cousin of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim announced his engagement to Salim Mehajer's younger sister Sanaa.

Convicted killer Mouhamed "Moudi" Tajjour, a former vice-president of the Nomads outlaw motorcycle gang, announced his engagement to Ms Mehajer on his Instagram account on Christmas Eve.

Mr Tajjour, his brother Sleiman  a former Nomads national president  and their cousin Michael Ibrahim pleaded guilty in 2007 to the manslaughter of Robin Nassour, brother of Fat Pizza comedian George Nassour, who was stabbed in an apartment basement car park at Chiswick in Sydney's inner-west after a dispute on New Year's Eve 2005.

The Supreme Court heard a fight broke out between the men after Michael Ibrahim, who had refused the Nassour brothers entry to an Oxford Street nightclub, interpreted a "rude" middle-finger gesture made by Robin Nassour in the direction of his brother George as being "intended for him".
A 10-year-old boy is in hospital after being shot during a home invasion south of Brisbane.

The boy's father, a police dog and its handler were also treated for injuries suffered in the aftermath of what police were treating as an attempted armed robbery.

Police believe two men, one armed with a gun, entered a home in the Logan suburb of Browns Plains just before 8pm on Boxing Day.

The boy was shot in the shoulder during a fight at the Ammons Street residence and rushed to the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in a serious condition.
A 10-year-old boy has been shot during an attempted armed robbery at a home in Queensland's south.

Two men, one armed with a gun and another with a machete, entered a Brown Plains home on Tuesday just before 8pm and an argument broke out.

During the fight the boy suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder while a 31-year-old-man was shot in the stomach.

A police dog was also injured by another dog, as was the dog handler, while police were tracking the offenders.

AAP
Borax is sold as a household cleaning chemical and sometimes used as a pesticide, but it's also the best binding agent for slime when it's mixed with PVA glue. Parental fear about Borax was spurred by a news piece from America about a young girl who reportedly received chemical burns to her hands from playing with slime that had borax in it. Genevieve Adamo, a spokeswoman from the NSW Poisons Information Centre, says Borax is most concerning in its raw, powdered state. "If it's handled correctly and prepared by an adult then the quantities in the slime is unlikely to pose any risk of serious poisonings. "There have been a couple of cases reported where people have gotten quite bad rashes or a burning sensation after playing with slime but we can't be sure that borax was the cause."

However, she says ingestion of reasonably small amounts of borax powder can cause harm. The NSW poison hotline advises parents to lock raw borax away from kids along with cleaning chemicals. Mrs Adamo says it's important that any spare Borax solution is disposed of instead of being stored in the fridge, as it could be confused with water. She says there has been one case of a person accidentally making pancakes out of an old mixture of water and borax. The number of calls regarding borax to the NSW poison info line has shot up 76 per cent in the past year. 2. What is MSG?

MSG appeared twice in the list of Australia's top "what is" Google searches of 2017 (1st and 7th). This chemical is believed by many to be the cause of so-called Chinese restaurant syndrome (CRS). The syndrome was first described in 1968 by Dr Ho Man Kwok, who wrote in a letter to an American medical journal that he would get a strange numbness in his neck, back and arms, followed by heart palpations, after eating at a Chinese restaurant. However, Chinese restaurants are not the only places you will find MSG. MSG is a glutamate, which is a very common amino acid found naturally in foods that contain protein like meats and vegetables. In fact, our bodies produce glutamates in the process of metabolising food. Glutamates trigger your "umami" taste receptors. Umami is Japanese for "pleasant savoury taste" and although it's lesser known, it's one of the five basic tastes.

But Dr Kwok's research didn't conclusively prove a link between MSG and the symptoms some claim to experience after consuming it. In 2003, Food Standards Australia New Zealand concluded in a technical report that there was no convincing evidence that MSG had caused any reactions resulting in serious illness or death. The real takeaway is this: the current scientific consensus is that MSG can temporarily affect a select few when consumed in large quantities on an empty stomach. But for the large majority of people, it's perfectly fine to consume. However, nutritionist Tracie Connor says MSG is dangerous for a different reason. "MSG is added to foods to increase the desire to eat the food while increasing our appetite for it," she says.

"This scenario is not what we need in an age where most Australians are overeating." She says MSG flavour enhancer is typically added to packaged and processed foods like chips and crackers and is displayed in ingredients as flavour enhancer 621. 3. How to use Snapchat map "How to use snapchat map?" was one of the most Googled "how to" questions this year (7th), after the release of the new feature fostered both excitement and confusion. The Snapchat "Snapmap" allows users to view the location of other users, as long as they have consented to their location being shared, however, many users were unsure how to access the feature.

To get into Snapmaps on the Snapchat app, users simply have to swipe inwards on the photo screen, as though they are zooming out. The feature offers users the opportunity to view Snaps submitted to a communal Snapchat story from across the world, showing off user-submitted posts at spectacles like sporting events, celebrations, and even breaking news. If the user wants to keep their location services on but not have people know their location, they have the choice to go into "Ghost Mode". While many embraced the map as an opportunity for relatable memes, others had serious concerns about security.

Founder and director of Future Human Academy, Dr Kate Raynes-Goldie, says the difficulty with new features like Snapmap is keeping track of the information being shared. "This app didn't have this feature before, so users constantly have to be vigilant about how the apps that they are using are changing privacy settings," she says. "We are already so busy so to have all these extra things we have to manage can be very overwhelming, especially for parents." Dr Raynes-Goldie adds that the app doesn't give clear feedback about what information is being shared. "The way that the app is laid out is confusing," she says.
Two men are still fighting for their lives after a car ploughed into pedestrians in Melbourne's CBD last week.

Twenty people were taken to hospital, including alleged driver Saeed Noori and the off-duty police officer who arrested him, after a white SUV mowed down a group of pedestrians crossing Flinders Street on December 21.

Accused Flinders Street driver Saeed Noori before appearing in court on Saturday. Credit:Darrian Traynor

An 83-year-old Brunswick man and two South Korean men in their 60s were initially listed as critical but one has since improved, police confirmed on Tuesday.
After delivering his speech, as his bewildered aides tried in vain to reach him from Beirut, Hariri did, indeed, eventually spend the evening in the desert with the crown prince, one senior Lebanese official said. A girl chants slogans as she holds a picture of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri outside his residence in Beirut the day after his return. Credit:AP It was a surreal counterpoint to a series of events unfolding that day and into the night that set the entire Middle East on edge: a missile fired at Riyadh from Yemen, the hundreds of Saudi princes and businessmen arrested and held at a luxury hotel, and Lebanon left stunned and confused. Mohammed bin Salman had already launched a war in neighbouring Yemen against Iran-aligned rebels, and gotten bogged down. He had blockaded Qatar, only to push the Gulf country closer to Iran. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's big week in November included arresting an entire class of Saudi princes and forcing Lebanese PM Saad Hariri to resign. Credit:AP

Now, he was looking to take out the prime minister of another country, one who was deemed not sufficiently obedient to his Saudi patrons. The prince intended to send a message: it was time to stop Iran's Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, the powerful Shiite organisation that is Lebanon's most influential political actor, from growing still stronger. The month-long saga was another example of a brash new leader trying to change the way Saudi Arabia has worked for years, but finding that action often results in unintended consequences, especially in such a complicated region. Now, Hariri remains in office with new popularity, and Hezbollah is stronger than before. Supporters of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri rally outside his house holding the flags of Saudi Arabia, left, Lebanon and the blue flag of Hariri's Future Movement. Credit:AP Saudi Arabia's heavy-handed - arguably clumsy - tactics alienated even staunch allies like the United States, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and much of Hariri's Future Movement. Saudi Arabia may yet clinch some modest concessions from Lebanon, officials and analysts say, but ones perhaps not worth the diplomatic storm.

The officials who described the saga were granted anonymity to speak freely about events that were highly secret and, for Hariri, deeply troubling and embarrassing. Some gaps in the story remain, given the intense pressure to keep quiet and the fact that no one person is privy to all the details - except, perhaps, Hariri, who rescinded his resignation immediately after an international diplomatic scramble brought him safely home. Hariri did not respond to multiple requests for comment; he has said publicly that he acted freely and wants to put the Riyadh episode behind him. A senior Saudi official said in a statement only that Hariri was "treated with the utmost respect", resigned of his own accord, and remains an "honoured friend" with the kingdom's support. The Saudi moves that started on November 4 came in rapid-fire succession. In the space of little more than a day, the Saudis extracted Hariri's resignation; accused Iran and Lebanon of an act of war after Yemeni rebels fired the missile at Riyadh; and rounded up the princes and businessmen on opaque corruption charges. A week later, they ordered Saudi citizens to evacuate Lebanon. The burst of contentious actions sent war tremors across the region. With anxieties running high, Lebanese officials worked to head off what they feared was a long-range plan by Saudi Arabia to destabilise Lebanon's volatile Palestinian refugee camps. There were even concerns in Beirut that Saudi Arabia or its Lebanese allies were seeking to form an anti-Hezbollah militia in the camps or elsewhere, two senior Lebanese officials and several Western diplomats said. No such plots came to fruition, and the Saudi official said none were even considered.

Western and Arab officials say they are still puzzling over what the Saudis hoped to accomplish with all this intrigue. Several do not rule out the possibility that they aimed to foment internal unrest in Lebanon, or even war. What is clear, they say, is that Saudi Arabia sought to instigate a broad realignment of Lebanese politics to reduce Hezbollah's power by forcing the collapse of Hariri's coalition government, which includes Hezbollah and its allies. Pressure points Trouble had been brewing for years between Hariri and the Saudis. Like his father, Rafiq, before him, Hariri owed his political career and considerable family fortune to Saudi backing. But the Saudis grumbled that Hariri's government was giving too much sway to Hezbollah, which is both a political party in a government coalition and a militant group not answerable to the state.

Hariri visited Riyadh in late October, and believed he had made the Saudis understand his need to compromise with Hezbollah to avoid political deadlock, officials said. Back in Beirut, to placate the Saudis, he asked Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, through intermediaries, to tone down his blistering speeches against Saudi Arabia's devastating war in Yemen and Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally. That same week, a Saudi minister known as a firebrand on Iran, Thamer al-Sabhan, warned Lebanon of "astonishing" developments on the horizon and accused Hezbollah of making war on Saudi Arabia. On November 3, Hariri met with a senior Iranian official, Ali Akbar Velayati, who then praised Iran's cooperation with Lebanon. That may have been the last straw for the Saudis. Within hours, Hariri received a message from the Saudi king - "come now" - ahead of a meeting that had been scheduled days later, a senior Lebanese official said. A well-connected Lebanese analyst, Johnny Munayyer, said the Prime Minister was invited to spend a day in the desert with the prince. But when he landed in Riyadh, Saudi officials took Hariri to his house (he keeps one there) and told him to wait - not for the king, but for the prince. He waited, from 6pm to 1am. No one came.

The next morning, he was summoned to meet the prince. There was no customary royal convoy, so Hariri took his own car. And instead of meeting the prince, officials said, he was manhandled by Saudi officials. Lebanese officials described the long hours between the arrival and the resignation as a "black box". They said they were reluctant to press Hariri for details. When asked, one of them said, Hariri just looked down at the table and said it was worse than they knew. Saudi Arabia had many pressure points to use against Hariri. It could threaten to expel the 250,000 or so Lebanese workers in Saudi Arabia, damaging Lebanon's economy. And since Hariri is a dual Saudi citizen, with extensive business dealings in a country where kickbacks are endemic, they could threaten him personally. An Arab diplomat said Hariri was threatened with corruption charges. He was handed a resignation speech to read, which he did at 2.30pm from a room an official said was down the hall from the prince's office. The text blamed Hezbollah and claimed his life was in danger; it used words that associates said did not sound like him. Hours later, the Saudi authorities began their corruption round-ups, detaining two of Hariri's former business partners - a reminder of his own vulnerability.

Unrealistic expectations In Lebanon, Western diplomats and Lebanese officials said, the Saudis expected the resignation would be taken at face value and bring about a mass outpouring of popular support from Hezbollah's opponents. Instead, Lebanon reacted with mass suspicion. No one took to the streets. And Lebanese President Michel Aoun, a Hezbollah ally, refused to accept the resignation unless Hariri delivered it in person. After disappearing for hours, Hariri made his first known call to Aoun, who realised that Hariri was not speaking freely. Lebanese officials began making the rounds to puzzled Western diplomats with an unusual message: we have reason to believe our prime minister has been detained. Hariri, the officials said, was eventually placed with Saudi guards in a guesthouse on his own property, forbidden to see his wife and children. Within days, several Western ambassadors visited him there. They came away with conflicting impressions of how free he was. There were two Saudi guards in the room, officials said, and when the diplomats asked if the guards could leave, Hariri said no, they could stay. A senior official said that Lebanon's internal intelligence chief, General Abbas Ibrahim, put it this way to envoys who could not quite believe a leader could be forced by foreign officials to resign: "It's simple: I could bring two soldiers and put you on TV saying you hate your country."

Meanwhile, the Saudi prince, apparently undaunted by international concerns, summoned yet another leader, the Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, and issued instructions on Palestinian politics. Officials differ on what Abbas was told in Riyadh. But Lebanese officials were alarmed. They dispatched Ibrahim and a Palestinian envoy to Amman, Jordan, to debrief Abbas, three senior Lebanese officials said. Concerns were high for several reasons. The Saudi recommendations to Abbas could destabilise the fractious Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, a senior Lebanese official said. Separately, a Lebanese ally of the Saudis had urged jihadist factions in one Palestinian camp to form a "Sunni resistance" militia to counter Hezbollah - an idea so dangerous that the jihadists themselves refused, Lebanese and Palestinian officials and a Western diplomat said. The Saudis and Abbas' spokesman denied the accounts. On a visit to Washington soon after Hariri's televised resignation, Sabhan, the Saudi minister of Gulf Affairs, got a withering reception, Western and Arab officials said, from David Satterfield, the US State Department's acting assistant secretary for Near Eastern Affairs. He demanded that Sabhan explain why Riyadh was destabilising Lebanon. Intense diplomacy followed by France, the US, Egypt and other countries, producing a deal that allowed Hariri to leave Saudi Arabia.

But Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent him home with a task: to get Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters from Yemen, Lebanese officials and Western and Arab diplomats involved in the deal said. That demand proved, the Western and Arab diplomats said, that the prince was not well-informed on Yemen, sometimes called "Riyadh's Vietnam". Hezbollah, a Western diplomat said, had only about 50 fighters in Yemen, with Iran playing a much larger role in training and aiding the rebel Houthis. To end the war in Yemen, a Lebanese official said, Beirut is "the wrong PO box". Riyadh did get something out of the turmoil. Lebanese officials are seeking a deal with Hezbollah that could include toning down Hezbollah's anti-Saudi rhetoric - as Hariri requested even before the Riyadh episode - and shuttering a pro-Houthi television station in Beirut. It remains unclear if Hariri can deliver enough to placate Riyadh. Nasrallah's speeches have omitted critiques of Prince Mohammed bin Salman lately, and on Wednesday, he called for peace talks in Yemen, a major step. Loading
Bangkok: An international Rohingya crisis appeal has raised $278 million to help deal with one of the world's worst humanitarian emergencies, but that is less than half the amount experts say is needed.

United Nations and international aid agencies have appealed for $562 million to assist 1.2 million people, including Rohingya people living in sprawling refugee camps and Bangladeshis affected by the crisis.

Ifran, a tiny malnourished baby, his heart struggling with every breath, lies on a stretcher in a Red Cross field hospital tent in south-eastern Bangladesh. Credit:Kate Geraghty

Aid workers are scaling up their distribution of shelter and non-food items as winter takes hold in the camps.

Health workers are also widening vaccination programs in response to the rapid spread of diseases, including highly contagious diphtheria.
By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) Two foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals, including that of Damro Furniture worth over Rs 400 crore were approved by the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) in the retail sector.

Damro Furniture would undertake single brand retail trading of Damro branded products in India, according to the DIPPs Foreign Investment Facilitation portal.

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The company had proposed to invest Rs 402 crore.

Supr Infotech Solutions will carry out food product retail trading of milk and other daily need products. The firm proposes to invest Rs 10.85 crore.

The portal was set up after the winding up of the foreign investment promotion board.

FDI into the country grew 17 per cent to USD 25.35 billion during April-September this fiscal. PTI RR SBT

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By Manogya Loiwal : To travel the road not taken is every journalist's dream, and I am no different. But venturing into a foreign land where entry for journalists is strictly prohibited? Well, that's what I was up against.

In my 15 years of career, this was perhaps the biggest risk I was going to take.

My destination: the closest point to Doklam in Bhutan. Yes, it required some level of madness (my family calls it inbuilt defect). So how difficult it is to travel there especially for a civilian? For an Army personnel deployed there it is his duty.

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Though access is now being given to civilians too. The last stretch you can reach is Haa district which is on the border of Bhutan that shares boundary with China occupied Tibet.

It is impossible for foreign nationals to reach even up to Haa valley because any movement beyond Thimpu or Paro cities is not permitted.

And therein lays the challenge: travelling to an unknown zone that hasn't been visited by anyone in the fraternity. But there was a major issue with my professional identity.

We, journalists seldom realise that our body language speaks volumes about our profession.

I was caught out at the immigration office of Bhutan for not being a tourist and an officer grilled me about my visit bombarding me with a volley of questions: Why was I alone? Did I know anyone in the country? At one point, the interrogating official even threatened to check my luggage and arrest me immediately, if he found my intentions were "different".

I agreed, smiling back. This irked him even more and he started yelling. "Do not smile; this is not your country. You are entering a different country now and law of our land prevails," he thundered in his baritone voice.

For the first time in my life I realised that a smile and a thank you can also lead to an arrest warrant.

After this bitter experience, I finally managed to identify a vehicle that would take to me Haa, the nearest region to Doklam, at double the price.

The permit issued to me was only for Paro and Thimpu, but I had to travel another 100 km ahead. There were two immigration checks between Phuentsholing and Paro, with every check and questions, my heart was beating faster. There were sudden speed patrolling checks and even random scanning of luggage en route Paro.

Throughout the journey, my heart and mind were tugging in opposite directions for the risk I was taking.

Finally, I reached Paro late night and crashed on the bed. Any suspicion from the part of my driver or hotel authorities could have landed me in the police custody of the Royal Government of Bhutan.

A restless night sans sleep, I was ready to leave at 6 am, the next day, for Chelela, the highest motorable road in the region and then from there to Haa. It was like travelling from Kolkata to Delhi in Rajdhani Express with ticket only up to Kanpur.

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It was a bright morning and I thanked God for keeping the day free of fog or rainfall, as had been the case, the previous days.

The minute I started my recordings at Paro Airport my cab driver freaked out and wanted to know what I was up to even as I tried to keep my mind calm through chanting and meditation.

To tell you the truth, single travellers, especially women, face a harrowing time in Bhutan because you have to keep explaining at every counter why you have come alone.

I learned the art of clearing check posts without a permit, from my driver. Driving through the meandering hill roads and tracks, I finally reached Chelela, a tourist spot that has been closed since the Doklam standoff began in June this year.

At an altitude of 3,988 metres, you can soak in the pristine beauty of hills and breathe fresh air without any human presence around.

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Just a few kilometres away from Chelela was Haa, this was the toughest zone to enter, with army vehicles whizzing by every five minutes and some even stopping you with suspicion.

Haa is the last district and region controlled by the Indian Army along with the Royal Bhutan Army at various places. Haa also has a strategic training centre where Indian Army trains the army of Bhutan.

The entire valley is a district and travel downhill is only by one road. Access to the region is permitted only to the residents or their relatives with prior permission.

I had finally made it to the closest point to Doklam. So now how does Doklam look like? Standing next to Doklam, with India on one hand and China occupied Tibet on the other; I could see how the high and lofty mountains gave the region a unique beauty as well as a sense of tension created by the standoff, a standoff that was closely watched by nations across the world.

A handful of houses, a few hundred residents, a few thousand army men, a few lakh people monitoring the condition and crores reading or learning, that is Doklam. From clicking photos to recording videos, all I had was a few minutes before my driver began to get jittery again.

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Within minutes we moved out of the restricted zone and were back in Chelela. At Chelala it was drizzling.

A vehicle selling food was parked nearby and as the vendor opened the shutters of his mini matador, the aroma of freshly made momos, ginger tea and guess what, Maggi wafted into our nostrils.

I don't remember feeling so relieved after having food (Maggi) like the way I felt that afternoon. The first thing I did upon re-entering the Indian territory was to look at the starlit sky and thank God. A recent satellite image of Doklam reveals heavy deployment of troops on the Chinese side.

The mala fide intentions of China have surfaced again, this time with evidence of satellite images. The Chinese have deployed two mechanised units right below Doklam. The satellite imagery shows 5,000 strong troops and 300-odd vehicles. That's a huge number.

But the purpose of build up is not yet known. That is why it is important for India to take action right now. India needs to approach international forums and put pressure on China, or else we might have a situation which we will not be able to handle.

The writer is a broadcast journalist with Aaj Tak and India Today TV. She is first journalist to have travelled nearest to Doklam.

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Armenia airline will operate flights to the two European destinations starting from April of 2018, the companys general director Robert Hovhannisyan told reporters, reports Armenpress.

December 26, 2017, 16:30 Armenia airline to operate flights to Lion and Cologne from April 2018

STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 26, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS:He said for that purpose they are going to acquire Embraer plane with 190 seats, and at the moment talks are underway on transporting it.

This plane is quite in a good condition. When it arrives in Armenia, we will start operating direct flights to Europe. The first flight is scheduled on April 19 to Lion and then to Cologne on April 23, he said.

Robert Hovhannisyan informed that they have received discounts both from the Lion and Cologne airports to operate flights. After the talks with the Lion and Cologne airports we have received 50% discount for three years for using the services of the airport. Zvartnots airport is also ready for discount, they support opening regular flights to Europe, he said.

The airport of Cologne even agreed to give 70% discount if the airline doesnt postpone the flights.

These are the destinations from where we expect tourists, including Armenians who live in France and Germany. We also plan to bring tour-operators from there, he said, adding that if everything goes well, the flights will be operated twice a week both in summer and winter.
US President Donald Trump retweeted an image of him sitting in his car with a squashed bloodied CNN logo under his shoe on Christmas Eve. Here's what happened.

By India Today Web Desk: US President Donald Trump is a president of a kind. He would do the most bizarre things in the world, and doesn't believe in holding back his emotions.

On the occasion of Christmas Eve, Donald Trump went on to retweet an image that caused a lot of drama over social media. An image of Trump sitting in a car with a CNN logo squashed under his shoe went viral and was shared originally shared by a Twitter user named "oregon4TRUMP".

It took all of 15 seconds to confirm that it says A??CNN.A?A But youA??re right: A guy who embraces pedophiles, and actual Nazis, would never knowingly retweet a call for violence against the media; THATA??S where he draws the line. https://t.co/v8MiAJN96r pic.twitter.com/OkfvBz8JBW- John Aravosis (@aravosis) December 24, 2017

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CNN anchor Jake Tapper tweeted regarding the matter saying, "CNN-labeled blood on the sole of his shoe. Retweeted by the President of the United States on Christmas Eve."

This is not the first time that Donald Trump has called out CNN. Trump has criticised media houses and claimed that his work is not appreciated by 'fake media' in the past too.

Jason Osborne, a former adviser for the Trump campaign, called out the CNN anchor Tapper and said that the logo is actually a squashed bug and not CNN's logo. He also advised CNN anchor not to "make everything about his network."

The president retweeted an image of blood labeled A??CNNA?A on the sole of his shoe. I noted it. Trump Adviser now faults *me* for A??making this aboutA?A CNN. God bless us, everyone. https://t.co/kWzuKDOWmh- Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 24, 2017

To which Tapper replied, "The president retweeted an image of blood labeled 'CNN' on the sole of his shoe. I noted it. Trump Adviser now faults *me* for 'making this about' CNN. God bless us, everyone."

Donald Trump also called out the network for spreading fake news about him. He tweeted:

The Fake News refuses to talk about how Big and how Strong our BASE is. They show Fake Polls just like they report Fake News. Despite only negative reporting, we are doing well - nobody is going to beat us. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2017

What a bloody Christmas, Mr Trump!

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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, 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 to $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 $15.9 million to implement the water plan.

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.
Scottsbluff Police are investigating an attempted armed robbery that occurred at the Route 26 Mart in Scottsbluff Tuesday.

According to scanner traffic, the suspect is a white male, wearing a black hoodie and a tie-dyed shirt. The man is described as having blue eyes and light facial hair. He fled on foot, going east from the business and possibly having been picked up by the driver of a Ford Taurus.

The robbery occurred at about 1 p.m. No one was injured in the robbery, police Capt. Tony Straub said.

In an alert issued at 2:44 p.m., a Scotts Bluff County Communications dispatcher advised police were searching for a dark blue 1998 Ford Taurus with the license plates of 21-AN92. It was advised that the vehicle may be occupied by two males, believed to be armed, and authorities should use caution. At about 5 p.m., the stop and hold order was dismissed as the vehicle was located.

However, Straub told the Star-Herald he could not confirm whether any additional suspects had been involved or the information regarding the vehicle. No arrests had been made as of press time.

Police searched a gray sedan parked at the business and also cordoned off the business as officers did an initial investigation at the scene.

Straub said police are reviewing a lot of video footage of the robbery to gather information and confirm as much as they can. He said police may release that footage at a later date to help identify the suspect.

In a press release issued at about 5 p.m., Straub said the investigation is active and anyone with information can call Scottsbluff Crime Stoppers at 632-7867 (STOP) or the communications center 632-7176.

Stay with starherald.com for more on this developing story.
By India Today Web Desk: Rupani's oath: Irony of Bihar CM Nitish's attendance at BJP event

The presence of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on stage in Gandhinagar when Vijay Rupani was being sworn-in as Gujarat Chief Minister could not have been more ironic. Till a few months ago, the JD(U) chief was supporting BJP's rival and Patidar leader Hardik Patel.

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Heckled, called 'qatil ki maa': How Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother was treated by Pakistan media

Local journalists insulted Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother after she met her son yesterday, sources have told India Today. After the MEA held a press conference today, a Congress leader asked the Modi government to "take a strong stand."

Virat and Anushka Mumbai reception: Inside details from the biggest event of 2017

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma will throw an extravagant wedding reception in Mumbai today.

After Ravi Shastri, Rohit Sharma slams MS Dhoni critics

Rohit Sharma said the criticism around MS Dhoni was unfair as he faces a lot less deliveries than the other batsmen in the team. In an exclusive interview with India Today's Rohit Sharma becomes the latest to back Dhoni.

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Joan was born in Denver, CO, and attended St. James School and East High School where she was a recognized swimmer. Joan then attended Colorado State University where she was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority and graduated with a degree in history and education. She moved to Morrill, NE, and taught school for many years until she started a family. As her children grew, she returned to teaching at Gering High School. Joan later took a job with Nebraska Health and Human Services until she retired in 2008. She spent retirement visiting family and traveling throughout the United States and Europe with her sister.
MINNEAPOLIS  On Cargills new FedByTrade website, the Houfek family tells how selling meat to foreign countries has supported two generations working at the companys packing plant in Schuyler, Neb.

Four hundred miles north, in Hopkins, Minn., Brian Donovan, an operations manager in Cargills salt division, stands ready to explain how providing de-icing and water conditioning products to Canadians keeps dozens of U.S. workers on the payroll.

As President Donald Trumps disparagement of free trade agreements pushes America away from deals like the 11-nation Trans Pacific Partnership and the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada, Cargill, one of the worlds largest private companies, is pushing back.

The Minnesota-based shipping and agriculture giant has enlisted its 155,000-person workforce in a political trade war. It just launched FedByTrade, where its employees, customers and communities can tell stories of regular Americans who depend on international trade for their livelihoods.

The company also plans more direct outreach to rural communities and other places that profit directly and indirectly from global trade.

Cargill CEO David MacLennan said Trumps America First agenda in his first year in office defies past conventions and defies history. The Trump administrations insistence that big trade deals cost American jobs reveals that the White House does not have a full enough understanding of the complexity of negotiating (trade) agreements, MacLennan said.

So at a time when MacLennan says free trade has become surprisingly out of favor politically and therefore socially, Cargill believes it must connect the dots from things like meat packing and salt production in the global economy back to individual jobs in America.

I can go to Washington and talk to politicians and to Cabinet members, MacLennan said. But we think engaging our employees and our rural communities to connect with Washington will put things in perspective.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who is now renegotiating NAFTA and who would be responsible for negotiating future deals, believes in tariffs to protect U.S. jobs. He thinks trade deficits are bad. And he specializes in two-nation trade deals instead of multinational pacts like Trans Pacific Partnership, on which Cargill worked for years.

Lighthizers office declined to comment on Cargills new program. It referred questions to the White House, which did not respond to requests for comment. But in a September talk at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Lighthizer noted that Trump has long been critical of the prevailing U.S. trade policy of so-called free trade deals and of their effects on workers. So we will have change in trade policy.

I believe  I think the president believes  that we must be proactive  and that we must use all instruments we have to make it expensive to engage in noneconomic behavior, and to convince our trading partners to treat our workers, farmers and ranchers fairly, he said.

Minnesota corn and hog farmer Bruce Peterson said free trade agreements have treated him fairly. Peterson sells some of his products to Cargill. He said hes glad the company is standing up to the administration. The rhetoric coming from Trump has a lot of people in the states vital agricultural sector nervous, Peterson said. If international trade, which is worth billions of dollars to Minnesota farmers, all of a sudden falls apart, that could be really disruptive.

While Cargill believes that the economic statistics are on its side, the company recognizes that it will not win the trade debate on numbers alone. Our plan is to collect stories and what were calling ambassadors for trade and then finding the best way to get those stories out, whether its through our website or others, said Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Cargills global vice president for corporate affairs. The more people we engage and (help) understand, the better outcomes we achieve.

Still, for all the website postings, local newspaper op-eds and meetings with chambers of commerce, Vorwerk knows that at the end of the day for trade, all roads lead to Congress and the administration.

Complaints about free trade agreements costing American jobs are not limited to the White House. Nor are they the province of one party. Democratic congressman Rick Nolan, who represents Minnesotas Iron Range, is a longtime critic of free trade agreements. These days he complains that the dumping of cheap Chinese steel in the U.S. has cost miners in his district jobs.

While I absolutely believe that trade is good for our nation and the world, Nolan said in a statement, it must be fair trade that requires partner nations to abide by the same standards of living wages, health care and pensions, human rights and environmental protections as we do here in the United States. In the past, hasty and rushed trade agreements have resulted in hundreds of thousands of lost U.S. jobs, suppressed wages, as well as environmental damage and worker exploitation across the world.
By Siraj Qureshi: Law enforcement officials have spread their net wide in their bid to shutter ashrams run by spiritual guru Virendra Dev Dixit.

On Tuesday, Agra police conducted search operations at one of these ashrams located in Kahrai village on Shamshabad Road. Located on the outskirts of Agra, the ashram was operating out of a four-storey building in the name of 'Adhyatmik Vishvvidyalaya' (spiritual university)..

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A few days back police raided the self-styled godman's centres in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh rescuing scores of young girls and women.

Dixit has been accused of running a human-trafficking racket.

NOTHING ILLEGAL, YET

Circle Officer Sadar Udayraj Singh told India Today that the police had received information that there were several young women living in captivity in the ashram.

However, upon entering the ashram the police found 10-12 women engaged in satsang (religious gathering) inside a large hall. When they were asked about whether young women were living in captivity in the ashram, they replied in the negative.

On further search, the police came across a door on the fourth floor of the building which was locked from the inside. When the police asked the women present inside the room to open the lock, they refused.

Consequently, women police personnel had to be called to get the door opened, although no objectionable things or captive women were found inside the ashram.

PEOPLE STILL NOT SURE

When India Today spoke to the residents of the locality, a number of them complained that the ashram saw a regular traffic of young women and dozens of women lived there at one time.

They expressed their doubts that the ashram was being used for trafficking of young women by its operators..

Shiv Kumar Sharma, former member of All India Crime Prevention Society and a resident of the Tajganj area said that most of these ashrams were used for illicit activities by fake gurus; he wanted an independent enquiry into the activities of these ashrams as most of them are engaged in land grabs and other illegal acts.

Because of these fake gurus, the people are losing faith over the real and spiritually enlightened gurus, which was not good for Hinduism, a religion based more on faith, than scriptures, Sharma added.

WATCH | Delhi: 40 girls rescued from self-styled baba's ashram

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Las Calaveras is an annual limited release from Nashville-based manufacturer Crowned Heads. It is inspired by La Calavera Catrina (the dapper skeleton), a painting that has become synonymous with Dia de los Muertos, a Mexican holiday honoring the dead.

Made at the My Father Cigars factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, the Las Calaveras tradition began in 2014 and continues today with a 2017 iteration that includes four vitolas and about 135,000 total cigars. Back in 2015, total production was only 90,000 cigars across three vitolas. So imagine my surprise when I recently stumbled across a stash of 2015 Las Calaveras cigars at one of my local tobacconists.

The three 2015 Las Calaveras formats were LC50 (5 x 50), LC46 (5.6 x 46), and LC52 (6 x 52). Each came packaged in boxes of 24 with an Ecuadorian Habano Rosado wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. I picked up a handful of LC50s, which ran me $9.95 apiece.

The Las Calaveras Edicion Limitada 2015 LC50 is a handsome, well-made cigar with an attractive, understated band of white, black, and gold over a clean, reddish, medium-brown wrapper thats devoid of any prominent veins. It is firm, yet the cold draw is smooth once the nicely executed cap is clipped with a guillotine cutter. Interestingly, the foot exhibits only faint pre-light notes; you have to concentrate to pick up the almond and oak.

Once an even light is set, the profile can best be characterized by cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, red pepper spice, and dry wood. The texture is delightfully thick and chalky. Attentive smokers will notice a bready core of cereals and toasty grains. The overall impression is one of a well-balanced, medium-bodied, spice-forward smoke with some Cubanesque, old-school personality.

As the LC50 progresses into the midway point and beyond, some richer flavors come to the fore, including espresso, leather, and thick molasses. All the while, the spice and sweetness both remain bold, rendering the overall taste harmonious. In the background, theres a fresh greenness to help offset flavors that are slightly bitter or savory.

Throughout, construction is impeccable. Expect an even burn that requires no touch-ups, a sold ash, a smooth draw, and good smoke production.

Tomorrow, I am headed back to my tobacconist to see if they have any more Las Calaveras cigars from 2015. I certainly hope they do. And, if you come across any, I heartily recommend you pick up whatever you can find. The LC50 is an awesomely balanced and satisfying cigar. It earns a stellar rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

Patrick A



photo credit: Stogie Guys
Its time for the annual StogieGuys.com roundup of the best cigars we reviewed throughout the past 12 months.

As it is every year, the number of cigars that achieved the coveted five-stogie rating is small: only four in 2017. Thats fitting because the top StogieGuys.com rating signifies the cigars are tasty, complex and are truly an occasion to smoke. The total also dovetails neatly with the results in recent years. In 2016, for instance, there were also four top-rated smokes, while six made it in 2015 and 2014, and only two in 2013.

On the other hand, many more of 2017s cigars were close to the top. I counted 22 four-stogie cigars and 16 four-and-a-half-stogie cigars. Again, while the numbers go up and down annually, thats not far off from previous years. Today well take an alphabetical look at our four-and-a-half stogie candidates with a quote from each review. Later this week, well follow up with the five-stogie rated cigars of 2017.

Aquitaine Knuckle Dragger: RoMa Craft has built its well-deserved reputation on quality, consistency, and great bang for the buck. The Aquitaine Knuckle Dragger lives up to these virtuous characteristics

Davidoff 702 Series 2000: With a perfect draw, solid ash, and even burn, the cigar delivers wonderful medium-bodied flavors from start to finish.

Davidoff Nicaragua Box Pressed Robusto: Without question, Davidoffs first box-pressed line is a winner.

Davidoff Year of the Rooster Limited Edition: the Rooster is incredibly smooth, balanced, and easy to smoke.

El Galan Dona Nieves Negra Macho: This is a flavorful, complex, well-made, balanced smoke at a very fair price.

E.P. Carrillo Elencos Don Rubino: After an even light is established, the profile is incredibly full-bodied right from the get-go. The bold, spicy flavors include espresso, black pepper, cayenne heat, and dark cherry.

Illusione Singulare Phantom (Regular Production): The new Illusione Phantom is a complex and balanced smoke

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2017: Fans of Connecticut Broadleaf cigars will want to seek this one out, even if the price means it will probably be only an occasional indulgence.

Joya de Nicaragua Antano 1970 Churchill:  undoubtedly full-bodied, strong, and spicy. But to write it off as a mere heavy-handed powerbomb would be to miss the excellent, balanced flavors that comprise the profile.

Las Calaveras Edicion Limitada 2015 LC50: The overall impression is one of a well-balanced, medium-bodied, spice-forward smoke with some Cubanesque, old-school personality.

LAtelier Imports La Mission 1999: La Mission 1999 may be the best LAtelier to date. I would even encourage those who are typically put off by San Andres (I know youre out there) to give this standout specimen a try.

Padron Serie 1964 Prototype Maduro (Smoke Inn Exclusive): I dont think Im going to surprise anyone when I say the Padron Serie 1964 Prototype Maduro is a terrific smoke. Its a compact, concentrated iteration of a blend we all know and love that delivers exactly as expected.

Padron Serie 1964 Prototype Natural (Smoke Inn Exclusive): Once lit, nutty, creamy pre-light notes transition to a complex, well-balanced profile of oak, almond, sharp cedar spice, and vanilla. Background notes of powdery cocoa and cream help add balance.

Sobremesa Elegante en Cedros: Flavors include cocoa, cedar, cafe au lait, baking spices, creamy caramel, and white pepper. Balanced, harmonious, and delicious.

Tatuaje Black Petit Lancero: This classic-tasting, medium-bodied cigar scores very well due to its ample complexity and harmonious balance.

Tatuaje Reserva Broadleaf Collection Especiales (Laguito No. 2): All told, this is a wonderful, balanced, satisfying cigar that commands your attention from light to nub.

You can read about the StogieGuys.com rating system here, find all of our reviews here, and see a curated list of five-stogie smokes here.

George E



photo credit: Stogie Guys
Delhi HC ordered a CBI investigation and slammed Delhi Police for not taking any action on FIRs of girls being lured into an ashram on pretext of 'spiritual guidance' but then being raped.

By Indo-Asian News Service: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Monday inspected more ashrams of molestation-accused self-styled godman Baba Virendra Dev Dixit in Delhi and said he might be running a human trafficking racket.

A DCW team, including its chief Swati Maliwal, along with Ajay Verma, advocate appointed as amicus curiae by Delhi High Court in the matter, visited Dixit's ashram at Karawal Nagar in east Delhi and Nangloi in west Delhi and interacted with the inmates.

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"There were six girls being kept in a similar situation like Vijay Vihar, Rohini and other ashrams of the Baba. The ashram was much smaller but had prison-like surroundings," said a statement by the DCW, referring to the Karawal Nagar ashram.

"Proper registers were not being maintained to record as to where did the girls come from and for how long have they been there."

"Three girls appeared to be minors. The CWC concerned has been requested to shift them to shelter homes to ensure their counselling. The locals informed that before the DCW visit, many girls had been removed from the premises," it added.

At the Nangloi ashram, the team interacted with around 15 women inmates but didn't find any minors. According to the DCW, locals said around 20 girls were taken away from the ashram in the morning.

"It appears that Baba is running a human trafficking racket. The CBI should urgently and simultaneously conduct raids at all ashrams of Dixit across India and close them down. By delaying the raids, Baba is getting time to cover up his action. All women and girls should be immediately rescued," Maliwal said.

Last week, the DCW had rescued more than 45 minor girls from two different ashrams run by Dixit where girls and women were allegedly being kept in illegal confinement in the name of religious preaching.

The Delhi High Court has ordered a CBI investigation into the matter and slammed the Delhi Police for not taking any action on various FIRs of girls and women being allegedly lured into an ashram in Rohini area on the pretext of spiritual guidance but then being raped.

READ | Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh sexually abused 10 minor students of Dera school, former follower claims

ALSO WATCH | Ram Rahim is a sex addict, claims doctor who examined him

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STRATFORD MP Nadhim Zahawi is expected to step down from his role as a senior adviser to oil company Gulf Keystone Petroleum in the New Year, according to reports.

It is understood that Zahawi, who has represented Stratford-upon-Avon since 2010, wants to focus on his work in Parliament.

He plans to devote himself to fighting for a good outcome in the Brexit negotiations.

Zahawi took the post at Gulf Keystone in 2015 starting on a fee of more than 20,000 a month for working between eight and 21 hours a week.

In January he was handed a bonus payment of just over a quarter of a million pounds and in the summer his pay was increased to nearly 30,000 a month  more than 350,000 a year.

He was hired at a time when new management had been brought in to push through a restructuring aimed at making the firms debts more manageable.

It is understood his departure will be formally announced once Gulf Keystones pay committee has agreed the terms. He is thought to be on an annual contract.

Shares in Gulf Keystone, which is incorporated in Bermuda and operates in the Kurdistan area of Iraq, have fallen sharply in value over the past five years.

The heavily-indebted firm has had to contend with a turbulent political situation including the activities of Islamic State.

Zahawi, 50, was born in Baghdad to Kurdish parents and came to the UK as a young boy with his family to escape Saddam Husseins regime. Gulf Keystone recruited him for his knowledge of the regions complex politics.

GKP made a loss of more than $17 million in 2016. It was at one stage a popular punt with small shareholders. So far it has failed to fulfil hopes it would deliver oil riches, though the companys supporters believe it could yet come good.

Until October, Zahawi was also a non-executive director of recruitment company SThree which paid him 3,333 a month 40,000 a year  for doing seven hours a month.

The GKP and SThree payments are declared on the parliamentary register of members interests where he also lists his property holdings.
By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) The GST collections slipped to their lowest in November as rates were cut on dozens of goods to make the new national sales tax regime more acceptable.

Total collections under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) -- which is the amalgamation of the excise duty, service tax, VAT and several other indirect taxes -- in November slipped for the second straight month to Rs 80,808 crore, down from over Rs 83,000 crore in the previous month, a finance ministry statement said.

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As many as 53.06 lakh tax returns had been filed till December 25, it said.

In the biggest GST rejig yet, tax rates on over 200 items, ranging from chewing gum to chocolates to beauty products, wigs and wrist watches, were cut in early November to provide relief to consumers and businesses amid economic slowdown.

As many as 178 items of daily use were shifted from the top tax bracket of 28 per cent to 18 per cent, while a uniform 5 per cent tax was prescribed for all restaurants, both air- conditioned and non-AC.

The rate cuts came on the back of GST Council -- the highest decision making body of the new indirect tax regime -- in October deciding to reduce tax rates on 27 products.

Of the Rs 80,808 crore collected in November, Rs 7,798 crore has been garnered as compensation cess in November -- the fifth month of GST rollout.

Besides, Rs 13,089 crore have been collected as Central GST, Rs 18,650 crore as State GST, Rs 41,270 crore as Integrated Goods and Services Tax.

Further, Rs 10,348 crore is being transferred from IGST to CGST account and Rs 14,488 crore is being transferred from IGST to SGST account by way of settlement of funds on account of cross utilisation of IGST credit for payment of CGST and SGST, respectively or due to inter-state business to consumer transactions.

Thus, a total amount of Rs 24,836 crore is being transferred from IGST to CGST/SGST account by way of settlement, the statement added.

Thus, the total collection of CGST and SGST for the month of December, 2017 (up to December 25) is Rs 23,437 crore and Rs 33,138 crore, respectively.

As per the data available, GST collections in July was over Rs 95,000 crore, while in August the figure was over Rs 91,000 crore.

In September, it was over Rs 92,150 crore and in October it was over Rs 83,000 crore. PTI JD ANZ MKJ

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Vijay Rupani took oath as the Gujarat chief minister today at a ceremony attended by PM Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar.

By India Today Web Desk: Vijay Rupani, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader who was the chief minister of Gujarat for the last few years, returned to the CM's chair in Gandhinagar today at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, himself a four-term Gujarat CM.

The BJP, after its 99-seat victory in the recent Gujarat Assembly election, announced earlier this week that Rupani as well as his deputy Nitin Patel would both continue in their respective posts. Rupani was sworn in today as the Gujarat CM by Governor OP Kohli at an oath-taking ceremony at the Gandhinagar Sachivalaya Ground in Gujarat's capital.

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Rupani's previous cabinet resigned on December 21 a day after the Gujarat Assembly election results, in which the BJP's nearest rival Congress managed 77 seats. The election in Gujarat this time, the first since PM Modi left Gandhinagar for New Delhi, was a particularly combative one with the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress almost giving the BJP a run for its money.

LATEST UPDATES FROM THE NEW GUJARAT CABINET SWEARING-IN:

12:49 PM: At the swearing-in ceremony, PM Modi was seen interacting with all the gathered chief ministers.

PM @narendramodi with various leaders and dignitaries at swearing ceremony of the council of ministers of the Gujarat Government. pic.twitter.com/atssoHyPjV- PIB India (@PIB_India) December 26, 2017

12:19 AM: FULL LIST | Here are the list of ministers who took oath today as part of the new Vijay Rupani cabinet.

12:16 AM: FROM OUR MAGAZINE | Wins and worries: BJP's Gujarat win exposed chinks in its electoral armour

11:56 AM: Other ministers to take oath include Dilipkumar Viraji Thakor, Ishwarbhai Ramanbhai Parmar and Pradipsinh Jadeja.

11:49 AM: RC Faldu, Bhupindrasinh Chudasama, Kaushik Patel, Saurabh Patel, Ganpatsinh Vestabhai Vasava and Jayeshbhai Vitthalbhai Radadiya have so far taken oath as ministers in the new Vijay Rupani ministers.

11:44 AM: There are a lot of new faces in the fresh Vijay Rupani cabinet, which is now taking oath, as several top ministers of the previous Rupani government had lost their respective seats in the Gujarat election.

11:40 AM: Now, Deputy CM Nitin Patel has taken the oath of office. Both Rupani and Patel are returning to posts they held before the recent Gujarat election.

11:35 AM: Vijay Rupani has taken his oath of secrecy, in Gujarati, to continue as the chief minister of Gujarat.

Gandhinagar: Vijay Rupani takes oath as chief minister of Gujarat pic.twitter.com/Kzs3G5f60Q- ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

11:20 AM: So far, BJP chief Amit Shah, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, UP CM Yogi, Rajasthasn CM Vasundhara Raje, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Goa CM and former union minister Manohar Parrikar, Haryana CM ML Khattar Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh, and Home Minister Rajnath Singh have been seen at the venue. Veteran BJP leader LK Advani is also at the oath taking ceremony.

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11:18 AM: PM Narendra Modi has reached the venue as well as the event turns into a BJP show of strenght. CMs of 18 states are expected to attend Vijay Rupani's swearing in.

11:08 AM: Vijay Rupani is at the swearing-in ceremony venue. On the stage are senior BJP leaders including Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath as well as the party's ally Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

10:39: Watch | Comprehensive analysis of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly election results

Gujarat Governor Shri OP Kohli welcomed PM @narendramodi to the state. The Prime Minister will attend the oath taking ceremony of the newly formed Council of Ministers of the Gujarat Government. pic.twitter.com/Vg4pA7xQsC- PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 26, 2017

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10:15 AM: PM Narendra Modi holds road show in Ahmedabad after landing at the airport, en route to the Gandhinagar swearing-in venue.

WATCH: PM Modi greets crowd on his way from airport in Ahmedabad https://t.co/sJFXkmrc1a- ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

8:56 AM: Following the swearing-in, the gathered leaders will head for a special lunch. On menu will be popular Gujarati dishes, such as dhokla and khandvi, as well as specilities such as undhiyu, a traditional winter speciality of mixed vegetables. Traditionally, the dish is cooked underground in a pot placed upside down (hence, 'undhiyu', which comes from the Gujarati word for upside down).

8:51 AM: REPORT | Patidars to dominate Vijay Rupani cabinet keeping 2019 in mind

8:40 AM: Vijay Rupani, along with his other cabinet ministers, will take oath at around 11 am, in the presence of PM Narendra Modi.

WATCH | Comprehensive analysis of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly election results

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Tay Street was the location for the annual ONEWAVE Fluro Santa surf on the weekend. Dressed in bright coloured and fluoro-coloured clothing, participants gathered at dawn for a chat, surf and coffee.

Were down here for a ONEWAVE Fluro Santa surf, says ONEWAVE founder Grant Trebilco.

Its to raise awareness of mental health and is a way to free the funk before Christmas. We dress up in fluro because mental health is so invisible so it brings some colour to it, and makes people ask questions about why are you dressed up. That helps start conversations about mental health. So many people are going through it alone. We get in the ocean and share stories just to help people know that its ok to not be ok.

The event, which is held regularly starts with an anti-vibe circle first.

Thats an opportunity to share stories, says Grant. Everyone has a story, and everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. So its a chance for everyone to yarn if theyre going through a tough time. And make sure that people know that there is help out there.

After the anti-vibe circle, its all about sharing waves today. Its super mini waves, but you cant beat some salt water therapy and Vitamin D.

After 10 years of battling with mental health issues, without seeking treatment, Grant was hospitalized in 2012 and diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

The ocean and surfing was Grants saviour in tough times when he was released from hospital. He discovered that onewave is all it takes. After hiding mental health issues for years, he decided enough was enough, its time to start talking and sharing his experience to try and help others.

Maybe if I share the simple recipe of saltwater, surfing and talking about mental health I can prevent people from ever feeling the way I did, says Grant.

So one Friday morning he decided to dress up in a shirt and tie and go surfing solo at Bondi to try and spark conversations about mental health. That was the first OneWave Board Meeting and four Board Meetings later Fluro Fridays were born, which have now taken place at over 50 beaches worldwide.

Lee Simeon and Alison Trebilco.

ONEWAVE is a non-profit surf community raising awareness for being in a funk, anything from depression, anxiety and bipolar.

The goal expressed on the Facebook page is, that when going through a funk, everyone needs something positive to focus on and good people around you to help put a smile back on your face.

Members of the ONEWAVE community feel that the best way to beat a funk, is getting in the ocean and enjoying the waves and saltwater goodness.

ONEWAVE is all it takes. Once you catch one good wave, you cant stop smiling. These words on the website raise hope that things will indeed get better.

ONEWAVE is helping people catch that one good wave by motivating people to get back in the ocean, when they are going through a funk, so they can remember how good it feels to catch a wave. They also teach people how to surf, so they can experience the feeling of catching a wave for the first time.

Grants father Bruce Trebilco and other members of family joined Grant on the beach for the Christmas Fluro Santa event.

Its great to catch up with Grant, says Bruce. Hes just flown back in from Australia. Been living in Bondi now for about seven years. We go over there a fair bit, and go for every birthday of One Wave, and have been part of Grants life through all the tough times. And spent a lot of time with him.

Its been a family journey for the family, with One Wave starting nearly five years ago. Grant has spoken in schools and groups about mental health awareness.

Bruce too has experienced the impact of mental unwell-ness, after a successful business venture about twenty years ago when he was in his 40s, went through a difficult patch.

As soon as you come under pressure again after something like that, says Bruce, once youve had that one bad experience, as soon as you come under pressure again - bang! It triggers it all. And it doesnt take as much.

Id had a great life til then and everything had been really well. One business decision, and it just knocked the hell out of me. It was my first failure I guess.

I realised when it hit me again another time that Ive got to do something about this. It was starting to affect family and relationships.

I would have loved to have been part of something like this (ONEWAVE). It would have made it so much easier. Back in those days you just tried to ignore it.

Im bi-polar, says Bruce. Ive had times, years ago, where I got seriously depressed, and then found out, probably ten years ago, that I was bi-polar.

I didnt go through the tough times that Grant has gone through, the real manic times that can happen. But it certainly affected me. Grant obviously inherited it, but were working through life together and we love the ocean. And we love water and what it does for your soul. Its great for your mind.

Its great to see that Grants recovered.recovering. You never fully recover, but you can look after yourself, and certainly do a lot of things to help yourself, and to help others.

He believes that being outdoors, in the water, and with other people, is great medicine, especially around Christmas time. This is why they organise the Fluro Santa event.

Its always dress up, with fluro, and it helps cheer you up, says Bruce. People ask whats going on, which is a way to talk about it.

Christmas is an awesome time of year, says Grant. But were dressed in our Santa fluro gear today, because if you are struggling with mental health issues, it doesnt discriminate, it doesnt matter where you are in the world, how much family and friends you have around you, or what time of year it is, you cant stop those negative thoughts going on in your head.

If you are struggling during Christmas, its not your fault. Its okay to struggle sometimes, we all do it. Dont be afraid to ask for help, because you are not alone in this.

Everyone is invited to be part of the ONEWAVE community - short boarders, long boarders, SUPs, body boarders, and body surfers, as it is all about getting in the ocean and enjoying the saltwater goodness.

People also dont have to be going through a funk to be part of ONEWAVE. Its all about sharing the stoke and peace of mind of the ocean to help others beat the funk.

Regular Fluro Friday groups are held at the Mount Main beach. For more information click here or visit the One Wave website.

Helplines

Below is a list of some of the services available in New Zealand that offer support, information and help. All services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week unless otherwise specified.

National helplines

Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor

Lifeline  0800 543 354 or (09) 5222 999within Auckland

Suicide Crisis Helpline  0508 828 865(0508 TAUTOKO)

Healthline  0800 611 116

Samaritans  0800 726 666

Depression-specific helplines

Depression Helpline  0800 111 757 or free text 4202 (to talk to a trained counsellor about how you are feeling or to ask any questions)

 includes The Journal online help service  online e-therapy tool provided by the University of Auckland that helps young people learn skills to deal with feeling down, depressed or stressed

Sexuality or gender identity helpline

OUTLine NZ  0800 688 5463 (OUTLINE) provides confidential telephone support

Helplines for children and young people

Youthline  0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat

 or email team@thelowdown.co.nz or free text 5626

Whats Up  0800 942 8787 (for 518 year olds). Phone counselling is available Monday to Friday, midday11pm and weekends, 3pm11pm. Online chat is available 7pm10pm daily.

Kidsline  0800 54 37 54 (0800 kidsline) for young people up to 18 years of age. Open 24/7.

Help for parents, family and friends

Commonground  a website hub providing parents, family, whanau and friends with access to information, tools and support to help a young person who is struggling.

Parent Help  0800 568 856 for parents/whanau seeking support, advice and practical strategies on all parenting concerns. Anonymous, non-judgemental and confidential.

Family Services 211 Helpline  0800 211 211 for help finding (and direct transfer to) community based health and social support services in your area.

Skylight  0800 299 100 for support through trauma, loss and grief; 9am5pm weekdays.

Supporting Families In Mental Illness  For families and whanau supporting a loved one who has a mental illness. Auckland 0800 732 825. Other regions contact details are listed here.

Other specialist helplines

Alcohol and Drug Helpline  0800 787 797or online chat

Are You OK  0800 456 450 family violence helpline

Gambling Helpline  0800 654 655

Anxiety phone line  0800 269 4389(0800 ANXIETY)

Seniorline  0800 725 463 A free information service for older people

0508MUSICHELP  The Wellbeing Service is a 24/7 online, on the phone and in-person counselling service fully funded by the NZ Music Foundation and provided free of charge to those in the Kiwi music community who cant access the help they need due to hardship and other circumstances. Call 0508 MUSICHELP.

Shine  0508 744 633 confidential domestic abuse helpline

Quit Line  0800 778 778 smoking cessation help

Vagus Line  0800 56 76 666 (Mon, Wed, Fri 12 noon  2pm). Promote family harmony among Chinese, enhance parenting skills, decrease conflict among family members (couple, parent-child, in-laws) and stop family violence

Womens Refuge Crisisline  0800 733 843(0800 REFUGE) (for women living with violence, or in fear, in their relationship or family)

Shakti Crisis Line  0800 742 584 (for migrant or refugee women living with family violence

Rape Crisis  0800 883 300 (for support after rape or sexual assault)
Marbella council is hoping that the four restaurants who recently had their Michelin stars renewed, will help bring more tourists to the town. The first step will be at the Feria Internacional de Turismo de Madrid (Fitur) where the four establishments, Dani Garcia, El Lago, Skina and Messina will be taking part.

The aim is to highlight the quality of the gastronomy available in Marbella at the fair and to make the tourist attraction of the town less seasonal.

Although the programme of events is still to be confirmed, on Tuesday 16 January, the eve of the inauguration of the fair, the council will offer cocktails at the Santa Coloma Palace with the catering provided by Dani Garcia. It is expected to be attended by over 200 guests.

Two days later, the other three restaurants in Marbella that have Michelin stars - El Lago, Skina and Messina - will offer 'show cooking' at the Marbella stand. The intention is that both events will have a huge impact and place Marbella on the haute cuisine map.

All the municipalities and autonomous regions of Spain will be striving to make an impact on the national and international press at the fair.

Besides promoting the town's gastronomy, Marbella council is also planning to promote forthcoming major sporting events (the Davis Cup and Iron Man) in a bid to make Marbella an all-year-round tourist attraction.
By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) Commercial use of Made in India planes is soon likely to be a reality with state-owned HAL successfully completing the trials of 19-seater Dornier aircraft.

Officials said Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd (HAL) is expected to get the requisite certification from aviation regulator DGCA this week that would allow use of Dornier planes for commercial purposes.

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The 19-seater Dornier 228 aircraft is manufactured by the HAL under licence from Swiss technology company RUAG for the defence forces and European markets.

HAL carried out the trial flights of Dornier in order to press them into commercial use at Kanpur and it went off well, a company official said.

The process for the aircraft type certification has been "completed" and the HAL would receive the formal approval on December 28, a senior DGCA official said.

According to the company official, the regulator has already given the certificate of airworthiness to the aircraft, following trial flights that were monitored by a DGCA team.

The use of Dornier 228 for commercial flights would give a big push to the governments Make-in-India programme. Currently, domestic airlines shop abroad all aircraft irrespective of size or weight.

Besides, introduction of the HAL-made plane for civilian use is expected to provide a fillip for the ambitious regional air connectivity scheme -- UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) -- that seeks to connect unserved and under-served regions at an affordable cost.

On how HAL could ensure adequate supply of Dornier aircraft once orders start coming in, the company official said it already has a special assembly line at Kanpur.

"Everything will depend on the orders from airlines. We have to wait and see," the official added.

Earlier this month, a civil aviation ministry had said the government was considering manufacturing civilian aircraft and would like to move ahead with the plan "very fast".

The countrys domestic aviation market is one of the fastest growing in the world and has registered high double digit growth for more than two years. Besides, many airlines are embarking on ambitious expansion plans. PTI IAS JC RAM MKJ

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Auditors for Floyd County government found the books in good financial order with an unmodified examination that found no serious errors.

At the December meeting of the Floyd County Board of Supervisors, Scott Wickham of Robinson, Farmer, Cox Associates said the unmodified label means the companys auditors found the financial statements in compliance with normal financial rules and regulations and the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Wickham said the countys 3.8 percent growth rate is better than surrounding counties and within the expectations of the commonwealth.

Floyd County does have $18 million in negative balances, mostly from pension obligations for the school system, but Wickham attributed that the increase comes from a change in how the state requirements for funding and reporting of such balances and is not a concern at this point.

He said recommended changes from the previous audit have been made. The auditors recommended some additional minor changes in departments.

Also at the December meeting, Supervisors approved a bid for a proposed video surveillance system from EMI security from Stuart at a cost of $30,420 for the sheriffs office and parts of the courthouse and $10,030 for the county administration building, but only after a discussion on privacy issues for county residents.

Little River Supervisor Linda DeVito Kuchenbuch asked if the courthouse video cameras, for example, would be focused on people walking down Locust Street in front of The Floyd Country Store or other businesses.

Im worried about intrusions on ordinary citizens, she added.

Sheriff Brian Craig said the primary focus of the surveillance is security for the courthouse and the administration building as well as providing panic buttons for county employees who deal with the public.

Cameras, for example, would be placed with views of entrance doors to the courtrooms, holding cells, jailors office, and hall, fingerprint area, exterior courtroom door, hallway to courtroom, elevator and four panel and administration building hallways, board meeting room, front and rear entries. Placing a camera inside the courtroom is subject to approval by judge Marc Long, who is an opponent of allowing news cameras in court hearings.

The contract calls for 21 cameras at the two locations.

In another matter, the sheriffs department, the Town of Floyd and the county in presentations at various times during the meeting honored two outgoing Supervisors.

Sheriff Brian Craig presented Fred Gerald, who is retiring from the Indian Valley seat he has held for 20 years, and Chairman Case Clinger of Courthouse, who lost in the November election this year, plaques and a department patch with thanks for their support and health.

Floyd Mayor Will Griffin presented paintings of downtown Floyd to both Supervisors, and County Administrator Terri Morris presented plaques from the county and certificates from the Virginia Association of Counties.

In other action, the Board appointed Joy Gardner to the Economic Development Authority and Jennifer Shively as the countys representative to Intercept Youth Services.

The Board meeting included two closed door executive sessions to discuss personnel issues, real estate matters and appointments and adjourned late in the
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Police have released the name of the man who was shot to death in Syracuse on Christmas Eve.

Jay L. Ford, of Syracuse, was shot in the abdomen Sunday afternoon near 405 Temple St., said Sgt. Richard Helterline, a Syracuse Police Department spokesman.

Ford died at Upstate University Hospital, Helterline said. He was 26 years old.

Police responded to Temple Street around 3:15 p.m. on Christmas Eve. ShotSpotter, a gunshot-sensing program, alerted police when gunshots were fired on the South Side street.

Callers in the area also reported hearing gunshots.

When officers arrived, they found Ford. American Medical Response rushed Ford to the hospital, where he later died.

There is currently no suspect information available, Helterline said. The deadly shooting remains under investigation.

Ford's death marks the 21st homicide in Syracuse this year. There were 31 homicides in Syracuse last year -- the deadliest year in the city's history.

Police asked anyone with information about Ford's homicide to call (315) 442-5222, use the SPD Tips app or call the department's homicide tip line at (315) 442-5223.
By Kevin Tampone | ktampone@syracuse.com

The year 2017 brought big stories on a variety of topics. Some long-running court dramas continued, including Gary Thibodeau's appeal in the Heidi Allen case. The New York State Fair made news for a host of reasons and Syracuse watched a historic race for mayor. Read on for a look at all the major stories from the year, in no particular order.

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Peter Rauch case: Ex-DA's investigator in fatal hit-and-run crash

Peter Rauch, a former investigator for the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office, was sentenced to 2 to 6 years in prison for a drunken hit-and-run crash that killed a teenager in Syracuse. The crash took place March 21 and 18-year-old Seth Collier died two days later. Prosecutors said Rauch had consumed at least 16 drinks that night.

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Central New York in President Trump's first year

One of the biggest global stories of 2016 was certainly Donald Trump's victory. Central New York felt the effects of the unexpected win in full in 2017. Syracuse-area Rep. John Katko faced pressure to meet with constituents. And dueling protests took place in downtown Syracuse. The end of the year featured a major debate over U.S. tax policy that included some tough decisions for local members of the House of Representatives.

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Michael Greenlar | mgreenlar@syracuse.com

James Square nursing home investigated over patient care

Dozens of state investigators raided James Square Health and Rehabilitation Centre in Syracuse in June as part of a probe into patient care. The stories from court records and patients' families that followed were often horrifying.

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Michael Greenlar | mgreenlar@syracuse.com

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Michael Greenlar | mgreenlar@syracuse.com

The end of Fowler High School

Hastily built on a bed of waste as part of a corrupt mayor's kickback scheme, Fowler was labeled a failure before it even opened in 1975 in Syracuse. Officials finally declared its graduation rates too low and its hallways too violent and moved to shut it down. Though Fowler High School closed this year, the building lives on as the Public Service Leadership Academy at Fowler. District leaders are already touting PSLA as a premier school. It offers specialized programs for students interested in fields like firefighting and emergency response.

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Scott Trimble | strimble@Syracuse.com

Nojaim Brothers Supermarket closes

Nojaim Brothers was a grocery store and an institution on Syracuse's West Side for nearly a century. It closed in September. Owner Paul Nojaim said after a competitor, Price Rite, opened a supermarket just seven-tenths of a mile away, revenues fell 17 percent. That was more than enough to kill the business. That Price rite was built with the help of $2.4 million in government grants and tax exemptions.

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Michael Greenlar | mgreenlar@syracuse.com

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Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com

Heidi Allen case: Gary Thibodeau's appeal

Gary Thibodeau has been trying to overturn his conviction in the 1994 Heidi Allen kidnapping case for years now. Thibodeau and his brother Richard were both tried for the crime, but only Gary was convicted. He maintains his innocence. Allen's body has never been found. In June, the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court upheld Thibodeau's conviction. New York's highest court, the Court of Appeals, agreed to hear the case in August. It will likely do so sometime in 2018.

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David Lassman | The Post-Standard

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Rendering provided by the governor's office

The state fair gondola flames out

2017 was the year of the gondola. The state pitched it as an attraction for the New York State Fair. It would have ferried 2,400 people an hour between the fairgrounds and Lakeview Amphitheater. State leaders said it could run all year, even when the fair wasn't on and there were no concerts at the amphitheater. Perhaps people might even pay for the ride, officials said. Backlash was swift. State Sen. John DeFrancisco called the idea a poster child for fiscal waste. The project eventually fizzled. County Executive Joanie Mahoney said a separate set of state fair improvements might not leave enough left over for the gondola.

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Peter Allen | The Post-Standard

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New York State Fair upgrades

Despite the gondola drama, other expansions and upgrades at the New York State Fair moved forward. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced plans to build a massive $50 million expo center at the fairgrounds. Records in baked potatoes and attendance fell too.

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Provided by Jennifer Austin, Jeffrey's aunt

Jeffrey Franklin case: Parents charged with setting fire to hide son's murder

Early March 1, a fire devoured the Franklin family's double-wide trailer in rural Chenango County, trapping 16-year-old Jeffrey Franklin inside. His adoptive parents survived, but Jeffrey was found dead. His parents were later charged with setting the blaze to cover the fact that they murdered their son, authorities said.

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Chris Baker | cbaker@syracuse.com

What's next for Stephanie Miner and John DeFrancisco

Two prominent Central New York politicians began considering runs for higher offices in 2017. Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner could challenge Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a primary. She's also considering challenging Rep. John Katko for his seat in the House of Representatives. Longtime state Sen. John DeFrancisco, a Republican, is also considering a run for governor. And though they are on opposite sides of the aisle, Miner and DeFrancisco embarked on a joint tour of the state to debate their visions for New York. The two have frequently praised each other over the years.

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Michele Rourke

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Kevin Drumm case: Onondaga County sheriff's deputy in crash

Onondaga County Sheriff's Deputy Kevin Drumm was charged with leaving the scene of a property damage accident in October. Though there were indications he was impaired, he was not given a Breathalyzer test. He was given two other sobriety tests in the back of a patrol car later. Onondaga County Sheriff Eugene Conway said that was not the correct procedure. A sheriff's office supervisor involved in the investigation is facing discipline over the matter. Drumm has been asked to resign, but refused. Conway said he believes Drumm was under the influence and is working to have him fired, but the deputy is back on the job for now.

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Rick Moriarty / rmoriarty@syracuse.com

The retail shake-up, continued

Central New York's retail landscape has seen seismic shifts in recent years and the tremors continued in 2017. ShoppingTown and Great Northern malls continued to watch tenants leave. National chains that have been stalwarts of malls and shopping plazas for decades continued to struggle. Destiny USA saw tenants shut down too. Forces like online shopping that have propelled those changes haven't slowed, so expect more upheaval on the horizon.

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Samantha House | shouse@syracuse.com

Albion child abuse case

Central New York saw one of the most horrific cases of child abuse in recent memory this year. Oswego County Undersheriff Eugene Sullivan said the case against five adults in the town of Albion was "one of the most severe cases of child abuse" he had seen in his 28-year career. Allegations included dragging a girl behind a car, forcing hot sauce into a girl's mouth, submerging a boy's hand in hot water and more.

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Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com

Del Lago Resort & Casino opens

The $440 million del Lago Resort & Casino opened in February almost a year after construction began in a cornfield in Seneca County. It was the culmination of 27 years of work for Rochester mall developer Thomas C. Wilmot, who has long dreamed of opening a casino.

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Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com

Syracuse Chiefs shareholders

One of the biggest sports stories of the year was the sale of the Syracuse Chiefs to the New York Mets for $18 million. But thousands of local shareholders were set to miss out on the full value of the deal because the team purged its shareholders rolls in 2015. The Chiefs lost contact with many local shareholders over the years and team leaders said they were required to clear the rolls of dormant stock by state law. The state Comptroller's Office of Unclaimed Funds eventually set up a process that allowed shareholders to have their stock restored. Over 900 shareholders were ultimately able to get back $2 million in abandoned stock.

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Missing Florida girl found in Central New York

Caitlyn Frisina, 17, was found safe in Central New York in early December. She had been missing for about a week. The case drew national attention. Rian Rodriguez, a 27-year-old soccer coach at Frisina's high school in Florida, was arrested. Frisina was reunited with her family.

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Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com

Ex-teacher's aide Emily Oberst pleads in child porn case

Emily Oberst, 24 and a former teacher's aide at All Saints Elementary School in Syracuse, admitted to child pornography charges in April in exchange for a promised sentence of 60 years in prison. Oberst admitted to exploiting two young girls -- one less than a year old -- for child pornography at her home and at the school. A Liverpool man, Jason Kopp, previously pleaded guilty in the case and was sentenced to 235 years in prison in 2016. Oberst was sentenced in December.

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Michael Greenlar | mgreenlar@syracuse.com

Syracuse mayoral campaign

Independent Ben Walsh made history with his victory in the Syracuse mayoral race in November. He is just the second person to win the city's top job without a major party ballot line. In a city dominated by Democrats, Walsh made inroads with powerful endorsements from some Democratic leaders. His Democratic opponent, Juanita Perez Williams, tried to paint Walsh as a Republican in disguise and was his closest competition.

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State Sen. John DeFrancisco has hired former state Supreme Court Justice John Brunetti to serve as his new legislative counsel, returning Brunetti to a position he left more than 20 years ago.

Brunetti, 69, the longest-serving felony court judge in Syracuse, retired Oct. 30 after serving on the bench since 1995.

DeFrancisco, R-DeWitt, the state Senate's deputy majority leader, said Tuesday that Brunetti will return to work in his office on Jan. 2, 2018.

Before becoming a judge, Brunetti served as DeFrancisco's legislative counsel from 1993 to 1995.

"I am excited that Judge John Brunetti will be a part of our team again," DeFrancisco said in a statement Tuesday. "His background and expertise in law will be a great benefit to me, my staff and the constituents we serve."

Brunetti retired more than a year earlier than required under state law for judges who reach 70 years of age.

Two years ago he joked, "I plan to leave Dec. 31, 2018, when I am dragged out, feet-first, at age 70." But he announced his retirement plans in August, telling Syracuse.com that "you can report that I am in excellent health!" He said he planned to open a private criminal law practice in Syracuse after his retirement.

Brunetti will be paid $40,000 per year in his new position in DeFrancisco's office, a spokeswoman said Tuesday. Brunetti will work only during legislative session days. The position of legislative counsel to DeFrancisco has been open for at least seven years.

DeFrancisco has been considering whether to launch a bid for the Republican nomination for governor, and a chance to take on Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the 2018 election. DeFrancisco has said he will likely make a decision about his political future next month.

Contact Mark Weiner anytime: Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
YourErie.com video still

This video still from the Erie International Airport Tom Ridge Field SkyCam shows the airport in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017. More than 53 inches of snow fell on the city over 30 hours in a record Christmas storm.

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Erie, Pa. sees record 53 inches of snow in 30 hours (photos)

by Geoff Herbert | gherbert@syracuse.com

Dreaming of a White Christmas turned into a nightmare for some as holiday travel in Pennsylvania has been snarled by a record-breaking winter storm in Erie, Pa.

The National Weather Service says nearly three feet -- 34 inches -- of snow fell on Erie on Christmas Day Monday, the highest single-day total ever recorded. The city's previous record was 20 inches on Nov. 22 in 1956.

Snow continued to fall Tuesday morning, with another 19 inches between midnight and 6 a.m. That brought the snowstorm total to 53 inches in just 30 hours for the snowiest 2-day total ever recorded in the entire state of Pennsylvania.

According to the NWS, Erie's previous biggest snowstorms were 30.2 inches over three days in 2002 and 39.8 inches over seven days the previous winter.

GoErie.com reports the city of Erie declared a snow emergency Tuesday morning and the storm's not even over yet. A lake effect snow warning is in effect until 4 p.m. Wednesday, with up to 16 more inches of snow possible at a rate of up to 3 inches per hour.

According to CBS, Pennsylvania State Police is recommending all drivers stay off the roads in Erie County on Tuesday. The PennDOT has also issued a speed restriction for Interstate 79, between Meadville (Exit 147A) and Interstate 90.

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@weatherchannel PLEASE STOP THE SNOW MACHINE IN ERIE, PA!!!! pic.twitter.com/tvKpvqB3pH  Kathy B (@ChattyKathy715) December 26, 2017

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Record snowfall in Erie today ... more than 11 inches of snow and more on the way! #winterwonderland #lakeeffect #Erie pic.twitter.com/UaqI8qQpMf  Jill McCormick (@JillMcCormick2) December 26, 2017

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Crazy snow situation in Erie PA. My parents driveway was plowed last night - this is 7a this morning. pic.twitter.com/hPu1WtnanQ  Courtney Powell (@courtpowell_) December 26, 2017

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Erie International Airport is closed because of snow. Only one flight cancelled so far. @JET24FOX66 live camera: https://t.co/gFv7EVTPiB pic.twitter.com/Ile3R3Ik8z  Alex Yoder (@AlexYoder) December 26, 2017

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Erie never knowing when to stop. 53 inches and counting. pic.twitter.com/IMjpomGIae  julie, the likeable thornback (@jooblee) December 26, 2017

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Erie, #PA got 34 inches, yep you read that right-- 34" of #snow in just 24 hours on Christmas Day. That is the most snow they have ever recorded in a single day and snow is still falling in the city. pic.twitter.com/62E556pIBb  AMHQ (@AMHQ) December 26, 2017

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West 11th Street in #Erie has a zombie apocalypse feel, with more people on foot than in cars pic.twitter.com/rIUQSvEXXq  Tim Hahn (@ETNhahn) December 26, 2017

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Dear Everyone in the Erie Area,

Im sorry for dreaming of a white Christmas. I mean I wanted it to snow on Christmas, but not like this. Not like this pic.twitter.com/hwWmrdqyyZ  Will (@WillSwagler) December 26, 2017

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I grew up in Erie, PA but have never seen snow like weve had here in the last 24 hours. Its crazy that theres hardly any back in Cleveland right now. Heres the obligatory patio table photo. pic.twitter.com/13CuOTwnf3  Mike Richwalsky (@mrichwalsky) December 26, 2017

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@WKRN here is a pic from my friend in Erie county, PA this morning pic.twitter.com/J9onEWoCJN  MamaDutch (@mamadutchess) December 26, 2017

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This is insane! We have seen 92.5 inches of snow this month. 19" since midnight, and 53" since Christmas Day. #Erie #Snowmageddon pic.twitter.com/COiNJja6rx  David Wolter (@DavidWolter1) December 26, 2017

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Beautiful day here in Erie - just declared a state of emergency due to snowfall. pic.twitter.com/LfTpvxbxtc  William G. Finnecy (@billfinnecy) December 26, 2017

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#Erie, Pennsylvania, smashed not only its snowstorm of record, but also the Pennsylvania state two-day snowfall record. (Photos: Jourdan Lagace, Stephanie Hicks) https://t.co/PtyGWZjcF1 pic.twitter.com/CDHOyUzCw2  The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) December 26, 2017

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In other weather news... Erie, PA received 34" of snow on Christmas Day! An additional 19" from midnight-6am this morning brings the total to 53" in 30 hours and gives them the greatest 2-day snowfall on record in the entire state of PA!

Info: NWS Cleveland

Photo: Bobby Delaney pic.twitter.com/amaumyRjvx  WBIR Weather (@WBIRWeather) December 26, 2017

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It's a good thing it's at LEAST looking BEAUTIFUL in my Erie, PA neighborhood!  pic.twitter.com/kj8N3GiiFO  Kathy B (@ChattyKathy715) December 26, 2017
A topless female protester tried to steal a statue of baby Jesus from the Vatican's Nativity scene in St. Peter's Square on Christmas Day.

Reuters reports an activist from the feminist group FEMEN jumped over guardrails Monday to try and snatch the religious icon while shouting "God is woman." She had the same message painted on her bare back.

According to Fox News, she was stopped by police and detained, two hours before Pope Francis addressed the Christmas crowd of 50,000 people in the square. Video showed the Vatican gendarme tackling her just as she got her hands on the Jesus figure.

She was later identified as Alisa Vinogradova by FEMEN, a Ukraine-based activist group who says it aims to use "bare breasts" to protest sexual inequality and gain "complete victory over patriarchy." FEMEN's website said Vinogradova, a self-described "sextremist," was protesting the church and its treatment of women.

"FEMEN considers the anti-war policy of the Vatican a rough medieval attack on the freedom of women and their natural rights," the organization said in a statement. "FEMEN encourages women to follow the example of the movement and kidnap babies from religious denominations, thus, stating their right to use of their own body!"

According to Reuters, a similar incident occurred in St. Peter's Square on Christmas Day in 2014. Another FEMEN activist was arrested by the Vatican gendarme after successfully taking the baby Jesus statue out of the Nativity scene that year.

FEMEN, known for topless protests, has followers around the world. Two members with "FEMEN USA" and "Hate out of my polls" painted on their breasts were arrested at Donald Trump's polling place last year before he arrived to cast his vote in the 2016 presidential election.

"We use our bodies to express our ideas," Nada Topaloski said of the incident in New York.
A Florida man has been arrested for punching an ATM because it gave him too much money.

USA Today reports Michael Joseph Oleksik, a 23-year-old resident of Merritt Island, Fla., was charged with criminal mischief Friday nearly a month after the incident. Surveillance video showed Oleksik attacking an ATM at a Wells Fargo bank branch in Cocoa, Fla., on Nov. 29.

According to the Pensacola News Journal, Oleksik later called the bank and apologized to the manager. He allegedly blamed the incident on being "angry the ATM was giving him too much money and he did not know what to do." He also said he was frustrated because he was late for work.

Wells Fargo then contacted the Cocoa Police Department and Oleksik was booked into the Brevard County Jail on a charge of criminal mischief. Bank officials said he caused at least $5,000 in damages.

Authorities have not said how much cash Oleksik was trying to withdraw when he repeatedly punched the electronic teller's touch screen, or what amount he considered "too much."

A 23-year-old Florida man told police he punched an ATM in November because it gave him too much cash. https://t.co/1GKXzstTIv pic.twitter.com/IgigqazTXI  Ventura County Star (@vcstar) December 26, 2017
What can you buy with $284 billion?

You could own all of Netflix. Or purchase 747 Boeing 747s, with change to spare. Or erase the national debts of Venezuela, Nigeria, Peru and Iceland, combined.

Or, if you're Mary Horomanski, you could pay for one month's worth of electricity.

Horomanski, from Erie, Pennsylvania, was shocked recently when she received an erroneous electric bill displaying an account balance of "284,460,000,000," with a first payment due of $28,176.

"I opened it up and there it was," she told The Washington Post.

Horomanski, 58, began counting the commas ("Hundreds. Thousands. Millions. Billions . . . Can most people even count that high?"), then taking her glasses off and putting them on again.

"It wasn't due until November of 2018," she said. "It was like, well, I guess we have a year to come up with this billion-dollar bill."

Horomanski's husband and one of her sons were home with her when she checked her bill online, and they began asking if she was okay.

"I'm looking around the room and they're looking at me now, 'cause I've got this funny look on my face," Horomanski recalled Tuesday. "When you see something like that, your heart starts beating, you break out into a little sweat, like, 'What on earth just happened?' "

In a brief moment of self-doubt, the stay-at-home mother of five boys also took stock of the electricity her household was using.

"We had Christmas lights outside, but we don't have the '[National Lampoon's] Christmas Vacation' lights," Horomanski said. "And I'm looking at my Christmas tree, and I'm like, no, that wouldn't have caused it . . . "

Horomanski texted an image of the bill to her oldest son, who immediately contacted Penelec, their electric company.

The company quickly reassured him it was an error, Horomanski said.

The correct amount was $284.46 - still a little high, to be honest, compared to the previous month's bill of $161, Horomanski thought. But at least not a figure that threatened to send her into cardiac arrest.

She also sent a picture of the bill to her local newspaper, the Erie Times-News, which wrote about the mistake in a story that went viral.

Pennsylvania woman stunned by $284 billion electric bill https://t.co/B1aEWnsTMz  Fox News (@FoxNews) December 24, 2017

Mark Durbin, a spokesman for First Energy, Penelec's parent company, told the Erie Times-News he didn't know what caused the error.

"I can't recall ever seeing a bill for billions of dollars," Durbin told the newspaper. "We appreciate the customer's willingness to reach out to us about the mistake."

Horomanski said she's been receiving text messages from friends telling her that her surreal electric bill has appeared in the likes of Time magazine and the New York Post.

In retrospect, there was something universally relatable about the mistaken bill, along with the cold horror Horomanski felt at the thought of how much worse it could have been.

"My son Mike and I were both saying, almost simultaneously, 'Holy bologna, could you imagine if I had that automatic payment and it just came out of the account?' " she said. "I could not stop thinking about this."
A total of 32 cataract procedures were carried out under torch light at a state-run facility in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district.

By India Today Web Desk: Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh has removed the Chief Medical Officer of Unnao after he was informed about a ridiculous case of medical mess-up.

The Community Health Centre of Nawabganj carried out 32 eye procedures under 'torch light'.

The patients were referred by a Kanpur-based NGO and were even made to lie down on the floor afterwards.

Photo: ANI

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According to a report by PTI, 32 cataract operations were carried out under torch light as there was no electricity or power back-up available.

The relatives of the patients complained that the patients were not provided with beds despite the cold weather conditions.

A probe was ordered into the matter after which Unnao's Chief Medical Officer Rajendra Prasad was transferred along with the suspension of a doctor for medical negligence. The NGO under the community health centre is now blacklisted as well.

Also watch: Muslim Personal Law Board opposes triple talaq bill, calls it anti-Muslim

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One of SpaceX's pre-flown rockets was launched successfully into orbit on Dec. 22 from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The rocket is carrying 10 communications satellites for the Iridium Next global satellite constellation.

SpaceX Launches 10 Iridium Satellites Into Orbit

After sunset, the pre-flown Falcon 9 rocket delivered a spectacular show of light in the skies for onlookers in Southern California. The rocket was used previously to launch also 10 Iridium Next satellites back in June. It was later recovered and was prepared for this launch.

The launch is considered to be the fourth batch of 10 satellites in a series of 75 satellites that the aerospace company plans to launch for Iridium.

The first three launches were successful and those 30 satellites are now being tested. To date, the company managed to bring 40 Iridium Next satellites into orbit across four launches, with all of them taking place this year.

Iridium Next

Iridium Next is a space project that intends to replace and upgrade Iridium's existing constellation with next-generation spacecraft in the Earth's low orbit.

The upgrade, which is considered to be probably the biggest tech upgrade in space, aims to meet the growing demand for global mobile communications on land, at sea, and in the skies.

It will open the way for new services including the next generation Certus satellite communications platform to be used for a number of applications. Among them is the Internet of Things.

It will provide new products with more bandwidth and higher speeds. Also, Iridium's satellites are being built and tested alongside its partner, Thales Alenia Space.

Iridium

Iridium has been operating a system of 66 active satellites that are used for worldwide voice and data communication from handheld satellite phones. The satellite company's system is considered to be unique and flexible because it covers the entire planet including oceans and airways.

In addition to the Internet of Things, the Certus satellite communication will also enable services for the aviation industry including surveillance and aircraft tracking.

SpaceX Reused Falcon 9 Rocket

This time, SpaceX decided not to land and recover this particular first stage for another reuse, but instead, allowed it to splash down into the Pacific Ocean. The reason behind this is unclear.

This year, the aerospace company also launched a pre-flown Dragon cargo capsules twice for the International Space Station. The second flight was launched on Dec. 15 and featured a used Falcon 9 first stage.

SpaceX's founder and CEO Elon Musk emphasized the importance of reusability as a key to cutting the cost of spaceflight.

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A group of California students was filled with the holiday spirit as a beautiful moment was captured between them.

Piper Stowe, student, shared a video of the moment when she and her Antioch High School classmates gave a fellow student a new Nintendo 3DS after his console was stolen.

Stolen 3DS

The young boy, Sean Hawkins, revealed that the 3DS console was a gift from a loved one and wanted help with its return. Hawkins used the school's whiteboard to explain that his grandmother had purchased the item for him and pleaded with his classmates for its return.

A few students were touched by the emotional plea and decided to take matters into their own hands. Stowe and her friend Shawna Cantiliano chose to raise money to buy their classmate a replacement console. The two girls were able to raise more than $200 and chose to give their friend the gift in front of the entire class.

Cantiliano and Stowe snuck into the student's class, made a short and beautiful speech, and surprised him with the new console. She said she couldn't have done it without the help of her peers and history teacher, who helped her organize the surprise.

Hawkins is seen in the video embracing his new friends and thanking them as he broke down in tears. He kisses Stowe on the cheek and calls her an angel from god. Reports say Sean is an avid gamer and has ambitions to work for Nintendo when he is older.

"Shawn, I think, found out that people care about and are looking out for him," Louie Rocha, who is the principal of Antioch High School, said. "And for Shawna and Piper, I think the rewards of giving were pretty special as well."

What Was Going Through The Student's Minds

NBC news was able to speak to one of the student to learn why they decided to act in such a thoughtful manner.

"I felt bad when I saw the whiteboard," Cantiliano told NBC. "I thought, I always see that kid playing on his DS, just ignoring all of his bullies and in his own little world. I just wanted to help."

"I wanted to give him a little hope in humanity," Cantiliano continued. "Basically, none of my siblings have had ideal high school experiences. I saw myself and my family in him, and I felt like if someone ever did something like that for me, it might give me the hope that I need to continue. I just wanted him to not give up."

Check out the emotional video below:



 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Three committees set up by union health ministry have asked the government to ban the device.

By Priyanka Sharma: The union health ministry is unable to decide whether to ban e-cigarettes completely or either to regulate its sale and purchase like other cigarettes.

Around four months ago, three committees were formed by the senior officials of health ministry which has already passed the directives to ban the e-cigarettes completely.

However, the ministry is yet to decide whether the ban be imposed under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, or under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003, or it should be prohibited under The Poison Act, 1919.

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An electronic cigarette is a hand-held electronic device that tries to create the feeling of tobacco smoking.

An official on the condition of anonymity told Mail Today, "We have submitted our report to the government in the August. Then in September, a high level meeting was called upon and it was decided for the total ban of e-cigarettes."

He said it has been four months and the file is pending. "Still, it is yet to decide which 'act' should be considered to ban e-cigarettes."

A senior member of the committee told Mail Today, "Studies from the US indicated that e-cigarettes developed more smoking habits in young and adults. The idea of e-cigarettes failed in there. So, it is not good at all."

"Most of the e-cigarettes contain some percentage of nicotine which can cause cardiovascular disease, lung complication, kidney disorder and other health issues. Initially, it was started as a substitute for normal cigarettes (tobacco cigarettes), but it has developed as a gateway for smoking habits in adults. Also, it is expensive," said Dr Ambuj Roy, cardiologist at AIIMS.

Recently, union health minister JP Nadda informed the Rajya Sabha that few advisories for healthcare are still pending.

He said the government has got the report framed by three committees and accordingly it will decide what action should be taken on this.

According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey report from 2009-10 to 2016-17, shows an increase of one year in the age at initiation of both smoking and smokeless tobacco use from 18.9 years among daily smokers aged 20-34 years. The survey also found 55 per cent of smokers planning or thinking of quitting smoking.

Elaborating about hazardous effects of e-cigarettes, Dr SK Arora, head of the Delhi State Tobacco Control Cell said, "They contain pure nicotine in chemical form which creates high toxicity and users becomes unaware. Gradually, he develops a habit. It can cause cancer, affects brain and other body organs."

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Prophecies by the late Baba Vanga are hinting the rise of China as a superpower and the discovery of a new energy form on Venus this 2018.

The blind mystic from Bulgaria died in 1996 at age of 85 but has left a series of predictions for up to the 51st century, when she said the end of the world will occur.

Nostradamus Of Bulgaria Foresees Global Events, Calamities

Known as the "Nostradamus of the Balkans", she is most famous for a prophecy she made in 1989 that describes the 9/11 attack. It said that the American brothers will be attacked by birds made of steel, causing their fall and shedding blood of the innocent.

Another of her predictions state that Europe will cease to exist as 2016 closes. Many have interpreted this as the Brexit, which brought on conflict several months after the British Parliament voted to leave the European Union in June 2016.

A report states, however, that she has mistakenly foretold Barack Obama to become the last U.S. president.

China To Overtake America, Scientists To Uncover New Form Of Energy

More than 40 years ago, China was producing only 4.1 percent of the global economy. This figure jumped to 15.6 percent in 2015 and continues to rise each year. As for the United States, the country's current contribution to the global economy of 16.7 percent is anticipated to decrease to 14.9 percent by 2025.

With these statistics, many reports agree with Baba Vanga's predictions for 2018 saying that China has a huge potential to overtake the United States in terms of economic prosperity.

Meanwhile, the Venus discovery may not occur as space agencies have no missions slated for such planet.

NASA's Solar Probe Plus indirectly involves the planet by using its gravitational force to explore the outer corona of the sun. It is the first attempt to fly directly into the star's atmosphere and has been announced for launch by summer 2018.

Nostradamus, Hawking Predict World War III And Transfer To Another Planet

There are several other personalities known for making predictions about the future. Nostradamus, a 16th-century physician, has predicted that Donald Trump's victory will lead to World War III. His prophecy, recorded in the form of poetry, has accurately described the contention among Trump's supporters and dissenters upon his election as president.

Although he is no mystic, Stephen Hawking has predicted in 2016 that Earth could no longer support human life after a thousand years. This is why he encourages the intensification of efforts to explore other habitable planets.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
300 unique New Orleans Moments: Construction of the Interstate Highway System in Louisiana began in 1957
By PTI: identity: Cong

New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) The Congress today attacked the BJP over Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegdes remarks about changing the Constitution, saying they were a "direct assault" on the composite identity of the nation and the party will oppose any such attempt with all its might.

Congress spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi said that the BJP and the RSS were "unmasked" by Hegdes remarks and alleged that "abusing the oath of office and denigrating the Constitution and its values have become a distinctive feature of Modi government".

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Hegde, while speaking at an event in Karnataka, had said he respects the Constitution but "it will be changed in the days to come".

Condemning Hegdes comments, Gogoi asked if the prime minister would break his silence on Hegdes remarks as the minister had openly spoken about changing the Constitution.

Hegdes remarks are a "direct assault" on the composite, diverse and secular identity of the nation, Gogoi said.

He alleged that the BJP-RSS school of thought is ingrained in "bigotry, hate, divisiveness and prejudices, that envision a monolithic culture".

Gogoi told reporters here that Hegdes remarks were diametrically opposite to the liberal and inclusive traditions of India and the progressive thoughts of Babasaheb Ambedkar and the makers of modern India.

"The Congress strongly condemns and deprecates such regressive remarks which are against the idea and ideals of India. We shall fight this challenge in Parliament and in the court of people," he said.

Gogoi alleged that all such statements have a common link and agenda and were meant to propagate and practice sectarian ideology of the BJP and the RSS.

He claimed that the RSS and the BJPs sole agenda was to change and modify the basic nature and structure of the Constitution and "impose their hate filled, bigoted and prejudiced ideology" on India and its people.

"Recent statements by Union ministers in the Modi government thoroughly vindicates those malicious and sinister attempts," Gogoi alleged.

"Their remarks have not only denigrated and demolished the values, principles and the soul of the Constitution but has also exposed their false love for Babasaheb Ambedkar which they keep propagating to win votes," he said.

The Congress leader, with another spokesperson Khushboo Sundar by his side, said the Constitution rests on pillars of equality, liberty, fraternity, brotherhood and secularism.

Socialistic values are the Magna Carta of Indias Constitution, he said.

"Any maleficence attempt to modify this by the BJP- RSS will be fought by the Congress Party with all its might," he said.

Gogoi claimed that Hegde, like other BJP leaders, was suffering from the "foot in the mouth" disease.

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The Congress spokesperson also highlighted that another Union minister Hans Raj Ahir had made a statement equating senior doctors in a government hospital with Naxals.

This, he said, was an outright insult to the medical profession and those who save lives.

"It again goes against the spirit of the Constitution and its ideals," Gogoi said.

The Congress leader claimed that in the past as well the BJP and its leaders, including the prime minister, have "systematically insulted" professionals and communities.

Gogoi also highlighted that Bachubhai Khapad was sworn-in as a minister of state in Gujarat despite having three criminal cases against him, including under the Arms Act.

"Will Shri Modi take cognisance of this fact and drop him from the Gujarat Governments Cabinet? Is it not yet again an instance, where the BJP is violating the oath of office and denigrating Constitution?," he asked. PTI SKC ASK ASK

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1) Hyper Real at the National Gallery of Australia (closes February 18, 2018) presents a journey into the weird world of parallel realities where everything exists in a world of heightened sensibilities. The boundary between the real and the imagined is eroded, the fantastic has a palpable corporeality and the ghoulish, voyeuristic and the absurd convincingly exists within our own space. The beautiful and disturbing Inverso mundus by the Russian collective AES+F is a powerful and unique viewing experience where, in a specially constructed round amphitheatre, you are surrounded by a world of refined beauty. It is one in which the current world order has been inverted  women reign over men, the young over elders, animals over people and the poor over the rich  as a powerful narrative unfolds. There is a profound and pure beauty that is unforgettable.

While the state galleries around the nation are staging their summer blockbuster exhibitions  Gerhard Richter in Brisbane; the NGV Triennial in Melbourne and the Masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum in Sydney  Canberra has a unique array of must-see major exhibitions this summer.

2) David Hockney: Prints, National Gallery of Australia (closes May 27, 2018), also at the National Gallery, is a major blockbuster retrospective exhibition of the print oeuvre of one of the most famous and influential contemporary artists in the world. For Hockney, printmaking was never about breeding multiple images of things that he had already realised in painting, but creating in prints that which could not be achieved in any other medium. Taking Picasso as his model, Hockney pushed etchings, lithographs, pulp paper prints and new technology prints into new and exciting realms that at times had never before been explored. This exhibition redefines the art of printmaking of the past half century and asserts Hockney's central place in it, from the early homoerotic images through to the virtuoso colour pieces on a monumental scale.

Natalia Goncharova, Peasants dancing, 1910-11 Credit:NGA

3) Russian avant-garde, National Gallery of Australia (closes March 4, 2018) is the other major must-see exhibition at the National Gallery. Exactly a century ago, Lenin and the Bolsheviks seized power in backward tsarist Russia and sought to ignite a world revolution. Although economically and militarily impoverished, the young Soviet Union promoted a revolutionary form of art that to some extent changed the nature of art in the world. The National Gallery, with such seminal works as Kazimir Malevich's House under construction and National Goncharova's Peasants Dancing, as well as key examples from the art movements of Suprematism, Primitivism and Constructivism, charts the path of the great experiment in Russian art. This large and dazzling exhibition provides a unique insight into the creative cauldron of art and revolution in early 20th century Russia.

Artist Curtis Taylor at the launch of Songlines: Tracking the seven sisters. Credit:Karleen Minney

4) Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters, National Museum of Australia (closes February 25, 2018) is an exceptional exhibition that brings to life one of the grand ancestral tales of Aboriginal Australia. Through a combination of high-tech wizardry and carefully selected cultural artefacts, Indigenous voices take the viewer on a journey with the Seven Sisters. A huge dome acts as an immersive chamber that allows us to take flight and explore the journey of creation and naming. It is a very unusual and challenging exhibition, which presents an alternative way of explaining Aboriginal art in a language true to its makers.
December is my favorite month. Forget the lack of sunlight. The artificial lights are intoxicating, and I find great personal joy in making those end of the year charitable contributions, regardless of the tax implications. Out of the darkness emerges human goodness.

As a child, I spent every December until I was 23 working in my grandmothers womens and childrens clothing store. At that point, she sold the building and retired. Working there helped me to overcome the racism that was (and still is) ingrained in American society. It was also where I first experienced the spirit of Christmas, as African-American working men came in from the snow-covered sidewalks after finishing work on Christmas Eve. More than 40 years later, I still remember them looking at lingerie and dresses, imagining the smiles on the faces of their wives and children.

Theodore Parker, the great 19th century Unitarian minister, wrote that even if Jesus had never lived, the religious teachings contained in the Gospel stories were justification enough for Christianity.

Parker was right. When all the prayers have been uttered, the creeds recited, the paintings adored, the candles lit, and the presents opened, it is the teachings that have been attributed to Jesus that will endure. Who really cares whether Jesus was an eyewitness to the Big Bang, or came back from the dead? The resurrection is a wonderful story, but not as important as the moral teachings at the heart of his message. Heavenly real estate has no value if we inflict hell on earth upon other people to get there.

When you look at the manger, look at the faces of the homeless, and those who are overlooked because they cant make large political contributions. Affirming Jesus means standing against the selfishness and me-first, me-only mentality that pervades our society. Affirming Jesus is a way of saying that we are better people than that. Lets not worry about how Jesus did in math or physics. Instead, lets be more concerned with the moral grade that he would give to the members of Congress who have given us our new tax law.

The Rev. Dr. Stan Sears

Ithaca

The Rev. Dr. Stan Sears is consulting minister at the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Society.
By PTI: Hyderabad, Dec 26 (PTI) A 31-year-old woman from Hyderabad has claimed that her 60-year-old Omani husband has divorced her over phone, following which she has approached External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for help.

The woman, a resident of Pahadishareef area here, said she got married with the Omani national in August 2008 in Hyderabad.

"He used to send me money regularly every month for my livelihood (since marriage) and assured me to take to Oman, but did not take me there. He also promised to buy me an house in Hyderabad, which was also not fulfilled," the woman said in her letter addressed to Swaraj.

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She said her husband used to visit her in Hyderabad every year since the marriage.

"On August 15 this year, my husband called me and pronounced talaq without any prior notice or without (following) the due procedure as per Islamic laws. There is no one to look after me and my old mother. I have not been given any proper talaq certificate also," the woman claimed in her letter.

Seeking Swarajs help, the woman said, "I request you to ask the Indian Embassy in Muscat, Oman, to inquire in details by calling this Omani Shaik and settle my issue. I also appeal to the Telangana government," the woman said.

When contacted today, Station House Officers of Pahadishareef and Balapur police stations in Hyderabad, said they have not received any complaint in this regard. PTI VVK NSK

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Bitcoin extended its recovery in holiday-thinned trading on Tuesday, rising 10 per cent to be up more than a third from last week's lows of below $US12,000.

Bitcoin, the world's biggest and best-known cryptocurrency, fell nearly 30 per cent at one stage on Friday to $US11,159.93 and, despite a late recovery, had its worst week since 2013.

The digital currency had risen around 20-fold since the start of the year. Credit:KIN CHEUNG

At 0445 GMT on Tuesday, it was quoted around $US15,049 on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange.

The digital currency had risen around 20-fold since the start of the year, climbing from less than $US1000 to as high as $US19,666 on December 17 on Bitstamp and to over $US20,000 on other exchanges. But it has posted heavy declines since.
Many portraits of Ray Hughes have appeared in the Archibald Prize. Jun Chen's Ray Hughes was this year's runner-up. Credit:Felicity Jenkins, AGNSW Hughes showed German Expressionist prints, American Outsider art, Anatolian rugs, and was a pioneer of contemporary Chinese art. By the early 2000s he was exhibiting works by Li Jin, Qi Zhilong, Liu Xiaodong and many others who have since become superstars. Hughes would sell Liu Xiaodong's paintings for about $20,000, but nowadays his auction prices are in the millions. This breadth of vision, his extraordinary energy and willingness to take chances made Hughes a highly respected figure in the Australian art world. Everyone would talk about his "eye", which is the greatest compliment that can be paid to a dealer or collector. Ray Hughes often sported a fedora and the flashy clothes of a punter, he looked like he'd just left the racetrack. Credit:ADAM SMITH Hughes' case was slightly different because the "eye" comments were also a form of compensation for behaviour that alienated clients and artists. Hughes had a knack for insulting and abusing people who might have been valuable supporters. He had no patience for the way wealthy collectors always want to negotiate a better price. He was a passionate but jealous art lover who demanded total loyalty from his stable, even to the extent of not allowing artists to exhibit with dealers in other cities. For some this meant not being able to show work in their home towns.

No-one could spend time around Hughes without seeing the dark side, although he could be the most ebullient and generous of hosts, holding weekly lunches in which artists and journalists mingled with business people, lawyers and politicians. In his own domain Hughes was a benevolent despot, dispensing largesse to anyone who came through the door. Take him out of the gallery and put him in any social situation and his insecurities rose to the surface. He would become furtive and awkward, bear-like and aggressive. His notorious wit would be transformed into spite and paranoia. He was the archetypal control freak, who hated being at the mercy of any host or hostess. Travelling with his artists at the Venice Biennale one year, he confiscated their passports to prevent anyone going off on their own. These domineering traits would appear more frequently when financial or personal pressures impinged. Hughes played strictly by his own rules, but those rules were subject to sudden, violent change. The more he raged and cursed, the more he mistreated people, the more pressure he would inflict upon himself. And so the cycle continued. Dozens of artists and collectors have stories about the way they parted company with Hughes. At his worst it was a Shakespearian tragedy. Having made the reputations of artists such as Robinson and Allen, he would part acrimoniously from both. What's amazing is that almost everyone who fell out with Hughes still retained an affection for him, as if realising that his demons were beyond his control. Hughes himself could have played Mephistopheles in a pantomime. He dressed in brilliantly coloured, made-to-order suits, with a tie collection any design museum would envy. Fuelled by a fearsome consumption of booze, Hughes' belly grew and grew until it appeared to have a life of its own. In later life he finessed his image with a long, shaggy beard, straight from the Victorian era. He was the one man in the room that could never be overlooked or forgotten.

There is an exhibition to be done of the many portraits of Ray Hughes that have appeared in the Archibald Prize, without ever winning. Tantalisingly, Jun Chen's portrait of Hughes in a wheelchair was declared this year's runner-up. Among his feuds, Hughes would endure a catastrophic split from his second wife, Annette; and an estrangement from his adored and only son, Evan (b.1985). The latter would soon be patched up, because Ray's love for his son was so absolute it was the one rift he couldn't sustain. In 2012 the Ray Hughes Gallery became The Hughes Gallery, with Evan at the helm. In December 2015 the gallery quietly closed its doors, while Evan devoted himself to politics, going on to run against Malcolm Turnbull in the seat of Wentworth. Despite his ever-increasing girth, and his gargantuan intake of cigarettes and red wine, Hughes' stamina was almost supernatural. He would be the first up in the morning and the last to leave at night. When sober he could talk about art with an enthusiasm and insight that could rarely be matched. His sense of humour was scabrous, with marvellous stories, and nicknames for everyone. Because his lifestyle would have killed most people before the age of 50, it seemed as if Hughes would go on forever. When ill health finally struck, in the form of diabetes and knee problems it was as if a towering monument to Bacchus had been toppled. The wheelchair and the tee-totalling took a toll, but when I met Hughes for lunch a couple of months ago he was as sharp as ever, full of plans and ideas. Perhaps the greatest moment during the twilight of Hughes' career, came in 2013, with a visit from Chris Dercon, then director of Britain's Tate Modern. To the frustration of his minders, Dercon spent hours at the gallery, and later told the Art Gallery of NSW, in a public address, that it should hold an exhibition celebrating Hughes' achievements. If no one will do it here, he threatened, "then I'll do it at the Tate".
Last week, the United Nations General Assembly voted 128-9 to condemn the United States for recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. (Australia, like Canada, abstained.)

Donald Trump made the controversial decision about Jerusalem earlier this month, reversing four decades of US policy and bucking the UN's own determination that control of Jerusalem must be decided as part of an agreement between the Israeli government and Palestinian Authority.

In some ways, the vote was unremarkable. American presidents regularly clash with the UN, and condemnations of controversial US policies toward Israel and other countries are a standing feature of the General Assembly.

But unlike, say, the annual condemnation of the US embargo of Cuba, the condemnation of Trump's Jerusalem decision calls attention both to the President's habit of hasty decision-making and his grander strategy of choosing easy wins over hard work.
After 24 days of family portraits, and fans analysing every one down the last pixel, the Kardashian-Jenners have given the world ... a massive anticlimax.

For more than three weeks, fans had been convinced that the family's photographic advent calendar, featuring images of the extended clan in multiple groupings, would all lead to a Christmas announcement that its youngest adult, Kylie Jenner, is pregnant with her first child.

Where's Kylie? The youngest Jenner has been missing from the family's advent calendar, leading to heightened speculation she is pregnant. Credit:PA

The 20-year-old, who is dating rapper Travis Scott, is widely rumoured to be expecting, and, once confirmed, would be the third woman welcoming a baby in 2018; Kim and Kanye West are expecting their third child via a surrogate any week now, while her sister, Khloe, last week announced she is pregnant with her first child with her partner, Tristan Thompson.

While fans have been tallying up the tell-tale signs for weeks, they will have to wait just a little longer it seems. Here are five of the best.
Did you hear? Brown is making a comeback in the fashion world. According to interiors trends predictions for the coming year, shades of cognac, almond and beige will be decking our halls, replacing a lot of that grey.

And on Christmas Day, royal bride-to-be Meghan Markle stamped her authority as a trend-maker when she donned a brown felt hat for the Firm's annual Christmas church service at Sandringham.

In case you hadn't noticed, the first church service with Queen Elizabeth II is a Very Big Deal. What will she wear? How will she curtesy?

By all accounts, Meghan won the day, greeting the larger than usual crowds who were craning their necks for a glimpse of the newest addition to the family.
Human remains have been found during the search for an Indian-born man who went missing off Cape Woolamai at Phillip Island on Christmas day.

Surfers saw that Hemant Govekar, 28, was in trouble about 5.30pm on Sunday, but he quickly disappeared from sight.

The surfers attempted to rescue him but he went under water before they could drag him from the dangerous surf zone.

A search for Mr Govekar resumed on Tuesday morning and police said human remains were found during the afternoon.
Drivers in Victoria were issued more than 1.1 million toll road infringements in the past financial year, placing a huge burden on the justice system.

The Department of Justice enforces the infringements if drivers do not pay toll road charges for travelling on CityLink and EastLink.

Figures obtained under freedom-of-information laws showed that motorists racked up more than 697,400 infringements on CityLink and exceeded 489,700 on EastLink for 2016/17.

In total more than 739,000 infringements on the toll roads progressed to the "enforcement order stage" in the 2016/17 financial year, which is a step before a warrant is issued and the matter could end up in court.
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) India and Israel today reviewed various facets of their bilateral relationship during a meeting between senior diplomats of the two countries.

The two sides reviewed ties in defence, agriculture, science and technology, education and homeland security during the foreign office consultations, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Secretary Economic Relations in the MEA Vijay Gokhale led the Indian delegation while the Israeli side was headed by Director General of Israels Foreign Ministry Yuval Rotem. PTI MPB ASK ASK

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By India Today Web Desk: Pakistan got the taste of its own medicine as Indian army troops crossed the LoC and killed 3 Pakistani soldiers on Monday. The Indian army had lost four of its army personnel in a cross border fire on Saturday.

The fresh incident involved Indian troops crossing the LoC to plant Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the Rawalkot sector of Pakistan. The ensuing exchange of fire saw three Pakistani soldiers killed.

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Army retaliated in same way as Pakistan did to kill four Indian troops. Indian Army troops crossed the LoC to plant IEDs across the border and then killed three Pakistani soldiers in firing across the LoC. The incident has reportedly happened in the Rawalkot sector of Pakistan across the LoC. This was in retaliation to the four Indian Army personnel killed on Saturday in ceasefire violation by Pakistan.

This is the first time that army crossing the LoC as a retribution has come so vividly in public discourse after the surgical strikes post Uri Terror attack.

"Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh were grievously injured during the ceasefire violation and succumbed to injuries. Two other personnel also sustained injuries and are under medical treatment," an army spokesperson said.

"The incident started when Pakistani troops targeted the Army patrol at Brat Galla in Keri sector at around 12:15pm in which the three soldiers were injured fatally," he 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.

Sepoy Pargat Singh, 30, belonged to Karnal district in Haryana and is survived by wife Ramanpreet Kaur and a son, the Army has informed.

"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," an Army statement said.

In the last six months, the Indian forces have been given instructions to avoid falling prey to ambushes from Pakistani forces or the Border Attack Team (BAT) of Pakistan.

The Indian forces have been giving a fierce response to Pakistani manoeuvres to violate cease fire to facilitation infiltration across the LoC.

(With inputs from Manjeet Singh Negi) ALSO WATCH | Indian Army avenges the killing of its soldiers by Pakistan

ALSO | Watch: Blow-by-blow account of how the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes in PoK

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Shocking details came to light as MEA revealed what happened during the meet. The family wasn't allowed to speak in their mother-tongue, Marathi. The meet took place under intimidating circumstances.

India has reacted sharply to Pakistan's conduct during the meet between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family

By India Today Web Desk: India reacted strongly to the way Pakistan government conducted the meeting between jailed Indian Kulbhushan Jadhav and his wife and mother.

"We note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings," a Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson said. According to the MEA spokesperson there were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments.

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The two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels as to how the meeting would be conducted. India charged Pakistan with disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of the family members.

The family members were asked to remove mangalsutra, bangles, bindi and shoes; they were also asked to change their clothes.

All this was done under the pretext of security. In fact Jadhav's wife's shoes were not returned.

India's foreign ministry has alleged that Jadhav's mother was not allowed to communicate in Marathi, her mother tongue Moreover she was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and eventually prevented from proceeding further in this regard.

The meeting between Jadhav and his relatives was conducted without the presence of JP Singh, India's Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan.

He could only join the meeting after haranguing Pakistani officials. Worse Singh was kept behind an additional partition which prevented him from accessing the meeting as was agreed upon.

India's foreign ministry has also charged Pakistan with allowing the local press to approach the family members and harass them. This went against the agreement that media would not be allowed close access.

Kulbhushan Jadhav is in Pakistani custody and is a death-row prisoner under spying charges. Pakistan maintains that Jadhav is an Indian spy, a charge which has been denied by India. India has even approached International Court of Justice (ICJ) to secure his release.

Jadhav's mother and wife were granted permission to meet him in Pakistan by Pakistan authorities. But they could interact with him only through a glass panel which separated them from Jadhav. The family was not allowed to talk with him privately. It is for this reason that the meet is being panned as a 'PR exercise' from Pakistan. During the meet, Indian deputy high commissioner was also present with the family but he did not interact with Kulbhushan.

Pakistan claimed that they have 'honoured the commitment' given by them. But at the same time, Pakistan has refused to give consular access to Kulbhushan in spite of dozens of requests from India.

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After Jadhav's meet with his family, Pakistan said that the issue of granting consular access to Jadhav will be decided 'at appropriate time'. Pakistan also claimed that Jadhav's meet with his family 'was not a last one'.

Watch: Jadhav family made to change clothes, remove mangal sutra, bangles, bindi before meeting

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Jan. 31, 1935 - Aug. 8, 2017

Francis Calvin Odom, Jr., 82, of College Station, Texas, passed away on August 8, 2017. A graveside service is set for 9 a.m. Thursday, December 28, at Forest Park Cemetery of Houston.

He was born in Houston, Texas on January 31, 1935. He attended high school in Houston and then was accepted into the Corps at Texas A&M University and graduated from there. On February 7, 1958, he was inducted into the Armed Forces of the United States where he served as a Military Intelligence Specialist.

Calvin continued his service in the U.S. Army Reserve until January 31, 1960 when he was honorably discharged. He worked at Texas A&M University until he received his Master's Degree and was then appointed Purchasing Agent where he continued to work until his retirement.

He is preceded in death by his mother and father, Nellie Elizabeth and Francis Calvin Odom.
Franklin County leaders recently voted to approve a state legislative agenda that focuses on priorities in economic development and education.

Drafted by the Virginia Association of Counties, the agenda has since been drafted and approved.

The publication is typically released in November after VACo members adopt the program at the annual conference. It helps guide advocacy staff during the General Assembly session.

VACo supports county officials and represent, promote and protect the interests of counties, according to Joe Lerch, director of local government policy.

This is what we use when we go to the legislature and effectively lobby on budgets, Lerch said. We use this to communicate to the legislature and governor, here are our priorities.

The program outlines different aspects including transportation, finance, health and human services, education, economic development, planning and more.

We want to be a part of a lot of these things as they move forward, Franklin County Board of Supervisors Chairman Cline Brubaker said. We want to do everything that we can for economic development and educations career and technical development.

VACo has seven committees that each focus on an area of the program. The completed program is later voted on by all members in November.

Lerch said VACos biggest issue is seeing an increase in education, saying that area has been underfunded for the last few years.

VACo is urging the General Assembly to provide full state funding for public schools, without reducing other areas of public education budgets.

According to the document, the state recognized that local school divisions spent about $3.9 billion more than the required local effort for the 2016 financial period.

In addition, the group says the state should also meet obligations to fund the support side of K-12 education.

Since 2009, there have been sizable structural budget cuts to K-12, especially in areas of support, the document said.

VACo supports the restoration of those cuts and funding to improve school security.

Improving career and technical education at the high school and the business park go hand-in-hand, Brubaker said. We need to make sure that we give these young people an opportunity to start somewhere.

Economic development and planning is another area of focus within the program.

Franklin County appears to be faring well, especially with the formation of its new business park, Summit View, he said.

The goal is to have high quality and high-paying jobs in the business park, he said. We want to create a good image. We do have a number of prospects  but we do not have a contract signed yet. Were trying to find people and businesses that can help Franklin County.

The business park has attracted a few prospects that did not work out in the end, but in time it will hold about 2,200 jobs when its full, he said. These jobs will bring people into the county, and Brubakers hope is that those people will live here as well.

Once aspect of economic development VACo points out is its support for broadband. It urges the state and federal government to help communities, especially in rural areas, in efforts to provide residents with universal and affordable broadband access.

Franklin County has already made steps toward giving more people access to internet services with the county supervisors approval of a broadband authority.

The concerns of the people are my concerns, and there are a lot of things that we are trying to do, Brubaker said. I hope that our taxpayers are willing to invest in our young people. We lose too many of our young because they can go to other areas. They are our future and in order to move forward we have to invest in them.
General registration for spring semester classes at Central Community College is set for Wednesday, Jan. 3.

Advisers will be available to assist students with class selection, scheduling, housing, financial aid and other concerns.

Before they can register, however, prospective students are required by the college to take a pre-enrollment assessment test. This must be done in advance and can be arranged by contacting the assessment office at the campus which they plan to attend.

Registration may be completed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Administration Center at the Columbus Campus, the main building at the Grand Island Campus and the Adams Building at the Hastings Campus. The student accounts and registration offices at all three campuses also will be open extended hours, until 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 8.

For more information, contact:

-- Columbus Campus at (402) 564-7132 or rryan@cccneb.edu.

-- Grand Island Campus at (308) 398-7414 or lluna@cccneb.edu.

-- Hastings Campus at (402)

Individuals living in Nebraska may call the colleges registration offices toll-free at (877) 222-0780.

Students may also register by phone or on the Web. Phone registration may be completed between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays by calling (308) 398-7412. Web registration may be completed through WebCentral at www.cccneb.edu.

Classes begin Jan. 8; However, the colleges open enrollment system allows students to begin individualized classes after the start of the session. Late registration can be completed at the campus registration offices.
Global economic growth in 2018 looks likely to rise to 3.6 per cent from 3.5 per cent in 2017.

By Reuters: India looks set to leapfrog Britain and France next year to become the world's fifth-largest economy in dollar terms, a report showed on Tuesday.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) consultancy's 2018 World Economic League Table painted an upbeat view of the global economy, boosted by cheap energy and technology prices.

India's ascent is part of a trend that will see Asian economies increasingly dominate the top 10 largest economies over the next 15 years.

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"Despite temporary setbacks, India's economy has still caught up with that of France and the UK and in 2018 will have overtaken them both to become the world's fifth largest economy in dollar terms," said Douglas McWilliams, Cebr deputy chairman.

McWilliams said India's growth had been slowed by restrictions on high-value banknotes and a new sales tax, a view shared by economists polled by Reuters.

China is likely to overtake the United States as the world's number one economy in 2032, Cebr said.

"Because the impact of President Trump on trade has been less severe than expected, the USA will retain its global crown a year longer than we anticipated in the last report," the report said.

While Britain looks set to lag behind France over the next couple of years, Cebr predicted that Brexit's effects on Britain's economy will be less than feared, allowing it to overtake France again in 2020.

Russia was vulnerable to low oil prices and too reliant on the energy sector, and looked likely to fall to 17th place among the world's largest economies by 2032, from 11th now.

A Reuters poll of economists in late October suggested global economic growth in 2018 looks likely to quicken slightly to 3.6 per cent from 3.5 per cent this year - with risks to that forecast lying on the upside.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, December 26, 2017 08:05 1788 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2efc75e 1 Lifestyle eating,food,#food,health,#health Free

Indonesia was ranked 14th out of 15 Asia-Pacific markets in the 2016 Health Living Index, a survey conducted by insurance company AIA, categorizing the country as being in poor health.

Tempo.co reported that the survey also revealed the poor eating habits of Indonesians.

Check out the list below to learn more about some of the eating habits affecting Indonesians' health.

Eating while doing other activities

Indonesians, apparently, are guilty of eating while doing activities. The survey discovered that 86 percent of Indonesian respondents engaged in such behavior.

Eating while doing other things is not advisable as it can increase gastric acid, resulting in stomach problems. Furthermore, it is also said to increase bladder movement, as well as produce stomach gas and nausea, leading to bloating.

Eating while walking

Seventy percent of Indonesian respondents said they also liked to eat while walking.

People are doing a number of other things while walking, such as watching their steps to avoid tripping. These activities are said to distract people from their food, which slows down the brain's processing of hunger signals.

Read also: Why eating while on the move is a bad idea

Late-night eating

Sixty-seven percent of Indonesian respondents admitted that they frequently ate at midnight.

Late-night eating is considered unhealthy as it contributes to weight gain. Furthermore, eating a large meal at midnight can disrupt sleep, causing light headaches during the day and acid reflux.

Skipping breakfast

Sixty-three percent of Indonesian respondents said they frequently skipped breakfast.

Clinical psychologist Lucy Jo Palladino said in her book, Find Your Focus Zone: An Effective New Plan to Defeat Distraction and Overload, that skipping breakfast may make it difficult for people to concentrate, as the brain needs sufficient energy to function properly. (jes/kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Beijing  Tue, December 26, 2017 15:05 1787 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f05f9a 2 Art & Culture archeology,#archaeology,Terracotta-Warriors,China,#China,Chinese-emperor Free

New archeological research has shed fresh light on China's first emperor -- creator of the world-famous terracotta army -- and his quest for eternal life, state media reported.

A set of wooden slips found in the central province of Hunan contain an executive order from emperor Qin Shihuang for a nationwide search for the elixir of life, along with replies from local governments, according to Xinhua news agency on Sunday.

It cited Zhang Chunlong, a researcher at the provincial institute of archaeology, as saying the emperor's decree reached even frontier regions and remote villages.

Qin Shihuang's obsession with eternal life was well-known: he was responsible for the massive underground mausoleum in the northern province of Shaanxi filled with nearly 8,000 terracotta soldiers built to protect him in the afterlife.

By studying the 36,000 wooden slips -- found in 2002 at the bottom of a well in Hunan -- archaeologists have uncovered not only the imperial order to find an "elixir of life", but also the often embarrassed responses from local authorities who struggled to meet his demands.

Read also: Archaeologist denies BBC report on Terracotta Army

According to Xinhua, a village called "Duxiang" reported to the emperor that it had failed to discover a miraculous potion, but that the search was continuing.

Another place, "Langya," suggested that "an herb collected from an auspicious local mountain" might do the job.

The texts were written on a series of wooden slats originally connected to each other by strings. This technique was the most common medium of writing in China before the appearance of paper at the beginning of the first millennium A.D.

Qin Shihuang's sereach for immortality was doomed to failure: he died in 210 BC after reigning for 11 years.

The Qin dynasty -- notorious for its book burnings and executions of literati -- laid the foundation for China as a unified nation that has persisted for two millennia.
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Linkedin Ng Huiwen (The Straits Times/Asia News Network)  Tue, December 26, 2017 16:09 1787 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f087ab 2 Food Anthony-Bourdain,chef,#chef,hawker,new-york,#NewYork Free

Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain's ambitious project of opening a Singapore-style hawker food hall on the far west of Manhattan has been canned.

Some two years after he announced that the Bourdain Market would open on New York's Pier 57, Bourdain revealed on Dec 22 that he has yet to sign an official lease with the developers.

"Launching what is admittedly a very ambitious venture has proven to be challenging at every turn," he said in a statement to food website Eater New York.

"It seems increasingly clear that in spite of my best efforts, the stars may not align at Pier 57 which is an especially complicated site for which we still do not have a lease."

Bourdain first talked about his dreams of opening the international food market about five years ago and has been looking for sites since then.

The 155,000 sq ft market was touted as one of most highly anticipated openings of the next decade.

Bourdain had previously posted sneaks of his menu wishlist online, and some dishes included Hainanese chicken rice from Singapore, spicy noodle soup from Malaysia and roast goose from Hong Kong, reported The Daily Meal website.

The market was originally scheduled to open in 2017, but the date was pushed back last year to 2019.

Read also: Anthony Bourdain hopes new New York hawker center will draw Asians

However, it ran into multiple delays and there were difficulties in obtaining visas for the market's employees and vendors.

Earlier this year,the market also lost its chief executive officer Stephen Werther.

Hudson River Park Trust, which managers the pier, declined to comment in the Eater report.

Developer RXR Realty said in the report that the pier remains on track to open and it is "in advanced discussions with a number of exciting retail and dining partners".

The pier's other developer YoungWoo and Associates did not immediately respond to Eater's request for comment.

Not all is doom and gloom, however, as Bourdain said that he still hopes to pursue the project at a different location in New York City.

"I promised a certain kind of market to New Yorkers and to potential vendors, and if that vision becomes clouded, diluted or compromised, it is no longer something that our city needs," he said.

"I remain hopeful that New York will someday have such a market - still passionately wish to create this resource that New Yorkers deserve."

Topics :

This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin News Desk (The Japan News/Asia News Network)  Tue, December 26, 2017 18:11 1787 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f0adcd 2 Food Japan,#Japan,fugu-fish,food,#food,Japanese-cuisine Free

The government plans to promote exports of fugu, a traditional luxury food item in Japan, targeting wealthy people in China and other Asian nations, according to sources.

Fugu, or puffer fish, are rarely seen in overseas marketplaces because of the poison they contain, but the government is aiming to make the product a big seller among the countrys agricultural and marine exports.

The government has set a goal to raise the value of agricultural, forestry and fishery products exported overseas to 1 trillion (US$ 8.8 billion) by the end of 2019. It hopes to attain the goal by promoting fugu as a new Japanese brand foodstuff.

Fugu has poison in various parts of the body, such as its skin and testis, depending on the species.

In Japan, a licensing system for cooking fugu has been established. But there are said to be few countries in the world that customarily eat fugu, due to their insufficient knowledge of how to remove the poison.

According to the Fisheries Agency, many countries prohibit imports and domestic sales of fugu. Currently, the United States, Russia, Malaysia and Singapore import fugu from Japan.

Read also: Global demand for seafood tests Indonesia's sovereignty

Some countries limit the kind of fugu species that are eligible for import to torafugu tiger puffer. Others have regulations allowing imports of fugu meat only after the skin, internal organs and other poisonous parts have been removed.

Annual combined domestic production of natural and artificial fugu was 8,470 tons in 2016, but within that figure, exports were very small, according to a senior official of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry.

A government source said that tasty Japanese food is very popular among wealthy people in foreign countries and great demand for fugu is expected. Based on this judgment, the government is considering promoting sales of fugu as a foodstuff along with cooking methods for the fish, such as removing the poison.

With Japanese food becoming popular recently in China, local Japanese restaurants have started serving fugu dishes.

China officially approved the domestic distribution of fugu last year, but has yet to approve imports of the fish.

To export fugu to China from Japan, the government needs to negotiate with Chinas food sanitation authorities to have them recognize the safety of the fish and other elements.

The government plans to accelerate efforts to negotiate with China for that purpose.

Topics :

This article appeared on The Japan News newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar, Bali  Tue, December 26, 2017 18:04 1787 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f0ad6b 1 National Bali-Nine,Australian,Australian-citizen,Bangli-prison,bali,drug-network,remission,Christmas Free

After spending years behind bars, Renae Lawrence, an Australian woman and member of the Bali Nine drug trafficking syndicate, could be free soon, a Bangli prison official said.

She [Lawrence] could be free by May next year, Bangli prison warden Diding Alpian confirmed on Monday.

The drug convict received a two-month Christmas remission.

For her crime, the court not only imposed Lawrence with a prison sentence but also ordered her to pay Rp 1 billion (US$73,000) in fines. If she cannot pay the fine, she must serve an additional six months in prison; so, she may be freed in November next year, said Diding.

Lawrence was among four prisoners at Bangli prison granted Christmas remission this year. We gave remission to prisoners who have been well behaved, said Diding.

Lawrence was among nine Australians arrested for attempting to smuggle 8.3 kilograms of heroin out of Indonesia in April 2005.

She was the only woman in the group and received the lightest sentence.

Two syndicate members, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, were sentenced to death and executed on Nusakambangan prison island.

Meanwhile, other members are serving life sentences in separate prisons in Bali and East Java. (ebf)

A joyful day: Bangli prison warden Diding Alpian (center) takes a picture with prison officials and several inmates, including Australian citizen Renae Lawrence, a Bali Nine drug syndicate member, after he handed over Christmas remissions in an event on Dec.25. (Courtesy of the Bangli prison/File)
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Dhaka, Bangladesh  Tue, December 26, 2017 16:00 1787 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f082cb 2 World Bangladesh,blasphemy,social-media,arrest Free

Bangladesh police arrested a 25-year-old social media activist as he tried to leave the country on charges that he defamed Islam and the Prophet Mohammad, authorities said Tuesday.

Immigration police detained Asaduzzaman Noor, known as Asad Noor on his Youtube channel, at Dhaka airport on Monday evening, inspector Mohammad Shahidullah told AFP.

"The charge against him is that he hurt religious feeling by mocking Prophet Mohammad and made bad comments against Islam, the prophet and the Koran on Facebook and Youtube," he said.

Shahidullah said hundreds of Muslims staged demonstrations against Noor this year in the southern coastal town of Amtali after the head of an Islamic seminary filed a case against him.

Noor was charged under Bangladesh's strict internet laws and could face up to 14 years in jail if found guilty.

Rights groups have accused the Bangladesh government of muzzling dissent and targeting atheist bloggers who have used social media to criticize religion.

In 2013, four Bangladeshi bloggers were arrested after nationwide protests in which Islamic groups demanded the execution of atheist commentators. They were later freed.

In recent years, atheist and secular voices have been targeted by Islamist extremist groups, who have hacked to death a dozen bloggers, publishers and activists, and forced others to flee overseas.

Following the attacks, the government launched a crackdown on extremist groups.

In July last year however militants stormed a Dhaka cafe and massacred 22 hostages, including 18 foreigners, in an assault claimed by the Islamic State group. Security forces have since killed more than 70 alleged militants.
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Linkedin Keith Zai (Bloomberg) Singapore  Tue, December 26, 2017 15:43 1787 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f07d19 2 World diplomacy,China,conflict,Pakistan Free

China hosted top diplomats from Afghanistan and Pakistan on Tuesday in a bit to mediate a long-simmering conflict between the neighboring countries.

Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif joined their Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Tuesday to discuss possible economic and security cooperation. The first trilateral minister-level dialogue in Beijing comes as China expands its economic interests in Pakistan.

China, Afghanistan and Pakistan, as three neighbors, will naturally try to strengthen cooperation amongst each other, Wang was quoted as saying by state broadcaster CCTV. This is fully in accordance with our common interests, and is a good thing for us.

The meeting highlighted Chinas growing role in global hotspots as US President Donald Trumps administration embraces a more inward-looking foreign policy. President Xi Jinping has sought to present China as a responsible alternative to the US, shifting from a longstanding policy of keeping a low profile in international affairs.

Economic Corridor

China hoped the meeting could set up a communication platform for Afghanistan and Pakistan that would allow the two countries to build trust, enhance understanding and improve ties, Wang said, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

The three countries agreed to establish the mechanism during Wangs visits to Kabul and Islamabad in June.

China is investing more than $50 billion in Pakistan to create an economic corridor that would link its remote western region to the Arabian sea. Beijings leaders have also boosted economic and trade ties with Afghanistan.

Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of providing a safe haven for Taliban militants looking to overthrow the US-backed government in Kabul. Several rounds of meetings in the past few years between the U.S., China, Pakistan and Afghanistan failed to facilitate meaningful peace talks.

Topics : diplomacy China conflict Pakistan
Army soldiers planted IEDs and targeted Pakistani personnel with machine gun and assault rifle fire in a cross-LoC operation meant to avenge the deadly attack on Indian troops earlier this week.

By India Today Web Desk: Indian Army soldiers crossed the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Rawalakot sector to kill at least four Pakistani personnel on Monday, government sources confirmed.

The cross-LoC raid, for which government sources aren't yet using the term 'surgical strikes', was meant to avenge the death of four Indian soldiers in cross-border firing by Pakistani troops earlier this week.

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The sources said that at least four Pakistani soldiers died in in Monday's cross-LoC operation, the number is likely to be higher.

Indian troops penetrated 500 meters across the Line of Control and the modus operandi used was an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) ambush followed by gunfire.

Indian soldiers first laid an ambush trap by setting up IEDs across the LoC. Then, the Pakistani unit was hit with light machine gun and assault rifle fire, resulting in at least four fatalities. The entire operation took around 45 minutes, the sources said.

The decision to launch the cross-LoC raid, reminiscent of last year's post-Uri attack 'surgical strikes', was taken at the "tactical level" by the local commander, sources said.

This was not a one-off action, the sources added, warning that similar operations could be carried out if Pakistan, once again, carries out similar attacks on Indian troops.

Monday's strikes were launched in response to four Indian soldiers, including an Army major, dying in unprovoked Pakistani firing along the LoC in the Keri sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

The strikes also came on the same day when Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer languishing on death row in Pakistan, met his wife and mother at the Foreign Office in Islamabad. The meeting was arranged by Pakistan as a "humanitarian gesture".

Jadhav is accused in Pakistan of being an Indian spy and of fomenting terrorism in the restive Balochistan region. India has strongly refuted the Pakistani allegations and the International Court of Justice has stayed his execution.

WATCH | Blow-by-blow account Indian Army's September 2016 surgical strikes in PoK

--- ENDS ---
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Cairo, Egypt  Tue, December 26, 2017 20:50 1787 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f0f0aa 2 World Egypt,terror-attack,execution Free

Egyptian authorities on Tuesday executed 15 prisoners convicted of attacks on security forces in the restive Sinai Peninsula, police officials said.

The men were hanged in two jails where they had been held since military courts sentenced them for the attacks in the Sinai, where jihadists are waging an insurgency, the officials said.

It was the largest mass execution carried out in the North African country since six convicted jihadists were hanged in 2015.

The hangings come a week after the Islamic State group attacked a helicopter with an anti-tank missile at a North Sinai airport as the country's defence and interior ministers were visiting.

The ministers were unhurt in the attack but an aide to the defence minister was killed along with a pilot.

IS's Egypt affiliate has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers in attacks in the Sinai and also targeted civilians in the mainland.

Egyptian courts have sentenced hundreds to death over unrest since the military ousted divisive Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

But most defendants have appealed and won retrials.

Egypt has struggled to defeat the jihadists in Sinai.

While their attacks have become less frequent,

But they have increasingly targeted civilians over the past year.

In November, suspected IS gunmen massacred more than 300 Muslim worshippers at a mosque in Sinai associated with Sufi Muslims IS views as heretical.

The jihadists have killed more than 100 Christians in church bombings and shootings since December last year.

After the mosque massacre, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi instructed his military chief of staff to quell the attacks in three months using "brutal force".
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Linkedin Edgar Calderon (AFP) Guatemala City, Guatemala  Tue, December 26, 2017 06:54 1788 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2efae36 2 World DonaldTrump,Donald-Trump,Jerusalem,Tel-Aviv,Palestine,Palestinians,UN,United-Nations Free

Guatemala said Monday it is starting the process of moving its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, after President Jimmy Morales announced he would follow US President Donald Trump's controversial lead on the holy city.

Morales wrote a message to Guatemalans on his Facebook page Sunday, saying he had spoken with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that "one of the most important topics was the return of Guatemala's embassy to Jerusalem," from Tel Aviv where it is currently located.

"For this reason I am informing you that I have given instructions to the foreign ministry... to make this happen," Morales wrote.

On Monday, the foreign ministry said it was implementing the order.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs received the presidential order and is starting the process of implementing this foreign policy decision," it said in a statement.

Guatemala's leader made the embassy announcement on Christmas Eve, three days after two-thirds of UN member states rejected Trump's decision to have the United States recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Netanyahu on Monday hailed the decision, saying Guatemala would not be the only nation to follow Washington's lead.

"Other countries will recognize Jerusalem and announce the relocation of their embassies. A second country did it and I repeat it: there will be others, it's just the start and it's important," Netanyahu said in a statement.

Israel's deputy foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely told public radio that "we are in contact with at least ten countries, some of them in Europe" over the possible transfer of their embassies to Jerusalem.

- 'Shameful and illegal' -

"So far we have only seen the beginning," she said.

But the Palestinian foreign ministry slammed Guatemala.

"It's a shameful and illegal act that goes totally against the wishes of church leaders in Jerusalem" and of a non-binding UN General Assembly resolution condemning the US recognition, the ministry said in a statement.

In all, 128 nations voted to maintain the international consensus that Jerusalem's status can only be decided through peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Only eight countries stood with the United States in voting no to the resolution held in the UN General Assembly, among them Guatemala and fellow Central American country Honduras.

Guatemala and Honduras are both reliant on US funding to improve security in their gang-ridden territories.

Violence, corruption and poverty have made the two countries, along with El Salvaador, the main source of illegal migration to the United States, which is giving them $750 million to provide better conditions at home.

Morales, like Trump, was a television entertainer with no real political experience before becoming president of Guatemala in 2016.

On Friday, Morales foreshadowed the decision he was to make regarding Jerusalem, as he defended his government's vote at the UN backing the United States.

- Guatemala 'pro-Israeli' -

"Guatemala is historically pro-Israeli," he told a news conference in Guatemala City.

"In 70 years of relations, Israel has been our ally," he said.

"We have a Christian way of thinking that, as well as the politics of it, has us believing that Israel is our ally and we must support it."

Morales's position has become fragile in recent months because of allegations of corruption against him being investigated by a special UN-backed body working with Guatemalan prosecutors.

The United States ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, had said her country would "take names" of the states opposing its position, and Trump threatened to cut funding to countries "that take our money and then vote against us."

Several significant US allies abstained from the UN vote, among them Australia, Canada, Mexico and Poland.

Others, such as Britain, France, Germany and South Korea were among the nations denouncing any unilateral decision to view Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Along with Guatemala and Honduras, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo were on the US side of the vote.

Following the US decision on Jerusalem, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said he would "no longer accept" any peace plan proposed by the US, dealing a pre-emptive blow to an initiative expected by Washington next year. (**)
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Linkedin News Desk (AFP) Kano, Nigeria  Tue, December 26, 2017 08:00 1788 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2efbc1f 2 World Nigeria,Christmas,boko-haram,jihadist,jihadists,Islamists,Maiduguri Free

Boko Haram jihadists made a failed Christmas Day attempt to attack Nigeria's major northeast city of Maiduguri as they were pushed out by Nigerian soldiers after a prolonged gun battle, military and militia sources told AFP.

The jihadists in "several" pickup trucks opened fire on a military checkpoint on the Molai outskirts of the city at around 5:30 pm (1630 GMT) on Monday, triggering a gun fight that lasted for more than an hour.

"The terrorists came in several pickups and engaged troops at Molai who fought and repelled the attack with aerial support," said a senior military officer in Maiduguri.

"It was clear they wanted to overrun the checkpoint and enter the city to cause mayhem," said the military officer who requested anonymity.

The gunmen used the cover of a convoy of civilian vehicles under military escort returning from the town of Damboa, 90 kilometers away, to launch the attack, said Ibrahim Liman, a militia leader assisting the Nigerian army in fighting the Islamists.

"One of the Boko Haram vehicles infiltrated the middle section of a civilian convoy...and engaged soldiers," Liman said.

Boko Haram reinforcements lurking in the nearby Cashew Plantation and Jiddari Polo areas joined in the battle, Liman added.

The fighting prompted Molai residents to flee into Maiduguri and the influx caused panic among residents.

Troop reinforcements from the city were deployed to Molar and helped in repelling the attack, the military source said.

It was not possible to immediately establish the number of casualties as the scene of the fighting was cordoned off by troops after the gunmen were pushed out at 7:20 pm (1820 GMT), Liman said.

Security had been tightened in Maiduguri for the Christmas weekend in anticipation of possible Boko Haram attacks. Police issued a statement asking residents to be vigilant and report suspicious persons and abandoned objects to security personnel.

Earlier Monday, troops in nearby Yobe state gunned down 10 jihadists who tried to attack a military post on a highway linking the two states, according to militia leader Mustapha Karimbe.

"Soldiers killed 10 of the terrorists and recovered four pickups while the rest fled," Karimbe said.

Boko Haram's eight-year insurgency has killed 20,000 people and displaced 2.6 million more in Nigeria. In recent months attacks on military and civilian targets as well as raids on remote villages in the northeast have increased.

The surge in attacks has been attributed to Boko Haram's desperate search for much-needed weapons and food supplies following military offensives which cut off the militants' supply routes. (**)
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Linkedin Luis Jaime Cisneros (AFP) Lima, Peru  Tue, December 26, 2017 09:00 1788 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2efd551 2 World Peru,Alberto-Fujimori,Lima,crimes-against-humanity,Fujimori Free

Peru's former president Alberto Fujimori remained in intensive care in a Lima hospital on Monday, a day after he was granted a pardon for his 25-year sentence for crimes against humanity.

Current President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski ordered the pardon on Sunday on humanitarian grounds for Fujimori and seven other prisoners.

He said the decision relied on a medical evaluation that Fujimori suffered a progressive and incurable illness and that conditions in prison "represent a grave risk to his life."

But the move came after Fujimori's son Kenji drained votes away from a parliamentary bid Thursday to impeach Kuczynski on suspicion of corruption, sparking speculation the pardon was political payback.

The pardon generated protests, more of which were expected on Monday.

The condition of Alberto Fujimori, 79, was "delicate" and "a decision will be made" based on how he responds to treatment at the Centenario Clinic, a doctor at the facility, Alejandro Aguinaga, told reporters.

He said there was no prospect of Fujimori leaving soon.

Fujimori was transferred from his cell to a clinic Saturday suffering from low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat.

"He remains in intensive care. His condition is favorable but other tests are necessary," Aguinaga said.

He said the ex-president had already undergone scans of his brain and heart, and stated that the cardiac problem was accentuating "various degenerative pathologies."

- A brutal reign -

Kenji Fujimori, who is a lawmaker, posted an online video of his father in intensive care.

Alberto Fujimori has been hospitalized on several previous occasions, the last time in September, and has had heart, back and stomach trouble as well as several operations to remove cancerous growths from his tongue.

The former leader has spent more than a decade imprisoned for ruthlessly cracking down on political rivals and for ordering dozens of murders and overseeing other brutal tactics.

Despite his conviction for human rights abuses, however, Fujimori retains a level of popularity in Peru for having defeated leftwing guerillas and for stabilizing the economy after a period of crisis.

Those dueling feelings for the former president have come to the fore with the pardon.

Dozens of supporters gathered in front of the hospital looking after him, while later Monday groups of opponents were to hold demonstrations against him.

Fujimori, of Japanese descent, ruled Peru between 1990 and 2000. His reign quickly became autocratic after a 1992 internal coup in which he dissolved the legislature.

The pardon was Kuczynski's first major act after surviving the impeachment bid that was spearheaded by Kenji Fujimori's sister, Keiko, who is also a legislator and who narrowly lost the last presidential election.

Kuczynski, a former Wall Street Banker, was accused of lying to cover up $5 million in payments received from disgraced Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht.

He faces a struggle to influence Peru's opposition-dominated Congress, where his party has just 18 seats. (**)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, December 26, 2017 17:24 1787 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f09c4c 1 Politics PAN,Gerindra-Party,2019-elections,2019-legislative-election,2019-presidential-election,PKS,Sohibul-Iman Free

The collaboration between the Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and two other opposition parties -- the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Gerindra Party  for next years regional elections is likely to continue until the 2019 presidential and legislative elections, the formers president, Sohibul Iman, said.

It is probable the partnership will continue until 2019. It depends on the political constellation, he said as quoted by Antara in Jakarta on Monday.

Sohibul said the three parties had agreed to build a coalition in next years gubernatorial elections in five provinces, namely Central Java, East Kalimantan, North Maluku, North Sumatra and West Java.

He asserted the 2018 regional elections were a stepping stone toward the 2019 elections. We hope it [the coalition between the three parties] can be maintained until 2019.

The coalition reportedly will soon announce the names of their gubernatorial candidates in the five provinces after each party makes a decision on its gubernatorial candidacy in its internal deliberations.

Sohibul said it was understood that the three political parties would not be able to cooperate in all elections, at provincial, regency or municipal levels, in 2018.

As reported earlier, the Democratic Partys West Java central executive board was optimistic that the PKS and PAN would nominate Deddy Mizwar and Ahmad Syaikhu as governor and deputy governor candidates for the 2018 West Java gubernatorial election.

The PKS West Java central executive board chairman, Irfan Suryanagara, said on Monday that his side would uphold a decision made by the Dems, PKS and PAN branches to nominate Deddy-Ahmad for the 2018 West Java election. (afr/ebf)
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Linkedin Catherine Marciano (AFP) Vatican City, Holy See  Tue, December 26, 2017 06:42 1788 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2efa296 2 World Pope,PopeFrancis,Pope-Francis,Vatican,Vatican-City,Jerusalem,Christmas,Israel,Palestine,Palestinians,CatholicChurch Free

Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas address on Monday called for peace in Jerusalem and highlighted the plight of children scarred by conflict, having earlier urged the world's Catholics not to ignore the conditions migrants face.

Tens of thousands of worshippers gathered at the Vatican to hear the pontiff's fifth "Urbi et Orbi" (To the City and The World) message. It was delivered hours after a Christmas Eve mass where he spoke on how migrants had been "driven from their land" because of leaders willing to shed "innocent blood".

On Monday, Francis's message sought "peace for Jerusalem and for all the Holy Land.

"We see Jesus in the children of the Middle East who continue to suffer because of growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians," he said.

"Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two states within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders."

The pontiff's plea came as fresh tensions simmered in the Israeli-occupied West Bank after US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Following Trump's declaration, Guatemala's President Jimmy Morales said Sunday his country would move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Trump's announcement on December 6 triggered demonstrations and clashes, including in Bethlehem in the West Bank where Christians marked the birth of Jesus at a midnight mass.

"May the Lord also sustain the efforts of all those in the international community inspired by good will to help that afflicted land to find, despite grave obstacles the harmony, justice and security that it has long awaited," the pope said.

The pontiff also mentioned other global flashpoints such as Syria, Iraq, Yemen, South Sudan and Venezuela, after stressing that the "winds of war are blowing in our world".

"Let us pray that confrontation may be overcome on the Korean peninsula and that mutual trust may increase in the interest of the world as a whole," the 81-year-old said.

- Fewer tourists in Bethlehem -

Earlier, celebrating midnight mass in the ancient town, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, apostolic administrator of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, used his homily to lambast the wars that "the Herods of today fight every day to become greater, to occupy more space".

Criticizing Trump's announcement, Pizzaballa insisted "Jerusalem is a city of peace, there is not peace if someone is excluded. Jerusalem should include, not exclude," stressing the principle that the city is for both peoples and the three Abrahamic faiths.

Hundreds had gathered in the cold on Bethlehem's Manger Square to watch the annual scout parade towards the Church of the Nativity, built over the spot where tradition says Mary gave birth to Jesus.

But the square was noticeably quieter following recent violence between Palestinian protesters and the Israeli army.

Twelve Palestinians have been killed since Trump's declaration, including a 19-year-old who died of his wounds on Sunday nine days after he was shot during a Gaza protest.

Israel seized east Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it, in moves never recognised by the international community.

Palestinians view east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, and interpreted Trump's statement as rejecting their right to a capital in east Jerusalem, although the Americans deny this.

- First Xmas in Homs in years -

Christmas decorations have meanwhile become more visible in Christian areas of Syria's capital Damascus this year.

In the central Syrian city of Homs, Christians will celebrate Christmas with great fanfare for the first time in years after the end of battles between regime and rebel forces -- with processions, shows for children and even decorations among the ruins.

In Iraq too, this year marks a positive turning point for the Christian community in the northern city of Mosul.

In Europe, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II paid tribute to the cities of London and Manchester which this year suffered what she called "appalling" terror attacks.

"This Christmas, I think of London and Manchester, whose powerful identities shone through over the past 12 months," the 91-year-old monarch said in the pre-recorded televised message.

And just two hours before the pope delivered his traditional message Monday, there was a disruption on St Peter's Square as a bare-breasted woman shouting "God is a woman" stormed the Christmas Nativity display and seized the baby Jesus statue.

Police said a 25-year-old Ukrainian woman, reportedly a member of the feminist movement Femen, was arrested. Femen, founded in Ukraine, has staged anti-Kremlin protests and now in western Europe has focused on the Catholic Church which it accuses of suppressing women's rights.

Elsewhere, a tragic Christmas weekend in the Philippines was compounded Monday by the deaths of 20 people in a bus collision while travelling to mass. (**)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, December 26, 2017 21:03 1787 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f0fe90 1 Politics PPP,PPPChairman,PPPChairmanRomahurmuziy,PPP-leadership,Supreme-Court,MA Free

The United Development Party (PPP) is hoping to overcome internal friction as the 2019 presidential and legislative elections draw closer.

PPP deputy secretary-general Achmad Baidowi said the partys central executive board, assembled during a national congress in Pondok Gede, East Jakarta, in April 2016 and led by Muhammad Romy Romahurmuziy, wished that the splinter faction led by Djan Faridz would join Romys camp.

Achmad made the statement following the Supreme Courts ruling, which rejected an appeal filed by Djan and his faction secretary, Achmad Dimyati Natakusumah, to settle PPPs executive board dispute.

As the ruling is final and legally binding, we are inviting all PPP cadres to unite before the 2019 elections, said Baidowi, as quoted by Antara on Tuesday.

We welcome our colleagues [from the Djan-led faction] to join us.

Baidowi urged all members to show party loyalty, because the PPP was aiming to stay one of the top three parties in terms of electoral votes.

Baidowi specifically asked Achmad Dimyati to stay in PPP following reports that he had joined the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) to run as a candidate in the 2019 legislative election.

He further said political tensions inside the party had to be stopped, as all legal issues had been resolved. All court rulings have legalized PPPs central executive board resulting from the Pondok Gede congress in 2016, including the Supreme Court rulings No.79/2017 and No.514/2017, he added. (nmn/ebf)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura, Papua  Tue, December 26, 2017 20:44 1787 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f0e660 1 National North-Sumatra,traffic-accident,traffic,North-Sumatra-Police,Christmas Free

The North Sumatra Police have recorded 12 traffic accidents leaving six people dead in areas across the province over the past three days.

Police collected the data during a security operation named Operation Toba Candle (Operasi Lilin Toba) to secure this years Christmas and New Year festivities.

Three travellers were severely injured in incidents in Medan that took place from Saturday to Monday, while 14 others sustained light wounds, North Sumatra Police spokesperson Adj. Sr. Comr. MP Nainggolan told news agency Antara.

On Saturday, police recorded three traffic accidents in the regencies of Toba Samosir and Deliserdang. Two travelers, identified as Tiarma Sihaloho, 47, and Sudiro, 58, were killed in the accident in Deliserdang.

Three traffic accidents occurred in Binjai, Deliserdang and Toba Samosir on Sunday. A university student identified as Bakti Sianipar, 21, died during the accident in Toba Samosir, which took place on the Medan-Tarutung highway in the village of Tambunan Lumban Gaol, Balige district.

The highest number of accidents was recorded on Monday, when three people were killed in six accidents. They are Derima Nofiani Maruwu, Syahnun Wijaya, 14, and Bambang Willer Gultom, 19. Another victim suffered severe injuries, while eight others were lightly wounded. (afr/ebf)
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Linkedin Agus Maryono (The Jakarta Post) Semarang, Central Java  Tue, December 26, 2017 15:14 1787 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f06dfd 1 National Thailand,Semarang,Unwahas,University-of-Wahid-Hasyim,Central-Java Free

Thailand Ambassador to Indonesia Pitchayaphant Charnbumidhol offered a number of academic partnerships to the University of Wahid Hasyim (Unwahas) in Semarang, Central Java, during his visit over the weekend.

The intellectual partnerships he suggested are related to climate change, food safety and public health, among others.

Ambassador Charnbumidhol also conveyed his interests in the concept of Islamic education developed by the university.

He said he was very happy that Thai students pursuing their education at Unwahas felt at home there as they had been warmly accepted and could easily mingle with other students despite their different religious backgrounds.

This needs to continue in the form of a greater partnership, Charnbumidol said as quoted by a statement released by Unwahas on Monday.

Our visit to this campus is part of our interests to increase our partnerships in the field of education. We are offering partnerships to improve the quality of human resources through training and short course programs in Thailand for Unhawas lecturers.

The partnerships comprise training and short course programs provided by the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA). They consist of the Thailand International Post Graduate Program (TIPP), in which several scholarships are provided for Unwahas academic staff members and alumni interested in pursuing their master and doctoral degrees, and the Annual International Training Course (AITC), which is provided by lecturers.

Unwahas lecturers can participate in the AITC by completing a selection process. This program is limited to 700 participants from developing Asian countries. (ebf)

Greater cooperation:Thailand Ambassador to Indonesia Pitchayaphant Charnbumidhol (fourth right) and Wahid Hasyim University (Unwahas) rector Mahmutarom (fourth left) pose with Unwahas lecturers after their meeting in Semarang, Central Java, on Dec.22. (Courtesy of the Wahid Hasyim University (Unwahas)/File)
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Linkedin News Desk (AFP) Caracas, Venezuela  Tue, December 26, 2017 08:30 1788 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2efd3c3 2 World venezuela,political-opponents,Christmas,Nicolas-Maduro,Foro-Penal Free

Venezuela's government on Monday released another eight political opponents from jail, bringing to 44 the number freed since Saturday in a goodwill gesture timed to happen over Christmas.

But they are only a fraction of the number of political prisoners being held, the head of the rights group Foro Penal, Alfredo Romero, told AFP.

"The government is interested in reducing the number of political prisoners to reduce the cost they represent. There are still 227 political prisoners -- the highest number for any Christmas," Romero said.

The Venezuelan regime had promised to release 80 inmates for Christmas. Delcy Rodriguez, head of a Truth Commission investigating protests against President Nicolas Maduro's regime, had called the move a sign of "reconciliation."

Those jailed had been arrested during demonstrations demanding that Maduro step down. Mass street protests began in 2014, when 43 people were killed in clashes, and have continued sporadically ever since with 125 dead earlier this year.

The government rejects the label "political prisoners" for the opposition inmates, preferring to characterize them as common criminals.

Venezuela's opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable coalition welcomed the release of the inmates. But it said on Twitter that "they should never have been deprived of their freedom" as "striving to reconstruct a country ruined by the regime is not a crime."

Among those freed in the first wave was Alfredo Ramos, mayor of the northwestern municipality of Irribarren, who was arrested in late July and handed a 15-month sentence.

The jailed political opponents were among the issues discussed in talks, held in the Dominican Republic, between the government and the opposition.

The dialogue is aimed at trying to find a political solution to the dire crisis engulfing Venezuela, a once-rich oil-producing nation that is now partially in default on its debts, with scarcities of food and medicine.

A third round of talks is due to take place January 11-12. (**)
By PTI: Jammu, Dec 26 (PTI) Airing political views on personal social media accounts could now land Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government employees in trouble.

The J&K government today barred its employees from using their social media accounts for any political activity by amending the conduct rules for them.

The government has added a sub-rule in the Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees Conduct rules which states that no government employee shall engage in any criminal, dishonest, immoral or notoriously disgraceful conduct on social media which may be prejudicial to the government.

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"They shall also not use their personal social media accounts for any political activity or endorse the posts or tweets or blogs of any political figure," the rule states.

The employees shall also not use their accounts in a manner that could reasonably be construed to imply that the government endorses or sanctions their personal activities in any manner whatsoever, it said.

The order said that the employees shall also not post inflammatory, extraneous messages in an online community with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional response. PTI SKL AB ASK ASK

--- ENDS ---
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Linkedin Jerry Adiguna (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, December 27 2017

Peace be upon you is a message that has been around for thousands of years and has always become more relevant at Christmas time.



Regardless of each individuals struggles in life, the Christmas celebration has always provided momentum for finding a new spirit to start over again.



Christmas is an opportunity for many to step back a little, reflect on their lives, look back at the blessings they have received and gain new energy to live for another day.



Christmas is more than just exchanging gifts or listening to the sounds of carols in malls, it also a chance for Christians to take a look at their existence in the world today, their faith in Jesus and how they can contribute to humanity and society in general.





Amid the interreligious tension that has been brewing in 2017 because of political interests, Christmas is a chance for everyone  regardless of their beliefs  to come together in the spirit of maintaining the values of pluralism and diversity, the legacy of our founding fathers that passes from one generation to another.



May this years Christmas give a glimmer of new hope to everyone, like the one we saw in the eyes of inmates who celebrated the holiday season at Kerobokan Prison in Bali. May Christmas bells continue to toll in the hearts of each Indonesian so that they can put their differences aside for the greater good.



Merry Christmas to all of you.

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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Manila, Philippines  Tue, December 26, 2017 17:55 1787 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2f0aa5a 2 SE Asia fire,duterte,shopping-mall,victims Free

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte vowed Tuesday to get to the truth about a blaze in his home city that killed 37 call centre workers.

He said he made the promise during a meeting on Monday night with the families of those killed in a shopping mall fire in the southern city of Davao.

"I assured them... that the truth will -- let the truth come out," Duterte said. "That is what they are asking for. Just the truth of what happened."

The justice and labour departments have ordered separate investigations into Saturday's blaze.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre has said his office would investigate with a view to bringing criminal charges.

A spokesman for Davao City mayor Sara Duterte, the daughter of the president, also quoted her as promising to press charges if warranted by the results of the investigation.

The fire broke out in the four-storey NCCC Mall shortly before it opened to shoppers. But it killed 37 people working in a 24-hour call centre for US-based market research firm SSI on the top floor.

This photo taken on December 23, 2017 shows a firefighter standing in front of a burning shopping mall in Davao City on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. Thirty-seven people were believed killed in a fire that engulfed a shopping mall in the southern Philippine city of Davao, local authorities said on Dec. 24. (Agence France-Presse/Manman Dejeto)

At a Davao hospital Tuesday families of the dead waited in a silence broken only by occasional sobs as government workers tried to identify the charred remains before releasing them to relatives.

Social welfare officers said that so far, five bodies had been turned over.

Rhen Muyco recalled the last words his 25-year-old daughter Renzi Nova spoke to her family as the fire raged Saturday.

"Ma, there is a fire here. If something happens to me, I love you all," she said by mobile phone.

Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello said Tuesday his office was launching an inquiry separate from the justice department's investigation.

"We just want to find out the cause of the fire and if there was compliance with safety and health standards," he told AFP.

The Associated Labor Unions said the high death toll and the extent of the blaze suggested that rules on fire exits, sprinkler systems and other safety measures had not been followed.

Mall administrators have denied that fire exits were inadequate or blocked.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, December 26, 2017 11:08 1788 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2efef06 1 Destinations destination,travel,tourism Free

Looking for inspiration for your next holiday destination? Consider these five spots in the eastern Indonesia, popular among travel bloggers, as compiled by tempo.co.

Banda Neira

A post shared by Marshall Sastra (@marshallsastra) on Nov 18, 2017 at 4:52pm PST

Part of the Banda Islands in Central Maluku regency, Banda Neira served as a nutmeg trade center during the Dutch colonial era. Visitors can expect to see several historic remnants, including Belgica Fortress.

The area itself consists of several islands, such as the islands of Hatta, Nailaka and Rhon, which boast picturesque white-sandy beaches and perfect snorkeling and diving spots.

In addition to water activities, tourists can also marvel at the islands' panoramic beauty from a height of 650 meters by climbing Banda Volcano.

Read also: Banda Islands a hidden treasure in Indonesia

Raja Ampat

A post shared by LAURA BELL  Melb Aus (@lauraalycebell) on Dec 16, 2017 at 11:51pm PST

Situated in West Papua, Raja Ampat is famous for its breathtaking underwater scenery. It has even been dubbed one of the top 10 diving spots in the world.

Home to several islands, hopping between them requires quite expensive sea transportation. Therefore, visitors are advised to travel in groups as sharing the costs of transportation will allow them to vacation more affordably.

Ternate

A post shared by Dhimas (@dhimasip) on Dec 23, 2017 at 4:31pm PST

On the slopes of Mount Gamalama, Ternate island, North Maluku, the city of Ternate is home to the famous view of Maitara and Tidore Islands, which can found on the Rp 1000 bill.

Enjoying the view from the slopes of Mt. Gamalama, marvelling at the uniquely green Lake Tolire and snorkelling in the pristine waters around the island are among the most recommended outdoor activities on offer.

Visitors can also visit several colonial-era forts, including Kastela, Kota Janji and Oranje Fortress.

Read also: Saving Raja Ampat waters with tourism

Togean

A post shared by Like Palu (@like_palu) on Nov 12, 2017 at 6:26pm PST

The Togean Islands in Tomini Bay, Central Sulawesi, are home to a marine park blessed with rich coral reefs and protected marine biota, including the giant pilot whales, coral catsharks and manta rays. It is also inhabited by green turtles.

Conveniently located snorkelling and diving spots make it easy to enjoy the underwater beauty, with a mangrove forest as a backdrop.

Kei Islands

A post shared by Explore Kepulauan Maluku (@malukuislands_indonesia) on Dec 12, 2017 at 7:16am PST

Located in the southeast of Maluku regency, the Kei Islands boast pristine white-sandy beaches.

In addition to diving and snorkeling, tourists can also opt to dive at Hawang Cave, which is connected to a natural spring called Evu. The islands are also home to pelicans that migrate to Maluku from Australia and Papua New Guinea.

For history buffs, the Kei Islands are also home to Luvat Cave, which has walls adorned with prehistoric paintings. (kes)

Topics : destination travel tourism
It happened at around 2 a.m. as a 22-year-old driver lost control coming off of the Manhattan Bridge, striking a light pole and fire hydrant at Bowery and Canal Street. The car flipped over and the impact sent the fire hydrant flying across the street.

17-year-old Shareef Bellerand was trapped in the front passenger seat. It took firefighters about 20 minutes to get him out of the car. The Brooklyn resident was rushed to Lower Manhattan Hospital, where he died. The driver is at Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.

The driver may face drunk driving and speeding charges.

UPDATE 4:01 p.m. The driver has been identified as 22-year-old Gerald Joseph. He has been charged with DWI. Channel 7 spoke withCindy Fabien, Bellerands mother:
Pakistan on Monday facilitated the much-awaited meeting between death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav and his wife and mother.

By Kaswar Klasra: Pakistan on Monday facilitated the much-awaited meeting between death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav and his wife and mother.

Jadhav has been accused by Pakistan of spying.

After languishing in prison for almost 21 months, Jadhav met his wife and mother in the heavily guarded premises of Pakistan's foreign office. The meeting lasted for 40 minutes.

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What was discussed in the meeting is still unclear as officials made elaborate measures so that the conversation is not leaked to the media.

Even the deputy high commissioner of Indian High Commission in Pakistan, JP Singh, who accompanied Jadhav's family to the foreign office and was present at the scene, couldn't listen to the conversation.

Briefing media personnel soon after the meeting got over, a spokesperson of the foreign office said it was allowed in line with 'Islamic practices and teachings.'

"Pakistan permitted the request by India purely on humanitarian grounds. Commander Jadhav's actions at India's behest have deprived many mothers of their sons and daughters. Pakistan upholds the Islamic morals and values which teach mercy, grace and compassion for all," Faisal, the spokesperson, said.

Pakistan has accused Jadhav, an Indian naval officer, of espionage, terrorism and subversive activities against Pakistan. It said he confessed about his activities before the court.

WHAT THE PAKISTAN FOREIGN OFFICE SAID

"In his mercy petition to the Chief of Army Staff on compassionate grounds, in June 2017, he again admitted his involvement in espionage, terrorist and subversive activities against Pakistan and expressed remorse at the resultant loss of precious innocent lives and damage to property. He has admitted of involvement in the assassination of SSP Aslam Chaudhry in Karachi. He has also confessed to targeting various workers of FWO, who were conducting construction activities, in Balochistan, and many IED attacks carried out in Quetta, Turbat and other cities," the Pakistan foreign office said.

Later in the evening, a press note issued from the foreign office spokesperson said India was provided with a copy of the passport that was in the possession of Commander Jadhav, when he was apprehended.

"The passport bears a Muslim name, Hussein Mubarak Patel. India has been unable and unwilling to provide an explanation about how and why an authentic Indian passport was used on a false ID, not once but at least 17 times, as Commander Jadhav travelled in and out of India," the press note said.

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"We received an Indian request that the mother of Commander Jadhav may be permitted to meet him. The (Indian) diplomat was present during the meeting and he could see Commander Jadhav. He was not allowed to speak or listen to the conversation," the press note added.

Commenting upon the development, Aamir Ghauri, editor of The News, Islamabad, said, "The upshot is Jadhav family's tete-a-tete and that it has finally happened. We can only guess about what a son and mother talked about in such circumstances or a man and wife spoke about while others listened. Ideally, we should desist from such mundane snooping. But what we know for sure is that Pakistan has kept the door open for subsequent meetings."

ALSO WATCH | Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with wife, mother: Cruel photo opportunity?

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That dress looks like nothing but a set of pretty rag cloths put together.

By India Today Web Desk: Karisma Kapoor might've not been in the movie business for a while now, but she sure still serves some fine fashion inspiration from time to time.

When the Raja Hindustani actress shone at Miss India Australia last year, everyone got up and took note of how well Karisma can charm if she wants to. Over the months, however, the elder Kapoor sister has also given us some big fashion duds--like the golden dress she wore not too long ago.

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Also read: Karisma Kapoor's shiny outfit is really hurting our eyes

When Karisma goes wrong with her style choices, however, she goes REALLY wrong. Earlier this year, she was spotted wearing this bizarre silver and rainbow-colours outfit , which really threw us off. Now, Karisma's back with another such gem.

Photo: Yogen Shah

For a lunch with the extended Kapoor family, Karisma wore this floral-printed Gucci dress. The knee-length, ruffle-layer dress had at least eight different floral prints in bits, which made the attire look like nothing more than pretty rag cloths put together; the pussy-bow on top only made things messier.

Though Karisma tried her best to keep things subtle with a simple pair of black strap sandals and no accessories whatsoever, the Gucci bag she carried and the pop of red on her lips just made the look all the more jarring to the eye.

Photo: Yogen Shah Photo: Yogen Shah

Maybe Karisma should take some Christmas-dressing tips from Priyanka Chopra , no?

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JeM militant Noor Mohammad Tantray who was the mastermind of Srinagar airport suicide attack was killed by security forces in Pulwama today.

By Press Trust of India: Wanted Jaish-e-Mohammad militant Noor Mohammad Tantray was killed in an encounter in Samboora area of Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said in Pulwama on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip-off, a crack team of Jammu and Kashmir police cordoned off a house where two JeM militants were believed to be holed up, the police said.

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In the ensuing encounter, Tantray was killed whereas there was no information about the presence of the second militant, it said.

Tantray was out on a parole since 2015. He was the mastermind of a suicide attack at Srinagar airport earlier this year.

Hailing from Tral area of south Kashmir, Tantray's death is seen as a blow to the terror group as he was the key man in reviving the JeM in south and central Kashmir.

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Shanghai (Gasgoo)-BAIC Group recently announced that it will readjust and reorganize the asset of the Weiwang and Changhe brands, and will set up BAIC Changhe Automobile Co., Ltd. The two brands will focus on different segments.

In the future, BAIC Changhe brand will continue to focus on the economic passenger vehicle market, and will successively deploy in traditional fuel-powered sedan, SUV and MPV. BAIC Weiwang brand will eye the NEV segment and will be controlled under BAIC Group.

In terms of the personnel appointment, Zhang Chaoxiang, former assistant to president of BAIC Motor Corporate and general manager of Weiwang business division will be appointed general manager of Changhe Auto. Kuang Guanghua was named as secretary of the party committee and deputy general manager of Changhe Auto. Liu Shijin, former deputy general manager who also took charge of marketing and sales will stay his position.
Local journalists insulted Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother after she met her son yesterday, sources have told India Today. After the MEA held a press conference today, a Congress leader asked the Modi government to "take a strong stand."

By Geeta Mohan, Supriya Bhardwaj: On Christmas Day, as Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother left a forty-minute-long meeting with her son, she was called "qatil ki maa" (murderer's mother) outside the Pakistan Foreign Office in Islamabad.

That's what sources quoted that nation's journalists as saying to Avanti Jadhav as she left the premises. In fact, mediapersons can actually be heard calling Kulbhushan a "qatil bete" (see tweet below).

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What's more, Avanti and Chetankul Jadhav were forced to wait in their car, so journalists could heckle them, sources said. India's Ministry of External Affairs has levelled the same charge against Pakistan.

But the Jadhavs' ordeal began well before that, when they were taken into a shipping container in a parking lot to meet Kulbhushan.

The former Navy officer, who Islamabad sentenced to death in April on charges of espionage, couldn't hug his wife, or receive the gift his mother had brought with her. A barricade of sound-proof glass separated them.

#WATCH Islamabad: Pakistani journalists heckle & harass #KulbhushanJadhav's mother & wife after their meeting with him, shout, 'aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi?' & 'aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad?' pic.twitter.com/MUYjPmHY6F- ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

There's more. Every time Avanti Jadhav began speaking to Kulbhushan in Marathi, a woman officer turned off the intercom, sources said. India's foreign ministry, too, says conversation in Marathi wasn't allowed.

She and Chetankul were asked not to eat anything, the sources said.

JADHAV'S MOTHER NOTICED SCARS: SOURCES

Yesterday, after photos of the meeting were released, Congress MP and former UN official Shashi Tharoor lamented the "very disappointingly unhumanitarian spirit" in which it was conducted. One of the images showed what looked like injuries on Jadhav's head and ear, and Tharoor said people "more knowledgeable" than him suggested there were "signs of torture."

Kulbhushan's mother noticed.

Avanti Jadhav said Kulbhushan didn't look and feel like the her son as she had known him, and asked why he had scars, sources told India Today.

They also said she asked him not to lie, and tell the truth: that he was a businessman.

Pakistan alleges that Kulbhushan Jadhav was working for Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India's external spy agency. New Delhi says the former Navy man, who started a business in Iran's Chabahar port, was abducted by the Taliban and sold to Pakistan intelligence agencies.

"They have insulted the Indian women and their respect. We condemn it," Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi told India Today, after the Ministry of External Affairs said Avanti and Chetankul Jadhav were asked to remove their mangalsutra, bangles, bindi and shoes (Chetankul didn't get her footwear back).

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"We want the Indian government to [make] clear its policy [on] how it will bring Kulbhushan back to India," Gogoi said. "We want the Indian government to take a strong stand."

Congress national spokesperson Khushboo Sundar had this to say about the treatment the Jadhavs were given: "PM Modi ji says bhaiyon and behnon. This is an insult to his sister (Kulbhushan's wife), and that too on offshore. We condemn this act by Pakistan."

Watch | Aap ek qatil ki maa ho: Listen to Pakistan's media humiliating Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother

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Haryana government has notified draft bill of Pond Development, Protection and Conservation, Pond Water and STP Treated Affluent Utilisation Authority Act, which applies to all the ponds located outside notified forest areas in the state and not to ponds having area as less than 0.5 acres.

An official spokesperson said that the state government has invited objections and suggestions from people in response to the draft bill.

He said that would consist of the chief minister or Minister for Irrigation and Water Resources as Chairperson and Chief Secretary as Vice Chairperson of the Authority. The Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries or Secretaries of Finance Department, Irrigation and Water Resources Department, Panchayati Raj Department, Rural Development Department, Urban Development Department, Fisheries Department, Engineer-in-Chief, Irrigation and Water Resources Department, Engineer-in-Chief, Public Health Engineering Department, Director General, Agriculture Department and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests would be the Members of the Authority.

He said that four non-official members from amongst experts or Social workers in the field of environment and ecology or pond development and conservation, of whom at least one would be women and one would be a person belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes. The Chief Executive Officer would be the Member Secretary (Ex Officio, Chief Executive Officer of the Authority).

The District Consultation and Monitoring Committee headed by District Magistrate or Deputy Commissioner of the district concerned would monitor functions of the Authority at district level from time to time.

No person or institution or organisation (registered or unregistered) would use the pond for any purpose other than mentioned above or construct any structure on pond land, occupy any pond land or part there of or cause any obstruction in the natural or normal course of inflow or outflow of water into, or from, the Ponds on the upstream and or downstream without permission of the Authority, he added.
Shimla is all decked up for the mega political event on 27 December, as five-time MLA and former minister, Jai Ram Thakur takes oath as 13th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and a galaxy of BJP CMs from other states on the historic Ridge.

It is for the first time that so many dignitaries from across the country will come for the swearing-in ceremony.

Elated over its spectacular win in HP, where the BJP wrested power from Congress with 44 seats out of 68, the party is preparing for a massive rally on the Ridge.

BJP insiders said since Jai Ram Thakur is a new face and has risen from the student politics, there is much enthusiasm in the younger lot in BJP to throng the venue for his swearing-in ceremony.

With CM, some ministers are also likely to take oath, although none in the party confirmed it till evening.

However, much inconvenience is being caused to the public due to restrictions ahead of the visit of the VVIPs as the city is already overflowing with tourists. The Ridge, which is out of bounds due to security reasons, is a favourite spot among the tourists as well as locals.
Art enthusiasts will get to see a melange of colourful and traditional handicrafts and textiles and classical dance performances from India and Israel as artisans from both countries showcase their cultural legacy at the upcoming 32nd Annual Dastkari Haat Crafts Bazaar.

Starting January 1, this 15-day long annual crafts bazaar will witness the participation of around 200 artisans from different states, providing a peek into the myriad art and craft traditions.

For this year, Dastkari Haat Samiti has collaborated with the Ministry of Textiles to create an interactive platform where artisans from India and Israel will exchange their skills and art while creating intricate art pieces that highlight the significant artistic legacy that both countries are known for.

Five craft persons from Israel will work with their Indian counterparts from Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Delhi, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan to create new art pieces.

The Israel-India workshop which is to be held between January 2-14 will showcase fresh art pieces to the public. During the workshop, art connoisseurs will also get a chance to interact with artisans and watch their work in progress.

This festival is a unique platform where our craftspeople get to interact and share their skills with their foreign counterparts. Our vision is to bring back the original essence of Dilli Haat where only those artisans who dont get to display their work in New Delhi could showcase their work exclusively , Jaya Jaitly, founder, Dastkari Haat Samiti said in a statement.
Dubai has announced that it will participate in the Global Conservation Coalition on December 31, which will host a New Years Eve celebration in the US to launch its worldwide ocean protection initiative.

The coalition is comprised of several non-profit conservation and international organisations such as the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) and the Explorers Club, an international, multi-disciplinary organisation of professional scientists.

The patron of the Coalition is Jose Ramos-Horta, Nobel Laureate and former President of Timor-Leste.

Alya Al Harmoudi, Director of the Environment Department at Dubai Municipality, said: Dubai Municipality received invitation to the event due to its pioneering position in protecting the ocean environment and raising awareness on it.

We continue our efforts in conserving the Jebel Ali Marine Sanctuary and coastal water in Dubai, which hosts an exemplary biodiversity of unique coral species and marine fauna of international conservation status The initiative is important to Dubai as much as it is to the other countries across the globe, she said.

The Dubai Municipality delegation, led by Peter Farrington of the Environment Department, will be participating in the event with a number of paintings that reflect the role of the department and its efforts in conserving the marine environment and address any threats that may result in degradation or pollution
Interstellar travel

Nasa is reportedly planning an interstellar mission in 2069 to search for life outside our solar system in the three-star Alpha Centauri system. The mission is as yet unnamed and the technology required to get a craft there does not exist, but the projected launch date would coincide with the 100th anniversary of the first moon landing.

The ambitious mission would require a craft that would need to travel at a minimum of 10 per cent of the speed of light. The Alpha Centauri constellation is 4.4 light years away, and even if a record-breaking tenth of the speed of light could be achieved, the system would still be a 44-year trip, reaching our nearest neighbour by 2113.

Its very nebulous, Anthony Freeman, at Nasas Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told the New Scientist. Nasa is said to be considering sending tiny probes powered by lasers, which in theory may be able to reach a quarter of the speed of light. Other techniques under consideration include harnessing nuclear reactions, or through collisions between antimatter and matter, the magazine reported.

There is already a known exoplanet in the Alpha Centauri star system, Proxima Centauri b, which orbits a red dwarf star. However, it has not been considered a perfect location for finding alien life, as the star throws out bursts of radiation that make the conditions inhospitable.

So far humans have only made one spacecraft that has successfully left our solar system  the Voyager 1 craft , which was launched in 1977 and despite the limitations of the technology it was equipped with, provided astonishing new insights into the planets and moons within our own solar system.

Grave risk

A team of international researchers, led by the University of Sheffield, UK, have measured the risk of developing or dying from the life-threatening heart condition called infective endocarditis, for people with predisposed heart conditions.

The new study, led by professor Martin Thornhill from the University of Sheffields School of Clinical Dentistry, shows that men were more than twice as likely to develop IE as women and that the risk peaked in young children and the elderly. Those with artificial or repaired heart valves and certain congenital heart conditions were at much higher risk of developing or dying from IE than the general population, said Thornhill.

And the risk of developing IE again was even higher in those who previously had IE. Surprisingly, the risk of IE was substantially reduced in those with repaired congenital heart defects although those in whom the repair involved shunts or conduits had a much higher and progressively worsening risk of developing or dying from IE.

In recent years there have been an increasing number of people in whom implantable pacemakers and defibrillators have been inserted to treat heart problems and the study showed for the first time that these individuals also have an increased risk of IE. It is a serious heart infection that kills around a third of those who develop it within the first year and causes long-term and serious disability in those who survive.

The findings, published in the European Heart Journal, are particularly important because they allow prevention measures to be targeted at those individuals most at risk of developing IE and they allow clinicians and patients to better evaluate the risk of this complication before procedures such as artificial heart valves, implanted pacemakers are performed.

These findings may also help international guideline committees to improve their guidance on the prevention of IE and the risks associated with different cardiac procedures.
After meeting Jadhav in what was widely dubbed as a PR stunt carried out by Pakistan, his wife and mother return home. Pakistan has emphatically claimed that 'this was not a last meet' between Jadhav and his family.

By India Today Web Desk: After meeting the former navy man Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan, his mother Avanti Jadhav and wife Chetankul Jadhav have returned to New Delhi. They met Jadhav yesterday in what was construed widely as a PR stunt by Pakistan .

Even after meeting him after 22 months, his wife and mother were allowed to meet Jadhav from across a glass panel which separated them from the navy man. In what must have been an emotional meet, his mother was not allowed to give him a gift she brought with her. The Pakistan foreign ministry didn't allow a private discussion between them.

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The meeting was still described as a 'grand gesture' by the Pakistani government. The meet took place on the birth annivesary of Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

Separated by a glass partition in the heavily-guarded building, they spoke through an intercom watched by the Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh who escorted them to the meeting.

The interaction started around 2.18 p.m. Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammed Faisal tweeted images showing Jadhav speaking to his mother and wife in a specially prepared room.

Singh was seen watching the reunion from a distance. Foreign Office Director India Desk Dr Fariha was also present at the meeting, which was videographed.

Pakistani authorities have said the meeting was allowed "purely on humanitarian grounds", but it did not allow a one-on-one meeting between Jadhav and his family. However, a photo from the meet showed Jadhav with a missing earlobe and bruises on his neck and head which possibly could have been sustained as a result of torture in Pakistani custody .

Jadhav's family was later taken to the Indian High Commission before their return to India via Oman. His mother thanked the Pakistan Foreign Office for allowing the meeting.

In an earlier tweet, Faisal shared a photo of Jadhav's mother and wife sitting in the Foreign Office. He said: "The mother and wife of Commander Jadhav sitting comfortably in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan. We honour our commitments."

After the meeting, the Foreign Office spokesperson called Jadhav "the face of Indian terror" and said it would decide on consular access to him at an appropriate time. It added that the meeting between Jadhav and his family was not the last.

"This is not the last meeting. Let me say it categorically," Faisal told reporters after former Indian Navy officer Jadhav's wife and mother met him after his arrest on March 3, 2016 from Balochistan, as Pakistan claims.

Jadhav's case is pending before the International Court of Justice.

Faisal said the two women spoke "openly and had a productive meeting" with Jadhav.

"It was a positive gesture, extended on humanitarian grounds. We extended the meeting by 10 minutes on the request of Jadhav's family. It has nothing to do with legalities," Faisal said.

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The spokesperson also "categorically" denied it was a consular access even as the Indian Deputy High Commissioner was present during the meeting.

"The Indian diplomat could see the meeting but was not allowed to meet. It would have been consular access had the Indian diplomat spoken to Jadhav," he said, adding the Indian request for a possible consular access was with Pakistan and "would be taken up at an appropriate time".

Faisal also said that Pakistan wanted the wife and mother of Jadhav to speak to the media, including the Indian media, at the Foreign Office in Islamabad. "This was done in the spirit that Pakistan has nothing to hide and like all of you seeks answers to many questions that remain unanswered. However, the Indian side requested that they wanted to avoid media interaction."

Faisal reiterated that the meeting did not mean any change in Pakistan's stance regarding Jadhav, who he termed "a spy and terrorist who has been sentenced to death".

"Jadhav is the face of Indian terror in Pakistan. He has confessed to killing Aslam Chaudhary. He expressed remorse for taking Pakistani lives. He is a serving naval officer, has confessed to being a RAW agent," he said.

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Meanwhile, in a video message released by the Pakistan Foreign Ministry as part of a propaganda offensive, Jadhav thanked Islamabad for the "grand gesture".

"I requested a meeting with my wife and mother and I am thankful to government of Pakistan for this grand gesture," he said.

The video also showed Jadhav saying that "he worked for Indian intelligence agency RAW, adding that he entered Pakistan through Iran". Jadhav also said that he was arrested by Pakistan's security agencies from Balochistan.

Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April, following which India moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May.

India has said that Jadhav is innocent and has maintained that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had gone for handling his businesses after superannuation from the Indian Navy.

Despite the death verdict, Pakistan last week reiterated that he was not under threat of an immediate execution as his mercy petitions were still pending.

-with inputs from IANS

Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with wife, mother: Cruel photo opportunity?

--- ENDS ---
A French filmmaker, who was arrested here for trying to make a film on pellet victims, was released on bail on Tuesday, police said.

Comiti Paul Edwards had been arrested here earlier this month for violating the provisions of the visa provided to him, police said, adding that he was meeting people to make a documentary on pellet victims which was in violation of the provisions of business visa given to him.

A court here released Edwards after an official of the French Embassy in New Delhi came here to stand bail for him.

Following court orders, he was handed over to the French embassy official, police said.
Uttar Pradeshs ruling BJP unit on Monday urged the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to give up its rigid and archaic stand about triple talaq and join the voice of thousands to give Muslim women equality, security and their honour.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state President Mahendra Nath Pandey said that to ensure rights to the Muslim women, the AIMPLB should support the legislation brought by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Central government. There are many Muslim countries where triple talaq is banned and Muslim women get equal rights to live their lives honourably, he saod.

He also went on to credit the BJP for the Muslim women growing more vocal about their rights and against triple talaq. There is no provision of triple talaq in the Shariat and this legislation is about giving the basic human rights to the Muslim women, he said.

Pandey also dismissed the doubts aired by the AIMPLB at their emergency meeting here on Sunday where they called the proposed bill an interference in their personal laws. This Bill is for protection of the rights of the women from the Muslim community, Pandey said.
Five Pakistani soldiers have been killed over the last two days on the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch districts, Defence Ministry sources said on Tuesday.

Three Pakistani soldiers were killed and another injured when the Indian Army foiled an infiltration bid in Nowshera sector of the LoC in Rajouri district on Monday evening.

Noticing suspicious movement on the LoC, alert troops fired to foil the infiltration bid, the defence sources said. The retaliation by Indian Army took place in Rakhchakri, in Pakistans Rawalkot sector.

The Indian Army sources said the action was taken after suspicious movement was spotted around 6 p.m.

Pakistans media quoting Inter-Service Public Relations confirmed the death of three Pakistan soldiers in the cross border firing.

On Sunday, two Pakistani sniper shooters were killed in Indian firing on the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts.

These sniper shooters were trying to target Indian soldiers on the LoC, the sources said.

Four Indian soldiers, including a major were killed in Pakistan firing on the LoC in Rajouri district on Saturday.
India has slammed Pakistan for violating the letter and spirit of the understandings reached between the two countries over the meeting between former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav and his mother and wife in Islamabad on Monday.

India said the manner in which the interaction was conducted was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of the Indian prisoners alleged activities and lacked any credibility.

From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well-being, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a strongly-worded statement on Tuesday.

He said that under the pretext of security precautions, the Pakistani establishment disregarded the cultural and religious sensibilities of Jadhavs family members before the meeting.

This included removal of mangalsutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security, he added.

The statement came hours after Jadhavs mother Avantika and wife Chetnakul met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and briefed her on their 40-minute meeting in Islamabad with the Indian national who is on death row in Pakistan on concocted charges of espionage.

Senior Indian officials, including Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Indias Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh, who accompanied the two women to the meeting with Jadhav, were among those present at the meeting with Sushma Swaraj.

The spokesperson said Jadhavs mother was prevented from talking to her son in their mother tongue, although this was clearly the natural medium of communication. She was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and eventually prevented from proceeding further with it.

The Deputy High Commissioner of India was initially separated from the family members who were taken to the meeting without informing him. The meeting started without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials.

Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed, he added.

The spokesperson added that for some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes belonging to Jadhavs wife were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard, he added.

The spokesperson also regretted that contrary to the assurances given to New Delhi, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating to the family members. They, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude, he added.

He said the Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach Jadhavs family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about the Indian death row convict. This was despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access.

The spokesperson said the meeting had taken place after requests by India for family access. Prior to the meeting, the two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format. There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments, he said.
Finally, Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on death row in Pakistan, got to meet his mother and wife in Islamabad on Monday. But meeting was a sham as the Indian government is not satisfied with the event was arranged.

The mother-wife duo was made to see Jadhav through a glass screen and communicate only through telephone. The meeting took place after requests by India for family access. The meeting lasted for 30 minutes.

Also read | Kulbhushan Jadhavs wife, mother visit Pak: Timeline of the case

Jadhav who has been sentenced to capital punishment on charges of espionage, is in Pakistans captivity for 22 months. The death sentence remains suspended following the intervention of the International Court of Justice.

A Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official on Tuesday said, prior to the meeting, the governments of the two countries were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format.

There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments. However, we note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings, the official added.

On the subject of feedback received from the family, MEA said that it appears that Kulbhushan Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion.

Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being, said the MEA.

We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned. Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude.

The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Shri Jadhavs alleged activities. You would all agree that this exercise lacked any credibility.

Misconduct by Pakistan

According to the official statement, the Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely. This was despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access.

Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security, said the statement.

The MEA said that the mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav was prevented from talking in their native tongue, although this was clearly the natural medium of communication. She was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and was eventually prevented from proceeding further in this regard.

Deputy High Commissioner was initially separated from family members who were taken to the meeting without informing him. The meeting was started without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed.

For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the Jadhavs wife were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard.
The mother and wife of Indian death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav on Tuesday met External affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at her residence, officials said.

Accoridng to reports, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar were present in the meeting.

The meeting comes a day after Jadhavs mother and wife met Jadhav for about 40 minutes  through a glass panel  at the Foreign Office in Islamabad, Pakistan but no private discussions were allowed.

Described as a grand gesture by the Pakistan government on the birth anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Jadhav, who Islamabad claims is an Indian spy, came face to face with his 70-year-old mother Avanti and wife Chetankul after a gap of 22 months.

Separated by a glass partition in the heavily-guarded building, they spoke through an intercom watched by the Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh who escorted them to the meeting.

Jadhavs family was later taken to the Indian High Commission before their return to India via Oman. His mother thanked the Pakistan Foreign Office for allowing the meeting.

After the meeting, the Foreign Office spokesperson called Jadhav the face of Indian terror and said it would decide on consular access to him at an appropriate time. It added that the meeting between Jadhav and his family was not the last.

Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April, following which India moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May.

India has said that Jadhav is innocent and has maintained that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had gone for handling his businesses after superannuation from the Indian Navy.

Despite the death verdict, Pakistan last week reiterated that he was not under threat of an immediate execution as his mercy petitions were still pending.
Staving off a stiff challenge from the Congress to return to power for a sixth straight term in Gujarat, Vijay Rupani will on Tuesday take oath as Chief Minister in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

Along with Rupani, Nitin Patel will be sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister in a ceremony to be held in Gandhinagar. This will be the duos second consecutive term.

According to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, Modi along with Shah and chief ministers of 18 BJP-ruled states and central ministers will attend the ceremony.

Meanwhile, hectic lobbying has begun by the newly-elected legislators to secure a ministerial berth in the new government, reports said.

With seven ministers in the previous government losing their seats, besides 27 sitting legislators, the new Rupani government is likely to see many new faces.

Party sources said with Chief Minister himself coming from Saurashtra region and his deputy from north Gujarat, the BJP leadership could consider rewarding the legislators from central and south Gujarat who helped the party form the government for a sixth time in a row.

In the 182-member house, BJP won 99 seats while the Opposition Congress secured 77 seats.
Retaining Gujarat for a record sixth time, the BJP on Tuesday held a grand swearing-in ceremony for Vijay Rupani and Nitin Patel who took oath as the states Chief Minister and deputy Chief Minister respectively.

Governor OP Kohli administered the oath of office and secrecy to Rupani, the first to be sworn in followed by Patel as the duo began their second consecutive term. Both took the oath in Gujarati.

Present at the function were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah, Union Ministers, as well as chief ministers from 18 states along with veteran leader LK Advani.

The Gujarat Cabinet will have 20 ministers and some of the top names include Ishwarbhai Parmar, Jayesh Radadiya, Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Patrabhai Patel, Vibhavari Dave and Pradipsinh Jadeja.

At the venue in Gandhinagar, three massive stages had been erected. Seated on one side were religious heads from across the country and on the other were all the top dignitaries while on the third dais, the swearing-in ceremony took place.

Meanwhile, Modi upon landing in Ahmedabad took out a roadshow of sorts as he drove from the airport to the venue, around 45 minutes away.

Earlier in the day, Rupani along with his wife Anjali visited the Panchdev temple in Gandhinagar.

In the 182-member house, BJP won 99 seats while the Opposition Congress secured 77 seats.
The Mandal Commission report, which revived the Varna system though in a different form, received an impetus with the Supreme Court upholding the Constitutional validity of the 27 per cent quota for the Other Backward Classes (OBC)in central higher educational institutions. The division of caste was not complete, however. The Bihar chief minister recently declared that government departments that outsource jobs would introduce reservations, as in government organisations. The Karnataka chief minister wants 70 per cent of the jobs reserved.

However, the rationale of keeping out the creamy layer has been debated for quite some time. Euphemistically speaking, those with family income above Rs 250,000 a year make up the creamy layer. Also, children of doctors, engineers, chartered accountants, actors, consultants, writers, bureaucrats, defence officers of colonel and equivalent rank or High Court and Supreme Court judges, all Group A and B officials are to be included in the list.

Reservations for OBCs, introduced in 1993, have often triggered stronger controversies than quotas for SCs and STs. From the powerful Marathas in Maharashtra to the influential Patels in Gujarat and the dominant Jats and Gujjars in North India or Kapus in Andhra Pradesh, all are intent on grabbing the opportunity. On the surface, however, it seems rather fair to reserve 49.5 per cent of government jobs and seats in educational institutions for STs, SCs and OBCs who constitute 61.5 per cent of the population. But going by the data, it appears that OBCs have already dominated the whole quota pool. Between 2004 and 2013, the share of OBCs in A, B and C grade jobs in the central government rose to 17.31 per cent, whereas between 2003 and 2013, the share of SCs grew to 17.3 per cent from 14.18 per cent; for STs, it grew to 7.59 per cent from 5.01 per cent.

The slab of less than Rs 2.5 lakh was fixed in 2004, and it has of late been revised to eight lakh. However, the concept of creamy layer in reservation has sometimes been termed as unconstitutional as there is no mention in the Constitution. Also, neither the Constitution nor Dr Ambedkar wanted such provisions to continue for long because the aim of the state is to establish an egalitarian social order at the earliest where these differences will not exist and the former weaker sections will join the mainstream of national life. Even Jagjivan Ram admitted that permanent privileges would make people think that it (SC) is a community of incompetent and inferior people.

Though the Mandal Commission was called a Backward Class Commission, its report does not define the term class and assumes, rather unwittingly, that class means caste. So the principle of reservation in educational institutions, based on caste, is impervious to the sweeping changes that have taken place since the inception of the Constitution. If the same caste is categorised differently in different regions, the concept of creamy layer seems to be illusory.

To separate the creamy layer from the rest will always be an arduous task. There will be a mad rush to declare oneself as a citizen who is not a member of the creamy layer. In fact, the progress made by the beneficiaries of reservation so far is yet to be reviewed, but it is well known that the number of castes in the OBC list has been increasing. Institutions of higher learning were expected to increase seats by 54 per cent over three years so that the general category seats did not suffer. It is open to question how effectively the infrastructure of the premier institutions is streamlined with efficient faculty members.

Though Jawaharlal Nehru had set up the Kelelkar Commission in 1953, his understanding of the danger of social fragmentation and his realistic awareness of the fact that merit cannot for ever be subordinated to the accident of birth prompted him to shelve a report that apparently listed some 2399 allegedly disadvantaged groups. Numbers were not specified, but it was assumed that only 930 of these groups comprised 115 million people nearly 54 years ago. The Commission failed to formulate any objective criteria for identifying backward classes and this was the reason why the government rejected its recommendations.

The demographic impact of the Mandal Commission report, which identified about 3000 socially and educationally backward castes and communities, must be infinitely greater. Between 1953 and 1978, the number of backward castes ought to have shown a decline to reflect the impact of the development programmes. The Mandal Commission concluded that 52 per cent of the countrys population was backward and accordingly argued in favour of 52 per cent reservation.

True, the reservation announced stopped short of violating the Supreme Court order not to exceed 50 per cent, but the Court did not specify that half the seats in all educational institutions and half the employment vacancies be earmarked as of right to those who might rank low by birth in the traditional hierarchy. On the contrary the Supreme Court had warned that the supposed zeal of reformers could destroy the ideal of supremacy of merit, efficiency of services and absence of discrimination. It had also observed that while quotas should not exceed 50 per cent, how much less than 50 per cent would depend on the relevant prevailing circumstances in each case.

Both VP Singh and Arjun Singh rushed in where Nehru had feared to tread. It bears recall that Ramkrishna Hegdes government in Karnataka had rejected the Venkataswamy Commissions report because the Vokaligga community just would not be deprived of the backward label. The Chinappa Reddy Commission had applied the economic criteria to remove 32 communities, including both Vokaliggas and Lingayats, from the backward category and scaled down the percentage of reservation from 50 to 38.

Instead of caste being on the decline, it is becoming part of the Indian psyche, thanks to the reservation policy. As a result of the creamy layer policy, many will remain deprived of the opportunity to improve their economic status because seats in higher education institutions will be allotted to others of his own caste through a lower academic benchmark. The soft corridor of admission will deprive the talented students belonging to the same caste. This is bound to spark resentment, threatening to tear apart the social fabric, and serve as a potentially explosive threat to social cohesion.

There is no denying that the politics of backwardness has damaged the social fabric, resulting in fragmentation along caste and communal lines ~ Jathwads within Jathwads, as Rajiv Gandhi once described it. It has also encouraged politicians to fish in the troubled waters of divisiveness at the expense of national integration.

Historically, caste has been the curse of our country. Our society is already divided as it is. The government should perform better than to divide it further on caste lines by singling out the euphemistically termed creamy layer.

(The writer is former Associate Professor, Dept. of English, Gurudas College, Kolkata)
While President Donald Trump for most of the year struggled on the legislative front, his administration was quietly succeeding at nominating and installing powerful right-wing judges at an unprecedented rate for a presidents first year in office.

With the US Senates confirmation of a 12th circuit court judge earlier this month, Mr Trump set a record for the most appellate judges confirmed in a presidents first year. His predecessor, former President Barack Obama, was able to get three confirmed during his first year as President.

Each nomination seems to be aimed at shifting the USs judiciary system ideologically to the right. And the administrations ability to have gotten so many of its appellate nominees confirmed is particularly important given that appellate courts are where thousands of cases in the federal courts meet their ends because they will never make it onto the Supreme Courts limited docket.

It should be kept in mind that even though Mr Trump has succeeded in getting at least 12 appellate judges confirmed this year, there are 179 appellate court judgeships overall. He has changed the composition of the USs appellate courts by only 6.7 per cent.

He also hasnt managed yet to tip the balance on a single appellate court from majority-Democratic appointees to majority-Republican appointees, according to Vox, meaning the Trump administrations effects on particular courts have been minimal so far.

But the situation could worsen for liberals if Republicans maintain their Senate majority during next years mid-term elections. By the end of his first term, Mr Trump could conceivably have handpicked more than 30 per cent of the nations federal judges, experts say.

Democrats have accused Republicans of rubber-stamping Mr Trumps judicial nominees and say the party has made it easier for the President to stack the courts in their advantage.

Dan Goldberg, the legal director of the Alliance for Justice  a progressive judicial advocacy group in the US  said that Republicans have bent over backward to change Senate rules and customs in order to prevent careful vetting of these nominees.

He noted that this is evidenced by the decision of Senator Charles Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to ignore the century-old blue-slip practice. While the informal practice was never added to the written committee or chamber rules, for about the past 100 years it has allowed senators to block nominees slated for judgeships in their home states.

Grassleys move undermines Democrats parliamentary ability to block Trump nominees in the Senate  even when the American Bar Association (ABA) deems Trumps picks unqualified for the bench, as has happened with four of 58 nominees, wrote Sarah Binder, a political science professor at George Washington University and a senior fellow at the left-leaning Brookings Institution, in an op-ed for The Washington Post.

As a result, Trump is likely to nominate candidates more quickly than previous presidents, she added.

This month, the Senate narrowly confirmed Leonard Steven Grasz to serve on the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit  despite a rare not qualified rating from the ABA.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said the association had reached that conclusion in part after speaking with many of Mr Graszs peers who expressed concerns about how he held deeply rooted political allegiances that would make it impossible for him to have an unbiased and open mind on critical issues.

Mr Grasz served for more than 11 years as Nebraskas chief deputy attorney general and was general counsel to the Nebraska Republican Party.

In one opinion he helped write, he said the legacy of the landmark abortion rights ruling Roe v Wade was its moral bankruptcy. Another opinion he aided in crafting warned of the grave danger of the Nebraska Supreme Court recognising same-sex marriages from other states, and he advised that legislation refusing to recognise same-sex marriages could be defended against a constitutional challenge.

Ms Warren said Mr Grasz was just one of the many nominees whose records show that they cannot fairly and impartially dispense equal justice under law.

But it has not been smooth-sailing for all of Mr Trumps judicial picks.

On Monday, Matthew Petersen withdrew his name from consideration after a video went viral of him failing to answer basic legal questions posed by Republican Senator John Kennedy.

Mr Petersen is a member of the Federal Election Commission and was one of five of the Presidents nominees for US District Court for the District of Columbia.

Just because youve seen My Cousin Vinny doesnt qualify you to be a federal judge, Mr Kennedy told WWL-TV. And he has no litigation experience. And my job on the judiciary committee is to catch him. I would strongly suggest he not give up his day job.

Mr Kennedy said Mr Trump called him over the weekend to talk about the nominee. He said Mr Trump did not personally interview Mr Petersen and the nominations were chosen by the Presidents staff.

He has told me, Kennedy, when some of my guys send someone who is not qualified, you do your job, Mr Kennedy said on Monday.

The White House has also given up on two other judicial nominees after questions were raised about their qualifications and controversial statements.

Steven Calabresi, a law professor at Northwestern University, told The Independent that the fact that some of Mr Trumps picks wont be approved because theyre unqualified shows the system of checks and balances is working the way its supposed to.

Mr Calabresi is a co-founder and current board chairman of the conservative Federalist Society.

Several of Mr Trumps appellate nominees have ties to the group, and its executive vice president, Leonard Leo, is said to be a White House adviser on judicial nominations. Mr Leo reportedly played a key role in Mr Trumps nomination of Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court.

Mr Calabresi noted that while a couple of the Presidents judicial picks have been unqualified, many nominated have clerked for Supreme Court justices and made top grades in law school, he said.
By India Today Web Desk: Family of ex navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav met foreign minister Sushma Swaraj after returning to India. The family returned home this morning from Pakistan where they met Kulbhushan Jadhav who is in Pakistani custody for alleged spying on behalf of India.

Jadhav's wife Chetankul Jadhav, mother Avanti Jadhav accompanied by Kulbhushan's father called on Swaraj and met her at her residence. The meeting lasted for 3 hours which has created an air of curiosity as to what must have transpired. Foreign secretary was also present in the meeting.

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Kulbhushan Jadhav is in Pakistani custody and is a death-row prisoner under spying charges. Pakistan maintains that Jadhav is an Indian spy, a charge which has been denied by India. India has even approached International Court of Justice (ICJ) to secure his release.

Jadhav's mother and wife were granted permission to meet him in Pakistan by Pakistan authorities. But they could interact with him only through a glass panel which separated them from Jadhav. The family was not allowed to talk with him privately. It is for this reason that the meet is being panned as a 'PR exercise' from Pakistan. During the meet, Indian deputy high commissioner was also present with the family but he did not interact with Kulbhushan.

Pakistan claimed that they have 'honoured the commitment' given by them. But at the same time, Pakistan has refused to give consular access to Kulbhushan in spite of dozens of requests from India.

After Jadhav's meet with his family, Pakistan said that the issue of granting consular access to Jadhav will be decided 'at appropriate time'. Pakistan also claimed that Jadhav's meet with his family 'was not the last one'.

(with inputs from Geeta Mohan)

ALSO WATCH | Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with wife, mother: Cruel photo opportunity?

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The landslide victory of TTV Dinakaran, nephew of Sasikala, in the RK Nagar by-election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly by more than 40,000 votes, exposes the false claim of Eddapadi Palanaswami and OPS Panneerselvam, Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister respectively, to be the inheritors of J Jayalalithas political legacy. From the very beginning of Jayalalithas leadership of the AIADMK, the party was managed by Sasikala who chose to remain behind the scenes. No one understood Sasikalas importance and role in the party and in the administration better than Panneerselvam who was deputed as Chief Minister thrice during Jayalalithas life time. It was to Sasikala he reported and went for guidance when faced with problems.

After Jayalalithas death last December and a brief interrugunum of Panneerselvam and Palaniswamy as Chief Minister, the BJP propped up the two as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister respectively without ascertaining the wishes of the party legislators. While Panneerselvam never faced a vote of confidence, Palanaswami was helped to win one by Sasikala. Having climbed to the top by using Sasikala as a ladder, both ungrateful men kicked the ladder.

The BJP was happy to let the duo continue in power because they carried out the bidding of the saffron party without let or hindrance. The RK Nagar by-election came as a litmus test to prove the legitimacy of the duo. It failed miserably. Maximum handicaps were placed on the path of Dinakaran, including depriving his claim to the AIADMKs Two Leaves symbol. The Election Commission allotted it to two breakaway factions of the AIADMK brought together by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For all its shenanigans, the BJP candidate could not even match the NOTA votes.

The ruling AIADMK was quick to blame the money-power of Dinakaran. The fact is none of the 56 candidates in the field other than Madhusudhanan of the ruling party was able to distribute money as freely as he was allowed to do. The EPS-OPS government managed to survive so far without having to face the legislative Assembly. It met last on 20 July. But the government cannot avoid convening the Assembly on or before 20 January to meet the constitutional requirement of maximum six months gap between sessions. The disqualification of 18 MLAs owing allegiance to Dinakaran is pending before the Madras High Court.

Another petition by the DMK asking the court why Panneerselvam and 10 of his supporters who defied the whip and voted against the Palaniswamy government had not been disqualified so far. A third petition, also by the DMK, challenging the suspension of 21 of its MLAs on spurious breach of privilege charge, is also pending in court. If the Assembly cannot be convened before 20 January, the Union government will be left with no option but to impose Presidents rule in Tamil Nadu.
The Amit Shah effect is visible in Parliament. The presence of the all powerful BJP president who was elected to the Rajya Sabha recently has ensured that attendance of BJP MPs has shot up. Opposition circles are amused to find that treasury benches in both Houses are quite full this session.

The ruling party faced several embarrassing moments in the monsoon session when it couldnt get some bills passed because of thin attendance of BJP MPs. Shah seems to have cracked the whip.

In fact, just the other day, he spied a BJP MP outside the House. Shah immediately summoned him and asked why he wasnt inside. Has the House been adjourned, he asked sarcastically. The embarrassed MP scurried back into the House before he got a tongue lashing.

Quick response

Having Amit Shah in Parliament has other uses. Government responses to tricky situations are faster because Shah is on the spot to give directions and pass orders.

A recent example is the speedy assurance given by HRD minister Prakash Javadekar that the name of Delhi Universitys Dayal Singh College would not be changed to Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya as demanded by a section of the RSS.

The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha by Akali Dal MP Naresh Gujral. He lashed out at the proposal and pointed out that the name change would hurt Sikh sentiments. Dayal Singh Majithia is a revered name in Punjab. He was a well known philanthropist who started The Tribune newspaper, Punjab National Bank and a host of educational institutions.

The decision to change the name of the college was taken by the governing body which is now headed by an RSS-BJP man.

As Gujral spoke his mind without mincing words, Javadekar looked unsure. Shah helped him out by whispering to him in the House itself. The BJP boss seems to have told the minister to assure Gujral that the name of the college would not be changed because when Javadekar got up to speak, thats the assurance he gave.

There is an interesting back story to this. Apparently, word got to Narendra Modi that Gujral had raised the issue in an interview to a TV channel the night the Gujarat results were declared. The Akali MP used strong words to criticize the arrogant manner in which the present BJP leadership functions  he said what was needed was the Vajpayee touch. A Modi aide communicated this to the PM who is said to have lost his temper. According to reports, he blew up and said that the way things were going, they would end up antagonising every community in the country.

Putting two and two together, Modi must have conveyed his strong feelings to Shah which is why the BJP president intervened in favour of the Sikh community when Gujral spoke up about the name change of Dayal Singh College.

Food festivals

The new railways minister Piyush Goyal is determined to leave his mark on Parliament. The railways ministry runs the canteens in Parliament House. There is a parliamentary food committee for overall supervision but the railways manage the kitchens.

The Piyush touch is the introduction of a weekly food festival. He has ordered the Parliament canteen to start a weekly special menu of foods from various states. Every week, a different state cuisine will be showcased.

Goyal has tied up with the state bhavans in Delhi to supply the food. And the menu is colourfully printed on glossy paper with pictures and prices. All unusually sophisticated for Parliament.

Naturally, the food festival has kicked off with Gujarat. Last week, the menu included items like thepla, vaatana samosa, fafda with fried mirch, dudhi na muthiya and other Gujarati favourites. Political circles are wondering whether Modi and Shah were impressed with Piyushs brainwave.

Rahuls roles

Now that Rahul Gandhi has become Congress president, party circles are wondering whether he will take over two other posts held by his mother. One is the post of chairperson of the Congress parliamentary party. The other is the post of chairperson of UPA.

Interestingly, some friendly parties of the Congress have communicated to the party leadership that they want Sonia to continue as UPA chairperson. These parties include Trinamool Congress and NCP which feel that Sonia has the status, maturity and is better equipped to deal with them.

No decision has been taken yet just like no decision has been taken on whether Rahul will become the chairperson of the parliamentary party in place of his mother.

While the official designation remains nebulous, for all practical purposes, Rahul is functioning as the parliamentary party head. Leaders in both Houses, Ghulam Nabi Azad from the Rajya Sabha and Mallikarjun Kharge from the Lok Sabha, consult him regularly about the days strategy in the House, how much to disrupt, what issues to raise, floor coordination with other parties, etc.

Rahul has not spent much time in the House so far. Friendly opposition parties feel that his presence would make the consultation process and decision making easier and quicker.
Vodafone India on Tuesday confirmed the roll-out of its Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services beginning January 2018.

In the first phase, Vodafone VoLTE service will be available in Mumbai, Gujarat, Delhi, Karnataka and Kolkata and will be extended across the country in a short time, the company said in a statement.

Vodafone is getting future ready with the advent of newer technologies and digital services. The introduction of VoLTE will enhance customer experience with HD quality calling and offer our customers newer possibilities. Vodafone VoLTE is an important step towards introducing futuristic technology enhancing our data strong network, said Sunil Sood, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Vodafone India.

Recently, Vodafone said it is open to exploring opportunities for sale of stake in Indian mobile tower firm Indus Towers  which is companys joint venture with Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular.

If the plan fructifies, it is expected to create more value for the group. Vodafone India has a net debt of USD 8.2 billion.

Bharti Airtels mobile tower arm Bharti Infratel and Vodafone hold 42 percent each in Indias largest mobile tower firm Indus Towers and the rest is held by Idea Cellular.

Bharti Infratel is looking to acquire partial or full stake in Indus Towers.

(Written with inputs from IANS)
The UK-India ties grew steadily in 2017, with the British government laying the groundwork for a new post-Brexit economic partnership with New Delhi amid concerns over its tough stance on movement of professionals and students between the two nations.

The cultural strand of the bilateral relationship may have dominated the year, with grand celebrations at some of the UKs major institutions to also mark 70 years of Indias independence, but the Foreign Office highlighted that other aspects of the ties remain equally at the forefront, especially within the context of Brexit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the connection between our people as a living bridge and that link has been strengthened during the 2017 UK-India Year of Culture, said a UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spokesperson.Our economic relationship is thriving and we want to expand our 16 billion pounds worth of bilateral trade, generating more jobs and building skills in the coming years, especially looking ahead to intensifying our trading relationship after Britain leaves the EU, the spokesperson said.Describing the two countries as modern, diverse and vibrant democracies, the UK government is keen to step into the New Year by building on the shared connections and values which make for a natural partnership as Britain prepares to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April, 2018.

Prince Charles, who will be stepping in for the Queen as the head of the Commonwealth at this years proceedings, had extended a formal invitation to Prime Minister Modi during a high-profile visit to India in November.Next years Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will provide an opportunity for the UK, India and all Commonwealth members to build a reformed and revitalised Commonwealth that is more prosperous, secure, sustainable and fair for all our citizens, the FCO spokesperson noted.As the UK prepares for a potential Modi visit for the summit next year, it will be keen to edge a little closer to the much-anticipated free trade agreement that both sides are expected to clinch once Britain has formally exited the EU by March 2019.

A Joint Working Group on Trade set up to lay the groundwork for a new post-Brexit economic partnership has held a few meetings this year but progress on that front is unlikely to be very significant until Britain is seen to soften its stance on the free movement of professionals and students.

Indian high commissioner to the UK, Y K Sinha, has beenmaking that point at various platforms, most recently in November at the London launch of the Indian ProfessionalsForum (IPF), a non-profit think-tank for Indian diasporarelated policy advocacy set up to strengthen India-UKrelations.

The envoy said that as Indian professionals will play an important role in defining the contours of a winning partnership between India and the UK, freer movement of professionals between the two countries will be central to any mutually beneficial agreement in the future.

The latest UK Home Office statistics held up some promise as the declining trend among Indian students coming to study at UK institutions seems to have reversed somewhat, with 2,962 more students coming to study in the UK in 2017 to make up a total of 14,081, up 27 per cent from last years 11,119.

Indian student numbers are now closer to the US (15,039) but still far behind the UKs largest overseas student category of China (88,258).London Mayor Sadiq Khan during his India visit had said he was lobbying with the British government to change its stringent visa norms, which he termed as a big mistake.Recently, the Theresa May government changed its visa policy for non-EU (European Union) nationals to curb its soaring immigration figures.

The policy which came into effect in November will affect a large number of Indians, especially IT professionals.One of the loudest voices claiming there is no bar on the number of Indian students who can come to the UK under the Theresa May-led Conservative party government was the senior- most Indian-origin minister in the UK Cabinet, Priti Patel.

However, she had an extremely turbulent year as she was forced to resign as Secretary of State for International Development after a series of damaging revelations around a dozen undisclosed meetings with Israeli political leaders during a holiday to the country. The Gujarati-origin MP, who characterises Prime Minister Modi as a great friend of Britain, has since been shunted to the back-benches of the Tory party.

However, her pro-Brexit views are expected to bring her back into the headlines soon as the UK continues to negotiate a tenuous agreement with the EU over its future trading relations with the 27-member economic bloc. Security issues are expected to be central to the ongoing negotiations, especially against the backdrop of Britain being the target of major terrorist attacks throughout the year.
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Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy

By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat
Actor Parvathy, who was a bull's eye for online abusers after her comments challenging superstar Mammootty's comments in movie Kasaba, has filed a complaint before DGP Loknath Behera and the cyber cell, The NewsMinute reported on Tuesday.

Parvathy had faced a slew of death and rape threats.

ALSO READ: I can act on screen, but I no longer want to act in real life, says Parvathy in an exclusive interview with THE WEEK

The fans lashed out at her on social media, calling her a "cheap feminist".

Meanwhile, Parvathy received support from various quarters including state Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac and "Women in Cinema Collective", an outfit of women in Malayalam cinema.

Mammootty is yet to react on her comments as well as about the trolls.

Known for her variety of roles in various languages including Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi, Parvathy is recipient of 'Best Actress' award in the recently concluded International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and the winner of Kerala State Film Award.

The actor made her Bollywood debut with Qarib Qarib Singlle opposite Irrfan Khan this year.

While speaking at an open forum organised on the sidelines of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) here last week about the absence of women perspective in cinema, Parvathy had voiced against glorifying misogyny on screen.

To prove her point, the Bangalore Days actress said she had recently watched "Kasaba", starring Mammootty.

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.

Inputs from PTI
Though the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has opposed the introduction of the bill to decriminalise triple talaq in Parliament, Muslim clerics and leaders are divided over the issue.

The division was clear in a working committee meeting of the AIMPLB held in Nadwa College, Lucknow, recently as only little more than one-third of its members attended the meeting. The working committee has a strength of 51 members but only 19 members turned up there.

One member of the board, Maulana Salman Nadvi, said the low participation of members is not an issue, because the meeting was convened hurriedly, so many members failed to turn up. But this argument does not hold much ground because there were 32 absentees, which included many influential Muslim leaders like vice president of the board Maulana Kalbe Sadiq and an influential Muslim leader, Khalid Rashid Firangi Mehli.

The secretary of the board and a prominent lawyer, Zafaryab Jeelani, said that the proposed bill on triple talaq has a provision for fine also and the board is of the opinion that amount of fine should reach 'divorced woman' but the bill does not have any such provision.

Dr Asma Jehra, head of the women cell of AIMPLB, said that bill has ignored the interests of Muslim women completely and there will be many practical problems in its implementation.

The board decided that its president, Maulana Rabe Hasan Nadvi, will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and would urge him to withdraw the bill after apprising him of the sentiments of the Muslim community.

Though the working committee opposed the bill, the very low participation of its members in the meeting raises many questions.

First, many members did not want to toe the line of the board, so they had decided to stay away from the meeting. One of the board members, requesting anonymity, said that there are many Muslim leaders who do not support the board's stand and practically the board is divided at present.

Another prominent Muslim leader, Maulana Shahbuddin Rizvi said many Muslim leaders are supporting the stand of the government, while many are opposing it; in such a situation, the primary need is that complete unanimity should be developed among the board members, he noted.

The board has also been facing opposition from Muslim women.

Shaista Amber, head of the All India Women Muslim Personal Law Board (AIWMPLB), said that the government should beware of the intentions of the AIMPLB and it should not tolerate the influence of AIMPLB in making the law. Those who were in favour of triple talaq are now opposing the bill after it was introduced in Parliament and it has provision for punishment, she noted.

Tahira Hasan, a social worker from Lucknow, said Muslim women are urging the government not to include AIMPLB in the process of making law on the issue of triple talaq at any stage because the board has always been in favour of triple talaq.
By Shweta Keshri: The year witnessed the launch of a bevy of new shows spanning across various genres, including drama, romance and comedy. It was probably for the first time Indian TV saw spin-off series like Dil Bole Oberoi and Kundali Bhagya. The experiment even reaped results as both these shows worked well on ratings chart.

Another high-budget comedy show The Drama Company which looked promising turned out to be a huge disappointment. The Indian version of Lip Sing Battle too found no takers. Fiction comedy shows made a comeback on ratings chart with Kya Haal Panchaal smashing records. It was definitely a great year for Indian TV.

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Here are few of the hits and misses of 2017:

Kundali Bhagya: Taking a cue from the popularity of Kumkum Bhagya, Ekta Kapoor launched its spin-off Kundali Bhagya, which was an extension of the same show. In no time the show topped the ratings chart and became a huge hit. The show has nothing new to offer but it was something different than Abhi and Pragya's love-story. Kundali Bhagya has hit the right chord of the viewers, as it has continuously been topping the ratings chart.

The comedy show was pitted against The Kapil Sharma Show but failed to impress the viewers. The show had some of the most talented comedians like Sudesh Lehri, Sugandha Mishra, Krushna Abhishek, Sanket Bhosale and Ali Asgar but the show couldn't make an impact and fizzled out soon.

The Amitabh Bachchan show, which has been winning hearts since last 17 years, made a smashing debut in the ratings chart. The show ran for about two months and ruled like a shehenshah in ratings war. This year, apart from the quiz, the show also focussed on the contestants and their personal lives. All the contestants, who reached the hot seat, had a story of their own, which was inspiring and broke a lot of stereotypes.

Farah Khan's show, which was based on the concept of the American show Lip Sync Battle, was a snooze fest. The show's promos were quite promising but the actual show was quite disappointing. Even appearances of Bollywood stars could not save the show.

Star Bharat's comedy show Kya Haal Mr. Panchaal has slowly but steadily made its way to the top in BARC India's rural and urbal combined ratings. The sitcom revolves around the life of a man who has five wives. Unable to find a panchguni wife for her son, Kunti devi, requests Lord Shiva to bless her with a daughter-in-law who is sundar (beautiful), samajhdar (wise), prem purna (full of love), khaansaami (good cook) and dharmik (religious). Lord Shiva, who is not able to find such wife for her son sends five bahus with one quality each. The five bahus with five peculiar traits are a treat to watch. Not just the the five daughters-in-law but every character in the show is well-etched and has its uniqueness, which makes for a good watch.

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The comedy reality show that has given us artists like Kapil Sharma, Bharti Singh and Raju Srivastava was back this year with its fifth season. The show was judged by Akshay Kumar and had mentors like Zakir Khan, Mallika Dua and Hussian Dalal but couldn't impress the viewers. Later these mentors were replaced by Shreyas Talpade and Sajid Khan but the show still could neither garner ratings nor acclaim.

The stunt-based reality show was a big hit this year. The show topped the ratings charts and had some of the big celebs participating in this season like Geeta Phogat, Ravi Dubey, Hina Khan, Rithvik Dhanjani and Bigg Boss 10 winner Manveer Gurjar. This year apart from the daredevil stunts, viewers also got enjoy Ravi Dubey's amazing mimcry and Hina Khan's singing on the show.

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Nearly 15 months after India openly came out to claim cross border raidcommonly known as Surgical Strikea Ghatak Commandos of Poonch Brigade, crossed over to Line of Control on Sunday evening to take avenge of killing of four Indian Army men including a Major rank officer by Pakistani army's 'unprovoked action'.

Confirming this to THE WEEK, a senior defence ministry official said, It was a local tactical level action taken by the local commanders of the Brigade level. It was a short distance raid about 200-300 metres inside the LoC.

Army sources claim that Sunday's strike was in retaliation to the Pakistan army's action, in which they infiltrated into Indian side by nearly 400 meters to target Indian army soldiers.

It was a tit for tat action involving selective targeting. Such actions do not last very long. The commandos targeted a group of Pakistani soldiers on patrol near a temporary post. An explosion was triggered near the Pakistani patrol, which may have led to killing of Pakistani soldiers," the officer added. The targeted post is of 59 Baloch regiment under 2 PoK Brigade also called as Rawalkot Brigade of the Pakistan army. There were at least three confirmed casualties and one injured, but unconfirmed reports claim casualties could be more.

Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, Sepoy Gurmeet Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singhbelong to 2 Sikh Regiment and posted in Chingus area of Rajouriwere killed in the Border Action Team action carried out by the regulars of Pakistan army along with militants on Saturday.

"Idea to carry out cross border raid was to send a signal to Pakistani army that we can also resort to such tactics. In an hour long raid on Sunday evening, no Indian soldier sustained injuries," the officer said. A team of five Ghatat commandos launched the offensive around 6 pm on Sunday by Poonch Brigade under 25 Division.

An officer maintained that such tactical level operations keep happening on the border, especially when situation is volatile.

Recently, army chief General Bipin Rawat has told in a public event that Indian Army will not hesitate to repeat surgical strikes. "The surgical strike was conducted to send a message and if our adversaries do not understand, it will be repeated, the Army chief reportedly said.

Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had said last week that he would support any initiative of the civilian government to resolve issues with India through talks. Pakistan army chief's statement was seen as a contradiction by the Indian military establishment because its army has violated the ceasefire along the International Border and the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir more than 720 times this year, the highest in past seven years.
Noor Mohammad, a top Jaish-e-Mohammad militant, was killed on Tuesday in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama District of Jammu and Kashmir, according to an Army official.

"The divisional commander of JeM Noor Mohammad Tantrey alias Noor Trali was killed in a gun battle with security forces in Samboora area of Pulwama," the official said.

He said the body of the militant has been recovered along with a weapon.

The official said the operation was still in progress.
Dreaded terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suffered a major setback on Tuesday after security forces gunned down its chief commander Noor Muhammad Tantray in a fierce gunfight at Sambora in Pulwama.

Security forces believe the 45-year-old militant had links with Parliament attack mastermind Gaza Baba.

Tantray took the command of the group after he and two others were released on parole in July.

The three were arrested in a 2003 case in Delhi and given a lifer by a Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) court in 2011.

Tantry was released on parole in 2015 after being shifted to Srinagar from Tihar but he ended up joining the Jaish.

He was chosen as divisional commander of the group after which he planned and executed major attacks on security forces including the fidayeen strikes on District Police Lines Pulwama, in which eight security men, four each from CRPF and police were killed, and BSF camp adjacent to Srinagar airport.

A police spokesman said he went underground after the Aripal encounter in July in which three Jasih terrorists were killed.

Tantray was heading the Jaish in Kashmir and was wanted in a number of terror offenses in the south and central Kashmir, the spokesman said.

He said Tantray arranged logistics for the fidayeen who stormed the District Police Lines Pulwama on August 26. The three fidayeen were killed after a 20- hour long firefight.

Tantray was also wanted in the killing two girls, Yasmeena and Rubeena, at Seet Jagir, Tralin Pulwama on October 22, and the grenade attack on the J&K Public Works Minister Naeem Akthar a day earlier.

"Encounter going on since last evening in Awantipura district. There was input about the presence of two to three terrorists near National Highway planning to attack the convoy,'' tweeted JK DGP S.P. Vaid. ''One dead body of terrorist recovered so far, search for others going on."
The tableaux presented by various states, showcasing their unique local themes, during the Republic Day parade in New Delhi are regarded as a key attraction of the event.

However, the build-up to next year's parade seems to have invited controversy, with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleging that the Central government had rejected its tableau for the parade as it was based on the theme 'unity in harmony'.

Banerjee asked at a Christmas event on December 22 whether the tableau was rejected because of its inclusive theme. Banerjee alleged West Bengal's proposals were discussed by the Centre in meetings in September and October, but the state was not invited for subsequent meetings. Banerjee termed the decision as an insult to the people of Bengal.

She alleged that in 2015, the Centre had rejected a tableau from West Bengal with a theme based on its Kanyashree scheme, a cash-transfer programme to curb child marriages and help girl students stay in school. The chief minister reminded the state had won the first prize for its tableaus in 2013 and 2016. Banerjee also used the occasion to indirectly criticise the BJP for religious polarisation.

However, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Monday declared that the Centre had no role to play in the issue. He claimed that it was the decision of the deciding committee and denied that there was any politics in the matter.

(With agency inputs)
Tamil superstar Rajinikanth on Tuesday, addressing his fans in Chennai, said he will announce his political stance on December 31.

Rajnikanth said he was not saying he would enter politics but would only announce his "political stance" on that day.

The actor said he was not new to politics, however, it required time to "study and strategise". "We will see when the war comes and war is nothing but an election."

"One has to win a war. Bravery is not enough to win the war. Strategy is needed," Rajinikanth said.

He said more than the people, the media was interested in knowing about his political plans.

He also advised his fans not to focus on the negative information being circulated in the social media. "Focus on positive thoughts," he said.

Members of Rajinikanth's fan club would also get an opportunity to take a photograph with their matinee idol at the meeting.

In November, Rajinikanth had told reporters that there was no hurry for him to enter politics.

In May, while addressing a large gathering of his fans, Rajinikanth said he would choose the path of politics if "God willing".

"God decides what we have to do in life at every phase. Right now, he wants me to be an actor and I'm fulfilling my responsibility. If God willing, I will enter politics tomorrow.

"If I enter, I will be very truthful and will not entertain people who are in this to make money. I won't work with such people," he had said.
The state-sponsored Ekatma Yatra to collect metal from towns of Madhya Pradesh to erect 108ft-tall statue of Adi Shankaracharya at the holy town of Omkareshwar has come under fire after a former attorney general and the sitting Shankaracharya of Dwaraka Mutt raised objections to it.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan flagged off the one-month-long Ekatma Yatra on December 19 from the temple town of Ujjain with religious fervour by sending a multimillion-rupee air-conditioned rath (motorized chariot), carrying an urn filled with soil from the Ujjain Mahakal Shiva Temple. The yatra, sponsored and planned by the culture department of the state government, will terminate on January 20.

However, the yatra has invited criticism from none other than the sitting Shankaracharya of Dwaraka Mutt, Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, who said, The chief minister is preaching incorrect ideology of Adi Shankaracharya. The yatra should have been nationwide, beginning from the birthplace of Shankaracharya to Kedarnath.

Speaking in a function at Gwalior, he said, This is a government yatra, which has nothing to do with the teaching of Adi Shankaracharya. At least, we Shankaracharyas should have been consulted before starting such a yatra.

Apart from Swaroopanand Saraswati, former attorney general and senior-most lawyer of Madhya Pradesh, Anand Mohan Mathur, served a legal notice to the chief minister, with copies to the chief secretary and principal secretary, school education. Mathur challenged the decision of the state government to erect a statue at a cost to the state exchequer.

In a two-page legal notice issued through his advocate, he said, Adi Shankaracharya's philosophy was against Article 14 of the Constitution, which says that the state cannot deny any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the law on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

In the notice, he said, Adi Shankaracharya was born in AD 788 and revived the Manu philosophy and caste system propounded by him. He also opposed Buddhism, which was the religion which introduced equality in the society.

The chief minister has replied to the notice through his advocate Shireesh Shrivastava, saying, Shankaracharya contested many tenets of Buddhism and Jainism, but, at the same time, he also contested those of Mimansa, Yoga and Panchantra. In an environment of intellectual freedom, it was very natural to contest a particular philosophy. Exercise of the intellectual judgement is not enmity.

The controversy over the yatra has its roots in the BJPs ideology of Hindutva. The yatra in the election year (polls are due in November 2018) has raised many eyebrows as the hidden objective is to consolidate the Hindu vote bank, said Praveen Dubey, a senior journalist and political analyst. The yatra will criss-cross the length and breadth of the state, with several sadhus and political leaders aboard the ekatma rath.

At the start of the yatra from Ujjain, Chouhan said, All the answers to the problems faced by (the) world and humanity lie in the philosophy of Shankaracharya. The purpose of the yatra is to collect metal for statue of Adi Shankaracharya and create public awareness about the contribution of (the) ancient saint to our society.

He said after the yatra culminates at Omkareshwar, a huge statue of the seer will be erected from the metal collected from the various parts of Madhya Pradesh. He said the holy town of Omkareshwar will be established as the novel centre of Vedanta Darshan. He said the philosophy of Advaitavad of Adi Shankaracharya will be publicised and special chapters will be added in the school curriculum.

Legend goes that after obtaining education and knowledge from his guru at Omkareshwar, Adi Shankaracharya left for a journey of the country. He travelled all over, holding religious discussions and discourses to later establish four mutts.

Adi Shankaracharya is considered to be one of the medieval saints who revived Hinduism and the present form of Hindu religion owes much to his teachings.
Though the Constitution bench of the Supreme Court did not declare that triple talaq was a crime, the government is attempting to legislate it as a cognisable and non-bailable offence.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill proposed a three-year jail term for a Muslim man who divorces his wife through talaq-e-biddat (instant triple talaq). The bill has been circulated to states for consultations. This bill is seeking to ban and criminalise triple talaq conveyed through any meanswritten, spoken or electronic.

The statement of objects of this bill says that the Supreme Courts act of setting aside triple talaqthe practice by which Muslim men divorce their wives by saying the word talaq three times in one sittingin August has not worked as a deterrent and It is, therefore, felt that there is a need for State action to give effect to the order of the Supreme Court.

Clause (Section) 3 of the bill gives statutory recognition to the Supreme Courts ruling in the Shayara Bano case, by mandating 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. This is in accordance with the judgement and also legally correct.

Clause (Section) 4, directs that whoever pronounces talaq, referred to in Section 3, upon his wife shall be punished with imprisonment for a term that may extend to three years. This is not correct.

Marriage is a civil contract. While ancient Hindu law considered this as a sacred contract, later developments rightly brought it down to the level of an ordinary contract.

In fact, equality and safety of women lie only when they are equal partners or parties to the contract of marriage. One should not exploit the other.

Prof. M Sridhar Acharyulu | Kakatiya University

There was no exit from this bond among older-generation Hindus, until the Hindu Code was passed in the post-Independence era. Sati, bigamy and cruelty towards the wife are the crimes arising out of the marital relationship. These three aspects do not figure in marital contractual conditions. They inflict injuries on the spouses, which certainly attract penal provisions.

Triple talaq is a form of divorce or unilateral or arbitrary exit from the marital contract. It breaches equality and makes a woman a second-rate partner of the marriage, which is unconstitutional.

Supreme Courts ruling

Nowhere has the Supreme Court said triple talaq is criminal. Hearing Shayara Banos main petition and taking up the issue suo motu, a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar, along with Justices Kurian Joseph, Rohinton Fali Nariman, Uday Umesh Lalit and Abdul Nazeer gave a landmark judgement in 2017 (August 22), declaring triple talaq unconstitutional.

While Justices Nariman and Lalit held that instant triple talaq is violative of Article 14 (Right to Equality) of the Constitution, Justice Joseph struck down the practice on the ground that it goes against shariah and the basic tenets of the Quran.

According to Justices Nariman and Lalit, Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act (1937 Act) recognises and enforces triple talaq and is law in force, which is manifestly arbitrary and insofar as it recognises the same, is unconstitutional and hence struck down. They also held that triple talaq does not fall within the confines of Article 25 (Right to Freedom of Religion).

Justice Josephs ruling pointed out that triple talaq is against the basic tenets of the Quran and violates shariah and is not an integral part of the religion, though the purpose of the 1937 Act is to declare shariah as the only law governing Muslims; since triple talaq is bad in shariah, it is bad in law. However, he dissented with Nariman on the aspect that shariah is law in force under the Constitution.

Chief Justice Khehar and Justice Nazeer dissented, holding that the practice cannot be struck down on the ground of being violative of Article 14, since there is no state action. They, therefore, directed the Central government to frame a law to govern the field.

According to the dissenting judgement of Khehar and Nazeer, triple talaq is integral to Islam in India and part of personal law, it is a practice that had prevailed for a long time and it does not violate Articles 14, 15 (prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth) and 21 (protection of life and personal liberty), which are sanctions against state action. Recognising that the practice is, however, not present even in theocratic Muslim states, they directed the Union of India to frame appropriate laws in this regard and injuncted Muslims from exercising triple talaq for six months.

Violation of Constitution, crime or civil wrong?

The appropriate law suggested by the Supreme Court is not what is drafted. Every constitutional wrong cannot become a crime immediately. A constitution of a nation is an overall rulebook, according to which the penal law or any other law is supposed to govern the people in general.

While crime is a public wrong, the problems arising out of domestic relations like divorce give rise to private wrongs for which prosecution is not the appropriate consequence, unless domestic violence leads to abhorrent practices like seriously causing bodily injuries or killing within four walls or Sati-like inhuman crimes. If a spouse, whether Muslim or Hindu or others, causes bodily injuries to the other spouse, they can be prosecuted under the Indian Penal Code.

Hasina Khan of the Beebak Collective raised critical issues about this criminalisation, saying, "Marriage and divorce are civil matters and any violation committed within them should be treated as civil wrongs. Yes, if a husband resorts to violence, Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act can be invoked."

She added that when the SC invalidated instant triple talaq, it only made that form of talaq illegal. If uttering of that talaq is criminalised, victims of triple talaq will get further harassed as the doors of reconciliation will be almost shut. "If the husband is sent to jail for uttering triple talaq, who will take care of the kids or give maintenance to the divorced woman? The collective approached MPs, saying criminalisation would violate the rights of conjugality.

It is not because of the sentiments of the Muslim groups, but for the impractical issues and difficulties involved in penalising the husbands who deserted wives through this inhuman method, the draft needs a re-look.

A civil law of marriage, invalidating triple talaq-like practices is needed with sufficient safeguards for deserted women and children. This law should mandate the husband, who resorts to instant desertion of wife, to pay sufficient money to the wife and children to continue a life of fair standard, i.e., the status prior to talaq. In criminal law, generally the victim has no benefit, whereas in civil law, victims should be helped to sustain the shock of desertion.

Advisers should have properly guided a needed legislation. How can anyone think of equality and gender justice with triple talaq practices existing?

There should be a uniform law for people in general for each and every religion, guaranteeing equal status to both the genders in matters of divorce. The uniform criminal law that punishes cruelty of spouse shall be effectively enforced. As our Constitution mandated, such a law should be gender-neutral and secular.

Acharyulu is a law professor and a member of the Central Information Commission. Views are personal.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the publication.
Thousands of people took to the streets across Peru to protest against the pardon granted to former President Alberto Fujimori, which exempts him from completing a 25-year prison sentence for human rights violations.



In Lima, some 6,000 people demonstrated peacefully on Monday. It ended with at least one arrest and the police dispersed the demonstration with tear gas, reported the media.



The protesters at first wanted to march towards the Government Palace, headquarters of the executive, or to the clinic in which Fujimori is hospitalised, but instead was ended in front of the Palace of Justice.



The demonstrators demanded that the pardon be quashed, given that it favours impunity for Fujimori.



He was sentenced in 2009 to 25 years in prison for his responsibility in the massacres of 25 people in Barrios Altos in 1991 and La Cantuta in 1992, perpetrated by the undercover military group Colina, and the kidnapping of a journalist and a businessman in 1992.



President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski signed the pardon for Fujimori, 79, on Sunday, only three days after he narrowly survived an impeachment vote by Congress, due to the 10 votes from Fujimori's party, led by Kenji Fujimori, son of the former president, who had called on several occasions for a pardon for his father.



The pardon was granted for humanitarian reasons, allegedly because Fujimori is suffering from a "progressive, degenerative and incurable disease" and is at risk of aggravation due to prison conditions, according to a statement from the Presidency of Peru.



According to the report by the medical board that recommended the pardon, Fujimori is suffering from paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, hypertension, mitral insufficiency, tongue cancer that has needed six operations and a lumbar hernia.



Fujimori was transferred on December 22 from the prison and is currently hospitalised in a clinic in Lima, where on Sunday his children brought him the news of the pardon.



Demonstrations against the pardon also took place in other cities such as Arequipa, Ayacucho, Puno, Tacna and Trujillo, among others.
During his recent three-day tour of western Maharashtra, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray launched a scathing attack on the Devendra Fadnavis government. While addressing a farmers rally, he said the only two beneficiaries of the government are Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil.

Just two days before this speech, Patil had gone to Matoshree (the Thackeray home) to discuss a range of political issues. As the discussion came to a close, he asked Thackeray whether it would suit him to travel to Kolhapur with Fadnavis as both of them were scheduled to go there. He politely declined, telling Patil that his schedule had already been finalised.

Thackeray, perhaps, has made up his mind not to spare the BJP the lashes. It was evident not just from his speeches during the tour but also in the way the Shiv Sena cornered the BJP when the issue of Narayan Ranes byelection to the state legislative council came up. Former Sena man Rane, who quit the Congress in September to form his Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha, had also resigned his membership in the legislative council.

He announced his support to the NDA in the hope that the BJP would support his candidature in the byelection that took place on December 7, and would subsequently make him a minister. But the Shiv Sena conveyed to the BJP in no uncertain terms that it will not tolerate any sort of understanding with Rane. The Shiv Sena will walk out of the government the day Rane enters the cabinet, said a Shiv Sena functionary who requested anonymity. Uddhavji gave a strong message to the BJP. We are very clear. If the BJP wants to give importance to Rane, why should we share power? The relations will not improve just by travelling with the chief minister. The bigger problem is the BJPs attitude.

According to him, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party had offered to support the Shiv Sena if it wanted to break the coalition with the BJP. But Thackeray does not want any understanding with the Congress and the NCP. His aim is to have a Shiv Sena government that has complete majority.

The Shiv Senas message served its purpose. The BJP state leadership told Rane not to contest the byelection this time. Rane spent nearly two hours with Fadnavis on November 25, but to no avail. Had he contested, Rane would have required 145 votes to get elected to the legislative council. The BJP and independent legislators supporting it could guarantee up to 136. He would have needed 10 to 12 more votesthus requiring cross-voting from the ranks of the Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP.

Rane, no doubt, is upset. But he has accepted the decision taken by the BJP leadership. He told a Marathi newspaper that he would have won had he contested, and claimed that many Congress and Shiv Sena legislators were in touch with him. With Rane out of the picture, the BJP managed to secure the Shiv Senas support for its candidate, Prasad Lad, an import from the NCP, who had an emphatic win (209 out of the total 288 votes).

When asked about Ranes future, a cabinet minister told THE WEEK that Rane would have to wait for some time to enter the cabinet. He pointed out that BJP allies like Mahadeo Jankar and Sadabhau Khot had to wait for a year or so to become ministers. Two months or six months, I dont know how long it will take for Rane to enter the cabinet, he said. Rane will have to work to show the presence of his party like Raj Thackeray did. All our allies waited but they eventually became ministers when the media was writing they wont.

The political circuit is abuzz with talk that Fadnavis is in no hurry to get Rane into the cabinet as he doesnt want to invite the Shiv Senas wrath. It is believed that it was for this reason that he was opposed to Ranes entry into the BJP. But Danve said he would be inducted as minister when the cabinet expansion took place.

A Congress leader felt that had Fadnavis really wanted Rane in the cabinet, there was no need to wait for cabinet expansion. It seems like it is going to be a long wait for Rane, and the Shiv Sena seems to be bent on making it longer, perhaps, even endless.
Pakistan denied that India crossed the Line of Control in response to cross-border fire, and said the "alleged cross LoC adventures" were a figment of New Delhi's imagination.

An Indian Army soldier stands guard at the Line of Control (File photo for representation: Reuters)

By Geeta Mohan: Pakistan has denied that India crossed the Line of Control during an operation on Monday, and said the "alleged cross LoC adventures" were a figment of New Delhi's imagination.

In an official statement, Islamabad admitted that three of its soldiers had been killed - and that one had been injured - in what it called an Indian ceasefire violation.

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Pakistan said its Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Dr. Mohammad Faisal, "summoned the Indian Acting Deputy High Commissioner and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian occupation forces in the Rakhchikri sector on the LoC, that provided a cover for the planting of IEDs by non-state actors."

India was given a "befitting response," the Pakistan government said in its statement.

"The false claims by India about the alleged cross LoC adventures are a figment of their imagination and counter-productive for peace and tranquility on the LoC," it said.

PAKISTAN WANTS D.G.M.O - LEVEL TALKS: SOURCES

Indian troops crossed the LoC and killed three Pakistani soldiers on Monday, two days after four jawans were martyred in cross-border fire.

Army troops crossed the Line of Control to plant an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Pakistan's Rawalkot sector. Pakistan's soldiers were killed during the exchange of fire that ensued.

Sources say Pakistan asked for DGMO-level (Director General of Military Operations) talks, and registered their complaint against the Indian Army's action.

Read more about India's cross-border operation here.

FULL TEXT OF ISLAMABAD'S STATEMENT

Here's the statement released by Pakistan.

The Director General (SA & SAARC), Dr. Mohammad Faisal summoned the Indian Acting Deputy High Commissioner and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian occupation forces in the Rakhchikri sector on the LoC, that provided a cover for the planting of IEDs by non-state actors, resulting in the shadadat of three soldiers and injuring another. He categorically rejected the Indian claims that there was any crossing of the LoC by the Indian forces. The Indian actions got a befitting response from the Pakistani side and their guns were silenced.

The false claims by India about the alleged cross LoC adventures are a figment of their imagination and counter-productive for peace and tranquility on the LoC.

The Director General urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC. He urged that the Indian side should permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

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(Inputs from Manjeet Negi)

WATCH | Indian Army avenges the killing of its soldiers by Pakistan

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The start of this race is not like a normal grid getting off the line.

There are no screaming engines, no wheel-spinning and no real noise apart from  of course  a 15-piece orchestra playing Abba.

Welcome to the start of the biennial Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

The most extreme road race on earth? Driving in lightweight cars with no air-con and skinny tyres, teams must overcome searing temperatures, unpredictable wildlife and the wake from 50-metre-long road trains

Ahead of the competitors lies the Stuart Highway, one of the most demanding of routes, even by Australias extreme standards.

Going from Darwin to Adelaide means covering 1,850 miles of highway where the 50m road trains are king, where drink-driving is common, and where temperatures can reach 50 degrees centigrade  inside the cabin of your zero-emissions vehicle.

When youre racing a solar-powered car, air con is one of the many luxuries youre going to have to do without.

But those competing arent simply the usual racers committed to do or die competition. The event director, Chris Selwood, explains the event.

The youngsters taking part are the bright young things of the world who are dedicated to doing something that makes a difference,' he says.

'The solar know-how we have gathered here is staggering. Its way beyond what any car manufacturer has ever utilised.

Obviously, the more funding a team can raise the better their chances but the rules are very strict. Every entry has to conform to set criteria before they even cross the start line.

The Arrow STF costs around 148,000 and has a top speed of 92mph

The route follows the notorious Stuart Highway, 1850 miles from Darwin to Adelaide, long considered Australias most dangerous and demanding road

The Arrow STF accelerates from a standstill to 60mph in an estimated 7 seconds and has a range of up to 248 miles - though only when travelling at cruising speed

There are various classes, from Challenger, where the single-seaters have big budgets and are racing to win, to Cruiser, where the aim is to focus on practicality and to carry more than one person.

Writer Jeremy Taylor had a stint behind the wheel of one of the Cruiser Class vehicles, the Arrow.

The car in more detail Name: Arrow STF (Sports Touring Framework) Price: 148,000 (est) Top speed: 92mph (est) 0-60mph: 7.0sec (est) Range: Up to 248 miles (at cruising speed) Motors: Twin motors and 7.5kWh lithium ion battery packs

The Arrow is seen as significant in that it might become commercially possible as the worlds first available solar car, with a price tag of about 148,000 when it comes to market in 2018.

Of course, a commercially available vehicle would have air conditioning, not the little toy fan that keeps falling over on the dashboard of the race vehicle.

The windows stay shut, to help with aerodynamics which are three times as efficient as a Tesla Model S.

Its stiflingly hot, with the carbonfibre vehicle being buffeted offline by the long road trains hurtling in the other direction. Its clearly going to be a long race, with the 480kg car keeping up a steady 45mph. Endurance is key.

Part of the skittishness is the tyres, specially moulded ultra-skinny tyres that do a great job of decreasing resistance, but less of a perfect job of aiding straight-line stability.

Jeremy Taylor (pictured) drove one leg of the route, struggling in extreme heat

Temperatures in the cabin can reach 50 degrees Celsius. With no air conditioning, it's far from the most comfortable drive

The digital dashboard is focused more on energy efficiency than anything else, as the car needs to be kept in a narrow band where the solar panels are providing enough energy to keep the car rolling at minimum expenditure of electricity.

The solar panels do a great job and are protected by Gorilla Glass, which is the same glass you have on your mobile phone.

The driver tries to keep momentum rolling, avoiding the brakes, freewheeling, coasting down hills and over crests. Its surprisingly difficult even to just keep a constant speed without the energy equation starting to go wrong.

The Adventure Class allows cars built for previous editions of the Challenge to run again but with new team members

The Cruiser Class encourages solar machines designed more for practicality and commercial use (left). The Challenger Class (right) is all about big-budget teams racing single-seat cars

The race was eventually won by Nuon, a Dutch team who made it three wins in a row

The race stops at 5pm each day. You might think this just because the suns rays are diminishing, but actually its also because of the danger of hitting kangaroos, which become much more active come sundown. Theyre big, heavy and fast, and the cars are small, light and slow. Joey wins.

By the time the stint is over Taylor has to be helped from the car, his helmet inner literally running with sweat, and with his watch strap having disintegrated in the heat. Reckon he needed a tinnie or two.

The race was eventually won by Nuon, a Dutch team who made it three wins in a row. Their car, Nuna 9, had the same drag efficiency as a single door mirror on a normal car.


Sir,



Not many people have heard about East Timor, a tiny nation in South East Asia which shares a border with its much larger neighbour, Indonesia.



East Timor was once a Portuguese colony which gained independence in 1975 along with most of Portugals former colonial empire. But just days after Portugals withdrawal from the country, Timor experienced a brutal military invasion from neighbouring Indonesia which resulted in the occupation of the country and the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent Timorese people.



The brutal occupation of Timor continued unchallenged for decades and even the tiny nations natural resources were being exploited by Indonesia and her powerful economic partners in the region. The tiny Timorese resistance movement (Fretilin) was no match against the massive Indonesian army which continued to receive military equipment from the arms-peddling nations without any hindrance.



Even though the former colonial power did try to pressure the UN to take action against Indonesia, it was not until the expose of the Dili massacre in November 1991 which started in a cemetery in the Timorese funeral for some of the Indonesian armys latest victims that the UN did finally pressure Indonesia enough to hold a referendum in the country where the vast majority of the Timorese people obviously voted in favour of self-determination.



While all of this was happening in East Timor, the worlds attention was focused on other pressing issues like the fight against apartheid, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and, of course, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There were never protests in the worlds major capitals against Indonesian aggression in Timor!



There were no intifadas and calls for boycotts of Indonesia. There were no calls for sanctions against Indonesia for human rights abuses in Timor. While the world has always been paying attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it turned a blind eye to the Timorese cause. And now that Donald Trump has declared that the US suddenly recognises Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel, many people around the world (even some from the Christian faith) have been reacting with outrage and have been very critical, particularly towards Israel, even though it is a known fact that Jerusalem was founded by the Jewish people whom the Almighty God himself led them to the Holy Land where Jerusalem is situated, and to where He promised to bring them back, as explained in Jeremiah 16: 14-15 in the Bible. What is being witnessed in Israel is the return of the rightful owners of the land as explained in the Bible and not an invasion and occupation of a country by foreigners from another country as was the case with East Timor, which the world chose to ignore.



Swazi Citizen
Madhya Pradesh's CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan's return to MP from Gujarat without attending Vijay Rupani's swearing-in ceremony has given rife to speculations over change of leadership in Madhya Pradesh.

By Hemender Sharma:

Speculations over change of leadership in Madhya Pradesh are doing the rounds in political circles after Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan returned to the state without attending the oath taking ceremony of Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

Chouhan left for Gujarat by the state plane early morning today but returned to Madhya Pradesh without attending the oath taking ceremony. He gave a bouquet of flower to the Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel at the venue where the oath taking ceremony was to take place and left for Madhya Pradesh even before the ceremony started.

Chouhan reached Guna in Madhya Pradesh around 2 pm and when questioned over why he did not attend the oath taking ceremony he said, "I had two important events in Kolaras and Mungawali so I took permission from National President Amit Shah and returned to MP."

By-elections are to be held in Kolaras in district Shivpuri and Mungawali in Ashok Nagar district and Chouhan is desperate to win these two seats after the BJP recently lost the Chitrakoot by-elections to the Congress.

According to the official programme released by the Chief Minister's office for Tuesday Chouhan was to leave for Ahmedabad from Bhopal at 8 am from where he was to leave to Gandhinagar Secretariat Ground, the venue of the oath taking ceremony, by road. He was to participate in the oath taking ceremony as per his official programme and leave for Guna from Ahmedabad at 12.50 pm.

Everything went as was mentioned in Chouhan's official programme but for the fact that he did not attend the oath taking ceremony that was attended by all top BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

CM's schedule

According to a BJP watcher, Chouhan's return to the state without attending a show case event of the BJP in Gujarat is not a normal happening. "Something is certainly cooking. Chouhan has been late for his events and rallies in the past by several hours so no one is going to buy the explanation that he was getting late for his MP events. Something did happen at the event venue that miffed Chouhan to such an extent that he left immediately," a top BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.

ALSO WATCH | Gujarat: New government under CM Rupani sworn in

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When Futera police was trying to save the accused, victim's family went to Kotwali police station where the rape case was registered.

By Hemender Sharma: A 17-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped and gangraped in Agara village in Madhya Pradesh's Damoh district during the intervening night of December 23 and 24.

The victim managed to get away from her captors and returned to her parents on Monday. However, police have just registered a rape case.

"The initial complaint was that of rape and we have registered a rape case. Now, a woman police officer will record the statement of the victim. And her statement would also be recorded before the magistrate. If a case of kidnapping and gang rape is made out, the same would be registered," said Additional Superintendent of Police, Damoh, Arvind Dubey while speaking to India Today.

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The victim's family has alleged that she was gangraped by Uday Singh and his friend Amit.

The victim according to them was lured into his house by Uday Singh who is the son of the village sarpanch, by saying that her mother was calling her. "At the Sarpanch's house, Uday's friend was also present and they both raped the minor," alleged victim's family.

The victim was confined inside the Sarpanch's house till Monday afternoon and could come out only after she promised that she would not complain to the police.

The victim's family first approached the Futera police check post and reached the Kotwali police station at the district headquarters on Tuesday morning, alleging that the Futera police was trying to save the accused.

Police on Tuesday claimed that the house of the main accused Uday Singh was raided soon after the victim reached the district headquarters. But he had already fled before their team reached the spot.

Recently, the Madhya Pradesh Assembly cleared a proposal to enact a law that seeks death penalty for those who are convicted of raping girls of age 12 or less.

The proposal is yet to receive presidential accent even though the state continues to stay at the top when it comes to rape and crime against women.

ALSO WATCH | Vizag horror: Pedestrians ignore while drunk man rapes mentally ill woman on footpath

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Ravena

Owners of the rebuilt Lafarge cement plant in Ravena are denying recent media reports that it could accept municipal waste from Connecticut as fuel to make cement.

Plant Manager Dave Fletcher said Tuesday that owners LaFargeHolcim have no plans with a California-based firm to take processed municipal waste from the area around Hartford, Conn., for use in its high-temperature cement kiln on Route 9W.

Fletcher said Lafarge officials had an "exploratory conversation" this summer with the California company, Mustang Renewable Power Ventures, but "in no way, shape or form" agreed to any aspect of the company's proposal.

Mustang is one of three companies seeking state approval to come up with a waste plan before the closing of an aging municipal incinerator near Hartford that now takes more than 880,000 tons of regional waste annually. State officials want to pick a plan by Dec. 31.

"There are no contracts, agreements, or plans for the Ravena plant to work with this company," wrote Fletcher, in a letter sent to town officials and published as an advertisement in Tuesday's Times Union. "And, in fact, we have determined that we will not be pursuing a relationship with Mustang Renewable Power Ventures in the future."

In filings this past summer to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Mustang indicated that LafargeHolcim had "indicated a willingness" to accept processed, shredded waste as fuel at its Ravena plant.

On Tuesday, Fletcher said thatLafargeHolcim had not indicated that to Mustang. Regardless, Mustang had told Connecticut officials that it was relying on Lafarge.

Mustang CEO John Dewey confirmed Tuesday that his company was "no longer in discussions with Lafarge about this opportunity." He declined further comment.

In November, the Connecticut DEEP released an update on the status of the three competing proposals, and described the Mustang plan as relying on the waste being "processed into a fuel product to be used at a cement kiln in New York State."

DEEP Communications Director Chris Collibee said the agency had not heard from Lafarge about its disavowal of involvement with Mustang's proposal.

He said whatever plan is picked by the state would have "local approvals, whenever necessary, for any activities conducted in other states ... we are taking all information before us into careful consideration before making a final decision."

Opponents to the would-be plan, including former regional U.S. Environmental Protection Regional Administrator Judith Enck, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy, and Ravena officials, are scheduled to hold a press conference on the issue at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Coeymans Town Hall on Russell Road.

Fletcher's letter also apologized for "any frustration that this has caused around the holidays ... we are upset as others about being named, without our consent, as a potential destination for these materials."

This summer, the company began using its new $300 million kiln system, which heats a mix of water, ground limestone, bauxite and iron ore to nearly 2,800 degrees to make material called "clinker," which is then ground into cement powder.

The new kiln, which is designed to emit less air pollution and use less water than the old kiln, was part of a 2010 agreement between Lafarge and state and federal officials.

Fletcher said the new kiln can run on natural gas, fuel oil, or coal, and does not have equipment to accept shredded municipal waste as fuel. He said the company would have to apply for an updated state air pollution permit should it seek to burn such waste.

The company has not applied for such an updated permit, said Fletcher, and has no plans to do so.

DEC confirmed that Lafarge has not sought any changes to its air pollution permit, adding that such a request "would require extensive environmental and permit review."
Albany

After an appeal from the state, a company controlled by billionaire investor Warren Buffett is removing its oil tanker railroad cars from storage on a line in the Adirondacks.

The Union Tank Car Co. on Tuesday ordered that 65 of its tankers now being stored on the Saratoga and North Creek Railway line be removed by the middle of next month. The cars were being stored there for a fee by the line's owner, Chicago-based Iowa Pacific Holdings.

"As we have previously explained, all railcar owners store idle railcars from time to time until they can be returned to active service," said William Constantino, general manager for leasing at Union Tank Car Co. "We select the storage provider, but not the precise storage location. We regret the railroad's decision to place some of our railcars in the Adirondack Park, which raised public concern about their effect on the park's beauty and environment."

Constantino continued, "We are acting to remove all Union Tank Car units from the Adirondack Park as soon as possible, relocate them to other areas outside the state of New York until they are returned to service, and ensure none of our cars are stored in the Adirondack Park in the future."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who wrote to Buffett this month urging the tankers be removed, thanked the billionaire investor for his "fast response." Union Tank Car Company and its Canadian affiliate, Procor Limited, are subsidiaries of Marmon Holdings, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company, which is controlled by Buffett.

"To me, this is not even a close call," said the governor. Last week, Gov. Cuomo moved to get the cars removed and seize control of the rail line from Iowa Pacific Holdings. The governor had the state Department of Environmental Conservation ask the federal Surface Transportation Board to rule that Iowa Pacific Holdings has legally abandoned the line for the allowed purpose of freight hauling.

Such a ruling could allow the state to retake possession of the 30-mile line, which runs from Tahawus in the Adirondacks High Peaks to North Creek in Warren County.

Asked whether the tankers' removal would affect the state's request to the federal government, the governor would remain "on guard" and wait to see if Iowa Pacific attempts to bring in other tankers. "We are prepared to exhaust all legal options to end this practice and keep the constitutionally protected Adirondacks forever wild," he added.

This fall, Iowa Pacific started accepting obsolete DOT-111 oil tanker cars for storage as part of plans to lease enough track space to store 2,000 cars or more. That many cars could stretch for 20 miles if stored end-to-end.

An Adirondack conservation group also praised Buffett's action. "Union Tank Car Co. has shown that it will defend the environmental values of the Adirondack Park, something Iowa Pacific Holdings has shown it is willing to trample to make a buck," said Peter Bauer, executive director of Protect the Adirondacks.
Saratoga Springs

A crackdown on foreign workers that was part of President Donald Trump's promise to rid the U.S. of undocumented immigrants triggered backlash in Saratoga Springs, where the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement gathered up 36 men from Mexico and Guatemala.

The immigrants, many of them restaurant workers, were transported off to a federal detention facility in Genesee County where they were expected to face deportation charges.

The initiative, in a city that often relies on immigrant workers for difficult seasonal jobs, including backstretch work at the Saratoga Race Course, sparked outrage among residents and elected officials.

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Mayor Joanne Yepsen created a Human Rights Task Force that hosted a forum at Skidmore College and sought ways to push back against the crackdown. Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church opened a sanctuary for an undocumented family. City Judge Jeffrey Wait also fell into the fray when he refused to let ICE into his courtroom to arrest a 21-year-old Mexican on a minor charge.

The arrests, which began in early June, especially generated fear for the track's hundreds of backstretch workers. But ICE spared undocumented grooms and hot walkers at the Saratoga Race Course. But as soon as the meet was over, ICE resumed arresting restaurant workers in the city.

"Unless they are violent criminals, I don't understand it," Yepsen said last fall.

It wasn't just restaurant workers. Local dairy farm immigrant workers have disappeared too, leaving herds of cows lacking caretakers.

ICE spokesman Khaalid Walls confirmed more arrests should be expected.

"All recent enforcement operations in this region are a part of routine, daily targeted operations conducted by ICE here and around the country every day, targeting criminal aliens and other immigration violators. These efforts will continue," Walls said.

Yepsen, at the end of her tenure as mayor, remains concerned.

"We have to resolve the issue because this is chipping away at our city's ability to be super successful, which is what Saratoga Springs is known for," Yepsen said.
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Albany

Livestock farmers in the Capital Region and across the state will get an average of more than $350,000 each from the state to help keep manure and other farm wastes from fouling creeks, streams and rivers.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced $20 million in grants will be made to 56 farm owners in the state, including nine farms in four counties in the Capital Region as part of his $2.5 billion, 10-year statewide clean water initiative.

Covering a combined 77,700 acres, these farms contain a total of 103,000 head of dairy or beef cattle, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. That is 7 percent of the 1.4 million head of cattle that were in the state in 2012, according to federal agricultural statistics.

An average cow produces between 7 tons and 21 tons of manure a year, depending on the animal's age. The state grant projects are aimed at keeping between 700,000 and 2.1 million tons of manure a year out of state waterways.

The money through the state Department of Agriculture and Markets will pay for projects "that will allow livestock farms to better manage and store nutrients, such as manure, to protect ground water and nearby waterways," according to a statement from the governor's press office.

The program will pay for 75 percent of the cost of a project, with the landowner required to cover the balance, according to department spokeswoman Lisa Koumjian.

"We received more applications than we were able to fund through the first round of this program, which shows the strong commitment of our livestock operations to environmental stewardship," said Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball. The state will offer another round of funding, he said.

The farm industry welcomed the grants, said New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher. "The cost sharing assistance provides more flexibility on farms to manage nutrients, which helps protect water quality for all New Yorkers," he said.

He said the state-subsidized projects are necessary to help farmers meet tougher waste management regulations on large farms that are classified as combined animal feeding operations.

The state has more than 500 CAFO farms, most of which are dairy farms with 300 or more cows. CAFOs can also include beef, poultry and horse farms.
Troy

The state attorney general's office will issue a report soon detailing its findings from a year-long investigation into the April 2016 shooting of an unarmed black motorist by a Troy police officer.

The report will highlight any missteps from the incident, including the police investigation that followed. Court records indicate the attorney general's report may also list recommendations for "systemic reforms" related to the fatal shooting of Edson Thevenin, 37, who was killed after he fled a DWI traffic stop.

The attorney general's investigation led to the indictment last month of Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel E. Abelove, who was charged with felony perjury and two misdemeanor counts of official misconduct related to his controversial decision to rush the case before a grand jury that cleared the police officer who fired the fatal shots. Abelove is accused of withholding evidence from the grand jury.

Thevenin's widow, Cinthia, filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Troy and Sgt. Randall French, who fatally shot her husband. The attorney general's office hired Precision Simulations, a forensic investigation firm from California, to reconstruct the shooting scene. A report from the company will be turned over to the city of Troy, and attorneys for Thevenin and Abelove, next month.

The Times Union reported last year that Abelove did not subpoena two civilian witnesses who were at the scene of the shooting and who told investigators they did not believe the officer was in imminent danger when he opened fire on the motorist. Police officials said French's legs were pinned between his police cruiser and Thevenin's moving sedan when he opened fire.

The criminal charges against Abelove did not undo the grand jury investigation that cleared French of wrongdoing and there is indication that the attorney general's office will seek to unravel that proceeding. French, who has returned to active duty, was allowed by Abelove to testify without an immunity waiver, which means he could not have faced criminal consequences no matter what the panel decided.

The prosecution of Abelove, who has said he will remain in office and fight the charges, marks the first time a district attorney has faced criminal charges as a result of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's 2015 executive order empowering Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office to intervene in cases where unarmed civilians are killed by police.

Abelove was an outspoken critic of the governor's order and vowed that he would not follow it.

Schneiderman, in a statement following Abelove's indictment, said the district attorney's actions "violated the law and undermined a criminal investigation."

blyons@timesunion.com  518-454-5547  @brendan_lyonstu
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ALBANY  Starting next year, parents in the Albany City School District may finally be able to see where their children are when the school bus is running late.

District officials confirmed last week that a new bus-tracking GPS app will roll out at four schools starting after the holiday break, more than a week after members of the school board expressed frustration with the bus vendor that development of the app had taken so long.

"If I can track an Uber driver through a free app on my phone, they should be able to do this," said board member Sridar Chittur. "I don't care who they have to hire, but they should be able to do it."

The board is eager to get the app up and running  especially for parents of the district's youngest students, who have complained for over a year about late bus arrival times and a lack of communication from the district when buses are behind schedule.

While middle and high school students ride CDTA buses to get to and from school, more than 3,200 elementary school students are transported on yellow school buses around the district. Hoping to address chronically late arrival times, the district allowed its yellow-bus contract with Durham School Services to expire over the summer and executed a new contract with First Student, a Cincinnati-based company that has local offices in Glenmont.

As part of the $7 million one-year contract, the district was promised access to a GPS-based app that would allow principals and parents to track their students' school buses. But at a board meeting earlier this month, transportation director Denise Towne told board members that the app was still in beta testing and wouldn't be available to principals until the start of the new year.

"Parents need to know where their children are," said Anne Savage, vice president of the board. "We had that (problem) with Durham. We promised parents when we switched to First Student that things would get better, but they have gotten demonstrably worse."

"When a child is an hour late, which does still happen, and the parent cannot know where that child is  that is unacceptable, especially when it was promised as part of the contract we are paying for," she continued.

First Student did not respond to requests for comment.

District spokesman Ron Lesko said last week that the app is now scheduled to roll out to four schools starting in January, with full implementation across all schools that rely on yellow-bus service by April 1.

Principals will have access first, and then it will expand to parents. Both principals and parents should receive a notification when one of their students is dropped off at their destination.

Board members are also hoping they can start tracking average route lengths, durations and late arrivals through the software in order to assess whether service improves over time.

School districts locally and nationwide are currently dealing with a shortage of school bus drivers.

First Student pays a competitive $20-an-hour rate, as well as a sign-on bonus of up to $1,000, Towne said. But the lengthy training, split shifts and lack of benefits that come with the job make it difficult to recruit enough drivers, she added.

In turn, the lack of drivers has limited districts' ability to add bus runs and cut down on lengthy routes, contributing to late arrival times, she said.

A number of bus drivers currently servicing the district have been called in from other areas of the state and are being put up in hotel rooms while First Students works to recruit locally, Towne said.

"Not just anybody walking in off the street can become a school bus driver," she said. "There's a lot of training and certifications and a lot that goes into it. It's a hard job."

Anyone interested in becoming a bus driver for First Student can apply online at apply.firstgroupcareers.com or call 518-445-6372.
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Since 2015, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has been in a pitched battle with ExxonMobil: The state's top law enforcement official is probing whether the company lied to its investors concerning how climate change could harm the oil business.

It turns out that Schneiderman, in fact, is among those investors.

According to Schneiderman's most recent financial disclosure form, for 2016, he owned between $50,000 to $75,000 in Vanguard Energy ETF. As of the end of November, ExxonMobil was the fund's biggest holding, according to Vanguard's website, followed by others giants such as Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Halliburton.

Schneiderman  who recently also called for a state "carbon tax" is not the only New York lawmaker with personal money in the oil and gas business, while at times being at odds with it. Several lawmakers who have signed onto a bill that would force Comptroller Tom DiNapoli to divest from the 200 oil and gas and coal companies with the largest reserves, themselves have investments in either those companies, or companies that are known serious polluters.

The issue of divestment has come to the fore because Gov. Andrew Cuomo called earlier this month for DiNapolli  the sole trustee of the state's $201 billion pension fund  to stop all significant fossil fuel investments. DiNapoli has said he has no immediate plans to do so but would work with Cuomo on ways to contribute to the low-carbon economy.

Schneiderman's financial disclosure form for 2015 did not list an investment in Vanguard Energy ETF, but did for 2016.

A Schneiderman spokeswoman, Amy Spitalnick, said that only .66 percent of Schneiderman's overall portfolio was in Exxon.

"This holding is a minute portion of a diverse portfolio managed exclusively by his outside financial adviser," she said. "The AG does not invest directly in any specific stocks and like any investor, has no say in the publicly listed companies that routinely move in and out of his mutual funds."

Spitalnick also noted it's possible for Schneiderman to investigate potential fraud by ExxonMobil and support a transition to renewable energy without opposing the very existence of an entire industry.

Meanwhile, the state Senate sponsor of the bill to ban DiNapoli from investing in the 200 fossil fuel companies, Manhattan state Sen. Liz Krueger, has stock in one of the country's biggest polluters.

The $75,000 to $100,000 investment is in Berkshire Hathaway, the multinational conglomerate holding company run by Warren Buffett. While the company has a wide range of holdings ranging from GEICO to Coca-Cola, environmentalists have slammed the company for allegedly fueling global warming.

For instance, in 2009, Buffett purchased Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad, the nation's top hauler of coal. The Political Economy Research Institute found in 2016 that Berkshire was the sixth biggest air polluter  two spots ahead of Koch Industries.

In an interview, Krueger said she had been unaware of those activities  and that she would speak to her husband about possibly of selling the investment. At the same time, Krueger noted that the holding company is not on the list of the 200 gas or oil and coal companies from which she wants the state to divest. That list is based on a list called the Carbon Underground 200, which looks at available reserves.

Unlike Berkshire, these companies do not have diverse portfolios, she said, and therefore would be unable to get out of the oil and gas or coal businesses.

Krueger also said there was a difference between a lawmaker's private investments versus making public policy for state pension holders.

"I do not accept the argument my proposal hurts the New York State pension fund at all," Krueger said, noting that it would touch only a small percent of overall pension fund investment.

A fellow Senate Democrat and co-sponsor of the fossil fuel divestment bill, Brooklyn's Velmanette Montgomery, in 2016 held between $5,000 and $20,000 in stock in ConocoPhillips stock. That is among the 200 companies in which the bill would force divestment. She also owned between $20,000 and $50,000 in Berkshire Hathaway. Her office did not respond to a request for comment.

And Brooklyn Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon  an Assembly sponsor of the same bill  owns $5,000 in Anadarko Petroleum, $5,000 in Chevron and $2,300 in National Fuel  all of which would be banned under the divestment law. She did not respond to a request for comment.
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Vatican City

Lamenting "the winds of war" blowing around the world, Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message on Monday called for a two-state solution to find peace in the Middle East and prayed that confrontation can be overcome on the Korean Peninsula.

The pope took particular aim at areas of global tension where President Donald Trump is playing a critical role. Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital has ignited new violence in the Middle East, while confrontation with North Korea over its nuclear tests has escalated tensions in Asia.

"The winds of war are blowing in our world and an outdated model of development continues to produce human, societal and environmental decline," the pope said in his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" ("to the city and to the world") Christmas message and blessing from the central balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square. About 50,000 faithful packed the square.

As Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, the pope depicted suffering reflected "in the faces of little children," citing war and other tensions in the Middle East and Africa.

He asked for peace for Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and prayed "that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two states within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders."

Francis also prayed for an end to confrontation on the Korean Peninsula and that "mutual trust may increase."

The Christmas message has become an occasion for popes to survey suffering in the world and press for solutions. Francis urged that "our hearts not be closed" as the inns of Bethlehem were to Mary and Joseph before Jesus' birth.

The pontiff lamented that Syria remains "marked by war," that Iraq has been "wounded and torn" by fighting over the last 15 years and that ongoing conflict in Yemen "has been largely forgotten."

The pontiff also recalled children who risk their lives at the hands of human traffickers to migrate to safer lands.
Cutoff in supplies have lead many outlets of McDonald's in east India to close, the suit follows in north too.

McDonald's outlets in East closing, many in North soon to close too

By Press Trust of India: McDonald's estranged joint venture partner Vikram Bakshi today said nearly all outlets of the fast-food chain in east India have been shut and several others in the north are on the verge of close down due to discontinuation of supplies by its logistics partner.

All in all there are 80 outlets that have been hit by this cutoff in supplies by Radhakrishna Foodland, a move which is seen as a fallout of the ongoing spat between the fast food major and Bakshi.

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"Almost all the outlets in east India have been shut because of the move by logistics partner, and others (in north India) are also under pressure due to supply crunch," Bakshi told PTI, adding that a total of over 80 outlets are suffering currently considering the limited stock each outlet has.

In a letter dated December 20, Radhakrishna Foodland Pvt Ltd wrote to CPRL, the 50:50 JV between Bakshi and McDonalds India, saying it is discontinuing the supply chain services due to reduction in volume and uncertainty of the future, among others as also non-payment of certain additional amount.

A copy of the letter has been seen by PTI.

The otherwise massive business in the festive season for McDonald's is set to see a huge blip which will hit the food chains revenue.

"Our long standing logistics vendor Radhakrishna Foodland allegedly in collusion with McDonald's corporation and their wholly owned subsidiary McDonald's India Pvt Ltd....has decided to hold back stock paid for approximately Rs 10 crore by us," Bakshi said in a letter to the landlords and developers of his outlets.

He further wrote: "While the American company and its subsidiary, MIPL, may have with their usual mala fide and malicious actions managed to give CPRL a temporary business setback at the end of the year and during this high sale festive season, yet we have made and are making alternative arrangements and shall be back to serve our customers very soon."

Bakshi has been at loggerheads with the fast food chain over the management of CPRL after he was ousted from the post of MD of the McDonald's franchisee in August 2013. McDonald's India in August terminated the franchise agreement and had asked CPRL not to use its brand system, trademark, designs and its associated intellectual property, among others.

Bakshi had moved the NCLT following termination of the licence by McDonald's India Pvt Ltd (MIPL).

When contacted, a McDonald's India spokesperson said: "We were informed that their vendors have stopped delivering supplies...This is between CPRL and their vendors, not MIPL.

--- ENDS ---

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The Christmas news is bleak for regular New Yorkers and even more so for the political class. The awful consequences of the Republican tax bill overwhelm holiday season optimism and the comfort of passing from an old year to a new one.

The short-term effects will land hard on most taxpayers for reasons widely reported. The savaging of SALT deductibility, and the loss of countless other provisions of the tax code that benefited New York are real. But the horrific impact on cherished state programs and policies is just peeking its head above the horizon.

For state lawmakers, the longer term policy effects can only be guessed at. Take the MTA funding hoo-hah. Does Gov. Andrew Cuomo really want to add to the fiscal weight on middle income city and suburban taxpayers by adding a congestion pricing fee that can't be deducted? Does this hurt or help New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's millionaire's tax? What about the intriguing state Senate Democrats' proposal to sock absentee foreign real estate owners?

What happens to state funding for public schools? Our existing system raises income tax revenue from wealthy downstaters and sends it to upstate communities, already a sore point politically. Will those taxpayers, now losing their deduction for gargantuan school property tax bills, begin to revolt? It goes on and on.

And for political junkies, what does this do to 2018? Can Cuomo sustain his leftward lurch without the room to increase spending? Can Republican state senators survive the looming Democratic tidal wave? Can Republican members of Congress explain all this away? Will there be any Republican willing to take on Cuomo when the momentum is so one-sided?

There's almost no time to think yourself through these problems. Both the State of the State and the executive budget arrive within days. Cuomo has to come to the table with only the sketchiest grasp on the policy and political realities. He's done his best work when he had control of events. That's impossible right now.

The smart political move for the governor and the Legislature is to scale back dramatically. Less is more. It's not courageous and it may not be good government, but the person who first pokes his or her little head into the firing zone will be the easiest target.

Here's unsolicited advice:

 Governor, pull back on as much as you can. No soaring rhetoric, no new programs, taxes and fees.

 Senate Democrats, postpone unification until after the election. Odds are you will win enough regular Democratic seats in November to end the split in the chamber, and won't need to beg Cuomo to help you out.

Sign up for the Observation Deck newsletter Read the latest Times Union opinion, perspective and letters to the editor on Mondays by signing up for our Observation Deck newsletter.

 Assembly Democrats, look homeward first. District and regional pressures need attention.

 Republicans, test the power of prayer. The handwriting is on the wall. Read it and plan for the worst.

So far this column has avoided one word: Trump. For those of you who thought the nation needed a disrupter, you've gotten your wish. Government, in Washington and New York, has been disrupted. Trump has done it. And we're left to live in, and try to clean up, the mess.

Richard Brodsky is a former state Assembly member.
[December 26, 2017] NANOBIOTIX : 2017 review and 2018 expected milestones

Nanobiotix: 2017 review and 2018 expected milestones Paris, France and Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, December 26, 2017 - NANOBIOTIX (Euronext: NANO - ISIN: FR0011341205), a late clinical-stage nanomedicine company pioneering novel approaches for the local treatment of cancer, today provides a recap of its activities and achievements in 2017 and an overview of its anticipated 2018 milestones. Strong news flow anticipated for 2018

Acceleration and expansion of clinical development

First data showing strong potential of NBTXR3 lead product in high risk elderly H&N patients

Progress in first European market approval but notified body requests more time to finalize technical evaluation

Completion of recruitment of Soft Tissue Sarcoma PII/III

Structuration of company to become a fully integrated pharma company

52M raised with two private placements

From first data in new immuno-oncology program to FDA approval to start a first clinical trial combining NBTXR3 and anti-PD1 antibody I - 2017 Review Regulatory and premarket activities CE mark progress, December update

Nanobiotix, in accordance with the notified body for medical devices (LNE/G-MED), has followed a pathway for CE marking that involves two steps within Annex II: The conformity of the full quality assurance system and the product technical file. As part of the Annex II process, LNE/G-MED audited Nanobiotix in October 2017 regarding the design, development, manufacturing and commercialization of the product. No major findings were identified by the auditors, which presumably puts the Company in a good position to obtain Annex II. Regarding the technical file, LNE/G-MED recently informed us they would need a few more months to finalize the evaluation required for CE marking. Medical Affairs activities

Nanobiotix establihed in the second half of 2017 a strong international team of experienced medical science liaison officers to support the dissemination of knowledge and the use of NBTXR3 within the international medical community prior to approval. To support these developments, Nanobiotix recently opened two new affiliates in Europe, in Germany and in Spain. Nanobiotix opens new manufacturing facility

In November 2017, Nanobiotix expanded its manufacturing capabilities to increase its production capacities for the commercial launch and clinical trials needs. This new facility is located in the Villejuif BioPark, a scientific research and innovation center just outside of Paris, France. The new facility will supplement the existing capacities. NBTXR3's development Soft Tissue Sarcoma (STS) Phase II/III, "Act.In.Sarc" pivotal trial (www.actinsarc.com) March 2017, positive interim analysis: pre-planned interim analysis was based on the results of two-thirds of the patients included - 104 out of a total of 156 patients were analyzed. Based on the available safety and efficacy data, the Independent Data Monitoring Committee recommended the continuation of the ongoing Phase II/III trial of NBTXR3 in soft tissue sarcoma. October 2017: Nanobiotix completed patient inclusion for the Phase II/III trial. The Company expects to present the results of this trial in Q2 2018. Phase I/II head and neck trial in high risk elderly patients June 2017: Nanobiotix presented first results from its Phase I/II head and neck cancer trial with NBTXR3 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO) annual meeting. Good safety and promising signs of efficacy and long-term control: The results showed a very good safety profile for NBTXR3 with no Adverse Events (AEs) and no Serious Adverse Events (SAEs) in frail elderly patients with stage III/IV cancer, seven out of nine patients achieved a Complete Response at a 10% dose level or more. Patient follow-up showed a potential impact on long-term disease control. July 2017, in light of the promising results, Nanobiotix filed a protocol amendment to include 44 additional patients. Up to 15 additional sites in Europe would be added for this expansion phase. November 2017 Prof. Christophe Le Tourneau, the trial's Principal Investigator, presented an update during the Trends in Head and Neck Oncology conference (THNO), with a patient median follow up of 14.2 months, confirming the potential impat of NBTXR3 on the long-term response of the treatment.



Immuno-oncology Program Preclinical data presented at three major international conferences in 2017 demonstrating that NBTXR3 activated by radiotherapy could generate an adaptive antitumor immune response, turning "cold" tumors in "hot" tumors: American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2017, Washington D.C

" Immunotherapy workshop - Incorporating Radiation Oncology into Immunotherapy " co-sponsored by the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), Bethesda

" co-sponsored by the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), Bethesda Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Annual Meeting, National Harbor

November 2017, first human data presented at SITC showing that NBTXR3 could transform a cold tumor into a hot tumor in Soft Tissue Sarcoma. In November, Nanobiotix presented new clinical data confirming NBTXR3's significant potential role in immuno-oncology at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Annual Meeting. These data showed the potential of NBTXR3 to transform "cold" tumors into "hot" tumors. They showed that NBTXR3 activated by radiotherapy induces a different and significant adaptive immune pattern versus radiotherapy in patients with soft tissue sarcoma. These clinical and preclinical data indicate that NBTXR3 could play a key role in immuno-oncology. December 2017: FDA approved Nanobiotix' IND application for a study of NBTXR3 activated by Radiotherapy in combination with anti-PD1 antibody in lung, and head and neck cancer patients Nanobiotix will start in Q2 2018 a new phase I/II clinical trial with NBTXR3 activated by radiotherapy in combination with anti-PD1 antibody in the U.S. The multi-arm trial will include locoregional recurrent and/or metastatic lung, and head and neck cancer patients that are either anti-PD1 naive or non responders at 12 weeks. The phase II portion of the trial will investigate the potential of NBTXR3 to transform anti-PD1 non-responders into responders and increase responses of anti-PD1 antibody in locoregional recurrent HNSCC amenable to re-irradiation. Corporate and financial events Nanobiotix appointed senior executive from pharmaceutical industry, as Chief Operating Officer At the beginning of 2017, Nanobiotix appointed Alain Dostie, an oncology industry veteran from the pharmaceutical industry, as Chief Operating Officer to oversee NBTXR3 product development and commercialization. 52M raised with two private placements

Nanobiotix realized two private placements in order to support the acceleration and the expansion of the development and commercialization plan and to expend its financial visibility. These operations opened the opportunity for Nanobiotix to welcome new European and U.S. qualified biotech investors. The cumulated amount of money raised is about 52.3 M. II - 2018 Forthcoming news flow: selected milestones 2018 should be another year of growth for Nanobiotix with multiple new and ongoing projects! First presentation of liver Phase I/II trial data (primary and metastasis) to be presented at ASCO-GI

First patient recruitment in Phase I/II clinical trial in the US looking at the potential of NBTXR3 to transform anti-PD1 non responders into responders. The multi-arm trial will include recurrent and/or metastatic lung, and head & neck cancer patients

Presentation of the results of Phase II/III STS, after last patient has been treated and the analysis is complete

First market approval in Europe, CE marking

Interim update from Phase I/II head and neck cancer trial with high risk elderly patients

Additional news on other clinical trials and programs *** About NBTXR3 NBTXR3 is an injectable aqueous suspension of hafnium oxide nanoparticles designed as an innovative therapeutic agent for the treatment of solid tumors, currently in clinical development by Nanobiotix. Once injected intratumorally, NBTXR3 can deposit high energy within tumors only when activated by an ionizing radiation source, notably radiotherapy. Upon activation, the high energy radiation is physically designed to kill the tumor cells by triggering DNA damage and cell destruction and improve clinical outcomes. Promising results indicate that NBTXR3 activity could be applicable across solid tumors triggering immunogenic cell death, leading to an immune response, reinforcing a local and potentially systemic effect, and contributing to transform "cold" tumors into "hot" tumors. NBTXR3's major characteristics are represented by a high degree of biocompatibility, one single administration before and during the whole therapy and the ability to fit into current standards of radiotherapy care. NBTXR3 entered clinical development in 2011 in a Phase I/II with patients suffering from advanced soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities and is currently in the final stages of its subsequent phase II/III. In parallel, it is currently being tested in numerous Phase I/II clinical trials with patients suffering from locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity or oropharynx (head and neck), liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastasis), locally advanced or unresectable rectal cancer in combination with chemotherapy, head and neck cancer in combination with concurrent chemotherapy, and prostate adenocarcinoma. About NANOBIOTIX: www.nanobiotix.com Nanobiotix (Euronext: NANO / ISIN: FR0011341205) is a late clinical-stage nanomedicine company pioneering novel approaches to the treatment of cancer. The Company's first-in-class, proprietary technology, NanoXray, enhances radiotherapy energy with a view to providing a new, more efficient treatment for cancer patients. NanoXray products are compatible with current radiotherapy treatments and are meant to treat potentially a wide variety of solid tumors including soft tissue sarcoma, head and neck cancers, liver cancers, prostate cancer, breast cancer, glioblastoma, etc., via multiple routes of administration. NBTXR3 is being evaluated in: soft tissue sarcoma (STS), head and neck cancers, prostate cancer, and liver cancers (primary and metastases). Additionally, head and neck cancer and rectal cancer trials led by Nanobiotix's Taiwanese partner, PharmaEngine, are underway in the Asia Pacific region. The Company is also running research programs in immuno-oncology, with its lead product NBTXR3, which could have the potential to bring a new dimension to cancer immunotherapies. Nanobiotix is listed on the regulated market of Euronext in Paris (ISIN: FR0011341205, Euronext ticker: NANO, Bloomberg: NANO: FP). The Company's Headquarters are based in Paris, France, with a U.S. affiliate in Cambridge, MA. Contact Nanobiotix



Sarah Gaubert

Director, Communications & Public Affairs

+33 (0)1 40 26 07 55

[email protected] /

[email protected]







Noel Kurdi

Director, Investor Relations

+1 (646) 241-4400

[email protected] / [email protected] Media relations



France - Springbok Consultants

Marina Rosoff

+33 (0)6 71 58 00 34

[email protected]



United States - RooneyPartners

Marion Janic

+1 (212) 223-4017

[email protected] Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Nanobiotix and its business. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that Nanobiotix considers to be reasonable. However, there can be no assurance that the estimates contained in such forward-looking statements will be verified, which estimates are subject to numerous risks including the risks set forth in the update of the reference document of Nanobiotix filed with the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorite des Marches Financiers) under number D.16-0732-A01 on December 27, 2016 (a copy of which is available on www.nanobiotix.com) and to the development of economic conditions, financial markets and the markets in which Nanobiotix operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks not yet known to Nanobiotix or not currently considered material by Nanobiotix. The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause actual results, financial conditions, performance or achievements of Nanobiotix to be materially different from such forward-looking statements. This press release and the information that it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe for, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for, Nanobiotix shares in any country.

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[December 26, 2017] Huntkey Releases a New Model of USB Charging Station - the SmartU Plus

SHENZHEN, China, Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntkey, a global leading provider of power solutions, has released its new product - the SmartU Plus, a reliable USB charging station able to intelligently and fastly charge six devices at the same time. The Huntkey SmartU Plus:

https://en.huntkey.com/product/smartu-upgraded/ The SmartU Plus is built with six USB ports for charging multiple USB-powered devices, such as smart phones, tablets, power banks, smart watches and media players. To sufficiently meet the increasing charging needs, Huntkey has developed the SmartU Plus which is perceived as a perfect solution that can not only intelligently, fastly, but also energy-efficiently and elegantly charge six devices simultaneously. Like the SmartU, the SmartU Plus features Chinese ink brush holder design. It is capable of decluttering charging cables to reduce multiple outlet needs to a single outlet, and it is highly compatible, meaning that it can charge a wide range of electronic devices besides smart phones.







Specifications Model SmartU SmartU Plus Number of USB Ports 4 6 Number of Micro-USB Cables 2 0 Input 100~240V, 50Hz/60Hz 1.0A 100~240V, 50Hz/60Hz 1.0A Output 5V 8A in total 5V 8A in total Each USB Port Output 5V 2.4A Max 5V 2.4A Max Length of Micro-USB Cables (built-in) 16cm / 6.3inch N Length of AC Power Cord 100cm / 39inch 100cm / 39inch Safety Standard CE, UL, C-Tick ETL, RCM, CE, FCC, GS, CB

For more product information, please visit https://en.huntkey.com/ About Huntkey Huntkey Group, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Shenzhen, is a member of The International Power Supply Manufacturer's Association (PSMA) and a member of The China Power Supply Society (CPSS). With branch companies in the USA, Japan and other areas, and cooperating factories in Brazil, Argentina, India and other countries, Huntkey has specialized in the development, design, and manufacturing of PC power supplies, industrial power supplies, surge protectors, adapters and chargers for many years. With its own technologies and manufacturing strength, Huntkey has served Lenovo, Huawei, Haier, DELL, ZTE, Bestbuy and many other large enterprises for years, and has received unanimous recognition and trust from many customers. Media contact: Homer

Phone: +86-755-8960-6545 / +86-137-6337-3238

Email: [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/huntkey-releases-a-new-model-of-usb-charging-station---the-smartu-plus-300575249.html SOURCE Huntkey Enterprise Group

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[December 26, 2017] India Globalization Capital to use Blockchain to Address Issues Specific to the Medical Cannabis Industry

BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 26, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- India Globalization Capital, Inc. (NYSE American:IGC), today announces that it will leverage its existing team of technology and healthcare experts to develop methods utilizing blockchain in areas such as product identification assurance (PIA). According to a recent study that was published in JAMA and detailed on www.pennmedicine.org, nearly 70% of all cannabidiol products sold online are either over or under labeled.

We understand the unique challenges facing the cannabis industry and believe that our team has the expertise to be the first to create meaningful solutions to address these issues using distributed ledgers inherent in blockchain technology. As we work to develop blockchain in the rollout of Hyalolex, our goal would be to establish a universal cannabis platform applicable to solving multiple industry challenges facing dispensaries and consumers. This would include addressing issues such as transactional difficulties, inadequate product labeling, product identification assurance (PIA) and product origin assurance, stated Ram Mukunda, CEO. Hyalolex Liquid Formulation As previously reported, IGC has a two-part strategy for cmmercializing its lead product, Hyalolex. It is anticipated that in 2018, subject to adequate funding, to move the Alzheimers formulation through FDA registered pre-clinical and clinical trials. Independent of the FDA process, IGC expects to license its formulation technology for distribution as a Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) through licensed medical cannabis dispensaries in key markets of the U.S. This process will include state-by-state sourcing, formula assembly, packaging and distribution utilizing best practices to ensure quality control while complying with the current legal guidelines established by each individual state in which Hyalolex is sold. Medical cannabis is currently legal in 29 states and in Washington, D.C. IGC has identified dispensaries in Washington, D.C. and Maryland as initial distribution sites to launch the product once final inventory is secured. This is expected to occur in early 2018 with subsequent expansion into additional U.S. states dependent on product procurement and associated compliance achievement.



Alzheimers patients suffer from a host of end points including caregiver distress, agitation, and sleep disorders. The hallmarks of Alzheimers include anxiety, dementia, plaques and tangles. Hyalolex, has been shown to decrease plaques, decrease tangles, and control anxiety and help with sleep disorders among other end points thorough a patent pending pathway. Based on these and other studies we expect to bring IGC-AD1 to market in early 2018, with the hope of bringing much needed relief to Alzheimers patients. About IGC

The Company has two lines of businesses, a legacy infrastructure business and a cannabis pharmaceutical business that has developed a lead product for treating Alzheimers patients. The company is based in Maryland, USA. For more information please visit www.igcinc.us

Follow us on Twitter @IGCIR and Facebook.com/IGCIR/ Forward-looking Statements Please see forward-looking statements and risk factors as discussed in detail in IGC's Form 10K for fiscal year ended March 31, 2017, and in other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact

Claudia Grimaldi

301-983-0998

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[December 26, 2017] Vainu: Less Than Half of U.S. Companies Providing SaaS Use Marketing Automation

NEW YORK, Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Many U.S. companies offering software as a service (SaaS) may be missing out when it comes to how they market their software. That's according to just-published findings from sales intelligence platform Vainu. Using its expansive database, Vainu analyzed more than 20,000 U.S. companies that provide a SaaS offering to determine how these companies market and sell their services online. Through its platform that uses machine learning and collects data from more than 100 million companies worldwide, Vainu created a snapshot of tactics SaaS companies use to acquire business. The findings reveal that most companies  90 percent  include social channels as part of their sales strategy but many are not taking advantage of marketing automation tools like HubSpot and Marketo to create a more seamless sales approach. "Our data shows that while SaaS companies may be extremely innovative on the product development side, not everyone is taking advantage of the tools available to them to find and lead prospects through the sales cycle," said Vainu Co-founder Mikko Honkanen. "For example, just one out of every 10 SaaS companies have a chat tool installed on their main page. Real-time interaction with prospects is something that more and more companies are taking advantage of  chat tools provide prospective customers quick, relevant answers to some of their basic questions about a product or service. That timing can mean everything." Vainu also found that a good amount of SaaS companies  43 percent  discuss pricing on their website. More than three out of every four offer a trial version, while just 37 percent mention an opportunity to sign up for a walk-through demo. Only a small fraction of SaaS offerings include a "guarantee." The findings also indicate a trend in how SaaS cmpanies tend to frame their offerings. They are three times more likely to talk about their offering as a "solution" versus a "product."



Here are major findings from the Vainu data study. Percentage of websites promoting a SaaS offering that:



Include social channels: 90%

Offer a trial version: 76%

Have newsletter sign ups: 56%

Use marketing automation: 45%

Discuss pricing : 43%

Promote a live demo: 37%

Have a chat tool installed on main page: 12%

Include a guarantee: 4%

Frame their offering as a:

"Solution": 48%



"Product": 19%



"Feature": 28% Vainu's mission is to collect, read and understand all the information ever written about every company in the world, and then through their software make this information available and comprehensible for everyone. The software provides key insights on more than 100 million companies and helps sales professionals find the right time and method to contact them. Used by companies like FedEx, UPS, Manpower, Dell and Microsoft, business development leaders in countless industries capitalize on the ever-increasing amount of big data insights and sales triggers Vainu offers.

The technology is helping people understand that they don't have to group companies together only based on basic firmographics such as industry, location and size. With modern technology, they can come up with very detailed and creative target groups for sales and marketing.

Since 2015, Vainu has grown from three guys and an idea to a team of more than 130 people, 1,000-plus customers, thousands of users, and more than 108 million tracked companies worldwide in its database.

For more information, visit https://product.vainu.io/. About Vainu Vainu.io is a data-driven prospecting and lead generation sales intelligence platform used by more than 1,000 organizations to identify actionable insights and sales leads. On mission to collect, read and understand all the information ever written about every company in the world, and with more than 100 million companies in its platform already, Vainu has helped its clients streamlines sales and close more deals. Vainu's European headquarters is in Helsinki. It also has European offices in Amsterdam, Oslo and Stockholm. The company's U.S. headquarters is in New York City. More information about the platform is available at product.vainu.io. Media contact:

Bob Spoerl

[email protected]

(773) 453-2444 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vainu-less-than-half-of-us-companies-providing-saas-use-marketing-automation-300575165.html SOURCE Vainu

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[December 26, 2017] Pico Technology Co., Ltd. (Pico) Announces Details On Pico Neo, Features First Mass-Produced VR Standalone With 6DoF Head Tracking And 6DoF Controller Tracking

BEIJING, Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- At a press conference held in their global headquarters in Beijing, Pico officially revealed the Pico Neo as the world's first mass-produced standalone VR device with six degrees of freedom (6DoF) for both head and controllers. In addition, the company also revealed its expanded B2B VR Enterprise Solutions Program and first details of the Pico Zense, an all-new sub-brand with its first set of Time of Flight (TOF) depth sensor solutions and camera modules. PICO NEO: THE WORLD'S FIRST MASS-PRODUCED VR STANDALONE WITH 6DoF HEAD TRACKING AND 6DoF CONTROLLER TRACKING The Pico Neo is Pico's latest generation of standalone VR headset. It features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile VR Platform, adopts all-in-one ID design, uses lighter and more breathable cloth material, and is equipped with 3K high definition display, high-speed 4GB RAM, 64GB UFS2.0 ROM, supporting 256 GB expanded storage. Thanks to the excellent performance of Snapdragon 835 Mobile VR Platform and new ultrasonic remote controller solution, the Pico Neo enables 6DoF head-and-controller tracking and positioning functions. Without any external sensors, the Pico Neo can track both head and hand (controller) movements. It is the world's first VR standalone device that actualizes 6DoF head-and-controller tracking at a mass production scale. Pico CEO, Mr. Hongwei Zhou, outlined how the Pico Neo uses Qualcomm Technologies' Inside-Out 6DoF technology, optimizing the spatial positioning ability from the lower level of Snapdragon 835 Mobile VR Platform. Even using the positioning function for a long time will not affect Pico Neo's gaming performance. The Pico Neo matches users' actions perfectly, bringing the super immersive VR interactive experience to life. The process of using the Pico Neo and controllers is very easy. Once the user powers on the headset, puts it on, and enters Pico UI launcher, the 6DoF function will start to scan the surrounding area and the controllers will be connected. The calibration will be completed after adjusting the position and posture to the correct direction. The user can easily move or dodge attacks in the virtual world, and operate complex game reactions such as bimanual operation. The Pico Neo rarely gets choppy or loses frames as it has been optimized for refresh rate and anti-interference. PICO EXPANDS B2B VR ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS PROGRAM



The E  PUI (Product User Interface) VR education broadcast control system

VR theatre broadcast control system

Spatial orientation and motion capture

Depth perception systems

An upgraded scheme of family VR entertainment systems. Another important part of the conference was the demonstration of Pico's B2B VR Enterprise Solutions Program. Although the company has been focusing on the Consumer market, it never stopped exploring applications within B2B industries. Pico established the Enterprise Program at the end of 2015 and after more than 2 years of R&D experience and exploration, the company has developed several industry application solutions based on Pico's full line of hardware products. These include: Combined with industry VR content, Pico can provide industry clients with customized hardware, content, software, and overall system solutions. At the conference, four sets of industry application demos were displayed for experience, involving education, VR Theaters, commercial displays and automobile.

In 2017, Pico's B2B projects have reached over 200 businesses covering aerospace, education, commercial display, health care, real estate, insurance, automobile and other industries. The company has also cooperated with Toyota, Volkswagen, China life, Mengniu and other industry leaders. PICO ZENSE'S DEBUT  NEW EXPLORATION IN DEPTH VISION In addition to new VR products, Pico also launched a new set of Pico Zense TOF depth sensor solutions - the DCAM100 and DCAM710 - as its core hardware products. The two camera modules are based on TOF technology and feature small form factors, economic power consumption, clear imaging, VGA standardized precision, and can be used in the range width from 0.2 meters to 8 meters. Pico Zense's hardware modules, the DCAM100 and DCAM710, are available for pre-order in the US and EU for qualified business customers and developers for $299.00. Pre-order at www.pico-interactive.com/zense The Pico Neo is available for pre-order in the US and EU for qualified business customers and developers for $749.00. Pre-order at www.pico-neo.com Pico will be attending CES 2018 to showcase the Pico Goblin, Pico Neo and the Pico Zense DCAM100 and DCAM710. To learn more, please visit the Pico booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center in South Hall 1, Tech East Zone at Booth number 21718. For assets, including photographs and product renders of Pico's lineup, please visit: http://bit.ly/2BMxGJY Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries.

Qualcomm Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Related Links

Pico Interactive, Inc. Homepage: https://www.pico-interactive.com

Pico Interactive, Inc. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PicoInteractive/

Pico Interactive, Inc. Twitter: https://twitter.com/PicoInteractive About Pico

Founded in 2015, Pico has over 300 team members around the world, all focused on creating amazing VR, AR and Imaging platforms for businesses and consumers alike. Operating under the guiding principle of "user first design", Pico has led the VR industry in developing and implementing AIO (all-in-one) VR Headsets. With several first to market products, Pico has consistently delivered a better VR hardware experience for end users. With operations in China, the United States, Europe and Japan, Pico is able to provide enterprise customers with local support and guidance for their VR applications and programs. For more: https://www.pico-interactive.com. Media Contacts

Will Winston

Pico Interactive, Inc.

[email protected] Steven Kunz

Rogers & Cowan for Pico Interactive, Inc.

[email protected]

310-854-8121 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pico-technology-co-ltd-pico-announces-details-on-pico-neo-features-first-mass-produced-vr-standalone-with-6dof-head-tracking-and-6dof-controller-tracking-300575285.html SOURCE Pico

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[December 26, 2017] McClatchy Calls For Partial Redemption $75,000,000 Aggregate Principal Amount Of 9.00% Senior Secured Notes Due 2022

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- McClatchy (NYSE American-MNI) ("McClatchy") announced today that it has called for the redemption of $75,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its outstanding 9.00% Senior Secured Notes due 2022 (the "Notes"). The Notes will be redeemed on January 25, 2018 at a redemption price equal to $1,045 per $1,000 principal amount of such Notes, together with accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. Notes that are redeemed by the Company pursuant to this partial redemption will cease to accrue interest on and after the redemption date. As of December 26, 2017, $439,630,000 aggregate principal amount of the Notes were outstandng.



About McClatchy:

McClatchy operates 30 media companies in 14 states, providing each of its communities with high-quality news and advertising services in a wide array of digital and print formats. McClatchy is a publisher of iconic brands such as the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star, The Sacramento Bee, The Charlotte Observer, The (Raleigh) News & Observer, and the (Fort Worth) Star-Telegram. McClatchy is headquartered in Sacramento, Calif., and listed on the New York Stock Exchange American under the symbol MNI.

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mcclatchy-calls-for-partial-redemption-75000000-aggregate-principal-amount-of-900-senior-secured-notes-due-2022-300575369.html SOURCE McClatchy

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By Shivani Chhabra: The British Royals have always been the centre of attraction for commoners--from the way they walk to what they wear, everything is under scrutiny. Add to that, the class-apart dress-sense of the women of the Royal family, and you'll understand why they're referred to as the fashion-influencers. Here's proof: Meghan Markle's handbag becomes a hit after her first official outing with Prince Harry

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While the Queen has stayed true to her iconic sense of dressing--vivacious, blazer dresses--the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, continues to be a fashion idol, thanks to her versatile choice of outfits.

Yesterday, the world had its eyes glued to see the members of the Royal family gather to offer their Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene's church, Sandrigham estate. And guess who lived up to the Royals' reputation of dressing majestically The newest addition to the family, Prince Harry's fiance, American actress Meghan Markle.

Last month, the couple sent waves across the world with an official announcement of their engagement. Yesterday, almost a month a later, Markle was seen joining the family, as they followed their annual Christmas traditions. Before this, Meghan also become the first non-Royal to attend the pre-Christmas lunch thrown by the Queen herself.

MEGHAN MARKLE

The American actress looked really gorgeous in a dusty, trench-coat dress, which boasted of broad collars, and looked rather sharp. Meghan had smartly tied the broad belt on the calf-length dress, with a big knot in the centre, and teamed the ensemble with a pair of brown, suede boots. Acing the colour-coding of her look, she carried a circular, structured bag, which quirked it up further.While she was on-point with every little detail of her outfit, it was the beautifully structured beret that really stood out. Finishing the look with her brown-hued beret, Meghan's appearance was at par with the rest of the Royal women.

Pictures courtesy: Reuters Pictures courtesy: Reuters

KATE MIDDLETON

As always, Kate Middleton's outfit was brimming sophistication, as she made an impressive appearance in a teal-green and red, plaid outfit. The double-breasted coat-dress was as casual as elegant, and made for a perfect daytime ensemble.We liked how the Duchess of Cambridge had cleverly teamed the outfit with a pair of black heels, which matched perfectly with the black collar of her dress. Just like Meghan, Kate wore a rather catchy headgear, a black, shiny cap, which looked really gorgeous.

Pictures courtesy: Instagram/katemiddleton_fans

THE QUEEN

Making a vibrant appearance, the Queen looked just so enthralling in a bright-orange, trench-coat dress, with a green dress peeping out, while also giving it a nice contrast. She wore a matching hat with floral motifs, and her classic, black pumps.

Picture courtesy: Reuters Picture courtesy: Reuters

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Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP Commences Investigation on Behalf of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Investors (BMY)

Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM") announces an investigation on behalf of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company ("Bristol-Myers" or the "Company") (NYSE: BMY) investors concerning the Company and its officers' possible violations of federal securities laws. To obtain information or aid in the investigation, please visit the Bristol-Myers investigation page on our website www.glancylaw.com/case/bristol-myers-squibb.

On August 5, 2016, the Company announced that its CheckMate -026 trial investigating the us of Opdivo as monotherapy did not meet its primary endpoint of progression-free survival.







On this news, the Company's share price fell $12.04, or nearly 16%, to close at $63.28 per share on August 5, 2016, thereby injuring investors.

Then, on October 9, 2016, the Company further disclosed that in patients with =5% PD-L1 expression, the median progression-free survival was just 4.2 months with Opdivo compared to 5.9 months with platinum-based doublet chemotherapy.

On this news, the Company's share price fell $5.62, or more than 10%, to close at $49.81 per share on October 10, 2016, thereby further injuring investors.

Follow us for updates on Twitter (News - Alert): twitter.com/GPM_LLP.

If you purchased Bristol-Myers securities, have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Lesley Portnoy, Esquire, of GPM, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171226005216/en/
[December 26, 2017] End-of-Year Deadline Approaches for Ohio's 529 College Savings Plan

With 2017 coming to a close, Ohioans have until 4 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 29, 2017, to make a final contribution to Ohio's 529 Plan for this calendar year. Families who open a CollegeAdvantage account before 4 p.m. ET Dec. 29, 2017 can still take advantage of the $2,000 annual deduction to their State of Ohio taxable income for 2017. All taxpayers in Ohio are eligible - this includes parents, grandparents, family members, and friends - to contribute directly to a CollegeAdvantage 529 savings plan. Each contributor, or married couple, may claim a deduction of up to $2,000 per beneficiary, on their Ohio taxable income. While $2,000 is the maximum deduction per year, it is not the maximum contribution. The State of Ohio has an unlimited carry forward which means if you contribute more than $2,000 this calendar year, you may continue your deductions into following years. Contributions for each beneficiary must be received in good order, no later than 4 p.m. ET on Dec. 29, 2017. Families may open an account with a minimum of $25 online at CollegeAdvantage.com to start saving for future college expenses. Money saved in CollegeAdvantage accounts can be used at any accredited college in the U.S. to pay tuition, fees, books, room and board, and for any electronic equipment required. CollegeAdvantage account owners pay no taxes on account earnings and withdrawals used for qualified higher education expenses are exempt from both federal and state taxes.



About CollegeAdvantage CollegeAdvantage is Ohio's 529 college savings program, offered and administered by the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority, an office within the Ohio Department of Higher Education. Ohio is the sixth largest state-sponsored 529 plan in the country. CollegeAdvantage is offered as the CollegeAdvantage Direct 529 Savings Plan and the CollegeAdvantage Advisor 529 Saving Plan, which is offered and marketed through BlackRock and sold through professional financial advisors. The CollegeAdvantage program, which offers families a tax-advantaged way to save for college, has nearly $10.9 billion in assets under management and over 633,000 total accounts as of Sept. 30, 2017. To learn more, visit CollegeAdvantage.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171226005218/en/

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By Azernews





By Sara Israfilbayova

Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR and Turkish Petroleum company (Turkiye Petrolleri) have discussed the possibilities for the expansion of cooperation between the two companies.

SOCAR reported that the companys President Rovnag Abdullayev and Chairman of Board and Director General of Turkish Petroleum company Melih Han Bilgin held a meeting on December 25.

Abdullayev pointed out that Turkish Petroleum, which is one of the first foreign investors of Azerbaijan, has been cooperating with SOCAR for a long time in such projects as Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG), Shah Deniz and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC).

Bilgin, in turn, stressed the existence of great prospects for the expansion of cooperation. He stressed that the participation of Turkish companies in the projects being implemented in Azerbaijan and the participation of Azerbaijani companies in Turkish projects play a very important role for the economies of both countries.

SOCAR has recently diversified its activity - the company implements big projects not only in Azerbaijan, but also in promising foreign markets, including Turkey.

Such big projects as the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), STAR refinery, will be implemented in the coming months. TANAP, STAR refinery will be put into operation next year, which will have a positive impact on the income of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

TANAP project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijans Shah Deniz field to the western borders of Turkey. The gas will be delivered to Turkey in 2018 and after completion of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline's construction natural gas will be delivered to Europe in early 2020.

The length of TANAP is 1,850 kilometers, with an initial capacity of 16 billion cubic meters of gas. Around six billion cubic meters of this gas is meant to be delivered to Turkey, with the remaining volume to be supplied to Europe.

SOCAR, being the largest foreign investor in Turkey, is the author of very important and large-scale projects in the energy industry. SOCAR entered the Turkish market with the acquisition of Petkim. The companys investments in Turkey will be a total of $19.5 billion once they are completed -Petlim, STAR Oil Refinery, Petkim Wind Power Plant (WPP) and TANAP projects.

SOCAR includes such production associations as Azneft (the enterprises producing oil and gas onshore and offshore), Azerikimya (the chemical enterprises) and Azerigas (distributor of gas produced in the country), as well as oil and gas processing plants, service companies, and the facilities involved in geophysical and drilling operations.

Turkish Petroleum was founded in 1954 with the responsibility of being involved in hydrocarbon exploration, drilling, production, refinery and marketing activities as Turkey's national company.

Being an important actor of the national economy, TP achieved many firsts of the Turkish oil industry in the past. The Company has given rise to 17 major companies, including PETK?M, TUPRA? and POA? to Turkey.

Today, Turkish Petroleum is a national oil company involved in merely upstream (exploration, drilling, well completion and production) sector.
In the previous FY 2013-14, 1.91 crore out of 3.65 crore who filed returns, had paid income tax.

By PTI, Press Trust of India: Just over 2 crore Indians, or 1.7 per cent of the total population, paid income tax in the assessment year (AY) 2015-16, according to data released by the I-T department.

The number of income-tax return filers increased to 4.07 crore in assessment year 2015-16 (FY 2014-2015) from 3.65 crore in the previous year but only 2.06 crore actually paid tax as the others claimed income below taxable limits.

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In the previous AY 2014-15, 1.91 crore, out of 3.65 crore who filed returns, had paid income tax.

But the total income tax paid by individuals declined to Rs 1.88 lakh crore in AY 2015-16 from Rs 1.91 lakh crore in AY 2014-15.

The data, released last week, indicates just over 3 per cent of the 120 crore population filed returns. Of these, 2.01 crore paid nil income tax, 9,690 paid tax of over Rs 1 crore.

Only one individual paid over Rs 100 crore in taxes (Rs 238 crore to be precise).

Maximum among of 19,931 crore was collected from 2.80 crore tax filers who paid between Rs 5.5 lakh to Rs 9.5 lakh in taxes.

As many as 1.84 crore returns were filed for payment of income tax of less than Rs 1.5 lakh or an average of Rs 24,000.

Of the 4.07 crore tax returns field in AY 2015-16, close to 82 lakh showed zero or income less than Rs 2.5 lakh.

Currently, no income tax is for income up to Rs 2.5 lakh.

In AY 2014-15, 3.65 crore filed tax returns with 1.37 crore showing zero or less than Rs 2.5 lakh income.

The combined income of all individual tax filers rose to Rs 21.27 lakh crore in AY 2015-16 from Rs 18.41 lakh crore in the previous year.

Maximum number of 1.33 crore individuals were in Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh income group in AY 2015-16.

In all, 4.35 crore income tax returns, including those by individuals, were filed in AY 2015-16. Total income declared was Rs 33.62 lakh crore.

In the previous year, 3.91 crore returns were filed with Rs 26.93 crore declared income.

Companies filed 7.19 lakh returns with gross income of Rs 10.71 lakh crore.

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The Kansas City, KS Police Department is working a homicide at 16th and Richmond. KCK police chief Terry Zeigler tweeted about the homicide just after 6 p.m. No other information is available at this time. We have a crew on the way. Copyright 2017 KCTV (Meredith Corp.) All rights reserved.




Police found a black man in his late 20's suffering from a gunshot wound.





The victim was taken to a local hospital, where he died hours later.





Police said responding officers took a suspect into custody near Independence Avenue and Garfield Avenue shortly after the shooting."

The latest Kansas City murder pushes this town toward a record breaking milestone.Here is the latest . . .Deets:This latest killing marks athis year over last.Developing . . .
KANSAS CITY IS APPROACHING OVER A HUNDRED CAR CRASHES THIS MORNING!!!

A word of caution along with a bit of tribute to Ewa hottie distraction in regard to morning Kansas City traffic . . .According to insiders and just a look out of the window . . .We post this as just a bit of warning and advice hoping that drivers will take their time, leave plenty of space between cars and use caution on dangerous local streets.Developing . . .
Winners in a "TKC Best Kansas City People" category earn tribute in a marquee post which will be dedicated to documenting achievement this year. A fair and open voting process by way of comments, background e-mail and advice from longtime members of our bloggy alliance will determine victory.

Kansas City Politico Of The Year 2017

Kansas City Journalist Of The Year 2017

Kansas City Athlete Of The Year 2017

And so . . .

Because our bloggy goodness inspires us to be more Democratic than all of the local rigged elections OR the fake news lists that dominate end of year news coverage . . . We're giving oura vote in supporting their favorites from this year.Accordingly . . .Accordingly, here are some choices Kansas City should consider . . .Councilmanworked to reform the TIF process and champion urban core development whilst Council Ladyfocused on a citizen anti-violence task force and the airport. Both of these politicos represent diverse agendas in Kansas City and it's up to you to pick a favorite.said that The Pitch was committed to serious journalism and had a bright economic future and then he almost immediately jumped ship to The Star. Now he's touting the influence and solid foundation of the newspaper in a manner that's eerily familiar to his promotion of a mostly failed alt. weekly. Meanwhile,has always been a champion of progressive causes and one of the top local liberal ladies of the written word in Kansas CityFanboys said that Kansas City Chiefs QBshould be benched about a month ago. Now they are singing his praises and touting his greatness.Similarly, CBhas proven to be one of the most important players on the KC Squad and his on-field performance has quieted many of the critics of his controversial and continued national anthem protest.This is an open competition and, as always, we invite our blog community to be pithy, insightful and unafraid to cheer on their favorites people in 2017.Developing . . .
The Kansas City, KS Police Department is working a homicide at 16th and Richmond. Police on scene say a man in his 70s was shot and killed. A second victim - a woman - suffered minor injuries in the shooting. The deceased victim went outside after hearing an initial round of shots, according to police.
AP reports from Skopje that FYROMs left-wing prime minister says he is ready to renounce his countrys claim to the legacy of Alexander the Great to help solve a 26-year-old dispute with neighboring Greece over the countrys name.

I give up (the claim) of FYROM being the sole heir to Alexander. The history belongs not only to us, but also to Greece and many other countries, Zoran Zaev, in power since the spring, announced in a TV interview late Friday.

Since its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, FYROM 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 FYROM itself as hiding expansionist claims against the Greek region of Macedonia.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Thomas Lessman License: CC-BY-SA

Source: thenationalherald.com
The German government does not respect its commitments to Greece regarding the relocation of refugees. By the middle of December, Germany had received only 5.332 refugees from Greece. According to the European Council decisions in 2015, Germany was obliged to accept 17.209 people.

This comes from a response from the German Foreign Ministry to an official question by Green Member Philippe Polat. As Mrs Polat said in the RND, Germany will have to honor its commitments. The German government has undertaken obligations towards Greece.

The explanations provided by the German Foreign Ministry are as follows:

The German Foreign Ministry explains in its reply that the number agreed at the European Council in 2015 was based on a case that was not confirmed. After the EU-Turkey agreement in 2016, fewer refugees arrive in the Greek islands than originally expected.

It was also agreed that the resettlement program would only include people with nationalities whose refugee status across the European Union would be at least 75%. A high rate of acceptance of asylum applications is found above all in the case of the Syrians. The German Foreign Ministry argues that only about 500 people in Greece fall under this category, and refers to European Commission numbers.

Nevertheless, according to data released by the UNHCR delegation in Athens on Friday, there is a different picture regarding the number of people with a high percentage of asylum applications: since July they have reached Lesbos, Chios and Samos about 19.800 refugees with 1.700 people in December alone. More than 70% of all arrivals are Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans.

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: protothema.gr
With Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras frantically wooing foreign investors to offset a crushing economic crisis, China is more and more looking toward Greece to create a modern Silk Road into the European Union, using the port of Piraeus and buying up state enterprises.

Eventually, Piraeus will become the main entry point for Chinese exports to southern, eastern and central Europe, Greeces Ambassador Leonidas C. Rokanas told the South China Morning Post.

To use a Chinese metaphor, Piraeus will form the head of the dragon of the so-called land-sea express route, leading to the heart of Europe through Greece he said.

He said that Greece, with infrastructure built up by Chinese companies, such as Cosco which is operating Piraeus and with plans to improve rail connections there, will help China connect Asia, Europe and Africa to the European Union.

For Greece, Rokanas said the deal represents a major boost for its recovery following the debt crisis that started in 2009 and devastated its economy even though Tsipras said hes brought the country toward recovery while at the same time saying it cant pay back three bailouts of 326 billion euros ($386.52 billion) to international creditors..

The port has opened door for a flurry of Chinese investments totalling US$1.6 billion from companies including mobile giants Huawe and ZTE, the China Machinery Engineering Corporation as well as State Grid, Shenhua Group and Sinovel in the energy sector.

Belt and Road Initiative

For China, the deals are critical to its strategy in its so-called Belt and Road Initiative as some 50 percent of Chinas Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and around 90 percent of the EUs external trade depends on shipping  a sector in which Greek companies are the largest in the world.

The land-sea express passage connecting southeast and central Europe to China via Piraeus  has further upgraded the significance of Piraeus, said Rokanas.

During the Belt and Road Forum last May in Beijing, Tsipras said Greece wanted to upgrade the railway connection between Piraeus and Serbias capital Belgrade.

In September, Greece signed an agreement with Bulgaria on the construction of a high-speed railway network, named Sea2Sea, that will connect three ports in Greece  Thessaloniki, Kavala, Alexandroupolis  with three Bulgarian ports  Burgas and Varna on the Black Sea and Ruse on the Danube, Europes second-longest river.

The Chinese company Fosun is one of the international investors in a consortium led by Greeces Lamda in the long-delayed 8-billion-euro ($9.49 billion) development of the old Hellenikon International Airport on Athens coast that some elements in SYRIZA, who dont want any foreign businesses in Greece, are desperately trying to block.

The Hellenikon projects contribution to attracting direct foreign investment could be decisive for the overall growth prospects of the country, said Rokanas, citing a study for the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research that forecast the project would contribute 2.4 percent to the countrys GDP until its completion date.

The deal would also provide as many as 10,000 jobs in Greece, which has the highest unemployment rate in the EU, and another 75,000 jobs once the high-end mix of luxury residences, commercial projects, a casino, yacht marina and other works are done, unless the deal falls through.

Rokanas told the Chinese paper that the projects such as the Belt and Road would have the potential to bring together EU nations rather than to divide them despite worries in the EU that China is getting too big of a foothold in the bloc and using Greece as the fulcrum

We do not see these developments as antagonistic vis-a-vis other relationships we have; on the contrary they, in fact, complement and empower those relationships, including the triangular relationship we have with the EU and China, he said.

Greece, a member of EU, Eurozone and NATO, remains an important strategic hub and an effective paragon of peace, security, stability and prosperity in the entire region of southeastern Europe, the Mediterranean and beyond, he added.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: flickr.com Copyright: theglobalpanorama License: CC-BY-SA

Source: thenationalherald.com
The year in crime in brought no closure to Flagstaffs most high-profile shooting as a jury could not reach a verdict in the murder trial of NAU shooter Steven Jones.

Coconino County Superior Court Judge Dan Slayton declared a mistrial after the jury could not come to a unanimous decision after five days of deliberation.

The hung jury kept an ending to the most high profile incident of 2015 in limbo.

Jones is charged with first-degree murder and multiple counts of aggravated assault after killing Colin Brough and injuring Nick Prato, Nick Piring and Kyle Zientek with a handgun during a fight in the Mountain View Hall dormitory parking lot in September 2015.

Coconino County Deputy Attorney Ammon Barker attempted to portray Jones as an assassin in the night, while Jones defense attorney Joshua Davidson described his client as an innocent bystander protecting himself from attackers.

The defendants pride was hurt in the early morning hours of October 9 because he was punched one time in the face, and instead of walking away or punching back he went to his car to get his fully loaded handgun and walked 90 feet to shoot four college students, killing Colin Brough, Barker said to the jury during opening statements.

Mr. Barker tells a good story but this is not a case of an assassin who murdered in the dark, countered Davidson. This is about Mr. Jones, who a couple of weeks into his college career found himself surrounded, threatened and attacked. Jones did what he had to do to protect himself and he only had seconds to make that decision, Davidson said in rebuttal of the prosecution.

The new year could bring about a conclusion to this shooting, as a retrial is scheduled for March 27.

A number of murders were also recorded in 2017, with none capturing the publics eye more than the killing of Glendale kindergarten teacher Cathryn Gorospe.

Her body was found in October in Mayer, a small town midway between Dewey and Cordes Junction on state Highway 69.

The teacher was last seen alive on Oct. 6 bailing out her friend and primary suspect in her murder, Charlie Malzahn, out of jail.

Malzahn was arrested by Phoenix Police three days later while driving Gorospes blood-stained Toyota Rav4.

Malzahn has not been charged with her murder but was the one who led police to the teachers body, according to the Flagstaff Police Department.

The discovery of her body ended a nearly two-week search that spanned the woods of Coconino County to the high-desert of Yavapai County.

All you can do is look and hope we find her, Cathryns sister-in-law Freya Gorospe said one day before the teachers body was found. We keep looking because we want to bring her home.

This year also saw a high number homicides in Flagstaff, according to the Flagstaff Police Department, creating a sharp contrast from 2016, when no murders were recorded.

Flagstaff Police investigated four homicides this year, two of them involving juveniles

The years first murder occurred in March when Fernando Enriquez, 15, shot and killed Jacob M. Allen, 20, in the bathroom of the Hal Jensen Recreation Center in Sunnyside. The shooting occurred after Enriquez attempted to rob Allen and his friend Nicholas Tyler Woods, 19, during a drug deal for marijuana.

Enriquez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and one count of armed robbery in November and was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

The years second homicide brought another self-defense claim after James Womble, 21, stabbed his landlord Peter Gillespie, 63, multiple times with a pair of scissors in Southside in July.

Womble said that Gillespie became violent with him over unpaid rent and threw him to the ground, dislocating Wombles shoulder.

Get away from me. I am going to stab you, Womble said he yelled moments before stabbing his landlord. I have a bad shoulder and I cant do anything else but stab, so please get away from me.

Rick Morris, who has been friends with Gillespie for 43 years, said that he did not believe Wombles defense.

I cant see him going after this kid on a level he is talking about, Morris said. I could see him being vocal about the situation but not hurting someone.

Womble was charged with second-degree murder in October and is awaiting a trial date under the supervision of pretrial services.

The years third homicide is the second involving juveniles.

Flagstaff residents Lawrence Sampson-Kahn, 18, Kayson Russell, 19, Mirelle Gorman, 16, and Jadya Fortune, 17, were charged with second-degree murder on Sept. 7 after allegedly beating Jaron James, 23, to death in room 119 at the L Motel on South Milton Road.

The teens allegedly beat an intoxicated James after he repeatedly touched the two underage girls inappropriately.

James was too drunk to defend himself and could only block his face lazily, according to the police report.

Gorman told Flagstaff Police detectives in an interview that they only attacked James because he touched them.

He touched me, he touched me, but it doesnt matter that he touched me, Gorman cried, after she learned James was dead.

The teens are currently awaiting trial out of custody under the supervision of pretrial services.

Flagstaffs final murder is still awaiting a murder charge.

Ethan Watson, 25, was stabbed to death in his car at the Killip Elementary School parking lot on Nov. 2.

The primary suspect in that case is currently in custody for an outstanding warrant but has not been charged with murder.
One of the constables, just to ensure they do not miss out on anything, decided to open the washing machine. To his surprise, he found the accused, Manoj Tiwari, under a pile of clothes staring up at the constable.

By Divyesh Singh: A 54-year-old man who had been evading arrest since the past 14 years was caught hiding inside the washing machine in his house on Monday.

For three hours, Azad Maidan and Juhu police who had gone to his residence to arrest him were stalled by his wife. Finally after the long wait, the wife who had been claiming that her husband was not in the house allowed the police team to search the house.

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The constables were confronted by Tiwari's wife, who claimed to an advocate. For three hours, the wife did not allow the constables to step inside the apartment.

The police team searched the house and were about to leave when they couldn't find him but decided to check once again. One of the officers had an inclination that the accused might be inside the house.

The police once again scanned through the 3 bedroom apartment. Everything seemed right in place.

One of the constables, just to ensure they do not miss out on anything, decided to open the washing machine. To his surprise, he found the accused, Manoj Tiwari, under a pile of clothes staring up at the constable.

Senior police inspector Vasant Vakhare of Azad Maidan police station said that after the accused was declared an absconder by court he had been on the run and had also shifted residence from time to time to avoid getting caught.

Recently, Mumbai Police started a drive to arrest the proclaimed offenders and began tracing him as his name appeared in wanted list of Azad Maidan police station.

"After the police commissioner gave orders to trace absconding accused of previous cases, we launched a manhunt to nab Tiwari. We found through electronic surveillance that he stays in a high profile housing society in Juhu," said Vakhare.

The police officers said that Tiwari had cheated three people and took money from them promising admission in a post graduation course in 2002.

"Tiwari is wanted in a case in Pune also where he cheated people to the tune of crores of rupees and had absconded from there as well, it is suspected that he could be involved in many such cases. His arrest could reveal more. He was produced in court which sent him to judicial custody on Tuesday" said Vakhare.

The police have arrested Tiwari now and have also lodged a complaint against his wife in Juhu police Station for obstructing government officials from discharging their duties.

--- ENDS ---
Inaugurated in 2015 by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Albanian counterpart Bujar Nishani the construction project of the Grand Mosque Namazgja in the capital of Tirana is continuing faster than it was imagined.

Journalist Vincent Triest uploaded on Twitter a photo of the mosque as it is today.

When completed, it will be the largest mosque in the Balkans. It is a gift from President Erdogan, the journalist notes.

The mosque that costs around 30 million euros is being funded by Turkeys Presidency of Religious Affairs Diyanet will have enough room for 5,000 people to pray at a time on an area of 20,000 square metres.

Up until now, Muslims have been praying outside the doors of the mosques, due to their small spaces. Meanwhile, during religious holidays, believers pray in the main square of Tirana.

The mosque will be part of an Islamic complex in the heart of the city , which is set to house conference and exhibition halls, libraries and museums. The site is located near landmark Catholic and Orthodox cathedrals.

This mosque will be built with the contribution and assistance of the Turkish people. The proximity of this mosque with the church and the presence of the museum of cohabitation, which will be built besides this mosque, shows the diversity and harmony that exists in Albania, Erdogan stressed while inaugurating.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Balkanique License: CC-BY-SA

Source: greekreporter.com
The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) has revealed that Brazils fertiliser imports from Arab states grew 38 per cent from January to November 2017 compared to same period last year.



ABCC lauded the continuously growing economic ties between Brazil and Arab countries after recent statistics released by the Brazilian Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services showed the vast South American country importing 5.9 million tonnes of fertiliser during the same period.



In November this year, reports said Brazil purchased 626,830 tonnes of fertiliser from Arab states, up 20.7 per cent from the same period last year, it said.



Morocco and Saudi Arabia are Brazils major Arab markets, with other sources include the UAE, Egypt, Oman, Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Tunisia and Jordan. Importing most of the fertilizer it uses, Brazils output has reached 7.57 million tonnes so far this year, it added.



The number accounted for 24.4 per cent of Brazils total global fertiliser imports of 24.2 million tonnes as per the figures released by national industry association Associacao Nacional para Difusao de Adubos (Anda), said a statement..



The countrys global fertiliser imports were up 8.2 per cent, it added.



Dr Michel Alaby, secretary general and CEO of ABCC, said: According to the numbers supplied by the Brazilian Ministry and compiled by the ABCC, Brazils fertiliser imports from the Arab nations rose 38 per cent year-on-year.



This strongly indicates their robust bilateral relations and we expect that this will carry on through 2018, he said.



For our part, we will continuously look for new ways to further facilitate and optimise their increasing trade activities to further drive growth and ensure the attainment of common socio-economic development goals and agenda, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Huawei, a global provider of ICT solutions, has announced the end of the Bahrain chapter of its ICT Skills Competition 2017.



Aimed at universities and students, the competition seeks to recognize and nurture the regions finest ICT talent. The winners have earned a trip to China at the end of December, where they will compete with international finalists and receive knowledge training from top executives at Huaweis headquarters in Shenzhen.



The announcement was made at an event in Capital Club, Bahrain Financial Harbour attended by representatives from Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications, Economic Development Board (EDB), and Tamkeen, and four universities.



The ICT Skill Competition was made possible through strong partnerships under the patronage of Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, the Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications with direct support of the EDB and the Tamkeen, as well as the support from the four participating universities: University of Bahrain, Bahrain Polytechnic, Ahlia University and AMA International University.



Out of all the students who signed up for the preliminary, top 10 in the national final were awarded with prizes. Ultimately, top 3 students from the University of Bahrain were chosen for the international final. They are now in China to compete internationally.



Huawei grants the winners an exclusive fully paid trip to the companys international headquarters in Shenzhen and the chance to meet with the brands leadership. They will gain unrivalled exposure to Huaweis expertise in telecommunications, enterprise, and consumer business, not to mention a priceless cultural experience and knowledge exchange.



Knowledge transfer and nurturing future ICT talent has always been a core pillar of the Huawei way, and we are thrilled to be able to launch the ICT Skill Competition for that exact reason. The future of ICT progress lays in the hands of our students, and by developing platforms and programs that allow them to grow and mature into experts, we can better equip the next generation of technology leaders, said Fengnan Paul, CEO of Huawei Bahrain office.



Professor Riyad Hamzah, president of University of Bahrain said: UOB is delighted that our students won the top 5 places in this prestigious national skills competition, it shows the quality of our technology students and why they are so highly regarded by employers. Huawei is global technology player with big ambitions and their Middle East headquarters is in Bahrain and human capital is a key reason for that. We at UOB are delighted to partner with Huawei and this is the start of much more collaboration with a focus on Artificial intelligence and Internet of Things.





In total, 10,285 students across the Middle East applied for the competition, from which 4,113 were selected to take part in the preliminary rounds. A total of 310 students passed on to the final round and 39 will be travelling to China to compete internationally. The ICT Competition was made possible through the cooperation of 14 ministries across the Middle East. Huawei had four training partners to help prepare students for the rigorous exam. A total of 121 universities took part in total, and 65 participated in the roadshow.



The winners of the international final competition in Huawei Shenzhen Headquarters will receive certificates, trophies, and prizes, in addition to awarding the most outstanding teamwith$30,000 in cash, the next two teams will claim second place and three teams will be awarded third place. The next seven teams will receive Excellence Prizes, while six tutors and five academies will also be recognized with the Excellent Tutor and Best Academy Prizes.  TradeArabia News Service
UAE nationals can now enter Chile visa-free, said a report citing an announcement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The development comes in pursuance of the MoU signed by the UAE and the Republic of Chile on November 12 to exempt Emirati and Chilean nationals carrying ordinary passports from obtaining pre-entry visas while travelling to both countries, said a report in WAM.



Ahmed Saeed Ilham Al Dhaheri, assistant under-secretary for Consular Affairs at the Ministry, said holders of ordinary UAE passports can now enter Chile without pre-entry visa and stay up to 90 days.



"Introducing such distinguished consular services is among the strategic objectives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in line with the directives of the country's wise leadership to ensure welfare and happiness for Emirati citizens around the world," he said.



He added that the signing of the MoU would further strengthen cooperation between the UAE and Chile in areas of tourism, trade and investment, the report said.
Thomson Reuters Introduces MiFID II Compliant Multilateral Trading Facility for FX Derivatives Trading

Thomson Reuters has released into production system enhancements to its Multilateral Trading Facility (MTF) to support FX derivatives trading in compliance with MiFID II regulations. Thomson Reuters FXall and Forwards Matching users can now access robust liquidity on the MTF which meets multiple MiFID II requirements relating to execution workflow, trading controls, post-trade transparency and reporting. MiFID II takes effect on January 3, 2018.

We are extremely pleased to have reached the milestone of releasing the system enhancements into production to facilitate MiFID II compliance. In parallel, Thomson Reuters continues to work very closely with our customers and regulators to ensure a smooth transition into the new regulatory environment, said Neill Penney, Global Head of Trading, Thomson Reuters. As the implementation date approaches, we remain committed to continuing our approach of being a valued partner and advisor to our customers.

Thomson Reuters FXall is a dealer-to-client FX marketplace used by over 2,300 institutional clients and 180 market makers. Thomson Reuters Matching is an anonymous electronic trade matching system for FX used by thousands of market participants in every region of the world to access and trade on deep liquidity in over 80 currency pairs. Collectively, Thomson Reuters FX platforms support average daily trading of over $350bn.

Thomson Reuters is committed to providing its clients with solutions to meet a wide range of MiFID II regulations. Announced initiatives to help its clients achieve MiFID II compliance include: a partnership with VisibleAlpha and enhancements to Eikon to assist in compliance for research unbundling; the introduction of an APA connectivity solution for trade reporting requirements; enhancements to its reference-data capabilities, available on its integrated data and analytics delivery platform, DataScope; a legal entity identifier (LEI) solution; and enhancements to its Tick History feed.

For more information on related topics, visit the following channels:
The sisters were found dead in a village near Noida's sector 49.

By India Today Web Desk: Bodies of two sisters were found hanging from a tree in Uttar Pradesh's Noida on Tuesday morning.

The sisters were found dead in a village near Noida's sector 49. The entire village of Barola is in a state of shock due to the horrifying incident.

The local police reached the spot after the villagers informed them and seized the bodies. The sisters Laxmi (18) and Nisha (14) are said to be real sisters and belonged to Bulandsheher. The sisters lived with their family.

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The bodies have been sent for post-mortem and the investigation is underway.

Also watch: Mumbai high-rise catches fire, no casualties reported

--- ENDS ---
Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, December 26

The proposed International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Mumbai is set to be junked with the Narendra Modi government dragging its feet on its construction.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley gave an indication to this effect last week when he told Parliament that the IFSC at Gandhinagar is still to achieve full utilisation. There is a limit on how many IFSCs one can haveone can think of another IFSC only after the one at GIFT (city in Gandhinagar) is optimally used, Jaitley has been quoted as saying.

The Finance Ministers statement has stunned officials and leaders of even the BJP. The proposed IFSC at Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai is a prestigious project for the Devendra Fadnavis government which has already earmarked land for the project. The government was hoping to rope in major financial players to set up their offices at the IFSC.

The proposed Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train slated to have its underground terminus below the IFSC was another major attraction.

Political leaders of all parties feel that the Central government has effectively scrapped the setting up the IFSC in Mumbai. Even BJP leaders feel that the Marathi lobby would use it against it. There will be many who feel that Mumbai is being discriminated in favour of Gujarat, a senior BJP leader admitted. However, many in the party feel that the Fadnavis government may still push for the IFSC.

The MNS and the Shiv Sena are already accusing the Modi government of giving Maharashtra a step-motherly treatment. First they shifted major RBI offices out of Mumbai and now they have almost scrapped the IFSC, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande said.
By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) Opposition parties today slammed Delhis AAP government over the increase in water and sewer charges, with the BJP calling it an "irresponsible" decision and the Congress accusing the ruling party of "breaking" its poll promises.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari met Lt. Gov. Anil Baijal after the Delhi Jal Board earlier today approved a combined 20 per cent hike in water and sewer charges for consumption above 20,000 litres a month, effective from February 2018.

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Tiwari sought Baijals intervention in the matter.

"The decision to raise water and sewer charges by 20 per cent is an irresponsible action of the government," he said.

Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta too urged Baijal to ask Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to rollback the hike.

"The man who is raising a hue and cry over the increase in the fares of the Delhi Metro shows no scruple in hiking (water and sewer) tariff by 20 per cent," Gupta said.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken said the AAP was going back on the promises it had made to the people before coming to power.

"The Kejriwal government has been systematically breaking all its elections promises as within days after coming to power in 2015, water charges were hiked by 10 per cent," Maken said.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the SAD-BJP MLA, said the hike was a "betrayal" by the AAP government.

"Resorting to increase in charges of necessities of daily life Kejriwal has failed to keep his promises of providing cheaper services in Delhi," Sirsa said in a statement. PTI VIT ABH

--- ENDS ---
Tribune News Service

Mumbai, December 26

Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani has roped in investors to help bring down the debt of his troubled telecom firm Reliance Communications (RCom).

Ambani told reporters that under the new debt reduction plan, which has the support of lenders, RCom will monetise its assets, including land holdings. The company, which has a debt of more than Rs 44,000 crore and was dragged to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) by the China Development Bank, will see full debt resolution and will not involve any conversion of debt into equity, he added.

Debt resolution involves RCom exiting strategic debt restructuring (SDR) framework with no conversion of debt into equity and zero write-off by lenders, Ambani said. The entire process would be completed by March 2018, he added.

Ambani did not name the investor who is bringing in funds to help shore up RComs finances.

According to Ambani, RCom will see an eight-stage asset monetisation process under an oversight committee headed by former RBI Deputy Governor SS Mundra along with members from TRAI. The proceeds from asset monetisation will be used to pay back the lenders, including China Development Bank. Ambani said RCom has signed an out-of-court settlement with the bank on Monday in Beijing. Following the restructuring, RCom will be left with a debt of Rs 6,000 crore, he added.

We have achieved resolution that involves Reliance Communications exiting strategic debt recast. Clearly and truly this is a historical achievement for any group. RCom debt will reduce by Rs 25,000 crore. The entire monetisation process to repay debt of lenders will be completed by January-March 2018 in a phased manner, Ambani said at the press conference.

RCom will be a buisness-to-business (B2B) company following the restructuring, he added.
Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 26

Come January 8, property would be registered online in Mohali and Rajpura. With this, both these towns will become second in the country to end age-old cumbersome property registration process involving much time and inconvenience to sellers and buyers.

Under the new system, the parties will enter data related to registration online and get appointment from the Sub-Registrar (Tehsildar) concerned as per their convenience. This will reduce the total time for registration of documents to five minutes.

Announcing this here today, Financial Commissioner Revenue (FCR)-cum-Additional Chief Secretary (Housing and Urban Development) Vini Mahajan told The Tribune that online property registration was already going on successfully at Moga and Adampur in Punjab, where the trial run of the countrys first pilot project was launched on November 17.

Keeping in view the success of the pilot project, we have decided to extend the online property registration service at Mohali and Rajpura from New Year. Deputy Commissioners of Mohali and Patiala have assured us to launch the service from January 8, Mahajan disclosed.

The FCR-cum-ACS said the use of latest technology, cloud-based web software, developed in Open Source Technologies, which is less expensive and highly secure, will allow online interface for citizens to enter data related to registration and uploading of documents 24x7.

The new system will also allow automatic calculation of stamp duty, registration fees and other fees based on Collector rates. This will reduce the dependency on deed writers.

Under the new system, not only property buyers and sellers will undergo Adhaar-based authentication but also the Sub-Registrars will be subjected to biometric authentication to negate frauds.

Besides other benefits, the online property registration will provide instant SMS alerts to sellers and buyers and link land records with registration. It also provides real time capturing of photos of buyers/sellers/witnesses along with Sub-Registrars, which ensures authentication and reduces impersonation.

In Punjab, 732 documents have been registered online to date, of which 208 were registered in Adampur and 524 in Moga. The parties entered data related to registration online and got appointment as per their convenience. As per feedback received from both Sub-Registrar offices, total time for registration of documents has been reduced to 5-7 minutes, said the FCR-cum-ACS.

PUNJAB FIRST

Punjab is the first state in the country to launch the online property registration project, an initiative of the Union Government. National Generic Software for Document Registration (NGDRS) is used for the purpose.

OLD PRACTICE

Punjab had been using PRISM software of NIC for registration of documents since 2002 and the last version was provided in 2004-05. To upgrade the existing software, the Department of Revenue approached the NIC Director-General for necessary assistance in upgrade/development of the registration software. Subsequently, Union Department of Land Resources assigned the task to the NIC, Pune, for development of a web-based generic solution for property registration and the interlinking with land records and cadastral maps (NGDRS).

SALIENT FEATURES
Ishrat S Banwait

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 26

In a bizarre turn of events at Panjab University, the chairperson of English Department has resigned, saying that a clerk does not listen to her. Professor Rumina Sethi has also declined the Vice-Chancellor's request to reconsider her resignation.

As per information, Sethi has been upset over Yogesh not working at all. Sethi claims to have to do all the office work, including typing documents herself. Sethi was upset that neither Yogesh did any office work nor did he listen to her. Refusing the VC's request to reconsider her resignation, Sethi has for a second time written that she will continue to teach at the department but will not continue as chairperson.

Sethi had earlier issued a show-cause notice to Yogesh, a copy of which was also sent to the registrar. However, she did not receive a response from the registrar, nor was any action taken.

Earlier this year, Sethi had a fallout with another professor of the department. The matter had even reached the Syndicate. It pertained to Sethi allegedly not granting extension to a research scholar, leading to an argument with the scholar's guide and professor Rana Nayyar.
Jalandhar, December 25

The Khwahish Sewa Society (KHASS) has opened a state-of-the-art science and math lab at Government High School, Takarla. The lab consists of freshly renovated rooms and the required equipment.

Society patron Jatinder Sian, a Mauritius-based NRI, contributed Rs 1 lakh for the same. We donate for religious places, but I am directing my donation towards the temple of modern India which will benefit our future generation, said Ashok Chaudhary, chairperson of the society, who too donated Rs 1 lakh.

The Khwahish Sewa Society (KHASS) is also collaborating with Kitucate Educational Services, a Pune-based company, to set up 10 laboratories based on Contextual Kitted Lessons (CKL), an innovative way to raise the profile of science in government schools.

Till now, the KHASS has made the availability of desk and sanitary pads at several schools in Balachaur block of Nawanshahr.  TNS
Hasan Suroor

Hasan Suroor



ON the face of it, Donald Trumps stunt recognising Jerusalem as Israels capital isn't doing very well as was evident at the UN where despite his administration's bullying tactics the general assembly overwhelmingly voted for a resolution condemning his decision and declaring it null and void. Only a handful of small nations, cowed by his threat to cut aid if they supported the resolution, reluctantly voted against it. Still, the final tally (128 for, only nine against and 35 abstentions) was big enough to send Trump into an apoplectic rage. America, he roared, would not forget who voted against it  and in due course they would be punished.

We will remember it when so many countries come calling on us...to pay even more. This vote will be remembered, said Americas UN envoy Nikki Haley echoing him.

Indias support for the resolution will have particularly angered Trump coming as it did barely hours after he had showered praise on it hailing it as a leading global power and singling it out for a special relationship. He would have expected India to return the favour; instead he got a snub. One can imagine him growling: Nasty Indians! Bloody Ingrates!! Very Bad!!! Delhi had better watch out. The Palestinians were, of, course delighted that after a disappointingly muted initial reaction India finally came good. Palestinian diplomats in Delhi lobbied hard after a meeting with MJ Akbar, Minister of State for External Affairs, left them unsure of Indias intentions. We were really very concerned after that meeting. That's when we decided to go all out to make our case, reasoned Wael Albattrekhi, deputy chief of the Palestinian Mission in India. Until the last moment, they were not sure how India might vote.

So far, so good. But it would be a mistake to over-interpret the UN vote. Essentially, it was a symbolic victory; the hard battle to secure East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian State still lies ahead. Its important to remember that the vote was not so much about expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause as condemning breaches of a series of UN resolutions against acquisition of territory by force, and unilaterally altering the status of Jerusalem.

The question for Palestinian leaders and the larger Arab world is: where do they go from here? So far, theres little evidence that they have a clear plan to follow up their UN triumph apart from a lot of fighting talk and loud thinking. Macbeths famous line about sound and fury signifying nothing applies perfectly to the sound and fury coming out of Arab capitals. For all the apparent indignation, two weeks after Trumps announcement theyre still struggling to frame a coherent response. A joint statement issued at the end of an emergency summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Istanbul was full of fire and brimstone but there was not even a hint of any concrete strategy except that they would no longer accept America as a player in the peace process. In a sign of how casually leading Arab countries approach the issue, only 20 of the 57 heads of state bothered to attend the Istanbul summit; others, including Saudi Arabia, were represented by their foreign ministers or officials.

That, in the circumstances they even managed to put on a public show of unity must rate as some sort of an achievement. All sounded suitably outraged calling the American move a threat to regional peace and stability. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas was particularly vocal declaring, in what's regarded as his strongest statement yet, that Washington had forfeited any role in the peace process. "While we engaged with them in the peace process for the sake of a deal, they delivered a slap. We will no longer accept that it (America) has a role in the political process," he said. On his insistence, this was included in the joint statement but the final version, it is believed, was much milder than a stronger earlier draft. What we saw in Istanbul, however, was typical of frontline Arab countries' lack of political will to act for fear of offending their Western allies, especially America.

Riven with internal divisions and rivalries (witness the Saudi-led campaign against Qatar), they have little time for Palestine beyond paying it lip service. Their current priority is containing Iran and to achieve this they have no compunction flirting with even Israel. On the basis that enemy's enemy is a friend, Saudi Arabia and other Sunni states have found a common cause with Tel Aviv which also regards Iran as its principal enemy because of its support for Hamas and Hezbollah. It's also well known that Trump is working closely with the Saudis to kick-start the peace process, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, a Jew, is engaged in heavy lobbying through the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. There have been persistent media reports that after a recent meeting between the two, Salman summoned Mahmoud Abbas and showed him a plan that, according to The New York Times, was so heavily tilted in favour of Israel that "no Palestinian leader could ever accept" it. Under it, a future Palestinian state would be a patchwork of "non-contiguous part of the West Bank and only limited sovereignty over their own territory". Most of the illegal Israeli settlements would stay; the Palestinians would not have East Jerusalem as their capital; and no right of return for Palestinian refugees. And to add insult to injury, Abbas was reportedly told that if he didn't sign on the dotted lines he would be replaced by a more obliging leader. Abbas was said to be "alarmed and visibly upset".

But Dr Wael Albattrekhi insisted that despite our internal problems the Palestinian cause is still supreme. Together, were going to ramp up pressure by seeking full UN membership, and joining scores of international institutions in the coming months, among other things. If history, however, is any guide, the fightback will end here. Gradually, the rage will fizzle out, the allies will go back to their other priorities, and it will be back to business as usual until the next crisis erupts. Slowly, like other illegal Israeli settlements, Jerusalem will also become a fait accompli. The only way to avert this dystopian scenario is for the big boys of the Arab world to acquire some mojo and use their leverage with their Western allies whose economies thrive on selling them everything from arms and paper clips to get a fair deal on Palestine. Do they have the political will to do it?

The writer is a London-based commentator
The fate of Kulbhushan Jadhav, the death row prisoner in Islamabad, has become the subject of a fierce contest between India and Pakistan. Pakistans Deep State has hit back after suffering a reverse: the International Court of Justice directed Pakistan not to carry out the death penalty till Indias appeal was disposed of. It has used Jadhav as bait to stir passions in India, and has nearly succeeded. It arm-twisted a disinclined India  which suspected precisely such a trap  to permit Jadhavs wife and mother to travel to Islamabad. Once there, Pakistans officials were demonstratively brusque and discourteous to the two ladies. The message to street-corner rabble-rousers in India has gone home.

The Jadhav case is cause celebre in India now. Pakistans security establishment has been tormented and has longed to even the score ever since South Block, including PM Modi from the Red Fort, publicly introduced Balochistan into the palette of Indo-Pak contestations. The governments incessant talking up of the surgical strikes and the competition over Afghanistan, coupled with its grievances over the Uri and Pathankot strikes, have led to a diplomatic cul de sac. Rawalpindi can now be depended upon to constantly bring into play the Jadhav case to counter Indian pressure to address the safe havens issue as well as ensure continuing hostility.

Though South Block has contrived to write off other choices of resolving the Jadhav case by insisting on dialogue only on its terms  its Ambassador was reduced to the ranks of spectators when the mulakat took place. Yet, India cannot allow the destiny of its citizen to be held hostage to cat-and-mouse inter-state rivalry. The Modi government holds a contrastive notion of civil society and has consciously shrunk its space. In the absence of alternative tools at its disposal, New Delhi needs to explore the alternative of mediation by civil social institutions. Sarabjit was let off the death row because of the exertions of an Aziz Burney-led civil society and the much-belaboured human rights wallahs in Pakistan. This option need not be considered an incongruity but an independent supplement of the states efforts to rescue Jadhav.
Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Tosham (Bhiwani), December 26

Indiscriminate mining carried out in Dadam stone quarry in Tosham area of the district by a private contractor had left a huge crater in the middle of the quarry.

However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had recently banned the mining operations in Dadam. Sources said that as per the terms and conditions of the mining contract under the Mining Act, the mining operations cannot go beyond two metres above the groundwater table.

However, information obtained under the RTI Act on September 12, an assistant geologist of the state government had stated that the groundwater level in Dadam was at 18.75 metres.

Abrupt digging into the quarry also poses a threat to the ecology of the region, say local residents who had been associated with the mining operations for many years.

The High Court in its order dated November 22 had directed the Bhiwani DC and the SP to deploy police force and one DM to monitor the minerals stocked.
Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, December 26

A clerk at a poultry farm was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jind today. Police sources said the killers took away a bag containing about Rs22 lakh from the deceased.

The victim, identified as 37-year-old Chanderpal, sustained at least two bullet injuries in the head and shoulder. He died on the spot.

On the basis of CCTV footage near the crime spot, the police said at least three persons were involved in the crime and their identity was yet to be established.

In a video, the accused were seen waiting in a white car near the crime spot. The victim, carrying cash, arrived at the office on a motorcycle this morning.

As he stopped in front of the office, the accused reached there in the car and opened fire at him. They managed to escape before people in the vicinity could react.

Sources said the cash was scheduled to be paid to the persons in the supply chain of the poultry farm. The police said an alert had been sounded in the district to nab the culprits.

Prima facie, it appeared that the criminals were well aware of the movement of Chanderpal while carrying cash, said an official.

Two brothers killed in mishap

Yamunanagar: Two brothers were killed when their motorcycle was hit by a truck near Khandwa village of the district on Tuesday. The deceased have been identified as Gulshan Kumar (21) and Vijay Kumar (24) of Aurangabad village. They were taken to a trauma centre, where they were declared brought dead. The bodies were handed over to their family after the postmortem. A case has been registered against the truck driver. TNS
Tribune News Service

Karnal, December 26

The family of Sepoy Pargat Singh, killed in ceasefire violation in the Keri sector of Rajouri on Saturday, today hailed the operation carried out by Indian forces in which four Pakistani soldiers were killed. They urged the Army and Centre to continue such retaliation to avenge the supreme sacrifice of soldiers.

I have lost my son, who has made the supreme sacrifice for the country. I do not want more mothers like me and wives like my daughter-law to suffer. The Army and Union government should continue surgical strikes till terrorism is wiped out, said Pargats mother Sukhwinder Kaur.

Hailing the Army action, she said, I appreciate the reaction of Indian forces to Pakistan, but there still is need for stringent action against Pakistan. Action from our side should be continued. The government should give a free hand to the Army and not stop it from taking any action against Pakistan.

Raising anti-Pakistan slogans at his residence, Pargats son Yuvraj Singh showed his willingness to join the Army to avenge his fathers death. I will join the Army and take revenge for my fathers sacrifice, he told mediapersons.

Pargats wife Ramanpreet Kaur echoed similar sentiments and appreciated the retaliatory action. She said, I appreciate the retaliation by my solider brothers as Pakistan deserves such an action. It understands the language of the bullet instead of love. I am proud of my husbands sacrifice. He wanted to make Yuvraj a top officer. I will send my son to the Army to avenge his fathers sacrifice.
Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, December 26

Family members of Sepoy Pargat Singh, who was killed on Saturday in a ceasefire violation in Keri sector in Rajouri district, have hailed the Indian Army action in which three soldiers of Pakistan Army have been killed.

They urged the Indian Army and Union government to continue such kind of retaliation to take revenge of the supreme sacrifice of the Indian soldiers.

I have lost my son who had made supreme sacrifice for the country, but I do not want that mothers like me and wives like my daughter-in-law should suffer any more, so the Indian Army and the Union government should continue such retaliatory action till terrorism is uprooted, said Sukhwinder Kaur, mother of Pargat Singh.

Hailing the action taken by the Indian Army, she said, I appreciate the reply by the Indian forces to Pakistan, but still there is a need of a stringent action.

The action from our side should be continued. The government should give a free hand and should not stop the Indian Army from taking any kind of action against Pakistan, she maintained.

Raising anti-Pakistan slogans at his residence, Pargats son Yuvraj Singh showed his willingness to join Indian Army to take the revenge of his father. I will join the Army and will take avenge my fathers killing, said Yuvraj.

Pargat Singhs wife Ramanpreet Kaur said, I appreciate the retaliation by my solider brothers as Pakistan deserves such kind of action. It understands the language of bullet and not love.

I am proud of my husbands sacrifice. He wanted to make Yuvraj a top official. I will send my son to the Army, she said.
After New Delhi accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural sensibilities and allowing the local press to harass Kulbhushan Jadhav's family, Islamabad has issued a statement rejecting these "baseless allegations".

By India Today Web Desk: Pakistan rejected what it called India's "twists" and "baseless allegations" about its treatment of Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife , after New Delhi accused it of disregarding their cultural sensibilities and allowing the local press to harass them.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's government said in a statement that Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother Avanti "publicly thanked Pakistan for the humanitarian gesture," and this "was recorded by the media."

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"Nothing more needs to be said," it added.

India's Ministry of External Affairs says Pakistan asked Avanti and Chetankul Jadhav (Kulbhushan's wife) to remove their "mangal sutra, bangles and bindi ." (before the meeting with Kulbhushan). The Pakistan government demanded "a change in attire that was not warranted by security," the MEA said.

What's more, India says Chetankul's shoes weren't returned to her . And her mother-in-law wasn't allowed to speak to her son in their native language, Marathi.

As well, "the Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Shri Jadhav...despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access," the MEA said.

The ministry published a statement containing all the above charges. Its spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar, also addressed a press conference earlier today.

But Pakistan has said these claims are without merit.

"The Indian baseless allegations and twists, that come 24 hrs later, about the visit of the wife and mother of Commander Jadhav, a convicted terrorist and spy, who has confessed to his crimes, are categorically rejected," Islamabad's statement read.

"If Indian concerns were serious, the guests or the Indian DHC should have raised them during the visit, with the media, which was readily available, but at a safe distance, as requested by India," it added.

(Inputs from Geeta Mohan)

WATCH | Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with wife, mother: Cruel photo opportunity?

--- ENDS ---
Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 26

Even though it is still unclear whether Chief Minister-designate Jai Ram Thakur will take along the entire Cabinet or the induction of ministers will take place in phases, there is anxiety among most aspirants as they await a formal invite from the Raj Bhawan.

Thakur, along with state BJP president Satpal Singh Satti, spent almost two hours at the RSS office here late last night while deliberating on various appointments to be made in the new regime. The two left the office after 11.30 pm. It is being expected that in the first phase, only six ministers can take oath and the remaining will be inducted later.

However, supporters of several MLAs like Suresh Bhardwaj (Shimla), Sarveen Chaudhary (Shahpur), Rakesh Pathania (Nurpur), Kishan Kapoor (Dharamshala) and Anil Sharma (Mandi Sadar) have reportedly left from their respective areas to attend the swearing-in ceremony. Their names are doing rounds as ministerial probables.

However, the final list was not provided to the Raj Bhawan till the filing of the report as party chief Amit Shah is yet to approve it, said sources.

Hope new govt will be unbiased: Virbhadra

Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has sent good wishes on the eve of formation of the BJP government in the state. I hope and believe that the new regime will not in any way hamper the development projects and initiatives taken by the Congress regime, he said. He hoped that the new regime would do well on every account and fulfill the aspirations of the government, taking Himachal to new heights. Virbhadra also hoped that the new government would not discriminate with any region or people and ensure uniform development. Himachal has emerged as a model hill state and I hope this journey will continue. In case, the promises are not fulfilled, it will be an insult to the electorate and democracy, he remarked.

Over 20,000 residents from Mandi to attend event

Mandi: More than 20,000 persons from Mandi district are expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Chief Minister-designate Jai Ram Thakur in Shimla on Wednesday. A huge turnout is expected from the Seraj constituency which is being represented by Thakur for the past 20 years. BJP spokesperson Ranveer Thakur said at least 15,000 people from the Seraj area might attend the event. He said it was a proud moment for the people of the district. After taking oath, Thakur will visit the district where he will be given a grand welcome. OC
New Delhi, December 26

A group of five Army commandos crossed the Line of Control in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir and killed three Pakistani soldiers and smashed a post, in a swift and daring operation on Monday evening.

The operation, which brought back memories of last year's surgical strikes, is seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel by a Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army in Keri sector Rajouri district three days ago.

Army sources said the "small group" of 'Ghatak' commandos carried out a tactical level selective targeting of the Pakistani post around 200-300 metre across the LoC in which three Pakistani soldiers were killed and one was injured.

READ

Slain soldiers family hails Army action against Pakistan

The operation began around 6 pm and the team returned to their camp within 45 minutes and none of them sustained any injury, they said.

The temporary post of the Pakistan Army was put under extensive surveillance much before the operation was carried out on the instruction of the local commander of the Army unit.

On Saturday, the Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army had killed four Indian Army personnel including a Major in Rajouri.

The sources said Pakistani soldiers killed in the operation were from Pakistan Army's Baluch regiment and the temporary post targeted by the Indian Army was in an area which Pakistan calls Rukh Chakri sector.

They said there was no comparison between last year's surgical strikes and yesterday's operation. A small team of commandos was deployed with a very limited aim in yesterday's operation.

There were reports that the number of casualty on the Pakistani side was four but Army sources maintained that three were killed and one was injured.

The Indian Army has been adopting a "tough" approach in dealing with ceasefire violations and terrorist activities in the last one year.

According to official figure, 820 incidents of ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops were reported in the current year till today as against 221 last year.

A total of 61 Army personnel, including three Garud commandos, were killed in action in Jammu and Kashmir this year while the Army killed 210 terrorists in the same period.

Out of the total terrorists killed, 62 were killed along the Line of Control and 148 in the hinterland in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.  PTI
Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 26

The government has been unable to solve the stray dog problem in Jammu city despite a drive started by the Jammu Municipal Corporation to sterilise the canines.

Stray dogs, which pose a threat to people, can be seen roaming the streets in dozens.

The Jammu Municipal Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding with a Nasik-based NGO  Nanded Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals  to carry out the animal birth control and anti-rabies vaccine programme for stray dogs in all 71 wards of the JMC for two years. Though the process has been taken up ward-wise, there is no post-operative arrangement for the stray dogs.

We are under the obligation of the Supreme Court order to lift the stray dog from a particular ward, operate and vaccinate it and then drop it back from where it was lifted. Though the animal turns impotent and harmless, it remains a potential threat to passersby, said Jaswant Singh, JMCs Medical and Veterinary Officer (MVO).

The MVO said an idea had been mooted long ago to create dog ponds on the pattern of cattle ponds, but nothing had happened. The idea was to create dog ponds in some wards, panchayats and halqas and segregate dogs into males and females and raise them there, he added.

Another JMC official said that by creating dog ponds, the government could have fetched good returns as quality dogs could have been raised and dog loving people could have become potential buyers.

The Medical Veterinary Officer, Jammu, said nearly 60,000 stray dogs had been identified in Jammu city and 65-70 per cent had been sterilised.

We have covered all wards in old Jammu city. The Gandhinagar and Shastrinagar areas will be taken up in the second phase on January 1, said Jaswant Singh.

The sterilised dogs can be identified from the incision on their one ear, said the MVO.
Jammu, December 26

Five Pakistani soldiers have been killed over the past two days on the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch districts, Defence Ministry sources said on Tuesday.

Three Pakistani soldiers were killed and another injured when the Army foiled an infiltration bid in Nowshera sector of the LoC in Rajouri district on Monday evening.

Noticing suspicious movement on the LoC, alert troops fired to foil the infiltration bid, the defence sources said. The retaliation by Army took place in Rakhchakri, in Pakistans Rawalkot sector.

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Army sources said the action was taken after suspicious movement was spotted around 6 pm.

Pakistans media quoting Inter-Service Public Relations confirmed the death of three Pakistan soldiers in the cross-border firing.

On Sunday, two Pakistani sniper shooters were killed in Indian firing on the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts.

These sniper shooters were trying to target Indian soldiers on the LoC, sources said.

Four Indian soldiers, including a Major, were killed in Pakistan firing on the LoC in Rajouri district on Saturday. IANS
Srinagar, December 26

Terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed suffered a major blow on Tuesday when its top commander Noor Mohammad Tantray, considered the brains behind the terror outfit's revival in the Valley, was killed in south Kashmir, police said.

Two of his accomplices, believed to be foreign terrorists, managed to escape under the cover of darkness when the encounter broke out at Samboora village in Pulwama district, they said, adding that the two would be tracked down soon.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

According to Director General of Police SP Vaid, the militants had gathered in the area and were planning to carry out an attack on a convoy of security personnel.

There was input about presence of two to three terrorists near the national highway who were "planning to attack convoy", the DGP tweeted.

Terming the killing of 47-year-old Tantray as a "significant development", the police said the terrorist was wanted in various terror incidents earlier this year, including a suicide attack at the BSF camp at Srinagar airport, and had become an irritant for the security forces.

"The divisional commander of JeM, Noor Mohammad Tantray alias Noor Trali, was killed in a gun battle with security forces in Samboora area of Pulwama," the police said in a statement.

The body of Tantray, who was four feet two inches tall, was recovered along with one weapon this morning from the rubbles of the house where the terrorists were hiding.

A crack team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, acting on a specific input, had cordoned off a cluster of houses at Samboora which resulted in a fierce gun battle leading to the elimination of the top JeM commander.

A police spokesman said Tantray, who was a close aide of the 2001 Parliament attack case mastermind Ghazi Baba, was convicted in a case registered in 2003 in Delhi.

He served a sentence at Central Jail in Srinagar and was out on parole in 2015, the spokesman said.

Consequently, he remained in Tral at south Kashmir and became a major overground worker of the JeM in the region, the police said.

In July this year, after the Aripal encounter, in which three JeM terrorists were killed, Tantray went underground and soon became the key man of the terror outfit in coordinating and organising attacks at different places, he said.

He was one of the chief architects of the attack on a BSF camp near Srinagar airport in October, the spokesman said, adding that he was also wanted in connection with a number of terror attacks in south and central Kashmir.

Tantray hailed from Tral area and his death is being seen as a blow to the terror group as he was the key man in reviving the JeM in south and central Kashmir.

He was buried at his village later this afternoon.  PTI
Tribune News Service

Anantnag, December 26

A divisional commander of the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), who had jumped parole to join the outfit, was killed in the wee hours of Tuesday in Samboora area of Pampore in south Kashmirs Pulwama district, 23 km from the summer capital.

Security forces have termed the killing a substantial setback to the JeM in the Valley.

The slain militant has been identified as 47-year-old Noor Mohammad Tantray, a resident of Dar Ganaigund village of Tral in Pulwama. Tantray was four feet tall.

The Army has maintained that the slain militant had been associated with militant activities since 2003 and joined active militancy earlier this year after jumping parole.

He was first arrested in 2003 for his involvement in a bomb blast in Delhi. He was serving life imprisonment at the Srinagar Central Jail and was out on parole when he joined the JeM earlier this year, Commander, 1 Sector, Rashtriya Rifles, Col Sanjeev Saroch, said at a press briefing in Anantnag.

He said Tantrays killing was a major setback to the militants, in terms of logistics, recruitment, operations and coordination.

According to police reports, a cordon and search operation was launched at Karnbal inSamboora village about 11:30 pm on Monday.

There were inputs regarding the presence of militants in the area, a senior police officer said, adding that the militants opened fire about midnight as the cordon was being tightened. Tantrays body was found beneath the rubble of the house, damaged in the gunfight in the wee hours today.

Police sources said one or two militants managed to escape.

Deputy Inspector General, south Kashmir range, SP Pani, also termed the killing a significant one. He was on parole and had turned into a major overground worker for the JeM before becoming an active militant, the DIG said.

Tantrays body was handed over to his family early Tuesday morning. Thousands of people, despite strict restrictions in the area, reached Tantrays village to attend the funeral prayers.

Masked militants, as per sources, appeared during the funeral and offered a gun salute to their slain associate.

Meanwhile, DGP SPVaid, who was at Reasi for a police-public metting, said Noor was on the wanted list of security forces. He termed the killing a significant breakthrough.

Ultra jumped parole
International Young Chef Olympiad (YCO), will be organised by the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) from January 28 to February 2, 2018. The event, supported by the ministry of Tourism will see teams from more than 50 countries compete for the winner's trophy, a cash prize of Rs 10,000. YCO 2018 was flagged off with a Lucky Draw held recently at The Double Tree by Hilton in London, wherein the fifty participating countries were divided into five groups from Group A to E- with Team India falling in Group A. The curtain raiser was attended by the celebrity chefs who will judge the mega competition. Dr Suborno Bose, the Chairman of the Young Chef Olympiad 2018 Committee and Ahmed Abdullah, Member of the Young Chef Olympiad 2018 Committee and Director of IIHM Delhi, were also present on the occasion.

Ten celebrity chefs from across the world will select the winner. IIHMs own team of chefs led by Padmashriawardee Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor will also judge the competition.

The 2018 Olympiad will have three rounds as compared to four rounds in previous years. The opening ceremony will be held at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi. The first round of the competition for each team will take place in Delhi, Pune and Bangalore. Round II and the Grand Finale are scheduled to take place in Kolkata at the Hyatt Regency and the IIHM Campus.

The contestants will be marked on a host of parameters, including their culinary skills and technique, adherence to good health and safety and hygiene practice, working methods, minimal waste and best use of ingredients, professional appearance, attitude, dish presentation, taste and flavour.

World University of Design opens campus

The campus of Indias first and only Design University  World University of Deisgn was opened at Sonipat, recently. The campus is situated on NH1 in Rajiv Gandhi Education City (NCR), Sonipat - the largest planned integrated city for education in India. The University has international collaborations with universities like UWS University of West Scotland, VFS the Vancouver Film School, and IAAD the Italian University of Design. WUD offers countrys largest creative course catalogue  23 specialised UG & PG programmes in various Design arenas such as Design, Fashion, Communication, Visual Arts, Design & Retail Management, and Architecture. The University follows a unique curriculum that encourages Research, Academic Excellence, Industry Preparedness & Social Innovation. Experienced faculties qualified from the best institutions of India & the world such as FIT New York, LCF London, NID, NIFT, SPA & TVB to name a few. Students will have access to facilities including high-tech labs & workshops etc. The university offers residential campus with air-conditioned, Wifi Hostel facilities.  TNS
Amarjot Kaur

For over six weeks, artist Harpreet Singh has been hosting 25 artists from across the globe at his artist residency, Healing Hills Art Residency (HHAR), at Ladog village in Badisher valley of Morni Hills. The two-day performance art event, titled Mother Tongue, at the Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10, is an upshot of the creative exchange that influenced the artists at the residency. Its curator is a Berlin-based artist, Alexa Wilson, and the event comprises not only stirring performance arts, but insightful talks and panel discussions as well.

Right to abort

The opening art performance by Agne Auzelyte, 26, and Shelley Etkin, 28, was a compelling take on abortion laws that has been a burning issue among feminists in Europe, especially Poland and Ireland. For more than two hours, Agne and Shelley dug their faces in pillows. Laying on their stomach the duo, called Vagittarius, sang, screamed, and shrilled.

If not at 70, then when?

Based in Ontario, 70-year-old Helene Lefebvre had undergone an open-heart surgery this year. Without uttering a syllable, she enacted a poignant improvisation of time and change, using only two elements: stones and roses. The dramatic interpretation of anguish, despair, and dejection saw Helene walking towards five stones and some nine red roses. Her gait was heavy, and she often tried to balance the weight of the stone on her back, behind her shoulders. She took a few roses, and offered them to her audience after opening one of them and smashing it on the stone until its crushed red petals rested around the stone. I work on identity issues. This particular act is an abstract representation of time and changes in and around us. I took to performance art in 2005; before that, I was a painter, printmaker, and I also made installations, she shares.

Dancing to the sound of silence

For 29-year-old Katia Reshetnikova of Russia, the idea of dancing to the sound of silence or just about anything is utterly fascinating. With her earphones on, she pranced around the museum. At times, she would roll on the floor, on other occasions she would rest her head against the pillar and break into a gymnastic move. I am a sound designer and I am experimenting with performity of sound, the perception of human body, and its movement in relation to space, she says. She often hands out another earphone to the visitors so they can hear the music too. This is the recording of sound samples I collected during my stay at the residency, she adds.

Indian women by a Canadian woman

Caroline Kunzle, 43, is from Montreal. During her stay at the residency, she has been interviewing women in the vicinity and has developed a script around it. She plays the violin and is a radio show designer. With a passion for conducting interviews, Caroline has also been documenting oral history through verbatim theatre. When I met the women here, it dawned upon me that Indian women have still not been able to break from the tradition of patriarchy. But thats just my perception, she signs off.

The event also included panel discussions and talks by Kosta Bogoievski and Antonia Barnett-Macintosh.
Amir Karim Tantray & Shyam Sood

Tribune News Service

Jammu/Rajouri, December 26

Two days after four Indian soldiers were killed in the Keri sector of Rajouri district, the Army on Monday avenged the killing by neutralising four Pakistani soldiers and injuring one opposite Poonch sector. The Army also decimated a Pakistani post along the Line of Control (LoC).

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Sources in the Army told The Tribune that in retaliatory action, reportedly in a surgical strike, a small group of Armys Special Forces commandos gunned down four Pakistani soldiers, including a Major, in Rawlakot sector, opposite Gulpur sub-sector of Poonch district.

Commandos entered 200-300 metres inside the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) territory and destroyed a forward post of the Pakistan army on Monday afternoon, said sources.

The slain Pakistani soldiers have been identified as sepoy Sajjad, sepoy Abdul Rehman and sepoy M Usman, while sepoy Ahtzaz Hussain was injured. The identity of the officer killed was not disclosed yet, said sources.

The strike was carried out by Special Forces commandos in response to the killing of four soldiers, including a Major, of a Sikh unit in the Baratgala area of Keri sector on Saturday.

Pakistans Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed the killing of their three soldiers, but said they died in cross-border shelling i.e. in ceasefire violation. Pakistani media also reported the killings in unprovoked ceasefire violation. India had initiated the unprovoked ceasefire violation that led to an exchange of fire between the two countries border forces, Dawn reported, quoting ISPR.

A senior Army officer said the action wasnt enough. We have to avenge the death of each and every soldier killed on the LoC, the officer said.

On Sunday, in the first retaliatory action after the killing of four soldiers, the Army had gunned down two Pakistani snipers.

This is the second strike by the Army inside PoK since September 2016, when Ghatak commandos had conducted a surgical strike following a deadly terror attack on an Army camp in Uri.

Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, Lance Naik Kuldip Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh  all of 2 Sikh Regiment  were killed in an apparent Pakistan armys Border Action Team (BAT) attack on December 23. The Indian Army, however, maintained they were killed in ceasefire violation.

Pak summons diplomat

In Islamabad, Pakistan on Tuesday summoned Indias acting Deputy High Commissioner to protest unprovoked firing by the Indian Army. Its Foreign Office rejected reports that the Indian Army commandos had crossed the LoC along Poonch sector and smashed a post.
Coimbatore, December 26

Five people, including two women on a pilgrimage to the hill shrine in Palani, were killed and another seriously injured, when a government bus mowed them down near Dharapuram in Tirupur district, on Tuesday.

The group of devotees from Tirupur was on padyatra to the hill shrine, when the bus knocked them down around 5.30 am, police said.

All five were killed on the spot, while another person who sustained serious injuries was admitted to the government hospital in Dharapuram, they said.

Investigation is on. PTI
By PTI: Kolkata, Dec 26 (PTI) Amid a rise in cyber attacks across the world, ensuring the security of devices linked to the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem will be a key focus of companies in 2018, say experts.

The IoT is a growing network of inter-connected devices that can be accessed through the Internet.

"IoT devices have been a cause for concern for consumers. We will see an increase in businesses to secure the entire network instead of each individual endpoint, which can help minimise the risk and cost involved in maintaining security across IoT devices," Juniper Networks VP, security marketing, Franklyn Jones told PTI.

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According to a Gartner report, global spend on information security products and services will grow to a massive USD 93 billion in 2018.

"As smart technology and IoT becomes more widespread, safeguarding customer data is now even more important. As data breaches reveal sensitive information and can have a direct physical impact, organisations have become responsible and accountability is a key challenge," said Srinivasan C R, Tata Communications Senior VP, Global Product Management and Data Centre Services.

Businesses will need to strategically develop next-generation frameworks to minimise risk, as cyber-security regulations evolve, he said.

"In 2018, security breaches should be thought of as inevitable... as a result, the focus is shifting from prevention to resilience," Srinivasan said.

In May this year, nearly 100 countries, including India, were hit by a massive ransomware cyber attack. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that infects a computer and restricts users access until a ransom is paid to unlock it.

A recent study by PwC and Juniper Networks showed that security is the most important priority for both CIOs and VPs of companies, Jones added. PTI BSM RBT RG

--- ENDS ---
Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 26

The government and the Opposition are headed for a faceoff over a Bill seeking to criminalise the practice of instant triple talaq among Muslims. The Bill, cleared by the Union Cabinet earlier this month, is listed for introduction in the Lok Sabha for December 28.

The Opposition, sources say, is ready with its floor strategy to stall the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 and force its referral to Parliaments Standing Committee. The government had circulated the Bill (draft law) among the MPs last week.

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Making instant triple talaq a criminal offence, it proposes a jail term of up to three years and fine for the offender. Muslim MPs of various Opposition parties have urged Union Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad not to hurry with the proposed legislation. Those from the Congress, CPI (M), TMC and JD(U) met at the residence of Rajya Sabha MP K Rehman Khan here last Friday. Leaders of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board also attended the deliberations. Khan said the MPs found certain provisions in the Bill pernicious.

The governments intention is not the welfare of Muslim women, but to politicise and communalise society. Where is the need for a legislation against instant triple talaq when the Supreme Court has already made it illegal, he argued. CPI(M)s Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Mohammad Salim sought wider consultations.
Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 26

A day after the highly orchestrated meeting between jailed Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav and his wife and mother in Islamabad, India today said the exercise lacked credibility and was meant only to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Jadhavs alleged activities.

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The Jadhav family met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and senior MEA officials here this morning for nearly three hours. Kulbhushan Jadhavs father, mother and wife along with two junior ministers, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh, who had accompanied the family for the Islamabad meeting, were among those present.

After detailed discussions, India issued a statement carrying a battery of charges against Pakistan. The MEA said: Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included removal of mangalsutra, bangles and bindi as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security.

Jadhavs mother was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, although this was clearly the natural medium of communication. Sources said every time the mother tried conversing in Marathi, a woman officer would switch off the intercom.

Pakistan Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson had claimed that the meeting on December 25, the birthday of Pakistans founding father Mohammad Ali Jinnah, bore testimony to the countrys humane face.

Jadhav, during his first meeting with the family since his arrest in 2016 and subsequent military trial sentencing him to death, stood behind a glass interface and spoke through the intercom for some 40 minutes with his mother and wife.

Though Pakistan had released a pre-recorded video of Jadhav calling the meet a grand gesture, the MEA today said he was under duress, speaking in an atmosphere of coercion, and that most of his remarks were clearly tutored.

According to official sources, Jadhavs mother mentioned during the conversation that Kulbhushan was restless and did not look or feel like her son, as she knew him. A source claimed at one point Jadhav asked his family to admit before the media that he was a RAW agent to which his mother retorted: Why dont you tell the truth that you are simply a businessman. The mother reportedly asked him about his scars. Shaken, his wife broke down several times.

India called the overall atmosphere intimidating and accused the Pakistan Government of allowing the media to harass and hector the family, despite a clear agreement not to permit them access. The MEA said that strangely the shoes of Jadhavs wife were not returned after the meeting. India cautioned against any mischievous intent in this regard.

BATTERY OF CHARGES
Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 26

A local travel agent allegedly duped over 80 youths by giving them fake visas and travel tickets for Middle East countries. The issue came to light when a part of the group was left stranded at the Delhi International Airport on December 24.

The victims, hailing from various districts of Punjab, protested outside the absconding travel agents office and filed a police complaint against him.

Narinder Kumar of Jandiala Manjki village said the accused agent, Vishal Sharma, who had an office near the Jalandhar bus stand, had put up an advertisement for jobs in Dubai and Kuwait in a local newspaper last month.

While he sought Rs 60,000 to provide placement at a milk plant in Dubai, he sought up to Rs 1.20 lakh to provide placement as security guards and drivers in Kuwait, said Kumar. He said for Dubai, a monthly salary of 1,500 Arab Emirates dirham (Rs 26,000) was offered and for Kuwait, job aspirants were offered a monthly salary of up to 180 Kuwaiti Dinars (Rs 38,000).

The accused handed them visas and travel tickets last week and asked them to reach the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in two groups. While a group of 40 persons was called on December 24 to board a flight to Dubai, another group to Kuwait was called to report at the airport on December 27.

However, when the first group showed their visas and travel tickets at the airport, they were told that those were fake. The youths tried to contact the agent but to no avail.

The accused had even made a fake passport, a copy of which was handed over to us. When we went to the address mentioned in his passport, it too turned out to be a fake, said Sukhwant Singh, another victim from Bajuha Khurd village.

Jalandhar DCP Rajinder Singh said a complaint had been received by over 80 youths who met Police Commissioner Praveen Sinha. A search is on for the travel agent.

Stranded at Delhi airport

The accused handed them visas and travel tickets last week and asked them to reach the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in two groups. While a group of 40 persons was called on December 24 to board a flight to Dubai, another group to Kuwait was called at the airport on December 27. However, when the first group showed their visas and travel tickets at the airport, they were told that those were fake.
Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, December 26

The Sangrur police with the help of Central and state intelligence agencies have got deported Satnam Singh, a commission agent and his two employees from Thailand and recovered Rs 1.57 crore, including Rs 57 lakh in cash and 2.629-kg gold, from them.

After duping 36 farmers of Dhuri and a commission agent, they had fled to Azerbaijan and then moved to Thailand.

On November 9, commission agent (arhtiya) Charnjit Singh from Dhuri had alleged that his four bank cheques of Rs 83 lakh had gone missing from the safe of his shop. When he checked from the bank, the amount was transferred from his bank account to the account of accused Satnam Singh, who earlier worked with him as a clerk but left job three months back and started his own shop in the same market of Dhuri.

The police had registered a fraud case against Satnam Singh, who went underground after that. Later, the police received complaints from 36 farmers who alleged that Satnam Singh, along with his two accomplices Sattar Khan and Harvinder Singh, duped them of lakhs of rupees.

The accused duped Rs 1.57 crore from Charnjit Singh and 36 farmers. Out of this, they purchased gold of around Rs 1 crore while the remaining Rs 57 lakh were in cash, Dr Sukhchain Singh, DIG of Patiala Range, said.

The operation was supervised by Sangrur SSP Mandeep Sidhu, who informed the Central and state intelligence agencies about the case, along with Dhuri DSP Akashdeep Singh Aulakh.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 26

Putting in place the revised basic infrastructure norm, the state Council of Ministers will tomorrow take a call on the new policy to regularise illegal colonies in the state.

The agenda item was deferred in the last Cabinet meeting held on December 20 after Cabinet ministers - Navjot Singh Sidhu, Brahm Mohindra and Charanjit Channi  had raised the issue of laid down norms on roads, parks and other urban infrastructure.

Sources say in the reworked norms it has been proposed that individual plots will be regularised only after the respective illegal colony is regularised. This will be in withdrawal from the earlier procedure during the SAD-BJP government that allowed individual plot owners to get their property regularised, irrespective of the legal status of the colony in which their plot was located.

Apart from the penal clause, the issue of regularisation vis-a-vis the covered area has also been defined in the new regulation. A senior government functionary said the previous Akali government had thrice extended the deadline for the illegal plot holders to apply for regularisation of their property. The new proposed guidelines would also apply to the colonies concerning the areas governed by the Local Bodies Department. Before finalising the guidelines, feedback from the Local Bodies Department has been sought.

It has also been proposed that the plot buyers money collected by the promoter of illegal colonies would have to be spent in the respective colony. Intention is to discourage the builders from diverting investors money.

Industrial promotion meet

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh will chair a meeting of the Industrial Promotion Board to discuss the Amritsar-Rajpura corridor, besides other issues.
Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 26

The state government is offering an employment generation subsidy of Rs 30,000 each per year for five years to employees trained and certified by the Punjab Skill Development Mission (PSDM) or any other state/Central government skill development scheme or state-approved institutions.

The move is aimed at giving a fillip to employment generation as well as to attract new investment in the state, especially in the form of anchor units in sectors such as IT/IT-enabled services, apparel, footwear and accessories, electronics and food processing.

The upper limit of the subsidy per year is the maximum of 20% of the net GST (State Goods and Services Tax +Integrated Goods and Services Tax) deposited by the unit in a year. The evidence for employment would be related statutory returns under the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and the Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).

Ideally, new investment in IT/ITES needs ready-to-build sites. So, we are offering around 4 lakh square ft area ready-to-build offices in Mohali, said Mohit Goel, AVP, Bestech India (P) Ltd.

For IT/ITES, apparel, footwear and accessories, electronics and food processing industry, the minimum fixed capital investment should be Rs 50 crore and there should be minimum employment generation of 500 people.

In the case of manufacturing sector or service sectors, the minimum fixed capital investment should be Rs 200 crore and minimum direct employment generation should be 1,000 people.

Secretary, Industries, Rakesh Verma said, We expect that the incentive offered by the state will not only help in attracting investment in the state but also help in generating employment.

Recently, the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) invited bids from IT and IT-enabled services firms to set up BPO units in Punjab with financial support under the India BPO Promotion Scheme.

Under the scheme, the Central Government will provide financial support of up to 50% of expenditure incurred on BPO/ITES operations towards capital expenditure and/or operational expenditure (opex) on admissible items, subject to an upper ceiling of Rs 1 lakh per seat. The scheme is aimed at generating employment in all small cities in the country.
Vikramdeep Johal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 26

Amid the political slugfest in Punjab and Haryana over the use of Napoleonic images in government advertisements to mark Guru Gobind Singhs Parkash Utsav, it is learnt that these pictures are based on an old painting by late Punjabi artist Gurbux Singh Theathi. The latter, in turn, had drawn inspiration from French painter Jacques-Louis Davids iconic creation, Napoleon crossing the Alps (circa 1801-05).

Ruling out morphing in the advertisements, a source in Punjabs art circles said countless posters and wallpapers inspired by Gurbux Singhs work were available online, especially on Sikh-centric websites. The respective teams of the two states probably copy-pasted these images without ascertaining their genesis, the source added.

Gurbux Singhs painting  which shows the Guru astride a horse, with a baaz overhead  finds a mention in an essay published by The Quietus, a British online music and pop culture magazine, in October this year. In Sikh Painting and Cultural Appropriation, Berlin-based writer-editor Gurmeet Singh says: Davids painting of Napoleon can look ridiculous to us  the lead-guitarist mid-solo  but thats because it was painted as propaganda, not as a true likeness. When Gurbux Singh painted Guru Gobind Singh a century and a half later, he used Davids Napoleon as a model to convey a different set of ideas

Gurmeet further observes: Many Sikh artists followed Sobha Singhs lead in using an academic realist style to portray Gurus, and their paintings have also become popular Although Sikhs do not treat images of Gurus as historically reliable, paintings play an important social role in binding communities together...

Objecting to the use of an allegedly morphed image in the government advertisements, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had on Sunday accused the ruling Congress of committing sacrilege. The latter had promptly dismissed the charge as ridiculous, saying that the government had neither created nor modified the picture that had been sourced from a Sikhism website. The SADs ally, the BJP, stepped in after the Haryana Government issued an advertisement with a similar image.

The choice of the image raised eyebrows as paintings/sketches of the Guru by several artists, ranging from the legendary Sobha Singh to contemporary names such as Kanwar Singh, Bhagat Singh Bedi and Raj Singh Tattal, are easily available.

The controversy comes a decade after the California Board of Education had removed a portrait of Guru Nanak from its seventh-grade history book. The US Sikh community had lodged a protest over the unfamiliar depiction of the Guru with a trimmed beard and a crown.
NEW DELHI, December 26 (PTI)-For the first time, the Union Home Minister, Mr. Y.B. Chavan, today made it known to the representatives of the rulers of former Indian States that the Government of India intended to implement the resolution of the All-India Congress Committee regarding the abolition of privy purses and princely privileges. He conveyed the Government's intention to the 10-member Steering Committee of the Princes Concord which met him for about 45 minutes today. The earlier discussion between the Home Minister and the Committee had been of a general nature and the Government's intention had not been made clear to the Princes. The Home Minister also reportedly hinted at today's meeting that the Government was ready with its scheme for the abolition of privy purses and the privileges but he did not outline it.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 26

Controversies continue to dog the tenure of Vice Chancellors in the Uttarakhand Universities that in the last couple of years most of them have been embroiled in one controversy or the other, forcing the state government to sack them. A few days ago, the officiating VC of Doon University Prof Kusum Arunachalam was handed dismissal orders.

The sacking of Arunachalam, who was officiating VC of Doon University, came after her confrontation with the government over the appointment of a Registrar remained unresolved.

Prior to her dismissal, the state government had also removed Prof PK Garg, VC of Uttarakhand Technical University, for alleged financial irregularities. An inquiry committee has been set up to look into the charges and the report is still awaited.

Significantly, Prof JL Kaul, the VC of HNB Garhwal Central University, was also sacked by the Central government on the recommendation of President of India.

An inquiry committee was set up to look into the contentious decisions taken by the VC, after which he was removed.

On the other hand, last year Prof SP Mishra, the VC of Ayurvedic University, had also courted controversy over his birth certificate, after which he was forced to submit his resignation.

At the same time, Dr Mangal Rai, VC of Pantnagar University, had to face the wrath of the employees of the university who went on a collision course and launched an agitation for his dismissal. Later the VC submitted his resignation.

Amid series of dismissals and sacking the situation is such that the Uttarakhand Technical University, Doon University and Pantnagar University are headless. The new appointments have not been made and these universities are being run by VCs who have been given additional responsibilities.

In the entire process of dismissals and appointments, the Pantnagar University seems to be worst off. After remaining headless for a long period of time, when the university finally got the VC, he too had to make a controversial exit.

While, Minister for Higher Education Dr Dhan Singh Rawat said that the new appointments would be made in due course of time, he did not fail to blame the previous Congress government for ignoring contentious issues. We are doing all to set things in order, which the Congress government did not do, he said.
The petition filed by the journalists says that the order passed by the lower court "violates the principles of an open trial contained" in Section 327 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

By Vidya : Nine journalists from different publications have filed a petition before the Bombay High Court requesting that the ban on media coverage imposed by the special CBI court in Mumbai should be set aside.

Journalists from TV Today Network Ltd, Free Press Journal, Times of India, Mumbai Mirror, NDTV, Scroll, The Wire and Indian Express are among the petitioners.

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Ace advocates Aabad Ponda, Abhinav Chandrachud, assisted by Varsha Bhogle and Shailendra Singh have taken up the case pro-bono.

The petition is against the State of Maharashtra, CBI and 23 accused against whom the case has been ongoing in a sessions court in Mumbai.

The media is not allowed to report on the case. Although it's not the first time that media reporting has been gagged, but earlier it was done under terror related acts.

It was about a month ago on November 29 that special CBI hearing the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case banned the media from reporting on the proceedings of the case until further orders.

The application for banning media last month was filed by defense lawyer Wahab Khan and supported by other advocates like Rajesh Bindra after a website questioned the circumstances under which a former judge of this very case, Judge Brijgopal Harkishen Loya, died in December 2014.

In 2014, the number of accused included BJP president Amit shah, former Rajasthan home minister Gulabchand Kataria, Gujarat police's well known officer DG Vanzara and many others.

Since then all these people have been let off the case as court found no evidence to frame charges against them. The application for media ban said that there was a threat to the lives of advocates as well as witnesses due to media coverage.

The petition filed by the journalists says that the order passed by the lower court "violates the principles of an open trial contained" in Section 327 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

It adds that Khan, Bindra and others failed to identify any dangers to a free and fair trial that would result from any media reporting of the trial proceedings.

The petition states - "As such, this is a very serious trial with a large element of public interest, and the people have a right to know what transpires in the said trial".

The petition points out that "the mere possibility that some journalists may perhaps carry out some irresponsible reporting of the trial does not mean that all other media must be gagged from reporting the proceedings altogether. In any case, there is an alternate remedy to take appropriate action against any irresponsible/negligent journalist for contempt of court for misreporting proceedings".

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The journalists challenging this gag order called it "bad in law" and "illegal". Their petition in the Bombay High Court said they cannot be barred from reporting on a case whose proceedings are not in-camera.

Sohrabuddin Sheikh, a well known Gujarat-based extortionist, was allegedly killed in a fake encounter in 2005 in a combined operation by Gujarat and Rajasthan police.

His wife Kausar bi was allegedly killed a few days later and an year later Sohrabuddin's aide Tulsiprajapati was also allegedly killed in an encounter.

Supreme Court had combined all the three cases and transferred the case out of Gujarat so that witnesses could not be influenced.

The trial in the case was to begin on November 29 when the ban was imposed.

After the petition was filed journalists from across the country and many organisations have been coming forward in support of the petition.

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Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 26

To address the problem of water scarcity in rural areas of Uttarakhand, each of 750 van panchayats in the state will get a pond of around one lakh litre capacity by June 2018.

This was revealed at the Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project review meeting held in Dehradun today. The project is being implemented by the Uttarakhand Forest Department with the financial support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Chairing the meeting, Uttarakhand Additional Chief Secretary Ranbeer Singh said that following Uttarakhand Chief Ministers directives Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project has made provisions to construct one pond of around one lakh litre capacity in each of the 750 van panchayats in Uttarkhand by June 2018.

He said the project would create one model water conservation scheme in each of the 13 forest divisions in the state, which he said would improve water availability to four to five van panchayats over the next three years.

Sharing the progress made under the various components of the project in the state over the last two years, Chief Project Director Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project Anup Malik said so far the project had helped to construct around 3,500 small and big chaal, khaal and other traditional water bodies in around 400 van panchayats in the state.

En-course of the review of the progress of eco-restoration and nursery production works, it was disclosed at the meeting that a total of 37,500 hectares of degraded forests area would be restored under the project.

A total of 130 lakh seedlings would be raised and planted under the project, of which 33.95 lakh seedling have already been planted, Anup Malik pointed out.

It is noteworthy that Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project has an outlay of Rs 807 crore and the project activities would be taken up in 750 van panchayats across 13 forest divisions of the state.
Riyadh, December 26

Around 20 Saudi Arabian princes and officials accused of corruption were released after accepting financial settlement, local media reported Monday.

Among those released were a former official of the Finance Ministry and a number of businessmen, an advisor to the Saudi government was quoted by the Sabq online news website as saying, Xinhua reported.

More people are expected to be freed soon as part of the government's pledge to end the country's largest corruption case in history that has attracted attention worldwide.

The Saudi government officially announced early this month that 159 individuals were arrested over corruption charges. Most of them have agreed on financial settlement.

Early last month, local media reported that 11 princes and 38 sitting or former ministers were arrested over corruption charges.

The arrest orders were issued by a panel formed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The panel also announced that it is reopening the case of the 2009 Jeddah deadly floods and investigating the case related to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Coronavirus.

The panel summoned 320 individuals to provide more information, while detaining a number of suspects. It has also frozen 376 bank accounts of the detainees or related persons.  IANS.
Havana [Cuba], December 26

A fireworks explosion has injured 22 people, including six children, during a Cuban carnival on Christmas Eve, on Monday.

An unfortunate accident with fireworks occurred last night in Remedios, the government's Cuba debate internet news service reported.

The centuries-old Parrandas festival in the central town of Remedios takes place every December 24 and draws local as well as international attention.

The cause of the explosion was under investigation.

More details awaited.  ANI
Beijing, December 26

China today offered to extend its ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan as the three nations pledged to step up counter-terrorism cooperation and not to allow any country, group or individual to use their territories for terror acts.

In the first meeting of its kind since the three sides agreed to establish a trilateral dialogue mechanism in June, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, his Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani and Pakistan counterpart Khawaja Asif met here and discussed issues concerning security cooperation.

Presiding over the meeting after his recent shuttle diplomacy, Wang said China and Pakistan would like to extend the over $50-billion CPEC to Afghanistan after reaching gradual consensus.

He said Beijing and Islamabad were willing to work with Kabul, on the basis of win-win, mutually beneficial principles, using an appropriate means to extend the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan. The three countries could reach a gradual consensus, tackling easier, smaller projects first, Wang said. In his address, Asif referred to the CPEC, describing it as a flagship project of Chinas ambitious Belt and Road Initiative but remained silent about its extension to Afghanistan. The successful implementation of CPEC projects will serve as a model for enhancing connectivity and cooperation through similar projects in neighbouring countries including Afghanistan, Iran and Central and West Asia, he added.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to improve their ties and to realise harmonious co-existence, promising to resolve their concerns through comprehensive dialogue and consultation, Wang said after the meeting.

Without naming the US or India, Wang said the trilateral dialogue was not targeted at any other party nor will it be subject to influence from other countries or forces. The dialogue will complement other existing mechanisms and contribute to peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region, he said. In a joint statement issued at the end of the talks the three sides reiterated their firm resolve to fight the menace of terrorism.  PTI

Looks to corner India?

Chinas offer to extend the multi-billion dollar economic corridor is significant from Indias point of view, considering New Delhis strong objection to the project that traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir

The CPEC is a network of highways, railways, roads and special economic zones, which connects Chinas Xinjiang with Pakistans Gwadar Port

The offer assumes significance in the backdrop of India-Iran-Afghanistan plans to provide access to Afghanistan to use Irans Chabahar Port located close to Pakistans Gwadar Port

The successful implementation of CPEC projects will serve as a model for enhancing connectivity and cooperation through similar projects in neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and Central and West Asia, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said
Jerusalem [Israel], December 26

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Guatemala's decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem, saying other countries will soon follow as well.

God bless you, my friend, President Jimmy Morales. God bless both our countries, Israel and Guatemala, local media quoted Netanyahu as saying at the weekly Likud faction meeting in the Knesset, on Monday.

Guatemala became the first nation to pledge to move its mission to Jerusalem since US President Donald Trump's December 6 recognition of the city as Israel's capital and instructions to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv.

Earlier on Sunday, Guatemalan President Morales, through his official Facebook account, said that after talks with Netanyahu, he had decided to instruct his foreign ministry to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

We spoke about the excellent relations that we have had as nations since Guatemala supported the creation of the state of Israel, he wrote. One of the most important topics [of the conversation] was the return of the embassy of Guatemala to Jerusalem.

So I inform you that I have instructed the chancellor to initiate the respective coordination so that it may happen. Guatemala was one of nine nations that voted with the United States during the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution, calling for the withdrawal of President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.  ANI.
Ottawa, December 26

Canada has announced its decision to expel the Venezuelan embassy's charge d'affaires in retaliation after the government in Caracas declared a Canadian diplomat persona non grata.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland announced the measure on Monday in a statement that also said the Venezuelan ambassador, whom Caracas withdrew from the country in protest against the sanctions adopted by Ottawa, "is no longer welcome in Canada", reports Efe news.

"The Venezuelan government has announced that Canada's chargA d'affaires in Caracas has been declared persona non grata and will be expelled from the country. This action is typical of (President Nicolas) Maduro's regime, which has consistently undermined all efforts to restore democracy and to help the Venezuelan people," Freeland said.

"In response to this move by the Maduro regime, I am announcing that the Venezuelan ambassador to Canada - who had already been withdrawn by the Venezuelan government to protest Canadian sanctions against Venezuelan officials implicated in corruption and gross human-rights abuses - is no longer welcome in Canada. I am also declaring the Venezuelan chargA d'affaires persona non grata." The Canadian minister added: "We will continue to work with our partners in the region, including through the Lima Group, to apply pressure on the anti-democratic Maduro regime and restore the rights of the Venezuelan people."

On December 22, the speaker of the National Constituent Assembly (ANC), Delcy Rodriguez, told the Brazilian ambassador to Venezuela, Ruy Pereira, and the Canadian charge d'affaires in her country, Craib Kowalik, that each was now persona non grata.

Canada and Brazil have both been seen in recent months to support the Venezuelan National Assembly legislature with its opposition majority, and to oppose the establishment of the ANC, whose members belong entirely to the ruling party.  IANS.
Beijing, December 26

China on Tuesday offered to extend its ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan as the three nations pledged to step-up counter terrorism cooperation and not to allow any country, group or individual to use their territories for terror acts.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

In the first meeting of its kind since the three sides agreed to establish a trilateral dialogue mechanism in June, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, his Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani and Pakistan counterpart Khawaja Asif met here and discussed issues concerning their interests.

Presiding over the meeting after his recent shuttle diplomacy, Wang said China and Pakistan would like to extend the over $50 billion CPEC to Afghanistan after reaching "gradual consensus".

He said China and Pakistan are willing to work with Afghanistan, on the basis of win-win, mutually beneficial principles, using an appropriate means to extend the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan.

The three countries could reach a gradual consensus, tackling easier, smaller projects first, Wang said.

In his address, Asif referred to CPEC, describing it as a flagship project of China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative but remained silent about its extension to Afghanistan.

"The successful implementation of CPEC projects will serve as a model for enhancing connectivity and cooperation through similar projects in neighbouring countries including Afghanistan, Iran and Central and West Asia," he added.

China's offer to extend CPEC is significant from India's point of view considering New Delhi's strong objection to the project which traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The offer assumes significance in the backdrop of India-Iran-Afghanistan plans to provide access to Afghanistan to use Iran's Chabahar port located close to Pakistan's Gwadar Port.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to improve their ties and to realise harmonious co-existence, promising to resolve their concerns through comprehensive dialogue and consultation, Wang told reporters after the meeting.

Pakistan's proposal -- to set up working panels in politics, military, intelligence, economy and refugees -- was echoed by Afghanistan and supported by China, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Without naming the US or India, Wang said the trilateral dialogue was not targeted at any other party nor will it be subject to influence from other countries or forces.

The dialogue will complement other existing mechanisms and contribute to peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region, he said.

In his remarks, Foreign Minister Rabbani highlighted the importance of Afghanistan's sovereignty and peace, without directly referring to Kabul's oft repeated allegations of Pakistan's support to Taliban and sheltering its militants.

"We appreciate China's sincere support to sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity as well as our peace and development efforts," Rabbani said.

Resolve to fight terrorism

In a joint statement issued at the end of the talks the three sides reiterated their firm resolve to fight the menace of terrorism.

"They expressed their strong determination not to allow any country, organisation or individual to use their respective territories for terrorist activities against any other countries," the statement said.

Observers say the reference to any country and organisation is significant considering that both Pakistan and Afghanistan accuse each other of fomenting violence in their respective counties.

The statement said the three sides agreed to strengthen counter-terrorism coordination and cooperation in an effort to combat all terrorist organizations and individuals without any discrimination.

"The three sides will communicate and consult on developing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Counter-Terrorism Cooperation," it said. The statement also called for the Taliban to be included in the peace process.

They reaffirmed that a broad-based and inclusive peace and reconciliation process, which is "Afghan-led, Afghan-own", and fully supported regionally and internationally, is the most viable solution to end the violence in Afghanistan.

"In this regard, they call on the Afghan Taliban to join the peace process at an early date," the statement said.

China has stepped up efforts to forge peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan after US President Donald Trump announced a new South Asia policy blaming Islamabad for terrorist attacks in Afghanistan and India.

Trump's South Asia policy giving importance to India and inviting New Delhi to play bigger role in reconstruction of Afghanistan has also raised eyebrows in Beijing and Islamabad.

The Foreign Ministers' trilateral mechanism was formed after Wang's visit to the two countries in June as part of his shuttle diplomacy.

Asif also said it was agreed that peace and stability in Afghanistan was essential to realise the shared objective of development, deepening connectivity and economic prosperity.

He said Pakistan emphasised the importance of border management, return of Afghan refugees and intelligence sharing for effective counter terrorism cooperation.

"We look forward to a response to our proposal for the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for the solidarity and for early operationalisation of five working groups," he said.

The second China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue will be held in Kabul next year.  PTI
Dhaka, December 26

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has urged Myanmar to end the military campaign against the Rohingya. According to the The Daily Star, the resolution forwarded by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was adopted by a vote of 122 to 10 with 24 abstentions.

China and Russia, along with some regional countries, opposed the resolution. Despite their rejection, the resolution called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to assign a special envoy to the country.

Yesterday, Bangladesh Health Minister Mohammed Nasim had said Rohingya refugees would return to their homeland as soon as the international community and the UN pressured Myanmar into repatriating them. Myanmar and Bangladesh had earlier this month formed a joint working group to handle the repatriation.  Agencies

Repatriation process
Mexico City, December 26

Despite widespread differences over trade and immigration, Mexico has claimed of stronger ties with the US in 2017, the Foreign Ministry announced.

At the start of the year, President Enrique Pena Nieto formulated 10 goals and five principles to guide his country's relationship with the new US government under President Donald Trump, Xinhua news agency quoted the ministry as saying on Monday.

The goals included getting a commitment from Washington to respect the legal rights of Mexican citizens and ensuring the free flow of remittances from the US that is a pillar of Mexico's economy.

The principles range from holding comprehensive negotiations that also covered security, terrorism, migration and drug trafficking, as well as North American integration, involving Mexico, Canada and the US.

The ministry said Mexico strengthened political dialogue with US authorities at the highest level. Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray visited the US over 20 times this year to meet with White House and other officials.

Ties between the two countries strained ahead of Trump assuming office in January, thanks to his campaign promise to stem illegal immigration from Mexico by building a wall along their shared border.

A number of prototypes of the wall have reportedly been built and are being tested.

Trump's campaign pledge to also bring industries and jobs back to the United States affected bilateral ties, as well as his insistence that the North American Free Trade Agreement between the two countries and Canada be renegotiated to minimise what he perceived as Mexico's unfair trade advantage.

Nevertheless, the ministry stressed that the two countries have deepened cooperation in several areas, mainly in border security and development.  IANS.
Moscow, December 26

Russia is ready to act as a mediator between North Korea and the United States if both parties agreed to it, the Kremlin said on Tuesday. Moscow has long called for the two sides to hold negotiations aimed at reducing tensions over the nuclear and missile programme North Korea is pursuing in defiance of years of UNSC resolutions.

Russias readiness to clear the way for de-escalation is obvious, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a phone call . Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had on Monday called for Washington and Pyongyang to start negotiations, saying Russia was ready to facilitate such talks.

Though US diplomats have said they are pursuing a diplomatic solution, President Trump insists Pyongyang must commit to give up its N-arms before any talks can begin. The UN last week voted to impose fresh sanctions on North in response to its recent missile test.  Reuters
"Such an inconsistent policy of the government is creating an atmosphere of uncertainty for the people of the country and will not help secure Jadhavs release," Gogoi said.

By PTI, India Today Web Desk: The Congress party today lambasted the Pakistani government for the shoddy treatment it meted out to the former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family. Jadhav is presently lodged in a Pakistani jail. The Congress has asked the Centre to spell out its steps to get Jadhav released.

Gaurav Gogoi, spokesperson of the Congress party, criticised the BJP-led government for its "flip-flop" policy towards Pakistan.

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He said, "Pakistan was creating an atmosphere of uncertainty. The government should exert international pressure to secure early release of Kulbhushan Jadhav."

"The Congress condemns the Pakistani government for meting out an inhuman treatment to the family of Kulbhushan Jadhav. They have insulted Indians and Indian women in particular and we strongly condemn it", Gogoi stated.

"The Congress party wants Kulbhushan Jadhav to return to India. We condemn Pakistan for the treatment meted out to Jadhav as he looked under a lot of stress. We want the Government of India to take concrete steps in securing an early release of Jadhav and it should find a way out," he told reporters here.

Gogoi added that the governments "flip-flop", "blow hot and cold", "ambiguous" and "inconsistent" policy towards Pakistan would not help as it was adopting a policy of birthday wishes at times and that of biryani at other times.

"Such an inconsistent policy of the government is creating an atmosphere of uncertainty for the people of the country and will not help secure Jadhavs release," he said.

The Congress spokesperson also expressed concern over Jadhav being tried and convicted in a military court in Pakistan, even when he was not a prisoner of war as he was not caught in a military conflict.

"We are concerned about Jadhav's release. We want the Government of India to clarify its policy and steps to get him released from Pakistan."

"We condemn Pakistan for the treatment meted out to Jadhav as we are worried about his health. The Pakistani government has not honoured its promises made to the Indian government," he said.

India today hit back at Pakistan, accusing it of violating the mutual understandings as regards Jadhav's meeting with his mother and wife at the Pakistani foreign affairs ministry building yesterday, and said the former naval officer appeared coerced and under a considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction.

Jadhav, who was captured in March, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation India has dismissed as concocted.

New Delhi says, Jadhav was kidnapped in Iran where he had legitimate business interests after retiring from the navy, and brought to Pakistan.

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To save Jadhav, India had moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.

During yesterday's meeting, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen, while his mother and wife sat on the other side. They spoke through intercom and the entire 40-minute proceedings appeared to have been recorded on video.

Pakistan went so far as to have the "mangalsutra", bangles and "bindi" of Jadhav's mother and wife removed before they could meet him, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

"For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, Jadhav's wife's shoes were not returned to her after the meeting," the statement added.

(With PTI inputs)

WATCH | Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with wife, mother: Cruel photo opportunity?

--- ENDS ---
Davao [Philippines], December 26

The fire authorities in Philippines have confirmed that around 37 charred bodies were found after a deadly blaze occurred at a shopping mall in southern Philippines.

According to ChannelNewsAsia, the regional chief of the Bureau of Fire Protection, Wilberto Rico, had announced that he personally counted "around 37" bodies in an office lobby at the shopping mall in Davao.

The casualties were mostly, call centre staff, who were working in an American-based call centre organisation. The fire was finally controlled by the firefighters late on Monday night, which started on Saturday morning.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The local authorities have ordered a criminal investigation into the incident.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre said, in a statement: "By punishing those responsible, we can set an example to others so that, hopefully, there will be no repetition of such tragedies." Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte had made an unannounced visit to the mall on Saturday night and met with the family members of the affected victims.

He has also assured them that the government would extend help.

The blaze at the shopping mall comes at a time when over 180 people were reported dead in a major tropical storm in Mindanao, almost 500 km north-west from Davao.  ANI
KREMLIN  It is common to find sesame seed buns in most food stores. What is uncommon is that those sesame seeds are grown in only two locations in the U.S.  Oklahoma and Texas.

Oklahomans have been harvesting sesame seeds for more than 20 years. Even current Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Jim Reese harvested sesame seed in 1996.

Back when we had bad dust storms, I was planting sesame crops, said Reese. The appeal was they have a deep root system and do well in hot dry weather. But as soon as the dry spell was over, Reese returned to planting wheat.

Sesame is used in foods and for sesame oil, which is common in cooking and alternative medicine.

Todays ongoing drought and the current crash of the wheat market have state farmers trying alternative cash crops. That includes sesame thanks to grain elevator owners like Brady Sidwell getting information out about the crop.

Sidwell stands inside his office at Enterprise Grain Co. as a tractor-trailer truck with a load of sesame drives up onto the scales to be weighed before dumping the crop in his elevator in Kremlin. A native of nearby Goltry, Sidwell has owned the grain elevator since May 2016 and has been working tirelessly to educate local growers about sesame through phone calls, radio and Facebook.

According to Austin, Texas-based Sesaco, the firm that contracts growers for their sesame crop, Sidwells grain elevator is one of six delivery points in northwest Oklahoma.

If people dont have a place to deliver a crop to, its less relevant, says Sidwell as he greets farmers coming into the weigh station by his office.

Sidwell now has more than 60 farmers in his marketing area growing sesame. For him the crop is a natural choice. A grower can use to same equipment in planting and harvesting as one would with wheat  a wheat drill for planting and a wheat header on a combine for harvesting the crop.

As of Monday, Sidwell was paying producers 34 cents a pound for sesame. Sesaco officials warn the price varies across the state.

Sesame breaks down to about 45 pounds per bushel. Sesame is not an open market commodity  Sesaco is the only major firm in the U.S. buying and selling the oil seed. Farmers sign contracts with Sesaco field representatives securing pricing for their crop.

Sesaco maintains a sesame processing plant in Hobart, in far southwest Oklahoma. Sidwell has three semis to haul sesame there from his Kremlin elevator.

Jared Johnson, a Sesaco field representative, sees Sidwells story as one being repeated across Oklahoma, especially west of Interstate 35.

This year we have seen 65,000 acres of sesame harvested in Oklahoma, Johnson says. It has more than doubled over the last three years. Farmers have been seeing anywhere from 700 to 750 pounds per acre.

Last year, 12.7 million pounds of sesame was produced in Oklahoma and Texas. The entire harvest of both states is processed at Sesacos Hobart plant, and what is not sold in the U.S. is shipped to Japan.

For the past two years, Oklahoma State Universitys Lahoma Agricultural Research Site has been studying the advantages of sesame as a double crop in comparison with soybean and milo, said Josh Lofton, cropping systems specialist for OSU.

According to Lofton, Oklahoma has been harvesting sesame since 1996, but much of that production has been in small acreages in southwest Oklahoma, and mostly in cotton fields. In the last five years, Oklahomas sesame production has been increasing substantially, he said.

Planting time for sesame is May through June, and harvesting is after the first freeze in late October or November.

I think the future for sesame is bright as long as wheat prices continue the way they do, Sidwell said. Theres more excitement for it this year than last year.

Shear economics compounded by dry conditions have caused Oklahoma farmers to try other cash crops than traditional wheat. Currently wheat is bringing roughly $3.78 a bushel with a January futures amount of $4.39 a bushel. Cost of producing a bushel of wheat is just over $5 an acre, according to Kansas State Universitys agriculture department.

Certainly Oklahoma ag producers have become much more agile in regard to crops and commodity markets, said Reese, the state secretary of agriculture. Where wheat price have struggled, producers have looked to more profitable crops.
Every so often, Mom will swear off Facebook.

Its the only social media she uses, so its all she has to swear at. Shes not alone. A few friends will say sayonara occasionally.

They just get too mad. Too depressed. Too skeptical. Too emotional.

Frustrations stem from how people portray themselves or how they respond to posts with aggression.

It has been an interesting psychology seeing how perfectly friendly people can be more mean, judgmental, argumentative and unpleasant when shielded by a computer screen. Face-to-face, these same folks can be downright nice and friendly.

Or, people who are down, depressed or just irritated arent always up for the saccharine sweet and happy posts from vacations, gatherings and good times of others. Nothing wrong with feeling that way.

Social media cruising also gets awkward with relationship or mood changes.

Toxic talk: A Dec. 15 essay written by two Facebook researchers seeks to answer the question of whether spending time on social media is bad for us.

This is part of an ongoing feature in the Facebook newsroom called Hard Questions, which started in June. It is a series of essays addressing substantive issues such as how to keep terrorist propaganda from spreading online to defining false news.

I admit being suspicious of this. After all, Facebook officials were dragged before Congress in October  along with those from Twitter and Google  for their role in allowing Russian influence during the presidential election.

A particularly interesting moment was when Sen. Al Franken, D-Minnesota, came down on Facebook for not putting it together when U.S. election ads were bought with rubles. What incentive does the social media platform have to change?

Facebook Director of Research David Ginsberg writes that Facebook started as a place to enhance relationships and networking, not cause deterioration.

This is important as we know that a persons health and happiness relies heavily on the strength of their relationships.

Basically, Facebook doesnt want Mom to leave. And the whole Russia thing caused some lost trust.

Citing research, the amount of time on social media isnt as much a concern for negative impacts. The important factor is how that time is spent.

Passively soaking everything in isnt as good for you as positive interactions with family and friends.

Key word there being positive. Just like in reality, toxic people  and information online  need to be avoided.

Ginsberg states that Facebook has been working with a host of social scientists, sociologists and social psychologists to shore up the experience. Changes are happening.

Based on what it has discovered, the platform is going to emphasize aspects pushing for social interactions over things that simply cause people to spend time online.

Changing feeds: Facebook already has features like birthday reminders for friends, On This Day memories with throwback posts and notifications for disaster relief to organ donations.

Now, Facebook is adding a few more elements.

Quite a few revisions are coming to its news feed to focus on meaningful interactions over low-quality content.

Its going to demote articles with click bait headlines and false news while promoting the news shared by friends you care about most. Posts that are personally informative  or tailored to you  will be seen more.

The comments sections has been redesigned to spark more conversation.

The Snooze option was recently launched to hide a person, group or page for 30 days without having to permanently unfollow or unfriend them.

Mom is going to use this a lot, probably with me.

Along those lines is the Take a Break feature, which gives people control on how much they see about their ex-partner.

Research on peoples experiences after breakups suggests that offline and online contact, including seeing an ex-partners activities, can make an emotional recovery more difficult, Ginsberg states.

Most important are enhanced suicide prevention tools.

Earlier this year, the platform added real-time supports on Facebook Live, live-chat supports from crisis centers through its messenger program and streamlined reporting for suicide concerns aided by artificial intelligence.

Facebook has also pledged $1 million to support research in understanding the impact between media use and youth development. Studies in this area merely scratch the surface and are somewhat contradictory.

We dont have all the answers, but given the prominent role social media now plays in many peoples lives, we want to help elevate the conversation, Ginsberg states.

Facebook isnt going away. Social media is only going to grow.

Rather than ignoring it, the better approach is to understand it, deal with it and improve it.

Twitter: @GinnieGraham
JAY  A driver who prosecutors believe was distracted by his cellphone when he hit an Oklahoma Department of Transportation supervisor, killing him, will be tried on a first-degree manslaughter charge, a prosecutor said.

Robert Dryden Smith, 38, of Jay is charged in Delaware County District Court in the May 18, 2016, death of Jarrell Gray, 47, of Grove.

Six witnesses testified during a preliminary hearing that concluded on Dec. 21, Assistant District Attorney Nick Lelecas said.

Gray, an ODOT superintendent in Delaware County, was supervising inmates during a brush removal project in a construction zone on Oklahoma 20 west of Jay, a court affidavit says. Smiths westbound vehicle hit a Department of Corrections inmate work van and then hit Gray, who had been standing behind a wood chipper that was attached to an ODOT truck, the affidavit states.

Smith admitted to law enforcement officers at the scene that he had been distracted from driving and watching the road because he was looking down at his cellphone, according to the affidavit. Smith said he couldnt regain control of the vehicle after hitting the van.

Smith will return to court on Jan. 10 for his trial court arraignment, Lelecas said.

Gray, the father of three sons, had been with ODOT since December 1998.

Smith is free on $50,000 bond while awaiting trial.
Im not saying (inattentiveness) is what occurred here, American Waste Control executive Paul Ross said. But motorists need to remove the distractions from their driving habits. We all could do a better job of that.
"The real solution to this issue will come when Kulbhushan Jadhav is sent back to India safely. This should happen as early as possible", Kulkarni added.

By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Sudheenrdra Kulkarni, former aide of senior BJP leader LK Advani, stated that Pakistan lost a good opportunity to send across positive message to India in the ongoing Kulbhushan Jadhav case.

The Indo-Pak Peace activist said that Pakistan should have handled the matter in a better way.

Kulkarni was speaking to India Today on the discourteous treatment meted out to the mother and wife of Jadhav. India has slammed Pakistan for disregarding cultural and religious sentiments of the Jadhav family.

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Under the pretext of security, the family members were asked to remove mangalsutra, bangles, bindi and shoes. They were also asked to change their clothes. Jadhav's wife's shoes were also not returned.

Earlier, Indian foreign ministry had sharply reacted to the incident calling it an insult to the religious and traditional sentiments and alleged that Jadhav's mother was not allowed to communicate in her mother tongue - Marathi.

Kulkarni, who has been a leading activist advocating peace and cultural exchange between the two countries, said that Pakistan should have shown understanding towards cultural beliefs of the family.

"To allow family to meet was a welcome gesture. The real purpose was to show Indian people that it wants solution to the issue. It should have been handled in a better way." Kulkarni told India Today.

"The real solution to this issue will come when Kulbhushan Jadhav is sent back to India safely. This should happen as early as possible", Kulkarni added.

Kulkarni said that he is optimistic about more meetings between the family and Kulbhushan in future and such mistakes should not be repeated.

"The good thing is that Pakistan has sent the message that this won't be the last meeting. One can hope the future meeting with family is held respecting the traditional and cultural values. It should send positive signal to India." Kulkarni said.

He also reacted to the media stand during the episode, where Jadhav's mother was heckled.

"Unfortunately both the countries are locked in a very acrimonious relationship and that is reflected in the media on both sides. Media on both sides act in a very hyper and hostile manner." Kulkarni said.

"However, let's not focus on secondary aspects. Primary aspect is Kulbhushan Jadhav's safe return, and secondly, this matter should be done away with, once and for all" Kulkarni concluded.

WATCH | Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with wife, mother: Cruel photo opportunity?

--- ENDS ---
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Texas Water Conditions & Data

Texas has 23 river basins, including 15 major river basins and eight coastal basins, each with varying hydrological regimes and abilities to supply water. Surface water is an important source of water for Texas. In 2019, it accounted for nearly 42% of the 14.2 million acre-feet of water used in Texas (2022 State Water Plan). Surface water is projected to account for 46% of the total water supply including the volume of new water from recommended strategies in 2070 (2022 State Water Plan).. However, this critical water source faces several challenges in the coming years, including aging reservoirs which are filling with sediment and the lack of viable sites for new reservoirs.

The Surface Water Resources Division at TWDB is responsible for aiding water resources planning and management efforts by providing scientific data and engineering expertise in support of TWDB's statutory requirements (Texas Water Code 16.012). This is accomplished through the numerous data collection efforts listed below, a significant portion of which is made available to TWDB partners and customers, including citizens, state water planners, regulators, lake and reservoir owners, and other decision-makers via the agency website. Additional data not hosted on the website is available upon request.

Water Data for Texas is a new effort by TWDB staff to provide a single access point for customers to receive water-related data. At this time, Water Data for Texas hosts only Texas historical and current reservoir data, but staff is working to expand the website to include additional data related to bays and estuaries, drought, and groundwater.

Listing of Available Data Sources

Water Data for Texas landing page provides the most comprehensive information available of conditions in 122 major water supply reservoirs in Texas, as well as Elephant Butte, located in New Mexico. Information for three other reservoirs i.e., Addicks, Barker, and Natural Dam, that do not serve water supply functions, is also provided. This represents 96% of the total conservation storage capacity of the 188 major water supply reservoirs in Texas. By definition, a major reservoir has a conservation storage capacity of 5,000 acre-feet or greater. To complete Water Data for Texas, TWDB compiled extensive records from federal, state, and local partners to generate current and historical information on reservoir levels, storage, surface area, and elevation-area-capacity curves. In many cases, the website provides data for the entire history of the reservoir.

Texas Water Conditions Report is a monthly summary report describing statewide and regional conditions for 122 major water supply reservoirs, HUC runoff, soil moisture, rainfall, and 18 key groundwater monitoring wells. More detailed information about the water supply reservoirs is available through Water Data for Texas.

Precipitation & Evaporation Data - Monthly and annual precipitation and evaporation rates are provided for each 1 quadrangle in Texas. Precipitation data are available from 1940 while gross lake surface evaporation data are available beginning in 1954.

Drought - TWDB compiles data for six drought indices including, the Crop Moisture Index, Palmer Drought Severity Index, Standardized Precipitation Index, Keetch-Byram Drought Index, Reservoir Storage Index, and Streamflow Index. This data is available from August 2009 to present.

Lake Surveys - TWDB's Hydrographic Survey Program collects bathymetric and sedimentation data on reservoirs throughout Texas. Current elevation-area-capacity calculations and GIS data can be downloaded from the list of completed surveys. Additional requests or questions can be submitted to hydrosurvey@twdb.texas.gov.

Coastal Hydrology - TWDB compiles estimates of freshwater inflows to Texas bays and estuaries. Monthly and annual inflow summaries, beginning in 1941, are available on the website for the Sabine-Neches, Trinity-San Jacinto, Lavaca-Tres Palacios, Guadalupe, Mission-Aransas, and Nueces estuaries as well as the combined Upper and Lower Laguna Madre Estuary. Inflow summaries for the Brazos River Estuary, San Bernard Estuary, East Matagorda Bay, and separated Upper Laguna Madre and Lower Laguna Madre also are available and begin in 1977. More detailed hydrology requests can be submitted to coastal-data@twdb.texas.gov.

Estuary Monitoring/Datasonde Data - TWDB collects water temperature, conductivity, level, and salinity data every 60 minutes at select locations in all major and some minor estuaries in Texas, with some data extending back to 1986. TWDB also occasionally collects dissolved oxygen, pH, and other parameters as part of special studies. Data requests can be submitted to coastal-data@twdb.texas.gov.

Estuarine Hydrographic Studies - TWDB has conducted synoptic hydrographical surveys of all major Texas estuaries to obtain water velocity, water level, and water quality data in navigation channels and other representative bay locations over several tidal cycles. Data from surveys collected between 1987 and 2003 are available on the website.
| By Mary T. Phelan

A rabbi, a minister, and a chaplain came together to share their insights on addressing substance abuse disorders from a spiritual perspective at the fourth Annual Interprofessional Forum on Ethics and Religion in Health Care.

From left, Rabbi Shmuel Silber, Rev. Milton Emanuel Williams and Chaplain Kathi Storey.

 The University of Maryland, Baltimore has seven schools. All are related to health care , Patricia D. Franklin, PhD, RN, assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) and dir ector of professional education, explained to attendees.  We need teams to approach the complexity of issues that are affecting the health and well - being of residents of the United States and people of the world. So we need to come together and discuss these issues. Its a f orum because it is open to the public and it is an opportunity to discuss particular issues related to the ethics of religious dilemmas that we face in providing health care. We all need to be part of that discussion. Your voice is very important.



As the nation struggles with the devastation of an opioid epidemic, taking an interprofessi onal approach to the topic of transforming approaches to substance abuse disorders is essential , Jane M. Kirschling , PhD, RN, FAAN, dean of UMSON and UMB director of interprofessional education, said in opening remarks to attendees.



We know that our students benefit tremendously from inter prof essional education and practice , she said.  It prepares them to addr ess complex issues through team- based approaches that bring the perspectives of multiple disciplines to bear on problem solving. Today as you address the challenges of supporting individuals with substance abuse disorders, you will do so from multiple perspectives  medical, scientific, ethical, spiritual , and religious. Through your conversations and debate, through your engagement and shared learning, you have the opportunity to move our community forward in important ways. 

Rabbi Shmuel Silber of Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim; U niversity of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) Chaplain Kathi Storey , MA, BCC ; and Rev. Milton Emanuel Williams Jr., pastor of New Life Evangelical Bapt ist Church, Baltimore , and founder of the Turning Point Clinic , participated i n a panel discussion titled  Religion and Spiritualitys History and Dilemmas with Substance Use D isorders.  It was moderated by Anika A. H. Alvanzo , MD, MS, assistant professor, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine .

One of the ways that houses of worship can be supportive of those suffering from substance abuse disorders is  first and foremost to see their parishioners in a holistic way , Storey said.  People have physical, emotional , and spiritual needs. It benefits everyone when all of that is supported so that each person can reach their full potential.  Another thing that can be very helpful is when places of worship can make their facilities available to 12-step recovery groups, she said.



From a Judaic perspective , Silber said, the faith teaches that all people are inherently good.



 So when yo u see people who are doing things that are negative, when you see people doing things that a re self- destructive, when you see a person that is going down a path that absolutely makes no sense, the person is never bad. Good people do bad things. It behooves us to try to figure out what is the cause of your pain , he said.



Todays society is one of instant gratification, Silber continued.



 We believe that it is our right to always be happy and to always be content. In Judaism , we believe that is it not our God-given right to be happy . We believe that God put us on this earth to do something meaningful . True happiness will never come from something that you pop into your mouth or inject into your veins, Silber said.  So what can we as faith-based communities do to people who are suffering with these types of disorders ? If we want people to heal, we have to empower them to the realization that they are the masters of their fate. 



Support systems are valuable and necessary, he continued , but nothing can replace the power of sheer will. Someone can only recover if they chose to recover.



Williams founded the drug addiction treatment center Turning Point Clinic in 1995 in what he described as a half hearted measure to put a feather in my cap as a minister. But when his 28-year-old daughter was killed in 2012 due to her boyfriends as sociation with drug dealers, his motivation changed.



Well, if that didnt put a face on d rugs f or me, he said. It became more than a feather in my cap. Now there was a personal loss, something I could not ever undo. Every day, I am working to be an agent of change. As a spiritual leader, I cant jus t have my hand in this thing. I ve got to have my heart in it if I am going to be an agent of change .



The day also included presentations by Carlo C. DiClemente, PhD, professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, department of p sychology ; Christopher Welsh, MD, associate professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine , medical director of the University of Maryland Medical System Substance Abuse Consultation Service , and medical director of the UMMC Comprehensive Recovery Program ; Richard Boldt, JD, T. Carroll Brown Professor of Law, UM Carey Law ; Bethany Di P aula , PharmD, BC PP, associate professor, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy ; Michelle M. Tuten, PhD, M SW , assistant professor , University of Maryland School of Social Work; Anita J. Tarzian , PhD, RN, program coordinator, Maryland Health Care Ethics Committee Network at UM Carey Law ; and Katherine Fornili, DNP, MPH, RN, CARN, FIAAN, assistant professor, UMSON .
Hyderabadi woman married to Omani national was given triple talaq over phone without having been given prior notice.

By Ashish Pandey: While the government prepares to table the Triple Talaq bill in the Parliament to make it a criminal offence and the All India Muslim Personal Law board opposes the move, a fresh case of instant triple talaq has emerged in Hyderabad.

Ghousia Begum, a Hyderabadi woman married to an Omani national was given talaq over phone. Begum has put an appeal before Minister of External Affair Sushma Swaraj for help.

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31-year-old Ghousia Begum has penned an emotional letter to Swaraj seeking her help in getting compensation from her Oman based husband.

Ghousia married Said Zahran Hamed Al Rajhi, a resident of Nizwan, Sultanate of Oman, in 2008 at Hyderabad.

She alleged that out of the seven girls who were presented to the old Omani national he selected her for marriage.

''Ever since we got married, he visited Hyderabad every year and sent me money regularly. But in August this year I received a call from him and he pronounced "talaq" to me without giving any prior notice or following due Islamic procedure,'' said Begum.

Begum, who lives with her mother, knocked the doors of EAM Sushma Swaraj requesting the Indian Embassy in Muscat to enquire into the matter. Begum is seeking financial help and compensation.

WATCH | Supreme Court bans instant triple talaq: Reactions

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Back on their ancestral lands in the Colombian rainforest, Awa Mayasquer elder Cuasaluzan Nastacuas hunted, raised livestock and planted food crops.

But uprooted by the countrys bloody armed conflict, the 63-year-old now gets up each day at three in the morning to find work as a day labourer in a provincial city half-an-hour away by bus.

When we lived in the jungle  we worked on the land, planting yucca and raising pigs. We never worked in the city before being displaced, his son Armando Cuasulzan Pai explains.

Indigenous peoples like the Awa Mayasquer are among those most impacted by more than five decades of armed conflict in Colombia that has displaced more than 7.6 million people both within the country and beyond its borders.

The community, whose lands are in Narino province in southwest Colombia, were caught in the crossfire between government forces and left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

While a peace agreement in 2016 ended hostilities, the painful memory of rebel massacres that killed at least 11 in 2009, and the fear of landmines, make the community reluctant to return to their traditional home.

The elders dont even want to consider going back. They say theyd rather die here than be forced to go back. We decided to stay here and asked for relocation, for security reasons, says Armando, who the leader of his community.

Armando Cuasaluzan Pai, 38, carries a bundle of bananas back to his home. Each of the 17 families in Villagarzon's Awa Mayasquer settlement have received four hectares of land to farm.  UNHCR/Ruben Salgado Escudero

Luz Mari Bisbicus Pai, 41, takes a break after having cooked for her family. Being married to the community leader, Luz was lucky enough to have a working kitchen. The other 16 families living in shacks have to make-do by cooking outside on open fires.  UNHCR/Ruben Salgado Escudero

Aida Johana, 19, cooks lunch for her family at Armando Pai's home. As the community leader, Armando is the only resident with a functional kitchen. Aida along with the other 16 families live in shacks with plastic bag roofing.  UNHCR/Ruben Salgado Escudero

Armando Cuasaluzan Pai, 38, teaches his nephew how to play the marimba - a percussion instrument built from bamboo and traditional to the Awa culture.  UNHCR/Ruben Salgado Escudero

Luz Mari Bisbicus Pai, 41, feeds her chickens in a small corral outside of her home. The eggs which are hatched daily help feed her family and provide a small income through their sale.  UNHCR/Ruben Salgado Escudero

UNHCR officer Harold Juajibioy Otero sits in front of a families' home at Villagarzon's Awa settlement. The UN Refugee Agency supports community empowerment and the reconstruction of indigenous territory.  UNHCR/Ruben Salgado Escudero

Children play a game during a physical education class. Once a week, a social worker from the municipality comes to the settlement to create special activities for the children.  UNHCR/Ruben Salgado Escudero

One of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world, Colombia is home to 102 different indigenous groups. But up to a third, including the Awa, are at risk of extinction because of the conflict and related displacement, according to Colombias Constitutional Court.

You have to understand that their life is based around the group, says Harold Juajibioy, a UNHCR staffer who works with the Awa. When the armed conflict arrives in their lands the first thing that suffers is their sense of unity. It isnt just a harming an individual, but harming a community.

In 2011 the Constitutional Court called for the adoption of precautionary measures to protect the group. And in April last year  after six years of internal displacement  17 displaced Awa families were given 239 hectares of land by the government in the municipality of Villagarzon, in southern Colombias Putumayo region, to start over.

The resettled families, the first to be relocated there by the government, have gradually built elevated wooden shacks to live in. But their new homes lack running water, flushing toilets and electricity, and have black plastic trash bags covering most of the roofs to protect them from the heavy wet season rains.

What does this Indigenous community need? Not just territory, we need housing, energy, water, running water in order to live, and livelihood projects so we can grow food. The government has really neglected us, says Armando.

"We need housing, energy, water, running water ... and livelihood projects so we can grow food."

To get back on their feet, Armando says the community needs financial support to sow food crops and purchase cattle. That is why it has been hard for us here. Some days we eat, other days we get by on a just a little coffee. Thats the situation we are living in, he says.

While living conditions are hard, displacement for indigenous communities means more than just a loss of land. Many times, out of fear or as a way to protect themselves, they dont use their native language outside of their land, says Juajibioy. Because of discrimination in urban places, those cultural traditions, customs and rituals usually begin to disappear or deteriorate, he adds.

While most of the homes in Villagarzon are not finished, one small but well-built wooden house stands in the middle of these lands. It is their cultural centre  built by the UN Refugee Agency  decorated and painted with the emblem of their planned indigenous reservation.

A marimba, a percussion instrument built from bamboo, has been placed in the centre for the community to play. We brought the marimba from Narino, says Armando, The elders taught me to play it. And now I teach my sons, so that our culture can continue.

The sun is setting and Ignacio Cuasaluzan has just come back from Mocoa, 18 kilometres Away. He made 25 thousand pesos in a long days work, the equivalent of US$8. It is just enough to pay for 12 kilos of rice, which he will use to feed some members of his family. He joins his children to listen as Armando plays the marimba.

We lived connected to nature, he says wistfully. We hear the birds sing and our marimba music complements the birdsong.
By PTI: Mumbai, Dec 26 (PTI) Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said today India should go to war with Pakistan and split it into four parts.

Reacting sharply to the treatment meted out to the mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav, on death row in Pakistan over alleged espionage, Swamy, a Rajya Sabha member, said "serious homework" for the war should begin "right now".

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"Whatever treatment was given to the mother and wife of Kulbhushan (Jadhav) is akin to Draupadis vastraharan that resulted in Mahabharat.

"Its very unfortunate and we are hurt...and now time has come when we should wage war against Pakistan to tear it apart into four pieces," he told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.

The mangalsutra, bangles and bindi of Jadhavs wife and mother were reportedly removed before the tightly-controlled interaction he had with them, according to an external affairs ministry statement in New Delhi.

"I dont say that we should do this (declare war) immediately, but we should start doing serious homework for this right now," Swamy said, adding "its my personal opinion and it often becomes partys opinion also."

Swamy said splintering Pakistan was the only solution to Indias running feud with its neighbour.

When asked if yesterdays surgical strike by the Indian Army, in which three Pakistani soldiers were killed, was a befitting reply to them, he said,"Its okay, but for a permanent solution, Pakistan needs to be split."

Calling Pakistan an "envious and vengeful" country, he ruled out the possibility of other countries joining the conflict in the event of an Indo-Pak war.

He also sought an immediate end to the External Affairs Ministry issuing medical visas to Pakistani nationals. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has been facilitating grant of visas to ailing Pakistani nationals as a humanitarian gesture. PTI APM NP SK SK

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A Christmas Day tragedy unfolded in central Phoenix when a woman and two children were shot and killed and a police officer was wounded during a standoff in an apartment complex, reports the CBS affiliate there, KPHO-TV.

The officer was rushed to a hospital. A suspect was in custody.

Police said they found the woman outside when they were called to the complex and officers were speaking with the "probable suspect" who was holed up inside a unit.

It appears to have been a domestic violence situation, according to Sgt. Jonathan Howard.

Police cordoned off the apartment complex and kept residents away. Several waited in parked cars across the street for hours.
PHOENIX -- Two state lawmakers hope to do what has proven politically impossible for decades: Convince colleagues to consider sentencing reform.

Reps. David Stringer, R-Prescott, and Kirsten Engel, D-Tucson, are heading a group to look at why Arizona locks up a higher proportion of people than all but four other states.

"You have to go to the Deep South to find higher rates,'' Stringer told Capitol Media Services. And Stringer, a former criminal defense attorney, questions whether having more than 42,000 people in state prisons is justified.

"People in Arizona are not that bad,'' he said.

Part of the issue, Stringer said, is strictly financial: The budget this year for the state Department of Corrections alone tops $1 billion, more than 10 percent of total spending.

But Stringer said his experience makes him question whether many of the longer sentences imposed, particularly for non-violent crimes, do more harm than good.

If history is any indication, Stringer and Engel will get a fight from prosecutors.

Bill Konopnicki, a Safford Republican who was a state representative, worked for years more than a decade ago, saying the state could not afford the burgeoning costs of its prison system. His efforts included reclassifying some crimes now considered felonies to be misdemeanors.

That incurred the wrath of fellow Republicans, to the point where then-Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, used his position as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee to ensure that any such measures did not even get a hearing.

Former Rep. Cecil Ash, R-Mesa, had no better luck in 2010 with his own special legislative committee which also looked at sentencing reform. Prosecutors successfully blocked those from becoming law.

Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk, from Stringer's home county, said she is willing to listen.

"I am always interested in ideas on how to best protect the public from criminal offenders, ensuring safe and crime-free communities,'' she said.

Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said the position he will take "depends on whether this is a data driven effort without faulty assumption or another preconceived, rhetoric driven effort.''

"It could be a chance to highlight what Arizona has been doing right and where we can and need to do better,'' he said. Montgomery said he wants to focus on reducing recidivism, calling it "the most promising approach to evaluating options without jeopardizing public safety.''

But don't look for Montgomery to support changes in sentencing.

"Those currently incarcerated are those who should be there,'' he said. "There's no objective data that establishes otherwise.''

Stringer said it may be true that people who commit certain crimes should go to prison.

"But almost all of them come home,'' he said. "So when do they stop needing to be behind bars?''

He said lawmakers need to look at the sentences that judges are required to impose.

"Very young people are getting just horrendous sentences, 10-year sentences for fairly minor drug stuff, not heavy dealing,'' he said.

"Anything more than two or three years in jail and you come out a changed man,'' Stringer continued. "And it is completely self-defeating because we end up with a very high recidivism rate.''

So what are the options?

"I happen to be a big proponent of things like work release,'' Stringer said.

"I don't think people who break the law should get off scot free,'' he said. "I think they ought to make it up in some way to the community.''

More specifically, he wants to ensure the focus is on rehabilitation.

"We are shooting ourselves in the foot if we are just locking people up,'' Stringer said.

He said there's no question but that crime is a social harm.

"But vengeance also carries a cost,'' Stringer said, tying up resources "that should be going to other worthy causes.

Engel has her own perspective on what she sees as the negative consequences of the state's high incarceration rate for non-violent offenders.

"Incarceration makes it harder to get and hold a job, impoverishes families and hurts the economic prospects of entire communities,'' she said. "We can do better.''

The Sentencing Project lists Arizona's incarceration rate at 596 people for every 100,000 residents. That compares with a nationwide figure of 458.

It lists only Louisiana, Oklahoma, Alabama and Mississippi with higher rates.

Stringer is careful to say that the focus of the committee will be on nonviolent offenders. And at least part of the reason for that is political: He believes it's less likely to provoke a knee-jerk reaction against any proposals.

"That's always how the crush reform,'' Stringer said.

"They say, 'What are you going to do, put criminals on the street, murderers and rapists on the street?'' he continued. "No, we're making it very, very clear that we're only looking at non-violent offenders.''

He said it might just be that the only thing the panel can agree on is expansion for treatment of drug offenders.

Gov. Doug Ducey has avoided the potentially hot-button issue of sentencing reform.

But the governor has proven a stronger proponent of providing second chances to those who have done their time as a method of preventing recidivism.

Last year the governor expanded the concept of "community corrections,'' adding a new facility in Maricopa County to deal with those who have been let out of prison but commit a minor breach of their release conditions. These facilities provide an alternative to being sent back to prison and even allow those offenders to keep their jobs.

More recently the governor enacted a "ban the box'' policy for employment at state jobs, eliminating any questions on initial job applications about whether a person has a criminal record. The governor said that will help ensure that people are not eliminated from even being considered.

And he made a deal with Uber, a ride-sharing company, to help former inmates get to their jobs if public transit is not available. The company and the state each are putting up $5,000.

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On Twitter: @azcapmedia
Syrian rebels and opposition groups have rejected Russia's proposed peace talks. A statement signed by 40 rebel groups accused Russia of being an aggressor that has committed war crimes against Syrians.

By AP: Syrian rebels and opposition groups have rejected Russia's proposed peace talks. They have accused Moscow of failing to pressurise its ally, President Bashar Assad, to end the conflict.

In a series of statements, 40 rebel groups, including some of Syria's most prominent, as well as political opposition groups, said the talks expected next month are an attempt to "circumvent" the UN-led process, which has made virtually no progress since it began in 2014.

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The rebel groups said Moscow has asked them to give up their demand for Assad to step down.

"We reject this, and we affirm that Russia is an aggressor that has committed war crimes against Syrians," the statement signed by 40 rebel groups said.

"Russia has not contributed with a single move to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people and it has not pressured the regime it claims it guarantees to move an inch toward any real path toward a resolution."

The rebel groups, including Ahrar al-Sham, Army of Islam, and a number of western and regionally-backed Free Syrian Army groups, said they are committed to the UN-led Geneva process, and called on the international community to end the bloodshed, now in its seventh year. Political opposition groups and governing bodies in rebel-held areas have also rejected Russia's proposed talks.

The talks are scheduled for January 29-30 in Sochi, and were announced after talks among Russia and Iran, which back the government, and Turkey, which supports the opposition.

Syria's government said it would attend the talks. Assad told reporters recently that the Sochi talks have a clear agenda of discussing new elections and possibly amending the constitution.

The fate of Assad has been the main point of contention in all previous rounds of talks. The opposition has long called for a transitional period in which Assad would have no role, something the government refuses to even consider.

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A boy holding a stick contemplates hitting backside of a large man

At home

Bathing in Lake Huron

Becklers Mills Falls, Benmiller

Bend in Maitland River

Coming around curve in grove, Goderich

Discing field

Dungannon School (destroyed by fire 1872)

Four men and bicycles after crash on path

Goderich Harbor, looking east from park

Group outdoor portrait

In the park

Interior of grocery store

John Morris Birthday Party

Looking W.S.W. from Court House

Man reading by fire

Menesetung Park

Monarch, Goderich Harbour

On the banks of the Maitland

On the bluffs

Outdoor family portrait

Platts Mill on the river flats

Port Albert Harbour

Portrait of family

River mouth about 1860

Ships in Goderich harbour

Square, Goderich

Students and teachers in front of frame building, Colborne

The Point Farms, summer resort near Goderich, Ontario

The start

Through the maples

Turquallah hut

Two women laying among foliage

At the turn of the 20th century, when most cameras and photographers operated out of a studio, Ontario-based photographer Reuben R. Sallows (1855-1937) took his heavy, cumbersome equipment outside. He photographed people at work and play in the small towns, farmlands and in the expansive Canadian wilderness of Ontario, the western rovinces and northern Quebec.A rogue photographer, Sallows did not wait for clients to enter his studio. He took his camera everywhere: in his black Ford Model A truck, in a hired canoe and on the newly installed trains that crisscrossed Canada between 1881 and 1937.He sold his photographs to his studio patrons in Goderich, Ontario, the Canadian, Albertan and Ontario governments, postcard and lithograph companies in the United States, Britain, Scotland and Germany as well as magazines and newspapers in Canada, the United States and abroad. One of his photographs, Patriarch of the Flock, was published in the National Geographic magazine in 1920.His versatility at both setting a scene and capturing a moment made him an excellent freelance photographer in an age when such a concept was barely emerging. To be a photographer between 1881 and 1937 was to be a scientist, savvy businessman and artist. Reuben R. Sallows was all three.In 1937, Reuben Sallows, on his way to take a photograph at a school camp on the lakeshore highway, was killed when his car overturned just south of Kintail. He was 82 years old.During his sixty year career, his artistic skill was proudly heralded locally as "Sallowsgraphs" and recognized internationally, securing him a reputation for being a "photographic genius."These photos that Sallows captured everyday life of Ontario, Canada from between the 1860s and 1890s.
Condotel demand is exploding even without a dedicated legal framework in place_Photo: Le Toan

Condotels  which offer short-term rentals and hotel-level services together with the independence of a condominium  are driving much of the recent interest in the second-home segment.

In documentation sent to competent bodies, representatives from the Vietnam Real Estate Association and the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association (HoREA) have petitioned for the creation of condotel-specific ownership certificates. The situation has been at a standstill for more than one year.

HoREA chairman Le Hoang Chau said that this type of product has not been illegally built, yet its legal framework has not been established.

Developers are permitted to do things which are not included in a ban, and market demand is how this property type was born, Chau said.

When it appears, competent bodies must consider it as an official type of property and must create a legal framework for it, to ensure the rights of both developers and buyers in these projects.

Doan Van Binh, chairman of CEO Group, a developer of thousands of condotels throughout the country, said that buyers have faced difficulties in asking for their ownership certificates since the legal framework has not yet been developed.

In order to protect the rights of buyers and developers, detailed guidelines for the issuance of red books need to be created very soon, Binh said.

Lawyer Bui Dinh Ung from the Hanoi Lawyers Association said that condotels should have their own ownership certificates; however, in order to do this, the National Assembly must revise related laws  such as the laws on Land, Housing, and Real Estate Business  to create a framework for condotels.

One legal problem is that many condotels were built on land which was given to developers to build commercial properties and services, and not for residential purposes. This type has so far not been certified with a red book.

According to Nguyen Hoat, head of the Khanh Hoa Department of Housing and Real Estate Management, in order to sell their condotels in the fastest way, many developers have hidden the fact that their condotels have not been certified as a residential unit.

This is unfair to buyers and a deception on the part of developers. Buyers have the right to know what their units are in reality, Hoat said.

Condotels have been present in Vietnam for less than two years, but their supply has seen a sharp increase due to the adaptation of the market. Their developers are increasingly committing to guarantees of good rental yields, often from 8-10 per cent.

According to property consultant DKRA, more than 7,000 condotel units are now on the market. Those condotels are mostly centred in Ho Chi Minh City and coastal cities such as Khanh Hoa, Danang, Binh Dinh, and Phu Quoc. This number is expected to double by 2019.

In Danang and Nha Trang, dozens of condotel projects are under construction. In Nha Trang, according to the Khanh Hoa Department of Construction, more than 20 condotel projects  holding a total of more than 10,000 units  are currently in the pipeline. Around one-tenth of these have already been put into operation.

Figures from HoREA, dating from the beginning of this year, peg the total condotel supply at 16,000 units. Between 2017 and 2019, there will be an additional 27,000 to 29,000 units launched annually to the market.
Rescuers pull out a city bus after it ploughed into a pedestrian underpass in western Moscow on December 25, 2017. (Photo: AFP / Vasily MAXIMOV)

It was not immediately clear what caused the accident as authorities said they were looking into several possibilities, including a technical malfunction.

Authorities did not mention terrorism as a possible cause.

"Nine people are currently in the city's clinics ... four people died on the spot," the Moscow city hall said in a statement on the website.

Police were also giving the figure of four killed, revised down from previous statements which said the accident caused five deaths.

Footage broadcast on national television showed the bus driving onto the pavement and then down the stairs of the underpass, running over several pedestrians before coming to a stop.

Moscow police said in a statement they were looking into two possible causes - the driver losing control of the vehicle and a technical problem with the bus.

"The driver of the bus began movement and then changed his trajectory, which resulted in the bus going down into the pedestrian underpass," the statement said.

"The driver has been detained. Police employees are working with him," the statement said.

"According to the driver, the bus was parked and suddenly began to move by itself," said a statement by the Russian Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes.

"Despite his attempts to stop the bus, the breaking system did not work and the bus continued moving," it said.

Investigators said they were questioning witnesses and plan to examine vehicle documentation and order medical examination of the driver.

The accident happened around 3.00pm (8.00pm Singapore time) near Moscow's Slavyansky Boulevard metro station, a prestigious residential area near one of the capital's main avenues.

Sirens were blaring around the metro station, with authorities preparing to pull the bus out of the underpass, an AFP correspondent at the scene said.

The underpass and surrounding area were cordoned off and several black body bags could be seen on the pavement, partially covered with falling snow.

The emergencies ministry said helicopters had been dispatched to the scene to help evacuate the victims.

"There are dead and wounded," tweeted Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin. "We are providing emergency aid," he said, offering condolences to families of the victims.

Sobyanin also visited the scene, telling journalists he had ordered a full inspection of the entire Moscow bus fleet.
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.
This photo taken on December 23, 2017 shows Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte (second from right) comforting a relative of one of the victims after a fire engulfed a shopping mall in Davao City on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. (Photo: AFP/Presidential Photographers' Division/Kiwi Bulaclac)

The regional chief of the Bureau of Fire Protection, Wilberto Rico Neil Kwan Tiu, told weeping relatives of the missing that he personally counted "around 36" bodies in an office lobby at the burned down NCCC shopping mall in Davao.

Mayor Sara Duterte said earlier that 38 people were missing and believed to have died in the fire, with one other unidentified body recovered on Sunday.

Philippine authorities ordered a criminal investigation Monday into a shopping mall fire that killed dozens of people, most of them call centre staff from an American firm.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre announced the inquiry earlier on Monday as the government initially raised the toll from Saturday's NCCC mall fire in the southern city of Davao to one dead and 38 missing.

The fire compounded the Christmas misery in the south of the mainly Catholic nation where tens of thousands were also displaced by floods and landslides from a storm that also killed more than 200 others on Friday.

"By punishing those responsible, we can set an example to others so that, hopefully, there will be no repetition of those tragedies," Aguirre said in a statement.

Deadly blazes occur regularly in the Philippines, particularly in slum areas where there are virtually no fire safety standards.

US-based market research company SSI confirmed on its website late Sunday that 37 of its 500 employees were "lost" from its Davao unit, which leased the four-storey building's top floor.

"TERRIBLE TRAGEDY"

"This terrible tragedy has left us with heavy hearts. We offer our condolences and prayers to the families and loved ones of the victims," chief executive Gary Laben said in the statement.

The company said it has arranged for counselling for its employees, and will support funeral arrangements and set up a fund to assist the bereaved.

Local authorities on Sunday said no-one trapped in the fire would have survived and firemen have only managed to retrieve one unidentified body so far.

Davao Mayor Sara Duterte, a daughter of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, raised the toll from the tragedy on Monday, saying 38 other people apart from the recovered body found were missing - two more than previously listed.

The city's fire marshal had described the shopping mall as "an enclosed space with no ventilation", though the authorities said they had yet to determine the cause of the blaze.

The building's administrators on Sunday denied allegations from survivors that there were inadequate emergency fire exits and that some of them were locked.

"There is no truth to that allegation. In fact as per accounts of those who got out, they were able get out thru the fire exit," Thea Padua, the mall's public relations officer, told AFP by text message.

SLOW RECOVERY

Some relatives of those missing criticised rescuers for what they felt was the slow pace of recovery efforts.

"They seem so relaxed," said Jolita Basalan, weeping as she waited for news of her missing 29-year-old son Jonas who worked at the call centre.

"They are not pained because they don't have a child there. They told us to come here but no one is moving," she told AFP.

Corruption and exploitation mean supposedly strict fire standards are often not enforced in the Philippines.

In 2015, a fire tore through a footwear factory in Manila, killing 72. Survivors of that blaze blamed barred windows and other sweatshop conditions for trapping people inside the factory.

In the deadliest fire in the Philippines in recent times, 162 people were killed in a huge blaze that gutted a Manila disco in 1996.

With low wages but strong English language skills, the Asian nation is a popular destination for international companies to set up customer call centres in its big cities including Davao, 900-plus kilometres (more than 500 miles) south of Manila.
Rajnikanth said he was not saying he would enter politics, but would only announce his "political stance" on December 31.

By India Today Web Desk: Tamil superstar Rajinikanth has decided to keep his millions of fans in Tamil Nadu guessing until December 31, when he is likely to finally reveal his political plans.

Addressing his fans in Chennai on the opening day of a six-day-long photo session with followers, the 67-year-old actor said he was hesitant to enter politics since he knew its dynamics.

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ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW IN 10 POINTS:

1. Rajnikanth said he was not saying he would enter politics, but would only announce his "political stance" on December 31, the last day of his six-day event. "I am not saying that I will come to politics... I will announce my stand on entering politics on December 31," Rajinikanth said.

2. The actor said he was not new to politics, however, it required time to "study and strategise". "Let us face the war when it comes", he said, which was seen as an indication that he might enter politics.

3. Referring to the statement made months ago, Rajinikanth today said, "War means only election. Has it come now?" "One has to win a war. Bravery is not enough to win the war. Strategy is needed," he said.

4. He said more than the people, the media was interested in knowing about his political plans. He also advised his fans not to focus on the negative information being circulated in the social media. "Focus on positive thoughts," he said.

5. About a thousand members of Rajinikanth's fan club would also get an opportunity to take a photograph with their matinee idol at the six-day meeting.

6. 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.

7. 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 DMK's M K Stalin and PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss.

8. In November, Rajinikanth had told reporters that there was no hurry for him to enter politics. In May, while addressing a large gathering of his fans, Rajinikanth said he would choose the path of politics if "God willing".

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9. "God decides what we have to do in life at every phase. Right now, he wants me to be an actor and I'm fulfilling my responsibility. If God willing, I will enter politics tomorrow. If I enter, I will be very truthful and will not entertain people who are in this to make money. I won't work with such people," he had said.

10. 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 factors which helped catapult the main opposition party to power in the Assembly elections that year.

WATCH HIS FULL SPEECH | Neta Thalaivar: Political decision on December 31, says Rajinikanth at huge fan meet

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Dinh La Thang stewarded PetroVietnam as the firm funnelled millions into OceanBank_ Photo: Ngoc Thang

The Ministry of Public Securitys Investigation Agency last week completed its investigation conclusions into the intentional violation of state regulations on economic management with serious consequences, and asset embezzlement at state-run Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PVN) and its subsidiary PetroVietnam Construction JSC (PVC).

The agency proposed that the Supreme Peoples Procuracy prosecuted 22 people involved.

Dinh La Thang

The agency has proposed that Dinh La Thang, held in custody for investigations since December 8, and 11 other arrestees be charged with intentionally violating the state regulations on economic management and causing serious consequences, while eight others may face a charge of asset embezzlement. Two people  Trinh Xuan Thanh and Vu Duc Thuan  are to be charged with both of these violations.

Thang is a former Politburo member (January 2016-May 2017), former vice head of the Central Economic Committee (May-early December 2017), former Minister of Transport (2011-2016), former National Assembly member (10 years), and former Party Secretary of Ho Chi Minh Citys Party Committee (February 2016-May 2017). He is also the former Secretary of the Party Committee and former chairman of PVN (2005-2011).

Meanwhile, Thanh is PVCs former chairman, and Thuan is former member of PVCs board of directors, and the firms former general director.

According to the Investigation Agency, Thang, together with many other PVN executives, caused a VND800 billion ($36.4 million) loss to the state budget by contributing capital to OceanBank, violating state regulations on economic management at PVC, and engaging in irregular behaviour relating to the Thai Binh 2 Thermal Power Plant.

Taking a loss at OceanBank

According to the Party Central Committees Inspection Committee, Thang, 56, has to bear the prime responsibility for the violations and shortcomings of the PVN Party Committees Standing Board and member council in the 2009-2011 period.

A further six people are also involved in this case, including Nguyen Xuan Son (OceanBanks former vice general director), Ninh Van Quynh (PVNs former vice general director), Nguyen Xuan Thang (former member of PVNs member council), Nguyen Thanh Liem (former council member), Vu Khanh Truong (former council member), and Phan Dinh Duc (former council member).

Thang was found to violate the working regulations of PVNs board of directors by clinching a deal in 2008 contributing 20 per cent [worth VND800 billion or $36.4 million] of the capital to privately-owned OceanBank prior to the deal being approved by PVNs board of directors.

The investment flouted regulations, and caused very serious losses to PVN. The State Bank of Vietnam acquired the debt-ridden bank for VND0 two years ago, resulting in PVNs loss.

Thang was also responsible for PVNs member councils issuance of resolutions and decisions on the authorisation of large bidding packages, which violated the governments relevant decrees, and on the designation of many bidding packages that failed to meet legal regulations.

Violations at PVC and the Thai Binh 2 Thermal Power Plant

Investigators found that, in order to develop PVC into a big firm, in December 2007, Thang appointed Trinh Xuan Thanh, then general director of state-owned Song Hong Corporation, to the position of general director of PVC, though Thanh was inexperienced at the time. Later Thanh became PVC chairman.

In June 2010, without appraising PVCs capacity and experience, and without conducting necessary procedures for contractor selection, Thang signed a PVN resolution assigning PVC to implement an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the $1.7 billion Thai Binh 2 Thermal Power Plant, under the format of a bidding appointment.

Thang also ordered some individuals and units to ink a financial contract between PVN and PVC. Then he required PVN to pay advances to PVC more than $6.3 million and VND1.3 trillion ($59 million) to implement the contract.

Thanh was found to have ordered the use of over VND1.1 trillion ($50 million) of this money for other purposes unrelated to the plant. This caused a loss of over VND119 billion ($5.4 million) to the state budget.

Besides, Thanh, Vu Duc Thuan, and other PVC leadership members asked PVCs subsidiaries to use funds from PVCs coffers for other purposes without any legal invoices.

The Investigation Agency also proposed that Phung Dinh Thuc, general director of PVN during 2010-2011, and chairman of PVNs member council during September 2011-June 2014, be prosecuted for his allegedly having intentionally broken the state regulations on economic management and caused serious consequences to the Thai Binh 2 Thermal Power Plant.

Five years after commencing construction in 2012, the power plant project, expected to annually add 6.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to the national power grid, is only 79.4 per cent complete, due to limited capital and slow construction.

Investigators found that Thang must be held accountable for violations of the Law on Bidding relating to a PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation EPC contract for Dung Quat Biofuel Plant. They also found that Thang must take responsibility for low investment efficiency in some state-funded projects, including bio-fuel projects, and the Dinh Vu Polyester Fibre Plant in the northern city of Haiphong.

Beginning its commercial operation in May 2014, initially the project was invested by PVN and state-run garment and textile maker Vinatex. However, Vinatexs VND200 billion ($9 million) contribution to the plant was withdrawn in 2015. After some restructuring, the plants stakeholders included PVN (75 per cent) and PetroVietnam Fertilizer and Chemicals Corporation (25 per cent).

But after becoming operational, the plant failed to adequately market its products, suffering a loss of tens of millions of dollars.
Claire Foy in The Crown. Photo: Alex Bailey / Netflix

One of the highlights of The Crown season two was the story of a guy named Lord Altrincham who just wanted to make his country a better place. In the fifth episode, Marionettes, he criticized Queen Elizabeth and the royal family for being too removed from the common people after the queen gave a grossly misguided (and borderline insulting) speech to workers at a car factory. Years later, the royals admitted that Lord Altrinchams criticisms and subsequent solutions  such as suggesting that the queen televise her annual Christmas message to appear more personable  likely saved the modern monarchy from crumbling. And now, depending on whom you ask, the queen actually acknowledged that during this years Christmas message.

Broadcasting live per her annual tradition, Queen Elizabeth opened her message by commenting on her very first televised moment. What a nice coincidence! Sixty years ago today, a young woman spoke about the speed of technological change as she presented the first television broadcast of its kind. She described the moment as a landmark, she said. Six decades on, the presenter has evolved somewhat, as has the technology she described.

As Digital Spy reports, British Crown viewers went into a tweeting frenzy after Queen Elizabeth muttered those words, noting how it was conveniently mentioned a few weeks after the story line aired on Netflix. (One of the many tweets: Nice of the Queen to reference Claire Foy like that.) Of course, theres no way to know for certain, although the queen reportedly has watched The Crown with family members and quite likes its palace shenanigans. Its not impossible!
Suck it, male Time Lords of the past! The moment Doctor Who fans have been eagerly anticipating since this summer is finally here  Peter Capaldi has relinquished his timey-wimey Doctor duties to make way for Jodie Whittaker, whos the very first female Doctor in the franchises history. (And shes awesome.) We encourage you to watch the whole clip to soak in Capaldis awesome Shakespearean monologue before the regenerating actually begins, but if you cant wait that long, fast-forward to the 3:30 mark when the Tardis officially becomes testosterone-free. Oh, brilliant, she mutters before plunging into time and space. Look out for those Daleks, girl!
Nargis Fakhri seems to have moved on from rumoured ex Uday Chopra.

By India Today Web Desk: Not too long ago, the grapevine was abuzz with rumours of Nargis Fakhri moving in with Uday Chopra and his mother, Pamela Chopra. Even as rumour mills churned out story after story of how Nargis and Uday had finally put their differences aside and were looking to take their relationship to the next level, it looks like the actress was in a relationship with another man, right under their noses.

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Nargis, who is currently in Los Angeles, posted an intimate picture of her Christmas celebration with American filmmaker Matt Alonzo on Instagram. Nargis is seen holding Matt's hand as they gaze lovingly into each other's eyes. She also refers to him as a 'loved one' in her caption.

Meanwhile, Matt shared another picture of them on his Instagram, which he captioned with a heart emoji.

Nargis Fakhri and Uday Chopra's rumoured on-off relationship has been in the news for a while now. Last year, speculation was rife that Uday ended things with Nargis over WhatsApp, after which she left the country, heartbroken. Nargis, however, denied these reports and maintained that she left for New York to attend to her health issues.

On the work front, Nargis Fakhri was last seen on the big screen in Banjo. She will be seen next opposite Sanjay Dutt in Torbaaz.

ALSO WATCH: End of romance for Uday Chopra and Nargis Fakhri

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The close of the Historic Waco Foundations 50th anniversary year finds the organization looking to its future in preserving and recognizing Wacos past.

At the same time, its former executive director Don Davis finds his personal calendar relatively open after retiring from the organization last month.

Davis, 74, stepped down after eight years as executive director. The work he and his board did to broaden the organizations sense of Waco history and mission will continue as board members, led by interim director Jill Barrow, plan in the months ahead for the foundations future.

A Rice University-trained architect, he aims to spend more time with his residential design and interior design business, Davis Design Studio, and his wife, Tommye Lou Davis, who will return to the Baylor University faculty this spring after a sabbatical.

Davis put much of his design business to the side when he agreed to serve as Historic Waco Foundation director in 2009. The organization, created in 1967 in large part to maintain and promote four 19th century homes, was at a transition point. Repair and maintenance costs for the historic houses was rising, membership and revenues were starting to decline, and the foundation was fighting a perception that the houses and their family histories only represented a part of the citys history.

The foundation also faced problems encountered by history museums across the country: a shrinking volunteer base, a graying of boards and leadership, and a public disinterested in museum attendance.

Things werent quite where I wanted them to be, Davis said diplomatically.

During his tenure, David and his board members added new fundraisers such as the Attic Treasures sale, and, with the money raised, were able to replace roofs on three houses. The foundation also tried new ventures to reach a broader, younger audience.

In 2013, the group brought in In The Company Of Angels, a touring exhibit of rare Tiffany stained glass windows with angels as their subject. The $100,000 price tag was risky, Davis recalled, but community turnout covered the foundations expenses, and the shows integration with Waco churches with historic stained glass windows provided an opportunity to illuminate a wider Waco history.

It was one of the best things weve ever done, he said.

The foundation also worked with Baylor Universitys Institute of Oral History to create a phone app that provided the history of dozens of Waco sights and locations. And it partially funded Christopher Charles Scott IIIs documentary What About Waco, which looked at several chapters of Waco history, including the construction of the Waco Suspension Bridge, World War Is Camp MacArthur, legal prostitution in The Reservation and the 1916 public lynching on Jesse Washington.

Don Wright, a member of the Central Texas African American Heritage Foundation, recently finished five years on the Historic Waco Foundation board. While the board grappled with budget issues most of that time, he felt overtures to Wacos black and Hispanic communities were a promising start.

Wright helped organize the black history exhibit Footprints of African Americans in McLennan County displayed in the foundations Fort House. The foundation also worked with Louis Garcia in his efforts to recognize the citys Hispanic roots in the exhibit Historia Hispano and a small museum Garcia helped create at the South Waco Community Center.

Were trying to show that the Historic Waco Foundation is not just about white history, but about all history, Wright said.

Charles Walter, executive director of the Mayborn Museum and president of the Museum Association of Waco, praised Davis leadership from what Walter has seen in the two years that he has been in Waco.

Don is a real statesman. He did a lot to bridge communities.  In a variety of exhibits he has been trying to honor the history of Waco in a broad sense. Im very impressed with Don, he said.

At the same time, Walter acknowledged the challenge history museums face today, caught between maintenance costs, increased competition for visitors interest and time, and a younger generation less inclined to visit museums than their parents and grandparents.

Thats the challenge Historic Waco Foundation is examining as it moves beyond its 50th year, board President Patricia Scott said. With Barrow, a former director of the Ollie Mae Moen Discovery Center, in place as interim director, the board has a little breathing room as it considers its mission and goals before looking for a permanent director.

We feel very lucky to have her, Scott said of Barrow.

Foundation members want to increase membership from its present level of about 500 members, boost attendance at the four historical houses and offer a broad range of educational programs and lectures.

Board members also are keeping the door open for a single, unified Waco history museum, something Davis had pursued with the Helen Marie Taylor Museum of Waco History in 2009 before an agreement with museum founder and owner unraveled at the last moment.

Efforts to reopen that museum got a new start last summer, but Davis said other the foundation has other options, including repurposing one or more of the properties it already has.

Those discussions will take shape in the future, Scott said.

Were talking to other cultural organizations about collaborating on a Waco history museum.  We cant just be showing the history of our homes as we have always done.
Mr. Webb was born September 19, 1945, in Crawford, Texas, the son of the late William Rueben and Billie Jane (Saulters) Webb and attended LaVaga High School. In June of 1966, he enlisted in the United States Army and served until his honorable discharge in April of 1968.On February 12, 1982, he married Donna Kay Webb in Waco. Much of his life was spent in the construction business, having owned and operated Webb Construction until his retirement in 2007. He enjoyed camping, fishing and hunting. It has been said "we lost one of the sweetest and funniest love of our life way too early." He loved being retired and living life at his own pace. Being a hunter, he could hardly wait for deer season each year. In fact, this year he got an 8 pointer. He was literally a "happy camper". The only bad thing was when the races were on television, he had to rush home early Sunday morning to see them, even though he was recording them. He loved his wife, Donna and all his family. By all who knew him, he will be greatly missed.Also preceding him in death was a sister, Sarah Nelson.
LINCOLN  Dave Nielsen of Lancaster County Farm Bureau was re-elected to the At-Large seat on the Nebraska Farm Bureau board of directors. Nielsen operates a corn, soybeans, and hay operation near Lincoln.

Farmers and ranchers from across the state gathered in Kearney Dec. 3 to 5 for the organizations 100th Annual Meeting and Convention of the Nebraska Farm Bureau.

Along with electing officers, members set policy for the coming year and discussed a wide range of agricultural policy issues to provide direction for the organization.

Among the measures adopted by delegates was support for the use of income tax credits as a means of delivering property tax relief; a concept under consideration by state legislators heading into the 2018 legislative session. Delegates also voiced support for reducing local property tax burdens by having state general funds play a larger role in the funding of K-12 education.

County leaders also expressed support for utilization of the Nebraska Universal Services Fund, in partnership with federal and private monies, to support expanded broadband service into underserved areas of Nebraska.

Expanding access to international markets for Nebraska agriculture commodities was also front and center for delegates.

Delegates also discussed numerous issues related to livestock production. Members adopted a resolution allowing extended service duty hours for truck drivers that transport livestock, as well as backing a resolution to eliminate electronic logging devices. Livestock transportation has been a point of concern in the light of recent U.S. Department of Transportation electronic logging device regulations that failed to adequately recognize the uniqueness and challenges of transporting lives animals.

Resolutions related to national policy will be discussed and voted on at the American Farm Bureau Federation Annual meeting held on Jan. 5 through 10 in Nashville, Tenn.
By PTI: Mathura, Dec 25 (PTI) Two persons, including a Ukrainian woman, were killed and two others injured today when their car ploughed into a road divider and overturned, police said.

Ukrainian nationals BK Dana (22) and Maria (24) were travelling with Ankit and Vaibhav (30) from Kanpur to Delhi.

The accident occured in the Mahaban police station area. All four people were rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared Dana and Vaibhav dead, SP (Rural) Aditya Kumar Shukla said.

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Dana and Maria had come to India on a tourist visa. The Ukrainian Embassy in New Delhi has been informed about the accident, the SP said. PTI Corr GVS

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Bitcoin, the biggest cryptocurrency, extended its decline over the long holiday weekend, failing to reverse a sell-off that began after an unprecedented rally fell short of breaching $US20,000.

The drop brings more end-of-year weakness to a market that last week had its worst four-day tumble since 2015.

"The West is what's causing this sell-off," said Mati Greenspan, senior market analyst at Tel Aviv-based online broker eToro, pointing to increased trading in dollars and less in yen.

The recent cryptocurrency surge was so steep that investors were prone to take money off the table going into the Christmas holiday season, he said.
Jan Hugo, a 59-year-old collector with 10,000 pieces who is based in NSW, Australia, has teapots dating back to Queen Victoria's reign. Credit:Max Mason-Hubers A dedicated royalist, Tyler, 73, has filled her home in north-west London with commemorative items, including a copy of the Issa dress that Kate Middleton wore during the announcement of her engagement to Prince William, and a little glass dish with a picture of Queen Elizabeth II that started her collection. One of her rooms is dedicated solely to Princess Diana, and another to the queen, which she rents out for 75 a night. Royal Crown Derby, a porcelain manufacturer, has been making commemorative products since the coronation of King George III in 1760. Credit:Max Mason-Hubers Insurers have valued her collection at 40,000.

"I would like nice, proper bone china stuff," Tyler said of the merchandise surrounding the latest royal wedding. "I don't buy everything. I've got to like it." "I think they just look for an excuse to be able to do it, every time there's a birth, wedding, engagement, anniversary, anything," Jan Hugo said. Credit:Heath Harrison I think they just look for an excuse to be able to do it, every time there's a birth, wedding, engagement, anniversary, anything. Collector Jan Hugo Royal fever is a capitalist tradition in Britain. Royal Crown Derby, a porcelain manufacturer, has been making commemorative products since the coronation of King George III in 1760.

Jan Hugo, a 59-year-old collector with 10,000 pieces who is based in NSW, Australia, has teapots dating back to Queen Victoria's reign. "I think they just look for an excuse to be able to do it, every time there's a birth, wedding, engagement, anniversary, anything," Hugo said. When William married in 2011, the high-end British department store Fortnum & Mason sold a Wedding Breakfast Blend tea from Kenya, where he proposed. The Lego-themed amusement park Legoland made a brick replica of Buckingham Palace, complete with the bride, groom and assorted well-wishers. Pizza delivery chain Papa John's even turned their faces into a pizza. Bridgewater's company has sold more than 35,000 pieces of pottery based around William's wedding and has produced 15 different commemorative mugs for events ranging from Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's wedding in 1986, to the birth of William's second child, Princess Charlotte, in 2015. The company has annual sales of about 20 million. The merchandise this time around is extensive. Bridgewater has another mug and tea towel planned for the wedding next year, as well as a mug to celebrate the third child of William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, due in April.

Royal Crown Derby has a series of designs in the works, like a heart-shaped tray for 75 and a 150 pound octagonal plate finished in gold. The company began planning four months before the engagement was officially announced as gossip swirled in the British press. It is now waiting for specifics, such as whether Markle will use her given name, Rachel, to put the finishing touches on its fine bone china products. "One of the things that the collectors insist is that it has that level of information and detail applied to the design," said Steven Rowley, Royal Crown Derby's sales and marketing director. As royal fever grows, the company plans to hire an additional 10-15 people. It is also hoping to tap into heightened interest in the United States - Markle is American - to push its products in places like Bloomingdale's and Bergdorf Goodman. Tour operators and travel agencies are also gearing up.

British Tours is putting together potential itineraries. The company already runs "Kate and William tours", which follow the footsteps of the royal couple, visiting the town where they went to college and Westminster Abbey, where they married. Olivia Basic, a tour planner at the company, said the themed tours for Harry and Markle could include upscale nightclubs where the prince - known in his earlier years for partying heavily - has been spotted. Others offer a chance to catch a glimpse of the wedding itself. Two days after Harry's engagement was announced, the luxury travel company Noteworthy started scouting locations near the wedding site, St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. Noteworthy is looking to replicate an experience it offered during William's wedding. Back then, it hired a place opposite Westminster Abbey so clients - 80 of whom paid 500 each - could watch the bride and groom as they arrived and left the church. For the celebrations commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, 200 people paid about 300 each to spend the day on the HMS Belfast, a historic warship, to have prime position to watch the monarch's flotilla pageant. Noteworthy has already secured a location for guests to watch Harry's wedding. But the managing director of Noteworthy, Nicola Butler, declined to say where. She said, however, that it had a view over Windsor Castle's Henry VIII Gate and was "a space that a high-net-worth individual from the US would be comfortable in."
Sandringham: Queen Elizabeth and senior members of the royal family  including newcomer Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's American fiancee  have attended their traditional Christmas church service at Sandringham.

Markle smiled and gave a brief wave in her first public appearance with the Queen. She and Harry stopped to talk with several locals on their way back to the Queen's residence.

The Queen was joined by her husband, Prince Philip, and close family members including grandson Prince William and his wife, Kate, who is expected to give birth to the couple's third child in the northern spring.

William and Kate also stopped to talk with area residents who had waited in the cold for a chance to give flowers to the royals. The crowd was larger than in past years, perhaps because of curiosity about Markle.
A string of scrub fires in Perth, including one on Christmas Day, may have been started by an arsonist and police are seeking help as they investigate.

Five suspicious fires have broken out near bicycle and footpaths in Perth's inner-eastern suburbs since December 1.

Police believe a string of scrub fires across Perth may have been started by an arsonist. Credit:Nick Moir

Arson Squad detectives believe most were started in the early hours of the morning.

They reached out to the public for information on Monday as they try to track down the fire starter.
Santiago: When Chilean President Michelle Bachelet leaves office in March, it will mark the end of a generation of women leaders in Latin America, leaving the region without a female head of state as it shifts to the right politically.

At the start of this decade, women held the top jobs in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Costa Rica, collectively representing about 40 per cent of the population in a region better known for its machismo.

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, whose second term ends next year, is the last female head of government standing in the Americas. Credit:Meridith Kohut

But conservative Sebastian Pinera's victory in the second round of Chile's presidential election on Sunday drew that period to a close.

Bachelet was the first of her female counterparts to rise to power in a leftist tide that swept South America during a commodities-fueled economic boom. She served as president from 2006 to 2010 before winning re-election in 2013.
New York: The oldest daughter of Eric Garner, the black man whose dying calls of "I can't breathe" after he was placed in a chokehold by a police officer became a protest chant across the country, has been hospitalised following a heart attack, her mother said on Monday.

Erica Garner, 27, was in a medically induced coma, her mother, Esaw Snipes, said.

An undated photo of Eric Garner with his family. Credit:AP

After her father's death on Staten Island in 2014, Erica Garner campaigned for police accountability, demanding justice for not only her father but also for others who were killed during encounters with police.

She has sought answers from then president Barack Obama and castigated New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio over policing matters. In 2016, she campaigned on behalf of Senator Bernie Sanders for president, introducing him at a rally in South Carolina.
Washington: A gift-wrapped package sent to US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's home in a posh Los Angeles neighbourhood sparked a security scare just before Christmas.

The package was found on Saturday evening in a next-door neighbour's driveway in Bel Air, the Los Angeles Police Department told the Los Angeles Times and KNBC television. The package included a Christmas card with negative comments about President Donald Trump and the new US tax law signed by Trump last week.

It was one of those gag cards you can buy in a drugstore. "Merry Catsmess!" read the caption. And in a personal touch, as if for emphasis, Robby Strong had enclosed a box of horse manure.

"To Stevie," he wrote on the envelope, meaning Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, for whose doorstep the manure was bound.
New York: At least four times in the past week, the Trump administration has linked financial support for the United Nations to compliance with US demands.

First President Donald Trump and his ambassador, Nikki Haley, fumed that all other countries with seats on the Security Council had opposed US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and his decision to put the US Embassy there.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley on Friday. Credit:MARK LENNIHAN

Then Trump dared the General Assembly to follow the Security Council's example. "Let them vote against us," he said. "We will save a lot."

When the General Assembly voted 128-9 against the Americans, Haley said she would take names and remember them the next time the US was asked for financial help from members who disagreed with its stance.
The presence of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on stage in Gandhinagar when Vijay Rupani was being sworn-in as Gujarat Chief Minister could not have been more ironic. Till a few months ago, the JD(U) chief was supporting BJP's rival and Patidar leader Hardik Patel.

By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: The swearing-in ceremony of the Vijay Rupani-led BJP government in Gandhinagar today took place in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah - both of whom belong to the state - and several chief ministers. One of them was Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the JD(U).

With Nitish on stage, it presented an irony because till a few months back, he had been supporting BJP's bete noire and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener Hardik Patel.

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NITISH-HARDIK BONHOMIE

On December 13, 2016, Hardik met Nitish in Patna in order to seek his support in Gujarat. He had invited the Bihar CM to address a rally in Saurashtra on January 28 in support of the Patidars' agitation for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.

Hardik and Nitish had a three-hour-long meeting. Subsequently, the JD(U) had announced that Hardik and JD(U) would chalk out a strategy to ensure the defeat of PM Modi and BJP in his home state.

Hardik declared that Nitish had supported his agitation. The Gujarat leader called Nitish a 'mahanayak'. Being a Kurmi by caste, Nitish also comes under the OBC category.

During the 2015 Bihar Assembly election, Hardik had declared his support for Nitish.

Nitish supported Hardik's his demand for OBC status to Patels and said the government should consider his demand.

However, the turn of events in Bihar changed the situation. Nitish dropped the plan to attend Hardik's rally after the BJP's Bihar unit supported Nitish's plans to organise the world's longest human chain on January 21 in support of prohibition in the state.

Subsequent developments brought Nitish closer to Modi and BJP and farther from Hardik.

NITISH-MODI EQUATIONS

Nitish's political equations got linked with his roller coaster relationship with Modi. The Modi-Nitish relation has come full circle. It took 15 long years for the political thaw between the two to come about.

Soon after the 2002 Gujarat riots, Nitish had heaped praises on Modi. While Nitish was a railway minister in the Atal Bihari Vjpayee-led NDA government, Modi was Gujarat chief minister.

While inaugurating a railway project in December 2003 at Adipur in Kutch, Nitish called Modi a potential national leader and a development-oriented politician. He asked the people to forget the 2002 riots and move on.

He had hoped that Modi would not be confined to Gujarat for long and the nation would get his services. He also congratulated Modi for the works done in Gujarat.

"What happened (in 2002) was a blot. But it's not good if we remember just that and forget the other things that are happening. I congratulate Narendra Bhai. Gujarat's development is helpful for India and if Gujarat develops, the nation will also develop," Nitish had said then.

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In 2008, the Gujarat government again under Modi as CM had presented a cheque for Rs 5 crore to Nitish-led JD(U) government for the Bihar CM Relief Fund. It was for the devastating Kosi floods which had lashed the eastern state the same year.

However, the relations between Nitish and Modi soon started getting sour.

It was in June 2010 that the strain in Modi-Nitish relations came to the fore for the very first time. The BJP top brass was in Patna to attend the party's national executive.

Nitish had thrown a dinner in honour of the BJP leaders. Modi was also supposed to attend it.

A newspaper advertisement showing Modi and Nitish holding their hands aloft appeared in Patna on the day the dinner was to take place. The old photograph was of a previous rally in Ludhiana.

Fuming over the ad, Nitish took no time to cancel the dinner. He also returned the Rs 5-crore cheque to the Gujarat government.

The JD(U) broke ranks with NDA in 2013 after Modi was appointed BJP's chief of 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign committee. The declaration came in BJP's National Council meet in Goa in June 2013, paving the way for Modi's appointment as the party's prime ministerial candidate.

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Nitish resigned as Bihar CM after the NDA won the 2014 general elections owning responsibility for the defeat of JD(U) candidates in Bihar.

JD(U) won only two out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, while BJP bagged 22 seats. NDA garnered 31.

The bitterness between the two increased during the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections.

NITISH-MODI BROMANCE AGAIN

But the bonhomie between Modi and Nitish started returning with the passage of time.

Nitish defended the Army's September 2016 surgical strikes against Pakistan's launching pads for terrorists.

At a time when Modi's demonetisation move was being opposed by non-NDA chief ministers such as Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal and Arvind Kejriwal of Delhi, Nitish backed it.

Modi returned the praise during the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh in Patna City in January this year.

The PM thanked Nitish for the arrangement at the Parkash Parv and also for the strict implementation of prohibition in the state.

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Nitish returned the compliment by recalling Modi's efforts in successfully implementing liquor ban in Gujarat for 12 years as chief minister.The Bihar CM also supported GST and Ram Nath Kovind's candidature for president's post.

The BJP came to Nitish's aid when he split the Mahagathbandhan government. Modi congratulated Nitish for resigining as CM and exhorted him to join in the "fight against corruption" rising above political differences.

BJP and JD(U) together formed government in Bihar again after having split in 2013.

NITISH-HARDIK FAULT LINES

Hardik did not get Nitish's support in the Gujarat election. The Bihar CM even did not agree with the Patidar leader's allegation of EVMs in the state having got rigged.

Just a day before the counting of votes for the Gujarat eletion, Nitish said the EVMs have helped making elections "transparent and impartial" and those criticising them were doing so out of the fear of defeat.

With Nitish's presence on dais in BJP's function at Gandhinagar today, his proximity to Modi and Modi has been sealed. Hardik must be feeling let down by being snubbed by a fellow OBC leader.

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Chandrapur, Dec 26 (PTI) Union Minister Hansraj Ahir, who stoked a controversy with his remarks on doctors, today said his statement was specifically aimed at the Civil Surgeon who skipped the government hospital function and "misinterpreted" by media.

Miffed over the absence of senior doctors at a function in his Lok Sabha constituency Chandrapur yesterday, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs had said that "these people should join Naxals" and "we will then shoot you with bullets".

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Ahir was speaking at the inauguration of a generic medicine counter at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Chandrapur, in eastern Maharashtra. The district civil surgeon, Uday Nawade, and dean of the medical college, S S More, were not present at the event.

Speaking in Marathi, Ahir had said, "What do the Naxals want? They dont want democracy. I handle the home ministry, so I know it. These people (referring to the senior doctors) dont want democracy."

"So they should join Naxals. Why do you stay here? Go there, then we will shoot you with bullets. Why do you give tablets (pills) here? How justified is it to remain absent when I am coming to the hospital," Ahir had said.

Ahir today told PTI that he was "upset" over the absence of the Civil Surgeon at the event, for which many dignitaries like the mayor, the deputy mayor and prominent doctors were present.

"The civil surgeon, the one who should have led from the front, was absent, which was disgraceful," Ahir said.

He said his comment was aimed particularly at the Civil Surgeons "irresponsible behaviour" and not at other government officials or doctors, as is being "misinterpreted" by media.

"Naxals dont want democracy, I know this as I am in the Home Ministry and if you also do not believe in democracy better go and join Naxals if you are not interested in giving tablets then we shall give you goli (pills). This was my statement which has been misinterpreted and quoted out of contest," he said.

According to Ahir, the absence of the Civil Surgeon, as an organiser of the programme, was "nothing less than an insult to democracy" and his intention was to "discipline" him by giving some pills which the civil hospital was supposed to take up for distribution to patients. PTI COR NRB VT KIS

--- ENDS ---
Paris, Dec 19, 2017 (AFP) - Snowfall in central Alaska has more than doubled since the mid 1800s, said a study Tuesday which pointed the finger at global warming. Two ice cores drilled into Mount Hunter in the Denali National Park, revealed a 117-percent increase in wintertime snowfall in south-central Alaska since about 1840, researchers wrote in the journal Scientific Reports. Summer snow also increased, by nearly 50 percent. "We were shocked when we first saw how much snowfall has increased," said Erich Osterberg of Darmouth College, who co-authored the study. "We had to check and double-check our results to make sure of the findings." Next, the team set out to find out why. Scientific models predict that global precipitation -- rain or snow -- would increase by as much as two percent per degree of global warming. Warmer air holds more moisture. This accounted for some, but not most, of the Denali snowfall increase, the team said.

They found another contributor: the strengthening of a low-pressure system called the Aleutian Low in the Bering Sea off the Alaskan coast, driven by warmer tropical oceans. The Aleutian Low brings a northward flow of warm, moist air to Alaska. "It is now glaringly clear from our ice core record that modern snowfall rates in Alaska are much higher than natural rates before the Industrial Revolution," study co-author Dominic Winski of Dartmouth College said in a statement. This is when humankind started pumping planet-warming greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The same changes accounted for a decrease in Hawaiian precipitation, the paper pointed out. And it stressed the Alaskan impact would not necessarily be repeated in other places with similar conditions. "Scientists keep discovering that on a regional basis, climate change is full of surprises," said Osterberg. The world's nations vowed in the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global warming to under two degrees Celsius (1.5 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial levels. Anything more, experts warn, will give rise to life- and asset-threatening superstorms, sea-level rise, floods and drought. The 1 C mark has already been breached.

mlr/cw


Manila, Dec 25, 2017 (AFP) - The death toll from a storm that unleashed landslides and floods across the southern Philippines has climbed to 240 with scores of others still missing, officials said Monday. Tropical Storm Tembin on Friday struck the country's main southern island of Mindanao, which often escapes the 20 or so storms that batter the rest of the archipelago nation each year. Civil defence officials said the number of confirmed deaths from Tembin on Mindanao's Zamboanga peninsula had risen to 78, while the death toll in Lanao del Sur province on the island went up to 27. The storm killed 135 others in the northern section of the island, police said Monday, a figure that was unchanged from a day earlier. Rescuers are still looking for 107 people in these three areas. Many were feared killed by mudslides and flash floods that buried or swept away hundreds of houses last weekend. Civil defence officials said some 13,000 Mindanao families -- at least 52,000 people -- remained in evacuation camps on Christmas Day, many with few if any possessions left. Tembin swept out into the South China Sea early Sunday, with weather forecasters warning it would hit southern Vietnam later Monday. Two other typhoons are known to have inflicted more deaths on Mindanao than Tembin, according to government records. Typhoon Bopha left 1,900 people dead or missing mainly on Mindanao's eastern provinces in December 2012, while Typhoon Washi killed 1,080 people on Mindanao's north coast in December 2011. The deadliest typhoon to hit the country is still Haiyan, which left more than 7,350 people dead or missing and destroyed entire towns in the central Philippines in November 2013.

cgm/sm


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In total five trips of the day, total 446 tickets were booked and 579 passengers travelled, said Western Railway.

Passengers await for the newly introduced AC local of Western Railway (Photo: https://twitter.com/WesternRly)

By Press Trust of India: A passenger was today caught for travelling without ticket in an air-conditioned (AC) suburban train, whose services started here, a senior railway official said.

A fine of Rs 435 was recovered from the passenger and the amount includes Rs 165 as fare, Rs 250 as penalty, Rs 10 as CGST and Rs 10 as SGST, he said.

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The passenger was nabbed while he was travelling in a Churchgate-bound train, the official added.

In a Christmas gift to Mumbaikars, the country's first AC suburban train commenced its services, thus realising the long-awaited dream of lakhs of commuters.

The train, operated by the Western Railway (WR), began its journey at 10.32 am from Borivali station to Churchgate in South Mumbai.

The WR this evening claimed that it received "decent" response from the commuters.

The WR in a statement said in total five trips of the day, total 446 tickets were booked and 579 passengers travelled.

"We earned Rs 62,746 through the fares from these five trips," it added.

Meanwhile, railway activist Rajiv Singal, who has been a member of Railway Users Consultative Committees in both Central Railway and WR, claimed that the train would be "a failure due to institutional flaws."

Another social activist Anil Galgali said he has written to Railway minister Piyush Goyal and urged him that first-class ticket holders be allowed to travel in AC local trains.

--- ENDS ---
By The Associated Press Dec. 25, 2017 | 04:07 PM | NASHVILLE, TN

President Donald Trump is returning to Tennessee to speak at the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual convention.

The Tennessean reports that Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks to the group meeting in Nashville on Jan. 8.

Georgia beef and poultry farmer Zippy Duvall is the president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. He says the president's decision to speak to the organization shows Trump's dedication to farm and ranch families.

Says Duvall: "Farmers and ranchers and our rural communities are the bedrock of our nation. President Trump knows that."

Trump's visit to Nashville will be his second since taking office. He also came to the city in March to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of President Andrew Jackson and to hold a downtown rally.

___

Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com
If the Winona public school board had taken the advice of the districts Facilities Task Force, Lindsy OShea would have been a cheerleader for the district as it pushed to consolidate its aging elementary schools.

But instead of adopting one of two facilities plans recommended by the task force, board members this spring tinkered with the plans until they had essentially created their own.

So they lost that built-in group of cheerleaders, said OShea, a mother of three district students and a member of the now-defunct task force. And the boards subsequent bond referendum was shot down by 91 percent of voters.

It was incredibly disappointing and frustrating to see the board go with a different plan, said Julie Heinrichs, another parent and task force member. It felt like our time had been wasted.

The sound defeat of the referendum sent board members back to square one in their search for a solution to the districts increasingly complex facilities issues.

Three of Winona Area Public Schools five elementary schools were built around the 1930s  Jefferson, Washington-Kosciusko and Madison  and as the cost of maintaining them continues to climb, the condition of the buildings continues to slide.

These are what schools have looked like since the 1880s, Superintendent Rich Dahman said in October. You have square or rectangular rooms, kids sitting in rows. Thats what our schools look like. We really need a 21st century learning environment.

And, he said, the board needs to find a way to straighten out the districts budget, which was projected to get an annual $1.1 million lift from a successful referendum.

To some voters, and many task force members, the problem isnt that the district is trying to close elementary schools  the problem was which schools it tried to close.

Last December, the task force approved one plan that would close all district elementary schools but Jefferson and Goodview, and one plan that would close all but Jefferson, Goodview and W-K.

For several months, the school board weighed in on these plans and slowly reshaped them.

It was important to have a school on Winonas east end, some board members said, and it was worthwhile to keep Rollingstone Community School as a small-school option.

In June, the board passed its ill-fated facilities plan, which would have kept open Goodview, W-K and Rollingstone, while closing Jefferson and Madison.

The big advantage of Jefferson is all the available space, said Heinrichs, who questioned the sense in vacating that 12.5-acre property while attempting to buy up homes for an expansion of W-K. Expanding that school would have taken up an entire city block. That was a giant hurdle that we wouldnt have had to clear at Jefferson.

Added task force member Nicole Schossow: What was suggested by the task force is nothing like what (was) being brought forward by the district.

Though her children attend school elsewhere, Schossow said she felt compelled to learn more about plans to close public elementary schools  an issue that will affect Winonas students and families for decades.

We had a good mix of people and a good mix of viewpoints  people from schools and from the business community, people who were experienced builders, she said of the task force. By the end, you could see that people had looked at the data and evaluated everything that was there. The two we put forward, I felt those were the best two options. They were the best situations for students and for our district financially.

District officials and school board members have spent recent weeks considering what went wrong.

It was a bad look, they say, for the board to stray as far as it did from the task forces recommendations.

Others say a wave of misinformation and negative sentiment all but sank the referendum.

And others say the $82 million referendum was just too expensive.

To drum up support ahead of a potential second referendum, the district is planning to survey all interested Winona-area residents about district facilities and other issues.

The school board also has considered asking the Facilities Task Force to reconvene, although some board members arent sure whether task force members would return to the table.

They did all that work  made a huge gesture of good faith, and we did not, said board member Karen Coleman. Are they even going to want to come back?

Added member Steve Schild, who sat on the task force and has consistently supported its recommendations: The board went with what the board went with because it didnt agree with what the task force said  period. If we get them together (again), are we prepared to go with what they say?

OShea, Heinrichs and Schossow said they would all be happy if the board simply adopted one of the task forces recommendations.

And while they admit they now feel varying levels of distrust toward the school board, all three said theyre open to serving on the task force again.

Thats a group of people who needs to support the decision, whatever it is, moving forward, Schossow said. I hesitate only because I dont want to put in all that time and energy again, only to have our recommendations disregarded.

Added OShea: Id be open to it  with the caveat that not just the spirit, but the content of our recommendations should be honored. If we argue green space is important for learning, green space should be considered. And if we argue serving students with special needs is something we should do, then that should be considered, too.

It was incredibly disappointing and frustrating. ... It felt like our time had been wasted. Julie Heinrichs, parent and task force member.
In affidavits involving a legal dispute over documents, two Sauk County Board members made claims that are refuted by a recording.

Board Chair Marty Krueger, of Reedsburg, and Vice Chair Joan Fordham, of Baraboo, submitted the sworn statements earlier this month in response to a lawsuit filed by the Baraboo News Republic.

The newspaper is suing for documents related to the countys search for a new administrative coordinator. If successful, the lawsuit may allow the public to learn more about how the final candidate was chosen.

The affidavits of Krueger and Fordham contain identical passages about a Dec. 29, 2016, meeting during which the boards Executive and Legislative Committee discussed how to begin the hiring process.

They claim the committee discussed candidates from a prior administrative coordinator search and decided on one who should be invited to interview at a future meeting.

If their accounts were true, it would explain why former county attorney Alene Kleczek Bolin  who ultimately was chosen for the job  was the only candidate in attendance and waiting to appear before the committee for a closed session interview days later, on Jan. 3.

However, a recording of the Dec. 29 meeting shows there were no such discussions or decisions as described in the affidavits.

Fordham admits error

Reached by phone Friday morning, Fordham initially stood by her sworn statements. Thats what my memory is, she said. Understand, this is a year ago and there were a lot of meetings, but that is my memory.

After learning that a recording of the Dec. 29 meeting conflicted with her version of events, Fordham acknowledged she may have been incorrect. She said the discussions described in the affidavit did occur prior to Jan. 3, although maybe at a different meeting.

Fordham said the committee definitely knew prior to Jan. 3 that Kleczek Bolin was interested and would appear for an interview. We knew that, Fordham said. She didnt just walk in and we said Oh, were interviewing you today?

But Fordham could not explain how the committee would have had that knowledge. There were no other public meetings prior to Jan. 3 during which the discussion she described legally could have occurred.

The Dec. 29 recording shows the committee did not discuss individual candidates, or decide which ones should be interviewed. In fact, Kleczek Bolins name never was mentioned.

The only decision the committee made was to discuss the qualifications of finalists from a prior administrative coordinator search at its next meeting.

After that discussion, Krueger and then-Corporation Counsel Todd Liebman crafted a Jan. 3 meeting agenda that defied the committees wishes. It did not include a discussion of prior finalists.

Instead, the agenda included a closed session to interview a candidate, immediately followed by an open session to recommend a new hire. The discrepancy between the process agreed to in public and the agenda Krueger and Liebman prepared led some county board supervisors and members of the public to cry foul.

After reviewing personal notes, Fordham called back later Friday and said the statements she made over the phone that morning were incorrect as well.

Fordham then acknowledged the committee had not decided which candidates to interview prior to Jan. 3. During a closed session that day, she said, the committee discussed the prior finalists, decided not to re-interview them, learned of Kleczek Bolins interest, decided to interview her, and then immediately interviewed her.

The committee then reconvened in open session and recommended Kleczek Bolin for the job. That was the first time the public learned she was ever a candidate.

Fordham said Kleczek Bolin was in the building and ready to be brought before the committee that day. But she could not explain why one candidate was waiting in the wings if the committee had not previously decided who should or should not be invited to interview.

I cant answer that question, Fordham said.

The newspaper has previously revealed that Krueger, the board chair, met privately with Kleczek Bolin weeks before the search officially began to ask if she wanted the job.

Hiring came amid controversy

At the time, the county board was engulfed in controversy over the departure of former Administrative Coordinator Renae Fry, who had been hired only eight months earlier.

Documents show Krueger and Liebman made numerous allegations against Fry during her first performance review. They also took steps to advance her removal that never were approved by Frys oversight committee.

Fry resisted the effort and ultimately negotiated a controversial contract buyout that entitled her to a full years salary in exchange for her resignation. The agreement also prevented Fry, Krueger and Liebman from speaking openly about the matter.

During the prior search that resulted in Frys hiring, a consultant found 10 candidates who were qualified for the position. The Executive and Legislative Committee decided to interview six of them, including Fry, and the county identified those six.

Candidates among that group have said no one from the county contacted them after Frys departure to ask if they still were interested in the position, or wished to be reinterviewed.

Kleczek Bolin was among the four other candidates from the list of 10 who were not interviewed or identified during the first search. The county still has not identified the other three.

Fordham said someone  either Krueger or Liebman  informed the committee during its Jan. 3 closed session that those three candidates no longer were interested or available. All I know is that we were told that the other three were no longer interested, she said.

The newspaper hopes to verify that the information provided to the committee about those three candidates was accurate. It is suing for documents that would identify them.

If the candidates can be reached, they may divulge whether anyone from the county reached out to them prior to the Jan. 3 meeting to ask if they still were interested in the job.

News Republic Editor Todd Krysiak said the lawsuit was a last resort, and the only path toward learning exactly how county officials selected the next leader of a $90 million government operation.

The hiring of the countys top administrator should be a transparent process, Krysiak said. The more we learn about how the candidate was chosen, the more apparent it becomes that decisions were made outside of public purview.

Madison attorneys Lori Lubinsky and Danielle Baudhuin, who represent the county in the lawsuit, did not return messages. Neither did Krueger. He and Fordham both are seeking re-election, and currently face no opposition as the Jan. 2 deadline to file candidacy paperwork nears.
MAYVILLE  A gas station in Mayville was robbed on Christmas Day, Mayville police said.

The BP gas station at 1400 Horicon St. was struck at 1:42 p.m. The suspect is described as a white male approximately 5-foot-8 to 5-10. He wore a dark facemask, dark coat and black gloves.

According to the police, he was driving a gold or silver older model four-door Oldsmobile or Buick.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Mayville Police Department at 920-387-7903.

No further information was provided Monday night.
In Beaver Dam, the Christmas holiday starts with making sure everyone has a dinner on their table to celebrate.

The signature program of Beaver Dam Elks Lodge 1540 has been not only providing a dinner for those in need for the last 66 years, but providing community cheer for those who volunteer to put together the baskets each year.

Each year, Beaver Dam Ford, W8356 Howard Drive, is filled like Santas Workshop. Volunteers line up to fill the baskets and drive to the homes where the food is dropped off.

Rob Radig has organized the Beaver Dam Elks Lodge Christmas Basket program for a number of years. Many of the volunteers are prepared to help when they come in the door, Radig said.

Every year, we have a lot the same volunteers returning, Radig said. Half of them, we dont even have to tell what to do. They go to the same spot and hand out the same thing year after year.

This year, 490 baskets were delivered in 22 communities. Many of the baskets stay in the Beaver Dam area, but one this year went as far as Oconomowoc. The Elks do not compile the list; it is compiled with information from Dodge County Human Services and Dodge County Toy Bank.

The Dodge County Sheriffs Office organizes the delivery of the food baskets out of town with the help of Dodge County police departments.

Each box contains a chicken (or chickens), a bag of potatoes, celery, onions, carrots, a head of lettuce, bags of apples and oranges, one to two loaves of bread, a dozen eggs, a package of cookies, a milk coupon, two boxes of gelatin, canned goods, a box of corn muffin mix, gravy, a pound of butter, cheese and stuffing mix.

The items are purchased from local businesses or donated.

The program was founded in 1951. They help about 2,500 people per year.

Financial donations are welcome for Beaver Dam Elks Christmas Baskets, P.O. Box 96, Beaver Dam, WI 53916.
Tax delinquent properties in Juneau County are finding new owners at a record rate. Juneau County Chairman Alan Peterson called the Dec. 19 County Board meeting one of the biggest days weve had in sales.

Collectively, the sales produced $96,506 for the county. The properties had failed to pay a total of $40,613.22 in taxes. Sales from Lyndon brought in the greatest share at $24,000, followed by Clearfield at $18,025, Wonewoc at $14,551, the Town of Necedah at $13,020, Marion at $10,700, Armenia at $7,950, Lisbon at $7,000, Germantown at $1,060, and New Lisbon at $200.

15 properties were sold in all. Five from the town of Necedah, two from Wonewoc, two from Lyndon, one from Armenia, one from Clearfield, one from Germantown, one from Lisbon, one from Marion and one from New Lisbon.

Western Technical College presentation

The County Board also heard a presentation from representatives of Western Technical College.

Western Technical College President Roger Stanford emphasized the true value of a degree from WTC. An associate degree from WTC costs approximately $10,000. Oftentimes an associate degree can cost $25,000 to $30,000.

Stanford also presented on the Sparta public safety training facility. We serve a lot of police and fire and paramedic, Stanford said. WTC is currently working on constructing a training tower and shooting range. Providing emergency management training is important part of WTCs mission, Stanford said.

Director of Regional Learning Centers Jennifer Brave presented on the Mauston branch of WTC. Its really a nice facility, Brave said. Weve added on three separate times to this building.

Stanford said he hates to see students not finish and then be burdened with debt. Every time someone quits that hurts our employers, Stanford said. We need to focus and continue to work on enrollment We need skilled labor more than ever in our counties.

Making attaining a college degree more practical was emphasized in the presentation. Stanford said his experience as a veteran who earned a degree as an adult has influenced that view. I had to start over on too many things, Stanford said.

Designing degree requirements to be efficient and suited to the individual is an important focus for WTC.

In addition to adult education, WTC is making connections with students at the younger end of the spectrum. Students can be in high school and theyre earning college credit at the same time, Stanford said. Thats a great win-win for taxpayers.

WTC also virtually connects students across different locations to enable more class options.

New Appointments

The county board reappointed Terry Taft to the drainage board, Steven Thomas to aging and nutrition and Mike Kelley to the winding rivers board.

In a series of unanimous votes, the board authorized the hiring of a full-time comprehensive community services facilitator in the department of human services, a full-time community service facilitator, and a full-time children long term support waiver social worker.

Holiday compensation changes tabled

The county board had planned to approve amendments regarding holiday compensation. Changes were to be made to last paragraph of section 8.4 in the Juneau County personnel policy.

Telecommunicators would receive a lump sum payment for holiday compensation at the end of the year. Additionally, vacation days for telecommunicators would only be used when a vacancy created by the vacation was filled by employees who volunteer to fill the vacancy. Telecommunicators who worked holidays would be paid time-and-a-half.

At the previous personnel committee meeting, Human Resources Director Terry Kleifgen said the telecommunicators vacation time pay had become a problem. Kleifgen said the current system could be taken advantage of and in one case a telecommunicator was gone for a week and got paid overtime when she returned. When she finally came in to work one day, she got paid eight hours of overtime for that one day, Kleifgen said. The proposed change was to make vacation pay a lump sum.

Before the proposed changes were voted upon, Telecommunicator Craig Scheel came forward and spoke. All of us got together and went over everything, and we just found some discrepancies that we would like to have added, Scheel said. He was accompanied by others.

County Chairman Alan Peterson asked them why they didnt come to the executive committee first.

I was just informed that if we had anything, any discussion, we should come here and state our case, Scheel replied.

The board decided to table action regarding holiday compensation until the executive and personnel committees could meet on Jan. 8.
A Portage woman blames her landlord for failing to warn her of environmental hazards leading to lead poisoning of her infant.

Brittany Suchomel published an letter to the editor in the Dec. 18 Portage Daily Register stating her case and asking for information on what someone with limited resources can do, feeling compelled to move for the sake of her 11-month-old sons health.

She said she took her son in for a regular checkup a few weeks ago, after which the doctor suggested some additional blood testing. The results confirmed her son had elevated lead levels in his blood and would need to come in for another blood draw and more precise reading. After that had been done and analysis came back from the Mayo Clinic, the readings were bad news.

The level in blood is measured in micrograms per deciliter.

It showed us that it was a level 15 (mcg/dL), said Suchomel. And then pretty much after that, Ive been running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

Parents of children with blood lead concentration testing below 10 mcg/dL may or may not have been informed of the results prior to 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control, when the agency lowered the threshold to 5 mcg/dL.

Since January, Columbia County has seen 515 children under the age of 6 added to the Wisconsin Blood Lead Registry, according to Columbia County Health and Human Services Health Officer Susan Lorenz, with approximately 1 percent testing at or above 5 mcg/dL.

Lorenz would not confirm whether Suchomel had a case with the county or had contacted the department, citing federal health privacy rules.

The property was approved for Suchomel, who is renting with the assistance of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authoritys Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. Suchomel said that she was confused at not receiving any warning beforehand.

The 28-year-old lived in the Madison area for much of her life before moving to Portage about five years ago. She most recently lived on James Street, before moving to the West Marion Street home in the end of June.

In order for Section 8 to pass this  there was paint chipping  and so while I was fixing up this place, there were paint particles everywhere and after a while my son is inhaling  pretty much lead, Suchomel said. One thing I just dont understand is that if this house was built in 1960, why, as a landlord you havent had this house tested for lead.

Suchomel said a Columbia County social worker came to the property to run some tests and found lead paint throughout the house, specifically in a peach hue showing through the walls on the main floor where Suchomel had already painted over.

WHEDA sent a letter Tuesday to the owner and occupant informing them that the lead paint had to be mitigated or Suchomel would have to move out because the hazard to her children. The letter sets a deadline of 30 days.

The ultimatum, she said, put the obligation on her to see the issue solved or move out.

Richard Lynn is the landlord of the property on West Marion Street, which was purchased at auction for $45,000 by Hui Chen on Nov. 23, 2016. Chens address is listed as 9525 Blue Heron Drive, Middleton, which is shared by Lynn, Lynn Properties, and Lynn Holdings.

Thats my son, Lynn said. He doesnt handle the property; I do. Its just an investment property for his college.

Apparently WHEDA or whoever it is that handles that is supposed to have a letter out, but I havent gotten that yet.

While there are ordinances and regulations in place, most of the responsibility for notification and lead abatement falls on the residence owner and the resident.

The city does not have ordinances or policies on lead abatement, Portage City Administrator Shawn Murphy said. We have worked with landlords on exterior lead paint abatement in the past, but we have not encountered interior lead contamination issues.

State and federal law, he said, dictates that any building erected before 1978 should be presumed to contain lead paint. Federal law requires home sellers and landlords to disclose all information about lead in a house or apartment.

WHEDA spokesman Kevin Fischer said the U.S. Department of Urban Development requires that lead-based paint status be disclosed prior inspection of the unit.

Our agents inspect to HUDs Housing Quality Standards which are to a decent, safe and sanitary threshold, Fischer said. Neither WHEDA, nor our agents, are lead inspectors and no testing is required or done before passing a unit.

In the event of lead hazards in a home, advice from state and county health authorities advise vigilance in housecleaning, putting furniture against flaking window sills and keeping small children from getting into any hazardous areas.

Suchomel said she sweeps every day before work and washes her son about three times a day, with the bright side being that he has fun with foamy soap.

Its just not fair for my son because I cant go back on this, I cant change anything, and if I knew this had lead in it I would have rather slept in a cardboard box, said Suchomel. Thats what kills me as a mother  that my son is lying over there and I know that poison is just running through his body.
One of the most enthusiastic reports at the Columbia Correctional Institutions annual Community Relations Meeting in December came in the update of a program focusing on inmates and forgiveness.

Psychologist Maria Gambaro is now leading her second group of about a dozen maximum security inmates through a forgiveness program to help them process and deal with the trauma in their own lives.

The venture began after Gambaro began working for the institution in 2014, when chaplain Mark Teslik returned from a workshop dealing with forgiveness with University of Wisconsin Educational Psychologist Robert Enright, inspiring the idea for a forgiveness group at CCI.

I kind of brushed him off initially, because I had already decided in my head and that I didnt want to broach it, but I finally gave him Dr. Enrights phone number and thought maybe those two would connect and leave me alone, Gambaro said in CCIs administrative wing.

That was not the case, and Enright offered to visit Portage to speak. Gambaro said they were on a tight budget and didnt have copies of Enrights book Forgiveness is a Choice. In short order, a box of books arrived.

Ive been studying the topic of forgiveness for 32 years, said Enright, who began working in the field of educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin in 1970, writing his dissertation on the topic. In line with about a century of research in the field, his work focused on ideas of justice and teaching children to be fair.

Then I stopped one day and I thought that the only one Im really helping is me  this isnt having any impact.

The topic of forgiveness kept popping up, so he did an academic search, having a librarian come back completely empty-handed and realizing there wasnt a study he could find anywhere in social science looking at the topic of forgiving as of that time in 1985.

This led to a career for Enright researching the topic internationally, and to the program in 2014 when he encountered Teslik.

He said a lot of these guys are so hurting from the unfairness against him that we need to give them a chance to be healed of that, Enright said, so they can have genuine rehabilitation.

Books in hand and out of excuses, Gambaro began working with Enright and chaplains Teslik and Justin OBoyle to put together a trial run of the group, first interviewing inmates to get a sense of interest and expectations.

We had the initial cohort of 12 guys who went through the original forgiveness group for a year or maybe longer, and gradually we started losing them because they were all stepped down to medium custody, Gambaro said.

The group appeared to be a success, but as scientists, Gambaro and Enright wanted to know if they had a group that helped transition maximum security inmates to medium security, or if they had a group that simply appealed to inmates who were ready for that transition.

An additional challenge in the group and the following study to determine the effectiveness of the group is taking into account that there are a certain number of inmates who are simply not to be trusted and have nothing but time to think about how to get what they want from other people.

In the study, it is easier because we build into our survey something that will give us an indication of their honesty, so we can quantify it that way, Gambaro said. In the meeting, we essentially tell them that youre going to get out of this what you put in. So if you want to come here and make things up, we might sense it, and youre not going to gain anything from this program.

Through the study, Gambaro found a significant majority of inmates carrying some kind of trauma, whether from mental, physical or sexual abuse.

After assessing about 60 inmates in a survey of around 100 in CCI, results suggest 90 percent of inmates have stories classifiable by social scientists as representing severe injustices against them.

Virtually all of them, Enright said. Just to give you an idea, so far with what were doing, about 40 percent of the men we have examined have had serious sexual abuse against them.

National estimates of U.S. adult males come in on the high end at 14 or 15 percent of men having experienced sexual abuse, Enright said, with the actual number likely lower.

Working without a specific timetable, members of the forgiveness group read and discussed Enrights book and wrote journals to be shared with the larger group about what they discussed and their own experience.

We have 830 men here and they may not know and may have never met the other 12 guys in the group, Deputy Warden Kalen Ruck said, and they have to learn to trust those other individuals that they arent going to go into the other units and share this information.

Inmates dont trust other inmates  why would they? Gambaro said. But when someone takes a chance and divulges a trauma history, what they find is they start out thinking that they dont want to share because they think theyre the only one this has ever happened to, and when they share their stories, they find out every other guy in the room has had almost the exact experience.

Although Gambaro said it was not so surprising to her personally, it was striking to the other group members how many statements from inmates began with, I have never told anyone this, but 

Many of those in correctional institutions are there because they have committed traumatizing acts against victims out in the world, a base fact that is not lost on the supporters of the forgiveness program.

Enright uses an analogy of imagining that they wanted to boost mathematical skills, but every student who arrives has throbbing knee pain. All the grant funding in the world will not solve the problem unless someone addresses the physical pain that keeps students from being able to properly learn.

The skills that they are learning can only help in their development and their transition as they are getting prepared to transition to a lower custody level, Ruck said, highlighting that of 830-plus inmates, over 90 percent are slated for release at some point in the future.

Many of them, on the streets, Gambaro said, they have freedom, but they dont have anything else.
Dec. 30  Winter Star Party at Devils Lake State Park in Baraboo from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Check out the stars with one of the telescopes that will be set up. Warm up and roast marshmallows at the camp fire. The program will happen just behind the Rock Elm Shelter near the North Shore Boat Launch. For information contact Sue Johansen at SusanA.Johansen@wisconsin.gov or 608-356-8301 ext. 140.

Dec. 31  Pheasant season closes.  Fall turkey season extension in zones 1-5 closes.  Hungarian partridge season closes.  Fisher trapping season closes.  Frog season closes.

Jan. 1  First Day Hike at Devils Lake State Park in Baraboo from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. You can go out on your own, or take a guided hike, which will start at 4 p.m. Bring snowshoes if there is snow, or loan a pair from the park. Meet at the Steinke Basin parking lot on Hwy DL. For information contact Sue Johansen at SusanA.Johansen@wisconsin.gov or 608-356-8301 ext. 140.

Jan. 3 & 4  Registration and free open shooting for the Reedsburg Outdoors Clubs 11-week indoor archery league. League shooting is every Wednesday and Thursday, from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m., starting Jan. 10-11 and running through March 21-22. The club will also be open every Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. for open archery and trap shooting, starting Jan. 7 through the end of March. The clubhouse is located northwest of Reedsburg at S2064 Luedtke Road. For information call Mike Schonfeld at 608-524-4124 or 608-616-4783 or the clubhouse on Wednesday evenings at 608-524-6968.

Jan. 4  Mississippi River zone goose season closes.

Jan. 6  Walk it Off with Winter Wildlife from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center in Horicon. Join wildlife educators searching for the winter wildlife around the marsh. Snowshoes will be available if conditions permit. For information call 920-387-7889.

Jan. 6  Winter Story Walk at Devils Lake State Park in Baraboo from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hikers will read a nature-themed story while walking the parks trails. Meet at the parks Nature Center. For information contact Sue Johansen at SusanA.Johansen@wisconsin.gov or 608-356-8301 ext. 140.

Jan. 6  Early catch-and-release only trout season opens statewide, with exception of spring ponds and Great Lakes tributaries; artificial bait only, but barbless hooks no longer required. Season runs to midnight May 5.

Jan. 7  Late archery deer season closes.

Jan. 8  Baraboo River Chapter of Kids and Mentors Outdoors (KAMO) will hold its monthly meeting at Rivers Edge Pub & Grub on County Road A in Wisconsin Dells, starting at 7 p.m. All members and anyone interested should attend. For information contact Greg Wagner at 608-477-0641.

Jan. 12  Stories and crafts from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center in Horicon. For information call 920-387-7889.

Jan. 14  Glacial Landscape Hike at Devils Lake State Park in Baraboo from 10 a.m. to noon. Bring snowshoes if there is snow, or loan a pair from the park. The hike will be about 2 miles on flat, but uneven terrain. Meet at the Roznos Meadow Parking Lot of Hwy 113. For information contact Sue Johansen at SusanA.Johansen@wisconsin.gov or 608-356-8301 ext. 140.

Jan. 20  Lake Mason Lions Club Fisheree, from daybreak to 3 p.m. at the Wagon Wheel Boat Landing on Highway 23 on Lake Mason. Fish prizes of $25 for each limited species of fish caught. Tickets are $5 and are available at Briggsville businesses and at the shoreline on the day of the event. Raffle drawings will be at the boat landing at 3 p.m. For information contact Randy Sus at randysus@gmail.com or 608-253-6567.

Jan. 20  Candlelight hike, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center in Horicon. Event will include a bon fire, owl talks, crafts and shuttles from Mayville and Horicon. For information go to www.horiconmarsh.org.

Jan. 20  Family Snow Day at Devils Lake State Park in Baraboo from 1 to 4 p.m. Participate in a variety of winter activities. Meet at the Rock Elm Shelter on the parks north shore. For information contact Sue Johansen at SusanA.Johansen@wisconsin.gov or 608-356-8301 ext. 140.

Jan. 20  Learn to Ice Fish at Devils Lake State Park in Baraboo from 1 to 4 p.m. All equipment and bait provided. All children must be accompanied by an adult, and adults are welcome. This is a free fishing weekend so no fishing license is required. Event will be canceled if ice conditions are not safe. Meet outside the Rock Elm Shelter on the parks north shore. For information contact Sue Johansen at SusanA.Johansen@wisconsin.gov or 608-356-8301 ext. 140.

Jan. 27  Seasonal Scavenger Hunt at Devils Lake State Park in Baraboo. Drop in between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at the parks nature center to receive a set of clues that will help you complete the challenges. Bring your camera. For information contact Sue Johansen at SusanA.Johansen@wisconsin.gov or 608-356-8301 ext. 140.

Jan. 31  Squirrel season closes.  Ruffed grouse seasons closes in zone A (northern zone).  Bobcat hunting and trapping season Period 2 closes.
Ivy is just over 2-years-old, an Alaskan husky/mix surrendered because her owner did not have enough time for her. Prior to her arrival, she l
Wisconsin Dells Teacher Renews National Board Certification

Michael Michalsky, an English teacher at Wisconsin Dells High School is one of nearly 4,000 teachers across the United States to renew their certificate as a National Board Certified Teacher.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, now in its 30th year, is excited to celebrate these teachers along with the nearly 20,000 teachers currently pursuing Board certification  seen as the professions mark of accomplished practice.

I couldnt be more proud of this years class of renewed NBCTs. These teachers have proven that they teach to the highest standards  and 10 years later, they have put in the work to show their commitment to their practice and to their students. Research makes clear that their students are the true beneficiaries, said Peggy Brookins, NBCT and President and CEO of the National Board.

The National Board process has definitely helped me to be a stronger and more responsive teacher within my classroom, said Michalsky.
WASHINGTON  Recovery from the Great Recession has been slow in much of Arizona, but in Indian Country the pace has been glacial.

A decade after the start of the recession, Native Americans posted poverty and unemployment numbers that were more than twice the overall state average, and per capita incomes that were less than half those of the rest of the state.

Those margins have barely budged since the recession started at the end of 2007, and in the case of income the gap has actually gotten wider.

Tribal officials and experts said they were not surprised by the numbers, which they attributed to a lack of resources, educational shortcomings and the historic, systemic problems with how tribes are treated by state and local governments.

We continue to struggle with those government policies, that I believe, were developed to control us and also to keep us at a level where we are now today, said Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye, of the long history of problems that tribes face.

There were 304,967 Native Americans in Arizona in 2016, a little more than 10 percent of a national population of 2.9 million, giving the state the third-largest Indian population in the nation, according to data from the Census Bureau.

But Native Americans in the state continue to suffer from high unemployment, according to the Census, with a 14.8 percent jobless rate in 2016 compared to a 6.5 percent rate for the overall state population in that year. Still, that was better than the peak unemployment of 23.8 percent in 2010 among the states tribes.

There are several factors (for high unemployment), one being a low educational attainment rate, said Manley Begay Jr., a professor in Northern Arizona Universitys Applied Indigenous Studies Department. The odds of being employed if youre Native American sharply go up if you get a GED, high school diploma or some kind of college degree.

He said the high unemployment rate translates into a high poverty rate among tribal members. The Native American poverty rate stood at 33.3 percent in 2016, compared to an overall state rate of 16.4 percent.

Poverty is directly related to jobs, Begay, the professor, said. If youre not able to get a job in the state of Arizona, because youre Native American and have low educational attainment rate, its not going to happen.

Per capita incomes did rise among Arizonas Native Americans, from $12,319 in 2007 to $13,878 in 2016, an increase of $1,559, according to Census Bureau estimates. But that lagged the growth of income for the overall state population, which went from $24,811 to $27,997, a gain of $3,186 over the same period.

Begaye, the Navajo president, said tribes operate with several handicaps, including having to pay state and federal taxes in addition to paying their own taxes.

Were saying to the state of Arizona, were a sovereign nation, Begaye said. Your laws dont apply on Navajo. So we dont want you imposing taxes on our people, on our nation.

Begaye said allocation of natural resources, particularly water, poses another challenge. Control over water access in Arizona is a vital issue facing tribes.

Without having access to water, theres no way we can grow our economy, said Begaye. We cant be like Phoenix, we cant be like Tucson, we cant compete with Flagstaff. We cant do that because we have no water.

Professor Begay said there is some hope  but its a long way off. At current rates of progress, he said it will take another generation for Native Americans to close the income gap with the rest of the population.

If incomes in the U.S. and in these Indian areas grow steadily at rates they each experienced from 1990 to 2010, he said, by about 2054 the per capita incomes will converge.




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A mother in Pennsylvania was horrified to find a raccoon eating her babys face.

Ashley Rodgers of Philadelphia said that the raccoon raided her apartment while she was with her other child in a bathroom.

The girls father, Samuel Black, said that it was traumatizing to see his daughters face covered in blood following the incident.

The incident unfolded on Wednesday, at around 10:00 p.m., at the familys home located in the 2000 block of North 22nd Street.

The family moved into the apartment just this week and they paid $375 for a month rent.

4-month-old Journi Black was sleeping in her bed when Rodgers took her 6-year-old son to the bathroom.

Suddenly, she heard Journi crying.

She and Samuel ran to her room, where they saw Journi on the floor with numerous scratches and bite marks on her face.

There was blood everywhere.

After a few minutes, they found a raccoon in the stairwell.

The parents chased the raccoon out of the home and called for help.

Journi was rushed to the Temple hospital and then to the St. Christopher hospital for surgery.

Journis face needed 65 stitches and 4 hours of surgery.

Neighbors said that the neighborhood has been suffering from raccoons for a long time.

On Thursday, animal control officers were seen in the neighborhood searching for raccoons.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) - Central Florida Republican Don Hahnfeldt, elected to the state House last year after a Navy career that included commanding nuclear submarines, has died, House Speaker Richard Corcoran announced Monday.

It is with deep sadness that I notify you of the passing of our friend and colleague Representative Don Hahnfeldt, Corcoran, R-Land O' Lakes, said in a memo to House members. Don lived a life of extraordinary service to his country, his state and his community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. We will pass along further details as they become available.

Hahnfeldt, who lived in The Villages retirement community, was elected to the House last year in District 33, which includes Sumter and parts of Lake and Marion counties. Hahnfeldt had opened a campaign account to run for re-election in 2018.

A 2016 campaign website said Hahnfeldt served 32 years in the Navy, commanding two nuclear submarines and serving as commander of the Pacific Fleet's Strategic Submarine Squadron. After moving to The Villages, he was elected to the Sumter County Commission in 2012, where he served until getting elected to the House.

Hahnfeldt, 73, drew praise from fellow House members after Corcoran announced his death.

Very saddened by the passing of Don Hahnfeldt, Rep. Dane Eagle, R-Cape Coral, tweeted. He lived an impressive life and was an immovable, principled force in the Florida House. Many prayers to his family. Hold your loved ones close this Christmas and everyday.

Rep. Chris Sprowls, a Palm Harbor Republican slated to become House speaker in 2020, tweeted: Our whole Florida House family is saddened by the passing of our colleague Rep. Don Hahnfeldt. Our hearts go out to his wife, his children and his grandchildren. As well as all their friends and neighbors. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Hahnfeldt's death comes little more than two weeks before the Jan. 9 start of the 2018 legislative session. He served on six legislative panels, including serving as vice-chairman of the House Local, Federal & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee.

Last week, Hahnfeldt and Rep. Lori Berman, D-Lantana, filed a bill (HB 1029) that would raise the legal age for smoking from 18 to 21. In a news release issued with Berman and Senate sponsor David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, Hahnfeldt said raising the legal age will save a projected early loss of life of 270,000 young lives and $8.6 billion in health care costs, as well as $8.3 billion in productivity losses.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 06:59:38|Editor: Yurou

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LIMA, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski's Christmas Eve pardon of ex-president Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000) has sparked protests, and legal and medical controversy in Peru.

Many Peruvians are angry that Fujimori, 79 and ailing, was pardoned on humanitarian grounds, despite the gravity of his crimes: he was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2009 for ordering the massacre of 25 people, among other human rights violations.

The announcement led both supporters and detractors of Fujimori to hit the streets. Sympathizers gathered outside the clinic in Lima where the former head of state is being treated for what appear to be non-life threatening ailments.

Protesters concentrated in several key plazas to denounce the pardon clashed with police, who lobbed tear gas to break up the crowds.

Legal and medical experts spoke with media about the implications of the move.

Carlos Rivera, a lawyer with the Legal Defense Institute (IDL), told reporters Sunday night he expects the questionable pardon to be contested both at home and abroad.

"They have disavowed the rulings of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR), which assert Fujimori committed human rights violations," said Rivera.

However on Monday, in an interview with Radio Programas del Peru (RPP) news network, lawyer Mario Amoretti indicated the pardon was viable.

While a pardon would not apply in cases of crimes against humanity, he said, Peru's Constitutional Court convicted Fujimori of "qualified homicide and aggravated kidnapping, but not (crimes) against humanity."

Dr. Elmer Huerta, a cancer specialist, told RPP "the pardon is groundless" in his opinion.

"His ailments are not life threatening. None of them can take his life at this time," said Huerta, describing the measure as more of a "political pardon" than a humanitarian one.

The pardon cites that Fujimori has been diagnosed with arrhythmia (irregular or rapid heart rate) with "a moderate risk" of thromboembolism, hypertension, depression and other afflictions.

Meanwhile, several lawmakers said the pardon points to a pact between Kuczynski and political factions led by Keiko Fujimori, a daughter of the ex-president and head of the opposition Popular Force (FP) party.

The FP strongly backed a motion in congress to impeach Kuczynski for corruption. Last week, the president survived the vote.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 07:29:45|Editor: Yang Yi

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Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong (2nd L rear) speaks during a State Council inter-ministerial joint meeting on national fitness in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 08:44:51|Editor: liuxin

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KUWAIT, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Oman beat hosts Kuwait 1-0 in the Gulf Cup of Nations on Monday as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia played a goalless draw.

Both matches in Group A were played at the Jaber International Stadium in Kuwait City.

Ahmad Al Mahaijri converted a penalty kick in the 58th minute to hand Oman their first win of the competition and ensure that Kuwait could not qualify for the semi-finals.

In the 67th minute, Kuwait's Faial Al Harbi almost equalized but his header off a free-kick was inches over the crossbar.

The result keeps the hopes alive of Oman, beaten 1-0 by the UAE in their opening match last Friday of reaching the last four.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia, who had beaten Kuwait 2-1 in their first match, were unable to find the net despite a number of chances in the second half.

The last round of games in Group A will be played on Thursday, with Kuwait taking on the UAE and Saudi Arabia facing Oman.

Group B leaders and defending champions Qatar are due to take second-placed Iraq Tuesday. In the other match, bottom-placed Bahrain will meet Yemen.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 09:19:55|Editor: Jiaxin

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NEW DELHI, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government completed three years of being in power in 2017. Yet, as the year draws to an end, a look back at its political battles suggests that this has been the year of "Brand Modi" in politics.

The Modi wave that began with Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) emphatic win in the 2014 general elections showed no signs of letting up as the party added some major states to its kitty despite stiff challenges.

In all the state elections that the BJP fought in this year, Modi remained its star face, a masterstroke, underlining the mass appeal that the leader has attained in the last few years.

This is the reason the saffron party has won nine of the 17 state elections that have been held after 2014, the most recent being the victories in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.

Take the case of Uttar Pradesh, India's largest state. The elections in the northern state early this year was considered a test of Modi's sudden demonetization drive which had been put into effect on November 8, 2016, a couple of months before the assembly polls.

While each state election is important, the result in Uttar Pradesh was especially significant as the state accounts for 80 seats in Lok Sabha (the lower house of the parliament), 31 seats in Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the parliament) and has a crucial stake in determining the outcome of the presidential elections.

Modi's government had come under severe criticism for its demonetization agenda, which the opposition parties, led by the Congress, banked heavily upon to rout out the BJP. However, people voted emphatically for the saffron party, giving it 312 seats. Regional parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party were completely thrown out and caste equations were sent for a toss.

"The Uttar Pradesh victory was almost snatched from the mouths of the regional parties, which played a crucial role in the state in the past. From minority issue to that of the caste, the BJP could manage to make everything look small in front of the stellar aura of Prime Minister Modi," said Prof. Ajay Sharma, a Delhi-based political analyst with Delhi University.

"The party did not even project a chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh as it banked only upon the star power of Modi for the win. It was an unprecedented, rapturous response which showed that Modi believes in leading from the front," he added.

While every election has a strategy and a cadre of members working round the clock, the leadership of Modi has become the most obvious first pillar of the victory edifice of the BJP, even though saffron outfit's chief Amit Shah plays a key organizational role in the party, said some observers.

"Shah can be safely credited with reviving the party's organizational base, reaching out to the lowest rung of the party's rank and file and thus energizing the entire party machine. It is also under his vision that more than 18 million primary members were recruited in Uttar Pradesh alone. But it is Modi's charisma and popularity that has been the catalyzing factor for the BJP's overall success," said C.P. Agarwal, who teaches political science in Delhi University.

Why the prime minister has become the most potent weapon in the BJP's armory is also due to his image of being a headstrong taskmaster, the one who never shies away from making decisive decisions in the national interest.

"It was expected that the sudden scrapping of higher denomination currency notes and the introduction of goods and services tax (GST), better known as one nation tax policy, and his whole fight against black money and corruption would go strongly against him and the party in various state polls," said Manoj Singh, another political analyst.

"Instead, he kept making these strong decisions and supplemented them with various pro-poor and pro-people policies These have had a lasting impact on people and benefitted citizens at the grassroots. For all decisions that were expected to backfire, they have only yielded Modi pots of gold," he added.

Such has been the formidable impact of Modi, that state after state started to fall under the saffron wave. The hilly state of Uttarakhand, for instance, had never given any party a consecutive term in the government in its 16 years of existence. But Modi secured a win there.

Similarly, northeastern India, which has traditionally been the stronghold of regional parties, have also started to see saffron. "In 2015, BJP made its first foray into the northeast, which has been a traditional Congress stronghold, and registered an emphatic victory in Assam. The saffron party won 86 out of 122 seats," Prof. Sharma said.

Modi's recent blistering campaigns in his home state of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in the north have given the BJP reasons to usher in the end of the year on a celebratory note.

"BJP fought many challenges in Gujarat. The Modi wave seemed to be dying down as Rahul Gandhi took charge of the main opposition Congress. Also anti-incumbency in the state appeared to be making it a tough ride for the BJP who seemed to be giving these polls their all. It is only Modi's overriding charisma that has helped the BJP retain Gujarat and also given it Himachal Pradesh," said Agarwal.

But political analysts said the results were also a clear message to both Modi and Shah.

"GST, demonetization and rural distress are issues that the BJP will now have to address proactively. The sharp divide in the rural-urban vote in Gujarat was also a clear marker of this," said Ravi Burman, a political scientist based in Delhi.

While the new Congress president Rahul Gandhi has started his tenure with two losses, the BJP also needs to take a reality check and make humbler political approaches.

Its loss in the national capital and Punjab state, followed by the popularity that the Nehru-Gandhi scion is now enjoying, might make it more than a one-horse race in the 2019 general election.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 09:29:57|Editor: Yang Yi

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DHAKA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese consortium has been constructing Bangladesh's first eco-friendly power plant with ultra modern clean coal technology at Payra in Patuakhali district, some 204 km south of capital Dhaka, near a maritime port.

In March last year, Bangladesh signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with the consortium of two Chinese firms for the installation of some 1.56 billion U.S. dollars coal-fired power plant.

Officials of the consortium of the Chinese firms -- China Energy Engineering Group Northeast No. 1 Electric Power Construction Co., Ltd. (NPEC) and China National Energy Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. (CECC )-- and the Bangladesh-China Power Company Limited (BCPCL), a joint venture of China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) and Bangladesh's North-West Power Generation Company Limited (NWPGCL), had then signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

The 1320 MW Thermal Power Plant Project (1st phase will be eco-friendly with clean coal technology and have two units which are expected to be commissioned in April and October, 2019 respectively.

Bangladeshi State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has recently visited the plant construction site and expressed his deep satisfaction with the progress of the work.

"We're building this power plant with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina government's own finance, Chinese government's finance and Chinese Exim Bank financing. We are satisfied with the progress of the project so far achieved," he said.

"You can see the quality of work. They are building a super-critical coal fired power plant here. So far 31 percent work has been done."

Hamid said Chinese companies have finished the their tasks so far before scheduled times. Quality of work is good, he added.

"We do believe that we will get a cost effective power plant here," he said and added this power plant will be the best one among other power plants so far built in Bangladesh.

The consortium of the Chinese firms is assigned for the plant's engineering, procurement and construction while BCPCL is its executing agency.

The project will cost an estimated 1.56 billion U S. dollars.

The plant which is to be built on a 397-hectare land is a part of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina government's plan to set up a series of coal-fired power projects to generate 40,000 MW electricity by 2030. Officials say the consortium has a schematic plan for implementing another mega project of the same capacity and technology, 100 MW solar and 50 MW wind power plant projects at the same location.

It intends achieving excellence in power generation and power growth of Bangladesh.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 10:55:13|Editor: Jiaxin

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BUENOS AIRES, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Bad weather is hampering the search for an Argentine submarine that disappeared in the South Atlantic on Nov. 15 with a crew of 44 on board, the Argentine Navy said Monday.

Due to the poor weather in the area of operation, the navy ship undertaking the search with a Russian remotely operated underwater vehicle was unable to investigate an object detected yesterday at 814 meters below the sea level, the navy said, adding that the work would resume when the weather improved.

The submarine is believed to have sunk after an unspecified explosion.

The multinational rescue effort involves ships and teams from the United States and Russia, as well as experts from other countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 11:00:13|Editor: Jiaxin

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MEXICO CITY, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Despite their public differences over trade and immigration, Mexico strengthened its ties with the United States in 2017, the Mexican Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

At the start of the year, President Enrique Pena Nieto formulated 10 goals and five principles to guide his country's relationship with the new U.S. government under President Donald Trump.

The goals included getting a commitment from Washington to respect the legal rights of Mexican citizens and ensuring the free flow of remittances from the U.S. that is a pillar of Mexico's economy.

The principles range from holding comprehensive negotiations that also covered security, terrorism, migration and drug trafficking, as well as North American integration, involving Mexico, Canada and the U.S.

The ministry said Mexico strengthened political dialogue with U.S. authorities at the highest level. Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray visited the U.S. over 20 times this year to meet with White House and other officials.

Ties between the two countries strained ahead of Trump assuming office in January, thanks to his campaign promise to stem illegal immigration from Mexico by building a wall along their shared border.

A number of prototypes of the wall have reportedly been built and are being tested.

Trump's campaign pledge to also bring industries and jobs back to the United States affected bilateral ties, as well as his insistence that the North American Free Trade Agreement between the two countries and Canada be renegotiated to minimize what he perceived as Mexico's unfair trade advantage.

Nevertheless, the ministry stressed that the two countries have deepened cooperation in several areas, mainly in border security and development.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 11:40:20|Editor: Liu

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Former U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn leaves the federal court following his plea hearing in Washington D.C., the United States, on Dec. 1, 2017. Former U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn on Friday pleaded guilty to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding his improper contacts with Russia. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Despite the personal chemistry between Russian and U.S. presidents and their pledges to revive bilateral ties, the Russia-U.S. relations have hardly advanced in 2017 thanks to the ongoing probe of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, in combination with other factors.

According to experts, the so-called "Russiagate" probe, believed to be the top issue weighing on Moscow-Washington interactions in 2017, will continue to overshadow bilateral ties in the coming year.

ESCALATION OF TENSIONS

Investigations started in June 2016 after accusations piled up against Russia over its "influence campaign" and alleged mail hacking aiming to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

The campaign team of U.S. President Donald Trump was arraigned on its suspected link with Russia for the final win in the election. Trump's inner sanctum members like his eldest son and son-in-law were also interviewed as part of congressional probes.

It seemed the turning point came after former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Robert Mueller's appointment in May as special counsel to oversee the investigation into Russian election interference and related matters.

In October, Mueller's office charged Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort, Manafort's deputy Rick Gates, and campaign adviser George Papadopoulos with lying to the FBI. While Manafort and Gates pleaded innocent, Papadopoulos admitted the charges.

On Dec. 1, former U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI regarding improper contacts with Russian officials, becoming the first member of the Trump-led administration to be found guilty in the ongoing probe into alleged collusion between Trump's campaign team and Russia.

"Mueller's investigation has certainly unsettled the White House as he has been able to bring charges against several key players - including Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn," said Dan Mahaffee, senior vice president and director of policy at the Center for the Study of Congress and the Presidency, a Washington-based think-tank.

"The White House has cooperated with the investigation, yet at the same time President Trump and many in conservative media have sought to delegitimize the investigation. Any action against Mueller would likely trigger a major constitutional and political crisis, so it will be something to continue to watch closely in 2018," Mahaffee told Xinhua.

The so-called Russian intervention in U.S. politics also led to the two countries' mutual expulsion of diplomats and banning media organizations.

MOUNTING DISTRUST

"U.S.-Russia ties remain strained as there has been no reckoning on the issue of Russian interference in the U.S. election as the President (Trump) remains convinced that discussions of Russian influence are insulting to his own election victory," said Mahaffee.

"Congress, as well as many in the Trump administration, remain rightly concerned about the Russian threat to the United States and its key allies," Mahaffee added.

Besides the Russia probe, experts from both countries suggested the Russian-U.S. relations basically suffer as their interests are irreconcilable.

The disagreements between the two countries are "intractable," said a report published in November gathering views of scholars from the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC).

They also thought Russia and the United States are not likely to emerge as close partners, as the two perceive threats in each other's policies and actions.

According to Andrei Suzdaltsev, a Russian expert, Moscow now practically has no "freedom of maneuver" regarding diplomatic interaction with Washington, which offered preconditions that "are certainly unacceptable for Russia, like abandoning Crimea."

"The U.S. is still demonstrating such, I would say, 'indulgently colonial' approach, which leaves us without a possibility to maneuver," said Suzdaltsev, deputy dean of the Faculty of World Economy and Politics of Russia's Higher School of Economics Research University.

He expressed concern about the fact that almost all communications between the two countries were blocked, except for some "situational contacts." There is also no mutual trust for dialogues to restart, Suzdaltsev added.

DIM PROSPECTS

The U.S.-Russian relations are also believed to be affected by shifting global power dynamics in a broader context.

Besides the four-year-old Ukraine crisis, disagreements over the Syrian crisis and the anti-terrorism war played vital parts in the bitter feud.

Although the Russian intervention in Syria and regional anti-terrorism war saw a gradual drawdown in 2017, Moscow kept two military bases in Syria, the Hmeymim airbase and the Tartus naval base, which, according to Russian Defense Ministry, will guarantee Syria's future stability.

Russia's investment in Syria paid off in the Middle East, right at a time when the United States chose to change its strategy in the region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a whirlwind tour to the Middle East at the beginning of December, amid Muslim nations' rage over Trump's unilateral decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The Trump Administration has made a series of decisions which have made it more unpopular in the world's probably most vulnerable region, and which have left a great deal of uncertainty in its relations with Russia.

Considering the strategic importance of and abundant energy resources in the Middle East, as well as the urgency to prevent terrorism spillover, many worry the outlook for U.S.-Russian ties could be bleaker as the two disagree on vital issues in the region.

Mahaffee pointed out that the U.S. Congress is unconvinced that a rapprochement with Russia could solve global and regional issues related to Ukraine or Syria, as well as Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The two world powers are "stretching and testing the limits of what is possible in the world," said the CSIS-RIAC report published in November.

(Xinhua correspondents Zhu Dongyang, Liu Chen and Sun Ding in Washington, and Liao Bingqing in Moscow also contributed to this story.)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 13:05:30|Editor: ZD

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SEOUL, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Tuesday that the agreement with Japan in December 2015 lacked communications with South Korean victims who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army during World War II.

Kang told a meeting with local media reporters that the conclusion was reached that there was a significant shortage in communications with the victims in reaching the agreement, referring to the so-called "final and irreversible" deal over "the comfort women" victims announced on Dec. 28, 2015 by South Korea and Japan.

The agreement was reached under the previous South Korean government, but the South Korean victims protested against it as it lacked the Japanese government's acknowledgement of its legal responsibility and its sincere apology for the wartime atrocity.

The victims also complained about lack of communications in advance before reaching the agreement.

Under the agreement, Japan agreed to provide 1 billion yen (9 million U.S. dollars) for a foundation supporting the South Korean victims in return for Seoul's final and irreversible agreement over "the comfort women" issue.

"The comfort women" is a euphemism for the victims who were coerced into sex servitude for Japan's military brothels during the Pacific War. Historians say up to 200,000 girls and young women were sold, kidnapped or captured to be sexually exploited.

The new government under President Moon Jae-in, who took office in May, said the agreement was not emotionally acceptable to the ordinary people as well as the victims in South Korea, launching a foreign ministry task force to review the whole procedure.

The review result was scheduled to be announced by Seoul's foreign ministry Wednesday.

Kang said 70 percent of South Korean people did not accept the 2015 agreement, which also dissatisfied the victims, noting that all options would be open about how to deal with the agreement by communicating with the victims and civic groups having supported the victims for a long time.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 13:10:31|Editor: Yurou

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People look at a house in village Samboora of Pulwama district of Srinagar city, 28 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, Dec. 26, 2017. Top commander of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militant outfit was killed in an overnight gunfight with a joint party of police and army here. (Xinhua/Javed Dar)

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A top militant commander was killed Tuesday in a fierce gunfight in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.

The gunfight broke out in village Samboora of Pulwama district, 28 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Top commander of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militant outfit was killed in an overnight gunfight with a joint party of police and army here," a senior police official posted in Pulwama said.

"The militant's body has been recovered and he has been identified as Noor Mohammad Tantray, a divisional commander of the outfit."

According to police, the operation began on specific intelligence information about the presence of two militants in the village.

Reports said joint contingents of government forces surrounded the area, following which the gunfight was triggered and which continued for several hours.

The house where the militants were believed to have taken refuge has been damaged in the stand-off.

Police Chief Shesh Paul Vaid told media that the militant commander was planning a major attack on an army convoy on Srinagar-Jammu highway.

"Gunfight is going on since last evening. There was an input about presence of two to three militants near highway planning to attack convoy. One body of militant recovered so far and search for others is going on," Vaid said.

Local media reports said a policeman was wounded in the gunfight.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 13:10:32|Editor: Yang Yi

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MANILA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Philippine troops have killed at least 10 extremist rebels in airstrikes in southern Philippines' Maguindanao province, the military said on Tuesday.

The troops launched the airstrikes around 10:00 p.m. local time on Monday after an undetermined number of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) attacked an army post in Maitumaig village in Datu Unsay town, the military said.

Two gunship helicopters were sent to the area and bombed the rebel positions for four hours until 2:00 a.m. Tuesday, the military said.

Several rebels were also injured in the military offensive, the military said.

The military said a clearing operation is now underway after successfully repelling the rebels.

The fresh attack took place while Mindanao is under the martial rule. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has imposed the martial law in entire Mindanao to totally crush antigovernment rebels in the region.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 13:40:39|Editor: Yang Yi

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GUIYANG, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Guizhou Province plans to build a data processing laboratory for China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), the world's largest single-dish radio telescope, local authorities said Tuesday.

The project will be co-launched by Guizhou Normal University and the National Astronomical Observatories.

"The tremendous amounts of data produced by FAST must be processed as information that scientists can understand," said Zhi Qijun, head of the university's school of physics and electronic science, and leader of the data processing lab project. "The lab's task is to process and analyze the data and conduct in-depth research."

Construction of the lab will last three years. It will recruit scientists and develop astronomical data processing and analysis software after it is built.

Located in a naturally deep and round karst depression in Guizhou, southwest China, FAST is believed to be the world's most sensitive radio telescope.

Its key tasks include observation of pulsars as well as exploration of interstellar molecules and interstellar communication signals.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 13:45:40|Editor: Yang Yi

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by Peter Mertz

DENVER, the United States, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Heightened security from coast to coast paved the way for a relatively calm and peaceful Christmas in the United States, as families gathered to pray, exchange gifts and celebrate family traditions.

Law enforcement authorities had stopped at least two mass killing attempts before the holiday season started.

On the West Coast last week, the FBI foiled a plot targeting downtown San Francisco's popular tourist destination Pier 39, that could have killed hundreds of Christmas revelers.

The FBI arrested Everett Jameson, a tow truck driver-turned Islamic State follower alleged to have been plotting the attack, in nearby Modesto, California, on Dec. 19.

The 26-year-old is said to have had written a letter saying: "You've allowed Donald J Trump to give away Al Quds to the Jews," a reference to the U.S. president's controversial decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The authorities were alerted by Jameson's online support for the Oct. 31 truck attack in New York City in which eight people were killed and eight more injured by an Uzbek emigrant.

Jameson had just started working as a tow truck driver and the FBI said he may have been planning a similar attack.

In the East Coast state of Pennsylvania, police prevented another mass murder. Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty, 51, was shot and killed by police on Friday after he fired at law enforcement officers in various parts of the city.

On Sunday, the Department of Homeland Security officially called the shootings targeting police in Pennsylvanian capital Harrisburg a terrorist attack.

Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief Michael Downing said his counter-terrorism bureau was especially aware of the potential danger from attackers using trucks or other large vehicles to mow down pedestrians.

People across the country lamented having to spend the major holiday season under tight security.

"Sadly, on this day that we honor the Prince of Peace, we are less safe than ever before in our country's history," Maryland history teacher Douglas Hubscher said.

Hubscher told Xinhua that the availability of military weapons and various U.S. policies incurring the wrath of extremists across the world had made America vulnerable, especially on Christmas.

In New York City, sniffer dogs and heavily armed police officers were deployed in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Midtown Manhattan, where thousands of worshippers flocked to attend Christmas Mass on Monday.

"I was going to see the ball drop on New Year's Eve, but just to be in that crowd after what has happened in Vegas and then, what happened here in New York recently, I said I'm not going to go in that crowd," Rhonda Mack of Murrieta, California, told ABC News.

There are also voices bemoaning the increasing commercialization of the Christmas holiday.

"When we were kids, America started Black Friday and the mega-commercializing of Christmas, much to the dismay of my Catholic community," Hubscher, 58, told Xinhua.

"That was the beginning of the downfall of Christmas, and with the Trump administration, we are seeing another nail in the Christmas coffin," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 14:15:47|Editor: Jiaxin

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HO CHI MINH CITY, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Over 4,000 visitors, including nearly 2,200 foreigners have been stranded on Phu Quoc, Vietnam's biggest island, in southern Kien Giang province as flights and ships were canceled to avoid Typhoon Tembin, Central Vietnam Television (VTV) reported on Tuesday.

The typhoon has weakened into a tropical depression, said the report.

Tembin has caused heavy rain in some southern provinces, including Kien Giang, Ca Mau and Bac Lieu. Earlier, anticipating it would land in the provinces, local authorities have organized evacuation of nearly 1 million people, and temporarily closed schools on Monday and Tuesday.

Vietnam's southern region rarely faces typhoons, but when it does, big losses are reported. Typhoon Linda hit the region in 1997, killing or leaving 3,000 people missing.

Damrey, the strongest typhoon hitting Vietnam in more than a decade, and subsequent floods in November, killed or left 123 people in the country's central region missing, injured hundreds of others, and caused losses of some 1 billion U.S. dollars.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 14:30:48|Editor: Jiaxin

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KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Hengyuan Refining Company, is set to ride on the wave of global oil prices recovery as it has returned to the black on improved refining margin.

A stable margin between crude oil price and products price remains a key factor for Hengyuan Refining to be profitable, Hengyuan Refining chairman Wang Youde told Xinhua.

The company has also taken several measures to mitigate the downside risks by hedging its commodities and foreign exchange rate, according to him.

Wang, who is also the chairman and general manager of Hengyuan Refining's parent company Shangdong Hengyuan Petrochemical, believed the parent company's experience in technological upgrades and oil market fluctuations management have had some positive impacts on Hengyuan Refining in upgrading products and risks management.

However, to him, international oil price volatility is complex as it is subject to the risks of geopolitics and the supply-demand relationship.

"We will continue to adjust Hengyuan Refining business strategy based on market fluctuations and consolidations, in order to maximize benefits of its existing resources," Wang said.

Formerly known as Shell Refining Company (Federation of Malaya) Bhd, Hengyuan Refining has returned to profit in the third quarter ended September 2017, posting a net profit of 361.78 million ringgit (88.69 million U.S. dollars), compared with the net loss of 80.86 million ringgit in the previous year on improved gross profit margins and foreign currency exchange gains.

Another catalyst to the company is the inclusion of MSCI Global Small Cap Indexes, and FTSE Bursa Malaysia Mid 70 Index last month. Over the past 12 months, the stock has surged more than seven times to 15.06 ringgit (as of noon time on Tuesday) from 2.06 ringgit after the emergence of new shareholder Shangdong Hengyuan Petrochemical.

To recall, Shangdong Hengyuan Petrochemical acquired 51 percent stake of Hengyuan Refining from Royal Dutch Shell's subsidiary Shell Overseas Holdings Ltd for 66.3 million U.S. dollars last year.

The acquisition, which was triggered by Shandong Hengyuan Petrochemical's "going global" strategy, aimed to achieve wider development with new growth opportunity outside China.

Fund managers and analysts attribute the share price rally to retail investors' positive sentiment on the group's improving business outlook and refinery margin amid improving oil prices.

"Refinery margin has been improving globally. Hengyuan Refining is a pure refinery, it will also benefit," UOB Kayhian's analyst Kong Ho Meng told Xinhua.

Areca Capital's chief executive Danny Wong Teck Meng also told Xinhua, there are only few refinery stocks in Malaysia, investors may see this an opportunity for Hengyuan.

Both opined that the oil and gas industry had a good year after oil prices rebounded.

Going forward, Wang said, Hengyuan Refining will focus on consolidating its technology-leading position in Malaysia, preparing the refinery for Euro 4M and continuing to improve its operational efficiency.

The Euro 4M Project, which is in progress, aims to supply Malaysia with motorcar gasoline (mogas) of Euro 4 specifications to replace Euro 2 currently in use. It has also been designed to comply with Euro 5 specification.

"We are working with suppliers to expedite the delivery of long lead items and taking measures to mitigate the risk of further delay," he said.

The Euro4M Mogas plant that incurred a total investment of 135 million U.S. dollars was initially planned to complete by the second half of 2018. Upon completion, this upgrade will allow the group's Port Dickson refinery to produce up to 1.15 million tons of gasoline per annum.

Meanwhile, Hengyuan Refining will actively seek commercial opportunities to open up other markets in South East area apart from supplying to its local partner Shell.

With new and alternative energy emerging and in order to build a base for Hengyuan Refining's potential expansion in the downstream business, we will also keep an eye on market development," he added.

"It seems that investors' confidence over Hengyuan Refining has increased. We will continue our commitment to improve profitability and create higher returns for investors," Wang said.

The challenge for him now, however, is the integration of the Shell culture and that of Hengyuan. "To optimize, we have to extract and combine the two cultures and create a unique and competitive corporate culture of Hengyuan Refining," said Wang.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 14:50:53|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- China opposes terrorism in all forms and is committed to settling disputes through dialogue, the top Chinese legislator has said.

Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's national legislature, sent a congratulatory message Sunday to the First Joint Meeting of the Speakers of Pakistan, China, Russia, Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey held on Dec. 23-26 in Islamabad.

With the world undergoing major development, transformation and adjustment, peace and development remain the call of the day, Zhang said in his message.

However, the world also faces growing uncertainties, destabilizing factors and lackluster global economic growth. While regional hotspot issues are flaring up, there are non-traditional security threats as well, like terrorism, he added.

"No country can address alone the various challenges confronting mankind, and the only right option is to stick together in times of difficulty," Zhang said.

China, he stressed, is committed to settling disputes through dialogue and resolving differences through discussion. It seeks to address traditional and non-traditional security threats in a coordinated manner, and opposes terrorism in all its forms.

China is seeking to build a new platform for international cooperation and inject new dynamism for common development with the Belt and Road Initiative, he added.

Proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, the initiative aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting countries along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes. It comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road.

Zhang also said that at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October, Xi had underscored that China will continue its efforts to safeguard world peace, contribute to global development and uphold international order.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 15:05:55|Editor: Yurou

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SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- A police officer of California Highway Patrol (CHP) was killed when an "errant driver" drifted off the road from Interstate 880 highway and slammed into the patrol vehicle parked nearby, the CHP said Monday.

The 33-year-old CHP officer, Andrew Camilleri, lost his life when he was about to go home for a Christmas reunion with his wife and children just hours from getting off duty, the CHP said.

His partner, Jonathan Velasquez, was also injured in the car crash and received treatment at a hospital for lacerations.

The CHP said the patrol car of the two police officers was struck in the right rear by the impaired driver in the North Bay Area north of San Francisco on the U.S. west coast.

"Today is not a holiday for the Highway Patrol. Today is about a tragic loss of one of our own, one by the name of Andrew Camilleri, who we will consider a hero now and forever," CHP Assistant Chief Ernest Sanchez said at a news conference Monday.

The driver, a 22 year-old man who caused the fatality, also suffered serious injuries and was suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, said the police.

California police have beefed up security and patrol on highway during the Christmas period, a few days after local media reported last Friday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had foiled an attempt to blow up Pier 39, a shopping center and tourist attraction in San Francisco.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 15:10:56|Editor: Yurou

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NEW DELHI, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's sixth consecutive government, headed by 61-year-old Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, was sworn in on Tuesday in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat.

BJP won the recently held assembly elections in the western state where Modi had been the chief minister from 2001 till 2014 when he became the prime minister after the party swept to power in the general elections decimating the Congress party.

Rupani and some one-and-a-half dozen other ministers were administered the oath of office by Gujarat Governor O.P. Kohli at a grand ceremony in state capital Gandhinagar, attended by Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP chief Amit Shah and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states.

This is Rupani's second stint as Chief Minister of Gujarat. Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel was also sworn in for the second time. Patel's continuance as Rupani's deputy indicates that the influential Patidar community will be well represented in the new Gujarat government.

Earlier this morning, Modi's convoy made its way from the Ahmedabad airport, where he flew in from the national capital, to an open ground near the state secretariat where the oath ceremony took place.

Modi's BJP bagged 99 seats in the 182-member Gujarat assembly, barely seven more than the majority mark needed to form a government and 16 less than it had won last time. The country's and the state's main opposition Congress party did quite well, securing nearly 80 seats.

Winning Gujarat for the sixth time in a row was crucial for the BJP as it showed people of the state, mostly traders, gave a thumbs-up to Modi's two key economic reforms -- scrapping of higher denomination currency notes and introduction of a unified tax regime.

The general elections are due in 2019 and Gujarat gave BJP the much-needed boost it needed at the right time.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 15:15:56|Editor: Yurou

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NEW DELHI, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Three Pakistani troopers were killed and one wounded in deadly skirmishes with Indian army on the Line of Control (LoC) dividing Kashmir, officials said Tuesday.

The two sides exchanged heavy fire in Rakhchikri area of frontier Poonch district, about 185 km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Indian army has foiled an infiltration bid on LoC in Poonch and killed three Pakistani soldiers," state-run broadcaster -- All IndiaRadio (AIR) said Tuesday.

"Last evening after noticing a suspicious movement, the troops pushed back suspected infiltrators, while killed three Pakistani soldiers and injured another."

Meanwhile, Pakistan's state-run broadcaster quoting the country's military's Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Tuesday said Indian forces once again resorted to unprovoked cease-fire violation along LoC at Rakhchikri Rawlakot on their side in which three soldiers were killed and one injured.

The killings came hours after Pakistani authorities allowed wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav, an alleged Indian spy, to meet him in Islamabad.

Jadhav is languishing in Pakistani jail on charges of espionage.

Earlier on Saturday, four Indian army troopers including an officer were killed in similar skirmishes in frontier Rajouri district, adjacent to Poonch.

Reports said on Sunday also the two sides targeted each others position on LoC.

According to Indian officials, over 600 incidents of cease-fire violations were recorded along the LoC and International Border (IB) since the beginning of this year.

The skirmishes have led to killings of troops 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 the 198 km IB in Kashmir, despite an agreement in 2003 to observe a cease-fire. However, the cease-fire remains in effect.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 15:30:58|Editor: Mengjie

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(Xinhua file photo)

HONG KONG, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- As the year of 2017 is coming to an end, the Asia-Pacific has remained as the most dynamic region in the world despite a host of challenges, including security threats, a rising trend of de-globalization and an anemic economic recovery.

In 2007, the Asia-Pacific region has continued to serve as the "locomotive" of global economic growth as it is accelerating the process of regional integration and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

China, with its concept of win-win cooperation and a slew of feasible, practical solutions, has helped manage and resolve regional hotspot issues, and spurred economic development in the Asia-Pacific region.

"BALLAST" FOR REGIONAL PEACE, STABILITY

The Asia-Pacific region, which accounts for 40 percent of the world's population and 60 percent of the global GDP, is faced with severe security challenges, including the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and territorial or maritime disputes.

To realize lasting peace and stability in the region, China has taken concrete actions to help ease tension and stabilize regional situation.

China issued a white paper entitled "China's Policies on Asia-Pacific Security Cooperation" for the first time this year, outlining China's concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, which was in distinct contrast to the out-of-date security concepts of the Western world such as the Cold War mentality, zero-sum game and military force worship.

During the 16th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in June, many participants expressed the view that China's new security concepts would be very important for tackling various challenges in the Asia-Pacific region.

Tensions in the South China Sea has been eased thanks to unremitting efforts from China and related parties.

In November, Chinese and ASEAN leaders agreed to start consultations on the text of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, setting a new starting point of building a peaceful and prosperous sea together.

The Korean Peninsula has been at swords' points this year, with the nuclear test of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and multiple U.S.-South Korean joint military drills.

To calm down the nerves, China has proposed a political solution based on a suspension-for-suspension proposal and dual-track approach.

The suspension-for-suspension initiative calls for the DPRK to suspend its nuclear and missile activities and urges the United States and South Korea to suspend their large-scale war games, while the dual-track approach involves parallel efforts to move forward both denuclearization and the establishment of a peace mechanism on the Korea Peninsula. The Chinese proposal has won extensive support from the international community.

LEADING ROLE IN BUILDING COMMUNITY WITH SHARED FUTURE IN ASIA-PACIFIC

The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October reiterated promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, a concept which has won applause from the international community.

In fact, the concept of the China-ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) community of a shared future and the community of a shared future in the Asia-Pacific is becoming a reality with the commencement of such flagship infrastructure projects as the Jakarta-Bandung railway, the China-Laos railway and the Colombo Port City project.

Many countries have begun to achieve early-stage harvests from the building of a community with shared future, showing its practical and demonstration effects.

For example, the China-Myanmar crude oil and gas pipeline, a pioneer project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, has brought tangible benefits to Myanmar.

The oil pipeline has a designed annual transport capacity of 22 million tons, while the natural gas pipeline has a designed annual transport capacity of 13 billion cubic meters. The crude oil pipeline was put into operation in April 2017, and the gas pipeline went into full operation in 2013.

The China-Myanmar crude oil and gas pipeline has effectively driven the development of Myanmar's petrochemical production, raised the degree of local industrialization and electrification, promoted its socioeconomic development and created jobs for the locals.

Bernard Goonetilleke, chairman of Sri Lanka's think tank Pathfinder Foundation, said that as early as more than 2,000 years ago, Chinese thinkers dreamed of "great unity in the whole world," and now the idea of building a community of shared future for mankind is making the dream come true.

Besides, China's vision of a community with shared future charts a course for the integration of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum as APEC economies pledged to foster a shared future of a peaceful, stable, dynamic, inter-connected and prosperous Asia-Pacific community at the 25th APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in Vietnam.

BACKBONE OF REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

While Europe is faced with difficulties in economic integration due to Brexit, the Asia-Pacific region, led by China, is moving fast on economic integration, injecting strong impetus to the otherwise frustrated process of globalization.

At the regional level, China's vigorous promotion of economic integration played a backbone role. A telling example is the construction of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), a strategic initiative critical for long-term prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region.

Professor Fariborz Moshirian, director of the Institute of Global Finance at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, has said what China has done in terms of feasibility studies for free trade and its attempt to be more inclusive should be welcomed.

At the sub-regional level, China has proposed advancing the construction of an East Asia Economic Community and drawn the outline of a roadmap for achieving it.

Integration between ASEAN and China has also been making solid progress. In november, the two sides issued a joint statement on further strengthening inter-connectivity, and agreed to align the Belt and Road Initiative with the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025.

This was the first time in ASEAN's 50-year history that the regional bloc's development strategy is aligned with that of China, which is expected to unleash huge potential for economic integration between them.

As an old saying in China goes, only heart-to-heart exchanges can last long. China has embarked on a new expedition of building a community with shared future for mankind. A China with stronger development momentum and more shared interests with the world will surely contribute more to the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.

The Belt and Road Initiative, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was brought up by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, with the aim of building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road routes.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 15:56:02|Editor: Liangyu

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by Xinhua writer Liu Liwei

HOUSTON, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. energy industry revived in 2017 as oil prices kept rising steadily in the second half of the year. Experts believe growing American energy exports and China's rising energy demand will create unique opportunities for the two giant economies in 2018.

Crude oil prices rebounded from 42.06 U.S. dollars per barrel this summer to approaching 60 dollars toward the end of the year. Some major financial institutions, including the World Bank, have forecast that the prices would keep rising through 2018.

According to analysts, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)'s decision to extend production curbs in a bid to shrink bloated inventories, and reduced U.S. crude inventories contributed to the price hike.

"The larger than expected drop in U.S. crude inventories together with the shutdown of a key North Sea pipeline continue to provide crude oil price positive movement following the OPEC and its allies, including Russia, recently (agreeing) to extend production cut through the end of 2018," Linhua Guan, chairman of the Houston-based Star Energy International Corporation, said.

The latest World Bank report showed that China's economy was in a steady pattern of growth in 2017. The growth rate for the year should be around 6.8 percent.

The oil demand from China in November was 9 million barrels per day, the second highest on record.

EMERGING U.S. ROLE

U.S. President Donald Trump has promised to revive the coal industry by rolling back environmental regulations and moved to repeal the curbs on carbon emissions from power plants imposed by his predecessor Barack Obama. Some observers believe this will boost traditional fossil fuel industries.

The United States has seen a prosperous year in 2017, when its crude oil, gasoline, diesel, propane and even liquefied natural gas (LNG) were shipped abroad at a record pace. Its exports are poised to expand further, giving OPEC a headache as the group restrains its own output.

Particularly, the strong demand from Latin America for U.S. distillate fuel will continue into 2018.

The United States lifted its four-decade ban on the export of crude oil to other nations in 2015.

While U.S. crude oil exports increased in 2016, it was not until 2017 when China became a major customer, that oil exports reached a whole new level.

China's appetite for American oil was huge. In April, China bought more than Canada did for the first time. Canada was once the only regular buyer of U.S. crude oil.

The addition of crude oil exports has both boosted the U.S. GDP and helped contribute to reducing its relative trade deficit with China.

Furthermore, U.S. LNG shipments are just warming up. The U.S. export terminal in the Gulf of Mexico saw a new high this year after its capacity was expanded. Mexico's demand for natural gas led all other countries in 2017, followed by South Korea and China. American LNG is even reaching the Middle East, typically a top supplier of the fuel.

INTERDEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP

There is great potential for the United States and China's cooperation in the energy field, John Hofmeister, a member of the U.S. Energy Security Council, said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Hofmeister, former president of Shell Oil Company, believes that business is never one-way. "The U.S. and China need each other to prosper," he said.

The United States has abundant oil and gas resources, which China is short of, and the fast growth of the Chinese economy needs energy. That offers a good business opportunity for the U.S. energy sector, Hofmeister said.

"China is a wonderful market for North American natural gas," he said, adding that this spells opportunities to develop partnerships and business models that will work for both countries.

The bilateral energy cooperation is growing. During Trump's first state visit to China in November, Chinese and U.S. companies signed deals worth over 250 billion dollars, including energy pacts.

The size and scale of both economies require collaboration and partnership, which can benefit both and the global economy as a whole, Hofmeister said.

IMPLICATIONS OF U.S. ENERGY POLICY

Hofmeister said there is an obvious change in the energy policy of the current administration. Obama narrowed down American policy, focusing on alternative energy and renewable energy.

"I don't think Trump is excluding solar and wind in his policies, but he's putting oil and gas and coal back on the platform," he said. "It's a win-win for the world and society as a whole to approach energy in the fullest possible way."

Jon Taylor, professor of Political Science Department at Houston's University of St. Thomas, said Republicans have always pushed the idea of energy independence.

"The U.S. wants to not be reliant as it was 20, 30 or 50 years ago on Middle Eastern sources, arguing that those are unstable sources, and having American sources generate jobs in the U.S.," he said in a recent interview with Xinhua. "Reducing the cost of energy helps improve the economy."

Taylor said if the United States has to have foreign sources for energy, particularly for oil, "they're going to do whatever they can to protect those sources, which means the possibility -- as was the case 20, 30 and especially 40 years ago -- of oil specifically driving American foreign policy, particularly military policy."

As the U.S. foreign policy changes, Taylor thinks sustainable cooperation is the key to U.S.-China economic relations.

"There are a whole host of areas where we can have economic cooperation," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 16:26:09|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers have called for victims to play a greater role in a pilot program of plea bargaining in criminal cases.

Though China has included victims as a major party in its criminal litigation system, such as with victim-offender reconciliation, the plea bargaining pilot program failed to do so, according to Mo Wenxiu, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, during a panel discussion on a report about the pilot program's progress.

The report was submitted for deliberation to the top legislature's ongoing bimonthly session, which ends Wednesday.

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' indictments and sentencing proposals, and sign affidavits, will be given mitigated punishments.

Defendants who face jail terms of three years or lower fall under the pilot program.

"The right of the victims could be better safeguarded by ensuring their right of participation during the process, which will let them vent their anger, and will in turn help promote litigation harmony," Mo said.

The report quoted figures from a third-party survey saying that over 97 percent of lawyers and over 94 percent of defendants are satisfied with the pilot program. However, no rate for victims was provided, according to Shen Yueyue, vice chairwoman of the committee, at the same session.

"The law should be fair to both parties. Only when the satisfaction rate of both parties was provided, could the general public be reassured," she said.

The pilot program over the past year has improved litigation efficiency, cut social costs and alleviated judicial burdens, said the committee member Bai Zhijian at the session.

Bai suggested improving regulations to explore the use of the pilot system for juvenile offenders.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 16:26:09|Editor: Yurou

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Security forces carry out a raid on IS-linked suspects planning New Year attacks in Adana, Turkey, on Dec. 26, 2017. Turkish security forces on Tuesday arrested 12 people with suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) during anti-terror operations in the southern province of Adana. (Xinhua)

ANKARA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkish security forces on Tuesday arrested 12 people with suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) during anti-terror operations in the southern province of Adana.

The anti-terror police carried out simultaneous raids on several addresses in Adana, state-run Anadolu Agency reported, citing a police official.

Twelve suspects, including two Syrians, were detained during the operations.

According to Daily Sabah, the suspects were planning to carry out lone-wolf attacks during New Year's celebration using vehicles and knives.

Turkey has suffered several bloody attacks since 2015, including a New Year attack this year on an elite Istanbul nightclub during which 39 people were killed by an IS gunman.

The police have stepped up crackdown against suspected IS cells across the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 16:26:09|Editor: Liangyu

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CHANGSHA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Xie Yang, a former lawyer, has been convicted of inciting subversion of state power, but was exempted from criminal penalties, according to a verdict issued Tuesday by a court in central China's Changsha city.

Xie accepted the verdict issued by the Changsha City Intermediate People's Court and said he would not appeal.

Xie was found to have made a number of statements attacking or defaming China's current political system and inciting subversion of state power.

He also disturbed the order in court while he worked as a lawyer, according to the verdict.

The court said it has found that Xie, long influenced by anti-China forces, had gradually formed ideas about subverting China's current political system.

Since 2012, he had issued seditious statements via the Internet on multiple occasions, and by hyping "high-profile cases," had attacked the system mandated by China's constitution and incited subversion of state power and the socialist system, according to the court.

Between 2014 and March 2015, Xie, acting as an attorney in a case at the time, gathered people involved to "observe" a court hearing, during which they banged on tables and insulted the judge, the court said.

It also found that Xie had incited people to confront the government by intentionally hyping up a case of assaulting police in Qing'an county in 2015.

Also in 2015, while acting as an attorney in a civil case, Xie was assaulted by members of the opposite party. He used social networking services to accuse the local police of battery and fabricated a story that the police had organized gangs and meddled in economic disputes, smearing the local police and inciting hatred against the government.

He also traveled overseas several times to receive training organized by anti-China forces and seek links with subversive forces, both domestic and overseas, the court found.

The court said Xie's acts constitute the crime of inciting subversion of state power, and the prosecutors' indictment was based on clear facts and sufficient evidence.

Xie was also accused of disrupting court order, but the court ruled that the misconduct need not be convicted as a separate crime.

The court said the decision to exempt him from criminal penalties was made with the consideration that Xie's acts had yet to cause serious harm to society and that Xie had confessed his wrongdoings and showed repentance during the investigation and proceedings.

At the pronouncement proceedings, Xie expressed thanks to the collegiate bench personnel, prosecutors and his defense counsel, saying that his rights had been fully protected during detention and following processes.

He also expressed gratitude to the court's decision and pledged to observe the law in the future.

Over 40 people, including Xie's family, legal scholars, lawyers, journalists and members of the public, attended Tuesday's pronouncement, which was also broadcast by the court's official microblog.

Xie received interviews from domestic and overseas media after the proceeding.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 16:46:13|Editor: Liangyu

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URUMQI, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has imported 21 Akhal-Teke horses, a breed famed for its speed and endurance, from Kazakhstan.

After a two-day journey from Kazakhstan, they arrived in Jeminay border pass in Xinjiang's Altay Prefecture at the weekend and will settle down in Urumqi following a 45-day quarantine, according to Xinjiang Yema Group, which imported the horses.

Du Xuemei, deputy general manager with the company's marketing center, said that the batch included 18 adult horses and three foals.

"The workers of our company supplied them with grass and water, and dressed them to fend off the cold," Du said.

The company's Akhal-Teke horse base started importing the breed from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia from 2009. The base now is home to 120 of the horses.

The Akhal-Teke is known in China as a "blood-sweating horse," as people say it sweats a red, blood-like liquid as it gallops, signifying extreme vitality.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 17:01:15|Editor: Yamei

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PYONGYANG, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday called for vigilance against the United States' appeal for reform of the United Nations (UN), depicting it as "an arrogant act of a gangster nation."

The United States has recently called for reform of the U.N., which is said to have failed to display its full potential due to bureaucracy and improper working style.

The official daily Rodong Sinmun said in a commentary that the United States, as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, is committing high-handed arbitrary practices to realize its ambition for world domination.

"In disregard of the demand and interests of the U.N. member nations, the U.S. is going to abuse the issue of the U.N. reform for establishing its domination. It is, indeed, a cancer-like entity harassing world peace and security," said the newspaper.

The daily said if the United States is allowed in its moves to reshape the U.N. in its interests, "justice and truth will be undermined in the international relations and the world will inevitably turn into one in which the jungle law prevails."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 17:16:23|Editor: Yamei

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ANKARA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police have seized tens of thousands of artifacts dating back to Anatolian, Greek and Egyptian civilizations in its largest operation to combat smuggling of ancient treasures in the past week.

In the operation, dubbed "Zeus" and spanning four cities including Turkey's largest city and economic hub Istanbul, authorities seized 26,456 smuggled artifacts, arrested 13 suspects and busted an entire ring of smugglers.

Among the seized artifacts displayed on Thursday in Istanbul were a 3,000-year-old Mycenaean sword attributed to Achilles of Troy, a bust of Alexander the Great made upon the order of the ancient king during his India campaign, and a queen's crown adorned with golden leaves from the Hellenistic period.

Several fossils, as well as artifacts from Islam's early history in Anatolia, the cradle of many civilizations, were also seized.

During the major operation, police officers disguised as Arab tourists made contact with the chief of the smugglers who had a shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, local media reported.

The historic Grand Bazaar, the world's oldest covered bazaar and a major tourist venue, was a trade hub during the Ottoman Empire with its construction dating back to the middle of the 15th century.

Security forces had been monitoring the smuggling network for three months and launched the first raids on Dec. 12.

Acting on the information extracted from captured suspects, they identified more involved in the smuggling ring.

It was unclear how the gang obtained the artifacts, but security sources said the suspects were planning to smuggle them abroad. The seized artifacts will be handed over to the Istanbul Museum of Archaeology.

"The retrieved artifacts are more valuable than the inventory of an average-size museum," the Istanbul police said in a statement.

The Turkish Archeological Association told Xinhua that it took police and archeological experts days to determine the exact period and draw an inventory of the seized artifacts as "they were so many in a single operation".

Ankara has been fighting for the return of stolen pieces home and abroad. Over the past decade and a half, an increasing number of antique gold coins have been smuggled to the U.S. from Turkey, according to an investigation by the specialized news portal Live Science.

Turkey boasts about 3,000 ancient cities from 42 civilizations, and relies on its rich historical heritage to attract millions of foreigners each year.

"It is certainly a big victory of a single state against smugglers who take the riches of our country for granted. It will be an example to those who consider repeating such a crime," a source from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism told Xinhua.

"This operation is the result of enhanced vigilance and cooperation in Turkey among different state institutions such as our ministry and different branches of the police to combat illegal antiquities smuggling," he said on condition of anonymity.

In September, Turkey recovered the Roman sarcophagus of Hercules from Switzerland after it was smuggled from the ancient city of Perge in the southern Antalya Province half a century ago.

The sarcophagus, which portrays the 12 labors of Hercules, is now on display in the Antalya Museum. The cultural relic was returned to Turkey following an order by a Swiss public prosecutor in 2015.

In addition, Turkey is also fighting to prevent the smuggling of artifacts to and from Syria, its war-torn neighbor in the south.

Experts say a large number of artifacts were stolen from museums and other facilities amid the turmoil of the Syrian civil war starting six years ago, as smugglers are seeking to sell them in Syria or transfer them to other countries.

Border security and customs officials have been trained to deal with cross-border smugglings, and a list of stolen relics missing in Syria were delivered to experts, border officials and private collectors to be identified.

Unfortunately, looting or the illicit removal of artifacts from sites is still alive, especially in rural and remote areas in Turkey.

Looters and smugglers would often damage artifacts and destroy other historical evidence, experts warn.

Meanwhile, the role of education in preventing illegal archeological looting and smuggling cannot be overstated.

"We cannot emphasize enough the need to incorporate the love of and respect for archeology and ancient history in textbooks and in the official curriculum of schools," Soner Atesogullari, head of the Turkish Archeological Society, told Xinhua.

"If there is increasing awareness of preventing smuggling the country's riches and treasures to foreign countries, it could only prove beneficial for the future," he said.
Iraqi military stages parade in Mosul celebrating victory over IS.On Dec. 9, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi officially declared full liberation of Iraq from the extremist IS group after the security forces recaptured all the areas once seized by the extremist group. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)

BAGHDAD, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The hard-won victory in 2017 over the terror group Islamic State (IS) by Iraq is overshadowed by a growing conflict with the Kurds following a controversial independence referendum.

In early 2017, Iraqi forces advanced into the city of Mosul, IS' de facto capital, after grueling fighting with IS militants armed with booby-traps, snipers and suicide bombers.

On July 10, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, formally declared full liberation of Mosul, after nine months of fierce fighting.

The recapturing of Mosul was a great victory and turning point in the Iraqi anti-terrorism war, as it symbolized the collapse of IS.

After the liberation of Mosul, Iraqi forces launched several offensives to dislodge IS militants from remaining smaller redoubts in Tal Afar area near Mosul, Hawijah Pocket in southwestern Kirkuk, al-Qaim and Rawa areas near the border with Syria in the western province of Anbar.

On Dec. 9, Abadi officially declared full liberation of Iraq from IS militants, sealing a final victory in the three-year war.

"I announce to the Iraqi people and all the world that our forces have reached the last redoubts of Daesh (IS) and have raised the Iraqi flag over areas of western Anbar (province) which was the last occupied land by IS," Abadi said in a televised speech.

But there are still small groups of IS militants hiding in urban areas as sleeper cells or fled to deserts and rugged areas to seek a safe haven. They are still capable of carrying out attacks from time to time against the security forces and civilians.

INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM TURNS DISPUTE INTO CONFLICT

For years after the U.S. invasion into Iraq in 2003, the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq has been at odds with the Iraqi central government over wealth distribution and lands outside the region.

The Kurds consider the northern oil-rich province of Kirkuk and parts of Nineveh, Diyala and Salahudin provinces as the "disputed areas" which they want to be incorporated into their Kurdish region, a move fiercely opposed by the Arabs and Turkomans living there and by Baghdad.

The ethnically mixed Kirkuk province, located in the south of the Kurdish region, is rich in oil resources and has a population of estimated 1, 25 million. It has been controlled by the Peshmerga since 2014.

The dispute between Baghdad and the region escalated into conflict after the Sept. 25 referendum that approved the independence of the Kurdistan region and the disputed areas.

But the Kurds later lost the battle of Kirkuk, as the independence move is opposed by most countries, especially by Iraq's neighbors such as Turkey, Iran and Syria, which fear it will threaten their own territorial integrity, as a large population of Kurds live in those countries.

On Oct. 16, Abadi ordered government forces to enter the oil-rich Kirkuk province and took control of the city of Kirkuk, as well as key military sites and oilfields.

This undermined the Kurds' hope of creating a viable independent state, forcing Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani to show conciliatory signals, including freezing the outcome of the referendum. But Abadi said Baghdad will accept only cancelation of the controversial vote before any negotiation between the two sides could begin.

There have been catastrophic consequences for the Kurdish region after the referendum as the Kurds lost much of their gains that they got, especially after the 2003 Iraqi war launched by the U.S.

The defeat in Kirkuk put Barzani under high pressure, as many Kurds and Barzani's rival political parties held him responsible for the loss.

On Oct. 29, Barzani told the Kurdish parliament in a letter he was to step down as president of the Kurdish region from Nov. 1. Iraq's Supreme Federal Court on Nov. 20 issued a verdict, ruling the referendum as "unconstitutional."

INTERNAL RIFT SURFACES IN KURDISTAN FOLLOWING BARZANI'S RESIGNATION

Soon after Barzani's resignation, his frustrated supporters attacked and looted offices of Kurdish political parties opposed to Barzani in Duhok province, while other protesters stormed the Kurdish parliament building when it met to approve Barzani's resignation.

The political division and economic crisis led hundreds of Kurds to take to streets on Dec. 18 in several cities and towns in Sulaimaniyah province in northeastern Iraq.

The protests turned violent later as some demonstrators attacked the offices of all five Kurdish political parties, and set fire to the office of the ruling Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP), headed by Barzani.

Five people were killed and more than 100 others were wounded during violent clashes between Kurdish protesters and security forces.

On Dec. 20, two Kurdish parties, Gorran and the Islamic Group of Kurdistan (Komela), decided to withdraw from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Kurdish Parliament Speaker Yousif Mohammed, from Gorran Movement, also decided to quit after a demand by his party.

However, it is widely expected that Abadi will continue to take measures against the Kurdish region to strip it of more power.

The negotiations between Baghdad and Erbil are expected to start in the coming year to resolve the referendum crisis, as Iraq will hold national elections on May 12.

The future of the Baghdad-Erbil standoff largely depends on the new generation of Kurdish leaders after the death of the veteran Jalal Talabani and the resignation of Barzani.
A Turkish police officer points to historical artifacts after police confiscated thousands of historical artifacts in a giant operation against smugglers in Istanbul on December 21, 2017. (AFP Photo)

ANKARA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police have seized tens of thousands of artifacts dating back to Anatolian, Greek and Egyptian civilizations in its largest operation to combat smuggling of ancient treasures in the past week.

In the operation, dubbed "Zeus" and spanning four cities including Turkey's largest city and economic hub Istanbul, authorities seized 26,456 smuggled artifacts, arrested 13 suspects and busted an entire ring of smugglers.

Among the seized artifacts displayed on Thursday in Istanbul were a 3,000-year-old Mycenaean sword attributed to Achilles of Troy, a bust of Alexander the Great made upon the order of the ancient king during his India campaign, and a queen's crown adorned with golden leaves from the Hellenistic period.

Several fossils, as well as artifacts from Islam's early history in Anatolia, the cradle of many civilizations, were also seized.

During the major operation, police officers disguised as Arab tourists made contact with the chief of the smugglers who had a shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, local media reported.

The historic Grand Bazaar, the world's oldest covered bazaar and a major tourist venue, was a trade hub during the Ottoman Empire with its construction dating back to the middle of the 15th century.

Security forces had been monitoring the smuggling network for three months and launched the first raids on Dec. 12.

Acting on the information extracted from captured suspects, they identified more involved in the smuggling ring.

It was unclear how the gang obtained the artifacts, but security sources said the suspects were planning to smuggle them abroad. The seized artifacts will be handed over to the Istanbul Museum of Archaeology.

"The retrieved artifacts are more valuable than the inventory of an average-size museum," the Istanbul police said in a statement.

The Turkish Archeological Association told Xinhua that it took police and archeological experts days to determine the exact period and draw an inventory of the seized artifacts as "they were so many in a single operation".

Ankara has been fighting for the return of stolen pieces home and abroad. Over the past decade and a half, an increasing number of antique gold coins have been smuggled to the U.S. from Turkey, according to an investigation by the specialized news portal Live Science.

Turkey boasts about 3,000 ancient cities from 42 civilizations, and relies on its rich historical heritage to attract millions of foreigners each year.

"It is certainly a big victory of a single state against smugglers who take the riches of our country for granted. It will be an example to those who consider repeating such a crime," a source from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism told Xinhua.

"This operation is the result of enhanced vigilance and cooperation in Turkey among different state institutions such as our ministry and different branches of the police to combat illegal antiquities smuggling," he said on condition of anonymity.

In September, Turkey recovered the Roman sarcophagus of Hercules from Switzerland after it was smuggled from the ancient city of Perge in the southern Antalya Province half a century ago.

The sarcophagus, which portrays the 12 labors of Hercules, is now on display in the Antalya Museum. The cultural relic was returned to Turkey following an order by a Swiss public prosecutor in 2015.

In addition, Turkey is also fighting to prevent the smuggling of artifacts to and from Syria, its war-torn neighbor in the south.

Experts say a large number of artifacts were stolen from museums and other facilities amid the turmoil of the Syrian civil war starting six years ago, as smugglers are seeking to sell them in Syria or transfer them to other countries.

Border security and customs officials have been trained to deal with cross-border smugglings, and a list of stolen relics missing in Syria were delivered to experts, border officials and private collectors to be identified.

Unfortunately, looting or the illicit removal of artifacts from sites is still alive, especially in rural and remote areas in Turkey.

Looters and smugglers would often damage artifacts and destroy other historical evidence, experts warn.

Meanwhile, the role of education in preventing illegal archeological looting and smuggling cannot be overstated.

"We cannot emphasize enough the need to incorporate the love of and respect for archeology and ancient history in textbooks and in the official curriculum of schools," Soner Atesogullari, head of the Turkish Archeological Society, told Xinhua.

"If there is increasing awareness of preventing smuggling the country's riches and treasures to foreign countries, it could only prove beneficial for the future," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 17:51:28|Editor: Liangyu

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Chinese State Councilor Yang Jing (back, 4th L), who is also head of the Chinese Academy of Governance, addresses a meeting of presidents of governance academies, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 26, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- State Councilor Yang Jing Tuesday urged China's governance academies to help build high-caliber think tanks and offer better consultation to central authorities.

Governance academies at various levels are asked to strengthen Communist Party of China (CPC) leadership over their work and promote reform and innovation, said Yang, who is head of the Chinese Academy of Governance, at a meeting of presidents of governance academies Tuesday.

Yang praised the achievements of the academies since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012 while calling for more efforts to better implement the spirit of the 19th congress.

He also urged the academies to make new contributions to securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and to strive for the success of socialism with Chinese characteristics in a new era.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 18:01:30|Editor: Mengjie

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(Photo source: fmprc.gov.cn)

BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- China has urged Japan to adhere to the path of peaceful development and act prudently in security matters, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here Tuesday.

Media reported that Japan is considering refitting the Izumo helicopter carrier so that fighters can take off and land on it.

Responding to that, spokesperson Hua Chunying said Japan's moves in military security always draw the attention of its neighbors and the international community at large for historical reasons.

Japan's actions may violate Article 9 of its pacifist constitution, which provides a legal guarantee for Japan's adherence to the path of peaceful development in the postwar era, Hua said.

"We urge Japan to do more that may help enhance mutual trust and promote regional peace and stability," she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 18:06:31|Editor: Mengjie

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HOUSTON, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- United Airlines has apologized to a woman who accused the company of reassigning her first-class seat to a Texas congresswoman without her consent.

Jean-Marie Simon, a teacher from Washington D.C., wrote in a Facebook post last week that the airline gave her first-class seat, which she paid for and selected in early December, to U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee as she was about to board a home-bound flight on Dec. 18 at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

Simon wrote that a United attendant told her that her ticket was not in the system and that united.com had changed her reservation about an hour before boarding.

The attendant said another passenger had been upgraded to her seat, and they couldn't disrupt what was already done, wrote Simon.

United spokeswoman Andrea Hiller told the Daily News on Monday that the company's internal system showed Simon canceled her flight within United's mobile app and released her seat to next person on the airline's upgrade list, which happened to be Jackson Lee.

However, Simon denied she ever canceled her flight.

The spokeswoman said the airline has reached out to Simon to offer its apology and a 500-U.S. dollar travel voucher as compensation. Meanwhile, Jackson Lee defended herself in a statement that she "asked for nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary and received nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary."

In April, United Airlines sparked outrage after a passenger was dragged off an overbooked plane to make room for its own staff.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 18:06:31|Editor: Liangyu

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A press conference on the Chinese oracle bone inscriptions is held at the Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 26, 2017. Chinese oracle bone inscriptions were included on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, Chinese authorities announced Tuesday. Oracle bones are pieces of ox scapula or turtle plastron, which were used for divination during the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 B.C.). They bear the earliest significant corpus of ancient Chinese writing and contain important historical information about the Shang. Around 160,000 pieces of oracle bone have been found so far, but of the 4,300 characters inscribed on them, only 1,600 have been decoded. (Xinhua)

BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese oracle bone inscriptions have been included on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, Chinese authorities announced Tuesday.

Oracle bones are pieces of ox scapula or turtle plastron, which were used for divination during the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 B.C.). They bear the earliest significant corpus of ancient Chinese writing and contain important historical information about the Shang.

"Chinese characters have had a far-reaching impact on the world, especially for neighboring countries, and made great contributions to world civilization," said Deputy Minister of Education Du Zhanyuan, also head of the State Language Work Committee.

"The inclusion signals that the value of Chinese oracle bone inscriptions has been recognized by the world," said Du.

Oracle bones from ancient China, hieroglyphs from ancient Egypt, cuneiforms from ancient Babylon, and Mayan glyphs from Mesoamerica are among the world's most famous ancient writing systems, but oracle bones are the only ones that still survive, as they have evolved over time into current Chinese characters.

Around 160,000 pieces of oracle bone have been found so far, but of the 4,300 characters inscribed on them, only 1,600 have been decoded.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 18:06:31|Editor: Mengjie

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ABUJA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian troops are in pursuit of Boko Haram fighters after repelling an attack by the terror group near the northeastern city of Maiduguri, an official said on Tuesday.

Rogers Nicholas, the commander of the troops fighting Boko Haram in Borno State, said ground troops and the air force were in hot pursuit, interdicting the fleeing terrorists from Maiduguri, where they had attempted to infiltrate on Monday.

Nicholas said the army successfully repelled an attack on a military post in Moloi, a few kilometers from Maiduguri, with "no loss of lives to (its) own troops."

The terrorists had used an Improvised Explosive Device and gun trucks to attack the military post, trying to infiltrate Maiduguri to steal foodstuff.

The troops' commander said two vehicles were set ablaze by the Boko Haram fighters, who also torched thatched houses at the outskirts of the city in their retreat.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 18:26:34|Editor: Yurou

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TEHRAN, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Marzieh Shahdaei said foreign companies interested in developing Iran's oilfields should find an Iranian partner, local media reported Tuesday.

"We are in talks with reputable international firms (for developing oilfields), and the most important issue is that we are trying to have them pick up an Iranian partner and build many of their equipment in Iran," IRAN Daily quoted Shahdaei as saying on Monday.

Leading international oil and gas companies have submitted the outcome of their studies on the development of Azadegan oilfield in the south of the country, she said.

On Dec. 15, Iranian Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said Iran would put its largest oilfield Azadegan out to tender and strike a deal for its development by summer 2018.

Ali Kardor, the chief executive officer of Iran's state oil company NIOC, said Japan's INPEX, China's CNPC, Royal Dutch Shell and France's Total have presented their proposals on Azadegan.

Azadegan is shared with Iraq, and Iran is in a race with its neighbor to develop the reservoir. Iran's share of the field amounts to some 33 billion barrels of crude.

Dutch Shell has developed the Iraqi stretch of the reservoir, known as Majnoon oil field in the southern city of Basra. Majnoon came into production in 2014.

Iran has split Azadegan into the northern and southern sections to speed up development. The field's output is around 80,000 barrels per day (bpd).

Iraq is pumping between 220,000 and 230,000 bpd from Majnoon, nearly three times of the Azadegan output.




(a) The  Mark was devoid of any distinctive character;



(b) The  Mark was descriptive of the intended purpose of the goods claimed;



(c) The  Mark was applied for in bad faith; and



(d) The  Mark was confusingly similar to the Applicants earlier mark for , which was registered for incense products.

(i) Use of the words  in his business name,  (Translated to Bodhi Buddhism Cultural Relic Wholesale Centre in English).



(ii) Use of the sign on his shops signboard, company vehicles, name cards, letterheads, invoices, calendars and product packaging.



(iii) The marking his products and advertisements with the words , the sign and/or the device . (Examples were provided in the judgement at pages 19 and 20, see link above.)

on the Proprietors products and advertisements did not indicate a clear and consistent message to consumers as to whether they were intended to indicate the origin of the goods or to be

, decorative and/or

. For example, the device

on

was significantly smaller than other elements found on the packaging. In the face of other elements and marks found on the packaging, the evidence did not suggest that customers would rely on the device

as a secondary

for the claimed goods.

. The Registrar found that they were used to merely designate the distributor of the products and not the products themselves. Although the Proprietor stated in his oral testimony that he is referred to by his customers as , the Registrar found that this did not necessarily mean that his customers also distinguished his goods by his  Mark. This is because it is not a natural consequence that use of a companys trade name would indicate

of the  Mark on the claimed goods. As a result, no acquired distinctiveness was found.



The Registrars finding on acquired distinctiveness serves as an important reminder

the need to adopt a consistent approach in the use of its marks and decorative elements in marketing materials and product packaging. Businesses should remember that whether acquired distinctiveness is found depends on the nature of the use of the mark and the effect of such use on the average consumer.

Enlightenment (Bodhi) is known to all Buddhists as the ultimate goal in Buddhism. Bodhi is loosely defined as the moment when a Buddhist finds the truth about life and stops being reborn. According to Buddhists, the Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, reached Bodhi while meditating under a sacred fig tree. Given the fundamental significance of the term Bodhi amongst Buddhists, the Singapore Registrar of Trade Marks in In the Matter of a Trade Mark Registration in the Name of Kwek Soo Chuan and an Application for Declaration of Invalidity thereof by Eley Trading Sdn Bhd [2017] SGIPOS 15 had to decide if a trade mark registration for  (transliterated as Pu Ti, which means Bodhi in Mandarin Chinese) for Buddhist incense products in Class 3 should be invalidated and free for all traders of incense products to use. The Registrar held that the invalidation should succeed.Kwek Soo Chuan (the Proprietor) was the registered proprietor of the trade mark  in Class 3 in relation to incense; incense sticks, incense coils, incense cones, incense sprays. joss sticks, scented oils, and scented preparations (the  Mark). Eley Trading Sdn Bhd (the Applicant) applied for the  Mark to be declared invalid on the following grounds:Although the Applicant failed on grounds (b), (c) and (d) above, the Registrar found that the invalidation under (a) above was made out and that the  Mark was devoid of any distinctive character.The Applicant argued that traders in Singapore and overseas have been referring to their incense products as  or Bodhi Incense and . These products have been available in Singapore long before the date of application of the  Mark. The Applicant also submitted evidence from three other incense traders in Singapore, which included samples of  incense products sold by other third party traders. It was not disputed by parties that the burning of incense is an integral part of Buddhism and that practicing Buddhists use incense as offerings to Enlightened Ones and/or the Buddha.In light of the common use of the term  by incense traders in Singapore, the Registrar held that the plain words  were incapable of distinguishing the Proprietors goods without first educating the public that they were a trade mark. More importantly, the Registrar held that even if the words  were not commonly used among incense traders, she would nevertheless find that the term  was one which other traders might wish to use for legitimate reasons. In coming to her conclusion, she considered how the term  would be understood by the average consumers of incense products in Singapore. As the average consumers (Buddhists in Singapore) would likely understand the significance of the term  in Buddhism and the term  features frequently in Buddhist publications, the  Mark should not be monopolised by the Proprietor.Although the Applicant was successful in invalidating the  Mark under (a) above, the Proprietor would have been able to retain his registration of his  Mark if he could show that the  Mark had in fact acquired a distinctive character as a result of his use. However, after reviewing the evidence submitted by the Proprietor, the Registrar was unable to find that the  Mark had acquired distinctiveness. The Proprietor adduced the following documents in support:While it appeared that there were some attempts by the Proprietor to use his  Mark per se and not in combination with other words or elements, the Registrar held that it was not entirely clear or consistent how the Proprietor wanted to use his  Mark. The evidence of use of the words , the signage and/or the device discriptiveinspriationalpackagingtrade markFurther, most of the evidence submitted pertained to the use of his business name  , and the use of the sign useonThe decision is currently pending on appeal to the High Court of Singapore.Photo at lower left licensed by David Wilmot under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en) license.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 19:06:42|Editor: Yurou

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KHARTOUM, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Sudan and Turkey on Tuesday reiterated commitment to the security of the Red Sea area in eastern Sudan, expressing readiness to work together to ensure stability and security in the Red Sea.

Foreign ministers of Sudan and Turkey on Tuesday held a press conference in Khartoum at the conclusion of the visit of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Sudan.

"750 km of shores are Sudan's border at the Red Sea area, while 86 percent of the world oil trade pass through the area, and therefore, the security of the Red Sea is extremely important," said Sudan's Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour at the joint press conference.

"One of the agreements signed between Sudan and Turkey is on establishment of a port at the Red Sea for maintenance of civilian and military ships," he added.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that "Turkey attaches concern to the Red Sea as it is a strategic area."

"The security of Africa and Sudan is important for Turkey. We will continue to provide the necessary support for Sudan to face any security issues at this area, and we have a military base in Somalia," noted Cavusoglu.

Erdogan on Sunday arrived in the Sudanese capital Khartoum as the first stop of his tour in Africa that will also take him to Chad and Tunisia.

Erdogan's visit marked the first time that a Turkish president has ever visited Sudan since the independence of the North African nation in 1956.

During the visit, the Turkish president was accompanied a great economic delegation including more than 200 Turkish businessmen.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 19:31:47|Editor: Yurou

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JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least 17 militants of the Islamic State (IS) group were killed in drone attacks in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar, the provincial government said Tuesday.

Those among the killed were two foreign nationals affiliated with the IS group and an amount of arms and ammunition were also eliminated after NATO-led coalition forces' unmanned air-vehicles struck IS hideouts in restive Achin and Hasaka Mina districts late on Monday, it said in a statement.

No civilian was hurt during the operations, the statement added.

Afghan forces have beefed up counterinsurgency operations across the country, particularly in the troubled eastern provinces where the IS network is recruiting from locals

The IS group emerged in Nangarhar in early 2015.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 19:46:53|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- China addressed more environmental pollution cases in the first 11 months, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP).

From January to November, China investigated over 35,600 violations of environmental protection laws and regulations, up more than 102 percent year on year, according to Tian Weiyong, an official with the MEP.

Over 1 billion yuan (about 153 million U.S. dollars) in fines was handed out in 1,046 cases, where violators must pay daily fines until they address their wrongdoings, up more than 43 percent and 31 percent year on year, respectively.

Meanwhile, more than 2,500 cases were transferred to public security departments, rising by over 46 percent year on year.

Environmental authorities have ordered production suspension or production cuts in more than 7,800 cases during the same period, according to Tian.

China held more than 6,400 officials in eight provincial-level regions accountable for environmental damage after inspections by central authorities from August to September.

The inspections are part of China's campaign to fight pollution and environmental damage, as decades of growth have left the country with smog, polluted water and contaminated soil.

Tackling pollution has been listed as one of "the three tough battles" that China aims to win in the next three years, according to the Central Economic Work Conference that concluded last week.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 19:51:55|Editor: Yurou

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BANGKOK, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Thailand plans to set up rescue centers in major national parks throughout the country, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Surasak Kanchanarat on Tuesday.

The planned rescue centers will be set up in the compound of seven major national parks to provide emergency assistance and rescue missions for any visitors in trouble, either Thai or foreign, Surasak said.

He assured that the planned centers will use modern rescue equipment such as helicopters and ambulances for optimum safety of the visitors.

Those major national parks include Khao Yai national park in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, Doi Inthanon national park in the northern province of Chiang Mai and those on tourist islands in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand off the southern provinces of Krabi, Phang Nga and Surat Thani, among others.

They are largely viewed as favorite tourist destinations by many foreign visitors.

He said about 20 million people, Thai and foreign, are expected to visit all 147 national parks throughout next year, compared to about 18 million people this year.

However, such rescue centers will only be set up in seven major national parks within next year while many others will follow suit in the following years.

Those national parks are expected to collect a combined 2.4 billion baht (about 72.7 million U.S. dollars) in revenue from admission fees and other incomes in a year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 19:51:58|Editor: Yurou

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TEHRAN, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Russia are in the testing process to integrate their banking payment systems, IRAN Daily reported Tuesday.

Both sides are negotiating over a formal accord between their central banks to remove legal issues, Davood Mohammad Beigi, director of the Payment System Department of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), was quoted as saying.

"At present, Iran has the closest ties with Russia in the field of international credit cards and good measures have been taken in technical terms in recent months," Beigi said.

The two countries are expected to cooperate on magnetic cards, he said.

"They will be normal debit cards which can be used by the customers abroad," the director noted.

"With respect to the rate agreed between the customer and the bank, the (Russian) bank pays the amount in a foreign currency and will withdraw the equal amount in rials from the person's bank account," Beigi explained.

In October, it was announced that the first stage of integrating the banking payment systems of Iran and Russia would be implemented in the next three months.

"Iranian citizens who have a Shetab (Iran's national payment system) card and Russians who own Mir Business Bank cards would be able to use ATMs of both countries," said Seyyed Abu-Taleb Najafi, an official with Iran's banking affairs.

According to the official, the next phase of the plan would be to integrate Iran's payment system with international networks, which requires strong infrastructure on par with international standards.

"We are preparing the necessary infrastructural requirements for implementing the next phase of the plan by establishing a network in cooperation with Russian company BPC," he said.

By establishing these infrastructures, Iran would be ready for agreements with international payment networks and other countries' banks for integration of payment systems, Najafi said.

The process of building infrastructures for integration with international payment systems would take at least 10-12 months, he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Sochi on November 22, 2017. (AFP Photo)

TEHRAN, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Russia are in the testing process to integrate their banking payment systems, IRAN Daily reported Tuesday.

Both sides are negotiating over a formal accord between their central banks to remove legal issues, Davood Mohammad Beigi, director of the Payment System Department of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), was quoted as saying.

"At present, Iran has the closest ties with Russia in the field of international credit cards and good measures have been taken in technical terms in recent months," Beigi said.

The two countries are expected to cooperate on magnetic cards, he said.

"They will be normal debit cards which can be used by the customers abroad," the director noted.

"With respect to the rate agreed between the customer and the bank, the (Russian) bank pays the amount in a foreign currency and will withdraw the equal amount in rials from the person's bank account," Beigi explained.

In October, it was announced that the first stage of integrating the banking payment systems of Iran and Russia would be implemented in the next three months.

"Iranian citizens who have a Shetab (Iran's national payment system) card and Russians who own Mir Business Bank cards would be able to use ATMs of both countries," said Seyyed Abu-Taleb Najafi, an official with Iran's banking affairs.

According to the official, the next phase of the plan would be to integrate Iran's payment system with international networks, which requires strong infrastructure on par with international standards.

"We are preparing the necessary infrastructural requirements for implementing the next phase of the plan by establishing a network in cooperation with Russian company BPC," he said.

By establishing these infrastructures, Iran would be ready for agreements with international payment networks and other countries' banks for integration of payment systems, Najafi said.

The process of building infrastructures for integration with international payment systems would take at least 10-12 months, he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 20:02:00|Editor: Liangyu

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CHENGDU, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Sanxingdui culture-themed post office opened Tuesday in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The post office has a unique postmark, a picture of a bronze human statue in the Sanxingdui Ruins.

It also sells various Sanxingdui cultural products such as the Sanxingdui masked doll.

"We hope to make the post office into a wall-less museum and bring the Sanxingdui culture to more people," said Zhu Jiake, deputy curator of Sanxingdui Museum.

Listed among China's top 10 archaeological findings of the 20th century, the Sanxingdui Ruins, covering an area of 12 square kilometers, were found in Guanghan City in Sichuan.

They are believed to be remnants of the Shu Kingdom that suddenly disappeared some 3,000 years ago.

In 1988, the Sanxingdui Ruins were put under state-level protection.

The site welcomes about 800,000 visitors each year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 20:12:03|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Another 126,000 households in Beijing can use clean heating instead of dirty coal stoves this year, local authorities said Tuesday.

At a cost of 7.4 billion yuan (1.1 billion U.S. dollars), the city completed 296 projects to switch coal-fired heating to clean energy in rural areas this year, reducing the city's annual coal use by 2.1 million tonnes.

As part of a campaign launched in 2013, Beijing phased out coal-fired heating facilities in 185,000 households across 415 villages, reducing the city's coal use by 18 million tonnes over five years.

Beijing will phase out coal-fired heating facilities in 217,000 households between 2016 and 2020. By shifting to clean fuel, such as electricity and gas, the city can cut emission of carbon dioxide by nearly 600,000 tonnes, particulate matter by 3,700 tonnes and sulfur dioxide by nearly 1,500 tonnes.

Small stoves in Beijing's suburban and rural areas, not covered by the central heating system, have been blamed for worsening the city's smog during the winter.

The consumption volume of natural gas in Beijing has maintained annual growth of 15 percent in recent years, according to Beijing Gas.

Currently, China National Petroleum Corporation, the country's major oil and gas supplier, has six pipelines pumping natural gas to the capital city, and more gas pipelines connecting China and Russia will open by 2020.

These pipelines will bring the annual natural gas supply to Beijing to nearly 120 billion cubic meters.

Beijing is also expanding underground gas storage to reserve 3.85 billion cubic meters of natural gas by 2020.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 20:47:08|Editor: Liangyu

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C), Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani (L) and Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, meet the press after the 1st China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 26, 2017. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Improvement of Afghanistan-Pakistan relations was high on the agenda of a meeting of the foreign ministers from the two and China in Beijing on Tuesday.

"Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to improve bilateral relations as soon as possible and to realize harmonious co-existence, promising to resolve their concerns through comprehensive dialogue and consultation," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters after the meeting.

Pakistan's proposal -- establishing working panels in politics, military, intelligence, economy and refugees -- was echoed by Afghanistan and supported by China.

"This is important progress achieved in the meeting," Wang said.

"As a good friend of Afghanistan and Pakistan, China is willing to play a constructive role in improving Afghanistan-Pakistan ties through the trilateral dialogue," Wang said.

The three countries reaffirmed their commitment to pushing forward the reconciliation process in Afghanistan, calling on the Taliban to join in the process. China and Pakistan expressed support for peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Afghanistan and Pakistan reiterated their willingness to synergize their own development strategies with China's Belt and Road Initiative and to explore the possibility of trilateral partnership under this initiative.

Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif thanked China for the effort in building mutual trust between their countries, expressing support for trilateral cooperation to fight terrorism.

As the first meeting since the three agreed to establish a trilateral dialogue mechanism in June, the foreign ministers' meeting aims at facilitating dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan and reinforcing trilateral cooperation in politics, economy and security.

"Our dialogue is not targeted at any other party nor will it be subject to influence from other countries or forces," Wang said, adding that the dialogue will complement other existing mechanisms and contribute to peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region.

The second trilateral foreign ministers' meeting will take place in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 20:52:09|Editor: Yurou

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BAGHDAD, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The parliament speaker of Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan declared resignation on Tuesday, protesting the deterioration of political and economic situation in the region and the use of force against anti-government demonstrations.

"I officially announce my resignation from the post of Parliament Speaker, and will continue my work in the parliament within the opposition group," Speaker Yousif Mohammed from the Gorran Movement said at a press conference in the city of Sulaimaniyah in northeastern Iraq.

Mohammed accused the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) of using force to suppress the demonstrations that erupted in the Kurdish region amid widespread anger over unpaid salaries and corruption.

The Kurdish government "used force (against protests) in order to achieve illegitimate goals and to stay in power," Mohammed said.

"The current government has no choice but to declare its failure, and the protests are evidence (to the failure)," he said, warning that "the continuation of the situation as it is will lead to a greater risk."

On Dec. 20, two Kurdish parties, the Gorran Movement and the Islamic Group of Kurdistan, withdrew from the regional government headed by Kurdish Prime Minister Nichervan Barzani.

The decision came after a meeting of the two parties' leaderships, in which they discussed mass protests in part of the region that left many Kurdish people killed and wounded.

The Gorran Movement has four ministers in the KRG cabinet, while the Islamic Group has two.

Also on that day, the Gorran Movement issued a statement about the protests in the Kurdish region, saying the demonstrators were pushed by the failure of the regional government to tackle the corruption and injustice in the past years.

"Resorting to demonstrations and protests in the streets of the cities and districts of the Kurdistan region is due to the failure of governance, monopoly and corruption," the movement said.

"We call upon the Peshmerga and Asayish (Kurdish security) forces and the police to maintain the security of demonstrations and not to take up arms against their sisters and brothers, and to take responsibility for protecting the lives and property of the citizens," it added.

On Dec. 19, heavy clashes erupted in the town of Rania in Sulaimaniyah Province, where security forces opened fire and used tear gas against protesters who torched offices of the Kurdish parties, leaving five killed and about 80 others wounded.

Clashes also erupted in Sulaimaniyah where security forces fired rubber bullets and used tear gas to disperse demonstrators.

The protests were sparked by frustration over unpaid salaries to teachers and other civil servants, in addition to the deterioration of basic services and widespread corruption.

The Kurdistan region has been suffering from financial and economic hardships as a result of disagreement with the federal government in Baghdad over distribution of crude oil revenues extracted from the northern oil fields.

The financial hardship started to increase after Iraqi forces retook control of the oil-rich province of Kirkuk and some other oil wells in the disputed areas on Oct. 16.

Tensions have been running high between Baghdad and the region of Kurdistan after the Kurds held a controversial referendum on the independence of the Kurdistan region and the disputed areas on Sept. 25.

The independence of Kurdistan has been fiercely opposed by the Iraqi central government.
CHARLESTON -- Many criminal suspects won't have to post cash bond to get out of jail with a change in Illinois law that goes into effect at the first of the year.

A judge will have to base any monetary bond on a defendant's ability to come up with the money needed and prosecutors will need evidence to show high-risk suspects should be jailed without bond.

Ensuring court appearances and protecting public safety, the two legal aims of cash bond, will be addressed with pretrial conditions such as home monitoring, curfews and drug testing.

The change resulted from contentions that cash bonds could keep people, especially low-income suspects, in jail for long periods awaiting trial, detaining them unfairly and adding to jail overcrowding.

State Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, said he voted for the change because it clarifies what bond in a criminal case is actually supposed to address.

"Bail is not set to keep someone in jail," he said. "Largely, this is a restatement of the law."

Coles County State's Attorney Brian Bower said he understands the claims behind the change. Some defendants "get trapped in the system," he said, and there were claims of discrimination and how people were jailed "merely based on poverty."

Still, Bower said he thinks the change creates "significant areas of concern," not only for community safety but also for the defendants charged.

A cash bond is "not perfect" but defendants risk losing the money if they don't follow their bond conditions, so there's a financial incentive to comply, he said.

Also, some suspects released could commit more crimes while out of jail, adding to their potential sentences and limiting chances for rehabilitation programs instead of prison, Bower also said.

"It could put them in a position that they can't get beyond the problems they've created for themselves," he said.

Righter, a former prosecutor, said he thinks judges will consider those and other factors when deciding on a defendant's bond. Thoughts that the change will lead to criminals on the streets and not in jail will "be proven to be untrue," he added.

With its much smaller case volume, Coles County doesn't have the problems that Cook County has that led to the law change, Bower said.

He noted that suspects accused of serious crimes, such as first-degree murder and others that require prison time, who might be jailed without bond can go before a judge to have bond set. The prosecution has to present "significant evidence" to keep bond denied, he said.

"In those cases, I feel comfortable that we have a basis to have those people stay in jail," Bower said.

He said the law appears to be "silent" on whether the change affects only new cases or those already filed as well. An attorney for a defendant jailed earlier could file a motion arguing that the change applies, he added.

There's also a new requirement that defendants can have attorneys with them at bond hearings at which they're not currently present, including those required within 48 hours of an arrest.

That will mean a rotation of weekend court coverage for the county's public defender, Assistant Public Defender Terese Matthews said. She said she supports most of the law's requirements and thinks the county already expedites such situations.

"We don't feel like we've been treating defendants in a discriminatory fashion," Matthews said.

Also with the law's change, defendants jailed with a monetary bond set get a $30-per-day credit. When the credit's enough to cover the amount of bond set, the defendant is released and supervised with the pretrial conditions.

Bower said the pretrial program Coles County already uses, and is regularly a a bond requirement in criminal cases, operates much the same way as the bond monitoring will.

Righter said the changes also extends the state's racketeering law, which was needed because it otherwise would have expired this year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 20:57:11|Editor: Yurou

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KHARTOUM, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday left Khartoum after wrapped up a historical debut visit to Sudan since the independence of the African country.

During his three-day visit, Erdogan and his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir held official tlaks to deepen bilateral ties in all fields.

The Turkish president also visited the historic city of Swakin in eastern Sudan which boasts Ottoman historical heritage.

A Sudanese-Turkish economic forum was also convened during the visit, where the two countries signed 12 agreements to boost cooperation in the economic, commercial, military, political and cultural fields.

Speaking at a press conference at the conclusion of Erdogan's visit, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said "the visit is historic and likely to boost the two countries' bilateral ties."

Erdogan arrived in Sudan's capital Khartoum on Sunday as the first stop of his tour in Africa which will also take him to Chad and Tunisia.

Erdogan's visit marked the first time that a Turkish president has ever visited Sudan since the independence of the North African nation in 1956.

During the visit, the Turkish president was accompanied by a large economic delegation of more than 200 Turkish businessmen.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 21:02:12|Editor: Yurou

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KHARTOUM, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Sudan on Tuesday reaffirmed its non-alliance policy, denying that the Turkish president's visit indicates Sudan's readiness to join a Turkey-led regional alliance.

"Sudan has never been a party to an alliance. We do not believe in the policy of alliances. We are open to our brothers in the whole world, whether they are Africans, Arabs or Muslims," Sudan's Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said at a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart in the capital Khartoum.

"We are even open to all countries as friends and peace-loving linked by mutual benefits for the interests of our peoples and the interests of international peace and security," he added.

"Turkey is a brotherly country that we are bonded to by a long history and our relationship with it is distinguished, but we have not been and we will not be a party to any Axis or alliance," the minister noted.

Erdogan on Tuesday concluded a visit to Sudan that marked the first of its kind for a Turkish president to the North African nation since its independence.

During his three-day visit, Erdogan and his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir held official talks to deepen bilateral ties in all fields.

The Turkish president also visited the historic city of Swakin in eastern Sudan which boasts Ottoman historical heritage.

A Sudanese-Turkish economic forum was also convened during the visit, where the two countries signed 12 agreements to boost cooperation in the economic, commercial, military, political and cultural fields.

Erdogan arrived in Khartoum on Sunday as the first stop of his tour in Africa which will also take him to Chad and Tunisia.

During the visit, the Turkish president was accompanied by a large economic delegation of more than 200 Turkish businessmen.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C-R) is welcomed by his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir (C-L) upon his arrival in Khartoum on December 24, 2017, for a two-day-official visit. (AFP Photo)

KHARTOUM, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Sudan on Tuesday reaffirmed its non-alliance policy, denying that the Turkish president's visit indicates Sudan's readiness to join a Turkey-led regional alliance.

"Sudan has never been a party to an alliance. We do not believe in the policy of alliances. We are open to our brothers in the whole world, whether they are Africans, Arabs or Muslims," Sudan's Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said at a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart in the capital Khartoum.

"We are even open to all countries as friends and peace-loving linked by mutual benefits for the interests of our peoples and the interests of international peace and security," he added.

"Turkey is a brotherly country that we are bonded to by a long history and our relationship with it is distinguished, but we have not been and we will not be a party to any Axis or alliance," the minister noted.

Erdogan on Tuesday concluded a visit to Sudan that marked the first of its kind for a Turkish president to the North African nation since its independence.

During his three-day visit, Erdogan and his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir held official talks to deepen bilateral ties in all fields.

The Turkish president also visited the historic city of Swakin in eastern Sudan which boasts Ottoman historical heritage.

A Sudanese-Turkish economic forum was also convened during the visit, where the two countries signed 12 agreements to boost cooperation in the economic, commercial, military, political and cultural fields.

Erdogan arrived in Khartoum on Sunday as the first stop of his tour in Africa which will also take him to Chad and Tunisia.

During the visit, the Turkish president was accompanied by a large economic delegation of more than 200 Turkish businessmen.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 21:17:18|Editor: Liangyu

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by Xinhua writer Huang Yong

BRUSSELS, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- From Switzerland's small mountain town of Davos, to Germany's port city of Hamburg, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended two international conferences this year held in Europe, a continent with a growing focus on China.

Under the theme "Responsive and Responsible leadership," the annual World Economic Forum, with the attendance of thousands of elites from around the world, invited Xi to deliver a keynote speech in mid January, during which he put forward China's understanding of globalization and its plan to solve global economic problems.

In his visit to the United Nations Office at Geneva shortly afterwards, Xi gave a speech titled "Building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind." At the Palace of Nations, Xi expounded China's understanding on how to jointly build a community of shared future for mankind, a centerpiece of China's foreign policy.

Several European television stations broadcast the two speeches live. Public opinion in Europe described the speeches as a strong, warm front that dispelled the cold air out of the Alps.

Six months later, while attending the 12th Group of Twenty summit in Hamburg, Xi was once again praised for his proposals to create a more open world economy and strengthening global economic governance.

Analysts attributed Europe's high attention to Xi's speeches to three basic facts -- as a major country in the world, China has plenty to offer for the development of the global economy; its strong growth over the past few decades has been a source of development for humanity; and Chinese wisdom in approaching global problems has provided a new perspective on world affairs.

In recent years, Europe has struggled to overcome its weak economic growth, surging anti-globalization and populism, and frequent terrorist attacks, among others.

Against this backdrop, China proposed its plan of a "Community of Shared Future for Mankind" and the Belt and Road Initiative, both of which have strongly resonated in Europe.

As China comes closer to the center stage in global affairs, Europe is becoming increasingly aware that Beijing will bring great opportunities to its development.

Taking trade as an example, China is now the European Union's second largest trade partner, second only to the United States; however, the EU's trade with China is expected to surpass that of the United States in the near future.

As the Belt and Road Initiative gains more popularity in Europe, Chinese investment has become another engine for the continent's economic recovery and development.

In November this year, China signed memorandums of understanding with Estonia, Lithuania and Slovenia to promote the initiative, marking a full alignment of all 16 Central and Eastern European countries with the initiative.

The importance attached to China by Europe also stems from the Asian country's active and constructive role in maintaining world peace and promoting common development. In the field of global governance, China and Europe are a match in many aspects.

A greater engagement from China in world affairs can "open so many opportunities, on so many issues of common interest" between the EU and China, Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Foreign affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice President, told Xinhua in an interview.

"If we act together, we can be an irresistible force for a free and fair trade, for multilateralism and sustainable development," she added.

Nonetheless, Europe has not fully adapted to a world more centered on China as some Europeans still look at Beijing as a threat.

However, the further deepening of China-EU cooperation is unstoppable,thanks to the great opportunities China has brought to Europe as well as the dividends it has delivered to the peace and development of the region - and the world - at large.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 21:27:19|Editor: Liangyu

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SHANGHAI, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Shanghai-based marketing firm has been fined 1 million yuan (152,905 U.S. dollars) for using an incomplete Chinese national map in advertisement.

According to State Administration for Industry and Commerce, Shanghai H&H Marketing Consulting Co. used the wrong map in an advertisement it designed for a real estate developer on display in trains and airplane cabins.

The marketing company, despite being aware of the mistake, did not make timely correction and allowed "harmful" results to occur. The act has damaged the dignity and interest of the state, said the administration.

The administration's local office also confiscated the 88,000 yuan advertisement fee paid to the marketing firm.

According to China's Advertising Law, a company can face up to 1 million yuan fine and revocation of license if it is found to use an advertisement that damages the dignity and interst of the state or divulges any state secret.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 21:32:20|Editor: Yurou

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COLOMBO, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government said on Tuesday that it would strengthen its tourist police force in 2018 for the safety and assistance of tourists visiting the island country.

Law and Order Ministry officials said the government had allocated Rs. 50 million (320,000 U.S. dollars) to strengthen the police force in order to make Sri Lanka a safe haven for tourists.

Accordingly, the government handed over 18 new motor bikes and four terrain vehicles to the tourist police on Tuesday. The vehicles were handed over by Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake and Tourism Minister John Amaratunga.

The Sri Lankan government said it will take immediate measures to provide a safe environment for tourists to the island nation.

Tourism Minister Amaratunga said the government was concerned about the increasing number of complaints of exploitation and harassment of foreign tourists and pleged to take stern action against those involved.

Amaratunga added that with tourist arrivals hitting record figures in recent years, the number of complaints was also increasing.

"We are very much aware of the ground situation and plan to take stern measures so that the good name of the industry and the country is not spoiled by a few miscreants," he had said.

Sri Lanka's tourism industry, which was once heavily scarred by a 30-year civil conflict, has emerged as the leading foreign exchange earner with an increasing number of tourists.

China has been Sri Lanka's second largest market with 249,000 Chinese tourists arrivals so far this year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 21:37:22|Editor: Yurou

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ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) has announced that it would hold its 30th ordinary session of the assembly of heads of state and government from January 22 to 29, 2018, in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

The summit will be held under the theme "Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa's Transformation," at the headquarters of the pan-African bloc in Addis Ababa.

According to the schedule announced by the AU, the 35th Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives' Committee (PRC) will be held from January 22 to 23, and the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Executive Council will be taking place from January 25 to 26.

The AU heads of states will be meeting from January 28 to 29 for their 30th ordinary session, according to the AU.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 21:52:24|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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The seventh meeting of China-Japan ruling party exchanges mechanism is held in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, Dec. 25, 2017. Senior members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Japan's ruling coalition, formed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, Komeito, met in Fujian Province from Dec. 25 to 26 to convene the seventh meeting of China-Japan ruling party exchanges mechanism.(Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

FUZHOU, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Senior members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Japan's ruling coalition, formed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, Komeito, met in east China's Fujian Province from Dec. 25 to 26 to convene the seventh meeting of China-Japan ruling party exchanges mechanism.

The representatives discussed politics, the economy and people-to-people exchanges.

Song Tao, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, said that ruling parties of the two countries should implement the important consensus reached by the two leaders, cement mutual political trust, properly handle the differences, enhance cooperation and reinforce people-to-people exchanges, so as to improve bilateral relationship and promote the ties to develop in a sound way.

Secretary general of the LDP Toshihiro Nikai, secretary general of Komeito Yoshihisa Inoue, and Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), agreed that the meeting was of great significance in advancing mutual political trust and helping improve bilateral ties.

The Japanese representatives said that they are ready to work with the Chinese side to strengthen cooperation and exchanges, so as to accumulate favorable conditions for the improvement of bilateral relationship.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 21:52:24|Editor: Yurou

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TUNIS, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday began a two-day official visit to Tunisia at the invitation of his Tunisian counterpart Beji Caid Essebsi.

"This visit goes hand in hand with the common will of the two countries to strengthen and diversify bilateral relations as well as anchoring a political consultation approach around issues of common interest," said Beji.

The Turkish president will hold talks with senior Tunisian leaders including President Beji Caid Essebsi, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed and Speaker of the Assembly of People's Representatives Mohamed Ennaceur.

In addition, a large delegation of Turkish businessmen will take part in the Tunisian-Turkish Economic Forum co-organized by the Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts and its Turkish counterpart.

The Tunisian politician Abdelwaheb Hani believed that the visit of the Turkish president is a timely opportunity to put the light on several major issues that directly involve Tunisian diplomacy.

"First of all," he said on the eve of Erdogan's visit, "we must insist on the Tunisian position with regard to the Palestinian cause and the consolidation of the recent UN vote against Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel."

Tunisia will also highlight its "positive and constructive neutrality" facing various conflicts in the region especially since the country should have, periodically, details on the process of settlement of the Syrian conflict as part of the tripartite initiative of Turkey, Russia and Iran," Hani said.

According to Hani, Tunisia and Turkey will strengthen cooperation in security area including fight against terrorism.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 21:57:24|Editor: Yurou

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KHARTOUM, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkey on Tuesday urged the end of the Gulf crisis around Qatar, saying there is no reason for its continuation which undermines the efforts of uniting Islamic countries.

"In Turkey's opinion, the crisis in the Gulf is a crisis without a reason. So far allegations have been made, but they have not been proven," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a joint press conference with his Sudanese counterpart in Khartoum.

"In my opinion, there is no reason not to settle this crisis. Brothers should avoid such crisis among them. Turkey supports the Kuwaiti initiative and it has made intensive contacts with Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar," noted Cavusoglu.

In June, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of backing terrorism. Qatar has denied all the charges.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday concluded a three-day visit to Khartoum that marked the first of its kind for a Turkish president to Sudan since its independence in 1956.

Sudan was Erdogan's first stop of his tour in Africa which also includes Chad and Tunisia.

During the visit, the Turkish president was accompanied by a large economic delegation of more than 200 Turkish businessmen.
For sisters Beba Jozic-Sholdes and Mima Gros, decorating for Christmas conjures memories of their childhoods in Croatia, and their home their mother would decorate for Christmas.

Everything in her house would be sparkling, Gros said. Our mother loved Christmas, its our tradition.

Jozic-Sholdes, 91, enjoys the finer things in life, and instead of buying the art and jewelry that makes her happy, she creates it. She makes one-of-a-kind jewelry, paintings, needlework, knitted and crocheted items and other pieces that she sells inside the historic Ice House downtown. Throughout her life, she worked as a chemist, restauranteur and real estate agent, but always enjoyed making art of all kinds.

I like the nice things, I wanted to do whatever pleases me, she said.

She came to the United States in 1965, but in 1978, after living in the Croatian capital Zagreb, Paris and Los Angeles, Jozic-Sholdes and her husband, a pilot, decided they had had enough of big cities and moved to Flagstaff. Gros, a nurse, moved to Arizona as well. Gros just finished two years working as a nurse in Tuba City, and lives permanently in Phoenix but visits her sister in Flagstaff often.

When Jozic-Sholdes moved to Flagstaff Senior Meadows apartments over the summer, she and Gros, 86, learned the apartment community does not do much decorating for Christmas.

I thought, Christmas is coming, it would be nice, Jozic-Sholdes said. Some of the people up there do not have anybody, or cannot afford nice things or nice decorations. I talked to my sister, and my sister loves Christmas.

The two decided to create a Christmas display of a lifetime of collectibles in the apartments lobby for the residents to enjoy. The finished product took the two a week to complete, and included several Christmas villages, one of which filled an entire room in the main hall of the office.

My sister was the chief and I was the helper, Jozic-Sholdes said.

Everything is my design, Gros said. Its whats going on in my crazy head. We like to share, and we like to see people happy. This is the time of year where you give to others. People were saying thank you to us, they said this is a real Christmas.

Each section of the lobby is decorated with a different theme, including one village themed like Alaska, another themed like Egypt and a traditional Nativity scene. The biggest display is a snowy Flagstaff, complete with a miniature observatory.

So we can see Santa coming! Gros said.

One corner of the display is completely dedicated to snowmen.

I love snowmen, Gros said. We like to live in a fantasy, at least a little.

Amanda Virrueta, the manager at Flagstaff Senior Meadows, said the holidays can sometimes be hard for senior citizens who may not have the ability to make a trip to visit family and may not have anyone around to come visit with them. The festive decorations have brightened the holiday season for the residents, some of whom have brought their families by to enjoy it.

They have gotten a lot of compliments, Virrueta said. The residents enjoy it. We have some residents who dont get to go home for Christmas, so they really enjoy it.

Jozic-Sholdes and Gros come from a family of musicians and artists.

It improves life, Jozic-Sholdes said.

Decorating the apartment could become a tradition for the sisters. The two hope someone will continue the decorating even after they have gone. For the sisters, decorating and celebrating their favorite holiday helps serve as a reminder to enjoy the beauty in life.

Life is so precious, Gros said.
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Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 21:57:25|Editor: Yurou

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LONDON, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The British Royal Navy said Tuesday that its frigate had escorted a Russian warship as it passed through the North Sea waters.

The Royal Navy claimed in a statement that Royal Navy frigate HMS St Albans was called upon to sail on Dec. 23 and keep watch on the new Russian warship Admiral Gorshkov as it passed close to British territorial waters.

The British Type 23 frigate remained at sea on Christmas Day to monitor the Russian frigate, keeping track of its activity in areas of national interest, the document said.

British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said he will not hesitate to defend the country's waters.

The Royal Navy claimed the festive season "has seen an upsurge in Russian units transiting UK waters."

It said another of its warships, HMS Tyne, was also called to escort a different vessel, a Russian intelligence-gathering ship, through the North Sea and the English Channel on Christmas Eve.

Russia has not responded to the accusation, but the country's media reports said Admiral Gorshkov, a new guided-missile frigate, is still undergoing trials.

The convoys came days after British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visited Moscow, which described the current state of Russian-British relations as "hardly satisfactory."

Relations between Britain and Russia have remained tense following the Ukrainian crisis. Bilateral ties have soured over the past years as the two countries have constantly accused each other of espionage.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 22:22:29|Editor: Yurou

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LONDON, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Despite the uncertainties surrounding Brexit, 2017 has been yet a strong year for British science, with significant progress made in various fields, ranging from genome editing to Polar exploration.

Brexit has brought uncertainties not just to Britain's political and economic landscape, but science. Researchers from other EU countries feel insecure about their future while British scientists worry that they might not be able to access EU-funded projects.

But the concern has been relatively eased with a joint statement presented recently by British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission P resident Jean-Claude Juncker.

The document contains pledges that a final agreement will allow EU nationals now living in Britain, and their families, to apply to stay after Brexit, with minimal paperwork. The same deal is offered for British nationals living in the other 27 EU countries.

Such proposals are expected to benefit British science.

"Science has been a global enterprise for many centuries, and one reason the UK has maintained its strength as a scientific nation is its openness to ideas and talent," said Venki Ramakrishnan, president of the Royal Society, in a speech delivered in the society's Anniversary Day last month.

"We have a long history of looking beyond our shores to bring talented people and new ideas to the UK, and there remains very strong support in the science community to continue to be open," said Ramakrishnan.

But the document might not sufficiently soothe some scientists' anxieties, Kieron Flanagan, a science and technology policy expert at the University of Manchester, was quoted as saying in a Nature article.

"Non-UK EU nationals must feel battered and bruised by the uncertainty of the process," he said. "And I'm not sure how much this will do to reassure those who might be thinking twice about coming to the UK in the near future."

Nevertheless, to give confidence to those working in academia and science-related industries, the British government is promising more funding in research and development.

May announced a plan to expand investment in research and development from 1.7 percent to 2.4 percent of gross domestic product by 2027. This could mean around 80 billion pounds (106.8 billion U.S. dollars) of additional funds for advanced technology in the next decade.

In addition to policy support, Britain's researchers have made significant advancements in different scientific areas.

In February, British Antarctic Survey (BAS) announced that its team has successfully relocated the Halley VI Research Station to its new home on the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica.

The Halley Research Station is an internationally important platform for global earth, atmospheric and space weather observation in a climate sensitive zone, according to BAS. Built on a floating ice shelf in the Weddell Sea, Halley VI is the world's first re-locatable research facility.

In May, construction of the Square Kilometre Array Global Headquarters (SKA GHQ) was initiated at the The University of Manchester's Jodrell Bank site.

The 4,200-square-meter SKA GHQ will eventually be home to more than 135 staff from more than 13 countries, tasked with managing the construction and operations of the Square Kilometre Array telescopes, located in Southern Africa and Western Australia.

The finished telescopes will be several times more sensitive and hundreds of times faster at mapping the sky than today's best radio astronomy facilities.

A major breakthrough was also witnessed in genome editing. In September, the Francis Crick Institute announced that a team led by its researchers has used genome editing technology to reveal the role of a key gene in human embryos in the first few days of development.

This is the first time that genome editing has been used to study gene function in human embryos, which could help scientists better understand the biology of our early development, according to the Institute.

"One way to find out what a gene does in the developing embryo is to see what happens when it isn't working. Now we have demonstrated an efficient way of doing this, we hope that other scientists will use it to find out the roles of other genes," said Dr Kathy Niakan from the Francis Crick Institute, who led the research, in a statement.

Meanwhile, in its first human trial led by University College London scientists, a new drug targeting the cause of Huntington's disease was shown to be safe and well-tolerated. It successfully lowered the level of the harmful huntington protein in the nervous system.

In October, the 2017 Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded to three scientists for improving images made of biological molecules. The winners include Richard Henderson, a scientist from Britain.

"With the increasing emphasis on using science to solve the short-term productivity growth problem as well as tackle pressing needs, it is important to yet again make the case for basic science," said Ramakrishnan. "Basic science is important for its own sake, because it increases the store of human knowledge."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 22:32:32|Editor: pengying

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ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Warplanes of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition struck a crowded popular market in the southwestern province of Taiz on Tuesday, killing over 40 people, local media reported.

The airstrikes targeted the market in the district of AlTaiziya of Taiz province, killing more than 40 shoppers and injuring scores of others, local media outlets reported.

The Houthi-affiliated Masirah TV channel said that "more than 50 dead civilians were sent to hospitals following the Saudi-led airstrikes on Shuhrah market."

The Houthi television broadcasted footages from the bombing site saying that "scores of burned dead bodies are still scattered in the market with unknown identities."

Witnesses near the scene told Xinhua that the airstrikes "caused a huge number of casualties because it occurred during rush hour of the market which was filled with shoppers coming from nearby villages."

On Monday, a family of nine members, including five children, were killed when Saudi-led coalition warplanes hit the family's house five times in Yemen's capital Sanaa.

At the same time, intense fighting between Yemeni forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition and the Shiite Houthi rebels continued in various provinces of the Arab country.

Airstrikes were launched by fighter jets of the Saudi-led coalition against Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen's war-torn province of Hodeidah in the past hours, leaving unknown casualties.

The Saudi-led coalition has intervened in the Yemeni conflict since March 2015 to roll back the Houthi rebels and support the internationally recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was forced into exile by the Houthis.

The war has killed over 10,000 Yemenis, mostly children, and displaced 3 million others, creating one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 22:37:32|Editor: pengying

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Photo taken on Dec. 25, 2017 shows Kirkcesme in Istanbul, Turkey. Kirkcesme or Forty Fountains, the last part of the historical waterway systems in Istanbul, is still running and providing fresh water to residents after some 2,000 years. (Xinhua/Zeynep Cermen)

ISTANBUL, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Kirkcesme or Forty Fountains, the last part of the historical waterway systems in Istanbul, is still running and providing fresh water to residents after some 2,000 years.

The line was first built during the Roman Empire period and later restored and transformed into a 55-km-long complex system by Mimar Sinan, a renowned architect of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century.

Sinan constructed large weirs, dams of the time and water canals passing mountains and hills and linking hundreds of water supplies to ensure a continuous flow of water from the neighboring Belgrade Forest to the historic peninsula of Istanbul.

With Istanbul being a peninsula stranded by seas on three sides, fresh water supply has always been a critical issue for the city, as it does not have adequate fresh water reserves.

Rulers of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires had to invest in complex and costly aqueduct systems to meet the demand of their capital city.

While the other waterway systems have been disappeared over time, Kirkcesme has survived as one of the most complex ancient working aqueduct systems in the world.

Unplanned urbanization and indifference of the authorities, however, have caused extensive damage to the system.

"A comprehensive project should be launched for the system to become a world tourism brand," said Huseyin Irmak, a history consultant with Istanbul's Kagithane district.

"First of all it has witnessed three civilizations and passed different eras from antiquity to new age," he told Xinhua, noting that the building of new neighborhoods and highways nearby are jeopardizing the flow of clean water.

What is more, many spots in the system have been targeted by treasure hunters, with new holes left by them, in addition to acts of vandalism, according to the consultant.

"If the system becomes a world-recognized brand and a popular tourism destination, it would be under the scrutiny of public eyes, and the authorities would be compelled to offer the best preservation for it," he said.

Olcay Aydemir, an architect with the Istanbul-based Sebahattin Zaim University, highlighted the importance of education in preserving such an important water system.

In her view, water culture should be introduced as a lesson at school, "so that children from their early ages would understand the importance of water and its meaning for life."

Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism has taken the first step lately by funding the production of a documentary on Kirkcesme in Turkish and English, which highlights the role of waterways in shaping Istanbul.

"We have made this documentary in a move to introduce this beautiful ancient system, which is still able to convey water," said Umut Mete Soydan, producer and director of the documentary.

"We have to attract the public attention to this waterway, otherwise its unique beauty built by Sinan will soon be demolished," he cautioned.

He urged travel agencies to integrate Kirkcesme into their itineraries by introducing daily off-road vehicle tours.

"Building observation terraces would also help present the different state-of-the-art parts of the system," he said, citing the example of Maglova Aqueduct.

Maglova Aqueduct, a crucial part of the system that stands over the Alibey River in Belgrad Forest, is recognized as a masterpiece for its engineering and architectural design as it has its own pedestrian reach, extraordinary acoustic system and its own insurance system against floods.

"Thanks to Sinan's design, water is even flowing within a closed place to prevent water pollution," said Soydan.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 22:42:33|Editor: Lifang

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C), Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani (L) and Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, meet the press after the 1st China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 26, 2017. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers from China, Pakistan and Afghanistan on Tuesday agreed to discuss ways to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan.

"In the long run, through Afghanistan, we will gradually connect the CPEC with the China-Central and Western Asia Economic Corridor," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters after China-Afghanistan-Pakistan foreign ministers' meeting in Beijing.

As important neighbor of China and Pakistan, Afghanistan has an urgent desire to develop its economy and improve people's livelihood, and it is willing to integrate itself into the process of regional interconnection, said Wang.

"With regard to specific cooperation projects and ways of cooperation, we will determine through tripartite consultations on an equal footing," he said.

Improving livelihoods in border areas may be an entry point for the extension, said Wang, noting that the three parties agreed to promote wider connectivity under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The CPEC is a network of highways, railways, pipelines and optical cables, and a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative, currently under construction throughout Pakistan.

The 3,000-km-long corridor starts from China's Kashgar and ends at Pakistan's Gwadar, connecting the Silk Road Economic Belt in the north and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in the south.

Wang said the CPEC has not targeted at any third party, but hopes to bring benefits to the entire region and become an important driving force for regional integration.

"The CPEC is an economic cooperation project and should not be politicized," he said, noting that it has no relationship with existing disputes in the region, including territorial disputes, nor should it be related.

As the first meeting of its kind since the three countries agreed to establish a trilateral dialogue mechanism in June, the foreign ministers' meeting aims for dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan and to reinforce trilateral cooperation in politics, economy and security.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 22:57:35|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CHANGSHA, Dec.26 (Xinhua) -- December 31 is the deadline for a type of poplar tree to disappear from a conservation area at Dongting Lake, the second-largest freshwater lake in China.

Populus nigra, or the black poplar, is not native to the zone along the Yangtze in central China's Hunan province. The trees were brought here in recent decades to provide timber for paper mills.

The latest group of environmental protection inspectors sent by the central government ordered a cleanup of the trees by the year end. More than three million trees have been chopped down, said the Hunan provincial bureau of environmental protection.

Logger Chen Guangyao can cut down about 800 trees in a single day. "Years ago, I planted trees on this very land myself. Now my boss asks me to cut them down. The trees are said to have hurt the environment," Chen said.

The trees are bundled up and carried away by boats, barges, tractors and trucks.

Dongting Lake has been called "the kidney of the Yangtze River." It was among the first areas to be included in an international convention on wetlands.

The struggle between conservationists and exploiters has been going on for years at Dongting Lake. The poplars -- tall, strong and fast-growing -- first appeared at Dongting in the 1980s.

"That was the first time I saw the poplars. In flood season, other trees die, but not these trees. They seem to be stronger than most other local trees found near the lake," said Chen.

Starting in 2000, many paper-making factories opened and a poplar cultivation craze followed. The trees could be found at almost every corner of Dongting lake.

The trees were ecological assassins of the wetland as they hardened the soil and encroached upon bird and fish habitats. Logging operations used pesticides to keep the trees growing, but the pesticides led the soil to deteriorate, said Hu Yuanli, a senior official with the local people's political consultative conference.

"There was a time when almost no grass grew under the trees, and no birds perched on the trees. Great harm has been done," Hu said.

Despite opposition from experts, some local governments helped logging companies plant trees in an attempt to turn them into a constant source of profits, Hu said.

Besides poplars, Dongting witnessed several waves of agriculture and aquaculture, which put the environment in great jeopardy, he added.

Over the years, environmental protection kept losing ground to economic profit chasers, said Mei Biqiu, director general of the West Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve.

However, with strong supervision from the central government, environmental protection is becoming the priority, he said.

In July, the Hunan provincial government was criticized by environmental inspectors for its failing efforts to clean up the lake. The provincial government resolved to take action.

Fish, pearl farms and sand mines have been dismantled and cleaned up around the lake.

The populus nigra will disappear from the core area of Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve by year end.

"Such rapid tree-felling is impressive. Dongting Lake will be restored to its original beauty," said Wan Xianjun, director of wetland management in Yuanjiang City.

China is home to about 53.6 million hectares of wetlands, or 4 percent of the world's total. The area of wetlands along the Yangtze accounts for one fifth of the country's total.

Since 2011, the central government has invested more than 9 billion yuan (1.4 billion U.S. dollars) in wetland restoration and protection projects.

As a result, the country has seen an increase of two million hectares of protected wetlands and 160,000 hectares of restored wetlands.

"Cutting down other types of trees might draw disapproval, but eradicating the poplar from here is the right thing to do. It is time for the trees to return the habitat to birds, fish and other species," said fisherman Zhu Meili.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 23:12:37|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MOSCOW, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- China and countries of Eurasia strengthened cooperation across various fields in 2017, opening opportunities of economic development for the whole region.

Earlier this month, the Yamal liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the Arctic jointly launched by China and Russia began operation. Russian President Vladimir Putin pressed the button to start the loading of the first gas tanker.

The project is expected to have three production lines by 2019 with a total capacity of 16.5 million tons of LNG every year. Russia's share in the global LNG market will rise from about four percent to more than eight percent.

Chinese enterprises invested heavily in the Yamal project and will operate 14 of the total 15 LNG tankers.

The megaproject marked a milestone in China-Russia cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013.

The initiative comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes.

The Yamal LNG will be shipped to Asia in the summer through an efficient Arctic shipping route along Russia's northern coast, which China and Russia aim to build into a "silk road on ice."

Trade and investment remained solid in 2017. Chinese direct investment in Russia grew 34.1 percent in the first three quarters this year, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

Russian courier Maria Rubtsova became popular among Chinese netizens during the Nov. 11 "Singles' Day" shopping spree this year, after a picture showing her delivering parcels on a horse went viral on the Internet.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba said about 22 million Russian people, roughly one sixth of the country's total population, use its outbound platform AliExpress to make purchases online.

A day after Xi delivered a report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in October, Putin said he was "very closely" following the event.

"We have great cooperation plans with China in the areas of space, high-tech and energy. These are the bases for the future development of Russia-China relations," Putin said, calling China a major propeller of the global economy.

On the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting in Vietnam in November, Xi told Putin in a meeting that their high-level efforts in guiding the long-term growth of China-Russia ties have achieved gratifying results.

Putin said Russia stands ready to enhance cooperation with China in regional and international affairs, carry out closer communication and coordination within multilateral frameworks and push for the creation of the Free Trade Agreement of the Asia Pacific.

Since Xi proposed building the Silk Road Economic Belt in Kazakhstan in September 2013, Eurasian countries have shown great interest in cooperation with China in search of opportunities to develop their domestic industries and improve infrastructure connectivity.

This May, the presidents of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing and signed together with other world leaders a joint communique supporting global and regional cooperation.

With Kazakhstan currently serving as a hub connecting Asia and Europe, freight can flow easily between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts via the landlocked country. China and Kazakhstan are implementing 51 industrial capacity cooperation projects worth more than 26 billion U.S. dollars.

A China-funded cement factory in Tajikistan was the first concrete producer ever in the country. The "Great Stone" joint industrial park in Minsk has attracted about two billion dollars of Chinese investment in Belarus.

Electronic product manufacturers such as Huawei, Xiaomi and Haier, among other Chinese brands, have secured a firm footing in the Eurasian countries. Confucius Institutes have stimulated enthusiasm for Chinese language and culture in the whole region.

Over the past year, the ancient Silk Road has proven its worth as a source of prosperity and cooperation for China and its Eurasian partners, and more of the same is expected in 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 23:17:38|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MOSCOW, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Strategic Missile Forces test-launched a Topol RS-12M intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Tuesday from the Kapustin Yar site in south Russia's Astrakhan Region, the Defense Ministry said.

During the test, experimental data were obtained, which will be used to develop effective means of penetrating missile shields, it said in a statement, giving no details.

The Topol RS-12M is a single-warhead silo-based or road-mobile ICBM, which entered service in 1985.

The missile has a maximum range of 11,000 km and can carry a nuclear warhead with a yield of 800 kilotons. It is also compatible with a multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 23:17:38|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DAMASCUS, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian government forces halted military operations on the remaining rebel-held areas in the Western Ghouta region of the capital Damascus on Tuesday, as part of a deal that will see the evacuation of the ultra-radical militants toward northern Syria, a military source told Xinhua.

The areas of Mughor al-Mir, Tal Marwan and Beit Jin in the Western Ghouta region west of Damascus will see the evacuation of the ultra-radical militants of the Levant Liberation Committee (LLC), otherwise known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, as well as the Ahrar al-Sham group toward the northwestern province of Idlib, a key stronghold and gathering point of the rebels, who have been dislodged from key Syrian cities, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The evacuation is expected to start within hours, the source added.

When the evacuation is completed, the entire western countryside of Damascus will be free of rebels, and the army will then focus its military operations on the militants in the Eastern Ghouta region.

With old caves in the slopes of the al-Shiekh Mountain near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Mughor al-Mir is geographically hard to get through.

The snowfall in the area, however, has cut off all the supply routes to rebels, in part contributing their surrender to the army forces, which are on crushing offensives to clear radical groups from the western rim of Damascus.

The Mughor area was the first area the government lost in 2012 in the Western Ghouta region, and the last to return after the military forces captured all the towns in Western Ghouta earlier this year.

The three areas are strategically important because of their proximity to the Lebanese border and the borders with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, through which rebels were getting support.

These areas have also posed a threat to the capital as rebels there had waged several offensives to divert the attention of the Syrian army from other parts of the country.

The first anti-government protests erupted in Western Ghouta in April 2011. In early 2012, the area entered the phase of actual battles.

In the summer of 2012, the rebels attacked the Mughor al-Mir, and turned the town into a stronghold for the commanders and militants of the LLC.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 23:32:41|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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XINING, China, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai Xuhui's team and Heilongjiang's first team played well during the first half of China's 2017 National Curling Tournament, and topped the standings of each group with 3-0 win-loss record and 3-1 win-loss record respectively .

On the men's actions on Tuesday morning, Shanghai Xuhui's curlers continued to expand their advantage in tactics. In the first end, Jilin's team tossed after Xuhui's team and won one point smoothly. Xuhui's curlers got back two points in the second end, and stole one point in both the third and fourth, beating its rival Jilin's third team 6-3.

"I think I gave a very normal performance today. On the first half of the match, I tossed with an insufficient force. I adjusted myself and played well on the second half," said Yu Zhihao from Shanghai Xuhui.

Yu also added that he is confident in his team and he expects a good performance in the next two matches with Jilin City and Harbin third team.

On the women's actions, Heilongjiang's first team stole three points in the first end and got a flying start. In the second end, its curlers continued to steal another two points due to the mistakes made by the rival Jilin's provincial team. Finally, Heilongjiang romped against Jilin 8-3 after end 7 and they shook hands without playing the last end.

The six-day National Curling Tournament kicked off on Dec. 24, attracting 30 teams from all over China.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 23:47:43|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police in 10 provincial-level regions have arrested 177 suspects in a telecom and online fraud case, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said Tuesday.

The amount of money involved in the case exceeded 10 million yuan (1.52 million U.S. dollars), according to the MPS.

Bank cards, mobile phones, SIM cards and computers were confiscated.

Police in east China's Jiangxi Province investigating a telecom fraud in July discovered gangs illegally obtaining citizen's information from the Internet and extorted victims, said the MPS.

The public should be alert to fraud and call the police when receiving ransom calls, the MPS said.

The case is under further investigation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 23:57:45|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SHENZHEN, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese charity foundation is to be investigated for its role in a problematic online donation program for poor children.

The Civil Affairs Bureau of Shenzhen City in south China announced Tuesday evening that it would look into the Aiyou Future Foundation, which ran the donation program with a Beijing company from Friday to Sunday.

The program, spread via popular messaging app WeChat, allowed users to donate money to a kid born on the donor's birthday. By clicking on a link and entering his or her date of birth, users were quickly matched with a kid whose photo, name, birthday and location was available.

The program chose 366 children as beneficiaries and donations for each were capped at 1,200 yuan (183 U.S. dollars).

The novel idea attracted instant attention, but it soon found that one child had two different dates of birth with different donors. At least six such cases were uncovered by donors.

The campaign had amassed more than 2.5 million yuan as of Sunday morning, when the organizers announced the end of donations.

Facing mounting doubts, the Beijing company, 0fenbei.com, said that all the children hail from registered poor families and their information was provided by local officials.

The company said the link, which was still under trial, was mistakenly posted by its staff and therefore there was erroneous information on the children.

The Aiyou foundation registered the program with the local civil affairs bureau before its launch.

However, the campaign was initiated via the WeChat account of the Beijing company which is ineligible to accept online public donations.

"It appears obviously illegal," said Zheng Ziyin with Lawsons Law Office.

In addition, some questioned the disclosure of the children's information, even if the organizers said they had obtained written consent from the children's guardians to make the information public.

"Do the kids and their parents really understand what the disclosure means to their lives?" asked Ye Ying with China Association of Fundraising Professionals, describing the act as privacy infringement.

Xinhua failed to reach the foundation for comment.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-26 23:57:46|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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PARIS, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the country's dairy giant Lactalis' salmonella contamination, local media reported on Tuesday.

Health division of Paris prosecutor office launched a preliminary probe for "involuntary injuries", "putting in danger the life of others" and "non-performance of recall procedure", said local broadcaster Europe1.

On Dec. 11, the country's consumer protection agency, DGCCRF, decided to halt the sale of several baby formula milk and baby food products made by Lactalis, and also ordered an international recall of all these products after the discovery of salmonella bacteria.

Following 20 cases of salmonella infection of infants in France, the company, one of the world's leading dairy producers, recalled nearly 7,000 tonnes of packets produced by a contaminated factory in Craon, northwest France.

The salmonella agona bacteria is dangerous for very young and elderly, and provokes severe diarrhoea, stomach cramps and vomiting.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 00:52:54|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TRIPOLI, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Libya's Higher Council of State on Tuesday approved a law on draft constitution referendum, a member of the Council revealed.

"A crucial session of the Council was held today with 74 members present to vote on a law for the draft constitution referendum. 52 members voted in favor of the law," Council member Ali Sweih told Xinhua.

Sweih added that the voting process was conducted in accordance with Article 23 of the UN-sponsored political agreement.

Article 23 states that the Tripoli-based Higher Council of State and the eastern-based House of Representatives shall form a joint committee for drafting a constitution referendum law and a general elections law.

This Council's decision has been adopted without forming a joint committee with the House of Representatives, a move likely to be rejected by the House of Representatives.

The draft constitution was proposed by the Libyan Constitutional Drafting Assembly in July. However, the draft has been subject to judicial challenges due to controversy in the voting process.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 01:37:59|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CAIRO, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Egypt has recommended the World Bank as a technical mediator with a neutral and final opinion in the issue of Ethiopia's under-construction mega dam on the shared Nile River, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry's spokesman said in a statement on Tuesday.

The recommendation came during talks held Tuesday in Addis Ababa between Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Ethiopian counterpart Workneh Gebeyehu, Egyptian Foreign Ministry's Spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in the statement.

The meetings of a tripartite technical committee comprising Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) have been fruitless over the past sessions, with both Ethiopia and Sudan eyeing massive benefits from the dam construction while Egypt sees it as a threat to its share of the Nile River water.

"Shoukry stressed the sensitivity of Egypt's water security and that it cannot rely on mere promises and remarks of good faith," said the Egyptian spokesman in the statement.

In March 2015, the leaders of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan signed an initial cooperation deal on the principles of sharing the Nile River water and the construction of the GERD, which will be Africa's largest dam upon completion.

Shoukry urged Gebeyehu that Ethiopia has to stick to the cooperation deal principles, including prior studies and agreement among the three countries before filling and operating the dam.

"The Ethiopian side promised to study the Egyptian proposal and reply as soon as possible," said the Egyptian spokesman, noting that Egypt will convey the proposal to Sudan in the coming few days.

Shoukry met later on Tuesday with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in Addis Ababa, where they discussed the general bilateral relations between the two countries and the preparation for Desalegn's visit to Egypt in January 2018.

"The meeting also addressed the challenges facing the course of the GERD negotiations," said Abu Zeid.

The recent meeting of the tripartite technical committee on the GERD, comprising irrigation ministers of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, failed to approve an introductory report by a consultant company on the dam's effects on the two downstream countries, namely Egypt and Sudan.

Egypt is concerned about its annual share of 55.5 billion cubic meters of the Nile River water amid the GERD's rapid construction.

Egypt and its downstream partner Sudan rejected in 2010 an agreement signed among some Nile Basin states in Uganda's Entebbe about the sharing of the Nile River water, as both countries believed the deal would affect their usual annual share of the river water.

Egypt's ties with Ethiopia have seen ups and downs since the latter started the dam project in April 2011 while Egypt was suffering turmoil following an uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak.

When President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi took office in 2014, he showed understanding of Ethiopia's aspiration for development through the GERD that would produce around 6,000 megawatts of electricity to the country.

On Monday, Egyptian Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Aati stressed the importance of reaching a fair deal on the Ethiopian reservoir, saying "Egypt will not be a party of any agreement that does not preserve its water rights and interests."

On the other hand, relations between Egypt and Sudan have been tense over the past years on various issues.

In May, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir accused Egypt of providing military support to armed rebels in his country, which was strongly denied by the Egyptian leadership. The two countries also have a territorial dispute over the border region of Halayeb and Shalateen, which are currently under Egyptian control.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 01:43:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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VILNIUS, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A rescue operation was underway on Tuesday to help a Cyprus-registered bulk carrier which had run aground close to Lithuanian Klaipeda seaport.

"We are informed that works in order to strip the boat off the shoals have already started. Two tugboats are involved into the operation," Klaipeda State Seaport Authority said in a statement released on Tuesday.

According to the statement, Dutch company Smit is in charge of the rescue operation. The ship, 190 meters long, Ocean Crown was grounded on the shallow on Dec. 24, close to Lithuania's Baltic Sea Melnrage beach. According to preliminary data, engine failure was the initial reason due to which the ship drifted to the shore.

Certain shipping restrictions were implemented in Klaipeda seaport ever since Dec. 23 due to thundery wind and intense waves. The seaport returned to its daily regime on Tuesday morning.

According to the authorities, there were no signs of pollution or human incidences. One member of the Ocean Crown 20-person crew has been transferred to the shore due to his health issues.

"We can ensure that the body of the ship is hermetic at the meantime. We are keeping in touch with the crew and the captain on a regular basis and we are informed that there is no any threat to the environment," Arvydas Vaitkus, director of Klaipeda State Seaport, told reporters at a press conference Tuesday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 02:23:07|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KHARTOUM, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Sudan government on Tuesday announced resumption of negotiations with rebels of Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector regarding South Kordofan and Blue Nile areas in January 2018 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

"The negotiations with the SPLM/northern sector will be resumed next January," head of the Sudanese government negotiating delegation Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid said in a statement.

Hamid expected reaching a peace agreement, saying "we expect to reach a peace deal if the movement is serious."

He expressed hope that the SPLM/northern sector would change its vision towards the negotiation process and be serious, noting that "the citizens are fed up with war, and the armed movements will not find anyone to support them, therefore, they should side with peace."

More than 10 rounds of peace talks have been held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa between the Sudanese government and the SPLM/northern sector under the patronage of the African Union, but have failed to reach a peace deal regarding South Kordofan and Blue Nile areas.

The SPLM/northern sector has recently been suffering from internal divisions which resulted in the removal of the movement's Chairman Malik Agar and appointment of his former deputy Abdel Aziz al-Hilu in his place last July.

The movement has been fighting Khartoum government at South Kordofan and Blue Nile areas since 2011.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 02:33:08|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MADRID, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy signed on Tuesday an agreement with unions and companies' representatives to raise the country's minimum wage, local media reported on Tuesday.

Spain's minimum wage would be raised by 4 percent in 2018 to 736 euros (873 U.S. dollars) per month from the current 707.6 euros.

The following year, it would be raised to 773 euros, a 5-percent increase, and in 2020 the wage would stand at 850 euros per month, increasing by 10 percent.

These increases would be implemented if the country experiences a real GDP growth of more than 2.5 percent and the average amount of people affiliated to the social security system surpasses 450,000 people.

Rajoy said that job creation "is and will continue to be the main goal of his term". "We want economic recovery to reach everyone's household and all wages, especially the lowest and that is why we are going to improve them", he said.

The Spanish government is expected to pass the increase at Friday's cabinet meeting.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Da Nang, Vietnam, Nov. 10, 2017. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

MOSCOW, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- China and countries of Eurasia strengthened cooperation across various fields in 2017, opening opportunities of economic development for the whole region.

Earlier this month, the Yamal liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the Arctic jointly launched by China and Russia began operation. Russian President Vladimir Putin pressed the button to start the loading of the first gas tanker.

The project is expected to have three production lines by 2019 with a total capacity of 16.5 million tons of LNG every year. Russia's share in the global LNG market will rise from about four percent to more than eight percent.

Chinese enterprises invested heavily in the Yamal project and will operate 14 of the total 15 LNG tankers.

The megaproject marked a milestone in China-Russia cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013.

The initiative comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes.

The Yamal LNG will be shipped to Asia in the summer through an efficient Arctic shipping route along Russia's northern coast, which China and Russia aim to build into a "silk road on ice."

Trade and investment remained solid in 2017. Chinese direct investment in Russia grew 34.1 percent in the first three quarters this year, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

Russian courier Maria Rubtsova became popular among Chinese netizens during the Nov. 11 "Singles' Day" shopping spree this year, after a picture showing her delivering parcels on a horse went viral on the Internet.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba said about 22 million Russian people, roughly one sixth of the country's total population, use its outbound platform AliExpress to make purchases online.

A day after Xi delivered a report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in October, Putin said he was "very closely" following the event.

"We have great cooperation plans with China in the areas of space, high-tech and energy. These are the bases for the future development of Russia-China relations," Putin said, calling China a major propeller of the global economy.

On the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting in Vietnam in November, Xi told Putin in a meeting that their high-level efforts in guiding the long-term growth of China-Russia ties have achieved gratifying results.

Putin said Russia stands ready to enhance cooperation with China in regional and international affairs, carry out closer communication and coordination within multilateral frameworks and push for the creation of the Free Trade Agreement of the Asia Pacific.

Since Xi proposed building the Silk Road Economic Belt in Kazakhstan in September 2013, Eurasian countries have shown great interest in cooperation with China in search of opportunities to develop their domestic industries and improve infrastructure connectivity.

This May, the presidents of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing and signed together with other world leaders a joint communique supporting global and regional cooperation.

With Kazakhstan currently serving as a hub connecting Asia and Europe, freight can flow easily between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts via the landlocked country. China and Kazakhstan are implementing 51 industrial capacity cooperation projects worth more than 26 billion U.S. dollars.

A China-funded cement factory in Tajikistan was the first concrete producer ever in the country. The "Great Stone" joint industrial park in Minsk has attracted about two billion dollars of Chinese investment in Belarus.

Electronic product manufacturers such as Huawei, Xiaomi and Haier, among other Chinese brands, have secured a firm footing in the Eurasian countries. Confucius Institutes have stimulated enthusiasm for Chinese language and culture in the whole region.

Over the past year, the ancient Silk Road has proven its worth as a source of prosperity and cooperation for China and its Eurasian partners, and more of the same is expected in 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 02:53:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TRIPOLI, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Unknown gunmen on Tuesday blew up an oil pipeline in eastern Libya, causing a possible drop of crude oil production of 70,000 to 100,000 barrels per day, according to the state-owned National Oil Corporation.

"An explosion hit the oil pipeline of Zaqut-Sidra of Al-Waha Co., which connects the oil fields and Sidra oil port," the corporation said in a statement.

"Fire detection teams of Al-Waha Co. went directly to the site to deal with the fire, which reached a diameter of 15 meters. Support teams from the neighboring Raquba field also rushed to the site. The affected area was isolated from the nearest valve," the statement added.

A source of the corporation said the explosion is likely to be "a subversive act by an armed group," adding "the explosion was done by planting explosive devices on both sides of the pipeline."

No groups have claimed responsibility for the attack so far. The source did not rule out possibility for involvement of IS militants, who previously claimed responsibility for similar attacks in the region.

A source of the Oil Installations Guards told Xinhua that security patrols had monitored movements of armed vehicles on a nearby desert road.

"Security operations are carried out on a wide scale in order to track the armed vehicles, which may belong to the attackers," the source confirmed.

The oil crescent region, some 500 km east the capital Tripoli, contains the country's largest oil ports.
Liver transplantation can provide a cure for acute liver failure and many devastating types of end-stage liver diseases (ESLD). In the past, patients who suffered from liver diseases would die, as humans cannot survive without a liver. Thomas E. Starzl, MD, performed the first liver transplantation in 1963, on a 3-year-old boy who later died from uncontrolled bleeding secondary to coagulopathy from ESLD.1 Four other pioneer patients also died within 23 days due to ischemia-reperfusion injury and cellular rejection.2 In 1967, Starzl's first survivor lived for 18 months, quite an accomplishment since during the 1970s, 1-year survival rate after a liver transplant was 30%.3,4 Today, the 1-year survival rate is 80% to 82% and the 5-year survival rate is 60% to 68%.5,6 As orthotopic liver transplantation becomes a more standard approach of care, clinicians must be aware of postoperative care and complications of this procedure. This article describes an evidence-based approach to managing patients with complications after liver transplantation.

POSTOPERATIVE CARE

Liver transplant surgery has an average operative time of 9 hours with a postoperative stay in the ICU of about 3 days.7 A multidisciplinary care team, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, intensivists, physician assistants (PAs), nurses, and pharmacists, work in collaboration to provide needed postoperative care. Because the acute postoperative period is a critical time, close patient monitoring and care is important. The immediate postoperative period is when the most life-threatening complications can occur, thus the need for accurate and timely diagnosis is critical.

This article discusses the orthotopic approach, the most commonly performed method, and postoperative complications associated with liver transplantation. Specific surgical techniques are beyond the scope of this article. In orthotopic surgery, the diseased liver is removed and replaced with the donor liver via vessel anastomosis (Figures 1 and 2).

FIGURE 1.: Liver transplant at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School by Sir Roy Calne, 1992 FIGURE 2.: Surgeons performing a liver transplant.

Transplanted livers fall into two basic types:

Whole deceased liver. The deceased donor's entire liver is transplanted into the patient. Deceased donor livers can be further subdivided into donation after cardiac death or donation after brain death. 8,9

Living donor. Only a partial graft (left or right lobe) can be donated from a living person.

Complications can occur in patients no matter the source of the transplanted organ.

POSTOPERATIVE MONITORING

Doppler ultrasound screening lets clinicians evaluate the postoperative vascular anatomy and evaluate graft function and anastomoses for patency. This screening should be done within 24 hours of surgery to look for postoperative complications. Ultrasound is the diagnostic screening test of choice because it is cost effective, portable, rapid, and accurate.10

Resistive indices are measured on ultrasound to determine arterial blood flow to the liver. Normal findings are a rapid systolic upstroke and resistive index between 0.55 and 0.8.5,6 Although a slightly elevated resistance index may be noted in up to half of all patients, clinicians must differentiate between normal postoperative resistance or a catastrophic hepatic arterial thrombosis.

Frequently monitor the patient's postoperative laboratory values, which can give crucial evidence of graft function and overall patient status (Table 1). Using physical examination, ultrasound screening, and laboratory values, clinicians can detect many different types of postoperative complications.

TABLE 1.: 14,20,40 Important laboratory parameters to monitor for postoperative liver function

HEPATIC COMPLICATIONS

Hepatic artery thrombosis

The most common and serious complication, hepatic artery thrombosis has an overall national incidence of about 4% in patients who have had a liver transplant.5 The biliary tree relies entirely on blood supply from the hepatic artery; therefore, thrombosis causes rapid necrosis of the transplanted liver.11,12 Necrosis can quickly lead to complete graft failure that mimics acute liver failure. Hepatic artery thrombosis has an overall mortality of 33%.5

On ultrasound screening as described earlier, suspect thrombosis if the patient has a resistive index less than 0.5, slowed systolic acceleration time (greater than 0.08 seconds), and no flow within the hepatic arteries.2,11

Treatment depends on the size and severity of the thrombosis and includes observation, revascularization, or retransplantation.5 Most patients will ultimately require retransplantation to prevent mortality. Due to the catastrophic effects of this diagnosis, the liver transplant surgeon must be notified immediately after the discovery is made and often the patient is immediately relisted for a new transplant.

Hepatic artery stenosis

The second most common vascular complication, hepatic artery stenosis presents in a slower, more indolent course, occurring even weeks postoperatively.12 On ultrasound screening, findings can mimic hepatic artery thrombosis. Treatment involves stenting the stenotic artery. Untreated stenosis can lead to hepatic artery thrombosis, graft dysfunction, and death.5,12

Portal vein thrombosis

The most common venous complication of liver transplantation, portal vein thrombosis has only a 2% incidence.6,10 Unlike hepatic artery thrombosis, portal vein thrombosis usually has an insidious onset and can be asymptomatic in some patients.6 The patient may have an anastomotic leak; variceal hemorrhage; graft dysfunction with abnormal liver values; and clinical signs of ascites, sepsis, or hemodynamic instability. Screening for portal vein thrombosis is done with ultrasound, which will reveal a thrombosis and lack of blood flow. Treatment involves fibrinolysis or surgery for direct thrombectomy.6,11,13

Bile leak

About 4% of patients develop postoperative bile leak after liver transplant; about 30% of patients who received living donor transplants develop this complication due to smaller graft size.10,13 Bile leaks, especially undetected ones, can lead to graft loss and death. Bile leaks can cause bilomas, an encapsulated collection of bile, which require surgical correction or interventional radiologic procedures with percutaneous drain placement.13 Patients with bile leaks or bilomas may appear septic with elevated serum bilirubin values and increased white blood cell counts. Diagnosis is made by ultrasound, which directly reveals the leak or biloma formation. Treatment in the early postoperative period is often done surgically to make a Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy or by stenting the biliary duct with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).14

Primary graft nonfunction

In this complication, the transplanted liver fails to function for no obvious reason in a patient with an uneventful and uncomplicated surgical course and no vascular abnormalities. Primary graft nonfunction often leads to patient death. Clinical manifestations are very similar to those seen in acute liver failure and severely critically ill patients. The symptoms can include coma, hemodynamic instability, acid-base imbalance, persistent hypothermia, severe coagulopathy with little to no intrinsic factors (sometimes requiring numerous corrective measures and often continuous transfusions), severe thrombocytopenia, complete renal dysfunction, hyperbilirubinemia, and markedly elevated liver transaminases.10,13 Prompt treatment is critical and most patients are immediately relisted for a new transplant.

NONHEPATIC COMPLICATIONS

Complications often occur after liver transplantation because of the patient's condition that required the transplant as well as the long and invasive surgery.

Neurologic

Assess the patient's neurologic status frequently in the acute postoperative period. Encephalopathy from previous acute liver failure can prolong a patient's return to baseline neurologic status.14 Immunosuppressive agents, essential for graft survival, often have neurologic adverse effects including altered mental status, seizure activity, encephalopathy, and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. Very rarely, patients may develop cerebrovascular complications such as ischemic stroke or intracranial hemorrhage.15

If a patient has an abnormal neurologic examination, consider CT or MRI to look for intracranial pathology, such as infarct, hemorrhage, infection, or posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. An electroencephalogram (EEG) can be performed if an underlying seizure is highly suspected. Treatment of impaired neurologic status is directed toward the underlying cause and may require a neurologic consultation.

Pulmonary

Postoperative pulmonary complications can be caused by several factors. Recipients may require ongoing support through mechanical ventilation. Medications such as rocuronium and midazolam are metabolized by the liver, and metabolism can be delayed until the transplanted liver is fully functioning.16 Patients also may need ventilator support if they have preexisting pulmonary hypertension or hepatopulmonary syndrome along with pulmonary edema, large pleural effusions (especially right-sided as this is common after liver transplantation), atelectasis, or hypoxia. With large volumes of fluids and blood products needed during surgery or for postoperative resuscitation, patients may develop ventilation-perfusion mismatch from shunting caused by fluid shifts and may need respiratory support. Other pulmonary complications include pneumothorax, diaphragm dysfunction, pulmonary embolus, and transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI).17-19

Infectious pulmonary complications may contribute to respiratory problems. Sputum change, leukocytosis, and fever should prompt an evaluation.19 Infectious causes are usually from pneumonia, often from Gram-negative bacilli, but occasionally from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or cytomegalovirus (CMV) causing pneumonitis.18

With patients' predisposition to these pulmonary complication, reintubation may be required. Additional causes of respiratory failure include encephalopathy, surgical bleeding, hemodynamic instability, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Up to 80% of patients who develop ARDS after transplant die.18

Cardiac

Hemodynamic parameters are often difficult to manage postoperatively because many types of liver failure cause a hyperdynamic cardiac state and vasodilation.14 These physiologic disruptions can cause hemodynamic instability with high cardiac output and low systemic vascular resistance.13,14 Clinically, the patient will present with tachycardia and hypotension. The treatment is identical to hypovolemic shock and patients require aggressive IV fluid administration and may require vasopressors.20,21 Fluid resuscitation and hemodynamic stabilization are crucial to prevent cardiovascular collapse and end-organ damage.

Patients also may develop new-onset dysrhythmias, typically atrial fibrillation (AF).21 The treatment of AF depends on the patient's hemodynamic stability and is typically electrical or chemical cardioversion.

Gastrointestinal

The patient's surgical scar should be examined postoperatively for sources of infection or bleeding. Closely monitor indwelling drains: sudden changes in fluid output volume, fluid consistency, and fluid appearance may reflect worsening clinical status, bleeding, infection, or bile leaks.10

Starting immediately after surgery, perform abdominal examinations frequently. This examination can change rather quickly, often due to surgical bleeding. A soft abdomen is reassuring, but a distended and tense abdomen can be signs of abdominal hypertension or compartment syndrome, which can lead to severe overall decreased organ perfusion and death.22-24 Nutrition, although of utmost importance for healing postoperatively, usually is addressed after patient is stable.

Renal

A functioning renal system produces adequate urine output and provides metabolic clearance. Renal dysfunction can be caused by a preexisting hepatorenal syndrome or a postoperative hemorrhage or hypovolemia that causes decreased renal perfusion and AKI.2,14 In patients whose liver graft function suddenly decreases, renal function often abruptly decreases as well, as in hepatorenal syndrome. AKI occurs in 40% to 70% of patients after liver transplant; 8% to 17% of these patients require renal replacement therapy.25 Consultation with a nephrologist may be needed if the patient needs hemodialysis or continuous renal replacement therapy. In patients with hemodynamic instability, continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration often is used because fluid shifts are more gentle and patients are less likely to have abrupt hemodynamic fluctuations.10,25

Infectious

After transplant, patients are at increased infection risk because of the immunosuppressants needed for graft vitality. Bacterial infections are most commonly caused by Gram-negative bacteria such as Enterococcus, Stenotrophomonas, Ochrobactrum, Acinetobacter, Enterobacteriaceae, and Pseudomonas. Patients also are at risk for infection with Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococci. Treatment begins with broad-spectrum antibiotics that are narrowed based on the bacterial susceptibilities. Up to 50% of Gram-negative bacteria can progress to multidrug-resistant variants, which increases risk of patient mortality and graft rejection.26

Immunosuppressed patients are at high risk of contracting Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, formerly known as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, so all patients are offered prophylaxis with sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim after liver transplant.13

Transplant patients also are at higher risk for postoperative fungal infections, specifically from Candida.27 Fungal prophylaxis with fluconazole or itraconazole is given but has not been shown to reduce all-cause mortality and is not a standard of care.28

Patients with active CMV are at increased risk of Candida infections.29 CMV is the most common viral infection seen in liver transplant patients in the acute postoperative period.30 True viremia is detected by a simple blood test using polymerase chain reaction. Prophylaxis is preferred over preemptive therapy by most transplant institutions.31 Valganciclovir has been shown to be extremely efficacious against CMV infection.13,31,32

Endocrine

The endocrine system often is disrupted by the high-dose immunosuppressant drugs used in the acute postoperative period. Patients can develop corticosteroid-induced hyperglycemia and may even progress to corticosteroid-induced diabetes.33 Glucose monitoring and treatment is crucial to prevent further complications. Treatment typically is intermittent injections of insulin using a sliding scale or continuous insulin infusion.

Hematologic

The hematologic system is a direct indicator of liver graft function. If the graft is not functioning properly, the patient may develop coagulopathy, thrombocytopenia, and platelet dysfunction.13 Transfusion may be indicated for patients who are hemodynamically unstable or hemorrhaging; however, be careful not to overcorrect and cause thrombosis at the anastomoses. Massive transfusion is appropriate and critical for life-sustaining support in patients with rapid hemorrhage and shock. Provide packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, platelets, and cryoprecipitate if indicated. Notify the surgeon immediately, as patients may require emergency surgery.34,35

IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE AGENTS

Immunosuppression is essential for graft vitality, function, and protection against cellular rejection. Patients typically are prescribed a specific combination of immunosuppressive medications. The most standard combination is a calcineurin inhibitor (most commonly tacrolimus, less often cyclosporine), an antimetabolite (most commonly mycophenolate, less commonly azathioprine), and a corticosteroid.10,21,36,37 These agents, specifically tacrolimus, mycophenolate, and corticosteroids, typically ensure the best possibility of graft survival.7,38

Tacrolimus is the most commonly used calcineurin inhibitor in patients after liver transplant due to its extremely powerful immunosuppressive effects.37 Compared with cyclosporine, tacrolimus has a much better graft survival rate (80% to 85% after 1 year) and fewer adverse reactions.37,38 However, overdose may occur at any dosage. Common adverse reactions include nephrotoxicity (oliguria, AKI) that can progress to full renal failure, and neurotoxicity (changes in mental status, simple tremors, seizures, coma, and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome).15,25 Uncontrolled hypertension and dysglycemias (hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia) also may occur.39

Cyclosporine, an older calcineurin inhibitor, often is used for immunosuppression if tacrolimus is contraindicated.21 This drug has a 1-year patient survival rate of 70% to 75%.21 Cyclosporine poses a significant risk of nephrotoxity, so monitoring patients for oliguria and AKI is extremely important.

Mycophenolate and azathioprine, drugs known as antimetabolites, interfere with DNA synthesis and cell cycle production.21 Mycophenolate is used more frequently than azathioprine due to more specificity against lymphocytes.21 The drug also acts as a purine inhibitor when metabolized in the liver.21 The most well-known adverse reaction to mycophenolate is bone marrow suppression. Closely monitor patients' complete blood cell counts.

Sirolimus can be used if the patient has contraindications to tacrolimus, cyclosporine, and other immunosuppressive agents. This drug is used less often because of its increased adverse reactions, including renal dysfunction, hepatic artery thrombosis, and liver graft dysfunction.21,36

IV methylprednisolone is started in high doses and tapered down to low-dose oral prednisone that is continued in the acute postoperative period. The most adverse reactions to corticosteroids are hyperglycemia and corticosteroid-induced diabetes.40

With immunosuppression comes increased risk of malignancy. Medications that prevent rejection can contribute to oncogenesis in transplant recipients. This is particularly a concern in liver transplant, as this is the only solid organ in which primary malignancy can be treated with transplantation and recurrence is possible.41

Skin, hematologic, and solid-organ are common de novo cancers after transplant. In a recent single-center study by Rademacher and colleagues, the incidence of malignancy was 16.5% after liver transplantation. The risk at 10 years was 12.9% and 23% at 25 years.42 In this study, solid-organ tumors were the most common, followed by skin cancer and hematologic malignancies. The researchers found that cyclosporine use was associated with a higher solid-organ tumor rate compared with tacrolimus (HR 1.53, P = .03). Additional risk factors included smoking (HR 1.92, P = .001) and increased recipient age (HR 1.03, P = .001). With this increased risk, clinicians must educate patients on the risk and provide appropriate screening recommendations for these malignancies.42

CONCLUSION

Liver transplantation offers a cure to life-threatening acute liver failure and ESLD. Liver transplantations are extremely complex vascular surgeries with multisystemic involvement and require a multidisciplinary team approach. Healthcare providers must be aware of the complications of this surgery and be able to recognize complications and intervene appropriately to reduce further complications, sustain graft vitality, and decrease patient morbidity and mortality.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 03:23:16|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DUBAI, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese delegation introducing the achievements of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) wrapped up its tour in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday.

The delegation, led by Hu Changsheng, an alternate member of the CPC Central Committee, held briefing sessions with UAE government officials, business people, and representatives from major media and think tanks to introduce the spirit and significance of the CPC party congress.

The 19th CPC National Congress, whose central committee re-elected Chinese President Xi Jinping as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, was held in October and drew a blueprint for China's development over the next 30-plus years.

Hu also met with senior officials including Reem Al-Hashimy, the UAE minister of state for international cooperation, to introduce Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and innovative practices of Xi during his earlier years of work in southeast China's Fujian Province.

The UAE side hailed China's historical achievements under the leadership of Xi, and appraised the significance of the party congress, saying the UAE stands ready to promote development of bilateral relations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 04:08:22|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TRIPOLI, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj on Tuesday said that displaced Libyans from Tawergha city, some 240 km east of the capital Tripoli, will return home in February, 2018.

The internally displaced residents, who allied with the forces of the toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi during the 2011 uprising and fled their homes, will begin returning from next Feb. 1, announced Serraj, saying that necessary budget is to be allocated for compensations.

Serraj added that the move is "part of efforts to achieve national reconciliation and to lay the foundations for building a state of law and institutions."

"I also issued instructions for the country's security and services agencies to create necessary security conditions and provide basic needs for their safe and honorable return to their city," the statement added.

The decision came after a protest organized by hundreds of Tawerghans since Saturday, demanding returning to their city and implementing the reconciliation agreement signed in 2016 that allows their return.

During the 2011 uprising, some residents of Tawergha allied with the forces of Gaddafi against the rebels of the nearby city of Misurata. After Gaddafi's regime was toppled, those residents, accused by Misurata of actively participating in the fighting against them, fled their homes to others cities in Libya. Since then, they have been internally displaced.

In August 2016, representatives of Tawergha and Misurata cities signed a UN-sponsored draft reconciliation agreement to allow Tawerghan refugees to return home.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 04:18:24|Editor: Liangyu

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Photo provided by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 30, 2017 shows the test-firing of a ballistic missile. (Xinhua/KCNA)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Tuesday issued sanctions on two citizens of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) over the alleged involvement in the country's ballistic missile programs.

As a result of the action, any property or interests of the designated persons in the United States will be blocked and transactions by Americans involving these persons are generally prohibited, said a U.S. Treasury Department statement.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have reached an unprecedented level this year as the DPRK launched a nuclear test and multiple missile launches and the United States and South Korea have constantly conducted joint military drills.

The crisis has also been worsened by the exchange of personal insults and confrontational rhetoric between the leaders of the United States and the DPRK.

The U.S. administration, under President Donald Trump, has been sticking to a strategy of "maximum pressure" on the DPRK to force it to abandon its weapons programs, but so far has failed to achieve its goals.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 04:43:29|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TUNIS, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia's inbound tourism in 2017 recorded an increase of 23 percent by Dec. 20 year on year, with the number of tourists reaching 6.7 million, a source from the Tunisian government said Tuesday.

The number of tourists heading to Tunisia amounts to 6,731,565, including 18,361 Chinese tourists, with tourism revenue of 1.12 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 3 percent from last year.

The number of overnight stays increased 22.3 percent to reach 21.25 million. The island of Djerba in southeastern Tunisia ranks top with 4.66 million overnight stays.

The Arab Maghreb, including Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Mauritania, ranks first in terms of number of tourists who visited Tunisia with 3,666,941 tourists, a remarkable increase of 30.8 percent.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 04:48:29|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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LIMA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Peru's ex-president Alberto Fujimori, whose 25-year prison sentence was commuted by current President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, asked those he had wronged for forgiveness on Tuesday.

The move appeared designed to quell protests that have broken out against the pardon.

On Christmas Eve, Kuczynski cited Fujimori's poor health conditions as reasons to grant the "humanitarian" pardon.

In a video posted to his Facebook account, a contrite Fujimori addressed the nation from a hospital bed, where he is being treated for what one doctor described as non-life threatening ailments.

"I am aware that the results during my government were well received on the one hand, but I acknowledge that on the other hand, I have also disappointed other compatriots. I ask them for forgiveness with all my heart," said Fujimori.

Fujimori, 79, ruled the country using oppressive tactics. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2009 for ordering security forces to massacre 25 people.

A day after Kuczynski announced the pardon, police in the capital Lima clashed with protesters, launching tear gas at angry demonstrators.

Several opposition lawmakers have expressed suspect that the pardon points to a pact between Kuczynski and political factions led by Keiko Fujimori, daughter of the ex-president and head of the opposition Popular Force (FP) party.

The FP had strongly backed a motion in congress to impeach Kuczynski for being "morally unfit" to serve, following revelations that companies linked to him received millions in bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.

Last week, President Kuczynski survived the impeachment vote after the Congress failed to gain enough votes to pass the motion.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 04:58:31|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ANKARA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least seven Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members were killed in a counterterrorism operation in northern Iraq, the Turkish military said on Tuesday.

In a written statement from Turkish General Staff, the operation was carried out in Iraq's Gara, Metina, Avasin, and Basyan regions.

The military launched airstrikes on militia targets that were reportedly planning attacks on Turkish positions.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the EU, resumed its armed campaign against the Turkish state in 2015 after a brief reconciliation period.

The Turkish military has been carrying out anti-terror operations against PKK positions in northern Iraq since July 2015, with main focus on Qandil region, where the group's main base is located in.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 05:48:42|Editor: pengying

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RABAT, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Morocco and Niger signed here on Tuesday 16 cooperation agreements to bolster bilateral ties, according to the Moroccan Foreign Ministry's website.

These agreements were signed during the 4th Morocco-Niger joint bilateral commission, which was co-chaired by the Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his Nigerien counterpart Ibrahim Yacoubou.

The agreements cover a variety of sectors, including economy, transport, health, justice, tourism and culture.

Speaking during the joint meeting, Bourita praised the vitality and richness of the Moroccan-Nigerien partnership, underlining that the commission will give new impetus to bilateral ties.

He also stressed the key role played by Niger in preserving stability and security in the Sahel region, recalling the increasing security challenges in this African region.

Yacoubou commended Morocco's continued support and active solidarity with Niger, underlining that the two countries are working together to make their bilateral relations a model of partnership at the African level as part of South-South cooperation.

He also hailed Morocco's return to the African Union (AU), saying that the readmission is an additional asset for the pan-African organization.

Niger's foreign minister also reiterated support to Morocco's request to join the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Morocco, which holds the status of observer at ECOWAS, requested membership of the organization in late February, a month after the kingdom rejoined the African Union.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 06:38:54|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ROME, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Italian prosecutors have opened an investigation into a Moroccan-Italian woman who has been arrested by DIGOS anti-terrorism police, ANSA news agency reported Tuesday.

The 35-year-old woman, named only by the initials R.M., reportedly went to Syria with her three small children for the love of an extremist from the so-called Islamic State (IS) group, whom she had met online.

She was arrested at Milan's Malpensa airport on Dec. 23 on an international warrant from France, where the Italian father of her children lives and where he had reported her missing.

The woman, who is reportedly seven months pregnant, could face charges of international terrorism in Italy.

French prosecutors have accused her of criminal association with terrorist intent and of endangering her children.

Custody of the children has been awarded to their father, an Italian who works as a chef in a seaside resort in the south of France, ANSA reported.

Authorities tracked her down about a month ago, when she was expelled from Turkey on her way back from Syria and had to call the children's father to ask for help getting home.

French prosecutors will try to determine whether she brought the couple's children with her to Syria intending to draft them into IS child combat units, according to ANSA.

The woman has been incarcerated at Milan's San Vittore prison ahead of a Dec. 29 extradition hearing.

Returning foreign fighters, or Europeans who went to fight in IS ranks in Syria and Iraq, are considered a major terrorist threat now that IS has largely been militarily defeated.

"Foreign fighters are escaping, they are coming home," Interior Minister Marco Minniti told a police training academy a month ago.

"We are facing a military diaspora of return," he said in a speech posted on the ministry's official website.

Maximum international cooperation is essential to identifying and capturing these returning extremist fighters before they go into action at home, Minniti said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-27 06:53:58|Editor: pengying

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Supply Ministry announced the temporary suspension of export of Brazilian fish to the European Union (EU) on Tuesday.

According to the ministry, the suspension, which will take effect on January 3, 2018, is a preventive measure to avoid a blockade of Brazilian fish exports by the EU.

In September, the EU carried out an inspection of Brazil's fishery sector and criticized the sector for not separating the capture of wild fish and fish farming activities.

With the suspension, Brazil will carry out an action plan to tackle the issues raised by the EU.

According to the ministry, Brazil's fish exports amounted to 21.8 million U.S. dollars from January to November in 2017.
A Lancaster County judge says the cocaine, marijuana and cash found in an SUV on Interstate 80 last year cannot be used as evidence at trial because the Lincoln police officer lacked probable cause to stop it.

Phillip Plummer, 35, and Andre Plummer, 42, both are charged with possession with intent to deliver cocaine and marijuana as well as possession of money during a drug violation for the stop Sept. 16, 2016, near the 56th Street exit.

That morning, Lincoln Officer John Hudec, a member of the Criminal Interdiction Task Force, stopped a black, 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe with Minnesota plates, gave Phillip Plummer a warning ticket for following too closely, then asked to search.

He declined, but officers ended up searching anyway when one smelled marijuana on the driver as a police dog was sent around the SUV.

In court records, police said the search turned up 3 pounds of marijuana, 2 ounces of cocaine and $15,605 cash.

Phillip Plummer's attorney, Justin Kalemkiarian, and Andre Plummer's public defender, Todd Molvar, filed motions to suppress the drugs and cash from trial, arguing that the officer had no reason to stop the SUV.

In an order last week, Lancaster County District Judge Lori Maret agreed.

She said the officer testified at a hearing on the motion that he spotted the eastbound Santa Fe in an area where the speed limit goes from 75 to 65 mph and the driver was well within the limit.

The officer took the 27th Street exit, then immediately got back on I-80 driving over 90 mph to catch up to the SUV, according to his in-car video, Maret wrote.

The Santa Fe still was going the speed limit in the center lane and became boxed-in. When a car cut in front of the SUV, the officer stopped Phillip Plummer for following too closely. But Maret said the video showed he had begun to create a gap, "and if given more than 14 seconds would have probably done so had the officer not pulled him over."

"The driver was not following," she wrote, "but was rather moved over on, and for that reason the officer did not have probable cause to stop the vehicle."

Maret said the driver, by all accounts, maintained his lane of travel and followed the rules of the road. To follow too closely, the driver must intend to do so, Maret said.

Without the evidence, the cases will probably be dismissed.
I recently attended the 104th Annual Convention of the Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU), Harnessing the Power of Cooperation since 1931. Property taxes were at the forefront of the meeting held in Grand Island, Neb. with a panel representing the coalition, Nebraskans United for Property Tax Reform and Education, that is a conglomerate of numerous state organizations and thousands of the states residents who are working to bring attention to what they believe is severe disparity in the states tax structure.

Tiffany Seibert Joekel, Policy Director for Open Sky, explained some of the current tax revenue conditions. She said Nebraska ranks second among states when it comes to its reliance on property taxes to fund education and Nebraska is 49th among states when it comes to state funding for education. On average, property taxes make up 60 percent of the funding for education in Nebraska (the national average is 45 percent). Nebraska farmers and ranchers pay an average of $22,000 in property taxes, the highest in the nation (California is second with an average of $13,000 per farmer and rancher).

Seibert Joekel said the state revenue was $34 million below forecast for fiscal year 2017 and they are looking at a $173 million shortfall total when the legislature convenes in January 2018. This is on top of the already $895 million shortfall they faced when they convened in January of 2017.

Why the struggle? The overall ag economy spurred by weak commodity prices and other issues, tax planning, past tax cuts, tax incentives (spiked $160 million throughout the prior year) and base issues, she explained.

The Legislative Panel at the convention also pointed to property tax as a massive issue and also a state house that is afraid to go against the state governor due to what Hansen said are unprecedented actions by Ricketts,

What we saw never before is the Governor of the State of Nebraska using the power of his pocketbook to recruit candidates who were going to do things his way, period. . . . The Ricketts (family) spent $733,000 in the last election and that is the money that we actually know about.

Senator Bob Krist was equally passionate about these issues and is also running against Ricketts for Governor in the next election, My only campaign promise is that I will base my whole governing on listening and being with the people . . . I helped Pete Ricketts get elected and had a relationship with him at the beginning and we talked two to three times a week. One day I said I needed to talk to him and said to him, You are wrong on this issue. That was sometime in 2015 and that was the last time I talked to the Governor. Hes not accessible. I will be.

At the conclusion of the convention, National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson posed the question, What does it mean to be a member of Farmers Union? . . . The 80s hit a lot of folks really hard . . . What was important at that time is that Farmers Union really stood with the farmers that were struggling. I think a lot of farmers were saved because of that . . . As important as the farm is, the family is more important and we should never forget that. . . . We stand for families, communities and folks working together. We stand for things that are more important than money. . . . But we live in a very, very different political environment than what we grew up in. Trying to figure out how to tell our stories and how we can make the case for whats important to us as family farmers for the industry we love is becoming increasingly more challenging . . . We live in a time where chaos is more the order of the day than regular order. . . . We need to figure out how we influence this system. The old rules are not the same any longer.

After digesting all the material I took home from this convention, I came to this conclusion  as we grapple with current realities and systems designed to suppress creativity and true entrepreneurship, we also need to recognize there are farmers, ranchers and rural community leaders who are circumventing and reinventing the current systemic issues in rural and farm policy. They are hearkening past wisdom and also embracing some of the new but only, (and I stress only), embracing what connects us positively and grows a better nutritional source of food and lifestyle for all of us.

We can complain about taxes, people and policy. Or, we can recognize its high time for a better way and break out of such a heavy reliance on these suppressive systems. Many of us are the descendants of people who clearly recognized when they were living under stifling regimes and structures. We can learn from them and from the current pioneers who are regenerating their land, remembering the mistakes of history and fearlessly moving forward. Thats leadership. Thats what we need. Johnson is right; the old rules are not the same. Stand up and make them, break them for the betterment of society or simply reinvent them. Stand up.
Pesticide recertification information

I received a number of calls this week regarding pesticide recertification dates. The week between Christmas and New Years, a letter explaining pesticide recertification and our winter program brochure will be mailed in all the counties I serve and will list all the upcoming recertification dates and other upcoming programs. You can also view all the dates located throughout the State at: https://edmedia.wufoo.com/reports/2018-psep-private-training-dates/. I will not be having dicamba training as a part of pesticide recertification as it will be available online and will share more details in the coming month as we receive them.

Beef Cattle Report

The 2018 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report is now available. The report provides a summary of the latest beef cattle research conducted at the University of NebraskaLincoln. The report can be accessed at https://beef.unl.edu/2018-nebraska-beef-cattle-report

BeefWatch Newsletter: Some of you may be interested in UNLs BeefWatch newsletter which shares a number of upcoming programs for cattle producers. Most of these are held in west-central Nebraska but sharing in the event they may be of interest to you. You can find all these programs in addition to other articles at: http://newsroom.unl.edu/announce/beef/7288.

Farmers Sought to Join in Data-Intensive Farm Research: Researchers and farmers are collaborating on a project using GPSguided precision ag technology. The goal of Data-Intensive Farm Management (DIFM) is to revolutionize farm management by assisting growers in implementing scientific experiments on their own farms. This will enable growers to increase their profits by making datadriven management decisions.

The public will have an opportunity to learn about the on-farm research results gathered so far at a meeting Wednesday, Jan. 10 at the Hall County Extension office, 3180 W. Hwy. 34, in Grand Island. It will be from 12 to 3 p.m. To RSVP for the complimentary noon lunch, call 402-624-8030.

According to University of Nebraska Precision Ag Engineer Joe Luck and Nebraska Extension Educator Keith Glewen, growers and agronomists are being sought to participate in the project. Growers using variable rate seeding in continuous corn production and those using variable rate nitrogen fertilizer application should consider participating. The initial meeting will provide information on yield results and Veris data, aerial imagery, and economic information.

Data-intensive farm management field trials are highly computerized, automated, and are conducted on large-scale, on-farm checkerboard field plots. Specialized software instructs variable rate equipment to work with GPS technologies in order to implement the experiment while growers simply drive through the field.

Participants are compensated for yield losses due to treatments, details of which will be provided at the Jan. 10 session. Growers interested in participating are asked to consider having information available about planting, fertilizer, and harvest systems as well as the variable-rate controller they use. For more information, contact Luck at 402-472-1488 or jluck2@unl.edu, or Glewen at 402-624-8030 or klglewen1@unl.edu. Information is also available online at https://go.unl.edu/january2018difm.

Nebraska Sorghum Symposium

The Nebraska Sorghum Symposium offers timely and useful information to help sorghum farmers make confident, informed production and management decisions for their 2018 crop. Sponsored by the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Producers Association (NeGSPA), Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board, and Nebraska Extension, the symposium will be held at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis, 404 East 7th St., beginning at 9 a.m. Jan. 18.

Program presentations include: Al Dutcher, associate state climatologist, with a weather outlook; Cody Creech, extension dryland cropping specialist, on sorghum production in western Nebraska; Galen Erickson, extension beef feedlot nutrition specialist, on sorghums grazing value and how it works in cover crops; Dennis Macfee with Ag West Commodities with a market analysis and look at demand trends for 2018; Scott Staggenborg, vice-president of research and development for Chromatin, on important production and management strategies and new technology in sorghum; Matt Stockton, extension ag economist, on managing risk in uncertain times; and a representative of the National Sorghum Producers with an in-depth look at new developments and policy priorities as they work on behalf of sorghum producers  both at home and abroad.

The program will conclude with the annual membership meeting of NeGSPA and an update report by the Grain Sorghum Board. All sorghum growers and allied industry are invited to attend. Conference registration can be done by emailing sorghum.board@nebraska.gov or by calling the office at 402-471-4276. The Sorghum Symposium is free and includes lunch. Registration begins at 9 a.m. with coffee and rolls and viewing of commercial exhibits. CCA credits have been applied for.

Upcoming Events

 Jan. 4: Fremont Corn Expo, http://croptechcafe.org/fremontcornexpo/

 Jan. 9-11: Nebraska Turfgrass Conference, LaVista Conference Center, http://www.nebraskaturfgrass.com

 Jan. 10: UBBNRD Nitrogen Mgmt Training, 9:30 a.m., Leadership Center Aurora

 Jan. 10: York Ag Expo, Holthus Convention Center, York (Chemigation Training 9 a.m. - Noon steve.melvin@unl.edu, Cover Crop/Annual Forages Topics 1-4 p.m.)

 Jan. 11: York Ag Expo, Holthus Convention Center, York (Private Pesticide Training 9 a.m. - Noon jrees2@unl.edu, Precision Ag Topics 1-4 p.m.)

 Jan. 11: LBNRD Operator Training, 1:30 p.m., Fairbury 4-H Bldg

 Jan. 11: Crop Production Clinic, North Platte, https://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc

 Jan. 16: LBNRD Operator Training, 9 a.m., Fairgrounds in Hastings

 Jan. 16: Crop Production Clinic, Norfolk, https://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc

 Jan. 18: LBNRD Training, 1:30 p.m., Davenport Community Center

 Jan. 18: Crop Production Clinic, Lincoln, https://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc

 Jan. 18-19: Hops Grower, Brewer Conference, Embassy Suites Downtown Omaha, http://www.growbrewnebraska.com/registration/

 Jan. 24: UBBNRD Nitrogen Mgmt Training, 9:30 a.m., Faigrounds in Seward

 Jan. 24-25: Nebraska Crop Management Conference, Kearney, https://agronomy.unl.edu/NCMC

 Jan. 30: Partners In Progress Beef Seminar Cow/Calf College at U.S. MARC near Clay Center from 10 a.m. -3:30 p.m., Registration at 9:30 a.m. RSVP to (402) 759-3712.

 Jan. 30-31: No-Till On the Plains Winter Conference, Wichita, Kan. http://notill.org/

 Feb. 1: LBNRD Operator Training, 9 a.m., Hebron Community Center

 Feb. 1: Merrick County Ag Day, Fairgrounds Central City RSVP: steve.melvin@unl.edu

 Feb. 7-9: Nebraska Ag Tech Assoc. (NeATA) Conference

 Feb. 8: LBNRD Operator Training, 1:30 p.m., Fairgrounds Clay Center

 Feb. 15: LBNRD Operator Training, 9 a.m., Shickley Community Center

 Feb. 14: Hamilton County Ag Day, Fairgrounds Aurora, RSVP: steve.melvin@unl.edu

 Feb. 15: Cover Crop Conference, former ARDC near Mead, kglewen1@unl.edu

 Feb. 19: Nebraska On-Farm Research Network Update, former ARDC near Mead

 Feb. 20: Nebraska On-Farm Research Network Update, Lifelong Learning Center Northeast Com. College, Norfolk

 Feb. 21: Nebraska On-Farm Research Network Update, Hall Co. Extension Office, Grand Island

 Feb. 22-23: Women in Ag Conference, Kearney

 Feb. 23: Farmers/Ranchers College: Crop Insurance, Farm Bill Policy Update & More!, Fillmore Co. Fairgrounds-Geneva, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Registration at 9:30 a.m. RSVP to (402) 759-3712.

 Feb. 28: UBBNRD Nitrogen Mgmt Training, 9:30 a.m., Holthus Convention Center, York

 March 1: LBNRD Operator Training, 1:30 p.m., Kenesaw Senior Center
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - Last night, at approximately 11 p.m., Yuma Police Officers responded to a disturbance in the 2000 block of E. 25th Street involving discharge of a firearm.

An ensuing investigation revealed that 32 year-old Joaquin Beltran Flores started an altercation involving domestic violence and child custody issues. Joaquin Flores has been known to frequent the cities of Yuma and Somerton, Arizona.

No one was injured as the result of the shots fired, but at least one vehicle sustained damage. Yuma Police are actively looking for Joaquin Flores, who fled the scene and should be considered armed and dangerous.

Joaquin Flores is a Hispanic male, approximately 510, 185 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He is a fugitive from justice involving other incidents, and has been known to drive a silver Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the past. This vehicle has been located and impounded by police, so his current vehicle information (if any) is unknown.

The Yuma Police Department encourages anyone with information about this case or knowledge of where Joaquin Flores is located to please call police at (928)783-4421 or 78-CRIME (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous.
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Patna: Bihar in 2017 witnessed one of the most dramatic political realignments in recent history as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dumped the 'grand alliance', comprising his JD(U), arch rival Lalu Prasad's RJD and the Congress, to rejoin the BJP-led NDA.

The year proved to be a bad one for Lalu Prasad as he was ousted from the grand alliance and also had to go to jail.

On December 23, a special court in Ranchi convicted him and 15 others in a fodder scam case 21 years after it had surfaced.

The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3. The 69-year-old RJD leader is now lodged in the Birsa Munda jail.

While witnessing the cataclysmic political developments, the state was also ravaged by floods which affected 19 districts of north Bihar, rendered close to a million homeless and claimed more than 500 lives.

Shortly after the installation of the new government, the Srijan scam involving fraudulent transfer of hundreds of crores from the treasury to an NGO came to light. The state government promptly ordered a CBI inquiry amid allegations from the opposition that the NGO enjoyed patronage from many top leaders of the ruling coalition.

Driven by the conviction that social evils must be eradicated for the fruits of development to reach all, Kumar also launched campaigns against dowry and child marriage, claiming that these reforms would transform the society in no smaller measure than his previous radical step of prohibition had done.

However, incidents like hooch tragedies in Rohtas and Vaishali districts and killing of a policeman by liquor smugglers in Samastipur as also frequent seizures of huge quantities of liquor across the state despite a stringent prohibition law raised question mark on the liquor ban being practical.

Kumar took the drastic step of severing ties with the "Mahagathbandhan" four years after he had snapped his 17- year-old association with the BJP in protest against the latter making Narendra Modi its prime ministerial candidate.

The sharp hostility between the two leaders began giving way to bonhomie which became evident at the "Prakash Parv" in January, when at a function held to celebrate 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh Modi and Kumar shared dais and showered praise on each other.

During the assembly polls in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh in February, the JD(U) gave up its earlier enthusiasm for opposition unity and maintained a studied distance notwithstanding the Congress forming an alliance with the Samajwadi Party and the RJD throwing its weight behind the coalition.

Earlier, last year, Kumar had ruffled the feathers of his coalition partners by coming out in support of Modi's demonetisation decision, which the Congress and the RJD criticise till date.

That all was not well with the "Mahagathbandhan" became more than obvious when Kumar decided to support the candidature of Ram Nath Kovind in the presidential polls. The chief minister defended his decision citing Kovind's exemplary conduct as the governor of Bihar and contended that the Congress-led UPA, by belatedly fielding former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, was fighting a lost battle.

However, the turning point came with the CBI filing a case in connection with the land for hotels scam against Lalu Prasad and his family members, including his younger son and the then deputy chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.

Kumar's suggestion that Yadav give a public explanation was rejected by the RJD and he resigned from the chief minister's post citing irreconcilable differences with his alliance partner. The BJP came up with the offer of support and a new government was installed with Kumar being sworn in as the chief minister less than 24 hours after having stepped down.

The stormy developments did not leave the JD(U) unscathed, though, with the party's former president Sharad Yadav and Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar, an old Kumar loyalist, raising a banner of revolt.

Defying party diktats, the duo took part in functions held by the RJD and openly accused Kumar of having betrayed the mandate of 2015 assembly polls.

Kumar, who is also the JD(U) president, however, scored a few points by expelling all Sharad loyalists from the party, successfully defending a case against the rebel faction's claim over the party symbol before the Election Commission and finally getting both Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar disqualified from the Rajya Sabha.

The collapse of the Grand Alliance also caused turmoil in the state unit of the Congress, which stands bitterly divided into two factions, one said to be close to Kumar and the other more comfortable with the RJD.

Infighting led to the removal of Ashok Choudhary as the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee chief. The rival faction has been accusing Choudhary of plotting a split at the instance of Kumar in whose cabinet he was a powerful minister and with whom he is said to maintain good relations.

The RJD has been having its own share of woes with Prasad before his conviction routinely appearing before the CBI court in Jharkhand in connection with cases related to the fodder scam. His Rajya Sabha MP daughter Misa Bharti, her husband Shailesh and Tejashwi have been grilled by the ED in a money laundering case.

His wife Rabri Devi refused to appear before the ED in Delhi despite as many as six summonses following which Enforcement Directorate officials came to Patna to interrogate her. The couple's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, too, faces a probe by the state vigilance bureau in a soil purchase scam.

Prasad's grip over the party which he had founded, nevertheless, appears firm. While he himself was elected, unopposed, as the party's national president for a term that ends in 2020, a resolution declaring Tejashwi as the RJD's chief ministerial candidate was passed at the party's recently-held national council.

Another key decision taken by the Nitish Kumar government was to introduce reservations in outsourced services, a move that has been described by critics as an attempt to bring quota system in the private sector through backdoor.

A new mining policy brought in July to put a check on illegal sand mining became a major bone of contention. The same has been stayed by the Patna High Court, which has also directed the state government to ensure that mining was allowed under the old provisions.

An appeal against the high court order has been turned down by the Supreme Court. Truck operators in the state went on a strike in November in protest against stringent restrictions imposed on transportation of sand while the RJD, often accused of being in cahoots with the state's sand mining mafia, has seized the opportunity to blame the government for a slump in construction activities which has rendered many workers jobless.

Another Patna High Court order stating that contractual teachers in the state were entitled to get salary at par with their regular counterparts has also left the cash-starved government in a bind.
New Delhi: Sending out a strong message to corporates, the government has said non-compliance will be "very costly" and strong deterrents will be there to curb the dangerous adventure of using companies for wrongful purposes.

Continuing the clampdown on illicit fund flows, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has already struck off more than 2.24 lakh companies that have not been doing business for long and has disqualified over three lakh directors associated with such entities.

Against this backdrop, Corporate Affairs Secretary Injeti Srinivas said things are being simplified for legitimate businesses while checks are being strengthened against illegal business activities.

"It should be very easy to be compliant and very costly to be non-compliant. We want this... There should be a strong deterrent against illegal business. People using the company for wrong purposes, that should be a very dangerous adventure," he told PTI in an interview.

About the ongoing action with respect to suspected shell companies, he said investigations are being carried out with urgency.

"When you go for prosecution, it should serve as a deterrent. Imprisonment option should essentially be confined to violations involving criminality and fraud," Srinivas said.

On the scenario of certain genuine entities also facing the heat in the clampdown, Srinivas said every effort is made to ensure that "innocent companies are not inconvenienced", adding that investigations are carried out only after preliminary scrutiny.

"In any such large exercise, it is not unusual that there could be some collateral damage. It cannot be so perfect but effectively, it is very focussed and every effort is made that innocent companies are not inconvenienced," he noted.

To provide a three-month window for defaulting companies to submit their filings, the ministry would be coming out with the Condonation of Delay Scheme. It is to be in place from January 1 to March 31, 2018.

While making it clear that a law should not be too onerous, he said there is a continuous effort to simplify the law "but non-negotiable in terms of essential compliance".

Last week, the Parliament cleared a bill to further amend the Companies Act.

The bill would bring about some far reaching changes, Srinivas said, adding that almost 100 sections would get revised and many would contribute towards the ease of doing business.

"At the same time, there is also strengthening of provisions relating to areas such as identification of mismanagement, fraud detection, disclosures and related party transactions," he said.

The MCA 21 system -- which is used by the companies to submit their filings to the ministry -- is a strong technology platform that is well entrenched, he noted.

"It is a very robust platform for regulation of companies. It is a huge resource of filings from more than 1.5 million companies. It is user-friendly... It also facilitates better enforcement without being unduly invasive," Srinivas said.

At the end of November 30, there were a little over 17.12 lakh companies and out of them more than 11.36 lakh entities were active.
NEW DELHI: After a six-month-long chase, the Delhi Police Crime Branch on Saturday finally arrested Sonu Punjaban  a woman infamous for running high-class prostitution rackets and trafficking young girls across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

But arresting Punjaban with concrete proof was no easy feat.

It all started in 2009 when a 12-year-old girl was kidnapped from her home. There was no trace or sign of her in the next four years.

In 2012, a 16-year-old girl landed in Najafgarh police station. She claimed to have information about Punjaban and her network of pimps.

This 16-year-old child was the same girl who was kidnapped in 2009, the police later realised.

After being kidnapped, the girl was trafficked to at least 10 persons, drugged and forced into prostitution. On protesting, she was often starved and tortured.

After sometime, she landed up with Sonu Punjaban.

Punjaban, whose real name is Geeta Arora, taught her to speak English and gave lessons on how to present self in front of clients.

The girl recalled how she would be drugged before meeting a client. Punjaban's network often provided home services to clients.

The girl, somehow, managed to flee and reached the Najafgarh police station.

Armed with all the info, the police filed an official complaint and knocked the doors of the court.

However, scared for her life, the 16-year-old girl went underground.

Meanwhile, in 2014, Punjaban, who was arrested by police in 2011 for running a prostitution racket, was acquitted by a Delhi court.

A senior official associated with the investigation managed to trace the missing girl, but once again she managed to flee, believing that she will be killed by Punjaban who was recently acquitted by court.

Punjaban's case was handed over to ACP Lamba, who then got in touch with the girl. The police helped her with counselling.

Over the last six-months, based on information provided by the girl, the police carefully laid a trap to nab Punjaban.

"Sonu Punjaban was arrested on Saturday after she was interrogated by team heading by ACP Sandeep Lamba in Cyber Cell office of the Crime Branch," said a senior police officer.

"Following which, Punjaban was given a notice to join investigation and she was arrested when she admitted her crime," he added.

Punjaban was involved in 5 cases previously which include cases under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act, f murder and other crimes in Delhi and Haryana, he added.

With agency inputs
Lincoln police are looking into whether three teenagers found in a stolen car on Christmas morning might have also stolen a gun from a car and used it to shoot out another cars windows overnight Friday.

Police caught the teens after a 53-year-old Lincoln man reported his car stolen Monday morning, Officer Angela Sands said. The man called police to say he had left his car running near 15th and South streets at 10:30 a.m. while having tea and someone took off with it.

Within 4 minutes, an officer spotted the three teens inside the car about four blocks away.

While police got the 15-year-old driver in handcuffs, a 14-year-old passenger in the backseat ran. A second 15-year-old and the driver broke free and ran, too. But all three were caught within minutes and taken to the Youth Assessment Center, Sands said.

Police learned the three were responsible for other larcenies from parked cars but still were trying to determine if they were behind the theft of a .32 caliber Beretta on Friday from a Jeep Cherokee in the 6200 block of Woodstock Circle.

The driver thought he had locked the Jeep, but there were no signs of a break-in, Sands said.

Police believe the thief or thieves used the gun to shoot out windows of a van parked in the 2000 block of Vavrina Lane.
NEW DELHI: In New Delhi airport's world-class Terminal 3, a senior professor from AIIMS Jodhpur, severely bleeding from the forehead, frantically searched for medical aid for more than an hour, without any success.

Dr Prem Prakash Sharma, kept searching for the medical aid room at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), which was reportedly locked.

Incidentally, there's a lavish Medanta clinic inside the airport but both the professor and the airport staff were unaware of it.

The incident took place on December 19.

Fifty-seven-year-old Sharma, who works as an Assistant Professor (Biostatistician) at AIIMS Jodhpur, arrived at the Delhi airport's T3 terminal to catch an Air India (AI) flight to Vishakhapatnam.

"I was trying to take out my luggage from the cab's trunk when it fell on my head and I fell down. Seconds later, when I got up with the driver's assistance, I noticed that my forehead was bleeding. I tried to contain the blood flow with my handkerchief but it did not stop. So then I approached my airline's counter to seek medical assistance," Sharma told DNA.

The airline staff failed to find any medical assistance for him, who was still struggling to control the blood flow.

"No medical or paramedical staff was available nearby. Finally, the airline staff apologised to me. Later, a woman at an information counter, who had a first aid kit, helped me. Luckily, the bleeding had stopped by then," Sharma said, adding, "I got proper dressing and Tetanus injections after reaching Visakhapatnam."

The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) authorities, meanwhile, claimed that sufficient medical facilities are available at the airport, including a Medanta clinic.

Sharma, however, said that neither he nor the airline staff was aware of any such facility.

"Surprisingly, out of hundreds of airport staff on the floor, none came forward to offer help as we roamed around. It was shocking for me to learn that on an international airport like IGIA, no first aid facility could be availed. Fortunately, it was not a major accident. Had this happened to a tourist or an international passenger, it would have been an insult for the country," the professor said.
NEW DELHI: Delhi's Patiala House Court on Tuesday granted bail to the accused who was arrested in connection with two molestation cases at ITO Metro Station.

On November 13, a 25-year-old woman was allegedly molested at the ITO Metro station.

The incident which was caught on camera showed that the man tried to touch the girl in an inappropriate manner when she was climbing down the stairs of the metro station.

The woman, a journalist by profession, said that he tried to grope her at least twice.

"At first I thought he touched me by mistake but then he groped me again. After that, it took me few seconds to gather myself. There was no security personnel around, otherwise I would've caught him there," she said.

During the hearing on November 17, the Patiala House Court had sent him to 14 days judicial custody.

The accused had allegedly molested two girls, including the journalist on the same day while he was in an inebriated state.
Several urgent issues dominated the business headlines this year  from the successful rolling out of the Goods and services Tax, to the privatisation of Air India, to bank recapitalisation deemed essential to increase public spending on infrastructure.

The vexed long-standing issue of mandatory linking of Aadhaar with banking, mobile, mutual funds and a host of other essential services also found prominence in 2017.

Here's a recap of what happened in the business world in 2017.

GST roll out

Reminiscent of Indias tryst with destiny at the midnight of 15 August 1947, Parliaments historic Central Hall hosted a function on the intervening night of 30 June-1 July to ring in the nations biggest tax reformthe goods and services tax (GST).

The GST (comprising 4 tax slabs  5 percent, 12 percent, 18 percent and 28 percent) has brought indirect taxes comprising numerous central and state levies such as value added tax, sales tax, octroi and luxury tax under one umbrella.

In a major revamp of the GST tax structure in November, the GST Council removed 178 items from the highest 28 percent category while cutting the tax on all restaurants outside starred-hotels to 5 percent.

Only 50 products, including luxury and sin items, white goods, cement and paints, automobiles, aeroplane and yacht parts have been retained in the top 28 percent slab.

Mandatory Aadhaar linking flip flop

After a series of extensions and re-extensions, the government has finally extending the deadline of linking Aadhaar with all services and welfare measures till March 31 next year. The host of essential services includes bank account, PAN card, mobile number, mutual fund, LIC, PPF and various social schemes.

Moreover, for opening new bank accounts, an applicant will not be required to provide Aadhaar number to the bank. Only a proof to the bank that the person has applied for the Aadhaar number, would be enough for now.

India joins select nations on dynamic fuel pricing

India joined the league of select countries like the US and Australia where fuel prices are revised on a daily basis in June.

The three state-owned oil marketing companies (OMCs) -- Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation -- are since rolling-out the daily dynamic pricing mechanism for petrol and diesel.

Under the dynamic pricing scheme, petrol and diesel prices are being revised on a daily basis in sync with global crude oil prices.

India's sovereign rating

Moodys Investors Service in November raised Indias sovereign rating for the first time in over 13 years on growth prospects boosted by continued economic and institutional reforms.

However, Moodys rating didn't seem to influence the rating of other rating agencies. Standard & Poors on Friday kept its sovereign rating for India unchanged at BBB-minus with stable outlook saying vulnerabilities stemming from low per capita income and high government debt balance strong GDP growth.

Reversing the five quarters of slowing GDP growth, Indian economy expanded by 6.3 percent in July-September on the back of a pick-up in manufacturing. The gross domestic product (GDP) growth had hit a three- year low of 5.7 percent in the first quarter of 2017-18. It was 7.5 percent in the September quarter of 2016-17.

Air India Privatisation

The Cabinet gave in-principle approval to divest a stake in Air India in June this year. Air India has a debt of Rs 52,000 crore, of which Rs 20,000 crore is aircraft-related and Rs 32,000 crore is working-capital based.

Government may take over half the working-capital debt as part of its divestment plan. The airline has a fleet of 105 aircraft. As of March 2017, its assets were worth about 40,000 crore.

A ministerial group headed by finance minister Arun Jaitley has been set up that will decide the demerger and strategic divestment of three profit making subsidiaries, the quantum of disinvestment and the universe of bidders.

Bank recapitalisation

Government unveiled an unprecedented Rs 2.11 lakh crore two-year road map for strengthening NPA-hit public sector banks, which includes re-capitalisation bonds, budgetary support, and equity dilution

The programme entails mobilisation of capital, with maximum allocation in the current year, to the tune of about Rs 2,11,000 crore over the next two years, through budgetary provisions of Rs 18,139 crore, and recapitalisation bonds to the tune of Rs 1.35 lakh crore

The balance will be raised by banks from the market by diluting government equity. The government's equity dilution will help banks to raise about Rs 58,000 crore. The government equity, as per the current policy, can come down to 52 percent in state-owned banks.

Infosys gets its new CEO

Infosys finally got its new CEO in December. The I-T bellweather appointed Salil S Parekh as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the company effective January 2, 2018.

The Bengaluru-headquartered company had been searching for a new CEO since August this year after Vishal Sikka quit amid turmoil in the company. It had formed a Nomination and Remuneration Committee chaired by Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw to search for the CEO.

Sikka resigned from Infosys after a prolonged battle between the Board and the company founders leading to the return of Nilekani, a company co-founder, at the helm in August.

Nilekani, himself one of Infosys` seven founders and a former CEO, was named chair in August in a victory for the founders, who led by Narayana Murthy have waged an acrimonious battle with the board for months over alleged corporate governance lapses.

Bitcoin Mania

The year 2017 could also be termed as the year of Bitcoin Mania for the followers of digital currency.

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 this month and to over $20,000 on other exchanges. But it has fallen each day since.

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.

Though warnings about the risks of investing in the unregulated market have increased with constant worries about the security of exchanges on which cryptocurrencies are bought and sold, there has been a continued surge of crypto investors.

Vodafone-Idea Merger

Shareholders of telecom operator Idea Cellular have approved the scheme relating to the merger of its mobile business with Vodafone India in October to create the country's largest telecom operator worth of more than USD 23 billion with a 35 percent market share.

The merger deal is expected to be completed by March next year.

Both the companies are before National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for seeking its nod after which they will need final approval from the Department of Telecom.

The combined entity of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular, which are currently India's number 2 and 3, respectively, would dislodge Bharti AirtelBSE 0.98 % to counter the fierce price war in the world's second-largest telecom market.

The deal gives Vodafone India an implied enterprise value of Rs 82,800 crore and Idea Rs 72,200 crore.

Reliance Communication shuts down 2G biz

Reliance Communications, reeling under debt of around Rs 46,000 crore, shut down voice call service in December asking customers can move to other networks.

The company will however continue to offer 3G and 4G services. It has also asked a number of employees to quit as part of its winding up of the operations.

The move comes after the company failed to close the merger deal with telecom operator Aircel.
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Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in his home state to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new Gujarat government led by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, also utilised the opportunity to meet his 97-year-old mother in the Raisan village on Tuesday.

According to PTI, the Prime Minister met his mother, Hiraben, in the Raisan village which is not too far from the city.

Hiraben lives with PM Modi's younger brother Pankaj.

He went to Raisan before the swearing-in ceremony of Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his new council of ministers.

"After his arrival at Ahmedabad airport this morning, Modi first reached Raisan and spent some time with his mother and enquired about her health," a BJP leader said.

After that, he headed to the venue of the swearing-in ceremony in the state capital.

Though Modi has visited Gujarat several times in the past two months in the run up to the recently-concluded Assembly elections, he could not meet his mother, apparently due to his hectic schedule.

Prime Minister Narendra, after attending the swearing-in ceremony of the new Gujarat government, turned nostalgic and shared some pictures of the ceremonies when he took oath as the chief minister of the state in the past.

After the event was over, PM Modi took to Twitter assuring the people of Gujarat that the BJP government will leave no stone unturned in further developing the state, which the party has ruled since 1995.

"Attending today's oath-taking ceremony in Gujarat brought back memories of the ceremonies in 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2012 when I got the opportunity to serve Gujarat as CM," he said in a tweet.
An alumni meet at a government-run medical college in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh has raised eyebrows as ambulance was used to ferry liquor cartons and belly dancers from Russia were called to perform at the function.

The function was held at state-run Lala Lajpat Rai Medical College in Meerut.

Pictures released by ANI showed an ambulance van, with registration number UP 15 CT 2860 carrying cartons of liquor bottles of 100 Pipers label. Another picture showed a belly dancer performing at the event.

Meerut: Liquor cartons stored in an ambulance van, Belly dance performance at alumni function of state-run Lala Lajpat Rai Medical college (25.12.17) pic.twitter.com/MQSBEpUpfG December 26, 2017

In the third picture released by the agency, members of the alumni were seen dancing.

According to reports, the event was held on Monday, following which the principal of the medical college ordered a probe into the incident.

Reports also said that alcohol was served inside the college premises during the silver jubilee celebration.

The principal has said that he is yet to find out if the ambulance used to ferry the liquor bottles belonged to the college or some other private hospital.
NEW DELHI: She was the first amputee to climb Mount Everest. But she has found herself unable to scale stigma and gain entry into a temple. Arunima Sinha says she was even mocked for her disability at the famed Mahakal Temple in Ujjain.

Apparently, the refusal of the temple authorities was over the clothes she was wearing. And what was she wearing that they found inappropriate? A tracksuit.

Sinha took to Twitter to recount her torrid experience and tagged the handles of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. I am very sorry to tell you that I felt greater pain in visiting Mahakal temple than scaling the Everest. My disability was mocked at there (at Mahakal), her tweet read.

          Everest                      Arunima Sinha (@sinha_arunima) December 25, 2017

She recounted her experience in detail. "The incident took place on December 24, 2017. Authorities at Ujjain's Mahakal Temple refused to let me enter the main shrine, saying I cannot enter in these clothes. I was dressed the way I am dressed right now, in a jacket and lowers," Sinha told news agency ANI.

"I tried to explain, even showed them that one of my legs is artificial. But they said 'aap jaise bahut aate hain yahan' (there are many like you who come here), she said.

I saw a man exiting the shrine wearing jeans. If he can do that why can't I? I had tears in my eyes. Women's clothes shouldn't be made into an issue this way," Sinha added.

I tried to explain, ( at Ujjain's Mahakal Temple) even showed them that one of my leg is artificial but they said 'aap jaise bahut aate hain yahan'. I had tears in my eyes. Women's clothes shouldn't be made into an issue this way :Arunima Sinha, amputee who scaled Mount Everest pic.twitter.com/b4r8Q1ktsd  ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

Arunima Sinha is by no means an unknown sportsperson. Her life and unending fight have inspired a biopic, with Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut slated to play her.

And, her treatment at the hands of temple officials has not gone unnoticed. Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bhupendra Singh responded to her tweet.

"You are the pride of India and you are welcome in Ujjain," he tweeted, adding that he had asked the district administration to inquire into the matter.

Arunima Sinhas story is truly one of guts and life warrior spirit. Six years ago, she had been pushed out of a running train while resisting a robbery. Her leg was amputated in the complications that followed.

Also Read - Dress code needs to be followed in sanctum sanctorum: Mahakal temple authorities

At the time of the attack and her amputation, Sinha was a national level volleyball player at that time.

None of this, however, did anything to stop her. Sinha made a reality of her dream on May 21, 2013. She hoisted the Tricolour on top of Mount Everest, after a 52-day climb to the top of the world.

Not just Everest, Sinha has also scaled the Kilimanjaro in Africa, Elbrus in Europe, Kosciuszko in Australia, Aconcagua in Argentina and Puncak Jaya in Indonesia.

(With Agency inputs)


New Delhi: Condemning Pakistani authorities for inflicting insult on Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife by making them remove their mangalsutra, bangles, footwear and bindi and getting their dress changed, the Congress on Tuesday said India should give them "an appropriate reply".

The party said the Indian government should immediately come up with a clear policy towards Pakistan.

"We condemn this conduct of the Pakistani authorities. This behaviour was inhuman. They have shown disrespect towards Indian women... The Congress party also wants that Kulbhushan Jadhav be released," said Congress spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi.

"We express our concern. Jadhav has been charged in a military court when he is not a prisoner of war. He was not held during a military conflict. As long as he is charged in a military court, our party is concerned about his release...," said Gogoi.

He said the Congress party wanted that the Indian government should make its policy clear as to how would secure Jadhav's release.

Under the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) norm, the family had met him, but the party wanted him released.

"We condemn the actions of the Pakistan Government because from the television visuals he looked very stressed. We are worried about his health conditions. He was also forced to give false statements.

"The assurance which was given by Pakistan to Indian government was not kept. India should take strict action against the manner in which Indians have been insulted. They should give them an appropriate reply," he said.

The Congress leader also said that the flip-flop strategy of the government towards Pakistan was making the atmosphere very insecure for the people of India and the soldiers at the border.

"The government should immediately form a policy towards Pakistan," Gogoi added.

Before being let in for meeting Kulbhushan Jadhav at the Foreign Office building in Islamabad, Pakistani authorities made his wife and mother remove their mangalsutra, bangles and bindi and also made them change their attire, India said on Tuesday.

India also termed the meeting conducted across glass panels as "lacking in credibility" and "intimidating". The two sides spoke via a telephone speaker.

Jadhav, who is on death row on charges of alleged spying and terrorism, met his mother Avanti and wife Chetankul on Monday after 22 months of his arrest by Pakistan.
NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday raised a number of concerns about the well-being of alleged spy Kulbhshan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court. It expressed displeasure over the nature of the meeting between Jadhav, and his mother and wife.

Here is the text of the full statement released by India's Ministry of External Affairs:

As you are all aware, the mother and wife of Shri Kulbhushan Jadhav met him yesterday in Islamabad. The meeting took place after requests by India for family access.

Prior to the meeting, the two Governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format. There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments.

However, we note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings. This included:

i. The Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Shri Jadhav. This was despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access.

ii. Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security.

iii. The mother of Shri Jadhav was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, although this was clearly the natural medium of communication. She was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and eventually prevented from proceeding further in this regard.

iv. Deputy High Commissioner was initially separated from family members who were taken to the meeting without informing him. The meeting was started without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed.

For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Shri Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard.

From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Shri Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being.

We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned. Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude.

The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Shri Jadhav's alleged activities. You would all agree that this exercise lacked any credibility.
NEW DELHI: Was Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, the former Indian Navy officer, tortured by Pakistan in jail before being sentenced to death?

The questions emerged after footage of Jadhav meeting his family was released in public domain.

On Monday, Jadhav met his wife Chetankul and mother Avanti for the first time after his detention in March 2016 for around 40 minutes.

Pictures of Jadhav speaking to his family through a glass barricade emerged after their meeting.

Strong sense of anguish in India over the way #KulbhushanJadhav's meeting with his wife and mother took place in Pakistan yesterday. pic.twitter.com/vC8U2IgEQn  All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) December 26, 2017

Soon after, social media and experts pointed to the following facts:

1. Jadhav has lost a dramatic amount of weight

2. Black and blue bruises on his head, neck

3. Part of earlobe seems to be missing

All the above facts seem to allude to the fact that Jadhav was tortured by Pakistan authorities after he was arrested.

Disgusted with Pakistan!! How can you be so inhuman? Separating #KulbhushanJadhav with a glass wall from his Mom & wife!! Making them wait for a car for a perry photo-op!! And look closely at KJ's head and ear! Clear torture bruises!! Just sick!! #FreeJadhav, Congress leader Shehzad Jai Hind wrote on Twitter.

Several defence analysts argued that Jadhav was made to wear a coat to hide the signs of torture on his body.

Kulbhshan jadhav was made to converse only in English so as to speak/repeat brief! Had visible marks of torture near earlobs although rest of the body was covered so as to cover other injury marks! Hope we at least stop issuing visa on Twitter @SushmaSwaraj pls @narendramodi  The Nationalist (@theprachand) December 25, 2017

#KulbhushanJadhav Meets Kin ??? Was it a Meet really?Questions arise with raised eyebrows about the shocking visuals which narrated a story of torture meted out to Kulbhushan Jadhav & violation of Human Rights by the Pak Govt. #freejadhav  RomeshNadir (@RomeshNadir) December 25, 2017



Why did Jadhav speak in English and not his mother tongue Marathi?

Strangely, Jadhav spoke to his wife and mother in English and not his mother tongue Marathi.

Many seem to believe that Jadhav was speaking from a script.

It was as if he was making scripted comments... The language that he spoke. Usually, when a man is emotional or angry, he speaks and abuses in his mother tongue. Here, he spoke in English. Why did he speak in English, questioned eminent senior counsel Harish Salve.

Salve further expressed concern about Jadhav's mental well-being.

Tulshidas Pawar is Jadhav's childhood friend and lives in Mumbai's Parel area. He watched images of Jadhav's mother Avantika and wife Chetna sitting across a glass screen flicker on the TV set at his home.

"Can you imagine what a mother who last saw her son two years ago must have felt when allowed to meet him from across a glass partition and was unable to touch him," asked Pawar.

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Monday described Jadhav as "the face of Indian terror" and said it would decide on consular access to him at an appropriate time.

Indian has always denied the allegations, saying Jadhav was abducted from Iran where he had gone on a private business trip and then brought to Pakistan.

With agency inputs
Janey Peterson looks around her apartment with pleasure.

There is the tweed couch she bought for $100 at a garage sale. And the wood buffet that serves as a stand for the TV she brought from the home where she raised her family.

Theres the little 24-inch sparkly Christmas tree her daughter, Linda, gave her because it would fit so well in her new apartment.

And the ivory curtains  mauve in her bedroom  she bought on sale, online from Younkers because she also thought they would be nice in her new place.

Peterson, 84, loves her new home at the Lexington Assisted Living Center in south Lincoln. She enjoys her new friends. On her wall is an intricate picture of a cross, carefully colored by a new friend who is legally blind.

"Oh, you could write a book if you came here. There are so many interesting people."

Peterson appreciates the services that make her life so much easier: laundry, weekly cleaning, meals, help with bathing.

They will help her get dressed if and when she needs that help. And when she gives up her car, they will make sure she gets to appointments.

Someone even comes in and turns down her bed at night.

One of the reasons Peterson is so happy with her new home is that she made the decision to move  she picked the place that fit her needs, interests and budget.

For 13 years, since her husband Gene passed away, Peterson lived with her schoolteacher daughter in Lincoln.

But about a year ago, Peterson  a retired photographer, ad salesperson and receptionist at the Gothenburg Times, a weekly newspaper  began thinking it was time to make a change in her living arrangements.

Petersons health, including her arthritis, was growing worse. She needed a little help with more things. Her daughter would soon retire and the two women would share a home all day. It would be nice to give her daughter and herself some space.

Peterson was thinking maybe a little apartment, at Tabitha or Mahoney Manor would work well. Her daughter and a son who lives in Lincoln suggested assisted living apartments as an option. But Peterson wasnt convinced.

Until one morning I woke up and turned to get up. And I could tell I was going to have a hard time moving. I was getting stiffer and stiffer and stiffer.

And I said to myself then. I think she (her daughter) is right.

Now this decision didnt happen overnight, she says.

Her doctor had already told her, "Janey, your body is wearing out. But your mind is quite good."

Of course I knew that.

But once she made the decision, Peterson dug in.

With help from an Aging Partners case manager and a state Department of Health and Human Services case worker, Peterson did all the paperwork required to get some assistance through the Medicaid Waiver program, which helps low-income seniors afford assisted living or help at home in order to avoid a nursing home.

She picked the Lexington and then waited almost six months for an opening at a time convenient to her.

Daughter Cindy Peterson is also happy with her mothers decision. Shes had friends who practically had to force their parents to move in an emergency situation because they couldnt live at home anymore.

My mom is really smart, I tell you, said Cindy. And she realized her body is wearing out.

There are things she misses about living with her Mom. Her mother would tidy up the house, keep things clean and organized. She did some of the cooking.

She did a lot for me and I really appreciate that now, she said.

But Cindy would worry about her mother being home alone all day. Now someone is always around the facility who can watch out for her.

Petersons story is exactly what the experts say is best: a senior who makes a decision about moving into assisted living or independent living before an emergency.

That is ideal for all of us, says Connie Cooper, president of the Nebraska Association of Area Agencies on Aging and executive director of Northeast Nebraska Area Agency on Aging.

What she did was to gather information and to have informed choices. 'How do I want to live?' said Cooper. "Unfortunately, too many times people wait until it is a crisis. And then their choices are limited.

Too often parents dont want to engage in that conversation, said Julie Masters, gerontology professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

"We need to start thinking about our aging much sooner in the process, rather than waiting until there is a crisis, said Masters. "With their cars, people make sure they change the oil and rotate tires. Why not take that proactive approach with aging?"

And towns need places with activities, good meals, good conversations, communities that will honor the personalities and needs of the individuals who live there.

These facilities often have many activities for the extrovert. So honoring residents includes not trying to turn everyone into an extrovert, she said.

However, Peterson is an extrovert. "Mom and dad were the first people to talk to anyone, anywhere. In a restaurant they would know all about the strangers next to them before they left," said daughter Cindy.

Peterson's been trying out some of the activities available at the Lexington, and is thinking about getting a new pitch group started.

She invited some new friends, her table mates, to a Christmas party at her apartment. They had cookies, candy and coffee plus a can of Pepsi for the one gal who doesn't drink coffee.

"Everyone had a great time. We just talked and talked. I thought they were never going to leave. I was getting so tired, I couldn't hardly wiggle."
NEW DELHI: In retaliation to the killing of four Indian soldiers in ceasefire violation by Pakistan on Saturday, the Indian Army troops on Monday crossed over the Line of Control (LoC) and killed three Pakistani Army soldiers.

One Pakistani soldier was injured in the incident, ANI quoted Intelligence sources as saying.

However, there has been no official confirmation on the incident.

Four Indian Army soldiers, including a Major, were killed on December 23 in a ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Army on the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

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.

When Indian Army conducted surgical strikes

The daring act of the Indian Army comes a year after the Indian soldiers on the intervening night of September 28 and 29 of 2016, carried out surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the LoC with Army operations causing 'significant casualties to terrorists and those providing support to them.'

On the strikes carried out by the Army, the DGMO Lt General Ranbir Singh had then said, "Based on receiving specific and credible inputs that some terrorist teams had positioned themselves at launch pads along LoC to carry out infiltration and conduct terrorist strikes inside Jammu and Kashmir and in various metros in other states, the Indian Army conducted surgical strikes at several of these launch pads to pre-empt infiltration by terrorists. The operations were focussed on ensuring that these terrorists do not succeed in their design to cause destruction and endanger the lives of our citizens."

Ceasefire violation incidents in 2017

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: Pakistan on Tuesday summoned the Indian Acting Deputy High Commissioner here and condemned the 'unprovoked' ceasefire violations by the Indian Army and also 'categorically rejected' India's claims of having crossed the Line of Control.

A statement from the official spokesperson of Pakistani Armed Force said, "No Indian soldier crossed over LOC. Indian media claim is continuation of their self defeating projections to satisfy domestic audience."

No Indian soldier crossed over LOC. Indian media claim is continuation of their self defeating projections to satisfy domestic audience.  Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) December 26, 2017

This was followed by another statement from the Foreign Office said, "the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian forces in the Rakhchikri sector on the LoC, provided a cover for the planting of IEDs by non-state actors, resulting in the shahadat of three soldiers and injuring another".

Faisal 'categorically rejected the Indian claims that there was any crossing of the LoC by the Indian forces. The Indian actions got a befitting response from the Pakistani side and their guns were silenced', he added.

He said the 'false claims by India about the alleged cross LoC adventures are a figment of their imagination and counter-productive for peace and tranquility on the LoC'.

Faisal urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations.

The summoning came after Indian Army commandos in a 'tit-for-tat' operation intruded some 300 metres across the LoC and killed at least three Pakistani soldiers, two days after four Indian Army men, including a Major, were shot dead in a surprise attack by Pakistan.

Indian defence sources called it a 'tactical retaliatory strike', decided at a local level by the brigade commander.

The sources said four to five Ghatak Commandos were involved in the operation. Ghatak Commandos are drawn from infantry and trained to carry out covert special operations.

"It was a tit-for-tat action... Whatever Pakistan does to us, we will do the same," the official said, warning that more such operations would be conducted if Pakistani forces continue targeting Indian troops.

The "tactical strike" in Rukh Chakri sector in Rawlakot, which brought back memories of last year's 'surgical strikes', is seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel including a Major by a Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army in Keri sector of Rajouri on Saturday.
NEW DELHI: Eleven students of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) were on Sunday allegedly asked to leave an ongoing National Cadet Corps (NCC) camp in Rohini after they denied to shave off their beards.

Following the incident, students on Monday held a protest at the university campus. They called it a 'discrimination' and said that they should be brought back in the camp.

"A total of 35 students from the JMI had joined the 10-day camp on December 19, of which, eleven of us sport a beard. We were repeatedly asked to shave to which we denied as it is against our religious beliefs. We were finally thrown out of the camp," one of the students, who did not wish to be named due to the NCC protocol, told DNA.

According to the NCC officials, however, said that the cadets other than Sikhs are forbidden from growing beard during the camps. "It's a part of NCCs code of conduct and not any discrimination. Nobody was asked to leave the camp," a senior official said.

The students, who staged an overnight protest initially outside the camp and then on the college campus, demanded the suspension of Jamias NCC in-charge Rajnish Kumar.

"Our university in-charge did not help the students when they were discriminated. Some of the students have been attending the camp for the last two-three years but none of them were asked to shave," said Aqdas Sami, a third-year Bioscience student.

The students also met Vice-Chancellor, Talat Ahmad urging him to take immediate action against Kumar."The VC assured the students that he will constitute an inquiry committee to look into the matter," said Meeran Haider from the Jamia Students' Forum.

(With DNA inputs)
NEW DELHI: The family of Kulbhushan Jadhav on Tuesday met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at her residence.

Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar were also present at during the meeting.

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar at the residence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Delhi pic.twitter.com/C5MCnuUz6Z  ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

Jadhav's father, mother and wife met the External Affairs Minister at her 8, Safdarjung Lane residence.

Mother and wife of #KulbhushanJadhav leave from residence of EAM Sushma Swaraj in Delhi pic.twitter.com/FFWIb4HcvJ  ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

The meeting started at around 9.30 am and it continued for nearly three hours.

On Monday, Jadhav's wife and mother went to Pakistan to meet the Indian prisoner on death row.

Pakistan on December 8, had granted permission to Jadhav's kin to meet him and on December 20, the neighbouring country had issued the visa to Jadhav's wife and mother.

Pakistan has repeatedly denied India consular access to Jadhav on the ground that it was not applicable in cases related to spies. It said that Jadhav is not an ordinary person as he had entered the country with the intent of 'spying' and carrying out 'sabotage' activities.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of 'espionage' and 'terrorism' in April this year. Following this, India moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May.

The ICJ halted his execution on India's appeal pending the final verdict by it.

Pakistan had earlier said that Jadhav was not under any threat of immediate execution.

The country claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel from restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

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

Jadhav had filed an appeal with the Army chief to seek clemency, which is still pending.

After India approached the ICJ, a 10-member bench on May 18 restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till adjudication of the case. Jadhav's sentencing had evoked a sharp reaction in India.

In its application, India had also informed the ICJ that it learnt about the death sentence against Jadhav from a press release.

India acknowledges that Jadhav had served in the Indian Navy but denies that he has any connection with the government.

India has also handed over to Pakistan an appeal by Jadhav's mother, initiating a process to get his conviction overturned.

India has warned Pakistan of consequences and damage to bilateral ties if the "premeditated murder" was carried out.

In June 2017, India had dismissed as "farcical" Pakistan releasing a fresh "confessional video" of Jadhav and had said that "manufactured facts" could not alter the reality in the case.

In a strong reaction, the External Affairs Ministry said India expects Pakistan to desist from attempting to influence the proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case through false propaganda.
NEW DELHI: Before being let in for meeting Kulbhushan Jadhav at the Foreign Office building in Islamabad, Pakistani authorities made his wife and mother remove their mangalsutra, bangles and bindi and also made them change their attire, India said on Tuesday, slamming the meeting conducted across a glass panel as "lacking in credibility" and "intimidating".

Jadhav, who is on death row on charges of alleged spying and terrorism, met his mother Avanti and wife Chetankul on Monday after 22 months, since his arrest by Pakistan on charges of spying.

The face-to-face meeting was conducted across a glass wall and the two sides spoke via a telephone speaker.

Avanti, who is in her 70s, was also prevented from speaking to her son in her mother tongue. Every time she lapsed into Marathi, she was stopped and made to speak in Hindi or English, as a senior Pakistani official of the India Desk monitored the interaction.

"Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included removal of mangalsutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security.

"The mother of Shri Jadhav was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, although this was clearly the natural medium of communication. She was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and eventually prevented from proceeding further in this regard," India said in a statement.

The footwear of Jadhav`s wife was also taken away and not returned.

"For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Shri Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting," India said, and warned "We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard".

The Pakistani media also hurled invectives at the two women outside the Foreign Office building.

"The Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Shri Jadhav. This was despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access," the statement said.

Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh, who was allowed to accompany the two women, was kept in a separate glass cubicle from the two women, and could watch the proceedings from a distance. He was initially not allowed into the meeting venue.

"Deputy High Commissioner was initially separated from family members who were taken to the meeting without informing him. The meeting was started without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed," the statement said.

India also voiced concern at the appearance of Jadhav and his well being, remarking that he looked as though he was "under considerable stress" and was "speaking in an atmosphere of coercion" and that his statements "were clearly tutored" and designed to "perpetuate" Pakistan`s allegation that he was a spy and involved in terrorism.

"From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Shri Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being.

"We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned. Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude.

"The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Shri Jadhav`s alleged activities. You would all agree that this exercise lacked any credibility," India said.

The statement said the meeting took place after requests by India for family access to Jadhav.

India said that ahead of the meeting, the two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format.

"There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments.

"However, we note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings," India said, listing out the way the meeting was conducted and the manner in which the two women were treated.

The women, who left for India on Monday evening, met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here in the morning. They were accompanied by Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

After the Monday meeting, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry had released a video message of Jadhav - as part of a propaganda offensive, in which Jadhav thanked Islamabad for the "grand gesture" for allowing the meeting.

"I requested a meeting with my wife and mother and I am thankful to government of Pakistan for this grand gesture," he said.

In the video Jadhav is shown as saying that "he worked for Indian intelligence agency RAW" and that he entered Pakistan through Iran. Jadhav also said that he was arrested by Pakistan`s security agencies from Balochistan.

Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April, following which India moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May.

India has said that Jadhav is innocent and has maintained that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had gone for handling his businesses after superannuation from the Indian Navy.

Despite the death verdict, Pakistan last week reiterated that he was not under threat of an immediate execution as his mercy petitions were still pending.

Pakistan has said that the meeting does not mean any change in Pakistan`s stance regarding Jadhav.
Islamabad: Pakistan on Tuesday rejected as "baseless" India's contentions that Kulbhushan Jadhav's family was harassed and claimed that his wife's shoes were confiscated on security grounds as there was "something" in it.

The Foreign Office in a statement said that Pakistan does not wish to indulge in a "meaningless battle of words" and categorically rejects India's baseless "allegations and twists" about attitude of authorities during Jadhav's meeting with his wife and mother.

"The Indian baseless allegations and twists, that come 24 hrs later, about the visit of the wife and mother of Commander Jadhav, a convicted terrorist and spy, who has confessed to his crimes, are categorically rejected," the statement said.

"If Indian concerns were serious, the guests or the Indian DHC should have raised them during the visit, with the media, which was readily available, but at a safe distance, as requested by India," it said.

"We do not wish to indulge in a meaningless battle of words. Our openness and transparency belies these allegations," it said.

Responding to India's contentions that Jadhav's wife's shoes were not returned to her after the meeting, Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Faisal told DawnNews that the shoes were confiscated on "security grounds".

"There was something in the shoe (of Jadhav's wife)," Faisal told the daily, adding that the shoe is being investigated.

He said Jadhav's wife had been provided replacement shoes and all her jewellery was returned to her.

The spokesman said that the fact is that Jadhav?s mother "publicly thanked Pakistan for the humanitarian gesture, which was also recorded by the media."

"Nothing more needs to be said on the issue," he said.

India today accused Pakistan of violating mutual understandings on Jadhav's meeting with his family and said the Indian national appeared coerced and under considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction.

India also accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of family members under the pretext of security.

"This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security," it said.

During yesterday's meeting, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen while his mother and wife sat on the other side. They spoke through an intercom and the entire 40-minute proceedings appeared to have been recorded on video.

India said that "for some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests", Jadhav's wife's shoes were not returned to her after the meeting.

Jadhav, who was captured in March last year, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted.

New Delhi says Jadhav was kidnapped in Iran where he had legitimate business interests, and brought to Pakistan. To save Jadhav, India moved the International Court of Justice, which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.
Controversial Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday suggested his party to ban western clothes for ministers. Taking to Twitter, the politician also had a suggestion on liquor ban for the BJP.

The Rajya Sabha MP tweeted that the BJP should make it a matter of party discipline that its ministers wear Indian climate friendly clothes. He termed western dresses as foreign imposed slavishness.

Western dress is a foreign imposed slavishness. BJP should make it of party discipline for Ministers to wear Indian climate friendly clothes, he tweeted.

Western dress is a foreign imposed slavishness. BJP should make it of party discipline for Ministers to wear Indian climate friendly clothes December 26, 2017

In another tweet, Swamy cited Article 49 of the Indian Constitution to advocate ban on alcohol drinks. He asked the BJP to make liquor ban a part of party discipline.

Article 49 of Const directs alcohol drinks be banned. While I am not for penal action, BJP should make as part of party discipline, the Rajya Sabha MP tweeted.

Article 49 of Const directs alcohol drinks be banned. While I am not for penal action, BJP should make as part of party discipline.  Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) December 26, 2017

This comes just a day after Swamy posted a tweet saying no NDA minister had attended the birthday celebration of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya in the central hall of Parliament. In another tweet the same day, the BJP leader had said that India is still slave to British imperialist imposition.

Swamy has often grabbed headlines over his stand on issues like Ram temple. Recently, he was slated to deliver a lecture at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on the topic  Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The event was scheduled to take place at JNUs Koyna hostel. However, the university cancelled the event, inviting the ire of the Rajya Sabha MP.

Reacting to the cancellation of the event, Swamy had said, JNU is afraid that my ideas will influence the youth, terming the move as intolerance. He had also retweeted a tweet which questioned the alleged 'freedom of speech and tolerance' exercised at the university.
NEW DELHI: Two days after four Indian soldiers were martyred on Saturday in a ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Army on the Line of Control, the Indian security forces on Monday killed three Pakistani soldiers along the LoC, Pakistani media reported.

Four Indian Army soldiers, including a Major, were killed on December 23 in a ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Army on the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

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.

The Army, in a statement, had 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 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.

Ceasefire violation incidents in 2017

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: A total of 820 incidents of ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops have been reported in the current year till today as against 221 last year, a report said.

The Army has killed at least 210 terrorists in this year whereas a total of 61 Army personnel have lost their lives in Jammu and Kashmir.

Out of 210, 72 were killed on the Line of Control and 148 were neutralised in the hinterlands, as per sources.

The Indian Army has been adopting a 'tough' approach in dealing with ceasefire violations and terrorist activities in the last one year.

Earlier today, the Indian Army claimed that five of its highly-trained commandos went some 300 meters across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and killed three Pakistani soldiers, in a swift and daring operation on Monday evening.

The operation took place hours after Indian death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav met his wife and mother in Islamabad.

The Pakistan Army confirmed the death of the three soldiers but asserted that they died in unprovoked firing and that Indian soldiers had not crossed the LoC.

Sources said Pakistan raised the issue of the strike by the Indian soldiers during the weekly talks between the two armies over the hot line.

The operation began around 6 PM and the team returned to their camp within 45 minutes and none of them sustained any injury, Army sources said.

The temporary post of the Pakistan Army was put under extensive surveillance much before the operation was carried out on the instruction of the local commander of the Army unit.

On Saturday, the Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army had killed four Indian Army personnel including a Major in Rajouri.

The sources said Pakistani soldiers killed in the operation were from Pakistan Army's Baluch regiment and the temporary post targeted by the Indian Army was in an area which Pakistan calls Rukh Chakri sector.

They said there was no comparison between last year's surgical strikes and yesterday's operation. A small team of commandos was deployed with a very limited aim in yesterday's operation.

There were reports that the number of casualty on the Pakistani side was four but Army sources maintained that three were killed and one was injured.
New Delhi: Hurriyat separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's younger son Naseem Geelani on Tuesday ignored the National Investigation Agency (NIA) summons in connection with its probe into alleged terror funding by Pakistan-based terrorist groups to stoke unrest in Kashmir valley.



"He did not depose before the agency investigators today," an NIA official told IANS.



The official declined to say if any new summons had been issued to the younger Geelani.



The counter-terror probe agency had summoned Naseem, a professor in Sher-e-Kashmir Agriculture University in Srinagar, last week to appear before the agency on Tuesday at its headquarters in south Delhi's Lodhi Road area.



Earlier, the NIA has grilled Naseem twice in the case. The agency has also grilled his elder brother Naeem, a doctor by profession, twice over a span of a fortnight.



The anti-terror agency, which has been probing terror funding by Kashmiri separatists and has so far arrested half-a-dozen separatists including 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 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 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.


Justin Cornish will be buried beside his brothers.

The 28-year who died early Tuesday was granted his last wish after the Journal Star shared his story.

I dont have money for a burial, his mother, Vickie Cornish, told the paper last week. I only have money for a cremation and then put him on a shelf and I dont want to do that.

It had been the mothers hope  and her sons  that he be buried at the west edge of Wyuka near his brothers Richard and Everett.

But they both knew they didnt have the means.

And now they do.

By Christmas morning, 192 donors had contributed $10,255 to a fund for funeral expenses set up by Justins older sister. Others sent checks in the mail, still to be tallied.

Alyta Bentley watched in awe as the numbers grew  $10, $20, $50, $1,000 at a time.

The first day it was so overwhelming, the sister said. So many people sending wishes and sending money.

She felt humbled, Bentley said. She had been hesitant to ask for help, but she knew how much the burial meant to her brother.

And to her mom.

Its the one thing thats kind of getting her through.

Many of those who sent money were strangers. Some had lost children of their own. Others were people who had once been part of Justins life  teachers and nurses, the attendance secretary at Lux Middle School.

Some left messages.

Justin left an amazing impression on everyone who met him.

I have lost one child and it is unimaginable that you have lost three.

I was a teacher at Eastridge and enjoyed seeing Justin's smile each day.

I hope this small gift will help Justin be laid to rest with his brothers.

Vickie Cornish carries a recessive gene for Danons disease, a form of muscular dystrophy that weakens the heart. She became ill after her five children were born, receiving a donor heart in 2007.

Justin was 16 when he underwent a heart transplant. He had complications, including diabetes and a stroke, and was unable to work. But he made a bucket list  to get his drivers license, find love, own a dog, be baptized, travel. He accomplished all those things and remained his kind and funny self.

If he were here, he would be so happy, his mother said.

Justins older brother, Richard Bentley, 18, died in 2002, and his younger brother, Everett Decker, 13, died in 2004, both before Danons was diagnosed.

Justin visited their graves at Wyuka, just beyond Babyland. A pilgrimage, said family friend Bill Janike.

An aunt is buried near his brothers, along with Justins maternal grandfather.

The headstones are etched with a rose in the corner  a tracing of Richards artwork.

Vickie Cornish plans to have the same rose etched on Justins marker, along with the image of a Tahoe, the truck he drove, or a huskie, like his beloved Lita.

Her son requested his dog be at his funeral Wednesday, at 11 a.m. at Colonial Chapel, 52nd and R, his mother said.

As Christmas approached, she wasnt sure that would happen, but she was confident the money would cover the cost of her sons burial and funeral reception and the spray of flowers for his casket.

The donations mean the world to her family, the mother said. Before Justin died, she told him she would do all she could to grant his wish, but she couldnt promise.

Words cannot say how grateful our family is. Please thank all of the people who donated, that right there is our Christmas.
New Delhi: Nearly a year after the Indian Army conducted a ''surgical strike'' along the Line of Control (LoC) dismantling several terror camps operating there, its brave officers executed yet another ''localised tactical operation" in the evening of December 25.

The raids, which were conducted across the Line of Control (LoC), resulted in the killing of three Pakistani soldiers.

The Indian Army "short-distance raid" was described as a "selective targeting across the LoC" by highly-placed sources in the country's defence establishment.

The operation was also seen as the Indian Army's "tit-for-tat" reply for the attack carried out by the Pakistani troops in the Keri sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on December 23, which resulted in the killing of one Major and three Army jawans.

If the sources are to be believed, the Indian Army's raid of Monday was almost an "exact replica" of the raid conducted by the Pakistani soldiers on December 23.

The Pakistani troops who suffered casualties were from 59 Balooch Unit of the Rakhchakri Battalion of the Rawalkot Brigade.

According to sources, the Pakistani troops came under heavy fire from a select team of the Indian Army which resorted to heavy shelling on a temporary post and a patrol party belonging to the hostile neighbouring country around 6 pm.

Heavy firing continued from both sides for hours even as the raid ended and the situation continued to remain tense.

Members of the Indian Army's 'Ghatak' team first triggered an explosion nearly 200-300 metres across the LoC and then opened heavy shelling on the 8-10 member strong Pakistani patrol party on Monday evening.

According to sources, around four Indian Army troops conducted this raid.

Sources said that the Pakistani patrol party was probably in the area to lay a counter-ambush. "We were able to locate and target them," a highly-placed source said.

"The Indian Army will continue to exploit such fleeting opportunities," WION quoted source as saying.

According to the initial assessment, three Pakistani troops were probably killed and one badly injured in the raid by the Indian Army, but intelligence reports indicate that the toll could go up.

Sources also claimed that this was a ''localised tactical operation' conducted by Indian Army Commanders on the ground and that the decision to conduct this raid was taken at the Brigade/Battalion level.
Srinagar: In a major setback to dreaded Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed, the Special Unit of the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday killed its divisional commander Noor Mohammed Tantray in a fierce gunbattle in South Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Tantray, who was out on parole, was killed during the intervening night of December 25-26 at Samboora in Pulwama - not too far from his home in Tral.

Tantray, who was also referred to as "merchant of death" by a special court in Delhi, was believed to be the mastermind of several terror strikes, including the one on the BSF camp outside the Srinagar airport on October 3 and on state minister Naeem Akhtar's cavalcade in Tral on September 21 this year.

The death of 47-year-old JeM terrorist, who was just four feet two inches tall and walked with a limp, is a "significant blow" to the terror group's operations in the Kashmir Valley, a senior J&K Police official later said.

"We had missed him only by few minutes in the past and I was sure he would run out of luck soon as his height was his biggest disadvantage. With each passing day, the search narrowed," a senior police official, involved in the operations, was quoted as saying on the condition of anonymity.

Tantray's limp had made it difficult for him to disappear into a crowd and police officials were sure they would be able to isolate him.

After escaping from the Aripal encounter - in which three JeM militants were killed - at Tral in April this year, Tantray had been on the radar of the Special Unit of the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

Their efforts to track him down finally bore fruit on Christmas night when he was trapped in a house and could not escape. However, two other close accomplices of Tantray - believed to be foreign militants - managed to flee, an official said.

Tantray had spent eight years in Tihar jail and had later intensified his activities since his release on parole in 2015.

A close aide of Jaish commander Ghazi Baba, who masterminded the 2001 attack on Parliament, Tantray was arrested from Delhi's Sadar Bazar on August 31, 2003.

He was arrested along with four others and charged with conspiracy to carry out terror attacks in various parts of the national capital.

The five militants were arrested following an encounter in which two terrorists were killed. Besides arms and ammunition, police also recovered a sum of Rs 19.20 lakh from Tantray.

Then special POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) judge RK Gauba words proved prophetic when Tantray emerged as the most wanted militant in the Kashmir Valley after his release from jail, an official said.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2011 in the case and shifted to Srinagar's Central Jail in 2015 before being released on parole. His parole was extended by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court same year.

While sentencing him along with others under the stringent anti-terror law in 2011, the judge had said the challenge posed by terrorism had to be met "head-on by a multi-prolonged strategy".

"India's war against terrorism is to be waged not only by security measures but also by all organs of the state, including the judiciary which must share the responsibility of dealing with such elements with an iron hand," he said.

Terming the five "merchants of death", the court had said the "foot soldiers of forces inimical to India and bent upon sabotaging the peace and tranquillity here, besides posing a serious threat to its unity, sovereignty and integrity, have to be neutralised".

The "merchants of death" had to be locked away for the rest of their lives "...In order that they are suitably defanged and blunted so as to be of no further use to the enemy", the judge had said in his seven-page order.

Tantray's terror graph validated the judge's words, said an official.

Tantray is believed to have provided logistical support to JeM militants who stormed the Police Lines in Pulwama in August this year. Eight security personnel and three militants were killed in that attack.

(With PTI inputs)
SRINAGAR: Top commander of terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Noor Mohammad Tantray, was killed in a gunfight with the security forces in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Tuesday.

Noor Mohammad was the key man of the terror outfit in coordinating and organising attacks at different places in J&K.

The 47-year-old hailed from Tral area of south Kashmir and his death is being seen as a blow to the terror group as he was the key man in reviving the JeM in south and central Kashmir.

The slain JeM commander was responsible was wanted in various terror incidents earlier this yea including the terrorist attack on the Border Security Force's (BSF) camp near Srinagar airport in October 2017.

Tantray, who was a little over four feet tall, was convicted in a case registered in 2003 in Delhi. He was serving a sentence at Central Jail Srinagar and was out on parole in 2015.

In July 2017, after the Aripal encounter in which three JeM terrorists were killed, Tantray went underground and soon became the key man of the terror outfit.

In November, three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists, including the nephew of terror outfit chief Masood Azhar, were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Quoting a JeM statement, local news agency GNS said Talha Rasheed, nephew of Azhar, was among the three militants killed in the gunfight with security forces in Aglar village of Pulwama district.

Three weapons, including one Kalashnikov, one M16 rifle and one pistol, besides ammunition were recovered from the encounter site.

A US-made M4 rifle used by Pakistani Army special forces was also recovered following the encounter.

The killed terrorists were identified as Mehmood Bhai, the so-called divisional commander of Jaish in the south, Tallah Rashid, Masood Azhar's nephew, and Wasim Ahmed Ganie.

While the first two were in the category of most wanted militants carrying a cash reward, the third was a local and had joined militancy in May 2017.
SRINAGAR: A terrorist was on Tuesday gunned down in an encounter with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Identified as Noor Mohammad, he was a top Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant.

"The Divisional Commander of JeM Noor Mohammad Tantrey alias Noor Trali was killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Samboora area of Pulwama," an Army official told PTI.

The body of the militant was recovered along with a weapon, he added.

The security forces had launched a search operation in the Sambora area of Pulwama. Two militants of JeM were trapped in a house which was brought down in an overnight encounter.

Last month, another terrorist, identified as Adil Chopaan, was killed by the security forces in the forest area of Tral of Pulwama.

The search operation was launched following reports of terrorists firing upon search party of 42 RR and SOG Awantipor and escaping into the forest area.

During the search operation, gunshots were heard, prompting the security forces to intensify the combing operation.

The gunbattle broke out as the security forces closed in on the position of the militants
SRINAGAR: In a shot in the arm for the Indian security forces, wanted Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist Noor Muhammad was killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Samboora area in Pulwama district on Tuesday.

"The Divisional Commander of JeM Noor Mohammad Tantrey alias Noor Trali was killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Samboora area of Pulwama," an Army official said.

Hailing from Tral area of south Kashmir, Tantray's death is seen as a blow to the terror group as he was the key man in reviving the JeM in south and central Kashmir.

Receiving specific intelligence inputs regarding the JeM terrorist, the agencies swung into action and rushed to the spot.

Security agencies cordoned off the area and launched a combing operation.
Karnataka: A bandh has been called in North Karnataka on Wednesday over the issue of getting inter-state Mahadayi river water from Goa to meet the drinking water needs of drought-prone areas of the region.

The dawn-to-dusk bandh, called by 'Mahadayi Kalasa Banduri Nala Horata Samanvaya Samiti', an umbrella organisation spearheading the agitation on the issue, is being supported by several pro-Kannada and other organisations, including the Kannada film industry.

Terming the bandh as a "warning bell" to the state and central governments, the samiti leaders on Tuesday demanded a solution at the earliest, even as they hit out at political parties for playing politics on the issue, as per PTI.

Karnataka, which has locked horns with neighbouring Goa on sharing Mahadayi River water, is seeking release of 7.56 tmcft water for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.

It is being undertaken to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and districts of Belagavi and Gadag.

The project involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, tributaries of Mahadayi river, to divert 7.56 tmcft water to Malaprabha which meets drinking water needs of the region.

The Karnataka government had earlier petitioned the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal which in its interim order had rejected the state's plea citing various grounds, including ecological damage the project may cause.

Meanwhile, Karnataka`s ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP on Tuesday blamed each other on the deadlock over getting Mahadayi river water from Goa.



Even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the inter-state dispute, BJP`s state unit president BS Yeddyurappa said the state Congress leaders should convince their Goan leaders to allow their CM Manohar Parrikar to settle the issue amicably.



"As Parrikar has agreed to discuss the issue with Karnataka, Siddaramaiah should ensure his party`s leaders in Goa do not oppose releasing the river water for the drinking needs of the people in the northern districts of our state," Yeddyurappa told reporters, as per IANS.

Parrikar had written to Yeddyurappa on December 21 that he was open to discussing the issue with his Karnataka counterpart.

(With Agency inputs)
BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has spent Rs 10 lakh on a dinner party in Kalaburagi, alleged area BJP leader and former district president Rajkumar P Telkur on Monday.

Kalaburagi district is one of the worst drought-affected districts in the state.

"Karnataka CM spent Rs 10 lakh on a dinner party in Kalaburagi when farmers in the state are not getting minimum support price for their produce and committing suicide. He should apologise to the farmers and should save them,": said Telkur.

The BJP leader alleged that the Kalaburagi district administration reportedly spent Rs 10 lakh over a dinner party attended by Siddaramaiah and his colleagues on December 16.

Each dinner plate cost Rs 800 and some VVIPs were served food in silver plates and bowls, he added.

Kalaburagi district authorities are yet to respond to the allegations.

Assembly elections in Karnataka are due in early 2018.

BJP has set a target to win at least 150 seats in the upcoming polls. Siddaramaiah, on the other hand, claimed that there's no "anti-incumbency" against his government and dubbed BJP's 150-seat target as an "illusion"
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Tuesday hit out at the Narendra Modi-led government over its claims of development in Gujarat and for its alleged failure to stop the killing of soldiers in skirmishes on the country's borders.

Dubbing the talk of normalcy returning to Jammu and Kashmir as "false", the BJP's bickering ally said the death of soldiers in "peacetime" reflected poorly on the government.

On Saturday, Pakistani troops had 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.

"When a soldier is killed in peacetime, it reflects poorly on the government. The martyrdom of our jawans during peacetime has been happening for the last 30 years and we had expected this to stop when the current government came to power," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said.

When Pakistan was involved in the ceasefire violations and killing of Indian soldiers, the prime minister and the entire Cabinet was busy in the Gujarat election campaign, it claimed.

"To win the Gujarat elections, you gave several concessions in the GST to the trading community in Surat. What have you done to protect the lives of the soldiers?" the Sena sought to know.

"The talk of normalcy returning to Kashmir is all false. Development is lost in Gujarat while peace and normalcy is lost in Kashmir," it said.

One can accept the government's contention that Kashmiri youths have given up stone-pelting, but the reports that they are taking up arms against the country are alarming, the Sena said.

If flashing the victory sign after the Gujarat Assembly election results was bravery and patriotism, then was the pyre of the killed soldiers the fire to keep the election campaign going, it asked.

"The government bends before the agitating traders. Is anyone bothered about stopping the killing of soldiers. Gujarat and Himachal (Pradesh) are won and jawans are martyred on the border. When are the next elections?" it asked.
Mumbai: Furious over the absence of doctors from a function in a government hospital, Union Minister Hansraj Ahir on Monday suggested that the doctors should join the Naxals, so that the government can shoot them down.

"The mayor came, the deputy mayor came but what stopped the doctors from coming for the event," question a visibly angry Ahir, who expected doctors to stop all their duties and attend the event presided by him.

The Minister of State for Home Affairs, who was speaking at the inauguration of a 24x7 store for generic medicines at a government-run hospital in eastern Maharashtra's Chandrapur, which he represents in the Lok Sabha.

"What do the Naxals want? They don't want democracy... So these people (the absent doctors) don't want democracy, then they should join the Naxals. Why are you here? Then (once you join the Naxals) we will pump you with bullets, why you are dispensing pills here?" said Ahir.



Ahir wondered if it was appropriate for doctors to go on leave when a "democratically-elected" minister was on a visit.
Puri: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday urged his party workers to adopt simplicity and serve people, who were the "ultimate masters" in a democracy.

"Simplicity has its own power which connects to the masses. In the words of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, truth and simplicity are self-maintained without any cost. Simplicity is paramount in public life. It should be our motto in life," Patnaik said.

The Odisha Chief Minister made these remarks while addressing a huge gathering in Puri on the occasion of the 20th Foundation Day of the BJD.

"Address peoples problems with a sympathetic attitude. People are our ultimate master. So, serve them with all humility and fulfil the promises made to them," the Odisha CM said.

He called on BJD members to dedicate their lives to 'Maa, Mati and Manisa' (mother, motherland and human beings), and asked them to respect people's sentiment and meet the promises made to them.

Patnaik, also the founder-president of the regional party in power in Odisha since 2000, said he is a proud Odiya. "Let us take a pledge today to ensure that Odisha will emerge as the number one state in India."

Stressing that between service and power, the former is the way to get closer to people, the BJD President said: "It is indeed a noble quality. One can win the heart of people by service. Thus, serve people and make space in their hearts."

''There is no value of power, prestige and property against the love of people,'' Patnaik said.

The Chief Minister said that his party, in the last 20 years, has engineered a "social revolution" and also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the people of Odisha for their love and affection and giving him the opportunity to serve them.

Recollecting his joining electoral politics when he was first elected as an MP from Aska in 1997, Patnaik said,"My life has been dedicated in the service of Odisha and its people since the beginning of my political career."

Earlier today, after reaching this holy town to attend the foundation day celebrations and attend a Cabinet meet, Patnaik visited the Sri Jagannath Temple.

After a 'darshan' there, he expressed happiness over the progress in the repair of Jagmohan, the prayer hall adjacent to the main sanctum sanctorum at the 12th-century temple.

Meanwhile, the opposition party - Bharatiya Janata Party - targeted the regional party, saying that it has engrossed in loot since last 17 years.

"The Chief Minister indirectly accepted that BJD politicians were engrossed in loot. After 20 years of failure, the state government is now asking people for another chance but will not get one," said Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram.

(With Agency inputs)
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday refused to revive a former longtime Nebraska State Patrol trooper's lawsuit against former patrol leader Brad Rice.

Todd Steckelberg of Elkhorn, who was a trooper for more than 25 years before retiring, had alleged in the case that Rice had a grudge against him, kept him from promotions and forced him to spend a shift with a chaplain as part of a work-improvement plan.

In March, U.S. District Judge John Gerrard dismissed Steckelberg's complaints, finding the conclusions he had drawn about Rice's motivations were unsupported by facts.

An appeal followed, which led to oral arguments last month in Omaha, where the judges  Duane Benton, Bobby Shepherd and Jane Kelly  honed in on the fact that Steckelberg had been forced to do a ride-along with the chaplain.

Steckelberg's attorney, Joy Shiffermiller, told the judges there could be no other purpose than religious proselytizing for his supervisor to require him to do the ride-along and argued the lawsuit should be allowed to move forward to discovery.

Assistant Nebraska Attorney General David Lopez said an interaction with a chaplain was not, in itself, a violation of the First Amendment's establishment clause, prohibiting the free exercise of religion. There had to be a showing of coercion, he said, which wasn't alleged here.

In a single paragraph decision issued Tuesday, the panel unanimously concluded the dismissal was proper.

"As the district court ruled in its thorough and well-reasoned opinions, the complaints fail to state a claim under federal or Nebraska law," the opinion said. "Further discussion would have no precedential value."

Shiffermiller said Tuesday they are likely to seek a rehearing by the panel and by the circuit court as a whole.
Mumbai: Arpita Khan and her husband Aayush Sharma hosted a Christmas bash for family and friends recently. The party was attended by elder brother Salman Khan, his rumoured ladylove Iulia Vantur, his former girlfriend Katrina Kaif, elder sister Alvira Agnihotri and her better-half Atul Agnihotri, Helen, Karan Johar and his twins  Yash and Roohi besides other guests.

What grabbed our attention is that Salman attended the bash with Iulia in tow. The two were seen boarding the same car while leaving the venue.

Check out the images below:

Interestingly, Salmans ex Katrina Kaif  made a solo appearance.

Though Salman and Iulia have refuted rumours of dating each other, speculations are rife that the two could be in love. However, Salman is still seen expressing his admiration for Katrina and is apparently smitten by her beauty.

Nonetheless, former girlfriend or a BFF, Katrina is very close to Salman's family and shares a great bond with them. She is often seen partying with them and is an active partcipant in all their family functions.

But is Iulia the special lady in his life now? Will he ever get married? Well, even Salman doesnt have an answer. Recently, while promoting Tiger Zinda Hai on the sets of Super Dancer, Salman said that even God doesnt know if he will ever decide to take the matrimonial plunge.

Lets keep doing the guess work as even the man in question has no answer.

The hunk of a superstar will turn 52 this December 27 and he may throw a bash of family and his friends at his Lonavla farmhouse.
COIMBATORE: The key accused in the killing of a Hindu Munnani functionary here has been arrested, the police said on Tuesday.

Mohammed Mubarak (28), who was on the run for the last one year, was arrested from a place near Pollachi in the district last night, they added.

According to the police, as a hunt was on for two-three persons for their alleged involvement in the killing, the Special Investigation Division of the CB-CID had received a tip-off, following which Mubarak was arrested.

Four persons were earlier arrested in connection with the killing of C Sasikumar, who was hacked to death on the night of September 22 last year by two bike-borne assailants.

Mubarak, a resident of Saibaba Colony here, was produced before a court here, which remanded him to judicial custody till January 9, the police said.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar on Tuesday took umbrage at the term 'impotent' used by "Thuglaq" magazine editor S Gurumurthy to describe the action taken by the ruling AIADMK against supporters of sidelined leader TTV Dinakaran, after his shock victory in the RK Nagar bypoll.

Interacting with reporters here, Jayakumar said Gurumurthy should control his tongue and only impotent persons will talk about impotency. He said legal action against magazine editor and chartered accountant Gurumurthy would be taken, if necessary, for his defamatory views.

Reacting to the action taken by Chief Miniser K.Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam against the supporters of Dinakaran, Gurumurthy, in a tweet, said: "These weakmen took action after almost six months.. impotent leaders... After shock RK Nagar poll defeat, AIADMK cracks whip against nine Dhinakaran men."

While Gurumurthy used the term impotent to mean "powerless, weak, ineffective", the AIADMK Minister Jayakumar and supporters of the ruling party condemned the usage of the word.

According to Jayakumar, the AIADMK party has self-respect, and the party activists are like Kangeyam (a place reputed for its bull stock) bulls and will not lose self-respect.

Responding to Jayakumar`s outrage, Gurumurthy, in a series of tweets, said: "I thank the TN minister for dispelling the wrong impression the Edappadi OPS govt is running on my advice. I never advised them as govt ever. As an independent writer, I will continue to express my views on how parties and leaders conduct themselves whether they like it or not.

"I have been expressing similar views in the Thuglak magazine in Q&A column, continuously, about the Edappadi (Palaniswami) government. There is nothing new I have said now about how weak the ADMK leadership is."
New Delhi: Popular messaging platform WhatsApp will withdraw support from certain platforms from December 31.

WhatsApp will stop working for people using BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, Windows Phone 8.0 and older.

WhatsApp has said that it will not work on `Nokia S40` after December 2018. Also, Android OS version 2.3.7 and older will also stop functioning after February 1, 2020.

WhatsApp wrote in a blog, "These platforms don't offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app's features in the future. If you use one of these affected mobile devices, we recommend upgrading to a newer OS version, or to a newer Android running OS 4.0+, iPhone running iOS 7+, or Windows Phone 8.1+ so that you can continue using WhatsApp."

"Once you have one of these devices, simply install WhatsApp and verify your phone number on the new device. Keep in mind that WhatsApp can only be activated with one phone number on one device at a time," it added.

WhatsApp said that there is currently no option to transfer your chat history between platforms. However, it will provide the option to send your chat history attached to an email.

The following platforms are no longer supported:
London: A Royal Navy frigate escorted a Russian warship on Christmas Day as it passed close to British territorial waters, the ministry of defence said Tuesday at a time of strained relations between London and Moscow.

The HMS St Albans monitored the Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov in the North Sea, "keeping track of its activity in areas of national interest," it said in a statement.

The St Albans, a Type 23 frigate, was deployed on Saturday to track the Russian vessel and would return to its Portsmouth base Tuesday.

"I will not hesitate in defending our waters or tolerate any form of aggression," defence minister Gavin Williamson said in a statement after the incident.

"Britain will never be intimidated when it comes to protecting our country, our people, and our national interests."

The defence ministry said there had been a recent "upsurge in Russian units transiting UK waters".

It said the patrol ship HMS Tyne also escorted "a Russian intelligence-gathering ship" through the North Sea and the Channel on Sunday.

A navy helicopter was sent to monitor two other Russian vessels.

HMS St Albans was also involved in escorting a Russian aircraft carrier and missile cruiser through the Channel in January this year.

Relations between London and Moscow have been hostile for years, with allegations of Russian meddling in Britain`s referendum on leaving the European Union and Moscow`s intervention in Syria on the side of the Damascus regime further straining already tense ties.

British foreign minister Boris Johnson clashed with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow last week even as they sought to mend relations.
Beijing: China on Tuesday hosted top Afghan and Pakistani officials in a bid to mediate a long-simmering conflict between Kabul and Islamabad.



The trilateral meeting was held between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Afghan and Pakistani counterparts, Salahuddin Rabbani and Khawaja Asif, respectively, to encourage economic and security cooperation between the three countries.



The first trilateral minister-level dialogue in Beijing came as China expands its economic interests in Pakistan.



"China, Afghanistan and Pakistan, as three neighbours, will naturally try to strengthen cooperation amongst each other," Wang was quoted as saying by state broadcaster CCTV. "This is fully in accordance with our common interests, and is a good thing for us."



"We have agreed to help Afghanistan in the peace process and to improve relations between Kabul and Islamabad. Pakistan will take practical action over the Afghan peace process," he said at the joint press conference.



"We will also be present at the Kabul Process meeting which is going to be held in February," he said, adding, "We called on the Taliban to join the peace process and Pakistan has announced their support for peace talks between Taliban and the Afghan government. China will also support the Afghan peace process."



Rabbani, meanwhile, said that the Afghan government was committed to cooperating with China.



"We will continue our efforts to fight terrorism. Fighting terrorism needs joint cooperation. We believe this will improve our relations with Pakistan to fight common threats," he said.



Pakistan`s Asif called Kabul and Islamabad two "strong brothers". "Pakistan urges for border management and solving the refugees issues with Afghanistan," he said.



Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the three Foreign Ministers had an in-depth exchange on mutual political trust, reconciliation, development, counter-terrorism efforts and security cooperation between Pakistan, China and Afghanistan, Xinhua news agency reported.



The meeting highlighted China`s growing role in global hotspots as US President Donald Trump`s administration embraces a more inward-looking foreign policy.



China`s media reported that President Xi Jinping has sought to present China as a responsible alternative to the US, shifting from a longstanding policy of keeping a low profile in international affairs.



The three countries had agreed to establish the mechanism during Wang`s visit to Kabul and Islamabad in June.



China is investing more than $50 billion in Pakistan to create an economic corridor that would link its remote western region to the Arabian sea. Beijing`s leaders have also boosted economic and trade ties with Afghanistan.


Beijing: China and Pakistan will look at extending their $57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday, part of China`s ambitious Belt and Road plan linking China with Asia, Europe and beyond.

China has tried to position itself as a helpful party to promote talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, both uneasy neighbours ever since Pakistan`s independence in 1947.

Their ties have been poisoned in recent years by Afghan accusations that Pakistan is supporting Taliban insurgents fighting the U.S.-backed Kabul in order to limit the influence of its old rival, India, in Afghanistan.

Pakistan denies that and says it wants to see a peaceful, stable Afghanistan.

Speaking after the first trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Wang said China hoped the economic corridor could benefit the whole region and act as an impetus for development.

Afghanistan has urgent need to develop and improve people`s lives and hopes it can join inter-connectivity initiatives, Wang told reporters, as he announced that Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to mend their strained relations.

"So China and Pakistan are willing to look at with Afghanistan, on the basis of win-win, mutually beneficial principles, using an appropriate means to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan," he added.

How that could happen needs the three countries to reach a gradual consensus, tackling easier, smaller projects first, Wang said, without giving details.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said his country and China were "iron brothers", but did not directly mention the prospect of Afghanistan joining the corridor.

"The successful implementation of CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) projects will serve as a model for enhancing connectivity and cooperation through similar projects with neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and with central and west Asia," he said.

India has looked askance at the project as parts of it run through Pakistan-administered Kashmir that India considers its own territory, though Wang said the plan had nothing to do with territorial disputes.

China has sought to bring Kabul and Islamabad together partly due to Chinese fears about the spread of Islamist militancy from Pakistan and Afghanistan to the unrest-prone far western Chinese region of Xinjiang.

As such, China has pushed for Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve their own ties so they can better tackle the violence in their respective countries, and has also tried to broker peace talks with Afghan Taliban militants, to limited effect.

A tentative talks process collapsed in 2015.

Wang said China fully supported peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban and would continue to provide "necessary facilitation".

The Belt and Road infrastructure drive aims to build a modern-day "Silk Road" connecting China to economies in Southeast and Central Asia by land and the Middle East and Europe by sea.
CAIRO: Egypt on Tuesday executed 15 militants charged with killing nine members of the security forces in a 2013 attack in the country`s northeast, a government official said.

The official said 11 convicts were hanged at the Burj al-Arab prison -- located 55 km southwest of Alexandria -- while four others were executed at the Wadi al-Natrun prison, some 120 km to the west of Cairo, Efe news reported.

All of the prisoners were convicted of killing eight soldiers and an officer during the attack on a military checkpoint in the city of al-Arish, capital of the north Sinai region.

A military court had sentenced the 15 men to death in June 2015 and an appeals court upheld the ruling on November 13 this year, according to the local media.

In June 2014, the International Federation for Human Rights condemned what it said was an "alarming increase" in the use of capital punishment in Egypt and urged authorities to abolish the death penalty.

Egyptian security forces are currently engaged in an operation against the Islamic State terror organisation's affiliate in the Sinai Peninsula.
Seoul: North Korea is preparing to launch a satellite, a Seoul newspaper said Tuesday, as outside observers warn that the nuclear-armed regime`s space programme is a fig leaf for weapons tests.

Pyongyang is under multiple UN sanctions over its nuclear and missile tests and is prohibited from carrying out any launch using ballistic missile technology including satellites.

"Through various channels, we`ve recently learned that the North has completed a new satellite and named it Kwangmyongsong-5", the Joongang Ilbo daily reported, quoting a South Korean government source.

"Their plan is to put a satellite equipped with cameras and telecommunication devices into orbit", he said.

Pyongyang launched their Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite in February 2016, which most in the international community viewed as a disguised ballistic missile test.

A spokesman for the South Korean military joint chiefs of staff said there was "nothing out of ordinary at this moment" but added that Seoul was watching out for any provocative acts "including the test of a long-range missile disguised as a satellite launch".

The report came as the North`s ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reasserted the regime`s right to launch satellites and develop its space technology.

In a commentary published on Monday and titled "peaceful space programmes are sovereign countries` legitimate rights", the daily said Pyongyang`s satellite launches "absolutely correspond" with international laws concerning space development.

At a UN General Assembly committee meeting in October, North Korea`s deputy UN ambassador Kim In-Ryong said his country has a 2016-2020 plan to develop "practical satellites that can contribute to the economic development and improvement of the people`s living".

He stressed North Korea`s right to produce and launch satellites "will not be changed just because the US denies it".

North Korea is believed to have successfully put a satellite into orbit in December 2012 after years of failures dating back to 1998 when it launched a pilot satellite and named it Kwangmyongsong-1.

Earlier this month, the Russian newspaper Rossiyskaia Gazeta quoted a Russian military expert, Vladimir Khrustalev, as saying that North Korea was expected to launch two satellites -- an Earth exploration satellite and a communications satellite -- in the near future.

Khrustalev made the remark after returning from his week-long trip to North Korea in mid-November when he met with representatives of the country`s National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA), the Russian daily said.

Tensions have soared as the isolated regime has staged a series of atomic and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests -- most recently on November 29.
The Nebraska Game and Parks officer was investigating one deer camp with Louisiana hunters last month when he got a tip about another.

By the time he put away his ticket book a few days later, he and another officer had written 17 citations to 11 hunters  nine from Louisiana, two from Nebraska. Theyd seized the remains of nine deer  seven bucks and two does. And theyd assessed more than $10,000 in penalties, fees and damages.

This was a pretty egregious case  no permits, loaning permits, not tagging deer, said Duane Arp, assistant administrator of the commissions law enforcement division. There were a lot of things wrong in this situation.

Two situations, actually: The officers busted deer camps in Gage and Jefferson counties, each with a group of Louisiana hunters who didnt know each other, Arp said.

Were a big draw state, he said. We get a lot of nonresident hunters.

Still, the state requires all hunters to follow the law, regardless of where theyre from. And the hunters in the two camps werent. Neither was a pair of Gage County property owners, who were accused of giving or selling their landowner permits to the hunters.

Thats illegal; you cant do that, Arp said. You have to shoot your own deer, and the Louisiana hunters were shooting the deer for them.

The husband and wife each received two tickets, for violations this year and last year, Arp said. Theyve since paid nearly $600 in combined penalties and costs, according to court records.

And all but one of the nine Louisiana hunters have paid their fines, court records show. Including James Squyres of Hineston, Louisiana, who paid $1,149  $100 in fines, $49 in fees and $1,000 for the value of the deer.

The 64-year-old has been making the 900-mile drive north for about 30 years, he said, introduced to the area when he did work at the fertilizer plant near Beatrice.

He and his brother and son lease land in Jefferson County, near Plymouth, and have turned a semitrailer into a hunting lodge.

He always looks forward to the time in Nebraska, he said, sitting around, cooking, shooting the bull.

The quietness up there, we enjoy it. We dont kill deer every year we go up there. I can sit and see thousands of deer and dont shoot. But this year, I decided Id get a little meat and I messed up.

In his case, he took two deer with his bow  all five men in his camp were bowhunters  and intended to report the kills by phone later, when he got home. He said he didnt know that, because November gun season had started, all deer had to be taken to a check station.

There was some little clause that I didnt know anything about. I ended up getting in trouble. But it was my fault, my stupidity.

Arp said deer in that camp had already been cut up, but none of the tags had been canceled by the hunters, meaning they could go back out with their permits. By law, tags must be physically canceled  often by cutting a notch in them  immediately after a kill.

And there was more, Squyres conceded. Some of the other boys only had one tag and they had more than one deer, he said. Thats none of my business, but theyre in my camp, so that makes it look bad on us.

As long as they paid their fines, the men wont lose their right to hunt in Nebraska, Arp said.

Squyres has already returned, driving 14 hours earlier this month for muzzleloader season. We came back the first week. Each one of us killed a buck and doe and tagged it and did everything we were supposed to.
AMMAN: Syrian Army forces backed by Iranian-backed militias pushed deeper into the last rebel-held enclave near a strategic border area with Israel and Lebanon in a new expansion of Tehran`s influence in the war-torn country.

The army and the Shi`ite forces helped by Druze militias in the area advanced east and south of the Sunni-rebel held bastion of Beit Jin backed by some of the heaviest aerial bombing and artillery shelling since a major assault began more than two months ago to seize the area, rebels said.

The Syrian army said it had encircled the village of Mughr al Meer at the foothills of Mount Hermon as troops moved towards Beit Jin amid fierce clashes. On Monday, the army said they had cut off insurgent supply lines and made further advances.

The enclave is the last rebel bastion left in the southwest of Damascus known as the Western Ghouta that had since last year fallen under government control after months of heavy bombing on civilian areas and years of siege tactics that forced rebels to surrender.

A western intelligence source confirmed rebel reports that Iranian-backed local militias alongside commanders from the powerful Lebanese Hezbollah Shi`ite group were playing a major role in the ongoing battles.

Tehran was pushing to establish a strategic presence along the Israeli border in the Syrian Golan Heights, the source said.

Rebels said they had repelled several attempts to storm their defences and denied reports they were about to surrender.

"The Iranian-backed militias are trying to consolidate their sphere of influence all the way from southwest of Damascus to the Israeli border," said Suhaib al Ruhail, an official from the Liwa al Furqan rebel group that operates in the area.

Worried by Iran`s expanding influence in Syria after the defeat of Islamic State, Israel has in recent weeks stepped up its strikes against suspected Iranian targets inside Syria.

Early this month there was an Israeli strike on a base near Kiswah, south of Damascus, that was widely believed to be an Iranian military compound, a Western intelligence source said.

Israel has been lobbying Washington and Moscow to deny Iran, Lebanons Hezbollah and other Shiite militias any permanent bases in Syria, and to keep them away from the Golan, as they gain ground while helping Damascus beat back Sunni-led rebels.

The southwest of Syria is part of a de-escalation zone in southern Syria agreed last July between Russia and the United States, the first such understanding between the two powers.

The area has not seen Russian bombing, unlike other ceasefire areas in Syria.

Diplomatic sources say several thousand Shi`ite and Druze fighters are pitted against hundreds of Sunni jihadists and mainstream Free Syria Army (FSA) rebels closing ranks under the banner of Itihad Quwt Jabal al Sheikh, or "Union of fighters of Jabal al Sheikh". They are mainly drawn from local fighters from the area.

With the army and Iranian backed offensive widening, the Sunni rebels have called on youths to enlist, while mosque imams in Beit Jin called on people to take up arms and fight the army.

Rebels still have a sizeable presence in central and southern Quneitra, in the Syrian Golan Heights.

Western diplomatic sources say the crushing of the Sunni rebel presence in areas they have been in since 2013 will allow Lebanon`s Hezbollah to open another secure arms supply line from its border in southern Lebanon into Syria.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria, Iran has had a growing presence in the country, deploying thousands of Shi`ite fighters drawn from Iraq and Afghanistan who have fought against both mainstream Sunni rebel groups and more militant groups.
December 20, 2017

Amid speculation about an increase in gasoline prices in Iran, reports of a 70% surge in the salaries of parliament members have infuriated both public opinion and the media.

President Hassan Rouhani recently presented his budget bill to parliament for the next Iranian year (beginning in March)  a budget that faced serious criticism for dramatic increases in gasoline prices and the departure tax and a massive cut in cash handouts, among other measures.

An Iranian under the name MohammadMoayer2 tweeted Dec. 19, Why should the salary of incompetent parliament members surge [when] their services dont increase?

Another user identifying himself as Mostafa tweeted Dec. 20, Now I dont know why these parliament members [have decided] to increase their salary when they dont need it [at all]. They spent at least millions [of tomans] to become candidates and then members of parliament.

While a number of parliament members have denied reports of an impending salary surge, a few have confirmed it could take place and spoken in its favor.

On Dec. 18, deputy parliament Speaker Masoud Pezeshkian said, The issue of a 70% increase in parliament members' income has been discussed, but it hasnt been passed yet.

Pezeshkian, a Reformist, added, I state clearly that the parliament member salary is less than the [salary] of their drivers  and I can prove this.

In reaction to these reports, Reformist parliament member Parvaneh Salahshouri said Dec. 18, I have seen the reports, but I couldnt believe it. I cant accept this [surge in] salary while the people are under [financial] pressure. I will certainly oppose it if it turns out to be true. You can be sure that other parliament members will oppose it.

She also said parliament members receive around 70 million Iranian rials per month, which is equivalent to $1,957 using the official exchange rate.

In reaction to the ballyhoo, parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said Dec. 19, They say that the salary of parliament members has increased by 70%. This is 100% untrue.

He added, Those who once slammed populism are now entangled by new populism. What is this atmosphere [against parliament members] that you have created?

In other news, Hamid Baghaie, who was vice president in charge of executive affairs when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was president, said Dec. 20 that he has been sentenced to 63 years in prison. In response, the judiciary denied Baghaies remarks, hinting that the time he is to spend in prison is less than 63 years. The Mizan News Agency, which belongs to the judiciary, quoted a jurist saying Dec. 20, Basically, nobody can be sentenced to prison for 63 years based on Iran's legal system. You should consult [jurists] before lying. Moreover, Ali Akbar Javanfekr said Dec. 20 that a verdict has also been issued in his case; Javanfekr was a media adviser in the Ahmadinejad administration.

Of note, verbal clashes between Ahmadinejad and judiciary chief Sadegh Amoli Larijani have increased lately, with both sides accusing the other of various charges. Ahmadinejad believes the trials of his entourage and the verdicts issued against them are not fair and are politically motivated.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. After meeting with Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan issued a statement for mass media. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Armenian Presidents Office, the statement reads as follows,

Distinguished Mr. President,

Dear mass media representatives,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to be back to the friendly and hospitable Georgia. Once again, I would like to thank President Giorgi Margvelashvili for the invitation and a warm reception and, of course, for kind remarks.

This year we marked the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Georgia, and my year-end visit is a good opportunity to summarize our joint work, the results and our future plans. I am glad that we have many prospective projects on our bilateral agenda, and that we have a lot to do.

In the past quarter century, the Armenian-Georgian good-neighborly relations have developed on the basis of our peoples rich cultural traditions, interconnected history and common values.



Georgia has special attractiveness for Armenians; we really have friendly feelings towards the Georgian people. It is no coincidence that a large part of Armenians prefer to spend their holidays in Georgia.

I highly appreciate our effective talks with the President of Georgia, which, I am sure, will give new quality to bilateral relations.

I want to reaffirm our readiness to deepen cooperation with Georgia in the spirit of friendship, mutual understanding and harmony.

We are committed to maintaining active high-level contacts, which play an important role in terms of promoting bilateral agreements and launching new programs.

I think everyone understands that if there was a unfavorable attitude toward Armenians, then Armenians would not come to Georgia with pleasure.

Today, we addressed our ever expanding trade and economic agenda, first of all highlighting the ongoing cooperation in important areas, such as energy and transport, including the development and effective use of our countries transit capacities. We spoke about the programs to be implemented in tourism and the IT sector, given the great potential here.

The creation of joint ventures was also on the agenda of the meeting, and I told my counterpart that in my opinion, the Georgian side should avail itself of Armenias opportunities: the availability of free economic zones and the sale of its products in the markets of the Eurasian Economic Union. In this respect, any company registered in Armenia can be beneficial.

I want to highlight the role of the new free economic zone on the Iranian border, which will also give a great opportunity to export Georgian goods and services to another solvent market  the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Certainly, we have discussed issues of regional security and stability in the South Caucasus. In this context, we highlighted the importance of a balanced and constructive approach to sensitive issues.

We agreed that a comprehensive and long-term settlement of conflicts is only possible through peaceful means within the framework of agreed formats and only through negotiations.

It has been a rule for us, and I can say quite frankly that during all negotiations, we keep using such documents, such statements and resolutions that do not harm Georgias interests and I think that both for the Armenian side and the Georgian side the observance of this position can only benefit our peoples.

Once again, I wish to thank the Georgian President, the Vice Prime Ministers and the members of Government for effective talks, and reaffirm that we are keen to develop relations with the fraternal Georgia, and we will always abide by this standpoint.

Thank you very much.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Armenian minister of economic development and investments Suren Karayan on December 25 met with Russias minister of industry and trade Denis Manturov in Moscow, the ministry told Armenpress.

During the meeting the two ministers discussed the proposals of the two sides and the issues relating to the current bilateral programs, in particular, to the industrial cooperation and investments in Armenias industry.

The Armenian minister proposed the Russian minister to expand the representation of Russian industrial enterprises in Armenias free economic zones. The Russian minister said the Russian corporations are interested in conducting an activity in Armenias free economic zones.

During the talk Denis Manturov highly appreciated the decisions adopted in the Eurasian partnership international forum, as well as highlighted the need to intensify the bilateral contacts.

The sides highlighted with satisfaction the increase of trade-economic figures of the two countries during 2017.

The officials also touched upon issues relating to deepening the works of the Armenian-Russian joint investment fund. The minister gave instructions to the respective units.

At the proposal of minister Karayan, a decision was made to form a joint partnership working group in the field of industry. The ministers agreed to hold the first meeting in early 2018. The working group will in particular study the prospects of joint export to third countries and concrete industrial programs.
TBILISI, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan and President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan discussed issues relating to the educational, cultural and other issues of the Armenian community, reports Armenpress.

After the meeting with the Armenian President, Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan told reporters that many Armenian schools in Georgia face a problem of teachers training. We face a problem of providing many schools with teachers. Of course, this is the task of the Georgian education ministry, but we know that Armenian youth from Georgia, who want to become a teacher, are taught for free in Armenia. And they later will return here to teach in the Armenian schools, he said.

There are more than 120 Armenian schools in Georgia. The Primate of the Armenian Diocese stated that these schools need hundreds of teachers. We have a school in Javakheti where the graduate didnt manage to get a higher education, but he/she teaches at the same school. Thats why the education level is low, and we need to raise it, Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan said.

He added that he asked the Armenian President to further boost the cultural ties between Armenia and Georgia. We know Georgia, the Georgian culture quite well since Armenians visit Georgia a lot, but Georgians visit Armenia less and are not familiar with Armenia and the Armenian culture. Its necessary to boost the cultural ties. In the context of cultural ties we have highlighted the works of Armenian artists, as well as the issue to translate the Armenian literature in Georgian at the state level. Today these issues are being solved either by the writers union or simply by individuals, but its necessary to translate the Armenian literature in Georgian since reading increases in Georgia, new bookshops are being opened which later become clubs of book-lovers, he said.

Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan also discussed with President Serzh Sargsyan the issue of making investments in Samtskhe-Javakheti region by the Armenian businessmen. Its very important for the local people to be engaged in other works in addition to agricultural and animal husbandry activities so that the social life there will be more safe and people will not leave their communities, he said.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Distinguished students of Yerevans public schools have been hosted in the Presidents Office on December 26 as part of the traditional New Years eve celebrations.

Anna Stepanyan, director of the City Halls public education department told ARMENPRESS that nearly 300 students from 160 schools of the capital have been hosted in the event.

Clowns and cartoon heroes are performing various programs for the children during the event.

Children and grandchildren of fallen soldiers, volunteers, police officers and other agencies are also participating in the celebrations.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Within the frames of the official visit to Georgia, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan visited the St. George Church together with the Armenian community representatives in Tbilisi after which he also visited the Heroes Sqaure where he laid a wreath at the monument, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

Thereafter, the Armenian President met with Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II.

On behalf of himself and the whole Armenian people, the President congratulated Ilia II on the 40th anniversary of enthronement of the Catholicos-Patriarch, stating that during these 40 years he conducted a great work in strengthening the Georgian Orthodox Church.

The Armenian President thanked Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II for his prayers for preserving and deepening the friendship of the Armenian and Georgian peoples.

The President and Ilia II attached importance to the church-state relations. The President highly appreciated the role of the Armenian church in the life of the Armenian people especially in the era of the absence of the Armenian statehood when the church replaced the state in the difficult moments firmly preserving the faith and national identity.

President Serzh Sargsyan said Armenia and Georgia are linked with each other by centuries-old friendship and the traditions of this friendship are based on common Christian and cultural values and history.

During the meeting the Armenian President briefed Ilia II on the results of the meeting held yesterday with the President of Georgia, highly appreciating the effective discussions and the agreements reached.

Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II asked the Armenian President to convey his warm greetings and wishes to Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II.


YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on December 26 met with Parliament Speaker of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

The Parliament Speaker welcomed the delegation led by the Armenian President and expressed confidence that such high-level mutual visits positively affect the bilateral inter-state relations, as well as strengthening the friendship of the Armenian and Georgian peoples. Irakli Kobakhidze stated that the Georgian parliament attaches great importance and is ready to continue consistently developing the close cooperation with Armenia by having its contribution to deepening the ties between the two countries.

During the meeting the officials highlighted with satisfaction the progress recorded in several fields of mutual interest during this year, including the increase of trade turnover volumes and the efforts to maintain and strengthen them.

The Armenian President thanked for the warm reception and said in the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between Armenia and Georgia such level of bilateral ties is obliging. He also attached importance to the development of relations with Georgia from the perspective of Armenias transition to the parliamentary system after the Constitutional changes.

Irakli Kobakhidze talked about with satisfaction the activity of Armenian lawmakers in the Georgian parliament, adding that they have their contribution not only in the parliaments activities, but also in deepening the Armenian-Georgian relations.

The Armenian President and the Georgian Parliament Speaker agreed that the two friendly countries have common interests, and the close cooperation is the best way to find effective solutions.

The officials attached importance to the regional stability and peace.

At the end of the meeting the Armenian President left a note in the Georgian parliaments memorial book.

My official visit to Georgia on the eve of Holidays is a good opportunity to write wishes in this memorial book of the Georgian parliament already familiar to me.

I believe that our parliaments have great mission to strengthen the centuries-old friendship of our peoples since by the constitutional changes held in Armenia and Georgia the role and significance of the two parliaments have been re-interpreted. Thus, I wish that our inter-parliamentary ties will further intensify every year, expand and deepen becoming another driving force for further development of inter-state ties between Armenia and Georgia.

Long live the Armenian and Georgian brotherly peoples!, the President wrote.




A recent story on the Science Saturday page of the Arizona Daily Sun captured my attention. Seems a maintenance inspector was cruising around the Anchorage, Alaska, airport when he saw a pair of polar bears lumbering down a runway. Although probably in search of something edible, a local resident claimed the two were chasing after a just missed flight to a winter vacation den in Barrow, Alaska.

And speaking of Barrow, a bearded seal weighing over 500 pounds decided taking a nap on the town's lone runway was a good idea. This resulted in a warning to incoming planes about the possibility of "low sealings" while landing.

Numerous birds and the occasional musk ox are seen skulking on that airstrip, also, but never a seal of that size. The huge marine mammal was successfully removed by animal control officers to a more suitable snoozing site.

The chances of spotting a massively hirsute musk ox posturing stoically inside its bubble of glandular charisma on a Pulliam Airport runway is highly unlikely. But you can see some polar bear people plunging into Upper Lake Mary on New Year's Day at high noon.

And you can easily become one of those nearly bare folks by appearing on the Upper Lake Mary boat dock clad in your best Flagstaff swim wear (including sandals) with a large towel at the ready nearby. The entry fee is a canned good to be donated to the Flagstaff Food Bank and cheering spectators are always welcome to watch the

activities.

All Polar Bear Plunge participants will receive a Certificate of Achievement plus the golden opportunity to appear half-naked on the front page of the Arizona Daily Sun. Will the benefits ever cease? But this annual event can't happen without the aid of a few volunteer ice choppers  just in case the Weather Service forecast turns cold. If you can help, please call me at 714-0504.

There are two other Festivus events just before the Polar Bear Plunge worthy of your participation. On New Year's Eve there will be a snowshoe tramp in Buffalo Park starting at 6 p.m. What, no snow? We'll do a walk by the light of the moon anyway with our good friend Pat Benson as he points out the many intriguing sights that reside in our night sky.

And on New Year's Day morning there will be a cleanup of all the previous night's litter thrown earthward during the celebration in front of the Weatherford Hotel and the surrounding streets. All are welcome to join us inside the MIX Restaurant at 9 a.m. for a short gift card raffle and then head outside to pick up as much of the scattered trash as we can in 90 minutes.

And on another subject, my friend Deanna Toenjes, who has delivered the Arizona Daily Sun to my door for 20 years, is moving into a different field of endeavor. Deanna and her family have never failed to leave a promised newspaper on my back step. Their dedication to providing such excellent service has been awesome. And on a more personal note it's a pleasure to know Deanna and her family. They're the kind of people who make Flagstaff such a great place to live. They truly are the best. Thanks, Deanna!
RACINE  Racine Unifieds school-based mental health clinics are making a difference in the schools where they operate.

A partnership of various community organizations, the Racine Collaborative for Childrens Mental Health has launched four clinics at RUSD schools within the past two school years.

Julie Hueller, manager of the collaborative, along with Lisa Adams-Qualls, behavioral intervention specialist and principal of Fresh Start, spoke to the Racine Unified School Board during its Dec. 18 meeting about the progress the students who attend the clinics have made.

The clinics

The district opened school-based mental health clinics at SC Johnson Elementary School, 2420 Kentucky St., and Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St., during the 2015-2016 school year. It opened another two at Knapp Elementary, 2701 17th St., and Fratt Elementary, 3501 Kinzie Ave., last school year.

The community provider that supplies a full-time clinical therapist for each clinic is Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin. Each therapist provides individual and family therapy, in addition to conducting consultations with family and teachers. This helps teachers learn to handle a specific behavior issues.

Here you have an expert on-site, where they can actually go into the classroom and observe what the student is doing in real time, and really work with that teacher on behavioral plans for that student, Hueller said.

Improvements by the numbers

During the 2016-2017 school year, the RUSD school-based mental health clinics made 162 referrals, and engaged 110 clients in 2,191 therapy sessions. The vast majority of the clients  96 percent  were insured by Medicaid.

Last school year, both Johnson and Wadewitz elementary schools reported a more than 50 percent decrease in overall issues for students who received services from the clinics.

All four schools reported a decrease in behavioral office referrals for students who use the clinics. Almost 50 percent of students improved their attendance after receiving care at the clinics. Students at Wadewicz who attend the clinic there experienced a 70 percent reduction in out-of-school suspensions.

Eliminating barriers to service

Those in the collaborative wanted to eliminate barriers to mental health help for kids living in poverty. Hueller said that one in five children have a diagnosable mental health disorder, and 80 percent of those kids dont get the help they need.

Many times, children living in poverty had a hard time accessing mental health services because their parents cant find clinics that take state Medicaid or have unreliable transportation to appointments.

We wanted to eliminate the barriers to care for parents, Hueller said. Having a clinic in a school met that need.

Looking toward the future

During the school board meeting, Adams-Qualls proposed that the district implement a mental health first aid training program for its staff. This would teach them how to support students with mental health issues. She recommended providing the training district-wide with a three-year rollout at $12,500 per year, plus the initial training certification workshop for three staff members at $2,000 apiece.

She also proposed additional training school-wide, provided by Childrens Hospital, at a cost of $14,000 per year.

Hueller said there are several possibilities for funding the training, including grants. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has also put money in in next years school budget for school-based mental health.

DPI is very supportive of mental health first aid, she said.

The collaborative is also looking into expanding the program into the districts middle and high schools.

Praise from the board

I think its about time that we treat mental health like physical health, said School Board Clerk Matthew Hanser.

As a former teacher of at-risk students, Hanser said he knows that if kids arent engaged, they wont learn, despite teachers efforts.

I applaud you for your efforts, Hanser told Hueller and Adams-Qualls. I know its not easy work, but its really important.

School board member John Heckenlively said hes heard that the clinics have had a tremendous impact on discipline issues in schools.

I think there is very, very broad community support for this, he said.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Armenia airline will operate flights to the two European destinations starting from April of 2018, the companys general director Robert Hovhannisyan told reporters, reports Armenpress.

He said for that purpose they are going to acquire Embraer plane with 190 seats, and at the moment talks are underway on transporting it.

This plane is quite in a good condition. When it arrives in Armenia, we will start operating direct flights to Europe. The first flight is scheduled on April 19 to Lyon and then to Cologne on April 23, he said.

Robert Hovhannisyan informed that they have received discounts both from the Lyon and Cologne airports to operate flights. After the talks with the Lyon and Cologne airports we have received 50% discount for three years for using the services of the airport. Zvartnots airport is also ready for discount, they support opening regular flights to Europe, he said.

The airport of Cologne even agreed to give 70% discount if the airline doesnt postpone the flights.

These are the destinations from where we expect tourists, including Armenians who live in France and Germany. We also plan to bring tour-operators from there, he said, adding that if everything goes well, the flights will be operated twice a week both in summer and winter.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Although this is not the first visit of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to Georgia, each such visit has a political significance, former Georgian foreign minister Irakli Menagarishvili told Sputnik news.

This visit is the component of the system of mutual relations we have established with our neighbors in South Caucasus for already two decades. This also includes the high level regular visits to each others capitals. Despite that this is not the first visit of the Armenian President to Georgia, each such visit definitely has an important significance from political perspective, he said.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. The European common aviation area agreement will be signed soon. It will enable the Armenian and European air carriers to use the bilateral aviation markets, Sergey Avetisyan  Head of the General Department of Civil Aviation, told reporters, reports Armenpress.

He considered the agreement on Common aviation area initialed between Armenia and the European Union on November 24 in Brussels as an important achievement during 2017.

In May we launched the official round of talks, and in November this agreement was initialed which signaled the end of talks. At present we are waiting for the response of the European side, and the agreement will be signed soon. The agreement enables the Armenian and European air carriers to use the bilateral aviation markets. This will also positively affect the increase in passenger flow, ticket prices, increase of geography and other components, Sergey Avetisyan said.

The agreement creates an opportunity for the Armenian airlines to use the EU domestic market without any restrictions, and for the EU airlines it provides an opportunity to depart for third countries from the Armenian market. According to the agreement all standards and regulations of civil aviation field existing in the EU states will be installed in Armenia.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. The children and grandsons of the servicemen of the Armenian Armed Forces, soldiers that were killed or disabled during Artsakh liberation war or the April war, Yerkrapah Volunteer Union, employees of the Police and NSS of Armenia were hosted at the Presidential Palace of Armenia.

The children were eagerly waiting for the start of the festive events which was rather saturated. Cartoon heroes sang and danced with them, afterwards, Santa Claus joint them.

9-year-old Gohar is the daughter of April war hero Hrachya Muradyan, killed during the fierce clashes. She attended the festive event with her sister, Armine. Gohar told ARMENPRESS that New year is one of her beloved holidays, and she looks forward to this holiday every year.

I want 2018 to be a year of peace and happiness, Gohar said, adding that she would like to receive a beautiful dress from Santa Claus.

11-year-old Sergey Stepanyan is the son of Mayor of the Armed Forces of Armenia, sportsman Sargis Stepanyan, who was injured in 2014 when trying to save the life of his friend in a minefield. Recently he became arm wrestling world champion in the competition of disabled persons.

To the question if he has already chosen his future profession, Sergey said without hesitation, I will continue my fathers path. I will become a serviceman.

Sergey wished that in 2018 there will be no victims on the border and that the servicemen return to their homes.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. The meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Center of Strategic Initiatives of Armenia took place on December 26, chaired by Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Government of Armenia, the report on the activities of the Center of 2017 was presented and the plans for 2018 were discussed.

Executive Director of the Center Alexander Khachaturyan referred in his report to the works done and still underway in the spheres of public administration, customs and tax administration, education, information and high technologies and agriculture.

Prime Minister Karapetyan assessed the nearly one year of activities of the Center of Strategic Initiatives as effective and also thanked the representatives of the private sector for their active cooperation, noting that in 2018 the works should be continued more vigorously.
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) is planning to conduct a consumer survey for electric vehicles in the country, in order to determine the expectations and requirements of customers. It firmly believes that it is necessary to understand the ground reality before jumping into the idea of bringing electric vehicles to India. The market survey is to be conducted for more than five to six weeks.

Maruti Suzuki believes that making affordable EVs is the first thing which should be kept in mind. Along with this, meeting customer's demand should also be in the top of the priority list. Making affordable electric cars is a big question for the company, as it currently has 75 percent of the affordable cars from the total passenger vehicles in the country.

Speaking about the companys future plans for EVs in India, the Chairman of Maruti Suzuki said that survey has to be conducted in order to understand the customer expectation along with the availability of infrastructure. He also said that for an electric vehicle to succeed, it must be in line with the customer's expectation.

The government is determined to make India free from fossil fuel dependent vehicles by bringing all-electric vehicles by the end of 2030. For this dream to come true, the involvement of Maruti Suzuki has to be there largely to produce EVs for India. Maruti Suzuki is looking forward to bring in the 2017 Maruti Suzuki Swift hybrid in the country and soon after the survey, it will consider developing all-electric cars.

Maruti Suzuki is working in a joint venture with Toyota to bring EVs in India and is most likely to introduce its first all-electric car by the end of 2020. Both the companies are looking to conduct a comprehensive study of the survival of electric cars in the country. In the joint venture, Toyota will provide technical assistance, while the rest is to be done by the Indo-Japanese manufacturer. It is planning to set up a Li-ion battery plant in Gujarat and build electric motors along with other components locally to keep the costs in check.
A teenage computer hacker in the United Kingdom will not serve time behind bars, a British judge decided this week, for a series of cyber attacks that included a Denial of Service attack on the free porn mega-site Pornhub. Jack Chappell, a 19-year-old hacker from a suburb of Manchester, England, was instead hit with a suspended sentence of 16 months for the series of cyber attacks against a wide variety of big businesses and academic institutions.

A DDoS, or Distributed Denial of Service attack is a way of shutting down an online service or website by flooding it with traffic, such as bogus emails, coming from a distributed network of computers numbering in the hundreds or even thousandsmost of which are hijacked by the DDoS hackers without their owners aware that they are being used for the attacks.

Chappell admitted conspiring with an Israeli hacker to shut down numerous sites, including Pornhub, Virgin Media, the Massachsetts Institute of Technology and the NatWest online banking operation.

Chappells lawyer said that his client suffers from autism, and was exploited by his Israeli co-conspirators.

The British teen admitted to carrying out the attacks in July. His accused Israeli co-conspirator, Yarden Bidaniwho was then only 18 years oldwas arrested in 2016.

Chappell was accused of operating an online business known as VDos that carried out the hacks in exchange for payment. He admitted earlier this year to taking part in a money laundering scheme to conceal credit card payments to VDos.

Reportedly, a week-long DDoS attack can be purchased for only about $150 from underground hacker sites.

Chappell reportedly offered Bronze, Silver, Gold and VIP DDoS attack packages, each priced differently depending on the customers desired severity of the DDoS attack, and even supplied online technical support, allowing individuals who were not themselves hackersor who may have no real technical knowldege at allto unleash crippling Denial of Service attacks with just a few clicks.

Though Chappell was not accused of stealing any user information from Pornhub or any of the other sites that he has now confessed to attacking, Pornhub was the target of a year-long malware attack that was uncovered in October of this year.

The culprits behind the latest attack on Pornhub are believed to be part of a cyber-criminal organization known as KovCoreG. Their scheme involved installing a piece of malware on the Pornhub site that would trick users into clicking on a fake software update.

The malware would then download onto Pornhub users computers, causing the computers to click on fake advertisements online without the users knowledge. The fraudulent ad clicks would generate revenue for the hackers, but put the privacy and computer security of Pornhub users in danger.

While the payload in this case is ad fraud malware, it could just as easily have been ransomware, an information stealer, or any other malware, said Proofpoint, the cybersecurity firm that discovered the Pornhub malware attack. Regardless, threat actors are following the money and looking to more effective combinations of social engineering, targeting and pre-filtering to infect new victims at scale.
Raleigh attorney nominated for federal court held up by allegations stemming from 1990 Helms for Senate campaign

Hebert had to recant race-based accusations against U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions during his nomination proceedings for a federal judgeship in 1986. He and another Justice Department attorney accused Sessions of acting as Alabama attorney general to block a voting rights case. Sessions was not the state's attorney general at the time.

Hebert also pushed a losing case against county commissioners in Alabama that drew a stinging judicial rebuke in 1997, and $86,626 in compensation to the wrongly accused defendants.

Veteran Raleigh attorney Thomas Farr must wait until 2018 to see if he remains a candidate for the U.S. District Court opening he was chosen to fill in July.The Senate has not voted on Farr's confirmation, and Democrats have refused to give the routine unanimous consent needed to keep his nomination open into the new year. Trump would have to nominate Farr again, and the process would begin anew. The News & Observer noted the seat in the Eastern District of North Carolina has been vacant for 11 years.If Trump does renominate Farr, his backers say the delays will continue. They say opposition to Farr, who was given a "well-qualified" rating by the American Bar Association, is partisan - and the touchstone is a series of unsupported, false allegations of racial bias against the attorney, who worked for former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, a Republican, and represented the GOP-led General Assembly in the early phases of the current legal fight over redistricting.Farr specifically denies any involvement in a 1990 campaign mailing Democrats have highlighted. His supporters say the charges are simply another partisan attempt to discredit Farr by making spurious assertions against him. Liberals allege Farr is, in the words of the N.C. NAACP, "an advocate for segregationist causes."Many of the incendiary allegations came from Gerald Hebert, a former Department of Justice official, and senior director of voting rights and redistricting at the Washington, D.C.-based Campaign Legal Center.Hebert says Farr - part of Helms' 1984 and 1990 campaign teams - had a role in a postcard mailing which targeted 100,000 voters in predominantly black neighborhoods. Hebert contends the late-October 1990 mailing was designed to intimidate blacks by suggesting they were ineligible to vote, and could face criminal prosecution if they did.The U.S. Justice Department sued the Helms campaign committee for violating federal civil-rights laws and the committee entered a consent decree with the government.Hebert declined a request for an interview.Corey Goldstone at the Campaign Legal Center told Carolina Journal by email.Farr strongly denied Hebert's accusations.Farr said in a written response to a query letter from U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, a potential 2020 presidential candidate.Farr wrote in the response.Carter Wrenn, who was Helms' campaign manager, not only corroborated Farr's denial in an interview with CJ, and in a letter he sent to North Carolina's junior Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, but also accepted blame for the postcard."I think there's a lot of politics in all of these racial charges that are being thrown around," Wrenn said, characterizing Hebert's accusations as "fiction."Farr was in a meeting in October 1990 at which poll watchers, campaign mailings, "and a bunch of different things" including ballot security programs were discussed, Wrenn said."They didn't have a postcard in front of them at that meeting. They didn't approve a copy of it or anything like that. They just talked about what can we do on a ballot security program," Wrenn said."The actual postcard itself was just a blunder, and Farr didn't have anything to do with the blunder," Wrenn said.That echoes Wrenn's account in his letter to Tillis.Wrenn wrote. He said he never talked to Farr about the card that was mailed or who it was mailed to until the Justice Department investigated possible voting rights violations after the election.In his response to Booker, Farr affirmed he didn't know about the mailing until it went out.Farr wrote.The Helms Committee never admitted to any wrongdoing.J. Christian Adams, president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, and a former Justice Department election lawyer, agrees with Wrenn that the political motivation rests with Hebert, who is involved in redistricting litigation and has faced off with Farr in court."[Hebert] doesn't want people on the federal bench who disagree with his tactics. He wants only judges who agree with his ends-justify-the-means approach to racial issues," Adams told CJ. "Farr doesn't play that game."In a column he wrote for the conservative news and commentary website PJ Media, Adams said Hebert "has a history of fabricating details." Adams' book Injustice: Exposing the Racial Agenda of the Obama Justice Department, outlined similar charges against Hebert. According to the book:In the Alabama case of U.S. v. Jones the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a redistricting case handled by Hebert, then a Justice Department attorney, erred in assigning racially discriminatory motives to Dallas County commissioners and other public officials.the decision stated, noting that mapping mistakes had been used by election officials for many years.The court rebuked the DOJ for the "carelessly instigated" case, and "unconscionable" lack of proper investigation.the opinion stated.Even though the Senate Judiciary Committee approved Farr's nomination by an 11-9 party-line vote, Booker and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, have pressed Farr especially hard, as left-leaning organizations called on Trump to withdraw Farr's selection.said Daniel Keylin, a spokesman for Tillis. Keylin was referring to several stories in the alternative Triangle publication INDY Week, and Hebert's statements.Keylin said.Keylin said.Tillis and Richard Burr, North Carolina's senior GOP senator, have supported Farr."He received 'well qualified' rating from the [American Bar Association] on two different occasions, which many members on this committee consider to be the gold standard," Tillis said during the confirmation hearing.Burr introduced Farr at the hearing, saying
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.
RACINE  The greater Racine County area was rocked by a series of drownings and near-drownings that occurred this past year, with a number of young people between the ages of 4 to 23 having been pulled from the waters of Lake Michigan, the Root River, Quarry Lake and Browns Lake.

The rash of water tragedies was voted the No. 7 news story of the year in Racine County, as voted by news staff. The stories are determined based on the lasting effect they have on the community.

This years first drowning was reported on July 4. Daryle DJ Neal Jr., 14, of the 2000 block of Carmel Avenue, drowned in the Root River at Washington Park, where he had been reportedly swimming with friends.

Later that evening, police responded to the 800 Pershing Park Drive after a child reportedly fell off the rocks and was under the water.

Police initially indicated the child had died, but later police released a statement saying that said the child had a pulse and was being transported to Childrens Hospital. The child survived, according to Racine County Medical Examiner Michael Payne.

Later that month, on July 30, Amari Griffin-Brewer, 16, drowned while swimming off of Zoo Beach in Lake Michigan.

Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling said the investigation revealed Brewer-Griffin was swimming with two other teenage friends, a boy and a girl. Brewer-Griffin went under the water and did not resurface.

The next incident involved a near-drowning at Quarry Lake. Najee I. Sherrod, 23, of Racine, was reportedly snagged by fishing line left in the water and began to struggle. A man fishing with his girlfriend jumped in the water and swam out to where Sherrod went under.

While bringing Sherrod back, the man ran into another fishing line with a lure attached. The lures barbs dug into his arm, halting his progress. Bystanders got the two back to shore and began performing CPR on Sherrod.

Sherrod was flown by Flight for Life to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwtosa where, in late August, he was in stable condition.

Tragedy struck once again on Aug. 21, when 4-year-old Tyrice B. Creed of Racine drowned in Browns Lake in Burlington.

The victim had been spending the day with a group of children and their aunt, who works at Moes Learning Academy child care facility in Racine. Shed offered to take the victim and two other young children from the daycare with her family to Browns Lake because the daycare was closed for remodeling.

Creed went missing at around 5:10 p.m., according to emergency radio transmissions, and was found at about 5:40 p.m.

The boy was rushed by Burlington Rescue crews to Aurora Memorial Hospital of Burlington. A Flight for Life helicopter was called to the hospital to be ready to transport the child to Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin in Wauwatosa, but was ultimately not used.

Another drowning occurred on Sept. 20 when 15-year-old Austin J. Sanders was reportedly found in a pond about 200 yards from his familys Kansasville home in the 22700 block of Deer Meadow Drive.

Sanders father discovered his son in the pond at about 11:30 a.m. and called 911. When deputies arrived, they started emergency medical attention and despite their best efforts, Sanders was pronounced dead.

The last death related to water occurred Dec. 11 when Jeffery C. Ingle crashed his truck into a pond along Highway 31 by Home Depot. His truck became submerged in the pond and Ingle was later pronounced dead. Initial reports indicate the crash could have been related to a seizure.


In 2016, the deep-red, Mormon-dominated state of Utah had to choose between voting in favor of a rapist, or in favor of allowing women to control their own fertility, and they chose the rapist.



A year later, the state's experiencing buyer's remorse. The Salt Lake City Tribune published an editorial today calling for the state's longest-serving senator Orrin Hatch (also the longest-serving senator in US history) to step down, citing "his utter lack of integrity that rises from his unquenchable thirst for power" as the reason for him to exit politics.

Hatch was instrumental to passing the GOP tax plan, and Utah, a state known for its natural beauty, is also reeling from the Trump war on national parks and monuments.

It has everything to do with recognizing: *

Hatch's part in the dramatic dismantling of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. *

His role as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee in passing a major overhaul of the nation's tax code. *

His utter lack of integrity that rises from his unquenchable thirst for power. Each of these actions stands to impact the lives of every Utahn, now and for years to come. Whether those Utahns approve or disapprove of those actions has little consequence in this specific recognition. Only the breadth and depth of their significance matters.



Tribune Editorial: Why Orrin Hatch is Utahn of the Year [Salt Lake City Tribune]

Major Utah paper calls on Hatch to not seek re-election [Eli Watkins/CNN]
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. There are so many products out there right now to try and keep you from losing your keys. Tile, Air Tags, you name it. There are also a ton of products READ THE REST


Bettie Bee, a lovely two-faced kitten, was born two weeks ago in Eastern Cape, South Africa. According to her Facebook page, she is receiving wonderful care and doing quite well even though so-called Janus cats rarely live very long. The medical term for the rare condition is diprosopus.





Updates on Bettie Bee at her Facebook page.






Director Frank Capra said "It's a Wonderful Life" was designed to "strengthen the individual's belief in himself" and "to combat a modern trend toward atheism." But the FBI's 13,533-page Communist Infiltration of the Motion Picture Industry classed the movie as a secret work of Communist propaganda, "written by Communist sympathizersto instigate class warfare" and "demonize bankers."

The FBI's witch-hunt against the film industry drew heavily on a pamphlet published by Ayn Rand's group, which warned that the secret Communists of Hollywood were "introducing small, casual bits of propaganda into innocent stories and to make people absorb the basic principles of Collectivism by indirection and implication" to "split the rock of Americanism."





Rand and her ideological descendants have always had a curious relationship with "freedom." Milton Friedman abetted the secret torture-murders of tens of thousands of Chileans (and today the Libertarian right makes unfunny jokes about subjecting their opponents to these same torture-murders), and Peter Thiel is the kind of "freedom-lover" who builds mass surveillance gear for use at home and abroad and thinks that women shouldn't be allowed to vote because "I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible."





So it's not surprising that Rand, who decried Soviet censorship and argued for the freedom of a "marketplace of ideas" was simultaneously working with a secret, unaccountable state-surveillance apparatus to spy on her ideological opponents and ruin their lives.



Rand and her associates helped design a "film regime" that dissected other post-war movies like William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives and George Cukor's Keeper of the Flame. These McCarthy-era film critics sought to root out "ideological termites" in the industry; they were especially distrustful of movies that elevated what Rand called, with contempt, "the little man." One of the films identified as particularly pernicious to the "rock" of Americanism was Frank Capra's classic It's a Wonderful Life, a movie that today seems built on bedrock U.S. nationalist valuescommitment to family, redemption through faith, contentment with modest small-town living.

Ayn Rand Helped the FBI Identify It's A Wonderful Life as Communist Propaganda [Josh Jones/Open Culture]





(via Naked Capitalism)
America's spy agencies have always talked a good game about the "official channels" available to spies who discover wrongdoing, insisting that the procedures to investigate their claims and protect them from retaliation mean that no spy should ever have to go to the press.

When you read the accounts of leakers like Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning, you learn that the spies themselves don't trust these promises: they saw how the agencies systematically destroyed the likes of Bill Binney and Tom Drake.





Since Snowden's revelations, the US spy agencies have made a great show of beefing up whistleblower protections. Chief among these is the office of Intelligence Community Whistleblowing and Source Protection, whose capabilities were never very convincing (certainly not enough to convince Reality Winner).

It's even less convincing today. Dan Meyer, Executive Director of Intelligence Community Whistleblowing and Source Protection, was just marched out of his office and put on administrative leave, without any explanation  not even to powerful politicians like Senate Judiciary Committee Chuck Grassley.

Trump has been at war with the American spy establishment since the 2016 campaign, and the US government's best hope for preventing spooks from undermining the administration by leaking to the press was a legitimate-seeming internal procedure for monitoring the agencies' integrity. With literally no one in charge of this function anymore, it seems like it's only a matter of time before more Mannings, Snowdens and Winners show up in newsrooms, especially those using Securedrop to protect their sources.

Citing media coverage of the inspector general's current predicament, Grassley argued it is important that Meyer be protected from retaliation for managing his whistleblower protection program, and demanded any records and documents relating to his case. "For the agency to take such a drastic personnel action while there is no confirmed, permanent Inspector General in place irreparably undermines the independence of that office," he wrote. "While we will not speak to any alleged cases, the ODNI unequivocally supports Intelligence Community whistleblower programs. We are committed to ensuring that all IC personnel have the means available to report wrongdoing to a variety of authorized individuals without compromising national security or retaliation," wrote a spokesperson from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.





Whistleblower Guardian for Spies Escorted Out of Intelligence Agency Building

[Jenna McLaughlin/Foreign Policy]

(via Naked Capitalism)





(Image: Piglet, CC-BY)
Business / Companies

by Takudzwa Chiwara

State owned telecoms firm Netone is allegedly 'overbilling' its data services for its monthly package OneFusion, with some subscribers reporting it to being depleted in a few days without use.Over 500 Netone subscribers took to Facebook and other social media platforms to launch their complaint of OneFusion data bundle being consumed rapidly without being effectively utilised.Overbilling of telecoms services has been a born of contention in Zimbabwe as clients from other service providers have complained of the disservice. "I'm tired of having bundles disappear from my fon (phone) like that; I have recharged three times in one week," said Cleopatra Saranewako, a facebook user. Another facebook user, Lionel Mapisa, said: "Very true bought $20 ddnt last 5 days 1.7gig of data.""Ini ndakajusa on two occasions this month ndichiita less than a week ne300mb of which ndaimboita almost a month. Ndaitoshaya kuti chii chirikumboitika," said Mike Magaya on Facebook.Netone's clients also pointed out that the Onefusion Facebook bundle had ceased to play videos found on that social media network, while others complained of a slow internet speed when downloading media on Whatsapp, social media application.Responding to the queries, Netone through its OneFusion page said: "Good day valued customers, we are sorry for the inconveniences caused, we are working on the issue so that normalcy can be restored.The OneFusion package ranges from $3 to $200, with the $5 package being popular as it comes with 300MB data, 700MB Whatsapp bundle, 900MB Facebook bundle, 60 Mins OnNet, 18 Mins OffNet, and 10 SMS's all valid for a month.According to a third quarter report by the Postal and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), Netone registered an active subscriptions increase of 0.5 percent from 4 845 458 to 4 868 897.Netone is targeting a 5 percent increase for its active subscriber base next year.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

Beitbridge Border Post authorities say there has been a decline in the volume of travellers who used the port of entry between the 1st and the 17th of December compared to the same period last year but necessary measures have been put in place to ensure efficiency for the travelling public.The Assistant Regional Officer-in-Charge of Beitbridge Mr Notius Tarisai says in anticipation of the increase in the volume of both human and vehicle traffic this festive season, various strategies had been put in place by stakeholders to ensure efficiency.The Immigration Department has since increased its personnel and service points to ensure the smooth flow of traffic.The number of travellers this season has, however, declined by about 172 000.The travelling public commended the Zimbabwean border authorities for being more efficient than their South African counterparts.Zimbabweans living in South Africa popularly known as "injiva" told the ZBC News that they are excited to be back home for the festive holidays in a new political dispensation and are keen to celebrate this new era with their families.Between 1st and the 17th of December 2016 there were 399 345 people who used the port of entry compared to 174 663 recorded this year.The border is handling an estimated 20 000 entries and departures daily which is almost double the number recorded during normal periods.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

Twenty-five babies have been born as at 12 midnight to 2pm today (Christians day) at major referral hospitals in Harare.Christmas day is a day Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and many people are proud to be associated with the day.It was a blessing for babies who were born on a day like which is celebrated by many world over.Dade Getrude senior nursing officer maternity ward, Harare Central Hospital and Loice Terere midwife Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Hospital have expressed gratitude with the figures although some mothers delivered their babies with minor complications.Mothers who spoke to the ZBC News said they were happy to deliver on a day celebrated by many Christians as the day Jesus Christ was born.One father confessed that he had given his son the name Emmanuel meaning 'God is with us'.Harare Central Hospital recorded the highest figure of 11, while Parirenyatwa had nine and Chitungwiza Hospital five babies, with the number expected to increases as the day progresses.The mothers have been however encouraged to follow the rules and regulations on breast feeding to keep their babies healthy.
Technology / Other

by Staff Reporter

AT the age of 24 years, many youths will be struggling to find their footing in the industrial world, but an ambitious self-made engineer from Chipinge has broken new ground. His innovativeness has extended to the creation of drone cameras and amplifiers.Donald Mlambo Mazwati's innovativeness has caught the eye of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services, Mr George Charamba, as well as high-ranking officials from Zimdigital and Transmedia.Mazwati is already eking a living out of manufacturing and selling of home-made amplifiers. After successfully designing an amplifier, Mazwati is now in the final phase of inventing a drone camera he intends to launch next year.He was inspired by his father who repairs TVs and radios in Chipinge urban. His innovativeness is despite failure to further his education to higher level due to financial constraints.Mazwati attended Matione Primary School and did his secondary education at Gaza High School. He could not proceed to A-Level, and instead opted to write O-Level Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Maths. He passed with distinctions.He soldiered on in his own father's workshop, and by the time he finished O-Level, he could make gadgets such as amplifiers and fix a wide range of electronics. His first attempt on a drone camera was a dismal failure. He did not give up, but went on to make an improved design of a drone that is in the final stage of completion."I joined this field of technology innovation after being inspired by my father's works at his workshop where he fixes a lot of electronic gadgets. I started off by taking some few notes on how to fix radio and television sets."After a long period of internship, I graduated into his role and started fixing customers' gadgets full-time. I took my father's trade seriously since it was our source of livelihood as a family."It is against that background that I decided to do my own invention after school. I started off with the invention of an amplifier using home-made equipment. My first amplifier only lasted for a few days before developing a fault. I then used the internet and followed DSTV channels which telecast some interesting programmes on how the latest modern gadgets are manufactured. From there I made my breakthrough."I then contextualised what I got on the internet to upgrade my amplifier and then sold it at one of the popular nightclubs in Chipinge last year. They are still using it without any technical glitches. I can manufacture some amps, but business is still in its infancy," he said.Mazwati's drive received a major boost early this year when Mr Charamba pledged to assist him. The permanent secretary pledged to support him with any materials he needed."I met Mr Charamba and officials from Zimdigital and Transmedia in March and showed them the amplifier I had built from scratch. They tested it by connecting it to their PA system and it worked well without any glitches for more than 30 minutes."Everyone at the function was impressed by the sound quality and they decided to help out with materials such as PC boards, etching pens and sulphuric acid. I was supplied with the materials in August and I have managed to use them to construct 10 amplifiers which are working properly."All I am waiting for right now are the external covers for the amplifiers and I have been promised that they will be delivered soon," said Mazwati.He said it was during this function that he was introduced to the drone and was charmed by this type of camera."I had not seen a drone before, and thanks to the ZimDigital whirlwind tour in Chipinge. I was told by a ZimDigital official how it works and I was inspired by it."I then decided to design it. I am designing it using my home-made equipment. I am doing final touches which include connecting it to the remote control before it flies," he added."If we create the gadgets like I am doing, we will need the proper market, but the truth is that we are not getting the necessary support as people believe in imports," he said.Commenting on Mazwati's works, Mr Charamba said the country had an abundance of brilliant scientific minds whose growth was being stunted by lack of an adequate environment to sustain them."There is a lot of intellect in terms of the character and temperament. The only missing element is the environment which nurtures our people to join the technological world," said Mr Charamba.He also said Zimbabwe had a lot to learn from other technologically advanced countries that give young people opportunities to showcase and explore their talents."Countries that have made it technologically are never countries that allow upcoming scientists to operate in isolation."They should be brought together in some kind of colony where they interact so that at the end of the day what you have is a hybridisation of thinking which bears bigger results," he added.Mr Charamba said his ministry had set up a research and development department that would enrol bright minds and fund them to develop their ideas."I am so happy to say that in our plans we intend to sort of tickle the nation's research and development side as a component of the digitalisation process."Once we have our own home, it means that restless minds like this one here will have a comfortable home that encourages that kind of thought processes and interaction," he added.
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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..Mida.org.il..21 December '17..It was in mid July of 1982. A lifetime ago. I was twenty one, an IDF combat soldier serving with the Israeli paratroopers battalion in Lebanon. We were stationed in the Lebanese town of Suq Al Gharb which sat en route to the Shuf mountains. It was a popular getaway destination, near the city of Aley and it offered a spectacular view of Beirut and the Mediterranean.Operation Peace for Galilee as it was known, was a month away by then. We had settled into a tranquil routine, a bizarre reality so vastly different from the turmoil and anxiety we had experienced during the days of battle just a few weeks earlier. We were now more tourists than warriors and gradually began enjoying the exquisite beauty that Lebanon had to offer.The town was predominately Christian, though the Aley district had large Druze and Muslim populations. They had all been at war with each other for generations. Now, an eerie quiet had settled over the area.The summer was at its peak, yet the climate in the mountains was crisp and perfect. We ventured from our base to take in the sights. We hung out in cafes and restaurants and bought electronics and groceries at local establishments.Our contact with the local civilian population increased. We communicated in English, as few of us spoke Arabic and none of them spoke Hebrew of course. In casual conversations we often heard from the locals how our presence there was a welcomed relief because, for the first time in years, they were experiencing a relative calm.The city of Aley had a significant Jewish population at one time, but they had all fled under duress years before. All that remained was a synagogue, left to the safekeeping of a local Muslim custodian. He reached out to us one day and led us to the place. He shared with us stories of his Jewish neighbors. Most importantly, he wanted us know that he had performed his responsibilities dutifully.It was around then that I became friends with a local Druze man of roughly my age. His family owned a store we frequented. Unlike the others, he had a marked American accent which caught my attention. He was a student of Economics at UCLA in Los Angeles and was home for the summer. We were instant landsmen.We had long conversations about the situation and about the Middle East. Sometimes we would sit and watch the news of the events unfolding around us and would exchange thoughts.Most of all, I remember one particular conversation when we discussed his observations and thoughts about us, the Israelis. It was more a warning than an exchange.
TUESDAY, Dec. 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The immune systems of people who survived the first Ebola outbreak 40 years ago appear to be protecting them against future infection with the deadly virus, a new study finds.

The discovery could help in efforts to develop vaccines and drugs to treat Ebola, according to the researchers.

"With the number and frequency of Ebola outbreaks increasing over time, the need to find effective measures to combat and prevent outbreaks is critical," study lead author Anne Rimoin said in a news release from the University of California, Los Angeles. She's an associate professor of epidemiology at UCLA's School of Public Health.

"Unimaginable death tolls and devastation to families and communities have occurred as a result of Ebola," she noted.

Death rates among people infected with Ebola range from 25 percent to 90 percent. Ebola has been recognized since 1976, and has become infamous for its gruesome lethality -- in some cases, causing patients to hemorrhage internally and externally.

For the study, the researchers collected blood samples and compiled other health data from 14 people who survived the 1976 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The survivors still lived in the same small, remote villages in the northwestern part of the country.

It's the first time that the effects of Ebola infection have been studied four decades later, and the first results that suggest Ebola survivors may be able to fight off future infections, the researchers said.

The study was published online recently in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on Ebola.
Delhi/NCR

The Central Bureau of Investigation has lodged a corruption case against National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) Chairman-cum-Managing Director Anoop Mittal over alleged irregularities in the Rs 2,150-crore Pragati Maidan redevelopment project.

The agency has also arrested Pradeep Kumar Mishra, a senior government official, and one Akash Deep Chouhan. The agency did not identify Mishras department.

CBI claims Mishra asked for a Royal Enfield motorcycle as bribe to arrange a meeting between Mittal and a Mumbai-based private company that was eyeing a sub-contract from Shapoorji Pallonji, which had bagged the deal to redevelop Pragati Maidan.

In an FIR registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, CBI said a contract was awarded to a joint venture between Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Pvt Ltd and Shapoorji Pallonji Qatar WLL for Rs 2,149.93 crore by NBCC (India) Ltd but Mumbai-based Capacite Structures was angling for work on a sub-contract basis.

Nittal is alleged to have pushed for Capacite Structures. Mittal told TOI, "If you see the FIR, basically there is no charge against me. CBI has put my name as accused alleging that I recommended a companys name for a contract. First of all, I don't remember this because so many people come and meet me and NBCC has so many projects going on. Secondly, I dont deal with the contractors directly. If somebody comes to me, I direct them to my executive director or some other officer. It is unfortunate that after working so much for the country, such false cases are being registered against me." The CBI conducted searches on December 23s night in Delhi, Ghaziabad and Mumbai.

Neeraj Chauhan, Economic Times, Delhi/NCR




UP inks MoU with South Korea in field of tourism, skill development, culture and farming

Published: December 26, 2017

The Uttar Pradesh government has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South Korea on to enhance cooperation in the field of tourism, skill development, culture and farming.

It was signed after a delegation from South Koreas Gimhae city met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow and discussed ways to improve cooperation between the two countries.

Key Facts

The MoU will go a long way in cementing the bond especially cultural and historical relations between Uttar Pradesh and South Korea. Earlier, in 2000, an agreement was signed to develop Ayodhya and Gimhae as sister cities, following which memorial was constructed in Ayodhya which is visited by large number of tourists from South Korea every year. The people in South Korea believe that 2,000 years ago, Ayodhya princess had married Korean King Kim Suro. At present, members of the Crock Clan are considered as their descendants.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2017

Topics: Culture  farming  Skill Development  South Korea  Tourism  Uttar Pradesh

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For the flood of migrants and refugees escaping the violence and poverty of several African countries and heading toward Europe for the opportunity of a better life, the most common route out of North Africa is through Libya.They present targets for people and criminal groups who prey on migrants. Their brutality knows no bounds: sexual exploitation, forced labor, the removal of bodily organs and slavery are the tools of their trade, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The migrant crisis in Libya received international attention once again following the recent report by CNN on African migrants being sold as slaves in unidentified locations across the country. Migrants were reportedly sold for as little as 200 U.-S. dollars.

Migrants who are smuggled can be extremely vulnerable to human trafficking, abuse, and other crimes, as they are illegally present in the country of destination or country of transit and often owe large debts to their smugglers. Some smuggled persons may be subjected to sex or labor trafficking while in transit or at their destination.

The Libyan Government of National Accord, the GNA, launched an investigation into the allegations of trafficking in persons and pledged to hold perpetrators accountable. The United States strongly supports these efforts and we view the GNA as a vital partner in combatting human trafficking. The United States also continues to contribute to assistance programs that support the humanitarian needs of refugees, migrants, and individuals in detention in Libya.

The United States works to combat human trafficking by focusing our efforts on the 3P paradigm of: prosecution, protection, and prevention. We are funding research into the connection between conflict and vulnerability to human trafficking to help us understand how to better prevent this crime from happening in the first place. We hope to protect victims by immediately identifying them in conflict situations and assisting them. And we hold traffickers accountable by prosecuting them.

We believe a victim-centered approach to investigation and prosecution of human trafficking is critical to overall success of law enforcement efforts. This includes commitments by states not to prosecute trafficking victims for acts committed as a direct result of being subjected to human trafficking, said U.S. Permanent Representative the United Nations, Nikki Haley. We will continue to work with [the UN Security] Council and with partner governments to end this barbaric assault on human dignity.
The United States is experiencing a serious drug addiction and abuse problem. In 2016, some 64,000 Americans died of drug overdoses from both legal and illegal narcotics. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of injury death in the United States, outnumbering both traffic crashes and gun-related deaths.

Much of the illegal narcotics are smuggled into the United States from Mexico by powerful transnational criminal organizations. These organizations are highly organized, complex enterprises, whose business model of selling drugs in the United States is resilient and immensely profitable.

Mexico is also deeply afflicted by these criminal organizations. These organizations have become increasingly violent in the past decade, ravaging entire towns and villages, preventing the government from functioning to the best of its ability, and targeting journalists to stifle freedom of the press.

This is a grave problem that our countries share. Deaths related to transnational criminal organizations and from the drugs they peddle affect communities on both sides of our border, said Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan at the December 14 U.S.  Mexico Strategic Dialogue on Disrupting Transnational Criminal Organizations. Close collaboration is the only way we can tackle a problem that has no regard for international borders.

Eleven U.S. law enforcement agencies are represented in the U.S. embassy and consulates across Mexico to work closely with their Mexican state and federal counterparts. And through the Merida Initiative, were helping to build the capacity of Mexican law enforcement and judicial institutions.

The United States and Mexico have also increased cross-border communications and coordination to improve the efficiency and efficacy of their security cooperation. Both countries are exploring ways to disrupt the financial flows of transnational criminal organizations and target those involved in the drug trade at each stage of the process.

Additionally the United States is working to minimize the drug demand that fuels these criminal organizations to smuggle, distribute, and sell for profit.

Transnational criminal organizations present some of the gravest threats to U.S. security today, said U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen. For that reason, Detecting, deterring, and dismantling these [networks] continues to be of utmost importance to the Trump Administration, she said.

The United States is proud to call Mexico its partner in targeting this threat in production and distribution networks not only throughout Mexico and the United States, but throughout Central America. Together we can be leaders in the entire region to combat this threat.
The Swedish novelist, Selma Lagerlof, in 1909, the year she received the Nobel Prize for Literature. cordon press

On December 10, 1966, the Jewish-German poet Nelly Sachs received the Nobel Prize for Literature in Stockholm, an award she shared with the novelist Shmuel Agnon. In her acceptance speech, she paid tribute to another Nobel laureate for saving her life. In the summer of 1939, a German friend came to Sweden to visit Selma Lagerlof and asked if she could find somewhere for my mother and I to take refuge, she said. In the spring of 1940, after several tortuous months, we reached Stockholm. Denmark and Norway were already occupied. The great novelist was no longer here.

Selma Lagerlof, the great novelist to whom she referred became the first female Nobel laureate after winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1909. A writer who works were translated into 50 languages, she died in March, 1940, without knowing whether she had successfully helped the Jewish poet and her mother escape the Nazi death camps. In fact, they escaped by the skin of their teeth on the last plane to Stockholm out of Berlin. The safe conduct order that Lagerlof secured with the help of the Swedish royal family came a week before they were told to report to a concentration camp, according to Belen Yuste, curator of the Nobel Womens Exhibition in Madrid which touches on Sachs and Lagerlofs friendship.

Lagerlof remains a living author on every cultural level Great-niece Elisabeth Lagerlof

But while Nelly Sachs escaped, Nazism was to affect her and her writing profoundly. Her romantic view of the world jarred with the Holocaust to such an extent that initially, she stopped working altogether. When her sweetheart disappeared in the concentration camps, she took up her pen again to reflect the horror of the period. Prayer for the Dead Bridegroom dedicated to her murdered lover was the first poem she wrote from Sweden, and was included in the poetry collection O The Chimneys.

Lagerlof and Sachs never actually met, but their friendship began long before 1940 when Sachs read Lagerlofs first novel, The Saga of Gosta Berling. Sachs was just 15 years old at the time and decided to write to the Swedish novelist to express her admiration. Lagerlof replied and so became one of the pillars of Sachs extensive correspondence.

Later, in 1921, Sachs dedicated her first book Legends and Stories to the Scandinavian who in turn praised the work in a brief postcard: My most sincere gratitude for such a beautiful book. I myself could not have written better. Humor and confidence in her abilities were two of Lagerlofs trademarks, evident in the 40,000 letters she left behind, according to Elizabeth Lagerlof, the authors great-niece and secretary of the Marbacka Foundation, based in her former home in Sweden.

Nelly Sachs receives the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1966. Bettmann Archive

She remains a living author on every cultural level, she says. They are currently performing her plays in Stockholm and Gothenburg, and in her native region, a theater adapts her novels and performs them for 20,000 visitors each year. She is also a feminist icon; she inaugurated the International Conference for Suffragettes that took place in Stockholm in 1911 and she wrote about strong women who could do the things men did.

Selma Lagerlof was born near the Norwegian border in 1858 into a wealthy family that would fall on hard times. At the age of three she would become paralyzed, a condition that prevented her from walking for the next four years and affected her mobility for life. She studied to become a teacher, the only job open to women in Sweden at the time, and taught for 10 years until her first novel The Saga of Gosta Berling allowed her to focus solely on her writing.

I will be chosen by the Swedish Academy and I will win a Nobel Prize, she wrote to fellow author and traveling companion, Sophie Elkan. This shouldnt worry you.

Lagerlof did win the prize, but it didnt come easily to her. Carl David af Wirsen, who was secretary of the Academy for 29 years blocked her nomination on five occasions. When her name came up, Wirsen would propose more appropriate names, says Elizabeth Lagerlof. He didnt like new literature and the fact she was a woman didnt help. In his opinion, only men should be awarded the Nobel Prize.

Novels by Selma Lagerlof The Saga of Gosta Berling (1891). Her first prose work, this was better received in Denmark than in Sweden. Shortly after its success, Lagerlof left teaching. Jerusalem and The Holy City (1901 and 1902). Written after her travels in the Middle East. The Wonderful Adventures of Nils Holgersson (1906). Included in the Swedish geography curriculum, this is the equivalent of Don Quixote for children. The Emperor of Portugallia (1914). This novel was inspired by a factual event that happened close to the author's home. Marbacka: the Story of a Manor (1922). Memoirs.

Kjell Espmark, a member of the Academy since 1981, confirms this in his book The Nobel Prize In Literature, which charts the history of the accolade. All modern Swedish literature, from Strindberg to Selma Lagerlof was marginalized during Wirsens time, he writes. The work of Selma Lagerlof is truly in clear contrast to the aesthetic that Wirsen made his own, he adds, alluding to the magical realism of Lagerlofs The Wonderful Adventures of Nils Holgersson.

According to Wirsen, who was tired of fictional autobiography, Reality and fiction are intertwined at times in the book in a manner that detracts from the storys objective.

Selma Lagerlof did not do fictional autobiography, but she did get a good deal of her plot lines from real life, such as The Emperor of Portugallia in which she tells a story of love, loss and prostitution that happened close to her home in Marbacka or Herr Arnes Hoard which was inspired by a real crime carried out by a priests family and the meeting of the sole survivor with one of the murderers years later. She wrote about things that happened, says her great-niece.

The author became a member of the Swedish Academy in 1914, before she even had the right to vote  which came in 1919. From her newly acquired position of influence, she tried to tackle the hostility towards female writers by supporting nominations such as the Italian novelist Grazia Deledda who became a Nobel winner in 1926 and the Spanish writer Concha Espina whose name was put forward 25 times without success. After reading The Metal of the Dead in Swedish, Lagerlof wrote to tell her that on the strength of this novel alone, she should win the prize.

Nobel Womens Exhibition is showing in Madrid until March 20.

English version by Heather Galloway.
King Felipe VI during his Christmas message. EFE

Just three days after a snap election in Catalonia that has left the region more polarized than ever over the independence issue, Spains King Felipe VI on Saturday used his traditional Christmas speech to call on the new government in the region to tackle the problems that affect all Catalans, respecting plurality and thinking responsibly about the common good.

After warning that the decision to again go down the unilateral independence route taken by political leaders in Catalonia in recent years could lead again to confrontation and exclusion, the monarch called for serenity, stability and mutual respect to be restored in the region.

Eduard Pujol with Junts per Catalunya said King Felipe had shown himself once again to be the 155 monarch

The kings Christmas message had been his most highly anticipated yet and was recorded after the results of the Catalan election became known. In that election  called by Madrid in response to the passing of a unilateral declaration of independence in the region in later October  47.5% of votes went to the three pro-independence parties fielding candidates. Critically, the bloc won enough seats to form a majority in the regional parliament.

At the same time, the strongly anti-independence Ciudadanos party had a bittersweet victory by becoming the largest single party in the region, picking up the most seats and winning the greatest number of votes.

Even the ousted premier of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, had addressed the issue of the kings Christmas message, calling on King Felipe to correct an October 3 speech when the the monarch spoke out against the disloyalty of the Catalan government, and endorsed the application of emergency powers using article 155 of the Spanish Constitution.

The king did not correct his earlier speech but his tone was notably more moderate. While he did not step back from his demand for the Catalan government to respect for the principles and values of the state of law he extolled the importance of dialogue as fundamental for coexistence and highlighted the inalienable will for harmony among the people of Spain.

King Felipe said the new Catalan parliament must face the problems that affect all Catalans

Right from the beginning of his Christmas message, King Felipe recognized 2017 had been a difficult year because of the Catalan crisis. But the monarch who came to throne in 2014 after his father abdicated, also used the speech to highlight the success of 40 years of Spanish democracy  a period which had seen Spain become one of the most advanced countries in the world.

In a bid to combat the propaganda of the independence movement of recent months which has seen Catalan leaders resuscitating the ghost of the repressive Spain of the former dictator Francisco Franco to damage the image of the country overseas, King Felipe spoke of an open and caring Spain which is not inward looking. He spoke of a country that recognizes and respects plurality and diversity and which has a spirit of integration.

And while admitting that not every move made had been correct and that there will still difficult and complex situations, the king said the balance of the last 40 years had been positive. We have to appreciate and value this. We deserve this as a country, he said.

After underling the fact that Spain is a mature democracy where all ideas can be defended, the king broached the Catalan crisis, stating that respecting and preserving the values of the rule of law was absolutely essential to guarantee the constitutional principles of liberty, equality and justice because when they give way, coexistence deteriorates and then later it becomes unviable.

King Felipe said the new Catalan parliament must face the problems that affect all Catalans and said the road cannot lead again to confrontation or exclusion as  as we already know  this only generates discord, uncertainty, dejection and moral, civic and  of course  economic impoverishment, he said, referring to the exodus of businesses from the region.

He called on political parties in Catalonia to work to restore stability, serenity and mutual respect in a diverse and plural Catalan society so that ideas do not create distance between, or separate families and friends.

The king also said he hoped for a rebirth of the confidence and prestige of Catalonia with its capacity for leadership and hard work, its creative spirit, its desire for engagement, and its sense of responsibility.

Lukewarm response

On Monday, however, independence parties were unanimous in their criticism of the kings speech saying there had been no basic change in the position of Felipe since his October 3 message.

Eduard Pujol with Junts per Catalunya, the party of Carles Puigdemont, said King Felipe had shown himself once again to be the 155 monarch. Meanwhile, the pro-independence speaker of the Catalan parliament Carme Forcadell, said that while she respected the opinion of the head of state, she hoped the opinions of those Catalans who had voted on December 21 would be respected as well.

King Felipe recognized 2017 had been a difficult year because of the Catalan crisis

Other independence politicians including Alfred Bosch with the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) demanded the release of political prisoners, a reference to the four politicians and political activists who are currently in pre-trial detention and facing charges of rebellion and sedition for their role in their recent independent push in Catalonia.

He is the King of Spain and it is the king who has to renounce unilateralism, the use of batons and the sending of people to prison for political reasons, said Bosch of the kings Christmas message.

English version by George Mills.
RACINE  No one was injured in two Christmas Eve fires in Racine.

Firefighters responded to the first call shortly after 9 p.m. when a homeowner in the 3400 block of Wright Avenue reported smoke coming from her attic. Fire crews saw smoke emanating from the eaves and found the fire in the knee wall on the second floor, according to a press release from the City of Racine Fire Department. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze that was caused by chimney failure, according to the release.

The fire caused an estimated $30,000 in damage to the home, and although no one was injured in the fire, one person was transported to Ascension All Saints hospital for medical reasons. The Red Cross is providing shelter assistance to three residents of the home.

Racine firefighters responded to the second incident at 11:40 p.m. when the homeowner in the 1700 block of Lathrop Avenue called to report a kitchen fire. The homeowner and her pet dog safely evacuated, and firefighters quickly put out the fire. The cause of the fire, which caused around $27,000 in damage, is under investigation. The homeowner made arrangements to stay with family, according to a release from the City of Racine Fire Department.

Also responding to both fires were the Racine Police and WE Energies.
King Felipe VI of Spain with Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in the foreground. JuanJo Martin (EFE)

The king once again successfully carried out his role as head of state in his Christmas message. In his previous public interventions in October, it fell to King Felipe VI to firmly defend the Spanish Constitution and the rules of coexistence; on this occasion, however, King Felipe adopted a conciliatory and positive tone, without forgetting to emphasize the value of everything democratic Spain has built in the last 40 years and the need to preserve this. He also opened the door to updating this common framework (his message can be understood as an implicit message regarding constitutional reform), on the solid base of democratic principles and [on] the civic values of respect and dialogue which form the foundation of our coexistence.

King Felipes message can be understood as an implicit message regarding constitutional reform

King Felipe has had to face up to serious political problems in our country in 2016 and 2017. First there was the difficulty of forming government in Spain and then came the very serious crisis in Catalonia. In both cases, the monarch acted calmly without overstepping the limits marked by the Constitution although he has needed to intervene with firmness when appropriate. This is especially true in relation to the Catalan question, when he was conscious of the fact his solemn speech would cause problems among a part of the population. The king has emerged stronger from both crises.

In his Christmas message, King Felipe wanted to begin by emphasizing the value of the rule of law constructed over the last 40 years. He highlighted the establishment of democracy, integration into the European Union, the defeat of terrorism and the profound transformation of Spanish society. From that point on, his intervention opened the door on various occasions to the updating of the framework of coexistence through dialogue and respect. Nearing the end of his message, the king stressed this reformist proposal: I am sure that no one desires a Spain which is paralyzed and conformist, rather [what is desired] is a modern and attractive [Spain] which excites: a calm Spain, but in movement and willing to change and adapt to the new times. This is a brave message although it remains within the usual prudent limits so as not to overstep the boundaries marked by a Constitution that has brought about the period of greatest liberty and prosperity in our country, but which must be reformed as soon as possible, as EL PAIS has been arguing.

I am sure that no one desires a Spain which is paralyzed and conformist King Felipe VI of Spain

In terms of Catalonia, King Felipe highlighted the value of the December 21 election and added that the new Catalan parliament must face up to the problems that affect all Catalans while respecting plurality and thinking responsibility about the common good. He insisted on the renunciation of confrontation and exclusion which only generates discord, uncertainty, dejection, and moral, civic and economic impoverishment. He also emphasized the most positive values of Catalonia.

Lastly, King Felipe sent a clear message that the Catalan question is not the only challenge facing Spaniards. He correctly listed the concerns that shape our future: the economy and unemployment, jihadist terrorism, Spains declining role in Europe, defense of the environment and gender violence. This was further proof that his mission is to be a useful monarch who is close to all Spaniards.

English version by George Mills.
Whos mentally ill? has become the main topic in the new round of muscle flexing between former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejads camp and the Islamic Republics judiciary.

At his weekly press conference Sunday, December 24, judiciarys spokesman, mid-ranking cleric Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei accused Ahmadinejad of being mentally ill.

Retaliating, Ahmadinejads top aide described Mohseni Ejei as a mentally ill person.

Meanwhile, Ahmadinejads former deputy in executive affairs, Hamid Baghaei compared the judiciarys spokesman to chief commander of SS in Germany under Nazis, Heinrich Himmler .

In implicit comments, Mohseni Ejei said, he [Ahmadinejad] is suffering from mental disorder and, if necessary, his lawsuit will be handed over to the legal examiner.

Hours later, former presidents top aide, Ali Akbar Javanfekr, fired back on his Telegram Channel, Is it not wise to directly hospitalize and refer to the medical examiner a 60+-year old person [Mohseni Ejei] who dresses as a clergy, counts as an elder with white beard and occupies high state positions frivolously whistling in public and singling out himself as a clown?

Javanfekr was referring to a memory Mohseni Ejei had shared with his audience Monday, December 11.

During reformist presidency (Mohammad Khatami, 1997-2005), a group of students started whistling [to deride me] and I told them if it comes to whistling I outdo you all, since I am able to twitter without using my fingers, Mohsaeni Ejei told Sharif University students and then started warbling for them.

I am able to twitter without using my fingers!

During Mahmaoud Ahmadinejads first term presidency, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei was in charge of running Intelligence M`inistry (August 2005  July 2009). He was later dismissed but, immediately appointed as Tehrans Prosecutor-General.

While responding to Ahmadinejads vitriolic attacks on judiciary and circulated as video clips in social media, Mohseni Ejei heckled, The former president and his companions should firstly be examined by medical jurisprudence to decide whether they are mentally sound or not, since their behavior does not make sense.

The Islamic republics penal code has exempted mentally ill people to be punished for a crime.

However, Mohseni Ejei has accused Ahmadinejad of mental illness while the former president has recently been appointed by the Supreme Leader, ayatollah Ali Khamenei as one of the members of influential Expediency Discernment Council, EDC (a body in charge of resolving disputes between the Guardians Council and majlis or parliament and supervising the countrys top policies).

Meanwhile, Ahmadinejads close ally, Hamid Baghaei also bombarded the judiciarys spokesman with acerbic comments.

Comparing Mohseni Ejei to commander of SS in Nazi Germany, Heinrich Himmler, Baghei noted, His motto was also send the others to forced labor camps or sanatoriums.

Furthermore, Baghaei lamented, It is true that the SS has been buried and Himmler is waiting to be severely punished for his actions in the world beyond ours, but, his thoughts and mottos are still live and kicking among some people who follow his footsteps.

The war of words between judiciary and Ahmadinejads camp has been going on for weeks, while the Supreme Leader, ayatollah Khamenei has apparently decided to stay away from it.

Nevertheless, Tehran's Friday Prayer leader recently 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, 86, is known for his mild manners, yet Mohseni Ejei angrily dismissed his proposal.

What [nonsense] is arbitration? These cases tabled [by Ahmadinejad et al] definitely deserve to be legally tackled. Spreading lies and creating marginal themes will never stop judiciary fulfilling its duty, Mohseni Ejei retorted.

Nonetheless, Ahmadinejad still insists that judiciarys head, ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani 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.

The head of judiciary in the Islamic Republic is directly appointed by the Supreme Leader for five years, renewable for another five.

Sadegh Amoli Larijanis term as the head of judiciary ends in August 2019.

The war of words between Ahmadinejad and judiciary flared up when Baghaei was detained last June charged with financial corruption. Baghei was later released on a heavy bail.

Meanwhile, according to a former member of Irans parliament, there are seven definitive legal verdicts issued against former President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, who is charged with financial violation worth around $3 billion, asserts a former member of the Iranian Parliament.

In a note for Khabaronline, a news website close to the speaker of the parliament Ali Larijani (Amoli Larijanis older brother), Fazel Mousavi said he received the report from well-informed sources.

The Iranian Parliaments Audit Court has also announced that Ahmadinejad, in the last 18 months of his presidency, spent 4.6 trillion Tomans or approximately $1.3 billion of Irans oil income illegally.

The court ordered the former president to repay the money, according to the parliaments website. The ruling said that during his tenure, Ahmadinejad spent oil revenues without proper transfer from the Oil Ministry to the treasury.

Although the court found Ahmadinejad directly responsible, it has issued no other measures against him.

The Audit Court has limited powers of punishment. It can reduce an officials pay or at most fire officials from government jobs but is not empowered to issue harsher verdicts.
Details added (first version posted on 13:43)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

Trend:

President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree amending the Decree on Establishment of the Azerbaijan Mortgage Fund OJSC, dated Oct. 27, 2015.

In accordance with the decree, the Azerbaijan Mortgage Fund OJSC and the Credit Guarantee Fund have merged.

Thus, the newly established Azerbaijan Mortgage and Credit Guarantee Fund is a legal successor of the Azerbaijan Mortgage Fund OJSC and the Credit Guarantee Fund, and all their rights and responsibilities, as well as property are transferred to the Azerbaijan Mortgage and Credit Guarantee Fund.

The Fund is responsible for creating a mechanism of providing the population with living space through long-term mortgage lending, assisting in attracting local and foreign financial resources for mortgage lending, as well as provision of guarantees to entrepreneurs for manat loans taken from authorized banks, and granting subsidies for manat loans.

By his other decrees, Ilham Aliyev amended the Decree on ensuring activity of Azerbaijans Credit Guarantee Fund OJSC, dated Nov. 29, 2017, and the Decree on additional measures on providing state support to empower entrepreneurs for the access to financial resources, dated Sept.15, 2017.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

Trend:

Armenian ambassador to Mexico Ara Ayvazyan involved Armenian MPs in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, led Mexican MPs to the occupied Azerbaijani territories in order to use them in their crafty games to win political gains, said Azerbaijani Charge dAffaires in Mexico Mammad Talibov in his interview with Mexicos El Universal newspaper.

During the interview, Talibov said that the only way to solve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the fulfillment of the UN Security Council resolutions by Yerevan and the withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Mexico told Trend.

It was also noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh region belongs to Azerbaijan and has been under Armenias occupation since 1992.

The news about the visit of three Mexican MPs to the occupied Azerbaijani territories without the permission of the Azerbaijani government and the strong reaction of the Azerbaijani embassy in this country to the issue, recently drew attention in Mexico.

Despite the warns of Mexicos Secretariat of Foreign Affairs on not to visit these territories and ignoring the fact that these lands are internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan, by taking those MPs to the occupied territories, the Government of Armenia alleges that the separatist regime, created in those territories and not recognized by any country, and even by Armenia itself, is supported by Mexico, said the embassy.

The embassy said that Talibov held meetings at the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs and the Chamber of Deputies in order to express the Azerbaijani governments protest, and both authorities emphasized that they support the UN Security Council resolutions on the conflict and the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

I think that the Armenian ambassador should stop these games and speaking about human rights (in one of his statements, he said that the Mexican MPs have a right to travel freely) he must explain the facts of expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis from the occupied territories, killings and violence committed against them, noted the Azerbaijani diplomat.

Meanwhile, commenting on the Armenian ambassadors statement on the danger of a new Armenian genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh, Talibov said in his interview that this is absurd, and Azerbaijan is a country known for its multiculturalism and tolerance, where all religions and cultures live together without any discrimination.

Moreover, he noted that Azerbaijan and Mexico mark the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2017, and there are great opportunities for further expansion of cooperation between the two countries.

Mexican MPs Blanka Margarita Kuata Dominguez, Maria Cristina Teresa Garcia Bravo and Carlos Hernandez Miro illegally visited the occupied Azerbaijani district Khankandi, and met with the speaker of parliament of the separatist regime Ashot Gulyan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Kyrgyzstan has supported an article of the declaration adopted at the 13th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in Islamabad March 1 regarding the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Pakistani media reported Dec. 26.

Kyrgyzstan has recently sent a diplomatic note to the ECO Secretariat about the countrys joining the articles of the final statement of the ECO summit, according to the report.

This means that Kyrgyzstan supports the declarations article on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its settlement within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

In the declaration, heads of the ECO member countries express concern that the unresolved conflicts in the ECO area, particularly the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, hamper economic development and realization of the regions potential to the full, as well as regional and wider cooperation format.

Importance of the efforts to resolve these conflicts in line with norms and principles of international law, particularly taking into consideration the territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries, is stated in the declaration.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

Trend:

A citizen of Russian Federation, photographer and blogger Vladimir Kezling sent an official letter to the Consulate General of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Sankt Petersburg asking for removing his name from the List of foreign citizens who illegally visited occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend.

Kezling reaffirmed his full respect to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders, its laws and regulations and stated that the visit paid without the consent of the government of Azerbaijan to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan did not have any political purpose.



Furthermore, Kezling mentioned that his visit to the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia in no way served for the promotion of illegal regime established in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and expressed his apology to the government and people of Azerbaijan for an unauthorized visit to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.



Kezlings appeal was considered and the decision was made to remove his name from the list.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order approving budget of the countrys unemployment insurance fund for 2018.

The funds revenues and expenditures for the next year are approved at 89.04 million manats, according to the order.

Of the total expenditures of the fund, 35.802 million manats will be allocated for organization of events for self-employment, 33.478 million manats - for unemployment insurance benefits, 13.709 million manats - for maintaining administration of the employment service and its local bodies, 1.788 million manats - for paid public work, 1.613 million manats - for professional training and additional education, 1.38 million manats - for co-financing (together with an insurer) of a part of salary of those insured for a certain period, 1.15 million manats - for career counseling, 120,000 manats - for organization of labor fairs and stock exchanges.

The funds revenues are formed from insurance payments of budget organizations and their employees (17.726 million manats), insurance payments of other insurers (53.567 million manats) and other incomes (20,000 manats).
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

Trend:

In accordance with the instruction of president of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, minister of defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov and the leadership of the ministry visited military units stationed in the frontline zone, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a message Dec. 26.

After hearing the reports, the minister of defense observed the positions of the enemy and got acquainted with the situation on the frontline.

Then, having opened a new strongpoint in one military unit and military vehicle park in another, the minister checked the level of combat readiness of military equipment.

During the meeting with the servicemen, Hasanov inquired about their social and living conditions, as well as conveyed the holidays congratulations of the supreme commander-in-chief to the military personnel and on behalf of the head of state rewarded the distinguished servicemen.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

Trend:

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has today arrived in Russia for a working visit.

President Aliyev arrived at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence in order to take part in the informal meeting of the CIS heads of state in Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed President Ilham Aliyev.

The CIS heads of state posed together for photographs. Then the informal meeting of the CIS heads of state was held.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

Trend:

The rector, professor Adalat Muradov drawing to the attention the target of UNEC for developing the entrepreneurial university model, spoke about the projects implemented in this direction. He said that, UNEC had started the new strategic cooperation with the business world and he talked about the essence of the UNEC2B Platform.

Pointing to the human capital that plays the important role in the development of the entrepreneurial university model, the rector stressed the high potential of the UNEC students in this area. A. Muradov noted that, according to the entrepreneurial model of UNEC the basis for the innovativeentrepreneurship would be the student startups.

The director of the Business School of UNEC, Asef Asadov made the presentation on the topic The development of innovative entrepreneurship at UNEC: The Ecosystem of innovative startups. He revealed for the students the most important three factors to succeed in the startup: The value of the innovative idea, its transformation into the prototype and then the commercial product that attracts the customers and creating the sustainable team, the members of which complete each other with their knowledge and skills.

A. Asgarov said that startups that would be newly created at UNEC should work on the radical innovations and he underlined the importance of developing the long-term strategy for this. Commenting on the most important concepts for startups, the director of the center spoke about the creation of the innovative entrepreneurship model at UNEC and what precedence would be given to the startups.

During the meeting was noted that, the mentors would organize the trainings for starters on business and soft skills, including the teamwork, leadership and lean startup marketing model. The projects proposed for implementation of innovative models will be based on the education and training technologies, electronic finance and marketing technologies and green technologies adjusted on the information and communication technologies. Was stressed that, the startups would work as the separate teams, as well as implement the activities as the startup ecosystems that support each other.

In the meeting, pointing to the knowledge and skills of the students, as well as their possessing the innovative ideas, was expressed the confidence that the UNEC startups would be formed as the leading companies in the country and in the region, in future.

At the end of the meeting, the questions, the students interested in were answered.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

Trend:

EY was chosen by the Azerbaijan Banks Association (ABA) at the Banking Awards 2017 for an award in the Golden Partner category for excellent cooperation with the Association throughout the year. The ceremony was held on 21 December 2017.

The event was attended by top management of commercial banks, representative offices of international financial institutions in Azerbaijan, leaders of ABA expert groups, media partners and others.

Zakir Nuriyev, ABA President, highlighted that the organizations experts participated in the drafting and application of a number of bills and regulations in 2017. He added: "The ABA also organized an international IT conference on cybersecurity in the banking and financial sector - the 2nd banking forum entitled Adapting the banking sector to the current stage of development: reforms, results, prospects."

During the forum, both local and foreign experts delivered interesting presentations and expressed useful views.

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and economies around the world. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In doing so, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients, and for our communities.

EY works together with companies across the CIS and assists them in realizing their business goals. 5,000 professionals work at 20 CIS offices (in Baku, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Togliatti, Vladivostok, Almaty, Astana, Bishkek, Kyiv, Tashkent, Tbilisi, Minsk, and other locations).

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

EY in Azerbaijan

EY made a major commitment to the development of Azerbaijan and the region by opening the office in Baku 23 years ago. Today, in addition to being the leading audit and consulting firm in Azerbaijan, we are the leading professional services firm in the region. As a result of our experience and competence, we have been able to assist both domestic and international companies as well as state-owned entities to develop and manage the challenges of the international economy.

There are currently more than 200 people working in our Baku office that serve our clients in Azerbaijan. EYs strength in the Caspian Region and the firms commitment of resources are important to the entities operating in the region. It means that as we grow, EY will continue to demonstrate a tradition of hiring and training local professionals to be leaders in our practice.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

Azerbaijans AGBank OJSC currently continues its operations in a normal regime, said the bank in a message.

There are no financial, economic and legal reasons for the closure of AGBank, says the message.

The Bank pursues a more cautious credit policy, taking into account the existing risks on the financial market, said the statement.

Chairman of the banks Board of Directors Afgan Jalilov said that the bank will hold a number of innovative projects soon, according to the message.

Currently, the banks staff consists of more than 700 employees. The number of the banks customers exceeds 320,000 people. Loans continue to be issued. The banks loan portfolio totals 56.3 million manats. The bank issued more than 1,800 mortgage loans so far, and 1,600 of them are currently active. AGBank issued mortgage loans worth 11.3 million manats under updated conditions. Currently, AGBank renders all banking services, added Jalilov.

AGBank has been operating in Azerbaijan since 1992.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

Nord Gold SE, the internationally diversified low-cost gold producer, has confirmed that it is still at the initial stages of assessing the prospect of gold mining in Uzbekistan.

"Uzbekistan has one of the worlds richest gold reserves, so any interest we have in the country would not be surprising. However, we are still at the initial stages of assessing the prospect of gold mining in the country and it is too early to talk in any detail about plans, " the company told Trend.

Nord Gold SE stressed that the company is continuously exploring opportunities to expand it portfolio, across a number of different countries and regions.

"Furthermore, we are focused on low-cost gold production and priorities projects that require moderate capex investment and short payback period," the company said.

Nordgold has mines and development projects, as well as investment projects in 6 countries  Burkina Faso, Guinea, Russia, Kazakhstan, French Guiana and Canada. In 2016, Nord Gold produced 869 koz of gold.

Previously , the State Committee of Uzbekistan on Geology and Mineral Resources announced that it attracted four foreign companies to study the prospects of development of ten gold deposits in the country in 2017.

The committee signed agreements with Nord Gold, Canadas B2Gold, Turkeys Tumad and South Koreas Shindong Resources. Reportedly, the total volume of investments for the exploration of gold deposits may reach $8 million.

The volume of proven and confirmed gold reserves in Uzbekistan is about 2,100 tons. The total reserves are approximately 3,350 tons.

Two largest enterprises - Navoi and Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combines are engaged in the gold production in Uzbekistan.

In June, the government of Uzbekistan approved a list of twelve gold deposits for their industrial development with participation of foreign investments.

This list includes deposits of mainly gold-quartz and gold-sulfide ores in four regions of the country - Tashkent, Samarkand, Navoi regions, as well as the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan. The total reserves of the proposed deposits (category C2) are more than 14.5 tons of gold.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Sudan is ready to export meat to Turkey, Sudanese media cited countrys Minister of Agriculture Abdul-Latif Al-Ojaimi as saying Dec. 26.

The minister said that the supply of meat from Sudan will be much cheaper than the meat products imported to Turkey today.

Al-Ojaimi added that the Sudan is ready to ensure the supply of meat to Turkey in the amount of $4 per kilogram.

Turkey intends to suspend livestock and meat imports, the countrys Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock said earlier.

The ministry said that in order to increase the number of farms in the livestock breeding sphere, starting from Jan. 1, 2018, farmers will receive subsidies.

The data of the countrys Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock shows that today, Turkey imports livestock from such countries as Austria, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece and Romania.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private sector (ICD) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) signed a Line of financing agreement for a USD 100-million facility.

The USD 100-million line of financing facility will be utilized by Afreximbank to provide Shariah-compliant financing to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in its member countries in Africa. Afreximbank has a solid pipeline of projects in the industrial, communication, technology, healthcare, construction and agricultural sectors that would be financed by the ICD Line of financing.

On this occasion Mr. Khaled Al Aboodi, CEO of ICD, commented: The proposed financing facility is a token of a good partnership between ICD and Afreximbank, with the purpose of supporting private sector businesses with a Shariah compliant facility structure in our common African member countries.

This facility will give a boost to our effort to implement our current strategy which prioritizes intra-African trade; intra African investments and export manufacturing of the labour intensive type, said Mr Amr Kamel, Executive Vice President at Afreximbank. It will also promote our knowledge in Islamic finance and provide us with additional manoeuvring capacity in terms of product offerings to our clients.

We are delighted that ICD has chosen to partner with us in the pursuit of Africas trade developmentt. This collaboration will contribute to, the objective of fostering sustainable economic growth in the member countries of our two institutions, leading to job creations, contribution to export and Islamic finance development, among others, Mr. Kamel added.

The key economic and financial developmental impact will be, but not limited to; developing private sector, especially SMEs, to help expand the real economic growth based on value creation, and promoting Islamic Finance based on the pipeline of AFREXIMBANK projects. The Line of Finance facility is also expected to have an impact on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in line with ICDs strategic objectives.

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) is a multilateral organization and a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group. The mandate of ICD is to support economic development and promote the development of the private sector in its member countries through providing financing facilities and/or investments, which are in accordance with the principles of Shariah. ICD also provides advice to governments and private organizations to encourage the establishment, expansion and modernization of private enterprises. ICD is rated AA/F1+ by Fitch and Aa3/P1 by Moodys. For more information visit www.icd-ps.org.

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is the foremost pan-African multilateral financial institution devoted to financing and promoting intra- and extra-African trade. The Bank was established in October 1993 by African governments, African private and institutional investors, and non-African investors. Its two basic constitutive documents are the Establishment Agreement, which gives it the status of an international organization, and the Charter, which governs its corporate structure and operations. Since 1994, it has approved more than $51 billion in credit facilities for African businesses, including about $10.3 billion in 2016. Afreximbank had total assets of $11.7 billion as at 31 December 2016 and is rated BBB+ (GCR), Baa1 (Moodys), and BBB- (Fitch). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo. For more information, visit: www.afreximbank.com.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

The Russian company "RosGeoPerspectiva" will carry out geological studies to reveal copper and gold in the promising areas of Kazakhtau and Kazakhtau 1 in Navoi region of Uzbekistan, Russian media reported.

The Russian side and the State Committee of Uzbekistan for Geology and Mineral Resources have already prepared a draft agreement on geological exploration and pilot production in these areas. In addition, a new company Mistog was established to be the operator of the project.

Uzbekistan plans to grant the Russian company the right to use these sites for 5 years with a subsequent extension for the period necessary to complete the exploration and production operations.

In addition, the investor can be awarded a list of benefits and preferences, including exemption from payment of all types of taxes and mandatory payments to social funds, as well as from customs payments for five years.

The final version of the agreement, which is currently being developed by the State Committee, between the parties will be approved by a special decree of the Uzbek president.

Earlier, it was reported that Russias Tyazhmash JSC will take part in the construction of a copper-concentration complex at the Yoshlik I field in the Tashkent region. In August, Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine launched the development of the Yoshlik I field. According to the state investment program for 2017, the development of the Dalneye field worth about $1.7 billion envisages the production of up to 15 million tons of ore per year. The implementation period is 2017-2028.

The volume of proven and confirmed gold reserves in Uzbekistan is about 2,100 tons. The total reserves are approximately 3,350 tons. Two largest enterprises - Navoi and Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combines are engaged in the gold production in Uzbekistan.

In June, the government of Uzbekistan approved a list of twelve gold deposits for their industrial development with participation of foreign investments. This list includes deposits of mainly gold-quartz and gold-sulfide ores in four regions of the country - Tashkent, Samarkand, Navoi regions, as well as the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan. The total reserves of the proposed deposits (category C2) are more than 14.5 tons of gold.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

By Huseyn Valiyev  Trend:

Development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) plays one of the most important roles in the development of the Azerbaijani economy, Deputy Economy Minister Sahib Mammadov told reporters in Baku Dec. 26.

He was speaking at an event dedicated to establishment of cooperation between SMEs and the Center for Simplified Support for Family Business (ABAD).

Mammadov reminded that the development of SMEs is reflected in the Strategic roadmap on production of consumer goods in Azerbaijan at the level of small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Ministry of Economy is carrying out regular activities in this direction, Mammadov noted. For example, a special fair has been recently organized for the development of SMEs and the provision of support to this sphere. Establishment of cooperation between ABAD and entrepreneurs is a continuation of these measures. Our goal is to inform the general public about the opportunities being created by ABAD and help entrepreneurs increase the range of products.

He added that the products manufactured by SMEs are sufficiently competitive and the ministry will continue supporting their export.
Added details, changed the title (the first version was published at 12:50)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

By Huseyn Valiyev  Trend:

The number of sales points of the Center for Simplified Support for Family Business (ABAD) in Baku and the regions of Azerbaijan is expanding, Chairman of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of Azerbaijan Inam Kerimov said at an event, in Baku Dec 26 dedicated to the formation of cooperation between small entrepreneurs and ABAD.

ABAD (ASAN Support to Family Business) centers are established to carry out socially oriented projects aimed at ensuring the active participation of the citizens in the social-economic life of Azerbaijan, developing small and medium entrepreneurship, raising the employment rate of the population and supporting the establishment of competitive family businesses in the country.

ABAD centers implement assistance projects for family businesses engaged in the areas of arts and crafts, and agriculture. ABAD centers also provide business planning, marketing, branding and design, financial accounting and legal assistance services to family households.

According to Kerimov, currently regional offices of ABAD operate in the Masalli, Balakan and Guba districts.

"Including sales centers for the final products in Baku and regions, ABAD sales centers are located in Icheri Sheher, the airport, the Baku railway station. In the near future such centers will appear in the city of Gabala and five-star hotels in Baku," Kerimov said.

His pointed out that the income received from sales of products in such centers is redirected to the bank accounts of entrepreneurs cooperating with ABAD.

"ABAD is expanding its activities in 2018. There are plans to build a ceramics center in the city of Sheki and the Baku settlement of Nardaran," Kerimov said.

Also, the implementation of large-scale events in the Guba-Khachmaz economic region is envisaged.

Kerimov reminded that ABAD also began cooperation with the European Union. He said the EU will allocate $1 million to expand the activities of ABAD in the Sheki-Zagatala economic region.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

A number of banking operations that may lead to withdrawal of funds from Kazakhstan may be taken under special control in accordance with the Draft law on improving the legislation on currency regulation and currency control, Daniyar Akishev, chairman of the National Bank of the country, said at a government meeting.

Such operations as provision of a loan by a resident to a non-resident without repayment through money transfer to bank accounts in Kazakhstan, provision of a loan by a non-resident to a resident without repayment through money transfer to bank accounts in Kazakhstan, provision of an interest-free loan by a resident to a non-affiliated non-resident for a period of over 720 days, as well as operations on payment for exports or imports with a repatriation period of over 720 days, will be carried out by banks only if a resident gives permission for the transfer of information to currency control bodies, Akishev said.

In addition, information on currency transactions considered bank secrecy may be transferred to the Kazakh State Revenue Committee in accordance with the draft law, he added.

Akishev noted that after Kazakhstans accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), an increase in the number of branches and representative offices of banks is expected, which will lead to growth in payments in foreign currency within the country, and this doesnt correspond to national interests of Kazakhstan.

In this regard, it is proposed to carry out settlements of branches of foreign organizations with Kazakh counterparties in tenges. The companies which are guaranteed the status of a non-resident by agreements concluded on behalf of Kazakhstan with foreign organizations will not be affected by the changes. At the same time, terms of contracts concluded before the draft law enters into force will remain unchanged.

The draft law will enter into force until July 1, 2019, Akishev said.
Bamdevs own modus operandi behind poll loss

A preliminary report of the CPN-UML probe committee has pointed out Bamdev Gautams own modus operandi rather than betrayal from the partys rank and file was responsible for his shocking loss in the recent federal parliamentary elections.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Dec. 26

By Mamed Dashdemirov  Trend:

Uzbekistans Trustbank PJSB signed an agreement with Inco-Construction LLC, a repair and construction company, for capital reconstruction of the banks head office in Tashkent.

The project cost is 42.28 billion soums. The head office of the Trustbank PJSB is located in the central part of Tashkent on the Alisher Navoi Street.

The reconstruction of the head office is planned to be completed in the spring of 2018. The banks head office will be included to a complex of buildings of over $1 billion worth Tashkent City business center, which is under construction. Germanys Drees & Sommer consulting company is the consultant of the Tashkent City project.

Trustbank PJSB was established in 1994 and presently serves 212,200 private and 19,900 corporate clients.

In January-September 2017, net profit of Trustbank PJSB reached 48.5 billion soums, which is 69.6 percent more than in the same period of 2016. The banks assets grew 4.4 percent since the beginning of the year to 1.466 trillion soums, its credit portfolio grew 40.3 percent to 767.5 billion soums and equity capital increased by 30.1 percent to 214 billion soums.

(8,120.07 soums = $1 on Dec. 26)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

Customers of Azerbaijans DemirBank, the license of which was revoked Dec. 23, will get compensation worth 63.5 million manats, Azerbaijans Financial Market Supervisory Authority said in a message Dec. 26.

In accordance with the initial assessment held at the bank, DemirBank had a total of 55,213 depositors. At the same time, the amount of deposits of the majority of clients (52,732 people) doesnt exceed 1,000 manats.

The amount of uncompensated deposits in the bank is 28.3 million manats.

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.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR and Turkish Petroleum company (Turkiye Petrolleri) have discussed the possibilities for the expansion of cooperation between the two companies, SOCAR said in a message.

This was discussed during the meeting of SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev and Chairman of Board and Director General of Turkish Petroleum company Melih Han Bilgin.

SOCAR has recently diversified its activity - the company implements big projects not only in Azerbaijan, but also in promising foreign markets, including Turkey.

Such big projects as the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), STAR refinery, will be implemented in the coming months. TANAP, STAR refinery will be put into operation next year, which will have a positive impact on the income of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Bilgin stressed the existence of great prospects for the expansion of cooperation. He stressed that the participation of Turkish companies in the projects being implemented in Azerbaijan and the participation of Azerbaijani companies in Turkish projects play a very important role for the economies of both countries.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

In the near future, Uzbekistan plans to start exporting men's footwear and other goods made of ostrich leather, Sputnik news agency reported citing a source in the "Uzbekcharmpoyabzali" association.

The source said that these will be exclusive models developed by Uzbek designers. The products will be exported to Italy and Spain, where the customers will evaluate the goods. Then the decision will be made over the supply volumes and frequency.

"The raw material was provided by farmers from the Ferghana Valley, where farms for breeding ostriches are located. Ostrich leather is known for its strength and elasticity. The unique pattern makes it exotic and unique. The products made from this leather are referred to premium items," the source said.

It wasn't specified whether the products will be produced for the domestic market as well.

Uzbekistan in 2017 exported footwear and leather goods worth $105 million. Among the main sales markets, China, which accounts for 40 percent of the total exports of the leather and footwear industry of the country, Turkey - 16 percent and Russia - 8 percent.
The National Bank of Kyrgyzstan is not responsible for different electronic currencies, chairman of the National Bank Tolkunbek Abdygulov, told today at the press conference at Kabar News Agency.

He said that the positions of the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic have not changed, and the main bank of the country is responsible only for the national currency - som.

"Citizens at their own risk can invest their savings in what they want. But, the National Bank does not carry guarantees on these investments. For today, there are many different opinions about electronic currencies. Even the most venerable economists and chairmen of the National Banks of Europe say that this is another financial bubble," he said and stressed that every citizen is free to choose.

Abdygulov said that the National Bank recommends saving 30% in national currency, 30% in any foreign convertible currency and 30% in gold.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan should expand the volume of bilateral trade, with an increase in mutual trade to $1 billion by 2020, said the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev during a meeting with the President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Zheenbekov held in Astana, the press service of the the Kazakh president said in a message.

"In order to improve investment cooperation and intensify trade and economic relations, we discussed the possibility of creating a joint Business Council that will strengthen direct contacts between economic entities of our countries," said the president of Kazakhstan.

Nursultan Nazarbayev also stressed the significance of Kazakhstan as one of the key investors of the Kyrgyz economy and noted the importance of creating favorable conditions for investment attraction by the Kyrgyz side.

The sides also paid attention to water and energy cooperation, confirming the commonality of the water resources of trans-boundary rivers for all the countries of the region.

Sooronbay Jeenbekov, in turn, invited the President of Kazakhstan to pay an official visit to the Kyrgyzstan, with further meeting of the highest interstate council of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

"Kazakhstan is one of the main trading partners of Kyrgyzstan. In this regard, we attach great importance to the implementation of the Roadmap on bilateral economic cooperation, as well as cooperation in the field of border, transport, phytosanitary, veterinary control, customs and tax administration," said the Kyrgyz president.

Sioronbay Jeenbekov congratulated Kazakhstan on being elected to non-permanent members of the UN Security Council and wished a successful upcoming chairmanship in this important international body.

The sides signed a number of bilateral documents, including joint statement of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, agreement on demarcation of the state border and agreement on the regime of the state border.

The agreements aim at bringing the bilateral multifaceted cooperation to a new level and completing the international legal registration of the state border.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 26

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The Turkmen Parliament continues work on a number of projects, including the laws on transport security, loans and mortgage, TV and radio broadcasting, as well as on legal status of researchers, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported.

The corresponding report on the mentioned issues was presented at the last meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan.

At the meeting, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized exceptional importance of modernizing the national legislative base considering the current realities of the countrys development.

The parliament should be well aware of the state of affairs in the country and provide legislative support for the reforms, Berdimuhamedov noted.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 25

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

The integration of Iranian and Russian bank payment systems is delayed due to some legal issues, said Davood Mohammad-Beigi, the director of Payment System Department of the Islamic Republics Central Bank.

The two sides are negotiating the legal issues, Mohammad-Beigi said, the official portal of the Monetary and Banking Research Institute of Iran reported.

Good steps have been taken in technical issues, the Iranian official said, adding that in recent months the tests have been slowed down due to legal issues.

The issue of linking Russias Mir payment system to Shetab - Iran's local payment system was discussed during the visit of CBI Chief Valiollah Seif to Moscow in March 2017.

Earlier in May CBI said that test transactions are underway for integrating the payment systems and Iranian citizens will be able to use their bank cards in Russia from August 2017, while Russian bank cards will also operate in Iran like local cards.



At first step holders of bank cards will be able to use ATMs of both countries, but later usage of all payment systems of Iran and Russia will be available for the card holders, the Iranian Central bank said at the time.

But Now, Mohammad-Beigi says that Russias Mir payment system was planed to be operational in Iran in December 2017, but the Russian side has announced that legal issues should be settled first.

He further said that before switching the payment systems a contract should be signed between the central banks of the two countries.

The issue of security and business standards is a main problem, he said, adding that despite significant developments in the field of electronic banking in Iran, a large number of Iranian banks are not ready for this due to lack of communication with the international community.

Mohammad-Beigi explained that the cooperation with Russia will cover magnetic stripe cards, not smart payment cards.

Irans central bank plans to link the Iranian credit cards to the banking network of the neighboring countries. So far positive talks have been held with Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Iraq in this regard, according to the Iranian officials.



Last year Iran and Azerbaijan signed a memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the banking sector. Under the terms of the MoU, the citizens from the two countries will be able to use their banking cards in Iran and Azerbaijan.



Iran has lost hope to connect to international credit card services, including MasterCard and Visa, despite the initial optimistic statements following the removal of international sanctions last year.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 21

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Asian countries remain the main destination of Iran's non-oil exports (including gas condensates), despite the fact that two years have passed since the removal of the international sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Under the sanctions, the Islamic Republic shifted its trade eastward, and expanded economic ties with countries such as China and India.

The latest data released by Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPOI), shows that over 65 percent of Iran's export was targeted to five Asian countries, including China, Iraq, the UAE, South Korea and Afghanistan during the first eight months of the current fiscal year (started March 20).

China, Irans traditional trade partner from the sanctions period, has maintained its position as the Islamic Republics top trade partner in the period.

Over 20 percent of Irans non-oil exports went to China in the first eight months of the current fiscal year (March 20-Nov. 22). During the period, Iran exported $5.748 billion worth of goods to China, 14 percent more, compared to the same period of the preceding year.

Iran also exported $4.351 billion worth of goods to Iraq, which marked 15.3 percent of Iran's total exports value. Irans exports to Iraq registered a rise by 7 percent.

The UAE ($3.893 billion), South Korea (with $2.747 billion), Afghanistan ($1.849 billion), India ($1.782 billion), Turkey ($1.412 billion), Pakistan ($544 million), Thailand ($383 million), Oman ($368 million), Indonesia ($361 million), Taiwan ($335 million), Turkmenistan ($294 million), Azerbaijan ($292 million) and Japan($286 million) were the other top importers of Iranian goods.

The exports to Turkey, which was fourth target of Irans non-oil exports last fiscal year, had registered a huge fall by 46 percent.

The countrys exports to the UAE, Japan and Oman also registered fall of 19, 62 and 11 percent. Irans exports to India and Turkmenistan also witnessed a fall by 6 and 17 percent, respectively in terms of value, year on year.

Meanwhile, exports to Indonesia and Thailand witnessed rise by 293 and 85 percent, respectively.

Irans exports to South Korea and Afghanistan had also increased by 28 percent and 12 percent, respectively.

Two European countries, Italy and Germany were the only European countries, which took place among the top 20 destinations of Irans non-oil exports.

Germany imported $202 million worth of goods from Iran in the 8-month period and stood at 19th place, meanwhile Italy ranked 17th with $249 million worth of imports.

Irans exports to Germany witnessed a rise by 13 percent in terms of value, however Italys imports from the Islamic Republic decreased by 32 percent.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

By Azer Ahmadbayli  Trend:

The reaction of official Tehran to remarks of the French president Emanuel Macron during his visit to the Persian Gulf region that Tehran should be less aggressive in the region and should clarify the strategy around its ballistic missile program was not surprising, as Iran doesnt leave any criticism of its actions without a harsh response.

Tensions between the two states escalated in November, when president Macron displayed his support for the US president Donald Trump over Irans non-nuclear issues.

And this is despite the fact that, as Iranian lawmaker Hossein Naqavi Hosseini said, France has special place in Iran's international interactions, particularly their post-nuclear deal agreements on energy and automotive industries.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also said last week that Paris and Washington are determined to "vigorously" raise pressure on Iran over its ballistic missile program, including, possibly through sanctions.

The really surprising thing is why was it just France raising voice against Irans non-nuclear activities, compared to Great Britain, Germany and other powerful states which remain deafeningly silent?

The French criticism is mainly revolving round Iranian missile program development.

Since the end of WW2 the world's first long-range ballistic missile V-2 designed by German engineer Wernher von Braun became the basis for the creation of the Soviet and American ballistic missiles, which, in turn, became parents of multistage space launch vehicles. This was a major breakthrough in the development of outer space industry.

Another example of close link between military ballistic technologies and commercial space industry is the North Korean Paektusan 1  a three-stage space launch vehicle for propulsion satellites into orbit that was designed on the basis of intermediate-range military Taepodong ballistic missile .

Iran has plans to enter top ten spacefaring nations. Iran Aerospace Industries Organization (IAIO) head Reza Taghizadeh said in 2008 that Iran intends to launch a manned mission into space within a decade. The goal was described as the country's top priority for the next 10 years, in order to make Iran the leading space power of the region by 2021.

What does all this have to do with France? Maybe the guess is quite wrong and unreal but curious enough to be voiced once.

Arianespace is a famous French company known as the world's leading satellite launch provider. In 2004, Arianespace held more than 50% of the world market for boosting satellites to geostationary transfer orbit.

Tony Thoma, the former Arianespace Sales Director, said in his time that the Middle East markets importance is very high for the company.

The greater Middle East area remains a strategic market for our company. Today, we have orbited 19 telecommunications satellites for the region, which represents a 70 percent market share. In addition to the telecom satellite sector, the future also will be paced by the launches of Earth observation platforms. Middle East nations are showing a particular interest in such capabilities, and when one country acquires such a satellite-based observation system, it could trigger a drive by others to do the same, he said.

France doesnt need another rival in aerospace industry having its own spaceport and capability to provide satellite launching services to regional countries.

Seeing how Iran manages to develop various fields of knowledge such as nuclear technologies, stem sells researches, nanotechnologies etc., it seems real that the Islamic Republic might, if allowed, after some time, succeed in transferring its ballistic missiles experience to the commercial ground, launching satellites and people into orbit too.
Cargo movement blocked in protest over pollution

Transportation of goods through Birgunj has been disrupted once again due to protests by locals against the pollution caused by dusty cargo.
Georgian Foreign Ministry expressed its sadness over the death of Konstantine Zaldastanishvili, Georgias Ambassador to Austria, Agenda reports.

Sharing the sad news tonight, the Ministry offered condolence to the late Ambassadors family, friends, colleagues and the country for such a great loss.

A great person, diplomat, professional and Georgian public figure Our diplomacy will miss him, but his achievements will stay as the warrant of our countrys strength, Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze posted on his Facebook page.

Stressing how huge contribution Zaldastanishvili had not only to Georgian diplomacy, but also for development and promotion of independent Georgia, Foreign Ministry praised Zaldastanishvili for his merit, friendship and support.

Born on December 23, 1960, Zaldastanishvili has been Georgias Ambassador to Austria since 2013.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

Trend:

There is no pre-holiday excitement in Armenian markets, market sellers complained to the Armenian media.

We brought goods worth 1-2 million drams ($2,000-4,000), but we do not sell goods worth even 20,000 ($40) per day, they said.

According to the sellers, goods are not expensive, but at the same time, they are not available to many buyers.

The market resembles a funeral home  nobody comes in, nobody buys anything, said one of the sellers.

Rare customers, for their part, said that goods are expensive, and they buy only essential products for the holiday table.

Goods are very expensive: how can a person living only on pension or salary afford goods at such prices? said one of the citizens.

Armenia ranks first in the CIS in terms of unemployment. The unemployment rate was 19 percent in Armenia in 1Q17, increasing by 0.7 percentage points as compared to January-March 2016.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

Trend:

Armenian human rights activists continue to criticize the new Judicial Code of Armenia.

A discussion on the topic "Judicial Code: problems and challenges" was held in Yerevan on Dec.25, where a number of human rights activists negatively assessed the draft law on introducing amendments to the Judicial Code approved by the Parliament on Dec.21.

The authorities are not ready to reform the judicial system, said human rights activist Avetik Ishkhanyan. The reforms were carried out under the threat of deprivation of US funding, said lawyer Hayk Alumyan. The Venice Commission presented a draft of the Judicial Code, different from the one adopted by the parliament, argues human rights defender Arthur Sakunts.

The judicial system is under the control of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, the head of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, human rights activist Avetik Ishkhanian stated during the discussion.

He believes that the Armenian authorities will not reform the judicial system, since its dependence allows the ruling party to retain power.

"It is doubtful that the power that "saw" "March 1," will suddenly show goodwill and make democratic reforms of the justice system," he explained.

On March 1, 2008, the police came down upon the demonstrators holding twenty-four-hour protests against the 2008 presidential election results on Azatutyun square. The police dispersed the protestors through use of force. Thereafter, thousands of protestors gathered near the Myasnikyan monument. Later, at night, the authorities called in the militarize and applied arms on the defenseless demonstrators, killing 10 people and wounding many others.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.26

Trend:

The informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a good opportunity to exchange views as Russia's 2017 presidency in the CIS is coming to an end, Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russias president told reporters, RIA Novosti reports.

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated that integration processes both within the CIS and within the Eurasian Economic Community remain one of the priorities in Russia's foreign economic policy, Peskov said. Of course, Russia is completing its presidency in the CIS in 2017 and there will be a good opportunity to exchange views following Russia's presidency. An informal meeting will take place; then the presidents will continue communication in an informal atmosphere."

Tajikistan will chair the CIS in 2018.
Sound of Music actor Heather Menzies-Urich, who became famous after playing Louisa von Trapp, has died aged 68, The Guardian reports.

The Canadian-born actors death was announced by the estate of the musicals creators, Rodgers and Hammerstein.

She was diagnosed with brain cancer a month ago and died on Christmas Eve surrounded by her family, her son Ryan confirmed.

Menzies-Urich was just 14 years old and had no acting experience when she landed the role of the third-oldest von Trapp child in 1964 in the movie starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.

The movie is based on the story of the singing von Trapp family who fled Nazi rule.

She was an actor, a ballerina and loved living her life to the fullest, Ryan told TMZ.
Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has pardoned former leader Alberto Fujimori on health grounds in a move that has prompted angry protests, BBC reports.

Fujimori, 79, who is serving 25 years for human rights abuses and corruption, was moved from prison to hospital because of health problems on Saturday.

Mr Kuczynski denied pardoning him as part of a deal with his party last week to avoid his own impeachment.

Police in the capital Lima clashed with protesters after the news emerged.

Two members of President Kuczynski's party in the Peruvian Congress, Vicente Zeballos and Alberto de Belaunde, resigned in protest at the pardon.

Meanwhile, supporters of the man who led Peru from 1990 to 2000 celebrated outside the city hospital where he was being treated.

He is admired by some Peruvians for combating Maoist rebels but his critics considered him a corrupt dictator.

His son Kenji tweeted video of himself breaking the news of the pardon to his father in his hospital bed and wishing him a Merry Christmas.
Mexican authorities said on Monday they had detained the man suspected of ordering the killing of journalist Miroslava Breach, who was shot dead outside her home in March, Deutsche Welle reports.

The governor for the northern state of Chihuahua described Juan Carlos Moreno Ochoa as the "intellectual author" of the 54-year-old Breach's killing.

The state's attorney general, Cesar Augusto Peniche, told the Reforma newspaper that the 43-year-old suspect is allegedly a member of the "Los Salazar" criminal organization, a faction of the country's notorious Sinaloa drug cartel.

He was detained along with two others on Monday morning in the town of Bacobampo, in Sonora state, the National Security Commission said in a statement.

Another man, Ramon Zavala, accused of being the gunman who actually shot Breach, was killed on Friday by unidentified assailants.

Breach, a veteran crime and politics reporter for the newspapers La Jornada and Norte de Juarez, was found dead inside her car with gunshot wounds to her head on March 23 in Chihuahua. She wrote extensively on the country's drug trafficking problems and government corruption.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.15

Trend:

There is no end-date to NATOs Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, a NATO official told Azernews on December 15.

"Afghan forces are making progress, even though the situation remains challenging. Afghan Special Forces have conducted 80 percent of their operations independently, using their own assets and the Afghan Air Force has conducted 500 more air missions this year than last year," said the official.

More than 13,000 troops from 39 countries now serve in the Resolute Support Mission. The US is increasing its troop contribution and twenty-seven other nations have also committed to increase troop numbers in the coming months.

"NATO remains fully committed to Afghanistan. There is no end-date to our Resolute Support Mission," the official noted, adding NATO remains focused on its implementation.

The interlocutor added that Afghan security forces are continuing their fight against terrorism by taking decisive action and applying relentless pressure.

"We are now increasing our commitment to the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan by stepping up our train, advise and assist efforts in support to the Afghan security forces and institutions," NATO official noted, adding that a special focus is put on the further development of combat capabilities so that Afghanistan does not become again a safe haven for terrorist attacks.

Resolute Support is a NATO-led training, advisory, assistance, and counter-terror mission in Afghanistan, which began in January 2015. It is a follow-on mission to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which was completed in December 2014.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 26

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

This morning, an operation has been launched to detain members of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization, the Istanbul police said in a message Dec. 26.

According to the message, 12 people, including one woman, were detained during the operation.

Meanwhile, 62 foreigners, who are members of the IS terrorist group, were detained in Istanbul during the special operation on Dec. 1.

The Istanbul police said that 117 operations were conducted in Istanbul against the IS members from August 2016 to August 2017, as a result of which over 1,000 people were detained.

It was also reported that 940 people were deported from Turkey as part of the fight against the IS during the reporting period.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
The Turkish Air Force neutralized seven PKK terrorists during counter-terrorism operations in northern Iraq, the military said on Tuesday, Anadolu reported.

According to a statement from Turkish General Staff, the airstrikes on PKK targets were carried out in Iraq's Gara, Metina, Avasin, and Basyan regions.

The terrorists' hideouts were also destroyed, the statement said.

The Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question were either killed or captured.
Deposit rates surge to last years level

Banks have once again started competing with each other to attract depositors, prompting fixed deposit rates to rise to the level of last year.
KYODO NEWS - Dec 26, 2017 - 11:25 | All, World

North Korea plans to launch a satellite soon, and the South Korean military and intelligence authorities are closely monitoring the situation, a South Korean daily reported Tuesday.

"North Korea has recently manufactured a satellite and named it Kwangmyongsong-5," the JoongAng Ilbo quoted an unidentified South Korean official as saying.

"North Korea's plan is to launch a satellite installed with camera and communication equipment," the official said.

(KCNA)

A spokesman for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters that no unusual signs related to the possible launch of a North Korea satellite have been seen.

But Roh Jae Cheon said South Korea remains fully prepared to cope with any type of provocative action by North Korea, including the launch of a long-range missile under the guise of a satellite launch.

North Korea is known to have made some strides in its space program since Kim Jong Un came to power in 2011. In December 2012, it claimed it successfully launched a satellite.
KYODO NEWS - Dec 26, 2017 - 19:14 | World, All

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono told Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Monday that the status of Jerusalem should be settled through negotiations between the parties concerned, after U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial decision to recognize the city as Israel's capital.

Kono, who is on a six-day tour of the Middle East, discussed the issue in respective meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who doubles as foreign minister, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

"I strongly felt there still remain a lot of things that Japan should do and can do," Kono told reporters after the meetings. He became the first foreign minister from a major country to visit Jerusalem following Trump's Dec. 6 announcement in which he also vowed to transfer the U.S. Embassy to the city from Tel Aviv.

Kono expressed Japan's readiness to help resume the Middle East peace process, saying, "Japan will make efforts to build confidence (between the two parties) so they can sit down at the negotiating table and exchange views in a candid manner."

Israel has long claimed Jerusalem is its "eternal and undivided capital," while the Palestinians hope East Jerusalem, which was occupied by Israel in 1967, will be the capital of their future state.

Japan supports a two-state solution to the conflict and takes the position that the final status of Jerusalem should be resolved through negotiations between the parties.

During their meeting in Jerusalem, Kono and Netanyahu agreed on the significance of the U.S. role as a mediator in peace negotiations, according to a Japanese government official.

Kono conveyed the same message on the U.S. role to Abbas in their talks in Ramallah, the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian authority in the West Bank, the official added.

Both the Israeli and Palestinian leaders welcomed Japan's involvement in the issue, the official said.

On Tuesday in the West Bank city of Jericho, Kono inspected an agro-industrial park being built with Japanese aid and pledged to provide the Palestinians with fresh support worth around $40 million, including $7.5 million for upgrading the agro-industrial park.

The park is a flagship project of the "Corridor for Peace and Prosperity" development concept, which was launched in 2006 under four-way cooperation involving Israel and the Palestinians as well as Japan and Jordan.

"As a friend of Palestine, I believe Japan should do its best to further contribute to the realization of peace in the Middle East in its own way, regardless of an economic assistance or political one," Kono said in a speech.

Trump's decision caused a dilemma for Japan, a close U.S. ally, which has maintained it does not side with Washington and will not move its embassy to Jerusalem.

Japan was among 128 countries that voted in favor of the resolution denouncing the U.S. decision on Jerusalem at a U.N. General Assembly emergency special session last Thursday.
KYODO NEWS - Dec 26, 2017 - 13:18 | All

The Japanese government, airlines and academia are trying to boost the pool of future pilots to cope with expected manpower shortages that could cut flight services.

Concern is growing as the large number of pilots now in their late 40s, who were recruited during Japan's asset-inflated bubble economy in the late 1980s and early 1990s and make up a big portion of working pilots, will be retiring around 2030.

As highly specialized pilots cannot be trained immediately, the country is trying to secure more personnel by boosting the quota of training schools and setting up a loan scheme for students eager to become pilots.

As part of such measures, ANA Holdings Inc., the parent of ALL Nippon Airways Co., offered a lesson at an elementary school in Tokyo in October with a pilot, cabin attendants and maintenance engineers introducing their professions.

The company plans to hold similar classes in all of Japan's 47 prefectures by 2020.

Japan Airlines Co., in collaboration with the University of Tokyo, has also organized a seminar for junior high and high school students in which the movements of aircraft wings are simulated by computer.

"We want (students) to develop a wide interest" in the aviation industry, an official in charge of the program said.

The airline industry, which has seen increasing demand, could face serious personnel shortages in Japan when pilots in their late 40s retire. For midsize or low-cost carriers that cannot train pilots themselves, labor shortages are particularly serious.

Airdo Co., a carrier based in Hokkaido, was forced to cancel flights and close some routes from November this year due to a lack of captains following their retirement.

About 300 people are recruited each year as potential pilots by domestic airlines but to cope with future labor shortages the number needs to be raised to 400 around 2030, experts say.

To cope with the situation, Civil Aviation College, set up in southwestern Japan's Miyazaki Prefecture by the state, plans to boost its student quota by 1.5 times to 108 in the next academic year from April, while Kogakuin University in Tokyo will establish an aviation major to train pilots.

As tuition fees at pilot training schools could exceed 20 million yen ($176,000), a student loan program offering up to 5 million yen will also begin in the next academic year for students at six private institutions. Part of the loan guarantee fees will be covered by JAL and ANA.

The government is also tapping the older generation who have worked as pilots. In 2015, Japan raised the age limit at which a pilot can continue to work after official retirement at 60, the current age set by JAL and ANA, from 64 to 67.

An official at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said, "It is vital to support the whole (industry) by taking measures in various fields."
KYODO NEWS - Dec 26, 2017 - 20:04 | All, World

Eight North Korean men whose wooden fishing boat drifted to northeastern Japan last month left the country Tuesday for China en route to their home country.

The eight men, who were at an immigration center in Nagasaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan, arrived at Kansai airport near Osaka earlier in the day and left on a civil aircraft at around 3:40 p.m.

When their boat washed ashore on a beach in Yurihonjo, Akita Prefecture, on Nov. 23, the men told Japanese authorities they were fishing for squid before the engine failed and they wanted to return to North Korea.

The men were taken to the immigration facility on Dec. 2.

In recent months, a number of unidentified wooden boats, apparently from North Korea, as well as bodies, have washed ashore on the Japanese coast along the Sea of Japan.

In another case, three crew members of a North Korean fishing boat that drifted to Japan were arrested Dec. 9 on suspicion of plundering a fishing hut they had taken refuge in on an uninhibited island in northern Japan.
KYODO NEWS - Dec 26, 2017 - 22:25 | Feature, All

A popular hotel in southwestern Japan will close for 10 straight days in January at a cost of 200 million yen ($1.77 million) in revenues to give its employees time off, in the belief that the unusual measure will help to secure quality human resources.

Officials at the 647-room Suginoi Hotel in Beppu, one of the world's largest hot spring resorts in Oita Prefecture, said the hotel will be closed from Jan. 9 through Jan. 18 to allow around 800 staff to take holidays.

"It is difficult to take consecutive days off if you work in the hotel industry," said Kenji Azuma, 69, an official in charge of marketing. "But we have decided to take the hit (to revenue) to improve working conditions and ensure high-quality services."

The hotel, which opened in 1944, is one of the largest in the Kyushu region, known for its terraced outdoor baths with panoramic views. It draws around 700,000 guests annually.

In 2010, Orix Real Estate Corp., the hotel's operator headquartered in Tokyo, began closing the Oita hotel for five straight days in mid-January to allow employees to inspect hotels in Asia or the United States. Those not wishing to participate in the trips can take days off during the closure.

From next year, the company will extend the closure to 10 days.

Suginoi Hotel currently boasts nearly full occupancy rates following a large-scale renovation and its active promotion to foreign travelers.
The oil industry endured a brutal year in 2016, when crude plunged into the $20s. However, 2017 has been much better thanks to some help from OPEC, which along with several non-member nations cut production to drain off some of the market's excess supply. Those actions helped prop up oil prices, which are up about 10% on average this year to around $60 a barrel.

That rebounding price should have driven oil stocks higher. However, that hasn't proven to be the case in every instance, as several barely budged while others surprisingly declined in value this year, including big oil stocks Chevron (NYSE: CVX), Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY), and ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM). Investors might want to consider taking advantage of the opportunity to buy these top-tier oil stocks after their lackluster showing this year, since all are in the position where they can excel even if crude prices fall back a bit.

An offshore oil rig at sunset.

Image source: Getty Images.

Running in place

Chevron's stock has risen only about 1.5% this year, which vastly trails the nearly 20% return of the S&P 500. That underperformance came despite the fact that Chevron has significantly improved its ability to operate on lower oil prices. After outspending cash flow by a whopping $11.4 billion in 2016, Chevron has spent $3.8 billion less than it pulled in through the third quarter of this year. Meanwhile, the company should continue generating significant free cash flow over the next few years because the bulk of its major projects are now in the rearview mirror. For example, Chevron estimates that by 2020 it can produce nearly $4 billion in free cash flow if oil averages $50 a barrel. Additionally, as crude rises so would Chevron's cash flow, with the company noting that at $60 oil it could generate as much as $8 billion in free cash flow in 2020, with that number potentially rising past $12 billion if crude is in the $70s.

Furthermore, Chevron also boasts a strengthening balance sheet. While the company's debt ratio hit 24.1% last year -- its highest level in years -- that was still less than the 32% average debt ratio of its big oil rivals. Meanwhile, the company expects this metric to remain at a comfortable level of 20% to 25% over the next few years even if oil falls back to $50 a barrel. Because of Chevron's balance sheet strength, the company could potentially start returning more cash to investors in the coming years in addition to its already generous 3.6%-yielding dividend by restarting a share repurchase program. That could provide the catalyst that finally restarts Chevron's stalled stock.

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Almost at the pivot point

Occidental Petroleum's stock is down about 1% this year despite the company's meaningful progress toward achieving its goal of delivering steady production growth at lower oil prices. The company is working to get to the point where it can pay its 4.4%-yielding dividend and grow production by 5% to 8% per year within cash flow at $50 oil, which is a higher growth rate than most big oil companies. While Occidental still has some work to do before it reaches that level, it has a clear plan to get to that point, led by its strategy to boost output from its high-return Permian Basin acreage. Occidental currently produces 139,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOE/D) from its shale resources in that region and would have to grow this low-cost production to around 200,000 BOE/D to generate the cash flow it needs to break even at $50 a barrel. While that means it needs to outspend cash flow as it grows to that level, the company has ample cash and other financial resources to bridge the gap and continue funding its plan in the interim. (Though with crude well above $50 a barrel at the moment, Occidental might not need to tap any other sources to finance its strategy if that price holds.)

Occidental Petroleum's plan has the potential to create tremendous value for long-term investors. For example, once it hits its breakeven level, the company could deliver a double-digit total annual return through the combination of its attractive dividend yield and the incremental earnings from production growth -- even if crude falls back to $50 a barrel. Meanwhile, if oil stays at its current level or heads higher, the company would generate more cash than it needs, which it could use to repurchase shares. That blend of a high-yielding dividend with above-average production growth makes Occidental a compelling choice for investors looking for a low-risk, high-reward option.

An oil pump with pipes in the foreground and the sun setting behind it.

Image source: Getty Images.

Big oil on sale

ExxonMobil's stock has lost a disappointing 7.5% this year, vastly underperforming both the market and crude prices. It's hard to pinpoint any reason for the stock's poor performance since its underlying business continues to improve. In fact, the oil giant has produced a net $400 million in excess cash flow this year after paying its 3.7%-yielding dividend and investing in growth projects that have low production costs. Those expansions position the company for steady production and cash flow growth in the coming years even if oil prices slip. Like Occidental Petroleum, one of the main focuses of Exxon's strategy is to increase output from the low-cost Permian Basin, where the company plans to boost production 45% through 2020.

One other thing that's impressive about Exxon is that the company is generating so much excess cash at current oil prices that it has already started buying back shares, having repurchased $500 million in stock so far this year. That has enabled the oil giant to take advantage of its falling stock price and should create more value for investors down the road. Despite those repurchases and the improvement in Exxon's operations (as well as oil prices), investors still have the opportunity to pick up shares of this blue chip oil stock for a better price than at the start of the year. That value disconnect alone is one reason why Exxon deserves a closer look.

Great oil stocks for the long term

This trio of big oil giants has significantly improved the ability of their businesses to operate on lower oil prices over the past year. However, despite those efforts, their stock prices haven't followed suit, even though crude has also headed higher in the past year. As a result, investors have a unique opportunity to buy these top-tier oil giants for what appear to be excellent prices. That's what makes now a great time to consider adding one of them to your portfolio, as all three are on their way to prospering (even if crude prices slip).

More From The Motley Fool

Matthew DiLallo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Apples stock sagged today as some analysts lowered their iPhone X projections for the first quarter, citing weaker-than-expected demand for the $1,000 device during the holiday shopping season.

Chinese broker Sinolink Securities forecast shipments might be as low as 35 million  about 10 million fewer than previously estimated, Reuters reported. Analyst Zhang Bin wrote that after an initial wave of consumer enthusiasm, the devices high price might be leading to less demand.

JL Warren Capital in Chicago similarly forecast a drop in shipments, to 25 million units, citing reduced orders at some of Apples suppliers. Bad news here is that highly publicized and promoted X did not boost the global demand for iPhone X, Warren Capital wrote.

This news caused Apples stock to close down $4.44, or 2.5%, to $170.57 on Tuesday. Stock for Apples suppliers, including Genius Electronic Optical, also took a hit.

Some criticized the hefty price tag for Apples 10th anniversary iPhone, which is the first to break the $1,000 barrier. But CEO Tim Cook has defended the pricing, saying the iPhone X is packed with technological advances, including facial recognition technology that enables the phone to unlock with a glance.

At least initially, demand for Apples shiny new object looked robust.

The iPhone X orders are very strong for both direct customers and channel partners, which as you know are lots of carriers throughout the world, Cook said during an analyst call. As of a few minutes ago, the first sales started in Australia. Im told we had several hundred people waiting at the stores in Sydney, and Im getting similar reports from stores across that region.

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Bitcoin, the biggest cryptocurrency, extended its decline over the long holiday weekend, failing to reverse a selloff that began after an unprecedented rally fell short of breaching $20,000.

The drop brings more end-of-year weakness to a market that last week had its worst four-day tumble since 2015.

The West is whats causing this selloff, said Mati Greenspan, senior market analyst at Tel Aviv-based online broker eToro, pointing to increased trading in dollars and less in yen. The recent cryptocurrency surge was so steep that investors were prone to take money off the table going into the Christmas holiday season, he said.

The retrenchment isnt typical for cryptos, which often snap back after a few losing sessions. The last time bitcoin dropped for five successive weekdays was September and, before that, July.

The tumble coincided with several warnings in the past week from financial authorities about elevated risk in holding digital coins.

The crypto market went to astronomical highs, so its got to come back to reality, Greenspan said. Something that goes up 150 percent in less than a month is probably going to have double-digit retracement.

For a look at plans for ether, the other cryptocurrency, listen here.

Bitcoin was down 2.7 percent from Fridays close to $13,850 as of 10:39 a.m. in New York Monday, when most U.S. markets were closed for Christmas. Thats 29 percent off its record high of $19,511, based on prices compiled by Bloomberg.

Ethereum, the No. 2 cryptocurrency by market value, gained Monday to $721.25. Thats up about 6 percent from Fridays close.

While nascent blockchain-based cryptocurrencies are rapidly entering mainstream finance, some of the second-generation digital coins such as Ethereum have a better outlook than bitcoin, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Mike McGlone wrote in comments published Sunday. The whole group is akin to internet-based companies a few decades ago and exchange-traded funds more recently, he said.

Bitcoin is the crypto benchmark, but not the best representation of the technology, McGlone wrote. Altcoins should continue to gain on bitcoin, which has flaws and where futures can be shorted, he said.

Bitcoins record high was reached on Dec. 18 hours after CME Group Inc. debuted futures contracts, which some traders said would encourage short position-taking.
EIA report to be sent to green ministry

The Tourism Ministry is preparing to send the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the proposed international airport project in Bara, Nijgadh to the Ministry of Environment for its approval.
(Adds one member of the distribution syndicate)

By Tatiana Bautzer and Ana Mano

SAO PAULO, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The operator of the Burger King fast-food chain in Brazil, BK Brasil Operacao e Assessoria a Restaurantes SA, is expected to price its initial public offering near the top of the suggested price range, three people with direct knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.

One of the sources said the offer is three times oversubscribed at the top of the 14.50 to 18 reais range.

Shareholders and banks underwriting the IPO will set pricing early on Thursday, said the sources, who asked for anonymity because they are not allowed to discuss the matter publicly.

Due to strong investor demand, the deadline for investor orders was made earlier to Wednesday evening from Thursday afternoon, two of the sources said.

BK Brasil did not immediately comment on the matter.

If priced at the top of the suggested range, BK Brasils IPO would raise 2.26 billion reais ($681 million), not considering the sale of additional and supplementary allotments of shares.

BK Brasil would raise around 886 million reais in the so-called primary portion of the IPO to fund the expansion of its chain of 623 restaurants in Brazil. The rest would be received by shareholders selling part of their stakes in the secondary portion of the offering.

Burger King Corp, owner of the chain in the United States and controlled by buyout fund 3G Capital Inc, has a 13 percent stake in BK Brasil and is not selling shares in the IPO.

The IPO is being managed by the investment banking units of Itau Unibanco Holding SA, Bank of America Corp , Banco Bradesco SA, Grupo BTG Pactual SA and JPMorgan Chase & Co and by Brazilian broker XP Investimentos CCTVM SA.

The transaction in Brazil is being closely watched by shareholders of other companies operating Burger King restaurants outside the United States.

Peter Wu, managing partner of private equity firm Cartesian Capital Group LLC, expects the price to be a "relevant comparable" to the IPO of the company operating Burger King restaurants in China.

Cartesian is a shareholder in BK China, which operates 750 restaurants in mainland China.

Burger Kings largest franchisee outside the United States, TFI TAB Gida Yatirimlari AS, filed for an IPO in New York in November. TFI TAB, which operates more than 1,820 Burger King restaurants in Turkey, is also a shareholder in BK China. ($1 = 3.3169 reais) (Reporting by Tatiana Bautzer and Ana Mano; Additional reporting by Bruno Federowski in Brasilia; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Lisa Shumaker)
If you've been stuck searching for Sector - Health funds, consider Delaware Healthcare A DLHAX as a possibility. DLHAX carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

Zacks categorizes DLHAX as Sector - Health, a segment packed with options. Sector - Health mutual funds offer investors a focus on the healthcare industry, one of the largest sectors in the American economy. These funds can include everything from pharmaceutical companies to medical device manufacturers and for-profit hospitals.

History of Fund/Manager

Delaware Investments is based in Philadelphia, PA, and is the manager of DLHAX. Since Delaware Healthcare A made its debut in September of 2007, DLHAX has garnered more than $178.37 million in assets. The fund is currently managed by Liu Er Chen who has been in charge of the fund since September of 2007.

Performance

Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 20.81%, and it sits in the top third among its category peers. If you're interested in shorter time frames, do not dismiss looking at the fund's 3-year annualized total return of 10.77%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame.

When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. The standard deviation of DLHAX over the past three years is 13.68% compared to the category average of 10.78%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 13.27% compared to the category average of 16.21%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Risk Factors

It's always important to be aware of the downsides to any future investment, so one should not discount the risks that come with this segment. In the most recent bear market, DLHAX lost 24.67% and outperformed its peer group by 8.18%. This means that the fund could possibly be a better choice than its peers during a down market environment.

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And for investors concerned about the potential drawdown in a really bad calendar year, we can look back to 2008 for that figure. The fund lost over 12.8%, its worst calendar year in a decade.

Even still, the fund has a 5-year beta of 1.06, so investors should note that it is hypothetically more volatile than the market at large. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. DLHAX's 5-year performance has produced a positive alpha of 4.55, which means managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.

Holdings

Investigating the equity holdings of a mutual fund is also a valuable exercise. This can show us how the manager is applying their stated methodology, as well as if there are any inherent biases in their approach. For this particular fund, the focus is mostly on equities that are traded in the United States.

Right now, 97.92% of this mutual fund's holdings are stocks, with an average market capitalization of $68.70 billion.

With turnover at about 29%, this fund makes fewer trades than its comparable peers.

Expenses

Costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing, and particularly as competition heats up in this market. And all things being equal, a lower cost product will outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, so taking a closer look at these metrics is key for investors. In terms of fees, DLHAX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.38% compared to the category average of 1.34%. DLHAX is actually more expensive than its peers when you consider factors like cost.

This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $1,000, and each subsequent investment should be at least $100.

Bottom Line

Overall, Delaware Healthcare A DLHAX has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and higher fees, this fund looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.

Want even more information about DLHAX? Then go over to Zacks.com and check out our mutual fund comparison tool, and all of the other great features that we have to help you with your mutual fund analysis for additional information. Zacks provides a full suite of tools to help you analyze your portfolio - both funds and stocks - in the most efficient way possible.



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With a market capitalization of 65.74B, Rio Tinto plc (LSE:RIO) falls in the category of stocks popularly identified as large-caps. These are established companies that attract investors due to diversified revenue streams and ability to enhance total returns through dividends. However, another important aspect of investing in large caps is its financial health. Why is it important? A major downturn in the energy industry has resulted in over 150 companies going bankrupt and has put more than 100 on the verge of a collapse, primarily due to excessive debt. Here are few basic financial health checks to judge whether a company fits the bill or there is an additional risk which you should consider before taking the plunge. Check out our latest analysis for Rio Tinto

Can RIO service its debt comfortably?

A debt-to-equity ratio threshold varies depending on what industry the company operates, since some requires more debt financing than others. Generally, large-cap stocks are considered financially healthy if its ratio is below 40%. For RIO, the debt-to-equity ratio is 31.45%, which means the risk of facing a debt-overhang is very low. We can test if RIOs debt levels are sustainable by measuring interest payments against earnings of a company. Ideally, earnings (EBIT) should cover interest by at least three times, therefore reducing concerns when profit is highly volatile. In RIOs case, its interest is excessively covered by its earnings as the ratio sits at 14.85x. Lenders may be less hesitant to lend out more funding as RIOs high interest coverage is seen as responsible and safe practice.

Does RIO generate enough cash through operations?

LSE:RIO Historical Debt Dec 26th 17

A simple way to determine whether the company has put debt into good use is to look at its operating cash flow against its debt obligation. This also assesses RIOs debt repayment capacity, which is not a big concern for a large company. In the case of RIO, operating cash flow turned out to be 0.75x its debt level over the past twelve months. A ratio of over 0.5x is a positive sign and shows that RIO is generating more than enough cash from its core business, which should increase its potential to pay back near-term debt.

Story continues

Next Steps:

Are you a shareholder? RIO has demonstrated its ability to generate sufficient levels of cash flow, while its debt hovers at an appropriate level. Since RIOs financial situation may change over time, I suggest researching market expectations for RIOs future growth on our free analysis platform.

Are you a potential investor? While investors should analyse the serviceability of debt, it shouldnt be viewed in isolation of other factors. Ultimately, debt financing is an important source of funding for companies seeking to grow through new projects and investments. Therefore, I recommend potential investors to examine RIOs Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) in order to see managements track record at deploying funds in high-returning projects.



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.
Per the Iraqi Oil Ministry, the country is yet to reach an agreement with ExxonMobil Corporation XOM on a multi-billion dollar project aimed at boosting yield from several southern oilfields.



Iraq will award multibillion-dollar projects that would comprise construction of oil pipelines, storage facilities and seawater supply facility to insert water from the Gulf into reservoirs to boost production.



In October 2017, the Iraqi government had stated that it was in final talks with ExxonMobil for the development of this project. However, no announcements were made since then.



The Iraqi Ministry is unwilling to wait for ExxonMobils decision beyond February 2018, after which, it will award the project to other companies.



ExxonMobil operates in Iraq through two of its affiliates  ExxonMobil Iraq Ltd. (EMIL) and ExxonMobil Kurdistan Region of Iraq Ltd. (EMKRIL).



Among the notable projects of ExxonMobil in Iraq is the redevelopment of the West Qurna I field in southern Iraq. In 2013, the company also inked six Production Sharing Contracts covering more than 848,000 acres in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.



About ExxonMobil



TX-based ExxonMobil has a leading position in the energy industry owing to the size and diversity of its asset base, both in terms of business mix and geographical footprint. With a stable cash position, the companys balance sheet is one of the best in the industry.



However, the stock has declined 7% year to date, underperforming the industry 6.4% growth.







Zacks Rank & Key Picks



As a result, ExxonMobil carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A few better-ranked players in the energy sector are Holly Energy Partners, LP HEP, SunCoke Energy Inc SXC and Northern Oil and Gas Inc NOG, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Holly Energy Partners, owner and operator of refined product pipelines and terminals, delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 57.14% in the preceding quarter.



SunCoke Energy produces metallurgical coke in the United States. The company delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 113.52% in the last four quarters.



Northern Oil and Gas, based in Minnetonka, MN, is an independent energy company. The company delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 175.00% in the trailing four quarters.



"Zacks Editor-in-Chief Goes ""All In"" on This Stock



Full disclosure, Kevin Matras now has more of his own money in one particular stock than in any other. He believes in its short-term profit potential and also in its prospects to more than double by 2019. Today he reveals and explains his surprising move in a new Special Report.



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Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Holly Energy Partners, L.P. (HEP) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. (NOG) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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LONDON (Reuters) - Oil and gas flows through Britain's Forties oil and gas pipeline, one of the biggest in the North Sea, will be increased gradually, its operator Ineos said on Tuesday, adding that the Kinneil processing plant was partially restarted.

The closure of the pipeline since Dec. 11 has pushed oil prices above $65 (48.65) a barrel in recent weeks, their highest level since mid-2015.

"Ineos continues to make good progress towards the restart of the Forties Pipeline System," the company said in a statement.

"Ineos has partially restarted the Kinneil facility. Flows through the pipeline and Kinneil will be increased gradually as we prove the system."

The company reiterated that it expected to bring the pipeline and Kinneil progressively back to normal rates early in the new year.

(Reporting by Alex Lawler; Editig by Andrew Heavens)
Ex-ward chairman found murdered

Former ward chairperson of the then Daduwa VDC-2 in Ramechhap district was found murdered in cold blood on Monday, police said.
FILE PHOTO: A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo

By Devika Krishna Kumar

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices surged to 2-1/2-year highs and U.S. crude touched $60 a barrel in light trading volume on Tuesday, boosted by news of an explosion on a Libyan crude pipeline as well as voluntary OPEC-led supply cuts.

Armed assailants blew up a pipeline pumping crude oil to the port of Es Sider on Tuesday, cutting Libya's output by up to 100,000 barrels per day (bpd), according to military and energy sources.

The state-run National Oil Corporation (NOC) said in a statement that output had been reduced by 70,000 to 100,000 bpd. The cause of the blast was unclear, it added.

The North African country's output had been recovering in recent months after being held down for years amid armed conflict and unrest.

Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, settled at $67.02 a barrel, up by $1.77, or 2.71 percent. During the session, front-month prices touched a high of $67.10 a barrel, their highest since mid-May 2015.

U.S. crude climbed $1.50, or 2.6 percent, to end the session at $59.97 a barrel after touching a session high of $60.01, the highest since late-June 2015.

The impending restart of Forties, a key North Sea pipeline, limited the extent of the rally. Oil and gas flows through the pipeline will be increased gradually, its operator Ineos said on Tuesday, adding that the Kinneil processing plant was partially restarted.

"Keep in mind that the field and pipeline are old and it may have issues and it's probably why the market isn't selling off," said Scott Shelton, a broker at ICAP in Durham, North Carolina.

Trading activity was thin following the Christmas holiday and London trading was muted during Boxing Day. About 72,000 contracts of front-month Brent futures changed hands on Tuesday, well below the typical daily average of more than 250,000 contracts.

In the United States, the energy complex was led higher by heating oil futures. Prices rose as much as 3.6 percent to a session high of $2.0410, the highest since early June 2015 on forecasts for cold weather.

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Brent has risen 17 percent in the year to date while U.S. crude has rallied about 11 percent so far in 2017.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, plus Russia and other non-members, have been withholding some output since Jan. 1 to relieve a glut. The producers have extended the supply cut agreement to cover all of 2018.

Iraq's oil minister said on Monday there would be a balance between supply and demand by the first quarter, leading to a boost in prices. Global oil inventories have decreased to an acceptable level, he added.

That outlook is earlier than predicted in OPEC's latest official forecast, which calls for a balanced market by late 2018. [OPEC/M]

U.S. shipments to China, one of the world's biggest oil consumers, have benefited from the OPEC-led output cuts. Russia, however, was China's largest crude oil supplier for the ninth month in a row in November, topping Saudi Arabia for the year so far, China's customs data showed on Tuesday.

While the OPEC action has lent support to prices all year, market participants have said the unplanned shutdown of the Forties pipeline on Dec. 11 is what helped push Brent to its 2-1/2-year high.

Forties is the biggest of the five North Sea crude streams underpinning Brent, the benchmark for oil trading in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Still, rising production in the United States is offsetting some of the OPEC-led cuts.

The U.S. rig count, an early indicator of future output, held steady at 747 in the week to Dec. 22, according to the latest weekly report by Baker Hughes.

U.S. crude oil inventories were likely down for a sixth straight week, while gasoline stockpiles saw a probable build last week, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Tuesday.

(Additional reporting by Alex Lawler in London and Henning Gloystein; editing by G Crosse and Tom Brown)
Pope Francis used his annual Christmas Day address to call for a negotiated two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, just days after more than 120 countries backed a U.N. resolution urging the U.S. to reverse its decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital.

In his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) address, Francis highlighted the children of the Middle East who continue to suffer because of growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. He continued, Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two States within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders.

Read: Its Not a Good Translation. Why Pope Francis Wants to Tweak the Lords Prayer

The pope had previously publicly criticized Trumps decision on Jerusalem, saying he cannot remain silent about the decision, calling for all to respect the status quo in conformity with U.N. resolutions. He noted that Jerusalem is a unique city sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, where the Holy Places for the respective religions are venerated, and it has a special vocation to peace.

After calling for prayers for peace in the Middle East, Francis used the rest of his address to call for the end of conflicts across the world, including in Syria, Yemen, Ukraine, the Korean peninsula, Venezuela, South Sudan, and Somalia.

He also called for the protection of minority groups in Myanmar and Bangladesh, saying Jesus knows well the pain of not being welcomed and how hard it is not to have a place to lay ones head. In his Christmas Eve address, Pope Francis similarly strongly defended immigration, calling for openness to foreigners and refugees.
RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. RNR has announced an anticipated write-down of its deferred tax assets (DTA) as an outcome of the recently-passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

As a result of the write-down, the companys net income will drop by $40 million during the period in which the tax bill will be enacted. Otherwise, RenaissanceRe currently expects that the economic impact of the Tax Bill, which brings down the corporate tax to 21% from 35%, will be minimal.

The U.S. Senate recently passed The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, marking President Trumps first major legislative victory. This tax reform is anticipated to drive companies revenues.

Trump noted that such a bill is a big, beautiful Christmas present for families, while the White House press secretary said that a simple, fair, and competitive tax code will be rocket fuel for our economy, and it's within our reach.

Notably, this biggest ever one-time drop in business tax will likely be conducive to economic growth.

Coming back, the write-down of the deferred tax assets (DTA), in line with the new tax regime, will drain RenaissanceRes capitalization levels. Other U.S. life insurers and multiline insurers, having sizeable DTAs on their balance sheets, will also face the same impact in the near term.

RenaissanceRes shares have declined 6.8% in the year so far, vastly underperforming its industry which recorded growth of 18.5%.

Nevertheless, a 21% corporate tax rate will lead to higher after-tax income for most insurers. Apart from boosting margins, the tax-rate reduction will also make the U.S insurers more competitive globally.

In addition to the above, the tax reform, which includes lower domestic tax rates on repatriation of income stashed offshore, will serve the foreign insurers well, who moved abroad the profit generated in the U.S to avoid tax.

The bill looks like a major legislative achievement having been supported widely by industry groups. The Coalition for American Insurance, which represents major U.S.-based insurance groups (Alleghany, The Allstate Corp. ALL, American Family, American Financial Group Inc. AFG, Berkshire Hathaway, Cincinnati Insurance, CAN, EMC Insurance, Liberty Mutual, The Hartford, Travelers and W.R. Berkley Corp. WRB have expressed support for this historical reform.

Story continues

RenaissanceRe currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here.

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The backup power system recently installed by Tesla in Australia -- the worlds largest lithium-ion battery -- has already responded to two major power outages after just weeks in use, an encouraging sign for the future of renewable energy.

Last week, the Hornsdale Power Reserve, constructed by Tesla in South Australia, kicked in just 0.14 seconds after a major plant, the Loy Yang station in the neighboring state of Victoria, suffered a sudden drop in output, the International Business Times reports. A week before that, Loy Yang -- which operates on coal -- was again backed up by Hornsdale within four seconds, a record time, state officials said, according to local media reports.

The Hornsdale system uses the same energy-storage technology utilized in Teslas electric cars. Its implementation comes on the heels of a March vow from CEO Elon Musk, in which he said Tesla could build and begin operating the system within 100 days from the signature of a contract -- or else it would be free. The deal was eventually signed in July with the state of South Australia along with the help of French-based energy company Neoen. On Dec. 1, the Hornsdale reserve was officially turned on.

South Australia has been grappling with rising electricity prices ever since a 2016 storm knocked out the states entire power grid, causing 1.7 million residents to temporarily lose their electricity. Storms and heatwaves have resulted in additional blackouts, plunging the region into the midst of an energy crisis.

While its wind turbines can only supply power for short periods, the Hornsdale wind farm is capable of supplying energy to up to 30,000 homes and can act as a last-ditch defense against sweeping power failure.

A spokesperson from Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
Endonovo to Fund All Currently Planned and Future Clinical Trials for Traumatic Brain Injury, Post-Concussion Syndrome, Stroke and Other Central Nervous System Disorders





LOS ANGELES, CA, Dec. 26, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Endonovo Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: ENDV) ("Endonovo" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage developer of non-invasive electroceuticals for the treatment of vascular diseases and inflammatory conditions, today announced it has acquired the PEMF assets of Rio Grande Neurosciences, Inc. (RGN) for $4.5 million and settled its lawsuit concerning RGNs termination of the binding letter agreement to acquire RGN dated July 8, 2016.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, RGN paid $150,000 to Endonovo Therapeutics and granted an exclusive option to Endonovo to acquire the PEMF assets of RGN for $4.5 million, which the Company exercised per the settlement agreement. The settlement has resulted in the dismissal of the case in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.

Endonovo believes settling the case at this time is in the best interest of all parties, and its acquisition of RGN's PEMF assets could result in substantial benefit to its shareholders.

The PEMF assets includes a portfolio of intellectual property, including 27 issued patents with foreign patent protection covering the therapeutic use of PEMF for the treatment of various central nervous system disorders. Endonovo Therapeutics will initiate and fund both currently planned and all future clinical trials to evaluate the use of PEMF in the treatment of central nervous system disorders, including traumatic brain injury, post-concussion syndrome, stroke and multiple sclerosis.

The PEMF assets additionally include a portable, disposable PEMF device with a CE Mark and an FDA 510(k) clearance for the treatment of soft tissue injuries and post-surgical pain and edema in addition to medical reimbursement for the treatment of chronic wounds. Endonovo Therapeutics will begin the commercialization of the PEMF assets through licensing and joint venture agreements and the creation of various sales channels and distribution agreements.

The Company has posted an overview of the PEMF assets in the presentations page on its investor relations website.

About Traumatic Brain Injury:

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), also called craniocerebral trauma is a brain dysfunction caused by an outside force, usually a violent blow to the head. In 2010 , approximately 2.5 million people sustained a traumatic brain injury. More than half of all brain injuries are bad enough to require people to go to the hospital. A severe TBI not only affects the quality of life of an individual and their family, but also imposes a large economic toll on society. The economic cost of TBI in 2010 was estimated to be approximately $76.5 billion. Severe brain injuries can lead to permanent brain damage or death. Half of all TBIs are from motor vehicle accidents, with military personnel in combat zones and athletes also being at risk.

About Chronic Wounds:

A chronic wound is a wound that does not heal in an orderly set of stages and in a predictable amount of time the way most wounds do. Wounds that do not heal within three months are often considered chronic. Some of the most common types of chronic wounds include, ischemic wounds, radiation poisoning wounds, surgical wounds and ulcers, such as arterial ulcers, venous ulcers, diabetic ulcers and pressure ulcers. The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus is a driving factor in the occurrence of chronic wounds, such as diabetic ulcers. A recent study published in Value in Health , found that approximately 15% of Medicare beneficiaries in 2014 (8.2 million) had at least one type of wound or infection at an estimated cost of nearly $32 billion to CMS. As the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) moves toward an outcome-based model, CMS needs to take a careful look at wound care, according to the authors of the study. New, more effective and equally important, more cost effective therapies are needed as the cost associated with treating these chronic wounds continues to rise.

We are very excited about this acquisition and the value it will provide our shareholders, said Endonovo CEO, Alan Collier. We are adding clinical stage programs and expanding our pipeline of non-invasive electroceuticals into central nervous system disorders, strengthening our intellectual property, and adding market-ready products for the treatment of various soft tissue injuries, post-surgical pain and swelling, as well as chronic wounds, stated Mr. Collier.

This acquisition represents a significant milestone for Endonovo and positions the company as the leader in bioelectronic medicine allowing for more favorable financing, uplisting the companys common stock onto a national stock exchange and providing the company a valuation comparable to other companies in the electrical stimulation/electroceuticals sector, concluded Mr. Collier.

About Endonovo Therapeutics

Endonovo Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage developer of non-invasive electroceuticals for the treatment of vascular diseases, including cardiovascular and cerebral vascular disease and inflammatory conditions. The Company's non-invasive electroceuticals use targeted-Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields (tPEMF) to induce micro-currents in tissues to target proinflammatory, fibrogenic and regenerative signaling pathways for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as for the treatment of chronic kidney and liver disease. Endonovo Therapeutics' is developing a pipeline of electroceutical-based therapies for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease, chronic kidney disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and chronic wounds. The Company's tPEMF technology using short wave radiofrequency at 27.12 MHz has been FDA-cleared and has a CE Mark for the treatment of soft tissue injuries and post-operative pain and edema, as well as CMS National Coverage for the treatment of chronic wounds. Endonovo is developing a clinical pipeline using tPEMF for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including post-concussion syndrome, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), and multiple sclerosis.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains information that constitutes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, trends, analysis, and other information contained in this press release including words such as "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," and other similar expressions of opinion, constitute forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results described within the forward-looking statements. Risk factors that could contribute to such differences include those matters more fully disclosed in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking information provided herein represents the Company's estimates as of the date of the press release, and subsequent events and developments may cause the Company's estimates to change. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking information in the future. Therefore, this forward-looking information should not be relied upon as representing the Company's estimates of its future financial performance as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 26, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (KSF) and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until February 20, 2018 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE:CS), if they purchased the Companys American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) between March 20, 2015 and February 3, 2016, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.



What You May Do

If you purchased ADRs of Credit Suisse and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com), or visit http://ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-cs/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by February 20, 2018.

About the Lawsuit

Credit Suisse and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) the Company consistently failed to comply with its own risk protocols and control systems governing its investment operations; (ii) the Company acquired risky, highly illiquid securities valued in the billions of dollars; and (iii) as a result of the foregoing, Credit Suisses financial statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include the former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner

lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com

1-877-515-1850

206 Covington St.

Madisonville, LA 70447
shubbankar wrote:

can anyone please tell me about the transcript requirements for Kelley Business School? I mean, do they require official transcript at the time of online applications or do unofficial student transcripts suffice?



And if they require official transcripts initially they must be providing transcript request forms, right ??

->If I remember correctly IU requires a scanned copy of the official transcript.->If you can't find the info online, I would contact admissions though to verify this as it might have changed
Residents of the Arrowhead Village Mobile Home Park said they felt a little like Mary and Joseph this Christmas, after they were told there would be no room for them to live in the park that many have called home for decades.

For many, the other residents of the park became like family. Many of the residents primarily speak Spanish, and have formed tight bonds with their neighbors in the park, which houses about 50 families.

Last month, residents were given notice that the park had been sold and the new owner intended to use the property for a commercial use. Residents have until May 7 to vacate the park.

On Friday night, about 30 residents of the park gathered to join in prayer and a feast, to celebrate the last Christmas they would spend together.

This is an opportunity to come together, many are Catholic, to share a rosary as a community in solidarity, said community organizer Roxana De Niz, who does not live in the neighborhood but is working with residents to organize for action. They are putting their faith in God. Jesus needed a place to stay, and they do too.

Rev. Patrick Mowrer from San Francisco de Asis Catholic Church prayed the rosary with the group early in the evening, and the group did a posada together, which is a Latin American Christmas tradition that reenacts the biblical census pilgrimage to Bethlehem done by Mary and Joseph. Hosts in the posada act as the innkeepers and the guests act as those making the pilgrimage.

Later the residents shared a meal with some traditional Mexican staples, like pozole, a stew with hominy and meat, atole, a hot drink, and chicken, tortillas and other hot foods to share on the cold night.

They see themselves as a big family here, De Niz said. If all things were perfect they would all end up together.

Miriam Meza, a resident of Arrowhead Village who has become one of the communitys leaders since the notices were sent out, said the celebration was done to give families some hope for the holiday season. Meza has lived in the park for four years, and said she does not have any plans yet about where she will move when the park closes.

We did a posada and a rosary to ask for something good for all the families here, she said in Spanish with a translator. We want people to know we are all united in this. We want to have a good ending to this process thats coming ahead.

Olga Garcia, who has lived in the park for 11 years and has also become one of the communitys organizers, said the dinner and prayers gave residents a chance to be together before they go in different directions.

Its an opportunity to be together as a family right before Christmas because we know whats coming, she said in Spanish through a translator.

The parcel does not have zoning that would allow for a commercial use without being granted a conditional use permit or a rezoning. The new owner, Kings House Inc., is listed as the owner of the Travelodge on Route 66 near Ponderosa Parkway.

This might be the last Christmas we are together as one community, Meza said. We want to give good wishes.
Forgotten federalism

What is clearly missing in the agenda of the otherwise acrimonious debate in Kathmandu-centric power politics is the concern for Nepals fledgling federalism. No political party or leader of wielding influence seems bothered by the federal politys rather dangerously flickering fate.
Into uncharted waters

The people have expressed themselves clearly that they are for development, job opportunity, reconciliation and prosperity by voting for the Left Alliance composed of the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre) over the democrats led by the Nepali Congress.
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.
Lima, Dec 26 (IBNS): Christmas turned into a sour affair in Peru's national capital Lima as thousands of angry protesters clashed with police after President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski announced his decision to pardon former President Alberto Fujimori of his crime.

Kuczynski acknowledged the anger, but said that the decision was based on humanitarian grounds.

However, the protesters had none of it, who shouted, "no to the pardon".

Protesters even claimed that the former President has been pardoned after a deal was reached with the incumbent government, which has been refuted by the latter.

Fujimori, 79, is serving a 25-year prison term.

He was convicted in 2007 to a six-year term, which was later extended to a 25-year term, two years later.

The court found Fujimori guilty of corruption and abuse of power.

Announcing his decision, Kuczynski said, "I am convinced that those of us who consider ourselves democrats cannot allow Alberto Fujimori to die in prison. Justice is not vengeance. All pardons are by nature controversial. There is an important number of Peruvians who are opposed."

"My decision is especially complex and difficult, but it is my decision. I can not only be the president of those that voted for me, I need to be it for all Peruvians," he added.

Fujimori was moved to the hospital from prison, where he is undergoing treatment for low blood pressure and irregular heartbeat.
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
Toronto, Dec 26 (IBNS): In a major development, Canada has announced that it was expelling Venezuelan diplomat from the country and strip his credentials in retaliation for the expulsion of its most senior diplomat from Caracas recently.

Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement: "The Venezuelan government has announced that Canadas charge daffaires in Caracas has been declared persona non grata and will be expelled from the country. This action is typical of the Maduro regime, which has consistently undermined all efforts to restore democracy and to help the Venezuelan people."

She announced that Venezuela's ambassador to Ottawa Wilmer Barrientos Fernandez has been expelled from the nation.

The Minister said Wilmer Barrientos Fernandez was no longer 'welcome' to Canada.

She also announced Venezuelan charge daffaires, Angel Herrera, persona non grata.

"In response to this move by the Maduro regime, I am announcing that the Venezuelan Ambassador to Canada  who had already been withdrawn by the Venezuelan government to protest Canadian sanctions against Venezuelan officials implicated in corruption and gross human rights abuses  is no longer welcome in Canada. I am also declaring the Venezuelan charge daffaires persona non grata," she said.

She said: "We will continue to work with our partners in the region, including through the Lima Group, to apply pressure on the anti-democratic Maduro regime and restore the rights of the Venezuelan people.

Venezuela had earlier accused Canada of meddling in the internal affairs of the nation.

"Canada has criticised the government of President Nicolas Maduro over its human rights record.More than 120 people were killed during months of anti-government protests earlier this year," BBC reported.

Full text of Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland statement is given below:

"The Venezuelan government has announced that Canadas charge daffaires in Caracas has been declared persona non grata and will be expelled from the country. This action is typical of the Maduro regime, which has consistently undermined all efforts to restore democracy and to help the Venezuelan people.

Canadians will not stand by as the Government of Venezuela robs its people of their fundamental democratic and human rights, and denies them access to basic humanitarian assistance.

In response to this move by the Maduro regime, I am announcing that the Venezuelan Ambassador to Canada  who had already been withdrawn by the Venezuelan government to protest Canadian sanctions against Venezuelan officials implicated in corruption and gross human rights abuses  is no longer welcome in Canada. I am also declaring the Venezuelan charge daffaires persona non grata.

I would like to especially recognize the exceptional professionalism and dedication of all Canadas staff working in Venezuela.

We will continue to work with our partners in the region, including through the Lima Group, to apply pressure on the anti-democratic Maduro regime and restore the rights of the Venezuelan people.


According to the authorities of Iranian regimes education ministry, there are 35,000 non-standard educational facilities in Iran.

Mohammad Javad Fatemi, head of the community of burned patients and doctor of Shinabad school children, says it is unsafe in school during the winter and there is danger of fire.

There are currently not many safe schools in the country, especially in deprived areas such as Ilam, Kermanshah and Kurdistan, the state-run ISNA news agency quoted the doctor as saying. According to education authorities, we have 35,000 non-standard classrooms; this means there are 35,000 potentially Shinabad and doroudzan schools in the country. Each of these schools can leave a number of burned patients with a small incident.

A fire at a school in the city of Marvdasht in Fars province (southern Iran) occurred in December 2006. Eight students were burned down by the classs heating element, a kerosene heater, and these heating system continue to live with some change and transformation in forms.

Six years later, and again in December (December 5, 2012), the kerosene heater of the girls classroom in Shinabad School in Piranshahr (western Iran) caught fire. Two girls died because of the severity of the injuries. Fingers of three students were cut off and the rest of the students had face injuries due to fire. Twelve of these girls still need advanced facial repair surgery.

Earlier, Mohammad Javad Fatemi said that Shinabad girls were supposed to receive special government support but the education ministry and health ministry do not pay the cost of their treatment and expenses.

head of the Schools Renovation, Development and Equipment organization, Mohammad Taghi Nazaripour, in October 2017, said 83,000 classrooms had no standard central heating system and were equipped with radiant and gas heaters: There are currently 987 wooden and rocky classrooms in the country and part of them are supposed to be collected by the end of the 2017 school year and partly in the year 2018. There is also supposed to be no fuel in the classroom. For this reason, the central system outside of classroom space will be used to standardize educational spaces.

According to Nazaripour, 1,700 Conex are used by the students as school classrooms in some parts of Iran, including those in the nomadic region. These are the classes with the lowest levels of safety and fire prevention.

The doctor treating Shinabads school children warns of potential fires in schools, but the insecurity of Iranian schools is not limited to fire hazards.

Mohammad Qomi, a member of the Education and Research Commission in the tenth parliament, told the state-run ILNA news agency in October 2017 that some schools are in critical condition and 30% of Tehrans schools have the least resistance to earthquake-related events, but ministry of education has no budget for rebuilding schools and making them resistant to earthquake.
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Locals stop outsiders from grazing bees

Beekeepers in the western part of Makwanpur district are no longer allowing outsiders to graze their bees in their area as bee farming has been expanding at a rapid pace, leading to resources running short.
Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori asked for forgiveness on Tuesday for mistakes during his authoritarian rule of the country.

His statement came amid protests that began after Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski pardoned Fujimori on December 24.

Fujimori, 79, ruled Peru from 1990 to 2000. He is remembered both for improving the economy and defeating the leftist rebels Shining Path. He was convicted in 2007 of abuse of power and bribery and sentenced to six years in jail. In 2009, he was sentenced to another 25 years for human rights abuses.

The pardon cleared Fujimori of those crimes.

Thousands of Peruvians took to the streets Monday to protest the pardon. Many call it part of a deal reached to protect the current president from impeachment on corruption charges.

On Monday night, Kuczynski called for reconciliation, asking Peruvians who opposed the pardon to turn the page. He also defended his decision on the basis of Fujimoris worsening health. He added that Fujimoris government helped Peru make progress.

On Tuesday, in a video published on Facebook, Fujimori promised that as a free man, he would support Kuczynskis calls for reconciliation. The statement suggested he would not return to politics.

Fujimori read the statement from a hospital bed. Im aware the results of my government were well received by some, but I acknowledge that I also disappointed other compatriots, he said. And to them, I ask for forgiveness from the bottom of my heart.

The remarks were Fujimoris first direct apology to the nation.

Im Ashley Thompson.

Reuters reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English, with additional materials from the Associated Press. Hai Do was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

reconciliation - n. the act of causing two people or groups to become friendly again after an argument or disagreement

turn the page - idiom. to make a fresh start; to move on.

acknowledge - v. to say that you accept or do not deny the truth or existence of (something) 

compatriot - n. a person from the same country as someone else
In 2012, Rena Sard was sentenced to five years in prison at the Maryland Correctional Institute for Women. She was 47 years old.

I didnt have five years of my life to wasteSo, every chance that I had to do something that was productive, something that was going to help me become a better person, I grabbed it.

Sard enrolled in the Goucher Prison Education Partnership (GPEP). GPEP is a program with Goucher College, a private university located north of the city of Baltimore. With GPEP, and programs like it, inmates can use their time in prison to make progress towards their first college degrees.

But the work is not easy.

For five years, Sard woke up at 4:30 each morning. She ate breakfast, did her job at the prison's mental health clinic, and then went to her college classes.

Last January, Sard finished her sentence, and next spring she will finish her first Associate's degree. Officers tell her that she is a completely different person than the one who entered prison.

Sard credits her time with GPEP for that change. She believes it helped give her the strength to be a better person, and the motivation to do something with her life.

It helped me take a very bad situation and make it into the best that I could possibly do while I was there.

Turning time into degrees

Along with the women's prison where Sard was, GPEP has partnered with the Maryland Correctional Institute Jessup, a prison for men. During the programs five-year existence, it has grown from 15 students to around 100, says Jennifer Munt, assistant director for College Operation.

To be admitted to the program, inmates go through an admission process similar to an on-campus program. The program also requires students to have a GED or high school degree. They then complete a paper application, sit for a placement exam, and have an individual interview.

The program offers only one degree, American Studies. But students have many choices of classes, including sociology, history and philosophy.

What is most important, Munt says, is that students are free to follow academic studies that interest them.

We do ask of all faculty and volunteers with GPEP that they not look up students histories, because we think that is information that the students should be in control of... we want students to have the freedom to be students."

Munt also said that students are not required to write or talk about their time in prison or why they were incarcerated. She added that, sometimes, students may choose to explore these topics in class on their own, however.

After starting the program, students take courses taught by professors from Goucher College and other nearby universities. The professors are all experts in their fields. Munt says it is important that they also have a history of good teaching.

Programs like these are not common in the United States. In 1994, a crime bill ended prisoners ability to apply for federal student assistance. Since then, it has been difficult for inmates to take college-level courses while in prison. Programs like GPEP have existed, but had to rely on private donations.

However, last year the U.S. Department of Education started a program called the Second Chance Pell Pilot Program to bring back student aid for prisoners. They selected Goucher College as one of the recipients of the program.

Turning something bad into something good

For GPEP students like Sard, the chance to spend a prison sentence as a student can be life-changing.

Before I went in, I had no self-esteem, no self-confidence, no self-worth. I suffered from a very horrible childhood. The best word to describe myself would have been I was broken. I was a shell

For Sard, learning she could succeed at school helped her realize her own worth. After she started to receive good grades in her classes, she gained self-confidence. She realized that she had the ability to be more productive in her life.

I really, truly believe the more that you can stay busy and occupied doing something thats productive, the better you're doing your time. To sit around and just do nothing that stuff will drive you batty.

Sard did not have the chance to finish her degree while at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women. But after finishing her sentence in January, she immediately started classes at Chesapeake College to complete her Associate's degree in Human Services. She will then go to Salisbury University to finish her Bachelors degree.

Next, Sard says, she would like to work as a social worker, helping women who have been abused, or are suffering from addiction.

Supporting inmates education

There are other programs like GPEP that support inmates education.

In New York State, an organization called the Prisoner Reentry Institute (PRI) has partnered with Otisville Correctional Facility to provide college-level classes for inmates. However, PRI students do not earn their degrees in prison, but after.

That was intentional, says Bianca Vanheydoorn, Director of Educational Initiatives for PRI. We wanted them to use the time while inside to earn the credits, but we also wanted them to have the campus experience.

The program also supports inmates after they finish their sentences and are applying to colleges. It provides academic counselors, as well as connections with students in the community.

For PRI, the support and communication outside the prison is as important as the work that happens inside.

We are safely in contact with about 90 percent of the students. Of those who have come home, half have enrolled in school, she said.

Vanheydoorn says about 300 students in their program have earned degrees since 2002.

'Like being in Niagara Falls...on a toothpick'

While programs like these have been successful, the biggest difficulty is meeting the large need of the institutions they serve.

Weve gotten hundreds of letters from people on the inside looking to get in, says Munt. Its like being in Niagara Falls, and the raft we are on is a toothpick.

Vanheydoorn adds that PRIs first goal is making sure they are giving the best service they can to students with their current partnerships. However, PRI would like to experiment with different ways to support students during and after their time in prison.

Both Vanheydoorn and Munt agree that programs like these are important to helping prisoners adjust to life outside of prison.

Sard agrees.

When you come home, its scary...GPEP gives you the educationand the knowledge that will help you to come home and to stay home.

Im Alice Bryant.

And Im Phil Dierking.

Phil Dierking wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

Do you think prisoners should have access to education programs while in prison? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

academic - adj. of or relating to schools and education

addiction - n. a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble)

apply - v. to ask formally for something (such as a job, admission to a school, a loan, etc.) usually in writing

batty - adj. foolish or silly

confidence - n. a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something

inmate - n. a person who is kept in a prison or mental hospital

incarcerate - v. to put (someone) in prison

productive - adj. doing or achieving a lot

motivation - n. the act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something

self-esteem - n. a feeling of having respect for yourself and your abilities

toothpick - n. a short, pointed stick used for removing small pieces of food from between your teeth
On Monday, Russian election officials formally barred anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny from running for president in the March 18 election.

Over the past year, Navalny has launched a grassroots campaign to challenge the current president, Vladimir Putin. Navalny is the most serious opponent that Putin has ever faced.

Minutes after the Central Election Commission announced its decision, Navalny released a pre-recorded video message. The message called on his supporters to boycott the vote.

The procedure that were invited to take part in is not an election, Navalny said. Only Putin and the candidates he has hand-picked are taking part in it.

He added: Going to the polls right now is to vote for lies and corruption.

With or without Navalny in the race, Putin has been expected to win a fourth term easily. His approval ratings are more than 80 percent.

Why cant Navalny run?

Every member of the Central Election Commission decided together that Navalny is not able to run. The commission officials said they are not permitted to put Navalny on the ballot because he was found guilty in a fraud case last February.

But the case has been widely seen as a tool to prevent Navalny from running for office. And Navalny could have run if he was given special permission or if the guilty decision was cancelled.

Navalny spoke with the commission before its vote to bar him. He told them that their decision would be a vote not against me, but against 16,000 people who have nominated me, against 200,000 volunteers who have been canvassing for me.

How could a boycott affect the election?

Navalnys call for a boycott could harm the Russian governments hopes for increasing the number of people who actually vote. Even though Putin is likely to win an easy victory, government officials want his performance to be as strong as possible. They have been concerned by growing voter disinterest.

The involvement of 36-year-old TV star Ksenia Sobchak could raise public interest in the race. And she could appeal to some of Navalnys supporters and help increase the number of people who vote.

Sobchak has denied working with Putins government to bar Navalny from running for president. But she criticized Navalnys call to boycott the vote.

On Monday she said the election is the only way to change something, and boycotting them is inefficient and harmful.

She suggested that Navalny join her campaign if she gets registered for the race.

Im Kelly Jean Kelly.

Nataliya Vasilyeva and Vladimir Isachenkov reported this story for the Associated Press. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. We want to hear from you. Have popular political figures in your country ever been barred from running in elections? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

formally - adv. done in an official and public way

grassroots - adj. made up of the ordinary people in a society or organization : the people who do not have a lot of money and power

procedure - n. a series of actions that are done in a certain way or order

canvass - v. to talk to the people in an area in order to get them to support a candidate

inefficient - adj. not capable of producing desired results without wasting materials, time, or energy
South Korea said on Tuesday that North Korea would look to negotiate with the United States in the coming year.

The prediction came as North Korea called the latest U.S.-led sanctions an act of war.

Last week, the U.N. Security Council unanimously placed new, tougher sanctions on North Korea for its intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, test on November 29. North Korea said the test showed its missile could reach all of the U.S. mainland.

North Korea will seek negotiation with the United States, while continuing to pursue its effort to be recognized as a de facto nuclear-possessing country, South Koreas Unification Ministry said in a report. The agency responsible for relations with North Korea, however, did not provide additional information.

U.S. diplomats have said they are seeking a diplomatic answer to increased military tensions on the Korean Peninsula. However, U.S. President Donald Trump has called diplomatic efforts useless. He said North Korea must give up its nuclear weapons before talks can begin.

China, the Norths major ally, and Russia both supported the latest U.N. sanctions. The measures seek to limit the Norths oil supply and earnings from its workers in other countries.

On Tuesday, China released information showing that China exported no oil products to North Korea and imported no iron ore, coal or lead from North Korea in November.

In its 2018 forecast, South Korea said it believed the North would find ways to deal with the effects of the U.N. sanctions.

The Joongang Ilbo Daily newspaper reported on Tuesday that North Korea could also be preparing to launch a satellite into space. The report came from an unnamed South Korean government official.

Experts have said such launches are likely aimed at developing the Norths ballistic missile technology which would be banned under U.N. resolutions.

The Norths Rodong Sinmun newspaper said on Monday that peaceful space development is a legitimate right of a sovereign state.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Hai Do adapted this story for VOA Learning English from a Reuters Story by Hae Jin Choi. Mario Ritter was the editor.

_________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

prediction n. an idea of what might happen in the future

pursue v. to seek, to continue an effort

sanctions n. measures against a country meant to cause it to obey international law usually by limiting trade

de facto expression (foreign) something that exists but is not officially recognized

forecast n. a report on what someone thinks will happen in the future

sovereign adj. having the right and power to govern itself

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PLDT Inc. provides telecommunications and digital services in the Philippines. It operates through three segments: Wireless, Fixed Line, and Others. The company offers cellular mobile, Internet broadband distribution, operations support, software development, and satellite information and messaging services; and sells Wi-Fi access equipment. It also provides fixed line telecommunications services; business infrastructure and solutions; intelligent data processing and implementation, and data analytics insight generation services; and information and communications infrastructure for Internet-based services, e-commerce, customer relationship management, and information technology (IT) related services. In addition, the company offers managed IT outsourcing, Internet-based purchasing, IT consulting and professional, bills printing and other related value-added, and air transportation services; distributes Filipino channels and content services; and provides full-services customer rewards and loyalty programs. Further, it engages in the sale of mobile handsets, broadband data routers, tablets, and accessories, as well as provides domestic leased lines and alternative messaging solutions, such as over-the-top services, social media, and messenger application. As of December 31, 2021, it had 71,221,952 mobile broadband subscribers; 3,619,372 fixed line subscribers; and 2.8 million broadband subscribers. The company was formerly known as Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company and changed its name to PLDT Inc. in July 2016. PLDT Inc. was incorporated in 1928 and is headquartered in Makati City, the Philippines.
The following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 13125882 Canada Inc., 211 E. Russell Road LLC, 4458664 Canada Inc., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES ASIA PTE. LTD., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES BORROWER S.C.A., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES LLC, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES MIDDLE EAST FZE, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES SERVICES LIMITED, ASTRUM IT GmbH, Accudyne Industries Acquisition S.A r.l, Accudyne Industries Canada Inc., Accudyne Industries S.A r.l., Air Dimensions, Air Dimensions Inc., Albin Pump SAS, BOC Edwards Global Low pressure Air business, CISA S.p.A., Cameron-Centrifugal Compression, Comercial Ingersoll-Rand (Chile) Limitada, Comingersoll-Comercio E Industria De Equipamentos S.A., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Dosatron International SAS, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Proprietary Limited, FlexEnergy Holdings LLC, Frigoblock Grosskopf Gmbh, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First (UK) Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings II Inc., GD Global Holdings Inc., GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., GPS Industries, Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp (Canada), Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Limited, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica SL, Gardner Denver Inc., Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver International Inc., Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Investments Inc., Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan Ltd., Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte. Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia s.r.o., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH (f/k/a ILMVAC GmbH), Gardner Denver Thomas Inc., Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Ghh-Rand Schraubenkompressoren Gmbh, HASKEL EUROPE LTD., HASKEL HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, HASKEL INTERNATIONAL LLC, Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, Haskel France SAS, Haskel Sistemas de Fluidos Espana S.R.L., Hibon Inc., Highspeed Newco LLC, Hingerose Limited, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, INGERSOLL RAND ITS JAPAN LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHANG ZHOU) TOOLS CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHINA) INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND CHINA LLC, INGERSOLL-RAND COMERCIO E SERVICOS DE MAQUINAS E EQUIPAMENTOS INDUSTRIAIS LTDA., INGERSOLL-RAND DE PUERTO RICO INC., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL COMPANY B.V., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL SP. Z O.O., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL U.S. INC., INGERSOLL-RAND PHILIPPINES INC., INGERSOLL-RAND SPAIN S.A., INGERSOLL-RAND U.S. HOLDCO INC., IR HPS Holdco. Inc., ITO Emniyet, Ingersoll Rand Cyprus Investments Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Finance LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Investments LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Ventures LLC, Ingersoll Rand Hong Kong Investments Limited, Ingersoll Rand Inc., Ingersoll Rand Investments (SG) Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Investments B.V., Ingersoll Rand Schweiz Investments Gmbh, Ingersoll Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (Australia) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (China) Investment Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Guilin) Tools Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Hong Kong) Holding Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (India) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Ab, Ingersoll-Rand Air Solutions Hibon Sarl, Ingersoll-Rand Beteiligungs Und Grundstucksverwaltungs Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Colombia S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited (Uk), Ingersoll-Rand Company South Africa (Pty) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Cz S.R.O., Ingersoll-Rand De Mexico S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Equipements De Production S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Industrial Ireland Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International (India) Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Italia S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Italiana Manufacturing S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Korea Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Korea Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments II S.A R.I., Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Luxembourg Industrial Company S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Machinery (Shanghai) Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Malaysia Co. Sdn. Bhd., Ingersoll-Rand S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Services And Trading Limited Liability Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Singapore Enterprises Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand South East Asia (Pte.) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Superay Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technical And Services S.A.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Technologies And Services Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Tool Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Trading Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Vietnam Company Limited, Instrum Rand JSC, Interflex Datensysteme, Ir Canada Holdings Ulc, Ir Canada Sales & Service Ulc, Ir France Sas, Kryptonite corp, Lawrence Factor Inc., LeROI, LeRoi International Inc, MILTON ROY (HONG KONG) LIMITED, MILTON ROY (UK) LIMITED, MILTON ROY EUROPA B.V., MILTON ROY EUROPE SAS, MILTON ROY INDUSTRIAL (SHANGHAI) CO. LTD., MILTON ROY LLC, MILTON ROY US PURCHASER INC., MP Pumps Inc., Maximum AG Technologies Inc., Maximus Solutions, Mb Air Systems Limited, Nash Elmo, Officina Meccaniche Industriali Srl, Oina VV, Oina VV Aktiebolag, Plurifilter D.O.O., Pt Ingersoll-Rand Indonesia, Robuschi, Runtech Systems, Runtech Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, SEEPEX, Seepex (M) SDN, Seepex Australia Pty Ltd, Seepex Beteiligungs-Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung, Seepex France S.a.r.l., Seepex GmbH, Seepex Inc., Seepex India Private Ltd., Seepex Italia SRL, Seepex Japan Co. Ltd., Seepex Nordic A/S, Seepex OOO, Seepex Pumps (Shanghia) Co. Ltd., Seepex UK Ltd., Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Shanghai Ingersoll-Rand Compressor Limited, Shenzhen Bocom System Engineering Co., Superay, Syltone, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, Tamrotor Marine Comp AS Norway, Tecno Matic Europe s.r.o., Thomas Industries Inc., Trane Technologies, Tri-Continent Scientific Inc., Vacuum and Blower Systems division, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zaxe Technologies Inc., Zeks Compressed Air Solutions Llc, Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, Zinsser NA Inc., and crayon interface.

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NAFEA wants higher service charge for Europe

Nepali recruiting agencies and the government authority seems to be at loggerheads over the service charges for sending Nepali migrant workers to European countries.
Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets building products primarily for use in new home construction, repair and remodeling, and outdoor structure markets. It operates through four segments: Siding; Oriented Strand Board (OSB); Engineered Wood Products (EWP); and South America. The Siding segment offers LP SmartSide trim and siding products, LP SmartSide ExpertFinish trim and siding products, LP BuilderSeries lap siding products, and LP Outdoor Building Solutions; and engineered wood siding, trim, soffit, and fascia products. The OSB segment manufactures and distributes OSB structural panel products comprising LP TechShield radiant barriers, LP WeatherLogic air and water barriers, LP Legacy premium sub-flooring products, LP FlameBlock fire-rated sheathing products, and LP TopNotch sub-flooring products. The EWP segment provides laminated veneer lumber and other related products; and LP SolidStart I-joists, which are primarily used in residential and commercial floorings, roofing systems, and other structural applications. The South America segment manufactures and distributes OSB structural panel and siding products. This segment also distributes and sells related products for the region's transition to wood frame construction. It also offers timber and timberlands and other products and services. The company sells its products primarily to retailers, wholesalers, and homebuilding and industrial businesses in North America and South America, Asia, Australia, and Europe. Louisiana-Pacific Corporation was incorporated in 1972 and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
NextEra Energy, Inc. is the largest electric utility holding company in the US. It operates a network of power generation and distribution facilities that include fossil-fuel-generated and green energy. As of mid-2022, the company was capable of generating 58 GW of electricity with nearly 60% of the load produced by green sources including wind and solar. In their view, going green isnt an option, its the solution. NextEra Energy has been recognized multiple times as a leader in clean energy and ESG practices and was ranked the #1 electric and gas utility on the Forbes list of Most Admired Companies.

The company is the result of several mergers that begin with FPL Group. FPL Group is now a subsidiary of NextEra Energy and the third-largest provider of electricity in the US servicing nearly half of Florida. FPL and its affiliates are the single largest provider of renewable energy generated from wind and sun. The group changed its name in 2010 following a decision to shift focus onto renewable energy sources.

Today, NextEra Energy, Inc through its subsidiary FPL serves about 12 million people in eastern and southwestern Florida. The company employs nearly 14,900 people who service 5.8 million accounts. The company is in business to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity to retail and wholesale clients. Electricity is generated through wind, solar, nuclear, natural gas, and coal-fired facilities.

The company is also engaged in the construction and operation of new facilities, specifically renewable power generation, storage, and delivery facilities, and can offer custom solutions tailored to any need. Offerings include tailored services to assist businesses with their transition to clean energy.

NextEra Energy also owns and operates 7 nuclear power stations in Florida, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin generating power for the wholesale market.

Unlike other companies that are targeting net-zero emissions, NextEra Energy has a plan to reach real zero and is investing heavily to reach that goal by 2045. The company had invested nearly $50 billion in green energy infrastructure and initiatives by mid-2022. The plan is to first work on reducing its own emissions and then take its knowledge and expertise to the world.
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. provides cybersecurity solutions worldwide. The company offers firewall appliances and software; Panorama, a security management solution for the control of firewall appliances and software deployed on a customer's network, as well as their instances in public or private cloud environments, as a virtual or a physical appliance; and virtual system upgrades, which are available as extensions to the virtual system capacity that ships with physical appliances. It also provides subscription services covering the areas of threat prevention, malware and persistent threat, URL filtering, laptop and mobile device protection, and firewall; and DNS security, Internet of Things security, SaaS security API, and SaaS security inline, as well as threat intelligence, and data loss prevention. In addition, the company offers cloud security, secure access, security operations, and threat intelligence and cyber security consulting; professional services, including architecture design and planning, implementation, configuration, and firewall migration; education services, such as certifications, as well as online and in-classroom training; and support services. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. sells its products and services through its channel partners, as well as directly to medium to large enterprises, service providers, and government entities operating in various industries, including education, energy, financial services, government entities, healthcare, Internet and media, manufacturing, public sector, and telecommunications. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.
The Progressive Corporation, an insurance holding company, provides personal and commercial auto, personal residential and commercial property, general liability, and other specialty property-casualty insurance products and related services in the United States. It operates in three segments: Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, and Property. The Personal Lines segment writes insurance for personal autos and recreational vehicles (RV). This segment's products include personal auto insurance; and special lines products, including insurance for motorcycles, ATVs, RVs, watercrafts, snowmobiles, and related products. The Commercial Lines segment provides auto-related primary liability and physical damage insurance, and business-related general liability and property insurance for autos, vans, pick-up trucks, and dump trucks used by small businesses; tractors, trailers, and straight trucks primarily used by regional general freight and expeditor-type businesses, and long-haul operators; dump trucks, log trucks, and garbage trucks used by dirt, sand and gravel, logging, and coal-type businesses; and tow trucks and wreckers used in towing services and gas/service station businesses; as well as non-fleet and airport taxis, and black-car services. The Property segment writes residential property insurance for homeowners, other property owners, and renters, as well as offers personal umbrella insurance, and primary and excess flood insurance. The company also offers policy issuance and claims adjusting services; and acts as an agent to homeowner general liability, workers' compensation insurance, and other products. In addition, it provides reinsurance services. The company sells its products through independent insurance agencies, as well as directly on Internet through mobile devices, and over the phone. The Progressive Corporation was founded in 1937 and is headquartered in Mayfield, Ohio.
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.
Nepali woman returns home from Iraq incapacitated

All Shanta Rai can remember is a thud in her head after her employer in Iraq hurled his phone at her. Next, she woke up in a local hospital bed after two weeks, Rai said.
Enbridge Inc. operates as an energy infrastructure company. The company operates through five segments: Liquids Pipelines, Gas Transmission and Midstream, Gas Distribution and Storage, Renewable Power Generation, and Energy Services. The Liquids Pipelines segment operates pipelines and related terminals to transport various grades of crude oil and other liquid hydrocarbons in Canada and the United States. The Gas Transmission and Midstream segment invests in natural gas pipelines, and gathering and processing facilities in Canada and the United States. The Gas Distribution and Storage segment is involved in natural gas utility operations serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Ontario, as well as natural gas distribution and energy transportation activities in Quebec. The Renewable Power Generation segment operates power generating assets, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and waste heat recovery facilities; and transmission assets in North America and Europe. The Energy Services segment provides energy marketing services to refiners, producers, and other customers; and physical commodity marketing and logistical services in Canada and the United States. The company was formerly known as IPL Energy Inc. and changed its name to Enbridge Inc. in October 1998. Enbridge Inc. was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Freeport-McMoRan Inc. engages in the mining of mineral properties in North America, South America, and Indonesia. The company primarily explores for copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and other metals, as well as oil and gas. Its assets include the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia; Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita, and Miami in Arizona; Tyrone and Chino in New Mexico; and Henderson and Climax in Colorado, North America, as well as Cerro Verde in Peru and El Abra in Chile. The company also operates a portfolio of oil and gas properties primarily located in offshore California and the Gulf of Mexico. As of December 31, 2021, it operated approximately 135 wells. The company was formerly known as Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. and changed its name to Freeport-McMoRan Inc. in July 2014. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.
Picking up the pieces

The Nepali Congress (NC) suffered its worst defeat in the recently held elections. In Nepals first ever vote held in 1959, the NC had secured a two-thirds majority by winning 74 out of the 109 seats in Parliament.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is the 5th largest bank in the world and the largest in the U.S. The current company is the result of a series of mergers that began in the earliest days of American banking history and include more than 1,200 original banks. The oldest predecessor is The Bank Of The Manhattan Company which was founded in 1799 by Aaron Burr. At the time, The Bank Of The Manhattan Company was the 3rd oldest bank in the U.S. and the 31st oldest in the world. The Chase Manhattan Bank, a precursor to JPMorgan Chase, was later formed when The Bank Of Manhattan Company purchased Chase Bank which was established in 1877.

JPMorgan & Co came to life in 1895 in order to finance the United States Steel Corporation. Itself a result of merger, the company also financed other early American businesses as well as aided the federal government by backing a bond offering. It wasnt until the year 2000 and after several more mergers that JPMorgan Chase & Co was born. It will be four more years before the merger with Bank One which is notable because it brings CEO Jamie Dimon into the picture.

JPMorgan Chase & Co was instrumental in aiding the US government during the 2008 financial crisis. It backed the accounts of several major banks including Bear Stearns and eventually took over their operations. Today, JPMorgan Chase & Co operates as a financial services company worldwide with operations on every continent and in more than 60 countries.

JPMorgan Chase & Co operates through four segments that are Consumer & Community Banking (CCB), Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB), Commercial Banking (CB), and Asset & Wealth Management (AWM). Services are available in branches in 48 of the 50 US states and around the world. Services are available via ATM, online, mobile, and telephone.

The CCB segment offers traditional banking services to consumers that include but are not limited to deposits, loans, mortgages, and lines of credit. The CIB segment provides investment banking products and services to businesses, institutions, and governments that range from prime brokerage, insurance, corporate strategy, and access to capital markets, to lending, cross-border financing, and derivative instruments. The CB segment provides financial services for small, medium, and large businesses including commercial real estate banking of all types.

The AWM segment provides investment management solutions to institutional and retail investors. This segment also provides retirement products, brokerage, trusts and estates, and investment management products.
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.
Plan Intl supports 9,000 families hit by flood

Plan International Nepal has provided emergency shelter and non-food items support for 9,000 most vulnerable households affected by 2017 flood in the Tarai districts.
Valvoline Inc. manufactures, markets, and supplies, engine and automotive maintenance products and services. It operates through two segments, Retail Services and Global Products. The company offers lubricants for passenger car, light duty, and heavy duty; antifreeze/coolants for original equipment manufacturers; functional and maintenance chemicals, such as brake fluids and power steering fluids, as well as specialty coatings for automotive and industrial applications; and oil and air filters for light-duty vehicles. It also provides batteries, windshield wiper blades, light bulbs, serpentine belts, and drain plugs. In addition, the company operates Valvoline instant oil change service centers. As of September 30, 2021, it operated and franchised approximately 1,594 quick-lube locations under the Valvoline Instant Oil Change brand in the United States and the Great Canadian Oil Change brand in Canada. The company also serves car dealers, general repair shops, and third-party quick lube locations, as well as through distributors and licensees. It has operations in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. The company was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky.
JAPANs Emperor Akihito marked his 84th birthday with a pledge to fulfill his duties until the day of his abdication in 2019, and to prepare for passing the torch to the next era.

PHILIPPINES A powerful storm that left more than 160 people dead in the Philippines was downgraded to a tropical depression yesterday and failed to make landfall in Vietnam.

PAKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN The foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan appealed to Taliban militants to join peace talks following a meeting yesterday organized by China to mend strained relations between the two governments.

SYRIA Rebel fighters and opposition groups have blasted Russias role in Syria, strongly rejecting its proposed peace talks expected next month. In a series of statements yesterday, 40 rebel groups, including some of Syrias most prominent, as well as political opposition umbrella groups, said Moscows proposed talks are an attempt to circumvent the United Nations-led process.

RUSSIA Officials should review opposition leader Alexei Navalnys calls for an election boycott to see if they might be breaking the law, the Kremlin said yesterday, hinting at possible legal repercussions.

SERBIA has extradited a Kurdish political activist who sought asylum in Serbia after fleeing Turkey where he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, a lawyer said yesterday.

GERMANY Police in Berlin say a man crashed a car into the entrance area of the countrys Social Democratic Party at midnight on Christmas Eve.

FRANCE Critics contend that President Emmanuel Macrons increasingly tough policy on migrants  though wrapped in a cloak of goodwill  contradicts his image as a humanist who defeated an anti-immigrant populist for the presidency. His government is ramping up expulsions, raising pressure on economic migrants and allowing divisive ID checks in emergency shelters.

PERU Thousands of Peruvians took to the streets on Monday to protest the pardon granted to former President Alberto Fujimori, with many calling it part of a backroom deal struck to protect the current president from impeachment on corruption charges.

GUATEMALAs president announced on Christmas Eve that the Central American country will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, becoming the first nation to follow the lead of U.S. President Donald Trump in ordering the change.
Ask Edith Smith, a proud 103-year-old, about her friends, and she'll give you an earful.

There's Johnetta, 101, whom she's known for 70 years and who has Alzheimer's disease. "I call her every day and just say 'Hi, how are you doing?' She never knows, but she says hi back, and I tease her," Smith said.

There's Katie, 93, whom Smith met during a long teaching career with the Chicago Public Schools. "Every day we have a good conversation. She's still driving and lives in her own house, and she tells me what's going on."

Then there's Rhea, 90, whom Smith visits regularly at a retirement facility. And Mary, 95, who doesn't leave her house anymore, "so I fix her a basket about once a month of jelly and little things I make and send it over by cab." And fellow residents at Smith's Chicago senior community, whom she recognizes with a card and a treat on their birthdays.

"I'm a very friendly person," Smith said, when asked to describe herself.

That may be one reason why this lively centenarian has an extraordinary memory for someone her age, suggests a recent study by researchers at Northwestern University highlighting a notable link between brain health and positive relationships.

For nine years, these experts have been examining "SuperAgersmen and women over age 80 whose memories are as goodor betterthan people 20 to 30 years younger. Every couple of years, the group fills out surveys about their lives and gets a battery of neuropsychological tests, brain scans and a neurological examination, among other evaluations.

"When we started this project, we weren't really sure we could find these individuals," said Emily Rogalski, an associate professor at the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine.

But find them they did: Thirty-one older men and women with exceptional memories, mostly from Illinois and surrounding states, are currently participating in the project. "Part of the goal is to characterize themwho are they, what are they like," Rogalski said.

Previous research by the Northwestern group provided tantalizing clues, showing that SuperAgers have distinctive brain features: thicker cortexes, a resistance to age-related atrophy and a larger left anterior cingulate (a part of the brain important to attention and working memory).

But brain structure alone doesn't fully account for SuperAgers' unusual mental acuity, Rogalski suggested. "It's likely there are a number of critical factors that are implicated," she said.

For their new study, the researchers asked 31 SuperAgers and 19 cognitively "normal" older adults to fill out a 42-item questionnaire about their psychological well-being. The SuperAgers stood out in one area: the degree to which they reported having satisfying, warm, trusting relationships. (In other areas, such as having a purpose in life or retaining autonomy, they were much like their "normal" peers.)

"Social relationships are really important" to this group and might play a significant role in preserving their cognition, Rogalski said.

That finding is consistent with other research linking positive relationships to a reduced risk of cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Still, researchers haven't examined how SuperAgers sustain these relationships and whether their experiences might include lessons for others.

Smith, one of the SuperAgers, has plenty of thoughts about that. At her retirement community, she's one of nine people who welcome new residents and try to help make them feel at home. "I have a smile for everybody," she said. "I try to learn someone's name as soon as they come in, and if I see them it's 'Good morning, how do you do?'"

"Many old people, all they do is tell you the same story over and over," she said. "And sometimes, all they do is complain and not show any interest in what you have to say. That's terrible. You have to listen to what people have to say."

Brian Fenwick, administrator of the Bethany Retirement Community where Smith lives, calls Smith a "leader in the community" and explains that "she's very involved. She keeps us in line. She notices what's going on and isn't afraid to speak out."

Fifteen years ago, Smith became a caregiver for her husband, who passed away in 2013. "All the time he was ill, I was still doing things for me," she recalls. "You cannot drop everything and expect to be able to pick it up. You can't drop your friends and expect them to be there when you're ready."

What she does every day, she said, is "show people I care."

William "Bill" Gurolnick, 86, another SuperAger in the study, realized the value of becoming more demonstrative after he retired from a sales and marketing position in 1999. "Men aren't usually inclined to talk about their feelings, and I was a keep-things-inside kind of person," he explained. "But opening up to other people is one of the things that I learned to do."

With a small group of other men who'd left the work world behind, Gurolnick helped found a men's group, Men Enjoying Leisure, which now has nearly 150 members and has spawned four similar groups in the Chicago suburbs. Every month, the group meets for two hours, including one hour they spend discussing personal issuesdivorce, illness, children who can't find jobs, and more.

"We learn people aren't alone in the problems they're dealing with," Gurolnick said, adding that a dozen or so of the men have become good friends.

"Bill is the glue that holds the whole group together," said Buddy Kalish, 80, a member of the group in Northbrook, Ill., a Chicago suburb. "He's very, very caringthe first one to send out a thank-you note, the first one to send out a notice when there's been a death in the family."

Activities are another way of cultivating relationships for Gurolnick. On Mondays, he bikes 20 to 30 miles with more than a dozen older menmany of them from his men's groupfollowed by lunch. On Tuesdays, he's part of a walking group, followed by coffee. On Wednesdays, he goes to the Wenger Jewish Community Center in Northbrook for two hours of water volleyball. On Thursdays, it's back to the JCC for pickleball, a racquet sport.

"You really get a sense of still being alive," Gurolnick said, when asked what he takes away from these interactions. "You get a sense of not being alone."

Without her best friend, Grayce, whom she's known since high school, and friends who live in her condominium complex, Evelyn Finegan, 88, might have become isolated. Another SuperAger, Finegan is hard of hearing and has macular degeneration in both eyes, but otherwise is astonishingly healthy.

"It's very important to keep up with your friendsto pick up the phone and call," said Finegan, who talks to Grayce almost daily and chats with four other friends from high school on a regular basis.

Today, the staples of Finegan's life are her church; a monthly book club; volunteering at a resale shop in Oak Park, Ill.; socializing with a few people in her building; attending a club of Welsh women; and seeing her daughter, her son-in-law and grandchildren, who live in Oregon, whenever she can.

"It's so nice to spend time with Evelyn," said her upstairs neighbor, June Witzl, 91, who often drives Finegan to doctors' appointments. "She's very kind and very generous. And she tells you what she believes so you really feel like you know her, instead of wondering what's on her mind."

2017 Kaiser Health News

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(HealthDay)If you plan to travel with an elderly relative this holiday season, don't leave things to chance, an expert on geriatric medicine says.

"Simply traveling long-distance to visit relatives can become increasingly stressful as individuals age," said Dr. Angela Catic, an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine's Center on Aging in Houston.

While traveling, make sure older family members have their medications and assistive devices readily available. And watch for signs of fatigue, difficulty walking, or being too warm or cool, Catic advised.

"Elders with dementia are particularly vulnerable during the holiday season," Catic said in a college news release. "As dementia progresses, change in routine can be very difficult and may result in increased confusion and behavioral issues."

Her suggestions: Maintain seniors' routines as much as possible; limit their exposure to noisy or lively gatherings; keep gifts and meals simple; and ensure there's plenty of time to rest.

On plane trips, seniors should walk in the aisles once every hour if they're able to, or pump their legs while sitting in their seat, Catic said. This helps reduce blood clot risk.

The holidays also provide an opportunity to visit and assess the health of elderly family members you might not see regularly. You can check for problems such as forgetfulness, and physical issues such as lack of balance or increased shortness of breath. Also, try to see if they're taking medications properly, she suggested.

Is your relative wearing soiled clothes or looking ungroomed? Is the home messier than normal? These changes could indicate mental decline or physical inability to maintain their home, Catic said.

Signs of anxiety and depression in seniors include social withdrawal, being more anxious or agitated than normal, and tearfulness. If you notice these symptoms, encourage the person to get checked by a health care provider.

You might also make the holidays more pleasant for seniors by helping with house cleaning, cooking meals for them, and helping with shopping.

More information: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers resources on The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers resources on seniors' health

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Slow-release oral Morphine (SROM) has emerged as a promising candidate for oral opioid agonist therapy. However, more research is needed before it can be incorporated into U.S. treatment guidelines. A commentary from the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

With more Americans dying from accidental opioid-related overdoses than from motor vehicle accidents and homicides combined, it is clear that evidence-based solutions are urgently needed. Despite the proven benefits of opioid agonist therapy with buprenorphine or methadone, several health system and regulatory barriers to this treatment persist throughout North America. In addition, buprenorphine and methadone may not be effective for all patients. These barriers have resulted in a large unmet treatment need, leaving an estimated gap of up to one million persons with untreated opioid use disorder, who continue to be at risk for overdose death and other negative health and social outcomes.

Existing studies suggest that SROM has comparable efficacy to methadone and is well-tolerated by patients, with a lower risk for drug-drug interactions. SROM-based oral opioid agonist therapy is increasingly and successfully used in several European countries and Canada, but more research is needed before it can be determined how SROM could be used in the United States.

The authors suggest that the U.S. must also address the regulatory burdens that create barriers to treatment. The Canadian model, in which methadone is dispensed through daily witnessed ingestion in community-based pharmacies could be adapted in this country, which could help to overcome current treatment gaps.
SC upholds permit for Tamakoshi 3

The Supreme Court on Sunday quashed its earlier stay order to suspend the survey licence awarded to TBI Holding for the Tamakoshi 3 Hydropower Project by the Energy Ministry.
Flexible flexible quorums

The multi-leader federation

Extensions

Give this a Go
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Sample Question And Solution Of Complex Construction Projects

Question:

INF70005-Performance Criteria Of Complex Construction Projects

This assignment requires you first to identify a real-world case: either a successful project or a failed project, and then based on the criteria you identified [from the literature] explain why the project either succeeded or failed. There are many referencing to the theme of project success or failure, and hence you will need to do some research to set up your criteria. The following references will help you start the process. You can select a case from secondary data available in the public domain or from within your own organization. The report should include the following information:

1. Background of the company and the project case that you have selected.

2. Discussion of standard criteria, such as those emerging in the reference section.

3. Critical identification and justification of the criteria you think appropriate.

4. Critical analysis of the case based on the criteria chosen.

5. Presentation of appropriate conclusions.

6. Provision of suggestions or recommendations in the event that the project should be re-run in the future.

Answer:

Introduction

Civil construction projects are extremely complex and expensive. They are undertaken to develop the infrastructure of regions and play a very important role in economic development. These construction projects are parts of the infrastructure development plan governments of different countries take and commence under the supervision of the relevant ministry. The traditional yardsticks of measurement of the success of such complex projects are cost and time of completion. However, with the stakeholder considerations and sustainability gaining strength in the field of project management, the project management and the project owners (usually government bodies) today consider these factors as criteria to measure the success of projects. The paper would measure the success of a chosen project based on these parameters. The project chosen for the study is the second phase of the Dubai Water Canal Project which was executed and completed success under the ownership of the Road and Transport Authority, Government of Dubai (dubai.ae 2018). The company which undertook the construction of the prestigious project with a total contract value USD 105 million was China State Construction Engineering Corporation which has its headquarters in Beijing, China (chinaconstruction.ae 2018).





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CUL954 Major Analytical Essay



Question:

Discuss about the CUL954 Major Analytical Essay.

Answer:

Introduction

Talk shows are a show where in issues, concerns, and topics are discussed by involving the number of participants so that opinion can be derived from a topic or discussion. It can be a television or radio (Shattuc, 2014). Usually, it consists of a group of individuals who have experience in relation to whatever the discussion is going to happen. It can take calls from caller listening from home, or anywhere else (Thornborrow, 2014). The host in the show is one of the keys to any successful show. The host binds the audience in such a manner that viewers are ready and early waiting for the show to be air (Hilliard & Keith, 2016). Topics in the show should relate to the audience so that the audience should feel that it is for them only (Ames, 2016). In the below context, the two episodes of the Sports Radio talk show will be analyzed and will try to find out in detail the issues and solutions that how it can become better than it was.

Analysis of the issue discussed

The host was discussing the teams, which played soccer. Especially for the women soccer team who was a winning streak at the last four games and continue to do so consecutively in the next two games also. They beat their opponents with margins with good defense techniques that help them to gain success. The turnover of the ball was not having in the game, which leads to a couple of issues (CKUW, 2018). The performance of the team was good but can be better due to certain players; margin of winning can be improved. The major problem was not involving the audience, which can give a broader picture. Read More...

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Top Source Countries of Tourists

Question :

Discuss about the Top Source Countries of Tourists?

Answer:

Introduction

Kuala Lumpur was established in 1880 to replace the state capital, Selangor so that residents and businesses could be safe from calamities such as floods and diseases following the occurrence of such events in a mining center. Kuala Lumpur was curved out from the Selangor State, however, in 1974, Kuala Lumpur got separated completely and given to Malaysia.

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Kuala Lumpur is also famous for its traditional and modern cures using herbs. The country also takes pride in having some of the best doctors and medical facilities in the world encouraging people from other parts of the world to visit Malaysia Read more..

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OfferZen has revealed that data scientists and NodeJS programmers were in high demand in 2017.

OfferZen is a recruitment platform that helps South African software developers find work.

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OfferZen initially focussed on programmers, but expanded its placement offering to data science, UI/UX design, and product management in October.

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OfferZen cofounder Malan Joubert told MyBroadband data scientists are in high demand as more companies realise theres truth to the saying data is the new oil.

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He added that the new hipster technology that startups are using is NodeJS.

This year we saw a big rise in the demand for Node developers, and I think that will continue in 2018, said Joubert.
North Korea launches intercontinental ballistic missile that lands near Japan

Prime Minister of Finland: Europe is now too reliant on Chinese technology

Turkey to require insurance from oil tankers when passing through its waters

Warner Bros. to ban Russian TV channels from showing studio's films

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

Snoop Dogg launches pets' clothing line

Japan creates robotics copy of minister. What is its purpose?

Finnish Defense Ministry announces largest batch of military aid to Ukraine

Pashinyan receives Ukrainian businessmen of Armenian origin

Armenian soldier wounded in Azerbaijani shooting

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

Mishustin arrives in Baku

Russian Foreign Ministry: South Caucasus is a strategic transport hub for Eurasia

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

Copper falls in price

Gas explodes in Fatih district of Istanbul, 10 people injured

Oil prices go down

Top 10 players of World Cup 2022

Meteorite that fell in Britain contains key information about how oceans and life formed on Earth

Gamer drinks 12 energy drinks in ten minutes and ends up in hospital

Chinese customs officers accidentally find cockroach unknown to science

Man removes cobra's teeth with manicure pliers and gets arrested

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
Ticking time bomb

A massive fire that broke out at the Birgunj-based Super Gas, a cooking gas bottling plant, has raised serious questions on safety measures embraced by factories that store and handle highly flammable products like liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
The matter of creation of a single platform of a Russian-Armenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is conferred on at the moment.

Denis Manturov, the Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia, stated the aforesaid during his talk with Suren Karayan, the Minister of Economic Development and Investments of Armenia.

As per Manturov, this issue will be included in the respective roadmap being jointly developed.

He noted that Armenia and Russia have considerably expanded cooperation, intensified contacts, and endeavored to renew the format of collaboration.

Also, the Russian minister pointed to several key domains, the results of whose cooperation can be seen in the near future.

In addition, Denis Manturov said all related matters will be resolved during the activities of the Armenian-Russian joint working group on industry.
Armenian truck driver Gegham Barseghyan, who is stranded on the Russian side near the Upper Lars checkpoint on the Georgia-Russia border for the fourth day, has informed that numerous other drivers are in a desperate situation there, and that no one is rendering them any assistance.

Barseghyan on Tuesday told Armenian News-NEWS.am that many trucks are stranded 60 kilometers from the border with Georgia, and that there are no officials around from whom they can find out how long they will remain there.

As reported earlier, according to the information received from the Consulate General of Armenia in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) had pitched tents and set up a field kitchen for the Armenian citizens that are stranded at the Upper Lars checkpoint.

When asked whether there is such a thing, Gegham Barseghyan responded as follows, in particular: Nobody either approaches or says, What do you need? There is neither tent nor food.

According to information by the Emergency Situations Department of Georgia, the countrys Stepantsminda-Larsi Highway, which leads to the Armenian border, is now open solely for passenger vehicles that seat up to 12 people.

And the Russian MES has informed that 385 trucks stand in line on the Russian side.
TBILISI. -- Over 120 Armenian public schools of Georgia still need professionals despite the fact that the teachers are trained free of charge in Armenia, head of Georgian diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, archbishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan told reporters.

During the meeting with President Serzh Sargsyan who is on a visit to Georgia, representatives of the Armenian community discussed educational and economic issues.

According to the archbishop, many Armenians of Georgia receive education in their homeland, but the problem with the lack of specialists is not solved: the issue is especially acute in Javakhk.

Cultural issues were also discussed during the meeting: Armenians often visit Georgia, Georgian culture is familiar to many Armenians, while, the Georgian people know little about Armenia and Armenian culture. It is necessary to activate cultural ties, and in this regard it is important to ensure the translation of works of modern Armenian writers into Georgian. This issue must be solved at the state level, because now in Georgia there is an increased interest in reading.

Representatives of the Armenian community also raised the issue of investments in Javakhk, as new jobs would solve the social problem of the Armenian population, and residents would not be forced to leave to find work.

He also noted that they briefed President Sargsyan on the situation with Armenian churches and cultural heritage in Georgia.
YEREVAN.  Within the framework of his official visit, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on Tuesday met with chairman Irakli Kobakhidze of the Parliament of Georgia.

The speaker of the Georgian legislature expressed a conviction that such high-level mutual visits have a positive impact on bilateral state relations as well as on the strengthening of friendship between the Armenian and Georgian peoples, press office of the President informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. Also, Kobakhidze stressed that the Parliament of Georgia stands ready to continue developing close cooperation with Armenia.

In the ensuing talk, the interlocutors pointed to the progress that was achieved this year in several domains between Armenia and Georgia, and highlighted the efforts to maintain and further increase this progress. President Sargsyan noted that such a level of bilateral ties on this 25th anniversary year of Armenia-Georgia diplomatic relations is compelling.

Irakli Kobakhidze, for his part, lauded the activities by the Armenian members of the Georgian legislature.

In addition, the President of Armenia and the chairman of the Parliament of Georgia shared the view that the two friendship countries have common interests, and they underscored stability and peace in the region.

At the end of the talk, President Serzh Sargsyan signed the guestbook of the Georgian legislature.
YEREVAN.  The speedy ratification of the European Union (EU)-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is extremely important.

European Integration NGO Board member, analyst Anna Karapetyan, expressed such a view at a press conference on Tuesday.

In her words, this is important in terms of swiftly implementing the provisions of this agreement.

Armenia, for its part, demonstrates political will, Karapetyan said. One of its evidence can be considered the thing that the President of Armenia has already signed a decree whereby an interdepartmental commission is formed, [and] which will deal with the implementation of this agreement.

The analyst added that thus, Armenia shows that it has done everything on its part to commence the respective processes.

The CEPA between Armenia and the EU was signed on November 24, in Brussels.
UML, Maoists mull 60:40 Cabinet share

The CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre) are likely to share Cabinet positions on a 60:40 ratio if unification between the two parties does not materialise before forming a new government.
Islamic State swept into northern Iraq in 2014, but the door opened for it three years earlier, when the U.S. withdrew its troops from the Middle East country.

Left on their own, Iraqi troops dropped their guns and fled the onslaught. Islamic State militants then ruled the northern city of Mosul and a host of other cities and towns with nihilistic brutality that entailed public beheadings and the use of women as sex slaves. It took three years for Iraqi troops to regroup, and with the help of U.S. military advisers and airstrikes, retake Mosul and the rest of Islamic State-held Iraq.

Today, Mosul slowly rebuilds. The remnants of Islamic State have scattered into the desert. Game over? Hardly. Yes, Islamic State has been vanquished, but Iraq remains fertile ground for a comeback.

The U.S. and Baghdad are stepping up talks about maintaining a U.S. military presence in the country, USA Today recently reported. Its not known how large an American contingent would be involved, but its role would likely mirror that of U.S. troops in the bid to defeat Islamic State  advising Iraqi commanders and providing surveillance and intelligence help. James Jeffrey, a former U.S. ambassador to Iraq and now a foreign affairs analyst, told USA Today that the new contingent probably would be smaller than the current force of 5,500 soldiers.

Keeping American boots on the ground in a part of the world as unstable as Iraq is never an easy decision, but it behooves both Iraq and the U.S. to hammer out a deal.

Iraqs peace is desperately fragile. Shiite-led Baghdad continues to marginalize the countrys Sunni minority, leaving the nation vulnerable to a resurgence of Sunni-led militancy down the road. Islamist insurgencies have a way of lying low and flaring up when the time and circumstances are ripe.

And consider this: Islamic State doesnt need a caliphate to maintain its online appeal to lone wolves, like the Uzbek immigrant who killed eight people in Manhattan in a truck attack on Halloween, or the Bangladeshi who tried to blow himself up in a crowded New York subway station Dec. 11.

An American military intelligence presence is needed in Iraq to ferret out and neutralize whatever Islamic State is up to, whether that be web propaganda or suicide bomb attacks in Baghdad. Though Islamic State is beaten in Iraq, the fight is not over, Defense Secretary James Mattis said in November. Even without a physical caliphate, ISIS remains a threat to stability in the recently liberated areas, as well as in our homelands.

Just as important: A continued American military presence in Iraq, even if smaller than the force there now, also serves as a counterpoint to Iran, which strives for the day when Iraq becomes its proxy state.

Though both Iraq and the U.S. paid a stiff price for the pullout of American troops in 2011, the Obama administration didnt have much choice. Barack Obama tried to negotiate a deal to keep a contingent of American soldiers there, but Baghdad refused. Opinions vary on whether Obama might have tried harder. But the countrys parliament balked at giving U.S. troops legal protection from Iraqi courts, a condition Obama was right not to accept. Obama was late, however, in realizing the gravity of the Islamic State threat, at one point shrugging off the terror group as junior varsity. He later changed course.

Neither the U.S. nor Iraq can afford to again underestimate Islamic State and its bloodlust determination to sow destruction and chaos. A small, focused contingent of American troops can help serve as a firewall to that determination.

Congress bad on disclosing harassment settlements

The San Diego Union-Tribune

The latest report on a Treasury Department fund that pays harassment settlements to accusers of members of Congress further illustrates the lack of transparency that has long allowed lawmakers to get away with bad behavior. The Washington Post story noted that, according to evidence provided by a House committee, $174,000 was paid in 15 harassment settlements related to the behavior of House members from 2008 to 2012.

But with the exception of information about a case involving former Rep. Eric Massa, D-New York, details of the settlements could not be ascertained. The Post also noted that severance payments are also sometimes used to compensate those who file complaints  and that no information was available on these payments.

As bad as the House has been, the Senate is worse. It balks at any public disclosures of settlements. You cannot solve a problem if you dont have an idea about (its) scope, said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia. Or if you dont want to solve the problem.

The sad and ugly truth about Jones Act politics

A Bloomberg View editorial:

Who actually benefits from the Jones Act, the 1920 law stipulating that all maritime commerce between U.S. ports has to take place on ships that are built, owned and crewed by Americans?

The American Maritime Partnership, a lobbying group, will tell you that the act supports nearly half a million jobs and each year generates $10 billion in taxes and $46 billion in additional U.S. output. Even if you take these statistics at face value, they fail to allow for the jobs, taxes and output lost in the rest of the economy.

What about the acts stated purpose  which, together with other laws such as the 1936 Merchant Marine Act, is to ensure that the U.S. retains a robust merchant marine and advanced maritime sector for domestic commerce and times of war or crisis? Thats no more persuasive, once you note the steady decline of shipbuilding and the U.S. oceangoing fleet over the past five decades.

In truth, the Jones Act survives because narrow commercial interests want it to. A protectionist thicket has long surrounded U.S. commercial shipping and shipbuilding. It has gradually hardened into a political wall impervious to economic reason. President Donald Trump spoke the truth in September: When asked whether he would waive the act for Puerto Rico, he said the U.S. has a lot of people that work in the shipping industry that dont want the Jones Act lifted.

Those people are backed by a flotilla of senators and representatives who are failing to put the broader interests of voters first. They include the 60-odd members of the Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus, one of the bigger and more active of such legislative groups. Filling their coffers and bending their ears are the American Maritime Partnership; the Shipbuilders Council of America; other like-minded industry groups; and scores of individual shipbuilders, shipping lines and labor unions. In 2016, donors associated with sea transport coughed up more than $10 million in campaign contributions  the most since at least 1990  and spent almost $25 million on lobbying.

The arithmetic of special-interest pleading is interesting. Consider New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, whose $31,000 from sea transport groups put him in the top 20 of Senate recipients in 2014. That winter, he blasted state officials for failing to lay in salt for clearing roads. Without the Jones Act, an available foreign-flag ship could have transported the salt from Maine for $500,000; using slower U.S. barges caused delay, and cost the state $1.2 million. Booker and his fellow senator Robert Menendez, who had unsuccessfully sought a Jones Act waiver, then chided those who recklessly called for the acts abolition.

Nothing seems more perverse, though, than the vocal support given to the Jones Act by the congressional delegations of Alaska and Hawaii. Consumers in states held hostage to relatively expensive U.S. seaborne commerce are the acts biggest losers. Maritime industries drive neither economy: In both Alaska and Hawaii, shipbuilding and repair provided well under 0.5 percent of employment, labor income and output in 2013. Nonetheless, the Jones Act lobby has been a reliable horn of campaign plenty: In 2016, Hawaiis senators and two representatives ranked in the top 20 recipients of sea-transport campaign contributions, as did Alaskas two senators.

Those dollars help to get Jones Act-friendly candidates re-elected. They do less than nothing for the voters of those states and the country as a whole.

Yes, Virginia, one vote really matters

The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)

One year after a panel of three federal judges upheld Virginias law requiring a photo ID to vote, the balance of power in Virginias legislature rests on a single vote.

In a recount, Democrat challenger Shelly Simonds won House District 94 race by a final count of 11,608 to 11,607, but a three-judge panel refused to certify the vote Wednesday. It said a ballot that election officials found invalid should have been counted for the Republican incumbent, making the race a tie, which under state law will likely be settled by lot, essentially a coin toss.

The result illustrates how much one vote matters. Conversely, it also illustrates how consequential it can be when even a single vote is suppressed by photo ID requirements. A 2014 analysis by the Government Accountability Office of the effect of voter ID laws in Kansas and Tennessee found turnout dropped 1.9 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively, with likely Democratic voters most affected.

The voters who enabled Simonds to tie a Republican incumbent were part of a Democratic wave that elected a Democratic governor and gave Democrats big gains in the House. Opposition to President Trump has energized Democratic voters, but they are also angry about Republican state legislators whove narrowed access to voting and have warped the election results in their favor through gerrymandering.

Those efforts to undermine democracy are being countered by a surge of it, one vote at a time.
UML pressed to arrive at consensus

The CPN-UML, which is set to lead the new government, faces increasing pressure to take a flexible stance on breaking the deadlock over election to the National Assembly.
Software major Tech Mahindra on Thursday announced a partnership with global management consulting firm Gao Feng Advisory Company to set up a joint Artificial Intelligence (AI) lab in Shanghai.

The lab will work in the areas of futuristic digital technologies including AI chatbot Services, smart process automation, Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), image recognition and processing, Machine Learning (ML) and Predictive Analytics.

"China has become breeding ground for the adoption of new technologies and innovation. We are operating our engineering services business for more than 15 years in China with over 500 engagements and feel that we can provide solutions to the complex problems of our customers," said Karthikeyan Natarajan, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Integrated Engineering Solutions, Tech Mahindra.

The lab will combine Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR) technologies to develop solutions for manufacturing industry and reduce maintenance cost, accelerate manufacturing automation and digital manufacturing initiatives.

"Our AI Lab in Shanghai will enable customers to reduce their product development cost through Agile/Devops process methodologies and AI-based testing and automation frameworks," Natarajan added.

The lab will leverage Tech Mahindra's RPA (Robotic Process Automation) and IoT frameworks and ecosystem to develop AI chatbot for customer applications.

Gao Feng Advisory Company is a global strategy and management consulting firm with strong roots in China.

"The partnership with Tech Mahindra and setting up of AI lab allows Gao Feng to offer our clients a broad set of capabilities beyond those typically found among strategy consultancies, leveraging deep expertise in the area of Artificial intelligence, IoT and Predictive Analytics," noted Dr Edward Tse, Founder and CEO of Gao Feng.

Tech Mahindra is part of the $19 billion Mahindra Group that employs more than 200,000 people in over 100 countries.

Tech Mahindra itself is a $4.5 billion company with 115,850 professionals across 90 countries, helping over 864 global customers including Fortune 500 companies.
Ward chief held on trafficking charge

The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police has arrested Sun Bahadur Tamang, ward chairman of Dupcheswor Rural Municipality-1 in Nuwakot, suspecting his involvement in human trafficking. The 49-year-old was nabbed from the district on December 20.
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
Social media has become a central tool for governments to shape political events

Among the social media platforms, Twitter has developed an outsized influence on the media and political echo chamber in the U.S.

When an event or a term starts trending on Twitter, it almost instantly makes national, if not international, news headlines.

Unfortunately it has also routinely devolved into a forum for virtue signalling by Trump-hating members of prominent media outlets as well as the social justice warrior contingent. As an aside, its ironic that so many male liberal journalists, who generally function as stenographers for the left generally and feminism in particular, have been caught up in sexual harassment scandals. Many of these same reporters and pundits  who Instapundits Glenn Reynolds has often described as Democrat operatives with bylines  blasted President Trump for his alleged sexism and criticized the GOP for its mythical war on women.

In the absolute monarchy of Oman, however, Twitter has supposedly become a way to empower citizens in the way they interact with and get action from the government, according to a blog post by the University of Hertfordshire in the U.K.

Following the Arab Spring, citizens of the Persian Gulf state of Oman became aware of Twitters potential and decided to adopt it as a platform for addressing social problems, rather than instigating revolutions Twitter becomes a two-way communication channel for working towards social change, not just a one-way broadcast for promoting celebrities or for delivering government pronouncements Our research revealed that Omani citizens found Twitter to be empowering Use of Twitter has led to greater transparency and accountability in public sector departments and swifter resolution of issues, which citizens are happy about.

Women do not have full equal rights in Oman, and apparently some kinds of personal travel are frowned upon in that culture, but Twitter also allows women to get their issues resolved without visiting government department offices, the post added.

While Twitter in the U.S. can be an effective tool for communication of various kinds and across the ideological spectrum, it has been accused of de-verifying, suspending, or shadow banning Trump supporters and others on the right and throttling tweets and hashtags that dont fit within a leftist, politically correct worldview. At the same time, it seldom if ever suspends liberals when they engage in hate speech or bullying. Twitter is poised to implement new rules on December 18 meant to sweep out abusers and hateful, threatening conduct, but could also be used to suppress legitimate and peaceful political dissent. Given these parameters, some present and former Twitter users are gravitating toward free-speech alternative Gab.ai.

In the controversy/hysteria over the net neutrality repeal, avid Twitter user Ajit Pai, the FCC chairman, has pointed out that the Twitter playing field is not level for conservatives, the Inquistir recalled.

[W]hen it comes to an open Internet, Twitter is part of the problem. The company has a viewpoint and uses that viewpoint to discriminate despite all the talk about the fear that broadband providers could decide what Internet content consumers can see, recent experience shows that so-called edge providers are in fact deciding what content they see. These providers routinely block or discriminate against content they dont like.

As Natural News readers are well aware, Facebook (which some detractors refer to as Fakebook) also has a history of blocking pages and news feeds that dont conform to its progressive agenda. Google has long been suspected of manipulating search results for various reasons, political or otherwise, and its YouTube subsidiary has also been accused of arbitrarily demonetizing the channels of provocative conservative and libertarian commentators in what might amount to a kind of economic censorship. This type of interference could get even more intense as the 2018 midterm elections grow nearer and Silicon Valley-backed Democrats seek to take control of Congress away from Republicans. (Related: Read more about the Big Social agenda at NewsFakes.com.)

In this environment, there are increasing calls for the influential Big Social platforms to come under a form of regulation roughly equivalent to what applies to public utilities because of their monopolistic control over online traffic.

Sources include:

Blogs.hers.ac.uk

Mashable.com

Inquisitr.com

Submit a correction >>
now that he's gone I'll come back

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mfte

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Pretty much!

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time to tune back in! i haven't watched properly since amy and rory left

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I still miss Amy and Rory.

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seeing karen in jumanji today made me miss amy and rory.

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how was she in Jumanji? :)

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Me too :(

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same

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Bless you for posting bb! I haven't even had the chance to watch yet, still at Christmas at my Professor's house (she invited me over to meet her fam and spend xmas as I was alone and its been so nice!)



Can't wait to watch when I get hommmeeee. BLESS THIS TIME QUEEN <3333

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I enjoyed it for the most part. It was great seeing 1/12 together, they played off each other really well.



I do fill bad for Bill, I enjoyed her but seeing her come back just didn't pack the same punch as seeing a glimpse of Clara did. I would've liked Clara used in Bills place since she just pulls more of an emotional punch.



Instead of using the Dalek I feel like it would've been better to use The Library and have River help out.



For so long I have seen the hate for Moffatt and I never got it until 12s series so I am extremely happy that this show is getting fresh blood bts. Hopefully the companions all don't die off in some way.



JUST finished it.I enjoyed it for the most part. It was great seeing 1/12 together, they played off each other really well.I do fill bad for Bill, I enjoyed her but seeing her come back just didn't pack the same punch as seeing a glimpse of Clara did. I would've liked Clara used in Bills place since she just pulls more of an emotional punch.Instead of using the Dalek I feel like it would've been better to use The Library and have River help out.For so long I have seen the hate for Moffatt and I never got it until 12s series so I am extremely happy that this show is getting fresh blood bts. Hopefully the companions all don't die off in some way.

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seeing her come back just didn't pack the same punch as seeing a glimpse of Clara did. I would've liked Clara used in Bills place since she just pulls more of an emotional punch.



To quote Luke Skywalker, "Amazing, every word that you just said was wrong".

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I haven't watched doctor who in years but I'm recording the episode and I am back! 

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Let us know what you think about i!

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I am so excited for this!! I love the Doctor and Capaldi, but Moffat really put me off this show (and it used to be must-watch live tv for me). I am definitely coming back now - I mean I love Jodie so even if I weren't a massive Who fan I'd probably be checking her out it in the role anyway, but I am so excited for the first female Doctor and I'm glad they chose such a great actress.

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OMG YOUR ICON IS LIFE! GONE TOO QUICKLY!

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yas Life was the best goddamn NBC

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Woo! I'm def coming back now that Moffat is gone. I know I should catch up on the last two seasons but... we'll see lol.

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I hate the new look they gave her( ill give it a chance to see it action but the photo made it look like hipster nonsense)



That being said Im super excited for the new Doctor and no more Moffat.

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Is the new head writer good or is he (i'm assuming) a moffat part 2? I want to watch again now that moffat is gone but I don't want to waste my time if it's just going to be moffat-like garbage.

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It's hard to tell if he'll be a Moffat pt.2 since we havent seen him take full charge of the series yet lol. Even Moffat was great when he first started out imo.

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in retrospect tho, a lot of the problems that moffat had as a showrunner were present in his previous episodes and shows, just not to quite the same scale as what they became when he no longer had anyone to tell him no.



chibnall's doctor who episodes have always been a bit dull, but he also did broadchurch which is amazing. soooo... this could go either way lmfao

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Like its been said, he has written episodes of Doctor Who, which arent the best episodes ever, but theyre alright (I liked his two-parter one season 5). But he is he headrunner for Broadchurch, so maybe in that role, with a writers room(which is a new format for the show), that he will do well. I also know that Chibnall specifically wanted a female Doctor, so hopefully that is good signs

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Yasss! I teared up omg lol I love it so much

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I got so sad when he said "World War one?"

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I shall now make my return.

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SHE LOOKS SO GOOD \O/!!!! I CAN'T WAIT AHHHH

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"Oh my God," Richard Cerutti said to himself. He bent down to pick up a sharp, splintered bone fragment. Its thickness and weight told him that it belonged to an animal, a very big animal. His mind started to race.

He was standing at the foot of a slope being groomed by the California Department of Transportation for a road-widening project through the Sweetwater Valley near National City.

Earthmoving equipment had already uncovered other fossils from elsewhere on the site, mostly rodents, birds and lizards. But this bone was from no ordinary animal. The operator wanted to keep digging, but Cerutti raised a fist to stop him. He felt a tightening knot of anger.

The contractors had worked over the weekend without contacting him, and he could see the damage they had done. He sprinted up the slope to a construction trailer and picked up a telephone.

"Tom," he said. "I think I have a mammoth out here on State Route 54. Can you send some help?"

Back on site, Cerutti persuaded the operator to move the excavator out of the way. He grabbed a few tools from his truck: an ice pick, an old paintbrush and his prized table knife lifted from a Black Angus restaurant.

Kneeling among broken bones, he dusted away loose soil and began probing the sediment. His adrenaline surged as the outline of a tusk slowly emerged. Inches from the tusk, he found a stone. One edge was smooth, almost rounded. The other was sharp as a razor.

Cerutti had made stone tools before, and he knew how rocks fracture and break. Nothing about the shape of this rock was natural; something had struck and broken it with great force.

What the hell had he stumbled upon?

Cerutti hardly suspected that on this day, Nov. 16, 1992, he was standing atop a discovery that could rewrite the opening chapter in the history of the New World.

Now retired, Richard Cerutti, 76, lived for these moments.

The fascination began when he was a boy eyeing a friend's collection of ancient shark teeth, and it led to paleontology, the study of Earth's history through its fossil record.

In 1980, Cerutti found his dream job as a construction-site monitor for the San Diego Natural History Museum. With a quick eye and an easy temperament, he could spot bones in tumbled debris and talk down construction crews with schedules to keep. Sucking diesel fumes was a small price for the privilege of stepping back in time.

Tom Demere, who answered Cerutti's phone call, was the museum's curator of paleontology. Demere was better versed in the evolution of ancient whales and pinnipeds than mammoths, but he knew Cerutti was not one to raise false alarms.

The two men first met after Cerutti wrote to ask if the museum might be interested in some fossils he had found. Such offers from the public were not unusual, but claims of their significance were often overblown.

But when Cerutti opened the trunk of his Rambler, Demere gasped. Overnight, Cerutti's bones, wrapped in linen and old T-shirts, doubled the museum's collection of vertebrate fossils.

Demere moved quickly; a mammoth would be rare but not surprising.

Construction projects in the San Diego area had uncovered a wealth of fossils, including a previously unknown species of walrus, nearly 3 million years old, and a never-before-discovered armored dinosaur from the Cretaceous Period about 75 million years ago.

Demere visited the site the next day. He found Cerutti and his team of field paleontologists standing at the foot of the slope.

They had swept the site clean of the loose sediment and collected the broken bones, the pieces of tusks and the stones damaged by the excavator. A few molar fragments told them that the mammoth was a mastodon, a shorter and stockier relative.

With foot-long galvanized nails and rebar, string and flags, the team divided the site into 1 meter squares. They washed and screened sediment, borrowing water and electricity from a homeowner whose backyard overlooked the dig.

Most surprising was how smashed up the specimens were. "Mastodon leg bones are like pier pilings," Cerutti said, "and these were broken to hell."

What could have caused this?

They dug into the slope, primarily following a stratum of silty sandstone no more than a foot thick, sediment laid downby their estimatesnearly 120,000 years ago, by a meandering river, pushed back by rising seas.

Could these bones be that old?

Late on the afternoon of Dec. 11, the paleontologists began sculpting dirt from around a second tusk. It was jammed almost straight down.

They worked into the dying light. They did not want to leave it overnight; the ivory would tempt vandals. When they finally extracted the tusk, they marveled at its beauty and wondered what could have pushed it, tip-first, into the ground.

By now, though, they were accustomed to unanswered questions.

Mastodon leg bones are like pier pilings, and these were broken to hell.

Demere brought in two experts from Northern Arizona UniversityLarry Agenbroad and Jim Meadwho spent more than a week at the site. They helped excavate two of the most remarkable squares, where the assortment of fossils was especially dense: ribs, long fragments of femurs with spiral fractures, two molars, vertebrae and a cobblestone.

At the center of this collection were two femur heads, detached from their shafts and nearly touching, one hemisphere facing up, the other facing down.

The team wondered how this could be. Mastodon femursthose pier pilingsare almost 3 feet long and up to 8 inches in diameter. What could have detached these heads from their shafts and positioned them side by side? Next to them was a large boulder that somehow seemed implicated.

They tried not to speculate but kept returning to the possibility that humans might have been here, broken these bones and walked away. That meant the evidence they left behindall this debriswas almost the same age as the sediments that eventually buried the site.

It was heresy, maybe even lunacy.

For nearly half a century, schoolchildren have been taught that the first human visitors to the New World belonged to the Clovis culture, known for chipped-stone spear points first discovered in New Mexico.

Archaeologists say these people crossed the Bering Land Bridge from Asia about 12,000 years ago.

To dispute Clovis-first by a few thousand years was controversial. Some archaeologists had won begrudging acceptance with a few scattered excavations.

But to propose a site more than 100,000 years older was professional suicide. It would undermine the research and reputations of most archaeologists studying the New World.

"If you claim something is that old, you get blasted," Cerutti said, "which is why some archaeologists stopped working on sites like this. They didn't want to get blasted."

The paleontologists tried to find an alternative theory.

Could these bones have been broken by construction equipment or by other animals? Perhaps another mastodon? If so, then why were more fragile bones, like ribs, still intact?

Could a mudflow have swept in the large cobblestones? Maybe, but wouldn't a mudflow have also swept away, even destroyed, the smaller skeletons of birds and lizards they'd also found at the site?

And what about the cobblestones? There were five of them, ranging from 9 to 30 pounds, caught in this sedimentary layer of fine-grained sand. Why weren't there more?

For that matter, why hadn't they found more of the mastodon's skeleton, especially the large pieces like the skull, the pelvis, and the scapulas?

Agenbroad, who had made his reputation at the famed mammoth graveyard in South Dakota, was flummoxed. He could not accept the presence of man on the North American continent so long ago.

"'Anomaly' is the key word for this site as far as I'm concerned," he said. "There are anomalous fragments of rocks, anomalous fragments of tooth enamel scattered throughout the site thatand here he paused between words for effectjust ... don't ... make ... sense in a natural depositional environment.

"If I didn't call this Highway 54 Mastodon, I would call it the Anomalous Mastodon Site."

The lack of consensus frustrated Cerutti. He knew that the San Diego museum supported the work, but he had also heard that some of his colleagues were saying he had been "out in the sun too long."

So who were the first Americans? The answer, he feared, would have less to do with science than blood sport.

By the time the site played out after five months, 50 squares had been excavated. Nearly 400 specimens had been trucked to the museum. Cerutti and the team cleaned, preserved and cataloged them.

Demere sent samples to a laboratory in Miami for radiocarbon dating, the gold standard for determining the age of archaeological sites.

A report came back: There was not enough organic carboncollagenin the samples to allow them to date the critical isotope, C-14. But because organic carbon decomposes over time, the isotope's absence suggested that these specimens were probably older than Clovis culture.

Corroboration came from a University of Southern California professor, Richard Ku, who had been dating other sites in Southern California using a new, if rudimentary, technique that measured changes in the uranium and thorium content of organic materials as they aged.

Ku worked with a portion of a tusk and a piece of the calcium carbonate, a hardened rind of minerals that had encrusted the specimens over the thousands of centuries underground.

After a few months, Ku wrote back: The average age of the tusk and the rind was 191,000 years. As exciting as this was, it also seemed too old and felt like a setback. Had the team gotten something wrong?

In his final report completed in 1995, Demere hedged. He wrote that the spiral fractures in the femurs could have been produced "by human activity" or by simple "torsion caused by twisting," what a panicked animal might do if its foot were sunk in mud.

In the years that followed, Demere invited other researchers to study the collection. But no one stepped forward.

Robson Bonnichsen, an anthropologist at Oregon State University and the founder of the Center for the Study of Early Man, said, "Your site may well be a candidate for one of the oldest archaeological sites ever found in the New World."

But he added: "From my own bitter experience, I know that research that contributes to First American Studies is a game of hardball."

George Jefferson, former associate curator of the Page Museum in Los Angeles and district paleontologist for the California State Parks, was blunt: The archaeological community was not ready for such an unsettling claim of antiquity.

"Keep it under wraps," he said. "No one will believe you."

The director of the San Diego museum asked Demere: "When are you going to publish?"

"I didn't know what to do," Demere said.

Months went by. Then years.

Cerutti stopped going near State Route 54. In 2000, he and his wife moved to a new home in the mountains east of San Diego. Three years later, a wildfire swept through the community. Their home was spared, but they eventually had to walk away.

Worse, Cerutti had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and for two years he underwent chemotherapy. He began losing friends from the excavation, one from a suicide that he still cannot shake.

He felt hopeful when Steve Holen came to San Diego in 2008 with his wife and collaborator, Kathleen, at Demere's invitation.

As the curator of archaeology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Holen had heard about the Cerutti Mastodon Site, and upon retirement, he and Kathleen decided to look into the claims more carefully.

The couple set themselves up in Demere's research laboratory. Over two days, tray after tray of bones and rocks and cobblestones were brought to them, along with photographs, maps and videos from the site. Holen couldn't believe what he saw. It was just as Cerutti had thought: Someone had hit these bones with a tremendous force.

Here were the signature signs of the impact: the small craters produced when a solid object strikes another, creating cone-shaped divots, like a BB does when it hits a pane of glass.

He also studied the calcium carbonate that covered the broken bones, shielding and preserving the original fracturesessentially locking them in timemore than 100,000 years ago.

"I was staring out into space with my mouth open," he said. "I couldn't get my head around this. It goes against everything I was taught and all that I knew."

He discussed it with Demere, who realized that he had found his co-author. "Finally, someone with the ... experience."

Together they prepared for battle.

Demere and Holen assembled a team of paleontologists, archaeologists, geoarchaeologists, mastodon specialists, Paleo-Indian specialists, sedimentologists, geomorphologists, geochronologists and lithic fabrication specialists.

Each scientist took an element of the site and applied their proficiency.

One concluded that there had been no raging torrents that might have crashed the stones and bones together in a seasonal fury.

Another focused on the fragments scattered around the site. The few pieces of bone that they found fit into the smooth spiral fractures, and the more plentiful stone fragments matched with the ragged edges of the cobblestones.

Still another re-dated the site.

More than 20 years after Ku's work, the technology for uranium-thorium dating had improved, and there was a better understanding of the behavior of uranium in bone samples.

Jim Paces, a geochronologist at the U.S. Geological Survey in Denver, took dozens of slices from a rib and two femurs. Each slice, no wider than a millimeter, was dissolved in nitric acid.

The resulting solution contained trace amounts of uranium and thorium, which Paces extracted. After measuring those concentrates in a mass spectrometer, Paces concluded that the bones were 130,700 years old, plus or minus 9,400 years. The specificity was stunning.

"How could this be wrong?" Paces asked himself.

Holen and Demere sent three of the cobblestones to Richard Fulagar, an archaeologist at the University of Wollongong in Australia. With a variety of microscopes, Fulagar documented the topography of the stones, their abrasions, scratches, scars, polish and pitting.

There was no mistaking it in Fulagar's view: They had been used as hammers and anvils.

George Jefferson, who had advised Demere to "keep it under wraps," was invited for his experience in taphonomy, the science of what happens to an animal from the time it dies to the time it is dug up.

"Each new test," he said, "supported the claim."

The conclusion seemed clear: Hominids, wandering through Southern California, had found a mastodon carcass and gone to work. They hauled cobblestones to the site and pounded the bones, cut out the marrow for food and broke off splinters for tools.

It was, Demere says, "a Pleistocene MacGyver moment," making things out of common objects.

To signify the spot, Demere speculates, the hominids may have driven that tusk into the ground as a landmark.

Kathleen Holen wrote the first draft of their findings, and then fielded comments from the 10 co-authors through 35 versions.

Steve Holen and Demere decided to submit their findings to the scientific journal Nature. They thought that the London-based publication would be more open to their interpretation of the site than a journal in the United States. Conclusions such as theirs were more easily accepted in Europe, where sites like this were more common.

The group decided to honor Cerutti, who had stopped the excavator that Monday morning in 1992 and made, to their reckoning, one of the most important discoveries in American archaeology.

They called the excavation the Cerutti Mastodon Site.

After three rounds of review by four "refereesthree archaeologists and one geochronologistover a course of a year, Nature accepted the article: 1,700 words, 24 site drawings, eight videos and 71 pages of supplemental material.

The article was published in April 2017 and went viral. Its findings landed on the front pages of newspapers and led many websites.

Dissent from some of the world's most distinguished archaeologists was immediate.

Briana Pobiner damned the work with faint praise. She told Smithsonian magazine, "I think the combination of evidence is on the way to being convincing."

Others didn't hold back.

Donald Grayson to BuzzFeed News: "I was astonished, not because it is so good but because it is so bad."

David Meltzer to the Guardian: "I'm not buying what's being sold."

National Geographic pronounced its skepticism in an article titled "Humans in California 130,000 Years Ago? Get the Facts."

The article drew scathing opinions by Tom Dillehay and Jim Adovasio. They had been the lead archaeologists on sites in the New WorldDillehay in Chile and Adovasio in Pennsylvaniathat after years of controversy had earned acceptance for their own pre-Clovis claims.

The research at the Cerutti site, Dillehay said, doesn't rule out the possibility that a debris or mudflow carried the cobblestones to the scene, nor does it take into account that patterns on the stones might have been caused by the rocks bumping against one another in a fast-flowing river.

"When you put the total package together," he said, "there's certainly more evidence to reject than accept it."

Adovasio said: "They make a statement that the (evidence at Cerutti) is consistent with many other sites.... Well, I'm sorry, it's notthat just isn't simply true."

In a response co-written with nine colleagues and drafted as a rebuttal for publication in Nature, Todd Braje, a professor of archaeology at San Diego State University, said Holen, Demere and their dream team did not go far enough to rule out other possible causes for the spiral fractures and broken bones.

"Because humans could have fractured the CML mastodon remains does not mean they did fracture them," they wrote.

Braje and his co-authors said the bones might have been trampled, for example by other large animals. He also found it suspicious that there were no "unambiguous chipped-stone tools."

Even though Nature declined to publish Braje's letter, he found a place for it in another journal, which had already accepted two other commentaries, including one by Gary Haynes, emeritus professor of anthropology at the University of Nevada, Reno.

The bones could have been damaged and the cobblestones scattered by earthmoving equipment used by the Transportation Department in 1992, or by the developer who created the adjacent subdivision in 1971, Haynes said.

Even while saying the claim was "minimally plausible," he called it "an argument from ignorance," and wrote that the "archaeologists have clearly not been trained."

"It was like getting lined up and shot with machine guns," Cerutti said.

Haynes was also critical of Nature, accusing the journal of committing "an editorial lapse in judgment" by accepting the Holen-Demere package.

A Nature spokeswoman said the journal does not comment on its editorial or review process, and that dissenting opinions are published only after the arguments have been peer-reviewed.

Demere and Holen maintain that their article does address the alternative theories, and accuse skeptics of being more rhetorical than constructive by requiring them to rule out explanations that no one articulated.

"A spaceship smashing into the site?" Demere said.

The challenge facing the Cerutti team is not just the site itself but all the questions that it raises about man's migration out of Africa, said John McNabb, a senior lecturer in Paleolithic Archaeology at the University of Southampton, who was invited by Nature to review the letter before publication.

Who were these people breaking these bones? At least three species of hominids populated Earth at that time: Homo sapiens, Neanderthals and Denisovans.

And how did they get to North America? What was the condition of the land bridge between Siberia and Alaska that long ago? What were the sea levels like? How cold might it have been?

Or did they come by watercraft?

And what became of them?

McNabb understands why archaeologists are eager to dismiss the claims of the Cerutti Mastodon Site. But attributing their objections entirely to ego is too easy and only perpetuates the personal rivalries that have dogged this topic for decades.

"Entrenched views are hard to shift for researchers who have built a reputation on them," he said.

Though skeptical of the Cerutti team's findings, McNabb argues that the burden is now on archaeologists to visit the collection, study the data and arrive at their own conclusions.

"It is these folks who should now be looking at the site and remainsindependent researchers, outside the arguments, who could bring skill and expertise to bear on these questions," he said.

Demere and Holen have invited researchers to examine their data and the specimens. But no one has done so, as if to study their work would be to dignify it.

Until then, said Kathleen Holen, "we intend to continue to search for similar sites and hope our findings will inspire future archaeologists to do the same."

Today, Richard Cerutti and his wife live in an apartment in Imperial Beach. His living room is a museum to a lifetime spent as a field paleontologist: a bookshelf covered with rocks that he has knapped, boxes of folders and booksand 33 buckets filled with artifacts.

"We're scientists," he said, "and we want to know our own history. Who were the first Americans? When did they get here? How did they get here?"

Thirteen miles away, a mastodon bearing his name resides in Room 359 of the San Diego Natural History Museum, locked in cabinets kept at 67 degrees. It is the great puzzle of Cerutti's lifetimeand of the New World.

Thomas Kuhn, the scientist-philosopher who wrote "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions," said "normal science" dominates discourse until anomalies arise that normal science can no longer address. The result is a shift in thinking that ushers in a new era of understanding.

Demere and Holen think the study of early man in the New World has reached this point.

Richard Cerutti is betting on it.

2017 Los Angeles Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
An Oakland-based startup is sending its aerial imaging technology to the Midwestern plains to help farmers detect pests and diseases in their corn and soybean fields before an outbreak.

Ceres Imaging announced this week that the startup, which raised $5 million for its Series A fund back in May, will partner with an agricultural cooperative serving in five counties in central Illinois. The partnership is a test, which Ceres Imaging's founder Ashwin Madgavkar hopes will help spread its technology across the United States.

Madgavkar said Ceres Imaging was inspired by his time working at large sugar cane farms in Brazil and Colombia, seeing how farmers would spray fertilizer and pesticides without taking into account effects on the soil or plants.

"This led to a lot of yield being left on the table and creating environmental damage," Madgavkar said. "I saw a lot of inefficiency on how these decisions were made."

Madgavkar then went to Stanford and was introduced to aerial imagery. He said using aerial imagery to collect data on the crops to make better decisions was a no-brainer.

Using sensors equipped on a plane flying at low altitudes, the company collects data and relays the information to the farmers. For the soybeans and corn, they represented a different challenge as the stalks and leaves can grow large enough to create a canopy, leaving what's happening beneath it nearly invisible. But Ceres Imaging said it pierces through the canopy using wavelength-based spectroscopy to detect any abnormalitiesespecially pests and diseases.

Before Ceres Imaging's expansion to soybeans and corn, the company worked with farmers and vintners in California, working mainly to detect water stress and scarcity on the farm, according to Madgavkar. The farms paid Ceres Imaging on a subscription basis.

Other aerial imagery firms in the agricultural space are competing with Ceres Imaging to woo farmers.

San Leandro-based TerrAvion has operated in the space since 2014 and raised $10 million for its Series A funding earlier this year. TerrAvion, also a subscription-based company, shoots overhead shots of farms and sends photos to farmers overnight via cloud.

"Other companies are focused on flying," Madgavkar said. "We blend sensors and the science and the flying into one. We have been the only one to put together data sets which allow farmers to make decisions."

Madgavkar said he sees his company growing into other industries like forestry and oil. He likened his company's trajectory to how Tesla went from a niche product to one which serves a canvas of customers.

He also believes that with climate change leading to more extreme weather in the coming years, continuous and reliable surveillance of crops via aerial imaging will become critical to a farmer's success.

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"We are trying to use tech to help farms cope with changing environment," Madgavkar said. "Farmers are beset by a variety of problems with extreme weathers like the fires in Southern California or hurricanes in Texas and Florida. And who knows when the drought will be back here? This is going to affect us all because we've all got to eat."

2017 The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Facebook's mission is to "bring the world closer together," but the tech firm this year has faced mounting criticism that social media could be ripping society apart.

Last week, the social media giant acknowledged that spending time on its website can be bad for youif you're merely consuming information, but not interacting with your family and friends.

"Just like in person, interacting with people you care about can be beneficial, while simply watching others from the sidelines may make you feel worse," wrote David Ginsberg, Facebook's director of research, and Moira Burke, a research scientist at the tech firm, in a blog post.

The tech firm pointed to a study in which University of Michigan students were randomly assigned to read Facebook for 10 minutes. Students who just consumed the information were in a worse mood than those who posted or chatted with their friends.

Other research also shows that users who interact with people by sharing messages, posts or comments improved their well-being, the company said.

From ads linked to Russia to fake news, Facebook and other tech firms have been grappling with how they might be harming democracy.

Sean Parker, Facebook's founding president, told Axios in November that the social media site was "exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology." Every time users posted their thoughts on the social network, he or she felt rewarded when one of their friends commented or liked a post.

Also last month, another former Facebook executive, Chamath Palihapitiya, told Stanford Graduate School of Business students that the tech firm created tools that are "ripping apart the social fabric of how society works."

Those remarks made headlines in December, prompting Facebook to push back against the idea it was dividing people.

Palihapitiya, who was Facebook's vice president for user growth but left the tech firm in 2011, then clarified his remarks Thursday in a post on Facebook.

He said he genuinely believes Facebook is a "force for good in the world" and his comments were meant to start a conversation, not to criticize his former employer.

"Social media platforms in particular have been used and abused in ways that we, their architects, never imagined," he wrote. "Much blame has been thrown and guilt felt, but the important thing is what we as an industry do now to ensure that our impact on society continues to be a positive one."

Some experts such as Ofir Turel, a professor of information systems and decision sciences at Cal State Fullerton, have noted that social media can be addictive because the brain doesn't know what to expect when a person logs into these sites, creating excitement and curiosity. Most people naturally control the release of dopaminea neurotransmitter that influences emotionsbut for some, it's more difficult than others.

Facebook, which has about 2 billion monthly active users worldwide, said that it's focusing on making the social network more about interacting with others, rather than getting people to spend more time on the website.

The company outlined a number of new tools it's released, including a snooze feature that lets users unfollow a person, page or group for 30 days.

"We want Facebook to be a place for meaningful interactions with your friends and familyenhancing your relationships offline, not detracting from them," Ginsberg and Burke wrote.

2017 The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A young panda in Wolong Nature Reserve relaxes in a tree. Young pandas get a lot of tree time. Credit: Sue Nichols, Michigan State University Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability

Scholars and conservationists want to aim for the right future to preserve biodiversity and plan sustainable environments. One of those scholars is calling for due diligence to make sure the right data, not conventional wisdom, shapes that target.

In this month's journal Ecography, a Michigan State University student takes a break from his popular research on giant pandas to scrutinize a less sexy but important scientific issue - looking at habitat the right way.

The article title, "Effects of Grain Size and Niche Breadth on Species Distribution Modeling," can send those not familiar with the finer points of habitat modeling running for a YouTube panda video. But Thomas Connor (who kindly provided the cute video as a bonus), a PhD student in MSU's Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, takes his pandas with a shot of serious science methodology. Accurate predictions of animal habitat are only as good as the methods used.

"When you're putting together models to understand a species habitat, there's a tendency to rely on expert opinions or conventional wisdom as you set model parameters, and that can be good, but any opportunity to test an opinion is important, so I thought I'd try that," Connor said.

He's referring to how a scientist decides to examine, and tinker with, through modeling, the environment of an animal, bird, or plant. He uses a lion and a shrew as an example. A lion lives its life pretty large - and probably isn't sweating what's happening only a few yards away. That lion is more likely to be affected if a few square miles of its home endures change or stress.

Thomas Connor, a Ph.D. student at Michigan State University, in China's Wolong Nature Reserve. Credit: Sue Nichols, Michigan State University Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability

But a shrew's world is smaller, which means big-scale changes may not affect that critter as long as his few square yards is stable - or spotty change might be more problematic if it's that shrew's home turf.

Niche breadth is a way to understand and account for the resources a species needs to survive. Animals like pandas have sharply defined needs. They only eat bamboo, they're picky about the size of their forests, and they steer far clear of humans. Other animals are less fussy, happy to eat different foods and learn to coexist with people. Build a model with both those aspects right, and modeling can give some predictions about habitat will fare if the climate changes, if human development escalates or other new conditions arise.

Researchers modeling an environment divide a habitat into pieces. Sometimes, they decide on the size based on previous work. For this paper, Connor created simulations to test the accuracy of the models' predictions of species presence or absence. He used Sweden and Norway for their nicely varied landscape and abundant data. Then he made a critter simulation - he liked to think of it as a dire wolf, though he could also pretend it was a dodo bird - to create habitat particulars. (He also said modeling habitats for extinct species is becoming its own subculture.)

So, Connor said that before he hunkers into his doctoral work - understanding the effects of habitat fragmentation on giant pandas - it was nagging him to know for sure the right way to model that habitat. In this piece, he ran basic checks, creating models at different grain size as well as niche breadth. Discovery: sometimes conventional wisdom isn't, well, wise.

Picking the wrong grain size can send models down the wrong path. Looking at a problem with too large a lens can grossly over predict the area occupied by a given species or population, which can lead to wrong assumptions about the health of a species, or to bad conservation decisions.

While grain size and niche breadth are nuts and bolts to predicting habitat, Connor said it isn't hard to find conservation papers that are reaching conclusions - and making recommendations - using grain sizes that may be assumed adequate, but aren't holding up to scrutiny. He said he hopes this research serves as a reminder to trade assumptions in for more extensive testing.

In addition to Connor, the paper was written by Vanessa Hull, Andres Vi?a, Ashton Shortridge, Jindong Zhang, Ying Tang, Fang Wang, and Jianguo "Jack" Liu. The National Science Foundation funded the work.

More information: Thomas Connor et al, Effects of grain size and niche breadth on species distribution modeling, Ecography (2017). DOI: 10.1111/ecog.03416 Journal information: Ecography
If the first thing you asked was "what did he do" when you heard the news that Google fixture Eric Schmidt is stepping aside as Alphabet executive chairman, you have company.

The Silicon Valley tech giant didn't say why Schmidt is out.

"Larry, Sergey, Sundar and I all believe that the time is right in Alphabet's evolution for this transition," Schmidt said in a statement last week. "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, who was brought in 17 years ago to be the "adult supervision" to Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, will transition to technical adviser on science and technology issues, Page said in a statement.

Why now?

The two most commonly reported theories involve politics and sex.

Schmidt was a huge Hillary Clinton supporter and obviously came out on the losing end of the presidential campaign. Couple that with the backlash against tech todayincluding against Googleand having Schmidt as the company's top brand ambassador may no longer make sense.

During his first meeting with tech executives last year, President Donald Trump asked adviser Steve Bannon whether Schmidt was "the guy that tried to help Hillary win the election," according to the Wall Street Journal, which in the fall examined the apparent decline of Google's influence in Washington.

Schmidt reportedly said he thought the Trump administration will do "evil things."

Google and other tech companies stepped up their spending on lobbying after Trump was elected president. In addition, there are growing calls for Googleand other companiesto be broken up because they've grown too big and dominant.

Also, Schmidt's fairly rich romantic life is back in the spotlight. He is married but brings dates to corporate events pretty openly, the New York Times reported. And he is known to have dated at least one Google employee.

In the age of #MeToo and the spotlight on sexual harassment in the workplace, that might be a problem for Alphabet.

A recent report by the Information took a look at Google's culture and noted that its top leaders, including Schmidt and Brin, dated women who worked for the company. In Google's early days, Page dated Marissa Mayer, former Google executive and Yahoo CEO.

Schmidt has long been Google/Alphabet's public face. Although he had his share of gaffesincluding his famous quote about privacy ("If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place," which led to much ridicule) - he was the company's resident policy sage and salesman.

"At a moment when the world needs to have more conversations with Google about its growing power and influence, my question is not why is Eric stepping down," John Batelle, author of "The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture," told the New York Times. "It's who is going to fill the void."

2017 The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
New research conducted on a fossil of the Bangiomorpha Pubescens has given an interesting fact about the photosynthesis processes. As per the latest research photosynthesis process in plants first took place 1.25 billion years ago. The data was found during research that identified an algae fossil. It is said that the fossil is the worlds oldest ancestor of modern plants and animals. Before this finding, scientists had assumed that the photosynthesis process took place around 720 million to 1.2 million years ago.

To find out the accurate age of the photosynthesis, the researchers of McGill University, Canada first collected some samples of black shale from rock from the rugged area of Baffin Island. The rock unit had contained Bangiomorpha pubescens fossil. Then the researcher used a dating method to find out the exact age of the stone. They found that the rocks were 1.047-billion-year-old.

Associate Professor at McGills Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Galen Halverson said, Thats 150 million years younger than commonly held estimates, and confirms that this fossil is spectacular.

Adding more to this finding, he stated that, the new study would help the scientists to find out more important facts and assessments of the eukaryotes. It is the celled organisms that consist plants and animals. Apart from this, the scientists informed that the structure in plant cells known as the chloroplast was created when a eukaryote many years ago engulfed a simple bacterium that was photosynthetic. Then with the time, the eukaryote had managed to carry out that DNA to its descendants like plant and trees which produce the worlds biomass.

For this finding, the researchers have used a molecular clock. This is a computer model which helps to evaluate and calculate evolutionary events on rates of genetic mutations.

This research will help to resolve a long-standing puzzle over the age of the fossilized green growth  Bangiomorpha pubescens. That were first found in rocks in Arctic Canada in 1990.

The researchers stated that the chloroplast must have been incorporated into eukaryotes mostly 1.25 billion years ago.

The researchers said, We expect and hope that other scientists will plug this age for Bangiomorpha pubescens into their own molecular clocks to calculate the timing of important evolutionary events and test our results.
On August 17, 2017, the LIGO team got hold of the first ever gravitational waves coming out from a distant neutron star merger. It was for the first time that the scientists were able to see the ripples in the fabric of space-time as well as the light coming out from the collision of the two neutron stars. Recently, this discovery was adjudged the Breakthrough discovery of 2017 by the journal Science.

After the discovery, the science fraternity started studying and researching about the gravitational waves and have come up with many theories and claims. As, for the first time, the light of the two neutron star collision reached Earth, it was easily seen on Earth-based telescopes. These lights were in the form of electromagnetic waves or the radio waves. The researchers from California Institue of Technology, the University of Sydney, CISRO and other institutions, studied the aftermath episodes of the neutron star collision and analyzed the radio waves for months. They found out a surprising thing about the binary neutron star merger that took place almost 130 million light-years away.

According to the theories made by the scientists, there could be a link between the neutron star collision and the short gamma-ray bursts. The scientists saw a fast-moving beam-like jet in the sky could be associated with the short-ray gamma bursts. We expected to find evidence that merging neutron stars create something weve never found the cause of  short gamma-ray burst, said Associate Professor Tara Murphy at the University of Sydney and the ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics.

Normally, these flashing high-speed beam-like jet are expected to weaken with time, but after analyzing the light for months, scientists found out that light with radio wavelengths continued to brighten more than 100 days after the detection of the neutron star collision in August. According to the theoretical models, to get a short gamma-ray burst, one needs an ultrarelativistic (fast-moving) jet of radio-emitting particles. So, scientists doubted that neutron star merger might be emitting those short gamma-ray bursts.

But, after analyzing the jet through the radio telescopes, they found out that they were not short gamma-ray bursts. Dr. Gregg Hallinan of Caltech, But we havent seen them. We havent seen a jet, so from the radio data, we cant say theres a definite link between merging neutron star mergers and short gamma-ray bursts. The jury is still out. As per the scientists, the beam-like jets were not fast but were a slower and broader outflow of a radio-emitting material called as cocoon. We think the jet is dumping its energy into the cocoon. At first, people thought the material from the collision was coming out in a jet like a firehouse. But we are finding that the flow of material is slower and wider, expanding outward like a bubble, informed Hallinan.
Lets start from the beginning  how did Serious Adult come into being? Was it a collaborative idea in the first place or did one of you enter the picture later on?

Greg: Pretty much both of us were there from the beginning  I made a t-shirt and George was going to film an Instagram clip of someone skating in it, but we ended up filming bare so we made it into a full video

George: It started February 2015 I think

Greg: Because we were both working on the table for Long Live Southbank. It was a mistake really, we didnt plan on filming a full length video. Then we ended up selling enough t-shirts that we had money to do a trip, so we just carried on filming. I was probably doing the drawings for about a year before, when I was working on the table, then when I decided on making the t-shirts I needed a name for it. We flipped enough t-shirts to do a trip to Sheffield, then made another run and flipped enough to go to Bristol. Then I got gassed and thought Id make it into a t-shirt company, but its more of a video thing now. I got a bit gassed for a second Its either a bedroom company or a scene video, but its more of a scene video than a bedroom company. Its a crew, a crew that Im trying to milk for monetary gain [laughs]. So we made a few t-shirts and made about 200 quid, spent that on going to Sheffield and making a few more t-shirts, went to Bristol, then I got my camera  George already had his.

George: Well, Ive gone through four or five  pretty much two a year.

What is the appeal of sticking with the VX, when HD cameras are so much less likely to break or have footage glitch?

George: I think the idea of using a VX is a lot longer than the reality. Once you get used to doing all that shit, it just seems like part of it  I get home, sit down and enjoy logging footage. I dont mind it.

Greg: We talked about using HD before, but he wont even use a VX2000.

George: Naa, nothing else [laughs]. I dont see the point in using anything else.

Greg: HD technology is getting better now, but when those cameras first came out it looked fucking shit.

George: I feel like, in the last few years, people have started to realise how to use it properly. Theres a lot of wack HD videos

Greg: When it started there was no uniformity to it Some HD stuff is good, the Polar video was quite good at integrating both.

Do you also feel like theres a nostalgia for a certain era of skateboarding involved in the cameras use?

Greg: Its interesting that, there kind of is

George: I dont know, when I started skating was just as Fully Flared came out, I guess it was still majority VX. I probably started as Hold Tight London was happening, so it would have been just before HD  I remember when Henry was just VX. I just think it looks

Greg: It looks better man!

George: Im not going to say it looks better because Im not saying my videos look better than someone elses. Theres just something to it. And the sound, the mic is so good  no other camera picks things up so well.

Greg: Do you watch HD videos? Do you sit there thinking This would look better if it was VX?

George: Of course. There are some people that have fuck off massive mics that pick up everything, but when you compare a VX to an SLR or something the mic blows it out the water. The mic on a VX is so sick, you dont need to buy anything else

Greg: While if you get an SLR you have to buy a hundred things, its awkward to use, you have to get a handle while with the VX its given to you. But I guess it kind of is of a time Some people have segued well, the new Baker stuff is HD but it doesnt change the aesthetic of what they are. But its hard with HD. HD fucked itself, because when everyone started filming HD they wanted it to look super slick with long autumnal shots, leaves falling. It was post-Habitat, post Lost and Found. Skateboarding was a bit boring at that point  Lost and Found had already done it really well, Mosaic had already done it really well, but a lot of videos that came after were sort of boring. Dan Magee and Joe Castrucci could make it look really good.

George: There was a formula. Everyones got their formulas I guess

Greg: It was like a watered down version of something good, that era was already done and people were emulating it poorly.

Fucking MGMT on soundtrack

Greg: Yeah, some dodgy shit! If HD had come at a different time, maybe things would have been different. George, would you ever use it?

George: I have no interest tobut Im not hating on it. Its alright, I just dont want to do it [laughs].
You cant be mad at the world about global poverty. Can you?

I mean, as a trained economist, I am not sure how much global poverty that America is responsible for.

Or even what America being responsible for global poverty even means or implies

But I do know one thing.

If you do nothing about poverty, on a personal level, you are a bit of a hypocrite.

The thing I realized on the day we protested, on the day I had beers with Tony, was that it did me no good to protest Americas responsibility in global poverty when I wasnt even giving money to my church, which has a terrific homeless ministry. I started feeling very much like a hypocrite.

Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz
The Travelers Companies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides a range of commercial and personal property, and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals in the United states and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance. The Business Insurance segment offers workers' compensation, commercial automobile and property, general liability, commercial multi-peril, employers' liability, public and product liability, professional indemnity, marine, aviation, onshore and offshore energy, construction, terrorism, personal accident, and kidnap and ransom insurance products. This segment operates through select accounts, which serve small businesses; commercial accounts that serve mid-sized businesses; national accounts, which serve large companies; and national property and other that serve large and mid-sized customers, commercial trucking industry, and agricultural businesses, as well as markets and distributes its products through brokers, wholesale agents, and program managers. The Bond & Specialty Insurance segment provides surety, fidelity, management and professional liability, and other property and casualty coverages and related risk management services through independent agencies and brokers. The Personal Insurance segment offers property and casualty insurance covering personal risks, primarily automobile and homeowners insurance to individuals through independent agencies and brokers. The Travelers Companies, Inc. was founded in 1853 and is based in New York, New York.
Weatherford International plc, an oilfield service company, provides equipment and services for the drilling, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention of oil and natural gas wells worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere. It offers artificial lift systems, including reciprocating rod, progressing cavity pumping, gas, hydraulic, plunger, and hybrid lift systems, as well as related automation and control systems; pressure pumping and reservoir stimulation services, such as acidizing, fracturing and fluid systems, cementing, and coiled-tubing intervention; and drill stem test tools, and surface well testing and multiphase flow measurement services. The company also provides safety, downhole reservoir monitoring, flow control, and multistage fracturing systems, as well as sand-control technologies, and production and isolation packers; liner hangers to suspend a casing string in high-temperature and high-pressure wells; cementing products, including plugs, float and stage equipment, and torque-and-drag reduction technology for zonal isolation; and pre-job planning and installation services. In addition, it offers directional drilling services, and logging and measurement services while drilling; services related to rotary-steerable systems, high-temperature and high-pressure sensors, drilling reamers, and circulation subs; managed pressure drilling, conventional mud-logging, drilling instrumentation, gas analysis, wellsite consultancy, and open hole and cased-hole logging services; reservoir solutions and software products; and intervention and remediation services. Further, the company provides equipment and drilling tools; tubular handling, management, and connection services; equipment rental services; and onshore contract drilling and related services through a fleet of land drilling and workover rigs. Weatherford International plc was incorporated in 1972 and is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland.
Navistar International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells commercial trucks, diesel engines, school and commercial buses, and service parts for trucks and diesel engines worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Truck, Parts, Global Operations, and Financial Services. It manufactures and distributes Class 4 through 8 trucks and buses in the common carrier, private carrier, government, leasing, construction, energy/petroleum, and student and commercial transportation markets under the International and IC brands; and designs, engineers, and produces sheet metal components, including truck cabs and engines. The company also provides customers with proprietary products needed to support the International commercial truck, IC bus, and engine lines, as well as other product lines; and a selection of other standard truck, trailer, and engine aftermarket parts. In addition, it manufactures and distributes mid-range diesel engines, as well as provides customers with additional engine offerings in the agriculture, marine, genset, and light truck markets; sells engines to original equipment manufacturers (OEM) for various on-and-off-road applications; and offers contract manufacturing services under the MWM brand to OEMs for the assembly of their engines. Further, the company provides retail, wholesale, and lease financing of products of its trucks and parts, as well as financing for wholesale and retail accounts receivable. Additionally, it exports trucks, buses, and engines. The company markets its commercial products through an independent dealer network, as well as through retail outlets; and its reconditioned used trucks to owner-operators and fleet buyers through its network of used truck dealers. It operates approximately 1,052 outlets in the United States and Canada, and 89 outlets in Mexico. Navistar International Corporation was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Lisle, Illinois.
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.
Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.
Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City are seeking permission from the central government to organize fireworks shows in celebration of the upcoming New Year and Lunar New Year.

The municipal Peoples Committee has submitted a document to the prime minister to secure his approval for pyrotechnic displays for the special occasions, which will be funded by the private sector.

According to the proposal, a high-range pyrotechnic exhibition will take place in District 2 near the Thu Thiem Tunnel on New Years Eve.

Three low-range performances will be given at the Dam Sen Park in District 11, Cu Chi Tunnels in the namesake district, and Rung Sac Square in Can Gio District.

A similar plan is also proposed for the Lunar New Years Eve, which will fall on the night of February 15, along with two extra low-range fireworks shows in the Nga Ba Giong Memorial in Hoc Mon District and a location in Nha Be District.

The performances will start at midnight and last for 15 minutes.

The southern metropolis often holds fireworks displays to mark important events, including New Years Eve, Lunar New Years Eve, Reunification Day (April 30), and National Day (September 2).

However, no show was organized throughout 2017 pursuant to an order from the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee, which requested that funds earmarked for pyrotechnic shows be used to support the poor.

On December 24, the Secretariat issued a document stating that the countrys municipalities are allowed to organize pyrotechnic shows during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.

Expenditures for the shows must be commensurate with the conditions of each locality and must not be funded by the state budget, the Secretariat said.

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 take place across Ho Chi Minh City on the evening of December 31 to celebrate the transition into 2018.

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As cyberspace has become a new battleground, Vietnam has developed its own online troop to combat hostile forces, a general confirmed on Monday.

Colonel General Nguyen Trong Nghia, deputy chairman of the General Political Department of the Peoples Army of Vietnam, believes that there is no reason why Vietnam should keep this special force secret to the world.

Some have questioned if this is a kind of information that should be made public, Nghia said at a national meeting to recap Vietnams education and propaganda effort in 2017 and set plans for 2018 in Ho Chi Minh City.

As many forces and countries are talking about a real war in cyberspace, [Vietnam] should also stay ready to fight against wrongful views in every second, minute and hour.

Nghia said the special force tasked with combating wrongful information and anti-state propaganda is called the Force 47, named after Directive No. 47 that governs its foundation.

The team currently has more than 10,000 members, who are "the core fighters" in cyberspace.

The three-star general underlined that members of this team are red and competent, implying that they have both technology expertise and good political ideals in addition to personality.

At Mondays meeting, Nghia also briefed delegates on the necessity to have a special force to fight in the information war on the Internet.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the advent of the global computer network to Vietnam, which Nghia said has emerged as one of the fastest-growing countries for Internet users.

In the year to date, some 62.7 percent of Vietnams population of 90 million have had access to the online world, according to the colonel general.

However, such a strong growth rate does both good and harm to the country, he underlined.

He elaborated that the hostile forces have taken the Internet as the new medium for their effort to sabotage Vietnam.

The Central Party Committee of the People's Army of Vietnam has therefore acknowledged that besides the conventional military, which is the core of the national defense task, there should also be forces ready for warfare not only in the ground, sea and air arenas but also in cyberspace and in the universe.

The Central Party Committee of the People's Army of Vietnam has concentrated on building forces to fight against wrongful views, Nghia said.

The military will also have its own force to engage in warfare in cyberspace.
The local pharmaceutical market made an estimated $5.2 billion in revenue this year, a roughly ten-percent increase from the last, according to the report published on Monday by Vietnam Report, a market research company based in Hanoi.

This translates to an average per capita spending on medicine of $56, the report reads.

Yearly medicinal expenses of an average Vietnamese has been on the rise for the past 12 years, from $9.85 in 2005 to $22.25 in 2010, before nearly doubling to $38 in 2015.

This represents a yearly growth rate in per capita spending of over 14 percent between 2010 and 2015, a trend that is forecast to persist until 2025, according to the report.

Vietnams pharmaceutical industry is highly lucrative, attracting a load of foreign investors and multinational groups to venture into the business, the report asserts.

The upcoming year of 2018 is poised to see profound changes in the industry with the participation of new retailers such as The Gioi Di Dong, FPT Retail, Digiworld and Nguyen Kim.

In addition, the introduction of foreign pharmaceutical firms like Sanofi, Taisho and Abbott into the production industry in Vietnam is also thought to create huge pressure on domestic manufacturers.

Over 90 percent of Vietnam Reports survey respondents who are pharmaceutical business owners consider the industrys dependence on imported ingredients to be among the biggest challenges faced by local enterprises.

According to the report, around 90 percent of pharmaceutical ingredients in Vietnam are imported, mostly from China and India, making the price of medicine in Vietnam 15-20 percent higher than in these two countries.

A lack of capital and skilled human resources is among the reasons why local companies produce only generic drugs with low value instead of investing on creating brand-name ones.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese people generally favor imported drugs over locally produced ones due to concerns over quality, the report reads, citing surveys from local pharmacies and hospitals.

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The southern hub is entitled to not only one but two major rivers, Saigon and Dong Nai, which together form an extensive network of tributaries and canals measuring close to 1,000 kilometers in total length.

The vast network of waterways connects the citys inner areas as well as Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces in the Southeastern and Mekong Delta Regions.

However, aquatic transport is barely used by local residents for their commute, with only around one million people traveling by river on a yearly average, according to Ngo Dinh Quang, head of inland waterway ports of the municipal Department of Transport.

The number is very humble if you put it into perspective alongside the 600 million passengers who travel by bus in the city in one year, Quang said.

A high-speed passenger boat plying between Ho Chi Minh City and Vung Tau docks at a port in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Underdeveloped infrastructure

Lieu Thi My Hanh, director of a Ho Chi Minh City-based company that offers water transport services, said her firms fleet of 15 high-speed boats had not been able to operate to their maximum capacity due to underdeveloped aquatic infrastructure.

Current river ports and stations are poorly equipped, lacking even basic facilities like restrooms and roofs, while business owners are made to pay high fees to use such services, Hanh pointed out.

Despite being Vietnams largest economic hub, Ho Chi Minh City still lacks a proper passenger port as tourists arriving on even the most luxurious cruise ships are forced to disembark at ports meant for cargo ships.

Only recently has the local administration approved a plan to build an 18-hectare passenger port in Nha Be District to serve as the transit point for travelers to Ho Chi Minh City, where river buses and high-speed boats will be available for tourists to continue their journey into the city center or to neighboring provinces.

Passengers disembark from a river bus in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

New horizons

According to the municipal transport department, southern Vung Tau City and Tien Giang Province are currently the only two destinations for regular passenger boats from Ho Chi Minh City.

To fully unleash the citys position as the locomotive for the southern key economic zone  which includes the provinces of Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Long An, Tien Giang and Ba Ria-Vung Tau  a developed system of waterway transport is crucial, the department asserted.

The citys vision until 2020 is to upgrade its ports and improve their connectivity with those in southern Can Tho City, which will serve as transit points for cargos and passengers between the regions.

By the year 2030, the city will have looked to connect its waterway ports and stations with road and railway ones to establish an interconnected network of transport.

A plan to launch seven tourist routes by river among Ho Chi Minh City and other southern provinces is also in place until 2020, offering travelers more touring options during their visit to the region.

Since November 25, a river bus route connecting Bach Dang Port in District 1 with Linh Dong Ward in Thu Duc District has also been put to use to generally positive feedback from passengers.

Its a bit late for Ho Chi Minh City now to shift its focus to the development of water transport, said Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thuy, a transportation expert.

But as the saying goes, better late than never.

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A group of 15 terrorists accused of plotting bomb attacks on Tan Son Nhat International Airport started standing trial in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday.

The fifteen defendants of the high-profile case now face charges of acting to overthrow the people's government, participating in terrorism to overthrow the government, damaging property, and stockpiling military weapons.

A local woman appeared in the same court on charges of failing to denounce crimes.

They were behind terrorism attempts to explode the Tan Son Nhat airport, setting fire on a parking lot housing impounded vehicles of a police station in southern Vietnam in April this year, and many other failed attempts.

The court will run until Friday this week.

The parking lot for impounded vehicles of the Bien Hoa police station is seen after the bomb explosion in Dong Nai, southern Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Founded overseas

According to court documents, on February 16, 1991, a group of Vietnamese subversives in California, known as a counter-revolutionary force led by Dao Minh Quan, founded the so-called Temporary Vietnam Government.

This group, through such means of media as websites, emails and blogs, called for stripping the Communist Party of Vietnam of its leadership role and overthrowing the Vietnamese government through violence and riots.

This counter-revolutionary organization then founded many other smaller sects to expand its forces and participated in terrorist acts in Vietnam, disseminating anti-government and anti-Party information in an attempt to topple the Vietnamese peoples government.

By 2007, the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security had successfully neutralized all activities by this organization and weakened its forces.

From the end of 2013, Quan and some accomplices living overseas have tried to restart his organization.

In late 2016, Quan incited Pham Anh Dao, aka Pham Lisa, and some other individuals through social media to form an armed group with the main objectives of participating in terrorism, assassinating Vietnamese officials, and sabotaging important targets and constructions in Vietnam.

This armed group focused on making petrol and smoke bombs for use in protests and attacks on local police stations. They also purchased different weapons to prepare for the assassination of Vietnamese officials and Party members.

Ngo Thuy Tuong Vy (front row, third right, white shirt) and other defendants are seen at a court in Ho Chi Minh City in this photo taken from a TV screen on December 26, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Parking lot arson

In late March 2017, as instructed by Pham Lisa, Nguyen Duc Sinh returned to Vietnam from Laos and gathered his men to plot an act of terrorism to gain fame for the organization and sabotage Vietnam.

During his time in Vietnam, Sing lived with Han Thai Phong at the house of Nguyen Duc Toan in the south-central province of Binh Thuan.

These individuals then met Vu Mong Phong and informed him of their plan to cause an explosion at the parking lot housing impounded vehicles of the police station of Bien Hoa, the capital of Dong Nai Province.

As he was offered a cash award of VND500 million (US$22,026), Phong agreed to join the plot as an alarmer  mounting guard while his accessories carried out the attack.

At 2:30 pm on April 7, Sinh and Dang Hoang Thien successfully created two sets of gas bombs, while Thai Phong and Nguyen Ngoc Tien made one set. Sinh then mapped the warehouse of the Bien Hoa police station and assigned specific roles to each of the others.

At around 2:00 pm the following day, Thien, Sinh and Thai Phong approached the warehouse, while Mong Phong and Hoang Van Duong kept guard. Thien and Sinh managed to throw their bombs into the facility.

The warehouse security guards soon discovered the facility was on fire and called for help. However, the entire warehouse and 320 motorbikes were completely destroyed in the inferno, causing total damage of VND1.3 billion ($57,269).

The parking lot for impounded vehicles of the Bien Hoa police station is seen after the bomb explosion in Dong Nai, southern Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Following the terror attack, all of the plotters returned to Mong Phongs house in Binh Thuan for hiding.

Thien told his girlfriend, Le Thi Thu Phuong, of his participation in the plot via a text message, to which the woman showed objection, saying he should not have done so.

Phuong appeared in court for knowing of Thiens act but never reported it to police officers.

Tan Son Nhat bombing scheme

It turned out that Thien did not listen to his girlfriends advice.

After the attack on the Bien Hoa police station, Pham Lisa continued to instruct Thien to make more petrol bombs to prepare for an attack at Tan Son Nhat. Lisa transferred more than VND8 million ($352) to the account of Phuong, while Nguyen Thi Chung gave him an additional VND3.5 million ($154).

At a house in District 6, Ho Chi Minh City, Thien created two petrol bombs that could be detonated remotely.

At 5:00 pm on April 22 this year, Truong Tan Phat picked up Ngo Thuy Tuong Vy and both headed to Tan Son Nhat.

At round 6:00 pm the same day, Thien arrived with his bombs stored in two cardboard boxes, one of which was handed to Vy.

Upon entering the airports parking lot, Phat removed the battery out of the bomb, apparently after thinking twice about the plot.

Phat and Vy dropped the cardboard box with the bomb at Column 9 of the departure hall of the international terminal.

Phat then called Thien to inform that the bomb would not detonate due to a petrol leak, meaning he and Vy would return to the parking lot. One passenger saw the bomb and notified authorities.

A corner of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

For his part, Thien himself brought the remaining bomb to the third floor of the parking lot and returned to the ground to remotely detonate it.

However, the plan failed as Thien was standing too far from the bomb. He then returned to take the explosive device back, and after realizing that it still worked, Thien decided to drop it at Column 9 of the departure hall of the international terminal.

At 7:52 pm the same day, Vy managed to detonate the bomb, causing a fire that sent passengers into panic. The fire was eventually put out by competent agencies.

After the explosion, Thien and his accomplices all came back to the house in District 6, where Phuong continued to voice opposition to her boyfriends terror act.

On top of these two major attacks, these individuals also implemented other acts of terrorism but all of them were stopped just in time by authorities.

Other foiled attempts

In late 2016, Sinh and his accomplices started plotting attacks on the occasions of the Lunar New Year, falling late January 2017, and Reunification Day (April 30).

Sinh and Le Hung Cuong then left for Cambodia and managed to buy a K59 gun and nine bullets.

In January 2017, Sinh was involved in a public scuffle in Hoc Mon District, outside Ho Chi Minh City, and was arrested carrying his gun. He managed to escape and run away to Laos.

In March 2017, as requested by Pham Lisa, Sinh returned to Vietnam but was nabbed before carrying out any of his terrorism plots.

Barbed wire barriers are seen outside the court in Ho Chi Minh City on December 26, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Similarly, Bui Tan Thanh and Hung Van Vuong and some other individuals managed to create a petrol bomb and dropped it in front of a cafe near the Big C supermarket on Truong Chinh Street, Tan Phu District, but police blocked the attack.

Thanh and Vuong also held an illegal protest at the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon.

Pham Lisa once instructed Tran Quoc Luong to create a pen gun for use in terror acts. In March, Luong was selling two such firearms to a man in the northern province of Quang Ninh when he was apprehended.

Other individuals in the case, Doan Van The, Tran Van No and Le Thanh Hai, were charged for partaking in different terrorist groups and formulating plans to attack the Lee&Man paper mill in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang, Tan Son Nhat Airport, the Big C chain and the house of a ward chairman in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City.

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A Vietnamese-German doctor has been renowned for his contributions spanning more than a decade to the treatment of heart disease and the furtherance of surgical technology in his country of origin.

Seeming quite reticent about his far-reaching efforts in Vietnam, Le Trong Phi, living in Germany, is the person to whom medical and educational institutions owe a great debt.

Seminal amongst the contributions may be his role in providing modern surgical equipment and professional training for the medical staff at Da Nang Hospital, located in the eponymous city on the central coast of Vietnam.

In 2006, he convinced the Heart for Heart Foundation for Life, a German nonprofit, to offer the hospital the financing for medical facilities, including advanced sonographic instruments, respirators and nearly one million euros worth of equipment employing digital subtraction angiography (DSA), whereby blood vessels are clearly visualized.

The decision gave rise to the establishment of the congenital heart defect unit in this place.

Given the then-serious dearth of treatment tools, this help proved fundamental to the department's inception, said Tran Ngoc Thanh, former director of Da Nang Hospital.

Phi has also been directly responsible for introducing the modern method of cardiac catheterization to doctors at the institution, with the professionals now independently performing operations involving this procedure as a result.

The years following 2006 have witnessed a number of training courses conducted by him for Da Nang Hospital's medical staff.

A piece of medical equipment provided to Da Nang Hospital through the sponsorship of the Heart for Heart Foundation for Life. Photo: Tuoi Tre

His activity has transcended the practice border to reach the academic realm, where the University of Da Nang is enormously indebted to him in at least two ways.

Thanks to Phi's assistance, lecturers of the university's medicine and pharmacy faculty are sent to Germany on a yearly basis for short-term training programs, which have been carried out for ten years.

He also acted as a consultant on drawing up the school's educational programs intended for general practitioners and odonto-stomatologists, in accordance with Germanys medical standards.

His charity work in Vietnam dates back to 1994, when he first came back for visits to several hospitals and universities here, with him donating equipment to some domestic infirmaries after the ensuing year, and performing surgery on patients with inborn heart disease in 1999.

In Germany, Phi met Irene Lejeune, chairperson of the Heart for Heart Foundation for Life, in 2015, a meeting that brought positive implications to cardiac treatment in Vietnam.

Following his suggestion, the foundation has come to the Southeast Asian country to help patients in lieu of waiting for them to come in person.

Despite the stature, his mention of the efforts bears a stamp of modesty.

More praise should be given to German friends from the Heart for Heart Foundation for Life, without whom I could hardly do more than what my ability allows me to, he said.

Thinking that my minor contribution may generate benefits for lots of people, I've tried my best to make Vietnam better.
The 20-year-old bear weighs nearly 200 kilograms, and has been raised by the family of Nguyen Thi Lan, a local in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province, which neighbors Ho Chi Minh City, since an early age.

Lan has voluntarily given up the bear to the forest protection unit of Bien Hoa and the wildlife rescue center of Cat Tien National Park, authorities confirmed last week.

The bear will be raised in the centers sanctuary for some time to prepare it for life in the natural habitat, before it is safe to release the animal into the wild.

It is among the first and very few moon bears in Vietnam to have been voluntarily given up by their owners after being raised in captivity for their bile.

Bear bile is sought after and sold at a high price in Vietnam due to the widely held belief that it possesses superior medicinal and nutritious properties.

According to statistics from World Animal Protection, the number of captive moon bears in Vietnam has dropped to under a thousand as of today, compared to over 3,000 during the 2005-06 period.

This is thanks to joint efforts by local authorities and international organizations to rescue the bears and raise public awareness of the issue.

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ABC tradition the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will again screen on New Years Day.

Filmed before Edinburgh Castle last August, it is again narrated by Bill Paterson, who has been installed since 2011.

In this programme of highlights from the event, narrated by Bill Paterson, musical talent with a Splash of Tartan  the theme to this years show  will be to the fore. Making a big splash will be the internationally acclaimed Massed Bands of Her Majestys Royal Marines, who take centre stage as this years home service at the Tattoo.

The Queens Colour Squadron and the Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment will celebrate 75 years of the Regiment and working with the Royal Navy. Reflecting the now international flavour of the show, and audience, are military musical groups visiting from many countries. Tattoo first-timers the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force Band bring a spectacular display to Edinburgh.

The Indian Naval Band bring bangra to the battlements marking the 70th Anniversary of the Independence of India, and, celebrating the Auld Alliance, the Fanfare Band of the 9th French Marine Infantry Brigade visit from Poitiers.

The United States Naval Forces Europe Band, based in Naples, join the show, as do the much-loved Shetland Fiddlers who this year celebrate their distinctive Viking heritage. The Tattoo Highland Dancers provide their usual high standard of massed dancing and also show their versatility by seamlessly changing from Highland to Hornpipe and from Ballet to Bollywood as they support the international contingents.

Wonderful music, heritage and spectacle are all packed into this highlights programme, with of course the Massed Pipes and Drums and lone piper on the battlements of Edinburgh Castle rounding off a unique event.

8:30pm Monday January 1 on ABC.
Canadian / US broadcaster VICE Media has apologised for fostering a boys club culture that failed to protect women staff from harassment.

More than two dozen women told the New York Times they had experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct, including unwanted kisses, lewd remarks, propositions and groping.

There is a toxic environment, said Sandra Miller, a former Vice executive, where men can say the most disgusting things and where women are treated far inferior than men.

The company, which supplies the majority of programming for SBS VICELAND, said in a statement that the company had taken action over multiple instances of unacceptable behavior.

Ten years ago, we set out on a new journey, moving beyond covering just streetwear, drugs and sex, to news and social justice issues. Over the last decade, we have severed ties with colleagues who espoused misogynistic and extremist ideologies, and evolved Vice from a publication with a tiny staff to a media company employing thousands of the most talented creative minds all over the world, said co-founders Shane Smith and Suroosh Alvi

Throughout our history, weve undergone seismic change and reinvention, but we did not keep pace with that growth by putting into place the internal policies and structures that would prevent disparate treatment toward some of our employees.

So what are we going to do now? Were going to make Vice a truly modern work culture that lives up to the egalitarian values that we lost. We are going to listen to our staff, and we are going to train a new generation of managers and leaders.

SBS & VICE Australia have been approached for comment.

Source: NY Times, BBC.
Nobel economist says the tech giant's profit reporting is a fraud

Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz has blasted the tax practices of tech giant Apple, telling Bloomberg TV that the US law that allows the company to hold cash abroad is "obviously deficient".

In an interview, Stiglitz said that the fact that Apple can report its huge earnings to a small overseas unit in Ireland is a "fraud".

Our current tax system encourages companies to keep their money abroad, opens up a vast loophole through what is called the transfer-pricing system that allows them not only to keep their money abroad but, effectively, to escape taxation, Stiglitz said.

The Nobel prize winning economist is an advisor to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, and was responding to a question about the actions of policymakers in correcting the legislation.

Apple is making use of existing gaps in the U.S. tax system to shift its U.S. taxable earnings overseas to low-tax Ireland. Ireland charges one of the lowest corporation tax rates in the developed world at 12.5%.

Here we have the largest corporation in capitalization not only in America, but in the world, bigger than GM was at its peak, and claiming that most of its profits originate from about a few hundred people working in Ireland -- thats a fraud, according to Stiglitz.

He said that the policy should not be allowed to be exploited as it takes jobs away from US citizens.

A tax law that encourages American firms to keep jobs abroad is wrong, and I think we can get a consensus in America to get that changed.

The European Commission is currently investigating whether Ireland has gone against the bloc's regulations with regards to Apple's taxable income.
Britains banking system will face a capital shortfall of 68bn if the UK hits a recession after it leaves the EU, according to Moody's.

The ratings agency has carried out its annual stress test across British high street banks to see whether they have enough capital to withstand the adverse impact of Brexit. According to the test, a severe Brexit induced recession would hit capital ratios by 33%, elevate levels of non-performing loans and lead to as significant deterioration in bank solvency.

Lenders would need 68bn or 3.6% of gross domestic product (GDP) in additional capital in order to reach their 2015 levels. Even if that gap was not filled and the UKs overall capital ratio falls from the current level of 16.2% to 11%, the banks would still be in line with most of its peers in the advanced world.

Analyst at Moodys, Gabriel Velo, said: It is important to note that UK banks start from a position of relative strength, having actively strengthened capital positions in recent years

In the worst case scenario if there is prolonged economic downturn and a steep fall in property prices, the UKs ratio of bad loans would more than double from 2% in 2015 top 4.8% in 2018.

Although the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its GDP forecast for the UK earlier this month it still expects Britain to grow by 1.3% next year, which is faster than both France and Germany. This prediction hinges on the British government successfully negotiating a new trade relationship with the EU.

The EU regulatory body will be conducting its own stress test on 51 of the regions biggest banks on Friday.

Chairman of the European Banking Authority Andrea Enria said regulators objectives have shifted from boosting capital levels to cleaning up the vast bad loans that weigh on lenders profitability.
Theresa May is under growing pressure from Liam Fox, the trade secretary, to pull out of the EU customs union, a move required to facilitate post-Brexit bilateral trade deals but which would impose costs on exporters and could strain Anglo-Irish relations. The issue is looming as a battleground in discussions over whether the UK will pursue a hard or soft Brexit. It will have to be resolved before London triggers Article 50, the starting gun for withdrawal negotiations with the EU. - Financial Times

Royal Bank of Scotland is attempting to settle a multibillion-pound legal claim brought by shareholders who say they were misled into supporting the banks 12 billion rights issue in 2008. It is in talks with representatives of institutions and thousands of private investors who claim that its true state was hidden from them when they bought shares to stabilise the banks finances during the financial crisis. - The Times

Global oil prices plummeted over a dollar a barrel within minutes after official US energy data showed an unexpected glut of oil in storage. The price of Brent crude quickly dropped from around $44.90 a barrel to $43.68, a decline of more than 2pc, after the surprisingly high storage data was revealed, dragging the market deeper into multi-month lows. The price fell further to $43.47 in late evening trading. - Telegraph

Theresa May ruled out an early general election in her very first cabinet meeting, but as the Conservatives build a substantial lead in polls, the temptation of a snap poll is building. This week, YouGov gave Mrs May the biggest lead over the Labour party in six years, suggesting that the prime minister would be able to increase her majority from a slender 16 seats to more than 100 if a vote was called now. A fresh mandate could stop Tory Eurosceptics from holding Mrs Mays legislative agenda hostage if she prefers a soft Brexit to the hard divorce they advocate. - Financial Times

British car manufacturing hit a 16-year high in the first half of 2016, but the industry says future growth, jobs and investment are at risk following the Brexit vote. Almost 900,000 cars rolled off production lines at UK factories in the first six months of the year, 13% more than the same period in 2015. - The Guardian

At least one airport in the south of England is expanding. London City Airport has been given the go-ahead to increase capacity by nearly 40 per cent as part of a 344m plan. The scheme involves an extended terminal, a new aircraft taxiway and extra berths as well as better public transport links. - The Times

Bacteria growing inside the human body could be a rich source of much-needed new antibiotics. The first example, discovered in Germany, is a bug growing inside the nose. It produces a compound that kills other bacteria including ones resistant to existing drugs. - Financial Times

Beer sales have some fizz in them, rising in the second quarter of the year and helping to reverse a decade of decline. Britons drank 31 million more pints between April and June than in the first three months of the year, as beer sales rose 1.5pc, according to the British Beer and Pub Association. - Telegraph

Britains decision to quit the EU could help put Britain in pole position in developing self-driving cars that rely on internet connectivity to pilot themselves. he UK is already at an advantage over most of Europe in researching autonomous vehicles because it never ratified the Vienna Convention, which requires every driver shall at all times be able to control his vehicle. - Telegraph




Labours Zionist Apologists Ellman , Newmark and Ryan keep silent as the only democracy in the Middle East incarcerates children









A posse of heavily built soldiers - all for one slightly built 16 year old girl





Israels military courts have a 99.7% conviction rate, higher one suspects than the Labour Partys National Kangaroo Court!





Ahed Tamimis crime was to slap and mildly chastise armed Israeli soldiers who invaded the grounds of her house, after a cousin of hers Mohammed Tamimi 15 was shot in the head with a plastic bullet at close range.





Israels racist media ignored the fact that her cousin had nearly been killed and focused on the insult to national pride occasioned by Aheds slaps and the soldiers failure to strike back.

cancer and then apologised to cancer victims for comparing refugees to them, spoke of her humiliation and suggested they should have opened fire. Miri Regev, Israels Culture Minister, who previously compared African refugees in Israel to and then apologised to cancer victims for comparing refugees to them, spoke of her humiliation and suggested they should have opened fire.





Ive killed many Arabs in my life, and theres no problem with that. Naftali Bennet, the Education Minister went further and stated that she should end her life in prison . Of course from his perspective it is logical. A non-Jew striking a Jewish Israeli soldier is a heinous offence whereas shooting a Palestinian child in the head is just one of those things. After all Bennet is on record as boasting

Ben Caspit, a senior journalist on Maariv, Israels major evening newspaper, makes what amounts to a call for Ahed to be raped.





Ahed, a 16 year old girl who, in the West would be thinking of exams, the latest boy (or girl) friend, going to concerts and doing all the things that teenagers of her age do, has to cope with the presence of soldiers and an army in her village, walking into her house, shooting her relatives and acting with impunity.





Ahed in the court case today came in looking tired and strained. Her lawyer managed to snatch only a few words with her, such is the nature of Israeli justice, before she was whisked away again. Clearly she is being put under immense pressure to confess without the benefit of a lawyer or relatives. It is reported that she has been physically assaulted and almost certainly deprived of sleep. This amounts to torture. Yet where is the pressure from Theresa May or indeed Jeremy Corbyn? Why have just 12 MPs, 5 of whom are Labour, signed an Early Day Motion condemning Aheds incarceration?





Shackling and handcuffing a child is in itself a war crime. Transferring her out of the West Bank is yet another breach of international law but Israel is allowed to break the law with impunity.

Tony Greenstein





Haaretz, Yotam Berger Dec 25, 2017





Ahed Tamimi, who was recently filmed slapping Israeli soldiers, gets four more days as judges say she might obstruct investigation, with one saying she could endanger soldiers





Ahed Tamimi, the 16-year-old Palestinian girl who was recently filmed slapping Israeli soldiers in her village, Nabi Saleh, had her detention extended on Monday for four additional days, through Thursday.





Her cousin, Nour Tamimi, the second girl who appeared in the clip, and Aheds mother, Nariman, also had their detention extended. Nariman is suspected of incitement by filming the incident and posting it on Facebook.





According to police, the investigation of the incident in Nabi Saleh has developed and Ahed and Nariman are suspected of being involved in additional incidents of attacking IDF soldiers.





Police said the extension of their detention was necessary due to the danger Ahed poses, and to prevent obstruction of the investigations.





A judge in the military court of Judea, Major Chaim Bililti, wrote in his decision that while he was not sure her release would pose a danger, there was a chance she would try to obstruct the investigation, and so he was extending her detention. He added that the investigation has led to developments that Nariman Tamimi is connected to other offenses, and is suspected of other charges not yet presented to her.





The court postponed the appeals regarding the extension of Ahed Tamimis custody, and during the deliberations police brought up additional suspicions against her. According to the president of the court, Col. Netanel Benisho, The evidence consolidated a framework regarding three other incidents that took place in May 2017 and in April 2016.





Judge Benisho accepted police claims that Ahed Tamimi presents a danger, and that she could impede soldiers in their work.





Last week, Judge Maj. Limor Drachman of the Minors Court in Judea extended Aheds detention to Monday, on suspicion that she would try to injure IDF soldiers.





Israeli military court

This video shows Ahed Tamimi in an Israeli military court on Sunday.

The New York Times tries to make the Ahed Tamimi story go away





The New York Times ran a piece today on the very different ways that Israelis and Palestinians see the slapping incident involving 16-year-old Ahed Tamimi and an Israeli soldier. It is titled, Acts of Resistance and Restraint Defy Easy Definition in the West Bank, and is by David Halbfinger.

The article does everything it can to reduce the power of the case, in which a brave 16-year-old girl whose cousin was just shot stands for the inhumanity of the occupation. No, the whole point of the article is to make Israel supporters who may have heard about the incident shake their heads over Dual Narratives, and then move along.





Here is the Timess model for the whitewash:





1. Make sure the print edition does not include a single one of the striking, now-viral photos of Ahed Tamimis brave resistance.





2. State nowhere that Israelis are occupiers, and settlements (colonies) are illegal under international law.





3. Slyly slip in the following paragraph: That her family appears to encourage the childrens risky confrontations with soldiers offends some Palestinians and enrages many Israelis.





4. Barely mention the fact that the illegal settlement/colony of Halamish has taken over the village of Nabi Salehs access to its spring, and make no effort to report on who is right. Instead treat the matter as On the One Hand/On the Other.





5. In the first sentence, make the Israeli soldier look like the victim: A teenage girl, a kaffiyeh over her denim jacket, screaming in Arabic, repeatedly punches, slaps and kicks a heavily armed Israeli army officer, who faces her impassively, absorbing some blows, evading others, but never hitting back. (Make sure you stick in the kaffiyeh and the screaming in Arabic: perfect Orientalist gems.)





6. Have settler Yossi Klein Halevi drive home the point, that the Israeli is the victim: My first reaction was I was proud of the soldiers, but I was also ambivalent: Is this going to invite more attacks, and more serious ones?





7. Add another obnoxious paragraph: . . . the scene of the young woman being hauled away may have given the Palestinians the clear-cut propaganda coup they had been denied by the original confrontation.





8. Leave till the 13th paragraph the information that hours before the encounter an Israeli soldier shot Ahed Tamimis cousin in the face. Leave out the cousins name, Mohammed, and the extent of his injuries. No, you have to go to al Jazeera for that.

Mohammed Tamimi, who is 14 or 15, following a six hour operation after being shot in the face. Photo from Al Jazeera.

9. Quote 6 Jewish Israelis, and only 4 Palestinians. But above all, dont quote any member of the courageous Tamimi family, even though they were featured in Ben Ehrenreichs landmark New York Times magazine piece on Nabi Saleh. And even though the slapping incident took place when the soldier had invaded their property.





P.S. Louis Allday, a PhD candidate at London Universitys School of Oriental and African Studies, who is digitizing colonial records, agrees:





[A correction: The original post said, (Most people still engage with the Times on paper). In fact, the Times has 2.5 million digital subscribers vs. 1 million print subscribers.]

Ahed Tamimi appeared in an Israeli military court on Xmas day, after 4 days inside without seeing a parent or a lawyer. She appeared in handcuffs. This slightly built child is in the warped fantasy of the settler regime perceived as a danger to Israels military might.
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The Boeing Company is the worlds largest manufacturer of airplanes and commands more than 50% of the market in some channels and categories. The company and its family of subsidiaries design, develops, manufacture, sell, service, and supports commercial jetliners, military aircraft, satellites, missile defense, human space flight, and related services worldwide. The company operates through four segments including Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space & Security; Global Services; and Boeing Capital providing products and services to end-users in 150 countries.

Boeing got its start in 1910 when William E. Boeing developed a love for aircraft. Soon after he takes his first plane ride which leads him to build a hangar and begin construction of his first plane. The onset of WWI helped spur the companys growth but business was cut drastically in its wake. The start of WWII was another milestone for the company and one that led to its current position of dominance. The company was incorporated in 1916 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. Boeing employs over 140,000 people in 65 countries making it one of the most diverse employers on the planet.

The Commercial Airplanes segment is built around the iconic 7-series which includes the 737, 747, and 787. The segment provides commercial jet aircraft for passenger and cargo requirements, as well as fleet support services for regional, national, and international air carriers and logistics and freight companies. In terms of global volume, the company estimates about 90% of all air freight is carried aboard one of its jets. This segment also includes the Dreamliner family of planes. The Dreamliner is a game-changing airplane for many carriers as it opens up the potential for new one-stop destinations because of its capacity and range.

The Defense, Space & Security segment develops and manufactures a range of systems including manned and unmanned aircraft, missiles, missile defense systems, satellites, communications equipment, and intelligence systems for governments. Among the many iconic brands within this segment are the AH-64 Apache, Air Force One, B-52, C-17 Globemaster, Chinook, F/A-18, and the V-22 Osprey VTOL aircraft used by the Marines.

The Global Services segment offers a range of products and services that include supply chain and logistics management, engineering, maintenance, upgrades, conversions, spare parts, pilot and maintenance training, technical and maintenance documents, and data analytics to its commercial and defense customers.

Boeing is also a leader in innovation, leveraging its many decades and avenues of experience to further aerospace and defense technology. Among the many innovations is the MQ-25 Stingray which will be the worlds first autonomous aircraft. The Stingray is only one of many areas of research that also include drones and undersea vehicles.
On Wednesday, December 13th, a very interesting exhibition was opened at the Pyramid of Tirana. "TIRANA_REgenerating" exhibition featured architectural and urban projects/strategies by two very important architecture schools of Italy: Polytechnic of Bari and Polytechnic of Milan.

During the inauguration ceremony, where a brief introduction of this one week event was made, a large number of architecture enthusiasts, professionals, and students were present.

Tirana_REgenerating prior to the inauguration ceremony

The exhibition which remained open until December 21st, took place in the main hall of the Pyramid, right by the front entrance. It was made up of two sections: the Polytechnic of Bari presented thesis projects of students of the academic year 2015-2016 on the topic of "Tirana Green Belt". The students also prepared several booklets/catalogs for the visitors where their project ideas are showcased and explained.

Exhibition panels of Polytechnic of Bari

"The Laboratory has developed a project that runs through several steps: in proposing the structuring elements of the green belt (parks, agricultural parks, water systems, settlements, cultural heritage), building a strategic territorial master-plan of the urban system as a whole (safety of the territory, interventions on urban fabrics, sustainable mobility, green system), building a strategic urban master-plan; specific nodal places, of particular landscape and cultural value or particularly degraded," said Francesca Calace, the curator of PoliBA section.

"The Greenbelt project is undoubtedly a complex project; a project that makes use of a multiplicity of strategies at different scales and different elements, all of which have been associated by the objective of introducing quality elements - environmental, landscape and settlement - into every component "touched" by the plot of greenery," she added.

"Tirana Green Belt" catalogs

"The "green belt" originates from the interpretation of the form of landscape in which the city has settled. In the contemporary conditions, it is still possible to find the traces of the physical structure of the territory and perceive the original landscape: the crown of the hilly skyline that gives a character of internalization to the plateau where the city has settled (as a large "territorial area"), the presence of the wild path of the rivers that have been absorbed over time within the urban structure," Anna Bruna Menghini, part of the scientific committee for the thesis project of Bari, stated.

Polytechnic of Milan displayed projects of third-year architecture students (2015-2016) under the name "Tirana Urban Toolbox". The students designed several postcards for their projects, and produced twelve interactive architectural models in the shape and size of wooden suitcases.

Exhibition panels and models of Polytechnic of Milan

"If we observe the most marginal areas of Tirana - its borders - without focusing our attention only on the lack of basic services, infrastructures, etc., we could find out a high level of "structures" under-represented or not yet recognized and which express instead, in a latent way, a great potential "energy of doing" of the city," Chiara Nifosi, Professor at Polytechnic of Milan, said.

"The educational experimentation carried out through BAL_LAB (Building Albanian Landscape Laboratory) offers a possibility of integration between the architecture students of Politecnico di Milano and the local community, trying to develop real and useful projects to build up a debate between Citizens and Institutions," Nifosi added.

"Tirana Urban Toolbox" postcards

The exhibition offered a chance to see how the foreign architecture students designed the regeneration of the city of Tirana. Beside this, it was also a chance to see the Pyramid of Tirana, built as a museum in honor of the communist leader Enver Hoxha, which was abandoned and partly destroyed after the 1990's transition. The pyramid is now managed by the Municipality of Tirana and it is being used as a cultural center, despite of all the contradictions whether it should be demolished or preserved.

The exhibition was made possible by the close collaboration of Municipality of Tirana, National Territorial Planning Agency (AKPT), INTBAU-Albania, Polytechnic of Bari, and Polytechnic of Milan.



Curators team: Joni Baboci, Francesca Calace, Adelina Greca, Anna Bruna Menghini, Michele Montemurro, Chiara Nifosi, and Frida Pashako

Graphic Project and Layout team: Francesca Avella, Niccola Boccardi, Maurizio Campanella, Maria Giovanna Caragnano, Pasqua Clemente, Valeria de Troia

Arrangement team: Jona Osmani, Eni Molla, Mirjana Pali, Arber Habilaj, Edian Mece, Erald Laci, Dajana Aliaj, Genc Salja, Alice Gardella, Federico Russo, Sara Gangemi, Paolo Russo

Top Image courtesy of INTBAU-Albania

All Images (except the top one) courtesy of Jona Osmani

> via The event page/Facebook
2017 was a very successful year for many Spanish architects, with some of the years most prestigious awards in the field being taken home by Spaniards. This was also a year that saw numerous very succesful events across the country, including architecture festivals in many cities and various thought provoking artistic interventions in architectural spaces.

In this, the second part of a two part series reviewing 2017 architecture in Spain, some of the years more interesting and topical news and events are reviewed.

RCR Arquitectes won the 2017 Pritzker Prize

Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta. Image  Javier Lorenzo Dominguez

Top of the list amongst the headlines in the Spanish news this year was the announcement that architecture equivalent to a Nobel prize, the "Pritzker Prize", was somewhat surprisingly awarded to a little known Catalan practice.

It was the first time the award has jointly been given to three architects, and only the second time that is has gone to Spanish architects - the first having been Rafael Moneo.

Sant Antoni library + old people's centre, view from the courtyard towards the library with the senior citizens center to the right. Image  Hisao Suzuki

The practice was founded in 1988 by Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta, and is based in Olot, Catalonia. The range of works they have completed is very diverse, including public and private spaces, cultural venues and educational facilities. Among their more notable projects are the Bell-Lloc winery in Girona and Sant Antoni library in Barcelona.

Read the announcement in detail and see key projects of RCR Arquitectes

The following video is from the announcement of the award

Video courtesy of The Pritzker Architecture Prize

Mies Pavilion "Mies Missing Materiality"

The Barcelona Pavilion, designed by Mies Van der Rohe, is without doubt one of the best known buildings in Spain. The pavilion holds a variety of Architectural events throughout the year, including an architectural film series in the summer and small artistic installations. This November, the pavilion held what was to be one of its best documented events this year, entitled "Mies Missing Materiality", held by Barcelona based practice Anna & Eugeni Bach Architects.

The premise of the event was to "dematerialise" the pavilion, which was carried out by covering the entire building in white veneer that had been carefully tailored so that the joins in the covering reflected the joins in the material below. After the initial "dematerialisation", a round table talk was held by the architects in the pavilion.

The pavilion - the above video is courtesy of the architects

Often considered as a reference point for the modernist movement, the Barcelona pavilion was designed by Mies Van der Rohe for the 1929 Barcelona exhibition. The pavilion consists of a series of enclosed spaces created by the use of non-loadbearing elements as spatial definers, while the thin structural elements, a series of cross shaped columns, give the space a sense of lightness.

Mies' use of flowing spaces and apparently with floating elements in this pavilion was an early prototype for his apparently weightless architecture that can be seen in his other projects such as the Farnsworth house in Illinois. However, after the exhibition finished, the pavilion was dismantled in 1930.

Barcelona Pavilion by Mies Van der Rohe. Image  Pepo Segura, courtesy of Mies van der Rohe Foundation

Anna and Eugeni Bach transform the Pavilion's walls with white panels. Image  Adria Goula

In the phase before the 1992 olympics, Barcelona saw a large phase of urban development and architectural projects, overseen by Oriol Bohigas, then head of urban planning at Barcelona city council.

As part of this development, Bohigas began the project for the recreation of this architectural monument, designating the architects Ignasi de Sola-Morales, Cristian Cirici and Fernando Ramos to research, design and supervise the reconstruction of the Pavilion. Work began in 1983, and the new building opened in 1986.

Announcement of Venice Biennale 2018 Curator

In October this year, Atxu Amann was announced as the curator for the Spanish Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, which will be held from the 26 May to 25 November.

The announcement was made on the official instagram page of the master degree she teaches in architectural communication at ETSAM. In July this year, Amann gave a talk at the Tedx:Madrid Salon, an event whose theme public space, with specific focus on Plaza Mayor in Madrid. Her talk, entitled "Gender, Labels and Public Space" explored the paralyzing role of labels in gender issues in the public space.

Atxu Amann at the recent Tedx in Madrid. Image  MACA

The theme of the 2018 biennale, directed by Irish architects Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects, is "Freespace". The theme was chosen by the pair to celebrate "generosity and thoughtfulness," and "a desire to engage."

Launch of David Chipperfield backed "Fundacion RIA"

Video courtesy of Fundacion RIA

One fascinating piece of news that went slightly under the radar on most architectural websites was the launch of the David chipperfield led "Foundation RIA" in Galicia, Northern Spain. Galicia, once a thriving fishing region, has seen some decline in recent years.

The aim of the foundation, in collaboration with members of regional universities, researchers, field experts and local government, is to preserve the unique character of the Ria de Arousa coastal region, while also working to restore its built and natural environment. Seeing a large, contemporary Architectural studio engaging in a regeneration project such as the fundacion RIA is a step in the right direction for the design industry, and its announcement was one of the more positive pieces of news in the 2017 Spanish Architecture calendar.

Rafael Moneo awarded inaugural Soane Medal

Adding to the list of Spanish architects taking home international awards this year, Rafael Moneo was awarded the Inaugural Soane medal. The award was announced by Sir John Soane's Museum in London and was awarded to Moneo for his contribution in the field of architecture.

Rafael Moneo. Image  ATRIUM

Moneo also presented the inauguration of the Soane Annual conference on November 1st. The conference is organised to recognize architects, writers or artists who have been successful in the field of architecture.

Read more about the award here

Barcelona 48h Open House

Perhaps the best organised and most complete of all the October architecture festivals this year was the Barcelona 48h Open House. Forming part of the "open house worldwide" series of events, the festival boasted an incredible 220 buildings that could be visited.

One of the many buildings open during the festival, the library of UPF university. Image  Bob Masters

The event relied on the support of over 900 volunteers, and provided visitors the opportunity to enter spaces otherwise closed to the public. The event was held on the weekend of the 21st and 22nd of October, and will surely be repeated next year, meaning those who were unfortunate not to be able to visit the event this year have not missed out completely.

Read more about the event here

Top image: Barcelona Pavilion by Mies Van der Rohe. Image  Anna Mas
The Minister of Defence urged the soldiers to be professional, courageous and patriotic. Some 1,850 new infantry commandos have joined the Cameroon Armed Forces; reinforcing the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) elite unit.

The Minister of Defence, Joseph Beti Assomo officially declared them members of the armed forces at a graduation ceremony in the Rapid Intervention Battalion Command Training Centre in Man O War Bay, Limbe on December 21, 2017.

The graduation marked the end of a five-month technical aptitude training during which the recruits were trained in civility and morality, human rights, international humanitarian law, disarming improvised explosives, physical combat, shooting, among others.

2005 boys signed up for the 2017 contingent of soldiers but some failed the training while others were dropped in the course of training, for diverse reasons. The 1850 recruits who put up satisfactory performance were awarded Certificates of Technical Aptitude.

The top ten of the batch which is the tenth of its kind received prizes from the Technical Adviser at the Presidency in charge of the BIR. Minister Beti Assomo told the soldiers that the graduation marks the beginning of their career in the armed forces and urged them to be professional, courageous and patriotic in the exercise of their daily duties, which in conjunction with the duties of every other citizen, will lead Cameroon to emergence by 2035.

Quoting President Paul Biyas recent resolve to stop ongoing hostilities in Anglophone regions and bring perpetrators to book, he emphasised it is now more important than ever for the military to exercise its duty of securing the integrity of the state, and protecting human lives and properties. Minister Beti Assomo ended his stay at the Man O War Bay with a security meeting with top officials of the armed forces.

MBOM Sixtus
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.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Members of New Mexicos congressional delegation have renewed and elaborated on their criticism of a federal report that raises questions about whether Los Alamos National Laboratory should remain the nations site for the manufacture of plutonium cores for nuclear weapons.

They say the study by the National Nuclear Security Administration shockingly failed to consider a relatively low-cost facility for making plutonium pits at Los Alamos that has been in the planning stages for years, with the support of Congress and the Nuclear Weapons Council.

The letter from U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and Rep. Ben Ray Lujan also hints that NNSA used specifications for pit production, particularly in regards to requirements for facility square footage, that skewed the report against LANL.

Summary documents about an analysis of alternatives by NNSA recently leaked out and say that reaching the militarys pit production goals may be quicker and cheaper at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The NNSA has acknowledged that it is considering two options, one at Los Alamos and another at Savannah River, for further analysis.

No new pits have been made since 2011, when LANL completed the last of 29 for Navy submarine missiles. The most ever made at Los Alamos in a year is 11. But the NNSA is under a congressional mandate to make 80 pits a year by about 2030 for modernization of the nations nuclear arsenal, and LANL has been gearing up for the work.

Meanwhile, the lab has faced scrutiny for safety lapses, including a recent incident involving plutonium and pit-making.

Plutonium pit work will come with billions of dollars for both construction and operations.

In a Dec. 18 letter to U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Udall, Heinrich and Lujan expressed very serious concerns about the NNSA report comparing potential pit-making sites.

Their letter notes that in 2014, the Nuclear Weapons Council determined that new, underground modules, along with refurbishing the existing plutonium facility at Los Alamos, would fully meet the nations requirements to maintain the nuclear weapons stockpile over a 30-year period. The modules, which would put different tasks into separate spaces and take on the most high-risk plutonium work, were given an estimated cost of $1.3 billion to $3 billion in 2015.

But the modular approach was conspicuously absent from the NNSAs analysis of alternatives (or AoA), says the congressional members letter. Instead, the only LANL option in the analysis was the so-called big box approach, with a single, huge building for plutonium work.

An earlier big-box plan for Los Alamos crashed and burned in 2012 after $450 million had already been spent on design and study, as cost estimates that started at $800 million ballooned to as much as $6 billion.

Shockingly, not only did the AoA fail to analyze the endorsed modular approach which has been in place for years, says the letter to Perry, but NNSAs Cost Estimating and Program Evaluation offices own review shows that the AoA failed to even take into consideration the costs of repurposing other NNSA facilities, which would include those at Savannah River.

In other words, the AoA compared a long-ago abandoned facility plan at LANL and compared it to other NNSA locations as if they were prepared to produce pits today at no additional cost, and then presented its findings to the public as a comparison of current options, Udall, Heinrich and Lujan wrote.

Making matters worse, such a disruptive relocation of the plutonium mission is likely to introduce new, unpredictable risks to the safety of workers and communities into an already challenging enterprise, they added.

New pit number

The letter also asks why the analysis used a pit-production capability of 110 pits per year when comparing sites instead of the 80 pits annually that Congress has mandated, a detail that increased the necessary square footage beyond the Department of Defenses requirements.

Savannah River could fill the bill for a huge facility. A 600,000-square-foot mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication plant has been under construction at Savannah River for years but has been plagued by cost overruns, delays and litigation. The NNSA analysis of pit-making sites did consider the MOX facility, which the DOE has estimated will have cost more than $17 billion when complete.

Perhaps most concerning, says the letter from the New Mexico delegation members, is the fact that the failed AoA effectively wasted several years of time and money that could otherwise have been dedicated to improving the reliability of the nations nuclear stockpile and the safety of facilities and operations.

Udall, Heinrich and Lujan closed the letter to Perry with, We ask for your immediate attention and personal assurance that the serious shortcomings of the AoA will be fully addressed in the comprehensive engineering analysis before making a final selection (for pit-making).

The NNSA, under Perry as part of the DOE, did not respond to Journal requests for comment.

Critics of NNSA and the Los Alamos lab have maintained for years that no new pits are necessary, with many made in years past still in storage. Its a gigantic waste of money, said Greg Mello of the Albuquerque-based Los Alamos Study Group.

He said his group also believes there are fundamental conceptual problems with LANLs modular plan, including the susceptibility to earthquake damage of a tunnel that would connect the modules to the existing PF-4 plutonium facility. It would seem to us that prudent government would be mean establishing the basic capability to make pits, which means establishing safe and secure operations at PF-4, period, which they havent done, said Mello.

But he said he agrees with the senators and Lujan in questioning where the NNSA came up with a need to make 100 pits a year. We dont know if thats a more honest portrayal of what the government wants or an expansion of some kind, he said. Mello said New Mexicos congressional delegation should demand a public vetting of the pit plans.

Report details

The leaked portions of the NNSA report say that facilities for meeting national pit-production goals at LANL would cost $1.9 billion to $7.5 billion, compared to $1.4 billion to $5.4 billion for repurposing Savannah Rivers MOX building. Savannah River could make the required number of pits sometime between 2029 and 2036, while Los Alamos couldnt reach the goal until between 2033 and 2038, the report says.

The analysis may have considered the modular approach at Los Alamos in a first look at site options, but not in the final analysis. It says that 36 of 41 options were eliminated from further consideration after the team developed floor space estimates and initial cost, schedule and risk assessments.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Former priest Sabine Griegos relationship with the Archdiocese of Santa Fe took an abrupt turn for the worse after the late Archbishop Robert Sanchez stepped down in March 1993.

Just three days after Sanchez resigned, an archdiocese official sent Griego a letter telling him to not exercise your ministry in parishes or in any other ministerial situations.

The archdioceses concerns about Griego were well-founded, according to court records released recently by a judges order. In 2004, former Archbishop Michael Sheehan, who succeeded Sanchez in 1993, sent a letter to Vatican officials urging them to remove Griego from the priesthood. The Vatican did so in 2005.

First, there is the sheer volume and heinous nature of the accusations, Sheehan wrote.

He included a list of 16 men and a woman who alleged that the La Madera native ordained in 1964 had sexually abused them as children, from 1965 to 1990. The archdiocese had paid nearly $3 million to victims, Sheehan wrote.

Victims will have to live with the trauma of their experiences for a lifetime, let alone the suffering incurred by their families and loved ones, he wrote.

Griego did not respond to voice messages left at his home in the Las Vegas, N.M., area.

We continue to pray for the healing of the victims for what they experienced during this inexcusable and regrettable time in our history, the Rev. John Daniel, vicar general of the archdiocese, said in a statement. The Archdiocese has taken many steps in the past 25 years to prevent sexual abuse of children, including the adoption of the 1993 Zero Tolerance Policy, and will continue to do so.

Court records show that by 2017 the archdiocese had reached settlement agreements with 32 New Mexicans who alleged that Griego sexually abused them as children.

The records were obtained by Albuquerque attorney Brad Hall, who has filed more than 70 lawsuits on behalf of alleged abuse victims since 2011.

District Judge Alan Malott in October approved a request from KOB-TV to unseal court records related to Griego and two other former priests, Jason Sigler and Arthur Perrault. Perrault has fled the country.

The records  including letters, deposition transcripts and settlement agreements  show that Griego had many contacts over the years with Sanchez while he served as archbishop.

One alleged victim said in a written statement that while Griego was pastor of a Las Vegas church in the 1970s, he sometimes abused boys on trips to Albuquerque and that the trips included visits with Sanchez.

Archbishop Sanchez met Fr. Griego and I for lunch at the Classic Hotel (in Albuquerque) one day where it was clear I was the boy toy for the priest, a San Miguel County man identified in court records as John Doe 52 told attorneys in a written interrogatory.

Griegos relationship with Sanchez appeared to become more complex as the clergy abuse crisis emerged into public view in 1992.

In September 1991, Sanchez arranged for Griego to receive psychological treatment for six months at a clinic in the province of Ontario. By that time, records show, Griego had been accused of sexually abusing at least 17 children.

A 2001 document indicates that Griego moved into Sanchezs home when he returned from the clinic in February 1992.

In October 1992, as the first of hundreds of clerical abuse lawsuits were filed against the archdiocese, Sanchez wrote a letter to Griego assigning him to hospital ministry.

In January 1993, Sanchez wrote another letter to the priest granting Griegos request for a year of sick leave, together with a salary, car allowance and medical insurance.

I do recognize your commitment to the healing process which began a year ago and to which you have dedicated yourself so faithfully, Sanchez wrote.

By early 1993, local and national media were running news reports about the crisis. Fourteen priests faced public allegations of sexually abusing children, but Griego was not among the priests identified in news reports.

Sanchez was under fire for failing to take action to stop the abuses. On March 19, 1993, he stepped down as archbishop after several New Mexico women alleged that he had sexually assaulted them when they were teenagers. Sheehan, then bishop of the Diocese of Lubbock, replaced Sanchez in April 1993.

In May 1994, Sheehan wrote a letter to Griego granting his request to retire and begin drawing a $1,000-a-month pension from the archdiocese.

Please pray that we will be able to settle the many cases against the Archdiocese rising from allegations of priestly misconduct, Sheehan told Griego in the letter.

In September 2005, the Vatican granted Sheehans request to remove Griego from the priesthood.

In March 2006, Sheehan informed the Vatican by letter that Griego had refused to sign a letter informing him of his laicization.

Griego refused the letter and it was returned to my office, Sheehan told a Vatican official.

I have also had to write two priests of the Archdiocese informing them that Griego has been laicized, Sheehan wrote. I did this because I had received information that Griego continued to offer Masses publicly after he had been notified of his laicization.
WASHINGTON  Radicalized individuals, not teams of trained operatives, are the terrorist threats that most worry federal law enforcement agencies in the coming year.

Stopping them is difficult, since many give little advance indication they are planning attacks.

FBI Director Christopher Wray has said the FBI considers the most pressing domestic terrorism threats to be homegrown violent extremists radicalized by Islamic State and other radical Islamist groups, and lone-wolf attackers who arent connected to any other people or groups. Cultists, sovereign citizens who dont believe government constraints apply to them and those motivated by racial hatred are a lesser but persistent concern, the FBI says.

Matthew Heiman, a former lawyer with the National Security Division at the Justice Department, agrees with Wray that homegrown Islamist extremists are the top threat.

If you look at the numbers, the repetition and the consistency, I think thats No. 1 by a long stretch, Heiman said, citing attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., Orlando, Fla., Fort Hood, Texas, and New York City. While there are other attacks every year, Heiman said other movements are not as consistent.

Some object to the categories as artificial and counterproductive.

Theres this focus on categorizing ideology, rather than focusing on methodology for committing these acts of violence, said Michael German, a former FBI official who worked in counterterrorism. It springs from this necessity to categorize in order to distribute resources in an organized way, but we then come to believe those categories are real. This whole concept of a radical Islam, which includes very different groups such as ISIS, Al-Qaida, Hezbollah  it has nothing to do with keeping Americans safer.

Still, while there may be disagreement about the framing, no one questions that the United States needs to be on the lookout for potential attackers. And the FBIs view will carry the day when it comes to allocating money and manpower to the task.

Heres how the FBI sees the threats:

 Homegrown violent terrorists: Violent extremists wanting to fight for Islamic State, or those who aspire to attack the United States from within, continue to be at the top of the FBIs watch list, with the threats amplified by a surge in terrorist propaganda and training available via the internet and social networking media, Wray said in testimony to a House committee last month. Online recruitment and indoctrination mean that its no longer necessary for terrorist organizations to sneak operatives into the country to recruit others and act.

Thats a big change from the environment of a decade ago, Wray said.

In 2017, jihadist attacks killed more people than other domestic extremist groups, with five attacks in the U.S. in which 17 people died in total, according to Joshua Freilich, co-creator of the Extremist Crime Database. Figures on deaths attributable to terrorist groups vary slightly because of differences in the criteria for labeling something a terrorist act. Freilich said his database defines such attacks as ideologically motivated homicides, or incidents where the offenders  either wholly or partly  committed the attack to further their extremist beliefs.

Interspersed attacks with comparably low fatalities have become the norm for those committed under the umbrella of radical Islamic groups, according to Heiman, largely because Islamic State has overtaken Al-Qaida in prominence.

Al-Qaida was planning these epic, dramatic attacks. You compare that to the Islamic State, and their approach is heres what wed like, you go out and figure out how to do it,' Heiman said. So then you get individuals picking up whatever they can, bats or cars or firearms, without a lot of training in how to get those mass casualties.

While that means its less likely well see repeats of 9/11 with thousands or even hundreds of deaths, attacks by individuals are also much harder to pinpoint, Heiman said.

German, however, sees the depiction of radicalization put forth by the FBI as misleading. He said in most cases its far more likely that such terrorists are individuals already planning violent action and looking for an ideology to pin it on than it is that they are recruited. And law enforcement too readily categorizes people of color based on flimsy evidence such as a few internet searches, German said.

He compared Omar Mateen, the Orlando shooter who killed 49 people in 2016 at a gay nightclub, who pledged allegiance to ISIS, with James Holmes, the Aurora, Colo., shooter who killed 12 people in 2012 at a screening of The Dark Knight Rises. Mateens attack was seen as an obvious ideological attack against gay people, while no one suggested Holmes was motivated by a hatred for Batman, or those who watch it.

 Lone-wolf attacks: We are most concerned about the lone offender attacks, primarily shootings, as they have served as the dominant mode for lethal domestic extremist violence, Wray said in November.

Lone-wolf attacks are a significant problem for law enforcement by their nature. If an American is planning an attack alone, its almost impossible to detect that, unless they open up about their feelings to family and friends, Heiman said.

We might not have as many large-scale attacks, but we have a steady drip of these attacks with one or two actors that come in with a highly destructive weapon, or drive a car into a crowd, and its still a significant loss of life, Heiman said.

The most destructive example of a lone offender in 2017 was Stephen Paddocks shootings in Las Vegas that killed 58 people. While Paddocks motive is unknown, meaning the attack it hasnt been classified as terrorism, its emblematic of Germans critique of the emphasis placed on these categories. Regardless of whether Paddock was a terrorist or a criminal, his attack was still catastrophic.

Additionally, while mass shootings represent significant loss of life, the numbers still arent comparable to the number of non-terrorist homicides, German said. There were about 17,000 homicides in the U.S. in 2016, according to the FBI, and 40 percent of them are unsolved.

 Other extremist movements: Domestic extremist movements collectively pose a steady threat to the United States, Wray said in November. We anticipate law enforcement, racial minorities, and the U.S. government will continue to be significant targets for many domestic extremist movements.

White supremacists, sovereign citizens, black nationalists, radical religious and other cultist groups fall into this grouping. The FBI recently leaked to the public a counterterrorism report that identified a black identity extremist threat, saying those extremists were likely to increasingly target police officers over perceived racial injustice. Many  including German  criticized the reports definition as too broad and worried it was being used to target nonviolent protestors, such as members of Black Lives Matter.

Far-left domestic extremist groups (which include black nationalists) killed eight people in 2017, according to Freilichs database, while nine people were killed in attacks by far-right domestic extremist groups (which include white supremacists and sovereign citizens) but the FBI has no category for white identity extremists.



2017 McClatchy Washington Bureau

Visit the McClatchy Washington Bureau at www.mcclatchydc.com

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The number of journalists killed while on the job or in retaliation for their work declined worldwide in 2017, but one country remains increasingly perilous  Mexico.

So far in 2017, 42 journalists worldwide have been killed, compared with 48 a year earlier, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a nonpartisan group that tracks press freedoms.

Iraq and Syria were the deadliest places for journalists this year, with eight killed in Iraq and seven in Syria. But outside war zones, Mexico is the most dangerous place for journalists.

According to the committee, six Mexican journalists were killed in retaliation for their reporting, often of corrupt government officials or drug cartels. But according to news reports and the group Reporters Without Borders, six additional Mexican journalists died in 2017. The motivation for their slayings remains unclear, but they also often wrote about crime and corruption.

One journalist was shot Tuesday. Many of the 12 were killed in public. Some in front of their own children. Often, they were slain in broad daylight. Two were gunned down the same day.

Courtney Radsch, the committees advocacy director, said that Mexicos leaders lack the political will to stop the violence against journalists and have repeatedly failed to provide the resources necessary to track down and prosecute the people behind the killings. Except in two cases there have been no arrests in this years killings.

The murderers of journalists continue to go free, so its open season on Mexican journalists, Radsch said.

We hear from Mexican journalists that they are self-censoring, that theyre having to flee their homes and go into exile, and that it just becomes more and more dangerous for journalists in Mexico.

Here are the 12 Mexican journalists killed this year, in chronological order, with the city and state where they died.



Cecilio Pineda Birto

Killed: March 2

City: Ciudad Altamirano, Guerrero

What he wrote about: Pineda covered crime and corruption through his Facebook page, which has almost 32,000 followers, and also was a freelance writer for newspapers.

How he died: While Pineda was waiting in a hammock at a car wash for his vehicle, at least two armed men on motorcycles shot him about 10 times, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Pineda had been threatened before.



Ricardo Monlui Cabrera

Killed: March 19

City: Yanga, Veracruz

What he wrote about: Monlui, a columnist and editorial director of El Politico newspaper, often wrote about conflicts between the Veracruz authorities and farmers and workers in the sugar cane industry, one of the regions main economic activities, according to Reporters Without Borders.

How he died: Monlui was leaving a restaurant about 10 a.m. with his wife and son when his attackers rode by on a motorcycle, firing three times. One of the bullets hit Monlui in the head.



Miroslava Breach

Killed: March 23

City: Chihuahua City, Chihuahua

What she wrote about: A correspondent for the national newspaper La Jornada, Breach wrote about drug cartels and corruption, among other things.

Shortly before her death, Breach had been threatened for her reporting that alleged links between politicians and organized crime figures.

How she died: Breach, a mother of three, was pulling out of her garage with one of her children in the car when she was shot several times. A sign left at the crime scene said tattletale.



Maximino Rodriguez Palacios

Killed: April 14

City: La Paz, Baja California Sur

What he wrote about: At the time of his death, Rodriguez covered politics and crime in a news blog, Pericu Collective. A few days before he was killed, Rodriguez wrote a column that was critical of a local criminal gang.

How he died: Rodriguez and his wife were in the parking lot of a shopping center when he was shot and killed by a group of attackers in a white SUV. Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing.



Javier Valdez Cardenas

Killed: May 15

City: Culiacan, Sinaloa

What he wrote about: Valdez was a well-known journalist and author who had written extensively about Mexicos drug war, corruption and crime. Valdez had spoken openly about the dangers that Mexican journalists faced.

When Breach was killed in March, Valdez tweeted: Let them kill us all, if that is the death penalty for reporting this hell. No to silence.

How he died: Shortly after leaving the office of Riodoce, a regional weekly, at about noon, Valdez was dragged out of his car on a busy street and shot at least 12 times.



Jonathan Rodriguez

Killed: May 15

City: Autlan de Navarro, Jalisco

What he wrote about: He covered local news for El Costeno, a weekly newspaper, and his family had previously faced threats.

How he died: Rodriguez and his mother, Sonia Cordova, deputy director of El Costeno, were driving when gunmen opened fire on them, killing Rodriguez and wounding his mother.



Salvador Adame Pardo

Killed: Killed between May 18 and June 14

City: Gabriel Zamora, Michoacan

What he wrote about: Adame, owner and director of 6TV, covered general news and local politics. He was a frequent critic of local officials.

How he died: Gunmen abducted Adame about 8 p.m. May 18, forcing him into the back of a black SUV. His body was found June 14, burned, on the side of a road. Police have arrested two men on suspicion of carrying out Adames abduction and killing.



Luciano Rivera Salgado

Killed: July 31

City: Rosarito, Baja California

What he wrote about: A TV reporter and an editor for the news website El Dictamen, he covered crime. He often criticized the security situation here, said Mario Rivera, director of CNR TV, where Rivera Salgado had worked for nearly 10 years. We as a station have been very tough critics.

How he died: Rivera Salgado was celebrating his 29th birthday when he was shot in the head at 1:40 a.m. while at La Antigua Bar in Rosarito.



Edwin Rivera Paz

Killed: July 9

City: Acayucan, Veracruz

What he wrote about: Rivera was a cameraman who fled Honduras after Igor Padilla, a TV journalist whom Rivera worked with, was killed. Padilla covered crime. Rivera feared he would also be killed.

How he died: Rivera was shot to death, reportedly by two people on a motorcycle.



Candido Rios Vazquez

Killed: Aug. 22

City: Hueyapan de Ocampo, Veracruz

What he wrote about: Rios was a crime reporter for El Diario de Acayucan and wrote about government corruption for years. The threats were constant, Rios editor, Cecilio Perez Cortes, said.

How he died: Rios was outside a corner store with a former police investigator and a local rancher when the three were killed in a drive-by shooting. In 2013, Rios enrolled in a Mexican government program to protect journalists.



Edgar Daniel Esqueda Castro

Killed: Abducted Oct. 5, found dead Oct. 6

City: San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi

What he wrote about: A freelance photographer, Esqueda Castro primarily covered local events and crime stories. He had been threatened and beaten by local police, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

How he died: Armed men broke into his home, claimed they were state investigative police and took him away at gunpoint. He was found dead the next day after being tortured and shot.



Gumaro Perez

Killed: Dec. 19

City: Acayucan, Veracruz

What he wrote about: Perez covered crime for several local news outlets.

How he died: Perez was attending a Christmas party at his sons elementary school when he was shot and killed. He was enrolled in a state program designed to protect journalists.



2017 Los Angeles Times

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PHOTO (for help with images, contact 312-222-4194): MEXICO-JOURNALISTS

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PHILADELPHIA  It was a bloody day in Philadelphia: five people shot or stabbed dead. One of the shooting victims was Trina Singletons 24-year-old son, Darryl.

In this city of 1.6 million people that tallied 269 homicides last year, Darryls death on Sept. 13, 2016, earned him a few lines near the end of a newspaper story, his loss overshadowed by the death of a 21-year-old cousin of rap star Meek Mill.

He was totally overlooked, Trina Singleton said. There were so many people shot that day, he was a number.

Now a new website is working to show that Darryl and victims like him are more than statistics. Since the Philadelphia Obituary Project went live in June, it has posted more than 30 in-depth obituaries of city homicide victims from the past 18 months.

We want to talk about the lives of the people, not their deaths. To dignify them. To humanize them, said Cletus Lyman, a city lawyer who has spent more than $10,000 to fund the project. We want to complete the picture and show the community that were losing real people.

Lyman grew up in a small Pennsylvania town reading obituaries, everyones obituaries, because in a town that size, every citizen was considered worthy of coverage. As an adult, he found himself frustrated by the way the deaths, especially of those who met violent ends, were covered.

Lyman found Albert Stumm, a former Associated Press editor who is now a freelancer based in Spain, to manage the sites content.

This is an unapologetically positive effort because theres a lot of victim-blaming that goes around, Stumm said. Yes, many victims have gotten into trouble before they got killed. But how they got there is less important to us than who they were.

The obituaries will include information about a victims criminal past if the family chooses to talk about it, Stumm said. In instances where a known violent offender is killed, the website wont seek further details, he said, noting a founder of the Junior Black Mafia, which terrorized the city for decades, was not profiled after his murder in December 2016.

Stumm said he didnt know of any other similarly broad private efforts, though he pointed out that some news organizations have tried to write about all homicide victims in a given time period.

Obituaries are part of the ritual of grieving, said Frank Farley, an educational psychology professor at Philadelphias Temple University.

We memorialize because we ourselves hope to be memorialized, Farley said. For many, the fear of disappearing from life with no notation, nothing noted, is a very grim thing.

With newspapers having less space and fewer staff, its more likely that homicide victims wont receive the due they had been given in years past, although grieving loved ones can always pay to put a death notice in the newspaper. Typically, newspapers write articles about the deaths of only well-known locals and other public figures.

When the Philadelphia Obituary Projects reporters began contacting the families of homicide victims last year, some were hesitant. Then the effort began to get traction.

The tribute to Darryl Singleton in the Philadelphia Obituary Project notes he attended crime-scene investigation camp in Baltimore one summer and was taking classes to be an emergency medical technician. It shares his paternal grandmothers remembrance of the summers he and his brother spent at her home in Georgia and the trips they made to local nursing homes, where Darryl would sing songs like I Believe I Can Fly.

These good memories, Trina Singleton said, have helped the family mourn.

Were talking about what he accomplished, so his life isnt summed up by some gunshots, she said. Thats important for us as we go forward.
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz.  Lawmakers on the nations largest American Indian reservation are throwing their support behind an effort to provide dormitory space for Navajo students at the University of New Mexico.

The Navajo Nation Council late last week approved legislation to use nearly $1.5 million in supplemental funding for the effort.

Under the plan, the tribe would execute a contract with the university to acquire an existing dormitory facility to house 118 Navajo students. The aim would be for the residence hall to reflect the tribes cultural and historical values.

Council Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty sponsored the measure. She said the acquisition would help ease the financial burden of securing residency and increase retention rates for Navajo students.

Tribal officials say theyre also looking to invest in dorm space at other schools in the region.
NEW HARMONY, Utah  A Utah sheriffs deputy said Tuesday he was desperate and numb from the cold as he punched and stomped his way into a frozen pond on Christmas Day to pull out an 8-year-old boy who had fallen through the ice while chasing his dog.

With cuts on his forearms, Washington County sheriffs Sgt. Aaron Thompson said at a news conference that rescuers believe the child was in the 37-degree water for about 30 minutes until the deputy rescued him.

I couldnt feel anything. I didnt notice anything when I was doing it, Thompson said. I knew that time was of the essence. I had a very short window to get that child out of the water.

Sheriffs Lt. David Crouse said the boy was hospitalized in Salt Lake City but he didnt have details on his condition. Thompson said deputies were hopeful.

The boy fell through the ice in the town of New Harmony, north of St. George.

After arriving at the scene, Thompson, who had served on a search and rescue dive team, began searching an area where a woman reported seeing the boys hand flail about four minutes earlier.

The deputy stomped to break through the ice and work his way deeper, pounding with his hands and fists.

As the ice got thicker, I couldnt break it with my arms and my fists anymore, so I had to jump up on top of the ice, putting my weight on it, and then pound on it to get it to break, he said.

When he went into the water, his toes brushed against reeds growing on the bottom of the pond and water reached his neck.

He swished his arms and legs around before finding the boy beneath the ice about 25 feet from the shoreline.

Thompson was treated for symptoms of hypothermia and released from a hospital Monday night. He said he lost the feeling in some fingers but sensation had returned by Tuesday.

He expects to return to work by early next week.

The Spectrum of St. George reported that Sheriff Cory Pulsipher praised the deputy.

He hates having the spotlight on him, but hes a hero, Pulsipher said.

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This story has been corrected to show that it was a Washington County sheriffs deputy involved, not Washoe County.
NEW YORK  Talk-show host Tavis Smiley isnt just upset with PBS for firing him on sexual misconduct charges. Hes upset about his depiction in the media.

Smiley believes that if he hadnt talked publicly about romantic relationships with subordinates at his company, the behavior that led to his downfall, the public would make little distinction between him and those who have been accused of sexual assault or rape.

Conflation of different forms of misbehavior  the idea itself is controversial  is one of the issues facing media organizations covering the fast-moving story of sexual misconduct that went into overdrive with investigations into Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinsteins behavior.

The media is painting with too broad a brush, Smiley said. We have lost all sense of nuance and proportionality in how we cover these stories.

Actor Matt Damon was torched for broaching the topic recently. He told ABC News that all accused men shouldnt be lumped together because theres a spectrum of behavior. Theres a difference between a pat on the rear and child molestation, he said.

Both of those behaviors need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldnt be conflated, right? he said.

Actress Minnie Driver called Damon tone-deaf. Actress Alyssa Milano, who began a cultural movement by urging other women who have been harassed to proclaim #MeToo on social media, tweeted in reply that victims are hurt by all forms of misconduct. All are evidence of misogyny.

Still, as the rush of stories about misbehavior slows down  if it slows down  the point Damon raises will loom larger. Debate over the consequences of Sen. Al Frankens groping continues despite his resignation. The New York Times noted the difficulties in deciding whether to fire reporter Glenn Thrush following documentation of his unwanted drunken advances on women. Thrush was suspended and stripped of his White House beat.

The New York Daily News groups many of its stories about misconduct allegations under the tag Perv Nation. The newspaper makes clear that not all allegations are the same, said Daily News executive Rebecca Baker, also president of the Society of Professional Journalists.

However, she said, I dont think the media can tell people what to think or stop people from conflating things.

Society is in the midst of a debate over changing norms of behavior thats very intense and not very organized, said Nicholas Lemann, former dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Distinctions can fall by the wayside with the temperature so high, he said.

Its a good way for society to change its values, Lemann said. Its a bad way to protect individual rights.

In Smileys case, PBS agreed that his history of dating subordinates was the central issue in his firing. But a PBS statement also spoke mysteriously of other conduct, giving no other details in order to protect the privacy of people who complained about him.

An unwillingness, or inability, to specify behavior that results in discipline can contribute to conflation. In firing reporter Ryan Lizza, the New Yorker magazine cited improper sexual behavior. Lizza said his bosses mischaracterized a respectful relationship with a woman I dated. Her lawyer disputed this, saying the relationship wasnt respectful, but wouldnt say why.

A television news producer recently dismissed because of his behavior is concerned that he will be lumped in with bad-behaving media men like Matt Lauer or Charlie Rose, and had his lawyer issue a statement saying his client was never accused of any physical contact, language of a sexual nature or any sort of lewd conduct.

But how hes judged is ultimately out of his control, since neither employer nor employee will publicly say what the person actually did that cost him his job.

Early stories on misconduct cases  think the Times and New Yorker on Weinstein, The Washington Post on Rose and Roy Moore  were meticulously reported and have proven airtight. The challenge for news organizations is maintaining that rigor with more women coming forward to tell their stories and the pressure for scoops ratchets up.

If you dont have one of these things really nailed down, its a very bad thing for you, Lemann said. Whoever gets one of these things wrong, its going to be very embarrassing.

The story has already led to some unorthodox decisions. Vox.com assigned a woman who alleged harassment by Thrush, who said the incident still made her angry, to report and write on accusations by her and others. Having someone with a clear personal stake report such a sensitive story would make many news organizations squeamish, although no substantive questions have been raised about her work.

Conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt wrote in The Washington Post about rough justice being dispensed by the media, much of it deserved. Even the worst offenders deserve due process, he said. It isnt easy or quick  but other victims are watching, wondering whether it is safe to speak out.

Rarely does media have such a complicated job with stakes as high as these, he wrote.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.  Colorado Springs urban deer population is said to be dangerously high, and City Council is considering options to reduce it.

The Gazette reports city officials next month will speak with state Parks and Wildlife area wildlife manager Frank McGee to learn more about the problem and potential solutions.

McGee says regulated urban hunting involving bow and arrows and not firearm might be one of the most viable options.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman Bill Vogrin says about 20 deer live in every square mile of southwest Colorado Springs.

Authorities say Colorado Springs dense deer population results in a high level of vehicle-vs.-deer crashes.

The Colorado Department of Transportation says 169 such accidents occurred last year along local stretches of Interstate 25, U.S. 24 and Colorado 115.

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Information from: The Gazette, http://www.gazette.com
If the first thing you asked was what did he do when you heard the news that Google fixture Eric Schmidt is stepping aside as Alphabet executive chairman, you have company.

The Silicon Valley tech giant didnt say why Schmidt is out.

Larry, Sergey, Sundar and I all believe that the time is right in Alphabets evolution for this transition, Schmidt said in a statement last week. In recent years, Ive been spending a lot of my time on science and technology issues, and philanthropy, and I plan to expand that work.

Schmidt, who was brought in 17 years ago to be the adult supervision to Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, will transition to technical adviser on science and technology issues, Page said in a statement.

Why now?

The two most commonly reported theories involve politics and sex.

Schmidt was a huge Hillary Clinton supporter and obviously came out on the losing end of the presidential campaign. Couple that with the backlash against tech today  including against Google  and having Schmidt as the companys top brand ambassador may no longer make sense.

During his first meeting with tech executives last year, President Donald Trump asked adviser Steve Bannon whether Schmidt was the guy that tried to help Hillary win the election, according to the Wall Street Journal, which in the fall examined the apparent decline of Googles influence in Washington.

Schmidt reportedly said he thought the Trump administration will do evil things.

Google and other tech companies stepped up their spending on lobbying after Trump was elected president. In addition, there are growing calls for Google  and other companies  to be broken up because theyve grown too big and dominant.

Also, Schmidts fairly rich romantic life is back in the spotlight. He is married but brings dates to corporate events pretty openly, the New York Times reported. And he is known to have dated at least one Google employee.

In the age of #MeToo and the spotlight on sexual harassment in the workplace, that might be a problem for Alphabet.

A recent report by the Information took a look at Googles culture and noted that its top leaders, including Schmidt and Brin, dated women who worked for the company. In Googles early days, Page dated Marissa Mayer, former Google executive and Yahoo CEO.

Schmidt has long been Google/Alphabets public face. Although he had his share of gaffes  including his famous quote about privacy (If you have something that you dont want anyone to know, maybe you shouldnt be doing it in the first place, which led to much ridicule)  he was the companys resident policy sage and salesman.

At a moment when the world needs to have more conversations with Google about its growing power and influence, my question is not why is Eric stepping down, John Batelle, author of The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture, told the New York Times. Its who is going to fill the void.



2017 The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)

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At least 50,539 New Mexicans signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act during the enrollment period that ended Dec. 15, according to figures released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

That number does not include consumers who enrolled in plans through the early hours of Dec. 16, those who left their contact information at the call center due to high volume, or those who paid premiums to continue their coverage under the act, according to a statement by CMS.

The agency said it plans to release a final enrollment report in March.

Last year, about 55,000 New Mexicans enrolled in plans under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. This year the enrollment period was significantly shorter  six weeks instead of 12  and CMS had a budget of $10 million instead of $100 million for all Affordable Care Act promotional activities throughout the country.

Nationally, 8.8 million people signed up this year through the federal marketplace compared with 9.2 million last year.

The Trump administration, which argues that the Affordable Care Act is an overreach of government powers, has made several attempts to undermine its execution. In addition to shrinking the enrollment period and slashing the promotional budget, the administration cut certain subsidies to health insurance companies that cover low-income people and planned outages of the federal marketplace website, Healthcare.gov, during peak enrollment times.

Last week, Trump signed into law the tax overhaul bill, which includes the repeal of the acts individual mandate. The mandate requires Americans to purchase health insurance or else pay a penalty fee; the Congressional Budget Office estimates that its repeal will lead to an additional 10 million uninsured Americans over the next decade.

The repeal goes into effect in 2019.

This morning, Trump said on Twitter that the repeal of the mandate essentially (over time) repeals Obamacare. But much of the 2010 law remains in place, including protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions and the Medicaid expansion for low-income adults, including more than 200,000 New Mexicans.
A shootout with Roswell police during a SWAT situation left one man dead Tuesday morning, according to police.

Roswell Police Spokesman Todd Wildermuth said the man fired first, shooting at police when the SWAT team tried to arrest him.

He said no officers were injured in the shooting.

3800 block of East Pine Lodge Road.

The suspect barricaded himself in a building and began shooting at police, he said. Thats when police returned fire, killing the man.

Wildermuth said the area is outside the city limits and Chaves County Sheriffs Office deputies were also on scene.

He did not say whether any of those deputies were involved in the shooting.

Wildermuth did not identify the suspect or officers involved. He also didnt say how many officers fired their weapons.

He said the shooting is being investigated by the New Mexico State Police, Chaves County Sheriffs Office, and the Roswell Police Department.
Nearly three of four gun deaths in Wisconsin are suicides, many among rural, white men ages 45 and older, a new study says.

The states proportion of firearm deaths that are suicides  72 percent  is higher than the national average of 60 percent, according to the study by UW-Madison researchers in the Wisconsin Medical Journal.

Though the states overall rate of deaths from guns is lower than the national average, the rate has been on the rise in recent years.

Dr. John Frey, an author of the study, said the findings underscore a federal report last week showing that a surge in deaths from opioid overdoses, along with an uptick in suicides, led to the first two-year drop in life expectancy, in 2015 and 2016, since the early 1960s.

Were doing better at cancer and heart disease, at things that medicine can address, said Frey, a UW professor emeritus of family medicine and medical editor of the Wisconsin Medical Journal. But the society factors that affect length of life are getting worse.

Frey and Wen-Jan Tuan, a data analyst for UWs Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, looked at firearm deaths in the state as the nation marked the five-year anniversary this month of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

From 2000 to 2014, Wisconsin had 6,966 deaths from guns, including 5,020 from suicide, 1,723 from homicide and 223 from other causes, including accidental shootings and police shootings.

Rates of suicides and homicides from firearms inched up during the second half of the period analyzed, and continued to increase in 2015 and 2016, years not covered by the study, Tuan said.

The gun suicide rate was highest among men, whites, people age 45 and older and residents in the northern part of the state, which is the most rural of five regions.

The rate was lowest in the southeastern region, the most urban.

Suicides among older rural white men could stem from a shortage of mental health services in small towns, and reflect social isolation and displeasure about economic or social conditions, Frey said.

Theres a disintegration of community, he said. In many ways, suicide is an act of anger.

Doctors look for risk factors for suicide among patients, but I think were doing a lousy job of that, Frey said.

Electronic medical records potentially could help doctors track a significant risk factor: people living by themselves.

But theres no field for lives alone, he said.

The Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission assesses homicides in an attempt to curb them.

The same approach could be applied to rural suicides, Frey said.

Its kind of an epidemic that is invisible, he said. It has such a stigma, so people dont talk about it.

From 2000 to 2014, southeastern Wisconsin had 1,381 gun homicides, 80 percent of the states total.

Black men were 20 times more likely to die from homicides involving firearms than white men, with black women three times more likely than white women.

Suicides among older rural white men and homicides among younger urban black men might seem like disparate problems. But they involve similar factors, including poverty, job insecurity and lack of education, Frey said.

Both of these issues have to do with factors in communities, what we call social determinants of health, he said.
December 26, 2017

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  For two young Palestinian designers, inspiration came from objects close to home: a pistachio and an olive leaf.

Ahmad al-Zoum and Saher Abdel Hamid, both 20 years old, are the winners of the Arab Student Starpack Award in the Structural Packaging category for Palestine. The contest, organized jointly by the UN Industrial Development Organization and Lebanese packaging center Libanpack, is the first regional packaging competition in the Arab World for Arab university students.

As the winners from Palestine, they are now eligible to compete for the wider WorldStar Awards. The judging is currently underway and the winners will be announced in January.

The two students were informed about the contest by Mohammed al-Halabi, their graphic design instructor at the Gaza Community/Training College, and entered the contest together with six other students in the college. The entrants faced tough competition from other Palestinian participants studying for bachelor's and master's degrees.

Zoum was inspired by the shape of "fustuq halabi," Arabic for "pistachios of Aleppo," whose shells crack open into two parts. So he created packaging for nuts that divides into two parts  one for the nuts and the other for disposing the shells without littering. I designed a creative box for nuts with a separate compartment for shells to facilitate shell disposal in public places, he told Al-Monitor.

Abdel Hamid created an attractive cover for olive oil bottles. I created an oil package that would prevent oil from dripping, in the shape of a beautiful olive tree leaf, Abdel Hamid told Al-Monitor.

Halabi told Al-Monitor that the students produced original ideas to meet local needs.

The competition urged the students to come up with a new or improved packaging design for existing products using sustainable materials. The two students used recyclable cardboards. They sent off their work and waited about three months before they were informed of their victory by email in February.

Abdel Hamid was sitting in a coffee shop when his friend Zoum called him to tell him that he had won the competition and finished first in Palestine, urging him to check his email. When Abdel Hamid saw that he won second prize, he jumped up shouting, startling the people around him. He left the coffee shop eager to travel to Lebanon.

The two men were supposed to go with their project supervisor to the Lebanese capital Beirut last May to attend the ceremony honoring the winners, but they could not.

The students did not have passports, and the process of issuing passports requires a long time given the complicated means of coordination between Gaza and the West Bank and the difficulty of leaving the Gaza Strip through the closed crossings, so we couldnt make it to the ceremony, Halabi said. A representative from the Palestinian Embassy in Lebanon received the awards on their behalf.

Despite their victory, Abdel Hamid and Zoum were disappointed as they failed to make it to Lebanon to receive the awards themselves.

We would have liked to go to Lebanon to participate in the ceremony, to meet our judges and fellow participants and enjoy a well-deserved celebration, but we couldnt, Zoum said.

Abdel Hamid added, I was hoping to be able to travel. I really wanted to visit the exhibition held following the ceremony to check out the creative designs and chat with the designers and draw inspiration from the creative ideas that come from many countries of the Arab world.

Asked whether they would start working as freelance designers, the two students, who graduated a few months ago, said that design jobs are more commercial than truly creative, and companies that employ designers are not interested in original and unique designs.

Despite a statement on the school's website by director Jamil Hamad, who wrote of an urgent need for their specialization in universities "because the market requires it, the two young designers noted that need does not necessarily translate into demand. According to Hamad, the Gaza Strip faces a decline in investment opportunities and a scarcity of resources, leading a large number of enterprises to neglect to cultivate new talent. In these harsh conditions, artists are further constrained by utilitarian approaches with no room for creativity.

At a time when creative people find no interest in their talent and potential, these innovators remain scarce and most of them are forced to find whatever freelance work they can. Even when they can find full-time employment, designer salaries in Gaza range between 500 and 2,500 shekels a month [$143-$716], Halabi said.
December 26, 2017

Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Irans relations with Europe mostly remained intact at the economic and at times political level. But in terms of military cooperation, there were almost no ties whatsoever. However, the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015 created an environment that encouraged Tehran to also push for military cooperation with its European counterparts.

Looking back, there have been very few instances in history when the two sides have actually engaged in military cooperation. On the contrary, the Europeans imposed an arms embargo on Tehran when the Iran-Iraq War began in 1980. It is for this very reason that the idea of Tehran and Brussels working together at the military level has seemed taboo in the past decades.

One example of a rare case when the two sides engaged in military partnership was in 2005, when the National Iranian Police Organization bought 800 HS50 sniper rifles from Austria in an 8 million British pound order. The deal was in aid of Irans war on drug trafficking from neighboring Afghanistan, when former Reformist President Mohammad Khatami was in office and the country enjoyed warmer relations with Europe. The United States did not approve of this partnership and showed a harsh response, threatening to sanction companies that sold any form of military equipment to Iran.

When Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became president in 2005, not only was there no military or political cooperation with Europe, but all economic ties with the West also came to a near halt.

Upon taking office in 2013, the administration of President Hassan Rouhani sought to change this trajectory by promising to resolve the nuclear issue, which had turned into a security matter. The signing of the JCPOA allowed Iran to present itself as a provider of security in the region by seeking to expand its ties with all world countries, and especially those in Europe.

In an interview with Khabar Online in February 2016, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif explained, If Iran can present itself as a producer [and not consumer] of security in the region, the cost of implementing hostile measures against it [Iran] will significantly increase.

Of course, achieving this goal is not an easy task. One approach could be to find ways of developing military ties with European countries, especially those that already enjoy better economic relations with Tehran. It was perhaps with this in mind that Iran has turned its focus to countries such as Italy.

While visiting Tehran in September 2016, a high-ranking Italian military delegation met with Iranian Navy Commander Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari to discuss the development of ties. Later the same month, the Italian navy frigate Euro docked in the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas to stage a joint military drill. The exercise was held in the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Sept. 27 that year.

Only weeks afterward, on Oct. 17, Sayyari attended the 11th Venice Regional Seapower Symposium for the Navies of the Mediterranean and Black Sea Countries in Italy. The Iranian commander attended the gathering as a special guest at the official invitation of Italian navy officials. His visit marked the first trip by an Iranian military commander to a European country since 1979. After addressing the gathering on Oct. 18, Sayyari met with several foreign navy officials from Spain, Portugal, Greece, Bulgaria and Croatia on the sidelines of the symposium to discuss military cooperation.

Commenting on his meetings in Italy, Sayyari said, The talks at this symposium were very global in nature. We discussed the establishment of security in international waters. We also held official meetings with the navy commanders of seven countries. Many of these countries expressed interest in expanding relations with Iran in terms of preservation, restoration and the development of equipment as well as in staging joint exercises. We also exchanged our experiences in the area during the war with Iraq.

Mahdi Bakhtiari, an Iranian military expert, told Al-Monitor, Iran and Europe did have military cooperation in the past, but this was basically halted under US pressure. For example, to build ships, we reached and even signed an agreement to import engines from Germany. However, they refrained from giving the engines to us. The current obstacle toward military cooperation between Iran and Europe are UN Security Council resolutions. This is while Iran welcomes the expansion of military cooperation with Europe.

However, achieving this goal seems very challenging, especially given Europes increasing pressures on Iran over its ballistic missile program. Many European leaders have voiced concern and called for negotiations over the matter, while Tehran has consistently reiterated that its missile program is only for defensive purposes and is non-negotiable.

In this vein, Bakhtiari told Al-Monitor, Although the debate over the missiles has added to the already existing challenges, the presence of an Italian warship in Iran was a positive sign. This is not to mention that based on official announcements by Irans navy commander, a naval vessel is to be dispatched from Iran to Italy and even Spain. This will cause Iranian ships to travel to Spain through the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic. All of this, and especially the coming and going of frigates to different countries, are all good signs of military relations and particularly between the countries navies.

It seems that Iran is aware that engaging in military cooperation with leading European powers is not possible at this stage. As such, it has sought out middle-level European countries such as Italy and Spain, which had adopted less politicized stances against Iran during the era when sanctions were imposed over the nuclear program and which also maintained some cooperation with Tehran.
December 23, 2017

The papers reported that two rockets fired from Gaza on Dec. 18 had landed in the Israeli border town of Sderot and in a community south of the coastal city of Ashkelon, causing damage but no casualties. The next item read that Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said while touring the Gaza border region the following day that the government had known there would be a cost for US President Donald Trumps Dec. 6 recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Such things appear to have a price thats worth paying, the minister said, not forgetting to praise the optimism and high spirits of area residents.

The same day, Liberman declared his full backing for the soldiers who displayed restraint when a 16-year-old Palestinian girl, Ahed Tamimi, slapped them recently in what some quarters claim was an effort to provoke a response. The soldiers proved that the Israel Defense Forces are an ethical army guided by moral values, he said.

Tamimi is one of 45,000 Palestinian minors arrested by Israel during its 50-year occupation of the West Bank. Some 64% of them reported being beaten during their detention, according to data issued this week by Military Court Watch, an organization that monitors the detention of children by the Israeli military. The Israeli troops who subsequently arrested Tamimi were high school students themselves until a few months ago. Many of their fellows who detained Palestinian minors during their military service bear emotional scars caused by their experiences as soldiers. A few bare their souls to Breaking the Silence, an Israeli organization opposed to the occupation, or join the group in an effort to ease their distress. Others carry with them the trauma, often unaware of it or its consequences.

Let us start with the price paid by the Israeli children living in the constant shadow of rockets and mortar shells from Gaza  for example, Ido Gabbay from Sderot. Gabbay spends most of his time in the family homes secure room and almost never leaves his house. During one of his anxiety attacks, triggered by the thunder of overflying fighter jets, he used a pen to pierce his skin until he bled.

Maozia Segal, director of social services of the Hof Ashkelon local council, described in an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth how children can experience flashbacks every time they hear a rocket fall or a siren warning of incoming rockets. Educational psychologist Tamar Lavie, director of community services at NATAL, the Israeli Trauma and Resilience Center, described in the same article how little things can set off residents emotional distress. Triggers can include a news report about growing tension in the region, planes taking off from a nearby military base and certainly the firing of Qassam rockets and warning sirens. The continued conflict with no resolution in sight undermines the recovery process, she added. Lavie talked about children and teens afraid to sleep alone in their beds, take a shower with the door closed or stay home alone, children who revert to bed-wetting or cling to their parents, who dont dare go far from home or walk around by themselves for fear that terrorists could reach their communities and even their homes.

Similar incidents, also with no casualties reported, occur in the West Bank as well. There, too, children pay the price that Liberman and his friends in the government and the Israeli West Bank settlements think is worth paying. Do these government ministers ask themselves what 13-year-old Israeli children go through when they are taken on a Bar Mitzvah trip near a Palestinian village, as occurred on Nov. 30, and come under a hail of stones thrown by angry Palestinian residents and have to hide in a cave until Israeli troops rescue them? One of the boys, Avitzur Libman, recalled, All the children started crying and saying Shema Israel,' referring to the prayer that Jews utter when facing death. Israel will be paying for years, with compounded interest, the heavy price of the post-traumatic stress to which politicians like Liberman are condemning future generations.

The suffering of Israeli children is nothing compared to that inflicted on Palestinian children by the conflict between the adults. According to a 2015 study published in the British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioral Science, children were the most vulnerable group during the fighting that raged between Israel and Gaza in the summer of 2014. Four of 10 Gaza children have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and 30.9% with anxiety disorders. Israeli psychologist Mohammed Mansour, who visits Gaza as a volunteer for the Israeli organization Physicians for Human Rights, told Haaretz, All the children in Gaza have wounds from the blows they give and receive. Over a third of children aged 5 to 13 he met in the Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza reported sexual abuse. In Gazas harsh climate of tension and violence, many parents suffer trauma and depression themselves and are unable to support their children, protect them or provide their most basic needs.

Politicians, who think a meaningless declaration by an American president is worth the suffering of Israeli children, cannot be expected to display empathy for the suffering of Palestinian ones. However, they should be expected to understand that a Palestinian boy from Gaza whose mother is killed by an Israeli mortar shell in front of his eyes is a ticking time bomb threatening the children of the neighboring Israeli town of Sderot. His trauma as a child will be surely translated into anger and hate as an adult. The study published in the British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioral Science found that 91.4% of the children interviewed said their religious beliefs were a source of strength for them. It doesn't take an expert on terrorism to predict that many of them will eventually sign up for service in Hamas or another movement in Gaza.

Psychologist Shafiq Massalha, who studied the dreams of Palestinian children, wrote that his findings raise troubling questions regarding their mental health, their view of the world in which they live and the manner in which they perceive Israelis. The hardships experienced by the current generation of Palestinians, Massalha adds, as reflected in the dreams he studied, raise the question of whether there will be any room left for reconciliation and the creation of normative relations between the two people. Will the perpetuation of the current state of things widen the gap between the sides, what experiences will have to be nurtured in order to bridge this gap and how long it will take? Until then, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian and Israeli children will keep paying the price for the nationalist and religious fanaticism of the politicians  grown men and women willing to sell the fate of future generations for a pittance.
December 26, 2017

The last official border crossing between Lebanon and Syria that was closed because of the war reopened on Dec. 14.

Welcome to Bashar al-Assads Syria is posted on a sign visible to travelers exiting Lebanon. The Lebanese and Syrians are one people that live in two brotherly lands.

On the day following the opening of the border crossing, the road on the Lebanese side remained decidedly empty, apart from a few vans going back and forth between fields where Syrian refugees work. Since the war in Syria began in 2011, the number of refugees has swollen to 30,000 in Qaa and its surroundings, according to Bashir Matar, the mayor of Qaa, the closest Lebanese town to the border.

Taxi drivers like Souhair Wannous, who decided to try out the Qaa-Joussieh crossing, are rare. I left Syria this morning, and Im on my way back now, he told Al-Monitor. Every day, Wannous drives between Homs, just half an hour away into Syria from the border, and Chtaura, one of the main cities of the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. Using this crossing instead of the one he normally uses just north of the Lebanese town of Tripoli enables Wannous to cut a six-hour trip down to 3 hours.

Its more comfortable like that, Wahib Batikh, a Syrian house painter from Homs, told Al-Monitor. Batikh, who paid roughly $65 for the journey, travels to Lebanon every month to shop for goods that cannot be found in Syria. This kind of muassel [a tobacco mix specifically made for shishas] does not exist back home, he said, showing a pack that he bought in Lebanon.

The Chtaura-Homs road used to be a busy artery, with hundreds, if not thousands, of cars crossing the border every day. But clashes between different rebel groups operating from Syria and the Lebanese army forced its closure. In July 2016, a wave of suicide attacks in Qaa killed five people. The Lebanese army finally kicked out the remaining fighters this summer, with help from Hezbollah, a Lebanese political party that fights alongside Assad. All five official border crossings between Lebanon and Syria are now open and controlled by the Syrian regime.

Today, the Qaa border crossing stands right at the Syrian border, whereas it used to be 11 kilometers (7 miles) farther inland, at the entrance of the town. It shows that we control our land right up to the border, Matar told Al-Monitor.

Locals hope that a return of traffic will stimulate the local economy. People need a few months to get used to using this border crossing again. Hopefully, the situation will be back to normal in a year, local policeman Elie Matar said, although he recognizes that the situation needs to calm down first in Syria.

The Bekaa Valley is one of Lebanons poorest regions and houses a disproportionate number of Syrian refugees compared to the rest of the country because of its proximity to the border. There are a little under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, of whom roughly 350,000 live in the Bekaa Valley. However, Lebanese officials believe that the number of Syrians that fled to Lebanon because of the war is closer to 1.5 or 2 million people.

But most Syrians Al-Monitor spoke to on the Lebanese side of the border were in no hurry to return to Syria. I cant go back, Mohammad Azzo said. He comes from Nizarieh, a town just on the other side of the border. You think the situation is safe? That the war is over?

Azzo would not explain exactly why he is afraid of going back to Syria. Nizarieh, only a few minutes away from Qusair, came to the worlds attention in 2013 when Hezbollah helped troops loyal to Assad retake the town. It is a well-known fact that Qusair has become a critical hub for Hezbollah outside Lebanon, Aram Nerguizian, a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Al-Monitor.

Homs, located roughly 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Qusair, is nearly entirely under government control, except for a small stretch of territory. The rebels in the Rastan-Talbiseh pocket have negotiated agreements with loyalist forces and with the Russians, but the cease-fires remain brittle and the humanitarian situation is dire, Aron Lund, a fellow with The Century Foundation, wrote to Al-Monitor in an email.

As a result, only pro-Assad Syrians seem to be using the crossing for the moment. We love our leader, and we hope our army will end this war quickly, Batikh told Al-Monitor before he started its journey again to Homs in his taxi. The reopening of the border gives us hope. It means that the Syrian and the Lebanese states are present.

Those who are tempted to go home are still wary of the economic situation back in Syria. Askar, a young agricultural worker, fled Homs to Qaa several years ago with 100 extended family members. [God willing] we will go home soon. But there are still problems. We will not be able to live like before. For now, the situation is still better in Lebanon, as I can find work here, he told Al-Monitor.

His colleague, Khaled, is Lebanese but married to a Syrian refugee from Yabroud. Their son, Ahmad, is 5 years old and was born in Syria during a family visit, just before the Qaa border closed. They have never been back. Hes only ever seen Syria on television, said Khaled. Now that the road to Yabroud has become safer, maybe Ahmad can meet his Syrian family.
December 22, 2017

According to the Libyan Political Agreement signed in Morocco on Dec. 17, 2015, Libya should have held its referendum on its new constitution as well as legislative and presidential elections by now. By this time, the Government of National Accord (GNA) should have already been replaced by an elected one. The GNA was formed under the leadership of Fayez al-Sarraj specifically to achieve the goals stated in the UN-brokered deal that gave the country an internationally recognized government  but little else.

However, the second anniversary of the agreement has come and gone, and none of these goals were achieved. The GNA is still there after UN envoy Ghassan Salame attempted and failed to get the GNA in Tripoli and its rival government in Tobruk to agree to certain amendments to the agreement's core articles so it would be acceptable to both sides of the political divide. And after three rounds of talks in Tunis in October 2017, political rivals could not agree on the proposed amendments, thus halting the political progress necessary to move the country forward to national elections.

Libyan strongman Gen. Khalifa Hifter declared in a televised speech Dec. 17, The Libyan armed forces will never be under the leadership of any unelected body, but will always respond to the Libyan peoples orders. Hifter did not say whether he will run in the upcoming elections, but he was clear that the GNA has failed and it should go.

But the GNA stayed, as the UN Security Council also issued a statement on Dec. 17 reiterating the councils support for the GNA as the only legitimate government in the divided country.

Salame found himself unable to proceed according to his plan to form a new transitional government for Libya and secure an amended agreement that would make the document part of Libya's interim constitution. This pushed Salame to propose new elections sometime next spring. Libya will continue to have two governments for at least a few more months. The Tripoli-based GNA is unable to do much, prompting doubt as to whether it will be able to run smooth and peaceful elections when the time comes. Its Tobruk-based rival is even more hopeless. Both governments have little to offer to alleviate the daily misery of the people they are supposed to serve, and it is not clear if Hifter is going to accept elections in eastern Libya, which he controls.

Despite the political mess, the lawlessness and the daily difficulties facing its people, the country is now gearing up for its third elections since NATO helped topple its longtime leader, Moammar Gadhafi, who was killed by rebels as he tried to flee his hometown of Sirte on Oct. 20, 2011.

The obvious question is how could elections be fair in a country where there is no central government, where hatred still consumes many and where the rival governments can hardly maintain security in territories supposedly under their control?

Above all that, Libya is still being threatened by different terror activities. The elected mayor of Misrata, Mohamad Eshtewi, was kidnapped and assassinated on Dec. 18 as he left Misratas airport returning from an official visit to Turkey. No one has claimed responsibility so far and the investigation is still underway. His death shocked many since it happened in Misrata, which has been one of the few secure cities in war-ravaged Libya.

Logistical challenges remain a serious problem, though the High National Election Commission might still have enough time to prepare. Libya is a very large country with a scattered population, particularly along its long northern coastline. The lawless southern region is even more challenging. It's home to all kinds of illegal activities, including human trafficking, smuggling and kidnapping for ransom. Even if the logistical electoral infrastructure were safely in place, it is difficult to see how the actual elections process would be secured.

Another hurdle for the elections is the election law itself. Under the current law, dual citizens are able to vote, even though dual citizenship is widely forbidden. The 2010 legislation that is still in effect annuls the Libyan citizenship of any Libyan who acquires another citizenship without government approval.

Yet the High National Election Commission has already kick-started the voter registration process.

Salame appears to believe that elections are the quickest and best way to stabilize the country he is supposed to help get back on its own feet. His original plan was based on obvious needs like stabilizing the country and making some progress on the national reconciliation process before any elections could take place. He has apparently changed tack by going straight for elections to speed up the stabilization and reconciliation processes.

Salame could be right, but holding elections under such circumstances is a big gamble.
December 26, 2017

The eastern Mediterranean is expected to witness the first conflict of 2018, as developments at the end of 2017 are signaling worsening relationships between Turkey and the Greek Cypriot-Greece-Israel-Egypt bloc. Territorial disputes over natural gas and newly discovered hydrocarbon reserves in the eastern Mediterranean basin are the reason.

Up until a few years ago, the hope was that these hydrocarbon reserves would offer a real opportunity for a peaceful settlement of the Cyprus conflict. But these optimistic hopes vanished with both Turks and Greek Cypriots unilaterally speeding up exploration and drilling operations.

In 2004, the European Union had declared the Greek Cypriots the sole entity representing the island of Cyprus and accepted it as an EU member. Feeling that its hand has been strengthened following the EU decision, the Greek Cypriots claimed the right of natural resources exploration in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) around Cyprus.

Turkey, however, has been insisting that the Greek Cypriot administration in Nicosia cannot unilaterally adopt laws regarding the exploitation of natural resources on behalf of the entire island, as it doesnt represent the Turkish Cypriots. Also, there is a separate disputed EEZ between Turkey and Greece in the eastern Mediterranean  another point of tension in the conflict.

Ankara reacted strongly to the Greek Cypriots' natural gas drilling efforts in July. The Turkish army dispatched a frigate in the eastern Mediterranean to "monitor a drilling ship that is believed to have begun searching for oil and gas off ethnically divided Cyprus despite Turkey's objections, The Associated Press reported.

On Nov. 20, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited Greek Cypriot for a trilateral meeting in Nicosia to discuss hydrocarbon resources in the region. In addition to Egypts president, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras also participated in the meeting, which was hosted by Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades. The Turkish Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, declared the outcome of the trilateral meeting to be null and void."

However, despite Turkeys opposition, drillship Saipem 12000 sailed to carry out exploration and drilling operations on behalf of French TOTAL and Italian ENI companies in the Calypso region between March 1 and Dec. 26 in accordance with an agreement reached during the trilateral summit.

Moreover, Italy, Greece, Greek Cypriot and Israel had already agreed on the construction of a gas pipeline from newly discovered fields. The project  dubbed East-Med  will cost some $6 billion. An over 2,000-kilometer-long (1,243-mile-long) pipeline will channel offshore reserves in the Levantine basin to Greece and Italy.

The East-Med project could be interpreted as an effort to form a regional alliance between Greek Cypriot and Greece to confront Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean. The Greek Cypriots and Greece also signed a separate agreement with Israel to channel natural gas reserves in the Mediterranean basin via an undersea pipeline. Italys participation in this project didnt come as a surprise, as Italy has already been exploring natural gas in the Mediterranean on behalf of the Greeks. The undersea pipeline is expected to channel natural gas from Israels Leviathan Basin and Greece's 12th plot  also called Aphrodite  to Crete, and then to Europe via Greece.

On Dec. 5, the energy ministers of Greece, Greek Cypriot and Israel and the Italian ambassador to Greek Cypriot signed an accord in Nicosia on the construction of the East-Med pipeline. The participation of EU representatives in the ceremony indicated Brussels support for the project.

In 2017, the Greek Cypriots, Israel and Greece conducted three joint exercises in March, June and November. At the beginning of November 2017, Greece and Egypt held a joint naval exercise for the first time in quite a while.

In response, Ankara initiated its own moves and issued a navigational telex to reserve an area for military exercises. The area covers the disputed sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth blocs that the Greek Cypriots had declared as their EEZ. Ankaras declaration came at a time when Saipem 12000 arrived in the Mediterranean.

Also, the Turkish army has kept some of its forces in the eastern Mediterranean following NATOs Standing Maritime Task Force exercise, which was conducted Nov. 7-16. The Turkish navys TCG Gediz and TCG Barbaros frigates; the TCG Kalkan, TCG Mizrak, TCG Bora and TCG Meltem gunboats; the TCG Akar fuel tanker; and four underwater commando teams are still in the sixth bloc.

In 2018, Turkey will have its first brand-new drilling vessel, the Deepsea Metro II. According to navigation data, the ship left Norway's Hoylandsbygda port some two weeks ago and is currently sailing west of Portugal. It is expected to arrive in Turkey on Dec. 31. The critical question now is whether the Turkish navy will be providing military escorts for the new drilling vessel.

If the Deepsea Metro II is to be escorted by a Turkish navy fleet while sailing to the sixth bloc, then the affair is bound to heat up. In the meantime, the Nicosia administration also announced that drilling operations in its EEZ would begin Dec. 30 and that Saipem 12000 would join the operations as well.

Now the question is whether Turkeys Deepsea Metro II and Saipem 12000 and naval fleets escorting them will confront each other in the disputed sixth bloc.

One should also consider domestic developments in relevant countries when trying to measure the extent of a possible crisis. A possible hydrocarbon crisis is an excellent domestic political issue that all governments can use to consolidate their nationalist support base.

In sum  and in comparison to 2017  one will witness more eventful scenes in the eastern Mediterranean in 2018. The only actor that could mediate between Ankara and Nicosia is not Washington but Moscow, the new shining star of the Middle East.
ONTARIO  Naomi Lamb, 94, of Ontario died Saturday, Dec. 23, 2017, in Black River Falls. Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 30, at Ontario Gospel Hall, with burial with military honors at Hilltop Rest Cemetery, both in Ontario. Relatives and friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Sonnenburg Family Funeral Home, Tomah, and prior to services Saturday at the church.
Google is set to start opening new stores in India with the goal of promoting the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, its latest pair of Android flagships which officially debuted in the South Asian country in mid-November, The Economic Times reported Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the companys plans. The claim is in line with Googles recent comments on the matter as its Hardware Product Management VP Mario Queiroz and Hardware SVP Rick Osterloh both previously said the company is looking to target offline retail channels in India, though such plans have yet to fully materialize even six weeks after the two handsets were already commercialized in the country.

Not all of the newly cited sources are suggesting Googles brick-and-mortar ambitions in India will be targeted at promoting the Pixel 2 devices specifically, with one insider claiming the Alphabet-owned tech giant isnt seeking to open physical retail locations in the country before late 2018. In that scenario, the stores would likely be primarily selling the Pixel 3 flagships and not Googles 2017 offerings. The planned shops themselves are described as experience centers reminiscent of Apple and Xiaomis retail locations, with Googles reported goal being financing outlets where consumers would be able to try out its products without any pressure and interact with its consumer electronics at their own pace. The Internet juggernaut already experimented with such a strategy in recent weeks, albeit on a significantly smaller scale, having opened a number of temporary pop-up stores across the country, mostly in major shopping malls. As such locations are said to have significantly boosted Pixel 2 sales, Google is reportedly preparing a much larger, long-term commitment to India. Besides handsets, the same stores would also be showcasing and selling other Google-made products like the companys Daydream headsets, Home-branded smart speakers, Pixelbook Chromebooks, and Chromecasts, according to the same report.

The actual number of stores Google is planning on opening in India remains unclear, though at least two major shopping malls in the country are said to have already received requests for store space offers from the U.S. company. Malls in cities like New Delhi and Mumbai that previously hosted Googles pop-up stores are the likeliest candidates for its upcoming centers. The logistics side of the equation is an even bigger unknown as sources werent able to tell whether Google intends to operate its Indian stores like franchises or mimic Apple and apply for a single-brand retailing license which would represent a commitment thats more long-term in nature. While the Pixel flagships can hardly compete with aggressively priced mobile devices in India, the country remains a lucrative proposition for Google and every other phone maker due to its sheer size and the rapid growth its been experiencing in recent years.
The Face Unlock feature of the OnePlus 5T thats also making its way to the OnePlus 5 may infringe on certain patents owned by Sensible Vision, a Florida-based security solutions company, MySmartPrice reported earlier this month, citing Sensible Vision co-founder and Chief Executive Officer George Brostoff. The entrepreneur claims the Chinese phone maker might have infringed on one or more patents held by the U.S. firm, noting that Face Unlock is far from a revolutionary technology and something Sensible Vision has been offering for years. Based on the companys advertising materials promoting Face Unlock, Mr. Brostoff believes the firm is at the very least infringing on Sensible Visions patent detailing its face illumination technology and may also be in other violations.

The U.S. security systems provider didnt license its solutions to either OnePlus or its Chinese parts suppliers and has previously contacted its legal representatives over the matter, though a patent infringement lawsuit presently seems unlikely. The protected illumination technology referenced by Mr. Brostoff encompasses a technique of utilizing a smartphone screen in order to lighten up a users face and facilitate the process of identifying it using the front-facing camera of the same device. Sensible Visions solutions in question are understood to only be protected in the United States and as OnePlus is a Chinese company with a small stateside presence, any legal action against it likely wouldnt be financially beneficial to the provider of authentication systems even if it was able to prove patent infringement in court, according to some industry watchers.

In a later comment on the matter, Mr. Brostoff suggested Sensible Vision is much more likely to name OnePlus as a customer than a defendant in the near future, though the two companies presently dont have a working relationship. That may change in the future as the Guangdong, Shenzhen-based phone maker recently started placing a larger focus on the U.S. and even held the first stateside product launch event in its history earlier this summer, having officially announced the OnePlus 5T in New York City. Face Unlock is also expected to be a selling point of the OnePlus 6 which is likely to hit the market by late spring or early summer, according to recent reports.
HMD Global shipped over 16 million Nokia phones over the course of the third quarter of the year and was the eighth most successful vendor in the world by that metric, as suggested by new data compiled by Counterpoint Research. The Finnish company can attribute the majority of its success to feature phones like the Nokia 3310 (2017) which account for 13.5 million of its Q3 shipments, making HMD the third largest feature phone manufacturer on the planet. The firms smartphone business has still been growing, being estimated to have shipped 2.8 million Android-powered Nokia handsets over the same period, according to the same source.

Counterpoint Research explains the success of HMDs mobile efforts as a combination of multiple factors, most importantly the strong sentimental value of the brand coupled with its aggressively priced and extremely value-oriented offerings which enjoyed a positive reception in nearly every market where they debuted. The firm still has a long way to go in regards to smartphones as it was only the 16th largest vendor in the segment based on Q3 data. Even cracking the top ten in the Android space would likely be more beneficial to HMD than establishing itself as the worlds largest feature phone maker as traditional handsets ship with slim profit margins. The company still has a lot of reasons for optimism and remains on course to sell more than ten million Android devices in its first year of being a global smartphone player, i.e. by spring. Nokia-branded smartphones had their international debut at Mobile World Congress 2017 and the next iteration of the Barcelona, Spain-based trade show is also expected to see the introduction of new phone offerings from the Finnish firm.

HMD is already competing across virtually every mobile segment, starting from feature phones and entry-level Android handsets like the Nokia 2 and Nokia 3 to various mid-range offerings such as the Nokia 6 and Nokia 7. The companys first flagship launched in late summer in the form of the Nokia 8 and is already rumored as being set for a follow-up in early 2018. Besides the Nokia 8 (2018), the company is also said to be working on a relatively bezel-free Nokia 9.
Samsungs Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus will be released in early March, shortly after their February announcement thats expected to come at the next iteration of Mobile World Congress, South Korean outlet ET News reported on Tuesday, citing industry sources. The development suggests Samsung may be shortening its flagship pre-order period that traditionally runs for approximately a month, as was the case with the last several generations of the companys premium offerings. Should the Seoul-based tech giant truly decide on releasing the Galaxy S9 lineup in early March, consumers may not have more than a couple of weeks time to place advanced orders on the firms high-end mobile devices.

The report doesnt go into any details regarding the reasoning for Samsungs supposed decision to not stick with its usual flagship release pattern and make the Galaxy S9 lineup available for purchase in late March, though the commercial performance of its existing Android devices isnt likely to have majorly contributed to the development. According to recent reports, the South Korean phone maker completed all research and prototyping of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus ahead of internal expectations and already had a successful trial production run of its new offerings in October, whereas its part suppliers and manufacturing operations would both allow for a global release of the devices as early as January. That state of affairs is also what prompted rumors about the Galaxy S9 lineup making an appearance at CES 2018, though Samsung already downplayed that possibility earlier this month. Instead, the company is said to be extremely pleased with the performance of both the Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S8 series and is still counting on strong sales of its 2017 flagships in the first quarter of 2018.

According to the same report, the Galaxy S9 lineup will feature a stacked board design reminiscent of the one Apple utilized for the iPhone X. The layout visualized below would allow Samsung to save additional space compared to relying on a more traditional motherboard and be left with more room that would most likely be used for equipping its next-generation Android smartphones with larger batteries. Finally, sources reiterated that only the 6.2-inch Galaxy S9 Plus is set to feature a dual-camera setup, whereas its 5.8-inch counterpart is expected to provide a user experience thats largely identical to the one offered by its direct predecessor.
Xiaomis Internet of Things offerings sold as part of the Home product family surpassed ten million sales on a global level earlier this month, the Chinese original equipment manufacturer announced on Christmas. The milestone was reached approximately three years after Xiaomi fully committed itself to the IoT segment and signals the companys diversification strategy is largely working as intended. While the Beijing, China-based firm originally broke into the consumer electronics market as a smartphone startup, it soon ended up expanding to IoT devices like smart speakers, thermostats, and robot vacuum cleaners, though the majority of such products are still sold exclusively in its home country.

A smaller number of Xiaomi-made IoT devices are also available in India, the companys most important foreign market where its currently close to surpassing Samsung as the largest local smartphone vendor, according to recent estimates. Besides diversifying its business, Xiaomi sees the IoT space as an opportunity to strengthen its brand and indirectly promote its core offerings  Android handsets. While its IoT and artificial intelligence efforts are largely reliant on its own proprietary technologies, the company recently established a major partnership with Baidu that will see the two collaborate on a broad range of related solutions including machine learning, computer vision, and voice recognition. As Xiaomis ambitions in the IoT space continue growing, the company is expected to bring its Internet-enabled home products to more markets around the world.

Following several years of disappointing performance, Xiaomi now finally managed to recapture most of its 2014 momentum when it was deemed the most valuable startup on the planet by various investors. Besides being likely to overtake Samsung in India, the company has also been doing a better job of competing with local rivals in its home country over the course of this year. Furthermore, Xiaomi is currently negotiating with a number of major wireless carriers in the United States over retailing its smartphones in the country, according to recent reports. Such aggressive diversification endeavors coupled with strong growth in existing markets are both expected to lead to the largest tech IPO in 2018 as Xiaomi is now expected to go public in the next 12 months with a valuation of at least $50 billion.
Xiaomis Mi 7 Android flagship may boast advanced three-dimensional face recognition solution, according to a recent rumor originating from the companys home country of China. While a number of Xiaomis domestic rivals are presently committing significant resources to commercializing in-screen fingerprint readers, one of the worlds most valuable startups is instead prioritizing a technology thats more akin to Apples Face ID which debuted with the iPhone X earlier this fall. The Beijing-based original equipment manufacturer is reportedly developing the solution in partnership with Qualcomm, Truly Opto-Electronics, and Himax Technologies.

Xiaomis 3D face recognition is said to be relying on proprietary hardware and while its rumored to debut with the Mi 7, it will likely be adopted by multiple devices from the company planned to be released next year, provided it exists. While Apple presented Face ID as a replacement for fingerprint readers, most industry watchers believe the firm will return to such sensors as soon as its able to embed them into mobile display panels. A number of other Chinese tech giants like Huawei and Vivo are presently said to be prioritizing in-screen sensors over 3D face recognition systems, though premium mobile devices are expected to eventually support both types of authentication solutions. Samsungs efforts to commercialize optical fingerprint readers have been widely reported in recent times yet the South Korean company is now also said to be closer to delivering an advanced iris and face scanning platform than an in-screen scanner.

The Chinese phone maker already confirmed its next Android flagship will be powered by the Snapdragon 845, Qualcomms latest and greatest system-on-chip announced earlier this month. The device is also said to ship with a 5.65-inch 18:9 display panel and a dual-camera setup, in addition to running Android 8.0 Oreo-based MIUI 9.0 out of the box. Much like the tall image format coupled with slim bezels ended up being the defining feature of premium smartphones released over the course of this year, new authentication mechanisms such as 3D face recognition and in-screen fingerprint readers are expected to be one of the main selling points of 2018 flagships. Xiaomi is likely to announce the Mi 7 in April, approximately a year after debuting its direct predecessor.
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Two things make this possible, which are balance and power delivery. The RS3 of old had huge tires at the front to cope with all the weight and torque of the 2.5-liter engine. However, this 2018 model features a more balanced sedan body and an aluminum block that's lighter.Also, thesystem can send more than 50% of the power to the rear wheels, unlike those in the regularcars. And we're talking about a lot of power here, 400and 480 Nm of torque from just 1,700rpm.It would be nice if the RS3 sedan could do this even in the dry, like we've seen the Focus RS manage. But it's nice to know that if you're in this particular Audi model and you stop an empty, snow-covered parking lot, there's some fun to be had.You're also looking at one of the fastest, if not the fastest, cars in this segment. The official 0 to 62 time of 4.1 seconds is good, but we've seen it perform much better in the real world, not to mention crushingin a few drag races. Heck, a decade ago, you'd probably be introducing this as a supercar.Other things people don't often talk about are the 370mm rotors and 8-piston calipers at the front of the car. You've got to love having that on the daily commuter.Americans love to complain that European get all the cool car. Well, not anymore, as this snow drifter is available stateside. Between it, the Focus and Civic Type R, bite-sized performance has never looked so good.
The range of colors available in the configurator is limited to seven hues. However, we're pretty sure that once customers are allowed to dip into the options delivered by the automotive producer's Ad Personal customisation program, the choices are virtually endless.However, the world wide web is also ready to help. Case in point with the rendering you can find at the bottom of the page, which shows the high-riding Lambo in what should be British Racing Green.Returning to the configurator, the online tool does include a shade of green, namely Verde Hebe, it appears that the color we have here is stronger.Speaking of the LM002's successor, we'll remind you that we recently brought you a set of photos showcasing the 650 hp crossover in the real world.The said car came in one of the two launch colors, namely Grigio Lynx. We're talking about the kind of hue that showcases the (almost) normal side of the Urus.You see, there will be plenty of customers aiming to enjoy the dynamic and lavish assets of the high-riding Lambo without the extra bling delivered by vivid colors - the yellow car we saw during the launch is an ideal example of the latter (the shade we're referring to is actually called Giallo Auge).And while we're talking colors, we'll also mention the rendering that delivered a budget version of the Lamborghini Urus. You know, the proposal that came with features such as non-color-coded bumpers and (are you ready for it?) steel wheels. As for the (more or less serious) idea behind the pixel stunt, this had to do with the expected $150,000 price of the thing - for the record, the actual car starts at $200,000.
image: WBZ-4

A JetBlue Airbus A320 slid off a taxiway shortly after landing on Runway 27 at Bostons Logan Airport, at about 7:20 p.m. on Monday night, the FAA has reported. No one was hurt, and all the passengers were evacuated via airstairs. The flight had originated in Savannah, Georgia. Passengers who spoke to the media said the airplane had landed straight but then started to slide and spin while taxiing, and ended up in a snowbank. About three inches of snow had fallen at the airport earlier in the day, but the runways had been cleard by noon.

The aircraft exited the runway onto Taxiway E and slid off the Taxiway in the vicinity of taxiways E and P, FAA spokesman Jim Peters told AVweb in an email on Tuesday. The FAA is investigating. According to a statement from JetBlue, buses transported the passengers from the aircraft to the terminal.
26 December 2017 10:07 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 132 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on December 26.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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26 December 2017 11:55 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Armenian human rights activists continue to criticize the new Judicial Code of Armenia.

A discussion on the topic "Judicial Code: problems and challenges" was held in Yerevan on Dec.25, where a number of human rights activists negatively assessed the draft law on introducing amendments to the Judicial Code approved by the Parliament on December 21.

The authorities are not ready to reform the judicial system, said human rights activist Avetik Ishkhanyan. The reforms were carried out under the threat of deprivation of US funding, said lawyer Hayk Alumyan. The Venice Commission presented a draft of the Judicial Code, different from the one adopted by the parliament, argues human rights defender Arthur Sakunts.

The judicial system is under the control of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, the head of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, human rights activist Avetik Ishkhanian stated during the discussion.

He believes that the Armenian authorities will not reform the judicial system, since its dependence allows the ruling party to retain power.

"It is doubtful that the power that "saw" "March 1," will suddenly show goodwill and make democratic reforms of the justice system," he explained.

On March 1, 2008, the police came down upon the demonstrators holding twenty-four-hour protests against the 2008 presidential election results on Azatutyun square. The police dispersed the protestors through use of force. Thereafter, thousands of protestors gathered near the Myasnikyan monument. Later, at night, the authorities called in the militarize and applied arms on the defenseless demonstrators, killing 10 people and wounding many others.

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26 December 2017 14:31 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

It is well known that not being able to fix economic and social problems in the country, the Armenian ruling regime has to make lofty speeches about the achieved results and bright future for all Armenians.

The leader of the regime Serzh Sargsyan is among the main fans of making such speeches. In particular, he periodically makes pompous statements about the alleged fight against corruption in the country.

Last week, Sargsyan took part in a meeting timed to the day of employees of the national security bodies, which was held at the building of the National Security Service.

In his speech, the Armenian president, as expected, spoke about corruption and, as always, noted high-profile investigations on corruption held over the past year.

"The fight against corruption will be sharper and tougherIn Armenia, there should be no regress in the matter of fighting corruption," Sargsyan said.

However, the reality is much different from what the president says. No tangible fight against corruption is observed in Armenia. This is confirmed by the fact that the country is 132nd among 176 countries in terms of corruption risks according to the international organization Transparency Internationals.

As for Sargsyans speech, its purpose is obvious  Armenia wants to get other 15 million euro the European Union, but this is only possible if there are visible results in the fight against corruption in the country.

However, the Armenian president should know that it is senseless to rant about the fight against corruption  empty words do not solve the problem. Western donors made it clear that they prefer not ranting speeches but specific results.

A fight against corruption implies declaration of war to the criminal-oligarchic system reigning in Armenia. Obviously, Sargsyan and his team will never go for it, since this means they will declare war to themselves.

Although the EU delegation contributed 1.5 million euro for two anti-corruption projects in Armenia in the period of 2011-2014, the doleful situation has shown no tangible signs of change. This is quite logical, since as long as the country is ruled by Sargsyan and his team, the fake fight against corruption will yield no results.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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26 December 2017 11:28 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Turkeys Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MUSIAD) intends to expand its activity in Azerbaijan, head of the MUSIAD representative office in Azerbaijan Abdurrahman Uzun told Trend.

Uzun expressed confidence that the number of Azerbaijani entrepreneurs in the Association will grow.

He said the Association is meant for supporting entrepreneurs both in Turkey and Azerbaijan.

"We want to be useful both for the society and the economies of the countries in which we operate, he said. The representative office of the Association in Azerbaijan has been recently established. Presently, we are working on establishment of internal commissions to be headed by the members of the Association. We are also preparing an action plan for 2018."

Uzun added that among the plans for the next year is the preparation of various studies involving scientists and entrepreneurs.

He did not rule out the possibility of cooperation with other Turkish associations operating in Azerbaijan in the future, but stressed that presently there are no such negotiations.

"The Association has clear principles and operates under the 'high ethics and high technology' slogan, and we would like the members of the Association to meet these criteria," Uzun added.

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26 December 2017 10:49 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Meeting of the Supervisory Board of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) was held on December 25, 2017. SOFAZs draft budget for 2018 was discussed at the meeting, chaired by Mr. Artur Rasi-zadeh, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan and Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

Considering the Opinion of the Chamber of Accounts of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Supervisory Board recommended the Fund's 2018 draft budget, along with major directions to SOFAZs investment policy, its draft annual operating expenditures, along with the Opinion of the Chamber of Accounts for the approval by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Supervisory Board also approved the amendments to Accounting Policy and Chart of Accounts of the Fund in accordance to the transition of the Oil Funds International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) to a new standard number 9 Financial Instruments.

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26 December 2017 13:50 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree amending the Decree of the President of Azerbaijan on Establishment of the Azerbaijan Mortgage Fund OJSC, dated Oct. 27, 2015.

In accordance with the decree, the Azerbaijan Mortgage Fund OJSC and the Credit Guarantee Fund have merged.

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26 December 2017 15:27 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

Development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) plays one of the most important roles in the economical progress of Azerbaijan.

Deputy Economy Minister Sahib Mammadov speaking at an event dedicated to establishment of cooperation between SMEs and the Center for Simplified Support for Family Business (ABAD) said that development of SMEs is reflected in the Strategic roadmap on production of consumer goods in Azerbaijan at the level of small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Ministry of Economy is carrying out regular activities in this direction, Mammadov noted. For example, a special fair has been recently organized for the development of SMEs and the provision of support to this sphere. Establishment of cooperation between ABAD and entrepreneurs is a continuation of these measures. Our goal is to inform the general public about the opportunities being created by ABAD and help entrepreneurs increase the range of products.

He added that the products manufactured by SMEs are sufficiently competitive and the ministry will continue supporting their export.

Encouraging self-employment has been determined as a perspective business task in Azerbaijan and the government does its best to create conditions and opportunities to supports entrepreneurship in the country.

Thus, in September 2016, ABAD under the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations operating under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ASAN) was created in order to support the active participation of citizens in the social and economic development of Azerbaijan, the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), increase of employment of the population.

Moreover, in order to support entrepreneurship the government creates many other conditions as, issuance of the investment incentives documents following the approval of amendments proposed to the Tax Code of the country.

Under the investment incentives document, half of the revenue of an individual entrepreneur, profits of legal entity are exempted from income tax for seven years. Import of equipment for the implementation of the projects is also exempt of VAT and customs duties.

Also, the state refunds 3-6 percent of the customs value of goods to non-oil exporters within the framework of mechanisms on promoting exports of non-oil products.

It is also planned to create the Agency of Small and Medium Enterprises and the Guarantee Credit Fund in 2017-2018.

Besides, there is the National Fund for Entrepreneurship Support (NFES) under the Economy Ministry that has been operating since 1992 to provide preferential loans from the state budget for small and medium business in an effort to develop entrepreneurship in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

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26 December 2017 16:47 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The service SAF - Secure Internet of the state Internet service provider AztelekomNet will be free from December 29, 2017 to January 7, 2018, the company told Trend on December 26.

Within 10 days, users will be able to test the service free of charge by activating it through the personal cabinet on aztelekom.net.

The monthly subscription fee for the use of SAF service is 1.5 AZN ($0.88). Since the service will be offered to users for free in the specified period, the monthly subscription fee will not be accrued until the expiration of 10 days," said the company.

Nowadays, children start their acquaintance with high technology and the Internet from early infancy. Adults must realize the psychological danger the Internet use can pose, and therefore, they must use all means to prevent this danger.

The Secure Internet service gives users the opportunity of filtering unwanted Internet content. This allows protect the younger generation from the influence of inappropriate websites by restricting access to them. These are web pages with adult content, gambling, profanity, information that promote violence, and other unwanted content.

Users are granted access only to trusted Internet websites which have been filtered and contain only useful information. Moreover, the user can at any time activate and deactivate the filtering of Internet content. It is also possible to create white and black lists and include relevant content in them.

It is noteworth that in Azerbaijan, the population, including children, is highly computerized. Today, the number of Internet users in the country exceeded 7.8 million, accounting for about 78.2 percent of the countrys population, according to Statistical project Internet World Stats. Azerbaijan ranks first among the countries of Post-Soviet region for the level of broadband internet penetration.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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26 December 2017 13:12 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

A solemn evening dedicated to the 70th anniversary of an outstanding pianist, composer, rector of the Baku Musical Academy Farhad Badalbayli has been held in Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall.

Prominent public figures, famous representatives of science, literature, culture, art, as well as friends and numerous admirers of Badalbayli's creative work came to congratulate the hero of the day.

The evening was opened by the concerto for piano and orchestra (three parts) of the American composer George Gershwin. The composition was performed by Farhad Badalbayli and the State Symphony Orchestra named after Uzeyir Hajibeyli, conducted by People's Artist of Azerbaijan Yalchin Adigezalov.

Farhad Badalbayli literally bewitched the audience, who listened to the composition with bated breath. The audience then gave him a round of applause.

Before the next performance, he addressed the listeners:

"Throughout our lives, we are losing family, close people, loyal and reliable friends. Today, together with my colleagues, we want to perform the work of Pietro Mascagni for you, and remember those who are not with us," the musician said.

For many of those present, it was a surprise that the People's Artist did not sit at the piano, but stood behind the conductor's path. The music piece "Autumn Flowers" from the opera "Rural Honor" was performed by the State Symphony, conducted by Badalbayli.

Further, well-known pianists, pro-rector of the Baku Musical Academy on international issues, People's Artist YeganaAkhundova and director of the International Mugham Center, People's Artist of Azerbaijan Murad Huseynov appeared on the stage. They performed concert for two pianos and orchestra of the French composer Francis Poulenc.

Pianists conquered the audience with their virtuosic play.

Then Badalbayli and director of the State Philharmonic Society, People's Artist of Azerbaijan Murad Adigozalzade were invited to the stage. Pianists, accompanied by musicians of the orchestra conducted by Honored Artist Fuad Ibrahimov, sang Suite No.2 for two pianos Sergei Rachmaninov. Pianists-virtuosos have a huge energy and charisma, and of course, they conquered the audience. The listeners thanked the musicians with an endless ovation.

At the end of the evening, all the participants of the concert program were invited to the stage. Farhad Badalbayli performed a musical composition with Murad Huseynov, and then with Adigozalzade.

Fascinating music, excellent performing skills of soloists and musicians of the orchestra, excellent work of conductors made this evening unforgettable.

Notably, President Ilham Aliyev presented "Istiglal" Order to people's artist, outstanding pianist Farhad Badalbayli on December 25.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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26 December 2017 14:27 (UTC+04:00)

By Aygul Salmanova

As a result of the research carried out in Nakhchivan, the most ancient example of the buta pattern was found in the autonomous republic.

Head of the Department of Decorative and Applied Arts of the Institute of Art, Language and Literature of Nakhchivan Department of Azerbaijan National Academy of Science Fizza Guliyeva told Azertac about this finding.

She noted that buta patters on clay trays, observed during archaeological investigations in Nakhchivan in recent years, have prolonged the history of this pattern.

Researchers have found out that a number of such clay trays, considered to belong to the last Eneolithic period, were found on the Ovchular hill, and one was found in the Halac settlement. Three of such patterns were symmetrically painted in the hull part of these trays.

We can say that the most ancient example of the buta pattern over the world is on the clay trays that we found in Nakhchivan. The results of investigations show, these patterns that have a long history, have been created by our great ancestors in ancient times, she said.

Buta, a twisted teardrop that has been a symbol of the divine fire and worshipped in Azerbaijan since ancient times.

Considered to be the prevalent decorative element of Azerbaijani Ornamental Art, Buta is a pattern which belongs to Fire-Worship Age.

It is widely used in carpets of Baku, Karabakh, Ganja, Nakhchivan, Salyan, Mugan, Ardabil, Tabriz, as well as in the interior design of buildings and other art works.

Widespread in the decorative and applied art of Central Asia and Middle East countries on the tirma shawl of India, on the textiles and manufactured products of Iran, buta has 4 forms: the one used in carpet decorations, represented in a family life, having symbolical meaning, and the one with different shapes of buta.

Today there are more than 1,500 historical and cultural monuments in Nakhchivan, of which about sixty have the status of world significance. Traces of the Stone Age era are found in the caves of Gazma, Askhabi-Kyahf and Kilid.

Fortress cities such as Oglangala, Karabaglar, Chalhangala and Govurgala were found in the territory of Nakhchivan at the end of the 4th - beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. Monuments of fine art like the rock paintings of Gyamigaya reflect the way of life and the religious and ideological outlook of ancient tribes inhabiting there.

It should also be noted that the first million from the state for excavations was allocated specifically for investigations in Nakhchivan. It is no coincidence, therefore, that of the forty archeological expeditions that are constantly working in the field today, about ten are in Nakhchivan. And ten years ago, in 2005, all archaeological monuments of the region passed certification.

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26 December 2017 17:46 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

A citizen of Russian Federation, photographer and blogger Vladimir Kezling sent an official letter to the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in St. Petersburg asking to remove his name from the list of foreign citizens who illegally visited occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend on December 26.

In his letter, Kezling reaffirmed his full respect to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders, its laws and regulations. The photographer noted that his visit to the Armenia-occupied territories of Azerbaijan without the consent of the Azerbaijani government did not have any political purpose.

Moreover, Kezling mentioned that his visit in no way served for the promotion of illegal regime established in the occupied territories and apologized to the government and people of Azerbaijan for this unauthorized visit.



The blogger's appeal was considered and the decision was made to remove his name from the Foreign Ministry's black list.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

Unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied regions of Azerbaijan are considered illegal and individuals who pay such visits are included in the ministrys 'black list'. The list of persona non grata banned from visiting Azerbaijan includes MPs, media persons, businessmen, entertainers, and other persons, who violated Azerbaijans borders and showed disrespect to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.

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26 December 2017 10:22 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has congratulated Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people and government of Turkmenistan, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on the occasion of your birthday, President Berdimuhamedov told President Aliyev in his congratulatory letter. Under your leadership, fraternal Azerbaijani people achieved significant success in state building, great achievements in various spheres of your country's economy.

I would like to stress the high level of cooperation between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, added Berdimuhamedov. I am absolutely sure that bilateral relations based on the principles of mutual respect, trust and good-neighborliness will continue to develop and strengthen through our joint efforts for the well-being of the peoples of the two countries.

I wish you robust health, happiness, as well as great achievements for the sake of progress and prosperity of the Azerbaijani people," the Turkmen president said.

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26 December 2017 14:52 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

The National Tourism Propaganda Bureau is preparing a project that will allow foreigners to save on travels in Baku.

Head of the monitoring and control department of the National Tourism Propaganda Bureau Kanan Gasimov said that BakuCitykart will appear in Baku in summer of 2018, adding that cards will be available for sale in a few hours and a few days.

"Currently we are trying to implement this project together with business structures. The project has already passed the development stage and a list of partners is being determined," he explained.

Gasimov went on to say that in the future, these cards will allow to purchase cheaper tickets to museums and to get discounts in shopping centers. The National Bureau negotiates with the relevant structures that BakuCitykart can be used for public transportation and taxi.

As for the cost of BakuCitykart, the single price has not yet been determined - it will vary depending on the type of card.

Meanwhile, the head of the department also said that creation of information centers for the guests of the capital is on the agenda.

Soon this service will appear at the airport, at the railway station, at the bus station, on Nizami Street, and near Fuzuli Square.

"The information centers are essentially the same terminals, but they provide information about Baku, sights, the transport system, etc. They will be in the same place as the currency exchange offices. These terminals should appear in early 2018" he noted.

Azerbaijan is engaged in the efforts to diversify the non-oil economy, and tourism industry is one of the promising sectors to contribute to the achievement of this ambitious goal.

During 11 months of this year the number of tourists visiting Azerbaijan increased by 20 percent and amounted to more than 2.48 million people.

Foreign tourists spent $1.3 billion in the country, while outgoing Azerbaijani tourists spent $1.2 billion.

In general, for the past 10 years, the number of tourists visiting the country increased by five times.

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27 December 2017 10:10 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

Loans from European institutional banks for the implementation of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline may be involved but only if the project overcomes all challenges and goes ahead, Alexei Grivach, Deputy Director General for gas issues at the National Energy Security Fund of Russia, told Azernews.

There was an attempt to create Caspian Development Corporation to promote Trans-Caspian project by Europeans and it failed to move on, according to the expert.

Touching upon the Turkmen gas, the expert said that as of their estimations, Turkmenistans available for exports gas reserves are not so huge like it commonly proclaimed in Ashgabad.

Having problems with export revenues and despite high demand in China, Turkmenistan failed to increase gas exports to PRC this year. So the main but not the sole objection for Trans Caspian project is on the resources side, the expert stressed.

Keep talking about Turkmen gas, Grivach mentioned that Turkmenistan already changed its policy selling gas at the border.

For example, Turkmengaz is running TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) consortium to build the pipeline to Pakistan and India, he said.

The expert pointed out that Azerbaijani gas is just trying to find its place on the markets and it will be a great challenge for Shah Deniz and other expensive offshore projects in Azerbaijan to compete with gas flow from Turkmenistan.

With regard to Russias position on this issue, the Deputy Director General underlined that it is balanced and based on international law.

Trans-Caspian project should be the matter of consensus of all Caspian States and should be safe and secure from the point of view of environmental issues, the expert concluded.

In early December, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that the draft convention on the status of the Caspian Sea is almost ready and will be approved by the presidents at the next summit in 2018.

Later Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov said that the draft convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea also includes the issue of pipelines construction, adding that the Trans-Caspian pipeline issue will be coordinated with the countries through which the pipelines is to pass.

The European Union adopted a mandate in 2011 to negotiate a legally binding agreement between the EU, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan on the construction of the Trans-Caspian pipeline system.

The EU for the first time proposed an agreement in support of an infrastructure project.

The agreement on the Trans-Caspian pipeline will lay the foundation for the construction of a submarine pipeline connecting Turkmenistan with Azerbaijan and, in turn, will connect this pipeline with the infrastructure that will deliver gas from Central Asia to the EU.

Discussions with Baku and Ashgabat concern the treaty establishing legal obligations between the EU, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, the bilateral agreements necessary for these Caspian states to achieve the commissioning, construction and operation of the Trans-Caspian pipeline, as well as agreements for filling the pipeline with Turkmen gas, including the proper recognition of commercial arrangements.

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26 December 2017 12:46 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR and Turkish Petroleum company (Turkiye Petrolleri) have discussed the possibilities for the expansion of cooperation between the two companies.

SOCAR reported that the companys President Rovnag Abdullayev and Chairman of Board and Director General of Turkish Petroleum company Melih Han Bilgin held a meeting on December 25.

Abdullayev pointed out that Turkish Petroleum, which is one of the first foreign investors of Azerbaijan, has been cooperating with SOCAR for a long time in such projects as Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG), Shah Deniz and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC).

Bilgin, in turn, stressed the existence of great prospects for the expansion of cooperation. He stressed that the participation of Turkish companies in the projects being implemented in Azerbaijan and the participation of Azerbaijani companies in Turkish projects play a very important role for the economies of both countries.

SOCAR has recently diversified its activity - the company implements big projects not only in Azerbaijan, but also in promising foreign markets, including Turkey.

Such big projects as the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), STAR refinery, will be implemented in the coming months. TANAP, STAR refinery will be put into operation next year, which will have a positive impact on the income of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

TANAP project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijans Shah Deniz field to the western borders of Turkey. The gas will be delivered to Turkey in 2018 and after completion of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline's construction natural gas will be delivered to Europe in early 2020.

The length of TANAP is 1,850 kilometers, with an initial capacity of 16 billion cubic meters of gas. Around six billion cubic meters of this gas is meant to be delivered to Turkey, with the remaining volume to be supplied to Europe.

SOCAR, being the largest foreign investor in Turkey, is the author of very important and large-scale projects in the energy industry. SOCAR entered the Turkish market with the acquisition of Petkim. The companys investments in Turkey will be a total of $19.5 billion once they are completed -Petlim, STAR Oil Refinery, Petkim Wind Power Plant (WPP) and TANAP projects.

SOCAR includes such production associations as Azneft (the enterprises producing oil and gas onshore and offshore), Azerikimya (the chemical enterprises) and Azerigas (distributor of gas produced in the country), as well as oil and gas processing plants, service companies, and the facilities involved in geophysical and drilling operations.

Turkish Petroleum was founded in 1954 with the responsibility of being involved in hydrocarbon exploration, drilling, production, refinery and marketing activities as Turkey's national company.

Being an important actor of the national economy, TP achieved many firsts of the Turkish oil industry in the past. The Company has given rise to 17 major companies, including PETKIM, TUPRAS and POAS to Turkey.

Today, Turkish Petroleum is a national oil company involved in merely upstream (exploration, drilling, well completion and production) sector.

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26 December 2017 19:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

World oil prices slightly change on December 26 on investors' expectations of statistics on the U.S. stocks of raw materials.

Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, slipped 15 cents to $65.10 a barrel, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down 7 cents at $58.40, Reuters reported.

Cautious trades are connected with investors' forecasts concerning the decrease in the reserves of black gold in the U.S. and the possible growth of production, The Wall Street Journal says.

The U.S. Energy Department noted that production in the country has been growing for almost two months in a row.

Investors are waiting for the publication of data on raw materials stocks in the U.S. following the results of the week that ended on December 22 from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Administration (EIA) of the U.S. Energy Department.

Analysts predict a 3.8 million barrel decrease in inventories, or 0.9 percent to 432.7 million barrels.

Moreover, investors are waiting for news about the resumption of the operation of the Forties pipeline.

On December 25, the petrochemical company Ineos reported that repairs of the pipeline in the North Sea have been technically completed and pressure pipes are being tested. The company expects a gradual return of the pipeline and the Kinneil terminal to normal capacity in early 2018.

The confirmation that Forties is coming back is the main development of the long weekend, said Olivier Jakob, analyst at Petromatrix. For sure it has the potential for capping Brent.

In December 2016, OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached their first deal since 2001 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices. OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 1.

Non-OPEC oil producers such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce oil output by 558,000 barrels per day, including Russia by 300,000 barrels per day, starting from January 1, 2017 for six months, extendable for another six months.

OPEC and its allies reached an agreement on prolongation of the deal until the end of 2018 on November 30 in Vienna.

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25 December 2017 14:52 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

On 22 December 2017 in New York there was held a signing ceremony of the Joint Communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Tajikistan and the Independent State of Samoa, Khovar reports.

According to the MFA Information Department, the Permanent Representatives of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Independent State of Samoa to the United Nations  Mahmadamin Mahmadaminov and Aliioaiga Feturi Elisaia to this effect, signed the Joint Communique.

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26 December 2017 11:14 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in contact with more than 10 countries from every continent in the world who have expressed interest in following the US lead and moving their embassies to Jerusalem, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely said on Monday, The Jerusalem Post reports.

Hotovelys comments, in an interview on Reshet Bet, came following Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales decision to move the countrys embassy. He announced the move in a Facebook post on Sunday evening.

"Today I spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu," Morales wrote on his Facebook page.



"We spoke about the great relationships we have had as nations since Guatemala supported the creation of the State of Israel. One of the most relevant topics was the return of the Embassy of Guatemala to Jerusalem," he continued.



The decision comes three weeks after the United States decided to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move its embassy, and four days after Guatemala was one of only nine countries in the UN to vote against a resolution slamming the US move. That resolution passed 128 to nine, with 35 abstentions.



Only three of the eight central American countries voted against Israel at Thursdays UN vote. Hondorus, Guatemala's neighbor to the east with whom Israel has strong ties, also voted against the measure and is widely believed to be a leading candidate to be the next country to announce that it will move its embassy.

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26 December 2017 12:34 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Uzbek Finance Minister Jamshid Kuchkarov dismissed 50 employees today, including head of the Tax and Customs Tariff Policy Department Irina Golysheva and head of the Methodology of Accounting and Audit Department Sharafitdin Khaidarov.

The reason for the dismissals is the shortcomings in the work of the Finance Ministry and, in particular, the lack of purposefulness in the draft 2018 state budget, which Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev refused to sign.

Addressing the Uzbek parliament earlier, the president criticized the work of the Finance Ministry.

The president said he dismissed Ella Ostrogojskaya, who headed the Main Department of the State Budget of the Ministry of Finance, but Ostrogojskayas influence is felt up to now.

The president threatened to dismiss the finance minister and all his deputies if there are no changes in the work of the ministry within one month.

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26 December 2017 11:40 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

State Committee of Uzbekistan for Land Resources, Geodesy, Cartography and State Cadaster hosted a meeting with a Chinese delegation, the committee reported on December 25.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the experience gained in geodesy and geological information. In addition, the parties discussed promising areas of cooperation.

Following the meeting, the Chinese delegation expressed hope for joint implementation of projects, as well as further development of partnership with Uzbekistan in geological information technologies.

As part of their visit to Uzbekistan, the Chinese delegation visited the Department of Land Resources and State Cadaster of the Samarkand Region.

China is the second partner of Uzbekistan (after Russia) in terms of trade volume for 10 months of 2017.

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26 December 2017 10:52 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Uzbekistans exports have increased by almost 15 percent in 2017 at a 5.5-percent growth rate.

In 2018, the total financial indicator of exports is expected at $12.1 billion.

This was announced by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during a video-conference meeting on December 25.

The meeting was devoted to the priority tasks of export expansion. One of them is the timely implementation of the agreements reached during visits to the Central Asian states, as well as China, Russia, South Korea, the United States, Turkey and other countries.

Another one concerns the need to introduce a system of warning about the security threat when business entities pass customs inspection.

The meeting also addressed the issues of the abolition of unnecessary licenses and permits from the State Customs Committee and the need to develop a strategy to increase exports of fruit and vegetable products.

The statistics show that more than 360 enterprises have been involved in export activities since the beginning of this year, more than 120 new types of goods have been exported. In addition, more than 230,000 tons of fruit and vegetables were exported.

The Uzbek head of state said that consistent increase and full utilization of the country's export potential, as well as strengthening the competitiveness of national products in foreign markets is one of the most important factors for maintaining stable and high economic growth rates.

In conclusion, the officials were given specific instructions to increase the country's export potential, expand geography and the range of exports, provide full support to exporting enterprises and attract new business entities to export activities.

In particular, Mirziyoyev has instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to prepare, within two months, a draft resolution on the introduction of a dual corridor system for customs at the time of registration of export-import documents.

The complexity of customs procedures is one of the main factors hampering the development of entrepreneurship in Uzbekistan, according to the president.

The country will set the order of passage of customs through the green and red corridors in 2018, depending on the honesty of entrepreneurs.

According to the World Bank, today the country ranks 177th among 190 states for the convenience of passing customs procedures, which takes almost a month in Uzbekistan.

Earlier, it was reported that export customs duties on all types of goods and licensing of exports of goods except for specific goods were abolished in Uzbekistan.

This was stipulated by a decree of the Uzbek president On additional measures to stimulate exports and ensure the competitiveness of domestic goods in foreign markets, dated December 15, 2017.

A landlocked Central Asian country shipped $7 billion worth of goods around the globe in 2016.

The main export of Uzbekistan include gems, precious metals (41.6% of total exports); mineral fuels including oil (11.7 percent); cotton (10.3 percent); copper (6.4 percent); plastics, plastic articles (5.7 percent); fruits, nuts (5.6 percent); inorganic chemicals (4.6 percent); knit or crochet clothing, accessories (2.7 percent); vegetables (1.8 percent); and zinc (1.6 percent).

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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26 December 2017 12:48 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Uzbekistan intends to increase the extraction of natural gas up to 66 billion cubic meters in 2018, the press service of Uzbekneftegaz reported.

The countrys gas production may grow by 16.8 percent in 2018, according to the company.

Uzbekneftegaz, the national operator of the oil and gas complex of Uzbekistan which unites more than 200 oil and gas enterprises, produced 56.5 billion cubic meters of gas in 2017, while in 2018 it plans to produce gas in the amount of 66 billion cubic meters.

The growth will be ensured, in part, by developing deposits with the participation of foreign companies.

To date, three large energy companies - Gazprom, LUKOIL and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) - are conducting geological exploration and development of the fields in the license areas of the country.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev stated in his message to the parliament last week that due to unrealized modernization of the oil and gas industry, gas losses during extraction and transportation remain extremely high for some years -- 20-23 percent.

However, the country intends to pay serious attention to oil and gas facilities in order to modernize them and possibly build new infrastructure.

The capacities of Uzbekneftegaz currently allow the production of natural gas in the amount of about 70 billion cubic meters and liquid hydrocarbons in the amount of 8 million tons per year.

In recent years, domestic gas consumption in the country has grown 1.3 times and stands at the level of about 50 billion cubic meters per year.

Of the total gas production, about 30 bcm remains for domestic consumption, 6bcm is exported under a contract with Gazprom and 10 bcm of gas is sent to China.

Until 2020, Uzbekistan plans to implement 38 projects in the oil and gas industry with a total cost of about $20.6 billion.

Therefore, the Central Asian country expects to increase gas production by 53.5 billion cubic meters, oil - by 1.9 million tons and gas condensate - by 1.1 million tons in 2017-2021.

Uzbekistan is rich in hydrocarbon resources, and about 60 percent of its territory possesses potential oil and gas reserves. The projected reserves of hydrocarbons stand at about 10 billion tons of standard fuel, while prospective ones amount to about 2 billion tons.

As many as 246 oil and gas fields were discovered in Uzbekistan during the whole period of geological exploration.

There are five oil and gas regions - Ustyurt, Bukhara-Khiva, Surkhandarya, Hissar, and Fergana - and three promising ones -Khorezm, Middle Syr Darya and Zarafshan- in Uzbekistan.

Russia's LUKOIL and Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) are among the most heavily invested companies in Uzbekistan's oil and natural gas industries.

According to British Petroleum (BP), oil production decreased by 3.1 percent up to 2.6 million tons and natural gas production increased by 8.4 percent up to 62.8 billion cubic meters in Uzbekistan in 2016 compared to 2015.

The export of Uzbek gas amounted to 11.4 billion cubic meters, including 5.6 billion cubic meters to Russia, 4.3 billion cubic meters to China, and 1.5 billion cubic meters to Kazakhstan in 2016.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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26 December 2017 15:30 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Routes network of Kazakh air carrier Air Astana will expand due to the convention with Ireland on the avoidance of double taxation.

This was announced by the Kazakh Vice-Minister of Finance, Kanat Baedilov, at an expanded meeting of the Finance and Budget Committee of the Parliaments Senate, Kazinform reported.

The draft law On ratification of the Convention between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of Ireland on avoiding double taxation and preventing tax evasion with respect to income taxes and the Protocol to it was discussed at the meeting.

Kazakhstan is trying to conclude tax conventions with all member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Ireland is a member of the OECD and the European Union. In addition, the request of the national air carrier Air Astana, which plans to expand its routes network, as well as to increase the fleet of aircrafts, some of which will be acquired through leasing, was considered in connection with the request of the Kazakh President to establish direct air communication with major cities in the world within seven-hours-flight, Baedilov said.

Ireland, the world aircraft leasing leader, a country with developed airspace, offers various options for renting modern European aircraft, according to the minister.

There are specialized centers for the training of flight personnel in Ireland, which provide training and opportunities for exchange of international experience for improving and developing airline business in Kazakhstan.

This will contribute to an increase in the number of flights to the EU countries and the expansion of the fleet of aircraft, the development of ground infrastructure and the material and technical base in Kazakhstan, he noted.

Baedilov stressed that the convention will provide an opportunity to avoid double taxation of the income of the Irish enterprise, which will provide aircraft for rent. For Air Astana, ratification of the convention will allow reducing the amount of tax paid when renting aircraft.

The vice minister also said that in 2018 it is planned to conclude similar conventions with Indonesia, Israel, and amend the convention with Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 2013, due to changes in the tax legislation of Kazakhstan.

The convention, first, gives an opportunity, by dividing the rights of taxation between the contracting states, to avoid double taxation of income of legal entities and individuals who are residents of states.

Secondly, by creating favorable conditions for investment, an opportunity for strengthening and expanding economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Ireland opens up.

Thirdly, the exchange of information on tax issues between the authorized bodies of the two states will help prevent tax evasion.

Separate articles of the convention provide for the procedure for taxing the income of artists, athletes, public servants and students who carry out their activities in these states.

Kazakhstan has airports in Shimkent, Atbasar, Karaganda, Kyzyl-Orda, Balkhash, Burundai, Zaisan, Petropavlovsk, Semipalatinsk, Ust-kamenogorsk, Uralsk, Taldy-Kurgan, Kokshetau, Pavlodar, Zhezkazgan, Atyrau, Zhambyl, Zhairem, Ekibastuz, Almaty, Aktau, Kostanay, Aktyubinsk, Arkalyk, and Astana cities.

Kazakhstan's existing airlines are Air Astana, Air Company MEGA, Avia Jaynar, Bek Air, Berkut Air, Euro-Asia Air, Excellent Glide, Irtysh-Air, SCAT, Semeyavia, Zhetysu, and Zhezkazgan Air.

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26 December 2017 16:37 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Presidents of Turkmenistan and Russia Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone and discussed prospects for bilateral cooperation, the Turkmen government said in a message.

Having mentioned strategic nature of the Turkmen-Russian relations, the two presidents noted that a high level of mutual understanding and trust will continue to serve as a solid basis for building up interstate relations.

The parties spoke in favor of strengthening and development of the significant potential of the partnership.

Productive activity of Russian companies in the Turkmen market, as well as participation of Turkmen entrepreneurs in joint projects is a vivid indicator of successful economic cooperation, Turkmenistan State News Agency reported.

The parties specified priorities for cooperation, in particular in the political, trade-economic and cultural spheres.

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26 December 2017 17:40 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

All three oil refineries in Kazakhstan will produce jet fuel, Kazakh Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbayev said at a press conference on December 26, Kazinform reported.

Our country produces, or at least, produced fuel before the modernization of the refineries only at the Shymkent oil refinery. A small volume is in Atyrau. This is due to the imperfection of the technology at our refineries and the fact that the Pavlodar refinery is reoriented to rather heavy Russian oil insofar as it has a high content of dissolved sulfur. These plants did not have facilities for cleaning fuel from sulfur. Now, in Pavlodar this installation is built, and in Atyrau too. These two plants will produce aviation kerosene. Only its standard will change a little - it will become Western, he said.

Due to the occurred fuel shortage, the management of Air Astana airline asked the government for help, according to the minister.

This plant (Shymkent refinery) has always provided the market demand by about 50 percent, and another 50 percent was bought from outside, mostly from the Russian Federation. It so happened that in the summer of last year jet fuel was in need in Russia itself. Therefore, Russian refineries started to refuse selling aviation kerosene, and the head of Air Astana, Peter Foster, asked the government of Kazakhstan to intervene, he noted.

Bozumbayev said that as a result, the agreement on the assistance on acquisition of jet fuel in case of need has been reached.

Therefore, until January 2018 inclusive, Air Astana will have fuel. The Scat airline, probably, thought that we should help them in this matter too. This is not true. There is a supervising agency in the person of the Ministry for Investment and Development, which distributes schedules for the delivery of aviation kerosene, which is produced at the Shymkent oil refinery. We produce aviation kerosene and say - distribute it among the airlines yourselves, since this is a deficit. This is not our issue, he added.

Kazakhstan has three major oil refineries - Atyrau, Shymkent and Pavlodar. All of them are being currently modernized.

The refining capacity of all the three plants will increase from 13.8 to 16.5 million tons after modernization of the refinery completes. Production of all types of light oil products, gasoline, diesel fuel and aviation kerosene will increase. All plants will produce gasoline for 2.3 million tons more. The production of diesel fuel will increase for 917,000 tons and aviation kerosene for 539,000 tons.

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26 December 2017 18:45 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

There is no need to clean up the reservoir of the Nurek hydropower plant, according to Tajik Minister of Energy and Water Resources Usmonali Usmonzo, Avesta reported.

The minister noted that one of the foreign companies carried out a feasibility study on this issue. The results confirm that it is possible to carry out the cleaning of the reservoir, but there is no such need yet.

The fact is that some funds are needed for these purposes. In addition, after the launch of the first stage of the Rogun HPP, the lower HPPs of the Vakhsh cascade will receive clean water, and they will be able to operate at full capacity. Therefore, now there is no need to clean up the Nurek reservoir, he added.

Earlier experts and power engineers expressed various opinions regarding the siltation of the HPP on the Vakhsh cascade and the way to resolve this issue. In particular, it was proposed to find investors and speed up the construction of new hydro power plants on the Surkhob and Obihingob rivers.

It was noted that with the construction of new hydro power plants on the main tributaries of these rivers, a significant decrease in the amount of sediment entering the reservoir of the HPP of the Vakhsh cascade, including the Rogun HPP, should be expected.

Experts believe that all operating hydro power stations of the Vakhsh cascade are subject to investigation for siltation. First of all, it concerns the reservoir of the Nurek HPP, where, according to various estimates, siltation makes about 40 percent.

If the siltation of this reservoir will continue and the sediments will come close to the threshold of the water receiver of the hydroelectric units, then the Nurek HPP will lose its effectiveness in the next three or four decades, experts noted.

The vitality of the Nurek hydropower plant can be provided by the Rogun HPP with a reservoir of 13.3 cubic meters. After the construction of the dam of the Rogun HPP, clean water will start to flow into the lower reservoirs of the Vakhsh cascade, including the Nurek HPP.

The activities of the Rogun HPP are designed for 170 years. If we start the construction of new hydraulic facilities on the Surkhob and Obihingob rivers, the sediments in the Rogun Reservoir will be minimal, and the life of the said HPP will last for another decade, experts believe.

The HPPs of the Vakhsh cascade include Nurek, Baypazin, Sangtudin HPPs 1 and 2, as well as the Sarband HPP. The continuation of this cascade is the Rogun HPP, with a capacity of 3,600 MW and the proposed Shurab hydropower plant with a capacity of 1,000 MW.

The Nurek HPP is the country and Central Asias largest hydropower facility providing over 70 percent of the total generation in Tajikistan. It is part of the Vakhsh cascade of hydropower plants. The plants installed capacity is 3,000 MW (eight 335 MW units and one 320 MW unit). It was commissioned in 1972; the latest unit was commissioned in 1979. At present, the plant is operating at 77 percent of its design capacity because of obsolete equipment and lack of maintenance. Therefore, the maximum capacity of the Nurek HPP in recent years has not exceeded 2,220 MW.

The storage volume of the reservoir is 10.5 cu km (the effective storage is 4.5 cu km); its surface area is 98 sq km and length about 70 km. The dam has 300 m in height (the worlds highest dam of this type until 2013). The average output exceeded 10,223 million kWh a year between 2014 and 2016.

Mountainous Tajikistan experiences frequent power blackouts. Previously, Central Asia had a unified energy system. It included 83 power plants with total capacity of 25,000 megawatts in the territory of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and southern Kazakhstan.

In winter, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan accumulated water in reservoirs and received electricity and energy resources (coal and natural gas) from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In summer, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan sent water to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan for irrigation farming.

As much as 50 percent of the power generating capacity in the united power grid of Central Asia and Southern Kazakhstan was concentrated in Uzbekistan.

However, after Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan left the unified energy system of Central Asia in 2003 and 2009, respectively, the system ceased to function.

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26 December 2017 13:40 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Information centers for tourists will be created in six points of Baku, Spokesperson of the National Tourism Propaganda Bureau Kanan Guluzade said on December 25.

He noted that the work in this direction has already begun.

The goal is to inform tourists coming to the country about the relevant places and to help them. Thanks to these centers, tourists will be able to obtain specific information about tourist zones in Azerbaijan, Guluzade said.

Tourists will also talk about the problems they face in the country. These problems will be reported to the relevant state body, and the Bureau will help to solve these problems, according to the spokesperson.

Many tourists have visited Azerbaijan, especially its capital Baku, during past years and their number increases annually. This is natural, as Baku is among the most visited cities of the CIS countries.

During the past year, Azerbaijan received over 2 million tourists. In general, for the past 10 years, the number of tourists visiting the country increased by five times.

As of September 2017, as many as 1.81 million tourists visited Azerbaijan, according to the country's Tourism Ministry. With approximately 1 million tourists, Russia surpasses its closest pursuers Georgia and Iran in the number of tourists coming to Azerbaijan.

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Middletown, N.Y.-based Crystal Run Healthcare is expected to finalize a merger with Bronx, N.Y.-based Montefiore Medical Center, but seven physician owners have refused to accept the terms of the agreement and filed two lawsuits against the medical group, according to the Times Herald-Record.

Here are five things to know:

1. Crystal Run includes 133 physician partners, seven of which refused to sign the required documents for the group to merge with Montefiore Medical Center. The physician owners first learned of the merger in 2016, and the seven who haven't signed the deal say it isn't in their best interest.

2. According to a lawsuit filed Dec. 5, Lissette Giraud, MD, claims she voiced opposition to the deal and experienced retaliation as a result. She asked for additional information and documents on the proposed merger and was subsequently removed from the Crystal Run Ambulatory Surgery Center of Middletown (N.Y.) board of directors; Dr. Giraud also reported the group relieved her of management duties.

In a second lawsuit filed last week, six other physicians made similar claims against Crystal Run, arguing the merger would dissolve the organization's partnership. As a result, they are seeking:

 Funds remaining in their capital accounts

 85 percent of residual collections for pending insurance payments

 Shares of Crystal Run's other assets

The physicians say they have not been given access to financial records associated with the partnership and were only able to estimate the amount in their accounts. The surgeons likened this deal to becoming "indentured servants" of Montefiore.

3. Plaintiffs in the second case report voicing objections over terms of the merger, which require them to refer patients to Montefiore facilities "even if they felt another provider could better serve a particular patient," according to the report. The physicians claim after voicing objections to the merger, Crystal Run began recommending their patients see other physicians, often less experienced junior physicians.

4. The second lawsuit states Crystal Run's CEO sent an email on Dec. 15 threatening non-signing partners could face a lawsuit and payment to those partners would be on a pro rata basis. He also told them if their refusal to sign led to the deal being dissolved, signing partners could lose "tens of millions" in transaction proceeds and working capital.

5. In the deal, Montefiore planned to purchase 33 percent interest In Crystal Run and place $30 million into a shared account with the organization to form the joint venture.
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Lakeland Community Hospital, a 59-bed hospital in Haleyville, Ala., was slated to shut down by the end of this year, but the closure has been delayed until at least Jan. 30, 2018, according to The Cullman Times.

In November, officials said the hospital was closing due to dwindling reimbursements. Hospital CEO Debbie Pace said officials explored "every viable option" before making the decision to close Lakeland Community Hospital, which is the only hospital in Winston County.

However, city and county leaders are still working to save the hospital. They recently reached an agreement with the hospital's parent company, Clinton, Tenn.-based Curae Health, to keep the facility open through at least Jan. 30, 2018. Haleyville leaders also approved a one-cent sales tax Dec. 18, which may help the hospital avoid closure.

Half of the revenue from the sales tax will go toward the healthcare authority of Winston County and Haleyville, which may take over the hospital from Curae Health, and the other half will be used to pay hospital debt, according to ABC 33/40.

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Cheverly, Md.-based University of Maryland Capital Region Health President and CEO Neil J. Moore is stepping down, effective June 2018. He will end a 13-year career with the health system.

In a statement, Mr. Moore said he is "inspired to chart my continued path in pursuit of new challenges and opportunities."

Mr. Moore assumed his current roles in 2012. During his tenure, the health system affiliated with Baltimore-based University of Maryland Medical System. Mr. Moore also spearheaded the groundbreaking for the new University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center in Largo, Md.

Until Mr. Moore steps down, he will work with the leadership teams at UM Capital Region and UMMS on strategic planning and key initiatives. UMMS will convene a search committee and engage a search firm to identify a replacement.
A 43-year-old physician was found dead at Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee early Tuesday morning after he reportedly threatened to kill himself and did not respond to negotiation attempts with police, according to multiple local news reports.

The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office is conducting an investigation into the death of the physician, identified as Wayne Hendrix, MD. Dr. Hendrix was completing his residency in anesthesiology with the Medical College of Wisconsin. He earned his medical degree at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City.



Milwaukee County sheriff's deputies responded to a call made shortly after 10:30 p.m. Monday by an employee at Froedtert, who claimed another employee at the medical complex had pointed a weapon at him and was threatening to shoot himself, according to Fox6.

The Sheriff's Office SWAT team, deputies and hospital security evacuated the area and searched for the employee. They found the man had barricaded himself in a room, and officials report he did not respond to negotiation attempts. Dr. Hendrix was later found dead. Officials have not released the cause of death; an autopsy is scheduled.

Froedtert Hospital shared the following statement with Becker's:

"In the early hours of Dec. 26, an individual took his life on the campus of Froedtert Hospital. The incident was immediately contained by the Froedtert Hospital security team and the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department. They were able to effectively protect our staff and secure the site. Out of respect for the family of the individual, we ask for your support to allow them to grieve privately. No further statement will be issued."
Authorities have arrested two people, including Larry Cooper, MD, as he reported to work at a hospital, in connection with the murder of a man in Mississippi, according to the Clarion Ledger.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation arrested Dr. Cooper and John Henry May on Dec. 21. The two men are charged with hindering the prosecution, accessory after the fact of murder, and conspiracy to commit a felony, according to the report.

The charges are related to the death of Roger Lee Scruggs Jr., whose body was found Dec. 2 near where an all-terrain vehicle appeared to have crashed in Vaughan, Miss. Authorities originally thought Mr. Scruggs died in the crash. However, they later said it appeared he had been killed at another location, and the scene where his body was discovered was staged, according to the report. The MBI has not provided details on the cause of Mr. Scruggs' death.

Dr. Cooper, who is board certified in family medicine, was arrested as he reported to work at Greenwood (Miss.) Leflore Hospital. "Everyone I have spoken to has been shocked by this," Greenwood Leflore Hospital Executive Director Jim Jackson Jr. told the Clarion Ledger regarding Dr. Cooper's arrest. "We have never had any reason to question Dr. Cooper's ability as a physician, and we will wait to make any further determinations until we find out additional information from law enforcement agencies."

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Irving, Texas-based medical management company Limbic Partners agreed to plead guilty to mail fraud for submitting false claims for anesthesia services, according to a Dallas News report.

Limbic Partners admitted to cheating Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and United Health Group out of approximately $1 million through claims for anesthesia services that Limbic's physicians never performed, according to plea documents.

The physician-owned company, which offers medical services at hospitals and surgery centers in the Dallas area, was charged on Dec. 5 in connection with the scheme.

Limbic Partners submitted false claims worth roughly $3.4 million, securing $1 million in payment for out-of-network procedures that other physicians performed, according to the charging document. Limbic Partners instructed its billing company to add anesthesiologists and anesthesia nurses to claims for services they did not provide. No physicians were charged in connection with the scheme, which took place from April 2011 to April 2013.

Limbic Partners filed plea documents in the case on Dec. 12, which a federal judge still has to accept before a sentencing date is issued.
The Phoenix Convention Center is holding a mega clinic event to provide free healthcare services for an expected 8,000 patients Monday through Wednesday, according to a KPNX report.

Your Best Pathway to Health, a nonprofit, Seventh-day Adventist organization that provides healthcare services for underserved populations through multispecialty mobile clinics, is hosting the event.

Patients can receive haircuts, dental care, outpatient surgeries and lifestyle planning tips at the clinic. The free care goes beyond a diagnosis, said Lela Lewis, MD, CEO and founder of Your Best Pathway to Health. Approximately $30 million in pro bono medical services are available, according to event organizers.

"We have an entire follow-up system already arranged with both local hospitals and clinics where patients can continue to get care that they desperately will need on an ongoing basis," Dr. Lewis said.

Healthcare services are available on a first-come, first-serve basis Monday through Wednesday.
Heather Menzies-Urich, the actress who portrayed Louisa von Trapp in The Sound Of Music, has died aged 68.

The Canadian-born stars death was announced by the estate of the musicals creators, Rodgers & Hammerstein on Christmas Day.

Menzies-Urich was diagnosed with brain cancer around four weeks ago and died on Christmas Eve surrounded by her family, her son Ryan told US news site TMZ.

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She was an actress, a ballerina and loved living her life to the fullest, he said.

Rodgers & Hammerstein president, Ted Chapin, said: Heather was part of the family.

There is really no other way to describe the members of the cast of the movie of The Sound Of Music.

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And of the kids, Heather was a cheerful and positive member of the group, always hoping for the next gathering.

We are all lucky to have known her, and she will happily live on in that beautiful movie. We will miss her.

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She was a 14-year-old with no acting experience when she landed the part of third-oldest von Trapp daughter Louisa in 1964.

After the film she appeared in many television films and programmes, including the TV series of Logans Run and even appeared nude in Playboy.

In 1975 she married actor Robert Urich and the couple had three children. He died in 2002.

Menzies-Urichs death comes just over a year after that of Charmian Carr  who played the eldest von Trapp daughter Liesl. She died aged 73 in September 2016.
Alexandra Johnston hopes to beat the world record for the most cards received, for her 16th birthday

A terminally ill Londonderry teenager is hoping to break the world record for the number of birthday cards received ahead of a special day she never imagined she would reach.

Fifteen-year-old Alexandra Johnston is living with Ewing's sarcoma and has had the disease in almost every part of her body.

When first diagnosed in 2013 she was given just three months to live, but she has astounded medical staff and family with her resilience.

Four years and more than 30 rounds of chemotherapy later, her family call her their "walking miracle".

Now the brave girl who beat all the odds is looking to break the world record for birthday cards as she turns 16 on New Year's Day.

"Alexandra took a notion that she wanted to do something to see how many birthday cards she could get," said her father, Andrew.

"She has so many people following her journey - particularly after she met with Sons of Anarchy star Opie and the video of her being made an honorary member of a Northern Irish biker gang went viral earlier this year - that she very well could break a world record.

"That is what she is going for. I'll have to make a space in the garage for them all. She put up a post on Facebook last week and she got her first card from America a few days later and a few more since. She's waiting to open them all on her birthday."

Andrew says his daughter's determination is an example to the whole family. "She's the most incredible young woman," he added.

"Last week the power of her legs had gone and she couldn't lift her legs from the hospital bed, she was using a wheelchair to get about, which she hated.

"She has been very, very sick this last while.

"Things looked pretty grim, but last Sunday she got up and walked into a Christmas party on crutches. She is always astounding us."

Just before Christmas 2013, doctors told the family she had three months to live and to go and make memories for them to cherish.

"Four years later she is still bouncing on," added her dad.

"Her determination is unbelievable.

"This is a special birthday for us.

"We didn't think she would see her 16th birthday, that is why we want to make it extra special.

"Because she is 16 now and because she has been so sick, I think she wanted to do something unique and original, to set herself another goal, a challenge, to have something to look forward to."

Alexandra, who has been in and out of the Royal Victoria Hospital receiving treatment over the past number of weeks, is now back at her Claudy home, resting and looking forward to her big day. "It is a nightmare for us all, it really is, but when Alexandra is good, she is good. Her strength and determination is just mind-blowing," he added.

"At the moment she has no appetite but she is forcing herself to eat to make herself stronger. She is in a better place than she was three weeks ago and we thought it was getting worse rather than better.

"Our doctor was devastated when he saw her, we all were, but she just keeps going and going.

"We don't know what the road ahead will bring. We just take it day by day, that's all we do. She has defied the odds every time and she is still planning well ahead in her life, she is so positive and is pushing it aside all the time.

"I think the card idea is coming from the fact that it's a birthday landmark that she never thought she'd see.

"I think she wants to see how far her story will go around the world. God help the postman!"

The current world record for the most birthday cards received is held by Canadian Shane Bernier, who was given five million cards from people in 36 different countries.

If you'd like to send Alexandra a birthday card for her big day on January 1, 2018, you can post it to her at 6 Miller's Close, Claudy, Northern Ireland, BT47 4UF.
Former Stormont Education Minister Peter Weir blasted an Ulster University professor for her "sneer" toward the electorate over the Brexit referendum result.

Mr Weir was responding to a tweet by social policy lecturer Deirdre Heenan on Christmas night.

She tweeted about popular BBC show Mrs Brown's Boys being voted the best sitcom of the past 17 years and how it gave an indication of the UK's decision to leave the EU.

"#MrsBrownsBoys voted best British sitcom of 21st century should give a huge clue to the #Brexit vote," she tweeted.

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DUP MLA Weir, however, said the implication "educationally stupid people" voted for Brexit was "insulting".

"No great fan of the programme but your implication that it's educationally stupid people who voted for Brexit, is an insulting, patronising sneer towards the electorate," he tweeted.

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Professor Heenan was formerly provost at Ulster University. She co-founded the influential Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey and was a former policy adviser to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister and was part of the panel to oversee healthcare reform.

She is also a regular contributor to political programming on the BBC.

The Belfast Telegraph has attempted to contact Professor Heenan for comment.
As families celebrate Christmas, four Northern Ireland men are rowing their way across the Atlantic Ocean to raise money for three local charities.

Ally Cooper, George McAlpin, Gareth Barton and Luke Baker are pushing their bodies to the limit by taking part in the world's toughest rowing race.

The crew set off on the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge on December 14 and will not see dry land again until February, enduring sleep deprivation, isolation from their loved ones and overwhelming sea sickness from 40ft waves.

By the time they have completed the race, they will have rowed 3,000 nautical miles - 4,709 kms - from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the West Indies, in a boat measuring just seven metres long and two metres wide.

The incredible physical and mental feat is even more remarkable, given the fact that none of the men had ever rowed before agreeing to take part.

Alan Simpson, a friend of the men, said: "They all have families and they are away from them over Christmas to take part in the Talisker challenge.

"It's tough for their families and the first thing they do every morning is get up and check on their progress to see how they are getting on.

"So far, they have exceeded expectations. They are doing absolutely fantastic and everyone in Portrush, where George, Gareth and Ally are from, is so proud of them.

"The past 48 hours in particular have been really tough with rough seas, and it is 24 hours non-stop.

"There is no sleeping cabin onboard, they maybe do five hours rowing and get a two hour break while they try and get some sleep."

The team - the first from Northern Ireland to ever compete in the challenge - was put together by Portrush man Ally after he saw footage of the race on the internet.

"The race has been going for five years and Ally saw something about it on YouTube and decided he wanted to do it," continued Alan.

"He got George on board and then the other two said they wanted to get involved as well.

"No-one had to be talked into it, everyone was really up for it.

"The thing is, none of them had ever rowed before this, but once they decided to do it, they trained every single day and evening in the gym and by rowing between Northern Ireland and Scotland and around the north coast for the last year.

"It's really hard for them to keep in touch with people back home, so that makes it hard and the fact they are doing it over Christmas is even harder.

"They are living on basically astronaut food, while we are all enjoying ourselves back home. We're missing them and they are doing it for charity so we're all proud of them."

The team are raising money for three different charities - the Portrush Lifeboat, Row for Ross and Willies Orphan Fund and have set a target of 10,000.

Alan continued: "The lifeboat was an obvious choice, with three of the guys being from Portrush. Anyone who lives in the town sees the incredible work that they do - it's unbelievable, they really are the life and blood of the sea. The lifeboat volunteers are heroes, so it was a natural choice to support them.

"Now we're asking people to support the Home to Portrush team, to raise as much money as possible.

"I have spoken to Olympic rowers about what the Home to Portrush team is doing and even they have said they wouldn't dream of doing it, because it is such an extreme challenge."

Donations to the Home to Portrush fundraising effort can be made by logging on to their JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/hometoportrush, or follow their progress through their Facebook page.
The Met Office has issued an ice warning for Northern Ireland.

The Met Office has issued a Northern Ireland-wide weather warning for ice.

Forecasters have issued the yellow 'be prepared for disruption' alert for the entire region which comes into effect from 4pm on Tuesday and continues on to 11am on Wednesday.

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Icy patches are expected tonight and into Wednesday morning, the Met Office said.

Untreated surfaces, pavements and cycle paths and where showers wash off treatment, could be particularly treacherous as temperatures plummet.

"Some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces may occur."
The leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland has warned against "inflammatory" language around the Brexit debate.

Eamon Martin said there was a need for caution on both sides of the argument.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Sunday Independent, Archbishop Martin discussed his memories of the Troubles from his childhood in Londonderry, and how the Good Friday Agreement had transformed society.

The Archbishop of Armagh also touched on the abortion debate, and a likely papal visit in 2018.

Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the Agreement - the culmination of years of peace talks.

Archbishop Martin said much had changed in the last two decades, but the settlement remained "fragile".

"I never stop giving thanks for the new space we are in," he said.

"I grew up in Derry. I think of Christmas time, my grandparents, and my family home in Donegal.

"We had to cross a border, we had to go through a checkpoint with guns pointing at us, we had to be searched - when I went to school our school bags were searched.

"We heard shooting, we heard bombs - and we heard daily of people being killed, many of them innocent civilians caught up in the middle of the awful conflict.

"So all I have to do is think back to my early years to realise the horror that was Northern Ireland in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, and to realise the tremendous achievement that was the peace process.

"Therefore, I say about the Good Friday Agreement: Fragile, handle with care."

Northern Ireland has been without an Assembly for almost a year.

Talks to resolve the impasse have been deadlocked over issues such as legacy and the Irish language.

Archbishop Martin spoke of his hopes for progress in the new year.

He added: "I'm disappointed that we seem to have gone into a kind of vacuum at the moment, with very little sense of direction.

"I know from speaking to my own friends, family and neighbours that people are frustrated, that there appears to be nothing happening.

"So at this time of the year, I once more encourage all those who have any part to play in the new year to redouble their efforts - hopefully in time for the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement."

He also warned of the potential harm to community relations from Brexit.

"On the Brexit discussions, once again I would urge caution," Archbishop Martin added. "We talk a lot about hard borders and soft borders economically, but sometimes the language we use, the positions, the moral high ground we take on either side can be inflammatory when it comes to people on the ground."

The coming year will be a defining one for the Catholic Church in Ireland. The Pope is due to visit in the summer, coinciding with Ireland hosting the World Meeting of the Families, an international Catholic Church event held every three years.

On the papal visit, Archbishop Martin added: "People are quite excited, they're interested, they're intrigued.

"Some of my school friends and maybe others who don't practise regularly themselves, are still fascinated with the idea that Pope Francis might come to Ireland.

"I think that if the visit of Pope Francis makes us stop and pause and think, for me that will be really worthwhile."

The archbishop was interviewed before a parliamentary committee in the Republic voted to recommend changes to abortion law.

The cross-party group is in favour of repealing the 8th amendment to the Constitution of Ireland, which acknowledges "the right to life of the unborn and with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother".

Archbishop Martin said he was "deeply troubled", adding: "I'm just shocked to think that these recommendations appear to be encouraging an even more liberal and unrestricted abortion regime for Ireland than we have in Britain."
Mornington housing development in Lisburn - scene of a police investigation following the death of a woman

Mornington housing development in Lisburn - scene of a police investigation following the death of a woman

Forensic officers at the scene in the Mornington Lane housing development in Lisburn following the death of a woman

Mornington housing development in Lisburn - scene of a police investigation following the death of a woman

A brave Lisburn mum is understood to have died saving the life of her daughter in a horrific early-morning stabbing incident on Christmas Day.

21-year-old Charlotte Reat said that her courageous mother, Jayne Toal Reat, had died in her arms after saving her from being stabbed to death at a house in the towns Mornington Lane.

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At 6am on Christmas morning, four ambulance crews were dispatched to the scene.

When they arrived, police officers were already attempting emergency resuscitation on one of the injured people.

Three people were rushed to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust confirmed that two people had since been discharged.

Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell from PSNI Serious Crime Branch said that detectives had launched a murder investigation following the incident.

A 19-year-old man was arrested on Monday, Christmas Day.

In a heartbreaking message posted online on the day of the atrocity, Charlotte, who said she was also stabbed several times during the attack, told how Jayne had been murdered in front of my eyes and then later died in my arms.

Comber resident Charlotte wrote: I just want to thank everyone for all the kind messages and posts.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Councillor Amanda Grehan Lagan Valley MLA Pat Catney Stephen Hamilton/ / Facebook

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Im not in the frame of mind to reply to anyone nor am I fit to be writing this status.

Today will be a day I will never forget as my mum was murdered in front of my eyes and then later died in my arms.

I can still feel her in my arms and hear her screams of pain and see the panic on her face.

My mum died saving me, I was stabbed twice in the head once in my face and once to the back of my neck.

SDLP Lagan Valley MLA Pat Catney said: "People across Lisburn are in shock this morning.

"This should be a day families spend together, happy and grateful to have each other.

"Instead, a family is waking up on Christmas morning to news of the death of a loved one.

"I can't begin to imagine the pain they're feeling today.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the woman's family and friends at this extremely difficult time.

"I understand police have launched a murder investigation.

"I would urge anyone with information, however small, about what happened here to bring it forward as soon as possible," the SDLP representative said.

A local resident told the BBC: "I saw the flashing lights, the ambulances, police cars and the crime scene investigators arrive. I'm completely in shock.

"It makes you feel lucky for what you have... it's really bad."

Alliance councillor Amanda Grehan, who represents the area said her thoughts were with the victim's loved ones.

"This is a relatively new development, made up of people from all walks of life, and is usually very quiet.

"There is a shock among residents in the wider Mornington area, as they have never had to deal with anything like this here before.

"My thoughts are with the loved ones of the victim. Christmas Day is one most people spend with their families and is full of joyous moments.

"However, now we have one family plunged into grief and despair.

"I would urge anyone with information on this terrible incident to take it to police immediately."
A Donegal coastal community has been left devastated after a young fisherman died while out fishing.

The small fishing community of Downings is struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of popular local fisherman, Garret Boyce.

Mr Boyce (44) died on board the McBride Fishing Company-owned MFV 'Peadar Elaine II', sometime before 4am on Saturday morning.

The boat was fishing for crabs in the North Sea over the Christmas period.

Mr Boyce was due to return home on December 27.

His remains were flown by air ambulance to Denmark following the tragedy on board the vessel.

Mr Boyce was married to Bridget Connor, whose family owns the Downings Bay Hotel.

The couple have one daughter, Molly. The family are still awaiting the results of a post mortem to find out how exactly Mr Boyce died.

The late Mr Boyce had been a lifelong employee of McBride Fishing Company joining the company in the 90s and fishing on both the 'Peadar Elaine' and 'Peadar Elaine II' vessels.

Hugh McBride, from the McBride Fishing Company, described Mr Boyce as a valuable and much-loved member of the crew.
More people are expected to flock to the UK than ever before in 2018, according to the national tourism agency.

VisitBritain predicts there will be nearly 42 million visits over the next 12 months, with tourists to spend an estimated 27 billion.

Total visits for 2017 are on track to hit 39.9 million by the end of the year, with forecasts for 2018 predicting 41.7 million, a jump of 4.5%.

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The latest official statistics show there were 30.2 million visits between January and September, up 7% on 2016, with tourists from EU countries accounting for around two-thirds of this number.

Additionally, visitor numbers from the US rose by around 14% in this period, thanks in part to the draw of the weakened pound following Brexit.

VisitBritain director Patricia Yates said: These results not only demonstrate Britains continued ability to compete internationally for visitors, they are testament to tourisms importance as a driver of economic growth.

Britain continues to offer great value for overseas visitors, particularly from our high-spending long-haul markets including China and the US.

The growth we have seen this year is underpinned by a pattern of longer-term growth, with tourism one of the UKs most valuable export industries.

Tourism is worth 127 billion to the UK economy, according to VisitBritain.
Tesco has apologised after customers complained the turkey they bought for their Christmas dinner was rotten or gone off.

The supermarkets social media feeds were bombarded by angry customers who claimed the centrepiece of their festive meal was either inedible or had made people ill.

Among them was Kirsten Shore, an events manager from Stafford, who said she was devastated that her Christmas meal was ruined.

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The 29-year-old, who alongside her husband Dan was hosting their first family Christmas, said they realised something was wrong when they tasted the turkey and the gravy made from the giblets.

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She said: My mum bought the turkey and prepared it and we put it in the fridge. Then we cooked it and I was so proud of it.

It seemed fine and we sat down at the dinner table and everybody seemed a bit quiet.

I took a mouthful of turkey and spat it out. It tasted of bleach and everyone else realised the reason everything was a bit funny was because the gravy was made from the giblets.

Its almost like theyve washed the turkey in bleach  it was awful.

It cost me 250 to buy everything and we had to chuck everything away.

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She said she is yet to hear from Tesco since she messaged them on Christmas Day and wanted an apology.

Im not going to lie, I know it sounds ridiculous, but it broke my heart  it ruined the day, she said.

From just one mouthful weve all been really ill.

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A Tesco spokesman said: Weve sold hundreds of thousands of great quality British turkeys this Christmas.

We have exceptionally high standards so we will look to address the small number of complaints in recent days.

We will get in touch with each customer so we can investigate how these instances may have happened.
Universities must be places that open minds, not close them, Jo Johnson has warned.

Students must be able to challenge controversial opinions, according to the Universities Minister, who said there are dangers to shielding students from differing views under the banner of no-platforming or safe spaces.

In a speech at the Limmud Festival in Birmingham, a celebration of Jewish learning and culture, he warned that free speech is a key part of university life.

Universities should be places that open minds, not close them, where ideas can be freely challenged, Mr Johnson said.

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But in universities in America and increasingly in the United Kingdom, there are countervailing forces of censorship, where groups have sought to stifle those who do not agree with them in every way under the banner of safe spaces or no-platforming.

Academics and students alike must not allow a culture to take hold where silence is preferable to a dissenting voice. If we want our universities to thrive, we must defend the liberal values of freedom of speech and diversity of opinion on which they depend.

He said a new regulator, the Office for Students, will be created in January to ensure that universities promote freedom of speech within the law.

His comments come amid an ongoing debate about free speech at universities, and a number of reports of speakers, debates, literature and organisations being opposed or criticised, often by student unions, societies or particular groups of students.

Mr Johnson also said that institutions must ensure there is no place for hatred, discrimination, extremism or racism.

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A racist and anti-Semitic environment is by definition an illiberal one that is totally antithetical to the idea of a university in a free society, he told the festival.

Under Government plans, universities that fail to protect free speech could face fines.

Institutions must ensure that students can take part in rigorous, open debate, or risk action from the new higher education watchdog, the Office for Students, ministers announced in October.

The proposals, which are open for consultation, could also see universities facing action including suspension and deregulation, if they do not protect free speech.

No-platforming is a practice in which a group or individuals seen to have unacceptable or offensive views are banned from taking part in a public debate or meeting, while safe space policies aim to ensure all students feel able to express themselves and are protected from views and language they find offensive, as well as discrimination.

But there are concerns that these policies are increasingly affecting free speech, and are being used to prevent speakers and discussions that some find uncomfortable or disagreeable.

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Alistair Jarvis, chief executive of Universities UK, said: Universities are absolutely committed to promoting and securing free speech and will not allow legitimate speech to be stifled. There is already a legal duty on the higher education sector to secure free speech within the law and universities take these responsibilities very seriously.

They have a duty, not only to secure freedom of speech, but also to protect the safety of students and staff. This is not always easy to balance, but universities are becoming increasingly experienced in this area and have policies in place.

It is important that universities do not become discussion-free zones. They must continue to be places where difficult topics are discussed and where people, however controversial their views, should be allowed to speak within the law, and their views challenged openly.

Dr Pam Lowe, a senior lecturer in sociology at Aston University, questioned why Mr Johnson was intervening at a time when Government-imposed restrictions on speakers under the Prevent counter-radicalisation programme were having a chilling effect on universities.

It has made having external speakers a lot harder for all universities. I think it is slightly ironic that the Government is now accusing the universities of having a lack of free speech, she told BBC Radio 4s The World At One.

I worry about what is going on here. It suggests to me that the Universities Minister has actually got another agenda because it doesnt really make sense what he is saying at the minute.

She said she was not aware of any university which had a no platform policy, while student unions which had been involved in banning speakers were independent organisations.

Universities dont have control over the policies set by student unions, she said.

However Nick Hillman, of the Higher Education Policy Institute think tank, said that Mr Johnson had been right to raise the issue.

Universities and student unions are inextricably linked. Universities fund student unions so it is a bit naive to pretend that there are all entirely separate entities, he told The World At One.
The River Nile near Cairo at sunset

Egypt has said the World Bank should be brought in to resolve tensions with Ethiopia over a massive dam on the Nile River that Egypt says threatens its water security.

Cairo's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry was speaking in Addis Ababa after a 10-month impasse over the dam's technical negotiations.

Tuesday's talks also involve Sudan.

Mr Shoukry calls the World Bank "neutral and decisive" and says "science should be the determining factor" in resolving the issue.

Ethiopia says the Grand Renaissance Dam's construction will not reduce Egypt's water share.

Foreign minister Workneh Gebeyehu says Ethiopia will consider Egypt's proposal and that "this dam is not going to cause any significant harm".

The dam, now 63% complete, will be the biggest hydro-electric plant in Africa.

Ethiopia's leader is expected to visit Egypt next month.

AP
A man passes by hundreds of collected ties and shirts hanging on the fence of the government building in Kosovo's capital Pristina (AP)

A non-governmental organisation has hung hundreds of ties from the fence outside a government building in Kosovo to protest against a pay raise for the country's prime minister.

The country's prime minister Ramush Haradinaj had said in TV interviews that he needs the money for new ties and shirts.

Kushtrim Mehmeti of the US-based Beyond The Walls said after an appeal on social media, he collected 214 ties and hung them on the fence around Mr Haradinaj's office building.

Last week, Mr Haradinaj's Cabinet decided to double his salary to 2,950 euro a month before taxes.

The average salary in the country is 354 euro a month.

Kosovo is one of Europe's poorest countries.

AP
Russia's proposed peace talks for Syria have been rejected by Syrian rebels and opposition groups.

They accused Moscow of failing to pressure its ally, Syrian president Bashar Assad, to end the conflict.

Forty rebel groups said the talks expected next month are an attempt to circumvent the UN-led process, which has made virtually no progress since it began in 2014.

The groups, including Ahrar al-Sham, Army of Islam, and western and regionally backed Free Syrian Army groups, said Moscow asked them to give up their demand for Mr Assad to step down.

But they rejected the call, calling Russia "an aggressor that has committed war crimes against Syrians".

They said they are committed to the UN-led Geneva process, and urged the international community to end the bloodshed, now in its seventh year.

Russia's proposed talks were also rejected by political opposition groups and governing bodies in rebel-held areas.

Syria's government said it would attend the talks, set for January 29-30 in Sochi. They were announced after talks among Russia and Iran, which back the government, and Turkey, which supports the opposition.

The fate of Mr Assad, who has said the Sochi talks have a clear agenda of discussing new elections and possibly amending the constitution, has been the main point of contention in all previous rounds of talks.

The opposition has long called for a transitional period in which Mr Assad would have no role, something the government refuses to consider.

It is not yet clear who will attend the Sochi talks, with Turkey having said the Syrian Kurdish group known as the PYD, which governs around 25% of Syria's territory and wants autonomous rule, should not be invited.

Russia said last week that Kurdish representatives would attend but that it would not invite the PYD.

The self-administration of north-eastern Syria, where the PYD is dominant, said the authority and not individual parties should be represented at the talks.

The PYD is the major political arm of the US-allied Kurdish militias that played a major role in defeating Islamic State.

Ankara views the group as an extension of the Kurdish insurgency raging in its south-east.

Russia's air campaign in Syria, which began in September 2015, helped turn the tide of the civil war in favour of Mr Assad.

Localised ceasefire agreements brokered by Russia, Iran and Turkey reduced the violence across much of Syria, but the government has kept up pressure on insurgents on the outskirts of Damascus and in the north-western rebel-held Idlib province.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 20 people have been killed since Monday in air strikes in southern Idlib.

The Observatory and the Syrian Civil Defence said in the past 24 hours that government aircraft dropped dozens of barrel bombs in the area.

The Observatory and rebel groups said a Syrian trainer jet was shot down on Tuesday in eastern Hama, south of Idlib.

Rebel groups issued competing claims of having downed the plane. The Observatory said the plane was shot down near Um Harytan, in north-eastern Hama.

AP
In his memoir Minority Verdict: Experiences of a Catholic Civil Servant, Dr Maurice Hayes, who died at the weekend, wrote: "I would argue that a person can inhabit more than one cultural space at the same time, can move in more than one cultural milieu. It is the overlapping of these existences ... that provide the real excitement in life."

He was a man who did not feel inhibited by the tradition from which he came. He was a Catholic, a fluent Irish speaker and a man steeped in the traditions of the GAA, but who refused to be constrained by those boundaries.

Instead he was willing to traverse all traditions, find excitement in discovering hitherto unknown elements of those traditions and engage in conversation on how all of us could benefit from adopting a similar attitude.

But, as the title of his book demonstrated, that did not mean denying his background either. He broke new ground for his co-religionists by becoming the first Catholic to be appointed Northern Ireland Ombudsman and he also rose to the height of Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health during his career in the Civil Service.

He was later to recall that he was driven in part by confounding would-be critics by proving that a Catholic could do the job as well as anyone else. That has to be seen in the context that Catholics were under-represented in the higher echelons of civic life when he was making his mark.

While making his point it was not one which he laboured, nor did it influence negatively his desire to see a more inclusive society in Northern Ireland. He was also keen through his many influential contacts in the Republic of Ireland to increase the public's understanding of the complexities of life on this side of the border. One of his great strengths was reducing complex ideas to language which was easily understood by most people. That made him a forceful advocate for whatever cause he was proposing, but it was all done through the weight of intellectual argument rather than the divisive language so common place in public discourse in recent times.

And when he decided to be forthright in his condemnation of some political behaviour, it was not made with rancour but rather logic. It was this attitude which won him many friends across the political spectrum and across the border - he served two terms as an independent in the Irish Senate.

There are many who regarded him as a flag-bearer for the minority community in Northern Ireland, not in any bellicose way, but by proving that he and his co-religionists were really up to the job.

As well as his membership of important civic bodies such as the Patten Commission which oversaw the creation of the PSNI - Dr Hayes was a major contributor to the Commission's final report - he was a willing reviewer of important local books. His reviews were meticulous in their examination of the subject matter and informative in putting it into its historical context.

The wisdom gained during his long life - not far short of total existence of Northern Ireland - was something he was willing to share widely, not in any self-satisfied way but in a genuine attempt to help others cross the boundaries he had traversed so effortlessly.

There was no doubt that he was disappointed at the current political impasse seeing the major parties hung up on issues which paled into insignificance compared to the growing problems in society here. It is a pity more did not have his voice of reason.
On Christmas Eve each year there is a lovely BBC tradition of broadcasting a carol service from King's College, Cambridge that always starts off in the same way: a young solo chorister, with a voice of perfect clarity, begins the much-loved carol Once in Royal David's City. It's always an affecting moment, summing up so much that is comforting, peaceable and aesthetically uplifting about the tradition of the Christian Nativity.

The carol also captures the paradox at the heart of the Christmas story: that the Christian Saviour was born in a cattle shed and lived on earth "with the poor and mean and lowly". It's also, I think, an essentially feminine carol, with its emphasis on the central, maternal role of Mary in this miracle of birth.

It was written by Cecil Frances Alexander, the renowned Church of Ireland hymn-writer, in the 1840s. Sometimes described as a Derrywoman, Alexander was in fact born in Dublin, at 25 Eccles Street, and grew up in Co Wicklow. Although christened Cecil Frances (gender-neutral names like Cecil, Sydney, Hilary and Florence were then not unusual), she was always known as Fanny.

Her father, John Humphreys, was a military man - retired when he lost the use of an arm - who became the Earl of Wicklow's agent. This brought Fanny and her siblings to a childhood at Ballykean House in Co Wicklow. (This fine manor house is now listed on the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht's website as a place of architectural distinction.)

When Fanny was 15, the family moved to Milltown House at Strabane, in Co Tyrone, where her father worked for the Earl of Abercorn. Fanny was her father's favourite child, which may have given her the confidence to start writing stories and verses from an early age.

It was a religious era, and Fanny was always a serious Christian. She and her sister Anne taught deaf children, which may have trained her ear for metre and cadence in verse.

When she married the Londonderry clergyman William Alexander, who would eventually become the Anglican Primate of All Ireland, they lived first at Termonamongan, Killeter, near Castlederg in Co Tyrone, then at Upper Fahan in Co Donegal and then at Strabane again.

There were no district nurses, let alone health visitors, anywhere in the 1850s and the rector's wife was expected to travel around the parish, often on foot, looking after the sick and the poor.

According to her principle biographer, Valerie Wallace, Fanny included Catholic as well as Protestant families in these works of corporal mercy - and with the blessing of the local Catholic priest, who "trusted her not to indulge in souperism" (evangelical conversion for food provisions).

Although there are always episodes of sectarian strife in the history of Tyrone and Londonderry, Fanny's life as a vicar's wife in this part of Ulster also brings out the interweaving of communities and neighbourliness that existed as well.

Derry, incidentally, was usually called just that by Church of Ireland people at the time, who also claimed historic continuity with a pre-Reformation "Doire Columcille". Fanny wrote a poem based on the Breastplate of St Patrick.

Fanny gave birth to four children - through some difficult pregnancies. For medical care, she travelled to Dublin, which had parity with Edinburgh as a progressive medical centre. She attended the respected Dublin physician Dr Evory Kennedy. Fanny was "deeply stirred" by "the sensual, yet selfless" maternal bond, and it reinforced her dedication to stories and hymns for children.

All Things Bright and Beautiful, one of her best-known compositions, is among the sweetest of children's hymns - although the Anglican Church did, eventually, delete a verse which came to be considered too class-conscious. ("The rich man in his castle/The poor man at his gate/He made them high or lowly/And ordered their estate.")

Although they lived in Victorian times, Fanny and William seemed to have a remarkably equal marriage. She was six years older than he was, which gave her some seniority: she also had access to her own money - her father had settled a trust of 3,000 on her, which produced a substantial annual income. And she continued to earn on her own account, too, from publishing her stories and verses.

Yet, even when she became the wife of a bishop (with a seat in the House of Lords and the entitlement to preach to Queen Victoria), Fanny herself adhered to the Irish Protestant tradition in which she was raised: "plain living and high thinking" and the idea of honouring "the poor and lowly", among whom Jesus Christ chose to live, was very much part of her outlook.

She died from a stroke, in 1895, aged 77, and her husband published more of her writings after her death. The Anglican hymnal, by the time of her death, contained 18 of her compositions. Her hymn There is a Green Hill Far Away became a particular favourite with Mormon choirs.

Strangely enough, Fanny wasn't musically gifted, but her verses had a cadence and a metre that made them specially well suited for musical adaptation. Henry John Gauntlett put Once in Royal David's City to music. It is a stunning carol, setting the tone for Christmas and owing so much of its appeal to the palpable sincerity of the woman who wrote it.
A SECURITY guard at the Royal Victoria Hospital has been dismissed following a lengthy probe into claims that staff were caught sleeping on the job.

The investigation, which has taken 18 months to report its findings, was launched last year after a number of security staff were reportedly observed bedding down for the night when they should have been on duty.

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust confirmed the inquiry had concluded but refused to comment on individual cases.

But a health trust source told Sunday Life the investigation centred on claims that some night shift security workers were making beds out of waiting area seats and even sleeping in unused patient beds.

They were apparently caught on CCTV cameras making their way into rooms for hours on end during their shift, between the hours of approximately 9pm and 7am.

Our source explained the main areas of concern were those not in use overnight but which had already been cleaned for the next day's patients.

It is understood staff in other areas of the hospital had also complained after calling for security at night but receiving no response.

"We expected more than one person to get the sack following the case, to be honest," said the source.

"The guy who was sacked was given the boot because he had been caught doing the same thing at the City Hospital before being moved to the Royal.

"He's being used as a warning to everybody else - do this again and you'll be dismissed."

While the source said patients could have been put at risk of infection, there have been no reports of anyone being adversely affected.

The areas understood to have been used by the napping night watchmen are the hospital's special investigations department, the outpatients centre and the day patients' and diabetic units.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the trust said: "The trust has concluded its internal investigation into this matter and a series of follow-up recommendations have been acted upon in accordance with the relevant trust policies and procedures.

"Unfortunately, due to the ongoing nature of our actions, we are unable to comment further at this stage as to do so may cause a breach in the rights of the individual employees concerned."
THE LOYALIST who cradled a murdered Billy Wright in his arms after giving him the kiss of life, wants to forget about the Maze Prison execution that almost wrecked the peace process.

Norman Green Jnr (46) was sitting beside the ruthless LVF leader when he was shot multiple times by INLA gunman Christopher 'Crip' McWilliams. He desperately tried keep Wright talking as he lay bleeding and then attempted in vain to revive Wright by giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

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Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of 37-year-old Wright's killing, a date that is forever burned in the memory of Green Jnr.

"To be honest I just want to forget about it all," the convicted UDA gunman told Sunday Life from the kitchen of his heavily fortified north Belfast home.

Breaking a 20-year silence, he added: "I'm finished with all that (paramilitarism). I've made a new life for myself and I've a new job. I've put all that nonsense behind me and moved on."

Green Jnr, who defected from Johnny Adair's UDA C Company to the LVF while in the Maze, was in the prison van with Wright when it was surrounded by an INLA hit-team on December 27, 1997.

The pair had been on their way to visit family when they were attacked by republicans Crip McWilliams, John 'Sonny' Glennon and John Kennaway.

The INLA men had clambered over a roof and used wire-cutters to get through a fence separating the LVF prisoners from themselves.

Amazingly, Green Jnr escaped injury and scrambled to a corner of the van.

Frozen with fear, he watched as Wright, kicking out desperately in defence, was shot seven times in the upper body, causing him to fall back into the vehicle.

Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close The last picture taken of Billy Wright inside the Maze Prison before being shot dead in December 1997. The poster eulogising Billy Wright Billy Wright / Facebook

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Green Jnr later told an inquiry into the murder that he pleaded with the LVF leader to "get down" and then, realising his friend was dying, shouted out: "They shot Billy."

"The door was slid open from the outside and I saw a man with a handgun ready to fire at Billy," he said.

"I instantly rolled on to the floor, but Billy stood up and started fighting. There were five or six shots and he fell on the ground across my legs.

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"It all happened very quickly. I held Billy's head in my arms and tried to keep talking to him. I was left alone with him. I tried to get help, but no one came."

Describing how the INLA gunmen fled in one direction and two prison officers in the other, Green Jnr recalled cradling a dying Wright in his arms and trying to coax him back to life.

"I got back into the van and tried to help Billy. I wiped the blood from his mouth and gave him the kiss of life," he revealed.

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"It was no good. Billy gave a long sigh and I knew he was dead. It was at least another 20 minutes before help came."

The jailhouse murder of Wright, who was responsible for dozens of sectarian loyalist killings, plunged the fledgling peace process into crisis.

The LVF and UDA responded to his execution by gunning down seven Catholics over the next six weeks.

Expand Close Funeral of loyalist Billy Wright in Portadown - Wright was shot by an INLA inmate at the Maze Prison / Facebook

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The IRA and INLA shot dead two loyalists, Robert Guiney and Bobby Dougan, in retaliation.

Despite the tit-for-tat murder spree, republicans and unionists signed the Good Friday Agreement in April 1998, paving the way for the return of a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.

Despite occurring 20 years ago, the Wright killing, and the dark months that followed, continue to resonate strongly with loyalists who insist the LVF godfather was set up.

A government inquiry into the execution which concluded in 2010 found it was caused by prison negligence and not collusion.

It blamed a decision to house LVF prisoners next to INLA inmates on the same block at the Maze as "directly facilitating" the 1997 murder.

However, friends of Wright remain convinced his death warrant was signed two years earlier when a PUP member produced a list of "problem loyalists" who did not support peace talks.

According to senior sources, the names on the document included:

LVF leader



Wright, who was murdered by the INLA;



Red Hand Commando assassin Frankie Curry, who was gunned down by the UVF in 1999;



LVF boss Mark 'Swinger' Fulton, who was found dead in Maghaberry Prison in 2002;



Red Hand Commando bomb-maker Tucker Ewing, who escaped a UVF assassination attempt at his Co Down home in the late 1990s;



Belfast LVF chief Jackie Mahood, who survived being shot in the head by the UVF in November 1997, one month before Billy's Wright murder.

Insiders told Sunday Life that the list of problem loyalists was handed to security officials by a prominent member of the PUP at a meeting in London in the early summer of 1995. A second independent source, who was at the same get-together to discuss the ongoing UDA and UVF ceasefires, confirmed that this took place.

A year later, Wright, who by this stage had formed the LVF, which murdered Catholic taxi driver Michael McGoldrick in 1996, was placed under a UVF death threat.

Our source explained: "The UVF was worried that the hardliners on the list represented a threat to the peace process because they refused to support the Good Friday Agreement talks. Billy Wright was the main concern and, within a year, he had formed the LVF, split from the UVF and taken most of the mid-Ulster brigade with him.

"It suited everyone to have him dead - the UVF, republicans, even the security forces.

"The inquiry into his killing found that there wasn't any collusion, but most loyalists you talk to would reject that.

"The circumstances around Billy's murder stink even to this day."
While the event happens deep in rural parts of Berkeley County, it is no less important. It started over two decades ago by a woman once paralyzed from a tumor on her spine. She later beat back the disability enough to walk and get back to work and life. Read moreAnnual Kids Day is back on in Berkeley County
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The glory of God is more important than your or my comfort. That is a statement with which all Christians will readily agree in theory. A Puritan prayer begins:

Lord of all being,

There is one thing that deserves my greatest care,

that calls forth my ardent desires,

That is, that I may answer the great end for which I am made

to glorify thee who hast given me being....1

That is a fine and noble prayer. But it has awesome consequences from which we naturally shy away. Of course, we say, there can be nothing more important than the glory of God. What Christian could possibly disagree with that expression of correct piety? And yet before long we find ourselves recoiling from the implications of this statement.

The introduction of the book of Job in 1:15 portrays a world with which Disney would by and large be happy. It is a world in which the right people come out on top. We are ready, as it were, to go home happy, knowing it is all working out as it should. But then the action begins, with four alternating scenes in Heaven and on earth. The story is told sparingly and brilliantly, as a cartoonist might, as a few well-chosen lines on the page conjure up whole worlds of drama. In this drama we shall see that it is necessary for it publicly to be seen that there is in Gods world a great man who is great because he is good, and yet who will continue to be a good man when he ceases to be a great man. Ultimately, in the greatest fulfillment of Jobs story, we will need to see a man who does not count equality with God (greatness) as something to be grasped but makes himself nothing for the glory of God (Philippians 2:611).

Scene 1: Heaven (Job 1:612)

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Satan2 also came among them. The LORD said to the Satan, From where have you come? The Satan answered the LORD and said, From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it. And the LORD said to the Satan, Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? Then the Satan answered the LORD and said, Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face. And the LORD said to the Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand. So the Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. (Job 1:612)

After the timeless introduction, which describes who Job was and what he habitually did, we read, there was a day (v. 6). And what a day! On this particular day something happened in Heaven that would change Jobs life forever.

The day began in what seems to have been a routine way: the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD (v. 6). The expression the sons of God speaks here of beings whose existence is derivative from God (hence sons) but whose rank is superhuman.3 The expression literally translated sons of God by the ESV is often translated angels (e.g., NIV). We meet them again in Psalm 29 (Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of God, Psalm 29:1, ESV footnote) and in Genesis 6:2.4 They form a divine council or heavenly cabinet, and we see reference to this in Psalms 82 and 89.

God has taken his place in the divine council;

in the midst of the gods he holds judgment....

I said, You are gods,

sons of the Most High, all of you. (Psalm 82:1, 6) For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD?

Who among the sons of God (ESV footnote) is like the LORD...

a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones,

and awesome above all who are around him? (Psalm 89:6, 7)

As members of Gods heavenly cabinet, they come to present themselves before him (v. 6). The expression to present oneself or to stand before means something like to attend a meeting to which one is summoned or to come before a superior ready to do his will.5 It is the expression used of the wise man in Proverbs: Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men (Proverbs 22:29). That is to say, he will be a senior civil servant or a government minister rather than just a local council employee. The same expression is used with apocalyptic imagery in Zechariah when the four chariots go out to all the world after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth (Zechariah 6:5). First they present themselves for duty, and then they go out to do what they have been told to do.

This day that turns out to be so devastating for Job begins with a normal heavenly cabinet meeting. God summons his ministers rather as an American President might call his senior staff to an early-morning meeting in the Oval Office before sending them out for action.

Only one member of the heavenly cabinet is mentioned individually: ... and the Satan also came among them (v. 6). The expression the Satan suggests that here Satan is a title, which tells us something about his role. The word Satan means something like adversary, opponent, enemy. The noun is used to mean an adversary in other contexts as well. When the Lord stops Balaam in his tracks, he does so as his adversary [satan] (Numbers 22:22). When the Philistine commanders tell the Philistine king Achish they dont want David fighting with them against Israel, they say, He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary [satan] to us (1 Samuel 29:4). Here in Job 1, it is not yet clear whose adversary the Satan is. It will soon become apparent that he is Jobs adversary.6

We are not told explicitly whether or not the Satan is present as a member of the heavenly council or whether he is in some way a gatecrasher. It is sometimes assumed that because the Satan is evil he cannot be a member of the council and must have barged in uninvited. So the Lords question, From where have you come? (v. 7) is read in a hostile voice (What do you think you are doing here?). But this is unlikely. The word among (v. 6) probably suggests that he is a member of the group.7 There need be no hostility or implied rebuke in the question, From where have you come? Probably it represents something like a President asking a Cabinet secretary for his report: Secretary of War, it is time for your report. Tell us where you have been and what you have seen.

In 1 Kings 22 the prophet Micaiah vividly describes the same heavenly council: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him. Then as Micaiah describes the conversation in the council, a lying spirit speaks up and is sent out by the Lord to do his will (1 Kings 22:1922). So there is apparently no inconsistency in a lying spirit being present in Gods council. In the same way, it will become clear that the Satan is present at the council because he belongs there. His presence (and indeed that of other lying spirits and evil spirits) has been described as being analogous to the expression in British governance, Her Majestys Loyal Opposition.8 They oppose the government, but they do so in ultimate and unquestioned subservience to the Crown. Their opposition is a necessary and good part of British governance. They in themselves are devoted to trying to bring the government down; and yet in spite of themselves their opposition serves a purpose in making the government better than it would be in the absence of opposition (as tyrannies attest). In the same way the Satan will oppose Job and yet will do so in a way that strangely and paradoxically will eventually be seen to serve the purposes of the Lord. As Luther put it, the Satan is Gods Satan.

How the World Is Governed

This description of the Lord and the sons of God gives us an important insight into the way the world is governed. Presumably this language of God sitting surrounded by a heavenly council is anthropomorphic language. God does not literally sit at the head of a council any more than he literally has hands or feet. This kind of language is used of God because we can understand it, to accommodate to our limitations. But what does it mean?

Broadly speaking there are three models for understanding the spiritual government of the world.

The first is polytheism or animism, in which the universe is governed (if that is not too strong a word) by a multiplicity of gods, goddesses, and spirits, none of whom is perfect and some of which are exceedingly evil. There is no absolutely supreme god or goddess, although some are generally more powerful than others. The end result is a universe filled with anxiety, in which we may never know in advance which spiritual power will come out on top in a particular situation, in which different deities have to be appeased and kept friendly, much as a citizen in a corrupt society may offer bribes to different officials, hoping he or she gets the bribes right in their amounts and their recipients. This is the world of animism and of Hinduism. In a strange way, it is also the world of Buddhism, where the gods and goddesses are within ourselves. Each person is his or her own god or goddess. Who knows who will win?

At its simplest this view becomes a dualism in which the world is governed by the outcome of an ongoing contest between God and the devil, who are thought of as pretty much equal and opposite powers battling it out for supremacy, like the Empire and the Federation in Star Wars. The devil is perceived as having an autonomy and agency independent of God. Some Christians are practical dualists in this way.

The second is a kind of absolute monism, in which the world is governed absolutely and simply by one God. What this God says goes, end of story. Above the visible and material universe there is one, and only one, supernatural power, the absolute power of the Creator of Heaven and earth. This model underlies the classic objection to the goodness of God: If God is God He is not good. If God is good He is not God.9

As I understand it, this is the model of Islam, and many Christians think it is the Biblical model. It is not.

Christian people can veer toward either of these, a dualism or a monism. Neither does justice to the Bibles picture, which is more nuanced and complex. The Bible portrays for us a world that lies under the absolute supremacy and sovereignty of the Creator, who has no rivals, who is unique, such that there is no god like him. And yet he does not govern the world as the sole supernatural power. He governs the world by the means of and through the agency of a multiplicity of supernatural powers, some of whom are evil. That is to say, the sons of God represent powers that are greater than human powers and yet are less than Gods power. They include among their number the Satan and his lying and evil spirits.

Above the visible and measurable material world of human senses lies a world in which is the one Jesus calls the ruler of this world (John 12:31) and whom Paul will later call the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). The air here speaks of a region higher than earth (hence supernatural) but lower than the dwelling-place of God himself (Heaven). Our battle does not just take place at the human level (against flesh and blood) but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).

This model is not dualist; the sovereignty of God is not compromised one iota in this model. But the nature of the government of the world is significantly different than in the monist model. We need to take account of these supernatural agencies, the sons of God in the language of Job and other Old Testament passages. And we need to grasp that the evil agencies, the devil and all his angels, while being supernatural and superhuman, are sub-divine. Satan is, to again quote Luthers famous phrase, Gods Satan.

Some will object that since God cannot look at or have fellowship with evil (Habakkuk 1:13), he cannot allow the Satan to be in his presence. But this is to confuse fellowship with government. God can have no fellowship with evil, because he is pure light, and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5, 6). But he can use evil in his government of the world, and he does. His having business dealings, so to speak, with the Satan in the government of the world is not the same as suggesting that the Satan enjoys Gods presence in the sense of his blessing.

Notes

1. The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1975), p. 13.

2. I have rendered the Hebrew literally, the Satan (ESV, Satan). It has the article here and in Zechariah 3:1, 2. In 1 Chronicles 21:1 Satan appears as a proper name without the article.

3. So Clines.

4. This is a famously puzzling passage. It is not clear whether these are heavenly creatures or powerful human princes.

5. Gordis rightly rejects the suggestion that this expression means here to stand against God.

6. So Clines.

7. As, for example, in this words use in Genesis 23:10 (where Ephron sits among his fellow-Hittites), in Genesis 40:20 (where the baker and cupbearer are among Pharaohs servants), or 2 Kings 4:13 (I dwell among my own people).

8. Janzen.

9. Archibald MacLeish, in his play JB, has one of his characters repeat this refrain (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, Sentry Edition, 1956), p. 11.

Taken from Job: The Wisdom of the Cross, by Christopher Ash. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, Il 60187, www.crossway.org.

Life can be hard, and sometimes it seems like God doesnt even care. When faced with difficult trials, many people have resonated with the book of Jobthe story of a man who lost nearly everything, seemingly abandoned by God. In this thorough and accessible commentary, Christopher Ash helps us glean encouragement from Gods Word by directing our attention to the final explanation and ultimate resolution of Jobs story: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Intended to equip pastors to preach Jobs important message, this commentary highlights Gods grace and wisdom in the midst of redemptive suffering.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) aims to identify the barriers leading to low Hepatitis B coverage under UIP.

The Union health ministry plans to assess the impact of the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP), launched 10 years ago for Hepatitis B, on the population.

The government introduced Hepatitis B vaccines in the UIP in 2007-2008. Nearly 119,000 cases of all cause viral hepatitis were reported in India in 2012. The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme of the National Centre for Disease Control received notification of over 290,000 cases of acute viral hepatitis in 2013.

Under the health ministrys plan, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) aims to identify the barriers leading to low Hepatitis B coverage under UIP and study the impact of the immunization done over the years.

The health ministry is developing a comprehensive integrated three-year National Action Plan for Viral Hepatitis (NAPVH) with the key objective of providing an actionable framework of evidence based, priority interventions to support the national response for prevention, control and management of viral hepatitis in the country.

Under the plan, studies will be conducted to understand the efficacy of alternative medicine in preventing and treating viral hepatitis, comparison of indigenous and Chinese hepatitis vaccines in clinical trials and understand the modes of transmission of viral hepatitis B.
The Unsung Hero Of India Who Made A Solar Car To Free India From Pollution Pulse oi-Lekhaka

A country that is free from pollution is what we all dream of and it will soon become a reality only if we actively participate in making the country pollution free.

At the age of 63, Syed Sajjad Ahmed, a man from Kolar wished to do something for the people of his country about which most of the youth of the country hardly care about. His enthusiasm to do something for the humanity is now an inspiration for many.

At the age of 50, he planned for years, invested and built a car that runs on solar power upto 40 kilometres per day, reaching a maximum power range of 100 kilometres and is well equipped with 5 solar panels.

His dream to do something actively for the society came true through this innovation of his. He travelled around the country in his solar car and the main purpose of it was to generate awareness among the people of the country about pollution and corruption.

A Passionate Man Mr. Ahmed was wanting to do something for the society. So he came up with the best inventions on his own. He started by building a two-wheeler and then modifying it in such a way that it runs on electricity. After building this two-wheeler, he started to design an electric three-wheeler. He designed it for the disabled people. Fruit Seller To Solar Car Designer At the age of 15, he left school to support his family financially. At first, he started to sell fruits and then repaired electronics in his shop. After this, he made a television antenna and then in year 2002, a two-wheeler was designed by him. Finally, in the year 2004, a solar car was designed by him, as he wished to make everyone socially aware and also wanted to bring a change in the society. pulse Amazing Science Experiments To See Before You Die The Chariot The solar car is capable of running on solar power at a speed of 40 kilometres per day. Syed used this car to fight against corruption, apart from making India pollution free. He drove the car to travel to Chennai as well as Kochi and Kanyakumari. In the year 2012, he travelled in his solar car and covered 1000 kilometres in South India to make the people aware of Anna Hazare's message and to build a country free from corruption. The Longest Journey His plan to make a trip to the capital during the India International Science Festival is also a great success. He travelled the longest distance of 3000 km in his solar car from Bengaluru's Raj Bhavan to Delhi's Rashtrapati Bhavan and made a record. He travelled for 30 days and at a speed of 100 kilometres per hour. During this journey, he has travelled through Hyderabad and Agra. A True Inspiration He has spent 4 years of this life to build the two-wheelers and three-wheelers and an amount of ten lakh rupees was spent by him only to build it. He spends a part of his earning to build special devices and another part on social service across India. In the year 2006, his work was acknowledged by presenting him the World Environment Day award. Her Disorder Did Not Stop Her From Becoming Famous!" /> pulse Her Disorder Did Not Stop Her From Becoming Famous!" /> Her Disorder Did Not Stop Her From Becoming Famous! Dr. Kalams Vision 2020 Our former president Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam inspires him a lot and hence he will be travelling to his hometown from Delhi. By travelling in his self-designed solar car, he wants to educate people, mostly the youth of our country, about Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's Vision 2020. It will inspire them in building a better and healthy India. He also planned his return to Bangalore through Kanyakumari. If the idea of reducing the pollution and making the country pollution free as proposed by Syed Sajjad Ahmed is seriously looked upon by the government, then India will become a much better place to live in and, as per his vision - pollution free.

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Story first published: Tuesday, December 26, 2017, 10:26 [IST]
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 26/12/2017 (1788 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The phone rings and Emily Tuttosi picks it up.

On the other line, a caller orders 10 meals for delivery  enough to feed six adults and four kids.

They set a drop-off time for 2 p.m. and Tuttosi ends the call with a Merry Christmas.

Michael Lee/The Brandon Sun Volunteers help prepare Christmas dinners for delivery on Monday.

The longest weve had both of us off the phone has been a couple minutes probably, Tuttosi said, with her sister Kaedynce seated by her side.

Its a quarter past 10 on Christmas morning and the Tuttosi sisters have been working the phones since 8:30 a.m.

Its the first time either sister has handled delivery calls since both began volunteering with the Westman and Area Traditional Christmas Dinner several years ago.

Ive always liked volunteering for people that dont have that sense of family, Kaedynce said, but lots of people that have come here for years and years get that sense of family.

Now in its 33rd year, the annual Christmas dinner has become an iconic staple in the Wheat City for more than three decades.

Michael Lee/The Brandon Sun Eight-year-old Celia Canate carries a plate of food to a table during the Westman and Area Traditional Christmas Dinner on Monday.

Held at the Grand Salon of the Victoria Inn, some 3,500 meals were prepared for the Christmas feast  2,000 in the dining room and another 1,500 for delivery  all with the help of more than 400 volunteers.

The community is so awesome to help us out, Gladden Smith, a volunteer board member for the Traditional Christmas Dinner, said.

If it wasnt for the volunteers, the community, the businesses in and around Brandon, we couldnt pull this off.

Before the doors even opened, dozens of people eagerly waited in line for a chance to take part in the holiday tradition.

To see the smiles on their faces, Smith said, Thats Christmas.

Michael Lee/The Brandon Sun Sisters Kaedynce, left, and Emily Tuttosi work the phones as people call in to order Christmas dinners on Monday.

Its a community event one-hundred per cent.

The dinner has grown substantially since its humble beginnings in 1985, when Rocky Addison, his family and friends hosted 30 people at his downtown church in Brandon.

Eventually, the size of the dinner outgrew the church, Prairie Oasis Senior Centre and the Keystone Centre, before finally landing at the Victorian Inn.

But as the crowds grew, so did the dinner itself. With 110 turkeys, 500 pounds of ham, 1,000 pounds of mashed potatoes, 60 gallons of gravy, homemade stuffing, hundreds of oranges and desserts to no end, preparing the dinner became no easy feat.

When I get tired in here, all I have to do is take a little peek in the dining room, said head cook Joanne Harburn.

Michael Lee/The Brandon Sun Diego Martinez, left, and Adrian Reyez, right, both nine, receive presents at the Westman and Area Traditional Christmas Dinner on Monday.

Harburn and others began cooking on Dec. 21, pulling 12-hour days just to get the meal in order.

But when she looks out at the crowd gathered for the holiday dinner, she is welcomed by the many diverse faces from all corners of the city who have chosen to share their Christmas together with their families and children. It just warms your heart.

Lex Langston began his tenure with the Christmas dinner eight years ago, delivering meals at first but lately changing gears to prepare coffee.

What drew him to the dinner, he said, was the chance to have people come together for a common cause.

It makes you feel good about people in general, he said.

Michael Lee/The Brandon Sun Bonnie Carey, left, and Pat Valenta prepare coleslaw for the Westman and Area Traditional Christmas Dinner on Monday.

Luis Martinez came with his wife and three children. It was the Honduran familys second year at the supper, and although most of his family is back home, Martinez said the dinner helped them all feel less lonely on Christmas.

We have someone to celebrate with, he said.

 mlee@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @mtaylorlee
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 26/12/2017 (1788 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A committee has been established to help victims of the 60s Scoop heal from the injustices they endured.

Survivors unceremoniously ripped from their families and homes are in line for compensation, after Ottawa announced in the fall it would compensate thousands of Indigenous people placed with white families for the governments role in perpetuating the wrongdoing.

In Brandon, a committee wants to assist people affected by the 60s Scoop with their recovery, explained Jason Gobeil, the Aboriginal community co-ordinator with the Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples Council.

Ian Froese/The Brandon Sun Some of the committee members who are hoping to educate local victims of the '60s Scoop on the compensation avenue available to them. They are, from left, Gail Cullen, Jeanine Pelletier, Jason Gobeil and Frank Tacan.

We know thats not the be-all, end-all, he said of the compensation offer. Theres a lot more services that are needed in the community for healing and wellness with those that were affected by this.

This was an initiative through the Brandon Friendship Centre, with the support of the Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples Council, that wanted to ensure the right information was shared with those who can truly look at this as their right to compensation.

The federal government agreed in October to an agreement-in-principle aimed at settling numerous lawsuits put forth by 60s Scoop victims. An $800-million payout has been promised to survivors, with $50 million earmarked to reconciliation initiatives. Separately, $75 million will settle legal fees.

It isnt known how many Manitobans were victims of 60s Scoop. An Ontario case suggested there are 16,000 people in that province alone. Estimates nationwide suggest there are more than 20,000 affected individuals.

The 60s Scoop, which spanned the 1960s to the 80s, is a dark mass on Canadas history, Gobeil said.

The committee hopes its efforts, including an upcoming public information session, will open a needed discussion.

It provides dialogue and dialogue is so important when were talking about areas of compensation and working with our federal government, really working as partners in the community, Gobeil said.

Helping survivors was the idea of Jeanine Pelletier, program co-ordinator at Brandon Access Exchange Service, an initiative of the Brandon Friendship Centre. The service facilitates safe meetings between children and their families in cases where high-level conflict exists.

Only recently has Pelletier come to understand her biological mothers absence wasnt by choice, but because Pelletier was taken from her mother as a young child.

Pelletier shared her 60s Scoop story for the first time at an event in fall, in honour of the lives lost at a Brandon residential school.

That day I made a promise that I would give back somehow, someway to our people, she said. I thought this would be the best way to do that.

Pelletier has recruited Martin Minuk, a Winnipeg-based lawyer and a longtime friend to her program, to help with the committees efforts. Minuk and an associate are helping without a retainer.

The lawyers say theyre treating the 60s Scoop settlement like they would other legal developments in their profession, by educating themselves.

It would be no different than you studying up on a topic and presenting this to your class, as part of your history project, Minuk said. Weve studied up on this, weve learned it as best we can, and now we are going to present this to the people who have likely not read it.

Brandon Friendship Centre executive director Gail Cullen hopes the information session will educate survivors who do not understand the particulars of the settlement.

The public is invited to learn more on Feb. 15 at 205 College Ave. from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. For more information, Pelletier can be contacted at 204-729-8115.

 ifroese@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ianfroese
Jessica Chastain, Annette Bening, Margot Robbie, Diane Kruger, Saoirse Ronan, and Kate Winslet are all great actresses in their own right. But they also share something else in common.

They are all white.

No surprise then that after the Los Angeles Times published a cover photo featuring the actresses with the headline "A shift in focus" that there was a negative reaction to its "whiteness".
Two women have been charged with assaulting police after a huge Christmas Day beach party was broken up by officers in Sydney's south.

About 3000 people were at the party at Little Bay, south of Maroubra, and more were arriving when police were called just before 3pm.

It took officers from five different command centres two-and-a half hours to break up the party, which was in a designated alcohol-free zone.

In video footage of the aftermath of the party, police can be seen pushing a couple of women who fall to the ground. Officers also used capsicum spray on the revellers, a police spokeswoman confirmed, and paramedics were called to decontaminate those affected.
Police in Minneapolis have removed a candle-lit memorial created by a white nationalist group to honour Australian woman Justine Damond shot dead by a Somali-American officer.

Identity Evropa said it made the "shrine" to Damond after a prosecutor suggested there was not enough evidence to bring charges.

Damond died after being shot in her pyjamas by officer Noor on July 15 after she called police several times to report a possible sexual assault in an alley behind her Minneapolis home she had shared with her fiance.

Officer Noor has not been charged.
Moscow: Russian authorities say a bus careened off a road and onto steps leading into an underground train station passageway in Moscow, killing at least four people and leaving 13 others injured.

Moscow police said passengers and pedestrians were among those killed in Monday's crash.

Emergency personnel work to pull a bus that crashed down subway stairs in Moscow on Monday. Credit:IVAN SEKRETAREV

Police immediately ruled out a possibility of it being a terror attack, saying that they suspect a mechanical fault or that the driver lost control of the vehicle. Police were questioning the driver.

Photos taken at the scene show the bus on the steps leading into the pedestrian tunnel near Moscow's Slavyansky Boulevard metro station.
Washington: If praising US President Donald Trump were a contest, the top contestant would surely be, well, Trump.

"I went to an Ivy League college," Trump said on October 25. "I was a nice student. I did very well. I'm a very intelligent person."

Vice President Mike Pence steals a look at his leader during celebrations to mark the passage of Trump's tax bill. Credit:ZACH GIBSON

"One of the great memories of all time," Trump also said, pointing to his temple.

"There has never been a 10-month president that has accomplished what we have accomplished," Trump said of his record on November 29. "That, I can tell you."
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Theyre commanders in cheer!

New Yorks Finest doubled as Santas helpers on Thursday, handing out gifts to youngsters during Patrol Borough Brooklyn Norths second-annual toy giveaway at the Bushwick station house. And the jolly old elf himself showed up to surprise the lucky tots, who were elated to see the man in red after some heavy traffic presumably delayed his arrival from the North Pole, according to a man in blue.

Everyone was excited when we made the announcement that Santa was a couple minutes out, despite the long wait, said Oscar Lopez, a community-affairs officer from the 83rd Precinct. It was very nice.

Officers from precincts across North Brooklyn teamed up to collect hundreds of presents that they doled out to more than 3,000 underprivileged and sick kids.

The local heroes invited some of their more famous, super counterparts including Superman and Spiderman to the shindig, where they played with the tots, hoisted them up on Santas sleigh for a ride, and passed out tasty snacks and hot chocolate, Lopez said.

One tyke who unwrapped a scrapbooking kit at the drive couldnt wait to get home and start crafting, according to her mom.

Shes been playing with it, Lynette Pearson said of her 8-year-old daughter Jamani Pearson-Dudley. It was nice.
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Hes Park Slopes top dog!

An award-winning Slope dog breeder is putting down the leash and picking up the gavel at this years Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, where hell return to oversee the contest as a first-time judge after competing in it as a top contender for years.

Im excited and Im honored to be judging, said Milan Lint. Its a very different perspective.

Lint rose to become one of the nations top breeders over his 30-year career, and his Portuguese water dog, Matisse, is the top-winning male show dog in United States history, with 238 all-breed best-in-show wins.

The record-setting pooch is also well-connected  President Obamas Portuguese water dog, Sunny, is his cousin.

And the local animal lovers affenpinscher, Fiona, boasts her own impressive achievement of being the most successful female in the toy breeds history.

But after Westminster honchos tapped Lint to judge Newfoundland and Portuguese water dog breeds in their annual New York City super-show this February, he made the tough call to pull Fiona from the competition so he could perform on the other side of the fur-filled pageant.

Lint first moved to Park Slope 25 years ago, but quickly decamped to the distant isle of Manhattan, and only returned to Brooklyn 18 months ago when he settled in a Prospect Park West home near Montgomery Street, where he lives with his partner and affenpinschers Frieda, Berta, and Greta. Fiona, on the other hand, lives with a pro-handler who can accommodate the requirements of her demanding career  a common arrangement for thoroughbreds of a certain level. And Matisse resides with Lints business partner, he said.

The top-notch breeder returned to Park Slope in large part to bring his pack closer to Prospect Park, and to a nabe known for its preeminent dog-raising credentials.

It is absolutely a dog friendly neighborhood, and the park is a big part of that, Lint said.

Reach reporter Colin Mixson at cmixs on@cn gloca l.com or by calling (718) 260-4505.
Mrs Bahl is an avid seller of her specialty biryani on Shopo, the consumer-to-consumer platform set up by Snapdeal on the lines of Alibaba's Taobao. She also happens to be the mother of Snapdeal's founder and CEO Kunal Bahl. In 2015, Snapdeal announced it will invest $100 million in Shopo, providing its logistics platform and the payment gateways free of charge to sellers like Mrs Bahl for a hassle-free experience. It hoped to make money through advertising. It never did.

So when Snapdeal was forced to conserve cash, in February 2017, the axe first fell on Shopo. Next, it is believed to have put its payment wallet Freecharge on the block at between half to a quarter of the $400 million it paid to acquire it. About 600 Snapdeal employees have been given the marching orders, founders Kunal and Rohit Bansal have given up their Rs1.5 crore a year paychecks. Yet, Snapdeal continues to bleed. Having failed in its bid to outrun rival Flipkart in the race to No.1 last year, Snapdeal was even displaced from the No.2 spot by aggressive newcomer Amazon, which is now on the verge of overtaking--or, has already overtaken--Flipkart too.

Like Snapdeal, bit by bit, the story of India's Unicorns (start-ups valued at $1 billion or higher) is turning out to be a case of spreading themselves too thin, too fast. Besides Snapdeal, Flipkart, Ola Cabs (ANI Technologies), Paytm (One97 Communications), InMobi, Mu Sigma, Hike, Shopclues, Zomato and Quikr have been funded at valuations of $1 billion or higher, giving them the tag of Unicorns. On March 2, Paytm E-Commerce announced it was valued at over $1 billion in a $200 million infusion from Alibaba and SAIF Partners, making it the 11th Unicorn. Together, the first 10 Unicorns attracted cumulative funding of $8.5 billion, the biggest $3.2 billion by Flipkart, followed by Snapdeal's $1.7 billion. But, in just the past five years, they have cumulatively also burnt up Rs15,827 crore (nearly $3 billion) in accumulated losses and write-offs (some have been in operation for eight-twelve years). The maximum by two Flipkart entities (Rs5,698.4 crore), followed by Snapdeal (Rs4,745.5 crore).

Yet, there is a clear distinction between them. While the B2C or purely consumer Unicorns such as Flipkart, Snapdeal, Paytm, Shopclues, Quikr or Ola and Zomato are bleeding profusely, B2B or enterprise Unicorns such as the Bangalore-based Mu Sigma and InMobi are better off. If InMobi is comparatively either mildly profitable or mildly loss-making year-on-year, data science firm Mu Sigma Business Solutions (which raised $209 million in funding) was the only profitable Unicorn in the country in 2015/16, reporting a net profit of Rs463 crore on revenue of Rs810 crore.

"They tried to be everything to everybody. It just doesn't work," says Sanjay Nayar, Member and CEO of KKR India. "Entrepreneurs raised money at crazy valuations. All over-stated and over-estimated consumption and growth. Very few succeeded. If you don't make money, how do you value a company?"

As basic business metrics such as unit economics and need for healthy cash flows were disregarded, the Unicorns chased growth at the expense of profitability; chased customer acquisition at the cost of customer satisfaction. That race to outdo each other in customer acquisition through unsustainable discounting and cashbacks has blown a hole in their balance sheets while losses continue to mount uncontrollably. If 2015 was the year of funding, 2016 was the year of execution, says Nikesh Arora, former president and ceo of Softbank (which invested in Snapdeal, InMobi, Ola and Grofers): "People have to figure out how to fix this."

India's Unicorns may have been emboldened by the examples of Amazon, WhatsApp and Uber which continued to get funding despite reporting losses for years on end. But investors are pulling back. Several Indian Unicorns are today valued significantly lower than their peak valuation. Ola's latest round of $300 million funding from Softbank last week is estimated at a 30 per cent markdown to its peak valuation of $5 billion. American fund Morgan Stanley Select Dimensions Investment Series marked down Flipkart's valuation 38 per cent from $84.29 per share to $52.13 per share (between June 30, 2016 and Sept 30, 2016) in its filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. In all, Flipkart has had five markdowns till date. By some estimates it is now valued at just a third of its $15 billion peak valuation. Flipkart termed these a 'theoretical exercise' since they are not based on real transactions. Flipkart made some fatal errors such as the disastrous experiment to move to an app-only model which had to be reversed when sales fell. Or, the costly push into a la carte music with Flyte which bombed due to the emergence of music streaming sites such as Gaana and Saavn. Also, an unsuccessful attempt at a wallet Flipkart Money, now folded into 'Phone Pe'.

Last March, the founders of Flipkart and Snapdeal took potshots at each other on Twitter. Flipkart's Executive Chairman Sachin Bansal tweeted: Alibaba deciding to start operations directly shows how badly their Indian investments have done so far." Since Alibaba is an investor in Snapdeal, Bahl shot back: "Didn't Morgan Stanley just flush Rs5 billion worth market cap in Flipkart down the toilet? Focus on your business, not commentary."

Other Unicorns face an existential crisis. Is there space, for instance, for a No.3 (Snapdeal) and also a No.4 (Shopclues) player in e-tail? And, in some cases, such as Paytm, their business models are under the scanner.

As investors tightened their purse and began the crackdown on cash burn, panic-stricken Unicorns are responding in identical ways. Non-core businesses are being hived off, sold or shut; companies are going through widespread cost-cutting; employees are being laid off in hundreds. In many cases, investors are taking it upon themselves to run the company. Founders and senior executives are either being nudged out or kicked up, as in the case of Flipkart founders Sachin and Binny Bansal who are now in the roles of chairman and group CEO, respectively, while investor-backed Kalyan Krishnamurthy has been appointed the new CEO in January, 2017. Where they find synergies, there are rumours of a possible merger, for instance, between Paytm's loss-making e-tail business and Snapdeal. Alibaba Group Holding and Intel Capital are common investors in both. Besides, Softbank, the biggest shareholder in Snapdeal, is also the biggest shareholder in Alibaba. "We are deeply committed to our portfolio companies and help them achieve their strategic goals. We cannot comment on specific plans or transactions," says Alok Sama, President & CFO, SoftBank Group International.

SPOILT BY SUPERABUNDANT CAPITAL

Consulting firm Bain & Company reckons they fell prey to 'Superabundant Capital'. Its study "Strategy in an Age of Superabundant Capital" says global financial capital (today at 10 times the global gdp) has more than tripled in the past three decades. An average Unicorn globally has raised an astounding $516 million. Superabundant capital leaves companies with a hoard of cash which they struggle to deploy judiciously. Bain says it encouraged executives to remain committed to investments long after it was clear that they are not paying off.

"...for the balance of the next decade - at least - markets will continue to grapple with superabundant capital," said Karen Harris, managing director of Bain's Macro Trends Group. "Too much capital will be chasing too few good investment ideas for many years, requiring a fundamental shift in how companies implement their business strategy and manage capital."

When foreign owned rivals Amazon and Uber turned the heat on Indian competitors through their well-funded Indian entities, rapid cash burn forced Flipkart, Snapdeal and Ola to form an alliance and raise the nationalistic card by alleging that Amazon and Uber were "dumping capital" to eliminate them. But they conveniently ignored the reality that they themselves had been dumping VC-funded capital all this while to wipe out or acquire rivals. Despite their attempt to secure the backing of the RSS and its economic think tank Swadeshi Jagran Manch, their alliance didn't gain traction.

"It's a ludicrous proposition because there is no national champion," says Dhanpal Jhaveri, Everstone Group's Managing Partner. "The government is not to help companies survive or die, just because someone has made mistakes. The core thesis that we are Indians is incorrect because (in many cases) the Indian founders own less than 5 per cent today. Foreign capitalists own them."



ELUSIVE PROFITABILITY: VALUATION CHALLENGE

Economist John Maynard Keynes once said: If you owe your bank a hundred pounds, you have a problem. But if you owe a million, it has. So it is with investors. Due to the scale of investment involved, far from being the founders' problem, the wayward Unicorns are now investors' problem.

And it's hurting. In November 2016, Softbank, wrote off $550 million towards its investments in Snapdeal and Ola. That narrowed to $351 million by the end of December because of gains in the yen-dollar valuation. "The write-offs are due to intricacies of accounting practices and currency fluctuations, and in most cases represent a reversal of earlier gains. Our overall investment portfolio in India is marked well above cost. We are in for the long haul," says Softbank's Alok Sama.

It all began with the poster-boy of Indian Unicorns-Flipkart-sputtering at the finish line. Valued as high as $15.2 billion in the funding round of April, 2015, Flipkart's valuation has been in question ever since the world's largest e-tailer Amazon began nudging it for the No. 1 spot in India.

According to web traffic tracking and analytics firm Alexa (which incidentally is owned by Amazon.com), Amazon is already India's fifth most visited website while Flipkart is at No.9. Amazon recorded 8.73 daily page views per visitor against Flipkart's 3.38. And while a visitor spent an average 9.09 minutes per visit on Amazon, he spent 5.26 minutes on Flipkart. It attracts 14.7 per cent of traffic from search compared to Flipkart's 10.5 per cent. Suddenly, Flipkart wasn't as invincible. It tried to buy growth to stay ahead by acquiring fashion e-tailers Myntra and Jabong but Amazon raced past. As of March, 2016, Amazon reported a revenue of Rs2,275.4 crore against Flipkarts Rs1,951.7 crore. Meanwhile, Flipkart Internet's annual losses grew from Rs63 crore in fiscal 2012/13 to Rs2,306 crore in 2015/16.

As a result, investors Tiger Global and Accel took charge of the company more than a year ago. In January, 2016, CEO Sachin Bansal was promoted to the role of executive chairman. Co-founder and Chief operating officer Binny Bansal was given charge as CEO. In less than a year, in January 2017, the investors decided to appoint Kalyan Krishnamurthy as Flipkart's CEO while Binny was moved up to the group CEO's role. In a townhall meeting with employees in August, 2016, Sachin Bansal admitted his removal as CEO was linked to performance: "Just look at who was at management six months ago, one year ago, and who is management today. It's completely changed. Right? I was the CEO and I have changed. It was performance linked."

With Snapdeal already shifting focus from chasing growth to chasing customer experience, the Unicorns have continued to search for that elusive profitability. Jasper Infotech, which owns Snapdeal, reported a net loss of Rs2,960 crore at revenue of Rs1,456.6 crore in 2015/16.

The third most funded Unicorn in India, ANI Technologies which owns Ola Cabs, had a net loss of Rs754.9 crore on revenue of Rs418.3 crore in 2014/15. Its current valuation stands at $3.5 billion, down from $5 billion. Founder Bhavish Aggarwal, however, told BT in a previous meeting that the company can hit profitability by the end of fiscal 2016/17. "If we want, we could be profitable this year," says Bhavish. "We are investing aggressively in growth, in customer acquisition, in building our network, in adding more cars, in scaling more cities. That's where most of the investment goes. On the other side, it is in technology, products and all these innovations."

The next, One97 Communications which owns the most generic mobile wallet in the country 'Paytm' has widened its losses from Rs370.8 crore in 2014/15 to Rs1,548.5 crore in 2015/16 thanks to its entry into the cash-burning e-tail business (though Paytm is accelerating its entry into e-tail with a fresh round of investment). In the last round of funding in One97 in 2016, it secured a higher valuation of $4.7 billion as against $3.1 billion earlier. Since then, Paytm has seen a sharp 50 million subscriber ramp-up since demonetisation, as citizens scrambled to look for digital payment options, As of the end of February 2017, Paytm had an astounding 200 million subscribers. Paytm's founder & CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma did not respond to bt's questionnaire.

InMobi Technology, a mobile-based digital ad network, has received $321 million in funding till date, but has struggled to find new backers since December 2014 (it raised $60 million in debt). ceo Naveen Tewari says the company did not require funding except for strategic acquisitions. It reported a mild profit in 2013/14, but as it expanded operations to 17 countries, InMobi reported a net loss of Rs15.52 crore on revenues of Rs262 crore in fiscal 2014/15, the latest available with the Registrar of Companies. "Technically, our burn rates are much lower, so we probably don't need the high level of capital it is perceived we require," says Tewari, founder and CEO, InMobi.

The mobile messaging and social media app Hike, founded by Kavin Bharti Mittal, the son of Bharti group chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal was valued at $1.4 billion in its last round of funding in August, 2016. It is most unique in its strategy-somewhat like Reliance Jio. Despite raising $260 million till date from Foxconn Technology, Tencent Holdings, Softbank and Bharti Enterprises, Mittal hasn't kick-started the revenue model as yet. Instead, it is focused on building a user base and developing an India-specific messaging solution in multiple local languages before it starts earning revenue. In 2015/16, Hike reported a net loss of Rs217 crore but it also had over 100 million users which makes it India's second most used messaging app after WhatsApp.

Clues Network, the owner of e-tailer Shopclues.com reported a net loss of Rs383 crore on revenue of Rs179 crore in 2015/16. It has been funded with $231 million and was last funded in January, 2016. It's trying to find a niche for itself in the home products space.

"There has been an enormous amount of capital chasing few opportunities and that has created a form of bubble," says Alexandre de Rothschild, Deputy Chairman of global investment advisory firm Rothschild & Co.

Zomato Media which has received $223 million in funding till date and was last valued at $1 billion in March 2015 reported a net loss of Rs266 crore on revenue of Rs154 crore in 2015-16. Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal did not respond to BT's questionnaire.

And classifieds platform Quikr, modeled on US-based Craigslist had a revenue of Rs95 crore and loss of Rs534 crore in 2015/16. Quikr founder Pranay Chulet did not respond to BT's queries. With total funding of $370 million, it was last valued at $1 billion in September 2014.



SEARCHING FOR A BUSINESS MODEL

If Flipkart, Snapdeal, Shopclues and Paytm have value destroying revenue models, others such as Hike have yet to unlock a revenue stream, focusing instead on customer acquisition only. Zomato and InMobi have spread themselves thin by expanding to global markets. InMobi's ad platform model faces the might of bigger advertising platforms such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Alibaba and even Flipkart and Snapdeal's own advertising platforms. And Quikr, which earns from advertisments and by charging for premium listings, has to find complimentary revenue streams since its model is yet to gain traction. Ola, which expanded into 102 cities and with offerings as lateral as e-rickshaws, will have to bear the brunt of the onslaught global No.1 Uber is bringing into India through rapid discounting. But Mu Sigma is roaring to profitability.

"Undoubtedly, capital management will remain a business imperative even in a time of superabundance - waste is waste," says the Bain study. "But, the new bedrock on which winning strategies will be built is the quantity of valuable ideas an organisation's people can generate and leadership's ability to successfully commercialise them."



The question is: which of these models has a greater chance of survival than others.

Those facing the greatest challenge are opportunistic business models such as One97's wallet Paytm, online classifieds Quikr and digital ad platform InMobi.

Paytm's wallet-one of the most relevant innovations of our times-is the best example of a product being in the right place at the right time, but only so long. The growing need to make small payments instantly through a medium other than cash was the need of the times. While other wallets, including those by leading banks, waddled around and shied away from the hard work of popularising it in the belief that it will proliferate by itself, Paytm raced ahead due to its merchant tie-ups and clever brand positioning and advertising. Then demonetisation happened and it appeared invincible-until the government-owned NPCIL got its act together to launch UPI, USSD and its own wallet killer BHIM app in quick succession.

Suddenly, despite its $807 million funding, Paytm appears vulnerable. Unlike Paytm, where the customer's money sits in a pre-paid wallet (a kind of an escrow account), BHIM transfers money directly from one bank account to another bank account, eliminating the need for an intermediary like a wallet. While Paytm is a closed loop network, BHIM is inter-operable between bank accounts. Paytm may also incorporate UPI or Bharat QR into its wallet for inter-operability. Yet, its biggest challenge is viability. The question is: whether users will stay the day it starts charging for transactions on the app! N.Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, who has been tasked to head the committee of chief ministers to recommend digital payments told BT that wallets are 'intermediate' businesses and have no future. Instead, BHIM is the way to go. The question to ask is, "if you raise prices, will people stick with you?" asks Nayar.

Besides raison d'etre, a bigger question is over Paytm's business model, especially with the government determined to crash digital transaction charges to the bare minimum to promote use of digital transactions instead of cash. "There is not enough margin in the payment business for the wallets to have a future," HDFC Bank's managing director Aditya Puri said at the Nasscom India Leadership Forum in Mumbai recently. "Wallets as a valid economic proposition is doubtful. There is no money in the payments business," he said.

You may call it an outcry of the affected or a lash from the incumbent. After all, Paytm has the government's nod to morph into a payments bank which may compete with HDFC Bank. But globally payments bank business models have only succeeded with telcos or with e-tail/retail. Paytm had neither. So it began an e-tail business initially giving as much as 100 per cent cashback in the wallet to buy on its e-tail platform. Today, that's the primary cause of Paytm's parent One97's balance sheet being awash in red.

For Snapdeal, Arora says, "the Phase II is about ensuring a quality customer experience and making sure we have the right set of customers. That's where all the focus of Snapdeal needs to be" Bahl says he is at it. "People outside think that it is a slash and burn industry. Will never make money. It's absolutely untrue. Folks hadn't dug deep enough to say where am I losing most money, where am I making most money-on various dimensions such as categories, products, brands, customers, geographies," Snapdeal's Bahl told BT in mid-2016. "There are islands of profitability in each of these dimensions. You have to identify the islands of profitability, grow these islands. And the islands of non-profitability are shrunk."

Having given up in the race to be the leader, Snapdeal began focusing on building capabilities that cannot be replicated overnight. "We realised over a period of time that India has weak underlying infrastructure. Unless we smartly invest behind it, we won't be able to deliver a great experience to our customers and our sellers," Kunal Bahl says. His focus has been on building the best customer experience in e-tail: "We are now No.1 on delivery time-3.9 days order to delivery. Amazon is 4.1. Flipkart's 5.1." Snapdeal made strategic minority investment in logistics firm GoJavas so that it caters to 70 per cent of its shipments. "When someone wants to return something, he just presses 'return' on the app. In 24 hours, the stuff gets picked up and also refunded 85 per cent of the time. It was 24 per cent in September 2015."

For InMobi, the greatest challenge is to find its niche in the world of digital advertising dominated by the likes of Google, Facebook and now even e-tailers such as Amazon and Alibaba. Founder Naveen Tewari says he has a niche since even if 50 per cent of the $250 billion market is dominated by these players, there's still half the market to play for companies such as his. That may be simplistic. The challenge for digital ad platforms such as InMobi remains that any large Internet-based organisation such as Flipkart or Snapdeal, which has its own loyal visitors, also aspires to create its own digital advertising platform, eliminating the need for an intermediary such as InMobi. Companies such as InMobi that don't own the 'views or clicks' are at an inherent disadvantage. Snapdeal's Bahl, for instance, has its own digital ad platform, so does Flipkart. But Tewari says everyone in the world is looking for options outside of Google and Facebook. "That's one of the biggest reasons why many-many companies work with us. The fact that those very large companies do not want to share their data with Google and Facebook, do not want to handover a large part of their budgets or monetisation to Google and Facebook," says Tewari.

He insists his ad network is relevant in three buckets: the e-commerce companies, the telcos, the OEMs such as handset and television manufacturers. "They need it literally to run their business because advertising will be core to their revenue model, business model. They need ad platforms like us to build that business. Or they go to Google and Facebook but that's going to be very-very hard because they are going to take the business away," says Tewari.

As for Ola: Fearing Uber, it expanded laterally and entered every possible city and Tier II town and ever possible area, including autos, shuttle and electric rickshaws. Carpet bombing is the usual response of an incumbent to a threat, but it also spreads them thin. For, not every business or city will be profitable. Ola's Bhavish Aggarwal has to take the difficult call on where to turn off the tap to get into the black.

Hike's Kavin Mittal is still not planning to monetise his messaging app or the over 100 million users it has. Its users exchange over 40 billion messages per month and spend over 120 minute per week on Hike on an average. Mittal says a native messaging product in local languages catering to native taste was always his goal. "If you have to be in messaging, you have to be different than everybody else in the market. Our goal was not to build messaging. Our goal was how do we bring a billion people online. That was the big question Masa (Softbank founder Masayoshi Son) and I asked," says Mittal.

The first hit at Hike was Hike-to-SMS, where you could message people even if they didn't have smartphones. "It got a lot of people. That showed us the way that there is an opportunity to build something very local. Hike launched the hidden mode which gives privacy to youth using a common smartphone in the family," says Mittal. However, it's the nativity of the stickers that has caught on with Hike users in recent times faster than anything else. "We ourselves underestimated the power of stickers. Stickers told us that the content strategy is very important. Internally, we were against content because essentially we are not a content company. Today, inside Hike we have a machinery that actually produces content with 6-7 studio partners. India is a sight and sound market," says Mittal.

Hike's mission is to create a new kind of messaging app that simplifies how people connect with others and will change the way they interact with content and services on mobile, asserts Mittal. "We believe that messaging will do for mobile what the browser did for the desktop, times a hundred." This requires a very deep understanding of the Indian Internet market and more importantly how the youth of India live their lives.

The other Unicorn, food delivery firm Zomato, is struggling as its revenue model through advertisement, online ordering, table reservation and its offering for restaurants--the white label app and pos system Zomato Base--isnt firing on all cylinders. In late 2015, Zomato fired 10 per cent of its staff when it failed to meet sales targets. It is now valued substantially lower than its $1-billion peak.

As for Quikr: It expanded portfolio by acquiring property portal Commonfloor for $200 million but last year it reported losses of five times its revenues.

Nikesh Arora asserts technology led businesses are here to stay because of the efficiency they bring in. Since they allow us to go from supply-led businesses to demand-led businesses. "I expect there is 10-15-20 per cent inefficiency in supply led structures. Add to that the cost of real estate, distribution, inventory control, probably adds another 15 per cent. So you have between 15-30 per cent of cost structure to play with if you can deploy a new business with new technology," says Arora. He believes that the entrepreneurs of today would have created products at 20-25 per cent lower cost structure in 10-15 years' time-that's the efficiency eked out of deployment of technology.

But what about that profitable exit-that investors dream of for each one of their investments?

Valuations appear frothy when Unicorns deliver spectacular growth that fails to meet investor expectations. At that point, the biggest casualty is the public listing of the Unicorn. Now, not listing is not an option either. After all, PE firms invest in the hope of a wildly profitable exit. Such an irretrievable situation leads to all manner of compromises: IPO may be delayed or deferred; two investee companies may get merged; the Unicorn may be sold at a lower valuation; VCs may agree to cash out at a lower IPO valuation. "Most people who came in, came in, came with the fear of being left out. That fear drove all kinds of valuations in the business. It's almost like augmented reality rather than the real picture," says Jhaveri.

But if they hit the market with a bloated valuation, they tend to meet the fate of Facebook whose stock market valuation had halved within five months of its listing on May, 2012. Or, Alibaba, which dropped by one-third from its peak after the listing.

"Once the model is tested by commercial application and there are disappointments about conversion of indicators into real profitability, then there is an upset for sure. When companies have raised money a bit too quickly without having had the sequencing of proving their model, then there is also a valuation drop," says Rothschild.

Reality has hit India's Unicorns. That gross merchandise value is not real sale and profit; that app downloads dont mean traffic; and, that active users are not transactions. As a result, even the total number of horizontal e-tailers is down from over 550 in 2011/12 to just about 4/5 today. In ride sharing, the numbers have shrunk from nearly a dozen players to a two-way contest between Ola and Uber (besides Meru) today. It is reasonably apparent that not all of them may survive 2017. Deaths are painfully slow if you have capital. If you don't, it's quick fall from the cliff.

For more on the various funding rounds of Unicorns, go to:



businesstoday.in/unicornfunding



Data support by Niti Kiran

@rajeevdubey

THE OUTLIER

A billion dollar valuation with no leveraging ( zero debt company). Profits in the books and promoters sitting pretty with a comfortable 45 per cent stake. A successful pathbreaking IPO with no dependence on private equity money. And, not to forget, no layoffs so far! It's a unique phenomenon in the Indian e-commerce industry. The outlier is Infibeam Incorporation, a company founded by former Amazon employee Vishal Mehta a decade ago. Mehta is now stepping on the gas to further expand the scale and size of its e-commerce business. By March end, this Ahmedabad-based start-up is expected to close the year with `40 crore profit on revenue of `400 crore revenues. So how is Mehta's little known Infibeam not burning cash? "We are solving one of three things - demand, supply and capacity - using technology all the time," says Vishal Mehta, Founder and Chief Executive, Infibeam. Mehta has two growth engines firing at the same time. Mehta has pure e-commerce play 'Infibeam' where merchants sells directly on its platform without hefty discounts. There is also a services driven model 'Buildabazaar' that provides cloud based infrastructure services to small and medium enterprises. The company provides end-to-end IT backbone, marketing and logistics support and also payment gateway facility for online sales. There are already 66,000 SME and MSME businesses enrolled with buildabazaar. The big names includes Cannon, Imagica, Canon, Hidesign, Blackberry, etc. This is where Mehta's business model is working as his company earns by way of monthly fee as well as commission per transactions. In the nine months ( April-December) of 2016/17, the sale of products through e-commerce amounted to `214 crore and a loss before interest, depreciation and tax of `3.45 crore. But the sale of software or services was `105 crore and profit before interest, depreciation and tax of `61 crore. There is a very high EBITDA margin in the services business. This business is actually compensating the loss in the products business. The company expects the services business to grow further. In the last three years, the share of services revenues has grown from 18 per cent of the business to over 30 per cent. As it grows, the profitability will only rise because of higher EBITDA margins. Mehta's company looks to be in a sweet spot as it is flush with IPO money of over `400 crore. A bulk of the money is going for setting up a cloud data centre. The company has already spent `144 crore of the IPO proceeds on that project. This investment will create a large capacity to handle more online retailers under buildabazaar. The company is also planning to set up 75 logistics centre to help its merchants. The company has set aside `37.50 crore from the IPO for logistics expansion. "Consumption story is very strong in India. The online consumption is already getting a fillip because of higher penetration of Internet through mobiles, more fibre helping in speed, digital payments and the spread of logistics. Going forward, the GST is only going to make crossing border easier with a much simplified tax structure," says Mehta. There is every reason to bet on Mehta's business model as it is totally focused on building a sustainable business model. His stock price has jumped 220 per cent in the last once year. " It is not what you raise, but what you return matters ," Mehta had told us two years back. His new family of shareholders will surely vouch for that .

By ANAND ADHIKARI


A heap of de-finned sharks stands in an aquatic products trading center on Sept. 13 in Fuzhou, East Chinas Fujian province. The sharks were caught a year ago by fishermen on a boat from East Chinas Shandong province, according the centers manager. Photo: Zhou Chen/Caixin

In August, a Chinese reefer ship was detained by Ecuadorean authorities within the ecologically rich Galapagos Marine reserve with a gruesome haul onboard  6,223 shark carcasses.

Crew members of the ship  named the Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999  appealed criminal charges filed in a Galapagos court, but in November, judges in Ecuadors Guayas province maintained that the captain and crew were guilty of the possession and transport of protected species.

While Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999s catch was shockingly large, the factors behind the incident have allowed illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing to become an increasingly common practice.

Nearly two-thirds of the worlds oceans are international waters. In 1982, the United Nations passed the Convention on the Law of the Sea, which China signed in late 1996. This convention  together with the U.N.s agreement on stocks that span multiple countries jurisdictions in 1995  marked the beginning of legally binding norms for the conservation and management of international fishing resources.

But decades later, international organizations and the law enforcement agencies of different countries still struggle to coordinate their supervision of fishing activity. For China, the problem of illegal fishing has been exacerbated by the depletion of domestic fish stock and the difficulty of monitoring distant ocean fishing by Chinese companies.

Growth of distant-water fishing

Chinas fishing industry has expanded rapidly in recent decades, mirroring the countrys economic growth. Between 1986 and 1996, the annual catch from waters off the coast of China grew from 4.5 million tons to 11.53 million, with an average annual increase of 10.4%.

But amid rising demand, the domestic fish stock  the fish within Chinas territorial waters  has declined, prompting more companies to look farther abroad to waters around South America, Africa and Oceania, where their activity is harder to monitor.

In the past 20 to 30 years, Chinas offshore fishing resources have deteriorated, said Yu Kangzhen, Chinas vice minister of agriculture, at a November event in Hangzhou. Inevitably, a large number of fisheries have to travel to increasingly distant locations for their catch.

This shift to fishing in deeper waters has received encouragement from Chinas government at both the central and local levels. In 2008, the third plenary session of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China explicitly declared support for expanding distant-water fishing. Local governments soon rushed to offer incentives like shipbuilding and fuel subsidies, and coastal provinces like Fujian, Shandong, and Zhejiang saw their number of distant-water fishing boats multiply significantly. By 2014, the total number of such vessels registered in China was 2,460, or 301 more than in the previous year  with the countrys total distant-water fishery production volume up 50%.

China now catches the most fish in the world, accounting for over a third of the worlds fishing volume, according to figures from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

As the size of the countrys distant-water fleet grew, cases of illegal fishing abroad involving Chinese boats also increased. Australia, Peru, and Argentina have previously launched campaigns against illegal fishing by Chinese vessels. In March 2016, authorities in Argentina sank a trawler owned by Shandong Yantai Marine Fisheries Co., a subsidiary of the China National Fisheries Corp. Argentinas coast guard said the boat had been fishing illegally within Argentine waters.

Limits of regulation

China has been scrambling to deal with the growing geographic scope of its fishing industry, but the recent Galapagos case shows it has a long way to go.

The country has taken a series of measures to strengthen management of fisheries, including the implementation of a fishing license system, maritime law enforcement and port inspection measures, and the establishment of a monitoring system for large- and medium-sized fishing vessels, the Bureau of Fisheries told Caixin after the Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999 was detained. For deep-sea fishing vessels, we also use standardized logbooks, accredited observers, monthly output reports, legal fishing certification, annual reviews, and other measures.

But Xue Guifang, a professor of law at the Shanghai Jiaotong University, told Caixin that because deep sea fishing is conducted in distant waters, it is very difficult to monitor the fishing activity. She said the Agriculture Ministrys January 2015 policy on monitoring ships locations was an example of a regulation that distant vessels could easily bypass. According to the regulation, automatic position-monitoring equipment on ships can legally be out of service during repairs for up to 60 days. During this period, there is no way to automatically report a ships position, so crew are required to manually write reports.

Its common for crew to take advantage of this kind of regulation, to use a system fault as an excuse to avoid monitoring, and to engage in illegal fishing activities, Xue said.

In December 2016, the Agriculture Ministry also issued detailed rules for a national fisheries observer system that sends government representatives onboard fishing vessels to record data.

Xue said it is important for the government to put further technical and legal measures in place to protect observers. Observers carrying out their tasks will come into conflict with fisheries interests, Xue said.

Onboard ships, it is difficult to have the same strength of law enforcement as on land, Xue said. So observers personal safety is often at risk, and its difficult for them to conscientiously and thoroughly perform their duties. We can learn from the experience of other countries and install probes on ships, carry out tracking of the status of observers work, and make use of these safeguards to avoid compromising effectiveness.

Another solution could be to limit the growth of Chinese distant-water fishing. The Agriculture Ministry now plans to shift from rapid development of the fishing industry to orderly development, according to the 13th Five-Year Plan it published in early December. The ministry aims to cap Chinas distant-water fishing fleet at 3,000 vessels by the year 2020, with zero growth in the number of fishery businesses.

Ocean fisheries have also begun to change their business models. Fuzhou Hongdong Pelagic Fishery Co. Ltd. is currently focusing on building infrastructure, such as wharves, processing plants, and shipyards, in addition to developing its overseas fishing business, the secretary of its board of directors told Caixin.

You cant rely on catching fish alone. Others will feel that you are looting resources, he said.

Contact reporter Teng Jing Xuan (jingxuanteng@caixin.com)
A consortium, led by China Railway Corp., plans to submit a high-speed rail proposal that will emphasize Chinas strengths in railway construction, including its experience building a high-speed railway in the tropics. Photo: Visual China

A consortium led by China Railway Corp. (CRC) intends to submit a proposal for the planned Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail that would link Malaysia with its southern neighbor, personnel from the national rail operator told Caixin.

Malaysias MyHSR Corp. and Singapores SG HSR Private Ltd., which were formed after the two countries governments signed a high-speed rail agreement last year, announced Wednesday that they would be accepting bids for a railway assets company until June 2018.

A deputy general manager of CRC, Huang Min, will lead a group of at least eight companies  including China Communications Construction Co. Ltd., China Investment Corp. and the Export-Import Bank of China  to work on a proposal, which has not been submitted yet, the CRC staffer told Caixin.

A number of companies from other countries, including Japan, South Korea, France and Germany, also intend to submit proposals, the staffer said.

The assets company will be tasked with designing, building, financing and maintaining the trains, tracks and communications systems for the high-speed railway, which is expected to be completed by 2026.

China Railway is very confident about the Chinese consortiums chances, sources close to the state-owned operator said.

Chinese railway companies already have a significant presence in Southeast Asia. CRRC Corp., a member of the consortium and the worlds largest rolling stock manufacturer, makes more than 70% of the trains used in Malaysia, a CRRC staffer told Caixin. On Aug. 9, construction began on Malaysias 55 billion ringgit ($13.4 billion) East Coast Rail Link, which China Communications Construction is building.

The Chinese consortiums planned high-speed rail proposal will emphasize Chinas main strengths in railway construction, including the fact that it is the only country to have experience building a high-speed railway in the tropics (in Hainan province), sources said.

The Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail will mark a major milestone for the Trans-Asian Railway, an ambitious United Nations project that since the 1950s has attempted to build a continuous link between Istanbul and Singapore. The new link is also important to China as part of the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link, a Belt and Road plan to plug Southeast Asia into Chinas domestic high-speed rail network.

Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are currently seven hours apart by rail, and the 350-kilometer (217.5 mile) high-speed railway is expected to cut down the journey between the cities to 90 minutes, linking eight stations.

Contact reporter Teng Jing Xuan (jingxuanteng@caixin.com)
Despite its demand that Jia Yueting return to China before the end of the year, Chinas securities regulator cannot compel LeEcos founder to come back from the U.S., where he currently resides. Photo: Visual China

Chinas security regulator has asked Jia Yueting, the founder of embattled technology firm LeEco, to return to the country to fulfill his duties to the companys investors.

On Dec. 25, the Beijing branch of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) demanded Jia come back to China before the end of the year, perform his duties as the de facto controller of LeEco, help solve the companys problems and protect investors interests.

However, the commission has no power of enforcement and cannot compel Jia to return to China from the U.S., where he currently lives.

This is not the first time that Chinas securities authorities have reached out to the troubled tech guru. On Dec. 6, the Beijing Security Regulatory Bureau reached out to Jia and his sister Jia Yuefang, criticizing them for withdrawing their loans from LeEco while the company is experiencing a crisis and also demanding that Jia return to China.

LeEco has been struggling since last year, after Jia first admitted in November 2016 that he had expanded too quickly into a number of new areas outside the companys core online video service, such as like smartphones and new-energy cars. Since then, many of LeEcos suppliers and business partners have complained of unpaid bills, forcing the company to seek new funds.

Amid the debt crisis, LeEco founder Jia Yueting has stepped down from his posts as legal representative and chairman of the listed arm. But he vowed in early July to take responsibility for his debts to suppliers and financial institutions. Jia has provided credit guarantees for many of LeEco companies debts.

On December 12th, Jia Yueting was listed as a defaulter by a Beijing court, the fourth time he had been listed.

Despite these notices, Jia has continued to promote his electric automobile business, Faraday Future. On the day the CSRC issued its announcement, he posted a picture of a Faraday Future facility on his Sina Weibo account, a Twitter-like microblogging site popular in China.

Faraday Future has also experienced some turbulence recently, firing both its chief financial officer and chief technology officer on Nov. 10. From June to August, Jia put several estates he owns up as collateral to get a $14 million loan, which the company has said was used for research and operation costs.

Contact Reporter Zhang Qizhi (qizhizhang@caixin.com)
December 25, 2017 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:

The Venezuelan government has announced that Canadas charge daffaires in Caracas has been declared persona non grata and will be expelled from the country. This action is typical of the Maduro regime, which has consistently undermined all efforts to restore democracy and to help the Venezuelan people.

Canadians will not stand by as the Government of Venezuela robs its people of their fundamental democratic and human rights, and denies them access to basic humanitarian assistance.

In response to this move by the Maduro regime, I am announcing that the Venezuelan Ambassador to Canada  who had already been withdrawn by the Venezuelan government to protest Canadian sanctions against Venezuelan officials implicated in corruption and gross human rights abuses  is no longer welcome in Canada. I am also declaring the Venezuelan charge daffaires persona non grata.

I would like to especially recognize the exceptional professionalism and dedication of all Canadas staff working in Venezuela.

We will continue to work with our partners in the region, including through the Lima Group, to apply pressure on the anti-democratic Maduro regime and restore the rights of the Venezuelan people.

Contacts

Adam Austen

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Adam.Austen@international.gc.ca

Media Relations Office

Global Affairs Canada

343-203-7700

media@international.gc.ca

Follow us on Twitter: @CanadaFP

Like us on Facebook: Canadas foreign policy - Global Affairs Canada
Modified On Jul 17, 2018 08:21 PM By Raunak for Jeep Renegade

The Renegade shares its platform with the Compass, including powertrain options, and is more affordable than the latter in Jeeps global lineup

Jeep is riding high with the success of the Compass in the Indian market as well as internationally, but this midsize offering was built on the popularity of Jeeps entry-level SUV, the Renegade. And it is about time that the Renegade, on sale globally since 2015, received its mid-life refresh. Expected to be revealed in 2018, the Jeep Renegade facelift has been spied undisguised revealing prime details of this possibly India-bound compact SUV ahead of its debut.

The Jeep Compass, which is locally manufactured here at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Ranjangaon facility near Pune, underpins the same Small Wide 4x4 platform as the Jeep Renegade. This platform is an evolved version of the one found under the Fiat Punto EVO. While unveiling the India-spec Jeep Compass, FCA had told us that the Ranjangaon plant was virtually ready to roll out the Renegade as well. In fact, it had been tested alongside the Compass when FCA was prepping up for the launch of the India-spec Compass. Except for their dimensions, these vehicles are pretty similar.

Heres a dimensional comparison of the Jeep Renegade with its sibling, the Compass, and its arch rival and the best-selling model in the compact SUV space, the Hyundai Creta:

Jeep Renegade Jeep Compass Hyundai Creta Length 4,236mm 4,395mm (+159mm) 4,270mm (+34mm) Width 1,805mm 1,818mm (+13mm) 1,780mm (-25mm) Height 1,684mm 1,640mm (-44mm) 1,630mm (-54mm) Wheelbase 2,570mm 2,636mm (+66mm) 2,590mm (+20mm)

Pictured: Jeep Compass and Grand Cherokee

While the Compass' styling is inspired by the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Renegade has taken design cues from the rugged Wrangler. The round headlamps, chunkier seven-slat grille and square tail lamps remind you of the Wrangler.

Pictured: Jeep Renegade and Wrangler Unlimited

Pictured: 2019 Jeep Renegade

The leaked version suggests that the Renegade will now feature full-LED headlamps and subtle changes to its front profile. On the inside, it will get FCAs 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which will introduce Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity in the updated Renegade (the outgoing model features up to a 6.5-inch unit). Expect the changes to be limited and necessary to freshen things up because people love its overall styling.

Pictured: 2019 Jeep Renegade

In the UK, it is currently available with a choice of two diesel  1.6-litre and 2.0-litre MultiJet II  and petrol  1.6-litre (naturally aspirated) and 1.4-litre MultiAir II  engine options. Transmission options include 5- and 6-speed manual along with a 6-speed dual-clutch auto and a 9-speed automatic. The Renegade, if launched in India, could get the 1.6-litre MultiJet (currently exported with the Compass to the UK from Ranjangaon) and the 1.4-litre MultiAir II turbo petrol. It also comes with an all-wheel-drive option like the Compass.

Speaking of its launch, the Renegade might be introduced here in 2018 as a Jeeps contender in the compact SUV space sitting below the Compass with prices expected to begin in the vicinity of Rs 10 lakh. Further, theres also a possibility that Fiat might introduce its 500X compact SUV, which is also based on the same platform as the Renegade and Compass, here in the near future.

All the three SUVs share the same powertrain options as well. But thats being too optimistic as theres no clarity on Fiats future plans for the Indian market.

Check out: 2019 Jeep Cherokee: Official Pictures Revealed, Will It Come To India?

Image source
Google has released an official internship notification, calling out for aspirants to be a part of google through Software Engineering and MBA Internship 2018 programme. This is a paid internship opportunity. The stipend is expected to be above industry standards.

Internship positions

Name of the courses Number of positions Software Engineering 1 MBA 17

Also Read: 1000 B.Ed and D.Ed Courses to Face Closure: HRD Ministry

Eligibility

Educational qualification:

Software Engineering

The candidates must be pursuing B. Tech or M. Tech in computer science or a related technical field and are in their last year of study and will graduate in 2019.

MBA

students pursuing an MBA graduate program with an anticipated graduation in 2019 can apply

Also Read: ISRO Recruitment 2018 for Trade Apprentices: Apply Before 29 December!

Preferred qualifications

The candidate must be currently enrolled in a full time degree program and returning to the program after the completion of the internship

Experience in systems software or algorithms

Excellent implementation skills (C++, Java, Python)

Knowledge of Unix/Linux or Windows environments and APIs

Familiarity with TCP/IP and network programming

Also Read: World Bank Internship 2017 for Students: Apply Now!

Internship duration

The internship will be of 8 to 12 weeks

The internship duration will be from April to July 2018. The last date to apply for the internship is December 26, 2017.

How to apply for the google internship 2018?

The application for the internship can be filled on Internshala.

Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited Internship Opportunity
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) has released an official employment notification calling out for candidates to apply for the post of Head Constable (Motor Mechanic) and Constable (Motor Mechanic) in Group 'C' (Non-Gazetted & Non-Ministerial). Candidates can check out their eligibility here and start applying online.

How to apply for ITBP Recruitment?

Interested candidates can apply at recruitment.itbpolice.nic.in before the deadline ends

Deadline

The last date for filling in the online application forms is January 31, 2018.

CRITERIA DETAILS Job location The candidates may be posted anywhere in India and even abroad. Name and number of posts Head Constable (MM)- 60

Constable (MM)- 181 Salary Scale Head Constable- Rs 25500 to Rs 81110 per month

Constable- Rs 21700 to Rs 69100 per month Educational qualification Head Constable Candidates should have passed 10+2 from a recognized board. They should possess a certificate in Motor Mechanic or three years diploma in Automobile Engineering they are eligible for this Posts. Constable Candidates should have passed 10+2 from a recognized board. They must possess a certificate in IT for the respective trade. Age limit 18- 25 years

ISRO Recruitment 2018 for Trade Apprentices: Apply Before 29 December!

Selection Process

Height test Document verification Physical Efficiency test Physical Standard test Written Test practical test merit list Medical exam

Dates to remember

Application Process starts: January 2, 2018

Application Process ends: January 31, 2018 at 11:59 pm

Also Read: UPSC Recruitment 2018 for Advisor, Director and Professor Posts!
Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) has released an official employment notification, calling out for aspirants to apply for the recruitment of Assistant Professor, State and Forest Services Exam 2017.

Vacancy Details for Assistant Professor

CRITERIA DETAILS Name of the post Assistant Professor Number of posts 2968 Department Higher Education Department, Madhya Pradesh Government Probation period 2 years Eligibility Passing of UGC NET or SLET in the respective subjects

Also Read: MPPSC 2018 Exams Tentative Schedule Announced: Check Now!

Dates to remember

Commencement of application process: December 25, 2017

Last date to apply: January 24, 2018

Correction in application form: December 30, 2017 to January 26, 2018

How to apply for MPPSC Recruitment?

Candidates must visit the official MPPSC website: www.mppsc.nic.in and apply online.

Application fees

The application fee for SC/ST/OBC/PwD candidates who belong to Madhya Pradesh will have to pay Rs. 500 as application fee. The application fee for all other candidates is Rs. 1000. The fee for correction in application form is Rs. 50 for every correction.

Detailed eligibility

Educational qualification

The candidate must have completed post-graduation degree with a minimum 55% in their respective subject from a recognized university in India.

The candidate must also have cleared UGC NET/CSIR NET/SET/SLET.

All such candidates who have completed their PhD under the UGC Regulation 2009 will be exempted from NET/SET/SET.

Age Limit

The age limit for candidates who belong to Madhya Pradesh should be between 21 to 40 years of age. Candidates who belong to other states should be between 21 to 28 years of age. The age will be calculated as on January 1, 2018.

Selection Process

Candidates would be selected on the basis of their performance in an online examination and a personal interview. Only those candidates who qualify the online exam will be called for the personal interview.

Meanwhile, the commission has also begun the recruitment process for State and Forest Services.

Vacancy details for MPPSC state and forest services

Criteria Details Name of the department State Services

Forest Services Number of posts 202 in State Services

106 in Forest Services Selection process preliminary exam main exam interview Educational qualification Candidates applying for Madhya Pradesh State Services must be a graduate in any stream from a recognized University.

Candidates applying for Madhya Pradesh Forest Services must be a graduate in any of the following subjects - natural science, mathematics, statistics, geology, agriculture, environment science, forestry, horticulture, veterinary science, computer applications/science, engineering or any other equivalent degree. Age The candidate must not be younger than 21 years and older than 28 years. The age will be calculated as on January 1, 2018.

Dates to remember

Event Date Last date to apply January 8, 2018 Correction in application form December 23, 2017 to January 10, 2018 Download of admit card February 1, 2018 to February 16, 2018 Date of the exam February 18, 2018

Also Read: UPSC Recruitment 2018 for Advisor, Director and Professor Posts!
The Ministry of Human Resource Development is working towards achieving enrollment of one crore students for the government hosted online courses. Under the project titled Swayam, Swayam is the world's largest Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) is conducted all year round for various subjects.

Objective of the programme

Through this programme, the MHRD's objective is to provide high-quality e-content to all colleges and universities free of cost.

HRD Minister's Tweet

On December 23, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar tweeted that by 2018, the HRD ministry is targeting 1 crore student enrolment in Swayam programme - an indigenously developed educational platform by the government.

"By 2018 targeting 1 crore student enrolment in #SWAYAM #EducationRevolution," the tweet read.

According to his tweets, Swayam is the world's largest Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in the making. So far 18 lakh students have registered themselves in less than five months in this programme.

About SWAYAM

Here are tweets on Swayam by HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar

#SWAYAM is the world's largest #MOOCs program in the making. 18 lakh students registrations in less than 5 months .#EducationRevolution

Currently, over 670 courses spanning subjects such as Humanities and Science are being offered through this programme and over 1,500 new courses will be added in next three months

The government plans to include 300 courses in 10 regional languages in next three months as well

Over 76 universities have approved credit transfer for courses taken through Swayam

The UGC has also issued a credit transfer framework for the same

Also Read: 6 Highest Paying Tech Jobs 2018 With Bright Scope

Advantages of SWAYAM

According to the MHRD Minister, Swayam is 'Any Time Learning, Anywhere Learning.'

Students from the poorest part of the country can get access to highest quality courses free of charge

Over 15 lakh untrained school teachers will receive Diploma in Elementary Education through this programme

Foreign University courses too to be incorporated

The MHRD also plans to offer courses of foreign universities in India languages.

Objectives

This move will open additional avenues for students who wish to pursue foreign courses but lack the resources and means to do so

On June 12 this year the Minister said that the government's objective is to offer about 2,000 online courses within one year through 'Swayam'

About 60,000 students have already completed their courses through this affordable platform which was launched last year.

E-Learning Trends 2018: 8 Ways Digitisation Makes Studying Addictive
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released a notification, calling out for applications for the posts of Legal Advisor, Director and Deputy Professor.

How to apply for the UPSC Recruitment 2018?

Candidates can check out their eligibility and apply at the official website - upsconline.nic.in before January 11.

Vacancy Details

Here are the complete vacancy details for the UPSC Recruitment 2018:

Name of the post Number of posts Eligibility Salary Scale Assistant Legal Advisor 4 Interested candidates must have a degree in law from a recognised university or equivalent. Rs 15,600 to Rs 39,100, along with a grade pay of Rs 6,600. Assistant Director (Hindi typing and Hindi stenography) 3 Interested candidates must have a bachelor's degree from a recognised university with Hindi as one of the compulsory subject or with Hindi medium

Or

Bachelor's degree from a recognised university with Hindi as one of the compulsory subjects at 10+2 level. Rs 15,600 to Rs 39,100, along with a grade pay of Rs 5,400. Deputy Director (Examinations reforms) 1 Aspirants should be holding a bachelor's degree in any branch of engineering/technology from a recognised university or equivalent. Rs 15,600 to Rs 39,100, along with a grade pay of Rs 6,600. Associate Professor (Technical) (Electronics and Communication Engineering) 1 Aspirants should be holding a bachelor of engineering/bachelor of technology and master of engineering/master of technology in electronics and communication engineering with first class or equivalent either in bachelor of engineering/bachelor of technology or master of engineering/master of technology and PhD or equivalent in electronics and communication engineering. Rs 37,400 to Rs 67,000, along with a grade pay of Rs 9,000.

Also Read: UPSC Recruitment for Deputy Director: Apply Now!

Selection process

Candidates will be selected on the basis of a recruitment test/interview.

Deadline

The last date for submission of online application is January 11 at 11:59 pm

The last date for printing the online submitted application is January 12 at 11:59 pm

Also Read: UPSC Shortlisted Candidates for Ministry of Defence Recruitment Published!
Christian Leaders Should Imitate Jesus as the Ultimate Leader

I was researching traits of good leaders and I kept coming back to the ultimate leader-Jesus. There are many traits from Jesus that are still applicable to our leadership walks today. Jesus led a team of disciples but also had many people that followed Him as well as enemies as many leaders today have.

Be Firm

A leader speaks with authority and makes decisions. There is nothing wrong with having open communication with your staff/team but when it is time for a decision to be made or issue to be addressed the leader needs to assert their authority and leave no question as to who is in charge. There were many people who challenged Jesus and the way He did things, but he was always firm with kindness.

Lead by Example

It goes without saying that Jesus was the ultimate example, but as a leader we should be a good example to our staff through various ways. If you are leading other Christians be an example of Christianity by the way you live your life- pray openly, speak with kindness, exhibit grace, be on time to meetings, do not speak over others, etc. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

That can also be said about the business deals you enter into- if there are conflicts, examine why you are considering them. Nothing will motivate your people greater than the knowledge that their leader is a man or woman of integrity, one who cannot and will not be bought, who will die before compromising his or her convictions (Zabloski, 2004).

Cast Vision

Jesus obviously had a vision of why He was on the path when He was on the Earth and he communicated that with his disciples and many others that He came in contact with. Having a clear vision can be a good motivator for your team as long as you can communicate it well. It also helps if you can break it down into bite-sized portions for your team to digest. Sometimes having a vision and trying to communicate all of it can overwhelm team members. Having a vision allows your staff to have a goal to look to and can inspire them about what the future can be.

Communicate and Listen

It is so important to be able to communicate clearly with your staff and many things go into this. As a leader, you need to be approachable and listening requires for you to not only listen but actively understand. When you as a leader, practice active listening, you're not only building trust, confidence and shared vision among your team members, you're also utilizing your most powerful means of acquiring all the needed information about the leadership context (Ingle, 2017).

By actively listening you will learn more about the other person and can build a deeper relationship. Jesus was a listener and was always actively listening to people and using ways, like parables, to get his message across.

What other traits from Jesus' leadership example do you believe you believe you could apply to your walk?

References:

Ingle, K. (2017). Framework Leadership Position Yourself for Transformational Change. Springfield, MO: Salubris.

Zabloski, J. (2004, June 1). The five leadership characteristics of Jesus. Retrieved September 06, 2017, from http://www.lifeway.com/Article/Leadership-The-five-leadership-characteristics-of-Jesus (Links to an external site.)

Originally posted Sept. 22 at Christian Leadership Alliance.

Heather McCulloch is the Director of Business Development and Marketing for Christian Leadership Alliance. After completing CLA's Credentialed Christian Nonprofit Leader (CCNL) program, she used the credit she earned to enroll in the Master of Arts Program for Organizational Leadership at York College. This post is from her current course work.
Questions Children Ask About The Christian Faith

Before retiring, I taught in a Christian school and we were blessed to have a course called Christian Life Studies which was taught throughout Years K  12.

There was a progression in the course: the Junior School (K  5) would pray, worship and learn some Bible stories. This continued through the Middle School (6  8) with increasing life application. In Years 9 and 10, the course dealt with human behavior and issues in society from a Christian perspective.

The course in Years 11 and 12 was accredited by the Board of Senior Secondary Studies and students could use subjects in it for majors and minors towards their ATAR scores. Subjects included Old and New Testament Studies, Church History, Worship, Mission, Ethics and Relationships. It was a joy and a challenge to teach some of these subjects to students who were curious and questioning, as well as to some who were resistant and apathetic.

When I taught Years 9 and 10, I often began the year by asking them what questions they had about God, Christianity and life in general, with the promise to explore these during the course. So here I am piggy-backing on Gavin Lawrie's article (published 31st October 2017) about teaching Scripture in primary school.

These are some of their questions, in no particular order:

Do angels exist?

The Bible is full of references to angels. They are heralds of good news, they warn people, protect people and they fight for us, among other things. There is also a spiritual battle taking place that angels are part of.

The book of Revelation describes John's vision of heaven as a place where there is constant praise and worship of God by angels and others.

I also pulled out an old book by Billy Graham: Angels, God's Secret Agents (published 1975) which was very helpful. There are many examples of people entertaining angels unawares, particularly in missionary contexts.

Is the devil real?

Yes, was the simple answer. We delved into the whole angel rebellion in heaven with one third of the angels following Lucifer and wanting to be like God. We talked about how scholars have inferred a lot about the devil and that some references are very obscure. But in the end, the devil only does what God permits him to do  he is not bigger or more powerful than God.

C S Lewis' The Screwtape Letters was a useful reference about what the devil does.

What are heaven and hell like?

Again, the simple answers from my understanding were that heaven is to be in God's presence, and hell is where God isn't. Dante has a lot to answer for in his images of a tortuous hell, but as a deterrent from going there, the images are ghastly enough to work well!

By contrast, the images of the new heaven and the new earth in Revelation chapters 21 and 22 are amazing and confirm the idea that heaven is where God is. We also talked about people who had died and been revived, having caught a glimpse of heaven.

If God is good, why is there so much suffering in the world?

God is not a puppet master: he has given us free will so we have a choice about following him or not. He is true to himself  he must judge sin but love the sinner. That's why he sent Jesus, his son, to take our place in his judgment.

Sin has tainted everything in this world: from a perfect original creation we now have aberrations like bacteria and viruses that cause disease (not forgetting mosquitoes!). We have people who cause others to suffer out of greed or self hate. So suffering is a consequence of sin.

We will suffer because Jesus himself suffered. Again there are many testimonies where God has met people in their suffering.

How do we know that the God of the Bible is the only true God?

The God of the Bible is the only god in the world with whom one can have an intimate relationship. We call him Father and he loves us  no other God is like that. He not only loves, but extends forgiveness to us, recognizing our human condition. Truly, no other god is worthy of being called God!

Authenticity

It is quite difficult to convey in a few words what sometimes took a whole 50 minutes in a period to discuss. Some of what I've written seems simplistic, and it certainly doesn't do justice to the real spirit of questioning and curiosity that was usually present in these classes.

Obviously, there are no simple answers and much depends on the denominational background, or lack of, that the students had. In some families it seemed that the students weren't allowed to question, or were given rote answers that didn't satisfy them. Perhaps this speaks for the inadequacy that parents may have felt.

I found the key was to be honest: if I didn't know the answer I would not pretend I did. We came across many paradoxes and conundrums that were unsolvable. We also picked holes in many "solutions" given by authority figures.

All in all, we had fun: the students were allowed to express their doubts and questions, and I was both challenged and amused by their thoughts. And I pray that God was glorified in all that.

This article is courtesy of Press Service International and originally appeared on Christian Today Australia.
Jennifer Lawrence spends Christmas with kids of Louisville hospital for fifth year

Jennifer Lawrence visited Norton Children's Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky just before Christmas for the fifth year to bring joy to patients in her hometown.

The "Hunger Games" actress was dressed down in dark plaid long-sleeved shirt over a black T-shirt, wearing only minimal make-up, as she met with the patients and staff of the hospital.

"Louisville's own Jennifer Lawrence stopped by Norton Children's today to visit with patients, families, and staff," said hospital staff on their official Facebook page. "This visit has become a tradition for Lawrence each Christmas. Thank you, Jennifer! You sure do bring a smile to all!"

One photo shows the 27-year-old celebrity posing with the very happy employees, while another features her making a little girl's day as Lawrence holds the girl close for a shot.

The annual Christmas visit has become a tradition for the "Silver Linings Playbook" actress, who was born and raised in Louisville.

Her parents Karen and Gary ran a children's day camp in the city, where she used to be an assistant nurse before becoming an award-winning actress.

In 2016, she pledged a $2 million donation for the facility, which was then still called Kosair Children's Hospital.

The actress announced the great news through a video, where she said she will be establishing the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.

"As part of my effort to help these children and caregivers, I challenge the entire community to get behind this cause and help match my gift by raising an additional $2 million to support all of these brave and inspiring children," she added.

The new wing was to include private rooms for patients recovering from various heart procedures and conditions  open heart surgery, heart transplant, heart failure, among others  that require intensive care. Fourteen beds for family members was also included in the plan.
Matt Damon's father Kent dies at age 74

The father of American Hollywood actor, Matt Damon, has passed away at 74 after his long and difficult battle with cancer.

The actor's publicist confirmed with The Hollywood Reporter that Kent Damon died on Dec. 14. The older Damon reportedly died of multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that also affects the bone marrow. He had been suffering from this ailment for a very long time, and as he got older, his condition only got worse  especially in the last few months.

Damon had recently been busy promoting his most recent flick titled "Downsizing," which opened on the weekend of Dec. 22. However, the actor was not present during the movie's advanced screening premiere, which took place in Los Angeles, California on Dec. 19. In an attempt to explain Damon's whereabout, his representatives then stated that the actor was "out of town" attending to his family.

During the promotion for "Downsizing," Damon talked a little bit about his father's condition, stating that the prognosis was all but promising. He even asked his fans if they could kindly pray for his father when his health was getting worse.

Damon was also unable to accept the Stanley Kubrick Award for Excellence in Film at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards (BAFTA) last October, since he had to rush to his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts to tend to his father. Actress Kate Mara accepted the award on his behalf and gave a speech recollecting all of Damon's accomplishments as an actor and as a decent human being.

Damon's father once said about his son, "He's all you could ever for ask for in a son. It's been a wonderful ride being his dad."
NVIDIA news: GPU company looking to end 32-bit OS support

"Out with the old, in with the new" is being taken gravely by graphics processing unit (GPU) manufacturer NVIDIA, as the graphics card company is now preparing to end support for 32-bit operating systems (OS) and programs.

NVIDIA has announced that its latest drivers for the GeForce GPU models, version 390, will be the last to include support for 32-bit OS, particularly Microsoft Windows. This means that hapless users stuck with a 32-bit Microsoft Windows OS will either have to refrain from downloading any subsequent drivers for their GPUs or be forced to upgrade to a 64-bit OS.

This might not be too big of a problem to people who have bought their Windows OS computers in the past two or four years, but Engadget has reported that there are still users who own legacy systems for their organizations and businesses. The website suggests that there may be some programs which can only run on 16-bit or 32-bit OS and might not work in 64-bit.

Still, the forced upgrade to 64-bit is not as bad as it is tedious since that version of the OS comes with upgraded and modern security features, which are definitely harder to exploit compared to older versions. One example of this was the recent ransomware crisis in the United Kingdom where a virus penetrated the digital systems of a hospital demanding payment in exchange for the facilities' hostaged digital information.

The said virus exploited the hospital's old 32-bit operating system, which made it easier for the hackers to infiltrate and introduce the ransomware.

One important thing to note, however, is that this will only affect computer owners who have NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics cards, which can be easily seen on the specifications of their computers. Those who use Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) or Intel GPUs are still safe from the obsolescence of 32-bit, though it is advised to upgrade to 64-bit for security and performance reasons.

To check whether the computer has a 32-bit or 64-bit OS Windows users can follow this guide from Microsoft.
So many will never know the joy of being a grandparent because of liberal lies on abortion

An acquaintance once asked Winston Churchill if he had shown the statesman a picture of his grandchild. Churchill replied, saying something like: "No. And I have forgotten to thank you for that."

I must confess to being an overly satisfied grandparent. It is an unbelievable blessing and joy.

But tragically, tens of millions of fellow Americans will never experience this joy. Many of them will miss out because they have followed the siren song of the liberals and have chosen abortion over birth. It's too late to reach them, but it's not too late to reach the next generation.

Of course, this doesn't mean that there are not many grandparents in America who favor abortion rights. But the joy they know as grandparents came because they and their children chose birth over abortion.

Note the anti-child bias that can be seen from the woman who gave birth to Planned Parenthood. Lifenews.com (11/17/17) has some shocking quotes from Margaret Sanger: "But for my view, I believe that there should be no more babies" (1947).

Nor did Margaret Sanger think highly of large families: "The most merciful thing that the large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it" (1920). Nor black babies: "We don't want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population..." (1939).

Sadly millions have listened to her advice. The Guttmacher Institute says that thirty percent of American women will have an abortion by age 45.

On top of the deaths of the aborted children, this comes with medical consequences. Research in the UK documents that having at least one abortion may increase the likelihood of giving birth to a premature baby later. This was based on a University of Aberdeen study involving 620,000 women between 1981 and 2007. The U.K. Daily Mail (9/4/12) says: "Having just one abortion could raise the risk of potentially life-threatening problems in future pregnancies."

The article notes: "surgical abortions may be more likely to damage the womb, leading to later problems."

The late John Wilkie, M.D., was for years the president of the National Right-to-Life in Washington, D.C. He and his wife compiled the book, Abortion: Questions and Answers (2003). They noted: "Women who had one induced abortion had a 17.5% miscarriage rate in subsequent pregnancies as compared to a 7.5% rate in a non-aborted group." (p. 163).

At the birth of my first grandchild, I was so excited. I knew it was going to be great to be a grandfather. But I didn't know it would be as great as it really islike the phone call the other night asking, "Papa, will you take me to Chuck E. Cheeses'?" Of course, I replied with delight, "Elizabeth, I'd be happy to take you and Isaac there."

Tewannah Aman knows firsthand the pain of missing out of parenthood by following the abortion lies. Today, she and her husband, John, serve as directors of the Broward County Right to Life.

She told me, "Abortion hurts women, both physically and emotionally. I know. I am one of them. After I found out what happens to an unborn baby during an abortion procedure, I was devastated. God healed my heart and gave me peace, but it has not been an easy road. Then we lost our little boy at 21 1/2 weeks into the pregnancy. Who would have thought that we would not go on to have more children? The reality of the abortion came back to haunt me. I have many friends who have had abortions and never went on to have children."

She added, "I have spoken to countless women who have had abortions in the 21 years that I have been working in pro-life ministry. Many have said that they could never tell anyone. They feel too much shame and regret after the abortion. It is too painful. They ask me how I am able to share. I tell them that it is only by God's grace. I seek to help women understand that there is healing in Jesus Christ. He healed my broken heart. I know I will see our children again. He can heal and restore theirs as well."

We've had about 60 million abortions in America since the Supreme Court legalized abortion on demand in 1973. That would mean tens of millions of would-be grandparents were deprived of their grandchildrenat least those.

This season, of course, we remember the most important birth of the most important Child ever. The One who was born to die in order to deal with our ultimate problemhow to make us ready to stand before His Father, clean and forgiven.

The Bible says that we should choose life. What a blessing it is to follow God's ways. Just ask virtually any grandparent.
GUATEMALA CITY - Guatemala's president announced on Christmas Eve that the Central American country will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, becoming the first nation to follow the lead of President Donald Trump in ordering the change.

Guatemala was one of nine nations that voted with the United States and Israel on Thursday when the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a nonbinding resolution denouncing Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Trump didn't set any timetable for moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and neither did Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales.

In a post on his official Facebook account Sunday, Morales said that after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he decided to instruct Guatemala's foreign ministry to move the embassy.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki criticized the decision Monday, saying in a statement Morales was "dragging his country to the wrong side of history by committing a flagrant violation of international law."

Al-Malki called it a "shameless act of lawlessness" and "a brazen act of disrespect and disregard" to international alliances of which Guatemala is part.

Guatemala and Israel have long had close ties, especially in security matters and Israeli arms sales to Guatemala.

In a statement, Netanyahu praised Morales' decision and said that he was waiting in Jerusalem.

"God bless you, my friend, President Morales," he said. "I told you recently that there will be other countries that would recognize Jerusalem and announce the transfer of their embassies to it. Well here is the second country and I reiterate: It is only the beginning and it is important."

Trump upended decades of U.S. policy with his Dec. 6 announcement that he was recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Though Trump said he was merely recognizing reality and not prejudging negotiations on the future borders of the city, Palestinians saw the move as siding with Israel on the most sensitive issue in the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim the city's eastern sector, which was captured by Israel in 1967 and is home to sensitive religious Jewish, Muslim and Christian sites. Many governments have long said that the fate of Jerusalem must be resolved through negotiations.

Trump's announcement has set off weeks of clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces that have left 12 Palestinians dead.

Netanyahu has made great efforts to reach out to Latin America in recent years as part of a campaign to counter longstanding support for the Palestinians at the U.N.
Can the entrepreneur always advocating for people to get out of their comfort zones, get out of his? CNBC challenged Gary Vaynerchuk to taste test a durian, the smelliest fruit on earth. The Asian fruit has such a potent smell that there are often signs in Singapore's underground train system banning the fruit.

Gary Vaynerchuk Getty Images

As the chief executive of VaynerMedia, Vaynerchuk is also an internet personality, social media guru and entrepreneur. In Vaynerchuk's YouTube show, #AskGaryVee, he regularly gives advice and has spoken about the importance of getting out of your comfort zone. "Everything should be in play under 30 because there is no reason to disproportionately deploy practicality under 30." "Absolutely if you're under 30, just pick up and go," added Vaynerchuk.

Durians sit stacked at a trader's road side stall in Titi, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Sanjit Das/Bloomberg | Getty Images
watch now

Fake news influenced three political events in Asia this past year, emerging as a strategic weapon for civilian and state actors to deepen societal divisions. From elections in Indonesia to Myanmar's Rohingya crisis to the Philippine drug war, the spread misinformation and disinformation have been used to bolster hate speech, stereotypes and propaganda. Within the region, "fake news is closely linked to domestic politics and in particular, the rise of nationalism," explained Mustafa Izzuddin, a fellow at Singaporean think tank ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. Nationalist politics coupled with ethno-religious undertones boosted the circulation of fake news in Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines, he continued. "The more pervasive the politics of nationalism, the more ubiquitous fake news will be," he said.

Anti-Chinese, anti-Christian rhetoric

Charges of blasphemy against Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama fueled deliberately inaccurate stories about the politician that were disseminated in an effort to prevent him from winning re-election in April's gubernatorial vote. Focusing on his Chinese ethnicity and Christian beliefs, those articles tapped into Indonesia's deeply-rooted religious divisions by alleging that Basuki, commonly known as Ahok, was part of a Chinese conspiracy to control the country, triggering violent clashes. Those reports said Ahok, who was eventually sentenced to two years in prison, was a Chinese agent and that his free Human Papillomavirus vaccination program could result in female infertility. Police have confirmed that many of the articles were part of a campaign organized by Saracen, an online syndicate in the business of creating and spreading hoaxes for profit. It's not clear, however, who Saracen's clients were.

Minimizing real atrocities

In Myanmar, both civilians and the state are responsible for creating misleading information regarding Rohingya Muslims, an ethnic group widely regarded as illegal immigrants by the country's Buddhist-majority population. Brutality by security forces and Buddhists against Rohingya has been called "ethnic cleansing" by the United Nations, though the government denies it. Local media also paint a different picture. Newspapers have claimed that the Rohingya are burning down their own homes and killing Buddhists and Hindus  a view also espoused by the government. That's led many Burmese to doubt reported incidents of human rights abuses against the Rohingya.

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Fallacious images shared on social media are also obscuring the real narrative. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek recently tweeted an image of corpses with a message warning of the Rohingya's plight, but the images did not in fact depict Myanmar. In response, de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi said fake news was "promoting the interests of terrorists," a reference to Rohingya insurgents. Meanwhile, misleading articles in favor of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte have bolstered the leader's strongman image. Those include hoax endorsements for the president, such as one from NASA that incredibly called Duterte "the best president in the solar system." An Oxford University study this year claimed that the Duterte campaign spent $200,000 on internet "trolls" to attack critics and spread pro-government propaganda that has the look of legitimate news articles. That's complicated public discourse around the president's controversial policies. For example, alleged extrajudicial killings in the ongoing drug war are dismissed as fake news by Duterte supporters while death toll figures reported by foreign media are routinely dismissed by government officials, causing many citizens to doubt the severity of the situation.

Destructive power of social media
Israel's markets regulator will propose a ban on companies based on bitcoin and other digital currencies from trading on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.

Shmuel Hauser, the chairman of the Israel Securities Authority, told the Calcalist business conference he will bring the proposal to the ISA board next week. If approved, it would be subject to a public hearing and then the stock exchange bylaws would need to be amended.

"If we have a company that their main business is digital currencies we would not allow it. If already listed, its trading will be suspended," Hauser said, adding the ISA must find the appropriate regulation for such companies.

Hauser did not identify any companies that would be affected by his ban, but at least two firms listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange now describe digital currencies or the technology behind them as essential to their business: Blockchain Mining and Fantasy Network .

Shares of Blockchain, which on Sunday changed its name from Natural Resources, have soared some 5,000 percent in the past few months since it announced it would shift its focus from mining for gold and iron to mining cryptocurrencies.

It was down 4.2 percent in afternoon trading on Monday. Blockchain was not immediately available for comment.
It's been a roller coaster year for all types of business, and marketers have the job of understanding what consumers want among the noise of the fun fair. Here's what experts suggest marketing teams focus on in 2018.

Close the gap between what a brand promises and what it delivers

Digital businesses such as and have a laser-focus on what customers want, says Nigel Vaz, CEO of agency Publicis.Sapient, but that's not the case for all companies. "What you are starting to see is a dissonance between a company that is customer-focused and one that isn't (and) the gap keeps widening," he told CNBC.

The explosion in digital and data technology is bringing about "a fundamental transformation about the way marketing happens," according to Vaz, and CEOs are working to reimagine their businesses as a result. McDonald's, for example, has hired Publicis.Sapient and Capgemini to "transform the restaurant experience," according to an online statement. Consultancy also predicts that ad sales will be flat in 2018 with marketers instead investing in technology to improve the experience someone has of a brand.

Embrace diverse thinking in all its forms

A 2015 Credit Suisse report found that companies with women in a higher proportion of decision-making roles generated higher return on equity. And those where there were more women than men did even better. Yet in 2017, women still only made up 15 percent of board seats in 64 countries surveyed by Deloitte. Sue Unerman, chief strategic officer at agency , says unconscious bias needs to be tackled to help women get promoted to the highest levels. "We all have a tendency to want to employ and promote people that are like us," she told CNBC. "If I say to you 'I've got a promotion in store for you but I need you to find someone who can do your job,' you are naturally inclined to think, I'm very good at my job, if I can find someone who is as much like me as possible then I can really impress them, so you get this constant perpetuation. It may be that men and women do that. Men are in the positions of power, so it perpetuates itself."

Audi's Super Bowl 2017 ad focused on equal pay for men and women Audi

Diversity does not just mean equality between men and women, it encompasses age, sexuality, ability and race. "Ensure that you create the environment for talent to shine, rather than employ the same old types and then expect a different outcome," Unerman advises in her book "The Glass Wall: Success strategies for women at work  and businesses that mean business."

Work out your voice strategy

While voice technology may not reach critical mass in 2018, it will pay to work out how brands fit in. In the U.K., 37 percent of people with smartphones use voice at least once a month, according to research by agencies J Walter Thompson (JWT) and Mindshare, and many of those (63 percent) use it to search for something online. "Algorithm optimization" will become the new search engine optimization, according to Mindshare Futures Director Jeremy Pounder and JWT Director Elizabeth Cherian. "Understanding the criteria through which assistants will choose recommendations will be vital. In this context, the power of endorsements may grow, and being able to generate content  will be increasingly important," they write in their "Speak Easy" report.

Make sure people experience a brand in the same way on all devices

How people buy goods is no longer simply a case of going to one website and ordering it with around 40 percent of transactions taking place across different devices, be that mobile, tablet or PC, according to marketing technology company .

Amazon

Being able to track how people move from one to the other will help with return on marketing investment, says its Chief Strategy Officer Jonathan Opdyke. Marketers are concerned about data confidentiality, however, with 65 percent citing it as a top concern in research the company did with 500 retail marketing executives globally. The "right to be forgotten" rule will be implemented as part of GDPR next year, also posing a challenge when linking up experiences across devices.

Get your Amazon or Alibaba ad strategy right

Amazon is set to become the third-largest platform by ad spend in the U.S. and Europe, suggests Opdkye. Amazon would be after and Google, with a combination of sponsored listings and videos, as well as ads directing people to a brand's own e-commerce site.

Service companies such as telecom brands will also be buying ads based on Amazon data, and the site itself is said to be in talks to improve its video ad product so it can compete more directly with YouTube. Meanwhile Alibaba is expanding from China into southeast Asian markets and took around $11 billion in mobile ad dollars alone in 2016, according to eMarketer.

Sort out the fakes

This year, marketers had a job on their hands to tackle ad fraud, where bots rather than people "click" on online adverts. Publishers have also had to deal with "domain spoofing" where fake versions of their websites are created, complete with adverts that no-one has seen. Facebook has had a hate speech and fake news problem and brands are increasingly focusing on the context of their ads. A survey by the U.S.'s Association of National Advertisers published in December found that 78 percent of senior U.S. marketers were concerned about their ads appearing next to inappropriate content due to automated placement, and it urged advertisers to make sure internal staff have expertise with programmatic advertising.

Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Facebook Inc., speaks during an event in Menlo Park, California. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images

This is also a problem for the e-commerce world. In the hospitality sector, scam websites are taking guests' money for hotel rooms, according to Marina Macdonald, chief marketing officer at U.S. budget hotel chain Red Roof. Its "Type Don't Click" ad campaign encouraged people to book direct rather than via search engines. "While our efforts are making inroads, we need to continue to aggressively educate, as hotel booking scams have increased 250 percent over the past two years," she told CNBC by email.

Think out of the content box

For many brands, advertising is not the only way to encourage people to buy something. "Consumers are not interested in ads. They want uninterrupted experiences. The fact that there are 225 million consumers who are active users of ad block(ers) tells you that they're saying 'no I don't want your ads,'" 's Chief Marketing Officer Raja Rajamannar told CNBC's Carolin Roth in March. Mastercard uses its Priceless website to give card members prizes and experiences.

American actress Jamie Chung in Mastercard's selfie studio at the Money 20/20 conference in Las Vegas in October 2016 Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for Mastercard
A pump jack and pipes at an oil field near Bakersfield, California. Lucy Nicholson | Reuters

Oil prices soared to two-and-a-half year highs in light trading volume on Tuesday, boosted by news of an explosion on a Libyan crude pipeline as well as voluntary OPEC-led supply cuts. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures ended Tuesday's session up $1.50, or 2.6 percent, at $59.97, posting its best closing price since June 24, 2015. The contract earlier touched $60 for the first time in 2 years. futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, rose $1.80, or 2.8 percent, to $67.05 a barrel by 2:29 p.m. (1929 GMT). It hit an intraday high of $67.10, its strongest level since May 2015. Armed men blew up a pipeline pumping crude oil to the port of Es Sider on Tuesday, cutting Libya's output by up to 100,000 barrels per day (bpd), according to military and energy sources. The state-run National Oil Corporation (NOC) said in a statement that output had been reduced by 70,000 to 100,000 bpd. The cause of the blast was unclear, it added.

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The North African country's output had been recovering in recent months after being held down for years amid armed conflict and unrest. The impending restart of a key North Sea pipeline, Forties, limited the rally. The pipeline is being tested after repairs and full flows should resume in early January, its operator said on Monday. "Keep in mind that the field and pipeline are old and it may have issues and it's probably why the market isn't selling off," said Scott Shelton, broker at ICAP in Durham, North Carolina. Trading activity was thin because of the Christmas holiday in many countries. Just 50,000 contracts of front-month Brent crude futures changed hands on Tuesday, well below the typical daily average of more than 250,000 contracts. Brent has risen 17 percent while U.S. crude has rallied about 11 percent in 2017. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, plus Russia and other non-members, have been withholding some output since Jan. 1 to get rid of a glut. The producers have extended the supply cut agreement to cover all of 2018. Iraq's oil minister said on Monday there would be a balance between supply and demand by the first quarter, leading to a boost in prices. Global oil inventories have decreased to an acceptable level, he added. That is earlier than predicted in OPEC's latest official forecast, which calls for a balanced market by late 2018.

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Job seekers register before interviews during an Amazon jobs fair at the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Robbinsville, New Jersey.

Whether you're a soon-to-be graduate or a working professional seeking a career change, you don't have to wait until the new year to start scouting out employment opportunities. In fact, finding out now what companies will be hiring in the near future can help you have a more focused and productive job hunting process. To help, job searching platform Glassdoor has compiled a list of the following companies who are looking to hire thousands of new employees in 2018.

Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. Getty Images

1. Amazon

Hiring locations: Seattle; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Sunnyvale, California; Herndon, Virginia; Chicago and more What makes the company unique: After for the holiday season, Amazon is showing no signs of slowing down their employee expansion in the new year. As one of the top organizations to change the consumer shopping experience, you'll be employed at a place that refers to itself as the "Earth's most customer-centric company."

2. The Home Depot

Hiring locations: Atlanta; Lake Delton, Wisconsin; Jacksonville, Florida; Franklin, Tennessee; Dayton, Ohio; Charlotte, North Carolina and more What makes the company unique: According to Glassdoor, The Home Depot prides themselves on being an equal opportunity employer who also encourages many bilingual candidates to apply.

3. Liberty Mutual Insurance

Hiring locations: Dover, New Hampshire; Boston; Indianapolis; Rochester, New York; Plano, Texas; Chandler, Arizona and more What makes the company unique: Making Glassdoor's 2016 list of " ," employees at Liberty Mutual Insurance say they receive four weeks of paid vacation in addition to 1.5 days of extra vacation time accrued every month. Glassdoor also reports the company places a lot of value on community giving after donating $18 million to charitable organizations this year.

A couple dines in a Panda Express restaurant. Susana Gonzalez | Bloomberg | Getty Images

4. Panda Express

Hiring locations: Rosemead, California; Milton, Connecticut; Springfield, Illinois; Honolulu; New Castle, Delaware; Fairfax, Virginia and more What makes the company unique: Panda Express has over 2,000 restaurants globally, making it the largest family-owned American Chinese restaurant, according to Glassdoor. Employees of the company also boast about great pay, benefits and opportunities to grow.

5. Deloitte

Hiring locations: Los Angeles; Cleveland; Orlando, Florida; Philadelphia; Milwaukee; Morrisville, North Carolina and more What makes the company unique: With 80,000 employees in the U.S. alone, Glassdoor calls Deloitte one of the largest and most established consulting firms with both local and global influence.

Hiring locations: Cherry Hill, New Jersey; Santa Rosa, California; Newport News, Virginia; Louisville, Kentucky; Greensboro, North Carolina; Baton Rouge, Louisiana and more What makes the company unique: In addition to being one of the leading specialty department stores in the U.S. with nearly 1,200 stores, Kohl's is also known for having great employee discounts, health insurance and 401(k) support, reports Glassdoor.

Shareholder's visit the Geico display that the 2015 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder's Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska on May 2, 2015. Lacy O'Toole | CNBC

7. Geico

Hiring locations: Macon, Georgia; Frederick, Maryland; Glendale, California; New York; Dulles, Virginia; Dallas and more What makes the company unique: According to Glassdoor, nearly 80 percent of Geico's management team started in entry-level careers and worked their way up. To further prove their commitment to employee advancement, the company also has fast-track development management programs that associates can take advantage of.

8. Whole Foods Market

Hiring locations: Austin, Texas; Mason, Ohio; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Schaumburg, Illinois; Miami; Portland, Oregon and more What makes the company unique: Not only does Whole Foods Market pride themselves on healthy food options and after merging with Amazon, but they also pride themselves on being a company of great value. In addition to each local store donating to an area food bank or shelter throughout the year, the grocer also gives five percent of their total net profits to community organizations.

9. IBM

Hiring locations: New York; Arlington, Virginia; Phoenix; Dallas; Southbury, Connecticut; Baton Rouge, Louisiana and more What makes the company unique: IBM is one of the largest employers in the world with offices in more than 170 countries and nearly 380,000 employees across the world. According to Glassdoor, professionals at this tech company have received numerous awards including five Novel Prizes, ten National Medals of Technology and five National Medals of Science.

10. Target
Working-class Americans could see their wages rise because of the GOP tax overhaul, former CKE Restaurants CEO Andy Puzder told CNBC on Tuesday.

After the passage of the Republicans' tax plan last week, Fifth Third Bancorp and Wells Fargo said they would raise their minimum wages for employees to $15 an hour. Other companies, including CNBC parent company Comcast, announced bonuses.

President Donald Trump on Friday praised corporations for showing the tax plan "love."

@realDonaldTrump 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!

"You're already seeing an increase in wages for people, which is what we haven't seen since the end of the recession," said Puzder, who withdrew his nomination as Trump Labor secretary.

"This bill is a big deal, and I think people are going to see that in the coming months," Puzder added in an interview on "Squawk Box." He said he doesn't think some fast food chains will go to $15 an hour soon, but workers could see bigger checks next year.

Some people have questioned whether bonuses and wage increases will be enough to prove tax cuts will benefit American workers. And Democrats called the tax plan a giveaway to corporations at the expense of the middle class, expressing concerns that it could add more than $1 trillion to add to federal deficit over a decade.

Puzder, now an economic policy advisor at America First Policies, acknowledge that the tax bill could have been better if there had been bipartisan support. He also said critics who claim the tax plan benefits the wealthy probably haven't read the legislation.

"Once people start to see those bigger paychecks in February, all of this malarkey about this is a give to the rich and it is going to hurt working and middle classes are going to go away," he said.
Saving alone won't make you rich. As billionaire Mark Cuban once said: "Can you save a million dollars? You can, but you really have to be disciplined." Investing, on the other hand, takes advantage of compound interest, which dictates that any interest earned accrues interest on itself, so a little money invested now can end up being more than a lot of money invested later. In short: If you want to become a millionaire, the earlier you start investing, the better. And if you aren't sure where to begin, books are a good place to start. Here are five helpful choices for beginner investors, as recommended by Andrew Hallam, a high school teacher who became a millionaire at 36 years old. "Don't mistake simplicity for something substandard," Hallam warns on his blog. These books might be a good introduction to the industry but that doesn't mean they don't pack solid advice.

Andrew Hallam

Hallam knows this firsthand. He didn't inherit wealth or win the lottery. Rather, he started investing at 19, after the head mechanic at the bus depot where he worked took an interest in him and taught him the basics of finance. As he got older, Hallam invested every spare penny. And to better understand the market, he read more than 400 personal finance books. Eventually he even wrote two of his own: "Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School" and "The Global Expatriate's Guide to Investing: From Millionaire Teacher to Millionaire Expat." Here are a few of Hallam's top picks for those who want to start investing but don't know where to start.

"The New Coffeehouse Investor: How to Build Wealth, Ignore Wall Street, and Get on with Your Life" by Bill Schultheis In this book, Schultheis breaks down the complexities of investing into three simple principles: Don't put all your eggs in one basket; there's no such thing as a free lunch; and save for a rainy day. That's it. "Promoting a low cost, index fund solution to investing, he guides his readers as if he's your affable neighbour, explaining the process over coffee," Hallam writes. "You can enjoy this book from cover to cover in a single afternoon."

"The Lazy Person's Guide to Investing: A Book for Procrastinators, the Financially Challenged, and Everyone Who Worries About Dealing With Their Money" by Paul B. Farrell Farrell fills this tome with easy-to-understand, actionable investing tips and strategies. "Dr. Farrell's book is aimed at a broad audience, peppered with a fun writing style that's missing in the vast majority of personal finance books," Hallam says. "This could be the first and only investment book you'll ever have to read."

"The Smartest Investment Book You'll Ever Read: The Simple, Stress-Free Way to Reach Your Investment Goals" by Daniel R. Solin Solin's book is short but rich. It teaches readers how to set up and monitor investments, assess risks and avoid common mistakes. "This immodestly titled book is comprised of only 154 pages, and this leading securities arbitration lawyer guides readers to see that again, index fund investing gives the highest statistical chances of success," Hallam says.

"The Elements of Investing" by Burton G. Malkiel and Charles D. Ellis Best-selling authors Burton G. Malkiel of "A Random Walk Down Wall Street" and Charles D. Ellis of "Winning the Loser's Game" joined forces to write "The Elements of Investing," which breaks down the skills and mindsets needed to invest wisely. "From what I've learned, giving financial seminars, the average person has difficulty understanding terms and jargon that most financial writers take for granted," Hallam writes. "As great as both of these gentlemen's other books are, this one is far easier for the average reader to understand."

"How a Second Grader Beats Wall Street: Golden Rules Any Investor Can Learn" by Allan S. Roth In this book, Roth tells the story of how he taught his 8-year-old son, Kevin, the basics of investing, tackling complex topics with a simple approach. It's also worthy of sharing, according to Hallam. "I bought this book as a gift, initially, but then I had to buy two," he writes. "I simply couldn't give the original book away and be left without a copy myself." This is an updated version of a previously published article. Don't miss: 11 books that will teach you to get rich, summed up in a sentence


Billionaire Tilman Fertitta is back, offering two small businesses an opportunity that could change their lives forever. First up is Autonomy Farms, who hope to end their recent string of bad luck by impressing Tilman with their organic beef and produce. Next up is Too Pretty, an athleisure company with a female empowerment message that packs a punch. If their products are a knockout, Tilman will help their business reach the next level. But if they fail, Tilman will put their bids out to pasture.

Check out the clips above.

Billion Dollar Buyer All New Wednesdays 10P ET/PT

About "Billion Dollar Buyer"

Billion Dollar Buyer introduces promising companies across the country to one of America's most successful businessmen: billionaire hospitality mogul Tilman Fertitta, Chairman, CEO, and sole shareholder of Landry's, Inc.
It's been a pretty successful year for Alphabet , parent company of Google.

The stock is up more than 34 percent this year, and its market cap has swelled to more than $736 billion, according to data from FactSet. Its biggest cash cow is still .

But as Google's business grew, so did the number of companies expressing fear of Google.

The financial search engine AlphaSense tracks which companies see Google as a threat by scouring the year's earnings, event transcripts, releases and major SEC filings for mentions of the search giant that appear within 15 words of synonyms for competition, risk, threat and similar words. It registered 262 hits this year, up from 236 last year.

So, which companies talked fretfully  or fielded anxious queries from investors and analysts  about Google this year?

Foremost was the advertising agency WPP, which had nine anxiety-fueled Google references in 2017, up from seven in 2016.

Prominently, one of those came during the company's third-quarter earnings when its own presentation asked the question: "Are Google and Facebook eating our lunch?"

WPP saw pretty flat revenue in Q3 and North American revenue growth declined, though CEO Martin Sorrell has said that low growth is the "new normal" and that Google and Facebook aren't actually disrupting the traditional ad agency model. (The fear here is that even though Google and Facebook get the bulk of WPP's ad spend, they also encourage its clients to use their tools directly versus going through an agency middleman.)

Criteo , a French ad-tech company, also saw an increase from 4 to 5 Google-related references this year. One question came during a Stifel Technology Conference in June, where an analyst asked about how the company differentiates its products from Google's.

Although the two companies have a significant partnership, they also have a competing product. However, Criteo CFO Benoit Fouilland said Google tends to go after the "long-tail" versus the top markets that his company chases.

"[T]here are certain obstacles as well for Google to be able to develop the type of close relationship we've developed with large retailers," answered Fouilland. "Many of them would be very reluctant to share the type of data they share with us with Google. So that's probably one of the reasons why we don't face Google that much even if they have definitely a competing product."

On the travel-related side of things, Expedia had six Google mentions, according to AlphaSense.

In July, Dara Khosrowshahi (then Expedia CEO, now running Uber) called Google an "existential threat" to Expedia that was competing for "the consumers' hearts and minds when they have a travel question" in an interview with The Financial Times.

As Google has fleshed out its flight and hotel comparison tools, Trivago is feeling the heat, too.
Demonstrators rally outside the Federal Communication Commission building to protest against the end of net neutrality rules December 14, 2017 in Washington, DC.

As Spotify streamers and Netflix bingers grapple with the looming threat of having to pay more for fast internet in the wake of the FCC's repeal on net neutrality rules, many people who make their livelihood online are scrambling, worried that the future of their businesses could be at stake. The FCC's decision this month to rollback Obama-era net neutrality rules has been met with fierce backlash from the National Small Business Association, e-commerce entrepreneurs and side-hustlers alike. They fear that if internet service providers can speed up, slow down or even restrict access to certain sites, costs associated with doing business online will go up and they'll lose customers. Though internet service providers such as AT&T, CNBC owner Comcast and Verizon have made statements reassuring consumers that they support the open internet and do not discriminate against content, many business owners are still sweating it.

Helen Wade opened her shop, The Stockist, selling products like clothing and household goods in Salt Lake City in 2009. Her goal for the new year is to ramp up her online presence. Now, she's worried that the net neutrality repeal could affect her business, particularly if a consumer is looking for a specific product. "I think for product search, we're just going to get buried," Wade tells CNBC Make It. "Stuff will get pushed to those bigger sites, the Amazons, the bigger stores that can afford to pay to play. And we can't." Kristi Haner, 25, and her boyfriend, Alex Tiberio, 30, sell handmade sterling silver and turquoise jewelry online via their Etsy shop, Gothic Mountain Jewelers. They live in a cabin in the backcountry of Crested Butte, Colorado, and with the road 4 miles away, the internet accounts for 95 percent of their business. "If this actually happens and pages take longer to load, that will directly affect our sales," Haner tells CNBC Make It. "I think if we were to branch out on our own website, it would be hard for small businesses like us to compete."

If online sales dwindle, Haner says, they will have to try selling their goods at craft fairs and farmer's markets instead, which is more labor-intensive, time-consuming and could be difficult in the wintertime. Indeed, Althea Erickson, head of advocacy and impact at Etsy, tells CNBC Make It that the little guys could be pushed out of the competition due to lack of resources and convenience, which sounds eerily familiar, like mom and pop brick-and-mortar shops closing thanks to big box stores' domination over the last decade. "If [small online businesses'] traffic were slower compared to a larger competitor, then our sellers would likely lose sales. And I think if you kind of expand that out, you see basically small businesses and micro-businesses being harmed at the expense of larger competitors and fewer of them starting and growing over the long term." She notes that in the week before the vote, nearly 15,000 sellers on the site sent over 48,000 messages to Congress about the issue. There are also broader concerns. Sarah Souther, founder of a Nashville-based candy company, has a retail store but also sells her company's confections online. Souther said that when she founded The Bang Candy Company in 2010, it was built on the backbone of free internet  she relied on the web to get the word out about her company and make it accessible to consumers. If that becomes cost-prohibitive, there will be consequences.

"That will sort of stop completely any innovation, and turn what is a wonderful, wonderful world where you can pretty much do whatever you want to into a great big, homogenized nightmare," Souther tells CNBC Make It. Others have echoed a similar argument about stifling innovation, from a group of 21 tech pioneers, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who wrote an open letter on net neutrality, to Twitter and Netflix, both of which rely on users having fast and cheap internet.

However, with procedural hurdles still to come and court battles likely imminent, Erickson emphasizes that the fight for net neutrality is not over and Etsy, for one, will continue to mobilize their sellers on the issue. And Souther says she is confident in her entrepreneurial peers. "There's always new ways to do things and that's life," she said. "Change is inevitable. We always find new ways of doing things, and if you're an entrepreneur, that's what your brain should be, that's how your brain needs to work. "You need to always be finding a way to do something different, and do it better and do it cheaper. That's the whole key. I'm sure entrepreneurs of the future will figure it out, and it's these sorts of restraints sometimes that make us do better things." Don't miss: Apple co-founder and 'father of the internet' tell the FCC: 'You don't understand how the internet works'
Oil prices surged to more than 2-year highs Tuesday on reports that a pipeline explosion in Libya has disrupted a big chunk of the country's crude supply.

International benchmark rose $1.81, or 2.8 percent, to $67.06, after hitting an intraday peak of $67.10, its highest level since May 2015.

Meanwhile, U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures jumped $1.50, or 2.6 percent, to $59.97, having traded as high as $60, the best level since June 25, 2015.

U.S. WTI crude intraday, source: FactSet

The oil price spike occurred during thin trading between the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

An explosion hit a pipeline that feeds Libya's Es Sider terminal, causing the country to lose 70,000 to 100,000 barrels a day of production, Reuters reported, citing Libya's National Oil Corporation and sources. Libya produced 973,000 barrels a day in November, according to OPEC's latest monthly report.



Supply to Es Sider has been disrupted in the past due to an ongoing conflict between rival factions in Libya. A military source told Reuters that armed men had blown up the pipeline.

Libya is one of two OPEC members, along with Nigeria, that were exempt from a deal to cap production this year. Both countries have suffered oil supply outages related to internal conflicts.

The 14-member cartel, Russia and nine other exporting nations recently extended an agreement to keep 1.8 million barrels a day off the market to help shrink brimming stockpiles of crude around the world.

That deal has helped to balance a glutted market, so supply disruptions are more likely to push up crude prices.

Prices have been supported in recent weeks by another pipeline outage that carries U.K. North Sea Forties crude to market. The price impact has worn off in recent days as operator Ineos has signaled the pipeline will soon start moving oil again.
To Ryan-style Republicans, then and now represent entirely different circumstances. And yet they face serious risks to their majorities in 2018, just as Democrats did seven years ago after the passage of economic stimulus legislation and the Affordable Care Act.

That simple reality explains the head-snapping turnabout in Washington's deficit debate. Under President Barack Obama , amid the Great Recession, congressional Republicans assailed $1 trillion deficits as a spending-induced threat to America's future. Under President Donald Trump , with the economy humming, they've slashed taxes, even though the Bipartisan Policy Center now warns that deficits may reach $1 trillion in the next fiscal year.

To the contrary, revenue shortfalls could make his other political goals easier to achieve. Less revenue means government can do less  and Ryan wants government to do less.

When House Speaker Paul Ryan banged his gavel down on a $1.5 trillion tax cut , the prospect of looming revenue shortfalls didn't temper his joy a bit.

Ryan views tax cuts as a policy to spur economic growth  no matter what the state of the federal budget. An increase in the deficit, which mainstream economists consider a certainty, is beside the point.

Rising debt, in fact, strengthens his zeal for his preferred deficit-reduction policy. That policy is to reduce spending by shrinking the size and scope of government that Democratic political initiatives have built.

In particular, Ryan wants to curb spending on the giant "entitlement" programs of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. "How you tackle the debt and the deficit," the speaker declared recently, is by "entitlement reform."

Democratic presidents saw those programs as a means of preventing destitution and medical calamity among senior citizens, the disabled and the poor. More than any other contemporary Republican leader, Ryan represents the philosophical tradition that opposed their creation in the first place.

After Franklin Roosevelt signed Social Security into law in 1935, his Republican opponent Alf Landon condemned it as "the largest tax bill in history," a "cruel hoax" and "a fraud on the workingman." A generation later, the emerging conservative leader Ronald Reagan offered similar arguments in debates leading up to the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid.

"One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine," Reagan argued in 1961. "It's very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project."

In office, Reagan and other Republican leaders resigned themselves to the permanence of Social Security and Medicare, given their strong support among senior citizens, who vote in large numbers. Spending-cut efforts have usually centered elsewhere in the budget, especially on more politically vulnerable programs serving the poor, including Medicaid.

But Ryan entered politics as a devotee of 20th-century author Ayn Rand, who opposed tax-and-spend benefit programs as immoral confiscation that sapped the power of capitalism. More aggressively than most, he has refused to accept the major entitlement programs in their current forms, insisting on spending curbs rather than tax increases as the path to solvency.

Thus the speaker has supported partial privatization of Social Security, conversion of Medicare to a "premium support" program for purchase of private insurance, and per-beneficiary Medicaid limits that would reduce federal spending by hundreds of billions of dollars. In opposing the 2010 Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction report, which called for both tax hikes and spending limits, he explained, "Increasing the government's take from the economy hinders growth."

But there's huge political jeopardy for Republicans in moving to shrink government to fit the reduced tax revenues they've decided to generate. Evidence indicates that, unlike Ryan, most Americans want government to do more, not less.

During last year's presidential campaign, leaders of both parties vowed to assist average families left behind in an era of high corporate profits but slow-growing wages. Trump, pledging not to touch Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, galvanized "forgotten" blue-collar whites anxious about threats to their benefits.

Voters applauded those messages. In an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll in April, 57 percent of all Americans agreed that government should do more to meet people's needs, outpacing the 39 percent who said government is doing too much.

That represented the strongest support for more government action in the two decades that the NBC/WSJ poll has asked that question. Two-thirds of college-educated white women and 59 percent of both independents and non-college white women favored more government action.

All represent critical constituencies for embattled Republicans fighting to keep control of the House and Senate next November. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, less ideologically driven than Ryan, has noticed.

Citing Democratic opposition to curbing entitlements, McConnell said last week: "I would not expect to see that on the agenda" in 2018.
Hurricane Maria was the most powerful storm to hit Puerto Rico in more than 80 years  swallowing houses, flooding neighborhoods and leaving millions without power. The island's road to recovery will be a long one. From water filters to medicines to pet rescues, we've compiled a list of some ways you can help. As always, it's a good idea to do your own research before donating.

General

Organizations that are helping with general relief efforts. Global Giving

Global Giving divides donations among local, vetted nonprofits on the ground in Puerto Rico. You can see the list here

Visit: Global Giving Unidos  Hispanic Federation

This Latino nonprofit partnered with elected officials in NY and Puerto Rico to start this relief fund  distributing food, water and essentials.

Visit: Unidos  Hispanic Federation Catholic Charities  Estoy con Puerto Rico

This faith-based organization has joined with a coalition of Puerto Rican leaders and the business community to deliver generators and other supplies to help small businesses get back on their feet.

Visit: Catholic Charities  Estoy con Puerto Rico United for Puerto Rico

Started by the First Lady of Puerto Rico, Beatriz Rossello, this organization is raising money and goods to help rebuild.

Visit: United for Puerto Rico

Medical

With no power, hospitals struggled to treat patients after the storm. Half the population has limited access to medical care and there's a critical shortage of doctors. Heart to Heart

Medical teams running mobile clinics in high-need places on the island.

Visit: Heart to Heart Project HOPE

Delivering medicines, supplies and doctors in Puerto Rico.

Visit: Project HOPE Direct Relief

Focusing efforts on getting health facilities up and running and medicine to people who need it.

Visit: Direct Relief

Supplies

LifeStraw Safe Water Fund

People in Puerto Rico still lack access to clean drinking water  here you can send them individual filters or one large enough to supply a small village.

Visit: LifeStraw Safe Water Fund Operation Agua

Bringing water purification systems to Puerto Rican families and communities who need them.

Visit: Operation Agua Light Up Puerto Rico

Send a solar lantern to one of the millions of Puerto Ricans still living in darkness.

Visit: Light Up Puerto Rico

Volunteer Opportunities

Team Rubicon

This organization pairs military veterans with first responders, getting volunteers to the places that need them most.

Visit: Team Rubicon AirBnb

If you live in an area popular for evacuees  largely the Southeast/Florida, consider sharing your home on Airbnb.

Visit: AirBnb Habitat for Humanity

Many houses were destroyed across the island  volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and help people rebuild.

Visit: Habitat for Humanity

Animal Rescue
Theranos received a $100 million loan from Fortress Investment Group to avert a possible bankruptcy filing, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

Cash has dwindled at the distraught biotechnology company as investigations have gutted what was once one of Silicon Valley's most well-funded startups, according to the WSJ. Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes said in an email to company shareholders the loan is "subject to achieving certain product and operational milestones," the WSJ reported.

Theranos did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

An investigation by the Journal in October 2015 sparked a wave of scrutiny about Theranos' practices, at a time when the company had a valuation of around $10 billion. Holmes has continued to lead Theranos through settling multiple lawsuits. However, investigations opened by both the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are ongoing.

Holmes told shareholders in the email that the company continues to cooperate with the investigations, writing that Theranos would also combat further class action allegations "vigorously."

The loan grants Fortress  which specializes in distressed asset investing  4 percent of Theranos' equity, according to the Journal, and is backed by the company's patent portfolio. Holmes email says the deal provides Theranos with "sufficient liquidity through 2018," the WSJ reported.

Theranos has continued to downsize, the Journal reports, most recently moving its operations and staff from luxurious Palo Alto to a manufacturing facility in Newark, California, across the San Francisco Bay.

Read The Wall Street Journal's full report here.
Even during the holidays, former Toys R Us CEO Jerry Storch couldn't deny that toys are "a very tough business." (At 4:00 mark of interview)

"It got a lot worse when Amazon got in," Storch, also founder and CEO of Storch Advisors, told CNBC's "Closing Bell."

The rise of e-commerce has effectively dovetailed one of the toy business' top moneymaking strategies, Storch said: raising the price of a small number of red-hot products at the right time.

"The internet's a perfect vehicle for trashing the margins on those products," Storch said, adding that Toys R Us' baby business is also struggling against competitive pressures.

"I'm sure, though, that Toys R Us will survive in some form" as e-commerce giants such as Amazon and Walmart take market share in the toy space, the CEO said. "Toys R Us will survive in a different form."

The key to surviving? Storch, the former CEO of Canadian retailer Hudson's Bay, cast it as a balance between scale and investment.

"It's going to take tremendous investment on the internet and in stores to be a retailer in the future," he said, naming Amazon and Walmart the anointed winners of this holiday season.

And while some retailers, such as DIY giants Home Depot and Lowe's and off-price favorites TJX and Burlington Stores , will continue to do well no matter what, others will need to sacrifice, Storch said.

"There's going to be significant consolidation ahead; there's going to be more store closings," the CEO predicted. "Those that are best capitalized are the ones that are going to survive."
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reacts with Ri Pyong Chol (L), in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 15, 2017.

The United States on Tuesday sanctioned two top North Korean officials involved in the rogue state's ballistic missile development programs.

The new sanctions follow the adoption on Friday of a United Nations Security Council resolution that imposed harsh new restrictions on the country in response to its Nov. 28 missile test. North Korea called Friday's sanctions an act of war.

"Treasury is targeting leaders of North Korea's ballistic missile programs, as part of our maximum pressure campaign to isolate the DPRK and achieve a fully denuclearized Korean Peninsula," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

The two individuals sanctioned on Tuesday often appear with North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, in photos and videos. An article from Reuters in May called Kim Jong Sik and Ri Pyong Chol, as well as a third, Jang Chang Ha, "clearly Kim's favorites."

The Treasury Department said Tuesday that Kim Jong Sik is reportedly a key figure in North Korea's attempts to switch from liquid to solid fuel, which could allow North Korea to launch missiles with less warning.

Ri is a former air force general who experts have said is key to the country's missile programs.
When Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, the U.S. territory suffered a nearly complete loss of running water, electricity and access to food or healthcare. Despite the handful of relief efforts by different organizations, the lack of government support amid the disaster has further delayed the island's recovery. American self-made millionaire and philanthropist Marcus Lemonis typically showcases small businesses he helps turn around on CNBC's "The Profit," but he follows a different approach on this week's special episode, "The Profit in Puerto Rico: An American Crisis." Six weeks after the natural disaster, Lemonis visited the hurricane-ravaged island to see the damage for himself and get his friends out of there. He expected he would see recovery on the island, but what he saw instead left him "stunned."

Marcus Lemonis in "The Profit in Puerto Rico: An American Crisis" CNBC

"For the 3.5 million people here  American citizens  this is nothing less than a humanitarian crisis," Lemonis said. After exploring Puerto Rico's capital and the centrally based municipality Utuado, Lemonis encountered these three facets of life in Puerto Rico that led him to declare Puerto Rico a "war zone."

Persistent medical professionals

Lemonis visited the Puerto Rico National Guard base in Utuado, where members are working to help some of the hardest hit regions of the island. Volunteering with the National Guard are three medical workers  a psychologist, nurse and doctor  who travel for more than half a day at a time to reach only a handful of sickly patients who are stranded at their homes. "They started as strangers; now they call themselves the three musketeers united by [Hurricane] Maria," Lemonis said. The illnesses the medical workers said they have seen the most include respiratory issues, hypertension, diabetes and post-traumatic stress disorder. "As the days without power wear on, some people are losing hope," Lemonis said, while "depression, anxiety and suicides are on the rise." After watching the doctors treat an elderly woman who suffers from high blood pressure and needs surgery, Lemonis admitted he had difficulty watching. "Someone like [her] could be our grandmother, or our mother, our neighbor, how do you mentally  I mean, honestly I couldn't  like, it was hard for me to be there. Honestly, how do you do it?" Lemonis said. "How do you not break down? Is there hope?" Lemonis later asked.

Marcus Lemonis in "The Profit in Puerto Rico: An American Crisis" CNBC

"There's always hope," one said. "Help needs to continue. What is important is to show [that] really this is the other side. many people have seen the devastation. But few people have seen that we are really working."

Struggling business owners

Most businesses were still closed in both Old San Juan (usually the most popular tourist destination on the island) and other commercial areas Lemonis visited. The few small businesses that were open were using power generators, but they still saw significantly lower foot traffic. "Old San Juan is on life support, hemorrhaging money," Lemonis said, noting that each closed business in the area could be forgoing almost $7 million a month. Lemonis met Peter Schintler, a local restaurant owner who grew up in Iowa but had been running his business in Puerto Rico for 13 years. Schintler invested $2.5 million into his business, which was destroyed after the hurricane. Though he had enough operating cash for his restaurant to open up again, Schintler told Lemonis he was willing to sell his home and his car to really restore his restaurant to what it once was. "My home doesn't define me. My business does more so than my home," Schintler said. "I spent 13 years of my life here. My friends don't visit me in my house. They visit me in my restaurant."

Marcus Lemonis in "The Profit in Puerto Rico: An American Crisis"

Lemonis promised to return to the restaurant and told Schintler he should be proud of himself. "You really should. Not a lot of business owners stick with it like you are," Lemonis said.

Locals leaving the island
Hi all,



I have a small program that makes a call to a REST API and retrieves a block of JSON. I am parsing this in Ruby which then creates a hash. Because of the way the JSON is structured I am putting the hash into an array and then extracting the second element. I am then doing some string manipulation on this element to produce another array with each element containing a string that looks like the following:-



{: from => " 2018-01-01T00:00Z" , :to=> " 2018-01-01T00:30Z" , :intensity=>{:forecast=>154, :actual=>157, :index=> " low" }}



I am then trying to put each of these elements back into a hash and back into an array (so I end up with an array of hashes) so I can get access to each element of the hash through their corresponding keys.



However when I try to do this within the 'each do end' loop I get an error:-



odd number of arguments for Hash



When I take the same string and just directly add it to the hash (like indicated below) it works fine:-



hash[ " Mystring" ]



Any idea what else I can try?



I can post more code if that would help.



Thanks



D



I have a partial view in which I am passing a model (the model object is not null). This is the method in the controller:

C# [ ChildActionOnly ] public ActionResult LargeHeader() { PWQuote quote = db.GetRandomQuote(-1); return PartialView( " _LargeHeader" , quote); }



When I try to use the Html helper property, intellisense doesn't show it, and when the page is rendered, the partial view is not rendered (and doesn't show up in the page source or browser debugger).



This (simplified code in the partial view .cshtml file) allows the partial view to render:

HTML < span style =" font-style:italic;" > Test Quote < /span >

But this does not:

HTML < span style =" font-style:italic;" > @Html.DisplayFor(model=>model.Quote) < /span >

In both cases, the model is defined in the partial view with this:

HTML @model Models.PWQuote

Help, please.

".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010

-----

You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010

-----

When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013





modified 29-Dec-17 8:18am.



[ChildActionOnly] attribute. Child action methods aren't supposed to respond to URL requests, so jQuery shouldn't be able to call it.





"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."

- Homer







I'm trying to make _Layout.cshtml load different partial views based on browser window width, but the jquery.load() method can't find the cshtml files (getting a 404 error). The files are in the shared folder, and my javascript looks like this:



JavaScript <script type= ' text/javascript' > $( function () { if (getWidth() > 640 ) { $( " #fluidHeader" ).load( ' _LargeHeader.cshtml' ); } else { $( " #fluidHeader" ).load( ' _MobileHeader.cshtml' ); } }); function getWidth() { if (self.innerWidth) { return self.innerWidth; } if ( document .documentElement && document .documentElement.clientWidth) { return document .documentElement.clientWidth; } if ( document .body) { return document .body.clientWidth; } }; </script>



What am I doing wrong?

".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010

-----

You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010

-----

When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013







JavaScript $( ' #fluidHeader' ).load( ' @Url.Action("LargeHeader","Home")' );

and this in the Home controller:

C# public ActionResult LargeHeader() { return PartialView( " _LargeHeader" ); }

Which displays the appropriate markup.



However, I want to use data from a model in the _LargeHeader partial view, and ran into my next roadblock. I started a new question for that.

".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010

-----

You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010

-----

When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013





Hi, everyone!

I scrolled internet and find some interesting article about blockchain. I see that this trend is getting more popular with everyday. But the main question, how to start development in that industry? I am a backend specialist. What info or sites you can recommend to learn this technology and what I'll need to know to work with it? Just for a start and so on.

Thank you!



Blockchain - Wikipedia.



For any trusted resource, you can find a good resource (book, video course etc.) from a publisher. Since this is an emerging technology, many publishers are investing in the technology and providing an expert-led tutorial that you can look for. Then, there are these libraries (frameworks/platforms) that you can study and learn how they work.



Other resources include, Tutorials & Guides Archives - Blockchain Blog

What is blockchain? - IBM Blockchain

The sh*t I complain about

It's like there ain't a cloud in the sky and it's raining out - Eminem

~! Firewall !~



What do you guys use?



A lot of people use reCaptcha (millions of sites according to their propaganda). My only concern there is that if someone succeeds in hacking their stuff, MILLIONS of sites become vulnerable at the same time. Is that a pointless concern?

".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010

-----

You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010

-----

When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013









But seriously, it's just a key code generated off of a selection grid. As long as you limit attempts from a single source (which I'm positive reCAPTCHA does) and seed the interaction (also something it does) it should be as secure as you're going to get in an ostensibly untrusted interaction.

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."

- Benjamin Disraeli



I have created a custom module and trying to override model in Magento 2. I am following all the steps mentioned in the tutorial Learn How to Override Model in Magento 2[^] but still i am having error. This is the code



<?php namespace Magenticians\Moduleproduct\Model\Catalog; class Product extends \Magento\Catalog\Model\Product { public function getName() { return $this->_getData(self::NAME) . ' + Demo Text' ; } public function getSku() { return " 123-Demo" ; } }



Sorry if this is not the correct forum for discussions on Swagger but I don't know which one is appropriate for it.



I have a rest web api created in C# which returns a JSON response containing base objects and their derived objects. In Swagger response body I am able to see both the base objects and derived objects after applying the filters as explained in the post How do I include subclasses in Swagger API documentation using Swashbuckle? - Stack Overflow[^]



However, I only see the base objects in the Example Values and not their derived objects. So suppose my JSON contains objects called Dog and Cat which inherit from the Animal object, then only the Animal object will show up in the Example Value but not the Dog or Cat object.



Please show me how to modify Swagger Example Value to display base objects and their derived objects. Thanks.



ok, this is possibly an unusual one...



I have a friend who owns a load of domain names, which he's always had the intention of setting up with full blown sites over time

he isn't a coder, but he is a really good ideas guy

Obviously, this means he is paying a load of money out each year for renewals, way too much, thousands!

At one point he had close to 3000 names, i think many lapsed but he still has at least a few hundred, maybe even a 1000!



So anyway, the here task is to find a way to put some kind of sites up really quickly, with the intention of making a small amounts of money from advertising, not so that he can make a fortune from them, but just so that each one can cover the renewal fee.



he wants to get some of the full sites developed as soon as possible but obviously can't do them all at the same time.

Therefore, As these quick sites are built, he wants to be able to make a bit of money off each to cover the domain renewal cost, and use that money (which was being used to renew) to have the full ones built and gradually snowball the development of the portfolio







so for the initial phase, i think the priorities are to look at having a fast, efficient way of getting sites online, being able to automate everything possible.

I know him well and he is not a spamming kind of person, but he needs to stop the outgoings and put that money into developing the full sites



his initial ideas (for the full sites) were good and in depth for each site.

Some related domains were to be used to point to 1 central site, like several satellites generating traffic for the main one in each area





he says as long as they are making the renewals then thats good enough at this stage





oh, and he hates Wordpress, so anything WP related is off limits



My skillset and preferences revolve mainly around Laravel, but I'm open to other non-Laravel solutions if thats what would be a better fit





so far, I'm thinking towards the following possibilities, but I'm open to critique on any of them, since I do not have the experience to tell what would work best



- to find a way to create a fairly simple template and find a system to be able to upload multiple versions of it quickly.

- I was interested in finding out more about laravel.hosting as they said they had a 1-click Laravel solution, but now I'm not sure if they would be the best people to use!

- Maybe Forge could be a possible solution for quick deployment?

- could I use subdomains running from one laravel base for this? I don't know if that is possible



- use sass with variables for the colours, and on each iteration, have a different sass variables file which would give a different colour theme on each site.



- research scraping to find a way to include content on each site. I've found possible solutions in Python, Rails, and a possible solution in Laravel by writing a scheduled command



- group the domains into subject areas, so that different content can be added to one site, and then point related domain names at the one with the content



- have (google or other) ads included to create Click Through income





Any ideas?







It sounds like someone who is going to get themselves in lots of search engines with all of the sites pointing the same one (or few). This way, if a scammer, he/she can get lots of hits and still keep an apparently good reputation via the many other sites.



Perhaps follow up with a plausible and legitimate reason for this scenario and you'll get more help.

Ravings en masse^ "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010



I want to disable add to cart button for specific products. Can anyone guide me on this ?







WordPress? ASP.NET based, or any other? You need to share some more specifics about it.

The sh*t I complain about

It's like there ain't a cloud in the sky and it's raining out - Eminem

~! Firewall !~







After the creation of module, create the InstallData.php file in app/code/Magenticians/Mymodule/Setup and add the following code in it:



eavSetupFactory = $eavSetupFactory;

$this->attributeSetFactory = $attributeSetFactory;

$this->categorySetupFactory = $categorySetupFactory;

}







public function install(ModuleDataSetupInterface $setup, ModuleContextInterface $context)

{

$setup->startSetup();



// CREATE ATTRIBUTE SET



$categorySetup = $this->categorySetupFactory->create(['setup' => $setup]);

$attributeSet = $this->attributeSetFactory->create();

$entityTypeId = $categorySetup->getEntityTypeId(\Magento\Catalog\Model\Product::ENTITY);

$attributeSetId = $categorySetup->getDefaultAttributeSetId($entityTypeId);

$data = [

'attribute_set_name' => 'DisableAddToCart',

'entity_type_id' => $entityTypeId,

'sort_order' => 200,

];

$attributeSet->setData($data);

$attributeSet->validate();

$attributeSet->save();

$attributeSet->initFromSkeleton($attributeSetId);

$attributeSet->save();







// CREATE PRODUCT ATTRIBUTE



$eavSetup = $this->eavSetupFactory->create(['setup' => $setup]);



$eavSetup->addAttribute(

\Magento\Catalog\Model\Product::ENTITY,

'text_add_to_cart',

[

'type' => 'varchar',

'label' => 'Add to Cart Text',

'backend' => '',

'input' => 'text',

'wysiwyg_enabled' => false,

'source' => '',

'required' => false,

'sort_order' => 5,

'global' => \Magento\Catalog\Model\ResourceModel\Eav\Attribute::SCOPE_STORE,

'used_in_product_listing' => true,

'visible_on_front' => fasle,

'attribute_set' => 'DisableAddToCart',

]

);

$setup->endSetup();

}



} ?>







Now based on the above attribute you can disable your overridden add to cart file.



Complete Guide: Magento 2 Disable Add to Cart Button for Certain Products



I'm trying to use the bootstrap carousel (using the sample code from the bootstrap web site), and it's displaying all of the images at the same time. What am I doing wrong? ([Image data] indicates the base64 text where the image is being specified - I left the actual data out in the interest of brevity.)



HTML < div class =" row" > < div class =" col-md-12" > < div id =" ttpImageCarousel" class =" carousel slide" data-ride =" carousel" > < div class =" carousel-inner" role =" listbox" > < div class =" carousel-item active" > < img class =" d-block img-fluid" src =" data:image/jpg;base64,[image data]" alt =" " / > < div class =" carousel-caption d-none d-md-block" > < span style =" display:inline-block;" > Image 1 of 4 < /span > < /div > < /div > < div class =" carousel-item" > [image 2 of 4] < /div > < div class =" carousel-item" > [image 3 of 4] < /div > < div class =" carousel-item" > < img class =" d-block img-fluid" src =" data:image/jpg;base64,[image data]" alt =" " / > < div class =" carousel-caption d-none d-md-block" > < span style =" display:inline-block;" > Image 4 of 4 < /span > < /div > < /div > < /div > < a class =" carousel-control-prev" href =" #carouselExampleControls" role =" button" data-slide =" prev" > Previous < /a > < a class =" carousel-control-next" href =" #carouselExampleControls" role =" button" data-slide =" next" > Next < /a > < /div > < /div > < /div >

".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010

-----

You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010

-----

When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013









I also found out that I had to include the following in my web config to avoid 404 errors in the javascript when searching for fonts that font-awesome needed:



XML < system.webServer > < staticContent > < remove fileExtension =" .woff" / > < mimeMap fileExtension =" .woff" mimeType =" application/font-woff" / > < remove fileExtension =" .woff2" / > < mimeMap fileExtension =" .woff2" mimeType =" font/x-woff" / > < /staticContent > < /system.webServer >

".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010

-----

You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010

-----

When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013







XML < mimeMap fileExtension =" eot" mimeType =" application/vnd.ms-fontobject" / > < mimeMap fileExtension =" otf" mimeType =" application/x-font-opentype" / > < mimeMap fileExtension =" svg" mimeType =" image/svg+xml" / > < mimeMap fileExtension =" ttf" mimeType =" application/x-font-truetype" / > < mimeMap fileExtension =" woff" mimeType =" application/font-woff" / > < mimeMap fileExtension =" woff2" mimeType =" application/font-woff2" / >

According to this SO thread[^], the official MIME type for Woff2 might have been changed to font/woff2 ; but application/font-woff2 works for now.





"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."

- Homer









".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010

-----

You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010

-----

When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013





I have started with creating a custom module as mentioned in this tutorial Learn How to Override Block in Magento 2[^] that editing the core files can be a risk so i have created my own custom module but still i am facing problems i don't know what's wrong with the code.





<config xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:nonamespaceschemalocation="urn:magento:framework:Module/etc/module.xsd">

<module name="Magenticians_Modulecontact" setup_version="1.0.1">







Hi Anyone can help me out in this issue.My coordinate are fetching latitude and longitude from database dynamically and that should display as marker everytime when database updates by serial number but it is not displaying.



view:

<?php echo $map[ ' javascript' ];?>

<?php echo $map[ ' mapdiv' ]

model:

function googlemaps($serial) { $return=array(); $query=$this->db->select( ' cycle_serial,cycle_19_INT,cycle_20_INT,cycle_21_INT,cycle_22_INT,cycle_23_INT,cycle_24_INT' )->from( ' cycles' )->where(array( ' cycle_serial' =>$serial))->limit( 1 )->order_by( ' cycle_timestamp' , ' DESC' )->get(); if ($query->num_rows()>0) { foreach ($query->result_array() as $row) { array_push($return,$row); } } return $return; }

controller:

function Googlemaps($serial) { $this->load->library( ' googlemaps' ); $config[ ' minifyJS' ] = TRUE; $config[ ' center' ] = ' 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway in Mountain View' ; $config[ ' zoom' ] = ' 15' ; $config[ ' geocodeCaching' ] = TRUE; $this->googlemaps->initialize($config); $coords=$this->dashboard_model->googlemaps($serial); foreach ($coords as $coordinate) { $marker=array(); $lat1=$coordinate[ ' cycle_19_INT' ].(substr($coordinate[ ' cycle_20_INT' ], 0 , 2 )+(substr($coordinate[ ' cycle_20_INT' ], 2 ). " ." .$coordinate[ ' cycle_21_INT' ])/60); $lat2=str_replace($coordinate[ ' cycle_22_INT' ], ' -' ,$coordinate[ ' cycle_22_INT' ]).(substr($coordinate[ ' cycle_23_INT' ], 0 , 2 )+substr((substr($coordinate[ ' cycle_23_INT' ], 2 ). " ." .$coordinate[ ' cycle_24_INT' ])/60, 0 , 7 )); $lat=$lat1. ' ,' .$lat2; $marker[ ' position' ]=$lat;var_dump($marker[ ' position' ]); $this->googlemaps->add_marker($marker); } $data=array(); $data[ ' map' ] = $this->googlemaps->create_map(); $this->load->view( ' dashboard/dashboard_googlemap_view' , $data); }


Types of obituaries

The Missourian publishes two types of obituaries  family obituaries and life stories.

A family obituary is the version submitted by a funeral home or family. Please see the submission form for details on cost and deadlines. Family obituaries

A life story is a closer look at a person's life and involves a reporter contacting family and friends. Life stories are based on newsworthiness and consent of the family. Life stories.
The Victory II launches service from Boston in May for the Bruce Nierenberg-led Victory Cruise Lines brand, joining the Victory I.

We were running at over 90 percent (occupancy) on the first ship, and had really just started. That is a good indication of the market, said Nierenberg, president and CEO.

The company has already acquired the ship, and a winter refit in Northern Europe is scheduled. The vessel sails its inaugural cruise from Boston in May and later joins the Victory I for the peak summer season in the Great Lakes.

The Victory I will offer a summer program highlighted by the lines trademark Toronto to Chicago program while the Victory II will mix things up with more itinerary and deployment options.

A new cruise terminal in Detroit will be the base for a handful of cruises, including a Detroit to Milwaukee program.

We are featuring ports in Wisconsin, people just dont go there and it has some of the more gorgeous places, Nierenberg added.

From Milwaukee the ship will head north into Lake Superior and through the Soo Locks.

There port calls will include Marquette and Duluth, among others, while the line turns around in Thunder Bay, providing complimentary air.

Continued Nierenberg: These ships were built for coastal cruising. The Great Lakes are hot, and the big ships cant get in. We dont have these monsters coming after us with low rates and high volume vessels. Its our core market in the summer, and we can run that from May through October successfully.

Next winter the Victory I heads back to Cuba, where she offers overnight stays in all ports.

Catering to baby boomers and the mature market, the cruise program is basically all-inclusive, with no casino and a high level of service, with Nierenberg describing a laid-back atmosphere aboard.

If you can find markets like (the Great Lakes) and cater to the mature customers, they are going to dominate the market, Nierenberg noted.
Given that it is late December I will hazard to guess that most credit unions have inked a strategic plan and if the 2018 operating plan and budget is not already approved it likely will be very soon. I will even go out on a limb and project that many, if not most, in Credit Union Land have aspirations for revenue growth in 2018.

Callahan & Associates Peer-to-Peer software provides some insights into the credit union revenue dynamic. On average, loans constituted 70% of credit union assets and directly contributed 63% of total income generated by credit unions in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas in the third quarter of 2017. Other operating income, which is frequently derived from loan-related activities, accounted for 12.8% of income. Adding the two together one might say that lending directly or indirectly contributes over 70% of credit union income.

Rounding out the categories, fees are the second largest single source of income at 17.2% of the regional total. Investments, which constitute 17% of credit union assets, generate 7% of total income.

Depending upon your credit unions loans-to-assets ratio your income composition may not look like the averages, which are admittedly influenced heavily by large credit unions. And credit union profitability is generally higher among credit unions with healthy loans-to-asset positions. So, if you are looking for revenue enhancement and your loan mix is not where it needs to be, a likely candidate for revenue enhancement may be loan growth.
Pa. Democrats win a wafer-thin majority in the House

Incumbent Rep. Todd Stephens has conceded defeat, giving Democrats enough seats in the Pa. House to win a majority for the first time in a decade
The BJP believes it has a lot to rejoice in its victory in Gujarat, even though it barely made it over the half-way mark. It seems the party has forgotten the lessons from its "India Shining" debacle in 2004.

The BJP has forgotten one more aspect - the farmers. And it is these farmers who are the biggest strength of the Congress. While the BJPs dirty tricks department tried to "edit" a speech of Congress president Rahul Gandhi - where he was actually exposing the PM's comment on aloo dalo aur sona niklega" - what it didnt realise was that the farmers had heard Rahul Gandhis entire speech and concurred that lies were being put forth by the BJP.

The reason I make this comment is that a trying-to-sound-confident BJP is claiming that its narrow win in Gujarat has assured a victory in 2019. And that to me is a clear sign that the master strategists in the BJP are perhaps not reading the writing on the wall, especially the alarming signals emanating from Kutch Saurashtra.

Look at Gujarat and you see that it is in this rural-semi urban area of Gujarat that the BJP was given a bloody nose by the Congress which won 28 seats to BJPs 19. It is a sure sign that "Bharat" is not shining. While urban India has been denied "achhe din" even after three and half years of BJP rule at the Centre, rural India is in deep distress.

The reasons are manifold and resonate across the border in rural Maharashtra as well. The BJP took a beating in the cotton- and groundnut-growing belt of Saurashtra. This is the same belt that helped the rise of the prime minister between 2002 and 2011, but is now clearly unhappy and showing it.

In my state, Maharashtra, be it soybean or cotton, the government has not paid farmers the commensurate procurement prices. In Latur alone, I have raised this issue several times with proof of how farmers are being turned away from procurement agencies because the soy they have produced is being classified as not meeting the parameters set by the government. Officials in these agencies have openly said that they cannot buy soy with higher moisture content because if they do so, they leave themselves open to inquiry.

Fully aware of the plight of soy farmers, hit by the double whammy of falling prices and vagaries of weather, should the government not have eased the norms?

Well they havent - which means soy farmers are resorting to distress sale at mandis and open markets and ruing their fate.

Farmers unions across Maharashtra have questioned the BJPs promise of 2014, where he vowed to double farm production. Farmers are wondering that if they are unable to raise produce to levels they are used to how will mere words help them boost production? This at a time when the produce they are taking to market fails to generate income to keep body and soul together. The latest NSSO report shows that farmers are on an average earning Rs 7,793 and spending Rs 7, 727 a month. Surely, Rs 66 saved doesnt spell "achhe din" in anyones book.

If that was not enough, farmers are paying an even heavier price trying to boost production through excessive use of pesticides. The toll from pesticide poisoning in Vidarbha is over 50. The current crisis arose after farmers mixed the insecticides or used them in higher quantities to increase their potency to increase yields in places like Yavatmal.

It is no secret that the tragedy unfolded as pesticides that were not recommended or those not to be used on cotton crop were sold to unsuspecting farmers as effective, again highlighting either government complicity or incompetence at the level of regulating these dealers.

It didn't end here. The Maharashtra state government then ordered a loan waiver. However, six months on, that hope too is belied, thanks to red tape and total lack of planning in execution of this large scheme. Reports are pouring in of how banks are grappling with data-mismatches and errors in records which have slowed the entire process. Every time there is a mismatch, the officials are obliged to send the beneficiary list back to the government for cross-checking.
Under the prevailing circumstances in South Asia, efforts to rekindle interest in India's "neighbourhood first" policy require out-of-the-box thinking. Although US President Donald Trump has described India as a leading global power, New Delhi cannot afford to relax with regards to its immediate periphery.

Different writers might come to different conclusions but for me the 2017 story was about India continuing to struggle in its neighbourhood, particularly in Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka. Despite repeated muscle-flexing, Pakistan policy is already in tatters. India's immediate geopolitical environment remains fragile.

One cannot dispute the fact that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India enjoys a better standing in global politics than any time in the recent past. But the euphoria that greeted his historical electoral victory in 2014 has worn off. And it is equally true that Chinese President Xi Jinping has also been having a fantastic time at home and abroad. When the Chinese Communist Party's Congress concluded in October, President Xi's position strengthened considerably, ensuring his global ambitions for China will continue. Besides consolidating his hold on power, Xi has been instrumental in implementing China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) or Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which is set to extend its reach and influence well beyond its borders, including in South Asia. Many analysts believe that it can leave India isolated regionally because it opens up the likelihood of China dominating India's immediate neighbourhood.

No doubt, "neighbours first" is the striking feature of India's diplomatic approach since 2014. If India does not resolve its differences with its small neighbours, it will only pave the way for China to enjoy a growing influence in the region. Prime Minister Modi often projects himself as an innovative and decisive leader who could make things happen. As 2017 has not been a very promising year for India's "neighbourhood first" policy, the Modi government must prove that it is not merely a political rhetoric but a strategic necessity. By focusing greater energy on the neighbourhood, the Modi government can demonstrate that India has the capability to promote regional peace and economic integration by bringing together the governments in the region.

Sri Lanka has long been in India's geopolitical orbit, but Colombo's relationship with Beijing has strengthened in recent years. In early December, Sri Lanka handed over the strategic port of Hambantota, which is expected to play a key role in China's OBOR plan, to China on a 99-year lease. The Opposition parties and trade unions in Sri Lanka have already dubbed the port deal as a sell-out of their country's national assets to China. Many critics feel that the port lease could set a precedent for other small South Asian countries that owe money to China to accept deals that involve surrendering a part of their territory.

Sri Lanka has tried to allay India's concerns by seeking to limit China's role to running commercial operations at the port while retaining broader oversight of security operations. But Sri Lanka is already struggling to pay the existing $8 billion debt to China, and it is unrealistic to expect Colombo to ensure that China does not install dual-use facilities for monitoring maritime traffic and snooping in the Indian Ocean. Now India must invest in Mattala airport in Hambantota, which is just 30 kilometres away from the Hambantota port.

India's ties with Maldives have been impacted by China's growing footprint on the island. China opened an embassy in Male, the Maldivian capital, only in 2011. Maldives is the only South Asian country that Modi has not visited since taking office. Although it was in the itinerary for his March 2015 Indian Ocean tour, the visit had to be cancelled due to domestic political turbulence in Maldives which has been gradually shifting towards authoritarian governance. In early December, Maldives rushed through the much-criticised Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China in Maldivian parliament at midnight, without any opposition member being present there. This is Maldives' first FTA with any country, and also China's second with any nation in South Asia after Pakistan. Given its security impact in India's strategic backyard, China's foray into Maldives has already aroused concerns in New Delhi.

Following the unexpected FTA deal between Maldives and China, India's foreign ministry issued a statement saying it is India's "expectation that as a close and friendly neighbour, Maldives will be sensitive to our concerns, in keeping with its 'India First' policy." Rather than addressing India's concerns, the Maldivian government suspended three local councillors for an "unauthorised" meeting with the Indian ambassador. India's economic or diplomatic options for compelling Male to back down are not promising. A pro-government paper has also published an anti-India editorial describing India as the biggest enemy nation while praising China, the "new best friend" of Maldives. It also accused New Delhi of plotting a coup against the Abdulla Yameen government. Unfortunately, India's non-coercive options for compelling Male for course correction do not seem promising. This must set alarm bells ringing in New Delhi.

Nepal is the latest piece in the South Asian puzzle and it is unclear what picture will emerge in 2018. Despite two trips and a promising outreach to Nepal in his initial years, Modi could not maintain the momentum. Things began to take an ugly turn when Nepal announced a new Constitution that gave less than adequate powers to ethnic groups such as the Madhesi people in the country's Terai region. Consequently, Madhesi protesters' blockade stopped all essential supplies from India from reaching Nepal and created a humanitarian crisis. Kathmandu blamed New Delhi for being complicit in an unofficial economic blockade and began to play the "China card" to balance India's immense power over Nepal.

The recent victory of the Left coalition of the CPN-UML and the CPN-MC, widely believed to be pro-China, in Nepal's parliamentary elections makes it even more worrisome as India has had a dismal record getting it right in Nepal. It seems that the Nepalese people have retained their anger over India's unofficial "blockade" and taught a lesson to those political parties which were seen as not having opposed the Indian "bullying". With India's leverage in Nepal's internal politics already shrinking to the lowest level, China is more than eager to fill the vacuum and will certainly push with greater zeal its BRI connectivity projects which can bring its penetration closer to vital Indo-Gangetic plains.

India's bilateral relationship with Pakistan has already hit a dead-end. Frequent violation of the ceasefire by Rawalpindi has also contributed to the failure of talks. In fact, Indo-Pak relations are perhaps at the worst since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Unfortunately, the government's policy of diplomatically isolating Pakistan does not seem to be working as Islamabad has stepped up its diplomatic efforts to engage Beijing, Moscow and Tehran. Escalation of hostilities inadvertently helps in reinforcing Pakistan's narrative that Indo-Pak relations are facing a deadlock which can only be removed if big powers intervene to resolve the Kashmir issue - the most contentious and sensitive dispute between Indians and Pakistanis. New Delhi has always resisted international intervention in the dispute. Current level of tensions creates a possibility that conflict may begin not through calculation but miscalculation.

Most importantly, the manner in which Modi, during a recent election campaign in Gujarat, cast aspersions on a private dinner hosted by the Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and attended by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former vice-president Hamid Ansari along with retired Indian diplomats for visiting former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, many responsible Indians feared the worst over the damage it would do to the government's Pakistan policy.

Modi's accusation was also dangerous because of the worldview it represented. If even the prime minister can openly share this disturbing worldview, what might be next? It is a worldview that, if allowed to grow, will plunge India into greater conflict internally as well as in the neighbourhood than we can imagine today.

China will continue to support sympathetic politicians and groups in India's neighbourhood. Already, there is widespread concern in India's policymaking circles of Beijing's expanding presence in Pakistan and Nepal and now in Maldives. China's relentless attempts to establish a formal engagement with Bhutan have highlighted Beijing's aggressive posturing. If there is a common thread running through events in 2017, it was that they tested South Asia's confidence in India's leadership. Smaller countries in South Asia will be watching very closely to see whether, and how, India fights China's effort to make itself the regional hegemonic power. Foreign capitals are also watching. As China has deeply entrenched its economic and strategic footprints in South Asia, the Modi government has a long, bumpy road ahead if it wishes to reverse China's relentless march in South Asia.
Russian deputy Prime Minister Rogozins visit to India on December 23 for a meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation represents existing structured institutional high-level dialogues with Russia that underpin the bilateral relationship whose importance should not be underrated in the conduct of our foreign policy.

Russia remains a partner of choice as very few countries can match its profile. It is the biggest country geographically, has immense natural resources, a powerful military and a massive nuclear arsenal. It is self-sufficient in energy, has a strong and stable leadership and great experience in diplomacy. It has a vast Asian dimension, which adds to its relevance for India.

Governance

India and Russia share thinking on several aspects of global governance such as respecting state sovereignty, opposing interference in the internal affairs of countries and policies of regime change. Both are against any unilateral imposition of sanctions as well as double standards on dealing with issues of democracy, human rights and terrorism. Both support reform of the international political and financial institutions as well as inclusive internet governance. A rule-based international order cannot ignore such thinking that has wide international support.

We have convergent interests in combating international terrorism. Americas unsuccessful wars on terror have generated new threats and insecurities, especially in West Asia where we have critical energy, financial and manpower interests. Russian intervention in Syria and the destruction of the Islamic State there have benefited the international community as a whole.

Russia is not encouraging the Iran-Saudi Arabia and Shia-Sunni conflict in West Asia which US support to Saudi Arabia and hostility towards Iran is exacerbating. That Russia will be against any renegotiation of the Iran nuclear deal serves our interest too. Russia has now become a power to contend with in West Asia which means that our lines of communication with it on developments there need to be further strengthened.

On the less positive side, a gap between us has developed in the Pakistan-Afghanistan region where Russia is hesitant to join us in formulations that would point at Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism against us. It has also begun to describe the Taliban as a legitimate political force in Afghanistan, which implies deflecting pressure on Pakistan on no longer providing safe havens to these extremist groups.

This re-definition of policy also explains its military exercises with Pakistan and supply of offensive defence equipment to it. While we would need to keep apprising the Russians of our concerns, we have to recognise some realities pragmatically and look at such emerging divergences in their right proportion.

We have deep defence ties with Russia  a legacy of the last six decades. Even though we have developed strong defence ties with others, almost 70 per cent of our defence equipment remains of Russian origin. Russia does not apply sanctions or delay supplies for political reasons.

We have signed or are negotiating additional defence contracts which will maintain Russias position as a principal defence partner. Russia provides us sensitive technologies that other countries do not. The DTTI with the US has not produced any meaningful results and treating India as a major defence partner does not assure transfer of sensitive technologies.

Requirements

Russian arms supplies are not accompanied by stringent end-use monitoring requirements and are also not contingent on signing a set of foundational agreements. Other than defence, energy ties with Russia have become increasingly important, with large investments both ways in this sector in recent years. Russia is the only country building nuclear power plants in India. Our trade ties  with two-way trade at less than $8 billion (Rs 51,000 crore)  are the weakest link in our bilateral relationship and efforts to remedy the situation have not met with the desired success.

While our relations with US have improved dramatically and the latest review of Americas national security strategy testifies to this, some US policies are not only not convergent with our interests but would also require maintaining close ties with traditional partners like Russia to avoid creating vulnerabilities for ourselves.

Inconsistent

Under Donald Trump, US policy has become unpredictable and inconsistent. He has upset his allies in Europe. His treatment of Russia as Americas principal geopolitical enemy, thwarting its European ambitions and subjecting it to sanctions, has compelled it to move eastwards and strengthen relations with China, with consequences for us. Vladimir Putin has spelt out in his annual press conference on December 14 the durability of Russias strategic shift towards China. Russia has now started supplying high-end weaponry to China and is supporting its Belt and Road Initiative.

A fallout of this shift is Russias reservations about the emerging US-India-Japan-Australia Quad. Trumps approach to China is variable, and notwithstanding the latest national security strategy review document which is harsh on China, it is uncertain how much will get translated into active policy, meaning that our multi-pronged approach to international diplomacy must continue.

Trump is questioning multilateral trade agreements and is prepared to undercut the rule-based order under the WTO, which India, Russia and others support. Ironically, the rules-based world order built by the US is being undermined not only by China but by the US itself in many ways.

All these developments underline the necessity of managing our Russia ties to our best advantage and maintaining a balanced foreign policy.
The Mosaic Company, through its subsidiaries, produces and markets concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients in North America and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Phosphates, Potash, and Mosaic Fertilizantes. It owns and operates mines, which produce concentrated phosphate crop nutrients, such as diammonium phosphate, monoammonium phosphate, and ammoniated phosphate products; and phosphate-based animal feed ingredients primarily under the Biofos and Nexfos brand names, as well as produces a double sulfate of potash magnesia product under K-Mag brand name. The company also produces and sells potash for use in the manufacturing of mixed crop nutrients and animal feed ingredients, and for industrial use; and for use in the de-icing and as a water softener regenerant. In addition, it provides nitrogen-based crop nutrients, animal feed ingredients, and other ancillary services; and purchases and sells phosphates, potash, and nitrogen products. The company sells its products to wholesale distributors, retail chains, farmers, cooperatives, independent retailers, and national accounts. The Mosaic Company was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
The following companies are subsidiares of Aramark: 1ST & Fresh LLC, AIL Servicos Alimenticios e Participacoes Ltda., AIM Services Co. Ltd., AMP Limited Partnership, ARA Catering and Vending Services Limited, ARA Coffee Club Limited, ARA Coffee System Limited, ARA Food Services Limited, ARA Marketing Services Limited, ARA Offshore Services Limited, ARAMONT Company Ltd., Active Industrial Unif, Alcatraz Hospitality, AmeriPride Services, American Snack & Beverage LLC, Aramark (BVI) Limited, Aramark Airport Services Limited, Aramark American Food Services LLC, Aramark Asia Management LLC, Aramark Aviation Services Limited Partnership, Aramark B.V., Aramark Beverages Limited, Aramark Business & Industry LLC, Aramark Business Center LLC, Aramark Business Dining Services of Texas LLC, Aramark Business Facilities LLC, Aramark CCT Trustees Limited, Aramark Campus LLC, Aramark Canada Ltd., Aramark Canadian Investments Inc., Aramark Capital Asset Services LLC, Aramark Catering Limited, Aramark China Dining Services (Shanghai) Limited, Aramark China Holdings Limited, Aramark Chugach Alaska Services LLC, Aramark Cleaning S.A., Aramark Cleanroom Services (Puerto Rico) Inc., Aramark Cleanroom Services LLC, Aramark Co. Ltd., Aramark Colombia SAS, Aramark Concessions Services Joint Venture, Aramark Confection LLC, Aramark Construction Services Inc., Aramark Construction and Energy Services LLC, Aramark Consumer Discount Company, Aramark Correctional Services LLC, Aramark Defence Services Limited, Aramark Denmark ApS, Aramark Distribution Services Inc., Aramark Educational Group LLC, Aramark Educational Services LLC, Aramark Educational Services of Texas LLC, Aramark Educational Services of Vermont Inc., Aramark Entertainment LLC, Aramark Entertainment Services (Canada) Inc., Aramark Executive Management Services USA Inc., Aramark FHC Business Services LLC, Aramark FHC Campus Services LLC, Aramark FHC Correctional Services LLC, Aramark FHC Healthcare Support Services LLC, Aramark FHC Kansas Inc., Aramark FHC LLC, Aramark FHC Refreshment Services LLC, Aramark FHC School Support Services LLC, Aramark FHC Services LLC, Aramark FHC Sports and Entertainment Services LLC, Aramark FSM LLC, Aramark Facility Services LLC, Aramark Food Service LLC, Aramark Food Service of Texas LLC, Aramark Food and Support Services Group Inc., Aramark Global Group S.a.r.l., Aramark Global Inc., Aramark GmbH, Aramark Gulf Limited, Aramark Gulf Limited Catering Services LLC, Aramark Healthcare Support Services LLC, Aramark Healthcare Support Services of the Virgin Islands Inc., Aramark Healthcare Technologies LLC, Aramark Holding Deutschland GmbH, Aramark Holdings GmbH & Co. KG, Aramark Holdings Ltd., Aramark Industrial Services LLC, Aramark Intermediate HoldCo Corporation, Aramark International Finance S.a.r.l., Aramark International Holdings S.a.r.l., Aramark Inversiones Latinoamericanas Limitada, Aramark Investments Limited, Aramark Ireland Holdings Limited, Aramark Japan Holdings Limited, Aramark Japan LLC, Aramark KSA LLC, Aramark Kazakhstan Ltd., Aramark Lakewood Associates, Aramark Limited, Aramark Management GmbH, Aramark Management LLC, Aramark Management Services Limited Partnership, Aramark Manning Services UK Limited, Aramark Mexico Group, Aramark Mexico S.A. de C.V., Aramark Monclova Manufacturing de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Aramark Monclova Support S.A.de C.V., Aramark Norway SA, Aramark Organizational Services LLC, Aramark Partnership Limited, Aramark Personnel Services, Aramark Peru S.A.C., Aramark Peru Servicios de Intermediacion SRL, Aramark Processing LLC, Aramark Property Services Limited, Aramark Qualified Opportunity Fund, Aramark Quebec Inc., Aramark RBI Inc., Aramark Rail Services LLC, Aramark Receivables LLC, Aramark Refreshment Group, Aramark Refreshment Services LLC, Aramark Refreshment Services of Tampa LLC, Aramark Regional Treasury Europe DAC, Aramark Remote Workplace Services Ltd., Aramark Restaurations GmbH, Aramark S&E/QCF Joint Venture, Aramark S.A., Aramark S.A. de C.V., Aramark S.R.O., Aramark SARL, Aramark SCM Inc., Aramark SM Management Services Inc., Aramark SMMS LLC, Aramark SMMS Real Estate LLC, Aramark School Catering Facility Ltd., Aramark Schools Facilities LLC, Aramark Schools LLC, Aramark Senior Living Services LLC, Aramark Senior Notes Company LLC, Aramark Service Industries (China) Co. Ltd., Aramark Services Inc., Aramark Services SA, Aramark Services of Kansas Inc., Aramark Services of Puerto Rico Inc., Aramark Servicios Industriales S. de R.L. de C.V., Aramark Servicios Integrales S.A., Aramark Servicios Mineros y Remotos Limitada, Aramark Servicios SRL, Aramark Servicios de Catering S.L., Aramark Servicos Alimenticos e Participacoes Ltda., Aramark Sports Facilities LLC, Aramark Sports LLC, Aramark Sports and Entertainment Group LLC, Aramark Sports and Entertainment Services LLC, Aramark Sports and Entertainment Services of Texas LLC, Aramark Sub Investments Limited, Aramark Technical Services North Carolina Inc., Aramark Togwotee LLC, Aramark Trademark Services, Aramark Trustees Limited, Aramark U.S. Offshore Services LLC, Aramark Uniform & Career Apparel Group Inc., Aramark Uniform & Career Apparel LLC, Aramark Uniform Holding de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Aramark Uniform Manufacturing Company, Aramark Uniform Services (Canada) Ltd., Aramark Uniform Services (Matchpoint) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services (Rochester) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services (Supply Chain), Aramark Uniform Services (Syracuse) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services (Texas) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services (West Adams) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services Japan Corporation, Aramark Venue Services Inc., Aramark WTC LLC, Aramark Workplace Solutions (UK) Ltd., Aramark Workplace Solutions Yonetim Hizmetleri Limited Sirketi, Aramark Worldwide Investments Limited, Aramark-Clarksville Club, Aramark-FINCO of Texas LLC, Aramark-Gourmet DPS LLC, Aramark-KWAME of St. Louis LLC, Aramark-SFS Healthcare J.V. L.L.C., Aramark/Dasko Restaurant and Catering Services S.A., Aramark/GM Concessions Joint Venture, Aramark/Giacometti Joint Venture, Aramark/Globetrotters LLC, Aramark/Gourmet HE-1 LLC, Aramark/Gourmet HE-2 LLC, Aramark/HF Company, Aramark/HMS LLC, Aramark/Hart Lyman Entertainment LLC, Aramark/Martin's Stadium Concession Services OPACY Joint Venture, Aramark/QHC LLC, Aramark/SFS Joint Venture, Avendra, Avendra Canada Inc., Avendra Gaming, Avendra Replenishment, Avoca, Avoca Handweavers Designs Limited, Avoca Handweavers Limited, Avoca Handweavers NI Limited, Avoca Handweavers Shops Limited, Avoca Handweavers UK Limited, Beijing Golden Collar Dining Ltd., Boompjes Hotel BV, Brand Coffee Service Inc., BuyEfficient, CDR Mantenimiento Integral S.A., Campbell Catering (Belfast) Ltd., Campbell Catering (N.I.) Ltd., Campbell Catering Holdings Limited, Campbell Catering Limited, Campbell Catering Ltd., Campbell Catering Services, Canadian Linen and Uniform Service Co., Canyonlands Rafting Hospitality LLC, Catering Alliance Limited, Caterwise Food Services Limited, Central Multiservicios S.R.L., Central de Abastecimiento Limitada, Central de Restaurantes Aramark Limitada, Central de Restaurantes Aramark Multiservicios Limitada, Central de Restaurantes S.R.L., Centrapal S.R.L., Centro de Innovacion y Servicio S.A., Cliff House Hospitality, Comertel Educa SLU, Comertel Residencia SLU, Comertel SA, Complete Purchasing Services Inc., Corporate Coffee Systems LLC, Crater Lake Hospitality, D.G. Maren II Inc., Delicious on West Street LLC, Delsac VIII Inc., Distributor JV Limited, Dongguan Best Property Management Co., Doyon/Aramark Denali National Park Concessions Joint Venture, Effective Partnerships Limited, Filterfresh Coffee Service, Filterfresh Coffee Service LLC, Filterfresh Franchise Group LLC, Fine Host Holdings LLC, Food JV Limited, Freedom Ferry Services, GTB Gastro Team Bremen GmbH, Gestion de Alimentacion y Limpieza Colectivadades SLU, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve Concessions LLC, Glen Canyon Rafting Hospitality, Glenrye Properties Services Limited, Golden Collar, Good Uncle Services, Gourmet Aramark Services LLC, Guaranty Energy Group 1981, HPSI Purchasing Services LLC, Harrison Conference Associates LLC, Harrison Conference Services of North Carolina LLC, Harry M. Stevens Inc. of New Jersey, Harry M. Stevens Inc. of Penn., Harry M. Stevens LLC, Hunters Catering Partnership Limited, Institutional Processing Services, Instituto ICS S.A., Inversiones Aramark Chile Limitada, Inversiones Centralcorp Limitada, Inversiones Palm Limitada, Inversiones en Aseo y Mantenimiento S.A, Irish Estates (Facilities Management) Limited, L&N Uniform Supply LLC, Lake Tahoe Cruises LLC, Landy Textile Rental Services LLC, Lifeworks Restaurant Group LLC, Lotus Facilities Management, MESA, Masterplan, Medical Equipment Solutions & Applications Sagl (MESA), Mill Mount Weavers Limited, Muir Woods Hospitality, MyAssistant Inc., New Aramark LLC, Nissho Linen, North Rim Hospitality, Old Time Coffee Co., Olympic Peninsula Hospitality LLC, Orange Support Services Limited, Overall Laundry Services Inc., Paradise Hornblower LLC, Pelican Procurement Services Limited, Philadelphia Ballpark Concessions Joint Venture, Prem Hospitality Limited, Premgroup Franchise Services Limited, Premier Management Company (Dublin) Limited, Premier Partnership (Catering) Limited, Quebec Linge Co., ReMedPar, Restaura Inc., Rocky Mountain Hospitality LLC, Rushmore Hospitality LLC, SeamlessWeb, Seguricorp Servicios S.A., South Rim Hospitality LLC, Spokesoft Technologies Limited, Stuart Cabeldu Catering Limited, Sun Office Service Inc., Tarrant County Concessions LLC, The Aramark Foundation, The Original Food Company Limited, Travel Systems LLC, Trinity Hospitality Services GmbH, Trinity Hospitality Services SARL, Trinity Purchasing N.V., Vector Environmental Services Limited, Vector Workplace and Facility Management Limited, Veris Plc, Veris Property Management Limited, Veris UK Limited, WearGuard, Wilderness River Adventures, and Yosemite Hospitality LLC.

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Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, a technology company, focuses in the areas of automation and digitalization in Europe, Commonwealth of Independent States, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, Asia, and Australia. It operates through Digital Industries, Smart Infrastructure, Mobility, Siemens Healthineers, and Siemens Financial Services segments. The Digital Industries segment offers automation systems and software for factories, numerical control systems, motors, drives and inverters, and integrated automation systems for machine tools and production machines; process control systems, machine-to-machine communication products, sensors and radio frequency identification systems; software for production and product lifecycle management, and simulation and testing of mechatronic systems; and cloud-based industrial Internet of Things operating systems. The Smart Infrastructure segment offers products, systems, solutions, services, and software to support sustainable transition in energy generation from fossil and renewable sources; sustainable buildings and communities; and buildings, electrification, and electrical products. The Mobility segment provides passenger and freight transportation, such as vehicles, trams and light rail, and commuter trains, as well as trains and passenger coaches; locomotives for freight or passenger transport and solutions for automated transportation; products and solutions for rail automation; electrification products; and intermodal solutions. The Siemens Healthineers segment develops, manufactures, and sells various diagnostic and therapeutic products and services; and provides clinical consulting services. The Siemens Financial Services segment offers debt and equity investments; leasing, lending, and working capital financing solutions; and equipment, project, and structured financing solutions. Siemens Aktiengesellschaft was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Munich, Germany.
Everest Re Group, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance products in the United States, Bermuda, and internationally. The company operates through Reinsurance Operations and Insurance Operations segments. The Reinsurance Operations segment writes property and casualty reinsurance; and specialty lines of business through reinsurance brokers, as well as directly with ceding companies in the United States, Bermuda, Ireland, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The Insurance Operations segment writes property and casualty insurance directly, as well as through brokers, surplus lines brokers, and general agents in Bermuda, Canada, Europe, South America, Canada, Chile, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The company also provides treaty and facultative reinsurance products; admitted and non-admitted insurance products; and property and casualty reinsurance and insurance coverages, including marine, aviation, surety, errors and omissions liability, directors' and officers' liability, medical malpractice, mortgage reinsurance, other specialty lines, accident and health, and workers' compensation products. In addition, it offers commercial property and casualty insurance products through wholesale and retail brokers, surplus lines brokers, and program administrators. Everest Re Group, Ltd. was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Post Holdings, Inc. operates as a consumer packaged goods holding company in the United States and internationally. It operates through five segments: Post Consumer Brands, Weetabix, Foodservice, Refrigerated Retail, and BellRing Brands. The Post Consumer Brands segment manufactures, markets, and sells branded and private label ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal and hot cereal products. It serves grocery stores, mass merchandise customers, supercenters, club stores, natural/specialty stores, and drug store customers, as well as sells its products in the military, ecommerce, and foodservice channels. The Weetabix segment primarily markets and distributes branded and private label RTE cereal, hot cereals and other cereal-based food products, breakfast drinks, and muesli. This segment sells its products to grocery stores, discounters, wholesalers, and convenience stores, as well as through ecommerce. The Foodservice segment produces and distributes egg and potato products in the foodservice and food ingredient channels. It serves foodservice distributors and national restaurant chains. The Refrigerated Retail segment produces and distributes side dishes, eggs and egg products, sausages, cheese, and other dairy and refrigerated products for grocery stores and mass merchandise customers. The BellRing Brands segment markets and distributes ready-to-drink (RTD) protein shakes, other RTD beverages, powders, nutrition bars, and supplements. It serves club stores, food, drug and mass customers, and online retailers, as well as specialty retailers, convenience stores, and distributors. Post Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Rockwell Automation, Inc. provides industrial automation and digital transformation solutions in the United States and internationally. The company operates in three segments, Intelligent Devices, Software & Control, and Lifecycle Services. Its solutions include hardware and software products, and services. The Intelligent Devices segment offers drives, motion, safety, sensing, industrial components, and configured-to-order products. The Software & Control segment provides control and visualization software and hardware, information software, digital twin and simulation software, and network and security infrastructure solutions. The Lifecycle Services segment provides consulting, professional services and solutions, and connected and maintenance services. The company sells its solutions primarily through independent distributors in relation with its direct sales force. It serves discrete end markets, including automotive, semiconductor, warehousing and logistics, and other discrete markets, as well as general industries comprising printing and publishing, marine, glass, fiber and textiles, airports, and aerospace; hybrid end markets, such as food and beverage, life sciences, household and personal care, and tire, as well as eco industrial, including water/wastewater, waste management, mass transit, and renewable energy; and process end markets comprising oil and gas, mining, metals, chemicals, pulp and paper, and others. Rockwell Automation, Inc. was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Telefonica Brasil S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides mobile and fixed telecommunications services to residential and corporate customers in Brazil. Its fixed line services portfolio includes local, domestic long-distance, and international long-distance calls; and mobile portfolio comprises voice and broadband internet access through 3G, 4G, 4.5G, and 5G as well as mobile value-added services and wireless roaming services. The company also offers data services, including broadband and mobile data services. In addition, it provides pay TV services through direct to home satellite technology, IPTV, and cable, as well as pay-per-view and video on demand services; network services, such as rental of facilities; other services comprising internet access, private network connectivity, computer equipment leasing, extended service, caller identification, voice mail, cellular blocker, and others; wholesale services, including interconnection services to users of other network providers; and digital services, such as entertainment, cloud, and security and financial services. Further, the company offers multimedia communication services, which include audio, data, voice and other sounds, images, texts, and other information, as well as sells devices, such as smartphones, broadband USB modems, and other devices. Additionally, it provides telecommunications solutions and IT support to various industries, such as retail, manufacturing, services, financial institutions, government, etc. It markets and sells its solutions through own stores, dealers, retail and distribution channels, door-to-door sales, and outbound tele sales. The company was formerly known as Telecomunicacoes de Sao Paulo S.A. - TELESP and changed its name to Telefonica Brasil S.A. in October 2011. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
USANA Health Sciences, Inc. develops, manufactures, and sells science-based nutritional and personal care products. The company offers USANA nutritional products that comprise essentials/CellSentials, such as vitamin and mineral supplements that provide a foundation of total body nutrition for various age groups; optimizers comprising targeted supplements that are designed to meet cardiovascular, skeletal/structural, and digestive health needs; and foods that include meal replacement shakes, snack bars, and other related products. It also provides Celavive, a skin care regimen for various skin care types and ethnicities; and other products for prenatal, infant, and young child age groups. In addition, the company offers materials and online tools to assist associates in building their businesses, as well as in marketing products. It offers its products directly in the Asia Pacific, the Americas, and Europe, as well as online. The company has a research collaboration agreement with Beijing University of Chinese Medicine for research in the field of traditional Chinese medicine; and National Sports Training Bureau. USANA Health Sciences, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc.,      ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics.

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Southern Copper Corporation engages in mining, exploring, smelting, and refining copper and other minerals in Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, and Chile. The company is involved in the mining, milling, and flotation of copper ore to produce copper and molybdenum concentrates; smelting of copper concentrates to produce blister and anode copper; refining of anode copper to produce copper cathodes; production of molybdenum concentrate and sulfuric acid; production of refined silver, gold, and other materials; and mining and processing of zinc and lead. It operates the Toquepala and Cuajone open-pit mines, and a smelter and refinery in Peru; and La Caridad, an open-pit copper mine, as well as a copper ore concentrator, a SX-EW plant, a smelter, refinery, and a rod plant in Mexico. The company also operates Buenavista, an open-pit copper mine, as well as two copper concentrators and two operating SX-EW plants in Mexico. In addition, it operates five underground mines that produce zinc, lead, copper, silver, and gold; a coal mine that produces coal and coke; and a zinc refinery. The company has interests in 82,134 hectares of exploration concessions in Peru; 493,533 hectares of exploration concessions in Mexico; 246,346 hectares of exploration concessions in Argentina; 29,888 hectares of exploration concessions in Chile; and 7,299 hectares of exploration concessions in Ecuador. Southern Copper Corporation was incorporated in 1952 and is based in Phoenix, Arizona. Southern Copper Corporation operates as a subsidiary of Americas Mining Corporation.
Bank of Hawaii Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Bank of Hawaii that provides various financial products and services in Hawaii, Guam, and other Pacific Islands. It operates in three segments: Consumer Banking, Commercial Banking, and Treasury and Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers checking, savings, and time deposit accounts; residential mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, automobile loans and leases, personal lines of credit, installment loans, small business loans and leases, and credit cards; private and international client banking, investment, credit, and trust services to individuals and families, and high-net-worth individuals; investment management; institutional investment advisory services to corporations, government entities, and foundations; and brokerage offerings, including equities, mutual funds, life insurance, and annuity products. This segment operates 54 branch locations and 307 ATMs throughout Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, and a customer service center, as well as through online and mobile banking. The Commercial Banking segment provides corporate banking, commercial real estate loans, commercial lease financing, auto dealer financing, and deposit products. It offers commercial lending and deposit products to middle-market and large companies, and government entities; commercial real estate mortgages to investors, developers, and builders; and international banking and merchant services. The Treasury and Other segment offers corporate asset and liability management services, including interest rate risk management and foreign exchange services. Bank of Hawaii Corporation was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Catalent, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops and manufactures solutions for drugs, protein-based biologics, cell and gene therapies, and consumer health products worldwide. The Softgel and Oral Technologies segment provides formulation, development, and manufacturing services for soft capsules for use in a range of customer products, such as prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, dietary supplements, unit-dose cosmetics, and animal health medicinal preparations. The Biologics segment provides biologic cell-line; develops and manufactures cell therapy and viral based gene therapy; formulation, development, and manufacturing for parenteral dose forms, including vials, prefilled syringes, vials, and cartridges; and analytical development and testing services. The Oral and Specialty Delivery segment offers formulation, development, and manufacturing across a range of technologies along with integrated downstream clinical development and commercial supply solutions. This segment also offers oral delivery solutions platform comprising pre-clinical screening, formulation, analytical development, and current good manufacturing practices services. The Clinical Supply Services segment offers manufacturing, packaging, storage, distribution, and inventory management for drugs and biologics, and cell and gene therapies in clinical trials. The company also offers FlexDirect direct-to-patient and FastChain demand-led clinical supply services. It serves pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and consumer health companies; and companies in other healthcare market segments, such as animal health and medical devices, as well as in cosmetics industries. The company was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey.
Eni S.p.A. engages in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas. It operates through Exploration & Production; Global Gas & LNG Portfolio; Refining & Marketing and Chemicals; Plenitude and Power; and Corporate and Other activities segments. The Exploration & Production segment is involved in the research, development, and production of oil, condensates and natural gas; and forestry conservation and CO2 capture and storage projects. The Global Gas & LNG Portfolio segment engages in the supply and wholesale of natural gas by pipeline, international transport; and purchase and marketing of LNG. The Refining & Marketing and Chemicals segment is involved in the processing, supply, distribution, and marketing of fuels and chemicals. The Eni gas e luce, Power & Renewables segment engages in the retail sales of gas, electricity, and related activities, as well as in the production and wholesale of electricity produced by thermoelectric and renewable plants. As of December 31, 2021, it had net proved reserves of 6,628 million barrels of oil equivalent; and installed operational capacity of 4.5 GW. The company was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in Rome, Italy.
Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. engages in the design, construction, and sale of single-family attached and detached homes in the United States. The company operates through a portfolio of six brands comprising Maracay in Arizona; Pardee Homes in California and Nevada; Quadrant Homes in Washington; Trendmaker Homes in Texas; TRI Pointe Homes in California, Colorado, and the Carolinas; and Winchester Homes in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. As of December 31, 2021, its operations consisted of 112 active selling communities and 41,675 owned or controlled lots. The company sells its homes through own sales representatives and independent real estate brokers. It also provides financial services, such as mortgage financing, title and escrow, and property and casualty insurance agency services. The company was formerly known as TRI Pointe Group, Inc. and changed its name to Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. in January 2021. Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.
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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Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. manufactures, and distributes life science research and clinical diagnostic products in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company operates through Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics segments. The Life Science segment develops, manufactures, and markets a range of reagents, apparatus, and laboratory instruments that are used in research techniques, biopharmaceutical production processes, and food testing regimes. It focuses on selected segments of the life sciences market in proteomics, genomics, biopharmaceutical production, cellular biology, and food safety. This segment serves universities and medical schools, industrial research organizations, government agencies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, biotechnology researchers, food producers, and food testing laboratories. The Clinical Diagnostics segment designs, manufactures, sells, and supports test systems, informatics systems, test kits, and specialized quality controls for clinical laboratories in the diagnostics market. This segment offers reagents, instruments, and software, which address specific niches within the in vitro diagnostics test market. It sells its products to reference laboratories, hospital laboratories, state newborn screening facilities, physicians' office laboratories, and transfusion laboratories. In addition, the company offers products and systems to separate complex chemical and biological materials, as well as to identify, analyze, and purify components. The company offers its products through its direct sales force, as well as through distributors, agents, brokers, and resellers. Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Hercules, California.
Equifax Inc. provides information solutions and human resources business process automation outsourcing services for businesses, governments, and consumers. The company operates through three segments: Workforce Solutions, U.S. Information Solutions (USIS), and International. The Workforce Solutions segment offers employment, income, criminal history, and social security number verification services, as well as payroll-based transaction, employment tax management, and identity theft protection products. The USIS segment provides consumer and commercial information services, such as credit information and credit scoring, credit modeling and portfolio analytics, locate, fraud detection and prevention, identity verification, and other consulting; mortgage services; financial marketing services; identity management services; credit monitoring products; and online information, decisioning technology solutions, as well as portfolio management, mortgage reporting, and consumer credit information services. The International segment offers information service products, which include consumer and commercial services, such as credit and financial information, and credit scoring and modeling; and credit and other marketing products and services, as well as offers information, technology, and other services to support debt collections and recovery management. The company serves customers in financial services, mortgage, employers, consumer, commercial, telecommunication, retail, automotive, utility, brokerage, healthcare, and insurance industries, as well as state, federal, and local governments. It operates in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Brazil, the Republic of Ireland, Russia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. The company was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
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.
BURLEY  In February, David Burgess and Colby Otte were shocked to learn that Kings Variety Stores, their employer of seven years, would be closing.

Burgess was the IT manager; Otte was primarily responsible for printing- and marketing-related tasks. But after Kings closed, they both started their own business ventures.

In March, Burgess began Hero Tech Systems  teaming up with other professionals to provide consumers and businesses an array of technical services. With more than 35 years of combined technical experience, Hero Tech Systems employees can diagnose computer malfunctions and provide system upgrades and maintenance. They can guide you through purchasing the correct equipment for your needs  making sure you do not buy unnecessary computers and software.

The company also offers custom programming and website design to tailor your programs directly to your business.

In June, Otte began Breakpoint Media  a marketing and design agency with services specifically tailored for small businesses. He has more than 10 years of experience as a graphic designer, with additional expertise in social media marketing.

Breakpoint Media services include social media management, print and online advertising, local search engine optimization, email and text marketing, graphic design, event promotions and more.
American Legion Riders lined the entry of the Beatrice Veterans Club Saturday evening to welcome Earl Lyons as he arrived. Inside, he was honored by his family, friends and fellow veterans with a Quilt of Valor presentation.

Kim Ostermann of the American Legion Auxiliary and the American Legion Riders, began the ceremony by explaining the history of the Quilt of Valor Foundation.

The national organization was founded in 2003 by Catherine Roberts, a military mother, nurse and quilter after she had a terrible dream of a soldier sitting on the edge of his bed. It was a scene of gloom. In the next scene of the dream, Roberts saw him sitting on the side of his bed, wrapped in a quit. The quilt comforted him and he knew someone cared.

The foundation aims to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing "Quilts of Valor."

Roberts described a Quilt of Valor as the civilian equivalent of a Purple Heart award.

Our quilts are awarded, not just handed out.

As Ostermann read Lyons service record, the quilt was presented to him in front of an emotional audience.

Lyons joined the Army in February 1965 and completed a 16-week basic training at Fort Leonardwood, Mo. He was sent to Bomburg, Germany and served as a telephone lineman, laying phone lines for the 155 Howitzer Unit. This was a unit of large tanks in a practice war zone. Earl was in Germany for 10 months and 10 days.

Lyons then volunteered for a tour of duty in Vietnam with the 162nd Assault Helicopter Unit. He worked in communications and was a switchboard operator. Lyons was stationed in a small village called Phouc Vinn, which was about 30 miles north of Saigon in the southern part of the county.

The tour lasted one year, after which he returned home to the U.S. to Fort Riley, Kan.

Specialist 4th Class Earl Lyons was given an honorable discharge from the United States Army in February 1968.

The quilt was lovingly wrapped around Lyons as Ostermann read We honor you for your service in the Vietnam War. We honor you for leaving your home and loved ones and all you hold dear and to stand in harms way in a time of crisis, protecting us from the effects of the war.

We know that freedom is not free. We have freedom because of you and the dedication of men and women like you. This quilt is meant to say 'thank you' for your service and sacrifice. This quilt is meant to comfort you. It is a quilt from your family, friends and a grateful nation. It is to remind you that we care about you. Please dont put it on a shelf or in storage  rather, use it.

Thank you for your service and welcome home.

The program order for the ceremony noted that many veterans from the Korea and Vietnam eras did not get a warm welcome home, other than from their families.

A tearful Lyons thanked everyone for the incredible honor. During the receiving line, he was saluted, hugged and thanked for his service.

Lyons said he was proud of his service, although he never liked to talk about it much.

He recalled mortar rounds landing and exploding on the compound for six mornings in a row around 2 a.m. That flurry was just 30 days before he was scheduled to return home. He admitted that he was scared a lot of the time he was in Vietnam, but was fighting for the cause of freedom.

Earl and his wife, Vera, now reside in Ogden, Iowa, but all four of his children -- Lisa Milke, Dennis Lyons, Doug Lyons and David Lyons -- live in or near Beatrice and were on hand for the ceremony.

Lisa Milke, Earls daughter, had contacted the American Legion Auxiliary in Ogden and arranged the details of the ceremony as a surprise when he visited Beatrice for Christmas.

Lyons has been undergoing treatment for a form of leukemia at Veterans Hospital in Des Moines since February 2016.
As of now, you should plan for payments on your federal student loans to resume in January 2023, especially if you were counting on debt cancellation to erase your balance entirely.
Every year, many of us pledge to work harder at being healthy, losing weight or eating more veggies. (Photo: Pixabay)

Is shedding weight on your list of New Year resolutions? Scientists suggest that losing the critical thoughts and negative perceptions about your body may be a better idea.

Every year, many of us pledge to work harder at being healthy, losing weight or eating more veggies.

Researchers from the Florida State University (FSU) in the US tested a new programme encouraging body acceptance and saw dramatic results.

"Consider what is really going to make you happier and healthier in 2018: losing 10 pounds or losing harmful attitudes about your body?" said Pamela Keel, Professor at FSU.

Body dissatisfaction is a pervasive problem, especially among young women.

Over the past 35 years, the ideal body type has become virtually unattainable for most people, and that creates a mismatch with reality.

Keel has documented strategies to help people feel better about themselves. The ideas come from an intervention programme called "The Body Project" developed by Eric Stice, Senior Research Scientist at the Oregon Research Institute, and Professor Carolyn Becker at Trinity University in Texas.

It was designed to reduce the risk of eating disorders and poor body image.

One exercise called mirror-exposure may initially feel uncomfortable, but it directs a person to stand in front of a full-length mirror in little or no clothing and identify specific body traits that are good.

The strategies have worked in studies led by Keel and other researchers. This approach, focusing on positive things rather than singling out negative ones, helps transform people's feelings about their bodies.

"If you make yourself consistently behave outwardly in a way that reinforces appreciation and acceptance of your body, then those actions will eventually get you to a point where you actually do feel that way about your body," Keel said.

Another exercise encourages people struggling with body acceptance to think about specific activities they avoid, such as not going swimming in the summer or not wearing shorts when it is hot, and then choosing to go out and do them.

"Most people experience a sense of freedom when they realise that nothing bad will happen if they wear a swimsuit or shorts in public - everyone is completely fine with it.

This reinforces body acceptance through experience," she said.

Research has repeatedly found that the strategies work, and the benefits often go beyond improved body image.

"It turns out that discarding those unattainable body ideals also improves your mood, self-esteem, reduces disordered eating behaviours and may reduce the risk of self- injurious behaviour," Keel said.

The results for healthy body image and healthy eating patterns have been replicated among diverse groups of participants, including a national sorority system and men at risk for eating disorders.

"When people feel good about their bodies, they are more likely to take better care of themselves rather than treating their bodies like an enemy, or even worse, an object," Keel said.

"That's a powerful reason to rethink the kind of New Year's resolutions we make for 2018," she said.
Conspiracy theories and rumours about major events in history continue to be dispelled almost as quickly as they start doing the rounds (Photo: AFP/Facebook)

While conspiracy theories and rumours about major events in history continue to be dispelled almost as quickly as they start doing the rounds, it also means that many mysteries still remain unsolved. Every passing year brings its own fair share of bizarre events and stories which add to the list of elusive cases that have left people wondering.

A lot of news stories that can be described as anything between weird or bizarre to revolting were reported in 2017. But some of these garnered a lot of attention as they have left a lot of questions unanswered.

Mystery room in the Great Pyramid

The pyramids of Egypt have always been objects of curiosity with several legends and intriguing tales associated with them. When a group of researchers unveiled a mysterious chamber inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, the revelation raised more questions than it answered.

The room was found right above the pyramids gallery but it isnt known why it was built. The team is currently working with others to come up with hypothesis regarding the purpose of the area.

For now they are considering all possibilities including multiple structures or another gallery inside the void which is yet to be accessed by the team.

Unexplained booms

Several incidents of mysterious booming sounds heard by people were reported from different places across the globe in 2017. While residents of Cairns heard the sound followed by the image of a fireball lighting up the sky on October 10, the people in Eyre Peninsula in South Australia a couple of weeks later as a blue meteor was spotted.

Experts say the sounds heard in 64 locations from Alabama to Australia may be caused by supersonic aircrafts or meteors exploding in the atmosphere, although NASAs Bill Cooke said the accurate reason remain unclear. Meanwhile conspiracy theorists suggest something going on in earths inner core.

Otto Warmbier

American student Otto Wambier was arrested in North Korea in 2016, only to be sent back on his death bed. What followed were allegations including one by Donald Trump claiming that he was tortured beyond belief.

He was sentenced to 15 years hard labour for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster in 2016 and died of brain damage six days after his return from North Korea. But despite several allegations and theories, no one really knows what kind of treatment left Ottos body in such bad shape.

Hamilton County coroner Dr Lakshmi Sammarco said that his skin was in excellent condition without any evidence of bed sores, and that he had to have round-the-clock care to be in such a condition. An examination found the cause of death as brain damage due to lack of oxygen caused by an injury a year before his death.

But we may never know what really happened to Otto.

Octopi marching out of the sea

Thousands of octopi were found dead on several occasions in October following a baffling discovery by a dolphin tour group that saw the creatures marching en masse. While scientists were left astonished, experts were divided with one group saying that the octopi were preparing to end their lives after laying eggs.

Meanwhile another group of experts were of the opinion that they were looking for shelter, although no one knows the exact reason for the mysterious phenomenon.

City floating on the ocean

Another mystery that left everyone stunned was that of a city filled with enormous blocks floating in the Pacific. The mysterious place called Nan Madol located near the island of Pohnpei in Micronesia has 97 blocks separated by channels of water and has left archaeologists puzzled.

The site is known to be home to an ancient race but no one really knows much about them and most are clueless about why they built these blocks so far from civilisation.

Sonic attacks in Cuba

In one of the most talked about and puzzling incidents of the year, US diplomats in Cuba reported brain injuries thought to be inflicted by some kind of sonic weapon. Many of them sustained permanent damage to hearing and also some damage to the central nervous system.

While the US government has been unable to figure out the real reason for this occurrence, they are clueless claiming that the facts and physics dont add up. Some victims heard high pitch chirping while some woke up with a ringing sound in their ear that stopped when they moved away from the bed.
BHUBANESWAR: Opposition parties on Monday tried to put the ruling BJD in Odisha on back foot by raising several issues ahead of the latters observance of 20th Foundation Day on Tuesday. While BJP sought answers from BJD leadership to 20 questions, Congress urged Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik to reply on job generation in past 20 years.

Prithviraj Harichandan, BJP general secretary questioned, When will small chit fund depositors get back their money and corpus fund be formed as decided by the state government? Besides, the CM should tell when compensation would be disbursed among kin of farmers, who have ended lives over crop damage and loan burden, he said.

The BJP leader further asked why recommendations of the agriculture commission had not been implemented yet. He also sought an answer on the sorry state of health services. Senior Congress leader Srikant Jena said, The chief minister should tell people of the state how many jobs his government has created in past 20 years. At a time when around 40 lakh youth are unemployed, the CM should say how many have got employed, he asked.

The CM should think of all sections of the society, including tribals in equitable manner, Mr Jena said. Refuting the charges, BJD spokesperson Prashant Nanda said, The people voted Naveen Patnaik to power for four terms. They have made up their mind to bestow power for the fifth time in 2019. BJP and Congress are afraid as the ruling party is celebrating its 20th anniversary. They had raised these questions earlier. There is nothing new in it. Both the Opposition parties are enacting a political drama. Mr Nanda added.
Vijayawada: The Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL)-run Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is losing up to Rs 1,000 crore a year on account of lack of captive iron ore. This, an official said, has made the plant unviable. The lack of captive iron ore mines increases the cost of raw material. The raw material cost of RINL is 63 per cent of the total cost, against 48 per cent in units of the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and 35 per cent for the Tata groups plants.

Uncertainty over the timely availability and quality of the ore required is another problem. RINL buys the iron ore at market price. In spite of this big disadvantage, RINL has made huge profits since 2002. Its losses began in 2015-16 due to global recession, dumping of cheap steel by China, a huge capital investment of about Rs 18,000 crore, and massive escalation in the price of imported coal.

SAIL has large reserves of iron ore at Gua in Jharkhand which will last for more than 100 years. RINL invested Rs 360 crore in 2011 in Eastern Investments Limited (EIL), the holding company of Orissa Minerals Development Co Ltd (OMDC) and Bisra Stone Lime Co Ltd (BSLC), but has got absolutely no returns so far.
BJP state president Dr K. Laxman on Tuesday said that his party will come to power in Telangana.

Hyderabad: BJP State President Dr K. Laxman on Tuesday expressed confidence that his party will emerge as a political alternative for the people of Telangana in 2018.

He said the year 2017 had been nationally and regionally momentous for the BJP.

In an yearend interaction with media persons, Dr Laxman said that his party has gone deep into hearts of masses in the villages of the state.

We are set to fight and win against the KCR-led TRS government, which has lost faith of people, Dr Laxman explained.

He said the people of Telangana have waited patiently for over three years to see if Chief Minister K. Chandrase-khar Rao could deliver on his manifesto promises, but they were all left totally hopeless.

The state BJP president said that the Congress on the other hand does not have anything new to offer to the people of Telangana.

He said the Congress will be rejected by the people of Telangana as they are being rejected everywhere in India.

The situation of the Congress is pathetic across the country. It is going to be no different in Telangana. Uttam Kumar Reddy and other Congress leaders are only day-dreaming about coming to power in the state, the state BJP president and Musheerabad MLA said.

Reiterating the party stand that it will not have any alliances or tie-ups with any political party in Telangana, Dr Laxman said the BJP will fight the next Assembly elections alone and come to power in the state.

In July, the BJP had said that it was preparing an action plan with the aim of winning the Legislative Assembly in Telangana.

The roadmap includes taking the policies of the Modi government to the voters, fighting against the alleged anti-people policies of the TRS government and reaching out to different sections of the society.
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday expressed displeasure at the state governments of AP and Telangana in delaying the payment to the land owners for years together in land acquisition cases.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice G. Shyam Prasad while dealing with a taken- up case based on a letter by Mahbubnagar district judge G. Venkata Krishn-aiah to the Chief Justice, cautioned the state governments that if the situation will continue like this they will not hesitate to stay the ongoing land acquisition proceeding in both states.

The district judge in his letter brought to the notice of the Chief Justice scores of executive petitions moved by the land owners have been pending before the trial courts for years together as the district collectors are not implementing compensation awards passed by the trial court.

The bench directed the Chief Secretaries of both states to file reports before the court explaining the number of cases pending for the compensation and the quantum of amount and the time required to pay compensation in pending cases.

The bench said the land owners have right to move the trial court when they are not satisfied with the award.

Hyderabad HC to TS: reply to nagams plea

The Hyderabad HC on Tuesday granted three weeks time to spell out its stand on a PIL seeking to order a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in revising the cost estimates to purchase the mechanical equipment for Palamuru Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice G. Shyam Prasad, while dealing with a PIL by BJP leader Dr Nagam Jana-rdhan Reddy as a party in person, directed the state government and BHEL to file their counter-affidavits.

The petitioner submitted that the revision of estima-tes of package 1, 5, 8 and 16 of the project would cause a loss of `2,428 crore to the public exchequer and also give scope for corruption.

He told the court that the officials had fixed a price to purchase the equipment based on the advice of the adviser to irrigation depar-tment and ignoring the prices quoted by the ESCI.

Mr J. Ramachandra Rao, additional advocate general, opposing the contentions, said the petition was moved with political motives.
Hyderabad: Irrigation minister T. Harish Rao on Monday made a surprise visit to the Kaleswaram project sites on Monday night to inspect works. He interacted with officials and slept at the project site in the night.

After attending day-long programmes in Siddipet on Monday, the minister visited the Sundilla barrage site at around 7 pm and inspected construction works till 3 am on Tuesday.

He told the staff to fast-track the works and complete in all respects by May 31, 2018.

He said these instructions will apply for all other barrage works under the Kaleswaram project as Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao intends to release the Godavari waters from Kaleswaram, Anna-ram, Sundilla barrages from on June 1, 2018 to the command area.

On Tuesday morning, the irrigation minister conducted a review meeting with the irrigation officials and representatives of various contract agencies.

Mr Rao told them that he could stay for another three days at the project sites to oversee the progress of works.

Since all clearances and permissions were obtained for the Kales-waram project, the minister said there should be no complacency on the part of the staff in completing the works as targeted.

He said using two lakh cement bags per day for the concrete works for various structures like tunnels, pump houses and barrages is a record in the country.

Later in the day, the irrigation minister inspected the progress of civil work at Annaram barrage and Kannepalli Pump house.
Bengaluru: Taking a dig at Union Minister of state for Skill Development, Ananth Kumar Hegde's recent remarks on secularism, Congress leaders including KPCC working president, Dinesh Gundurao and KPCC president, Dr G. Parameshwar remarked that the former was not worthy of being called a Hindu as his hateful utterances were not part of the tenets of Hinduism.

Speaking separately to reporters here, Mr Rao said, "Mr Hegde preaches hate and Hindutva which are not part of the peace and tolerance propounded by Hinduism." He added that the country was built on the ideals of secularism and coexistence of people of all castes, creed, race and religion. "What has Mr Hegde done for Karnataka as a Union minister of state for skill development? He has only promoted hatred and is voicing arbitrary opinions like one on the need to change the Constitution," he remarked.

"Mr Hegde's speeches and actions are an insult to Dr B.R. Ambedkar who envisioned an equitable and egalitarian society. His action and words do not befit the office of an elected representative, much less a minister," Mr Rao ridiculed.

Speaking on similar lines, KPCC president, Dr G. Parameshwar demanded an apology from Mr Hegde for his remarks on the Constitution and secularists. "Mr Hegde should have refrained from making statements like - secularists are unaware of their parentage. This is an unparliamentary statement. For this he must make an unconditional public apology," he asserted. Congress senior leader, V. S. Ugrappa stated that Mr Hegde had violated the oath he took as MP by stating that the Constitution will be changed in the days to come.

Secularists unaware of parentage

Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde has kicked up yet another controversy when he mocked at secularists with his remark that they are unware of their parentage.

The remark by the MP that comes months ahead of the Assembly elections in the state sparked condemnation from CM Siddaramaiah who on Monday said the BJP leader has not studied the Constitution, does not know parliamentary or political language. He said Hegde has not learnt the social system and added that people belonging to various religions live in India. Hegde said a new tradition was in vogue, where people project themselves as secular, but asserted he would feel "happy" if someone claims with pride that he is a Muslim, or a Christian, or a Lingayat, or a Brahmin, or a Hindu. "I feel happy because he (the person) knows about his blood, but I don't know what to call those who claim themselves secular," he said.
Thiruvananthapuram: The district conferences of CPM which began on Wednesday are going to focus on intensifying the fight against BJP-RSS communal politics on the one hand and take to the people the path-breaking decisions taken by the LDF government after coming to power in May 2016. The discussions at the conferences are mainly centering around evolving an effective strategy to counter the BJP-RSS agenda to polarise the state on communal lines. After its victory in Gujarat, the BJP is set to adopt a more strident position on Hindutva politics.

The CPM is aware of the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah are keen to conquer Kerala which continues to defy strongly, Sangh Parivar's communal agenda for achieving electoral success. A section of CPM leaders believes that the Gujarat elections gave a clear indication of how things will pan out in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

It is in this backdrop that the CPM leadership feels that the district conferences would play a major role in shaping the partys strategy at the district level. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who is also politburo member, will be attending most of the sessions which also indicates the significance the party is attaching to the district conferences.

Thrissur and Wayanad district conferences which will conclude on December 28, will be followed by Kasargod and Pathanamthitta December 29, 30, 31; Kozhikode-Kottayam January 2,3,4; Kollam-Malappuram on January 5,6,7; Idukki - Palakkad on January 8,9,10; Thiruvananthapuram-Alappuzha on January 13,14, 15; Ernakulam on January 16, 17, 18; and Kannur on January 19, 20 and 21. The state conference will be held from February 22 to 25, 2018 at Thrissur.
TWIN FALLS  A car spun out of control on the Perrine Bridge Tuesday morning, temporarily blocking a northbound lane.

Idaho State Police announced at 6:40 a.m. that they were investigating the crash on U.S. 93. By 7:30 a.m., the road was no longer blocked.
Bengaluru: A section of Congress leaders is working overtime to make sure that Congress president, Rahul Gandhi visits not only temples but also Sufi shrines, churches and various maths during his tour of the state ahead of the assembly polls due next year.

These leaders that believe that Karnataka being dominated by caste politics like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it is important from him to visit prominent maths to send the right signal to a particular vote block.

"A section of senior leaders in the party feels he must visit the maths as it could get a result similar to his temple visits in Gujarat," said a senior Congress leader, adding that the party could not afford to follow its Gujarat model of campaigning in other matters as Karnataka had nearly a 12 per cent Muslim population and four per cent Christian and had to appeal to them as well.

Noting that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief, Dr G. Parameshwar have been visiting Sufi shrines and defending the state celebrating Tipu Jayanti during their tours of the state as part of the strategy to win over the minorities, he reveals that Mr Gandhi's tour will follow more or less a similar pattern to woo them in the run-up to the state elections.

Meanwhile, the KPCC is preparing to host a major event to felicitate newly elected Congress president, Rahul Gandhi mid-January.

"We have tentatively suggested dates between January first and second week and three places , Hubballi-Dharwad, Chikmagaluru and Bengaluru to host the event and are waiting for a response from his office," sources said.
The plane codenamed 'Kunlong' according to state news agency Xinhua, took off from the southern city of Zhuhai and landed after roughly an hour long flight. (Photo: AFP)

Beijing: China's home-grown AG600, the world's largest amphibious aircraft in production, took to the skies on Sunday for its maiden flight.

The plane codenamed "Kunlong" according to state news agency Xinhua, took off from the southern city of Zhuhai and landed after roughly an hour long flight.

With a wingspan of 38.8 metres (127 feet) and powered by four turbo-prop engines, the aircraft is capable of carrying 50 people and can stay airborne for 12 hours.

"Its successful maiden flight makes China among the world's few countries capable of developing a large amphibious aircraft," chief designer Huang Lingcai told Xinhua.

The amphibious aircraft has military applications but will also be used for firefighting and marine rescue, with at least 17 orders placed so far with its state-owned manufacturer Aviation Industry Corp of China, state media reported.

While it is around the size of a Boeing 737, the AG600 is considerably smaller than billionaire Howard Hughes' flying boat, better known as the Spruce Goose, which had a wing span of 97 metres and a length of 67 metres but only made one brief flight, in 1947.

The AG600's flight capabilities put all of China's island building projects in the South China Sea well within range.

The aircraft can fly to the southernmost edge of China's territorial claims -- the James Shoal -- in just four hours from the southern city of Sanya, state-owned Global Times reported.

The shoal is also claimed by Taiwan and Malaysia, and is currently administered by Malaysia as the collection of submerged rocks lies roughly 80 kilometres from its coastline and about 1,800 kilometres from the Chinese mainland.

Beijing's buildup in the South China Sea, through which some USD 5 trillion in annual shipping trade passes, is hotly contested by other nations.

The Philippines for many years was one of the region's strongest opponents of Chinese expansionism, and brought a complaint to a United Nations-backed tribunal.

The panel ruled in 2016 that China's territorial claims in the sea were without legal basis, but the Philippines has backed away from the dispute under its new president Rodrigo Duterte.

The launch of the new amphibious aircraft also adds to China's rapidly modernising military.

Earlier in 2017, it launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Type 001A, which complemented the Liaoning, a second hand Soviet carrier commissioned in 2012 after extensive refits.

China's military expenditure in 2016 was an estimated USD 215 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, putting it in first place in Asia, well ahead of India (USD 56 billion), Japan (USD 46 billion) and South Korea (USD 37 billion).
Seoul: North Korea said it is a pipe dream for the United States to think it will give up its nuclear weapons, and called the latest UN sanctions to target the country an act of war that violates its sovereignty. 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 can reach anywhere on the US mainland. The resolution was drafted by the United States and negotiated with the Norths closest ally, China.

We define this sanctions resolution rigged up by the US and its followers as a grave infringement upon the sovereignty of our Republic, as an act of war violating peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and the region and categorically reject the resolution, North Koreas foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.

If the US wishes to live safely, it must abandon its hostile policy towards the DPRK and learn to co-exist with the country that has nuclear weapons and should wake up from its pipe dream of our country giving up nuclear weapons which we have developed and completed through all kinds of hardships, said the statement.
Britains defence ministry said that Russian naval activity near Britain had increased in the holiday period. (Representational image/AFP)

London: A British ship escorted a Russian vessel as it passed near UK territorial waters over Christmas, Britain's defence ministry said on Tuesday, adding that Russian naval activity near Britain had increased in the holiday period.

The frigate HMS St Albans departed on December 23 to track the new Russian warship Admiral Gorshkov as it moved through the North Sea.

The Royal Navy vessel monitored the Russian ship over Christmas and will return to dock in Portsmouth later on Tuesday.

UK defence minister Gavin Williamson said in a statement after the incident that he would "not hesitate in defending our waters or tolerate any form of aggression".

Relations between Britain and Russia are strained, and UK foreign minister Boris Johnson said there was "abundant evidence" of Moscow meddling in foreign elections during a trip to Russia last week.

His counterpart Sergei Lavrov said there was no proof for Johnson's claim.

While Johnson said he wants to normalise relations with Russia, Moscow blames London for the poor state of relations between the countries.

Britain's defence ministry said another ship, HMS Tyne, was called to escort a Russian intelligence-gathering ship through the North Sea and the English Channel on Christmas Eve.

A helicopter was subsequently dispatched to monitor two other Russian vessels.
Ram Pothineni, Prakash Rajs Interesting Battle For Love In their Next
Reviewing the performance of a company like Google is not an easy task, simply because of the barrage of important announcements the Mountain View-based tech giant made this year. We saw Google take a second shot at making a good flagship smartphone, we saw it expand Assistants functionality across devices and platforms, we booked Uber rides directly through Maps, tried out apps on Play Store before having to install them, and even saw the company retire some old tech.

Whatever said and done, Google has made all the right moves to grow and evolve its various products and services in 2017. In fact, the company has been extremely active in making India-centric announcements this year, cementing its name and place in the minds of the Indian consumer, much more than any other tech company.

Heres a recap of all things Google put its stamp on in 2017, as well as those that the company ditched, pitched or forked.

Google Assistant

Well start with the Google Assistant because its commendable how Google increased the Assistants functionality over the past one year, competing head-on with Amazons Alexa, and leaving Siri far behind in the race. The Google Assistant expanded its footprint to multiple devices other than the Pixel phones. Not only did Assistant expand to all Android and iOS phones, it now sits inside Android TVs, headphones and other smart devices. The Assistant also became wiser, less fragmented and more intuitive in 2017, maintaining a solid growth trajectory. Whats more? Well, the AI assistant also debuted on a feature phone for the very first time in 2017. The Google Assistant now resides within the JioPhone, marking its entry into the feature phone segment.

Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

2017 saw Google take a second shot at making smartphones and once again, the company excelled in the camera department. The Pixel 2s camera beat the iPhone 8 Plus and the Galaxy Note 8 to grab the top spot on DxO Mark camera ratings. Even though both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL came with their own set of issues, Google made sure to fix them with subsequent patches and updates. Sadly, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL ditched the headphone jack this time around, but both devices feature a custom image processing SoC made by Google for the very first time. Both the smartphones are available at effectively lower prices in India right now, making them attractive buys before the year ends.

Android Oreo

O is for Oreo. Googles next-gen Android OS was unveiled this year at Google I/O 2017. The successor to Android Nougat brought with it performance improvements, faster boot speeds and new features like Notification Dots, support for Autofill APIs, Picture in Picture (PiP) mode, adaptive icons, Google Play Protect, high fidelity audio playback with new Bluetooth codecs, wide-colour gamut support across apps, improvement in battery life with background app limitations, OS-level optimisation for smoother app performance and 60 new redesigned emojis.

Even though all major smartphone makers announced support for Android 8.0 Oreo, the operating system is only present on 0.5% of all devices as of December 2017. The OS only increased two-tenths of a percentage point since November this year, showing a slow pace of growth.

Project Treble

Project Treble came into existence with Android Oreo. Project Treble is meant to reduce fragmentation in Android by allowing OEMs to update the Android part of their phones, without waiting for hardware players to adopt new software. One can only know the impact of this in the long run, although manufacturers like OnePlus haven't done very well adjusting to Google's changes for providing faster Android updates, so far.

Google Lens

Google Lens was introduced at I/O 2017. It is a feature that allows the camera of the Pixel 2 smartphones to capture images and bring up relevant information using visual analysis. So, if you click a picture of the Taj Mahal, it will give you information about the monument. It can also search and recognise books, addresses, text and more. Google has now started rolling out the Google Lens functionality in Assistant for its Pixel and Pixel 2 smartphones.

Android Oreo (Go Edition)

Devising a solution for low-end phones with less than 1GB of RAM, Google announced the Oreo (Go Edition) at an event held in India. The lighter OS is Googles way of making sure all low-spec smartphones run Android smoothly. Android Oreo Go isnt a fork of Android and can be enabled by ticking off a configuration flag. Google claims that apps will open 15 percent faster on Android Oreo (Go Edition). Googles pre-loaded apps also take up 50 percent less space now as Android Oreo Go uses the Android Runtime (ART) compiler to make the apps lightweight. The company confirmed that Android Go will be updated alongside each Android version, such as Android P (Go Edition), Android Q (Go Edition) and so forth. Phones with Android Go will also run the Go versions of Googles popular apps, which we will talk about next.

Android Go apps

Google Go, YouTube Go, Maps Go, Files Go, Assistant Go, are all examples of lean and light Google apps that have been created for low-end devices and data-conscious markets like India. Files Go will help free up space in low-end devices, allow offline file sharing and make searching for files easier. Google Go is designed to occupy less than 5MB space, with a tap-first user interface, and 40 percent lighter search results. Maps Go and Assistant Go are also lighter versions of the two already existing Google apps. All these apps, except for YouTube Go, were announced at Googles annual India event held earlier this month.

Google Tez

Tez is by far the coolest app Google introduced in India, in the year 2017. Not only is it a fast and convenient method to send and receive digital payments thanks to its UPI integration, it also features a cool way of using ultrasonic audio to initiate money transfers. Tez can now be used to pay utility bills and has managed to amass 12 million Indian users in a short period of time. In fact, Google Tez accounted for 70 percent UPI-based transactions in the month of November.

Datally App

Google launched the Datally app this year as part of its Next Billion Users initiative. The app is designed to help Android phone users understand, control and save on their expensive mobile data. It allows users to track their data usage in real time, and get personalised recommendations on saving data along with notifications of public Wi-Fi spots available nearby. The app is now globally available on the Google Play Store for all phones running Android 5.0 (Lollipop) and higher.

Death of Project Tango and birth of ARCore

Google retired its ambitious Project Tango this year. Project Tango leveraged depth sensing technology to augment reality, but required the use of special sensors and other hardware to do so. In 2017, Google realised the need to scale its augmented reality efforts in the smartphone space and replaced Project Tango with ARCore to compete with Apples ARKit. While Google Tango makes use of computer vision for Augmented Reality applications supported by motion tracking, area learning, and depth perception capabilities, With the ARCore SDK, Google aims to ease the adoption of augmented reality on Android devices. The new SDK will help developers create augmented reality applications for Android without the need of additional sensors or hardware improvements. An example of ARCore at work can be seen on the Pixel 2 with its AR Stickers, as well as the Atom Visualiser app on the Play Store.

The second coming of Android One

Googles Android One programme saw a revival in 2017 with a host of phones, including - Xiaomi Mi A1, Moto X4 and HTC U11 Life, enrolled for the same. The Android One programme was launched back in 2014 and promised faster Android updates for devices, but it never really took off and saw no major activity in 2015-2016, until this year. Will the second coming of Android One finally prove fruitful? Lets wait and watch.

Instant Apps

Although Google Instant Apps were announced in 2016, they started rolling out only in October this year. Instant apps are aimed at bridging the gap between web apps and native apps. With Instant Apps, Android users can try apps immediately without needing to install them on their mobile. Android Instant Apps are featured on the Play Store with a new 'Try it Now' button in the listing.

Second-Generation Tensor Processing Unit

AI is everywhere and few know that better than Google. CEO, Sunder Pichai announced a new Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) at the Google I/O 2017 held in May. This is a special chip meant to operate on Googles TensorFlow AI platform and is capable of delivering 11.5 petaflops of processing power when 64 TPUs are combined to form a Pod. The TPU chip uses machine learning to improve image recognition and language translation.

YouTube Live

Although we havent seen the sight of YouTube Live in India, it is a new subscription-based live TV streaming service available in the US. For YouTube Live, Google has partnered with over 40 networks in the US such as FOX, ESPN, CBS and more, including local TV stations. Along with the subscription, users also get a cloud DVR with unlimited storage that lets them record TV.

Google Clips

Criticised by security experts, Google Clips is a tiny square-shaped camera from Google which is designed to capture photos automatically using artificial intelligence to find the perfect moments. Images can be captured as stills, videos, or GIFs, and can also be exported to a phone over Wi-Fi. Google Clips is priced at $249 (Rs 16,213 approx) and is not available in India as of now.

Google Home Mini and Google Home Max

Google added two new devices to its smart, AI-enabled line-up of Home speakers in 2017. The Google Home Mini is a smaller, button-shaped version of the existing Google Home, while the Home Max is the new tabletop smart speaker. The Home Mini can do everything that the existing Google home can, including setting timers and adding reminders, checking the weather, reading the news, searching the web and more. The Home Max is a larger, tabletop speaker that is supposed to be 20 times more powerful in terms of sound output than the existing Google Home. It features an auto-tune feature called Smart Sound, which auto tunes the speaker based on the music and space that the user is in. India availability has not been announced for both the speakers.

Pixel Buds

Leave it to Google to pioneer such innovative products. Pixel Buds are a genius idea for those who travel frequently. The wireless earbuds were announced alongside the 2017 line-up of Google Home speakers. Pixel Buds come integrated with the Google Assistant and are capable of actively translating 40 different languages in real-time. Google claims that the Pixel Buds are capable of providing 5 hours of active listening time. They also come with a charging case, much like Apples AirPods, which can charge the Pixel buds for upto 24 hours of battery life.

Those were all the major announcements made by Google in 2017. We have also wrapped up Apple in 2017 as well as Samsung in 2017 for those of you who are interested in what the tech companies were up to this year.
Google is considering opening its brick-and-mortar experience stores late next year in India. The company is said to have already requested two prominent malls in the country for opening the stores.

Google is all set to open offline retail stores in India. According to a report by The Economic Times, three people who know about the companys plans have said that Google is preparing to open its brick-and-mortar stores across the country.

As per ETs source, Google is considering opening experience centres in India. The company is said to have arrived at the decision after receiving a good response to its pop-up stores, which were recently opened in Mumbai and Delhi-NCR malls to exhibit the Google Pixel 2 smartphones.

As per the report, the stores will be opened by Q4 2018 and Google has brought a senior Apple executive onboard for helping them carry out the plans.

The report further states that two renowned malls in India have already received requests from Google for setting up the stores. A senior executive of the mall, where Google previously set up its pop-up store, said, "They got a flavour of how physical stores are also important because you can't explain many of the features online."

The source added that the company had set-up a 'dark room' in order to demonstrate that their Pixel 2 smartphones can take good low-light images. "They got good traction. So, maybe this could (have encouraged Google) for the decision (to open outlets)," the executive added.

Additionally, the source said that the upcoming Google stores will sell the companys other products alongside the smartphones and one can also expect Google Home speakers, Chromecast, Chromebook laptops and Daydream VR headsets there.

Apart from Google, Apple is also in talks with the government to secure permissions for selling used iPhones imported into the country. The company is also seeking tax reliefs and other concessions for setting up manufacturing facilities in India.
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After months of conflicting messages, last week the Trump administration took a big step toward drastically expanding punishments for human rights abusers and kleptocrats all over the world. The move also reveals how government professionals and political officials inside the administration are finding ways to work together one year into the Trump presidency.

There was understandable skepticism that the Trump team would enthusiastically enforce the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, signed by President Barack Obama in his final days in office, which authorizes the president to block visas and sanction individuals and entities from any country that abuses human rights or engages in acts of significant corruption. But the first-ever list of 51 such targets, announced by the State and Treasury departments on Dec. 21, was a clear sign the Trump administration is supporting the law and implementing it in good faith.

The worlds worst crooks and killers should be running scared. The law and the executive order President Donald Trump issued make it much easier for the U.S. government to single out and punish egregious cases of abuse. Included in the list were Artem Chayka, the son of the prosecutor general of Russia; Gao Yan, a senior Chinese security official; and Maung Maung Soe, who oversaw Burmese military atrocities against ethnic Rohingya.

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, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said, promising that the Trump administration would continue holding human rights abusers to account.

A senior administration official said last weeks actions were meant to set the standard going forward for Trumps human rights policy. Although Congress requires an annual report on the laws implementation, the Trump team is expected to issue new Global Magnitsky sanctions on a rolling basis, meaning rights abusers cannot enjoy confidence that they are safe at any time.

The new approach does seem to run counter to signals that have been coming from the administrations top ranks. In May, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said promoting American values is too often an obstacle to advancing U.S. interests. His top policy staffer, Brian Hook, then wrote him a memo explaining why and how human rights promotion can be a useful tool in foreign policy.

The presidents national security strategy, also issued last week, barely mentions human rights, instead focusing on enhancing American influence by setting a good example. We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but we will champion the values without apology, Trump said in his speech rolling out the document.

Amid all that confusion, Trumps government produced a list of human rights abusers to sanction that was serious, well-constructed and crafted to implement the law as intended, said Daniel Fried, who was the State Departments sanctions coordinator during the Obama administration.

The Trump list gets at some of the worst actors without being so expansive as to exacerbate the risk of abuse and overreach, Fried said. That shows the experts at the State and Treasury departments were given the support needed from higher-ups to do the job right.

Despite all this talk about the deep state, it shows how the professionals who run the policy are capable of working under difficult circumstances and doing great work, Fried said. And if the Trump administration gets credit for it, so be it.

The authors of the law, Sens. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., and John McCain, R-Ariz., praised the administration in a statement but also expressed their gratitude to career professionals inside the bureaucracy whose expertise and dedication to justice made todays Global Magnitsky sanctions designations possible.

Hermitage Capital Management chief William Browder, who started the Magnitsky effort years ago, compared the Trump administrations action favorably to that of the Obama team. Browders lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, died in Russian custody in 2009 after being tortured. He had exposed Russian corruption, and his arrest and posthumous conviction are widely believed to have been politically motivated.

Browders first effort was to help enact a Russia-specific Magnitsky bill, which Obama signed reluctantly in 2012 after it passed overwhelmingly in Congress. In response, the Russian government banned American adoption of Russian children.

Russias campaign against the original Magnitsky bill was expansive and included an approach by Russian lobbyists to the Trump campaign that resulted in a now infamous June 2016 meeting with Donald Trump Jr. That probe has clearly backfired, as the Trump administration is implementing both Magnitsky laws with vigor.

No matter how or why it happened, this is a step in the right direction for the Trump administration. Still, absent a comprehensive, organized and well- articulated human rights policy, it wont be nearly enough.

Trumps government produced a list of human rights abusers to sanction that was serious, well-constructed and crafted to implement the law as intended, said Daniel Fried, who was the State Departments sanctions coordinator during the Obama administration.
By Rachel Cleetus

What a year its been. The destructive antics of the Trump administration and Congress and a political discourse increasingly polluted by alternative facts have frequently made many of us angry, sad and sometimes just plain crazy.

Through it all, its been inspiring to see a resistance movement gather strength and show its muscle. Ive been awed by the work of racial justice activists, scientists, grassroots groups, immigrant rights groups, youth groups and many many others. Heres a snapshot of what a year in the resistance looked like for me.

January

The Womens March (one of the largest protest marches ever, coordinated across the nation and globally), held a day after Presidents Trumps inauguration (with its less-than-record attendance), showed where the true power of the people lies.

Like many of you, I joined the march with my family. Watching my kids (in their pink hats, of course) experience the crowds, point out their favorite signs, raise their voices in call-and-response chantsall of it gave me a thrill to think that a new generation was beginning to understand the power of peaceful protest in a democracy.

And we called out a dangerous new form of climate denial taking hold in the administration, especially with the nomination of Scott Pruitt as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator.

February

In courts across the nation, including in Hawaii, Washington, Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Maryland, there were immediate challenges filed to President Trumps terrible Muslim Ban executive order issued at the end of January.

As an immigrant myself, it was especially moving to join a large and diverse crowd of people marching in protest in Boston, and to see similar protests nationwide. At many major airports teams of lawyers also flocked in to offer pro bono assistance to travelers affected by the ban. (The Supreme Court has since allowed a modified version of the ban to go ahead but this is by no means the last word since it is still being litigated).

March

We called out Scott Pruitts lies on climate change, held the administration accountable on its rollback of protective health standards including an all-out attack on climate policies, and we urged Congress to resist harmful cuts to the EPA budget (and succeeded in fending off some of the most damaging cuts).

April

The March for Science March and the Peoples Climate March were the highlights of April. It was magnificent to join the throngs of people marching for climate, jobs and justice on that sweltering hot day in Washington DC. More importantly, we are building a movement that is about more than just that one day.

May

President Trumps destructive first budget proposal was shown up to be all bark and no bite since Congress actually controls the purse strings. We campaigned against the many awful elements of the Trump budget proposal, including cuts that would harm our nations ability to prepare for climate and extreme weather disasters and cuts that would gut the EPA. (Harmful budget cuts are an ongoing threat. Its critical for constituents to continue to urge their policymakers to resist deep cuts to agency budgets that jeopardize the health and well-being of Americans).

June

We are still in! declared states, cities, counties, tribes, businesses, investors, faith groups, colleges and universities, in prompt response to President Trumps shameful announcement that he intended to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris agreement.

Unfortunately, June also brought terrible heatwaves and wildfires, further evidence that the impacts of climate change are here and now, despite the climate denialism rampant in this administration.

July

One of the most satisfying ways to resist the madness wrought by this administration is to just carry on doing good science. In July, my colleagues and I released a new report, When Rising Seas Hit Home: Hard Choices Ahead for Hundreds of U.S. Coastal Communities. The report highlights the threat of chronic coastal inundation exacerbated by sea level rise, and is accompanied by a fantastic online mapping tool.

Its findings challenge us to work toward solutions at the national, state and local level. Frontline communities facing these risks need helpand this should not be a partisan issue.

AugustSeptember

The nightmare hurricane season of 2017 unfolded in August and September, bringing Harvey, Irma and Maria. Houston, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands suffered particularly devastating impacts. Groups like Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services, an Environmental Justice organization in Houston, rallied to call attention to urgent needs.

My colleagues and I wrote about the flood threats in Houston, especially the risks from toxic pollution and the need to keep environmental justice front and center in the recovery process. We also laid out the science of hurricanes and climate change, and called on Congress to take action to help devastated communities.

And, yes, we also pointed out the irony of the Trump administrations rollback of the federal flood risk management standard just a week before Harvey hit. And the how damaging the administrations proposed budget cuts to FEMA and HUD, key agencies for our nations disaster response, would be.

October

Market trends, state policies and federal tax incentives continued to drive a historic transition away from coal to cleaner forms of energy, despite the EPAs announcement that it would repeal the Clean Power Plan, the nations first-ever limits on power plant carbon emissions. We called out Administrator Pruitts cynical move to pander to fossil fuel interests while blatantly ignoring the EPAs mission to protect human health and the environment.

Terrible wildfires raged across Northern California, killing 44 people and causing billions of dollars of damage. Sadly, another example of how climate change is exacerbating risks to people and property.

November

I was in Bonn, Germany for COP23, the annual UN climate talks, where the Trump administration was rendered largely irrelevant and isolated in its stance on the Paris agreement. Every other nation is steadfastly committed to the agreement, and the We Are Still In coalition of U.S. sub-national actors was there in full force to reiterate that the nations clean energy and carbon-cutting progress will continue despite the retrograde actions of the Trump administration.

December

As we close out the year with the passage of a deeply unjust and harmful tax reform bill and a sober reckoning of this years record-breaking disasters, including wildfires and hurricanes, there are lots of reasons to be very concerned.

Yet, there are some bits of good news too. The terribly destructive Thomas Fire in California is finally under control, for one. I also see signs all around that the resistance is alive and welland gathering steam.

Just a few examples of positive developments:

Weve seen a number of unqualified nominees proposed by the administration forced to withdraw recently because of public pressure;

Our nations transition away from coal to cleaner power sources continues unabated, lowering power sector carbon emissions;

Many states continue to enhance the ambition of their clean energy policies;

Many people stood up to defend science (heres UCS list of 2017 Science Defenders, example);

Congress roundly rejected many of the extreme budget cuts proposed by the administration;

The Alabama election demonstrated the power of African American voters (women especially), a historically disenfranchised segment of the population;

The National Defense Authorization Act recently signed by President Trump explicitly acknowledges that climate change is a direct threat to U.S. national security. (Of course we had to then call him out for flip-flopping a week later when the administration released a National Security Strategy that doesnt even mention climate change!)

Hope for 2018

What gives me hope for 2018 is that Americans from all walks of life are now awake to the threats this administration poses to our democracy, our health, our climate and basic human rightsand were fighting back! Our movement is strongest when we work together, connecting our work to peoples daily lives and concerns, and specifically aiming for solutions that are just.

The wins may not come easily and theres a lot of work ahead. This administrations attacks on science and our core values will very likely continue. But they are helping to forge our resistance and build its power. (Not to mention inspiring reams of incredibly biting, funny, incisive political satirehumor is sometimes the only way to handle the farcical extremes weve experienced this year!)

I hope youll share your moments of resistance in the comments section. A peaceful new year to all.

Rachel Cleetus is the lead economist and climate policy manager with the Climate and Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) paved the way Friday for the 600-mile, 42-inch fracked gas Atlantic Coast Pipeline to proceed when it issued the final environmental impact statement (FEIS). A joint project of utility giants Duke Energy and Dominion Energy, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline would move fracked gas from West Virginia into Virginia and North Carolina.

In April, the Sierra Club submitted more than 500 pages of legal and technical comments on FERCs draft EIS, which were joined by more than 18,000 individual comments detailing opposition to the project. The pipeline has been met with widespread opposition, with more than 1,000 people participating in public hearings across the three affected states. The Sierra Club recently requested that FERC issue a new environmental review document analyzing information that came in after or late in, the public comment process.

Despite all its rhetoric, FERC continues to prove its nothing more than a rubber stamp for fracked gas pipelines that threaten our communities and our climate, Deb Self, a Sierra Club Beyond Dirty Fuels campaign representative, said. FERC has failed to account for the dangers the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which would lock communities into the dirty and dangerous fuels of the past when clean, renewable energy options are readily available.

Obstacles remain for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, as it still must secure water quality permits in West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina, where the project is widely opposed. Recently, state agencies have denied certification for three gas pipelines because pipeline companies failed to prove they could protect state waters. The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management must consider impacts to species, habitats and landscapes on public lands crossed by the pipeline.

Along the 600 miles of this proposed pipeline and across the affected states, people are organizing and standing up for their water, protection of public and private lands, and their way of life, Kate Addleson, director of the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, said. Our streams, forests, and endangered species need protection, and so do our communities. Landowners shouldnt have their land taken for private companies profit, and residents shouldnt be saddled with higher utility bills to pay for an unneeded, destructive pipeline that threatens communities and the climate.
Greenpeace Philippines sent a strong message about plastic pollution with a giant Dead Whale art exhibit this month in Naic, Cavite. The 50-foot long whale replica, which was created from plastic waste, was positioned on the beach near the shoreline in Manila Bay.

Listen to the dead whales wake-up call, look closer and see what plastic pollution does to the ocean, Greenpeace Philippines wrote on Facebook about the campaign. We hope that this installation encourages the public to take action and #RefusePlastic.

Biboy Royong, creative director of the Dead Whale project, said the art exhibit was inspired by a 38-foot juvenile sperm whale that died in December 2016 on Samal Island in Davao del Norte. It was reported that the whale died after ingesting plastic, fish net, hook, rope and steel wire.

We based its shape, color, texture, size and proportion on pictures of real beached whales, he added. We even chose to show a decomposing whale so we played more with the textures on its skin using plastic trash we have collected. We wanted to surprise the community in the area. For it to work, we had to carefully craft a realistic dead whale.

Vince Cinches

Many who saw the whale on the beach did believe it was real, and the reaction has been similar to photos posted online. Most disturbing thing that I have seen in my life! wrote one person on Greenpeace Philippines Facebook page.

That is so outrageous and horrible, that it almost looks fake, wrote Keven on this post on the 5Gyres Facebook page.

There was an environmental projection that by 2050, if we dont stop polluting our waters, there could be more ocean wastes than marine life, Royong told Spot.

[facebook https://facebook.com/EcoWatch/videos/10154921759153300/ expand=1]

In addition to the art exhibit, an online petition was launched calling on the ASEAN member states to take concrete measures against plastics pollution in the high seas.
By Joe Sandler Clarke and Unearthed reporters

From the finest American journalism chronicling the worst excesses of the Trump administration to international stories showing the impact of climate change on the developing world, here are the stories we wish we had written this year.

On our changing climate

Alaskas permafrost is no longer permanent  New York Times, Henry Fountain @henryfountain

This striking New York Times piece is one of those rare pieces of journalism that communicates an issue so effectively and with such clarity that the reader is able to immediately grasp the complex science that too often makes environmental journalism impenetrable.

The perfect storm  Reveal

Hurricane Harvey pummelled Houston in August, and Reveal reporter Neena Satija was there to document the citys unpreparedness for the storm. This piece is a follow-up to Hell and High Water, the extraordinary 2016 joint investigation by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and Reveal.

One of the clearest signs of climate change in Hurricanes Maria, Irma, and Harvey was the rain  Vox, Umair Irfan @umairfan

We were crying out for a piece of forensic reporting setting out the links between climate change and this summers storms in the Caribbean and southern America, and Umair Irfan delivered. This is the kind of explanatory journalism Vox excels at.

The U.S. flooded one of Houstons richest neighborhoods to save everyone else  Bloomberg Businessweek, Shannon Sims @shannongsims

Another piece on the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. This cover story from Bloomberg Businessweek gives an insight into what a natural disaster looks like in one of Americas most important economic areas. As Sims herself said, this is an article about what justice looks like in a changing climate.

Why climate change is creating a new generation of child brides  The Observer, Gethin Chamberlain @newsandpics

Stories that connect climate change with real human consequences should be the gold standard of environmental reporting. This piece from the Observer does just that, showing how increased droughts and floods are forcing farmers in sub-Saharan Africa to give away their daughters to stay out of poverty.

Not a single thing was dry: Mumbais residents count the cost of floods  The Guardian, Amrit Dhillon and Carlin Carr

Devastating floods in South Asia made for one of the most dramatic environmental stories this year. In this piece, Mumbai residents talk to the Guardian about facing up to the torrential rains.

Mapped: How UK foreign aid is spent on climate change  Carbon Brief, Rosamund Pearce @_rospearce and Leo Hickman @LeoHickman

Rich countries are providing aid to help developing nations adapt to climate change. But how much is being spent? Who is spending it? And where is the money going? Back in October, Carbon Brief set out to answer these questions. A month later, they also mapped how multilateral climate funds spend their money.

On Trump

Under Trump, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has slowed actions against polluters, and put limits on enforcement officers  New York Times, Eric Lipton @EricLiptonNYT and Danielle Ivory @danielle_ivory

While the presidents agenda has largely floundered in Congress, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitts efforts to undo Obama-era environmental rules have happened at a rapid pace. This New York Times piece sets out just what the agency has been up to in the first year of the Trump presidency.

Why the scariest nuclear threat may be coming from inside the White House  Vanity Fair, Michael Lewis

Michael Lewis has done some amazing work chronicling the Trump administration. We could easily have picked his piece on the administrations actions against scientists in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But with the news dominated by fears over North Korea, this look at U.S. nuclear policy at home was timely and fascinating.

Americas climate refugees have been abandoned by Trump  Mother Jones, Kyla Mandel @kylamandel

With Puerto Rico and the Gulf Coast devastated by hurricanes this year, Kyla Mandel reported on the Trump administrations efforts to cut support for American communities at the forefront of climate change.

Bombs in your backyard  ProPublica

It turns out that the U.S. military spends more than a billion dollars a year cleaning up sites it has contaminated with explosives and toxic chemicals. Some of these areas are near schools and residential neighborhoods. We know this because ProPublica went ahead and mapped them.

On the shifting energy system

How China floated to the top in solar  Time, Charlie Campbell @CharlieCamp6ell

This was the year the world got serious about green energy, and this feature from Time magazine tells the story of how China became a leader in renewable energy. We liked this line from Sang Dajie, a former coal miner who now works on the worlds largest floating solar farm: The coal mine was very hot and the air was bad. But here I feel safe. The new energy is safe.

The story behind this days-long traffic jam in Mongolia  Quartz, Johnny Simon

China may be leading the world on renewable energy, but it still loves coal. This photo gallery was a clear illustration of the countrys energy conundrum.

The race to solar-power Africa  New Yorker, Bill McKibben @billmckibben

Activist and journalist Bill McKibben reported on how American start-ups are competing with Chinese and European firms, and homegrown companies, to provide cheap, reliable power to a continent where fossil fuels have failed to spark development.

The town that disappeared  BBC News, Jenny Norton

Across Russia, hundreds of small towns have been abandoned in the past ten years as coal mining becomes increasingly unviable in the country and the fallout from the collapse of the Soviet Union continues.

Russia-backed hackers try to hijack Britains power supply  The Times, Aaron Rogan and Mark Bridge

Amid the flurry of concern about hacking in the U.S. election, The Times reported in June that Russian hackers attacked networks running the national grid in the UK. A couple of days later, Motherboard, Vices sister tech publication, reported that GCHQ believed the hackers had already compromised UK energy sector targets.

On the new and persistent threats to the environment

Series: So I can breathe  BBC World Service

There have been plenty of air pollution stories in the media over the last 12 months, but this series of programs broadcast across BBC platforms in March caught our eye for reporting on solutions to the global crisis.

Vladimirs Venezuela: Leveraging loans to Caracas, Moscow snaps up oil assets  Reuters, Marianna Parraga and Alexandra Ulmer

Venezuelas economy is unravelling and, as this special report from Reuters in August shows, the countrys socialist government is taking increasingly drastic measures to survive.

Attack of the bee killers  Politico, Giulia Paravicini @giuliaparavicin and Simon Marks @MarksSimon

2017 saw even more scientific research linking bee deaths with controversial pesticides called neonicotinoids. This piece in Politico methodically and forcefully lays out how chemical giants Bayer and Syngenta have lobbied EU politicians for years to weaken regulations.

Theres an army of Indian Twitter accounts pushing suspiciously identical pro-mining tweets  BuzzFeed, Mark Di Stefano @MarkDiStef

With Indian mining company Adani seeking support for a controversial coal project on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, the companys boss Gautam Adani visited Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in April. As BuzzFeed reported, his visit was wildly cheered on by a bunch of definitely real Indian tweeters who all believed that Adani would bring coal jobs to Queensland.

A fight for Brazils Amazon forest  Financial Times, Sue Branford

Since Michel Temer became president in August 2016, Brazilian politics has been dominated by rollbacks for key environmental and Indigenous protections. In September, as part of the FTs Brazil: the Road Ahead series, Sue Branford reported on the new scramble for natural resources in the Brazilian Amazon.

Environmental defenders being killed in record numbers globally, new research reveals  The Guardian, Jonathan Watts @jonathanwatts and John Vidal @john_vidal

Protecting the environment is an increasingly dangerous thing to do. This research by Global Witness found that in 2016, 200 environmental activists and others protecting their land from destructive industries were killedand the rate only increased in 2017. This story launched The Defenders, an ongoing collaboration between the Guardian and Global Witness tracking such killings.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Unearthed.
By Alex Kirby

When the mercury climbs to extreme levels, its the dangerous humidity produced by heat reacting with water-sodden air that can spell death, not just the heat alone.

U.S. researchers have warned yet again of the need to beware the risks of this combination. With fierce heat waves expected to become more common as the climate warms, they say humidity can greatly intensify the effects of the heat by itself.

They report in the journal Environmental Research Letters that during this century the drastic effects of high humidity in many areas will increase significantly. At times, they may overtake peoples ability to work outdoors or, in some cases, even to survive.

Health and economies would suffer, especially in regions where people work outside and have little access to air conditioning. Potentially affected regions include large swathes of the already muggy Southeastern U.S., the Amazon, Western and Central Africa; Southern areas of the Middle East, including the Arabian peninsula; northern India; and eastern China.

The conditions were talking about basically never occur nowpeople in most places have never experienced them, said lead author Ethan Coffel, a graduate student at Columbia Universitys Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. But theyre projected to occur close to the end of the century.

The warming climate is projected to make many now-dry areas dryer, in part by changing precipitation patterns. But, as global temperatures rise, the atmosphere can hold more water vapor. That means chronically humid areas may only get more humid.

Muggy heat is more oppressive than the dry kind, because humans and other mammals cool down by sweating; sweat evaporates off the skin into the air, taking the excess heat with it. That works well in a desert. But when the air is already laden with moisture, evaporation off the skin slows down and eventually becomes impossible.

When this cooling process stops, a creatures core body temperature rises beyond the narrow tolerable range. Without air conditioning, organs strain and then start to fail, leading to lethargy, sickness and possibly death.

Using global climate models, the researchers mapped current and projected future wet-bulb temperatures, which reflect the combined effects of heat and humidity (the measurement is made by draping a water-saturated cloth over the bulb of a conventional thermometer; it does not correspond directly to air temperature alone).

The study found that by the 2070s, high wet-bulb readings that now occur perhaps only once a year could stretch to 100 to 250 days annually in some parts of the tropics. In the Southeastern U.S., wet-bulb temperatures now sometimes reach 29 or 30C; by the 2070s or 2080s, such weather could occur 25 to 40 days each year, say the researchers.

Laboratory experiments have shown wet-bulb readings of 32C are the threshold beyond which many people would have trouble functioning outside. This level is rarely reached anywhere today.

Risk to India

But the study projects that in 50 or 60 years the limit could be reached one or two days a year in the Southeastern U.S. and three to five days in parts of South America, Africa, India and China. Worldwide, hundreds of millions of people would suffer.

The hardest-hit area in terms of human impact, the researchers say, will probably be densely populated Northeastern India.

Lots of people would crumble well before you reach wet-bulb temperatures of 32C, or anything close, said co-author Radley Horton, a climate scientist at Lamont-Doherty. Theyd run into terrible problems.

The study projects that some parts of the southern Middle East and Northern India may even hit 35 wet-bulb degrees Celsius by late this centuryequal to the human skin temperature, and the theoretical limit at which people will die within hours without artificial cooling.

Using a related combined heat/humidity measure, the so-called heat index, this would be the equivalent of nearly 170 F of dry heat. But the heat index, invented in the 1970s to measure the real feel of moist summer weather, actually ends at 136; anything above that is literally off the chart.

Avoiding the Worst

On the bright side, the paper says that if nations can substantially cut greenhouse gas emissions in the next few decades, the worst effects could be avoided.

Only a few weather events like those projected have ever been recorded. The most recent was in Irans Bandar Mahshahr in July 2015. That day the dry air temperature alone was 115; saturated with moisture, the airs wet bulb reading neared the 35 C fatal limit, translating to a heat index of 165F.

Bandar Mahshahrs infrastructure is good and electricity cheap, so residents adapted by staying in air-conditioned buildings and vehicles, and showering after brief excursions outside. But this is not an option in other vulnerable places, where many people cannot afford such remedies.

Its not just about the heat, or the number of people. Its about how many people are poor, how many are old, who has to go outside to work, who has air conditioning, said the study co-author Alex deSherbinin of Columbias Center for International Earth Science Information Network.

He said that even if the weather does not kill people outright or stop all activity, the necessity of working on farms or elsewhere outdoors in such conditions can bring chronic kidney problems and other damaging health effects.

Previous Warnings

Other researchers have sounded the alarm about the risks dangerous humidity levels can pose. A 2015 study said parts of the Gulf region, where Bandar Mahshahr lies, could, on present trends, become uninhabitable for humans by 2100.

The following year another study extended the warning to include North Africa. Earlier this year sports chiefs even reported that humidity could affect the behaviour of cricket balls.

Climate scientist Steven Sherwood of the University of New South Wales, who proposed the 35C survivability limit, said he was skeptical that this threshold could be reached as soon as the researchers say. All the same, he said, the basic point stands.

Unless greenhouse emissions are cut, we move toward a world where heat stress is a vastly greater problem than it has been in the rest of human history. The effects will fall hardest on hot and humid regions.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Climate News Network.
Tennessee is one of a handful of states experimenting with microcredentials within their continuing education systems. Teachers earn the badges by submitting evidence that theyve mastered small components of instruction; their submissions are scored by outside reviewers.

They can now earn up to five professional-development points for each approved microcredential they complete. (It takes 60 to renew a license.)

About 60 teachers piloted the microcredentials last year, and close to 300 are participating this year.

Education Week spoke to Paul Fleming, Tennessees assistant commissioner in the division of teachers and leaders, about the system.

What was the theory of action behind your pilot?

We wanted to provide more specialized learning relating to indicators and competencies in the teacher-evaluation rubric. And in our teacher-survey data, teachers said they wanted more specialized and flexible professional learning opportunities that fit their needs. We curated the microcredentials we offered so they were aligned to the needs we saw statewide.

And what were they?

One was around questioning, which is a very specific skill: how teachers scaffold questions and design questions that are aligned to standards and curriculum. We also had an indicator called problem-solving, which is about helping students learn how to solve a math problem or decode a paragraph.

The beauty of the microcredentialing structure is that teachers cant just talk about what theyre going to do; they have to provide evidence from their classroom, either student work or some other demonstration of instructional practices, and that was really powerful; they had to practice, develop, and learn about different types of questioning and problem-solving and try them out in their classrooms.

What were pilot teachers reaction? What do they see as being particularly relevant or challenging about this process?

Teachers in the Year One pilot found it to be challenging but relevant to what they had identified in their own area of growth. And they found that rigor to be valuable, even if they did not pass, so to speak, when they submitted their microcredential [for scoring]. In that process, they got very detailed feedback from the peer reviewers.

They also liked the flexibility, that they could work on it from home, rather than go for eight hours in August for a one-day workshop. A few of them noted that, because they were flexible, there was a tendency to put it off if they got busythey really had to think about how to manage their own work or time because it wasnt scripted.

This year, you have expanded the pilot to include some competencies related to teacher leadership. Why did you create this new path?

We have a statewide teacher-leader network; about half of districts belong. The districts want to continue to help develop teacher leaders, and we thought this could be a way to boost that.

There are four microcredentials in the teacher-leader pathway, and its open both for teachers who are thinking about becoming a teacher leader, and already-established teacher leaders. Its a baseline to determine whether these microcredentials help these aspiring teaching leaders to gain competencies that will allow them to take on the new roles in their district. Secondly, we will be asking the teachers, are these microcredentials helpful? Valuable? Rigorous?

Earlier this year, your state board of education permitted teachers to gain credit toward renewing their licenses using the microcredentials. What was the thinking there?

Once we kind of vetted the quality of some microcredentials, the board felt more confidence offering it as a menu option for advancement and renewal. We also have a strategic compensation law [which requires districts to base pay on at least one factor beyond experience and degrees], so this is one way we could help that be more accurate.

Your policy still translates these microcredentials into a specific number of professional-development points for licensing. So isnt it still a bit of fitting square pegs in a round hole?

This is really in the spirit of trying to push both teacher-prep providers and leadership-prep providers to be more thoughtful in providing outcomes-based learning and experiences.  Were doing that through microcredentials and also our statewide teacher-preparation report card that emphasizes the shift to outcome measures.

Its consistent with, and in the spirit of, helping prep providers and districts think more strategically about professional learning and programs that all align to these greater equity and instructional shifts that require districts to think differently about providing high-quality instruction to all students.
The most popular news release on EurekAlert! in 2017 is also the most-visited in the science-news service's 21-year history.

Attracting 898,848 views since April, the University of Central Florida release -- describing an artificial photosynthesis process that cleans air while producing energy, complete with video -- outperformed a 2012 announcement of trending releases from that year, which has clocked 886,820 visits in five years.

Sunshine State shines

The UCF release is also the most-shared release of 2017 and surpassed its 2016 predecessor by 116%.

Institutions in the Sunshine State also outshone hundreds of others by occupying three of the 10 trending releases this year. In second place, the Florida Museum of Natural History release explains how migratory birds are bumped off schedule as climate change shifts spring, while Florida Atlantic University took the sixth spot with a release about bilingual children's ability to develop both languages.

Most popular

The 2017 trending list collectively captured 3.2 million views, a 44% increase over last year. Health-related releases occupy five spots, with climate change, biology, social and behavioral sciences, and astronomy rounding out the rest. Unlike recent years, where journal publishers and institutions from around the world competed for top billings, no journal publisher releases made the list this year - and eight out of the 10 most-read releases were from the U.S., with the remaining from the U.K.

"Several of this year's trending releases - including our all-time record-breaker - were based on very technical scientific papers which, without the efforts of public information officers, may have attracted little public attention," said Brian Lin, Director of Editorial Content Strategy at EurekAlert!.

"We're also thrilled to see EurekAlert!'s international audience embrace such wide-ranging topics as gene therapy, workplace diversity training, migratory birds, and how aliens might detect Earth."

The 10 most popular news releases on EurekAlert! in 2017 are:

Most shared

Three of the five most-shared releases are also among the most-visited, including a report showing that "more American children are living in poverty today than at the height of the Great Recession."

Also popular on social media is a release describing new techniques used to reveal the gender of a mid-10th century Viking warrior, whose iconic grave was excavated in the 1880s.

The five most-shared items on EurekAlert! in 2017 are:

Social media sharing via AddThis in 2017 totaled 290,900, below 2016 level. Twitter, Facebook, and E-mail remain the preferred methods.

More than 32,000 news releases were accepted onto EurekAlert! in 2017, a nearly 9% increase from 2016. Each release was reviewed against the service's longstanding eligibility guidelines.

All news releases were submitted by accredited research institutions, peer-reviewed journals, or their press agents and made available to registered science reporters and the public. The annual EurekAlert! trending news release list was compiled based on the number of public and reporter visits to news releases between 16 December 2016 and 15 December 2017.

Related:

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About EurekAlert!

Founded by AAAS in 1996, EurekAlert! is an editorially independent, online science news service. Thousands of reporters around the globe use EurekAlert! to access news and resources from the world's top research organizations. For free access to EurekAlert!, visit http://www.EurekAlert.org.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science as well as Science Translational Medicine, Science Signaling, a digital, open-access journal, Science Advances, Science Immunology, and Science Robotics. AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes nearly 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world. The non-profit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education, public engagement, and more. For the latest research news, log onto?EurekAlert!, the premier science-news Web site, a service of AAAS. See?http://www.aaas.org.
A team from the Faculty of Physics of Lomonosov Moscow State University suggested using porous silicon nanowire arrays in highly sensitive gas sensors. These devices will be able to detect the presence of toxic and non-toxic gas molecules in the air at room temperature. The results of the study were published in Physica Status Solidi A: Applications and Materials Science journal.

Taking into account high levels of environmental pollution in the modern world, it is important to develop new sensitive devices able to identify molecules in gas phase accurately and selectively. This is true both for toxic and non-toxic gases. However, the majority of modern gas sensors only work at high temperatures which limits the scope of their application. Therefore the development of reusable highly sensitive gas detectors working at room temperatures is an important area of modern physics development.

The scientists from MSU suggested using porous silicon nanowire arrays as sensitive elements of such detectors. They can be obtained by means of a cheap method of the metal-assisted chemical etching. It is based on selective chemical etching, i.e. partial removal of surface layer from a bulk crystalline silicon with the use of metal nanoparticles as a catalyst. Moreover, the procedure is quite quick: at least 100 elements can be produced in a lab within just one hour.

Each sensor consists of an array of 10 micron long organized silicon nanowires with diameters ranging from 100 to 200 nm. Each nanowire has porous crystalline structure. The size of silicon crystals and pores between them in individual nanowire, varies from three to five nanometers.

Authors have shown that such porous nanowires have huge specific surface area due to which their physical and chemical properties are extremely sensitive to molecular environment. It was also found out that the obtained samples exhibited an effective photoluminescence in the red spectrum region at room temperature.

"For the first time we've shown that photoluminescence of silicon nanowires is quenched in oxygen (O 2 ) atmosphere but then restored to initial values in the atmosphere of a noble gas - nitrogen (N 2 ). This is repeated in several adsorption-desorption cycles," said Liubov Osminkina, the head of the scientific group, PhD in physics and mathematics, and senior associate at the Faculty of Physics, MSU.

The scientists explained obtained experimental results with a microscopic model according to which the sensitivity of optical properties of the samples to their molecular environment is determined by reversible charging and discharging of Pb-centers - defects such as silicon dangling bonds on the surface of the nanowires. The authors of the study confirmed the model with measurements taken by using the electronic paramagnetic resonance method that helps determine existence and concentration of Pb-centers.

"What's important is that our sensors based on porous nanowires both work at home temperatures and also are reusable, because the all observed effects were completely reversible," added Liubov Osminkina.

The new sensors may be used both for effective control of environment pollution levels and for the monitoring of air composition in closed spaces, from classrooms to space stations.

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The work was supported with a grant of Russian Scientific Foundation.
Scholars and conservationists want to aim for the right future to preserve biodiversity and plan sustainable environments. One of those scholars is calling for due diligence to make sure the right data, not conventional wisdom, shapes that target.

In this month's journal Ecography, a Michigan State University student takes a break from his popular research on giant pandas to scrutinize a less sexy but important scientific issue - looking at habitat the right way.

The article title, "Effects of Grain Size and Niche Breadth on Species Distribution Modeling," can send those not familiar with the finer points of habitat modeling running for a YouTube panda video. But Thomas Connor (who kindly provided the cute video as a bonus), a PhD student in MSU's Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, takes his pandas with a shot of serious science methodology. Accurate predictions of animal habitat are only as good as the methods used.

"When you're putting together models to understand a species habitat, there's a tendency to rely on expert opinions or conventional wisdom as you set model parameters, and that can be good, but any opportunity to test an opinion is important, so I thought I'd try that," Connor said.

He's referring to how a scientist decides to examine, and tinker with, through modeling, the environment of an animal, bird, or plant. He uses a lion and a shrew as an example. A lion lives its life pretty large - and probably isn't sweating what's happening only a few yards away. That lion is more likely to be affected if a few square miles of its home endures change or stress.

But a shrew's world is smaller, which means big-scale changes may not affect that critter as long as his few square yards is stable - or spotty change might be more problematic if it's that shrew's home turf.

Niche breadth is a way to understand and account for the resources a species needs to survive. Animals like pandas have sharply defined needs. They only eat bamboo, they're picky about the size of their forests, and they steer far clear of humans. Other animals are less fussy, happy to eat different foods and learn to coexist with people. Build a model with both those aspects right, and modeling can give some predictions about habitat will fare if the climate changes, if human development escalates or other new conditions arise.

Researchers modeling an environment divide a habitat into pieces. Sometimes, they decide on the size based on previous work. For this paper, Connor created simulations to test the accuracy of the models' predictions of species presence or absence. He used Sweden and Norway for their nicely varied landscape and abundant data. Then he made a critter simulation - he liked to think of it as a dire wolf, though he could also pretend it was a dodo bird - to create habitat particulars. (He also said modeling habitats for extinct species is becoming its own subculture.)

So, Connor said that before he hunkers into his doctoral work - understanding the effects of habitat fragmentation on giant pandas - it was nagging him to know for sure the right way to model that habitat. In this piece, he ran basic checks, creating models at different grain size as well as niche breadth. Discovery: sometimes conventional wisdom isn't, well, wise.

Picking the wrong grain size can send models down the wrong path. Looking at a problem with too large a lens can grossly over predict the area occupied by a given species or population, which can lead to wrong assumptions about the health of a species, or to bad conservation decisions.

While grain size and niche breadth are nuts and bolts to predicting habitat, Connor said it isn't hard to find conservation papers that are reaching conclusions - and making recommendations - using grain sizes that may be assumed adequate, but aren't holding up to scrutiny. He said he hopes this research serves as a reminder to trade assumptions in for more extensive testing.

In addition to Connor, the paper was written by Vanessa Hull, Andres Vi?a, Ashton Shortridge, Jindong Zhang, Ying Tang, Fang Wang, and Jianguo "Jack" Liu. The National Science Foundation funded the work.

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A group of researchers at Osaka University has developed a new method for dialogue systems*1. This new method, lexical acquisition through implicit confirmation, is a method for a computer to acquire the category of an unknown word over multiple dialogues by confirming whether or not its predictions are correct in the flow of conversation.

Many conversation robots, chatbots, and voice assistant apps have appeared in recent years; however, in these systems, computers basically answer questions based on what has been preprogrammed. There is another method in which a computer learns from humans by asking simple repetitive questions; however, if the computer asks only questions such as "What is xyz?" in order to acquire knowledge, users will lose interest in talking with the computer.

The group led by Professor Komatani developed an implicit confirmation method by which the computer acquires the category of an unknown word during conversation with humans. This method aims for the system to predict the category of an unknown word from user input during conversation, to make implicit confirmation requests to the user, and to have the user respond to these requests. In this way, the system acquires knowledge about words during dialogues.

In this method, the system decides whether the prediction is correct or not by using the user response following each request, its context, by using machine learning*2 techniques. In addition, this system's decision performance improved by taking the classification results gained from dialogues with other users into consideration.

Chatbots in the market speak to anyone in the same manner. However, as dialogue systems become popular in the future, computers will be required to speak by learning from a conversational partner according to the situation. This group's research results are a new approach towards the realization of dialogue systems in which a computer can become smarter through conversation with humans and will lead to the development of dialogue systems with the ability to customize responses to the user's situation.

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This research project was conducted as a part of joint research with Honda Research Institute Japan Co., Ltd.

*1 Dialogue system

A dialogue system (or conversational system), a part of artificial intelligence, is a computer system intended to converse with a human in natural language. Many speech-enabled IVR (interactive voice response) applications, humanoid robots, and text-based chatbots have been developed in recent years.

*2 Machine learning (AI)

Machine Learning is a method using algorithms to analyze data, learn from it, and then make a determination or prediction. Machine learning includes supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning. In supervised learning, the computer is trained with a set of examples (dataset) that contains the correct answer; through which it becomes able to make judgements in different situations.

This research, entitled Lexical Acquisition through Implicit Confirmations over Multiple Dialogues, was presented at SIGDIAL 2017, 18th Annual SIGdial Meeting on August 17, 2017.

Authors: Kohei Ono, Ryu Takeda, Eric Nichols, Mikio Nakano and Kazunori Komatani
Porous coordination polymers (PCPs) or metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been extensively studied for their diversified and designable/tailorable framework and pore structures. Compared with conventional porous materials, MOFs have much larger framework flexibility, which can give rise to not only various types of interesting structural responses and dynamic behaviors toward external stimuli, but also significantly improved performances for storage, separation, sensing and other applications. Therefore, controlling the flexibility of MOFs, or rational design and synthesis of MOFs with specified flexibility and dynamism, are of practical importance. However, framework flexibility is simultaneously controlled by many factors, and trivial difference of a structural parameter or other factor related with the sample or environment can drastically change the response. In other words, framework flexibility can be more difficult to design or control, compared with the static features such as framework and pore structures.

In a new review published in the Beijing-based journal National Science Review, scientists at the Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, China present the advances in designing/controlling the flexibility of MOFs. Co-authors Jie-Peng Zhang, Hao-Long Zhou, Dong-Dong Zhou, Pei-Qin Liao and Xiao-Ming Chen first define and distinguish the concepts of controlling the structure of flexible MOFs and controlling the flexibility of MOFs. The former refers to the change of framework structures of flexible MOFs toward external chemical (guest adsorption/desorption/exchange) and physical (temperature, light, pressure, etc.) stimuli, which is the intrinsic property of flexible MOFs and has been the topics of most researches. On the other hand, the latter uses external environment to modulate the structural response and dynamic behavior of MOFs, or designs/synthesizes new MOF materials/samples to generate specified structural response and dynamic behavior toward a given external stimulus. Based on discussions of representative examples, they systematically summarize the basic strategies for designing/controlling flexibility of MOFs, i.e., design, synthesis, and modification of the porous host, controlling the composition and size/morphology of the porous crystal sample, and controlling the external physical environment, in which the target gradually changes from designing new materials to modulating the property of existing materials.

The scientists emphasize that, "It should be pointed out that, designing, tailoring, or controlling framework flexibility is not only useful for understanding the structure-property relationship of MOFs, but also a new dimension for developing MOF materials with excellent performances for molecular recognition, high storage/delivery capacity, selective separation, abnormal/controllable thermal expansion, and so on."

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This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Project, 2014CB845602) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21290173 and 21473260)

See the article:

Jie-Peng Zhang, Hao-Long Zhou, Dong-Dong Zhou, Pei-Qin Liao, and Xiao-Ming Chen

Controlling flexibility of metal-organic frameworks

Natl Sci Rev, 2017, doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwx127

https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwx127

The National Science Review is the first comprehensive scholarly journal released in English in China that is aimed at linking the country's rapidly advancing community of scientists with the global frontiers of science and technology. The journal also aims to shine a worldwide spotlight on scientific research advances across China.
BOSTON (Dec. 26, 2017)--Postpartum depression strikes nearly one in five new mothers, who may experience anxiety, severe fatigue, inability to bond with their children and suicidal thoughts. Such depression has also been associated with infants' developmental difficulties. Although stress has been identified as a significant risk factor for postpartum depression, this complex disorder is still poorly understood. Now neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine have generated a novel preclinical model of postpartum depression and demonstrated involvement of the neuroendocrine system that mediates physiological response to stress, called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is normally suppressed during and after pregnancy. The findings in mice provide the first empirical evidence that disruption of this system engenders behaviors that mimic postpartum depression in humans.

This study, to be published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology and now available online, provides a much-needed research model for further investigation into the causes of and treatment for postpartum depression, which has largely relied on correlational studies in humans because of the scarcity of animal models.

Stress is known to activate the HPA axis, which triggers the fight or flight response seen in many species. During and after pregnancy such activation is normally blunted - helping to insulate developing offspring from stress - and dysregulation of the HPA axis has been suggested as playing a role in the physiology of postpartum depression.

The effects of stress on postpartum behavior are thought to be mediated by stress hormones because animal experiments show that stress and exogenous stress hormones can induce abnormal postpartum behaviors. However, clinical data on stress hormones in women with postpartum depression has been inconsistent. To date, research has not directly demonstrated a role for corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) -- the main driver of the stress response, which is primarily secreted by a cluster of neurons in the hypothalamus called the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) -- or for inappropriate activation of the HPA axis in postpartum depression.

"Some clinical studies show a relationship between CRH, HPA axis function and postpartum depression, but others fail to replicate these findings. Direct investigation into this relationship has been hindered due to the lack of useful animal models of such a complex disorder," said Jamie Maguire, Ph.D., corresponding author on the new study, assistant professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Tufts University School of Medicine, and a member of the Neuroscience and Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics program faculties at Tufts' Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences.

"Using a mouse model that we developed, our new study provides the first empirical evidence supporting the clinical observations of HPA axis dysfunction in patients with postpartum depression and shows for the first time that dysregulation of the HPA axis and a specific protein in the brain, KCC2, can be enough to induce postpartum depression-like behaviors and deficits in maternal care," she continued.

Maguire's lab had previously shown a critical role for KCC2 in regulating CRH neurons and the physiological response to stress. The recent study investigated the specific role of KCC2 in regulating the HPA axis during and after pregnancy. Maguire and her colleagues assessed KCC2 expression in the PVN in virgin, pregnant and postpartum mice. They observed suppression (downregulation) of KCC2 in virgin mice exposed to stress but not in pregnant or postpartum mice. They propose that this contributes to the protective HPA hypofunction prior to birth, which is consistent with lower glucocorticoid levels observed in pregnant and postpartum mice and similar to findings in humans.

To further test the role of KCC2, the researchers developed mice that completely lacked KCC2 in CRH neurons and compared HPA axis function in these "knockout" mice with their normal (wildtype) littermates. Knockout mice demonstrated significantly more stress reactivity during the peripartum period, did not show the reduced anxiety typical of the postpartum period, and exhibited abnormal maternal care compared with postpartum wildtype mice. Utilizing novel chemogenetic strategies to specifically activate or silence the CRH neurons in the PVN, researchers were able to pinpoint these abnormal behaviors to the activity of these specific neurons, which govern the HPA axis.

Identifying molecular targets and biological markers for postpartum depression "Pregnancy obviously involves great changes to a woman's body, but we're only now beginning to understand the significant unseen adaptations occurring at the neurochemical and circuitry level that may be important to maintaining mental health and maternal behavior in the first few weeks to months following delivery," said Laverne Camille Melon, Ph.D., first author on the paper and postdoctoral fellow in the Maguire laboratory. "By uncovering the role for stability of KCC2 in the regulation of CRH neurons, the postpartum stress axis, and maternal behavior, we hope we have identified a potential molecular target for the development of a new class of compounds that are more effective for women suffering from postpartum depression and anxiety."

Melon and Maguire do not believe that HPA axis dysfunction is the only pathological mechanism at work. "Many psychiatric and neurological disorders are a constellation of symptoms and represent an unfortunate synergy of heterogeneous maladaptations. The mechanisms underlying one woman's postpartum depression may differ from another's," said Melon.

The researchers hope that continued work will enable them to identify a biological marker that characterizes women who may be vulnerable to postpartum depression because of dysregulation of the stress axis, potentially leading to new treatment options.

"There is much more we need to learn," said Maguire, "but we believe our model will be useful for testing novel therapeutic compounds for postpartum depression. Such studies could also be relevant to other conditions in which KCC2 deficits are implicated, such as epilepsy, chronic pain and autism, and to other stress and anxiety related disorders."

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Additional authors on the paper are Andrew Hooper, Ph.D., former postdoctoral researcher in the Maguire lab and an alumnus of the neuroscience program at the Sackler School, now a AAAS fellow at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; Xuzhong Yang, M.S. student in the Pharmacology and Drug Development Program at the Sackler School; and Stephen Moss, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience at Tufts University School of Medicine and a member of the neuroscience faculty at the Sackler School.

This work was supported by the following institutes of the National Institutes of Health: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (RO1NS073574, NS102937, NS087662, NS047243), National Institute of Mental Health (MH106954), and National Institute of General Medical Sciences through an Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Awards postdoctoral training grant to the Tufts University Training in Education and Critical Research Skills Program (K12GM074869).

Melon, C.M., Hooper, A., Yang, X., Moss, S.J., Maguire, J., Inability to suppress the stress-induced activation of the HPA axis during the peripartum period engenders deficits in postpartum behaviors in mice, Psychoneuroendocrinology (2017) DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.12.003.

The content of this announcement is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health or other funders.

About Tufts University School of Medicine and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences

Tufts University School of Medicine and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts University are international leaders in innovative medical education and advanced research. The School of Medicine and the Sackler School are renowned for excellence in education in general medicine, biomedical sciences, special combined degree programs in business, health management, public health, bioengineering and international relations, as well as basic and clinical research at the cellular and molecular level. Ranked among the top in the nation, the School of Medicine is affiliated with six major teaching hospitals and more than 30 health care facilities. Tufts University School of Medicine and the Sackler School undertake research that is consistently rated among the highest in the nation for its impact on the advancement of medical science.

The Training in Education and Critical Research Skills Program at Tufts Sackler School specifically addresses the need for talented biomedical scientists who will excel as researchers, teachers, and mentors in an academic setting and the need to enhance the diversity of the biomedical workforce. To accomplish this goal, the school provides postdoctoral trainees with rigorous hands-on training in biomedical research, and prepares them to handle the challenges of teaching and mentoring a diverse student body by partnering with Boston area undergraduate institutions committed to serving under-represented students. Tufts is currently the only institution in Massachusetts to receive such funding.
A new study by an international team of researchers, affiliated with UNIST has announced that they have succeeded in developing a novel deuterium separation method, using a special class of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) whose pore dimensions change upon gas adsorption. This new strategy allows 'deuterium (Chemical symbol D or 2H)' to diffuse more quickly through the expanded pores of MOFs in response to hydrogen gas adsorption.

This breakthrough comes from a recent study, led by Professor Hoi Ri Moon in the School of Natural Science at UNIST in collaboration with Professor Hyunchul Oh of Gyeongnam National University of Science and Technology (GNTECH), and Dr. Michael Hirscher of Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems. Published in the November 27th issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the study demonstrates the dynamic change of pore can provide the tremendous opportunity to separate mixtures of similar-sized and similar-shaped molecules that require precise pore tuning.

Flexible metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are unique class of materials that exhibit dynamic change of pore aperture, triggered by external stimuli. In Flexible MOFs, adsorption and desorption of guest molecules, changes in temperature, and even mechanical pressure result in the expansion and contraction of pore diameter, the process similar to the breathing mechanism.

In the study, the research team has experimentally investigated the dynamic breathing transition of the flexible MOF system, MIL-53(Al), for efficient hydrogen isotope separation. The study has attracted much attention in the academia as this is the first attempt to exploit the structural flexibility of MOFs caused by the breathing phenomenon for hydrogen isotope separation.

"Upon external stimuli, the flexible MOFs change their pore dimensions and this results in an effect, known as breathing where pores contract or expand as a response," says Jin Yeong Kim in the Combined M.S/Ph.D of Natural Science, the first author of the study. "With the help of this strategy, it is possible to selectively adsorb and desorb the desired gas components."

In the study, Professor Moon and her research team have challenged themselves in providing a strategy for effectively separating hydrogen isotopes through the dynamic pore change during the breathing of MIL-53(Al). The MIL-53(Al) is a representative of flexible MOFs with a network structure, resembling that of long rubber tube with both ends open.

At a cryogenic temperature (-233 C), narrow pores (0.26 nm, 1 nm = billionth of a meter) in MIL-53 (Al) have increased to large pores (0.85 nm) upon hydrogen gas adsorption. The expansion begins at the enterance and progapages to the center. Here, deuterium diffuses much more faster than hydrogen. The diffusion of deuterium occurs closer to the center where narrow pores are situated. As a result, only deuterium remains in MIL-35 (Al).

"There is a moment when the deuterium can be best picked out during the dynamic change of pore structure of the flexible metal-organic framework." says Professor Moon, the corresponding author of the paper. She adds, "If you grasp this moment, deuterium can be easily obtained at the highest efficiency without having to design and synthesize a complex separation system."

The researchers systematically adjusted the pore structure by changing the exposure temperature, pressure, and time to find the optimal pore structure of MIL-53(Al). As a result, a large amount of deuterium (12 mg) per 1 g of MIL-53 (Al) could be separated. For reference, in the previous study, the amount of deuterium separation were only 5 mg per gram of porous material.

"This study demonstrates the potential of a flexible metal-organic frameworks in the hydrogen isotope separation." says Professor Oh, the corresponding author of the paper. He adds, "This research will provide new ideas for developing an efficient system, exhibiting both high selectivity and separation capacity, for separathing gas mixture of atoms/molecules with similar size and shape."

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This study has been supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), funded by the Korean government (MSIP).

Journal Reference

Jin Yeong Kim, et al., "Selective Hydrogen Isotope Separation via Breathing Transition in MIL-53(Al)", J. Am. Chem. Soc., (2017).

Public Relations Team

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)

T. 052-217-1223

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joohyeonheo@unist.ac.kr

Off: Main Administration Bldg. 201, Room 407

Researcher Profile

Affiliation : School of Natural Science, UNIST

82-52-217-2928

hoirimoon@unist.ac.kr Professor Hyunchul Oh [co-corresponding author]

Affiliation : Department of Energy Engineering, GNTECH

82-55-751-3885

oh@gntech.ac.kr Dr. Michael Hirscher [co-corresponding author]

Affiliation : Max Planck Institute for Intelligent System, Germany

49-711-689-1808

hirscher@is.mpg.de Jin Yeong Kim [First Author]

Affiliation : School of Natural Science, UNIST

kjy892002@unist.ac.kr
Distinguished Professor Sang Il Seok in the School Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST has distinguished himself with inclusion in the 2017 list of Korean Scientists Awards.

Known as the Nobel Prize of S. Korea, Professor Seok has been honored with this award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the energy sector in both industry and academia by manufacturing the world's most efficient halide perovskite solar cells.

The award ceremony took place in Gwacheon National Science Museum, as part of the 2017 Outstanding Scientists Awards Ceremony on December 20, 2017.

Professor Sang Il Seok is a master of fusion research. Professor Seok received his B.Sc. in chemistry and his Ph.D. in inorganic materials engineering. His achievements in the field of hybrid solar cells that use both inorganic and organic components, are unequaled. Particularly, his achievements in contributing to the production of perovskite solar cells with enhanced performance has been recognized worldwide.

"Having majored in inorganic materials and a high level of understanding on organic materials have helped me achieve a new world record efficiency for perovskite solar cells," says Professor Seok.

The findings of his research have been appeared in a number of prestigious scientific journals, including Science and Nature. Particularly, his recent publications in March and June issues of the journal Science, have attracted a great deal of attention as a research to improve both the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells. These publications have been cited more than 5,000 times and have been playing a leading role in the related academic circles.

A new world-record efficiency of perovkite solar cells, which has been updated by Professor Seok for the 4th time still remans on the "Best Research-Cell Efficiencies" chart by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the United States.

"We have recently begun to challenge the perovskite solar cell commercialization," says Professor Seok. "Instead of remaining merely on paper, we will continue to work our way through our newly-started venture, Frontier Energy Solution Co., Ltd."

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A total of 18 outstanding scientists were awarded at the ceremony, which includes Korea ScienceEngineering Awards (4), Young Scientist Awards (5), as well as the Women Scientist of the Year (3). The event has been jointly organized by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), the Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), and the Center for Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology (WISET).
AMHERST, Mass. - Research teams, including one led by biostatistician Nicholas Reich at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, are participating in a national influenza forecasting challenge to try to predict the onset, progress and peaks of regional flu outbreaks to aid prevention and control. This year, the Reich Lab is leading an effort to improve the forecasting by increasing the collaboration between groups.

Reich explains, "Every year the Centers for Disease Control host a flu forecasting challenge. It's the most organized and public effort at forecasting any infectious disease anywhere in the world. Our lab is now in our third year of participating, and we find that each year we get a little better and learn a bit more."

"This year, we wanted to take it to the next level, so we worked with other teams year-round to develop a way that our models could work together to make a single best forecast for influenza. This entire effort is public, so anyone can go to the website and see the forecasts."

While this flu season has started earlier than usual in the northeastern and southern U.S. according to the most recent data, the forecasts are still showing a fair amount of uncertainty about how big a season it will be, says Reich. "The holiday season is a notoriously difficult time to forecast because typically fewer people go to the doctor, and yet everyone is traveling around spreading or being exposed to infections such as flu."

Reich and colleagues at UMass Amherst's School of Public Health and Health Sciences collaborate with teams at Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University and a group at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, in a group they have dubbed the "FluSight Network." It issues a new flu season forecast every Monday for public health researchers and practitioners that compares the flu trajectory this year to past years.

In a recent publication, Reich and colleagues state that their aim is to "combine forecasting models for seasonal influenza in the U.S. to create a single ensemble forecast. The central question is, can we provide better information to decision makers by combining forecasting models and specifically, by using past performance of the models to inform the ensemble approach." Reich adds, "We are working closely with our collaborators at the CDC to determine how to improve the timeliness and relevance of our forecasts."

To prepare for this flu season, he and colleagues spent many hours designing a standard structure that each team needed to use when submitting models. This allowed for comparison of methods over the past seven years of flu data in the U.S. They also conducted a cross-validation study of data from the past seven flu seasons to compare five different methods for combining models into a single ensemble forecast. They found that four of their collaborative ensemble methods had higher average scores than any of the individual models.

The team is now submitting forecasts from their best performing model and are posting them once a week this season to the CDC's 2017-18 FluSight Challenge. Reich estimates that there are about 20 teams this year participating in the CDC challenge nationwide, who produce about 30 different models. Each model forecasts the onset of the flu season, how it will progress over the coming few weeks, when it will peak, and how intense the peak will be compared to other seasons.

In a heavy flu season, between 5-12 percent of doctor's visits are for influenza-like-illness, and that number varies regionally in the U.S. This metric is one of the key indicators for the CDC of how bad the flu season is, and it is the measure used in the forecasting challenges.

Reich says, "Certainly for the CDC, there are policy decisions that could be impacted by these forecasts, including the timing of public communication about flu season starting and when to get vaccinated. Models can help with all of that. Also, hospitals often try to have enhanced precautions in place during a certain peak period for the disease. If you do that too early, or for too long, you run the risk of individuals getting tired of taking the extra time to comply with the policies."

Hospital epidemiologists and others responsible for public health decisions do not declare the onset of flu season lightly, Reich says. In hospitals, flu onset - a technical set of symptoms reported to physicians - triggers many extra time-consuming and costly precautions and procedures such as added gloves, masks and gowns, donning and doffing time, special decontamination procedures, increased surveillance and reduced visitor access, for example. There is also healthcare worker fatigue to consider. Hospitals want to be as effective and efficient as possible in their preparations and response to reduce time and money spent and worker burnout.

The public health effort to improve flu season forecasts is relatively recent, Reich says. "There has been tremendous progress in how we think about infectious disease forecasting in just the last five years," he notes. "If you compare that to something like weather forecasting, which has been going on for decades, we're in the middle of a long process of learning and improvement. Someday we might be able to imagine having a flu forecast on our smart phones that tells us, for example, it's an early season and I'd better get Mom to the clinic to get her vaccination early this year. We're close, but that's not here quite yet."

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Baltimore, Md., Dec. 22, 2017 - The GammaPod  - a first-of-its kind stereotactic radiotherapy system to treat early stage breast cancer - has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), paving the way for the manufacturer to bring the system to market for the treatment of breast cancer patients.

"We believe this novel radiotherapy system has the potential to change the paradigm for treating early stage tumors, negating the need for surgery for some patients," says GammaPod co-inventor William F. Regine, MD, FACR, FACRO, the Isadore & Fannie Schneider Foxman Endowed Chair and professor of radiation oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and chief of radiation oncology at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC).

"With this breast-specific treatment system, we will be able to deliver high-dose radiation to a tumor while minimizing damage to normal breast tissue and even more importantly, to major organs such as the heart and lungs," Dr. Regine says.

With advances in imaging and better screening, most breast cancers are diagnosed at an early stage, when the tumor is confined to the breast or nearby lymph nodes but has not spread to distant parts of the body. Patients typically have breast-conserving surgery to remove the tumor (and any lymph nodes where cancer is detected), followed by three to six weeks of radiation.

Invented by scientists at UMSOM, the GammaPod system has been under development for nearly a decade. The prototype was installed and tested at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC).

"The GammaPod has the potential to significantly shorten the treatment time to a few sessions or possibly even one treatment," says inventor Cedric X. Yu, DSc, a clinical professor of radiation oncology at UMSOM and chief executive officer of Xcision Medical Systems, LLC, which he founded in 2006. "We envision that one day we'll be able to neutralize a tumor with a high dose of focused radiation instead of removing it with a scalpel. This approach would spare patients the negative side effects of surgery and prolonged radiation treatments, significantly improving their quality of life."

Armed with data from a feasibility and safety study, Xcision Medical Systems, a Columbia, Md.-based company that manufactures the GammaPod, sought permission from the FDA this fall to begin marketing the system to hospitals and other medical facilities. The FDA granted the company 510(k) clearance today.

Radiation oncologists at UMMC expect to be able to offer the treatment to breast cancer patients in spring 2018.

Stereotactic radiation therapy is most commonly used to treat brain cancer and cancers in other parts of the body, such as the lung, spine and liver, where it is called stereotactic body radiation therapy, or SBRT. It delivers a high-dose of radiation directly to the tumor, sparing nearby healthy tissue, in far fewer treatments than standard radiation therapy. The GammaPod enables this technology to be used for breast cancer.

The GammaPod system targets a tumor with thousands of precisely focused beams of radiation from 36 rotating sources. A patient is treated lying on her stomach with her breast immobilized by a patented vacuum-assisted cup, which is locked into the treatment couch. The couch moves during treatment as radiation "paints" the tumor. Treatments take five minutes to 40 minutes, depending on the therapy plan.

The machine gets its name from the type of radiation (gamma rays) and the pod-like shape of the machine.

As part of the FDA review process, UMSOM investigators submitted data from 15 patients treated with the GammaPod in a feasibility and safety study, starting in early 2016. Patients received a single "boost" treatment with GammaPod to the site where their tumor was removed, along with three weeks of traditional radiation treatments to the whole breast. The total treatment regimen was reduced by three to four treatments.

Initial results indicate that the GammaPod system can deliver radiation to the breast safely, according to the study's principal investigator, Elizabeth M. Nichols, MD, an assistant professor of radiation oncology and clinical director of the Department of Radiation Oncology at UMSOM.

"The GammaPod delivers a uniform dose to the tumor but the amount of radiation drops off rapidly outside the targeted area with a substantially reduced dose to healthy breast tissue. We believe that this reduced exposure will result in better cosmetic outcomes for patients," says Dr. Nichols, a radiation oncologist who treats patients at the UMGCCC and the Maryland Proton Treatment Center.

In upcoming clinical trials, researchers will investigate various ways to use the GammaPod before and after surgery, gauging its effectiveness in reducing the size of a tumor to be removed or giving a sufficient dose to destroy it. They will also seek to identify subgroups of patients who may not require surgery after treatment.

"Dr. Yu is a brilliant scientist and inventor who holds more than 20 patents for technology advances in radiation oncology that have had a significant impact on how we treat cancer. He has shown tremendous vision and tenacity in his quest to bring this first-of-a-kind device to market for the benefit of breast cancer patients," says UMSOM Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, executive vice president for medical affairs at the University of Maryland and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor. "The development of the GammaPod represents the extraordinary innovation and entrepreneurial spirit that we foster through our faculty at the University of Maryland School of Medicine."

###

DISCLOSURE: Dr. Yu and Dr. Regine are inventors of GammaPod with patent rights and are also shareholders of Xcision Medical Systems, LLC, which manufactures the device. Dr. Yu is Xcision's founder and chief executive officer.

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Commemorating its 210th Anniversary, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 43 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs; and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished recipient of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research. With an operating budget of more than $1 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic and clinically-based care for more than 1.2 million patients each year. The School has over 2,500 students, residents, and fellows, and nearly $450 million in extramural funding, with more than half of its academic departments ranked in the top 20 among all public medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total workforce of nearly 7,000 individuals. The combined School and Medical System ("University of Maryland Medicine") has a total budget of $5 billion and an economic impact of nearly $15 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine faculty, which ranks as the 8th-highest public medical school in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu/

About the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center

The University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore. The center is a joint entity of the University of Maryland Medical Center and University of Maryland School of Medicine. It offers a multidisciplinary approach to treating all types of cancer and has an active cancer research program. It is ranked among the top cancer programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. http://www.umgccc.org.
December 26, 2017 - As 2017 comes to a close, many states have enacted laws and regulations expanding access to healthcare provided by advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), according to the 30th Annual Legislative Update in the January issue of The Nurse Practitioner, published by Wolters Kluwer.

"In 2017, over 20 states reported passage of legislation positively impacting access to and delivery of healthcare nationwide," writes Susanne J. Phillips, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP, of the University of California, Irvine, in her annual report on legislative developments affecting APRN practice. The report describes national efforts to move individual states toward providing full practice authority (FPA) to APRNs: nurses with advanced degrees and clinical experience who play a critical role in improving access to healthcare in a wide range of settings.

More States Increase Practice Authority and Access to APRN Care

Dr. Phillips highlights in particular the "substantial and successful" efforts in moving toward FPA in two states: South Dakota and Illinois. With some important differences, both states expand the scope of practice for APRNs who meet criteria for training and clinical experience.

With these changes, APRNs now have full, autonomous practice and prescribing authority in 25 states and the District of Columbia, in some cases after a period of supervision or collaboration with a physician. In the remaining states, APRNs continue to practice under the supervision or in collaboration with physicians.

Reflecting intensified efforts to respond to the ongoing opioid crisis, several states enacted new laws or regulations on prescribing of controlled substances. Two states, California and Oregon, passed legislation bringing nurse practitioners' role into line with the federal Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. These laws clarify the role of nurse practitioners in prescribing buprenorphine: a medication that is an important part of treatment for opioid use disorders.

Other new legislation affecting APRN practice includes:

Changes in practice authority, including several states where APRNs are now authorized to recommend (though not prescribe) medical marijuana for patients with a qualifying condition. Other states broadened APRNs' "signature authority" for specific purposes, notably including the authority to sign death certificates.

Progress in adoption of the "APRN Consensus Model"--a set of recommendations to achieve uniformity in regulating APRN practice. Currently, 15 states have fully implemented the Consensus Model. In 2017, several states adopted new elements of the Consensus Model.

Other changes affecting nurse practitioners' authority to be co-owners of medical practices (Oregon) and to be reimbursed for telemedicine services (Vermont).

Advanced practice registered nurses--including nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives--are a critical part of efforts to ensure and expand access to high-quality, cost-effective healthcare. The Nurse Practitioner's Annual Legislative Update provides a milestone marking nationwide efforts to take full advantage of the care provided by APRNs as they improve access to healthcare one state at a time.

Dr. Phillips acknowledges the dedicated efforts of professional APRN organizations and state Boards of Nursing as they work toward the ultimate goal of full practice authority for APRNs in every state. She comments, "While progress may not always be as fast as we would like, this annual update documents the expanding role of APRNs in meeting the healthcare needs of all Americans."

###

Click here to read the "30th Annual APRN Legislative Update: Improving access to healthcare one state at a time."

DOI: 10.1097/01.NPR.0000527569.36428.ed

About The Nurse Practitioner

With a circulation of 75,000, The Nurse Practitioner is the leading monthly source for clinical, practical, cutting-edge information for advanced practice nurses and other primary care clinicians. Each issue presents peer-reviewed articles that range from clinical topics and research to political and practice issues. In addition, The Nurse Practitioner provides regular features, columns, continuing education, staff development education, and more. In addition, The Nurse Practitioner,/i> holds a biannual educational meeting--the National Conference for Nurse Practitioners (NCNP)--which draws approximately 3,000 attendees annually.

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer N.V. (AEX: WKL) is a global leader in information services and solutions for professionals in the health, tax and accounting, risk and compliance, finance and legal sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services.

Wolters Kluwer reported 2016 annual revenues of 4.3 billion. The company, headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries and employs 19,000 people worldwide.

Wolters Kluwer Health is a leading global provider of information and point of care solutions for the healthcare industry. For more information about our products and the organization, visit http://www.wolterskluwer.com/, follow @WKHealth or @Wolters_Kluwer on Twitter, like us on Facebook, follow us on LinkedIn, or follow WoltersKluwerComms on YouTube.

For more information about Wolters Kluwer's solutions and organization, visit http://www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Bill Harrison wasnt keen on the idea of wrapping presents for the Elf Louise Christmas Project when his then-wife pointed out an ad for the charitable organization in the newspaper.

But Harrison relented and trailed his wife to an Elf Louise meeting where he met Louise Locker, who founded the organization while she was a Trinity University student in 1968 to provide toys for needy children during the holiday season. Harrison, a retired U.S. Air Force personnel officer, then ran into a friend from his Air Force days who was involved with the organization. The friend implored Harrison to take over for a volunteer who had hurt her back.

Two years later in 1992, Harrison became executive director for the Elf Louise Christmas Project.

The Air Force veteran, who also served as the projects board chairman for roughly 15 years, oversees a group of about 30 core volunteers that work year-round to raise funds, find a spot for the project to operate out of and secure a supply of toys large enough to serve thousands of impoverished families in the San Antonio area who cant afford holiday gifts. This year, the project has raised more than $200,000.

Harrison, 78, sat down with the Express-News on Dec. 6 at Elf Louises temporary warehouse at Port San Antonio. Here is an edited transcript of the interview.

Q: Walk me through how Elf Louise prepares for the holiday season.

A: First, we start out with our budget for the year. Past experience tells us that X number of families is going to equal X number of toys needed. Its going to cost us X number of dollars.

Now Playing: Business reporter Joshua Fechter sat down to talk with Bill Harrison, the executive director of the Elf Louise Christmas Project. Video: San Antonio Express-News

Then, we have to find the toys. Our first source for that is the people at H-E-B let us use their purchasing power to buy toys at a greatly reduced wholesale rate. They actually purchase them for us, they bring them over from China as most toys do.

To house the operation, we need about 50,000 square feet, at a minimum. Thats one of the things were starting to look at, even back in March and April of the next year, were looking for a home.

In about April or May, the way we get our applications from the families is through 193 social service agencies, schools, San Antonio Housing Authority, hospitals, clinics. They actually know who the less fortunate families are.

By Oct. 2 of this year, we had over 7,000 applications, which in the final analysis will work its way down to about 5,700 families that we will actually be serving presents to.

Then, were at this point where we are wrapping gifts this week. Well have 449 Santa routes. Some of the Santas come back year after year, some of them come back every night to help us do the deliveries. And well work our way up to Dec. 23, which is our last day of deliveries. Then well start breaking everything down so that we can get out of here. We have to be out of here by Jan. 15. And by that time, its ready to start 2018.

More Information Quick facts about Harrison How do you start your day: First things first, I gotta answer all our emails. We get between 50 and 60 emails every day. Things like requesting a Santa route so that they can deliver presents, or that they want a reservation for the rec room, or the client wants to change their address. There's a lot of important things going on at this particular time of the season. I get up at about 5:00, 5:30, something like that, have breakfast, head for the post office to pick up our mail because that is another very important aspect of the operation at this time of year. Then I come on down here to the office. That all takes about two hours from the time I get up to have breakfast and then get down here. What book are you reading right now: "Red Storm Rising" by Tom Clancy Favorite restaurant: Maggiano's Little Italy First job with paycheck: I went right from college after I graduated from ROTC right into the Air Force and spent 28 years as a personnel officer in the United States Air Force. Passion/hobby outside of work: I'm the chorus manager for the San Antonio Symphony Mastersingers. Singing is a big passion of mine and my wife's. If you had to choose an entirely different career in an entirely different industry, what would it be: I think I would have liked to have been a choral director and gone through the education of becoming a director of chorus. See More Collapse

Q: Youre serving about 5,700 families this year. How many volunteers and toys does that translate to?

A: Thats about 60,000 toys to serve, what it boils down to, over the years, we find out that the average San Antonio less fortunate family has 3.2 children. And thats how we do the math to figure out what our needs out.

Youll see 100 volunteers in here, right now, wrapping. And every two hours, we replenish that 100 people. Over the period of this week, well have about 2,000 to 2,500 people that wrap the gifts. Then, a Santa team can be anything from a minimum of three people to however many elves you want.

When its all said and done, well have about 4,500 to 5,000 volunteers walk through this door right over here behind you, this year, to work this project.

Q: How would you say your experience in the Air Force prepared you for the Elf Louise position?

A: I think the two keys are management and organizing. And leadership, certainly. Being an Air Force officer, I learned an awful lot about leading people doing their jobs. Actually, in many respects, its easier and better to have all volunteers because we all want to do the same thing to make Elf Louise a success and to serve less fortunate families in the community.

Q: Over the course of your tenure here, what observations do you have about poverty in San Antonio?

A: I wish I could say the poverty situation has improved. I wish I could say that each of the clients that we have served over the years would pull themselves out of the predicaments theyre in. But, the sad story is that we see just an awful lot of return clients each year.

We work with some other agencies within the city. But, I dont think we come close to serving all of the families that really wont have a Christmas without some help.

Q: Have you ever had to fire or lay someone off?

A: Yep. We had a lady who was just the nicest lady that we could possibly have. She would bring food in for us for lunches for the elves as they were in the office. Each day shed bring some nice little goodie, soup or sandwiches. And somebody came up to me and said, You need to go watch, whatever her name was, as she leaves. What was happening was that she was bringing in food in these bags and things like that, and then she was filling up the bags with toys and gifts, and taking them out.

Come to find out, she had three daughters, and what they were doing was they were taking the children from all three of the daughters and putting them in four applications. In other words, grandmother and the three daughters all had an application, and all 12 children were on that application, all four applications. We had to kind of ask her to never see us again. There are people that are trying to take advantage of us, but it doesnt happen very often. But when it does, were having to take that kind of action.

Q: How do you deal with that personally?

A: Not well. That is always a tough one, particularly when were all volunteering, were all trying to help other people, and then heres one thats trying to just help herself. I hate to say this, but Im afraid its almost a part of the social structure of our community where people grow up with an attitude of not necessarily making it on their own, but getting whatever they can from somebody else, or from some other agency, or from whatevers free and easy, but not necessarily earning that themselves.

Q: Have you ever had a project that completely bombed? If so, how did you recover and what lessons did you learn?

A: One day I came to the office and found out that somebody had rifled all of the checks out of our desk drawers. Luckily, we had removed all the cash but we had all these checks. We found them two months later down in Leon Creek. Somebody found them and realized that somebody had just discarded them because it was no good to anybody to have a check made out to Elf Louise. That was a disaster, but you guys handled that beautifully in the paper, and it really helped us because a lot of the people came back to us and said, Well, I gave you a check around that time, and my check hasnt cleared the bank, and so heres another one.

Another incident was when we were working out of a store front or group of store fronts over on Austin Highway. We had a gentleman come check out a Santa suit and his 10 bags of presents for his families. About three hours later, we had the police notify us that one of our Santas had just robbed a bank over on Broadway. He took the suit and presents and everything, and robbed the bank. We had to reconstitute the entire route. We knew exactly all the families that he had stolen the presents for so we were able to really quickly rewrap all the presents, make up an entire new route, and then one of our core volunteers dressed up as Santa Claus and took that route out. Never did recover any of that.

I think if you organize properly, plan properly, you can prevent that kind of thing.

Q: What qualities are you looking for when youre interviewing people or when youre trying to find volunteers?

A: With the volunteers, or for anybody that is looking to be a core volunteer or have one of the functions like running the wrap room, or running our routes, or dressing our Santas and things like that, is a love of the project and wanting to serve people without remuneration or without any kind of feedback, necessarily. Because we have some nasty jobs, like just nothing but data entering. Yet we have some people that just jump all over that kind of stuff and it takes a certain personality to do that type of work.

Q: Anything you want to add about the organization?

A:

It means so much to children that you would think, in todays age, that most of the children would not even have any idea about Santa Claus at all; that since their parents werent going to be able to do anything about it, then they probably wouldnt be advertising that Santa Claus is going to come down your chimney. Yet here comes Santa Claus. We know weve changed a lot of lives. I dont know how many years ago it was, but we were at a Builders Square store over off of Walzem Road. A lady came in and she said, I need some help bringing some toys in.

I took one of the carts out to the car. We filled that, and I said, Boy, theres still some more. Do we need another cart? I took out the second cart. We filled that, and finally, we were down to the point where we could just carry the rest of the toys in, and I happened to notice a bill or a receipt that had fallen down into the toys. It was for over $800 from Walmart. I said, Any particular reason or group that youre representing here? And she says, No, I got my first Christmas from Elf Louise, and Im trying to pay back. That was one of the most moving experiences that Ive ever had. It changes everything in your perspective each year when we have something like that happen and we always do.

Joshua Fechter is a staff writer for the San Antonio Express-News. Read more of his stories here. | jfechter@express-news.net | Twitter: @JFreports
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HOUSTON  The cost of Hurricane Harveys wrath on the states prison system has crossed the $8 million mark, with damage more widespread than initially reported.

Five units evacuated, at least 25 more lost power and some had roof damage, including the facility in Rosharon, where the Ramsey Unit alone needed more than $600,000 in repairs.

The rising waters of the Brazos River forced the relocation of nearly 7,000 prisoners and parolees, requiring the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to shell out close to $2.7 million in overtime pay to move prisoners.

Hurricane Harvey was a terrible natural disaster which presented the agency with a monumental challenge, TDCJ Executive Director Bryan Collier wrote in an employee newsletter after the storm. Only through the Herculean effort of our employees was success made possible.

But three months later, theres still dispute about what really happened during the storm, with the National Lawyers Guild taking preliminary steps toward a lawsuit after some inmates described brutal conditions, as others  including TDCJ  offered less dire accounts.

Rising to challenge

The day before Harvey made landfall, TDCJ started staging transport buses and staff in Huntsville and Beeville in anticipation of possible evacuations. Prisoners in Garza East and West, Torres and Ferguson units made sandbags, according to a TDCJ cost survey report obtained through an open records request.

To move thousands of prisoners with such scant notice, TDCJ called in most of its transport fleet and packed prisoners onto 77 buses and other transport vans. They shipped emergency supplies, bottled water, ice and sandbags to affected areas.

Early on, the department evacuated Stringfellow, Terrell and Ramsey prisons, and days later they cleared out the Jester III and Vance units as well.

The department also moved more than 5,700 heads of cattle, 629 swine and 54 horses to higher ground.

Crops werent as easy to save, however, and the agribusiness division ended up losing some $500,000 in cotton alone, roughly 40 percent of the years yield. And 300 acres of unharvested corn and other vegetables also was ruined by floodwaters.

Even though Harvey dumped far more rain than Hurricane Rita, it netted less damage to the prison system, according to TDCJ spokesman Jason Clark. The 2005 storm caused around $10 million in damage, primarily at the Stiles Unit in Beaumont.

Harvey totaled just over $800,000 in damage to facilities, primarily at the Ramsey Unit in Rosharon, where the maintenance shop required more than $400,000 in repairs.

Garza East and West in Beeville had minor roof damage, while Luther Unit in Navasota sustained minor ceiling damage. Terrell Unit in Rosharon lost two transformers to the storm, while the North Houston parole building needed roof and ceiling repairs, along with tile replacement for the flooded floor.

Flood of complaints

The costs of the storm could continue to rise, however, if any of the slew of inmate claims coalesce into credible legal cases.

Although complaints of waterlogged cells and no water for inmates first surfaced in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, a growing number of similar claims have since flooded activist and legal groups tracking the post-storm conditions.

Because prisoners have to exhaust the internal grievance process before filing suit, it could be months before most Harvey-related litigation starts hitting the federal docket, but the National Lawyers Guilds Prisoners Legal Advocacy Network said its gathering complaints for possible legal action.

Ive heard from so many prisoners in Texas, PLAN attorney Stanley Holdorf said. Ive never seen this volume of letters from inmates.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ike in 2008, more than 130 Beaumont-area prisoners filed suits, alleging they should have been evacuated and that the post-storm living conditions violated their civil rights.

Most of the suits appear to have been dismissed, according to Holdorf, who attributed it primarily to the lack of legal representation.

In September, the advocacy network posted online a strongly worded letter to TDCJ outlining inmate complaints. The stark claims include everything from mail service disruptions to lack of food to inmates living in their own waste without water in the Beaumont-area facilities that didnt evacuate.

In addition to the more than 100 inmate letters collected by the NLG, the Austin Anarchist Black Cross has also fielded a slew of prisoner complaints, offering a similar stream of allegations.

A striking pattern was the lack of water distribution in Stiles Unit, said Marissa Levy with the Austin-based collective. Some reported getting two water bottles a day. We even got reports of some people saying it was so bad they were vomiting.

The reports came in response to roughly 100 surveys the activist group sent to prisoners from Beaumont to Huntsville to Rosharon. About 30 responded.

Although some reported water flooding and pooling in their cells, others denied it.

No flooding in my cell or unit to my knowledge, one Stiles prisoner wrote.

Looking ahead

Clark challenged the prisoners claims, pointing out that many of those who responded didnt live on the ground floor where flooding would have occurred. Previously, Clark pushed back against claims about food and water shortages and insufficient toilet access.

Lance Lowry, then-president of the Texas Correctional Employees union in Huntsville, concurred with Clarks statements debunking unit flooding.

I visited the Stiles Unit shortly afterward, he said. There may have been some leaky roofs and stuff like that, but actual floodwaters getting inside  that didnt happen.

Even so, Lowry said, prisoners should have been moved, given the unpredictable nature of storms and storm surge.

The big cover-up is they didnt have the staff to move them, he said.

In early September, Lowry said several hundred officers were unable to make it into work at Beaumont-area facilities during the storm because of road flooding. A few absences, Lowry said, can create a dire situation at units that already are understaffed.

Right after the storm, Clark said Lowrys estimate on the number of absences seemed inflated, pointing out that TDCJ shipped in more than 90 officers from across the state to help. But Lowry insisted, citing Google Earth images showing nearly empty parking lots during the storm.

We definitely need a better contingency plan in the future, he said. Were playing Russian roulette. Its just a matter of time till we have the right combination of events and have a catastrophe.
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Four of the San Antonio Police Departments policies regulating body-worn cameras fail to meet civil rights safeguards established by a coalition of human rights organizations, according to a recent report.

Among the practices that The Leadership Conference and Upturn discourage  but is allowed by SAPD  is the ability for police officers to review body-worn camera footage before writing an incident report or composing a statement about use of force.

Departments often justify unrestricted footage review policies by arguing that it allows officers to write more accurate reports, but in our view, these policies just create an illusion of accuracy, Harlan Yu, executive director of Upturn, said in a conference call after the report was released.

By allowing officers to review footage before they write their initial incident reports, it makes it easier for them to act for the camera and to create false beliefs about what truly happened, Yu continued. And it turns body-worn cameras into a tool that primarily serve the police rather than tools for police accountability.

That said, the practice is not unusual. The vast majority of police departments in 75 of the nations largest jurisdictions allow officers unrestricted review of camera footage, the report states.

More Information How does SAPD compare? National civil rights groups advocate for eight body-worn camera practices. SAPD's policy meets three criteria and does not comply with others. SAPD's policy: Makes the department's policy readily available Limits officer discretion on when to record Protects footage from tampering and misuse SAPD's policy does not: Prohibit officer from viewing footage before a statement Limit retention of footage Make footage available to individuals filing complaints Limit biometric searching of footage, like facial recognition Address personal privacy concerns.* *The report said SAPD's policy mentioned the importance of personal privacy but offered vague guidance on when officers must not record. See More Collapse

In Texas, the state House of Representatives enacted a provision in 2015 that requires agencies to allow police officers to have access to any recording of an incident before the officer makes a statement.

The Texas law, Yu said, binds the hands of police departments, adding that even if there is a department that wants to do better, they cant because of state law.

When asked if San Antonio Police Chief William McManus would change the policy if he could, spokeswoman Sgt. Michelle Ramos said McManus was unavailable for comment.

According to the report, its also important for body-worn camera policies to make footage available to individuals filing complaints. SAPDs policy does not expressly allow the release of this footage, the report says.

In an email, Ramos said the department does make the footage available through an open records request.

The report  co-written by The Leadership Conference, a coalition of 200 human rights groups nationwide, and Upturn, a nonprofit focused on social justice and technology research  commends SAPD on three of its policies.

They include: A body-worn camera policy that is public and easily accessible, guidelines limiting officer discretion on when to record, and mechanisms that protect footage from tampering and misuse.

In its third year, the report was established after high-profile incidents in Ferguson, Missouri; Staten Island, New York; Baltimore; and elsewhere. At the time, many cities were adopting body-worn cameras for their officers in hopes of providing more transparency.

The Leadership Conference, together with civil rights, privacy and media groups, convened and established a list of eight criteria they felt were most important to highlight.

Some departments do well in some areas but falter in others and vice versa, Yu said. I think for body-worn cameras to actually provide accountability and transparency, departments really need to satisfy each one of our eight criteria.

On the forefront

The San Antonio Police Department began rolling out body-worn cameras well before many major cities.

In January 2014, McManus wrote in a memo to City Manager Sheryl Sculley that SAPD was considering a 12-month pilot program using body-worn cameras.

By March, SAPD began testing six different camera models. Early on, the department crafted a policy dictating when officers should begin and end recording, when it was not appropriate to record, who could access the records and how long the video would be retained. (The report, though, said some of the policies were vague or not specific enough.)

On Aug. 9 of that year, Michael Brown was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, prompting several departments, including those in Washington, Los Angeles and New York, to test body-worn cameras.

Former President Barack Obama was a major advocate for the technology, proposing a plan that would reimburse communities for half the costs of the cameras.

In San Antonio, the police department felt the pilot program was successful, and in August 2015, the City Council approved a budget that included $3 million in spending to deploy cameras to 1,500 officers.

Soon after, the U.S. Department of Justice awarded the San Antonio Police Department, along with departments in Chicago; Detroit; Miami; and Washington, D.C., a $1 million grant to further equip police officers with body cameras.

Around the same time, The Leadership Conference convened to draft a set of policies to ensure the devices would be used appropriately nationwide. It released its first report that year.

Sakira Cook, a policy lawyer for The Leadership Conference, said during the recent conference call that implementation of policy changes has been slow.

This year, for example, half of the departments surveyed had no score change over the year before. Roughly 35 percent made minor policy improvements, and 14 percent of departments made their policies worse, by The Leadership Conference standards.

Cook said another trend that is concerning, besides the ability of officers to view footage before writing a report, is that only 9 percent of departments surveyed place limits on the use of facial recognition within their camera systems.

This is particularly egregious because it points to a trend of using these cameras as surveillance tools, rather than as a tool of increasing police officer accountability, she said.

Moving forward, the researchers said they hope the departments will use these metrics to measure themselves and implement change where necessary.

Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference, said city councils and state legislatures can help push for better policies. But ultimately, body-worn cameras in and of themselves are not a panacea.

These cameras are just a tool, not a substitute, for broader reform needed to address police misconduct, build trust between police and communities of color and ultimately fix our broken justice system, Gupta said.

Emilie Eaton is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | eeaton@express-news.net | @emilieeaton
AUSTIN  Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton have showcased their support for Israel with trips there to promote business development and cultural ties, at a cost to taxpayers of more than $156,000 for travel by their state security details.

Nearly half of that tally  $74,546.87  was billed by the state detail that protected Paxton on a trip in late May and early June.

Paxton was part of a National Association of Attorneys General delegation on a weeklong trip to Israel. It included seven attorneys general.

His wife, Angela  now a state Senate candidate  accompanied him, and they extended their stay for a week beyond the delegation trip, according to a Paxton campaign spokesman.

Paxtons direct travel costs were paid by the America-Israel Friendship League, and the attorney general paid personally for his wifes costs, said the spokesman, Matt Welch.

Texas has a unique relationship with Israel, Welch said. We are a significant economic partner with Israel.

Welch pointed out that security decisions, as they are with others officials staffs, are made by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Security is seen as increasingly necessary for state officials, and the travel costs for the officers who protect leaders are tallied quarterly and made public by the DPS.

Former Gov. Rick Perrys travel included a 2007 trip to Israel and Jordan at a travel cost for his security team of $29,202.36, and a 2013 trip to Israel with a $13,582.09 travel cost for his security detail. Before him, then-Gov. George W. Bush made a trip to Israel in 1998 before launching his presidential bid.

Abbotts direct travel costs for a two-day visit to Israel in January 2016  part of a trip that also included Switzerland  were paid by the economic development entity overseen by his office, a spokeswoman said. That office isnt funded by state tax dollars.

But the security details travel expense, which is covered by state taxpayers, was $31,983.98 for the Israel part of the trip, according to DPS records.

The security details travel costs include such items as transportation, lodging and food, but not salaries or overtime.

Texas maintains a long and productive partnership with Israel, our countrys strongest ally in the Middle East. As Israels No. 1 trading partner in the United States, Texas has a strong interest in their economic success, and Governor Abbott is proud to have further developed our partnership with Israel to advance these interests. Both Texas and Israel have demonstrated a firm commitment to growing this relationship, and Governor Abbott looks forward to continuing those efforts, said Abbott spokeswoman Ciara Matthews.

The direct expenses for Patricks seven-day trip to Israel in 2016 were paid by the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association, according to his spokesman, Alejandro Garcia. The travel cost for his security detail totaled $49,800.03, according to DPS.

Patrick was among a number of lieutenant governors on the trip, which drew particular attention because he was baptized in the Jordan River while there.

It was a truly life-changing trip, Patrick said on Facebook at the time.

Patrick backed a measure approved by the Legislature this year and signed into law by Abbott to keep the state from investing in companies that boycott Israel. The law also requires contractors doing business with cities, counties or school districts to affirm that they will not boycott Israel.

While Abbott, Patrick and Paxton are the only statewide officials with a regular security detail reported by DPS, they arent the only ones to travel to Israel.

Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller also went there this year. He paid for the trip through his campaign, according to his political consultant, Todd Smith.

Miller had no state security detail, but he didnt go unprotected, Smith said. Off-duty members of the Israeli Defense Forces volunteered to protect him and those with him, Smith said.

They volunteered their services because they are such big fans of Commissioner Miller. They knew he was a strong advocate for strengthening ties between Texas and Israel, Smith said.

Texas officials longstanding support for Israel has been highlighted as President Donald Trump has stirred the international pot by recognizing Jerusalem as its capital.

Abbott issued a statement of support for the move in early December, and Patrick was among those signing a Republican Lieutenant Governors Association letter commending the move Thursday.

Miller supported Trump for president in part because of his promise to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital, Smith said.

Rice University political scientist Mark Jones  who said the security expense is simply the cost of doing business if you want representative government  called trips to Israel primarily symbolic.

Israel is a longstanding ally of the United States in a volatile region, and so thats one reason to go, Jones said. The other reason to go is that there is very strong support for Israel among evangelical Christians who represent a large proportion of Republican primary voters and also are a significant source of electoral support for Republicans in the general election.

Peggy Fikac is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | pfikac@express-news.net | @pfikac
UK food and drink exports are surging, according to the latest figures released by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

Exports were up by nearly 15 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2017, and export growth was particularly strong to countries outside the European Union - providing some encouragement for those who are concerned about the country's prospects post-Brexit.

Exports to non-EU countries were up by more than 18 per cent in the three months between July and September.

The figures were released as the UK Government prepared to embark on negotiations to set out the UK's future relationship with the remaining members of the EU.

European Union negotiators finally agreed to move onto trade negotiations following agreement on the first stage of the Brexit negotiations - on the divorce bill the UK will pay, on the future rights of EU citizens and on the Irish border.

The UK says it wants to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, although the Government has continued to insist that the UK will leave both the customs union and the single market when it withdraws from the European Union in 2019.

Important market

Farmers' leaders have been warning that the European Union is the UK's most important market for the UK food sector.

However, the FDF figures show that, although the EU still accounts for the biggest share of food and drink exports, the share taken by non-EU markets is increasing.

Non-EU markets now take 41.2 per cent of exports, although supporters of the single market will point to the fact that the EU still takes 58.8 per cent of the UK's food and drink exports.

Non-EU countries are amongst the fastest growing markets for food and drink. The Philippines, Iceland and South Korea were the fastest growing markets in the third quarter, according to the figures.

An increase of 289 per cent in exports to the Phillipines was led by higher demand for UK animal feed, pork, whisky, cheese and salmon.

Exports to Latvia were up 116 per cent, boosted by sales of whisky, wine, gin and fish fillets. Higher demand for breakfast cereals, soft drinks, chocolate and fruit contributed to the overall increase in food and drink exports to Iceland.

Butter and spreads were amongst the beneficiaries of an increase in exports to South Korea following a free trade deal with the EU. The top exports to Romania were whisky, chicken and cheese.

The fastest growing export products overall in the first three quarters of 2017 were liquid milk and cream - up more than 73 per cent on the previous year - butter and spreads - up 58 per cent - and vegetable oil - up 46.5 per cent.

Chinese target market

China was identified as one of the top three target markets for food and drink companies, according to a survey carried out by Grant Thornton on behalf of the FDF.

The latest figures show that China was one of the higher growth markets from January to September 2017. Export growth to China was up by 38 per cent in the first three quarters of 2017 - rising to 420 million from 305 million during the same period last year.

The importance of food and drink exports was recognised recently when Greg Clark, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, included the sector in the Government's new industrial strategy. A new food and drink sector council will be created as part of the strategy.

This move was welcomed recently by Defra Secretary Michael Gove when he spoke at the CLA rural business conference.

"Our exports now surpass 20 billion for the first time, up by nearly 10 per cent on the last year," he said. "That growth has been built on the reputation for quality built by people in this room.

"The food chain brings 110 billion to the UK economy," he said. "Food and drink is our biggest manufacturing sector.

"That is why I am so delighted that in the industrial strategy published by my colleague Greg Clark recognised the vital importance of food and drink, with a new food and drink sector council.

"This council will help pair the way for a for a food and drink sector deal in order to ensure that responsibility for effectively marketing and supporting primary producers and others is at the heart of the governments industrial strategy.

Lower quality

Concerns have been raised by farmers' leaders that the UK could be opened up to imports of lower quality, lower welfare food in any free trade agreements struck with non-EU countries.

US president Donald Trump's commerce secretary Wilbur Ross told business leaders at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) conference in London that any post-Brexit deal with Washington would hinge on the UK scrapping rules set by Brussels, including regulations governing imports of chlorinated chicken. Chlorine-washed chicken is currently banned by the EU.

But Michael Gove told those attending the CLA conference: "When we talk about the industrial strategy it is important to recognise that we are not just world leaders in the way in which food and drink has grown as an export in the course of the last couple of years. We are world leaders in terms of quality.

"We have the worlds highest animal welfare standards, we are moving towards having the worlds most ambitious environmental goals and also embedding the most rigorous approach towards sustainability.

"All these are good in themselves but it is also the case that they can provide us with an advantage in the market place for food and drink. Increasingly consumers - not just in this country but across the world - are demanding higher quality food."

The food we buy

Mr Gove added that consumers want to know more about the meat they buy, the milk they drink, the provenance of their vegetables, the carbon cost of production, the weight of the footprint left on the planet by particular farming methods and the circumstances under which animals were reared during their lives.

"Not to mention the way in which their lives end," he said.

"The more specific the story we can tell about the care invested in the food we produce the more we actually reinforce our competitive edge Because if we make quality our hallmark we can secure farmings future.

"So when it comes to finding an edge in an ever more competitive world of food and drink, we need to recognise its in goods recognised for their exceptional quality and special distinctive provenance that will become market leaders."

The FDF says it is currently developing proposals as part of the Government's industrial strategy to boost specialist export support with an aim of delivering ambitious long-term export targets.
Campaign putting spotlight on stress levels in farming gets new boost
Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor's little munchkin recently attended the Christmas celebrations at Shashi Kapoor's residence. Clad in green t-shirt with Snowman print, Taimur looked really adorable.

And this is the first time the star kid was pictured with his uncle Ranbir Kapoor. And we must tell you that this is one of the cutest pictures of Taimur Ali Khan.

Look Who Posted This Picture Neetu Kapoor shared this picture with her fans and wrote, ''The  of the Christmas lunch .'' Well, we totally agree with her. Lovely Picture Karisma is seen here with her children, Samiera and Kiaan, with Taimur and Krishna Raj Kapoor. Karisma shared the picture with the caption, "With the grand lady  #greatgrandma#greatgrandkids#christmascheer#familylunch." Inside Picture Karisma Kapoor shared one more inside picture from the family function and posted, ''#christmaslunch#family.'' Here's One More The youngsters of the family are posing together for a picture. Karisma wrote,'' #cousinswith the #cutie#christmascheer#familylunch#funtimealways.'' Taimur With His Uncles The Kapoor cousin pictured having fun with cutie Taimur. Armaan Jain posted this picture and captioned it, ''Merry Christmas lil T .'' Taimur's First Steps Before attending the lunch, Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan posed with the paparazzi with chotte nawab Taimur Ali Khan. Fans Are Crazy For Taimur A fan club wrote, ''#TaimurAliKhan is SUPER CUTE with that #Snowman #sweater! #Baby's day out with #SaifAliKhan and #KareenaKapoor!  #Saifeena #Christmas!.''

On a related note, recently in an interview Kareena Kapoor told Pinkvilla that after Taimur's birth, she realised the real meaning of love,'''My whole heart and mind is full of my son, and just pure love for my child. I never thought that I could have loved anyone more than my sister, my dad and my mom. But when I held Taimur in my arms for the first time, I don't think I loved before that.''

In another interview she said, "Every month [with Taimur] is going to be different. I think he is a perfect mix of Saif and me, more so like me, of a Kapoor, I think so. I think he looks exactly like my dad, because I think I look like my dad. He is more like my dad."

"Saif and I keep arguing that he is more like a Pataudi and I am like no, he is like a Kapoor. But of course his gorgeous sea blue eyes which he has taken from my grandfather and Lolo and that is amazing. I think it's going to be a beautiful journey."

Also Read: Shraddha Kapoor's Role In Saaho Adds Weight To The Story: Prabhas
LINCOLN, Neb.  Expect some new debates on old measures when Nebraska lawmakers return to the Capitol next month for the 2018 session.

Senators have spent the last few months tinkering with proposals that stalled last year in hopes of reviving them during the short, 60-day session that begins Jan. 3.

Lawmakers can carry over bills from this year into the upcoming session, but only measures designated by a senator or committee as a "priority" have a realistic chance of getting debated.

__

Here are some high-profile bills that didn't pass this year but are expected to return in 2018:

Occupational licensing

A sweeping bill aimed at Nebraska's job-licensing requirements is stuck in committee but has a good chance of emerging for debate in the full Legislature. Its sponsor, Sen. Laura Ebke of Crete, said she will designate the measure as her legislative priority for the year if she can get it voted out of the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.

"I think we're pretty close," she said "Once they hear about it, I think most people can see the sense in reducing the number of occupational licenses we've got."

The bill would require regular reviews of all state job-licensing requirements to determine if they are still necessary. It also would give residents with a criminal history the chance to get professional licenses, if they're otherwise qualified.

Nebraska has roughly 200 professions with mandatory state licenses, ranging from massage therapists to doctors and school bus drivers. Ebke said the state could relax regulations and still protect public safety in some cases by allowing businesses to register with the state, rather than having to pay a fee and take a test to get a license.

Online sales tax collections

A bill designed to help the state collect more online sales tax revenue is likely to come back after its sponsor pulled it just before a key vote earlier this year. The measure advanced through a first-round vote in April, but Sen. Dan Watermeier of Syracuse said he asked to hold off because several supportive senators were absent the day of a scheduled second-round vote.

Watermeier said he has made some changes to the bill to address concerns raised by lawmakers.

The original bill would have required online retailers with at least 200 transactions or $100,000 in revenue in Nebraska to collect sales tax or send detailed transactions records to customers and the state to ensure the tax gets paid. The new version would require businesses to send only aggregate sales tax numbers to the state, thus protecting consumers' identities while notifying the government of the total amount owed.

Nebraska already requires residents to report and pay online sales taxes on their income tax returns, but few people comply. Gov. Pete Ricketts has argued the bill is unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1992 that states can only tax businesses with a physical presence within their borders, but the court could revisit the issue with a case involving a South Dakota internet sales tax law.

Voter ID

Lawmakers will once again consider legislation that could require voters to show a government-issued identification card at the polls. Sen. John Murante of Gretna said he plans to introduce legislation to complement a pending measure that would put the issue before voters in the November general election.

Murante said the new measures would give lawmakers several options of how the voter ID proposal would work, if voters approve it. Critics say voter ID measures are a solution in search of a non-existent problem in Nebraska and could disenfranchise voters who typically side with Democrats.

Constitutional convention

Conservative lawmakers also will renew their push to have Nebraska join other states in calling for a constitutional convention. Ebke said she won't spearhead the effort in the upcoming session but has handed it off to another senator who will try to pass it. Ebke previously has said the measure is only a few votes shy of being able to overcome a legislative filibuster.

The resolution would request a convention to propose constitutional amendments on fiscal restraint, the size and scope of the federal government and congressional term limits. Critics argue it could lead to a runaway convention.

__

Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer said he expects some debate on issues lawmakers have previously discussed. But given the session's time constraints, Scheer said he won't allow any bill that has previously been debated for three hours back onto the daily agenda unless the measure's sponsor can show enough support to give it a realistic chance of passing.

Scheer imposed the three-hour rule to allow for debate without wasting time on repetitious arguments and filibusters, which have increased to record highs over the last few years.

"It's got to be close enough that the bill has a legitimate shot," he said. "I'm not going to dedicate a lot of time to discussion on something just for the sake of having discussion."
First performance test results of Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 revealed News oi -Samden Sherpa Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 is expected to come with improved image processing, enhanced performance, and better power efficiency.

During the Snapdragon Summit in Maui which happened on December 6, Qualcomm, the popular semiconductor company officially announced its latest chipset Snapdragon 845 that will be powering the flagship smartphones of 2018.

The details about Snapdragon 845 are a bit scarce right now but the new Qualcomm chipset which will be the successor to the popular Snapdragon 835 is expected to come with improved image processing, enhanced performance, and better power efficiency. While it will take some time before we see the chip in action, the chipset and its performance results have appeared on the Geekbench database.

So what can we expect? Well, on closely analyzing the Geekbench results, it seems that the chipset will have some advantages over its predecessor and SoC's like Kirin 970, and Exynos 8895. Snapdragon 845 has got a single-threaded score of 2393 points and a multi-threaded score of 8300 points respectively. As per the numbers, the single-core performance sees almost a 20 percent improvement while the multi-core performance seems to have increased by about 30 percent.

Interestingly this SoC comes with an inbuilt Adreno 630 GPU and reports suggest that this GPU has 30 percent better performance reading. Comparatively, Snapdragon 845's power consumption is improved by 30 percent and has 2.5 times more video processing efficiency than the SD 835's built-in Adreno 540.

Apart from this the Renderscript of the chipset highlights the overall performance of Snapdragon 845 relative to Snapdragon 835. Just so that you know RenderScript is a component of the Android operating system for mobile devices that offers an API for acceleration that takes advantage of the heterogeneous hardware. It allows developers to increase the performance of their applications at the cost of writing more complex (lower-level) code.

Besides, Renderscript is a valuable reference for GPU performance. SD 835 in previous testings had got a RenderScript score of 7899, while the Snapdragon 845 has now scored 13948 in the test. All in all, from the numbers we can somewhat say that the SD845 GPU is actually 56.63 percent more better than its predecessor.

Meanwhile, smartphones like Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, OnePlus 6, next-generation Google Pixel, LG G7, Sony H8266 and Xiaomi Mi 7 are expected to come with this new chipset.

Via

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Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018) gets listed online; specs and price revealed News oi -Chandrika Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018) runs on Android 7.1 Nougat OS right out of the box.

Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018) has recently making the rounds of the internet. Last week, well-known tipster Ronald Quandt leaked the entire specs sheet of the smartphone.

Now, the Galaxy J2 (2018) has been found listed on a Russian e-commerce site, revealing the key specifications and the pricing of the smartphone ahead of official launch. As per the website listing, the Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018) will carry a price tag of 7,990 RUB, which converts to around Rs. 8,867. The listing also confirms that the smartphone has a model number of SM-J250F.

Talking about the specifications, the Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018) flaunts a 5-inch Super AMOLED display with a qHD (not to be confused with Quad HD) resolution of 960540 pixels. Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor clocked at 1.4GHz and coupled with Adreno 308 GPU.

The memory aspect of the device is taken care of by 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage space that can be further expanded up to 256GB using a microSD card.

In terms of optics, the Galaxy J2 (2018) is equipped with an 8MP primary camera at its rear and a 5MP selfie camera at the front, both accompanied by a LED flash.

As far as the software is concerned, the smartphone runs on Android 7.1 Nougat OS out of the box. To keep the lights on, the Galaxy J2 (2018) packs a 2,600mAh battery.

Connectivity suite of the Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018) offers support for 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS and dual-SIM slot. The handset measures 144728mm and weighs 153 grams.

What's interesting to see is that the previous reports were spot on with not only the specifications and features of the Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018), but also the pricing. From the looks of it, the smartphone will hit the shelves in Russia first, before making its way to other markets.

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Apple India sales head calls it quits, new lead named News oi -Chandrika Kauls resignation comes at a time when Apple is struggling with improving its sales numbers including iPhone X, in India.

In a sudden development, Apple India Sales Head Sanjay Kaul has put in his papers and the company has named Michel Coulomb as new head of sales for the country.

As reported by IANS, Kaul who was elevated to the position in May last year has stepped down with an immediate effect. However, an official statement from Apple was yet to come. According to Coulomb's LinkedIn profile, he earlier led Apples operations in Middle East, Turkey and Africa before moving into Singapore last year as chief of South Asia. Coulomb has been working with Apple for over 15 years.

Kaul's resignation comes at a time when Apple is struggling with improving its sales numbers - including iPhone X, in India.

"Apple has been under pressure since iPhone X launch as supply issues hampered its sales in India. Although we can't link Kaul's resignation with this yet but yes, the company has had sluggish sales," Jaipal Singh, Senior Analyst, IDC India, told IANS.

Apple released its much-anticipated iPhone X in India on November 3 amid heavy demand but only a few from those who had pre-booked it in the first slot received their units as retailers and online players were handed over a thin supply of the device on Day 1.

According to industry analysts, the waiting period was going to be at least five-seven weeks for those who didn't book the device in the first slot.

"Demand for iPhone X was very strong in India. However, right from the day one, it was obvious that users eager to buy iPhone X are in for a long waiting queue," Tarun Pathak, Associate Director, Mobile Devices and Ecosystems, Counterpoint Research, told IANS.

After the government hiked customs duty from 10 percent to 15 percent for mobile handsets last week, Apple became the first smartphone manufacturer to raise prices (on MRP) across iPhone models, except iPhone SE that the company assembles in Bengaluru.

The Cupertino-based iPhone maker is also seeking tax relief and other incentives from the government to begin assembling more handsets in the country.

Apple is currently assembling the iPhone SE model at its Bengaluru facility with Wistron Corporation, its Taiwanese manufacturing partner.

IANS report

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Google to setup its own experience stores in India News oi -Samden Sherpa Three people closely associated with Google have revealed that the company is set to launch its own brick-and-mortar stores across the country.

2017 has been a good year for e-commerce platforms in terms of smartphone sales. While the online platform has been a huge factor for a company's growth especially in the case of Xiaomi, many other brands are now turning their attention to offline channels to boost sales.

As such, Google amongst others is now all geared up to open offline retail stores in India which is the world's second-largest smartphone market. The Economic Times reports that three people closely associated with the company have revealed that Google is set to launch its own brick-and-mortar stores across the country.

The move from the company seems to come at a time when it is lagging a bit behind in comparison to its competitors. Samsung, Apple, Motorola, and popular Chinese brands have already set up stores in the country and are further pushing sales via these offline stores. Moreover, Xiaomi seems to be an active participant in opening new stores across the country.

Having said that, Google also has been opening pop-up stores in cities like Mumbai and Delhi-NCR to exhibit the Google Pixel 2 smartphones. And the company has reportedly received a good response to this strategy. Thus the company might have finally arrived at the decision to go forward with a full-fledged experience store due to this good feedback as well.

ET's anonymous source has confirmed that Google is considering opening "experience centers" in India and that it could likely happen in the "latter part of 2018." As per the report, Google has also appointed a senior Apple executive onboard to carry out the plans more efficiently.

The publication also notes that at least two prominent malls in India have already received requests for space to set up Google stores. However, apart from letting consumers experience the Pixel devices hands-on, Google will also use the stores to sell other products like Google Home smart speakers, Chromecast streaming devices, Pixel laptops and Daydream View virtual reality headset.

All in all, Google's plan of opening such stores may help the company gain more visibility, reach out to more customers and ultimately increase sales of its products.

The search giant is yet to give their official word on the matter though.

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Monetising assets will help to reduce debt 85% : RCom News oi -Priyanka The telco is monetizing 122.4 MHz of 4G Spectrum in the 800/900/1800/2100 MHz bands, over 43,000 towers and 1,78,000 RKM of fiber with pan-India footprint.

Reliance Communication today said that it has exited from RBI's SDR framework, with ZERO equity conversion and ZERO loan write-offs for lenders and bondholders and it is along with its lenders is now monetizing valuable assets which will help it to reduce debt to Rs 6000 crore or 85 percent of the total debt.

Anil D. Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Communications Ltd., said: "I am delighted with the comprehensive resolution for the benefit of all stakeholders of RCOM. What we have achieved, in the face of extraordinary challenges, is truly historic and

unprecedented in Indian corporate history."

RCom said that it has worked closely with all Lenders and SBI Capital Markets Limited, the advisors appointed by

the Lenders, to run a competitive process in a transparent manner to monetize its valuable assets. The telco is monetizing 122.4 MHz of 4G Spectrum in the 800/900/1800/2100 MHz bands, over 43,000 towers and 1,78,000 RKM of fiber with pan-India footprint.

The telco is also monetizing 248 Media convergence nodes, covering over 5 million Sqft, used for hosting telecom infrastructure, and prime real estate located in New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Jigni, and Tirupati.

"Lenders have received the final binding bids, and all transactions are expected to be closed in a phased manner between January and March 2018," the telco said.

The monetization process is being carried out under the oversight of an independent high powered Bid Evaluation Committee, comprising of eminent experts from banking, telecom, and law. The monetization of assets has elicited very strong response both from India and abroad.

The monetization of these assets alone will lead to a reduction of RCom's debt by Rs 25,000 crore, through prepayment of loans, transfer of DoT's deferred spectrum payment liabilities, etc.

The total development potential as per prevailing regulations is estimated at over 20 million square feet of commercial, residential and retail space. The gross proceeds as per an independent 3rd party valuation have been estimated at over Rs 25,000 crore over the development timeframe.

"A large number of leading international and domestic developers have expressed their keen interest in the project, and have submitted offers that are presently under evaluation. The commercial development of the DAKC campus will lead to a reduction of RCom's debt by a further Rs 10,000 crore, with the SPV holding the real estate assuming non-recourse long-term debt financing of the said amount," it added.

RCom said that its operations would comprise stable and profitable B2B focused businesses, including Indian and Global Enterprise, Internet Data Centres and the largest private submarine cable network in the world.

The telco further said that it would receive equity infusion from global strategic partners for further debt reduction, consequent upon a stake sale process already underway, and being conducted by Credit Suisse.

"The combination of these transactions will lead to 85 percent reduction in RCom's total debt and liabilities, the largest ever in the history of corporate India, and has been achieved in a record 40 working days from the time the plan was presented to lenders," it added.

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Convicted spy confessed to Mossad ties: Tehran prosecutor

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Dec 25, IRNA -- A convicted spy, whose death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court of Iran, admitted that he had eight meetings with secret agents of Israeli regime's Mossad intelligence agency, Tehran prosecutor announced.

According to his confessions, Ahmad Reza Jalali was paid for his contacts with Mossad, Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi told a meeting of judiciary officials on Sunday.

Referring to his visit to a prison where Jalali is kept, Jafari-Dolatabadi said the prisoner passed information related to the Iranian Defense Ministry's and Atomic Energy Organization's projects as well as the names of several individuals at the ministry and organization to Mossad.

According to the convict's confessions, the information which he provided Mossad included information about 30 prominent Iranians working on nuclear, defense, military and research projects, said Jafari-Dolatabadi adding the names of the assassinated nuclear scientists Massoud Ali Mohammadi and Majid Shahriari were among them.

Jalali, convicted of spying, had given information [to Mossad] about the secret projects on the nuclear, military, defense and research fields in return for money and Swedish citizenship for himself and his family, said the Tehran prosecutor.

The verdict of Jalali, being sentenced to death, was upheld by Supreme Court of Iran on December 2, 2017.

1483**1377

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Macedonia Says It's Ready To Give Up Claim As Sole Heir To Alexander The Great's Legacy

RFE/RL December 23, 2017

Macedonia's prime minister says he is ready to renounce his country's claim to be the sole heir of Alexander the Great's 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 country's name would change if it were to give up the claim as Alexander's sole heir.

Macedonia's 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

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/macedonia-yugolsavia-greece- alexander-great-name-dispute-eu/28935265.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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9 militants killed, 9 arrested in Egypt raids

Iran Press TV

Sun Dec 24, 2017 05:43PM

Egyptian security forces have launched raids on hideouts of militants in the capital Cairo and northeast of the country, killing nine and arresting nine more.

The Egyptian interior ministry said in a statement Sunday that nine suspected militants had been killed in a shootout in a farm in the Nile Delta province of Sharqiya.

"Upon raiding the farm, security forces were surprised by gunshots in their direction which were dealt with, resulting in the killing of nine," the ministry said, adding that militants had used the farm as a hideout and were trained there to use weapons to carry out attacks in North Sinai.

It also said that a number of police and army personnel had been killed as a result of attacks that mostly originated from the farm in Sharqiya.

The statement said weapons and ammunition were found at the farm, adding that authorities were now determining the identity of the suspects.

The ministry said police on Sunday also arrested nine other militants in another raid in Cairo. It designated the hideout of the militants as a "terrorist" one, saying the suspected militants were linked to Muslim Brotherhood, the most prominent political party in Egypt which has been outlawed under the country's broad definition of terrorism law.

Banning the Brotherhood and arresting thousands of its members has proved to be costly for Egypt under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The former army chief became president in 2014, one year after he led a popular coup against an administration run by the Brotherhood. The coup paved the way for an increase in militancy in Sinai, where a branch of Takfiri group Daesh operates, while the mainland Egypt has also suffered attacks by various terrorist groups.

More than 300 people were killed last month when militants assaulted a mosque in North Sinai. The attack prompted Sisi to order the armed forces to end the insurgency within three months although many suspect the decree could really put an end to the terror campaign.

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Israel to construct 300 new settler units in occupied West Bank

Iran Press TV

Sun Dec 24, 2017 04:48PM

Israeli officials are expected to advance plans for the construction of 300 new settler units in the occupied West Bank irrespective of the international outcry against the Tel Aviv regime's land expropriation and settlement expansion policies in Palestinian lands.

The so-called Jerusalem Local Planning and Building Committee is going to issue permits for the construction of the new settlement units on Monday, Arabic-language Ma'an news agency reported.

The units will reportedly be built in Gilo settlement, located about five kilometers south of Jerusalem al-Quds, and two kilometers west of Bethlehem.

Less than a month before US President Donald Trump took office, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2334, calling on Israel to "immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem" al-Quds.

About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.

Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.

The last round of Israeli-Palestinian talks collapsed in 2014. Among the major sticking points in those negotiations was Israel's continued settlement expansion on Palestinian territories.

This as there have been regular anti-US protests by Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip since December 6, when Trump declared that Washington recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as the "capital" of Israel and moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. Many say Trump's move has effectively killed any chances of further negotiations.

The dramatic shift in Washington's Jerusalem al-Quds policy drew fierce criticism from the international community, including Washington's Western allies, and triggered protests against the US and Israel worldwide.

On Thursday, the United Nations General Assembly voted by a resounding majority to reject Trump's Jerusalem al-Quds move.

Israel lays claim to the whole Jerusalem al-Quds, but the international community views the ancient city's eastern sector as occupied land and the Palestinians consider it their future capital.

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US allows Boeing to sell 36 F-15 warplanes to Qatar

Iran Press TV

Sun Dec 24, 2017 06:34AM

The Pentagon says Boeing has been allowed to manufacture as many as 36 F-15 warplanes for Qatar which is locked in a bitter confrontation with a Saudi-led group of Arab states.

The permit covers half of the 72 F-15s which Qatar will buy from the United States as part of an agreement signed between the two sides in June.

The entire agreement is worth $12 billion and the Persian Gulf state is scheduled to start receiving the aircraft at 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 US Department of Defense said in a statement.

Qatari Minister of Defense Khalid Al Attiyah said the deal underscored the "longstanding 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."

Earlier this month, Qatar said it would buy 24 Typhoon fighter jets worth $8 billion from the United Kingdom.

The deals come amid a blockade by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates against Qatar, which has gone on for more than six months.

The quartet has accused Qatar of supporting "terrorism" and meddling in their affairs -- allegations strongly denied by Doha, which sees the campaign as an attack on its sovereignty.

The boycotters are all Washington's strong regional allies, especially Saudi Arabia which the US regards its paramount Arab partner.

The dispute among some of the world's top energy producers flared up a few days after Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia on his first overseas trip as president and signed a $110-billion arms deal with the kingdom.

During the visit, Riyadh hosted a summit to showcase close ties between the White House and its Arab allies but Trump was also reportedly told that Qatar had incurred Saudi Arabia's displeasure.

Trump initially sided with the Saudi-led bloc but later had a change of heart. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates reportedly considered military action in the early stages of their ongoing dispute with Qatar before Trump called leaders of both countries and warned them to back off.

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Down Periscope: Stoltenberg Worries Over NATO's Waning Sub-Fighting Ability

Sputnik News

07:45 24.12.2017(updated 14:29 24.12.2017)

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged in an interview that the alliance's fleet lacked the necessary skills at sea amid the highest level of Russian submarine activity seen since the Cold War.

"After the end of the Cold War, NATO reduced its capabilities at sea, especially in the fight against submarines. We have practiced less and lost skills," Stoltenberg told the German news outlet Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.

He also noted there was danger that the connection between the allies in Europe and North America could be cut

, as the transatlantic alliance should be able to transport troops and equipment across the Atlantic. In this context, Stoltenberg mentioned NATO's plans to create new units.

At the same time, the secretary-general said that Russia was increasing its capabilities in this sector.

"Russia has invested heavily in its navy, especially in submarines. Since 2014, 13 more submarines have been commissioned. Russia's submarine activities are now at the highest level since the Cold War," he said.

In early November, Stoltenberg said NATO members had agreed on instituting a new adaptive command structure to improve the alliance's ability to move troops across Europe and to create a cyber operations center to adapt to the changing security environment.

 Sputnik

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Nine DR Congo soldiers killed in 2 militia attacks

Iran Press TV

Mon Dec 25, 2017 06:11PM

A suspected rebel militia group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed at least nine military forces during two separate attacks in the country's volatile east.

The Congolese army said the fatalities took place in the eastern province of South Kivu over the past four days, accusing Mai Mai Mazembe militiamen from the Nande ethnic group of being responsible for both attacks.

"The army recorded a loss of nine soldiers in two ambushes in the Baraka operational zone" in South Kivu, an unnamed military official told AFP.

A lieutenant was killed on Sunday in the village of Lweba, seven kilometers from the Baraka district, the official said, adding that the other deaths came in an attack two days earlier.

"Our hospital received the bodies of eight soldiers killed by bullets on Friday," said a hospital source in Lulimba, a village 60 kilometers south of Baraka.

Dozens of armed groups have been active in the eastern DR Congo ever since a war there in 1998, and the Congolese army, joined by United Nations troops, is on the offensive against rebel groups.

Seeking safety, tens of thousands of people have escaped to neighboring Zambia, where they are facing "hugely underfunded" aid operations, according to UN figures.

Congo has also been facing numerous problems over the past few decades such as grinding poverty and crumbling infrastructure.

Political crisis has exacerbated in the African country as President Joseph Kabila is still in power despite his second and final term as president officially ending in December 2016.

Under the DR Congo's constitution, Kabila is banned from seeking a third term. However, Kabila is authorized to stay in office until his successor is elected.

The long-awaited election to replace Kabila has been postponed until December 23, 2018. The delay in holding an election has flared up violence in the country.

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More US troops to hit frontlines in Afghanistan

Iran Press TV

Mon Dec 25, 2017 11:06AM

More American troops are gearing up to hit the frontlines in Afghanistan, says General John Nicholson, who commands US forces in the country.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Nicholson said US troops levels in Afghanistan were slated to increase dramatically under President Donald Trump's new strategy to extend the military campaign that began in 2001.

There are "well over 1,000 advisers out at any given time," Nicholson said. "Next year, however, this will increase dramatically."

The general said the new plan required deploying more US advisers in the battlefronts alongside Afghan military forces.

"Those teams [the Army brigade] will be backed up by US combat enablers, not only for the protection of our own force, but for support of Afghans as well," Nicholson said.

The commander hailed the Trump administration's new South Asia approach as a "game changer," saying it had already begun to pay dividends.

Under the new strategy, the US Army's 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB) will also be deployed to the conflict-ridden country this spring. The new unit is tasked with training and advising forces from US allies.

The SFAB is currently under training to work with joint terminal attack controllers  US military personnel specialized in calling in close-air support.

"Any deployment to Afghanistan is inherently dangerous, and our soldiers, in particular those of the SFAB, are well-trained and prepared to handle themselves in a variety of operational environments," said Colonel Joseph Scrocca, a spokesman for the XVIII Airborne Corps.

There has also been a major increase in the number of missions carried out by the US air force, as American aircraft have tripled the number of munitions dropped on purported militant targets across the country.

Militant revenue from narcotics

The number of airstrikes and sorties are expected to increase even as more troops begin to ramp up efforts that Washington says are aimed at defeating Taliban and Daesh militants. Nicholson said the US forces were also focused on cutting Taliban's revenue from cultivating poppy crops.

Afghanistan is the world's top cultivator of poppy, from which opium and heroin are produced. Taliban militants are heavily involved in the poppy cultivation and opium distribution especially in areas under their control.

Despite the US claim, the opium production in the country rose by 87 percent and stands at a record level of 9,000 metric tons (9,921 US tons) so far this year, compared to 4,800 metric tons (5,291 US tons) in 2016, according to a recent survey by the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

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At least 30 killed in Saudi airstrikes in Sana'a, other cities

Iran Press TV

Mon Dec 25, 2017 10:47AM

At least 30 people have been killed in new Saudi airstrikes hitting various areas across Yemen, including the capital Sana'a, the al-Masirah television network reports.

Saudi warplanes bombarded two farms in Zabid District in Hudaydah Province in the country's extreme west early Monday, the report said.

Nine people were killed in the attack, including three women, while two more women sustained injuries.

Separately, Saudi jets carried out a string of attacks against the capital, killing 11 civilians and injuring four more.

The casualties included three children and two women, the television reported, adding two people also went missing during the strike.

It said one residence targeted during the raid was completely destroyed, and that rescue workers trying to retract bodies from under the debris had also come under attack.

Eye witnesses said the number of the casualties could rise.

In western Yemen, Saudi warplanes hit the customs' office in the city of Dhammar, which is the capital of a province of the same name, leading to at least 10 casualties.

In retaliation, Yemen's Popular Committees and their allied Army forces hit Saudi-backed militants around Sana'a, inflicting unspecified casualties on them.

The mercenaries have been aiding the kingdom's war on Yemen since March 2015, in which more than 14,000 have lost their lives.

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Guatemala becomes first country to move embassy to Jerusalem al-Quds after US

Iran Press TV

Mon Dec 25, 2017 02:27AM

Guatemala has announced that it will be moving its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem al-Quds, making it the first country to follow in the footsteps of US President Donald Trump.

On Sunday, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales made the announcement following a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"I am informing you that I have given instructions to the foreign ministry that it start the necessary respective coordination to make this happen," said Morales.

His announcement came three days after two-thirds of UN member states rejected Trump's decision to have the Washington recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital.

The UNGA on Thursday approved a resolution that described that decision by Trump as "null and void."

Only eight countries, including four tiny Pacific islands, stood with the US in voting no to the resolution. Guatemala and fellow Central American country Honduras, both of which are dependent on US funding, voted against the UN General Assembly's motion.

Ahead of the vote, Trump threatened to discontinue financial aid to countries that vote in favor of a draft UN resolution against his decision.

Arab and Muslim states had requested that the 193-nation assembly hold an emergency special meeting on Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital, days after Washington used its veto power to block an Egypt-drafted resolution against the move at the UN Security Council.

On December 6, Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital and relocate the US embassy in occupied lands from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds.

The dramatic shift in Washington's policy vis-a-vis the city triggered demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Morocco and other Muslim countries.

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At Least Six Civilians Killed In Suicide Blast Near Afghan National Intelligence Office

RFE/RL December 25, 2017

A suicide bomber blew himself up near Afghanistan's national intelligence agency compound in Kabul early on December 25, killing at least six civilians, security officials say.

Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said the attack took place at 7:40 a.m. at Abdul-Hak Square in the Shash Darak neighborhood of Kabul close to the entrance of the National Directorate for Security (NDS).

The U.S. Embassy and NATO headquarters are also located in the area.

The Islamic State (IS) extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack through a message on the AMAQ website associated with the militants.

A Ministry of Public Health spokesman said at least three people were wounded and taken to the hospital for treatment.

Security forces closed off the main road leading to the NDS building after the attack.

Another Interior Ministry spokesman told the AFP news agency that six civilians were killed while riding in their car when the attacker, traveling on foot, detonated his bomb.

"They were hit when they were passing the area in their Toyota sedan vehicle. We still do not know the target of the attack, but it happened on the main road," spokesman Najib Danish said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Both the Taliban and IS have carried out deadly attacks in Kabul in the past. The Western-backed government there has been struggling to fend off militants since the withdrawal of most NATO troops in 2014.

Security in the capital has been ramped up since May 31, when a truck bomb ripped through the city's diplomatic quarter, killing about 150 people and wounding hundreds, mostly civilians.

On December 18, IS claimed responsibility for an attack on the intelligence agency's training center in Kabul. Three attackers were killed in that incident, and several security officers were injured.

On October 20, suicide bombers attacked two Shi'ite mosques in the city, killing more than 72 people.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply criticized neighboring Pakistan, accusing it of providing a safe haven for terrorists operating in Afghanistan. Islamabad denies the allegations.

With reporting by Reuters, Tolo News, AFP, and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban-islamic- state-suicide-explosion-kabul/28937038.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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Embassy Move 'Disqualifies' US as Peace Mediator Says Palestine

Sputnik News

22:27 25.12.2017(updated 22:33 25.12.2017)

The United States cannot ethically act as a peace broker in the Middle East, due to its stated bias and violations of international law, said Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas.

A decision by the Trump White House to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, as well as the nation's withdrawal of funds from the United Nations and threats against UN members following a searing indictment by the world body, have "disqualified" the United States from acting as a mediator in Middle East peace talks, stated Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Paris.

Pointing to threats made by US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, that Washington would be "taking names" following an almost unanimous UN vote excoriating the declaration by the Trump White House that the US would move its Israel embassy in Tel Aviv to the hotly-disputed city of Jerusalem, Palestinian President Abbas observed that the Trump White House is "no longer an honest mediator in the peace process," according to Reuters.

Following the inauguration of US President Donald Trump in January, moves toward brokering a new peace settlement between Palestine and Israel were put in place by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, a close family advisor to the strikingly unpopular former reality television star. While no hints of what that peace offer may entail have been released, Capitol Hill observers have suggested that Kushner would reveal the contents of a new deal in early 2018.

But the Palestinian president has appeared to put an end to aspirations by the US to broker a peace plan for the region  its first foray since the acrimonious collapse of talks in 2014  before it is even detailed.

"The United States are no longer an honest mediator in the peace process," Abbas said during a news conference in Paris.

Palestine "will not accept any plan from the United States of America because of its bias and violation of international law," Abbas stated.

Earlier, a Palestinian Authority spokesperson noted that the 128-9 UN General Assembly vote denouncing US intentions to move its embassy to Israel from the city of Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was "a victory for Palestine."

The spokesperson vowed that Palestine would "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."

 Sputnik

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Palestine Calls Guatemalan Embassy Move 'Shameful', Israeli PM Blesses Morales

Sputnik News

18:35 25.12.2017(updated 21:36 25.12.2017)

Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales has announced the decision to move the country's embassy in Israel to the disputed city of Jerusalem, following the similar US' ruling.

Palestine has slammed Guatemala's decision to transfer its embassy to the disputed city of Jerusalem as a "shameful and illegal act that goes totally against the wishes of church leaders" in the Holy City, as well as the UN General Assembly resolution.

According to Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki as quoted by Wafa news agency, "This announcement is also a brazen act of disrespect and disregard to the collective positions of international alliances and groups Guatemala is part of, including the Non-aligned Movement."

Malki stressed that Morales' move reflected his commitment to dragging Guatemala to the wrong side of history, while reiterating Pope Francis' call to refrain from unilateral measures changing the historical status quo of Jerusalem.

In his turn, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised the move during a weekly meeting of his Likud party in parliament.

"God bless you, my friend, President Jimmy Morales, God bless both our countries, Israel and Guatemala," Netanyahu said, commenting on Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales' announcement on the embassy's move to Jerusalem.

Guatemala, as well as neighboring Honduras, were two of the nine countries that voted against the latest UN resolution, rejecting the United States' decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and demanding that all the states not recognize any actions or measures that contradict the relevant resolutions of the UN body.

The resolution has prompted a harsh response of the Israeli side, which refused to accept it, with Netanyahu insisting that Jerusalem "always was, always will be" the country's capital and noting that many countries supported the Jewish state.

The vote was carried out in the wake of US President Donald Trump's decision on December 6 to relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thus recognizing Israel's right to the disputed area as legal, despite mass outrage across the Arab world, triggering an escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist organization, announcing the beginning of the third "intifada."

However, commenting on Guatemala's decision to Army Radio, Israel's Ambassador Matty Cohen has stated that no official date for the embassy relocation had been set yet, noting that "it will happen after" the US proceeds. According to Washington, this could take about two years.

On the threshold of the UNGA vote, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley had stated that Washington, the largest contributor to the international body, would remember the voting day, with Trump threatening to withhold US aid to countries that voted in favor, but stopping short of warning that the country's contributions to the United Nations itself would also be at stake.

Before 1980, when the Israeli Parliament had approved the Jerusalem Law, proclaiming the entire city Israel's undivided capital, Guatemala, as well as Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, the Netherlands, Panama, Venezuela and Uruguay had their embassy in the disputed city.

After the adoption of the controversial law, the UN Security Council has issued a resolution urging the countries to move all their embassies to Tel Aviv.

 Sputnik

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China Ramps Up South China Sea Presence Achieving 'Striking Results' - Reports

Sputnik News

16:38 25.12.2017(updated 16:41 25.12.2017)

China has built 290,000 square meters (29 hectares) of facilities on the islands disputed by the country's neighbors in the region.

China proceeds to steadily build islands on disputed reefs and shoals of the South China Sea, a report published by the Haiwainet website under the People's Daily newspaper said Monday.

"The course of construction is moving ahead steadily and a series of striking results have been achieved," the report said.

The report noted that China has expanded the area of its islands and reefs in order "to improve the livelihood and work conditions of people living on the islands and strengthen the necessary military defenses of the South China Sea within China's sovereignty."

The expansion will continue further with the introduction of the super-dredger Tianjing, a "magical island building machine," the report added.

According to a research fellow with the National Institute for the South China Sea Chen Xiangmiao, the building of new islands in the region helps China to fulfill its international responsibility, including maritime search and rescue, navigation safety and environmental protection.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, installing military facilities on the islands built on the Spratly and Paracel reefs. Since the beginning of the year, the country has built 290,000 square meters (29 hectares) of facilities, including underground storage, administrative buildings and large radar installations, according to the newspaper.

China's claims on the South China Sea's waters are contested by neighboring Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, as well as Taiwan.

 Sputnik

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Israel Welcomes Guatemala's Announcement on Future Embassy Move

By VOA News December 25, 2017

Israel is welcoming Guatemala's decision to follow the United States in planning to transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

"God bless you, my friend, President Morales," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement, referring to his Guatemalan counterpart, Jimmy Morales. "Other countries will recognize Jerusalem and announce the relocation of their embassies. A second country did it and I repeat it: there will be others." Netanyahu said on Twitter, "It is just the beginning and it is important."

Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities denounced the decision.

"It's a shameful and illegal act that goes totally against the wishes of church leaders in Jerusalem" and of a non-binding U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning the U.S. recognition, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, the French press agency, AFP, reported.

President Morales made the announcement Sunday after telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the plans in a telephone call.

"We talked about the excellent relations we have had since Guatemala supported the creation of the State of Israel. One of the most relevant issues was the return of the Embassy of Guatemala to Jerusalem," Morales wrote on Facebook.

Guatemala was one of just nine countries to vote against last week's U.N. General Assembly resolution denouncing President Donald Trump's recent recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and plans to move the U.S. embassy there.

Israel called Guatemala's vote "courageous." Morales gave no timetable for when the Guatemalan embassy will move.

Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its eternal and undivided capital while the Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.

The Palestinians and much of the international community have said the status of Jerusalem is to be settled as part of peace negotiations.

The Trump administration says recognizing Jerusalem as the Israeli capital is a "reflection of reality" and that the physical location of the embassy has no bearing on the U.S. commitment to a two-state solution in the Middle East.

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Biggest seaplane graceful as a swan

People's Daily Online

(China Daily) 07:43, December 25, 2017

The world's largest amphibious aircraft, the Chinese-made AG600, carried out its maiden flight on Sunday morning in Zhuhai, a coastal city in Guangdong province.

An AG600, piloted by four crew members, took off from the Zhuhai Jinwan Airport at 9:50 am and remained airborne for about an hour before returning.

A congratulatory letter sent by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council was read out at a ceremony to mark the maiden flight, attended by Vice-Premier Ma Kai and Guangdong Party chief Li Xi, as well as hundreds of other officials and about 3,000 spectators.

The central government approved development of the AG600 in June 2009, with the work taken on by Aviation Industry Corp of China, the country's leading aircraft maker. Construction on the first prototype began in March 2014 and was completed in July 2016.

In April, the first ground taxiing test was successful. Earlier this month, the seaplane received the government's approval for Sunday's first flight.

The AG600 is one of the three large-size aircraft borne from the nation's ambitious effort to become a top-tier player in the global aviation sector, joining the Y-20 strategic transport plane, delivery of which to the Chinese Air Force began in July 2016, and the C919 narrow-body jetliner that is being flight tested.

The amphibious aircraft will mainly be tasked with performing aerial firefighting and maritime search and rescue. It can also be refitted to conduct marine environmental inspection, marine resources surveying and personnel and supply transportation, according to the manufacturer.

Powered by four domestically designed WJ-6 turboprop engines, the AG600 has a size roughly comparable to that of a Boeing 737 and a maximum takeoff weight of 53.5 metric tons. These specifications have made it the world's largest amphibious aircraft, surpassing Japan's ShinMaywa US-2 and Russia's Beriev Be-200.

The aircraft can take off and land on both ground and water. It has an operational range of more than 4,000 kilometers and is capable of carrying 50 people during a maritime search-and-rescue mission.

To extinguish forest fires, it can collect 12 tons of water from a lake or sea within 20 seconds and then use the water to douse fires on an area of around 4,000 square meters, according to the company.

Huang Lingcai, chief designer of the AG600, said researchers overcame a lot of technological and technical difficulties when they designed the aircraft, such as those pertaining to its aerodynamic and hydrodynamic airframe and sea wave-resistant hull.

The company said the aircraft will be of great importance to the country's emergency rescue system and the building of a strong sea power, noting that tens of thousands of researchers and engineers from nearly 200 domestic institutes, universities and enterprises took part in the project.

The State-owned aviation giant also said 98 percent of the AG600's 50,000-plus components are supplied by Chinese companies, explaining the project has extensively boosted the nation's civil aviation manufacturing industry.

Leng Yixun, a senior project manager in charge of the AG600, said China has about 18,000 km of coastline, more than 6,500 islands and reefs and a rapidly expanding marine industry, therefore it urgently needs an aircraft capable of providing emergency-response support and conducting long-distance maritime search and rescue.

The AG600 boasts a longer operational range and a faster speed when compared with helicopters and ships. The seaplane's service will greatly improve China's capability to conduct maritime search and rescue, he said.

Zhang Shuwei, deputy general manager of China Aviation Industry General Aircraft, a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corp of China that assembled the seaplane, said the company has received orders for 17 AG600s from domestic users. Zhang said the model primarily targets domestic buyers, but also will tap the international market.

Next, the aircraft will continue to make flight tests and will start the certification process, the manufacturer said.

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North Korea condemns new sanctions as 'act of war'

Iran Press TV

Sun Dec 24, 2017 06:33AM

North Korea says the latest round of sanctions imposed by the United Nations (UN) against Pyongyang constitutes an "act of war" against the country.

The UN Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Friday over Pyongyang's missile and nuclear weapons development program. The new sanctions restrict fuel exports to the country and demand the repatriation of North Koreans working aboard, mostly in China and Russia.

The North's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that the sanctions were tantamount to a complete economic blockade, threatening that those who supported the measure would be held "completely responsible."

"Those countries that raised their hands in favor of this 'sanctions resolution' shall be held completely responsible for all the consequences to be caused by the 'resolution' and we will make sure, for 'ever and ever,' that they pay a heavy price for what they have done," it said.

China, which is North Korea's main ally and a permanent member of the Security Council, voted in favor of the sanctions resolution. Beijing has, however, called for restraint from both North Korea and the countries involved in a dispute with Pyongyang over its weapons program, mainly the United States.

In its statement, North Korea's Foreign Ministry said the US was to blame for the sanctions.

"We define this 'sanctions resolution' rigged up by the US and its followers as a grave infringement upon the sovereignty of our Republic, as an act of war violating peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and the region and categorically reject the 'resolution,'" the ministry said, referring to the sanctions resolution.

Pyongyang has repeatedly defended its weapons program as being defensive in nature and a deterrent against potential hostility by foreign powers.

"We will further consolidate our self-defensive nuclear deterrence aimed at fundamentally eradicating the US nuclear threats, blackmail and hostile moves by establishing the practical balance of force with the US," the ministry said.

North Korea on November 29 said it had successfully tested a new missile that put the US mainland within range of its nuclear weapons. That same month, Pyongyang also 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.

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'Act of War': North Korea Rejects New UN Security Council Sanctions

Sputnik News

07:55 24.12.2017(updated 10:14 24.12.2017)

TOKYO (Sputnik) - Pyongyang rejects the new sanctions of the UN Security Council, considering them "an act of war," North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Sunday.

"We define this 'sanctions resolution' rigged up by the US and its followers as a grave infringement upon the sovereignty of our Republic, as an act of war violating peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and the region and categorically reject the resolution," the spokesperson said in a statement circulated by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

North Korean nuclear weapons are self-defensive deterrence against nuclear threats and blackmail of the US, the statement stressed.

"We will further consolidate our self-defensive nuclear deterrence aimed at fundamentally eradicating the U.S. nuclear threats, blackmail and hostile moves by establishing the practical balance of force with the U.S.," the statement said.

On Friday, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on tightening sanctions against North Korea over its ballistic missile launch conducted on November 29.

 Sputnik

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DPRK condemns new UN sanctions resolution as act of war

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 07:31, December 25, 2017

PYONGYANG, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) issued on Sunday a strong-worded statement condemning the latest UN resolution to impose more sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs, calling it "an act of war."

A spokesperson for the DPRK's Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the United States of getting more "frenzied" in imposing the harshest ever sanctions.

A stern-faced broadcaster of Korean Central Television read the statement which condemned UN Security Council Resolution 2397 adopted unanimously Friday to restrict oil export to the country and demand repatriation of all DPRK citizens working abroad.

"We define this 'sanctions resolution' rigged up by the U.S. and its followers as a grave infringement upon the sovereignty of our Republic, as an act of war violating peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the region and categorically reject the 'resolution'," said the statement.

It reiterated the DPRK's nuclear weapons are intended for self-defensive deterrence in order "to put an end to the hostile policy and nuclear threats and blackmail of the U.S."

The new punitive measures included in the UN 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.

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.

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China calls on all countries to take steps to reduce tensions in Korean Peninsula

Iran Press TV

Mon Dec 25, 2017 03:02PM

China has called on the international community to put in constructive efforts in an attempt to ease escalating tensions in the Korean Peninsula after North Korea described the UN's latest round of sanctions against Pyongyang as an "act of war" and tantamount to a total economic blockade.

"In the present situation, we call on all countries to exercise restraint and make proactive and constructive efforts to ease the tensions on the peninsula and appropriately resolve the issue," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a daily news briefing in capital Beijing on Monday.

Her comments came three days after the UN Security Council voted unanimously in favor of a US-drafted resolution that, among other crippling sanctions, sought to ban almost 90 percent of the North-bound exports of refined petroleum products by limiting them to 500,000 barrels a year. It further capped crude oil supplies to North Korea at 4 million barrels a year.

The resolution also committed the UNSC to further reductions if it were to carry out another nuclear test or launch another intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The council said it had adopted the punitive measures in a bid to force the North's leaders to halt their contentious nuclear and missile programs, less than a month after Pyongyang announced that it had successfully tested an ICBM in a "breakthrough" that places the US mainland within range of its nuclear weapons, whose warheads could endure re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere.

The controversial test drew quick and widespread condemnations, with Nikki Haley, the US envoy to the UN, threatening to destroy Pyongyang in case of a possible war.

On Sunday, Pyongyang denounced the new punitive measures in a strongly-worded statement, saying it was a "pipe dream" for Washington to think the North would abandon its nuclear program. It also called the new resolution an "act of war" that violates North Korea's sovereignty.

The Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman also noted on Monday that although the resolution appropriately strengthened the sanctions it was not designed to affect common people, normal economic exchanges and cooperation, or humanitarian aid.

However, she reiterated the need of peaceful means to resolve the persisting issue and that all sides should take steps to defuse the growing tension. China has repeatedly urged the involved parties to show restraint, calling on them to return to talks.

Beijing remains Pyongyang's closest and largest commercial partner, purchasing some 83 percent of the North's exports and selling 85 percent of the goods imported by the peninsular country.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Washington and Pyongyang to commence negotiations aimed at putting an end to tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea has been under a raft of crippling UN sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear tests as well as multiple rocket and missile launches. Pyongyang has firmly defended its military program as a deterrent against the hostile policies of the US and its regional allies, including South Korea and Japan.

North Korea has already demanded a halt to what it called "brutal sanctions" imposed by the UNSC, saying the previous bans imposed after Pyongyang's sixth and most powerful nuclear test on September 3 constitute "genocide."

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North Korea Advises US to Give Up 'Pipe Dream' of Pyongyang Abandoning Nukes

Sputnik News

14:23 25.12.2017(updated 16:10 25.12.2017)

North Korea has responded to the latest Washington-drafted sanctions against the country, unanimously approved by the UN Security Council over its recent launch of a ballistic missile, claimed capable of reaching "anywhere in the US".

"We define this 'sanctions resolution' rigged up by the US and its followers as a grave infringement upon the sovereignty of our Republic, as an act of war violating peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and the region and categorically reject the 'resolution'," the North Korean foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday, as quoted by the country's central news agency.

The ministry has addressed Washington's attempts of, what North Korea calls, a "complete economic blockade" of Pyongyang.

"If the US wishes to live safely, it must abandon its hostile policy towards the DPRK and learn to co-exist with the country that has nuclear weapons and should wake up from its pipe dream of our country giving up nuclear weapons which we have developed and completed through all kinds of hardships," the statement reads.

UN Resolution

The document, adopted by the UNSC, stipulates clearly lower limits on North Korea's refined oil imports, the return of country's citizens working abroad back to the country within two years and a crackdown on vessels smuggling sanctioned goods, such as oil and coal from North Korea.

However, the initial draft of the resolution, as sought by the Trump administration, specified an even tougher policy towards Pyongyang, banning all oil imports and a freeze on international assets of North Korean President Kim Jong Un and the country's government.

While considering the draft, the UNSC had to put last-minute amendments in the text amid sharp criticism from Russia, which insisted North Korean workers needed 24 months (unlike the initial 12 suggested) to return and reduced the number of North Koreans in the UN blacklist from 19 to 15.

The US "Pipe Dream"

North Korea has reacted to the document by rejecting new sanctions and considering them to be "an act of war", adding that the country's nuclear weapons were a self-defensive deterrence against US threats and blackmailing and vowing to further consolidate nuclear arsenal.

This stance follows Pyongyang's repeatedly voiced criticism of US President Donald Trump's policy towards the country, recently called by North Korea's foreign ministry a "proclamation of aggression aimed at holding sway over the world according to its taste and at its own free will."

The US, for their part, has repeatedly expressed concern over North Korea's nuclear potential, urging to adopt harsh measures in response, listing Pyongyang among the threats for the country in the new US national security strategy.

China has hailed the UN resolution, with China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying calling for restraint on Monday, urging nations to "make positive and constructive efforts to de-escalate tensions" on the Korean Peninsula and emphasizing "not inflicting adverse humanitarian impact" on North Koreans.

 Sputnik

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Russia, China Urge Peaceful Resolution to North Korea Tensions

By VOA News December 25, 2017

Russia and China each signaled Monday a desire for a peaceful resolution to the tensions surrounding North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile activity.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told state-run media that no one wants to see war on the Korean Peninsula and that he hopes the United States is not planning a military approach to resolving the situation.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said during a briefing Monday that all countries should "exercise restraint and make proactive and constructive efforts to ease the tensions on the peninsula."

China also said new U.N. sanctions should not have a detrimental humanitarian impact on North Korean civilians or affect "normal economic exchanges and cooperation."

Security Council vote

The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a resolution Friday limiting the amount of gasoline and diesel North Korea can import and tightening inspections of ships suspected of illegally carrying banned items to or from North Korea.

The measure also orders U.N. members to send home all North Koreans working in foreign countries to within two years -- a move aimed at cutting off a source of revenue for Kim Jong Un's government, which routinely confiscates much of their earnings.

The United States estimates as many as 80,000 North Koreans work in China and at least 30,000 in Russia.

North Korea: 'Act of War'

North Korea rejected the new sanctions, calling them an "act of war" and "tantamount to a complete economic blockade."

"If the U.S. wishes to live safely, it must abandon its hostile policy...and learn to co-exist with the country that has nuclear weapons," a statement carried by the official North Korea news agency said. It also threatened that all nations that back the resolution will "pay a heavy price."

Previous U.N. sanctions imposed against North Korea have failed to deter it from testing missiles and pursuing nuclear weapons.

The United States has rejected North Korea's offer to freeze its nuclear ambitions if the U.S. suspends military exercises on and near the Korean Peninsula.

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Iran speaker dismisses US claims on Yemeni missiles

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, Dec 24, IRNA -- Iran Majlis (Parliament) Speaker Ali Larijani dismissed fresh US allegations that an Iranian missile was used by Yemen to target the Saudi soil, saying that the US eyes a new adventurism in the region.

He made the remarks during a meeting with Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav V. Volodin on the sidelines of first six-nation Speakers' Conference in Islamabad.

On this occasion, he emphasized the expansion of Tehran-Moscow relations, especially in commercial and economic sectors.

Expressing satisfaction over the joint production of locomotives between Iran and Russia, Larijani called for further expansion of mutual cooperation in the sector.

He said that some countries are trying to take advantage from the victory of Iran and Russia in Syria for their own purposes.

He said the presence of US forces in Syria's is barrier to the success of the Syrian security forces against terrorists.

Larijani thanked the Russian counterpart for adopting same policy against the decision of Donald Trump on Al-Quds.

He dismissed fresh US allegations that an Iranian missile was used by Yemen to target Saudi soil saying that Russia is a close friend of Iran and knows that Iran has not provided missiles in Yemen.

Larijani further said that America wants to start a new adventurism in the region by showing some pieces of iron.

Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav V. Volodin on the occasion criticized the United States' double standards policy on saying that American authorities are afraid of reality.

He emphasized the expansion of harmony and mutual consultation among the regional countries.

Vyacheslav said Russia wants to increase economic cooperation with Iran, and this year, a high level Russian trade delegation will visit Iran.

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IAEA sole judge in JCPOA issue: Iran

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Dec 25, IRNA -- Top Iranian Foreign Ministry official said on Monday that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the only eligible entity to judge Iran's compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

'JCPOA issue has one judge and according to the international norms..., it is the IAEA,' Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Monday in reaction to the US lawmakers' accusation on violation of nuclear deal by Iran.

Speaking about US President Donald Trump's policy towards Iran, he said that the terrorists' defeat in the region is the reason for Trump's nervousness.

These claims are unimportant and 'cannot influence Islamic Republic of Iran's logical policies in the region and the world', Qasemi noted.

Speaking about Zionist regime officials' remarks after the UN General Assembly resolution on recognition of Jerusalem (Holy Quds) as capital of Israel, he said that this occupying regime is root cause of all problems in the region.

The UK debt to Iran was one of the major issues discussed during UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's visit to Iran, the official noted.

He expressed the hope that the UK would show good will and resolve the problem.

Answering another question regarding Iran, Turkey and Russia cooperation in Syria, Qasemi expressed the hope for taking new steps towards resolution of the issue till end of January.

Commenting on the status of Negar Ghodskani, an Iranian citizen imprisoned in Australia, he expressed concern about her status and urged the Australian government to release her for humanitarian considerations.

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Israeli Army Launches Drills in Country's South

Sputnik News

13:00 24.12.2017

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) launched on Sunday five-day military exercises in the country's south, the army's press service said.

The drills are set to take place in the Kiryat Gatarea, as well as at the Tze'elim training base. The army noted that there would be an increased movement of security forces in the area as part of the exercises.

The drills are held against the backdrop of growing tensions in the region, triggered by US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Trump made the relevant announcement in early December and instructed the State Department to begin preparations for the transfer of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv. He also urged other countries to follow the US move.

The step has prompted criticism from a number of states, first and foremost in the Middle East and Palestine, and triggered a wave of protests in the region.

 Sputnik

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UN General Assembly calls on Myanmar to stop military campaign against Rohingya Muslims

Iran Press TV

Sun Dec 24, 2017 10:03PM

The United Nations General Assembly has called on Myanmar to halt its military campaign against Rohingya Muslims.

On Sunday, a resolution forwarded by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was adopted by a vote of 122 to 10 with 24 abstentions.

It calls for Myanmar to grant aid workers access and to give Rohingya Muslims full citizenship rights.

The resolution also calls on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to assign a special envoy to the country.

China, Russia, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Belarus, Syria and Zimbabwe voted against the resolution.

Backed by Myanmar's government and Buddhist majority, the military launched yet another heavy-handed crackdown against the Muslim minority in Rakhine State on August 25, using a number of armed attacks on military posts as the pretext.

Over that past three months, government troops, apart from raping, have been committing killings, making arbitrary arrests, and carrying out mass arson attacks to destroy houses in predominantly-Rohingya villages in Rakhine.

Only in its first month, the clampdown, called by the UN and prominent rights group an "ethnic cleansing campaign," killed some 6,700 Rohingya Muslims, including more than 700 children, according to Doctors Without Borders.

More than 655,000 Rohingya Muslims have so far fled the predominantly-Buddhist Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh since then.

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Pentagon says Myanmar invited to join US-Thai war games

Iran Press TV

Sun Dec 24, 2017 03:33AM

A US Defense Department spokesman says that Myanmar, which is widely censured for conducting ethnic cleansing against its Rohingya Muslim minority, has been invited to observe major US-Thai war games, dubbed Cobra Gold, along with other Asian militaries.

Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Logan stated that Thailand had invited Myanmar to take part in the annual military exercise, which involves thousands of US and Thai military personnel and participants from other Asian countries, Reuters reported Sunday.

According to Logan, Myanmar was invited to observe the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief portion of the war games.

Asked why Thailand decided to invite Myanmar despite concerns over the crackdown against the Rohingya and whether this issue was part of their deliberations, a senior officer at the Directorate of Joint Intelligence of the Royal Thai Armed Forces was cited in the report as saying, "That never came up in the discussions. We separated that issue. 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 spoke on condition of anonymity.

This is while Pentagon also refused to comment when asked whether the US military had tried to apply pressure on Thailand not to invite Myanmar due to the international condemnation of its brutal crackdown on the Rohingya.

Myanmar's military has been engaged in a massive campaign of killing, torturing and driving out Muslim Rohingya from Rakhine state since August. The crackdown has led to the flight of more than 650,000 Rohingyas to Bangladesh in recent months.

In the 2017 Cobra Gold exercise, 29 nations either have participated or observed the exercise, including Myanmar. It includes around 3,600 US troops. Cobra Gold is an annual exercise in Thailand. The 2018 war games are expected to be held in February.

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Navalny Submits Documents To Election Commission, Demands To Take Part In Presidential Vote

RFE/RL's Russian Service December 24, 2017

MOSCOW -- Russian anticorruption activist and opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has submitted documents needed to be registered as a presidential candidate to the country's Central Election Commission.

"An election without us is not an election," Navalny declared before submitting the papers late on December 24.

"We are capable of opposing the current authorities. Our key demand is to be allowed to take part in the elections," he told reporters as he was leaving the commission building in central Moscow.

An outspoken Kremlin critic, Navalny is barred from running in the March 2018 presidential election because of a criminal conviction that he says is politically motivated. Navalny could run if the conviction is canceled or if he gets a special dispensation.

The commission, which extended its working hours to take the documents, has five days in which to decide whether Navalny will be registered.

Navalny tweeted on December 25 that election officials have already been meeting to decide on his election bid.

"Judging by the unprecedented speed (yesterday the documents were submitted at 2100, and there is already a CEC meeting at 1500), they are going to deny us registration," Navalny wrote.

The election commission has previously ruled Navalny ineligible to run for public office until about 2028 because of a financial-crimes conviction that he says was fabricated by authorities for political reasons.

Navalny earlier on December 24 had announced he had gathered enough endorsements to run in the election after his supporters organized rallies in 20 cities across Russia to secure what they said were 15,000 signatures.

At a Moscow rally, he branded Russian leader Vladimir Putin a "bad president."

"It's you, Vladimir Putin, that turned our country into a source of personal enrichment for yourself, your family, and your friends. Therefore, you should no longer be president," Navalny said.

About 800 Navalny supporters gathered for a formal endorsement meeting in a giant tent on the snow-covered riverside in Moscow, with 742 giving him their signature.

According to law, he needed 500 endorsements in each of 20 cities across the country, Navalny's campaign said.

Similar events took place in 19 other cities, including St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, Perm, Omsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Yekaterinburg.

"There is no large-scale support for Putin and his rule in this country," Navalny told the meeting. He threatened a boycott of the vote by his supporters if he is barred from running.

"We are ready to win, and we will win these elections," Navalny said.

In St. Petersburg, police officers demanded that supporters remove the table and chairs prepared for the collection of signatures.

In Astrakhan, police stopped a van carrying 11 opposition activists who were on their way to take part in pro-Navalny rallies in Volgograd, opposition supporter Arsentiy Gundarev said. He said police seized the activists' passports and other documents.

Navalny later tweeted that he had secured the signatures, saying: "I have become an official candidate nominated by activist groups of voters. Many thanks to those who have taken part in this campaign in all corners of our country. You are the best."

Navalny also gave his backing to an unauthorized event organized by Ilya Yashin, a pro-opposition municipal deputy who heads the Krasnoselsky district of Moscow and an ally of late opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.

The rallies coincided with the anniversary of a mass protest in Moscow sparked by what the opposition and others claimed were fraudulent State Duma elections in 2011.

Those protests culminated on May 6, 2012, on the eve of Putin's inauguration for a third term as Russian president, when hundreds of people were arrested on Moscow's Bolotnaya Square while demonstrating.

Throwing his backing behind Yashin's event, Navalny commented on his blog that December 24 was a "beautiful date" to hold a rally, writing "We will remember December 24, 2011."

In turn, Yashin, whose event was dubbed a "Day of Free Elections" festival, spoke in favor of Navalny.

RFE/RL's Russian service reported that up to 2,000 people attended Yashin's event, held in Moscow's Lermontov Square. The crowd shouted slogans such as "We are the power" and "Putin thief."

One person was detained but was almost immediately released. Yashin's unsanctioned event ended at 4:15 p.m. Moscow time without incidents.

"The refusal by Moscow authorities to sign off on the planned December 24 rally in support of fair elections is yet another example of how Russian officials use formal pretexts to ban events by the political or civic opposition," said Tanya Lokshina, the head of the Moscow branch of Human Rights Watch.

Yashin had spelled out earlier on his Facebook page why he was organizing the event.

"We will tell people about their electoral rights, which are guaranteed by the constitution. We will organize the registration of people who are prepared to work as monitors. We will put up a stage, invite musicians, and give out souvenirs dedicated to free elections," Yashin wrote.

Navalny, 41, announced last December he would run for president and since then has set up scores of campaign headquarters and met voters across the country.

Speaking to RFE/RL's Russian Service earlier this month (December 4), Navalny ally Vladimir Milov said it is wrong to expect Navalny's campaign will give up if or when he is officially barred from running because of the criminal charges.

"That will only be the start of it," Milov said, claiming they will dispute the decision in court and "fight for Navalny's registration until March 18," the scheduled date of the elections, and beyond.

Navalny published his full election platform last week, focusing on fighting corruption and channeling more money into education and health care. He calls for a windfall tax on oligarchs and huge cuts to Russia's bloated bureaucracy.

Putin announced his decision to run for a fourth term on December 6. His high approval ratings and control over the levers of power make his victory a foregone conclusion in Russia, where government critics say election campaigns and results are manipulated by the authorities.

Analysts say Putin is eager to score a strong win in a vote with a high turnout in order to make his mandate as strong as possible in what could be his final six-year term, as the constitution bars presidents from serving more than two consecutive terms.

Other candidates have also filed with the commission to run in the election, although critics have accused the Kremlin of sanctioning some opponents merely to give the appearance of a democratic process.

One potential opponent, Sergei Mironov from A Just Russia party, on December 24 said his party had decided to support Putin and not propose its own candidate.

Ksenia Sobchak, a television personality -- whose late father was Putin's mentor in the early 1990s -- is also planning to run.

With reporting by AFP, AP, the BBC

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-putin-navalny-protest- presidential-election/28935264.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 bars opposition figure Navalny from running for president

Iran Press TV

Mon Dec 25, 2017 05:38PM

Russia's Central Election Commission has barred opposition figure Alexei Navalny from running for president in the March 18 election.

Members of the commission on Monday decided unanimously that Navalny, a lawyer turned anti-corruption campaigner, isn't eligible to run in the election because of a controversial conviction in a fraud case.

Navalny submitted his official nomination for the vote on Sunday as hundreds of his supporters attended a campaign event in Moscow and endorsed his candidacy. He could have run in the election if the conviction, which he insists is politically-motivated, was canceled or if he could receive a special dispensation.

He was viewed as a main challenger to President Vladimir Putin in his bid for reelection. Putin is planning to run as independent, hoping for support from more than one political party.

Navalny, who has led a far-reaching campaign against corruption in the government, said in a message after the election regulator issued its ruling that he would boycott the vote.

"The procedure that we're invited to take part [in] is not an election ... Only Putin and the candidates he has hand-picked are taking part in it," he said, adding, "Going to the polls right now is to vote for lies and corruption."

Navalny also said that the decision to bar him from the election was "not against me, but against 16,000 people who have nominated me, against 200,000 volunteers who have been canvassing for me."

Election authorities said the criminal conviction against Navalny effectively made it impossible for him to compete in the election.

Ella Pamfilova, who serves as the Central Election Commission chief, had told Navalny before the Monday announcement that the electoral body was maybe interested in putting the opposition figure on the ballot, but the conviction did not allow it.

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Russia's Election Commission Rejects Navalny's Presidential Bid

RFE/RL's Russian Service December 25, 2017

Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC) has rejected anticorruption activist and opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's bid to run against President Vladimir Putin in the presidential election in March, saying he was ineligible because of a past criminal conviction.

The commission said the conviction, for which Navalny received a suspended sentence and which he has repeatedly described as politically-motivated, meant he could not run for president.

Polls show Putin is on course to be comfortably reelected, meaning he could remain in power until 2024.

Twelve of the 13-member commission voted on December 25 to bar Navalny. One member of the commission abstained, citing a possible conflict of interest.

In a pre-recorded video message released minutes after the commission announced its decision on December 25, Navalny called on his supporters to boycott the vote.

"The procedure that we're invited to participate in is not an election," he said. "Only Putin and his hand-picked candidates are taking part in it."

"Going to the polls right now is to vote for lies and corruption."

"We are declaring a strike by voters. We will ask everyone to boycott these elections. We will not recognize the result," Navalny said.

Navalny told journalists after the ruling that he would appeal the decision at Russia's Constitutional Court, but that he realized his chances of overturning it were slim.

"Of course, we will appeal it everywhere -- at the Constitutional Court. But we are perfectly aware that it is part of one system," he told journalists.

"It appeared to me that the commission and [its President Ella] Pamfilova personally didn't even try to make it look like their decision was not politically motivated."

'Electoral Strikes'

Navalny pointed out earlier in front of the commission that his conviction was deemed unfair in the European Court of Human Rights, and that banning him from participation would make the election illegitimate.

"I assure you, a huge amount of people will not go to this election, would actively boycott this election" and hold "electoral strikes," he said.

Navalny told the commission that their decision to bar him would be a vote "not against me, but against 16,000 people who have nominated me, against 200,000 volunteers who have been canvassing for me."

Navalny, 41, on December 24 submitted documents to the CEC that were required for registering as a presidential candidate after announcing he had gathered enough endorsements to run in the election.

"An election without us is not an election," Navalny declared before submitting the papers.

"We are capable of opposing the current authorities. Our key demand is to be allowed to take part in the elections," he told reporters as he was leaving the commission building in central Moscow.

The election commission had already previously ruled Navalny ineligible to run for public office until about 2028 because of a financial-crimes conviction that he says was fabricated by authorities for political reasons.

Navalny was first sentenced in 2013 on embezzlement charges, which accused him of defrauding the budget of Russia's Kirov region of some $270,000.

The European Court of Human Rights last year denounced the ruling, declaring it "arbitrary and manifestly unreasonable." Russia's Supreme Court ordered a retrial, which however gave Navalny the exact same sentence as before, using almost identical wording as the 2013 decision.

'Bad President'

On December 24, Navalny's supporters organized rallies in 20 cities across Russia to secure what they said were 15,000 signatures for his candidacy.

At a Moscow rally, he branded Russian leader Vladimir Putin a "bad president."

"It's you, Vladimir Putin, that turned our country into a source of personal enrichment for yourself, your family, and your friends. Therefore, you should no longer be president," Navalny said.

About 800 Navalny supporters gathered for a formal endorsement meeting in a giant tent on the snow-covered riverside in Moscow, with 742 giving him their signature.

According to the law, Navalny needed 500 endorsements in each of 20 cities across the country, his campaign said.

Similar events took place in 19 other cities, including St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, Perm, Omsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Yekaterinburg.

"There is no large-scale support for Putin and his rule in this country," Navalny told the meeting. He threatened a boycott of the vote by his supporters if he is barred from running.

Election Promises

Navalny published his full election manifesto last week, focusing on fighting corruption and channeling more money into education and health care. He has also called for a windfall tax on oligarchs and huge cuts to Russia's bloated bureaucracy.

Putin announced his decision to run for a fourth term on December 6. His high approval ratings and control over the levers of power make his victory a foregone conclusion in Russia, where government critics say election campaigns and results are manipulated by the authorities.

Analysts say Putin is eager to score a strong win in a vote with a high turnout in order to make his mandate as strong as possible in what could be his final six-year term, as the constitution bars presidents from serving more than two consecutive terms.

Other candidates have also filed with the commission to run in the election, although critics have accused the Kremlin of sanctioning some opponents merely to give the appearance of a democratic process.

On December 24, one potential opponent, Sergei Mironov from the A Just Russia party, said his party had decided to support Putin and not propose its own candidate.

Ksenia Sobchak, a television personality -- whose late father was Putin's mentor in the early 1990s -- is also planning to run.

With reporting by AFP, AP, and the BBC

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-navalny-presidential -candidacy-rejected/28937989.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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Syrian forces, allies advance against militants in area near Israel

Iran Press TV

Mon Dec 25, 2017 06:31AM

Syrian army troops and their allies have made significant territorial gains in the last militant-held enclave near a strategic border area with Israel and Lebanon.

Militant sources said the Syrian forces, backed by heavy airstrikes and artillery shelling, advanced east and south of the militant-held stronghold of Beit Jin since a major operation began over two months ago to capture the area.

The Syrian military said it had surrounded the village of Mughr al-Meer at the foothills of Mount Hermon as forces moved towards Beit Jin amid fierce clashes.

The enclave is the last militant stronghold left southwest of Damascus known as the Western Ghouta that had been captured by government forces last year.

The foreign-backed Takfiri militants still have a presence in central and southern Quneitra, in Syria's Golan Heights.

The advance will apparently thwart Israeli attempts to invade Syria after the Israeli military threatened back in November to launch an incursion into Syria "to protect" the people of a village populated by the Arab country's Druze minority, who are themselves supportive of the Syrian government.

The Hader village is situated in the Syrian part of the Golan Heights, and its population is aligned with the Syrian government, casting doubts about Israel's real motives in possibly launching an incursion into the Syrian territory.

People in the occupied parts of Syria's Golan Heights themselves held a protest to condemn what they called Israel's support for anti-Damascus terrorists. The demonstrators accused Israel of backing al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, previously known as al-Nusra Front, during its fatal assault on Hader in the countryside of Quneitra on November 3.

Israel is widely believed to be harboring and supporting anti-Syrian government militants who have been wreaking havoc along Syria's southwestern border regions.

The regime regularly hits positions held by the Syrian army in the Golan Heights, sometimes describing the attacks as "retaliatory." Syria says the raids aim to help Takfiri militants fighting against government forces.

On several occasions, the Syrian army has confiscated Israeli-made arms and military equipment from terrorists fighting the government forces. Israel has also been providing medical treatment to the extremist militants wounded in Syria.

Back in June, The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had been providing militants in Syria's Golan Heights with a steady flow of funds and medical supplies.

Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and has continued to occupy two-thirds of the strategically-important territory ever since, in a move that has never been recognized by the international community.

The regime has built tens of illegal settlements in the area since its occupation and has used the region to carry out a number of military operations against the Syrian government.

The southwest of Syria is part of a de-escalation zone in southern Syria agreed last July between Russia and the US, the first such understanding between the two powers.

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Syrian Army Advances on Rebel-Held Bastion Near Israel-Lebanon Border

Sputnik News

09:55 25.12.2017

The enclave of Beit Jin is the last rebel-held bastion in Western Ghouta. The Syrian Army and its allies began an operation to retake the area two months ago.

The Syrian Army and its allied Iranian-backed forces have advanced towards the enclave of Beit Jin near a strategic area at the Israeli-Lebanese border, Reuters reported citing rebel sources.

The Syrian military has encircled the village of Mughr al Meer at the foothills of Mount Hermon as troops moved towards the bastion of Beit Jin amid intense clashes, in a major operation against militants.

Beit Jin is the last rebel stronghold in Western Ghouta, southwest of Damascus, an area that has been under government control since last year.

The offensive was supported by airstrikes and heavy artillery shelling.

According to the report, a Western intelligence source has confirmed rebel reports that Iranian-backed units, including Lebanon's Hezbollah group, were playing a major role in the offensive.

Israel has been worried about the growing Iranian influence in Syria after the defeat of Daesh. Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will not allow Iran to "entrench itself militarily in Syria." In recent weeks, Israel has carried out several airstrikes against what it said to be suspected Iranian targets in Syria.

Tehran has repeatedly denied reports of having a base in Syria as well as conducting military operations there, however, stressed its cooperation with Damascus in the fight against terrorist organizations, including Daesh, and acts as one of the guarantors of the ceasefire in the country jointly with Russia and Turkey.

While Syria and Israel, which have never signed a peace treaty, have repeatedly exchanged multiple tit-for-tat attacks, Netanyahu stated that Tel Aviv is free to act in Syria for the sake of its security.

Damascus has never recognized the establishment of the Israeli state in 1948, while the disputed region of the Golan Heights has been at the center of the conflict between the two Middle Eastern states. Israel occupied the Golan Heights during the Six-Day War in 1967, with the international community refusing to recognize Israel's annexation of the territory.

 Sputnik

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Syrian Army Surrounds Terrorist Stronghold Near Damascus - Reports

Sputnik News

00:46 25.12.2017(updated 00:59 25.12.2017)

DAMASCUS (Sputnik) - The Syrian government forces surrounded a stronghold of militants from Jabhat al-Nusra in a settlement south-west of Damascus, local media reported on Sunday.

According to the state-run SANA news agency, the Syrian army units in cooperation with militia forces ousted terrorists from their strategic position as a result of intense clashes near the eastern part of Beit Jinn settlement.

Several terrorists were reportedly killed in the clashes.

The Syrian civil war has been raging for six years, with government forces fighting against both Syrian opposition groups, who strive to overthrow President Bashar Assad, and numerous extremist and terrorist groups such as the Islamic State and Jabhat Fatah al Sham, both banned in Russia.

The Russian Aerospace Forces have been supporting the Syrian government forces in their fight against the terrorists since 2015 at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad. On December 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to start the withdrawal of a significant part of the Russian troops from Syria only several days after he announced a "complete" victory over the Islamic State in the country.

 Sputnik

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China's Military Flybys Raise Alarm in Taiwan

By Ralph Jennings December 25, 2017

Taiwan is facing a new source of pressure from rival China as the communist government increasingly often sends military aircraft to skirt the island, a challenge to the local armed forces.

Planes from China flew near Taiwan in November and December, raising concern last week at the presidential office in Taipei. Over the past two years, Chinese military units have sent planes 10 times just outside the Taiwanese air defense zone, former Taiwan defense minister Andrew Yang estimates.

China considers self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory that must eventually be unified. Officials in Beijing resent Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen for not accepting their "one-China" principle, which would bind the two sides under one flag, as a condition for any talks.

China is conducting the long-range flights in part to warn Taiwan against moving toward formal independence at the risk of a military strike, analysts say.

"They will try to test Taiwan's government's will to defend itself," said Shane Lee, political scientist at Chang Jung Christian University in Taiwan. "They believe that continued threats will really bend Taiwan to its claim."

The two sides have been separately ruled since Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists fled to Taiwan after the Chinese civil war, but the government in Taipei has never declared official independence. Surveys in Taipei show most Taiwanese oppose unification.

Show of strength

China runs the world's third most powerful military after the United States and Russia. Taiwan's armed forces rank 18th, according to the database GlobalFirePower.com.

The flights send a message to multiple countries, scholars say. Some of China's aircraft fly near outlying Japanese islets and on over the Pacific Ocean.

China wants to prove it can send ships and planes past the "first island chain," said Joshua Pollack, editor of The Nonproliferation Review in Washington.

The U.S. Navy and its allies, all leery of Chinese expansion, have normally dominated the waters east of that chain, which runs from Russia to the Philippines. The chain includes Taiwan.

China said in its official news media it had "fulfilled its long-held dream of breaking through" the island chain after ships passed in 2013 between Japan and Russia.

Exercises near Taiwan

A year ago December and into January, China sent an aircraft carrier, its only one at the time, around Taiwan.

Six Chinese bombers flew through the Miyako Strait north of Taiwan in July. Bombers and other aircraft flew through the strait in November as well as through the Bashi Strait separating Taiwan from the Philippines. On December 11 the Taiwan defense ministry said Chinese fighter planes had made another round through the two straits.

"This year there are many drills and training missions taking place surrounding the Bashi Strait," said Yang, also secretary-general of the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies think tank.

"We have to watch very closely what kind of tactics or fighting capabilities they have possessed so as to come up with countermeasures," he said.

China has also shown discontent with the 20-month-old Tsai government by scaling back tourist arrivals to Taiwan, according to travel agencies in Taipei. Analysts and government officials suspect Beijing as well of persuading two countries to switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China over the same period.

Measured response

Taiwan, which sits 160 kilometers from China at its nearest point, has sent its own aircraft to monitor China's movements and urged people on the island to stay calm.

Yang said the Ministry of National Defense in Taipei is probably now considering how to ensure Chinese aircraft avoid flying into its air defense identification zone. Neither side wants a mishap, he added, while both sides know how to avoid one.

Taiwan is also developing its own naval ships and a trainer jet to keep its military up to date. Its chief foreign arms supplier, the United States, approves only occasional sales, such as a $1.42 billion package announced in June, to avoid angering Beijing too often.

On December 21, Tsai called China's flights around Taiwan a conflict with regional stability. She ordered an air force command center to step up vigilance.

Taiwan's armed forces will "just keep silent and then send their airplanes in the sky and send their ships watching," predicted Liu Yi-jiun, public affairs professor at Fo Guang University in Taiwan. "Then probably we can make the point clear.

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Ankara dismisses 2,756 public workers over suspected 'terror' links

Iran Press TV

Sun Dec 24, 2017 02:45PM

Turkish authorities have sacked more than 2,700 people from a number of public institutions over suspected links to "terror" groups or organizations in the latest round of purges since last year's botched putsch against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

According to the country's official gazette on Sunday, a total of 2,756 people were relieved of their duties from different bodies, including the interior, foreign and defense ministries, based on a new statutory decree under the state of emergency.

Under the decree, published in the gazette, 637 soldiers from the Turkish Armed Forces, including 155 from land, 155 from naval and 327 from the air forces, were dismissed. Furthermore, 360 officials from the general Command of Gendarmerie Forces were expelled.

Moreover, 61 officials from the national police and four others from the Coast Guard Command along with 105 academics lost their jobs.

According to the decree, those sacked were either suspected members of or had links to "terror" organizations and structures, which were allegedly acting against national security. The most prominent of these organizations, according the ruling, is the so-called Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), run by US-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara says was behind the mid-July 2016 failed coup.

Gulen has since strongly rejected any involvement in the coup attempt against Erdogan, but Ankara labeled his transnational religious and social movement, Gulen Hareketi, as a terror organization, the so-called FETO. The Turkish government has so far submitted a total of seven requests to US officials concerning the extradition of the Pennsylvania-based figure.

The decree also ordered the shutdown of 17 institutions across Turkey, including two newspapers and seven associations.

The Turkish authorities have so far detained more than 50,000 people, including security officials, military personnel and civil servants, over alleged links to Gulen's organization and the failed coup. More than 110,000 others, including military staff, civil servants and journalists, have also been sacked or suspended from work over the same accusations.

The Anatolian country, which remains in a state of emergency since July last year, has also been engaged in suppressing the media and opposition groups suspected to have played a role in the botched coup, prompting multiple rights groups and European governments to repeatedly criticize Ankara for the continued crackdown, saying the government is employing the coup as a pretext to muzzle dissent.

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Turkey Sacks More Than 2,700 In Continuing Purge

December 24, 2017

Turkey has dismissed 2,756 more people from their jobs in public institutions for alleged links to terror groups as Ankara presses ahead with purges launched following last year's failed military coup.

According to a government decree published in the Official Gazette on December 24, the dismissed employees include 637 military personnel, 360 gendarmerie force members, and 150 academics and other university workers.

Turkish authorities blame the July 2016 coup attempt on U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on December 24 that 110,000 new public servants will be employed next year.

More than 110,000 people have been dismissed or suspended from their posts and some 50,000 have been arrested over alleged links to Gulen or militant groups in a crackdown since then.

Gulen denies involvement in the coup attempt, in which 240 people were killed.

The government argues the crackdown is necessary to counter the continuing danger posed by followers of Gulen's movement.

Rights groups say that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is using the attempted coup as a pretext to stifle dissent.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-purge-gulen-erdogan/28935796.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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Over 2,700 Turkish Public, Military Servants Fired Over Links to Gulen

Sputnik News

14:11 24.12.2017(updated 16:03 24.12.2017)

ANKARA (Sputnik) - The Turkish government has ordered the firing of 2,756 more public servants and military servicemen over alleged links to Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen's movement referred to as the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) by Ankara and accused of being behind the failed coup attempt in July 2016.

According to the decree published in the Turkish Official Gazette on December 24, 637 soldiers from the Turkish Armed Forces, including 155 from ground, 155 from naval and 327 others from air forces, were fired. Members of police, gendarmerie, coast guard, the Justice Ministry, the Education Ministry, the Directorate of Religious Affairs and state universities staff were also dismissed. In addition, 17 public organizations, including seven funds, were closed.

On July 16, a failed military coup attempt took place in Turkey. Over 240 people were killed, while nearly 2,200 people were wounded. The Turkish authorities introduced a state of emergency following the coup attempt.

Ankara accuses the Gulen movement of masterminding the failed coup attempt, and has arrested thousands of military personnel, activists, officials, journalists, legal and educational workers over suspected links to the group. Gulen himself, who has been residing in the United States since 1999, has refuted all the allegations on numerous occasions.

 Sputnik

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Turkish Government Fires Thousands More as 2016 Coup Blowback Continues

Sputnik News

01:37 25.12.2017

Turkey has fired 2,756 more people from its public service sector for alleged ties to terror groups in reaction to 2016's attempted military coup.

Two government decrees published in the Official Gazette on Sunday revealed that that those dismissed include 637 military personnel, 360 gendarmerie force members and 150 academics or other university personnel. Two local newspapers, 14 associations and one health clinic were also shut down by the government, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

An increasingly autocratic Turkish government continues to maintain that US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen is responsible for the July 2016 coup and has labeled his supporters as terrorists. Gulen has denied the accusations against him. After the coup, Turkey declared a state of emergency and the government arrested some 50,000, firing over 110,000 civil servants for alleged ties to Gulen or other militant groups.

The government claims that purges and arrests are necessary to remove a threat allegedly posed by Gulen and his supporters, although global critics note that Ankara and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are using power to muffle cultural and political dissent.

After a defendant accused of having ties to the coup gained popular acclaim by wearing a t-shirt with the word "hero" in court, male defendants on trial for terrorism charges in Turkey will now be forced to wear drab almond and grey uniforms, according Sunday's decree. A dress code for female defendants has not yet been announced.

 Sputnik

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Critics Say Turkey's New Emergency Decree Could Incite Vigilante Groups

By By VOA News December 25, 2017

Lawyers and politicians in Turkey are warning that a new emergency decree could incite violence, and encourage formation of vigilante groups.

Turkey's main lawyers' group, the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, says the decree is vaguely-worded and could lead to violence.

The new law, passed Sunday, grants immunity to civilians who acted to stop an attempted coup in July 2016. Previously, the government gave immunity to law enforcement and government officials who took actions to thwart the coup.

Turkey's former president Abdullah Gul, a longtime ally of President Tayyip Erdogan also expressed concern about the measure, in a rare show of opposition. Gul said the law is "worrisome" and said it should be re-evaluated.

Also Monday, Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party said it would appeal the decree at the constitutional court. Ivi Parti, a new opposition party, said the decree could provoke groups to attack opposition protesters, by alleging they are linked to the failed coup.

Turkey's government has defended the emergency decree as a way to protect civilians who took to the streets to denounce the coup attempt from being punished for their actions.

The government blames the coup attempt on followers of Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish-born cleric based in the United States and his movement, which it calls the "Fethullah Terrorist Organization." Gulen denies any involvement.

President Erdogan's government declared a state of emergency in the aftermath of the attempted coup and has arrested more than 50,000 people and fired more than 150,000 others for alleged links to Gulen.

Another decree passed Sunday dismissed 2,756 more public employees and reinstated 115 employees. Other decrees Sunday ordered Turkey's defense procurement agency was to report to President Erdogan instead of the defense ministry and also closed 17 Turkish institutions, including two newspapers.

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Kyiv, Separatists Agree On Prisoner Exchange In Eastern Ukraine

RFE/RL December 25, 2017

Ukrainian authorities and Russian-backed separatists have confirmed that a major prisoner exchange will take place between the two sides of the conflict on December 27.

Iryna Herashchenko, first deputy speaker of parliament in Ukraine wrote on her Facebook account on December 25: "Seventy-four Ukrainians will be released [by the separatists] on December 27. We will exchange them for 306 people."

Separatist leader Aleksandr Zakharchenko said the swap would be held "under the 306 for 74 formula."

Zakharchenko made the comment after separatist leaders met with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill in Moscow's Svyato-Danilov Monastery.

Herashenko has previously said that Kyiv had long been ready "to hand over all of those who can be released under Ukrainian laws in order to take confirmed Ukrainians in exchange."

Herashenko is Ukraine's representative for the Trilateral Contact Group or the TCG, which consists of Ukraine, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

It was not immediately clear if this covers all prisoners of war.

Some reports claim Ukraine has 306 separatist fighters in custody, while the separatists are holding 74 government soldiers.

However, Patriarch Kirill said he hopes that the "upcoming prisoner exchange would begin the process, because not all of those who remain in captivity have been included in the list."

There have been no prisoner swaps for 14 months.

Fighting between Kyiv's forces and the Russia-backed separatists who hold parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, has killed more than 10,300 people since April 2014.

At a meeting in Minsk on December 20, representatives of Russia, Ukraine, the separatists, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said that they had agreed on a holiday cease-fire starting at midnight on December 23.

The cease-fire was agreed "in connection with the forthcoming Christmas and New Year festivities" and existing agreements and obligations, said an OSCE statement.

However, on December 25, both sides in the conflict made claims acusing each other of violating the cease-fire agreement.

Several cease-fire deals announced as part of the Minsk accords -- September 2014 and February 2015 pacts aimed at resolving the conflict -- have failed to hold.

With reporting by Interfax, unian.net, and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-separatists-prisoner- exchange-december-27-medvedchuk/28937661.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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'Will take decision on political debut on Dec 31st'

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth on Tuesday addressing his fans here said he will announce his political stance on December 31.

Rajnikanth said he was not saying he would enter politics but would only announce his "political stance" on that day.

The actor said he was not new to politics, however, it required time to "study and strategise". "We will see when the war comes and war is nothing but an election."

"One has to win a war. Bravery is not enough to win the war. Strategy is needed," Rajinikanth said.

He said more than the people, the media was interested in knowing about his political plans.

He also advised his fans not to focus on the negative information being circulated in the social media. "Focus on positive thoughts," he said.

Members of Rajinikanth's fan club would also get an opportunity to take a photograph with their matinee idol at the meeting.

In November, Rajinikanth had told reporters that there was no hurry for him to enter politics.

In May, while addressing a large gathering of his fans, Rajinikanth said he would choose the path of politics if "God willing".

"God decides what we have to do in life at every phase. Right now, he wants me to be an actor and I'm fulfilling my responsibility. If God willing, I will enter politics tomorrow.

"If I enter, I will be very truthful and will not entertain people who are in this to make money. I won't work with such people," he had said.
Edward Snowden, along with security engineer Micah Lee, have released an Android app in partnership with The Guardian Project. This app is intended for citizens who themselves or their possessions are at risk and would like to monitor their surroundings to warn them of intruders.

Called Haven, the app uses the sensors on your Android device to track various metrics. It uses the accelerometer to track the movement of the device and surrounding vibrations, camera to track movements of objects in view, microphones to track noises in the environment, ambient light sensors to track changes in the lights and power to check if the phone was unplugged or the power cut.

The way this is supposed to work is that you should ideally install this app on a burner phone with a SIM card. The app is then configured to log all the information and send notifications to a number, ideally your personal number, over a secure channel like Signal or Tor with end-to-end encryption. If the app picks up any data from the sensors, such as someone entering your room or accessing your belongings (let's say, your laptop) then it will immediately send notifications to your main number. Alternatively, it can be installed on your main phone and have the notifications be sent to a trusted number, alerting them in case you come in physical danger.

Admittedly, an app that uses sensors to track everything about your surroundings doesn't sound any less scary than the threats it claims to protect you against. But for those paranoid, the app is open source, so anyone can look at the underlying source code and the developers have invited people to contribute to it. You can also compile the app yourself using Android Studio and Gradle. All the necessary libraries and third-party dependencies are provided on their GitHub page.

Haven is currently in beta and available for download for free on Android.

Source 1  Source 2  Download
Earlier this month, Xiaomi launched an Oreo beta program for the Mi A1 smartphone. Early reports indicated that the build makes the fingerprint reader faster, and the dual-SIM feature needs improvements.

And now, we have some more information related to the beta build. According to a new report, Xiaomi has enabled fast charging support in the build. So if you were disappointed with Mi A1's lack of fast charging out of the box, look out for the final Oreo release.

The report also notes that Oreo has made app loading much quicker and animations have improved as well (as in, they are much smoother now). Of course, all the standard Oreo goodies are present, including adaptive icons and PiP mode.

The Chinese company had promised that the final release will be out before end of this year, so the wait isn't long (assuming everything in beta testing goes fine).

Via
Published on 2017/12/26 | Source

Added episode captures for the Korean drama "Drama Stage - The Picnic Day" (2017)

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Directed by Myeong Hyeon-woo

Written by Lee Jeong-min-I

Network : tvN

With Kim Dong-wan, Kim Hye-in, Nam Moon-chul, Jeon Bae-soo, Ko Kyu-pil, Kim Dong-gyu,...

1 episode - Sat - Midnight

Part of the O'PEN/Drama Stage series.

Synopsis

Jae-ho works for "The Picnic Day", a company that cleans out personal belongings of the deceased people. He joined the company because of an incident when his upstairs neighbor attempted suicide but failed. Because of this, he started with the company as a way to properly send away the dead. But as the days pass, he realizes that even an average Joe like him has the power to change someone's life and help them live on.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2017/12/23

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Published on 2017/12/26 | Source

Added episodes 3 and 4 captures for the Korean drama "Bad Guys : Vile City" (2017)

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Directed by Han Dong-hwa

Written by Han Jeong-hoon

Network : OCN

With Park Joong-hoon, Joo Jin-mo, Yang Ik-june, Kim Mu-yeol, Ji Soo, Song Young-chang,...

16 episodes - Sat, Sun 22:20

Also known as "Bad Guys: City of Evil"

Synopsis

A drama about a team of detectives who round up a team of bad guys to catch even worse ones.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2017/12/16

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Published on 2017/12/26 | Source

Added episode 36 captures for the Korean drama "Bravo My Life" (2017)

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Directed by Jung Hyo

Written by Jung Ji-woo

Network : SBS

With Do Ji-won, Park Sang-min, Yeon Jung-hoon, Jung Yoo-mi, Hyun Woo, Kang Ji-sub,...

Synopsis

60 episodes - Sat, Sun 20:45

This drama is the story of three people, actors who fail to debut after seven years and their lives as they relate to a broadcasting station.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2017/10/21

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Published on 2017/12/25 | Source

Cho Jung-seok went to jail.

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On the latest episode of the MBC drama "Two Cops", Cha Dong-tak (Cho Jung-seok) went to jail.

The reason he was locked up was because there was word that Lee Doo-sik (Lee Jae-won-I) was threatened for his life in jail. Cha Dong-tak volunteered to go in.

Song Ji-an (Lee Hyeri) visited him in jail. She worried about him and resented him for making her worry in thinking he was doing something dangerous without her knowing. Cha Dong-tak told her he wasn't.

Song Ji-an said, "You're very consistent in saying 'no' to everything. Do you like me?" Cha Dong-tak asked for her hand and they both put their hands on the glass.

Cha Dong-tak said, "You're very straightforward" and Song Ji-an replied, "You're a bundle to worry about".
There are many different types of medicinal plants that have been in use for centuries and continue to
Enjoying the Christmas Day Swim at the 40 Foot in Sandycove was Karl Butler from CityWest Dublin. Pic: Steve Humpherys

A very wet Christmas morning did not stop thousands from taking the plunge into freezing cold waters as they started off their day with a splash at the Forty Foot in Sandycove.

The annual tradition saw car park spaces at a premium from as early as 8am, as the regulars looked to get Christmas off to the freshest of starts.

Costumes

Some even arrived in their Santa costumes, while others, visiting Ireland for the first time at Christmas, were coaxed into leaping in by their new family members.

Eimear Fleming (29), from Dundrum, and Brett Petersen (30) got married in May and are living in Washington.

"He's from Florida, so he usually goes swimming in the gulf coast," Eimear said.

Despite the cold water, her husband insisted the Irish version is a "wonderful tradition".

"We're just married, it's our first Christmas in Ireland. You have to go with the traditions and do what they say basically," Brett said.

Meanwhile, Santa for the day, Karl Butler (38), from Citywest, has been doing it for years, all in aid of Pieta House, with seven pals and himself raising some 600 for the cause this year.

Despite what looked like difficult wet and windy conditions, he insisted it wasn't too bad.

"It looks colder than it is but the tide is so low today, so you just have to watch where you're jumping," he said.

"This is the eighth year in a row we're doing it for Pieta House. I've been doing it for four years in the Santa suit so I'm used to it," he added.

Katie Moynihan (23) and her mum Barbara, from Killiney, were also dressed in festive gear.

Tradition

"This is the first year that we've dressed up for it," she said. "We haven't done it the past few years but we usually do it. We thought it'd be something different."

Barry Dunne (41) and Dee Tully (39) were spotted having a kiss while swimming in the cold water.

Another Christmas tradition, Barry explained. "It's a regular thing, it's our thing," he said. "It must be my 14th or 15th year out here doing this."
Hundreds of homeless people and those on low incomes were given some much-needed festive cheer at the RDS.

More than 300 volunteers came out in force to help ensure that everyone had a day to enjoy, as part of the annual Christmas Day Dinner event held by the Knights of St Columbanus.

It is estimated that 3,500 meals were distributed by the volunteers - some through sit-down meals at the RDS and others delivered to sheltered accommodation and the homes of those in need.

Elderly

Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin said the numbers attending were higher than usual, but he insisted those in attendance were in good spirits.

"There are more here this year, and there are quite a number of people here living on their own and rough sleepers," he said. "Some of them are veterans. I've met elderly people here who have nowhere else to go."

Volunteer Jessica Akomfrah (27), from Blackrock, is a regular at the RDS.

"People really enjoy themselves. It's just such a great time," she said.
How good are these two guys, Penn State fans? It may surprise you ...
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Sophisticated voice recognition technology allows multiple callers to simultaneously be connected to the hospital departments or people they are trying to reach.The AC Voca (Airport City, Israel) VocaONE solution offers voice-based call routing to any organizational destination from just a single phone number, eliminating navigation through tedious phone menus and ending long wait times. The advanced speech-recognition routing engine, developed by linguistic experts at parent company AudioCodes (Airport City, Israel) offers over 95% accuracy in speech recognition, with special expertise in identifying names, departments, and organizational functions and branches.AC Voca also offers VocaNOM, a speech recognition solution tailored for the enterprise environment. With VocaNOM, any employee can dial a designated number, or use the VocaNOM mobile application to easily place a call, send a WhatsApp message, or an Email by simply stating any co-employees name. VocaNOM also serves as a speech enabled auto-attendant solution for enterprises, providing incoming call routing for external callers from the companys leading phone number after initial synchronization with the corporate address book.Both AC Voca solutions can easily integrate with any organizational private branch exchange (PBX) switch (either IP or analog), and with any interactive voice response (IVR) system. It can be deployed over Amazon cloud services (AWS) or as an on-premise solution, using an AudioCodes session border controller (SBC). VocaONE and VocaNOM also come with a dedicated backend analytics environment that analyzed call traffic, identifying call usage and data, peak times, and destination and transfer rates, allowing organizations to maximize their workforce and analyze callers needs and behavior.The patients simply call the central number, say the name of the department they are trying to reach, and are then connected automatically. AC Voca greatly improves the call experience for patients, while still making use of the existing telecommunications infrastructure, said Erik Heirman, sales manager for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland at AC Voca. Switching to the solution is easy and cost-effective; the savings make up for the installation costs within the first year.With the newly deployed VocaONE solution, we are now offering our callers a continuous, 24/7 automatic voice routing solution to easily transfer their calls, said Ofer Kanner, chief of operations at Rambam Healthcare Campus (Haifa, Israel). Out of 1,500 daily incoming calls, only 100 of them are now directed to a human operator, whereas all other calls are handled entirely by the AudioCodes voice routing solution.
At the recent TOPHOTELWORLDTOUR event held in Zurich, Switzerland, a pair of industry-leading consultants from Horwath HTL  Heinz Wehrle and Christian Ott-Sessay  gave an expert presentation loaded with industry insights, titled the Swiss Hotel Investment Market and a Glance at the D-A-CH Region.

Horwath HTL, for those who are not familiar, is a hotel, tourism and leisure consultancy with a 100-year heritage, 45 offices spread throughout 39 countries and major world cities, and more than 250 collaborating experts worldwide. Horwath works to give the hospitality industry much-needed impartial advice from some of the best specialists in the market, with topics of advisement that include planning and development, hotel asset management, legal advice, feasibility studies, and due diligence and transaction, among others.

This report given at the recent TOPHOTELWORLDTOUR event about the Swiss hotel investment market and later the German market was, as one would expect, incredibly useful. During this presentation, Wehrle and Ott-Sessay noted that individual hotel transactions in Switzerland were quite strong, and that portfolio transactions, which are much less common in any region, had begun to be a part of the investment market in that country. For example, in 2017, the country saw 17 individual transactions and 1 portfolio, after 2016 set a high for both with 19 individual transactions and 3 portfolio.

The presentation also dove into the specific numbers that those transactions were comprised of, showing the average size and total rooms of the properties involved, both of which peaked in 2015 with more than 120 for the average size and 1,857 for the total number of rooms in that year.

Another useful quality of the presentation was the glimpses into the future of the Swiss hotel investment market that it also provided, with the two experts providing information about the chain hotels landscape, chain hotels supply trends, and chain hotel markets, among other topics. They then extended this forecasting to look at demand trends as well, which was looking quite rosy for the Swiss region.

In terms of the D-A-CH region, Germany has been on a distinctly upward growth trajectory for its hospitality industry in recent years, which the presentation was able to display through the volume of hotel transactions alone, which in 2016 was more than 5 times higher than it was in 2010. Future trends noted by the presentation included growth slowing a bit, less portfolio investments, and foreign share of investors dropping from its current level of 60 percent to a more modest 50 percent. Like Switzerland, Germany has also seen a significant increase in branded chain hotels in recent years, with 2016 seeing the addition of 115 such branded hotels, including 11 brands that previously did not have a presence in the country whatsoever.

The final portion of the presentation looked at Austria as well as the rest of Europe, which are also currently in growth mode, with the serviced apartment market appearing to be especially dynamic and healthy.

Related projects

Let's take a look at a few other projects currently underway in the DACH Region:

Sheraton Dusseldorf Airport

New operator Munich Hotel Partners will renovate alle rooms and lobby [READ MORE]

Hard Rock Hotel Davos

Hard Rock Hotel Davos makes tribute to the building's rich history and has been transformed into a luxury music-inspired alpine escape [READ MORE]

Hotel Atlantic Kempinski

Several million Euros will be invested for redesign of the lobby and bar as well as Spa area [READ MORE]

More information on hotel projects in the DACH region can be found on TOPHOTELPROJECTS, the specialized service provider of cutting-edge information of the hospitality industry.

Jule Grass

Marketing Manager

+49 4261 4140 309

TOPHOTELPROJECTS
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 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 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, apparently hurt that Kennedy had lied to him, reflects on the inherent tension between being friends with news makers 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.
Japanese clothing line Bape has released a new capsule collection in honour of the upcoming Chinese New Year, which will be the Year of the Dog. The label has made an annual tradition of creating a new set of apparel for each passing Lunar Year, with last years designs inspired by the Year of the Rooster.

This 12-piece collection includes both adult and child clothing, offering graphic t-shirts, crewneck sweaters and hoodies in red, black, grey and white colour options. Two reimagined logos adorn these new pieces, as the signature Bape Ape head is placed alongside a dog illustration for its t-shirt and crewneck selection, while the labels iconic Baby Milo character is also updated to include dog-ears.

Bape adds to a tradition of streetwear labels adapting imagery from the Chinese zodiac and applying them to clothing, as Jordan Brand and Opening Ceremony have indulged in similar subject matter in the past.

While festivities for the Chinese New Year do not begin until February, shoppers will be given a chance to purchase these pieces when they are released to Bape retailers and its online store on January 6.

Check out some of the pieces below:
Last week, we reported that Birdman may be in a whole heap of financial trouble, following the news that hed defaulted on a $12 million loan. This led to Rick Ross taking some shots at the music mogul, claiming that hed soon run out of money completely. Now, the story has taken another turn for the worse, with the Cash Money mogul being hit with a lawsuit from those who let him borrow all that money in the first place.

According to a report by the South Florida Business Journal, Birdman is getting sued for the not being able to pay back said loan, legal action that could catch his Miami mansion, as well as a North Miami office space, in the crossfire. He took out the loan in 2015 and put the mansion up as collateral, a move that could see him lose the house after his failure to pay. The office space, which houses Birdmans Hit Factory Criteria Recording Studios, could also be swallowed up by EMG Transfer Agent after they filed a foreclosure lawsuit on the 30th of November.

EMG arent the first ones to take on this loan, as it has changed hands several times since Birdman entered into the borrowing agreement in the first place. Earlier this summer, Birdman put the mansion up for sale and, according to XXL, the home is currently listed at $16.9, nearly three million more than he paid for it.

There has been no official statement made by Birdman or his representatives at the time of this writing. No additional court dates have been scheduled as of yet.

[Via]

Birdman
Christmas Day has officially come and gone for another year, but that doesnt mean that the holiday-related queries are over  in fact, as far as Jordan Peeles impressive 2017 directorial effort Get Out is concerned, one in particular needed to be addressed. The question at hand: was the film a Christmas movie or not?

The question came from a fan on Twitter, who wanted clarification on the issue before he inadvertently ruined at least part of the holiday for his family.

https://twitter.com/_/status/945087475646472192



The famed actor/filmmaker was more than happy to oblige with a response and, based on the imagery he lists, one could theoretically make the that Get Out could indeed stand, in its own small way, as a cinematic holiday gem. Just kidding of course, but the reply is still pretty golden. Check it out in full below.

https://twitter.com/_/status/945103699499671552



All kidding aside, Peeles creation continues to impress audiences around the world, as well as lay the groundwork for future projects of his. Earlier this month, it was confirmed that the director would be rebooting The Twilight Zone for a new generation of consumers, with the new version of the series set to air on CBS. When it comes to creeping audiences out while also holding court with some scathing commentary, few are doing it better than Peele at the moment.

Where does Get Out rank on your list of the years best films? Let us know in the comments.

Jordan Peele
It looks like one of the more respected rappers in recent years could be a free man was sooner than previously expected.

Kevin Gates, who dropped By Any Means 2 while still behind bars, has had his projected parole date update on the Illinois Department of Corrections website and it says that the emcee could be out of prison as early as January 10th of 2018, so basically in a couple of weeks. You can check out all the pertinent details below.

While theres no guarantee of his parole being granted at this point, since the rapper will have to go through due process and convince those at the hearing of the decisions merit, the timeline has accelerated greatly since Gates was sentenced last year. As you can see on the information sheet, his entire jail term wouldve carried him to the same time in 2019, so hes getting out a good year and a bit in advance. Its even better than optimistic projections were back in May, which had Gates recapturing his freedom in June of 2018.

Known for his lyrical prowess and a fan base that had supported him through thick and thin, theres little doubt that Kevin Gates will land on his feet career-wise when his prison term is behind him. That being said, the rough-hewn wordsmith will big expectations riding on any future material, especially that first day out track.

What do you think? Are you stoked for Gates to return to the fore in the very near future. Have your say in the comments.

Kevin Gates
When we had Madeintyo in our On the Come Up season five, back in summer 16, the rapper mentioned he had a collaborative album with Metro Boomin in the works. The Producer MVP has been a busy man though, and its unclear what the word is currently on that joint offering dubbed MadeInBoomin. Since Madeintyos OTCU episode, hes released Thank You, Mr. Tokyo, a joint offering with his Private Club brethren 24Hrs, 24Hrs In Tokyo, as well as his solo outing Trues World. Today, with the release of a Private Club compilation album, we get the first taste of what a collaborative effort between Metro and Madeintyo would sound like, with a track titled MadeInBoomin, the opening song on the compilation too. The song actually feels quite festive, with a beat thats backed by bells, shivering hi-hats and drums.

Does this mean the MadeInBoomin effort has been scrapped, or is this a leftover cut from those sessions? Or, is this just a teaser of what will come from those two? We cant answer these questions just yet, but take a listen to the song and let us know if youre ready for a full tape.

Quotable Lyrics

I cant do that 9-5 I need that extra cheese

I heard she bout to leave a n*gga he smoke bad weed

These normal bitches say my lifestyle too lavish

Its Metro TY oh yeah, Im going savage

I fell in love with ratchet bitches thats the shit I like

The type smoke my blunt and eat up all my fried rice
Minneapolis police have effectively removed a public memorial shrine dedicated in honour of Justine Damond, a woman who was fatally shot by an officer earlier this summer. The officer in question is Mohamed Moor, a man of Somali descent, who shot Damond when she approached his cruiser after she had called the police to report an alleged rape in an alleyway near her home; Damond was unarmed.

This past Friday, California-based white nationalist group Identity Evropa erected a memorial which included photos, candles, roses and signs. The group tweeted an image of their public shrine, which specifically called-out the racial and ethnic background of the shooter, as if to publicize his non-white presence.

https://twitter.com/_/status/944662387772329984



It has been noted that this group played an essential role in planning the Charlottesville white nationalist riots in August, as well as creating the infamous You will not replace us chant that was heard reverberating throughout the violent rally this past year.

REPORT: Driver In Charlottesville Attack Facing Additional Felony Charges

Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder publicly denounced the groups shrine by stating We cannot allow any memorial and anything like that to be put up at that location. Furthermore, mayor-elect Jacob Frey effectively denounced the entire white nationalist movement by saying Identity Evropa and those who share their values have no place in our city. Hate has no place in Minneapolis. Period.
We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector
Carlos Chan is the Potato Chips King of the Philippines, and China. His Oishi snack food brand is one of the best known and the best-selling in the worlds most populous country.

Carlos Chans Liwayway Group has 15 factories in 10 provinces in China, including a facility on the border of Kazakhstan. The headquarters and the state-of-the-art main factory sit on a 17-ha lot. in Shanghai. In the Philippines, the main factory is Oishis 40-hectare compound in Cavite. Oishi has five factories in the country.

Carlos is also investing in hotels in the Philippines with the giant Jinjiang hotel brand of China, and with the JCO donuts of Indonesia.

Oishi is also manufactured in Vietnam, where it has four plants and is the market leader. It has factories in Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, and India. Carlos is looking to as far as South Africa and Eastern European countries for possible locations.

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An architecture dropout

Chan went to Shanghai after Deng Xiao Ping opened up the economy in the early 1990s. Twenty years ago, Liwayway leased two plants with some 400 workers from a state-owned company. He invested $3.5 million in his factory. His products are branded Oishireflecting the Japanese word for delicious and Japanese technology.

As the saying goes, if you could sell a product worth one yuan to each Chinese, you would make 1.3 billion yuan (P7.7 billion in Philippine currency).

But China was so poor then, not much of the population could afford even a 50-yuan snack food. So Liwayway invested in technology. We exported our food manufacturing technology to China from the Philippines, relates Larry Chan, fourth son of Carlos and now chairman of Liwayway. Carlos is chairman emeritus. And in charge of business development.

Another son, Archie, is in charge of R and D, the food group, and chairman of the Philippine company Liwayway Marketing A daughter, Rinby is in charge of packaging design and development. Eldest son Carlson is in charge of new business. Another son, Ozen is on top of the Philippines and other Asian countries. Carlos dispatched his children to Shanghai to learn and expand the business. They live there.

The Chans are very particular in not having Oishi snack foods labeled junk food. They are nutritious, health foods, with zero trans-fat, insists the boyish-looking Larry.

In 1996, Oishi was named a Shanghai Famous Brand and in 2001, a China Famous Brand. Carlos himself was named an honorary citizen of Shanghai in 2005.

Liwayway was started by Carloss parents in 1946, just after the War, repackaging goods like coffee and cornstarch (Liwayway Gawgaw is a long-time bestseller) from the masses. Liwayway means break of dawn in Pilipino and is meant to signify hope and optimism.

Liwayway ventured into snack food manufacturing in 1974 with the brand Oishi.

Carlos Chan relates that he went into business because the brood was large, eight children, and there was little pie to divide among themselves. The children incorporated Chan C. Bros. in 1963 to make lighting and bathroom fixtures and acrylic products.

Three presidents have named Carlos special envoy to China.

biznewsasia@gmail.com

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'Mediocre Manchild': Someone Just Trolled Elon Musk By Projecting These Messages on Twitter HQ
There were only five Dublin districts where vacancy rates were less than 10pc.

The number of commercial properties across Ireland classified as vacant rose by 0.9pc from 12.6pc in the final quarter of 2015 to 13.5pc in the equivalent period in 2016, according to the latest report from GeoDirectory.

The report shows there were 213,666 commercial address points in Ireland, with 28,796 of these lying vacant. The data indicates there is a substantial stock of unused commercial property not just across the country, but in Dublin too.

GeoDirectory - a database of Ireland's commercial and residential addresses - found there were only five Dublin districts where vacancy rates were less than 10pc.

The Dublin district with the highest vacancy rate was D17 (19.2pc), while D16 (7pc) had the lowest vacancy rate.

One key finding from the survey is that counties on the west coast continue to lag behind their eastern counterparts in securing occupiers for their commercial property stock. Sligo (18pc), Leitrim (16.4pc), Donegal, Mayo (15.6pc each), Galway (15.4pc) and Limerick (15.3pc) are the six counties with the highest-recorded vacancy rates.

This divergence is evident again when it comes to examining the vacancy rates at provincial level. Connacht, at 15.7pc, had the highest vacancy rate, while Leinster (excluding Dublin), recorded a vacancy rate of 12.5pc. Munster also recorded a vacancy rate below the national average at 12.9pc, while Ulster and Dublin recorded vacancy rates of 14pc and 13.7pc respectively.

In the last year, commercial vacancy rates increased in 25 out of the 26 counties. Limerick was the only county that retained the same vacancy rate as Q4 2015, albeit at a relatively high rate of 15.3pc. Kerry recorded the lowest vacancy rate of any county in the final three months of 2016 at 10.2pc. This however, represented a one percentage point increase on the previous year. An analysis of 101 locations, including 79 towns across the four provinces plus 22 Dublin districts, found that Edenderry, Co Offaly had the highest vacancy rate at 31pc.

"We're seeing the divide between the commercial success in the east and west growing. The six counties with the highest vacancy rates are on the west coast. Our figures reinforce the theory that the recovery is somewhat skewed, with the west of Ireland falling behind the rest of the country," said GeoDirectory ceo Dara Keogh.
My late mother frequently posed the rhetorical question "is there anything sacred anymore?"

Well, if she was around today and was referring to the confidentiality of one's indebtedness, there doesn't appear to be.

For many years we have had the Irish Credit Bureau harvesting, harbouring and disseminating (totally legally) details of your debt servicing performance to authorised parties. Now the Central Bank have got in on the act with the new Credit Register.

The Central Bank will say that the Government gave a commitment as part of the EU/IMF Programme of Financial Support for Ireland to develop a legal framework for the collection and centralisation of financial information on borrowers.

However, I'm not entirely sure why we need another such register and why the existing Credit Bureau could not have had its remit broadened to cover debt not currently covered by its services.

There seems to be an element of reinventing the wheel.

Recent correspondence from banks to customers about their obligations to furnish borrower details to the Central Bank's new Credit Register has caused a considerable amount of anxiety among some borrowers as was expressed by callers to a recent Joe Duffy show.

While the callers' annoyance was understandable, the reality is that for many years information about a person's borrowings has been accessible to lenders through the Irish Credit Bureau (ICB).

The ICB has members such as banks, credit card providers, credit unions, finance companies and local authorities.

They provide customer borrowing performance details to the ICB in regard to mortgages, car loans, personal loans, leasing/hire-purchase agreements and credit cards but not overdrafts or business loans.

ICB members can gain access to an existing or applicant borrower's details, generally once the borrower has signed a loan application form.

The ICB report will provide details on the performance of the loan in terms of meeting repayment schedules and the performance will be rated to enable the intending lender make a decision as to whether the intending borrower is good for the loan.

CREDIT REPORTS

Generally, once you sign a loan application form you have authorised the lender to send your loan details to the Credit Bureau and given the lender permission to access your credit details.

This will involve seeking sight of your credit report.

A credit report includes your personal details such as your name, address and date of birth along with current loan details and loans held within the past five years.

The report will detail missed payments, loans that you failed to clear, loans that were settled for less than what was owed and legal actions that the lender may have taken against you.

The report will score your performance and also provide a history of enquiries made about your credit details.

Your credit report is only available to a member lender who has your authority to access information. You can also request a copy of your report from the ICB for a fee of 8.

ERRORS

Over the years I have encountered a number of cases where the information contained in a client's credit report was incorrect.

In all such cases this was not the ICB's fault, but rather the lender was to blame in providing incorrect loan details or inaccurate personal information.

Some of these cases resulted in legal action with the borrower being compensated.

By law, financial institutions must ensure that information they hold or give to anyone else about you is correct and up to date.

So, you have the right to insist that they correct any incorrect information about you. If you find a mistake in your report, ask your lender to correct these details.

Most lenders will act to correct any mistake and amend your credit report immediately.

However, if you experience problems or delays, or if your lender fails to put things right, you can consider making a formal complaint and referring the matter to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner. If you have suffered a clearly identifiable financial loss as a result of such an error you should talk to your solicitor.

CENTRAL BANK CREDIT REGISTER

The new Credit Register referred to earlier should not be confused with a credit ratings agency such as ICB.

The main difference is that this register is established under the Credit Reporting Act 2013 and lenders are obliged to comply in making borrowers information available.

It is intended that the information collected will help lenders, consumers and the Central Bank in its role of safeguarding stability thereby protecting consumers.

The new register does not rate a borrower's performance but rather lists his/her loans along with details of missed payments.

Apart from that distinction, other differences are that business loans are included. Hire Purchase Agreements and PCPs are not currently included but the Central Bank say that they will be in the future.

Once this register is fully up and running the information will be available to over 500 lenders and firms that have acquired loan books from Irish Banks.

It is anticipated that credit reports will be available for lenders and borrowers in early 2018.

Individual borrowers will be able to request their credit report at any time free of charge.

In my view borrowers might be well advised to seek sight of their Credit Register report as it will tell you what information is available about you and whether that information is accurate.

Martin O'Sullivan is the author of the ACA Farmers Handbook. He is a partner in O'Sullivan Malone and Company, accountants and registered auditors; www.som.ie
Cocoa Brown Ambassador Joyce Bonelli at the launch of their new Golden Goddess Oil with CEO and Founder Marissa Carter. Picture: Justin Goff/goffphotos.com

Cocoa Brown Ambassador Joyce Bonelli at the launch of their new Golden Goddess Oil with CEO and Founder Marissa Carter. Picture: Justin Goff/goffphotos.com

Marissa Carter at the 5th birthday of Cocoa Brown by Marissa Carter at the Discocoa Brunch in the Pot Bellied Pig, Rathmines, Dublin. Picture: Brian McEvoy

Award-winning businesswoman Marissa Carter is calling for better support for women in the workforce - especially for those with children.

Carter founded fake tan brand Cocoa Brown in 2013 and now, one of her products sells every 15 seconds. She has distributors across Ireland, the UK and the United States and Canada and her products have been endorsed by Kylie Jenner and Khloe Kardashian.

Despite her professional success, Carter, who has two children with husband Ronan O'Flaherty, said she still has to break barriers with inherently patriarchal business practices around the world.

"For women my age, there certainly is a glass ceiling. There's huge difficulties and a lack of support structures for women who choose to have children but also want to maintain or accelerate growth in their careeer," she told the Irish Daily Mail on Sunday's You magazine.

Expand Close Marissa Carter at the 5th birthday of Cocoa Brown by Marissa Carter at the Discocoa Brunch in the Pot Bellied Pig, Rathmines, Dublin. Picture: Brian McEvoy / Facebook

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Whatsapp Marissa Carter at the 5th birthday of Cocoa Brown by Marissa Carter at the Discocoa Brunch in the Pot Bellied Pig, Rathmines, Dublin. Picture: Brian McEvoy

"A lot of women feel they have to prove their family isn't an obstruction in their job. We shouldn't feel that way. We should be able to say, 'I have to leave at 5pm today'."

She recalled one time when she had given birth five weeks earlier and a buyer would not take no for an answer on meeting her, despite knowing this.

"It's a patriarchal culture of working past dinner time but this wouldn't have been built this way if women didn't have to retire when they got married, not all that long ago, in the late 1970s. It rears its head in the little things, for example, distributor wanted to have evening meetings when I want to be at home for my children's bedtime," she explained.

"Once I had a buyer request a meeting with me five weeks after I'd given birth. I told them I'd just given birth, but they insisted on meeting me. if I was dealing with a female buyer, this wouldn't have happened.

"There's not enough consideration given to the fact that a lot of women who are successful businesswomen are also the primary caregiver in their families, these are the facts.

"When these structures and the business culture become more family-friendly, and that will happen with more female CEOs and women in management and leadership positions, then we'll really see women become more confident about demanding more money and bridging the pay gap and smashing that glass ceiling."
Many of the shops in Dundrum Town Centre will wait until today to go into full sale mode. Photo: Collins

Irish retailers are offering customers bumper sales in a bid to fight back against online retailers based in the UK and elsewhere abroad.

Shop owners around the country are giving deals and discounts to try and lure shoppers being targeted by aggressive marketing campaigns from retailers operating online.

It's understood that retailers in Ireland have been losing out around 14m every day due to online purchasing from the websites of companies who have no physical stores in the country.

Some 850,000 is being spent online every hour on retail in Ireland. However, latest figures show that more than 600,000 of this leaves the country.

Lorraine Higgins, deputy chief executive of Retail Excellence Ireland (REI), said that Irish retailers were battling back.

Technology

She said that offering good value sales across the festive period was an attempt to win over shoppers drawn to buying clothes and technology over the Christmas holiday via their tablets and laptops.

"Irish retailers are a resilient bunch and a lot of retailers have offered deals, discounts and deductions on products in-store to compete with the online world, particularly UK stores," she said.

"It's clear Irish retailers are stepping up to the mark and are not taking this lying down. Consumer sentiment is relatively positive."

One particular element being focused on by Irish stores is a click-and-collect process, which is proving to be popular among consumers.

The system allows you to choose an item online, pay for it and then collect it at the store.

"What we've seen is a double-digit increase in click and collect," Ms Higgins said.

"People might be looking at what's on offer, they might opt to collect the product in store.

"They get the convenience of getting to preserve and to see the product."

As part of the fight-back, shopping centres in particular are looking to create experiences for shoppers in order to draw them in.

The general manager at Dundrum Town Centre, Don Nugent, said the Christmas period was a hugely busy time for their retailers. He said many of the shops in the centre will wait until today to go into "full sale mode".

"While fashion is the backbone of our business, our consumers often comment on the choice of food and beverage and leisure activities that Dundrum offers," Mr Nugent said.

"Retailers are offering great value as it is a very competitive market out there.

"The very mild weather has forced some brands to reprice some of their autumn/winter stock and there are great offers already available in stores.

"The deeper reductions are unlikely to happen until after Christmas but customers may not wish to risk not getting their sizes if they wait.

"St Stephen's Day is always a very busy shopping day in our annual calendar and this year is no different ... most of our retailers will not go into full sale mode until December 26," he added.
Shoppers are set to part with more than 130m today as the festive sales period will see cash tills ringing across the country.

Retailers will be hoping bumper sales give them a much-needed boost after a poorer than anticipated lead-up to Christmas.

Consumers will loosen the purse strings as improved consumer sentiment, jobs growth and more money in people's pockets all play a factor.

The total spend is likely to outstrip last year, as more than 130m could be forked out by bargain hunters across the country.

Shop owners could also be in line for a Brexit bonus as retail experts predict the improved value of sterling will make cross-Border shopping less attractive.

The deputy CEO of Retail Excellence Ireland (REI), Lorraine Higgins, says retailers will be aiming to lure shoppers with big sales from today onwards.

Expand Close Shoppers on Grafton Street in Dublin over Christmas. Photo: Doug OConnor / Facebook

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However, REI says that the sector endured a "less than robust final week" leading up to Christmas, which has hit the bottom line.

The agency cited Christmas Eve falling on a Sunday as having a negative impact on spending.

"I'd be cautionary about it but I would say 5pc [increase in sales on last year]," Ms Higgins said. "It would be a single-digit increase on last year.

"Jewellery, footwear, children's clothes would all have performed well. But the aggressive marketing all impacted on it."

It is understood that the busiest ever Black Friday ate into a large proportion of the conventional Christmas demand.

The online demand has also had an impact on high-street retailers, with logistic companies reporting a rise of 40pc in online packages.

However, Dublin city centre is likely to see a boost from the introduction of the cross-city Luas in the post-Christmas sales.

Ms Higgins said the improved transport links would attract people who may previously have avoided the hustle and bustle of the city.

"With the Luas cross-city being opened, you would hope that would drive increased footfall into the city centre. It's a positive factor," she said.

"Aesthetically, the city centre has improved a lot with the completion of Luas cross-city. It's more inviting and attractive for shoppers.

"There's been a lot of new shopping streets created as a result of this."

Dublin Town CEO Richard Guiney also backed this sentiment.

"Our surveys would suggest that people would be more intent on visiting the city since the Luas is now finished," he said.

"Footfall in the city is down on last year. The footfall is increasing post-5pm and decreasing before 5pm."

Meanwhile Conor Healy, of the Cork Chamber of Commerce, said that business owners in the city were confident of a strong festive sales period.

"Speaking with members and businesses in town, it looks good across both retail and hospitality," he said. "There's a lot of confidence there and hopefully that'll carry us into the post-Christmas sales."

Mr Healy added that, similar to Dublin, shoppers were coming into the city as a family oriented day.

Graeme Mulqueen, of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, said that the capital had evolved in the past decade.

He said that a significant amount of money was now being spent on food and drinks as part of the shopping experience, adding that consumers were staying in the city longer.

Mr Mulqueen said that he expected about 70m to be spent by shoppers in Dublin alone.

However, he did say that people were still on the hunt for a bargain. "Nobody is getting carried away with themselves," he said.

"There's still caution and that's a good thing.

"People still want to feel like they're getting something that they really want.

"If consumers are spending, you'd like to think it's from their own pocket."

Meanwhile, Ms Higgins told the Irish Independent that, over the past 12 months, the impact of Brexit has been negative for Irish retail, with weak sterling making cross-Border shopping more appealing.

However, she says that with more certainty around the UK leaving the EU, the cost for those in the Republic to do their shopping in the North will make it a less enticing prospect.

"Brexit had an impact in a negative sense, but since the deal has been done with the EU, Ireland and the UK, we've seen a strengthening of sterling," Ms Higgins said.
Marta Herda is serving a life sentence after being convicted of murdering Hungarian national Casha Orsos. Photo: Collins Courts

Convicted killer Marta Herda who is serving a life sentence for killing a man who was in love with her by driving him into a harbour has outlined her strategy in the event of an appeal in an interview from prison.

The Polish national who was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Csaba Orsos spoke to Polish journalist Martyna Aftyka in recorded six minute calls from the Dochas women's prison in Mountjoy.

Herda, a former waitress, recently lost an appeal against her conviction for murdering the 31-year-old Hungarian man on March 26, 2013.

She had pleaded not guilty to the murder but a Central Criminal Court jury found her guilty and she was given the mandatory life sentence on July 28, 2016.

Supporters of Herda have shared a translated version of the interview with the Uwaga news programme on TVN.

"It was tough today I cant even imagine tomorrow," she said over the phone.

Expand Close Marta Herdas Sister Monika Lyzwa (second left ) with friends from left Rafal Czekaj, Katarzyna Blaszczyk and Mariusz Blaszczyk outside the Dochas Prision where Marta is held. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Marta Herdas Sister Monika Lyzwa (second left ) with friends from left Rafal Czekaj, Katarzyna Blaszczyk and Mariusz Blaszczyk outside the Dochas Prision where Marta is held.

It was hard for me to listen to all of this, very hard...Many things that do not add up at all.

She vowed that she will "save myself, for my family and to scream loud to someone finally also help me...because this is not fair".

Herda claimed the last thing Csaba said to her was "You destroyed my last hope".

She had claimed that her colleague was infatuated with her and speaking to TVN she said "what was very surprising to me we did not know each other very well. He didt know me. I didnt know him. We never dated."

"We did not meet outside work," she said.

"All these situations just happened out in the town."

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During the programme, Herda's friend Katarzyna Bloszczyk (29) recreated the journey from Herdas Arklow home to the harbour and said the Polish woman would often drive to the beach for sunrise and call her mother.

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She claimed that on the day he died, Herda called Csabo because she was concerned about him and feared he may take his own life.

Speaking from prison Marta claimed she had never made plans to meet Csaba and said she stopped at his house because she "wanted to get along with him finally".

"It was stupid. I regret this very much," she said.

She said it was stupid of her to call him and stop for him and that she has "no explanation" for this.

In the interview she said she does not remember hitting the barriers.

The former hotel worker said she is "filled with terror".

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"Im waiting we all pray very much...first I need to get the appeal, if it works".

She also pledged to "do everything differently" in the event of a second trial, including calling witnesses.

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She also revealed she will "definitely" want to take to the stand and give evidence if a second trial occurs.

Her trial heard that she escaped through the drivers window in the harbour but her colleagues body was found on a nearby beach later that day.

A post-mortem exam found that Csaba died from drowning and not from injuries related to the crash.

The trial heard that the handbrake had been applied before the car entered the water and that the only open window was the drivers.

She showed gardai a love letter that her victim had sent her and she gave them an account of what happened in the car.

"I remember I hit accelerator and I think I have enough of this, I have enough of him, I can no longer take this," she said.

"All I see is his angry face and screaming. I know that I drive to water. I could not take it anymore."

However, speaking to the same programme her sister, Monika, said Herda spoke without a translator and that her meaning was misinterpreted.

Her supporters are now raising money to fund an appeal to the Supreme Court and say they will, if necessary, bring her case to the European Court of Human Rights.
A Dublin man allegedly grabbed his girlfriend's mother by the hair and smacked her head against a radiator, a court was told.

Kevin Foley (26) is also alleged to have pinned Edel Pierce to the ground and "thumped the head off her".
Violence is on the rise in Ireland linked to "unscrupulous and despicable" drug wars, the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin has warned.

In his Christmas homily, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin expressed concern over the new signs of violence in the country, related to "that business of death, the drug world".

He also expressed concern over the ongoing cycle of stabbings.

Speaking about the message of Christmas, he told the faithful gathered in St Mary's Pro Cathedral in Dublin for Christmas Mass: "I ask myself how we can celebrate this beautiful night of peace and not remember the anxieties of many elderly men and women living alone."

He said many "have now begun to fear the night for their own safety".

Dr Martin also questioned how the joy of childhood can be celebrated when children are being trafficked, exploited, abused and are homeless.

Peace in today's world is "more than fragile" and "conflicts rage and fester", the Catholic leader stressed, and he said responses were often phrased in a language that was inflammatory rather than words and deeds of peace. However, the Archbishop also sounded an upbeat message, stressing that good can prevail.

"Christmas makes our hearts different, even for a moment. Doors are opened, feuds are reconciled, old enmities are put aside.

"This child who is born touches our hearts with a tenderness that we so easily hide in other moments."

Even the most hardened heart cannot but feel a certain sense of tenderness on Christmas night, he said.

"Thank God, for most of us, even the rampant commercialisation of Christmas that dominates our society for months each year, finally fades aside at least for a moment when, in the silence of this holy night, we are captured by the deeper message of Christmas."

The Archbishop said all were called to bring the message of Christmas to those places where darkness prevailed.

"We need a society where politics and economics play their part but we also need a society - indeed, a Church - where gladness is made greater, joy is increased and where the many who today live in darkness encounter a great and a welcome light."

In St Patrick's Cathedral Armagh, Archbishop Eamon Martin said Christmas was a time when we were especially conscious of families who had been bereaved this year, or who had someone in hospital or in care. "The plight of homeless, migrant and refugee families is also in our Christmas thoughts and prayers, as well as the anguish of families caught up in war or violence in various parts of the world," the Archbishop of Armagh said.
Gardai preserve scene where the body of the woman, who was in her 40s, was found at about 12.40pm this afternoon at a flat on Rathmines Avenue.Pic Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

The body of a woman (40s) has been found at a flat in south Dublin.

The discovery was made at around 12.40pm this afternoon at the woman's home on Rathmines Avenue.

Gardai said the Office of the State Pathologist has been notified and the body remains at the scene.

A post mortem is due to be carried out tomorrow morning and the results will determine the course of the garda investigation.

Several members of the Garda Technical Bureau were working at the scene this evening.

The first-floor flat in the large Dublin City Council flats complex was sealed off by garda officers as it undergoes an intensive examination by the specialist gardai.

A garda van remained at the flats complex throughout the evening as uniformed gardai and detectives conducted door-to-door inquiries in the vicinity.

Members of the local community expressed shock and sadness at the woman's sudden death.

A woman living in the same building said it was "horrible" to hear that she was dead.

"It's very sad. She was a good neighbour to me."
Superintendent Martin Fitzgerald, right, and Detective Inspector Martin Creighton brief the media at the incident room in Dun Laoghaire Garda station. Photo: Tony Gavin

A 16-year-old boy from a "well respected" south Dublin family was being questioned by gardai last night in relation to a horror attack on a young woman in Dun Laoghaire.

It is understood the teenager, who is from the Blackrock area, arranged to meet the woman after first making contact with her online.

It's understood that the woman, who sustained serious neck and arm injuries in the attack, had no idea that the man she was meeting was only 16. It's believed the situation escalated once the woman became aware of his age.

The teenager remained in Garda custody last night. He is from a well respected family and had not previously come to Garda attention.

The 25-year-old woman, who is of Irish-Malaysian descent, was left in a "serious but stable condition" following the suspected bottle attack in Dun Laoghaire.

The victim was found near the baths at Queen's Road at around 3.30pm, having received extensive wounds to her neck and arm. She underwent emergency surgery in St Vincent's Hospital.

Gardai yesterday confirmed that a juvenile male was arrested on Christmas morning.

A Garda spokesperson said yesterday: "Gardai have made an arrest in relation to the investigation of the assault on a woman in her 20s that occurred close to the baths at Queen's Road, Dun Laoghaire, at 3.20pm on 23rd December, 2017.

"A male juvenile is currently detained at Dun Laoghaire Garda station. The injured woman remains in hospital in a serious condition. The investigation is ongoing."

On Sunday, Supt Martin Fitzgerald, from Dun Laoghaire Garda station, told a media briefing they were seeking to speak to a man who was seen in the company of the victim shortly before her ordeal.

"The injured party parked her own car in Dun Laoghaire at around 12pm. At 12.06pm, CCTV picked up the injured party walking past Dun Laoghaire Garda station and heading towards George's Street," Supt Fitzgerald said.

"Shortly afterwards, she was captured on CCTV walking towards Dun Laoghaire shopping centre, and CCTV later captures the injured party at Windsor Terrace, and on this occasion she was in the company of an Irish male, described as being in late teens or early 20s, who may have been carrying a rucksack and was wearing dark clothing," he added.

"Further requests have been made for CCTV footage. We would also appeal to motorists who may have dashcam footage and who were in the area at the time to contact gardai."
The officer leading the Garda crackdown on organised crime in Dublin is hopeful they can repeat the successes they achieved in ending the gang feuds in Limerick.

Assistant Garda Commissioner John O'Driscoll, who is in charge of special crime operations, said the activities of the Kinahan and Hutch gangs in the past couple of years had posed a threat to the security of the State on a par with dissident republicans.

Mr O'Driscoll was commenting as he reviewed a year in which members of the Garda drugs and organised crime bureau (DOCB) seized 29 firearms with 1,800 rounds of assorted ammunition, and drugs with an estimated street value of 71m.

He told the Irish Independent: "We can't be sure how long it will take to stop the feuding but we are hopeful we are over the worst of it. The murder earlier this month of Kane McCormack is a reminder that the feuding has not stopped.

"But we have made a number of very important captures and interventions this year."

Mr O'Driscoll said that at the time of the murder of David Byrne in the Regency Hotel, on the northside of the capital, in February 2016, there were suggestions of slaughter on the streets as the feud escalated.

But while there had been more feud-related deaths since, there had been a significant fall-off in the gangs' activities.

The deadly feuding in Limerick lasted for more than a decade after it erupted in 2000, and was ended by gardai after saturation patrolling and targeted surveillance and investigations.

Mr O'Driscoll said he believed gardai had dealt major blows to the capacity of gangs to operate.

He added: "We can guarantee that during 2018 we will continue to seize drugs, keep up our armed patrols and target members of criminal groups, particularly at the higher echelons, in a manner that is unprecedented."

Since it was established in March 2015, DOCB has seized 68 firearms, including 36 handguns, six machine guns, seven assault and two other rifles, and 10 stun guns.

Some of the captured weapons were high-powered and described as military grade.

One of the guns seized is an eastern European Baikal pistol, which can be bought for under 1,500 from crime gangs in England, where it became known as "the hitman's kit".

Seized in a recent DOCB operation was a Beretta, which became the official sidearm for the US military in the 1980s.

After stopping a car in Cabra, Dublin, in November 2016, DOCB officers searched the boot and uncovered two Brugger and Thomet MP9 machine pistols, similar to those used by the Swiss special forces. Also recovered were silencers.

"These are an example of the type of weaponry they can acquire," the assistant commissioner said.

The Garda specialist units have saved 44 lives in the greater Dublin area since the Regency Hotel murder, 20 of them last year, and 24 in 2017.

More than half of the 71m worth of drugs seized in 2017 was found in a combined operation with the Revenue drugs team at Dublin Port in January, when they recovered 1,900kg of cannabis herb in a shipment labelled tractor parts. It was valued at around 37m.

Mr O'Driscoll said the specialist units were also dealing with other crime gangs, who might not be at the top of the scale, but also posed a significant threat.

The Garda investigation into the murder of Det Garda Adrian Donohoe, in January 2013, remains a top priority, he added.
Cystic Fibrosis campaigner Orla Tinsley has confirmed that her double lung transplant was a success.

The 30-year-old took to Twitter to thank members of the public for their support after she spent several days on life support at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

"Thank you, everyone, for all your love and support. I now have shiny new lungs and spent yesterday, with my family, thinking of my donor and their family I am forever grateful for their forward thinking and generosity," she tweeted.

Ms Tinsley had previously received six calls about a potential lung transplant to date but each time the donor lungs were deemed unsuitable.

1. Thank you, everyone, for all your love and support. I now have shiny new lungs and spent yesterday, with my family, thinking of my donor and their family I am forever grateful for their forward thinking and generosity. #recycleyourself #beatcf  Orla Tinsley (@orlatinsley) December 26, 2017

Ten days ago she received her seventh call and returned to New York Presbyterian Hospital for the operation.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a lifelong genetically inherited disease that mainly affects the lungs and the digestive system.

Ms Tinsley, a Kildare-born journalist, has been at the forefront of the fight to improve awareness and services of CF has written extensively on the subject.

Her campaign work was instrumental in the opening of a dedicated CF unit in St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin.

She had been on a waiting list to undergo a double lung transplant since she suffered respiratory failure last year.

Earlier in the week she urged people to carry organ donor cards.
Martin Needham (inset left) and Declan Davitt (inset right) lost their lives on Christmas morning in Mayo

THE young man who escaped from a vehicle swept away in a river went back into the water in a desperate attempt to rescue his two friends, Independent.ie has learned.

Declan Davitt (26) and Martin Needham (27) - two very close friends - drowned after the 4x4 they were in entered the Carrowniskey River in Co Mayo in the early hours of Christmas morning.

It is understood they were taking a shortcut across a stretch of water that is normally passable.

Another man, Tom McGreil (19) managed to escape from the jeep and the water and reach land. Mr McGreil then made a desperate attempt to help his friends.

Poor Tom McGreil risked his life to go back into the water after he escaped but the current was too strong, a local man said.

It has also emerged that the Davitt family suffered a separate Christmas tragedy seven years ago.

Declan's older sister Kathleen drowned off the west coast in 2010. Her funeral took place on Christmas week, when she was 26, the same age as Declan.

Kathleen, who had been living in the Monivea area of Galway, had been missing for more than a week when her body was recovered on the shoreline between Oranmore and Roscam.

That search invovled the Coastguard search and rescue helicopters and the Galway Lifeboat. Members of the Coastguard were also involved in the search for Declan and Martin on Christmas Day, and the bodies of the two men were brought from the water at around 4pm, bringing a cloak of sadness to the community of Louisburgh and the wider area of west Mayo.

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The two men were returning after a night socialising with friends and were crossing the stretch of water that had become swollen in bad weather. There were gale force winds and water levels were high.

Initial reports suggested the vehicle became submerged as it crossed the river and was then carried downstream.

Martin and Declan had both spent time in New Zealand in recent years, but had come home and worked as sheep farmers after settling back in the communities where they were born.

They were also both involved in their local Macra na Feirme organisation.

Its chairman, Colm Clarke, posted a poignant message on social media describing the feelings of the local communities in the wake of the tragedy.

There's no words to describe today, waking up this morning, looking forward to a nice quiet day, everyone's world was shattered by the news that our two good friends had been lost. thank God they were recovered before dark tonight, he said.

All I can say is, I'll miss you Martin and Declan, two sound men, thick as thieves, lived most of their lives in each other's pockets, where you would see one the other was never far away, he added.

As tragically was the case today too, no sooner as we had Martin recovered Declan wasn't far away. R.I.P. lads, you've both left a huge void in all our lives and it was an honour to have known you both. Slan boys, Colm concluded.

Local sources say it was initially believed Martin and Declans bodies were in the vehicle when it was found.

But when it was pulled to the surface their bodies were not it.

The windows were down, so it looks like they made it out of the jeep but got swept away by the current, said one man.

Martin and Declan grew up about a mile from each other, and where you saw one you would always know the other was nearby. They were always together. They were like brothers, he explained.

When we heard one of the names of the men who were missing we didnt need to be told the other. We knew who it would be, the man added.

Expand Close Martin Needham (left) and Declan Davitt - friends who died after SUV was swept away in Mayo / Facebook

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Declan and Martins funerals will be held a day apart as the parishes in and around Louisburgh try to come to terms with the loss of the two well respected young men.

Martins body will lie in repose at Sweeney's Funeral Home in Louisburgh tomorrow Wednesday from 5:00pm, concluding with prayers at 9:00pm.

His funeral will be held on Thursday at 12 noon at the Church of the Holy Family, Killeen followed by interment in Killeen Old Cemetery.

Declans body will lie in repose at Sweeney's Funeral Home in Louisburgh on Thursday from 5:00pm, also concluding with prayers at 9:00pm.

His funeral will be held at 12 noon on Friday morning at the Church of the Holy Family in Killeen.

His remains will be buried in Killeen New Cemetery afterwards.

Public notices said they would be deeply mourned by their "heartbroken" families.

Expand Close Emergency services and the Coast Guard helicopter near the Carrowniskey area of Louisburgh, Co Mayo, where two bodies were recovered. Photo: Damien Eagers / Facebook

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Whatsapp Emergency services and the Coast Guard helicopter near the Carrowniskey area of Louisburgh, Co Mayo, where two bodies were recovered. Photo: Damien Eagers

Mayo county councillor Christy Hyland said the victims were from well-known and respected families in the area.

"Our thoughts go out to their loved ones, their families and friends," he said.

"The whole community is in shock.

"This is a terrible tragedy to happen at any time, but especially on Christmas morning."
Gavin Kearns and Gerry Moran at the Christmas Day Dinner at the RDS. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Hundreds of homeless people and those on low incomes were given some much-needed festive cheer - as dinners, drinks and even a bit of a sing-song were served up yesterday.

More than 300 volunteers came out in force to help ensure that everyone had a day to enjoy, as part of the annual Christmas Day Dinner event held by the Knights of St Columbanus in Dublin's RDS.

It is estimated that 3,500 meals were distributed by the volunteers in Dublin 4 - some through sit-down meals and others delivered to sheltered accommodation and the homes of those in need.

Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin said the numbers attending were higher than usual - but he insisted those there were in good spirits.

"There are more here this year, and there are quite a number of people here living on their own and rough sleepers," he said.

"Some of them are veterans. I've met elderly people here who have nowhere else to go.

Expand Close Noelle Larkin celebrating Christmas Day with Rachel Garland (28) (right) at the Christmas Day Dinner at the RDS. Photo: Steve Humphreys / Facebook

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Whatsapp Noelle Larkin celebrating Christmas Day with Rachel Garland (28) (right) at the Christmas Day Dinner at the RDS. Photo: Steve Humphreys

"They're not homeless, they've just nowhere to go for Christmas and there's quite a number of children here too," he added.

Gavin Kearns (28), originally from Swords, is homeless and said that he must call the homeless service each day to arrange somewhere to sleep for the night.

"Hostels, every day just ringing up on the freephone - it's been on and off for three years," he said.

"I love it [the RDS event], it's absolutely great. This is my first time.

"Everyone makes you feel welcome, great food, it's excellent. You couldn't ask for any more - really good hospitality," he said.

His pal, Gerry Moran, has been going to the dinner for the past five years.

"This is great. I'm coming here the last five years. They put a great spread on.

"I like to come up here and get to know the guys. It really makes Christmas for us.

"There's a lot of people, if they didn't have this, where would they be?" he added.

Volunteers Aisling Gregory (25) and Jessica Akomfrah (27), from Wicklow, and Blackrock, Co Dublin, respectively, are regulars in the RDS.

"This is our fourth year volunteering," Jessica explained.

"It's giving something back and being able to help people in Dublin who aren't as fortunate, I suppose, over Christmas dinner.

"I've done Christmas dinner before here and people really enjoy themselves, it's so atmospheric and it's just such a great time," she added.
The Iranian Supreme Court Monday confirmed death sentence against Ahmadreza Djalali, a researcher accused of working with Israel foreign secret service Mossad.

Djalali was handed death sentence in October for giving secret information to Mossad. The sentence was confirmed early this month, Times of Israel reports.

He was arrested during a trip to his country in 2016 for having given information to Israel the previous year, at the time Iran was negotiating the nuclear deal with world powers, the Israeli media notes.

The Physician and researcher in disaster relief was a visiting professor at Belgiums Vrije University.

He appeared on TV early this month confessing to have given to Israels intelligence agency information about Iranian military and nuclear scientists, including two who were assassinated in 2010.

In the confession, Djalali indicated that he had been approached while he was studying in a European country by a man identified as Thomas. The man offered him a job and recruited him to the foreign secret service of that European country. He also received promise to get that countrys citizenship.

He added that he was probably approached because he worked on a project for Irans Defense Ministry before his trip to the European country.

Amnesty International condemned Djalalis detention while noting that the judiciary did not allow his defense team to submit evidences that the researcher did not commit any offense.

This is not only a shocking assault on the right to a fair trial, but is also in utter disregard for Ahmadreza Djalalis right to life, said Magdalena Mughrabi, Amnestys internal deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Djalalis alleged league with Mossad led to the assassination of two Iranian nuclear scientists, Majid Shahriari and Masoud Alimohammadi, killed in bomb blasts in 2010.

The two scientists, according to the prosecution, are part of 30 outstanding Iranian figures involved in the countrys military and nuclear research program decried by world powers.
Pope Francis's appointee as the new Bishop of Galway has said he intends to try to get the City of the Tribes on to the itinerary for next August's papal visit to Ireland.

Bishop Brendan Kelly, who is currently Bishop of Achonry, will be installed as Bishop of Galway on February 11.

He told the Irish Independent that he is looking for an opportunity to promote Galway, which famously hosted Pope John Paul II in 1979, as a contender for Francis's Irish visit.

"We would all love to have the Pope in Galway and if there is an opportunity for suggesting that, I'm happy to do it, I want to do it. It would be wonderful if he came to the west of Ireland," he said.

But the 71-year-old Craughwell native acknowledged that Pope Francis's visit is a very different type of trip to that made by John Paul II almost 40 years ago, which was a pastoral visit focused on the Irish Church. The Argentine pontiff is visiting as part of the World Meeting of Families, an international event focused specifically on the "celebration of families", and that will be his priority.

The important thing, Dr Kelly said, is that Francis is coming to Ireland.

"He is going to stand on our soil. This Pope is an extraordinary man - Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, they all want to be photographed with him. Why? Because the man has moral authority like nobody else on the globe at the moment. He is very humane and affirms our humanity."

Asked if the World Meeting of Families will welcome only orthodox Catholics or embrace diversity, the Bishop said he hoped "people from the peripheries" will attend, and he signalled a more open approach, saying: "We are not policemen."

Elsewhere in his wide-ranging interview with the Irish Independent, Bishop Kelly expressed his strong support for the Eighth Amendment, describing it as "a guarantee of equality".

Its insertion into the Constitution in 1983 was "a very positive move" because it showed "a concern for everybody at every stage of life from the first moment of conception".

"We have a passion for looking after mothers and their babies - both."

Respect for life, particularly the right to life of the weakest, was a fundamental human right, he said.

Dr Kelly has in the past volunteered with the L'Arche community, which supports people with intellectual disabilities. He said that he was "concerned" by the debate over terminating pregnancies where the foetus has been diagnosed with a fatal foetal abnormality.

To women caught in a crisis pregnancy, the new Bishop of Galway also said he was conscious of the reality of an unexpected or crisis pregnancy, and how it could be very "threatening" sometimes.

"The question for society is what are we doing to support these women? Abortion is being presented as a panacea that solves everything.

"The reality is, unfortunately, it doesn't. There is a huge need for aftercare for women who have had an abortion."

Dr Kelly said there has not been sufficient discussion of this aspect of abortion.

Of the revival of the Irish economy, he warned that it "doesn't seem to be touching rural small towns very much. Even though the rising tide to some degree lifts all boats - it lifts some boats much more than others".

He said he was "concerned about the rural west of Ireland" and said it "needs special attention now".

"I have been involved in the Council for the West and we're very conscious, particularly in Achonry, of declining populations and the lack of infrastructure. A town like Ballaghaderreen has very few people living along the streets anymore. We need some sort of development or support from the Government for the revitalisation of rural town centres for people, and not just businesses. It would improve the quality of life enormously."

Of his appointment by Pope Francis to the diocese of Galway, where he worked in schools and parishes between the 1970s and 1990s, he told the Irish Independent: "The thing that amazed me and shocked me about my appointment is that I am not in the first flush of youth by any means.

"I would like to see my appointment as a message for all older people that they have a contribution."

Bishops are required to offer their resignation at 75, which means Bishop Kelly will have just four years at the helm in Galway.

He suggested that while there was "a growing respect for old age" he did not agree with efforts by the State to push out the retirement age for workers to 70, as it would make it harder for younger people to access work.

"We have to be careful that we don't deprive young people of work. There are too many young people out of work all over Europe - youth unemployment is as high as 50pc in parts of Spain and Italy. The contribution of older people is not about an economic contribution or their earning power, but wisdom and compassion.

"I want to say to grandparents and granduncles and grandaunts, to people who are older, you have an incredible treasure to share with the young and you need to spend time with them. Where would we all be without older people who have given us a listening ear and a little bit of affirmation? We need that very badly because much of the world today does not affirm many people - look at the whole celebrity culture - as if you have to be one particular thing in order to be valuable."
A Co Donegal coastal community has been left devastated after a young fisherman died while out at sea.

The village of Downings is coming to terms with the sudden loss of popular local man Garret Boyce (44).

Mr Boyce died onboard the McBride Fishing Company-owned MFV 'Peadar Elaine II', sometime before 4am on Saturday.

The boat was fishing crab in the North Sea over the Christmas period and Mr Boyce was due to return home tomorrow.

Tragedy

His remains were flown by air ambulance to Denmark following the tragedy onboard the vessel.

Mr Boyce was married to Bridget Connor, whose family owns the well-known Downings Bay Hotel.

The couple have one daughter, Molly.

The family are still awaiting the results of a post-mortem to find out exactly how Mr Boyce died.

Mr Boyce had been a longtime employee of McBride Fishing Company, joining the company in the 1990s and fishing on both the 'Peadar Elaine' and 'Peadar Elaine II'.

Hugh McBride, from the McBride Fishing Co, described him as a valuable and much-loved member of the crew.
Thousands of people took tentative steps before taking the plunge into freezing cold waters around the country.

The festive tradition is alive and well as hardy souls enjoyed a quick dip before tucking into their Christmas dinner. Dublin's Forty Foot saw huge numbers of people as the heavy rain failed to dampen the enthusiasm.

The annual tradition saw car park spaces at a premium from as early as 8am in Sandycove. Some even arrived in their Santa costumes, while others visiting Ireland for the first time at Christmas were coaxed into leaping in by their new family members.

Eimear Fleming (29) from Dundrum and Brett Petersen (30) got married in May and are living in Washington.

"He's from Florida, so he usually goes swimming in the gulf coast," Eimear said.

Though her husband insisted the Irish version was a "wonderful tradition".

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"We're just married, it's our first Christmas in Ireland, you have to go with the traditions and do what they say basically," Brett said.

Their pal, Lucy Lannigan-O'Keeffe from Kilkenny, said they were regulars at the swim. "We do it every year, so we were never having any second thoughts," she said.

There was also an impressive turn-out for the swim at Garretstown beach in Co Cork, as young and old joined in the fun.

The Christmas swim at Myrtleville Beach also witnessed bumper crowds.

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Not to be outdone, hundreds of hardy souls flocked to Loughrea Lake, Co Galway, to participate in the Christmas plunge. Family members Orla, Ann, Sean and Tommy O'Connell were all smiles as they braved the waters.

People turned out in their droves to swim at Bundoran, Co Donegal, while more than 300 people turned out for the event in Banna Beach, Co Kerry.
Pope Francis is due to come to the World Meeting of Families in Dublin. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

The Government is willing to pull out whatever stops are necessary to ensure Pope Francis has a successful visit to Ireland next year.

At the request of the Vatican, an official in Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's department has been tasked with assisting the co-ordination of the historic visit.

And Mr Varadkar said his office will be "very much at their disposal" in the months leading up to next August.

The current Taoiseach has not met the Pope but his predecessor, Enda Kenny, travelled to the Vatican to formally invite him to Ireland.

And Mr Varadkar indicated that he was looking forward to the Pontiff's trip.

"The Pope is coming to the World Meeting of Families next year as part of our ongoing dialogue with the Church," he said.

"That was discussed at the meeting that we had and there is going to be another meeting with the Church in the new year.

"They asked that we have someone here in the department as a contact point to assist them in the co-ordination and we made that available to them.

"We don't know yet if it will be a very short visit, just for the Meeting of World Families, or whether it will be an extended visit involving other things such as Northern Ireland, but we are very much at their disposal and the Government will assist in any way to facilitate Pope Francis's visit."

Scientology

At a Christmas briefing with journalists, the Taoiseach was also asked about his views on the growing presence of Scientology in Ireland.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has previously described the organisation as a cult.

However, Mr Varadkar said he didn't know enough about it to give "an informed reply".

"I know there is a genuine concern about the fact or the possibility that it could be a cult," he said. "At the same time, I think we always have to balance freedom of religion or freedom of association on the one hand, with protecting people from being exploited, and that is always a challenge."

Scientology is a religion based on the seeking of 'self-knowledge' and 'spiritual fulfilment'. It has been surrounded by controversy as ex-members of the religion have made allegations of mistreatment and predatory financial practices, which have been strenuously denied by the church.

A new centre opened amid protests in Firhouse in October and there have been reports that it has tried to infiltrate schools.

Mr Varadkar said: "I read stuff like you do. I don't know enough about the Church of Scientology to know whether or to what extent the allegations made against them would require Government intervention of some sort.

"I would be loath to go down that route of starting to interfere with religious groups or restrict people's freedom of association in any way."

Earlier this year, Fine Gael backbench TD Colm Brophy brought a delegation of Scientologists into Leinster House for a meeting.

The Taoiseach said he saw no issue with this, although he didn't know the purpose of the meeting.

"Even if you're going to oppose somebody or oppose their plans or stand up to them, I think it always makes sense to engage them first and I think it is reasonable for a TD to actually engage with a group who are establishing a premises in their constituency," he said.
Police are treating the death of a 53-year-old woman as murder

A woman was murdered in a savage stabbing attack in Northern Ireland early on Christmas morning.

The local community in Lisburn in Co Antrim was left stunned by the killing.

A 19-year-old man has been arrested and is helping police with their inquiries.

Emergency services rushed to Mornington Lane in Lisburn at 6am yesterday, following reports of a stabbing incident in the quiet residential street.

Four ambulance crews were dispatched to the scene.

When they arrived, police officers were already attempting emergency resuscitation on one of the injured. Three injured people were rushed to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

The police are treating the woman's death as murder.

Yesterday, Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell, from the PSNI's serious crime branch, said that detectives had launched a murder investigation following the death of the woman.

SDLP Lagan Valley MLA Pat Catney said: "People across Lisburn are in shock this morning.This should be a day families spend together, happy and grateful to have each other."

Prayers

"Instead, a family is waking up on Christmas morning to news of the death of a loved one.

"I can't begin to imagine the pain they're feeling today.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the woman's family and friends at this extremely difficult time.

"I understand police have launched a murder investigation.

"I would urge anyone with information, however small, about what happened here to bring it forward as soon as possible," the SDLP representative said.

A local resident told the BBC: "I saw the flashing lights, the ambulances, police cars and the crime scene investigators arrive. I'm completely in shock.

"It makes you feel lucky for what you have... it's really bad," they said.

"There's never anything in this estate. This whole part of the town is very quiet. It is just unreal."

Councillor Amanda Grehan, who represents the area on the local council, said that Mornington was a quiet area of new-build homes, mostly populated by young married couples.

She said that local residents were left totally devastated by news of the brutal murder.
An Irish priest who helps some of Ethiopia's most vulnerable children says they are often seen as a curse.

Vincentian priest Fr Stephen Monaghan, from Co Dublin, told the Irish Independent that deaf children in Ethiopia are treated as "cursed" and are shunned by society.

Fr Stephen, who previously served as a chaplain at St Patrick's College and worked with the deaf community in Ireland for years, started a school for the deaf in the rural village of Ambo.

"We started with a kindergarten school in Ambo and soon I saw a need for a school for deaf children," Fr Stephen said. "There was one young boy named Wandamagen who was deaf and he had no opportunity for an education in the area.

"Deaf students have many problems when it comes to education. Parents associate being deaf as a negative thing. They have the attitude sometimes that a deaf child is a cursed child and they hide the child away. This means that the child isn't included in society and doesn't get an education."

Along with the parish priest in the area, Fr Asfaw Felek, Fr Stephen is responsible for the running of the deaf school, which now has 62 students.

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"Most of the children who came to the deaf school came without any real means of communication," he said. "Their parents use informal signs to communicate and some students had stones thrown at them as a means of communication."

Abebu (14) is one of the many children who have excelled at the Irish-supported school in Ambo.

Through the help of a translator, the 14-year-old tells the Irish Independent how the deaf school has changed her life.

"I was in a government school before coming to this school and I failed repeatedly," Abebu said. "I was learning with children who could hear and my teacher was always angry with me because I didn't understand.

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"I was punished by the teacher if I didn't understand. I was often slapped and beaten when my teacher asked me questions and I didn't respond. I was always very stressed and tired.

"At first, the other children were nice to me because they had pity for me. But then it made them angry that I wasn't understanding.

"I am very happy here. The teachers are very kind and I have friends like me. I am away from my family but I want the opportunity to learn."

Leensa (9) came to the Ambo school recently with little communication and just three weeks later she had already developed sign language.

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"She's one of our brightest students now," said Fr Stephen. "There is such a big difference in children when they learn to communicate.

"She is a very happy child here now and has friends who can help her along with the sign language outside of the classroom."

A woman from Dublin is also changing the lives of rural children in Ambo.

Margaret Anne O'Brien, who is a member of the Travelling community in Labre Park, Ballyfermot, has raised more than 80,000 for charity over the past decade.

Her most notable project is the setting-up of the kindergarten school in Ambo.

The school, which is next to the deaf school, was established with Irish donations and with a grant from Irish Aid.

Margaret Anne told the Irish Independent that she began fundraising to build a school in Ambo after she visited the area in 2015 and was shocked by the poverty.

"People always ask me why I'm fundraising for Africa when we have so many problems here at home," she said. "I do it for a lot of Irish charities here too. There is enough money to go around."

The kindergarten school began with a couple of hundred students learning under a tree and today has 136 students.

It is now run by the Lazarist community in Ethiopia and is fully dependent on funding from Ireland.

Margaret Anne also raised money to sponsor the teachers to attend college and gain a qualification in Montessori teaching.

"It broke my heart seeing how poor the area was," she said. "People have to go over and see it first-hand to believe how poor the children are. I picked Ambo because that's where the children are the poorest."

The students come from the poorest areas of Ambo and three of the kindergarteners even live in prison with their mothers and get a guard escort to school.

From 8am until 3pm every day, the children are happy, energetic and fun-loving kids, excelling at their schoolwork and running carefree through the large schoolyard.

The children's attendance at the school also offers the parents the opportunity to access employment - the majority of them work as daily labourers, earning no more than 2 a day.

Thanks to the work of the Irish volunteers who fundraise and run both schools, these rural children, who often come to school hungry, have the chance to access education and escape a future of poverty that is so hard to avoid.

Margaret Anne was due to visit the school earlier this year but was unable to travel due to an injury.

"I can't wait to go over and see the progress," she said. "I've been told that the kids are very happy and are doing very well.

"I do a lot for my own country too. For the past 14 years, I've been fundraising for the homeless, for St James's Hospital, and for Barnardos. It's important to me to reach out to the poorest of poor in Africa too."

While both schools are thriving under Irish leadership, they still need vital funding.

The deaf school costs 33,000 annually to run and often fundraising can be a challenge for the school.

The school now hopes to build extensions year-on-year but needs vital funding in order for this to happen.

"There are loads of children from the rural districts who would love to join the deaf school but we don't have the funding," Fr Stephen told the Irish Independent.

"Some of the children walk hours to get to and from the school, so we're hoping to fundraise and build a boarding school for 80 children.

"Our population has already doubled since last year and we're struggling to cope financially with the number of children who want to join."

People from across Ireland have donated time, resources and skills to ensure the success of the schools.

Irish volunteer Margaret Farrell, a retired teacher who taught deaf children at St Mary's school in Dublin, travelled to Ethiopia to lend her expertise.

Margaret volunteered at the school for three weeks, instructing the other teachers, three of whom are deaf, in how to use a new Montessori-style maths programme called Numicon, which was developed at Oxford University. Margaret is also teaching the students how to make crafts through a weaving programme.

Fr Stephen said that the best thing about his job is watching how quickly the rural children are progressing.

"It's amazing watching the difference that the school is making to the children's lives," he said. "They start to develop a positive sense of identity and have hopes for the future. We are breaking stigmas at the school every day.

"The hardest thing, though, is turning away new students because we don't have enough funding. We don't have a boarding facility to accommodate them.

"This, however, will hopefully be our next big undertaking. Now I know the need exists, I feel a very strong sense of obligation to respond."

You can donate to the schools at www.vlm.ie.

This article was supported by the Simon Cumbers Media Fund
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has refused to describe Scientology as a cult, saying he doesnt know enough about it.

At a Christmas briefing with journalists, the Taoiseach was also asked about his views on the growing presence of Scientology in Ireland.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has previously described the organisation as a cult.

However, Mr Varadkar said he didnt know enough about it to give an informed reply.

I know there is a genuine concern about the fact or the possibility that it could be a cult. At the same time I think we always have to balance freedom of religion or freedom of association on the one hand with protecting people from being exploited, and that is always a challenge, he said.

Scientology is a religion based on the seeking of self-knowledge and spiritual fulfilment.

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It has been surrounded in controversy as ex-members of the religion have made allegations of mistreatment and predatory financial practices, which have been strenuously denied by the church.

A new centre opened amid protests in Firhouse last October and there have been reports that it has tried to infiltrate schools.

Mr Varadkar said: I read stuff like you do, I don't know enough about the Church of Scientology to know whether or to what extent the allegations made against them would require government intervention of some sort.

I would be loath to go down that route of starting to interfere with religious groups or restrict people's freedom of association in any way.

Earlier this year Fine Gael backbench TD Colm Brophy brought a delegation of Scientologists into Leinster House for a meeting.

The Taoiseach said he saw no issue with this, although he didnt know the purpose of the meeting.

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Even if youre going to oppose somebody or oppose their plans or stand up to them, I think it always makes sense to engage them first and I think it is reasonable for a TD to actually engage with a group who are establishing a premises in their constituency, he said.

Meanwhile the Taoiseach indicated the Government is willing to pull out whatever stops are necessary to ensure Pope Francis has a successful visit to Ireland next year.

At the request of the Vatican an official in Taoiseach Leo Varadkars department has been tasked with assisting the co-ordination of the historic visit.

And Mr Varadkar said his office will be very much at their disposal in the months leading up to next August.

The current Taoiseach has not met the Pope but his predecessor Enda Kenny travelled to the Vatican to formally invite him to Ireland.

And Mr Varadkar indicated that he is looking forward to the Pontiffs trip.

The Pope is coming to the World Meeting of Families next year as part of our ongoing dialogue with the Church.

That was discussed at the meeting that we had and there is going to be another meeting with the Church in the New Year, he said.

They asked that we have someone here in the department as a contact point to assist them in the co-ordination and we made that available to them.

We just don't know yet if will be a very short visit just for the Meeting of World Families or whether it will be an extended visit involving other things such as Northern Ireland, but we are very much at their disposal and the Government will assist in any way to facilitate Pope Francis' visit, Mr Varadkar said.
Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry leave St Mary Magdalene's church after the Royal Family's Christmas Day service on the Sandringham estate in eastern England, Britain, December 25, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attend a Christmas lunch for members of the Royal Family hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on December 19, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Indigo/Getty Images)

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge walks to Sandringham Church for the traditional Christmas Day service at Sandringham on December 25, 2011 in King's Lynn, England

(L-R) Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Camilla, Duchess of Conrwall and Prince Harry walk to Sandringham Church for the traditional Christmas Day service at Sandringham on December 25, 2011 in King's Lynn, England

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge leaves Sandringham Church after the traditional Christmas Day service at Sandringham on December 25, 2011 in King's Lynn, England

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge accepts flowers from members of the crowd as she leaves Sandringham Church after the traditional Christmas Day service at Sandringham on December 25, 2011 in King's Lynn, England

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge leaves Sandringham Church after the traditional Christmas Day service at Sandringham on December 25, 2011 in King's Lynn, England

Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge (L), arrives to attend the Royal family Christmas Day church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, eastern England, on December 25, 2011. Britain's Prince Philip missed the royal family's Christmas Day celebrations for the first time as the husband of Queen Elizabeth II remained in hospital after having heart surgery. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL

Prince William And Catherine, Duchess Of Cambridge Attend St Mary Magdalene Church, On The Royal Estate In Sandringham, Norfolk For The Christmas Day Church Service. (Photo by Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

Prince Harry is enjoying one of the biggest perks of being a younger sibling: the more relaxed rules the eldest had to stick to the first time around.

Meghan Markle made her public debut alongside her future-in-laws, the British royal family on Christmas Day when she shunned protocol by attending their traditional service at Sandringham Estate. She stood side by side with Kate Middleton, who, despite dating Prince William for 10 years before their 2011 wedding, was only allowed to spend Christmas with them when she officially married into the family.

Here are some of the main differences...

Outfits

Meghan continued her tour de high fashion in a camel wrap coat by Canadian designer Sentaler, which retails for 1,000, fighting against the cold in a pair of over the knee suede boots by Stuart Weitzman for 700, a Chloe Pixie bag and a pair of diamond earrings by Maison Birks for 4,000.

While she is being slowly integrated into royal life, it's clear she's sticking to one aspect of her life in which she's most confident - designers she knows. It's expected she'll begin merging British designers into her wardrobe as her public appearances increase, but for now, she's sticking to what she's familiar with.

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At this time, Kate's penchant for matching fashions was well established, as was her affinity for a pair of tights, so her burgundy and black combination was a safe bet. She opted for a velvet hat by Jane Corbett and black suede heels by Mascaro and a clutch Mulberry.

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Body Language

Video of the Day

As has become their new norm, Meghan and Harry were affectionate - the actress was never far from her fiance's and she linked his arm as they made their way to and from St Magdalene's Church. Kate and William were uncharacteristically holding hands, which is generally frowned upon, but it's believed formalities are lifted as Christmas is seen as a personal time and not one which requires their standard-standing-20-feet-apart-because-they're-at-work stance.

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In 2011, however, there were signs of quiet encouragement from William to his new wife, who was still only eight months into her role as the Duchess of Cambridge at the time.

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Pecking Order

William and Harry arrived almost synchronised with Harry and Meghan. Six years ago, Kate may have been the big draw, but she was placed behind Prince Charles and Camilla on arrival. While hand-holding might be permitted, certain rules will never subside: namely, curtsying on meeting Queen Elizabeth arrives. Both Meghan and Kate were pictured greeting their grandmother-in-law with the expected move, while men bow their heads.
The Saudi anti-corruption commission, overseen by Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, is expecting to get from Prince al-Waleed bin Talal $6 billion in exchange for his freedom, Wall Street Journal reported.

Prince al-Waleed bin Talal had been rounded up alongside over 200 other princes, business tycoons and top officials on November 4,

Prince al-Waleed is one of the few top Saudi figures still held at Riyadhs Ritz Carlton five-star hotel in the anti-corruption clean-up directed by the kingdoms powerful Crown Prince.

The US-based WSJ, citing people familiar with the matter, noted that the demand is among the highest sought from those who have been arrested.

The 62-year prince who has investments in several international companies such as CityGroup Inc., Twitter Inc, Apple is reportedly negotiating with the government about accepting as payment for his release a large piece of his conglomerate, Kingdom Holding Co.

Kingdom Holding is listed on the Saudi stock exchange and has a market value of almost $9 billion.

AL-Waleed also ranks as World 57th richest person with an $18 billion fortune per Bloombergs index.

Several Princes and officials have been freed after striking settlement deals with authorities.

Saudi authorities are expecting to get $100 billion from the clean-up operation to close up the budget deficit.
Lighter side of politics: Varadkar gives it socks during a visit by Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, who is known for his quirky choices underfoot. Photo: Gerry Mooney

Any year that began with the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump was going to be surreal.

From Dancing Dessie to Koala Diplomacy, here are my pick of the weird and wonderful winners and losers of 2017.

Patron Saint of 2017

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For unforeseen levels of patience, the award must go to Jedwards barrister Desmond Murphy SC who represented the brothers when they were up in the Four Courts this year. If the expression on his face is anything to go by, its fair to say he found it a demanding experience.

Biggest Let Down

Has to be when the Presidents PR team vetoed suggestions that Prez Michael D be photographed with a koala on his head during his exhaustive tour of Australia. A tragedy and a travesty.

The It Cant Be Unseen award

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When Des Cahill shuffled around the dance floor on his arse in a velveteen Austin Powers suit. Marty Morrissey has a lot to live up to.

Video of the Day

Most Stylish Irish Man, Woman or Child

Former Love/ Hate cat killer Barry Keoghan, who was hand picked by Dior as a style ambassador this year alongside Twilight star Robert Pattinson, Mr Robot actor Rami Malek, A$AP Rocky, and Christian Slater. Slow clap.

The Sure Jan award

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Shout out to Vogue Williams for keeping us up to speed with whether or not shell be attending any royal or quasi-royal weddings on the horizon. Earlier this year, she was unable to go to Pippa Middletons wedding as she was busy attending a prestigious photocall on Dublins Henry Street. Ahem.

Last month, she told showbiz journalists that she probably wont be attending Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys wedding.

Raising the question  would the girlfriend of the brother of the husband of the sister of the wife of the brother of the groom normally be invited?

The U Ok Hun? Award

2017 will undoubtedly be remembered as the year jeans, the staple of so many of our daily wardrobes, lost their mind. Thong jeans, low-rise jeans, Clear Knee Mom Jeans, janklets (hot pants with the seams attached to the ankles), see-through jeans, and jean chaps. Lets hope 2018 is a better year for them.

The Ive Seen It All Now Ted Award

There was plenty of consternation when three Babestation stars flew into Knock at the start of the year.

The, erm, spokes-babes were there to apologise to locals after a dialling code mix-up resulted in callers to the X-rated hotline being redirected to households in the West. One of those affected was local Cllr Brendan Mulroy who said he was hounded by calls from elderly gents asking Are you the lady on the telly?

The Tony (the Rebel) Hancock Contribution to Art Award

The Origin sculpture in Belfast was intended to look like a giant raindrop suspended in the sky.

Instead, it was selected as The Spectator magazines most hideous piece of public art 2017. Imagine climbing the hills that surround Belfast and stumbling upon this 11-metre-high steel bollock, it said. The magazine went on to ask; Havent the people of Northern Ireland suffered enough?

The Blink and Youll Miss it Award

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The rise and fall of The Mooch. It was a like watching a self-contained tornado rip through the White House. He came, he saw, and he said Steve Bannon could suck his own c***.

Best Correspondence

Nothing quite lifted my spirits quite as high this year as when Sonia Copeland Bloom  the mother of Pirates of the Caribbean star Orlando Bloom  sent me her sons headshot, school exam results and a four-page CV complete with glowing reviews. One of which described him as this generations Errol Flynn. Sonia had sent the letter to stymie the publication of factually incorrect articles about her son. I was a bit confused as the only article I have written about Bloom focused on his penchant for naked paddle boarding  which is an indisputable truth. But I did find the letter exceptionally sweet.

Wide-Eyed Infatuation Award

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Two winners. First, Ryan Tubridy and his obsession with Meghan Markle. Despite insisting that he abhors the royal family and everything they stand for, Ryan has been very VERY keen to remind us that he met Meghan at the White House.

Shes particularly pleasant. Great fun, he said. We did photographs, we were all giddy. A few weeks ago, he shared the selfie online saying everyone had been asking about it. Really Ryan?

Leo Varadkar and Justin Trudeaus bromance was something else. And, listen, I get it, Justin has a magnetic charm, but the photocall jog, and the Max Wall hitching up your trousers to show off your socks was a bit much.

Ultimate Limelight Deflector

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When Bob Geldof arrived in City hall with his Freedom of the City scroll tucked under his arm, a media scrum gathered around him Things came to a standstill however when a woman wandered in and shrieked Bob Geldof  I have something to tell you.

Bob silenced the crowd, and gestured for the lady to continue speaking. Bob Geldof, she said. I wanted you to know that I am NOT a whore. Its rare Geldof is lost for words, but the exchange left him dumbfounded.
Leensa (9) came to the Ambo school recently with little communication

Some of the Deaf children outside the school in Ambo

The kindergarten school began under this tree where local children came to learn

AN IRISH priest who helps some of Ethiopia's most vulnerable children says they are often seen as a "curse".

Irish Vincentian Priest, Fr Stephen Monaghan from Co Dublin, told Independent.ie that children who are deaf in Ethiopia are treated as "cursed" and are shunned by society.

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Fr Stephen, who previously served as a Chaplain at St Patrick's College and worked with the deaf community in Ireland for years, started a school for the deaf in the rural village of Ambo, Ethiopia.

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"We started with a kindergarten school in Ambo and soon I saw a need for a school for deaf children. There was one young boy named Wandamagen who was deaf and he had no opportunity for an education in the area.

Deaf students have many problems when it comes to education. Parents associate being deaf as a negative thing. They have the attitude sometimes that a deaf child is a cursed child and they hide the child away. This means that the child isnt included in society and doesnt get an education," Fr Stephen told Independent.ie.

Along with the parish priest in the area, Fr Asfaw Felek, Fr Stephen is responsible for the running of the school, which now has 62 students.

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Most of the children who came to the deaf school came without any real means of communication. Their parents use informal signs to communicate and some students had stones thrown at them as a means of communication."

Abebu (14) is one of the many children who have excelled at the Irish-supported school in Ambo.

Through the help of a translator, the 14-year-old tells Independent.ie how the school has changed her life.

I was in a government school before coming to this school and I failed repeatedly. I was learning with children who could hear and my teacher was always angry with me because I didnt understand. I was punished by the teacher if I didnt understand. I was often slapped and beaten when my teacher asked me questions and I didnt respond. I was always very stressed and tired.

At first, the other children were nice to me because they had pity for me. But then it made them angry that I wasnt understanding.

I am very happy here. The teachers are very kind and I have friends like me. I am away from my family but I want the opportunity to learn."

Leensa (9) came to the Ambo school recently with little communication and just three weeks later she had already developed sign language.

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Shes one of our brightest students now. There is such a big difference in children when they learn to communicate. She is a very happy child here now and has friends who can help her along with the sign language outside of the classroom, said Fr Monaghan.

An Irishwoman from Dublin is also changing the lives of rural children in Ambo.

Margaret Anne OBrien, who is a member of the travelling community in Labre Park, Ballyfermot has raised more than 80,000 for charity over the past decade.

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Her most notable project is the setting up of the kindergarten school for children in the poor rural village of Ambo in Ethiopia.

The kindergarten school, which is next to the school, was established with Irish donations and with a grant from Irish Aid.

Margaret Anne told Independent.ie that she began fundraising to build a school in Ambo after she visited the area in 2015 and was shocked by the poverty.

"People always ask me why I'm fundraising for Africa when we have so many problems here at home. I do it for a lot of Irish charities here too. There is enough money to go around."

The kindergarten school began with a couple hundred students learning under a tree and now has 136 students.

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The kindergarten school, which is now run by the Lazarist Community in Ethiopia, is fully dependent on funding from Ireland.

Margaret Anne also raised money to sponsor the teachers to attend college and gain a qualification in Montessori Teaching.

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"It broke my heart seeing how poor the area was. People have to go over and see it first hand to believe how poor the children are. I picked Ambo because that's where the children are the poorest," Margaret Anne told Independent.ie.

The students come from the poorest areas of Ambo and three of the kindergarten children even live in prison with their mothers and get a guard escort to school.

From 8am until 3pm every day the children are happy, energetic and fun-loving kids excelling at their schoolwork and running carefree through the large schoolyard.

The children's attendance at the school also offers the parents the opportunity to access employment. The majority of whom work as daily labourers, earning no more than 2 a day.

Thanks to the work of the Irish volunteers who fundraise and run both schools, these rural children, who often come to school hungry, have the chance to access education and escape their future of poverty that is laid out for them.

Margaret Anne was due to visit the school earlier this year but was unable to travel due to an injury.

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"I can't wait to go over and see the progress. I've been told that the kids are very happy and are doing very well.

"I do a lot for my own country too. For the past 14 years, I've been fundraising for the homeless, for St James' hospital and for Bernados. It's important to me to reach out to the poorest of poor in Africa too."

While both schools are thriving under Irish leadership, they still need vital funding.

The school for the deaf costs 33,000 annually to run and often fundraising can be a challenge for the school.

The school now hopes to build extensions year-on-year but needs vital funding in order for this to happen.

There are loads of children from the rural districts that would love to join the school but we dont have the funding," Fr Monaghan told Independent.ie.

"Some of the children walk hours to get to and from the school so were hoping to fundraise and build a boarding school for 80 children. Our population has already doubled since last year and were struggling to cope financially with the number of children who want to join."

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People from across Ireland have donated time, resources and skills to ensure the success of the schools.

Irish volunteer Margaret Farrell, a retired teacher who taught children who are deaf at St Marys school in Dublin, travelled to Ethiopia to lend her expertise.

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Margaret volunteered at the school for three weeks, teaching the other teachers, three of whom are deaf, how to use a new Montessori-style maths programme called Numicon, which was developed at Oxford University.

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Margaret Farrell is also teaching the students how to make crafts through a weaving programme.

Fr Monaghan said that the best thing about his job is watching how quickly the rural children are progressing.

It amazing watching the difference that the school is making to the childrens lives. They start to develop a positive sense of identity and have hopes for the future. We are breaking stigmas at the school every day.

The hardest thing though is turning away new students because we dont have enough funding. We dont have a boarding facility to accommodate them. This however, we hope will be our our next big undertaking. Now I know the need exists, I feel very strong sense of obligation to respond."

You can donate to the schools here

*This article was supported by the Simon Cumbers Media Fund
Handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence of Royal Navy frigate HMS St Albans escorting a Russian warship through the North Sea and areas of UK interest on Christmas Day.

THE British Royal Navy monitored a series of Russian warships around Britain over Christmas, as the Defence Secretary said Britain would not be intimidated.

HMS St Albans escorted the frigate Admiral Gorshkov off the north coast of Scotland, while HMS Tyne shadowed a spy ship through the North Sea.

The Ministry of Defence reported an upsurge in Russian units transiting UK waters with the Navy monitoring four different vessels.

Gavin Williamson said: I will not hesitate in defending our waters or tolerate any form of aggression.

"Britain will never be intimidated when it comes to protecting our country, our people, and our national interests."

Russia is entitled to sail through UK and international waters around Britain according to the law of the sea, but Naval sources said the visits are often considered deliberately provocative at a time of frosty relations with Nato.

The Portsmouth-based frigate HMS St Albans escorted the Admiral Gorshkov as it passed close to UK territorial waters near the Moray Firth headed towards the Baltic in the early hours of Christmas Day.

HMS Tyne escorted a Russian intelligence-gathering ship through the North Sea and the English Channel on Christmas Eve, while a Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron, based at RNAS Yeovilton, monitored two further Russian vessels.

Cdr Chris Ansell, commanding officer of HMS St Albans, said: Missing parts of Christmas and New Year with our families is never easy, but it is absolutely required as part of our duty to keep Britain safe all year round.

Christmas Eve saw some particularly exciting and bumpy weather, with some of my newer sailors getting used to their sea legs, but we have made sure the job was done and I will get my team back home as soon as possible.

At total of 1,540 sailors were deployed over Christmas, while thousands of soldiers and airmen were also deployed, including 950 in Estonia and Poland and 1,500 battling Islamic State group in the Middle East.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Ukip MEP Bill Etheridge, who has claimed that discussions have been held about entering a European Union team at the 2036 Olympics.

Discussions have been held about entering a European Union team at the 2036 Olympics, a Ukip MEP has claimed.

Bill Etheridge, who represents the West Midlands, said the suggestion of a team comprising EU members had been the subject of "serious" debate behind closed doors in Brussels and Strasbourg.

No formal discussions have taken place, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Team GB finished the 2016 Rio Games second in the medal table behind the United States, having won 27 golds.

Germany came fifth with 17, France seventh with 10 and Italy ninth with eight golds.

British success followed the 2012 Games where 29 gold medals were won on home soil, the highest of any European nation.

According to the Telegraph, MEPs would like to see the EU team enter the 2036 Games, the 100th anniversary of the Berlin Games which were opened by Adolf Hitler.

Mr Etheridge told the Telegraph: "There have been quite a lot of conversations about it among other MEPs and it was being taken quite seriously by some of them.

"They were using the word solidarity, which tends to be code for ever closer union. It speaks to their plan to create a united states of Europe.

"I'm almost certain there was some jealousy at Britain's success in 2012 and 2016 and they want a piece of our success.

"It's a crazy EU effort to destroy national identity."
Russian officials should review opposition leader Alexei Navalny's calls for an election boycott to see if they might be breaking the law, the Kremlin has said.

In a widely anticipated decision, Russia's top election body ruled on Monday to formally bar anti-corruption crusader Mr Navalny from running in the presidential election next March.

Mr Navalny promptly put out a video statement, saying the ban shows that President Vladimir "Putin is terribly scared and is afraid of running against me", and called on his supporters to stay away from the vote in protest.

Mr Putin, who has been in power for 18 years, announced his bid for re-election earlier this month, but so far has refrained from canvassing.

In contrast, his most prominent rival, anti-corruption crusader Mr Navalny has been campaigning aggressively all year, reaching out to the most remote parts of the country.

Opinion polls say Mr Putin should easily win the March vote.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday would not comment on the Election Commission's decision to bar Mr Navalny but said the "calls for boycott ought to be carefully studied to see if they are breaking the law".

Mr Peskov also rejected suggestions that Mr Navalny's absence on the ballot could dent the legitimacy of Mr Putin's possible re-election.

The Russian law doesn't say calls for an election boycott are illegal, but authorities last year blocked access to several web-sites calling for the boycott.

Mr Navalny rose to prominence in 2009 with investigations into official corruption and became a protest leader when hundreds of thousands took to the streets across Russia in 2011 to protest electoral fraud.

A few years later and after several short-term spells in jail, Mr Navalny faced two separate sets of charges of fraud which were viewed as political retribution aimed to bar him from running for office. In his only official campaign before his first conviction took effect, Mr Navalny garnered 30% of the vote in the race for Moscow mayor in 2013.
A man has been arrested after kidnapping his ex-girlfriend in an attempt to brainwash her into becoming his wife.

Texas native Jack William Morgan was found guilty of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, the Dallas Morning News has reported.

The 32-year-old was arrested after his ex-girlfriend was found chained in the back of vis van wearing only her underwear.

Police were contacted after his victim (28) was seen being dragged out of her apartment building earlier that day. She was discovered by police several hours later.

It is understood Morgan and his victim dated during college however had not been in regular contact for years.

Court documents reveal that the victim told police Morgan had told her he planned to 'brainwash' her into being his wife.

Morgan told the woman hed been planning the attack for over a year and that he used fake social media accounts to stalk her.

When he was unable to find her exact address, he began going door-to-door in her area under the guise of collecting for a local church.

He will be sentenced in March.
US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump speak on the phone with children as they track Santa Clauss movements with the North American Aerospace Defence Command Santa Tracker, on Christmas Eve. Photo: AP/Carolyn Kaster

Donald Trump is on course to win re-election in 2020, senior British diplomats believe, as he approaches his first full year in office.

They think that despite a string of negative headlines, the US president has largely kept his support base onside since entering the White House.

Possible Democratic contenders are seen as either too old - such as Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden - or lacking in the name-recognition needed to defeat Mr Trump.

There is also a belief the US president has curbed some of his most radical policy instincts since taking office, such as ignoring Nato or pulling out of Afghanistan.

The analysis is significant as it underpins the advice British Prime Minister Theresa May is given and shapes how she approaches the UK-US "special relationship".

Mr Trump shocked the political establishment in November 2016 when he defeated the Democratic candidate and front-runner Hillary Clinton to become president.

His victory was credited to winning three swing states by a combined total of fewer than 80,000 votes - the slimmest of margins.

Since then, Mr Trump's approval rating has slumped to the lowest ever for a post-war president after a year in office.

Just one in three voters approves of Mr Trump's job performance, compared to one in two for Barack Obama at the same point in his presidency.

Yet senior British diplomats see few signs Mr Trump is facing guaranteed defeat in 2020 and have questioned whether current Democratic front-runners have what it takes to win.

They fear Mr Sanders, the 76-year-old senator who failed to win the Democratic nomination last year, and Mr Biden, the 75-year-old former vice president, may have missed their chance.

They think younger potential candidates - such as Cory Booker, the New Jersey senator, or Kamala Harris, the California senator - are "yet to be tested" on the toughest political stage.

They are not alone. Joshua Green, author of 'Devil's Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency', believes the US president can win again. "He could absolutely win again in 2020. I don't know why anybody, based on the track record of political predictions over the last three or four years, would presume to say otherwise," he said.
Tunisian state-run news agency TAP revealed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had information authorities that Tunisian women traveling or transiting through the Gulf state could likely stage a terror attack.

Tunisia Sunday banned Emirates flights in response to restrictions imposed to Tunisian women Friday as they prepared to fly to or transit through the Gulf state via Emirates fly.

Several Tunisian women reported that their travels on Emirates had been delayed adding they were subject to additional strict visa checks.

The womens accounts stirred anger in the North African country, which summoned the UAE envoy for clarifications.

UAEs foreign minister Anwar Gargash Twitted that Tunisian authorities were informed about security issues that required specific procedures.

The Dubai-based airline, in the wake of Tunisian authorities decision to ban the carriers flights, suspended its Dubai-Tunis connections.

Ties between the North Africa country and the UAE have cooled since the 2011 revolution, despite a recent detente.

The North African country has the largest number of foreign fighters in the world after a UN task force last year noted that close to 5,000 Tunisians joined terror groups in conflict zones.

It was also reported that over 700 Tunisian women joined the ranks to terror groups including the Islamic State group (IS).
Dave Lewis, CEO of Tesco (right) and Charles Wilson, CEO of Booker after Tesco reached an agreement to merge with food wholesaler Booker in a 3.7 billion deal (PA)

Brexit uncertainty failed to choke off a string of deals in 2017, with Britains fiercely competitive grocery sector booking a number of high-profile transactions.

Supermarket giant Tesco ensured the year got off to a strong start when it sent a shockwave through the industry in January by announcing a 3.7 billion swoop for food wholesaler Booker.

Dubbed a defensive move by some analysts, the deal was designed to beef up Tescos dominant position by creating the UKs leading food business.

Rival wholesalers rallied against the move, claiming it would hand Tesco an incontestable power and urged regulators to shift the takeover onto the scrap heap.

However, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) gave the final all-clear to the deal in December, saying it would not lead to higher prices or hit service for shoppers.

The industry was given more food for thought come June when Amazon sealed an all-cash deal worth 13.7 billion US dollars (10.7 billion) to buy Whole Foods, causing shares in British supermarkets to tumble.

The acquisition ramped up Amazons stake in the UK grocery market following the launch of AmazonFresh and its deal to sell a raft of Morrisons products online.

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Sainsbury mulled a takeover of convenience store operator Nisa, as it looked to push through its second major retail deal in as many years.

But the groups reluctance to pull the trigger meant the Co-operative Group emerged victorious, tabling a 137.5 million bid for Nisas 3,200 stores, which is set for regulatory approval next year.

Jonathan Boyers, KPMG head of corporate finance in the North of England, said the Tesco and Co-op deals signalled a push from the major players to tackle the convenience sector more effectively.

He said: They have all sort of dabbled in developing their own chains of convenience stores, but the independent convenience stores sector has remained independent.

Obviously the Tesco-Booker deal was a game changer and that forced the Co-op to look at Nisa. It caused a shake-out in the whole end of that sector and I just think that it was almost waiting to happen because the supermarkets hadnt cracked what their solution for convenience was.

Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management ushered in one of the biggest deals of 2017 in March when it inked an 11 billion merger to create a combined company with a 16-strong board.

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While the merger formed Europes second-biggest fund manager, it also paved the way for swingeing cost savings of 200 million a year and 800 job cuts.

The wider financial services sector also proved a bright spot for deal making, with the focus landing on fin-tech and payment processing firms.

Private equity pair Blackstone and CVC Partners secured a 2.96 billion takeover of Paysafe in July, as they looked to capitalise on the insatiable demand for online shopping.

Worldpay followed suit a month later when it agreed a 9.3 billion merger deal with US rival Vantiv, creating a global payments processing giant with a value of 22.2 billion.

While Brexit uncertainty took its toll on deal-making in the aftermath of the EU referendum result, there was a renewed vigour for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the third quarter of this year.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said there were 163 M&A deals involving a UK company between July and September, with a total value of 86.4 billion.

It proved a significant jump on the second quarter when 241 transactions worth 33.2 billion were given the go-ahead.

US group McCormicks 4.2 billion US dollar (3.2 billion) takeover of Reckitt Benkisers food brands was one of the bigger deals sealed during that period.

It propelled McCormick to the number one position in Americans condiments market as it gobbled up Frenchs mustard and Franks hot sauces.

It marked a year-long trend for deal-making in the consumer goods sector, which kicked off in February with Kraft Heinzs failed swoop for Unilever.

The Anglo-Dutch company snubbed the opportunity to secure one of the biggest deals in corporate history by rejecting a 115 billion mega-merger with the US maker of Heinz Tomato Ketchup and

Philadelphia cheese.

In an effort to boost shareholder value, the Marmite and PG Tips owner launched a comprehensive review of the business, leading to the 6.8 billion euro (6 billion) sale of its under-performing spreads business to private equity firm KKR in December.

Despite occurring on the other side of the Atlantic, Walt Disneys 52.4 billion US dollar (39 billion) December deal for 21st Century Fox is set to have wider implications for the British media landscape.

Fox said it will press ahead with attempts to buy the 61% of broadcaster Sky it does not already own before the deal closes in 12 to 18 months time, which could hand Disney total control of the Sky News broadcaster.
New Delhi, Dec 26 (IBNS): The Government of India, the Government of Tamil Nadu and the World Bank on Tuesday signed a $318 million loan agreement for the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project to promote climate resilient agriculture technologies, improve water management practices, and increase market opportunities for small and marginal farmers.

About 500,000 farmers, of which a majority are small and marginal, are expected to benefit from improved and modernized tank irrigation systems.

The project will rehabilitate and modernize about 4,800 irrigation tanks and 477 check dams, spread across 66 sub-basins, in delivering bulk water to irrigation systems.

"Tamil Nadu, being a water-stressed state, continues to experience water shortages which are expected to further exacerbate in the future. Rehabilitating and modernizing irrigation tanks will improve the reliability and availability of irrigation water for farming communities, making them less prone to climatic hazards. More than 160,000 ha of currently partially irrigated lands will come into full irrigation under this project, said Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.

The agreement for the project was signed by Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Government of India; S. K. Prabhakar, Principal Secretary, Public Works Department, on behalf of the Government of Tamil Nadu and John Blomquist, Program Leader and Acting Country Director, World Bank, India on behalf of the World Bank.

This project will help Tamil Nadu scale up its efforts to unlock the full potential of its agriculture sector. It will support farmers improve the efficiency of water used in farming, diversify into high value crops, and produce crops that are resilient to the increasing threats of climate change. Such efforts will be a win-win for all, leading to better use of scarce water resources and raising household incomes of farmers, said John Blomquist, Program Leader and Acting Country Director, World Bank, India.

To enhance the ability of crops to withstand expected adverse impacts of climate change, the project will support smallholder producers adopt new conservation technologies such as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and Sustainable Sugar Initiative (SSI). They reduce average water usage by 35 percent and increase yields by 22 percent per ha. The project is expected to increase the yield of rice, maize, and pulses by 1820 percent.

The project will also coordinate with other World Bank-supported projects in Tamil Nadu and at the national level, including the Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Project, National Hydrology Project, and National Groundwater Improvement Project to ensure synergy and enhance long-term project impact.

The $318 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a 5-year grace period, and a maturity of 19 years.


Gandhinagar, Dec 26 (IBNS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Tuesday for the swearing in of the Vijay Rupani government.

"Reached Gujarat. Will attend the swearing in ceremony of the Council of Ministers of the Gujarat Government," tweeted Modi.

Reached Gujarat. Will attend the swearing in ceremony of the Council of Ministers of the Gujarat Government. pic.twitter.com/j0t4PXbecf  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 26, 2017

BJP chief Amit Shah and several BJP chief ministers of other states are also present while Bihar chief minister and now an ally, Nitish Kumar, is also attending the oath taking with his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi.

Sixtyone-year-old Vijay Rupani will once again serve as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Nitin Patel will work as the deputy Chief Minister of the state.

In the recently concluded polls, BJP retained power by winning 99 seats, which is howerver 16 less than what it had in the last Assembly, in the 182-member House, while the Congress claimed 77 to improve their tally.

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Six seats went to others, including three Independents.
Gandhinagar, Dec 26 (IBNS): Vijay Rupani was sworn in as the Gujarat Chief Minister for a second term at a glittering programme in Gandhinagar on Tuesday morning.

According to reports, almost all senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, party veteran LK Advani, senior ministers of the Union council and Chief Ministers from 18 BJP-ruled states are attending Rupani's swearing-in ceremony.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is also attending the event.

Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Gujarat Governor Om Prakash Kohli.

As the BJP came back to power with a reduced strength, having lost more than two dozen MLAs, including six ministers, the new cabinet is expected to see some new faces.
Srinagar, Dec 26 (IBNS): A 47-year old Jaish militant was killed during a gunfight with security forces in Samboora village of Pulwama in South Kashmir, according to a Jammu and Kashmir police spokesperson.

According to reports, a gunfight began late on Monday after forces surrounded the area following inputs about the presence of militants.

'When a search party went near the suspect's house, hiding militants opened indiscriminate fire and security forces returned the fire," the police spokesperson said.

According to reports, later, the dead body of Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit's divisional commander Noor Mohammad of Tral town, who was believed to be behind several recent attacks in the valley, was recovered.

An official said that the searches are going on in the area.

Meanwhile, Director General of Police SP Vaid said that the slain militant along with his associates were planning to attack a convoy on Srinagar-Jammu highway.

"Encounter going on since last evening in Awantipura district. There was input about presence of 2/3 militants near NHW planning to attack convoy. One dead body of militant recovered so far, search for others going on," the DGP tweeted.



(Reporting by Saleem Qadri )
Gandhinagar, Dec 26 (IBNS): Thanking the people of Gujarat for voting for his party and allowing it to win the state assembly polls for a sixth-consecutive term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the bond between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the people of Gujarat is extremely special.

Assuring the people Gujarat further development, he tweeted, "I would once again like to thank the people of Gujarat for giving the BJP this opportunity to serve the state. The bond between Gujarat and BJP is extremely special. I assure my Gujarati sisters and brothers that we will leave no stone unturned in further developing Gujarat."

The Prime Minister is presently visiting his home state, where BJP lawmakers Vijay Rupani and Nitin Patel were sworn in as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister respectively, earlier in the day.

The event was also attended by other BJP big wigs, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh and LK Advani.



Image: twitter.com/narendramodi
Bengaluru, Dec 26 (IBNS) : Kicking up a controversy, Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde has mocked "secularists", saying the BJP would change the Constitution in days to come.

According to media reports, Hegde also mocked secularists by saying they are unaware of their parentage.

He urged the people to identify with their religion or caste and said, "I will bow to you, you are aware of your blood. But if you claim to be secular, there arises a doubt about who you are."

He said he respects the Constitution but the BJP has come to power at the centre to change it and "it will be changed in the days to come".

The remark by the five-time Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka comes months ahead of the Assembly elections in the state, drawing condemnation from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who said the BJP leader does not know parliamentary or political language.

Hegde said there is a new trend in which people proclaim themselves as secular.

The Minister said he will be "happy" if someone claims with pride that he is a Muslim, or a Christian, or a Lingayat, or a Brahmin, or a Hindu.



"Those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don't have their own identity...They don't know about their parentage, but they are intellectuals," he said.

Reacting to the comment, CM Siddaramaiah said Hedge has not studied the Constitution. Each and every individual in this country is an Indian, and every religion has equal right and opportunity. He does not have this basic knowledge."
New Delhi, Dec 26 (IBNS): India's Ministry of External Affairs, on Tuesday, put out a Press Release regarding the meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav, lodged in a Pakistan jail and on death row on allegations of spying, with his mother and wife in Islamabad.

In the release, the MEA has said that the overall atmosphere of the meeting between Jadhav and his mother and wife 'was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned'.

The release also claimed that the Pakistan media were allowed to approach the family members despite an understanding that the media would not be allowed.

The release has also said that not only were the family members forced to remove mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, Jhadav's mother was not allowed to speak to her son in the mother tongue.

An extract from the press release:

" As you are all aware, the mother and wife of Shri Kulbhushan Jadhav met him yesterday in Islamabad. The meeting took place after requests by India for family access.

Prior to the meeting, the two Governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format. There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments.

However, we note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings. This included:

i. The Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Shri Jadhav. This was despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access.

ii. Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security.

iii. The mother of Shri Jadhav was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, although this was clearly the natural medium of communication. She was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and eventually prevented from proceeding further in this regard.

iv. Deputy High Commissioner was initially separated from family members who were taken to the meeting without informing him. The meeting was started without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed.

For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Shri Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard.

From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Shri Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion.

Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being.

We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned. Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude.

The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Shri Jadhavs alleged activities. You would all agree that this exercise lacked any credibility."

Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Delhi on Tuesday; the three hour meeting was also attended by foreign secretary S Jaishankar and other officers of the Ministry, according to media reports.

Jadhav, a former Navy officer, is lodged in Pakistan jail since March last year on alleged charges of espionage on behalf of RAW, a claim that India has denied all along. He was arrested for allegedly entering Pakistan from Iran, according to media reports.

His death sentence is on hold for now after India filed an appeal against the conviction in the International Court of Justice and secured a stay in May this year.

According to media reports, Pakistan has filed a counter-memorial in the ICJ.
Chennai, Dec 26 (IBNS) : Keeping his fans still in a suspense, superstar Rajinikanth on Tuesday said he will announce his decision on entering politics on the last day of the year, media reports said.

"I am not new to politics. I got delayed. I don't say I am entering politics. I will announce my stand on entering politics on December 31," the actor said while addressing his fans beginning a six-day interaction with them in Chennai.

"I am hesitant to enter politics since I know the difficulties," Rajnikanth said.

But he adds :"If one goes to war, they should win it. Here the war is elections and I'm strategising my victory that if I go war, I'll win. Politics is not easy as I've seen the depth, pros and cons of it. I'm not new to politics, but I'm just delaying my entry",

Rajinikanth also paid tribute to the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, whose death in December last year has left a vacuum in Tamil Nadu politics.

"I was humbled when Jayalalithaa met me at my house," Rajnikanth said.
Tunisian authorities have decided to halt the inbound flights of the Emirates airlines after Tunisian women were prevented from boarding its flights. The Tunisian transport ministry said it has suspended Emirates flights to Tunis until the airline finds the appropriate solution to operate flights in accordance with international law and agreements.

A number of Tunisian women said their travel to the Gulf state on Emirates had been delayed and some had been forced to undergo additional checks of their visas.

These measures irked Tunisians but the UAE said security information had caused the delays.

We contacted our Tunisian brothers about security information that necessitated taking specific procedures, Emirati Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash said on Twitter on Sunday.

We highly value Tunisian women and respect them, he added.

On Friday, the Tunisian government said it had asked the UAE ambassador to clarify what was happening and had been told that the measures were temporary and had already been lifted.

Despite the clarification, Tunisian rights groups condemned the measures as discriminatory and racist.

Tunisia has been trying to repair diplomatic ties with the UAE, which were damaged by its 2011 revolution and after the Islamic party al-Nahda, which has strong links with Qatar, came to power in the North African country.

Relations between Qatar on one hand and Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt on the other have been severed since June after the four Arab countries accused Doha of backing terror groups in the region, a charge denied by Qatar.
Tel Aviv, Dec 26 (IBNS): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thanked Guatemala for shifting its embassy to Jerusalem.

"Thanks to President Morales, who co-founded the Guatemala decision to move Embassy of Guatemala. This is just the beginning, other countries! A Likud faction meeting key," Netanyahu tweeted.

,Guatemala has shifted its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Last week, Guatemala was one of the nine nations to support America at the UN while the Jerusalem resolution was being passed. On Sunday, its President Jimmy Morales announced on Facebook that the country was moving its embassy.

In a Facebook post, Morales said: "Dear people of Guatemala, today I spoke with the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. We are talking about the excellent relations that we have had as nations since Guatemala supported the creation of the state of Israel. One of the most important topics was the return of the embassy of Guatemala to Jerusalem. So I inform you that I have instructed the chancellor to initiate the respective coordination so that it may be. God bless you."

The Central American nation became the second country to do so after the US.

Israel has thanked the country fro moving their embassy to Jerusalem.

Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon tweeted: "Thank you Guatemala for your important decision to move your Embassy to #Jerusalem! Wonderful news and true friendship!!Viva la amistad entre Guatemala y Israel . @IsraelMFA @Israel."

Defying the US warning, 128 nations supported the UN resolution that declared 'America's coronation of Jerusalem as Israel's capital' null and void, on Thursday.

Triggering protests in several countries, the US recently announced its decision to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

The US decision was met with several angry reactions from the Islamic world.

Countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Jordan, Turkey and Indonesia protested the move.

People in these places took to the streets in large numbers to chant anti-Trump slogans.

Meanwhile, out of the 193 states in the UN General Assembly, nine voted against the resolution, while 35 nations, including Canada and Mexico, did not vote.

The remaining 21 countries did not turn up for the non-binding resolution.

US had warned of tax cuts and before the vote began, reiterated their status once more.

Nikki Haley, US Ambassador to the UN said, "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. 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.

She also put up a list on Twitter, thanking countries who didn't defy the US decision.

Those who condemned Trump's decision on Jerusalem, said in a text that they expresses deep regret at recent decision made by the US.

"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," the text read.

The result of the vote also riled Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called the UN a 'house of lies'.

However, Israel has thanked Trump for his 'equivocal position in favour of Jerusalem'.

In a statement, the Middle Eastern nation said, "Israel thanks President Trump for his unequivocal position in favour of Jerusalem and thanks those countries that voted alongside Israel, alongside the truth."

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu reacted to the UN General Assembly voting last week and said Jerusalem will always remain the country's capital.

"Israel completely rejects this preposterous resolution. Jerusalem is our capital. Always was, always will be," he said.

"But 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 President Trump and Ambassador Haley, for their stalwart defense of Israel and their stalwart defense of the truth," the PM said.

Reacting on the development, Palestine said it was a victory for them.

Trump on Wednesday had blamed several nations of taking help from US and not returning the favour when needed.

The US President told reporters at the White House, "All of these nations that take our money and then they vote against us at the Security Council or they vote against us, potentially, at the Assembly, they take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us."

"Well, were watching those votes, he added. Let them vote against us; well save a lot. We dont care.

Image: Benjamin Netanyahu Twitter page
Kabul, Dec 26 (IBNS): At least 11 ISIS militants were killed in an airstrike carried out by the Afghan forces in Nangarhar province of the country, reports said.

The strike was conducted in Achin district of the province.

Along with the militants, explosives and vehicles belonging to the group were also destroyed.

Earlier on Monday, ISIS had shouldered responsibility for an attack in Kabul which claimed at least six lives.
Dhaka, Dec 26 (IBNS): A person, who has been an accused in a case filed under the Information Communication Technology (ICT) act, was arrested by the immigration police from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Bangladesh capital Dhaka on Monday, media reports said on Tuesday.

The arrested person was identified as Asaduzzaman.

The arrestee, Asaduzzaman, was arrested from the airport around 10:00pm and handed him over to the airport police, Inspector (Investigation) of Airport Police Station Ezaz Shafi was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.

The case was filed against the person at Amtoli Police Station at Barguna under the ICT act.

He was reportedly on his way to Nepal when he was arrested at the airport.

Image: Wikimedia Commons


Dhaka, Dec 26 (IBNS): Bangladesh security forces on Tuesday claimed they have arrested four members of banned militant outfit Ansar Al Islam from Rajshahis Puthia upazila of the country.

The arrests were made by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

The Daily Star reported the arrested people were identified as Md Hayatullah Rubel alias Masud, 32, Abdur Rahim, 30, Mizanur Rahman Mridha, 30, and Mukul Hossain, 32.

Rab-5 Director Lt Col Mahbubur Rahman told The Daily Star they were arrested in a drive in the early hours. Among them, Hayatullah is said to be a mid-level leader.

Several religiously inciting books were seized from the arrested people.

Image: Wikimedia Commons
Toronto, Dec 26 (IBNS): As Canada celebrated Christmas on Monday, country's Prime Minster Justin Trudeau urged people of the nation to make a difference, by volunteering, lending a hand to someone or simply listening to others.

He said people of Canada showed strength in our diversity in the year 2017 as the nation celebrated 150th anniversary of Confederation.

Merry Christmas, Canada! Hadrien, Ella-Grace, Xavier, Sophie and I wish you joy, health, love, and peace this holiday season. https://t.co/rMXLHm0SR0 pic.twitter.com/u1cy9d9pET  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) December 24, 2017

In his Christmas speech, the PM said: "In 2017, people across Canada gave us much reason to be proud, and showed us the strength in our diversity. Canadians are neighbours helping neighbours, sharing warmth, compassion, and generositynot just at Christmas, but all year round."

"As the 150th anniversary of Confederation draws to a close, all of us have a role to play in shaping our world for the better. In the New Year, and throughout the years to come, lets commit to making a difference. Whether by lending a hand to a neighbour, or volunteering for a cause we believe in, lets give generously, and live out the values that bring us together," he said.

The PM said: "Lets also reach out and listento those next door, across the aisle, and at the dinner table. Building a better world starts where we work and live, in our communities, and at home."

The full text of the Prime Minister's speech is given below:

"Merry Christmas, Canada!

In 2017, people across Canada gave us much reason to be proud, and showed us the strength in our diversity. Canadians are neighbours helping neighbours, sharing warmth, compassion, and generositynot just at Christmas, but all year round.

For Christians around the world, this season is a time to celebrate Jesus Christ and his message of compassion. For all of us, it is a chance to come together to give thanks for everything that unites us.

As the 150th anniversary of Confederation draws to a close, all of us have a role to play in shaping our world for the better. In the New Year, and throughout the years to come, lets commit to making a difference. Whether by lending a hand to a neighbour, or volunteering for a cause we believe in, lets give generously, and live out the values that bring us together.

Lets also reach out and listento those next door, across the aisle, and at the dinner table. Building a better world starts where we work and live, in our communities, and at home.

During the holidays, I also ask you take a moment to remember our brave servicewomen and men, and their families. They make extraordinary sacrifices to keep us safe.

From our family to yours, Hadrien, Ella-Grace, Xavier, Sophie, and I wish you joy, health, love, and peace this holiday season. Merry Christmas.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in Khartoum in a show of support for Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, who is wanted on charges of genocide and war crimes.

The Turkish leader, who arrived in the Sudanese capital on Sunday, part of a three-day trip that also includes stops in Chad and Tunisia, has overseen the sign-ing of twelve bilateral agreements including economic and mil-itary deals as well as the creation of a strategic cooperation council.

Erdogan told reporters at a press conference in Khartoum that the two countries aimed to boost trade from the current level of $500m a year to $1bn in an initial stage and then $10bn.

Earlier in December, Al Bashir defied a global arrest warrant against him when he flew to Istanbul to attend an emergency summit of the worlds main pan-Islamic group, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Omar al-Bashir is alleged by International Criminal Court to have committed war crimes in Darfour where the UN says that at least 300,000 people were killed and more than 2.5 million displaced.
You're already nodding your head aren't you? Of course, we're the funniest. Where's the doubt in that? But did you know we're funny to the levels of absolute savagery? Here's a clue.

1. Damn, Kareem

Kareem got no chill pic.twitter.com/QcRtUmxa82  Rum (@KaapiRight) August 22, 2017

2. Prem Ratan... dhan dhan dhan

Prem ratan dhan payo payo

prem ratan pic.twitter.com/DoBl9uZwNP  Anmol (@loyallarents) September 21, 2017

3. Halloween in India



Dressing up as an Aadhar card for Halloween.  Numbyaar (@NumbYaar) October 30, 2017

4. You can run, you can hide but shaadi toh arranged hi hogi

Kitni bhi chatting Kar le , Shaadi toh arrange hi hogi  pic.twitter.com/3NMPFriRvk  Parul (@mailpp) May 25, 2017

5. For the love of God, Virushka

Yaar yeh Virat aur Anushka ko kab samajh mein aayega ki unki khushiyaan humse ab nahi dekhi jaa rahi.  Sonali Thakker (@SonaliThakker) December 15, 2017

6. Hello, Poo from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham



Kon hai ye jisne dubara mudke poope ko nahi dekha ... pic.twitter.com/DmWCdlLiSU  Sabudana khichadi (@Dishasatra) April 26, 2017

7. Right?

8. Yep. Yep. Yep.

"There's a wedding in my family. So, for next 7 days, I own the street in front of my house."

-Indians  SAGAR (@sagarcasm) April 9, 2017

9. Ouch! This one hurts



Other people in relationships vs me pic.twitter.com/XgVVuDCnRp  Avinash Iyer (@IyerAvin) September 22, 2017

10. Trying to impress the guy who takes your order at Starbucks like...

[Going to Starbucks for the first time]

*Ok be calm and ask for a Tall Latte as practised*

[a little later]

'Hi can I have Lall Tatte?'  Bratticus (@bharatunnithan) June 19, 2017

11. Some ads will never leave you alone



Isko laga dala toh life pic.twitter.com/ILJ3xK81jC  Catthew (@krazyfrog) January 5, 2017

12. Halloween. Again

Indian #Halloween : Dressing up as Sharma Uncle ka beta cuz face your fears amiright  MehakSrivastava (@mehaksrivastava) October 31, 2017

13. Trying so hard to hide your smoking from your parents that you wish this

Oh god please don't give me cancer because then my parents will find out I smoke.  Madhura (@PunsTurnMeOn) July 13, 2017

14. Calling all desis in the house

Desi culture is keeping your clocks 10 mins ahead and still being late.  Shumail (@Shumyl) December 3, 2017

15. Hey, Gurgaon. What's up?



Gurgaon in one picture pic.twitter.com/MDj2pXOE2h  Bilal (@bilalshaikkh) July 18, 2017

16. In case you forgot to link your Aadhaar to your bank a/c here's another reminder

Boyfriend: Goodnight.

Girlfriend: Only goodnight? Arent you forgetting something?

Boyfriend: Oh. Dear Customer, as per Govt. directive, it's mandatory to link your Aadhaar to all your bank A/cs before 31-Dec'17.  Anurag Verma (@kitAnurag) November 28, 2017

17. Hey mom...?

When you are waiting for your mom to put naara () in your salwaar. pic.twitter.com/mIZGDwXRjd  Pakchikpak Raja Babu (@HaramiParindey) February 25, 2017

18. The next time someone asks "Why yoga?"



No Yoga and Yoga. See the difference. pic.twitter.com/g37xaUU9db  Bibhu Prasad Routray (@BibhuRoutray) November 14, 2017

19. Papa ke bacche

: I love you too

: ich liebe dich auch

: jag alskar dig ocksa

: 

:     Chikoo (@TweetErrant) May 5, 2017

20. The mohalle wali aunty lives in your phone



Facebook - Mohalle wali aunty version pic.twitter.com/xUe49VVG6R  SwatKat- The dancing Rajput  (@swatic12) October 24, 2017

21. You know you're an Indian when saying this only seems natural

22. Your phone knows...

I've three approaches to life and my phone knows all of em pic.twitter.com/sr9QQVQQ80  Mithila Phadke (@PhadkeTai) April 21, 2017

23. Condom ads are a problem but these balloons are fine?

My bank didn't think this through pic.twitter.com/sr1yKFb4rk  mediocre gandhi (@mediocregandhi) September 8, 2017

24. This has happened way too many time to be taken lightly

Parents waking you up at 7am and saying its 10. #GrowingUpIndian  Nisha Sharma (@Nisha1509) May 21, 2017

25. When your playlist is more Punjabi than you are

Punjabi playlist hai ki shopping cart? pic.twitter.com/AKTgQTdH7P  P (@lovehandle_) February 9, 2017





26. Okay, then.



Sanskari pre-wedding photoshoot be like pic.twitter.com/bwe5rmOCmq  mediocre gandhi (@mediocregandhi) April 10, 2017

27. How about no?

All my close friends getting married worries the Gujarati in me over the double plates each friend would cost me.  Pffftt (@Kalamwali_Bai) January 16, 2017

28. Somehow you'll never get it right, will you?

29. Wrapping paper ki sacchai

Unpacking gifts without damaging the wrapping paper can be included as a #SoftSkill in CVs.#GrowingUpIndian #DesiLife   Nimisha Shankar (@__Nimisha) April 24, 2017

30. WTF did I just see?

My sister and I aren't that close nykaa pic.twitter.com/i1fdW4hDfO  Child Bear (@galtor) July 21, 2017

31. Hey, so...

32. Your weekend in one tweet

What irritates me after working 4 hours on week off is that kapde dhona reh gaya hai.  Aadil Ikram (@Aadil_Ikram) March 5, 2017

33. When the government has a beef with beef and your expert ass has to step in

34. Damn, that shit is deep

Zindagi bhi earphone jaisi ho gai hai,

chahe jitna suljha lo wapas ulajh hi jati hai.  pinku (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2017

35. A 'sanskaari' party in your head

when u finally arrive at a decision that all the voices in ur head agree with pic.twitter.com/ja9beslGN2  a kite (@pigeonladyX) March 7, 2017

36. Ha ha ha??

They can't burn you for dowry if you don't get married pic.twitter.com/4otm0Tvlsv  wtf peg (@peg_lateral) February 5, 2017





37. Every. Single. Time

parents: why don't you come socialize with the family?

me: sits with family

me: gets insulted by entire family

me: goes back to room  Desi Humour (@DesiHumour) September 7, 2017

38. Are you suddenly feeling sick too?

Harpic advertising strategy:

Gande toilet me zoom-in karo.

Yellow stains dikhne chahiye.

Let's run it at 8:30pm jab log dinner kha rahe ho.  Akshar (@AksharPathak) March 13, 2017

39. Thanks, dad

My dad whenever I do something. pic.twitter.com/ZpxeUw9hZS  Sand-d Singh (@Sand_In_Deed) April 28, 2017

40. When your family is hard to please

Me, when family appreciates something I have done. pic.twitter.com/LFJxK6UUbL  pnkj (@AskThePankazzzz) April 27, 2017

41. Erm...



CAT reading comprehension topper pic.twitter.com/JMlChCE09u  Anuradha (@anuradha_kush) June 1, 2017

42. Whoa!

Who called it condom and not "kachra mohabbat wala"?  Anuya Jakatdar (@anuyeaah) April 1, 2017

43. Mom's instructions always find a way. Always



*mom hiding from a serial killer*

mom: omg I am gonna die if he finds me

*killer opens fridge n grabs water bottle*

mom: Ab bharke rakhna          (@firkiii) March 10, 2017

44. Brutal

Indian boy: Will you marry me?

Indian girl: First of all, it'll be nice if you leave your mother's hand and hold my hand while asking this!  kainaz karmakar (@spalifekainaz) October 18, 2017

45. Silently cries inside

I could be 35yrs old and still need my mum's permission to go out #growingupdesi  Desiboi (@2funneh) June 8, 2017

46. Few today can relate to what it was like growing up as the human remote control

47. Desi parents be like

"Kaise ho?"

"Tabiyat theek hai?"

"Lo mummy se baat karo"

If my life were a movie, my Dad has only 3 dialogues.  amrtsh (@floydimus) February 15, 2017

48. You said it!

Not a single girl in this entire universe can fill herself with air and sit on flame  https://t.co/YXlxzQNIjW  Layeeba mallick (@LayeebaMallick) December 19, 2017

49. Dad. Dad. Daaaaaaad?



When you ask your dad for pocket money. pic.twitter.com/wrI7WT81Cs  Ajay Devgn (@Devgan_Ajayy) December 22, 2017

50. This Khap panchayat parody account is LIT AF



Say no to crackers, burn couples instead.  Khap Panchayat (@KhapPanchayat) October 18, 2017

51. High time Bollywood got its shit together



Why do we even send movies like Newton to the Oscars? We should instead send inspiring stories of human triumph like Raabta. Or surreal psychological thrillers like Half Girlfriend. The jury will fucking shit itself, give us every Oscar from every category.  Akshar (@AksharPathak) December 15, 2017

52. Desi office, amiright?



Indian offices have this unwritten rule - if there is something to eat on your desk, any random colleague has the birth-right to pick it up and eat without even asking.  Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) December 11, 2017

53. One meal and 10 stomachs please



When a Bridegroom visits his in-laws place for the first time after arranged marriage. pic.twitter.com/iz3lGZBRo4  Gautam Trivedi (@Gotham3) December 20, 2017

54. In case of emergency, follow Ramdev



Baba Ramdev demonstrating how everything should be linked to everything... pic.twitter.com/89dVtm73mh  Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) December 8, 2017

55. Income Tax Returns (but not like you just read it)



"Income Tax Returns" sounds like some kind of terrible sequel no? No? Okay.  Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) July 31, 2017

56. Oh shit



57. When you get it all wrong



Dad: Be a good person

Me: pic.twitter.com/JVrVW3jyL0          (@firkiii) December 23, 2017

58. No f*cks were given that day



59. Lentil soup versus dal



Lentil soup is just daal that hasn't found it's voice yet.  Vir Das (@thevirdas) November 17, 2017

60. Because Indians have more faith in food than relationships



Indian guy flirting on Facebook:

Guy: Hi :) :) :)

Girl: Hey...

Guy: Had ur lunch?  Sanjay Manaktala (@smanak) April 12, 2017

61. Uncle?



Saw an elderly couple holding hands in the local today so I asked them how have they maintained this love after so many years....

Uncle gave a beautiful reply,

Apne kaam se kaam rakh madarchod aur ghar jaa chup chap  Bhayanak Puppy (@BhayanakPuppy) December 21, 2017

62. Ooookhayyyy...



Mata Ji booking flight tickets to India for Navratri Celebration. pic.twitter.com/2TV73l3lWR  Deputy (@JhoothaChal) September 20, 2017

63. For those annoyed by their phone's cover

Friend: Tu Sunday ko kya karta hai?

Me: Bed par let kar phone bina cover ke use karta hu. Badi khushi milti hai.  Moody Motu (@MoodyMotu) November 19, 2017

Found a funnier tweet? Let us know.
Delhi's dubious distinction of being the 'rape capital of the country was once again reiterated on Saturday after a woman was gang raped in a moving car.

Delhi Police has arrested two men, including the driver of a BPO pick-up cab for the rape of a woman passenger. The duo was arrested on the complaint of a woman who works in a Gurugram mall and lives in east Delhi.

BCCL/ File

According to the woman's complaint she took the cab, an innova from Gurugram's Shankar Chowk which was going towards south west Delhi, and had two other people apart from the driver.

After one of the passengers got out, the driver took a detour towards Kapashera Village on pretext of withdrawing money from an ATM to get the car refueled. On the way, they stopped at a secluded place and raped her in turns.

The two men then dropped her near Dwarka Sector 21 metro station around midnight.

The woman who had managed to partly remember the number of the innova, alerted the PCR and a rape case was registered.

BCCL/ Representational Image

Based on the description given by the victim and CCTV visuals from the spot police identified the owner of the vehicle and nabbed the two culprits on Sunday.

The driver has been identified as Sumit and his friend as Bidur Singh, who is originally from Nepal. Both were friends and worked in MNCs as drivers.

The accused said they were on duty to pick up BPO staff for night shift on Saturday. When the staff did not turn up for the shift, the duo decided to make some extra money by offering lifts to others travelling from Gurgaon to Delhi.
Pakistan has finally agreed to grant permission to the wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet him on December 25. According to reports, Pakistan's foreign office spokesman Mohammad Faisal has said that the meeting will take place later this month.

Also Read: Kulbhushan Jadhav's Wife Can't Meet Him Because Pakistan Is Not Ensuring Her Safety

During his weekly news briefing, the spokesman said a staff member from the Indian high commission will also be present during the meeting.

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Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in April on charges of espionage and terrorism.

Also Read: Kulbhushan Jadhav May Get A Fair Trial As India's Dalveer Bhandari Re-Elected As ICJ Judge

Last month, Pakistan foreign office had said that it will allow Jadhav to meet his wife. However, it had stopped short of giving a sovereign guarantee about the safety and security of Jadhav's wife, if she visits the country.

Pakistan's foreign office had earlier this month said it will allow Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet his wife.

Also Read: Pakistan Claims That It Got An Offer To Swap Kulbhushan Jadhav With A Terrorist In Afghan Jail

Responding to Pakistan's offer of arranging a meeting between the former naval officer and his wife, India also requested that his mother be allowed to meet him too.

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Pakistan has repeatedly denied India consular access to Jadhav on the ground that it was not applicable in cases related to spies.

Jadhav had filed an appeal with Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to seek clemency, which is still pending.

Also Read: Sushma Hits Out At Aziz After Pak Denied Kulbhushan Jadhav's Mother Visa Despite Her Recommendation

In October, the Pakistan Army had said it is close to a decision on the mercy petition of Jadhav.

Pakistan claims its security forces arrested him from restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. However, India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

screen grab

Jadhav's sentencing had evoked a sharp reaction in India. After India approached the International Court of Justice, a 10-member bench on May 18 restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till adjudication of the case.

The ICJ has asked Pakistan to submit its response or memorial by December 13 before the court could start further proceedings in the case.
A day after Pakistan's much hyped 'humanitarian gesture of allowing death row convict Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet his mother and wife, the reality of Islamabad's PR exercise has now come out.

It was nothing but an eyewash at the expense of a bewildered family who was harassed and humiliated by Pakistani authorities.

Indiatimes

Jadhav's mother and wife were forced to remove their mangalsutra, the bindis on their foreheads and their bangles, the external affairs ministry said.

Not just that, Jadhav's mother and wife had to change clothes before they were allowed to meet the Indian national, and on the way out Jadhav's wife wasn't given her footwear back.

Indiatimes

Expressing its displeasure over the treatment of the family, the External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said "...regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned. Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude".

Despite being clearly told by India that the Pakistani press should not be allowed access to Jadhav's mother Avanti and his wife Chetankul, the media camped outside the Pakistan foreign office heckled and shouted out at them, the MEA said.

Indiatimes

"The Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Shri Jadhav. This was despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access," the MEA said.

AP

According to the Pakistani version of the events, Jadhav a RAW operative, was arrested from Balochistan in March 2016. He was in touch with Baloch separatists and was fanning unrest in the restive province.

However, India has refuted the claims and maintains that he was a retired navy officer and was running a business in Iran from where he was abducted by the ISI.
More than 250 couple got married on Surat as a part of the mass wedding hosted by a diamond merchant. The mass wedding featured 250 couples included 5 Muslim couples, a Christian couple and two women who are HIV positive.

AP

Mahesh Savani is the man who facilitated the programme as he believes that giving away brides is a blessing from God. Savani has been funding and organising wedding since 201.

AP

During the wedding, Savani himself plays the parent and does Kanyadaan- the practice of giving away one's daughter.

AP

Hundreds of brides with colourful ethnic attire and ornaments performed their wedding rituals in front of hundreds of guests in the city Surat, which is also a hub for diamond polishing.

AP

On previous occasions, Savani had given gifts of gold and items such as sofas, beds etc worth Rs 500,000 to each bride to help them start married life.
Jenkins offers a simple way to set up a continuous integration or continuous delivery (CI/CD) environment for almost any combination of languages and source code repositories using pipelines, as well as automating other routine development tasks. While Jenkins doesnt eliminate the need to create scripts for individual steps, it does give you a faster and more robust way to integrate your entire chain of build, test, and deployment tools than you can easily build yourself.

Dont break the nightly build! is a cardinal rule in software development shops that post a freshly built daily product version every morning for their testers. Before Jenkins, the best a developer could do to avoid breaking the nightly build was to build and test carefully and successfully on a local machine before committing the code. But that meant testing ones changes in isolation, without everyone elses daily commits. There was no firm guarantee that the nightly build would survive ones commit.

Jenkins  originally Hudson  was a direct response to this limitation.

Hudson and Jenkins

In 2004, Kohsuke Kawaguchi was a Java developer at Sun. Kawaguchi became tired of breaking builds in his development work and wanted to find a way to know, before committing code to the repository, whether the code was going to work. So Kawaguchi built an automation server in and for Java to make that possible, called Hudson. Hudson became popular at Sun, and spread to other companies as open source.

Fast-forward to 2011, and a dispute between Oracle (which had acquired Sun) and the independent Hudson open source community led to a fork with a name change, Jenkins. In 2014 Kawaguchi became CTO of CloudBees, which offers Jenkins-based continuous delivery products.

Both forks continued to exist, although Jenkins was much more active. Today, the Jenkins project is still active. The Hudson website was closed down on Jan 31, 2020.

In March 2019 the Linux Foundation, along with CloudBees, Google, and a number of other companies, launched a new open source software foundation called the Continuous Delivery Foundation (CDF). Jenkins contributors decided that their project should join this new foundation. Kawaguchi wrote at the time that nothing of significance would change for users.

In January 2020 Kawaguchi announced he was moving to his new startup, Launchable. He also said that he would be officially stepping back from Jenkins, although staying on the Technical Oversight Committee of the Continuous Delivery Foundation, and switching his role at CloudBees to an advisor.

Related video: How to deliver code faster with CI/CD

Jenkins automation

Today Jenkins is the leading open-source automation server with some 1,600 plug-ins to support the automation of all kinds of development tasks. The problem Kawaguchi was originally trying to solve, continuous integration and continuous delivery of Java code (i.e. building projects, running tests, doing static code analysis, and deploying) is only one of many processes that people automate with Jenkins. Those 1,600 plug-ins span five areas: platforms, UI, administration, source code management, and, most frequently, build management.

How Jenkins works

Jenkins is distributed as a WAR archive and as installer packages for the major operating systems, as a Homebrew package, as a Docker image, and as source code. The source code is mostly Java, with a few Groovy, Ruby, and Antlr files.

You can run the Jenkins WAR standalone or as a servlet in a Java application server such as Tomcat. In either case, it produces a web user interface and accepts calls to its REST API.

When you run Jenkins for the first time, it creates an administrative user with a long random password, which you can paste into its initial webpage to unlock the installation.

Jenkins plug-ins

Once installed, Jenkins allows you to either accept the default plugin list or choose your own plugins.

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Once you have picked your initial set of plug-ins, click the Install button and Jenkins will add them.

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The Jenkins main screen displays the current build queue and Executor status, and offers links to create new items (jobs), manage users, view build histories, manage Jenkins, look at your custom views, and manage your credentials.

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A new Jenkins item can be any of six types of job plus a folder for organizing items.

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There are 18 things you can do from the Manage Jenkins page, including the option to open a command-line interface. At this point, however, we should look at pipelines, which are enhanced workflows that are typically defined by scripts.

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Jenkins pipelines

Once you have Jenkins configured, its time to create some projects that Jenkins can build for you. While you can use the web UI to create scripts, the current best practice is to create a pipeline script, named Jenkinsfile, and check it into your repository. The screenshot below shows the configuration web form for a multibranch pipeline.

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As you can see, branch sources for this kind of pipeline in my basic Jenkins installation can be Git or Subversion repositories, including GitHub. If you need other kinds of repositories or different online repository services, its just a matter of adding the appropriate plug-ins and rebooting Jenkins. I tried, but couldnt think of a source code management system (SCM) that doesnt already have a Jenkins plug-in listed.

Jenkins pipelines can be declarative or scripted. A declarative pipeline, the simpler of the two, uses Groovy-compatible syntaxand if you want, you can start the file with #!groovy to point your code editor in the right direction. A declarative pipeline starts with a pipeline block, defines an agent , and defines stages that include executable steps , as in the three-stage example below.

pipeline {

agent any



stages {

stage(Build) {

steps {

echo Building..

}

}

stage(Test) {

steps {

echo Testing..

}

}

stage(Deploy) {

steps {

echo Deploying....

}

}

}

}

pipeline is the mandatory outer block to invoke the Jenkins pipeline plugin. agent defines where you want to run the pipeline. any says to use any available agent to run the pipeline or stage. A more specific agent might declare a container to use, for example:

agent {

docker {

image maven:3-alpine

label my-defined-label

args -v /tmp:/tmp

}

}

stages contain a sequence of one or more stage directives. In the example above, the three stages are Build, Test, and Deploy.

steps do the actual work. In the example above the steps just printed messages. A more useful build step might look like the following:

pipeline {

agent any



stages {

stage(Build) {

steps {

sh make

archiveArtifacts artifacts: **/target/*.jar, fingerprint: true

}

}

}

}

Here we are invoking make from a shell, and then archiving any produced JAR files to the Jenkins archive.

The post section defines actions that will be run at the end of the pipeline run or stage. You can use a number of post-condition blocks within the post section: always , changed , failure , success , unstable , and aborted .

For example, the Jenkinsfile below always runs JUnit after the Test stage, but only sends an email if the pipeline fails.

pipeline {

agent any

stages {

stage(Test) {

steps {

sh make check

}

}

}

post {

always {

junit **/target/*.xml

}

failure {

mail to: team@example.com, subject: The Pipeline failed :(

}

}

}

The declarative pipeline can express most of what you need to define pipelines, and is much easier to learn than the scripted pipeline syntax, which is a Groovy-based DSL. The scripted pipeline is in fact a full-blown programming environment.

For comparison, the following two Jenkinsfiles are completely equivalent.

Declarative pipeline

pipeline {

agent { docker node:6.3 }

stages {

stage(build) {

steps {

sh npm version

}

}

}

}

Scripted pipeline

node(docker) {

checkout scm

stage(Build) {

docker.image(node:6.3).inside {

sh npm version

}

}

}

Blue Ocean, the Jenkins GUI

If youd like the latest and greatest Jenkins UI, you can use the Blue Ocean plug-in, which provides a graphical user experience. You can add the Blue Ocean plug-in to your existing Jenkins installation or run a Jenkins/Blue Ocean Docker container. With Blue Ocean installed, your Jenkins main menu will have an extra icon:

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You can open Blue Ocean directly if you wish. Its in the /blue folder on the Jenkins server. Pipeline creation in Blue Ocean is a bit more graphical than in plain Jenkins:

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Jenkins Docker

As I mentioned earlier, Jenkins is also distributed as a Docker image. There isnt much more to the process: Once youve picked the SCM type, you provide a URL and credentials, then create a pipeline from a single repository or scan all repositories in the organization. Every branch with a Jenkinsfile will get a pipeline.

Here Im running a Blue Ocean Docker image, which came with a few more Git service plug-ins installed than the default list of SCM providers:

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Once you have run some pipelines, the Blue Ocean plug-in will display their status, as shown above. You can zoom in on an individual pipeline to see the stages and steps:

IDG

You can also zoom in on branches (top) and activities (bottom):

IDG



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Why use Jenkins?

The Jenkins Pipeline plug-in weve been using supports a general continuous integration/continuous delivery (CICD) use case, which is probably the most common use for Jenkins. There are specialized considerations for some other use cases.

Java projects were the original raison detre for Jenkins. Weve already seen that Jenkins supports building with Maven; it also works with Ant, Gradle, JUnit, Nexus, and Artifactory.

Android runs a kind of Java, but introduces the issue of how to test on the wide range of Android devices. The Android emulator plug-in allows you to build and test on as many emulated devices as you care to define. The Google Play Publisher plug-in lets you send builds to an alpha channel in Google Play for release or further testing on actual devices.

Ive shown examples where we specified a Docker container as the agent for a pipeline and where we ran Jenkins and Blue Ocean in a Docker container. Docker containers are very useful in a Jenkins environment for improving speed, scalability, and consistency.

There are two major use cases for Jenkins and GitHub. One is build integration, which can include a service hook to trigger Jenkins on every commit to your GitHub repository. The second is the use of GitHub authentication to control access to Jenkins via OAuth.

Jenkins supports many other languages besides Java. For C/C++, there are plug-ins to capture errors and warnings from the console, generate build scripts with CMake, run unit tests, and perform static code analysis. Jenkins has a number of integrations with PHP tools.

While Python code doesnt need to be built (unless youre using Cython, for instance, or creating a Python wheel for installation) its useful that Jenkins integrates with Python testing and reporting tools, such as Nose2 and Pytest, and code quality tools such as Pylint. Similarly, Jenkins integrates with Ruby tools such as Rake, Cucumber, Brakeman, and CI::Reporter.

Jenkins for CI/CD

On the whole, Jenkins offers a simple way to set up a CI/CD environment for pretty much any combination of languages and source code repositories using pipelines, as well as automating a number of other routine development tasks. While Jenkins doesnt eliminate the need to create scripts for individual steps, it does give you a quicker and more robust way to integrate your entire chain of build, test, and deployment tools than you could easily build yourself.
Cocoa (CC) Retesting 38.2% Fib Retrace of Feb-Sep Slide Tradable Patterns - 24 minutes ago Cocoa (CCZ22)s healthy profittaking this week should be slowing going into next week, with CC now testing the 38.2% Fib retrace of the massive bounce off the September low. CC is also back to prior... CCZ22 : 2,428s (-3.00%) NIB : 26.21 (-2.81%)

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%)

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Imagine if the grocery store, the cell phone provider, and the biggest national construction outfit were all owned by the same company. You could buy just about anything and never have to enrich any competitors. That's essentially the situation in Mexico, where one of the world's richest people, Carlos Slim Helu, resides.

How he amassed his wealth$83.3 billion as of July 2022, according to Forbesis a study in both business acumen and political connections.

1:36 How Carlos Slim Built His Fortune

Early Life

Carlos Slim was born Jan. 28, 1940, in Mexico City, Mexico. His parents, Julian Slim Haddad and Linda Helu Atta were both Maronite Catholics of Lebanese descent. Carlos father, born Khalil Salim Haddad Aglamaz, was sent to Mexico in 1902 to avoid being drafted into the Ottoman Army. After arriving in Mexico, Carloss father changed his name to Julian Slim Haddad.

The family was part of a small but commercially prosperous community of Lebanese Christians who poured into Mexico in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

In a community devoted to commerce, Julian Slim was a natural, opening a dry goods store in 1911, which grew to offer more than $100,000 worth of merchandise just 10 years later. With proceeds from the store, he would go on to buy prime real estate in Mexico City for a pittance during the 1910-1917 Mexican Revolution.

His savvy investments in real estate, along with his continued success as both a retailer and a wholesaler made Julian a rich man, with a net worth of more than 1 million pesos.

From a young age, Carlos took an interest in his fathers business. And his father happily obliged with business lessons about management, reading financial statements and keeping accurate financial records.

In 1953, when Carlos was only 13 years old, his father died. After his fathers death, the young man continued to work for his late father's company, which would ultimately be passed on to him. When Slim graduated high school, he went on to the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where he studied civil engineering while teaching algebra and linear programming.

While studying civil engineering, Slim also took an interest in economics, taking a series of courses on the subject in Chile after he graduated in 1961. He went into finance shortly afterward, working long, grueling days as a stock trader in Mexico City.

By 1965, at the age of 25, his trading had netted him roughly $400,000, more than $3.6 million in present dollars. He used the money to open his own brokerage firm, called Inversora Bursatil.

One of his biggest opportunities was the peso crisis in the early 1980s, coupled with a steep decline in oil prices. The capital was fleeing the country, and Slim bought a number of companies at depressed valuations. Some examples are Cigatam (the country's second-largest cigarette maker), Reynolds Aluminum, General Tire and the Sanborns chain of stores.

A Wide Reach

Slim has a hand in literally hundreds of other companies, largely through Grupo Carso SAB, Slims global conglomerate. Grupo Carso has or has had stakes in enterprises as diverse as Elementia, one of the largest cement companies in Mexico, retail including Sears and Saks Fifth Avenue, energy and construction (via CICSA) and automotive (via Grupo Condumex). He even has a stake in The New York Times.

Perhaps the biggest piece of Slim's wealth comes from telecommunications. Slim is the owner of America Movil, formerly Telefonos de Mexico, or Telmex. Telmex was the old telephone monopoly in the country, akin to Americas AT&T Inc. (T). In the 1990s, the government privatized the company, and Slim was one of the initial investors, via Grupo Carso (the other members of the consortium were France Telecom and Southwestern Bell Corporation). The price: $1.8 billion, half of which was put up by Grupo Carso, for a 20% stake. Carlos Slim was at the helm of Grupo Carso and, as such, took over at Telmex.

By 2012, America Movil, Slim's mobile telephone company, had taken over Telmex and made it into a privately held subsidiary. America Movil, via the subsidiary Telcel, has a market share approaching 70% of the mobile phone line market, and 80% of the landlines in Mexico. Now the company is poised to sell assets to bring its market share below 50%, in the wake of new anti-monopoly regulations in Mexico. But Slim is probably not upset that the various assets, such as cell phone towers, could easily bring in $8 billion or morequite a profit on the original investment.

Not Just Mexico

America Movil, through various subsidiaries, isn't just in Mexico. In the U.S., the most visible brand is TracFone, a low-cost cellular phone operator that was acquired by Verizon in 2021. In Austria, the company owns a majority stake in Telekom Austria. Slim's telecom empire reaches almost every country in Latin America.

Yet it wasn't necessarily a deep knowledge of technology or telecommunications that made the company what it is today. Slim has often said that his strategy is to reinvest the profits into the business itself and fuel growth. Telmex, for example, invested billions over several years to install an updated fiber network in the 1990s, and that left the company in a position to offer high-speed internet service.

The pattern is typical of Slim's business deals over the course of his life  buy an asset, reinvest and sell at a profit. Telecommunications is only the most visible piece of that strategy.

Turnaround Specialist

Slim's strategy has been to buy up sometimes troubled companies and try to turn them around. The advantage of that model is that it doesn't necessarily require specific knowledge of any given sectorjust a keen sense of what is undervalued and what isn't.

Also, the conglomerate structure allows him to have stakes in such a diverse range of industries that his wealth is well prepared to maneuver global financial turbulence. His stocks might lose value in a general market downturn that affects the whole economy, but a problem in the telecommunications industry won't hurt his numbers much because some other sector will likely be doing reasonably well.

Slim is also less interested in the fine details of the businesses he buys. Any transaction is just thatthe goal is to sell his stake at a profit later. For instance, his purchase of a stake in The New York Times is less about editorial policy and more about the idea that the paper can gain value as an asset, as Eduardo Garcia, editor of Sentido Comun, a financial news site, told the American Journalism Review in 2009.

Carlos Slim Corners the Market

Another issue is monopolistic practices. One of the assets Slim picked up with Telmex was one of the largest Mexican makers of copper wire. He then stopped Telmex from buying wire from the company's competitor. For years, the Mexican government has fought to curb Slims dominance in the telecommunications sphere.

However, when the Mexican government attempted to increase competition in the phone business, it didn't account for the fact that new companies had to pay Telmex an interconnection fee. Telmex simply set such fees very high, making it tougher for any other provider to undercut prices, especially for long distance calls. Eventually, the practice stopped, after much negotiation between the government, Slim and the upstarts.

Even when anti-monopoly laws force Slim's companies to sell assets, there's a sense that it might just be an end-run around the law. For example, in 2014, a Mexican court ordered Telmex to halt the sale of a division that holds fiber-optic lines and telephone poles. The aim was to sell the division, since once the division was no longer part of Telmex, the company likely wouldn't fall under certain antitrust rules anymore, giving Slim a freer hand.

Critics have noted that with Slim's companies owning such large market shares, and driving out competitors, the Mexican economy has suffered. A lack of an even playing field means that new entrants have a tougher time mounting a challenge to an incumbent player.

Slims Monopoly and Its Challenges

In 2015, Slim was the second-richest man in the world according to Forbes, but the Mexican tycoon fell to fourth place and was the biggest dollar loser on the 2016 Forbes Billionaires List. In 2017, he slipped to sixth. As of 2022 he ranks 13th.

The weaker peso and new Mexican regulations have hurt Slims businesses tremendously recently. Over the years, the Mexican government has ramped up its efforts to curtail Slims near-monopolies. In 2014, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto signed a law aimed at increasing competition in the telecommunications arena.

Essentially, the law forced Slims primary enterprise America Movil to submit to special rules since it is the main competitor in the telecom field. America Movil could not charge fees to its smaller competitors if they used the companys network and the firm must share its infrastructure, such as its cellphone towers, with its competitors. Slim said these regulations essentially forced America Movil to subsidize its competitors, and in August 2017, Mexicos Supreme Court ruled that allowing competitors to use America Movil's network free of charge was unconstitutional, although it did not require competitors to pay retroactive fees to the company.

America Movil held 72% of the Mexican wireless market in 2016, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). However, AT&T is spending billions to compete with America Movil. New challenges lie ahead for the telecom giant in upcoming years.

Notable Real Estate

Not an area that Slim focused on in his early years, real estate has become a major part of his portfolio in the past two decades. Part of this was a natural undertaking as part of the expanding conglomerate, such as the 20 shopping centers throughout Mexico, 10 of those in Mexico City. However, in 2010, Slim purchased the Duke Semans mansion for $44 million, considered one of the last great private residences on Fifth Avenue in New York City. In 2015, it was put up for sale for $80 million but taken off the market in 2016 when he could not find a buyer.

Slim also purchased two commercial buildings in the United States in 2015, including the PepsiCo Inc. (PEP) Americas Beverages headquarters just north of New York City and the Marquette Building in Detroit. Grupo Carsos main complex headquarters in Mexico City, named Plaza Carso, includes the Museo Soumaya, Museo Jumex, the Plaza Carso Shopping center, three residential towers and three commercial office buildings completed at an estimated cost of $1.4 billion.

Finally, Slim's late wife was an avid art collector, and he built the Museo Soumaya in her honor. It houses almost 70,000 works of art, including the largest collection of Rodin art outside of France, as well as a host of masterpieces by Matisse, Van Gogh, Monet, and Dali, just to name a few.

Is Carlos Slim Mexico's Bill Gates? While some have made this comparison, Slim's fortune is more like that of the old Rockefeller family than that of Bill Gates. Instead of building an empire on a few great innovations in a particular field, he did so through acquisitions and building a nearly unassailable market share.

Was Carlos Slim Once the Wealthiest Man in the World? Yes, between 2010 and 2013, Slim was ranked by Forbes as the richest person in the world. As of 2022, Elon Musk has taken over the number one spot, while Carlos Slim hangs on at number 13.

What Is Carlos Slim Known For? Carlos Slim is known for being a serial entrepreneur and amassing a conglomerate of industrial, infrastructure, and telecommunications companies in Mexico.




Georgias Statistics Office Releases Trade Data for Q3

(TBILISI) -- Copper ore and concentrates, ferroalloys and motor cars were Georgias top exported commodities in January-November, according to preliminary data from the National Statistics Office Geostat.During the time period, Georgia exported $379.1 million worth of copper ore and concentrates - worth $379.1 million, $285.4 million in ferroalloys and $197.1 million worth of automobiles. In the same period of this year Georgia's top imported commodities were: The total number of petroleum and petroleum oil imports amounted to $617.3 million, while pharmaceutical imports totaled $310.9 million.Despite Georgias continued attempts to orient itself towards the West and to further its integration with Europe, the countrys top trade partners for the first nine months of 2017 were Turkey ($1.41 billion), Russia ($1.05 billion) and China ($834.3 million), according to Geostat.The three countries accounted for 66.5 percent of Georgias total trade turnover.Trade turnover with European Union increased three percent year-on-year, amounting to $2.56 billion, including $579.8 million in exports and $1.98 billion worth of imports.Trade turnover with members of the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States totaled $3.13 billion, a 30.6 percent year-on-year increase. Exports were worth $1.03 billion, while imports totaled $2.10 billion.
Burma Additional charges dropped against Turkish TV crew

Interpreter Aung Naing Soe was brought to trial at Zabuthiri Township Court on Nov. 16. / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy

NaypyitawPolice have withdrawn additional charges against the journalists who were sentenced to two months in prison for attempting to fly a drone near Myanmars Parliament in October.

Turkish state broadcaster TRT World producer Mok Choy Lin, from Malaysia, freelance camera operator Lau Hon Meng, from Singapore, and two Myanmar citizens  their interpreter Ko Aung Naing Soe and driver U Hla Tin  were detained by the police on Oct. 27 for attempting to fly a drone near Myanmars Parliament in the administrative capital of Naypyitaw. The local court in Naypyitaw sentenced the four to two months in prison each on Nov.10 under the 1934 colonial-era Myanmar Aircraft Act.

The four were also charged under the 2012 Export and Import Law for illegally bringing the drone into the country. The two foreign journalists were further charged with violating Section 13 (1) of the 1947 Immigration Act on Nov. 27, after their visas expired while in custody. At Tuesdays court hearing, these two latter charges were withdrawn by the plaintiffs, police officer Tun Tun Win and immigration Official U Htay Win, which they said was done so that Myanmar could maintain good relations with Malaysia and Singapore and because authorities didnt find any intent on the part of the accused to harm the countrys security.

The court will hold a final hearing on Dec. 28 to announce the official withdrawal of the charges against the four. Their two-month prison terms for violating the Aircraft Act are due to be served by Jan. 9 but they are expected to be released on Jan. 5 as they were given four days of remission, according to the defendants lawyer U Khin Maung Zaw.

Translated from the Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
Burma Fighting in Northeast Picks Up at Years End

Families take shelter at a church in Tanai town, Kachin State, after fleeing their villages in June. / Lawi Weng / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  Reports of deaths and injuries from artillery attacks and landmine blasts in Kachin and Shan states picked up during the past week and included three children.

On Christmas Eve, a teacher was injured in the neck and had her jaw and teeth shattered from shelling by the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) on Woi Chyai village, near Laiza, the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO).

Laphai Kai Nan, 29, a volunteer teacher at the Munglai Hkyet camp for internally displaced people (IDP), was hit while walking home from the camp. She is currently at the Laiza hospital and we heard that she will soon be transferred to the Man Shi hospital in China, said Lamai Mai Mai, an ethnic Kachin activist.

KIO spokesman Colonel Naw Bu said the Tatmadaw was shelling near Laiza even though there was no fighting along the frontlines over the weekend. He told The Irrawaddy on Sunday that the attack, which came at about 9 p.m., was timed intentionally for Christmas Eve but said celebrations went ahead regardless. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the armed wing of KIO, faced a similar attack in 2012.

Those in the IDP camp were extremely terrified and very anxious throughout the night and packed their belongings to be ready to flee at any moment, according to a Christmas Day statement from the Joint Strategy Team, a group of local civil society groups.

The Tatmadaw had also fired a few shells near the camp, which hosts about 6,000 IDPs, on Dec. 14.

Fighting between the KIA and Tatmadaw has continued in Bamao, Mansi, Moemauk and Tanai townships in Kachin State and in Namkham, Muse and Mang Ton townships in northern Shan State.

But the recent attacks were more akin to blind firing and planting landmines with no disciplines, said Lamai Mai Mai. If they had followed the rules of war, we would have fewer civilian fatalities.

U Maung Maung Soe, a political and ethnic affairs analyst, said it showed that the governments efforts to build peace and the Tatmadaws tactics were not harmonious.

The government has said it wanted to see peace in 2017. Instead, the fighting has intensified. The ethnic armed groups of the countrys northeast have also acquired more arms and fighters over the year than ever before, according to data by the independent Myanmar Peace Monitor.

In November, the joint forces of the KIA, TNLA, AA and MNDAA  the four members of the Northern Alliance at the time  launched an attack near the Muse trading zone and took control of a part of Mongko Township for about a week. The Tatmadaw retaliated with its air force, destroying a church and several homes.

Clashes will not be avoided as long as there is no ceasefire because in Myanmar politics every armed group believes it needs arms to reach its goal, and as long as they cannot change their thinking military engagement is unavoidable. So we have to think of a way to find a solution, said U Maung Maung Soe.

Each side has accused the other of attacking civilians.

On Dec. 23, a 12-year-old boy died from injuries to his abdomen after artillery shells fell on Maiyu village in Muse, northern Shan State. The artillery fire also injured three others  two men and a 3-year-old boy who lost his right leg.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, the Ministry of Home Affairs said an unidentified ethnic armed group launched the artillery attack on an area where the ethnic Shan Lon Htan militia was conducting security operations. It said the group also attacked an area about 5 miles south of Nant Phat Kar village, also in Muse.

The office of the commander-in-chief blamed the attacks on the KIA and TNLA. Both groups have denied the accusation.

Northern Shan State is home to several armed forces, including the Tatmadaw, TNLA, KIA and local militias.

Also on the 23rd, a man was injured by a landmine in Wara Zut village, Hpakant Township, in Kachin State. The Tatmadaw accused the KIA of planting the mine.

On Dec. 19, in Shan State, a primary school student died in Mong Paw Township and four others were hospitalized in Muse in landmine blasts the military blamed on the KIA and TNLA.

U Maung Maung Soe said the source of the shelling at least should not be a mystery.

Whoever fired the artillery can be found out by a study of the shell fragments, especially in the case of Maiyu in Muse, but the government has not done anything about it, he said.
Burma Govt Newspapers Refuse to Publish Open Letter in Support of Detained Reuters Reporters

The two detained Reuters journalists. / Reuters

NAYPYITAWThe agency in charge of publishing advertisements in state-run newspapers have refused to print a statement of support for two detained Reuters journalists written by a group of their Naypyitaw-based colleagues.

Twenty-six journalists based in Naypyitaw went to the Information Ministry on Dec. 21 and asked to purchase advertising space in order to publish an open letter in which they expressed solidarity with Ko Wa Lone and Ko Moe Aung, who were detained by police in Yangon on Dec. 12.

The unpublished statement calls for a fair trial for the two journalists and insists they were doing their professional duty by supporting the publics right to information. It also urges concerned ministries to explain the situation publicly, and calls for the pair to be released as soon as possible.

A few days after the letter was submitted, however, the ministrys advertising department said that it would not publish the statement.

The [state-run newspapers] said the ad would not be allowed for the time being. We asked why, but an official in the department said he was not authorized to speak, said Ko Nyan Hline Lin, chief of Frontier Myanmars Naypyitaw Bureau.

We cannot allow the open letter to be published for the time being. We ask for your understanding, ministry deputy director U Thet Paing Htoo, who is in charge of the advertising department, told The Irrawaddy.

The ad request was rejected on the authority of the ad department, not the Information Ministry, he said.

According to U Thet Paing Htoo, the state-run newspapers editorial board scrutinizes all advertisements and decided not to run the statement because the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission has already released statements about the two journalists, he said.

The two Reuters journalists were arrested for allegedly violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act by illegally acquiring information about the conflict in northern Rakhine State. They were detained while returning from a dinner to which they had been invited by police in Yangons Mingalardon Township. Family members have not yet been allowed to see the two.
Burma KNPP Claims Member Saw Army Execute 4 of His Colleagues Before Escaping

Two members of the KNPP man a checkpoint in the Shadaw area of Loikaw Township. / Kyaw Kha / The Irrawaddy

The Myanmar Army ordered Karenni National Progressive Party members who were detained during a raid on the groups base in Loikaw, Kayah State on Dec. 20 to dress in Army uniforms and line up, saying they were going to be photographed, before executing them, according to a Karenni fighter who said he escaped after realizing he was about to be killed.

Maung Lar said he spent two days in the jungle before making it back to his KNPP camp on Dec. 22.

He just ran when [the Army] opened fire on them. Two people tried to run, but only he escaped, said Khu Daniel, a KNPP central committee member.

He has minor injuries to his foot, sustained while he was in the jungle, but he wasnt shot, Khu Daniel said.

Three KNPP members and one civilian were detained on Dec. 20 when the Regional Operation Command based in Loikaw raided the Karenni Army base in Loikaw Township, according to the KNPP. They were killed at the base, but Myanmar Army personnel took the bodies back to their base and later burned them, the ethnic group claimed.

Khu Daniel said that as a witness to the killings, Maung Lar, 50, will be targeted by the Army, so they are hiding him at an undisclosed location.

He said the KNPP would hold a press conference soon to present all the information it has about how the Myanmar Army murdered four of its personnel.

The Army has denied the accusation. In a statement, it said the four were killed during a firefight between the two sides.

The KNPP has asked the Army to launch an official investigation into the killings, but it has yet to respond.

The Armys Regional Operation Command issued a statement saying the incident began when military vehicles transporting supplies to the Army base were stopped by 15 members of the KNPP, who found timber among the supplies.

According to a Myanmar Army a statement published in the Kantarawaddy Times, the timber was to be used to build enclosures for pigs kept by Army families. It claimed that the KNPP threatened to burn Army cars if it discovered that the soldiers were transporting illegal timber again. The KNPP also illegally collected taxes from local people, according to the statement. The Army also accused the KNPP of building a base in the area controlled by the Army, in violation of a ceasefire agreement.

The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) issued a statement today saying that the Armys actions would disrupt the peace process and damage trust in the institution.

The KNPP signed a ceasefire agreement with the Myanmar government and the military in March 2012, but has not yet inked the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). The KNPP is a member of the UNFC and is involved in negotiations to sign the NCA.
David Bowie will be analytics company SAS vice-president Australia and New Zealand for a year come January 2018. The year has been characterised by growth and customer success, underpinned by the continued commitment to being a terrific place to work.

SAS  more formally known as SAS Institute  launched on 1 July 1976, making available a suite of analytical software  initially titled Statistical Analysis System, hence SAS  to support decision support before "business intelligence" was a thing. SAS arose out of universities, where this writer first experienced it, to modern business, even Victoria Police, seeing revenues soar from $10 million in 1980 to $1.1 billion in 2000. SAS remains a private company, weathering the dot-com bust, and continuing to spend 20-30% of revenue on research and development, way ahead of other business its size.

Bowie has been with SAS since 2002, first as professional services director, then marketing and business solutions director, and next managing director for Australia and New Zealand in April 2012. He was appointed vice-president, Australia and New Zealand, in January 2017, representing the regions importance to the organisation.

Yet, Bowie states that while SAS revenues and research and development commitment are solid achievements, the companys work culture is a major source of pride. Fortune magazine has recognised SAS as one of the Best Companies to Work For since it began making such a list in 1997, the company is used as a case study in Stamford University management seminars, and SAS also served as a model for Googles much-publicised perk-filled employee-friendly workplace.

Adding to this list, Bowie says, the company has also been recognised by Fortune magazine as one of the best companies for millennials to work. This topic is one of keen interest to Bowie who says: SAS was paying attention to millennials long before they became a media focus and has blogged on the topic , with a personal interest in the subject." In fact, Bowies experience is SAS has bucked the trend where millennial workers are oft-described as loyalty-free, switching employers as often as they switch their favoured smartphone messaging app.

That has certainly not been our experience here in Australia, Bowie says. For some years now, weve run graduate intake programmes, and a very high percentage of millennial-era recruits from those programmes are still with us. The results have been quite impressive. Not only have they tended to stay and grow with us, theyve also readily absorbed and contributed to our culture.

What SAS has found true about millennials, Bowie explains, is they are engaged and committed to the social good. This latter aspect manifests itself through SAS initiatives like Data for good with SAS providing software, resources and expertise to organisations like the Black Dog Institute, joining the fight against suicide and depression.

A further insight Bowie finds, is how millennials mesh their private and working lives, while some talk of a work-life balance, I prefer to think of work-life integration' where millennials are concerned", he says. "'Balance implies hard boundaries and they dont think that way. Its often hard to switch off from work when you go home but were dealing with a generation that is always connected and doesnt generally see the need to switch off".

This is an innovative and entrepreneurial generation that sees no conflict between lifestyle values and work values. Your millennial is the type who can be comfortably sitting at home at night, and with device inevitably at-hand, wants to pursue something work-related and doesnt think of doing so as being intrusive. They are purpose-driven and expect to be trusted and allowed work-life integration flexibility to deliver outcomes.

SAS offers its workers  millennial or not  the opportunity to enjoy trusted flexible working, and receives the benefits back in loyalty and quality outcomes, Bowie says, adding we take pride in consistently being held up as a good employer and Im happy to say that it doesnt go unnoticed by our customers."

Meanwhile, SAS Australia recently struck a deal with Multi Channel Network to develop a data platform for them which provides advertisers with a single consumer view of TV viewers across both linear TV and digital platforms.

This data management product is named SIA and aims to unite all MCNs different media suites with data from agencies and advertisers, providing a foundation for data-driven business models and managing MCNs programmatic TV and addressable advertising.

SIA commenced earlier this year and will see a range of data products rolled out from 2018.

MCNs chief data officer Mark Brandon said, The platform will redefine how integrated media campaigns are developed, delivered and analysed in Australia.

Agencies and advertisers working with MCN will receive the best of all worlds: The granular, real-time targeting of digital, combined with the premium brand building environment and scale of television, the greatest standards of transparency around where advertising appeared, who that advertising reached, and what business outcome occurred.

The adoption of SAS will enable MCN to gain maximum productivity from its numerous and highly diverse data sources, for the benefit of clients, Bowie said.

Discussing the cloud, Bowie says the SAS Viya platform is also seeing success, offering an open platform built for analytics innovation. SAS Viya is a single cloud-ready environment serving data scientists to business analysts to executives and everyone in between, with robust, highly available, elastically scalable, and secure management and uptime. It makes powerful analytics available to everyone, he says.

Just this month, Database Trends and Applications named SAS Viya as a trend-setting innovative and effective product that can aid enterprises in addressing evolving challenges and opportunities within their business. "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail," DBTA says, quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson, describing the products it has selected in this space.

SAS Viya is part of a larger strategy for the SAS Platform. SAS offers software for the entire analytics life cycle, from data access and preparation, analytical discovery and model building, through to production deployment and ongoing management.

SAS Viya modernises key aspects of the SAS Platform, uniting SAS with open source technologies and aiding SAS in addressing diverse customer needs with increasing scale, growing data volumes, and new use cases, all from a resilient and trusted platform.
After a barrage of criticism over its inability  and apparent lack of concern  in stopping fake news flooding its platform both during and after the 2016 US presidential election, Facebook got its Christmas gift early  a soft, puff piece in the Australian Financial Review that paints it as a crusader against the spread of incorrect information.

No hard questions were asked of the company by the AFR's associate editor, digital, John McDuling, who travelled to the offices of the social media behemoth, with the trip being funded by an ACS/National Press Club journalism award.

McDuling confirmed to iTWire that the trip was not in any way sponsored by Facebook.

The AFR is owned by Fairfax Media which signed a deal with Facebook two years ago so that its articles appear among the social media site's Instant Articles  "the service hosts news articles on Facebook's News Feed so readers don't have to click through to another website".

But this was not mentioned by McDuling in his 2134-word piece.

The effort McDuling spent in travelling to California appears to have been wasted, with much of his article spent on detailing the history of the organisation, and material from other sources.

McDuling did not offer a straight answer when asked whether he did not think it worthwhile to question the explanation offered by Facebook's chief security officer Alex Stamos in October to explain away the fake news phenomenon.

Stamos issued a series of tweets which were laughable, to put it mildly. The thrust of his argument was that Facebook's algorithm was responsible  forgetting that it was the organisation itself that created this algorithm. It was a rather weak attempt to shift the blame; that he wasn't called on it is entirely due to the fact that many media organisations are afraid to question big tech companies.

McDuling's response was: "On your second point re Stamos  not really sure what you are getting at there." My question was straightforward: "Second, in October, Alex Stamos, the chief security officer of Facebook, had issued a series of tweets to explain why fake news spread on the platform. Did you not think it worthwhile to question some of his assumptions?"

No questions were asked by McDuling about Facebook's "apparent unwillingness to pay for a fact-checking process that relies entirely upon voluntary action of users and a handful of non-partisan organisations", as the Guardian put it.

He was content to accept this statement from Sarah Su, a product manager on Facebook's News Feed team: "We're under a lot of scrutiny. We get yelled at a lot. And we don't really get credit for the progress we have been making. But it's an important problem, and it's what keeps me up at night."

Exactly what progress has been made is open to question. But McDuling left it at that.

Facebook has also come under fire for not properly investigating any likely Russian influence on the Brexit referendum in Britain. But this also did not figure in McDuling's questions.

As recently as October, Facebook displayed fake news about the mass shooting in Las Vegas in which 59 people were killed. No questions were asked about this, either.

Elsewhere the AFR article tried to put the best possible interpretation on whatever "efforts" Facebook has made to stop fake news being published. Like this: "We are really trying to understand what is the difference between good engagement, that actually indicates that you, the reader, are getting value," says Greg Marra, director of product management on the News Feed team, "and spammy engagement where someone is trying to get the most distribution ... because they kind of want to trick you".

McDuling appears to have been given access only to very low-level executives at Facebook during his visit there. Asked about this, he responded: "Last point on seniority  you would have to check with FB on that. I didnt meet with (Mark) Zuckerberg or (Sheryl) Sanders if thats what you mean."

This approach appears to be in keeping with the AFR's general method of going easy on corporates. Many reporters argue that asking hard questions will cut off access. But a soft piece ends up achieving the opposite effect  it paints a villain in rosy hues.
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Maan News Agency |  

The group has estimated that some 40 percent of Palestinian men will be detained by Israel at some point in their lives.

BETHLEHEM (Maan)  An ultra right-wing Israeli minister verbally harassed Palestinians from Gaza as they traveled on a bus to visit their imprisoned relatives in southern Israels Nafha prison, hurling abuse at women on the bus calling their sons dogs.



Right-wing Israeli minister harasses Palestinians visiting imprisoned relatives

MK Oren Hazan of the right-wing Likud party, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus party, intercepted and boarded a bus of Palestinian families traveling to Nafha prison on Monday.

As he confronted the Palestinian families, he turned to the mother of an imprisoned Palestinian and asked, Who did you come to visit? What did your son do? to which she replied He did not do anything.

Extremist Member of Parliament assaults busload of Palestinian families

Hazan responded to the mother by saying Your son is a dog. Hes a dog. You come to visit the scum who are sitting here in prison, whom you see as your family members.

As the woman attempted to respond to Hazans abuse, he shouted over her saying I will make sure you can not visit here any more and well do everything so you will not get in. You are not welcome here, you have to understand well, you raised your son to murder.

Hazan was with a group of other right-wing Israelis who are part of the so-called Task Force for the Release of Prisoners and Missing Persons.

The group has vowed to continue intercepting buses and attacking Palestinian families as long as Hamas continues holding Israeli soldiers in Gaza.

During his attack on the families, he said I want to tell you all, your friends in Gaza are holding our brothers, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul and Avera Mengistu, and if you do not bring this message home that we want to get our children back you will not come here anymore. If you continue here you will not see them alive.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which organizes the weekly trips for families of Palestinian prisoners from Gaza, responded to the incident, saying the prisoners families were entitled to visit their children with dignity.

According to prisoners rights group Addameer, there are currently 6,198 Palestinians detained by Israel as of October. The group has estimated that some 40 percent of Palestinian men will be detained by Israel at some point in their lives.
Our children are our future. In Nebraska and across the country, families are working hard and doing all they can to keep their kids happy and healthy. When a child is sick, caretakers want to know their children will receive the care necessary to get better. During my time in the Senate, I have worked hard to support effective programs to do just that. The Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) helps to ensure all of our nations children have access to health insurance coverage, and it has my fullest support.

Just under 9 million children, or roughly one in eight, receive health coverage from CHIP, and this includes about 55,000 children in Nebraska. This program has broad bipartisan support. The last time Congress authorized funding for CHIP, I was proud to cast my vote of support and the vast majority of my colleagues joined me. The bill passed by a vote of 392 to 37 in the House of Representatives and by 92 to eight in the U.S. Senate.

That sort of bipartisan support for CHIP remains today. My colleagues and I know theres so much good achieved through this program, and we are working to extend it. Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed the Championing Healthy Kids Act, which would fund CHIP, community health centers and other programs. I am a cosponsor of the KIDS Act in the Senate, which, like the House bill, would extend the program for five years.

Additionally, I recently voted for a short-term spending bill that included a provision allowing the Department of Health and Human Services to shift funds to help shore up state CHIP programs through the end of the year.

I am also a strong supporter of our nations community health centers. Over the last 50 years, non-profit, community-based, patient-focused health centers have earned strong bipartisan support because of their ability to provide high quality, comprehensive and affordable healthcare, especially to women. These organizations take care of nearly 26 million patientsnearly 60 percent of whom are women and girlsat over 10,000 sites throughout the country.

Community health centers are vital to keeping our state healthy. Nebraska health centers served 84,556 patients in 2016, and 92 percent of them fell below 200 percent of poverty.

Last year, I had the opportunity to visit the Charles Drew Medical Clinic in Omaha and see first-hand the comprehensive and compassionate care they provide. In 2014, this clinic treated over 9,000 unique patients during 32,000 patient visits across its 15 service locations. According to their president and CEO, Kenny D. McMorris, patients under the age of 18 represented roughly a third of its patients.

As with CHIP, Congress has been working this year to extend funding for community health centers. I joined a bipartisan letter to the leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees, urging them to resolve the funding cliff community health centers are facing and expressed my willingness to work with them. I also cosponsored the Community Health Investment, Modernization and Excellence (CHIME) Act, a bill to reauthorize the Community Health Center Fund (CHCF) and the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) for five years, offering a 4 percent annual increase to both the CHCF and NHSC beginning in 2019.

Throughout my time in the Senate, I have heard from many Nebraskans about the importance of CHIP and community health centers. These issues are important and I believe it would be best for Congress to address both on their own merits and pass individual spending bills, delinking them from partisan fights over funding the government.

Bruce and I would like to wish all Nebraskans a Merry Christmas, a wonderful holiday season filled with joy, love and laughter and a Happy New Year.
Samantha Blumenfeld poses with her art at Mini Gallery in Seoul, Saturday. / Courtesy of John Redmond.



By John Redmond



New Jersey native Samantha Blumenfeld presents her third solo exhibition "Landscape" at Mini Print gallery in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul, until Jan. 6.



Blumenfeld's work examines the artistic genre of landscape to explore internal narratives around self, trauma, growth and recovery.



Following a PTSD diagnosis, the artist found art journaling soothing.



"I started to make spontaneous paintings in the same manner as art journaling," Blumenfeld said.



After meeting her artist husband Albert Che, the couple decided it would be easier to move to Korea.



Blumenfeld says Che played a huge role in her decision to pursue art.



The Korea Times was at the opening of her exhibition and spoke to Blumenfeld about her inspiration and aims for the project.





Q: What inspires your art?



A: For the longest time, it was only about process. I was much more concerned with the method than I was with any final product, and art-making and working as an artist felt more performative than anything.



At first, the artwork was bodily focused _ as at the time I was working through eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in therapy, which is viscerally focused _ and then slowly it became more surreal. I found I was able to articulate more complex emotions and sensations the more I worked in this manner, and art-making has become incredibly freeing for me.





Q: What inspires you as a person?



A: Strong women, despite violence and trauma they've faced, who have gone on to create positive change in their communities. I was even inspired to start an art therapy group for other women affected by trauma, to provide a safe place for us to share our stories and find healing together.





Q: What can people gain from this exhibition?



A: It's been interesting to hear what viewers have had to say about my art. I made these paintings because there was something I couldn't articulate into words but wanted to express nonetheless. Listening to others articulate their thoughts from a different perspective has been very meaningful for me. So as far as what people can gain from this exhibition: whatever it was they were looking to find, a soothing space, a contemplative space, or the examination of their own relation to art or themselves.





The space is also a print studio and the couple runs regular classes and film screenings.



The next exhibition will be the printmaking-based Seongsu Print Exhibition, Jan. 13 to Feb. 10.



To get there, leave exit 3 of Seongsu Station and head toward the market. At the main intersection, turn right. Mini Print is on the second floor.



Visit facebook.com/miniprintseoul for more information.



Samantha Blumenfeld poses with her art at Mini Gallery in Seongsu on Saturday. Photo John Redmond.


By Doh See-hwan





Concern has been raised that the Japanese government is set to bring up the issue of Dokdo in earnest under the premise that an agreement was reached Dec. 28, 2015, between Seoul and Tokyo about the so-called "comfort women," the most critical among all the issues the two nations have yet to resolve.



Last February, Japan revised its guidelines for teaching and a relevant manual that made it obligatory to specify Dokdo as Japanese territory in textbooks used in elementary and junior high schools in Japan beginning next year. Not only that, Japan's claim to Dokdo is made plainly on websites of the official residence of the prime minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of Policy Planning and Coordination on Territory Sovereignty under the Chief Cabinet Secretary, provoking Korea regarding the sovereignty of Dokdo.



Japan began claiming territorial sovereignty of Dokdo beginning in 1952 and has since strengthened its argument on three grounds: inherent territory from the 17th century, the doctrine of terra nullius and the San Francisco Peace Treaty. In other words, it argues that territorial sovereignty was established in the mid-17th century, reconfirmed with the Cabinet decision of 1905 to incorporate Dokdo, which was internationally recognized through the peace treaty.



In the course of Japan's changing focus in its assertions over Dokdo  from acquisition of the land in 1905, its statement made in 1952 claiming Dokdo being the inherent territory of Japan from the 17th century, to the recent San Francisco Peace Treaty  it fundamentally reveals limitations in the time series.



By using the ground of occupancy, it changes and minimizes the issue into an international legal condition; its claim of Dokdo being the inherent territory of Japan distorts historical facts; it attempts to conceal its colonial aggression by arbitrarily interpreting conformity with international legal principles. This series of assertions is a mere justification used to legitimize the assertions and illegal acts that have already been decided or executed based on the dynamics of international politics.



In essence, as its claim to sovereignty over Dokdo was integrated with its aggressive expansionist policies to build an empire following the Meiji Restoration, it was intended to legitimize its claim under the doctrine of terra nullius amid wars of aggression in East Asia, including the Unyoho Incident of 1875, the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 and the Russo-Japanese War of 1904.



The unequal treaty signed as a result of the incident between modern Joseon and Japan Feb. 26, 1876, known as the Treaty of Ganghwa Island, did not state territorial demarcation. The order of Dajokan, the Grand Council of State, issued to complement the treaty March 29, 1877, stated "Takeshima and the other island" did not belong to Japan.



This significant decision of the Meiji government should be noted because the order cannot be found on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and because the letter sent by Japan to Korea on July 13, 1962, made a contradictory argument that the early Meiji government recognized Takeshima as its territory.



Under the premise of contradictory limitations of arguments for acquisition of the land without sovereignty and that Dokdo was Japanese territory from the Meiji government, the gist of the assertion Japan has recently made is the San Francisco Peace Treaty and the Dean Rusk letter: the name of Dokdo was omitted in the process of establishing the treaty but the island remained the territory of Japan as evidenced by the letter, which was written based on the information given by Japan.



It should be noted again that the basis of the argument is in line with Japanese colonialism. As the nature of the San Francisco Treaty of 1951 changed from a punitive treaty to an anti-communist treaty based on the Cold War, Japan's claim to Dokdo is being legitimized based on colonialism as symbolized by the secret Taft-Katsura Agreement of 1905, and this calls for a review on its illegality under international law.



In other words, Japan strongly argues its acts were legal under the law at that time in an effort to be exonerated from its colonial responsibilities even when the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty of 1910 holds no legal effects as the treaty was forcibly signed.



In contrast, it claims sovereignty over Dokdo, deviating from the treaty between Korea and Japan, by changing the ground of the argument from acquisition under terra nullius, being the inherent territory of Japan, to the San Francisco Treaty. Such arguments and their grounds are contradictory in applying international inter-temporal law.



Against this backdrop, it is noteworthy to review the criticism on Japan's claim to Dokdo sovereignty raised in Japanese academia. The bases for denying the claim that Dokdo belonged to Japan from the early Meiji era include the border crossing prohibition on the Tsushima domain of 1696 and the order of the Grand Council of State.



Shimane Prefecture's incorporation of Dokdo, which is in contradiction to the Korean Empire's edict No. 41 published in the official gazette, lacks international legal acceptability. The Dean Rusk letter used to support the grounds of the San Francisco Peace Treaty is also null under legal principles as the document was based on limited information given by Japan after it incorporated Dokdo in 1905.



Haruki Wada's proposal for Japan to give up Dokdo, Gentaro Serita's theory of opening up Dokdo and Yoshio Hirose's legal principles on decolonization recognize Korea's sovereignty over Dokdo and Japanese colonial responsibilities while they uniformly suggest that it is not acceptable to use Dokdo, a group of islets, in drawing the baseline for the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and that joint fishing around the islets be allowed.



It is natural to question the legitimacy of such solutions which intend to assure national interests even when they commonly recognize Dokdo and their colonial responsibilities. Under this premise, it is necessary for Japan to have equal action as Korea's withdrawal of sovereignty over Tsushima in 1948, as proposed by Haruki Wada.



Regarding the argument that colonial rule was legal before World War I, as Shinichi Arai argued, international law which was effective when Japan forcibly annexed Korea was undergoing a new change in the West surrounding its norms, which saw a departure from 19th century international law where legal positivism ruled.



Recognizing this change, Japan's claim to sovereignty over Dokdo asserted in line with Japanese colonialist history runs counter to the most basic undoing of colonial imperialism, that is, abandoning the land exploited by greed and violence. As such, Japan is left with responsibilities to fulfill under international law to build a Northeast Asian peace community in the 21st century.





Doh See-hwan is a research fellow of the Northeast Asian History Foundation.


A remote island in Scotland bears traces of out-of-this-world minerals from a 60-million-year-old meteorite impact.

A team of geologists from Birkbeck, University of London was examining volcanic rocks on the remote Isle of Skye in Scotland when they uncovered rare minerals that have never before been found on Earth, according to a study that was published Dec. 12 in the journal GeoScienceWorld.

In the study, the team focused on a 3.3-foot-thick (1-meter) layer at the base of a 60-million-year-old lava flow deposit. Using an electron microprobe, which shoots electrons at samples and analyzes the X-rays the samples emit in response, the researchers found that rocks from the area contained rare minerals from space. [Crash! 10 Biggest Impact Craters on Earth]

The mysterious mineral, vanadium-rich and niobium-rich osbornite, was previously only found in dust samples from space on the comet 81P/Wild 2, collected by NASA's Stardust Comet Sample Return Mission.

"When we discovered what it was we were very surprised, and it was a bit of a shock because we were not expecting that," study co-author Andy Beard, a lecturer in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Birkbeck, University of London, said in the statement.

The osbornite was discovered unmelted, suggesting that it was likely an original piece of the meteorite. Other minerals associated with impacts were also found at the site, the researchers said.

In fact, the same strange mineralogy was also found at a second site located 4.3 miles (7 kilometers) away. This site was a 6.6-foot (2 m) thick layer of material ejected from a crater, according to the statement.

This discovery raises questions about the region  also known as the British Paleogene Igneous Province (BPIP)  and where the ancient meteorite hit. It's also possible that the meteorite impact triggered the outpouring of volcanic lava believed to have started at the same time, the researchers said.

The area in which the researchers discovered the unusual minerals is very steep, rough and boggy, which may have deterred previous researchers from sampling the site.

"We were sinking in up to our thighs. I distinctly recall saying to Andy Beard, 'this had better be worth it,'" lead author Simon Drake, an associate lecturer in geology at the same institution, said in the statement. "It was worth it."

Original article published on Live Science.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Dec. 18 that it plans to crack down on dangerous or dishonestly advertised homeopathic products  a class of products that sellers claim treat diseases by delivering extremely diluted traces of the substances that cause those diseases in the first place. If certain homeopathic remedies become more difficult to access due to the crackdown, what will homeopathy users miss out on?

Homeopathy dates to the 1700s, according to a statement from the FDA, and relies on the idea of "like cures like"  that symptom-causing chemicals can, at low enough doses when mixed with water, treat the symptoms that those substances cause. In other words, a chemical that causes vomiting would be given at a very diluted concentration to treat vomiting. And the more diluted the substance, the more potent the beneficial effects, the thinking goes. [11 Surprising Facts About the Immune System]

But is there any real science behind this idea?

The British Homeopathic Association (BHA)'s website acknowledges that homeopathic remedies might seem "implausible for many people," because "the medicines are often  though by no means always  diluted to the point where there may be no molecules of original substance left."

BHA offers two partial explanations  both commonly expressed by homeopathy advocates  for why homeopathic remedies might nonetheless have benefits for people who take them.

The first is that a homeopathic substance, even diluted to the point that it no longer can be detected by even the finest instruments in a sample of water, changes the structure of the hydrogen bonds in the water. Homeopaths term this supposed effect "water memory."

Water memory

Hydrogen bonds are real attractions between the hydrogen atoms in one water molecule and the oxygen atoms in that molecule's neighbors. (A water molecule has two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.) These bonds account for many strange features of water, including the crystalline structure of ice that causes it to expand and float on top of liquid water.

But May Nyman, a chemistry professor at Oregon State University, told Live Science that the whole idea of "water memory" doesn't make sense.

"I don't believe in water memory, because water molecules move. They're constantly rotating with respect to each other, forming hydrogen bonds, breaking hydrogen bonds," Nyman said. In other words, there's no structure in a solution of liquid water permanent enough to account for any long-term memory, she said.

"Introducing ions [electrically charged particles] certainly can change the pattern of bonds," Nyman added. "But the further out you get from a single ion in the solution, the more muted the effect. Just a few layers of water, and the water molecules further away will ignore that ion."

Richard Sachleben, a retired chemist and member of the American Chemical Society's panel of experts, agreed. The idea "doesn't stand up to scientific scrutiny," Sachleben told Live Science. Experiments that claim to prove water memory, or structure in water, can't be reproduced, he said.

Both Nyman and Sachleben also pointed out even if a structure remained in a sample of diluted water, that structure would annihilate itself on contact with your body.

"Your mouth is full of stuff  bacteria, bodily fluids, leftovers from your lunch," Nyman said. All of those substances invade any purified water they come in contact with, she said, overwhelming whatever minor ionic-structure effects might exist. If water has memory, a body is a messy system primed to wipe out that memory, she added. [7 Absolutely Evil Medical Experiments]

If the water memory somehow survived contact with a homeopathy user's mouth, the memory would then face an even more destructive environment in the stomach, where the stomach's acid would have a huge impact on the hydrogen bonds in water, Sachleben said.

So that's that for the hydrogen bond theory. But what about the second explanation?

Clumping

The second explanation proffered by the BHA argues that undetectable "clumps" of the substance remain in the water, creating bubbles of gas inside it, which have some positive effect.

"Regarding clumps in solution, molecules that are more attracted to each other than the water do clump together," Nyman said. "Unless you de-gas a liquid, there are going to be gases inside. I've seen it with my own eyes when we de-gas liquids in the lab. If you change the pressure of the liquid, bubbles do emerge  that's true."

But those clumps and gases are present in any solution of water, she said. There's nothing special about homeopathic remedies in that respect.

And that gets to what both Nyman and Sachleben identified as the first and most obvious flaw in homeopathic thinking, from a chemist's perspective: There's really no such thing as hyperpurified water.

For homeopathic substances to dominate their chemical environments at the tiny concentrations  far beyond the ability of a mass spectrometer to detect  that homeopaths claim to achieve, these substances would have to be the most significant chemicals present in their solutions. In other words, the water could not contain other substances, and would have to be remarkably pure. And that level of purity just isn't possible, the chemists said.

"Absolutely pure water doesn't exist," Nyman said.

That's because the purer water gets, the more greedily it sucks ions from the surrounding environment, she said. Ambient dust, plastic containers and other impurities all have similar contaminating effects on even the most pristine water.

"I think that it's highly [unlikely]," Sachleben said, that any ultradiluted chemical could have medical benefits  if for no other reason than that outside contaminants will always overwhelm the solution.

Sachleben did note that there is a degree to which the basic premises of homeopathy do make sense in terms of modern science and medicine.

"The fundamental concept that some things at high doses are poisons and at low doses are medicines is absolutely a fact. And there are poisons that are highly toxic that are now used in medicine," Sachleben said.

Botulism toxin, for example, has killed human beings for millennia. But in recent decades, doctors have used the substance to treat conditions from migraines to facial wrinkles.

"It's taking [that idea] to an extreme," Sachleben said, "diluting it down such that there's none left  that doesn't make sense."

Originally published on Live Science.
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It was a frigid Christmas in much of the United States.

Chicago and Minneapolis both experienced their coldest December 25ths in decades. Erie, Pennsylvania weathered a stunning lake-effect storm that dumped more than 4 feet (1.2 meters) of snow on the city, shattering state records and prompting the local government to declare a snow emergency. And both Portland, Oregon and Seattle had a rare white Christmas.

The below-average temperatures are the result of a mass of Arctic air "buckling" southward from northern Canada toward the eastern U.S., said Robert Oravec, a lead forecaster at the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center.

"This weather pattern is not unusual or unseasonable," Oravec told Live Science. [Image Gallery: Life at the North Pole]

The buckling air mass is the kind of thing forecasters expect to see a few times in a given winter , Oravec said. Though expected, the air mass can still result in weather far colder than usual for a given time period.

The current Arctic chill should remain in place for "at least another few days," he said.

Forecasters expect very cold weather and biting winds to persist across the northern Plains, the Great Lakes region, and cities along the east coast for much of the next week. Ovarec said that he expects to see Philadelphia and the surrounding region break records for cold temperatures at this point in the year.

Most of the coldest effects of the Arctic chill concentrate east of the Rocky Mountains, because they act as a natural barrier against the flow of this kind of air mass, Ovarec said.

Even though the atmosphere remains thick for thousands of feet above the Rockies, the extreme temperatures of an Arctic mass tend to be very shallow. That means that even a 10,000-foot (3-kilometer) mountain "can act as a natural barrier," he said.

Sooner or later, though, the buckled air flow will return to more northern latitudes, Ovarec said, and the weather in the U.S. should return for the time being to something closer to the average for this time of year.

Originally published on Live Science.
By the morning of Feb. 22, 2014, it was clear that the government of Viktor Yanukovych, the beleaguered pro-Russian president of Ukraine, had fallen, amid protests sparked by his decision not to move toward a closer relationship with the European Union.

Yanukovych's Russian allies denounced his political collapse as a "coup," and the crisis became a flash point in relations between the Kremlin and the West.

Into the tumult leapt Russia's military spy agency, the GRU, which launched a covert influence operation - one that presaged what Moscow would do in the United States two years later. The campaign was part of an all-out propaganda offensive against the new government in Kiev and pro-Western demonstrators.

Its goal was to influence key decision-makers and the wider public to pave the way for the Russian military action that was launched Feb. 27 with the seizure of the Crimean parliament building by armed men, according to a classified GRU report obtained by The Washington Post. Crimea was ultimately annexed by Russia.

The report provides a unique window into one GRU team's effort across six days in 2014. Starting the day after Yanukovych's fall, the military spies created a slew of fake personas on the social media platforms of Facebook and its Russian equivalent VKontakte, or VK for short. The personas were meant to represent ordinary people from across Ukraine who were disillusioned with opposition protests at Kiev's central square, called the Maidan.

On Saturday evening, Feb. 22, 2014, a man calling himself Ivan Galitsin posted a comment on an article in a British newspaper. The story was about the Ukraine opposition leader and former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, who had been released from prison that day. "There was a coup in Ukraine," wrote Galitsin in English. "I live in Kiev. I was on the Maidan, but peaceful protest ended two months ago, when we were displaced by armed nationalists. It's a nightmare. Fascists came to us again 70 years after the Second World War. I do not want this future for Ukraine."

Galitsin was the creation of a GRU psychological operations officer, according to the documents. The profile was created on Feb. 22, and he used as his profile photo a picture of Konstantin Yaroshenko, a convicted Russian drug smuggler serving time in a U.S. prison. Galitsin's comments also appeared in other English-language outlets.

Overall, the GRU team targeted more than 30 Ukrainian groups and social media platforms, as well as 25 "leading, English-language" publications, according to the report.

Pretending to be ordinary Ukrainians, GRU operatives also tapped out comments aimed at riling up pro-Russian citizens against the protesters, whom they called "zapadentsy" - or "westerners." One comment read: "Brigades of zapadentsy are now on their way to rob and kill us. It is very clear that these people hold nothing sacred.''

Another read: "The rise of the opposition here will be catastrophic. These people are completely different. They have a totally different vision of Ukraine's future."

Demonstrators on the Maidan were called "Nazis" and "fascists."

The military spies posted physical threats on social media against Yanukovych allies in southeastern Ukraine to bolster Moscow's claim that radical Ukrainians were inciting violence against Russians in the region. In one case, a fake persona named Vova Kravets issued threats on Facebook against 14 politicians.

On Feb. 27, when the Crimean parliament building was seized, the GRU created four groups on Facebook and VK to encourage Crimeans to support secession from Ukraine. "Using our accounts on Facebook, we circulated commentaries informing the population of the Crimean peninsula of a threat from Nazi organizations," the GRU reported.

The GRU created a Facebook primer for its psyops personnel, although the instructions were fairly basic. One tip said that operatives need not use their own photo. "You can search for a photo on Facebook itself. Find someone who has very few friends and is not an active user."

The GRU also used paid ads on Facebook to increase the groups' popularity, according to the report. Together, the groups received nearly 200,000 views on Facebook on Feb. 27 alone, the report said. The content was republished on other groups on Facebook, on VK and on LiveJournal, another Russian social networking site.

It is difficult to gauge the true impact of the GRU's information operation in Ukraine. But the military spies, no doubt to put their efforts in the best possible light for their superiors, gave this assessment: "[T]he overwhelming majority of social media users agreed with the posted arguments and supported the authors' positions."
Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: December 26 2017

Vincent Gonzalez, Operating Under God-Man Society Club Inc in the Bronx, Allegedly Violated Court Order  Defrauding Immigrants in at Least 527 Court Appearances Since 2010.

New York, NY - December 26, 2017 - Today, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman filed for a criminal and civil contempt order against Vincent Gonzalez, alleging that Gonzalez has violated a 2010 court order and continued to provide legal advice and immigration services to the Latino immigrant community, defrauding immigrants out of legal fees in at least 527 court appearances since 2010. Gonzalez now faces millions in penalties, fines, and restitution, as well as imprisonment for contempt of court.

Its unconscionable that a scammer would prey on immigrants in order to make a quick buck  and its even more egregious to continue to do so in violation of a court order, said Attorney General Schneiderman. With fear on the rise in communities across the state, my office wont hesitate to use all tools at our disposal to bring to justice those who try to defraud New Yorks immigrant families.

In 2010, following an investigation that found that Gonzalez had been providing phony immigration services, the Attorney Generals Civil Rights Bureau secured a court order and judgment in New York Supreme Court against Gonzalez and his company, Immigration Community Service Corporation, permanently enjoining him from engaging in fraudulent and illegal practices, the businesses of providing immigration services, and the unauthorized practice of law. Gonzalez was also directed to pay two civil penalties of $4,275,000 and $1,845,000 each; $127,635 in restitution and compensatory damages to individuals harmed by his illegal conduct; and the costs of the judicial proceeding.

However, beginning in 2015, the Attorney Generals office received complaints alleging that Mr. Gonzalez once again was representing himself as an immigration attorney, providing immigrants with legal advice without proper legal authorization, and promising to perform other legal services in connection with criminal and immigration cases. According to the complaints, Mr. Gonzalez was operating under the company name God-Man Society Club Inc. (GMSC), located at 930 Grand Concourse in the Bronx.

The Civil Rights Bureau initiated an investigation, which found that GMSCs website ( immigrationservices.name ) openly offered legal services  boasting since being established in 2001, we have provided the Bronx and surrounding area with reliable immigration, criminal and civil law services. We offer a high-success rate and we promise to do our job to the best of our ability.

As alleged in filings with the court , the Attorney Generals office conducted two undercover operations showing that Gonzalez had continued to provide legal advice and immigration services to individuals in violation of the courts 2010 order and judgment. Moreover, the Attorney Generals office received information from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services confirming that Gonzalez has filed a Notice of Appearance as Attorney or Representative in at least 527 immigration matters since the 2010 order and judgment.

The court filings further allege that Gonzalez told one victim that he was an attorney who could provide immigration-related services and assist in a pending criminal case. Gonzalez told the victim that he would charge $1,500 as an investigation fee; $5,000 as an initial retainer and another $8,000 to complete the criminal case; and an additional $3,000 for bail if the victim were to be arrested. After paying $650 toward the investigation fee, the victim became skeptical of Gonzalezs ability to represent him and the reasonableness of the costs, and stopped communicating with Gonzalez.

Despite the court order and judgment, Gonzalez has allegedly continued to represent himself as an immigration attorney and seek payments for immigration services, while failing to make any payments toward the restitution, civil penalty and court costs.

Today, Attorney General Schneiderman filed for a criminal and civil contempt order against Gonzalez in New York County Supreme Court seeking full payment of the prior judgments, plus jail time and a substantial fine be imposed for each day that Gonzalez engaged in contemptuous conduct. Gonzalez faces a maximum incarceration sentence of six months for the civil contempt charges and 30 days for the criminal contempt charges. In addition to paying the millions in judgments already owed, Gonzalez also faces up to a $1,000 fine per day for each day hes judged to be in criminal contempt, and a maximum fine of the Attorney Generals costs and expenses plus $250 if hes found to be in civil contempt.

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

If you feel you have been a victim of this type of crime, please contact the Attorney Generals Immigration Services Fraud Unit Hotline at (866) 390-2992 or email Civil.Rights@ag.ny.gov . The Attorney Generals office will never ask for your immigration status or share immigration information with federal authorities if you contact the hotline.

Attorneys must be licensed in the State of New York by the New York State Unified Court System, Office of Court Administration. If possible, before meeting or retaining an attorney, consumers should confirm his or her license on the OCA website: iapps.courts.state.ny.us/attorney/AttorneySearch

Attorney General Schneiderman also reminds immigrant communities of the New York resources available to those seeking immigration and naturalization-related support. Managed by Catholic Charities Community Services, the New Americans hotline is a toll-free, multi-lingual hotline that provides live assistance in receiving immigration and naturalization information and referrals, regardless of citizenship or documented status. All calls to the hotline are confidential and anonymous. Call 1-800-566-7636 (toll-free) anytime between 9:00am to 8:00pm, Monday through Friday.

Attorney General Schneidermans guidance on avoiding immigration scams is available here: https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/ag-schneiderman-issues-urgent-fraud-alert-ice-immigration-scams
Nature & Weather, Local News, National & World News, Health & Wellness, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: December 26 2017

AG Schneiderman Leads 8 AGs in Suit Challenging EPAs Refusal to Require Upwind States to Control Smog Pollution that Blows into New York and Northeast States.

New York, NY - December 26, 2017 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, leading a coalition of eight Attorneys General, filed a lawsuit today against the Trump Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to force action under the Clean Air Act to ensure upwind states adequately control the pollution that blows into New York and other downwind states.

At least one in three New Yorkers breathe air with unhealthy levels of smog pollution, with some analyses placing it as high as two in three New Yorkers (approximately 12.7 million people). The EPAs own studies demonstrate that pollution from states upwind of New York contributes substantially to the states harmful levels of smog.

Millions of New Yorkers are breathing unhealthy air as smog pollution continues to pour in from other states, Attorney General Schneiderman said. The federal government has a fundamental responsibility to act. Yet the Trump EPA has abandoned its responsibilities  repeatedly failing to act to control smog pollution that jeopardizes New Yorkers health. Attorneys General will continue to act to protect those we serve.

Specifically, the suit challenges the EPAs denial of a petition that New York and several other states filed in late 2013 for the Agency to add nine additional states to the Ozone Transport Region, a group of states established under the federal Clean Air Act that must act in concert to reduce smog pollution within the region.

Joining Attorney General Schneiderman in the suit are the Attorneys General of Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Reducing smog levels is vital to protecting the health of New Yorkers. Elevated levels of smog can cause a host of significant health effects, including coughing, throat irritation, lung tissue damage, and the aggravation of existing medical conditions, such as asthma, bronchitis, heart disease, and emphysema. According to the American Lung Associations 2017 State of the Air Report, the New York City metropolitan area ranks as the 9th most smog-polluted city in the nation.

Congress created the Ozone Transport Region to help states address pervasive smog problems in the northeastern United States. By statute, the Region consists of 11 states  Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont  and the District of Columbia metropolitan area.

In December 2013, New York and other northeastern states submitted a petition under the Clean Air Act asking EPA to add nine additional states shown or projected through modelling and analysis to contribute to violations of federal smog standards in the Ozone Transport Region. These nine states are Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. When EPA took no action on that petition, a coalition of states led by Attorney General Schneiderman filed suit against the EPA to compel it to act . Attorney General Schneiderman and the coalition of states subsequently negotiated a consent decree that required EPA to approve or disapprove the petition no later than October 27, 2017. On that date, Trump EPA Administrator Pruitt denied the states Ozone Transport Region petition.

Todays suit , which was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, asks the court to review Administrator Pruitts denial of the petition. The coalition will ask the court to determine that the denial is unlawful and to vacate it.

Ozone Transport Region

Each state within the Ozone Transport Region must develop and implement plans that achieve controls on pollutants that contribute to the formation of smog. However, despite enacting stringent in-state controls on sources of these pollutants, many states within the Region  including New York  are not able to meet federal health-based air quality standards for smog, significantly due to upwind smog pollution.

Modeling and analysis performed by EPA, as well as by states, has shown that interstate transport of air pollution from upwind states outside of the Ozone Transport Region including Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia  contributes significantly to violations of the 2008 federal smog standard within the Ozone Transport Region. In addition, preliminary modeling demonstrates that emissions in these states, as well as North Carolina, are projected to contribute to violations of the recently updated 2015 federal smog standard in the Region.

States outside and upwind of the Region are not required to  and generally do not  impose controls as stringent as those required of those within the Region. However, the federal Clean Air Act provides for states to petition EPA to add states to the Ozone Transport Region, and for EPA to add states when the Agency has reason to believe that the interstate transport of air pollution from them significantly contributes to exceedances of the federal standards for smog in the Region.
Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: December 26 2017

Officers responded to a shot spotter on Terrace Avenue; upon arrival, they discovered the body of a male that had been shot numerous times.

Hempstead, NY - December 26, 2017 - The Homicide Squad is investigating a Homicide that occurred on Monday, December 25, 2017 at 6:25 p.m. in The Homicide Squad is investigating a Homicide that occurred on Monday, December 25, 2017 at 6:25 p.m. in Hempstead

According to detectives, officers responded to a shot spotter on Terrace Ave. Upon arrival, they discovered the body of a male that had been shot numerous times. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased at 7:24 p.m. by hospital staff. This investigation is ongoing.
James Lee Burke has published three novels spotlighting other characters over the four years its been since we last had a mystery featuring his signature character, Dave Robicheaux.

That book was 2013s Light of the World. In the interim, fans clamored for more, but if Burke had intentions to bring the character back  and after 20 novels over 26 years featuring the detective, who could blame him for not wanting to?  he was keeping the plan close to his vest.

When Burke revealed the next book, and its Jan. 2 release date, via a cover image with a single word title, Robicheaux, fans were ecstatic. Robicheaux and his sidekick, Clete Purcel, were coming back. It is a beautiful book, full of the magical, lyrical prose that has sealed Burkes reputation as one of our finest novelists.

In the lead-up to the Jan. 4 Robicheaux release party, which will be held at Fact & Fiction in Missoula  Burke co-dedicated the book to its founder, the recently retired Barbara Theroux  Burke invited the Missoulian to his ranch in Lolo to discuss his work, which spans more than 30 novels and a trunk full of awards.

Q: Dave Robicheaux goes to some dark places in Light of the World, and suffers tremendous loss. Did you ever think that maybe we had seen all we were going to see of him?

A: I thought it was the last Robicheaux book, yes. But there were so many people asking me, When are Dave and Clete coming back? So I wrote this one, and now Im writing a sequel to it called Ball and Chain. The title is from the Big Mama Thornton song, one of her signature songs.

The best three books I wrote are not in the Robicheaux series. They are Wayfaring Stranger, House of the Rising Sun, and The Jealous Kind. Its a trilogy. Thats my best work. But the work that is most successful, and I think it is good work, too, is the Robicheaux series.

Q: What about the trilogy makes you consider it your best work?

A: It tends to be an epic story. I think it is an epic story. It deals with the settlement of the West, but also just simply deals with the American experience. It does it in a way that I think is singular. We meet a family that arrives in Texas in 1835, during the war for Texas independence. It goes from there into the beginnings of World War II and the Cold War, and the neocolonial period that followed that I think defines the era in which we live.

Q: What is it about Dave Robicheaux, then, that people are so drawn to?

A: Dave is really a witness to history. In each book, at least in my perception, it deals with something current, or contemporaneous. So Ive always thought of him simply as the Everyman figure out of the medieval morality or miracle plays. Its that simple; hes the blue-collar knight errant. He represents what I think we admire in ourselves: courage, honor, compassion, and, most importantly, empathy. He tries to give voice to those who have none, and hes always served in that role.

Q: It can be difficult to reference that current, or contemporaneous as you call it, history in fiction without coming off as heavy-handed. You seem to pull it off without too much difficulty  or is it something you struggle with?

A: I believe its the writer, the individual, who has the greatest influence on history. I try to remind myself of something John Steinbeck said in his novel The Grapes of Wrath. He said, History is not shaped by individuals, history reaches out and selects the man it needs to be an emblematic figure. History found Hitler, Hitler did not shape history. Same with Mussolini. With Stalin. And so I always have to remember, do we surrender ourselves to fate, or what we think of as fate  like the election of someone who seems like a demagogue, or truly out of the abyss  or do we examine how this occurred? The books become that examination.

For example, in this new book theres a character named Jimmy Nightingale. Hes the demagogue. A far more complex man than we perhaps see around us, at least immediately. He knows how to manipulate. Hes intelligent. He has a certain degree of humanity. He feels guilt for the bombing of an Indian village in South America that took place years ago. But he knows how to seize upon the moment, and he realizes that the way to power, in this country and any country, is the inculcation of fear in the electorate. Once people are afraid, and they are operating as one entity, the mob, the demagogue knows he can do whatever he wishes. Nightingale learned this as the owner of casinos. He knew his constituency well and how to soak them, and he does it.

Q: Do you spend much time researching or working out the details of what your villains are going to be like?

A: No, not at all.

Q: Where do they come from, then?

A: They live in the unconscious someplace.

Q: Do you plan out the story ahead of time?

A: No. But I keep these books, I have them all over the house, these notebooks, and I write in them at night. I write in the middle of the night. I wake up from dreams and I write, then I go back to bed. I dont know how many I have, I have them everywhere. Some are filled, some not.

Q: Have you ever been asked for them?

A: Sometimes archives ask for them, yes, but its a complicated business. I told my daughter  Pamala, who works for me, she handles publicity and business things  I said when I catch the bus anything thats not published, burn it, up the chimney.

Q: Youre not going to pass it on for people to poke through? There wont be a James Lee Burke Archive once you leave us? Unpublished final novels, all that stuff?

A: Hemingway made that mistake. His publisher for years published these books that were no good, or deeply flawed. That last one, True at First Light, is just absolutely awful. Hemingway was obviously in his dotage and very sick. Mentally. Ernest Hemingway was mentally ill years before he took his life. No, [leaving my journals is] a big mistake that I wont make.
The year 2017 is coming to a close, and as in years past, we look back with excitement at the medical technologies that have been gracing the pages of Medgadget. As usual, there are trends that have revealed themselves, with many research teams around the world working on similar technologies. There are also new devices that are unlike anything weve seen before, solving medical problems in novel and unexpected ways. Take a journey with us as we review the most innovative, full of impact, and revolutionary medical technologies of the past year!

Pills as Devices

Ingestible devices, mostly in the form of cameras or other sensors that travel and assess the insides of the GI tract, have been around for a few years now. The next generation of swallowable medical devices will monitor the body for extended periods of time in a variety of ways and devices that deliver drugs and other therapies in novel ways. To make this possible, many of such high-tech pills will have to be powered in novel ways that dont involve batteries.

Proteus Digital and Otsuka Pharmaceutical recently won FDA clearance for the first digital medicine, ABILIFY MYCITE (aripiprazole). The pill has a tiny sensor which, when swallowed, transmits a signal to a receiving device outside the body. It allows for a way to confirm that a patient has actually taken and ingested the tablet. Although this is a groundbreaking approval for the first drug capable of doing such a feat, the underlying technology and regulatory approvals have been around for a number of years.

Rani Therapeutics is developing a novel approach for the oral delivery of large-molecule drugs such as basal insulin, which is currently delivered via injections. No one likes injections, at least seeing and experiencing them. But what about a pill that activates tiny needles to inject a drug into an intestinal wall? Ranis protective dissolvable pills safely ferry drugs into the intestines that would be broken down by stomach juices if delivered in standard pill form. Sugar-based needles protrude from the pills to embed into the intestinal wall and the drug can then flow from the interior of the pill into the capillaries within the intestine. We interviewed Mir Imran, Chairman and CEO of Rani Therapeutics, to get a more in-depth understanding of his companys technology.

Measuring the contents of the stomach for the pH, temperature, and other factors over extended periods of time may help gastroenterologists and other docs to closely monitor their patients. In order for swallowable pills to power the sensors and be able to transmit readings out of the body for days or weeks at a time, the pills are best powered by something other than batteries that have limited lifespans and safety concerns. Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Womens Hospital recently presented an electronic pill powered by gut fluids. The investigators incorporated zinc and copper electrodes on the surface of their device. Once ingested, the stomach acid acts as an electrolyte and facilitates the releases of ions from the zinc anode to the copper cathode. The device produces .23 microwatts per square millimeter of anode and the team was able to power a broadcasting sensor that was able to measure the temperature inside live pig stomachs for days at a time.

Heart pumps

Devices that help ailing hearts move blood through the body tend to come in direct contact with the blood, leading to a number of problems including strokes. The next generation of heart assist devices may instead work by pushing on the organ, making it stronger and avoiding a host of issues that come with intravascular blood pumps.

Clinicians and engineers from Harvard University and Boston Childrens Hospital have developed a heart sleeve that works kind of like a cardiac massage. The sleeve contracts with the natural rhythm of the heart, augmenting the natural cardiac output. It has a silicone exterior with tubes throughout that are powered by an external pump. The sleeve would be custom-made to match each patients unique anatomy and provide the necessary assistance to restore lost function. We interviewed Harvards Professor Ellen Roche, a co-author of the heart sleeve study, who gave us a better insight about this fascinating technology.

Another device being developed at Boston Childrens Hospital is specifically designed to help patients suffering from one-sided heart failure. It uses soft actuators that move a rigid brace that penetrates into the hearts intraventricular septum. The action is gentle, but powerful enough to assist just one side of the heart without disturbing the other half. Like the sleeve above, this pump doesnt come in direct contact with the blood and so it avoids many common heart pump problems. But, because one-sided right heart failure is a condition common in pediatric patients, the device is quite small. It has already been trialed in animals, but theres still a lot more work to be done to adapt it for human use before it can be evaluated in clinical trials.

Alleviating Disability

Prosthetic technology is getting better every year, and 2017 was particularly exciting in this field. Researchers at Georgia Tech developed a system that allowed an amputee to control each finger of his prosthetic hand. The system is so accurate that the patient is able to play the piano with the prosthesis. The technology relies on ultrasound to detect the different types of muscle activity near the stump.

Children with cerebral palsy are getting exoskeletons to help them walk thanks to researchers at the National Institutes of Healths Clinical Center Rehabilitation Medicine Department. The devices are attached to the legs, providing extra power and correcting the posture and gait of the children that have been using these. While these are not ready to be used in the real world due to power issues and other problems, the technology is already helping a few kids walk better on their own.

Some people suffer from such severe disability that even basic communication is a challenge. At the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering in Switzerland, four completely locked-in people with ALS were able to communicate thanks to transcranial near-infrared spectroscopy. The technique estimates oxygenation within the brain, which can be used as a biomarker for certain brain activity. A woman used the system to ask her paralyzed father whether she can marry her boyfriend, to which she got a No for a reply nine out of ten times that the question was asked, demonstrating the consistency of the technology. We were lucky to have a chance to learn more in an interview with Dr. Ujwal Chaudhary of the University of Tubingen, the lead author of the research.

A group at Stanford University worked with an ALS patient and one with serious spinal cord injury, both of which have implanted brain-computer interfaces, to achieve close to normal communication speeds. The volunteers were able to move a mouse cursor on a screen by simply thinking of where they wanted it to go, clicking on letter tiles on the way. One of the individuals was able to type at 39 characters a limit. Coupling this rate with smart texting technology now available in smartphones should allow for communication comparable to how fast healthy people can type.

Artificial Womb for Premature Babies

A lot of progress has been done in the last few decades to improve the survival rates of premature children. Those born about 28 weeks or longer post gestation now have pretty good overall outcomes, but shorter time in the womb still results in major consequences. Researchers at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia developed an artificial womb that closely resembles a natural uterine environment, allowing children to finish developing. The device consists of a pump-free arteriovenous circuit, a closed fluid environment with continuous fluid exchange, and a new technique of umbilical vascular access. The technology, which has been tried on baby sheep, creates a protective barrier between the womb and the outside world, while also helping to preserve the fluid filled lungs of the premature children.

Diagnostics

There have been several advances in diagnostics this year, making it hard for us to pick the top few. Large strides have been made in diagnosing allergies, with Abionic, a Swiss-based company, winning FDA registration for their nanotechnology-focused assay that detects allergies to cats, dogs, trees and grasses. They already have CE marking for their device, and are set to enter the US market in 2018. Their tests can yield results in as little as five minutes, with some tests taking 20 minutes, all with a drop of blood.

For people with serious food allergies, it is not only a question of what they are allergic to, but also what foods are contaminated with the allergens. Researchers at Harvard University developed a $40 keychain device that can quickly, inexpensively, and accurately detect common food antigens. The device was developed to detect five common antigens, including those in peanuts, hazelnuts, wheat, milk, and egg whites from food particles. Impressively, it can detect antigen concentrations at levels far below industry standards.

2017 also saw a rapid increase in the number of high-throughput devices for diagnosis. MIMETAS, an organ-on-a-chip company based out of The Netherlands, in collaboration with Roche, grew 350 perfused gut tubes in a matter of days that replicate the structure of the intestine. The team hopes to use this system in preliminary drug testing to screen out chemical compounds that can compromise the structure of the intestine.

More towards on-the-spot diagnosis, Caltech researchers developed a rapid antimicrobial susceptibility test to identify the best antibiotics to prescribe to patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs). This rapid test provides a definitive answer about antibiotic resistance of bacteria in 30 minutes, and has comparable performance to the gold standard test that takes several hours.

In another example of on-the-spot diagnosis, Nevisense, a system developed by a Swedish firm called SciBase, helps dermatologists assess suspect cutaneous lesions that could be melanoma tumors. The system takes advantage of the fact that tumor skin transmits electricity differently than normal skin. It won FDA approval in the middle of the year.

Cheap diagnostics

It has been an incredible year for advances in diagnostics, but more importantly, there has been a strong push towards the development of cheap diagnostics for third world countries. Earlier this year, we wrote about Paperfuge, the low-cost power-free centrifuge developed by the same Stanford team that came up with the 50 cent foldable microscope a few years back. In 15 minutes, the paperfuge is capable of separating malaria parasites from infected blood, at a rate comparable to industrial centrifuges, paving the way for cheaper and faster diagnosis.

Students at Rice University also developed an easy to use device that rapidly detects jaundice from a drop of blood by measuring a protein called bilirubin within 2 minutes. The device, aptly named BiliSpec, has already proved to be comparable to standard lab equipment in a small trial with 68 patients in Malawi, with a larger trial coming next year.

In another advancement in point-of-care diagnostics, a $10 sensor was developed by researchers in Duke University that can transform any 2D ultrasound scanner into 3D reconstructions, allowing physicians to view these 3D models in a manner similar to MRI and CT scans.

A multidisciplinary team from Los Angeles and Sweden also built an inexpensive lens that snaps onto a Nokia Lumia phone for targeted DNA sequencing and mutation analysis of living tissues, providing a means of portable molecular analysis that has not been previously achieved.

Deep learning

Deep learning and machine learning were two buzzwords that were name-dropped by every major tech company in 2017, and healthcare was no different. In collaboration with IBM, a team of Canadian researchers developed an advanced software tool that analyzes functional magnetic resonance imaging scans for signs of schizophrenia in patient brains. The algorithm correctly predicted the disease in 74% of patients and was also able to determine how bad the symptoms were.

In a dermatological application of deep learning, a skin lesion diagnostic app called Derm Expert was developed by VisualDx. This app runs a picture of the patients skin lesion against a vast database of existing skin conditions, helping inform patients and general practitioners of the severity of the lesion and skin condition. We expect many more strides to be made in image analysis and diagnosis using deep learning algorithms in 2018.

Surgery

Surgical innovations are geared towards reducing the cost and duration of surgery, and eliminating possible postop complications, such as infections and non-healing wounds. Cleancision, a Wound Retraction and Protection system developed by Prescient Surgical, won FDAs de novo clearance for being a novel, first of a kind device. It is an expanding wheel-like device that opens and holds the wound in a retracted position for easy access. It also prevents hands or instruments from touching the incision, providing an irrigation system to deliver a sterile solution from a nearby fluid bag to the tissue, further helping to prevent infections. They won FDA marketing approval recently for the device.

A novel wound closure device named microMend was developed by KitoTech Medical, which works conceptually similar to a smart bandage, except through the use of micro-staples. The device, which lasts as long as the wound needs to heal, can be placed across a wound where the flexible micro-staples painlessly embed into the skin to close the wound.

We reported a surge in the use of augmented reality in healthcare at the end of 2016, with the trend continuing in 2017. Notably, Microsofts HoloLens was successfully used for spinal surgery applications by a surgical navigation company named Scopis. There are several advantages to this system including reduced radiation exposure of patients, improved screw placement accuracy, and decreased surgery times.

It has been an exciting year for healthcare with many advances in how diseases are diagnosed, treated, and cured. Medical devices are constantly becoming smaller, smarter, cheaper, more precise and user friendly, and with the growth of fields such as gene therapy, machine learning, nanotechnology, and 3D printing, we expect an exciting year ahead. Here is wishing you and yours the best of health and happiness as you celebrate the holidays and we hope you will join us in our journey as we report on the cutting-edge medical innovations of 2018!

Flashback: Medgadgets Best Medical Technologies of 2016
by Tanya Gazdik , December 26, 2017

Hyundai Motor Co. is collaborating with Soundhound to develop a voice-enabled virtual assistant system.

The automaker will unveil its Intelligent Personal Agent during CES 2018 in Las Vegas in January. It will be demonstrated via a connected car cockpit equipped with the feature.

The system is activated by the wake-up voice command: Hi, Hyundai. The assistant system will initially understand English only, but will expand to other major languages going forward.

Early next year, Hyundai plans to demonstrate a simplified version of the Intelligent Personal Agent, equipping next-generation Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) scheduled for test drives on South Korean public roads with the system.

The system will appear in new models starting in 2019. It will allow drivers to use voice commands for many different operations and real-time data, which connected cars of the future will demand.

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Silicon Valley-based SoundHound is the leading innovator in voice-enabled AI and conversational intelligence technologies.

The Intelligent Personal Agent is unique in that it acts as a proactive assistant system, predicting the drivers needs and providing useful information. For instance, the system may give an early reminder of an upcoming meeting and suggest departure times that account for current traffic conditions.

These personal features combine with driver conveniences, such as the ability to make phone calls, send text messages, search destinations, search music, check weather and manage schedules. It also allows drivers to voice-control frequently used in-vehicle functions such as air-conditioning, sunroofs and door locks, while gathering various information about the vehicle. The system will support a Car-to-Home service, enabling the driver to control electronic devices at home with voice commands.

The Intelligent Personal Agent sets itself apart from the competition with its multiple-command recognition function. When the user says, Tell me what the weather will be like tomorrow and turn off the lights in our living room, the system recognizes two separate commands in the same sentence and completes each task separately.
by Larissa Faw , December 26, 2017

The Andy Warhol Museum and its agency, Marc USA, are hosting interactive kiosks across Pittsburgh to raise awareness for the museum's first solo exhibition for Iranian artist Farhad Moshiri.

The Fibers of Being kiosk invites pairs of participants to explore their "respective uniqueness" through a list of character traits via a touch screen. While one identifies descriptions of their friend, their partners image is captured in silhouette against a green screen. The end result is a large colorful postcard, reminiscent of a Persian rug, customized with words and imagery reflecting how each participant is seen through the eyes of their partner. Participants then visit Warholgowest.com to download their images to share on social media and learn more about the artist and exhibition.

The touring kiosk is visiting several high-profile Pittsburgh locations accompanied by a four-sided mobile billboard. To further encourage visitors to both the museum and kiosk, the campaign is running print ads in Pittsburgh regional publications and digital banner ads are targeting regional viewers on Facebook and Twitter.

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This is an unusual project to lure museum visitors and Marc USA says the agency has been pleasantly surprised how seriously people are taking the experience. The team had estimated that participants might spend a minute to a minute and a half on average picking out the words to describe their partner in the experience. Instead, they took at least twice as long  really taking care to select words.

In a world with so much chaos and negativity, it seems people really wanted to be positive," says Adam Cicco, associate creative director who has been on site for a number of the Fibers of Being stops around Pittsburgh. "And friends were surprised and delighted to see what they had said about each other.

When it comes to challenges, the Pittsburgh weather at this time of year had to be taken into account in building the kiosk to make sure all the electronics worked outside in the cold. "Thankfully, they do," he says.

Go West" explores the intersection of eastern and western popular culture and runs through January.
by Larissa Faw , December 26, 2017

Kind Snacks and its agency Y&R New York are introducing a content series that the brand says is not designed to be controversial but instead spark a conversation around how "radical, active kindness is the only thing that can create bonds rather than divisions," says an agency spokesperson.

The More Than Nice" video, produced by three-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, shows the efforts of a group of volunteers who leave jugs of water across the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent deaths in the desert.

While immigration may be a hot-button issue, the brand says this message isn't designed as a political position: "We see it as a humanitarian one."

The video runs across social media and YouTube, all supported with the hashtag #morekind to encourage people to showcase what kindness is to them.

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The snack brand is also seeking people to share their own take on radical kindness by submitting a written essay, photo or video to this site.

A panel of judges, including StoryCorps' David Isay, LinkedIn's Jeff Weiner and Thrive Global's Arianna Huffington, will select three winners who will receive $25,000 to donate to the charity of their choice, along with resources to help fund their next creative project.

To date, there have been more than 300 submissions with a little more than one month before the deadline, Jan. 31.
by Sara Guaglione , December 26, 2017

Seventeen of the top 20 conservative websites tracked by TheRighting, a media company that aggregates articles and content from right-wing media outlets, experienced declines in visits in November 2017, compared to the same month a year prior.

Founded this spring, TheRighting aims to help inform mainstream and liberal audiences about stories and conservative viewpoints not on their radar. The company analyzes data available from SimilarWeb, a digital marketing intelligence and website traffic platform.

The top five conservative websites with the highest total November 2017 visits were Foxnews.com, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, Infowars and TheBlaze. Those five sites fell in total global visits in November 2017, compared to November 2016, by -3%, -11%, -20%, -48%, and -12%, respectively.

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Compared to last month, November 2016 was characterized by a much more robust news environment focused on the election of Donald J. Trump and it drew large audiences to websites across the political spectrum, stated Howard Polskin, president and chief curator at TheRighting.

The level of interest in our political landscape last month, while high, just didnt match the intensity from a year ago, he added.

Those top five conservative news sites also dipped in traffic in November 2017 compared to the month prior.

Of the 20 sites analyzed, the websites with the steepest percentage decreases were WND (-56%), Infowars (-48%) and Rushlimbaugh.com (-45%).

But three conservative websites marked gains in year-over-year November visits: One America News Network (+99%), The Washington Examiner (+16%) and The Weekly Standard (+7%).

TheRighting also found lower November year-over-year visits in three prominent mainstream media sites it examined: The New York Times (-22%), CNN (-14%) and The Washington Post (-11%).

The frenzied news cycle surrounding a presidential election seems to have benefited both conservative and mainstream news sites. Keeping up the momentum and driving increases in traffic after an election has passed has proven to be a challenge.
If you are addicted to games and often find yourself locked in a room ignoring the world, you now have a form mental disorder, according to a report by World Health Organisation (WHO). It might not be the conventional form of a mental disorder, however, it is characterised by a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour, or in simple terms, an addiction to gaming.

 Youtube

WHO's upcoming update of International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), gaming disorder is now being officially included as a form of the disease. Gamers who suffer from this disease are said to have impaired control over gaming. That means gaming addicts don't have the ability to control the frequency, intensity duration and even the context of the addiction.

WHO also points out that the people who prioritise video games over other life interests and daily activities are said to have this mental disorder. Addicts tend to increase the duration or intensity of their habits despite the occurrence of negative consequences.

 IGL

The behaviour pattern is of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational, or other important areas of functioning, the draft reads. The gaming behaviour and other features are normally evident over a period of at least 12 months in order for a diagnosis to be assigned, although the required duration may be shortened if all diagnostic requirements are met and symptoms are severe.

 Thinkstock/Getty images

The inclusion of gaming as an addiction may come as a surprise; however, the document simply constitutes International standard of what does and doesn't classify as a health condition. Keep in mind, this does not mean that playing video games leads to any form of mental disorder. Video games have been proven in the past as a safe way if improving hand-eye coordination, relieving stress, connecting people, enhancing problem solving abilities and living out fantasies. Here's a video below by Daphne Bavelier, a Professor at the University of Geneva explaining the long-term benefits of gaming.

Having said that, if gaming disorder becomes a real thing, doctors could soon diagnose patients and insurance companies could extend coverage for the treatment of the ailment. Bruce Y. Lee from Forbes added some context which we agree with:

Classifying an activity as a mental health condition is all about context. Using a plunger on a clogged toilet is a fairly normal activity. Using a toilet plunger on your boss's head, not so normal. Key phrases in the "gaming disorder" description above are "impaired control over gaming" and "takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities." Practically any activity, even those seemingly good and necessary, can become mental health issues when you no longer can control the activity and the activity starts interfering with your life Lee said.

Source: WHO, Forbes
By now we have all witnessed how incredible and unbelievable Elon Musk's achievements have been. He is the founder of SpaceX, a space exploration company, which is one of the most successful private space companies ever. He built it even when he has no background in rocket science! He has accomplished so much with electric cars even when he had no experience in the automotive industry. The question is how does he think about embarking on such strange missions and then turns them into billion dollars business? What is his mindset going in to these world-changing projects?

 Fossbytes

The answer to that question is his 'first principle thinking' strategy.

So, what is this First principle thinking strategy?

A first principle is a basic assumption that can't be deduced any further and is the only sure thing in a complex problem.

For instance, when Elon first decided that he wanted to make the human race a multi-planetary species, he realized that buying a rocket would cost him nearly $65 million. Not a small amount to burn. Instead, he argued to re-frame the problem from "finding an affordable rocket to buy," to "what makes a rocket that expensive?"

You can catch his insight on this from what he said in an interview with the Wired (https://www.wired.com/2012/10/ff-elon-musk-qa/all/). He said, "I tend to approach things from a physics framework. Physics teaches you to reason from first principles rather than by analogy. So I said, okay, let's look at the first principles. What is a rocket made of? Aerospace-grade aluminum alloys, plus some titanium, copper, and carbon fiber. Then I asked, what is the value of those materials on the commodity market? It turned out that the materials cost of a rocket was around two percent of the typical price."

 Renaissance Man Journal

With this approach, he was able to slash the price of launching a rocket nearly 10X, while still making a profit. Isn't that smart thinking?

So how can you use the first principle thinking strategy for your own business?

So,the next time you are stuck in such a situation, instead of building on what's already there, you should think about breaking that idea down into its fundamentals and see how you can solve the problem in a different way. That's where creativity will strike and provide you with a unique solution.

Consult with your mentors, discuss your idea with your friends and people you think can really brainstorm on the subject. Focus on the functionality and not just on what has been conventionally done.
Officials say the device was known as an "unexploded ordnance," or an explosive weapon that did not explode and still posed a...
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, Southwest Asia -- With Islamic State extremists flushed out of their two major strongholds in key tactical victories in Iraq and Syria this year, the fighters remaining in the region continue to fall, according to new estimates from Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve.

Army Col. Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the task force, told Military.com in an interview at the unit's headquarters that the official estimate of ISIS' presence had just been revised downward by a significant number.

"Up until today, we had an estimate of less than 3,000," Dillon said Thursday. "But the latest estimate we got today was, there's about 1,000 across Iraq and Syria."

Recent months have seen major tactical victories for the coalition force dedicated to defeating ISIS. In October, the violent sect's self-declared caliphate in Raqqa, Syria, was retaken, with victory declared by the Syrian Democratic Forces on the ground.

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And earlier this month, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi publicly declared victory over ISIS in Iraq, saying Iraqi forces had control over the Syria-Iraq border and no major ISIS footholds remain in the country.

While task force leaders have made no similar declaration of victory, Dillon said the tempo of some offensive operations is slowing markedly as the ISIS population dwindles.

In November, the task force executed just under 300 airstrikes on ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria, compared with roughly 700 in October and about 1,500 in September, he said.

For the CJTF-OIR, Nov. 26 marked a telling milestone: the first day since the campaign against ISIS began in 2014 that no airstrikes were conducted in either country.

"There have been several days since that we have not conducted airstrikes in Iraq," Dillon added.

There are other indicators that the fight may be winding down.

In late November, the task force announced it was sending home a 400-Marine artillery detachment in Syria, saying combat conditions no longer required it. The unit's replacement had already been identified and trained for what was expected to be a long-term rotational mission.

"With the city liberated and ISIS on the run, the unit has been ordered home," officials said in the announcement. "Its replacements have been called off."

The task force may have similar announcements about downsizing the mission to make in the near future, Dillon said.

At least for now, the task force and the fight aren't going anywhere.

In addition to helping train Iraqi troops and law enforcement to provide for their own security and keep ISIS at bay, the unit is supporting efforts to root out remaining ISIS cells and secure the Iraq-Syria border to prevent the flow of militants, Dillon said.

With the surviving fighters more dispersed, ground troops are focusing on disrupting attempted attacks before they are completed.

A recent frustrated attack in Ramadi, Iraq, this fall illustrated the growing capability of Iraqi Security Forces to defend against ISIS on their own.

The Iraqi troops located vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices on roads and bridges, took actions to neutralize the threat, and then went on the offensive, launching quick-reaction forces that went after the ISIS perpetrators, Dillon said.

"It goes to show a level of capability and capacity and professionalism of the Iraqi security force," he said. "They know what it is like, and they don't want to see it again."

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
News from the Capitol in Helena unfortunately often emphasizes the partisan nature of modern politics. But today, we  a Senate Democrat and a House Republican  want to share something we both strongly support, a bipartisan success story that has been quietly improving state government for decades. Its a function that helps state government serve Montanans by making sure state agencies obey laws and accurately balance their books, saves taxpayers money by finding efficiency in state programs, and protects sensitive information held in state computer security systems.

The Legislative Audit Committee is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Following the committees creation in 1967, the delegates at the 1972 Montana Constitution Convention felt the work of the newly formed committee was fundamental to the proper functioning of the state government. So, they put it directly in the Constitution  the only legislative committee given such status. The move essentially mandates the committees existence and helps safeguard the independence of the work performed by its non-partisan staff in the Legislative Audit Division. The staff follow strict standards to draw conclusions about the programs they review, and their dedication and professionalism have been central to our 50-year track record of making government work better.

Over time, the range of issues considered by the committee has expanded to meet the growing information needs of legislators. Beyond traditional financial activities, audit work now assesses broader aspects of government accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness. As computer systems gained importance in government operations, a process for auditing these systems was developed.

This work has provided the legislature and public with literally hundreds of reports over the years, containing thousands of recommendations to state agencies. In just the past few years, the office has:

 Found scores of errors in the states own annual financial report which, if uncorrected, could have threatened Montanas credit rating.

 Discovered that the Department of Corrections was illegally housing adult prisoners in youth facilities.

 Exposed problems in the Public Service Commissions handling of railroad safety.

 Brought to light inconsistencies and a lack of oversight in the ways state agencies approve pay raises for employees.

 Determined the Department of Administration needs to improve its ability to monitor the contract for State Employee Health Centers and validate the costs related to the centers.

 Unearthed a number of shortcomings in the states vital Child Protective Services program.

The information generated in audit reports provides valuable information to agency management, public stakeholders, and legislators when assessing the governments stewardship of public resources and compliance with law. The reports contain real-world solutions and actionable ideas for making state government better.

Legislative audits are a true picture of accountability in action, not just the hollow promises of reports gathering dust on a shelf. Agencies know their financial records will be regularly inspected and management will be held to task if there are problems. Accountability functions like legislative audits dont just save money through effective oversight, they strengthen the integrity of our public institutions and increase trust in state government. Thats something we all should support.

Even the public has a role to play. The Audit Division manages the states toll-free hotline for reporting fraud, waste, and abuse. We encourage anyone with concerns about fraud or how state government programs or activities are being managed to call (800) 222-4446, email LADHotline@mt.gov, or visit the website below. All of us share responsibility for ensuring state resources are being used wisely, especially in the difficult budget times we are currently experiencing.

As our committee begins its second half-century, we are confident that commitment to the vital mission of government accountability in Montana state government is stronger than ever. Additional information about the Audit Committee, copies of previous reports, and information about work in progress can be found on the webpage leg.mt.gov/audit or by calling the office at 444-3122.

-- Mary McNally, chair of the Legislative Audit Committee, is a Democratic senator from Billings. Tom Burnett, a Bozeman Republican, is the committees vice-chair.
VAERNES GARRISON, Norway -- Scout snipers, reconnaissance Marines, and some infantrymen, along with members of the Marine Corps' new rotational force in Norway, will soon receive new ski systems to replace old equipment that broke and tore in the cold.

On a brief visit to the 300-strong Marine Corps Rotational Force-Europe, located at a Norwegian Home Guard base near Trondheim, Commandant Gen. Robert Neller announced that the unit would be the first to receive the new equipment.

It comes not quite in time for Christmas, but ahead of upcoming cold-weather training exercises above the Arctic Circle.

"I talked to the Norwegian colonel. I told him, no Marine is going to leave here unless they know how to ski," Neller told Marines assembled in the winter dark Wednesday morning, referring to Home Guard District 12 Commander Col. Haakon Waroe. "You're going to get your skis here in about a week, so get ready."

The Marines will get the NATO ski system, Lt. Col. Chris Madeline, program manager for infantry combat equipment at Marine Corps Systems Command, told Military.com in a statement.

The ASNES Combat NATO ski, at the heart of the system, was developed specifically for the Norwegian military, which has a long tradition of cold-weather training. The system includes a flexible binding and a versatile "ski march" boot.

When the first rotation of Marines arrived in Norway in January, they came with equipment from the service's aging inventory of cold weather gear.

When pack frames snapped in the cold and bulky extreme cold weather boots separated from ski bindings as Marines trained in harsh conditions, responses were emotional.

"I wouldn't give anybody that ski setup that we had," Staff Sgt. Nelson Acevedo, a platoon sergeant on the deployment, told Military.com in May. "When you're putting your boots into the bindings, because the bindings are metal and the boots are old rubber, they rip a lot. So now you're potentially causing injuries to the individual from the cold now being able to seep through."

At the time, Marine Corps Systems Command officials said plans for new skis and ski boots for the unit were in the works. But now it's clear the fielding plan goes beyond equipping the small rotational force.

Madeline said scout snipers, reconnaissance Marines, and one infantry company in every battalion would be fitted out with the NATO ski system. The Marine Corps plans to invest $7 million this fiscal year out of the approximately $12.75 million in total it plans to spend on skis.

In all, Madeline said, the service will buy 2,648 sets of skis, with fielding set to begin at the end of calendar year 2018.

"Marine Corps Systems Command is seeking funding in fiscal 2019 to complete procurement and field the remaining systems," he said.

Improving cold-weather training for a Marine Corps acclimated to the desert has been a key objective for Neller and a primary reason for the establishment of the new rotational force.

In recent addresses, the commandant has emphasized the need for Marines to be prepared for a future fight, potentially with a peer or near-peer competitor. Notably, Russia and North Korea, two of the major power competitors that U.S. defense officials discuss, have climates that include extreme and punishing cold.

On Wednesday, Neller warned Marines that they had to be prepared for a spectrum of missions, adding that they might be called upon to act with little advance notice.

"If we are who we say we are, which is the nation's force in readiness, we have to be ready," he said.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
26.12.2017 LISTEN

Ghanaian afropop, dancehall and reggae artiste, Stonebwoy was at his best when he got on stage on December 22nd to perform at the 2017 BHIM concert held at the conference centre, Accra.

Stonebwoy left patrons of the annual concert yearning for more after his performance.

The BHIM nation general got patrons singing along most of his songs including recent hits Hero and My name.

Performances on the night included: Kelvyn boy, Medical, Kofi Kinaata, Samini,Becca, Joyce blessings amongst others.

Watch Stonebwoys 'roof ripping' performance at the BHIM concert 2017 below,
The month of November was one that I was excited about; I was meant to visit Morocco for the first and then head off to the US to welcome my son, who was due on November 21.

So after my fun-packed tour of Casablanca, Marrakech and Agadir I got on a flight on November 19, and headed straight to New York. On arrival at JFK Airport, I made my way to New Jersey on a rather costly Uber trip to New Jersey ($163) but seeing my pregnant fiancee and ever-fun mother-in-law welcome me with such happiness was worth every cent!

I arrived at least two days ahead of the due date so incase the baby decided to come early I would be there. On November 21 I went with my fiancee to see her gynecologist and soon we realized that we had miscalculated our due date. Instead of Tuesday November 21, it was rather Friday, November 24 (plus or minus 14 days anyway!!!).

After the doctor performed some quick checks, he predicted the baby would come over the weekend or latest by Monday, November 27. Our families on hearing the news started guessing the day the baby would arrive, most hoped it would be Saturday (so he could be Kwame just like my late father) but I had a feeling, especially guided by what the doctor had said, that the baby would arrive on Monday.

Another thing I had miscalculated was the day for the finals of Miss Universe 2017, a program I had agreed to attend during my stay in the US. Initially I thought the finale was on Saturday, November 25 but found out last minute that it was rather Sunday, November 26. Now, I was faced with the dilemma of going to Las Vegas for Miss Universe, and possibly missing the birth of my son in New Jersey in the process.

After dressing up, I quickly stepped down to the Wicked Spoon Buffet to grab something to eat. And at $49 there was so much good food to eat but I had to rush to meet up with Menaye Donkor (Country Director for Miss Universe Ghana), so we could go to Planet Hollywood for the show.

Well, the Miss Universe finale was fun and worth my journey because Ghanas Ruth Quarshie made the Top 16 cut. After the show I joined Menaye and Ruth for dinner before we headed to the Caesars Palace for a little Miss Universe after party.

When I returned to my hotel room I set up my alarm since I wanted to wake up early by 6 am to get ready for my 9.40 flight. I woke up in the morning and noticed some missed calls from my mother-in-law, and immediately I got worried. I called back and she told me my fiancee went into labour around 2am (New Jersey time), and she was in the hospital being monitored by doctors.

Now the fear of missing the birth of my son had become real. I started blaming myself for missing the big moment, which was my main reason for traveling to the U.S. I also read a text message from my aunt in Virginia, who was scolding me when she found out on social media that I had left for Vegas. So I told her that my fiancee was in labour before I went into the shower.

I dressed up to get ready for the airport in a confused state of happiness, expectation and guilt. I texted my fiancee to apologize for not being there during her labour and encouraged her to be strong during the process.

When I got to the Vegas airport I called my mother-in-law for updates and she explained that the doctors had put my fiancee on oxygen because she had a little fever but all was well. I got on the flight and when I got Charlotte, North Carolina airport around 4:53pm (local time), I called her again, and this time she said the baby had arrived, and my fiancee was fine too.

Now calm, I texted my aunt who was already scolding me for leaving my pregnant fiancee in the first place, that the baby and mother are doing well. I also sent a similar message to my mother on WhatsApp, and explained that I was at the airport heading to New Jersey.

I made my way to board my flight to New Jersey with plans of how to order flowers and balloons to congratulate my fiancee lingering on my mind. When I arrived in New Jersey around 8:30pm. I checked online if I could order any but I wasnt successful.

I called my mother-in-law to tell her I would pick an Uber home, so she didnt have to come pick me up. When I got home I could tell my mother-in-law was tied to take me to the hospital to see the baby and mother, so I tried to get as much information about the birth as possible.

She then opened up to tell me my fiancee has undergone a caesarian section a delayed childbirth. She served me so fruits and when I couldnt eat it like I usually do, she realized I wanted to go and see them at the hospital. She said and I remember clearly, Yaw I know you cant sleep without seeing them, so you lets go!!!

I was so expectant and happy when we got in the car. But when we arrived at my fiancees ward, I saw her in tears. A nurse had just come to tell her the baby was in critical condition. We calmed her down and made our way to go see the baby and find out what was going on.

Although my mother-in-law in her earlier conversations with me on phone, mentioned that the baby had some stuff blocking his nose at birth, she made it seem it was nothing to worry about in order not to stress me up during my journey to New Jersey.

After going through security and getting a tag on my wrist as the daddy of the boy, we made our way to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the University Hospital to see baby Nathan for the first time.

I broke down and shed some tears seeing my son in so much discomfort with tubes running all over his body, and a machine shaking him up almost violently. This was not what I had imagined on my way to see him; and the sharp contrast just broke me down. But I knew I had to be strong for my fiancee and our baby, Nathan as the doctors updated me on the babys condition.

Nathan was suffering from meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). MAS can happen before, during, or after labour and delivery when a newborn inhales a mixture of meconium (the early stool passed by a newborn soon after birth) and amniotic fluid (the fluid in which the baby floats inside the amniotic sac).

Nathan inhaled meconium, which blocked his airways. Although air could flow past the meconium as he breathed in, it was trapped in his airways when he breathed out. This made it difficult for him to breathe.

MAS can affect the baby in a number of ways, including chemical irritation to the lung tissue, airway obstruction by a meconium plug, infection, and the inactivation of surfactant by the meconium.

MAS is often related to fetal stress, as was the case of Nathan due to delayed birth. My fiancee had a long and difficult delivery until doctors finally decided to operate on her to bring the baby out. In the process, the baby became distressed resulting in hypoxia (decreased oxygen), which made his intestinal activity increase and cause relaxation of the anal sphincter. This relaxation then moved meconium into the amniotic fluid, which Nathan eventually inhaled.

Treatment for Nathan began right after delivery. The doctors inserted a laryngoscope into the trachea to remove any meconium. Several tests, such as a blood test that helps determine if the baby is getting enough oxygen and a chest X-ray that can show patches or streaks on the lungs that are found the baby, were conducted. And in fact the following days, more would be conducted.

After seeing Nathan and getting an insight into the issue we returned to my fiancee in the ward to give her more details and assure her that all would be well. Due to the long flight I had back to Jersey, my mother-in-law suggested that we go home and get some rest so we could come back in the morning.

The following day and indeed the rest of my stay in in New Jersey were spent in the hospital, hoping for positive response from baby Nathan and a speedy recovery and healing for my fiancee. Day in day out, my fiancee was getting stronger, and was able to go see Nathan in the NICU all by herself but Nathans progress was not consistent.

Nathans treatment included oxygen therapy, antibiotics to treat infection, nitric oxide inhalation, and frequent blood tests to see if he was getting enough oxygen. Since he had severe aspiration, he needed mechanical ventilation. An artificial surfactant was put into his lungs to help keep the air sacs open. He was also put on a special ventilator, which vibrated air enriched with extra oxygen into his lungs.

Nitric oxide was added to the oxygen in the ventilator, which dilated the blood vessels and allowed more blood flow and oxygen to reach Nathans lungs.

After going through these treatments for days, we were given more distressful news when the doctors said Nathan was not responding as expected, and there was the need to explore a higher intervention at the Beth Israel Hospital. The doctor said there might be the need for Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), a form of cardiopulmonary bypass, meaning that an artificial heart and lung will temporarily take over to supply blood flow in Nathans body.

ECMO lowers the fatality rate for these severely distressed babies from 80% to 10%. The University Hospital was not an ECMO center, so we signed a consent form to transfer our baby. So Nathan was transferred to the Beth Israel Hospital.

The transfer brought the whole family more worries, and our prayers heightened every step of the way. When Nathan arrived at Beth Israel, he was not placed on ECMO immediately; he was placed on an advanced ventilator to see how he responded before possibly going through ECMO.

In the first 48-hours, the doctors were happy with how he was responding and so decided to keep him on the ventilator for more observation. And just like the miracle we all prayed for, each day Nathan showed slight improvements.

Sadly due to some responsibilities in Ghana, I was soon faced with the dilemma of leaving while Nathan was still at the hospital but I cheered myself up with the slow progress he was making, and the fact that he would not need ECMO.

In fact before I left for Ghana, Nathan had been taken off the antibiotics and the levels of his intake of oxygen and nitric oxide had been dropped. Before leaving, we requested for the NICU email updates so on a daily basis I could know how Nathan was faring.

In Gods perfect timing, I spent my last day with Nathan at a period when he was now good enough to be touched. In the first two weeks, he required heavy sedation so we were not allowed to do anything that could excite him too much, since he had many tubes and wires attached to him; and of course, the risk of complications with infections.

So I rubbed some hand sanitizer in my palms and finally touched Nathan for the first time. I played with him before and as if he could hear my jokes, he squeezed my finger that I placed in his palm. I left New Jersey for New York later that evening to catch my flight back to Ghana the following morning.

When I got to Ghana, the news of progress continued; each day I would get an email from the NICU on Nathan. Each day either one tube was removed or his dependence on some medication had reduced. My fiancee kept me up to date with photos, videos and at some stage the NICU even allowed us to do video calls.

Nathan was soon taken off the ventilator completely and put into a small incubator; and later he made his way into a baby court with the only tube attached to him being one for taking in breast milk. And as he made more progress with feeding from a bottle and eventually directly from his mums breast, we wondered if Nathan would be strong enough to come home before Christmas.

In the early hours of December 24 (Ghana Time), that answer came; and it was positive. I watched with joy and excitement via WhatsApp video call, as his mother and grandmother cheerfully dressed him up and carried him from the NICU home.

Yes, we finally got Nathan home to his crib that has been waiting for him for four weeks after his birth, and just in time to bring us some real Christmas cheer. If ever we had a Christmas wish, this was it!

Welcome home Nathan, mum, dad and the whole family loves you!
Moscow, Dec 22, GNA - Russian State Nuclear Energy Corporation Rosatom is exploring opportunities for Ghana to boost its energy security through diversification to guarantee sustainable social and economic growth.

The company said, 'Nuclear energy development is an essential aspect of the solution for Ghana to deal with its energy shortfall which represents a considerable impediment for the country to reach its ambitious goals laid out in its National Development Plan (NDP)', said Viktor Polikarpov, Rosatom's Vice-President for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Nuclear energy and technologies are able to give an impetus to Ghanaian industrial and infrastructure development,' according to Polikarpov, who spoke on his company's best practices with participants of the Ghana Industrial Summit and Exhibition (GISE 2017) conference, in Moscow which embraced international experts and high-level governmental officials.

'Rosatom welcomes the country's plans to develop its atomic programme and is open to assist Ghana in its nuclear endeavors', added Polikarpov.

During the technical sessions experts agreed that nuclear energy had a future in the Ghanaian energy mix, as the country's existing overdependence on hydro and thermal power plants could not meet growing demand from households and businesses.

Ghana's annual energy demand is set to grow by 10 to 15 % and unfortunately supply generally does not meet this rapidly growing pace. The expanding industrial sector, rapid urbanisation, the growth of the middle class, and growing incomes, together with overall population growth, have altogether become major drivers of increasing electricity demand.

A delegation of Rosatom representatives from various fields of expertise demonstrated the company's solutions for nuclear power development for emerging countries.

The presenters focused on various topics relevant to Ghana, including; localisation, skills development, technology transfer as well stakeholder engagement among other things and

participants became familiar with nuclear innovations through the company's innovative virtual tour of one of Russia's Nuclear Power Plants (NPP).

'In order for Ghana to achieve a balanced energy mix, the country should consider all available sustainable sources of energy. Solar, wind, hydro and nuclear power to complement and reinforce one another to form a green square, which will essentially become the base for the world's future carbon-free energy mix.

'A sustainable energy mix with the inclusion of nuclear power will contribute immensely to the national economy and will make local business more competitive and attractive on the global market,' concluded Polikarpov.

The Summit and Exhibition - one of the key industrial event attended by international experts and high-level governmental officials, was organised by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
The Volta Regional Caucus in Parliament is calling for calm among residents as agitations grow over plans to split the region into two.

A group calling itself the Concerned Volta Youth has raised concerns over attempts by the Akufo-Addo government to partition the region.

The group believes the plan to split the region is for political expediency  that is to weaken the strongholds of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC)  and has, therefore, promised to resist any attempt to partition the region.

However, there are also opposing groups pushing for the partitioning of the region.

Generally, chiefs in the northern part of the Volta Region are pushing for the split, but those in the southern part disagree.

Commenting on the matter recently, Chairman of the Volta Region Caucus in Parliament, Emmanuel Bedzrah, said the paramount interest of the entire region must be prioritised in the final decision to split the region or do otherwise.

There have been agitations around, both for [the creation of the region] and against. But we have noticed that the against is even more than those for.

"Therefore, the committee is working. So I want to appeal to my people, especially in the Volta Region, to stay calm, Mr Bedzrah said.

The Volta Region is among four regions ticked for possible splits. The Northern, Eastern and Brong Ahafo regions are the other three.

The Akufo-Addo-led government argues that splitting of regions is to accelerate development.

However, critics say decentralisation of power instead of the creation of regions is the path to real development.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | GN
It should come as no surprise that the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers supports the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act. BHA was founded in part to advance policy like the BCSA, and the areas conserved under the bill happen to sit right in our big western Montana backyard.

The bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Jon Tester would establish 80,000 acres of new wilderness and maintain recreational areas for snowmobilers and mountain bikers. Timber harvests would be streamlined and expanded, and active forest management would be promoted where it is needed in the Seeley Lake area.

This BCSA has been in the works for more than a decade and has the support of conservation and environmental groups, ranchers, as well as recreation groups including Drift Riders Snowmobile Club, Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, and the Montana Mountain Bike Association. Additionally, Powell, Lewis and Clark, and Missoula counties, which would be directly affected by the BSCA, all have endorsed the legislation.

This proposal is a win for backcountry lovers of all types, especially sportsmen. Wilderness areas provide crucial habitat security for a variety of big and small game species alike. The protected watersheds would guarantee cold, clean-flowing streams and tributaries on which native fish such as cutthroat and bull trout depend. The conserved areas facilitate wild and non-motorized sporting opportunities. These areas provide hard-to-find seclusion where hunters and anglers are free to roam, harvest or disappear as they so choose  opportunities all Montana sportsmen value. Furthermore, they offer some of the best hunting and fishing, holding the biggest bucks, biggest bulls and hardest-fighting trout.

The BCSA, if passed, would boost the economies of the upper Blackfoot and Clearwater areas. The increased recreational opportunities would bring outside revenue, which is harder to come by for rural Montana communities. The increased timber harvest not only would support that sector of the community; it also would help maintain its character and health.

The community of Seeley Lake has felt this all too keenly this year. Establishing playgrounds for those who like to ride on wheels, both motorized and non-motorized, would help too: Year-round recreational opportunities would keep motels and restaurant dining rooms full every month of the year.

On Sept. 12, Tester called for a hearing on the BCSA, urging the leaders of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to consider the bill as soon as possible. As Montanas lone voice on that committee, its time for U.S. Sen. Steve Daines to add his support and help Tester shepherd the bill through Congress.

The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act is championed by many diverse voices and it's good for the economy, good for the community and good for sportsmen. Lets get behind this and get it passed.

-- John Sullivan III is board chairman for the Montana Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. Hannah Nikonow is a board member for Region 2. They write on behalf of the Montana Backcountry Hunters and Anglers management board.
26.12.2017 LISTEN

Prof. Victor K. Owusus unprovable claim of huge congregation expense, stems from his jealousy about the very successful congregation ceremonies where all Convocation Members were, for the first time, invited to have refreshments with the invited guests at one venue in all the days at all UEW campuses.

These crooks would have preferred that the money was kept and paid as honoraria to the 3 greedy top leaders in their monthly trips abroad. Which University would waste funds on just three (3) nation looters in this manner?

Almost all staff, (except the nation looters and their blind followers) are very happy nowadays because among other things, their claims are paid promptly. The funds are no longer invested for a period of time for the greedy 'three musketeers' to share interest on. People are able to express themselves more freely at meetings. For the information of Prof. Victor K. Owusu, the controversial 5% that was being shared among only a select few is being abolished!

Prof. Victor K. Owusu has still not sued me to get me removed from office as Coordinator of the UEW Business School.

I am, by this medium, appealing to him with all humility and sincerity, to sue me and stop the empty noise that only serves to compound the woes of his financiers. The people whom the interdicted officials secretly go to and plead for clemency, are reading the slangs, innuendoes and all the other unprintable words that Prof. Victor K. Owusu put out against the Council Chairman, who is the President's representative at UEW, and the other respectable members of society that he cast slurs on.

An insult directed at the Council Chairman, is an insult on the President of the Republic of Ghana.

It should be noted that the Business School was created only this year, and some of the heads of department were even 'imported' from other faculties. If there is anything wrong with a lecturer who originally belongs to that faculty being made a Coordinator, then sue me.

Where was Prof. Victor K. Owusu and his 'zombies' when Prof. Mawutor Avoke appointed heads of department over non-existing departments at UEW Ajumako campus? Is Prof. Victor K. Owusu and his associates upset because the current administration is correcting the errors of the 'crooked' VC?

It was business as usual for Prof. Avoke to dish out appointments to his wife and all UTAG executives, 'no be so'?

By the way, when did Prof. Mawutor Avoke make all those appointments?

Was it not on the night of 14th July 2017, after he had been asked to step aside?

That alone is a crime which he must be ready to deal with. The evidence (records) will prove Prof. Avoke's clandestine and cunning overtures at the appropriate time in court.

A reasonable person does not expect Prof. Victor K. Owusu and his bandwagon to own up to the contribution of Selete Avoke in Prof. Mawutor Avoke's publications. That's 'academic honesty' thrown to the dogs!

Let the 'gang master', Prof. Victor K. Owusu explain to the taxpayer about the applications to Senior Lecturership for Vincent Adhzalie Mensah and Samuel Ofori Bekoe. The corrupt immediate past Registrar should be made to tell the taxpayer how these 'lazy scholars' performed!

The actions of Prof. Victor K. Owusu and his collaborators are not out of the blue. Such actions were expected because their greedy immediate past Registrar has been formally requested to return the eight (8) ceiling fans and two (2) air conditioners which he removed from his official bungalow when he was recently vacating that residence!

Those items, as well as the many household items which are less than three (3) years old but which he unlawfully took to his private residence must be returned just as the letter from UEW Management indicated! Is that why Prof. Victor K. Owusu and his fellow paid guys are fuming and peddling falsehood about the Acting VC?

These pathological liars have the audacity to state that the Ag. VC is in office illegally? Let Prof. Victor K. Owusu and his 'foot soldiers' go and read the UEW Statutes. But will they even understand if they stopped drinking and went to read? Their interpretation of the recent Supreme Court decision regarding the Winneba High Court ruling provides an answer to the above rhetorical questions.

Prof. Victor K. Owusu and his fellow 'hired assassins', must be educated about the fact that Vice Chancellors Ghana (VCG) was being autocratically run by Prof. Kumah, (UMaT VC, and paternal cousin of Prof. Avoke) and Mr. Peter Kaba, the overstayed Executive Secretary of VCG. These crooks should go and remind Mr. Kaba that his retirement date is long past - VCG is not a family property. If Prof. Victor K. Owusu cares to know, most Vice Chancellors (VCs) today are embarrassed about having allowed themselves to be deceived by Peter Kaba and Prof. Kumah. These individuals would go to beg the Education Minister in his residence at dawn for Prof. Avoke, and in daytime, assume a 'macho attitude' at VCG meetings and in the media. Who are they attempting to deceive?

Furthermore, most VCs are bowing their heads in shame after having allowed Theophilus Ackorlie to become their scribe in that bogus Press Statement they published in the dailies at the 'genesis' of the UEW legal tussle. How can such embarrassed individuals gather courage to invite the Ag. VC of UEW to their meetings?

Anyway, whether the Ag. VC is invited by VCG to its meetings or not, is irrelevant. Act 672 which established UEW makes no reference to VCG having a role to play in the administration of UEW.

Among his many tales, Prof. Victor K. Owusu falsely claimed that there were no EOCO investigations currently ongoing into the affairs of UEW. He should ask Prof. Asabere-Ameyaw (former VC of UEW), CY Akwaa-Mensah (former Registrar of UEW) Ms Sena Dake (interdicted Internal Auditor), Mr Fiifi Yankson (retired Director of Development), if they have not, in recent days, been to EOCO to answer questions! Prof. Victor K. Owusu and his colleague crooks will soon laugh on the wrong side of their ugly faces!

Alhassan Salifu Bawah

(son of a peasant farmer)
26.12.2017 LISTEN

Miss Gladys Mariam Osman, the Deputy Director of Programmes of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) has called on parents and educational institutions to imbibe cultural values in the youth to know much about their socio-political environment.

"Positive values engender good character development for the well-being of a nation. The Commission holds the view that positive local values contribute significantly to national development and the success of democratic governance', she said.

She mentioned of the values that underpin progress and national development as; patriotism, discipline, honesty and integrity, hard work, respect for one another, Ghanaian heritage and national symbols.

Miss Osman said this at the Project Citizen Showcase competition in Bolgatanga, organised by the NCCE for Civic Education Clubs in Senior High Schools in the Upper East Region on the theme, "Restoring our Ghanaian values; the role of the youth."

The Project Citizen, which is funded by the European Union is one of the flagship programmes of the Commission aimed at inculcating good citizenship among Ghanaians especially the youth.

It is also the Commission's mandate to deliver civic education such as principles, rights and responsibilities to all segments of the Ghanaian citizenry and was organized for five selected senior high schools in the region.

The Deputy Director who is also the Coordinator for the Project Citizen Programmes nationwide said the incessant indiscipline at all levels and the economic retrogression of the country was due to the neglect of the Ghanaian culture and values, which were basic in achieving socio-economic development.

She said the Project Citizen was meant to expose the youth to critical thinking and analytical approaches to identify societal problems and find solutions to them while, influencing government policies and implementation to boost nation building.

"Youth civic education is crucial to a country's democratic health and Project Citizen, aims at enhancing civic knowledge and promoting good and active citizenship among students and the youth at large. The knowledge they will acquire would enable them to contribute actively to solving community problems and national development as well as for the job market", she said.

She said the youth had direct impact on national development and called for collective effort from all stakeholders and well-meaning Ghanaians to restore the national values and involve the youth in developmental processes.

She challenged the youth to be ambitious and cultivate the spirit of team work and co-existence which she said was very critical in nation building and democratic governance.

Bolgatanga Girls Senior High School won this year's edition of the competition in the Upper East Region with 123.5 points, while Navrongo Senior High placed second with 110 points while Zebila Senior High/Technical was third with 73 points.

Other schools were the Sirigu Senior High, 70 points and Zuarungu Senior High School 61 points.

Mr Apaabey Baba, the Upper East Regional Director of NCCE urged the students to use the opportunity to network and socialise to enable them gain the spirit of nationalism and determination to contribute significantly to national development.

GNA

By Anthony Apubeo, GNA
26.12.2017 LISTEN

Mr. Salifu Saeed, Northern Regional Minister has commended personnel of the Air Force Base Tamale for their commitment to duty and readiness to serve in any part of the country.

He said such dedication to duty was required of all for the development of the country urging personnel of the Air Force Base Tamale to continue to remain dedicated to their duties to serve the interest of the country.

Mr Saeed gave the commendation when he participated in the 2017 end-of-year West African Security Services Association (WASSA) in Tamale organised by the Air Force Base Tamale for personnel of the Unit, family and friends to make merry and take stock of the year's activities.

He assured that government would continue to play its part to ensure the welfare of the Military in the country.

Group Captain Frank Hanson, Commander of the Air Force Base Tamale described 2017 as a positive year for the Unit assuring of the continued readiness of personnel of the Unit to protect the country.

Meanwhile, the Air Force Base Tamale in collaboration with Air Wives Organisation has secured a Dorothy Jerron-Quarshie Foundation Scholarship Scheme to motivate pupils and teachers of Barwah Barracks Junior High School in Tamale.

During the WASSA, the maiden award of the scholarship, which began in the 2017/2018 academic year, was presented to Ms Adam Latifa Maltiti, who is now a student of the Northern Business Senior High School in Tamale to support her studies.

At the WASSA, representatives of Apsonic Motors presented the first Aviation Mobile Utility Vehicle to the Air Force Base Tamale to aid its operations.

GNA

By Albert Futukpor, GNA
Koforidua, Dec 23, GNA - President Nana Akufo-Addo has indicated his government's readiness to prosecute all corrupt officials irrespective of their backgrounds.

He said 'one by one we shall see, when the time comes, the clear lines between corruption and politics would be for all to see it's just a matter of time'.

President Akufo- Addo who was speaking at a durbar of the chiefs and people of New Juaben, at the Koforidua Jackson park, to round off a three-day tour of the region said, people were speculating that he was corrupt hence his inability to prosecute corrupt officials as per his campaign promise.

He said 'to the extent that people have associated my government to corrupt acts' mentioning the vetting of Mr Boakye Agyarko Minister for Energy, the alleged bribery at the presidency and the latest bribery allegation involving the Ministry of Trade and Industry in the just ended Expatriates awards.

President Akufo-Addo declared that 'these are all attempts to label my government as corrupt, but they will not wash' and assured Ghanaians that no stone would be left unturned in tackling corruption so that all Ghanaians would benefit from the state resources.

He said the objective of the tour was to say thank you for the massive support in votes obtained from the people in the Eastern region making it possible for him to win power on Dec 7 last year, adding 'I will forever be grateful to you for this gesture'.

The President assured the chiefs that he would always listen to them in efforts to build the Ghana he envisaged for and appealed for support in al the government policies mentioning the planting for food and jobs as one area that would make jobs available.

Mr Yaw Osafo-Marfo, the Senior Minister said President Akufo-Addo had been faithful to Ghanaians by delivering on his campaign promises in a short time, mentioning the free SHS, restoration of teacher and nursing training allowances and added that there was more to come.

GNA

By Bertha Badu-Agyei/Ben Akoto
"They beat him with a pole... and you could hear the bones breaking," said Debbie Turner, recounting her husband's murder in a slow, defiant voice.

She refuses to talk about him in the past tense and sleeps with a photo of him close by.

"I miss him so terribly -- it's just so hard," she said, sitting in front of the frail-care unit that has been her home since the attack at their farm.

Robert "Oki" Turner, 66, was beaten to death before her eyes six months ago on their isolated stretch of mountain land in South Africa's northeastern Limpopo province.

He was one of the latest victims of a long campaign of violence against the country's farmers who are largely white.

The rural crime epidemic has inflamed political and racial tensions nearly a quarter-of-a-century after the fall of apartheid.

Farm murders are just one issue that reveals how South Africa is struggling with violence, an economic slowdown and divisions along race lines.

The Turners moved to the verdant region, half-way between Kruger national park and Zimbabwe, some 30 years ago.

On their property, which spans dozens of acres, they grew gum trees which they sold to craftsmen or for firewood.

"Until about four or five years ago, we were very open. We didn't have a key for our house -- we would go away and nothing would have happened," she said.

But then the extreme violence that had long afflicted major cities engulfed rural areas like theirs.

Break-ins, hostage takings and killings became common -- with attackers often making off with just a few hundred rand (less than $20), a mobile phone or a hunting rifle.

The Turners were targeted after nightfall on June 14 when two armed men stormed their farm. Debbie was alone after her husband stepped out to fix a water tap.

Savagely beaten

"They said 'we want money'. I said I haven't got money," recounted Debbie.

"They dragged me all over the house and put me under the shower and turned it on and left me for 15 minutes.

Police respond to an incident in which a farm worker was held at gunpoint and a chainsaw was stolen on November 2, 2017, in Tzaneen, South Africa

"Then they decided to try to rape me. I said 'please don't rape me, I've got HIV'."

Some time later, Oki was found slumped motionless covered in blood after being savagely beaten by the attackers searching for the key to the couple's safe.

He died in hospital a few hours later.

Dozens of white farmers are murdered in similar circumstances in South Africa every year.

In the absence of detailed statistics, the scope and scale of the crimes has become a battleground.

AfriForum, a pressure group that advocates on behalf of the country's nine-percent-strong white population, is one of the forces seeking to shape the debate around farm murders.

"Farmers are living in remote areas, they are far from police stations," said the group's vice president, Ernst Roets.

"There are political factors that play a role here. We are concerned about hate speech, political leaders who... would say for example 'the white farmers should be blamed for everything'."

He is particularly damning of Julius Malema, the firebrand leader of South Africa's radical left, who has called on his followers to "retake the land" from whites.

In 2012 President Jacob Zuma sang a struggle-era song containing the words "shoot the farmer, shoot the Boer".

Agriculture, like much of South Africa's economy, remains in the hands of the white descendants of colonial-era settlers.

White farmers control 73 percent of arable land in the country compared with 85 percent when apartheid ended in 1994, according to a recent study.

Calls for "radical economic transformation" to benefit the black majority have gained traction as unemployment has soared.

They are frequently coupled with accusations that the white minority control a disproportionate share of the nation's wealth.

'We built this country'

That narrative has alarmed many white rural communities.

"We're being hunted," said Pauli, a 43-year-old farmer who declined to give her surname.

More militant white farmers describe the violence they face as "genocide" and use the casually racist rhetoric of the apartheid era.

Farmer Hans Bergmann, 65, was attacked on his farm a few months ago in Tzaneen, South Africa

"They (black people) truly think that we have stolen the country from them," Limpopo-based farmer Gerhardus Harmse told AFP.

"We built this country, show me anything, any place that the blacks built -- there isn't any. They cannot build, they destroy."

The radical fringe has become increasingly vocal.

Last month, some supporters flew the flag of the old white-minority government during a protest against farm murders.

The demonstration called on the government to guarantee farmers special protection -- something that police minister Fikile Mbalula categorically refused.

"All deaths of all South Africans must be met with disgust," wrote Mbalula in a Twitter post. "My problem is that farm murders are racialised and politicised."

While black farmers have so far been largely reluctant to march with their white colleagues, they face many of the same risks.

"We don't feel protected by the government," said Vuyo Mahlati, president of the African Farmers Association of South Africa.

"We need to deal with everyone trying to utilise farming as a centre of a right-wing political discourse. That we are not going to allow."

'I will go back'

Feeling abandoned by the government, many white farmers have taken steps to protect themselves.

Some patrol their land under moonlight, pistols tucked into their belts, to deter would-be attackers.

Others undergo commando training in anticipation of the worst.

A long campaign of violence against farmers, who are largely white, has inflamed political and racial tensions nearly a quarter-of-a-century after the fall of apartheid in South Africa

Among them is Marli Swanepoel, 37, who owns a farm in Limpopo.

"You have to be prepared. You have to protect yourself," said the mother-of-three.

Hans Bergmann was recently assaulted on his farm, but takes a different approach.

Some weeks ago, armed men broke in to rob his safe, tied him up and shot him in the foot.

"In South Africa everybody thinks farmers have a lot of money," he said.

Bergmann, who is in his sixties, declines to carry a gun or abandon his land.

"I just accept it... where do I go from here if I leave the farm?" he said.

Debbie Turner is scathing of the police who have yet to catch her husband's killers -- or even take a statement from her.

"It shows that what happened that night doesn't mean anything to these people," she said.

"I'm angry against those people who killed my husband. Sometimes I wish they could hang them."

But she will not be leaving any time soon, vowing: "One day I will go back to the mountain."
My attention has been drawn to a write up by one Alhassan Salifu Bawah (son of a bitch cum son of an insane farmer) with one of my articles titled The University of Education Winneba Saga and Matters Arising Currently Cum Public Purse Protectors Turn Looters in focus. I am beginning to infer that Bawah might have been conceived when his late father was bunking his mums anus and the semen spilled over into the mums cunt. Why am I saying so? Anytime he writes, especially concerning my articles, he doesnt address the issues but rather go on a tangent of insulting innocent people. If he thinks am faceless, he is also faceless because not everybody knows him. If he wants us to meet face to face, here is my number 0236923869. He should call me and I would direct him to where live in Ghana.

I am sure the people he has accused wrongly in his articles are people who are not afraid of his rewarders cum protectors inter alia: Council Chairman, Associate Professor Nicholas Abakah (Unsuccessful Professor who is now fighting for per diem from UEW) and Rev. Fr. Prof. BLACK CASSOCK MAN Afful-Broni (A failed priest).

When Bawah started writing about UEW in the first quarter of 2017, he had to even apologise and retract one of his publications. He is now supported by the current managers of UEW so he is at liberty to write anything that passes through his anus because he was conceived through anus cum cunt.

Let me tell him that the success of an academic is neither determined by the size of his chest nor height, but by his mental capacity to appropriately respond to academic issues... I expected this Bawah guy who seems to reason through his anus to have responded to key issues raised in the article rather than being mentally weak as typical of him to be attacking personalities grown enough to have been his father. The Quran he thinks he believes in does not endorse stupidity and gross disrespect as he is currently exhibiting in his writings. I turn to each of these issues in the rest of my article and also some commentaries on Bawahs reply to an article titled Bigotry At the University of Education, Winneba and his current article titled The Worst Is Yet To Come For The Interdicted Officers of UEW and their Sidekicks..

On Alhassan Salifu Bawah and the religion he asserts to be practicing (Islam)

It is disgusting to see this young man claiming to be a Muslim and daring people of slaughtering sheep and cows. I can dare you TODAY that not a single attitude of yours presents you as a Muslim.

Islam and Humility

In Islam, humility is piety. Accordingly, one who keeps barking of being a Muslim would be expected to make humility a part of his life. I refer to this quote in the Quaran

The TRUE servants of the most GRACIOUS are those who walk on this EARTH in HUMILITY, and when the IGNORANT address them with bad words, they reply with words of PEACE Quaran (25:63). Unfortunately, you do not seem to have this as part of your life because based on what I have read from your works...PRIDE is your hallmark probably due to high level of foolishness that fills your empty head. Please sit back and reflect on your life. You see many are getting calm, but you who are a LLM holder and for that matter know ALL is misbehaving. Examine your Muslim life, please!!

Islam and Respect

Respect for ones parents, and elders also constitutes a core aspect of Islam. You have on several occasions insulted Prof Avea Nsoh, Prof Mawutor Avoke, Dr Akorlie, the Former Registrar of UEW (Dr. CY. Akwaa-Mensah) and several others who are old enough to be your father. Where are your Islamic values with this attitude? I refer you to Quaran (103:1-3) which says and those who malign believing men and women undeservedly bear upon themselves the guilt of slander and a manifest of sin. Please, I sincerely wonder how your LAW certificate was awarded if not really from the Winneba High Court as rumoured. Sit and think!!!

Islam and Lying

This is also against Islam teaching but has been central in your life since the Coup detat in UEW. Prophet Muhammed (peace be onto him) warns all Muslims beware of telling lies, for lying leads to immorality and immorality leads to Hell fire Do you Bawh have any evidence to the effect that Prof Mawutor Avoke and Dr Akorlie are thieves? Your attitude is not only an affront to Islam but also the LAW CERTIFICATE you are holding. I do not generally like insulting, but an ABORTION would have saved UEW from characters like you!!! Foul language is not respected in Islam and yet that is your daily meal. I doubt what you mean when you say you are a Muslim, but probably just the same as when YOUR BOSS says he is a CATHOLIC PRIEST.

Islam and Justice

Islam adores justice and every Muslim is challenged to stand up for justice. In Quaran (4:135) Muslims are tasked O ye who believe! stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do

We are further told let not the hatred of a people swerve you away from justice. Be just, for this is the closest to Righteousness Quaran (5:8). However, this is exactly what is happening in UEW and you are blindly following and think you should be called a Muslim? I do not want to sound judgemental but you are a disappointment.

What I intend to say by taking you through some Islamic teachings

All in all, I SAY stop making noise with the Quaran as you do not follow the teachings. If you keep saying you slaughter what and recite which verse, I laugh within me. Your pride has taken God far from you. Your disrespect for elders, lying attitude among others have made you vulnerable in life. I dare you to slaughter any colour of animal be it a donkey, horse or elephant and mention my name, VICTOR K. OWUSU, and you would find yourself drop dead as a chicken. I live on truth and still await your response to my assertion that mediocrity is being rewarded in UEW. Your appointment is DIRT and you cannot be protected by the Holy Quaran in such DIRT.

On issues of people dating and the likes

In reacting to my article which touched on concrete issues such as your REWARD for stupidity, Promotion of people with two NEGATIVE assessors reports, intimidations of staff who stand for justice in UEW, Bringing back to UEW as a Registrar a staff who once ran away from the University at the expense of more organised and dedicated Deputy Registrars, biased nature of the recruitment in the just ended Appointment and Promotions Meetings, the locality of your BOSS Afful-Broni and his attitude towards predatory JORUNALS which he glorifies, among others, you went on different tangent as usual instead of addressing the issues raised and tried to say two things without evidence, which is against the Islam you pretend to be practicing. If you were to know about UEW, you would know that the University Printing PRESS was set up before Professor Mawutor Avoke assumed office as VC. If you were also to be an academic and for that matter made time to read the University documents, you would appreciate the fact that the FO is not the Chairman of the Appointment and Promotion Board. Bawah, I hate to insult, but for now, I say you are a LAZY FOOL. Please spend time to read, I mean read. No wonder your students complain to everyone about your delivery in class. Your attitude reminds me of the story of the elephant which I read long ago...it said BIG BODY, SMALL BRAIN, NO SENSE!! Height and size of chest are not the determinants of a successful academic.

If you want to talk of promiscuity of people, please be careful, otherwise, your priest may not be able to visit the church again or he may be fired as a priest immediately. I may not want for now, to talk of the cases of condoms in septic tank of an ordained priest (I know with your level of reasoning, you may say Prof Avoke and Dr Akorlie went and kept them there, and cases of abortions (mostly student ladies) by an ordained Catholic Priests, writing of a recommendation letter that ended up with request for sex in his house which backfired, trip to the USA with a lady in which misunderstandings led to seizure of her passport because sex was not part of the agreement and the lady had to struggle before locating her fiance, and many more and even VIDEOS that I can send to you on WHATSAPP at the worst of you annoying me. Please as you said these are private issues and that was the only sensible thing I read in that your article, I have more revelations on the priest, Prof. BLACK CASSOCK MAN Afful-Broni so be careful. Even at HOTELS, I have been monitoring, I can DEMONSTRATE with evidence that you know nothing about UEW and promiscuity of someone you are blindly following. I mean this is a PRIEST. Let me even give you one scene on the Geography lawyer you are following blindly. Alex has impregnated countless ladies and it is an open secret that one of the ladies saw a charm in one of his rooms and the spell on her came out. She even wanted to kill her baby because it is Alex's sperm that formed the child. For the council chairmans promiscuity and advances on ladies and the mediocre registrars dating issues, I will have an article on that later.

On promotions and academic visibility

In yet another display of academic weakness and lack of knowledge in UEW, this academic sycophant who has been rewarded for his stupidity tried to suggest that Dr Samuel O. Bekoe and DR Vincent A. Mensah were not promoted based on merit. Interestingly, he should check at the HR of UEW and see their reports and compare with those that are being promoted by the failed academic of a catholic priest. It is also good for you to know that both of them were promoted to the rank of Senior Lecturer even before Prof Mawutor Avoke became a VC. What my article was meant for, which academically weak characters like you did not get is that YOUR BOSS AFFUL-BRONI is rewarding mediocrity. Kindly mention a single person whom PROF AVOKE PROMOTED WITH TWO BAD EXTERNAL ASSESSORS REPORTS. Prof Mawutor Avoke is a scholar and would NOT DO THAT even under whatever circumstances. Also, it is only in the context of one HAVING A HIGH COURT AS ONES SEARCH COMMITTEE that led him to the position of AG VC, that one could do the things that AFFUL-BRONI IS DOING. He is killing scholarship in UEW because he is not a scholar, the reason for which he has no value for ACADEMIC WORK. I await your write-up in which you would demonstrate that:

(a) REV FR AFFUL-BRONI has not patronised predatory journals in his academic life

(b) REV FR AFFUL-BRONI has not been rewarding mediocrity in UEW

(c) REV FR AFFUL-BRONI promotions in UEW, right from the rank of senior lecturer to FOOL PROFESSOR have not been muddled with controversies and finally

(d) PROF MAWUTOR AVOKE has ever defied any single RULE as stipulated by appointment and promotion documents of UEW. For instance, when one applies and reports are NEGATIVE, one has to wait for a maximum of six months before replying. Did your priest obey this when his reports hit the ROCKS? I AWAIT ANSWERS TO THESE KEY ISSUES.

YOUR PRIEST DID NOT DO THAT, and please get to HR and confirm and stop the rubbish you put on social media only for the consumption of confused and ignorant characters as yourself. REV FR AFFUL-BRONI reports were HIGHLY NEGATIVE! And the predatory publications were re-bundled and sent to some people and they were monitored daily because it was like a PATIENT IN AN EMERGENCY UNIT, A MOVEMENT OF A NURSE MEANS DISASTER! Secondly, I await for any write-up in which you would be able to show to the Ghanaian public that:

(a) Professor Mawutor Avoke has any history of publishing in predatory journals in his academic life

(b) Professor Mawutor Avoke has EVER in his LIFE as a LEGITIMATE VC awarded mediocrity e.g., promoted someone when BOTH reports from EXTERNAL ASSESSORS were NEGATIVE

(c) Professor Mawutor Avoke has ever had any bad report on any of his promotion assessment reports and yet was promoted and finally

(d) Professor Mawutor Avoke ever went contrary to the Appointment and promotion Rules of UEW to apply for promotion at any point of his life.

When these are done, I would doubt any claim that your LLM was awarded at Winneba High Court. Also, please, demonstrate that the appointment of the current Registrar was not manipulated. These are things that pain me since idiots as you cannot see... I wonder what you teach in class and wish I were free with the PRIEST probably; I would have also gotten a form of appointment into any department I want.

For the foolishness that has eaten so deep into your head, I blame you not, since you soon would submit these idiotic rubbish you write condemning people to be pushed to senior lecturer. I, VICTOR K. OWUSU hate to insult, but your disgusting attitude forces me sometimes to become what I am not in my real life. Let me also teach you to understand that it is disgusting to see you refer to what you write as rejoinders. They are in fact displays of stupidity and ignorance. In Rejoinders, we strive to show that what one has said in a previous write-up can be falsified. I begin to BELIEVE your LLM was awarded by the Winneba High Court and be sure if we move to the Supreme Court, you soon would have no certificate. A rejoinder is demonstrating with evidence that what one said in a preceding piece of work is untrue. I am suspecting you are being mentored to publish in predatory journals as well, so your level of reasoning is rather so pathetic. I pity you.

Nevertheless, I understand that you BAWAH, you are so confused wondering what it may mean should Professor Mawutor Avoke come back. But let me assure you that, that gentleman has a SOUL which he is preparing for THE LIFE after here and not LIKE your priest who is CHASING the world at the speed of light. I encourage you to get HOLD OF FRs promotion assessment reports from Senior Lecturer to the current rank he is supposed to be at, and let us compare with those of Dr. Bekoe and Dr. Vincent A. Mensah. Your priest would wonder why they are not getting a HIGH COURT as a SEARCH committee to make them Ag. VCs. When you are ready, alert me and the competition would START. Also get any SINGLE STAFF Prof Mawutor Avoke promoted with reports as terrible as DR BRAKO ISAAC, who is a political scientist and did a PhD in social STUDIES....God save UEW!!

The Role of Seleke Avoke in Mawutor Avokes Academic Life

You kept exhibiting your ignorance of your very profession. In a University system, one thing that is encouraged is what we call academic collaboration. We TALKED of PREDATORY PUBLICATIONS and I expected you to have demonstrated that it is not TRUE that your PRIEST who has rewarded you for STUPIDITY is now the HEADMASTER OF PREDATORY JOURNALS in UEW and possibly Ghana. I have monitored and I hold the facts that Prof. BLACK CASSOCK MAN Afful-Broni is not an academic. I have seen his CV, and his publications lack direction just as his DREAM TO BE VC lacks. You are just a small boy being fooled by people you do not know, but with time, you may get to learn better. I SAY your priest is rewarding mediocrity. Come out and show that it is not true. Those insulting Prof Avoke and Dr Akorlie do not deserve to face committees but divergent views on the vindictiveness of the priest are a committee-facing crime? Bawah, I am told your own write-ups indicate that you are very new in the system, but sycophancy and want of cheap things would not allow you to be humble and learn from the system. No wonder all those who had a hand in your recruitment are lamenting just as those who assisted THE PRIEST who championed the award of your BOSS are today lamenting.

Prof Mawutor Avoke has mentored several people who are serving in Ghana in various capacities and even in the University in which you are teaching and where I proudly graduated. Mention names of THREE successful academics (if I say successful, I mean those two are not paddies of predatory journals) who are mentored by the PRIEST. Bawah (son of a bitch cum son of insane farmer) you know nothing about UEW yet you seem to believe so much. Google the two names and see who is available on googlescholar...I mean Professors who have NEVER had troubles with REPORTS on their PROMOTIONS.

The classes of people created in UEW

(a) Fight for justice and Prof. BLACK CASSOCK MAN Afful-Broni and Council Chairman plan on how to get you out, supported by the few who are benefitting from the current mess

(b) Attack Avoke and Akorlie and your reward is ready, either in a form of promotion or in a form of appointment as in the case of Bawah, and several other caricatures who have been duly rewarded. Staff and students live in fear and yet people do not see this because they are at the receiving side

The Ag VC and VCG

In yet another piece, you displayed ignorance that one Kaba is responsible for Father not being part of VCG. I tell you that even if it is Prof. BLACK CASSOCK MAN Afful-Broni who educated you on that, you are BOTH LIARS. If Kaba can singly rule out a VC from attending VCG meetings, then he is so powerful. It confirms my statement that your boss IS AS LOCAL AS AN AG VC as HE IS A LOCAL PROFESSOR. I even thank God you did not say Prof Avoke and Dr Akorlie went and bribed VCG not to allow your BOSS to attend meetings. But sincerely, I hope you mature and REASON SOON. Those who go for VCG meetings are VCs who were appointed by search committees and have undergone INVESTITURE, the official occasion at which VCs are officially outdoored. High Court appointed VCs are not recognised by VCG. Please, reason for once and stop being fooled by people. You keep saying Prof Avoke and Dr Ackorlie are yet to laugh at the I am aware of the yet to be fabricated report by the so called fact-finding committee set up by Council that has turned itself into a security agency out of hatred and malice. I wait in patience for any fabrication and that is where you would know what LIFE REALLY IS. The interdicted STAFF would soon attack you if you dont get your lawyers ready to fight this glaring injustice.

Concluding for now

Let me remind you, Bawah, once again to stop attacking an INNOCENT PROFESSOR (whom you assume is me) and face me. Also stop the foolish attitude of wanting to know me and deal with the contents of my write-ups. I want to simply see you pick up my issues one after the other, and counteract them and say it is this, and not that. Knowing me should not be your focus, I am an ALUMNUS of UEW, and I am not PROF AVEA NSOH!

Victor K. Owusu (An Alumnus of UEW)

[email protected]
Ghana's immediate past President John Dramani Mahama; Head of ECOWAS Election Observation Mission to Liberia, on Monday with the two candidates for today's presidential run-off, George Weah and out-going Vice President, Joseph Boakai, and appealed for their maximum cooperation to ensure a peaceful and credible election.

He reiterated at separate meetings with the presidential flag-bearers, who emerged from the inconclusive first round balloting of 10th October that As I have always said, the responsibility for a successful election is the primary responsibility of the citizens of a country; international observers only facilitate the process.

Noting that a lot of water has passed under the bridge to test Liberia's democratic credentials, a reference to the legal dispute that followed the first round vote, which had to be settled by the Supreme Court. The Head of Mission told the two contestants that international observers had sacrificed their end-of-year celebrations in the interest of Liberia and democracy in the region.

He therefore, called on all political actors in the country to play by the rules and conduct themselves responsibly. In case of any disputes, he said, any aggrieved party should seek redress through legal and constitutional means and not resort to violence.

Mahama and George Weah



Mahama and Vice President, Joseph Boakai.

The Ghanaian statesman congratulated the ECOWAS Commission for deploying a Technical Team to support the Liberia's National Elections Commission (NEC) in cleaning up the contentious Voter's Register, and acknowledged the tireless efforts of the ECOWAS Special Representative to Liberia, Ambassador Babatunde Ajisomo.

He expressed his optimism that following compliance with the Supreme Court's decisions and the recommendations of the ECOWAS Technical Team, the stage was now set for the election to go ahead.

Both candidates assured the Head of the ECOWAS Mission of their commitment to respect the electoral codes. On his part, he wished the two candidates well in the political contest.

The NEC Chairman Jerome Korkoya, at a subsequent meeting with the ECOWAS Head of Mission, informed the meeting that the hard copies of the final registration roll (FRR) were being provided to the two political parties in addition to the public display of the document to guide voters on Election Day. The NEC Chair explained that electronic copies of FRR were not being provided in order to avoid tampering with the sensitive document.

In continuation of his engagements on Monday, the Head of ECOWAS Mission also received heads of other International Observation Group for purpose of information and experience sharing. Represented at the meeting were the African Union, European Union, Carter Center, the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), and the US National Democratic Institute (NDI), co-led by Nigeria's former President Goodluck Jonathan.

After listening to the presentation by the ECOWAS Technical Team, the international observers commended ECOWAS for its contribution and support towards the resolution of the politico-legal dispute, noting that while the Voter's Roll might not be perfect, it is a strong basis for the conduct of a credible election.

The Head of ECOWAS Mission also addressed the 39 ECOWAS short-term observers on Monday before their deployment to different Liberian Counties for the Tuesday's election.

He told them that beyond our moral support for our Liberian brothers and sisters, our duty as observers is to ensure that international standards are adhered to during the conduct of the 26 December 2017 run-off Presidential election.

Having suffered the horrors of a brutal civil war and the devastation of the Ebola pandemic, with a weak economy and high youth unemployment, Liberia today needs the concerted effort of all her citizens for the enormous task of reconstruction and nation building, he said.

According to him, The urgency of this task is further brought to the fore by the imminent departure of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) that has been here for the past 14 years. Thus, it is my hope that the political class will once again galvanise the citizenry, to come out en masse and peacefully cast their vote to enable this country proceed with its reconstruction.

In her remarks, the ECOWAS Commissioner of Political Affairs, Peace and Security Mrs Halima Ahmed, urged the observer to be professional, neutral and unbiased in their task.

The election will produce Liberia's next president to replace out-going President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a Nobel Laureate and Africa's first democratically elected female president. Her constitutionally allowed two-terms end by 16 January 2018.
Unable to reach Europe in search of a better life, Aliou Ndiaye settled in Morocco instead, giving up on his original goal like thousands of other sub-Saharan African migrants.

"Everyone has the right to go to another country to try their luck," the 31-year-old former fish exporter from Senegal told AFP.

"Lots of people are trying to reach Europe, but some end up staying to make a living."

Seven out of 10 West Africa-born migrants stay on the continent, according to a December study by the Moroccan think tank OCP Policy Center.

Discouraged by the danger of passing through countries such as Libya and by harsh policies aimed at preventing migrants going to Europe, many settle in "transit" countries including Morocco.

Ndiaye said he gave up after he realised reaching Spain was "too hard".

He took on several informal jobs and finally set himself up as a street vendor in Rabat, where he expects to remain.

His story illustrates a trend that has gained increasing attention from Moroccan politicians, civil society and researchers.

Morocco has turned from a transit country into a host country for immigrants, according to the government's High Commission for Planning.

"The Moroccan authorities have switched from a security approach, which criminalised illegal immigration, to a discourse of integration," said Mehdi Alioua, former head of a group that helped migrants.

He said the new approach involves moving migrants from border regions to the country's big cities, taking them further from their ultimate goal -- reaching Europe.

That has meant that many stay on in Morocco.

Rabat has become home to many sub-Saharan Africans who work at informal markets in the capital, while others, still hoping to make it to Europe, live in informal camps near bus stations and eke out a living by begging.

Tensions

But their growing numbers have created tensions. In November, residents clashed with sub-Saharan youths living in a camp in Casablanca.

"You can't be welcomed with open arms everywhere you go," said Olivier Foutou, a 34-year-old Congolese.

But he called Morocco "the most welcoming country in Africa" and criticised fellow migrants "who think only of Europe and do not want to integrate".

Like many West Africans, he originally headed to Morocco for study, attracted by the quality of the education system and the possibility of scholarships.

He has stayed ever since, and sings in the choir at Rabat's cathedral, a meeting point for the city's small Catholic community.

Another choir member, Jean Baptiste Dago-Gnahou, fled war-ravaged Ivory Coast years ago and ended up in Rabat by "destiny".

In his 40s, he is teaching French and currently has no plans to return to his homeland.

Papa Demba Mbaye left his job as a teacher in Senegal seven years ago to "live the adventure in Morocco".

He was attracted by promises of work at a call centre, a growing sector in need of French-speakers.

He soon discovered that it was a "job with no future", and has since established himself as a French teacher.

He has written two books -- "The life of a Senegalese in Morocco" and "Seven reasons why I love Morocco".

Keen to build links between sub-Saharan Africans and Moroccans, he also runs a theatre troupe on the outskirts of Rabat.

Despite Morocco's new migration policies and the kingdom's efforts to re-integrate with the African Union after decades outside the bloc, it is hard to gain permanent residency.

"I heard the king say on the radio that it would be a lot easier, but I have the impression that he was not heard," Mbaye said.

The authorities are currently processing some 25,000 residency applications. A similar "regularisation" campaign in 2014 saw around 23,000 people gain renewable residency.

It is hard to estimate how many African migrants are living in Morocco, especially as many are clandestine.

Official statistics show that around 35,000 had residency in 2014, according to the OCP Policy Center.

That is slightly above the number of European migrants who came for work or seeking a retirement home under the Moroccan sun.
I could have predicted the contents of the news story captioned Gang Rape: Teenage Boys Need Rehabilitation Not Jail Sentence  Allotey Jacobs (Ghanaweb.com 12/19/17), in which the Central Regional Chairman of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) calls for the rehabilitation of the four, or five, junior and senior high school teenage boys accused of gang-raping a teenage girl of the same age group at Kumasi-Bantama, instead of having the assailants face the full-music of their criminal behavior by being arrested, charged and rigorously convicted and sentenced to a long fail term.

I could have predicted it because, lets get to brass-tacks, as Americans are wont to call it, gang-banging was very common, especially in small towns and villages while I was growing up in Ghana. It was probably even more common in big towns and cities around the country, about the same time that I am talking about, whereby young boys, especially, but girls, too, who were largely left to their own devices by working parents and guardians who were too busy trying to make ends meet, as it were, in our dog-eat-dog world, to closely supervise the movements and activities of these minors got into mischief-making now and then.

In my own time, I heard curious stories about several of my girl classmates who were both alleged and rumored to have had sexual intercourse with three or four boys at a go. In fifth or sixth grade, we were actually in the temporally gray area between post-10 and pre-teen. And so I was not the least bit surprised to hear Mr. Daniel Allotey Jacobs frankly and publicly confess that: I have been in that situation before. The term, gangbanging itself came into popular use in the America of the 1950s. but, of course, like all things human and largely instinctive, the very act of gangbanging, in practice, must have existed for as long as human existence and human sexual awareness themselves.

Perhaps, he would have made better sense and even garnered the sympathy of those of us who are disconsolate about what happened to the young woman victim of this crude and untenably bestial sexual practice at Kumasi-Bantama, on or about December 18, if Mr. Allotey Jacobs had explained matters more expansively in his case. I attended Prempeh College and lived near the Sofoline Roundabout in the North-Suntreso area of Kumasi, so this story hit very close to home, as it were. Of course, even as I hinted at the beginning of this column, there are tens of hundreds and thousands of Bantamas all over Ghana and well beyond the West African sub-region.

But, of course, what makes this latest exhibition of such coital brutality even more indefensible is the scandalously cavalier manner in which it was advertised through the global medium of the Internet. You see, once the process of such brutality is globally exposed, the level of pain, suffering, trauma and humiliation can only be best and fully appreciated by the victim of such heinous and felonious act of criminality. And the raw and pointedly ugly scar sustained may very likely haunt the victim for the rest of her life. And it is because of this reason that the main and central focus of therapy and rehabilitation ought to be squarely focused on the victim, rather than her all-too-willing and self-serving assailants, as Mr.Allotey Jacobs would have the rest of us believe.

Indeed, it is very tempting for cynical and narcissistic politicians like Mr. Allotey Jacobs to focus their attention and sympathies on the criminal suspects, rather than the victim whose very life and aspirations may very well have been effectively destroyed. I also dont for a split-second buy this jaded concept of school-generated peer-pressure having precipitated such heinous act of criminality, because such trend of thinking unwisely negates the indispensable tools provided by the contemporary formal educational system as an effective means of coping with the complexities of an increasingly hi-tech global community.

Likewise, by the logical casuistry of opposition politicians like Mr. Allotey Jacobs, it clearly appears as if Ghanaian youths, especially males, stand a greater risk of delinquency in the age of the fee-free Akufo-Addo-initiated Senior High School system. No such argument could be more preposterous. Indeed, much more likely, it was the self-serving and elitist and Darwinian Cash-and-Carry educational policy, blindly, callously and doggedly pursued by the Mills-Mahama regimes of the faux-socialist National Democratic Congress, that created the culture of idleness  both socially and intellectually or mentally  that engendered the sort of gangster culture that got these Bantama teen boys where they find themselves presently.

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
26.12.2017 LISTEN

We the concerned Students of UEW are not happy with the manner in which issues are been handled on Campus. We are taking this opportunity to express our grievances and our dissatisfaction concerning how Students of UEW are been treated.

Now that there is an agitations of illegalities, we the students are also taking this opportunity to demand our legal rights by the end of this semester.

Students Demands

#Students Should not be restricted from engaging the media in any circumstances, but rather be given their rights and privilege to engage the media in any matter of concern

#Students should have a say in the appointment of Dean of Student affairs since he/she will be representing the students

#Students should be given the right to demonstrate against any actions of authorities against their rights

#Wireless network on Campus must be in a good working condition for Student use.

The wireless network in the lecture halls must work better than the wireless network in the administration block.

We the students need the wireless more, and we have paid for it

#Authorities of UEW including the University Council should petition the court to allow the projects which were stopped by the court to continue since Students are suffering from accommodation and inadequate lecture halls for larger number of students

#There should be maximum security patrols and enough Street lights on Campus to help fight any danger to the life of students. (Just recently, a female level 300 Student was bitten by a snake and there has been many cases of robbery)

#All faulty projectors and electrical plugs in all the lecture halls must be fixed

#Authorities of UEW should not involve themselves in Student politics. This is because we hold the belief that, because authorities are involved in Student politics that is why Student leaders who embezzle Student funds are left to go unpunished

#All church Organisations without a temple should be allowed to use lecture halls for their Church services since we have churches whose temples are on the school land in other to avoid discrimination

#Students are not happy with the mode in which some lecturers arrange quizzes for weekends and very early in the morning between 5.30 and 6.30am.

We are asking authorities of UEW to meet our demands by the end of this semester. (Second semester in 2018)

#Failure to meet our demands will see the anger of Students in practice

CC.

AUTHORITIES OF UEW

UNIVERSITY COUNCIL OF UEW

THE MEDIA
One-party passage of the GOP/Trump Tax Scam bill that pretends to aid the middle class while tilting the tax system more than ever to the benefit of the super-wealthy and corporations was the nail in the coffin of the populist charade Trump and the GOP leveraged to electoral victory in 2016. The reality in 2018 is that plutocracy once again reigns supreme under the GOP and Trump.

Plutocracy is government by the wealthy. Populism is support for the concerns of ordinary people. The historical difference between Republican and Democratic Parties is that the GOP has been seen as representing the wealthy while Democrats represent little people.

Donald Trumps surprising 2016 election depended on a breakdown in that dichotomy, with the GOPs Trump selling himself as someone looking out for the little guy. He called for more taxes on the wealthy -- the elite; said hed stop the hedge fund manager loophole where those billionaires pay at a lower tax rate than you. He pledged to protect Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid; pledged to provide healthcare for everyone with better benefits at less cost. He said hed drain the DC swamp where the power elite and their lobbyists reigned supreme.

Trumps 2016 strategy tapped into populist anger in the electorate. Given that tax laws have historically benefitted rich individuals/families (the elite) and large corporations, populist anger focused on changing the political/economic playing field tilted to the disadvantage of regular people. Trump yelling drain the swamp tapped into that anger because the powerful and advantaged were an elite that was well-represented by expensive K-Street lobbyists who made sure that their wealthy benefactors, the large corporations and special interests came out on top.

Trumps appeal to enough disaffected Democratic, populist-oriented, blue-collar voters (formerly called Reagan Democrats) in a number of states, along with many populist Independents, provided a narrow margin to the GOP, producing a small Electoral College edge. A combined total of 108,573 voters in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan gave Trump with his small the Electoral College win. Without votes from those disaffected populists in those three states who believed Trump might represent their economic interests, Trump would have lost the Electoral College tally by 10.

Now after a year in office and passage of his only major legislative accomplishment, the Tax Scam, how has populist America fared with Trump at the helm? Lets check the Tax Scam bill for particulars.

Last year, Trump pledged to protect Medicare and Social Security and provide comprehensive quality healthcare. However, the Scam includes a $25 Billion cut in Medicare along with Affordable Care Act changes that will result in 13 million fewer insured Americans and premiums pushed up an extra 10%. And the Childrens Health Insurance Program has yet to be fully reenacted.

In 2016, Trump said he understood and had used all tax loopholes and that hed close them; that he and his wealthy, elite friends would end up paying more taxes because theyd had all the breaks to this point. He said hed bring huge tax cuts to forgotten Americans -- the middle class. But, in the Scam Bill, corporations got a huge 40% permanent tax break, while the middle class got small, temporary cuts so eventually they pay more taxes over time, not less. Meanwhile the Trump family stands to gain up to a billion dollars as do many of his friends. Hedge fund managers still have their loophole. By the end of ten years, everyone under $75,000 will be paying more taxes while 83% of the tax cuts go to the richest 1% -- to the elite. Trumps forgotten Americans are still forgotten.

And the debt? In 2016, Trump said hed stop us borrowing from China, but the Scam Bill creates $1.5 trillion of debt which will have to be borrowed. Meanwhile, GOP leadership is already planning to reform, aka cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to make up for that $1.5 trillion.

Everyone, including right-thinking Republicans, know the bottom line: the elites are still getting richer while the rest of us suck air.

So much for 2016s Trump/GOP populism. In 2018, were back to GOP normalcy. Were still a plutocracy where the rich win out. The populist charade is over.

-- Evan Barrett, who lives in historic Uptown Butte, recently retired after 47 years at the top level of Montana economic development, government, politics and education. He is an award-winning producer of Montana history films who continues to write columns and record commentaries, and occasionally teach Montana history and contribute to community and economic development projects.
26.12.2017 LISTEN

There was quite a bit of noisy merry-making in my neighbourhood in Accra on 24th Night 2017.

I noted this with approval, for, during Christmas celebrations Many many years ago, the boom! of toy-guns and what we ignorantly called rockets [firecrackers] reverberated throughout the night.

Yes  people worked all the year round for money (unlike today, when some people want to obtain money without working hard for it) and when the year was about to end, they spent some of that money to make a din  in Appreciation of the fact that God had been kind enough to spare them to meet yet another fresh year which Father Time had summoned round, for their use on Planet Earth.

Enjoyment, enjoyment, enjoyment that's what 24thNight portended.

Of course, nostalgia unfailingly invites us to enrich the alleged

glories of our own past celebrations and play down the joys of today's

festivities. This is because, as psychologists and sociologists

have detected, there is a trait in human nature called one-upmanship,

haven't they? It's this that often leads us to believe that

our experiences are endowed with an intrinsic quality beside which the

recollections of other people are  well  trashy!

Not that our glorification of our memories is totally without cause. For instance, can you recollect the first time you tasted akpeteshie? Mine occurred 24th Night! It was done to

summon the courage to try and lose my virginity with a young lady called

Amma B! Playmates had told me that akpeteshiemade one strong and I

accepted their advice. Needless to say, the akpeteshiemade me unable to walk

without inviting the earth move upwards, towards the direction of my head. I

barely made it home  where deep slumber took over my mind and body and ended

all thoughts of a potential romantic encounter completely academic.

That sort of memory is, of course, often censored when we compare our recollections of times past to those of others, for, as the old saying bluntly puts it, You not like the taste

in the back areas of your teeth, but hey!  that's the only place you've got that

you can lick! (Wo se akyi nnywo d a, h ara na wotafre!)

So there! We gloat. But we mock others who do the same.

Let me acknowledge one thing, though: I can't see how today's youngsters cope

with things like Christmas celebrations. I have been in many shops at

Christmas time and been thoroughly frustrated because I couldn't buy the

younger members of my family any presents that they could

conceivably appreciate.

I mean, I say to myself|: Ah, that looks good! But  wait!

When I went there the other day, did I not notice that he'd got one? Oh God!

He'd take one look at it, say thank you politely with the tips of his teeth, and

throw it  on to his heap of unwanted presents that keep cluttering his

room!

So what I often do is to give the child money

and say  with unashamed and utter defeatism 

Look, only you know best what you

would really like to have. So, take this

money and get it for yourself!

I thus resort to my people's ancient wisdom,

which teaches us that Paapaa mu ka y fre na nso ahotwom! [Plain-speaking doesn't

come easy, but it doesresult in peace of mind.]

In my time, though, the idea of being given money to order something to be

delivered, that had caught one's fancy by virtue of the ubiquitous online

information overload, would have been as quixotic

as suggesting that a man would be able one day to walk on the surface of the

moon without falling off!

Well, the setup in my boyhood was like this: Until one reached the age of six

years or over, one only got a piece of wax-print cloth (about one square meter

in size] during Christmas  and that was it.

But we loved it. The smellof the new cloth was like some very nice,

understated perfume. Because of its nice smell, we would be reluctant to wear

the new cloth too often ( as the smell vanished the moment

the cloth was washed!) How we longed for a secondnew cloth so that after

the Christmas festivities, we could still fetch a

sweet-smelling, new cloth, and flaunt it  even on a ordinary day.

Well, the cloth, and if one was lucky, perhaps a new school uniform (deliberately

fashioned to be oversize so that it could last for two years, instead of one!)

constituted the upper limit of what one could realistically expect for Christmas.

Oh, all right  there might be a few gem biscuits. Counted into one's fingers,

as care was taken to give each child the same quantity. There might also be

some wape [toffee.] But those would be extras, not to be counted upon.

Chicken-groundnut-soup on Christmas Day itself, was also almost always

guaranteed.

But whatever our gift status had been, we would hit the one main street of

our village, and dance up and down the length of it, on 24th Night.

Yes, one was saddened to discover that one's playmates had things

like kako [cork-bullet toy-guns] and rockets that made a huge bang! With

muted sadness, one nevertheless enjoyed the noise they made.

Those of us unable to sped money on noise-making appliances often

constructed our own! One of the most ingenious was to find a padlock key with

a hole in it, fill the hole with phosphorus and powder (scraped off a matchstick

and the sides of the matchbox) and then find a strong nail that could fit into the hole in the key.

One then attached the key to the nail with a string. All that was needed now

was a stone or a piece of strong wood. One inserted the nail into the key and

knocked the nail's head very hard against the stone or wood. BANG! Would

come a loud sound of a most delectable nature. The loudness of the bang depended on the size of the key and the amount of shot one had been able to insert into the hole of the key.

The delight one obtained from this action, which proved that one's was a

practical scientist of the highest order, knew no bounds. Sometimes, depending on the strength of the explosion, the key split upon being turned into a cannon turret, and burn

one's fingers, or even mildly singe parts of one's face. But hey, no risk, no gain.

Because I anticipated humiliation at the hands of playmates whose antics on the mastreet I could not match, I used to go round my uncles' homes, in the hope that

one of them might retrieve a forgotten toy-gun or something similar from a chop box that he had kept from his childhood. I had been surprised with such gifts before, and who knows? Hope being eternal, I might just get something. When they said 'No', I would leave, crestfallen. But this feeling didn't last long, for I knew they were telling me the absolute truth.

In fact, there were three particular uncles whose love for me made my

existence meaningful to me. They always provided me with the affection my father couldn't lavish on me (because I wasn't his only boy but one of many.) When I was with my uncles, I was their centre of attention, and this gave me a very good feeling.

My favourite was called Wofa Kwadwo A'ade, a soft-spoken and deceptively gentle person who had a temper like tinder and lit it when there was justification for giving vent to that temper. He saved my life one day: he hailed from Nsutem, four or five miles from my town. The river Supong, In this village, the River Supong, which was only a small stream at Asiakwa, grew very big

this place, especially, during the rainy season.

Well, one day, as we were crossing a bridge over it when I saw the head of a little boy I knew bopping up and down in the river beneath us. It was a hot day, and as soon as we crossed the bridge, I out my cloth down, ready to join the little boy in the river. My uncle shouted at me, No! Kwadwo! Kwasi Kom knows how to swim! I learnt the lesson, then, that there

are some skills that must be acquired through a learningprocess, before one

could sensibly use them. I also understood the saying that one must travel and

see! If I had never left Asiakwa for Nsutem, I would never have known that a tiny boy could brave the waters of a flooded Supon River, while I could not  although I was taller

than him by far!!

It was this same uncle who inducted me into the joys of catching bush rats (okusie) . (Please note that bush rats are a species that's different from city rats, which are, basically,

huge mice (nkura). In the forest areas, bush rats only eat palm nuts and cassava,

not rubbish  as city rats do. So we classify bush rats as edible (though not every household uses them. value them as meat. Of course, those who don't know the difference between the species of rodents we have in Ghana, often insult bush people for eating rats.

This is how we caught bush rats: first, we would carry out spotting work, whereby we would stake out where the rats had made-holes that led to their underground nests. We would then block

all of the holes that served as entrances to the nets with stones, sticks and

leaves. Save for one hole.

We would leave that one only partially blocked, set leaves alight at its front-end,

and make absolutely sure that the smoke from the fire, if stoked, would

travel deep into the rat-hole and smoke out its occupant(s).

Unable to breathe, the rat would would run hard and break to the surface.

If it was not downed with a club, it would end up in the

jaws of a very good hunting-dog that we had brought along.

Uncle Kwadwo A'ade had a dog whose ability to catch escaping rats was a marvel to see.

Hunting game this way was a completely novel experience to me,

for my own father preferred setting traps to catch game, or  even more

glamorously  hunting game with a shotgun or double-barrelled gun..

Using a dog as a banker in rat-catching was particularly interesting to

me, for there were elements in the art that aroused my child's curiosity

. How did the dog learn to be so alert that if the rat ran past us and was

making its escape, the dog would chase it, outrun it and

catch and choke it death with its teeth?

Why didn't the dog try to eat the rat when it had it in its

jaws but allow us to take it from its mouth? How could dogs be so tameand and obedient to man, and yet retain their hunting ability and catch game when the occasion demanded it?

Another uncle of mine, Wofa Kofi Korieh, specialised in catching birds alive.

He once managed to catch an apatupr [a bird that sings very loudly in the

early morning] and put it in a cage in front of the door to his sleeping quarters.

I used to go and sit by the bird each morning, enjoying its singing. I am sure it

was not singing at all but was crying its heart out, calling for

help from its brothers and sisters who flew about in total freedom in the neem

trees on which they perched only a few yards from our houses. I used to hope

that one or two of them would have pity on the caged bird and try to come to its

aid  and thereby give me a chance to catch it. But the apatupris one of the

craftiest birds in existence (which is, no doubt, why it has survived for so long

in its habitats that are always to be found near human settlements.)Of course, my

hope of ever catching one remained a pipe-dream.

My third uncle was called Wofa Kwaku Temeng. He was also very gifted. And educated. He took me into completely different realms of knowledge about life.

More about him later.
Head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Team in Liberia, John Mahama, has held discussions with the two Presidential Candidates in the December 26 run-off election.

In separate meetings on December 25, 2017, with Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party and George Weah from the Coalition of Democratic Change, President Mahama called for a peaceful vote.

Former President John Mahama urged both candidates to be level-headed and vote peacefully.

The briefing included a presentation by the ECOWAS Technical Support Team that was deployed to assist the Liberian National Election Commission to evaluate their voter register and technical capacity.

The Technical Support Team, which was led by the former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan, assisted the Liberian NEC to update their systems.

The rerun comes off between the current Vice President of the country, John Boakai of the Unity Party, and 1995 World Player of the Year, George Oppong Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).

The first round was held on October 10 to replace President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, however, both men fell short of the 50 percent plus one vote stipulated by the constitution for the winner to emerge in the first round.

A Liberian citizen and voter, Roland Johnson, told Joy News voting is ongoing smoothly.
Brigadier General Robert Offei Sackey (Rtd), Member of the National Security at the Office of the President has commended the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) for its good and dedicated work towards national security.

He said the sterling performance guaranteed a stable national environment, which created a congenial atmosphere for national peace and development.

''We acknowledge for your support during the 2016 elections to maintain peace, assisting the Forestry Commission to check degradation of our forest resources, fighting illegal mining and your sustained efforts in assisting to provide security in conflict areas like; Alavanyo-Nkonya and Dagbon'', he said.

Brigadier General Sackey made the commendation when he participated in the 2017 end-of-year West African Security Services Association (WASSA) in Accra organised by the Army Headquarters for personnel of the Unit, family and friends to make merry and take stock of the year's activities.

WASSA is an annual ceremony observed by all units of the Ghana Armed Forces to promote socialisation among military personnel, and to serve as an opportunity to take stock of the working year, to strategise for the coming year.

It is also an avenue for renewing camaraderie among officers, other ranks and the civilian, employees of the military.

The event, characterised by merry making, brought together service commanders, senior officers, commandants and officers.

He also commended the GAF for its participation in International Peace Support Operations, which he said had raised the image of Ghana high and urged them to improve its relationship with the civilian population.

Brigadier General Abraham Yeboah Nsiah, the Chief Staff Officer, Army Headquarters said the Ghana Army had participated in numerous internal security operations along sister security services which includes: operation vanguard operation calm life, sit down look and halt, all geared towards ensuring peace in the country.

He commended the troops on International Keeping for its wonderful performance in the operations and commended government for its continuous support to the GAF to enable its undertake its duties effectively.

Madam Sheila Abbey was adjudged the best Female Civilian Employee of the year 2017 while Mr Kwesi Ambrose was adjudged as the best Male of the year 2017.

GNA
26.12.2017 LISTEN

Deacon Sammy Baah, a 2017 National Gospel Music Awards winner has advised the youth to desist from immoral and unlawful acts they engage themselves in on festive seasons.

He appealed to the youth in an interview with the Ghana News Agency that they desist from acts including; promiscuous lifestyles, drunkenness, late and unnecessary outing.

Deacon Baah who won an award with his track titled 'Wone mahooden', released his first album 'Nahu mobro' in 2011 with 22 tracks;, followed by the award winning track and other 17 songs as Volume two; and then 'Akasima' as Volume three with 15 tracks.

He was nominated for 'Best Male Worship Song of the year and Best Worship Song of the year' and won the latter.

The Artiste disclosed that his fourth and fifth volumes which would have 15 tracks each would be released soon.

Responding to whether he expected to win an award, he said: 'we knew what God was about doing because we never picked any forms but it was by his grace and favour'.

Deacon Baah noted that he believes the song won an award because of the support and votes from people who had gotten testimonies when they listened to his tracks noting that he had tracks with a number of gospel artistes including; Opiesie Esther, Grace Ashy, and Ernest Acheampong.

He urged the general public not to wait till 31st December before they go to thank God, adding that the rest of his life would be used to spread the gospel to the whole world through worship songs.

This year's National Gospel Music Awards had 30 categories including; Female Worship Song of the year, Best Praise Song of the year, Best Gospel Song of the year, Best Contemporary Gospel Album, Best Traditional song and was judged by a board of Jury after public nominations.

GNA
26.12.2017 LISTEN

The African Union, has lauded the late Libyan President Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's role in maintaining peace and security in Africa.

"The collapse of the state of authority in Libya, created and brought in its wake other problems we didn't think about. We know that Colonel Gaddafi was not exactly a saint..... but at least Libya was stable," Mr Thomas Kwesi Quartey, Deputy Chairperson, African Union (AU) said at the close of a training course on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra.

The two-week course was attended by 44 participants draw from the security forces, civil and public services and civil society organisations across Africa.

It was organised by the KAIPTC in collaboration with the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACRST).

Mr Quartey said: "You would find work, you could find peace. I visited Libya several times. We had meetings there. Libya was able to absorb and prevent our hungry youth desperate with crossing into the Mediterranean in the conditions that we see today.

"So when the UN Security Council in a bid to counter what they thought was a threat from Colonel Gaddafi, they passed a resolution and the no fly zone was created; that was basically a declaration of war. Many of our African representatives on the Security Council slightly voted with the majority. It was only I believe Brazil, which protested'.

He said the state in which Libya was today, people were fleeing with all the heavy arms which Gaddafi had and it had put pressure on Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, with some aspects of it even in neighbouring CAte d'Ivoire.

"We in Ghana happily have been saved some of the worse extremes of this phenomenon and part of the reasons is the capabilities of our security forces and the work of institutions like this Centre and the work that they do," he said.

Mr Quartey said violent extremism contributed and continued to posse great challenges to the global security architecture, stability and socioeconomic development, creating humanitarian crisis, sometimes of very unimaginable magnitudes.

"We need to be able to imagine and find out what animates a terrorist, what goes on in the mind of a terrorist, such that he wants to blow himself up and take other people with him.

"While seeking to tackle what we believe are the outward manifestation, the bombings and the rest, it is also important to try and understand the causes," he said.

Mr Quartey said in a world facing growing cousins between the poor and the rich, terrorism, global pandemics such as Ebola, as well as challenges around global political stability, accountability and security, the time had never been more urgent to have a discussion about facilitating a global discourse on how to tackle these challenges.

He said some African countries were growing, whereas others were facing fragility and persistent poverty; declaring that "our continent is highly exposed to environmental risk and climate change but our vision remains an Africa, integrated, literate and numerate, a united Africa, that can contribute its own input to the global problem solving efforts and not to become a problem".

He lauded the KAPITC for running the course dubbed "Countering and Preventing Violent Terrorism"; adding that it was an extremely important course to concentrate on.

"Our continued engagement and our collaborative efforts towards understanding terrorism, violent extremism and to address and counter it is therefore very critical," he said adding, "We must seek to understand the roots of this phenomenon, what motivates them, what animates them and none of us is immune from extreme terrorism".

Mr Quartey said there remained growing concerns on security challenges in the Sahel Sahara.

"The challenge facing us now as Africans, as a continent is to be able to change the narrative on the continent; the continent with the brightest sunshine somehow is known as the 'Dark Continent', you wonder how?

"The continent where the large numbers of the youth are now seeking in droves to leave, that posses a very fundamental problem! What is it? That they are running away from? Bad governance, lack of democracy, hunger and poverty? But these are challenges that can be addressed if you look at the root causes."

Mr Quartey said the AU in its agenda 2063, talks about an Africa which was integrated as their vision, united, democratic, at peace with itself and at peace with the rest of the world, able to contribute its quota.

"This new leadership of the AU Commission is seeking to imagine an Africa where every child is in school, an Africa where illiteracy has become a thing of the past, an Africa which is numerate and literate, an African which is able to absorb technology and capital and put science and technology at the level of production, leverage science and technology into agriculture.

"We have mechanism modern scientific agriculture operating within an Africa where our boarders have now become bridges of corporation," he said.

He cited Ghana and CAte d'Ivoire, which accounted for 70 per cent of world cocoa production, could together determine its price on the international market.

He said the AU's focus now was to integrate the continent together, produce things and shape the economies in their interest.

Lieutenant Colonel Larry Gbevlo Lartey, AU Chairperson's Special Representative for Countering Terrorism Cooperation/Director of the ACRST, said the course was important because it related to the prevention of violent extremism.

He said good governance was critical at the community, local, national regional and international levels for the prevention of violent extremism.

At the event, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by the AU and the KAIPTC.

Mr Quartey initialed for the AU, while Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Griffith S. Evans, the Commandant of the KAIPTC, signed for the Centre.

AVM Evans explained to the Ghana News Agency that the MOU was intended to enable the Centre with the AU to do more training.

"We are a peace institution; they are for African Union peace. So we have come together to work," he said.

In October, 2016, the KAIPTC and the ACRST, a Centre of Excellence of the African Union Commission signed a MoU to combat terrorism in Africa.
26.12.2017 LISTEN

Manso-Datano, a fast growing community in the Amansie-West District, has been provided with a GHC350,000.00 air-conditioned washroom facility.

It was built for the people by a private businessman, Nana Adjei Sikapa, as his contribution to efforts at improving sanitation in the town.

Mr. William Bediako Asante, the District Chief Executive (DCE), has applauded him for the project and said it should serve as good example to everybody.

He underlined the readiness of the assembly to forged strong partnership with anybody or group eager to bring development and raise the quality of life of the people.

The DCE announced the decision by the assembly to support property owners to construct household toilets.

He added that it would pay for 50 per cent of the construction cost of any such facility.

This, he said, was part of the deliberate effort to ensure that the people had access to toilet, to end the practice where some had been defecating in the fields.

Nana Sikapa called for the community to show ownership of the project.

They should do everything to make sure that it was properly maintained and kept.

He pledged his unwavering determination to continue to associate with the drive to promote good environmental sanitation in the district.
26.12.2017 LISTEN

Reverend Rockson Kyeremeh Danso, the Wa District Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, has stated that Jesus Christ is an embodiment of peace given to the world by the Almighty God.

He therefore encouraged all, not only to accept him but continue to seek him, so that they would find peace in their families, communities and society in general.

Rev. Danso stated this while delivering a sermon on Christmas day at the Epiphany Congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in Wa on Moday.

'Because Jesus Christ is an embodiment of peace, when you accept him and do as he says, he will block your evil deeds and let your good deeds shine,' he said and noted that when that happened, everything one did would always bring peace.

The Wa District Minister of the Presby therefore encouraged all Christians to learn to find peace through Jesus Christ, stressing that without Jesus Christ there was no peace.
26.12.2017 LISTEN

Most Reverend John Bonaventure Kwofie, the Catholic Bishop of the Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese, has urged Christians not to use the birth of Christ for merry making only, but to also manifest the presence of God in their lives.

He said many people use Christmas to show off their earthly wealth, adding that, it should also be used to spread the gospel, especially to those who still do not know Christ and needed spiritual healing and growth.

Bishop Kwofie said this in a sermon at the Star of the Sea Cathedral in Takoradi to mark the birth of Jesus Christ.

The Parishioners, who were mainly dressed in white attire to signify their joy for the birth of Christ, sang and danced to melodious hymns by the Cathedral choir.

The Bishop said the birth of Christ was being celebrated to enable Christians to be restored to their original dignity, while restoring the world to its original beauty.

Bishop Kwofie said in the beginning, God created everything beautifully and put mankind in charge of them, but man failed to perform his duty by sinning.

He said God allowed his only son to come to earth to restore mankind to his original dignity and honour.

Bishop Kwofie therefore urged Christians to allow the birth of Christ to descend in their various homes, work places and society, by spreading the gospel to help save and restore the world.

He offered prayers for the sick, and for peace to reign in the country.
The Dutch call him Sinterklaas, and in Germany, he goes by the name of Weihnachtsmann. You might know him simply as Santa.

He is a man of many names, and many nations claim him as their own. But one country may be one step closer to declaring itself Santa Claus official home.

St Nicholas, the generous medieval Christian saint believed to be the inspiration behind the modern-day Santa Claus, was bishop of the small Roman town of Myra in the 4th Century in what is now Turkey. And although the location of his remains is contested  some believe they are in Italy while others claim hes buried in Ireland  in October 2017 Turkish archaeologists discovered a tomb underneath the St Nicholas Church in the province of Antalya, not far from the ruins of ancient Myra, which they believe belongs to St Nicholas himself.

If Turkey is able to claim St Nicholas final resting place, Santa-lovers worldwide will have a whole new destination of pilgrimage  but not if Finland has anything to say about it.

If you ask Finns where Santa Claus comes from, they will say Lapland (Credit: Citikka/Alamy Stock Photo)

The Ministry of Education and Culture approved the inclusion of the Finnish Santa Claus tradition in the Inventory of Living Heritage (Credit: Ilkka Siren)

In November 2017, Finlands Ministry of Education and Culture approved Joulupukki (or Finnish Santa Claus tradition, as it is known today) to be included in the National Inventory of Living Heritage, a list that is upheld by the National Board of Antiquities as a part of the Unesco Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

This was a big step for the Finnish Santa Claus and for us, said Jari Ahjoharju, a representative of Finlands Santa Claus Foundation. We are hoping that ultimately the Finnish Santa Claus tradition will be included in Unescos international list of intangible cultural heritage.

According to Ahjoharju, although the Unesco listing would not recognise Santa Claus as uniquely Finnish, it would still be a monumental recognition for Finland, strengthening its position as the country where Santa Claus lives.

Visitors can meet the Finnish Santa at the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi (Credit: Tony Lewis/Getty Images)

So, why even try to claim Santa Claus? Perhaps the better question is who wouldnt want to claim him. For one thing, Santa Claus is, for many, the ultimate fun-loving, gift-giving, peaceful figure who wants to spread joy. Sure, some see him as the modern face of commercialism, but its hard to deny the infectiousness of Santa Claus jolly spirit. In the end, fictional or not, he is an ambassador of goodwill.

And yes, tourism is a key consideration. According to Visit Finland, the number of overnight stays in Lapland grew by nearly 18% last year. While the northern lights are certainly a major draw, Ahjoharju said that most of the tourists visiting Lapland are keen to meet the Finnish Santa in Rovaniemi, home to the Santa Claus Village . He is a significant attraction, and as such a priceless asset for Finlands growing tourism industry.

If the remains of St Nicholas are indeed found in Antalya, it would surely be a powerful addition to Turkeys claim to Santa. However, Turkey still lacks the snow, reindeer and northern lights strongly associated with Santa Claus home  all of which can be found in Finland.

Turkey lacks the snow and reindeer strongly associated with Santa Claus home (Credit: Avalon/Photoshot License/Alamy)

Who knows what the future may hold for our merry friend but one thing is for sure: Joulupukki will soon start his long journey from Lapland  not flying, but ploughing through the snow with his sleigh  to knock on doors across Finland and ask, Onko taalla kiltteja lapsia?
The Konogo Divisional Commander of the Ghana Police Service, Supt. George Ohene-Boadi Bossman says officers were compelled to shoot at cattle in Agogo after herdsmen commanded them to charge on police.

He said the officers had gone to the Agogo township to sack cattle who had been destroying farmlands but was forced to shoot and kill the cattle who suddenly charged on them.

Speaking on the Midday News after nomadic herdsmen in Agogo accused the District Chief Executive (DCE) and police of deliberately killing about 200 of their animals, he said they acted in self-defense.

One of the affected herdsmen, Alhaji Grusah said they are killing the cows and sharing to the people.

But Supt Bossman said Anytime we go to the field to drive them away, they speak to the cattle and they charge on us. So if they are charging at us, should we stand for the cattle to kill us, Supt. Bossman said.

He however said 200 was an exaggeration, and that the number was lesser although he could not give the right figure.

Supt. Bossman said the herdsmen have refused to stop their cattle from grazing on people's farms.

They have, with their cattle, destroyed farmlands and taken away from the Agogo indigenes their only source of livelihood, he said.

He added that the police will not allow that to continue.

The indigenes of Agogo deserve to be given the chance to embark on their farming activities, that is the only way they can cater for themselves and their families.

These people go to banks to take loans to develop their farms and the cattle should not be allowed to destroy them, he said.

The DCE Francis Oti Boateng also denied accusations that he ordered the police to embark on a shooting spree.

He, however, admitted that the cattle were shot at only because the herdsmen refused to keep them off peoples farms.

The cattle have committed a lot of atrocities on my people. 40 people have died as a result and they are still destroying peoples farms.

He said after five months of grace period for the herdsmen to confine the cattle and reduce destruction, the only option left is to drive them out of the town.

"If any cattle has been killed, it is as a result of self defense," the DCE added.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | NSA
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There is a very interesting incident that happened recently in my native Imo State of Nigeria. A very successful business woman found it necessary to dump her husband when her wealth got into her head. After the separation, she got into politics and made even more money. Everyone who associated with her had a lot of respect for her. Literarily, she became an instant celebrity. Everyone knew she was well connected and powerful.

She had an only child, a daughter with her ex-husband. And the child, a ten year old stayed with her mother. Every day, the woman left home to attend to political meetings. She scarcely stayed home, and sometimes she would be away for several days. So, she hired the services of a nanny to look after her daughter.

She bought bags of rice, beans, plenty of yams and other food items and stocked the house with them. She thought to herself: while I am away, my daughter and her nanny would at least have enough food to eat.

Hardly did she visualise that some days, the nanny would not cook at all. Some other days, the child would prefer to play around with her mates and forget she hadnt eaten all day. And her nanny would not be bothered. She did not see the need to supervise the young girls feeding.

After a while, the young girl became ill. Her mother took her to the Federal Medical Centre where a doctor diagnosed she was suffering from kwashiorkor.

The woman was so infuriated that she slapped the doctor. How dare you?she spat out. I stocked my house with enough foodstuffs to last for a whole year, and here you are telling me my daughter is suffering from kwashiorkor! Are you out of your mind or something? How on earth would my daughter be suffering from kwashiorkor when the store in my house is filled to the brim with an assortment of various foodstuffs?

The doctor took the slap quietly but asked the woman to try another doctor and if he was wrong, he would be prepared to lose his licence. The woman took the child to a private hospital and the same result was pronounced by the doctor there. The child was suffering from kwashiorkor. The woman now went back to the Federal Medical Centre to apologise to the doctor she slapped. She had too much money. But she had too little time to look after her family.

Ironically, that is exactly what happens to poor families where parents are unable to provide their children with food. Most of the children end up suffering from kwashiorkor. So, what is the difference?

Unlike children of the rich and mighty in the society, children of the poor are sent out by their parents to go hawk along the streets to help put some sort of food on the breakfast table for their families. It reminds me of the incident that happened in 2015 while President Jonathan was campaigning in Lagos.

In that robbery incident at the First City Monument Bank, Admiralty Way, Lekki, Phase1, Lagos Nigeria, Sarah Ibikunle, a 15-year old girl was caught in the crossfire between armed robbers and some police officers who bumped into their operation.

Sarah, like millions of other Nigerian children from poor families was hawking fried fish on the streets of Lagos. Sarah had hoped that after her secondary school, she would get admission into a university and read Law. She wanted to become a lawyer and perhaps a Senior Advocate of Nigeria later. But her young life was cut short by men of the underworld.

Like most of her kind, Sarah knew hardship. She knew suffering. Her mother had walked out on her father much early. She left her matrimonial home when Sarah was still young. Her father was left to bring her up. But he died about six years later when Sarah was only 9. Sarah had to go live with her grandmother. Her grandmother died too, and Sarah moved on to live with her father's sister. This auntie wasn't very rich. So, both Sarah and her cousin, her auntie's son, would go hawking after school to help put some food on the breakfast table for the family.

Perhaps, Sarah had decided to become a lawyer after the entire trauma she had been through, believing there is a need for greater justice in her world. Who would ever know? But Sarah's sudden death raised the dust of very important socio-political issues.

All over Nigeria, in every village, every town, every city, children as young as eight years old are daily on the streets hawking commodities that range from akara, moi-moi, groundnuts, banana and pure water to fried fish, fried plantain, soft drinks and so on. They are sent out there to sell these things because of the financial situation in their families. Their efforts out on the streets most times help put food on the breakfast table for their families.

These children are often exposed to untold hardships and dangers that include raping and motor accidents, and as we realized later from Sarah's case, stray bullets.

Child labour is a crime that is recognized all over the world. In Nigeria, however, child labour is a crime that has often been taken for granted. And that is very unfortunate.

I have watched Nigerian politicians campaign. Not one of them has ever spoken of what he or she would do for the poorer families in his or her constituency. Not one of them ever spoke a word about working class families. All they talk about is electricity, roads, schools, airports. No one has ever said he would ensure the welfare of the poorer families. No one considers the plight of working class families. For the Nigerian politician, poverty alleviation does not start from families. It starts from the ward chairman's office: the point, perhaps, being that the Nigerian politician scarcely gets inspiration from anywhere or any one.

In Britain, the opposition Labour Party has been struggling hard to bring Labour back into government. When Labour launched its industrial strategy a few months ago, its leadership accused the Conservatives of focusing their strategy on the rich in the hope that their wealth trickles down to the rest of British society. Labour party insisted that boosting the prosperity of working class families on average incomes is the key to Britain's industrial revival. Labour Party's plan was based on the idea that it is only when Britain's working families succeed that Britain succeeds. They distanced themselves from the old idea that it is only from the top down that wealth flows. "Our plan recognizes that every person in every sector of the economy is a wealth creator. We need a plan which nurtures the talents of every young person, supports every business, allows every family to share prosperity, and expects each and every one of us to contribute.

I have continued to suggest over these years that government should take a good look at what makes democracy work better in the developed countries. One factor that has been useful in stabilizing these societies is that government made the law that every employer of labour must pay workers in time. All over Europe and America, workers are paid on the day they should be paid. Some workers are paid weekly, every Thursday or Friday; some every fortnight and some four weekly. By midnight preceding your pay day, your salary is in your bank account. There is no issue of salary arrears. That is the law. And that is one law that is helping to stabilize those societies economically.

But what do you have in Nigeria? Working class families are owed arrears of salary that runs into several months at a time.

How does the working class family survive under such harsh conditions?

When a breadwinner is not sure when he gets his wages or, indeed, if he will ever get paid his wages at-all, what does anyone expect from him? He may be tempted to steal, or get the money by hook or crook. He just cannot fold his arms and watch his wife and children die of starvation while he sees those in the big offices, said to be well connected Nigerians, steal millions of dollars from the national treasury which they siphon into the foreign bank accounts.

If security is tight for him, or the decorum of not being marked out as a thief is important to him as a father, he may decide to send some of his children out on the streets to hawk. In the process, anything could happen to the child.

This is a situation Nigerian politicians must address with the political expediency it deserves and with the support of relevant charity organizations. Government has kept criminal silence over this issue perhaps because it is the greatest employer of labour.

The point is that Nigerian children deserve a better deal than the raw treatment they are getting from their mentors at the moment. Government must ensure that the laws are made and enforced concerning salary payments and child labour. No more salary arrears. No more child labour in actual fact, not only on the pages of the newspaper.

Government must prescribe adequate punishment for employers and parents who default. On its part, government must ensure that working class families are paid much in the same way they are paid in the developed countries. In such a way, working class families can plan their lives more meaningfully; incidents of corruption will be minimized and parents will no longer find sending their children out to hawk a compulsion. The government has to choose the right way to accomplish its dream of making Nigeria a true, and not a fake, democratic country.

Too little or too much money, Nigerian children must not be destroyed by their parents.
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Charles Palmer-Buckle, says corruption is rife in the Ghanaian system urging the prosecution of persons engaged in the act.

He charged all Ghanaians to put their shoulders to the wheel to eliminate the canker.

According to the man of God, corruption in the country does not only happen in political circles but has rather become an a Ghanaian thing.

We have almost come to the point of accepting corruption as a culture. It is not a culture, it is very wrong, he said.

Recently, the founding president of think tank, IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Franklin Cudjoe, called on President Akufo-Addo to rid his government of festering corruption perception.

He warned that such heightening corruption perception about the current administration may prove worrisome if pragmatic measures are not put in place immediately to correct it.

According to him, the impression of corruption against the President and his appointees, especially when the President had promised to protect the public purse, may sink the government eventually.

To this and more, Rev Palmer-Buckle said the country needs to do a lot of work to uproot the phenomenon.

All those getting involved or have been involved in corrupt practices if found out must be brought before the law for the law to take its course, he said

Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com |Abubakar Ibrahim
26.12.2017 LISTEN

As of this writing, I had not googled to find out whether the pressure group calling itself AFRC or the Alliance for Responsible Citizens, had already embarked on its anti-NMC demonstration originally scheduled to take place on 6 (See Media Sanctions: Government Frustrating Demo Efforts  AFRC Classfmonline.com / Ghanaweb.com 10/25/17). The group, whose initials are an obvious throwback on the bloody Rawlings-led junta of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), is protesting the legally righteous decision by the National Media Commission to impose punitive fines and/or suspensions on some 131 radio stations across the country whose operators have failed to meet their bandwidth-use obligations to both the Ghanaian taxpayer and the Government.

Some of the radio stations caught in the NMC dragnet had been operating without license, contrary to laws governing broadcast journalism in the country. The original schedule of the demonstration had been halted by the Ghana Police Service (GPS) for lack of adequate crowd-control personnel. The AFRC leadership had therefore been advised to scale back the length of the route planned for the demonstration. Well, as was to be expected, the leadership of the group wasted no time in castigating the Akufo-Addo Administration for supposedly being democratically intolerant. This is ironic, because it was President Addo DankwaAkufo-Addo who, as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, under President John Agyekum-Kufuor, wrote the law that effectively repealed the Criminal Libel Law under which the members of the AFRC pressure group would have been summarily rounded up and jailed for simply criticizing any powerful personalities in government or their kin, associates and cronies.

It is also rather comical that the leaders of the AFRC pressure group are not questioning the legality of appropriating publicly owned bandwidths for private and profit-making enterprises without settling their legally stipulated obligations. Then also, claiming that in postponing their demonstration was tantamount to deliberately frustrating their freedom of expression by the Flagstaff House could not be more absurd. Because, in reality, it is pressure groups like the AFRC that are criminally frustrating efforts by the Akufo-Addo Administration to make the country more democratically disciplined and fiscally responsible than it had been under the tandem regimes of the Mills- and Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC).

As I observed in a previous column, Messrs. Edward Omane-Boamah and Felix Ofosu-Kwakye, the previous Communications Minister and his Deputy, respectively, had literally slept on their well-paid portfolios. What needs to be done presently, is for the Communications Ministry and the National Media Commission to track the periods during which the operatives of these broadcast media had been in default of their tax obligations, and then cause the seizure of some of the assets of Messrs. Omane-Boamah and Ofosu-Kwakye to defray the same. This measure, of course, must be preceded by the indictment of these notorious political scam-artists. It also begins to make sense why the Mahama regimes operatives had failed to sustain many of the quality-of-life improvement initiatives established by the Kufuor-led government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

These pathological reprobates came into government to simply loot and share. I mildly disagree with Justice Jones Dotse that the faux-socialist NDC operatives created any wealth to loot. They merely solicited monetary aid in the name of the decent and hardworking Ghanaian taxpayer and blindly looted and divvied the same up among themselves.

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
26.12.2017 LISTEN

Going in, I didnt think that the Joseph Whittal Gang at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) would come out with any findings that were remarkably different from that which MaameYaa Addo-Danquah and the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) came out with, vis-a-vis Mr. Kwame AsareObengs very public and virulent accusation of corruption and influence peddling against Messrs. Francis Asenso-Boakye and Abu Jinapor (CHRAJ Clears Asenso-Boakye, Jinapor of Corruption Allegations Citifmonline.com / Ghanaweb.com 12/5/17).

If such clearance pleases the operatives of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), then it is all well and good. After all, wasnt Mr. Whittal one of the last-minute appointees of the resoundingly defeated and livid President John Dramani Mahama? As far as many of us avid watchers of the Ghanaian political scene are concerned, the Chairman of CHRAJ has yet to establish his own credibility; and so really, the CHRAJ decision to exculpate Messrs. Asenso-Boakye and Jinapor from any wrongdoing is decidedly a matter of course. What is important here, nevertheless, is the CHRAJ operatives observation that the Hip-Life artist accuser, popularly known as A-Plus, could not in any way, whatsoever, substantiate his allegations.

That the two accused men are also Deputy Chiefs-of-Staff to President Addo DankwaAkufo-Addo, made the allegations all the more serious. Likewise, equally serious was the fact that A-Plus had played a quite remarkable role in the electioneering campaign of then-Candidate Akufo-Addo. This fact in itself lent a weighty credibility heft to the A-Plus allegation that, ordinarily, ought not to have been entertained. The A-Plus allegation ought not to have been entertained because it was crystal clear from the get-go that Mr. AsareObeng had an axe to grind with at least one of these two Deputy Presidential Chiefs-of-Staff.

Now, Mr. Whittal tells us that, indeed, A-Plus had a personal grievance against Mr. Asenso-Boakye which he nihilistically chose to settle in the medias public square, to the discredit of the ruling New Patriotic Party and the amusement of the key operatives of the main opposition National Democratic Congress. Personally, I had highlighted the obvious fact that it was naked greed and the need to have his weight felt by the presidential staff at the Flagstaff House that had propelled Mr. AsareObeng to make such an immeasurable mess of himself. And to be certain, A-Plus nearly succeeded in ruining a few prominent careers, including that of MaameYaa Addo-Danquah, the Acting Chief of the Criminal Investigations Division of the Ghana Police Service.

Now, as it turns out, it is the turn of A-Plus to be given the heave-ho. This internal detractor must be stripped of any official, as well as unofficial, access to the Flagstaff House and the headquarters of the New Patriotic Party. The last time I heard, there was an NPP group at Kumasi-Bantama that was threatening to sue A-Plus for bringing the image and reputation of the party into abject disrepute. And in the wake of CHRAJs vindication of Messrs. Asenso-Boakye and Jinapor, some observers have been wondering why the two Akufo-Addo staffers do not seem poised to suing Mr. AsareObeng for defamation.

I dont see these two young and powerful and successful men gaining anything from such a suit, besides distracting them from their hectic and time- and brain-intensive jobs. The best revenge is for Messrs. Asenso-Boakye and Jinapor to work hard to ensure that their boss win the next election with an even larger margin of victory than that which was garnered by President Akufo-Addo in the 2016 presidential election.

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
The Department of Children of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has held a Christmas party for over 500 children at Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana.

The Regional Director for the Department Mr. George Yaw Ankamah in a Christmas message read on behalf of the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, called on parents and stakeholders to support government fight against child trafficking, child marriage and child sexual abuse bedevilling the society.

The party dubbed, Presidents Childrens Christmas Party was a party of an annual nationwide event organized by the Gender Ministry to afford the President the opportunity to put smiles in the faces of children, interact with them and solicit feedback on their concerns for action and policy redirection.

Mr. George Yaw Ankamah advised the children to be good behaviour and respectful. He tasked them to take their education serious future leaders to become good citizens of the nation.

Study hard and desist from acts that could lead you into trouble or might mar your future, he said.

He urged parents to protect and take good care of their children as their key responsibility.

Rev. Mrs. Charlotte Osei, founder of Compassion is Love in Action orphanage at Yawhima a suburb of Sunyani where the party was held for the children thanked the government for the gesture.

She expressed her gratitude to the Department for their love for children and putting smiles on the face of the children.

She said Christianity came about when God expressed his love for humanity by giving out his only son Jesus to come and die for us.Giving is what God appreciates the most she emphasized.

She, therefore, called on well to individuals/Ghanaians, corporate organizations and Ghanas development partners to show their love through donations especially, to the deprived and vulnerable.

The children were fed with food, drinks, sweets and good music, including cash donation made on behalf of the government to the orphanage home.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a number of trade deals with Chad on Tuesday, on his first visit to what is one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world.

After landing at the airport in the capital N'Djamena, where he was met by his counterpart Idriss Deby, the two leaders made deals in a number of areas, including income tax, cooperation on youth and sports, technical development, investment and information-sharing, according to a statement by the Chadian presidency.

Erdogan headed a delegation of a dozen ministers, including defence and foreign affairs, as well as 100 Turkish businessmen.

On a trip which the Chadian presidency said would "open a new page in the deepening of relations between the two countries", the two leaders also expressed agreement on key international issues, such as terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

As fresh tensions simmer in the Israeli-occupied West Bank following US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Erdogan and Deby said the move could have a negative impact on peace and stability in the region and would entail a risk of completely destroying the foundations for peace.

The Chad visit is part of the Turkish president's three-country African tour and follows a visit to Sudan on Sunday, where he signed military and economic deals aimed at boosting two-way trade from the current level of $500 million a year to $1-billion.
"Furthermore the Lord said to him, Now put your hand in your bosom. And he

put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. And He said, Put your hand in your bosom again. So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh."

[Exodus 4:6-7] NKJV

What is miracle?

Miracle is God's acting upon nature in a degree far beyond human comprehension.

From the quotation above, God surprised Moses with a miracle so that Israel and Pharaoh would believe the God which Moses was serving.

Since the nation Israel would not believe Moses, God had to perform a miracle.

God has been a miracle worker way back and still He is.

If one way or the other you doubt God's miraculous power, remember a situation where you noted: "As for this one it is a miracle "

Today you are alive. And being alive is a miracle too.

And that is God's doing.

Its DAY 25 of December 2017, let us thank God for His miraculous power over our lives all these years.

Glory to God.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the gift of life in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Amen.

Follow me on https://m . facebook.com/TheWordDigest

#WordDigest
Assembly Member for Gomoa Benso Electoral Area, Mr. Kweku Nyarko Koomson has been elected as the Presiding Member for the Gomoa East District Assembly in the Central Region.

He pull 29 out of 39 votes cast to beat his rival, Mr. Ernest Quarm, who got 10 of the votes . Assembly Member for Dampoase Electoral Area, Mr. Nicolas Otchie had earlier pull out from the race for personal reasons.

Mr. Moses Tia, the Gomoa East District Director of the Electoral Commission subsequently declared Mr. Kweku Nyarko Koomson as winnier to replace Mr. Fred Joe Arthur, Assembly Member for Buduatta/Amoanda Electoral Area.

Mr. Kweku Nyarko Koomson commended the Assembly Members for the confidence imposed in him saying he would continue to work efficiency towards the growth of the Assembly.

He noted that his major priority was to ensure improvement in revenue mobilization for the Assembly to execute its developmental projects for the various communities.

In an interview with newsmen, Mr. Kweku Nyarko Koomson lauded his predecessor Mr. Fred Joe Arthur putting in place strong economic team which he said had performed creditably in the area of revenue mobilization.

"I wish to put on record that the Gomoa East District Assembly was ranked first on the league table of the 20 MMDAs in the Central Region for 2017.

In fact, as September 2017, the Assembly had collected 98% of its projected revenue taget. This become possible through the efforts of Nananom, Opinion Leaders, Assembly staff, Assembly Members and coperate bodies and the great people in the Gomoa East District.

I promise to be fair with all and pray for unity and cooperation for the task ahead. I can't end by thanking DCE for Gomoa East, MPs for Gomoa East and Gomoa Central constituencies, Hon. Kojo Asemanyi and Hon. Naana Eyiah Quansah for their support pledging that I won't disappoint them"

The newly elected Presiding Member appeal to President Akuffo Addo led NPP government to consider payment of monthly salaries for Assembly Members across the country or at least some monthly allowance to enable fulfill their obligations to the people in their electoral areas.

According to him financial assistance and demands from the electorates push them into obscured positions since they don't earn salaries.

Delivering his third ordinary meeting of the second session of the sixth Assembly, the DCE, Hon. Benjamin Kojo Otoo thanked the National Security for extending their operations into the Gomoa East District leading to the arrest of a number of landguards who have been terrorizing developers and innocent citizens at Gomoa Buduburam and Nyanyano communities.

He noted that the security agencies have put mechanism in place to ensure peaceful ambient before, during and after the celebrations of Christmas and New Year festivities.

On Sanitation, the DCE announced that in line with the National Policy for promotion of good environmental sanitation, the District had commenced effort to implement the worthy course.

" The District with support from UNICEF under the community led Total Sanitation Programme has trained 19 Artisans drawn from 7 Area Councils on entrepreneurship and construction of latrines.

The objective of the programme was to train them to be be accessible to the people to facilitate promotion of household toilet construction with the aim of attaining a District-Wide Open Defecation Free status by June, 2019.

To this end, the Artisans had their practical session at Gomoa Ekroful, constructing 7 free toilets for some beneficiaries who have had their materials readily available. The various types constructed include Mozambique toilet, Pour Flush, Rectangular Single among others"

The DCE noted that a sensitization exercise would be rolled out in the district for landlords, households, heads of institutions and property owners to construct an improved toilet facilities within a period of six months which will take effect from January, 2018.

He warned that those who fail to take advantage of the programme be persecuted after the six-month deadline.
26.12.2017 LISTEN

On December 22, 2014, I travelled with Josephine Tweneboaa Afrifa, then my conjugal girlfriend, to Asamankese, in the Eastern Region of Ghana, to do two important things: introduce myself and formally express my intention to marry her to her parents.

It was one of the daring moments in my life, since instead of following the courtesy in such matters; I went alone without the company of any of my kin-members. I fumbled initially in telling Josephines parents that I was interested in their daughter. But with the support of her parents, I mustered courage and declared my intention.

The fruit of that encounter was my marriage to my lovely and most beautiful wife, Josephine, on March 5, 2017: the day I joined the table of men, at least from the point of the Akan concept of masculinity. The other reason for going to Asamankese was to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Accra, where I have been since the 1980s.

In Asamankese, my mother-in-law who is a committed Seventh-day Adventist invited me to the hall to watch television. She flipped the channel of the TV set to Three Adventist Broadcasting Network (3ABN), a Seventh-day Adventist television and radio channel that focuses on the doctrines and health teachings of the Seventh-day Adventists. Lo and behold, immediately she flipped the channel to 3ABN, what she least expected was what greeted her gaze: Adventists in the United States of America observing Christmas with nine lessons and carols. She squirmed at the sight, and said to me, You see this Whites, they tell us not to celebrate Christmas, but you see what they are doing? We will have to rethink what they tell us. I was careful not to talk about it, since as a potential son-in-law, I was guarding against stemming the tide against Adventism, which may cost me the woman I wanted to marry. I tamed my controversial trait and managed a smile. That was it!

I just watched a video presentation where the presenter attempts to compare Christmas and the observation of the Sabbath. The presenter was forthright, It is hypocritical on the part of Christians to spurn the Sabbath, but celebrate the so-called birth of Jesus Christ, which has no biblical connection, aside its kinship ties with Roman paganism! Obviously, many scholars have convincingly and ably responded to the unfounded and illogical criticism that Christmas is of pagan origin. It is, therefore, pointless for me to spill ink on that.

What my interest is in this short piece is to say that comparing the observation of the Sabbath and Christmas is not unlike comparing apples and oranges. The two are simply not the same, no matter the resemblance. While some may try to draw a theological connection between the Sabbath and Christmas, such comparison is emblematic of legalism and intellectual dishonesty. It is also a fruitless effort at conflating two unrelated subjects.

The celebration of Christmas is simply biblical and theological; the Sabbath is not binding on Christians. The essence of Christmas is not so much about the day Christ was born as it is about the historicity and the theological significance of why He was born. My mother, Agartha Adjei, does not know her date of birth. Two factors coalesced to obscure her date of birth: first, she was not born in the hospital: she was born in an obscure village, Assin Bosomadwe, in the Central Region of Ghana. Second, she was never in school to have had her record relative to her date of birth documented. The link between these two factors is the fact that her parents were illiterate! Usually, in my village, until the introduction of colonial education, reckoning dates were marked by some landmark events, which is usually contextualised to have an approximated date. So, quite often, they will associate dates with events, such as the heavy rainfall; the fall of an oak tree in the farm; the installation of a new chief; the funeral of the last old person in the family; the attack on the village by external invaders, and the outbreak an epidemic.

This reckoning of time begs for oral tradition as one of the reliable sources for the reconstruction of the history of preliterate cultures. It also shapes and informs the historiographical approach to studying such cultures. The chroniclers of the events involving Jesus Christ did not provide as with the exact date of the birth of the most important person in history. But they were meticulous enough to have given us cues for us to trace the historicity and events involving the saviour of the elect.

Consider the opening remarks of Lukes gospel: Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you  so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught [Luke 1:1-4].

Luke writes with the competence of a modern historian: he did not blindly accept the account of the early apostles about Jesus Christ, but rather investigated by crosschecking facts and figures. It was only after he was satisfied that he wrote his account of Jesus Christ. There is a point of confluence between my mom and Jesus Christ: both did not have a recorded date of birth, but both are historical figures! The absence of date of birth in the account of both Jesus and my mom does not make the two persons ahistorical and fictitious figures. More so, we are also not forbidden from celebrating their birthday. At least, there is nothing in the Bible against the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Even so, in the case of my mom, when she was to register for national identity cards, such as the national health insurance and the voters ID, we found a date that approximated her age. We considered the age of my senior brother who is 40 years and added it to the possibility of the age at which she gave birth to him to fashion a date for her birth. In the case of Jesus Christ, we did not have to create a date for his birth, since that is inconsequential for Christian soteriological discourse, particularly in the first century. Instead, since it was imperative to counteract pagan practice in Rome, it became necessary to adopt a day to honour and celebrate His incarnation, instead of a pagan deity, which was ingrained in Roman culture.

The incarnation of Jesus is the best thing that ever happened in history. It is necessary for the praxes and orthopraxis of Christianity. Our salvation as the elects of God is inextricably connected to the person (birth) and work (crucifixion) of Jesus Christ. Without this there will be no salvation. In Hebrews, we are told about the importance of the incarnation: Because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said, Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, Here I am  it is written about me in the scroll  I have come to do your will, O God [Hebrews 10-47].

This text without any equivocation captures the importance of the incarnation, following the weaknesses of the ceremonial laws in offering salvation. This is the point of Christmas: the incarnation  hypostasis union. The merging of divine and human in the person of Jesus Christ [Colossians 2:9], was unlike the avatara of Hinduism and unlike any such traditions in any religion. No wonder, Jesus Christ is called Emmanuel: God with us! Hallelujah!!!

There is no way we are told Sabbath observation saves anybody. The Sabbath had/has no salvific power; it was just meant to reinforce the distinctiveness of Gods covenant with only Israel (a few years ago, I read the flawed book of Herbert Armstrong in his false attempt to say Christians are modern Israelites); and to set the Israelites as unique and separate from the rest of the world [Exodus 31]. The Sabbath is powerless in matters of salvation that explains the preeminence of the covenant Christ enters with Christians [read the gospels and the epistles]. The Sabbath, I repeat is inconsequential to the Christian redemptive history. The early apostles did not observe the Sabbath for the purposes of gaining salvation. Their theology of salvation was and continues to be framed around the person and work of Jesus Christ. Any attempt to conflate and confuse the Sabbath and Christmas is intellectual dishonesty or sheer ignorance or both. You cannot have salvation in the law and grace in the room simultaneously: it is a matter of light and darkness. The two are not mixable.

I know of the shifting of the goalposts among some Seventh-day Adventists in their assertion that we can celebrate Christmas, but we need to also observe the Sabbath. This is totally unacceptable: you cannot have your cake and eat it! It is either you accept that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone and in Christ alone (with the incarnation as the linchpin), without any admixture with the law (including the defunct Sabbath) or salvation by law, in which case you renounce the work of Christ! That said, I do not begrudge Seventh-day Adventists and the Jehovahs Witnesses for refusing to officially celebrate Christmas. I also do no resent Adventists for making a fuss about the Sabbath. My problem is when they judge others with a minor and usually skewed doctrine, as the canon.

To all Christians, let us do all things, including the celebration of Christmas, to the glory of God [I Corinthians 10:31], and to other Christians, let us be charitable to those who disagree with us. Caricaturising other Christians because they do things differently is fruitless exercise and waste of energy. In conclusion, I want to repeat Pauls admonition here:

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day [Colossians 2:16]

Satyagraha

Charles Prempeh, ([email protected]), African University College of Communications, Accra
26.12.2017 LISTEN

There is no second opinion that trade multilateralism is in crisis. This was proved again at the recently concluded unsuccessful ministerial conference of the WTO (World Trade Organisation) members in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This is neither a one-off event nor just confined to trade. Since the financial crisis of 2008, a series of events have taken place in all three areas of global public goods  security, environment, trade  where multilateral negotiations and solutions have had hiccups.

However, the set back of trade multilateralism should not be confused with backlash against globalisation. Manifested backlash against globalisation, as reflected in Brexit for example, is more about growing inequalities created by increasingly prevalent economic tensions among capital, labour and technologies than trade per se.

It is true that, as against reversal, current trends in the three pillars of globalisation  trade, investment, migration  are all positive. After a few years of sluggish growth global trade is poised for a better growth in 2018 according to the WTO.

This is a reflection of economic recoveries in western countries. Investment, particularly foreign direct investment in services and new technologies, is expanding. Despite many political challenges, evident from the growth and diversification of sources of remittances, cross-border migration is not stopping.

Then the question is how to get trade multilateralism out of its crisis so that there is a greater political push for globalisation with equity. Time is not on our side. Collective leadership is needed.

Unsuccessful WTO ministerial

This is not the first time that a WTO ministerial conference was unsuccessful. We have seen it happening before: in Seattle (1999), Cancun (2003). However, the difference between the earlier ones and the one in Buenos Aires is that there was no palpable appetite on the part of any WTO member to make it a success. The big trader, the US, itself was unclear in what it wants.

Much before this ministerial, and repeatedly during the event in Buenos Aires, the Conference Chair  Argentine Minister SusanaMalcorra  said that there is life beyond Buenos Aires. Of course, there is but nobody is sure what it would be like in near future.

The result was that the Buenos Aires ministerial could not produce a Ministerial Declaration or Decision. On the other hand, the US was hell bent that there should not be any reference to the Doha Development Round of negotiations in those documents, many developing countries including India refused to accept the discussions and negotiations during the conference as mere policy dialogue. Neither of them made efforts to arrive at a middle ground. Nor there was much push on the part of other major players such as European Union, China, Brazil to get them to a conducive negotiating table.

This was not surprising because at the time of the drafting the ministerial declaration in Geneva (before the actual conference), the US stated its discomfort about the word development and also questioned the principles of the multilateral trading system under the WTO. Even though Indias trade minister, Suresh Prabhu protested, defining development as the heart of the WTO, other members did not rally against such extreme positions. Therefore, it did not come as a surprise when Robert Lighthizer, the US Trade Representative,left Buenos Aires on the second day of the conference without waiting for its conclusion.

Need for institutional reforms

The governance of the multilateral trading system rests on three major functions of the WTO  negotiations, regular work programme and dispute settlement. Out of them, negotiations are stalled, the regular work programme has become more like business as usual and the dispute settlement system is under severe stress.

Perhaps because of the success of its dispute settlement system the WTO has become a victim. This year the US refused to endorse the appointment of a member to the appellate body of the WTO disputes. With a few other members of this appellate body due to retire before the end of next year, the system will become dysfunctional.

The US is saying that there is too much of emphasis on WTO disputes and as a result its negotiating function under the regular work programme is not getting much needed attention. This was the original idea behind the formation of the WTO.

With the conclusion of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, it was decided that there will not be any more round of negotiations but revisions of Uruguay Round agreements and introduction of new issues to the system will be carried forward through the negotiations of a built-in agenda under the regular work programme.

Alas, within a few years of the conclusion of the Uruguay Round and the establishment of the WTO in 1996, it was the US (supported by the European Union), which insisted on first launching a millennium round of negotiations in Seattle (1999) and then, despite opposition from many developing countries including India, launched the Development Round in Doha (2001). Developing countries agreed to launch the Doha Round more as a solidarity shown to the US and the international community following the unfortunate 9/11 incident.

Time for collective leadership

Institutional reforms at the WTO will take time to come to fruition. This is because it is a member-driven organisation and they will have to first agree in what areas and what type of reforms are needed. Both the dispute settlement system (without reverting back to the GATT system of dispute resolution  from the current system of negative consensus to the old system of positive consensus) and the functioning of its regular work programme need significant reforms so that there is balanced participation of all members in the system and a more equitable distribution of its outcomes.

That can happen if there is a collective leadership within and outside the WTO. Since the Second World War the US has successfully underwritten a system of governance of global public goods which brought unprecedented stability and growth to the world. At the same time, it is to be realised that it has also created inequality within and among countries. Furthermore, the US will have to come to a new reality that it is no longer in a pole position to direct the governance of global public goods.

However, while some current policies and postures of the US administration are creating vacuum in the governance of global public goods, China and other emerging economies should also realise that either alone or in a disjointed manner they are not in a position to provide the kind of leadership that the US provided post World War II.

The comity of nations will have to work collectively for better governance of global public goods; trade being one of them. All countries should be in a position to exercise their right to trade. This should be done at the WTO and also at other relevant fora such as G-20.

This will require much more pro-activeness and flexibilityon the part of the US, EU, China, India and other emerging economies. They should realise the importance of finding negotiated solutions to problems through dialogues and that even with give and take there can be win-win for all.

If the WTO becomes dysfunctional, which may happen before the end of next year then the world is heading for disastrous consequences in other two areas of global public goods as well. It is better to pull up our socks now than to wait for another unfortunate 9/11 kind of an incident to understand the virtues of multilateralism and global solidarity.

Secretary General and Executive Director, CUTS International, a global think-tank on economic policy issues
Bradford County, FL - The woman dubbed the Gravesite Grinch is behind bars, accused of stealing right off family members grave sites.

Jenni Hudkins along with Janice Crawford were arrested in connection with the thefts.

From figurines to statues and concrete benches, the garage at the Bradford County Sheriff's Office is full of recovered items that were stolen from grave sites.

"Perfect Christmas present," victim Penny Lee said.

Action News Jax reported Thursday when Sheriff Gordon Smith posted a video to social media asking for the publics help to track down Hudkins.

And early Christmas morning, a tip led them to her arrest.

"Ive worked a lot of cases in 30 years and Ive never seen such an overwhelming amount of people wanting to catch this individual," Sheriff Gordon Smith said.

The stolen goods were sold to a local thrift store, then hidden. Smith said Crawford was arrested for dealing in stolen property.

"I can't believe anyone would accept someone coming up to sell them things like this because you know it's got to come from a graveyard," Lee said.

Several families were out visiting loved ones at Crosby Lake Cemetery Christmas evening. Some including Rhonda Marr, are still missing memorial items from their familys graves.

"She actually came out there while I was sitting on the bench waiting on me to leave. She took the bench," Marr said.

Relief is the one thing these families are feeling after learning the woman dubbed the Gravesite Grinch is now behind bars.

"Even she's loved by somebody, this Grinch, but we can't help her until she helps herself," Smith said.

Since the investigation is ongoing, the sheriff said more arrests could follow and the number of charges could increase.
Long queues formed at petrol stations across Nigeria Tuesday, with motorists sometimes waiting up to 24 hours to fill up their tanks, as Africa's number one oil producer faces a crippling fuel shortage.

"I couldn't travel. I would have loved to travel to Osun State (north of Lagos) to spend time with my family (for Christmas), but I cancelled on that one," motorist Tope Alake told AFP as he waited at one of the few petrol stations still open in Lagos, Nigeria's economic capital.

"I am supposed to be at home now," said another driver, Alex Ogunsola. "I am supposed to take the kids to the beach. I am on queue and I am not even sure if I am going to see fuel today."

Monster traffic jams have clogged up Nigeria this Christmas, which had been hoping to enjoy a happier holiday season this year than in 2016, when the country was deep in economic recession.

Given the scale of the shortage, everyone involved is eager to lay the blame at somebody else's door.

The distributors are pointing the finger at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), which does not have sufficient resources to meet the demands of the country, with its population of 190 million people.

Under orders from the government in Abuja, NNPC's chief Maitanki Baru unveiled a national plan on Monday to deliver an additional 300 million litres of petrol to "support the current consumption of 45 million litres per day" -- much higher than the normal demand of 27-28 million litres per day due to the holiday period.

Baru also pointed out that the national refineries in Port Harcourt and Kaduna were producing 3.8 million litres of refined petrol per day, a paltry amount give that Nigeria is Africa's biggest exporter of crude (nearly two million barrels per day).

The NNPC chief also blamed black market vendors for purposely paralysing petrol stations so as to push up parallel selling prices to 400 naira (0.93 euros per litre, $1.11), compared with 145 naira normally.

At the same time, consumers suspect the government of creating a chaotic situation in order to justify an increase in diesel and petrol prices at the pump next year.

The crisis is particularly serious in a country where the public electricity supply is weak and where businesses and private individuals rely on their diesel generator for lighting.
I stuck to what the coaches ...
While you were busy complaining about the President and Congress and concerning yourself with election results in Alabama and hurricane cleanup in Puerto Rico, heres what was happening in your backyard.

In case you are interested, we wrap up 2017 in the Cornhusker State with: no beer sales in the tiny Sheridan County village of Whiteclay; permission granted to build a controversial Keystone XL Pipeline in the state, but not along the companys preferred route; a continuing reduction in the number of state government employees as part of the governors on-going plan of budget management; lawsuits filed by the ACLU against Nebraskas corrections system because of prison overcrowding and alleged confusion created by the death penalty reinstatement, even as the state filed notice it wants to execute the first of 11 inmates on death row.

In September, the Nebraska Supreme Court used a technicality to uphold a decision by the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission to slam the door on beer sales in Whiteclay. The high court ruled that the four beer stores in the border town should remain closed. Though it turned on a technicality, the ruling leaves store owners with few options. They could apply for new licenses, but the success of doing so is slight. The high court ruled that the beer outlets  which sold an average of 3.5 million cans of beer a year, mostly to residents of the nearby Pine Ridge Indian Reservation just across the border  had failed to properly notify citizen protesters that they were appealing.

In November, nine years after it was first proposed, the Nebraska Public Service Commission granted the Keystone XL pipeline a route across the state. But it was not the preferred route of TransCanada, the developer of the controversial line. For its part, TransCanada said it was still evaluating the situation, which will increase expenses and delay completion of the $8 billion project. On a 3-2 vote, the PSC approved the 280-mile-long route that would parallel an existing mainline for 100 miles after a 63-mile detour from the preferred route, which will require new right-of-way contracts with at least 40 landowners. The pipeline created controversy when first proposed in 2008 with plans to cross the fragile and groundwater rich Sand Hills.

In December, Governor Pete Ricketts announced that there are almost 500 fewer Nebraskans working in state government, a 3.5 percent decrease in personnel, since he started counting in October 2016. In addition, more than 1,500 vacant positions have been eliminated. Coupled with a state hiring freeze, the governor said the moves have helped manage the state budget, which has been blasted by lagging revenues. Ricketts said he and his team have reviewed the need for positions as they have come open through retirement and attrition. Yes, exceptions have been made for positions critical to protecting public safety and for service delivery. Among those are positions in the Department of Corrections, which has been plagued by staff turnover.

In August, the Nebraska ACLU filed a long-anticipated lawsuit claiming that crowded prisons  Nebraska is second only to Alabama in having too many people incarcerated -- and a shortage of corrections officers and mental health workers have created a humanitarian crisis, said ACLU Executive Director Danielle Conrad. The class action lawsuit filed on behalf of Nebraska inmates in U.S. District Court said that prisons have reached a state of chaos  with inmate population at 160 percent of capacity  that daily endangers the health, safety and lives of prisoners and staff. Conrad, a former state lawmaker, said there is no longer the luxury of addressing the issues in a discreet fashion.

In a December lawsuit, the ACLU claims that the 11 men on Nebraskas death row do not have valid death sentences because the death penalty repeal, enacted by the State Legislature over a Ricketts veto, was in effect long enough to convert the death sentences to life in prison. The reinstatement should apply only to future heinous murders. The suit also alleges that Ricketts violated the separation of powers clause of the State Constitution when he proposed, initiated, funded, organized, operated and controlled the signature-gathering campaign that allowed voters to overturn the Legislatures repeal of the death penalty. Conrad said the activity was way beyond what the governor can do in his personal capacity.

Any or all of these topics could be the fodder for legislative deliberation and perhaps further court action next year.
Community calendar

Dec 28

Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre production of 'The Snow Queen.' Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre's production of "The Snow Queen" will be at 11 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28, at Owl Glass Puppetry Center, 319 N. Calhoun, West Liberty. Tickets are $5. Groups of 10 or more who reserve in advance may attend for $4 each. Eulenspiegel's adaptation of the beloved Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale uses miniature Bohemian marionettes that interact on the pages of two extra-large pop-up storybooks. The cast also includes a flamboyant storyteller who relates to the audience as well as the puppets. Space at the center is limited, so reservations are a good idea. For more information, call 319-627-2487 or visit http://www.puppetspuppets.com
Governor Jerry Brown View Photos

Calaveras County, CA  Governor Jerry Brown issued 132 pardons shortly before Christmas and two were related to cases in the Mother Lode.

In 1999, Steven Daniel Denison was sentenced in Calaveras County for driving under the influence with prior specific convictions. He served one year in jail and two years and eight months on probation. Denison was eventually discharged in June of 2002. Since that time, the Governors Office reports that he exhibited good moral character and is active holding bible study groups with jail inmates. Denison was granted a full and unconditional pardon.

In addition, Rebecca Sarah Collins has received a pardon for crimes committed in 1992 in Mariposa County, including perjury, grand theft and committing fraud to obtain public aid. She failed to report income she received while on public assistance. She served three years of probation and was discharged in 1995 after completing her sentence. The Governors office notes that Collins is now a local leader for an organization helping girls and teaches Sunday school at her local church.
Sacramento, CA  The marijuana industry could be cooking up some new business and in turn union jobs in anticipation of the worlds largest legal recreational marijuana market set to light the culinary world on fire in California on January 1st.

To tantalize the taste buds, chefs and investors have been busy whipping up an array of marijuana-infused food and beverages, weed-pairing supper clubs and other lavish pot-to-plate events for those 21 and older. The public can expect a slew of vegan and gluten-free choices, low-dose pot-laced snacks and dishes from cannabis-rubbed steaks to marijuana-infused tacos. Even stranger is where the delicious bites will be served up, according to industry officials, that detail the dishes will be found in cannabis-friendly gyms, Pilate studios or the latest trend escape rooms where team building is taught using clues, puzzles, and mysteries. The edible pot business is expected to bring in $100 million in sales next year.

Creating all those delectables will require a large work force and unions have caught a whiff of a rare opportunity to organize a whole new set of workers. See the potential boost to organized labors lagging membership, the United Farm Workers, Teamsters and United Food and Commercial Workers are looking to unionize the tens of thousands of potential workers involved in the legal weed game, from planters to rollers to sellers.
(Natural News) In an ideal world, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution would be enough to stop all lawmakers and Internet-based corporations from actively looking for ways to censor those with whom they disagree politically. Sadly, however, the Constitution gets about as much attention as a rock on the side of the road, so conservatives are now forced to find other ways to preserve freedom of speech.

One of these conservatives looking to combat political censorship on the Internet is Paul Nehlen, who is currently challenging House Speaker Paul Ryan for his seat in the GOP primary. Nehlen has proposed Shall Not Censor legislation, which would essentially prohibit companies like Google and Facebook from censoring Americans lawful right to free speech on the Internet.

We need a federal law prohibiting censorship of lawful speech on major social media platforms, Nehlen has stated. It is well-known that Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube discriminate against the right-wing, as evidenced by FCC Chairman Ajit Pais recent comments. While widely heralded for those comments, they rang hollow with no suggested solution. This law is that solution. It will extend Americans First Amendment free speech protections onto social media platforms. (Related: News Corp CEO has warned that the algorithms used by Facebook and Google are a whole new kind of Orwellian censorship.)

For the purpose of the proposed legislation, Nehlen has been very clear about what he means when he uses the word censorship. The term includes the denial of users to access the platform, shadowbanning, the issuance of verified status based on any factors unrelated to identity authentication, demonization, modifying certain algorithms in a way that censors users with particular viewpoints, embargoing content, and throttling accounts and/or content without disclosure.

If freedom of speech as outlined in the First Amendment was actually respected and followed, then perhaps Nehlens proposed Shall Not Censor legislation would not be necessary. Internet-based companies would recognize that while they may have the ability to censor people on the other side of the political spectrum, they would ultimately accept the fact that the Constitution prevents them from doing so. Unfortunately, and as previously mentioned, the Constitution is often not followed and not respected, and therefore, Nehlens proposed legislation is absolutely necessary.

Just this past October, Breitbart News reported that Twitter blocked a pro-life advertisement posted by Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, in which Rep. Blackburn proudly stated that she stopped the sale of body parts. When pressed for an explanation by Marsha Blackburns social media team, Twitter explained that the reason the advertisement was removed was because the line stopped the sale of body parts could be seen by some as inflammatory, and that it was likely to evoke a strong negative reaction. Twitter than stated that if that part of the advertisement were removed, the video would be permitted.

The popular video-sharing website YouTube has also developed a reputation for censoring conservative voices. Notably, several of conservative radio host Dennis Pragers Prager U videos have been suppressed or silenced, including The Most Important Question about Abortion, Is Islam a Religion of Peace? Why America Must Lead, The Ten Commandments: Do Not Murder, and many more.

The popular conservative duo Diamond and Silk have also had their videos demonetized by YouTube, despite the fact that they generally receive positive feedback.

Its not just Twitter and YouTube, either. In the past, social media giants like Facebook, Google and others have also taken steps to censor the voices of those on the political Right. (Related: If Google and Facebook are not regulated, their politically-motivated censorship will lead to open warfare in the streets.)

It is all a direct assault on freedom of speech and the First Amendment, and quite frankly, Paul Nehlens Shall Not Censor legislation is needed now more than ever, before our liberty is gone forever. Read Suppressed.news for more coverage of information thats suppressed by the establishment.

Sources include:

TheGatewayPundit.com

Breitbart.com

DailySignal.com
The Christmas Eve death of a California Highway Patrol officer in a suspected DUI rear-end crash sent shock waves throughout the Bay Area.

Outside the department's Hayward office, where Andrew Camilleri worked, a memorial is growing as people drop off flowers and pay their respects. Officials said they have received an outpouring of support from the community after the loss of one of their own.

Details about a memorial fund for Camilleri have been posted on the CHP Golden Gate Division Facebook page.

Camilleri's body was escorted late Tuesday afternoon during a procession that started from the Alameda County Coroner's Office in Oakland to Fry Memorial Chapel in Tracy. Camilleri lived in Tracy with his family.

Police, firefighters and paramedics were seen saluting the fallen officer from overpasses along Interstate 580 while the procession made its way to Tracy from the East Bay.

Earlier in the day, mourners dropped by the CHP station in Hayward to leave flowers. Most who visited had never met the rookie officer.

"I heard over the news that he had passed right before midnight," mourner Aruna Singh said. "It really touched me. So my mom and I came to pay our respects."

Procession for Fallen CHP Officer Andrew Camilleri

Camilleri and his partner, Officer Jonathan Velasquez were parked on the shoulder of southbound Interstate 880 in Hayward, with their eyes peeled for impaired drivers. Around 11:30 p.m. Sunday, a man, who officials believe was speeding under the influence of alcohol and drugs, rammed into the back of their CHP SUV.

Camilleri was killed and Velasquez suffered non-life threatening injuries.

The 33-year-old is survived by his parents, siblings, a wife, a 12-year-old daughter, and two sons, ages 6 and 2, according to Asst. Chief Ernest Sanchez.

"This is not the way we wanted to celebrate Christmas Day, Sanchez said. Its definitely not the way we wanted the community to think of the 2017 Christmas holiday, but todays not a holiday for the highway patrol. Today is the tragic loss of one of our own.



The collision occurred near State Route 92 and the Winton Avenue on-ramp. A red Cadillac, which was being driven by a 22-year-old Hayward man at "a very high rate of speed," careened into the shoulder of the road, ramming into the right side of the CHP vehicle, Sanchez said.

"The impact was so severe that it turned a utility vehicle into a very small compact vehicle," Sanchez said.

Firefighters salute fallen CHP Officer Andrew Camilleri during a procession Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017. The officer was killed when a suspected drunk driver crashed into his stopped patrol vehicle on Interstate 880 in Hayward.

Camilleri and Velasquez, who was seated in the driver's seat, were participating in the department's Maximum Enforcement Patrol to ensure the safety of motorists during the holiday season.

Sanchez said he believes that the suspect was "coming home from a party and had obviously had too much to drink and maybe too much to smoke."

The man, who "chose to be irresponsible" and is in "very serious condition," will face a slew of felony charges upon his release from the hospital, Sanchez said.

"This needs to stop," he said. "Too many tragedies have happened, and today, Im not only disappointed but also angered" about having to deliver such heartbreaking news to an unsuspecting family.

Camilleri's children were expecting (their) father to come home and help open Christmas presents, Sanchez said. Instead, he was pronounced dead at St. Rose Hospital.

Capt. Chris Childs, from the CHP's Napa office, is in Hayward Tuesday to free up local officers so they can start arranging the funeral, which is expected within the next week. He said also that Camilleri's name will be included on a fountain behind the CHP academy  called the Wall of Honor  alongside the names of other fallen officers.

A California Highway Patrol officer was killed in the line of duty on southbound Interstate 880 in Hayward on Christmas Eve after being rear-ended by a suspected drunk driver returning from a party, officials say. Thom Jensen reports.

Allison Salinas witnessed the fatal crash, saying the suspect vehicle passed her going more than 100 mph and swerving across the roadway.

"I just remember seeing brake lights and like smoke, and I guess that's when he rear ended the CHP vehicle," she said. "And then I just saw the Cadillac roll. It was like a movie, and then my husband is yelling, 'He hit a CHP.'"

Camilleri had no idea "what hit him," Salinas said, recalling telling her husband that the officer was "gone."

Salinas said it was hard to celebrate Chistmas so soon after seeing such a horrific crash.



"We don't really want to be festive," she said. "How can we, when this poor family ... You know they have to grieve now, because of somebody's stupidity."

Capt. Tim Pearson, commander of the CHP office in Hayward, fondly recalled Camilleri, who joined the department in August 2016.

Being a CHP officer is a calling," Pearson said. "Andrew was drawn to this profession due to his courage, integrity and his desire to serve. Andrew was a great man who loved his job and loved his family."

A California Highway Patrol officer was killed in the line of duty on southbound Interstate 880 in Hayward on Christmas Eve after being rear-ended by a suspected drunk driver. Anser Hassan reports.

Footage from the scene shows debris littering the roadway, while both cars were severely mangled.

The grisly crash forced an hours-long closure of all southbound lanes of I-880 near Winton Avenue across from Southland Mall. Traffic was congested because all vehicles were being diverted to A Street from midnight to just before 10 a.m. Some drivers even used the emergency lane to exit the freeway.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, Cal Fire, and other local law enforcement agencies took to social media to express their condolences.

Gov. Jerry Brown released a statement, which said in part: Anne and I are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic loss of Officer Camilleri, who died yesterday while working to keep our communities safe," Brown said."We join his family, friends and the entire California Highway Patrol in mourning his death and in honoring his sacrifice.

Flags at the state Capitol will be flown at half-staff, Brown said.

The California Association of Highway Patrolmen Credit Union is setting up a fund to benefit the Callimeri family. A memorial bell ringing ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday at the CHP Academy, located at 3500 Reed Avenue in Sacramento.

NBC Bay Area's Kristofer Noceda, Roz Plater, Anser Hassan and Thom Jensen contributed to this report.
The Rose Parade in Southern California will feature some Bay Area flavor thanks to Homestead High School's marching band.

More than 200 students from the Cupertino campus have been preparing for what they call a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"It's an honor not only being a part of the band, but being the one leading them as head drum major," student Joseph Cho said.

Homestead High will be the 74th act performing at the parade, which kicks off at 8 a.m.

[BAY BW]Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity: Homestead High School Marching Band Performing at Rose Parade

Band Director John Burn said the experience will provide lifetime memories for the students.

"This particular parade this year the theme is making a difference," Burn said. "So I think that's pretty cool because it's something we try to do whether it's the theme of the parade or not."

In preparation for the parade, Homestead band members celebrated the first seconds of 2018 at 9 p.m. PST Sunday before hitting the hay at 9:30 p.m. in order to be well-rested.

"The payoff is going to be really worth it once they see the crowds and the energy," Eric Weingartner, Associate Director of Bands at Homestead, said. "It's really the biggest audience that a high school marching band can perform for. There's no other parade that can match this expect for maybe the Macy's Parade."

The Homestead High School Marching Band from Cupertino practices for its performance at the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena.

The Homestead High Marching Band is no stranger to the national stage, having performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and most recently Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
The universes of fantasy and science-fiction have opened up new worlds to Kim Dickens throughout her life, and those amazing journeys have continued into her career.

In September, Kim opened up Dickens Curiosity Shop, a funky and eclectic spot at 207 W. 2nd St., Muscatine. The walls are brightly adorned with punchy, colorful comic books and art, shelves are stacked high with tomes old and new and various nostalgic collectibles, guarded by cadres of action figures and ominous figures bursting from role playing game cards.

Dickens was born in Iowa City, raised in New Boston and came to Muscatine as a freshman at Muscatine Community College. Since then, aside from her five-year stint in the Air Force, the divorced mother of 12-year-old Jaydon Stuart has called the Pearl City her home.

She first became enchanted by science-fiction as a child, watching shows like Buck Rogers and Battlestar Galactica.

It was really Buck Rogers back in the 80s that started it all, I think it was just really funny and fun for me, she said. I love all science-fiction, but I really like the stuff with a sense of humor, like Buck Rogers, or like Guardians of the Galaxy. I can watch that stuff over and over and it never gets old.

Dickens remembers going to see the first trilogy of Star Wars movies as well, but there was one legendary series that was initially forbidden fruit for her.

My mom wouldnt let me watch Star Trek, she said. I think she was trying to protect me. When she was younger, she was forced to watch Twilight Zone and it really freaked her out. So I think she thought Star Trek was going to have the same effect on me.

It wasnt until she was a teenager that she was able to watch the tales of the USS Enterprise, and that was also when she was introduced to other staples of the culture.

In high school, I dated a guy who was a huge 'Dr. Who' fan and I got into it then, and that was also when I started to get into Star Trek and 'Dungeons & Dragons' and some of the other things, and really when I started getting more into sci-fi in general, she said. Id always been into fantasy, that really appealed to me more right from the start. I guess it was the creativity of it, you could read about people riding around on dragons and doing fantastic things.

From a young age, shes also nourished ambitions of writing.

When I was in third grade, a teacher had us write stories to put in a binder, and they were supposed to be based on memories we had, she said, adding, with a laugh. I wrote about aliens visiting me. I think Ive always liked writing thats looked at things from a different point of view, the way youll see stories about aliens coming to earth and seeing humanity from the outside, in a different way, stepping out of our box and seeing the world. Its always been fascinating for me.

Dickens still writes and harbors dreams of attending University of Iowas writing program. However, her path diverged into the Air Force, and then back home after a vicious battle with lupus.

It was pretty traumatic, I lost about two years and for a while I was in pretty bad shape, she said. Then I took some more time off when I had my son and worked at a bunch of different jobs but I still wanted to be a writer and open a book store. I remember going to Iowa City and going into Prairie Lights and thinking Im going to write my novel and retire and open a book store.

Regrouping, she revisited her loves of literature and creativity at MCC, where she attended the business program and came up with a version of the plan for her current business.

This kind of fell into my lap, she said of the Curiosity Shop. I had moved to Tipton earlier in the year, and when I came back I talked to a realtor about places to live and I asked about any businesses to rent, and this was available. So I took a chance and said, `Ill take it.

The original plan involved a larger space and the inclusion of a coffee shop, and thats still an ambition for the future. However, with her current space, shes looking to expand her repertoire of vintage toys and items and add in role playing game cards such as those for Magic: The Gathering, as well as expand her slate of events and game nights, to create a meeting spot and hangout for locals into the sci-fi, fantasy and role-playing game scene.

Im a poet, I think thats something Ill always be, Im always writing, getting ideas, Ill pull over on the side of the road to write things down if something comes to me, she said. Im also an avid reader, Ill read about anything, all different subjects. One day Ill be reading about algae and the next sci-fi and the next Shakespeare. I never stop trying to learn new things, I try to learn something new every day.

For more information about the shop, see https://www.facebook.com/lilDickens/.
A federal appeals court panel has ruled that President Donald Trump once again exceeded the scope of his authority with his latest travel ban, but the judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals 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.

The 77-page ruling released late Friday 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.

Hawaii, which is suing to stop the ban, has argued that it will be harmful 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 U.S. interests.

Under U.S. 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.

"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.
Connecticut Water is warning consumers about a scam involving checks with the companys name on them.

Connecticut Water, the Department of Consumer Protection and AARP issued a warning about fake checks that have Connecticut Waters name on them. Connecticut Water officials say theyve received multiple reports from people who responded to online advertisements to earn money and were issued fake checks with Connecticut Waters name.

Officials say the scam works in one of two ways. Some people have reported that after they receive the check, the sender contacts them and asks them to wire back some of the money because they overpaid. When the consumer later tries to deposit or cash the check, it bounces. There have also been instances where the consumer was selling a product and was issued the fraudulent check after sending the merchandise.

Connecticut Water says theyve received about a dozen reports so far.

"If youre not expecting a check like this from a company  its almost always a scam," cautioned Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull. "You should not attempt to deposit the check and should contact the company the check appears to be from. Consumers did the right thing in contacting Connecticut Water."

Officials offered the following tips to avoid becoming a victim
About two dozen children living in East Oak Cliff wrote their own narrative in a book, titled Believe In Me.

Every day is different, but every day is full, said Pat Ford. She runs the non-profit Dallas Community Fellowship Inc. in East Oak Cliff, the same neighborhood where she grew up.

I go to church here in the community and Ive been volunteering for more than 30 years, said Ford.

After working as a medical assistant for Texas Oncology, Ford retired and went back to her neighborhood to start up her non-profit.

I didnt realize how bad the neighborhood got until I retired and came down here full time," said Ford. "There are a lot of good people in our community, but there are no resources to help our young people. The children hear a lot of gunfire. In our community we dont have decent stores, we dont have decent restaurants, and the apartments are not safe. If these young people are coming we have to find them something to do because I know that this is a safe place for them."



DCFI provides resources and support for families in the neighborhood. The average income for residents is $24,481, which is below the poverty level.

If people are in need of food, we get them food. If they need clothes we get them clothes. We have programs for the children. We want them to know that they are valuable, she said.

Ford believes that low incomes do not equal low outcomes. She is using the power of the pen to help kids in the neighborhood build a positive self-image.

There is nothing positive for them to look at in the community, so we have to create positive images. I want them to see a positive reflection of themselves, she said.

Each page of Believe In Me is filled with affirmations. 10-year-old Gabrielle who wants to be an engineer wrote, believe in me because I am caring, funny, respectful, nice and generous.



For years, Ford has asked the city of Dallas for resources.

Work with us, and put up stores here. Put up some new infrastructure. Give hope back to the community, said Ford. Her goal is to raise enough money to build a community center for the children who live in that area.


What to Know New York City, along with Philadelphia and San Francisco, are suing the Department of Defense

The cities alleged the DoD has failed to report the names of service members who are disqualified from owning or buying guns to the FBI

They want the DoD to repair the "broken" system

The city of New York, along with Philadelphia and San Francisco, is suing the Department of Defense, seeking to fix its "broken" system for reporting service members who are disqualified from buying and owning guns.

The Department of Defense is supposed to report to the FBI the names of service members convicted of crimes or dishonorably discharged from legally buying or possessing guns. The FBI maintains the national background check system for gun licensing and sales.

But, the cities contend, the Department of Defense has failed to report "significant numbers of disqualifying records" to the FBI for decades.

The lawsuit argues that the failure allowed the gunman in the Sutherland Springs, Texas, church shooting last month to pass a background check, buy an assault rifle and carry out the mass shooting there that left 26 people dead and nearly two dozen more wounded.



The Justice Department declined to comment on the lawsuit.



The Pentagon has long been aware of its failure to consistently give the information to the FBI. In 2015, the Pentagon inspector general flagged a 30 percent failure rate for submitting fingerprints and criminal case outcomes to the report, and the inspector general found in 1997 a higher rate of lapses.

A Pentagon spokesman on Tuesday said he couldn't comment specifically on the lawsuit.

"The department continues to work with the services as they review and refine their policies and procedures to ensure qualifying criminal history information is submitted to the FBI," said Tom Crosson, a Pentagon spokesman.

Sutherland Springs gunman Devin P. Kelley was convicted in a domestic violence case in 2012, when he was in the Air Force, and, under federal law, should not have been able to purchase a firearm, but his information was never added to the FBI database. Kelley killed himself after his deadly rampage in November.

Both the Defense Department and the Justice Department were reviewing the National Instant Criminal Background Check System after the shooting, NBC News reported last month.

The NYPD, along with the police departments in Philadelphia and San Francisco, rely on the FBI database to conduct background checks on gun permit applicants, monitor gun purchases and ensure seized guns are not returned to anyone prohibited from owning them

"For decades the Department of Defense has shirked its legal obligation to provide information to the FBI that may disqualify dangerous individuals from legally acquiring guns," said New York City Corporation Counsel Zachary W. Carter. "This lawsuit seeks a court order requiring the Department of Defense to fix a broken system that puts lives at risk."

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement that the city is joining the suit because the records are "absolutely critical" to its decisions on whether to grant someone a license to carry a firearm.



The City of New York, et al. v. The United States Department of Defense, et al. was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on Tuesday.
The U.S. Secret Service said it has interviewed a man claiming responsibility for delivering a gift-wrapped package of horse manure addressed to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.

The box was found Saturday at the home of Mnuchin's neighbor in the wealthy Bel Air neighborhood in Los Angeles. The LAPD bomb squad responded to the report of the package, which police said was marked as being from "the American people."

Secret Service spokesman Cody Starken told The Associated Press Monday that the agency was contacted by Los Angeles police and interviewed a person who claimed responsibility. He declined to identify the person.

Starken said the Secret Service takes all confirmed and alleged threats seriously. He said the agency typically doesn't comment on possible criminal investigations or interviewing practices.

Robby Strong, a psychologist for the Los Angeles County Public Health Department, has come forward as the person who dropped the package off.

The 45-year-old confirmed to NBC4 that the Secret Service paid him a visit and frankly, he's surprised he hasn't been arrested yet.

Strong said he wanted to hand deliver the box of manure to Mnuchin at home.

"I actually rang the bell hoping to get him," he said.

400 years ago Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the Wittenberg door. This week I delivered my 95 FECES to the door of the Secretary of the Treasury, the Lord of Mammon, as Jesus and the Essenes would have called him. It's time for another Reformation.  Dr. Robert (@RobertStrong13) December 25, 2017

Mnuchin was home at the time of the incident and "made aware of the situation," according to police.

A Christmas card was also inside the package, making some reference to Mnuchin and President Donald Trump, multiple sources told NBC. The card did not contain a threat, but it made negative reference to Trump's $1.5 trillion tax overhaul, signed on Dec. 22.

The letter -- which Strong posted to his Twitter account -- reads in full:

"Mrs. Mnuchin & Trump, We're returning the "gift" of the Christmas tax bill. It's bulls---. Warmest Wishes, The American People. P.S. - Kiss Donald for me."

Strong said he does not regret the stunt, although he acknowledges it may be putting his job at risk.

On social media, he's being hailed as a hero as some, but others are so angry at his antics they're threatening his life.

"I've received a lot of death threats," Strong said.

Strong told NBC4 he hand delivered an identical box at an address in Beverly Hills he also believes belongs to Mnuchin, but he doesn't know what happened to that box.

NBC4's Hetty Chang and Jonathan Gonzalez contributed to this report.
A man who escaped from a Hawaii psychiatric hospital and flew to the Bay Area will be sent back to the islands.

The Hawaii attorney general's office said Friday the state of California issued a warrant authorizing Randall Saito's extradition.

The attorney general's office says it's arranged with the U.S. Marshal's Service to have Saito return on a non-commercial flight.

San Joaquin County Judge Michael Mulvihill scheduled a Jan. 5 hearing to discuss the extradition.

Saito has been a Hawaii State Hospital patient for nearly four decades since being found not guilty by reason of insanity of a woman's murder.

He walked out of the hospital on Nov. 12 and took a taxi to the airport. Police arrested him in Stockton three days later.
The Salvation Army in Chicago could look into accepting credit or debit cards next year, as it continues to look for ways to keep up with cashless trends.

The local Salvation Army's iconic red kettles bring in millions of dollars in donations each year during its holiday fundraising campaign, despite being reliant on cash, the Chicago Tribune reported.

However, the organization is working to find an updated version of the kettle that makes helping others more convenient.

"As we move to a cashless society, that gets harder; and we need an innovative way to make it just as seamless," said John List, chairman of the economics department at the University of Chicago, who has studied charitable giving.

The nonprofit says it's tested several versions of "cashless" kettles over the past decade. But transactions the old-school kettles encourage through fast and anonymous donations are tough to replicate with noncash payments.

The organization tried to use portable credit card machines several years ago but ran into issues with battery life. The machines were also slow.

"It took three minutes to connect. People just want to put their money in and be quick," said Jeff Curnow, spokesman for the Salvation Army's Midwest region.

The Salvation Army has also tried Square, a small smartphone attachment that accepts credit card payments. However, getting donors comfortable swiping their card on a stranger's phone was a challenge.

"That's the most important thing we have, the trust from the donating public," said Scott Justvig, executive director of development of the Salvation Army Metropolitan Division in Chicago.

The red kettle donations were established in 1891 when a Salvation Army captain in San Francisco collected donations to provide free Christmas dinners to locals in need.
Police say a boy celebrating his ninth birthday on Christmas Day was killed in a traffic crash in Florida.

Fort Pierce Police spokesman Ed Cunningham said in an email that 9-year-old Isaac Santillan of Fort Pierce died early Monday when the car in which he was riding crashed into an unoccupied pickup truck parked off the roadway.

Cunningham said Isaac died at the scene.

The boy had been sitting in the car's back seat with his 5-year-old sister. Cunningham said the girl was hospitalized in critical condition.

The 5-year-old girl's father was driving the car. Cunningham said the man was hospitalized in stable condition, and an adult woman in the front passenger seat was hospitalized in critical condition.

The crash was under investigation. Cunningham said Monday was Isaac's ninth birthday.
Police say four family members have been found dead inside a home in New York's capital region, and investigators say their deaths appear to be suspicious.

The bodies were discovered Tuesday afternoon in a basement apartment on Second Avenue in Troy, a city near Albany. Troy Police Capt. Daniel DeWolf tells local media outlets that the deaths are being investigated as possible homicides.

Police say no more information is immediately available.

A call to a phone in one of the home's apartments was answered by someone who declined to comment.

Officers swarmed the street, cordoning off the area around the home.
Authorities say a New Jersey couple and one of their dogs were found dead of gunshot wounds in an apparent murder-suicide on Christmas Eve.

Police and prosecutors said 55-year-old Thomas Vuocolo and 47-year-old Cindy Marcinczyk were found dead at about 9 p.m. Sunday in their home in the Cliffwood Beach section of Old Bridge Township.

Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said in a statement that the investigation is still going on but "law enforcement has determined that there is no outstanding threat to the public."

The preliminary indications are that the deaths were caused in a murder-suicide, the prosecutor's office said. Autopsies by the county medical examiner are planned.

Old Bridge police said a dog was also found dead and a second dog that sustained a gunshot wound was taken to an animal hospital and is recovering.

Anyone with information is asked to call investigators.
A house fire burned through several homes and garages near Milford, Delaware, Christmas evening, police said.

Fire officials arrived in the 390 block of Bay Avenue around 7:45 p.m. in Slaughter Beach, Sussex County.

The fire had already spread to at least three homes and two garages, WDEL reported. Two of the houses were completely destroyed and an elderly woman injured herself while attempting to grab her belongings.

Michael Chionchio, an assistant state fire marshal with the Kent County Division, says high winds spread the Monday evening blaze in the residential neighborhood. Fire companies were still on the scene as of 1:15 a.m. Tuesday morning.



Memorial Volunteer Fire Company Chief Terry Jester says heat from the fire ignited propane tanks in the area.

In a Tuesday statement, Chionchio said the heavy fire damage is expected to exceed $500,000.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.
A California Highway Patrol officer was killed in the line of duty on southbound Interstate 880 in Hayward on Christmas Eve after being rear-ended by a suspected drunk driver returning from a party, officials say.

The slain officer, identified as Andrew Camilleri, 33, of Tracy, leaves behind his parents, siblings, a wife, a 12-year-old daughter, and two sons, ages 6 and 2. His partner, Jonathan Velasquez, survived the wreck with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Asst. Chief Ernest Sanchez.

"This is not the way we wanted to celebrate Christmas Day, Sanchez said. Its definitely not the way we wanted the community to think of the 2017 Christmas holiday, but todays not a holiday for the highway patrol. Today is the tragic loss of one of our own.



The grisly collision was first reported around 11:30 p.m. Sunday near State Route 92 and the Winton Avenue on-ramp. A red Cadillac, which was being driven by a 22-year-old man at "a very high rate of speed," veered into the shoulder of the road, ramming into the right side of the CHP patrol vehicle, Sanchez said.

"The impact was so severe that it turned a utility vehicle into a very small compact vehicle," Sanchez said.

Camilleri and Velasquez, who was seated in the driver's seat, were participating in the department's Maximum Enforcement Patrol to ensure the safety of motorists during the holiday season.

The driver, a Hayward resident, was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, most likely marijuana. Sanchez said he believes that the suspect was "coming home from a party and had obviously had too much to drink and maybe too much to smoke."

The man, who "chose to be irresponsible" and is hospitalized in serious condition, will face a slew of felony charges upon his release from the hospital, Sanchez said.

"This needs to stop," he said. "Too many tragedies have happened and today, Im not only disappointed, but also angered" about having to deliver such heartbreaking news to an unsuspecting family.

Camilleri's children were expecting (their) father to come home and help open Christmas presents, Sanchez said. Instead, he was pronounced dead at St. Rose Hospital.

Capt. Tim Pearson, commander of the CHP office in Hayward, fondly recalled Camilleri, who joined the department in Aug. 2016.

Being a CHP officer is a calling," Pearson said. "Andrew was drawn to this profession due to his courage, integrity and his desire to serve. Andrew was a great man who loved his job and loved his family."



Footage from the scene shows debris littering the roadway, while both cars are severely mangled.

The grisly crash forced an hours-long closure of all southbound lanes of I-880 near Winton Avenue across from Southland Mall. Traffic was congested because all vehicles were being diverted to A Street from midnight to just before 10 a.m. Some drivers even used the emergency lane to exit the freeway.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, Cal Fire, and other local law enforcement agencies took to social media to express their condolences.

Gov. Jerry Brown released a statement, which said in part: Anne and I are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic loss of Officer Camilleri, who died yesterday while working to keep our communities safe," Brown said."We join his family, friends and the entire California Highway Patrol in mourning his death and in honoring his sacrifice.

Flags at the state capitol will be flown at half-mast, Brown said.

The California Association of Highway Patrolmen Credit Union is setting up a fund to benefit the Callimeri family.
A tractor-trailer tipped over onto its side Tuesday in Otay Mesa.

San Diego police officers were called to help assist with traffic near Siempre Viva Road and Melksee Street just before 11:30 a.m.

The location of the crash is west of the 905 and just north of the U.S.-Mexico border.
While some D.C. residents are struggling to pay skyrocketing water fees, the News4 I-Team found the District government would be paying 10 times more if DC Water calculated the government's rates the same way it does for residents.

Those fees are part of the Clean Rivers program, which charges every D.C. resident based on the square footage of their property that's impervious, meaning it could add to the District's stormwater runoff problem.

A huge portion of those fees comes from private sidewalks, roadways and parking areas. But back when DC Water created the fee a decade ago, it decided to exempt thousands of miles of public roads, sidewalks and alleys from the calculation.

DC Water has to raise $2.6 billion for the program. So, every time someone pays less, everyone else is forced to pay more.

What almost no one realized was that DC Water agreed to cut the district and federal governments that break on their fees without bothering to figure out how much that would cost all of the utility's other customers.

The News4 I-Team did the math. D.C. government only paid about $8 million toward this fee last year.

If all of Washington D.C.'s roads and sidewalks counted, the District would have to pay another $80 million per year, according to Department of Energy and Environment records obtained by the I-Team.

If the federally-owned roads and sidewalks that are currently exempted were included, DC Water is missing out on a total of $84 million a year.

Since the fee started in 2009, the District and federal governments have only been paying the fee based on the square footage of their buildings and walkways on their government-owned property. But thousands of miles of public roads and sidewalks in the right of way haven't been counted.

That's particularly upsetting to the thousands of residents who are being forced to pay those fees for private roads and sidewalks on their property.

Some homeowners associations told the I-Team they're already paying tens of thousands of dollars a year, and with the fees growing exponentially every year, it could bankrupt them.

"The city is all of us, and one way or another you're going to pay for it," said water customer Allen Holland, "But there should be some mechanism to have the city pay its fair share. Everyone should pay their fair share who's using the roads and causing the runoff."

So far, at least three advisory neighborhood commissions have passed resolutions expressing concern about the high water fees and written letters to council members urging them to do something to make the fee structure more fair. Most homeonwers pay about $300 a year.

"At the end of the day, I think the pain level is important but so is just transparency and oversight and residents being confident that people are looking out for them," said ANC Commissioner Amy Hemingway.

Councilwoman Mary Cheh held a public hearing and listened to residents' concerns for hours. She's asked DC Water to investigate ways to make its fee structure more fair.

Cheh told the I-Team she's also examining whether the district government could somehow pay more of its fair share to offset the burden for residents.
Three people were killed after their car struck a tree and exploded in La Plata, Maryland, on Tuesday morning.

Eric Lamont Moss, 28, was traveling southbound on Rosehill Road, when he lost control and struck a tree near Hawthorne Road just before 1 a.m., investigators said.

The car caught fire. Kar Benjiman and his son, Suriad Ware, were driving past and were able to pull Moss from the car before it exploded.

After the fire was extinguished, firefighters found the bodies of two passengers inside the car. Moss was flown to a hospital but died from his injuries a short time later.

Investigators are still working to identify the passengers inside his car. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
A homeowner in Maryland shot and killed a man who he caught breaking into his vehicle hours after Christmas Day, police say. Sources tell News4 the shooting, which occurred in an area repeatedly hit by car break-ins, appears to be justified.

Deontae Parker, of no fixed address, died after he was shot the day early Tuesday outside a home in Chillum, Maryland, Prince George's County police said. He was 32.

Police said Tuesday that they were investigating what happened.

"We're still working through all the details to determine what led up to the shooting," Cpl. Tyler Hunt said.

A resident of a home on the 6200 block of Sligo Parkway called 911 about 2:15 a.m. Tuesday to report a shooting. Officers arrived and found a man with a gunshot wound to the upper body. He was pronounced dead.

According to the preliminary investigation, detectives believe the homeowner -- who police have not identified -- shot Parker from inside his home after Parker "had broken into the homeowner's vehicle," police said in an update Wednesday morning. News4 footage shows a bullet hole in a window.

Police now have video from the home's surveillance system, "which shows Parker's actions prior to the shooting."

A second suspect is believed to have run from the scene before police arrived.

Parker and the homeowner did not know each other, police believe. Sources told News4 the homeowner has lived there for 17 years, and that about 10 people were inside the house at the time of the shooting, including children.

A neighbor who asked News4 not to identify him said his car had been broken into multiple times.

The Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office will determine whether any charges should be filed against the homeowner.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call 301-772-4925. Anyone who wants to remain anonymous can call 866-411-TIPS, go to www.pgcrimesolvers.com or use the P3 Tips app.
Strong winds knocked down a tree into a Montgomery County, Maryland, home, creating a gas leak on Christmas Day.

Fire officials said the tree fell on a house in the 7600 block of Edenwood Court in Bethesda, Maryland, around 2:15 p.m. They believe strong wind knocked down the tree.

Spokesman Pete Piringer said no one was home at the time. He said the fallen tree damaged the gas meter, creating a gas leak.

There were no injuries, but Piringer said the family will not be able to return to the home until the meter is repaired.
Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi []
Residents in some Washington, D.C., neighborhoods said Metro trains are rumbling through their neighborhoods so loudly that their homes are shaking. While they are blaming the newer and heavier 7000 series railcars, Metro said those cars are not the only ones creating a vibrational issue.

Residents close to the Georgia Avenue station have been complaining to the transit agency about the issue. Metro said four out of the 10 homes they took a look in the Petworth neighborhood do show increased vibrational levels.

The new railcars are built with heavy steel and weigh about 2,000 pounds more than their older counterparts. Louise Smith, a resident in Petworth for more than 50 years, said the new trains are having an effect on her home.

"See the floor? Nothing doing this but the underground, Smith said. When that train shakes, it's just like that earthquake here."

Smith said pictures have fallen from her walls, and the glass frames have been busted.

Metro is still putting together a final report, but a recent letter from Metro general manager Paul Wiedefeld said some newer model trains are increasing vibration levels above Metro standards. However, Wiedefeld said higher vibration levels are coming in above standards with older model trains as well, and none of the vibrations are enough to cause any structural damage.

A final report on this is scheduled for early next year.
The handgun that Shaneen Allen was carrying when she was pulled over on a New Jersey highway could have sent her to prison for years if not for a pardon from Republican Gov. Chris Christie.

Now the legal saga that kept the Pennsylvania mother of two in jail for 48 days has helped inspire a measure that could change handgun laws across the country.

"Hopefully I'll be at the White House next to (President) Trump signing this bill," said Allen, who has become a face of the Republican effort to break down barriers to carrying concealed firearms between states. "Republicans put their money where their mouth was."

The GOP-led House passed legislation this month that would allow gun owners with a state-issued concealed-carry permit to carry a handgun in any state that allows concealed weapons. The bill faces longer odds in the Senate, which didn't vote on it before leaving for the year.

The measure has pit gun control advocates who say it would endanger public safety by effectively overriding states with tighter laws against gun rights activists who say it's needed to allow gun owners to travel freely without worrying about conflicting state laws.

The measure is a top priority of the National Rifle Association and attorneys general from 23 Republican states wrote a letter in support of the measure.

Seventeen Democratic attorneys general have called on Congress to give up the effort, the first significant action on guns in Congress since mass shootings in Nevada and Texas killed more than 80 people.

Even Christie, a Republican who has pardoned a number of out-of-state residents caught up in New Jersey's strict gun laws, is against the change. Christie said it's a state's rights issue that the federal government should stay out of.

Allen's story, along with others who have been caught up in similar circumstances, has helped the measure get this far.

North Carolina Republican Rep. Richard Hudson, who authored the legislation, cited Allen's story as an example about why the measure is needed in a speech on the House floor.

Christie also pardoned Florida and North Carolina residents who faced charges even though they legally possessed firearms in their home states. On Friday, he pardoned three people charged with handgun possession, including a man with permits to carry a gun in Pennsylvania and New York who was charged after he told police he had a gun following a car accident.

In another case, prosecutors dropped charges against a Delaware man who had a Tennessee concealed carry permit but faced felony gun charges in his new state.

Allen, a phlebotomist, was driving on the Atlantic City Expressway when she was pulled over for making an unsafe lane change in October 2013.

She told the police officer that she was carrying a firearm and that she had a Pennsylvania-issued concealed carry permit.

"I thought my license was just like a driver's license," she said.

She spent 48 days in jail before she was admitted to a pretrial intervention program. In 2015, while gearing up for his failed presidential run, Christie interviewed her and eventually pardoned her.

Allen's ordeal captured national attention from gun-rights advocates and prompted her to switch from a Democrat to a Republican and vote for Trump over Hillary Clinton. She says it also turned her into an advocate for the 2nd Amendment, including lobbying lawmakers to pass the measure and speaking at rallies.

"When you see the system go wrong in the life of a real person it becomes more compelling," said GOP New Jersey Rep. Tom MacArthur, who met with Allen and voted for the legislation. "The woman did nothing wrong and yet her family was thrown into real chaos."

The legislation includes some limits. It does not allow those barred by federal law  including convicted felons  from carrying concealed firearms across state lines. The measure also requires gun carriers to carry photo identification and a valid carry permit.

The measure also calls for strengthening the FBI database of prohibited gun buyers after the Air Force failed to report the criminal history of the gunman who killed more than two dozen people at a Texas church. Democrats called adding that a "cynical" maneuver aimed at forcing them to cast an unpopular vote against background checks.

Allen's response to opponents echoes those of the GOP lawmakers who back the bill: Laws aimed at keeping weapons from people intent on committing a crime are essentially futile.

"All I can say is I pray for them. Crime is everywhere," she said. "Every person that is carrying could possibly save your life. A crime could happen anywhere."
A woman has been charged in connection with the death of a pedestrian in Worcester, Massachusetts on Monday morning, according to police.

Susan Dixon, 58, of 31 Knowles Rd. has been charged with motor vehicle homicide and various other crimes after she allegedly hit a 33-year-old man with a vehicle.

Worcester police were dispatched to the area of the BP Gas Station at 37 Chandler St. for a report of a pedestrian accident. Upon arrival, officers observed bystanders doing CPR on the male victim. The victim was transported by paramedics to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.

The Accident Reconstruction Unit was called in and began the investigation. The suspect vehicle was located at 127 Chandler St, down the street from the location of the accident. It was severely damaged and had been abandoned. The investigators were familiar with the vehicle, a 2012 Nissan Pathfinder, from previous incidents. They spoke with Dixon, who often operated the vehicle.

The investigators pieced together the incident and believe that Dixon drove the vehicle to the BP and spoke with the victim in the parking lot. The victim reached into the vehicle to give her something when she suddenly drove away with the victim half in the vehicle. Dixon backed into a fence and then drove into the light pole. She was unable to drive her car shortly after that and returned to her residence at 31 Knowles Rd, where she was placed under arrest.

Dixon will be arraigned Tuesday in Worcester District Court.
International researchers show CD4+ T effector cells express xenobiotic transporter Mdr1 in the presence of bile acids to maintain homeostasis in the small intestine

Our immune system protects our bodies from numerous pathogenic microbes and toxins in the environment. The system comprises innate (non-specific) and adaptive (acquired) immunity. When innate immune cells recognize pathogens, the adaptive immune system is called into action. There are two types of adaptive immune responses: humoral immunity mediated by antibodies produced by B cells, and cell-mediated immunity mediated by T cells, a type of white blood cells.

CD4+ T cells regulate/suppress immune responses through several mechanisms."naive" CD4 T cells can differentiate into one of several lineages of effector (Teff) cells, including Th1 and Th17. In disease-free state, Teff cells are tightly regulated by intestinal microbiota, which is the community of microorganisms that normally inhabits the digestive tracts of humans and other animals. However, when there is an accumulation of Th17 and Th1 cells in the intestine, the symbiotic relationship may be disrupted, leading to conditions such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), a group of debilitating and sometimes leads to life-threatening conditions that affect the colon and small intestine.

While a great deal is known about the mechanisms underlying the symbiotic interactions between Teff cells and intestinal microbiota, far less is known about the interaction of Teff cells with metabolites, which are the intermediates and products of metabolism. This motivated an international team of researchers centered at Japan's Osaka University to fill the knowledge gap, potentially yielding valuable clues for development of robust therapeutic agents against IBDs.

For their study, the researchers focused on bile acid, a detergent-like metabolite produced by the catabolism of cholesterol catabolism in the liver and deposited through the bile duct into the small intestine in response to food intake. Bile acids have been reported to induce oxidative stress in liver and epithelial cells by perturbing normal cell membrane architecture.

"We observed in mice that Teff cells upregulate the protein Mdr1, in the end portion of the small intestine (ileum) to maintain homeostasis in the presence of bile acids," says Hisako Kayama, from Osaka University and author of the study recently published in Immunity. "Notably, those lacking Mdr1 display mucosal dysfunction and induce Crohn's disease-like ileitis."

Mdr1 is an important protein that is extensively distributed and expressed in the intestinal cells. It pumps xenobiotics (such as toxins or drugs) out of the cell, and has essential functions in Teff cells during bile acids exposure, limiting oxidative stress, promoting survival, and suppressing inflammatory cytokine expression. The team noted the inhibition of bile acids reabsorption in the ileum restores mucosal homeostasis in mice transplanted with Mdr1-deficient Teff cells, which underscores the involvement of Teff dysregulation in the pathogenesis of IBD.

"We have also successfully identified a discernable subset of ileal Crohn's disease patients who display marked MDR1 loss-of-function in the presence of bile acids," Kayama adds. "As such, future validation studies of larger IBD patient cohorts is important to test whether an Mdr 1 loss-of-function is associated with a unique clinical course of ileal CD. Such knowledge may present opportunities for non-traditional, bile acids-directed therapy."
Researchers centered at Nagoya University develop a nanowire device able to detect microscopic levels of urinary markers potentially implicated in cancer.

Cells communicate with each other through a number of different mechanisms. Some of these mechanisms are well-known: in animals, for example, predatory threats can drive the release of norepinephrine, a hormone that travels through the bloodstream and triggers heart and muscle cells to initiate a "fight-or-flight" response.

A far less familiar mode of cellular transport is the extracellular vesicle (EV). EVs can be thought of as small "chunks" of a cell that are able to pinch off and circulate throughout the body to deliver messenger cargo to other cells. These messengers have become increasingly recognized as crucial mediators of cell-to-cell communication.

In a new study reported in Science Advances, researchers centered at Nagoya University have developed a novel medical device that can efficiently capture these EVs, and potentially use them to screen for cancer.

"EVs are potentially useful as clinical markers. The composition of the molecules contained in an EV may provide a diagnostic signature for certain diseases," lead author Takao Yasui explains. "The ongoing challenge for physicians in any field is to find a non-invasive diagnostic tool that allows them to monitor their patients on a regular basisfor example, a simple urine test."

Among the many molecules EVs have been found to harbor are microRNAs, which are short pieces of ribonucleic acid that play diverse roles in normal cellular biology. Critically, the presence of certain microRNAs in urine might serve as a red flag for serious conditions such as bladder and prostate cancer. While this important cargo could therefore theoretically aid physicians in cancer diagnoses, there are still many technological hurdles that need to be overcome. One such hurdle: finding a feasible method to capture EVs in sufficient quantities to analyze them in a routine clinical setting.

"The content of EVs in urine is extremely low, at less than 0.01% of the total fluid volume. This is a major barrier to their diagnostic utility," Yasui notes. "Our solution was to embed zinc oxide nanowires into a specialized polymer to create a material that we believed would be highly efficient at capturing these vesicles. Our findings suggest that the device is indeed quite efficient. We obtained a collection rate of over 99%, surpassing ultracentrifugation as well as other methods that are currently being used in the field."

To test the practicality of their device, the research team compared the microRNAs of EVs isolated from healthy patients with those isolated from patients who were already diagnosed with bladder, prostate, and other forms of cancer. Notably, their technique required only 1 milliliter of urinefar more than the typical "deposit" provided during a routine checkupand found a substantially greater number and different types of microRNAs compared with the standard ultracentrifugation approach.

"Finding a specific, reproducible marker to help confirm a cancer diagnosis is difficult. This is especially true for microRNAs, which are a relatively new class of markers in the field," co-author Yoshinobu Baba explains. "Sometimes finding just one reliable microRNA is considered a success. Using this approach, we were surprised to find that not just one, but whole combinations of microRNAs might be associated with different types of cancers. The findings are preliminary, of course, but we hope our device can help to lay the groundwork for easier ways to diagnose life-threatening diseases as early as possible."
Who is Silk - the powers, enemies, and comic history of the Korean America Spider-hero

Spider-hero Silk is about to headline her own streaming series. Here's what you need to know
Jadhav meeting: India slams Pakistan for humiliating Kulbhushan's family

New Delhi : Before being let in for meeting Kulbhushan Jadhav at the Foreign Office building in Islamabad, Pakistani authorities made his wife and mother remove their mangalsutra, bangles and bindi and also made them change their attire, India said on Tuesday, slamming the meeting conducted across a glass panel as "lacking in credibility" and "intimidating".

Jadhav, who is on death row on charges of alleged spying and terrorism, met his mother Avanti and wife Chetankul on Monday after 22 months, since his arrest by Pakistan on charges of spying.

The face-to-face meeting was conducted across a glass wall and the two sides spoke via a telephone speaker.

Avanti, who is in her 70s, was also prevented from speaking to her son in her mother tongue. Every time she lapsed into Marathi, she was stopped and made to speak in Hindi or English, as a senior Pakistani official of the India Desk monitored the interaction.

"Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included removal of mangalsutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security.

"The mother of Shri Jadhav was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, although this was clearly the natural medium of communication. She was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and eventually prevented from proceeding further in this regard," India said in a statement.

The footwear of Jadhav's wife was also taken away and not returned.

"For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Shri Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting," India said, and warned "We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard".

The Pakistani media also hurled invectives at the two women outside the Foreign Office building.

"The Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Shri Jadhav. This was despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access," the statement said.

Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh, who was allowed to accompany the two women, was kept in a separate glass cubicle from the two women, and could watch the proceedings from a distance. He was initially not allowed into the meeting venue.

"Deputy High Commissioner was initially separated from family members who were taken to the meeting without informing him. The meeting was started without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed," the statement said.

India also voiced concern at the appearance of Jadhav and his well being, remarking that he looked as though he was "under considerable stress" and was "speaking in an atmosphere of coercion" and that his statements "were clearly tutored" and designed to "perpetuate" Pakistan's allegation that he was a spy and involved in terrorism.

"From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Shri Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being.

"We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned. Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude.

"The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Shri Jadhav's alleged activities. You would all agree that this exercise lacked any credibility," India said.

The statement said the meeting took place after requests by India for family access to Jadhav.

India said that ahead of the meeting, the two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format.

"There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments.

"However, we note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings," India said, listing out the way the meeting was conducted and the manner in which the two women were treated.

The women, who left for India on Monday evening, met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here in the morning. They were accompanied by Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

After the Monday meeting, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry had released a video message of Jadhav - as part of a propaganda offensive, in which Jadhav thanked Islamabad for the "grand gesture" for allowing the meeting.

"I requested a meeting with my wife and mother and I am thankful to government of Pakistan for this grand gesture," he said.

In the video Jadhav is shown as saying that "he worked for Indian intelligence agency RAW" and that he entered Pakistan through Iran. Jadhav also said that he was arrested by Pakistan's security agencies from Balochistan.

Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April, following which India moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May.

India has said that Jadhav is innocent and has maintained that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had gone for handling his businesses after superannuation from the Indian Navy.

Despite the death verdict, Pakistan last week reiterated that he was not under threat of an immediate execution as his mercy petitions were still pending.

Pakistan has said that the meeting does not mean any change in Pakistan's stance regarding Jadhav.
Pakistan allows mother, wife to meet Kulbhushan but only through glass wall

New Delhi : Kulbhushan Jadhav met his mother and wife in Pakistan but was allowed to see and talk to them via glass wall. Congress said the meeting was deeply unsatisfactory.

Speaking to media, Shashi Tharoor said, It is a step forward because after 21 to 22 months Pakistani government have arrested Kulbhushan Jadhav and finally somebody has been able to see him. So to that degree, it is a step forward.

On the other hand, the entire episode unfolded was deeply unsatisfactory. From the point of view of the family, the fact that both the mother and the wife were able to visit him was a good thing. But they could not touch him, hold him or hug him and they were able to see him only through a glass partition, the Congress leader added.

I think that was emotional but especially painful for them since the man is officially been sentenced to death. They may never see them alive again. In that sense, it was very disappointingly unhumanitarian spirit in which it was conducted, Tharoor said.

The interaction started around 2.18 p.m. Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammed Faisal tweeted images showing Jadhav speaking to his mother and wife in a specially prepared room.

Pakistani authorities have said the meeting was allowed "purely on humanitarian grounds", but it did not allow a one-on-one meeting between Jadhav and his family.

Jadhav's family was later taken to the Indian High Commission before their return to India via Oman. His mother thanked the Pakistan Foreign Office for allowing the meeting.

In an earlier tweet, Faisal shared a photo of Jadhav's mother and wife sitting in the Foreign Office. He said: "The mother and wife of Commander Jadhav sitting comfortably in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan. We honour our commitments."

After the meeting, the Foreign Office spokesperson called Jadhav "the face of Indian terror" and said it would decide on consular access to him at an appropriate time. It added that the meeting between Jadhav and his family was not the last.

"This is not the last meeting. Let me say it categorically," Faisal told reporters after former Indian Navy officer Jadhav's wife and mother met him after his arrest on March 3, 2016 from Balochistan, as Pakistan claims.

Jadhav's case is pending before the International Court of Justice.
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 []
Obama confirmed to have aided terrorist who murdered Americans

For over a year now, the liberals in Washington DC and the mainstream media have been trying to convince the American people that Donald Trump and his team colluded with the Russians during the 2016 presidential election. The truth is, though, that if they care so much about collusion with foreign nations, perhaps the liberals should stop the Republican witch hunt for a moment and look in the mirror.

According to a new bombshell report from Josh Meyer of Politico, the Obama administration colluded with the Russian government to release a dangerous Islamic terrorist by the name of Ali Fayad, who has been identified as a Lebanese arms dealer and suspected top Hezbollah operative whom agents believed reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Even when Fayad had been indicted in the United States for planning the murders of US government employees, the Obama administration did nothing. Instead, Fayad found himself back in Lebanon doing what he does best  supplying weapons to the violent, murderous Syrian regime.

As Politico reported:

Administration officials also blocked or undermined their efforts to go after other top Hezbollah operatives  And when Project Cassandra agents and other investigators sought repeatedly to investigate and prosecute Abdallah Safieddine, Hezbollahs longtime envoy to Iran, whom they considered the linchpin of Hezbollahs criminal network, the Justice Department refused.

In other words, Obamas desire to work with the Russian regime in order to move forward with the disastrous Iran deal was more important than prosecuting murderers. Theres word that describes this type of behavior, whereby Americans act against the interests of their own country and put their fellow citizens in harms way. That word happens to be treason.

The fact of the matter is that throughout his presidency, Barack Obama and several members of his administration had this strange obsession with defending radical Islamists, even when they had killed or threatened to kill innocent Americans.

At times it seemed as though Barack Obama was the president of Iran or Saudi Arabia instead of the president of the United States, and as a result, the safety of the American people was often seen as a secondary objective. (Related: Obama is a sleeper cell  read about how the destruction of Americas culture, economy and national security was planned from the start.)

This treasonous behavior was on full display for several months towards the end of Obamas presidency, as the former commander-in-chief slowly released dangerous terrorists from Guantanamo Bay.

As Breitbart News reported back in September of 2016, since the time Barack Obama took office in January of 2009, at least 161 jihadists were liberated from Guantanamo Bay, nine of which have been confirmed to have returned to terrorism, and an additional 11 who are suspected of doing so. These figures are based on a report put out by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

Then, of course, there was the time that Barack Obama traded five Taliban militants, who were previously being held captive in Guantanamo Bay, for the American traitor Bowe Bergdahl. The terrorists, who Arizona Senator John McCain once referred to as the hardest of the hard core, included Mohammad Fazl, Abdul Haq Wasiq, Mullah Norullah Nori, Khairullah Khairkhwa, and Mohammed Nabi Omari.

When one considers the release of all of these hardened terrorists from captivity in Guantanamo Bay, in combination with Obamas sympathetic tone towards radical Islam that was on full display in speech after speech throughout his presidency, one is left questioning his true motives: Was he on Americas team, or was he on the team of Americas enemies? Furthermore, now that its been revealed that the Obama administration colluded with the Russians to free a radical Islamic terrorist, will the liberal democrats call for an investigation? Probably not.

Sources included:

DailyWire.com

Breitbart.com

DailyCaller.com

Submit a correction >>
Researchers deliver CRISPR-Cas9 directly into the inner ear hair cells of mice, preventing hearing loss in animal model of genetic progressive deafness.

Above  Credit : Gao et al./Nature 2017. Confocal microscopy images of mouse cochlea; hair cells in green. (Left) An untreated cochlea from a mouse with the Tmc1 mutation, displaying hair cell loss. (Right) The opposite, treated, cochlea from the same mouse, displaying hair cell preservation.

Hearing loss is the most common form of sensory loss in humans, and almost half of cases have an underlying genetic cause. Reporting today in Nature, a team led by researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard University, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) have developed a CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing therapy to prevent hearing loss in a mouse model of human genetic progressive deafness.

The therapy delivers a CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing protein complex directly into the sound-sensing cells of the inner ear (known as hair cells) to disrupt a mutation that would otherwise cause the cells to die. The work represents the first time that a genome-editing protein has been ferried directly into the relevant cells to halt progression of genetic hearing loss. Delivering the Cas9 protein itself locally, instead of DNA elements that the cell can use to build Cas9, improved the DNA specificity and potential safety of the treatment.

We set out to develop a genome-editing strategy to try to address this genetic hearing loss by disrupting the underlying genetic variant, said co-senior author David Liu, the Richard Merkin Professor, director of the Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, and core institute member at the Broad Institute, professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Harvard University, and HHMI investigator. A lot of additional work is needed before this strategy might inform the development of a therapy for humans, but at this stage, were delighted and excited that the treatment preserved some hearing in the animal model.

Hair cells are the specialized inner-ear cells that turn the mechanical vibrations of sound waves into electrical signals that the brain can interpret. One root cause of genetic hearing loss is a single-letter mutation in a gene called TMC1 that causes hair cells to produce a malformed, toxic protein, one which builds up and kills the cell. Humans (and mice) with this mutation suffer progressive hearing loss during youth, and eventually become profoundly deaf.

Because the mutated TMC1 gene only differs from its normal counterpart by a single letter of DNA, Cas9 must target the mutated gene with laser precision. Otherwise, the Cas9 protein would easily cut and disable the functional copy of the gene instead.

With an eye towards improving the editing precision, the team built on prior work they had published in 2014. When it comes to using CRISPR-Cas9 for gene editing, researchers typically insert the DNA encoding the Cas9 complex into a cell, and let the cell use its own machinery to produce the gene-editing arsenal. But Liu and colleagues previously demonstrated that if the Cas9 gene-editing complex itself was delivered directly into a cell, packaged inside an envelope of lipids, the editing was much more precise. Cas9 itself degrades quickly, and generally cuts its exact target first before moving on to edit similar off-target DNA strands  so, when delivered as a protein complex, it usually breaks down before it has a chance to make those mistakes.

The strategy we used was particularly efficient in targeting dominant genetic hearing loss, said co-senior author Zheng-Yi Chen, associate professor at Massachusetts Eye and Ear. In humans, dominant hearing loss generally manifests as late-onset and progressive, therefore providing us with a precious time window for intervention. The therapeutic effect through local inner ear delivery also presents a major advantage in reducing potential risks.

The researchers tested the method in a mouse model of progressive hearing loss with a mutated Tmc1 gene. Left untreated, the mice experience hearing loss by four weeks of age and profound deafness at eight. The team injected the gene-editing mix into the cochlea of newborn mice genetically destined for profound hearing loss.

The treated mice maintained a substantial amount of their hearing compared to the untreated mice. At four weeks, the untreated mice had a measurable response in their brainstem to sound starting at roughly 80 decibels, the volume of a garbage disposal or a loud radio. But the treated mice responded to sound starting around 65 decibels  approximately the same volume as a typical spoken conversation.

Physiological measurements showed that the hair cells survived at a higher rate in the treated cochlea; genetic sequencing showed that among the edited cells, the mutated copy of Tmc1 had successfully been disrupted 94 percent of the time, and the wild-type allele had only been hit 6 percent of the time. At eight weeks, treated mice also retained their instinctive physical startle response to sudden loud sound, while the untreated mice did not respond.

This is an exciting study that demonstrates the feasibility of a DNA-free, virus-free genome editing strategy for a type of autosomal dominant hearing loss characterized by progressive hair cell loss, said Tina Stankovic, an associate professor at Mass. Eye and Ear who was not involved with the study. Augmenting the toolbox to treat genetic deafness is of major significance.

The team plans to develop the therapy in larger animal models of genetic progressive hearing loss. These results inform the potential development of a treatment for a subtype of genetic hearing loss, but making sure the method is safe and effective is critically important before we propose moving closer to human trials, said Liu. We also recognize the importance and remain mindful of cultural considerations within the Deaf community as this work moves forward.

Nature  Treatment of autosomal dominant hearing loss by in vivo delivery of genome editing agents

Although genetic factors contribute to almost half of all cases of deafness, treatment options for genetic deafness are limited. We developed a genome-editing approach to target a dominantly inherited form of genetic deafness. Here we show that cationic lipid-mediated in vivo delivery of Cas9guide RNA complexes can ameliorate hearing loss in a mouse model of human genetic deafness. We designed and validated, both in vitro and in primary fibroblasts, genome editing agents that preferentially disrupt the dominant deafness-associated allele in the Tmc1 (transmembrane channel-like gene family 1) Beethoven (Bth) mouse model, even though the mutant Tmc1Bth allele differs from the wild-type allele at only a single base pair. Injection of Cas9guide RNAlipid complexes targeting the Tmc1Bth allele into the cochlea of neonatal Tmc1Bth/+ mice substantially reduced progressive hearing loss. We observed higher hair cell survival rates and lower auditory brainstem response thresholds in injected ears than in uninjected ears or ears injected with control complexes that targeted an unrelated gene. Enhanced acoustic startle responses were observed among injected compared to uninjected Tmc1Bth/+ mice. These findings suggest that proteinRNA complex delivery of target gene-disrupting agents in vivo is a potential strategy for the treatment of some types of autosomal-dominant hearing loss.
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SOUTHBURY  Almost a year ago, Glastonbury resident Elizabeth Kennedy was wondering how she could enjoy her new hobby  birding  during the winter months.

A quick internet search led her and her friend, fellow new birder Dorina Ademi, to make the drive to Southburys Shepaug Dam Bald Eagle Observation Area, where eagles can be seen stopping for food as they migrate south.

It was that trip, Kennedy said, that took Ademis love of birds to a new level.

We got to see bald eagles for the first time, and I remember (her) eyes were just glazing over with so much excitement, Kennedy said, demonstrating how Ademis eyes followed the bird through the sky. That point forward, this girl has been obsessed with birding.

The pair returned to Shepaug Saturday afternoon, along with 200 other groups visiting the dam for the opening day of this years eagle viewing season, which runs from late December to March.

Volunteers, visitors and staff celebrated the day with educational displays, birds of prey presentations by the Connecticut Audubon Society and Horizon Wings, and of course  eagle viewings.

The site is usually visited by about 10 eagles a day looking for food, said Brian Wood, manager of land and recreation at New Milford-based FirstLight Power Resources, which owns and operates the dam.

The electrical currents from the dams hydroelectric station, the largest hydroelectric station in Connecticut, break up the ice in a portion of the river. That, coupled with the fish that rise to the top of the river after passing through the dam, make the site one of the only places in the state eagles can stop to feed as they migrate.

Once we start to generate, they hear the horn from the station ... and its like Pavlovs dogs, Wood said. They know the stations on (and) its time to go up to the river and eat.

The observation area was added 31 years ago to the dam, which was built in 1955, Wood said.

It was constructed far enough from the river that the crowds wouldnt disturb the birds as they feed. If the eagles were scared away before getting their fill of fish, Wood said, they would likely freeze before reaching the next place they could eat.

He said, along with the 1973 Endangered Species Act and banning of harmful pesticides, the Shepaug feeding area has helped repopulate the once-endangered eagles.

The birds have bounced back  in Connecticut and across the country  after facing near extinction several decades ago. In 1980, only 11 nests were recorded in the state, but that number is up to 139 in 2017.

This is actually one of the greatest environmental success stories in the whole U.S., Wood said. The eagles were basically eliminated because of the pesticides. Once the pesticides got banned, the eagles started to reestablish.

aquinn@newstimes.com
Clinton-based Connecticut Water Co. and state Consumer Protection officials are warning consumers of a fake check scheme that makes use of the utilitys good name.

Officials with the utility say anyone who receives a check from the company that is not directly related to their water service account can assume it is fake. Connecticut Water serves 325,000 people in 56 towns in Connecticut, including 10 in the New Haven area.

Maureen Westbrook, Connecticut Waters vice president of customer and regulatory affairs said has received nearly a dozen calls from Arizona to Massachusetts regarding the scam.

The scheme involves someone posting a product or ad who sends a cashiers check, personal check or corporate check to a consumer to pay for a service. At the last minute, the seller contacts the consumer and asks them to wire back some of the money after the check is deposited because they claim they sent a larger amount than needed.

Later, the check bounces, leaving the consumer liable for the entire amount. The scam also works when the consumer is selling an actual product and the scammer is the buyer who sends a payment that is over the agreed amount.

One person told us they responded to an ad to earn money for placing advertising for an energy drink on his car, Westbrook said. The payment was a bogus check with Connecticut Waters name on it. Fortunately, the person was savvy enough to spot the fake and reported it to the company.

Connecticut Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle Seagull said individuals need to be extra cautious when something sounds too good to be true.

You should not attempt to deposit the check and should contact the company the check appears to be from, Seagull said. Consumers did the right thing in contacting Connecticut Water.

Anyone with any doubts about the legitimacy of a check that appears to be issued by Connecticut Water can the utilitys Customer Service Department at 1-800-286-5700.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
WEST HAVEN  The city is getting ready to close Water Street and one-block stretches of three cross streets between Water Street and First Avenue to secure the future site of The Haven upscale outlet mall in the face of recurring vandalism and dumping, officials said.

Also to be closed are the one-block stretches of Center, Richard and Main streets that run within The Haven site, between First Avenue and Water Street. The Haven site, which so far has seen just two properties demolished, runs roughly between the West River and First Avenue from Elm Street to Main Street.

The move to close the street, hastened by recent illegal dumping and vandalism to vacant structures within the stretch of properties developer The Haven Group, LLC has acquired for the development, comes even before The Haven project gets all of its local approvals.

The Havens site plan approval and related issues are expected to go before the Planning & Zoning Commission early in 2018.

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Mark Zaretsky / Hearst Connecticut Media / Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Mark Zaretsky / Hearst Connecticut Media / Show More Show Less 3 of 3





The Board of Police Commissioners got the ball rolling on the street closures Tuesday night, voting unanimously to accept the idea in concept and forward it to other city agencies for study and comment.

That will take some time, so nothing will happen immediately, said police board Chairman Raymond Collins III.

It is not closing tomorrow, Collins said.

Louis Esposito Jr., executive assistant to Mayor Nancy Rossi, said the next step is for the developer to meet with the Police Departments Traffic Division, and then theyll notify the public.

While City Council approval is necessary to formally abandon a street, theyre not abandoning it at this point, Esposito said. Theyre closing it to prevent the vandalism and the vagrancy that has been occurring over there.

This is a temporary closure, said Commissioner of Development Joseph Riccio Jr. The purpose is to stop the trash dumping and vagrancy, and theres been some reports of illegal activity down there.

Additional steps beyond occasional police patrols are necessary because most of the properties are now vacant and its wintertime and its chewing up city resources, Riccio said.

While Corporation Counsel Vin Amendola said hes still researching whats necessary in order to close the streets, Riccio said, It doesnt have to go to zoning because its temporary and its different from when the street is to be abandoned.

The actual, permanent abandonment will have to go to zoning, he said.

The Haven Group Executive Vice President Matt Armstrong has told the City Council that The Haven, which is expected to go before the Planning and Zoning Commission for its zoning approvals this winter, will be the only direct-waterfront, luxury retail center in the country, with 60 stores, seven restaurants, a public waterfront promenade.

It would pay $2 million in annual property tax and create more than $15 million in incremental sales tax for the state, he said.

The Haven would provide 800 full-time and 400 part-time jobs, plus 800 construction jobs using all Connecticut-based contractors, he said.

Developers Sheldon Gordon, who has since passed away, and Ty Miller proposed to build the waterfront development project in two phases. Miller is proceeding with the project despite Gordons death, Miller and city officials have said.

The first phase, proposed for an area along what is now Water Street south of Elm Street where the mouth of the West River widens into New Haven Harbor, would be 230,000-250,000 square feet with a waterfront promenade, open-air amphiteatre and boat-launch ramp for non-motorized watercraft.

Riccio said he expects The Haven to come before the PZC in January and February, with a zoning regulations text change to include several properties along First Avenue, currently zoned residential, in the waterfront development zone likely to be on the Jan. 9 agenda.

The Havens application for site plan approval is likely to come before the commission on either Jan. 23 or Feb. 13, Riccio said.
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Cyber bullying: Actress Parvathy lodges complaint against trolls

India

oi-PTI

Thiruvananthapuram, December 26: Award-winning actress Parvathy has lodged a police complaint after she was trolled on social media for commenting on some dialogues in top actor Mammootty's film.

The 'Qarib Qarib Singlle' actress had recently called the dialogues in 'Kasaba' 'misogynist'.

She was viciously trolled and abused on various online platforms by the veteran actor's fans. According to police, a case has been registered by the Ernakulam South Police in this regard.

"She forwarded a complaint to me...and investigation has commenced on this," IG Manoj Abraham, nodal officer, Cyberdome told PTI.

At an open forum organised on the sidelines of the recently held International Film Festival of Kerala, she voiced her opinion against glorifying misogyny on screen and expressed concern about the absence of women perspective in cinema.

To prove her point, Parvathy said she had recently watched "Kasaba."

Though she did not mention the actor's name, she said the film had disappointed her as it featured a great actor mouthing "misogynistic dialogues."

She had also said such kind of dialogues from a superstar would give a wrong impression to people.

Condemning the online attacks, Finance Minister Thomas Isaac had tweeted that they were deplorable and praised Parvathy for making Kerala proud by winning the best actress award at IFFI.

Known for her variety of roles in various languages including Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi, Parvathy bagged the 'Best Actress' award in the recently concluded International Film Festival of India.

She has also secured the Kerala State Film Award for the best actress.

PTI

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Story first published: Tuesday, December 26, 2017, 18:38 [IST]
Death to India, warns Jaish as it plans a huge strike

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

He is referred to as a ghost commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammad. He is hardly seen around but is instrumental in planning huge attacks. Asghar Rauf, the brother of Jaish boss, Maulana Masood Azhar has now vowed to carry out attacks in India which are bigger than the ones at Pathankot and Nagrota.

In a recent address at a Mosque at Bhawalpur which is the headquarters of the Jaish, he is heard telling a gathering that there would be huge attacks and they must brace for it. Death is upon India, he also told the gathering.

India Today while quoting a video says that there is gunfire following his statements. The video also suggests clearly that it was the Jaish which was behind both the Pathankot and Nagrota attacks, a charge by India which Pakistan has always refuted.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that the Jaish which has lost its top commanders in the Kashmir Valley will be looking to bounce back. We have issued repeated alerts and warnings about a Jaish led strike. The Jaish is known to hit big targets and in the past we have witnessed both the Pathankot and Parliament attacks which were carried out by this outfit, the officer also notes.

OneIndia News
Lt Governor asks govt to reconsider home delivery of Delhi services, Sisodia fumes

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

The Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has shot down the Delhi government's proposal to "home deliver" basic public services for reconsideration.

Calling it a "huge setback" to the government's efforts to provide good and corruption-free governance, Sisodia questioned whether the Lieutenant Governor should "have the power" to express difference of opinion with the elected government on such "critical matters of public interest and be able to scuttle such measures".

The proposal pertains to delivery of 40 public services, including driving licences, caste certificates and new water connections, at the doorstep of citizens.

Hitting out at Baijal over the move, Sisodia wondered whether the L-G should have powers to express difference of opinion with an elected government on such critical matters of public interest.

The Delhi Cabinet had approved the proposal last month and sent it to the L-G for his approval. "L-G rejects proposal of doorstep delivery of 40 govt services like caste-birth-address certificates, licences, social welfare schemes, pensions, registrations...etc. "LG sends it back for reconsideration. LG says digitisation of services enough. No need for doorstep delivery (sic)," Sisodia said in a series of tweets.

Late in the evening, a communique from the office of the Lieutenant Governor said Anil Baijal had not rejected the proposal but advised that it be reconsidered and suggested an alternative model.

The issue is seen as the next likely flashpoint in the ongoing clash between the Arvind Kejriwal-led government and the Centre, as Sisodia expressed his indignation in a series of tweets.

In a statement, the L-G office said the present proposal has implications on safety and security of women, and senior citizens, possibility of corruption, bad behaviour, breach of privacy, loss of documents and others and adds unnecessary expenditure for the government and the people.

Baijal, the communique said, had suggested that the government shift to 100 per cent online delivery of services. "This is achievable in Delhi as 35 out of 40 services proposed by the government for door step delivery are already available online," the communique read.

Questioning Anil Baijal's response, he pointed out that while most of these services are already digital, the people were facing problems availing them. "Despite digitalization, most people still hv to run around govt offices with docs etc," another of his tweets read.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)

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Story first published: Tuesday, December 26, 2017, 23:21 [IST]
Flashback 2017: Grand Alliance falls apart in Bihar, Nitish sides with BJP

India

pti-PTI

Patna, Dec 26: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dumping the Mahagathbandhan and joining hands with the BJP would remain one of the most debated political events of 2017. Bihar witnessed one of the most dramatic political realignments when Nitish severed ties with the Grand Alliance, comprising his JD(U), Lalu Prasad's RJD and the Congress, to rejoin the BJP-led NDA.

While witnessing the cataclysmic political developments, the state was also ravaged by floods which affected 19 districts of north Bihar, rendered close to a million homeless and claimed more than 500 lives. Shortly after the installation of the new government, the Srijan scam involving fraudulent transfer of hundreds of crores from the treasury to an NGO came to light.

[Nitish comes a full circle: Back in the NDA fold]

The state government promptly ordered a CBI inquiry amid allegations from the opposition that the NGO enjoyed patronage from many top leaders of the ruling coalition. Driven by the conviction that social evils must be eradicated for the fruits of development to reach all, Kumar also launched campaigns against dowry and child marriage, claiming that these reforms would transform the society in no smaller measure than his previous radical step of prohibition had done.

However, incidents like hooch tragedies in Rohtas and Vaishali districts and killing of a policeman by liquor smugglers in Samastipur as also frequent seizures of huge quantities of liquor across the state despite a stringent prohibition law raised question mark on the liquor ban being practical. Kumar took the drastic step of severing ties with the "Mahagathbandhan" four years after he had snapped his 17- year-old association with the BJP in protest against the latter making Narendra Modi its prime ministerial candidate.

The sharp hostility between the two leaders began giving way to bonhomie which became evident at the "Prakash Parv" in January, when at a function held to celebrate 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh Modi and Kumar shared dais and showered praise on each other. During the assembly polls in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh in February, the JD(U) gave up its earlier enthusiasm for opposition unity and maintained a studied distance notwithstanding the Congress forming an alliance with the Samajwadi Party and the RJD throwing its weight behind the coalition.

Last year, Kumar had ruffled the feathers of his coalition partners by coming out in support of Modi's demonetisation decision, which the Congress and the RJD criticise till date. That all was not well with the "Mahagathbandhan" became more than obvious when Kumar decided to support the candidature of Ram Nath Kovind in the presidential polls. The chief minister defended his decision citing Kovind's exemplary conduct as the governor of Bihar and contended that the Congress-led UPA, by belatedly fielding former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, was fighting a lost battle.

However, the turning point came with the CBI filing a case in connection with the land for hotels scam against Lalu Prasad and his family members, including his younger son and the then deputy chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. Kumar's suggestion that Yadav give a public explanation was rejected by the RJD and he resigned from the chief minister's post citing irreconcilable differences with his alliance partner. The BJP came up with the offer of support and a new government was installed with Kumar being sworn in as the chief minister less than 24 hours after having stepped down.

The stormy developments did not leave the JD(U) unscathed, though, with the party's former president Sharad Yadav and Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar, an old Kumar loyalist, raising a banner of revolt. Defying party diktats, the duo took part in functions held by the RJD and openly accused Kumar of having betrayed the mandate of 2015 assembly polls. Kumar, who is also the JD(U) president, however, scored a few points by expelling all Sharad loyalists from the party, successfully defending a case against the rebel faction's claim over the party symbol before the Election Commission and finally getting both Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar disqualified from the Rajya Sabha.

The collapse of the Grand Alliance also caused turmoil in the state unit of the Congress, which stands bitterly divided into two factions, one said to be close to Kumar and the other more comfortable with the RJD. Infighting led to the removal of Ashok Choudhary as the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee chief. The rival faction has been accusing Choudhary of plotting a split at the instance of Kumar in whose cabinet he was a powerful minister and with whom he is said to maintain good relations. The RJD has been having its own share of woes with Prasad routinely appearing before a CBI court in Jharkhand in connection with cases related to the fodder scam.

His Rajya Sabha MP daughter Misa Bharti, her husband Shailesh and Tejashwi have been grilled by the ED in a money laundering case. His wife Rabri Devi refused to appear before the ED in Delhi despite as many as six summonses following which Enforcement Directorate officials came to Patna to interrogate her. The couple's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, too, faces a probe by the state vigilance bureau in a soil purchase scam. Prasad's grip over the party which he had founded, nevertheless, appears firm. While he himself was elected, unopposed, as the party's national president for a term that ends in 2020, a resolution declaring Tejashwi as the RJD's chief ministerial candidate was passed at the party's recently-held national council.

Another key decision taken by the Nitish Kumar government was to introduce reservations in outsourced services, a move that has been described by critics as an attempt to bring quota system in the private sector through backdoor. A new mining policy brought in July to put a check on illegal sand mining became a major bone of contention. The same has been stayed by the Patna High Court, which has also directed the state government to ensure that mining was allowed under the old provisions. An appeal against the high court order has been turned down by the Supreme Court.

Truck operators in the state went on a strike in November in protest against stringent restrictions imposed on transportation of sand while the RJD, often accused of being in cahoots with the state's sand mining mafia, has seized the opportunity to blame the government for a slump in construction activities which has rendered many workers jobless. Another Patna High Court order stating that contractual teachers in the state were entitled to get salary at par with their regular counterparts has also left the cash-starved government in a bind.

PTI
Another targeted killing: Two non-locals killed in targeted attack in J&K

40 down and counting: Forces on the verge of wiping out Pakistani terrorists in Valley

Mubin did it in Coimbatore: Why do Islamist terrorists shave their body before a suicide mission

DGP Kerala orders FIR against The Kerala Story after TN journalist forwards complaint to CM

J&K: 210 terrorists gunned down by security forces, 820 ceasefire violations by Pak in 2017

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

210 terrorists have been killed in the hinterland of the Kashmir Valley, which has led to a remarkable change in situation, the Indian Army said.

In last one year, official sources said that there were around 820 ceasefire violations that took place from January 1, 2017, till today. An official report said that 72 terrorists died on Line of Control and 148 in the hinterlands.

"Army casualties in 2017 included thirty officers during counter-terrorism operations, 14 in ceasefire violations and 17 during infiltration bids, totalling to 61 (including 3 of IAF's Garud Force)," news agency ANI tweeted.

This is also for the first time that 200 terrorists have been killed in the Valley in one year.

The data comes a day after Indian Army troops crossed over the Line of Control (PoK) and killed three Pakistani army soldiers, one Pak soldier injured.

The dastardly attack comes despite repeated warnings to Pakistan by the Indian Army to desist from actively abetting cross-border terrorism and infiltration, warning that all misadventures to either target Indian troops or provide cover fire to infiltrating terrorists would be met with retaliatory punitive fire assaults.

Data also suggests North Kashmir is the infiltration route for Pakistan with over 70 percent of the operations taking place in the Line of Control. The maximum infiltration attempts takes place in the month of May and June.

According to data, South Kashmir remained the stronghold of local militants. However, the security forces successfully turned the situation around. By December the security forces have killed 210 militants.

In 2010, 270 terrorists were killed. However the number dropped to around 100 per year by the end of 2015.

The truce between India and Pakistan along the International Border, the Line of Control and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003.

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.

In 2016, 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.

OneIndia News (with agency inputs)

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Story first published: Tuesday, December 26, 2017, 19:05 [IST]
FM Nirmala Sitharaman hints at possibility of Centre considering restoration of state status to J&K

In J&K, 14,000 dropouts find their way back to schools

One Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist gunned down in Jammu and Kashmir

PMs dream of development in J&K is becoming a reality: Puri

Farooq Abdullah steps down as National Conference chief, says time for new generation

J&K: Top JeM commander gunned down by security forces in Pulwama

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

A top Jaish-e- Mohammad (JeM) terrorist was killed by the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Tuesday morning in an encounter.

The slain terrorist, identified as one Noor Mohammad Tantrey alias Noor Trali, was a divisional commander of the JeM, said reports.

Meanwhile, a search operation has been launched in Samboora area of Pulwama where the gunbattle took place. Some reports say that the encounter is still underway.

On Friday, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) post was attacked by the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Terrorists are said to have lobbed two petrol bombs at a post in Nawakadal's Bari Pora in Srinagar. No one was injured in the incident.

OneIndia News
Karnataka assembly polls: BJP's Mahadayi card backfires, massive protests erupt

India

oi-Anusha

The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) attempt to use the Mahadayi row as its trump card in the Karnataka assembly elections seems to have massively backfired. Instead of turning the tide in North Karnataka in favour of the BJP, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's letter has led to protests against B S Yeddyurappa. Hundreds of farmers from North Karnataka protested outside the BJP office in Bengaluru on Tuesday shouting slogans against Yeddyurappa.

Massive protests were witnessed outside the BJP office in Malleswaram in Bengaluru with farmers from North Karnataka demanding a permanent solution to the Mahadayi row. B S Yeddyurappa's claims at the Hubballi Parivartana rally became the crux of the protest. "Yeddyurappa promised to resolve the issue and we want answers. We will not budge from here until politicians, irrespective of which party they belong to, give us answers. BJP leaders are accusing us farmers of being Congress agents but our fight is for water," said SB Jogannavar, treasurer of Mahadayi Kalasa-Banduri Horata Samiti.

Capitalising on the situation, leaders of the Congress supported the protest against the BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate while Karnataka water resource minister M B Patil addressed the protestors. The Congres highlighted how Parrikar had refused to respond to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's letters and had allowed the BJP to utilise the matter for electoral gains- further angering the crowds. The charge was vehemently denied by B S Yeddyurappa.

"Siddaramaiah is the root cause of all these issues. He, with Rahul Gandhi's backing, is supporting these protests. They are creating hurdles in getting Karnataka water from Mahadayi," B S Yeddyurappa said in a press conference. His attempts to talk to the protesting farmers were futile with emotions running high. B S Yeddyurappa was seen talking to the protestors attempting to convince them with Parrikar's letter assuring water for drinking purposes. Farmers, who have been protesting for more than 800 days now, were unwilling to accept lipservice and demanded action. An irate Yeddyurappa was booed away by the protestors who vowed to continue protests until a decisive result had been arrived at.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, December 26, 2017, 21:01 [IST]
Kerala: Two CPI (M) workers attacked, RSS blamed

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Two CPI (M) workers have been attacked in Kerala's Kannur region. The CPI (M) has alleged that the RSS was behind the attack which took place in Mattanur. Both persons have been hospitalised.

On December 19, a group of unidentified persons attacked a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker in Kerala's Kannur region. The incident had taken place in Kathiroor and the condition of the attacked individual then critical.

The violence between the RSS and CPI (M) has become a regular affair in Kerala, especially in Kannur. Several members of both the groups have been grievously injured or even killed in these attacks.

[Kerala: Another RSS worker attacked, condition critical]

On November 12, an RSS worker was hacked to death by alleged activists of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala. The victim has been identified as Anand, one of the accused in the murder of CPM worker Fazil. He was out on bail.

In October, an RSS worker was hacked allegedly by CPI(M) workers in Kerala. The incident took place at Muzhuppilangad near Thalassery in the politically volatile Kannur district of Kerala

OneIndia News
Vijay Rupani resigns: BJP legislature party likely to meet on Sunday to choose new CM

Know these important MoS' in Vijay Rupani's cabinet

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Vijay Rupani took oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on Tuesday for the second consecutive term. Nitin Patel was sworn-in as the deputy chief minister.

Out of the total 19 ministers who took an oath of office today, six belong to Patidar community, five to Other Backward Class (OBCs), three to Scheduled Tribes (ST), three to Kshatriyas, one to Scheduled Caste and one to Brahmin.

11 ministers from the outgoing cabinet have been retained, while there are nine new faces. Along with Rupani and Nitin Patel, a total of 19 Ministers - nine of them in the Cabinet rank and 10 Ministers of State (MoS)- were sworn in.

Here are some important MoS' who were sworn-in today:

Pradipsinh Jadeja:

Pradipsinh Jadeja is BJP candidate from Vatva constituency. Jadeja defeated Congress candidate Patel Bipinchandra Rugnathbhai. Jadeja is Graduate with a B.Sc (Chemistry) degree from the Gujarat University. He held Gujarat Home minister (Independent charge). Pradipsinh Jadeja had defeated Patel Atulkumar Ravjibhai of Congress in 2012 elections. Pradipsinh Jadeja has one criminal case against him.

Puroshottam Solanki:

The incumbent fisheries minister, Puroshottam Solanki won the Bhavnagar seat. Purushottam Solanki is a prominent Koli leader who has been a minister since the Keshubhai Patel government. He has been MLA since 1998. Solanki won 2007 assembly elections (12th assembly elections) and became Member of a Legislative assembly from Talaja constituency, in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Following the win, he was selected to serve as a cabinet minister in the government led by Narendra Modi and was appointed as the "Minister of fishery". He was elected again in 2017 from Bhavnagar Rural constituency.

Gandhinagar: Dilipkumar Viraji Thakor, Ishwarbhai Ramanbhai Parmar and Pradipsinh Jadeja take oath as ministers in Gujarat government pic.twitter.com/wI0b8HUCAn  ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017

Vibhavari Dave:

She is the only woman and also the lone Brahmin face in the cabinet is a key leader from Saurashtra region. She is a three-term MLA too. Vibhavari Dave defeated Rathod Nitaben Babubhai of Congress to win Bhavnagar East constituency. In the Legislative Assembly Elections 2012, Vibhavariben Vijaybhai Dave of BJP won the election against Joshi Rajeshbhai Mahendrabhai (Rajesh Joshi) of Congress.

Jaydrathsinhji Parmer:

A Kshatriya from Vadodara is one of the ministers from Anandiben government who have been retained by Vijay Rupani. A three-time MLA, Parmar - a commerce graduate - was a MoS for Roads & Buildings Department in the Anandiben Government. He is elected from Halol constituency.

Ishwarsinh Thakorbhai Patel:

Three-time MLA from Ankleshwar, Patel is an OBC leader from South Gujarat who was also a MoS in the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat for around 10 months in 2012.

Keshaji Chauhan:

An OBC, Chauhan has been elected from the North Gujarat constituency of Deodar. He is associated with farming and social work and has studied till Class XII.

OneIndia News
Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife, mother meet Sushma Swaraj

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

A day after meeting Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on a death row in Pakistan, his mother and wife met with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar were present at the residence of External Affairs Minister. Jadhav's family returned to India on Tuesday morning.

Jadhav's wife and mother met him for the first time in 22 months for about 40 minutes at Pakistan's foreign ministry building in Islamabad on Monday. They were accompanied by JP Singh, Deputy High Commissioner of India to the foreign office. However, Pakistan denied consular access to Jadhav despite repeated requests by India.

Jadhav has been in the Pakistani jail since April over allegations of being an Indian spy. Jadhav's wife and mother had arrived by a commercial flight and left the same day.

Following the meeting, Pakistan released the confessional video of Jadhav in which he is heard admitting to crossing over into Pakistan. During the presser, Pakistan's Ministry for Foreign Affairs spoke about how they had allowed this meeting on humanitarian ground. However all through the presser, Jadhav was addressed to as Commander Jadhav. Pakistan did not even fail to once remind the press about the confessional statement.

OneIndia News
From Kangara painting for Biden to Pithora for Australia, here's what PM Modi gifted leaders at G20 Summit

Modi to Nitish: CM Rupanis swearing-in ceremony or BJP-led NDAs show of strength?

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Gandhinagar, Dec 26: Gujarat has always been precious to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Modi was the chief minister of the western state, considered to be the BJP's strongest hold, for 13 years before he became the country's PM after the saffron party's massive win in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The fierce battle between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress to win the recently held Gujarat Assembly elections reinforced the fact how important the state is in the overall national politics.

Political analysts have termed the Gujarat elections as the penultimate battle of strength before the all-important Parliamentary elections in 2019. The PM and co-won the Gujarat battle for the sixth consecutive times by winning 99 seats, seven seats more than the magic number 92 to rule the state.

The Congress, under its new president Rahul Gandhi, gave a tough fight to the incumbent BJP, but unfortunately had to be happy with 77 seats. Although the BJP's performance in the 2017 elections in Gujarat was its poorest in the last 22 years, the Congress gave its best performance in decades in the state.

Thus after the results of Gujarat polls were out, the Congress claimed that it was a "moral victory" for the party. As both the parties continue their fight over the state, it is actually Gujarat which has come out triumphant.

On Tuesday, when Vijay Rupani took oath as the CM of the state for the second time in Gandhinagar, his swearing-in ceremony turned into a show of strength for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.

From PM Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, Union home minister Rajnath Singh to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar (his party Janata Dal (United) (JD-U) has re-joined the NDA this year), Rupani and his cabinet colleagues in the state assembly were literally sidelined by a galaxy of leaders on the big day for the BJP.

Other leaders who attended the event were Union minister Nitin Gadkari, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal and Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh, to name a few.

After winning Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections and retaining Gujarat, the BJP now has its government in 19 states of the country. Moreover, the party has its government at the Centre too.

The spread of the saffron colour (the BJP's official colour) across the length and breadth of the country was well-highlighted during Rupani's swearing-in ceremony where top national and states' leaders were present to congratulate the new CM and his ministers.

Rupani took oath along with 19 other ministers in presence of the PM. Nitin Patel took oath as the deputy CM of the state. Before taking an oath, Rupani and his wife Anjali visited the Akshardham temple in the capital city.

OneIndia News
MP CM Chouhan returns home from Gujarat without attending Rupani's swearing-in ceremony

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Amid speculations that the BJP top brass is considering a change of leadership in Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday returned home without attending the glittering oath taking ceremony of Vijay Rupani as Gujarat chief minister, raising eyebrows.

Chouhan left for Gujarat by the state plane early morning today but returned to Madhya Pradesh without attending the oath taking ceremony.

He gave a bouquet of flower to the Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel at the venue where the oath taking ceremony was to take place and left for Madhya Pradesh even before the ceremony started.

The event was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and so were the chief ministers of 18 BJP-ruled states. Even party partriach LK Advani came all the way to Gandhinagar to attend the oath taking ceremony of Vijay Rupani as Gujarat chief minister.

Reacting to a question over why he did not attend the oath taking ceremony he said, "I had two important events in Kolaras and Mungawali so I took permission from National President Amit Shah and returned to MP."

According to the official programme released by the Chief Minister's office for Tuesday Chouhan was to leave for Ahmedabad from Bhopal at 8 am from where he was to leave to Gandhinagar Secretariat Ground, the venue of the oath taking ceremony, by road. He was to participate in the oath taking ceremony as per his official programme and leave for Guna from Ahmedabad at 12.50 pm.

By-elections are to be held in Kolaras in district Shivpuri and Mungawali in Ashok Nagar district and Chouhan is desperate to win these two seats after the BJP recently lost the Chitrakoot by-elections to the Congress.

Rumours are abuzz that the BJP top brass is considering a change of leadership in the state.

OneIndia News
'Non-Gandhi' can be Cong chief, but Gandhi family must remain active in party: Mani Shankar Aiyar

Neech remark: Is Mani Shankar Aiyar planning to sue Modi?

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

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Mani Shankar Aiyar plans to sue PM Modi over using his 'Neech' remark | Oneindia News

New Delhi, Dec 26: One person who has been severely affected by the recently held Gujarat Assembly elections is undoubtedly now-suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar.

Aiyar called Prime Minister Narendra Modi "neech aadmi" (man of low birth and upbringing) just a few days before the Gujarat polls. His "neech" remark has been cited by politicians, experts, and the media as the main reason behind Congress' defeat in the Gujarat elections.

Immediately after Aiyar made the comment, PM Modi during a poll rally told the crowd that the "neech" remark of Aiyar exposes the feudal mentality of the Congress. Modi alleged that Aiyar by calling him "neech" attacked his caste and humble upbringing and it is an insult to Gujarat and Gujarati people.

The political chaos over the controversial remark was enough for the Congress to suspend the veteran politician.

Days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the Gujarat elections; Aiyar is still trying to convince the world that his remark was taken out of context because of his poor Hindi.

In the Gujarat polls, the BJP won 99 seats and the Congress bagged 77 in the 182-member Legislative Assembly.

In a column for NDTV, aptly titled, Whoever won in Gujarat, I lost, Aiyar wrote, "Dr. Farooq Abdullah is of the opinion that it was my 'neech' remark that cost the Congress Gujarat.

"It is a view widely shared among commentators in politics, the media, the general public--and my party. I squirm, of course, at the thought that I should have brought down the party that has given me so much. I particularly regret having dashed the cup from my friend's (Rajiv Gandhi's) son's (Rahul Gandhi's) lips just as triumph was around the corner."

In the column, Aiyar admitted (once again) that his Hindi is not as good as his English, the sole language in which he has always been "thinking, conversing, writing, reading and penning lengthy reports ".

Although the former diplomat-turned-politician did not accuse Modi of twisting his "neech" remark but allege that the PM added an "utterly untrue noun" to his "inappropriate adjective".

"In my mind, however, the question will always reverberate: was it my 'inappropriate adjective' or Modi's mendacity in adding an utterly untrue noun--'jaati'--to my adjective that lost us (the Congress) this handful of seats?" Aiyar asked.

While ending the column, the suspended Congress leader raised the question whether he should sue Modi or not?

"And, tell me, should I sue the Prime Minister for slander, libel, defamation--or all three?" Aiyar asked.

OneIndia News
Pakistan passes Bill to give right of appeal to Kulbhushan Jadhav

Pakistan gives Kulbhushan Jadhav right to appeal against death sentence

PM, you need to bring Kulbhushan Jadhav back home, Congress tells Modi

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

New Delhi, Dec 26: Will Kulbhushan Jadhav be set free by Pakistan to make his return journey back home in India?

On Monday, when Jadhav, an Indian citizen on death row in Pakistan, met his mother and wife at the heavily guarded Foreign Affairs Ministry building in Islamabad, everyone in India wanted the 47-year-old to come back home.

Congress leader Manish Tewari said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should bring back Jadhav to India, and asked if his government has the determination to do so.

Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April.

"@narendramodi Mr. Prime Minister you need to bring this Gentleman back home. Does your government have the determination to do what it takes and walk the talk??????," Tewari tweeted along with a picture of Jadhav.

The meeting between Jadhav and his mother and wife came after the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) asked Pakistan in May to stay the 47-year-old's execution.

Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province after he reportedly entered from Iran. It claims that he was in possession of an Indian passport that identified him as Hussein Mubarak Patel.

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

Meanwhile, Indian officials stated that the Modi government will continue to seek consular access to Jadhav, notwithstanding his meeting with his wife and mother on Monday.

India maintains that Jadhav was delivered a death sentence without being accorded basic legal rights under international law and that Pakistan's position in the case was farcical.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, December 26, 2017, 9:07 [IST]
Rajouri attack avenged: Army crosses LoC, kills 3 Pakistani soldiers

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Indian Army troops crossed over the Line of Control (PoK) and killed three Pakistani army soldiers, one Pak soldier injured. One Pakistani soldier was also injured. This was in retaliation to the four Indian Army personnel killed on Saturday in ceasefire violation by Pakistan.

According to ANI, this was in retaliation for the ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the LoC on Saturday. Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate shelling and firing in the Keri sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

Major Prafulla Ambadas, and three jawans: Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, Lance Naik Kuldeep Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh were martyred in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Keri (120 Infantry Brigade) Batallion Area.

DawnNews quoting Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that the shelling occurred at Rukh Chakri sector in Rawlakot and received a strong response from Pakistani forces.

The ISPR was quoted as saying, India had initiated the "unprovoked ceasefire violation" that led to an exchange of fire between the two countries' border forces.

In 2016, Indian Army had conducted surgical strike across the LoC in retaliation to attack on the Army post at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir, in which killed 19 soldiers were martyred.

OneIndia News
Death keeps no calendar: The writing on the truck that JeM terrorists came in

Slain JeM terrorist "Chhota Noora" had become a headache for security forces

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Divisional Commander on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) Noor Mohammad Tantrey, who was gunned down by the security forces in Pulwama on Tuesday morning, had been giving sleepless nights to security forces in Jammu and Kashmir in recent times.

The 47-year-old resident of Tral, who was also known as "Chhota Noora" because of his short stature, was apparently the "chief architect" of an attack on a Border Security Force (BSF) camp near the Srinagar International Airport in October and last year's Uri attack.

The body of 47-year-old Tantray was recovered this morning after an encounter broke out in Pulwama during the night.

"We came to know of presence of a JeM terrorist who was the mastermind of all attacks carried out by JeM. Encounter continued till early morning, JeM terrorist was killed & one AK-56, pistol and magazines were recovered," Jammu and Kashmir IGP Muneer Khan told news agency ANI.

Terming his killing as a "significant breakthrough", the police said that a crack team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, acting on a specific input, cordoned off a cluster of houses at Samboora which resulted in a fierce gun battle leading to the elimination of the top JeM commander.

Tantray was a convict in a case registered in 2003 in Delhi and was serving his sentence at Central Jail, Srinagar until he was out on parole in 2015. Consequently, he remained in Tral at South Kashmir and became a major overground worker of the JeM in the region, they said. In July 2017, after the Aripal encounter in which three JeM terrorists were killed, Tantray went underground and soon became the key man of the terror outfit in coordinating and organising attacks at different places.

An NDTV report quoted SP Vaid, Director General of police, as saying that Noora and his associates were planning to attack a convoy on the Srinagar-Jammu highway. But they managed to get to him in time.

OneIndia News with PTI inputs
Vasundhara Raje should resign, protestors demand at demonstration against mob lynching

India

oi-Shreya

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Rajasthan Love Jihad : Activist stage protest in Delhi demanding Vasundhara Raje's resignation

Activists, student leaders, citizens of the national capital on December 26 gathered at Bikaner House in Delhi to demand stricter action by the state on those indulging in incidents of mob lynching. The protestors also alleged that the Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje is not following the Constitution and should resign. Rajasthan, under the leadership of Raje, has seen a string of such acts - from Pehlu Khan to Ummer Khan and the last victim to mob lynching being Afrazul, who hailed from West Bengal.

Recently, a video which showed a man been hacked and burnt by another man in Rajasthan's Rajsamand district went viral on social media. The man who was seen committing the crime appeared to be fearless and looked confident while justifying his brutality as beneficial for the country.

The murderer Sambhulal Regar in another video said about how he was trying to cleanse the society of Islamic terrorism. It has also been found that Sambhu Lal would be spent a lot of such videos earlier and wanted to kill Pakistan's Hafeez Saeed.

What was more shocking that protests were held so that Shambhu Lal was not booked for the crime and his supporters had taken to the street to save him. As Kavita Krishnan, CPI(M) polit-bureau member in one of the articles pointed out that it is the outspread of immense hatred that gives birth to Shambhu Lal Regars in different parts of the country, and then the state support nurtures the Regars.

There have been numerous protests in different parts of the country, but no strict action has been taken in any of the cases of lynching. Pehlu Khan's dying declaration in which he had taken the name of accused was ignored. And the accused walked scot free.

At the protest today, talking to Oneindia, one of the activists said, "It doesn't matter whether or not this protest is going to yield any result or not, but at least the government will understand that not everybody is going to tolerate religious extremism,"

Social activist Nadeem Khan, Student leader Umar Khalid, and former JNUSU President Mohit Pandey were also seen protesting at the demonstration.

OneIndia News
Why Burhan Wani is a hero for radical Sikh groups

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Burhan Wani had become the poster boy for terrorists in Kashmir. Now it appears as though some radical Sikh groups too are trying to use his name.

He has been described as the Hero of Freedom in a magazine.

The magazine called Vangar or Challenge is on sale at an event in Punjab. This article was written a month after he was killed in an encounter with security forces in July 2016. It is being sold 18 months later at the Jor Mela for Rs 30.

There is also a special message on freedom in the 42-page issue from Jagtar Singh Hawara who was convicted in the assassination of Beant Singh. The article on Wani is said to have been written by Gajinder Singh of Dal Khalsa, who is believed to be in Pakistan and the pro-Khalistani writer Baljeet Singh Khalsa.

Pakistan's ISI has been nurturing both the Sikh radical groups as well as the terrorists in Kashmir. The ISI had provided shelter to scores of Khalistani militants following a major crackdown in Punjab.

Recently there were reports of the ISI and Sikh militants plotting attacks on Hindu leaders in Punjab. The NIA too is probing a case relating to the murder of an RSS worker in Punjab. The NIA found a larger conspiracy and it was revealed that funds were being sent in from Canada, Italy, UK and Pakistan to create communal tension and fan unrest in Punjab.

OneIndia News
China, Pakistan and Afghanistan vow to not allow their territories for terrorism

International

pti-PTI

Islamabad, Dec 26: The foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan held a trilateral dialogue in Beijing in which they agreed not to allow any country, group or individual to use their territories for terrorism. They also discussed the issues related to the development, security and counter-terrorism during the meeting.

The three sides reiterated their firm resolve to fight the menace of terrorism, according to the joint statement shared by Pakistan's Foreign Office after the meeting. It was the first meeting of its kind since the three countries agreed to establish a trilateral dialogue mechanism in June.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held the first China- Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue in Beijing with his Afghanistan and Pakistan counterparts -- Salahuddin Rabbani and Khawaja Muhammad Asif respectively.

"They expressed their strong determination not to allow any country, organisation or individual to use their respective territories for terrorist activities against any other countries," it reads.

They agreed to strengthen counter-terrorism coordination and cooperation in an effort to combat all terrorist organisations and individuals without any discrimination. They reaffirmed that a broad-based and inclusive peace and reconciliation process, which is "Afghan-led, Afghan-own", and fully supported regionally and internationally, is the most viable solution to end the violence in Afghanistan.

"In this regard, they call on the Afghan Taliban to join the peace process at an early date," the statement said.

The three countries agreed to conduct win-win trilateral economic cooperations, with an incremental approach, starting from the easier initiative to the more difficult ones. They reaffirmed their commitment to improving their relations, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, advancing connectivity under China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, and fighting terrorism in all its forms and manifestation without any distinction.

They agreed to jointly work together on political mutual trust and reconciliation, development cooperation and connectivity, security cooperation and counter-terrorism as the three topics of the trilateral cooperation. The second China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue will be held in Kabul next year.

PTI
Jadhavs family re-union: Why this question by Pakistan is a low by Pakistan standards

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Pakistan called it a meeting that was allowed on human grounds. Kulbhushan Jadhav was finally able to meet his mother and wife after spending 22 months in Pakistan's captivity.

However there were several aspects of the meeting that India is upset with. For instance when the 40 minute meeting was over, the Deputy high commissioner J P Singh who had accompanied the mother and wife were made to several minutes before the vehicle arrived. Singh was seen walking around waiting for the vehicle that was provided by the Pakistani officials. It was a clear sign of frustration that they had to wait.

However it was a few in the Pakistani press which worsened the situation. A mother who had just met her son through a glass wall was asked, " how does it feel to be the mother of a terrorist." This was a low even for Pakistan and the sensitivities of a mother and wife were not taken into account.

Kulbhushan Jadhav: A meeting with the mother, wife interrupted by tears

To make it worse, following the meeting, Pakistan yet again released the confessional video of Jadhav in which he is heard admitting to crossing over into Pakistan. During the presser, Pakistan's Ministry for Foreign Affairs spoke about how they had allowed this meeting on humanitarian ground. However all through the presser, Jadhav was addressed to as Commander Jadhav. Pakistan did not even fail to once remind the press about the confessional statement.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, December 26, 2017, 6:44 [IST]
Kulbhushan Jadhav: A meeting with the mother, wife interrupted by tears

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

It was an emotional meeting often interrupted by tears. The 40 minute meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his mother and wife was an emotional one, described a source.

Most of the talking during the meeting was done by Jadhav's mother Avanti. The wife Chetna hardly spoke as she was too emotional the source also said. There were a box of tissues that were kept by the Pakistani officials.

The initial greetings took place through a glass screen. However they were able to communicate with him mainly via a telephone. Most of the conversation took place in Marathi and Hindi, the sources also said.

During the conversation, Jadhav said, it was nice to see them. He also inquired about his father's health and said he would have liked to see him. His mother then told him that he looked tired. He responded by saying that he was being treated as per Pakistani laws.

Prior to the meeting there was a thorough check that took place. They were asked to remove their hair clips as no objects were allowed. The Deputy High Commissioner, J P Singh who had accompanied them was however separated from the mother and wife before the meeting. He was hardly anle to hear anything and could only watch Jadhav's mannerisms. Prior to the meeting, the family had to leave their mobile phones at the High Commission. The wife and mother will be at Delhi for a de-briefing before they return home.

OneIndia News
With the number of anonymous rogues from Pak rising, here's how BSF is beating down the drones

Pak summons Indian diplomat, rejects claim of cross-LoC strike

International

pti-PTI

Pakistan on Tuesday summoned India's acting deputy high commissioner to protest "unprovoked" firing by the Indian Army that killed its three soldiers along the LoC.

The Foreign Office in a statement rejected reports that the Indian Army commandos crossed the Line of Control in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir and smashed a post.

"The false claims by India about the alleged cross LoC adventures are a figment of their imagination and counter-productive for peace and tranquillity on the LoC," it said.

"The Indian actions got a befitting response from the Pakistani side and their guns were silenced," it claimed.

The Foreign Office spokesman said Director General (SA & SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned India's acting deputy high commissioner and "condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations" by Indian forces in the Rakhchikri sector.

He claimed that the firing "provided a cover for the planting of IEDs by non-state actors", resulting in the death of three soldiers.

Faisal urged the Indian side to "respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC."

The Indian Army sources in New Delhi earlier said a "small group" of 'Ghatak' commandos carried out a tactical level selective targeting of the Pakistani post around 200-300 metres across the LoC last evening in which three Pakistani soldiers were killed and one was injured.

The operation is seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel by a Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army in Keri sector Rajouri district three days ago.

PTI
No decision to provide EWS flats to Rohingya illegal migrants in Delhi: MHA

What about undocumented Indians living abroad: Manish Tewari on BJP's Rohingya threat to nation comment

India's stand on Rohingyas gracious so far but housing them would be risky

The Rohingya influx continues as Tripura police nets seven of them

Why Bangladesh is depending on international community, UN for repatriation of Rohingyas

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Dhaka, Dec 26: A few days ago, Bangladesh and Myanmar made a joint statement that the governments of both the countries are a commitment to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees from January 2018.

However, on Monday a senior minister in the Sheikh Hasina cabinet stated that the entire process of repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar depends on the international community and the United Nations (UN).

During a programme in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh on Monday, the country's health minister Mohammed Nasim said Rohingyas will return to their homeland as soon as the international community and the UN pressure Myanmar into repatriating them, reported Dhaka Tribune.

"The Bangladesh government has an extremely tolerant approach towards Rohingyas and we are also working to implement the Rohingya repatriation deal," he added.

Since August this year, at least 655,000 Rohingyas have fled Myanmar and have taken shelter in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar.

"I salute the locals of Cox's Bazar for their unimaginable support towards Rohingyas. Not a single Rohingya man or woman died without treatment in our land," Nasim said.

This year, beginning from August, the world witnessed one of its worst refugee crises when thousands of Rohingyas left their homes in the Rakhine State of Myanmar to Bangladesh to avoid violence and persecution at the hands of the country's army.

Bangladesh, on its part, has clearly stated that it can't take care of food, shelter, and healthcare of millions of refugees because of its limited resources.

However, the Bangladesh government clarified that since it is a humanitarian issue involving millions of people it has given temporary shelter to the Rohingyas.

Initially, the Myanmar government was reluctant to take back its own people, but because of the international pressure, it has now "officially" agreed for the repatriation of Rohingyas.

Recently, the group, Doctors Without Borders, released a survey which found that nearly 7,000 Rohingya had been killed in the first month of the Rakhine violence.

The military has put the number in the hundreds and denied targeting civilians or committing atrocities, while Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi said major security operations stopped in early September.

Responding to international pressure, Suu Kyi's civilian government signed an agreement with Bangladesh to start the repatriation of the stateless Muslim refugees within two months.

The agreement promises the "safe and voluntary return" of displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh -- not just the latest 655,000 new arrivals but more than 70,000 from a separate influx in October 2016.

OneIndia News
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by  Graham Pierrepoint



Merry Christmas and happy holidays to one and all from the One News Page time travel facility  where historical ambles never sleep! This is also our last journey through the ages for the year  so get ready to buckle up for 2018 with a few more tantalizing historical titbits to see you off with.

December 25th, 0001: Have a Guess!

Its marked as the first Christmas according to the calendar of Dionysus Exiguus  and if you didnt see this one coming, we suggest you perhaps lay off the sherry for the night!

December 26th, 1982: The Man of The Year Isnt Human

TIME Magazines Person of The Year celebrations have picked out some of the most celebrated and controversial figures of our times  but in 1982, they offered the accolade to The Computer  and 35 years on, were more or less dependent on them!

December 27th, 1967: Leonard Cohen Debuts

Iconic, unmistakable and perhaps even polarizing  the late Leonard Cohen made his debut 50 years ago this week via Columbia records with his first-ever collection of songs, fittingly titled Songs of Leonard Cohen.

December 28th, 1612: Neptune Discovered  Though Not Realized

Neptune is one of many, many celestial features discovered completely by accident  and over 400 years ago, legendary astronomer Galileo found a fixed star that would later become known as one of the coldest planets in our solar system. At the time of writing, it is in fact the coldest  as Pluto would lose its planetary status.

December 29th, 1955: Barbra Streisand Makes First Recording

Legendary US vocalist Barbra Streisand  still filling theaters to this day  made her recording debut aged just 13 in 1955, via Youll Never Know. A glittering and critically-lauded career would await her.

December 30th, 1974: The Beatles Disband (Legally)

In a legal process which would last four years in the civil system, ground-breaking musicians The Beatles would finally untie completely this week over 40 years ago  leading to a number of separate ways which would see more unforgettable music created, and of course tragedy unfold.

December 31st, 1904: NYE in NYC Debuts

Happy New Year! Almost, anyway  as Times Square first celebrated the coming of a new 12 months 113 years ago. It was known as Longacre Square back then  and its still regarded as the epicenter of New Year celebrations to this day.

Sit back, enjoy a mince pie or three and see the New Year out in style  and lets see what history can be made in 2018!
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Delicato Family Vineyards has donated $40,000 to Restaurants Care to support restaurant workers affected by the Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties and the wine country fires in Napa and Sonoma Counties.

The donation helps continue grants to help cover basic living expenses such as temporary lodging, food, clothing and supplies for restaurant workers whove either been displaced or find themselves unemployed as a result of these fires.

This years fire season has proven especially difficult for restaurant workers in wine country. Many of the initial applicants to Restaurants Care have noted that a lack of diners has led to reduced shifts and fewer tips, compounding their financial pressures.

Rosalinda Gutierrez, a manager at The Tipsy Taco and Cantina in Santa Rosa, lost her house and car in the fires. At the same time, her restaurant was closed for days, so she lost wages. Restaurants Care is helping her buy clothes, replace household items and a laptop and cover expenses associated with evacuation.

We are honored to have the support of such a strong, California-based brand like Delicato Family Vineyards, said Alycia Harshfield, executive director of the California Restaurant Association Foundation, which runs Restaurants Care. With their generous donation, we will be able to support restaurant workers facing the daunting task of rebuilding their businesses and lives.

For information on applying for grants, go to http://www.calrestfoundation.org/fires.html.
See original here

BY TOM HALL



What hurts one affects all

(Image by airforcemedicine.af.mil) Details DMCA



Now that Susan Collins has provided the necessary final vote to push the McConnell-Ryan-Trump tax outrage over the finish line, might it be appropriate to broaden our view of what constitutes sexual harassment?

Senator Collins, from the impoverished state of Maine, has from time to time pretended to be a "compassionate conservative," and a "moderating" influence on the corporate excesses of her Republican Party. Earlier this year, she overcame her deep hatred for universal health care to accept her constituents' desires, and ended up voting against the Republican effort to destroy ObamaCare. And she has made occasional noises about wanting to protect children and the poorest of the poor in her posturing on the tax bill.

She lied when she said she would require a bill protecting DACA children as a prerequisite to her support for the tax bill. In the end she abandoned her support for Dreamer protection, and embraced the Republican Party's corporate welfare bill. And when push came to shove, she signed on to a bill that seeks to destroy ObamaCare by eliminating the individual mandate to buy insurance.

Perhaps some of her constituents may look into her investments, and see whether she, like Bob Corker, got a multi-million dollar ANNUAL payday for her real estate investments from the Republican Party tax bill.

When it comes down to it, Susan Collins joined her Republican Party sisters, Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Deb Fisher (Nebraska), and Shelley Capito (West Virginia) IN throwing children under the bus, breaking up families and ending health care, for nothing more than a personal increased payday.

These women senators get to do this, without any scrutiny or criticism, because progressive Americans have been focused on the much more important issue of sexual abuse. This occurs because we have been so narrow in our definitions of sexual abuse.

Unwanted touching by a man (but not by a woman?) IS sexual abuse. Women should be applauded for having the courage to speak out about what has too long been accepted as normal, or "just the way things are." For people who believe that the complaints have gotten too loud or too frequent, the reality is that the voices we have heard have been from a small minority, who find exceptional courage, or live in circumstances in which they feel secure enough to speak out.

Most women still have reasons to fear, and to remain silent, or at least quiet. Most women live in economic uncertainty, or downright poverty, dependent on the generosity of men (and sometimes other women) for the necessities of life. They depend on others for education and health care, even if they are able to provide the bare essentials of food, clothing and housing.

But health care isn't a matter of sexual harassment. Neither is keeping the family together, avoiding having parents deported and ripped from children born here. So it isn't a matter of natural rights or dignity, but rather simple policy preferences for progressives to want health care and DACA, but not to fly into paroxysms of rage when Republican Party WOMEN vote to take rights and services away from poor women and their children.

Similarly education, at least sufficient to be able to work in modern capitalist society, is not a matter of fundamental right or dignity. So it isn't sexual abuse when Betsy deVos gives Department of Education money to schools that teach little girls that they are inferior to boys, and that god wants them to be submissive and obedient to men and the "natural desires" that god gives to men. It isn't sexual abuse when Ted Cruz sticks into the new tax bill a provision allowing tax breaks for Mormons and Southern Baptists to home school their children with religious doctrines of sexual inequality and submissiveness for women.

The Republican Party has a long history of claiming "Family Values" as their issue. But their "morality" supports breaking up families on altars of border security and racial purity. Despite reams of research developed over decades of study, showing that intact families yield healthier (physically and mentally) children, keeping families intact has never been a Republican Party "Family Value."

This is logical. The Republican Party focuses on what drives a profit. The Southern Baptist religion was founded by plantation owners to oppose the Christian Baptists who opposed slavery. Businesses want profits, and breaking up families, by selling members "down the river," from the 17th through the 19th centuries, and by forcing children to work in factories until they dropped, in the 19th and 20th centuries, has always been profitable. Hence breaking up families for profit has always been Republican Party policy. It is a Republican "Family Value."

But what if we broadened the scope of what is "sexual abuse"? What if we said that using government money to teach little children that girls are inferior, and that boys should be allowed to "have their way" with girls, IS sexual abuse? What if we said that employers, or fathers, or politicians telling women how to live their own sex lives IS sexual abuse? What if we said that religious freedom INCLUDES the right to decide to follow religions that allow self-control of reproductive systems?

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Congress created individual retirement accounts (IRAs) in 1974. Four years later it added 401(k)s. A third variety, Roth IRAs, won approval in 1997. Together the accounts dominate America's private retirement system.

Today we're a hugely unequal society. Updating our private system could reduce inequality, and help make the golden years golden for all Americans.

Let's begin with the millions of workers we're not even giving a chance:

The 1974 bill aimed to provide a workplace retirement plan for all private-sector employees not otherwise covered. Forty-three years later over 70 million workers, mostly low- to middle-income, still lack a workplace option.

They deserve at least two. One would be a broad stock market index fund like the S&P 500. For savers who put safety first, the other would be a bond fund holding only Treasury debt. Enrollment would be automatic with an opt-out provision. Pre-tax contributions would be made via payroll deductions. Gains would accrue tax-free, taxes payable on withdrawal (the same as all current accounts except Roths).

States could set up accounts on their own (as Oregon already has), but Congress could do the job in a single stroke. Both 2008 presidential candidates, Senator John McCain (R-NV) and Barack Obama, endorsed a federal Automatic IRA plan. Obama later included the idea in a budget outline, but it never went any further.

It should have. Well into the 21st century, private retirement accounts should be a worker's right: they should come with the job, period.

Now let's fortify the golden years with smarter retirement account rules.

Congress should lower the age for required minimum distributions (RMDs) from the current 70 1/2 to 65. That would dovetail with the Medicare eligibility age and with common sense and the common good. An aging population is putting Medicare and Social Security in a fiscal bind. Revenues from the new rule should be dedicated equally to the two programs.

Taxable required distributions aren't a penalty; they're a payback to the Treasury for decades of pre-tax contributions and tax-free growth. It would help all seniors if the payback started sooner. (No, RMDs won't exhaust retiree savings. It takes voluntary withdrawals far larger than the required minimums to do that.)

Moving on to fairness, it's important to remember that tax breaks redistribute income. Those who get them count on other taxpayers to make up the revenue shortfall (or else there's simply less to go around). Retirement breaks flow lopsidedly to the well-off. Putting it all together, there's a powerful case for a lower cap on pre-tax 401(k) contributions.

Would anyone lose any sleep if the current $18,000 annual maximum were cut to $10,000, to $7,500? It's one thing to help workers who need help. It's another to over-subsidize the retirement savings of the haves, and lose current tax revenues in the bargain.

Lastly, we need to wind down a fiscal deception.

Congress should remove Roth IRAs, Roth 401(k)s and Roth rollovers (conversions of other accounts into Roths) from the retirement mix. Existing Roths should follow the rules that govern all other plans: required distributions, taxable at ordinary income rates. If that can't happen, at least stop offering Roths and require (tax-free) distributions from current accounts.

Fiscal hawks should cheer the reform, which would guarantee lower federal deficits in future decades. Roth contributions are taxable, so the Treasury takes in more money initially. But the gains are permanently tax-free, leading to multi-billion-dollar losses in the long run (and retirement accounts are primarily about the long run).

Fairness would also get a boost. It's inequitable to exempt Roths from required distributions and taxes on gains.

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reprinted from cluborlov.blogspot.com

Poverty is a major problem around the world, but it is not evenly distributed. Some countries, such as China and Russia, have in recent decades succeeded in raising many of their citizens out of poverty. For example, the real incomes of a majority of Russians have doubled more than once since the beginning of the century, while in China the explosive growth of cities and of manufacturing has improved the fortunes of many millions of former peasants. The result, readily observable, is enviable political stability and widespread optimism and confidence (if not satisfaction) with the overall direction.

In the meantime, in the formerly wealthy but now virtually bankrupt countries of the West, and in the United States especially, homelessness has been steadily increasing, the number of people on public assistance has been setting new records, the opioid epidemic is claiming more victims every day and major cities, such as Chicago and Baltimore, have turned into shooting galleries to such an extent that some obscure local official (not, mind you, Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emanuel, as has been widely reported) has recently asked the UN to send in peacekeepers to stop what he has called "a genocide." The result, again readily observable, is political instability and widespread dissatisfaction with the overall direction, as evidenced by such phenomena as Trump, Brexit, the electoral failure of major political parties in France, Germany, Austria and elsewhere, separatist rumblings in Spain and Italy and the manifest fecklessness of both elected national officials and the unlected EU ones in Brussels.

Just going by the numbers, it is now possible to speak of the manifest failure of capitalism, as has been proclaimed loudly by Thomas Piketty et alia. As reported by World Inequality Lab, since 1980 income inequality has increased in practically all countries in the world. Over the intervening period the top 1% has received more income than the bottom 50% and now controls more than half of all the wealth on the planet. The largest increases in income inequality were seen in North America, China, India and Russia, although the effects differed in each case because income inequality had already been very high in North America and India while it had previously been among the lowest in the world in China and Russia.

The function of a society is to improve the well-being of its members. It is not the function of a society to make it easy for a tiny minority to prey upon the vast majority and drive it into destitution. Capitalism fails this basic test. When societies fail this basic test, they fall apart and the tiny minority get subjected to experiments such as the guillotine. How far away any given society is from such an event, and whether it is heading away from it or toward it, can be observed by watching the politics. Observe that Putin, during his recent national Q&A, announced that the prime objective of his next term as president will be to raise the incomes of the general population. Observe that Trump, with his tax reform package, is seeking to cut corporate taxes, eliminate estate taxes, increase federal budget deficits and generally shift the burden for all the previous economic policy failures from the very rich and onto the general population.

But the numbers churned out by economists, amusing though they may be, are, to my mind, borderline meaningless. To me, it makes sense to measure physical quantities--flows of matter and energy, information flows--but to measure the flows of money is to engage in group hallucination. The problem is that money doesn't feel like anything--it's just digits, as sexy and fulfilling as a train schedule. (Yes, there are a few nerds who love train schedules, but leaving them aside") To make money feel like something, it has to be used, and there are two main ways to use it: to give pleasure through its surplus and to cause pain through its deficit.

Look at what the rich do: they are constantly jostling for the best way to make themselves look as rich as possible while remaining within the bounds of what they consider "good taste." Just floundering about with naked women in a bathtub full of gems and gold bullion is not considered in "good taste." The manifestations of massive wealth have to be understated and fashionable yet unmistakably signal that money is no object. Those new to money signal their wealth through multimillion-dollar weddings for their daughters or by buying megayachts, while those a bit further along the aristocratic continuum from nouveaux-riches to guillotine's achieve the same good feeling through sponsorship or through public shows of charity and largess. But the amount they spend on wealth signaling is tiny in proportion to their overall net worth. Most of it is bound up in what will in due course become stranded assets. We'll return to that point in a moment.



Poverty

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Meanwhile look at what the poor do. Most of them languish in misery. A few of them attempt to beat the long odds by working hard, self-educating, educating and tightly disciplining and controlling their children. But even fewer succeed at this because there is a structural feature in their way: a wide moat that separates the rich from the poor. In that moat, tax donkeys are drowned in red ink--be they the poor struggling to rise out of poverty or the former middle class that has lapsed into poverty. One of the best ways to make it past this moat is to break the law, and that is hard to do alone. Thus, the best, and traditional, way to do it is to form a mafia, and become a law unto yourselves--very rough and violent at first, and progressively more legalized and legitimized. This is the basic methodology of aristocratic succession, and it has been practiced for millennia now. Scratch through the aristocratic veneer and you will find a former gangster, or a descendant of one.

But virtually all of them, both rich and poor, are seduced--not by wealth, for wealth itself is ephemeral and cannot be directly experienced--but by the displays of wealth employed by the rich, who are forever looking for new ways to flaunt their wealth. And virtually all of them are made miserable by this experience, because all of them, with the possible exception of Jeff Bezos, are not rich "enough." Since wealth is just a number, and numbers only function in comparison with other numbers, "enough" can only mean one thing: richer than anyone else, and that leaves us with just Jeff Bezos, the happiest bozo on this bus to nowhere.

Why is the bus going nowhere, and why does it make sense to measure the flows of matter and energy (and perhaps information) but not of money? Because money is denominated in future ability perform work. Most of that work is, by now, not physical labor but machine labor. And the vast majority of that machine labor (silly windmills and solar panels aside) comes from fossil fuels. Now go look at the balance sheets of all the major Western energy companies. Are they still profitable. No. Are they vastly indebted. Yes. Once it becomes impossible to run the machines whose output underpins the net worth of the high-net-worth individuals, they become stranded assets: they still cost money to maintain but they are no longer useful. The obvious next step is to forgo their maintenance. But shortly thereafter it turns out that they are no longer worth much beyond their value as salvage and scrap.

Thus, the final condemnation of capitalism is not that it is unjust or wasteful; it is that it is downright stupid. It is an insipid, misguided struggle over wealth signaling that ends in poverty, or worse, for all those involved. In the meantime, the rich are on an endless quest for more endorphins, to be gained, temporarily, from displaying the latest gadget or fashionable rag, or from occupying a swank bit of real estate, while the poor feel pain from being unable to heat their homes or feed their children properly and suffer endless indignities in trying to scrape by. But in the end they will be the same, for there is a great equalizer at work, called Nonrenewable Natural Resource Depletion (NNRD). And in most parts of the world it is very far along already.

How can you escape from this ridiculous cycle of stupidity that ends in poverty? I have plenty of direct experience with both wealth and poverty, and I believe I have found an answer. You see, being poor feels very different in different places. There is too much to explain in terms of what goes into creating that feeling, and each place is a little bit different. But one bold conjecture I would dare to make is that while all the rich are the same everywhere, all the poor are different. Since a lot of places will cease to be viable once wealth turns to stranded assets, it makes sense to look for ones that won't be. And my theory, though it is entirely unsupported by any economic analysis, is that the best places will be those where the poor people feel the best and the rich people, relatively speaking, feel the worst.
From Counterpunch



Jerusalem Dome of the Rocks

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In Hebron on December 7, over 20 Israeli soldiers arrested 14-year-old Fawzi Al-Junaidi, blindfolded him and marched him off to detention. The image of the arrest, the violence of it, startled many people. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned the arrest and said sharply: "Israel is a terrorist state. We will not abandon Jerusalem to the mercy of a child-murder state."

Erdogan was referring to the renewed controversy over Jerusalem. On December 6, President Donald Trump declared that the United States would move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. To move the embassy suggests that Israel's capital is no longer to be Tel Aviv but Jerusalem. This action is against long-standing international policy, which sees Jerusalem as an "international city" -- one that would be governed by various parties to protect the city's special status as home to major religious sites of Christians, Jews and Muslims.

Trump's statement on Jerusalem rattled Palestine, where the people have long worried about the seizure of East Jerusalem, which the United Nations deems to be part of Occupied Palestinian Territory, and the rest of the old city. Protests broke out in the West Bank, in Jerusalem and in the Gaza Strip. These were largely non-violent, a mirror of the frustration of the Palestinian people with the collapse of their national liberation project.

Dangerous escalation

On December 8, which was a Friday and therefore a day of prayer for Muslims, Israeli forces gathered in a show of force near the Al Aqsa mosque, revered by Muslims as the third holiest site in Islam. Prayers went on as usual in the mosque, although the tension on the streets was palpable. It provoked protests from Palestinians in the city, who marched in small groups chanting: "Jerusalem is ours, Jerusalem is our capital."

Israeli forces descended upon the demonstrations with ferocity. Israeli troops on horseback galloped down Salah Eddin Street in the old city, scaring passers-by. The soldiers smashed up shops and arrested men, women and children. The Red Crescent said that about 800 Palestinians had been injured and a handful, mostly in Gaza, had been killed. Israeli forces used a combination of rubber bullets and live fire in the West Bank and Jerusalem and air strikes against Gaza. Two days later, on December 10, an Israeli military vehicle ran over a five-year-old Palestinian girl in the city of Hebron, perhaps the tensest city in Palestine.

It was in Hebron that 14-year-old Al-Junaidi was arrested and detained. His uncle said that the boy had gone out to get medicine and food for his family. This young boy cares for his father, who had undergone surgery recently. The incident moved the uncle to say: "We are the children of Palestine. Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine in the hearts and minds of our children. They will never be able to erase it."

Wisam Hashlamoun, a Palestinian photojournalist, took the iconic picture of Al-Junaidi. About 50 Israeli soldiers attacked a group of Palestinian youths, Hashlamoun recounts. Al-Junaidi fell to the ground, sustaining a head wound. The soldiers "pulled him to his feet and encircled him," which is the moment Hashlamoun photographed the boy. "It definitely didn't occur to me that this photo would become a symbol," Hashlamoun said. "I wanted to expose Israeli violence."

Israeli state media concentrated on a few rockets fired into Israel from Gaza and the stabbing of an Israeli security guard at the entrance of Jerusalem's bus station. These acts of violence were taken to justify the massive use of force by the Israelis against Palestinians -- spurred on by Trump's inflammatory declaration. It is inevitable that Palestinians will respond to the Israeli violence, which comes on top of the occupation that has lasted over 50 years. Little wonder that some Palestinians chanted: "We don't need empty words. We need stones and Kalashnikovs."

No wonder, too, that many world leaders -- from Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani -- have called Trump's statement a "dangerous escalation." It will only create far more violence. The European Union and the U.N. have roundly condemned Trump's statement.

Jerusalem as emblem

In 1947, the U.N. passed Resolution 181 which placed Jerusalem under the administration of the U.N. It was to be a city governed by a "special international regime." The countries of the world recognized Jerusalem as a special place, precious to the major Abrahamic religions and located in the midst of tensions between the new state of Israel, exiled and occupied Palestinians and the neighboring Arab states.

Over the years, the U.N. Security Council has voted seven times to condemn the Israeli 1980 Basic Jerusalem Law, which claims the city as the "eternal and indivisible" capital of Israel. The first of these resolutions, 478 in 1980, was passed unanimously, with an abstention from the U.S. But even former (and late) U.S. Secretary of State Edmund Muskie suggested that Jerusalem was a unique city. "We must share a common vision of that ancient city's future -- an undivided Jerusalem, with free access to the holy places for peoples of all faiths." At the same time, the U.S. held that it had the right to have its embassy in Jerusalem. Any instruction from the U.N. to move its embassy, Muskie said in 1980, would not be binding.

The tone in the Security Council in 1980 was strongly against an Israeli annexation of Jerusalem. Pakistan's then Ambassador to the U.N., Naiz A. Naik, said that as international pressure mounted against Israel, it had "revived with increased vigor the obsessive Zionist scheme to Judaise the Holy City of Jerusalem by destroying its historical personality and turning it into 'the eternal capital of Israel.'" Israel's then Ambassador to the U.N., Yehuda Zvi Blum, responded that Jerusalem had been the capital of Israel from its origin and that Israel would not honor any U.N. approach to the city. "Israel will not allow Jerusalem to become another Berlin," Blum said, "with all that implies not only for the welfare of its citizens but also for international peace and security."

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From Counterpunch

Every year I do a list of 10 good things about the year. This year, I was about to skip it. Let's face it: It has been a particularly horrible year for anyone with a progressive agenda. When I recently asked a prominent activist how she was doing, she took my hands, looked me in the eyes and said, "Everything I've been working on for 50 years has gone down the toilet."

With so many good people feeling depressed, let's point to the positive things that happened, even in this really, really bad year.

1. #MeToo movement has empowered victims of sexual harassment and assault, and encouraged accountability. Those two small words defined a social media-based movement in which women, and some men, have come forward to publicly share their stories of sexual assault and harassment, and expose their abusers. The movement -- and fallout -- spread globally, with the hashtag trending in at least 85 countries. The bravery and solidarity of these victims of sexual abuse will help build a future in which impunity for sexual predators is no longer the norm.

2. The year has seen an explosion of grassroots organizing, protest, and activism. An active and uncompromising spirit of revolt has blossomed in the face of a frightening political climate during Donald Trump's presidency. On January 21, two million people took to the streets in Women's Marches across the world as a show of solidarity against Trump's vile and misogynistic rhetoric. On January 29, thousands gathered in airports around the country to protest Trump's xenophobic and unconstitutional Muslim ban. In April, 200,000 people joined the People's Climate March to stand up to the administration's reckless stance on climate. In July, disability rights activists staged countless actions on Capitol Hill in response to the GOP's cruel and life-threatening healthcare bill. In November and December, "Dreamers" protected by Obama's provision called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) stormed the Hill to demand a replacement for that program, which Trump ended in September. New groups like Indivisible have helped millions of Americans confront their members of Congress, roughly 24,000 people joined the Democratic Socialists of America, and organizations like the ACLU and Planned Parenthood have seen massive surges in donations.

3. We're already seeing rebukes of Trump at the ballot box. A wave of Democratic electoral victories swept some unlikely regions of the country, showing popular rejection of Donald Trump and his party. Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie, who ran a shameless race-baiting campaign, lost by a wide margin to Democrat Ralph Northam in Virginia. In New Jersey, Phil Murphy handily defeated Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, making that state the seventh in the nation with Democratic control over legislative and executive branches. In Alabama's special election to fill Jeff Sessions' vacant Senate seat, Democrat Doug Jones took the lead over alleged sexual predator Roy Moore -- an astonishing win in a deep red state, propelled largely by Black voters. Danica Roem in Virginia, who ran against a virulently anti-LGBTQ opponent, became the first openly transgender person elected as a US legislator. Her win ended 26 years of Republican rule in that district. And in Virginia's 50th district, self-described democratic socialist Lee Carter defeated powerful Republican delegate Jackson Miller.

4. The first group of J20 protesters, people arrested in Washington DC on the day of Trump's inauguration, were found not guilty. It was a scary year for the 194 protesters, journalists and medics facing multiple felony charges, including rioting and property destruction, that could have resulted in prison terms of up to 60 years. The state's attempt to collectively punish almost 200 people for property destruction committed by a handful is an outrageous example of judicial overreach in an era in which First Amendment rights are under siege. On December 21, however, the jury returned 42 separate not-guilty verdicts for the first six defendants to stand trial. Their acquittal on all charges hopefully portends more non-guilty verdicts for the remaining 188 defendants and gives a boost to our basic rights of free speech and assembly.

5. Chelsea Manning was released from prison after seven years. Army Pvt. Manning was first detained in 2010 and ultimately convicted of violating the Espionage Act after she leaked troves of documents exposing abuses by the US military, including a video of American helicopters firing on unarmed civilians in Baghdad, Iraq. She was sentenced to 35 years in prison. She developed post-traumatic stress disorder in prison and was repeatedly denied medical treatment for her gender dysphoria. The Army finally granted her the treatment after she went on a hunger strike. On January 17, 2017, President Obama commuted Manning's sentence, and she was released in May. We owe Chelsea Manning a debt of gratitude for her tenacious commitment to exposing the crimes of U.S. empire.

6. Cities and states have committed to positive climate initiatives, despite federal regression. Twenty states and 110 cities signed "America's Pledge," a commitment to stick to Obama-era climate goals even after Trump's disastrous decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords. In December, a group of 36 cities signed the "Chicago Charter," an agreement to reduce greenhouse emissions and monitor each other's progress. These pacts demonstrate popular sentiment and political will, at the local, city and state level, to fight the corporate oligarchs who perpetuate climate chaos.

7. Trump's presidency has deepened the critical national conversation about racism and white supremacy. The Black Lives Matter movement, which started under Obama's administration, exposed this nation's systemic racism. The victory of Donald Trump emboldened white supremacists, as evidenced in the violent Charlottesville neo-Nazi rally in August. But the year has also seen a wave of opposition to racism, Islamophobia and anti-semitism that includes the toppling of confederate flags and statues, confronting hate speech, demanding the removal of white supremacists Steve Bannon, Sebastian Gorka and Stephen Miller from the White House (two of the three are gone), and building strong interfaith alliances locally and nationally.

8. This was the year the world said no to nuclear weapons. While Donald Trump taunted North Korea's Kim Jung Un ("Little Rocket Man") and threatened to tear up the Iran nuclear deal, on July 7, 122 of the world's nations showed their rejection of nuclear weapons by adopting an historic Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty. The treaty, opposed by all nine nuclear states, is now open for signatures and the ban will come into effect 90 days after being ratified by 50 states. The organization that promoted this ban is The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), an alliance of 450 nongovernmental organizations in about 100 countries. It was thrilling to learn that ICAN was awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. The treaty and the Peace Prize are indications that despite the intransigence of the nuclear-armed states, the global community is determined to ban nuclear weapons.

9. ISIS no longer has a caliphate. For peace activists, it's hard to put forth military actions as victories, especially when these actions incur a large civilian toll. This is indeed the case with ISIS, where at least 9,000 civilians were killed in the battle to retake the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. But we do have to acknowledge that taking away ISIS' territorial base has put a stop to some of the group's horrific human rights abuses. It will also hopefully make it easier to find a settlement to the dreadful wars that have been raging in Syria and Iraq, and give our government one less excuse for dumping so much of our resources into the military.

10. The global community stood up to Trump's stance on Jerusalem. In a stinging rebuke of President Donald Trump's controversial decision to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel, 128 countries, including some of the US's most trusted and reliable allies, voted in favor of a United Nations resolution calling for a reversal of his position. Despite the threat from US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley that the US would be "taking names" of those who voted against it, only nine countries voted with the US and 25 abstained. The resolution isn't binding, but it's a stark illustration of just how isolated the United States is in its stance toward Israel.

As we head into the new year, let's keep ourselves inspired by the hard work of folks at home and abroad who gave us something to cheer about for 2017. May we have a much longer list in 2018.
By Burl B. Hall

With Meredith S. Hall

A Native American chief in the 1800's, named Seattle, made a speech expressing a philosophy of interconnectedness. From the European perspective, his words were received as a joke. We couldn't believe their naivete'. We didn't listen to Seattle, smirking because we were so sure that our way of seeing things was much more sophisticated and advanced. But the joke will eventually turn on us divisive, reductionist Europeans. (By reductionist I mean breaking things into parts, while negating wholeness).

Consider the following Integrative speech of a unified diversity he made regarding we of European descent:

Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as the swelter in the sun along the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors, and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch.

http://www.halcyon.com/arborhts/chiefsea.html

Now that we are under the regime of Donald Trump, how do Seattle's words relate to our current world? Are we truly what Natives referred to us Europeans as: "the walking dead?" Does this definition fit Trump? I hate to say this, yet I don't see any real life in the man. To me he is but the trump card of our McDonald culture.

More poignant, does the description fit the citizenry and system that put Trump in power? My answer is "yes." The earth we have desecrated cannot respond "lovingly to (our) footsteps" for our rapacious touch has been so far from "sympathetic."

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From Consortium News



President Trump outside the Department of Defense on July 20, 2017.

(Image by (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)) Details DMCA



President Trump's recent report on National Security Strategy supposedly reflected his America First "realism" but his approach seems more like old wine in a new bottle, particularly his continued strong support for Saudi Arabia and Israel in the Middle East combined with an even more aggressive U.S. policy in Asia aimed at containing China as well as confronting North Korea.

For more background on Trump's foreign policy, I spoke to Matthew Hoh. In 2009, Hoh resigned his position with the State Department in Afghanistan in protest of the escalation of the Afghan War by the Obama administration. He previously had been in Iraq with a State Department team and with the U.S. Marines. He is a senior fellow with the Center of International Policy. Hoh is also a member of the advisory boards of Expose Facts, Veterans For Peace and World Beyond War.

Dennis Bernstein: Before we get into Trump's recent major speech on foreign policy, let's take a look at Afghanistan, where you were posted by the State Department until you resigned in protest. Your thoughts after over 16 years of a US-waged war there?

Matthew Hoh: For the people of Afghanistan, this war has been going on since the 1970's, much of it propelled by and supported by outside involvement. It has been eight years now since I resigned. If you had told me back then that this level of tragedy would still be continuing eight years on, there is no way I would have believed you.

It was just revealed by the Pentagon that in the last six months, American and Afghan commandos have conducted more than 2,000 raids in Afghanistan. Americans are still there kicking in doors, raiding people's homes in the middle of the night, killing them, taking prisoners. This has happened over 2,000 times in Afghanistan in the last six months! In addition to that, we have seen an escalation in air strikes, both from drones and from manned aircraft, in Afghanistan and throughout the Muslim world.

These poor suffering people are no closer to seeing an end to this horrific violence. Money continues to pour in to support the war, people continue to get rich off the war, the opium trade continues to expand.

Bernstein: It's interesting, there are two major things that Trump has done when it comes to Afghanistan. One was to test out "the mother of all bombs" there and the other was to state that we are not going to make any commitment to withdraw by a certain date.

Hoh: Dropping the mother of all bombs was really the first indication of what war policy was going to look like under Trump. Under Obama and under Bush, there was a political victory sought. As immoral and misguided as the military aims were, there was a political end stated. They encouraged elections, they assisted in development, they were involved in a process of reconciliation.

Under the Trump administration, there is no political end state. People who were concerned about there being so many generals in the White House were concerned for a reason. We have General Kelly as Chief of Staff, Mattis as Secretary of Defense and General McMaster as National Security Advisor. You have military operations now conducted simply for military purposes. This new bomb is a great example of that.

They lied that it was used to go after a tunnel complex. It was above ground and turns the entire area into one huge flash. It is useless against tunnels. The dropping of this bomb was meant to punish the people there because, a week prior, an American service member had been killed in that area.

This policy of terror and punishment is in common with other wars which America is leading in the region. In Iraq, the US-led forces have demolished Sunni cities in the Euphrates and Tigris River Valleys. Look at what the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates have been doing in Yemen, what the Kurdish forces along with the American Air Force have done to Raqqa as well as other cities in eastern Syria. And in Afghanistan we are seeing an increase in air strikes, in artillery operations and in these night raids into people's homes.

Our policy has become to terrorize people into subjugation. And this ties into what Trump said on the campaign trail. Trump said a number of times that he was going to "take the gloves off," that our wars were too politically correct, that we should be killing the families of terrorists and destroying their homes, etc.

Bernstein: President Trump gave his big speech yesterday [Monday, Dec. 18] on US foreign policy. What is your take on what was said?

Hoh: As has been pointed out by a number of commentators, Trump's speech yesterday was really a public relations speech, affirming his status as the leader of the Make America Great Again campaign. The first thing he talked about, as he was addressing the national security interests of the United States, was how 13 months prior the American people elected him to be a "glorious new hope." The target of the speech was not China or Russia or the Islamic State. Its purpose was to reaffirm to his domestic political base that he is the man to lead a policy of American exceptionalism. This is the belief that American moral superiority is needed to keep the world in order.

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Im admittedly not a big New Years Eve person. By the time Dec. 31 rolls around, Im burnt out from the previous six weeks of holiday celebrations, and have little desire to get dressed up and go out, when the bubbly tastes just as good from my couch. Hence, my husband and I unintentionally started a tradition two years ago of seeing the new Star Wars movie on New Years Eve night, and this year might be no different. Lame, I know.

But, if you do still have some energy left, cheers to you. In the spirit of the upcoming midnight countdown, were counting down 10 ways to ring in 2018 in Napa Valley.

Blue Note Napa

Blue Note Napas New Years Eve dinner show includes a three-course meal paired with a special solo acoustic performance from jazz/funk legend Brian Culbertson (founder of Napa Valley Jazz Fest and proud owner of the craziest hair style ever). After dinner, head upstairs to the JaM Cellars Ballroom for the rockin full band performance. Tickets start at $249 per person, or $69 for ballroom show only and $99 for dinner show only.

1030 Main St., Napa, www.bluenotenapa.com

Charlie Palmer Steakhouse &

the Archer Hotel

Spend New Years Eve in Napas newest hot spot and celebrate the fact that The Archer Hotel is finallyFINALLYcompleted and open for business. If you havent stopped in for a peek yet, you should know that theres not a better venue around for a fancy end-of-year affair, IMO. Come for the buffet dinner and stay for the party, featuring live music, hors doeuvres and of course, champagne. Tickets cost $225 for both, or $75 for the party only.

1260 First St., Napa, www.charliepalmersteak.com/locations/napa

JaM Cellars

If youre that person that alway falls asleep before the ball drops, this might be the event for you. JaM Cellars in downtown Napa is hosting A Toast-y New Years Eve Brunch, creatively named for their sparkling wine label Toast. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. theyll be serving up bottomless Toast-mosas for $25 and offering food from their neighbor Tarla. The JaM staff will also vote on the best New Years resolution. If you win, you get complimentary use of event space for a non-dry January party, so that they can keep the party going into 2018 (even if youve dropped your resolution already).

1460 First St., Napa, www.jamcellars.com

Napa Valley Wine Train

Ride into 2018 aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train. This special New Years Eve Dinner Train ($229 per person) includes a welcome glass of bubbly and appetizers of cheese, charcuterie and poached shrimp. While you journey from Yountville to St. Helena and backadmiring the holiday lights along the wayyoull make the last meal of the year one to remember with a four-course gourmet menu. The train returns to the station at 9:30 p.m., but you can then head right across the river to downtown Napa and seek out a place to party until midnight (like Cadet, which is next on this list).

1275 McKinstry St., Napa, www.winetrain.com

Cadet

They had me at champagne carts served dim sum-style, caviar bombs and the $20 ticket price ($15 pre-sale). Downtown Napas Cadet Wine + Beer Bar is throwing a New Years Eve Celebration complete with the above, plus a DJ and dancing. If youve ever been to one of their Halloween parties, you know theyre likely to go all out for their 2017 send off. Next day hangover: very likely.

930 Franklin St., Napa, www.cadetbeerandwinebar.com

The Westin Verasa + BANK Cafe and Bar

The Westins Sixth Annual New Years Eve Gala Dinner features a champagne reception, hors doeuvres and a six course dinner with sommelier-selected wine pairings at Michelin-starred La Toque. Then you can head to BANK Cafe and Bar for a DJ and dancing, complimentary sweet bites, no-host cocktails and a midnight toast at the Red Tie Affair after party. Tickets for the entire night cost $300 (plus $100 more for the wine pairings), or $75 for the party only.

1314 McKinstry St, Napa, www.westinnapa.com

Silverado Resort & Spa

I strongly suggest not partying on an empty stomach, so before heading over to the Mansions New Years Eve party with a Moet and Chandon Lounge, DJ and dancing, balloon drop, sparkling toast and party favors, reserve a seating at The Grill and full up on a three-course meal. The menu starts with a lobster bisque in a puff pastry, features filet mignon for its main course (with the option to add a lobster tail), and a chocolate and saffron pot de creme for dessert. Tickets for the party are $35, or included with your dinner at The Grill, which is $90 per person, $30 ages 9 and under.

1600 Atlas Peak Rd., Napa, www.silveradoresort.com

Goose & Gander

The speakeasy setting at Goose & Gander is made for a 1920s prohibition-style New Years party. Ladies, heres your chance to repurpose that elaborately-beaded flapper frock from several Halloweens ago, and men, a night to dapper it up with a pocket watch and fedora. Choose from either a 6:30 or 9:30 p.m. 5-course dinner seating ($165 per person, plus $85 optional wine pairing), and sip unique craft cocktails while enjoying live ragtime music from none other than Molly Ringwalds dad, Bob Ringwald. Stay for the after party (included with dinner ticket or $40 for the party only), featuring dancing and local spin doctor Rotten Robbie.

1245 Spring St., St. Helena, www.gooseandgander.com

The Saint

Just a few blocks down from Goose & Gander, St. Helenas newest wine bar The Saint is throwing a competing 20s-themed party with their Gatsby New Years Eve Bash. For $35, dance to Electro Swing (whatever the hell that means) by DJ Flamingeaux (best name ever). There will also be a photo booth, balloon drop and champagne toast at midnight, and glitter and sequins are strongly encouraged.

1351 Main St., St. Helena, www.thesaintnapavalley.com

Downtown Joes Brewery

Another Roaring 20s New Years Eve bashIm sensing a trend herewill unfold in Napa at Downtown Joes Brewery, featuring champagne specials, a photo booth, balloon drop, party favors and dancing to DJ Relly Rel. Cover charge is $10, but you can put that towards a drink if you come in costume.

902 Main St., Napa, www.downtownjoes.com

For those who prefer to stay in (like me), get a good nights rest and awake hangover-free, there are a few New Years Day events happening around town.

The Napa Valley Resolution Run will help you kick 2018 off with a running start (see what I did there?), with a 5k or 10k throughout Yountville. Proceeds from your registration ($35 adults, $30 youth) will go to the Napa Valley Vine Trail. www.naparesolutionrun.com

Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch is hosting a New Years Day brunch, featuring restaurant favorites like their estate grass-fed beef and smoked pork hash, a 12-hour pulled pork sandwich and biscuits and gravy. 738 Main St., St. Helena, www.longmeadowranch.com

The Meritage Resort and Spa will be playing the Rose Bowl during a New Year Day Sparkling Brunch at Siena ($50 per person), featuring mimosas and their famous Bloody Mary Bar, omelets, waffles and pancakes, seafood and more. 875 Bordeaux Way, Napa, www.meritageresort.com
From Truthdig



(Image by Mr Fish/Truthdig) Details DMCA



In the early 1980s I was in a refugee camp for Guatemalans who had fled the war into Honduras. It was a cold, dreary winter afternoon. The peasant farmers and their families, living in filth and mud, were decorating their tents with strips of colored paper. That night, they said, they would celebrate the flight of Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus to Egypt to escape the slaughter of the children of Bethlehem ordered by Herod. The celebration is known as the Day of the Holy Innocents.

"Why is this such an important day?" I asked.

"It was on this day that Christ became a refugee," a farmer answered.

I knew Matthew's biblical passage about the flight to Egypt by heart. I had heard my father, a Presbyterian minister, read it in services every Christmas in the farm town in upstate New York where I grew up. But it took an illiterate farmer, who had fled in fear with his wife and children from the murderous rampages of the Guatemalan army and the death squads, who no doubt counted friends, even relatives, among the dead, a man who had lost everything he owned, to explain it to me.

The story of Christmas -- like the story of the crucifixion, in which Jesus is abandoned by his disciples, attacked by the mob, condemned to death by the state, placed on death row and executed -- is not written for the oppressors. It is written for the oppressed. And what is quaint and picturesque to those who live in privilege is visceral and empowering to those the world condemns.

Jesus was not a Roman citizen. He lived under Roman occupation. The Romans were white. Jesus was a person of color. And the Romans, who peddled their own version of white supremacy, nailed people of color to crosses almost as often as we finish them off with lethal injections, gun them down in the streets or lock them up in cages. The Romans killed Jesus as an insurrectionist, a revolutionary. They feared the radicalism of the Christian Gospel. And they were right to fear it. The Roman state saw Jesus the way the American state saw Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Then, like now, prophets were killed.

The radicalism of the Christian Gospel would be muted, distorted and denied by the institutional church once it came to power in the third century. It would be perverted by court theologians, church leaders and, in the 20th century, fascists. It would be mangled by the heretics in the Christian right to sanctify the worst aspects of American imperialism and capitalism. The Bible unequivocally condemns the powerful. It is not a self-help manual to become rich. It does not bless America or any other nation. It was written for the powerless, for those the theologian James Cone calls the crucified of the earth. It was written to give a voice to, and affirm the dignity of, those being crushed by malignant power and empire.

Undocumented parents living in mortal fear of being seized by immigration agents and being separated from their children, African-Americans living in the hellish violence of south Chicago, know the true meaning of Christmas. They feel what Mary and Joseph felt. Fear, even terror, is the foundation of Christmas.

"And the United States of America government, when it came to treating her citizens of Indian descent fairly, she failed," the Rev. Jeremiah Wright thundered from his pulpit in Chicago in a 2003 sermon that, when it became publicized in 2008, saw presidential candidate Barack Obama turn his back on his pastor. "She put them on reservations. When it came to treating her citizens of Japanese descent fairly, she failed. She put them in internment prison camps. When it came to treating her citizens of African descent fairly, America failed. She put them in chains, the government put them in slave quarters, put them on auction blocks, put them in cotton fields, put them in inferior schools, put them in substandard housing, put them in scientific experiments, put them in the lowest-paying jobs, put them outside the equal protection of the law, kept them out of their racist bastions of higher education and locked them into positions of hopelessness and helplessness. The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, not God Bless America. God damn America -- that's in the Bible -- for killing innocent people. God damn America, for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America, as long as she tries to act like she is God, and she is supreme."

Wright paid for his honesty. He spoke a core truth about the Gospel that few preachers dare to utter, lest their jobs and their status are jeopardized by the big donors in their congregations walking out. Preach the Gospel and you don't last long in a cathedral or a well-heeled suburban church. The preachers there are skilled dissemblers. And this is why, in our moment of crisis, they have little to say. All institutions including the church, the theologian Paul Tillich reminded us, are inherently demonic. You can serve God or Mammon. You can't serve both.

Writer James Baldwin said he left the pulpit to preach the Gospel. There is more Gospel in Baldwin than in most Sunday sermons or theological texts. Those who proclaim the Gospel are outcasts, including from the institutional church. They are often branded as heretics. They defy power. They stand with the oppressed. And when you stand with the oppressed you are treated like the oppressed.

"Being in jail on Christmas day is not just counter-cultural, but anti-cultural," wrote the Rev. Daniel Berrigan from his cell on Christmas 1993, imprisoned for one of his many acts of civil disobedience. "The culture has no sense of Christ's spirit. People spend billions of dollars in an orgy of consumption, exchanging presents while ignoring the plight of the poor and the demands of discipleship. As George Anderson of St. Al's says, 'We cannot mark Christmas without remembering -- and taking up -- the cross. Instead of marking this day with the cultural spirit of materialism, we sit here in poverty. The only gifts we have to give each other are a piece of bread and an embrace of peace in Jesus' name. That is more than enough."

Christmas is not about the virgin birth. It is not about angels. It is not even about an historical Jesus. There is no evidence that Jesus existed. To debate these topics is to engage in a theological Trivial Pursuit. The Christmas story is about learning how to be human, about kneeling before a newborn infant who is helpless, vulnerable, despised and poor. It is about inverting the world's values. It is about understanding that the religious life -- and this life can be lived with or without a religious creed -- calls on us to protect and nurture the least among us, those demonized and rejected.

I have seen the infant Jesus in the United Nations feeding stations during the famine in Sudan, in the squalid and overcrowded refugee camps in Gaza, in the rubble of wartime Sarajevo and in America's inner cities, where children go to bed hungry and live in fear. I have seen too the spirit of Christmas. As a boy I saw it in my father during civil rights demonstrations and in street protests against the Vietnam War, ones he joined as a minister and a World War II veteran. I saw it in his standing up for gays and lesbians at a time when the church chastised clergy who championed gay rights. I saw it when he gave his annual sermon to raise money for orphans, a sermon he never managed to complete. He tried each year to tell the stories of these abandoned boys and girls. His voice always gave way to tears. I listened, along with the hushed congregation, to my father weep for the infant Christ, unable to continue. There was an elderly woman in our church who set up the candles before every service. She struggled with dementia. She was often unsure which end of the candle was supposed to be inserted into the base. My father, without saying a word, would help her place the candle in the holder. He did this every week. These tiny, often unseen acts of kindness, ones that take place in war and peace, are humankind's meaning.

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From No More Fake News

(UFO archive, here)

That may sound like a misguided question. But let's look at Tom DeLonge's company, currently acting as a conduit for new UFO revelations.

DeLonge (twitter), a famous musician (Blink-182, Angels and Airwaves) has surrounded himself with high-level spooks from the CIA and the military, in his new venture, To The Stars Academy (twitter).

One of his lead collaborators is Luis Elizondo, who was the Pentagon chief of a secret program (2007-2012) to study and explore UFO activity. Elizondo is now the point man for media, explaining the breaking news about a 2004 US military sighting of a UFO, and subsequent failed attempts to analyze materials from UFOs. He's also hinting that alien UFOs are a potential threat to our safety, a threat we can't ignore.

Every major press outlet in the world, starting with the NY Times, is covering this story.

Who are the players on De Longe's team? Buckle up. The following quotes are from the Academy's site:

Jim Semivan -- "Mr. Semivan retired from the Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Operations after 25 years as an operations officer, both overseas and domestically."

Hal Puthoff -- "Dr. Puthoff's professional background spans more than five decades of research at General Electric, Sperry, the National Security Agency (NSA), Stanford University and SRI International. Dr. Puthoff regularly advises NASA, the Department of Defense and intelligence communities..."

Luis Elizondo -- "Luis Elizondo is a career intelligence officer whose experience includes working with the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense, the National Counterintelligence Executive, and the Director of National Intelligence. As a former Special Agent In-Charge, Luis conducted and supervised highly sensitive espionage and terrorism investigations around the world. As an intelligence Case Officer, he ran clandestine source operations throughout Latin America and the Middle East."

Chris Mellon -- "He served 20 years in the federal government, including as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence in the Clinton and Bush Administrations."

Paul Rapp -- "His past honors include a Certificate of Commendation from the Central Intelligence Agency for 'significant contributions to the mission of the Office of Research and Development'." (Note: This office, ORD, was where the CIA's MK ULTRA mind control program secretly landed, in 1962, after it purportedly ended.)

Norm Kahn -- "Dr. Kahn had over a 30-year career with the Central Intelligence Agency..."

Getting the picture?

That's quite a roll call of military and intelligence insiders. Did DeLonge recruit them, or did they covertly recruit him, viewing him as a sincere, but rather clueless front man they could use for their own purposes?

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Data Center IT Equipment 2017 Global Industry Key Players - Cisco Systems , Emerson Network , IBM , Hewlett-Packard , NEC Corporation Market Analysis And Forecast To 2022

Global Data Center IT Equipment Market

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Global Data Center IT Equipment MarketThis report studies Data Center IT Equipment in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringCisco SystemsEmerson NetworkIBMHewlett-PackardNEC CorporationBrocade Communication SystemsSchneider ElectricEatonDellHPHitachi Data SystemsAlcatel LucentMeru NetworksEmulex CorporationF5 NetworksDigi InternationalRequest a Sample Report @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoStorage DevicesServersNetworking EquipmentOtherBy Application, the market can be split intoBFSITelecom & ITGovernmentHealthcareManufacturingOtherBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaTo enquire about this report visit @Table of Contents-Key Points CoveredGlobal Data Center IT Equipment Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Data Center IT Equipment1.1 Definition and Specifications of Data Center IT Equipment1.1.1 Definition of Data Center IT Equipment1.1.2 Specifications of Data Center IT Equipment1.2 Classification of Data Center IT Equipment1.2.1 Storage Devices1.2.2 Servers1.2.3 Networking Equipment1.2.4 Other1.3 Applications of Data Center IT Equipment1.3.1 BFSI1.3.2 Telecom & IT1.3.3 Government1.3.4 Healthcare1.3.5 Manufacturing1.3.6 Other1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Data Center IT Equipment2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Data Center IT Equipment2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Data Center IT Equipment2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Data Center IT Equipment..8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Data Center IT Equipment8.1 Cisco Systems8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Product A8.1.2.2 Product B8.1.3 Cisco Systems 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 Cisco Systems 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 Emerson Network8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Product A8.2.2.2 Product B8.2.3 Emerson Network 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 Emerson Network 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Business Region Distribution Analysis8.3 IBM8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Product A8.3.2.2 Product B8.3.3 IBM 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.3.4 IBM 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Business Region Distribution Analysis8.4 Hewlett-Packard8.4.1 Company Profile8.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.4.2.1 Product A8.4.2.2 Product B8.4.3 Hewlett-Packard 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.4.4 Hewlett-Packard 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Business Region Distribution Analysis8.5 NEC Corporation8.5.1 Company Profile8.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.5.2.1 Product A8.5.2.2 Product B8.5.3 NEC Corporation 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.5.4 NEC Corporation 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Business Region Distribution Analysis8.6 Brocade Communication Systems8.6.1 Company Profile8.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.6.2.1 Product A8.6.2.2 Product B8.6.3 Brocade Communication Systems 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.6.4 Brocade Communication Systems 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Business Region Distribution Analysis8.7 Schneider Electric8.7.1 Company Profile8.7.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.7.2.1 Product A8.7.2.2 Product B8.7.3 Schneider Electric 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.7.4 Schneider Electric 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Business Region Distribution Analysis8.8 Eaton8.8.1 Company Profile8.8.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.8.2.1 Product A8.8.2.2 Product B8.8.3 Eaton 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.8.4 Eaton 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Business Region Distribution Analysis8.9 Dell8.9.1 Company Profile8.9.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.9.2.1 Product A8.9.2.2 Product B8.9.3 Dell 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.9.4 Dell 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Business Region Distribution Analysis8.10 HP8.10.1 Company Profile8.10.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.10.2.1 Product A8.10.2.2 Product B8.10.3 HP 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.10.4 HP 2016 Data Center IT Equipment Business Region Distribution Analysis8.11 Hitachi Data Systems8.12 Alcatel Lucent8.13 Meru Networks8.14 Emulex Corporation8.15 F5 Networks8.16 Digi InternationalContinued.Buy Now@Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
High Content Screening Products Market to Register Substantial Expansion by 2022

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Key players within The Global High Content Screening Products Market are investing extensively in research and development so as to come up with new technologically advanced instruments for designing new therapies to treat various ailments. This strategy is being used by key players to strengthen their position in the market. Another strategy adopted by leading players is to collaborate, partner, merge or acquire other companies so as to expand their geographical reach. With the degree of competition currently being low in the global high content screening products market many aspiring players are attempting to enter this market on account of its high attractiveness, states Transparency Market Research (TMR) in its latest research report. Key players within the market include Thermo Fisher Scientific, GE Healthcare, Molecular Devices, PerkinElmer Inc., Dickinson and Company, Becton, Thorlabs, Inc., Merck KGaA, Genedata AG, Cell Signaling Technology, and Yokogawa Electric Corporation.According to TMR, the global high content screening products market will expand at an 8% CAGR from 2017 to 2022 and be worth US$1.23 bn by 2022. On the basis of product, the consumable segment is anticipated to expand at a high CAGR of 8.3% between 2017 and 2022 and reach an evaluation of US$486.6 mn by 2022Request to View Brochure of Report -Advanced Healthcare Infrastructure in North America Supports Growth of High Content Screening ProductsOn the basis of geography, North America is currently leading in the global high content screening market on account of the high prevalence of chronic diseases, increasing geriatric population, advanced healthcare infrastructure, rising collaborations of research institutes, and the presence of well established players within this region. North American market for high content screening products is expected to exhibit a high CAGR of 8.2% from 2017 to 2022 and reach an evaluation of US$402.1 mn by 2022. Europe is estimated to emerge as the second leading regional segment and is currently accounting for 25.8% of the total revenue in the global high content screening products market. Substantial investments by the government in the healthcare sector are one of the key reasons behind the growth of the European market for these products. Asia Pacific is anticipated to beat all other regions, with Japan single handedly responsible for generating a revenue of US113.1 mn and exhibiting a CAGR of 7.8% between 2017 and 2022.Increasing Cell-based Research to Drive Demand for High Content ScreeningHigh content screening is finding extensive application in the field of drug discovery and biological research. This in turn is fueling the demand for high content screening products. With the growing number of cell based research, emergence of sophisticated image analysis instruments, and growing initiatives taken by pharmaceutical companies, research organizations, and biotechnology companies for drug discovery, the market for high content screening products is slated to witness a high growth. Some of the key factors driving the growth of this market is the increasing prevalence of Parkinson's disease, HIV, AIDS, epilepsy, and other chronic diseases which require intensive treatment as well as the need to determine and study toxicity levels in the initial phase of drug discovery.Request to View Sample of Report -Increased Pressure to Develop New Drugs on Account of High Prevalence of Chronic Diseases to Spur Growth of MarketThe demand for improved technology for cell research, better screening systems, and emergence of sophisticated informatics solutions will also aid the growth of the market. The demand will also be boosted by the growing support received from governments across the world for cell based research. Increasing prevalence of diseases has also pressurized and created a heighted need to develop new drug molecules and propelled the demand for advanced cell-based imaging. The in turn is expected to drive the growth prospects of the global high content screening products market.Purchase this Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Medical Imaging Information System Market to Register Substantial Expansion by 2022

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With a large pool of leading players, such as, Varian Medical Systems, Mindray Medical, Hitachi, Toshiba, Fujifilm, Siemens Healthcare, Philips, Neusoft Medical Systems, Hologic, GE Healthcare, and Esaote, The Global Market For Medical Imaging Information Systems observes a competitive and a fragmented business landscape, finds a research report by Transparency Market Research (TMR).These players are concentrating on product innovations and upgradation for the proliferation of their businesses, which is likely to boost this market substantially in the years to come. The focus of these players will also shift towards strategic partnerships and alliances to strengthen their presence in the global market, notes the research study.Request to View Brochure of Report -Global Medical Imaging Information Systems Market to Rise at 5.50% CAGR between 2017 and 2022The global market for medical imaging information systems is expected to witness tremendous growth in the years to come. According to the TMRs estimations, the opportunity in this market is likely to soar to US$772.4 mn by 2017. The rising streak of this market will continue further with it expanding significantly at a CAGR of 5.20% over the period from 2017 to 2022 and reaching US$993.6 mn by the end of the end of the forecast period. Currently, computed tomography has emerged as the most preferred modality among consumers and the trend is expected to continue in the near future.North America, the Middle East and Africa, Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Latin America, and Japan have surfaced as the main regional markets for medical imaging information systems across the world. North America, among these, has been leading the global market over the last few years and is projected to maintain its lead in the near future. The regional market, expanding at a CAGER of 5.50% over the forecast period is expected to benefits from the presence of a state-of-art medical and health care infrastructure and adequate number of skilled professionals, states the market report.Request to View Sample of Report -Increasing Awareness about Efficiency and Benefits of Medical Imaging Information Systems to Boost GrowthThe global market for medical imaging information systems is gaining significant impetus from the rising need for effective management of medical imagery and associated information and data, says the author of this study. The increasing awareness among consumers regarding the efficiency of medical imaging information systems to track the billing information and orders of radiology imaging is expected to further fuel the uptake of these systems across the world in the years to come. The augmenting application of these systems in billing, record-keeping, and managing image archives together with vendor neutral archive (VNAs) and PACS is also projected to boost this market considerably over the next few years.On the other hand, the market is likely to face hindrances in the near future due to the lack of skilled medical and healthcare professionals, especially in emerging economies. However, the continual technological advances in information systems is anticipated to propel this market noticeably in the coming years, states the research report.Purchase this Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Non-Life Insurance Global Market Top Key Players  Bupa DKV , Swiss Re , Pacific Prime , Benefit Management, Inc. (BMI) , Gen Re and Forecast to 2022

Non-Life Insurance Market

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Global Non-Life Insurance MarketDescriptionWiseGuyReports.Com adds Global Non-Life Insurance Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 Research To Its Database.This report studies the global Non-Life Insurance Market, analyzes and researches the Non-Life Insurance development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeBupaDKVSwiss RePacific PrimeBenefit Management, Inc. (BMI)Gen ReFubonSeoul Guarantee Insurance (SGI)First Capital Insurance LimitedAsertec, S.A.Claveseguros Proseguros Nacionales Cia.LtdaGet sample Report @Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoHealth InsuranceProperty InsuranceCargo InsuranceVehicle InsuranceOtherMarket segment by Application, Non-Life Insurance can be split intoPersonalCommercialIndustrialEnquiry About Report @Table of Contents -Major Key PointsGlobal Non-Life Insurance Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Non-Life Insurance1.1 Non-Life Insurance Market Overview1.1.1 Non-Life Insurance Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Non-Life Insurance Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Non-Life Insurance Market by Type1.3.1 Health Insurance1.3.2 Property Insurance1.3.3 Cargo Insurance1.3.4 Vehicle Insurance1.3.5 Other1.4 Non-Life Insurance Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Personal1.4.2 Commercial1.4.3 Industrial2 Global Non-Life Insurance Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Non-Life Insurance Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Bupa3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Non-Life Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 DKV3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Non-Life Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Swiss Re3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Non-Life Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Pacific Prime3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Non-Life Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Benefit Management, Inc. (BMI)3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Non-Life Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Gen Re3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Non-Life Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Fubon3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Non-Life Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Seoul Guarantee Insurance (SGI)3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Non-Life Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent Developments..CONTINUEDAbout UsWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, Industry research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)
Market Insights on Growth of Noninvasive Cancer Biomarkers Market During 2017 - 2025

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vasive cancer biomarkers are the alternatives for the invasive tissue biopsies used for the detection of tumor presence in various cancer types. These biomarkers are used for detecting the state of disease. There are various types of biomarkers available such as circulation tumor DNA, serum micro RNAs, DNA methylation based biomarker, and protein based biomarkers and others. The technology has made it possible these days for the healthcare industry to develop early diagnostics, at-risk tests as well as prognostic biomarkers for various cancer types.Request Report for TOC @The advent of next generation sequencing and enhanced knowledge on genomics and proteomics has promoted the use of noninvasive cancer biomarkers. Advancement in noninvasive cancer biomarkers opens new possibilities in the cancer treatment such as improving the therapeutic response, assessing the residues in the body, early diagnosis, measuring tumor heterogeneity and others. Increasing molecular characterization of different types of cancer also led to the increase in molecular drivers for cancer progression.As more importance is being given nowadays on cancer prevention via early detection, the demand of these biomarkers is going to surge over the forecast period.Noninvasive Cancer Biomarkers market: Drivers & RestraintsSeveral advantages of noninvasive cancer biomarkers over the invasive biopsies supports the growth of market. Continuous research in the area, development of new biomarkers and increasing prevalence of cancer cases worldwide is driving the global market. Furthermore, improvement in diagnostic facilities as well as increased access of these facilities also fuels the overall noninvasive cancer biomarkers market. Certain standardization issues with the use of these biomarkers, low concentration, lack of reliability, high cost of kits etc. contributes in restricting the market growth.Noninvasive Cancer Biomarkers market: SegmentationBy Product Type:Protein Based BiomarkersDNA based BiomarkersmRNA Based BiomarkersMicro RNA Based BiomarkersBy End Users:HospitalsClinicsDiagnostic LaboratoriesAcademic and Research InstitutesIncreased cancer occurrence rate and development in the diagnosis and treatment is creating the market for noninvasive cancer biomarkers. Moreover, increased funding by various government as well as non-government organization in the oncology segment also supports the overall market. Availability of large number of kits in the market and the marketing strategies used by various manufacturers is creating competitive environment for the noninvasive cancer biomarkers market. Continuous research in this field also deepens the molecular understanding of cancer which increases the availability of biomarkers in the market.Geographically, the market for Noninvasive Cancer Biomarkers can be segmented into five regions, North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa. With large number of research and diagnostic laboratories as well as healthcare facilities, North America holds the largest market for the usage of these noninvasive cancer biomarkers for disease diagnosis and prognosis. This is followed by Europe with increasing academic as well as bio-pharmaceutical research activities and the advancement in healthcare facilities. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the growing market for the noninvasive cancer biomarkers because of increasing prevalence of different types of cancers and along with this, government support in the availability of healthcare facilities also supports the growth over the region.Request to Sample of Report-Some major key players of Noninvasive Cancer Biomarkers market include Abbott Laboratories, Sino Biological Inc., Thermo fisher Scientific, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Merck KGaA, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. and many more.Pre Book Full Report About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Acute Renal Failure Therapeutics Market Prediction and Analysis Offered By New Study

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Acute renal failure is a sudden loss of kidneys ability to eliminate excess fluids, salts and metabolic waste from the body. It leads to accumulation of metabolic waste and electrolytes in the body which can be life-threatening. Kidney eliminates creatinine (Metabolic waste) from the body. But due to medications like trimethoprim, cimetidine and Sulfa-Metha oxazole tubular secretion of the kidney is reduced. It leads to accumulation of creatinine in the blood which leads to acute renal failure. The primary cause of acute renal failure is prerenal, intrarenal and postrenal. Prerenal causes are common with depletion of intravascular volume. Intrarenal is due to damage of the tubules. Postrenal is due to the obstruction of tracks.Request Report for TOC @Other causes are severe or sudden dehydration, medication toxicity, autoimmune diseases such as nephritis, and low blood pressure. They are many risk factors associated with acute renal failure. It mainly includes kidney diseases, liver diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart failure. The symptoms include bloody stools, fatigue, decreased appetite, prolonged bleeding, and seizures. Treatment mainly includes underlying cause of the acute renal failure. It mainly includes balancing of body fluids, potassium supplements, calcium supplements and dialysis. The treatment is directed to optimize the renal perfusion and blood glucose control.Acute Renal Failure Therapeutics Market: Drivers and RestraintsAcute renal failure associated with mortality, organ dysfunctions, and development of chronic kidney diseases. It also has long term and short term issues in functional status and leads to increased healthcare expenditure. The incidence of acute renal failure is high and it most common in elderly, diabetic and obese. Etiology is also high and may be secondary to infections such as dengue, malaria, and leptospirosis. The proportion of patients receiving treatment for acute renal failure depends on the economies of the countries. Renal failure is more common in low-middle income countries followed by high-income countries. Because increasing burden of acute renal failure, professional organizations and societies are disseminating information effectively to increase awareness. American Society of Nephrology and International society of nephrology are professional organization involved in fostering education and research. Acute renal failure is common globally and imposes high health care burden. All these factors act as drivers in the robust growth of acute renal failure therapeutic.Late recognition, lack of institutions and caregiver coordination, inappropriate knowledge acts as a restraint in the growth of the acute renal failure Therapeutics marketAcute Renal Failure Therapeutics Market: SegmentationSegmentation based on Drug TypeSodium BicarbonatesN-acetyl cysteineStatinsOthersSegmentation based on End UserHospitalsClinicsAmbulatory Surgical CentersAcute Renal Failure Therapeutics Market: Market OverviewGlobal Acute Renal Failure Therapeutics market witnessed rapid growth due to rising demand for potential health benefits. International private foundations are actively involved in raising awareness. Collaborative, multidisciplinary initiative is taken by the companies to develop an innovative therapy for acute renal failure. The future of Acute Renal Failure Therapeutics market is anticipated to grow at double CAGR during the forecast period.Acute Renal Failure Therapeutics Market: Region-wise OverviewGlobal Acute Renal Failure Therapeutics Market segmented into North America, Europe, Asia -Pacific & Japan, The Middle East and Africa regions and Latin America by region wise. North America dominates the global Acute Renal Failure Therapeutics Market due to the high awareness among the patients, and in North America, USA is a major stakeholder due to the strong players. Europe and Asia-pacific are the fastest growing market in Acute Renal Failure Therapeutics Market due to high penetration. The economic conditions in Asia-pacific region rise the Acute Renal Failure Therapeutics market to new heights. The Middle East and Africa regions and Latin America are also showing significantly less growth because of less knowledge regarding acute renal failure therapeutics during the forecasted period.Request to Sample of Report-Acute Renal Failure Therapeutics Market: Key ParticipantsThe key participants in Acute Renal Failure Therapeutics Market are Baxter, Teva Pharmaceutical Limited Inc, Pfizer, Novartis AG, Eisai Pharmaceuticals India Pvt. Ltd., and others. The companies are mainly focusing on intense marketing to convey health benefits of acute renal failure therapeutics.Pre Book Full Report About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment Market 2017 - AMI, Watts, KMS, Nimbus

Global Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment Market

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Apex Market Reports, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment Market" from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment industry, and estimates the future trend of Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportGE Water & Process TechnologiesAMINimbusPure AquaAmpac USAWattsKMSLenntechCulliganPuretec Industrial WaterAXEONLvjianShandong Chuanyi Water Treatment EquipmentHangzhou Shuidun TechnologyThe market research report explores the Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment Market". The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.The competitive landscape of the global market for Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment market globally.Inquire Before Buying @The Global Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment market 2017 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment production volume, data pertaining to demand and Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Equipment across the world.About UsApex Market Reports offers elevating market research globally. We have collection of various syndicated reports of different categories. Apex Market Reports provides you to best services, weather youre searching for new trends in market or competitive scenario in emerging market.Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezCorporate Sales Specialist155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Phone: +17739042683Email id - sales@apexmarketreports.comWebsite -
Senegals Telecom and Pay-TV services Market will Grow from $1.02bn in 2017 to $1.51bn by 2022

Senegal Telecom Services Market

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WiseGuyReports published new report, titled Senegal: Country Intelligence ReportSummary"Senegal: Country Intelligence Report", a new Country Intelligence Report by provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Senegal today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2022. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile and pay-TV markets, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.Senegals telecom and pay-TV services market will grow from $1.02bn in 2017 to $1.51bn by 2022 at a CAGR of 8.2% over 2017-2022 driven by the mobile data and fixed broadband segments. While mobile voice will remain the largest revenue-contributing segment over the forecast period, mobile data will be the fastest-growing segment with its revenue expanding at a CAGR of 22.5% over 2017-2022 supported by rising smartphone penetration and growing adoption of 3G and 4G services. Senegals pay-TV market will grow at a CAGR of 17.3% from $48m in 2017 to $107m in 2022 driven by growth in DTH and IPTV subscriptions.The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following - Demographic and macroeconomic context in Senegal.- The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, tariff regulation and more.- Telecom and pay-TV services market outlook: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice, mobile data and pay-TV markets.- The competitive landscape: an examination of the positioning of leading players in the telecom and pay-TV services market as well as subscription market shares across segments.- Company snapshots: analysis of the financial position of leading service providers in the telecommunications and pay-TV markets.- Underlying assumptions behind our published base-case forecasts, as well as potential market developments that would alter, either positively or negatively, our base-case outlook.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Companies mentionedOrange SenegalSonatelTigo SenegalExpresso SenegalCanal+Excaf TelecomWaawAfrica AccessArc InformatiqueYou mobileSirius Telecoms AfriqueOrigines SAScope- Overall telecom service revenue in Senegal will grow at a CAGR of 8.2% during 2017-2022.- Mobile revenue will account for 76.7% of total telecom revenue in 2022, driven by increasing adoption of 3G and 4G services.- 3G will be the most adopted mobile technology across the 2017-2022 forecast period. Ongoing LTE network expansion will drive 4G subscriber growth over the forecast period.- The three mobile operators, Orange Senegal (Sonatel), Tigo Senegal and Expresso Senegal, will continue to focus on network investments and coverage expansion as well as fiber deployments. Operators will leverage a variety of segmented prepaid and postpaid offerings with varied data allowances, enriched with VAS to boost customer net adds and drive ARPU growth.Key points- This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Senegals telecommunications markets, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.- Accompanying Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Senegals mobile communications, fixed telephony, broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares.- With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.- The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in Senegals telecommunications markets.- The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in Senegal...CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
UC Davis has awarded teacher and administrator of the year honors to three educators in American Canyon for their work developing successful robotics programs at their schools.

American Canyon students have participated for the past five years in UC Davis C-STEM Day, where high school and middle school students from Northern California spend an entire day competing and programming small modular robots called Linkbots.

They have racked up multiple honors during these competitions, including 16 awards for individual and team achievement at the 2017 competition.

Their continued success each year at UC Davis C-STEM Day prompted Napa Valley Unified School District officials to add robotics this year at four schools: Redwood Middle School, Valley Oak High School, St. Helena High School and Vintage High School.

Teacher of the Year was presented to Tammy Lee, an American Canyon Middle School teacher who launched the first robotics program in the Napa Valley Unified School District five years ago.

Lee also helped bring robotics to American Canyon High School, where Scott Marsden was also honored with Teacher of the Year by the UC Davis Center for Integrated Computing and STEM Education (C-STEM). STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Lee and Marsden were two of seven teachers from California and other states to receive the award.

Former ACHS principal Damon Wright, now NVUSDs executive director of secondary education, was one of three people to receive Administrator of the Year at UC Davis annual C-STEM conference on Nov. 4.

Marsden said his award is a reflection of the amazing work over four years by the dedicated members of the ACHS Robotics Club.

These students have truly excelled at the CSTEM RoboPlay Competition, said Marsden, referring to an annual summer event at UC Davis in which American Canyon students have successfully competed.

I also would not have received this award without the dedication of ACMS math and robotics teacher Tammy Lee, who helped me to found the ACHS Robotics Club four years ago and has supported and mentored me since then, he added.

Expansion of robotics to Napa schools has been supported by NapaLearns and the Napa County Office of Education. NapaLearns contributed $150,000 toward the expansion.

County Superintendent of Schools Barbara Nemko praised Lees work, saying she revolutionized how middle school teachers can inspire students of all genders, nationalities, cultures, and abilities to become passionate about STEM.

Ms. Lees students were so inspired by her class, said Nemko in a press release. They attended NVUSD school board meetings and petitioned to make it an official C-STEM Math I course  a most unusual and compelling way to change curriculum.

Peg Maddocks, executive director at NapaLearns, noted the successful work of Marsden and Lee at their schools in American Canyon.

When our board members and donors visited their C-STEM classrooms and saw how engaged the students were and how well they were mastering math, we enthusiastically agreed to fund the expansion into other schools, said Maddocks.

In addition to starting the first robotics program, Lee has been active in encouraging girls to get involved and strive for success in C-STEM subjects as a way to shrink the gender gap in computer science and mathematics.

Lee said shes beyond proud of my students, and noted that some of her female students went to form a club at ACHS called Girls Can Too!
Digital Commerce Applications Market is Expected to Surpass US$ 19 Bn in Global Revenues by 2026-End

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As the purchasing and selling of products & services witnesses a technological transition, the use of mobile networks, internet and other similar infrastructures continues to gain traction. Development of platforms used for doing payments, billing & managing other accounting functions, and handling customer refunds for online publisher clients is picking up momentum. Consumers are demanding for digital commerce applications that are equipped with features such as card control, location services, timely information, alerts and notification, offers and rewards and many more. According to Persistence Market Research, the global market for digital commerce applications is expected to grow vigorously and bring in US$ 19,096.4 Mn in revenues by the end of 2026.Persistence Market Researchs report, titled Digital Commerce Application: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast, 2016-2026, the global sales of digital commerce application market was valued at nearly US$ 4,400 Mn in 2016 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 15.8% during the forecast period (20162026). The report estimates that in 2016, around 29% of global sales of digital commerce applications were accounted by North America. However, the region is likely to lose out on its market presence in the years to come.Report overview @Meanwhile, regions such as Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe and the Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region will showcase positive growth in terms of demand for digital commerce applications. Latin Americas digital commerce application market will register fastest revenue growth at 16.3% CAGR, while the digital commerce application market in Europe will surpass US$ 3,500 Mn value towards the end of 2026.Rising number of cloud based solutions developed by data centers is driving the global demand digital commerce application. Cloud as a platform is helping enterprises to reduce total cost of ownership and increase the operational business efficiency, which is incidentally prompting the use of cloud-based digital commerce applications. High investments in Internet of Things (IoT) services, which offers immense opportunity to retailers in three critical areas such as - smart supply chain, increasing their revenue, and boosting operational efficiency are also driving the demand for digital commerce applications developed for IoT-based devices.Request to sample report @Developers of digital commerce applications are highly focusing towards service level agreements. In March 2017, Azul, the card payment solution provider, made an agreement with Shopify Inc. to provide guarantee secure and easy payments with its digital payment platform. Rising mergers and acquisitions among market players is also witnessed as a key trend in the global market for digital commerce applications.In year 2016, Visa Inc. acquired Cardinal Commerce to accelerate its digital payments, Saleforce.com, Inc. acquired Demandware to extend its cloud services which are likely to help it capture maximum business value in the market. Along with Salesforce and Shopify, the report has also profiled leading developers of digital commerce applications, which include Oracle Corporation, Tencent Holdings Ltd., Digital Turbine, Inc., Tata Consultancy Services Limited, IBM Corporation, Infosys Limited, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation, and Visa Inc.Get full report now @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Payments Landscape in Poland Market 2017: Key Players mBank, Bank Pekao, Santander, Mastercard, VISA

Payments Landscape in Poland

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Summary"Payments Landscape in Poland: Opportunities and Risks to 2021", report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the Polish cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including credit transfers, direct debit, cash, payment cards, and cheques during the review-period (2013-17e).The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry, and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2017-21f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including the market shares of issuers and schemes.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Companies mentionedPKO Bank PolskimBankBank PekaoSantanderING BankCredit AgricoleVisaMastercardThe report brings together research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers details of regulatory policy and recent changes in the regulatory structure.This report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the Polish cards and payments industry, including -- Current and forecast values for each market in the Polish cards and payments industry, including debit, credit, and charge cards.- Detailed insights into payment instruments including credit transfers, cheques, direct debit, cash, and payment cards. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.- E-commerce market analysis and payment methods.- Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing the Polish cards and payments industry.- Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit, credit, and charge cards.Scope- Poland was one of Europes early adopters of contactless technology, and Polish consumers are among the highest users of contactless payments. The technology is gaining prominence in Poland, with all major banks including PKO Bank Polski, mBank, Bank Zachodni WBK, and Bank Pekao now offering contactless cards. With the growing number of retailers in Poland accepting contactless payments, plans are in place for all POS terminals to support the technology by the end of 2017. At the end of Q2 2016, more than 85% of POS terminals in Poland accepted contactless payments. Contactless technology is also being extended for cash withdrawals.- With Polish consumers being enthusiastic adopters of new technologies, payment solution providers have launched new solutions in the market. The latest is the launch of Android Pay by Google in November 2016, supported by Alior Bank, Bank Zachodni WBK, and T-Mobile Banking Services. However, the most significant development was the launch of Blik, a mobile payments service, in February 2015. Blik was formed by the Polish Payment Standard, a company set up by six Polish banks: Alior Bank, Millennium Bank, Bank Zachodni WBK, mBank, ING Bank Slaski, and PKO Bank Polski. Blik enables consumers to pay with their mobile devices instore and online, and also enables peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers.- To offer a convenient and faster checkout option for online shoppers, in May 2017 Visa launched Visa Checkout in Poland. The solution stores users payment and shipping details and provides faster checkout on partner merchants websites or apps. Earlier in August 2015 PayPal expanded its One Touch instant checkout service to Poland, which can be activated from the PayPal website and used to skip the login process at eligible websites to accelerate the payment process. Earlier in July 2014, Mastercard launched Masterpass in Poland, allowing consumers to shop online using pre-registered credit or debit cards and a personal shipping address.Reasons to buy- Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to the Polish cards and payments industry and each market within it.- Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in the Polish cards and payments industry.- Assess the competitive dynamics in the Polish cards and payments industry.- Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Poland.- Gain insights into key regulations governing the Polish cards and payments industry.Table of Content: Key PointsMarket OverviewExecutive SummaryCard-based PaymentsE-commerce PaymentsAlternative PaymentsPayments Infrastructure & RegulationContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Natures Natural India Explains the Significance of using Cinnamon Spice Oils

Spice Oils Suppliers, Bulk Essential Oils wholesale, Essential Oils supplier

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Natures Natural India is Indias Wholesale Spice Oils as well as Essential Oils supplier that allows people to buy oils online in a few minutes of the time. Get amazing therapeutic and other benefits by using these oils that are safe to use.New Delhi, Tuesday, December 26, 2017:Spice and oils extracted from it are always in demand provided these show a positive result to the user. There are many spices that are used for the extraction of oils via the steam distillation process and are easy to buy online through Natures Natural India. As one of the well-established Spice Oils Suppliers, the website offers different types of Spice Oils that people can use for diversified purposes. Be that it may be, one can buy Cinnamon Spice Oils online and use it as multipurpose. The oil consists of methyl eugenol, Cinnamaldehyde and other vital ingredients that impart many useful benefits to people by using it.When talking to one of the companys spokespeople about the benefits of using Cinnamon Oil, highly demanded Spice Oils are often used for its therapeutic values where it has the ability for dilating blood vessels and helps in overcoming headache. People often use this wonderful natural extract for controlling insulin release as well as blood sugar. You can also use this Spice oil in a diffuser at your home where its smell will refresh the surrounding air with its pleasing aroma. You can also use these Oils for healing up skin from acne, rashes or infections. When you use coconut oils as a carrier oils to this spiced oil and then apply it topically to the skin, it acts an effective antimicrobial agent and treats the affected skin safely.Adding further on the discussion about the Cinnamon Spice Oils benefits, the company authentic executive explained, You can buy this oil from repute Essential Oils supplier and use it if you want to lose weight. As this spiced oil has excellent fat-burning properties, you can use it safely. The blood sugar level balancing properties of this oil has made it a preferred choice among user all across the country. Also, it helps to improve the taste of food items without adding sugar to it. There are many people who are not aware of the fact that unstable blood sugar can lead to low energy, overheating and gain in weight. Adding a few drops of Cinnamon Oils to baked goods, fruits, tea and other such items is useful in slowing down the releasing rate of glucose into the blood.The portal offers different types of Spice Oils () that one can buy online such as Aniseed, Black Cumin Seed (Kaloungi), Black Cumin Seed (Kaloungi), Celery Seed, Cassia, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Chilli Seed, Caraway, Cinnamon Bark, Clove, and Cinnamon.In addition to offering Spice Oils, the company also offers different types of Pure and natural essential oils, Traditional Indian Attars, Aromatherapy Oils, Certified Organic Oils, Carrier Oils and Floral Absolute Oils.About the Company:Natures Natural India is a leading name in the e-commerce business as Bulk Essential Oils wholesale suppliers that offer many Natural Essential Oils to people all across India and worldwide. It is actively moving on the path of the success as it has achieved a renowned name as one of the leading Spice Oils Suppliers. Different essential oils are it Flower Oils, Aromatherapy Oils, Spice Oils, Floral Absolute Oils or any others, it is 100% pure and safe to use and there are no harmful chemical compounds added to it. To get more information, one can visit the website of the Company.Contact us:Natures Natural India6/46, 2nd Floor,Ramesh Nagar, New Delhi  110 015Phone: +919711003901Fax: +91-11-22782387Email: info@naturesnaturalindia.comWebsite:
Global Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride Market SWOT Analysis 2017

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride Market Professional Survey Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The global Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride market has been deeply evaluated in this publication with the help of both primary and secondary research and useful inputs provided by industry experts. The analysts who have prepared the publication have been among the best in the lot with sound understanding about almost all vital aspects of the market. The publication has come out as a detailed guideline for industry players to explore hidden prospects and take advantage of the best opportunities in the market. Players could also use the information presented in the publication to plan the best strategies that will help them to secure a strong position in the market.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @By segregating the global Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride market into different segments, the analysts have offered crucial information that could help players to gain a competitive edge over their toughest opponents. Each segment studied in the publication has been meticulously evaluated with market figures to go by. This could help readers to tap into unexplored regions or other categories of segments and ensure a continuing success in the market. Besides segmentation, the publication has offered information on factors detaining market growth, backing them up with opportunities to counter the challenges about to show face in the near future.The analysts have also shed light on key aspects of the vendor landscape while profiling some of the leading companies operating in the global Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride market. Starting from the nature of the current and future competitive scenarios of the market, the publication has foreseen the future plans of leading companies to gain a strong foothold in the industry. This could help readers to stay cautioned about any surprising changes in the vendor landscape of the market beforehand. Furthermore, readers could use the information to build extraordinary strategies to strengthen their product portfolio and give a tough competition in the market.Table of ContentsGlobal Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride1.1 Definition and Specifications of Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride1.1.1 Definition of Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride1.1.2 Specifications of Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride1.2 Classification of Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride1.2.1 Hybrid Grade Benzalkonium Chloride2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride Major Manufacturers in 2016To Browse a Full Report with TOC:List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium ChlorideTable Product Specifications of Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium ChlorideTable Classification of Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium ChlorideFigure Global Production Market Share of Alkyl Benzyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride by Type in 2016Figure Hybrid Grade Benzalkonium Chloride PictureAbout Us:QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Global Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Sales Market Key Applications & Investments 2017

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Sales Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The exhaustive report here gathers various viewpoints having a place with the overall Anesthesia Monitoring Devices marketplace which verbalizes the prevailing-day records and destiny exposures as regards to the dynamic forces at play. The prime motive for the examination report is to offer the endorser with an expansive format and make available the beneficial facts and facts. The quantifiable and trying out clarifications at the back of the exam apart from executes facts on troubles, for instance, drivers, restraints and projections to gage the delayed effect of the overall Anesthesia Monitoring Devices market through the move of the stated gage period within the examination record. The record in like route passes on a brief and world class record of the predefined market lines, which joins a few events of the veritable concentrations at work which can be studied to cause change inside the market or might also reason any poor effect.For more information on this report, fill the form @This record apart from stations into the general Anesthesia Monitoring Devices market via in a general sense inspecting the component and industrialized chain of the marketplace. This is required to likewise assist in passing on genuine blue information and information on compound components of the appropriate marketplace, for instance, material identifying with strategies for the overseeing frame inside the everyday and trendy strata, delivery and transmission shape, objectives, and motives for top rate got for the contributed mean.The document makes use of a few indicated industry exam and entire devices. They permit the exam gather pass on a revealed fundamental assessment of the overall Anesthesia Monitoring Devices market and help endorser and marketplace troupes to be admonished concerning speculation and enterprise judgments. The wide reasoning of the exam offers a marketplace role on an unquestionable and moment scale. It assembles essential and discretionary studies structures along those strains. The operators have figured the recorded studies and rose it from the forward and in flip round alternate the scenario to layout a shape for the general Anesthesia Monitoring Devices market in the years beforehand.Table of ContentsGlobal Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Sales Market Report 20171 Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Anesthesia Monitoring Devices1.2 Classification of Anesthesia Monitoring Devices1.2.1 Advanced Anesthesia Monitors2 Global Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application2.1 Global Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1.1 Global Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Anesthesia Monitoring Devices (Volume and Value) by Type3 United States Anesthesia Monitoring Devices (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 United States Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 United States Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)To Browse a Complete Report with TOC Visit @List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Anesthesia Monitoring DevicesTable Classification of Anesthesia Monitoring DevicesFigure Global Sales Market Share of Anesthesia Monitoring Devices by Type in 2015Figure Advanced Anesthesia Monitors PictureFigure China Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Europe Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)About Us:QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Global Market 2017: Key Players  Commscope, Corning, Cobham Wireless, American Tower Corporation, Axell

Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Market

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Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com adds Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Market Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Report Details:This report studies Distributed Antenna System (DAS) in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringCommscope Inc.Corning Inc.Cobham WirelessComba Telecom Systems Holdings Ltd.Solid Inc.American Tower CorporationAT & T Inc.Boingo Wireless Inc.Crown Castle International CorporationDali Wireless Inc.MS Benbow & AssociatesTE ConnectivityAxellHarris CommunicationsRequest a Sample Report @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoCarrier Wi-FiSmall CellsOrganizing Networks (SON)By Application, the market can be split intoPublic VenueIndustrialTransportationHealthcareOthersBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Complete Report Details@Major Key Points in Table of Content:1 Industry Overview of Distributed Antenna System (DAS)1.1 Definition and Specifications of Distributed Antenna System (DAS)1.1.1 Definition of Distributed Antenna System (DAS)1.1.2 Specifications of Distributed Antenna System (DAS)1.2 Classification of Distributed Antenna System (DAS)1.2.1 Carrier Wi-Fi1.2.2 Small Cells1.2.3 Organizing Networks (SON)1.3 Applications of Distributed Antenna System (DAS)1.3.1 Public Venue1.3.2 Industrial1.3.3 Transportation1.3.4 Healthcare1.3.5 Others1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Distributed Antenna System (DAS)2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Distributed Antenna System (DAS)2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Distributed Antenna System (DAS)2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Distributed Antenna System (DAS).8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Distributed Antenna System (DAS)8.1 Commscope Inc.8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Product A8.1.2.2 Product B8.1.3 Commscope Inc. 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 Commscope Inc. 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 Corning Inc.8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Product A8.2.2.2 Product B8.2.3 Corning Inc. 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 Corning Inc. 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Business Region Distribution Analysis8.3 Cobham Wireless8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Product A8.3.2.2 Product B8.3.3 Cobham Wireless 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.3.4 Cobham Wireless 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Business Region Distribution Analysis8.4 Comba Telecom Systems Holdings Ltd.8.4.1 Company Profile8.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.4.2.1 Product A8.4.2.2 Product B8.4.3 Comba Telecom Systems Holdings Ltd. 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.4.4 Comba Telecom Systems Holdings Ltd. 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Business Region Distribution Analysis8.5 Solid Inc.8.5.1 Company Profile8.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.5.2.1 Product A8.5.2.2 Product B8.5.3 Solid Inc. 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.5.4 Solid Inc. 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Business Region Distribution Analysis8.6 American Tower Corporation8.6.1 Company Profile8.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.6.2.1 Product A8.6.2.2 Product B8.6.3 American Tower Corporation 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.6.4 American Tower Corporation 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Business Region Distribution Analysis8.7 AT & T Inc.8.7.1 Company Profile8.7.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.7.2.1 Product A8.7.2.2 Product B8.7.3 AT & T Inc. 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.7.4 AT & T Inc. 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Business Region Distribution Analysis8.8 Boingo Wireless Inc.8.8.1 Company Profile8.8.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.8.2.1 Product A8.8.2.2 Product B8.8.3 Boingo Wireless Inc. 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.8.4 Boingo Wireless Inc. 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Business Region Distribution Analysis8.9 Crown Castle International Corporation8.9.1 Company Profile8.9.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.9.2.1 Product A8.9.2.2 Product B8.9.3 Crown Castle International Corporation 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.9.4 Crown Castle International Corporation 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Business Region Distribution Analysis8.10 Dali Wireless Inc.8.10.1 Company Profile8.10.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.10.2.1 Product A8.10.2.2 Product B8.10.3 Dali Wireless Inc. 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.10.4 Dali Wireless Inc. 2016 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Business Region Distribution AnalysisContinued.Buy now @Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Sales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +44 208 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Global Retinal Surgery Devices Market is Expected to Reach US$2.0 bn by 2020

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The global retinal surgery devices market is dynamic in nature and is characterized by a high degree of competition among players in this market, as per the findings of a new report by Transparency Market Research (TMR). This is mainly due to the high demand for differentiator products that are technologically advanced, cost competent and easy to use as well. Some of the leading players in the global retinal surgery devices market are Synergetics Inc., Bausch + Lomb Incorporated, Optos plc, and IRIDEX Corporation.A TMR analyst points out, New product and technology launch is on top of the growth charts of top players in the global retinal surgery devices market. Top players in this market are contending for commercialization and to receive positive recommendations for newly launched products and technologies. A case in point is Alcon Inc. In January 2015, the company announced that it received approval for using Jetrea as a pharmacological treatment agent and also received a positive feedback for reimbursement of the same.Business expansion by means of acquisition is also what key players in this market are focused on. This augments the surgical portfolio and technological capabilities of the acquiring company to sustain intense competitive rivalry in this market.Business alliances for the purpose of distribution agreement is also a key growth strategy that top players in this market are adopting. This arrangement is a win-win for both the parties to leverage the expertise of each other.Obtain Report Details @High Susceptibility of Geriatric Population to Ocular Diseases Favors Market GrowthAn ever-increasing geriatric population, combined with higher life expectancy, is one of the primary factors driving the growth of the global retinal surgery devices market. This is because age is a major factor that increases the chances of ocular diseases, of which, diabetic retinopathy, macular pucker, and retinal detachment are most common.As per estimates of the World Health Organization (WHO), the global geriatric population is expected to reach 2 billion by 2050 increasing from 524 million in 2010. It is expected that developed countries would display the fastest rise in geriatric population; however, the availability of advanced healthcare in these regions has increased the life expectancy of this population. This population, however, is at a higher risk for developing ocular diseases to fuel demand for retinal surgery devices.Technological advancement in ophthalmic surgery is also a key factor propelling the growth of this market. The periodic introduction of novel technologies is meant for enhanced treatment reliability, safety, accuracy, and for faster recovery after surgery. To cater to this, companies in this market are under constant pressure to introduce innovative products.Request for Sample Copy of Report @High Price Factor of Retinal Surgery Devices Burdens Patients for Increased Surgical CostsThe high cost of retinal surgery devices is detrimental to the markets growth, says a TMR analyst. Though novel technologies and newer equipment are available for the treatment of retinal conditions, their high price factor is restricting the use of these devices. Moreover, delay in regulatory approvals reduces returns for large companies due to the buildup of inventory. With the increase in prices of drugs and medical devices at about 4% each year, hospital charges have increased as well. These factors that are pertaining to the high price of surgical equipment are restraining the markets growth.The global retinal surgery devices market is expected to reach a valuation of more than US$2.0 bn by 2020. In 2013, diabetic retinopathy stood as the leading application segment due to the increasing prevalence of diabetes and its associated eye disorders. Vitrectomy packs led the equipment type segment in 2013 and is expected to register the highest CAGR in the coming years. North America is a leading market for retinal surgery devices due to increased awareness about technologically advanced treatments for retinal conditions.Purchase this Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
In-Memory Computing Global Market Top Key Players Oracle, Microsoft, Altibase,Red Hat, TIBCO

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global In-Memory Computing Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 to its huge collection of research reports.The global In-Memory Computing market has been deeply evaluated in this publication with the help of both primary and secondary research and useful inputs provided by industry experts. The analysts who have prepared the publication have been among the best in the lot with sound understanding about almost all vital aspects of the market. The publication has come out as a detailed guideline for industry players to explore hidden prospects and take advantage of the best opportunities in the market. Players could also use the information presented in the publication to plan the best strategies that will help them to secure a strong position in the market.Get Free PDF Brochure For More Technical Insights@By segregating the global In-Memory Computing market into different segments, the analysts have offered crucial information that could help players to gain a competitive edge over their toughest opponents. Each segment studied in the publication has been meticulously evaluated with market figures to go by. This could help readers to tap into unexplored regions or other categories of segments and ensure a continuing success in the market. Besides segmentation, the publication has offered information on factors detaining market growth, backing them up with opportunities to counter the challenges about to show face in the near future.The analysts have also shed light on key aspects of the vendor landscape while profiling some of the leading companies operating in the global In-Memory Computing market. Starting from the nature of the current and future competitive scenarios of the market, the publication has foreseen the future plans of leading companies to gain a strong foothold in the industry. This could help readers to stay cautioned about any surprising changes in the vendor landscape of the market beforehand. Furthermore, readers could use the information to build extraordinary strategies to strengthen their product portfolio and give a tough competition in the market.Table of ContentsGlobal In-Memory Computing Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of In-Memory Computing1.1 In-Memory Computing Market Overview1.1.1 In-Memory Computing Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global In-Memory Computing Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 In-Memory Computing Market by Type1.3.1 Small and Medium Businesses1.3.2 Large Enterprises1.4 In-Memory Computing Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Government1.4.2 BFSI1.4.3 Retail1.4.4 Transportation1.4.5 OthersAccess the full Report TOC in Detail@2 Global In-Memory Computing Competition Analysis by Players2.1 In-Memory Computing Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 IBM3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 In-Memory Computing Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 SAP SE3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 In-Memory Computing Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Oracle3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 In-Memory Computing Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Microsoft4 Global In-Memory Computing Market Size by Type and Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global In-Memory Computing Market Size by Type (2012-2017)4.2 Global In-Memory Computing Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.3 Potential Application of In-Memory Computing in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of In-Memory Computing5 United States In-Memory Computing Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States In-Memory Computing Market Size (2012-2017)5.2 United States In-Memory Computing Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Bonded Magnet Market value by end user US$2.50 bn during 2017-2025

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Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) has been serving as an active source to cater intelligent research report to enlighten both readers and investors. This research study titled Bonded Magnet Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025View Free Sample Report @The demand in the global bonded magnets market is projected to experience a healthy CAGR of 7.0%, in terms of revenue, during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025. From its evaluated worth of US$1.37 bn in 2015, the valuation of the global bonded magnets market is estimated to reach US$2.50 bn by the end of 2025. Diverse application of bonded magnets, from electrical and electronics to automotive, aerospace, and medical devices, the demand in this market is also expected to gain new opportunities from the advent of additive manufacturing.Hybrid Magnets Emerging as Profitable Product SegmentBased on product type, the global bonded magnets market has been segmented into rare earth, ferrite, and hybrid. The rare earth bonded magnets segment is further sub-segmented into isotropic bonded magnets and anisotropic bonded magnets, whereas the market for ferrite bonded magnets is bifurcated into plastic ferrite and rubber ferrite. In the current scenario, economically available ferrite bonded magnets are extensively used globally. Rare earth bonded magnets is an expensive segment and although acquires a smaller demand-share of the market, it occupies substantial share in terms of value. Hybrid magnets, a combination of ferrite and rare earth, is overcoming the high prices restraint of the global bonded magnets market, and is expected to favor the market throughout the forecast period.Application-wise, the global bonded magnets market gains maximum share of demand from the electronic and electronics category, both in terms of volume and value. Refrigerator door seals, fan motors, frictionless bearings, hand tool motors, watches, cameras, clocks, gaskets, and linear position sensors are some of the common electrical and electronic application of bonded magnets. The automotive sector, which also is in great health, is another cause of prosperity of the bonded magnets market. These magnets are largely used in applications such as motors for vipers, power windows, wheel speed sensors, power mirrors, crash sensor, chassis height sensor, sound deadening panels, fuel gauges, ignition magnets, tachometers, and speedometers.View Full Report With TOC @China Makes Asia Pacific Most Lucrative RegionGeographically, in terms of volume, Asia Pacific served maximum demand in the global bonded magnets market in 2016. China solely contributed more than half of the global demand for bonded magnets, keeping Asia Pacific region in good stead. China has a rich deposit of rare earth metals such as samarium, neodymium, and dysprosium. More than 80% of rare earth agents are manufactured in the country. Japan and South Korea serve considerable demand for bonded magnets too, as these countries are the production base for semiconductor chips and products such as hard disks and other storage devices. The bonded magnet market in Asia Pacific is very fragmented as most of the production is done by small scale manufacturers. Asia Pacific produces and exports enormous amounts bonded magnets due to high availability of raw materials, especially rare earth mental, developed technologies, and cheap labor.As far as the potential of the bonded magnets market in other regions is concerned, North America and Europe collectively account for less than a quarter of the global demand, although the flourishing industries of electronics and automotive in the two regions will keep moderate opportunities open for the stockholders of bonded magnets market. In Europe, Germany has been detected as most profitable country-wide market, whereas The U.S. dominates the demand from North America, accounting for more than 85% of the regional demand.Send An Enquire @About Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:
Czech Republic: Country Intelligence Report  MRH Research Report

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"Czech Republic: Country Intelligence Report", is a new Country Intelligence Report by Market Research HUB, which provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Czech Republic today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2022. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile and pay-TV markets, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.Request Free Sample Report@Czech Republics telecom and pay-TV services market will grow from an estimated Kc81.3bn ($3.3bn) in 2017 to Kc90.9bn ($4.1bn) by 2022 at a CAGR of 2.3% in koruna (4.3% in US$) over 2017-2022 driven by projected growth in mobile data, fixed broadband and pay-TV segments. Mobile voice will be the largest revenue-contributing segment in 2017. However, mobile data will be the fastest-growing revenue segment, expanding at a CAGR of 12.7% in local currency (15.0% in US$) driven by growing adoption of 4G services. Going forward, the Czech Republics pay-TV market will grow at a CAGR of 2.8% in Kc (4.8% in US$) due to growth in DTH and IPTV subscriptions.The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following -- Demographic and macroeconomic context in Czech Republic.- The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, tariff regulation and more.- Telecom and pay-TV services market outlook: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice, mobile data and pay-TV markets.- The competitive landscape: an examination of the positioning of leading players in the telecom and pay-TV services market as well as subscription market shares across segments.- Company snapshots: analysis of the financial position of leading service providers in the telecommunications and pay-TV markets.- Underlying assumptions behind our published base-case forecasts, as well as potential market developments that would alter, either positively or negatively, our base-case outlook.Scope- The overall telecom and pay-TV service revenue in the Czech Republic will grow at a CAGR of 2.3% in Kc (4.3%) during 2017-2022.- Mobile revenue will account for 63.5% of the total service revenue in 2022, driven by increasing adoption of 4G services and expected launch of 5G in 2021.- T-Mobile leads the countrys mobile market in terms of mobile subscriptions for 2017, followed by Vodafone and O2.Browse Full Report with TOC@Reasons to buy- This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of the Czech Republics telecommunications markets, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.- Accompanying Market Research HUBs Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in the Czech Republics mobile communications, fixed telephony, broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares.- With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.- The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in the Czech Republics telecommunications markets.- The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in the Czech Republic.Enquire About this Report@About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of technology market research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: - 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email:- press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:-Read Industry News at :-
A man wanted for two felony warrants in Napa County was arrested Tuesday morning after leading police on a 16-minute chase that concluded when the suspect crashed into a telephone pole, according to Napa Police.

An officer attempted to pull Garrick Frederick Uhlich, 45, over in the area of Browns Valley Road and Thompson Avenue at about 4 a.m., but Uhlich didnt stop, police said. Instead, police tailed Uhlich until he crashed into a telephone pole in Sonoma County. Uhlich then fled on foot and was captured, police said.

Uhlich was determined to be under the influence of a controlled substance, police said.

He was booked at the Napa County jail on the warrants and on suspicion of evading, resisting arrest, driving under the influence, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Liqueur Wines Global Market 2017: Key Players  John D. Taylor's, Patron, Dekuyper, Wild Turkey, Baileyse

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Liqueur Wines Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com adds Liqueur Wines Market Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Report Details:This report provides in depth study of Liqueur Wines Market using SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The Liqueur Wines Market report also provides an in-depth survey of key players in the market which is based on the various objectives of an organization such as profiling, the product outline, the quantity of production, required raw material, and the financial health of the organization.Global Liqueur Wines market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer;The top key players including ;John D. Taylor'sPatronDekuyperWild TurkeyBaileyseGran GalaUNICUMHiram WalkerBERENTZENMassenezRequest a Sample Report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Liqueur Wines in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSauternesNatural Sweet LiqueurMistelleOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingCorporate HospitalityGovernment ReceptionFamily DinnerOther ApplicationsThis report provides valuable information for companies like manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, traders, customers, investors and individuals who have interests in this industry.If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Complete Report Details@Major Key Points in Table of Content:Global Liqueur Wines Market Research Report 20171 Liqueur Wines Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Liqueur Wines1.2 Liqueur Wines Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Liqueur Wines Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Liqueur Wines Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Sauternes1.2.4 Natural Sweet Liqueur1.2.5 Mistelle1.3 Global Liqueur Wines Segment by Application1.3.1 Liqueur Wines Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Corporate Hospitality1.3.3 Government Reception1.3.4 Family Dinner1.3.5 Other Applications1.4 Global Liqueur Wines Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Liqueur Wines Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Liqueur Wines (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Liqueur Wines Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Liqueur Wines Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)..7 Global Liqueur Wines Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 John D. Taylor's7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Liqueur Wines Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 John D. Taylor's Liqueur Wines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Patron7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Liqueur Wines Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Patron Liqueur Wines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Dekuyper7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Liqueur Wines Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Dekuyper Liqueur Wines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Wild Turkey7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Liqueur Wines Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Wild Turkey Liqueur Wines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Baileyse7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Liqueur Wines Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Baileyse Liqueur Wines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Gran Gala7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Liqueur Wines Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Gran Gala Liqueur Wines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 UNICUM7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Liqueur Wines Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 UNICUM Liqueur Wines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Hiram Walker7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Liqueur Wines Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 Hiram Walker Liqueur Wines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 BERENTZEN7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 Liqueur Wines Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 BERENTZEN Liqueur Wines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.10 Massenez7.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.10.2 Liqueur Wines Product Category, Application and Specification7.10.2.1 Product A7.10.2.2 Product B7.10.3 Massenez Liqueur Wines Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.10.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinued.Buy now @Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Sales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Sales Market Analysis with Growth Forecast during 2017-2022

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The market for Global Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins has been undergoing a transitional phase over the recent past. The continual advancements in technologies and the swift increase in infrastructural development projects have influenced the demand for Global Bismaleimide Resins Sales Market Report 2017substantially over the past few years. The swift rise in urbanization and the significant increase in the disposable income of people are likely to maintain the demand pace of Global Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins market in the near future. The augmenting interest of investors, government funding, and the rising trend of automation are also projected to reflect positively on this market in the years to come.Request For Sample Report:Geographically, this report split global into several key Regions, with sales (MT), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins sales volume, Price (USD/KG), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingEvonikHexcelHuntsmanCytec SolvayHOS-TechnikRenegade MaterialsABROLQinyang ChemicalOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoBismaleimide Resin PowderBismaleimide Resin SolutionOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate for each application, includingAviationAutomotiveMilitaryElectronicsBrowse Full Report with TOC:Table of ContentsGlobal Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Sales Market Report 20171 Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins1.2 Classification of Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins by Product Category1.2.1 Global Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Bismaleimide Resin Powder1.2.4 Bismaleimide Resin Solution1.3 Global Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Aviation1.3.3 Automotive1.3.4 Military1.3.5 Electronics1.4 Global Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Market by Region1.4.1 Global Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 United States Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 China Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Europe Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)2 Global Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Bismaleimide (BMI) Resins (Volume and Value) by TypeEnquire About this Report:About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of chemicals market research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: - 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email:- press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:-Read Industry News at :-
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The Global MHealth Applications Market report titled MHealth Applications Market Research Report-Forecast to 2023 is a specialist investigation report by Market Research Future includes broad essential research alongside the definite examination of subjective and additionally quantitative perspectives by different industry specialists, key sentiment pioneers to pick up a more profound understanding of the market and industry execution. While considering the segments, monitoring application is holding largest market share that is about 53.8% in 2016.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Market Research Future published new report, titled mHealth Applications Market -Research Report: Forecast to 2023.Some of the Key Players in this market are: Allscripts (US), Agamatrix, Inc. (US), Apple Inc. (US), Honeywell International Inc. (US), Medtronic MiniMed, Inc. (US), Vivify Health (US), iHealth Labs Inc. (US)Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. Presents at Global Mizuho Investor Conference 2017, Dec-04-2017. Venue: Lotte New York Palace Hotel, 455 Madison Avenue (Between E.50 & E.51 streets), New York, New York, United States.Apple Inc. Introduces 360-Degree VR Video Editing in Final Cut Pro X, Dec-14-17 Apple announced a major update to its professional video editing app, Final Cut Pro X, with new features including 360-degree VR video editing, advanced color grading tools and support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) video. Optimized to take full advantage of the incredible performance capabilities of the all-new iMac Pro, Final Cut Pro users can now edit full-resolution 8K video for the first time on a Mac.Competition in the Global mHealth Applications Market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis. Global mHealth Applications Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2023 Report Provides In-Depth Analysis Of Parent Market Trends, Macro-Economic Indicators And Governing Factors Along With Market Attractiveness As Per Segments.Market Synopsis of World mHealth Applications Market:mHealth is one of the most innovative and disruptive trends in healthcare sector that is growing at prodigious rate from last few years. mHealth is changing the way of traditional medical practices and creating path for the future of healthcare. mHealth assists to check and maintain the health related activity by using technology such as Bluetooth, mobile network (GSM/GPRS/3G/4G), and Wi-Fi. The data collected by mHealth devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops and tablet PCs assist to medical professional, consumers, and other users.Regional analysis:Considering the world scenario of the market, Europe was holding largest market share of 31.7% in global mHealth applications market in 2016. Asia-Pacific is second largest and fastest growing market in global mHealth applications market. APAC is expected to grow at a CAGR of 33.7% during 2017-2023. North America is one of pioneer in mhealth and is slightly behind the APAC. North America is expected to reach USD 28762.1 million by 2023. On the other hand. Middle East and Africa (ME&A) mHealth was valued USD 1334.9 in 2016 and is expected to grow at steady pace during the forecast period.World Health Organization (WHO), GSMA, National Academy of Medicine, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Directorate of Industries, Expert Interview Market Research Future Analysis, Annual report, White paper, Company PresentationGET FULL REPORT @The report for World mHealth Applications Market of Market Research Future comprises extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regions.Major Table Contents:Chapter 1 Report PrologueChapter 2 IntroductionChapter 3 Research MethodologyChapter 4 Market DynamicsChapter 5 Market Factor AnalysisChapter 6 Global mHealth Applications Market, By TypeChapter 7 Global mHealth Market, By RegionChapter 8 Competitive LandscapeChapter 9 Company ProfileCONTINUEDGET DISCOUNT @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune  411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com
Internet of Things: Market Size, Share & Growth Forecasts 2025

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Internet of Things (IoT) facilitates the connection of various devices through network technology. IoT is a network of objects embedded with electronics, software, network connectivity and sensors. IoT aids to build smart communication environments like smart transportation, smart homes, smart shopping, and smart healthcare and so on.The report aims to provide an overview of global IoT market with detailed market segmentation by component, connectivity network, application and geography. The global IoT market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. Increasing investments in IoT divisions, the increase in connectivity of the internet globally and high adoption of devices such as tablets and smart phones have raised the global demand for IoT.Worldwide Internet of Things Market Analysis to 2025 is a specialized and in-depth study of the Internet of Things industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global Internet of Things market with detailed market segmentation by product/application and geography. The global Internet of Things market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Internet of Things players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.Request a Sample Report atInternet of Things Market Players:- Apple, Inc.- Bosch Software Innovations GmbH- Cisco Systems, Inc.- General Electric- Google- IBM Corporation- Intel Corporation- Microsoft Corporation- Qualcomm Incorporated- SAP SEThe report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global Internet of Things market based on product and application. It also provides market size and forecast till 2025 for overall Internet of Things market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SAM), which is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report evaluates market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend and provides exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions.Also, key Internet of Things market players influencing the market are profiled in the study along with their SWOT analysis and market strategies. The report also focuses on leading industry players with information such as company profiles, products and services offered, financial information of last 3 years, key development in past five years.Reason to Buy- Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies.- The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the Internet of Things market, thereby allowing players to develop effective long term strategies.- Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets.- Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it.- Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to products, segmentation and industry verticals.View Complete Report atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comThe Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.533, 5th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
UV Laser Cutter Market 2017 Global Analysis By Key Players  Rofin, Newport, Zhengye Technology, Kunshan Theta Micro, SYNEO

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On - UV Laser Cutter Market 2017 Global Analysis By Key Players  Rofin, Newport, Zhengye Technology, Kunshan Theta Micro, SYNEO.In this report, the global UV Laser Cutter market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of UV Laser Cutter in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGet a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comGlobal UV Laser Cutter market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingRofinNewportLPKFZhengye TechnologyKunshan Theta MicroSYNEOStarlase SystemsGipRem LaserTopWin (ESI)Musen TechnologyOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoType IType IIOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingFPC CuttingPCB CuttingGlass CuttingAsk Query @Table Of Contents  Major Key PointsGlobal UV Laser Cutter Market Research Report 20171 UV Laser Cutter Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of UV Laser Cutter1.2 UV Laser Cutter Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global UV Laser Cutter Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global UV Laser Cutter Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Type I1.2.4 Type II1.3 Global UV Laser Cutter Segment by Application1.3.1 UV Laser Cutter Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 FPC Cutting1.3.3 PCB Cutting1.3.4 Glass Cutting1.4 Global UV Laser Cutter Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global UV Laser Cutter Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of UV Laser Cutter (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global UV Laser Cutter Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global UV Laser Cutter Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)7 Global UV Laser Cutter Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Rofin7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 UV Laser Cutter Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Rofin UV Laser Cutter Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Newport7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 UV Laser Cutter Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Newport UV Laser Cutter Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 LPKF7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 UV Laser Cutter Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 LPKF UV Laser Cutter Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Zhengye Technology7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 UV Laser Cutter Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Zhengye Technology UV Laser Cutter Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Kunshan Theta Micro7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 UV Laser Cutter Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Kunshan Theta Micro UV Laser Cutter Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 SYNEO7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 UV Laser Cutter Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 SYNEO UV Laser Cutter Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Starlase Systems7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 UV Laser Cutter Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Starlase Systems UV Laser Cutter Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 GipRem Laser7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 UV Laser Cutter Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 GipRem Laser UV Laser Cutter Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 TopWin (ESI)7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 UV Laser Cutter Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 TopWin (ESI) UV Laser Cutter Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.9.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinue.Buy 1-User PDF @ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.
Companion Diagnostics Market Segments, Key Players Strategies, Analysis and Forecasts Till 2022

Companion Diagnostics Market

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This report provides in depth study of Global Companion Diagnostics Market using SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The Global Companion Diagnostics Market research report also provides an in-depth survey of key players in the market which is based on the various objectives of an organization such as profiling, the product outline, the quantity of production, required raw material, and the financial health of the organization. Market research future has a half cooked research report on Companion Diagnostics Market (2016  2022).GET SAMPLE REPORT@Market Research Future published new report, titled Global Companion Diagnostics Market -Research Report: Forecast to 2022.Loxo Oncology, Ventana Medical Systems Enter Pan-TRK IHC Companion Diagnostic Collaboration, Mar. 20. 17 Loxo Oncology (LOXO) has entered into a collaboration agreement with Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. to develop and commercialize a pan-TRK immunohistochemistry (IHC) test as a companion diagnostic to identify patients across tumor types suitable for treatment with larotrectinib.The major participants of this market are Dako (Denmark), Qiagen (Germany), f. Hoffmann-la Roche ltd (Switzerland), Abbott Laboratories, Inc. (US), Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. (US), Agilent Technologies (US), and Resonance Health (Australia) are some of the prominent players competing in the Global Market of Companion Diagnostics and are profiled in MRFR Analysis.Oxford Immunotec Global PLC Announces Update in Patent Infringement Litigation Against Qiagen, Inc., Quest Diagnostics, Inc. and Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, Sep 27 17 Oxford Immunotec Global PLC announced a decision of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in the companys patent infringement lawsuit against Qiagen, Inc., Quest Diagnostics, Inc. and Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings on the companys motion seeking to enjoin Qiagen from promoting its QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) product to new customers in the U.S. Although the court denied the companys motion because it believed the company was not likely to suffer irreparable harm from QFT-Plus during the few months remaining before trial, it found that the company was likely to prevail on the merits of its claims at trial and that Qiagen had not shown that it was likely to succeed on its subject matter, prior art or non-infringement objections.Competition in the Global Companion Diagnostics Market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis. Global Companion Diagnostics Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 Report Provides In-Depth Analysis Of Parent Market Trends, Macro-Economic Indicators And Governing Factors Along With Market Attractiveness As Per Segments.Companion Diagnostics Market  Overview:The Companion Diagnostics market is accruing and expected to gain further prominence over the forecast period mainly due to the growing prevalence of diseases such as cancer or HIV and technological advancements. According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, The global market of Companion Diagnostics is projected to accrue at a rapid pace during the forecast period (2016  2022). The Market is forecasted to accrue over its previous growth records with a striking CAGR during 2016 and 2022.Companion diagnostics market is driven by continuous advancement in medical technology both for the diagnosis and the treatment of patients. Growing prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer or HIV is fostering the market growth of companion diagnostics. Additionally, awareness among physician and patient about the drug toxicity is providing impetus to the market growth.However in developing countries due to less awareness it is not as much in practice as in developed countries but the developing countries with huge population like India & china have a huge potential to pool in the market share. In the developing countries lack of skilled professionals and lack of awareness is hampering the growth of companion diagnostics Market. Other challenges in the development of companion diagnostics is the logistic issues raised so as to develop companion diagnostics and drug together.A companion diagnostic is a therapeutic device, used in diagnosing the treatment response of the patient frequently an in vitro gadget, which gives data that is crucial for the effective and safe utilization in comparing drug or organic products. The test helps a healthcare professional to figure out if a specific drug is advantages to patients will or exceed any potential genuine symptoms or risk. Biomarker presence or absence determines whether or not the patient will respond to the treatment. This test require a biopsied tissue to access the expression of biomarker protein or mutant or aberrant genes. Companion diagnostics are also used in drug development process by determining Companion biomarker that help predict likely response of toxicity. There are different types of biomarker available in market such as Colorectal Cancer, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Gastric Cancer, Melanoma Cancer, Genital Cancer, Other Infectious disease like HIV.Co-development, particularly of drugs with assays for pharmacogenomics biomarkers necessary for patient selection, will be an important component of the shift to precision or personalized medicines. The division of responsibilities could also maintain gaps in controls, in the pre-analytical phases of biomarker testing, on the quality of specimens, particularly during their storage and transportation, and in the monitoring of the reproducibility of tests.GET FULL REPORT @Companion Diagnostics Market  Competitive Analysis:The embryonic market of Companion Diagnostics appears to be fairly stable as far as the eye can see. With the handful of players operating in the market, Companion Diagnostics seems to be consolidated industry. Marketers compete based upon price and brand reinforcement. Well established players incorporate acquisition, collaboration, partnership, expansion, and technology launch in order to gain competitive advantage in this market and to maintain their market position. Key Players operating in the market compete based on pricing, innovation and service. In view of growth and immense revenue generation opportunities potential that market is currently demonstrating is in turn attracting several new entrants to enter the Companion Diagnostics market.Sep. 2017  Thermo Fisher Scientific has signed an agreement with the Institute of Pathology Heidelberg (IPH). The initiative focuses on forging strategic collaborations with leading, European-based organizations that can lead studies using Thermo Fishers Oncoming portfolio of research panels destined for development as Companion Diagnostics to help drive precision oncology in the region.Industry News  Sep. 2017  The European Union has been overhauling its rules on in-vitro diagnostics (IVD), particularly companion diagnostics, to bring them more into line with internationally agreed standards. But despite the changes, it is still retaining a regulatory system that keeps the approval of IVDs separate from those for pharmaceuticals. The authorization of medicines and diagnostics will continue to be done along different regulatory pathways even though the use of companion diagnostics (CDx) is considered to be crucial to the performance of the drug.Companion Diagnostics Market  Segments:The Companion Diagnostics Market is segmented in to 4 key dynamics for the convenience of the report and enhanced understanding;Segmentation By Types: Comprises Theranostics And Monitoring Tests, and other.Segmentation By Application: Comprises Cancer Diseases, Cardiovascular, Central Nervous Systems, and other.Segmentation By End Users: Comprises Hospital, Research Laboratories, Medical Institutes and others.Segmentation By Regions: Comprises Geographical regions  North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the World.Companion Diagnostics Market  Regional Analysis:Globally North America is the largest market for companion diagnostics, and is expected to grow at a substantial CAGR. Europe is the second-largest market for companion diagnostics which is expected to grow at a considerable CAGR. Whereas Asia pacific is expected to be a fastest growing market and expected to grow at a rapid pace during the forecasted period.CONTINUEDGET DISCOUNT @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com
Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) 2017 Market Segmentation,Application,Technology & Market Analysis Research Report to 2022

Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Market

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On - Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) 2017 Market Segmentation,Application,Technology & Market Analysis Research Report to 2022.In this report, the global Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesEUChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanGet a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comGlobal Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingKapsch TrafficCom AG (AT)Q-Free ASA (NO)Siemens AG (DE)Bosch Security Systems, Inc. (DE)Vigilant Solutions, Inc. (US)3M Company (US)Elsag North America LLC (US)ARH Inc. (HU)Genetec Inc. (CA)Tattile S.R.L. (IT)CA Traffic Ltd (UK)Digital Recognition System Ltd. (UK)NDI Recognition Systems Ltd. (UK)Beijing Wintone (CN)Eparking (FI)On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoBy TypeFixed VLPRMobile VLPRPortable VLPRBy ComponentVLPR CamerasVLPR SoftwareVLPR GrabbersTriggersOthersOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) for each application, includingTraffic ManagementLaw EnforcementElectronic Toll CollectionParking ManagementAccess ControlAsk Query @Table Of Contents  Major Key PointsGlobal Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Market Research Report 20171 Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR)1.2 Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Segment By Type1.2.1 Global Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Production and CAGR (%) Comparison By Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Production Market Share By Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Fixed VLPR1.2.4 Mobile VLPR1.2.5 Portable VLPR1.3 Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Segment By Component1.3.1 VLPR Cameras1.3.2 VLPR Software1.3.3 VLPR Grabbers1.3.4 Triggers1.3.5 Others1.4 Global Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Segment by Application1.4.1 Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.4.2 Traffic Management1.4.3 Law Enforcement1.4.4 Electronic Toll Collection1.4.5 Parking Management1.4.6 Access Control1.5 Global Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Market by Region (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.5.2 United States Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5.3 EU Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5.6 South Korea Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5.7 Taiwan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.6 Global Market Size (Value) of Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) (2012-2022)1.6.1 Global Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.6.2 Global Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)7 Global Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Kapsch TrafficCom AG (AT)7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Kapsch TrafficCom AG (AT) Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Q-Free ASA (NO)7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Q-Free ASA (NO) Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Siemens AG (DE)7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Siemens AG (DE) Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Bosch Security Systems, Inc. (DE)7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Bosch Security Systems, Inc. (DE) Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Vigilant Solutions, Inc. (US)7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Vigilant Solutions, Inc. (US) Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 3M Company (US)7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 3M Company (US) Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Elsag North America LLC (US)7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Elsag North America LLC (US) Vehicle License Plate Recognition System (VLPR) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.7.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinue.Buy 1-User PDF @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.
Aesthetics Market Segments, Key Players Strategies, Analysis and Forecasts Till 2023

Aesthetics Market

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The Worldwide Aesthetics Market is growing with the rapid pace; mainly due the burgeoning Healthcare Sector. According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, The World Aesthetics Market is booming and expected to gain prominence over the forecast period. The Market is forecasted to demonstrate a huge growth by 2023, surpassing its previous growth records in terms of value & volume. The World Aesthetics Market research report is expected to reach US$ 18,417.2 million in 2023 from US$ 8,975.5 million in 2016 growing at a stable CAGR of 10.9% during the forecast period 2017-2023.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Market Research Future published new report, titled Aesthetics Market -Research Report: Global Forecast to 2023.Market Players: World Aesthetics industry are Galderma, Allergan, Merz Pharma, Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Integra Lifesciences, Sanofi, Sinclair etc.Market Synopsis of World Aesthetics Market:The World Aesthetics Market research report is the branch of theory concerned with the nature and valuation for craftsmanship or art, excellence, beauty and good taste. Medical aesthetics carries this philosophy to improve cosmetic appearance through the treatment of conditions such as scars, wrinkles, moles, excess fat, unwanted hair, skin discoloration etc. The advent of techniques such as laser removal of tattoos, pigmented and vascular lesions and hair kicked off the field. The next market upheaval occurred by the use of bovine collagen to plump wrinkles and development of BOTOX, from Allergan. Thus product development was and remains the hallmark of global aesthetics market.The market constraints on the World Aesthetics Market are complication and side effects during surgery, strict regulatory barriers in developing countries and the high cost of various aesthetics procedures.The World Aesthetics Market research report is segmented on the basis of products, treatment and application. Based on the products, the market has been segmented as implants, injectables and energy based device. On the basis of treatment the market has been segmented as phototherapy, treatments, chemical peels, liposuction, laser resurfacing. Similarly, on the basis of application the market has been classified as body shaping / skin tightening, sub-dermal skin treatment, epidermal skin/hair treatment.GET FULL REPORT @Regional analysis:On the basis of region the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East and Africa. North America commands the largest market share due to well-developed economy and initiatives taken to promote aesthetics in the region. North America market holds a market of US$ 4,686.6 million in 2016. However Asia Pacific region is the fastest growing market which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.5% during the forecast period 2017-2023. On the other hand factors such as high cost of aesthetics and low per capita income is restricting the market growth in the Middle East & African region, while Asia-Pacific countries are expected to be the fastest growing region in the near futureThe report for World Aesthetics Market by Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detail analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain a deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives a clear picture of current market scenario which includes past and estimated future market size with respect to value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides detail information about and strategies used by top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Table of Contents1 Introduction1.1 Definition1.2 Scope of Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations1.2.2.1 Assumptions1.2.2.2 Limitations1.3 Market Structur2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Process:2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research:3 Market Dynamics3.1 Drivers3.2 Restraints3.3 Opportunities3.4 Macroeconomic Indicators4 Market Factor Analysis4.1 Porters Five Forces Model4.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers4.3 Bargaining Power of Buyers4.4 Threat of New Entrants4.5 Threat of Substitutes4.6 Intensity of RivalryCONTINUEDGET DISCOUNT @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com
Laboratory Information Systems Market Segments, Key Players Strategies, Analysis and Forecasts Till 2027

Laboratory Information Systems

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The Worldwide Laboratory Information Systems Market is growing with the rapid pace; mainly due the burgeoning Healthcare Sector. According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, The World Laboratory Information Systems Market is booming and expected to gain prominence over the forecast period. The Market is forecasted to demonstrate a huge growth by 2027, surpassing its previous growth records in terms of value & volume. The World Laboratory Information Systems Market research report is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.3% between 2016 and 2027, driven by growth from both developed and emerging markets.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Market Research Future published new report, titled Laboratory Information Systems Market -Research Report: World Forecast to 2027.The Worldwide Laboratory Information Systems Market report explores the Top Key Players in-depth analysis as; Cerner Corporation, Recent Developments, Eclipsys Corporation, LabVantage Solutions Inc, LabWare Inc, McKesson Corporation, Medical Information Technology Inc., Merge Healthcare Inc, STARLIMS Corporation, Sunquest Corporation and Thermo Fisher Scientific IncMarket Synopsis of World Laboratory Information Systems Market:Worldly the market for Laboratory Information Systems is increasing rapidly. World LIS market is driven by eight major drivers such as need for advanced techniques, growth in molecular diagnostics, cloud computing, rising government initiatives and increasing demand for laboratory efficiency.Key Findings:Clinical application will drive the majority of the growth in the World LIS market.Software accounts for the majority of the World LIS market in terms of componentsNorth America and Europe together contributed more than 75% of the World total market size in 2014. Emerging markets such as China and India are expected to generate significant demand for LIS during 2016-2027.Market Segments:Segmentation by Applications: Segmentation for Laboratory Information Systems market involves the following Applications such Clinical LIS Market, Drug Discovery LIS Market, Industrial LIS Market.Segmentation by Components: Segmentation for Laboratory Information Systems market involves the following Components such as Software in LIS Market, Hardware in LIS Market, Services in LIS Market.Segmentation by Delivery: Segmentation for Laboratory Information Systems market involves the following Delivery such as Web-based LIS Market, On-premise based LIS Market, Cloud-based LIS Market.AmericasNorth AmericaUSCanadaLatin AmericaEuropeWestern EuropeGermanyFranceItalySpainU.KRest of Western EuropeEastern EuropeAsia PacificAsiaChinaIndiaJapanSouth KoreaRest of AsiaPacificThe Middle East & AfricaGET FULL REPORT @Market Assessment:The report for Laboratory Information Systems of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Table of Contents1 Report Prologue2 World Laboratory Information Systems: Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations2.3 Market Structure2.4. Market Segmentation2.4.1 Market Segmentation On The Basis Of Security Solutions2.4.2 Market Segmentation On The Basis Of Security Services3 World Laboratory Information Systems: Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Estimation3.5 Forecast Model4 World Laboratory Information Systems: Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunities4.4 Mega Trends4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators4.6 Important Pointers by Industry Experts4.5 Regulations/Acts4.6 Patents4.7 Consortiums5 World Laboratory Information Systems: Market Factor Analysis5.1 Value Chain Analysis5.2 Porters5.2.1 Threat Of New Entrants5.2.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers5.2.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers5.2.4 Threat of Substitute Products or Services5.2.5 Rivalry among Existing FirmsCONTINUEDGET DISCOUNT @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com
Precision Medicine Market Segments, Key Players Strategies, Analysis and Forecasts Till 2022

Precision Medicine Market

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This report provides in depth study of Precision Medicine Market 2017 Global Industry Research Report focuses on industry chain structure, market Size, Share, opportunities, future roadmap, industry analysis, industry policy analysis, market Leading player profiles and strategies. This New Report presented by Market Research Future contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to a SWOT analysis of the key vendors. Further MRFR asserts that the Market will demonstrate a colossal growth by 2022. Considering all these factors the global Precision Medicine market research report was valued at $38.92 billion in 2015, and is expected to reach $88.64 billion by 2022. Thus the market is expected to perform a growth at a CAGR of 12.48% from 2015 to 2022.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Market Research Future published new report, titled Precision Medicine Market -Research Report: Global Forecast to 2022.Competition in the Global Precision Medicine Market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis. Global Precision Medicine Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 Report Provides In-Depth Analysis Of Parent Market Trends, Macro-Economic Indicators And Governing Factors Along With Market Attractiveness As Per Segments.Major Players are: Abbott., Almac Group, Asuragen, Inc., bioMerieux SA, Cepheid Inc., Cetics Healthcare Technologies Gmbh, Ge Healthcare, Glaxosmithkline Plc, Johnson & Johnson, Laboratory Corporation Of America Holdings, Medtronic, Novartis, Pfizer Inc., Qiagen, Biobase Gmbh, Quest Diagnostics Inc, Randox Laboratories Ltd., Sanofi Pharma, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Ab-Biotics Sa, Caris Life Sciences, Healthcore, Inc., Ibm, Innventis, Intel Corporation, Molecular Health Gmbh are some of the Prominent Players at the forefront of competition in the global precision medicine market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis.Global Precision Medicine Market  Overview:The global precision medicine market is growing with rapid pace, mainly due to the increasing number of patient involvement in personal healthcare. According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, the global precision medicine market is booming and expected to gain prominence over the forecast period. The market is projected to demonstrate a spectacular growth by 2022, surpassing its previous growth records in terms of value with a striking CAGR during the anticipated period (20172022).The market is going to continue with the same trends of growth during the forecast period. The major drivers will be the advancements in the healthcare, technology, increasing prevalence of the genetic diseases, and rising integration of big data healthcare companies with pharmaceutical & biotech companies. In 2016, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, it was estimated that genetic disease like sickle cell anaemia affected approximately 100 million Americans. Additionally, potential for targeted therapies fuels the market growth. However, potential threat to personal data, high diagnostic cost, and stringent regulations and standards restrains the market growth during the forecast period. The healthcare data software developers are on a stand-by from the FDA regarding future compliance requirements and policies. Some precision medicine applications might face problems in future for timely transmission of critical health data between the doctor and the patient due to a vulnerability to deliberate Denial of Service (DOS) attacks. To overcome this, in 2014, FDA published Content of Premarket Submissions for Management of Cyber security in Medical Devices which contains guidelines for the healthcare industry.Global precision medicine market  competitive Analysis:Characterized by the presence of several well-established and small players, the global precision medicine market appears to be highly competitive and fragmented. International players who are increasingly expanding their footprint in the developing economy, making it difficult for regional vendors to compete with them, especially in terms of features product portfolios, quality, and pricing. The market is witnessing intensified competition which is expected to get more intensified further during the forecast period. The intense competition prevalent in the market dictates the consolidation among marketers.Well established players incorporate acquisition, collaboration, partnership, expansion, and product launch in order to gain competitive advantage in this market and to maintain their market position.Abbott is one of the significant players in the global precision medicine market. It is constantly expanding its strategy of the acquisition, merger, collaboration and product launches, as result the companys net revenue have increased from USD 20,405 million in 2015 to USSD 20,853 million in 2016. Significantly, the R&D expenditures was approximately around 7.0% in 2016.In October, 2016, Abbott collaborated with Celgene and Agios for diagnostic identification of IDH mutations. Moreover, Celgene signed an agreement with Abbott to develop and commercialize the diagnostic tests.In April, 2016, Abbott received FDA approval for its companion diagnostics Vysis CLL FISH probe kit in Leukemia. The kit is used to detect the 17p deletion in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients.In May, 2016, Almac Group partnered with ZYMtronix on a National Science foundation sponsored project which focusrd on the stabilisation and immobilisation of metabolic enzymes for various applications in bio-oxidation.In November, 2016 bioMerieux SA launched, eMAG, for molecular biology providing a platform for the extraction of nucleic acids including the DNA and RNA.GET FULL REPORT @Global Precision Medicine Market  Regional Analysis:The Americas leads global precision medicine market due to the advancement of gene mapping technologies and increasing precision medicine solutions. Moreover, with the announcement of Precision Medicine Initiative by President Barak Obama, this market has gain lots of attention. The Americas is followed by Europe. Countries like the U.K, France, Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, Spain, Finland, and Italy within the region are extensively involved in development of precision medicine solutions. The Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region due to a huge patient population and rising healthcare expenditure. On the other hand, Middle East & Africa have the least share of the market.Major Table of Contents:Chapter 1 Report ScopeChapter 2 Executive SummaryChapter 3 Market OverviewChapter 4 Market DynamicsChapter 5 Industry DynamicsChapter 6 Consortiums, Certification, Regulations, and StandardsChapter 7 Global Precision Medicine Market by Ecosystem PlayersChapter 8 Global Precision Medicine Market by Sub-MarketsChapter 9 Global Precision Medicine Market by TherapeuticsChapter 10 Global Precision Medicine Market by GeographyChapter 11 Company ProfileChapter 12 LIST OF TABLESTable 1 Leading Companies In The Precision Medicine Market 37Table 2 Downsizing Cost Of Genome Sequencing 74Table 3 Factors Impacting The Buyers Bargaining Power 80Table 4 Factors Impacting The Suppliers Bargaining Power 81Table 5 Factors Impacting The Threat From Substitute 82Chapter 13 LIST OF FIGURESFigure 1 Precision Medicine Market Study 27Figure 2 Research Methodology 29Figure 3 Different Phases Of Research Methodology For The Global Market 30Figure 4 Precision Medicine Market: Research Methodology 32Figure 5 Global Precision Medicine Market Share, By Ecosystem, 2014-2022 ($Billion) 38...CONTINUEDGET DISCOUNT @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com
Two Napa County women have been appointed superior court judges, filling the seats that Judge Francisca P. Tisher and Judge Michael Williams left behind this year, Gov. Jerry Browns Office announced Friday morning.

Cynthia P. Smith, 56, of St. Helena, at Coombs and Dunlap LLP since 2008, said she was very excited and Im very honored by her appointment. I cant imagine a more rewarding career.

Smith said she wanted to become a judge as a way to marry her professional career with her commitment to community.

I applied because I wanted to give back to my community, Smith said. One of the things she likes most about practicing law is helping clients resolve complex, emotionally charged problems, which, she says, is at the heart of being a judge.

Previously, Smith was a shareholder at Clement, Fitzpatrick and Kenworthy, an associate and later a partner at Stein and Smith, and an associate at Herdell and Yost LLP.

Although she will miss her clients, Smith said that they will be in good hands with the attorneys at Coombs and Dunlap.

Smith earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University.

Smith has served as a trustee for the St. Helena School Board since 2010.

Victoria D. Wood, 44, of Napa will be filling Williams position and Cynthia P. Smith, 56, of St. Helena will be filling Tishers position.

I love serving on the bench, Wood said Friday. Ive been fortunate enough to be able to serve on the bench in lesser capacities for quite a while.

Wood, a former research attorney at the Napa County courts, was sworn in as commissioner at the Napa County Superior Court in 2013.

As a research attorney, Wood said she enjoyed dissecting the law and trying to arrive at the right answer. As commissioner, she has been exposed to the human side of the law and been able to help people in a more direct way.

She is looking forward to helping even more people by serving as a judge, she said.

Wood has previously worked as an attorney at Hanna, Brophy, MacLean, McAleer and Jensen LLP; the First District Court of Appeal; and as an associate at Harbinson, Carlson and Tune.

Wood earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from Pacific Union College.

I think both of them will make excellent additions to our court, Napa County Superior Court Presiding Judge Mark Boessenecker said Friday. The court is grateful how quickly the governors office came to a decision  sometimes seats are left unfilled for more than a year, he said.

Its very good timing because generally we change assignments at the first of the year, he said.

Wood will be sworn in as a judge in a matter of days, but because she needs to tie things up at Coombs and Dunlap, Smith may be sworn in at a later date.

Smith and Wood are among 33 superior court judges recently appointed by Gov. Brown.
Rollins Edwards, 95, shared stories from his World War II days in the United States Army and how the government tested mustard gas on him and other African-American military men during a Black History Month event in 2017.
Petoskey players bring in All-BNC soccer honors, seven total recognized

PETOSKEY  The Petoskey soccer team found themselves in 2022 right in the thick of where they expect to be every season: in a tight Big North Conference race.
For most comic book fans, the idea of two heroes clashing is exceedingly commonplace. Especially when it comes to Batman and Superman as their relationship, which has spanned three quarters of a century, has included a few squabbles here and there.

However, when the Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer dropped some two weeks ago, some were confused. Why were these god-like heroes fighting each other? For many, it seems like a silly question to even ponder, and it was echoed around social media on a much larger scale.

WHY ARE BATMAN AND SUPERMAN EVEN FIGHTING

 vad3r (@xvad3r) April 27, 2015

wait someone explain to me why batman and superman are fighting each other if theyre both in the justice league??????

 logan (`) (@myspookyheaven) April 20, 2015

Ok. Why are batman and superman fighting. Saw trailermore confused.

 Seminoledave (@flbeachdad) April 19, 2015

Im confused, why is batman and superman fighting against each other? Are they the villains now? https://t.co/KYjopP6vYi

 jan (@Jan_Matsumoto) April 18, 2015

Why are Batman and Superman fighting? Please explain

 HONEYHONEY (@honeyhoneyband) April 17, 2015

So, why do they fight? Its certainly a valid question coming from non-fans that have no clue about the intricacies and nuances of Batman and Supermans longtime relationship. Most images show the pairing standing side-by-side or fighting an enemy togethernot nearly coming to blows. But over the course of any relationship, especially ones that last three quarters of a century, theres bound to be some friction, some tension and some overall sour times. And in the case of Batman and Superman, there was definitely plenty of that. So, in an effort to shine some light on the age old question, Why Do They Fight?, lets examine three notable, unpleasant and mostly violent encounters between the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight.

from Batman: Hush

The Dark Knight Returns

Frank Millers The Dark Knight Returns is the most obvious Batman and Superman battle of the bunch. Mainly because, based on the Batman v. Superman trailer, its this fight that the film seemingly draws from substantially.

Its important to understand The Dark Knight Returns in context, however. Its the Batman story that, when released in 1986, shifted pop cultures image of Batman away from the campy 1966 television show to Millers much darker and more violent image of the Dark Knight. It was a turning point not only for Batman, but for comics in general. To this day, The Dark Knight Returns is frequently credited with the birth of todays modern age of comics.

Perhaps one of the most fascinating characterizations Miller brought to the table in the story, however, was that of Superman. This Superman was no shining beacon fighting for truth and justice, but instead he has become a lackey for the United States government, running missions for the very Reagan-esque President. So, technically, he is still doing things the American way.

Set at a time when Batman is already in his 60s, Russia and the United States are still in a Cold War-esque conflict, which results in Russia launching a nuclear missile. Superman manages to divert the warhead away from American civilians, but the resulting electro magnetic pulse from the weapons detonation sends the country into a complete blackout. Citizens take to rioting and looting in major cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. But in Gotham, Batman and his Mutant army (a reformed street gang) work to preserve the peace, which makes the President look pretty powerless. So, in order stop further embarrassment by the Caped Crusader, the President sends in his Superman to take out the Batman.

Its for this battle with the Man of Steel that Batman debuts his armored suit thats featured near the end of the first Batman v. Superman trailer. The fight itself is a brutal one, with Batman pulling out all the stops, including a sonic wave gun and acid to the face, both of which only neutralize Superman temporarily. After giving it his all, Batman appears bloodied and beaten with Superman on the verge of taking out his former ally. But Millers Dark Knight always seems to have another trick up his sleeve which, in this case, is Oliver Queen, a.k.a. Green Arrow, who takes down Superman with a Kryptonite-laced arrow. Though it doesnt kill Supes, it does subdue him long enough for Batman to utter his famous proclamation, I want you to remember, Clark. In all the years to come, in your most private moments, I want you to remember my hand at your throat. I want you to remember the one that beat you.

Ironically, after saying that, Batman appears to die when his heart gives out. Superman, though badly beaten, lives on, but in this epic battle, Batman (barely) comes out on top.

From Batman: Hush

Batman: Hush

If The Dark Knight Returns ushered in comics modern age, then perhaps no storyarc embodies it more than Jeph Loebs critically acclaimed, thrilling Batman: Hush. Its a sprawling mystery that includes nearly all of Batmans greatest foes, adversaries, and yes, Superman. However, Batman and Superman spar under completely different circumstances.

In Batman: Hush, the two heroes come to blows simply because Superman is under the spell of Poison Ivys mind-control kisses. Its easy to tell when shes manipulating Superman because of the weeds growing out of his classic costume.

Batman and Supermans battle in Bathman: Hush is quite different as the two still view each other as best friends. Batman only throws punches in self-defense, and all the while hes trying to convince the good in Superman to reappear.

Whats surprising about this battle between them is the amount of quality shots Batman lands on Supes, some of which even draw blood. But again, Batman resorts to hypersonic weapons and blinding explosives to keep Superman at bay.

Once again, however, Batman needs help to neutralize the Man of Steel. Their tussle takes place in the cramped, dark sewer and rises to the street just in time for Catwoman, who happens it be working with Batman, to hurl Lois Lane off the top of a skyscraper. Batman shouts for Superman to save Lois, while knowing all along that if his plan failed Catwoman could still snag her. But the plan works as Superman shakes off whatevers left of Ivys mind-control serum, and rescues a falling Louis.

After Superman comes to his senses, the two of them, with Catwomans help, neutralize Poison Ivy. While once again Batman gets the upper hand on Superman, thanks to a clever plan, one can make the argument that this fight ended in a tie. Their exchange afterward sums it up quite nicely:

Always the Detective. Ever the Boy Scout.

from Superman: Red Son

Superman: Red Son

The first Superman-centric story in this rundown is something else entirely. Mark Millars Superman: Red Son is a reimagining of Kal-Els orgin story. Instead of crash landing in the Midwestern United States and raised by a Kansas family, his Kryptonian ship crash-lands in 1930s Russia. The result is a Superman whose allegiance lies with Stalin, and one that is the Soviet Unions symbol of military might over the United States at the height of the Cold War.

Of course, this shift from classic Superman lore has multiple effects. Lex Luthor is an American born genius whose primary goal is to rid the world of the red-caped menace, while Superman upholds the tenets of socialism and fights for the everyman. For example, its revealed, when he stops a satellite from crashing into Metropolis, that Superman still wont allow death and destruction, regardless of race or political affiliation.

Upon Stalins death, Superman is named his successor. However, some arent entirely trusting of an all-powerful alien as their ruler, and an uprising begins to take shape in the Soviet Unions underground. Stalins son, Pyotr, who was passed over in favor of Superman, looks to take out Superman, and seeks the help of the one man who can possibly achieve that goal: Batman.

Superman: Red Sons Batman is still haunted by the brutal death of his parents, but his actions are far more politically based. His hope is to start an uprising in the Soviet Unions underground. Pyotr knows this and persuades Batman to take out Superman on behalf of Lex Luthor.

This leads to a violent confrontation between the two that finds Batman using Wonder Woman as bait to draw Superman into the cold Siberian wilderness. Like their previous battles, Batman is never without a plan. When Superman arrives, Batman turns on solar lamps that mimic Kryptons red sun, which were provided by Luthor. The lamps leave Superman powerless, and Batman wastes no time landing some vicious right hooks. Batman eventually knocks him out cold, and locks in him an underground bunker.

While previous fights have seen Batman using extra help to defeat Superman, this time around Superman has his own help when Wonder Woman escapes her shackles and destroys the generator powering the solar lamps, which leads to an easy escape for the Man of Steel. Batman realizes his plan failed, and rather than giving himself up, he sets off a bomb nestled inside his body and commits suicide. So, its safe to say that Superman took this fight.

These arent the only times Batman and Superman have come to blows, but they are three very different takes on their often tumultuous relationship. For those who were baffled by the Batman v. Superman Dawn of Justice trailer, hopefully this will give a bit more insight as two why these two heroes would battle each other instead of their enemies. However, as I expect Zack Snyders film to conclude, at the end of the day, Batman and Superman are more likely to share a firm handshake than punches to the face.
Then-Gov. Nikki Haley attended in the 2016 grand opening of Black Water Barrels in Bamberg with company president Greg Pierce (right). File/Governor's Office
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?'
PR-Inside.com: 2017-12-26 14:33:01

DENISE Wedding Dress 2018 New Products Conference Was Successfully Held

DENISE Wedding Dress

Li Peng, +86-512-69220508/69220528

dennis-dress@qq.com

On December 20, 2017, DENISE Wedding Dress published its 2018 new works. Huang Buyan, General Manager of DENISE, carried the brand back to Suzhou where it was born, marking a new start and a new expectation.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201712260051

Conclusion of DENISE 2018 Wedding Dress New Products Conference (Photo: Business Wire)

Huang remarked in an interview, "Returning to Suzhou, DENISE wants to bring back its feeling of happiness as well as the unique 360 customization to customers. For the upcoming season, DENISE published 40 works and several color schemes inspired by the history, culture, literature and legend of Suzhou, an historical eastern city of China. DENISE aims to establish itself as a new label and a more influential brand of Suzhou. The whole team hopes DENISE's brand culture can be understood by the world."

To learn more about DENISE, please visit: www.denise-bridal.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201712260051

On December 20, 2017, DENISE Wedding Dress published its 2018 new works.
Molecular Diagnostics Market: Global Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012 to 2016 and Forecast 2017 to 2023

Molecular Diagnostics Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-12-26 13:28:17

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Global Molecular Diagnostics Market are the tests that are carried out for the detection of sequences present in the DNA and RNA including deletions, insertions, rearrangements, single nucleotide polymorphism, and others for the diagnosis of diseases. Global Molecular Diagnostics Market cumulative techniques analyze the biological markers at a molecular level, like proteome and genome. Molecular diagnostics are commonly used in the diagnosis of cancer, infectious diseases, and others. These are also used in the genetic predisposition checking to a disease.Increase in the prevalence of infectious diseases and various cancers, a rise in demand for personalized medicines, technological advancements in the diagnostic tests, and rise in the preference for biomarker identification tests are anticipated to fuel the molecular diagnostics market. Moreover, a rise in geriatric population, increase in healthcare expenditure, developed healthcare infrastructure, and favourable government initiatives for preventing the genetic disorders are also expected to boost the molecular diagnostics market over the forecast period. However, stringent regulatory policies, high cost for testing, issues with quality control, and lack of reimbursement policies for the diagnosis might restrain the growth of molecular diagnostics market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Molecular diagnostics market is segmented on the basis of product type, technology, application, and end userBased on the product type, molecular diagnostics market is segmented into the following: Reagents Kits Instruments SoftwareBased on technology, molecular diagnostics market is segmented into the following: Polymerase chain reaction Microarray Next generation sequencing Isothermal nucleic acid amplification Hybridization OthersBased on the application, molecular diagnostics market is segmented into the following: Caner Blood screening Infectious diseases Microbiology Genetic tests OthersBased on the end user, molecular diagnostics market is segmented into the following: Hospitals Diagnostic centres Research institutes OthersTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Molecular diagnostics market is in the developing stage owing to increase in the prevalence of cancer, infectious disease such as HIV (according to World Health Organisation, global health observatory (GHO) data, in 2013, approximately 34-38 million people suffered from HIV infection worldwide), and hepatitis among others. Rise in research activities for the prevention of genetic disorders also fuels the molecular diagnostics market. Acquisitions & mergers, collaborations, and innovation of novel diagnostic methods are some key strategies followed by companies for increasing their revenue in the molecular diagnostics market. For instance, in August 2015, Roche Diagnostics has acquired GeneWeave Biosciences, Inc. for strengthening its portfolio in microbiology diagnostics. Moreover, in April 2015, Alere Inc. received FDA approval for Alere I Strep, a molecular diagnostic test for the detection of Group A Streptococcus bacteria.Need more information about this report @Geographically, global molecular diagnostics market has been segmented into following regions Viz. North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Increase in the prevalence of various infectious diseases, rise in the government funding for the research in molecular diagnostics, wide range of applications, and availability of skilled workforce in North America anticipated to create dominant for molecular diagnostics in the region. Europe molecular diagnostics market is growing significantly owing to well-developed healthcare infrastructure, initiatves for the prevention of genetic disorders, and increase the number of biotechnological companies are driving the molecular diagnostics market. Moreover, rise in geriatric population in Japan China, and India, and increase in the prevalence of infectious diseases and cancer in Asia Pacific has created lucrative growth for molecular diagnostics market in the region.Some of the players in molecular diagnostics market are Cepheid Inc. (Danaher Corporation) (U.S.), Biomerieux (Sofiana s.a.) (France), Beckman Coulter, Inc. (Danaher Corporation) (U.S.), Becton, Dickinson and Company (U.S.), Siemens Healthcare GmbH (Germany), Abbott Laboratories (U.S.), Grifols (Spain), Hologic, Inc. (U.S.), Qiagen (U.S.), Alere Inc. (U.S.), Roche Diagnostics (U.S.), and DiaSorin S.p.A. (American Standard Companies) (Italy) to name a few.Get access to full summary @Contact to Precision Business Insights,Email: sales@ precisionbusinessinsights.com Website @ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com
Medical Device Technologies Market: Global Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012 to 2016 and Forecast 2017 to 2023

Medical Device Technologies Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-12-26 13:18:21

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An article, instrument, apparatus or machine that is used in the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness or disease, or for detecting, measuring, restoring, correcting or modifying the structure or function of the body for some health purpose is known as a medical device. Typically, the purpose of a medical device is not achieved by pharmacological, immunological or metabolic means. Medical devices require maintenance, calibration, user training, decommissioning and repair which are predominantly handled by the clinical engineers. Medical devices are used for certain purposes of treatment, rehabilitation and diagnosis of diseases or injuries may be used alone or in association with any other accessories, consumables or other medical equipment.Increase in advanced technologies, rise and prevalence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and COPD are expected to create demand for medical device technologies market. Rise in an ageing population, a high need of preventive health care, a rise in awareness about health concerns and changes in lifestyles of people are few factors which are expected to propel the growth of global medical devices technologies market. However, stringent government regulations, increased taxes on the products, increase in technology piracy incidence rate, a rise in the cost of devices and services are restraints of the market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Medical device technologies market is segmented on basis of type of devices, application, end users and geographical regions.Based on the type of devices, the global medical device technologies market is segmented Neuro stimulators Insulin pumps Passive implants Orthopaedic implants Cochlear implants Pacemakers Cardiac devices Kidney devices Endoscopy devices Diagnostic and imaging devices OthersBased on the application, the global medical device technologies market is segmented Disease diagnosis Identification Prevention ImagingBased on the end user, the global medical device technologies market is segmented Diagnostic centres Multi-speciality hospitals Ambulatory surgical centres Research centresTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @The medical device technologies market is expected to show significance growth during the foresee period due to huge unmet needs in the healthcare sector. Currently, many clinics and hospitals are positioning automatic processes to diminish errors and also to achieve fast and accurate data analysis. Medical device companies are spending huge amounts of investments for quality product development and to enhance product portfolio by developing respiratory products, medical imaging devices, orthopaedic implants, vascular drug-eluting stents microelectronics, bio-materials etc.Need more information about this report @Medical Device Technologies Market is segmented as North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. North America followed by Europe, are the dominating market medical device technologies market owing to advancements in the technologies, and the region is being residence for the many major companies. Asia-Pacific is accounted as emerging region due to robust growth in economy forecasted in some of the Asian countries such as Japan, China, India and Malaysia. As per china pharmaceutical materials association medical device branch, Chinas medical devices market size is anticipated to $48Mn by 2015 and according to statistics from china chamber of commerce for export and import of medicines and health products (CCCMHPIE) the export and import value of medical equipment of china has reached $34 Bn in 2013.Some of the players in global medical device technologies market are Becton, Dickinson and Company (U.S), Abbott Laboratories, Inc. (U.S), bioMerieux, Inc. (France), Biomerica, Inc.(USA) , Novartis AG(Switzerland), Olympus Corporation (Japan), Johnson & Johnson Diagnostics, Inc. (USA), Qiagen N.V. (Geramany), Siemens AG (Germany), and Thermo Fischer Scientific, Inc. (USA).Get access to full summary @Contact to Precision Business Insights,Email: sales@ precisionbusinessinsights.com Website @ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com
Despite promises made during the 2015 election, President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to inaugurate the National Council on Public Procurement, NCPP, as required by the Public Procurement Act 2007.

Instead, the Federal Executive Council, FEC, under the leadership of the president, continues to usurp the most important function of the NCPP: approval of contracts.

The Public Procurement Act, which was signed into law by late President Umaru YarAdua on June 4, 2007 provides for the establishment of the NCPP, and the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, as the regulatory authorities responsible for the monitoring and oversight of public procurement as well as harmonising existing government policies and practices.

The Act was put in place to allow transparency and ensure public participation in government procurement.

Mr. YarAdua, who signed the Act into Law, however, failed to inaugurate the NCPP until his death in office. His successor, Goodluck Jonathan, who stayed in office for six years also failed to inaugurate the council.

Mr. Buhari has till date also toed the path of his predecessors in violating the law.

For weeks, PREMIUM TIMES tried to get Mr. Buharis spokesperson. Garba Shehu, to explain why the president has chosen to ignore the Act and refused to set up the NCPP; or whether he plans to do so. He repeatedly declined comment on the matter.

NIGERIANS REACT

The failure of the president and his predecessors to put the NCPP in place has been condemned by experts and anti-corruption activists.

A former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, described the refusal of successive governments to inaugurate the council as a reflection of the poor governance history of many African countries.

Ms. Ezekwesili, pioneer head of the Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, said the refusal has to do with the, priority of those in government.

It has to do with the prioritisation, I mean the priority that the political class gives to transactions above vision, strategy and policy, she said.

Transactions provide the opportunity for corruption, so they will like to have much more control over that than give it up to some institutional mechanisms like the council.

How do you begin to explain an illegality that one administration after the other has made since that law was passed in 2007? There is no other way to explain that illegality than to say that there is no incentive on the part of the political class to do what the law technically has recommended.

That recommendation is the best way to direct the energy of the political class towards the most important activity that should worry them while leaving the council to operate in the way that it was envisaged. So, if they have no incentive to set up the council, it could only be because they are very much interested in transactions and the cabinet ought not to be interested in transactions, she said.

In his reaction, the Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, Awwal Rafsanjani, said it is unfortunate that the APC administration that came on the hope of fighting corruption and save the country from total collapse has also joined the bandwagon in violating the law.

Mr. Rafsanjani said the Public Procurement Act 2007 is one of the sunshine laws established under the recommendation of the World Bank in 2001 to help in achieving transparency in the procurement process.

Central to fighting corruption is the establishment of part one, section one of the Act which is the establishment of the National Council on Public Procurement. This council has the responsibility, among others to translate efforts to sanitise the public sector by applying the content of the law in full.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan was of course not interested in terms of ensuring that the council is inaugurated and that is how he ended up his tenure without getting that council inaugurated.

The current government came with all sort of motivation and encouragement that they want to fight corruption, but from what we are seeing, it is unfortunate that the government appears to have forgotten that one of the major things that they need to do to fight corruption is through public procurement. You can see the scandal every now and then because of lack of compliance and adherence to the implementation of the Public Procurement Law in Nigeria, he said.

Mr. Rafsanjani said almost all agencies of government have experienced one form of scandal or the other simply because people are not ready to comply with the public procurement law and central to it is ensuring that you have the council inaugurated.

So, its very disappointing that the government that came with the slogan of fighting corruption is not interested in ensuring that the law is implemented.

A UK based Nigerian activist, Kayode Ogundamisi, also said the refusal of successive Nigerian governments to implement the law is disappointing.

But what is more shocking is the inability of the Buhari government, a government that campaigned on the anti-corruption platform and promised to open government to scrutiny is following in the adverse footsteps of previous governments by failing to set up a National Council on Public Procurement.

Mr. Ogundamisi said setting up the council will enable the establishment of a regulatory body that will monitor and conduct oversight of public procurement.

Nigeria spends a huge chunk on recurrent expenditure on the civil service and public procurement has become a nest of corruption and a functional regulatory body will be able to ensure integrity, accountability and transparency in the procurement process.

Hopefully the Buhari government will revisit this issue. The anti-corruption war will not be far-reaching without institutional reforms and the establishment of organs that will outlive governments and ensure probity, he said.

In his reaction, Lagos-based lawyer and activist, Inibehe Effiong, said the enormous responsibilities put on the NCPP by the Act cannot be treated with levity by the government.

The refusal to constitute the council is an act of executive lawlessness, he said.

The purport of the Act is to entrench probity and accountability in the award of public contracts and ensure transparency in procurement processes.

Since the council is not in existence, the functions vested in the Council by Section 2 of the Act have not been legally exercised. All acts which require the approval and involvement of the Council cannot be said to have been validly carried out in the eyes of the law. It is an act of illegality for the Bureau of Public Procurement to function without the Council which has supervisory powers over it, he said.

Mr. Effiong said it is pertinent for Mr. Buhari to immediately constitute the council in line with the anti-corruption posture of the government.

THE CAMPAIGN PROMISE

When he was still seeking to be president, the then candidate Muhammadu Buhari promised to do things differently from the Goodluck Jonathan administration in terms of contract awards.

In a campaign document tagged My Covenant with Nigerians, Mr. Buhari promised that he will show personal leadership in the war against corruption and also hold all the people who work with him to account. He said he would also inaugurate the National Council on Procurement as stipulated in the Procurement Act so that the Federal Executive Council, which has been turned to a weekly session of contract bazaar, will concentrate on its principal function of policy making.

Months after his election, however, both Mr. Buhari and his party, APC, denied authoring the document.

A PREMIUM TIMES fact-check found their denial to be false.

However, while the president choosing to honour to his campaign promise is a matter of integrity, the Public Procurement Act is a Nigerian law which he continues to flout by not setting up the NCPP.

We cannot continue in this path of impunity and disregard for institutional processes, Mr. Effiong said.
The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday says 80 per cent of childrens IQ is derived from the environment.

Swadchet Sankey, UNICEF Education Specialist, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

She frowned at the popular attribution of brain development or quality of childs brain, intellectual capacity to genetic factors or parental genes.

Mrs. Sankey emphasised that the kind of environment a child grows in or is nurtured in would to a large extent affect the quality of his/her brain irrespective of the intellectual capacity of the parents.

She explained that a childs brain develop in response to both genes and the environment, describing the process of early brain development as constantly modified by environmental influences.

The specialist further emphasised that the environment of a childs earliest years could have lifetime effect on him/her.

Though biology and environment are key to brain development but the later is more critical because no matter the quality of parental gene if the environment is unhealthy it will impact negatively on their brain.

Nurturing environments contribute to positive health outcomes and fewer developmental challenges. When poverty set in its impact on environment poses a threat to individuals growth and development, Mrs. Sankey said.

She identified the period of childs brain development as ranging from age zero to three years, describing the period as critical.

According to her, if you can have a child that has inherited good brain, good intelligent but malnourished, sick and lack the opportunity of early learning, nurturing care, stimulation, such childs brain development will be hampered.

A stable environment is the one that is sensitive to health and nutritional needs of the children. So any environment that is not sensitive to health and nutrition of children is not a complete environment that allows development to occur.

Any environment that does not protect children, that does not make them to be save, does not protect them from toxic stress like children in an environment of conflict will affect the quality of their brain.

Children that are in an environment where there is crisis, pollution among others will not be intelligent no matter the gene of their parents, she said.

Early childhood development is a whole package that deals with environment and the child, the kind of environment they are exposed to whether at home or outside goes a long way to affect the childs development, she added.

The specialist urged parents and caregivers to be conscious of the kind of environment they groom their children, ward in order to better their lots and impact positively in the development of the nation. (NAN)
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the hosting by Nigeria of an international conference on saving the Lake Chad, his office said in a statement Tuesday.

The conference is to revitalize the basins ecosystem for sustainable livelihood, security and development.

This is the first time an international conference on Lake Chad is being organised the six-member countries of the region.

The three-day conference will consist of two days of technical sessions and one day high level meetings between February 26-28, 2018 and it will take place in Abuja.

The high level meeting is expected to have in attendance all of the Presidents and Heads of government of the member-states, namely Nigeria,Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic and Libya.

The key partners coming together in hosting the conference are Nigeria, the United Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, the Lake Chad Basin Commission, LCBC and relevant donors including, prospectively, the African Development Bank, AfDB, the World Bank and the governments of Germany, China, Canada and the European Union,EU.

The main objective of the international conference is to create global awareness on the socio-economic and environmental challenges arising from the shrinkage of the Lake Chad, threat to livelihoods including insecurity with a view to developing a comprehensive program for action to save the lake from extinction.

Specifically, the conference is expected to discuss and develop consensus on the different options to restore Lake Chad, including the Inter-Basin Water Transfer project from the Ubangi River in Central Africa to the Lake Chad.

Experts, researchers and resource persons are expected to exchange knowledge and share information on water resources development and management in a crisis environment and to garner political and financial support for the restoration option identified for the restoration of the lake.

Among the expected outcomes of the conference is a roadmap for the implementation of the recommendations of the conference that should lead to the restoration of the lake; restoration of fishing and irrigated farming as a way of alleviating poverty, strengthening climate resilience in the basin, creating employment,leading to reduction of terrorist activities and increasing the revenue of the population and that of the Lake Chad basin countries.

The lake Chad Basin, which is shared by Algeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Libya, Niger, Nigeria and the Sudan is about eight percent of the size of the African continent, with a population of about 40 million inhabitants.

Its surface area has shrunk from 25,000 square kilometers to just 2,500 sq.kms, roughly 10 percent of its original size.

This development has adversely affected the economic, social and cultural environment of the area. As at today, the lake is a source of insecurity, instability, and the loss of livelihoods.
At least one person was killed when suspected Boko Haram militants attacked Molai, outside Maiduguri, Borno state, on Monday, military and witnesses said.

The attack, which occurred in the evening, was repelled by government forces.

As soldiers fought to minimise damage, hundreds of villagers, mostly women and children, fled their communities during the dark hours into the state capital.

According to some of the returning residents of Molai who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, the gunmen arrived in large number shooting from guns mounted on the back of pickup trucks.

Most of the villagers said they were able to escape. They said only a mentally unstable motor park worker, popularly known called Goodluck, was shot and killed.

Returnees walked over hundreds of empty shells of AK47 and AA bullets that littered the highway.

We have not seen such terrible incident in a long time, said a young man in his mid 20s who identified himself as Bashir.

The Boko Haram gunmen came heavily armed; most of them were carrying AA(antiaircraft) rifles and shooting sporadically. We all took to our heels. I never knew most of us could survive it. Only one man, a Fulani guy who is not that mentally stable but works here at the park as tout helping to get passengers for taxis. He never knew the attack was big so he came out to the roadside only to be shot by the insurgents, he said.

The corpse of the victim had not been evacuated as it was covered with sac and left by the roadside at the time PREMIUM TIMES visited Molai.

A military truck that was obviously hit by some explosive from the insurgents, was seen standing on its side in the middle of the road leading to Molai, while a burnt motorcycle belonging to the insurgents was also spotted some metres ahead.

The theatre commander of the Operation Lafiya Dole, Rochas Nicholas, said the attack was effectively repelled by soldiers and no life was lost.

He said the insurgents were out to steal food from the civil populace.

The statement by Mr. Nicholas, a major general, which was issued on Monday night, said No lost of lives to own troops and normalcy has since been restored. Meanwhile troops have been on the trail of the remnants of the terrorists. Unfortunately, during their retreat, they set two vehicles on fire and some thatched houses at the outskirts of the city gate.

Both ground troops and the Nigerian Air Force are on hot pursuit and interdicting the fleeing terrorists that are now in disarray.

On the way out of Molai, PREMIUM TIMES sighted soldiers of the Nigeria army and operatives of the Civillian-JTF trying to push the destroyed truck off the middle of the road.
The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, on Tuesday sealed a filling station in Kubwa, a suburb of Abuja, for allegedly selling petrol above N145. The DPR also gave out the product free to motorists.

The Abuja Zonal Operations Controller of the department, Mohammed Abba, said the report about the station, Khalif Civic Oil and Investment Limited, was gotten on a tip-off by a good samaritan.

Also on the team was Maikanti Baru, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC and Aminu Abdullahi, Assistant Commandant-General, Operations, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.

The station had 6,000 litres of petrol. We got the call from a good samaritan. When we came, we realised the station is illegal because it is not licensed and it was selling at N250 per litre.

We instructed that the product should be dispensed free of charge.

We will give them one month to come and regularise the licence, after that if he does not come we will hand over the station and the people concerned to the civil defence to prosecute, Mr. Abba said.

Mr. Abba added that ideally, the station should have gotten its licence before putting up the structure.

Thats why we call it an illegal station. It is double impunity as if theres no government in this country.

Anyone that wants to build a filling station should first of all obtain a licence. This one did not follow due process, he said.

Mr. Baru, in his remarks, said this collaborative effort of the DPR, Civil Defence and NNPC is to identify stations that are erring in line with President Muhammadu Buharis directive for us as agencies to fish out those perpetuating the fuel scarcity.

This was discovered by the DPR on a tip-off. Government is appreciative and wants Nigerians to come forward with such information on where products are sold above N145.

Also, the NSCDC Assistant Comptroller-General said, what the DPR did is a welcome development but the illegality is criminality.

I have directed the arrest of the manager and the owner of the filling station so that action would be taken appropriately, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that at the entry of the team into Byazhin area, where the station is located, shouts of Sai Baba rented the air as DPR had already been dispensing the product free.

NAN spoke to a motorist who confirmed that he got 20 litres of petrol free of charge.

I have been on the queue since 4 a.m. When I got close, there was a little commotion and we heard that they had started giving it (petrol) out for free.

I just got it and it is true, he said.

A bike rider, popularly called Okada, could not contain his elation and continually chanted sai Baba, saying I didnt pay. Its good for them, they always sell at a high price always.

Another DPR staff member, who led the arrest, told NAN under anonymity that each car will get 20 litres free and each bike five.

This is to stall those that would be tempted to get the petrol free and queue up again.

The team also made arrests in the city centre on Christmas day on another sting operation.

The fuel crisis started more than two weeks ago.

(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.




BATAVIA, Ill., Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As 2017 comes to a close, ALDI is wrapping up an unprecedented year of national accolades. The innovative grocery chain has won awards for more than 200 ALDI-exclusive products since January.

"We're honored each time ALDI wins an award," said Jason Hart, ALDI CEO. "Nothing means more to us than the opinions of our customers. The recognitions mean our shoppers appreciate the quality of ALDI products and inspire us to keep bringing them the very best we can offer."

ALDI-Exclusive Products Earn Reputable Recognition

Spanning every aisle in the store, ALDI products received more awards in 2017 than any previous year.

Best New Product Award: 24 product wins

Winners were chosen from results of the 2017 BrandSpark Best New Product Awards survey and user feedback from Shopper Army.



Winning products include Little Journey Baby Food Purees, Specially Selected Brioche Buns and liveGfree Organic Brown Rice Quinoa Pasta.

Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal of Approval: 65 product wins

Thirty-seven products won the PTPA seal, while an additional 28 holiday-focused products earned the Santa Tested Santa Approved Seal of Approval.



Each award-winning product was evaluated by select members of PTPA's extensive volunteer testing community of more than 70,000 trusted parents across North America .

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Winning products include SimplyNature Kids Organic Fruit Snacks, Nature's Nectar 100% Apple Juice and SimplyNature Green Pea Crisps.

Gluten-Free Buyers Guide Gluten-Free Awards: 10 product wins

Five products were recognized in the 7 th Annual Gluten-Free Awards, while an additional five products were recognized in the 8 th annual awards, both announced in 2017.

Annual Gluten-Free Awards, while an additional five products were recognized in the 8 annual awards, both announced in 2017.

Winning products include liveGfree Pepperoni Pizza Stuffed Sandwiches (first place in the frozen meals category of the 7th annual awards), liveGfree Gluten Free Plain Wraps (second place in the tortilla or wrap category of the 7th annual awards) and liveGfree Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese (second place in the macaroni and cheese category of the 8th annual awards).

ALDI Leads Industry in Value and Loyalty

For the seventh year in a row, ALDI was voted Value Leader among U.S. grocery stores, according to a 2017 consumer survey conducted by Market Force Information. ALDI was also named the top major national grocery chain for customer loyalty.*

Throughout 2017, ALDI has also been celebrated nationally and regionally as a leading employer and business, including being named to the Forbes Top Workplaces list, as well as Top Workplaces lists in 14 markets across the U.S., including Chicago, Houston, Minneapolis and St. Louis.

ALDI Wines Garner Top Wine Industry Endorsements

ALDI-exclusive wines have been recognized by expert organizations in the wine industry, such as the Beverage Testing Institute (BTI) and the San Diego International Wine and Spirits Challenge. Ratings are the result of blind tastings by panels of highly experienced and professional tasters who rate wines to reflect their overall style, character and quality.

"ALDI is a destination for wine enthusiasts looking for a diverse variety of reds, whites and roses. Awards for our wine portfolio show us that we're succeeding in providing high-quality wine at a great value," said Hart.

In 2017, 35 ALDI-exclusive wines were recognized by BTI with a "Best Buy" rating, including five Gold Medal winners: Paluzzi Moscato D'Asti, Lot Series Reserve Malbec, Lot Series Grande Brut, William Wright Reserve Pinot Noir and Crimson Roots Zinfandel. The ALDI-exclusive Sargent Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon also earned a "Highly Recommend" rating from the San Diego International Wine and Spirits Challenge.

In addition to wine industry awards, the ALDI-exclusive Broken Clouds Pinot Noir earned the coveted 2017 Product of the Year** title in the wine category (along with the SimplyNature Organic White Cheddar Puffs in the salty snacks category). The red wine from Sonoma Coast, California was ranked a favorite by 40,000 American shoppers for its rich berry flavors with an allspice finish.

Additionally, Chefs In America awarded its highest distinction, the American Masters of Taste Gold Medal Endorsement, to 12 wines from ALDI (in addition to 69 other ALDI-exclusive products). The network of more than 6,500 corporate and executive chefs and food industry professionals endorse products that emphasize taste excellence and superior quality.

For more information on award-winning ALDI products and industry recognitions, please visit aldi.us.

About ALDI Inc.

A leader in the grocery retailing industry since 1976, ALDI operates more than 1,700 U.S. stores in 35 states. More than 40 million customers each month benefit from the ALDI simple and streamlined approach to retailing. ALDI sells the most frequently purchased grocery and household items, primarily under its exclusive brands, which are designed to meet or exceed the national name brands on taste and quality. ALDI is so confident in the quality of its products, the company offers a Double Guarantee: If for any reason a customer is not 100 percent satisfied with any ALDI food product, ALDI will gladly replace the product and refund the purchase price. For the seventh year in a row, ALDI was recognized as a value leader among U.S. grocery stores by a Market Force Information survey of U.S. consumers. For more information about ALDI, visit aldi.us.

*According to annual surveys of U.S. consumers conducted from 2011 to 2017 by Market Force Information

**Winners were chosen in a survey of 40,000 American shoppers by global research agency Kantar TNS

SOURCE ALDI

Related Links

https://www.aldi.us


DUBLIN, Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), a leading global biopharmaceutical company, today announced that Chairman and CEO Brent Saunders will present at the 36th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, CA. The presentation will begin at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (6:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on Monday, January 8, 2018 at the Westin St. Francis.

The presentation will be webcast live and can be accessed on Allergan's Investor Relations website at www.allergan.com/investors. The webcast can also be accessed through the following URL: https://jpmorgan.metameetings.net/events/healthcare18/sessions/13360-allergan-plc/webcast

An archived version will be available within 24 hours of the live presentation, and can be accessed at the same location for 90 days.

About Allergan plc

Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a bold, global pharmaceutical company and a leader in a new industry model  Growth Pharma. Allergan is focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing branded pharmaceutical, device, biologic, surgical and regenerative medicine products for patients around the world.

Allergan markets a portfolio of leading brands and best-in-class products for the central nervous system, eye care, medical aesthetics and dermatology, gastroenterology, women's health, urology and anti-infective therapeutic categories.

Allergan is an industry leader in Open Science, a model of research and development, which defines our approach to identifying and developing game-changing ideas and innovation for better patient care. With this approach, Allergan has built one of the broadest development pipelines in the pharmaceutical industry with 55+ mid-to-late stage pipeline programs currently in development.

Allergan's success is powered by our more than 18,000 global colleagues' commitment to being Bold for Life. Together, we build bridges, power ideas, act fast and drive results for our customers and patients around the world by always doing what is right.

With commercial operations in approximately 100 countries, Allergan is committed to working with physicians, healthcare providers and patients to deliver innovative and meaningful treatments that help people around the world live longer, healthier lives every day.

For more information, visit Allergan's website at www.Allergan.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

Statements contained in this press release that refer to future events or other non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Allergan's current perspective on existing trends and information as of the date of this release. Actual results may differ materially from Allergan's current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Allergan's business. These factors include, among others, the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of FDA approvals or actions, if any; the impact of competitive products and pricing; market acceptance of and continued demand for Allergan's products; the impact of uncertainty around timing of generic entry related to key products, including RESTASIS, on our financial results; uncertainty associated with financial projections, projected cost reductions, projected synergies, restructurings, increased costs, and adverse tax consequences; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in Allergan's periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Allergan's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and Allergan's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2017. Except as expressly required by law, Allergan disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

CONTACTS: Allergan:

Investors:

Daphne Karydas

(862) 261-8006





Media:

Mark Marmur

(862) 261-7558

SOURCE Allergan plc

Related Links

http://www.allergan.com


HOUSTON, Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of a nationwide, coordinated power restoration plan involving several investor-owned electric companies, CenterPoint Energy, Inc.'s (NYSE: CNP) electric utility is sending 68 employees in early January to accelerate the ongoing power restoration efforts in Puerto Rico. CenterPoint Energy's team will join the more than 1,500 additional restoration crew members from other utilities traveling to the island to support the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) in the next phase of its restoration process. CenterPoint Energy expects its employees and resources to be in Puerto Rico for approximately six weeks.

"It's now time for utility crews like ours to come in and help with this next phase of Puerto Rico's restoration process and we're proud to be part of our industry's response," said Ed Scott, director of operations for CenterPoint Energy. "While we've participated in many mutual assistance trips, it is unprecedented for us to put our equipment, bucket trucks and electric supplies on a barge that will take two weeks to arrive on the island. We are fully committed to restoring power to Puerto Rico as quickly and as safely as possible."

In late October, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and the American Public Power Association (APPA) received a request from PREPA to support power restoration efforts on the island. In early November, PREPA expanded its aid request to include the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).

As a result, a team of electric company storm response experts has been on the ground coordinating closely with local officials, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The team has been focused on assessing damages and formalizing a structure for supporting logistics, equipment needs and supply chain issues, as well as ensuring ongoing restoration efforts are completed safely, effectively and efficiently. Experts have identified basecamps for crews and staging sites for materials that will allow workers and materials to be located closer to restoration areas.

As part of the process, CenterPoint Energy's equipment will depart from the Port of Lake Charles in Louisiana later this week. Additional details will be made available as they are finalized.

The first shift of 68 CenterPoint Energy employees will fly to Puerto Rico on Jan. 13 and start working 16-hour shifts on Jan. 15 after a safety and onboarding process. The company is making plans to send at least one additional shift.

Extensive portions of Puerto Rico's electric grid are located in rugged, mountainous terrain that has little or no road access due to Hurricane Maria's impact. Some customers may not be able to receive power to their homes or businesses because of damage from the storm.

"This restoration mission will be more difficult than any other we have worked on, but our crews are prepared to work long hours safely, facing the logistical and geographical challenges accompanying the historic damage to Puerto Rico's infrastructure," said Scott.

CenterPoint Energy is part of electric utility mutual assistance programs that provide access to thousands of linemen and tree trimmers from around the country to lend a hand during widespread power outage emergencies. Coming to the aid of other utilities is nothing new to CenterPoint Energy employees. Over the years, crews have responded and restored power to hundreds of thousands of customers throughout the country who have been left in the dark following hurricanes, ice storms, tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.

CenterPoint Energy, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a domestic energy delivery company that includes electric transmission & distribution, natural gas distribution and energy services operations. The company serves more than five million metered customers primarily in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. The company also owns 54.1 percent of the common units representing limited partner interests in Enable Midstream Partners, a publicly traded master limited partnership it jointly controls with OGE Energy Corp., which owns, operates and develops natural gas and crude oil infrastructure assets. With more than 7,700 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, please visit www.CenterPointEnergy.com.

For more information, contact:

Media Relations

Pager: 713.619.5143

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.centerpointenergy.com


WASHINGTON, Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by Lanny J. Davis, Davis Goldberg Galper, PLLC, Washington D.C., defense attorney for Dmitry Firtash:

Three events occurring on December 21, December 19, and December 12, 2017 provided good news for Dmitry Firtash. They prove once again the important lesson for media as well as political and legal commentators: Don't jump to conclusions, using innuendo and guilt by association, but wait for a determination of the facts and law.

1. December 21, 2017: "The Hill" newspaper (thehill.com) published the following headline :

"Human Rights groups withdraw government complaint against Ukrainian oligarch after its accuracy is challenged"

See http://thehill.com/365943-human-rights-groups-withdraw-government-complaint-against-russian-oligarch-after-its-accuracy

The story reported that "a coalition of [23] human rights groups has recalled a complaint asking the United States to sanction Ukrainian oligarch Dmitry Firtash after questions surfaced about the accuracy of the allegations against the businessman. Rob Berschinski, the senior vice president for policy at Human Rights First, confirmed to The Hill that the coalition of groups pulled back their letter late last month [November]. 'What we decided to do was pull the letter down,' Berschinski said."

As attorney for Mr. Firtash, I issued a public statement expressing my appreciation of "the decision of [the human rights] NGOs to suspend, pending further review, their recommendation that Dmitry Firtash be investigated under the Magnitsky Act."

2. December 19, 2017: Austrian Court of Appeals rejects Spanish request to extradite Firtash based on U.S. allegations

The Austrian Court of Appeals "finally" rejected a request by Spanish prosecutors to extradite Mr. Firtash. The request was reportedly based on allegations similar to the ones raised against Mr. Firtash by U.S. prosecutors and relied on information provided to them by U.S. investigators.

This Spanish extradition request of Firtash has been widely reported by U.S. media as related to pending U.S. charges against Mr. Firtash. Yet the Austrian Court of Appeals rejected the Spanish extradition request, stating that it is insufficient to merely allege that somebody (i.e., Firtash) is close to people allegedly forming an  unproven  criminal organization, and also, the Spanish allegations of money laundering didn't hold up.

While the Austrian Court of Appeals repeatedly asked Spanish authorities to provide specificity and facts to support their extradition request and provided them several opportunities to do so, they nevertheless failed.

3. December 12, 2017: Austrian Supreme Court grants Firtash a stay of U.S. authorities requested extradition

The Austrian Supreme Court's decision held that Mr. Firtash's appeal, asking for a retrial and arguing that the Austrian Court of Appeals erred when it allowed extradition to the United States (thereby overturning the Austrian trial court's decision denying extradition), was not without merit. The Supreme Court thus ordered a stay of Mr. Firtash's extradition pending its review. Additionally, the Supreme Court stayed its own review until a preliminary ruling is reached by the Court of Justice of the European Union on the applicability of the EU Charter on Human Rights to Mr. Firtash's extradition appeal.

In conclusion, and regardless of what people read about Dmitry Firtash in the media, please remember that the charges against him allege no actions, conduct, or commercial effects in the United States by Mr. Firtash; indeed, the fact is, Mr. Firtash has never been to the United States. Mr. Firtash is innocent until proven guilty and false and unsubstantiated news reports repeated one million times on the Internet are still false.

I only ask U.S. and international media, and political and legal pundits to do one thing with respect to writing or talking about Mr. Firtash: The rule should be facts first, conclusions second  not the reverse. That rule is enshrined in the concept of due process of law  in the U.S. Constitution as well as the European Union Charter on Human Rights.



DISSEMINATED BY DAVIS GOLDBERG GALPER ON BEHALF OF DMITRYO FIRTASH. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT THE US DEPT OF JUSTICE, WASHINGTON, D.C.

Contact: Lanny J. Davis, 202-460-1451

SOURCE Lanny J. Davis
TRENTON, N.J., Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dec. 22, 2017, in Trenton, New Jersey, the Honorable Chris Christie has pardoned Author, Entrepreneur & Community Activist Tracey D. Syphax, a 2014 President Obama "White House Champion of Change" Honoree and author of the award-winning memoir, "From the Block to the Boardroom," for a 27-year-old conviction for possession and possession with intent to distribute.

After meeting with Gov. Christie discussing my Pardon application

The road to a pardon by the Governor began with an application submitted in December 2015. The application was followed by an online petition that began in January 2016, through Move On.org and had garnered more than 3,000 signatures before being delivered to the Governor's office last year. "I'm submitting a pardon of my 27-year-old conviction for possession with intent to distribute. I've done my time, paid my fines and have been charge free for over two decades! 'It's Time,'" said Syphax at the time. Finally, an executive pardon application hearing date took place two weeks ago prior to the date of the pardon today.

Syphax premiered nationwide in 2016 the award-winning documentary "Incarcerating Us," which provides a historical context on the defining legal framework and structural impediments to criminal "justice" for a disproportionate number of black and brown citizens, leading to the massive increase in America's high incarceration rates, which began with the failed "War on Drugs." The screenings were followed by panel discussions with dialogue focusing on the current political environment, recent reforms, and the initiatives and viable options for further reforms to the systems, i.e. sentencing guidelines, mandatory minimums, and real reentry programs. Mr. Syphax has traveled the Country Lecturing at Colleges and Prisons on mass incarceration and criminal justice reforms.

Tracey Syphax's autobiography, ''From the Block to the Boardroom,'' chronicles his circuitous journey from a drug-addicted drug dealer in the city of Trenton to become a multimillion-dollar entrepreneur with legitimate businesses and real estate. He recently became a program instructor while continuing his efforts to help others rise above difficult circumstances by mentoring and activism efforts. Syphax has spent his 22-year career in business as a strong advocate for criminal justice reform and reducing recidivism through education, employment and entrepreneurship. "In America, you have a right to free speech and a right to remain silent, in response to injustices and inequality the latter is not an option," said Syphax in 2016 when he was named "1 of the 25 Most Influential African Americans in New Jersey."

Upon learning of the pardon, Syphax said, "It's been said 'the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice'; well, it's been bending for a long 25 years since I came home and decided to change my life but with persistence, patience and a belief that this fight was never solely about me but more about Returning Citizens looking for a second chance."

From Commutation, Clemency, Pardon, Or Reprieve: What Is The Difference?:

In New Jersey, the legislature has created a Parole Board that has the authority to accept, investigate, and make recommendations regarding parole applications. The Parole Board sees the application before the Governor, who then determines whether or not a pardon or other action will be made. Generally, every state within the United States has rules regarding clemency. Clemency is the broad category of rights that a governor or president has to lessen a sentence that has already been imposed by a court of law. In New Jersey, the Governor has the right to grant a pardon or commutation of sentence for any crime but impeachment and treason. Below are the categories of actions the governor has the right to take.

Pardon  A pardon is a complete forgiveness and restores full rights of citizenship. Normally, those who have been convicted of a crime forfeit certain rights, such as to serve in certain roles, and to hold public office or vote in an election. But a pardon restores those rights. Those pardoned can apply to be expunged, and be able to say that you were not convicted of a crime.

For interviews and more information contact; 609-209-3285, [email protected].

Tracey D. Syphax

Entrepreneur, Author & Activist

From the Block 2 the Boardroom, LLC

667 Martin Luther King Blvd., Trenton, NJ 08618

609-989-0111

[email protected]

www.ftb2tb.com

Related Images

image1.jpg

Pres. AACCNJ John Harmon, Trenton Businessman Tracey Syphax and Chairman of AACCNJ Hosea Johnson

image2.jpg

Trenton Businessman Tracey Syphax and Attorney H. Robert Tillman

SOURCE From the Block to the Boardroom LLC.
GUAGNZHOU, China, Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On December 23, a launch ceremony was held at Guangdong Television Center for the 4K TV pilot program, with the theme of "New Era, New Journey, New Vision".

Guangdong 4K TV Program Production Center and Guangdong 4K Film Production Center were both set up at the launch.

Ma Xingrui, Governor of Guangdong Province, attended the event and inaugurated the centers.

To implement the strategy of the application and industrial development for 4K film and television network is an important measure by Guangdong Province to carry out the spirit of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress, further the supply-side structural reform in radio and television media, seize the development opportunity in advance and promote a high quality development of Guangdong's economy.

Shen Haixiong, head of the Guangdong Provincial Publicity Department, said at the event that the launch of 4K TV pilot programs by Guangdong Radio and Television (GRT), the establishment of a national 4K industry alliance here, and the plan to produce China's first 4K Cantonese opera movie "Legend of the White Snake -- Love" all represent innovative moves by Guangdong Province to vigorously promote digitization of China.

Shen also encouraged the province to introduce and create more excellent programs, and make effort to make the industrial standard for 4K TV in the country.

Also at the event, a series of agreements, including cooperation on broadcasting and supporting platforms, industry alliance, technologies research and development, were signed.

Moreover, South New Media-based 4K iCloud platform and Guangdong Radio & Television-based 4K broadcasting system were displayed during the event.

SOURCE Guangdong Radio and Television (GRT)
"This is our second consecutive year for receiving high-level recognition on Enterprise.nxt's popular and respected list of top leadership events for IT leaders and executives ," says Hunter Muller, Founder, President and CEO of HMG Strategy, a global leader in executive thought leadership, independent research and executive career acceleration. "We are honored and pleased to be cited as a leader among the top conferences for IT professionals . This reaffirms and reinforces our position as a primary resource of innovative executive thought leadership for senior technology leaders and executives worldwide."

HMG Strategy's Executive Leadership Summits enable and empower CIOs, CISOs, and other technology executives to discover cutting-edge approaches to reinvent and reimagine the modern enterprise to drive a culture of genius for success; to lead courageously into the C-suite and board in a customer-centric enterprise; accelerate your professional brand and up-level your professional network; and absorb the ongoing digital dialogue around innovative business models and prototypes.

Muller recently announced the schedule of HMG Strategy CIO and CISO Executive Leadership Summits for the first half of 2018, which includes Executive Leadership Summits in New York; Phoenix; Charlotte; Menlo Park, CA; Dallas; San Francisco; Iselin, NJ; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Minneapolis; Toronto, and Detroit. For the full 2018 schedule, please visit HMG Strategy.

"Our 2018 schedule is the most aggressive and ambitious program in our 10-year history. We are genuinely proud of our achievements and our unmatched ability to produce world-class peer-to-peer summits that offer unparalleled value and truly global networking opportunities for over 300,000 top-tier technology leaders in our network," says Muller.

"HMG Strategy Executive Leadership Summits provide essential roadmaps for transformational change in a time of unprecedented disruption and upheaval," says Muller. "HMG Strategy's world-class digital platform and Resource Center extend these discussions on the top leadership and technology trends shared by members of the HMG network and for members of our exclusive peer-to-peer CIO and CISO Executive Leadership Advisory Services (CELA) and CELA Executive Decision Support (EDS) services, resulting in more than 1 million digital impressions each week. Visionary executive leadership is absolutely critical to business innovation, growth and success, which is one of the reasons we're so pleased to be ranked highly in the Enterprise.nxt list of top CIO summits two years in a two."

HMG Strategy's research team recently published its 2018 Leadership and Technology Research Agendas, which are focused on the leadership strategies and emerging technologies that are reshaping the future of business, including artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML), blockchain, cloud, and cybersecurity technologies. For additional insights, HMG Strategy's 2018 Research Agendas can be viewed here.

Throughout his career, Hunter Muller has been a trusted source of advice for C-suite and senior-level executives across multiple industry verticals.

Muller also guides and directs a full-time research team that produces custom research reports, newsletters, blogs, executive reports, research articles, white papers and videos.

HMG Strategy is home to the world's strongest independent executive leadership network. In addition to its value as a career accelerator, the network creates an independent base of knowledge and information that is both unique and unparalleled.

About HMG Strategy

HMG Strategy is the world's largest independent and most trusted provider of executive networking events and thought leadership to support the 360-degree needs of technology leaders. Our regional CIO and CISO Executive Leadership Series, newsletters, authored books, and online Resource Center deliver proprietary research on leadership, innovation, transformation, and career ascent. The HMG Strategy global network consists of over 300,000 senior IT executives, industry experts and world-class thought leaders. HMG Strategy's exclusive CIO and CISO Executive Leadership Alliance (CELA) program provides top-tier technology executives with unparalleled peer-to-peer off-the-record straight talk to strengthen their decision-making capabilities and accelerate their career ascent. The CELA program is complemented by the CELA Executive Decision Support services (EDS) which connects enterprise technology executives with their contemporaries to who are able to offer their expertise, practical experience, and insights in disciplines ranging from effective C-suite communication strategies to crafting successful 1-3-5-year technology roadmaps.

Additionally, our partnerships with the world's leading search firms provide vital insights into the evolving roles of the CIO and CISO.

The HMG Strategy CIO Executive Leadership Series offers a completely unique experience for IT executives to gain the latest insights and best practices for driving increased business value through the use of IT, and build invaluable relationships with peers and industry experts. The HMG Strategy CISO Executive Leadership Series is designed to provide information security leaders with the insights and best practices they need to tackle the most pressing cyber security challenges facing the enterprise today and going forward.

For more information on joining the strongest executive leadership network and exploring our independent, forward-thinking thought leadership platform, please visit www.hmgstrategy.com.

SOURCE HMG Strategy

Related Links

http://www.hmgstrategy.com


LONDON, Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5257986







This market insight aims to profile select medical device companies in Asia-Pacific for 2016.



Research Scope:

 The aim of this insight is to analyze and profile APAC medical device manufacturers, based on certain parameters.

 It covers wound management, cardiovascular, orthopedic implants, infection control, and infusion therapy.



Regions Covered:

 Australia

 China

 India

 Japan

 South Korea



Indicative Parameters for Selection:

 Company should be headquartered or listed in APAC

 Company should manufacture its medical device products locally

 Products should meet CE, FDA, and ISO approval standards

 Company should be one of the significant market participants in any of the 5 segments or should have an annual revenue of more than $5 million



The APAC medical devices market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.2% (2013-20) to reach $110.00 billion in 2020. Approximately 70-90% of medical devices are imported. Measures to reduce import by 8-10% by 2020 are considered a priority by most countries. India and China present potential opportunity for growth.



The market is in the growth stage. Established medical device providers as well as new manufacturers are constantly trying to innovate, while simultaneously looking at ways to reduce the cost incurred to place their products in this space.



Overview, business profile, product profile, and business highlights are discussed for vendors such as Admedus Ltd, Allegra Orthopaedics, Atlas Surgical, Auxein Medical, Avita Medical, CGbio, Daiwha Corporation Ltd, GPC Medical, Green Cross, JMS Co., JW Medical, Jiangsu Yuyue Medical Equipment & Supply Co., Lepu Medical, Ltd., MicroPort Scientific Corporation, Nipro, Olympus Terumo Biomaterials Corp., PolyNovo Limited, Shanghai Kinetic Co., Sutures India, Taewoong Medical Co., Terumo Group, Tokai Medical Products Inc., and Triage Meditech Pvt. Ltd.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5257986



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

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LOS ANGELES, Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands of U.S. state legislators have been put on notice about potential patient abuse and fraud in the for-profit behavioral system that is costing taxpayers an estimated $50 billion a year. Of this, the inpatient behavioral market, which largely provides psychotropic drugs and electroshock treatment as its mainstay treatments, costs around $20 billion."[1] A series of recent media reports exposing systemic abuse in the mental health sector has spurred the mental health industry watchdog Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) to write letters warning legislators in each state that have for-profit psychiatric hospitals chains. CCHR called for increased monitoring of the facilities and financial audits of them to ensure patient safety.

Legislators Warned of Patient Abuse, Potential Fraud in $50 Billion For-Profit Psychiatric-Behavioral Market

As a watchdog group, CCHR calls for staff, former staff and families of patients to report abuse or potential fraudulent billing to it so that the information can be turned over to the proper authorities. Recently U.S. Senator Charles Grassley, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, called for a federal probe into one of the country's largest chains of psychiatric hospitals. Grassley wrote the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services about the for-profit behavioral facilities, stating that "the most recent allegations cause significant concern."[2]

U.K. and U.S. Joined in For-Profit Mental Health Scandal

CCHR has also expanded its watchdog role to the for-profit sector in the United Kingdom, where it has filed complaints with the country's Care Quality Control (CQC) and National Health System (NHS) about U.S.-owned behavioral hospitals chains in the U.K. A BuzzFeed News expose on Dec. 15, 2017, also detailed how a chain of U.S. company-owned private psychiatric hospitals in the U.K. has been accused of "failing vulnerable young patients." This included one hospital "not taking sufficient precautions to ensure patients' safety."[3] The allegations are similar to what CCHR raised with U.K. authorities during the past two years as potential risks based on what has occurred in the U.S. David Behan, Chief Executive of CQC, wrote CCHR saying they took CCHR's allegations very "seriously" and "We were very concerned to read about the issues that have been identified  in America and we note your concerns about these in relation to the services provided" in the U.K.[4]

BuzzFeed News reported that in the U.K.,it spoke to the relatives of four young people who are or have been detained under the Mental Health Act at behavioral hospitals which received more than 100 million (US $134 million) from the country's National Health Service (NHS) in the 12 months to June 2017.[5] In the U.S., the same company made $7.5 billion in revenues from psychiatric inpatient care, with a profit margin of around 30 percent, or $2.25 billion in 2015.[6] Company executives once told investors that by reducing staffing costs and keeping occupancy rates high in its behavioral health division, this helped generate robust profits.

Allegations have also been made that the for-profit behavioral sector can use involuntary commitment laws, such as the Baker Act in Florida to detain patients longer in order to milk their insurance.[7] The other lucrative field is substance abuse treatment that has escalated with the opioid abuse problem in the U.S. Addiction psychiatry usually treats substance abusers with prescription drugs. For opioid addiction, buprenorphine or a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone is often prescribed. Abuse of this prescription drug has now become an epidemic, as reported by The New York Times.

The for-profit mental health sector provides clinics to dispense buprenorphine in much the same way methadone clinics were established, CCHR says, but it is more lucrative as there are fewer costs. Many doctors charge $200 to $300 monthly, per patient, for a five-to-ten minute checkup to renew the prescription. There is a financial windfall in this market as buprenorphine and its maintenance "creates a disincentive to tapering the drug and its income-generating potential," according to psychiatrist Steven Scanlan. Detoxifying from buprenorphine dependence can cost $5,000 because it takes four to five months, incorporating about 10 different drugs to detox the patient successfully, Scanlan stated.[8]

Behavioral Hospitals Create Suicide & Sex Abuse Climate

Recently, The Dallas Morning News reported concerns about a for-profit psychiatric facility that has been under threat of being shut down over severe safety problems that investigators said put patients in jeopardy.[9] It was alleged it had failed to ensure doorknobs could not pose a potential "ligature risk," meaning they could not be used by patients to hang themselves. As an alleged result, a 37-year-old then hanged herself from a closet doorknob with a torn bed sheet.[10] The father of a 13-year-old girl who was allegedly raped at the facility recently told The Dallas Morning News, "This can't happen to anyone else. The place needs to be shut down."

Earlier this year two former U.S. Congressmen  Rep. Ronnie Shows (MS) and Rep. Bart Stupak (MI)  wrote about the need to eliminate wasteful spending, particularly noting the for-profit behavioral hospital chains. Rep. Shows pointed out that "when it comes to healthcare fraud, mental health and drug treatment programs are some of the worst actors."[11] Rep. Stupak encouraged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to review the Medicare and Medicaid charges made by such facilities.[12]

CCHR says the underlying problem is the lack of results from psychiatric treatment which generally is poor. It has no medical tests to verify any of its diagnoses, it admits it has no cures and, as such, patients are often heavily drugged once admitted to a psychiatric facility and can deteriorate from there. In the rush for profits, real medical care is neglected and long-term psychotropic drug maintenance becomes the answer to a mental health system that has failed its users. Summing this up, CCHR says the for-profit sector has been handed a blank check from which to profit at the cost of patient lives. CCHR is providing more information, results of its investigations and other vital information, including psychotropic drug risk, through its website, www.cchrint.org.

CCHR is a mental health industry watchdog organization that works for patient protections and encourages the public to take action against mental health abuse. In the course of its 48 years, it has helped obtain more than 180 laws that implement legal rights and informed consent procedures. As a nonprofit, CCHR relies on memberships and donations to carry out its mission and actions. Click here to support the cause.

Contact: Amber Rauscher, [email protected] or (323) 467-4242.

References:

[1] "CCHR Files Over 6,000 Complaints About Mental Health Abuse and Psychiatric-Pharma Violations of Human Rights," PR Wire, 19 Sept. 2017; https://www.newswire.com/news/cchr-files-over-6-000-complaints-about-mental-health-abuse-and-19955060.

[2] Rosalind Adams, "Sen. Chuck Grassley Calls For New Probe Into UHS," BuzzFeed News, 18 Dec. 2017, https://www.buzzfeed.com/rosalindadams/sen-grassley-calls-for-new-probe-into-uhs?utm_term=.moZ1jQgLRR#.bdkRjVGqll.

[3] Patrick Smith, "A Chain Of Private Psychiatric Hospitals Has Been Accused of Failing Vulnerable Young Patients," BuzzFeedNews, 15 Dec. 2017, https://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith/cygnet-health-care?utm_term=.opeoeXgq2#.bgQMRXKzO.

[4] Letter from David Behan, Chief Executive of UK Care Quality Commission, to Brian Daniels, Citizens Commission on Human Rights, UK, 29 Jan. 2016.

[5] Op. cit., Patrick Smith, "A Chain Of Private Psychiatric Hospitals," BuzzFeedNews.

[6] Rosalind Adams, "Locked On The Psych Ward: Lock them in. Bill their insurer. Kick them out. How scores of employees and patients say America's largest psychiatric chain turns patients into profits," BuzzFeed News, 7 Dec. 2016, https://www.buzzfeed.com/rosalindadams/intake?utm_term=.ut3dvZ5NM#.rjNvL7qZQ.

[7] Jenna Bourne, "Jacksonville mental health facilities dodge questions about fraud allegations," Action News Jax, 8 Dec. 2016, http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/jacksonville-mental-health-facilities-dodge-questions-about-fraud-allegations/474443651.

[8] "Suboxone: concerns behind the miracle," Steven R. Scanlan, MD website, 1 Nov. 2010, http://www.addictionpro.com/article/suboxone-concerns-behind-miracle.

[9] Sarah Mervosh and Sue Ambrose, "'Immediate jeopardy': How safe are kids at state-monitored Timberlawn psych hospital?" Dallas News, 10 Dec. 2017, https://www.dallasnews.com/news/investigations/2017/12/10/immediate-jeopardy-safe-kids-timberlawn-psych-hospital-dallas.

[10] Jessica Huseman, "Timberlawn Psych Hospital's Funding at Risk After Patient Hangs Herself," Dallas News, 5 June 2015, https://www.dallasnews.com/news/news/2015/06/05/timberlawn-psych-hospitals-funding-at-risk-after-patient-hangs-herself.

[11] Ronnie Shows, "Dear GOP: Eliminate Waste And Fraud To Help Pay For Healthcare Bill," The Daily Caller, 29 June 2017, http://dailycaller.com/2017/06/29/dear-gop-eliminate-waste-and-fraud-to-help-pay-for-healthcare-bill/.

[12] Fmr Congressman Bart Stupak, "Eliminating fraud is key to adequate funding for opioid treatment," The Hill, 13 July 2017, http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/healthcare/341913-eliminating-fraud-is-key-to-adequate-funding-for-opioid.

Related Links

Patient Abuse, Potential Fraud in Largest U.S. Psych Hospital Chain Expands to the UK

SOURCE Citizens Commission on Human Rights International

Related Links

https://www.cchrint.org


SOUTHLAKE, Texas, Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Napali Capital, LLC, a leading real estate investment company, celebrated its first anniversary by announcing its remarkable growth. The company began on December 23, 2016, and has since grown to a portfolio of 10 multifamily properties throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Georgia. Two additional acquisitions are scheduled to close in the new year.

Napali Capital was founded by Thomas Black, M.D., and his brother Tim Black, as a way for investors to grow their wealth outside of conventional investing methods through passive income streams. Thomas Black, also known as The Passive Income Physician, combined his experience in multifamily real estate investment with Tim Black's experience as COO of Great Wolf Resorts to build the business model and company approach: educate, partner and invest.

"We were confident in our business plan from the beginning and were fortunate to find like-minded investors who saw the potential in what we were doing," said Thomas Black. "We are happy to say it's been a successful year for everyone involved."

Since inception, Napali Capital has closed on 946 units and has partnered with more than 250 investors from 19 states. Two additional acquisitions scheduled to close at the beginning of 2018 will bring the company's property count to 12 and total number of units to 1,219.

"In addition to having a great group of investors, we've been able to acquire exceptional properties in our target markets," said Tim Black. "Our focus is on areas with a strong economy, low unemployment and job growth."

Napali Capital's multifamily properties include Adira Apartments in Dallas; Monterrey Apartments and Birchman Commons in Fort Worth, Texas; Social House in Nacogdoches, Texas; Charleston Heights at Midtown and Ridgeview in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Mountain Lake Apartments and Residences at Stonebrook in Atlanta; and Ridgeway Commons and Mansion Hill Four in Madison, Wisconsin.

For more information about Napali Capital, visit www.napalicap.com.

ABOUT NAPALI CAPITAL

Napali Capital, LLC, is a private investment firm based in Southlake, Texas, specializing in multifamily real estate investments. The company strategically invests in select properties throughout the U.S. as part of its investment platform that generates sustainable passive income for its accredited investors. Napali Capital currently owns nearly $70 million in multifamily real estate in Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia and Wisconsin.

MEDIA CONTACT

Caroline Bouldin

214-676-0562

[email protected]

SOURCE Napali Capital, LLC

Related Links

http://www.napalicap.com


23:43

Pakistan today rejected as "baseless" India's contentions that Kulbhushan Jadhav's family was harassed and claimed that his wife's shoes were confiscated on security grounds as there was "something" in it.

The foreign office in a statement said that Pakistan does not wish to indulge in a "meaningless battle of words" and categorically rejects India's baseless "allegations and twists" about attitude of authorities during Jadhav's meeting with his wife and mother.

"The Indian baseless allegations and twists, that come 24 hrs later, about the visit of the wife and mother of Commander Jadhav, a convicted terrorist and spy, who has confessed to his crimes, are categorically rejected," the statement said.

"If Indian concerns were serious, the guests or the Indian DHC should have raised them during the visit, with the media, which was readily available, but at a safe distance, as requested by India," it said.

"We do not wish to indulge in a meaningless battle of words. Our openness and transparency belies these allegations," it said.

Responding to India's contentions that Jadhav's wife's shoes were not returned to her after the meeting, Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Faisal told Dawn News that the shoes were confiscated on "security grounds".

"There was something in the shoe (of Jadhav's wife)," Faisal told the daily, adding that the shoe is being investigated.

He said Jadhav's wife had been provided replacement shoes and all her jewellery was returned to her.

The spokesman said that the fact is that Jadhavs mother "publicly thanked Pakistan for the humanitarian gesture, which was also recorded by the media."

"Nothing more needs to be said on the issue," he said.

India today accused Pakistan of violating mutual understandings on Jadhav's meeting with his family, and said the Indian national appeared coerced and under considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction.

India also accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of family members under the pretext of security. -- PTI
BRADENTON, Fla., Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Footage from more than a dozen Florida cities serves as a chilling reminder of the dangers of red-light running. Video from intersections across the sunshine state shows the threat red-light runner pose to drivers, riders, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists every day.

"These disturbing videos illustrate the severity of red-light running. Florida has ranked third in the nation for red-light running deaths. This video is a reminder of how important it is as we continue to educate drivers on the dangers of red-light running and work together to drive down the heartache and prevent such crashes," said Melissa Wandall, President, National Coalition for Safer Roads.

In Orlando, the technology has been used or more than a decade to change driver behavior.

"As the Transportation Director for the City of Orlando, who is dedicated to safety for motorist, pedestrians and bicyclists, enforcement is a critical strategy for improving safety, in addition to education and engineering. Our 'Orlando Stops' program is a model for conducting this type of enforcement. We use the revenues from ticketing to fund safety improvements to our transportation system and safety education," said Billy Hattaway, P. E., City of Orlando Transportation Director.

Cities across Florida have reported significant gains in traffic safety due to the implementation of red-light safety cameras, including:

In Davie , both angle and total crashes were reduced by 50 percent.

, both angle and total crashes were reduced by 50 percent. Florida City reported a 36 percent reduction in angle crashes.

reported a 36 percent reduction in angle crashes. Ocoee's pair of intersection equipped with red-light safety camera technology saw a 55 percent reduction in angle crashes.

pair of intersection equipped with red-light safety camera technology saw a 55 percent reduction in angle crashes. In Orange Park , total crashes were reduced by 69 percent while angular crashes saw a 75 percent reduction.

, total crashes were reduced by 69 percent while angular crashes saw a 75 percent reduction. Sarasota experienced 29 percent fewer total crashes and an 18 percent reduction in angular crashes.

experienced 29 percent fewer total crashes and an 18 percent reduction in angular crashes. City of Sunrise Mayor's September 2017 report, noted a reduction in intersection injury accidents of over 43 percent from 2012 to 2017.

"This troublesome footage is eye-opening. My hope is that it encourages everyone to be a better, safer, more attentive driver in 2018," said Wandall. Melissa's husband, Mark Wandall was killed by a vehicle that ran a red light in October of 2003.

Florida's law allowing for the use of red-light safety cameras, the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act (MWTSA), was named after Melissa's late husband. As part of the MWTSA, $3 from every paid red-light running violation caught on camera has provided more than $16 million to the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis for vital research into therapies that could one day provide a cure for paralysis. Paid red-light safety camera violations have provided more than $30 million to 22 trauma centers throughout Florida to treat individuals injured in traffic-related and other emergencies.

To view the footage, click here: https://youtu.be/RCsPkf8Lq2Q

About National Coalition for Safer Roads:

The National Coalition for Safer Roads (NCSR) helps save lives and protect communities by advocating for the use of automated traffic enforcement. Red-light running, speeding, and disobeying school bus passing laws all pose a dangerous threat to the safety of the people who share America's roadways. Camera technology can help reduce traffic collisions and improve driver behavior by enforcing red light, speeding and school bus stop arm laws in communities across the country. The National Coalition for Safer Roads is a 501 (c)(6) industry trade association. To learn more, please visit www.NCSRsafety.org, follow @SaferRoadsUSA on Twitter and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SaferRoadsUSA.

Contact: Melissa Wandall

Title: President of NCSR

Phone: (941) 545-3359

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE National Coalition for Safer Roads

Related Links

http://www.NCSRsafety.org


SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Western Governors University (WGU) is offering an added incentive for those making resolutions to earn a college degree in the new year: $200,000 in scholarships. Students who apply to WGU by March 31, 2018, are eligible to apply for the New Year, New You Scholarship, which provides up to $2,000 per student for up to 100 students.

Learn more about WGU's New Year, New You Scholarship at www.wgu.edu/landing/new-year and by following @WGU on social media.

Each New Year, New You Scholarship will be applied at the rate of $500 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms. Students enrolling in any of WGU's 60 bachelor's and master's degree programs are eligible to apply for the scholarship. Applications are being accepted now through March 31, 2018.

WGU uses an innovative approach to learning called competency-based education, which focuses on measuring learning rather than time spent in class. Students earn their degrees by demonstrating mastery of the subject matter they need to be successfulreal-world competencies developed in collaboration with employers.

Designed to meet the needs of adult learners, competency-based education allows students to take advantage of their knowledge and experience to move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn. WGU faculty members work one-on-one with students as mentors, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction. While WGU's degree programs are rigorous and challenging, competency-based learning makes it possible for students to accelerate their progress, saving both time and money.

This scholarship is open to new students who have been officially admitted to WGU. While multiple scholarships will be awarded, this is a competitive program, and scholarships will be awarded based on a candidate's academic record, readiness for online study, and current competency, as well as other considerations.

About WGU

Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves 90,000 students nationwide and has more than 97,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation's leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 20 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today's rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, and was featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at www.wgu.edu.

Follow WGU:

http://www.facebook.com/wgu.edu

http://www.linkedin.com/companies/western-governors-university

http://twitter.com/wgu

http://www.youtube.com/WesternGovernorsUniv

http://google.com/+wgu

http://news.wgu.edu/news/news.xml

Contact for media inquiries:

Joan Mitchell  VP of Public Relations

801-428-5463

[email protected]

Contact for enrollment information:

866-225-5948

wgu.edu

SOURCE Western Governors University

Related Links

http://www.wgu.edu


LONDON, Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Summary







Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5257673





GlobalData's "Payments Landscape in Poland: Opportunities and Risks to 2021", report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the Polish cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including credit transfers, direct debit, cash, payment cards, and cheques during the review-period (2013-17e).



The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry, and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2017-21f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including the market shares of issuers and schemes.



The report brings together GlobalData's research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers details of regulatory policy and recent changes in the regulatory structure.



This report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the Polish cards and payments industry, including -

- Current and forecast values for each market in the Polish cards and payments industry, including debit, credit, and charge cards.

- Detailed insights into payment instruments including credit transfers, cheques, direct debit, cash, and payment cards. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.

- E-commerce market analysis and payment methods.

- Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing the Polish cards and payments industry.

- Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit, credit, and charge cards.



Scope

- Poland was one of Europe's early adopters of contactless technology, and Polish consumers are among the highest users of contactless payments. The technology is gaining prominence in Poland, with all major banks including PKO Bank Polski, mBank, Bank Zachodni WBK, and Bank Pekao now offering contactless cards. With the growing number of retailers in Poland accepting contactless payments, plans are in place for all POS terminals to support the technology by the end of 2017. At the end of Q2 2016, more than 85% of POS terminals in Poland accepted contactless payments. Contactless technology is also being extended for cash withdrawals.

- With Polish consumers being enthusiastic adopters of new technologies, payment solution providers have launched new solutions in the market. The latest is the launch of Android Pay by Google in November 2016, supported by Alior Bank, Bank Zachodni WBK, and T-Mobile Banking Services. However, the most significant development was the launch of Blik, a mobile payments service, in February 2015. Blik was formed by the Polish Payment Standard, a company set up by six Polish banks: Alior Bank, Millennium Bank, Bank Zachodni WBK, mBank, ING Bank ?l?ski, and PKO Bank Polski. Blik enables consumers to pay with their mobile devices instore and online, and also enables peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers.

- To offer a convenient and faster checkout option for online shoppers, in May 2017 Visa launched Visa Checkout in Poland. The solution stores users' payment and shipping details and provides faster checkout on partner merchants' websites or apps. Earlier in August 2015 PayPal expanded its One Touch instant checkout service to Poland, which can be activated from the PayPal website and used to skip the login process at eligible websites to accelerate the payment process. Earlier in July 2014, Mastercard launched Masterpass in Poland, allowing consumers to shop online using pre-registered credit or debit cards and a personal shipping address.



Reasons to buy

- Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to the Polish cards and payments industry and each market within it.

- Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in the Polish cards and payments industry.

- Assess the competitive dynamics in the Polish cards and payments industry.

- Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Poland.

- Gain insights into key regulations governing the Polish cards and payments industry.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5257673



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

http://www.reportbuyer.com


MELVILLE, N.Y., Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SupplyHouse.com, an e-commerce company that sells plumbing and HVAC supplies, will team up with Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York [Little Flower] to celebrate the holidays at their Winter Wonderland event. The event will take place on Friday, December 29th from 2-5pm EST at SupplyHouse.com's headquarters in Melville, NY.

For 87 years Little Flower has been guided by the mission to provide hope and help to thousands of people every year. In 2016 they managed the successful adoption of 52 children into new families, served 800 children in loving foster families, cared for 129 children in their Residential Treatment and Respite Centers, helped 177 children return to their own families, assisted 106 young adults to begin life on their own, provided preventative services to 18 teens in foster care, served 207 children and young adults in our Bridges to Health program, and helped 374 adults with developmental disabilities to lead more rewarding lives.

For the sixth consecutive year, SupplyHouse.com invited Little Flower to join them for a Winter Wonderland event, where the company is expected to host 33 children that come from a variety of different backgrounds. From 2:00  5:00pm children and employees will enjoy a fun filled day of games, karaoke, food, and more! SupplyHouse.com employees will be paired with a child to mentor and take them around Winter Wonderland. "It's so rewarding and fun to be a child's mentor during our Winter Wonderland event," says Julie Costello, SupplyHouse.com Human Resources. "We get to encourage children to step out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves among their peers. It's a 'feel good' day for everyone involved."

SupplyHouse.com participates in many events throughout the year in order to give back to the community. Such events include volunteering with SCO Family of Services, Family and Children's Association, running food and toy drives, participating in Movember and more! Aside from participating in community events, the company also provides scholarship awards to a local school district on Long Island.

SupplyHouse.com is an e-commerce company that focuses on providing excellent customer service in the plumbing, heating, and HVAC industry. SupplyHouse.com has a total of 210 employees across their three locations in New York, New Jersey, and Ohio. With its core values and unique company culture, SupplyHouse.com strives to make a positive impact on its customers, employees, and greater community.





SOURCE SupplyHouse.com

Related Links

http://supplyhouse.com


DUQUESNE, Pa., Dec. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Pittsburgh-based American Textile Company, a leading provider of innovative sleep solutions since 1925, today announced the addition of Carlo Morgano as Senior Vice President of Information Technology. The new role was created in part to support American Textile Company's growing supply chain and rapidly expanding e-commerce business, which has seen nearly 50 percent year-over-year growth.

The company credits its AllerEase allergen-barrier bedding for much of the increase, along with new technology to meet same-day shipping demands from its manufacturing and distribution centers. American Textile Company will ship millions of pillows and other bedding items by the end of this holiday season.

"Shipping orders within 24-hours is key for all our retailers, and a critical expectation of the end consumer, and we deliver this business value through innovative technology," said Morgano. "When we see particular items driving growth, we're able to scale manufacturing and distribution rapidly."

In the new role, Morgano oversees American Textile Company's worldwide investment in technology, advancing the company's information technology strategy to complement its growth. He brings a proven track record of strategic IT leadership, with significant achievements leveraging technology to create business value. Morgano will report to American Textile President and CEO Lance Ruttenberg.

Morgano comes to American Textile Company from CIO Ventures, where he consulted with local technology incubators and venture capital firms, in addition to advising start-ups in various industries including cybersecurity, transportation, legal, and social media. Prior to partnering with the start-up community, Morgano led IT at EQT Corporation and consulted for Fortune 1000 clients at Andersen and Protiviti.

Morgano serves on the board of the Mentoring Partnership of Southwest Pennsylvania and the board of trustees of the Homeless Children's Education Fund. He holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Management Information Systems from Duquesne University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh.

About American Textile Company

Pittsburgh-based American Textile Company is a leading provider of innovative sleep solutions sold under AllerEase, Sealy, Tempur-Pedic and other brands, as well as store brand labels. Visit www.americantextile.com for more information.

CONTACT: Julie Muldowney

Finn Partners on behalf of American Textile Company

(312) 329-3902

[email protected]

SOURCE American Textile Company

Related Links

http://www.americantextile.com


The group was established in 2009 by co-founders Elaine Shimberg and Donna Jordan, and today has more than 150 members who are changing and saving lives in the Tampa Bay community by supporting innovative and life-saving services and technology at St. Joseph's Hospitals.

"The idea behind the PWSJ is that many hands make light work," said Shimberg.

Jordan agreed, adding that "Individually, we are great. Collectively, we are a force to be reckoned with."

Using the power of collective philanthropy, the PWSJ members' annual philanthropic contributions are pooled and the entire membership joins in deciding which program, project or new equipment will be funded.

This year, the group raised and approved $176,000 in grants for two machines: a 3D Pediatric and Adult Echocardiography Unit that can conduct tests using sound waves to take pictures of a patient's heart; and an endoscopic tower, a device that will house the video scopes used to assess leg veins and perform thorascopic procedures in certain heart operations.

Past initiatives include the purchase of a digital radiography system that allows surgeons to examine tissue samples while patient is still in the operating room, ultrasound equipment for bedside use during emergencies, ventilators for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a new Mobile Medical Clinic which provides free immunizations and exams to children in underserved areas.

"We are proud to reach this exciting milestone in giving, enabling St. Joseph's Hospitals to further its mission to improve the health and well-being of the community with high-quality, compassionate care," said Jordan.

To learn more about the Philanthropic Women of St. Joseph's or to become a member, visit SJHFoundation.org or call (813) 872-0979.



About St. Joseph's Hospital

St. Joseph's Hospital, part of the BayCare Health System, is known for advanced medical technology and compassionate care. Its Centers of Excellence include the Heart Institute, Cancer Institute, Stroke and Neuroscience Program, Robotic Surgery Program and Emergency/Trauma Departments, which treats more patients than any other hospital in the Tampa Bay region. More than 70 specialties are represented among the medical staff, from internal medicine to cardiology, neurology to surgery. The hospital was founded in 1934 by the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany.

SOURCE St. Joseph's Hospital

Related Links

https://www.sjhfoundation.org/


"The response to our first Taco Bell store in Shanghai has been fantastic, and we are very excited to introduce two more unique restaurants to the city," said Micky Pant, Chief Executive Officer of Yum China. "The new restaurants integrate Taco Bell's signature brand and spirit into the local community, and bring both classic menu items and original recipes to cater to Chinese customers. We are excited to welcome more customers to experience Taco Bell in Shanghai and look forward to bringing this vibrant, global brand to other parts of China in 2018."

In keeping with the "Live Mas" spirit of exploration and innovation, the Taco Bell restaurants will introduce a new dinner menu, exclusive to China, as well as a range of freshly grilled menu items to entice curious diners. Taco Bell's chefs spent countless hours to come up with their new craveable lineup, including the Ribeye Steak & Mushroom Taco, Taco Salad Bowl (available with either Ribeye Steak or Grilled Chicken), Beef Kebab Nachos, and XL-Wing Nachos. To complement the freshly prepared dishes, the Wu Jiao Chang and Feng Sheng Li restaurants will unveil an array of alcoholic beverages, including the all new "Shanghai Cosmopolitan", a refreshing and beautifully crafted cocktail inspired by mixologists.

The two new Taco Bell restaurants in Shanghai will also introduce a new service model, with orders delivered directly to designated tables, which will enable customers to relax and enjoy the company of their friends and fellow students without having to get back up to pick up their food.

"Bringing the Taco Bell experience to more customers globally in locally relevant ways is key to our continued growth," said Brian Niccol, Chief Executive Officer of Taco Bell Corp. "These new restaurants have truly blended the Taco Bell brand within their communities through locally designed restaurants and customized food and service options. We are delighted to see the reception to Taco Bell in China and look forward to bringing the 'Live Mas' spirit to more consumers across the country."

Taco Bell Wu Jiao Chang -- A Creative Platform

Taco Bell's new restaurant in Wu Jiao Chang has its own distinct and vibrant DNA in terms of both architecture and design. Located in a prime shopping mall close to a number of Shanghai's top universities, this newly upgraded commercial destination will serve to please the appetites of people living in the community as well as the thousands of students close by.

Inspired by the energetic and youthful vibe in this area, Taco Bell's locally based design team has sought to combine its California roots with Chinese style and culture. The restaurant will feature one-of-a-kind artwork that encompasses the spirit of "Live Mas" by combining old with new, unique shapes, and vibrant colors.

Communal tables encourage students and urban professionals to congregate, study, socialize, and of course eat. Taco Bell has also gone one step further to offer a platform to inspire customers and their passion for the arts, music and other interests. Customers will be invited to display their artwork, poetry, designs, and other creative expressions on "Live Mas" walls, allowing them to express their individuality to other restaurant visitors. The restaurant will also provide a creative outlet for the community by hosting events to showcase talents.

Taco Bell Feng Sheng Li -- East Meets West Fusion

Located in a historic residential area close to a popular Shanghai shopping precinct, the Feng Sheng Li restaurant is designed in the architectural style known as "Shikumen", or literally "stone gate" buildings. A striking example of East meets West fusion, the Shanghai-style townhouse incorporates elements of Taco Bell's signature look and feel while integrating with the local environment. Art featured in the restaurant combines images that represent both California and Shanghai -- including the Shanghai Oriental Pearl Tower and Shanghai's art deco buildings sitting comfortably among California palm trees and skateboards.

The neighboring alleyway, historically a place for residents to congregate, features customized street art that serves as a backdrop to the outdoor dining area. The alley space is also separated into clusters to cater to different group sizes and dining habits, and a canopy ensures that customers can enjoy Taco Bell rain or shine.

Currently, Taco Bell has more than 7,000 restaurants in the world with almost 400 in 26 countries outside of the United States. Taco Bell's restaurants in China are part of the brand's global growth strategy of reaching 1,000 restaurants internationally by 2022.

Photos of the new Taco Bell restaurants in Shanghai can be downloaded at the following link: http://www.yumchina.com/uploadfile/NewTacoBellRestaurants.rar

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and by the use of forward-looking words such as "expect," "expectation," "believe," "anticipate," "may," "could," "intend," "belief," "plan," "estimate," "target," "predict," "likely," "will," "should," "forecast," "outlook", "look forward to" or similar terminology. These statements are based on current estimates and assumptions made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that we believe are appropriate and reasonable under the circumstances, but there can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by those statements. We cannot assure you that any of our expectations, estimates or assumptions will be achieved. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are only made as of the date of this press release, and we disclaim any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law. All forward-looking statements should be evaluated with the understanding of their inherent uncertainty. You should consult our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including the information set forth under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Forward-Looking Statements" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K) for additional detail about factors that could affect our financial and other results.

About Yum China Holdings, Inc.

Yum China Holdings, Inc. is a licensee of Yum! Brands in mainland China. It has exclusive rights in mainland China to KFC, China's leading quick-service restaurant brand, Pizza Hut, the leading casual dining restaurant brand in China, and Taco Bell, which opened its first restaurant in China at the end of 2016. Yum China also owns the Little Sheep and East Dawning concepts outright. Yum China is well positioned for growth thanks to its strong competitive position, integration of its brands into Chinese popular culture and consumers' daily lives, expanding geographic footprint in China and existing operational expertise. It has a strong capital position, no external debt and expects to continue growing its system sales and profit by adding new restaurants and through growing same-store sales. Yum China had more than 7,700 restaurants and more than 420,000 employees in over 1,100 cities at the end of August 2017. A new generation of younger consumers who are digitally sophisticated and brand driven are fueling growth in consumption in China. The ongoing growth of the middle class and urban population in China is expected to create the world's largest market for restaurant brands, with Yum China poised to be the market leader.

About Taco Bell Corp.

Taco Bell Corp., a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), is the nation's leading Mexican-inspired quick service restaurant (QSR) brand. From breakfast to late night, Taco Bell serves made-to-order and customizable tacos and burritos, among other craveable choices, and is the first QSR restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA)-certified menu items. Taco Bell and its more than 350 franchise organizations proudly serve over 42 million customers each week through 7,000 restaurants across the nation, as well as through its mobile, desktop and delivery ordering services. Overseas, Taco Bell has almost 400 restaurants, with plans to add 2,000 more restaurants internationally within the next decade. The brand encourages its fans to "Live Mas" and connects with them through sports, gaming and new music via its Feed The Beat music program. Taco Bell also provides education opportunities and serves the community through its nonprofit organization, the Taco Bell Foundation, and connects fans with their passions through programs such as the Live Mas Scholarship program. In 2016, Taco Bell was named as one of Fast Company's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in the World.

Like: Facebook.com/tacobell

Follow: @TacoBell (Twitter) and tacobell (Instagram)

Subscribe: YouTube.com/tacobell

Yum China Media Contacts

Forest Liu, Director, Finance Media, at +86 21 2407 7505

Anne Bark, Brunswick Group, at +86 21 6039 6388

Taco Bell Media Contacts

Rob Poetsch, +1 949 863 3970

[email protected]

SOURCE Yum China Holdings, Inc
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Datacore Partners

HARTFORD  Connecticut continued to lose jobs in November, according to numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic.

The preliminary numbers show Connecticut lost 3,500 jobs in November. That follows the 6,200 jobs the state lost in October. Preliminary numbers showed Connecticut lost 6,600 jobs in October, but was revised in the latest report.
How many steps will it take to walk off Thanksgiving dinner?
The Breadwinner, a new, critically acclaimed animation film that depicts the heroic struggles of a young Afghan girl under hard-line Taliban rule, is a testament to the desire for storytelling "when our world tips upside-down," says its award-winning Irish filmmaker.

Adapted from Canadian author Deborah Ellis's bestselling children's novel of the same name, it tells the story of 11-year-old Parvana, who disguises herself as a boy to support her family after her father is wrongfully imprisoned.



Undaunted by oppression and the horrors of war around her, the heroine embarks on a quest to free her father. To console her younger siblings and find refuge from her struggles, Parvana invents a fable about a courageous boy who stands up to the so-called Elephant King.

"As the film is set around 2001, all of the characters in this film are a product of decades of war, each character deals with their challenges in different ways," director Nora Twomey, whose other credits include the Academy Award-nominated The Secret Of Kells and Song Of The Sea, tells RFE/RL. "The film explores the idea of transformation, how small actions, or words, have the potential to become a catalyst for change."

WATCH: Official Trailer For The Breadwinner

During its brutal rule of Afghanistan from 1996-2001, the fundamentalist Taliban banned women and girls from attending school, working outside the home, or even venturing outdoors unless accompanied by a male relative.

The Breadwinner has earned plaudits and been well received by audiences around the world since its November release, and has been nominated for the Best Motion Picture, Animated, at the Golden Globes.

Oscar-winning actor-director Angelina Jolie is an executive producer.

Historical Affinity

Born and raised in the Republic of Ireland when Northern Ireland was engulfed in war and sectarianism, Twomey says she feels an affinity for Afghans who have endured nearly four decades of almost uninterrupted bloodshed.



"As an Irish woman, having grown up as Northern Ireland experienced conflict and reconciliation, I have some small understanding of a few of the issues facing Afghan people," she says.

"Afghans, much like the Irish, are a nation of storytellers," she adds. "I don't think that's a coincidence. The Irish experienced occupation, famine, and war yet the storyteller was a welcome visitor to any house they came to. When our world tips upside-down, we all look to stories to try to make sense of what is going on inside of us."

Twomey says her film is not just an appeal for women's rights or a critique of misogyny in Afghanistan.



"By telling a story like this through animation, there is the potential to create empathy," says Twomey, "whether that be empathy between the genders or between different parts of the world."

Twomey has said she hopes the film will prompt discussions about the West's involvement in wars in the Muslim world and evoke compassion for immigrants and refugees amid growing anti-Islam and anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe and the United States.



Twomey and her Kilkenny-based Cartoon Saloon studios gained international fame with The Secret Of Kells, which she co-directed.

The Breadwinner marks her solo directing debut with a feature-length film.

"I believe animation can allow an audience to identify more closely with a character," she says. "If you express a character with a few drawn lines, that character could be you or me. The more detail you add, the more 'other' it becomes. There is a language created between the characters, their environment, reality, and the animator which says something new."

Red Flags



The Breadwinner might have raised some red flags for international audiences increasingly aware of cultural appropriation. It is set in Afghanistan but made mostly by Westerners and based largely on the accounts of Ellis, the book's activist author, who interviewed Afghan refugees in Pakistan in the 1990s.

But Twomey, who has not visited Afghanistan, says that at every stage Afghans were involved in crafting the sensibility of the film. She says it is based on the interviews conducted by Ellis for her novel and the testimonies of Afghan members of her cast.



"We found moments that ring true, like the dread of a knock at the door, the smell of fresh bread, [or] the VHS tapes strung up on electricity poles as a warning against media of any kind," Twomey says. "These moments in the film come from Afghan memory, and it seems fitting that these moments are translated through the hands of artists and animators to reflect back these words in an empathetic way."

The Breadwinner is not the first film to delve into the issue of bacha posh -- literally "dressed like a boy" in Dari, the form of Persian spoken in Afghanistan. The device of a girl dressing as a boy was central to the award-winning film Osama (2003), directed by Siddiq Barmak; the Disney animated film Mulan (1998); and even Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.



"Parvana and Osama are very different characters, who undergo different journeys, with different relationships," says Twomey. "With The Breadwinner, I wanted to make a film that was accessible to young adults and also one that leaves our audience with hope. Hope in the form of Parvana herself."


The United Kingdom's Royal Navy says it has escorted a Russian warship through the North Sea near British territorial waters.

The Royal Navy said in a December 26 statement that the frigate HMS St Albans departed on December 23 to monitor the Russian warship Admiral Gorshkov as it moved through the North Sea.

The Royal Navy said its vessel monitored the Russian ship over December 25 and will return to dock in Britain on December 26.

Russia has yet to comment.

The Royal Navy said there had been a recent "upsurge in Russian units transiting U.K. waters."

U.K. Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said in a statement after the incident that he would "not hesitate in defending our waters or tolerate any form of aggression."

"Britain will never be intimidated when it comes to protecting our country, our people, and our national interests," he added.

The Royal Navy said another British frigate was called to escort a Russian intelligence-gathering ship through the North Sea and the English Channel on December 24.

Meanwhile, a navy helicopter was sent to monitor two other Russian vessels.

Britain's military chief, Sir Stuart Peach, said earlier this month that Russia could pose a major threat to NATO countries by attacking underwater communication cables crucial for international trade and the Internet.

He said it would "immediately and potentially catastrophically" hit the economy if they were cut or disrupted.

Bilateral relations between Britain and Russia have been severely strained by differences over Ukraine and Syria as well as by allegations of Russian meddling in domestic politics in Europe and the United States.

Russia denies the accusations.

The 2006 radiation-poisoning death in London of Aleksandr Litvinenko, a former officer with Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has also continued to cast a shadow over ties between the two countries.

With reporting by Reuters and BBC
Welcome back to the China In Eurasia briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter tracking Chinas resurgent influence from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. Im RFE/RL correspondent Reid Standish.

Before we get started, a few announcements: The newsletter is now biweekly, rather than going out only on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. To subscribe, click here.

And I will also be launching Talking China In Eurasia, a new podcast. Im joined by the Royal United Services Institutes Raffaello Pantucci to talk about Xi and Putin. Listen to the first episode here or below.

Xi Gets Pragmatic About Russia At The G20

It was light on optimism, but U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping injected a healthy dose of pragmatism back into the U.S.-China relationship with their meeting in Bali at a time when global anxiety is rising over Russias war against Ukraine.

Finding Perspective: The meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit was far from a breakthrough, but it did repair some damage from the recent backslide in relations between both countries and send some signals that the world isnt necessarily destined for Cold War 2.0.

The more than three-hour talks saw some blunt exchanges over contentious issues like Taiwan and North Korea, but the two leaders also pledged more frequent communications and decided that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Beijing for follow-up talks in 2023.

Of particular note, Biden raised Russias invasion of Ukraine and threats by Russian President Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons. Both leaders reiterated their agreement that a nuclear war should never be fought, according to a White House readout.

While far from a sea change for Chinese policy, thats notable. The credibility of Beijings claims to be neutral on the Ukraine war continue to come under scrutiny, and China has shown discomfort of late with the Kremlins nuclear saber-rattling.

Xi made similar comments after a November 4 summit with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and during another G20 meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the French readout.

Why It Matters: Xi is not abandoning Putin, but this marks the latest shift for Beijings balancing act over Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Four Chinese officials briefed on the February 4 meeting between Xi and Putin, where they declared a no-limits partnership, told the Financial Times that Putin didnt tell Xi the truth about the invasion and that Beijing was caught off guard by it.

What Xi knew about Putins war plans has been a topic of debate, and there is evidence to support both the idea that Xi was aware and that he was caught off guard.

Many analysts are of the opinion that Xi knew about Putin's decision to invade but expected a quick victory, which perhaps was what Putin believed at the time.

Others point to a steady stream of dismissals from Chinese officials and experts about the likelihood of an invasion in February and the fact that Beijing did not evacuate its citizens from Ukraine  like Western nations did  as evidence that China was not expecting a war.

China certainly has its own interests in keeping a distance from Moscows war and using that space to do some upkeep with the West. But perhaps the most important point here is that even if Putin did blindside Xi, China has stuck with Russia despite its battlefield failures, political isolation, and the atrocities its troops are accused of committing.

Again, this is pragmatism more than anything else. As Chinese experts often say, even if Russia is looking unattractive these days, why would Beijing abandon its main anti-Western partner as China continues to be in the crosshairs of rising American pressure?

Read More

 Want to hear more about Russia and Chinas complex relationship amid the Ukraine war? Then tune in to the debut of Talking China In Eurasia today at 2 p.m. CET/ 8 a.m. EST. You can listen live here and find the episode on RFE/RLs website and wherever you listen to your podcasts.

 Condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine and its global fallout is shaping up to be the key theme of the G20, with the Financial Times reporting that a joint communique from the summit takes aim at Moscow.

Expert Corner: The Future Of The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Readers asked: Did Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs recent trip to Beijing breathe new life into the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)? How do Islamabad and Beijing really feel about the project after all these years?

To find out more, I asked Filippo Boni, an expert on China-Pakistan relations at the Open University in Britain:

Shehbaz Sharif's visit to China was high on symbolism and relatively low on substance. While the two sides were keen to reaffirm and emphasize the strength of their strategic partnership, no significant new commitment was made. Apart from a few memorandums of understanding and attempts from the Pakistanis in the run-up to the trip to address some of CPECs issues  including payments to Chinese independent power producers  nothing major came from the visit. This is despite Sharif's attempts at revitalizing CPEC since April and the very close ties he enjoys with the Chinese leadership.

The outcome of this visit is not entirely surprising, especially if interpreted against the backdrop of Pakistan's current domestic predicaments. The security situation for Chinese nationals has deteriorated, the economy is struggling, and political instability is at one of its highest points in recent years. All these dynamics, coupled with the global scaling down of Belt and Road Initiative financing, have likely impacted Beijing's lack of commitment to new projects.

After almost 10 years and $25 billion worth of projects, there seems to be a general consensus on both sides that the first phase of CPEC  the one focused primarily on energy projects  was largely successful. The same cannot be said for the second phase, including the slow progress on the development of Special Economic Zones, and for the port of Gwadar, where little progress has been made for the ports full commercial functioning.

Do you have a question about Chinas growing footprint in Eurasia? Send it to me at StandishR@rferl.org or reply directly to this e-mail and Ill get it answered by leading experts and policymakers.

Three More Stories From Eurasia

1. 'Sweep It Under The Rug'

Recent allegations of China operating 54 overseas police stations have fueled controversy around the world and sparked investigations, but in Hungary and Serbia the new findings are being met with swift denials by authorities, despite growing evidence.

The Details: My colleagues Akos Keller-Alant from RFE/RLs Hungarian Service, Mila Durdevic from RFE/RLs Balkan Service, and I reported on the fallout from these revelations and the slew of probes launched in many European countries recently.

The stations are overseas operations of the public security bureaus from two Chinese provinces and are used to persuade citizens to return to China, including through pressure on family members at home. While most of those involved appear to be suspected of crimes such as telecommunications fraud or corruption, dissidents have also reported that the stations have been used to monitor and threaten them.

Fourteen governments have already launched investigations into the overseas police stations, and the Dutch and Irish governments have ordered China to shut down the facilities in their countries.

But in Hungary and Serbia  two countries where Beijing is said to operate such facilities and whose governments prize their warming political and economic ties with China  officials appear to be trying to sweep it under the rug, as one analyst characterized it, despite growing scrutiny from opposition lawmakers in each country.

2. Global Ripples Hit Central Asia

Political and economic shocks from Moscows war in Ukraine, coupled with added strains from tensions between Beijing and Washington, are taking their toll around the world, especially in Central Asia, where countries in the region are closely tied to both China and Russia.

What It Means: As RFE/RLs Uzbek Service reported, Vladimir Norov, the countrys foreign minister, warned about geopolitical tensions affecting stability in the region and beyond while addressing his counterparts at an Organization of Turkic States meeting in Samarkand.

The breakdown in global cooperation is felt particularly strong in Central Asia. While some economies have been able to benefit by becoming a new home for businesses and capital relocated from Russia, others are seeing investment dry up and their economies coming under strain.

World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Anna Bjerde recently warned that Uzbekistan needs to continue with its market reforms in order to withstand the global economic shocks that are to come.

RFE/RLs Kyrgyz Service also reported that the countrys government is trying to court more investment but that questions remain from investors about Kyrgyzstans stability and investment climate. According to official statistics from January to June of this year, China is the leading source of foreign investment, with $129 million during that span.

3. The Tech In Moscows Iranian Drones

A new investigation by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, looked into electronic components underpinning Tehran's production of the Mohajer-6 drone, which Russia has used in its war in Ukraine, and found that theyre far from homegrown.

What You Need To Know: The Mohajer-6 drones contain components produced by companies from the United States and the European Union, both of which have sanctions restricting the export to Iran of technology that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

The investigation also found drone components produced in China, including a real-time mini-camera made by a Hong Kong firm.

The drone also contains a microchip bearing the logo of a California technology company and a thermal-imaging camera that Ukrainian intelligence says may have been produced by a firm based in Oregon or China.

The international tech in the drone not only highlights the complex ecosystem that allows firms and buyers to circumvent sanctions slapped on both Iran and Russia, but also the close networks between Chinese and Western tech companies that still exist, despite a recent push to break some of those linkages.

Across The Supercontinent

On The Mainland: The watchdog group Freedom House recently launched a new project called the China Dissent Monitor, which tracks protests and other forms of dissent inside China. Read it here.

Censored: Chinese authorities behind a major trade expo in Shanghai pulled an opening ceremony address by European Council President Charles Michel that was set to criticize Russia's illegal war in Ukraine and call for reduced European dependency on China, Reuters reported.

Backtracking: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has softened his countrys stance toward China, moving away from his predecessor Liz Trusss decision to label it a threat.

One Thing To Watch

How long will Chinas stringent COVID policies stay in place?

New infections are rising as a winter wave hits and popular frustration continues to boil over inside the country as investor confidence stays dented over the measures. New footage also showed crowds of residents in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou escaping a compulsory lockdown and clashing with police.

Thats all from me for now. Dont forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you might have.

Until next time,

Reid Standish

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your in-box on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.
ASTANA -- Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekovs press service says he has reached an agreement with Kazakhstans Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintaev to work within the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) to resolve bilateral disputes.

In a December 26 statement, Jeenbekov's press office said the agreement was reached during Jeenbekovs official visit to Astana.

The statement quoted Jeenbekov as saying that Kazakhstan is paying close attention to measures aimed at resolving issues that have been hampering bilateral cooperation.

Jeenbekov arrived in Astana on December 25 for talks with Sagintaev and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev.

Relations between the two countries soured after Jeenbekov's predecessor Almazbek Atambaev accused Kazakhstan of interfering in the campaign for Kyrgyzstan's October 15 presidential election and criticized Nazarbaev over his long rule.

On October 7, Atambaev claimed Kazakh authorities had been "meddling in Kyrgyzstan's internal affairs" and openly supporting Omurbek Babanov, the chief election rival of Atambaev's favored successor Jeenbekov -- who ended up winning the election.

The accusations, which Kazakhstan denied, came after Nazarbaev met on September 19 with Babanov.

Kazakhstan subsequently stepped up checks at the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border on October 10, causing long lines and slowing the movements of travelers and vehicles.

Bishkek went on to cancel an agreement to receive $100 million in aid from Astana.

Atambaev officially stepped down in early December, and there are some hopes that relations between Bishkek and Astana may improve.

In a meeting in Moscow on November 30, Jeenbekov and Nazarbaev agreed to work out a plan to resolve the two-months bottleneck at the shared border.

Starting December 4, all vehicles started passing the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border without any delays.

Jeenbekov was scheduled to fly to Moscow later on December 26 to attend an informal meeting of leaders from former Soviet republics in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

With reporting by Interfax


Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says he is "united in opinion" with his U.S. counterpart Rex Tillerson on the issue of North Korea but that they differ on how to resolve the crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.

The two diplomats spoke by phone on December 26 and "shared a common opinion that the nuclear-missile developments in [North Korea] violate the demands of the United Nations Security Council," according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Lavrov disagreed with U.S. threats of military intervention and further sanctions against North Korea, instead pushing for U.S. diplomacy to seek a more peaceful approach to negotiations, the statement said.

"The importance of an early transition from the language of sanctions to negotiations was emphasized," the statement outlining the conversation said.

Also on December 26, the United States placed sanctions on two senior North Korean officials over Pyongyang's ballistic missile program.

The Treasury Department named the two as Kim Jong Sik, thought to be a key figure in North Korea's efforts to switch its missile program from liquid to solid fuel, and Ri Pyong Chol, who is believed to be a key official involved in the country's intercontinental ballistic missile development.

On December 22, 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.

The new sanctions 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.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on December 26 that Moscow was willing to act as a mediator in the row "if both sides need it and want it."

At a UN meeting earlier this month, Tillerson chastised Russia and China for their ties to Pyongyang, saying Moscow's use of North Korean labor and China's supply of oil to the country undermined international sanctions efforts.

The sanctions are aimed at choking off external sources of funding for North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic-missile development programs after repeated tests this year have brought the Asian nation to what experts say is the brink of developing devastating weapons that can be delivered halfway around the world.
Authorities in Moscow say nine people remained hospitalized early on December 26, a day after a commuter bus careened off a road and plunged down steps into a crowded underground walkway in the Russian capital.

Four people were killed by the December 25 crash near Moscow's Slavyansky Boulevard subway station. A 12-year-old girl was among those killed.

Hospital sources said those who remained hospitalized on December 26 had received injuries that were assessed as being from "grave" to "moderately severe."

Footage aired on national television showed a bus driving down the stairs and running over several pedestrians.

The bus driver was detained for questioning. However, Russian authorities said they had ruled out a possibility of the crash being a terrorist attack.

They said they suspect a mechanical fault caused the crash or that the driver lost control of the vehicle.

The subway station is located on a main street in western Moscow, near a popular shopping center.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin ordered all city buses to be checked in the aftermath of the crash.

Based on reporting by TASS, Interfax, AFP, AP, dpa, and the BBC
The foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan have issued a joint appeal to Taliban militants to join peace talks after a meeting organized by China to mend relations between Kabul and Islamabad.

The appeal came after Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Afghanistans acting Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani met in Beijing on December 26 with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

In their appeal, the three governments called for a "broad-based and inclusive peace and reconciliation process."

The also said they were calling on the Afghan Taliban "to join the peace process at an early date."

The ministers also said they were willing to further collaborate on counterterrorism efforts, saying they would "not allow any country, organization or individual to use their own territory to engage in terrorist activities against other countries."

Afghan authorities have accused Pakistan of providing a safe haven for the Taliban, after Afghanistan's Taliban government was overthrown in late 2001 by a U.S.-led invasion.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the Beijing talks on December 26 were the first of their kind since the three countries agreed to establish a "trilateral dialogue mechanism" in June.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
Officials in Pakistan's Kurram tribal region say a commander of the Afghan Haqqani Network, a militant group that is fighting against Afghan government and U.S.-led NATO forces in Afghanistan, has been killed in a suspected U.S. drone strike.

Officials told Radio Mashaal that the attack struck a vehicle transporting the commander, Jamil-ud-Din, in the Mata Sangar area near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.

The frequency of suspected U.S. drone attacks near the Pakistani-Afghan border has increased notably since U.S. President Donald Trump introduced his Afghanistan strategy in August.

Trump has accused Islamabad of "supporting agents of chaos" and has demanded that Pakistan act against the Taliban and Haqqani network.

With reporting by dpa and The Express Tribune
Pope Francis used his traditional Christmas Day message to issue a global call for peace, while saying "the winds of war are blowing in our world." In the traditional Vatican address from a balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square, the Pope called for a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and expressed hopes for the welfare of children caught up in wars in Ukraine and around the world. (Reuters)
Russia's telecommunications watchdog has demanded an explanation from social media networks Facebook and Instagram for their disabling of accounts belonging to Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya.

"On December 26, Roskomnadzor sent a request to Facebook management, asking to clarify reasons for blocking Ramzan Kadyrov's Facebook and Instagram accounts," the watchdogs press service said in a statement.

Kadyrov accused the social media networks of bowing to pressure from Washington and blocking his pages on December 23, just days after the U.S. Treasury Department hit him with financial and travel sanctions.

Kadyrov has said that he never received a response from Instagram after sending a request for service support because his Russian-language accounts stopped working. His English-language Instagram account was unaffected at first, but later it was also unavailable.

Kadyrov has more than 3 million followers on his Russian-language Instagram account and more than 750,000 on Facebook.

Dzhambulat Umarov, Chechnya's press and information minister has called the issue a "vile sabotage cyberattack" by U.S. authorities.

Magnitsky Act

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 of 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 "anti-gay 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
The Kremlin has rejected concerns that Moscow's decision to bar opposition leader Aleksei Navalny from running against President Vladimir Putin undermines the legitimacy of Russia's presidential election.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov's dismissal came late on December 26 after the European Union foreign policy chiefs spokeswoman said a December 25 decision by Russia's Central Election Commission to bar Navalny "casts a serious doubt on political pluralism in Russia and the prospect of democratic elections next year."

"We cannot agree with this point of view," Peskov said. "The fact that one of the would-be candidates is not taking part has no bearing on the election's legitimacy."

Peskov added that Navalny's call on supporters to boycott the March election in light of the commission's decision "should be carefully studied to see if they are breaking the law."

Russian law doesn't specifically prohibit someone from calling for an election boycott, the Associated Press reported, but Russian authorities last year blocked access to several websites that did call for a boycott.

Maja Kocinjancic, the spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, said the election commission's exclusion of Navalny because of a past criminal conviction on embezzlement charges was unfair and wrong.

Navalny has repeatedly described the charges against him as politically motivated.

Navalny has been judged by the European Court of Human Rights to have been denied the right to a fair trial in his prosecution in 2013, Kocinjancic said.

Politically motivated charges should not be used against political participation, she said.

"We expect the Russian authorities to ensure that there is a level playing field, including in the presidential elections," she said.

Kocijancic also said that the EU expects Russia to invite election monitors from the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), which is part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

"The European Union will base its assessment of the electoral process on their findings, as we have done in the past," Kocijancic said.

A Vote For 'Lies And Corruption'

In a prerecorded video message released minutes after the commission announced its decision on December 25, Navalny called on his supporters to boycott the vote.

"The procedure that we're invited to participate in is not an election," he said. "Only Putin and his hand-picked candidates are taking part in it.

"Going to the polls right now is to vote for lies and corruption.

"We are declaring a strike by voters. We will ask everyone to boycott these elections. We will not recognize the result," Navalny said.

Navalny told journalists after the ruling that he would appeal the decision at Russia's Constitutional Court but that he realized his chances of overturning it were slim.

"Of course, we will appeal it everywhere -- at the Constitutional Court. But we are perfectly aware that it is part of one system," he told journalists.

"It appeared to me that the commission and [its President Ella] Pamfilova personally didn't even try to make it look like their decision was not politically motivated."

Later on December 26, Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs issued an order to printing houses not to print leaflets discrediting the government or calling for unauthorized actions during the presidential election campaign -- prompting a tweet from Navalny.

"Elections have begun," Navalny wrote. "God forbid that some nonsense will be printed."

With reporting by AP, AFP, Meduza, Reuters, and BBC
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says Russia has started establishing a permanent presence at its two military bases in Syria -- the Russian naval facility in Tartus and the Russian-run Khmeimim air base near the city of Latakia.

Shoigu said on December 26 that Russian President Vladimir Putin had "approved the structure and staff of the principal bases" the previous week and that Russia had "started forming a permanent group of forces there."

Meanwhile, Russias Federation Council on December 26 approved a law ratifying an agreement between Moscow and Syrian President Bashar al-Assads government about Russian forces at the naval base in Tartus.

That agreement was signed in Damascus on January 18.

It allows for the Russian Navy to expand its technical support and logistics base. It also enables visits of Russian ships in Syrias territorial waters, internal waters, and ports.

The agreement has been in temporary effect since it was signed. It remains valid for 49 years with possible 25-year extensions.

Syrian Forces Capture Rebel-Held Areas

In other Syria news, government forces have captured areas close to a rebel-held enclave near the border area with Israel and Lebanon.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on December 25 that government forces had surrounded the town of Beit Jin and nearby areas after a major offensive.

The monitoring group said negotiations were underway to evacuate opposition fighters to the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib.

Syrian forces and allied groups are fighting hundreds of Sunni militants and mainstream Free Syria Army (FSA) rebels closing ranks under the banner of Itihad Quwt Jabal al Sheikh, or "Union of fighters of Jabal al Sheikh."

The group is believed to be mainly composed of local fighters from the area.

The enclave is the last rebel bastion left in an area southwest of Damascus known as the Western Ghouta.

Israel has been concerned about the drive by Syrian forces and their Iran-backed allies close to its border.

In recent weeks Israeli forces have stepped up their strikes against suspected Iranian targets inside Syria.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters


Police in Srinagar say government forces have killed the commander of a Pakistan-based militant group in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Police on December 26 said the body of Noor Mohammad Tantray, the head of the Jaish-e Mohammad militant group in the Kashmir valley, was found under the debris of a house where he and several associates had been trapped the night before.

The house became the scene of a fierce overnight gunbattle after authorities cordoned off the neighborhood.

Police described the operation as a "significant breakthrough."

But one police source said two of Tantray's associates had managed to escape.

As the news of Tantray's death spread on December 26, hundreds of protesters spilled onto the streets of Srinagar, throwing stones and clashing with government troops.

Police say at least six protesters were injured in the protests.

Kashmir was divided between India and Pakistan at the end of British colonial rule in 1947.

Both countries claim the Muslim-majority territory in its entirety.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters


The leader of Russia-backed separatists in Donetsk has pardoned 74 Ukrainian prisoners as part of a major prisoner exchange that will take place between the two sides of the conflict on December 27.

Separatist leader Aleksandr Zakharchenko said on December 26 that the swap, which also involves Ukraine handing over 306 people it has captured in the conflict, is only the first stage of possible further moves to exchange prisoners with more lists being compiled.

"The exchange will take place at 1 p.m. [local time] tomorrow [December 27]," Zakharchenko told reporters in Donetsk.

"The exchange will happen without any hindrance from the DPR or LPR [separatist-controlled areas in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions]," he said, adding that the prisoner swap was in its "first stage."

If the exchange is carried out, it will the first one in 14 months.

Fighting between Kyiv's forces and the Russia-backed separatists who hold parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, has killed more than 10,300 people since April 2014.

At a meeting in Minsk on December 20, representatives of Russia, Ukraine, the separatists, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said that they had agreed on a holiday cease-fire starting at midnight on December 23.

The cease-fire was agreed "in connection with the forthcoming Christmas and New Year festivities" and existing agreements and obligations, said an OSCE statement.

However, on December 25, both sides in the conflict made claims accusing each other of violating the cease-fire agreement.

Several cease-fire deals announced as part of the Minsk accords -- September 2014 and February 2015 pacts aimed at resolving the conflict -- have failed to hold.

With reporting by Interfax, TASS, and unian.net
KYIV -- Mikheil Saakashvili, the leader of Ukraine's Movement of New Forces party and former president of Georgia, has reportedly refused to appear for questioning at the Main Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), despite being summoned for an appearance there on December 26.

Saakashvili's lawyer, Pavlo Bohomazov, initially said Saakashvili was planning to appear for questioning.

But shortly after the scheduled meeting at 11 a.m. local time, another Saakashvili lawyer, Ruslan Chornolutsky, told journalists that the former governor of Ukraine's Odesa region would "not enter the investigator's office for investigative procedures today."

Chornolutsky said Saakashvili received a summons to be questioned and to submit samples of his voice for analysis on December 26.

He said that those were two different investigative procedures, which cannot be conducted simultaneously.

"We have already asked for these two investigative procedures to be separated," Chornolutsky said. "We have submitted such a motion."

On the eve of the scheduled meeting, Saakashvili expressed concerns that Ukrainian authorities were trying to deny him temporary protection status and "create conditions" for his "expulsion from the country."

That hearing was scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. local time.

Saakashvili said on December 25 that he would attend the court hearing and "invite everyone who is not indifferent to justice in Ukraine."

He maintains that he is legally a permanent Ukrainian resident and that Ukrainian authorities have "no legitimate instruments to extradite" him to Georgia -- where he is wanted on charges of abusing the office of the presidency.

Ukrainian authorities have accused the former Georgian president and ex-Odesa governor of abetting an alleged "criminal group" led by former President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia after his ouster in February 2014.

They have also suggested that protests led by Saakashvili are part of a Russian plot against Ukraine.

Saakashvili denies all the charges.

On December 18, Saakashvili appeared at the Prosecutor-General's Office in Kyiv but refused to answer questions from investigators there.

He told reporters on December 18 that he would give testimony only when the case is handed over to the Ukrainian Security Service, "as required by law," the Interfax news agency reported.

Saakashvili was president of Georgia from 2004 to 2013.

He lost his Georgian citizenship in 2015 when he accepted Ukrainian citizenship in order to take the post of Odesa governor at the request of President Petro Poroshenko.

But Saakashvili resigned the Odesa post in November 2016, complaining of rampant corruption, and has since become an ardent opponent of Poroshenko.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian and Georgian services and Interfax
The BSA-branded 650cc motorcycle will be launched in United Kingdom initially followed by possible launch in India at later stage

We already have been acquainted with the fact that Classic Legends is working on reviving multiple motorcycle brands including Yezdi and BSA. The company already relaunched the Jawa brand in 2018 which has been met with reasonable success. It had earlier been reported that Classic Legends is working on bringing back the BSA brand with a new 650cc motorcycle.

Officially named Gold Star 650, this bike made its first appearance at an exclusive event in Birmingham UK. For reference, Classic Legends bought the rights of the incumbent BSA Motorcycles back in 2016 for approximately Rs 28 crores. The bike, as evident in previous spy shots, sports a retro-style design of a modern classic motorcycle.

BSA Gold Star 650  Retro Styling

At first glance, certain elements, especially the rear section barring the taillight, look uncannily familiar with its 300cc Jawa counterparts. Some of the highlights of the 650cc roadster include beefy side panels, single-piece handlebar, single-piece bench seat, round headlamp, circular turn indicators and fork gaiters.

Gold Star flaunts an extensive use of chrome across its body, from headlamp to fuel tank extending to its exhaust pipe and engine casing. The teardrop-shaped fuel tank as well as broad front and rear fenders accentuate the bikes retro appeal. A lot of these elements appear to be inspired by the classic Bonneville Twins.

The instrument cluster consists of twin-pod analogue dials which frankly looks better on this class of motorcycles. Riding ergonomics also seem relaxed with a wide handlebar and mid-set footpegs. The single exhaust pipe suggests that the bike might be powered by a single-cylinder heart underneath. The engine, in fact, is the biggest highlight of the bike.

BSA Gold Star 650 Specs

New BSA Gold Star 650 is powered by a single cylinder 652cc engine which delivers 55 Nm torque and 45 Bhp power. It is mated to a 5 speed gearbox. On a closer look at the engine, the casing design is somewhat reminiscent of the Rotax unit powering the BMW F 650 Funduro adventure bike. The 650cc single-cylinder DOHC unit features cooling fins but on a closer inspection, one could notice a black hose emerging from the powertrain which leads to a fairly large radiator.

A fuel injector cover is also visible which gives it an old-school appeal. While it aims to look like an air-cooled unit, the piping for liquid cooling near the frame downtube indicates that it will be a liquid-cooled motor. This will help the bike extract more oomph out of the engine despite being only a single-cylinder unit.

Dynamics

As for hardware, the bike gets raked-out telescopic forks at front and twin preload-adjustable rear shock absorbers to carry out the suspension duties. Braking setup comprises disc brakes at both ends which will be assisted by a dual-channel ABS. The traditional wire-spokes wheels are shod with old-school Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp tubed tyres similar to the ones found in Royal Enfield 650cc Twins.

While the motorcycle is being developed in India, since Classic Legends has its R&D set up here, the BSA-branded model will initially cater to consumers in United Kingdom. Assembly of the upcoming bike is expected to take place in BSAs facility in Midlands. That said, Gold Star could well be launched in India at a later stage.


U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 24022 / December 26, 2017 SEC v. Gaughran, et al., No. 17 Civ. 10026 (S.D.N.Y.) SEC Charges Attorney and Accountant with Aiding and Abetting Adviser's $9 Million Theft from Charity Client, Adviser Settles Related Fraud Claims The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission today charged New York-based investment advisor Train Babcock Advisors LLC ("TBA"), a New Jersey-based attorney, and a New York-based accountant, in connection with a fraudulent scheme led by TBA's former principal, John Rogicki, who stole more than $9 million from his advisory client, a charitable foundation established by an elderly widow to donate her estate to health and education causes. TBA, which is in the process of winding down its operations, has agreed to settle the SEC's charges by paying more than $1.7 million in disgorgement, interest, and penalties for these and other violations. TBA has also agreed to be censured and to withdraw its registration with the SEC as an investment advisor. Separately, the SEC filed a complaint in federal court in Manhattan against one of the foundation's trustees, attorney Robert Gaughran, and its accountant, Kevin Clune, alleging that they aided and abetted the fraud perpetrated by TBA and Rogicki, the foundation's investment adviser, President, and a trustee. According to the SEC's filings, between 2004 and 2016, Rogicki took advantage of his roles as investment adviser and trustee to the foundation by liquidating securities positions in the foundation's advisory account with TBA and misappropriating a total of more than $9 million from the foundation for his own personal benefit. The SEC's complaint alleges that Gaughran and Clune aided and abetted TBA's and Rogicki's fraudulent scheme. While serving as a trustee of the foundation, Gaughran allegedly accepted outsized fees and ignored glaring signs of Rogicki's theft that were apparent from the foundation's brokerage statements and other documents that he regularly reviewed. Gaughran also drafted the trust and estate papers that put Rogicki in charge of the charitable foundation and knew the size of the estate that should have flowed to the charitable foundation, but for Rogicki's misappropriation of $9 million of its assets. According to the SEC's complaint, Clune, an accountant who performed tax work for both the estate that created the charitable foundation and the charitable foundation itself, ignored multiple and repeated red flags revealing Rogicki's and TBA's fraudulent scheme. In addition, both Gaughran and Clune were actively involved in concealing the theft by providing false information to an outside audit firm during a surprise examination of the charitable foundation that was conducted in 2014. On October 19, 2017, the SEC filed a civil injunctive action in federal district court against Rogicki. In a parallel criminal action, Rogicki pleaded guilty to criminal charges brought against him by the Manhattan District Attorney on October 19, 2017. On December 14, 2017, Rogicki was sentenced to serve 30 to 90 months in prison and ordered to pay $6,728,391.77 to the foundation, of which he forfeited $2.5 million, in connection with his criminal plea. The SEC also previously instituted administrative proceedings against former TBA CEO Brian J. Keenan on September 26, 2017, in connection with his misappropriation of assets from a separate client account. The administrative proceedings against Keenan were settled on October 23, 2017. The SEC's complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, charges Gaughran and Clune with aiding and abetting TBA's and Rogicki's violations of Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The SEC's complaint seeks a permanent injunction, disgorgement and prejudgment interest, and penalties against Gaughran and Clune. The SEC's order instituting settled administrative proceedings against TBA finds that the adviser failed to detect and prevent two separate misappropriations by its former principals from client accounts for which TBA's former principals acted as trustee and over which TBA had custody. TBA also failed to comply with the requirements of Rule 206(4)-2 under the Advisers Act by neglecting to obtain surprise examinations for several years for certain client accounts for which it had custody. The SEC's order also finds that TBA filed numerous Forms ADV containing false information. Without admitting or denying the SEC's findings, TBA consented to entry of a cease-and-desist order, a censure, and to pay disgorgement, interest, and a penalty of over $1.7 million. TBA also agreed to file a Form ADV/W withdrawing its registration with the Commission at the completion of its wind-down. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Katherine Bromberg, Jon Daniels, Neil Hendelman, Dugan Bliss, and Valerie A. Szczepanik of the New York Regional Office. The case is being supervised by Lara S. Mehraban. The SEC's litigation will be led by Mr. Bliss, Ms. Bromberg, and Mr. Daniels. An SEC examination that led to the investigation was conducted by investment adviser examiners in the New York Regional Office. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. SEC Complaint https://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/2017/lr24022.htm

Modified: 12/26/2017
This year upstart automaker Tesla faced its biggest test yet, introducing the Model 3, CEO Elon Musks long-promised electric car for the masses.

Fans and foes are still waiting for the results.

Model 3 production and deliveries have lagged far behind expectations. Musk handed over the first batch in late July at Teslas Fremont factory, and the company confidently predicted it would build 1,500 in the third quarter, revving up to 5,000 per week by years end.

Instead, the company made just 260 in the third quarter, averaging fewer than three per day. Those delivered went to Tesla employees who had ordered them, with the employees serving as testers to shake out any bugs in the cars.

Tesla confirmed last week that non-employee deliveries are finally beginning to take place. Fourth-quarter production and delivery numbers will likely be released next week.

For Tesla, the first new American car company in decades to survive infancy, 2017 was supposed to be a time of transition  from boutique automaker for the rich to a mass-market player. Musks goal is nothing less than shifting the world to sustainable transportation, and he has grand plans to crank up manufacturing for all three of the companys models, to the point where Tesla can build half a million cars in 2018.

Even for established automakers, introducing a new model is not easy. And if the Model 3 is a test for Tesla, analysts say the company and Musk have yet to pass it.

I want to see him start executing and delivering on those fantastic ideas of his, said Rebecca Lindland, senior analyst for the Kelley Blue Book auto information service. She has a personal stake in Musks ability to deliver: Shes one of an estimated 400,000 people who put down $1,000 apiece to reserve a Model 3.

Im somewhere in the 300,000 range, so Im not waiting in my driveway, Lindland said. Elon tends to overpromise. When he does deliver, its usually pretty good.

The Palo Alto company gave true believers plenty to savor this year. Even as the company worked to ramp up Model 3 production, Musk unveiled the design of an electric semitruck and a revamped version of its original car, the Tesla Roadster. The Model 3 itself wowed early reviewers with its spare interior, whose dash has almost no controls other than a broad touch-screen.

The company also plugged the worlds largest lithium-ion battery pack into Australias electricity grid to guard against blackouts. Musk promised Tesla could complete the installation in 100 days or the pack would be free. The job took 60 days.

Tesla installed a smaller grid-tied battery pack in Southern California, and used a combination of solar panels and batteries to restore electricity service to a childrens hospital in Puerto Rico, after Hurricane Maria demolished the islands power grid.

And yet, the Palo Alto company continues to bleed money.

Tesla has only recorded two quarterly profits in its seven-year history as a publicly traded company. For the first nine months of this year, Tesla lost $1.29 billion  compared to $553.6 million during the same period of 2016  as the company labored to expand production. Bloomberg estimated last month that the company was burning through $8,000 per minute.

The free cash burn has been very large this year, said David Whiston, an equity analyst for the Morningstar research firm. Its more than a sense that its getting worse  the math is there, every quarter.

But those continued losses have not weighed down the companys stock. Neither has the Model 3s slow rollout. Tesla shares soared nearly 50 percent this year, trading well above $300 per share most of the time.

Youre buying this because of what you think the company is going to look like in 2030, not how many cars they ship next quarter, said Whiston, who thinks the company should issue more equity now to deal with the cash burn. Balance sheets are the kind of thing nobody talks about until its too late, so Id rather see them take that risk off the table.

Teslas solar unit, known as SolarCity until Tesla bought it in 2016, saw declining installations during the first three quarters of 2017, as the company stopped door-to-door sales and focused instead on selling solar systems through Teslas stores. While acknowledging the drop in installations, the company said in financial reports that the profit margins on its solar products were improving.

Musk, meanwhile, continues splitting his time among several companies, a practice that has led skeptics to wonder if his attention is sometimes stretched too thin. Besides Tesla, Musk runs rocket maker SpaceX, and in 2016, he founded the Boring Co. to improve urban traffic by tunneling under cities.

For 2018, the question for Musk and Tesla will be whether they can answer the challenge of mass-producing a high-quality car.

Production at the Fremont factory, which now employs nearly 10,000 people, has increased this year, just not as quickly as the company had hoped. In the first three quarters of 2017, Tesla delivered nearly as many cars  about 73,150  as it did in all of 2016, when it delivered 75,890 vehicles.

The company, analysts say, must avoid the missteps of its last vehicle launch the Model X SUV. Production and deliveries took months to ratchet up, and even when they did, early buyers complained of glitches, particularly with the cars distinctive gull-wing doors.

Theyve got to get on track and show their customers that theyre not going to be waiting for an unreasonably long period, said Bruce Clark, a senior vice president at the Moodys research service. I would suspect that if theyre able to do that, and the vehicles are glitch-free, theyll be able to maintain goodwill.

David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DavidBakerSF
This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Three times further away from the sun than the Earth lies an enormous lump of metal. Around 252km in diameter, the metallic "M-class" asteroid 16 Psyche is the target of NASA's next mission to the belt of giant rocks that encircles the inner solar system. And the space agency now plans to visit it much sooner than originally planned.

Not only has the launch has been brought forward one year to the summer of 2022, but NASAs scientists have also found a way to get to Psyche (pronounced SYKe-ee) much faster by taking a more efficient trajectory. The new route means the Psyche spacecraft wont have to swing around the Earth to build up speed and wont pass as close to the sun, so it needs less heat protection. It is now due to arrive in 2026, four years earlier than the original timeline.

The main aim of the journey to Psyshe is to gather more information about our own solar system. Psyche is one of many wandering members of the asteroid belt. Unlike the rest of its rocky neighbours, Psyche appears to be entirely made of nickel and iron, just like the Earths core. This, together with its size, has led to the theory that it might be the remains of the inside of a planet.

Asteroids are made up of primitive materials, leftovers from the dust cloud from which our solar system originated. Different types of asteroids resemble the various steps it took to form planets from this dust cloud. This means they reveal a lot about the origin and evolution of our solar system. Scientists think Psyche could be whats left of an exposed metal core of a planet very similar to Earth.

We actually derive much of our knowledge about asteroids and the evolution of planets from the study of meteorites. Many asteroids and comets are primitive protoplanetary bodies accumulated from the same dust cloud our solar system originates from. As these protoplanetary bodies collide, gravity pulls them together into ever-larger bodies. Eventually these bodies become big and hot enough to partially melt, allowing heavy materials such as iron to sink to the core  and lighter material such as silicon to rise to the surface.

This process, known as differentiation, explains why Earth and other planets such as Mercury, Venus or Mars have an iron core and silicon-rich mantle and crust. The 16 Psyche asteroid is thought to be the leftover iron core of a planet stripped of its mantle in a giant collision.

But many questions regarding the formation of Psyche remain. How do you strip a planet of its mantle only leaving the core? Perhaps there is an alternative formation mechanism of an iron-rich body that does not involve differentiation? Psyche may once have been molten and, if so, did it cool from the inside out or from its surface to the core?

Also, Earths magnetic field comes from a liquid outer core circling around a solid inner core. Did these processes occur on Psyche and create a magnetic field? What elements other than iron accumulate in a core? And how does the surface geology of an iron body look compared to a rocky or icy body?

Avoiding collisions

There are other reasons for visiting asteroids. For one thing, possible collisions with Earth can have devastating effects. The impact of an 15km-wide asteroid approximately 65m years ago is linked to the extinction of the dinosaurs (opens in new tab). And the explosion of the 30m-diameter Chelyabinsk asteroid over Russia in 2013 led to injuries and damage on the ground. We need to know as much as possible about the composition and physical make-up of asteroids to devise the best ways to defend our planet.

Asteroids also provide resources. Those containing water or other valuable materials may act as stepping stones for human exploration of the solar system. And asteroids crossing Earths orbit may become convenient targets for mining operations, providing materials that are running out on Earth and potentially taking environmentally detrimental extraction methods off Earth. Companies including Planetary Resources and countries like Luxembourg have already started to pursue these ideas in earnest.

The Psyche spacecraft will carry four instruments to gather as much information about the asteroid as it can: a camera, a gamma-ray spectrometer to record what chemical elements are there, a magnetometer, and a radio gravity experiment. The data these devices collect should help us work out if Psyche is the frozen core of a former planet or simply a lump of unmelted metal. If it is a core, then it might help us determine exactly whats at the centre of our own planet.

Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the lead scientist of the mission, probably summarised it best: We learn about inner space by visiting outer space.

Christian Schroeder, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science and Planetary Exploration, University of Stirling

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates  and become part of the discussion  on Facebook, Twitter and Google +. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Space.com.
This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

People have been dreaming about space travel for hundreds of years, long before the arrival of the spectacular technologies behind space exploration today  mighty engines roaring fire and thunder, shiny metal shapes gliding in the vastness of the universe.

We've only travelled into space in the last century, but humanity's desire to reach the moon is far from recent. In the second century AD, Lucian's True History, a parody of travel tales, already pictured a group of adventure seekers lifted to the moon. A whirlwind delivered them into the turbulence of lunar politics  a colonial war.

Galileos sketches of the moon, 1610. (opens in new tab) ) (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

And much earlier than any beep of a satellite, these dreams of moon travel were given real, serious thought. The first technical reckoning of how to travel to the moon can be found in the 17th century.

This was inspired by astronomic discoveries. For a long time, it was thought that the world was encapsulated with ethereal or crystal spheres in which nested celestial bodies. But then Galileo managed to compile enough observational data to support Copernicuss theory of heliocentrism. This meant that the moon began, for the first time, to be considered an opaque, Earth-like object.

Galileo's Starry Messenger, published in 1610, even featured some sketches of the eerie moon relief. In 1620, Ben Jonson's masque News from the New World Discovered in the Moon was performed before King James I, entertaining the court with satire but also elucidating the newest astronomical viewpoints.

It was in the context of this moon fervour that John Wilkins, a 24-year-old graduate of Oxford University, published in 1638 the first edition of his book The Discovery of a World in the Moone. The book popularised Galileo's description of the moon as a solid and habitable world.

Frontispiece from The Man in the Moone, Francis Godwin (1562-1633). (Image credit: STC 11943.5, Houghton Library, Harvard University)

A World in the Moone

When preparing the much edited and lengthened second edition of the Discovery, eventually published in 1640, Wilkins was impressed by Francis Godwin's story The Man in the Moone, also appearing in 1638, in which a character named Domingo Gonzales is transported to the moon in a chariot towed by a flock of geese.

After reading this piece of 17th century science fiction, Wilkins suggested that not only must occasional travel to the moon be possible, but also regular visits and habitation. The moon was the ultimate travelling destination of his time, and moon travel a technological achievement pushing the historical and providential limits for mankind.

Appreciating various fictional scenarios, Wilkins aimed to "raise up some spirits eminent for new attempts and strange inventions" and to contemplate practical ways of "bringing the moon closer" by travelling through space. In the pragmatic tone of an artisan, the second edition of the Discovery ruminates on the technicalities:

I do seriously, and upon good grounds, affirm it possible to make a flying chariot.

Wilkins describes and designs various flying apparatuses driven by manpower, or towed by majestic exotic birds, and even imagines an engine to be contrived on the same principles as the legendary mechanical doves and eagles.

He was also alerted to the challenges of moon travel, and even expressed a slight vexation that divine providence did not endow the human body with any natural means of flying. Enumerating the impediments to flight from the Earth, he humorously warns that there won't be any "castles in the air to receive poor pilgrims, or errant knights." He discusses the nature of gravity, how difficult it would be to bring food and water to the moon, and to survive the cold and thin lunar air.

Map of the Moon engraved by the astronomer Johannes Hevelius, 1645. (opens in new tab) ) (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

In perspective

But Wilkins also states with perfect assurance that the ways of conveyance through space would eventually be discovered. He predicts that "as soon as the art of flying is found out," humans "will make one of the first colonies, that shall transplant into that other world," all glorifying the future of air travel.

The Discovery ends with Wilkins prophesying that posterity will likely be surprised at the ignorance of his age. But this isn't the feeling kindled in his modern readership, although many of his conclusions about the moon are indeed mistaken. Even though the answers were premature, our contemporary investigations of the moon still follow the same trajectory of questions as did his Space Odyssey 1640: the presence of water, the possibilities for regular travel and colonisation. Young John Wilkins meant to provoke the readers' curiosity concerning "secret truths" about nature, and fulfilled this purpose for centuries ahead.

Space explorations tend to be viewed primarily as manifestations of spectacular and, alas, costly technologies. Is this not the reason why the moon flight program has been jammed for years? In the 17th century, motivation to design the means of travel to the moon was similar to our contemporary stimuli for space exploration as they were formulated at the dawn of the Apollo spaceflight program. People dreamed of pushing the boundaries of humankind and of bringing to life a great deal of useful knowledge.

After all, it is not only machinery that drives human beings into space, but humanity's curiosity and imagination prompting the desire to reach beyond the possible.

Maria Avxentevskaya, Researcher in Early Modern Studies, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates  and become part of the discussion  on Facebook, Twitter and Google +. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Space.com.
It's been a busy, exciting and bittersweet year in spaceflight.

The private spaceflight industry made some big leaps, the Trump administration announced a familiar destination for U.S. astronauts, and a venerable NASA spacecraft that fundamentally altered our understanding of habitable worlds met its fiery end.

Let's just jump right in, because this is going to be a long one: Here are Space.com's picks for the top spaceflight stories of 2017. [See Space.com's top science stories of 2017]

1. Cassini says farewell

NASA's Cassini spacecraft plunged intentionally into Saturn's thick atmosphere on Sept. 15, bringing the probe's storied mission to an end.

That mission  the $3.2 billion Cassini-Huygens project, a joint effort of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency  launched in October 1997 and arrived in the Saturn system on June 30, 2004.

On Dec. 25, 2004, the Huygens lander separated from the Cassini mothership and spiraled its way toward Saturn's huge moon Titan. Three weeks later, Huygens parachuted through Titan's thick, hazy atmosphere, becoming the first spacecraft ever to land softly on the surface of a world in the outer solar system.

Huygens collected data at Titan for just a few hours. But the Cassini orbiter kept zooming through the Saturn system, studying the gas giant, its famous rings and its many moons for more than a decade. The mission's discoveries have reshaped astronomers' understanding of the Saturn system and our solar system's ability to host life.

For example, Cassini's radar observations revealed lakes and seas of liquid hydrocarbons on Titan's surface  potential abodes for life-forms, albeit exotic ones that would be very different from the water-dependent organisms of Earth.

And the mission discovered geysers of water ice, organic materials and other stuff blasting from the south pole of another Saturn moon, the ice-covered Enceladus. Further Cassini observations strongly suggested that Enceladus harbors an ocean of liquid water beneath its icy shell, and that this ocean contains energy sources that could sustain life. (The Titan and Enceladus discoveries shaped the endgame for Cassini, which was running out of fuel: Mission managers wanted to dispose of the spacecraft properly, to make sure it never contaminated Titan or Enceladus with microbes from Earth.)

That's just a small sampling of the incredible science that Cassini delivered over its 13-plus years at Saturn. And then there were the images, thousands of them, that brought the mystery and exotic beauty of the Saturn system to the world daily. RIP, Cassini. You are missed. [Cassini's Greatest Hits: The Spacecraft's Best Images of Saturn]

2. Private spaceflight makes big strides

This year made it clear that we're in the middle of a private spaceflight revolution.

Let's start with SpaceX, whose Falcon 9 rockets flew 18 missions in 2017  more than twice the company's previous record for a calendar year. Fourteen of those liftoffs featured landings by a Falcon 9 first stage; five of the launches involved pre-flown boosters, and two of them lofted used Dragon cargo spacecraft toward the International Space Station (ISS).

So, SpaceX hit some big milestones this year in its quest for full and rapid reusability, a key priority for company founder and CEO Elon Musk. Indeed, reusability is at the core of SpaceX's planned Mars-colonizing spaceflight system, the latest blueprints of which Musk unveiled in September at a conference in Australia.

A number of other private-spaceflight players also made significant progress in 2017. For example, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launched the new version of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle on its maiden flight, laying the foundation for possible crewed missions next year. Sierra Nevada Corp.'s Dream Chaser space plane conducted its first-ever "glide flight" in Earth's' atmosphere; Stratolaunch took its huge, satellite-lofting aircraft out for a maiden test drive on the runway; Rocket Lab and Vector flew their small-sat launchers for the first time, and Virgin Galactic's latest suborbital spaceship, VSS Unity, conducted four glide flights in the skies over Southern California.

SpaceX and Virginia-based company Orbital ATK made a series of uncrewed resupply runs to the ISS, and SpaceX and Boeing continued to develop their ISS astronaut taxis, with the goal of flying crews for the first time next year.

Oh, and California startup Made In Space sent to the ISS a machine designed to manufacture exotic optical fiber in orbit, which the company eventually aims to sell here on Earth. This little space factory's Dec. 15 launch may be a preview of spaceflight's future: It flew to the orbiting lab aboard a pre-flown Dragon, which itself flew atop a Falcon 9 with a used first stage.

3. U.S. astronauts are going back to the moon

On Dec. 11, President Donald Trump signed "Space Policy Directive 1," which instructs NASA to send astronauts back to the moon  rather than to a near-Earth asteroid, as former President Barack Obama had ordered  as a stepping stone to Mars.

"This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprint  we will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars," Trump said of the directive, which makes official a decision announced by Vice President Mike Pence in October at the inaugural meeting of the revived National Space Council. (The NSC had last been active in the early 1990s, during the presidency of George H.W. Bush.)

Neither Pence nor Trump gave any details about the new moon plan, however. It's unclear when the next crewed lunar landings will take place, or how much it will cost to make them happen. [From Ike to Trump: Presidential Visions for Space Exploration]

4. North Korea tests intercontinental ballistic missiles

North Korea's missile program is advancing faster than experts had predicted. The nuclear-armed rogue nation test-flew intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) three times this year, showcasing the apparent ability to hit the U.S. East Coast.

It's unclear if North Korea has mastered all the requisite ICBM technology, such as a re-entry vehicle, which would protect a nuclear warhead during an operational launch. And experts don't know for sure whether the Hermit Kingdom has miniaturized its nukes, allowing them to fit them on ICBMs. But this year shows that we probably shouldn't underestimate North Korea or its technical skills.

5. Peggy Whitson breaks U.S. spaceflight record

And now, back to the good news: This year, Peggy Whitson broke the record for the most total time spent in space by a U.S. astronaut.

That record  534 days  was set just last year, by Jeff Williams. Whitson smashed the old record while aboard the ISS in April, finally landing on Earth in September after a 288-day orbital stint that took her lifetime spaceflight tally to 665 days.

Whitson holds several other spaceflight marks as well. In 2007, she became the first woman ever to command the ISS, and on her latest mission, she became the first woman to do so twice. She has also spent more time on spacewalks (60 hours and 21 minutes) than any other female astronaut. And during her latest ISS stint, Whitson became the oldest woman to travel in space, at 57.

The world record for most time spent in space is 879 days, which cosmonaut Gennady Padalka accumulated over the course of five missions, four of them to the ISS and one to the Soviet-Russian station Mir.

6. NASA chooses new astronaut class

NASA unveiled its 12 newest astronaut candidates (or "ascans," as the agency calls them) in June. The seven men and five women were chosen from an initial pool of 18,300 applicants  more than twice as many as the previous record of 8,000, which was set back in 1978. (The most recent astronaut class, which was announced in 2013, had an applicant pool of about 6,400, NASA officials said.)

The new ascans are now engaged in a two-year training program, at the end of which they'll become full-fledged astronauts. These spaceflyers are earning their wings at a pretty exciting time: Some of them may ride private spaceships to and from the ISS, and others may fly to the moon or Mars.

7. OSIRIS-REx flies by Earth

NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid-sampling spacecraft zoomed past Earth on Sept. 22, a little over a year after launching off the planet. But the probe didn't return because it was homesick; it came back to use Earth's gravity to boost its speed and refine its course toward the potentially hazardous asteroid Bennu.

If all goes according to plan, OSIRIS-REx (whose name is short for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer) will rendezvous with Bennu in August 2018, snag some samples of the space rock two years later and return these samples to Earth in September 2023.

8. China sends cargo craft to space lab

China launched the uncrewed Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft to Earth orbit on April 20, and the freighter docked with the nation's Tiangong-2 space lab two days later. Over the next five months, the two vehicles performed a series of robotic refueling exercises, demonstrating technologies that China will need in order to build and maintain an orbiting space station  a goal the nation hopes to achieve by the mid-2020s.

Tianzhou-1 was intentionally de-orbited into Earth's atmosphere on Sept. 22, the very day that OSIRIS-REx flew by.

9. 104 satellites!

India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) lofted 104 satellites to Earth orbit on Feb. 14, shattering the previous single-launch record of 37 spacecraft, which had been held by Russia's Dnepr booster.

The satellites aboard the PSLV came from six different nations: India, the United States, the Netherlands, Israel, Kazakhstan and Switzerland. The vast majority  88 of the 104 craft  were small, Earth-observing cubesats built by the San Francisco-based company Planet (formerly called Planet Labs).

10. The X-37B launches again

On Sept. 7, the U.S. Air Force's robotic X-37B space plane launched on another mystery mission to Earth orbit, the craft's fifth overall. The vehicle may stay aloft for a while; each successive X-37B mission has set a new program duration record, and the most recent one orbited Earth for 718 days.

The X-37B rode a Falcon 9 rocket to orbit on Sept. 7, marking the first time SpaceX had provided the space plane's lift. All four previous X-37B launches had come atop United Launch Alliance Atlas V rockets. [In Photos: SpaceX Launches X-37B Space Plane, Lands Falcon 9 Rocket]

11. Happy 60th anniversary, Sputnik 1

This year occasioned some historical reflection, because some big spaceflight anniversaries came in 2017. For example, the first-ever artificial satellite, the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1, launched to Earth orbit on Oct. 4, 1957, kicking off the space age.

And NASA's twin Voyager probes marked 40 years in space in 2017: Voyager 2 launched on Aug. 20, 1977, and Voyager 1 lifted off on Sept. 5 of that year. Both probes are still going strong, exploring previously uncharted regions. Voyager 1 reached interstellar space in August 2012, and its sibling should reach that exotic realm in the next few years, NASA officials have said.

Also this year, Voyager 1 fired its backup thrusters for the first time since 1980. The little engines performed well, and their utility should help extend the spacecraft's life by a couple of years, mission officials said.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
The maiden launch of NASA's new heavy-lift rocket now has its own mission patch.

The space agency recently finalized the insignia representing Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), the first flight of its Space Launch System (SLS), presently targeted for late 2019. The EM-1 test flight will send an uncrewed Orion spacecraft on a three-week mission to the moon and back.

"EM-1 lays the foundation for the first crewed flight of SLS and Orion, as well as a regular cadence of missions thereafter near the moon and beyond," stated NASA in a November release. [NASA's EM-1 SLS Moon Mission in Pictures]

The new EM-1 patch features the launch of the SLS at the center of its triangular design. The rocket is depicted lifting off from Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The major SLS components are shown in simplified form, including the orange insulation-covered core, two side-mounted five-segment solid rocket boosters and the shuttle-legacy RS-25 engines at the base of the core.

The Orion spacecraft and its European-built service module are mounted on top of the booster. Atop the Orion is its launch abort system tower.

At the base of the patch, protruding from the launch plume, are the three spires of the pad's lightning protection system and the gantry tower that is part of the new SLS mobile launcher.

The scene is set against the backdrop of a nearly full moon. Red and blue vectors, jetting out beyond the border of the emblem, wrap around the white celestial body, symbolizing the EM-1 flight trajectory, while also infusing the colors of the U.S. flag to the insignia. [How NASA's Space Launch System Rocket Works (Infographic)]

NASA is planning to use the EM-1 logo on lapel pins, embroidered patches, decals and apparel for its Orion and SLS team members. The design was first introduced in a memo to employees.

Artists concept of NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket lifting off on Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1). (Image credit: NASA)

The EM-1 mission patch is the first insignia to represent the SLS, which has gone without a project or program logo. It is the third Orion flight emblem after designs for Pad Abort 1 (PA-1), a launch abort system test in May 2010, and Orion's first launch to space, Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1), an Earth-orbit mission that flew on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket in December 2014.

Orion also has a project logo, which was created for NASA by Michael Okuda, a graphic designer known for his work on the "Star Trek" TV series and movies.

In addition to EM-1, for which SLS and Orion hardware is now under construction and testing, NASA is also preparing to fly Ascent-Abort 2, an atmospheric flight to validate the abort system's ability to get a crew to safety if needed during a launch gone awry. Ascent-Abort 2 is targeted for April 2019.

NASA is targeting EM-1 for December 2019, though manufacturing and production concerns could delay the launch to June 2020 or later. Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2), planned as the first crewed flight of SLS and Orion, is slated for 2022.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2017 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.


It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has always been one of the most unique live-action sitcoms on the air. Its originality in plot and characters has helped the comedy to stand out for 12 seasons, with at least two more yet to come. It's extremely rare for live-action shows to go on that long, but the It's Always Sunny train keeps rolling because it follows the structure of animated shows by almost never having any permanent development and keeping the characters virtually the same, keeping their characters simple and funny as-is. However, this finale uproots their status quo in a huge way.



The episode starts with the gang, minus Dennis, at Paddy's. Mac reveals to the others that he finally got a rocket to put into the rocket launcher he got for Dennis on Valentine's Day. They plan to use it soon because, of course, the gang can't go a few days without committing some kind of felony.



Dennis comes charging into the bar with a woman and a baby right behind him. His baby, as he reveals. It turns out that Dennis, under the alias of rich Canadian Brian LeFevre, got a woman pregnant in North Dakota during the airplane trip they took a short while back when they were trying to beat Wade Bogg's record for drinking 50 beers on a single flight. Dennis is worried that if she finds out he's actually poor American Dennis Reynolds, she will come after Paddy's. Some plans are thrown out there for how to handle this, and for now, they go with Mac's plan for Dennis to pretend he is in a gay relationship with Mac to keep her away. Mac brings Dennis and the woman (Mandy) back to his and Dennis' newly refurbished apartment. Now fixed after having been set on fire some time ago, Mac was able to completely replicate the way the apartment looked before, right down to the knick-knacks. Dennis tells Mandy he is in an emotionally gay relationship with Mac, so he can't be with her emotionally. She is surprisingly cool with it and encourages the both of them to be co-fathers to Brian Jr. Mac's in, but Dennis is not.In one of the more important developments in this episode, Charlie has come up with a plan to entrap the Waitress into his life by knocking her up. Of course, Charlie has been after her for the entire show but she has always rejected him, preferring to be with literally anyone or anything else. He tries to convince her that he is her only option if she ever wants to have children, getting older and having zero prospects and all, and this leads to a big blow up about why Charlie is so obsessed with her and why she won't be with him. She downplays herself by saying she's a huge mess, but he doesn't care. He loves her anyway. His sweetness softens her up enough to do something nobody thought would ever happen; sleep with him.Dennis confronts Mac about him agreeing to help raise Brian Jr. What's interesting about this scene is it shows off not just Mac's recently realized homosexuality but his possible crush/interest in Dennis. It's been hinted at in earlier seasons, but his persistence with keeping up a fake gay relationship with Dennis says a lot. Needless to say, Dennis wants nothing to do with that.After their hook-up, the Waitress is now much more enamored of Charlie than she ever has been and is on board with getting pregnant. Charlie though, in a turn of events, seems to be quickly losing interest in her and a life with her after she goes off on him about him needing to change everything about his life for their possible baby. It's a mean side to her he doesn't know and doesn't like.The third plot for this episode amounts to Dee being glad to finally have her apartment back to herself after Mac and Dennis stayed there for so long, but all of the boys at various times come over and invade her privacy. Frank needs a place to stay while Charlie makes time with the Waitress, then Charlie stays trying to get away from the Waitress, then Dennis comes by to drop off Brian Jr for a few hours. Since Dennis was not able to put off Mandy with his fake relationship with Mac, he goes to the backup plan of Frank getting a millionaire to give her enough money to go away.He and Mac have breakfast with Mandy and wait for the millionaire to show up. It ends up being Frank himself. Frank makes an "Indecent Proposal" by offering her $5,000 to bang her. She's a no-go for that. In fact, the conversation that follows nearly blows their cover and makes her suspicious. He and Mac go back to Dee's apartment and plan to stay there, along with Frank and Charlie for various reasons. She's had it with them invading her space and comes up with her own plan to get rid of Mandy; kill Brian LeFevre.Dennis takes Mandy and Brian Jr. to an alleyway. He pretends to be a guy holding secret government information and therefore has people wanting to assassinate him. The plan falls apart after he starts "bleeding" before a gunshot even goes off and the gang arrives to watch his "death."Mandy shockingly doesn't fall for it. She's realized that Dennis is trying to get her to go away. She's very mature as she says that she just wanted Brian to have a father but doesn't want to be with someone who doesn't want to be with them, she even lets Dennis take a moment to say goodbye to his son. As he does, he actually looks quite remorseful about them leaving.Back at Paddy's, the gang is dancing and acting like they don't have a care in the world. Dennis is sitting forlornly at the bar. Watching his friends, he contemplates just how immature they all are and how ridiculously they (and him) have been behaving. He can't do it anymore and wants to go be a dad to his son.This is the most selfless and mature as we've ever seen Dennis. Normally he's all about him and doing what he wants, so this is a nice character growth to see, even though it was a little abrupt. He leaves and the rest of the gang can't believe it. Rather than spend time thinking about Dennis and what he's said, they use their rocket launcher to blow up a car. Yep. That's about right.Unlike previous season finales, this episode focused more on plot and character development. Charlie finally banged the Waitress and Dennis has gone on to be the father to his son that Frank never was for him. Like I said before, this kind of change can be a dangerous thing for a show going on this long, but I am curious to see what the show is going to be like now without Dennis since it looks like Glenn Howerton is actually leaving, presumably for his new show A.P. Bio. But as Kaitlin Olson has made time for Sunny even with her show The Mick, I hope Glenn can do the same with his. Still, as they showed with the rocket launcher, it looks like the show is ready to be just as crazy and entertaining without him.
T he higher education minister has said British universities could face fines for "no-platforming" controversial guest speakers.

Jo Johnson said the newly created Office for Students (OfS) is able to fine or suspend universities that fail to "protect freedom of speech".

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Johnson said fines were one of a "range of remedies" which could be used to penalise institutions that banned guests.

He said: "The Office for Students will have a range of remedies at its disposal which do include fines at the more extreme end of the spectrum.

"I think it is important that we look at the cases mentioned.

Ms Greer was no-platformed by a number of universities (Photo by Kane Hibberd/Getty Images) / Getty Images

These are speakers who have been potentially banned or harried under no-platforming or safe spaces decisions.

"On all reasonable definitions, they are advocates of openness and liberal values and should be welcomed on our campuses.

Guest speakers recently crossed off the invite list at a number of UK universities include feminist author Germaine Greer and the gay rights activist Peter Tatchell.

King's College London was criticised in October over a "deeply problematic" policy to hire 12-an-hour "safe space marshals" to patrol events checking there is no offensive content.

Job ads on KCL Student Union's website offers 11.89 per hour - 13.32 if holiday pay is included - to monitor student groups' talks "which have been risk assessed as having potential for a Safe Space breech [sic]".

Students mocked the policy after marshals monitored a talk by Tory MP Jacob Rees Mogg.
L ondon audiences had a bonanza of treats on 2017: Hamilton, The Ferryman and Angels in America were just a few of the hugely hyped up shows that came, saw and conquered.

But don't be sad that it's over - with 2018 comes a whole feast of brilliant new theatre to get excited about.

Here are just a few of the shows you won't want to miss in the new year.

Macbeth

Rory Kinnear and Anne-Marie Duff will play historys most famous avoid-at-a-dinner-party couple in Rufus Norriss big new production at the National Theatre. Norris has made it a priority to explore national identity since the Brexit vote, so we cant wait to see what he does with Shakespeares intense study of a divided nation and the machinations of power.

From February 26, National Theatre; nationaltheatre.org.uk

Sylvia

Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

Lin-Manuel Miranda made theatre gold by taking the story of a historical figure and putting it in a very contemporary form. Could the Old Vics Sylvia be the new Hamilton? Sadlers Wells and ZooNation have collaborated with the Old Vic to mark the centenary of women getting the vote with a show that combines dance, hip hop, soul and funk with the story of the Suffragette movement.

September 1-22, Old Vic; oldvictheatre.com

Girls & Boys

A new Dennis Kelly play is exciting enough, but theres more: it was recently announced that Carey Mulligan will star in this one-woman play. Its about a couple who meet unexpectedly at an airport, before marrying and starting a family; if we know Kelly, things will take a dark turn.

February 8 - March 17, Royal Court Theatre; royalcourttheatre.com

Fun Home

Alison Bechdel may be known in common parlance as the creator of the Bechdel Test (a series of questions that work out if a film or play is sexist), but shes had a celebrated career as a graphic novelist. Her moving memoir about her father and what it was like to grow up in a funeral home has been turned into a Tony Award-winning musical, and its coming to the Young Vic next summer.

June 18 - September 1, Young Vic Theatre; youngvic.org

Jubilee

This stage adaptation of Derek Jarmans cult film has already caused a stir at the Royal Exchange in Manchester, and you can see it at the Lyric Hammersmith in February. Adapted by Chris Goode, it recaptures the films original punk spirit forty years ago, with music and outfits galore. If you dont know what its about, expect a time-travelling Queen Elizabeth I and a girl gang on a killing spree to collide.

February 15 - March 10, Lyric Hammersmith; lyric.co.uk

Caroline or Change

If you missed this acclaimed production of Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesoris musical at Chichester this summer, you can see it at Hampstead Theatre in the new year. Sharon D Clarke will return to her starring role in this portrait of America during the civil rights movement, which is great news: Fiona Mountford described her as magnificent in her review.

March 12 - April 21, Hampstead Theatre; hampsteadtheatre.com

Long Days Journey Into Night

Eugene ONeills classic American masterpiece is certainly a long journey, but its one worth taking when the cast is as good as this. Jeremy Irons returns to the stage after ten years away as James Tyrone, starring alongside stage royalty Lesley Manville. The production, which had a sold out run at Bristol Old Vic earlier in the year, is directed by Richard Eyre.

January 27 - April 7, Wyndhams Theatre

Buy tickets for Long Day's Journey Into Night with GO London Tickets

The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Poldark star Aidan Turner making his West End stage debut will be enough of a draw for most people, but dont expect him to be riding a horse on the Cornish coast with his top off. Hes playing Mad Padraic, a terrorist deemed too much even for the IRA, in this revival of Martin McDonaghs satire on extremism.

June 23 - September 8, Noel Coward Theatre

Buy tickets for The Lieutenant of Inishmore with GO London Tickets

Bring It On: The Musical

Im sexy, Im cute, Im popular to boot. The opening chant from this noughties film about sassy cheerleaders was obviously written before fourth wave feminism took off, but were still 100% on board with Southwark Playhouse bringing the musical adaptation to London. The creative team have given it a contemporary refresh, and you might recognise one of writers: Lin-Manuel Miranda worked on the music and lyrics.

August 2 - September 1, Southwark Playhouse; southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Company

Brush up your Sondheim Marianne Elliot is directing a major West End revival of Company with a gender-swapping twist. Rosalie Craig plays Bobbi (usually Bobby), a singleton unable to hold down a relationship. Other than allowing one of musical theatres best actresses to take centre stage (Patti LuPone stars too), what other insights will the gender-bendy casting provide? We cant wait to find out.

September 26 - December 22, Gielgud Theatre

Buy tickets for Company with GO London Tickets

The Birthday Party

If its Pinter holding the party, you know its not going to be party bags and a slice of cake. Ian Rickson directs his classic dark comic masterpiece at Pinters namesake theatre, with Zoe Wanamaker, Toby Jones and Stephen Mangan in the cast.

January 9 - April 14, Harold Pinter Theatre

Buy tickets for The Birthday Party with GO London Tickets

A Very Very Very Dark Matter

A brand new Martin McDonagh play is certainly a cause for celebration, and theres plenty else here to get you excited too. Its about Hans Christian Andersen and the dark secrets behind his exquisite tales - and the storytelling legend himself will be played by Jim Broadbent. Matthew Dunster, who worked with McDonagh on his most recent hit Hangmen, directs. Fans of The Pillowman, keep your eyes peeled.

October 10 - December 29, Bridge Theatre; bridgetheatre.co.uk

The Town Hall Affair

Iconic New York theatre group The Wooster Group are heading to the Barbican in June for a piece that isnt going to get any less timely. Its a multimedia show exploring a 1971 debate about womens liberation, when Norman Mailer squared up against Germaine Greer and other feminist advocates. Text and video footage layer the performance, challenging audiences to rethink revolutionary conversations.

June 21-24, Barbican Theatre; barbican.org.uk

Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992

When a tape emerged of a young, black taxi driver named Rodney King being beaten by Los Angeles police officers in 1992, the community was outraged. Their acquittal sparked riots. Anna Deavere Smith interviewed Kings family, police commissioners, and hundreds of other people to create this verbatim piece of theatre which can be seen at the Gate in January.

January 11 - February 3, Gate Theatre; gatetheatre.co.uk

An Adventure

Vinay Patel, writer of the BAFTA-award winning TV film Murdered By My Father, was named as one of the Evening Standards Progress 1000 this year. He makes a much anticipated return to writing for the stage with an Adventure at the Bush Theatre, the very place that his much-acclaimed True Brits was staged in 2015.

September 6 - October 20, Bush Theatre; bushtheatre.co.uk

Dollywould

Sh!t Theatre triumphed at the Edinburgh Fringe once again this year with DollyWould, a cracking show by all accounts which was inspired by their love of Dolly Parton. Our critic Veronica Lee gave it four stars in the summer, and now you can see it at Soho Theatre for a month-long run. (Please dont show up between 9-5 though. The show isnt on then.)

March 19 - April 14, Soho Theatre; sohotheatre.com

Not I

If you havent heard of Jess Thom, nows the time to change that. Samuel Becketts Not I is a famously short, fast-paced nine minute monologue. Its an onslaught of words, which need to be spoken at military precision. Thom, who runs theatre company Touretteshero, has Tourettes which means she often makes movements or noises she cant control. By performing Not I, she cracks open a vital debate on who is allowed to perform.

February 28 - March 17, Battersea Arts Centre; bac.org.uk

Chicago

Jazz hands at the ready, this classic musical about women murdering their rubbish boyfriends and the men who had it coming is back on the London stage after over five years away. Find out if Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly will get away with murder at the Phoenix Theatre, where it returns in March.

March 26 - June 23, Phoenix Theatre

Three Sisters by RashDash, After Chekhov

(The Other Richard)

Ever think it would be better if the dusty relics of the canon were taken on by a feminist theatre company who do explosive things with words and movement? Then its your lucky day! The brilliant RashDash are coming to The Yard with a new work that reimagines Chekhov.

May 22 - June 9, The Yard; theyardtheatre.co.uk

Chess

A musical about a chess tournament probably doesnt sound like a wild night out, but think again: its written by ABBA legends Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus and explores a battle between two superpowers at the height of the Cold War, so theres plenty of drama to keep you on the edge of your seat, and loads of classical musical theatre tunes to enjoy.

April 26 - June 2, London Coliseum; eno.org

Buy tickets for Chess with GO London Tickets

Wanting more? Check out these suggestions from Fiona Mountford...

Dry Powder

Hayley Atwell in Howard's End / BBC/Playground Television UK Limited 2017/Laurie Sparham

Hayley Atwell gave one of the television performances of the year as Margaret Schlegel in Howards End; her long-overdue return to the stage comes in Sarah Burgesss comedy about high-stakes high finance in New York.

Jan 26-March 3, Hampstead, NW3 (020 7722 9301, hampsteadtheatre.com)

Fanny and Alexander

The magnificent Penelope Wilton stars in the stage adaptation of Ingmar Bergmans cinematic masterpiece of family dynamics set in early 20th-century Sweden.

Feb 21-April 14, Old Vic, SE1 (0844 871 7628, oldvictheatre.com)

Buy tickets for Fanny and Alexander with GO London Tickets

Frozen

Suranne Jones, fresh from the all-out madness of Doctor Foster, leads a fine cast in Bryony Laverys ever-powerful examination of the disappearance of a child.

Feb 9-May 5, Theatre Royal Haymarket, SW1 (020 7930 8800, frozentheplay.com)

Buy tickets for Frozen with GO London Tickets

The Inheritance

Stephen Daldry directs Matthew Lopezs major new two-part drama about young gay men in New York. Could this be the 21st centurys answer to Angels in America?

March 2May 5, Young Vic, SE1 (020 7922 2922, youngvic.org)

John

American playwright Annie Baker swept all before her with The Flick; now she returns to these shores with the story of a struggling couple staying at a Pennsylvania bed and breakfast the week after Thanksgiving.

Jan 17March 3, National, SE1 (020 7452 3000, nationaltheatre.org.uk)

Julius Caesar

The second play in Nicholas Hytners swanky new theatre has Ben Whishaws Brutus team up for Roman revolution with Michelle Fairley as Cassius. David Morrisseys Mark Antony asks for our ears in this promenade production.

Jan 20April 15, Bridge, SE1 (0843 208 1846, bridgetheatre.co.uk)

Summer and Smoke

The intriguing Patsy Ferran, a young actress of immense range and talent, takes on Tennessee Williamss sultry classic, in which a woman finds herself trapped between desire and fear.

Feb 24-April 7, Almeida, N1 (020 7359 4404, almeida.co.uk)
C entral London's tourist attractions saw a significant fall in numbers amid three terror attacks in the capital in 2017, although international visitors were undeterred, industry bosses have said.

Visitors to the city's biggest attractions dropped by around 17 per cent on average between May and the second week of September compared with 2016, according to Bernard Donoghue, director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (Alva).

During that time there were four terror attacks in the UK, three of which happened in London, killing more than 30 people.

Mr Donoghue said that young families were the largest group of those avoiding the capital's Zone One, saying: "These are parents under-35 with kids aged around seven, they have reacted significantly to the attacks.

"Because they weren't brought up in the shadow of the UK and the IRA this is their first experience of domestic terror, while some of us who are older may take it in our stride and keep calm and carry on.

"But they are going elsewhere, places like Bath, Bristol, Oxford, instead."

However, 2017 has been a record year to date for visitors to the UK in general, with growth set to continue for 2018.

There were 30.2 million visits to the UK from overseas in the first nine months of the year, up 7 per cent on the same period in 2016, projected to reach 39.9 million by the end of the year, the latest VisitBritain figures show.

Visitor numbers from the US jumped by around 14% per cent thanks to "the way British emergency services dealt with the attacks, a lack of hysterical press reporting, and the draw of the weak pound," Mr Donoghue said.

He added Alva research showed the public found safety barriers, bollards and bag searches at popular spots "really reassuring" in a way they would not have done five years ago.

Meanwhile, Tom Jenkins, chief executive of the European Tourism Association (Etoa), said the public were rationalising the spate of attacks, realising they could happen anywhere.

He said: "The nature of free and open societies is people are vulnerable at any stage. It's perfectly easy for anyone to grab an axe and start swinging.

"Terror used to be a major and sensational disruption to the travel industry. In the 1980s and early 1990s we saw mass cancellations, a real failure of nerve on an epic scale."

Around half of holiday reservations from North America to Europe in 1986 were cancelled following America's bombing of Libya, with travellers fearing reprisal attacks, he noted.

Mr Jenkins added: "Since then we've seen a gradual reduction in public concern, and a concomitant raising of government concern, with administrations engaging in ostentatious closing of doors in the aftermath of attacks.

"Regarding the bollards springing up, it's all part of the decoration that reminds us terrorism works insofar as it conducts government spending and policy.

"The threat posed is almost certainly minimal, and fear would stop everyday life if we let it."
F ormula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has come under fire for 'humiliating' his young nephew on social media, telling him "boys don't wear princess dresses".

Hamilton starts the video by looking at the camera, saying: "I'm so sad right now...Look at my nephew..."

He then turns the camera to see the young boy, who can be seen in a princess dress waving a toy wand, to which Hamilton says: "Why are you wearing a princess dress? Is that what you got for Christmas?"

Hamilton then ends the video by shouting: "Boys don't wear princess dresses!"

The racing champion was recently criticised for his part in the Paradise Papers scandal.

The 32-year-old received a 3.3million VAT refund when he imported his Bombardier Challenger 605 into the Isle of Man from Canada in 2013, according to the papers.

A number of people took to social media to criticise the Formula 1 star for his most recent actions.

Twitter user Jake Johnstone, said: "Lewis Hamilton likes to shout in the faces of kids to make them feel uncomfortable when they express themselves differently."

Another, SoozUK, attacked Mr Hamilton's apparent hypocrisy, posting a picture of him in effeminate clothing.

Critics attacked Mr Hamilton for 'humiliating' the child and trying to enforce heteronormative ideas of gender.

Newly released Government plans suggest drag queens be brought into nursery schools for storytelling sessions to teach children from the age of two about issues such as gender fluidity.

The Standard approached Mr Hamilton for comment.
P iers Morgan has revealed how he was "saved" from cancer thanks to an eagle-eyed viewer who noticed something unusual about his complexion.

The Good Morning Britain host, 52, was contacted by an expert in melanoma after they spotted a blemish on his chest while watching his ITV documentary Serial Killer earlier this year.

Mr Morgan sought medical advice shortly after receiving an email from expert Gillian Nuttall, founder of Melanoma UK, saying she had spotted an unusual mark just above his open-neck shirt.

According to the Independent, she wrote: "Piers, at the risk of sounding like a lunatic, I'm just watching your programme and there's a blemish on your chest. Have you had it checked?"

Upon receiving the email, Mr Morgan decided to book in with a top dermatologist, who told him the spot could have turned cancerous if left unchecked.

He said: "Much further delay, he informed me, and it might well have turned cancerous.

"Give that lady a gold star."

Ms Nuttall took to social media to explain what happened, writing: "He was interviewing a serial killer and I watched it - he had an open neck shirt on and it caught my eye.

"I stopped the TV and looked closely - it really bothered me so as I had his email, I thought 'quick shove in the right direction won't harm'."

Ms Nuttall founded Melanoma UK in 2007 with the aim of supporting patients who had been diagnosed with the deadly skin cancer.
The Romanian Police has conducted, in the past two weeks, over 200 searches to destructure organized crime groups, seizing or placing liens on drugs, money, IT equipment and other goods coming from criminal activity.

According to a release of the Romanian Police General Inspectorate (IGPR), on Tuesday, STIRIPESURSE.RO, in the December 6-20 period, 443 police officers specialized in fighting organized crime have acted to destructure organized crime groups specialized in human trafficking, online crime, drug trafficking, and money laundering.Police officers have organized 37 operative actions, during which 201 searches were conducted. During these actions, investigative activities were conducted to prove the criminal activity of 291 persons, of which 50 were detained or arrested, and one person was placed under judiciary control.Police officers seized 7,862 grams of cannabis, 40 seeds, as well as 133 pots containing cannabis plants, 6,200 grams cannabis buds, 9 doses of heroin, 22,703 vegetable mass, 90 envelopes of vegetable mass, 23 pills, as well as a shisha, 7 scales and 26 grinders.Furthermore, preventive measures were placed on 11 cars, 7 laptops, 9 computers, one video camera, 3 tablets, 107 mobile phones, 38 SIM cards, and one hard drive.The seizures also targeted 3 weapons, 279 rounds, 3 edged weapons, 60 kgs of coffee, 150,317 contraband cigarettes, 42 bottles of whisky, 518 boxes of fireworks, 4 bank cards, as well as 358,798 RON, 29,110 EUR, 1,140 USD, 2,545 GBP and 20 CHF.
In late 2017 Israel declared the modifications to the Iron Dome fire control system and the more advanced Adir system used on Saar corvettes to be ready for service. This upgrade effort began in early 2016 with tests that demonstrated Iron Dome could be operated from a ship or offshore platform. This version was called C-Dome. The late 2017 tests were to confirm that Iron Dome batteries on land could share target information with Saar class ships offshore. The late 2017 tests were done using a Saar 5 class corvette, which does not normally carry the C-Dome system. But the ability of ship based and land based Iron Dome systems to share information means that Saar class corvettes can be quickly moved to the north (near the Lebanese border) or south (the Gaza border) to provide additional Iron Dome radar coverage as well as the use of the ship based Barak 8 missiles. Iron Dome and C-Dome have a unique feature in which the radar system computes where the incoming rocket will land. If the rocket will not hit an inhabited (by ships, people or off-shore facility) area, it will be ignored. Otherwise, an interceptor missile will be fired.

Earlier in 2017 Israel revealed that it had modified the design of the four Saar 6 corvettes being built in Germany to improve their anti-missile capabilities. The modification adds two launchers (each with 20 Tamir missiles) used by the C-Dome. This will delay the date (now 2020) for the first Saar 6 to enter service. The other three will arrive at six month intervals. The latest change means the 2,000 ton Saar 6 will be armed with a 76mm cannon, a remotely operated 25mm autocannon, 32 VLS cells for Barak 8 air defense (against aircraft and missiles) missiles, C-Dome, 16 anti-ship missiles, two torpedo tubes and a helicopter (like the SH-60). The 90 meter (288 foot) ship has a max speed of 46 kilometers an hour, crew of 70 and enough fuel and crew supplies to remain at sea ten days at a time. The ships is equipped with an AESA radar like the one used for the American Aegis air defense system used on American warships. Both Barak 8 and C-Dome missiles have a range of 70 kilometers and use the same Israeli designed AESA radar and fire control system.

The Saar 6 ships will mainly guard the Mediterranean Coast, especially the offshore natural gas fields. Israel began pumping natural gas in 2013 from deposits discovered and developed since 2008. Israeli firms have found over $200 billion worth of oil and gas there so far. Israel is determined to use these finds to achieve energy independence by the end of the decade. But first the offshore facilities and pipelines have to be defended from terrorists and military threats. Some of the offshore gas wells are within range of rockets fired from Gaza or southern Lebanon (where Hezbollah does as it wants). The unguided rockets are not accurate enough to hit a gas well, unless dozens (or more) were fired at once. To make counter that tactic some of the offshore platforms will also be equipped with C-Dome batteries.
Algeria continues to side with Qatar in its feud with the other Gulf Arab oil states (and their allies, like Egypt and Israel). That means Algeria backs the UN faction in Libya while the UAE and most other Arab states back the Tobruk/Hiftar group. Actually Algeria was reluctant to back the UN approved government for Libya and that proved to be warranted when the Hiftar group abandoned the UN proposal and demanded that the UN come up with a more practical solution. This is a big deal for Algeria because of the long border they share with Libya. It is also a big deal for the UN, which considers Algeria the most successful North African nation when it comes to dealing with Islamic terrorism. Other nations in the region agree and Algeria regularly trains troops from other nations in counter-terrorism methods that worked in Algeria. Libya is another matter and after Hiftar rejected the UN peace plan Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia responded that they still backed the UN effort. That support is not permanent and Egypt has long supported Hiftar and still does. But the UN support includes the support of many Western donor nations who, for the moment, are not inclined to finance Hiftar (Russia, on the other hand, is). So the situation in Libya remains violent and flexible.

Algeria is considered the most pro-Iran country in North Africa and has always supported the Assad government in Syria. Algeria also opposes designating Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist organizations. That is apparently what is behind recent accusations that Algeria is allowing Hezbollah to secretly finance Hamas operations in Algeria. That sort of thing is unlikely because there are limits to what Algeria will do. For example in July the Hamas, which controls Gaza, admitted that it had asked Algeria for permission to open an office in Algeria to provide a sanctuary for some of their senior leaders. Algeria is still considering the request which is another way of saying no. Most Arab states, as well as the West, agree that Hamas is a terrorist organization. Algerians used to overlook that but things changed. As recently as 2009 Hamas was popular with many Algerians and open public support was common. Algerians still support the Palestinian people but Palestinian governments, especially Hamas, are another matter. The Algerian government has other reasons to want Hamas to stay away. This is partly because large, usually unauthorized demonstrations by young Algerians in support of Hamas tend to turn into anti-government demonstrations. Since 2009 Algerian attitudes have shifted and most young Algerians now agree with the rest of the world that Hamas is indeed just another Islamic terror group that wants to establish religious dictatorships and impose poverty and strict lifestyle rules on most everyone they can get to. Hamas had recently been expelled from Qatar, and before that from Syria. The Algerian government hoped Hamas would take the hint when their application to set up shop in Algeria was politely ignored. True to form Hamas is trying to bully Algeria (with implications that Algeria is not sufficiently anti-Semitic) into allowing Hamas in. It is still unclear if the government will formally give Hamas an answer or simply continue to ignore them. Algeria has always been unpredictable when it comes to foreign policy.

Algeria can afford to be unpredictable because they have oil and natural gas resources which are well managed (by African standards) and a military which is considered one of the most effective in Africa. Algeria spends 6.2 percent of GDP on defense and that has paid off because Islamic terrorists tend to avoid Algeria because it is a hostile and dangerous place for Islamic terrorists. The government does not send troops outside the country (for peacekeeping or whatever) and concentrates on keeping Algeria safe. That makes the security forces popular within the country and not likely to back a coup. But the military does support the corrupt and often inept government that has opposed foreign investment and free elections for half a century. If that does not change Algeria will, and not for the better.

Cashflow

The government reported that foreign currency reserves were $98 billion at the end of November. The government pledged earlier in 2017 to reverse the decline in foreign currency available to pay for imports. Foreign currency reserves were expected to end the year at about $97 billion and continue falling to about $85 billion at the end of 2018. The government inability to reform (suppress corruption) the economy quickly enough to reduce vulnerability to low oil prices becomes obvious when the foreign reserve situation is reported, as they must be (to placate foreign exporters and lenders). Foreign exchange reserves, essential to pay for imports, fell to $105 billion in mid-2017. This is not a new problem because foreign currency reserves were $193 billion in mid- 2014 and even then there were calls to cut non-essential imports. The government cut its budget 14 percent in 2017 in order to get the budget deficit down to 8 percent (versus 15 percent in 2016). Even so after five more years of this the foreign currency reserves will be less of a cushion and more of a threat because of all the additional budget cuts. Most of the problem is with administration of decisions already made. Despite the problems with oil income and government reforms GDP grew about two percent in 2017 and is headed for about four percent in 2018.

December 23, 2017: In the east (Skikda province, 500 kilometers from the capita) troops found and destroyed three Islamic terrorist bunkers and seized a solar panel (for charging electronics), 40 explosives and other equipment.

December 20, 2017: In the west (Tlemcen province) police arrested five suspected members of ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) who were planning attacks during New Years celebrations.

December 19, 2017: The government revealed that it has issued 226 international arrest warrants for Algerians (including 21 foreigners resident in Algeria) suspected of Islamic terrorist activity. Most of these suspects are operating in the Sahel region while most of the remainder are believed to be in Syria. The government has also been told that some Algerians who had been with ISIL in Syria had showed up in Afghanistan where ISIL is striving to establish a presence. That is not going well and those Algerians are likely to die in Afghanistan.

December 12, 2017: China put an Algerian communications satellite (built in China) into orbit. Called Alcomsat-1 it should last 15 years. This comes a month after Morocco put its first surveillance satellite into orbit. The 1.1 ton Mohammed VIA is based on a similar French earth observation satellite; Pleiades-HR. Another Moroccan satellite will be launched in 2018. This is part of a secret $590 million deal made with France in 2013. The new photo-satellites orbit 694 kilometers from the earth and will last at least five years. Algeria made the Alcomsat-1 deal with China in 2013.

December 8, 2017: In the east (Skikda province, 500 kilometers from the capita) troops found and destroyed two Islamic terrorist bunkers and seized four rifles, 230 rounds of ammo and some explosives.

November 30, 2017: The government donated $100 million to support the new G5 Sahel counter-terrorism force being organized to the south by France.

November 29, 2017: In the far south, near the town of Bordj Badji Mokhtar on the Mali border, troops found another batch of weapons and ammunition hidden by smugglers before movement into Mali or further north into populated areas of Algeria. This year the flow has been increasingly into Mali and this is the second such batch of weapons found near the border this month. The smugglers have to be more careful because of increased Algerian patrols along its southern borders and increased surveillance by French led counter-terror forces in northern Mali and similar areas to the east and west.

November 27, 2017: In the southeast (Illizi Province) the government sent another aid convoy to border towns where refugees from into Libya were living. Similar aid was sent to other border towns further north. There is not much government on the Libyan side of the border but Algeria supports Tuareg tribes that have clans on both sides of the border and still allows these Tuareg to freely move back and forth..
It's no secret that China has some of the strictest internet censorship laws in the world, and it's clamping down on anyone who helps circumvent the Great Firewall. A man in the southern part of the country has just been sentenced to five and a half years in jail for selling a VPN service without an appropriate license from the government.

Wu Xiangyang, from the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, was also fined 500,000 yuan ($76,405)---an amount equal to the profit he has made since starting the VPN four years ago, according to the newspaper of China's national prosecutor's office.

Wu allegedly sold virtual private network server access to the public via his own website, shopping site Taobao, and social media sites from 2013 until June 2017. He also sold customized routers that came read-configured to use the VPN.

In March last year, the company tweeted that 8000 foreigners and 5000 businesses used its services to access websites that are blocked by Chines authorities.

Although his sentence is more severe, Xiangyang isn't the first Chinese citizen jailed for selling unauthorized VPNs. In March, 26-year-old Deng Jiewei from the city of Dongguan in the Guangdong province was sent to prison for nine months for the same offense.

VPNs are popular among Chinese citizens looking to access services banned in the country, including Google, Facebook, and Twitter.

Back in July, China ordered the three biggest telecommunication companies to completely block access to all VPNs not registered with authorities by February 2018. The move followed the tightening of internet censorship laws that requires all audiovisual content adhere to "core socialist values." Later that same month, Apple removed a number of popular VPNs from its App Store in China.
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
Utahs Person of the Year himself. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Despite coming in second-to-last place in an informal community poll, Utah senator Orrin Hatch was awarded the title Utahn of the Year by the Salt Lake Tribune, which is given to the person who had the biggest impact  for good or for ill. According to the editorial, Hatch was recognized for his utter lack of integrity that rises from his unquenchable thirst for power, and yesterday afternoon, he took to Twitter to express his deep gratitude for the great Christmas honor. If youre wondering if he actually read the article, youre not alone.

Grateful for this great Christmas honor from the Salt Lake Tribune. For the record, I voted for @SpencerJCox and @rudygobert27. #utpol pic.twitter.com/7iFOBK6TWf  Orrin G. Hatch Foundation (@OrrinHatch) December 25, 2017

In Hatchs defense, the editorial acknowledges that he is the longest-serving Republican senator in U.S. history, that he has been a senator from Utah longer than three-fifths of the states population has been alive, though it clarifies that Hatchs designation has little to do with those accomplishments.

Along with referencing his dishonesty and his support for anti-environmental, antiNative American policies, the editorial board expressed that they eagerly await the day that Hatch is no longer in office.

It would be good for Utah if Hatch, having finally caught the Great White Whale of tax reform, were to call it a career, the editorial reads. If he doesnt, the voters should end it for him.

After Hatch tweeted his praise  and emphasized that he didnt vote for himself  Twitter users questioned the mans reading comprehension.

This is very, very funny. Read the article Hatch thinks is an "honor." Oh, boy. Guess he read this article as closely as GOP senators read the tax bill before voting for it.https://t.co/ke56eUuAUy https://t.co/QvpmtXy9xu  David Corn (@DavidCornDC) December 26, 2017

Insane -- Orrin Hatch thanks his hometown paper for its editorial -- which he evidently didn't read --in which it actually urges him to retire and slams him for "his utter lack of integrity that rises from his unquenchable thirst for power." https://t.co/fejsHh9mb1 https://t.co/rUv2IIlvqs  Steven Greenhouse (@greenhousenyt) December 26, 2017

According to Matt Whitlock, Hatchs spokesperson who spoke to the New York Times, Hatchs response was apparently supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, which isnt totally surprising. As evidenced by his medical-marijuana bill, the 83-year-old senator loves to make a joke.

This post has been updated to include the statement from Orrin Hatchs spokesperson.
Steve Mnuchin. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Shortly before Christmas, a Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad was deployed to Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchins house to inspect a suspicious gift-wrapped package  which turned out to be filled with horse poop. Now, a man claiming to be the poop-gifter is speaking out, saying that it was an act of political theater.

Los Angelesbased psychologist Robby Strong reportedly provided AL.com with strong evidence suggesting that he is the brave soul who left the horse-manure package outside of the real-life Bond villains Bel-Air estate. He also posted several pictures to his Facebook page on Saturday, including images of himself with manure, a box full of manure, and an image of the package outside of a mansion.

Strong told AL.com that the package was meant as a prank, and also a means to raise awareness about how the Republicans have done nothing for the American worker. Per AL.com:

The thing I live by is a rule of transparency and I was exercising my First Amendment rights, Strong told AL.com. A few years ago when [a Supreme Court ruling] said that corporations are persons and money equals free speech, that is so absurd and my rule of thumb is now that if corporations are free speech, then so is horses***t.

The man claims that the Secret Service showed up at his house on Sunday to interview him, though they did not make any arrests. Strong also stressed that the prank was not dangerous  It was a gift-wrapped package of poo, something a frat boy may do to another frat boy, he said  and explained that he dropped off the package himself because there are restrictions on mailing manure. Is there a law that you cant drop off a box of poo? Not really, Strong added.
Photo: H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images

A few months ago I was on the phone with the editor-in-chief of a womens health magazine  she was interviewing me for a short-term editing job  and I was feeling good. We had never spoken before, but were around the same age and working in the same corner of journalism, and we seemed to get each other. We clicked. And then, just as I was silently congratulating myself on not coming across as socially inept, it happened.

Theres just so fucking much we have to deliver, and we could really use some help.

In that moment, I knew that whatever easy rapport we had enjoyed was about to get weird. Not because I was offended in any way  but because of my forking inability to swear.

For as long as I can remember, Ive been unable to convincingly curse. If I attempt to curse around people who know me well, they either lovingly laugh in an oh, honey kind of way or seem genuinely concerned about my mental health. And if Im chatting with a new friend or colleague and they start dropping F-bombs, I freeze up like Im Steve Carells character in The 40-Year-Old Virgin being asked about his sexual escapades  I know I wont be able to reciprocate, and I fear I will be found out. Its like Im in high school all over again.

The rest of the call went fine, I guess, but as I heard the self-assurance drain out of my voice, it occurred to me: Was I paying a price  personally and professionally  for talking like Ned Flanders?

*

In her new book Swearing Is Good for You: The Amazing Science of Bad Language, author Emma Byrne makes a strong case that, at least to some extent, the answer is yes. The British scientist writes in the books introduction that swearing is socially and emotionally essential and beneficial to us both as individuals and as a species. Swearing is so fundamental to human expression, she reveals, that even people with neurological conditions that cause them to lose the ability to speak regular words are still able to swear. Swearing can offer emotional catharsis and improve productivity. Her hope, she writes, is that we might give it the respect it fucking deserves.

Research has linked cursing to everything from intelligence to authenticity to a greater ability to withstand pain.

Byrnes book is just the latest evidence that were moving toward a more cursing-positive culture. Over the past few years, a growing body of pro-swearing research has suggested cursing can be linked to everything from intelligence to authenticity to a greater ability to withstand pain. (What the fuck?, said me, never.) When Democratic senator Kirsten Gillibrand swore during a speech in June, she was applauded for capturing her supporters rage. A slew of recent books with curse words in their title have hit best-seller lists, from The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck to You Are a Badass and the phenomenon that was Go the F**k to Sleep. Even the notoriously curse-averse New York Times recently ran a piece that made the case for cursing.

But the development that intrigues me most, and that Byrne discusses in colorful detail in her book, is a series of studies showing how swearing can fuel intimacy and bonding  and make you more likable. Byrne, who works by day in a male-dominated tech job, says that for her, swearing is a necessary rite of passage when she joins a new company. And shes not alone. From the factory floor to the operating theatre, scientists have shown that teams who share a vulgar lexicon tend to work more effectively together, feel closer, and be more productive than those who dont, she writes. One study, based out of New Zealand, explored how factory workers exchange fucks in a complex code of politeness. A study published earlier this year backs up this and other research, suggesting swearing with colleagues can help create a sense of belonging, mutual trust, group affiliation  and cohesion.

Of course, Ive observed firsthand how swearing can be a powerful tool for signaling to someone, I feel you. Swearing allows us to demonstrate this sort of wider emotional repertoire in our language, Byrne told me when we spoke. (She was sympathetic to my reservations.) When youre not swearing at someone, when youre not being abusive toward them, youre sending a very subtle signal about your emotional state. And when you dont return a friendly swear, Byrne said, Its weirdly like not reciprocating a hug, isnt it?

When I spoke with Michael Adams, author of the 2016 book In Praise of Profanity and an English professor at Indiana University, he confirmed that swearing can be a powerful interpersonal bonding tool, in part because it does still carry some social risk  its still a little bit taboo  so it imparts a feeling of trust in whomever youre swearing with. People often swear to fit in or show solidarity, he says  and it works. It reassures people that you are thinking the way theyre thinking.

So why is swearing so freaking difficult for me? According to Byrne, every persons individual comfort level with swearing can be attributed to a complex cocktail of personality and environment. My discomfort runs so deep that when my editor suggested I try casually cursing around friends and family for this article, the very thought of it made my entire body tense up with anxiety. When I finally succeeded in dropping some fucks into a conversation with my husband (I did have some fucks to give), he gently told me I sounded like I was auditioning for a part in a play. Its just not me.

I grew up in the South, in a conservative community where swearing in public was a serious offense. One time in the fourth grade, a kid said the f-word during recess and someone tattled on him. To determine his guilt, our teacher asked everyone who overheard the crime to write down the word on a scrap of paper. The message was clear: The word was so offensive we couldnt dare utter it out loud.

There wasnt much swearing in my house, either. On top of all this, Im a pretty measured person who, Ive been told, presents pretty wholesomely. I feel things passionately, but I express myself carefully. I dont feel like Im repressing anything, but I wouldnt blame someone for assuming that. The boldest thing about my presentation is an occasional bold lip. Perhaps this is why, when I told my mom I was writing this article, she confessed that, knowing Im not a swearer, she had been holding her tongue around me my entire adult life.

*

Our swearing styles are deeply influenced by our particular circumstances, Byrne told me  by time and place and class and gender and all the rest of it.

Oh, right  theres also my gender.

Perhaps more than swearings power to help one withstand pain or even bond, its Byrnes revelations about swearing and gender that make me want to try just a little bit harder to curse: Thanks to a long and sexist history, researchers told Byrne, for women, swearing is still somehow seen as a gender transgressive act.

For centuries, men and women both swore with abandon. But the early 18th century saw a major cultural shift in gender-based expression, writes Byrne, during which men were conditioned to communicate with power and women with purity. Influential commentators at the time encouraged women to adopt a clean style of language, shunning taboo words  especially those that related to bodily functions  on pain of social exclusion and the threat of an eternity in hell. But by holding onto the right to swear, Byrne writes, men also held on to the power to express a much wider range of emotional states. Meanwhile, those insisting that womens language should be pure managed to rip the most powerful linguistic tool out of [our] hands (and mouths and minds).

While research suggests the percentage of women who swear is on the rise, these attitudes persist even today. There is still this belief that an important part of womanhood  an important feminine value  is our purity, our innocence, our lack of worldliness. Which, when you think about it, is really fucked up, says Bryne. And its just so pervasive  When a woman swears, when a woman loses her temper, when a woman demonstrates aggression, she somehow loses woman points.

Probably more than I realize, Ive absorbed the cultural message that, as a woman, I should be nice and polite. That I should tone myself down. That good girls dont use bad words. But I now know that when women swear  when Kirsten Gillibrand says fuck at a conference or Sarah Silverman sings the word cunt  were using the words for the same entirely human reasons everyone else does. We swear to bond, we swear to show support and feel supported, we swear to feel emotional release and better withstand pain.

Perhaps I really should force myself to swear more. But if theres one lesson Ive learned from Byrne, its that for swearing to be effective, for it to truly help you win friends and influence people and experience catharsis and come across as authentic, it has to actually be authentic. Trying to swear for swearings sake  the empathy may be real, but it will come across as totally fake, says Byrne. That, I know well. So friends, future employers, Mom  please (please!) dont hold back around me. Know that I feel you. Im still learning how to use my curse words. And in the meantime, I just cant forking fake it.
A file image of a United Airlines ticket agent helping a customer rebook a flight that was canceled due to weather at San Francisco International Airport, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Airline Apologizes for Bumping Passenger in Favor of Texan Politician

United Airlines told media on Monday that it has apologized to a passenger who claimed the airline gave her first-class seat to a politician from Texas.

A United Airlines spokesperson told NY Daily that the airline has apologized to passenger Jean-Marie Simon and has given her a $500 travel voucher.

Simon said the airline gave her first class seat to U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat while she was given a seat in Economy Plus on a Dec. 18 flight. She also said that the airline threatened to throw her off the plane when she started to object and had taken a photo of the Jackson Lee sitting in the first-class seat.

It was just so completely humiliating, Simon told the Houston Chronicle.

Responding to Mondays report, Simon said via Facebook that the

Whether Simon has received a written apology that she had earlier demanded from the airline remains unclear.

Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) in seat 1A the one I paid for dearly, and the one United gave to her without my consent or knowledge! Fellow congressman on same flight said she does it repeatedly. @united pic.twitter.com/Q2c6u6B0Yp  Jean-Marie Simon (@JeanMarieSimon1) December 23, 2017

Following the incident, Simon posted the image of Jackson Lee in the seat and made her complaints public via Twitter and Facebook, and media attention ensued.

She claimed Jackson Lee had 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 Airlines said in a statement reported the Houston Chronicle. 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.

According to Simon, she was contacted several days after the flight by a resolution manager from United Airlines who apologized at least a half-dozen times, reported the Houston Chronicle.

Simon told the newspaper that she wants a formal, written apology from the airline.

In part of a detailed Facebook post about what occurred, Simon said the airline repeatedly lied to her.

They put Jackson Lee on the plane and then tried to blame it on a late incoming flight, another airline, my cell phone, united.com, Global Services, and on everybody but the United employee who deliberately erased my seat, my ticket, and my name from the system in order to accommodate a member of Congress who repeatedly bullies his/her way into favored status, Simon wrote.

Following the incident, Jackson Lee said in a statement: I asked for nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary and received nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary.

From NTD.tv

2017 Year in Review
A Border Patrol agent leads an illegal alien out from the brush after capturing him near the U.S.Mexico border at La Grulla, Texas, on Dec. 10, 2015. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Border Patrol: Assaulted on the Front Line

Assaults on Border Patrol agents up 73 percent in 2017, prosecutions low

WASHINGTONBorder Patrol agents routinely face drug traffickers, cartel and gang members, human smugglers, and other criminals crossing illegally into the United States. They get rocks thrown at them; theyre shot at, punched, kicked, and beaten.

The agents are the first line of defense against the illegal flow of people and contrabandmost of which crosses the 2,000-mile southwest border.

And assaults against agents are shooting upward as the border tightens and people get more desperate to evade Border Patrol.

Assaults increased along the border by 73 percent in fiscal year 2017, with 786 cases of assault on a Border Patrol agent reported, compared with 454 in fiscal 2016.

The Rio Grande Valley Sector in Texas is the most dangerous for agents, with 357 assaults recorded in fiscal 2017 up to the end of Augustalmost triple the number there in fiscal 2016 (134 assaults).

Customs and Border Protection (CBP), under which the Border Patrol sits, was reticent about the reason for the spike. We wont speculate as to the cause for the increase, a spokesperson said.

However, Chris Cabrera, Border Patrol agent in the Rio Grande Valley and spokesman for the National Border Patrol Council, said he sees several factors behind the increase.

One is a lack of manpower.

The Rio Grande Valley sector has the highest flow of illegal crossings in the country. In fiscal 2017, the vast majority of the almost 304,000 illegal border crossers came through this sector. Many of them were classified as unaccompanied minors and family units (at least one adult and one child), who seek out the Border Patrol so they can be processed as asylum cases and gain entry to the United States.

Many agents are being pulled into the station to process these unaccompanied [minors], and women and children that are coming across, so we dont have as big of a footprint out in the field than what wed like to have, Cabrera said.

Agents often work alone in the field, but they remain in constant communication and request backup whenever theyre responding to activity.

The current 19,437 agents is well short of the 21,370 congressionally mandated positions, and President Donald Trump wants an extra 500 agents in 2018 on top of that. He has earmarked $300 million in his fiscal 2018 budget to recruit, hire, and train 500 new Border Patrol agents. The fiscal 2017 budget for Border Patrol was $3.8 billion.

Although the total number of illegal border crossings are lower this yearmostly due to the Trump administrations focus on stopping illegal immigrationthe numbers since May have steadily climbed back up to similar levels seen in the last several years.

Cabrera said in a congressional testimony in March 2015, that at best, we apprehend 35 percent to 40 percent of the illegal immigrants attempting to cross. This number is even lower for drug smugglers, who are much more adept at eluding capture.

He said last week that he believes that percentage hasnt yet increased.

Justice System

Although more boots on the ground would make a big difference, Cabreras main beef is with the justice system for not cracking down on those who do assault agents.

The assistant U.S. attorneys are pretty soft on criminals who assault our agents, he said. So they choose to assault our agents because they know theyre not going to face any jail time if they do.

Assaults on Border Patrol agents are investigated by the FBI, who present the cases to the relevant assistant U.S. attorneys.

The 2016 statistics from the FBI show that 476 suspects were identified in 503 assaults on all Department of Homeland Security officers (including Border Patrol, Secret Service, and CBP).

Of the 476, only 19 had dispositional information available. Of the 19 suspects, seven were awaiting trial; four were fugitives; four were found guilty; three had their prosecutions declined; and one was found not guilty or had their charges dismissed. The FBI did not respond to questions about the remaining 457 suspects.

In fiscal 2017, the number of offenders referred to prosecution was much higher (184 out of 403 alleged perpetrators), according to CBP numbers.

In the Rio Grande Valley, where 357 assaults were reported in fiscal 2017, a total of 26 defendants faced charges in the Texas Southern district, according to a Justice Department official.

Much of the discrepancy between assault numbers and prosecution numbers has to do with cases in which the assault occurs and the suspect then flees back to Mexico, according to a source familiar with assaults on federal law enforcement and prosecutions.

If they are never apprehended, its impossible to prosecute. Further, if they do attempt to return, theres a high likelihood that well never know that they committed said assault, which decreases the likelihood for that charge, the source said. There are also instances where federal prosecutors have multiple charges that they can bring on the defendant, but possibly cant meet the burden of proof on the assault, so that will be dropped.

A Justice Department official said the department is looking at ways to increase collaboration and communication with CBP.

In April, during a visit to Nogales, Arizona, Attorney General Jeff Sessions told CBP employees that the administration has their back.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I have directed that all 94 U.S. Attorneys offices make the prosecution of assault on a federal law enforcement officerthats all of youa top priority, Sessions said on April 11. If someone dares to assault one of our folks in the line of duty, they will do federal time for it.

The maximum penalty is eight years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

But Cabrera said Sessionss message hasnt filtered down to the Rio Grande Valley yet.

He put it out there. Apparently, for whatever reason, its not being enforced. It is little by little, but not nearly the way it should, Cabrera said.

Its like pulling teeth with these [prosecutors]; they dont want to take these cases because theres not enough blood or theres not enough damage to the agent. There doesnt have to be a required amount of blood or broken bones or missing teeth for them to prosecute.

He said heavily prosecuting people who assault agents would act as a deterrent.

If you know youre going to spend a year in jail for putting your hands on a Border Patrol agentor any federal agent for that matteryoull think twice before you do it, he said.

Use of Force

Although assaults on Border Patrol are up, agents are using less force than in previous years.

The number of incidents of Border Patrol agents using forceincluding a firearm or less-lethal devices such as batons or pepper sprayare down from 519 incidents in fiscal 2016 to 398 in fiscal 2017. Agents used a firearm 17 times in fiscal 2017, much fewer than the 55 shots fired in fiscal year 2012.

The Rio Grande Valley and Tucson, Arizona, sectors are the most dangerous.

In the Line of Duty

Its a frightening feeling when one of your coworkers is murdered, said Border Patrol agent Chris Cabrera. Its nothing that anybody wants to go through, especially with the family and the holidays are right upon us. But  we do the best we can to make sure that we all come home safe at the end of the night.

A Murder

Agent Rogelio Martinez was killed and his partner was seriously injured while responding to activity in Big Bend Sector on Nov. 18. Both agents sustained traumatic head injuries, along with other miscellaneous physical injuries. Martinez died early the next morning, on Nov. 19.

The FBI is investigating the incident, and a search warrant suggests the two agents may have been assaulted by illegal aliens with rocks.

Assault in Arizona

On Thanksgiving Day, an agent from the Casa Grande Station was assaulted by a 17-year-old male Mexican national near Vamori, Arizona.

The agent was working alone when he encountered three male Mexican nationals south of Sells, Arizona, early that evening, according to a press statement. While attempting to detain the group, the teen became combative, forcing the agent to use his pepper spray to complete the arrest.

Assault in Texas

On Oct. 27, Miguel Cabrera-Rangel was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for assaulting a federal agent in the Rio Grande Valley.

While a Border Patrol agent was investigating a report of possible illegal aliens on a ranch near Hebbronville, he came upon a group of aliens and attempted to apprehend them. Cabrera-Rangel was one of them and engaged in a struggle with the agent, ultimately gaining control of his service flashlight. Cabrera-Rangel then punched the agent in the face and struck him with the flashlight, causing a bilateral fracture of the nose along with lacerations and contusions.

Cabrera-Rangel will face deportation proceedings after serving his time.

Deadly Weapon

On Oct. 19, a resident of Benavides, Texas, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for assaulting a Border Patrol agent by use of a deadly or dangerous weapon.

Oscar David Gonzalez II, 24, used the car he was driving to intentionally smash into the drivers door of a Border Patrol car while attempting to evade arrest.

Assault Requiring Surgery

On Oct. 23, illegal alien Roman Sanchez-Rivera, 27, was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison for assaulting and injuring a Border Patrol agent. He was also ordered to pay $21,610.14 in restitution to the Department of Labor.

Agents encountered Sanchez-Rivera and other illegal aliens in the brush near Encinal, Texas. The aliens ran but were soon apprehended. During the arrest, Sanchez-Rivera punched one of the agents in the face, causing injuries. He also forced an intense physical struggle that resulted in serious injuries to one of the agents knees, which required surgery.

Sanchez-Rivera will face deportation proceedings after serving his time.

Melania Trumps First Year as First Lady
British Woman Sentenced in Egypt to 3 Years in Jail for Smuggling Painkillers

CAIROAn Egyptian court sentenced a British woman to three years in prison on Tuesday for smuggling around 300 painkiller tablets into the country, in a ruling her defence team said she would appeal to have overturned or commuted.

Laura Plummer, a 33-year-old shop worker from Hull, was arrested in October after the Tramadol tablets were found in her suitcase. Her family told British newspapers she bought the tablets for her Egyptian partner living in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

Plummer attended a hearing in her case on Monday, before Tuesdays sentencing. The court also ruled that she must pay a fine of 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($5,600).

Tramadol is a legal, prescription medicine in Britain, but it is banned in Egypt. Plummer was arrested on arrival from Britain in October, and her detention was extended twice prior to her court appearance.

Briton Laura Plummer, arrested, cld face 25 yrs in prison after flying into Egypt with 25 worth of painkiller Tramadol for husbands back pic.twitter.com/Eor6qerlHZ  Zora Suleman (@ZoraSuleman) November 3, 2017

Plummers family said on Tuesday they were disgusted by the way the trial had been conducted.

From day one, this has been a complete nightmare. Yesterday in the court she wasnt even allowed her own interpreter. She had to get the courts interpreter who was interpreting the wrong answers, her sister Jayne Synclair said, speaking on BBC television.

The family said Plummer had also been forced to sign Arabic-language documents which she did not understand.

Shes on the verge of a mental breakdown  Its just horrendous, her sister said.

Her lawyer said Plummer would appeal, seeking to reverse the verdict or get a commuted sentence, which is possible in the two months after sentencing. He added that she did not know Tramadol was banned in Egypt.

Speaking to the court on behalf of Plummer, the lawyer, said she had no criminal intent in bringing in the painkillers.

British tourist Laura Plummer, 33, weeps in court after telling judge she DID bring drugs into Egypt https://t.co/1RvlQJ9rDh pic.twitter.com/qAmNMsUB13  Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) December 25, 2017

On Monday the lawyer, Mohamed Othman, told Reuters: It is illogical that she was dealing in Tramadol. She had only 320 pills. Even the plane ticket is almost double the price of those pills.

A spokesman from Britains Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: We will continue to provide assistance to Laura and her family following the court ruling in Egypt, and our embassy is in regular contact with the Egyptian authorities.

2017 Year in Review
Chicago Man Who Noticed Bad Smell Didnt Know Wife Was Dead

A Chicago man claimed he was unaware that his wife was dead in the apartment they shared despite noticing a foul odor coming from her locked bedroom for a month.

Cook County prosecutors said on Friday, Dec. 22 that if the husband, Steven Seiler, had bothered to look inside her room, he would have noticed his wifes naked body covered by a pile of blankets and a blue tarp, reported Chicago Sun-Times.

Tamara Wilson, 58, was dead for at least four days before police discovered her badly decomposed body at their Uptown apartment on Sunday, Dec. 10 when they responded to a wellness check, according to the Cook County Medical Examiners Office. The office is awaiting results of a toxicology test to determine how she died.

Seiler, 60, told police that he didnt know his wife had passed until he got a call from his daughter.

Authorities noticed bodily fluids smeared all over the apartment and a rotting stench when they forced opened Wilsons locked bedroom door, Assistant States Attorney Julia Ramirez told the newspaper.

When the 60-year-old returned back to the apartment, he was arrested and charged with concealing a death on Tuesday, Dec. 19, implying that police believed he might have known about her death sooner, reported the newspaper. He was found to be carrying Wilsons state ID, Social Security Card, debit card, birth certificate and wedding ring on the day of arrest.

He was released on electronic monitoring, as per orders from Judge David Navarro on Dec. 22.

According to Seilers version of events, he noticed a smell coming from his wifes bedroom by Nov. 24 when he went to use her debit card to buy a gold coin online, reported Chicago Sun-Times citing Ramirez. The smell presumably wouldnt have improved on Dec. 1 when he allegedly sold the coin at a pawn shop.

Ramirez said Seiler was seen on security cameras checking the mail for five days in a row prior to police discovering his wifes body.

The couples relationship had not been smooth sailing. In October this year, Seiler had pleaded guilty to domestic battery charges for assaulting her and was barred, under a protective order, from entering their apartment while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the prosecutor said.

Chicago Police records show that Seiler had a history of abuse.

In 2009, Wilson won $120,000 from her husband in a civil lawsuit related to another domestic violence occurrence. A few months prior to her death, Wilson had taken Seilers inheritance check and had given it to her lawyer, reported Chicago Sun-Times.

The couple has been married since 2014 and has a 22-year-old daughter, reported the newspaper, citing Ramirez.

2017 Year in Review

From NTD.tv
Moroccan security services arrested four terror suspects in the region of Souss-Massa, two of them were students at the Islamic Studies School.

The suspects were arrested by Moroccos counter-terrorism agency, the Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) in the cities of Inezgane, Ait Melloul and Chtouka-Ait Baha.

In 2017, the BCIJ busted nine terror cells and arrested 189 extremists and 20 returning foreign fighters.

The total number of terrorist cells dismantled in Morocco since the creation of the BCIJ in 2015 amounted to 49 cells plotting to carry out attacks across the Kingdom.
Chinese Official Sentenced for Corruption Guilty of Violating Human Rights

The latest official to be sentenced for corruption in China has even more egregious crimes in his history.

Chinese leader Xi Jinpings anti-corruption campaign has snagged Wu Sha, the former police chief and party secretary for the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission in Guangzhou City. On Dec. 22, Wu was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for bribery, according to Guangzhou Cankao, a state-run publication in the southern Chinese metropolis.

The Chinese Communist Partys anti-corruption agency found him guilty of accepting bribes totaling 10 million yuan ($1.5 million), in addition to exchanging money and sex for power and gambling using fake IDs. The agency announced an investigation into Wu in Nov. 2015, just before he reached the official retirement age.

Between 2003 to 2014, he also took plane flights for vacations abroad that were paid for by local companies.

Employed within the Partys security apparatus for more than a decade, Wu is also guilty of carrying out the persecution of Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, a spiritual discipline that the Chinese regime has banned and violently suppressed since 1999. Based on Buddhist and Daoist moral teachings centered on truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, the practice grew in popularity during the 1990s. A state survey estimated 70 million adherents by 1999, though Falun Gong practitioners put the number at 100 million.

Perceiving its popularity to be a threat to the Partys ideology, former Party leader Jiang Zemin launched a nationwide persecution. Millions of practitioners have been arrested and detained, and subjected to torture, brainwashing, and forced labor while imprisoned, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center, the press office for Falun Gong.

Under Jiangs rule, the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission became a powerful institution that oversaw all aspects of a local areas security apparatus. As head of this office in Guangzhou since 2006, Wu was in charge of rounding up local Falun Gong practitioners. During the same period, Wu was also the Guangzhou police chief.

Minghui.org, a U.S. based website that documents the persecution of Falun Gong in China, has evidence of several Guangzhou practitioners who faced persecution while Wu was in power. One couple, Ma Minqing and his wife Zheng Jieer, were repeatedly harassed and chased by local police at Yuexiu District and had to live on the run. Zheng was abducted by police in July 2006 and sentenced to two years at the Chatou Labor Camp.

While Ma was out shopping in Oct. 2006, he was abducted by police and later sentenced to seven years imprisonment. He was detained at the Shihui County Prison.

In May 2007, Li Fangsong, a Falun Gong practitioner who worked as a party cadre in the Guangdong provincial public security office, was abducted by the local 610 Office, a Party organization created by Jiang Zemin specifically to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. Li was detained at a local brainwashing center, where practitioners are subjected to psychological abuse in an attempt to coerce them into giving up their faith.

The nonprofit, World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG), also listed Wu Sha as a perpetrator of human rights crimes. In Nov. 2013, Zhao Tianrong, manager at a software company in Guangzhou, was abducted by police at his workplace. He was arrested for creating and distributing DVDs that detailed the persecution, according to Minghui.org. A show trial was held in May 2014. Two months later, Zhao received a sentence of four years imprisonment by the Shunde District Court. WOIPFG listed Wu as the main official responsible for Zhaos arrest and treatment.

Fang Xiao contributed to this report.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the Pyongyang Bio-technical Institute in a photo experts say reveals equipment that could be used to produce anthrax. (North Korean state media)

North Korean Soldier Who Defected Was Immune to Anthrax

A North Korean soldier who defected to the South has been tested and found to have antibodies to anthrax  sparking fears that the rogue regime may have weaponized the deadly disease.

The soldier, who was either exposed to or vaccinated against anthrax, had developed the immunity before defecting according to South Korean authorities, reported UPI, citing a South Korean news report.

Anthrax antibodies have been found in the North Korean soldier who defected this year, a South Korean intelligence official told the local news network, Channel A, on the condition of anonymity.

The official did not identify which of the four soldiers who fled the north this year had the antibodies, reported New York Post.

South Koreans are worried about the discovery of the antibodies because the disease can kill at least 80 percent of those who are exposed to the bacterium in 24 hours unless antibiotics are taken or vaccination is available, reported UPI. The South Korean military has yet to procure an anthrax vaccine.

According to the countrys Defense Ministry spokeswoman, Choi Hyun-soo, an anthrax vaccine for the South Korean military is expected to be developed by the end of 2019, the news station reported.

North Korea is suspected to be developing biological weapons. A number of reports have emerged that the isolated regime has begun testing an anthrax-loaded warhead for its intercontinental ballistic missile after Japans Asahi Shimbun newspaper quoted an anonymous intelligence source in Seoul.

According to the Japanese source, North Korea is carrying out heat and pressure tests meant to mimic what a warhead would undergo as it descended to the earth during the final stage of its trajectory.

The tests are meant to determine whether anthrax germs can survive at temperatures up to and above 7,000 degrees. That is the temperature an ICBMs warhead can reach as it streaks through the atmosphere on its descent.

North Korea has vehemently denied the allegations, but past intelligence reports on the hermit nation reveal agricultural facilities with the dual-use potential to produce anthrax.

In an October report, The Belfer Center at Harvards Kennedy School summarized evidence that North Korea has a biological weapons program capable of producing anthrax, smallpox, and other biological agents. The regime may already possess 13 biological agents, ranging from botulism and cholera to the plague, claimed the report.

Experts say that North Koreas drive to create biological pesticides and fertilizers may provide the facilities as well as a cover for a biological weapons program.

Propaganda photos of the Pyongyang Bio-technical Institute released by the North Korean state media in 2015 revealed that the Pyongyang Bio-technical Institute could produce military-sized batches of [biological weapons], specifically anthrax, read the Belfer report.

Matthew Little contributed to this report.

2017 Year in Review

From NTD.tv
This saltwater crocodile was found in suburban Melbourne, a location that is definitely not part of its typical natural habitat. (Victorian Police)

Discovery of Crocodile in Melbourne Suburb Has Police Baffled

A saltwater crocodile was found wandering in suburban Melbourne on Christmas day and nobody has any idea how it got there.

The crocodile was first found by a couple of walkers out the front of a business address in the suburb of Heidelberg Heights  a location no where near its natural habitat that is typically a lot more tropical.

The closest location that a saltwater crocodile should be in relation to southeastern Melbourne is some 1,230 miles (1,976km) away in Australias tropical north. They are definitely not kept as pets.

Understandably police were initially skeptical, until they realized it wasnt a hoax.

Its not known where the croc came from or how it came to be [in] the front yard of the closed business, said Victorian police in a statement.

Two walkers have had a surprise Christmas visitor  a one metre-long crocodile sitting in the front yard of a Heidelberg Heights property. #7News pic.twitter.com/7i7Pq6LAtU  7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) December 25, 2017

The police called in Mark Pelly, a reptile expert, to deal with the situation.

Pelly told radio station 3AW he got a call from the police saying: theres a crocodile walking the streets and its currently outside a medical center.

Despite being phoned on Christmas day, Pelly was more than happy to help out.

The one-metre long crocodile was discovered at a Waiora Road home around 8:30pm last night. Police are yet to discover where it came from. #7News pic.twitter.com/zkf30Q90ky  7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) December 26, 2017

This is a phone call Ive always been waiting for, Pelly told 3AW. I found five police members being stared down by a decent sized crocodile, about three-and-a-half foot, and the crocodile wouldnt back down.

To catch the reptile, he had a friend try and distract it while he attempted to put something over its eyes.

But the crocodile had other ideas.

[T]he crocodile was a bit too smart for the both of us and decided to run off into the bush, Pelley said.

Snake catcher Mark Pelley describes the struggle to capture the crocodile as it tried to make its escape. The reptile will remain in his care until the @DELWP_Vic can collect it. #7News pic.twitter.com/JDIRH0bsHl  7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) December 26, 2017

Pelley leaped forward to grab the crocodile by tail, allowing him to pick it up and put it into a box.

Victorian police said the crocodile will remain with Pelly until the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning can collect it.

A male saltwater crocodile grows on average up to 4.9 meters (16.1 feet) in length. Commonly known in Australia as salties, there are an estimated 100,000 of them in the countrys tropical north. In the past ten years there have been six fatal crocodile attacks in the country. Two of those attacks were this year, reported the ABC.

The power in a crocodile's tail pic.twitter.com/3QJd9X1lrY  Fascinating things (@YupThatExist) December 24, 2017

From NTD.tv
Doctors in Miami are to perform extensive surgery on the face of a 14-year-old boy from Cuba by removing a large, 10-pound tumor that threatens to suffocate the child or break his neck.

Its life-threatening by its very weight, said Dr. Robert Marx, chief of oral and maxillofacial surgery at University of Miami Health System, explained at a news conference on Friday, Dec. 22, CBS reported.

If nothing is done it will cause a fracture of his neck or it will suffocate him from breathing just by its physical size.

UHealth experts to perform surgery on Cuban teenager with 10-pound facial tumor. https://t.co/h9rPAtKw4W pic.twitter.com/KyB06oBm51  Miller Medicine (@umiamimedicine) December 22, 2017

At birth, Emanuel Zayas was diagnosed with a rare disorder called polyostotic fibrous dysplasia. This is a condition that replaces bone with fibrous tissue and may cause fractures and deformity of the legs, arms, and skull.

Emanual reportedly began his struggle with the disease when he was just two years old. His left arm and leg were the first parts of his body to be affected by the condition.

It is reported that the boys condition worsened over time. But it was at age 11, when a pimple on the boys face was diagnosed as ossifying fibroma, that his current ordeal began.

Over the course of three years, the pimple swelled in size more and more, growing over the childs entire face. The bone structure of his upper jaw and nose have been affected most severely. Emanuel reportedly can only breathe through his mouth and has a hard time eating, and so is extremely malnourished.

The tumor, which doctors say is benign, now weighs approximately 10 pounds.

His dad says the tumor started as a pimple when the boy hit puberty and grew quickly over a few months https://t.co/nxQMnbPXwN  New York Post (@nypost) December 24, 2017

Dr. Marx is one of the few specialists in the country who operates extreme size tumors and has considerable experience treating similar conditions. He learned of the childs plight about two months ago and offered to help.

Dr. Marx was reportedly part of a surgical team that operated on a Haitian woman, Marlie Casseus (watch the documentary below), who had a 16-pound tumor removed from her face at Jackson Memorial in 2005.

The boy is scheduled to undergo his first surgery in January at Holtz Childrens Hospital at the University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Medical Center.

It is truly a miracle of God that his pictures ended in the hands of Dr. Marx, said Melvis Vizcaino, Emanuels mother, CBS reported. I am so grateful he was willing to take the case. He and everyone at Jackson has shown us so much compassion.

Emanuels father told reporters he, too, is thankful for the possibility to help his son.

I thank God for the opportunity to come here. Im grateful for these wonderful doctors, he reportedly said.

The boy and his parents, father Noel Zayas and mother Melvis Vizaino, arrived in Miami from Cuba about three weeks ago on a medical visa, Miami Herald reported.

The family has been staying at a local Ronald McDonald House, where Vizaino told Miami Herald the staff has made them feel welcome.

The children always have activities there, she told reporters, and added that her son likes to build Lego toys, solve puzzles and watch cartoons.

The Jan. 12 procedure is expected to last 10 to 14 hours. Several months later, the child will likely undergo a second surgery, in which the surgical team will use bone from his hip to reconstruct part of his cheekbone, upper jaw, and nose.

Jackson Health Foundations IKF Wonderfund is raising funds to provide medical care for the family. Donations can be made online at www.jacksonhealthfoundation.org/emanuel.

Extraordinary People The Girl With A New Face part 1:

Extraordinary People The Girl With A New Face part 2:

Extraordinary People The Girl With A New Face part 3:
A man who stole Christmas decorations from a San Antonio home on Christmas Eve ie being called the "Grinch" by the homeowner, who devised a way to get back at him. ("Grinch" by Natalia Wilson/Flickr [CC BY-SA-2.0 (ept.ms/2utDIe9)])

Grinch Steals Christmas Decorations On Christmas Eve from Texas Home

A Texas homeowner is calling out the thief who stole his Christmas decorationson Christmas Eve no lessin a not-so-subtle way.

Ken Lamkin, who lives southwest of San Antonio, caught the thief on his home surveillance camera stealing a 16-foot-long inflatable Chrismas display from his front yard that had eight reindeer eating at a trough with Santa standing next to them.

The reindeer would bend at the neck, making it look like they were eating from the trough. The thief, who Lamkin is calling the Grinch, also stole a fog machine.

He was so slow and methodical, thats what reminded us of the story of the Grinch, he told KENS5.

The theft happened at about 3 a.m. on Christmas Eve, Lamkin said, and later that day he came up with an idea to get back at the man, who can be seen clearly in the footage.

Instead of sitting around and being depressed about his stolen Christmas decorations, Lamkin took stills from the footage with a clear view of the thief, blew them up, and had them printed on large sheets of cardboard.

He also took the footage of the theft, and using a projector, put it on replay in his front yard, complete with colorful Christmas-colored lights, for all to see.

SA homeowner shames 'Grinch' who stole Christmas decor https://t.co/oIl75Q2isZ pic.twitter.com/JFEX3Wr1o2  KENS 5 (@KENS5) December 26, 2017

And this is what you have, our new Grinch-themed Christmas, Lamkin told KENS5.

It doesnt only show that we know who you are, but it is also to show that you cant take our Christmas, he said. We are going to sit down here and hold hands, and we are going to sing and enjoy Christmas.

Maybe your heart can grow 10 sizes today, and you can go around and return the stuff you took.

This man wasnt the only Grinch to come out during this festive season.

Another man was caught on camera breaking into homes in Studio City between Nov. 28 and Dec. 3 wearing a Santa hat and scarf.

The LAPD press release said the suspect knocked on doors and rang doorbells to assess if anyone was home.

When no one answered the door, the suspect would gain entry to the backyards of the homes, smash a rear patio sliding door or back window, then enter the homes, the press release said. Once inside, the suspect removed cash, jewelry, safes, and firearms before leaving. A get-a-way driver has been seen in a dark sedan.

From NTD.tv
A photo taken on Feb. 13, 2017 shows a flyer during a protest outside the Iranian embassy in Brussels for Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian academic detained in Tehran for nearly a year and reportedly sentenced to death for espionage. Djalali is an Iranian researcher working for the CRIMEDIM Disaster and Emergency Medicine program. He was arrested on April 25, 2016 when in the Iranian capital for a conference, according to Italian media. (DIRK WAEM/AFP/Getty Images)

Iran Confirms Upholding Death Sentence for Academic Over Spying

DUBAIIrans Supreme Court has upheld a death sentence against a Sweden-based Iranian academic who it convicted of spying for Israel, the Tehran prosecutor was quoted as saying on Monday, confirming reports by Amnesty International and his family.

Ahmadreza Djalali, a medical doctor and researcher in disaster relief, was accused by the Iranian authorities of providing information to Israel to help it assassinate several senior nuclear scientists.

Djalali was arrested while in Iran on a business trip in April 2016 and later convicted of espionage. He has denied the charges, Amnesty said in what it called a grossly unfair trial.

PRESS RELEASE: Iran upholding academic Ahmadreza Djalali's death sentence in secret shows utter contempt for right to life https://t.co/2AV838dHC1 pic.twitter.com/kV6ozlvSdA  Amnesty Iran (@AmnestyIran) December 12, 2017

At least four scientists were killed between 2010 and 2012 in what Tehran said were assassinations meant to sabotage its efforts to develop nuclear energy. Western powers and Israel said Iran aimed to build a nuclear bomb. Tehran denied this.

The Islamic Republic hanged a man in 2012 over the killings, saying he was an agent for Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.

On Monday, Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said the Supreme Court recently upheld the death sentence against Djalali, the news site of Irans judiciary, Mizan, reported.

Dolatabadi said Djalali had confessed to meeting Mossad agents repeatedly to deliver information on Irans nuclear and defense plans and personnel, and helping to infect Defense Ministry computer systems with viruses, Mizan reported.

London-based Amnesty International and Djalalis wife said earlier this month that his lawyers were told that the Supreme Court had considered his case and upheld his death sentence.

Iranian state television broadcast last week what it described as Djalalis confessions. His wife said he had been forced by his interrogators to read the confession.

Djalali was on a business trip to Iran when he was arrested and sent to Evin prison. He was held in solitary confinement for three months of his detention and tortured, Amnesty said.

It said Djalali wrote a letter inside prison in August stating he was being held for refusing to spy for Iran.

Sweden condemned the sentence in October and said it had raised the matter with Iranian envoys.

Seventy-five Nobel prize laureates petitioned Iranian authorities last month to release Djalali so he could continue his scholarly work for the benefit of mankind.

According to Ole Petter Ottersen, Vice-Chancellor of the Karolinska Institutet where Djalali obtained his PhD, Djalali has worked with researchers from all over the world to improve the capacity of hospitals in countries suffering from extreme poverty or affected by disasters and armed conflicts.

2017 Year in Review
Jailed Man Charged in Fatal Pit Bull Mauling in Kentucky

A Kentucky man who was in jail is accused of harboring a vicious animal after a Christmas Eve dog attack that left a woman dead and her husband hurt.

Lorriane Saylor, 66, was killed and her husband, Johnny Saylor, was hurt on Sunday morning, Dec. 24, by two pit bulls. They belonged to Johnny Dale Lankford, 42. The attack took place in Arjay, an unincorporated community and coal town in Kentucky.

The husband was able to shoot the dogs, killing one and injuring another, which wasnt found until the next day. Deputies and an animal control officer killed the animal, Fox News reported.

Lankford was charged while he was at the Bell County jail, where hes being held on unrelated charges of unlawful imprisonment, domestic violence, and assault, according to the report.

As of Tuesday, he was still in jail on $25,000 bond.

Saylor was killed after the dogs went for her neck, shoulder, and face in the attack, WYMT reported.

Her husband was also attacked when he went outside to look for his wife.

Early this morning Johnny Saylor woke up at his home looking for his wife, Lorraine, who was normally awake before him. His search lead him outside to his porch where he was attacked by two dogs described as both being pit bulls. The dogs grabbed Johnny Saylor attempting to pull him to the ground by his arm, the Bell County Sheriffs Department said in a statement.

They had my brother halfway out the door, chewing on his arm, James Saylor, his brother, told WYMT.

James said that when he stepped outside, he threw a doorstop at the dogs in hopes of distracting the animals.

According to the departments news release, the dogs released Johnny and he went back into his home to get a .22 caliber pistol. Johnny then used the pistol to shoot one of the pit bulls in the chest as it lunged at him, the sheriffs department said.

Saylor then searched for his wife in the front of the house and discovered her lying on the ground. As he was checking on her, the second pit bull was standing a short distance away from him. Fearing for his life, Johnny Saylor shot the dog killing it, it said.

Lorraine Saylor was pronounced dead at the scene of the attack.

The Bell County Sheriffs Department said the attack took place off Highway 66 in the Wiser Branch area of Arjay.

2017 Year in Review
Man Beats up ATM Because It Gave Him Too Much Cash

Most people would be concerned or even angry if an ATM dispensed too little of the requested amount. However, one man in Florida got angry for quite the opposite reason.

Michael Joseph Oleksik from Merritt Island was arrested because he punched an ATM last month because it was giving him too much money.

Cocoa Police Department charged Oleksik with criminal mischief on Dec. 21 for causing at least $5,000 in damages to an ATM at a Wells Fargo bank in Cocoa.

Police said Oleksik was caught on surveillance video beating up the electronic tellers touch screen on Nov. 29, reported 9news.

The 23-year-old then regretted his actions and called the bank to inform them that he had punched the ATM because he was angry the ATM was giving him too much money and he did not know what to do, reported the news station.

Oleksik also added that he was in a hurry to return to work and apologized for the damage he had caused to the banks ATM.

The bank then contacted Cocoa Police Department and asked to press charges. Oleksik was subsequently arrested and booked into Brevard County Sheriffs Office.

From NTD.tv

2017 Year in Review

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Matt Lauer (L) at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City on June 19, 2015. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images). Annette Roque (R) at the Unicef SnowFlake Ball at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City on November 27, 2012. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

Matt Lauer and Ringless Wife Spotted at Horse Farm, Fuel Divorce Speculations

Matt Lauer was spotted on Saturday, Dec. 23 with his estranged wife and former model Annette Roque and the couples 14-year-old daughter, Romy, according to E! Online.

The report pointed to the apparent lack of wedding ring on the hand of Roque, as the trio were seen together at a horse farm they own in Sag Harbor, New York, on the eastern end of Long Island.

Roques father earlier told reporters his daughter had ditched her wedding ring and was planning to divorce the disgraced former NBC anchor, who was fired from the network for sexual misconduct in the workplace.

She is not going to stay with him and work it out. They are not together trying to work it out, Henri Roque, 76, told the Daily Mail. I have no words for her husband. What he has done is bad. Everybody feels betrayed.

Three days earlier, on Dec. 20, a stern-looking Roque was seen heading into the office of law firm Latham & Watkins in Manhattan, PageSix reported.

According to that report, Roque was meeting with lawyers about squeezing a bigger settlement out of the embattled former Today anchor if the couple does go ahead with ending their 20-year marriage.

Lauer and Roque were photographed at Bright Side Farm on Saturday, the horse training and riding facility that the two opened back in 2013.

It appeared the two were there to watch their daughter ride.

They have three children together, son Jack Matthew (born in 2001), daughter Romy (born in 2004), and son Thijs (born in 2006).

While pregnant with Thijs, Roque had filed for divorce citing cruel and inhumane treatment and Lauers extreme anger and hostility towards her. She later reconsidered. The rumor was, according to another source, that Lauer offered her a postnuptial agreement that promised her up to $5 million for staying in the marriage.

Lauer was fired after a slew of gross sexual misconduct allegations were exposed in a Nov. 29 Variety report.

A telling detail was that Lauer had a button installed on his desk that could lock the door to his office, multiple sources said.

His office was in a secluded space, and he had a button under his desk that allowed him to lock his door from the inside without getting up. This afforded him the assurance of privacy, Variety wrote.

In a statement read aloud at the start of the following days broadcast of the Today show, Lauer apologized for what he called his troubling flaws.

Lauer said in his statement that some of the accusations against him were untrue or mischaracterized, but that there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed.

Lauer was the latest in a growing list of celebrities of the movie and television industry disgraced by sexual misconduct allegations recently, including Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey.

Ivan Pentchoukov and Peter Svab contributed to this report.
The holidays were to be the last for Hannah Lindeman as a mother of only two. Her third child wasnt due until Jan. 21 and she decided to spend Christmas with relatives in Chisago County, north of Minneapolis. Yet on Christmas Day morning, her future daughter Poppy started to mix things up.

As the family gathered to unwrap presents, Lindemans contractions came with a force.

Finally, somebody in the room said, OK, were done trying to open presents. You guys are gonna go to the hospital, she told CBS Minnesota.

Her husband Taylor jumped behind the wheel and the two sped off toward a hospital in the subzero Minnesota cold. As they drove along Highway 8, Hannah told Taylor to call 911. He did and while doing so it started to settle in what his wife actually meant.

It didnt really occur to me until I was calling 911 that [the birth] might actually not take place where its supposed to take place, he said.

Indeed, Poppy was coming and there was no stopping her.

Dispatcher Jake Prager took Taylors call. He absorbed the importance of the situation and alerted police and paramedics.

Just over a year on the job, Prager had already gone through some dramatic situations. He reasoned this time it will be just Hannah, Taylor, him, and the baby.

Figured out the baby wasnt out yet, but the water had broke. At least, during the call, I think the water broke, he said.

He told the couple to pull over.

The delivery started.

One important thing we make sure we do is we tell them to get towels or a blanket or something to dry baby off, wipe out the mouth and nose, and then also a shoe lace or a cord or a string of some sort to tie the cord, Prager said.

Taylor said hes not a big fan of blood, but Pragers calm voice helped him settle.

Youre not really doing a whole lot of thinking, youre just following directions and doing what needs to be done, Taylor said.

Wind chills outside were pushing the temperatures down to -20 degrees, but Taylor had to open the car door to help Hannah.

I definitely could feel the cold, she said.

Hannah pushed and Poppy came into the worlda very cold world.

We had a really thick blanket in the car that my mother-in-law threw in right before we left the driveway, Hannah said.

The blanket helped keep Poppy warm until police and paramedics arrived.

It was a weight off the shoulders, said Prager, who also had the added responsibility to keep his colleagues updated, as they eagerly awaited news about the delivery.

We usually celebrate when theres a childbirth up here, Prager said. It was already his fourth assist of a delivery.

Hannah and Taylor were grateful for Prager. Their relatives joined them at United Hospital in St. Paul, celebrating the new family member.

This might be our last go around with pregnancy, Taylor said.

They were considering giving Poppy a Christmas-themed middle name.

I think Ill talk to [Poppy] about how it was pretty miraculous that she was OK and that there were no issues, Hannah said.

2017 Year in Review
Sudan has agreed to hand over the Red Sea Suakin island temporarily to Turkey for infrastructure development and rebuilding.

The announcement was made during a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Sudan, which included a visit to the Suakin island and its old port.

During a speech at the University of Khartoum, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate, Erdogan expressed his countrys willingness to develop the Island, which used to house an Ottoman port.

On the occasion of Erdogan visit, the two countries held a Business Forum that wrapped up with the signing of nine agreements ranging from cotton production to airport construction.

Turkey and Sudan also aim to finalize a military deal that would involve the armed forces of both countries.

Emphasizing Sudans economic potential, Erdogan called on Turkish businessmen to invest in the African country.

He recalled that Turkey has invested around $650 million in Sudan, including $300 million worth of direct investments.

Erdogans visit to Sudan, started Sunday, is part of an African tour that will also lead him to Chad and Tunisia.
Fresh Corn Season Might Be Over, but You Can Still Have Delicious Cornbread Using Frozen Corn
Background: From North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) taken on Aug. 29, 2017, showing North Korea's intermediate-range ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 launching from an undisclosed location near Pyongyang. (STR/AFP/Getty Images.) Foreground: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images). Image compositing by Tom Ozimek / Epoch Times.

North Korea Calls US Delusional, Says Belief that Regime Will Give Up Nukes Is a Pipe Dream

North Korea said it is a pipe dream for the United States to think it will give up nuclear weapons, adding that the latest UN sanctions were an act of war against their sovereignty.

The statement was carried by the Norths official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), an official mouthpiece of the Pyongyang regime, as reported by The Associated Press.

If the U.S. wishes to live safely, it must abandon its hostile policy towards the DPRK and learn to co-exist with the country that has nuclear weapons and should wake up from its pipe dream of our country giving up nuclear weapons which we have developed and completed through all kinds of hardships, said the KCNA statement.

The declaration comes in the wake of a North Korean foreign ministry statement on Sunday that called the latest U.N. sanctions an act of war and equivalent to a complete economic blockade.

North Korea said those who voted for the sanctions would face its wrath.

Those countries that raised their hands in favor of this sanctions resolution shall be held completely responsible for all the consequences to be caused by the resolution and we will make sure for ever and ever that they pay heavy price for what they have done.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Friday for its recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, seeking to limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil, and its earnings from workers abroad.

The U.N. resolution seeks to ban nearly 90 percent 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 U.S.-drafted resolution also caps crude oil supplies to North Korea at 4 million barrels a year and commits the Council to further reductions if it were to conduct another nuclear test or launch another ICBM.

In a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency, North Koreas foreign ministry said the United States was terrified by its nuclear force and was getting more and more frenzied in the moves to impose the harshest-ever sanctions and pressure on our country.

The new resolution was tantamount to a complete economic blockade of North Korea, the ministry said.

We define this sanctions resolution rigged up by the U.S. and its followers as a grave infringement upon the sovereignty of our Republic, as an act of war violating peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and the region and categorically reject the resolution,' it said.

There is no more fatal blunder than the miscalculation that the U.S. and its followers could check by already worn-out sanctions the victorious advance of our people who have brilliantly accomplished the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the ministry said.

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North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un on Nov. 29 declared the nuclear force complete after the test of North Koreas largest-ever ICBM test, which the country said puts all of the United States within range.

South Koreas foreign ministry told Reuters it is aware of the North Korean statement on the new sanctions, again highlighting its position that they are a grave warning by the international community that the region has no option but to immediately cease reckless provocations, and take the path of dialogue for denuclearization and peace.

Balance of Force

The North Korean foreign ministry claims its nuclear weapons were a self-defensive deterrence not in contradiction of international law.

We will further consolidate our self-defensive nuclear deterrence aimed at fundamentally eradicating the U.S. nuclear threats, blackmail and hostile moves by establishing the practical balance of force with the U.S., it said.

The U.S. should not forget even a second the entity of the DPRK which rapidly emerged as a strategic state capable of posing a substantial nuclear threat to the U.S. mainland, it added.

The communist regimes old allies, China and Russia, both supported the latest U.N. sanctions.

Tension has been rising over North Koreas nuclear and missile programs, which it pursues in defiance of years of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

In November, North Korea demanded a halt to what it called brutal sanctions, saying the round imposed after its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sept. 3 constituted genocide.

U.S. diplomats have made clear they are seeking a diplomatic solution but proposed the new, tougher sanctions resolution to ratchet up pressure on North Koreas leader.

Reuters contributed to this report
North Korea Increasingly Worried by Japans Military

The North Korean regime is increasingly worried about upgrades being made to Japans military, as well as potential changes to the countrys national defense guidelines.

Since its surrender in World War II, Japan has only maintained a defensive military force.

However, with increased threats from North Koreawhich has threatened multiple times in recent months to attack Japan with a nuclear weaponPrime Minister Shinzo Abe said that the current situation will be reassessed.

Abe is expected to accelerate a debate on reviewing Japans national defense guidelines in early 2018.

A Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) soldier takes part in a drill to mobilise their Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile unit in response to a recent missile launch by North Korea, at U.S. Air Force Yokota Air Base in Fussa on the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan on Aug. 29, 2017. (REUTERS/Issei Kato)

Its previous defense guidelines were set in 2013 and were meant to last a decade before the next review, but that could change given the current threat from North Korea.

The North Korean regime raised concern in its state media about Japan conducting its military review earlier than the once-in-10-year schedule.

The regime is worried that Japan would increase its purchase of American arms and enhance Japan-U.S. cooperation.

Last month the North Korean regime fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into outer space after which it was able to re-enter the atmosphere, landing in the waters of Japan.

Over the past year, Japan has already seen significant increases to its militaryenough to make the regime in Pyongyang worried.

In June, Japan produced its first F-35 fighter, assembled at a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries factory in Toyoyama, with technical assistance from Lockheed Martin.

The first F-35A stealth fighter assembled in Japan, unveiled at a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries factory in Toyoyama, Aichi Prefecture, on June 5, 2017. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

By November, the United States had deployed 16 F-35 fighter jets to Japan.

Japan is currently exploring whether to change its largest warship equipped with a flat flight deck into a carrier for the F-35 fighter jets.

Because of the F-35s ability to take off and land vertically, the helicopter carrier could be converted into an aircraft carrier.

Japanese Prime Minister Abe has developed a close relationship with President Donald Trump, and Japan has participated in a number of military drills in the region in recent months.

Following a two-day visit by Trump to Japan in November, Japan announced that it would issue a new set of sanctions on North Korean individuals and organizations.

Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers assigned to the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, fly with a Koku Jieitai (Japan Air Self-Defense Force) F-2 fighter jet over the East China Sea, on July 7. (Japan Air Self-Defense Force)

The North Korean missile and nuclear issue is a pressing threat unseen before, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga at the time. Its provocative actions, in which it has ignored the severe warnings of international society, are totally unacceptable.

Suga said the move was taken in the wake of Trumps visit as a way of demonstrating the determination of the two nations to stand together and increase pressure on Pyongyang.

In Japan, President Trump reiterated the United States commitment to work with Japan and South Korea against the North Korean threat.

Trump said that Japan will be buying a lot more U.S. military equipment. He said this will, on the one hand, help them keep safe with the most advanced equipment in the world, and on the other hand, help reduce the trade deficit the United States has with Japan and create jobs in America.

Melania Trumps First Year as First Lady
Oprah Winfrey attends the Tribeca TV Festival series premiere of Released at Cinepolis Chelsea in New York City on Sept. 22, 2017. (Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Tribeca TV Festival)

Oprah Winfrey Warns Fans About Scam That Impersonates Her on the Internet

Imposters using the name of Oprah Winfrey are trying to trick people and she is not having any of it. Winfrey went on social media to warn her followers of the fraud on Dec. 21.

A number of fake accounts using Oprah Winfreys name or Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) on Instagram have popped up urging users to follow page and share with friends in order to receive handouts as large as $5,000, reported BBC News.

The award-winning talk show host has shared a video on her social media accounts reminding people not to share personal details with anyone posing as her or anyone else.

Hi everybody, I just wanted you to know that somebody out there is trying to scam you, using my name and my avatar on social media, asking for money if you sign up for an OWN account on Instagram, Winfrey says in the video. Its a fraud, its a fraud, its a fraud! Dont believe it. Dont give up any of your bank accounts or personal information to anybody posing as me, or anyone else, for that matter. And, have a merry Christmas.

Her media company OWN has also issued a statement on Facebook to remind fans to be aware of the scam.

This is not the first time scammers have used celebrity names to steal personal and financial information from people. Earlier this year boxer Floyd Mayweather and director Tyler Perry were impersonated by these types of fraudulent scams, reported BBC News.

Melania Trumps First Year as First Lady

From NTD.tv
A raccoon is seen in its enclosure at the Schwarze Berge wildlife park in Hamburg, northern Germany (SVEN HOPPE/AFP/Getty Images)

Philadelphia Baby Attacked by Raccoon to Get New Home After Donations, Says Family

A four-month-old child was attacked by a raccoon inside the familys Philadelphia home earlier this week. Now, several days later, the attack has spurred a generous outpouring of donations to the family.

Journi Black, a girl, was mauled and dragged by a raccoon in an apartment after it got inside.

Journis uncle, Kenneth McDuffie, told Philly.com on Christmas Eve that the large number of donations will allow the family to get another home to prevent another raccoon-involved incident.

Child's raccoon attack spurs a generous Christmas outpouring https://t.co/HobkWDyrXc  Philly.com (@phillydotcom) December 25, 2017

It will be safe. It will be secure. It will be wildlife- and rodent-free, a place where they are comfortable and they are safe, McDuffie told Philly.com. We cant always predict what is going to happen in the future, but we want to make sure that [Rodgers] and her family are safe.

Many people made donations via GoFundMe after a page was set up for the family. More than $20,000 has been donated in the 3 days since it started.

My daughter was laying on the bed sleeping and I went to take my son to the bathroom, Ashley Rodgers, the mother, told CBS Philly. We heard a sound upstairs and we see a raccoon run down the steps.

Money raised for 4-month-old girl brutally attacked by raccoon https://t.co/YiFFt5gB2O pic.twitter.com/aiYFeJvdia  WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) December 25, 2017

When I finally got to her, she was laying on the floor so it had dragged her off the bed, across the room, and she was bleeding and crying and her whole face was red, the mother said.

The child was rushed to a hospital, where she got 65 stitches to her face. The childs recovery could take as long as a year, officials told CBS Philly.

A four-month-old baby had to undergo surgery after being attacked and dragged by a raccoon inside a Philadelphia home https://t.co/2rxn9jD2NT pic.twitter.com/5coo2xLzy6  CBS News (@CBSNews) December 22, 2017

The citys Licenses and Inspections Department told the CBS affiliate that the landlord shouldnt have a rental license. Tenantsincluding Rogersalso complained about a raccoon infestation.

It needs to be shut down. Everybody needs to leave out of there, Rodgers said.

It is his (the landlords) responsibility. Theres no reason an animal should have gotten into the house with minors, Samuel Black, the girls dad, told the outlet.

Melania Trumps First Year as First Lady
Police Accused of Using Excessive Force to Shut Down Sydney Beach Party

Police have been accused of excessive force dealing with a rowdy drunken Christmas party involving thousands of backpackers on a Sydney beach.

Concern over police conduct has been raised after a video showed a male police officer violently pushing several women to the ground, two of whom landed on hard road.

According to media reports, some party goers then threw bottles at police.

Two women have been arrested  an Irish and a British national  and they will face court next month. Police allege the women threw bottlers at the police officers.

Police have rejected claims they used excessive force on aggressive backpackers, during a drunken Christmas party in Sydney's south. @Zara_James9 #9News pic.twitter.com/ayel4lV8bI  Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) December 26, 2017

The incident occurred after some 3,000 rowdy party goers were asked to leave Little Bay beach in Sydneys south east. The beach is a non-alcoholic drinking zone and the event was also unauthorized.

Party goer, Becky Brown said the event on the beach wasnt out of hand until the police arrived.

I witnessed with my own eyes a police man push and punch a girl in the face then pepper spray her!! Brown wrote on Facebook.

Thats why they had two bottles of alcohol thrown at them, not one of the bottles hit the policemen. I cant believe how this has been portrayed. Police are supposed to make you feel safe and protected, she said.

She added that she had never been as scared as she was when the police were punching girls and rugby tackling them!

Police are denying they used excessive force, to move on thousands of backpackers who decided to celebrate Christmas in Little Bay. @nswpolice officers had bottles thrown at them trying to break up the crowd. @laurakatebanks #LittleBay #7News pic.twitter.com/xzxF17Nv53  7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) December 26, 2017

Other party goers said police used batons and pepper spray on the party goers.

Police have denied the use of inappropriate force.

My officers were on the receiving end of some alcohol-fueled violence and it was dealt with swiftly in order to bring the matter under control, Superintendent Karen McCarthy told reporters on Tuesday.

The people at the party were intoxicated, they were obviously in a festive mood and the majority of people were compliant with police actions, however, there was a small, isolated incident, said McCarthy.

She said that three police officers were injured.

Little Bay: Three police officers injured trying to breakup party. "I would like to see councilagree to allow young people to have a beach party on Christmas Daygently policing it from a distancelet the young people have fun"  Peter Fagan Report on 7 News at 6pm. #7News pic.twitter.com/2wGB4s5o10  7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) December 26, 2017

Local resident Mark Rear, who watched things get out of hand, blamed it on alcohol.

People were throwing beer bottles and everything. The cops were getting into-it with the pepper spray. It was just crazy. Weirdest thing that Ive ever seen at Little Bay, Rear said.

But he said there was no real violence until the police got out their pepper spray and started using their dogs.

And thats when the mood just switched. It was like night and day. They turned pretty ugly pretty quick, both parties and it wasnt very nice at all, he said.

It took five council workers three hours to clean up the mess the party goers left on the beach, reported 7 News.

Quick action from @nswpolice helped shut down a drunken beach party of 3,000 backpackers yesterday at Little Bay Beach. A big thank you to local residents and Council workers who cleared 40 bags of rubbish incl broken bottles in just a few hours. Info: https://t.co/WNjnwiBdOX pic.twitter.com/vJthUXVU04  Randwick Council (@RandwickCouncil) December 26, 2017

From NTD.tv

2017 Year in Review
A man uses his mobile phone at the Huawei stand during the Mobile World Congress on February 28, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. (Lluis Gene/AFP/Getty Images)

Top Executive at Chinese Tech Giant Huawei Investigated for Bribery

A top executive of the Chinese technology company Huawei is being investigated for corruption, Chinese media reported on Dec. 25.

Chinese business publication National Business Daily confirmed with the company that Teng Hongfei, vice president of the Huawei Consumer Business Group in the Greater China region, was suspected of bribery. Local police forces have adopted enforcement measures, a report on Dec. 26 said.

Huawei is one of Chinas biggest tech companies, and in 2015, became the worlds third largest manufacturer of smartphones, according to Huaweis website.

The Consumer Business Group division makes smartphones, personal computers, tablets, and other consumer tech products. Teng was in charge of sales in China, Macao, and Hong Kong.

Teng had already been missing from the office for a while, and high-level staff had already known about his investigation, according to an insider who first broke the news to Telworld, a Chinese publication covering the domestic tech industry.

In his early career, Teng worked at Nokia as a regional CEO. In 2012, he moved to Samsung, before settling at Huawei in 2014.

Rumors of corruption at Huawei have circulated in the press before. In 2014, Chinese business publication Caixin exposed that 116 employees had accepted or solicited bribes, mainly by demanding kickbacks from 69 retailers. One regional director received bribes of up to two million yuan (roughly $305,000). Huawei denied the allegations.

The insider cited in Telworld said different departments at Huawei have allowed corruption to fester, including in the research and development, procurement, and sales departments.

In 2012, a group of Chinese tech executives, including one from Huawei, were convicted of bribery in an Algerian court. International arrest warrants were issued after the court found that they bribed an executive at the state-owned Algerie Telecom to give their companies an edge.

Fang Xiao contributed to this report.
Truck Hits, Kills Driver Who Pulled Over to Change Places With Passenger

One person was killed and two others were injured in a crash on Saturday night, Dec. 23, in Windham, according to the New Hampshire State Police.

The driver, 19-year-old Ashley St. Onge, died when a tractor-trailer struck her 2004 Volvo S40 that was parked on the side of the road. St. Onge was concerned about driving on an icy road and she pulled over to switch seats to let boyfriend, Nicholas Hadley, 19, drive her car, reported the Boston Globe.

Tractor-trailer hits, kills driver who pulled over to swap places with passenger https://t.co/f3aXTgh993 pic.twitter.com/u9yeeT9R3p  WMUR TV (@WMUR9) December 24, 2017

When St. Onge and Hadley were both outside the car, the tractor-trailer was unable to stop due to road conditions, NECN reported. It hit their vehicle from behind.

Both St. Onge and Hadley were found on an embankment near the highway. And another passenger, 18-year-old Hailey Wizboski, of Methuen, Massachusetts, was discovered inside the car, CBS Boston reported.

St. Onge suffered fatal injuries, and she later died at a hospital. Hadley, meanwhile, suffered life-threatening injuries, according to the CBS report. Wizboski suffered minor injuries.

There were no injuries to the driver of the truck, NECN reported.

St. Onge had graduated from Lowell Catholic and was studying early childhood education at Northern Essex Community College.

Ashley St. Onge, 19, had pulled over on an icy New Hampshire highway to switch seats with her boyfriend when she was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer. This Christmas Eve, her family is in mourning. https://t.co/gHTuMzO3Ay pic.twitter.com/6XNTl5Ac5P  The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) December 25, 2017

The Lowell Catholic Community is heartbroken with this tragedy, wrote Head of School Maryellen DeMarco in a statement. Ashley was a conscientious student, a devoted member of our ambassador club and a member of our dance team. She was pursuing studies in early childhood education at Northern Essex Community College. Our hearts and prayers go out to the St. Onge family during this devastating time.

St. Onge was in a great spot in her life, her father said, according to the Boston Herald. He (Hadley) treated her like gold. He was an extension of me, taking care of her.

The crash is still under investigation, according to NECN.

The mourning family of 19-year-old Ashley St. Onge gathered Sunday at her parents home in Methuen, where they placed an ornament bearing her face next to one showing her late, beloved grandfather. https://t.co/t8uIHgFjy4 pic.twitter.com/HwbhZDiKFd  The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) December 25, 2017

Id like to express our condolences to the families that are involved in the accident, Windham Fire Department Lt. Jay Moltenbrey told The Associated Press. Its a tough time of year. The guys took it pretty hard, good to get home to their families today.

Moltenbrey told AP that its quite dangerous to be on a road or highway without a vehicle.

Its one of the most dangerous things that we deal with is just passing traffic while were dealing with emergencies. Us, state police, local police and the tow truck operators, he told AP.

When the weather conditions deteriorate like they were we just hope people give extra room, take extra time, visibility is down so [people] just need to take extra time and extra care as were driving, Moltenbrey said.
President Donald Trump participates in NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) Santa Tracker phone calls with children at Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Dec. 24, 2017. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

Trumps Christmas Wish: Weve Got Prosperity. Now We Want Peace

PALM BEACH, Fla.On Christmas Eve, U.S. President Donald Trump took calls from children, asking them what they wanted most from Santa, and revealing what was on his own wish list.

One boy wanted building blocks. Another wished for his grandma to get out of the hospital. And as for Trump, he said he wants peace for the country.

Weve got prosperitynow we want peace, Trump told a child named Ryan, who called the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to check on Santas progress.

Every year on Christmas eve NORAD purports to track the flight of Santa and his reindeer-pulled sleigh, a tradition since 1955 when a department store misprinted a phone number, sending a flood of calls to a NORAD colonel, who played along.

Sitting in a gold chair beside first lady Melania Trump in an ornate, tapestried great room, the president enthusiastically chatted with youngsters and their parents. Reporters in the room could hear only the presidents side of the conversation.

In his trademark brash style honed during a career in the New York real estate world, Trump predicted the kids would have the greatest Christmas ever.

Ill make a predictionSanta is going to treat you well. Really well. The best hes ever treated you, he told one child from Mississippi, throwing in an invitation to come to the Oval Office sometime.

Casper from Arlington, Virginia, was a child after Trumps own heart. Building blocks! Thats what I always liked too, the president exclaimed.

I predict that Santa will bring you building blocks, so many you wont be able to use them all, he said.

As for Ryan, he told Trump he wanted his grandmother to come home from the hospital.

That is great. Thats better than asking for some toy or something, Trump said.

By Roberta Rampton

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump Send Christmas Greetings
Jared Kemp, 18, and De'asia Ra'meke Page, 18, faced a range of charges, including murder, after Toni Abad's body was discovered in the trunk of a car near Atlanta, Georgia. (Fulton County Police)

Two Teens Charged With Murder After Georgia Grandmothers Body Found in Car Trunk

The family of a 58-year-old grandmother whose body was found stuffed into the trunk of a car said they are relieved that both of her suspected killers are now behind bars, Fox5 reported.

The police have not released the cause of death, but the victims son, Timothy Abad Jr., said in a statement that his mother, Toni Abad, was murdered while trying to help someone in need.

For all those who know my mother Toni Abad she was taken from us yesterday while trying to help someone she thought truly needed help, this was not the case. My mother was robbed and murdered and stuffed in the trunk of her car, the victims son said.

According to police records, Jared Kemp, 18, of Fairburn, Georgia, was arrested on Christmas Day and is in Fulton County jail on charges of possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, aggravated assault with intent to murder, and murder.

DeAsia Page, 18, of McDonough, Georgia, reportedly turned herself in to Union City Police on Sunday, Dec. 24. She faces charges of aggravated assault with intent to murder, and murder.

How funny she was, how giving she was Just knowing the senseless way she died and for no reason, and the brutal way they did [it ], a close friend, Jolynn Griffin, told Fox5 reporters.

Abads son told Fox5 his mother was helpful to others, even the risk of her own safety.

Many people would agree this was the hardest working woman they ever met. This woman loved everyone else more than herself She is survived by 4 sons and 5 grandchildren. My mother tried to see the good in people even when it was ill-advised but she was very loved and will not be forgotten. Toni had just witnessed her 5th grandchild being born 6 weeks prior.

According to investigators, Abads body was found in the trunk of her own car parked behind the Waffle House near the intersection of Thompson Road and Highway 92, in South Fulton County, Georgia.

While police have not released a motive for the crime or details of Abads death, arrest documents show the womans assault and killing took place on Dec. 22.

Abad is described as a well-known and beloved employee at the Publix grocery located close to the intersection where her body was discovered, Fox5 reported.

Employees at Publix have reportedly put up a memorial in honor of the slain woman.

2017 Year in Review
Update: Victims of Horrific Florida Plane Crash That Left Five Dead Identified

A prominent Florida lawyer and his family were among the dead in a plane crash, which killed five people in Bartow, Florida, on Sunday, Dec. 24.

John Shannon, a 70-year-old attorney from Lakeland, Florida had his perfect Christmas Eve with family and friends all planned outan early flight on Sunday morning, then breakfast and lunch, before heading home to prepare for the holiday, reported Tampa Bay Times.

Sheriff Judd giving final update on #BartowPlaneCrash death investigation. Local attorney 70 yr old John Shannon was the pilot pic.twitter.com/XeS3bhcUAl  Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) December 24, 2017

A photo from the scene of the Cessna 340 plane crash at the #BartowAirbase. FAA has arrived, NTSB is en route. Once we can release more about victims we will. Praying for these victims & their families. #BartowPlaneCrash pic.twitter.com/5jhFmPu1dS  Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) December 24, 2017

On Sunday morning, Shannon was in the cockpit of his twin-engined Cessna 340 ready to fly from Polk County to Key West. Accompanying him were his daughters, 24-year-old Olivia Shannon and 26-year-old Victoria Shannon Worthington, Victorias husband, Peter Worthington Jr., 27, and family friend Krista Clayton, 32.

The 70-year-old accelerated down the runway about 7:15 a.m but a short time after taking off the plane plunged back down to the ground and caught fire, according to authorities. Everyone on board died on impact.

There was no chance of survivalever, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told reporters, reported Daily News. The crash is so horrific that no one suffered.

Authorities are not immediately certain what caused the plane to crash, however they suspect the heavy fog had played a role. A sheriffs pilot in a nearby hangar told Tampa Bay Times the conditions on the day were not suitable for flying.

Final news release on #BartowPlaneCrash please pray for these families pic.twitter.com/ZQBrtcM5OK  Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) December 24, 2017

An airport authority who filmed part of the crash told authorities that he couldnt believe that they were taking off in this fog, reported the newspaper.

According to his website, Shannon has been practicing law since 1975 and handles serious injury, death, and insurance claims. He was also the president of the Republican Club of Lakeland and of the local Kiwanis Club. He also unsuccessfully ran for the state House of Representatives, reported Tampa Bay Times.

Im just stunned, I think like everybody else, Ben Hardin, a close friend, told the newspaper. John was as fine and caring of a person as you would ever meet.

Olivia was a @seuniversity student; Victoria was a Baltimore school teacher; Peter was a 3rd year law student at Univ of MD; Krista was a Jewett Academy teacher https://t.co/blxL6zumrE  Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) December 24, 2017

His eldest daughter, Victoria, was a teacher in Baltimore, according to Judd. His youngest daughter, Olivia, was a student at Southeastern University in Lakeland.

Shannons son-in-law, Peter Worthington Jr., was a law student at University of Maryland School of Law, according to his Facebook page. Krista Clayton, the family friend, was a teacher at Jewett Academy in Winter Haven, reported the newspaper citing the sheriff. She had two children.

Shannon was described as a loving father who was a mother and father to his girls.

His real love was his girls, friend and former state Rep. Neil Combee told the newspaper. He was mother and father to his girls.

He would want to be remembered as a good father, Hardin said. That was his life.

From NTD.tv

2017 Year in Review
Crown Pointe Apartments, the site of a Christmas Eve fire where 54 people were displaced in Spartanburg, South Carolina on Dec. 24. (Screenshot via Google Maps)

Woman Throws 6-Month-Old Nephew Out of Window to Escape Christmas Eve Fire

A woman threw her baby nephew out of a third-floor window while her family fled a Dec. 24 fire that destroyed or heavily damaged 17 units of an apartment complex.

Ashley Yates was desperate as the fire left few exits safe. A stranger passing below told Yates to drop the 6-month-old after seeing she was in need of help, according to WYFF. The baby was safely caught by the man, who told Yates his name was Reginald, GoUpstate.com reported.

I was so terrified. He was like Just get out. Throw him. I will try my best to catch him, said Yates, describing the critical moment, via WYFF.

Yates also made her 9-year-old and 12-year-old daughters jump from the balcony before jumping herself. A firefighter brought her mother out of the building with a ladder truck, GoUpstate reported. Everyone escaped unharmed.

She just told me to jump because she would rather me jump out the window than get burned, Yates daughter told WYFF.

Fifty-four people had to leave the Crown Pointe Apartment Homes in Spartanburg, South Carolina because of the fire. They are now spending Christmas in the First Baptist Church Spartanburg, which is acting as a Red Cross shelter, according to GoUpstate.com.

We were eager to provide a safe, warm refuge for these families in need, said church member Lucy Sizemore, via GoUpstate.com. Its heartbreaking these families have had such a loss at this time.

It breaks your heart on Christmas Eve, but shows you how good people really are. Weve had people bringing in towels and shoes and coats and theyre wrapping childrens Christmas gifts and whatever they need they come through with, said Jeanna Knoll with the Red Cross, via WYFF.

The fire started around 5:50 AM on the morning of Christmas Eve. Five local fire departments responded. Nobody died from the fire, but one person was taken to a medical center for smoke inhalation, according to GoUpstate.com. The fire has been ruled an intentional act, but no suspects are in custody, WSPA reported.

From NTD.tv
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.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, U.S. Retail, Wealth Management and Insurance, and Wholesale Banking segments. The company offers personal deposits, such as checking, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases. It also provides credit cards and payments; real estate secured lending, auto finance, and consumer lending services; point-of-sale payment solutions for large and small businesses; wealth and asset management products, and advice to retail and institutional clients through direct investing, advice-based, and asset management businesses; and property and casualty insurance, as well as life and health insurance products. The company also provides capital markets, and corporate and investment banking products and services, including underwriting and distribution of new debt and equity issues; advice on strategic acquisitions and divestitures; and trading, funding, and investment services to corporations, governments, and institutions. It offers its products and services under the TD Bank and America's Most Convenient Bank brand names. The company operates through a network of 1,061 branches and 3,381 automated teller machines (ATMs) in Canada, and 1,148 stores and 2,701 ATMs in the United States, as well as offers telephone, digital, and mobile banking services. It has a strategic alliance with Canada Post Corporation. The Toronto-Dominion Bank was founded in 1855 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc. is a mortgage-focused REIT externally managed by Invesco Advisors Ltd. Invesco Advisors LTD is a subsidiary of Invesco which is a leading wealth manager and investment company for individuals, high net-worth clients, institutions, public entities, corporations, and governments. The firm created Invesco Mortgage Capital, Inc to focus its decades of experience in the mortgage markets to generate a steady stream of cash for its investors.

The company was incorporated in 2008 in order to acquire, finance, and manage a portfolio of mortgage-backed securities and mortgages. Invesco believes that achieving the full potential of the mortgage market requires a blend of discipline, structure, and creativity because of long-term structural changes in the way real estate transactions and ownership are handled. The units of Invesco Mortgage Capital tend to yield high-double-digits and have paid more than $26 per unit on a split-adjusted basis since the dividend was initiated.

The objective is to provide risk-adjusted returns through dividends and capital appreciation using the combined strengths of three key Invesco groups; the in-house real estate team, the Worldwide Fixed Income team, and subsidiary WL Ross & Co. Invesco Mortgage Capital is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. As of Q3 2022, Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc held $4.9 billion in assets, $4.7 billion of which were listed as agency RMBS.

Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc. elected to be taxed as a REIT and so distributes at least 90% of its income to shareholders each year. The fund seeks to generate a high level of income while maintaining a stable portfolio and book value within a dynamic market. The investment strategy is opportunistic and not limited to a single type of mortgage security and so provides greater diversification than most other REITs as well.

Invesco invests in a blend of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) and commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) that are and are not guaranteed by a U.S. government agency or federally chartered corporation. The fund also invests in credit risk transfer securities, residential and commercial mortgage loans, and assorted real estate-related financing. Among the opportunities, the fund is pursuing are commercial real estate loan origination, securitizing residential mortgages, and risk-sharing arrangements with federal housing authorities.
Remember me? Photo: Leigh Vogel/WireImage

After President Trump signed the massive Republican Party tax cut, which includes the repeal of the Affordable Care Acts individual mandate to buy health insurance, he boasted that he had finally achieved one of his longstanding, revenge-fueled policy goals. We have essentially repealed Obamacare and will come up with something that will be much better, he said on Wednesday.

But Americans enthusiasm for the law tells a different story.

As the Trump administration grudgingly admitted the next day, 8.8 million people signed up for Obamacares individual marketplaces through the federally run Healthcare.gov website during this years open-enrollment period, almost matching last years total of 9.2 million  in half the time. (Another 2.5 million people signed up through 11 state exchanges, a number that will rise in the coming weeks, since the states allow people to sign up for weeks longer than than the federal government.)

That number counts as a remarkable achievement for the Affordable Care Act, considering the Trump administrations multifront battle to undermine it throughout the year.

Not only did the Trump administration cut the open-enrollment sign-up period in half, from 90 to 45 days, it slashed outreach programs by 90 percent, and all but stopped advertising the law on television. The Trump appointees filling offices that normally push for signups were silent. And in October, President Trump cut off key cost-sharing payments to insurers, a decision that has helped contribute to sharply higher premiums for many customers in the coming year.

All the while, congressional Republicans were trying to repeal the law  though their efforts ended in ignominious failure each time  as the president and prominent voices like Speaker of the House Paul Ryan continued to insist, falsely, that Obamacare was collapsing, and the government used money it could have spent promoting the law advancing anti-Obamacare propaganda.

And yet, somehow, 2.4 million new customers flocked to Healthcare.gov, one million of them in the final six days of eligibility. Republicans continued efforts to take away Americans health care have made the law popular for the first time since it was enacted, and it now seems to have served as its own advertising campaign for coverage, too. (A concerted effort by prominent Obamacare boosters probably helped.)

Or maybe Americans are just sensitive to good deals. The vast majority of people who signed up on the federal marketplace receive subsidies  and in a perverse piece of irony, Trumps efforts to damage the law actually made health care more affordable for some of them.

There was another significant Obamacare success story in 2017: Medicaid expansion. In the first instance of a state expanding the program via referendum, Maine voters overwhelmingly defied their anti-Obamacare governor to give health care to a swath of lower-income individuals and to open the door for more states to join in.

But despite the fact that public opinion is finally on Obamacares side, the near future looks no less dicey for the law than the turbulent present. For one thing, theres the individual-mandate repeal, which may or may not throw a monkey wrench into the entire system. The Congressional Budget Office has projected that, without the threat of a penalty for going without insurance, premiums will rise for those who need health care the most, and millions will eventually be left uninsured. (The mandate will still be in effect for 2018.)

The Trump administration is also attempting to further dent the law by relaxing regulations for certain plans, the effect of which would likely mean fewer people with insurance. And the full-repeal effort isnt over, either. After evincing little enthusiasm for returning to health care this year, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell quickly changed his tune, and some lawmakers are eager for another crack at killing Obamacare altogether.

Still, at this point, it may be foolish to bet against the laws survival. The Affordable Care Act has faced two Supreme Court near-death experiences, eight years of Republican misinformation, multiple repeal efforts, and now a year of the Trump administrations sustained sabotage. After all that, Obamacare has taken more than its share of blows. But it is very much still standing.
Photo: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, announced last week that executive chairman Eric Schmidt would be leaving his post in January, ending Schmidts role as the companys primary steward. Schmidt previously served as Googles CEO for a decade beginning in 2001, before transitioning to his role on the companys board. He will continue to serve on Alphabets board.

Over Schmidts time as Googles leader, he expanded the company from search into other areas, piloting the acquisition of sites like YouTube and the growth of the Android mobile operating system. In later years, he has served as more of an ambassador for the company, helping to grease the wheels in corridors of power like Washington, D.C. (whose attitude toward the liberal leanings of companies like Google has changed just a tad recently).

A source told The Wall Street Journal that Schmidts stepping down has been in the works for roughly a year. Continuing his 17 years of service to the company, hell now be helping us as a technical advisor on science and technology issues, Larry Page, Googles co-founder and now CEO of Alphabet, said in a press release. Hell also presumably have more free time to spend in his, ahem, soundproof penthouse.
Edward Ashabas Isuzu Trooper was stolen in Arua in 2013 but in spite of his best efforts to involve authorities, the car has never been recovered. He shared his ordeal with Prisca Baike.

This is all that is left of my car, sarcastically laughs Edward Ashaba as he lays out the logbook of his car stolen four years ago.

The silver Isuzu Trooper cost him roughly Shs 40 million in September 2011 but two years later, it was stolen by what Ashaba suspects is a racket of car thieves operating in Arua and parts of DR Congo.

As a businessman dealing in printing and stationery, Ashaba was a frequent upcountry traveller. On one of his trips to Arua, he decided to take a bus back to Kampala, leaving his car (registration number UAQ 099R) with his close friend, Shane.

Edward Ashaba has spent Shs 10m to recover a similar Isuzu Trooper model that he had bought at Shs 40m

Shane and I go a long way back to our childhood and he is very trustworthy. I knew my car would be safe with him until I returned, Ashaba says.

However, a few days later, Ashaba received a call from Shane announcing that the car had been stolen. According to Shane, a one Trezor Asidri, who he had known for a few days, had innocently asked for a test-drive of the car that he said looked powerful and stable. Without any suspicion, Shane had handed him the car keys hoping he would return it just like all guys do when they borrow cars.

However, Shane would later realize later that his friends car had been stolen from right under his watch as he never saw or heard from Asidri again.

A few days later, Shane and Ashaba were notified by some sympathisers that the car had been spotted in Congos border town, Kibali, a small gold-mining town.

Upon receiving that information, Ashaba went to Congo to trace his car. While I was still on the bus, I saw my car parked by the roadside, with its registration number plates still on, recalls Ashaba.

Excited, he rushed to find out who had parked the car, but his inquiry ended on a fruitless note. Stuck, he tried moving around to gather any available information about who was in possession of the car.

While I was on the street, I saw the car being driven at a very high speed by a man I couldnt identify. It sped off past me and that was the last time I saw it, recalls Ashaba.

Determined to recover his car, Ashaba crossed back to Arua to solicit help from the area security officials. They warned him to track the car from a distance since meeting the suspects would put his life in danger. Indeed, he was informed by some sympathisers that the car thieves were aware of his intentions to recover his car.

They told me the thieves were now after me and that my life was in danger, says Ashaba.

Fearing for his life, Ashaba returned to Kampala briefly to officially report the theft of his car. Armed with a letter from the minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Kahinda Otafiire, to Ibrahim Abiriga, the then Arua resident district commissioner, Ashaba was convinced that it was only a matter of time for his car to be returned.

True to his conviction, Abiriga reassured him that the car would be in his possession in a matter of days.

Abiriga told me the car would be parked under the Mango tree behind his office, reiterates Ashaba.

EMPTY PROMISES

Three weeks later, the car was nowhere to be seen. A frustrated Ashaba went to Abirigas home to discuss the issue and, just like the first time, he was told the car would soon be recovered. He handed him to one Amin who has a track record of recovering stolen cars in the area.

Amin was always asking for heavy facilitation, promising that the car was almost out of the thieves hands. That month alone, I spent Shs 7 million trying to find my car, notes Ashaba.

Disillusioned and helpless, Ashaba decided to come back to Kampala to involve a stronger force. From Kampala Central police station, he was referred to Interpol. Both Interpol and Otafiire wrote to the new Arua RDC, who had replaced Abiriga, informing him of the pending case of Ashabas stolen car.

I delivered the letters personally to him. He told me to come back to Kampala and wait for my car, says Ashaba.

Two years later, there was no single update regarding his car. Ashaba went back to Interpol in 2015 to inquire about the state of his case only to be told that there was nothing else they could do to recover his car. They advised him to forward the issue to the Foreign Affairs ministry, which he did.

Despite the fact that he had reported the theft of his car three years earlier, his was not on the list of stolen cars. However, upon producing the evidence of his stolen car report, it was added onto the list.

LOSING FAITH

After another year of empty promises and the involvement of the polices Flying Squad at one point, Ashaba was notified by the ministry that it was impossible for them to trace his car.

They told me the only option was for me to put in a claim and get compensated by government, but that is where it all ended, notes a disenchanted Ashaba.

However, as Ashaba notes, his main concern is not just about recovering his car but, rather, achieving justice and having the offenders pay for their uncouth behaviour.

I know the car could be scrap by now, given the nature of the roads in Congo, says Ashaba, But let me see that scrap and let these people be brought to justice.

According to Ashaba, the fact that his car is out there yet all security organs cannot help him has made him lose faith in the states systems and the safety of the citizens and their property.

That car would have been recovered by the Arua RDCs. We knew the culprits, we saw the car and I had the logbook with its chassis number and all the specifications. What exactly stopped them from getting it back? Ashaba wonders, I have lost trust in the way the systems operate. No one seems straight.

To date, Ashaba has used over Shs 10 million trying to chase justice. To the world, Ashaba lost a car but, to him, he lost more than that although he chose to rebuild. He has since found solace in animal husbandry.

pbaike@yahoo.com
How to watch and what to know about Northern Iowa at South Dakota
Bank of Uganda (BOU) has finally unfrozen bank accounts of ActionAid Uganda after nearly three months of closure.

"The leadership of ActionAid Uganda is pleased to inform its partners, supporters, and staff that our quest to have our bank accounts unfrozen has been achieved following constructive discussions with some agencies of government," reads a statement from ActionAid Uganda issued on Saturday.

Despite this, the NGO says it will continue with its suite before court challenging the seizure of their accounts.

"We will however continue to seek restitution within the law, as we are entitled, in order to meet our own obligations to members, donors, and communities we serve. As we have stated before, there was no justifiable basis for the action taken against ActionAid when the police raided our office and confiscated property on 20th September 2017 and the subsequent order to freeze our bank accounts on 6th of October 2017," reads the statement in part.

Adding; "We welcome the decision to restore activity on these accounts so that ActionAid can continue its mission of strengthening social justice as laid out in our 5th Strategy Paper - Strengthening Struggles for Social Justice."

ActionAid bank accounts were frozen after a police raid on their offices in September

BOU froze the five ActionAid accounts including the Ugandan shillings, US dollar, pounds sterling and two Euro accounts in Standard Chartered bank in October following police investigations into allegations of money laundering.

BOU deputy governor Louis Kasakende wrote to the Standard Chartered bank managing director on October 3, explaining that the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) of the police was investigating ActionAid Uganda for alleged conspiracy to commit a felony and money laundering. He directed the bank to freeze the bank accounts pursuant to section 110 of the Financial Institutions Act, 2004.

"The accounts in question shall remain frozen until otherwise advised by Bank of Uganda," reads part of the letter.

Arthur Larok, the country director, Action Aid Uganda described the move as unfortunate and erroneous. Police raided the NGO's offices based in Kasanga in Kampala on September 21 and declared it as a crime scene before conducting a search. The officers impounded computers, mobile phone handsets of staff and important documents as part of their investigations.

Police conducted similar raids on the offices of Great Lakes Initiative for Strategic Studies (GLISS) and Uhuru Institute. The police raids came at the height of protests against plans by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party to repeal Article 102(b) of the Constitution to scrap the presidential age limit. Police accused the organisations of funding illegal activities with the aim of destabilising government.

Despite the challenges, ActionAid says it fully cooperated with the police and complied with its obligations to the Financial Intelligence Authority under the Anti-money Laundering Act.

"We encourage other organisations who find themselves in similar situations to do the same because through it we have proved that no wrong doing occurred in the first place," Action Aid said.

"We also thank the public, civil society in Uganda and globally for the immense show of solidarity during this period. We are deeply grateful to our donors, some of whom undertook diplomatic outreaches and also showed patience when we could not meet some of our contract obligations at the time when our bank accounts were frozen. Some of our donors also showed flexibility to ensure that we could continue implementing basic activities in advancing our mission," they added.
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Fresh bout of trouble has sprung up on Vikram Bakshi, the estranged franchisee of McDonald's in east and north India, and right in the middle of holiday season. A total of 80 outlets of the global fast food chain run by Connaught Place Restaurants Limited (CPRL) face closure after its logistics partner discontinued supplies to them. CPRL is a 23-year old joint venture between Bakshi and McDonald's India Pvt Ltd (MIPL) that operates McDonald's outlets in east and north India.

Radhakrishna Foodland wrote to CPRL last week saying that it is cutting off supplies to its restaurants due to reasons like reducing volumes, uncertainty of future, among others. This decision from the supply chain solutions firm is being seen as a consequence of the ongoing scuffle between McDonald's and Bakshi.

Bakshi stated that all McDonald's restaurants in east India have downed shutters and several others in north India will fall prey to same fate. "Almost all the outlets in East India have been shut because of the move by the logistics partner, and others (in North India) are also under pressure due to the supply crunch," Bakshi told PTI regarding the development.

This disruption in supplies means that outlets run by CPRL will see their expected festive season business substantially reduced. And Bakshi holds McDonald's India responsible for the unpleasantness.

"Our long-standing logistics vendor Radhakrishna Foodland allegedly in collusion with McDonald's Corporation and their wholly owned subsidiary McDonald's India Pvt Ltd... has decided to hold back stock paid for approximately Rs 10 crore by us," Bakshi said in a letter to the landlord and developers of his outlets.

"While the American company and its subsidiary, MIPL, may have with their usual mala fide and malicious actions managed to give CPRL a temporary business setback at the end of the year and during this high sale festive season, yet we have made and are making alternative arrangements and shall be back to serve our customers very soon," Bakshi assured further ahead in the letter.

Meanwhile, McDonald's refused denied any hand in the disrupted supply chain. "We were informed that their vendors have stopped delivering supplies... This is between CPRL and their vendors, not MIPL," a McDonald's India spoekesperson told PTI.

Bakshi and McDonald's have at each other's throats since August 2013 when the former was unceremoniously sacked as Managing Director of CPRL. The US-based food giant blamed Bakshi of favouring his other businesses at the cost of CPRL.

Bakshi regained the upper hand in the scuffle when he was reinstated on his earlier position by the NCLT in August this year. However, McDonald's shook the boat again, terminating franchise agreement for 169 restaurants in North and East India under CPRL.

As per the termination notice served by the US-based fast food company, these restaurants were barred from using McDonald's brand name, trademark, design, operating and marketing practices and policies, food recipes and specifications after September 5.

Bakshi remained adamant, stating that he will continue to use the McDonald's brand for the restaurants despite the franchise agreement being terminated. Not only this, McDonald's India asked the suppliers to stop dealing with CPRL. Bakshi reportedly said that McDonald's India Director Robert Vee Chong indirectly pressured the suppliers to stop supplies to 169 restaurants run by CPRL.
The US establishment under President Donald Trump made its intentions clear of moving away from their commitments made to the international community on climate change at COP21 at Paris. But other two big polluters China and India are sticking to their words. Business Today's Anilesh S Mahajan, spoke to Tim Gould, Head of Division, World Energy Outlook, IEA and Ajay Mathur, Director General, TERI to understand, which way the pendulum is oscillating in present global scenario.

Q: If Tim you can help us understand, how you know globally people are seeing India's push for renewables... and commitment to stick along with the Paris Convention. There is an undercurrent that scenario may change because of President Donald Trump's statements and follow up actions... so if you can help me in understanding that how organizations like yours, evaluate the situation...

Tim Gould: I think in this context, there are different forces that are pushing these energy transitions that we are seeing today. One of them are the policies pursued by national governments. Another is the level of innovation, cost reductions that you are seeing coming from the industrial side. And the third force is, in a sense more of a bottom-up force so... city-level, municipal, community-level initiatives, and all of these are contributing to the movement that we are seeing today. And even though our headline conclusion is that we are still falling short, very short, of the goals agreed in Paris and it is equally possible to look at the things that are going right and one of the things that is going right is the way that the private sector is transforming, and India is a very good example of that because the investment that's going into the private sector is increasingly focused on clean energy technologies.

And we've discussed a few of the implications of that. You may need to rethink the way you look at some energy security issues. You need to look again at some areas of market design. You need to think about the operational flexibility of your system in order to accommodate that shift in the power mix. But, one thing that we've understand quite clearly is that people are thinking about those issues. This means that you are moving from an environment where you are pushing more wind, solar and other low carbon technologies into the system to the next stage of thinking is you know so what does that mean?

What does our future electricity network look like? And how do we use some of that electricity and in perhaps some new areas of your energy economy and I think in all those areas. And India is in a sense... I mean it is at the leading edge of some of that. It is working with other countries and also working with the IEA to think through what the implications are for policy.

Q: But Tim, in the last 2-3 months we have seen that India is sticking to the commitments, China is also sticking to their commitments, but the biggest polluter of the world, US is backing out. So even if you know lesser developed countries like China and India, they stick to their commitments, do you think that the Paris Convention will head for success if US goes out of it?

Tim Gould: Again, you need to look at the things that are driving change at the moment and I mean you are focusing on policies but there is also a very strong economic component so people are making choices not just because you know they receive a certain benefit.

Q: But Donald Trump's argument is that this is not economical so that is why he is backing out.

Ajay Mathur: No no, but let's not get into individuals and policies. But the point remains that one of the things that the World Energy Outlook tells us is that the US is now already becoming a major exporter of oil, and particularly gas, already. And the price at which they sell the gas is far less than what other people do. So it's become the default price which anybody has to achieve if they have to remain in the market, otherwise you are out. A very large amount of the new oil and gas that is being produced in the Middle East is going to be used by them, so their share in the market will decrease, the share of US in the market will increase. This is what's happening globally. But think of it what will happen in the US. As cheaper gas becomes available more and more and more, irrespective of who is in the White House, if I am going to set up a power plant, will I buy coal or will I buy gas? I will buy gas, because of economic reasons. And therefore there are many people who believe that the US will, irrespective of whether they remain in the Paris Agreement or not, will largely meet most of their commitments. There are commitments, which were made, largely, they will not fully, but they will largely meet.

Q: But, this raised 2 questions in my mind - First, most of the countries, whatever commitments they made, are they actually, serious commitments of cutting the carbon content or they made these commitments just for the heck of making it because there is an argument against India as well that most of the commitments which India made in the INDC, they will be fulfilling it in maybe in next 5 years or 6 years. They might not have to wait till 2030. Secondly, sir, there is another question is that you know if economics is at play, which means even if Donald Trump pulls America out of the picture, it will have no implication on Paris Agreement.

Ajay Mathur: First of all, I don't think it will happen in 6 years. To reply second part of your question first, It may... no, I did not say that. It will have an impact on the Paris Agreement. It may have a smaller impact on the global trajectory of CO2. The two are different things. The Paris Agreement is about an international agreement and the other is what happens as a result of that agreement.

Q: Ok, and what about the first argument?

Ajay Mathur: That's a political question that we will have to discuss separately, sometime we will sit down. But you know you think of it, what this global debate has done is that is if we look back maybe 10, I think it was your 2005 or '06 or '07, one of those which focused on India... WEO... maybe '07, that said that the 2030 emissions... that was the first year you did 2030. They said that the emissions in 2030 would be about 65 gigatonnes of CO2. Now, since then, lots of countries have done a lot. They have invested in technologies, technologies have come in, they have made an impact. So with things that have already been done, we are now looking at going to something like 47. That's already happened.

Q: If countries achieve everything they have said in their INDCs, we will go to something like 42.

Ajay Mathur: So imagine, in a matter of 20 years or so, we would have come down from looking at a 65 gigatonnes to looking at 42 gigatonnes. Where we have to be, is about 31. So, I would suggest that everywhere in the world, including in India, there has been a change of actions, there has been investment in technology development, there has been change in policies which have led to those technologies coming in which have started showing that we already have an impact. The impact may not be as much as we want, but you know, 65 to 42 is pretty good.

Tim Gould: I think as well. Also, pointing out there is a bridge between the technology side and the commitments the countries are willing to make because as you know the Paris Agreement also contains the mechanism by which countries increase their ambition all the time and that also intersects with overall technology costs are coming down and understanding of how you get to some low carbon outcomes particularly in the power sector but also in some other sectors it's increasing. So, it may be that with time, with lower costs, with greater understanding. You know, when it comes to the next round of commitments, countries may be more comfortable with a higher level of ambition, because they see that it can be done. And so, there is... and you know that's in a way... that's the way that the Paris Agreement has been designed to progress and to close the gap that Dr. Mathur was talking about between where we're heading and where we would need to be.

Ajay Mathur: So this is very clear this drove India's INDCs. India had always made the point that of course we can go to low-carbons, not an issue, it's only a matter of getting the right technology and the price at which we, you and I, will be willing and able to pay for it. The two or three years before 2015, taught us in two areas that the kinds of thing that Tim was talking about that you can actually take control, over both technology and prices. And those two examples were solar and there were LEDs. In both of these areas, performance increased, price decreased, penetration dramatically increased... did not increase (but) dramatically increased. This gave the confidence that you know we can achieve this. And that's why India's stance at Paris was, as long as we promise what we can deliver, we will deliver on that. So, we saw, based on 2015, where will we be in 2030, and we said this is what we'll promise. Now if the technology becomes cheaper, performance becomes better, we can probably promise more. So, yes, what we would achieve in 2030 is based on (in) 2015 what we could achieve.

Tim Gould: I think it's probably also worth watching out that there are things that we know today and a lot of the things that are making noise, are promising are in the power sector and some related sectors. But there are also some parts of the energy sector where that path to decarbonization is that much more difficult. And that's why the research and development side, the innovation side, remains very important. For some of the industrial sectors, for some bits of transport that are not passenger cars but are the heavy duty or the maritime.

Ajay Mathur: If I use LEDs, I use much less energy but give the same amount of light. So, the first goal is how do I enhance energy efficiency as fast as I can. That's number one. Number two, how can we get more and more of the electricity to be low and zero-carbon. And today, I'm seeing that is, that may be possible. So the amount of technology, the amount of research that has gone in, has brought the prices of renewables down. And if the price of storage also falls, in a similar manner, then it is possible that in 5, 6, 7 years, the price of electricity from solar, plus battery, may be less than the price of electricity from coal. If that happens, why will I build a new coal plant? Or, why will I as a bank, fund a new coal plant? I will go for solar options. We are seeing that possibility. There are still some technological issues, but we are moving in the right direction. Now if the electricity sector becomes decarbonized, then it's great, if we can use electricity where today fuels... fossil fuels are used.

Cars, for example. Electrification of the urban transportation in each sector... So as I move more and more of my fossil fuel use to electricity and I use... I move my electricity to renewables, I have got a greater bank for the buck. Ok, work is happening in the direction. Huge huge amount of technology, huge amount of business models, huge amount of policy work remains. But, we are already seeing that at a micro-level it is possible. Then we come to the 4th, what Tim was mentioning. There are those areas where we don't know how we'll do decarbonization. Trucking, aviation, some industry. There we have not even invested, or we've hardly invested, in low and zero carbon technology development. So that's an area where much more investment in innovation is needed. So that's why I like these 4 buckets - energy efficiency, decarbonization of electricity, increasing electrification and then, looking at this big chunk of 'difficult to decarbonize' or 'difficult to electrify' sectors. And since we have got relatively positive trends in the first 3, I tend to be an optimist.

Tim Gould: On a couple of those areas... for instance, in the first bucket, I very much like the typology. You know, similar things to India has done, particularly in relation to LEDs. I mean that is an example which other countries are also looking at very closely. Because this intersection between public procurement at scale and costs and then, the ability to really move the needle in term of the impacts on the energy sector. So that's been a very positive example which a lot of countries are paying attention to.

And the other, additional point is the intersection of some of those with the energy security discussion because in India, I mean, there is a tendency to think about energy security sometimes as a supply-side problem. But the sorts of developments that we are talking about here, renewables plus efficiency, and have a tangible impact on imports.

Q: But, this brings us back to the other argument that we may be able to you know, meet these INDC commitments, much before 2030, right?

Ajay Mathur: Possible, quite possible. In which case, we will do more. That's what the Paris Agreement has, what calls the "stock-take". It will happen in 2022, at which time countries will see where they are, what is their total commitments, what does the world need, and then they will review and see if we can do more. So, its... when we were at Paris, we all knew the INDCs will not get us where we want. And so there is a necessity to ratchet it down. And everybody and again, I do, I believe that still we will have to have bottom-up pledges because you know, if you tell me I will meet you somewhere at 10.30, the chances are you will, traffic jam or something apart, because you committed to it. If somebody says you have to reduce your carbon emissions by 20 million tonnes, that's a lot more difficult to achieve. So anything which I pledge myself and I'm able to achieve it, that builds up my confidence that I can do more. And it builds his trust, that this guy will deliver, on what he promises. So it leads us to a virtuous cycle of trust and confidence, instead of one in which we are looking at ways to get out of our commitments.

Tim Gould: You can certainly see that dynamic in at least some of the numbers that we have in here. If we compare last year's energy-related CO2 emissions for India versus this year...and this year we are lower by around 400 million tonnes in 2040, and... so India's emission are, projected India's emissions are significantly lower this year than last year and a lot of that has to do with exactly what we are talking about. So, it's this real-world implementation of economically viable approaches to reducing the carbon...

Ajay Mathur: So as we build confidence, we will promise more.

Q: if I could move towards oil... you know, oil prices are at very subdued level for roughly around 3 years now. So do you still feel that you know, because of the subdued oil prices, low carbon fuel, you know, marketing has become tougher? What sort of impact this oil market has created?

Tim Gould: So, I don't see large impacts there, primarily because there are not many areas where the price of oil intersects with you know, the expansion of renewables, which is primarily something that happens in pet generation.

And, so in a sense, there are not many competitive points of intersection. And I think where it does have an impact is on issues like electrical mobility. And clearly in a low-price, or lower price environment, reaching competitive parity with conventional gasoline-fueled vehicles is that much tougher.

So, when a consumer is faced with a choice of a new vehicle, you know, the operating costs of that gasoline-fueled vehicle are clearly going to play into that calculation. And perhaps, but with renewable technologies in the power sector, not so much.

Q: Maybe if oil could have touched you know, 100 dollars, the evolution of storage and storage capacity could have been faster. How do you see this?

Tim Gould: there was a period when, some key renewable technologies were moving towards cost competitiveness, where governments were, and they continue to put money into it in some countries and other firms, but those are becoming gradually less... less important as support mechanisms for renewable technologies. What's more important are the sort of things that we were talking about before, broader questions about market design and flexibility, and you know, the oil price is important for many areas of transformation and not so much there. What does matter to a degree is the linkages between oil... the price of oil and the price of gas, and as I'm sure you're aware, the traditional way of pricing gas, particularly in Asian markets, was through oil linkage. and gas is of course something that's used in different parts of the energy system and so, via the linkages to the gas prices, then you can see more interactions with the world of renewables. That's in our view... you are increasingly seeing a gas market that operates on the basis of its own dynamics so as a function of gas supply and demand. So, you know, the way that the gas market operates is increasingly distinct from the dynamics of the oil market. However, there is one thing that we do think that both have in common, and we remain a bit concerned about the implications of today's price environment for upstream investment.

So for many companies in a lower price environment, revenues have squeezed, investment in new projects goes down and meanwhile, the world's consumers continue to demand more oil, I mean, the increasing demand is going at a rate well above 1 million barrels per day per year of growth.

And while there are some bits of the upstream that are very dynamic, particularly in the United States, the shale revolution, other bits of the traditional upstream, the more conventional upstream, we remain concerned that there is not enough new activity in those areas. And that for us, is a warning sign potentially for markets, not next year, but sometime into the 2020s. You know, the risk of tightening of markets, and so on.

Q: India is moving faster towards matching the global standards of automobile fuels, and is also investing massively in expanding refineries. Simultaneously is talking about moving towards Electric Vehicles and replacing many of the auto fuels with electricity. Is there similar trend globally as well?

Tim Gould: One trend that is unmistakable is towards higher quality fuels. So, and you know, we are looking very closely at the regulatory changes in India as the move to euro 6 over the next few years. That is part of a much larger broader global move towards high-performance fuels. And it has some other parts of the energy sector so the IMO decision on the Sulphur content of maritime fuels... and India is also an exporter of refined products and so in order to keep finding those export markets, it needs to keep producing those fine quality fuels that the market demands, not just at home, but also in other countries.

Q: But that would mean that India needs to spend roughly around 10-15 billion dollars to upgrade their existing refineries, right? But you know, the projections are that in next 10 years, the consumption of fuel may go down drastically right... so do you see maritime making investment in refineries?

Tim Gould: We've discussed electric mobility... I think we need to keep some elements of that in mind. You can have a debate over how quickly that would affect new vehicles coming into the Indian fleet, but even if you had a very aggressive push towards electric cars, gasoline and diesel-based transport is going to remain the backdrop of the India's transportation system for many many years to come. And so in our projections, India's oil demand continues to increase very substantially over the next few years. Indeed, its crude oil import needs also go up. So we don't see yet in India a peak in gasoline demand or a peak in diesel demand.

Q: Indian Oil companies are going through this debate, how much they can invest refineries and government is also pushing them for the same, but if these vehicles come up, what will happen to the consumption of gasoline as well as of diesel. Many oil major doubt the electricifiation data, and argue that most of the projections are based on assumptions - that batteries will come up with a certain capacity and their price will also go down, and electric vehicles will become more friendlier.

Secondly, they are saying that you know, they need to make refineries flexible so that they can switch over to petro-chemicals as soon as the demand started going down. But do you also see a similar kind of confusion in the minds of oil producers across the world? Are they also going through the same dilemma?

Tim Gould: Yes, absolutely. There are discussions going on throughout the oil and gas industry about strategic positioning in a fast-changing energy world. Companies are positioning themselves differently in that changing environment. Some are pushing more towards natural gas or are slightly increasing the rate of natural gas in the basket and a lot of them are staking for integration with the mainstream and also the integration with the petro-chemical side. There are a lot of efforts on the research and development side. Also, companies feel better prepared for the future. Some companies are also diversifying into activities beyond the oil and gas sector. You see in Europe, for example, some of the biggest investors in offshore wind, oil and shale, in totality, there are large investing in solar.

So, there is a variety of processes underway, which reflect in a sense, some strategic positioning in relation to a fast-changing energy world. At least, if you look at our projections for the main scenario... we still have a long way to go before we start moving away quickly from gas in particular, but also for oil. There is sufficient momentum in areas that we talked about, growth areas such as trucks, such as aviation, such as the maritime sector, such as petro-chemicals, that pushes our global oil consumption at least until we get into the late 2020s-2030s, when in our view, growth slows to an absolute.

Q: Tesla, along with some Chinese players are working on trucks and buses and other HMVs.

Tim Gould: So... I mean there are different initiatives in the trucking sector. Elon Musk has come out with semi- which is a large, heavy-freight option. Many other companies are looking at the commercial sector as the sector that's easier to switch fuels, to electrify... and we'd probably agree that the pace of change is likely to be fastest in that light, commercial sector where you have urban fleets of delivery vans and so on. But the area that still makes the biggest difference in our projections is really fuel-efficiency standards. Fuel-efficiency standards for trucks are not as common as they are for passenger cars. So, if you are buying a passenger car, 4 out of every 5 cars sold worldwide are subject to some kind of fuel-efficiency regulation. With a comparable figure for trucks, it's less than 50%. India is one of the very few countries that have regulations in place. So, Canada, US, China, Japan and now India, if I understand right, have some efficiency regulations for trucks coming in 2020-21 and that puts India in a forward-leaning position when it comes to... So, that's the big area where... that affects the amount of oil used in the trucking sector. Then there are various other things that make also make a big difference in how we kind of... logistics, optimization, using digital technology to make sure that you are using your fleet as efficiently as you can. After that then comes the question of to what extent you can electrify. But the difficulty is that for very heavy loads, your battery has to be extremely large, and that has implications for cost, but it also has implications for the size and the weight.
Kulbhushan Jadhav had 40-minute meeting with his wife-mother in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: As Indian convicted spy held a 40-minute meeting with his wife and mother in Islamabad, Pakistan on Monday said Kulbhushan Jadhav was the real face of Indian terrorism in Pakistan.



Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad JP Singh and other embassy officials were also present during Jadhavs meeting with wife Chetankul and mother Avanti Jadhav, which was conducted in a specially prepared room via an intercom through a glass partition.



After the meeting, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal in a press conference said the Indian diplomat was not allowed to speak or listen to the conversation between the convicted spy and his family, and could only observe the meeting. We upheld our promise and all of our commitments. The meeting was promised for 30 minutes and was extended to 40 minutes after Jhadav requested 10 more minutes, hence we increased it, the spokesman said. They talked openly. I will not go into further details. We also had an officer present there, he added.



This meeting has nothing to do with the case pending before the International Court of Justice or with politics, Dr Faisal said. Jadhavs wife and mother were both our guests, he said, adding, They came and left in an honourable manner.



I will state this categorically: this meeting was not consular access given to Commander Jadhav. Let me be very clear that Pakistan permitted the Indian request totally on humanitarian grounds in line with the Islamic principles and teachings. Islam is a religion of peace  and it was a gesture of good faith and compassion, the spokesman clarified, as he reiterated that Jadhav was a terrorist, spy and a saboteur who was caught red-handed and had been involved in terror attacks in Balochistan and Karachi.



Jadhavs wife and mother also reportedly brought a gift for him which will be handed over to him after necessary security checks.



The FO spokesperson also presented a medical report for Jadhav that showed he was in good health.



The spokesperson said Pakistan would have preferred if Jadhavs wife and mother had spoken to Pakistani media. This was done in the spirit that Pakistan has nothing to hide and, like all of you, seeks the answers to many questions that remain unanswered, he said. One good deed should beget another, and such a decision should serve as a template for others to follow, including in Indian Occupied Kashmir, where innocent blood continues to be spilled, he suggested.



According to itinerary details, Jadhavs mother and wife flew to Islamabad via Dubai earlier Monday. The family arrived at the Indian High Commission from where they were taken to the Foreign Office. After meeting him at the Foreign Office, Jadhavs family headed back to the Indian High Commission before returning to India via Oman.



In a tweet, Dr Faisal shared a photo of the mother and wife of Jadhav sitting in the Foreign Office. The mother and wife of Commander Jadhav sitting comfortably in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan. We honour our commitments, he tweeted.



In a pre-recorded video message played at the FO after the meeting, Jadhav thanked the Pakistani government for arranging the meeting. He said that Pakistani authorities had treated him in a dignified, respectful and professional manner, for which he was thankful.



The Indian spy, in the video, again confessed to working for Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). He added that he had been arrested in Balochistan while attempting to infiltrate the country from Iran.



Speaking of Pakistans earlier offer to allow the family of Jhadav to address the media, the FO spokesperson expressed regret that the family could not participate in the press conference.
Discussion about wargaming and military history, primarily WWII in North Africa. Also discussion about AFV's and artillery.
From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...
This is what the end of cannabis prohibition will look like in New Brunswick: An upscale showroom with black ceilings, grey walls and a once-illicit drug displayed in brightly lit glass cases.

Think along the lines of a jewelry store. Very chic, very modern, very clean-cut lines, New Brunswick Liquor Corp. spokesperson Mark Barbour says in an interview.

Thats where the product will be kept, in locked glass cases, and from there the transaction will be made and proceed to a point-of-sale area.

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Date for legalized pot is next summer  not July 1, Trudeau says

Health Canada nearly doubles number of marijuana production licences in second half of 2017

Marijuana use may have already hit $6.2B before Canadas legalization

With less than a few months to go before recreational marijuana is legalized, provinces and territories are scrambling to come up with plans to sell cannabis.

But only scant details have emerged about what the retail experience of buying legal weed will be like.

Ottawa lawyer Trina Fraser predicts it wont be much akin to buying a bottle of scotch.

Think more like tobacco as opposed to alcohol, she says. Its not going to be like youll walk in and there are samples.

New Brunswicks retail scheme  which appears to be the most advanced among the provinces  offers an early peek at how consumers will buy the drug.

The province has issued construction specs featuring a stand-alone brick store with a black awning featuring the CannabisNB logo.

But despite the upscale interior, the entrance will reflect governments cautious embrace of cannabis: Stern security guards will swipe identification cards to confirm customers are 19 and over before allowing them to step inside.

Beyond this forbidding first interaction, staff in a reception area with glossy white tables and bright green chairs will explain safe and responsible recreational cannabis use, harm reduction and the laws of the land. Formalities taken care of, customers are escorted into a gleaming 3,000 square-foot weed retail store.

The first customer will walk through the doors next summer, more than a year after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fulfilled a campaign pledge and introduced legislation to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

In a single day, buying cannabis will go from a black-market purchase, steeped in surreptitious dealings and paranoid dealers, to a modern shopping experience. A drug long condemned as the stuff of street gangs, organized crime and outlaw motorcycle clubs will be branded, packaged and displayed in stores.

A once-clandestine act will become a government-sanctioned transaction, complete with a healthy excise tax and consumption taxes on top.

While it appears the distribution of wholesale cannabis and online sales will be largely government-controlled, provinces and territories have opted for one of three retail models for over-the-counter sales: Private, public or a hybrid of the two.

Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. have announced government-run stores, similar to the Crown-owned liquor stores in those provinces.

Alberta, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador have said the private sector will operate cannabis retail outlets in those provinces, while British Columbia has decided on a hybrid retail model.

Saskatchewan has hinted at a private model, but has yet to confirm its retail plans. Yukon suggested it may initially limit sales to government outlets, but as with the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, the territory is still in public consultations.

Governments are also still hammering out exactly how much the product will cost, how much it will be taxed, the minimum age for buyers, where smoking pot will be legal and driving impairment rules.

This is basically like the entire country turning 19 at the same time, says Rosalie Wyonch, policy analyst with the C.D. Howe Institute in Toronto.

Education is going to be a large part of the customer service of these retail stores. Chances are most consumers will not be particularly familiar with the product and could be completely nervous.

While some budtenders, as theyre often called, may essentially hold the hands of the uninitiated  walking them through cannabis awareness, education and consumption tips  staff at other stores could offer a more bare-bones experience.

For the provinces that will go Crown corporation for retail, its probably going to be a very polished experience, Wyonch says. Someone who has never thought of smoking weed could walk into the store and feel comfortable. There would probably be significantly more amounts of customer service staff to help you with products and explain things.

Provinces that opt for a private retail model, however, will likely have a full spectrum of service tied to price, she says.

There might be very nice stores that give a really good experience  and are slightly more expensive  and there will potentially also be a little hole in a wall down a side street where you dont get very much customer service, you dont get to ask any questions, but its pretty cheap and the people that were used to dealing with the black market would be fine there, Wyonch says.

Given the main goal of legalization is to stomp out the black market, she says private retail could render the black market obsolete more quickly. Wyonch says private stores would create a more competitive marketplace and lead to better geographic coverage than government-built stores.

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario, for example, plans to open 40 stores in 14 municipalities next summer, a number she says is unlikely to meet the full market demand.

However, consumers in all regions will also be able to access marijuana online.

But in order to eliminate the black market, buying pot will have to be convenient, says Jenna Valleriani, a University of Toronto PhD candidate in sociology and addiction studies.

For people who have purchased from a friend or acquaintance for 15 years, those are really hard purchasing patterns to shift, she says. If you did have to go to a retail shop and wait in line for an hour, thats likely going to deter people from going there.

Fraser says no province will open a complete network of retail stores the day cannabis becomes legal.

Even in the provinces with a private retail model, she says licensing operators could make for a sluggish rollout of stores.

Its going to unroll over time and what that actually looks like for consumers is going to depend on what province or territory youre located in, says Fraser, a partner at Brazeau Seller LLP, who specializes in cannabis law. Were going to see an ongoing evolution of shifting from a black or grey market to a legal one.

She notes Ontario is contemplating a pretty stark retail store environment.

I assume there is going to be some type of menu available to choose from, Fraser says. I dont suspect anywhere in Canada youll have a legal retail store that will look like a dispensary where you walk in and can see and in some cases smell the product.

As with prescriptive alcohol rules that followed the end of prohibition, strict cannabis laws will likely loosen over time as consumers become more accustomed to the drug.

But Valleriani says the stoner stereotype could persist for some consumers.

I think there will be a lot of residual stigma leftover, she says. Im not really convinced, for example, that an elementary school teacher is going to want to be seen walking out of a cannabis shop.

Valleriani calls some cannabis legislation being proposed unnecessary, such as New Brunswicks plan to make it mandatory to keep the drug under lock and key.

There is absolutely some hysteria around cannabis in the home and young people, she says, adding that fears legalization will lead to dramatically higher consumption are unfounded.

I think we can expect a small uptick in adult use and then it will level off, Valleriani says. There will initially be a bit of a spike because its a novelty for many people.

One sector of the cannabis market that is expected to see growth in Canada is marijuana-infused food, or edibles.

Sylvain Charlebois, a Dalhousie University professor of food distribution and policy, recently published a report that helped push Ottawa to include the legalization of edible cannabis products in Bill C-45.

There is a good portion of the Canadian population that would be willing to try edibles, he says, pointing to his research that shows of the 68 per cent of people in favour of legalization, 93 per cent would try an edible product. Thats a lot, so we need to be ready for this. Not adding edibles to the legislation may have exposed consumers to unwarranted risks.

But dont expect a cannabis bakery around the corner come next summer. The legalization of edibles, like brownies and muffins, will lag by a year.

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SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIF.San Luis Obispo has a reputation for being a sleepy town in central California known for its laid-back charm. Top tourist draws are a nearby 18th-century Spanish mission and Bubblegum Alley, a walkway lined with chewed gum. But Rick Stollmeyer, the chief executive of MindBody, envisioned it as a bustling tech hub.

Nestled along the coast about 370 kilometres south of San Francisco, San Luis Obispo is far from Silicon Valley. The distance presented a challenge for Stollmeyer, who sought to lure talent to a small college town known by the acronym SLO, where nature buffs and health-food junkies go to find their nirvana.

In 2001, he helped found MindBody, which sells cloud-based business management tools for the wellness industry. By 2010, Stollmeyer had attracted $14 million (U.S.) in venture capital funding. In 2014, he raised $50 million more. A year later, MindBody went public, and it remains the largest private employer in the region, with locations around the world.

Today, the tech community is growing, Stollmeyer said: It is hopping. Ive seen a dozen tech startups launch in the past year.

Venture capitalists are also chiming in. MindBody has proven that a billion-dollar company can grow up in SLO, and that is a massive milestone, said Stephen Beck, managing partner at Serra Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm. The tech scene has become authentic, dynamic and real enough to pay attention to.

He is so convinced, he has invested in WhiteFox Defense Technologies, a local startup selling devices that mitigate drone threats.

To date, more than 7,800 tech employees work in San Luis Obispo County, an increase of more than 20 per cent in the last five years, according to the California Center for Jobs and the Economy.

I would call it a boom in the tech industry when you consider double-digit per-year growth, said Michael Manchak, president and chief executive of the citys Economic Vitality Corp., a non-profit provider of economic development services.

At the crux of this growth is a rebounding economy and a pool of engineering and computer science students from California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). Added to that is a network of support from government, education and community agencies that provide access to real estate, funding and business connections to encourage fledgling enterprises.

And not only are new companies sprouting up, but renowned high-tech firms are moving in. Amazon leases two spaces downtown, and in October, Amazon Web Services announced a strategic partnership with the university. Called the Digital Transformation Hub, the organization will be staffed with employees from both entities to help solve public-sector business challenges, said Amy Schwartz, a university spokesperson.

GE Digital is moving into offices at the Cal Poly Technology Park. Erected on the former campus softball field, the tech park will be expanded to include four more facilities in the 10 years, said Jim Dunning, the director of economic development and technology transfer at Cal Poly.

To encourage the entrepreneurial spirit, the university established the SLO HotHouse as a space for the community and students at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The centre opened its new home last year in a historic brick building downtown with 15,000 square feet, triple its original footprint.

The SLO HotHouse brings together the centres students and entrepreneurs, who rent shared workspace. HotHouse inhabitants have access to mentors, venture capitalists and sources to help with prototypes. In the centres 13-week accelerator program, each student business gets $10,000 in seed money.

Since the centres inception in 2010, Cal Poly students and graduates have started 75 companies and generated more than $150 million in venture capital funding, said Tod Nelson, the centres executive director.

The SLO HotHouse has proved so energizing that when a building across the street that was once home to a bread bakery was up for lease, the university jumped at the chance to transform it into the Cal Poly Lofts, 32 apartments rented exclusively to the centres students. The apartment building opened last year, allowing residents to connect, brainstorm and participate in one anothers companies. One student hired a fellow resident who was an accounting major to do the books for his startup, Cal Poly media relations director Matt Lazier said.

Startups in the city are typically clustered downtown or near the regional airport, where MindBody has its headquarters. It operates four eco-friendly buildings, including fitness facilities with yoga classes and a health-conscious cafeteria selling items such as acai bowls.

The growth in the number of new firms in San Luis Obispo means that office space is becoming harder to find. Derek Senn, a broker at Anderson Commercial Real Estate Services, said it was possible for a startup to find office space of up to 3,500 sq. ft.

Beyond that, its challenging, he said. Inventory for larger spaces is low, and its not easy to build something right away since not much land is available for development.

This has forced some startups to get creative. One firm, the 125-employee iFixit, wanted to stay close to Cal Poly to attract fresh talent, so it moved into a vacated car dealership and renovated the 17,000 sq. ft. of space.

The firm offers over 31,000 online guides on how to fix everything from broken iPhone screens to torn jeans. Luke Soules, co-founder and a Cal Poly graduate, said the company is a 10-minute bicycle ride from campus.

We have a lot of employees tired of the Silicon Valley pace and come to raise a family, he said. The biggest contention we have is not having enough bike parking spaces.

The expansion of the startup community has also contributed to a housing shortage in the city. Based on its clean environment, walkability and access to healthy food, San Luis Obispo is consistently ranked as one of the happiest cities in the United States, said Dan Buettner, the founder of Blue Zones.

At the same time, it is considered among the 10 most unaffordable places to live in the country, according to independent surveys from RealtyTrac, WalletHub and MagnifyMoney.

Several recent decisions by the city should help offset the shortage. For instance, it has approved more than 2,000 new homes and housing units over the next 10 years, Mayor Heidi Harmon said.

But residents have already started to grumble about the newcomers encroaching on their quiet town.

Allan Cooper, a former city planning commissioner and a founding member of the Save Our Downtown citizens coalition, said there was no doubt the tech community was growing. As rising housing costs force people to live outside the city and commute into town, he expects that the quality of life will suffer and traffic problems will escalate because of the failure of our city to pay for the infrastructure such as roads, sewer and water that would be required to accommodate our growth.

And Gary Dwyer, a former Cal Poly professor who taught urban design for more than 30 years, said the tech workers were using San Luis Obispo as a playground to surf and ride mountain bikes.

The techies are building and buying secondary homes they can use as time shares, he said. They are already here, and more are on the way.

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In 1992, with the North American cultural world in the throes of a reckoning with the 500-year anniversary of Christopher Columbuss discovery of America, James Luna, a pre-eminent Indigenous American artist, chose to sit that one out.

Amid the fiery rhetoric of resistance against what amounts to colonialisms original sin, Luna, whose work was steeped in performance and public intervention, offered instead a single piece: Call me in 93, it said, a message sent from the mountain home at which Luna would stay for the year.

Curators want a certain kind of Indian and a certain kind of Indian art, Luna said at the time. So when people call me I have to ask, Why didnt you call me before? Youre calling me now, but will you call me in 93?

Stop me if youve heard this one before. Anniversaries have a tendency to be watersheds of one kind of another and, here at home this year, Canada 150, like Columbus 500, ended up being as fraught a marker as anyone could have guessed.

Blithe celebrations of a national birthday in the art world turned into a fury of self-critique, a rupture in the status quo through which all manner of marginal histories came flooding.

Indigenous art in particular came to dominate the scene with major institutions nationwide joining an earnest, long-overdue effort to acknowledge not only its remarkable breadth and power, but the ugly, long-waged, government-sponsored effort to erase it from our national life.

But this is far from a first, as Lunas question makes clear, and it hangs heavy over the yearlong watershed: What about Canada 151, 152 and beyond?

All across the country (in 1992) there were big exhibits: Land, Spirit, Power (at the National Gallery), Indigena (at the Museum of Civilization), Anong Beam, the executive director of the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation, told me late last summer. It was this wellspring of interest. Then the surge crested. Not to have a cynical view of it, but it was showy, not substantive. So thats something to think about now.

Culture at its best has always served as a canary in coal mine, a distant early warning to the disturbance on the horizon, that ominous bright flash coming from some far point. If the institutional art world here leapt two-footed into the reconciliation dialogue  and it did  it has to prove it didnt do so without looking first where it would land; its 2018 priority needs to both sustain and broaden it.

Indigenous culture took its rightful place at the core of the challenge to the status quo, but the space it made for itself cleared a path for the gamut of marginalized Canadian histories to move more sharply into view.

Their complaints  of a closed system, of prescriptive tastes and markets, of generations of a dominant, delegitimizing gaze of an academic-minded elite  found ample voice this year in exhibitions like the Art Gallery of Ontarios Every.Now.Then. (more on that later) and the Art Gallery of York Universitys Migrating the Margins, a gathering of Canadian artists emanating from an array of diasporas: Jamaica, India, Sri Lanka and Trinidad, to name a few.

On that point, one voice spoke a little more loudly than others. As diversity morphed this year from politically correct buzzword to marketing opportunity, her words carry more weight than mine.

Id like to take a moment to ask the gallerists who are suddenly interested in the work of non-academic, non-white crafts-based artists now that its trending or convenient for you to RUN THE F--- UP, wrote Rajni Perera on her Instagram feed. ITS NOT HERE FOR YOU UNLESS YOUVE BEEN HERE FOR IT. YOURE TOO LATE. GO BACK TO SLEEP. Thank you.

On a recent visit to her studio, Perera, whose pair of monumental works at York embraced a wild sci-fi cosmology with unbridled glee, laughed at the thought of her post, but caught herself quickly. The thing is, its true, said Perera, who is equal parts fiery, frank and hilarious, growing suddenly emphatic. I dont care about that being reactionary. I can be reactionary when Ive succeeded surmounting the odds of the industry that I work in. Im OK with that.

Perera, 32, who immigrated to Toronto from Sri Lanka as a child, rightly makes clear that simply being grateful for the attention is long past. I was making this work before the time of this weird interest. Ive been doing this for 10 years! You didnt want to take the risk then, but you want to do it now because I fit some kind of a slot? You didnt make that slot for me  I did.

Stories like hers dovetail perfectly into the grand nationalist reckoning instigated by the years dominant theme. Torontos Kent Monkman, a Cree artist from Manitoba who has become perhaps the art worlds most visible flag bearer for Indigenous rights, provided the cold open in January with Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience. With its grand canvases offering an intense revision of the full, epic sweep of Canadian history, from first contact to treaty rights to residential schools and all the social disasters it begat  fractured communities, poverty, crime, addiction  Monkman set the table for a fraught art world sesquicentennial, to say the least.

By the time the Contact Festival rolled around in spring, Indigenous artists like Shelley Niro, who is Mohawk, and Lori Blondeau, who is Cree/Salteaux/Metis, were at the fore of it and, with their monumental public projects, surely its outward face. Niro capped it off by winning the $50,000 Scotiabank Photography Award that same month (a career survey of her work is on view at the Art Gallery of Hamilton).

In June, the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa added its voice, completing a reinstallation of its entire Canadian contemporary collection with Indigenous and non-Indigenous work displayed, for the first time, as an integrated whole. It was the precursor to the opening of its $8-million redux of its new Canadian and Indigenous galleries, similarly intertwined, just in time for July 1; with it came a promise, in the words of director Marc Mayer: to tell these stories together and never again apart.

The McMichael, finding its feet in the emergent what-it-means-to-be-Canadian moment, offered both a memorial exhibition of the pioneering, late Inuit artists Annie Pootogook and the touring retrospective of Dene/Salteaux artist Alex Janvier alongside its requisite Lawren Harris and Tom Thomson fare (marking the centenary of his death). For a museum built on notions of Canadianness being very much the latter, not the former, this is key.

As spring turned to summer, the conversation began to expand. At the Aga Khan Museum, a show entitled, simply, Here served as a needed reminder that cultural marginalization in Canada hasnt been restricted to a single group, however egregious its burden has been.

Ganging up diasporic Canadian artists claiming roots in Lebanon, India, Ethiopia and Iraq, to name just a handful, Here muddied our two solitudes with a panoply of difference. But it was the Art Gallery of Ontarios Every.Now.Then: Reframing Nationhood that broke open a festering national identity crisis for all to see.

It was a sprawling display of disparity and difference that both broadened the complaint to include an array of ethnicities and immigrant communities and turned the criticism back on the museum world itself: of the dozens of artists it showed, the lions share have never shown in a Canadian museum, anywhere.

The exhibition, with its unflinching challenge to politely defined notions of what it means to be Canadian, evolved into an unexpected smash hit, doing the work expected of big-ticket blockbusters by drawing audiences not typically seen to be museum-going.

The show should serve as a 21st-century how-to for any museum struggling to connect with the world outside its doors. Every.Now.Then. deliberately eschewed the tidy, hewed-to narratives of European modernism and its direct forebears here in the new world and opted instead for a glorious mess, unstuck in time and place to arrive in a collision of the here and now. Its success should tell museums something: that same-old stories dont match up all that well with a new generation of the culturally aware, who demand to see the same richness in their museums as they do in their world.

Then, in September, a tremor: the AGOs top curator of Canadian art, Andrew Hunter, who had made Every.Now.Then. with Anique Jordan, made a sudden exit, saying on the way out that the gallery had more appetite for retrenchment than a desire to build on its momentum. He implied instead a coming washing of hands and a desire to get back to normal. The AGO responded by elevating Wanda Nanibush, the assistant curator of Canadian and Indigenous art whom Hunter had hired, to a position on the same level as her old boss. Nanibush, who is Anishinaabe, holds as much power as anyone there over the story Canadian art will tell in the coming years, which can only be a good sign.

Another: after three years in limbo, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Toronto, will finally open again next year at its spiffy new digs on Sterling Rd. Which brings us back to Perera.

When it launches its grand reopening exhibition in the spring, Perera and Nep Sidhu, her cohort at Migrating the Margins, will occupy a sizable chunk of its footprint. It hints at a 2018 in tune with if not where we are yet, then were we should be steering: toward a city where difference triumphs over exclusion, with that gash in the status quo growing larger by the moment.

Thats a Canada 151 we should all get behind.

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SPY HILL, Sask.A small Saskatchewan town opened its doors on Christmas morning to almost 100 passengers of a Via Rail train that suffered mechanical problems due to extremely cold weather.

Company spokesperson Mariam Diaby said in an email that the train travelling between Vancouver and Toronto had to stop at Spy Hill, and the passengers were sheltered in the local community centre where they received food, drinks and warmth.

Calvin Petracek, Spy Hills deputy fire chief, said he was doing chores on his farm when texts went out to local firefighters asking volunteers to help.

Petracek said theres no railway station in Spy Hill, which has a population of about 300 people, so the train was stopped at a siding in the community.

He said its only about 100 metres from the train to the hall and most passengers walked, but the temperature was -43 C with wind chill.

Petracek said the stranded passengers were served pancakes cooked by people in the town, with help from the cooks on the train.

The population of Spy Hill increased 25 per cent through Christmas due to this, Petracek said.

Ryan Siemens, who boarded the train in Saskatoon on Christmas Eve with his wife and three children, ages 6, 3 and 1, said the train began to lose power after they had passed Melville, Sask., about 4 a.m. The emergency lights came on, toilets stopped working and some of the cars got cold, he said.

It just didnt have the oomph it needed, so it was losing power, said Siemens, who was reached by phone late Monday afternoon on a bus that was taking his family to Winnipeg.

The car that was behind us still had warmth and so the crew organized us and everyone moved over.

Diaby said the passengers  98 in total  were to be taken to Winnipeg by bus later in the day. She said Via was looking at alternative transportation for the passengers from Winnipeg onward.

The safety and well-being of our passengers is our priority and we will continue to monitor the situation closely, Diaby said in the email.

Fire Chief Jim Larocque said RCMP phoned him on Christmas morning asking for help. He said the said the passengers were guided from the train cars, off the siding and through a ditch toward the community hall.

Larocque said the hall was already decorated for Christmas by a local family that had booked it for a large holiday celebration. A musical duo that had been performing on the train led everyone in Christmas carols after local townspeople helped to hook up the sound system.

Extra supplies were rustled up from some local businesses, he said.

It was a really joyous Christmas, Larocque said.

Diaby said she couldnt confirm details about what happened to the train, other than that the malfunction had occurred because of the cold. She said some of the cars still had heat.

Diaby noted Via has an Artists On Board program, which offers complimentary or reduced-fare travel for approved professional musicians in return for performing on Board Montreal-Halifax and Toronto-Vancouver trains. However, she didnt know if there were any such artists on the train that stopped in Spy Hill.

Spy Hill is located in eastern Saskatchewan, not far from the Manitoba boundary.

Travis Moore, a local firefighter whose family was the one originally planning to use the hall on Christmas, said they were happy to turn over the space for the train passengers and quickly moved their party to the curling rink.

Its just 50 of us this year, thats all, Moore said about his familys celebration.

Its Christmas in Saskatchewan. Anything can happen.

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Resistance took many shapes this year, from hashtag activism to symbolic gestures to old-fashioned protests, peaceful or not. Our year-end series looks at some of the causes that got us riled up  at universities, online and in the streets

In her young public life, Fearless Girl, a bronze statue of a daring child facing off against the Wall Street bull, has been tweeted by celebrities, humped by a man in a suit and characterized as both a feminist emblem and a fraud.

Installed in March, in the middle of the night, on the eve of International Womens Day, Fearless Girl received an immediate and stunning public response, generating millions of social media posts as people flocked to the financial district to photograph her.

Commissioned by McCann New York, an advertising agency, for the investment firm State Street Global Advisors, the statue was part of a larger campaign to encourage companies to recruit more women to their boards.

Bursting into the public eye weeks after a man who bragged about grabbing women by the vagina was elected president of the United States, the statue was championed as a powerful symbol of equality and female resilience. Before long, however, others began to chip away at her sheen, arguing the statue represents hypocrisy, fake feminism and, as one depressing think piece put it, basically everything thats wrong with our society.

Fuelling such arguments was news in October that State Street Corp., parent company of the firm behind Fearless Girl, paid $5 million (U.S.) to settle a lawsuit alleging it underpaid women and black employees.

Even so, Fearless Girl has a large and enthusiastic fan base. Popular demand led to the extension of initial week-long and month-long permits to a full year, to end in March 2018. Fearless Girls most ardent supporters, including nearly 40,000 petition signatories and New York public advocate Letitia James, want her to stay permanently. Her detractors want her gone.

The statue, created by sculptor Kristen Visbal, is of a ponytailed child in a windblown dress standing nearly four feet tall, hands on hips, head held high. Timed with the anniversary of State Streets gender diversity index fund, which trades under the symbol SHE, critics derided it as a publicity stunt orchestrated by a company that manages more than $2.5 trillion (U.S.) in assets and does not practise what it preaches, with only three women on its 11-member board of directors and five on its 27-member leadership team  a catastrophically unreconstructed sausage-fest, Nick Pinto wrote in the Village Voice.

The original plaque below the statue, which included a plug for the index fund  SHE makes a difference  was removed weeks after installation. The campaign generated free advertising for State Street worth somewhere between $27 million and $38 million, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Detractors argued the whole thing reeks of corporate feminism, which operates with the singular goal of aiding and abetting a universe of mothers who tuck their daughters in at night whispering, Someday, honey, you can lead the emerging markets and sovereign debt team at Citigroup, and then become a director at Yahoo, Ginia Bellafante wrote in the New York Times.

Others said using a girl to represent the interests of women is infantilizing, part of a long and harmful tradition of toning down feminist messages into condescending feel-good messages palatable to a larger audience. The kind of feminism that urges us to take the bull by the horns, girls! as one supporter tweeted.

Fearless Girls fans came to her defence when, a few days after installation, a man in a suit was seen simulating a sex act with the statue. Witness Alexis Kaloyanides was out with colleagues and snapped a photograph, which she posted on social media.

Almost as if out of central casting, some Wall Street finance broseph appeared and started humping the statue while his gross date rape-y friends laughed and cheered him on, she wrote in a Facebook post that was shared more than 30,000 times. He pretended to have sex with the image of a little girl, she wrote, adding that men like that are why we need feminism.

Soon after, Arturo Di Modica, the sculptor who created the 3,000-kilogram bronze Charging Bull that has stood in the square since 1989, publicly raged about Fearless Girl. That is not a symbol! Thats an advertising trick, he told Marketwatch.

Di Modica, 76, said Fearless Girl changed the meaning of his art, casting the bull as a villain when it was created as a symbol of American strength and prosperity after the 1987 stock market crash. He was swiftly shut down by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who tweeted, Men who dont like women taking up space are exactly why we need the Fearless Girl.

In May, another artist, Alexander Gardega, installed a piece of protest art he called Pissing Pug, a small dog urinating on Fearless Girl. His move was decried as misogyny. Months later, he was hit and killed by a New York City subway train. Gardega was on the tracks when he was hit, the New York Daily News reported.

In October, State Street Corp. settled allegations that it underpaid women, while denying the lawsuits claims. A week later, the New York Times published its game-changing investigation about sexual assault and harassment allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, and the dominoes of men in power began to fall. The timing led some to draw comparisons between the two revelations. Weinstein, as well as Louis C.K. and other men, had for years positioned themselves as allies and champions of women, all the while hiding a darker truth.

In both cases, a public-facing feminism ended up essentially serving as a front, a superficial sheen that distracted from systemic sexism, Sarah Banet-Weiser wrote for Salon. What does feminism mean if it functions as an alibi for structural discrimination?

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Right Reverend MacLord Afriyie, immediate past Methodist Bishop for Northern Region, has called on Christians to take advantage of Christmas to pray for a peaceful Ghana.



He explained that Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, which brought the peace of God to man.



Bishop Afriyie was preaching the sermon on Christmas Day at the Adweso Calvary Methodist Church near Koforidua.



He explained that as a result of commercialisation of Christmas, the essence of the day seemed to be lost on many people.



Bishop Afriyie expressed regret that many Christians had also reduced the celebration of Christmas to drinking, eating and wearing of new cloths.



He urged Christians to use this years Christmas to pray for the peace of God to prevail in all trouble spots of the world.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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PARISIts getting colder, the clock is ticking and regional authorities are scrambling to meet President Emmanuel Macrons deadline: get migrants off Frances streets and out of forest hideouts by years end.

That wont likely happen, and Macrons government is now tightening the screws: ramping up expulsions, raising pressure on economic migrants and allowing divisive ID checks in emergency shelters.

Critics contend that Macrons increasingly tough policy on migrants  though wrapped in a cloak of goodwill  contradicts his image as a humanist who defeated an anti-immigrant populist for the presidency, and has crossed a line passed by no other president in the land that prides itself as the cradle of human rights.

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From snowy Alpine passes to the borders with Spain or Germany, migrants keep making their way to France. In Paris alone, police have evacuated around 30,000 people camping on sidewalks in the last two years.

No one doubts that Frances system of dealing with migrants needs fixing, with a perennial housing shortage and long wait times in applying for asylum.

Living in the street. Living in a tent. Sometimes you get food. Sometimes you not get food, said Samsoor Rasooli, a 25-year-old Afghan standing in line since 6 a.m. local time to apply for asylum at a Paris facility, where some spend the night on the sidewalk, strewn with filth, to keep their place. The door closed at midday, the 100 places allotted that day for applicants filled.

Its winter. I cant sleep in the street, Rasooli said.

Asylum opens the way for temporary housing, but only one-third of the 95,000 applicants this year were accepted, government officials say.

The huge makeshift camp in the English Channel port city of Calais, dismantled last year, was emblematic of the problems. Its residents were dispersed around France, but others keep coming in hopes of reaching Britain, and are finding a rude welcome. Frances highest administrative body said the migrants have been subjected to inhuman and degrading conditions, and an investigation ordered by the interior minister found that it was plausible that police used excessive force against migrants, as Human Rights Watch maintained.

A bill overhauling asylum and immigration policy will be debated in the spring, notably expediting asylum demands but also doubling to 90 days the time a person without papers can be held in a holding centre, the last step before expulsion  an approach the government says is balanced and efficient.

Macron said in a speech in July in Orleans before a group of new citizens that he wanted people off the streets, out of the woods by the end of 2017. I want emergency lodgings everywhere.

While his words conveyed humanity, the underlying message bites.

Macron has made clear he wouldnt accept economic migrants in France, wants those who dont qualify for asylum expelled and doesnt want them even trying to come to France.

The French president has been rolling out a multi-pronged approach that stretches to Africa, with points set up in Chad and Niger to pre-select those certain of gaining asylum  and weed out potential economic migrants.

At home, Interior Minister Gerard Collomb has ordered prefects, regional representatives of the state, to crack down on illegal immigration, act quickly to expel those who fail to gain asylum and report results within weeks, according to a November order cited by the newspaper Le Monde.

A newer set of orders in December rang alarm bells. Collomb told regional authorities to set up mobile teams to run checks in emergency housing to ascertain the status of migrants. Emergency shelters are considered bedrocks of the French tradition of open arms to those in need and have long been considered untouchable, even by security authorities.

The accent on security in dealing with immigration has appalled even some who support the centrist Macron.

In a first, a lawmaker from Macrons young party broke ranks last week with critical remarks about the direction the country is taking on the immigration issue.

All foreigners in France are not terrorists. All foreigners in France are not indelicate social aid fraudsters, said Sonia Krimi, to the applause of the opposition.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, defeated by Macron in the May presidential race, sees the direction the government is taking as a political victory for her anti-immigration National Front party.

What the government wants is more expulsions and more quickly, Jacques Toubon, the state-appointed national rights defender, told France-Inter radio. But the situation of vulnerable people isnt taken into account.

Feeling the heat, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has announced consultations starting Jan. 11 with mayors, lawmakers and aid groups that play a major role in helping to feed and house migrants.

On the ground, authorities are scrambling to show they are following the presidents clear-the-streets orders.

A camp of about 40 Afghan migrants was dismantled last week in the Pas-de-Calais region in northern France, and another was taken down in Macon in the east. On Thursday, a camp on the banks of the Seine river was the latest in Paris to be bulldozed, with 131 migrants taken to shelters.

Police staked out a toll booth north of Paris in an operation against the migrant flux, stopping car after car to check for migrants who dont have residency documents.

Patrick Weil, among Frances leading immigration specialists, said Macron tweets about human rights and refugees during the day and at night gives the opposite orders.

Weil contended on BFM-TV that Macrons approach is the most extreme weve had since the war.

Its coated with a smile, with bonbons, but in practice its a dagger, he said.

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LOS ANGELESA Los Angeles psychologist claims to have left the festively wrapped box of manure outside the Bel-Air home of U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that spurred a Secret Service investigation, billing it as a political protest against the recently passed tax bill.

Robert Strong, a Kentucky native now living in L.A., appears to have enthusiastically documented the act on Twitter and Facebook, posting photos of himself with a shovel and a Santa-spangled box full of manure and describing it as a Secret Santa project.

One of his Facebook posts shows an envelope labelled To Stevie and a card from The American People inscribed, Were returning the gift of the Christmas tax bill. Its (expletive).

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And in a YouTube video posted on Christmas Day, Strong declared that the prophets of old often did shocking things to highlight the injustice against which they preached.

For me, that was delivering a gift-wrapped box of (horse manure) to parallel the idiocy of the complete ... bill thats been passed, Strong said.

Strong told AL.com, which was first to identify him as the person claiming to have delivered the box, that it was an act of political theatre meant to inspire others to step up their activism. Since his name was revealed in the media, his Facebook page has been deluged with both tickled supporters and outraged critics, who dubbed his act harassment.

Strong downplayed the idea that the box could have alarmed Mnuchin or created a dangerous situation, saying it was something a frat boy may do to another frat boy, AL.com reported.

The Secret Service said Monday that it had found a person who had claimed responsibility for delivering the package and had interviewed him, but declined to confirm whether that person was Strong.

The United States Secret Service takes all threats, both alleged and confirmed, seriously, public affairs specialist Cody Starken wrote in an email. As a matter of practice we do not comment on our protective intelligence, possible criminal investigations, and interviewing practices.

A neighbour spotted the box Saturday in Bel-Air and called police, who cordoned off the area for two to three hours and called in the bomb squad. The manure inside the box was dumped, but the box itself and the accompanying note were retained as evidence, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The Secret Service, which is charged with protecting federal officials, has taken over the investigation.

The Los Angeles Times was unable to reach Strong on Monday evening. Strong, who has been active with the Occupy L.A. movement, told local radio station KPCC that he was surprised he hadnt been arrested and realized that he might have jeopardized his job working for Los Angeles County as a psychologist.

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ISLAMABADPakistan said Tuesday that Indian forces killed three of its soldiers near the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region.

A military statement said the unprovoked ceasefire violation took place Monday in Rawalakot in the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir. It came two days after Indias army said four of its soldiers were killed by Pakistani fire along the de facto border between the South Asian rivals.

In the latest shooting, the Indian military said that its soldiers targeted Pakistani posts after they were fired upon. The Indian troops did not suffer any casualties, officials said.

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The confrontation happened hours after the wife and mother of an imprisoned Indian naval officer who faces the death penalty in Pakistan for espionage and sabotage were allowed to meet with him in Islamabad.

After Saturdays shooting, the Indian military had said in a statement that the soldiers killings will not go in vain. India said Pakistani soldiers had violated the 2003 ceasefire accord by targeting Indian forward posts in the Rajouri sector.

On Tuesday, Pakistan summoned an Indian diplomat and lodged a protest over the killing of Pakistani soldiers.

The Pakistani army initially said the three soldiers were killed by Indian fire, but the Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Faisal later said the Indian fire provided cover for non-state actors to plant explosive devices, which killed the soldiers.

The Indian actions got a befitting response from the Pakistani side and their guns were silenced, he said in a statement.

India and Pakistan have a long history of bitter relations over the Himalayan territory, which both claim in its entirety. Both countries have repeatedly accused the other of initiating border skirmishes that led to the deaths of soldiers and civilians.

They have fought two of their three wars over the region since they gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947.

Meanwhile, India accused Pakistan of violating mutual understandings on Tuesdays meeting between the imprisoned Indian naval officer and his wife and mother. Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating.

It was the first meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family since he was arrested in March 2016 after allegedly entering the country from Iran.

A Pakistani military tribunal found Jadhav guilty of espionage and sabotage and sentenced him to death, but India obtained an order from the International Court of Justice to halt the execution.

During the meeting, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen in the Pakistani Foreign Office while his mother and wife sat on the other side. They spoke through an intercom for nearly 40 minutes.

Faisal said Pakistan allowed the meeting as a humanitarian gesture following a request from India.

Also on Tuesday, Indian troops killed a rebel commander in a gunfight in southern Samboora village in Indian-held Kashmir, police said.

Police called the killing of Noor Mohammed a significant breakthrough.

A statement by police blamed Mohammed for masterminding and co-ordinating a string of attacks, including an audacious strike recently by three militants near the highly secured airport in the regions main city of Srinagar.

Anti-India protests and clashes followed as the fighting raged on Tuesday, with hundreds of residents hitting streets in solidarity with the rebels. Government forces fired shotgun pellets and tear gas to disperse rock-throwing protesters. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

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MOSCOWRussian officials should review opposition leader Alexei Navalnys calls for an election boycott to see if they might be breaking the law, the Kremlin said Tuesday, hinting at possible legal repercussions.

In a widely anticipated decision, Russias top election body ruled Monday to formally bar anti-corruption crusader Navalny from running in the presidential election next March. Navalny promptly put out a video statement, saying that the ban shows that President Vladimir Putin is terribly scared and is afraid of running against me, and called on his supporters to stay away from the vote in protest.

Putin, who has been in power for 18 years, announced his bid for re-election earlier this month, but so far has refrained from canvassing. In contrast, his most prominent rival, anti-corruption crusader Navalny, has been campaigning aggressively all year, reaching out to the most remote parts of the country.

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Opinion polls say that Putin should easily win the March vote.

Putin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday wouldnt comment on the Election Commissions decision to bar Navalny but said the calls for boycott ought to be carefully studied to see if they are breaking the law.

Peskov also rejected suggestions that Navalnys absence on the ballot could dent the legitimacy of Putins possible re-election.

The Russian law doesnt say calls for an election boycott are illegal, but authorities last year blocked access to several websites calling for the boycott.

Navalny rose to prominence in 2009 with investigations into official corruption and became a protest leader when hundreds of thousands took to the streets across Russia in 2011 to protest electoral fraud. A few years later and after several short-term spells in jail, Navalny faced two separate sets of charges of fraud which were viewed as political retribution aimed to bar him from running for office. In his only official campaign before his first conviction took effect, Navalny garnered 30 per cent of the vote in the race for Moscow mayor in 2013.

The European Union said in a statement on Tuesday the decision to keep Navalny off the ballot casts a serious doubt on political pluralism in Russia and the prospect of democratic elections next year.

The EUs spokesperson for foreign affairs, Maja Kocijancic, pointed to a European Court of Human Rights ruling that Navalny was denied the right to a fair trial when he was convicted in 2013.

Politically motivated charges shouldnt be used against political participation, Kocijancic said.

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When Alberta last went to the polls, in 2015, the provinces voters removed a Conservative dynasty from power and replaced it with a majority NDP government.

British Columbians followed suit in 2017, ending a 16-year Liberal reign. Since last summer, a minority New Democrat government, backed by a handful of Green Party MLAs, is at the helm.

Will the other two major provinces join the movement in 2018 and do away with long-standing incumbents at Queens Park and in Quebecs national assembly? If they do, polls suggest their voters might seek change on the right of the ideological spectrum.

The Ontario polls do not concur on the pre-election party standings, but they do agree on the fact that Premier Kathleen Wynnes Liberals will have a fight on their hands to keep the Tories at bay next spring.

In Quebec, the Coalition Avenir Quebec enjoys a double-digit lead on Philippe Couillards ruling Liberal party among the francophone voters who determine election outcomes and sits in first place overall.

Next Octobers Quebec election will be different, and not just because it could see the provinces youngest party  the CAQ was founded in 2011  become the government. It will also be the first campaign in decades that will not be a vote by proxy on resuming the debate over the provinces political future.

The Parti Quebecois had hoped its decision to put its referendum plans on ice until at least 2022 would free federalist voters dissatisfied with the Liberals to support it. Instead, the move seems to have made it easier for sovereigntists and federalists alike to get behind the CAQ.

In 2018, the PQ will be fighting for its life as a major political force on the Quebec landscape. Under the worst-case scenario for leader Jean-Francois Lisee, his party could join the federal Bloc Quebecois as a marginal voice in the provinces conversation.

The spring Ontario election and the Quebec fall vote will be the main electoral events of the next Canadian political year and their outcomes will impact the national dynamics.

At this time next year, there may not be a Liberal provincial government outside of Atlantic Canada.

For Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, that would make for a significantly less convivial federal-provincial table.

With more turbulence to be expected on the Canada-U.S. front in 2018, Trudeau may need all the help he can get to avoid various regions from turning on each other in the pursuit of contrary trade interests.

He could hardly hope for stronger allies in Central Canada than Wynne and Couillard.

Given their uncertain re-election prospects, it is easy to see why the prime minister has been marching the provinces to a July deadline to legalize cannabis.

On and off Parliament Hill, much political energy will be expended on the implementation of Trudeaus signature promise over the first half of the year.

The Conservative official Opposition is saying it will do all that it can to hold up the marijuana train. Except that it has already left the station. With the provinces and the industry gearing up to meet the federal summer deadline, it is not clear how helpful opposition attempts to throw roadblocks in the way of the plan would be.

For Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, a 2018 provincial conservative revival could be a mixed blessing. On a top-of-mind issue such as climate change, for instance, he could find himself caught between the Ontario Tories who favour carbon pricing and an Alberta wing that abhors the idea.

The federal New Democrats and their rookie leader, Jagmeet Singh, can testify to some of the difficulties inherent in having feuding members of the family in power provincially. They have been uneasily navigating between an Alberta NDP government that needs to show that it can get more oil to tidewater and a B.C. one that is committed to doing all that it legally can to prevent the expansion of the Kinder-Morgan TransMountain pipeline.

Since he became leader, Scheer has avoided internal policy tensions by mostly putting off any heavy policy lifting. But as the loss of two of the partys seats in the falls byelections demonstrated, it will be harder to run as the anti-Trudeau in the 2019 federal election than it was for the Liberals to feature their leader as the anti-Harper in 2015.

Chantal Hebert is a national affairs writer. Her column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

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Former Vice President, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has criticized the NPP administration for the way they are managing the economy.



He stated that in his assessment of the NPP government, they could have done much better in one year and that is what as Ghanaians we are all hoping for in the coming years for them to be able to resolve the problems.



The former Vice president made the statement in Ho on 25th December, 2017 when he spoke to the media after a visit on Christmas day to make some donations to children on admission at the Ho Regional and Municipal \Hospitals with his wife, Matilda AmissahArthur.



Mr Amissah Arthur said that most of the programs that have been adopted and implemented by the NPP government are without the full conceptualization of the appreciation of the cost involved.



Citing the implementation of the free SHS policy, he said more consultations with people who have expertise and more definition of exactly what it is that they want to do should have been consulted.



The former Vice president also called for some clarity on the things they (NPP) want to achieve; since the way its being done, it is a little haphazard and it doesnt help.



He further stated that since every parent want to provide the best education for their children, it is important for the right thing to be done.



The couple were accompanied by the NDC MP for the Area Benjamin Kpodo. They went round the various wards to interact with the patients on admission and to wish them well.



They presented assorted gifts such as fruits, drinks, biscuits and bags of rice to the children and staff of the hospital.

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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Valero Energy Corporation manufactures, markets, and sells transportation fuels and petrochemical products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Refining, Renewable Diesel, and Ethanol. It produces conventional, premium, and reformulated gasolines; gasoline meeting the specifications of the California Air Resources Board (CARB); diesel fuels, and low-sulfur and ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuels; CARB diesel; other distillates; jet fuels; blendstocks; and asphalts, petrochemicals, lubricants, and other refined petroleum products, as well as sells lube oils and natural gas liquids. As of December 31, 2021, the company owned 15 petroleum refineries with a combined throughput capacity of approximately 3.2 million barrels per day; and 12 ethanol plants with a combined ethanol production capacity of approximately 1.6 billion gallons per year. It sells its refined products through wholesale rack and bulk markets; and through approximately 7,000 outlets under the Valero, Beacon, Diamond Shamrock, Shamrock, Ultramar, and Texaco brands. The company also produces and sells ethanol, dry distiller grains, syrup, and inedible corn oil primarily to animal feed customers. In addition, it owns and operates crude oil and refined petroleum products pipelines, terminals, tanks, marine docks, truck rack bays, and other logistics assets; and owns and operates a plant that processes animal fats, used cooking oils, and inedible distillers corn oils into renewable diesel. The company was formerly known as Valero Refining and Marketing Company and changed its name to Valero Energy Corporation in August 1997. Valero Energy Corporation was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.
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.
Knoll, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, markets, and sells commercial and residential furniture, accessories, and coverings for the workplace and residential markets in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Office and Lifestyle segments. It provides systems furniture, including integrated panels or table desks, work surfaces and storage units, power and data systems, and lighting products; office seating products comprising various work chairs; and files and storage products, such as lateral files, mobile pedestals and other storage units, bookcases, and overhead cabinets. The company also offers adjustable tables, as well as meeting, conference, training, dining, and stand-alone and table desks; conference furniture product platforms; height desks, tables, and ergonomic seating and accessories principally for individual home offices and small businesses; technology support accessories, desktop organizational tools, and lighting and storage products; seating and lounge furniture, as well as side, cafA, and dining chairs; conference, training, dining, and occasional tables; and lighting, rugs, textiles, fabrics, felt, leather, upholstery, drapery, and related architectural products. It serves Fortune 1000 companies, governmental agencies, and other medium-to-large sized organizations in various industries, including financial, legal, technology, entertainment, accounting, education, healthcare, and hospitality through its direct sales force and showrooms, distribution partners, and independent dealers and retailers, as well as online. The company was founded in 1938 and is headquartered in East Greenville, Pennsylvania.
The following companies are subsidiares of Bristol-Myers Squibb: 1096271 B.C. ULC, 345 Park LLC, A.G. Medical Services P.A., AHI Investment LLC, AbVitro LLC, Abraxis BioScience Australia Pty Ltd., Abraxis BioScience Inc., Abraxis BioScience International Holding Company Inc., Abraxis BioScience LLC, Abraxis BioScience Puerto Rico LLC, Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Adnexus, Adnexus a Bristol-Myers Squibb R&D Company, Allard Labs Acquisition G.P., Amira Pharmaceuticals, Amira Pharmaceuticals Inc., Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Apothecon LLC, B-MS Generx Unlimited Company, BMS Benelux Holdings B.V., BMS Bermuda Nominees L.L.C., BMS Data Acquisition Company LLC, BMS Forex Company, BMS Holdings Sarl, BMS Holdings Spain S.L., BMS International Insurance Designated Activity Company, BMS Investco SAS, BMS Korea Holdings L.L.C., BMS Latin American Nominees L.L.C., BMS Luxembourg Partners L.L.C., BMS Omega Bermuda Holdings Finance Ltd., BMS Pharmaceutical Korea Limited, BMS Pharmaceuticals Germany Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals International Holdings Netherlands B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Korea Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Mexico Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Netherlands Holdings B.V., BMS Real Estate LLC, BMS Spain Investments LLC, BMS Strategic Portfolio Investments Holdings Inc., Blisa Acquisition G.P., Bristol (Iran) S.A., Bristol Iran Private Company Limited, Bristol Laboratories Inc., Bristol Laboratories International S.A., Bristol Laboratories Medical Information Systems Inc., Bristol-Myers (Andes) L.L.C., Bristol-Myers (Private) Limited, Bristol-Myers Middle East S.A.L., Bristol-Myers Overseas Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Israel) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (NZ) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Proprietary) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Taiwan) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (West Indies) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb A.E., Bristol-Myers Squibb Aktiebolag, Bristol-Myers Squibb Argentina S. R. L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Axia Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb B.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Belgium S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Business Services Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada International Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Delta Company Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Denmark Filial of Bristol-Myers Squibb AB, Bristol-Myers Squibb EMEA Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Egypt LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Epsilon Holdings Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Ltda., Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Portuguesa S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb GesmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co. KGaA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holding Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings 2002 Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Ireland Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Pharma Ltd. Liability Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Ilaclari Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb India Pvt. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Company Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Investco L.L.C., Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., Bristol-Myers Squibb Kft., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg International S.C.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb MEA GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Manufacturing Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Marketing Services S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Middle East & Africa FZ-LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Norway Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Nutricionales de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Peru S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (HK) Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (Thailand) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Holding Company LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Ventures Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Polska Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Products SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico/Sanofi Pharmaceutical Partnership Puerto Rico, Bristol-Myers Squibb Romania S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.A.U., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Holding Partnership, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Service Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Services Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Spol. s r.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Theta Finance Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Trustees Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Colombia S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Costa Rica Sociedad Anonima, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Guatemala S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb/Astrazeneca EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, Bristol-Myers de Venezuela S.C.A., CHT I LLC, CHT II LLC, CHT III LLC, CHT IV LLC, CR Finance Company LLC, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals Inc., Celem LLC, Celem Ltd., Celgene, Celgene A.B., Celgene AS, Celgene Ab (Finland), Celgene Alpine Investment Co. II LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. III LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. LLC, Celgene ApS, Celgene B.V., Celgene BVBA, Celgene Brasil Produtos Farmaceuticos Ltda., Celgene CAR LLC, Celgene CAR Ltd., Celgene Chemicals Sarl, Celgene China Holdings LLC, Celgene Co., Celgene Corporation, Celgene Distribution B.V., Celgene EngMab GmbH, Celgene Europe B.V., Celgene Europe Limited, Celgene European Investment Company LLC, Celgene Financing Company LLC, Celgene Global Holdings Sarl, Celgene GmbH [Austria], Celgene GmbH [Germany], Celgene GmbH [Switzerland], Celgene Holdings East Corporation, Celgene Holdings II Sarl, Celgene Holdings III Sarl, Celgene Ilac Pazarlama ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Celgene Inc., Celgene International Holdings Corporation, Celgene International II Sarl, Celgene International III Sarl, Celgene International Inc., Celgene International Sarl, Celgene K.K., Celgene Kft., Celgene Limited [Hong Kong], Celgene Limited [Ireland], Celgene Limited [New Zealand], Celgene Limited [Taiwan], Celgene Limited [UK], Celgene Logistics Sarl, Celgene Ltd, Celgene Luxembourg Sarl, Celgene Management Sarl, Celgene NJ Investment Co, Celgene Netherlands B.V., Celgene Netherlands Investment B.V., Celgene Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Celgene Pte. Ltd., Celgene Pty Ltd, Celgene Puerto Rico Distribution LLC, Celgene Quanticel Research Inc, Celgene R&D Sarl, Celgene RIVOT LLC, Celgene RIVOT Ltd., Celgene RIVOT SRL, Celgene Receptos Limited, Celgene Receptos Sarl, Celgene Research Incubator At Summit West LLC, Celgene Research S.L.U., Celgene Research and Development Company LLC, Celgene Research and Development I ULC, Celgene Research and Development II LLC, Celgene Research and Investment Company II LLC, Celgene S. de R.L. de C.V., Celgene S.L.U., Celgene S.R.L., Celgene SAS, Celgene Sarl AU, Celgene Sdn Bhd, Celgene Services Sarl, Celgene Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Celgene Sp. Z.o.o., Celgene Sro [Czech Republic], Celgene Summit Investment Co, Celgene Switzerland Holding Sarl, Celgene Switzerland II LLC, Celgene Switzerland Investment Sarl, Celgene Switzerland LLC, Celgene Switzerland Sarl, Celgene Tri A Holdings Ltd., Celgene Tri Sarl, Celgene UK Distribution Limited, Celgene UK Holdings Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing II Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing III Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing Limited, Celgene d.o.o., Celgene sro [Slovakia], Celmed LLC, Celmed Ltd., ConvaTec Divestiture, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals AB, Crosp Ltd., Delinia Inc., Deuteria Pharmaceuticals Inc., DuPont Pharmaceuticals, E. R. Squibb & Sons Inter-American Corporation, E. R. Squibb & Sons L.L.C., E. R. Squibb & Sons Limited, EWI Corporation, EngMab Sarl, F-star Alpha, FermaVir Pharmaceuticals L.L.C., FermaVir Research L.L.C., Flexus Biosciences, Flexus Biosciences Inc., Forbius, Galecto Biotech, GenPharm International L.L.C., Gloucester Pharmaceuticals LLC, Grove Insurance Company Ltd., Heyden Farmaceutica Portuguesa Limitada, IFM Therapeutics, Impact Biomedicines Inc., Inhibitex, Inhibitex L.L.C., Innate Tumor Immunity Inc., JuMP Holdings LLC, Juno Therapeutics GmbH, Juno Therapeutics Inc., Kosan Biosciences, Kosan Biosciences Incorporated, Linson Investments Limited, Mead Johnson (Manufacturing) Jamaica Limited, Mead Johnson Jamaica Ltd., Medarex, Morris Avenue Investment II LLC, Morris Avenue Investment LLC, MyoKardia, O.o.o. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) AB, Padlock Therapeutics, Padlock Therapeutics Inc., Pharmion LLC, Princeton Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Receptos LLC, Receptos Services LLC, RedoxTherapies Inc., Route 22 Real Estate Holding Corporation, SPV A Holdings ULC, Seamair Insurance DAC, Signal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Sino-American Shanghai Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Societe Francaise de Complements Alimentaires(S.O.F.C.A.), Squibb Middle East S.A., Summit West Celgene LLC, Swords Laboratories, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westwood-Intrafin SA, Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals Inc., X-Body Inc., ZymoGenetics, ZymoGenetics Inc., ZymoGenetics LLC, ZymoGenetics Paymaster LLC, iPierian, and iPierian Inc..

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PROHIBIDO OLVIDAR



OTAN = Asesinos



OTAN = NATO = Muerte



Mas temprano que tarde los derrotaremos



Hipocresia 3.0



El principe Carlos habla sobre el alto costo de la vida Es un chiste?



Las verdades son simples



Opinar es un peligro



Ejemplo de dignidad



El Nuevo Orden Mundial



Historica foto para el record Guinness







Se pegaron un tiro en el pie



Si palabras



Ya no enganan a nadie



No hacen falta palabras







Lo volvio a hacer



Capitalismo=embuste



Historico Bitcoin



La bateria mas grande de Holanda



El futuro es solar



Nec plus ultra, nec variatur



Fisica y culturalmente



Jamas nos callaran



Sin ellas, no seremos



Deja vu



Nada que celebrar



Hasta cuando?



Colombia Hoy



Para nunca olvidar



'Parasite' painted on a statue of Queen, Elizabeth in Kent, England



Sin palabras



La UE le apunta a la paz



Cada vez mas solo



LULA y su Pueblo



Bye Bye



Homenaje al genial Quino



Fueron ellos



Una imagen que resume



Tan bajo ha caido que se deja tocar el trasero?



Porky y el Nene (archiconocido narcotraficante)



Ladrones al poder



Asi mira el perrito a su amo



Crazy



Clamor popular



La nueva inquisicion



Bolivia



Chile Hoy



Eso es todo amigos!



Piensalo!



Pinerachet



No More Trump



Adios Macri, hasta nunca



La Marioneta se desinfla



Asi o mas cinico



Almugre



Mexico en 1794



Mas arrastrado imposible



Hasta cuando!



La pura verdad



Solidaridad con Palestina



Serie Capitalismo



Espejismos de la clase trabajadora



Asi es!



Comerciantes o delincuentes



No pasaran!



Asi es la vida



USA HOY



01/01/1959



La avaricia no tiene limites



AYUDA HUMANITARIA?



Chile Hoy



Asi son las cosas



Mapa Electoral de Venezuela



Patagonia argentina?



Un aniversario mas del mayor genocidio de la Humanidad



Retrato del franquismo en Espana



Visca Catalunya!



El Chulo de Madrid



Cuando la policia se roba la democracia



Una imagen dice mas que mil palabras



La purita verdad



Asi gobierna la maldita burguesia



Mi pobre clase media



Como Chavez nadie



Comparte La Colmena via twitter Twittear

Programa de la MUD



Asi o mas clarito



Por que Trump no ataco Corea del Norte?



Hace 15 anos Por que la OEA no se pronuncio?



Una verguenza nacional



La luz que nos guia



La Union Europea Premio Nobel de la Paz?



Feudalismo ayer y hoy



Obama, el mentiroso



Curiosa coincidencia



Un mundo de cerdos



No es extrano?



La Marioneta



Los ricos protestan, los pobres celebran



MARICORI Y OBAMA



Cuantas muertes este ano?



USA TODAY



USA HOY 6



USA HOY 5



USA HOY 4



USA HOY 3



USA HOY 2



USA HOY (1)



Insaciable



Cronologia de un agresor



Guarimbear en USA



Mexico hoy



Bolivar y Chavez



Primero Amargado



Dios los cria y ellos se juntan



USA hoy (III)



USA hoy (II)



USA hoy



Mexico hoy



Mexico hoy



Mexico hoy



Obama



La verdad sea dicha



Los ricos



Que no nos vea Obama



Pobre Obama



SOS PALESTINA



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Chavez Cuanto te queremos!



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Cerveza Polar







Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar







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LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares?



























Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano...



Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos:



Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias.



Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera.



No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje.



En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio.



Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida.



Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella.



Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal.



Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista.



Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen.



Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che?



Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio.



Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora.



Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo.



Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo.



Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania.



No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar.



Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga.





Alguna duda?



Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino



Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia.



OZ1



OZ2



OZ3



OZ4



Homenaje a Jason Galarraga



La Victoria de Samotracia



Odalisca



Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008



























La Sierra Nevada de Merida



Nuestro precioso Churum Meru



Homenaje a Picasso



Autoretrato



Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola?

La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.

Mi profesion?

Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.

Sal en la Coca Cola?

A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.

De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:

Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto

Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)

azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)

Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas

Mucha Cafeina

Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio

Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe

Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion

El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.

Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.

Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.

En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).

Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.

La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.

Bebidas Light?

Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el

Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.



Publicado por loretahur



En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur

MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina:

1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias.

2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina.

3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard.

4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos.

5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla.

6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos.

Ahora... sobre la margarina:

1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) .

2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias.

3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno).

4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer.

5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna.

6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo.

7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina.

Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas:

* No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo).

* No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!!



No a la guerra, Si a la Paz



Misterios de la ciencia...



Los costos de la guerra



medicos y capitalismo...



Capitalismo...



medicos (2)



Quien educa a nuestros hijos?



Los Medios...



Sin Palabras...



Chistes feministas

- Cual es el problema, Eva?

- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz...

- Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.

- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...

- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.

- Que es un hombre?

- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.

- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.

- Cual es el truco?.

- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.

- Cual?

- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.





Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Ellas...



Ellas (2)...



Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1

Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije:

-Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro.

Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria.

Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre?

-Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa!



VENGANZA NUMERO 2

Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris.

A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita:

- Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!!

Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta.

La mujer paso quince dias en Francia.

El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla.

Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es:

- Y amor me trajiste mi francesita??

- Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina.



VENGANZA NUMERO 3

El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion.

- No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo.

- Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz.

Te quiero confesar algo.

- Esta bien, esta bien. Habla!

- He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga.

- Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!!



machismo y cibernetica



Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston.

-Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide.

-Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!.



.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti.

Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos.

Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco.

Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas



Gol !!!!



Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso!



Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy!


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
Apple's iPhone X might not be selling as well as expected.





(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Several analysts have cut their outlooks on iPhone X sales, citing lower-than-expected demand, Bloomberg reports. Sinolink Securities analyst Zhang Bin said on Monday that Apple could sell 35 million iPhone X units in the first quarter, a drop of 10 million from prior estimates.



Another firm, JL Warren Capital, said shipments would slump from an expected 30 million unit sales to 25 million. JL Warren Capital said it's witnessing lower-than-expected orders from suppliers, suggesting demand might be weak.



"Bad news here is that highly publicized and promoted [iPhone] X did not boost the global demand for iPhone X," JL Warren Capital wrote in a note to investors, according to Bloomberg.

MORE: 7 Reasons to Buy the iPhone X, and 4 Reasons to Skip

Even Apple itself is finding that demand might not be so strong and cut its forecast for first-quarter shipments from 50 million units to 30 million units, Bloomberg reported, citing a report from the Taiwanese Economic Daily News.



So, what's happening and why might iPhone X sales be sluggish?



Here are five possible reasons:

1. The Prices Might Be Too High

According to both Sinolink Securities and JL Warren Capital, Apple has a pricing problem. The analysts told their investors in a note that they believe Apple's iPhone X pricing is too high and is pushing customers away to other products. Some studies released earlier this year, however, suggest the iPhone X's price  which starts at $999  didn't turn away early adopters.

2. Where Are the Innovations?

The analysts also said in their note that innovation is lacking in the iPhone X. While the phone might come with a new design and be the first Apple handset to deliver Face ID scanning, they wonder whether there's enough new and cutting-edge stuff in the handset to actually justify its price and attract customers.

MORE: 2017's Most Innovative Tech

3. Strong Competitors

According to Bloomberg, Apple is expected to face strong competitors in the early part of 2018. The investors said in a note that Samsung has come a long way in attracting more customers to its devices, creating more problems for Apple. Samsung is currently working on the Galaxy S9, with that phone likely to arrive as soon as February.

Additionally, in critical markets, like China and emerging countries, Apple is finding that competitors like Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi, are doing a good job of coaxing its customers to their side.

4. Some AR Wow

The analysts told their investors that Apple's push into augmented reality is a little half-baked. While the feature might deliver new technologies in the future, Apple's iPhone X is hobbled by a general lack of apps that can deliver the "wow" factor that augmented reality could and perhaps should deliver at some point in the future. Better AR apps, in other words, could attract more customers.

MORE: Best AR Apps for iOS (So Far)

5. iPhone 8 Might Be Good Enough

Although iPhone X sales might not be as strong as Apple and the analysts believed, the company might not be in trouble. Instead, the analysts believe that Apple's cheaper iPhones, including the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, are attracting a wide range of customers who still want an iPhone but don't want to pay the $1,000 or more for the iPhone X.
As cooler weather enters our lives, its time to ramp up the skincare routine.

The cold outdoors and heated interiors make for a one-two punch that leaves skin prone to dryness. Nobody wants dry itchy skin. And while there are oodles of commercial products promising supple hydration, too many moisturizers do their bidding with synthetic ingredients that nobody should be rubbing into the largest organ of the body. Really, keep this in mind: Skin covers an area of 21 square feet on the average adult and plays host to more than 11 miles of blood vessels. Who wants to be rubbing petroleum distillates and parabens into that?

The following practices promise to soothe and hydrate, and when the occasion calls for it, by the use of gentle ingredients that you may already have on hand:

1. Skip the Hot Shower

Many people enjoy a steaming hot shower on a cold day. Your skin disagrees. Super hot water dries it out to no end. Give it a lukewarm shower, and if you use soap, make sure it is all-natural and the most gentle one you can find.

2. Employ Staples to Exfoliate

Treehugger / Lesly Junieth

You can buy an expensive jar of salt or sugar scrub to exfoliate  which removes dead skin cells and creates fresh skin that is more easily able to absorb moisturizers  or you can quickly whip up some all-natural formulas in your kitchen for pennies.

3. Moisturize While Damp

Treehugger / Lesly Junieth

Whatever your moisturizing routine, do it when youre fresh from the shower or bath  lotions are designed to lock in moisture, so make their job easier by using them when your skin is at its most moist.

4. Bathe Like Cleopatra

Treehugger / Lesly Junieth

According to legend, Cleopatra's skincare routine involved milk and honey baths. Research has shown that honey soothes and moisturizes the skin, and may also slow the formation of wrinkles. However, the thought of reclining in a voluminous vat of pure milk seems unsavory at best and egregiously wasteful at worst. Instead, add a more sensible two cups of milk and a quarter cup of honey to a not-so-hot bath and have a hydrating soak.

5. Slather Yourself With Honey and Olive Oil

Treehugger / Lesly Junieth

Honey has many beauty benefits that make it a great friend to hair and skin; olive oil does too. Mix a spoonful of honey with a spoonful of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice (a natural skin brightener). Apply this lotion to dry areas and let sit for 20 minutes. Wipe off with a warm washcloth.

6. Try the Overnight Express

Treehugger / Lesly Junieth

When skin is particularly dry, this treatment can't be beaten. Take a long, tepid bath before bed; long enough that your toes and fingers begin to wrinkle. Pat yourself dry and immediately coat yourself in oil  olive oil or coconut oil are appetizing options. Whatever your choice in oil, spread it all over, put on some old pajamas that you don't care that much about, and send yourself to sleep. Wake up soft.

7. Take an Oatmeal Bath

Treehugger / Lesly Junieth

Oatmeal has been used to treat skin for a few thousand years; and even science says that it's effective for its moisturizing, cleansing, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory properties, while at the same time offering minimal incidence of irritation.

To make an oatmeal bath: Blend 1 cup of dry oatmeal (use plain instant, quick oats, or slow cooking oats) in a food processor or blender until you have a fine powder. Scatter the mixture into a tub with running water, swirling with your hand a few times for even distribution and breaking up any lumps on the bottom of the tub. Soak in the bath for 15 to 20 minutes, pat yourself dry when you get out. Depending on how dry your skin is, you can use this up to twice a day, or more if your doctor agrees.

8. Drink Water

Drinking water is crucial for good health, but research on the effect of water on skin hydration is not yet conclusive. Still, it can't hurt, and you should stay hydrated for the benefit of your entire body.
Looking For Comments and Suggestions On My Itinerary

Looking For Comments and Suggestions On My Itinerary

This is for a December 2018 trip after a South American Cruise.

Day 1- Arrive San Jose at 1:40PM (hopefully) from Santiago Chile. There are no Nature Air flights in the afternoon but there is a 4:45PM SANSA flight to Quespos

Day 2- 5 Thinking about 4 days at the Tulmar Resort in Manuel Antonio area

Day 6 Fly from Quespos to Liberia and spend 4 days in the Playa Hermosa Beach area.

Day 10 (Jan 2, 2019) fly from Liberia to SJO and catch a flight to our next destination Mexico City.

We are passing on the Arenal area because we've had our share of Volcanoes on Big Island in Hawaii. Would have like to have caught the Monteverde Cloud Forest but seems out of our way and we'll have ample opportunity to explore Manuel Antonio National Park.

We chose Playa Hermosa Beach area based on swimmability and wanted to have a chance to see the Tico area if we wanted to return again for maybe a 6 month stay. I'm not sure what else is in close proximity to the beach area other then other beaches.

I read many of the responses to people's proposed itineraries and I guess my main takeway was that getting Costa Rica is not very easy and the fewer places on the itinerary the better.
This blog will focus on political images I have found all around the Internet, though I will intersperse some commentary and quotes that I find interesting.
Visa on Arrival Vietnam- Have you had any issues at arrival?

Visa on Arrival Vietnam- Have you had any issues at arrival?

I am traveling with my wife and 2 kids to Vietnam in January and I am looking at the different options for Visas (multiple entry as we will go to Singapore as well). The embassy is the more expensive option and VOA seems to be the less complicated and less expensive option.

I find contradictory information online about the VOA and I am concerns that we would not be able to enter at SGN.

Have anyone recently used VOA and how has their experience been?
It is pretty easy to DIY ( and a lot cheaper) although two weeks is not a lot of time. You need to be pretty focused with your itinerary which will largely depends on your interests ( e.g. history, countryside, cities etc.stc. but I would start off with a few days in Hanoi, fly to HCMC, a couple of days there before settting off through the Mekong Delta and heading into Cambodia via Chau Doc. A couple of days in Phnonm Penh and then take in the Angkor temples of Siem Reap.

Some photos and detail of our trips in that area on our blog @ https://accidentalnomads.com

Wemostl6 use booking.com for accomodation. Kayak.com is good for sourcing the flights and then book Direct with the airlines..
I am going to Vietnam in Feb visiting Vietnam and Cambodia. I plan to apply for e-Visa for Vietnam (arriving into Hanoi airport). I will transit from Vietnam to Cambodia on a river cruise at Tan Chau. What should I list for Vietnam EXIT port in the Vietnam e-Visa since Tan Chau is not listed? I assume immigration officials are more concerned about port of entry vs port of exit and can just put down any exit port on the list. I have already researched visa for Cambodia and it seems we can apply on board the cruise for that.
Hi,

Just rambling off my rough plan for now, looking into going in end of Nov 18' or mid Dec

Now that both my parents have expressed their wish to join us, we are skipping Disneyland, and would want to avoid crowded areas like Shinjuku, Shibuya. I don't think they will too pleased to wait around at Disneyland. Coming from S'pore, we would like to explore more on nature/cultural places. Don't think they will be so keen on visiting shrines/temples though, castles are ok.

I'm planning to do a few days in Tokyo (mainly Asakusa, Ueno and a short visit to Camii Mosque in Yoyogi),

and then probably venture out. Thinking of going to either one of the below:-

1) Yamagata.

(kids and adults can enjoy. I would love to visit the Ginzan onsen) to let the kids experience their 1st snow. We aren't pro skiers, nvr done it before. So just wanna frolic around.

Any suggestions? Is the Zao ski resort ok? Another alternative is the Gassan Pole Pole, but not sure if they could take in walk-ins (not staying at their lodge)

Target to stay in a hotel near Yamagata station and do day trips for there.

2) Shirakawago.

This place is so dreamy in winter!

But quite worried abt the distance. What do you think?

I've already cut back on my itinerary to accommodate my elderly parents and 3 small kids.

Main thgs to keep in mind is: few or no transfers, near to the train station, not so touristy places.

any suggestions are welcomed! thanks!
When searching for New Years Eve 2 locations came up. New York and The Park. Is the Park the new area between there and Monte Carlo. Has it relocated?

Saw it was closed until the 23rd... Thanks for any help.
Sunset beach bar and Rorys beach bar both good to chill day or night the play music serve food and are quite cool places to spend a bit of time at. My favourite bar was Bittersweet cocktail bar a must visit when on the island !

As for restaurants Itaco Lounge is good but probably the most expensive. For good old fashioned burgers and fries try Winstons Burgers. Other than that theres plenty of choice whether you like local seafood or pizza or anything you want you will find. Also theres 2 good Indians one called Ganesh the other called the naked table. Preferred the naked table although the menu isnt huge the food is amazing.
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LAKE GEORGE  Being a Christian requires more than celebrating Christmas and attending church on Christmas Eve. As a pastor, Darren Barkman finds it odd that many people who call themselves Christians have never read the Bible.

To really be able to call yourself one, there are regulations, there are policies and procedures that go along with it, he said. And thats all in the Bible, so its important to know it.

The Scriptures are a mirror through which Christians should see themselves, said Barkman, the acting pastor at Bay Road Church in Lake George.

Barkman is taking his congregation on a Bible-reading adventure starting Monday with the Psalm 119 Project. The church is going to read the entire Bible in the year 2018.

Each member will follow the same daily Scripture reading plan in an effort to cultivate spiritual growth as well as a deepening knowledge in the teachings of the Bible.

Not reading the Bible doesnt make you not a Christian, obviously, Barkman said. But its deepening what you really believe and having the foundation for what you believe and knowing why you believe it, which is really important.

The Civil War-era church has obtained use of a reading program from www.bibleclassmaterials.com, which publishes a yearly schedule that breaks the Bible into sections featuring Old Testament, New Testament and Psalms readings to be done five days a week. All participants will be reading the same passages each week.

The 10 a.m. Sunday sermon will delve deeper into the meanings of the reading done during the week.

So theres the opportunity by reading it, praying through it and studying it on your own to get some ideas and what you think is going on, Barkman said, and then we have a chance on Sundays to talk about it and to look at it.

The congregation is enthusiastic about taking on this monumental task, said Denise LaRose, the clerk of session. Four generations of her family have attended Bay Road Church.

Everybody is really excited about it, said LaRose, who welcomes the opportunity to go deeper into her faith.

There is a PDF file of the curriculum available online, and the Sunday service is broadcast on Facebook Live, so the snowbirds can keep up with the project from Florida as well.

Barkman tends to be drawn to the Book of Ephesians, he said, particularly the first few verses of Ephesians 2, which talks about being dead in our transgressions and sins but remaining alive in Christ.

The whole Book of Ephesians was written to a culture a lot like ours, Barkman said. A lot of different religions, lots of people who were anti-religion. There was a lot of resistance to the Christian faith, culturally just very hostile.

Pauls letters tell the people how to live, how to survive and thrive in a culture hostile to Christians.

A lot of the New Testament was written to a church in a culture that was very resistant to what Jesus taught and to the church as it was growing, Barkman said. Theres nothing new 2,000 years later. We find ourselves in the same place, so its important for the church to listen to what the writers of the Scriptures were saying then.
GLENS FALLS  The Board of Directors of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce has launched the search for the Chambers next president and chief executive officer.

Former Chamber President and CEO Tori Riley stepped down from her position in September to return to her previous role as vice president with the Saratoga Economic Development Corp.

Marti Burnley was the chamber's interim president.

The board has spent the last several months re-examining the role of the chamber in the community as well as identifying the skills needed in a new president and CEO.

The board is officially launching the search with Waverly Partners, a national executive search firm.

Board members Brian Bearor and Eric Gilbert will lead the 7-member search committee that will work with Waverly Partners to identify qualified local, regional and national candidates. A position profile as well as contact information for the search will be published next month.

The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce serves more than 1,000 members, predominantly in Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties.
Despite the mutual adherence to the ceasefire agreements throughout the whole day, Russian-backed militants launched at night provocative attacks on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Donbas.

This is reported by the ATO Headquarters press center.

In Donetsk direction, militants shelled Ukrainian strongholds outside Pavlopol (30 km northeast of Mariupol). In addition, terrorists fired 120mm mortars on Ukrainian positions.

In Luhansk direction, ATO troops came under small arms fire near Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk).

Moreover, an enemys UAV, banned under the Minsk agreements, was spotted in the area of Novhorodske (34km north of Donetsk).

As reported, Russian-terrorist troops violated the ceasefire two times in ATO area in Donbas over the past day. Ukrainian troops did not return fire. No casualties among Ukrainian servicemen were reported.

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Ukrainian soldiers were neither killed nor wounded in hostilities in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in eastern Ukraine over the past day.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Spokesperson for ATO Oleksandr Motuzianyk said this at a press briefing on Tuesday, December 26, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"Fortunately, the Ukrainian Armed Forces sustained no losses over the last day, Motuzianyk said.

At the same time, he added that Russian-backed militants continued to attack the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces using the weapons prohibited under the Minsk agreements.

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The Russian terrorist leadership is trying to use the current ceasefire regime to prepare for further conduct of hostilities.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Spokesperson for ATO Oleksandr Motuzianyk said this at a press briefing on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defense Ministry, the enemy is trying to use the current ceasefire regime to prepare for further combat operations," he said.

According to him, the measures are being taken to create artificial psychological tension among the population of the occupied Donbas to keep the local residents under the influence of Russian propaganda.

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Heads of Kherson region together with representatives of Kherson International Airport intend to conduct talks in Ireland with low-cost airline Ryanair on the possible launch of flights to Kherson region.

Chairman of Kherson Regional Council Vladyslav Manher told this to journalists, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We have planned a trip with the chairman of the [regional state] administration and the airport management to Ireland to hold talks with Ryanair representatives and invite them to us," Manher said.

He noted that the trip and negotiations with Ryanair are scheduled for the end of January - beginning of February 2018.

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CAMBRIDGE  A Christmas snowfall didnt stop Mondays Cambridge community Christmas dinner. Organizers discussed whether to cancel, but the snow stopped mid-morning and the free dinner was on, said Chris Catlin, one of the events organizers.

Preparations started weeks in advance, with organizers securing donations of food and supplies, Catlin said. Individuals, businesses and civic groups contributed.

The whole community is wonderful, Catlin said.

Due to the closure of Embury United Methodist Church, which had hosted the dinner for years, American Legion Post 634, just north of the village, made its hall and kitchen available. Volunteers made cole slaw, squash, applesauce, rolls and desserts in advance. Several area restaurants cooked the scalloped potatoes. Preparation of the ham started around 8 a.m., Catlin said.

Marsh estimated that about 100 people gave time to make the dinner possible, including organization, cooking, delivering takeouts and cleanup.

About 50 people came to the Legion hall for the noon dinner, which was served family-style. No reservations were needed. People just show up, Catlin said. They dont have to be in need. Well even pick them up and drive them to the site. Donations are welcome and help to fund the next years dinner.

Volunteers deliver takeout meals to anyone who requests them. This year had a record 150 takeouts, double the usual, said organizer Naomi Marsh. Meals on Wheels doesnt deliver on Christmas Day, Catlin said. Our group delivers to Cynthia Meadows in Greenwich and Cambridge Woods, local senior citizen apartments. Even if people go out for dinner, theyll have a hot meal waiting when they come home.

Local students decorated the hall the day before. Pastor Peter Bailey of the Coila Community Church gave a blessing before the meal and played Christmas music on his guitar. His wife, Jennifer and their three daughters helped deliver takeouts.

White Creek resident Phil Kingsley welcomed people at the door. He and his wife Barbra have volunteered for a number of years, he said.

The best part is greeting people. Id like to see more people come, especially people who are alone, and enjoy the company. Theres so much warmth here. I think thats important. People are giving of their hearts.
The citizens of Ukraine were not among those killed or injured in a bus crash in Moscow.

The Department of Consular Service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported this on Twitter.

"According to the Consul, there were no citizens of Ukraine among those killed or injured in Moscow after the vehicle drove into a pedestrian underpass," the report said.

On Monday, December 25, at least four people were killed and 13 injured after a bus drove off the road and plunged into an underground passageway in Moscow.

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The Ukrainian World Congress expresses gratitude to the United Nations for supporting the resolution "Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine)" and calls on all the member states to join it.

This was stated by President of the Ukrainian World Congress Eugene Czolij, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"The Ukrainian World Congress thanks the UN member states that supported Ukraine and its people with the adoption of this resolution and urges the withholding states to join in supporting this appeal for the protection of the fundamental human rights of civilians suffering the wrath of an occupier," Czolij said.

As reported, the UN General Assembly approved the resolution "Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine)" on 19 December 2017.

The document was supported by 70 UN member states. Another 76 member states abstained, and 26 countries more voted against the resolution.

The document, in particular, confirms there is an international armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia and condemns the retroactive application of Russia's own laws in the occupied territory. The resolution urges Russia to implement the interim decision of the UN International Court of Justice to restore the rights and freedoms of Ukrainian citizens on the peninsula; calls on the Russian occupation authorities to ensure the educational process in the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages.

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Ukraine's Acting Health Minister Ulana Suprun hopes that at least 10 decisions on health care reform will be taken at a government meeting on Wednesday, but the reform can be implemented only if President Poroshenko signs the relevant law.

Suprun said this during a briefing in Ternopil, where she took part in the opening of the Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We have developed the key law on the state financial guarantees for the provision of medical services and medicines. But we cannot implement the health care reform, because we have been waiting for the president to sign our law for 66 days. At tomorrow's government meeting, we hope that we will adopt at least 10 decisions that will enable us to implement the health care reform," the acting minister said.

According to her, among other things, the decisions refer to the creation of the National Health Service and a number of by-laws. This will be possible after the president signs the law, according to which "money will follow the patient" in each medical institution.

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Alexander Zakharchenko, the leader of the illegal armed formation of the "DPR" [Donetsk Peoples' Republics], has signed a decree on "pardoning" the citizens of Ukraine held in the "republic" that will be released during the exchange of captives with Kyiv.

The exchange is expected to be held tomorrow at 13:00, Zakharchenko told journalists on Monday, the separatist media reported.

"Today I signed a decree to pardon people who we will exchange tomorrow," he said, adding that representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church would attend the exchange of captives.

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Pope Francis has prayed for the peace in Ukraine in his urbi et orbi blessing on Christmas Day.

We see Jesus in children who, together with their families, suffer from the violence of the conflict in Ukraine and its grave humanitarian repercussions. We pray that the Lord may soon grant peace to this dear country, Pope Francis said, the Vatican News reports.

The Pope also prayed specifically for children suffering the ravages of war and the vagaries of political and economic turmoil in countries around the world.

As the winds of war are blowing in our world and an outdated model of development continues to produce human, societal and environmental decline, Christmas invites us to focus on the sign of the Child and to recognize him in the faces of little children," he said.

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The next year should demonstrate the real activity of the newly created cultural institutions: the Ukrainian Book Institute and the Ukrainian Cultural Fund.

Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Pavlo Rozenko announced this at the all-Ukrainian meeting of cultural workers, the Governmental portal reports.

The next year should demonstrate the real activity of these two institutions. These are new approaches, new programs, new challenges for all of us, but these are also new opportunities and new ways of gaining support for Ukrainian book publishing, culture and the humanitarian field as a whole, Rozenko said.

He recalled that the two institutions had been established earlier this year.

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Cults come in many types and sizes. This list includes cults ranging from South Pacific islanders who perform rituals with the goal of getting planes to drop off goods, to doomsday cults that planned to take over the world after the apocalypse  and managed to gain a frightening amount of power.

1 Heavens Gate was a cult whose members committed mass suicide in 1997 when Comet Hale-Bopp passed near the sun. They believed their souls would reach an alien spacecraft that was following the comet.

The alien craft was supposed to then take their souls to another level of existence above human. The group was founded in back 1974 by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles who met each other in a psychiatric hospital.

To commit suicide, 39 members took phenobarbital mixed with applesauce. They washed it down with vodka, and then put plastic bags over their heads so they would suffocate. All of them were dressed in matching black shirts with armband patches that read Heavens Gate Away Team, as well as matching sweatpants and brand new Nike shoes. The cults website is still up and running.(source)

2 The John Frum cult is one of the most widely reported examples of a cargo cult. Cargo cults are typically groups that formed during or after WWII among islanders who benefited from the presence of soldiers who shared goods with them. They believe that by performing rituals that mimic the behavior of soldiers they saw on the island, theyll receive more cargo.

The John Frum cult is made up of islanders on the South Pacific island of Tanna. Before soldiers arrived on the island, locals were unfamiliar with modern goods such as manufactured clothing, medicine, and canned food. The islanders had watched the soldiers receive cargo from planes from parachuted air drops. So, after soldiers left the island, the cults would perform rituals that mimicked the practices of soldiers in the belief that it would bring new cargo. Some of the practices include marching, waving landing signals, and creating mock airstrips, radios, and control towers.

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The John Frum cult worships a figure named John Frum, often depicted an American WWII serviceman. The name John Frum may be a corruption of John from as in John from America. This cargo cult is still active and has become a tourist attraction.(1,2,3)

3 The Family International is a cult that was founded in 1968 by a former pastor who said he was Gods prophet. He formed a group with some very outlandish views about sexuality. For instance, it is known advocating incest with children, and members are told to imagine themselves having sex with Jesus.

The cult teaches a belief they call Loving Jesus. They believe their group is like Christs bride, and members should love him as a wife loves a husband. They are encouraged to imagine Jesus is joining them when they have sex or masturbate. Male members are cautioned to imagine themselves as women so that they avoid a homosexual relationship with Jesus.

The cult was originally named Teens for Christ, but it was later renamed The Children of God and is currently called The Family International. It has had some noteworthy members. For instance, Joaquin Phoenix and Rose McGowan were born into the cult. According to their website, they have members in more than 80 countries.(1,2,3)

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4 The Narcosatanists is the name the media gave to a cult of drug smugglers in Mexico. They performed human sacrifices with the belief it would protect them from police and even make them bulletproof.

This cult was led by a Cuban-American man named Adolfo de Jesus Constanzo. When Constanzo was a teenager living in Puerto Rico, he began practicing a religion called Palo Mayombe which involves animal sacrifice. He moved to Mexico City as an adult, gathered some followers, and started a successful business where they performed animal sacrifices to bring clients good luck. Many of his clients were drug dealers and hitmen.

In 1988, the Narcosatanists moved onto an isolated ranch in the desert where they managed a cocaine and marijuana smuggling operation. The group then started performing human sacrifices to cast spells they believed would protect them from police. Their victims included strangers and rival drug dealers.

Their crimes came to light after they abducted and murdered an American student who was in Mexico on Spring Break. When police raided the Narcosatanists ranch, they found the mutilated corpses of 15 people and a cauldron that contained a dead cat and a human brain.(1,2)

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5 The Manson Family was Charles Mansons group of hippie followers who carried out a grisly murder spree with the goal of inciting a race war. Manson believed the Beatles White Album was filled with coded messages that predicted a coming race war and told his followers that the album was actually directed at their group.

To incite a race war, the group brutally murdered White people with the hope the murders would be blamed on Black people. The Manson Family also planned to release an album of their own with hidden messages to help trigger the race war. Manson predicted there would be a split between racist and non-racist Whites which would allow Blacks to triumph. The Manson Family planned to go into hiding until the war was over and then would emerge to rule the Blacks.(1,2)
FORT ANN  Jeremy Treadway, owner of the ADK MX Racetrack on Route 149, plans to open in mid-April despite the legal roadblocks he has faced recently.

Six residents who have opposed the motocross track since it first opened last year filed a civil lawsuit against Treadway, the Fort Ann Town Board and the Fort Ann Planning Board on Nov. 27 in state Supreme Court in Washington County.

A preliminary injunction was requested by lawyer Claudia Braymer of Braymer Law on behalf of the plaintiffs: David Campbell, Karen Campbell, Lindsay Carte, Patricia Carte, Claire Greene and Ralph Greene.

Treadways new site plan application is pending and will be discussed at the next Planning Board meeting on Jan. 29.

If granted, the restraining order would prevent the Planning Board from granting the defendants a new site plan approval.

The plaintiffs are also asking the court to award them legal fees.

Plaintiffs have had to expend their own time and money to ask court for relief, the lawsuit reads.

More than $15,000 in taxpayers money has been used on legal fees to defend against these lawsuits, according to Treadway.

Its so unfair to (the taxpayers).  This is all for no reason and its sad that its to come to this, he said.

The tracks opponents cite noise, increased traffic, negative impacts on property values and negative changes to the character of the neighborhood as their reasons for wanting it shut down.

The Cartes and the Greenes were reached by phone but declined to comment on their lawsuit. The other two plaintiffs could not be reached.

The group filed an Article 78 lawsuit earlier, challenging the boards approval of the track, but that was dismissed.

Treadway thinks the preliminary injunction will end with the same result.

The facts are the facts, he said. And the fact is we havent done anything we werent supposed to do.  We are staying positive because weve followed all the rules, he said.

Fort Ann Planning Board Chairman Don Bedeaux said town officials have done their best.

Were doing the best we can.  Were just going to keep doing what were doing, Bedeaux said Friday morning.

Treadway has scheduled eight races for the spring, five more than he held last year. About 9,500 people came through the gates last year and supported the racetrack, Treadway said.

Other than the residents suing him, Treadway said, he has gotten positive feedback from the community.

Its nice to make everyone happy, but its not always possible, he said.

In this case, we have a small group of people who dont like the racetrack, and we cant make everyone happy.
LAKE GEORGE  The Lake George Village Board has approved purchasing a portable stage for the Charles R. Wood Park, which village officials believe will bring in revenue, as the equipment can be rented out when not being used at the Festival Commons space.

The board accepted a bid from Stageline Mobile Stage Inc. of Quebec, Canada, to purchase a stage at a price not to exceed $280,000.

Mayor Robert Blais said the village had received a $200,000 grant from state Sen. Elizabeth Little, R-Queensbury, to purchase a portable stage that could be set up and taken down easily.

Officials are hoping that a stage will make it easier to book events at the park. However, there are events taking place in the park that do not require a stage, so it does not make sense to have a permanent structure.

It would take up room unnecessarily, he said.

Stageline is one of the largest stage manufacturers in the world, according to Blais. Its base bid was $225,000, but there are a variety of add-ons that are worthwhile to include, such as lighting, a sound system, a skirt running across the bottom to protect it from the elements, hand railings, a waterproof covering and extenders that can expand the platform if needed.

Blais said the original plan was to share the costs with the county. However, he said there are benefits if the village owns the stage outright. He said he talked to someone in the stage business who told him there would be a lot of demand for this equipment.

It will be a moneymaker for you, he said.

Blais said the village would have to lease a flatbed to move the stage from place to place. However, it could include that expense in the price of rentals.

The stage manufacturer can come and train village workers on how to put up and take down the stage, Blais said.

He said another advantage of the village owning the equipment is a request to use it would not have to go through several layers of committees, as it would at the county level.

Blais said he could see the stage being used at a downtown festival in Glens Falls or the Warrensburg Smoke Eaters Jamboree. There is also a new idea to have a concert in a different community during the week of Americade to spread the wealth around, according to Blais.

Because the state grant only covers $200,000, the village will have to pick up about $80,000 in costs for the stage, and Blais suggested tapping occupancy tax funds for the balance.

I think in a matter of two or three years, wed get our money back, he said.

Blais said because the village is taking on this project, it is likely not going to have enough left in occupancy tax funds to cover the weekly summer fireworks. He said he is going to put something in his spring newsletter to call for sponsors from the business community.

They might have to step up to the plate and take some of the responsibility for the fireworks, he said.

Other work occurring at the park before next summer includes installation of a decorative water feature that includes a fountain, and benches and a walkway. There will also be a display of memorabilia depicting the history of the Gaslight Village Amusement Park, which occupied the space where the park now stands.
King Norodom Sihamoni has said that Cambodia remains committed to engagement with the United Nations as an active member following calls for the U.N. General Assembly to review the countrys membership in light of the dissolution of the countrys main opposition party.



In a letter dated December 21 and sent to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, King Sihamoni expressed his deep appreciation of the organization.



The Kingdom of Cambodia will remain active in its engagement and contribution to help build a stronger United Nations and advance our shared efforts to ensure peace, development, and human rights for all, the monarch wrote in the letter, published later on his official website.



The letter comes amid growing tensions between Cambodia and the United States over Prime Minister Hun Sens governments crackdown on political opponents and civil society.



At a recent panel discussion hosted by the United States U.N. mission, speakers called for a review of Cambodias membership.



The United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding King Sihamonis letter, but last week a U.N. spokesman said Guterres was concerned by the deteriorating political situation in Cambodia and would urge the authorities to abide by the commitments they have made in an area of human rights and preserve the democratic achievements the country has made.



A palace aide said the letter was a routine gesture in response to a letter from Guterres on the occasion of Cambodias Independence Day celebrations last month.



Thats normal that he had to respond, Oum Daravuth, a palace cabinet member, told VOA Khmer.
As temperatures fell below 20 degrees Celcius, Cambodian markets last week overflowed with shoppers looking to buy up warm-weather clothing to protect themselves from the unusually mild weather.



Vendors in Phnom Penhs Central Market said demand for thick sweaters had risen dramatically.



Hout Kim Hoen, 55, said she had made more sales this year than in any year previously, attributing the rush to the very cold weather.



Em Dan, 34, agreed that the weather was colder than usual. This year is strange because normally it was not as cold as now. We could just wear a normal long-sleeved shirts. Even at Central Market, there are many people from everywhere this year coming to buy sweaters.

Chhim Chreb, a Phnom Penh resident, purchased eight sweaters at the market on Thursday. She said it was the first time she had ever bought one, but that she had been to the market twice already that week to buy warm clothing.



Today is very strange, stranger than other years because they were not as cold, she said.



Den, the clothes seller, said this is the first year market sellers had stocked up on sweaters. Its only this year. Sellers here all started to sell sweaters, he said.

On December 20, Prime Minister Hun Sen warned Cambodians of the impending chill, urging them to invest in warm attire. Wearing a new sweater himself, Hun Sen said, Now sweaters are very popular. But there are only a few days left until it will be less cold.



The governments meteorology department said the cold snap is expected to ease this week following a period of rainfall.



Chan Yutha, Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology spokesman, said, "Based on our experience, it is colder than the past years. But as we are in the windy season, the cold weather will continue."
Pakistan allowed the wife and mother of convicted Indian spy, Kulbhushan Jadhav, to meet with him Monday. North Korea described the latest U.N. sanctions against it as an act of war on Sunday (24 December) , saying it was tantamount to a complete economic blockade. Plus, Guatemala's president announced on Christmas Eve that the Central American country will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem becoming the first nation to follow the lead of U.S. President Donald Trump in ordering the change.
As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump promised a radically different approach to foreign intervention than that of his predecessors.

At campaign events, Trump railed against U.S. military intervention so frequently that it eventually became a part of his stump speech.

Weve spent $6 trillion in the Middle East, Trump repeatedly lamented. We could have rebuilt our country twice.

In his first year as president, Pentagon data suggests Trump has struggled to carry out his America First approach to the world, at least when it comes to the use of force.

Instead, Trump has sent more U.S. troops to conflict zones in the Middle East and South Asia. Hes dropped more bombs on Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. And hes expanded a global campaign of targeted drone killings.

Add it all up, and its hard to see how Trumps foreign policy is any less interventionist than his predecessors. If anything, Trumps policies are a little more hawkish than those of Barack Obama, says Christopher Preble, with the CATO Institute.

Hes largely continued what he's inherited, with some additional increment of the use of force, says Preble.

Doubling down in Afghanistan

Perhaps no conflict exemplifies Trumps approach more than Afghanistan, where the U.S. has been fighting Taliban insurgents for 16 years.

Before becoming president, Trump was a regular critic of the war, calling it a waste of lives and money and demanding an immediate withdrawal.

But six months into his presidency, Trump reversed his position, instead deciding to indefinitely extend the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan.

Under Trumps plan, 3,000 more U.S. troops will be sent to Afghanistan, backed by an expanded U.S.-led bombing campaign.

According to U.S. military figures, the NATO coalition is on pace to triple the number of bombs dropped on Afghanistan in 2017 compared to the previous year.

The bombing could continue to expand in 2018, in part because of the relaxed rules of engagement that allow the U.S. military to go after insurgent targets.

More bombs, more troops

Its part of a larger pattern of a bigger Pentagon footprint across the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa.

Since Trump took office, there has been a 31 percent increase in the number of U.S. troops and civilians working for the Pentagon in the Middle East and North Africa, according to Pentagon data.

That includes increases not only in well-known conflict areas, such as Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, but also in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.

The U.S. military also recently acknowledged it has about 2,000 troops in Syria - four times as many as Pentagon officials previously said. According to a recent report, the U.S. forces will stay in Syria indefinitely.

Under Trump, the U.S. is also dropping more bombs.

The international coalition fighting the so-called Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria is on pace to drop 30 percent more bombs in 2017 compared to the previous year, according to official figures, though that campaign appears to be winding down as the Islamist group is forced out of its so-called caliphate.

Drone war expanded

Drone strikes have also continued in non-battlefield settings, including Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan, and Libya - a continuation of President Barack Obamas global campaign of targeted killings.

"If Obama expanded the U.S. drone program, Trump has expanded it even more, both in terms of geography and frequency, says Rachel Stohl, who specializes in drones at the Stimson Center, a research group.

In Yemen, U.S. airstrikes have tripled, and in Somalia they have doubled this year compared to last, according to Jessica Purkiss with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which tracks U.S. drone and other airstrikes.

"The uptick in strikes in these countries is largely because parts of both these countries were declared areas of active hostilities, which effectively means the U.S. can launch strikes with fewer constraints, Purkiss says.

The U.S. military could also soon conduct drone strikes in Niger, after the African country last month granted the U.S. permission to conduct armed drone flights.

Not surprising?

Trump's hawkish tendencies aren't surprising to some analysts, such as the CATO Institute's Preble. "The totality of Donald Trumps statements as a candidate, and even before, did tend to be fairly hawkish," he says.

As a candidate, Trump did, after all, vow to "bomb the s**t" out of Islamic State. He also consistently threatened to "take the oil" as compensation for U.S. military intervention in countries such as Iraq and Libya. And he pledged to make the U.S. military more powerful than ever.

"Thats not exactly an argument for not fighting wars that he didnt like," concedes Preble.

Trump isn't the only president who has struggled to fulfill his campaign promises on foreign policy. President Obama, for instance, campaigned on bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq. And he did, before eventually sending them back to fight Islamic State.

It's perhaps a reminder that presidential candidates promise a lot when it comes to foreign policy. But they can't always deliver.
Attackers in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo burned down a farmhouse belonging to President Joseph Kabila Monday, killing a policeman.



Kabila was not at the house near the village of Musienene. It is unclear how the officer was killed.



"We firmly condemn this barbarous act and call on the population...to disassociate from any actions likely to compromise peace and development in this part of the country," Congolese lawmakers said in a statement.



No one has claimed responsibility for setting the house on fire. But one military official told the French News Agency he blames Mai-Mai militia members, saying they ransacked the home before burning it down.



Attacks by Mai-Mai groups against Congolese and foreign fighters in North Kivu province have grown in recent months.



The DRC has been mired in a political crisis over Kabila's refusal to step down from power.



His second and last term as president ended in December, 2016. New elections that were supposed have taken place in 2017 never happened. Voting has been put off for at least one more year, adding to the anger among Congolese militias and citizens.
A Bahraini military court sentenced six men to death and revoked their citizenship after they were convicted on charges of forming a terrorist cell and plotting to assassinate a military official, Bahrain news agency BNA reported on Monday.

The men, including one soldier, were accused of several terrorist crimes and of attempting to assassinate a commander of the Bahraini army, BNA said.

The court sentenced seven other people linked to the case to seven years in jail and revoked their citizenship, while five others were acquitted, BNA added, quoting a state prosecution statement.

BNA said the 18 men involved in the case include eight who were convicted in absentia, having fled to Iraq and Iran. It was not clear which of the absent eight were sentenced to death and which to jail.

Bahrain accuses mainly Shiite Iran of stoking militancy in the kingdom, a strategic island where the U.S. Navys Fifth Fleet is based, charges Tehran denies. Bahrain has a Shiite Muslim majority population but is ruled by a Sunni royal family.

The rulings are subject to appeal, the statement said.

Bahrain in January executed three Shiite men convicted of killing three policemen, including an officer from the United Arab Emirates, in a 2014 bomb attack. They were the first such executions in over two decades and sparked protests.

Bahrain had seen occasional unrest since 2011 when authorities crushed protests mainly by the Shiite majority demanding a bigger role in running the country.
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A British woman has been convicted in Egypt of trying to smuggle a banned prescription painkiller into the country.

A court sentenced 33-year-old Laura Plummer to a three-year prison term Tuesday. Plummer was arrested in October when she arrived in Hurghada, a resort city along the Red Sea, and customs officers found hundreds of Tramadol pills in her luggage.

Tramadol is banned in Egypt because it can be used as a recreational drug. Plummer has maintained the drugs were for her Egyptian boyfriend who suffers from chronic back pain.

The verdict can be appealed.
Chinese diplomacy apparently has succeeded in persuading Afghanistan to begin a wide-ranging dialogue proposed by Pakistan for mending strained bilateral relations.

The decision came at Tuesdays first trilateral talks Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted in Beijing between his Pakistani and Afghan counterparts.

Last month, Islamabad shared with Kabul what it called an Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Solidarity" (APAPS) for a constructive and meaningful engagement between the two countries. The proposed plan, officials say, would create working groups in politics, economics, the military, intelligence sharing, and issues related to Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

There is a response now from our brothers in Afghanistan. I think things will start moving on the formation of the five groups on different topics entailed in this proposal and there will be progress on this proposal, Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif told a joint news conference at the trilateral talks.

Asif did not elaborate and credited China for the headway made on the proposed dialogue with Kabul.

China is fully supportive of this effort and today during the discussions, it was part of our deliberations and this proposal is practically, if I may so, part of the dialogue, which took place today, noted the Pakistani foreign minister.

Without directly commenting on remarks made by his Pakistani counterpart, Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani praised Beijing for arranging Tuesdays dialogue and said that China has very good relations with both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

We are confident that China will play its role as an honest broker and someone that both countries [Afghanistan and Pakistan] believe and are happy to work with, said Rabbani.

He added that Afghanistan will host the second round of the three-way meeting in the first half of next year and we hope that we will make more progress.

Afghan officials allege Taliban leaders are sheltering and using sanctuaries on Pakistani soil for orchestrating insurgent attacks. Islamabad denies the allegations and in turn blames Afghan intelligence operatives for harboring and supporting militants waging a deadly insurgency against the state of Pakistan.

The allegations and counter allegations have deteriorated bilateral relations particularly over the past three years.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yi, while discussing details of the meeting, noted that Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to improve their relations as soon as possible.

"The two sides unanimously expressed the point that they will not allow any party or force to use their territories to engage in the activities that would undermine the security of the other side, Yi added.

At Tuesdays talks, the three countries reiterated their call for the Afghan Taliban to join peace talks with the Kabul government at an early date.

The Chinese foreign minister also said Beijing and Islamabad want to work together with Kabul in the spirit of mutual benefit to extend their massive multi-billion dollar economic corridor to Afghanistan.

China is investing around $60 billion to build a network of highways, railways and power plants in Pakistan to link the two countries.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC is a flagship project of Beijings Belt and Road Initiative of building infrastructure projects in dozens of countries in Asia and Europe.

We hope that our three countries can work together to promote connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative and contribute to regional development and prosperity, Yi noted.

China hopes that improved economic conditions and stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan will discourage regional terrorism and ensure protection of the Western Chinese border region of Xinjiang, where militants from the mostly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority community are blamed for carrying out terrorist attacks.
Since South Sudan's government captured a rebel base last week in the country's southwest, hundreds of refugees have poured into Democratic Republic of Congo.



Among them may be rebels, and the Congolese army, wary of conflict spilling into their nation, is arresting any suspected fighters.



Refugees, however, say innocent young men are being caught up in the crackdown, too.



Grace Gaba, speaking from the border of town of Aba where some 30,000 refugees have taken shelter, said her brother, Joseph Moro, was arrested by Congolese troops at a checkpoint last week and has been held ever since.

The two of them registered as refugees in January of this year. Gaba said they both stayed in Aba since then, and only went back to South Sudan during last week's fighting to rescue family members.



"Among us eight, only my brother was arrested," she said. "Maybe they may think my brother is a soldier, but he is not a soldier."



It is hard to say how many suspected rebels have been arrested so far. A Congolese government source not authorized to speak to media said nine suspected rebels were in army custody as of last week. Local refugee leaders put the number at 17.



Alexi Kabambi, who leads Congo's National Refugee Commission in Aba, said those whom the army deems to be rebels are sent to a military base in the town of Dungu, where they may be extradited to South Sudan.



Kabambi said even if rebels enter Congo unarmed and renounce their military allegiances, they cannot be granted refugee status.



"Once you've carried a weapon you cannot be accorded refugee status as a civilian," he said. "Even if you're granted refugee status, if it is revealed you engaged in military activities in the past, your status can be revoked."



Liwa Morris Taban, chairman of Aba's South Sudanese refugee community, said anyone who enters Congo as a civilian should be allowed to register as a refugee, even if that person was previously a combatant.



"According to me, if he's not a rebel, if he's not even a soldier, he's a normal civilian," he said. "He has a right to be together with the rest in the site."

Congo has struggled with an influx of South Sudanese combatants since war broke out along the mutual border in 2016.



In October of this year, nine suspected rebels were handed over to Congo's army in Ituri province, east of Aba, the United Nations' refugee agency, UNHCR, said.



Three more South Sudanese men are being held in the Dungu military base after being arrested in Aba earlier this year with military equipment, according to two South Sudanese men recently released from the prison.



And last year, hundreds of fighters from both the government and rebels crossed into Congo, according to a report by the Small Arms Survey research group. Many of those rebels are now housed in a U.N. camp in the eastern Congolese city of Goma.



Researcher Alan Boswell, who wrote the Small Arms Survey report, said South Sudanese government soldiers who enter Congo can usually be sent home, but dealing with rebel fighters who cross the border is trickier.



"Some want to be demobilized and be settled as refugees, but others will later want to return back and fight," he said. "It is essentially not possible to distinguish between who is ready to quit fighting and who is only there to recoup, recover, and return to combat."



The army is also not capable of holding detainees for long periods of time in humane conditions, says the Refugee Commission's Kabambi.



"They don't have the capacity to do this," he said. "They don't have the resources. But what can you do?"



Along with the crackdown on suspected rebels, Congo's army has attempted to seal the border with South Sudan near Aba, including by deploying more troops to border crossings. They have severely restricted trade and banned refugees from moving toward the border.



This is a sharp change from earlier in the conflict, when people and goods moved more freely between Aba and the former rebel base in South Sudan.



One South Sudanese opposition official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said wounded rebels were previously brought to Aba's hospital for treatment, but this changed after South Sudan's ambassador to Congo visited Aba earlier this year.
Egypt executed 15 Islamic militants convicted of carrying out a deadly attack on an army outpost in the Sinai Peninsula in 2013.

Tuesday's executions, carried out simultaneously in two prisons located north of Cairo, is the largest mass execution in Egypt since six convicted jihadists were hanged in 2015.

All 15 militants executed on Tuesday were hanged.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi has ordered the military to step up efforts to crush Islamic State militants following the massacre of more than 300 people in an attack on a Sinai mosque last month.

Sinai-based Islamic forces have killed hundreds of policemen, soldiers, and civilians in the region for years.
When schoolchildren in Washington, D.C., are asked to say the first thing that comes to mind about Africa, they use words like hot, desert, sand, poverty, hunger, war and Ebola.



These are all accurate things to say about that part or the world  but they reflect an "incomplete" picture, says writer Austin Merrill, who together with photojournalist Peter DiCampo has set out to document African reality beyond common stereotypes.



They are the founders of Everyday Africa, an Instagram community of photographers who strive to capture ordinary moments of life, such as children picking flowers in a field, or girlfriends chatting at a coffee shop. Their Instagram following has topped 370,000.

In addition to the Instagram feed, the book "Everyday Africa, 30 Photographers Re-Picturing the Continent," recently hit bookstores in Europe, the United States and certain countries on the African continent. The book is filled with images documenting life in Africa that aim to shatter misconceptions often found in Western media.



Readers see a teenager rollerblading in the streets of Dakar, a DJ playing music in Lagos, a couple looking at the Atlantic Ocean in Cape Town. The book displays the full diversity and visual richness of African life.



Both DiCampo and Merrill invited a diverse community of photographers from all over the continent to contribute to the Instagram project and the book. Some are professionals, while others are skilled amateurs.

Ethiopian-American writer Maaza Mengiste prologues the book in an essay focusing on the power of the ordinary. We sometimes forget that no matter what is happening in our lives, ordinary moments find a way to move forward," Mengiste writes.

Normality



Peter DiCampo and Austin Merrill, both Americans, met while serving with the Peace Corps in Ivory Coast. In 2012, they received a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting in Washington to cover the aftermath of Ivory Coast's civil war.

While they were interviewing refugees and soldiers, Merrill remembers that around them the vast majority of life was pretty normal, but that wasn't coming through in the story that we were trying to put together.



We were seeing all these other moments, that were much sort of truer to our daily life experience in that part of the world, says DiCampo.

So, they took their cellphones and started to photograph what was around them. They felt, says Merrill, that the normal, everyday scenes of life might be the most important thing we had to tell about that place, about that moment, instead of the crisis story.



Media organizations tend to focus on breaking news, often triggered by an evolving crisis. Africa has many of those; but, as Di Campo puts it, It's quite difficult to have a global understanding when all you see of other parts of the world are really extreme stories.

This is the gap that the "Everyday Africa" book is trying to fill; to look at the continent from the inside and from different perspectives.

DiCampo and Merrill, with the support of the Pulitzer Center, have also created media workshops that train elementary school students in the United States on how to document their lives and recognize stereotypes.



We use the story of how we we created Everyday Africa, said DiCampo, to engage the students in a discussion of how media representation affects them, their lives and their communities and we use our photography to teach basic photography lessons, so that by the end of the workshop, they have an everyday project for their own school or community.

This social media model has hit a nerve. The Everyday Africa platform on Instagram may very well be the biggest visual library of the continent, writes Ghanaian photographer Nana Kofi Acquah.



To task African photographers with the burden of changing how the continent is perceived, might be overwhelming, writes Acquah; but, he adds, a picture of the real Africa is slowly emerging.
India Tuesday accused Pakistan of harassing the family members of convicted Indian spy Shri Kulbhushan Jadhav when they were permitted to visit him a day earlier.



Pakistani authorities allowed Jadhav's wife and mother to visit him Monday, reiterating the step was taken "purely on humanitarian grounds."



India's Ministry of External Affairs said that the meeting was held in an "atmosphere of coercion."



"It appears that Shri Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion," the ministry said in a statement. "Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being."



New Delhi also said Jadhav's mother was prevented from speaking to her son in their native tongue and that the family was harassed by the media, despite a "clear agreement" that press would not be allowed near the family.



Pakistani officials released a pre-recorded video message of Jadhav in which he thanked authorities for treating him well and for arranging the meeting.

This was Jadhav's first meeting with his family since he was arrested in March 2016 for entering Pakistan from neighboring Iran with fake travel documents.



A military court later tried and sentenced him to death in April of this year, ruling "the serving Indian navy officer" was found guilty of espionage and running a deadly terrorist network in Pakistan.



India says Jadhav is a former naval officer but rejects the charges against him as baseless, saying he has no connection with the government.
The shops in Mali are full of imported goods from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. This, Malis captains of industry maintain, is not necessary. Mali can produce a lot of what it consumes at home. But for that to happen, there needs to be a wholesale revival of its industrial sector. Can it be done?

This used to be a very familiar sound throughout most of Malis territory. From Gao to Sikasso, factories produced a wide range of consumer goods. But a lot of that is gone.

We are, said industry representative Cyril Achcar, now essentially a nation of traders. There used to be industry, mostly run by the state. Eighty percent of that has disappeared between 1970 and 1995.

Achcar comes from a family that began developing industry in the late 1950s. He is not only one of Malis few remaining manufacturers  he also lobbies relentlessly for its interests.

Not all is gone. Some factories still work in and around the capital, Bamako, and in urban centers like Kayes, Sikasso and Koulikoro; but, the list of products is short: dairy, some meat products, dried herbs and spices, one textile company, a packaging firm, the inevitable cement factory and some hardware.

No longer under the protective umbrella of the state, there is little Malis manufacturers can do against mass-produced goods, mainly from Asia. The picture is repeated across the African continent.

Can Malian factories, the engines of an emerging economy, be brought back to life?

Any decent industrial policy will have to tackle a long list of problems. They include: expensive electricity. Poor infrastructure. A tax regime that discourages investment, and, competition from mass producers like China and neighboring countries like Senegal that can produce goods more cheaply.

Where to begin? The answer: on the land.

Fatoumata Haidara Bah leads a government agency that helps Malis agro-industry to become more competitive. Her agency concentrates on mangos and maize. The mangos are for export and the maize produces high quality feed for cattle and poultry.

The real goal is to produce more jobs for Malians, especially the young.

Cyril Achcar thinks it can be done but says its a long road back to Malis industrial recovery.

It may help to join forces with Burkina Faso and Niger, landlocked like Mali and in similar circumstances. The markets are there, the ideas and plans are there; whats needed now is more government action to ensure that investments come in, budding industries are protected and unfair competition is eliminated.

Made in Mali? As far as the countrys industry leaders are concerned, all one has to do is believe in it.
Nigerian soldiers thwarted an attempted terrorist attack by suspected Boko Haram militants on the city of Maiduguri Monday, sending panicked residents fleeing for their lives.



Army officials gave no details on what happened.



But one a local militia leader told the French News Agency the militants used the cover of a civilian convoy to approach a military checkpoint outside the city and started firing.



Soldiers responded with their own gunfire. Reinforcements from inside Maiduguri rushed to the scene, driving off the would-be terrorists.



The number of casualties is unclear.



Boko Haram has killed about 20,000 people in its eight-year long insurgency aimed at turning parts of Nigerian into a staunchly-Islamic state.



Police, civilians, churches, and mosques, have been among its targets and security has been stepped up across Nigeria for Christmas.
Peru's ailing former president, Alberto Fujimori, Tuesday asked the public for forgiveness, two days after receiving a controversial pardon from current President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski.

In a Facebook video filmed from his hospital bed, Fujimori said, "I am aware that the results of my government were well received on one side, but I admit that I have let down other compatriots, and I ask them to forgive me with all my heart."

On Sunday, Kuczynski granted a medical pardon to the former authoritarian leader, who had been serving a 25-year prison sentence for human rights violations, corruption and the sanctioning of death squads during his 1990-2000 presidential term.

Fujimori thanked Kuczynski for the pardon and said that as a free man, he would support the president's calls for reconciliation in the Andean country.

Fujimori, 79, was taken to the hospital late Saturday after suffering a severe drop in blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat. His doctor, Alejandro Aguinaga, denies allegations it was a ruse to legitimize the pardon.

Kuczynskis decision to pardon his predecessor, which he said was for humanitarian reasons, triggered a Christmas Eve protest in downtown Lima, where police fired tear gas at scores of Fujimori opponents as they waved pictures of the victims of a counterinsurgency campaign during his right-wing government.

Fujimori is admired by some Peruvians for combating Maoist rebels, whereas his critics consider him a corrupt dictator.
Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori remained in a Lima hospital on Monday, a day after he was granted a medical pardon for his 25-year sentence for crimes against humanity.



Protesters clashed with police who lobbed tear gas to break up the crowds gathered in several plazas across the Peruvian capital.



Many Peruvians are angry that Fujimori, 79 and ailing, was pardoned by President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, despite the gravity of his crimes, Fujimori was found guilty of human rights abuses, corruption and the sanctioning of death squads.



Fujimori served as president of Peru from 1990 to 2000.



He was admired by some Peruvians for combating Maoist rebels, whereas his critics consider him a corrupt dictator.



His supporters gathered in solidarity outside the Lima hospital where Fujimori is being treated.



Kuczynski released a statement Sunday that said a medical board had evaluated Fujimori and determined that "he suffers from a progressive, degenerative and incurable disease and that prison conditions mean a serious risk to his life, health and well-being."
The United States has imposed sanctions on two North Korean officials for their role in Pyongyang's ballistic missile program.

A Treasury Department statement said Kim Jong Sik and Ri Pyong Chol are "key leaders of North Korea's unlawful weapons programs."

"Kim Jong Sik reportedly is a key figure in North Koreas ballistic missile development, including efforts to switch from liquid to solid fuel, and Ri Pyong Chol is reported to be a key official involved in North Koreas intercontinental ballistic missile development," the Treasury Department said.

Treasury is targeting leaders of North Koreas ballistic missile programs, as part of our maximum pressure campaign to isolate the DPRK [North Korea] and achieve a fully denuclearized Korean Peninsula, said Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. These actions follow Fridays United Nations Security Council Resolution, which imposed strong new sanctions on North Korea further shutting down its ability to raise illicit funds.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a resolution Friday limiting the amount of gasoline and diesel North Korea can import and tightening inspections of ships suspected of illegally carrying banned items to or from North Korea.

Meanwhile, Russia says its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his American counterpart Tuesday that "Washington's aggressive rhetoric" has heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula.

In a phone call between Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Lavrov called U.S. rhetoric unacceptable, according to Moscow. The two top diplomats also discussed further steps to resolving the crisis in Syria as well as the situation in Ukraine.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately comment on the call.

North Korea has significantly stepped up its nuclear and missile programs in 2017, launching a newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) called a Hwasong-15 last month. North Korea claims the missile is capable of delivering nuclear warheads anywhere in the continental United States. The test was Pyongyangs third ICMB test this year and its 20th ballistic missile launch of this year.

Earlier in the year, U.S. President Donald Trump referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as "Little Rocket Man", fueling tensions between the two countries. The U.S. has increased sanctions on North Korea following missile tests.

Jeff Seldin contributed to this report.
A British naval frigate escorted a Russian warship through the North Sea near UK waters on Christmas Day, the Royal Navy confirmed.

The HMS St. Albans monitored the Russian vessel Admiral Gorshkov as it made its way across the North Sea close to Britain.

Although such crossings are fairly routine, there has been a rise in the number of Russian ships passing close to British territorial waters in recent days.

The Royal Navy said there had been a recent "upsurge in Russian units transiting UK waters. Britain recently warned of a new threat posed by Russia to internet cables under the sea.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, the chief of the defense staff, said earlier this month that Britain and NATO needed to prioritize protecting the lines of communication.

He said it would "immediately and potentially catastrophically" hit the economy if they were cut or disrupted.

The cables criss-cross the seabed, connecting up countries and continents.
Syrian rebel fighters and opposition groups on Tuesday rejected Russia's proposed peace talks, accusing Moscow of failing to pressure its ally, President Bashar Assad, to end the conflict.



In a series of statements, 40 rebel groups, including some of Syria's most prominent, as well as political opposition umbrella groups, said the talks expected next month are an attempt to "circumvent" the U.N.-led process, which has made virtually no progress since it began in 2014.



The rebel groups said Moscow has asked them to give up their demand for Assad to step down.



"We reject this, and we affirm that Russia is an aggressor that has committed war crimes against Syrians," the statement signed by 40 rebel groups said. "Russia has not contributed with a single move to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people and it has not pressured the regime it claims it guarantees to move an inch toward any real path toward a resolution."



The rebel groups, including Ahrar al-Sham, Army of Islam, and a number of Free Syrian Army groups, said they are committed to the U.N.-led Geneva process, and called on the international community to end the bloodshed, now in its seventh year. Political opposition groups and governing bodies in rebel-held areas have also rejected Russia's proposed talks.



The talks are scheduled for Jan. 29-30 in Sochi, and were announced after talks among Russia and Iran, which back the government, and Turkey, which supports the opposition.



Syria's government said it would attend the talks. Assad told reporters recently that the Sochi talks have a clear agenda of discussing new elections and possibly amending the constitution.



The fate of Assad has been the main point of contention in all previous rounds of talks. The opposition has long called for a transitional period in which Assad would have no role, something the government refuses to even consider.



The Sochi talks would open up a fourth track of talks between parties to the complex conflict. The U.N.'s own Geneva program has been supplemented by "technical" talks in Astana brokered by Russia, Iran and Turkey.



Russia periodically opens a third track through Cairo. Egypt has provided a base for Syrian reformists seen as acceptable to the Damascus government.



Highlighting its close ties to the Syrian government, Russia on Tuesday moved ahead with plans to lease a naval base in Syria for an additional 49 years.



The upper chamber of the Russian parliament voted to extend Russia's lease of the Mediterranean base at Tartus, the last step before President Vladimir Putin's expected signature.



Russia's air campaign in Syria, which began in September 2015, helped turn the tide of the civil war in favor of Assad. Earlier this month, Putin announced a partial pullout of troops from Syria, but Russia is determined to maintain its military presence there.
With the number of journalists imprisoned worldwide at an all-time high, press freedom groups are drawing a direct line between President Donald Trumps verbal slugfest with some of Americas most venerable news institutions and the adoption of his fake news mantra by autocrats and dictators around the world.

Were seeing an unprecedented attack on both the institution of journalism and the media, as well as very personal attacks on individual journalists and individual media outlets, says Courtney Radsch, advocacy director for the Committee to Protect Journalists. And what this does is it creates an environment in which journalists operate less safely.



The CPJs 2017 press freedom survey shows 262 journalists are behind bars worldwide, slightly higher than the number a year ago. More than half the total are in Turkey, China, and Egypt.



"We saw the term 'fake news' being used in the Philippines, in Russia, in China, in Egypt to justify their own oppression of the media in attempts to delegitimize journalists Radsch told VOA. Weve also seen China saying, 'Hey the U.S. is finally waking up to what weve been saying the whole time about the media being problematic,' and thats not what we want to see around the world.



An opinion piece in Chinas Communist Partys Peoples Daily newspaper this month said, If the president of the United States calls leading media outlets a stain on America, then negative news about China and other countries should be taken with a grain of salt, since it is likely that bias and political agendas are distorting the real picture.



British scholar Hisham Hellyer, a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington, says fallout from Trumps fake news charges is serious and should not be underestimated.



When Trump uses his own freedom of expression to denigrate the medias ability to report the facts, and often puts forward his own fake news, it has the effect of empowering others who would like to do the same, Hellyer said.

Trump has hammered at the "fake news" theme in hundreds of Twitter posts, public comments and speeches, singling out media powerhouses like CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times for special criticism.



He once called CNN, the enemy of the people.



The presidents tactics have fueled a polarizing national debate about what Trump defenders call persistent media bias, and critics describe as hard-nosed reporting.

Studies show coverage of Trump has tilted heavily negative. An analysis by the nonprofit Pew Research Center showed reporting about the first months of the Trump presidency was 62 percent negative and 5 percent positive.

Coverage for the same period of President Barack Obama's presidency was 42 percent positive and 20 percent negative, according to Pew. The leader of the Pew Journalism Project cautioned the result is not evidence of media bias.

Trumps critics see nothing exceptional in those figures given the volume of missteps and misstatements coming from the White House, but the president and his supporters cite them as evidence of the medias malign intent.

Stung by Trumps criticisms and polls showing low public trust in the media, CNN and the big newspapers have fought back with ad campaigns and fresh slogans emphasizing their accuracy and objectivity.



But a series of recent high-profile reporting blunders in stories about the White House has damaged the medias reputation for trustworthiness, and given Trump fresh ammunition.

Earlier this month, CNN erroneously reported that the Trump campaign had been offered the contents of hacked emails from the campaign of his Democratic Party competitor, Hillary Clinton, before they were released by Wikileaks last year. The Washington Post later reported accurately that the offer came days after Wikileaks published the emails.

Now, some of the worlds worst violators of media freedom are using Trump's "fake news" refrain to justify press restrictions.



Syrias President Bashar al-Assad, asked about an Amnesty International report on systematic killings in Syrian prison, replied, Were living in a fake news era, as you know. Everybody knows it.



Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro complained international media are spreading lies about him, saying, This is what we call fake news, isnt it?

Cambodias Hun Sen, who regularly quotes Trumps fake news rhetoric, has ordered more than a dozen radio stations to close or stop broadcasting programming from the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, and shut down a leading independent newspaper.

Libyan media used the term in trying to discredit a CNN report on slavery among migrants, and Russias foreign ministry has begun posting stories it considers false on its website covered by the words FAKE NEWS in big red letters.

Chinas top cyber security official cited "fake news" about a report ranking China last in the world in internet freedom.

Trump has welcomed several known foes of free media to the White House. He hailed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a friend, despite that countrys reputation as the worlds leading jailer of journalists.



With Trump at his side during a recent ASEAN summit, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte called reporters spies.

Thailands Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha and Malaysias Prime Minister Najib Razak have raised the issue of "fake news."



"It's hard enough to be a journalist in dictatorships like Cambodia when the United States is setting a good example," Tom Malinowski, a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy and Labor, told VOA.



"Now every dictator who wants to ban media he doesn't like can say, 'Trump does it so why can't I?'" said Malinowski, who served under President Obama.
Turkey will rebuild a ruined Ottoman port city on Sudan's Red Sea coast and construct a naval dock to maintain civilian and military vessels, Sudan's foreign minister said on Tuesday, as Ankara expands military and economic ties in Africa.

The restoration at Suakin was agreed during a visit to the ancient port by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said.

Making the first trip by a Turkish president to Sudan, Erdogan said Turkey had been temporarily granted part of Suakin so it could rebuild the area as a tourist site and a transit point for pilgrims crossing the Red Sea to Mecca.

He said the Suakin deal was one of several, worth $650 million in total, agreed with Sudan, which emerged from two decades of U.S. sanctions in October and is seeking to attract international investment.

The countries also agreed "to build a dock to maintain civilian and military vessels," Ghandour told reporters, adding that they had signed an agreement "that could result in any kind of military cooperation".

The agreements come three months after Turkey formally opened a $50 million military training base in Somalia as it excerts increasing influence in the region.

Suakin was Sudan's major port when it was ruled by the Ottoman Empire, but fell into disuse over the last century after the construction of Port Sudan, 35 miles (60 km) to the north.

Speaking on Monday in Khartoum, Erdogan said the refurbished port city would attract Mecca-bound pilgrims who would want to see the island's history, helping Sudan's tourism sector.

"Imagine, people from Turkey wishing to go on pilgrimage will come and visit the historical areas on Suakin Island," Erdogan said. "From there ... they will cross to Jeddah by boat."

The other agreements signed during Erdogan's visit include Turkish investment to build Khartoum's planned new airport and private sector investments in cotton production, electricity generation and building grain silos and meat slaughterhouses.

Erdogan and Bashir said they aimed for trade between the two countries to reach $10 billion, Turkey's Foreign Economic Relations Board said.

In October, the United States lifted a trade embargo and other penalties that had cut Sudan off from much of the global financial system.

Sudan's state minister for investment has said he aims to attract investment of $10 billion a year, compared to $1 billion estimated by the United Nations for 2016.
Authorities in Xinjiang launched what they call a new relatives week program this month, which requires local civil servants to spend a week with Uighur families in rural areas by the years end.

While officially trumpeted as a way to promote ethnic harmony, the move is widely seen by observers as stepped-up surveillance of the Muslim minority that may instead fuel, rather than ease, inter-racial tensions.

Beginning December 11, thousands of cadres from the northwestern province traveled to the countryside and lodged with Uighur families for a week-long stay of eating, drinking and forming a family bond with members of the ethnic group, state media reported.

While a percentage of the cadres may be ethnic Uighurs or distant relatives to Uighurs, many of them are still Han people from local governmental departments, public schools or the judiciary apparatus, observers say.

Strangers or relatives?

Most are therefore total strangers, with different cultural and religious customs, as well as a hidden political agenda to rural Uighur families, Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the Germany-headquartered World Uighur Congress, an organization of exiled Uighurs, told VOA.

Their main goal is to investigate the inclination of Uighurs towards religion during their stay in Uighurs homes. They will check if these Uighur families keep the Quran, or any other relevant items or books at home, Raxit said.

He added that Uighurs have no choice but to take these cadres in, who also serve as the authorities mouthpiece to hold home-based propaganda sessions and preach about the so-called spirits of Chinas 19th National Congress after the twice-per-decade meeting was wrapped up in late October.

According to Raxit, the program is the first of its kind under the leadership of the Xinjing Uyghur Autonomous Region's party secretary, Chen Quanguo  a solider-turned politician. Until last August, Chen was party secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region for five years.

Intensified intrusiveness

Adrian Zenz, a Germany-based researcher, called "relative's week" an intensified intrusive measure but said it's nothing new, as similar security and social controls were in place under Chens predecessor, Zhang Chunxian.

This includes, obviously, surveillance. Theyre looking to gather information, obviously, look for signs of trouble, of whats defined as extremism, etc. Zenz told VOA.

Prior to this, tens of thousands of cadres in Xinjiang were sent to live in the villages, people who Zenz said help the local government have a better grasp of any potential racial unrest among the ethnic group.

The researcher added that the security in Xinjiang under Chens high-pressure rule is getting tighter than ever.

His research showed that Chen dramatically increased the police presence there in the past year by having advertised more than 90,000 security-related positions  nearly twelve times the number advertised in 2009 following the Urumqi riots.

The July 2009 riots in Urumqi began as a protest by Uighurs, but escalated into a series of violent attacks that officials said claimed 197 lives and injured 1,721 others.

The 'most closely surveilled place on Earth'

A recent Wall Street Journal report further described the capital city of Xinjiang as one of the most closely surveilled places on earth, where citizens and visitors alike must run a daily gantlet of police checkpoints, surveillance cameras and machines scanning their ID cards, faces, eyeballs and sometimes entire bodies.

Raxit argued that such systematic repression of the provinces 10 million Uighurs - including pervasive discrimination, religious and cultural suppression - will eventually exacerbate ethnic tensions.

This type of political maneuvering will never serve the purpose of weiwen (stability maintenance). Instead, it will further instigate unrest and escalate inter-personal tensions [between Hans and Uighurs], Raxit added.

Cause for Uighur militancy

Uighur militants carried out several deadly attacks inside China and abroad in recent years. A 2014 knife attack at a train station in Yunnan province killed more than 30 people. The 2015 bombing of a shrine in central Bangkok that was popular with Chinese tourists was alleged to be retaliation for Thailand's deportation of 109 Uighur male refugees back to China.

Zenz said that Chens stepped-up securitization and policing strategies may have enjoyed a short-term success, but will prove unsustainable in the long run as they bear both economic and inter-racial risks, as well as the alienation of the local Han population.

The maintenance of very high pressure and stress over a long period of time is creating a strong liability, a strong risk in a long term. The pressure of the securitization is felt by everybody. Its also impacting the Han. And the Han in Xinjiang is very important to the local government. So, alienating them is a major risk, the researcher said.

Han alienation

The departure of Han people in Xinjiang has led to the sharp decline in the regions residential property investment last year, which fell by 15 and 22 percent in Han-dominated cities of Urumqi and Karamay, Zenzs study showed.

Online comments toward the new relatives week program, however, are mostly favorable although some of them sound slightly sarcastic.

On Weibo, Chinas Twitter-like microblogging platform, a user wrote party secretary Chen is putting Chairman Maos [mass] line into practice. Thumbs-up while another wrote: A family bond has now been formed, which makes us relatives of a lifetime. We should help each other to strengthen inter-racial harmony.

But a user complained that his petition to the local government hasnt been handled for more than a week. Has the staff all travelled down to the countryside? he asked.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross speaks to the media during the daily White House press briefing April 25. They know we will stand with American workers in the face of unfair trade practices, he said of U.S. companies. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

U.S. companies are bringing new trade lawsuits against their foreign competitors with a scope and frequency not seen in more than 15 years, government documents show, as a wave of new complaints builds under President Trump.

A Washington Post analysis of Commerce Department data found 23 new trade disputes initiated since January, making 2017 the busiest year for tariff cases since 2001. The new cases target trade between the United States and 29 countries, the most in any year since 2001.

The cases include fights over Korean washing machines, Spanish olives, Chinese aluminum foil, Vietnamese tool chests, Argentine biodiesel and Canadian jetliners. The U.S. trade warriors include financially strapped solar panel manufacturers, downsizing Rust Belt steel plants and declining California olive farms.

Several requests came from companies that are under foreign ownership. And in a shift from previous years, some profitable corporations are asking the government to place new restrictions on their foreign rivals, taking advantage of a recent change in federal law.

The surge of complaints comes as the White House moves to redefine Americas role in the global economy.

At President Trumps direction, we have told American businesses that we will be more enforcement minded than any recent administration, while also remaining committed to a fair and transparent process that is professionally and impartially implemented, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in an emailed statement. They know we will stand with American workers in the face of unfair trade practices.

Tariff cases typically start when U.S. companies formally accuse foreign competitors of dumping products in the United States at unfairly low prices or benefiting from unfair subsidies, or both. Then the Commerce Department and a quasi-judicial U.S. agency called the International Trade Commission decide what to do.

Ross has said he wants the government to bring more cases on its own, something that could let companies save on legal expenses. The Commerce Department took its first step in that direction in a November tariff action against sheet metal distributors in China, the first government-initiated action since 1985.

The Washington Posts count of 23 new disputes in 2017 is based on the number of petitioners bringing new tariffs; if for example a single U.S. company asks for tariffs on products from 10 countries, the Post treated it as a single new dispute even though such an action would spur 10 Commerce Department investigations. When calculated based on the number of new investigations  as the Commerce Department tends to represent the trend in its news releases  there were 79 new investigations in 2017, reflecting a massive 65 percent jump over the previous year and a 16-year high.

Since most of the new cases are just beginning to work their way through the governments deliberative process, it is too early to tell whether they will ultimately succeed.

Some companies are pushing for price quotas, which forbid foreign firms from selling below a given price. And in two cases this year, three companies have invoked a powerful and seldom-used U.S. trade lever called the safeguard provision, which imposes blanket taxes on products regardless of the country of origin. Such cases are unique in that they require a direct sign-off from the president; before Trump took office, no company had asked to be safeguarded in this way since 2001.

The fact that we have already seen two of these cases in 2017 should be a clear signal that corporate America thinks the Trump administration is going to grant it protection, said Chad Bown, a fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a research and policy organization focused on global trade.

The Trump administration is preparing to rule on both cases early next year.

The U.S. companies seeking tougher import duties argue that trade restrictions are needed to level the economic playing field and sustain American jobs, and have little to do with politics or Trump.

For instance, a Washington state paper company known as North Pacific Paper, called NORPAC, is accusing Canadian competitors of flooding the U.S. market with less expensive product. As a result, NORPAC, which sells paper for newspapers and other industries, said it has been forced to trim its staff from about 450 to 350 employees in the past year.

Meanwhile, two family-owned olive farm conglomerates, Bell-Carter Foods and Musco Family Olive, are asking the Commerce Department to counteract Spanish olive farmers that they say are propped up by an elaborate system of farm subsidies there.

A coalition of U.S. biodiesel manufacturers claims rivals in Indonesia and Argentina are selling their product in the United States at unfairly low prices. It says the Argentine government also is giving tax breaks to exporters to unfairly subsidize the industry.

Two companies asking for blanket safeguard protection  Georgia-based Suniva and Oregon-based SolarWorld USA  are solar panel manufacturers that make photovoltaic cells, the tiny chips that convert solar energy into usable power.

Over the past few years, they claim a flood of less-expensive components from Chinese solar manufacturers have put them at a disadvantage; the two firms have since filed for bankruptcy and have laid off thousands.

Their claim, however, does not have the backing of others in their industry: the trade group Solar Energy Industries Association opposes the tariff, which it argues will cause 88,000 jobs to be lost elsewhere in the industry. The International Trade Commission ruled in SolarWorld's and Suniva's favor in October, but the two companies said the duties it recommended are too small.

Others seeking tariffs are not suffering nearly as badly. The third company asking for broader safeguard protection  Benton Harbor, Mich.-based home appliances giant Whirlpool  logged $5.4 billion in sales this year.

But Whirlpools profit margins have been dwindling for years, in part because it claims it is losing market share in a key product category  washing machines  to Korean manufacturers LG and Samsung. Whirlpool argues they have been dumping washing machines in the United States for years and moving their production centers around the world to avoid earlier tariffs.

In arguing against tariffs, the foreign companies have pointed out that they also employ Americans.

"No one should doubt our commitment to creating jobs in the U.S. We have been marketing our products here for nearly 40 years and have more than 18,000 workers," Samsung senior vice president John Herrington said in a statement rebutting Whirlpool's tariff request. "We know what it means to be an American manufacturer, we are an American manufacturer, and we are in it for the long run."

Several of the companies asking for import protection are actually under foreign ownership. They include the U.S. subsidiary of Nan Ya Plastics. The Taiwanese plastics manufacturer is asking for new restrictions on Korean and Taiwanese polyester products as part of a long-running trade dispute.

A U.K.-based metals conglomerate called Ferroglobe has asked for U.S. restrictions on silicon metal from Australia, Brazil and Norway. It is waging a parallel trade war in Canada, where it is asking for new restrictions on silicon imports from four countries.

DAK Americas, the North Carolina-based subsidiary of one of Mexicos largest textile firms, is teaming up with Indorama Ventures USA, the U.S. arm of an Indian firm. They are asking for restrictions on textile products from Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan and Taiwan.

The complex international connections of those asking for tariffs  and the often strong U.S. presence of the companies they are targeting  illustrates a problem for import duties: Foreign companies that find themselves slapped with tariffs can sometimes avoid them by moving production to a third country, or even to the United States.

Tariffs really dont work . . . if you apply a tariff they can still move that good through another country, Barry Zekelman, chief executive of Illinois-based steel pipe manufacturer Zekelman Industries, told the cable channel CNBC earlier this summer.

Zekelman is teaming up with four other steel firms  ArcelorMittal, PTC Alliance, Webco Industries and Michigan Seamless Tube  to call for a broader system of quotas that would set fixed minimum prices for foreign firms.

Steel companies like Zekelman  which account for about half of the new requests in 2017  got a tease of broader-reaching action when early in Trumps term the White House announced it is investigating whether to label foreign-made steel and aluminum a national security risk, something that would impose harsh restrictions on foreign steel imports.

That effort, though, has been stalled for more than six months. In a July 25 interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said any action on specialty metals is "waiting till we get everything finished up between health care and taxes and maybe even infrastructure."

Then on Nov. 28 the Commerce Department took the highly unusual step of bringing a tariff case on its own, asking for tariffs above 57 percent on aluminum sheet metal from China. Officials insisted the effort was separate from the earlier specialty metals investigation.

In a shift from past years, some companies bringing cases are faring relatively well against their rivals.

Boeing is one of the largest U.S. exporters, a company that maintains healthy profit margins selling commercial jets to airlines and advanced weaponry to the U.S. military.

None of that stopped the Chicago-based aerospace manufacturer from claiming in an April 27 complaint that it has been illegally harmed by Canadian jet-maker Bombardiers 2016 deal with Delta Air Lines for 75 CS100 jetliners, asking for tariffs on 100- to 150-seat jets from Canada, a category in which Boeing does not compete.

Boeings lawyers may be emboldened by a 2015 trade law that made it easier for profitable corporations to win U.S. trade disputes. The Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 bars the International Trade Commission from turning down trade cases purely on the basis that the petitioning company is profitable.

The Commerce Department surprised the aerospace industry in September when it ruled in Boeings favor, proposing a massive 300 percent import duty that would make U.S. sales untenable for Bombardier.

But Bombardier may have already found a way to avoid the new fee. The company recently agreed to sell the rights to the CS100 to Airbus, a French manufacturer that is Boeings primary competitor in the commercial jet market. And the announcement came with a twist: Future production of the C-series aircraft would be shifted from Canada to Alabama, where Airbus already operates a production facility.

Its not intended to circumvent anything, but the fact is that when you produce an aircraft in the U.S. its not subject to any U.S. import tariff rules, Bombardier president Alain Bellemare said in October.

Staff writer Steven Rich contributed to this report.


The Complete Poems of A.R. Ammons: Volume 1, 1955-1977, by A.R. Ammons ( W.W. Norton/ )

The publication of The Complete Poems of A.R. Ammons (Norton) is one of the biggest literary events of this year. Edited by Robert M. West, the 966 poems in this two-volume set begin with the collection "Ommateum With Doxology," which Ammons self-published in 1955, and end with "Bosh and Flapdoodle," published posthumously in 2005.

Despite his multiple awards  including two National Book Awards  Ammons, who died in 2001, never achieved the renown he deserved, in part because he was uncomfortable reading his work in public. I show off but not up, he once told critic Helen Vendler. The Complete Poems, arranged chronologically, shows the tremendous range and innovation that, despite Ammonss stage fright, helped establish him as one of Americas most original and important 20th-century poets.

The work shows how Ammons consistently addressed philosophical questions by exploring humanitys connection to nature. No use to linger over beauty or simple effect: he notes in the expansive poem Garbage, this is just a poem with a job to do: and that/ is to declare: however roundabout, sideways,/ or meanderingly (or in those ways) the perfect/ scientific and materialistic notion of the/ spindle of energy. As Vendler wisely points out in her introduction, Ammonss poems, first to last, are . . . a master inventory of the vicissitudes of human life, worked by genius into memorable shapes.

[The best poetry collections of 2017]



Bullets into Bells, edited by Brian Clements, Alexandra Teague and Dean Rader (Beacon Press)

Poetry meets activism in Bullets Into Bells (Beacon Press), a timely, vital book that addresses gun violence in the United States. In these pages, poems by many of our best-known poets  Billy Collins, Natasha Tretheway, Rita Dove and Juan Felipe Herrera  are paired with prose reflections from gun-control advocates and community and family members affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary School attack five years ago and other shootings. Edited by three poets  Brian Clements, whose wife survived Sandy Hook, and Alexandra Teague and Dean Rader  the book powerfully underscores the devastation guns can cause. "We must end this long winter and break the current cycle of history," writes Nicole Hockley, whose son was killed at Sandy Hook, in response to Collins's bracing poem "Boy Shooting at Statue."

In it the speaker sees a child pull an imaginary trigger/imitating the sounds of rapid gunfire./ . . . shooting blindly into the air.

Writer after writer asks, Why arent we doing more to prevent gun violence? Poetry has to stand up and shout. . . . It must kick down the doors and open the windows, asserts novelist Colum McCann in his stirring introduction.

Together, the voices in Bullets Into Bells do exactly that.



Collected Poems, by Galway Kinnell (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Fans of Galway Kinnell won't want to miss his Collected Poems (Houghton Mifflin), which reminds readers, three years after his death, why he is still one of our most beloved, essential poets.

Kinnell, whose honors include the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, imbued his poems with resonant images and a breathtaking combination of compassion, fragility and strength.

Whether he was writing in forms or in free verse, his deep awareness of lifes fleeting nature informed how he lived.

All of his best pieces are here, including After Making Love We Hear Footsteps, Saint Francis and the Sow and Blackberry Eating  from the book Mortal Acts, Mortal Words (1980)  along with several new poems, a biographical afterword and a wonderful introduction by poet and critic Edward Hirsch. Kinnell, Hirsch notes, was socially engaged and identified strongly with people in trouble and relied on personal experience to try to transcend the self. Notwithstanding his constant awareness of mortality, Kinnell crafted poems that feel almost mystical and provide readers with heart-rending solace, as with these lines from the poem Cemetery Angels: our dead, who will/ erupt into flower as soon/ as memory and human shape/ rot out of them, each bent/ forward and with wings/ partly opened as though/ warming itself at a fire.

Elizabeth Lund writes about poetry every month for The Washington Post.
Five candidates, including one independent, are challenging incumbent D.C. Council member Brianne K. Nadeau for her Ward 1 seat.

Jamie Sycamore, a 30-year-old sign language interpreter, is the most recent candidate to announce he will run against Nadeau in the Democratic primary in June. Other Democratic candidates who have announced include Kent C. Boese, an Advisory Neighborhood Commission chairman, Lori E. Parker, a former magistrate judge in D.C. Superior Court and Sheika Reid, an architectural drafter.

Greg Boyd, a researcher and former D.C. Public Schools teacher, will be on the ballot in November as an independent. But in a deeply Democratic city, whoever wins the June 19 Democratic primary will be the overwhelming favorite in the general election.

Nadeau, a first-term council member who defeated longtime council member Jim Graham in 2014, got off to a strong start in fundraising for her reelection, raising nearly $189,923 between February and the end of July, before many candidates began fundraising in earnest, according to a campaign finance report.

Nadeau, whose daughter was born in September, has focused on legislation that supports youth and working families, introducing a bill to provide all new parents with a "baby box" in an effort to reduce infant mortality, supporting the District's generous paid-leave program and introducing legislation that would provide expanded services to youth through the Office on Youth Outcomes and Grants.



Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

She chairs the council's committee on human services and made headlines this month when she pumped breast milk from the dais during a lengthy committee hearing.

Sycamore, who studied at Gallaudet University but did not graduate, is not deaf but has worked as a freelance sign language interpreter and an advocate for people with disabilities since 2009. He said Nadeau has not engaged with the community, giving lip service to the issues instead of meeting with people who desperately need a voice.

But Nadeau said she holds regular office hours as part of the Brianne on Your Block series, leads telephone town halls and sends mailers to keep in touch with constituents. The ward includes Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan Mount Pleasant, Pleasant Plains, LeDroit Park and portions of the Shaw neighborhood.

Sycamore, who lives in the Cardozo neighborhood with his husband and their dog, said he has learned firsthand, by accompanying individuals with disabilities as they applied for affordable housing and food stamps, that the city often fails low-income residents.

Seeing how many barriers are being put in front of them to receive services has been astounding to me, he said. Especially when you couple mental disabilities with physical disabilities.

He said the city should be doing more to help people experiencing homelessness, including turning Metro buses into areas where people can bathe, and focusing on affordable housing developments.

Nadeau said creating affordable housing is a priority for her. She noted that since she took office in 2014, more than 500 units of affordable housing have been created in Ward 1, including more than 300 units in the Park Morton complex.

Thats something Im proud of, and we need to keep doing more, Nadeau said.

Boyd, a 56-year-old researcher and lifelong political independent, said the council and Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) are not addressing affordable housing correctly.

Too often, the city is "giving away too much to developers and wasting money that could be spent helping more people," he said, citing the generous package of tax incentives the District offered Yelp to convince the tech company to open an office in D.C.

Nadeau said she has pushed for the best outcomes for residents on every project on which she has worked.

A former Marine, Boyd said he wants to shake up the incredible amount of groupthink in the Wilson building, where the councils and mayors offices are located.

This is a group that is liberal or ultra liberal, said Boyd, who lives with his wife and two children in Mount Pleasant. Thats why we dont have statehood. I would go speak to every Republican on Capitol Hill, even if we dont like them, and build bridges. Not talking hasnt gotten us anything.

Boyd is self-funding his campaign up to $5,000, a tiny fraction of what major-party candidates generally spend on their races. He said he wants to end what he describes as a pay-to-play culture by creating a two-term limit for council members and a cooling-off period before council members become lobbyists.
VIRGINIA

Homicide suspect still in critical condition

The 17-year-old suspected of killing his girlfriends parents in Reston before turning the gun on himself remains hospitalized in critical condition, the Fairfax County Police Department said Monday.

The teen is accused of shooting Buckley Kuhn-Fricker and her husband, Scott Fricker, in their house early Friday while children and visiting relatives were gathered at the home to celebrate Christmas. No one else was injured.

Family and friends told The Washington Post that the couple suspected the teen of being a neo-Nazi and had pushed to break up the young couple.

Police charged the teen with two counts of murder.

Reem Awad, a representative of the police department, did not reveal other details Monday about the suspects condition.

 Perry Stein

Deputies are stable after being shot

Two sheriffs deputies shot on Christmas Eve while responding to a domestic dispute in Loudoun County are in stable condition, officials said.

Kraig Troxell, a spokesman for the sheriffs office, said the deputies  one of whom was shot in the leg and the other in an arm and in both legs  remain hospitalized on Christmas Day with the hope of being released soon.

The two deputies were called to a house in the 46000 block of Hollow Mountain Place in Sterling just after 4 p.m. Sunday because of an argument between Douglas V. Johnson Jr., 39, and his 19-year-old daughter.

Sheriff Mike Chapman said the deputies spent more than an hour trying to defuse the tension. But then Johnson went upstairs, and when the deputies followed him and told him they would take him into custody, he reached as if to grab a gun.

One deputy used a stun gun to try to subdue Johnson and the other tried to tackle him, Chapman said. Johnson still managed to shoot the two officers, authorities said.

Johnson was charged with two counts of attempted capital murder.

 Julie Zauzmer
Bertha Moore, who is a veteran and received help from MCVET, helps sort some of the donated clothes at the Maryland Center for Veterans Education and Training. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)

Lorine Viness downward spiral began in the Navy when, she says, a higher-up sexually assaulted her.

She didnt report the incident, she says, but every day faced her rapist. She turned to alcohol and drugs to cope.

I was having nightmares and dreams, and all I could see was him, says the 56-year-old veteran, who served in San Diego starting in August 1980.

Vines left the military in 1986, but her alcohol dependency, anxiety and depression followed, and only worsened with the untimely death of her 16-year-old son. Her addiction caused rifts within her family and made it difficult to keep a job, she said. Eventually, she became homeless.

But a turning point came in October 2016, when she visited the 24-hour service-intensive residential housing facility Maryland Center for Veterans Education and Training, or MCVET, where she quickly became a resident and student. Shes been sober ever since.

Im not as mad at myself anymore. I cant explain it, but just being here, it feels like Im getting my life back, Vines said. Even though I still miss my son, I know I dont have to drink now. I dont have to get drunk to make it through.

The nonprofit MCVET, funded through the federal government, various organizations and private donations, has offered housing and a range of services for homeless male veterans since its launch in 1993. In 1997 it opened its doors to female veterans, serving as one of a handful of resources in the city  along with Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, Project PLASE and Safe Haven  that work to meet their many needs. Serving these women often means addressing issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, unemployment, poor health, mental illness, domestic violence and military sexual trauma, or MST.

Its difficult to quantify the population of homeless female veterans, but there are indications the number is growing. Locally, 10 percent of Baltimores homeless population as of January  or 276 people  were veterans, according to the Mayors Office of Human Services. Female veterans account for around 3 percent of the total number of veterans seen in the homeless services system, a number that has remained constant over the past three years, according to Terry Hickey, director of the Mayors Office of Human Services. Nationally, the number more than doubled from 1,380 in 2006 to 3,328 in 2010, according to limited U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs data analyzed by the Government Accountability Office in 2011. The Virginia-based nonprofit Final Salute Inc., which serves homeless female veterans, has published estimates in recent years that say there are 55,000.

[Female veterans battling PTSD from sexual trauma fight for redress]

We do see the number of female veterans rising, and thats not just in the homeless program, but in all of our programs in general, and that follows the trend with the number of females entering the military. . . . As the military opens up more career fields for women, we see a higher percentage, said Christopher Buser, an Army veteran and chief of social work at VA Maryland Health Care System. Buser said that around 13 percent of female veterans are homeless in Maryland.

Many people, however, may not realize the disparity and need among female veterans because of the stereotype that accompanies the word veteran, according to Buser.

Most people, when they are referring to veterans, the stereotype they have in mind is a male veteran, so making sure that our female veterans are recognized in their entirety is something [thats important], Buser said.

Buser said that like men, female veterans experience post-traumatic stress disorder, unemployment or underemployment that can make keeping a home difficult. Women, however, are more likely to be fleeing domestic violence and to experience certain health issues that can contribute to homelessness.

A 2010 study of 33 homeless female veterans and 165 housed female veterans in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved found that homeless female veterans were more likely to have experienced military sexual trauma than their housed counterparts. In addition to sexual assault during military service, unemployment, disability, bad health and mental-health disorders  including anxiety and post-traumatic stress  were characteristics associated with homeless female veterans.

MCVET is one of the few places that aims to not only provide transitional housing and day drop-in programs, but also to address the causes of homelessness among female veterans, according to Executive Director Jeff Kendrick.

Anything that a person needs in terms of their therapeutic care . . . we will provide them, said Kendrick, adding that the program also assists veterans with obtaining records including birth certificates, driving records, financial reports and taxes.

MCVET offers 17 single-room occupancies for women and provides them with a wide range of services, including access to case managers and off-site specialists, mental-health professionals, and clinicians. The program also has weekly womens group meetings, hosted by a case manager, where female residents can talk about their concerns.

Residents of the single-room occupancies are no longer considered homeless by federal standards, according to the Mayors Office of Human Services.

Our rooms at any one time can be full and then within 30 [to] 90 days, they can be empty again because the women who rode through their program very quickly gravitated to programs and took advantage of the services MCVET offers, Kendrick said, noting that an average stay for women can be less than a year, whereas the average male vet may stay a year to 15 months.

MCVET offers emergency shelter phase, transitional housing, and single room occupancies.

But Kendrick said that there needs to be more emphasis on a housing solution for female veterans, especially those who have children.

According to Buser, Many of our veterans who have children are reluctant to kind of come forward and tell us about the true extent of whats going on in their lives. They are concerned that if they talk about being homeless, that they may lose custody of their children, that social services will come in and break the family up. In other instances, Kendrick said, mothers will leave their children behind to get the services they need.

Kendrick said MCVETs goal is to expand its facility to include all services in-house and to provide housing for family members and children, but space is limited and more funding is needed.

Cereta Spencer, director of development and community engagement, said MCVET continues to host multiple fundraisers, special events and tours for community members and potential funders to see the facilitys inner workings and where their money is going. Raising awareness about the organization and its services has been vital to raising more money, she said.

In the meantime, the program, unlike many other transitional housing or housing-first facilities, comes with a strict caveat. Veterans, also referred to as students, must adhere to the centers zero-tolerance policy, which means they cannot use drugs or alcohol during their stay.

Like Vines, 57-year-old East Baltimore native and Army veteran Charleatha Cherry came to MCVET after years of drug and alcohol addiction and several failed attempts to get sober.

After a devastating loss of her children in a custody dispute with an abusive partner, I went on what I call self-destruct, meaning I didnt care about anything, said Cherry, who later served two stints in prison. Cherry said she sought help from a local drug and alcohol treatment program in 2012 and found a job. But after around seven months, she was back on drugs. In November 2013, Cherry visited MCVET.

I listened to everything the intake officer had to say. He told me a lot of stuff that had to be done. It was a lot of rules. I was like, This is just too much, but I had to think about something. Where did I just come from? I wasnt going back to that. I decided right then and there, whatever it took, Im going to do it, she said.

But it wasnt easy.

I wanted to get high. I was still broken. I was still hurt. I was mad at myself for screwing up my life so bad. I didnt think Id make it five days, she said.

Yet Cherry excelled, making it through the centers emergency shelter phase, before graduating into a single-room occupancy where she lives today. The military-influenced structure, with its strict schedule, kept her on an even keel. Cherry serves as the first and only female veteran on the security staff. Shes back to basics, she said.

If I hadnt came to MCVET and cleared my mind by getting clean, theres no way in the world I would have achieved all that I have. I have to keep the focus everyday on staying clean, one day at a time.


Bulldozers prepare land owned by Prince Georges County on Huron Avenue in Suitland, Md., where contractors will be building townhouses as part of phase one of a $400 million retail and residential development. (Arelis Hernandez/The Washington Post)

For 20 years, Prince Georges County government officials looked for a developer willing to take on the financial risk of transforming the neighborhood around the Suitland Metro station.

They offered tax incentives, increment financing, subsidies and land. But the areas blight, crime and lack of infrastructure, plus a belief that few would want to buy a home or open a business there, sent investors walking in the opposite direction  toward projects in the District and Virginia.

So the county is launching the makeover itself.

The government spent tens of millions to buy land across from the Suitland Federal Center campus, bulldozed blight and built sidewalks, utilities and streets. Now it is overseeing the start of construction of a $402 million development called Town Square that eventually could include hundreds of apartments and homes, along with grocers, fast-casual restaurants and boutique retail.

If the project succeeds, County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) and his aides will have shown that a long-neglected part of their county has potential, generating some much-needed public revenue and possibly drawing private investment. Failure would mean a significant financial loss, and a black mark on Bakers record as he runs for governor.

The risk is it becomes a Field of Dreams scenario, said Terry Clower, director of George Mason Universitys Center for Regional Analysis. You build it and no one comes.



Renderings of the development of the Town Center at Suitland, a project that Prince Georges is financing and developing in the hopes of revitalizing the area and attracting private investment. (Lessard Design Inc. )

Suitland is well-located, two miles from the District border with direct routes  the Suitland Parkway and Green Line  into downtown. But county officials say it presented a particular set of challenges.

Generations ago, it was a neighborhood of mostly government workers with covenants that prevented African Americans from moving in. After integration, hundreds of black professionals bought homes in the area. By the 1980s, however, poverty and disrepair had set in.

The Metro opened in 2001. Nearby, thousands of employees with money in their pockets work inside the gated federal campus, at the U.S. Census Bureau, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Office of Naval Intelligence and other agencies.

But the neighborhood has few of the amenities that new homeowners or apartment dwellers might want, such as popular restaurants or quality supermarkets. Until recently, crime was a major deterrent. People who commute to the federal campus rarely venture out.

Those workers might move here if they fix this area, said Ollie Stone, an electrician who worked many years inside the federal campus and on a recent day was waiting for business cards at a print shop in a dilapidated strip mall not far from its gates. There are all kinds of careers in there.

Kevin Sills, whose company Mid-Atlantic Real-Estate Investments is the largest landowner in Suitland, tried for years to launch housing and retail projects but could not get financial backing.

Whether you build in Suitland, Virginia or the District, it costs the same. But you get 30 or 40 percent more in rent in those other places than you would in Suitland, Sills said, explaining why bankers were reluctant to lend to him. People want to spend their money in the right place. . . . Nobody wants to be the pioneer.

The county governments protracted permitting and approval process also made developers wary of investing, but that has improved in recent years. At the same time, land, which Prince Georges has in abundance, grew scarcer and more expensive in other close-to-the-District locations. The county now leads the region in job growth, officials said, and is ripe for investment. Still, the private sector showed minimal interest.





Bakers predecessors spent about $50 million buying land near the Metro station. Baker and the County Council set aside $38 million to purchase additional acreage, including the Suitland Corner strip mall, owned by Sills. The county plans to spend up to $22 million more for up to 45 acres along Suitland and Silver Hill roads.

Its a lot of money to spend on a small footprint, said the Urban Institutes Brett Theodos. They are making a big bet, which isnt to say its a bad bet.

County officials say the investments stretched out over many years. Their primary goal, they say, is to draw new taxpayers to the area and, by doing that, to raise the land value and appeal to private developers.

Thomas Himler, Bakers chief economic and budget aide, says developers until now have asked the county government to provide millions of dollars in upfront expenses and extraordinary subsidies before they would consider building.

If we have to do that, why dont we get the upside? was the question Himler said he posed to Baker. If weve got to put in that kind of money, then we should be the ones selling the lots and getting the profit.

The first phase of the Town Square project involves prepping 219 lots and selling them to private developer NVR, the parent company of Ryan Homes, which will build and sell market-rate townhouses for about $350,000 each. The county expects to clear $11 million from selling the lots. An NVR spokesman declined to be interviewed.

If these homes sell and quickly, that will be a good indicator to private investors, Theodos said. But that said, there is a question of whether the gamble will work.

In August, another firm hired by the countys Redevelopment Authority will begin constructing senior and other affordable housing.

The county plans to act as landlord for a new apartment building in the next stage of construction; officials are studying the kind of units they need and what they can charge.

Eventually, the county wants a 35-acre development that includes single-family homes, a public plaza, walking trails and a retail center. At least 3,000 people could live there, Himler said.



Merchants in the Suitland Corner strip mall will have to move because of the development. (Arelis Hernandez/The Washington Post)

The plans have stirred some frustration among the few merchants who operate on parcels the county has bought, and soon will have to close or move elsewhere. Small business owners leasing space in the Suitland Corner strip mall received orders to vacate in October but won a reprieve until Jan. 5.

It was unfair, said Geri Murphy, whose son owns a perfume shop on the strip. You dont replace one set of merchants with another set just like that.

J. Kim, owner of Kims Beauty Supply, said she was ready to retire after 30 years. Im just tired, she said.

For Baker, the project is the fulfillment of a promise made 20 years ago by his mentor and predecessor, Wayne K. Curry (D), who began the process of buying up land as the Metro system prepared to extend the Green Line.

Wayne saw long before other people that you could revitalize this community, Baker said at a groundbreaking last month for Town Squares townhouses.
Police tape do not cross. Shallow depth of field image taken of yellow law enforcement line with police car and lights in the background. (iStock)

A South Carolina man is in custody after a high-speed chase and firefight on Christmas night that police say left the suspect wounded in a wooded Virginia traffic median.

Jerrell C. Richardson, 21, of Greenville, S.C., is being held at Rappahannock Regional Jail on various charges, authorities said.

The suspect was first spotted at a gas station in north Richmond about 9:40 p.m. Monday by both Henrico County Police and Virginia State Police troopers. An hour earlier, the sheriffs office in Dinwiddie County, Va., had put out an alert for a 2015 Ford Escape that had been stolen at gunpoint from a North Carolina gas station that night.

When an officer and a trooper approached, the vehicles driver fled onto Interstate 95 north, going over 120 mph, state police said. The driver rammed a state troopers vehicle at least twice, then bailed out of the moving car and ran toward the wooded median, according to police. He shot at the pursuing troopers as he ran; one fired back, but the gunman continued into the woods.

The highway was closed in both directions, and a search with dogs and police helicopters ensued. About 12:50 a.m., police say, Richardson surrendered and was taken into custody.

Richardson was shot during the exchange of gunfire and was treated for wounds that were not life-threatening at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, police said. He was released Tuesday morning and booked into the Rappahannock jail.

He is charged with various counts, including eluding and endangering law enforcement, assault on law enforcement, reckless driving, marijuana possession and driving without a license, as well as charges in other jurisdictions, authorities said.
Members of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity meet in New Hampshire in September. (Holly Ramer/AP)

A nonprofit privacy group cannot stop President Trumps Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity from collecting millions of voter records, an appeals court ruled Tuesday.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit determined that the Electronic Privacy Information Center "is not a voter" and therefore does not have standing to demand that the commission assess privacy concerns before assembling a vast database of voter information.

EPIC has no traditional membership, let alone members who are voters, the judges wrote, and thus has only an abstract social interest in the voting commissions work.

It was a surprising outcome, EPIC President Marc Rotenberg said in a statement. Standing was well established.

A lower court had found that the group did have standing for a court challenge but that it could not force a privacy assessment because the commission is an advisory board, not an independent government agency.

The watchdog group plans to pursue a rehearing before the entire nine-judge appeals court.

Its legal challenge stems from a 2002 law designed to protect the privacy of individuals whose data might be collected by the government. Without a review required by that law, attorneys for EPIC argued, the group cannot perform its role in protecting Americans privacy.

The judges, however, concluded that the law concerns individual privacy, not the public oversight EPIC aims to provide.

Trump created the voting commission after alleging, without evidence, that widespread fraud cost him the popular vote last year. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R), who chairs the commission, sent a letter in June to all 50 states asking for the name, address, date of birth, party affiliation, felony record, last four Social Security digits and voting history of every registered voter. Since then, the collection effort has faced several legal challenges, including one from a commissioner who says Democratic members have been shut out of the panel's work.

EPICs lawsuit delayed collection of data by the voting commission. After the lawsuit was filed, the White House also backed off plans to house the data on a Pentagon-operated website and instead designed a system inside the White House to take the submissions.

Even after the group lost at the district court level, the voting commission has struggled to collect data. More than a dozen states, including Maryland and Virginia, have partially or entirely rejected the request over security and legal concerns.
A 22-year-old man who was shot Saturday in Southeast Washington died at a hospital on Tuesday, according to D.C. police.

The victim was identified as Maleak Coffin of Southeast.

Police said Coffin was shot at 11:08 a.m. in the 2900 block Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, near Congress Heights. Police said he had been shot inside a vehicle.

Police released a video that shows a vehicle and a person of interest in the shooting.
An officer was hospitalized after a collision Tuesday in Montgomery County, police said.

About 12:15 p.m., officers arrived at Olney Sandy Spring Road and Village Center Drive in Olney in response to a report of a collision, a spokesman for the county police said.

Details about the collision were not immediately available, the spokesman said, but one officer and one civilian were taken to a trauma center.

In a Twitter message, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Pete Piringer said their injuries should be non-life-threatening.
Police tape do not cross. Shallow depth of field image taken of yellow law enforcement line with police car and lights in the background. (iStock)

An 11-year-old girl who was killed Friday night in southern Prince Georges County appears to have been accidentally shot by a young family member, police said.

Prince Georges County police said Tuesday that detectives are continuing to investigate the incident.

Officers responded to the home in the 15000 block of Saint Phillips Road about 9:55 p.m. Dec. 22, where they found the girl suffering from a gunshot wound to her upper body. Emergency medical personnel and officers attempted lifesaving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are not releasing the name of the victim or her family because the victim is a minor and no one has been criminally charged in her death, said Cpl. Tyler Hunter, a police spokesman. Police said there were adults in the home at the time.

Hunter said the handgun used in the shooting was legally owned by one of the adults who lived in the home, but he did not say which family member owned the gun or who lived in the home with the child.

Police will consult with the states attorneys office about the case, Hunter said.
Three people were killed early Tuesday when the driver of a Mercedes-Benz apparently lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a tree on a narrow, curving road in Southern Maryland, according to authorities.

Police said bystanders pulled the driver, identified as Eric Lamont Moss, 28, from the wreckage, moments before the burning Mercedes exploded 30 feet into the woods off Rose Hill Road, near Hawthorne Road, in La Plata in Charles County.

Moss, who lived in La Plata, died at a hospital. The two passengers were pronounced dead on the scene. They have not yet been identified.

Diane Richardson, a spokeswoman for the Charles County Sheriffs Department, said a man and his 15-year-old son heading home to Richmond saw flames in the woods and stopped. They pulled the driver, who was on the ground outside the vehicle, away from the flames and stayed with him until help arrived.

Richardson said the crash occurred about 12:45 a.m. She said Moss was driving south on Rose Hill Road when the vehicle left the road and hit a tree. It is about 30 miles south of the District.

Richardson said investigators were seeking a cause Tuesday. She said it is too early to determine if speed contributed to the crash.
Washington Post reporter Tara Bahrampour has glasses and headphones placed on her in preparation for a "virtual dementia tour" to help caregivers better understand what it's like to have dementia. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Staff writer

The worst part was the spikes inside my shoes.

Or maybe the worst part was the dimness, my world reduced to shadows.

Or the crackling static and loud banging that crowded out the sounds I really needed to hear, such as the instructions of the woman who had placed me in that darkened room, where I was trying to match socks, though my fingers couldnt feel.

Why was I there? What was I supposed to do? Whose socks were these?

I knew what was happening in the larger sense: I was at Brightview West End, a senior living facility in Rockville, participating in a training session for caregivers of dementia patients.

The Virtual Dementia Tour, which has trained people at thousands of facilities across the United States, aims to increase empathy for dementia patients by showing them what it feels like to walk in their shoes  their painful, destabilizing shoes.

"Once the headphones are on, you won't be able to ask any questions," said Albina Misini, director of Brightview West End's dementia care section, as she placed them on my head. Through goggles that rendered everything dark, foggy and yellowed, I could kind of see her mouth move; she was giving me instructions to do something. But thanks to the cacophony of voices, clanking and other sounds, this was what I heard:

.......

.. fold all of the ..

........

I didnt hear any of that, I warned her.

No reply.

I didnt hear what you said, I said, more urgently.

But that was it. I was guided into a darkened room with a dresser, a nightstand and a double bed covered in a mess of clothes.

The door closed behind me. I edged toward the bed. Each step drove plastic shards into the soles of my feet, so I pitched forward, walking unsteadily, to lessen the pain.

Folding. I could do that. The two pairs of oversize gloves on my hands made me clumsy, but I managed to fold what appeared to be a pillowcase, a shirt, a towel. I felt proud, even cocky. But the socks? I saw only dark shapes, and it was impossible to feel whether the fabrics were thin or thick, stretchy or not. Then, out of nowhere  BAM!  a loud crash made me jump. And every few seconds a flash of white light stabbed the darkness.

I turned to the dresser, where a stack of plastic plates stood beside napkins, cups and some plastic cutlery. It seemed reasonable to lay a place setting. But my mind was spinning. Fork on the right? No, on the left, next to the knife. How long since I've set a table? The knife goes with the spoon. Oh, wait, the napkin . . .

But hold on  why was I even setting the table?

I later learned this impulse to arrange and straighten things is common as people with dementia try in vain to master their environments  as were many of the reactions that I and the other trainees had during the tour. Its developer, P.K. Beville, started thinking about how to better serve older patients in the 1980s while working as a psychological evaluator of nursing home patients.

Over 2 million people in 20 countries have taken the Virtual Dementia Tour since 2002, at care facilities, home health-care organizations, state agencies, colleges and universities, Beville said in an interview. About 3,000 have purchased the components so they can give their own tours.

The tour helps fund Bevilles nonprofit organization, Second Wind Dreams, which fulfills wishes of nursing home patients. The Georgia-based organization also provides visits, gifts and cards for people in nursing homes who are alone on holidays.

In developing the tour, I was mainly curious about how the brain dies, and what are the behavioral implications of cell death in the brain, said Beville, who wrote a PhD dissertation about sensitizing care facility staff to what having dementia is like.

She studied brain imaging of people with dementia and looked at how the affected areas relate to actual behavior to simulate experiences as part of the project.

After eight minutes during the tour, we began to see some of the behavioral responses that we actually see in a memory care unit, she said.

The tour creates empathy for the caregiver, and feedback from participants also helps provide insight into why patients with dementia behave in certain ways. When a person comes through the training and we ask why they did certain things that look bizarre, like a person with dementia, they can answer.

[Day-to-day with dementia: learning to care for a once-vibrant mother]

Trainees wear goggles that imitate the loss of peripheral vision associated with dementia; they also mimic the effects of cataracts, macular degeneration and yellowing that are common as one ages. Gloves make it harder to manipulate tools, push buttons or feel anything, to approximate the reduced sense of touch and depth perception associated with dementia. People with dementia are often unable to block out background noise, so the headphones amplify ambient sounds until they interfere with normal functioning. The spiky shoe inserts mimic peripheral neuropathy, the numbness and pain from nerve damage that often affects hands and feet.

The tour is constantly being updated. Beville is working on adding a temperature component, because people with dementia have trouble interpreting whether their surroundings are hot or cold, and a video that imitates the frightening visions experienced by people with Lewy body dementia.

After my eight minutes in the training room, Misini removed my headphones, and relief washed over me. Afterward, watching trainees go into the room two at a time, I was struck at how much their actions and body language  and no doubt mine as well  resembled that of dementia patients: the unsure shuffle, the dazed expression, the sudden barking out of a disembodied word.

I was also shocked at how many instructions Id missed. It turned out that I was supposed to have put on a white sweater, written a three-sentence note, set the table for four, folded all of the towels, and filled a cup with water and drunk it.

Before the tour, Hannah Asuakyi, a resident assistant at Brightview, had been telling me about a patient who thought she saw someone in her room, which made her afraid to sleep there. Fifteen minutes later, Asuakyi herself was taking mincing steps down the hall, reaching out for the wall to steady herself.

After being read a different set of instructions from mine, she crept into the room. She peered around the corner at the bed, then backed up to the wall and plastered her body against it.

Without the gear, I noticed things I hadnt seen the first time. A strobe light sent intermittent white flashes across the room. A sign on the wall listed some instructions, but they were missing words and printed in varying font sizes.

Asuakyi stayed glued to the wall until Misini led her out and removed her headphones. Then she started laughing. I didnt know where I was going! I couldnt see you. You left me so I didnt know, and I saw someone on the bed. I was scared.

[Personal stories help caregivers see who their patients were before dementia]

Trainees often report feeling nausea, disorientation and frustration. And some, like Asuakyi, feel fear.

Hermine Ngom, a medication technician who had just emerged from the room, looked stricken. I just  if thats how they are, I just . . . She sighed and shook her head. I was confused and hot and nervous.

At a debriefing afterward, the trainees learned more about what theyd just experienced. Along with limiting mobility, vision, and hearing, the tour is designed to disorient and confuse. Some people get a hoarding impulse  they might pick up all the plates or towels and walk around with them  a response seen in some dementia patients as they try to control an environment they are increasingly losing control of.

What we did to you was create short-term memory loss, said Patrick Doyle, director of dementia care at Brightview, which has trained employees at 34 of its facilities around the United States. Even if you heard the task, you forgot when you went in . . . A lot of people say, You never read me those instructions. 

I felt like there was something wrong on top of the bed, so I just fixed it, said Elisa Portillo, a medication technician.

Doyle nodded. The impulse to fix something that looks disheveled is a common feature of dementia. So is shadowing  mimicking the actions of someone else in the room. So if you see someone else folding laundry, you figure they must know what theyre doing.

Ngom said she thinks she will be more likely to go over and talk to a patient who is alone, after noticing that someone  an observer from Brightview  was sitting in the room while she was there. I was going, Why is she just standing there; why isnt she helping me? 

After having been so sure someone was lying on the bed, Asuakyi said she will be more compassionate with patients who think they see intruders. They see differently. I saw differently. So when they say something like that, I will do it better; I will assure them that they are safe.

Administrators at facilities where staff members have undergone the training say it has made caregivers more patient. Ive seen those CNAs slow their pace down some, said Linda Blackstock, a registered nurse and weekend supervisor at Four County Health and Rehabilitation, a skilled nursing facility in Richland, Ga. Where they used to say, Come on, get your shoes and socks on, lets go. Well, the patient has no idea what they said.

Now, the person leads them to the room, asks them where their socks are, asks where their shoes are . . . because [they know] they didnt understand more than one instruction at one time.

Sometimes, it is the long-term caregivers who are affected most by the tour. At Azura, which has 14 care facilities in Wisconsin, a woman who had been doing it for 25 years took the tour and then burst into tears.

She said, For 25 years I thought I knew, and I realized I didnt know anything,  said Paula Gibson, a spokeswoman there. She said, Im going to appreciate them so much more now. 
The prospect of a lesbian unseating a Republican incumbent in a red-leaning Virginia district once seemed unfathomable.

Now it seems unremarkable.

In three weeks, nurse practitioner Dawn Adams will take her seat as the first openly gay woman to serve in the Virginia General Assembly. But she received little national attention after the Nov. 7 Democratic sweep that also saw the ascension of the first transgender, Latina and Asian American women to the legislature.

The relatively muted response to her win reflects how rapidly attitudes have changed in Virginia and how candidates who happen to be gay or lesbian are seen more as the norm instead of a liability, LGBTQ advocates say.

People have understood its not an issue thats going to play well if you try to demonize people just because of who they love, said James Parrish, executive director of Equality Virginia.

Adams, whose victory over Del. G. Manoli Loupassi (Richmond), the Republican incumbent, was maintained after a state-funded recount Wednesday, will join a legislature with three openly gay men. She will also join several other lesbians making a mark in politics this year.

Seattle elected its first lesbian mayor. State senators in California chose the first woman, who is also a lesbian, to lead their chamber. And a Democratic lesbian won a GOP-held legislative seat in a conservative part of Oklahoma.

Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, a lesbian elected in 2009, marvels at how reactions to these milestones have quieted since news of her victory landed on the front page of an Indian newspaper.

[Democrats post stunning gains in Virginia state legislature]

It speaks to the quality of the candidates and the work that elected officials do all over the country that they are seen more and more as competent candidates who are also LGBTQ, and not LGBTQ candidates running for office, said Parker, who now leads the Victory Fund to elect such candidates. We are working really hard to achieve a time when LGBTQ candidates are as mainstream as any other candidates might be.

Adams, 53, declined an interview request and downplayed the historic nature of her candidacy in a statement.

It is encouraging to see candidates like myself being elected in the commonwealth of Virginia and beyond, not because of the color of their skin, their gender, their religion or their sexual orientation, but because of their substantive ideas for dealing with the issues, Adams said.

But during her campaign, she talked about the importance of running as a lesbian.

After marriage equality became the law of the land, there was a visceral shift in our culture; and though many people still embrace hate, those on the fence seemed to fall off just enough to let love get the upper hand, she wrote in a questionnaire to Equality Virginia. With that shift, it seemed safe to come out and I have done that in the biggest way I can think of by running as an openly gay/lesbian candidate.

Del. Mark D. Sickles (D-Fairfax), one of the three openly gay men in the Virginia legislature, faced a whisper campaign about his sexual orientation in his 2005 reelection bid and didn't publicly come out until a decade later. He says the environment has rapidly changed for gay politicians.

It is something that has become so routine in life now, and so many people are out to their family and friends and colleagues at work, Sickles said. Virginias changed, just like the countrys changed.

That hasnt stopped what critics call anti-gay bills from coming out of the state legislature.

In Virginia, lawmakers rejected a gay judicial nominee (who was championed by Adams' opponent, Loupassi) five years ago after social conservatives objected. For the past two years, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) has vetoed bills protecting those who discriminate against same-sex couples from penalties.

Advocates say openly LGBTQ people in public office can help stop these kind of bills.

The presence of these groups changes the way that others in the legislature respond, said Don Haider-Markel, a political scientist at the University of Kansas who studied LGBTQ candidates. And they serve as really strong models for other potential candidates who say: Theres a person like me. I can do that too and run for office. 

He said growing ranks of gay and lesbian candidates since the 1990s paved the way for shifting public attitudes. The same cant be said for openly transgender candidates, who are newer to elected politics.

[History of transgender candidates in the U.S.]

In Virginia, Adams' candidacy was overshadowed by Danica Roem, a transgender woman who defeated a socially conservative incumbent who repeatedly referred to her as "he" and called himself Virginia's "chief homophobe."

Roem attracted more media attention and money from across the nation than Adams did, as well as more attacks from social conservatives.

In contrast, Adams raised the fewest dollars of any Democrats who unseated Republicans and didnt become a lightning rod for the religious right. She was seen as an underdog against Loupassi, a moderate who criticized her fiscal policies instead of her identity and has supported gay rights. Their district is a Republican-leaning stretch of suburban Chesterfield and Richmond city that is seen as fairly tolerant.

Adams campaign website includes a photo of her with her partner of 15 years and touts endorsements from LGBTQ groups. On the trail, she tapped her health policy background to emphasize the importance of expanding Medicaid and integrating care.

Sexual orientation just wasnt an issue at all, said Bob Holsworth, a former political scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University who lives in the district. He said the election results came down to Loupassi getting caught in an anti-Trump wave.

The thing that hurt him was the R after his name, Holsworth said. That was far more of a scarlet letter than someones sexual orientation.

While advocates celebrated the victory of Adams and other candidates, they say LGBTQ people are still underrepresented in government.

The Victory Fund recently released a report tallying 448 LGBTQ elected officials in the United States  and argued that 21,000 more should be elected to better reflect the population as a whole. Thirteen state legislatures have no openly gay or transgender lawmakers.

The LGBT community has advanced a lot in the last 15 years, light-years and light-years. However that progress can be turned back just as quickly, if not quicker, said Sean Meloy, the funds political director. Sexual orientation doesnt have as much quote-unquote baggage, but at the same time, the United States is not universal in its acceptance and embrace of LGBT people.


Scott Pruitt, seen in his office at the Environmental Protection Agency, has spent his first year as administrator shrinking the EPAs reach, altering its focus and erasing its work to fight climate change. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

Since 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency has been embroiled in an enforcement battle with a Michigan-based company accused of modifying the state's largest coal-fired power plant without getting federal permits for a projected rise in pollution.

On Dec. 7, as the Supreme Court was considering whether to hear the case, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt issued a memo that single-handedly reversed the agency's position. No longer would the EPA be "second-guessing" DTE Energy's emission projections. Rather, it would accept the firm's "intent" to manage its pollution without requiring an enforceable agreement  part of President Trump's broader push to reduce the "burden" on companies, he wrote.

The little-noticed episode offers a glimpse into how Pruitt has spent his first year running the EPA. In legal maneuvers and executive actions, in public speeches and closed-door meetings with industry groups, he has moved to shrink the agency's reach, alter its focus, and pause or reverse numerous environmental rules. The effect has been to steer the EPA in the direction sought by those being regulated.

Along the way, Pruitt has begun to dismantle former president Barack Obama's environmental legacy, halting the agency's efforts to combat climate change and to shift the nation away from its reliance on fossil fuels.

Such aggressiveness on issues from coal waste to vehicle emissions has made Pruitt one of Trump's most high-profile and consequential Cabinet members. It also has made him one of the most controversial.

Critics describe his short tenure as an assault on the agency's mission, its science and its employees.



EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt speaks in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in June. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

"We've spent 40 years putting together an apparatus to protect public health and the environment from a lot of different pollutants," said William Ruckelshaus, the EPA's first administrator, who led the agency under Richard M. Nixon and Ronald Reagan. "He's pulling that whole apparatus down."

Yet, allies praise Pruitt for returning more power to individual states while scaling back what they see as the previous administration's regulatory excesses.

"It is a stark change, the way they solicit input from the industry that they're seeking to regulate," said Karen Harbert, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Global Energy Institute, who welcomes the shift.

In an interview, Pruitt said a priority during his first 10 months in office has been listening to "stakeholders that actually live under the regulations that we adopt. . . . I don't understand how that's not what I should be doing."

Already, some people are speculating about what his future holds.

As Oklahoma attorney general, Pruitt was widely viewed as a potential gubernatorial candidate there. Since he joined the Trump administration, rumors have swirled about whether he might pursue a Senate seat. He regularly heads to the White House mess for lunch, which provides more opportunities to run into key presidential aides. Privately, he has mused about whether he could occupy other Cabinet spots, according to individuals who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential conversations.

The man who spent years railing against the long reach of the federal government now seems determined to make his mark in Washington.

Pruitt, 49, stands on the opposite end of the political spectrum from his immediate predecessor, Gina McCarthy, but the two share something in common: a willingness to use the agency's broad executive authority to act unilaterally.

"Vested in the administrator is this incredible power and this incredible regulatory reach," said Ken Cook, president of the advocacy organization Environmental Working Group. "When there's someone on the inside willing to unlock the door and let these special interests in, they can do tremendous damage to the environmental rule of law."

From the moment Pruitt arrived at the agency in February, he began using his levers of power to halt existing regulations and shift the bureaucracy.

"The administrator has been effective and very decisive on a number of issues [where] he can do things with the stroke of a pen," said Jeffrey Holmstead, a former top EPA official under George W. Bush and now a partner at the law and lobbying firm Bracewell. "He came in with a list of targets he needed to deal with, and he's been very decisive on saying, 'Here's what we need to do.' "

Within days of taking office, Pruitt canceled the EPA's request that nearly 20,000 oil and gas companies gauge their emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The following month, he withdrew a proposed ban on a commonly used pesticide, chlorpyrifos, that the EPA's own scientists had argued posed risks to human health.

Last month, the EPA issued a guidance document outlining how it would implement a bipartisan 2016 law that for the first time requires the agency to rule on a new chemical's potential risks before allowing it on the market. Instead of including "reasonably foreseeable uses," the document states, the agency will now consider only the "intended" conditions of use submitted by the manufacturer  a significant and contentious change.

Three of the bill's Democratic authors say the interpretation defies the law's intent. But it is precisely the approach pushed by the American Chemistry Council.



President Trump tours the American Center of Mobility in Ypsilanti Township, Mich., in March. Pruitt, far left, was the only Cabinet member on the visit. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Despite his scant experience running environmental programs, Pruitt sued the Obama EPA 14 times as Oklahoma attorney general and challenged the agency's authority to regulate toxic mercury pollution, smog, carbon emissions from power plants and the quality of wetlands and other waters.

"All that suing he did for years steeped him in the knowledge of the agency and how it works," Ruckelshaus noted.

That doesn't mean Pruitt has prevailed on all fronts this year. In July, a federal appeals court vacated the agency's attempt to delay a rule limiting methane and other pollutants from oil and gas operations. The next month, after Democratic attorneys general and public health groups went to court, the EPA reversed its decision to delay implementing an Obama-era rule requiring more stringent air quality standards.

And on Wednesday, a separate federal appeals court in California ordered the agency to quickly issue new standards to protect children from lead in paint  rejecting the Trump administration's position that a new rule on acceptable levels of exposure could take six years.

David Rivkin, a partner at Baker Hostetler and one of the administrator's informal advisers, said Pruitt remains acutely aware of the gantlet he faces. "I cannot think of any administrator who paid so much attention to creating rules that are legally defensible," Rivkin said.

Pruitt says he has set about "revitalizing" the agency and focusing on areas, such as the Superfund cleanup program, that were "dormant" in past administrations. He seems confident that he will succeed in reshaping the EPA as he and Trump envision, despite environmental advocates vowing to battle him at every turn.

"I'm pretty sanguine about our ability to defend our actions here at the agency, so long as we do things timely and within the text of the statute," he said. "The problem the agency had historically is when [officials] have not done things in the time frame they were supposed to do something. That's invited lawsuits that then allow others to set the priorities."



A giant puppet depicting Pruitt is carried by demonstrators during the Peoples Climate March in Washington in April. (Mike Theiler/Reuters)

From his wood-paneled office complex on the third floor of the EPA's headquarters, Pruitt operates in a cocoon of sorts.

He is accompanied 24/7 by a security detail  a setup that has tripled past staffing requirements. He has installed biometric locks on his office doors, as well as a $25,000 soundproof booth from which he can make secure calls to the White House. And he has shied away from using email at the EPA, which would be subject to open records laws, preferring instead to communicate by phone or in face-to-face meetings.

While he has met with scores of industry executives, trade groups, farmers and ranchers, spoken to conservative political organizations and shuttled back and forth to the White House, Pruitt's calendars show limited contact with the EPA's own career staff. He has visited 30 states, by his count, but has yet to visit any of EPA's 10 regional offices.

The EPA routinely refuses to release details about where Pruitt will be any given day, citing security concerns. So as he travels the country and sometimes the world, his appearances often come as a surprise to the media and the public.

Despite Pruitt's claims that his door is open, advocacy groups such as the Sierra Club and Environmental Working Group have not bothered to request meetings. But when Earthjustice asked to attend a May session with state officials about how EPA planned to give them more authority over storing toxic coal ash, the agency refused. It also denied access to a 247-page guidance document it was drafting.

Other organizations have come up against similar walls. In response to a Freedom of Information Act request from a public watchdog group, government lawyers said Pruitt's Superfund Task Force took no minutes of its meetings. On one of the administrator's top priorities, the task force apparently produced just one document  a list of final recommendations.

The paradigm shift at EPA has been dominated so far by a handful of political aides and trusted advisers, led by agency chief of staff Ryan Jackson, who didn't require confirmation. The Senate only recently confirmed several of the agency's top deputies.

"It doesn't take a big staff to delay things and provide almost no reasoning," said Georgetown University law professor Lisa Heinzerling, who served as the EPA's associate administrator for the Office of Policy between July 2009 and December 2010. But she cautioned that Pruitt eventually will have to provide more detailed legal justifications for his own regulatory proposals. "That's where it's going to get trickier."

Legal fights aside, Pruitt is making a more fundamental push to alter the agency's composition and mind-set. Too often in recent years, he said, the agency has come at issues in terms of "prohibition"  "It was to put up fences. It was to keep fossil fuels in the ground, as an example." By contrast, he sees his role as allowing the country to responsibly tap its natural resources.

"He understands the culture of the agency as part of the problem," said former Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli, who joined Pruitt in suing the Obama administration. Some EPA staff "believe they have been anointed by God" to pursue a specific agenda, he said.

To that end, Pruitt has moved aggressively to shrink the agency. More than 700 people have left, several hundred through buyouts this summer. With them have gone decades of scientific expertise. The EPA now has about 14,400 staff members  fewer than at any time since the final year of the Reagan administration. The exodus has dampened morale, numerous current and former career staffers say.

At the same time, Pruitt has overhauled the EPA's scientific advisory boards, getting rid of numerous academic researchers in favor of experts from regulated industries and conservative states.

The EPA's leader argues that he is trying to make it more efficient, to create "almost a franchise model" where regional offices around the country would act with more uniformity. He recruited a former top Arizona environmental official to create metrics for the agency's performance.

What Pruitt describes as efficiency, his critics see as undermining the EPA's ability to fulfill its mission. But friends and foes alike agree that he has been straightforward about his intentions.

Environmental group Trout Unlimited's president, Chris Wood, met with the administrator early on. The two spoke cordially about cleaning up abandoned mines, but the reception "was a lot chillier" when Wood suggested maintaining Obama-era policies to protect seasonal streams and block a proposed gold mine near Alaska's Bristol Bay.

"It was an incredibly honest meeting," Wood recalled. "He didn't pretend he was going to be Theodore Roosevelt."

Both at home and abroad, Pruitt is proving to be anything but a typical EPA head.

While he successfully lobbied Trump to exit the 2015 Paris climate accord, leaving the United States as the only nation in the world to reject it, Pruitt has shown an interest in raising his profile beyond U.S. borders.

In June, he took seven political aides to Rome before attending a summit of G-7 environment ministers in Bologna, Italy. Their first stop featured not just a meet-and-greet with business executives but two days of papal visits, including a private tour of the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica.

This month, he and an entourage of aides traveled to Morocco at a price tag of roughly $40,000. Pruitt met with the country's foreign minister, talked about solid waste and toured a solar energy installation. But he also spent time touting the advantages of U.S. natural gas exports.

It was an extraordinary occurrence: the leader of the EPA, in a foreign land, serving as one of the most outspoken salesmen for the nation's fossil fuel industry.

Read more:

EPA is taking more advice from industry  and ignoring its own scientists

In defense of science, researchers sue EPA over move to overhaul advisory boards

EPA chief says agency scientists are free to present their work publicly

EPA to end controversial contract with conservative media monitoring firm
Guatemala

Embassy in Israel to be moved to Jerusalem

Guatemalas president has announced that the Central American country will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, becoming the first nation to follow the lead of President Trump in ordering the change.

Guatemala was one of nine nations that voted with the United States and Israel on Thursday when the U.N. General Assembly adopted a nonbinding resolution denouncing Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital.

Trump did not set any timetable for moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and neither did Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales.

In a post on his official Facebook account, Morales said Sunday that after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he decided to instruct Guatemalas Foreign Ministry to move the embassy.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki criticized the decision, saying Morales was dragging his country to the wrong side of history by committing a flagrant violation of international law.

Guatemala and Israel have long had close ties, especially in security matters and arms sales.

 Associated Press

AFGHANISTAN

6 killed in attack near intelligence compound

A suicide bomber struck outside the Afghan national intelligence agency headquarters near the presidential palace in Kabul on Monday, killing six civilians, officials said.

The Islamic State militant group asserted responsibility for the attack through its Amaq News Agency and said 30 elements from the Afghan National Directorate of Security were killed.

The bombing comes a week after militants stormed a training center of the agency in the capital.

An Interior Ministry spokesman said three civilians also were wounded in Mondays rush-hour attack in Shash Darak, a Kabul neighborhood with several government offices and a heavy security presence.

Police cordoned off the area, which links eastern parts of Kabul to the city center. Witnesses said the attack occurred outside the main entrance to the security compound.

In recent months, Kabul has been repeatedly targeted by suicide bombers with ties to the Islamic State and the Taliban.

 Sharif Walid

TURKEY

Decree on immunity spurs vigilantism fears

An emergency decree in Turkey that grants immunity to civilians deemed to have helped thwart a July 2016 coup attempt sparked an outcry on Monday.

Critics fear it could lead to violence through impunity, including the possible formation of death squads.

The decree says people who acted to suppress the attempted coup would not face prosecution. Previously, such immunity applied only to officials and law enforcement.

The government blames U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen for the coup attempt and declared a state of emergency in its aftermath. Gulen denies the allegations.

Ex-president Abdullah Gul, an ally of Turkeys current president, called the law worrisome and said it should be reevaluated.

Mahir Unal, speaker of the ruling party, said that the law was clear in applying only to the events of July 15-16, 2016, and that its scope is limited.

About 50,000 people have been arrested since the coup attempt for alleged links to Gulen and terrorism.

 Associated Press

Vietnam evacuates hundreds of thousands ahead of storm: Hundreds of thousands of people in Vietnam's Mekong Delta were evacuated as the region braced for Typhoon Tembin after the storm left more than 160 people dead in the Philippines. Weather forecasters were expecting the delta's southern tip to be in Tembin's path. Over the weekend, Tembin unleashed landslides and flash floods in the Philippines, and more than 97,000 people remained in 261 evacuation centers across the southern Philippines, the national disaster management agency said.

Military court in Bahrain sentences 6 Shiites to death: A Bahraini military court sentenced six Shiite men to death and revoked their citizenship after they were convicted on charges of forming a terrorist cell and plotting to assassinate a military official, the Bahrain News Agency reported. The court sentenced seven others linked to the case to seven years in jail and revoked their citizenship, while five were acquitted, BNA added. Bahrain has had occasional unrest since 2011, when authorities crushed protests  mainly by the Shiite majority, which demands a bigger role in running the country.

 From news services
BETWEEN 2014 and 2017, the United States Treasury paid $84,000 to settle a claim of sexual harassment brought against Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Tex.). Between 2008 and 2012, roughly $174,000 in settlement money was released over possible harassment allegations against other House offices. And in the past two decades, taxpayers shelled out $14,260.25 for a claim of either sexual harassment or sex discrimination against one Senate office.

We know this information only because the House and Senate requested and released the settlement records from the Office of Compliance (OOC), which handles employee complaints on Capitol Hill. Both chambers decision to publish the settlement information is a welcome step forward for transparency and accountability. But the difficulty of releasing the data  along with the imperfections of the information itself  is a reminder of how desperately Congress needs to hold itself to higher standards on sexual harassment and assault.

After the national reckoning over sexual harassment reached Congress, the House led the way on transparency: The House Administration Committee published the OOC's records of settlements reached against House offices from 2008 onward. The Senate lagged. With little explanation, the OOC refused requests from the Senate Ethics Committee and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) to provide Senate-side data. Eventually, the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and the Appropriations Committee released the OOC records on their own.

Rules Committee Chairman Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) initially held back over concern that the OOC data contained inaccuracies. In publishing it, he made the right decision  but it's true that the information is incomplete. The OOC hasn't kept track of settlements that might have been paid out of lawmakers' office budgets, a tactic used by then-Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.). Some OOC records don't distinguish between complaints of sexual harassment as opposed to sex discrimination. And the OOC is prohibited by law from sharing more specific information about which offices reached settlements. We know that the $84,000 claim was reached against Mr. Farenthold only through independent reporting.

It should not be this difficult for members of the public  or, for that matter, lawmakers  to learn about sexual harassment settlements in Congress funded with taxpayer money. Reform is badly needed, both to increase transparency and to end the culture of impunity that leaves elected representatives like Mr. Farenthold feeling free to harass their staffers and then blackball them from other opportunities in Washington.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have voiced support for reform along the lines of legislation by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), which would streamline the harassment reporting process and mandate greater transparency for settlements. Ms. Speier and Ms. Gillibrand propose requiring yearly disclosures of which offices settlements were reached against. Members of Congress who are the subject of complaints would also need to fund their own settlements instead of reaching into the Treasury.

Congress must take up these reforms. Lawmakers have a responsibility to hold themselves accountable, both to the public and to victims of sexual harassment and assault on Capitol Hill whom the current system has failed.
John R. Kasich, a Republican, is governor of Ohio.

With tensions continuing to build between the United States and North Korea, theres growing talk by politicians and TV pundits that we are on the brink of war. In truth, we shouldnt be anywhere close.

This increasingly hot war of words  including loose talk about the probability of war  does nothing to bring us closer to where we need to be on North Korea, especially when military options short of war remain on the table. In fact, with millions of lives at stake, waging a war of words is a distraction from the serious task at hand. Any kind of war  especially nuclear war  should not be an option until all other options are exhausted. And, in the case of North Korea, there are several roads not yet taken.

First, North Korea is not, as some claim, sanctioned-out. We are nowhere near to applying the same type of restraints on North Korea that were successful in bringing Iran to the negotiating table.

In fact, the breadth of sanctions we have placed on North Korea to date are far less than what was applied in earlier crises on Russia, Syria and Iran. While our sanctions on North Korea have clearly escalated, we still have the option to penalize and seize the assets of North Korea's enablers in other countries that enable Pyongyang to evade the full brunt of financial measures. We can expand our focus on shipping and work with our allies to deny maritime insurance to the vessels heading to or from North Korea. Last month, we targeted sanctions on 20 such vessels. Many more North Korean vessels are active and engaged in illicit activities beyond the small number designated by the Treasury Department.

We also can do more to expose those who use North Korean slave labor and to block any remittances back to Kim Jong Uns regime.

Second, none of this will work without more pressure to hold the reluctant Chinese government accountable for the commitments it has made and to target more Chinese entities that support the North Korean government. The overwhelming majority of North Korea's trade  90 percent  is with or facilitated by China, and despite agreed-upon U.N. sanctions, much of this economic activity continues. Actions should include targeting a greater number of Chinese banks that deal with North Korea, fining their U.S. subsidiaries and freezing their U.S. assets.

This year, the international banking transaction network, known as SWIFT, moved to prevent North Korean banks from using the global messaging system to facilitate international transactions, but that doesn't impact Chinese banks that transact for the North Koreans. We should consider expanding this ban to include Chinese banks with any North Korean connections.

Finally, we need to ask: Where are our allies on all of this? Instead of threatening a bilateral war between the United States and the North Korea, we should be working with allies  including South Korea and Japan  to threaten increased multilateral pressure to choke the North Korean regime. While economic sanctions have not proved to be effective yet, they have not been fully exhausted and tested. Part of the reason the previous administration succeeded in bringing Iran to the table  regardless of the flaws of their final deal  was due to internationally coordinated sanctions. Thankfully, the U.N. Security Council has adopted three rounds of such sanctions this year, including significant measures last week.

With millions of lives hanging in the balance, the last thing we need is to have politicians and pundits predicting odds on the probability of war. It's neither an accurate nor a helpful way to treat a complex international challenge.
Michael Morell is a former deputy director and twice acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2010 to 2013. Mike Rogers, a Republican from Michigan, served in the House from 2001 to 2015 and was chairman of the Intelligence Committee from 2010 to 2015. Both are on the advisory council for the Alliance for Securing Democracy.

Every first-year international-relations student learns about the importance of deterrence: It prevented a Soviet invasion of Western Europe during the height of the Cold War. It prevented North Korea from invading South Korea in the same time frame. Today, it keeps Iran from starting a hot war in the Middle East or other nations from initiating cyberattacks against our infrastructure.

And yet, the United States has failed to establish deterrence in the aftermath of Russias interference in the 2016 election. We know we failed because Russia continues to aggressively employ the most significant aspect of its 2016 tool kit: the use of social media as a platform to disseminate propaganda designed to weaken our nation.

There is a perception among the media and general public that Russia ended its social-media operations following last years election and that we need worry only about future elections. But that perception is wrong. Russias information operations in the United States continued after the election and they continue to this day.

This should alarm everyone  Republicans, Democrats and independents alike. Foreign governments, overtly or covertly, should not be allowed to play with our democracy.

Russia's information operations tactics since the election are more numerous than can be listed here. But to get a sense of the breadth of Russian activity, consider the messaging spread by Kremlin-oriented accounts on Twitter, which cybersecurity and disinformation experts have tracked as part of the German Marshall Fund's Alliance for Securing Democracy.

In a single week this month, Moscow used these accounts to discredit the FBI after it was revealed that an agent had been demoted for sending anti-Donald Trump texts; to attack ABC News for an erroneous report involving President Trump and Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser; to critique the Obama administration for allegedly "green lighting" the communication between Flynn and then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak; and to warn about violence by immigrants after a jury acquitted an undocumented Mexican accused of murdering a San Francisco woman.

This continues a pattern of similar activity over the past year. Russian operatives have frequently targeted Republican politicians who have been critical of Trump, including Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.), Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.) and Sen. Bob Corker (Tenn.). In September, they also attacked Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) after his decisive "no" vote against the Republican health-care bill.

And in mid-November, after Keurig pulled its advertising from Sean Hannity's Fox News show for comments the host made defending Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, the Russians used their social media accounts to urge a boycott of the company. For two days, #boycottkeurig was the most used hashtag among Kremlin-influenced Twitter accounts. This was a Russian attack on a U.S. company and on our economy.

More troublingly, other countries are beginning to follow Russia's lead on social media, according to research provided by the Alliance for Securing Democracy. The Chinese are doing so in Taiwan, where 75 percent of the population consumes media from a Japanese instant messaging app called LINE  a hotbed for fake news, much of it from China. Some of the messages pushed by Beijing  including one incorrectly saying that the Taiwan government was planning to regulate Buddhist and Taoist temples  have resulted in large protests in Taipei. And Turkey is starting to use social media to try to influence European policy debates, specifically by targeting the large Turkish diaspora in Europe.

While those information operations have not yet reached the United States, they most certainly will. Russias use of social media as a political weapon will continue, and more countries will follow suit  until deterrence is established.

The sanctions that the Obama administration and Congress put in place in the aftermath of the 2016 election are steps in the right direction, but they were not significant enough to check Russian President Vladimir Putin. True deterrence requires policies that prevent adversaries from achieving their objectives while imposing significant costs on their regimes. So far, we have done neither.
SERGEI MAGNITSKY, a Russian tax lawyer, died beaten and alone in a Moscow prison cell eight years ago. He was ill and neglected. He had exposed the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars by a corrupt cabal, and he paid for it with his life. Now, in a surprising and welcome turn of events, the Trump administration has taken action against the kind of people who tormented Mr. Magnitsky under a law that bears his name. Even if President Trump has shown little interest, his administration has launched a commendably aggressive effort to identify and sanction people for corruption and human rights abuses.

The Global Magnitsky Act, passed by Congress last year, is an enlarged version of sanctions legislation originally aimed at Russians and enacted after Mr. Magnitsky's death in November 2009. Both laws are being implemented in a way that should be a signal to kleptocrats and despots that their misdeeds will have consequences.

Ramzan Kadyrov, vicious leader of the Russian republic of Chechnya, was put on the latest sanctions list, for, among other things, extrajudicial killings and torture. He sniffed in response that he might "have a sleepless night ahead," then vowed that he would not come to the United States even if promised "all the gold and foreign exchange reserves in the country." But the sanctions are about more than just travel. They make it hard to use the international financial system to stash money in the West, and they can also crimp plans by those sanctioned to send their families to luxury condos in Miami and New York.

Also among those newly sanctioned is Maj. Gen. Maung Maung Soe, who was chief of the Burmese army's Western Command when it carried out what the State Department has called "ethnic cleansing" of Rohingya Muslims. Then there is the son of the Russian prosecutor general, Artem Chayka, who "leveraged his father's position and ability to award his subordinates to unfairly win state-owned assets and contracts and put pressure on business competitors." Still others include former Gambian president Yahya Jammeh, with "a long history of engaging in serious human rights abuses and corruption," and Gulnara Karimova, daughter of former Uzbek leader Islam Karimov. She "headed a powerful organized crime syndicate that leveraged state actors to expropriate businesses, monopolize markets, solicit bribes, and administer extortion rackets."

There should be more to come. In passing sanctions against Russia for meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign, Congress also ordered up a third list  due early next year  of President Vladimir Putin's closest cronies. The word in Moscow is that many of them are desperate to stay off the list, worried about the potential stain of sanctions. Mr. Trump has dismissed the findings of Russia's election intervention, so Congress will have to closely monitor his compliance. But the action on the Magnitsky Act is a good sign.

As a tool, these sanctions are not perfect. They may not change behavior. But they do send a message to thugs that they cannot expect to escape the notice of societies that strive to live by the rule of law.
Columnist

Grit your teeth. Persevere. Just a few more days and this awful, rotten, no-good, ridiculous, rancorous, sordid, disgraceful year in the civic life of our nation will be over. Heres hoping that we all  particularly special counsel Robert S. Mueller III  have a better 2018.

Many of us began 2017 with the consoling thought that the Donald Trump presidency couldnt possibly be as bad as we feared. It turned out to be worse.

Did you ever think you would hear a president use the words "very fine people" to describe participants in a torch-lit rally organized by white supremacists, neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan? Did you ever think you would hear a U.S. ambassador to the United Nations thuggishly threaten that she would be "taking names" of countries that did not vote on a General Assembly resolution the way she wanted? Did you ever think the government of the world's biggest military and economic power would reject not just science but also empiricism itself, preferring to use made-up "alternative facts" as the basis for major decisions?

We knew that Trump was narcissistic and shallow, but on Inauguration Day it was possible to at least hope he was self-aware enough to understand the weight that now rested on his shoulders, and perhaps grow into the job. He did not. If anything, he has gotten worse.

By all accounts, the president spends hours each day watching cable news, buoyed by the shows that blindly support him  "Fox & Friends," "Hannity," a few others on Fox News  and enraged by those that seek to hold him accountable. His aides have had to shorten and dumb down his daily briefings on national security in an attempt to get him to pay attention. Members of his Cabinet try to outdo one another in lavishing him with flowery, obsequious praise that would embarrass the Sun King.

Trump and his enablers have waged a relentless war against truth in an attempt to delegitimize any and all critical voices. He wields the epithet fake news as a cudgel against inconvenient facts and those who report them. Can a democracy function without a commonly accepted chronicle of events and encyclopedia of knowledge? We are conducting a dangerous experiment to find out.

To understand how deviant the Trump administration is, consider this: Since its founding, the nation has treasured civilian control of the military as a restraint on adventurism. Now we must rely on three generals  Trumps chief of staff, his national security adviser and his secretary of defense  to keep this rash and erratic president from careering off the rails.

The presidents Republican allies in Congress, who have the power to restrain an out-of-control executive, have rolled over in passive submission. Many see clearly Trumps unfitness but continue to support him because they fear the wrath of his hardcore base and see the chance to enact a conservative agenda. History will remember this craven opportunism and judge it harshly.

I havent even mentioned Trumps nepotism  installing his daughter and son-in-law as high-ranking advisers, with portfolios they are in no way qualified to handle  or his inability to staff the executive branch with the best-and-brightest types who customarily serve. The Trump administration is not only transgressive, it is also mediocre.

The year has been terribly depressing  but not paralyzing. Lets end on a more positive note.

The day after Trump's inauguration, a much larger crowd descended on Washington for the Women's March, an immense show of resistance. That passion might eventually have faded away, but all evidence suggests it has not. If anything, it seems to have intensified.

In November, Democrat Ralph Northam won the governor's race in Virginia, a purple state, by a surprisingly big nine-point margin. His coattails were long enough to elect so many Democrats to the state House of Delegates that control of the chamber is still undecided pending recounts. And then on Dec. 12, Democrat Doug Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore in a special election for a U.S. Senate seat  in Alabama, of all places, one of the most Republican states in the nation.

These races were not about Ds vs. Rs. They were about sanity vs. insanity, reason vs. chaos. They were about Trump, and he lost.

So Godspeed to the Mueller investigation, but let him worry about that. The rest of us  Democrats, independents, patriotic Republicans  should work toward the November election. Our duty is to elect a Congress that will bring this runaway train under control.

Read more from Eugene Robinson's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. You can also join him Tuesdays at 1 p.m. for a live Q&A.
NEO-NAZIS ARE no longer welcome on Twitter  or, at least, some are not.

That is the murky message the social media platform has so far sent in enforcing its new rules to reduce hateful and abusive content. Twitter announced the policy change in November and started suspending violators this month. Executives are right that their hands-off approach to harassment was not working, but the public outcry from both sides so far is a sign that the alternative will pose problems of its own.

Twitter's new policies are a welcome answer to charges that the company provided a public platform to white supremacists leading up to this summer's deadly rally in Charlottesville. The rules prohibit "accounts that affiliate with organizations that use or promote violence against civilians" both online and off as well as "content that glorifies violence or the perpetrators of a violent act." Preexisting restrictions on "behavior that harasses, intimidates or uses fear to silence another person's voice" have been expanded to include hateful imagery.

This specificity marks a significant change from earlier this year, when the site's slapdash method of tackling complaints, as recent reporting by BuzzFeed has revealed, suggested that few inside the company understood their own policies. The current status quo is a step forward. But the rules are still subjective, and that subjectivity opens the door to treading on free speech.

The top official of far-right British group Britain First from whose account President Trump retweeted anti-Muslim videos last month, for example, received a suspension almost immediately after Twitter began cracking down. So did many American white nationalists. But David Duke and Richard Spencer were spared. The lines, it appears, are blurry.

Twitter will work with experts around the world to identify extremist organizations, but amorphous movements such as the so-called alt-right purposely dance around the explicit incitement the site wants to root out. It may prove difficult to determine whether a group or an individual account or tweet glorifies or provokes violence, in either intention or effect. And that confusion could lead to the stifling of some speech that is unsavory but should remain permissible.

Twitter has promised a robust appeals process. It will also ask users who are not affiliated with violent groups to delete offending content before it permanently suspends them, with some exceptions. And Twitter will place hateful imagery that appears in tweets behind a warning wall, instead of removing it altogether. These are all thoughtful efforts on Twitters part to walk the line on unfettered expression. They do not make that walk any less precarious.

Twitter deserves credit for recognizing its role as a publisher and not just a platform. But as the site steps toward maturity, its leadership also must recognize that Twitters unusually powerful position in society comes with the responsibility of protecting and promoting the values that made its success possible in the first place.


Nimo Salan, 5, waits in her home in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya on Dec. 20. (Nichole Sobecki/VII/For The Washington Post)

The doctors told Timiro Hassan that her daughter could survive. The kidney cancer could be treated.

Even though the United Nations couldnt pay for it, even though the chemotherapy wasnt available here, there was one option that for decades had saved the lives of Somali refugees in need of medical care. Five-year-old Nimo Salan could be resettled in America.

Level: Emergency, U.N. officials wrote on her file.

If she doesnt get resettled, shell die, said one of her doctors, Aden Hassan Abdi, the clinical service coordinator with the Islamic Relief aid group.

But Timiro Hassan ran into the same hurdle as hundreds of refugees with urgent medical conditions: the Trump administrations new security restrictions. There are now 11 countries facing a broad suspension from the U.S. refugee program. Even people with potentially deadly  yet treatable  illnesses are being blocked. Some refugees with severe medical conditions have already died while waiting for the admissions to resume, advocates say.

The United States has been a global leader in resettling refugees since the aftermath of World War II, when it accepted more than a half-million displaced Europeans. But the number admitted in 2018 could be the lowest in decades, advocacy groups say.

The White House says the new pause is necessary to improve vetting procedures for people from high-risk countries such as Somalia, where an Islamist extremist group, al-Shabab, is battling the government. U.S. authorities say they will consider exceptions on a case-by-case basis. People who work at this camp of 250,000 refugees say, however, that they have seen none approved since late October.

The U.S. always recognized that resettlement was a humanitarian program  that it saved peoples lives. These changes have been devastating, said Sasha Chanoff, the founder of RefugePoint, a nonprofit group that refers urgent cases to the State Department for resettlement.

[How refugees are forced back to a war zone to repay their debts]

Without resettlement, its a death sentence

Nimo was born in this sprawling refugee camp, but her parents fled Somalia in 1992, making her subject to the suspension, which was quietly announced by the State Department in October. Even though refugees were not included in the "travel ban" that the U.S. Supreme Court recently allowed to take effect, their cases have largely been frozen through at least January, and possibly longer.



Nimo Salan, 5, and her brother Abdullahi Salan, 22, joke around outside their home in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya on Dec. 20. (Nichole Sobecki/VII/For The Washington Post)



Nimo Salan, 5, with her parents, Mohamednoor Salan Ali and Timiro Hassan, outside their home in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, where they found refuge after fleeing Somalia in 1992. (Nichole Sobecki/VII/For The Washington Post)

When she was 3, Nimo was diagnosed with Wilms tumor, a cancer of the kidney. A malignant growth bulged from her tiny belly. In her familys hut in this vast refugee camp, her mother poured cold water on her feverish body, not sure what else to do.

Last year, Nimo was taken to Nairobi, where one of her kidneys was removed and she received a round of chemotherapy, enough to save her life  at least temporarily. But more radiation therapy would be needed to eradicate the cancer and keep her alive. U.N. refugee officials consulted the National Council of Churches of Kenya, which sometimes funds medical treatment for people in the camp.

Not ready to approve this due to cost, wrote a doctor with the council in an email to the United Nations in September.

That made resettlement in America Nimos only option. Her family was already in the pipeline to be moved to the United States  along with 14,000 other residents of this camp. But with Nimos condition worsening, they needed to expedite the case. With the Trump administrations restrictions, that has not been possible.

We tried, said Catherina Funck, a resettlement caseworker with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Dadaab. The cases just arent moving.

Not a single Somali refugee from Dadaab has been resettled in the United States since late October, refugee officials say. On Abdis desk, the number of medical emergencies is growing. He keeps the cases in a bulging blue binder labeled Resettlement.

Last month, one of the children who had been waiting for his flight to America  a 3-year-old boy with a treatable congenital heart condition  died, Abdi said. More than 50 other cases have been designated as life-threatening.

For so many of them, without resettlement, its a death sentence, Abdi said. Trumps policy is like a bomb that exploded here.

[For 5,000 Somali refugees, a Canadian scholarship was the only way out]

A lot of people arent going to make it in time

For now, Nimo is still relatively healthy. She traces the scar where her kidney was removed and asks her mother in a squeaky voice, What happened here?

But doctors expect her condition to deteriorate in coming weeks and months.

I know shell die if we cant get help, her mother said.

Since President Trump's first travel ban was introduced in January, suspending refugee admissions and arrivals from seven mostly Muslim countries, the resettlement of Somali refugees has been nearly paralyzed. Eventually, the White House removed the stipulation about refugees from its executive order, enforcing the ban instead on visa applicants.

But in an October memo, the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security said they still needed to conduct "a detailed threat analysis and review for nationals of these high risk countries," referring to 11 nations, including Somalia. People from those countries would largely be blocked from the refugee program for at least three months.





What will the 90-day reexamination yield? Right now we dont know, said one U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under his departments ground rules.

Refugees were already subject to intensive U.S. screening that involves eight federal agencies, six security databases, five background checks and several biometric security checks.

The State Department said in a statement that it could not comment on individual cases like Nimos because of privacy concerns, but that in refugee admissions, the safety and security of the American people is paramount. The department said it could allow refugees with urgent conditions into the United States while the government reviews its vetting procedures.

We continue to receive referrals from UNHCR for vulnerable cases  for example, urban refugees, single mothers, vulnerable women, and people with medical conditions, the U.S. official said. Processing times may be slower because of new security vetting procedures.

But officials working for the United Nations and nonprofit groups that partner with the State Department on refugee admissions said they were not aware of any exceptions made for Somali refugees.

The biggest tragedy is that a lot of people arent going to make it in time, Chanoff said.

On Saturday, a federal judge in Seattle partially lifted the suspension, ordering that refugees with relatives in the United States should be processed so that their families could be reunited. The court order probably would not improve the odds of resettlement for most refugees with urgent medical conditions.



Farhiya Abdulle comforts her daughter Samira Abdullahi, who lies bedridden with a life-threatening congenital heart condition on the second floor of a Nairobi apartment in Kenya on Dec. 15. (Nichole Sobecki/VII/For The Washington Post)



Hawa Wario, a social worker assigned to Samira Abdullahis case, looks through her schoolbooks in Nairobi on Dec. 15. Although a good student, Samira had to stop going to school six months ago when a life-threatening congenital heart condition worsened and left her bedridden. (Nichole Sobecki/VII/For The Washington Post)

Across Kenya, there are dozens of urgent refugee medical cases on hold. One involves a Somali 12-year-old named Samira Abdullahi, who is bedridden on the second floor of a Nairobi apartment, with a life-threatening congenital heart condition. In her medical file, a doctor working with the United Nations described the treatment that might help her. This is not currently available locally, he wrote.

We are watching her health deteriorate, said Hawa Wario, a social worker assigned to her.

The ban has also affected refugees in other countries, including Yazidi women who fled their Islamic State captors in Iraq, victims of violence in Sudan's Darfur region and Iranian dissidents.

The consequences of the White House's refugee policy are already clear in data released by the State Department. Although the U.S. government allotted 45,000 slots for refugees from October 2017 to October 2018, it is receiving far fewer than that. Between October and Dec. 10, it had resettled only 3,553. If that pace continued, the United States would accept only about 17,000 refugees during the fiscal year. That would be the lowest refugee admission since 1980.

Living on hope

Hassan and her daughter Nimo are known here by their official designations: Refugee #28914 and Refugee #450349, respectively. The mother had come to Kenya from Somalia in 1992, as violence enveloped the country. She expected to stay for a few months, but the war deepened. With Nimo's cancer, a return to Somalia became even less realistic. There would be no chance of treatment there.

From an Internet cafe in the refugee camp, Hassan sent emails to the State Department explaining her daughters case. The responses trickled back.

One read: Certain limited exceptions where in the national interest and when admission of the applicant would not pose a risk to U.S. security or welfare will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Hassan looked at her daughter.

How could she be a security threat? she asked a visitor.

The United States is among the few countries in the world that give priority to refugees with urgent medical conditions. In October, U.N. officials looked for other resettlement options for Nimo. Canada and Sweden sometimes accept urgent cases, albeit in very small numbers.

The slots available were already exhausted for 2017, Funck said.

One morning this month, Nimo sat on the ground outside her familys hut, drawing flowers and stars in the sand with her finger. Inside were all the bags her parents had purchased, convinced that their flight to America could be scheduled any day.

At night, Nimo slept under a mosquito net outside, where it was cooler than in the corrugated metal hut. Her parents listened to the radio, hoping there would be news about Trumps refugee policy.

Abdi, her doctor, was also waiting for news that might offer her a chance.

Inside his office, with her file opened in front of him, he sighed.

Previously, there was hope. Now theres none, he said. And then he paused.

The sick live on hope.

Read more:

In a refugee camp, one mans quest to explain Donald Trump to those banned from America

They fled Boko Haram and famine  and then they were forced back

They were rescued from war. Now South Sudans child soldiers are going back to the fight.

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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When the Trump administration claimed credit this week for budget cuts at the United Nations, some critics of the organization saw the prudent oversight of taxpayer money, while others questioned Washingtons determination to be seen wielding a big stick.

The U.S. mission to the United Nations on Sunday hailed the operating budget of $5.396 billion for 2018 and 2019, slightly less than the $5.4 billion requested by Secretary General Antonio Guterres. In a statement, the mission said the United States had negotiated $285 million in cost savings as well as reducing bloated management and support functions.

We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked, said U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley, calling the cost-cutting historic and promising more to come.

Using a calculation based on the size of its economy, the United States pays 22 percent of the United Nations operating budget, and 28 percent of its peacekeeping operations. That makes it the largest contributor among member nations, followed by Japan, China, Germany, France and Britain.

The Trump administration has been highly critical of spending at the United Nations, but it is not alone in its concern about costs. Guterres, who took office shortly before President Trump, has vowed to bring efficiencies and reform to the bureaucracy.

"This is all so misleading," tweeted Bathsheba Crocker, who under President Barack Obama headed the State Department office responsible for international organizations such as the United Nations. "The U.S. fights hard, together with other countries, every year to cut UN budget & regularly does. This is neither new nor a U.S. 'decision.' "

Negotiations over the U.N. budget were months in the making. A U.S. official said U.S. pressure helped bring about cuts to peacekeeping missions in Darfur and Haiti, freeing money to create a new special envoy for Burma to focus on returning the Rohingya people to their homes. It also involved a number of more esoteric reforms, such as a flexible workplace initiative and pension fund oversight to increase accountability.

These cuts are positive news for the U.S.-U.N. relationship, said Peter Yeo, head of advocacy for the United Nations Foundation, which supports U.N. causes, noting that they were not imposed unilaterally but in negotiations with member states.

The cuts demonstrate that the U.N. is capable of tightening its belt to reflect budget constraints in donor capitals, including the U.S., he added. Ambassador Haley has formed a real partnership for reform with the Secretary General.

The budget was finalized Sunday, days after Haley and Trump suggested that the United States would link U.S. aid to countries that supported it in significant votes. That rankled several countries that did not side with the United States in a 128-to-9 vote condemning Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

This reflects a bias in the administration that we see elsewhere in its foreign policy, said John Glaser, director of foreign policy at the libertarian Cato Institute. Namely, that the way to elicit compliance from both adversaries and allies is to browbeat them, threaten them and economically coerce them. No one in the White House seems to understand how to use the carrots of international diplomacy. Its all sticks.

Glaser said the administrations approach is isolating the United States from its allies, even though U.S. leadership at the United Nations can be helpful in pursuing American interests.

They are throwing this U.N. budget cut out as red meat for Trumps base, which loves the idea that Trump is a successful businessman imposing efficiency on wasteful government elites and anti-American international institutions, he said.

When Haley first became ambassador, she said the United States would be looking for ways to make the organization more efficient, and could cut U.S. contributions to causes and agencies it considers hostile to U.S. interests, such as those that have leveled a disproportionate share of criticism on Israel.

Mark Dubowitz, head of the nonpartisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies, called that a legitimate use of U.S. resources and power.

Its been quite successful as a tactic, he said. There were 66 countries that opposed, abstained or didnt show up for the U.N. vote on Jerusalem. Those were historic numbers. It worked. It should not be a shock the U.S. has decided to play power politics at the U.N., like all other countries.
Ri Pyong Chol, left, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in an undated image released by the Korean Central News Agency in May 15. (Korean Central News Agency/Reuters)

The United States imposed sanctions Tuesday on two North Korean officials who are considered key to their countrys development of ballistic missiles.

Kim Jong Sik, a veteran rocket scientist, and Ri Pyong Chol, a former senior air force commander, are often seen on television and in photographs with leader Kim Jong Un, walking down the red carpet or sharing a smoke with him to celebrate a successful missile launch.

The sanctions by the Treasury Department mean that any assets the two men hold in the United States can be seized and that Americans are prohibited from dealing with them. More significantly, banks are prohibited from transactions with them involving U.S. dollars, which includes a considerable number of international transactions.

Treasury is targeting leaders of North Koreas ballistic missile programs, as part of our maximum pressure campaign to isolate the DPRK and achieve a fully denuclearized Korean Peninsula, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement, using the initials for North Koreas official name.

The U.S. sanctions followed new punitive measures, imposed Friday on North Korea by the U.N. Security Council, that squeeze oil imports and call for countries to repatriate North Korean guest laborers within two years.

The Trump administration has been increasing pressure on North Korea at the United Nations and by getting other countries to downgrade or cut off economic and diplomatic ties with the nation.

[Sanctions are hurting aid efforts  and ordinary people  in North Korea]

Kim Jong Sik is considered the mastermind of North Koreas missile program. Under his supervision, the program has been advanced from a slew of failed rocket launches to the successful testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles that can be armed with nuclear weapons and are capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. He holds North Koreas highest honor, the Order of Kim Jong Il.

Ri is deputy director of the Workers Party Munitions Industry Department, which oversees the ballistic missile program. That program was placed under sanctions by the State Department in 2010. Ri was educated in Russia.

Both men are said to have been invited to travel on Kim Jong Uns private plate, an honor rarely bestowed on other officials, and are numbered among his confidants. In photographs, they are often shown laughing and joking with him, in stark contrast to the deferential manner displayed by most officials.
British ships and a helicopter were dispatched over the Christmas holiday weekend to track an "upsurge" of Russian naval vessels passing near British waters, the British navy said Tuesday, as British and NATO leaders warn of Russian naval activity at levels unseen since the Cold War.

At least four Russian ships, including a warship and an intelligence-gathering ship, passed near British waters starting Saturday, the British navy said. The traffic on the water meant British sailors on the Royal Navy frigate St. Albans spent Christmas tracking their Russian counterparts. Those sailors planned to return to port Tuesday, the navy said, although they remained on high readiness.

The ship traffic came days after the head of the British military warned in an interview of the threat of Russian submarine activity near the sensitive undersea data cables that carry Internet traffic between North America and Europe.

I will not hesitate in defending our waters or tolerate any form of aggression, British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said in a statement announcing the holiday maneuvers. Britain will never be intimidated when it comes to protecting our country, our people, and our national interests.

Russian ships routinely sail through international waters near British territory as they pass from ports in northern Russia into the open Atlantic or into the Mediterranean, where they have been involved in Russias intervention in Syria. Before formally entering Russian naval service, ships are often tested in the international waters of the North Sea, which may have been the case for at least one of the Russian ships when the St. Albans arrived to monitor it.



The Russian ship Admiral Vladimirsky, photographed last week from a British helicopter. (Royal Navy/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

The British navy did not allege any misbehavior or territorial violations, and because it does not routinely publicize its encounters with Russian ships, it was not immediately clear how unusual the Christmas movements were.

[Russian submarines are prowling around vital undersea cables. Its making NATO nervous.]

In its statement, the British navy said that the festive season has seen an upsurge in Russian units transiting U.K. waters.

The navy said that a Russian warship, the Admiral Gorshkov, passed close to British territorial waters Saturday and that the St. Albans frigate was dispatched to escort it as it passed through the North Sea. It released several grainy photographs of the two ships sailing close to each other in what appeared to be choppy waters.

The Russian ship is still undergoing testing and has not yet formally entered into service, according to its shipbuilder.

Because the Admiral Gorshkov is still in sea trials, it probably does not yet pose a military threat, said Michael Kofman, an expert on the Russian military at CNA, an Arlington, Va.-based research organization.

The Gorshkov is a prime example of the strength of the Russian naval rearmament and of its shortfalls. NATO leaders have said that Russian naval activity is at levels unseen since the end of the Cold War, the payoff of a modernization and investment program that started shortly after Russias incursion into Georgia in 2008.

But progress has been hampered by shoddy construction and technical difficulties. The Gorshkov is the long-awaited flagship of a new class of stealth missile frigate. It was originally scheduled to enter service in 2013, but shipbuilders said Monday it was still undergoing tests 11 years after construction started.

That pace is significantly slower than is typical for Western warships. The ship was plagued by delays in the delivery of its weapons systems and by an engine fire during construction that kept it moored for more than a year t its shipyard in St. Petersburg.

[Facing Russian threat, NATO boosts operations for the first time since the Cold War]

"Unfortunately, no chances have been left to raise the flag aboard the Gorshkov this year," the president of the United Shipbuilding Corp., Alexei Rakhmanov, told the TASS newswire agency Monday. He said that the ship's advanced technology was still undergoing evaluations and that once they were done, it would skip a further testing period and enter military service immediately. The accelerated schedule is a possible sign of pressures after years of delays.

Separately, a Russian intelligence-gathering ship sailed through the English Channel on Sunday, tracked by the HMS Tyne, a 261-foot-long patrol vessel. And a Wildcat helicopter based in Yeovilton, in southern England near the English Channel, was sent to monitor two other Russian ships, the British navy said.

British Air Chief Marshal Stuart Peach said last week that his nations doctrine was to closely track Russian vessels that neared British waters. He said that NATO needed to focus on maintaining open lines of communication across the Atlantic in the face of a resurgent Russian navy.

Of course, we respect freedom of navigation, he said in an interview, but equally we also shadow and monitor.

David Filipov in Moscow contributed to this report.

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1. What did you want to become when you were younger?

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As far as I remember, I always wanted to create an indie music label and to become a music producer. I have to admit that creating a clothing brand or opening coffee spots were not part of the plan. When I was 19 I opened Street Sounds, a record store in the first arrondissement of Paris. This is where I met Masaya Kuroki, my partner, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. And from there, everything changed.

2. What does your favorite outfit look like?

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I like mixing up sportswear pieces or vintage American pieces with French or Japanese classics as high-quality loafers or denim for example.

Read more Global Diary What designers think when they, well  design

3. What is your first important memory regarding fashion?

It was actually with Masaya Kuroki when we were together in Japan with Daft Punk. We were walking together in the streets of Tokyo and we discovered the coolest shops, forward-thinking concept stores that inspired us to create Maison Kitsune, our very own lifestyle brand.

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4. When did you decide to become a designer?

During this trip in Japan. From the beginning, our idea was to create a brand that stays true to our passions and way of life. Weve always been passionate about fashion, music and coffee, and now, were operating a fashion brand, a music label and coffee spots. Its all about what were wearing, listening to and drinking. Of course, as I was working in the music business for years, it was easier to start with the music label. For the fashion brand and the cafes, it took more time as we needed to define our positioning first and to look for the best partners to work with.

5. Could you name three inspiring Instagram accounts that you follow?

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@kanyedoingthings

@byebyeplasticbags

@elonmusk

6. Describe the look of your label in three adjectives!

I would say that our fashion brand is effortless, chic and sportswear. With the fashion brand, the music label and the coffee spots, I think that were offering something unique: a modern, authentic and inspirational art de vivre.

7. Which achievement are you most proud of when it comes to your brand?

What we are doing with Maison kitsune is a very unique eco-system. Were organically creating connections between fashion, music and now coffee, and I believe that were doing it in an authentic, credible way. Im very proud of it.

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8. Why do you think its important for a label to do different collaborations - like your latest with Eastpak?

Collaborations have been very important for us so far. We love to collaborate with brands and artists from different fields and backgrounds with talent and true savoir-faire. Its very inspiring, enriching and challenging for us.

Maison Kitsune and Eastpak combined their forces for an exclusive collaboration Quelle: Eastpak

Weve been thinking about collaborating with Eastpak for a few years now. We wanted the iconic Eastpak designs to feature a Maison Kitsune signature print  and the camo fox came as an obvious decision. The print represents our iconic fox logo incorporated in a revisited camo print with logo-emblazoned red straps for a streetwear vibe.

7. Which piece of clothing of your own brand do you personally wear often?

Definitely our new white high-top sneakers!

8. Which song gets you in a creative mood?

Parcels ft. Daft Punk  Overnight. Were obsessed with our Berlin-based Australian band, Parcels. If youre really interested in discovering which artists we are listening to right now, you should subscribe to Kitsune Hot Stream available on all streaming platform for fresh discoveries every week!

An dieser Stelle finden Sie Inhalte aus Instagram Um eingebettete Inhalte anzuzeigen, ist deine widerrufliche Einwilligung in die Ubermittlung und Verarbeitung von personenbezogenen Daten notwendig, da die Anbieter der eingebetteten Inhalte als Drittanbieter diese Einwilligung verlangen [In diesem Zusammenhang konnen auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch auerhalb des EWR]. Indem du den Schalter auf an stellst, stimmst du diesen (jederzeit widerruflich) zu. Dies umfasst auch deine Einwilligung in die Ubermittlung bestimmter personenbezogener Daten in Drittlander, u.a. die USA, nach Art. 49 (1) (a) DSGVO. Mehr Informationen dazu findest du . Du kannst deine Einwilligung jederzeit uber den Schalter und uber Privatsphare am Seitenende widerrufen.

9. Who is your favorite style icon ever?

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I dont have any particular style icon. I like to mix and match many influences, mostly inspired by people in the street.

10. What do you dream of to be doing in ten years?

In ten years, I wish we will have more stores and cafes around the world and even hotels, and will be releasing cool and catchy songs. Hopefully, we will still have the chance to do what we love every single day.

Find the Maison Kitsune Onlineshop here.

Do follow us under the name ICONISTbyicon on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
>It appears that the club maintained a master set (which was not always perfect in itself) and, as required, made up a few extras by photocopying. This means that the pages vary in quality, but the fact that they are photocopies is not relevant in the sense of 'a copy of an original'. Issue (21) for May 1995 is supplied as issuedon A4 sheets.

Cwmbran Caving Club's journal started its run in 1967. Its issues cover much of Welsh cave exploration, including many original surveys. Early issues were a smaller format than A4, while later ones were all A4; binding varied from staples to comb binding.

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All international mail is now being despatched in paper wrapping using Royal Mail customs and address labels mandated by them. We also regret this means we can no longer indicate the last issue of your subscription on the mailing sheet or supply a reminder to renew with the final edition. Please track your own subscription ending or check with us at any time. Subscriptions begun since September 2021 have a comment added in your account (under the tab for the order) which records the final issue to be supplied.

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Ideally, the VAT should be paid at the point of posting, but doing so requires registration with an agent to handle the payments, and this is incredibly expensive and not financially viable. To be clear, all small publishers in the UK are in the same position and we are unable to post any items to the EU with VAT or other duties paid.

Ordering any item from Wild Places, including a Descent subscription, requires that you accept responsibility of paying the VAT and any other local charges on delivery.

To be clear: Wild Places will NOT cover any charges levied by your country; it is your responsibility to accept these when placing an order.

We apologise for the situation, but it is outside our control. We will maintain a link from the left-hand column on the home page with the latest updates. If you are an existing subscriber to Descent and have not replied yet to our enquiries concerning your deliveries, please make contact.

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The one copy available is assigned to UK stock. If you require a different post destination please contact us so that stock may be moved and you can place your order.

The Red Dragon is the annual journal of the Cambrian Caving Council, in its early years produced by Frank Baguley. Issue (23) for 1996-7 contains articles on Dan yr Ogof, the Llangattock escarpment, Draenen rescue practice and its geological review as well as access conditions, rights of way and much more.

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If stock is limited, for example with a single copy of a second-hand book, it will be assigned to UK stock. If you require posting to an address outside the UK, selecting your options may not allow an order to be placed, even though stock is available. If this is the case, please contact us to enable the options you require.



Please see our FAQs relating to deliveries, and the Delivery page linked from the bottom of each page, before placing your order if time is an important element for your order.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR ALL DESCENT SUBSCRIBERS OUTSIDE THE UK

We regret that due to the volatility of Royal Mail postage charges, we have been forced to remove the option for two-year subscriptions. We have also been forced to remove the option for economy mail to the EU, given indications that Royal Mail intends to remove this service.

All international mail is now being despatched in paper wrapping using Royal Mail customs and address labels mandated by them. We also regret this means we can no longer indicate the last issue of your subscription on the mailing sheet or supply a reminder to renew with the final edition. Please track your own subscription ending or check with us at any time. Subscriptions begun since September 2021 have a comment added in your account (under the tab for the order) which records the final issue to be supplied.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR EU CUSTOMERS

On 1 July 2021 the EU removed all exemptions for tax and customs duty on low value items posted from the UK to the EU, meaning that although VAT is 0% on books and magazines in the UK, it is charged within the EU and the VAT (potentially plus a handling fee) now apply to all orders to the EU.

Ideally, the VAT should be paid at the point of posting, but doing so requires registration with an agent to handle the payments, and this is incredibly expensive and not financially viable. To be clear, all small publishers in the UK are in the same position and we are unable to post any items to the EU with VAT or other duties paid.

Ordering any item from Wild Places, including a Descent subscription, requires that you accept responsibility of paying the VAT and any other local charges on delivery.

To be clear: Wild Places will NOT cover any charges levied by your country; it is your responsibility to accept these when placing an order.

We apologise for the situation, but it is outside our control. We will maintain a link from the left-hand column on the home page with the latest updates. If you are an existing subscriber to Descent and have not replied yet to our enquiries concerning your deliveries, please make contact.

NOTE: Subscribers in Norway or Switzerland (which are outside the EU) should place your order on the Subscription International page or contact us first.
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Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 26/12/2017 (1788 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Anti-abortion advocates in Manitoba say new requirements to receive federal summer job funding are unfair, undemocratic and unCanadian.

Applications for the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program opened Dec. 19 with a new catch: employers seeking federal funding to hire summer students must be pro-choice.

I think its absolutely bogus, said Justin Jeanson, president of Lorette-based Eastman Youth for Life. I dont understand how (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau) could decide that only the people who believe what he believes can receive this kind of money.

CP Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to media about his first 100 days in office and announces the expansion of the Canada Summer Jobs Program at the Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club in Toronto on Friday, February 12, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Vincent Elkaim

He said Canadians pride themselves on accepting of diverse views, so this policy change is completely unCanadian. Not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses are eligible to apply to the annual program, they just have to sign an attestation that declares their organizations core mandate respects a womans right to choose to have an abortion.

Recipients must guarantee they support the individual right to be free from discrimination on the basis of sex, religion, race, ability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

The government is not saying that organizations must adhere to these criteria, full-stop, but rather, that tax dollars are no longer going to be allocated towards programs that arent in line with these criteria, said Christie McLeod, founder and director of Human Rights Hub Winnipeg.

Most Canadians support those beliefs, she said. Last summers specific CSJ numbers arent available, but the program has reportedly nearly doubled the number of student summer jobs created since 2015.

The funds helps create summer camp jobs run by organizations across Manitoba, including the Manitoba Islamic Association (MIA) and Catholic Church.

While the new application requirements wont affect camps run by the MIA, which are focused on encouraging expressions of multiculturalism and a better understanding of the Canadian mosaic, camps run by the Catholic Church will lose out on funding.

The new requirements will preclude the church from being able to access the programs benefits, according to James Buchok, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Winnipegs Catholic Church Centre.

We just wouldnt qualify because were not pro-choice, Buchok said. That would pretty well end the conversation.

Kevin Prada, director of the Catholic School of Evangelization, which runs the St. Malo Catholic Camps, said he relies heavily on CSJ funding to provide affordable camps. Prada said he wont be able to sign the attestation.

Its going to hurt us, he said, adding the governments actions transcend the abortion debate and should bother pro-choice Canadians, too.

For me, this is a serious affront on my liberty and the liberty of Canadians: their liberty of conscience, their liberty of freedom of expression, freedom of religion, Prada said.

He said now that the Liberal government has decided to withhold money from groups who dont share the partys values, he worries about these groups losing their charity status in the future.

The message about Canadian values is simply mixed up, according to Elizabeth Andrzejczak, president of Kildonan Advocates for Life.

We are promoting Canada as a place of ideological and religious freedom, but CSJ will not hire you if you have different values from the official government of Canada position, she said. Far from promoting diversity, the new CSJ stipulations undermine it.

The updated application process comes months after revelations surfaced a Toronto-area MP allocated CSJ funds to an anti-abortion group.

If groups such as the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform  an anti-abortion advocacy group that received more than $50,000 through this program last year  want to advocate against certain rights, they have the protected freedom to do so, McLeod said. But it does not have to be supported on the countrys dime.

The CSJ applications close Feb. 2.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 26/12/2017 (1788 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The last twelve months have been a confusing time for African democracy. We have seen coups that didnt look like coups and elections that didnt look like elections. In this sense, it was a year of illusions.

As in 2016, the broad trend is clear: with a number of notable exceptions, the gains made in the early 1990s are under threat from governments with little commitment to plural politics. Its true that 2017 provided further evidence of the danger of democratic backsliding. But it also saw powerful presidents suffer embarrassing setbacks in a number of countries.

So what lessons does 2017 have to teach us, and what is going to grab the headlines next year?

Ben Curtis / The Associated Press Files Zimbabwes president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, speaks after being sworn in at his inauguration ceremony on Nov. 24 in the capital Harare, following the removal of his ousted mentor, Robert Mugabe.

1. Dont mess with the military

In November 2017 the Zimbabwean Defence Forces placed President Robert Mugabe under house arrest and subsequently orchestrated his removal. The intervention was cleverly framed as a corrective action to remove criminal elements around the president. In reality, it represented an effort by the military to protect its own political and economic interests.

Once General Chiwenga had spoken out against the sacking of Emmerson Mnangagwa  the political leader closest to the security forces  he faced being replaced, arrested and charged with treason. In other words, Chiwenga had little to lose and everything to gain from military intervention. The ousting of Mugabe therefore serves as an important reminder that despite 30 years of multiparty elections in Africa, messing with the military can still be fatal.

2. If youre polite, you can get away with murder

The military intervention in Zimbabwe was also remarkable for being the politest coup in history. To avoid domestic and international criticism, the coup plotters went to remarkable lengths to make their usurpation of power look constitutional. Instead of being executed or sent into exile, Mugabe was allowed to remain in his house and posed for pictures with his captors.

Amazingly, the theatre worked. Delighted to see the back of Mugabe, even some committed democrats were prepared to hold their noses and welcome the transition.

The willingness of many people to play along with the idea of a bloodless coup is deeply problematic, first because it may encourage security forces in other countries to try and repeat the trick, and second because it is false.

There are growing reports that a number of deaths and human rights abuses occurred as the military moved to exert political control. When the testimonies of the victims are finally heard, it will cast a very different light on the coup and its aftermath.

3. Judges cant promote democracy on their own

The Kenyan Supreme Court made history when it became the first judicial body on the continent to nullify the election of a sitting president Uhuru Kenyatta  on 1 September. This remarkable assertion of judicial independence was celebrated throughout Africa and beyond, as democrats dared to dream of a new phase of judicial activism.

But any hope that the need to repeat the election would lead to widespread reforms and a better quality process turned out to be overly optimistic. Instead, the second poll was just as controversial as the first as evidence emerged of continued political interference in the electoral commission and the main opposition candidate, Raila Odinga, boycotted the contest.

The Kenyan experience is significant because it demonstrates that while independent judiciaries can have a major impact on democracy, their effectiveness is constrained by weaknesses elsewhere in the political system. Because Supreme Courts lack both legislative and enforcement powers, they are dependent on others for their decisions to be implemented, and so have a limited capacity to enforce the rule of law.

4. Political exclusion breeds secessionism

One of the main stories of the last 12 months is an upsurge of secessionist sentiment in Cameroon, Kenya and Nigeria. Significantly, while the demand for the creation of a separate state has complex roots, in each case it was triggered by perceptions of political and legal exclusion  and the fact that certain ethnic and linguistic communities have not held the presidency for decades, if at all.

Although these movements have very different dynamics, they have all led to protests and met with a hostile state response.

Perhaps somewhat paradoxically, they are also movements full of people who dont really want to secede: in each case, opposition leaders are using the threat of separation as a way to highlight  and contest  their political exclusion. Nonetheless, unless some of their demands are met, secessionist sentiment is likely to harden, undermining national identities and paving the way for future political crises.

5. Western companies are part of the problem

The last year has revealed the extent to which Western companies have become involved in helping political leaders in Africa run divisive public relations campaigns to boost their electoral prospects.

The most high profile example of this was Bell Pottinger, a British reputational management agency that was accused of designing a campaign to stir up racial tensions in South Africa as a way of deflecting attention away from the poor performance of the African National Congress government.

The company was paid 100,000 a month, although this proved to be little compensation when the scandal broke and it was forced into administration.

While Bell Pottinger has gone, many of the multinational companies who do this kind of work continue to operate  although exactly what they do remains unclear. Given the lucrative nature of these contacts, we can assume that Western companies will continue to play a questionable role in African elections in the future, unless their activities are exposed.

2018 and beyond

The next 12 months are not likely to be kind to African democracy. Very rarely has the continent seen so many elections scheduled in such unpromising contexts. Early elections in Sierra Leone have the best prospects of going well, but after that a series of general elections will be held in particularly challenging contests: Cameroon, Mali, South Sudan and Zimbabwe.

The great challenge facing Mali and South Sudan is to organise a credible contest against a backdrop of political instability and weak institutions.

The situation is markedly different in Cameroon and Zimbabwe, where entrenched regimes that tightly control the political landscape will hold elections that they have no intention of losing.

But its important not to be defeatist. In the last few years the most significant democratic breakthroughs  in Gambia, Nigeria, Kenya and beyond  have been unanticipated. The next great democratic moment could be just around the corner.

Nic Cheeseman is a professor of democracy at the University of Birmingham.

This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 26/12/2017 (1788 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With last weeks $10-million commitment from the Manitoba government, the Winnipeg Art Gallery is assured of funding for half the cost of its $60-million Inuit Art Centre. That still leaves a steep fundraising hill to climb  and Manitoba may have to pony up a little more before the story is finished  but the commitments from Canada, Manitoba and the city of Winnipeg have already turned the centre from an idea into a project.

Its a project with huge potential to raise the profile of Inuit people and the Arctic region in the thinking of southern Canadians. The WAGs enormous Inuit art collection has for decades been exhibited a few pieces at a time  enough to give the public a taste of Inuit work, but not enough to make a forceful statement from Inuit artists about their thinking, their experience and their peoples place in Canada.

Such a forceful statement may now be taking shape. The exhibition space accorded to Inuit art in the new centre will be far more than has ever been provided anywhere. The advisory committee planning the centre and its programs consists mainly of Inuit art historians and Arctic residents from Canada and other circumpolar countries. They will be in a position to tell the public about the Arctic and its people as we have never been told before.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The Inuit Art Centre will be built next to the art gallery.

As with most forceful statements, parts of it may be hard to hear. The Canadian public is familiar with the Inuit as filmed by National Film Board teams; they know Inuit art collected by travellers from the south and presented by curators who are not Inuit. We should brace ourselves for something quite different from our accustomed view of Arctic life and culture.

The new centre, attached to the WAG, will stand across Memorial Boulevard from the Hudsons Bay Co. (HBC) store and kitty-corner from the Manitoba Archives, home of the Hudsons Bay Co. Archive. The HBC, which was the imperial power in the northern plains and the Canadian Arctic for 200 years, was one side of a complex relationship between the Inuit and Europeans. The HBC archive tells the story of the Inuit as seen through the eyes of traders from Britain, some of whom loved the Indigenous people and some of whom did not.

City council and the provincial and federal governments that are backing the Inuit Art Centre project should expect controversy as the centre takes shape. They should get ready to persist in the face of protest.

The Inuit people have put up with unkindness, even cruelty, from the Cree people and the European traders over the centuries. That much is clear in the HBC archive. They have also retained their good humour and their survival skills in a climate where most of us could not stay long.

The opening of the Inuit Art Centre, when it comes, will be a moment for southerners to shut their mouths, open their minds and listen respectfully to a people who have been living in the toughest part of this country for centuries, since long before the Europeans came here. The centre will help make Winnipeg a window on a people and a region that brought European adventurers here 350 years ago.

All peoples face the question: Who are we? The Inuit Art Centre should aim to provide part of the answer, pleasant or not.
BBC

Peter Capaldis time as the twelfth Doctor on Doctor Who has come to an end, and now Jodie Whittaker has taken up the role in this seasons Christmas episode after a touching goodbye from the old before the new took up the reins of her Tardis.

In a clip shared by BBC, the final moments of Capaldis Doctor are bittersweet as he gives his replacement some advice before he regenerates and is gone forever. Ive got a few things to say to you, basic stuff first. Never be cruel, never be cowardly, and never eat pears. Remember: hate is always foolish and love is always wise. Always try to be nice, and never fail to be kind. Oh, and you mustnt tell anyone your name. No one would understand it anyway. Except, children. Children can hear it, sometimes if their hearts are in the right place and the stars are too. Children can hear your name.

And like that, aw, brilliant cements her arrival in a long line of memorable first words from The Doctor.

Initially, some fans werent keen on the idea that a woman could take the lead role in the long-running sci-fi series, but BBC quickly swooped in and made it clear with a statement that there was a canonical reason for the switch, so theres nothing to get upset about, saying: The Doctor is an alien from the planet Gallifrey and it has been established in the show that Time Lords can switch gender.

Story continues

Also, it was just time a woman took up the mantle. Theres nothing wrong with that. Now the fanbase braces for the incoming questions about the various English accents The Doctor has had over the years, perhaps.

Absolutely overwhelmed and can't quite put into words how happy this makes me seeing how far we've come as a society and progressive we are at last. Finally we can now say THE DOCTOR IS FROM YORKSHIRE.#DoctorWho  Ben  (@Fludey_VI) December 25, 2017

THIS SCENE WAS SO EMOTIONAL AND AFTER 54 YEARS AND 826 EPISODES (yes, really!) THE DOCTOR IS FINALLY FEMALE. WELCOME TO THE FAMILY JODIE #DoctorWhoXmas#DoctorWho

pic.twitter.com/Q13dthq8fM  Frances loves Kat (@ALightwood_Bane) December 25, 2017

The Doctor turned into a woman. Then there was a joke, some explosions and a cliffhanger. Everythings changed. Nothings changed. Merry Christmas and a brilliant 2018 to you, #DoctorWho.  Morgan Jeffery (@morganjeffery) December 25, 2017
Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house, not a creature was stirring except for President Donald Trump with a few late-night Christmas Eve Twitter jabs at his favorite target, the Fake News media.

The Fake News refuses to talk about how Big and how Strong our BASE is, Trump tweeted. They show Fake Polls just like they report Fake News. Despite only negative reporting, we are doing well  nobody is going to beat us. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

He also addressed what he considers inaccurate reporting on the GOP tax bill.

The Tax Cut/Reform Bill, including Massive Alaska Drilling and the Repeal of the highly unpopular Individual Mandate, brought it all together as to what an incredible year we had, he wrote. Dont let the Fake News convince you otherwiseand our insider Polls are strong!

Trump also took an opportunity to give himself a pat on the back for bringing back the greeting Merry Christmas, insisting he led the charge against assault of our cherished and most beautiful phrase.

People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again. I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Trumps tweets:

The Fake News refuses to talk about how Big and how Strong our BASE is. They show Fake Polls just like they report Fake News. Despite only negative reporting, we are doing well  nobody is going to beat us. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2017

The Tax Cut/Reform Bill, including Massive Alaska Drilling and the Repeal of the highly unpopular Individual Mandate, brought it all together as to what an incredible year we had. Dont let the Fake News convince you otherwiseand our insider Polls are strong!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2017

People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again. I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 25, 2017

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The federal agency responsible for safety at the nation's 61 nuclear power plants routinely downplays warnings from plant workers and its own experts about problems, including some with potential for disaster, a Better Government Association investigation found.

Employees from U.S. nuclear power plants filed nearly 700 complaints with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission in recent years, claiming retaliation for raising safety concerns, records show. The agency found no wrongdoing.

A review of thousands of pages of records and dozens of interviews during a months-long probe found:

-- One-third of U.S. nuclear plants  including Chicago-based Exelon Corp.s Dresden and Quad-Cities sites in Illinois  have been deemed by agency experts to be vulnerable to big floods. Despite years of internal warnings and analysis, top brass at the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission have downplayed the threat and given nuclear operators leeway to take precautions its own experts say are inadequate.

-- Potentially dozens of nuclear plants across the country, including Exelons Braidwood and Byron sites in Illinois, are at risk of serious problems because of faulty internal valve systems needed to relieve water pressure in an accident, said Samuel Miranda, a retired NRC engineer who spent four decades in the nuclear industry, the last 14 years at the NRC.

NRC officials also overruled recommendations from their own technical experts on how to protect plants from potential catastrophe spurred by floods, equipment failures, power outages and other problems.

Interviews with more than 20 current and former NRC and nuclear plant employees reveal a pattern of top officials dismissing safety warnings rather than impose costly fixes on plant operators. Some said careers suffered as potential threats were never fully addressed.

"It's the NRC's longstanding practice to consistently declare the plants are safe and to avoid directly answering any questions that might suggest otherwise," said Lawrence Criscione, an NRC risk analyst.

NRC officials would not consent to an interview. But NRC spokeswoman Viktoria Mitlyng responded in writing to BGA questions.

"All U.S. nuclear power plants have multiple appropriate procedures and resources in place to maintain key safety functions if severe events" occur, Mitlyng said. "These conclusions are based on extensive agency reviews and inspections."

The flood debate at the NRC has grown in intensity since 2011 when a tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake flooded the oceanside Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, leading to a meltdown of three reactor cores that spread contamination for miles around and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

The Fukushima accident, among the worst in the history of nuclear power, prompted Congress to order the NRC to review flood safeguards at U.S. plants. An NRC task force then asked plants to submit plans to deal with floods more intense than those envisioned when many of the facilities were built decades ago. The agency, however, did not require operators to prove their plans would work.

In 2012, Criscione shared with Congress a letter raising doubts over adequacy of flood protections at Duke Energy's Oconee Nuclear Station in South Carolina and other plants built decades ago near dams.

Soon after, Criscione said, he was accused by the NRC inspector general of compromising confidential information, interrogated by armed agents and saw his case referred to federal prosecutors. They opted not to act, and he remains on the job.

Internal NRC surveys underscore a climate of fear among employees. A report on a 2015 questionnaire of NRC employees stated most felt "if you disagree with your manager it can, and most likely will, affect your career path and advancement."

Records and interviews also show that:

 In 2016, NRC brass overturned a proposed safety analysis for the Byron and Braidwood nuclear plants in Illinois after multiple appeals by Exelon, the Chicago-based owner of the facilities and the nation's largest nuclear operator.

The action undid an order issued after agency technical staff concluded Exelon did not prove critical pressure-relieving valve systems were safe to use in an emergency. The same problem may exist at other nuclear plants, said one of the NRC engineers who ordered the safety testing.

 Also in 2016, seven NRC electrical engineers publicly urged the agency to order an immediate fix or a complete shutdown of most U.S. nuclear plants after discovering a problem with an emergency power system at the Byron plant that was common to other nuclear facilities as well.

Exelon quickly addressed the problem at its plants, but the NRC acceded to a request from other U.S. operators to give them an additional two years to devise a fix.

 Separately, the NRC took only two months to reject a staff petition in March 2017 urging the agency to reverse a decision allowing Arizona Public Service Co.'s Palo Verde nuclear plant near Phoenix to operate even though an agency expert said it lacked sufficient emergency backup power to run safely.

Complaints from plant whistleblowers raised issues ranging from security problems to inadequate radiation monitoring.

 The U.S. Department of Labor ordered the Palisades nuclear plant near South Haven, Michigan, to rehire veteran security guard Chris Mikusko who claimed he was laid off in retaliation for pointing out security problems. Mikusko filed a similar whistleblower complaint with the NRC, which rejected his allegations as unsubstantiated.

 NRC investigators concluded supervisors at Exelon's shuttered Zion plant in Illinois had "greatly exaggerated" claims of disruptive behavior they had used to discipline Marilyn Lingle, hired to help dismantle the facility. Yet the agency rejected these findings and declined to discipline Lingle's managers.

The nuclear industry, through its trade group and individual companies, often downplays the seriousness of problems highlighted by NRC experts. Exelon and others in the industry bat down potential rules and regulations by pleading to NRC's top managers.

"Safety is the highest priority for both Exelon Generation and the NRC," spokesman David Tillman said in a statement. "We are equally committed to protecting our people and our communities and to suggest otherwise is a disservice to the authority of the NRC and our shared commitment to public health and safety."

The problem, say people who conduct government reviews, is that the NRC's final rulings often don't reflect warnings from its experts.

"Management tells you where they want the answer to go. If you push, you're not going to get promoted again  there are other people who are willing to say it's not a serious issue," said Richard Perkins, one of Criscione's NRC colleagues involved in exposing flooding concerns.

One case in point is the emergency safety valve issue at Exelon's Byron and Braidwood plants.

After Exelon moved in 2013 to increase power, NRC experts concluded the plants' pressure valves to relieve water in an emergency would stick open and allow cooling water to escape and not do its function to cool the reactor. They ordered Exelon to prove the valves would work, but the company blocked that with a successful appeal to the NRC's executive director.

Exelon says the valves work fine. But Samuel Miranda, an NRC expert who disagreed, said the company and NRC were rolling the dice on valves because it risks melting the reactor.

He said dozens of other U.S. nuclear plants are equipped with similarly problematic equipment.

"They either won't close or they will leak," Miranda said. "That will relieve about a million pounds per hour. It's a hole in the system. Now you're losing water that you need to cool the core."

As part of the NRCs post-Fukushima reviews, the plans at Dresden and Quad-Cities to handle extreme flooding were questioned by NRC risk analyst Jeffrey Mitman and other NRC experts. At a 2014 public hearing, they pointed to those facilities to highlight how older nuclear facilities lacked serious flood defense.

Exelons strategy for Dresden and Quad-Cities was to not attempt to block flood waters but rather to allow them to enter the plants. Gas pumps would then be used to funnel in cooling river water to bathe reactors.

The whole effort from the beginning was biased to not making the licensees make any major changes or improvements, Criscione said in an interview. The older plants deserved a different level of rigor.

Exelons Tillman said in his emailed statement that both plants can withstand the most severe local flood on record with margin to spare and calls the NRC rare-flood models an extremely unlikely, apocalyptic scenario in which the State of Illinois, and most of the Midwest, would be underwater.

At Quad-Cities, the most severe flood ever recorded reached 586 feet, more than 9 feet below the plant's elevation. At Dresden, the worse recorded flood reached 509 feet, almost 15 feet below the level of the plant, Tillman's statement said.

Any assertion that Exelons nuclear facilities have outlived their ability to withstand flooding threats is inaccurate and misleading, he added.

Criscione, however, points out that current licensing rules for nuclear plants would bar construction in the flood zones where Quad-Cities and Dresden now sit.

Underscoring that frustration is the NRC's record of handling whistleblower complaints lodged by plant employees. From 2010 through 2016, workers filed 687 complaints. The NRC investigated just 235 and upheld none.

The largest number of complaints, 84, were filed by employees at the two nuclear plants operated in Georgia by Southern Nuclear, records show. Next were the 70 complaints lodged by nuclear workers in South Carolina, 58 by workers in Tennessee and 50 in California. Illinois ranked 12th, with 21 whistleblower cases filed.

___
Khloe Kardashia at long-last has confirmed she is pregnant with BF Tristan Thompsons baby, and were FINALLY getting an IRL glimpse of the 33-year-olds growing bump in the glitziest, most Kardashian way possible.

The Good American founder shared a pic on her Instagram of her caressing her baby bump and keeping herself cozy with a fur draped off her shoulders. Merry Christmas!! she wrote, may you sparkle and shine this festive season, may all of your wishes and dreams come true. She continued, I pray that we all may feel this happiness all year round, she said. God bless you! #BabyBump.

And while the pregnancy reveal is exciting and all, we seriously cant get over Kardashians Christmas party outfit: a shiny semi-sheer tasseled jumpsuit by Kuwait-based designer Yousef Aljasmi. Now THATS not maternity wear you see every day.

The mama-to-be wore the festive look to her momagers annual Christmas party, and while the party decor was out-of-this-world (it included life-sized nutcrackers and twinkle lights galore), Khloes maternity look was the true highlight of the evening  it even made an appearance in sister Kims snapchat. I know what you guys all really want to see,Kardashian West teased, as she pointed the camera towards her sisters sparkly six-month-pregnant belly.

If Khloes glitzy number is only the beginning of over the top maternity outfits, we cant wait to see how shell dress her growing baby bump in 2018.

Related:

For more celebrity news visit Yahoo View.

What do you think of Khloe Kardashians first public maternity outfit? Tweet us @BritandCo!

(Photo via Jamie McCarthy/Getty)
Photo credit: Hearst Communications, Inc. All rights reserved

From ELLE

Kate Middleton arrived for Christmas service today with her family, looking her most festive in a red and green plaid coat. (According to Daily Mail, this tartan look has some deep symbolism to it: the outlet called it a nod to the "secret trips she took to Anstruther in Scotland with her then-fiance Prince William." She may be channeling that in homage to Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle, who arrived at church together for their first royal Christmas as a couple.)

The event marks her first appearance with Markle. She and Prince William were photographed beside the couple, and KMidd and Markle had a moment in front of the cameras:

Middleton's coat also offers the best glimpse yet of her baby bump as the spring due date for royal baby #3 nears. Very chic, but gorgeous maternity coats are kind of KMidd's thing.

The only thing missing this year is Princess Charlotte and Prince George. The Duchess of Cambridge was notably photographed with Charlotte last year, and the two's outfits were the cutest:

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Why are sexual harassment victims still questioning their clothing choices? (Photo: Getty Images)

If it were socially acceptable to wear anything, what would you wear?

Thats what one woman, who was shamed for wearing a pencil skirt to work, wants to know. The question was recently posted on Quora by a woman named Pia Sari, who wrote, I know it doesnt sound like a big deal to see a girl wearing a pencil skirt. However in my experience, it does. I was once wearing pencil skirt to work. Little did I know that it would somehow bring me trouble.

She added, Since the beginning of the day, I cant say how many eyes were staring at me, not to mention my ass. I even got tons of comments from co-workers (particularly men) saying that Im seductive and looking sexy and have a nice butt.

I dont know if this can be categorized as sexual harassment as I didnt feel comfortable with it, she wrote, but I found myself crying in the office toilet realizing that I cant even wear pencil skirt without comments from guys and glowering from girls.

She concluded with a plea: I just want to wear pencil skirt, guys. Just a pencil skirt.

Womens wardrobes are often cited as the cause of sexual crimes, from an Indian politician blaming a mass molestation on women wearing Western clothing to a Canadian police officer telling a group of law students, Women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized, and Donna Karan associating womens clothing with the #MeToo movement. Look at everything all over the world today and how women are dressing and what they are asking by just presenting themselves the way they do, she told the Daily Mail in October. What are they asking for? Trouble.

Women also receive this message from a young age  across the country, teens are pushing back against the notion that school dress codes are necessary to divert male attention.

So its not too surprising that some women who are victims of harassment or other types of sex crimes second-guess their clothing, or in Saris case: Little did I know that [the skirt] would somehow bring me trouble.

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The notion of victim-blaming was studied back in 1966, when two behavioral scientists at the University of Kentucky, Melvin Lerner and Carolyn H. Simmons, published groundbreaking research on the need for humans to live in a just world by rationalizing that victims, even their own, were somehow deserving of their circumstances.

Per the study, It seems obvious that most people cannot afford, for the sake of their own sanity, to believe in a world governed by a schedule of random reinforcements. To maintain the belief that there is an appropriate fit between effort and outcome, the person must construe this as a relatively objective beliefone that applies to everyone (Festinger, 19S4). If this is true, then the person who sees suffering or misfortune will be motivated to believe that the unfortunate victim in some sense merited his fate.

In the same vein, if we can point to controllable, outside factors (such as a skirt) as the reason for her assault, it makes us feel safer.

We often see this with rape victims  often the first question theyll ask is, Why me? It stems from the human need to find an explanation for injustice and distance themselves from the feeling that life is random, Sandra Shullman, Ph.D., a psychologist who specializes in harassment and hostile work environments, tells Yahoo Lifestyle.

Womens wardrobes have long been used as an excuse for sex crimes. However, when you look at the data on why people rape, that doesnt hold up, she says. One study showed that rapists stated clothing as the reason for their crimes but their victims were wearing a range of outfits from revealing to snowsuits. These are arguments to transfer the responsibility of control and power from the perpetrator to the victim.

When it comes to sex crimes, Shullman says, clothing just doesnt matter.

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Meghan Markle has made her Royal family Christmas debut! Prince Harrys future bride stepped out for church service this morning with her beau, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Phillip, and other members of the monarchy this morning at their longtime place of worship in Norfolk near Sandringham, and it was all we could do not to squeal in delight.

The Suits actress bundled up for the event, donning a tan Sentaler collar-wrap coat ($1,295), a suede Chloe pixie bag ($990), and a pair of over-the-knee Stuart Weitzman boots (roughly $800), topping it all off with a darling tan fascinator cap (a look Middleton herself has worn multiple times before).

Middleton, for her part, looked equally as chic, showing off her teeny baby bump in a plaid Miu Miu coat with shiny gold buttons ($2,198), in a move that was reportedly a nod to the secret trips she once took with her own fiance to Anstruther in Scotland.

She also kept her ears warm with a fuzzy black hat that matched her black tights and black suede pump heels.

The appearance marked the first time the two women have been snapped together since Prince Harry and Markle, 36, announced their engagement late last month. Together, they were a fashionable pair indeed, as they strolled arm-in-arm with their Royal partners.

Merry Christmas, ladies! And a happy New Year!

What do you think of Meghan and Kates Christmas looks? Share with us over @BritandCo.

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

(Photos via Chris Jackson/Getty)

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A woman received a $284 billion electric bill, and were anxious just reading that

A Pennsylvania woman was shocked to find out she owed her electric company, Penelec, $284 billion. 58-year-old Mary Horomanski says she went online to check her electricity bill to discover that she owed more money than she could have ever imagined. According to Erie Times-News, the amount of her bill was more than Hungary and South Africas national debts combined.

Although electricity bills are expected to rise during the holiday season, this particular shift seems a little, uh, insane.

My eyes just about popped out of my head, she told the news outlet. We had put up Christmas lights and I wondered if we had put them up wrong.

The good news (if you want to call it that) was that she didnt have to pay the full amount until November 2018. Instead, her minimum payment for the month of December was only $28,156.

My question would be to send to Penelec .. Have your rates increased. If so has anyone been notified ? Because Im... Posted by Mary Horomanski on Friday, December 15, 2017

Horomanski immediately texted her son, who contacted the company to advise them about the hefty statement. Luckily, the bill turned out to be a huge error. It was later adjusted to reflect the correct payment of $284.46.

Mark Durbin, a spokesperson for Penelecs parent company First Energy, said he doesnt know how the error occurred, but somehow the decimal point was placed in the wrong spot.

I cant recall ever seeing a bill for billions of dollars, he said. We appreciate the customers willingness to reach out to us about the mistake.

Horomanski laughed off the mistake, revealing that she asked her son to get her a heart monitor for Christmas this year.

Were just glad her account wasnt set to autopay!
A Rohingya refugee boy desperate for aid cries as he climbs on a truck distributing aid for a local NGO near the Balukali refugee camp on Sept. 20 in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. (Photo: Kevin Frayer via Getty Images)

A violent, ongoing campaign of state-sanctioned persecution has driven more than 655,000 Rohingya Muslims out of Myanmars Rakhine State in the last four months of 2017.

An attack by a group of Rohingya militants on government security posts in late August triggered the brutal purge by state forces, which humanitarian parties have decried as disproportionate and indiscriminate retaliation against the entire minority Muslim population.

By Sept. 24, at least 9,000 Rohingyas had died, according to Doctors Without Borders.

The hundreds of thousands of refugees have fled to neighboring Bangladesh to escape ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where Rohingyas have extremely limited rights and have endured decades of government repression.

Gruesome reports by human rights groups document systematic assaults on Rohingyas and their villages, including rape, arson, shootings, beatings, and torture by state officials.

Overpopulated refugee camps in Coxs Bazar, a Bangladeshi border city, are rapidly running out of basic resources as the number of new arrivals continues to swell.

Myanmar has repeatedly denied access to international authorities and investigators, including United Nations Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee, making it difficult to grasp the scope of the unfolding crisis. And Burmese civil leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a now-disgraced Nobel Laureate, has downplayed the atrocities against Rohingyas as international cries for her to take action grow louder.

Suu Kyi and Gen. Aung Min Hlaing, head of the Burmese army, could be tried for genocide, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussain said this week.

Below, photographs show Rohingya families fighting for survival as they restart their lives in Bangladesh.

The following images may be disturbing to some viewers.

An exhausted Rohingya refugee woman touches the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal, in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh on Sept. 11. Reuters photographer Danish Siddiqui: "It was a clear morning and I could see the several clouds of smoke in the background on the Myanmar side. After a few hours waiting on the beach the fishing boats started arriving with Rohingyas. This image was taken just after a family member of the Rohingya woman carried her from the boat. The exhausted Rohingya woman sat on the beach and put her hand to feel the shore after the long and dangerous journey from Myanmar."

Rohingya refugees who fled from Myanmar make their way through the rice field after crossing the border in Palang Khali, Bangladesh, on Oct. 9. Reuters photographer Damir Sagolj: "We were covering a tragic accident in which a boat carrying Rohingya refugees capsized and many, mostly children, died when we got a tip from colleagues that two hours drive to the north, thousands of refugees stranded on the border were finally crossing into Bangladesh. I rushed in that direction and made it just before the darkness to witness unreal scenes. Many thousands of people, carrying the sick and injured, the elderly and children, and their few possessions were slowly making their way through the mud and rice fields to the relative safety of Bangladesh. I thought I had witnessed enough tragedy that day for a lifetime, and yet it was just another day in a never-ending story for the Rohingya people fleeing Myanmar."

Rohingya refugees collapse from exhaustion after they arrive by a small wooden boat from Myanmar to the shore of Shah Porir Dwip, in Teknaf, near Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, on Oct. 1. Reuters photographer Damir Sagolj: "Unlike those who were crossing the Naf River under the cover of the darkness, this group of Rohingya refugees were landing at the beach of Shah Porir Dwip in the broad daylight. They were totally exhausted -- I could only imagine what these people had been through before the rickety vessel brought them to Bangladesh. After landing, many just collapse. But not much later, as if awoken by survival instinct, they got back on their feet, collected children and the few possessions they brought with them, and continued by foot towards the refugee camps, a safe haven for those fleeing danger in Myanmar."

Roshid Jan, a Rohingya refugee who said she is not sure of her age, cries holding her son Muhammad Gyab at their shelter at the camp for widows and orphans inside the Balukhali camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Dec. 5. Roshid Jan, who walked for 10 days with her five children to Bangladesh after soldiers burned their village, wept when she spoke about her missing husband. The religious leader in their Phansi village in Myanmar's Rakhine State was accused of being a member of the Rohingya militants and arrested 11 months ago, she said. She had not seen him or heard about his fate since then. Now she lives with her five children and more than 230 others at camp for Rohingya widows and orphans. Reuters photographer Damir Sagolj: "Three hills away from the nearest road, in a dusty valley of Balukhali refugee camp, a patchwork of densely packed red tents hides an ocean of grief and pain. Some call it a red camp for its colour, others a long camp because of its shape but it's best known for those who found shelter there. 'This is a widows camp,' its unofficial and energetic leader explained after I introduced myself. In about 50 tents, over 230 women and children live. There are no men. As I was listening the stories of widows and orphans this camp shelters, I realized it's difficult to imagine a place with more sorrow than this. The camp seemed like a place in which the whole Rohingya tragedy is condensed."

Rohingya Muslims who fled from ongoing military operations in Myanmar's Rakhine State make their way through muddy water after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 1.

Hamida, a Rohingya refugee woman, cries as she holds her 40-day-old son, who died as a boat capsized on the shore of Shah Porir Dwip, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Sept. 14. Reuters photographer Mohammad Ponir Hossain: "I was taking pictures of exhausted refugees on the beach when I heard an auto-rickshaw driver shouting that a boat had capsized. I rushed to the spot and found people crying over the dead body of a child. I took a picture of Hamida, cradling the tiny pale body of her child, Abdul Masood. He appears to have died as the survivors scrambled through the crashing waves to shore. Hamida's husband Nasir Ahmed carried his son away from the crowd. The couple's other son survived the accident. These people are so desperate that they are risking their lives to escape Myanmar. The pictures show what is going on here."

A man struggles to carry supplies across a stream as the monsoon rains continue to make life miserable for the displaced Rohingya on Sept. 17 in Kutupalong, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

Arif Ullah, who said his village was burned down and his relatives were killed by Myanmar soldiers, comforts his wife Shakira who collapsed from exhaustion as Rohingya refugees arrive by a wooden boat from Myanmar to the shore of Shah Porir Dwip, in Teknaf, near Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, on Oct. 1. Reuters photographer Damir Sagolj: "That morning, a group of Rohingya refugees crossed the Bay of Bengal on a rickety, wooden boat, for landings at Shah Porir Dwip, a village at the mouth of the Naf River. Most of the refugees, exhausted from the trip, collapsed after finally reaching the shores of Bangladesh. Shakira, unable to stand on her own, rested in her husband's arms for some 10 to 15 minutes before getting up and continuing on foot towards a relief center nearby."

A security officer attempts to control Rohingya refugees waiting to receive aid in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 21. Reuters photographer Cathal McNaughton: "During my first days at the camps it was chaotic. No infrastructure was in place for the distribution of the aid that arrived throughout the day. Men would fight children for aid packages. Children would wrestle with grandmothers for rice. Eventually the security forces moved in with sufficient numbers to try and restore order. To witness people getting beaten as they scrambled for food is indescribable."

A Rohingya refugee woman is helped from a boat as she arrives exhausted on the Bangladesh side of the Naf River at Shah Porir Dwip after fleeing her village in Myanmar, on Oct. 1 in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

A woman carries the body of a Rohingya refugee baby. Others are seen wrapped in white sheets prior to burial after they died when their boat capsized while fleeing Myanmar on Sept. 29 in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

Hosne Ara, 4, a Rohingya refugee who fled Myanmar two months earlier, listens to children singing at a children's center in Kutupalong refugee camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Nov. 5. Reuters photographer Hannah McKay: "I was in a center for children photographing them singing. I could feel somebody watching me and when I turned 'round this little girl with extraordinary eyes was smiling at me. When I lifted my camera to take her picture she stopped smiling, as I lowered it she smiled again. It became a bit of a game and we were giggling with each other."

Rohingya Muslim refugees weep upon being reunited after arriving on a boat from Myanmar on Sept. 8 in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh.

A man hits anxious Rohingya children with a cane as things get out of control during a humanitarian aid distribution on Oct. 7. Monsoon rains continue to batter the area, causing more difficulties.

Kulsuma Begum, a 40-year-old Rohingya refugee, cries in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Oct. 27. Reuters photographer Hannah McKay: "I didn't know why the woman was crying, but I thought it was important to capture her emotion. Once she had finished talking I asked somebody to translate her story to me and it was only then that I understood why she was so distressed. She had lost her daughter and said her husband and son-in-law were killed by military in Myanmar. It was heartbreaking to see, but even more so to hear what she had gone through."

Rohingya refugees carry their child as they walk through water after crossing the border by boat through the Naf River in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Sept. 7. Reuters photographer Mohammad Ponir Hossain: "I walked around for an hour on the muddy and very slippery path to get to the river bank. When I reached it I heard the sound of people who had arrived by boats. Because of the mangroves I couldn't see them properly. After some time I saw more than [one] hundred people come out of the mangroves and start walking into the water with children, elderly people and their belongings. Due to low tide, boats were unable to reach to the dry land. This Rohingya couple with a child had to get off the boat into a mangrove first, then walk through the water to reach dry land."

A woman cries out as Rohingya refugees wait to receive aid in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 21. Reuters photographer Cathal McNaughton: "What this photo doesn't convey is the deafening noise. The woman with the child was making a moaning sound which was piercing. Everyone was shouting at the relief teams to get their attention."

A group of Rohingya children who fled from oppression in Myanmar are seen at Leda Camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Oct. 11.

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You love seeing your favorite stars on the big screen, right? You may have forgotten, however, that some of Hollywoods biggest talents also starred on the small screen in made-for-TV Christmas movies. Well, heres a trip down memory lane

Mark Ruffalo in On the 2nd Day of Christmas, Lifetime, 1997

Before Mark Ruffalo saved the world from supervillains as the Incredible Hulk, he saved Christmas as the very cute, very lovable police academy dropout named Bert. On Christmas Eve, Bert agrees to look after pickpocketer Trish and her 6-year-old niece, Patsy. Bert falls in love with Trish just in time to prevent her from going to jail  and Patsy from going into foster care.

The film is your typical Christmas romance: Its campy in all the right places with that feel-good ending you crave around the holidays. Plus, a young Mark Ruffalo sweet-talking his lady friend by the fire will warm you right up!

Carrie Fisher and Emmanuelle Vaugier (Photo: Everett Collection)

Carrie Fisher in Its Christmas, Carol! Hallmark, 2012

Carrie Fisher was a huge star long before starring in a Christmas movie, which makes her role that much more surprising. In the Charles Dickens-esque story, Fisher plays the ghost of Christmas past, named Eve, who comes back to lovingly haunt her former employee, Carol.

With Eves help, Carol learns that the true meaning of life isnt all about work, but about finding love and happiness. Fishers role in this upbeat comedy also happens to be one of her final projects, making the film even sweeter.

Bryan Cranston in Twas the Night, the Disney Channel, 2001

Years before Bryan Cranston became one of the most acclaimed actors of this decade, he was the wisecracking dad in the family-friendly show Malcom in the Middle. Doing a Christmas movie for the Disney Channel was right on brand at the time.

InTwas the Night, Cranston is irresponsible Uncle Nick, who steals Santas sleigh on Christmas Eve with his 14-year-old nephew, Danny. Nick then robs the neighbors homes of all their presents. He soon realizes the error of his ways and returns Santas sleigh just in time to save Christmas.

Story continues

Sarah Paulson and Eric Mabius (Photo: Everett Collection)

Sarah Paulson, A Christmas Wedding, Lifetime, 2006

The only screaming for Sarah Paulson in this flick is screams of excitement over a Christmas wedding; no ghosts this time. In 2006, Paulson played Emily, a perfectionist bride who is determined to get married on Christmas Day, yet gets called away to work. She reluctantly leaves the planning to her fiance, Ben.

When a snowstorm threatens to keep Emily from her own wedding day, she realizes that big parties dont compare to being home with loved ones for the holidays. And yes, they lived happily ever after.

Laura Dern, A Season for Miracles, Hallmark 1999

Laura Dern wasnt always the good mother she currently plays on Big Little Lies. Back in 1999, she was the worst mother imaginable. Berry was a drug addict who was sent to prison just days before Christmas. She left her two young children in the hands of her sister, Emilie.

Luckily, the bleak plot has a happy ending  as all Christmas movies should. With the help of love and an angel, Emilie is able to get full custody of Berrys kids, just in time to celebrate the holidays together.

Watch: Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton highlight star-studded Christmas special:

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
Maya Johnson, 6, has vitiligo but sees this as a blessing. (Photo: Instagram/mjdadiva)

Maya Johnson is a 6-year-old aspiring model, whose fierceness, confidence, and unique look do not go unnoticed on Instagram.

About a year ago she was diagnosed with vitiligo, but not without being uncertain of what her condition was for a few months first. On a family vacation to California, her mother, Shnae Johnson, noticed her little girl had a skin decoloration in her chest. Upon returning to their hometown of Ohio the diligent mother took her to the doctor, who at first misdiagnosed the spot as tinea versicolor. Despite taking medicines, Maya continued to get more spots, and then, for a second time, Maya was misdiagnosed  this time, with eczema.

Finally, after visiting a dermatologist Maya was diagnosed with vitiligo, a chronic skin condition that causes skin to lose its pigmentation.

My heart was broken knowing how cruel the world can be, and especially kids. I hated that Maya was going into kindergarten while recently being diagnosed with this skin condition, Shnae tells Yahoo Lifestyle.

Maya and her family decided to embrace this unique trait and saw it as an opportunity to bring diversity into the modeling world.

In a recent post where she is modeling, Maya wrote, Im 6 years old and have been diagnosed with Vitiligo for over a year and in my short time of life, this past year has been my best year. My mother taught me that God isnt finished creating his most favorite masterpiece. People stare because they are uneducated and unaware. Im always open to telling my story but the catch is my story is just beginning.

A post shared by Maya Johnson (@mjdadiva) on Nov 22, 2017 at 5:37am PST

Shnae and Mayas grandparents have built up her confidence. She is very knowledgeable on her condition. If we are out or at the park and a kid asks me what happened or whats wrong with her skin I encourage them to ask her themselves, as well as encourage Maya to be very vocal about it. I generally explain to adults who ask without a problem, says Shnae.

Story continues

People have voiced their support for Maya on Instagram: You are beautiful! And when people stare theyre just shocked because theyre looking at a beautiful masterpiece, wrote a commenter.

Another commenter added, Your Mom is the bomb! Keep on preaching and teaching young lady. You are beautiful inside and out.

A post shared by Maya Johnson (@mjdadiva) on Nov 14, 2017 at 10:03am PST

Mayas aunt suggested making her an Instagram page for modeling. Mayas Instagram went viral quickly.

Her bigger-than-life confidence is resonating within the vitiligo community as well. Even model Winnie Harlow showed Maya love and support. In one of her photos, the model wrote, Baby girl you bettttaaaa.

I had moments where I questioned supporting her dreams of being a model because I felt like I was putting her in harms way. Her Instagram was supposed to be for networking, spreading vitiligo awareness, and positivity. People are so cruel and would comment hurtful things, says Shnae. Just when I thought about deleting it Winnie Harlow featured her on her page and made a few comments under some of Mayas pictures. I felt that was a sign from God not to give up.

A post shared by Maya Johnson (@mjdadiva) on Nov 14, 2017 at 8:38am PST

And at such a young age, Maya is inspiring others to embrace and love themselves.

A commenter wrote, You are an inspiration to me! I too was diagnosed with vitiligo, and seeing how proud you are in your skin and at such a young age makes me embrace this condition even more. It makes me look at it as a blessing to be a part of the 1 percent of people who are diagnosed with it. Youre such a beautiful girl and always remember that in our skin we win!

A post shared by Maya Johnson (@mjdadiva) on Nov 23, 2017 at 4:41pm PST

The little diva is making her mark in the fashion industry already. She landed her first campaign. Maya is now the face of KidRaq Luxury Eyewear for Kids.

Raquel Smith, the founder of KidRaq, tells Yahoo Lifestyle, I was so happy to have Maya as my ambassador for my brand; she is a confident young girl and I just adore her.

A post shared by Maya Johnson (@mjdadiva) on Nov 14, 2017 at 8:32am PST

On what her daily advice to Maya is, Shnae says, I tell my daughter ultimately beauty comes from within and she is no better than the next person. The world is not a nice place but if everyone played their part in simply being positive and just treating others how you expect to be treated, it could be a better place. God made everyone in His liking, so I feel everyone should look in the mirror and love the person they see.

Regardless of what career path she might pursue, Its clear Ohio native Maya has a bright future ahead of her and has an amazing support system rallying behind her.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

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Photo credit: Getty Images

From Country Living UK

Christmas is a beloved holiday. Each year, Christians (and even non-Christians) celebrate with Christmas trees, visits to Santa Claus, gifts, carols, and decorations. But what exactly are the true origins of Christmas?

Of course, Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25, but researchers don't actually know his true birthday. As it turns out, there are several reasons why this exact date was chosen so long ago - more than 1,700 years ago to be exact.

In addition to celebrating the winter solstice a few days before December 25, Romans in 273 AD already celebrated two festivals on the very day: natalis solis invicti (the "birth of the unconquered sun") and the birthday of Mithras, the Iranian god of the sun.

According to Christianity Today, church leaders thought it would also be a fitting time to honour the son of God. Besides, as Ace Collins, author of Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas, said in a PBS segment, the existing Roman holidays were filled with drinking and debauchery, so this new holiday was a way to teach heathens a lesson about sin and redemption.

After Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and declared tolerance for the religion, Western Christians officially began celebrating December 25 as the birth of Jesus in 336 AD. Those in the Eastern Church continue to recognize another day, January 6, as Christ's birthday, but nowadays most everyone agrees on the date.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Have a wonderful day!

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The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby (right) during the Christmas Day service at Canterbury Cathedral. - PA

The Archbishop of Canterbury has used his Christmas Day sermon to reflect on the deceitfulness of populist leaders and a year of terrorist atrocities.

The Most Rev Justin Welby told the congregation at Canterbury Cathedral of the contrast between the humility of the Nativity story and many of the worlds leaders.

He spoke as the Roman Catholic Church's most senior cleric used his own address to call on people to move away from "radical individualism" in society, which is demonstrated by conflict on social media.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols told the BBC: "In social media there's a barrage of views and once a statement or claim is made there's immediately a counterclaim, and the mode of exchange is conflict."

In remarks that are likely to be interpreted by some as a jibe at Donald Trump, the Archbishop of Canterbury made pointed comments about the weaknesses of current world leaders.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby arriving for the Christmas Day service at Canterbury Cathedral. Credit: Gareth Fuller/PA

He told his congregation: "The nature of those who have power is to seek to hold on to it.

"In 2017 we have seen around the world tyrannical leaders that enslave their peoples, populist leaders that deceive them, corrupt leaders that rob them, even simply democratic, well-intentioned leaders of many parties and countries who are normal, fallible human beings.

"We have experienced across our country terrorism that kills the innocent, claiming that it is the path to freedom in God.

"The nature of God who has all power, and from whom all power comes, is to lay it aside for love's sake and thus without fear, force or manipulation to offer true freedom for every human being."

The Archbishop this year publicly spoke out against Mr Trumpwhen the US President shared videos from far-right group Britain First via Twitter.

He said at the time: "It is deeply disturbing that the president of the United States has chosen to amplify the voice of far-right extremists."

Earlier on Monday morning the Church of England's most senior cleric had given his Christmas message a modern twist by publishing extracts in a Twitter thread, complete with a hashtag.

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Across the globe, the Pope put the migrant crisis at the heart of his festive reflections, saying that the story of the holy birth had particular relevance as millions of people were "driven from their land".

The Archbishop of Canterbury has used his Christmas Day sermon to reflect on the deceitfulness of populist leaders and a year of terrorist atrocities.

The Most Rev Justin Welby told the congregation at Canterbury Cathedral of the contrast between the humility of the Nativity story and many of the worlds leaders.

He spoke as the Roman Catholic Church's most senior cleric used his own address to call on people to move away from "radical individualism" in society, which is demonstrated by conflict on social media.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols told the BBC: "In social media there's a barrage of views and once a statement or claim is made there's immediately a counterclaim, and the mode of exchange is conflict."

In remarks that are likely to be interpreted by some as a jibe at Donald Trump, the Archbishop of Canterbury made pointed comments about the weaknesses of current world leaders.

He told his congregation: "The nature of those who have power is to seek to hold on to it.

"In 2017 we have seen around the world tyrannical leaders that enslave their peoples, populist leaders that deceive them, corrupt leaders that rob them, even simply democratic, well-intentioned leaders of many parties and countries who are normal, fallible human beings.

"We have experienced across our country terrorism that kills the innocent, claiming that it is the path to freedom in God.

"The nature of God who has all power, and from whom all power comes, is to lay it aside for love's sake and thus without fear, force or manipulation to offer true freedom for every human being."

The Archbishop this year publicly spoke out against Mr Trump when the US President shared videos from far-right group Britain First via Twitter.

He said at the time: "It is deeply disturbing that the president of the United States has chosen to amplify the voice of far-right extremists."

Earlier on Monday morning the Church of England's most senior cleric had given his Christmas message a modern twist by publishing extracts in a Twitter thread, complete with a hashtag.

Across the globe, the Pope put the migrant crisis at the heart of his festive reflections, saying that the story of the holy birth had particular relevance as millions of people were "driven from their land".

The Archbishop struck a similar note during his sermon, saying: "We are drawn to stories of freedom and purpose.

"In Star Wars an abandoned orphan on a desert planet turns into a knight leading the struggle for freedom.

"Platform nine and three quarters takes Harry Potter into a world of magic and purpose.

"Not so in the gospel stories, even those of Christmas. Yes, the shepherds see angels. Yes, Mary and Joseph have dreams and are chosen as special people.

"Yet after the moments of miracles life goes on almost as before - the shepherds return to their sheep, Joseph settles back as a carpenter, Mary raises children.

"They flee as refugees, like over 60 million people today.

"Yet their story is the beginning of ours, it is an invitation to lives of freedom, found through God's freely offered love."
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Alberto Nisman, the Argentine prosecutor who was found dead days after accusing former President Cristina Fernandez of covering up Iran's role in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center, was murdered, a federal judge said on Tuesday. In a 656-page ruling, judge Julian Ercolini said there was sufficient proof to conclude that the shot to the head that killed Nisman in January 2015 was not self-inflicted. That marked the first time any judge has said the case was a murder. Fernandez and others had suggested the death was a suicide, but a prosecutor investigating the case last year recommended it be pursued as a murder probe. "Nisman's death could not have been a suicide," Ercolini wrote in Tuesday's ruling, which also charged Diego Lagomarsino, a former employee of Nisman's, with accessory to murder. Lagomarsino has acknowledged lending Nisman the gun that killed him the day before he was to appear before Congress to detail his allegation against Fernandez. But he has said Nisman asked him for the gun to protect himself and his family. Fernandez, now a senator, was indicted for treason earlier this month over Nisman's allegations that she worked behind the scenes to clear Iran of blame for the attack on the AMIA Jewish center, which killed 85 people, in an effort to normalize relations and clinch a 2013 grains-for-oil deal with Tehran. Human rights groups and the former head of Interpol have criticized that indictment. Tehran has denied links to the attack. (Reporting by Maximiliano Rizzi; writing by Luc Cohen, editing by G Crosse)
Dubai (AFP) - Bahrain's top military court sentenced six men to death on Monday after convicting them of charges including plotting to assassinate the Gulf state's armed forces chief, state media reported.

It was the first official mention of any plot against the life of Field Marshal Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, who is a member of the ruling family, but the Bahrain News Agency gave no further details of when or where it was alleged to have taken place.

Tiny but strategic Bahrain has been gripped by unrest for years as its Sunni royal family has resisted demands from its Shiite majority for a constitutional monarchy with an elected prime minister.

A judicial source told AFP that all six of those sentenced to death on Monday were Shiites.

BNA said that one of them was a serving soldier before his arrest and that all six were also stripped of their citizenship.

The court sentenced seven other defendants to seven-year jail terms and deprived them too of their citizenship. Five men were acquitted.

Only 10 of the defendants are in custody, BNA said. The other eight are on the run -- either inside Bahrain or in Iran or Iraq.

Since crushing Shiite-led street protests in 2011, Bahraini authorities have cracked down on all dissent, banning both religious and secular opposition parties and jailing hundreds.

Human rights watchdogs say that counter-terrorism legislation has been abused to prosecute many peaceful opposition figures.

The United States has criticised Bahrain for its human rights record but the kingdom holds a strategic position just across the Gulf from Iran and provides the home base for the US Fifth Fleet.




A British woman has been sentenced to three years in prison in Egypt after mistakenly confessing to smuggling drugs.

Laura Plummer, 33, from Hull, was arrested at Hurghada airport in October carrying 290 Tramadol tablets in her suitcase for her Egyptian husband whom she said suffered from back problems.

The strong opioid painkiller is available on prescription in the UK but is illegal in Egypt, where it is often abused as a recreational drug.

The hearing lasted half a day and the judge at Safaga Criminal Court in the Red Sea resort deliberated for an hour before returning his verdict.

British holidaymaker Laura Plummer, 33

The 33-year-old shop assistant sobbed as police guards led her in handcuffs back to her cell on Tuesday.

I just cant believe it, she couldnt do three months, now its three years, Roberta Sinclair, Ms Plummers mother, told the Telegraph.

Im in shock, Im really in shock, she added. She (Ms Plummer) cant believe it either. She said 'mum, there must be a mistake'. Its not fair. She wanted to help, he is the kindest person.

Ms Plummers defense team said that they will appeal the decision as soon as the judge submits his reasoning, which could take up to 60 days.

Standing before the judge in court on Christmas Day, Ms Plummer was asked: You are accused of smuggling and possessing Tramadol to Egypt?

Misunderstanding the question, she replied yes and the judge then instructed the session clerk to record that she had confessed.

Laura Plummer pictured with her sisters Rachel Plummer and Jayne Synclair

But when the defence translator later explained the question again, she denied she was guilty.

The case was adjourned for a day after Ms Plummer became too distraught to continue.

In court on Tuesday, her legal team attempted to clear up the confusion, which they said was down to an inexperienced translator.

They also submitted to the court her clean criminal record, a character reference from her employer, a letter from the Foreign Office indicating that Tramadol did not appear on Egypts travel advice on banned medicines, as well as a medical report for her husband showing he suffered back problems.

Story continues

Omar Abdel Azim, her husband, had testified before the court earlier on Tuesday morning, saying he had suffered from a herniated disc for five years. I loved her (Ms Plummer) and she loved me.

She is my wife and she wants to relieve my pain. She had brought me ointments before, he told the judge. Last time, she was visiting, my pain had increased. She was trying to help.

Mr Dia al-Bassal, Ms Plummers lawyer, said there was a lack of criminal intent because she was unaware that the pills were banned in Egypt. He said the court could also not prove she brought them into the country to sell them.

Its not logic that a British citizen would trade five boxes of Tramadol. The ticket she brought to come to Egypt cost more than the value of the Tramadol she was caught with, Mr Bassal said.

The family has previously said Ms Plummer had no idea that what she doing was illegal and was just "daft".

They said she did not try to hide the medicine, which she had been given by a friend, and she thought it was a joke when she was pulled over by officials after arriving for a holiday with her partner.

Mrs Sinclair said her daughter was being held in terrible conditions in a cell with no beds, sharing with up to 20 other women.

Her family had been told that she could face up to 25 years in jail, with one lawyer even mentioning the death penalty.

Reacting to news of the sentence, Karl Turner, MP for the familys constituency Hull East, said the court's decision was "devastating".

"Laura, most of all, will be absolutely devastated," he said, "She's not been well lately, she's sleep deprived and she's been very anxious.

"I think it's a damning indictment about good sense and fair play."
The Daily Beast

Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/AFP via GettyNearly nine months into Russias war against Ukraine, it seems some of Vladimir Putins strongmen are laying the groundwork to abandon ship.A human rights group that works closely with Russian inmates and investigates abuses by the security services has reportedly received a flood of calls from members of those same security services desperately trying to flee.Gulagu.net, founded by Vladimir Osechkin, reports that the final straw appears to have been the bruta
Bogota (AFP) - Colombia recorded its lowest murder rate in four decades this year in the wake of a peace deal with the leftwing FARC rebel group, the government said Tuesday.

There were "a little over 11,000 homicides" in 2017, Defense Minister Luis Carlos Villegas said, equating to a rate of 23 murders per 100,000 inhabitants.

That signified 320 fewer violent deaths this year than in 2016, he said, stating: "This year will go down in history as the safest in four decades."

The government's Forensic Medicine Institute has not yet released its data on recorded deaths for 2017. It said that in 2016 there were 11,532 homicides.

By way of comparison, the United States has a murder rate of 4.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to recent FBI data.

Much of Latin America suffers homicide rates higher than the world average of 5.3 per 100,000 inhabitants given by the World Bank.

In 2015, Colombia was classed as the third most deadly country in the region, after Venezuela and Brazil.

But, while Colombia still struggles with violence related to cocaine production and smuggling, it has seen a drop-off in the murder rate in the past few years.

Much of that is attributed to the end of hostilities between government and FARC forces following a historic November 2016 peace deal that put an end to half a century of conflict which claimed up to 25,000 lives each year.

The FARC has demobilized its fighters, disarmed and transformed itself into a political party under the same acronym.

The government is also engaged in negotiations to seal a similar peace deal with the smaller ELN rebel group, with whom a ceasefire is already in place.
Subscribe to cable service for long enough and you'll probably run into lousy customer service at some point, whether it's technicians who don't show up on time or phone reps that won't let you cancel. However, Comcast's behavior in Washington might take the cake. The state's Attorney General has filed an amended complaint alleging that Comcast subscribed more than half of its Service Protection Plan customers without consent since the option was first available in 2011. It frequently enrolled customers without even mentioning the plan, according to the lawsuit, but the worst was when it did -- employees reportedly claimed the $6 monthly service was free, and would even sign people up after they'd explicitly refused it.

To make matters worse, the Attorney General's office added that the plan in question did... well, nothing. It was supposed to reduce the cost of repairs, but it excluded in-wall wiring and outdoor wiring -- you know, a large portion of the service. As the Attorney General explained, all it really did was cover the technician coming to tell you that your equipment was broken.

Comcast denied doing anything wrong in a statement to Ars Technica, and said that it "strongly disagree[s]" with the Washington AG's assertions. It maintained that the plan covered "virtually all charges over 99 percent of the time," and that the lawsuit is based on a "flawed methodology and assumptions."

However, the company hasn't exactly gone to great lengths to provide evidence. The Attorney General's Office said that Comcast has repeatedly refused to provide call recordings, and later admitted that it had deleted 90 percent of calls after it had been told to preserve them. Washington's lawsuit is based in part on samples that supported accusations of deceptive practices.

Whoever's telling the truth, this practice wouldn't come out of the blue. Telecoms are notorious for including below-the-line fees that mask the true cost of service. However, it's rare that they're so audacious in those attempts that they charge you for services you didn't want. If the lawsuit is successful, it could serve as a warning shot that deters other telcos.
Heres a great moment. Pavin Smith is a 21-year-old first baseman who played college ball at the University of Virginia. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 draft, he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks and pocketed a handy $5 million signing bonus. On Christmas Day, he put that bonus to good use:

Thank you for everything you have done for me! This doesnt make up for any of it. Love you both so much. Our home is finally all YOURS. Merry Christmas! pic.twitter.com/h9wog2HfHv  Pavin Smith (@PavinSmith) December 25, 2017

Because of all the sacrifices you made to get me where I am, I want our family home to be yours, Smith said in a letter to his parents telling them hed paid off their mortgage.

Smith began his pro career with the Class A Hillsboro (Or.) Hops. Regardless of where he ends up next, hes already a huge success.

Pavin Smith in the College World Series. (Getty)

____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.
Who has been Big Oil's secret ally?

Who was cheated as federal contractors prospered?

Those were the questions the Center's environment and labor team probed this year as part of its continued focus on the ways that pollution, global warming and other aspects of the environment affect health and livelihoods, and how dangerous workplace conditions put employees at risk.

See which stories made the list:





Courtesy of Cheryl Spencer

Jim Spencer, a plumber, had been on his knees outside a home construction project, laying sewer pipe in an eight-foot-deep trench, when a co-worker driving a backhoe inadvertently buried him in dirt.

The two companies managing the project were fined $24,800 and $16,800, respectively. To me, that was nothing, said Jim Spencer's wife, Cheryl. How is it you can kill somebody with a car and get charged with vehicular homicide, and kill somebody in a trench and get a slap on the wrist?

>>Keep reading





Leanne Abraham, Alyson Hurt and Katie Park/NPR

They landed, one after another, in 2015: plans for nearly a dozen interstate pipelines to move natural gas beneath rivers, mountains and peoples yards. Together, these new and expanded pipelines would double the amount of gas that could flow out of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, with cheap fuel that developers promised would benefit consumers and manufacturers.

But some scientists warn that the rush to more fully tap the rich Marcellus and Utica shales is bad for a dangerously warming planet, extending the countrys fossil-fuel habit by half a century.

>>Keep reading





National Archives and Records Administration

Since its formation at the end of World War I, the American Petroleum Institute has embedded itself in the U.S. government. Decades ago, the institute embarked on a campaign to sell Americans on a fossil-fuel future, and that campaign has continued, despite dire warnings of climate change that API heard as early as 1959. The group now encompasses every sector of the oil and gas industry, from drilling to plastics manufacturing.

Story continues

The industry's influence has come at a steep cost to the public. The institute has helped block or stall action on climate change, consistently putting profit ahead of health. API is now working to undermine bedrock environmental laws that promise Americans clean air and water  all while promoting deeper and riskier drilling in places long off limits.

>>Keep reading





Jamie Smith Hopkins / The Center for Public Integrity

The irony is rich. The Sunshine State taps the sun for less than half a percent of its electricity while making two-thirds with natural gas  a fuel that Florida must pipe in from other states.

Many have called this a risky bet. A coastal state already suffering punishing effects of global warming shouldnt keep building power plants that pump even more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the Sierra Club warned. But Floridas power providers and their state regulators havent reconsidered their strategy. In fact, theyre doubling down on it.

>>Keep reading





Courtesy of Stephon Litwinczuk

In traffic-clogged Southern California, plenty of people grasp the dangers of kids attending class close to busy roads and their largely invisible clouds of air pollution. But that's not nearly so well understood in the rest of the country  even though the problem stretches from coast to coast.

Nearly 8,000 U.S. public schools lie within 500 feet of highways, truck routes and other roads with significant traffic, according to a joint investigation by the Center for Public Integrity and Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. Thats about one in every 11 public schools, serving roughly 4.4 million students and spread across every state in the nation. Thousands more private schools and Head Start centers are in the same fix.

>>Keep reading

This story is part of Inside Publici. Stories were working on, the impact of our investigations, news about our fundraising efforts, and other issues that shape our work. Click here to read more stories in this topic.

Don't miss another Inside Publici investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email.





Maryam Jameel/Center for Public Integrity

Last year, the federal government spent more than $40 billion on contracts covered by the Davis-Bacon Act. But a Center investigation found that about 70 percent of the businesses caught violating the law in 2016 dont appear in federal databases designed to track companies contracting records.

Weak oversight allows subcontractors in particular to shortchange workers on government projects with little fear of being caught or barred from future contracts. Meanwhile, their overseers often maintain clean labor records and continue to win government business.

>>Keep reading





Elizabeth Fladung

Known nationally as a laboratory of progressive values and environmental protection, California is perhaps the last place one would expect Big Oil to hold sway. The state has passed some of the toughest energy regulations in the country and set aggressive new goals to cut greenhouse-gas emissions.

Obscured by the headlines, however, is oils enduring power in the Golden State. Long before Silicon Valley, medical marijuana and sushi burritos, crude was king. Today, California is the third-biggest oil-producing state, behind only Texas and North Dakota.

>>Keep reading





Illustration by Eben McCue

Decades of documents reviewed by the Center for Public Integrity reveal a tightly woven network of organizations that works in concert with the oil and gas industry to paint a rosy picture of fossil fuels in Americas classrooms. Led by advertising and public-relations strategists, the groups have long plied the tools of their trade on impressionable children and teachers desperate for resources.

>>Keep reading





Eric Chaney/weather.com

Up close, the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the United States isnt as big as youd expect it to be. From most angles, you cant even see it until youre right on top of it.

To some, the plant is a pollution-belching monster harming both the environment and the health of communities. To others, it's a a source of good-paying jobs, a means to raise a family in an area where economic opportunities are thin.

>>Keep reading





Maryam Jameel/Center for Public Integrity

Each year, thousands of contractors enriched by tax dollars skirt federal labor laws and shortchange workers. In fact, U.S. Department of Labor data show that upwards of 70 percent of all cases lodged against federal contractors and investigated by the department since 2012 yielded substantive violations. But many of these violators go on to receive more federal contracts. An Obama administration effort to change that practice was derailed in late March by President Donald Trump.

The Center for Public Integrity examined a subset of 1,154 egregious violators  those with the biggest fines, highest number of violations or most employees impacted  included in the Labor Departments Wage and Hour Division enforcement database and cross-referenced them with more than 300,000 contract records from the Treasury Department.

>>Keep reading

This story is part of Inside Publici. Stories were working on, the impact of our investigations, news about our fundraising efforts, and other issues that shape our work. Click here to read more stories in this topic.

Related stories

Copyright 2018 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.
(Reuters) - Major governments, including the United States, the European Union and Canada, and top United Nations' officials, are among those demanding the release of Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo from detention in Myanmar.

The reporters were arrested on Dec. 12 after being invited to meet police officials on the outskirts of Yangon. They had worked on stories about a military crackdown in Rakhine state, scene of around 650,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh since August.

Myanmar's Ministry of Information has said the reporters "illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media," and released a photo of them in handcuffs.

It said the reporters and two policemen faced charges under the British colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years, though officials said they have not been charged. Their exact whereabouts are not known.

"We and their families continue to be denied access to them or to the most basic information about their well-being and whereabouts," Reuters President and Editor-In-Chief Stephen J. Adler said last week in a statement calling for their immediate release.

"Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are journalists who perform a crucial role in shedding light on news of global interest, and they are innocent of any wrongdoing," he said.

Here are comments on their detention from governments, politicians, human rights groups, journalists and press freedom advocates around the world:

LATEST REACTION

- The New York Times said in an editorial on Saturday that releasing the two journalists immediately "would help restore at least some lost faith" in Aung San Suu Kyi's government.

- Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said it was "disturbing" to hear of the detention of the two Reuters journalists. "Press freedom is very important," she said in a tweet on Christmas Day.

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GOVERNMENTS, MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONS

- Two U.N. human rights experts called on Myanmar last week to release the two reporters, saying it was putting Myanmar on a dangerous path by using the Official Secrets Act to criminalise journalism.

"Journalism is not a crime. These detentions are another way for the Government to censor information about the military's role in Rakhine State and the humanitarian catastrophe taking place," said Yanghee Lee and David Kaye, who are the U.N. special rapporteur on Myanmar and on freedom of expression respectively.

- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said the United States was "demanding their immediate release or information as to the circumstances around their disappearance." Last week, the State Department reiterated the U.S. demand for the reporters' immediate release.

- Senator Ben Cardin, the leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee called the arrests "outrageous".

"It just brings back the memory of the horrible practices with the repressive military rule," he said.

- Republican Thom Tillis and Democrat Chris Coons, leaders of the U.S. Senate Human Rights Caucus, said they were "gravely concerned" about the reporters' arrests and that press freedom was critical to ensuring accountability for violence against the Rohingya.

- Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kano said last week, "Freedom of the press is extremely important, including in order to protect fundamental human rights. The Japanese government would like to watch (this matter) closely." Tokyo-based Human Rights Now has called on Japan to take a stronger stance.

- The European Union has urged Myanmar to release the reporters "as quickly as possible." A spokeswoman for EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said, "Freedom of the press and media is the foundation and a cornerstone of any democracy."

- U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said countries should do everything possible to secure the journalists' release and press freedom in Myanmar. "It is clearly a concern in relation to the erosion of press freedom in the country," he said.

- Britain, Holland, Canada, Norway and Sweden have demanded the release of the Reuters reporters. Australia has expressed concern and Bangladesh has denounced the arrests.

- Vijay Nambiar, former special adviser on Myanmar to the U.N. Secretary-General, said in a statement to Reuters that the detentions had caused "widespread disappointment within and outside the country that is likely to further damage the international reputation and image of Myanmar."

- President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani called on Myanmar to protect media freedoms and release the reporters.

JOURNALISTS, NGOS

- Human Rights Watch said the detentions appeared to be "aimed at stopping independent reporting of the ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya." Brad Adams, the group's Asia director, said, "Their secret, incommunicado detention lays bare government efforts to silence media reporting on critical issues."

- The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) called on Myanmar to immediately disclose the reporters' whereabouts. "All detainees must be allowed prompt access to a lawyer and to family members," said Frederick Rawski, ICJ's Asia-Pacific Regional Director.

- The Committee to Protect Journalists said the arrests were "having a grave impact on the ability of journalists to cover a story of vital global importance".

- Reporters Without Borders said there was no justification for the arrests and the charges being considered against the journalists were "completely spurious".

- Advocacy group Fortify Rights demanded Myanmar immediately and unconditionally release the Reuters journalists.

- Myanmar's Irrawaddy online news site called on Dec. 14 for the journalists' release in an editorial headlined "The Crackdown on the Media Must Stop." It said "it is an outrage to see the Ministry of Information release a police record photo of reporters handcuffed  as police normally do to criminals  on its website soon after the detention. It is chilling to see that MOI has suddenly brought us back to the olden days of a repressive regime."

- The Southeast Asian Press Alliance said the journalists were "only doing their jobs in trying to fill the void of information on the Rohingya conflict."

- The Protection Committee for Myanmar Journalists, local reporters who have demonstrated against prosecutions of journalists, decried the "unfair arrests that affect media freedom".

- The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Myanmar said it was "appalled" by the arrests and "gravely concerned" about press freedom in Myanmar.

- The Foreign Correspondents' Club in Thailand, Foreign Correspondents' Association of the Philippines, Jakarta Foreign Correspondents' Club and Foreign Correspondents' Club of Hong Kong have issued statements supporting the journalists.

(Compiled by Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Martin Howell)
Authorities were unclear about the cause of the crash - AP

Five people were killed when a city bus ploughed into a pedestrian underpass in western Moscow on Monday, traffic police said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the accident as authorities said they were looking into several possibilities, including a technical malfunction.

"A bus drove into a pedestrian underpass," a traffic police spokesman, Artyom Kolesnikov, told AFP.

"According to preliminary information, five people died."

Footage broadcast on national television showed a bus driving onto the pavement and then down the stairs of the underpass, running over several pedestrians before coming to a stop.

Rescuers worked to pull the bus out Credit: AFP

Moscow police said in a statement they were looking into two possible causes of the accident - the driver losing control of the vehicle and a technical problem with the bus.

"The driver of the bus began movement and then changed his trajectory, which resulted in the bus going down into the pedestrian underpass," the statement said.

"The driver has been detained. Police employees are working with him," the statement said.

Three people have been hospitalised, the statement added.

The accident happened around 3 pm (1200 GMT) near Moscow's Slavyansky Boulevard metro station, a prestigious residential area near one of the capital's main avenues.

The accident occurred in a busy residential area Credit: Reuters

Sirens were blaring around the metro station, with authorities preparing to pull the bus out of the underpass with a cable, an AFP correspondent at the scene said.

The underpass and surrounding area were cordoned off by police, and several black body bags could be seen on the pavement, partially covered with falling snow.

The emergencies ministry said two helicopters had been dispatched to the scene to help evacuate the victims.

"There are dead and wounded," tweeted Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin. "We are providing emergency aid," he said, offering condolences to families of the victims.

Sobyanin himself arrived at the scene, telling journalists he had ordered a full inspection of the entire Moscow bus fleet.
Democrats have written to Rex Tillerson lamenting the intentional hollowing-out of our senior diplomatic ranks: Getty

The US State Department is being weakened and sidelined under President Donald Trump, a former American diplomat has claimed.

Nicholas Burns, who served as a senior diplomat under both Republican and Democratic administrations, told The Los Angeles Times that Mr Trumps foreign policy is a radical departure from every president since WWII.

Trump is weak on Nato, Russia, trade, climate, diplomacy, said Mr Burns, the former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs under President George W Bush.

He added: The US is declining as a global leader.

Since taking office, Mr Trump has pursued an America first agenda that involves shying away from various global commitments. This summer, for example, Mr Trump pulled the US out of the Paris climate accord  a landmark environmental agreement to which nearly 200 countries signed in. He also refused to certify Irans compliance in a historic nuclear deal, and threatened to make Nato member countries pay more to ensure their defence.

Mr Trump also shocked diplomats earlier this month when he acknowledged Jerusalem as the capital of Israel  a decision the UN believes should only be negotiated during Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Nearly every former US ambassador to Israel told the New York Times that they disagreed with the Presidents decision. Former diplomat Elizabeth Shackelford resigned shortly thereafter, claiming the US government had failed to demonstrate a commitment to promoting and defending human rights and democracy.

In these challenging global times we should be seeking to conduct more diplomacy with more resources, not less with less, she wrote in her resignation letter. I am sure [the State Department] will endure and ultimately overcome this period of marginalisation, but the consequences will affect our global leadership and status abroad for many years to come.

Many diplomats have raised similar concerns about a lack of resources at the State Department. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has implemented a hiring freeze at the Department, and proposed slashing his own budget by almost 30 per cent. Americas Office of Management and Budget recently directed the Department to cut staffing by 8 per cent.

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Sixty per cent of career ambassadors have left the Department this year, and 74 top posts remain vacant, according to Foreign Policy. Democratic members of the House Foreign Relations Committee wrote a letter to Mr Tillerson last month, urging him to reverse what they called an intentional hollowing-out of our senior diplomatic ranks.

Mr Burns finds these latest developments ironic. The President, he said, needs a strong State Department to implement his strategy. Instead, he added, State and the Foreign Service are being weakened and often sidelined.

The Independent has reached out to the State Department for comment.
By Ola Lanre LAGOS (Reuters) - Four civilians were killed in an attack by suspected Boko Haram militants on Monday in the Nigerian city at the center of a conflict with the Islamists, a resident and two officials told Reuters. Nigeria's army said on Monday evening it had repelled the assault on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the spiritual birthplace of Boko Haram. It was the first major attack on the northeast city since June. The army statement made no mention of casualties but Musa Alkali, a resident of the attacked area, Molai, told Reuters on Tuesday he saw four corpses. "Boko Haram fought their way into Molai and burnt three houses before the military fighter jet arrived," he said. "Three people were burnt in their houses, (then) I saw four dead bodies taken out of the area," said Alkali. He said the fourth person had been shot. Two other people, a local vigilante group commander and a military officer, also told Reuters on Tuesday that four civilians had died. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they had been told not to speak to media and feared reprisal. The military said that none of its troops had lost their lives. It said the attackers had come with trucks mounted with guns and suicide bombers, and when retreating had set fire to houses and vehicles. Three Nigerian military spokesmen did not immediately respond to calls, texts and WhatsApp messages seeking comment. Fourteen people were killed in an attack on Maiduguri in June when the group struck on the eve of a visit by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The government often says it is on alert for Boko Haram attacks during the Christmas period and other festivals for Christians and Muslims. The insurgency has in the past targeted places of worship such as churches and mosques during those times. Embassies regularly warn their nationals to be cautious and avoid public spaces at those times. President Muhammadu Buhari's administration has been saying Boko Haram are almost defeated but the latest attack shows the group's continued ability to stage hit-and-run raids, prompting a renewed government push against the militants. The Nigerian government approved the release of $1 billion last week from a state oil fund to help with the fight. Nigeria's long-term plan is to corral civilians inside fortified garrison towns, a move that effectively cedes the rural areas to Boko Haram. Nigeria replaced its previous military commander of the fight against Boko Haram after half a year in the post. Military sources told Reuters this followed a series of "embarrassing" attacks by the militants. (Writing by Paul Carsten; editing by Anna Willard)
By Sanjeev Miglani and Asif Shahzad NEW DELHI, ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - India denounced Pakistan on Tuesday over the treatment of the family of an Indian man sentenced to death for spying, saying they had been harassed during a visit, a charge Pakistan called "baseless". Among other things, the Indian government accused the Pakistani authorities of refusing to return the shoes of the visiting wife of Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav after she turned them over to security for the visit. Jadhav, a former officer in the Indian navy, was arrested in March 2016 in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan, where there has been a long-running conflict between security forces and separatists, and he was convicted of planning espionage and sabotage. His wife and mother were allowed to see him behind a glass window on Monday, eight months after he was sentenced to death, but that gesture of goodwill appeared to have quickly descended into acrimony. Ties between the nuclear-armed neighbors are in a deep chill and Jadhav's case has added to long-running tensions, with each accusing the other of supporting cross-border violence. Indian foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said Jadhav's family had been subjected to harassment when they arrived to see him. "The Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and loaded accusations about (Shri) Jadhav," Kumar said in a statement. Pakistan's foreign ministry rejected the accusations. "The Indian baseless allegations and twists ... about the visit of the wife and mother of Commander Jadhav, a convicted terrorist and spy, who has confessed to his crimes, are categorically rejected," it said. The Pakistani statement added that it had kept both Pakistani, Indian and international media "at a safe distance, as requested by India". CONFESSION Pakistan authorities say Jadhav confessed to being assigned by India's intelligence service to plan, coordinate and organise espionage and sabotage activities in Baluchistan "aiming to destabilise and wage war against Pakistan". India says Jadhav is innocent, and it won an injunction from the World Court to delay his execution, arguing he was denied diplomatic assistance during his trial by a military court. On Monday, Pakistan released a picture of Jadhav's mother, Avanti, and wife, Chetankul, seated at a desk and speaking to him from behind the glass partition. Islamabad said it had honored its commitment to give access to the family. But India said Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak in her native Marathi language and was frequently interrupted during the meeting. Kumar said the two women had been asked to remove the red dot that Hindus wear as well as their jewelry and shoes during security screenings, adding that Pakistani authorities had refused to return the shoes that Jadhav's wife had worn. The Pakistani foreign ministry rebuttal did not address the report of the missing shoes. India and Pakistan often accuse each other of spying, and several people have been held in prisons for years in both countries, some on death row, to be used as bargaining chips in their troubled relationship. (Additional reporting by Kay Johnson in ISLAMABAD; Editing by Nick Macfie, Gareth Jones and Hugh Lawson)
Jennifer Lawrence spent her Christmas Eve spreading holiday cheer to patients at Norton Childrens Hospital, in her hometown of Louisville, Ky.

The hospital posted photos of the movie star posing with hospital patients and staff on Sunday, writing that the visit has become a tradition for Lawrence each Christmas.

Thank you, Jennifer! You sure do bring a smile to us all! the hospital added.

Louisville's own Jennifer Lawrence stopped by Norton Children's today to visit with patients, families, and staff. This visit has become a tradition for Lawrence each Christmas. Thank you, Jennifer! You sure do bring a smile to all! ?



Photos courtesy of a @wave3news viewer. pic.twitter.com/faENgYtD6q  Norton Children's (@NortonChildrens) December 24, 2017

Lawrence has paid Norton an annual holiday visit for at least the last five years, according to ABC News. Last year, she gave the hospital $2 million to create the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, which, according to a 2016 release from the hospital, offers private rooms for children recuperating from open heart surgery.
It's no secret that some communities hate traffic-savvy navigation apps like Waze with a bitter passion. A congested highway can send legions of commuters down streets that clearly weren't meant for more than a handful of cars at any given time. And one town has apparently had enough. The New York Times has learned that Leonia, New Jersey will close 60 streets to everyone but residents and workers at peak driving periods (6AM to 10AM and 4PM to 9PM) from January 22nd onward. If you're using a nav app, the town may effectively cease to exist at rush hour.

It's extreme, but Leonia is in an unusual position. When slow traffic steers people through the town, it can prove a nightmare for residents who might not even have a chance to leave home until the traffic clears. Police chief Tom Rowe told the Times that Leonia had tried limited closures and warning navigation app providers, but that just foisted problems on to other streets -- and that's assuming drivers heeded the redirections in the first place.

A Waze spokeswoman said it would honor any changes that legally declare a road to be private. The Google-owned service wants to "work holistically" with cities, drivers and map editors to improve driving "for all."

The question is whether or not Leonia's strategy will hold up under scrutiny. These are supposed to be public roads, after all. It might also wind up passing the buck to other communities. And of course, there's the reality that people might have genuinely good reasons to pass through Leonia at peak periods besides living or working there. What if you're visiting someone or have an urgent situation? Short of widening roads, there's no straightforward answer here. Navigation apps may create headaches for small towns not equipped to cope with morning rush hour, but a drastic attempt to thwart them may create its own share of problems.
Istanbul (AFP) - A judge ejected one of Turkey's most respected investigative journalists from court Monday and ruled that he and three other suspects should remain in jail, in the controversial trial of staff from the main opposition newspaper.

It was one of the angriest exchanges so far in the trial on terror charges of 17 current and former writers, cartoonists and executives from Cumhuriyet ("Republic"), which has raised alarm over press freedom under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The trial began on July 24, and after several conditional releases in previous hearings, four of the suspects remain behind bars.

The judge ordered the four of them -- investigative journalist Ahmet Sik, the paper's chairman Akin Atalay, editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu and accountant Emre Iper -- to stay in jail, defence lawyer Kemal Aytac told AFP.

The next hearing will be on March 9 and take place in the Silivri prison complex, outside Istanbul, rather than the city's main courthouse where the trial has been heard until now.

- 'Judiciary controlled by government' -

Earlier in the hearing, Sik was ordered to leave the court by the judge because of his "political" defence statement that condemned the government and claimed it treated its critics as "terrorists".

"There is a judiciary controlled by the government that is translating this 'terrorist' term into preposterous accusations," Sik, who has now been in prison for 360 days, told the court.

During the fraught hearing, Judge Abdurrahman Orkun Dag refused to allow Sik to continue.

"That's enough! If you want to play politics, become a member of parliament... I cannot allow him to defend himself like this. Take the defendant outside!" Dag said, ordering his removal.

Angry supporters in the courtroom responded by shouting: "You are all going to be tried one day" and "Ahmet will get out, he will write again" causing the trial to be adjourned for lunch.

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Sik, already jailed from 2011-2012, wrote a book exposing former ties of members of the Turkish elite to the movement of US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara accuses of being behind last year's failed coup.

- 'Attempt to silence' -

The 17 current and former Cumhuriyet employees are charged with supporting through their coverage three organisations Turkey views as terror groups -- the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the ultra-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), and the Gulen movement.

They face up to 43 years in prison if convicted.

Their supporters say the charges are absurd and the daily says the trial is an attempt to silence one of the last independent newspapers in Turkey.

Cumhuriyet is fiercely critical of Erdogan and has run front page stories that have angered the president.

"This trial is a symbol of the attempt to silence freedom of expression in Turkey. It is a symbol of pressure on journalists," Gulendam San Karabulutlar, a defence lawyer, told AFP.

Dozens of supporters gathered outside the court in Istanbul, holding signs saying "You are not alone, we are not alone", "Justice for all" and "Freedom for all journalists".

Some held Monday's issue of Cumhuriyet whose front page read: "Justice immediately".

Some of the most high-profile suspects -- including political commentator Kadri Gursel -- have already been released but remain charged and on trial.

Dozens of journalists have been arrested in Turkey since the failed coup as part of its crackdown on alleged threats to the state. In total, more than 55,000 people have been arrested, raising concern in Western capitals.

According to the P24 press freedom group, there are 170 journalists behind bars in Turkey, most of whom were arrested under the state of emergency in place since July 2016.

Turkey is ranked 151st of 180 countries in the 2016 World Press Freedom index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
This years Kennedy Center honorees, from left: dancer Carmen de Lavallade, rapper and actor LL Cool J, television writer and producer Norman Lear, musician Lionel Richie, and singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan. (Photo: John P. Filo/CBS)

The 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, airing Tuesday at 9 p.m. on CBS, pays tribute to the lifes work of dancer Carmen de Lavallade, musicians Gloria Estefan, Lionel Richie, and LL Cool J, and television writer and producer Norman Lear. Its an evening filled with many of the things youve come to expect from the program (a few tears, some laughter, and many incredible performances), but its also missing one  the presence of the president.

Donald Trump chose not to attend the ceremony so that the honorees could celebrate without any political distraction. He is not mentioned in the telecast, but viewers will likely think of him when Caroline Kennedy delivers her opening remarks highlighting her late fathers legacy and when a reel of Lears groundbreaking comedies ends with Archie Bunker and Meathead in a heated argument over the right to protest in America. As Dave Chappelle, who introduces those clips, says of Lear: You taught me that the person on the other side of an argument from me is not my enemy, its a person that I love that Im willing to convince. You make me know that everythings gonna be all right if we can laugh together.

Rita Moreno pays tribute to Norman Lear. (Photo: Timothy Kuratek/CBS)

Here are four more things you can expect from the two-hour broadcast:

1. At least two GIF-able moments. Look for the celebratory dance Rita Moreno does after a joke lands bigtime during her tribute to Lears One Day at a Time (And with insight and humor, it dealt with topics like teen sex and sexual harassment  and look how far we have come.), and Anthony Anderson, whos there to honor Lears The Jeffersons, dancing in the aisle and mouthing the words to LL Cool Js Mama Said Knock You Out as its performed by Busta Rhymes. LL is the first hip-hop artist to ever be a Kennedy Center honoree, and its not as awkward as youd expect to see, say, Rob Reiner throwing up an L when asked to by Tariq Black Thought Trotter, who performs It Gets No Rougher. (And props again to Moreno, who appears to thoroughly enjoy Darryl D.M.C. McDanielss rendition of Rock the Bells.)

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Emily Estefan performs Reach. (Photo: Timothy Kuratek/CBS)

2. Some sweet family moments. No parents have looked prouder than Gloria and Emilio Estefan watching their daughter, Emily, perform Glorias inspirational hit Reach. That we see Lionel Richie and LL Cool J look genuinely thrilled for them is just one example of why this awards show is always the warmest of the year. Nicole Richie is also on hand to speak about her father, who she insists is this happy all the time. When he answers his phone, he doesnt say, Hello, according to Nicole, he screams, Showtime!

3. The most effective dance tribute in recent memory. The multiple numbers, including Soul Bossa Nova (with dancers Stella Abrera and Brandon Victor Dixon), Wade in the Water (with dancers Alicia Graf Mack, Linda Celeste Sims, and Matthew Rushing), and Bill (with Misty Copeland and Robert Fairchild) are all gorgeous, but its the simple choreography to Shes Got the Whole World in Her Hands that may convey a captivating dancers storytelling gift most clearly to viewers whove never heard of de Lavallade until now.

Leona Lewis performs during the Lionel Richie tribute. (Photo: Timothy Kuratek/CBS)

4. Possible Obama withdrawal. If, like me, you enjoyed watching Barack and Michelle Obama sing along in the honorees box during his presidency, you will definitely wish theyd been there this year, from the first tribute, when Becky G performs Estefans Mi Tierra with the Miami Sound Machine and the cast of the musical On Your Feet! stages a medley of her hits, to the last, when Leona Lewis caps off the Lionel Richie segment with All Night Long. The latter is the reason to watch through the credits: The rest of Lionels tribute acts  including Luke Bryan (who sings Penny Lover and Sail On) and the incomparable Stevie Wonder (Easy)  join her, and just like the audience at the Kennedy Center, you will be standing.

The 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors airs Dec. 26 at 9 p.m. on CBS.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
By Denis Pinchuk and Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Tuesday a call by opposition leader Alexei Navalny to boycott next year's presidential election must be checked to see if it complies with the law, paving the way for possible police action against him and his supporters. Navalny called on Monday for a boycott of the March 18 election after Russia's central election commission ruled he was not eligible to run for president due to a suspended prison sentence hanging over him. "The calls for a boycott will require scrupulous study, to see whether or not they comply with the law," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call. Declining to comment on the election commission's decision, Peskov shrugged off allegations that the presidential poll would be a farce without Navalny. "The fact that one of the would-be candidates is not taking part has no bearing on the election's legitimacy," said Peskov. Navalny, a 41-year-old lawyer, has repeatedly said the suspended sentence handed to him in an embezzlement case was politically motivated. On Monday Navalny said millions of voters would be disenfranchised without his participation in the election, which opinion polls show incumbent Vladimir Putin winning comfortably. The European Union also questioned the Russian election commission's decision to bar Navalny. "(It) casts a serious doubt on political pluralism in Russia and the prospect of democratic elections next year," the EU's External Action Service said in a statement on Tuesday. "Politically motivated charges should not be used against political participation," it said, urging Moscow to ensure a "level playing field" for all Russian elections. Putin, 65, has dominated Russia's political landscape for the last 17 years and if, as expected, he wins next year's election would be eligible to serve another six years until 2024, when he turns 72. Allies laud Putin as a father-of-the-nation figure who has restored national pride and expanded Moscow's global clout with interventions in Syria and Ukraine. Navalny says Putin's support is exaggerated and artificially maintained by a biased state media and an unfair system which excludes genuine opponents. He says he could defeat him in a fair election, an assertion Putin's supporters have laughed off. Navalny has been jailed three times this year and charged with breaking the law for organizing public meetings and rallies designed to bolster his presidential campaign. (Editing by Gareth Jones)
President Donald Trump talks with journalists after signing tax reform legislation into law in the Oval Office: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Donald Trump has once again shattered records with his historically low approval rating.

More voters would like to watch impeachment hearings for Mr Trump than would vote for him in the next presidential election, a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey found.

The December 2017 poll surveyed public opinion of Mr Trump, his policies, and his party as he moved towards the end of his last year in office.

Only 36 per cent of voters said they would definitely or probably vote for Mr Trump if he ran for re-election in 2020. Fifty-two per cent said they would vote for a Democrat. Forty-one per cent of Americans, meanwhile, said they would like to see Congress hold impeachment hearings for the President. Fifty-four per cent said they would not.

Previous polls have found support for impeaching Mr Trump at 49 per cent.

Articles of impeachment for Mr Trump have already been introduced in the US House, with little effect. Representative Al Green forced a vote on his articles of impeachment earlier this month, claiming Mr Trump had committed high misdemeanours stemming from his bigotry, hatred and hostility. A large, bipartisan majority of Representatives voted to "table," or kill, the legislation.

Representative Steve Cohen introduced five articles of impeachment against Mr Trump last month, but has not forced a vote. He acknowledged at the time that impeaching Mr Trump would be nearly impossible in a Republican-controlled Congress.

"I don't expect the House Judiciary Committee, which is operated like a branch of the administration, to take up hearings," he said.

Impeaching the President requires a majority vote in the House, and a two-thirds vote in the Senate.

Mr Trump took office as the least popular incoming President in at least four decades, and continued to break records with his historically low approval rating. In October, he hit the wrist approval ratings for any first-year President in recent memory. A CNN poll from this month found his approval rating was the lowest of any President at the end of their first year since at least 1981.

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But Mr Trump has repeatedly urged supporters not to pay attention to mainstream polling, claiming the majority of Americans are satisfied with his leadership.

The Tax Cut/Reform Bill, including Massive Alaska Drilling and the Repeal of the highly unpopular Individual Mandate, brought it all together as to what an incredible year we had, he tweeted this week.

Dont let the Fake News convince you otherwise, he added. ...and our insider Polls are strong!

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After the senator posted an image of Salt Lake Tribune, spokesman said we all sincerely hope the editorial board finds joy in something beyond baseless attack

Orrin Hatchs tweet did not include a link to the editorial. Photograph: Joshua Roberts/Reuters

The longest serving Republican senator, Orrin Hatch, tweeted on Christmas day that he was grateful after his local paper hailed him on its front page as the Utahn of the year, but he made no mention of a stinging accompanying editorial.

Many were left asking if Hatch was being sarcastic or had tweeted before reading the Salt Lake Tribunes full reasoning for the award, for the most impactful person in the state, which hit out at his part in slashing the size of Utahs national monuments.

The papers editorial attacked the senator for: His utter lack of integrity that rises from his unquenchable thirst for power.

The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board said it also gave Hatch the title because of his key role in the dismantling of two national monuments in Utah and passing the new federal tax code. And it asked Hatch, who has been a senator for 42 years, to not run for re-election next year.

Hatchs official Twitter account shared a photograph of the Salt Lake Tribunes Christmas day front page, which was covered with a portrait of Hatch. Grateful for this great Christmas honor from the Salt Lake Tribune, a tweet sent from his account said.

Grateful for this great Christmas honor from the Salt Lake Tribune. For the record, I voted for @SpencerJCox and @rudygobert27. #utpol pic.twitter.com/7iFOBK6TWf  Orrin Hatch (@OrrinHatch) December 25, 2017

Hatchs tweet did not include a link to the piece, leading some to speculate the senator or his communications team were aware of the editorials contents.

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Everyone celebrates Christmas differently, Matt Whitlock, a spokesman for Hatch, said in an email to the Guardian.

We all sincerely hope the members of the Salt Lake Tribune editorial board find joy this holiday season in something beyond baselessly attacking the service and integrity of someone who given 40 years for the people of Utah, and served as one of the most effective lawmakers of all time, Whitlock said.

Earlier this month the US president, Donald Trump, modified designations for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah, potentially opening the land to big corporate developers and the oil and gas industry. The move  a repudiation of past presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton  seems certain to be challenged in court.

In May, Trump told Hatch, Im approving the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase recommendation for you, Orrin, according to a spokesperson for Hatch, CNN reported at the time, which Hatch was quoted as being incredibly grateful for.

It came after a recommendation to shrink national monuments by the interior secretary, Ryan Zinke.
(VATICAN CITY)  Lamenting the winds of war blowing around the world, Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message on Monday called for a two-state solution to find peace in the Middle East and prayed that confrontation can be overcome on the Korean Peninsula.

The pope took particular aim at areas of global tension where President Donald Trump is playing a critical role. Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital has ignited new violence in the Middle East, while confrontation with North Korea over its nuclear tests has escalated tensions in Asia.

The winds of war are blowing in our world and an outdated model of development continues to produce human, societal and environmental decline, the pope said in his traditional Urbi et Orbi (to the city and to the world) Christmas message and blessing from the central balcony overlooking St. Peters Square. About 50,000 faithful packed the square.

As Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, the pope depicted suffering reflected in the faces of little children, citing war and other tensions in the Middle East and Africa.

He asked for peace for Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and prayed that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two states within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders.

Francis also prayed for an end to confrontation on the Korean Peninsula and that mutual trust may increase.

The Christmas message has become an occasion for popes to survey suffering in the world and press for solutions. Francis urged that our hearts not be closed as the inns of Bethlehem were to Mary and Joseph before Jesus birth.

The pontiff lamented that Syria remains marked by war, that Iraq has been wounded and torn by fighting over the last 15 years and that ongoing conflict in Yemen has been largely forgotten.

Recalling his recent trip to Bangladesh and Myanmar, the pope urged the international community to work to ensure that the dignity of the minority groups present in the region is adequately protected.

The pontiff also recalled children who risk their lives at the hands of human traffickers to migrate to safer lands, who suffer because their parents dont have work or who are forced into labor themselves or to fight as child soldiers.
Pope Francis gives the Christmas Day blessing from St Peters Basilica at the Vatican: AP

Pope Francis has taken another swipe at President Donald Trump, appearing to rebuke the US leaders decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

In his traditional Christmas message, the Pope called for a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict  an issue that became further ensnared in contention earlier this month after Mr Trump changed the diplomatic status of Jerusalem and said the American embassy in Israel would be moved to the holy city.

Following the Presidents declaration, protests flared across the Middle East and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the US was no longer qualified to sponsor the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two states within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders, the Pope said during his Urbi et Orbi address  Latin for to the city and to the world.

We see Jesus in the children of the Middle East who continue to suffer because of growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, he told the audience of thousands from the balcony of St Peters Basilica.

Last week, 128 countries, including several US allies, backed a United Nations resolution rejecting Mr Trumps decision.

On Monday, the Pope also mentioned other issues in which the US leader plays a key role in policymaking.

The Holy See, who has expressed concern about the harsh exchange of words between Mr Trump and North Koreas leader, Kim Jong-un, prayed that confrontation may be overcome on the Korean Peninsula, and that mutual trust may increase in the interest of the world as a whole.

The winds of war are blowing in our world and an outdated model of development continues to produce human, societal and environmental decline, the Pope said.

Earlier in December, he also expressed criticism of the Trump administrations move to designate Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He urged caution about inflaming religious tensions in the holy city that is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims.

I cannot remain silent about my deep concern for the situation that has developed in recent days, the Pope said. And at the same time, I wish to make a heartfelt appeal to ensure that everyone is committed to respecting the status quo of the city, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations.
BEIJING (Reuters) - Local officials in China's northern Shandong province have used fake data to help aluminum and steel producers avoid mandatory production curbs, the state-run China Youth Daily reported, citing a Ministry of Environmental Protection inspection team. "Local official have covered up for aluminum producers, leading them to build up their capacity," the Youth Daily reported citing a letter from the inspection team. China has imposed its most stringent measures on heavy industry, including steel, aluminum and coal mining, to reduce production in a battle against air pollution. Closures of steel plants, coal mines and aluminum smelters have roiled commodities market since the start of 2016, leading to a rally in prices. The sharply-worded letter from the environment ministry could be an indication that Beijing is tightening its scrutiny of heavy industries to force them to comply with the capacity cuts. The ministry said officials in major aluminum producing city Binzhou had used fake certificates and false data to obtain approval for the construction of 2.4 million tonnes of new aluminum production capacity in 2014. In addition, major steel producer Rizhao Steel was still running a mill with 5.94 million tonnes of capacity that was due to shut in 2015. Rizhao Steel and the Ministry of Environmental Protection were not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Meng Meng and Aizhu Chen; Editing by Peter Graff)
A major study of Interstate 80 through rural Iowa is due to be completed in May, according to the state Department of Transportation, and the public will get a chance to weigh in on it early next year.

The DOT has been studying the state's most-traveled east-west road for more than a year, with an eye toward figuring out what improvements will have to be made to accommodate the expectation of growing traffic volumes.

"I'd say we're real close to the end of it," said Brad Hofer, assistant director of the DOT's Office of Location and Environment, which was in charge of the study.

Officials believe traffic along I-80 will grow significantly by 2040. In Cedar County, near West Branch, for example, the DOT predicts that daily traffic along I-80 will grow from about 34,000 vehicles a day to 74,000 by 2040, with truck traffic more than doubling.

In western Iowa, the projected growth is more modest.

Still, the idea for the study was to evaluate existing conditions, long- and short-term issues and strategies to improve the route.

So far, planners have looked at the possibility of expanding U.S. 30 and U.S. 34, which run parallel to I-80, along with whether to segregate truck traffic. We found that it didnt make a whole lot of sense to do that, Hofer said.

While beneficial to operations and safety, truck-only lanes are cost prohibitive with the current financial constraints of the Iowa DOT, the agency said in a technical memo last July.

It added that expanding to six lanes would bring many of the same benefits. The report did not recommend lane restrictions or speed restrictions, but it said they could be pursued in the future.

As for expanding U.S. 30 and U.S. 34, the DOT found that would not bring sufficient benefits. The study also examined the kind of changes that might come from the trend toward automated driving.

The DOT still has work to do. It still hasnt detailed its findings on financing improvements with tolls. That would be a controversial step, and one that would require legislation.

We considered it our responsibility to at least look at it, Hofer said.

Taking such a step would mean some operational and safety benefits, in that improvements could be done more quickly. But it also would be a change to how the state traditionally funds road improvements. That report is due soon.

Before the study is completed, a final public input session will be scheduled. That will likely occur in April in Des Moines. However, Hofer said there would be a chance to see the presentation online and make comments that way.

The report will eventually make its way to the state transportation commission, which approves projects.

So far, Hofer said, there have been about 3,500 to 4,000 comments submitted as part of the study.
SANDRINGHAM, England (Reuters) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth praised the resilience of London and Manchester after "appalling attacks", in a Christmas message that also paid tribute to her husband, Prince Philip, who retired from regular royal duties this year. The "powerful identities" of the capital and the northern English city had shone through after militant attacks as well as a devastating fire that destroyed the residential tower block Grenfell Tower in London, the Queen said. The 91 year-old monarch, whose televised address is an essential part of a traditional Christmas in Britain, said it had been a privilege to visit victims of the bomb attack at a pop concert in Manchester, as she was able to witness the bravery and resilience of survivors first-hand. On the 60th anniversary of her first televised Christmas address, Elizabeth said her reflections on the year had made her "grateful for the blessings of home and family", and praised her husband and his "unique" sense of humor. The 96-year-old prince, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, has been at the queen's side throughout her 65 years on the throne, and has often grabbed the headlines with his off-color comments. Elizabeth, the world's longest reigning monarch, celebrated her platinum wedding anniversary in November. Philip retired from regular royal duties over the summer having carried out more than 22,000 solo engagements. "I dont know that anyone had invented the term 'platinum' for a 70th wedding anniversary when I was born. You weren't expected to be around that long," she said. "Even Prince Philip has decided it's time to slow down a little  having, as he economically put it, 'done his bit'. But I know his support and unique sense of humor will remain as strong as ever." Philip has continued to make occasional appearances, and joined other members of the royal family at a Christmas Day church service on their country estate in Sandringham. Also joining them for the service was Prince Harry's fiancee Meghan Markle who is spending Christmas with the royals. The American actress wore a distinctive brown hat as she arrived alongside the Queen's grandson Harry, his elder brother William and his wife Kate. As they left, both couples briefly chatted to some well-wishers who had gathered to glimpse the royals on Christmas morning. The Queen, who missed last year's service with a heavy cold, said in her address that she was looking forward to welcoming new members into the royal family next year. As well as Markle, who will marry Harry in May, Kate is expecting a third child. The royal Christmas broadcast dates back to King George V in 1932 when it was on the radio. It was first televised in 1957. (Reporting by Hannah McKay in Sandringham, Paul Sandle and Alistair Smout in London; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Robin Pomeroy)
Prince Harry and his American fiancee Meghan Markle reportedly want to invite former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama to their wedding in May, but government officials in the United Kingdom are worried such a move could anger the current U.S. president.

A report released on Christmas Day by The Sun claims that the 33-year-old royal and his wife-to-be hope to invite the Obamas, but not the current White House inhabitants.

"Harry has made it clear he wants the Obamas at the wedding, so its causing a lot of nervousness," a senior government official told The Sun, according to the report. "Trump could react very badly if the Obamas get to a Royal wedding before he has had a chance to meet the Queen."

The wedding will not be subject to the full regulations of a state wedding, but the government will play a "consultative role" and could put significant pressure on Buckingham Palace -- which is controlling the guest list -- to keep the Obamas off the guest list if they fear it could have damaging impacts to international relations between the two countries.

The relationship between Britain and the U.S. has been icy in recent months, with British lawmakers repeatedly criticizing the president over his various comments and actions. British Prime Minister Theresa May went as far as to say the president was "wrong" after he retweeted anti-Islam videos originally posted by a leader of a far-right British fringe party. The London mayor has said the president shouldn't be invited for an official state visit, and parliament debated banning him from the country before he took office.

Meghan Markle has also made disparaging comments about President Donald Trump in the past, calling him misogynistic in a 2016 interview. She has, however, praised his daughter Ivanka Trump on a handful of occasions. The first daughter and presidential advisor tweeted her congrats to the engaged couple shortly after their engagement was announced.

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Prince Harry and Obama have met on numerous occasions and have a relationship that's extended beyond the president's time in the White House. They were last seen together joking on the sidelines of events during the Invictus Games in Toronto.

The prince interviewed Obama for a BBC radio program earlier this year that is scheduled to air this week. Recorded in September during the Invictus Games in Toronto, Kensington Palace said the conversation focused on the duo's "shared interest in building platforms for the next generation of young leaders" and Obama's "memories of the day he left office and his hopes for his post-presidential life."

In a teaser clip released a week ago, the rapport between the world leaders was evident, as Obama joked about whether or not he would need to employ an accent for the interview.
Real Housewives of New York City star Luann de Lesseps has apologized after she was arrested in Florida and charged with multiple offenses, including disorderly intoxication and felony battery of a police officer, according to arrest records.

I want to offer my sincere apologies to anyone I might have offended with my behavior, the countess said in a statement. This was my first time in Palm Beach since my wedding, and being there brought up long-buried emotions. I am committed to a transformative and hopeful 2018.

I want to offer my most sincere apologies to anyone that I might have offended with my behavior. This was my first time in Palm Beach since my wedding and being here brought up buried emotions. I am committed to a transformative and hopeful 2018  Luann de Lesseps (@CountessLuann) December 24, 2017

De Lesseps was arrested Sunday in Palm Beach after kicking a police officer and saying, Im going to kill you all, a prosecutor said.

Judge Ted Booras listed the charges to the handcuffed de Lesseps, adding that three of the four are felonies.

I dont know if you have a drinking problem, but stop drinking, he told her. That seems to be the problem here.

When she began to respond, the judge warned her: Dont say anything.

Booras released de Lesseps on her own recognizance, saying, I dont think it would be that hard to find you, The Palm Beach Post reported.

The reality TV star is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 25. The judge gave her permission to return to New York until then. It was her first offense.

De Lesseps married businessman Tom DAgostino Jr. on New Years Eve last year. The marriage was over in seven months amid multiple reports of DAgostinos infidelity, which were a key part of the reality TV series last season.

De Lesseps became a countess after her prior marriage to Count Alexandre de Lesseps. They divorced in 2009.

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MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has started establishing a permanent military presence at naval and air bases in Syria, the defense minister said on Tuesday as parliament ratified a deal with Damascus to cement Russian presence in the country, the RIA news agency reported. The deal, signed on Jan. 18 will expand the Tartus naval facility, Russia's only naval foothold in the Mediterranean, and grant Russian warships access to Syrian waters and ports, Viktor Bondarev, head of the upper house security and defense committee, told RIA. RIA news agency separately quoted Sergei Shoigu as saying: "Last week the Commander-in-Chief (President Vladimir Putin) approved the structure and the bases in Tartus and in Hmeimim (air base). We have begun forming a permanent presence there." The Tartus naval facility, in use since the says of the Soviet Union, is too small to play host to larger warships. According to the RIA report, the agreement will allow Russia to keep 11 warships at Tartus, including nuclear vessels. The agreement will last for 49 years and could be prolonged further. The Hmeimim air base, from which Russia has launched numerous air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad during his war with rebels, can now be used by Russia indefinitely, according to the deal. (Writing by Polina Ivanova; Editing by Katya Golubkova and Robin Pomeroy)
While American private corporations are working to offer paying customers a short trip to space (or the edge of it), Russia is cooking up something grander. According to Popular Mechanics, it saw a proposal detailing Russian space corporation Roscosmos' plan to build a luxury hotel on the ISS. Anybody whose pockets are deep enough to shell out at least $40 million for the experience can stay there for a week or two. An additional $20 million will buy them the chance to go on a spacewalk with a cosmonaut.

The publication says Russian space contractor RKK Energia conjured up the strategy to be able to pay for the construction of the second module it's building that will set it back $279 to $446 million. RKK Energia is already building the first of the two modules to serve as a science laboratory and power supply station. Although the second module has always been part of the plan, the Russian government is only paying for the first one.

The tourist module will reportedly look like the first one from the outside -- you can see an illustration of the science module below:

[Image credit: Anatoly Zak/Russianspaceweb.com]

The inside, however, will have four sleeping quarters around two cubic meters each with 9-inch windows. It will also have two "medical and hygiene" stations, as well as a lounge area with a 16-inch window -- after all, if Russia wants guests to pay tens of millions, it will have to be worth it.

RKK Energia is hoping to fly one or two tourists per Soyuz flight after NASA stops buying seats on the capsule for astronauts headed to the ISS, which will happen once Boeing's and SpaceX's commercial crew program vehicles are ready. To be able to jump-start construction, it has to find 12 (wealthy) passengers willing to pay $4 million up front. And if at least six passengers pay for a week-long stay at the space hotel per year, the company can recoup its investment within seven years.

As Popular Mechanics noted, though, the ISS is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2028. The space contractor said the module takes five years to finish, so it will have to start building soon.
Mr Navalny was officially endorsed by more than 15,000 Russians - TASS

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been thwarted in his bid to challenge President Vladimir Putin in the 2018 elections after he an electoral commission ruled him ineligible to stand.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) refused to register Mr Navalny as candidate in the 2018 presidential race, citing his criminal conviction in a controversial embezzlement case, which, according to Russian laws, precludes him from running for public office.

Mr Navalny has dismissed the conviction as politically motivated.

Twelve members of the Commission out of 13 voted against registering Mr Navalnys candidacy, in a ruling that came just a day after he was endorsed by more than 15,000 people.

Mr Navalny, who was present at the vote, argued that his conviction was overturned by the European Court of Human Rights earlier this year. He added that he represents a huge number of voters, and not allowing him run will exclude millions of people out of this election.

I understand the difficult position youre in, but at least once in your life you should be able to do the right thing, the politician was quoted by the RBC news outlet as saying.

He said he would appeal the ruling which was "not against me, but against 16,000 people who have nominated me, against 200,000 volunteers who have been canvassing for me."

Mr Navalny, 41, is widely seen as the only serious opposition to Mr Putin, who will become the longest-serving ruler of Russia since Joseph Stalin, should he serve a fourth term.

The chair of CEC Ella Pamfilova said there was nothing wrong with Mr Navalnys application, but accused him of fundraising illegally and brainwashing young people.

Right after the vote Mr Navalny addressed his supporters in a video posted on his blog, where he urged them to boycott the election.

We are announcing a voters strike, he said. But were not going to sit on a couch, were going to monitor these elections. But not the results of the fake candidates - the turnout. The Kremlins main task right now is to rig the turnout.

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Pro-Kremlin figures have long marginalised the opposition as affluent city-dwellers with little support outside Moscow.

But this year Mr Navalny has begun opening dozens of campaign headquarters and mobilising thousands of volunteers in the Russian hinterlands where Mr Putin remains popular.

The president, however, shrugged off questions about a lack of opposition earlier this month. In a press conference, he said: It's not my job to raise competitors.
The prince's business empire includes holdings in Citi Bank, Disney, Twitter and Londons Savoy hotel

Authorities in Saudi Arabia are demanding $6 billion from Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal, one of the richest men in the world, in return for his release after he was arrested in an anti-corruption purge last month in Riyadh.

The prince, who is the 57th richest man in the world, was one of dozens of businessmen, royals and government officials detained last month in the capitals Ritz Carlton hotel in a move led by the countrys crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman.

Many of the others have since been released, with reports that many have paid for their freedom, but the fee demanded for Prince Al-Waleed is believed to be one of the highest.

Allegations levelled against Prince Al-Waleed included extortion, bribery and money laundering. Prince Al-Waleed is believed to be worth some $18.7 billion, and has accrued a vast portfolio that includes holdings in Citi Bank, Disney, Twitter and Londons Savoy hotel.

But he has reportedly refused to pay any such fee for his release, claiming that paying such a fee would amount to an admission of guilt. It is also believed that the fee could lead to the dismantling of much of the business empire he has spent his life building.

A source close to the prince told The Wall Street Journal He wants a proper investigation. It is expected that al-Waleed will give [Prince Bin Salman] a hard time,

The $6 billion figure was reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Last month, Prince Mutaib Bin Abdullah, the son of the late King Abdullah and head of the countrys National Guard, who was also caught up in the purge was released after paying a reported $1 billion. In total, 320 people were arrested.

In an interview with the New York Times last month, Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman said that some 10 per cent percent of government funds had been lost to corruption each year since 1980.

He said that 95 per cent of those caught up in the corruption probe had agreed to such settlements, but said: About 1 per cent are able to prove they are clean and their case is dropped right there. About four percent say they are not corrupt and with their lawyers want to go to court.
BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia has extradited to Turkey a Kurdish political activist who had been seeking asylum, a police official said on Tuesday, defying a recommendation by the United Nations' Committee against Torture. Cevdet Ayaz requested asylum in Serbia earlier this year after fleeing Turkey, where he had been sentenced to 15 years in prison over alleged activities against the constitution, the Belgrade-based N1 TV quoted his lawyer Ana Trkulja as saying. It also quoted her as saying that Ayaz had been extradited to Turkey on Monday and that his brother had been asked to contact a police station in Istanbul where he was being held. The U.N. Committee against Torture (UNCAT) issued a recommendation on Dec. 18 urging Belgrade to refrain from extraditing Ayaz. The Serbian police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Serbian courts had ruled that all preconditions for the extradition had been met and that Justice Minister Nela Kuburovic had acted accordingly. "The motion by the U.N. came after that (decision) ... The police only performed the extradition procedure," the official said. Officials at Serbia's Justice Ministry, which approved Ayaz's extradition, were not immediately available for comment on the case. On Monday UNCAT chairman Jens Modvig warned Serbia, a candidate for European Union membership, to adhere to its international obligations. "Serbia is in the process of extraditing Mr. Ayaz to Turkey ... Serbia, please be aware of your UNCAT obligations," Modvig wrote on his Twitter account. Rights groups accuse Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan of using a state of emergency declared after the 2016 coup attempt to quash decades-long Kurdish dissent and political opposition. Turkey, which is also a candidate for EU membership, denies using torture. Serbia, the legal successor to the now-defunct Yugoslavia, has ratified the U.N. convention against torture, which came into force in 1987. Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic has sought to boost trade ties with Turkey, and Erdogan visited Belgrade in October. (Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Gareth Jones)
More works by women artists.

That was the overarching goal of the Figge Art Museum's acquisition committee for 2017, a recognition that while women make up more than half the county's population, they are represented by only 6 percent of the museum's collection, Andrew Wallace, manager of collections and exhibitions, said.

The result is a range of new works, from an abstract painting and numerous photographs to vibrant sculptures made of "found" objects and colorful fabric. And the artists themselves are as different from each other as the works they produced.

All told, the museum acquired 182 works this year, the majority of them donated, Wallace said.

Two sculpture pieces by Vanessa German (b. 1976), a contemporary artist based in Pittsburgh, attract your attention as soon as the elevators doors part to the second floor.

They are similar in this: They appear to be female figures made with doll heads that have been built up with plaster and paper in a way that Africanizes the faces, reminiscent of tribal masks, Wallace said.

Objects tucked in among the brilliantly colored fabric dress include baby shoes, porcelain electrical insulators, a travel clock, a butterfly in a picture frame, two noisemakers that look like clowns, a paper detergent box, a cleaning brush and bracelets.

"The goal is to directly express emotions, complex and confusing, a complex network of emotions," Wallace said of German's work. "While on the surface they may look like caricatures, they are exuberant, passionate and emotion-filled. They are an outward expression of what's happening inside."

Fabric colors represent different emotions; red is rage; white conjures spirits, memories and ancestors; and blue is 'the blues,' or sadness/melancholy, he said.

"She (German) would have a very specific emotion tied to each one of the elements you see in this," he said. The sculptures also are a "form that can be appreciated by children," he said.

Behind the sculptures, hanging on a wall, is another assemblage of found objects with a very different feel. Created by Ukrainian immigrant Louise Nevelson (1899-1988), they consist of pieces she collected while walking the streets of New York in the 1930s, searching for wood to burn in her fireplace to keep warm.

The pieces include roofing shingles, a chair leg and a staircase spindle. They are assembled puzzle-like and painted black.

The third new piece in the second floor foyer is a large, colorful abstract expressionist painting by Grace Hartigan, a woman working around the same time as the more widely known Jackson Pollack and Franz Kline. She was the only woman whose work was represented in an exhibit titled "12 Americans" in 1956 at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Wallace said.

In addition to being created by a woman, her work "is one of only a couple of abstract paintings (in the Figge) at all," he said. "It fills in where we have not much to show. We're very happy about that."

Other works acquired in 2017 include photographs, with 17 on display in a side gallery on the second floor.

Lilly McElroy's photo titled "I control the sun" is taken in such a way that it appears the sun is being held within a human hand. "I make photographs in which I confront the American landscape and foolhardily demand that it become aware of my presence," she states in a panel next to her work.

"She is trying to exert herself, to exert authority over the world in which she finds herself," Wallace explained.

Another photograph of which Wallace is particularly proud is a soft platinum print of a woman and a child by Gertrude Kasebier (1852-1934), "the oldest work by a woman photographer in our growing photo collection," Wallace said.

Kasebier was born in what is now Des Moines and was known for images of motherhood, portraits of Native Americans and promotion of photography as a career for women.
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian rebels pinned down in a strategic area where the Israeli and Lebanese borders meet with Syria were handed an ultimatum by the Syrian army and its Iranian-backed militia allies to either surrender or face certain military defeat, rebels said on Tuesday. The Syrian army backed by local militias financed and equipped by Iran alongside Druze fighters from the area have been escalating a fierce assault against Sunni rebels in an enclave in the foothills of Mount Hermon, close to both the Israeli and Lebanese borders. "They were given 72 hours to surrender with fighters to go to Idlib or those who want to stay have to reach a settlement," said Ibrahim al-Jebawi, a Free Syrian Army (FSA) official familiar with the situation on the ground. Another rebel official who asked not to be named said they were told either to "surrender or a military solution." The rebels have now been left encircled in Beit Jin, their main stronghold after losing strategic hills and farms around it this week after over two months of near daily shelling and aerial strikes. Iran-backed Lebanon's Hezbollah's media unit said insurgents had agreed to negotiate surrender terms and said negotiations had already begun over their evacuation in the next few days to rebel-held Idlib. The Syrian army has used similar tactics of pushing opponents to rebel areas further from the Syrian capital after a twin tactic of siege and months of strikes on residential areas. There were also more than 8,000 civilians who have been trapped in the remaining enclaves with their plight worsening, according to rebel spokesman Sohaib Alraheel. Israel, which Syria accuses of helping the rebels, is alarmed at the growing Iranian military influence in the Golan Heights and has stepped up its strikes against pro-Iranian targets inside Syria. Israel has been lobbying both big powers to deny Iran, Lebanons Hezbollah and other Shiite militias any permanent bases in Syria, and to keep them away from the Golan, as they gain ground while helping Damascus beat back Sunni-led rebels. Early this month there was an Israeli strike on a base near Kiswah, south of Damascus, that was widely believed to be an Iranian military compound, a Western intelligence source said. Hezbollah's bastion in southern Lebanon is only a few kms from the rebel enclave, and securing a supply line from its stronghold into Syria's Quneitra province was a major strategic gain, rebels and defense analysts say. "Now Hezbollah will have a bigger foothold on the Syrian side of the Golan and it is desperate to link this area with southern Lebanon," al-Jebawi added. Israel had warned Hezbollah against trying to open a front in the Golan Heights and was believed to be behind the killing a prominent commander in an air strike in 2015 whom the group later admitted had overseen a local Hezbollah presence in the area. "This is an effort by Iran and its proxy Hezbollah to expand the lines of engagement with Israel. The question is will Israel allow that?" said Fayez al Dweiri, a retired Jordanian general who follows Syria closely. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Tom Brown)
Madrid (AFP) - A satirical petition proposing that Tabarnia, a non-existant part of independence-minded Catalonia, break away from the region and remain part of Spain went viral on Tuesday.

The Change.org petition, which has gathered over 21,000 signatures in just three days, was a trending topic on Twitter with over 150,000 users of the social media platform discussing it, including Catalan politicians.

Its backers mirror the language of Catalan separatists to argue that Tabarnia -- a word formed from Barcelona and Tarragona, the names of Catalonia's two main cities on the Mediterranean coast -- "is a region that differs in many aspects from the rest of the region it belongs to."

Pro-independence parties won a slim majority of 70 seats in the 135-seat Catalan parliament in a regional election on December 21, even though they did not get over half the ballots cast due to a quirk in Catalonia's electoral system which awards more seats to rural areas where support for independence is higher.

"Our vote is worth three or four times less than those in Girona and Lleida," the petition argues in a reference to the two Catalan provinces whose support for independence helped give separatist parties their majority.

The fictitious petition was launched by a movement which calls itself "Barcelona is not Catalonia", a play on the separatist slogan of "Catalonia is not Spain".

They argue that Barcelona and Tarragona suffer a "fiscal deficit" with the rest of the region, echoing the argument of separatists who say Catalonia, one of Spain's richest regions, pays more in taxes to the central government than it gets back in investments.

It also claims the "right to decide if we want to set up a new Spanish region that isolates us from the separatist threat" and argues that the Madrid area, which was once part of the region of Castile, is "now one of Spain's motors".

"If nationalists can invoke the non-existant right to divide, anyone can do it," the leader of anti-independence party Ciudadanos, Albert Rivera, said in a Twitter message that included an article about Tabarnia.
By Ali Kucukgocmen and Khalid Abdelaziz ISTANBUL/KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Turkey will rebuild a ruined Ottoman port city on Sudan's Red Sea coast and construct a naval dock to maintain civilian and military vessels, Sudan's foreign minister said on Tuesday, as Ankara expands military and economic ties in Africa. The restoration at Suakin was agreed during a visit to the ancient port by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said. Making the first trip by a Turkish president to Sudan, Erdogan said Turkey had been temporarily granted part of Suakin so it could rebuild the area as a tourist site and a transit point for pilgrims crossing the Red Sea to Mecca. He said the Suakin deal was one of several, worth $650 million in total, agreed with Sudan, which emerged from two decades of U.S. sanctions in October and is seeking to attract international investment. The countries also agreed "to build a dock to maintain civilian and military vessels," Ghandour told reporters, adding that they had signed an agreement "that could result in any kind of military cooperation". The agreements come three months after Turkey formally opened a $50 million military training base in Somalia as it exerts increasing influence in the region. Suakin was Sudan's major port when it was ruled by the Ottoman Empire, but fell into disuse over the last century after the construction of Port Sudan, 35 miles (60 km) to the north. Speaking on Monday in Khartoum, Erdogan said the refurbished port city would attract Mecca-bound pilgrims who would want to see the island's history, helping Sudan's tourism sector. "Imagine, people from Turkey wishing to go on pilgrimage will come and visit the historical areas on Suakin Island," Erdogan said. "From there ... they will cross to Jeddah by boat." The other agreements signed during Erdogan's visit include Turkish investment to build Khartoum's planned new airport and private sector investments in cotton production, electricity generation and building grain silos and meat slaughterhouses. Erdogan and Bashir said they aimed for trade between the two countries to reach $10 billion, Turkey's Foreign Economic Relations Board said. In October, the United States lifted a trade embargo and other penalties that had cut Sudan off from much of the global financial system. Sudan's state minister for investment has said he aims to attract investment of $10 billion a year, compared to $1 billion estimated by the United Nations for 2016. (Additional reporting by Dahlia Nehme in Cairo; Editing by Dominic Evans and Robin Pomeroy)
N'Djamena (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a number of trade deals with Chad on Tuesday, on his first visit to what is one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world.

After landing at the airport in the capital N'Djamena, where he was met by his counterpart Idriss Deby, the two leaders made deals in a number of areas, including income tax, cooperation on youth and sports, technical development, investment and information-sharing, according to a statement by the Chadian presidency.

Erdogan headed a delegation of a dozen ministers, including defence and foreign affairs, as well as 100 Turkish businessmen.

On a trip which the Chadian presidency said would "open a new page in the deepening of relations between the two countries", the two leaders also expressed agreement on key international issues, such as terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

As fresh tensions simmer in the Israeli-occupied West Bank following US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Erdogan and Deby said the move could have a negative impact on peace and stability in the region and would entail a risk of completely destroying the foundations for peace.

The Chad visit is part of the Turkish president's three-country African tour and follows a visit to Sudan on Sunday, where he signed military and economic deals aimed at boosting two-way trade from the current level of $500 million a year to $1-billion.
By Maria Ramirez PUERTO ORDAZ, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan authorities said on Tuesday they had arrested 28 people in southern Bolivar state for looting and disorder over Christmas in the latest unrest during a severe economic crisis. There have been scattered protests and roadblocks around the South American OPEC nation in recent days over food shortages, power-cuts, high prices and fuel rationing. Local chamber of commerce head Florenzo Schettino told Reuters 10 businesses - mostly liquor stores - were looted as dark fell on Christmas Day in Bolivar, which has seen unrest at various points over the last four years of brutal recession. In the western Andean states, police and soldiers were guarding gas stations, where there were large lines and customers were only allowed to fill up 35 liters per vehicle. "We're wasting so much time ... The government is testing people's patience," said bus driver Pedro Pina, waiting for hours to buy fuel in Barinas state. Critics blame President Nicolas Maduro and the ruling Socialist Party for Venezuela's economic mess, saying they have persisted with failed statist policies for too long, while turning a blind eye to rampant corruption and inefficiency. The government says it is the victim of an "economic war" by political opponents and right-wing foreign powers, intent on bringing down Maduro in a coup. "This can only be reversed with deep economic reforms," said opposition legislator and economist Angel Alvarado. In western Zulia state, several hundred thousand people were plunged into darkness on Christmas Eve, sparking fury among those who had scraped together money and hunted for products throughout the day to prepare a traditional family dinner. "I spent the whole day stressed out - and then the lights went off. What a pathetic Christmas," said Lilibeth Rodriguez, 40, whose family gathering was ruined. (Reporting by Maria Ramirez; Additional reporting by Francisco Aguilar in Barinas, Isaac Urrutia in Maracaibo, Anggy Polanco in San Cristobal; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Andrew Hay)
A suspect in a Geneseo house fire determined to be intentionally set turned himself in to the Henry County Sheriff's Office and is being held in Henry County Jail.

Here's what happened, according to a news release from Geneseo police: About 8 a.m. Saturday, Geneseo police and fire crews responded to a report of a house fire on the 500 block of East Park Street.

The residents had left the structure and no one was injured. An investigation that included Illinois State Police and the office of the state fire marshal determined the fire had been set intentionally as the result of a domestic dispute.

After police sought his whereabouts on charges of aggravated arson and aggravated assault, Jeffery R. "Ryan" Blunk, 28, of Geneseo, turned himself in.

Blunk was scheduled to appear Tuesday in Henry County Court. His bond had not been set as of Tuesday morning.
Three Palestinian rioters were arrested overnight Monday in clashes at the 'Ayda refugee camp south of Jerusalem.

The rioters hurled concrete blocks at IDF troops, who responded with crowd dispersal measures.

Also overnight, Israeli security forces sealed off a lathe-shop in Jenin where weapons were being produced.
Judges at the Be'er Sheva District Court have leveled harsh criticism against the Shin Bet's interrogation techniques for detainees arrested in connection with security offenses.

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Last month, the court acquitted 23-year-old Khalil Nimri of charges of planning to plant a bomb at a hotel in the southern resort city of Eilat, despite the fact Nimri had confessed to the plot.

In their reasoning, which was not released at the time of the acquittal, judges Ariel Vago, Aylon Infeld and Ariel Hazak noted the defendant was arrested under the Shin Bet's mistaken belief that he was behind the plot to bomb the hotel and may have been falsely jailed.

Khalil Nimri (Photo: Haim Horenstein)

He was taken in for interrogation by the Shin Bet, during which he confessed to have planned to carry out an attack at the hotel.

But a short time later, the same receptionist spotted the person who actually took the tour of the hotelAshraf Salameh, 25. The receptionist called the police and admitted his mistake, and Ashraf was taken in for questioning as well.

Instead of admitting the mistake and releasing Nimri, the Shin Bet formulated a theory according to which the twoboth residents of east Jerusalem who were working in Eilat at the timeplanned to carry out the attack together.

"The Shin Bet's investigation methods are unknown to us," the judges wrote. "It can be assumed that when given appropriate intelligence, the Shin Bet knows how to carry out an investigation to thwart the threat in the most effective manner. However, in this case, at least based on the evidence presented before us, there is concrete concern that the defendant (Nimri) was arrested and spent two years in detainment while innocent of any crime."

The judges went on to say that "the defendant was arrested under the false belief of the Shin Bet that he was the one who came to the hotel." The Shin Bet, the judges wrote, "was very confident about the matter, and its interrogators accused the defendant again and again of lying about not having visited the hotel, while he was telling the truth."

According to the verdict, the standard procedures for identifying suspects were not carried out: There was no lineupwhich would've exposed the mistakeand Nimri's alibi was not checked. In addition, the investigators did not properly examine hotel security footage, in which Nimri does not appear.

"These actions would have been taken had the defendant been investigated by any regular police investigator, at any police station in Israel. Israel Police investigators know the suspect's claims must be checked immediately, even if they don't believe him. Unfortunately, the Shin Bet did not conduct the investigative procedures that are commonplace in the police and led the defendant to confess he had visited the hotel," the judges wrote.

The Eilat hotel that was the target of the foiled attack (Photo: Meir Ohayon)

The judges also addressed Nimri's alleged partner-in-crime, Ashraf Salameh. Salameh's trial is currently ongoing, and he has confessed and repeated his confession several times.

"It is possibleand we do not know thisthat the state's theory is backed by rich intelligence that indicates the defendant's guilt as well as Ashraf'sintelligence that has not been presented to us. However, based on the partial evidence before us, it appears a horrible error has been made, with the investigative techniques leading to a false confession."

The judges urged the Shin Bet to reexamine its methods, "to ensure the investigative methods, which do lead to the exposure of dangerous terror acts quite often, do not lead innocent people to confess to things they did not do."

The court also criticized the Israel Police, saying "Police investigators may have allowed the defendants to make their claims of innocence, but they did not do enough. A police investigator is not a clerk whose job is to carry out the investigation based on the instructions of his superiors. The investigator is a judge, even on a small scale, whose job is to uncover the truth amid the lies."

The Southern District Attorney's Office has appealed Nimri's acquittal to the Supreme Court.

Attorney Esther Bar-Zion, who represents Nimri, said "The security branches are making a great effort to ensure the safety and security of the public. There are cases in which even the best fall into the trap of narrow thinking and ignorenot due to malice, but rather negligenceserious problems in the investigation materials. The best judicial workdone with no discriminationcan identity faults and failures. And even though a citizen confesses, the best judicial work examines all of the evidence and knows when to acquit."

The Shin Bet said in response: "The Be'er Sheva District Court's decision regarding Khalil Nimri, including its reasoning, is being studied by all relevant bodies, including examining the possibility of appealing this decision to the Supreme Court."
The Rishon LeZion city council approved Monday night an amendment to the municipal bylaw allowing businesses (grocery stores and kiosks) to remain open on Shabbat in an effort to outmaneuver national legislation seeking to give the interior minister the authority to cancel such bylaws.

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The Rishon municipality explained the issue was raised Monday in an effort "to maintain the status quo" after the so-called supermarkets bill passed in the Knesset in its first reading and before it goes up to a vote in its second and third reading.

According to the amendment approved in Rishon LeZion, business owners will be able to open on Saturday in the city's industrial areas and main streetsincluding Jabotinsky, Herzl, Rothschild and Jerusalem streets.

The Rishon LeZion city council discusses the amendment to the bylaw (Photo: Rishon LeZion municipality)

The hours of activity will be discussed in a future meeting of the city council.

Mayor Dov Zur has been working on the amendment to the bylaw since May, with a special team he formed preparing an extensive plan to change the existing bylaw to allow preserving the existing situation in the city.

"Since there are only a few businesses operating in Rishon LeZion on Shabbat, the amendment to the bylaw should not bother Shabbat observers," the municipality said in a statement.

United Torah Judaism MK Uri Maklev slammed the amendment to the Rishon bylaw, saying "this legislation hurts the cornerstones of the Jewish people. The government's supermarkets bill will come into effect before the municipal bylaws go into effect. Beyond that, the interior minister has the authority not to accept these bylaws even now."

And, indeed, any bylaw approved in a municipality or local council before going into effect must go through a bureaucratic process in the Interior Ministry, which is led by Shas leader Aryeh Deri who also proposed the supermarkets bill.

The municipal legal office has to work with the Interior Ministry's legal department on the bylaw, which later needs to also receive the approval of the Justice Ministry. It is only after these two stages are completed that the bylaw reaches the interior minister's table for signing.

This technical procedure takes several weeks at least, and therefore makes it unlikely the bylaws would go into effect before the supermarkets bill is passed into law.

A coalition official said Monday that even without being intentionally delayed, the approval procedure for municipal bylaws could take at least two months.

In addition, the interior minister could delay the bylaw for at least four months.

A grocery store in Rishon LeZion (Photo: Avi Mualem)

The Givatayim municipality also tried to approve a similar bylaw, but the move has been delayed by court order that determined the city council cannot discuss the matter, citing procedural reasons.

According to the bill proposal, a municipality would be able to change its bylaws to allow commercial activity on Shabbat only with the approval of the interior minister. The legislation will not, however, allow the minister to change existing bylaws.

This prompted several municipalities to rush to pass a special bylaw to allow businesses to remain open on Shabbat before the supermarkets bill is passed into law and goes into effect.

In addition to Givatayim and Rishon LeZion, the mayors of Holon, Ramat Gan, Modi'in and Herzliya are also working on such legislation.

The supermarkets bill was scheduled to go up for discussion at the Knesset's Interior Committee this week ahead of its second and third reading. The ultra-Orthodox parties have the support of the coalition on this legislation after UTJ leader Yaakov Litzman resigned from his position as health minister to protest train work being done on Shabbat. The Haredim are putting heavy pressure on the coalition to pass the legislation before municipalities across the country can pass bylaws to allow businesses to operate on Shabbat, thus creating facts on the ground.

But the approval of the supermarket bill has been delayed, as the Knesset's committee work has been halted while the lawmakers are holding a three-day discussion over another controversial legislation, the recommendations bill.

So far, there has not been a new date set for the Interior Committee's discussion on the supermarkets bill, which gives hope to municipalities hoping to amend their bylaws.

Givatayim city council members from Bayit Yehudi and Likud, along with the Association of Merchants and Independents, were the ones to ask the procedural court to issue the temporary injunction in an effort to stall for time, thus giving the Haredi parties in the Knesset the time to pass the supermarkets bill.

The temporary injunction in Givatayim inspired supporters of the supermarkets bill in other cities to plan similar moves to delay the amendments of the bylaws in their municipalities.

Givatayim Mayor Ran Kunik said he intends to file an urgent request to the court to cancel the injunction, following which he will call a meeting at the earliest opportunity to discuss the proposed amendment to the bylaw.

Meanwhile, the Knesset approved in second and third reading early Tuesday another bill proposal that will require the labor minister to consider "Israel's tradition" when deciding on giving work permits for the Jewish day of rest. Fifty MKs voted in favor of the bill, while 38 opposedturning it into law.
David Amouyal, whose wife Elia Kadosh is suspected of orchestrating an attack on security guards at the Ichilov Hospital , was charged on Tuesday with a series of violent offenses in connection with the assault three months ago.

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Amouyal's friends and Kadosh herself have already been indicted, but Amouyal fled the country and was arrested only last Thursday at Ben-Gurion International Airport upon his return to Israel.

Prosecution representatives said at the court hearing on Tuesday that there are ongoing negotiations to reach a plea deal with all of the other defendants in the case, excluding Amouyal.





Amouyal in court (Photo: Shaul Golan)

Kadosh was charged in October with intimidation and assaulting police officers and was later indicted for two additional incidents of assault on a taxi driver and another police officer

The four men who carried out the assault along with Amouyal were charged with assault, aggravated battery, conspiring to commit a crime and intimidation. Amouyal was charged with the same offenses.

Amouyal, 35, was convicted 11 times in the past in 55 different cases, of violence-related offenses, the possession of weapons, drug offenses, property offenses, false imprisonment, extortion and intimidation and others. He served eight prison sentences as a result.

Kadosh and Amouyal were reunited in court after she has been on house arrest while he was in detention with the four other suspects.

Kadosh and Amouyal

The indictment against Amouyal describes the incident that led to the assault, which began when Kadosh started verbally abusing the medical staff at the Ichilov Hospital, claiming she was not receiving proper treatment.

After she was removed from the ER by security guards, she threatened the guards and medical staff, telling them: "Just you wait for my husband to get here."

Some two hours later, Amouyal and his four friends arrived at the hospital and located the security guard who removed Kadosh, with Amouyal telling him: "I'm your devil, just you wait. Not in front of the cameras, I'll get you outside."

Amouyal and the other defendants in court (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

According to the indictment, Amouyal and the four other defendants then entered the ER, while the security guard and two other guards followed them inside.

The five then attacked the security guard, hitting him in the head and back. After he was knocked down to the ground, they kicked him in the face and in other parts of his body.

The five also beat up the other two security guards, punching and kicking them. A fourth guard who came to the aid of his colleagues also came under attack, receiving a punch to the face.

"The violent, bullying, and unconstrained behavior of Amouyal and the others is reflected in the security camera video and the testimonies of the medical staff," the arrest request said. "It indicates the level of violence used against all security guards."
Wednesday, Dec. 25, 1912 -- LIBERATES THE CANARY BIRDS | FORMER CONVICT MAKES PURCHASE AT CHICAGO | Goes to the Door and Turns Them Loose Typifying His Thankfulness to Get Out of Prison

(Associated Press Leased Wire) CHICAGO, Dec. 25 -- A gray haired man probably 50 years old walked into Mike Conolly's shop at 527 South Western avenue last night and bought three singing canaries. A moment later the stranger had turned the birds loose in the street. "My friend," Mike said, "you're foolish, you just paid me $3 apiece for those birds." "Mr. Connolly," the man said. "I just got out of a cage down in Joliet, I was in there fifteen years. I want the birds to enjoy the same freedom I'm enjoying."

Monday, Dec. 26, 1927 -- Woman Loses Arm; Farmer Unconscious After Smash

One woman suffered injuries which necessitated the amputation of her right arm, a Sherrard farmer has been unconscious since 9 o'clock yesterday morning and four other persons were hurt in a series of automobile accidents occurring in Rock Island Christmas eve and Christmas day. Three men are under arrest for driving automobiles while intoxicated.

Sunday, Dec. 27, 1942 -- Duck Creek Over Banks; Families Driven Out | Many Are Imperiled By Flood | Snow and Much Colder Weather Is Forecast

Three inches of rain in a 12-hour period sent Duck creek roaring out of its banks Saturday night, drove more than 50 families, including 37 at the Harrison street trailer camp, Davenport, from their homes, flooded scores of cellars in the Tri-cities and stalled dozens of automobiles which tried to pass high waters. Blackhawk creek in Davenport also was reported out of its banks.

Saturday, Dec. 28, 1957 -- Boat Moves Through Locks | Navigation Season Is 'Reopened' On River

A pilot bellowed "Spring is here" shortly before midnight Friday as the navigation season reopened again on the Mississippi River at Lock and Dam 15, Rock island. Navigation closed Dec. 10 when the river was locked in five inches of ice in the Quad-City area. However, a long spell of warm weather pushed the ice out and Friday night a boat moved upstream through the local locks.

Friday, Dec. 29, 1972 -- Illegal Hair Cutting Gains In Popularity

Although it is illegal for cosmetologists to cut and style a man's hair, the practice appears to be gaining popularity in the Quad-City area. Beauticians in both Iowa and Illinois are running the risk of a fine, jail sentence and possibly a lawsuit each time they serve a male customer.

Wednesday, Dec. 30, 1987 -- Thunder cut Foster

The Quad-City Thunder has signed Leroy Combs, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward from Oklahoma State, Thunder officials announced Tuesday. To make room for Combs on the roster, Rod Foster has been placed on waivers.

Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2002 -- Monolith rankles some residents | Board to discuss whether towering marker must go | Race driver's sons built monument in Illinois City to last hundreds of years

For four months, two brothers worked their hearts out, creating what they believe is a beautiful and fitting tribute to their dad, who died in an auto-racing accident at the Cordova (Ill.) Dragway Park in May.
A group that monitors extremist organizations says the Islamic State group has posted what is thought to be the first video from ISIS-affiliated fighters in Somalia.

The video posted online Monday calls on supporters to "hunt down" what it calls nonbelievers and attack churches and markets.

The SITE Intelligence Group says the video urges supporters to take advantage of people's "drunkenness" over the holiday season to attack.

The United States last month launched its first drone strikes against Islamic State group-affiliated fighters in Somalia. The Horn of Africa nation has a small but growing presence of the fighters, many of them defectors from the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group.

The fighters are based in northern Somalia's rural Puntland. Experts warn their numbers could grow as IS fighters flee Syria and Iraq.
TUNIS - The UAE, which angered Tunisia by banning Tunisian women from its passenger flights, has intelligence that female jihadists returning from Iraq or Syria might try to use Tunisian passports to stage terrorist attacks, a Tunisian government official said.

Tunisia had demanded the United Arab Emirates apologize for the travel bansaying that the UAE had provided no explanationand on Sunday it suspended the Dubai-based airline Emirates from operating at Tunis airport.

Since then, Saida Garrach, an advisor at the Tunisian presidency, told local radio Shems FM that the UAE had "serious information over the possibility of terrorist acts as part of returning fighters leaving Iraq and Syria," and that the two countries were now working together to address the threat.

"There are terrorist plots in several countries," Garrach said in an interview conducted on Monday and posted on the station's website.

"What concerns the United Arab Emirates is the possibility of terrorist acts committed by Tunisian women or by Tunisian passport holders," she said.
The upper chamber of the Russian parliament has voted to extend Russia's lease of a naval base in Syria for 49 years.

The vote at the Federation Council on Tuesday follows a similar endorsement by the lower chamber last week.

Russia's air campaign in Syria, which began in September 2015, helped turn the tide of the civil war in favor of Moscow's long-time ally, President Bashar Assad. Even though Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month announced a partial pullout of troops from Syria, Russia is determined to keep its military presence there.

The agreement, which now needs Putin's signature before it comes into effect, allows Russia to keep its warships at the Mediterranean base in Tartus for 49 years.
The Military Prosecutor's Office submitted an indictment Tuesday against two IDF soldiers after they attacked and beat unconscious a fellow Druze soldier in early December in a military base in northern Israel where he was stationed.

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In the indictments submitted to the Military Northern District Court, the two soldiers were charged of committing serious offenses of aggravated assault and causing serious injury in aggravated circumstances.

The two soldiers, who were arrested shortly after the attack, were accused of beating the soldier in two separate instances using unspecified objects, breaking his nose and causing him to bleed.

The assaulted Druze soldier after the attack

The military court requested that the arrest of the two soldiers be extended until the conclusion of the judicial proceedings against them.

The IDF will not accept the violent acts towards soldiers and will continue to act, using the tools at its disposal in order to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents and in order hold anyone accountable who acted violently and against the law, the Military Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

After the victims family posted on Facebook earlier this month that their son had been severely beaten by soldiers on his base, the IDF confirmed it in a statement saying that "a Criminal Investigation Division (CID) inquiry is underway. We denounce any incidences of violence.

His family detailed on Facebook how the soldier was attacked.

"He was savagely kicked and punched by two soldiers for refusing to vacate his dorm. The following day, they attacked him again, until he lost consciousness and lay prone, bleeding and humiliated on the ground," his family wrote and accompanied the post with photos they said showed the aftermath of the beating.

The Facebook post read, "The photo you see here was not taken at the scene of a terrorist attack, not in (Jerusalem's) Damascus Gate and not in a kasbah (old city) in the territories. The soldier depicted in the photo was savagely attacked in his base by two soldierstwo criminals in uniform."

The assaulted soldiers grandfather, Sa'id Hussein, slammed the attack against his grandson, saying in an interview with Ynet: To beat a soldier in the IDF until he loses consciousness requires an investigation. This is not the army I served in thirty years ago. I didnt send my grandson to the army for this kind of thing.
Just shy of forty-one percent of Israelis support Defense Minister Avigdor Liebermans controversial proposal to boycott the Israeli Arab region of Wadi Ara which he made following a violent protests in the area in which rioters hurled at police cars and buses, according to a new poll conducted at the behest of his Yisrael Beytenu party.

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Out of a total of 612 participants in the poll, representing a wide spectrum of Israeli society, 40.9% of people said they supported the idea, while 41.9% said they were opposed to it.

During the riots that triggered call for boycotts, a Yedioth Ahronoth photographer Gil Nechushtan also came under attack by Arab rioters.

Lieberman and riot in Wadi Ara (Photo: Gil Nechushtan, AFP)

Both Jews and Israeli Arabs slammed Lieberman's proposal and criticized his assertion that the residents of Wadi Ara were not part of the State of Israel.

The survey was conducted by the polling group Markets Panorama aheaf of the Yisrael Beytenu party convention for the municipal council elections set to be held in November 2018.

The party was satisfied with the results of the fresh statistics that indicated that if elections were held today, their party would receive 9 mandates.

Lieberman and Saturday's riot in Wadi Ara

Likud would receive 24, while Yesh Atid would receive 19 and the Zionist Union 17. The Arab Joint List would bag 13 mandates, while the Bayit Yehudi party would lag behind with 10 mandates.United Torah Judaism would clinch 8, while Kulanu and Metretz would enjoy just 7 each and Shas 6.

Responding to the poll question to what extent they were satisfied with the functioning of the government, 43% of participants answered they are either extremely dissatisfied or not particularly satisfied. Thirty-one percent said they were satisfied or extremely satisfied.

Wadi Ara protest

Lieberman could also celebrate the findings of the poll which showed that he is considered the most suitable man for the position for defense minister.

After the participants were presented with a list of hypothetical candidates to fill in his post, Lieberman himself came in first, bagging 21.5% of the approval rating for the position while his predecessor, Moshe Yaalon, gained half a percentage point less with 21%.

Gabby Ashkenazi scored 20.2% of the approval rating and Ehud Barak scored a mere 10.5%, just missing last place to Naftali Bennett, who scored 8.5%.
A battle of narratives is underway between Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and the leaders of Hamas. The outcome of this battle could impact many crucial events in the future.

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Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital by US President Donald Trump could serve either one of these narratives.

Hamas's narrative is about the need to use violence to promote the Palestinian cause, and holds that force is the only way to get Israel to make concessions. Hamas's violence is not only used against Israel. It is also directed against Abbas and the PA. Hamas's refusal to pay taxes, and its rebellion against the PA, is also a form of violence.

The narrative of Abbas, on the other hand, centers around the need to use diplomatic maneuvers, and to turn to the international community to push Israel into concessions. Abbas's position is that organized armed conflict against Israel is futile.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (Photo: Reuters)

Events in recent years have all, from the Palestinian perspective, backed Hamas's narrative over that of Abbas.

The violence of the Second Intifada, from 2000 to 2005, resulted, in Palestinian eyes, in Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank. The Israeli perception of these events is based on a completely different strategic view.

In June 2007, Hamas launched a successful, violent, and brutal revolution in Gaza, ousting Fatah and seizing power. From that moment, Hamas became the ruler of Gaza. It took a decade for Hamas to comprehend the weight of responsibility that comes from governing a population. But its narrative had scored an important victory in Hamas's eyes.

In 2008, Hamas's rocket attacks provoked the first Israeli military campaign against Gaza, Operation Cast Lead. By that time, Israel had classified Gaza as a terrorist entitya classification that remains in place to this day. A strict Israeli policy was put in place in response to Gazan terrorism, restricting the entry of goods, and only items deemed essential were allowed into Gaza. The international community heavily criticized this Israeli policy, and the pressure on Jerusalem to change it was enormous.

President Trump recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital (Photo: AP)

Following Operation Cast Lead, Israel adopted a different civilian policy towards Gaza, making it more extensive and allowing more goods into Gaza. Hamas's message to Palestinians in Gaza, and in Judea and Samaria, was clear: Force was successfully used. Israel had "surrendered" and changed its policies, Hamas claimed.

In 2012, Egypt's President Mubarak was overthrown, and Muslim Brotherhood leader Muhammad Morsi won elections in Egypt. Hamas felt emboldened by the rise to power of a clear ally and sponsor.

It dug over 1000 tunnels linking Gaza to Egypt's Sinai to import all manner of goodscreating a tunnel economy worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Hamas felt confident enough to disconnect itself from the Fatah-run Palestinian Authority, and its president, Mahmoud Abbas. This, despite the fact that Abbas continued to pay 40% of the Palestinian Authority's budget to Gaza. Hamas was enjoying the best of both worlds.

That same year, Israel became involved in a second military operation against Hamas, Operation Pillar of Defense. This air campaign ended with a negotiated agreement, aimed at decreasing the smuggling of weapons into Gaza from Sinai. But it also ended with a changed Israeli policy, enlarging the number of people and goods that can cross in and out of Gaza.

Hamas did not really need the extra goods from Israel, due to the extensive network of tunnels from Sinai providing it with an outlet to an allied Egypt, but the development still allowed Hamas to claim another "victory," through the use of force.

Using force to break the "blockade"

In 2013, Egypt experienced a counter-revolution, and Morsi was deposed. His vision of turning Hamas into an Egyptian Islamist proxy was gone, and Egypt's policy towards Hamas was turned on its head. President El-Sisi, the new leader, systematically destroyed the tunnels linking Sinai to Gaza, and boycotted Hamas, which was no longer able to receive cash and supplies from the outside world. It could no longer smuggle weapons either.

As a result, Hamas increased the production of weapons domestically, using dual use items entering Gaza. Israel's ban on dual-use items grew astronomically.

Gaza's tunnel economy collapsed, and it became wholly dependent on more expensive imports from Israel. It also suddenly found itself dependent on the PA's budget, giving Abbas new leverage powers over Gaza. Hamas faced a potential humanitarian crisis in Gaza, growing shortages in water and electricity, and a mounting financial crisis which meant it could not even pay its own government officials.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar (L) and Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani (Photo: AP)

Hamas began firing rockets again at Israel, vowing to break "the siege." The situation deteriorated into a conflict in the summer of 2014, lasting 52 days. At the end of that conflict, despite sustaining major casualties, and damage to Gaza, Hamas claimed that it faced the strongest military in the Middle East, and remained standing. It claimed victory, one that was very much in the eyes of the beholder.

At the end of the conflict, Israel again undertook an obligation to change its civilian policy and allow more goods in to the Strip.

Nevertheless, Israel did not create major strategic changes in its policies in Gaza, despite Hamas's narrative. Israel limited its steps to tactical changes.

Hamas continues to seek ways to force Israel to make strategic changes, something it has so far failed to do.

The competing narrative

Abbas's narrative is based on the following guidelines: No to violence, but also, dialogue with Israel is not an option for the time being, since there is no one on the Israeli side to talk to.

This leaves the door open to unilateral Palestinian steps. It also creates a suggestion to the Palestinian street, vaguely encouraging unrest, due to the signal that Israel is not a peace partner.

The announcement by US President Donald Trump recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital actually plays into Abbas's hands. His claim that there is no one to talk to in Israel can now be broadened to include the United States. Abbas will try to recruit the whole of the EU and the Arab world to his side following the announcement.

Hamas rally in Gaza (Photo: EPA)

The move can be used by Abbas to create Palestinian unity, and move closer to Hamas. Currently, Abbas's legacy will be open to Palestinian accusations of causing a split among the Palestinians, dividing them into two entities.

Abbas can also use his toolbox of non-violent options to punish the Americans for being "too pro-Israeli," by undermining the coalition of pragmatic, anti-Iranian Sunni states that are allied to Washington.

These events are part of a major internal Palestinian battle over the right to be the legitimate representative of all Palestinians. If Abbas's narrative wins, it will consolidate Fatah as the top Palestinian representative. If Hamas's path of violence gains the upper hand, the Hamas vision of leading the PLO will become stronger. This is a battle that will ultimately decide who will receive the lion's share of political power in the Palestinian arena.
Syria's armed forces said a military jet was downed by insurgents in northern Hama province on Tuesday and the pilot killed, state television said.

Militant group Tahrir al Sham - a fighting force dominated by members of Al Qaeda's former branch in Syria - said it hit the plane.

A source said the militants were searching for another pilot they believed had survived the crash.

The western central province has seen intense aerial strikes by the Russian and Syrian air forces in the country's civil war. Dozens of civilians have been killed in the bombing of towns away from front lines in the last few weeks, according to rescue workers and witnesses.
President Reuven Rivlin praised the weekly protests against government corruption Tuesday, saying that "we have excellent proof of the influence over the last few years of the internet on our reality, while emphasizing the importance of protesting on Israels streets, rather than simply behind a computer screen.

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The summer protests and the for-and-against protests, that spread from Petah Tikva to Tel Aviv and to other street squares, and the MeToo campaign which is so important, Rivlin said as he listed the examples of demonstrations which he said had had such a profound impact on society.

Notice that all these examples went from words to actions and gathered traction in real life as well, Rivlin said during a speech at the at the Dov Lautman Conference on Education for Democracy at the Open University.

President Rivlin (Photo: Yair Sagi)

There is no alternative to the physical city squares. We must raise a generation that will be mindful that true democracy can begin online, but it can never replace the need and obligation to participate in significant debate and action."

Last Saturday night, thousands of Israelis took to the streets in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and other cities to protest government corruption in what has become a weekly occurrence in Tel Aviv.

Rivlins comments coincided with a request by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting with rabbis of the Religious Zionist camp for their support as he faces a string of corruption investigations.

"I expect of you, as rabbis and as right-wing community leaders, to offer me support," Netanyahu said, implying that the multiple investigations against him and the protests against him are merely a ploy to depose him from the the top spot.

PM Netanyahu (Photo: AP)

"They are trying to illegally unseat me. I am facing persecution as a right wing leader," Netanyahu told the rabbis. Thats why your support is so important and I want to express my appreciation.

The prime minister further added that we have not always been able to withstand these attempts. It succeeded in Israel once in 1992, this time we will make sure it doesnt succeed.

Attempting to rally the group of rabbis behind him, Netanyahu said that all those present were sufficiently experienced not to be fooled. That is why I simply wanted to express my appreciation and ask that we strengthen each other. Thank you all, he said, adding that he did not believe that he would be arraigned at the conclusion of the investigations against him and that he believed the attorney general will eventually decide not to compel him to stand trial.

Netanyahu also stressed that the probes against him did not stem from a personal dislike but from a political distaste for a right-wing leader. If he became more left-wing at the diplomatic level, he asserted, he would not be in the beleaguered in position in which he currently finds himself.

Despite Netanyahus exhortations and appeals, some of the rabbis elected to convey the message that they were not in his pocket. Others criticized Netanyahu for his latest appeal, accusing him of only ever evoking Religious Zionism in troublesome times and before elections after which he promptly demotes it to being last in his list of priorities.
Illegal immigrants are now being held in Scott County Jail at the request of U.S. Immigration officials. The question is whether that's a stark shift in policy or just a shoring up of previously informal agreements.

Liberal activists and religious organizations cried foul this month after undocumented immigrant Maria Concepcion Hernandez Calderon was arrested on shoplifting charges and turned over to U.S. Immigration agents. Sheriff Tim Lane's decision to hand Calderon over to Immigration and Customs Endorsement, after holding her for several hours, marked a shift from former Sheriff Dennis Conard's handling of such cases, they claimed.

The county, throughout Conard's tenure, refused to honor ICE detainer requests and hold inmates past their court-ordered release dates. Instead, it would release the inmate, who were then greeted by ICE agents waiting outside.

That's all changed due to Lane's decision to hold inmates for up to 48 hours for ICE thanks to an agreement with the federal agency.

But Lane argued Friday that any changes are purely technical. Practically, the county's treatment of Calderon was consistent with years of past policy, he said.

Under Conard, the Sheriff's Office took a less formal approach to working with ICE. Typically, federal immigration agents were given a heads-up before an undocumented inmate was set to be released from county jail, Conard told me on Friday.

"Nothing has really changed from what was done before," Conard said.

I also asked County Attorney Mike Watson if there has been any meaningful shift in immigration policy at Scott County Jail. Watson referred questions to Lane.

Liability for lawsuits filed by civil liberties groups framed much of Conard's unwillingness to hold inmates past their release dates at ICE's request.

Now, the county has agreed to recognize ICE's administrative warrants, which are fundamentally different from bench warrants issued by a judge. There's been debate for years within law enforcement and legal circles about the legitimacy of administrative warrants, especially pertaining to holding an inmate past a court-ordered release date.

Lane admitted that there are questions surrounding ICE's administrative warrants, acknowledging that in a perfect world "we would love to have everything ironed out."

In Calderon's confinement, activists saw a slippery slope toward widespread roundups. That fear mirrored a national argument over when -- and if -- local police agencies should spend time and resources arresting undocumented immigrants. Proponents say it's law enforcement duty, at all levels, to enforcement federal law. Opponents contend that such sweeps sap valuable resources and ruin trust between local police and vulnerable migrant populations.

For Lane, immigration sweeps simply aren't a priority.

Scott County Jail processes about 10 illegal immigrants a year, he said. Compared to the 14 youthful offenders now in custody at Scott County Jail, immigration arrests aren't a big enough issue to warrant attention, Lane said.

"We really need to focus what our priorities are," he said, adding that Scott County Sheriff's Office would not sign agreements with ICE to arrest illegal immigrants on sight.
The woman credited with facilitating an upcoming sexual-harassment training session for legislators, state Sen. Deb Peters, told the Journal that recent sexual misconduct scandals in state government are isolated incidents and are not indicative of a cultural problem.

Its not acceptable behavior and never should be acceptable behavior, said Peters, a Republican from Hartford. But do I think its systematic of the system? No, absolutely not. Its an anomaly.

Peters said she has never suffered nor personally heard of any sexual discrimination, harassment or other sexual misconduct during her nearly 14 years in the Legislature.

But I also I dont put myself into situations where that becomes a problem, she said. Like my dad used to say, Nothing good ever happens after midnight. Im not at a bar after midnight, you know what I mean? So I dont know where all of these other issues occurred. I dont know, and I dont know enough about each of the individual scenarios, but I dont put myself in those positions, and if I do, I usually extricate myself before anything happens.

Peters was interviewed by phone Thursday for a 20-minute episode of the Journals Mount Podmore political podcast. The episode is available today on the Journals website, and on iTunes and other podcast apps.

A Dec. 18 news release from the majority and minority leaders of the state Senate and state House of Representatives highlighted the role Peters played in arranging training for legislators on the topics of ethics, professionalism and sexual harassment. The training will be offered to all legislators Jan. 17 during the upcoming 2018 legislative session.

In the release, Senate Majority Leader Blake Curd, R-Sioux Falls, said Peters used her position as president of the National Conference of State Legislatures to garner resources for the training and to facilitate access to authorities and presenters.

Thursday, Peters answered a broad range of questions from the Journal about sexual misconduct. One topic was Mathew Wollmann, who resigned from the Legislature last January after admitting he had relationships with college-age interns during the 2015 legislative session, when he was 24 years old, and during the 2016 session, when he was 25.

Peters said Wollmann was sent out to the wolves.

Should he have been in the Legislature and having a relationship with somebody of his own age? Thats a tough line when youre that age, Peters said. Im not making excuses for him, but I also dont believe that the whole story was told. I believe that half the story was told, and I dont think he got a chance to tell his entire story, because he was immediately persecuted in the press, and that was that.

The Journal asked Peters about several other allegations of sexual misconduct in state government, including a recent allegation from lobbyist Tiffany Campbell that she was subjected to a lewd comment by then-Rep. Gene Abdallah in 2012. Campbell came forward with the allegation recently after Abdallah, who is no longer in the Legislature, was nominated for appointment to the state Board of Pardons and Paroles by Attorney General Marty Jackley.

Abdallahs nomination is due for a confirmation vote in the state Senate during the upcoming legislative session. Peters said she has not decided if she will vote to confirm Abdallah, because she wants more information about Campbells allegation.

When asked how the Legislature should obtain more information, Peters said Campbell should provide it.

I would expect if Miss Campbell wants to testify, she should, Peters said. If she truly believes that he shouldnt be appointed and she has reasons and just cause for that, she should come forward and testify against the appointment in the committee hearing.
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Guwahati : At least eight people were died and 22 others injured in several road mishaps in different parts of Assam in past 24 hours.

According to the reports, a person named Bijoy Das was died after head on collision between a speedy Innova and scooty at Panibharal area in northern Assams Biswanath district on Monday.

In separate incident, a woman was killed and her 3-year old girl child injured while a speedy truck hit them at Aagshia area near Boko in Kamrup district.

On the other hand, an engineering student identified as Kaushik Kalita was died at Bhangagarh flyover in Guwahati, when a speedy city bus hit a scooty driven by the student.

Local people had blockaded the National Highway  37 after a person identified as Raj Kumar Chetry was died when a truck hit the man at Sadiya in Upper Assams Tinsukia district.

On the other hand, a person hailing from Bihars Motihari district was killed after the Ledo-Guwahati goods train hit him at Margherita in Tinsukia district.

Three other persons were died and 4 others injured in four different accidents at Bokakhat, Lumding, Dhing and Kharupetia area in the state in past 24 hours.

In separate road mishap, at least 16 people of a picnic party were injured while a vehicle carried them felt into a deep gorge along the Indo-Bhutan border.

On the other hand, a driver of a passenger bus was injured when a wild jumbo attacked the bus at Rongajan area in Golaghat district.

A top police official said that, a wild elephant had attacked the passenger bus came from Karbi Anglongs Diphu to Dolamara near Kaziranga and the driver of the bus was injured in the attack.

Later, the bus driver had rushed to nearest hospital.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
"I would like to say 'This book is written to the glory of God', but nowadays this would be the trick of a cheat, i.e., it would not be correctly understood."--Ludwig Wittgenstein



"Talk to me about the truth of religion, and I'll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I'll listen submissively. But don't come talking to me about the consolation of religion or I shall suspect that you don't understand."--C.S. Lewis
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Angolas SODIAM realises $28,7mln from fifth international diamond tender Angola's state-owned diamond trading company, SODIAM realised $28,7 million from the sale of 1,819.79 carats at its fifth international rough tender held in the capital, Luanda. The diamonds sold were special productions from Lulo, Catoca, and Luele...
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SIOUX CITY | Sue Craney offered some sage advice while walking along Sixth Street in downtown Sioux City Tuesday afternoon.

"Got to know how to bundle up," the Sioux City woman said.

A bitter cold front left much of Siouxland shivering as wind chill values dipped below zero throughout the day. Along with deep freeze-like conditions, the tri-state region faces more snowfall later in the week.

Brad Temeyer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, said single-digit high temps Tuesday were at least 20 degrees below normal.

"Sioux City's high should be around 30 degrees and the low should be around 10," Temeyer said. "So after a relatively mild December, this sudden cold front probably came as quite a shock to the system for many people."

Wednesday might actually be considered a bit of a warm-up since temperatures will likely stay at around 9 throughout the day and night.

However, Temeyer warned Wednesday night's gusty southeast winds will bring in a 60 percent chance for snow.

"People in Northwest Iowa can see as much as 2 to 3 inches of snow from this system," he said. "In Sioux City, people should expect less than an inch of new snow accumulation."

The snow system will move out of the area fairly quickly. Thursday will bring partly sunny skies and a high near 20.

Colder temperatures and a 60 percent chance for snow will return on Friday. An overnight low of 6 below is in the forecast and Sioux City may see a light dusting of snow before the system leaves the area Saturday morning.

"People will see some of the white stuff on the ground on Saturday," Temeyer said. "But there will be very little accumulation from this system."

The real news for the weekend will come from wind chill values that may dip to 30 below early Sunday morning, making for bitterly cold New Year's Eve celebrations.

"The last time Siouxland has seen wind chills that low was in December 2016," Temeyer said. "Chances are we'll be saying goodbye to 2017 on a very cold note."
SIOUX CITY | Competing against professors and Ph.D candidates, a Morningside College student recently won an award at the 90th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis.

Summer Beery, a 2015 Maple Valley-Anthon Oto High School graduate, received a Distinguished Research Paper Presentation Award at the 36th annual National Agricultural Mechanics Professional Development Blue Ribbon Papers Research Conference that was held during the FFA convention. She was the only undergraduate student to have a paper accepted for presentation at the conference.

Beery's presentation, "Teaching with Unnamed Vehicles: Perceptions of Iowa School-Based Ag Education Instructors," focused on what Iowa agriculture teachers thought about implementing drones into their curriculum. She conducted a survey asking teachers to rate the importance of different drone skills as well as their capacity to teach them. Discrepancies between importance and capacity would indicate training opportunities.

Morningside applied agricultural and food studies chair Thomas Paulsen served as Beery's mentor for this project. She also presented her research at the North Central Regional research meeting of the American Association for Agricultural Education, held at Iowa State University in Ames.
ONAWA, Iowa | A Northwest Iowa man died Tuesday morning, the result of a fire at his residence in Onawa.

Members of the Onawa Volunteer Fire Department and Onawa Police Department responded to a fire at 7:39 a.m. Tuesday as neighbors called 911 after noticing flames coming from a home at 502 14th St. in Onawa. Upon arrival, first responders observed a fire in the residence and the home's interior engulfed by smoke.

Onawa Volunteer Fire Department personnel discovered the body of Garrett Ryan Brown, 37, inside the home. Brown, the only resident of the home, was found deceased, according to officials.

The incident is under investigation by the Iowa State Fire Marshal Division and the Onawa Police Department.

John Ticer, a special agent with the State Fire Marshal Division, said his office hadn't yet pinpointed a cause, though Ticer said, "We are relatively confident there was no foul play."

Ticer said officials are checking the electrical system at the home, concentrating on a couple of items plugged in around the living room and main floor bathroom area.

Ticer interviewed neighbors, including one who noticed the flames on Tuesday morning and kicked in the front door in an attempt to rescue Brown from the blaze.
LE MARS, Iowa | A defense decision to switch expert witnesses will further delay the trial of a Le Mars man who is charged with killing his sister.

District Judge Jeffrey Neary on Tuesday ordered that Thomas Bibler's trial, scheduled to begin Jan. 30, will now be reset to a date to be determined later.

The ruling delays a case stemming from the June 11, 2016, stabbing death of Shannon Bogh, 27, of Le Mars. Bibler is charged with first-degree murder, willful injury and going armed with intent in connection with his sister's death, and he has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

At a hearing Thursday, public defender Billy Oyadare informed Neary and Plymouth County Attorney Darin Raymond that he no longer intended to call Dr. Daniel Gillette as an expert witness. Oyadare gave no reason for the withdrawal, but said he plans to substitute Gillette with another expert witness. Neary gave Oyadare until Jan. 29 to designate a replacement.

Neary scheduled a status conference for Jan. 26.

As recently as two weeks ago, Bibler was to stand trial on Dec. 19, but that date, too, was continued because Oyadare and Raymond could not find an agreeable date to depose Gillette. Raymond had twice filed motions to strike Gillette as a witness because of the unavailability of Gillette to finish a deposition that was continued on Nov. 3.

The defense's expert witnesses are expected to provide testimony about Bibler's mental condition at the time of his sister's death.

Bibler, 35, in March waived his right to a jury trial and will instead have Neary decide his case.

Bibler is accused of assaulting Bogh in her home at 591 15th St. SW with an edged weapon. She died a short time later at the Le Mars hospital.

A witness to the stabbing identified Bibler as a suspect, and he was arrested without incident in his apartment about 30 minutes after the assault. According to court documents, Bibler has told investigators he has no recollection of what happened.
Editor's note: The Journal today continues the countdown of the Top 10 Stories of 2017 in Siouxland, as chosen by Journal editors. The No. 1 story will be revealed on Dec. 30, and the Journal's annual Newsmaker of the Year will be named on Dec. 31.

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa | A former Sioux Center Christian School teacher faces a criminal trial next year, after law enforcement authorities charged him with having sexual contact with more than a dozen children over three years.

Curtis Van Dam, 36, of Sioux Center, has pleaded not guilty in Sioux County District Court to 146 charges related to sexual contact with at least 13 children between August 2014 and October 2017. This is among the most charges against a Siouxland teacher for sexual-related crimes in recent memory.

Van Dam has posted bond and been released from custody. He is scheduled to stand trial March 6.

Van Dam was arrested Oct. 23 after a complaint was filed against him for inappropriate contact with a student. Administrators at Sioux Center Christian School immediately removed Van Dam, who taught fifth grade, from the school after the complaint was filed. As Sioux Center police investigated the complaint, they filed additional charges related to incidents with other children, and Van Dam was fired.

Police have said the incidents took place at various locations, including the school, where Van Dam taught for nine years. Court documents and police have not revealed the gender of the alleged victims.

Some or all of the children were under age 12 or 13. Van Dam is accused of sexually abusing or having inappropriate contact with some of the children on at least 24 separate occasions over time.

Van Dam is accused of having children fully or partially undress in front of him, permitting children to touch his genitals and exposing himself to some of the children.
OMAHA | A Winnebago, Nebraska, man has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor.

Derrick Thomas, 29, entered his plea Thursday in U.S. District Court in Omaha to sexual abuse of a minor. According to terms of a plea agreement, Thomas will be sentenced to three years in prison. His sentencing was scheduled for March 16.

According to court documents, Thomas engaged in sexual acts with a girl who was at least 12 years old but under age 16 beginning at an unknown time in 2016 and continuing until about June 1.

A charge of abusive sexual contact will be dismissed at sentencing.
WASHINGTON -- Congratulations, Republicans. Now you have your own Obamacare.

Emerging from their caucus meeting in the Capitol basement last Tuesday morning, House Republicans were jubilant about their tax bill, which cleared Congress on Wednesday.

"It's a total winner," said Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va. "And I never lie."

Veteran Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., observed: "They're pretty giddy in there."

Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., a urologist, announced: "This is good medicine for America."

And for that prescription, added Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., "you don't need a second opinion."

Don't you?

The deeply unpopular bill has the support of only a third of Americans, most of whom (correctly) perceive that it's a giveaway to rich people and big corporations. "Any concerns that this won't translate into a political win for Republicans?" ABC News's Mary Bruce asked House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

"No concerns whatsoever," Ryan replied. He blamed the bill's unpopularity on opponents and the media spreading "mistruths" and said opinions will improve when people experience what's in the bill. "When people see their withholding improving and see bigger paychecks, a simpler tax code," Ryan said, "results will make this popular."

Where have I heard this before? Ah, yes, it was March 2010, as Obamacare was about to clear the House. Then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said people should look beyond the "controversies" surrounding the bill, to when people experience its "very exciting" benefits. "We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it," she said.

Obamacare did much of what was advertised, and its popularity grew. But it didn't do everything that was promised, and anything Americans didn't like about the health-care system became the fault of Obamacare, even if unrelated to the law. Now, Republicans are making impossibly high promises, and if anything goes wrong -- if the economy doesn't boom, wages don't soar and the middle class doesn't rebound -- it will be the fault of this legislation, soon to be labeled "the Trump Tax" by Democrats.

The parallels are eerie. In 2010, as now, lawmakers who drafted the legislation were confident it would be transformational. Then, as now, the legislation passed on an entirely partisan basis, with the opposition complaining about a hurried process and side deals.

Actually, the Trump Tax is in worse shape than Obamacare was. USA Today reported that the bill had "the lowest level of public support for any major piece of legislation enacted in the past three decades, including the Affordable Care Act in 2009." In March 2009, the Quinnipiac poll found opposition to Obamacare exceeded support by nine points; the latest Quinnipiac poll finds opposition to the tax bill exceeding support by 29 points.

Republicans worked hard to convince Americans that Obamacare was a transfer of wealth from the middle class to the poor. Democrats can now argue, truthfully, that the Trump Tax is a transfer of income from the middle class to the wealthy and big business. Under the law, the middle fifth of American households will see an average increase in after-tax income next year of $930, while the top 1 percent get an average increase of $51,140, according to the Tax Policy Center. The rich even get a greater proportional increase in after-tax income: 2.3 percent, compared with 1.4 percent for the middle class.

While the "forgotten man" Trump lured with phony populism gets little benefit, the things that bothered the forgotten man about the tax code -- a tangled mess of loopholes for businesses, the rich and Wall Street -- remain intact. This will be a "bigger albatross" for Republicans than Obamacare was for Democrats, argues Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson. "They own the tax code. When you are upset about taxes, you're going to be upset about the Trump Tax."

On top of that, Republicans now have claimed ownership of health care. The tax bill kills the individual mandate that underpinned Obamacare, which will leave 13 million additional people without coverage.

Last Tuesday morning, Ryan declared (falsely) that the bill would "especially" benefit middle-income families. He said it would "bid up" wages, repatriate jobs, provide economic growth of 3 percent a year and create upward mobility.

Maybe he's right and all those blue-chip economists and the nonpartisan analyses by the Joint Committee on Taxation, the Congressional Budget Office and others are wrong. Maybe growth will dramatically exceed forecasts, millions will enter the labor force and find work, wages will soar and the $1.5 trillion tax bill will pay for itself. But if all that doesn't happen, the Trump Tax will be blamed.
Something is truly amiss in American democracy if elected officials and political appointees think they have the right to dispense taxpayer dollars as hush-money payments to sexual harassment victims. Not only is this an egregious abuse of public money, it helps abusers think they can avoid getting caught.

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., resigned after reports surfaced last month that he had sexually harassed a Capitol Hill staffer, then used office funds  taxpayer dollars  to buy the victims silence. The congressional Office of Compliance has paid more than $17 million for 264 settlements and awards since 1997 to federal employees who leveled accusations, including sexual harassment, at work, The Washington Post reported.

Theres no telling what the toll is at the state and local level. We do know that the Missouri Department of Corrections used public funds to settle harassment claims as part of $7.6 million in out-of-court payments.

Some legislators have simply opted to resign rather than attempt out-of-court settlements or other remedies. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., is among them. But Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, doesnt seem to understand the problem. He wants to stay in office and finish out his term rather than resign over allegations that he sexually harassed staffers and bought their silence with $84,000 in tax money.

Farenthold has announced he will not seek re-election in 2018. But he waited so long to decide, he missed the deadline to remove his name from the Texas GOP ballot. Now the state Republican Party has had to sue, arguing that it shouldnt be forced to be represented on the primary election ballot by a candidate with whom it does not wish to associate.

If a member of Congress fails, say, to fix a rumpled office carpet that causes an aide to trip and fall, then it seems justifiable to use government funds to avert a negligence lawsuit. Or if theres a fender-bender involving the members car while he or she is conducting public business, then its appropriate to use taxpayer funds to resolve a claim.

But sexual abuse or harassment is not public business. Its personal, and responsibility for it rests 100 percent on the shoulders of the offending legislator. The same would hold true if the legislator was fined for shoplifting or smacking someone over the head with a pool cue.

The Republican Party used to be big on personal responsibility. Farentholds actions, his attempt to make taxpayers pay for his mistakes, and his ongoing efforts to stay on the government payroll should appall his colleagues.

Democrats were open and blunt in demanding Frankens resignation, even though his offenses were less severe. Republicans, whose platform is based on morality and personal responsibility, should at least hold their politicians to the same standards.
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.
WHITE PLAINS, Md.

(December 26, 2017)On Saturday, November 18, the Charles County Arts Alliance awarded $44,000 in Arts Grants to 13 local nonprofit organizations and 6 schools to support upcoming countywide cultural events. The grant award ceremony was held during the Annual Grantee and Membership Gala at the Old Waldorf School. These grants support a myriad of cultural programs and events to be held in Charles County throughout the year, such as concerts and theatrical performances, art gallery presentations, workshops and demonstrations, music competitions, international and cultural performances, and literary development.The Arts Grant Program has been the focal point of the Arts Alliance since the volunteer nonprofit organization was founded in 1987. The purpose of the Program is to enhance the quality of cultural life for the citizens of Charles County, and help make it a more vibrant, exciting and diverse place to live. The grants are awarded on an annual competitive basis following an application process and review by the Arts Alliance Grant Committee, comprised of Board members and local citizens.The recipients of the FY 2018 CCAA Grant Awards are: Archbishop Neale School Grace Christian Academy Henry E. Lackey High School J.C. Parks Elementary School La Plata High School St. Charles Children's Learning Center Charles County GovernmentDepartment of Community Services / Aging & Senior Programs Charles County Freedom Landing Charles County Public Library Chesapeake Choral Arts Society College of Southern Maryland College of Southern Maryland Foundation Korean American Cultural Arts Foundation Life Journeys Writers Guild Mattawoman Creek Art Center Music Teachers Association of Charles County Nanjemoy Community Center Port Tobacco Players Steam OnwardThe Arts Alliance sponsors many other programs throughout the year for local residents, such as five public gallery spaces, art boxes for elementary students, the ArtsFest annual arts festival, and its weekly free Arts Newsflash that keeps citizens informed of upcoming cultural events and activities. For more information on the Arts Alliance, contact the CCAA office at 301-392-5900, info@charlescountyarts.org, or www.charlescountyarts.org.
GLEN BURNIE, Md.

(December 26, 2017)Marylanders should be on the lookout for renewal notices for their driver's license and ID cards. As required by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to maintain compliance with the federal REAL ID Act, the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) will now require documentation to renew federally compliant driver's licenses and ID cards."Maryland's Secure ID driver's licenses and ID cards have been recognized for their cutting-edge security features," said MDOT MVA Administrator Christine Nizer. "Obtaining this required documentation from our customers is a necessary step in continuing to provide Maryland residents with the most secure card in the nation."Customers should look to their renewal notices to determine if documents are needed.If documents are needed, the renewal notice will state documents are required to complete the renewal process and that the transaction must take place at an MDOT MVA branch.MDOT MVA already has begun the notification process for driver's licenses and ID cards that expire in January 2018. Customers who receive the documents-required notification can access a full list of acceptable documents on the MDOT MVA website at license.mva.maryland.gov The goal is to make this renewal process as easy as possible. This website allows residents to print a documents-required checklist and make an appointment at a specific MDOT MVA branch. Preparing ahead of time will speed up the renewal time at the MDOT MVA.The REAL ID Act is a federal law that establishes certain minimum-security standards for license issuance and production. The cards that meet these standards are acceptable for federal purposes, such as boarding a commercial aircraft or gaining access to federal facilities.To maintain compliance with the REAL ID Act, MDOT MVA must keep required documentation on file for those who have a REAL ID compliant driver's license or ID card.For more information about the REAL ID documentation requirement, visit www.mva.maryland.gov/realid/
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released an open letter demonizing transgender children and rejecting their identities as a false idea.

The movement today to enforce the false idea  that a man can be or become a woman or vice versa  is deeply troubling, the letter, titled Created Male and Female, claims.

The letter appears to show two conflicting sides  it states transgender people should be respected, but also condemns them.

A persons discomfort with his or her sex, or the desire to be identified as the other sex, is a complicated reality that needs to be addressed with sensitivity and truth, it reads, stating these people deserve to be heard and treated with respect.

However, the letter also states children are harmed when they are told that they can change their sex or, further, given hormones that will affect their development and possibly render them infertile as adults. It claims parents need better guidance, rejecting the legitimacy of gender identity by referring to it as gender ideology.

Gender ideology harms individuals and societies by sowing confusion and self-doubt, the letter continues. The state itself has a compelling interest, therefore, in maintaining policies that uphold the scientific fact of human biology and supporting the social institutions and norms that surround it.

In other words, the bishops want the state to use biology to reject a childs gender identity.

We also believe that God created each person male or female; therefore, sexual difference is not an accident or a flaw  it is a gift from God that helps draw us closer to each other and to God. What God has created is good. God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

This argument ignores the intersex population  people born with sex characteristics that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies, according to the United Nations for LGBT Equality.

The letter was signed by twenty religious leaders, listed below:
An international human rights group is asking Japan to not require transgender people to be sterilized.

Human Rights Watch criticized rule 111 of 2003 as an unfair law for transitioning people in a recent report, according to NBC News. Rule 111 requires all transitioning people the be single, without children under 20, to get a psychological evaluation and to be sterilized.

"Forcing people to undergo unwanted surgeries to obtain documentation is contrary both to Japans human rights obligations and its reputation as a champion of LGBT rights," the report stated. "The government should urgently revise Law 111 to end forced sterilization."

Japan is not the lone country that requires sterilization for transitioning individuals. 20 European countries, including Switzerland, Finland and Luxembourg, require the treatment as part of the gender change.

The author of the Human Right Watch report Kyle Knight said that Japan could soon change its rules to make sterilization a choice instead of mandatory.

This is a very basic switch, and its not asking a lot for the government to do this, Knight said to NBC News. The basic thing that its arguing is that the government shouldnt decide for people who they are and shouldnt put people through arduous, harmful, expensive, irreversible procedures as a part of recognizing people for who they are.
(WB) The U.S. on Wednesday imposed sanctions against two Chechen officials under a 2012 human rights law.

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov and Ayub Kataev of the Chechen Internal Affairs Ministry are among the five Russian citizens who have been added to the list of those sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act, which freezes the assets of Russians who commit human rights abuses and bans them from entering the U.S. The law is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who died in a Moscow prison in 2009 after authorities arrested him after he investigated a $230 million tax fraud scheme.

Authorities in Chechnya  a semi-autonomous Russian republic in the North Caucasus  have arrested more than 100 men because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation since the beginning of the year. The ongoing crackdown, which has reportedly spread to include lesbian and transgender Chechens, has sparked outrage around the world.

Related: Senate Unanimously Approves Chechnya Resolution

Kadyrov, who is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has described the reports as nonsense and denied there are gay men in Chechnya. A press release the Treasury Department released on Wednesday says Kataev is reported to have been involved in abuses against gay men in Chechnya during the first half of 2017.

Shawn Gaylord of Human Rights First welcomed the decision to sanction Kadyrov and Kataev.

Sanctioning Kadyrov and Kataev for human rights violations, including the extrajudicial imprisonment, torture, and murder of gay Chechens, is a critical step in providing accountability and justice for the LGBT victims of the Chechen authorities, said Gaylord in a press release. Kadyrov and Kataev are directly responsible for a wave of detention, torture and terror throughout Chechnya with LGBT people being only the most recent target. We welcome this step taken by the U.S. government, which sends a message to human rights violators around the world the United States remains committed to protecting the human rights of LGBT people worldwide and abuses will not be met with impunity.

Related: 22 Gay Men Rescued from Chechnya by Canada's Rainbow Railroad

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) in a statement described Kadyrov and Kataev as thugs who are responsible for abducting, detaining, torturing and even killing members of the Chechen LGBT community, amongst their many other violations of human rights.

The U.S. House of Representatives in June unanimously approved Ros-Lehtinens resolution that condemned the anti-gay crackdown in Chechnya. The U.S. Senate in October unanimously approved an identical resolution that U.S. Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) introduced.

When the House passed my resolution in June calling attention to these crimes against LGBT individuals, we sent a clear message condemning this violence and urged the administration to identify the perpetrators and impose the sanctions announced today, said Ros-Lehtinen.

 Michael K. Lavers, Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association.
?1 Gruis ESO

Located 530 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Grus (The Crane), 1 Gruis is a cool red giant.

It has about the same mass as our Sun, but is 700 times larger and several thousand times as bright [1]. Our Sun will swell to become a similar red giant star in about five billion years.

An international team of astronomers led by Claudia Paladini (ESO) used the PIONIER instrument on ESOs Very Large Telescope to observe 1 Gruis in greater detail than ever before. They found that the surface of this red giant has just a few convective cells, or granules, that are each about 120 million kilometres across  about a quarter of the stars diameter [2]. Just one of these granules would extend from the Sun to beyond Venus. The surfaces  known as photospheres  of many giant stars are obscured by dust, which hinders observations. However, in the case of 1 Gruis, although dust is present far from the star, it does not have a significant effect on the new infrared observations [3].

When 1 Gruis ran out of hydrogen to burn long ago, this ancient star ceased the first stage of its nuclear fusion programme. It shrank as it ran out of energy, causing it to heat up to over 100 million degrees. These extreme temperatures fueled the stars next phase as it began to fuse helium into heavier atoms such as carbon and oxygen. This intensely hot core then expelled the stars outer layers, causing it to balloon to hundreds of times larger than its original size. The star we see today is a variable red giant. Until now, the surface of one of these stars has never before been imaged in detail.

By comparison, the Suns photosphere contains about two million convective cells, with typical diameters of just 1500 kilometres. The vast size differences in the convective cells of these two stars can be explained in part by their varying surface gravities. 1 Gruis is just 1.5 times the mass of the Sun but much larger, resulting in a much lower surface gravity and just a few, extremely large, granules.

While stars more massive than eight solar masses end their lives in dramatic supernovae explosions, less massive stars like this one gradually expel their outer layers, resulting in beautiful planetary nebulae. Previous studies of 1 Gruis found a shell of material 0.9 light-years away from the central star, thought to have been ejected around 20 000 years ago. This relatively short period in a stars life lasts just a few tens of thousands of years  compared to the overall lifetime of several billion  and these observations reveal a new method for probing this fleeting red giant phase.

Notes

[1] 1 Gruis is named following the Bayer designation system. In 1603 the German astronomer Johann Bayer classified 1564 stars, naming them by a Greek letter followed by the name of their parent constellation. Generally, stars were assigned Greek letters in rough order of how bright they appeared from Earth, with the brightest designated Alpha (). The brightest star of the Grus constellation is therefore Alpha Gruis.

1 Gruis is one of an attractive pair of stars of contrasting colours that appear close together in the sky, the other one naturally being named 2 Gruis. They are bright enough to be well seen in a pair of binoculars. Thomas Brisbane realised in the 1830s that 1 Gruis was itself also a much closer binary star system. Annie Jump Cannon, credited with the creation of the Harvard Classification Scheme, was the first to report the unusual spectrum of 1 Gruis in 1895.

[2] Granules are patterns of convection currents in the plasma of a star. As plasma heats up at the centre of the star it expands and rises to the surface, then cools at the outer edges, becoming darker and more dense, and descends back to the centre. This process continues for billions of years and plays a major role in many astrophysical processes including energy transport, pulsation, stellar wind and dust clouds on brown dwarfs.

[3] 1 Gruis is one of the brightest members of the rare S class of stars that was first defined by the American astronomer Paul W. Merrill to group together stars with similarly unusual spectra. 1 Gruis, R Andromedae and R Cygni became prototypes of this type. Their unusual spectra is now known to be the result of the s-process  or slow neutron capture process  responsible for the creation of half the elements heavier than iron.

###

More information

This research was presented in a paper Large granulation cells on the surface of the giant star 1 Gruis, by C. Paladini et al., published in the journal Nature on 21 December 2017.

The team is composed of C. Paladini (Institut dAstronomie et dAstrophysique, Universite libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; ESO, Santiago, Chile), F. Baron (Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA), A. Jorissen (Institut dAstronomie et dAstrophysique, Universite libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium), J.-B. Le Bouquin (Universite Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, Grenoble, France), B. Freytag (Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden), S. Van Eck (Institut dAstronomie et dAstrophysique, Universite libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium), M. Wittkowski (ESO, Garching, Germany), J. Hron (University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria), A. Chiavassa (Laboratoire Lagrange, Universite de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, CNRS, Observatoire de la Cote dAzur, Nice, France), J.-P. Berger (Universite Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, Grenoble, France), C. Siopis (Institut dAstronomie et dAstrophysique, Universite libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium), A. Mayer (University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria), G. Sadowski (Institut dAstronomie et dAstrophysique, Universite libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium), K. Kravchenko (Institut dAstronomie et dAstrophysique, Universite libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium), S. Shetye (Institut dAstronomie et dAstrophysique, Universite libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium), F. Kerschbaum (University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria), J. Kluska (University of Exeter, Exeter, UK) and S. Ramstedt (Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden).

ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the worlds most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It is supported by 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile and by Australia as a strategic partner. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its world-leading Very Large Telescope Interferometer as well as two survey telescopes, VISTA working in the infrared and the visible-light VLT Survey Telescope. ESO is also a major partner in two facilities on Chajnantor, APEX and ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre Extremely Large Telescope, the ELT, which will become the worlds biggest eye on the sky.

Links

* Research paper in Nature  https://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso1741/eso1741a.pdf
Editors note: This story is part of this weeks What happened to? series updating stories from 2017.

A federal civil rights lawsuit against former Woodland police officer Brad Gillaspie is moving slower than expected, according to the plaintiffs lawyer.

Lawyers have exchanged lots of documents, but they have yet to take any depositions, said Sean Riddell, attorney for plaintiff Jody Petersen. (Depostions are part of pre-trial discovery, in which lawyers obtain sworn testimony from the opposing parties, witnesses or experts who may testify at the trial.)

The case alleges an abuse of police power. It originally had been scheduled to go to trial in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on April 16 but has been moved to Oct. 15, Riddell said.

Petersen claims that Gillaspie stalked and threatened her, caused her to lose her job as a police officer in The North Plains, Ore., spread lies about her parenting ability, slandered her and interfered in her child custody and divorce proceedings with her then-husband, Steve Petersen, a friend of Gillaspie.

The suit originally included the city of Woodland and officer Brent Murray, who was asked to investigate an incident at the Petersens home on Sept. 14, 2014. That day, upon hearing her son report that her husband had been making out with another woman in their kitchen, Jody Petersen called and yelled at Steve Petersen and threw his clothing on their lawn, according to court documents. Murray recommended that Petersen be charged with malicious mischief, third-degree domestic violence and telephone harassment, but the city prosecutor declined to file charges.

U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton in August dismissed the city and Murray from the suit, finding no evidence they did anything wrong. But in deciding the case against Gillapsie should go to trial, Leighton said Gillaspies alleged actions shock the conscience, citing a legal standard for holding officers legally accountable for civil rights claims.

Gillaspie retired June 30. Petersen, who has remarried, now works as a nurse in Western Washington, Riddell said.

The city of Woodland, which would likely be on the hook for any damages awarded to Petersen, has declined to discuss the case.
Editors note: Todays guest editorial was written by Lewis County Commissioner Edna Fund and Gray Harbor County Commissioner Vickie Raines. Editorial content from other publications and authors is provided to give readers a sampling of regional and national opinion and does not necessarily reflect positions endorsed by the Editorial Board of The Daily News.

Ten years ago, in December 2007, we experienced a flood of epic proportions. We were not prepared for the scale nor magnitude of this event (nor were we prepared for the January 2009 event that followed a short 13 months later).

The December 2007 flood severely impacted our communities and businesses. We lost a lot. Water, sewer, and road infrastructure had to be rebuilt. Our livestock, including cows and sheep, suffered greatly with a high loss of life. Businesses were shuttered. Some never reopened. Emergency transport was substantially hampered. Yet, while the December 3-7, 2007, event damaged our homes, schools, businesses, and critical infrastructure, it did not damage our resolve.

As Chair and Vice-Chair of the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority, weve taken a moment to ask ourselves if our communities are better prepared today for an event like December 2007. The answer is Yes! We are much better prepared. Through the efforts of homeowners, businesses, the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority, Governors Gregoire and Inslee, the Washington State Legislature, and many other local, state, and federal leaders, we have a lot to show.

Now there is a state-of-the-art, real-time Chehalis Basin flood warning system that enables early action by citizens and emergency responders. Since 2014, weve seen a 158 percent increase in signups for the systems email alert capability. See www.chehalisriverflood.com.

Over 30 local projects have been completed, or are near completion, since 2012. These local projects protect people, property, and infrastructure, in addition to improving readiness, response, and resiliency. Our communities are safer now thanks to local actions to:

 Protect essential drinking water supplies in Boistfort and Bucoda and wastewater treatment infrastructure in Montesano and Pe Ell.

 Ensure emergency response facilities remain open and functional across Grays Harbor County, Lewis County, and Thurston County and at the Chehalis-Centralia Airport.

 Provide community-based flood protection in Aberdeen, Adna, Bucoda, Centralia, Chehalis, Cosmopolis, Elma, Montesano, Napavine, and Oakville, as well as in Grays Harbor, Lewis, and Thurston counties.

 Invest in flood warning infrastructure, field instrumentation, and river models across the Chehalis Basin to ensure early and accurate flood warning and action.

 Obtain the National Weather Services Doppler radar in Grays Harbor Countys North Beach in September 2011.

Weve constructed 25 farm pads and farm evacuation routes across the Chehalis Basin to protect the assets and livelihoods of farmers who were so severely impacted in December 2007.

A long-term strategy is being developed for the Chehalis Basin to provide both comprehensive fish habitat restoration and investment in large-scale flood hazard reduction.

Substantial investments in habitat restoration were made across the Chehalis Basin in 2016-17.

We continue to embrace a spirit of transparency and shared contribution, knowing both provide better buy-in and end results. Since 2007, local communities across the Chehalis Basin have regularly invested $3 in local funding for every $10 in state funding to ensure local communities are safer and more flood-ready.

While we are positive about our progress since 2007, we know more is needed to significantly reduce damage from major floods. We must continue to maintain our resolve.

To remind us of the magnitude of the December 2007 event, we have set up the following website to catalogue recent news, events, and information lest we forget: www.ezview.wa.gov/Chehalis-Basin-Flood-Ten-Years-Later. Please visit the site, reacquaint yourself with the magnitude of the 2007 event, and continue to follow our progress.
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Create more jobs for graduates: President



President M Abdul Hamid urged all concerned to create more job opportunity for the graduates so they can utilize their latent talent for progress and prosperity of the nation.

"Bangladesh needs skilled and competent human resources to unlock the huge potentials . . . If we can educate our huge population and enhance their capacity, it would be a blessing for us," he said this while addressing the 4th convocation of Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) here on Tuesday afternoon.

The President also asked the new graduates to get involved in different activities along with doing jobs and go forward fostering the spirit of Liberation War and materialize the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Noting that Bangladesh is yet to utilize its resources and facilities properly, Abdul Hamid said the young generation should keep in mind that all endeavours should aim at the nation's progress as development of a country depends on the youth's education.

"The government is implementing different programmes, including education and training, to build up the young generation as efficient human resources," the President said.

Abdul Hamid, also the Chancellor of the universities, underscored the need for science education together with the humanities and business studies from primary to higher studies.

In this regard, the President mentioned the perspective of the "Vision-2021" designed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to build a "Digital Bangladesh".

"The 21st century threw various challenges to us both in national and international arenas. There is no alternative to making our young generation skilled with knowledge in science and information technology to survive the global competition," he added.

President Hamid hoped that the university would impart technology-based education to the students to cope with demand of time.

Congratulating the new graduates of BUP, the President asked the degree-holders to work for building a hunger and poverty-free, happy, prosperous and dignified Bangladesh.

President Hamid also thanked the university authorities for establishing a "Bangabandhu Chair" here, hoping, "This initiative will help our new generation to enrich their spirit by knowing Bangabandhu, his works, struggle for freedom and the War of Liberation".

President Hamid later inaugurated the "Bangabandhu Chair" in the university and also visited its different faculties.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman and also convocation speaker Prof Abdul Mannan, chiefs of three services, BUP Vice-Chancellor Maj Gen M Salahuddin Miaji also spoke on the occasion.

Run by the armed forces, the BUP was established in 2008. A total of 22 students got gold medals for their outstanding performance this year.


China, Pak plan to include Afghanistan in corridor that runs through PoK

The first trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Reuters, Beijing :

China and Pakistan will look at extending their $57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday, part of China's ambitious Belt and Road plan linking China with Asia, Europe and beyond.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC, which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), is part of China's ambitious Belt and Road plan to link China with Asia, Europe and beyond.

China has tried to position itself as a helpful party to promote talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, both uneasy neighbors ever since Pakistan's independence in 1947.Their ties have been poisoned in recent years by Afghan accusations that Pakistan is supporting Taliban insurgents fighting the U.S.-backed Kabul in order to limit the influence of its old rival, India, in Afghanistan.

Pakistan denies that and says it wants to see a peaceful, stable Afghanistan.

Speaking after the first trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Wang said China hoped the economic corridor could benefit the whole region and act as an impetus for development.

Afghanistan has urgent need to develop and improve people's lives and hopes it can join inter-connectivity initiatives, Wang told reporters, as he announced that Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to mend their strained relations.

"So China and Pakistan are willing to look at with Afghanistan, on the basis of win-win, mutually beneficial principles, using an appropriate means to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan," he added.

How that could happen needs the three countries to reach a gradual consensus, tackling easier, smaller projects first, Wang said, without giving details.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said his country and China were "iron brothers", but did not directly mention the prospect of Afghanistan joining the corridor.

"The successful implementation of CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) projects will serve as a model for enhancing connectivity and cooperation through similar projects with neighboring countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and with central and west Asia," he said. India has looked askance at the project as parts of it run through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir that India considers its own territory, though Wang said the plan had nothing to do with territorial disputes. China has sought to bring Kabul and Islamabad together partly due to Chinese fears about the spread of Islamist militancy from Pakistan and Afghanistan to the unrest-prone far western Chinese region of Xinjiang. As such, China has pushed for Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve their own ties so they can better tackle the violence in their respective countries, and has also tried to broker peace talks with Afghan Taliban militants, to limited effect.
Cooperation in education, culture and development

Dr Anu Mahmud :

The relation between Bangladesh-Russia is a historical one. It has a long history. Soviet Union (USSR) stands by the side of Bangladesh during the revolution days in 1971. Soviet Union has extended its hand towards the achieving of independence of Bangladesh in global diplomacy. Soviet Union expoiled the attempt of Pakistan to stop the war of liberation by giving Veto twice in the Security Council of the United Nations taking stand in favour of liberation war of Bangladesh.

Soviet Union also extended hands of cooperation to Bangladesh at post liberation period. A historical journey has been started through the historical visit of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in a government tour of Soviet Union in 1972.

Bangabandhu has visited Russia with the expectation to build a new relation of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and also to express our gratitude for the effective contribution to our war of liberation. During the visit of Bangabandhu, an inter-governmental agreement on economic and technical cooperation, trade representation, cultural, education and scientific cooperation was signed.

Bangabandhu also approached the Soviet leadership during his visit with the request to assist in minesweeping of Chittagong port and cleaning of its sank ship and vessels in Kornofuli river.

The first Soviet minesweeper entered the port of Chittagong on April 26,1972. The works on minesweeping and recovering of sank ships were done in 26 months. During the operation, a senior sailor Yuri.V.Rodkin lost his life as a hero. His grave is situated on premises of Bangladesh Military Naval Academy.

The two-year demining operation began in 1972, 800 naval personnel, mostly from the Pacific Fleet, lived in Chittagong for the duration of the operation. Scaffold workers and divers worked tirelessly, putting their lives at risk

Soviet Union has made an extra-ordinary assistance and cooperation in the reconstruction of newly born independent Bangladesh after the war of liberation. But unfortunately Bangladesh did not taken it into their memory about that contribution of Soviet Union. None of the government after brutal assassination of the father of the nation in 1975 did not take any steps to grow up the relation with Russia, the tested friend of Bangladesh. We want to renew and expand our relation with Russia with the zeal of Seventy One's prelibation period. Friendship with all, conflict with none - under this concept of the Father of the Nation, we want to make relation with all countries of the present world. In the 1972s and later the USSR helped Bangladesh in the revitalizing and developing its economy. In particular, the power plants at 'Ghorashal' and 'Siddirganj', electrical equipment factory in Chittagong and other projects were built with financial and technical assistance of then USSR.

On December 29,1991, Russia was recognized by Bangladesh government as a successor to the USSR. At present, our bilateral cooperation is developing in many spheres. We are working on a number of joint economic projects, political, cultural and educational cooperation between Russia and Bangladesh is on rise. Moscow and Dhaka share common stance on the majority of international issues.

Russia, the inhabitant of Soviet Union, one of the strongest power of the cold war period in the world, still the big power in the eco-politics of the world. In spite of this we have maintained one kind of distance with that country.

Though the Soviet Union has played an important role during our war of liberation. But after the tragic political setback of '75 the relation between two country become cold. After that last century's end leg of eighties decades a revolutionary changes has been occurred in the global politics. Not only the socialistic system of Soviet Union, but once the whole country been divided and make an end of the cold war from the global politics. Under this circumstances though the situation was created to improve the relation with Soviet Union, none of the governments were seen to take steps accordingly. It is unthinkable, Russia, the country who has contributed more after India during our great war of liberation, that country was out of sight to our political and heads of states for long 40 years.

Russia was taken stand beside Bangladesh during its formation as an independent state, still they have the same motive. It has been proved through different working performance of Russia. During the past days only Russia was not neglected, but not a single steps were taken to improve the diplomatic and commercial relation with the East-European countries.

After the recent days of independence a cordial position was created by Russia among the people of Bangladesh through giving different types of cooperation in our education, science and health sectors (treatment). Many young were spread in different countries taking education in Russia.

Though Russia is our tested friend during our bad days, but the governments, those came to power in previous days after 1975, they did not given proper attention toward this instead of given attention towards the Western World for achieving different types of advantages. The relation with US, China and India increased to a scale, but no such improvement has been occurred with the Russia.

As there was no co-relation between two countries for long time, that become smooth and strong through the last official visit of the Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina on January 14-16,2013.

This become the first visit at such a high level in the history of the bilateral relations between Russia and Bangladesh in the last 40 years. President Vladimin Putin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held extensive negotiations on numerous issues of bilateral and international agenda. Three intergovernmental agreements were signed covering credit cooperation and six memoranda of understanding in different spheres; i.e., nuclear energy, military hardware supplies, agriculture, education, health, culture, justice and counter-terrorism.

On invitation of Vladimini Putin, the President of Russia, this visit of Sheikh Hasina was the visit of the head of the government after long forty years. This visit was not only a state visit and that proved after the signing of two important agreements. During this visit of Prime Minister's, two credit agreements of Tk. 12 thousand crore have been signed among the two sides regarding the purchase of arms and establishing of nuclear power station. Among this amount Russia has given credit of Tk 8 thousand crore to purchase arms and ammunitions. Along with this amount they will allot more Tk. 4 thousand crore to establish Ruppur nuclear power station. In addition of these different MoU has been signed on the issues of agriculture, health, education, culture and combat of terrorism. It may be termed as a beginning of new area of relation between Dhaka and Moscow.

Bangladesh will receive an amount of US $ 50 crore for maintaining of technical research works to establish the first nuclear power plant at Ruppur of Pabna district. This amount will spend in two years to incur the cost of technical research to find out the required amount which will be required to establish the nuclear power plant.

The government is going to establish the nuclear power plant with five layers security system with the help latest third generation technology imported from Russia. To establish a nuclear power plant at Ruppur, Bangladesh has made an agreement with the nuclear fuel company of Russia 'Rosatom'. After the signing of agreement and MOU the two heads of the government expressed their expectation that, through this process the relation between Dhaka-Moscow will reach to higher position. Considering the events and facts of Prime Minister's visits of Russia these points may be taken into consideration.

After the visit of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibar Rahman, this was the first time any head of state or government visited former Soviet Union or Russia from Bangladesh.

In the present world to improve the bilateral relation the importance of economic relation become prominent. If we take into consideration deeply the bilateral relation between Russia, India and China with Russia, then it will be observed that the relation of Bangladesh with Russia is very limited compare to them. During the era of globalization and self dependence different states maintain relation among them keeping their interest in overcoming the limitation of opinion from one region to other region maintaining good relation among them. As a result of that, the volume of trade, investment and cultural relation is being increasing. Through this steps taken for confirmation of security and development. Bangladesh is trying to speak about the economic diplomacy and toward East policy for a long period.

Economic and Trade Relation:

There is a great prospect for establishing of strong trade relation between Russia and Bangladesh. Russia-Bangladesh economic and trade cooperation are based on the intergovernmental Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation and Trade Agreement of 1972. On March 01,2017 the Agreement between Russia and Bangladesh on the Establishment of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation was signed. The aim of the Commission is to develop broad-based cooperation between two countries in various spheres. It will facilitate the diversification of bilateral trade, economic, scientific and technical ties between the business communities of the two countries and assist to remove barriers to mutual trade.

In the case of economy, relation between two countries focus a special importance. Specially, during the period of the present government a wide range of expansion in trade has been occurred. In 2003-05 period the amount of trade between Bangladesh-Russia was only US $50 million, and that has been increased to US $400 million. In 2016 the bilateral trade volume exceeded US $1.4 billion. More than 90% of the Bangladeshi import to Russia consists of ready-made garments, seafood and leather items. But Russia export metal-roll, raw materials for textile industry, machinery equipment, fertilizers, crops, including high quality milling wheat. It is important to note that our bilateral trade is generally balanced, the export from Russia is almost equal to the import from Bangladesh. Russia is such a country with whom all the countries of that region is cordially linked up through different types of regional and sub-regional cooperation is organizations. It may be noted that, Russia for long times to observing the existing recent geo-economical and geo-political changes of South Asia. In geo-political and economic consideration-calculation Russia taken Bangladesh under important consideration.

Cooperation In Energy Sector:

Bangladesh faces an energy deficit and is keen to develop energy cooperation with Russia. Hence, energy sector is a focal point of bilateral cooperation between our two countries. Russia and Bangladesh have been cooperating in the energy sector since the 1970s. The power plants at Ghorashal and Siddhirganj constructed with the Soviet assistance still produce around 20% of total electricity in Bangladesh. Nowadays, such Russian energy giants as State Corporation 'Rosatom' and 'Gazprom EP International' are actively contributing to the realization of the 'Universal Electrification-2021' plan of the Government of Bangladesh.

(To be continued)
Pope`s call for two state solution in ME bears special significance

POPE Francis has prayed for world peace and highlighted the plight of migrants including Rohingya Muslims in his Christmas message. It is a big gesture that the pontiff has not forgotten the miseries of the Rohingya as he heard their terrible stories of mass exodus from their homes in Rakhine State to Bangladesh.







The Pope addressed tens of thousands of worshippers gathered at the Vatican, as he called for peace for Jerusalem and the Holy Land and urged the world to see Jesus in the faces of little children caught in the middle of war to avoid cruelties. He specially prayed for peace on the Middle East and emphasized on the need for a two state solution of Israel-Palestinian conflict through negotiations. He has also equally remembered the people in danger in many other countries as they are facing civil war and conflicts. He has denounced the winds of war as it is blowing in our world with an outdated model of development eroding human values and socio-cultural decline. He has prayed for peace in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Nigeria and host of other countries.





He said he sees Jesus in the children of the Middle East who continue to suffer because of growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. On this festive day, he said let us ask the Lord for peace for Jerusalem and for all the Holy Land. Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue should prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two states within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders. May the Lord also sustain the efforts of all those in the international community inspired by goodwill to help that afflicted land to find, despite grave obstacles the harmony, justice and security that it has long awaited.





We are very gratified when he mentioned his recent visit to Bangladesh and his felling about the homeless people. He has called upon the international community to come forward to their help and must not cease to work to ensure that the dignity of the minority groups present in the region is adequately protected. Jesus knows well the pain of not being welcomed and how hard it is not to have a place to lay one's head. He also said his heart goes to Bethlehem where people are living in hostile environment.







We know that Pope is a big personality as his words being heard all over the world. He has spoken for people living through war and conflicts and prayed for end of conflict and ushering of peace. We hope his prayers will bear fruits.






Forest properties over Tk 1000 cr damaged

JS body asks govt to submit report on environmental damage and introduce energy-friendly cooking system at refugee camps

Sagar Biswas :

A parliamentary watchdog on Tuesday said the displaced Rohingya people so far have damaged forest properties, including trees, worth about Tk 1000 crore only in Cox's Bazar district.

In this situation, the JS body directed the ministry concerned to submit a full-fledged report on environmental damage at earliest possible time and find out ways how to reduce the adverse impact on the environment.

The above decisions were taken with revealing the information in a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Forest and Environment held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, presided over by committee chairman Hasan Mahmud.

"The total environmental damage is more than Tk1000 crore. Of them, trees only were cut for about Tk 400 crore. The entire environment in Cox's Bazar has been damaged severely due to Rohingya influx since August 25," Hasan Mahmud said.

Expressing dissatisfaction, he said, "The Rohingyas are using millions of tonnes of woods for their cooking purpose each day. So, the JS committee has asked the ministry to ensure energy friendly cooking system at the Rohingya camps."

"We cannot allow them to destroy our environment..The environmental damage is an irreparable loss," the JS body chief said.

The same JS body earlier on October 10 had revealed a preliminary report that the Rohingya people damaged forest properties in Cox's Bazar area worth crores of taka. But the ministry concerned did not take any step in this regard.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests, however, in a report said that forest resources valued at about Tk 150 crore [U.S. $18 million] had been destroyed to accommodate the Rohingyas. As many as seven reserve forests, totaling about 2,500 acres, were wiped out in just intwo months in Cox's Bazar district, as Rohingya refugees cut down trees for firewood and to construct makeshift shelters.

Assistant Director of the Directorate of Environment Saif-ul-Isma Asrab said it needs to relocate the refugees to another region at the earliest to control the situation.

The official further said Cox's Bazar is already at a risk of climate change due to the rampant use of fossil fuel. "More than 200 hills that once teemed with trees have now become empty with the fresh Rohingya arrivals. It has also increased the threat of animal attacks in the region that is home to a wildlife sanctuary," he said.

With 700,000 Rohingya already settled along Cox's Bazar district after the latest exodus began on August 25. According to the latest estimates from U.N. officials, as many as 1.2 million Rohingyas have fled to southeastern district Cox's Bazar since 1992.

The number of Rohingyas in the region has doubled the population of nearly 600,000 local people living in the region where about 15 refugee camps and settlements are situated.

Local officials said the Rohingyas have occupied 1,625 acres of forestland in Ukhia and 875 acres of forestland in Teknaf and have chopped more than one million trees to make way for their huts. They are also cutting hundreds of trees a day to use as firewood for cooking.

Forest Officer Abdul Mannan said seven Rohingyas, including children, have been killed in separate wild elephant attacks near the Balukhali refugee camp in the last months.

"The elephants usually use the same path for their movement. These animals identify their path by the trees around. If the trees are cut down, the elephants losing their way may enter areas populated by humans," he cautioned.

Officials said the roadside beauty of Teknaf has already been destroyed. Beside, the tourist flow centring Cox's Bazar sea beach will also be face debacle if the loss is not minimized.

Meanwhile, the unprecedented influx of Rohingya refugees is putting the ecologically fragile Cox's Bazar region on the brink of an environmental disaster.

A senior official of Ministry of Environment and Forests requesting anonymity said they had initially tried to stop the Rohingyas from chopping down trees. "But some Rohingyas attacked three forest officials who attempted to discourage them," he said.
Blogger held at HSIA for defaming Prophet (SM)

Staff Reporter :

Immigration police arrested a blogger from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Monday night in a case filed under Information Communication Technology Act.

Barguna's Amtali police station filed the case against the accused, Asaduzzaman Noor, on charge of defaming the Prophet Muhammad (SM) using internet.

The accused, Asaduzzaman Noor, was arrested from the HSIA around 10:00pm and handed him over to the airport police.

Inspector (Investigation) of Airport Police Station Ezaz Shafi confirmed it to the journalists. Asaduzzman was heading for Kathmandu.

Inspector Ezaz Shafi said there was warrant of arrest against Asad. Police just complied with the court order.

Mohammad Shahidullah, Officer-in-Charge of Amtali Police Station, said Asaduzzaman Noor used to disrespect the Prophet Muhammad (SM) on Facebook, Youtube and different blogs and online platforms through write-ups and podcasts.

A case was filed against him in January and charges were pressed against him in August and police were looking for him since then.

The immigration police was alerted to prevent him flying from the country, the OC said.

Shahidullah said that another accused Limon Fakir was earlier arrested in the case. The police officer suspected, they are members of an international ring that is engaged in such activities.
2 Pakistanis killed in US drone attack in Peshawar

PTI, PESHAWAR :

A US drone fired two missiles at a vehicle today killing two militants, including a Haqqani network commander, near Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the restive tribal region in the country's northwest, authorities said.

The unmanned aircraft struck the vehicle this afternoon at the border village, Matta Sangar, in Kurram Agency.

Two militants, including Haqqani network commander Jamiuddin, were killed, they said.

The Haqqani network has carried out a number of kidnappings and attacks against US interests in Afghanistan.

The group is also blamed for several deadly attacks against Indian interests in Afghanistan, including the 2008 bombing of the Indian mission in Kabul that killed 58 people.

Officials also said a probe has been launched.
Smart way to loot public money

Kazi Zahidul Hasan :

Influential businessmen linked with the ruling party are showing keen interest to open new commercial banks, as it can easily use to launder public money, opined banking experts.

"Businessmen are rapidly getting interested in owning banks to loot public money. Looting money from banks has become a new trend in Bangladesh and bank directors have already involved in the crime. Bad economic governance and lack of proper financial laws are mainly responsible for the situation," Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, former BB Governor, told The New Nation on Tuesday.

"Lured by the situation, unscrupulous businessmen are becoming more interested in owning banks and the central bank under the government pressure is going to approve new bank licenses to them," he added.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) officials said that they had received more than 80 applications seeking permission to open private commercial banks at a time when the country's banking sector is under severe stress because of ever-rising non-performing loans (NPLs) and loan scams.

When asked, Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed said that issuing new bank licenses would not be feasible by any means when the banking sector is already in the grip of a grave crisis with many commercial banks are on the verge of collapse.

"The central bank is entrusted with the responsibilities to regulate and mitigate the anomalies in the banking sector. It is high time for the BB to start playing the role of regulator strongly and bring the sector in the right track," said the former BB governor.

"Businessmen are getting more interested to own banks to get easy access to fund to be flown to their businesses," Md Yasin Ali, a Supernumerary Professor of Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM), told The New Nation yesterday.

He added, "The soaring NPLs in banks raise the question whether they want to own banks or loot public money?"

The 57 commercial banks in the country have disbursed Tk 752,730 crore loans as of September 30. Out of the total disbursed loan, an amount of Tk 80,307 crore or 10.67 per cent) tuned into NPLs, according to latest BB data.

The banks had altogether written off Tk 45,000 crore loans sending the total NPLs at Tk 125, 307 crore, the BB said.

"A powerful quarter is seeking licences for establishing new banks even though existing ones are struggling to survive. This quarter is coming to launch new banks with ill intention since looting public money from banking system proved to be the easy way through indulging corruption," Dr Khondkar Ibrahim Khaled, former BB deputy governor, told The New Nation.

He added, "Bank promoters with honest intentions have no reason to involve in bank business if they consider the current situation of the existing banks."

When asked, he said, the central bank under pressure is going to issue licenses of new banks when bank directors are largely getting involved in corruption and irregularities regarding disbursement of loans.

"It would be detrimental for the banking sector as well as the economy," he warned.

Khondkar Ibrahim Khaled said the banking sector is in crisis because corrupt businessmen have taken control of the banks' ownership. They are exerting undue influence in approving loans without following the credit norms. Even they are giving out loans to dubious companies harming interest of depositors.

"Directors of banks have already approved thousands of crores of taka loans involving such ill practices with little prospect of recovery. The recent loan scams at Farmers Bank and some other new banks are the bright example of undue influence by bank directors," he added.

"Businessmen turn bank directors are largely been involved in misusing public money by opening banks. Even the directors interfere with the management for disbursing loans, appointing and firing employees and dealing with some other money-related issues to serve their personal interests," Toufic Ahmad Choudhury, Director General of Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM), told The New Nation.

He said, "Such acts are going against the interest of the depositors and shareholders who are the real owners of a commercial bank. They can do this malpractice due to lack of proper law which is unimaginable in foreign countries."

Regarding the controversial amendment of Banking Companies Act, the banking experts said if passed it will hamper the interest of the depositors and will have a negative impact on the whole banking sector of the country making the banks family concerns.

Terming the current banking crisis as an ominous sign for the national economy; they also urged the central bank to take proper steps to restore order in the banking sector.

"Unless order could be put in place the economy will face a serious setback," they added.

Sources alleged that directors of the private commercial banks have already taken return of their investment manifold indulging in corruption and malpractices in loan disbursement.
Zia Trust Case Defence argument continues

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia appeared before the makeshift court in city\'s Bakshibazar area for defence argument in Zia Trust Case on Tuesday.

Court Correspondent :

The Special Judge Court-5 of Dhaka on Tuesday adjourned defence argument on behalf of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia till Wednesday in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

Khaleda Zia's lawyer Abdur Rezak Khan yesterday placed his argument in the makeshift Special Judge Court set up in city's Bakshibazar area of Dhaka city. After ending hearing on the closing argument, Khaleda Zia's lawyers Barrister Moudud Ahmed and Abdur Rezak Khan told reporters that the corruption case was politically motivated. There is no merit in the graft charges framed against the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and the prosecution has failed to prove it, Moudud added.

"No one among the 32 witnesses could tell the court that the BNP Chairperson abused her official power when she was in office. The case was filed to harass her. We hope that Khaleda Zia would get acquittal," Moudud, said. Khaleda's closing argument in the case began on December 20 and on completion of it, the court will deliver its verdict.

On July 3, 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case with Ramna Model Police Station accusing Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and four others of misappropriating over Tk 2.10 crore that came as grants for orphans from a foreign bank.

Three years after, the anti-graft body ACC lodged the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Model Police Station, accusing four persons, including Khaleda Zia, of abusing power to raise funds for the Trust from unknown sources.


Over 60 killed in fresh Yemen air strikes, clashes

AFP :

Fresh air strikes and clashes in Yemen have killed over 60 fighters as Saudi-backed pro-government forces push an offensive against Houthi rebels, security and medical sources said on Monday.

Saudi-led coalition air raids overnight killed at least 18 of the Iran-backed rebels in Hais, south of the key port of Hodeida, while bombardments from gunships left 35 others dead in nearby Tahita, a security official said.

The latest fighting killed 12 government troops and wounded 19 more, military and medical sources said.

On the outskirts of the capital Sanaa, a witness said that seven members of the same family including women and children were killed by a coalition air strike on Monday.

Government troops and coalition forces have been advancing along the Red Sea coast, seizing the town of Khokha earlier this month. The stated goal is to reach Hodeida, Yemen's second-largest port and a key entry point for aid to the country, which the UN has warned faces "the largest famine the world has seen for many decades".

But the coalition has met strong resistance from the Shia Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa and most of northern Yemen.

Monday's deadly air raid in Sanaa hit the guard house at a memorial to Egyptian soldiers killed in Yemen in the 1960s, according to a witness who served as a first responder.

The guardian of the memorial Ali Mosleh al-Rimi and his wife were killed, along with his four daughters and another relative, Moussaed al-Himi said.

Himi, who helped evacuate the bodies, said two other family members were wounded. Rebel media put the number of dead at 11. "I saw everything with my own eyes," Himi said, adding that multiple missiles had hit the house, which was left badly damaged.

A Saudi-led coalition has been waging an air campaign against Yemen's Houthi rebels since March 2015 in an attempt to shore up the internationally recognised government of President Abedrabbo Mansur Hadi.
Indian Army crosses LoC, kills 3 Pak soldiers

TIMES OF INDIA.COM New Delhi :

Indian security forces hit back at Pakistan, hard, overnight Monday, killing three Pakistani soldiers across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), and separately, neutralising a wanted Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist in J&K's Pulwama district.

In retaliation for a ceasefire violation on Saturday , the Indian Army undertook an operation very reminiscent of last year's surgical strikes. They crossed over to PoK early Tuesday, to Rakhchikri in the Rawlakot sector, and killed three Pakistani troops while also wounding one, agencies reported.

Thus, India avenged the unprovoked and indiscriminate shelling and firing in the Keri sector by Pakistani troops on Saturday, which led to three soldiers and one Army Major being martyred.

In a separate operation, a crack team of Jammu and Kashmir police cordoned off a house in the Samboora area of Pulwama district where two JeM terrorists were believed to be holed up, police said.

In the ensuing encounter, wanted Jaish terrorist Noor Mohammad Tantray was killed. Tantray had been out on a parole since 2015. He was the mastermind of a suicide attack at Srinagar airport earlier this year.

Tantray's death is a blow to the JeM, as he was the key operative reviving the terror group in south and central Kashmir.

"We came to know of presence of a JeM terrorist who was the mastermind of all attacks carried out by JeM. Encounter continued till early morning, JeM terrorist was killed and one AK-56, pistol and magazines were recovered," said Muneer Khan, inspector general of police, J&K.

On Saturday, Pakistani troops opened fire on an Indian Army patrol, killing a Major and three soldiers, along the LoC in the Keri sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district. A defence spokesman said Pakistani troops targeted the Army patrol at Brat Galla in the Keri sector.

Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a total of 881 ceasefire violations this year, highest in the past seven years, along the LoC and the International Border (IB), resulting in the death of 34 persons.

According to officials, Pakistan has violated ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir 771 times till December 10, and 110 times along the IB till November-end this year.

Thirty persons -- 14 Army personnel, 12 civilians and four BSF personnel-were killed in such incidents.

The truce between India and Pakistan along the International Border, Line of Control and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November, 2003.

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.

In 2016, there were 449 incidents of ceasefire violations wherein 13 civilians and 13 government forces personnel were killed and 83 civilians and 99 security personnel were injured.

In 2014, there were 583 incidents of ceasefire violation in which 14 civilians and three security personnel were killed and 101 civilians and 28 security personnel were injured.

In 2015, the number of ceasefire violations was 405; 347 in 2013, 114 in 2012, 62 in 2011 and 70 in 2010.
Recruitment exam of 8 banks Jan 12

Staff Reporter :

Recruitment examination of officers in 1663 vacant posts for eight government banks and financial institutions will be held on January 12.

The Bangladesh Bank has published a press release in this regard on its website on Tuesday.

The MCQ examination of hundred marks will be held for an hour from 3:30pm to 4:30pm in different centres in Dhaka.

The examination will be held to recruit 527 officers for Sonali Bank Limited, 161 for Janata Bank Limited, 283 for Rupali Bank Limited, 39 for Bangladesh Development Bank Limited, 351 for Bangladesh Krishi Bank, 231 for Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank, 70 for Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) and one for Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation, according to the release.




Arrest of journos in Myanmar threat to democracy

Reuters :

Myanmars Ministry of Information has said the reporters illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media, and released a photo of them in handcuffs.

It said the reporters and two policemen faced charges under the British colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years, though officials said they have not been charged. Their exact whereabouts is not known.

Reuters driver Myothant Tun dropped them off at a police compound and the two reporters and two police officers headed to a nearby restaurant. The journalists did not return to the car.

Reuters President and Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler said the arrests were a blatant attack on press freedom and called for the immediate release of the journalists.

Here are reactions to their detention from politicians and press freedom advocates around the world:

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States was demanding their immediate release or information as to the circumstances around their disappearance.

British Minister for Asia and the Pacific Mark Field said, I absolutely strongly disapprove of the idea of journalists, going about their everyday business, being arrested. We will make it clear in the strongest possible terms that we feel that they need to be released at the earliest possible opportunity.

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot called the arrests a threat to a democratic and peaceful development of Myanmar and that region. She said, We do not accept that journalists are attacked or simply kidnapped or that they disappear ... To be able to send journalists to this particular area is of crucial importance.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said countries should do everything possible to secure the journalists release and freedom of the press in Myanmar. Guterres said, It is clearly a concern in relation to the erosion of press freedom in the country. He added: And probably the reason why these journalists were arrested is because they were reporting on what they have seen in relation to this massive human tragedy.

Canadas Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland, the former managing director and editor, consumer news, at Thomson Reuters, tweeted that she was deeply concerned by the reports about the arrests. Freedom of the press is essential for democracy and must be preserved, she said.

President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani called on Myanmar to protect media freedoms and release the two reporters.

Information adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said, We strongly denounce arrests of Reuters journalists and feel that those reporters be free immediately so that they can depict the truth to the world by their reporting.

Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abes spokesman Motosada Matano said his government was closely watching the situation, and that Japan has been conducting a dialogue with the Myanmar government on human rights in Myanmar in general.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said, We call on local authorities to immediately, unconditionally release Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo. These arrests come amid a widening crackdown which is having a grave impact on the ability of journalists to cover a story of vital global importance.

The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said there was no justification for the arrests. Daniel Bastard, the head of the groups Asia-Pacific desk, said the charges being considered were completely spurious.

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance asked for the immediate release of the journalists. These two journalists are only doing their jobs in trying to fill the void of information on the Rohingya conflict, said SEAPA executive director Edgardo Legaspi. With this arrest, the government seems to be sending the message that all military reports should be off limits to journalists.

The Protection Committee for Myanmar Journalists, a group of local reporters who have demonstrated against past prosecutions of journalists, decried the unfair arrests that affect media freedom. A reporter must have the right to get information and write news ethically, said video journalist A Hla Lay Thu Zar - a member of the groups executive committee.

The Foreign Correspondents Club of Myanmar said it was appalled by the arrests and gravely concerned about the state of press freedom in Myanmar. It called on authorities to ensure the reporters safety and allow their families to see them.

The Foreign Correspondents Club in neighboring Thailand said it was alarmed by the use of this draconian law with its heavy penalties against journalists simply doing their jobs. The club called for the journalists to be released. Wielding such a blunt legal instrument has an intimidating effect on other journalists, and poses a real threat to media freedom, it said.




Israel `in talks with 10 countries` about Jerusalem embassy move

SBS News :

Israel is in touch with "at least 10 countries" over the possible transfer of its embassies to Jerusalem after the United States recognised the city as Israel's capital, a deputy minister said Monday.



"We are in contact with at least 10 countries, some of them in Europe" to discuss the move, deputy foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely told public radio.



She spoke a day after Guatemala said it would move its embassy to the city, a move slammed by Palestinian officials as "shameful".



Ms Hotovely said US president Donald Trump's statement would "trigger a wave" of such moves.



"So far we have only seen the beginning," she said.



Ms Hotovely did not name the countries in question, but public radio cited Israeli diplomatic sources as saying Honduras, the Philippines, Romania and South Sudan are among states considering such a move.





Two-thirds of United Nations member states on Thursday voted for a resolution rejecting Mr Trump's controversial move, reaffirming that the status of Jerusalem must be resolved through negotiations.

Israel seized the eastern part of Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed it in a move not recognised by the international community.

Several mainly Latin American countries had diplomatic missions in Jerusalem until a 1980 UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel's attempt to alter the "character and status" of the city, saying it was a barrier to peace.



Mr Trump's announcement on December 6 sparked anger in the Palestinian territories and across the Muslim world.



Israelis see the whole of the city as their undivided capital while the Palestinians view the east as the capital of their future state.



No country currently has its embassy in Jerusalem, instead keeping them in the Israeli commercial capital Tel Aviv.




Only dynamism of UN special envoy can save Rohingyas

Editorial Desk :

The UN General Assembly's latest resolution to end the Myanmar military's campaign against helpless Muslim Rohingyas has invariably come from a sense of urgency through four months of ethnic cleansing. It appears Myanmar will not stop the genocide before the last Rohingya Muslims is cleared from the land.

We also welcome UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres move to assign a new special envoy for Myanmar to watch and report on human rights condition and Myanmar government treatment of Rohingyas. Myanmar is blocking entry to existing UN's rights envoy Yanghee Lee blaming her for hostile outlook. The Secretary General is right to appoint a new envoy to alley Myanmar's reservation but its refusal to take such envoy and give access to other UN inspectors only suggests too much arrogance on the part of Myanmar and not feeling guilty about genocide.

The discovery of a mass grave in Rakhine State last week came as an ominous sign that many more such mass graves await discovery. Many national and international commentators already fear the genocide in Rakhine resembles that of Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina in mid-1990s and it needs wider investigation. .

We are appalled why China, Russia and some other East Asian Buddhist countries are opposed to the UN Secretary General's move to appoint a new human rights envoy to Myanmar. What message Russia, China, who opposed the resolution on genocide of Rohingyas by Myanmar army, are conveying? Their self-interest is making them forget consideration for innocent men, women and children

massacred in Myanmar. What the world's big powers like Russia and China will build if they are left to themselves. India has let down Bangladesh, although the crisis is about humanity and the burden of refugees is unbearable for Bangladesh.

The Rohingya crisis is a big humanitarian crisis involving their right to live in their ancestral land. We can't realize why Russia is so interested to help Myanmar to destroy a minority community here from a long distance. Why China and India are opposed to the existence of Rohingyas as they are facing genocide. It betrays all human values when people are dying under protection of big powers.

More significantly China's hostile policy towards Rohingyas is openly affecting Bangladesh at a time China claims as one of our best friends. India is not also standing by our side when Myanmar action is directly impacting Bangladesh's safety and security. It is a shame that only 10 countries are trying to shield Myanmar from UN action supported by China and Russian veto power.

What is noticeable Bangladesh has no foreign policy beyond Delhi when India is also abandoning us in facing the big regional crisis. Our Prime Minister visited Cambodia recently but the country voted against Bangladesh. Laos, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Belarus, Syria and Zimbabwe have also opposed the UN resolution adopted by a vast majority of 122 votes.

We must say Bangladesh diplomacy needs redesigning to meet our needs. Big claim is not enough when we have little support base from regional countries.




GOD'S WORD Translation

1During Darius the Mede's first year as king, I strengthened and defended Michael." 2[The person who looked like a human continued,] "What I am about to tell you is the truth. Three more kings will rule Persia. Then there will be a fourth, who will become much richer than all the others. As he becomes strong through his wealth, he will turn everyone against the kingdom of Greece. 3"Then a warrior-king will come. He will rule a vast empire and do as he pleases. 4But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken into pieces and divided in the directions of the four winds of heaven. The empire will not be given to his descendants. It will no longer be like his empire, since it will be uprooted and given to others.

5"The southern king will be strong, but one of his officers will become stronger than he is and rule a vast empire. 6After a few years the southern and northern kings will make an alliance. The southern king's daughter will go to the northern king to make peace. She won't hold on to her power, and the alliance won't last. She, those who came with her, and the one who fathered and protected her will be given away. 7"At that time a shoot will grow from her roots to replace her father. He will attack the northern army, enter the stronghold of the northern king, fight against them, and be victorious. 8He will take the metal statues of their gods and their precious utensils of silver and gold back to Egypt. He will rule for more years than the northern king. 9He will invade the southern kingdom and return to his own country.

10"Then his sons will prepare for war. They will assemble a large number of forces so that they can overwhelm [the enemy] and pass through its land. They will return and wage war all the way to the stronghold. 11The southern king will be outraged. He will go to fight the northern king, who will raise a large army that will fall into the southern king's hands. 12When that army is captured, the southern king will become conceited. Although he will dominate tens of thousands of people, he will not always be strong. 13"The northern king will return and raise an army larger than the first one. After a few years he will invade with a large army and a lot of equipment.

14In those times many people will rebel against the southern king, and violent men from your own people will rebel in keeping with this vision, but they will be defeated. 15Then the northern king will come, build dirt attack ramps, and capture a fortified city. The southern forces will not be able to withstand him. Even their best troops will not be strong enough. 16The invader will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to withstand his attack. He will rise to power in the beautiful land and it will be completely under his control. 17"Then the northern king will decide to invade with the power of his entire kingdom, and some decent men will invade with him. He will give the southern king his daughter as a wife in order to destroy the southern kingdom. But this will not succeed or help him. 18Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and capture many of them. But a commander will silence the insults that the northern king makes and even insult him. 19He will turn back toward the fortresses in his own country, but he will stumble, fall, and disappear.

20"Another king will take his place. He will have a cruel official go out in royal splendor. But in a few days the king will be destroyed, although not in anger or war. 21"A contemptible person will take his place. He will not be given royal splendor. He will invade when people are feeling secure, and he will seize the kingdom using false promises. 22He will overwhelm large forces and defeat them, including the prince of the promise. 23After an alliance has been made with him, he will act deceitfully and rise to power with only a few people. 24When people feel secure, he will invade the richest parts of the provinces and do something that none of his predecessors ever did. He will distribute loot and wealth to his followers. He will invent new ways of attacking fortifications. But this will last only for a little while. 25"With a large army he will summon his power and courage against the southern king, who will prepare for war with a large, strong army. But the southern king won't be able to withstand him because of the schemes devised against him. 26People who eat the king's rich food will ruin him. His army will be overwhelmed, and many will die in battle. 27The two kings will both plan to do evil. They will sit at the same table and tell lies. But they will not succeed, because the end must wait until the appointed time. 28The northern king will return to his country with a lot of wealth. He will be determined to fight against the holy promise. He will take action and return to his own country.

29"At the appointed time he will again invade the south, but this time will be different from the first.

30Ships will come from the west to attack him, and he will be discouraged and turn back. Angry at the holy promise, he will return, take action, and favor those who abandon the holy promise. 31His forces will dishonor the holy place (the fortress), take away the daily burnt offering, and set up the disgusting thing that causes destruction. 32With flattery he will corrupt those who abandon the promise. But the people who know their God will be strong and take action. 33"People who are wise will help many to understand. But for some time they will be defeated by swords and flames. They will be captured and looted. 34As they are being defeated, they will get a little help, but many who are not sincere will join them. 35Some of the wise people will be defeated in order to refine, purify, and make them white until the end times. But the appointed time is still to come.

36"The king will do as he pleases. He will highly honor himself above every god. He will say amazing things against the God of gods. He will succeed until God's anger is over, because what has been decided must be done. 37He will have no interest in the gods of his ancestors or desire for women. He will have no interest in any god, because he will make himself greater than anyone else. 38Instead, he will honor the god of fortresses. With gold, silver, precious stones, and other expensive things he will honor a god his ancestors never heard of. 39With the help of a foreign god, he will deal with strong fortresses. He will give high honors to those who acknowledge him, make them rulers over many people, and distribute land for a price.

40"In the end times the southern king will attack him. The northern king will rush at him like a storm with chariots, horses, and many ships. He will invade countries, overwhelm them, and pass through their land. 41He will invade the beautiful land, and tens of thousands will be defeated. But Edom, Moab, and the leaders of the Ammonites will escape from his power. 42He will use his power against many countries. Even Egypt will not escape. 43He will control gold and silver treasures and all Egypt's treasuries. Libya and Sudan will surrender to him. 44But news from the east and the north will frighten him. He will leave very angry to destroy and exterminate many. 45He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at a beautiful holy mountain. When he comes to his end, there will be no one to help him."
By Trend





Meeting of the Supervisory Board of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) was held on December 25, 2017. SOFAZs draft budget for 2018 was discussed at the meeting, chaired by Mr. Artur Rasi-zadeh, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan and Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

Considering the Opinion of the Chamber of Accounts of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Supervisory Board recommended the Fund's 2018 draft budget, along with major directions to SOFAZs investment policy, its draft annual operating expenditures, along with the Opinion of the Chamber of Accounts for the approval by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Supervisory Board also approved the amendments to Accounting Policy and Chart of Accounts of the Fund in accordance to the transition of the Oil Funds International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) to a new standard number 9 Financial Instruments.
The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has signed today an agreement with SRG Holdings, a leading family-owned holding company, to build a specialiaed dialysis centre in Al Barsha area in Dubai.



The funds for the design and construction of the Dubai Dialysis Centre will be donated by SRG Holdings.



The centre will have 60 rooms, of which 42 will be patient rooms and 18 will be private rooms to serve the needs of patients who are suffering from kidney failure and need dialysis. The centre will also provide state-of-the-art preventive services in the field of nephrology.



The agreement was signed Humaid Al Qutami, chairman and director-general of the Dubai Health Authority and Mohamed AbdulSalam AlRafi and Fahad Abdulsalam AlRafi of SRG Holdings Limited.



Al Qutami praised the corporate social responsibility initiative of the group and said it will directly help in improving patient access for such an important medical service.



Health is an important sector and one that directly impacts all of us. The wellbeing of the community is of fundamental importance and providing them with specialized services across all medical specialties is in line with our strategy. We appreciate the gesture of private sector entities that carry out such philanthropic initiatives for the betterment of the sector and to improve patient care.



The humanitarian philosophy of late Abdulsalam Al Rafi is an example for all and it is heartening to see his sons Mohamed and Fahad carry on his fathers vision and philanthropic services, he said.



Mohamed Abdulsalam AlRafi of SRG Holdings said: I am fulfilling my fathers wishes to continue his humanitarian efforts especially in the health sector and we hope to add more projects in the future.



His brother Fahad Abdulsalam AlRafi of SRG Holdings seconded his opinion and reiterated the need to focus on projects in the health sector.



Presently, in the DHA health facilities network, Dubai Hospital has a dialysis unit. As per 2016 statistics, the hospital performed about 33,000 dialysis sessions for about 250 patients. Of these, diabetics make up 45 to 48 per cent of the total number of patients on dialysis.  TradeArabia News Service
Licenses for a special chronic wasting disease hunt in north central Montana sold out in less than four hours on Tuesday.

The 335 deer B licenses went on sale at 5 a.m. and were all gone by 8:41 a.m., according to a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Facebook post. The 60 either-sex licenses offered reportedly sold out in less than five minutes.

This is the second special hunt being offered by FWP this winter to sample for the prevalence of CWD. The first, being held in south central Montana's Carbon County, began on Dec. 15.

So far, that hunt has resulted in the killing of 117 mule deer and 55 whitetails for a total harvest of 172. Between Dec. 19 and 25 alone, eight male and 36 doe mule deer were killed for a total of 44, and nine whitetail bucks and 12 does for a total of 21 were shot. The total harvest quota for the Bridger hunt is 200 deer of each species. That means hunters can fill 83 more mule deer tags and 145 more whitetail tags before the quotas are filled.

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission approved the Sage Creek Special Chronic Wasting Disease hunt north of Chester last week.

The hunt, which will take place mostly on private land, will be stopped when FWP meets its harvest goal of 135 mule deer. The opening day is Jan. 6 with a closing date of Feb. 15.

Each hunter who participates in the Sage Creek Special CWD Hunt should go online and obtain the hunt packet, which includes a map and rules for the hunt. These can be found online at fwp.mt.gov/CWD or at the FWP office in Havre, the check station at the Sage Creek Hutterite Colony or at the FWP Region 4 office in Great Falls. All successful hunters must have their animal sampled either at the check station, which is open from 10 a.m. to one hour after sunset, or at the FWP Havre office, which is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. five days a week.

CWD was found this fall in a mule deer buck harvested in Hunting District 401, which borders Canada.

The Sage Creek hunt area is about 226 square miles in size and just east of the Sweet Grass Hills. It abuts the Canadian border.

Hunters, like always, will need permission to hunt on private lands. Though this hunt is different in many ways from the general season, the same regulations regarding hunter behavior apply. This includes things like: dont shoot from roads or vehicles, ensure youre certain of your target before pulling the trigger and make sure you validate your license before removing the harvested animal from the field. If hunters see illegal activity, please call 1-800 TIPMONT.

CWD is a progressive, fatal neurological disease that effects deer, elk and moose. It is not known to infect humans. The Centers for Disease Control recommends not consuming animals that test positive for CWD. The CDC also recommends getting deer, elk or moose from CWD positive areas tested prior to consumption.

All animals harvested in the hunt must be submitted for sampling.
In support of the Year-of-Giving initiative, Canadian Specialist Hospital will contribute Dh10.5 million ($ for the treatment of 175 patients for dialysis and cataract surgery during 2018.

The hospital will offer half the price to selected patients on dialysis sessions, lab tests and cataract surgeries along with complimentary consultation with the doctor, said a statement.

The hospital will conduct dialysis sessions for 125 underprivileged patients next year. Furthermore, the hospital will offer discounted prices for cataract surgeries to 50 patients who are unable to afford the full cost of the surgery.

Dr Yashar Ali, CEO, Canadian Specialist Hospital, said: Year-of-Giving is all about offering support to the people and we endeavour to target and extend help towards patients who lack the resources to get themselves treated. This year has been a great one for the UAE in terms of charity and volunteering and we are honored to be a part of this initiative by treating patients in need.

The enrollment for the offer started in the first week of December 2017. UAE nationals and Dubai residents are required to submit their documents to Canadian Specialist Hospital in order to avail the offer. After submission, the application will be reviewed by DHA and the applicant will receive a response within two working days. The decision would be based on the financial status and health condition of the patient.

In UAE, the demand for dialysis has been on the rise due to the increase in the number of diabetes and hypertension cases, which incidentally are the leading causes of kidney diseases. Kidney diseases are often diagnosed at the later stage as they do not manifest early symptoms. People with diabetes and family history of kidney diseases are recommended to go for screenings every 6 months to avoid being diagnosed at the last stage where dialysis is the only solution.

Diabetes and hypertension are also major contributors towards the growing number of patients suffering from cataract. This condition may develop due to diabetic retinopathy, eye injury, ageing or other medical issues. To treat cataract, the cloudy lens can be replaced with an artificial lens via surgery to restore clear vision.

The hospital is fully equipped with medical technologies and experienced staff for both dialysis and ophthalmology department. The dialysis clinic provides a full range of services to patients with renal diseases, whereas, the ophthalmology clinic is equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical technology for treatment of various eye disorders.

Patients who are interested in availing the offer can find out more details regarding the application requirements by logging on to the hospitals website (www.csh.ae). - TradeArabia News Service
Japan-based Daikin, a leader in HVAC and refrigerants, has developed a new generation of inverters that will reduce CO2 emissions by 80 per cent, and simultaneously achieve energy reductions of up to 70 per cent.



According to the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) in UAE, the use of energy-efficient devices and tools denoted by a star rating, are gaining rapid popularity across commercial and residential sectors. In line with this and the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, targeting to reduce CO2emissions by 16 per cent by 2021, the new generation Daikin inverters prove to be instrumental.



According to figures published by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, by 2050 there will be 1.6 billion AC units installed. In terms of increased carbon emissions, the addition of these AC units is equivalent of adding several new countries to the world which has prompted experts to call for advances in energy efficiency of a minimum 30 per cent per unit. If implemented, these regulations will save 98 billion tonnes of C0 globally.



Daikins new Inverter Split Wall-Mounted leads the way in achieving up to70 per cent energy reductions with an Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of 13.3 at T1 condition compared to the traditional split AC. These energy efficient features make it themost energy efficient air conditioner of its type available in the GCC market. The Split Inverter features bespoke design for the High Ambient GCC market, and is a testament to Daikins commitment to develop sustainable systems with a lower impact on the environment.



Daikin MEA DX product planning manager, Sana Hamdani said: Combining the power of Daikins inverters with the revolutionary R-32 refrigerant and our Intelligent Eye presence sensor technology, this Inverter has been designed for optimum nominal and seasonal energy efficiency, in line with real life operating conditions in the Middle East, underlining Daikins serious commitment to the environment.



R-32the result of continued research on refrigerantsis a next generation gas that addresses a range of environmental considerations. It allows the Daikin inverter AC is able to maximize energy efficiency while minimizing global warming impact with zero ozone depletion potential and up to 80 per cent less CO2 emission than R-410A.



The Inverter ACconstantly adjusts the compressor speed to precisely maintain the desired temperature, and contributes to reducing energy consumption all year round, resulting in a lower electricity bill. The smart technology utilizes an intelligent advanced control that regulates the compressor speed to constantly adjust delivered capacity to meet the desired room temperature. It also provides powerful cooling, quieter operation and an extended product lifetime, said Hamdani.



Installed in new systems or retrofitted into existing systems, the Split Inverter combines the power of the Daikin inverter swing compressor  designed and patented by Daikin  and the R-32 refrigerant, for an energy bill reduction of 30  70 per cent.



Across the GCC, infrastructure development projects, in addition to a steep rise in residential and indoor leisure projects, currently drive demand for new AC units, with the regional market projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.3 per cent during 2017-2023. But this high pace of growth can have an adverse effect on C0 emissions. However, government policy documents such as the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, and market trends that indicate a preference for energy-efficient products and devices in conjunction will ensure continued economic growth with minimized environmental impact.



Daikin MEA general manager, Tuna Gulenc, added: As part of our environmental commitment to society, we believe it is the manufacturers duty to advise the market and develop sustainable solutions that have practical applications in reducingenergy consumption and CO emissions. People in Japan, Europe, China, Australia and other countries, already enjoy the benefits of Inverter technology and here at Daikin MEA, we believe the Middle East will soon follow suit. The use of Inverter technology in HVAC units helps each citizen to contribute to the regional efforts to reduce environmental impact.- TradeArabia News Service
National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed), a leading regional UAE-based district cooling utility company and Abu Dhabis renewable energy company, Masdar, have signed a service agreement to operate Masdars first district cooling plant.



Under the three-year contract, Tabreed will manage the district cooling plant on behalf of Masdar, providing expertise as well as operations and maintenance services, including regular maintenance of onsite equipment, water pumps and other related services through ongoing monitoring, diagnostic and planned maintenance work.



The Masdar district cooling plant is state-of-the-art and showcases the smart energy system of the district. It is part of Masdar Citys first phase, slated to provide the first 6,000 RT of the 94,000 RTs planned for the area, said a statement.



Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi CEO of Masdar, said: Selecting the right partner to support for the operations and maintenance of our first district cooling plant was key.



The plant is a central part of the smart energy system we are building at Masdar. With their technical capability and successful track record, we trust Tabreed to provide us with the highest level of quality services and expertise to meet our operational efficiency targets, he said.



Jasim Thabet, Tabreeds CEO, said: We are delighted to be working with Masdar to support their district cooling and sustainability needs.



This agreement is testament to our operations and maintenance capabilities garnered across 72 plants in the region over the last 20 years, with industry leading approaches bringing innovative operations and management solutions to the sector, he said.



It also demonstrates the confidence of game-changing energy players such as Masdar in selecting us for long-term partnership arrangements, he added.



Tabreed is a partner of choice for organisations across the GCC in providing environmentally friendly district cooling solutions. With 72 district cooling plants located throughout the region, Tabreed currently delivers over 1 million refrigeration tonnes to key developments in the region including iconic infrastructure projects such as Abu Dhabis Al Maryah Island, Yas Island, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Dubai Metro, Dubai Parks and Resorts, and the Jabal Omar Development in the Holy City of Mecca, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.



Masdar is Abu Dhabis renewable energy company which works to advance the development, commercialisation and deployment of clean energy technologies and solutions.



The company serves as a link between todays fossil fuel economy and the energy economy of the future. Wholly owned by the Mubadala Investment Company, the strategic investment company of the Government of Abu Dhabi, Masdar is dedicated to the Emirates long-term vision for the future of energy and water, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
InterContinental Hotels Group(IHG), one of the worlds leading hotel companies, has announced the opening of the highly-anticipated InterContinental Fujairah Resort in beguiling Dibba.



Often referred to as the Arabian Jewel, Fujairah is becoming increasingly popular with tourists and the opening demonstrates IHGs commitment to expand its luxury portfolio across the region.



An exceptional destination where Arabian hospitality meets luxury, the InterContinental Fujairah Resort is a beachfront property situated on the shoreline of the exquisite Al Aqah Beach, beneath the spectacular backdrop of the Hajar Mountains. The luxury resort consists of a series of low-rise Arabesque village-style buildings and combines contemporary design elements with strong Arab influences that reflect the local heritage and culture. The resorts 190 stylish guest rooms and suites, including 44 Club InterContinental Rooms and 38 suites, feature expansive balconies offering the perfect vantage point to admire uninterrupted views across the sea.



InterContinental Fujairah Resort offers unrivalled facilities and amenities including, a gymnasium, O Spa by L'Occitane, offering an extensive menu of signature therapies, as well as four meeting rooms, a boardroom and a ballroom. The hotel boasts two gourmet dining options including Nama, a truly indulgent dining experience with an elaborate selection of international dishes and Drift, a casual style beach bar and grill which is ideal for gatherings with family and friends. Guests can also savour a Worldly Classics cocktail, expertly mixed using the finest ingredients from around the globe on the spacious outdoor terrace at Horizon. Furthermore, guests will also have the exclusive benefit of the Concierge programme, which is designed to provide travellers with authentic and enriching experiences with local insight.



Family travellers will also be delighted by the hotels unique offerings for children of all ages, including a family pool, Kids Club and a Teens Club designed to entertain the two age groups as per their needs and interests. A babysitting service will also ensure that parents are able to relax and unwind while their young ones are being looked after and delighted by the experienced staff at the hotel.



Pascal Gauvin, chief operating officer, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG said: We are delighted to announce the opening of our first InterContinental Resort in the Middle East. This marks an important milestone in our journey in the region, as we expand our luxury portfolio to cater to our luxury guests which include international visitors, residents of the UAE looking for an escape from their daily, hectic routine as well as business groups looking for corporate retreats and unique meeting destinations. With its dazzling coastline, majestic mountains, palm orchards and deep wadis, combined with a rich heritage, Fujairah is fast emerging as a tourist haven that lures the most discerning travellers. We are looking forward to our guests experiencing the sophistication and style of the InterContinental life we have become renowned for.



Rabih Karam, chief executive officer, Al Ain Holding added: We are delighted to partner with IHG to bring the first InterContinental Resort in the Middle East. Fujairah is fast emerging as an exciting travel destination in the region, and the opening of this landmark hotel is adding a new dimension to the luxury offering and will contribute to the tourism development of the emirate.



IHG currently has 81 hotels operating across five of the companys brands in the Middle East region, including InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, and Staybridge Suites with a further 28 in the development pipeline. Across the Middle East, there are 26 InterContinental Hotels and Resorts with a further 8 in the pipeline.



There are currently 190 InterContinental Hotels and Resorts across the globe, with a further 63 due to open in the next three to five years. - TradeArabia News Service


Oman's tourism revenues exceeded RO1.2 billion ($3.1 billion) at the end of last year, with a large share of the revenues coming from local tourism.



According to the Tourism Statistics Bulletin issued by the Omani National Centre for Statistics and Information, local tourism accounted for 73.5 per cent (RO 882.5 million/$2.28 billion) of the total revenue while foreign tourists contributed 26.5 per cent of the total revenue, equal to RO319 million ($827.6 million).



"The total tourist spending in 2016 increased by 10.3 per cent to reach RO319 million compared to RO289 million ($749.8 million) at the end of 2015," the report said.



"The average expenditure of tourists during the last year was RO101.21 ($262.5) and the outbound tourism expenditure increased to RO490 million ($1.2 billion) and domestic tourism to RO882.4 million ($2.28 billion)," it said.



The number of incoming tourists to the sultanate increased by nearly 40 per cent every five years. The number of incoming tourists stood at 1.1 million tourists in 2005, increasing to 1.5 million in 2010 and then to 3.2 million in 2016.



Visiting relatives and friends (41.9 per cent) topped the list of the main purpose of tourism, followed by recreation (33.5 per cent) and work trip (17.7 per cent). - TradeArabia News Service
Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village
Wyomings fossil fuel industries have spent the last 12 months finding footing in the new normal for the coal, oil and gas sectors.

The price of crude and the production numbers at Powder River Basin coal mines both improved. The hemorrhaging of jobs during the previous years slowed and reversed course.

And the renewed hope has dampened fears fueled during the worst of the bust about the survival of the states rich resources, its funding model and its workers.

The price of crude went up in 2017, though its current state of hovering below $60 would have been considered dismal before the bust. Oil and gas companies say they have made efficiencies throughout the downturn that make the new normal for crude pricing survivable.

Industry enthusiasm started early in the year, after the first quarter federal lease sale that netted $129 million, about half of which went to the state.

Similar sales in the Powder River Basin revealed a continued interest in staking out land in Wyomings key basin, some said, a notion small companies argue heralds long term growth beginning in the Powder River Basin.

Coal improvements have also ignited hope, though the industry acknowledges long-term challenges.

As the regulatory environment became more favorable to coal companies after the election of President Donald Trump, pressure increased from coal plant retirements that continued to reduce demand for Wyomings keystone industry.

Coal production beat last years numbers every quarter that had been reported, though is likely to stay below historic norms.

With that increased activity, some jobs returned of the nearly 1,000 lost between 2015 and 2016. But the comeback was marginal. About 330 jobs were reinstated as coal companies operated with new restraint post downturn.

Current employment is not expected to increase significantly, some say.

Its a pretty good snapshot of where we are going to be going forward, said Travis Deti, executive director of the Wyoming Mining Association, of the job picture. The industry has tightened its belt, its downsized. They are doing a lot more with less; theyre becoming more efficient and watching their pennies.

But the new discipline in the Powder River Basin, particularly by companies that emerged from bankruptcy last year, has shown up in improved earnings, despite declines in demand.

The year also brought some new players.

The Eagle Butte and Belle Ayr mines, owned by Contura Energy  a spinoff firm formed during the Alpha Natural Resources bankruptcy  will go to an Appalachian company.

Meanwhile, Ramaco Carbon is still fighting to dig coal in Sheridan County, after an independent councils decision to refuse its coal mining permit until it had cleared up some issues in its mine plan.

Another new firm, Wyoming New Power, is drumming up financing to bring a coal treatment facility to the old Two Elk property in Campbell County. Proponents of coal treatment say that it can heighten the value of Powder River Basin coal, increasing its chance to compete in the new realities of the coal market and find buyers overseas.

It was a year of change and a year of stabilization. Some predictions of continued improvement in the price of crude next year have many hopeful. The coal sector, too, is looking ahead, but with a more measured expectation of what the new normal means.
Sage grouse numbers are likely to decline next year, part of a downswing in the birds population that happens about every decade, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

The health of the finicky bird with the comical mating call has been the subject of heated debate in recent years as state and federal agencies worked to stall a rapid decline over the last century. The push to stave off an endangered species listing is reflective of some of the diverse interests in the state, and brought Wyoming agencies, federal agents, industries, ranchers and environmentalists into the same room to build a plan.

But within the larger, and often political, discussion of saving the grouse population, is the natural ebb and flow of its numbers, with about 10 years passing between peak population counts.

According to a collection of wings from male and female birds, young and old from the last hunt season, the birds numbers are likely headed down.

We are on the declining cycle for sage grouse right now, said Tom Christiansen, sage grouse program coordinator for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. In the big picture, its not a concern.

Judging from about 2,000 wings collected statewide from hunters, biologists estimate that each hen produced about 1.2 sage grouse chicks earlier this year that survived into the fall.

A stable population produces around 1.5 chicks per hen, biologists say.

Come spring, when biologists head out to observe mating areas where males congregate waiting for hens to come and breed, those counts are likely to show a decline under 10 percent, Christiansen said.

It probably wont be noticeable to most people, he said.

This years wing count data also showed more variation than normal across the state, with some regions like the Rawlins and Baggs area producing fewer chicks per hen. Its not clear why thats the case, Christiansen said.

Wyoming is home to about 40 percent of the sage grouse population in the West, though birds are found in 11 other states and across the Canadian border. The state has taken a central role in protecting the species, both to preserve the larger habitat that sage grouse and other species depend on, and to avoid a federal endangered species listing.

An endangered species designation for sage grouse would force a number of strict provisions that would likely put significant pressure on oil and gas development, one of Wyomings key economic drivers. The listing would also be hard on ranchers and mine owners. Many environmentalists fought to prevent a listing too, wary that protecting the bird in such a way would impact so many industries and interests it could undermine conservation efforts long term.

A coordinated state effort to address the population decline began nearly a decade ago, and federal strategies that mirrored Wyomings approach were put in place in 2015. A recent attempt to update those federal plans, and potentially change them, has sparked controversy this year from those concerned that industry interests would trump habitat protection.

Of particular concern to critics of change was rhetoric from the Trump Administration about establishing population targets as part of the management strategy. The birds population cycle is one of the reasons that approach is problematic, they say. And its one of the reasons people like Gov. Matt Mead have asked that the feds let the current plans play out.

Since Wyoming and other agencies started paying attention to sage grouse declines in the mid-90s, and then began to implement policies about 10 years ago, the rapid slide in population has leveled off, said Christiansen.

An increase in population hasnt been noted yet.

Were dealing with a hard environmental and a long-lived bird, he said. It takes time for those responses to show up in the environment.
Downtown Casper had a major growth spurt this year.

After years of planning and months of construction, hundreds gathered at the David Street Station in August to celebrate the public plazas official opening. Gov. Matt Mead spoke at the opening ceremony and said the complex is proof that when Casper needs something done, it gets it done.

The station offers an outdoor stage and recreational spaces, and is expected to expand to include a splash pad, restrooms and an observation deck.

Its everything I could have dreamed of and more, Kevin Hawley, the CEO of the Downtown Development Authority, said at the ceremony.

City leaders hoped the plaza would create a livelier downtown atmosphere and spur economic growth. The plan appears to be working, as various new businesses recently popped up in the citys center, including Raccas Pizzeria Napoletana, Urban Bottle and the Gaslight Social bar.

The co-owner of the Gaslight Social explained in August that the citys downtown revitalization efforts were behind his decision to open a new business.

I thought to myself Im going to be on the outside looking in, Matt Galloway said at the time. I wanted to be part of this major movement.

Patron Jennifer Mayer said last summer that the 11,000 square-foot bar  which offers arcade games, a lounge area and an outdoor space  was unlike any other in the city.

It feels like youre not even in Casper anymore, she said, admiring the flickering lanterns and painted indoor columns.

The city was able to showcase all its new changes during the Wyoming Eclipse Festival, which brought tens of thousands of tourists to Casper. The four-day festival featured dozens of vendors, street performers, musicians and food trucks situated in the heart of downtown, and concluded with a free concert at the David Street Station.

Given that she only heard positive feedback about Casper from visitors, Mayor Kenyne Humphrey previously said she wouldnt be surprised if the festival led to a permanent boost in tourism.

We want them to come back, she said. The whole goal [of the festival was] to really showcase the city and what we can do and what we have here.

Now that residents and visitors may be tempted to spend more time in the citys center, officials also established plans to make one of downtowns main roadways safer and more attractive.

Midwest Avenue will be getting a makeover in early 2018, Community Development Director Liz Becher previously told the Star-Tribune. The city will be adding street lights, widening the sidewalks and moving the electrical wiring underground.
Two things are true about the GOP tax plan signed into law last week after being passed with the enthusiastic support of Wyomings Republican U.S. Sens. John Barrasso and Mike Enzi (Rep. Liz Cheney was a fan too):

n It will give most Americans a tax cut;

n It disproportionately benefits the phenomenally wealthy and large corporations and sends the nation further in debt to do so.

Whether this represents class warfare or simply the rollback of burdensome and unfair taxation is in the eye of the beholder. But theres certainly a way of reading the plan as reflecting a uniquely Wyoming brand of what society ought to look like.

Barrasso was born in Pennsylvania. Cheney was born in Wisconsin. Enzi was born in Washington.

Since statehood, Wyomings population has never been more than 50 percent native born. People have come for money, mostly. Or maybe that isnt generous enough. People come for a freedom of sorts. In any case, they come and they adopt a Wyoming mindset.

We like to claim the West is a place where you can have a shot at being what you want to be. You can come to terms with yourself. Freedom, in a livable community, is supposed to be the point of things, is how western writer Bill Kittredge puts it. Its our prime mythology, and it sort of works out, more so if youre white and have some money.

In that conception of the American West, federal taxation has little place. Social services, too, are gratuitous. Well take care of ourselves. Whether you celebrate this attitude as a point of pride or look at it askance, its a mythology that runs deep. But despite nearly four decades of uninterrupted Republican control of Wyomings federal offices and longstanding opposition to progressive taxation, some historians push back on the idea that the Cowboy State has always embraced a laissez-faire attitude toward corporations and the rich.

Author Sam Western said Wyomings constitution, ratified in the late nineteenth century, was part of a series of so-called Gilded Age Constitutions across several western states that enshrined progressive ideals that stood in opposition to the eras soaring inequality. He cited not only womens suffrage but also a ban on debtors prison, state control of corporations meant to combat the influence of railroad interests and public control of water resources  a radical move for the time.

Western said that through the 1970s the state was largely dependent on the whims of natural resource commodity prices but that when things were good, they were pretty good for everyone.

Poor and wealthy all benefited, he said. And then the world got more complex.

University of Wyoming history professor Phil Roberts largely agrees.

I think its a misnomer to say that were constantly anti-progressive, Roberts said. The changes came in the 1970s with the demise of the labor unions and ... then that big boom in population that brought in people from all over the country.

Roberts notes that while it wouldnt come to pass until the 1960s, a severance tax was considered as far back as the constitutional convention and that an income tax came close to passing in the 1920s. Even after Republicans took control of the states Congressional delegation, they didnt necessarily promote the policies of Barrasso, Cheney and Enzi, which Roberts said seem largely influenced by national GOP politics.

Malcolm Wallop and Al Simpson I dont think would fit in very well with the current crop of U.S. Senators in Washington in the Republican Party, he said. I just dont think they would be that extreme.

Barrasso turns to immigration

After tax reform passed Wednesday, Barrasso pivoted to discussing immigration reform on Fox News. He was asked about whether the Senate would take action on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA, and said that Congress would address it before the program expires in March.

Renewing DACA is a priority for Democrats and is widely popular with Americans, though Barrasso as well as Enzi and Cheney both oppose the program on the basis that President Barack Obama overstepped his bounds in creating it. The program allows individuals who were brought to the United States illegally as children to work and live in the country legally.

There are discussions, Barrasso said. But for me, Im going to focus on border security, enforcement and ending chain migration.

Chain migration?

He meant the process by which immigrants come to the United States and bring their family members, who in turn sponsor more family members, who then become eligible to sponsor even more family members, spokeswoman Laura Mengelkamp clarified in an email.

This has become a recent talking point for the Trump White House, which has argued the United States should emphasize merit rather than random chance in its visa lottery.

The White House tweeted a graphic last week that purported to show how a single legal immigrant has the potential to bring over 120 relatives.

But Dalia Pedro of the Immigration Alliance of Casper said that concern over chain migration misunderstands the immigration process. While permanent residents can sponsor immediate family members, like a spouse or parents, it is primarily citizens who successfully bring over family members. It takes roughly 10 years from the time an immigrant secures a visa until he or she becomes a citizen and would take up to an additional 20 years for any sponsored relatives who secured visas to start sponsoring more relatives.

Using that math, it could take nearly a century for the White House graphic to become a reality and thats assuming that each sponsored relative had three more eligible immediate family members to sponsor.

Mostly, Pedro was confused why Barrasso had pivoted to that aspect of immigration policy.

His focus is completely off from what the current immigration conversation is, Pedro said. Right now its not about whether we should change the way we sponsor individuals, its about how do we deal with the DACA issue and how do we deal with undocumented population thats in the country and in Wyoming?

Cheney on net neutrality

Sorry for the federally-focused package this week, but were in a bit of a watch-and-wait with the Legislature right now. Meanwhile, Congress is handling lots of hot button issues including net neutrality. Earlier this month, the Federal Communications Commission repealed Obama-era rules barring internet service providers from discriminating against different websites, slowing down traffic for some and speeding it up for others.

This is an issue that technology companies are passionate about because they fear repealing the rules may limit the internets dynamism while internet service providers have been lobbying to repeal the rules, sensing an opportunity to make more money.

As streaming websites like Netflix become more popular and bandwidth-intensive sites featuring video and photos become the norm, companies are worried that internet providers will force them to pay for the right to stream video or that they will slow down some websites and speed up others. This is especially concerning as some providers have started purchasing media companies, potentially creating a scenario in which an internet provider allows fast access to its own video website while slowing down access to a competitors site.

For small technology companies, there is a fear that they wont be able to pay providers enough to transmit content to consumers at fast speeds.

Basically, net neutrality represented the FCC treating the internet as a utility like electricity. Advocates argued this was appropriate because the internet is an essential service and one that is often only accessible through a single, monopolistic provider.

(If electric companies were similarly unregulated, Black Hills Power could, for example, start selling its own line of refrigerators and then charge Casper consumers twice as power to power a non-BHP fridge.)

Cheney weighed in on the issue on her website, arguing that because the internet worked just fine before 2015 when the Obama-era FCC implemented the net neutrality rules it will work just fine now.

The FCC decision will protect Internet consumers/users while also ensuring there is a framework to encourage the kind of innovation we need, she wrote.
Billings drivers received a late Christmas gift Monday night: Their busiest streets got plowed after all.

Assistant Public Works Director Vern Heisler said Tuesday that 19 street maintenance workers were out Monday night into Tuesday morning plowing arterial and collector streets throughout the city. Another plowing contingent was to return Tuesday night picking up the snow from berms up to two feet high pushed into the center of Billings streets the night before.

After pickup Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, crews will truck the snow to one of the citys snow disposal sites.

As of now, Heisler wrote to Mayor Tom Hanel and members of the Billings City Council, we are planning on leaving the downtown area alone, weather dependent.

With up to five inches of snow in the forecast Thursday and Friday, Heisler said the current plan is for crews with CMG Construction LLC, the citys contract snowplow service, to begin plowing residential streets at that time. Unlike city crews, who form berms, or walls of snow, down the center of the road, the private snowplow operators will instead push snow to the side of the roadway, Heisler said.

Public Works officials took on a storm of social media criticism with their decision last week not to plow Friday and throughout the holiday weekend, citing in part the difficulty of putting crews on standby, which would have prevented them from leaving town over the holiday weekend.

The council heard from at least one letter-writer Friday.

Matt Williams said work recently brought him to Billings from Nebraska, and "I am stunned at this town's lack of road maintenance and plowing. Pathetic," he wrote. "It doesn't matter if it's a holiday or a weekend. You have a city to maintain ... Run this city like a city and not a hick town in rural Montana."

Heisler said about six street maintenance employees spent the holiday weekend sanding roads and busting through snowdrifts, mainly in the areas of Shiloh Road and Rehberg Lane in the Billings West End and Skyview High School in the Heights.

Heisler said the department stands behind Fridays decision, announced to the council and The Gazette shortly before noon.

I think we made the right call, he said. We wanted to be cognizant of the traveling public and we wanted to be very careful knowing there are extra people out wrapping up their Christmas shopping.

We would have been plowing to the center, he said, and those berms would have made it hard to get into businesses.

Had crews been plowing arterials and collectors over the weekend, they would have been forced to pick up snow after plowing, further congesting streets while people are shopping and getting to all the places they wanted to go to, Heisler said.

Public Works officials ask drivers not to run over berms before crews can begin removing them Tuesday night. Openings are regularly spaced, Heisler noted, and crews must spend time rebuilding berms that drivers punch through.

A handful of workers will be picking up snow during daylight hours Tuesday, and in a couple of nights, we should be done, Heisler said.

He asked motorists to slow down around heavy equipment.
PHOENIX  Saying owners are abusing the law, a state senator wants to make it illegal to misrepresent a dog as a service animal in order to bring it into places where pets are not allowed.

The proposal by John Kavanagh, a Fountain Hills Republican, would allow judges to impose fines of up to $250 on someone who fraudulently misrepresents an animal as a service animal or service animal in training to anyone who operates any business or recreation site open to the public, as well as buses, taxis and ambulances.

An individual would have to produce proof that the animal had been trained for a specific chore covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, Kavanagh said.

The senator said nothing in his proposed legislation, SB 1040, would allow a business owner to refuse to let someone enter the premises solely because of the failure to provide such written proof. In fact, existing Arizona law prohibits requiring identification for the service animal.

Instead, Kavanagh said, it would be up to a business owner to file a complaint and have the issue heard by a court.

But Sarah Kader, attorney for the Arizona Center for Disability Law, said that presents problems of its own.

Kader said she could foresee a business owner calling the police on someone. Then the officer would issue a citation, forcing the person with the disability to find his or her way to court to answer the charges. And if that person lacked transportation, she said, a warrant for arrest would be issued.

She also questioned whether there really is a problem.

Kader pointed out that Arizona law already gives businesses the right to eject any animal  including a service animal  if it misbehaves, is not housebroken, poses an undue burden or poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others.

Underlying all that is an Arizona law that makes it illegal for anyone who operates a public place to discriminate against people with disabilities who use service animals if what the animals do is directly related to the individuals disability.

Such service includes assisting people with vision and hearing loss or balance stability, pulling a wheelchair or sensing when someone is about to have a seizure. The law also covers helping those with psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors, but does not include animals purely for emotional support, comfort or companionship.

Generally speaking, service animals are dogs. But Arizona law also allows for the use of miniature horses.

Kavanagh said he has no problem when there is a legitimate need. But hes convinced that there are a lot more animals being brought into businesses than the law allows.

People complain all the time, there was a dog in the coffee shop, a woman took a dog on a plane, he said.

I see it everywhere, Kavanagh continued. Everyone sees it. And its getting out of control.

The tricky part for business owners is that they legally cannot ask someone with an animal about his or her disability. Instead, they can ask only if the animal is a service animal and what tasks the animal has been trained to perform. They cannot demand to see any sort of special ID card.

Kavanagh said people abuse the system. And he sees nothing wrong with requiring people to prove to a judge that their animals have been properly trained for a specific disability covered by the ADA.

Its amazing that you cant get a placard to park your car in a disabled spot unless a doctor certifies that youre disabled, he said. But, pretty much, today everybody can walk around and buy vests (for their animals) on the internet and claim non-trained animals are service animals. It makes no sense to me.

Kader said one big flaw in Kavanaghs proposal is that nothing in the law requires that a service animal be formally trained. She said that would subject people to who have trained their own animals for legitimate ADA-covered needs to fines.

And what if people are using the law, and a claim of a disability, to bring Fluffy or Fido into the grocery or restaurant solely to make sure theyre not left in a hot car? Kader said she remains convinced the problem, to the extent one exists, is minor.

I think Kavanagh and others who are putting these (laws) forward are making a big deal like theres thousands of people out there with these fraudulent service animals, she said.

Kader said business owners always have the option to approach someone and ask the two permitted questions to weed out who is entitled to bring an animal in.

There are very few people that are going to have responses to the specific questions, Kader said. Most people arent going to lie and make up a disability and make up what their animal is trained to do in response.

The bigger problem, she said, is what happens next if someone cant produce proof of training.

The police are going to get called if a business owner doesnt believe them, she said. Its just a disaster. It really punishes the people with disabilities for the actions of a very few.

But Kavanagh said those with disabilities should like his proposal. Were going to whittle away at an abuse and, hopefully, take the heat off legitimate service animals that are trained and are helping people, he said.

This isnt the first time lawmakers have grappled with the issue.

In 2015, Rep. Bob Thorpe, R-Flagstaff, proposed to have state health officials issue permits, complete with photos of owners and the dog or horse, to service animals. He insisted at the time that would actually help the disabled by ensuring they get fewer questions from business owners. That proved so controversial that it was killed unanimously in committee, with Thorpe voting against his own proposal.
Two Golder Ranch Fire District firefighters are battling cancer and their journey has brought the men closer together as they lean on each other for support while their comrades help them and their families.

Tom Brandhuber, assistant chief of operations, and Justin McMurrich, a firefighter and emergency medical technician, both say they want their comrades to stay healthy while cancer prevention studies strive to improve safety equipment and techniques for protecting firefighters.

Brandhuber was a strong, healthy firefighter for 29 years  the last four working for Golder Ranch on the northwest side. His firefighting career includes stints in the Air Force and 15 years with Rural Metro.

In April, he began suffering painful spinal compression fractures. Once he was traveling by plane, and when the plane landed, Brandhuber said, he suffered three fractured vertebrae. Another time, he bent over to pick up a pen and fractured two ribs.

Doctors were baffled until after the third break, when he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, cancer of a white blood cell called a plasma cell. The plasma cells accumulate in the bone marrow and crowd out healthy blood cells, making the bones weak, explained Brandhuber, 48.

He suffered a total of 14 fractures in his back and has undergone two surgeries in which bones were fused. Most of the fractures are healed now and he no longer wears a harness, nor does he need a wheelchair, walker or cane. Brandhuber has regained some strength and now can carry a carafe of water to make coffee  something he couldnt do when he was at his weakest.

He also can drive, and when he could not, fellow firefighters would drive him everywhere, including to work and medical appointments.

The firefighting community checks in on the families of Brandhuber and McMurrich. They do errands and even yard work. The North Tucson Firefighters Association Local 3832 recently held a car wash to help the families and raised nearly $7,000.

The firefighters comrades went shopping with McMurrichs three children recently while Justin, 43, and his wife, Katie, 41, remain at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where Justin is undergoing treatment for peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma, a cancer of the connective tissue surrounding nerves. He had surgery Dec. 7 to remove a malignant tumor affecting the nerve canal in his jaw.

Since April, Brandhuber has received chemotherapy infusions and also takes the drug orally. He attends physical therapy to build back his strength. Once the cancer is in remission, he will undergo a stem-cell transplant at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix.

I have my good days and my bad days, said Brandhuber, who oversees firefighting personnel, emergency medical services, training and special response teams for the district. The district has a $28 million annual budget and 190 firefighters who service 241 square miles with a population of 140,000.

I am very blessed to work for Golder Ranch, said the assistant chief, explaining that his bosses allow him to be flexible with his work schedule. He comes to the office when he feels well and stays home when he does not.

We all face challenges in life and we have to work to overcome those challenges, said Brandhuber, who shows up to work more often than not. He became a firefighter because he wanted to help those in need and give back to his community, a value taught to him by his parents and strengthened by his military service.

He said he finds strength to remain positive and not give up on life from his Catholic faith and his family, especially his wife, Tamara, 47, who he described as a rock star in keeping the family together. His wife, a physical education and health teacher at Catalina Foothills High School, is there for him and their four daughters.

The most difficult for me was telling the kids, said Brandhuber, who is receiving treatment through Arizona Oncology. I want to make sure I will be there for my kids as they grow up. My cancer is not a curable cancer  it is a treatable cancer. I am buying as much time as I can.

It is what it is, and if cancer doesnt change who I am or how I treat people, then cancer cant win. Being angry and upset wont change it. It just makes it harder to deal with.

I am at peace. I have a belief that God has a plan, regardless of the outcome. I am at peace with whatever Gods plan is.

However, Brandhuber said, I will fight like hell and keep a positive mind-set to face the difficulties.

He said he looks forward to the day he can clean his yard, lift weights, run and regain his independence.

Meanwhile, he and McMurrich talk three times a week.

McMurrich said, I have known Tom for 15 years, and he has been going through this (cancer treatment) for a while. I get a lot of my support from him. He is so determined. He is a warrior. When we talk, he is very uplifting. He keeps me on the positive side of things.

McMurrich became fatigued and felt pain in his jaw during the interview, so he let his wife, Katie, do the talking for him.

McMurrich, a firefighter and emergency medical technician, began his career in 2002 with the Avra Valley Fire District and has also worked for Rural Metro and Mountain Vista.

He was diagnosed in October with cancer after going to doctors for more than a year and not finding answers, said Katie McMurrich, an insurance agent.

It was very frustrating because we knew something was wrong, she said.

Doctors could not provide answers to why her husband had a patch of numb skin on his left jaw. After seeing five doctors and undergoing two MRIs over five months, one doctor realized that a tumor was overlooked in one of the MRIs, Katie said.

It was agonizing when months went by and he was not getting any better, and he was in pain and the meds were not working, she recalled. I wanted answers, so I started advocating for him and went with him to his appointments.

By the time the rare cancer was detected, it had traveled from his left jawbone to below his left ear. The couple left Tucson Nov. 26 for the Houston cancer center and readied for the operation in which surgeons removed Justins lymph nodes, cut out his jawbone from his canine teeth to below his ear. Doctors reconstructed the jaw by using a piece of his right fibula.

Katie fainted when she saw her husband after surgery with breathing, feeding and drainage tubes.

He could not talk and he was learning how to breathe. I was holding his hand in recovery and the next thing I knew all the nurses were around me, she recalled. I was very emotional and anxious.

Justins healing began quickly, surprising doctors when he talked the second day after surgery despite the swelling. All the tubes were removed in a week, but he cannot eat solid foods for months. The couple received housing at the Houston Rotary Fire Fighters Home when he was released.

He remains in Houston for treatment and in mid-January faces the possibility of both radiation and chemotherapy.

It has been a heck of a ride, said Justin, who FaceTimes on the computer daily with his three children. The former professional motocross racer also hears from friends in the racing world, and from Tucson and Houston firefighters.

The most difficult was accepting and processing that I have cancer. Now I am fighting cancer. It will be a long road. I want to grow old with my wife and watch my kids grow up. I want to see my kids have kids. I want to be a grandpa. I am not going to accept death in my 40s, he said.

Cancer is among a leading causes of death for firefighters, said Mike McKendrick, chairman of the Greater Tucson Fire Foundation. The nonprofit, founded by firefighters, raises funds to provide advanced training and health and wellness support for Southern Arizona firefighters.

The University of Arizona, in conjunction with the Tucson Fire Department, is in the midst of a three-year study funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reduce cancer among firefighters.

Researchers are studying firefighters exposure to carcinogens through the skin and via the inhalation of smoke, diesel exhaust and other chemical gases, vapors and particulates.

You know as a firefighter that you will run a higher risk in developing a type of cancer. It is one of the inherent dangers of the job, said Brandhuber.

He said fire departments are working to reduce firefighters exposure to cancer-causing agents.
Info box

The Arizona Daily Star publishes a Community Wish List every Tuesday for nonprofits and hosts a website where you can post your wishes all year round.

Nonprofits registered as 501c(3) organizations are eligible to participate for free. Visit www.wishlisthero.org to register your organization and your wishes will be published in the Arizona Daily Star.

Email wishlist@tucson.com if you would like to find out how you can support organizations in our community or receive support for your organization.

Community Wish List is a collaboration of the Star and Heather Hiscox, founder of WishListHero.org.
Editors note: This is the latest in our series about young Tucsonans who make us optimistic about the future.

Adriana Noriega was sitting in her Western civilizations class listening to a guest presenter discuss volunteering when everything changed.

Before that presentation her freshman year of high school, shed never given much thought to serving her community. Hearing about issues in Pima County, and specifically the countys Teen Court program, sparked a realization.

It never snapped in my mind that I have the ability to help someones life and contribute to society, so I started volunteering then, said Adriana, 16.

Now a junior at Cholla High Magnet School, Adriana takes as many opportunities to volunteer as she can. Shes passionate about substance-abuse prevention, education and helping refugees in Tucson.

When I see people who are giving as much as they can because they want to help, that helps me want to do the same thing, maybe not with all of my money, because I dont have any, but with my time, she said. Time is one of the most valuable things you have, and its also one of the most valuable things you can give, so I want to give my time and invest in peoples lives.

And time is precious to Adriana. In the midst of volunteering, she also juggles student council, the Arabic and National honor societies and all of the rigor that accompanies an International Baccalaureate program. She doesnt just care about her own education. Shes also part of the Metropolitan Education Commissions Youth Advisory Council/Tucson Teen Congress, representing her peers in discussions on education policy and quality in Pima County.

She dreams of making policies some day.

I wasnt aware of the issues, she said. I was so close-minded and didnt see the bigger picture. I was just focusing on my school and I wanted to get good grades, and I never realized how much of an impact I could have.

What she does

Adriana started volunteering with Pima County Teen Court, a diversion program for minors, after that freshman year presentation.

The program allows minors who take responsibility for their offenses to let a jury of their peers determine their sentences. This alternative to a criminal conviction focuses on constructive sentences and service learning. Teens volunteer as members of the jury, attorneys, clerks and bailiffs.

Adriana, who volunteers as a teen attorney and vice president of the Teen Court Bar Association, had noticed many of the teens coming through the program had some involvement with substance abuse. I saw how substance abuse affected them, she said. It practically destroys lives.

That realization drove her to apply to the Governors Youth Commission, where she is one of two teens from Pima County. There, and through organizations on campus and in the community, she advocates for greater awareness among teens about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

Her openness to new ways of volunteering also led her to bake sales organized by Syrian refugee women last winter. Her high school Arabic teacher, Nour Jandali, invited her to help translate.

When I was getting ready to leave (the bake sale), she was in the room where all of the volunteers met, taking the stage to explain how we can do new events better, Jandali said .

Again, Adriana found her eyes opened.

When I was speaking with the Syrian refugees, it was very surreal, Adriana said. Ive heard about it before, all the problems theyre going through ... and being able to speak to someone who has been going through this their whole life really made me want to give back more.

She was already interested in the Middle East because of an older sister who took Arabic in high school. Biblical references in church to Middle Eastern locales also piqued her interest.

Before the bake sales, Adriana had applied for the YALLAH Commit to Action program organized by the Qatar Foundation International, an organization that awarded the Tucson Unified School District grant money to expand Arabic programs to other schools.

As part of the Commit to Action program, she developed a project to support the education of Syrian refugee children. In Tucson, she collected school supplies and more than $300 to purchase education necessities. She donated all of it to the local resettlement agency Refugee Focus.

Because of that project, she was selected to attend the National Youth Leadership Councils Dare to Dream service-learning conference in California in March and another leadership conference in Qatar .

Why it matters

For Adriana, its about taking what she has and sharing it with others.

Being so privileged, I kind of think of it as Why not? she said. After I started volunteering and looking at the bigger picture, I saw that I can have an impact on someones life. I can make a change, and it starts with one person.

Jandali said Adriana also encourages her peers to volunteer.

She is one of those kids who will take a risk and be in front and take that job and complete it until it is done well, Jandali said.

encouraging peers

Just do it, she said. There is going to be something eventually that youre going to be passionate about. ... For me, I didnt even know I was passionate about substance-abuse prevention until I realized there were people going through bad things. When you see problems like that and are genuinely interested in wanting to help, you should just take the opportunity.

There is no age to start giving back to the community. You can start doing that at 6 years old if you want. There are always ways to give back to the community.
WASHINGTON (AP)  To hear Donald Trump talk, you'd think Barack Obama was the president who stole Christmas.

Although Trump doesn't generally single him out by name on this subject, the president's meaning is unmistakable when he declares, as he has done since long before the holiday season, that's he making it OK to talk about Christmas again. Obama, it would seem, did not. But that's not what the record shows.

A look at that matter and others that arose in a week bristling with action on taxes and Trump's words on foreign policy, politics and more:

TRUMP: "People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again. I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!  a tweet Christmas Eve.

People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again. I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 25, 2017

THE FACTS: "Merry Christmas," the president said when presiding over the lighting of the National Christmas Tree and celebrating "the birth of our Savior."

That president was Obama, marking "my family's Christian faith" and other faiths in his final Christmas tree ritual in office, in 2016.

The White House holidays under the Obamas had plenty of Christmas trappings and cheer. Obama offered a more general holiday message on the official greeting card, but wished "Merry Christmas" at the National Tree lighting, on his Twitter account and in his weekly address.

Trump explicitly criticized Obama in 2011, tweeting that the president had "issued a statement for Kwanzaa but failed to issue one for Christmas." In fact, that year Obama wished people "Merry Christmas" from his Twitter account and gave a video address with wife Michelle Obama in which he wished people a "Merry Christmas and happy holidays."

Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton also offered greetings marking Kwanzaa, the weeklong African heritage festivities starting Tuesday. The White House said Trump will also have a statement on Kwanzaa.

TRUMP: "The bottom line is, this is the biggest tax cuts and reform in the history of our country. This is bigger than, actually, President Reagan's many years ago."  remarks to reporters Friday.

THE FACTS: Not so, in either case. For months Trump has refused to recognize larger tax cuts in history, of which there have been many, or to grant that other presidents have enacted big tax cuts since Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. The White House won't explain how he arrives at his conclusion.

An October analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget found that it would be the eighth biggest since 1918. As a percentage of the total economy, Reagan's 1981 cut is the biggest followed by the 1945 rollback of taxes that financed World War II. Trump's plan is also smaller than cuts in 1948, 1964 and 1921, and probably in other years.

Additionally, a Treasury Department analysis found Reagan's 1981 tax cut had an annual average cost of nearly 2 percent of GDP. This would translate into roughly $400 billion in today's dollars. The current tax cuts peak at $280 billion in 2019.

Valued at $1.5 trillion over 10 years, the plan is indeed large and expensive. But it's much smaller than originally intended. Back in the spring, it was shaping up as a $5.5 trillion package. Even then it would have only been the third largest since 1940 as a share of gross domestic product. The government uses percentage of GDP to measure most budget and tax issues over time because that measure puts tax revenues and federal outlays in context relative to the entire economy.

VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: "You're delivering on that middle-class miracle."  to Trump at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday.

THE FACTS: Modest doesn't usually make for a miracle. Pence's praise to the boss reflects Trump's assertion that "it's a tax bill for the middle class," as he often put it, but average people are not the prime beneficiaries of the tax cuts. Aside from businesses, rich people get the most.

The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimates the biggest benefit of the new law will go to households making $308,000 to $733,000. Households making over that should get a tax cut worth 3.4 percent of their after-tax income. For the richest 0.1 percent (making over $3.4 million), the tax cut should be worth 2.7 percent of their after-tax income. For middle-income earners: 1.6 percent, the center estimates.

Moreover, 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 also see benefits from the business tax cuts, in the form of more jobs and higher wages.

DEMOCRATIC SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER: "Their bill increases taxes on lots of middle-class people. ... According to the Tax Policy Center, the top 1 percent of earners in our country gets 83 percent of the benefits."  remarks Tuesday.

THE FACTS: The tax cuts are not nearly as lopsided as many Democrats are portraying them. Almost all of the middle class would initially pay less in taxes.

For the next eight years, the vast majority of middle-class taxpayers  those earning between $49,000 and $86,000  will receive a tax cut, albeit a small one. In 2018, nine-tenths of the middle class will get a cut, according to the Tax Policy Center. In 2025, 87 percent will. The tax cut won't be very big: just $930 next year for the middle one-fifth of taxpayers, the center's analysis concludes. For those paid twice a month, that's about $40 a paycheck.

Schumer and other Democrats who have blasted the plan as a middle-class betrayal are basing their assertions on the fact that nearly all personal tax cuts expire after 2025. That would result in a slight tax increase for about two-thirds of the middle class by 2027. The top 1 percent would still get a cut that year.

Only in 2027 do the wealthiest taxpayers get 83 percent of the benefit, as Schumer says. In 2018, roughly 21 percent of the tax cut's benefits go to the richest 1 percent, a much smaller figure, though still a disproportionate share. Just 11 percent will go to the middle one-fifth.

___
Russian officials barred activist Alexey Navalny from entering the country's presidential race a day after he held nomination gatherings to kick off his run, according to state-run media outlet RIA-Novosti.

Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC) rejected Navalny's registration the day after he submitted it, citing a previous embezzlement conviction, RIA-Novosti reported.

"Firstly, a citizen who has been sentenced to imprisonment for committing a grave or especially grave crime and who has an outstanding conviction for the said crime, has no right to be elected president of the Russian federation," said CEC member Boris Ebzeev.

The decision was not a surprise. Navalny's candidacy was unlikely because Russian law prevents convicted criminals from running for public office, though Navalny and his supporters have said his conviction was politically motivated to block his presidential bid.

Navalny will appeal the commission's decision, his campaign press secretary Ruslan Shaveddinov told CNN late Monday.

Navalny would be running against incumbent President Vladimir Putin, who announced his intention to seek re-election -- his fourth presidential bid -- as an independent candidate at his annual press conference earlier this month.

At the time, he said his aim was for Russia to have a "competitive" and "balanced" political system, but it wasn't his responsibility to create political opponents.

"I want this," Putin said, "and I will strive for a balanced political system and that is impossible without competition in the political field."

Putin has been either the Prime Minister or President of Russia since 1999.

In response to a question about why Russia lacked effective opposition leaders, Putin said most of the current opposition figures were more focused on "making noise" instead of a genuine agenda that could benefit the country.

Navalny called for a boycott of the March 2018 election in response to the CEC's decision.

"We are announcing a voters' strike," Navalny said. "The procedure in which we are invited to participate is not an election. It involves only Putin and those candidates whom he personally chose, who do not pose a slightest threat to him."

The opposition activist is widely popular among young people and has tapped into anger over a sluggish economy and endemic corruption. Navalny first rose to prominence during 2011's large-scale anti-government protests.

Expert: Putin will 'almost without a doubt' win election

Jill Dougherty, a Russia expert and former CNN Moscow bureau chief, said Navalny still has a role to play in the presidential race, though it probably won't be as a candidate.

"I think he will be a factor," she said, "but he will not be an organized participant in any electoral process. He will be kept on the outside and he is definitely opposition, so he's used to being kept on the outside."

But Navalny's support among young Russians could also play a factor in the election.

"A lot of the people who support him are very young, like 19 or 20 years old -- sometimes even younger," Dougherty said, and they have been exposed to the rest of the world and the way the rest of the world lives, and they are dissatisfied.

"Their dissatisfaction, although not very focused at this point, is a factor the Kremlin is worried about," she said. "The Kremlin is very focused on the youth and making sure that young people support Putin."

Dougherty also pointed to Ksenia Sobchak -- a Russian socialite and reality TV star who has said she wants to challenge Putin -- as someone who could offer a liberal alternative to Putin if Navalny can't run. But Navalny's supporters wouldn't necessarily support her, she said.

"Putin will almost without a doubt win the election," Dougherty said, "because he is supported by the majority of Russians and because the system is organized ... to favor his candidacy."
Help India!

By Abhay Kumar for TwoCircles.net

I was surprised to see the reactions against Lalu Prasad Yadav following his conviction in the second fodder scam case by a Ranchi court.

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Congratulations! Lalu has been convicted, said a friend from JNU. Another friend angrily aired his reaction: My family has been supporting Lalu for last 27 years but what we have got. Ironically, these two friends have no connection with the Hindutva politics. Nor do they belong to upper castes.

In the recent past, the anti-Lalu sentiments have spread among non-upper caste domain as well. The BJP is trying to woo some non-Yadav castes, particularly those who are numerically small among OBCs, with such narratives: only Yadav castes have been beneficiaries of Lalu-raj. However, it has never spelt what it has done for them where the saffron outfits were in power!

In such a situation, the need of the hour is to firmly stand with Lalu at this critical juncture. Even his opponents would accept privately that the politics of Lalu has been, despite criticisms and limitations, broadly secular and progressive, based on ideas of social justice. Today, these values, particularly after the coming of Modi in the centre, are under severe attack.

Do I mean to say that the Lalus commitment to secular politics should make him above criticism? I do not mean that. I am aware of the fact that some of us have some serious questions about Lalu, his party RJD and its rule in Bihar.

But we should not miss the larger picture and grand design by the Hindutva forces. The way Lalu has been harassed in the fodder scam does not leave any doubt that it has been politically motivated.

Who can deny that the Hindutva forces consider Lalu as a big impediment to their grabbing power in Bihar? They have tried all tricks to trap Lalu and discredit and kill him politically. But so far, he has risen like a phoenix from the ashes. But will he be able to repeat this time?

Like my two friends, I also had anti-Lalu sentiments. Born and brought up in a village of Bihar dominated by Brahmin castes, I used to hear tirades against Lalu Prasad all the time during my childhood. Some of them were in order: Upper castes will not get jobs because Lalu has come to power; Lalus rule has pushed Bihar into a jungle raj, the lower castes (solkan in Bhojpuri) no longer have respect for Brahmins, the police and administration have now become the supporters of the lower castes; Lalu hates Brahmins (bawaji in Bhojpuri) most, etc. These anxieties among Brahmins are reflective of Lalus role in giving voice and a sense of empowerment to lower castes.

Moreover, I was a child when the Babri Masjid was demolished and whose faint memory I still have. I remember some of my relatives, sitting around the bonfire and listening to BBC radio, were discussing. Had Rao [the then Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao] not been supportive, the karsevaks would never have been able to demolish Masjid

But I as grew up, my views about Lalu began to change. I owe it to my association with Muslims and interactions with them made me realise how grave the problem of communal violence and the role of Lalu in preventing it.

Amid this communal frenzy in the 1990s, Lalu remained committed to secular ideology and Hindu- Muslim unity. He not only arrested Advani and stopped his bloody rath yatra in Bihar but also ensured that the communal flame should not touch Bihar. I feel proud to belong to a backward and bimaru state Bihar that remained a safe place for the Muslim minority whereas some of the most advanced regions of our country turned hostile to Muslims, following the destruction of the Babri Masjid.

I do not think it is an exaggeration to say that Lalus role in keeping communal forces at bay has made him immortal in the Indian political history. This is why Lalu is hated by the Hindu communalists. It is largely due to Lalu that the BJP has not been able to form its own government in Bihar.

In the last assembly elections, which I saw and reported for a newspaper, Milli Gazette, the BJP tried its best to demonise Lalu during the electoral campaigns. But his mass appeal could not be dented. I saw with my own eyes that Lalu, unlike many other leaders, was welcomed by a sea of people.

During one of his rallies at Mahua, Vaishali held on October 23, 2015, I felt his magic. Unlike many other leaders who are often hesitant to get closer to common people, Lalu did not have any such hesitation. His small gesture to invite standing people to take a seat in the empty space near dais left a deep impression on their minds and hearts, who would go home with a sense of empowerment and recognition.

To reiterate, Bihar is an important state and Lalu is standing in the way of the Hindutva forces game plan in the upcoming 2019 General Elections. The conviction of Lalu and acquittal of the former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra should be placed within this grand design.

With these arguments, I stand in solidarity with Lalu. At this critical time, I politely request my two friends to reconsider their views.

The author is pursuing PhD at Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Help India!

By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net

Bringing Acche Din for street vendors and cart owners was one of the many promises which the BJP made during its campaign before UP elections in 2017. But it seems that the UP government has either not been able to keep its promise, or worse, is working in the completely opposite direction.

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On December 23, Varanasi police lashed out at the street vendors outside Sir Sunderlal Hospital of BHU and once again uprooted their business from the place. Before this, there has been one more episode of police violence to uproot small business setups in June this year which lasted for several weeks.

The police officials have justified their action on the reasoning that the shops and vendors have been responsible for the traffic jam around BHU. But what makes this step controversial is that the police took this action even as state minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Urban Development Suresh Khanna was briefing officers on the other side of Varanasi. Khanna was instructing officials to seek his permission before taking any action against street vendors.

When the local shop owners and businessmen protested against Police action on December 23, they were handled with violence. The police are alleged to have violated the Street Vendors Act, 2014.

The act, which was introduced, passed and enacted by the UPA government, provides vendors with the right to do business at their chosen places unless they are relocated at the vending zones with a 30-day notice.

Chintamani Seth, 60, is the president of the local union for the welfare of vendors. Seth said, They came with a JCB machine, and started threatening us. When I objected, they pushed me and abused me.

Soon, Seth was put in jail and Police started vandalising the shops and successfully uprooted at least 45 shop owners and vendors who have been running the business for more than 50 years.

Seth said, We contacted the ministers and MLAs of the city asking them to help us. No one came to help us, rather they ended up abusing us.

Suresh Yadav, 43, used to run a tea shop along the hospital boundary but lost his shop during the police action. Yadav said, Police has been harassing us since the past several months even though all we are trying to do is earn a living. Why dont they clearly ask us to go somewhere and die? If we are not earning, we are dead anyway.

The administrative action also seems questionable when BJP is running the administration at the state as well as the district level after winning the municipal elections in the state recently. Administrative officials are claiming that soon rehabilitation of the vendors will be done in a park nearby, but they are not sure of the date yet.

However, the administration is also accused of giving free hand to commercial vehicle owners and drivers who are now parking their vehicles at places where the shop owners were based. When we tried to discuss this aspect with the concerned authority, we got no official response. However, one officer said, At least you can move the vehicle easily, same is not with the vendors and their temporary shops.

Police action even after the Suresh Khannas orders and Yogi Adityanaths promises raises an important question: does the UP Police not listen to the orders of a state minister?
According to Michael Gove, the companies producing food are incentivised with tax benefits to send all of their Food Waste to green energy plants to be converted into energy. This means that theyre being deterred from donating the food waste to charities that would give it to the homeless and needy. This comes after there have been some accusations in Parliament recently that the government are too lax with the homeless issue.

Gove says that much, much more needs to be done in this area, as the tax incentives meant that a lot of homeless people across the UK were left to starve on Christmas Day.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of tons of food (literally) is getting ploughed into the ground or getting mushed up and funnelled into green energy plants, simply because its cheaper than transporting it to charities for the needy.

FareShare, a charity set up to provide food for those who need it, are calling for the government to set up a fund of 15 million that would pay for the transportation and storage of all of those tons of food. If the government did agree to spend this much, then they would be providing the charity with the chance to feed more than one million people every single week for an entire year. If the government refused to do this, then they really are  as FareShares chief executive Lindsay Boswell says  morally broken.

13,000 tons of food going to the homeless when it could be over 100,000

Theres the possibility for hundreds of thousands of tons of unused food to be going to charitable organisations such as homeless shelters, hospices, and womens refuges, whereas at the moment, there is only 13,000 tons going out.

This sounds like a lot, sure, but you have to imagine just how many people are struggling to feed themselves in this country. There are more than 250,000 people who are homeless across the UK, and its not just homeless people who are starving.

And thats not even the point. The point is that there is all this food that could be going out to charities in order to feed people who need, and its not, simply because the government is offering tax benefits to companies that dont do that.

Lindsay Boswell is right  it is morally broken. He runs the food charity FareShare and he says that there are not any tax incentives offered by the government whatsoever for companies who donate surplus food to the needy.

Michael Gove has said that food which is in perfect condition is being converted into energy, rather than being given to those less fortunate who need it, because the tax incentives offered by the government is that a guaranteed minimum price per unit is paid for the energy generated by the green energy plants.

However, there isnt a thing offered to companies that donate food to charity. Then again, one could argue that they should just do it out of the goodness of their hearts, but at the end of the day, these are corporations that were talking about.

Storage another part of the problem

Storage is one of the biggest parts of this problem, because theres no tax incentives for farmers and food production companies to keep their produce in edible condition. So, why would they do that if itll cost them money they dont need to spend? The storage costs money and the transport costs money, and nothing about the whole situation makes food makers want to spend all that money just to get food to 250,000 starving people who need it.

According to statistics posted by FareShare, storing and transporting the unused food for charitable purposes costs around 150 per ton. So, for 100,000 tons to be stored and transported, theyre calling for the government to fork over 15 million. And compared to what the government hands out overseas, this is a really trivial amount.
Justin Welby, the Archbishop Of Canterbury, has joined Pope Francis for a Christmas Day address, and while theyre a tradition, its usually not traditional for the Catholic officials to use the address to slam the President of the United States. Then again, its usually not traditional for America to elect a President who hates Muslims, thinks Mexicans are all rapists, and gladly sexually assaults women. Its not been a tradition kind of year.

The Archbishop of Canterbury basically called President Trump the Antichrist

Welby was specifically criticising Donald Trump for his decision to make the American viewpoint officially recongise Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, which caused a furore in the worlds of religion, Judaism, and politics for being reckless and intentionally divisive.

Welby compared the US President to the opposite of how Jesus is portrayed in the story of the Nativity, where his power [is] seen in humility. So, hes basically calling Donald Trump the Antichrist.

Another criticism of the US President by Welby was calling him a populist. This is defined in the dictionary as a member or adherent of a political party seeking to represent the interests of ordinary people. But ask almost anyone in all of America and theyll say that Trump does not represent their interests. In fact, the hashtag #NotMyPresident is commonly used so that they can distance themselves from him.
On Christmas Day, Rico Martinez and his family finished packing lunches and hot chocolate into boxes and set out for downtown Billings looking for people in need.

Martinez has been in the giving spirit this year like never before in his life, having taken it upon himself earlier in the week to deliver gifts to every single person in one of his classes at Billings Senior High School.

"At first when I walked into class everyone's looking at me like why does he have a big Santa bag?" Martinez said. There was an awkward silence. By the time he'd finished handing out gifts in his first class everyone in the room was clapping.

Martinez said he gave gifts to a few close friends last year for Christmas and it felt so good that he wanted to give more. He started planning. Earlier in the school year he handed out surveys to everyone in each of his classes. The survey had questions about hobbies and a space for a wish list.

"But little did they know I wasn't in psychology," Martinez said.

Having recently taken a job unloading packages from planes, Martinez said he set aside two paychecks. The rest of the money for gifts came from a GoFundMe page he set up. Some of his friends helped too by securing candy canes to distribute to the rest of Senior High so that everyone would get something.

When it came time to distribute gifts, one student got a guitar, another got a large stuffed bear. In all, he estimated he gave out 12 large gifts and 90 bags of candy to everyone else. Not everyone got something from their wish list.

"Someone wanted a plane ticket to South Africa. That wasn't going to happen," Martinez said.

Monday, Martinez, his sister Rose, his 5-year-old twin brothers Zayer and Donatello, and his mother Toni, drove downtown with 20 bagged lunches, 20 hot chocolates, a sleeping bag, a hat, and a couple of coats. They also had blankets donated by Jennifer Hudson, a teacher at Billings Senior.

"Christmas is all about giving, not taking anything," Martinez said. "I always see a bunch of homeless every other day of the year and most of us never even bat an eye."

Martinez said he was raised not just to respect his elders, but to respect everyone.

"As I got old I realized what that really meant," he said. "It wasn't just silent respect, it was more of an action of giving back."

One of Martinez's teachers contacted The Gazette about Martinez's actions. He said some people think he called the news himself.

"The plan wasn't to make it big. It was just like a small gesture of my gratitude to people but then it became big. So I don't want people getting the wrong idea," Martinez said. "I just want to the main takeaway to be, 'It's not about you. It's never about you. It's about everybody. It's about giving back because you never know, giving back, letting someone know you care, could be the greatest gift they ever receive.'"

He also emphasized that he had not done all of this alone. Family, friends and strangers all contributed, he said. An aunt even baked Rice Krispies bars for the bagged lunches.

With the temperature nearing zero, Martinez and his siblings hopped out of his mother's car to walk around looking for people in need.

Nestled into a corner of First Christian Church beneath a makeshift tent of blankets and a shopping cart was Steven Johnson.

Johnson said he's been homeless since the beginning of the month. "I'm 52 years old, and I never thought I'd be in this spot," he said.

He said he had been living with a friend and paying rent previously but a dispute with the friend's landlord left him out on the street. Johnson said he just has to make it until the end of the month, after which he can start paying rent on a new place a friend helped him find.

After getting a hot drink and some food, Johnson thanked the Martinez siblings and said, "God bless you."

What did the gesture mean to Johnson?
Pope Francis urged Roman Catholics to consider the plight of migrants "driven from their land," and compared them to Mary and Joseph looking for a place to stay in Bethlehem, during Mass on Christmas Eve.

This could not be more poignant as at least 750 young Afghans are being forcibly deported from Europe to Afghanistan, where one-third of an estimated 11,500 civilian casualties from IEDs, Unexploded Ordnance, and Airstrikes were under 18 years old last year.

In 2015, Sweden initially welcomed the Afghan youths alongside another 35,000 unaccompanied minors from throughout the world.

Although Afghans account for over half the refugees in Sweden, only 28 percent were given asylum by the Immigration authorities in 2016, compared to 91 percent of Syrian applicants.

Why is this happening?

The move comes after the European Union declared there were safe zones in Afghanistan and made an agreement with its government described as a "joint way forward" in October 2016 to send refugees home if their asylum claims had been lost and as a result, it is not only Sweden who has decided to take advantage of this.

Britain, Norway, The Netherlands, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia, France, and Germany have also deported Afghan refugees or offered them financial incentives to leave voluntarily. The number of Afghan refugees living in Europe is estimated to be over 477,000.

Pakistan and Iran, who both house 1.5 million and an estimated 3 million Afghans respectively, have been particularly aggressive in their deportations.

Ironically, many of those being "returned home" have never set foot in the country or not lived there since they were infants.

What are the conditions currently like in Afghanistan?

The situation in Afghanistan remains vulnerable as a result of chronic conflicts. Just this morning, a suicide attacker on foot blew himself up near a compound belonging to the Afghan intelligence agency in the capital, Kabul, killing six civilians although this was one of the cities which was labelled "safe".

What action is being taken to stop these forced removals?

In Germany, the government has supposedly acknowledged the problems of such a policy by temporarily suspending enforced departures after the numerous terrorist incidents in Afghanistan, including an attack on the German embassy in Kabul in May.

However, the regional Governments who are deal with migration have decided criminals, persons who may endanger public security and persons who persistently refuse to cooperate would still be removed after a review in the summer.

In Germany, there have been airport protests, with signs reading Dont send people back to die whilst some pilots are refusing to fly deportation planes.

Aware of the backlash they have received, the German Government has offered a bonus to refused asylum seekers to take up by February 2018.

Cash incentives in the form of travel expenses are not novel but this new departure bonus is worth up to 3,000 per family.

Meanwhile, in the UK, MPs, and MEPs have been questioning whether the EU tied a 2016 aid package for Afghanistan to its willingness to take back refused asylum seekers since the deportations have accelerated massively.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said that of the cases it was aware of, voluntary returns of Afghans from Europe halved this year compared to last year, whilst the number of forced deportations had more than doubled.

The European Scrutiny Select Committee has written to the Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan questioning what it called the controversial link between aid and deportations and the EU is also being challenged to explain whether the 184m of state-building aid would have been withheld unless Afghanistan agreed to cooperate on the enforced deportation of Afghans that lost asylum appeals in Europe in consideration of the refugees.

The Committee also noted that the EU itself accepted that in 2015 only, 11,000 Afghans died in terrorist attacks.

Activists say people sent to Afghanistan could be Killed, whilst Amnesty has accused the European nations of breaking international law by deporting at a time when civilian casualties in the country are at their highest in recent years.

They called on the European countries in question to suspend further deportations until the situation in Afghanistan "permits returns to take place in safety and dignity."
Donald Trump and his relationship with Fox News has not been a secret as the network has been accused of bias in favor of the Commander In Chief. On Saturday night, one host decided to welcome the president's youngest fan to help push the administration's agenda.

Fox News on Trump

Since the day Donald Trump announced his plan to run for president back in June 2015, it didn't take long for the majority of the mainstream media to go on the attack against him. While the former host of "The Apprentice" has engaged in a war of worlds with the press for the better part of the last two and a half years, Fox News has been there to soften the blow and become Trump's political safe space.

Since winning the election last November, Trump has amped up his attack on the most of media, while taking time to praise Fox News for their coverage. As seen during the November 25 edition of "Water's World," host Jesse Waters interviewed a grade-school boy who claims to be the president's youngest fan.

Joining host Jesse Waters on Saturday night was 10-year-old Jacob Silva, who first made headlines last year when he appeared at Donald Trump's presidential inauguration. Silvia has been dubbed Trump's youngest and biggest fan, and aspires to be just like the commander in chief.

On the issue of immigration reform, Silva was pleased with the job Trump has done so far, though he didn't give too many details. "I think he has done great. Illegal immigrants aren't pouring into our country as much anymore," the boy said.

Jacob Silva on taxes: "I think lowering taxes would really help. It would put more money in the hands of Americans and we would be able to buy more things that we would need." @WattersWorld pic.twitter.com/8D4kk6CQ2F  Fox News (@FoxNews) November 26, 2017

When the issue of Donald Trump's proposed plan on taxes was brought up, Jacob Silva once again doubled down with his support.

"I think lowering taxes would really help," Silva said, before adding, "It would put more money in the hands of Americans and we would be able to buy more things that we would need." "Right now our taxes are high and I know that President Donald Trump is working on that," he added.

Jacob Silva on @realDonaldTrump's first year: "I think he has done great. Illegal immigrants aren't pouring into our country as much anymore." @WattersWorld pic.twitter.com/tkQj2IT1OL  Fox News (@FoxNews) November 26, 2017

Not stopping there, Donald Trump's 10-year-old super fan commented on the president's recent trip to Asia, while making sure to compliment the job he's done dealing with North Korea.

"He's making good relationships with countries overseas, and that's good because we need countries that are in our support that could help us in bad times such as with North Korea," he said.

Jacob Silva on @POTUS' Asia trip: "He's making good relationships with countries overseas, and that's good because we need countries that are in our support that could help us in bad times such as with North Korea." @WattersWorld pic.twitter.com/5eHymVRQ9e  Fox News (@FoxNews) November 26, 2017

Next up

While Fox News has now gone out of their way to use children to help promote Donald Trump, only time will tell if their coverage changes in the future. Though Trump might have Jacob Silva as a fan, his current approval rating is down to just 35 percent in the most recently released polling data.
On Christmas morning, Donald Trump and Melania Trump sent out their first Christmas message as first couple. In response, critics didn't give them the best reaction on social media.

Trump on Xmas

For the better part of the last year, Donald Trump has made sure to claim that he's ended the so-called "War on Christmas" by stopping the alleged "assault" on the using the term "Merry Christmas." Despite other presidents and millions of Americans, both religious and secular, using the phrase on a yearly basis, the former host of "The Apprentice" hasn't stopped giving himself credit while spending his first holiday season as president.

On Christmas morning, both Trump and his wife Melania Trump came together to send out a holiday message, as seen on his Twitter account on December 25.

In their first Christmas message in the White House, Donald Trump and Melania Trump sent out their offical presidential greeting. "My fellow Americans, Melania and I are delighted to wish America and the entire world a Merry Christmas," the president said.

"At this time of year, we see the best of America," Melania Trump said. "We see children packing boxes to brighten the Christmas of our brave men and women," she continued, while adding, "we see families reaching out to neighbors." "We remember the story of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph that began over 2,000 years ago," Trump added.

"From behalf of Melania, myself, Barron, and the entire Trump family, God bless you. God bless America, and have a very, very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year."

Twitter reacts

After sending out their Christmas video, the opposition was quick to follow. "Remember when we had a President that could deliver a Xmas message without a teleprompter...one that could speak impromptu from his heart, that actually knew bible verses...one whose message displayed real joy and happiness and Christmas spirit," one tweet read.

Merry Christmas everyone! While Donald Trump does his best to ruine America by tearing apart the ideals & values we should all be fighting for, let us do a good deed on this day by giving to those in need. Feed a homeless person. Donate to a good cause!  Shaf Patel (@ShafPatel) December 25, 2017

 I guess russian rubles cant buy class 



Fixed it for ya   Boss Dawg (@typestruth) December 25, 2017

"The White House looked so much better when the Obama's were there.

I guess money can't buy class," another tweet read. "Merry Christmas everyone! While Donald Trump does his best to ruin America by tearing apart the ideals & values we should all be fighting for, let us do a good deed on this day by giving to those in need. Feed a homeless person. Donate to a good cause!" an additional tweet noted.

Merry #MuellerChristmas #MoronTrump How about giving America a Christmas gift and #ResignNOW. Or perhaps you could #ReleaseYourTaxes  Robert Barden (@RobertBarden207) December 25, 2017

I love that you think he actually read it and it wasnt put on the teleprompter by one of his speech writers. How naive of you...  Pepper the Cat (@theBruhaha) December 25, 2017

"Merry #MuellerChristmas #MoronTrump How about giving America a Christmas gift and #ResignNOW. Or perhaps you could #ReleaseYourTaxes," a follow-up tweet stated. The negative reaction continued to pour in as politics was front and center even on Christmas.
Donald Trump claims that he is the reason why American's say the phrase "Merry Christmas" as conservatives continue to the promote the idea of the alleged "War on Christmas." In an attempt to double down on this theory, Trump's "spiritual adviser" took time to praise the commander in chief during an interview on Fox News.

Xmas and Trump

When Donald Trump decided to run for president over two and a half years ago, he did so by lining up several talking points that would appeal to his core base of supporters. While immigration reform, tax cuts, and repealing Obamacare were at the top of the list, ending the "War on Christmas" always came up during the the holidays.

With Christmas arriving for the first time since the election, Trump made sure to send out several tweets on the issue, including one where he took credit for stopping the "assault" on the term Merry Christmas. During a December 25 interview on Fox News, Trump's spiritual adviser Paula White discussed the president's handling of Christmas and his faith.

.@Paula_White: "Trump just hasn't put Christ back in Christmas, but he's also put prayer back into the White House, he's put justice... and religious freedom back into our courts." pic.twitter.com/o4ifiM8nUd  Fox News (@FoxNews) December 25, 2017

Joining the hosts of "Fox & Friends" on Christmas, Paula White spoke highly of Donald Trump. "Isn't it nice to say 'Merry Christmas' and to put Jesus Christ back on the White House lawn?" White said.

"He's a man of faith. He's a believer," she said, before adding, "I've known him for over 17 years."

.@Paula_White on @POTUS: "His faith is such an important part of his life. It guides him, it leads him." pic.twitter.com/YwlWEUlmH2  Fox News (@FoxNews) December 25, 2017

"Trump just hasn't put Christ back in Christmas, but he's also put prayer back into the White House, he's put justice and religious freedom back into our courts," Paula White went on to say, before referring to Donald Trump as a "promise keeper." "His faith is such an important part of his life.

It guides him, it leads him," she concluded.

Instant mockery

Not long after the interview of Paula White was posted to the offical Fox News Twitter feed, critics of the president made sure to hit back. "Unfortunately, the world is covered in the kind of rocks these people live under," one tweet read.

She and her husband used to run a dubious mega-church in Florida. I think it went broke.  Kevin D Marsh (@KevinDMarsh) December 25, 2017

Unfortunately, the world is covered in the kind of rocks these people live under.  PVM (@UseUrEvolution) December 25, 2017

Hard to believe that only a year ago people were thrown in jail for saying "Merry Christmas" but now thanks to @RealDonaldTrump we can say anything we want.. except "Diversity," "fetus," "transgender," "vulnerable," "entitlement," "science-based" and "evidence-based." #Freedumb  Dee Rail (@DEERAILOKC) December 25, 2017

"Too laughable for words.

Did we miss Trump going to church and praising Jesus? Such hypocrisy. Paula White is obviously one of those false prophets the bible talks about," an additional tweet noted. "What a load of cr*p. Christ never left Christmas. This countrys constitution still guarantees freedom of religion. And the only people whose religious freedom has been threatened is those who dont worship like these would-be theocrats!" another Twitter user stated.

He doesn't even belong to a church, and if you think he has any religion in him at all, you are a fool. But Merry Christmas to all.  Jeffrey Evan Gold (@jeffgoldesq) December 25, 2017

What a load of . Christ never left Christmas. This countrys constitution still guarantees freedom of religion. And the only people whose religious freedom has been threatened is those who dont worship like these would-be theocrats!  Unpresidented (@dialogician) December 25, 2017

Televangelists  Gilliam Wibson (@gilliamwibson) December 25, 2017

"He doesn't even belong to a church, and if you think he has any religion in him at all, you are a fool. But Merry Christmas to all," yet another tweet read. The negative reaction continued as Donald Trump still hasn't convinced many that he is a man of faith.
"What a revolting development this is." Jackie Gleason's famous line from the ' 50s sitcom "The Life of Riley," could be the headline for our times in more ways than one. Were knee-deep in charges of Sexual Harassment yet we dont have a fixed definition of the term. Does it include unwelcome flirting or a suggestive comment? Should rape and groping be lumped together? And even if you get past such asks, when it comes to prosecution, interpretation of the word no varies. How worrisome is this? If the law can parse rejection and question whether no means yes, the onus of victimization falls on the victim?

Reportedly, the varying shades of gray in rejection will form Harvey Weinsteins defense in court.

He-said, she-said

But wait. What if intimidation plays a role in the responses of those preyed-upon and persons of authority are the predators? Is compliance consent then? To hear New York University law professor Erin Murphy tell it in an Associated Press report last week, the answer seems to be maybe: "One person's idea of consent is that no one is screaming or crying. Another person's idea of consent is someone saying, 'Yes, I want to do this.' And in between, of course, is an enormous spectrum of behavior, both verbal and nonverbal, that people engage in to communicate desire or lack of desire." Murphy is working to pen a penal code on sexual harassment for the American Law Institute.

So far, though, the arguments appear to cave in on themselves. Is inappropriate behavior all that complicated? Does it just come down to he-said-she-said?

And the hits keep coming

I bring all this up because a news report on Dec. 24 had Vice Media founders Shane Smith and Suroosh Alvi apologizing for not stopping sexual misconduct at their company.

A New York Times story cited four settlements  payoffs to silence the abused. Chris Matthews, longtime host of MSNBCs Hardball also bought silence for a harassment charge from an assistant producer on his show in 1999. What was his offense - unwanted touching, a pushy come-on? Would you believe it was because he joked about her in the company of others?

Is that really harassment?

What does sexual harassment look like?

Lets be clear. Im one of the walking wounded, not insensitive to crossed boundaries; but when it comes to unwanted advances, I think of Paul Cezannes The Abduction, said to be his take on Pluto raping Proserpine in Ovids Metamorphoses. The scene looks particularly sinister because it's pictured from a distance, as if Cezanne were observing in a detached way. Even his famous still lifes of apples are rendered closer. If definitions of sexual harassment get too ornate, well end up with what Donald Trump said about assault in the military: What did the geniuses expect when they put men and women together?
Just like every other episode of Season 8, the latest installment of "The Walking Dead" titled "The king, the Widow, and Rick" featured some Easter Eggs and callbacks to previous seasons. But before delving into the tiny details, let's discuss everything that happened in the episode.

A quick recap

Michonne and Rosita found out that there's yet another Saviors' outpost (like we didn't have enough of these already). But this storyline turned out to be far more interesting than we originally thought as they had to fight two Saviors. While Rosita blew one up, the other one managed to escape in a vehicle with speakers attached to it.

This could cause some serious trouble because the music from the speakers could draw the walkers away from the Sanctuary and set Negan free. Fortunately, Daryl arrived just in time with a garbage truck to blow up Negan's chances.

Over at the Hilltop, Maggie decided to put the surviving Saviors in prison, just in case anything goes wrong. Then, the most satisfying moment of the episode happened when she put Gregory in the same prison. As far as the rest of the episode is concerned, we saw Carol trying to pull Ezekiel out of depression and Carl, who was almost killed by walkers while he was heading back to Alexandria, with his new friend Siddiq.

The episode also marked the return of the Scavengers as Rick was trying to convince them to join his cause.

He even showed them the polaroids as proof that his group now has the upper hand over Negan and the Saviors. But despite all the effort, he got captured anyway.

The letter 'A'

While the episode featured a lot of details we've already seen before, there were only two significant ones. The first one happened when Jadis wrote the letter "A" on a container where she is holding Rick hostage.

This wasn't the only time that we saw this letter in the show. First, it was in a railroad car where Rick and his group was held by the cannibals at Terminus. Then, it was also seen on stamps at Alexandria's welcoming party. Last, but not least, the letter was on Daryl's shirt back in Season 7 where he was Negan's prisoner.

A heartbreaking meaning behind Carol's words

The second significant callback happened when Carol told Henry what happens to kids when they go wandering around in the woods. "They never get seen again, and if they do, they are monsters," Carol said to the young Kingdommer with a sad tone in her voice. Even though it sounded like something you'd say to keep a kid safe in the zombie apocalypse, these words were much more significant given the fact that they were coming from Carol. If you remember, that's exactly what happened to her daughter Sophia. She got lost in the woods back in Season 2, only to be found as a walker on Hershel's farm in one of the most heart-breaking scenes of the entire series.
CHEYENNE, Wyo.  Socks for Christmas are generally considered the worst gift ever, second only to underwear.

But to people who are homeless, warm and dry socks can make all the difference in deciding whether their days are even tolerable or if they can avoid getting sick for the holidays.

Chris Barto is giving that gift this year, and he likely will reach every person who is homeless in Laramie County  and then some.

Chris is just a seventh-grader at Cheyennes McCormick Junior High, but hes bringing positivity to others lives in extraordinary ways.

He had collected 1,835 pairs of socks as of last week.

When we walk around downtown, I always see homeless people there, and it kind of makes me sad because they always look really cold, Chris said.

Karla McClaren, the homeless program manager for the Wyoming Department of Family Services, said there are more than 200 homeless people in Laramie County, according to the latest count.

The number in January 2016 was 241, of which 149 lived on the streets, and 92 were sheltered in some method.

Chris socks could easily provide a few pairs to every one of those people and allow agencies to have some left to give out throughout the year.

McClaren added that there were 873 homeless individuals statewide as of the January 2016 count  still far fewer than the number of socks Chris has collected.

Chris and his mother, Suzanne, began collecting socks for the homeless in 2016. They collected 581 pairs that year.

In fifth grade, we were watching CNN Student News, and there was a person who drove a truck around Los Angeles and picked up homeless people and gave them showers and stuff, Chris said. And it said that the most wanted thing that the homeless people need/want is socks.

Chris also loves socks, so he gets to share that with the community.

Suzanne said, He, himself, has probably 32 pairs of socks. That child loves socks.

Suzanne said their goal was 700 socks in 2017. Theyve nearly tripled that number.

Part of that success is due to Chris partnership with Corey Lynn Loghry of Lynn Buys Houses, a local house renovation business. Loghry said her company manages a program called Adopt-a-Child every Christmas. She met Suzanne while she was gathering volunteers to help with the effort.

Loghry allowed Chris to set up a table at the Adopt-a-Child collection day Dec. 9 at the Kiwanis Community House in Lions Park.

Thats the day all the volunteers bring the donations they collected to be bagged up and delivered to Cheyenne schools. Those donations then go to kids in Laramie County School District 1 who might not otherwise receive Christmas gifts.

I had everybody announce that Chris would be there, and if they felt it in their heart to bring their gifts and additionally bring some socks, that would be awesome, she said.

Before that event, Chris had collected 795 pairs. He collected more than 1,000 pairs that Saturday.

Chris also is receiving sock donations from across the country.

Weve had socks from Massachusetts, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico, he said.

Suzanne said she made a Facebook post about the sock drive, and people she knows began mailing socks to Chris. A lot of them are military families, Suzanne said.

In addition, Chris gives up his own allowance to add to the collection. Suzanne said Chris receives $20 every two weeks, and for the past four months, hes spent it all on socks for the homeless.

Kids like to buy things for themselves, and trust me  he has a laundry list of things that he would want. But he spent the last four months of allowance on socks for this, she said.

In 2016, Chris and Suzanne donated the socks they collected to the Welcome Mat Day Center, a service of the Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless.

This year, they plan to visit the Welcome Mat again, and add the COMEA House homeless shelter, Safehouse Services, Family Promise and the Cheyenne Womens Clinic.

Suzanne said Chris likes to hand them out to individuals on the street too.

Chris and Loghry also gave out socks through a tree Lynn Buys Houses adopted at the Cheyenne Depot Plaza.

We dedicated our tree to Chris effort, and we hung up a whole bunch of socks down there. So, were hoping that people that needed them took them off, Loghry said.

They originally placed 43 pairs of socks on the tree, and Loghry said only three remained Monday afternoon.

Chris is collecting socks through Friday. Bombshell Beauty Salon, 400 E. Lincolnway, has a collection box.

Tina Troudt, associate principal at McCormick Junior High, said they will accept donations at the schools front office through school hours today. The school is closed for winter break beginning Thursday.

Were just really impressed and proud of Chris and all his efforts. We have great students, and I think Chris exemplifies that, Troudt said.

Chris said he plans to continue to collect socks every year and hopes to collect an even higher number of socks in 2018. But he attributes the success to the community, not just himself.

I didnt really think wed get this much, so it kind of makes me really happy that our community came together and did something like this, he said.

Loghry said she is so impressed with Chris that she intends to continue helping him in any way she can.

At such a young age, for him to come up with this and be able to put it in place and carry through and be so committed to it, its heartwarming. I think this is the greatest story of our Christmas this year, she said.
For years, Washington has grown in its power and wealth while hardworking Americans have struggled to make ends meet. In fact, the nations most affluent counties are suburbs of Washington, D.C. Taxpayer dollars have padded the pockets of D.C. for far too long  enough is enough.

Just in time for Christmas, I was honored to join Congress in passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This historic tax bill will lower rates for hardworking Montanans, boost higher wages and incentivize job creation. It will keep more than $700 million per year that was headed to Washington, D.C. in the pockets of Montanans instead.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowers individual rates, which means you keep more  and the government takes less  of your paycheck. The tax cuts bill also nearly doubles the standard deduction, freeing more of your hard-earned money from taxes. It doubles the Child Tax Credit, preserves the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, and preserves the Adoption Tax Credit, which helps hardworking Montana families.

The tax cuts bill also preserves the mortgage interest deduction, but asks those who make a little more to pay their fair share when it comes to new homes over $750,000. It provides relief for those with expensive medical bills, retains retirement savings accounts like 401(k)s and doubles the current exemption from the death tax. I also personally fought to ensure that private activity bonds used to finance rural hospitals and affordable housing, as well as tuition waivers for graduate students, remained untouched.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act also finally repeals Obamacares poverty tax  the so-called individual mandate, which forces those without health insurance to pay a fine. This tax systematically penalizes low-income Montanans who cannot afford health insurance, and as one of the Senates leading voices fighting for its repeal, Im glad that House and Senate leadership included this important provision at my request.

And were finally going to make our tax code work for Montana businesses. For too long, Americas corporate tax code has driven corporate businesses off our shores  taking with them good-paying jobs and opportunities for Americans. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, American businesses will be incentivized to stay here, create jobs and raise wages for American workers. By reducing the corporate tax rate to 21 percent, Congress will finally address the root cause of business flight and allow our businesses to become globally competitive without having to leave our country.

Corporate taxes only make up half the business tax code, though. To make business taxes work for Montanans, we need to empower the Main Street businesses that are responsible for 68 percent of private sector employment in our state. These family-owned businesses are the backbone of Montanas economy. After weeks of negotiations, I was able to secure over $100 billion in tax relief for Main Street businesses so they can grow jobs and invest in their workers.

It was an honor to vote in support of hardworking Montanans by voting for this tax cuts bill. I believe Montanans deserve more control over their hard-earned dollars. Montanans, not D.C. bureaucrats, know how to save money, raise wages and build a more prosperous Montana.
 Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate



A registered National History Landmark, Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate is located in the heart of the Bluegrass region. Ashland was a 600-acre plantation where enslaved people labored both inside the mansion and on the farm. Visitors can learn about this dark past of Ashland on the "Traces: Slavery at Ashland" tour.

Henry Clay, a 19th-century Kentucky statesman, lived with his family on the estate until his death in 1852. Visitors can explore the mansion and and the surrounding lands.

Tours of the mansion show the Federal style house, including the Italianate details added in later renovations. In addition to the stunning architecture, visitors will also gain a comprehensive understanding of Henry Clay and his legendary history as a statesman. There are many events held here throughout the year, especially during the holiday season, including the Candlelight Tour at Ashland.

120 Sycamore Rd, Lexington, KY 40502, Phone: 859-266-8581





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Taking the three and half mile long Cliff Walk is one of the best ways to see Newport from a unique perspective. The walk runs along the eastern shore of the city and offers magnificent views of the shoreline and the architectural history of the city's gilded age as you pass by luxurious villas nestled on the cliffs.

The walk is easy for the most part, and wildflowers and rocks of different colors showing the area's interesting geological history surround the path. Some parts of the southern end of the trail are fairly rough, passing only a few feet from the sudden drop of more than 70 feet. As the edge is hidden by wild bushes, hikers have to be very careful to stay on the path. The walk starts at the western end of Easton's and ends at several major city streets.





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Last week, Congress and President Donald Trump enacted permanent income tax cuts for corporations and other businesses. Then they belatedly gave the Childrens Health Insurance Program an extension that could run out in a matter of weeks.

In fiscal 2017, which ended Sept. 30, the federal government spent $16 billion to provide health coverage at low cost or no cost to the families of 9 million American children. Before leaving Washington, D.C., Thursday for their Christmas vacation, lawmakers approved a stopgap funding bill that includes $2.9 billion for CHIP. Some members of Congress said that will fund the childrens health program till March, but others on both sides of the aisle cautioned that the money will run out sooner.

Congress has known for more than two years that CHIP funding would end on Sept. 30, 2017, if the House and Senate failed to reauthorize it. Republicans and Democrats agree that it should be renewed for five years. However, the parties leaders disagree on how to pay for it.

There was no such pay for requirement on the massive tax cut bill, which is projected to add at least $1 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. In other words, the majority in Congress agreed to borrow $1 trillion to cover the tax cut, but it hasnt reached a compromise on funding $16 billion this year for childrens care.

In Montana, 24,000 children rely on CHIP. Over the past 20 years, federal CHIP funding has allowed Montana children in low income families to have health coverage, even when their parents couldnt afford insurance for themselves.

Gov. Steve Bullock joined Republican and Democratic governors from other states in pleading for CHIP renewal. Fourteen states were expected to start cutting children out of their programs in January, if Congress failed to appropriate more money. Montana was projected to run out of CHIP funds as early as February.

Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued a joint statement Friday, promising to seek a five-year extension soon.

We will be vigilant to ensure this program isnt subject to repeated short-term fixes and constantly looming deadlines  families across the nation deserve better, Wyden and Hatch said. And yet CHIP has less than two months of funding when we are already three months into the fiscal year.

Among the funding sources proposed for CHIP is elimination of public health programs and higher costs for some Medicare beneficiaries.

A group of eight childrens advocacy organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, March of Dimes and National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, said in a news release: Right now, the greatest threat to childrens health care coverage is congressional inaction.

We agree. As the childrens health advocates said, What states and families need is stability. Instead, what they get from the House measure is a continuation of a dangerous trend: temporary, inadequate CHIP funding patches, delivered at the last possible moment with no comprehensive relief assurance.

This popular childrens program may be just the first casualty as Congress eventually pays for the massive income tax cut law by reducing spending on Medicaid, Medicare and other domestic programs as outlined in the GOP budget blueprint.

We urge Montanas delegation of Jon Tester, Steve Daines and Greg Gianforte to advocate for the children of Montana. Dont allow their health care to be used as a political bargaining chip.
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I am writing this letter to support former Judge Russ Fagg for the Senate seat currently held by Jon Tester. I met Russ years ago and was really impressed with his character, intellect and demeanor.

I'm genuinely sure that he would put Montana values up front with honesty and never endanger our way of life. I believe he could work with both sides of the aisle but be firm in his convictions.

It takes an individual like Russ to weed through the mess our political system has become and try to invigorate both sides of the aisle to wake up and do the job they were elected to do.

In conclusion, when the time comes, use your vote to elect a good man for your next Senator from Montana, Russ Fagg.

Don Jacobson Sr.

Billings
FARGO -- LeAnn Toppens trip to the emergency room led quickly to the discovery that she had ovarian cancer. A biopsy confirmed her doctors suspicions.

After surgery and 18 weeks of chemotherapy, Toppen is cancer free. But she soon learned through genetic testing that she had inherited a gene that also placed her at high risk for developing breast cancer.

Not only that, the discovery came with the realization for the 57-year-old grandmother that her inherited risk had implications for her family, including her three adult children. Her father, who died at age 89, had prostate cancer and earlier had colon cancer.

Prostate cancer was common on that side of her family, but the disease struck men in their late 70s or 80s.

As a result, They didnt think anything of it, she said.

But he didnt do genetic counseling, Toppen said. I dont think it was ever brought up.

As it happened, one of the doctors treating her ovarian cancer at Sanfords Roger Maris Cancer Center had also cared for her father. He suggested genetic counseling. Her oncologist thought she might have a gene that increases the risk of ovarian and breast cancer in women as well as prostate cancer in men.

He said if I had it, my kids would have a 50-percent chance of inheriting it, too, said Toppen, who readily agreed to the testing. I did it mostly for my kids.

The results came back positive. Toppen carried a gene mutation known by the abbreviation BRCA2. BRCA2 and a related mutation called BRCA1 account for between 20 percent and 25 percent of breast and ovarian cancers.

Both mutations disable the genes intended purpose, to suppress cancer, making the carrier more likely to have cancer.

Because she carried the mutated gene, Toppens risk of developing breast cancer ranged from 50 percent to 90 percent.

I almost felt relieved, she said, recalling her reaction to the result. I said, Where do I go from here?

She was given two options. She could take a hormonal treatment that could reduce her risk by half. Or she could have preventive surgery, leaving her with only a slight chance of developing breast cancer.

I just said sign me up, Toppen said of the latter choice. She is relieved after her surgery. But the knowledge that the gene mutation runs in the family posed a dilemma for her 30-year-old daughter, Leslie Wolf of Fargo, who has a 2-year-old daughter and 2-month-old son.

Last fall, Wolf went in for genetic testing. The decision wasnt difficult.

It was kind of a no-brainer for me to have the tests as well, she said. I knew I had a 50-50 chance of getting it.

A couple of weeks later, she returned to the clinic to receive the results, accompanied by her parents and husband.

The four of us found out together that I had it too, she said of her positive test result. Now, she goes to the breast clinic every six months for monitoring, with another six-month rotation of mammogram and MRI scans.

We would like the opportunity to have more children, maybe, Wolf said. For now, Im doing the screenings.

Its a big decision

Lauryn LaPoint, Wolfs genetic counselor at Sanford, said she advises women like Wolf with a genetic risk of cancer to think about having preventive surgery around the age of 40, beginning to plan for it around the age of 35.

For someone who is Leslies age, it does create something of a dilemma, LaPoint said. A lot of tough decisions are made.

LaPoint lays out the assessment of risks and the options for a patient. There are some people who really dont want the information, she said. Once armed with the information, the patient must decide what, if any, steps to take.

Its a big decision, Wolf said of her decision to have the surgery when the time is right. Its an obvious choice. I think its extremely powerful information. For me, Id rather know than not know.

Her mother agrees. Even though shes had preventive surgery, she continues to be screened for cancer.

Were kind of list makers, she said. If something needs to be done, they do it and check it off the list.

Genetic counseling, which starts with laboratory analysis of a blood sample, is increasingly becoming a part of cancer treatment and prevention. Essentia Health in Fargo also offers genetic counseling.

A genetic counselor helps to assess the risks of acquiring cancer, sets up a screening program, and helps to coordinate the patients care.

Its estimated that 5 to 10 percent of all cancers are hereditary, whose cause can be pinpointed genetically, LaPoint said. Another 20 to 30 percent of cancers are familial -- certain cancers tend to cluster in certain families for a variety of reasons, including shared genetics and environmental factors.

The remaining cancers are sporadic, and usually occur later in life, with environmental factors playing a large role, such as sun exposure and skin cancer. Because cells in the body continually divide, the risk of harmful mutations occurring increases with age.

Which is why we say the biggest risk factor is age, LaPoint said.

The field of genetic counseling and genomic medicine is rapidly evolving, and costs of DNA testing continue to fall.

Five to 10 years from now, I think were going to know so much more than we do today, LaPoint said. But today we know so much more than we did two years ago.
HA NOI  Officials say Ninh Thuan Provinces plan to become a national renewable energy hub is a sound one that will positively impact its socioeconomic progress.

Pham ang Thanh, Director of Ninh Thuan provincial Department of Industry and Trade (DIT), told the Vietnam News Agency that the province saw the renewable energy industry as a breakthrough for local economic growth.

The development of industrial solar power projects in Ninh Thuan Province will continue rapidly till 2020, Thanh said.

Pham Van Hau, Vice Chairman of the Ninh Thuan Peoples Committee, also told VNA that the province has so far issued investment certificates for eight wind power projects with a total investment capital of VN19.7 trillion (US$876 million) and total annual capacity of 514 megawatts.

Hau said the province will always opt for the most capable, experienced and committed investor for the renewable energy sector.

Thanh, said the province has completed a wind power development plan with vision until 2030. This involves the construction of five separate wind farms over 21,432 hectares. By 2030, their combined estimated annual capacity will be 1,429 megawatt, generating 5.4 million kilowatt of electricity in total.

In addition to this plan, the Ninh Thuan Provincial Peoples Committee has instructed the local Industry and Trade department to co-ordinate with the Power Engineering Consulting Joint Stock Company 4 to formulate a solar power development plan for 2030.

Thanh said that the province has adopted many preferential policies and enabling legal corridors to attract investors in the field of renewable energy, like land rent exemption, 10 per cent corporate income tax rate throughout the life of the project, and 50 per cent tax reduction for the next nine years.

The following decade is set to witness a series of solar power projects implemented by the provincial Department of Planning and Investment, as well as private companies in collaboration with foreign partners and the local Farmers Association, Thanh added.

Le Kim Hung, Director of Ninh Thuan Provincial Department of Science and Technology, said that the region has great potential for solar energy, with the highest annual sunshine duration in the country, and little seasonal difference in solar radiation.

As such, investment in solar power systems has been increasing. The hope is to double their efficiency by 2030, lowering production costs and electricity prices, said Hung.

He said the cost of solar power projects has been reducing since 2006, dropping from VN168.7 million ($7,500) per kilowatt to VN21.8 million ($907) in 2016.

Hung also confirmed that by early 2018, Ninh Thuan Province would have started six more solar power projects, all of which have completed site clearance and environmental impact assessments.

Nonetheless, he admitted that the lack of Electricity of Viet Nams constant presence in all major provincial projects makes it hard for the distribution network to function properly.

He recalled that even prior to 2000 the provinces postal sector had already made use of solar panels to supply electricity to post offices in remote communes outside the national grid.  VNS
HA NOI  The Central Highlands provinces have attracted 235 investment projects from domestic investors with total registered capital of nearly VN103.36 trillion (US$4.53 billion) so far this year, up nearly 203 per cent against 2016 and nine foreign direct investment (FDI) projects with a total capital of nearly $110 million.

According to the Central Highlands Steering Committees Standing Board, at present, the Central Highlands region, which comprises Lam ong, ak Lak, ak Nong, Gia Lai and Kon Tum, are attracting more and more investors to construct production and business facilities, boosting socio-economic development. Lam ong, ak Lak and Gia Lai provinces are attracting the most domestic and foreign investors to set up manufacturing and business establishments in the region.

ak Lak alone granted investment licences to 75 projects this year, with a total registered capital of nearly VN4 trillion. This marked a 17.19 per cent increase in the total number of projects and an increase in total registered capital of 2.46 times. A number of big projects using funds from investors instead of the provincial budget have been completed and put into operation.

The Central Highlands provinces have recently redoubled their investment promotion efforts. Besides organising conferences, editing investment promotion materials and publicising the projects on the provincial website, the provincial Department of Planning and Investment also strives to improve the investment and business environment. In particular, it works to improve the training of provincial officials who interact with enterprises and potential investors and to reform the administrative procedures in order to strengthen investors trust.

The Central Highlands provinces have also publicly disclosed the preferential investment policies regarding land rent, water surface lease, corporate income tax and incentives for the agricultural sector.

Specifically, ak Lak offers the policy of land rent exemption for investors during the period of basic construction and an exemption for 11 years or more in the next period.

In Buon Ma Thuot City, land rent is exempted in the basic-construction period and exempted for seven years or more in the next period, with the timing depending on the investment field.

In districts and towns, the corporate income taxes are exempted for four years and reduced by 50 per cent for the following nine years after the taxable income is generated.

Besides, the Central Highlands provinces have also strived to plan transport infrastructure, industrial parks, telecommunication information, electricity, water and available land funds so as to create favourable conditions for investors and businesses.

The Central Highlands provinces continue to call for investment in such sectors including high-tech agriculture, organic agriculture, tourism, high-end convalescence, the agricultural processing industry and regenerative energy.  VNS
HA NOI  After four months of development, the municipal Department of Information and Communications on Monday officially launched the Ha Noi business information portal with two domain names  https://hanoibusiness.vn and http//hanoibusiness.com.vn.

The portal aims to enhance activities to support business development through international integration, especially through the application of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

It will provide useful information about the legal environment, finance, banking sector, human resources market and commercial events. It will also help connect firms with markets and partners, especially in the information technology industry in the city.

In addition to this, the portal will act as a dialogue channel between management agencies and the business community.

At the event, the department signed a co-operation agreement with the Bank for Investment of Development of Viet Nam (BIDV).

Accordingly, the two sides will launch programmes together to support small- and medium-sized enterprises, start-ups and innovation firms by providing information and consultancy on BIDVs financial and banking products and services.  VNS
Customers browse ornemental fish at a shop in HCM City's District 6.  Photo afamily.com

HCM CITY  The demand for ornamental fish in the country is large but fish breeders in HCM City have not fully exploited this market because of their small scale of production.

The city, which leads the country in ornamental fish production, has more than 290 fish farms and households that breed them in around 88ha of water, according to the city Department of Agriculture and Rural Developments fisheries sub-department.

More than half the households breed their fish in cement tanks, while the rest use ponds or glass tanks.

They mostly breed discus fish.

The markets for ornamental fish in large cities like HCM City, Ha Noi, Can Tho, a Nang, and Hai Phong and other provinces are large, fish producers said.

Le Nhu Phu, who owns Phu Khang Ornamental Fish Establishment in District 12, said the main limitation is that the citys ornamental fish breeders operate on a small scale.

Besides, they do not have much variety to offer either, he said.

Vu Cam Luong of the HCM City University of Agriculture and Forestry told Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper that consumers requirements are evolving steadily.

But breeders mostly keep churning out existing species, resulting in a lack of diversity, he said.

Le Huu Thien, director of the Thien uc Ornamental Creature Corp in Cu Chi District, said more and more species are used as ornamental fish, including many freshwater species listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and marine species.

Therefore, it is important to cross breed ornamental species to meet the increasing and diverse needs, he said.

Luong said the cost of ornamental fishes accounts for only 10 per cent of the money hobbyists spend, with ponds, equipment and other services needed for raising fish accounting for the rest.

These services help increase the value addition in the ornamental fish sector, and the domestic market should be developed by meeting the needs of consumers, he said.

The city supports ornamental fish producers, including through transfer of farming techniques and preferential loans.

The city produces about 135 million ornamental fish a year.

In the first 10 months of this year it exported nearly 16.25 million ornamental fishes, 14.5 per cent more than in the same period last year, according to the fisheries sub-department.

It targets full-year exports of 18-20 million worth US$20-25 million, up 15-20 per cent year-on-year.  VNS
HA NOI  Most of the domestic auto industry went into a tizzy when Decree 116 tightening controls over the import and assembly of cars was issued in October, and days away from its official implementation, the worries and divisions remain.

Though the Decree116 took immediate effect when it was issued on October 17, it was announced that implementation will begin on January 1, 2018, to give all firms time to meet the new requirements.

At a Friday meeting held by the Ministry of Transport (MoT), the Truong Hai Auto Corporation (Thaco), a leader in the domestic market, reiterated its complete support for the decree, saying its provisions were appropriate and feasible.

Thaco representative Nguyen Hung Minh, said that since the company was fully domestic, importing wholly assembled vehicles straight from Japan, it would have no problem complying with the new requirements.

Also speaking in concord with Thaco was Hyundai Thanh Cong (HTC), official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in Viet Nam.

HTC representatives said at the meeting that the decrees provisions on quality certification, which has generated a lot of complaints from importers and assemblers, should be seen as the basis for restricting imports of poor quality cars into Viet Nam, protect consumers and make the market more equitable.

They also said, in contradiction to complaints of it being a redundant, expensive provision, that the inspection of a sample vehicle from each imported batch of cars was needed to ensure genuine warranty and maintenance facilities.

The rationale behind the support of these two firms was the belief that the new decree would enable Vietnamese importers to act on behalf of foreign manufacturers in recalling orders or assuring customers of product quality and after-sales services.

However, the Japan Business Association in Viet Nam said that some automobile assembly and importing joint ventures have been asking that implementation of Decree 116 be postponed for at least six months so that they can arrange the necessary paperwork.

Representatives of Suzuki Vietnam said at the meeting that importers in the south would have to transport their vehicles to Ha Noi for inspection, while Ford Vietnam complained that the random sampling of imported vehicle batches would complicate procedures, increase costs as well as time taken to clear the vehicles.

In response, ang Viet Ha, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Register, said that the random sampling and inspection process will be objective and transparent, and carried out in a swift and accurate manner.

According to Decree 116, in order to obtain an operating and selling license, enterprises are required to legally own, contractually lease or authorise vehicle servicing premises that conform to prescribed requirements.

Importers must also have documents showing that they are authorized to act on behalf of foreign automotive manufacturing and assembling enterprises recalling imported vehicles.

Compliance rush

After the decree was issued, the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA) sent four recommendations to the Prime Ministers Office and related ministries, said the Ha Noi Peoples Committees official news site Kinh te & o thi.

The association argued that several of the decrees requirements would waste the firms time and resources.

Speaking at the Friday meeting, Tran Thanh Hai, Deputy Director General of the Trade Ministrys Import-Export Department, said that despite their incessant complaints, importers have been scrambling to obtain the needed licences.

He also said that Decree 116 was a supportive measure for domestic companies to set up a number of technical barriers to limit the number of imported cars.

Though import tariffs for vehicles from ASEAN countries will be set to zero, the decree would ensure there was no wave of cheap cars, that would hit the domestic market, he said.

Imported car prices could go up in the first few months of 2018 due to a supply shortage as some importing firms struggle to meeting the new requirements, Hai said.

Responding to the firms, representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and the MoT said that application of the regulations was still in progress.

Tran Quang Ha, Deputy Director of the MoTs Department of Science and Technology, said that the firms opinions on Decree 116 will be taken into consideration for future adjustments, like allowing batch test results to be valid for a period of six months.

According the General Department of Vietnam Customs, as of December 15, 2017, 90,611 vehicles worth US$2.1 billion were imported into the country. VNS
HA NOI  The Van Phong petroleum bonded warehouse in Khanh Hoa Province expects to not have accumulated losses, returning to normal business in 2018, according to an official of the National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex).

Petrolimex chief accountant Luu Van Tuyen said in 2017, Van Phong petroleum bonded warehouse achieved pre-tax profit of VN160 billion. However, according to the monitoring report of Petrolimex, the warehouse has currently experienced accumulated losses of some VN120-130 billion after minusing net profit of 2017.

Tuyen said with the positive prospects for the warehouse business next year, it expects to not incur accumulated losses in 2018.

Tuyen said at present, Petrolimex has increased its shares at the Van Phong Petroleum Bonded Warehouse Joint Stock Company to 85 per cent from 51.4 per cent after Petrolimex Singapore Pte Ltd transferred its capital amounting to $14 million at the warehouse company to Petrolimex.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade approved this transaction under current regulations.

The Van Phong petroleum bonded warehouse began operations in June 2012 with total investment capital of $125 million and total capacity of 505,000cu.m.

However, according to Petrolimex, in 2012 alone, Van Phong Petroleum Bonded Joint Stock Company suffered a loss of VN170 billion. Since it was a new warehouse, the leasing did not reach the designed capacity. Leased capacity reached 20 per cent in 2013 and 43 per cent in the first half of 2014.  VNS
HA NOI  Vietnam Airlines plans to reduce State ownership to 51 per cent of the charter capital in the next three years.

This is part of the report on the results of restructuring Vietnam Airlines in the 2013-16 period and the plan from 2017 to 2020, which has just been sent to relevant bodies for approval. About 430 million shares of the State will be divested to a tough 51 per cent.

The roadmap to reduce State ownership in the company is divided into two stages.

Specifically, in the 2017-18 period, Vietnam Airlines will complete the increase of charter capital by issuing an additional 191.191 million shares to existing shareholders and transfer the right to purchase 57.9 million shares, which has been approved by the Government in May 2017.

In case Vietnam Airlines successfully sells all the shares and selects investors to buy the above-mentioned 57.9 million shares (expected before the first quarter of 2018), the firm will achieve its double targets including increase of the charter capital to VN14 trillion and Vietnam Airlines owners equity to VN16 trillion. At the same time, State ownership will decrease by 4.1 per cent to 82.1 per cent of the charter capital.

In the period 2018-19, Vietnam Airlines will continue offering shares worth about 10-20 per cent of the charter capital. By this time, State ownership will decrease to 60-65 per cent of the charter capital.

If the roadmap is successful, the ratio of State-owned capital in Vietnam Airlines will be only about 51 per cent, in line with Decision No.1232/2017/Q-TTG approving the list of State-owned enterprises marked for divestment during 2017-20, signed by Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue on behalf of the prime minister, dated August 17, 2017.

According to General-Director of Vietnam Airlines, Duong Tri Thanh, after the capital increase is completed in the first phase, the firm will move its listing, code HVN, from Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX) to HCM Stock Exchange (HOSE) in the second quarter of 2018. The listing on HOSE is expected to help improve the liquidity of HVN shares, while enhancing the position and image of Vietnam Airlines, creating favourable momentum for its capital increases and divestments in the future.

Vietnam Airlines has a charter capital of nearly VN12.28 trillion, of which the State holds 1.057 billion shares, equivalent to 86 per cent of the charter capital. Of the remaining shareholders, ANA Holdings Inc, Japans largest aviation group, holds 107 million shares, representing nearly 8.8 per cent of the charter capital.

The methods to increase charter capital to reduce the rate of State ownership are being considered by representatives of State-owned capital at Vietnam Airlines.  VNS
HCM CITY  Hoa Binh Construction Corporation (HBC) won a contract to produce reinforced concrete for a refinery project in Kuwait, the corporation said on Monday.

Hoa Binh Construction Corporation (HBC) signed a cooperation agreement with United Gulf Construction Company (UGCC) -- the second-largest construction company in Kuwait  to implement a reinforced concrete package as part of the Kuwait Governments Al Zour Refinery Project, with a bid worth US$20 million.

The Al Zour Refinery is the largest refinery project in Kuwait with total investment of $30 billion.

In Kuwait, HBC also successfully negotiated the first package of the Criminal Evidence Headquarters project worth some $35 million (VN800 billion) with HOT Engineering and Construction -- HBCs strategic partner. This is a key project of the Kuwait government with a very special design. This key project has total investment value of $155 million (VN3.5 trillion).

In May 2017, HBC signed a cooperation agreement with Kuwait-based HOT Engineering & Construction, marking another step in the companys Middle East market development strategy.

These initial projects will create favourable conditions for the Hoa Binh Construction Corporation to win other contracts in this potential market next year and in the future.  VNS
President Tran ai Quang speaks at a meeting held by the Ministry of Justice yesterday to review its performance over the past year and set tasks for 2018.  VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sang

HA NOI  President Tran ai Quang has urged the judicial sector to focus on dealing with complaints and denunciations from people and to increase direct dialogues with citizens to prevent prolonged and complicated cases.

Addressing a meeting held by the Ministry of Justice yesterday to review its performance over the past year and set tasks for 2018, Quang urged the sector to increase the number of enforced verdicts and improve efficiency in revoking assets stolen in economic or corruption cases.

The ministry should continue working with ministries and agencies to handle legal issues arising during the international integration process while promoting international co-operation with countries and organisations in law and policy building, he said.

The human factor plays an important role in fulfilling tasks so the ministry should build a staff with fine personality, firm political will, high responsibility and high professional skills, he said.

The President instructed the ministry to follow Party and State leadership and guidance in law building, judicial reform and administrative reform and to consult the Central Steering Committee on Judicial Reform in implementing Party resolutions on judicial reform.

The ministry was asked to co-ordinate with relevant agencies to implement law enforcement, particularly laws approved by the National Assembly such as the Law on State Compensation Liability, the Law on Legal Aid and the Law on Access to Information.

The President also urged the ministry to continue renewing State management on issues relating directly to citizens and businesses and to speed up administrative reform in areas managed by the judicial sector.

In 2018, the sector will focus on key tasks, including speeding up law enforcement, exceeding yearly targets on civil judgment enforcement, completing the organisation of judicial agencies to improve their operation efficiency and enhancing supervision to prevent violations in the judicial sector.

The President took this occasion to praise the judicial sector for its achievements over the past year.

As reported by the ministry, in 2017, the civil judgment enforcement sector settled 549,000 cases, nine per cent above the yearly target.  VNS
This is Up and Down, where we give a brief thumbs up and thumbs down on the issues from the past week.

Up

Puerto Ricans who came to North Dakota after losing their homes in Hurricane Maria face a variety of challenges. One of the hurdles is learning to speak English. For students its essential for continuing their education. Bismarck has a Welcome Center that helps English learners get up to speed. Mandan also is dealing with a larger number of English learners and is considering a Welcome Center. Its good to see the schools giving the new residents who have lost so much this needed help.

Down

There are fewer North Dakotans for the first time in 15 years, according to census officials. It shouldnt be surprising that the state has seen its population drop. The slowdown in the oil patch means fewer workers not just in the fields, but in supporting jobs. The population decline was slight, 155 people, but it still hurts. Theres opportunities for the state to rebound as activity is increasing in the Bakken and our economic outlook is improving.

Up

Burleigh County States Attorney Richard Riha plans to retire when his current term ends in January 2019. He has served in some capacity in the states attorneys office for 36 years. Hes seen his staff grow, administrative duties increase and a new detention center built. Hes had to adjust to changing times and done a good job. Thirty-six years is a long time in public office and he deserves a big thanks for his service.

Down

The Minot Police Department and Ward County Sheriffs Department say they are "strained and stressed" fighting violent crime, drug dealers, prostitution and human trafficking, There was an increase in crime during the oil boom and despite the slowdown in the oil patch there hasnt been a slowing of crime. Minot Police Chief Jason Olsen says Minot has become a target of criminals from Bakersfield, the oil capital of California. The area's crime database shows 250 people from that city. Minot has increased its police force from 65 to 81 officers, but turnover has kept the experience level on the force down. Its going to take a constant effort by law enforcement and help from the public to get the situation under control.

Up

Lincoln was looking at a loss of paratransit service in the new year, a situation that would have created problems for a number of people. Fortunately, the Lincoln City Council has found enough money to get the community through 2018. The council is confident they can find long term funding for the service. Thats what the community needs and the council should be commended for stepping up.
HCM CITY  HCM City residents are increasingly concerned about the number of heavy trucks, construction vehicles and container trucks entering the downtown area during peak hours, affecting the quality of living and worsening traffic jams.

Ngo Hai uong, head of the citys Transportation Departments transport infrastructure management division, said that heavy trucks weighing more than five tonnes were not allowed to operate in downtown HCM City during rush hours from 6am to 12am daily under the citys Peoples Committee regulations.

From 12am until 6am, heavy trucks can operate on roads where there are no signs that prohibit entry. Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, for example, has signs that prohibit heavy trucks during that period.

However, the citys Department of Transport has licensed gasoline tankers and concrete trucks needed for key construction projects to enter the city outside the morning and evening rush hours.

Currently, nearly 1,600 vehicles are licensed to enter the city centre during nonrush hours from 9am to 4pm and from 10pm to 12am daily.

Of that figure, 100 are petrol tankers, 250 heavy trucks (concrete mixer trucks, tankers transporting building materials), and 1,250 vehicles for public utilities.

The citys Transport Department said that licenses had been granted to each vehicle, with license plates clearly stating the number plate, time and route.

Every month, the department sends a list to relevant forces to monitor the tracking and publicises the permits on its traffic website portal.

According to an investigative report by Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper, many petrol tankers and concrete trucks operate on the streets of Vo Thi Sau, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Phan inh Phung, and through the Dan Chu-Nam Ky Khoi Nghia junction.

The investigation found that about eight tank trucks run on Hai Ba Trung in District 1 within an hour, crowding the road with a large number of vehicles.

Many heavy trucks in the same area operate during the banned 11am-12pm period through the Cach Mang Thang Tam-ien Bien Phu intersection.

Heavy transport vehicles are only allowed to run on ien Bien Phu Street from 12am to 6am.

Le Phuoc Khoi, 64, a hairdresser in District 1, said many trucks regularly cross the Hai Ba Trung-Le Thanh Ton intersection in District 1 beginning at 9am and during working hours.

Tran Hoang am, 33, who repairs shoes near the intersection, said many tank trucks crowded the road, making loud noises that startle people.

I think it would be better to allow tank trucks to only run late at night, he said.

Motorcyclists have to wade through open spaces between tank trucks and cars to move, and are forced to dodge large trucks that make the road vibrate.

On December 14, an 18-year-old female student died after a tank truck hit her motorbike at noon at the Hai Ba Trung-Ly Tu Trong intersection in District 1.

A police investigation found that the tank truck was not legally licensed and had entered the area during the banned period.  VNS
HCM CITY  An amended higher education law should create a clear legal environment for public universities to become autonomous, representatives of universities have urged.

The largest barriers to achieving autonomy are in the areas of personnel and finance, they said.

There are 23 public universities in the country slated to operate independently at different levels.

Speaking at a conference on autonomy policies held yesterday in HCM City, the university representatives said new regulations should allow them to attract investment from the private sector and carry out training services that could diversify their sources of revenue.

Ho Thanh Phong, rector of the HCM City International University, said that preferential policies and tax incentives should be offered to private investors.

Dr o Van Dung, rector of the HCM City University of Technology and Education, said the outdated mindset about management should be changed and that the government should manage only 50 per cent of university affairs.

Other representatives said that tuition should be calculated based on the quality of training and the amount of revenue needed for expenditures.

Professor Pham Phu of the HCM City University of Technology said the cost to educate each student was still too low, around US$1,000 each year.

This should be raised to $2,100 per student annually, Phu said, adding that students would have to pay tuition representing 50 per cent of the total.

He said the Government should also develop a larger fund to provide loans for poor students.

Nguyen Van Phuc, deputy minister of education and training, said that the amended law would institutionalise regulations on university autonomy and help universities operate more effectively.  VNS
QUANG NGAI  Almost everyone in Tinh Tra Commune, Son Tinh District in the central province of Quang Ngai farms to earn their living.

Farmers struggling to get by saw a way to a better life for their children: education. Everyone wanted their children to attend school, said Head of the commune Study Promotion Association Pham inh Thu, but many local families did not have money to send children to school.

Supporting a poor student here costs well over VN20 million (more than US$1,000) each year. In many cases, the students had to stop their schooling because their families were too poor and local organisations like Study Promotion Association couldnt meet their needs. In 2009, about half the school-aged children in the commune dropped out of school because of poverty.

Thus association called for assistance from local residents but received only sad eyes.

Local residents said that they could work to help but they did not have money, Thu recalled. That idea struck me. Why not? Thu said.

He talked to local leaders, asking for land to grow forests where local residents could volunteer to grow trees.

The so-called Study Promotion Forest was first introduced in the commune when the communes Peoples Committee agreed to grant one hectare of land in the communes Thach Noi Hamlet to the Study Promotion Association.

Local residents donated VN 3 million to buy acacia seedlings and they started growing the forest.

They daily nurse the trees. The trees grow well, carrying the hopes of growers for a better future for their children.

In 2013, the first acacia wood was harvested. Thu said that they earned VN 30 million ($1,300) from the harvested wood, of which VN 18 million was spent to buy seedlings for the next crop while the remaining sum were given to poor students.

Together with other donations, the money from acacia wood helped offer 835 gifts worth VN 41 million to disadvantaged students.

In 2014, another Study Promotion Forest was grown in Phu Thanh Hamlet of the same commune.

The second forest, covering an area of two hectares, is also nursed by local families with school-age children.

Local resident Le Minh ung said that his family was very happy to work in the forest as it helped generate funds to assist poor students.

ung told baoquangngai.vn that some donated VN 20,000, others VN 50,000. He said that more and more people joined the project, not only giving money but also their labour.

Thu from the communes Study Promotion Association said that, next year, they expected to harvest 360 tonnes of acacia wood and make a profit of VN 250 million ($11,000).

With that fund, they could offer assistance to almost all needy students, Thu said.

He said that previously, with modest funding, the association had to carefully consider each case before giving assistance to poor students and were often forced to focus on only the very neediest.

Thu said that he still felt sad to recall the case of a local boy named Huy. Huy lost his father and his mother was usually sick. With assistance from the commune Study Promotion Association, Huy attended school and studied very well. But after he graduated high school and passed an exam to university, he could not continue his schooling.

If the commune had had a stable study promotion fund like we do now, we could have helped Huy, Thu said.

Vice chairman of Tinh Tra Commune Peoples Committee Tran Van Truong said that local authorities applauded the initiative of the Study Promotion Forest, suggesting that it should be applied in other disadvantaged areas where fundraising efforts faced difficulties.  VNS
The Ha Noi Superior Peoples Court yesterday held a meeting to publicly apologise to Vu Ngoc Duong for giving him a wrong sentence of 30 months in jail.  Photo congly.vn

HA NOI  The Ha Noi Superior Peoples Court yesterday held a meeting to publicly apologise to Vu Ngoc Duong for giving him a wrong sentence of 30 months in jail.

Duong, 30, living at 232 Kham Thien Street, Tho Quan Ward, ong a District, was wrongly sentenced for abusing trust to appropriate properties.

Representatives of municipal judicial agencies, the city Peoples Committee and Peoples Council attended the meeting.

Duong will receive compensation for physical and spiritual damages. The Appeal Court of Ha Noi Superior Peoples Court is responsible for the compensation following the Law on State Compensation Liability.

In 2010, Bui Van Chinh, director of ong Anh humanitarian job orientation and vocational training centre in Ha Noi, denounced Duong for abusing his volunteer position at the centre to appropriate VN100 million (US$4,340), which was donated by other companies to the centre.

Following reports from three witnesses  Nguyen Van Hien, Duong Dieu Thu, Nguyen Thi Thanh Van  who have benefits and responsibilities in the case, and upon inspection of hand-written letters and signatures on related documents, Duong was prosecuted for abusing trust to appropriate properties.

In the first hearing in 2012, the Ha Noi Peoples Court sentenced Duong to 30 months in jail for abusing trust to appropriate properties, according to Article 140 of the Penal Code.

Duong then submitted an appeal, claiming his innocence.

At the appeal court in September 2013, the Court of Appeal of the Ha Noi Peoples Supreme Court dismissed Duongs appeal.

Duong then submitted another appeal asking for a re-inspection of the letters and signatures.

An investigative body of the Supreme Peoples Procuracy found that Duongs hand-written letters and signatures were faked by Duong Dieu Thu, Duongs aunt and Nguyen Thi Thanh Van.

From April 2010 to May 2011, they faked the hand-written letters and signatures of Duong on documents and then denounced Duong for appropriating money from the centre.

In early 2015, the Supreme Peoples Court decided to cancel the first instance and appeal verdicts on Duong.

In May 2015, an investigation started on Duong Dieu Thu and her accomplices for faking documents.

Duong Dieu Thu and Nguyen Thi Thanh Van received a sentence of 40 months in jail each for slandering and counterfeiting seals and documents of agencies and organisations.

In March 2016, the investigative body of the Ha Noi Police decided to cancel the investigation into Duong due to evidence confirming that Duong did not commit the charge of abusing trust to appropriate properties.

Based on regulations of the Law on State Compensation Liability, judicial agencies affirmed that Duong will receive a public apology and compensation for the wrongful conviction.  VNS
People are relocated to Can Thanh School in Can Thanh Town, HCM Citys Can Gio District to avoid Typhoon Tembin. The storm is forecast to land in the coastal area from Ba Ria-Vung Tau to Ca Mau provinces early today.  VNA/VNS Photo Manh Linh

HA NOI  More than 1.1 million people in 15 provinces and cities in the south of Viet Nam have been evacuated to safety as Typhoon Tembin approaches, with the storm forecast to land in the coastal area from Ba Ria  Vung Tau to Ca Mau provinces early today.

The Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue and the Border Guard Command provided information on the storms movements to more than 69,000 vehicles.

The storm is moving west at a speed of 15-20km per hour and is forecast to be off the waters of Tra Vinh to Ca Mau at about 7am today. Wind speeds hit 75-90km per hour, according to the National Hydrometeorological Forecast Centre.

The storm is projected to keep moving west for the next 12-24 hours and gradually weaken into a tropical depression. The eye of the depression is forecast to be off the Gulf of Thailand at 7pm today.

The typhoon has already affected some localities which have experienced rains up to 50mm from yesterday evening.

The centre also warned of flash floods and landslides in some areas from Quang Ngai to Binh Thuan, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Kien Giang due to heavy rains and rising seawater.

Localities in the south have taken various measures to prepare for the storm.

Con ao District and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province have called for all vessels operating in Con aos waters to return to safety. All tourists on the island have been evacuated to shelters.

Nguyen Van Dung, vice chairman of the Peoples Committee of Con ao District, said the province has instructed forces to call on fishermen to return to storm shelters.

The Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang has evacuated more than 30,000 people to safe places while calling for nearly 1,200 vessels operating offshore to find shelter.

The provinces leaders have directed agencies, forces and households to speed up the harvest of shrimp and rice to avoid storm damage.

Tien Giang Province also evacuated nearly 35,000 people in high risks areas to safer places. Thousands of soldiers were mobilised to strengthen the dyke system and houses.

Many localities have allowed pupils to stay home from schools and industrial zone workers to be off work.

Deputy PM inspects typhoon preparedness

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh inh Dung yesterday visited Soc Trang to inspect preparations for Typhoon Tembin.

In Tran e district and Vinh Chau township, the Deputy PM visited a dock where 600 ships are sheltering from the storm and several storm shelters for people in Vinh Chau township.

Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee Tran Van Chuyen told the Deputy PM that the province has mobilised all resources to minimise losses, adding the evacuation work was fulfilled on December 24, with 27,000 people moving to schools and agencies headquarters.

Later the same day, Deputy PM Dung also visited Bac Lieu and Ca Mau provinces to inspect their preparedness, dyke systems and evacuation plan.

The same day, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, also head of the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, led a working delegation to inspect preparedness for the storm in Khanh Hoi area, U Minh district, in Ca Mau Province.

Cuong then met with authorities of neighbouring Kien Giang Province about its work to cope with Tembin, the 16th storm to hit the East Sea this year.

Many flights cancelled

Vietnam Airlines and several other carriers have cancelled or adjusted the schedule of many flights to and from areas to be affected by typhoon Tembin.

The national flag carrier cancelled all flights from 12:40 to 20:30 yesterday on routes between Ha Noi/HCM City and Phu Quoc in the southern province of Kien Giang, and between Ha Noi and the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

Passengers affected by the cancellations will be arranged to fly on the next day.

Meanwhile, the schedule of flights from 15:00 to 23:00 yesterday will be adjusted according to the latest reports on Tembin, and will be updated frequently on Vietnam Airlines website and Facebook.

Jetstar Pacific will adjust its flights to and from Tan Son Nhat Airport in HCM City and Phu Quoc Island depending on the movement of the typhoon.

Due to the changes, a number of domestic flights are expected to be delayed. Passengers can get information on the carriers official websites or Facebook, as well as ticket offices.  VNS
HA NOI  The Ministry of Transportation (MoT) on Monday announced eight public-private-partnership (PPP) investment projects under the build-operation-transfer (BOT) form on the Eastern North-South expressway for 2017-2020.

The eight projects include roads connecting Son La Provinces Mai Son District with National Highway No 45, the National Highway No 45 with Thanh Hoa Provinces Nghi Son District, Nghi Son District with Nghe An Provinces Dien Chau District and Dien Chau District with Ha Tinh Provinces Bai Vot District, as well as Khanh Hoa Provinces Nha Trang City with Cam Lam District, Cam Lam District with Binh Thuan Provinces Vinh Hao District, Vinh Hao District with Phan Thiet City and Phan Thiet City with ong Nai Provinces Dau Giay Town. The project has a total length of 530km with a tentative investment of VN104,079 billion (US$4.6 billion).

The Phan Thiet-Dau Giay (98km) project has the highest provisional investment of VN19,571 billion ($863 million), of which VN5,551 billion ($245 million) is allocated from the State budget, while the project of Nha Trang-Cat Lam (29km) has the lowest tentative investment of VN5,131 billion ($226 million), with VN2,532 billion ($111 million) funded by the Government.

According to the MoT, the eight projects aim to meet the urgent demand of logistics, gradually form the Eastern North-South expressway, connect economic and political centres and economic and industrial zones, as well as accelerate socio-economic development and ensure the countrys defence and security.

Research on the eight projects feasibility is being completed. It is expected to finish all construction work by 2021.  VNS
GUATEMALA CITY  Guatemala said Monday it is starting the process of moving its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, after President Jimmy Morales announced he would follow US President Donald Trumps controversial lead on the holy city.

Morales wrote a message to Guatemalans on his Facebook page Sunday, saying he had spoken with Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that "one of the most important topics was the return of Guatemalas embassy to Jerusalem."

"For this reason I am informing you that I have given instructions to the foreign ministry... to make this happen," Morales wrote.

On Monday, the foreign ministry said it was implementing the order.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs received the presidential order and is starting the process of implementing this foreign policy decision," it said in a statement.

Guatemalas leader made the embassy announcement on Christmas Eve, three days after two-thirds of UN member states rejected Trumps decision to have the United States recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital.

Netanyahu on Monday hailed the decision, saying Guatemala would not be the only nation to follow Washingtons lead.

Shameful and illegal

But the Palestinian foreign ministry slammed Guatemala.

"Its a shameful and illegal act that goes totally against the wishes of church leaders in Jerusalem" and of a non-binding UN General Assembly resolution condemning the US recognition, the ministry said in a statement.

Guatemalas decision also drew fire from Bolivian President Evo Morales.

"In a complete act of mockery of the international community, the government of Guatemala ignores the resolution of the UN (General) Assembly and decides to move its embassy to Jerusalem," he wrote on his Twitter account.

In all, 128 nations voted to maintain the international consensus that Jerusalems status can only be decided through peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Only eight countries stood with the United States in voting against the resolution in the UN General Assembly, among them Guatemala and fellow Central American country Honduras.

Guatemala and Honduras are both reliant on US funding to improve security in their gang-ridden territories.

Violence, corruption and poverty have made the two countries, along with El Salvador, the main source of illegal migration to the United States, which is giving them US$750 million to provide better conditions at home.

Guatemala pro-Israeli

On Friday, Morales foreshadowed the decision he was to make regarding Jerusalem, as he defended his governments vote at the UN backing the United States.

"Guatemala is historically pro-Israeli," he told a news conference in Guatemala City.

"In 70 years of relations, Israel has been our ally," he said.

"We have a Christian way of thinking that, as well as the politics of it, has us believing that Israel is our ally and we must support it."

Moraless position has become fragile in recent months because of allegations of corruption against him being investigated by a special UN-backed body working with Guatemalan prosecutors.

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley had said her country would "take names" of the states opposing its position, and Trump threatened to cut funding to countries "that take our money and then vote against us."

Several significant US allies abstained from the UN vote, among them Australia, Canada, Mexico and Poland.

Others, such as Britain, France, Germany and South Korea were among the nations denouncing any unilateral decision to view Jerusalem as Israels capital.

Along with Guatemala and Honduras, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo were on the US side of the vote.

Following the US decision on Jerusalem, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said he would "no longer accept" any peace plan proposed by the US, dealing a pre-emptive blow to an initiative expected by Washington next year.  AFP
SEOUL  North Korea is likely to explore the possibility of dialogue with the United States in 2018 as the state seeks to secure a status as a de facto possessor of nuclear weapons, South Koreas Ministry of Unification said Tuesday.

"North Korea may continue to advance its nuclear and missile capabilities while searching for an outlet externally," the ministry said in its predictions for North Korea in 2018. "In searching for the recognition of its status as a de facto nuclear-possessing state, (the North) would explore the possibility of negotiations with the US."

At the same time, the North is also likely to attempt to engage with South Korea in order to restore inter-Korean relations next year, it also said. It added that the ministry will closely watch North Korean leader Kim Jong-uns New Year address on January 1 to see if it alludes to such possibilities.

For this year, North Korea has distanced itself from dialogue and engagement with South Korea as it attempted to work out its relationship with the US ahead of that with the South, according to the ministry.

Next year, North Korea is expected to start to feel the pinch of international and bilateral sanctions on the countrys nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, the ministry said.

"North Korea is forecast to maximize efforts to endure (the impact of sanctions) by tightening social control and mobilising its people for building the economy," the ministry said. It predicted the sanctions economic ramifications may start to show in 2018, with effects including cuts in trade volume and foreign currency inflow, as well as reduced production in each part of the economy.

North Koreas economy has already faced the impact of international sanctions, with foreign countries reducing imports of North Korean workers as well as humanitarian assistance to the North, according to the Unification Ministry.

North Koreas exports to China, its largest trading partner, tumbled 31.7 per cent to US$1.6 billion in the January-November period, compared to a year earlier. The overall North Korea-China trade volume in the January-November period dropped 10.2 per cent on-year to US$4.67 billion, according to the ministry data.

Rice prices and the US dollar-North Korean won exchange rate remain relatively stable with one kilogram of rice being sold at around 5,000 won and one US dollar exchanged for some 8,000 won recently. But they are currently showing signs of rapid price changes, the ministry noted.

Gas prices in North Korea have risen about two to three times since early this year, it also said, indicating United Nations Security Council sanctions tightening grip on North Koreas oil procurement.  YONHAP
On this day 241 years ago  December 26, 1776  George Washington led his forces to a much-needed victory in the Battle of Trenton. Crossing the icy waters of the Delaware River on Christmas night to achieve maximum surprise, his decisive defeat of the Hessians encamped in New Jersey bolstered the colonies faltering faith in his military leadership. That led to the foundation of our constitutional republic, enlivened by virtue flowing from religious faith. To this day in much of the world, Washington symbolizes the perfect mean of liberty and personal responsibility within the Western Judeo-Christian framework.

Washingtons words and example have inspired generations of people in centeral Europe to strive after that high degree of liberty, writes Hungarian political scientist Mark Nemeth in a new essay at Actons Religion & Liberty Transatlantic website.

With the brewing controversy over historic monumnts in the U.S., it may surprise Americans to know that a statue of Washington stands proudly in the heart of Budapest, writes Nemeth.

The story of how and why Hungarians erected a statue of George Washington in City Park in 1906 in a fascinating one, which Nemeth captures well. After a group of Hungarian-Americans built a statute of a great Hungarian politician in Cleveland, they suggested that Hungary make a reciprocal gesture to bring the two nations closer together.

In 1904, Count Albert Apponyi  a leading political figure, who befriended U.S. presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft  said that the American ideal of liberty served as a beacon across the other side of the Atlantic, a century after Washingtons death. Nemeth writes:

We have hearty sympathy with this gigantic commonwealth, which has achieved liberty for all time, a liberty which makes us in Europe feel safer, he said, adding that the good example gladded even lands where liberty is scarcely known. We feel safer because there is such a country as the United States of America, Apponyi said. The freedom of America is one of the safeguards of liberty in old Europe.

These words are confirmation that, more than a century ago, the United States had fulfilled the Puritans vision to become a shining city on a hill, an example of Christian liberty for all nations (especially those in the lands they had left. Or it is confirmation that Washington had succeeded in a task he summarized in these words: Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair. The event is in the hand of God.

Washington, Nemeth notes, has become a source of controversy in the United States, as religious leaders have demanded his statues be demolished, his name erased from public spaces founded in his honor. This fall, Washingtons own parish  Christ Church, a liberal Episcopal congregation in Alexandria, Virginia  removed a plaque commemorating its most significant member.

But distinctions and intent are important, Nemeth writes. These monuments commemorate Washington, not as a slave owner, but as a liberator whose political philosophy would one day demand that slaves be given equal dignity and freedom. Washingtons sacrificial affirmation of unalienable rights and self-determination continues to inspire those who do not currently enjoy the liberties he was willing to die for, across the transatlantic sphere.

Mark Nemeth, a Millennial, does not shy away from his own conflicted views about Washington, the freedom fighter who owned slaves. He shares his struggles with honoring even someone as great as Washington, due to this grave injustice. But he reveals the two quotations of Washingtons that most inspire him (which you can read here), before concluding:

As a Hungarian political scientist living in a country that still does not enjoy all the liberties of the United States of America, I think George Washington should not be evaluatd based on the pastors criteria, but by these two quotations. They continue to inspire the best in all mankind  across oceans, across cultures, across eras.

Read his full article (and see photos of the statue) at Religion & Liberty Transatlantic.

(Main photo credit: Public domain.)
2017 has been another great year for warbirds, with many significant events and first flights taking place. We at WarbirdsNews have endeavored to keep our readers informed of as many developments as possible, with exclusive reports of major milestones in the warbird and aviation museum community. Although we couldnt cover everything, it has been a remarkable year of growth for us here too culminating with our merger with Warbird Digest Magazine. We are always looking for new leads, as well as writers/photographers who are able to provide coverage. With your help, we can have an even better 2018, and be sure not to miss any important first flight this year! Below are some of the highlights from 2017

January

Glenn H. Curtiss Museum P-40 Restoration

In August 2011, the Restoration Shop at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum purchased the remnants of three P-40 Warhawks, one of which is being restored to display condition. Two of the aircraft were originally recovered from a Florida swamp just off the Suwannee River after a mid-air collision in 1945, while the third crashed at St. Simon Island around the same time. Although it will never fly again, its mechanical systems will be functional. The P-40 will be displayed in a flight attitude with the allowance for someone to sit in the cockpit and work the controls for flaps, landing gear, lights, and other systems. The Allison V-1710 V-12 will be re-installed in the aircraft. Click HERE to read the full article.

Air Mobility Command Museum Rescues C-119

A true piece of American history that sat in the Mojave Desert for decades and was slated for scrapping now has a new home at the Air Mobility Command Museum in Dover, Delaware. A C-5M Super Galaxy, operated by the 709th Airlift Squadron, and an AMC Museum team traveled to Edwards Air Force Base, California between December 16th and 19th, 2016, to transport portions of Fairchild C-119B Flying Boxcar 48-0352 Am Can Co Special to the AMC Museum at Dover AFB for restoration and display. Click HERE to read the full article.

February

CAF Dixie Wing P-63A Flies!

After more than 40 years since its last flight, 16 years of restoration (interrupted by the Mississippi River flood of 1993) and countless man hours by the dedicated volunteers at the CAF Dixie Wing, the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Dixie Wing Bell P-63A-6 Kingcobra 42-68941 flew for the first time on Saturday February 18th, 2017. Just after 1300hrs local time, pilot Jim Dale took off from Atlanta Regional Airport, home of the Dixie Wing. Click HERE to read the full article.

March

B-17 Desert Rat Taking Shape

The effort to restore the B-17E Flying Fortress known as Desert Rat has come a long way in recent years. Once a mystery Boeing in a barn, the project has since teamed up with the Vintage Aviation Museum. The VAM also holds title to an earlier B-17C model which, in addition to the Rat, they will restore to the air. With these plans to fly two B-17 models not currently gracing the skies, the VAM has a unique and inspiring mission. Click HERE to read the full article.

April

Just Jane Re-Finish Completed

The crew of Just Jane has accomplished quite a chunk of work this past year. When we last checked in, the Lincolnshire folks were in the process of stripping off the old livery, with plans to re-paint the entire Lancaster. Since then, the complete re-paint has been accomplished, and looks magnificent. Click HERE to read more about Just Jane.

May

Museum of Aviation F-100 Super Sabre Goes on Display

After seven years of hard work, the North American F-100D Super Sabre at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, Georgia is now on display. We have been following this restoration at WarbirdsNews for some time now, producing periodic progress reports (click HERE to see them). She arrived at the museum, a corroded, tattered hulk in 2010, but a small band of dedicated volunteers, including retired Air Force General Rick Goddard, lavished thousands of hours of intensive care upon the Viet Nam War combat veteran fighter-bomber. As many of our readers will recall, General Goddard flew this specific aircraft, serial 56-2995, on 180 missions during his tour with the 309th TFS flying from Tuy Hoa Air Base in South Viet Nam. In fact, Goddard received the Silver Star for a mission in 995 on February 9th, 1969, making this aircraft an even more important and remarkable survivor. Click HERE to read our coverage of this restoration.

The 60th Anniversary Planes of Fame Air Show Recap

The 2017 Planes of Fame Air Show celebrated the Planes of Fame Air Museums 60th anniversary and the 25th year they have held the air show at Chino Municipal Airport in Chino California. The 2017 event also marked the first time that Planes of Fames Founder, the legendary Ed Maloney, was not at the announcers stand. Sadly, Ed passed away last year, just a short time after the 2016 show, so the museum presented this years display in his honor. Click HERE to read the full article.

June

A6M Zero Rises Over Japan With a Japanese Pilot in The Cockpit

More than 70 years after the end of World War II, a wartime Mitsubishi AZ6M Zero once again soared in the skies over Japan with a Japanese pilot at the controls on June 3rd. The flight, conducted by Kazuaki Yanagida, 66, was a special demonstration at the two-day Red Bull Air Race 2017. After the end of World War II, Zeros flew a few times over Japanese airspace. However, all of those flights were undertaken by American pilots. Click HERE to red the full article.

Flying Heritage Red Letter Day  Mosquito Flies and Corsair Arrives!

Friday, June 23rd was a special day at the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum in Everett, Washington. Not only did they fly their deHavilland Mosquito T Mk III for the first time over American soil, but it also saw the arrival of their freshly restored FG-1D Corsair. Mosquito TV959 arrived at the museum back in December, fresh off the boat from her Ardmore, New Zealand based restorers, AvSpecs Ltd. During her test flights in New Zealand, the Mosquito flew in silver dope primer and temporarily marked as a Royal New Zealand Air Force example, NZ2337. However, during the reassembly process in the USA, museum technicians repainted her as an RAF FB.IV night intruder variant, NS838. She now has a full suite of 20mm cannon and .303 machine guns. The real NS838 served in 605 County of Warwick Squadron. During the period that Flt Lt Alan Wagner flew NS838, she gained the nickname Wags War Wagon, and he officially became an ace in the aircraft during the night of March 5/6, 1944. Click HERE to read the full article.

July

Worlds Only Flyable A-26K Counter Invader Airworthy Again!

In January 2010, a rare warbird arrived in Fort Worth, Texas after a cold ferry flight from Billings, Montana. That journey signaled the beginning of a 6-1/2 year restoration effort to return a B-26K Counter Invader to airworthy status. On Saturday July 8th, 2017 the worlds only flyable B-26K Counter Invader returned to the air! Click HERE to read the full article.

Flying Legends 2017  Air Show Report

This year saw the 25th anniversary edition of the annual Flying Legends air show at former RAF Duxford, the Imperial War Museums facility near Cambridge, England. The locally-based Fighter Collection organizes the event, which has become the most important warbird display in Europe. This years show took on even greater significance, as it also marked the centenary for both the Imperial War Museum and Duxford airfield. This merits a short historical review for both Click HERE to read the full report.



Fifi and Doc Finally Flying Together

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh never fails to bring rare and even unique acts and events, and so it was for 2017 as well. For warbird enthusiasts, perhaps the biggest of these moments was the long-anticipated Boeing B-29 Superfortress formation flight between the Commemorative Air Forces B-29 FIFI and Docs Friends B-29 Doc. After a week practicing formation flying together, the two iconic bombers performed a majestic formation pass right in front of the crowd on the Saturday. History was made! Click HERE to read the Oshkosh report.

August

Collings Foundations F-4 Phantom II Takes to the Skies Again!
DAVENPORT  After a year of turmoil, enrollment in Iowas Affordable Care Act marketplace exceeded last years amount, according to the federal government.

The Trump administration reported 53,548 people were enrolled in the state through midnight eastern time Dec. 15. The figure surpassed the 51,573 enrolled the year before.

Nationwide, enrollment came close to equaling what it was last year. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported 8.8 million Americans were enrolled across the country, 96 percent of the 9.2 million last year.

Backers of the ACA, also known as Obamacare, heralded the result, saying it proved the marketplaces are not collapsing as President Trump has claimed. They said enrollment numbers were strong even after Republicans in Congress tried to kill the law, the administration cut funding for enrollment assistance and shortened the enrollment period.

People had six weeks to sign up for coverage this year. Last year, it was three months.

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, co-founder of the group Get America Covered, said in a Medium post.

Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, who voted for the ACA, said Friday he is pleased that Iowans, in even greater numbers than last year, took the time to sign up through the ACA to receive their healthcare coverage. He added he would continue to work with anyone in good faith to lower costs and improve our healthcare system.

Doug Ommen, Iowas insurance commissioner, said Friday the new figures are not unexpected. He said he still anticipates 18,000 to 22,000 Iowans will lose coverage as a result of significant premium increases in the state.

Those people had previously purchased coverage outside the marketplace or didnt qualify for premium subsidies, which shelter those who do qualify from the price spikes.

It appears to have been tracking what we anticipated, Ommen said.

A spokesman for Medica, the only insurer in the marketplace, said Friday the enrollment figures met its expectations.

Linaka Kain, who oversees regional enrollment for UnityPoint Health, said the last week of enrollment was busy, and people from Iowa were even willing to travel to the Illinois side of the river to sign up with counselors set up there.

That typically doesnt happen, she said.

The latest figures count the people who signed up for new plans, actively re-enrolled or who were automatically enrolled. It does not report the number of people who have paid premiums.

Ommen said he is interested in seeing how many follow through with making payments in January. He also said he didnt believe the shortened enrollment period had much impact on enrollment figures because theres widespread awareness of the deadline.

People here have been fairly well informed, he said.
WORTHINGTON (AP)  Dave Lansing can walk through his feedlot among his 800 to 900 beef cattle and spot those that are ailing.

The animals bow their heads, pull their ears back and stop eating.

After some of his cattle developed pneumonia recently, he contacted his longtime veterinary provider, Tri-Vet Associates, which has offices in Farley, Dyersville and Holy Cross.

Veterinarian Tim Sprank visited Lansings Worthington farm to treat the animals and administer routine vaccinations.

Without treatment, cattle wont last long, Lansing said.

Its just like a human, he said. If youre sick, you go to the doctor. Same thing.

While Lansing routinely receives farm calls from a veterinarian, some rural areas are experiencing a shortage of providers, primarily among those who deal with large animals. In those areas, veterinarians have full caseloads and cannot accept new clients. The problem is exacerbated as the workforce ages and practitioners retire.

Maintaining access to veterinary services is crucial for managing disease, ensuring a stable and safe food supply and keeping the livestock industry profitable, according to Iowas state veterinarian, David Schmitt.

We have such large numbers of livestock in our state, and protecting the health of those livestock is invaluable, he said.

Each year, he and other animal health officials around the country nominate locations for federal designation as veterinary shortage situations.

Jones County and the countys contiguous neighbors were designated as critical priority areas in 2017. About 55 mixed animal practitioners serve the region, which includes more than 1.6 million head of livestock.

In 2016, southwest Wisconsin counties, including Crawford and Grant counties, were designated high-priority shortage areas, as were northwest Illinois counties, including Jo Daviess County.

About 114,000 veterinarians were employed in the U.S. in 2016, according to American Veterinary Medical Association. About 75 percent who enter private clinical practice treat companion animals most or all of the time. About 7 percent treat food animals, and 6 percent treat both.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts employment of veterinarians will increase 18 percent from 2016 to 2026. However, practicing in under-served, rural areas might remain out of reach for those who are coping with student debt.

Graduating veterinary students on average carry about $144,000 in debt, according to the AVMA.

The pay isnt what it used to be, said Lancaster (Wis.) Vet Clinic owner Cari Schaffer, who has practiced for almost 20 years. To come into a rural area and make $45,000 to $60,000 a year, its really difficult to do.

Jentry Fane, an associate veterinarian at Risius Family Veterinary Service in Maquoketa, graduated from Iowa State University in May with more than $150,000 in debt.

He intends to apply to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program. It provides food animal and public health veterinarians up to $75,000 in exchange for serving at least three years in a shortage area. Several veterinarians have been placed in Iowa.

Fane treats both companion and food animals and said his days are full.

There may be days where you may go on eight or 10 calls, where you go from farm to farm treating sick calves, he said.

Alex Ramirez, Iowa State interim assistant dean of academic and student affairs, said the university provides veterinary students with a strong foundation in all areas of veterinary practice before they specialize during their final year of study.

Shortage or not, tracking students into specific areas too soon could have unintended consequences, he noted.

It is hard to predict what opportunities are going to be available at the time of graduation, Ramirez said. Markets change.
Russian officials barred activist Alexey Navalny from entering the country's presidential race a day after he held nomination gatherings to kick off his run, according to state-run media outlet RIA-Novosti.

Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC) rejected Navalny's registration the day after he submitted it, citing a previous embezzlement conviction, RIA-Novosti reported.

"Firstly, a citizen who has been sentenced to imprisonment for committing a grave or especially grave crime and who has an outstanding conviction for the said crime, has no right to be elected president of the Russian federation," said CEC member Boris Ebzeev.

The decision was not a surprise. Navalny's candidacy was unlikely because Russian law prevents convicted criminals from running for public office, though Navalny and his supporters have said his conviction was politically motivated to block his presidential bid.

Navalny will appeal the commission's decision, his campaign press secretary Ruslan Shaveddinov told CNN late Monday.

Navalny would be running against incumbent President Vladimir Putin, who announced his intention to seek re-election -- his fourth presidential bid -- as an independent candidate at his annual press conference earlier this month.

At the time, he said his aim was for Russia to have a "competitive" and "balanced" political system, but it wasn't his responsibility to create political opponents.

"I want this," Putin said, "and I will strive for a balanced political system and that is impossible without competition in the political field."

Putin has been either the Prime Minister or President of Russia since 1999.

In response to a question about why Russia lacked effective opposition leaders, Putin said most of the current opposition figures were more focused on "making noise" instead of a genuine agenda that could benefit the country.

Navalny called for a boycott of the March 2018 election in response to the CEC's decision.

"We are announcing a voters' strike," Navalny said. "The procedure in which we are invited to participate is not an election. It involves only Putin and those candidates whom he personally chose, who do not pose a slightest threat to him."

The opposition activist is widely popular among young people and has tapped into anger over a sluggish economy and endemic corruption. Navalny first rose to prominence during 2011's large-scale anti-government protests.

Expert: Putin will 'almost without a doubt' win election

Jill Dougherty, a Russia expert and former CNN Moscow bureau chief, said Navalny still has a role to play in the presidential race, though it probably won't be as a candidate.

"I think he will be a factor," she said, "but he will not be an organized participant in any electoral process. He will be kept on the outside and he is definitely opposition, so he's used to being kept on the outside."

But Navalny's support among young Russians could also play a factor in the election.

"A lot of the people who support him are very young, like 19 or 20 years old -- sometimes even younger," Dougherty said, and they have been exposed to the rest of the world and the way the rest of the world lives, and they are dissatisfied.

"Their dissatisfaction, although not very focused at this point, is a factor the Kremlin is worried about," she said. "The Kremlin is very focused on the youth and making sure that young people support Putin."

Dougherty also pointed to Ksenia Sobchak -- a Russian socialite and reality TV star who has said she wants to challenge Putin -- as someone who could offer a liberal alternative to Putin if Navalny can't run. But Navalny's supporters wouldn't necessarily support her, she said.

"Putin will almost without a doubt win the election," Dougherty said, "because he is supported by the majority of Russians and because the system is organized ... to favor his candidacy."

CNN's Mary Ilyushina and Darya Tarasova reported from Moscow. Dakin Andone reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Joe Sterling, Radina Gigova and James Masters contributed to this report.
Congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump last 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 wealthy 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 last 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 Democrats have been highlighting.

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 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.

NYCs mayor

Bill de Blasio, mayor of New York City, spoke last 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.Erin Murphy covers Iowa politics and government for Lee Enterprises. His email address is erin.murphy@lee.net

Erin Murphy covers Iowa politics and government for Lee Enterprises. His email address is erin.murphy@lee.net
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Bridget Heal at History Today:

Five hundred years ago, in an obscure town in a remote part of Germany, an Augustinian friar set in train a series of events that led to the permanent splintering of western Christendom. The story of Martin Luther posting his Ninety-Five Theses against Indulgences to the door of the castle chapel in Wittenberg is a defining moment in German history. But what were the origins of Luthers movement for religious reform? How should we understand the individuals and the events that propelled his protest from Wittenberg onto the European stage? And how can we explain the Reformations significance in the context of contemporary concerns?

The eldest of nine siblings, Martin Luther was born in Eisleben in the county of Mansfeld on November 10th, 1483. His origins were relatively lowly: I am a peasants son; my great-grandfather, my grandfather, my father were true peasants, he commented later in life. This was an exaggeration. Although his family was of peasant origin, his father, Hans Luder, had become a senior figure in the local mining industry and wanted his eldest son to study law. Luther attended school in Magdeburg and Eisenach and in 1501 he enrolled at the university in Erfurt, where he gained a masters degree in 1505.

more here.
Amid the bedlam of the holidays, True Laurel sneakily opened last Friday in a quiet culinary corridor of the Mission.

Coming from the Lazy Bear team, this place is a must-visit for any foodie. Chef David Barzelay and bar director Nicolas Torres have put together an elevated menu of a la carte small plates and drinks, a complete flip on the tasting menu-only format of Lazy Bear, offering an affordable and accessible way to experience their cuisine and eccentric mix of cocktails.

True Laurel was inspired from Barzelay's recent trip to Tokyo, where he visited an intimate cocktail den called Gen Yamamoto, where he was served by Yamamoto himself. There, at the eight-seater bar, he experienced a personalized selection of cocktail courses, each incorporating many custom ingredients, rare spirits, and seasonal produce. He wanted to replicate that intimate, one-on-one interaction between bartender and a small number of patrons here in San Francisco, and with Torres, created a menu of craft drinks and light bites to support the custom bartending experience. Think sips that use whole fruit, special wines, and house-made liquors showcased in curated antique glassware. The food skews towards upscale comfort, not restricted by any one region of cookingthe menu is marked by a number of different cuisines. Everything is small and shareable, inviting you to dive into several plates to sample, taste and share. Next up, just around the corner in 2018, the team will offer their version of an experimental tasting menu of five cocktails with food pairings at the eight-person bar with two seatings per night. We're already planning our next date night.

The interior designed by Nicholas Roberto in collaboration with Barzelay and Torres with an emphasis on balance between both man-made and nature-influenced elements.

// True Laurel, 753 Alabama Street, truelaurelsf.com
Do not feel shy and go for condom advertisements as in the past, as the children of the present day generation know in and out of family life and they are already exposed to Internet to know intrinsic value of such sexy issues as well. The television advertisement should have to change the graphical acts that they show in condom ads and they should teach the lesson of sex education in a proper way. These kind of short sighted people only have made India the way it is now. Second in world population we should apply caution in birth control. No wonder why there is so much poverty in the country.

And if you do not educate children about responsible use of much needed contraceptives, not only India, the whole world will suffer. I agree the need is to put things in context without being overly sexual in nature. At the same time this should not be shunned for being indecent this should be regulated and educated not banned. This shunning of the so called indecent acts has only given rise to the excessive pornography use among teenagers and the sexual violence that comes with it. I think this will be the mistake and a stupid act passed so far and nothing good is happening in our country but sex education is definitely important, if it was so indecent why it is even shown before? The world is changing and our country is wasting time for unwanted things and we are going backward by at least 20 years and it is becoming difficult to bear all this in our own country and the landmark created by God, which is ruled by people.

A unique order from Central Government is passed. The country which aspires foreign culture but regret to accept the change that comes along with it. Global wide sexual education is promoted for safe and healthy life and India, which is one among top HIV hit country, is ashamed to display condom ads. Give wisdom and please do not dump it. Carry on condom ad by fine tuning it according to Indian conditions and way of life.

It is better to make decent advertisement as changing the broadcasting schedule of condoms with same indecency is not going to change children mindset. TV is not only the source of indecent contents. Children may watch TV after 10 pm. So, I&B ministry should take step to filter out indecent and violent broadcasting material on TV as well Internet, which is easy accessible media, to thwart exposure of children to such stuffs.

Government cannot ban the blue whale games which is causing suicides, it is ironic to see the banning the condom ads. There are other media to get to know the condom ads and others. Government should think cleverly rather than creating a sensation.

It is an excellent initiative by the ministry. Please form guidelines that children are not allowed anywhere near Khajuraho temples, and the Kamasutra carvings should be covered with black cloth 247. Added to existing ban, there should also be ban on T.V Serials that show violence, criminal thinking and have ratings for channel. As a family we cannot sit and watch movies or serials that have no ratings in Television. This is not the case in foreign countries. Especially serials related to Crime and detection, movies telecasts that have adultery and violence should also be banned. There is a difference between sex education and the art of seducing. What is repeatedly shown on the TV is not the former one.

Based on direct observation, India has a huge population problem. It also carries a significant STD burden. Scientists and policy makers have long supported condoms as an effective tool to manage the twin issues of population and STDs. Well thought out, sensitive advertisements manage to promote the use of condoms  in turn directly helping the Government achieve its goals. Blanket ban on all such advertisements during prime time when its end users are most likely to watch is retrograde. The better would have been to instruct them to make such ads more informative and not of seducing nature all the time.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
Israel is in touch with at least ten countries over the possible transfer of their embassies to Jerusalem after the United States recognised the city as Israels capital, a deputy minister said on Tuesday.

We are in contact with at least ten countries, some of them in Europe to discuss the move, deputy foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely told public radio.

She spoke a day after Guatemala said it would move its embassy to the city, a move slammed by Palestinian officials as shameful.

Hotovely said US President Donald Trumps statement would trigger a wave of such moves.

So far we have only seen the beginning, she said.

Hotovely did not name the countries in question, but public radio cited Israeli diplomatic sources as saying Honduras, the Philippines, Romania and South Sudan are among states considering such a move.

Two-thirds of United Nations member states on Thursday voted for a resolution rejecting Trumps controversial move, reaffirming that the status of Jerusalem must be resolved through negotiations.

Israel seized the eastern part of Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed it in a move not recognised by the international community.

Several mainly Latin American countries had diplomatic missions in Jerusalem until a 1980 UN Security Council resolution condemning Israels attempt to alter the character and status of the city, saying it was a barrier to peace.

Trumps announcement on December 6 sparked anger in the Palestinian territories and across the Muslim world.

Israeli see the whole of the city as their undivided capital while the Palestinians view the east as the capital of their future state.

No country currently has its embassy in Jerusalem, instead of keeping them in the Israeli commercial capital Tel Aviv.
South Korea predicted on Tuesday that North Korea would look to open negotiations with the United States next year in an optimistic outlook for 2018, even as Seoul set up a specialised military team to confront nuclear threats from the North.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously imposed new, tougher sanctions on reclusive North Korea on Friday for its recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, a move the North branded an economic blockade and act of war.

North Korea will seek negotiation with United States, while continuing to pursue its effort to be recognised as a de facto nuclear-possessing country, South Koreas Unification Ministry said in a report, without offering any reasons for its conclusion.

The Ministry of Defence said it would assign four units to operate under a new official overseeing North Korea policy, aimed to deter and respond to North Koreas nuclear and missile threat.

Tensions have risen over North Koreas nuclear and missile programmes, which it pursues in defiance of years of U.N. Security Council resolutions, with bellicose rhetoric coming from both Pyongyang and the White House.

U.S. diplomats have made clear they are seeking a diplomatic solution but President Donald Trump has derided talks as useless and said Pyongyang must commit to giving up its nuclear weapons before any talks can begin.

In a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency, North Korea said the United States was terrified by its nuclear force and was getting more and more frenzied in the moves to impose the harshest-ever sanctions and pressure on our country.

China, the Norths lone major ally, and Russia both supported the latest U.N. sanctions, which seek to limit the Norths access to refined petroleum products and crude oil and its earnings from workers abroad, while on Monday Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying called for all countries to ease tension.

On Tuesday, Beijing released customs data indicating China exported no oil products to North Korea in November, apparently going over and beyond U.N. sanctions.

China, the main source of North Koreas fuel, did not export any gasoline, jet fuel, diesel or fuel oil to its neighbour last month, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.

China also imported no iron ore, coal or lead from North Korea in November.
India has denounced the manner in which Pakistan conducted the meeting of former Indian Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav with his wife and mother.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Tuesday said, We note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings.

Prior to the meeting, the two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format. There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments, he added.

Raveesh Kumar concluded by saying that the manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath seemed clearly to be an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Jadhavs alleged activities, adding the exercise lacked credibility.

Earlier on Tuesday, Jadhavs wife and mother met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi.

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Raveesh Kumar were also present at Swarajs residence.

The two women returned on Tuesday morning after meeting the convicted Jadhav in Pakistan.

Jadhavs meeting with his family members was not any ordinary meeting as they were separated by a glass barrier.

The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), to this end, clarified that the screen was placed due to security reasons and that Jadhav already knew this would be the setting. It substantiated his stance by adding that Islamabad considered Jadhav as the face of Indian terrorism, especially in Pakistan.

In addition to this, the MoFA released another confessional video of Jadhavs, in which the convicted alleged spy was seen confessing that he did cross from Iran to Pakistan two years back.

Jadhav, in the video that was apparently shot before he got to meet his kin, also said that he had requested to meet his family members and that he was grateful to the Pakistan Government for letting that happen.

Pakistan had earlier agreed to facilitate the visit of Jadhavs family and also assured their safety, security, and freedom of movement in the country.

Jadhav was arrested in March this year, in Balochistan, Pakistan, over charges of alleged involvement in espionage and subversive activities for Indias 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 Indian Navy.
Suppose you're an alien who has done bad enough things to get you into conflict with humans? Well, you might need the services of a lawyer.



According to an "observer", alleged reptilians have abducted both a father and daughter since at least some time in 2014 in order to conduct bizarre experiments against the mother.



According to an "observer", alleged reptilians have abducted both a father and daughter since at least some time in 2014 in order to conduct bizarre experiments against the mother.



The son has been continuing to seek to liberate the mother from these two alleged human-appearing reptilians



The two alleged reptilians had originally contacted archons within the police back in early January 2015 revealing a network of alien operatives that both David Icke and Dr Michael Salla alleges exist.



When the son sought to sue the apparent human-appearing alien archon operatives among the police who have been seeking to cover-up the abuse by these apparent aliens operating in human flesh, the daughter, who is the apparent commander of this operation hired an Ottawa law firm.



According to other lawyers, this law firm has developed quite a sinister reputation even among lawyers and appears to be a front for the coordination of alien activities.



When the son sought to take matters in court, it became further apparent that not only are there manipulative alien operatives among the police but also alien operatives among judges.



Like the police, the rogue judges that the Ottawa law firm alerted proceeded to coordinate the complete ignoring of any and all evidence presented by the son of abuses to police which would implicate the manipulative alien terrorists that are currently operating within the father and daughter with the legal support of an Ottawa law firm.

The rogue archon judges acting in behalf of alleged reptilians instigated nothing less than a laughable "Kangaroo Court" which not only declared "summary judgement" against the son acting to save his Mom from profound abuse and neglect, but have declared the son to be a so-called "vexatious litigant".





His mother has continued to be an apparent captive in Ottawa under the forcible confinement of alleged manipulative aliens who appear to be part of a plot to take over the Earth through alleged portals in various parts of the Earth that they can use to focus alien-directed terrorism against Earthbound humans.





Lawyers like the one in Ottawa appear to be part of a coordinated plot with operatives within the police and justice system to thwart violations by these entities against local laws in which humans might seek to challenge through police complaints and legal action.
Assyrians in Turkey Pray for Middle East Peace At Christmas Service

The faithful light candles at a Christmas Mass at the St. Anthony of Padua Church in Istanbul. Churches across Turkey were packed with Christian faithfuls who convened for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services. Peace in the Middle East in the shadow of the U.S.'s controversial decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital dominated the prayers, along with hopes of the liberation of Christian communities across the region from persecution. In Kirklar, an Assyrian Christian church in the southeastern province of Mardin, the Assyrian Metropolitan for Mardin and Diyarbakir Saliba
Iran's Parliament Speaker Sends Christmas Message to Assyrians

Iran's Parliament speaker, while felicitating Iranian Assyrians over Christmas and New Year, said combating ignorance and violence were among teachings of Jesus Christ. Ali Larijani, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, made the remarks in a message which was read at Mother Marry Church in Urmia. The message highlights that "undoubtedly, teachings of Jesus Christ's will prove effective in expanding affection and friendship all across the globe." Larijani also wished all Christians, especially Iranian Assyrians, peace and prosperity. Ritual ceremonies on the occasion of birth anniversary of Prophet Jesus Christ was held on December 25 Mother Miriam Church (St. Mary Cathedral) in Urmia. Mother Mary Church is an ancient Assyrian Church located in is the largest city in West Azerbaijan province of Iran. It is considered the second oldest church in Christendom after the church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in the West Bank. According to some historical texts, three Zoroastrian priests (the Three Wise Men) predicted birth of Prophet Jesus Christ and went to Jerusalem to meet infant Jesus. In return to Urmia, they changed their temple to a church and according to some experts their tomb-stones were in the church until year 1915 when a Russian Orthodox Church mission took the stones to a museum in Kiev.
A man and a woman believed to be husband and wife were found shot to death Tuesday morning inside their Ensley home.

West Precinct officers were dispatched at 8:54 a.m. after a neighbor called 911 to report someone shot, said Sgt. Bryan Shelton.

When police arrived on the scene, they saw damage to the front door and found the couple dead inside the home, lying on the floor.

Police late Tuesday afternoon identified the victims as Anthony Shuford, 53, and Stella Truitt, 54.

Authorities flocked to the scene, and roped off the entire block. "Our investigators are working through some evidence they have seen and discovered to determine what happened,'' Shelton said. "We don't have a motive. It's too early to tell."

"It's a difficult time for the family,'' he said. "Right now, our focus is getting them the answers they need and they deserve."

Dozens of friends and family members gathered outside of the crime scene tape, visibly emotional about the deaths. Many had heard about the male victim, and were actively trying to locate his wife on her cell phone, believing she may have been at work. It wasn't until later they learned that a woman was also killed in the shooting.

Friends said the home at 1609 30th Street was equipped with a video surveillance system. "That would be a big plus in this situation,'' Shelton said. "Hopefully that pans out."

Shelton said detectives had uncovered some leads. "Based on some things we have seen, it does not appear to be random,'' he said.

The victims are the city's 109th and 110th homicides this year. A man shot Saturday died on Christmas Day, becoming the city's 108th slaying. In all of Jefferson County, there have been 172 homicides, including the 110 in Birmingham.

Shelton said it's a heavy burden for a family to lose a loved one to violence, especially at this time of the year. "Not only the loss, but knowing that from here forth, you'll have the memory of Christmas and the holiday season as losing a loved one to violence,'' he said. "That's a tough pill to swallow."

"For the lives of the victims to end this is abnormal,'' Shelton said. "We have a suspect or suspects who clearly lack an appreciation for life. They decided to shoot and kill the victims, and that decision wasn't theirs to make."

Anyone with information on the killings is asked to call Birmingham police homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
WESTLAKE, Ohio -- Both the Westlake High School and Lee Burneson Middle School Academic Challenge teams finished in the top 10 nationally in the Questions Unlimited Fall 3-2-1 National Competition.

Students compete as a team to answer more than 100 questions online. There are 240 questions at the high school level and 156 questions at the middle school level.

Lee Burneson Middle School's Academic Challenge Team members are front row, Matt Taylor, Alicia Ge, Neige DeAngelis, Hannah Goyetche, Oscar Hoegler; and back row, Daniela Danilova, Katherine Xiao, Ethan Drake, Jack Frew, Rhett Bilski and Joey Baker. Photo provided by Westlake schools.

The WHS team finished second in the nation out of 167 competing high schools and first in the state. LBMS finished seventh in the nation out of 75 competing middle schools and second in the state.

Academic Challenge advisers are John and Sandy Packis.

YC Volunteer of the Year: Congratulations to Marcia Obrock, who was named the Youth Challenge 2017 Volunteer of the Year. The award is given each year to an adult who has been committed to Youth Challenge for at least five years and goes above and beyond for program participants and the YC mission.

Marcia Obrock is the Youth Challenge 2017 Volunteer of the Year. Photo provided by Youth Challenge.

YC brings together young people with physical disabilities and teen volunteers who inspire each other through adapted sports, recreation and social growth activities. The program serves children throughout Northeast Ohio and has offices in Westlake and Shaker Heights.

Obrock has been a YC trustee since 2007 and a Benefit Committee member since 2008.

She is a national account manager for ShurTech Brands in Avon. Obrock also served as auction co-chair for several years, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars to support YC programs.

Marcia and her husband, Gene, live in Westlake.

Bay PTAs commended: State Rep. Dave Greenspan, R-16, presented four statehouse commendations, one to each K-12 PTA in the Bay Village City Schools, for receiving the 2017 PTA School of Excellence Award from the National PTA. The presentations were made at the Dec. 18 school board meeting.

Youth Challenge operates many programs in Westlake.

The commendations went to Normandy Elementary PTA, Westerly Elementary PTA, Bay Middle School PTSA and Bay High School PTSA.

The district's PTA units, were on a common, two-year renewal schedule for the designation which requires a rigorous examination of family-school relationships against national standards, including welcoming families, communicating effectively, supporting student success, speaking for every child, sharing power and collaborating with the community.

The PTAs focused on health and safety of students, following up with an action plan to incorporate various national standards for family-school partnerships.

Normandy Elementary PTA president Meghan Jenkins, from left; Bay Middle School PTA President Chrissy Morscher State Rep. Dave Greenspan; Bay Village School Board President Gayatry Jacob-Mosier; and Bay PTA Council President Cheryll McCarty show off the commendations presented by Greenspan. Photo provided by Bay Village schools.

Normandy Elementary worked on healthy lifestyles at home and at school. Normandy's "PiYo [pilates-yoga] Live Family Fitness Fun" evening brought many families into the school, communicated the importance of healthy activity to learning, and demonstrated the partnership that PTA provided with the school.

Westerly Elementary's focus was a cyber-awareness and anti-bullying program. Bay Village Police Detective Kevin Krolkosky presented parents with strategies and tools to empower them to face the challenges presented by youngsters who have access to the Internet. School staff, along with Bay police, worked with students throughout the year addressing Internet safety and cyber-bullying.

At Bay Middle School, community health providers, first responders and fitness and nutrition professionals played a significant role at the Health Fair. They provided information, demonstrations and interactive activities to teach students about healthy choices. PTA provided the many needed volunteers, as well as a table of healthy snacks. The collaboration between the community, the school and the PTSA addressed all the national standards for strong partnerships.

BHS used the community partnership approach to promote healthy lifestyles at home and at school. The BHS PTSA co-sponsored the annual May in Bay 5K Run/Walk and 1-mile Fun Run.

All PTAs completed a second survey at the end of the year to gauge changes in opinion of respondents from the first survey. Improvements in ratings documented how the PTA work made an impact, and less positive results identified areas where the PTAs will focus on continued improvement.

Information, please: Readers are invited to share information about themselves, their families and friends, organizations, church events, etc. from Bay Village, Rocky River and Westlake for the West Shore Chatter column, which I write on a freelance basis. Awards, honors, milestone birthdays or anniversaries and other items are welcome. Submit information at least 10 days before the requested publication date to carolkovach@hotmail.com.
Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded $120,000 in federal funds to support establishment of a combination convenience store, gas station and sandwich shop in Cullman County, the governor's office announced.

The Community Development Block Grant funds will be used to build a deceleration lane and access road off Alabama Highway 157 at the new store in the town of West Point. The CDBG money comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant.

The store, Dale's Market, will include a Subway and will employ 20 people. West Point will provide $107,776 in local funds for the project. Dale's Market is based in nearby Hanceville, where the business operates another store.
Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore released a poem on Christmas Eve, just days before the final totals in his losing effort against Democrat Doug Jones are to be certified.

Moore's self-written poem was posted to Facebook. It tells the story of a young girl whose father had died and the following Christmas miracle.

"Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas!" the note accompanying the video said.

Moore has not addressed his loss to Jones, the first Democrat in more than 20 years to be elected to the Senate from Alabama. The former Alabama Chief Justice hasn't conceded the race, saying he wanted to wait until all military and provisional ballots were counted. That happened last week and did not change the results of the election.

Moore's campaign has not responded to AL.com's requests for information on the judge's plans.

Meanwhile, the results of the Dec. 12 special election to the U.S. Senate are set to be certified Thursday, according to Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill. Jones is expected to take office shortly after the new year.
In Tuscaloosa, a dermatologist looks up at the camera as it slowly wobbles, side to side, like it's suspended in the air from the bottom of a drone. Robert Bentley is there, in a video on Facebook, to give away something called CoolSculpting, a non-invasive fat-reduction procedure, just in time for holidays. A year ago, if he liked, this man could have ordered the Alabama National Guard to shoot somebody.

In Washington, D.C., Luther Strange is packing up his office on Capitol Hill, having hung on long enough to help Senate Republicans pass a tax cut for corporations and the wealthy. He can leave with the satisfaction that he led the write-in votes in last week's special United States Senate election, making him second runner-up to the first Democrat elected by Alabama to that office in 25 years.

In Gallant, Ala., Roy Moore is trying to make his home airtight before reality seeps through the cracks around the doors and windows, but already he must smell the truth. The Almighty didn't stuff any boxes for him, and no recount will give him the office Strange is packing up.

At the Department of Justice, Jeff Sessions waits to see who will call on him next. Perhaps the White House, to be shamed again by the president like a dog that soiled the carpet? Or will it be Congress asking him to clarify another inconsistency in his evolving story? Or ... Mueller ...

Maybe the story ends here, but probably not. Each Alabama scandal has a tangential tie to the next, like seasons of The Wire. However, this was the year the Heart of Dixie suffered cardiac arrest and cable news chyrons became our cardiograph.

This was the Year of Peak Alabamafication.

Late one night about a year and a half ago, I'd written a column in the denouement of Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard's corruption trial. Bentley and Moore were clearly in trouble. It was meant to be a warning to the rest of the country, which seemed hellbent on electing the most unpresidential candidate in my lifetime to be the most powerful man in the world. The column's message was simple: America, don't let this happen to you. It just needed a headline.

The term caught on quicker than I could come up with a definition for it, and every time I've been asked since then, I think I've given a different answer.

It's one thing in two parts.

The Alabamafication ...

Alabamafication is a political doom loop (to borrow from "Good to Great" author Jim Collins), a vicious, self-sustaining, self-reinforcing cycle of destruction.

Stage One is the anxiety, insecurity and self-loathing that comes from seeing your state near the bottom of nearly every objective measurement of quality of life.

Stage Two is exploitation -- political, religious and economic. Too many preachers here have learned that it's easier to tell their flocks that they're better than other people than it is to help them become better people. Too many politicians scapegoat minorities and blame Washington for our state's failures when, without federal dollars, we'd be left to eat pine cones and dirt. And too many business elites support those fools in the hopes that their followers won't notice who's picking their pockets.

Stage Three is ridicule and stereotyping, when late night talk show hosts, popular culture and Sunday morning TV pundits give our tinhorn demagogues the kindling they need to keep our resentment burning.

Naming these stages One, Two and Three is arbitrary since each leads neatly into the next, and trying to pinpoint where it started is a bit like finding the spot in the sky where the moon began its orbit around the Earth. However, you can trace with your finger where it's been -- political corruption, spiritual sickness, economic breakdown and institutional collapse -- and where it's going.

Which brings us to the second part.

... of America.

If Alabama's political influence seems to be outgrowing its borders, it's because a lot of America is beginning to look more like Alabama. Manufacturing moves overseas. Agriculture is gobbled up by corporations. White collar, STEM and "knowledge economy" jobs crowd into a dozen or so major cities where most folks can't afford to move.

It's not just disparity of income that's driving this cycle -- it's a disparity of opportunity.

What's left behind are people -- people who are scared, people who are angry, people who are ripe for exploitation.

But if you're a corporate executive, a public official or a minister of faith, beware. Take a good look at the sad dermatologist in Tuscaloosa, the once- and the almost-Senators in DC, and the rotten old jurist in Alabama. If you're not any of those, you look, too.

And remember: Don't let this happen to you.

Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for the Alabama Media Group, you can follow his work on Facebook through Reckon by AL.com.
A teenager who lost both her parents to drugs shares what it is like to grow up amid the US opioid epidemic.

Life expectancy in the United States dropped for the second consecutive year in 2016 and is fuelled by a surge in fatal drug overdoses, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As the US is facing the worst drug crisis in its history, a generation of children is being neglected, abandoned or orphaned by parents addicted to opioids.

Children who live in homes where drug abuse is prevalent are often at risk themselves, causing a generational cycle of drug addiction. The rate of drug overdoses among American teens has increased by almost one-fifth in 2015 after years of decline, according to a report by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Alexis Lightle is a 17-year old student from the town of Chillicothe, Ohio. She lost both her parents to drugs and grew up with her grandmother.

This is her story in her own words.

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I didnt have much of a childhood.

I got to do a little bit of the normal kid things but I didnt get to go to the daddy-daughter dances with my girl scouts. I didnt get to have mummy daughter days because my parents were out of my life for the most part.

My dad was on pills and opiates and my mum was into heroin. My grandma was there for me and thats the only support system I really had because my parents couldnt be there for me, whether they wanted to or not.

When I was little, I thought that cigarettes were the problem because nobody tells a six-year-old that her parents are on drugs. I remember my grandmother whispering to my mum, Are you high? But up until the 6th grade I didnt comprehend what a drug was. I knew cigarettes did bad things and thats why I thought cigarettes must be why my parents are weird, why theyre not around.

The day I found out Santa wasnt real

In 6th grade, when I was 12 years old, my mum told me that Santa Claus wasnt real. For me, Santa Claus was kind of like a metaphor for drugs because I finally realised that theres something more than cigarettes. It was like a loss of innocence for me and the world around me kind of fell apart.

All the lies my mother had been telling me up until that point fell apart. At that point I realised thats what drugs do to people. They turn them into liars and thieves and the worst kind of people. Drugs take away a part of people. They take away a lot of the good and they bring out the worst parts, the most inner demons.

I realised that's what drugs do to people. They turn them into liars and thieves and the worst kind of people. by Alexis Lightle

I knew my parents were on drugs. I didnt know what kind of drugs, but I knew it, because I had seen the assemblies [at school where they teach about drug use] and it all added up to my parents.

We had this one assembly that really hit me. How the mother was depicted in the video, it really struck home because I was like my mom acts like that.

So, I kind of figured everything out on my own. I didnt really have a moment where someone sat me down and told me what was going on with my parents.

The drugs were choosing this life for my mum

My mum and I had a really good relationship for a while, after she had just gotten out of prison. But then she got back with her old boyfriend and because I know that her boyfriend leads to getting back into her old lifestyle, I didnt want to be a part of it.

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For me it was a choice I had made a thousand times before. Ive gotten used to saying goodbye to my mother.

I asked my mum to choose between a boyfriend and her two kids, and she didnt choose us  not because she loved her boyfriend, but because she was on drugs. I think that my mum loves us, just not enough. You cant ever love an addiction away.

Maybe someday shell decide to not be with her boyfriend and choose her kids, but maybe she wont. Thats not a choice for me to make.

Addiction starts with a choice. You consciously make a choice to take a drug, but once you get addicted, you stop getting choices.

I used to believe that you can stop taking drugs whenever you want. But time went on and I saw my mum going in and out of these rehab centres and going through these halfway homes and going into prison, so I was wondering why would anyone choose this life for themselves?

And I started realising that my mum wasnt choosing this life for herself; the drugs were choosing this life for her. The drugs had become a part of my mum and I never got to know my mum without drugs. My grandma knows who she is because she raised her, but I dont know my mum, and I dont know my dad.

The day my dad died

My dad died of a combination of opiates and prescription drugs. He passed away due to an accidental drug overdose.

I was attending a rehearsal for one of the plays Im in at school when my grandmother walked in. She took me outside and she seemed a little out of it. I thought something happened to my mum. She was in prison and I thought she got sick because my mum gets sick all the time.

My dad was clean at this point. But when I asked, Is it my dad? Grandma said, Yeah. I dont know why I said it, but I said, Is he dead? And she said, Yeah. I dont remember anything past that point.

I was just in shock and the only thing I remember is going home and seeing my brother. I remember him telling me its not going to be ok, its never going to be ok, but were going to pretend its going to be ok. And thats how weve really gotten through it.

In my opinion, once you're starting to take drugs, you don't really get much of a choice, you're not yourself. by Alexis Lightle

The only bad choice that my dad made in his life was that he took a drug. And that sent him into this addiction and he spiralled downhill and things became less and less his choice. In my opinion, once youre starting to take drugs, you dont really get much of a choice, youre not yourself.

I spent my whole life hating him for things that I didnt really know anything about. I just hated him. And then, we saw each other once and it was so awkward because I didnt know my dad. Then we started talking more and more and I got to know my dad for that past year.

The life my mums choosing isnt going to end well

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My situation is not uncommon. I have one friend whose mum tried to sell her off for heroin when she was just a little baby. So, luckily her grandmother was there to take her in and get her away from that situation.

I know there are kids in my school whom no one ever talks to and you can tell theres something going on with them, but nobody wants to ask why, because nobody wants to know about the nitty gritty of life.

I think the way I grew up matured me in a lot of ways and its hurt me in a lot of ways. The cards Ive been dealt havent been that great but theyve made me who I am.

If my parents werent ever on drugs, they wouldnt have ever met. Thats just how far back the drug use goes. I mean, my parents started out on weed and they ended up on heroin and opiates. I wouldnt have been born if it wouldnt have been for the choices that they made, and sometimes I wish [I hadnt been born], just for the life it might have given my parents.

Their lives are even more precious than my own, I think. When a life is taken away by drugs, its just not fair. And even though I treasure the life I have, sometimes I just wish that it could have been better for them.

I try not to take a day for granted because it might be my last moment with my mum, might be my last moment with my grandmother.

Ive lost a lot of people. I lost my father before the age of 16. So, I think I know pain. But I think I know happiness too. I try to look forward in life, even though I know theres a lot more tragedy laid out ahead.

I mean, the life my mums choosing right now isnt going to end very well. And if she keeps continuing to choose it, Im going to end up with no parents and thats just the way things are.

I think its becoming more and more common nowadays to not have parents around.

The norm back in the day used to be a mum, a dad and two dogs, two kids. Now its maybe a parent, maybe a grandmother, maybe an uncle, maybe a foster home, maybe just a whole lot of maybes. Nothing is set in stone. Nobody really looks at their kid and can say, Youre going to have a wonderful life when youre older. Because theyre not sure anymore.

Ending the cycle: We dont want to be like our parents

Ive been offered drugs several times and Ive always refused because I can see the effects of it.

I think its commonly misconstrued that children of drug ridden parents are destined to be on drugs, because their parents have done the same things and thats the example theyve led.

Both my parents were taking drugs, it wasnt just one of them. Its shown me more than anything not to take drugs because you can end up six feet under in a graveyard.

Drugs dont have a happy ending. They dont, whether youre doing it at a party, whether youre doing it in your spare time, whether youve gotten into your parents stash or whether youre even considering the possibility of experimenting with drugs.

At one point my parents were just experimenting with drugs and then one day, 10, 20 years later, my dad is six feet under. And my mums not in any contact with either of her children.

People think thats it getting worse in our town but I think its only the adult epidemic thats getting worse. In my school, the kids that you think are taking drugs say they have no interest. A lot of us just dont want to be like our parents and were a lot more aware of risks and consequences.

I just wish it didnt take thousands of lives to make a generation thats blind see again.
We illustrate the depletion of one the worlds most sought-after commodities of the 21st century: sand.

Sand and gravel are the most-extracted materials in the world.

The UN believes that sand and gravel, or aggregates, account for up to 85 percent of all mining activity around the world, measured in weight.

Its almost become like air, the air we breathe, we dont think too much about it, but you cant live without it, says Kiran Pereira, the founder of SandStories.org, in the documentary Sand Wars.

While sand might seem like an abundant resource, it is being mined at a pace much faster than its natural renewal rate.

A 2014 report by the UN estimates that globally, more than 40 billion tonnes of sand and gravel are extracted every year.

Heres how that compares to the production of other natural resources.





Worldwide, the legal sand extraction industry is worth $70bn, roughly the equivalent of the GDP of Kenya.

What is sand used for?

Sand has numerous applications that cut through our daily life. Its used for glass and is the source of strategic minerals including silicon dioxide, which is found in wine, cleaning products, toothpaste and many more everyday products.

Sand is also required for manufacturing the microchips inside our computers and smartphones.

But the sector swallowing up the most sand is the construction industry.



More than half of the worlds population now lives in cities. By 2030, the UN expects 60 percent of people to live in urban settlements.





Building and expanding cities requires concrete and asphalt, both made with sand. A lot of it.

The rise and rise of Singapore

Singapore is just one example of a metropolis with a sand addiction.

Between 1990 and 2017, the city states population nearly doubled, from three million to 5.6 million.

Meanwhile, the citys land area has grown through extensive land reclamation, from 581.5sq km in 1960 to 719.7sq km in 2016  a 24 percent increase.

Reclaiming one square kilometre of land from the sea costs up to 37.5 million cubic metres of sand.

In 2016 alone, Singapore imported 35 million metric tonnes of sand.

In July 2017, Cambodia banned all sales of sand to Singapore, citing environmental grounds. Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam had already put restrictions on sand exports to Singapore. But these restrictions have given rise to a flourishing smuggling trade.

So-called sand mafias have proliferated elsewhere, too. According to the Times of India, illegal sand mining is worth $2.3bn a year in Tamil Nadu alone.

Poyang Lake: Chinas disappearing sands

Not all kinds of sand are suitable for use in construction. Desert sand is considered too fine. As a result, sand is taken from beaches and dredged up from rivers and the seabed on an industrial scale, adversely affecting ecological systems.

Poyang Lake, in Chinas Jiangxi province, is thought to be the worlds biggest sand mine. An estimated 236 million cubic metres of sand is taken out of the lake every year.

Satellite images taken by NASA show how this has changed the landscape of the northern reaches of Poyang Lake.

Drag the slider across the image to see the difference between 1995 and 2013.

Images by NASA

NASA reported that sand mining affected the lakes ecological integrity by contributing to less predictable seasonal water fluctuations and to a series of recent low water events, according to ecologist James Burnham.

Dredging sand from the seabed is destroying local flora and fauna. Mining of ocean and beach sands is contributing to the erosion of beaches. In Indonesia, two dozen islands are believed to have disappeared due to sand mining.

Negative effects on the environment are unequivocal and are occurring around the world, the UN noted in its 2014 report.

Meanwhile, policymakers have been slow to respond to the depletion of sand. The current level of political concern clearly does not match the urgency of the situation, the UN stated.

The world is only slowly waking up to the fact that another finite resource is slipping through our fingers.

Find out more about the disappearance of sand in Sand Wars.
This year, efforts to resolve the most serious crisis to date within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have failed, and it will be carried into 2018. What will happen next year is difficult to predict because, as we witnessed in 2017, a lot of the key developments did not follow the standard rules of international diplomacy.

This is because decision-making in some GCC countries is not necessarily institutionalised and is, in fact, highly dependent on unstable and unpredictable personal attitudes and ambitions of a handful of people. Strategic planning, rules of diplomacy and the risks that regional instability holds are not necessarily priority considerations for these individuals. In this sense, just as the crisis erupted out of the blue, it could easily end in the same way, without a good reason.

Although unpredictability will mark developments in the Gulf in 2018 as well, there are at least two possible scenarios that could emerge out of the current situation. The first one is the crisis becoming the status quo and the GCC transforming into another Arab League-like organisation, with much formality and little substance. Saudi Arabia and the UAE seem to be pushing in this direction.

The second scenario is the crisis being resolved. This would allow the GCC to recover slowly but not completely, as a lot of damage has already been done and trust has been broken.

Scenario one: A GCC in permanent crisis

If the crisis continues down the same path in 2018, the GCC as an organisation will become greatly marginalised, dysfunctional, and irrelevant.

The Saudi-UAE-Bahrain axis would solidify, and these countries are likely to push forward with bilateral and trilateral agreements at the expense of GCC mechanisms. Unrestrained, Riyadh is likely to continue with its destabilising diplomacy in the Middle East. It would not be surprising to see more regional gambles coming from this axis. Detentions of foreign officials and businessmen might stop, but Riyadh would continue to apply political and economic pressure on countries in the region, especially as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman continues to use foreign policy to solidify his power domestically.

Meanwhile, Qatar would continue to seek guarantees for its security and economic development outside the Gulf. This year saw the deployment of Turkish troops to Qatar. Next year, military cooperation between the two states is expected to deepen, with more bilateral defence and security agreements, and more deployment of Turkish troops and equipment to Doha. Economic cooperation and trade would likely intensify even more between the two countries.

More Arab states would be destabilised, as they are pressured to choose sides. by

Qatari-Iranian relations would remain stable, with priority given to their economic aspect. However, the more Doha is forced to rely on Iran, the more Tehran is likely to utilise it politically to portray Saudi Arabia as a source of threat to small countries in the Gulf and the region. This would help Tehran rebuild its image in the Arab world, shield itself from regional isolation, and increase its multilateral cooperation with other countries in defiance of the Saudi axis.

Kuwait and Oman would continue trying to mend relations within the GCC. However, realising their limited capacity to convince the Saudi-led bloc to back off, both Kuwait and Muscat are likely to continue to maintain relations with Saudi while also increasing cooperation with Turkey and Iran.

A continuing crisis in the Gulf could have detrimental effects on the rest of the Middle East. In this sense, more Arab states would be destabilised as they are pressured to choose sides. Irans influence would certainly increase, and Israel would intensify attacks on Palestinians, feeling less pressed to accept a real peace process. All of this is likely to fuel radicalisation in the region and possibly produce ISIL successors.

Scenario two: A united GCC countering Iranian influence

For the crisis to be resolved next year, two things have to happen: The anti-Qatar axis would need to believe that it has reached a dead end, and the Trump administration would need to put pressure on Saudi Arabia and the UAE to change course.

The first would depend on Qatars ability to withstand mounting political and economic pressure from the Saudi-led bloc. The second would depend on the Trump administration resolving internal disagreements and pursuing a clear and unified strategy on containing Iran.

Is this possible in 2018? There are a few indications that it is.

If the Trump administration is serious about containing Iran in the Middle East, it would need a united GCC as an ally. by

The goal of the Saudi-led bloc prolonging the crisis was to raise the costs of the blockade politically and economically and to push Doha to give up and submit to Riyadh. Now that Doha has been able to absorb the initial shock, overcome logistical problems the siege brought about, and re-orient itself to accommodate the new facts on the ground, the blockade is gradually losing its intended effect.

The more Doha feels comfortable in 2018, the more useless the siege imposed by the Saudi axis would seem. In this sense, unless there is further escalation against Qatar, the Saudi-led bloc would have to de-escalate.

Yet, the decision to dismantle the blockade will not come voluntarily from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Pressure on both countries is needed and it will have to come from the Trump administration. And there are signs that this could be possible in 2018.

First, in at least two, recent cases, the Saudi led-bloc had to retract its reckless decisions after failing to achieve any results and facing international pressure: in Lebanon and in Yemen.

In November, Saudi Arabia forced Lebanons Prime Minister Saad Hariri to declare his resignation from Riyadh after detaining him there. However, things dramatically changed when Paris and Washington sent strong messages to Saudi Arabia, which allowed Hariri to go back and resume his duties as prime minister.

In Yemen, after the death of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the pressure exerted by the Trump administration on Saudi Arabia, both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi held talks with Yemens Muslim Brotherhood-linked Islah Party. And that was despite the fact that both countries have spent a considerable amount of energy demonising the Muslim Brotherhood in recent years.

Of course, Saudi Arabia and the UAE had to spin the retractions on Yemen and Lebanon domestically in order to save face. They could do the same if they step back from their position on Qatar as well. The Emir of Kuwait already laid the ground for such an option, when he vowed to continue the mediation, and proposed a mechanism for settling disputes within the GCC at the opening of its summit in Kuwait, in early December.

Second, if the Trump administration is serious about containing Iran in the Middle East, it would need a united GCC as an ally. To curb Iranian influence, the US would have to isolate Iran regionally and block the growth of its influence. Right now, with Riyadh on the loose and Washington sending conflicting messages to various actors in the region, Iran only stands to gain.

The US needs the GCC to work as a united bloc, at least in terms of regional politics and collective defence. There are already indications that Washington will have to push for de-escalation in the Gulf. The newly-released US National Security Strategy calls for GCC cohesion: We remain committed to helping our partners achieve a stable and prosperous region, including through a strong and integrated Gulf Cooperation Council.

As the US military wraps up its anti-ISIL operation in the region, the Trump administration will have to soon unroll its strategy on Iran. And that will have to involve a firm decision on the GCC crisis.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Ode to the Sea: Art from Guantanamo Bay opened on October 2 this year, in the Presidents Gallery, located on the topmost floor of Hareen Hall, John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. It is a nondescript building located in a well-to-do section of Manhattans Upper West Side, with much of the facade and entryway currently hidden behind renovation screens.

The gallery itself is not much more than a hallway that opens up into various administrative offices. This unusual gallery space, is, however, the site on which the flotsam of a particularly brutal aspect of US geopolitical manoeuvring during the so-called war on terror has been made available to the public.

The exhibition features 36 paintings and sculptures made by detainees at the US prison at Guantanamo Bay, co-curated by art crime professor Erin Thompson, archivist Paige Laino and artist and poet Charles Shields. Following its opening in early October this year, Ode to the Sea began to receive overwhelmingly positive press.

By mid-November, seemingly as a direct result of the attention that this exhibition refocused on the detainees, the US Department of Defense (DoD) announced that it will suspend transfers of artwork out of Guantanamo by legal representatives. Air Force Major Ben Sakrisson, a Pentagon spokesman, declared all Guantanamo detainee art property of the US government, and expressed grave fears about the financial proceeds of sales. The DoD also threatened to remove what it considers excess artworks and said it might destroy them.

Thompson informed me that camp officials recently seized a sculpture that one detainee, Moath al-Alwi, had completed after many months of work. He could only communicate his despair and frustration to his legal counsel.

Despite the insinuation that John Jay College, the curators, alleged al-Qaeda terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay, and their legal counsel may profit from sales, Thompson clarified that this is not the case.

The curators can be contacted if a member of the public is interested in purchasing the artworks; they will, then, connect the potential buyer with a lawyer for detainees who have been released. Since the lawyers work pro-bono for detainees, they, too, do not benefit financially. Only those detainees released, repatriated, or resettled in a third-party country, after a rigorous and years-long process of assessment of their individual cases, are able to receive monetary compensation.

Threatening to confiscate and destroy artworks seems contradictory to policies implemented at Guantanamo. Military officials had made concentrated efforts to improve conditions for prisoners  including providing the art classes in which these works were made  in an attempt to prevent prisoners from disintegrating into despair and resorting to self-harming actions (including suicide attempts).

Given those efforts, why attempt to control objects to which it paid little attention before, and threaten to destroy them? Why exactly are these works of art so powerful?

Guantanamo ships

The first object that greets visitors of the exhibition is an intricate model sailing vessel, replete with billowing sails, several masts and viewing turrets. Its massive body is on the way somewhere, directed and fully absorbed in meeting its goal. The winds, too, have blessed its journey: each square of sail is stretched to its full convex potential, moving the vessel forward. When we get closer and peer into the plexiglass box holding this ship captive, we see some other, curious details: a ships wheel, in gold, and a little black anchor hanging incongruously from the vessel.

We realise that this is no ordinary model ship, made of the usual pre-fabricated, uniform pieces. Instead, each section is rough, the pieces slightly uneven; the materials  including string, wood, and what appear to be stiffened pieces of canvas (using glue, he stiffened rectangles of old t-shirts)  seem to be sourced from recycled debris. A few of the sails have a stamp that includes the following legend:

APPROVED BY US FORCES

AUG 05 2016

JTF7JOG S-7

GUANTANAMO BAY CUBA.

The date is stamped in red, while all other lettering is in fading black ink.

This sailing vessel, titled Giant, was constructed by Alwi, who has been detained at the US prison at Guantanamo Bay since 2002. It was shipped to the US  after extensive inspection and x-rays to ensure that it did not contain any contraband or hidden messages detrimental to US security  especially for this exhibition.

Thompson notes that although Alwi has constructed many seafaring vessels, he was very proud of this particular ship; when it did not appear in initial images she took of the exhibition (the special plexiglass cover for it was still being completed), he communicated his ire openly with his legal counsel. Where is my ship? he purportedly asked.

To Thompson, that Alwi was throwing a bit of a tantrum  that he was acting like an artist  was a positive development. For a man whose person has been systematically and brutally subjected, for over a decade, to a powerful empires exercises of power, for a person who has disappeared in a torture camp, this ire  a display of ego  is a sign that no amount of machinations by the US has managed to fully to erase his subjectivity.

Because they were neither formally charged with any crime, nor afforded prisoner-of-war status according to the Geneva Convention, the men at Guantanamo came to be labelled unlawful combatants or detainees, who have no legal protection within US or Cuban frameworks. In many ways, each of these artworks is evidence of an attempt to counter the US elaborate methodologies of removing these mens subjectivity.

Creating these artworks is a profound act of non-erasure  illustrating will, longing, a desire to communicate both beauty and suffering, and to project longing onto a surface  to materialise their fantastical hopes where they, and others, can see them.

Many detainee-artists depict the sea or other bodies of water, and seafaring vessels, both great and small. Ghaleb al-Bihanis Untitled (Red and Purple Boats) shows two simple wooden boats listing in the water, while an agile sailboat speeds past in the distance. Muhammad Ansi painted the grand Titanic  that ill-fated ship  after he, and other prisoners, were permitted to watch the film. In his painting, the infamous ship  one that was sold to the world as so advanced and powerful that it was unsinkable  is propelling itself purposefully into a future that its makers and financers imagined they controlled.

Other detainee-artists paint cityscapes, tranquil rural scenes, and still-lifes, inspired by prints or images from National Geographic magazines permitted to them. However, Abd al-Malik (al-Rahabi) Abud, originally from Yemen, and detained at Guantanamo for nearly 15 years before being released to Montenegro in 2016, paints his countrys capital, Sanaa, as it exists in his memory, but is no longer there. Djamel Ameziane paints what look like two or three-storey farmhouses in a European landscape.

Later, I learn that he fled his native Algeria as a young man for Europe, before being sent to Guantanamo. Although he was eventually cleared by the US, he did not wish to be returned to Algeria  but this is, indeed, where he was returned. I like to think that, perhaps, these countryside scenes Ameziane paints conjure up the only location in which he found a moment of respite  the home for which he longs.

There are artworks that fall completely out of any of these easy attempts to categorise. Muhammad Ansis Untitled (Alan Kurdi) is clearly a painful contemplation of the three-year-old Syrian boy who drowned, almost within reach of the Greek island of Kos, in September 2015. The boys back is turned to us, the viewers, as it was in news photographs. The brilliant red of his shirt stands stark against the blue half-saucers of sea waves, which, through Ansis paint-strokes, also become as light as the sky  the heaven to which this childs soul departed.

In Untitled (Binoculars Pointing at the Moon), Ahmed Rabbani depicts massive, tubular telescopes, projected from the tops of multi-storey buildings towards an enormous, luminous moon. It mimics the way in which Rabbani experienced how he, along with the whole world, anticipated a supermoon that was at its closest point to earth since 70 years, he says.

On a subtler level, mirrored in Rabbanis myriad of telescopes aimed at a single object, are the attempts, by the United States government and its interrogation apparatuses, to render prisoners to the states x-ray like vision  to make them completely transparent, readable, and therefore controllable, under interrogation and constant surveillance.

Resisting erasure

According to Human Rights Watch, the number of prisoners at Guantanamo at one point was 780, with many brought in because of extrajudicial kidnappings and extraditions from countries that had little to do with the war on terror.

Initially, parading these anonymous, hooded prisoners, and deliberately concealing their identities served a powerful empires need to reveal and revel in its material and symbolic devices of power.

As scholar Scott McClintock noted in a 2004 article, herein lie clues into the motive for kidnapping, imprisoning, and torturing people that the US government knows are not guilty of terrorist activity: the enemy combatants in the gulag of Guantanamo Bay replaced the void in power created by the disappeared Twin Towers  those symbols that once stood testimony to American might.

In the prison camp at Guantanamo, the detainees became symbolic stand-ins for its enemies. This exercise also told the US public, anxiously waiting for their nation to regain power: See, we have caught them. You are safe.

However, the more that evidence countering those elaborate displays of power and justice seeped out  illustrating that the incarcerated at Guantanamo had little to do with terrorism, that high-level US officials had authorised medieval techniques of torture and prisoner dehumanisation, used an archipelago of colonised islands in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans as way stations in their scheme to kidnap and transport a steady stream of men on rendition flights  the less visible the prisoners became.

That backstory also helps us understand why, within the last month, there has been a backlash against this exhibition, despite the fact that for a long while now, US audiences seem to have forgotten that a detention and torture camp at Guantanamo exists.

Much like Alwis ship with its billowing sails, each of these works shows that each man who still creates has ambition and focus, and makes a much-longed-for goal come to fruition. When the goal of the state power that has incarcerated these detainees has been concentrated on removing their subjectivity and individuality, reducing them to a number (even the guards at the prison call the prisoners by their number), this is a remarkable feat.

For those reasons, Thompson thought it important to show these works in an area with heavy foot-traffic, where John Jays students, staff, and faculty will see the works. If one comes to see these works with the view that art is meant for enjoyment or pleasure alone, then they will probably have a harsh view of the absurdity of displaying tortured, indefinitely detained mens artwork in New York City. Thompson emphasised, however, that she worked hard to make sure that this exhibitdisplay[ed] the art in a manner desired by the artists themselves, which of course includes reminding viewers of what they have/are suffering.

War on terror debris

We know that art can trigger far more complex conversations. It can reveal that which we would rather not know about, it can contradict the powerful who attempt to control what comes into our visible spaces, and it can move us out of our social and political inertia, and challenge us to take action. According to Thompson, audiences who have come to see the works are engaging with these works politically, as unintended material evidence (or debris) of their countrys exercises of power.

Yet  despite these efforts by many US citizens, including the detainees pro-bono lawyers who worked, in the years after 9/11, to educate their fellow citizens, and to resist, challenge, and change policies that came to be as a result of the war on terror  state propaganda remains powerful.

From teaching what is popularly referred to as literature of 9/11 and legal articles concerning US policies since 9/11, I know that most of my students believe that the men in Guantanamo are terrorists, and not much more. They do not know, until they read legal papers assigned for class, that many of those in Guantanamo were turned in to US authorities because they were simply in a war zone when US forces invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, or because of deeply problematic reasons  some are arrested on evidence given by business rivals, or simply sold by those who hoped to earn what would be a large amount of money (the US dropped leaflets offering rewards for turning in terrorists).

Others, still, were brought in for even more absurd reasons: They had a name common to that region, one that was  by unfortunate coincidence  the name of a person allegedly involved in terrorist activity. The case that baffles my students the most: the man who ended up in Guantanamo because of the mere fact that he owned a Casio digital watch, because its mechanism was thought to be used in bomb-making.

The conversations I overheard while visiting the gallery where detainee artwork is displayed told me that the greater US public has been equally baffled by these intricacies and deceptions. Some know that the Obama administration promised to close Guantanamo down forever, and did not realise that it was still in operation.

They do not know that as President Barack Obamas second term came to a close, of the over 700 men who were once held there, 41 detainees  mostly from Yemen  remain. They also did not realise that only one of the men has been charged with a crime, but that, because of instability in the remaining mens home countries, it was deemed too dangerous to release them back into spaces where they may re-join factions fighting against US interests.

The complications of contemplating and engaging with artworks by detainee-artists involve feelings of being defeated and hopeless, and wanting, even then, to find ways to engage and challenge the roaring beast of empire, and the desire to find ways to bear witness without exploiting the detainees very real pain and torture.

Of all the unbearable absurdities in this exercise of US power, the one that my students, the audiences at this exhibition, as well as detainees at Guantanamo themselves find to be the most unbelievable is this: that citizens of the same nation that kidnapped, forcibly transported men in chains to a burning island and continued to torture them for over a decade are also trying to defend and free them. This gives us hope that the labour towards freedom is not pointless, and that we, too, cannot afford not to engage in this work.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Launch of communications satellite from Kazakh facility puts sub-Saharan African country on the map in the space race.

Angola now has its first satellite in space, with the launch of AngoSat-1 from the Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan.

The communications satellite, which went into operation on Tuesday, is a partnership between Angola and Russia.

The joint project commenced in 2009 and has cost about $300m, according to Angolas government.

The lifespan of AngoSat-1 is expected to be about 15 years, and Angola will be responsible for mission control during this period.

The satellite will mean a lot more than just better reception for mobile phone users, officials say.

According to Jose Carvalho da Rocha, Angolas minister of telecommunications and information technologies, AngoSat-1 will play a crucial role in the proliferation of telemedicine, a way of providing clinical care from a distance using telecommunications.

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Telemedicine is especially important for places that are not located close to hospitals, or places that are hard to reach for medical professionals.

Earlier this year, Angola made public its long-term plan for its space programme, which envisages a steady expansion in the coming years.

With Tuesdays launch, Angola becomes one of the few sub-Saharan African countries in space.

Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa already have several satellites in orbit, going further than basic telecommunications.

South Africa uses its spacecraft to collect data on potential environmental disasters such as flooding and fires.

Ghana uses the cubesat, a small satellite built by the All Nations University, to monitor its coastline and for educational purposes.

Meanwhile, Nigeria has not only used its satellites to monitor elections, but even to track the movements of Boko Haram, the armed group responsible for deadly attacks in the countrys northeast.

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However, Nigeria wants to go even further.

By 2030, it hopes to put its first astronaut in space, a plan that might be within reach, with private companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin opening up space in the coming years even for countries that might not have massive budgets to explore space.

Other sub-Saharan countries are also looking skywards.

Ethiopia and Kenya have their own space programmes, and, in 2016, the African Union set out an African Space Policy and Strategy.

With that framework, the African Union hopes to work towards a resilient space programme that benefits the whole continent in the coming decades.

However, for Angola, the launch of AngoSat-1 is a first step that not only puts the country on the map in the space race, but also provides tangible quality-of-life improvements for people living in the country.
Bitcoin has extended its recovery in holiday-thinned trading, rising 10 percent to be up more than a third from last weeks lows of below $12,000.

Bitcoin, the worlds largest, best-known cryptocurrency, fell nearly 30 percent at one stage on Friday to $11,159.93 and, despite a late recovery, had its worst week since 2013. At 04:45 GMT on Tuesday, it was quoted at around $15,049 on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange.

The digital currency had risen around twentyfold since the start of the year, climbing from less than $1,000 to as high as $19,666 on December 17 on Bitstamp, and to over $20,000 on other exchanges. But it has posted heavy declines since.

While bitcoin investors and analysts believe the decline in its value was a natural correction after a heady rise in prices, there have been further warnings from market regulators and central banks.

There is no right current price which would reflect the right current valuation, said Andrei Popescu, Singapore-based cofounder of COSS, which describes itself as a platform that encompasses all features of a digital economy based on cryptocurrency.

Taking profit is right, while buying into a long-term projection is also right. You dont have to be right in this market, just less wrong than the rest, Popescu said.

Singapores central bank last week issued a warning against investment in cryptocurrencies, saying it considers the recent surge in their prices to be driven by speculation and that the risk of a sharp fall in prices is high.

Prices of rival cryptocurrencies, which slid along with bitcoin last week, have also recovered, with Ethereum, the second-biggest cryptocurrency by market size, quoted at around $771, up from Sundays low of $689 but still far from highs of around $900 last week.

Tel Aviv Stock Exchange

Israels markets regulator said on Monday he will propose regulation to ban companies based on bitcoin and other digital currencies from trading on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE).

Shmuel Hauser, chairman of the Israel Securities Authority (ISA), told the Calcalist business conference he will bring the proposal to the ISA board next week. If approved, it would be subject to a public hearing and then the TASE bylaws would need to be amended.

If we have a company that their main business is digital currencies we would not allow it. If already listed, its trading will be suspended, Hauser said, adding the ISA must find the appropriate regulation for such companies.

We feel that the prices of bitcoin behave like bubbles and we dont want investors to be subject to that volatility and uncertainty, Hauser said. There is an importance to signal to the market where things are  Investors should know where we stand.

Earlier this month, Hauser had said bitcoin-based companies would not be included in TASE indexes and that there was a need for a suitable regulatory framework for such instruments, given that the global market value of all digital currencies grew in 2017 to $300bn from $18bn.

The proposal will likely be the last for Hauser, who will step down next month after 6.5 years as ISA chief. But once its on its way it will continue to be pursued, said Hauser, who will be replaced by Anat Guetta. He said he hopes she will promote easing capital gains taxes and a focus on regulatory enforcement.
SD-WAN is rapidly becoming a cornerstone next-gen IT service embraced by companies of all sizes. Some of the benefits of software-defined wide area networks are cloud security, easier hybrid cloud deployment and applications performance management.

What many companies will tell you off-the-record is they also see SD-WAN as an opportunity to reduce their dependence on legacy networking vendors  although even the traditional networking companies have made strategic acquisitions in the space.

Perhaps the biggest reason companies need SD-WAN today is their dependence on cloud instead of their corporate data centers means they need to rethink how they deploy and optimize their wide area networks. In other words, if corporate CRM systems now use the cloud instead of a local server, how can organizations ensure sufficient performance levels on the screens of their customer-facing associates? Ditto for UCaaS, hosted contact center and other applications which need appropriate response times.

Some of the other benefits of SD-WAN according to Futurium (PDF) include:

COTS or commercial off the shelf-based hardware supporting their networking initiatives. This reduces cost dramatically and can be potentially less complex to operate. Certainly, replacing failed equipment becomes a lot easier in this scenario as spare computers are typically more common than spare switches.

supporting their networking initiatives. This reduces cost dramatically and can be potentially less complex to operate. Certainly, replacing failed equipment becomes a lot easier in this scenario as spare computers are typically more common than spare switches. Cloud VPNs can be deployed easily and providers can bolt on additional services like increased encryption levels and intrusion detection or IDS.

and providers can bolt on additional services like increased encryption levels and intrusion detection or IDS. WAN Optimization is sort of a given  as a side benefit, the enterprise can enjoy lower costs thanks to less reliance on MPLS.

is sort of a given  as a side benefit, the enterprise can enjoy lower costs thanks to less reliance on MPLS. Application Performance Enhancement in other words, SD-WAN allows networks to take advantage of ADC-type performance levels or better without the need for the proprietary box.

in other words, SD-WAN allows networks to take advantage of ADC-type performance levels or better without the need for the proprietary box. Broadband Link Balancing allows a company to take advantage of the best broadband service depending on the application. As a side benefit, it also allows connectivity in the case of a failure of one of the providers. For increased redundancy, LTE can be added to the mix as a third choice if only two wired providers are available.

allows a company to take advantage of the best broadband service depending on the application. As a side benefit, it also allows connectivity in the case of a failure of one of the providers. For increased redundancy, LTE can be added to the mix as a third choice if only two wired providers are available. Network as a Service allows a corporation to purchase their network the way they purchase other services such as voice or CRM. In our interview with Paul Anderson a few months back, we detailed how Array Networks allows MSPs to take on the legacy router vendors using such a model.

IDC says improved network automation and self-provisioning are important factors in enterprise SD-WAN adoption. SD-WAN Resource summarizes the benefits as follows:

Improved Transport Options Better Security Intelligent Pathway Control Automatic Provisioning

Some of the SD-WAN companies to consider in 2018 are as follows:

1) TPx Communications offers a use-case driven SD-WAN powered product. Vice-President, Managed IT Services Group, Jared Martin told us the following:

ITx for WAN brings scalable, tested, and supportable features to market vs. supporting any and every feature offered by the OEM. Were definitely focused on quality and reliability. TPx operates and maintains its own network to deliver the completed service and only leverages the SD-WAN vendors technology to enable the service. TPx is constantly taking feedback from customers and partners and refining our offer based on that feedback. We introduced a new 4G LTE primary access in Q3 2017 that broke the traditional barriers for broadband access  really making it available most locations across the country with no need to wait for fiber buildouts!

2) Airesprings Danial Lonstein, the COO tells us the following about his company:

As a nationwide network operator and aggregator, AireSpring is uniquely suited to address this customer pain point. Most multi-location enterprises are normally forced to work with multiple network vendors. The larger and more geographically dispersed, the larger the number of vendors which could be dozens or more, including broadband providers, metro Ethernet vendors, telco carriers, etc. Each of these vendors have their own service contract, SLAs, and terms and conditions. Each location would also tend to need a network manager and staff to look after the network and deal with any issues that come up. With SD-WAN gateways installed throughout AireSprings core network, you are able to fully mesh and interconnect your SD-WAN with any carrier, circuit or technology via AireSprings network, which acts as the glue over multiple transport typesEthernet, Fiber, Broadband, LTE, EOC, TDM and more. Additionally connect with a wide range of AireSpring solutions, including MPLS, UCaaS, SIP Trunking and Internet.

3) TELoIP was an early mover in the space. Kevin Suitor the CMO tells us the following:

Weve been providing innovative SDN/SD-WAN solutions for business since 2002. Our initial focus was on delivering the promise of the internet for business and we earned 21 patents to-date focused upon increasing the speed, reliability and performance for voice, video and data services over broadband. Beginning around 2010, many of our multi-site customers ran managed VPN solutions using our solutions delivering a software-defined performance boost as a cost-effective MPLS replacement, by todays standards these were early SD-WAN deployments. Further TELoIP innovation led to the official launch of VINO SD-WAN product line in March of 2016. VINO SD-WAN combined our patented last-mile broadband optimization solution (VINO SD-Internet) and orchestration portal (VINO Portal) with a multi-tenant control plane that provides secure end-to-end multi-point encryption scalable to over 10,000 end-points.

4) Dan Foster, the COO of Megapath had this to say about the companys position in the space:

MegaPath offers several key advantages compared to other SD-WAN providers:

Best-of-breed, multi-vendor approach to SD-WAN and Security, giving businesses the flexibility to build a solution thats the right fit for their business needs, size and budget.

Fully-managed service that includes full-solution design engineering, dedicated project management, and white-glove support

100% U.S.-based expert technical support, available 24/7/365

100% Uptime SLA with SD-WAN Enterprise package, guaranteeing substantial service credits equal to $1,000 or 50% of monthly recurring charges, whichever is greater.

Free Proactive Circuit monitoring for all circuits, including 3 rd -party circuits (non-MegaPath provided)

-party circuits (non-MegaPath provided) MegaPaths expertise combined with its broad portfolio gives real value to partners that desire a broad range of high-value services from a single nationwide provide

5) Bill Rumancik, Senior Marketing Director with Enterprise Solutions at Hughes Network Systems had this to say:

Hughes heritage (40+ years) is in hardware and software development and system integration that started with building satellite networks. We are unique amongst major managed service providers (MSP) in that we provide a combination of strong technology and engineering capabilities coupled with service delivery. The HughesON Managed SD-WAN solution leverages our engineering heritage to deliver an industry leading distributed SD-WAN solution specifically designed for highly distributed organizations.

Our ActiveTechnologies suite is comprised of four key features: ActiveQoS, ActiveClassifier, ActiveCompression, and ActivePath.

ActiveQoS dynamically characterizes broadband connections (capacity, latency, packet loss, etc.) to effectively apply QoS to critical retail applications such as VoIP and POS transactions.

dynamically characterizes broadband connections (capacity, latency, packet loss, etc.) to effectively apply QoS to critical retail applications such as VoIP and POS transactions. ActiveCompression utilizes a powerful two-stage adaptive algorithm to provide the best data reduction possible across the WAN and provide additional capacity for branch applications.

utilizes a powerful two-stage adaptive algorithm to provide the best data reduction possible across the WAN and provide additional capacity for branch applications. ActiveClassifier automatically identifies and prioritizes individual application flows based on their traffic behavior and domain name. This allows critical and real-time apps, such as VoIP and POS to be prioritized over bulk or batch workloads, such as email attachments or software downloads without requiring application specific configurations.

automatically identifies and prioritizes individual application flows based on their traffic behavior and domain name. This allows critical and real-time apps, such as VoIP and POS to be prioritized over bulk or batch workloads, such as email attachments or software downloads without requiring application specific configurations. ActivePath enables an always-on secure SD-WAN overlay that uses intelligent path control to choose the optimal path while preventing brownouts or blackouts on individual paths from impacting the user experience.

Our SD-WAN was designed with the end-user in mind. ActivePath includes several technologies, such as Intelligent Multipath Replication (IMR), which steers critical flows (such as VoIP) simultaneously over multiple transport to ensure the voice packets arrive as needed for a great customer experience. ActivePath is also aware of metered broadband connections (such as 4G/LTE) so potentially expensive bandwidth is only utilized when it is most needed, thus saving the customer money while improving application uptime.

As an MSP, Hughes will normally provide a turn-key Managed SD-WAN network service, inclusive of broadband provisioning, installation, maintenance, configuration, operation, and helpdesk functions. For many distributed enterprise customers, our Managed SD-WAN offering is typically integrated into a single branch CPE with multipath optimization, routing, and security functions to minimize branch complexity and cost. The SD-WAN gateways can reside at either a Hughes or Customer datacenter with multiple datacenters being active to ensure business continuity and disaster recovery.

6) Mike Frane, VP Product Management at Windstream explained his companys positioning as follows:

Windstream offers a fully manages white glove SD-WAN Concierge service. We provide a dedicated Technical Service Manager (TSM) who provides personalized guidance, analyzes network and application performance and recommends actions needed improve application performance.

The Windstream SD-WAN Management Tool provides complete visibility and control in a single interface, including zero-touch configuration for new locations, services, and security policies. Customers are able to set business policies, prioritize applications by location, user and time/dateand make real-time changes to dynamically optimize performance and customer experience. No other service provider puts this much control into the hands of the enterprise IT team. The Windstream management tool allows the customer to view and control their network they way that they want to, providing the ability to personalize their information and views

Windstream deployed SD-WAN over a Cloud Core Network Architecture designed to improve cloud-based application performance with diverse, low latency connections to cloud providers as well as Windstream provided services. We enable dynamic traffic steering in real time to provide the flexibility, agility, and reliability to deliver superior application performance and a consistent differentiating customer experience.

Windstreams ISP heritage gives us broad experience in building hybrid networks by providing Cable Broadband, LEC Broadband, Cellular Internet and other asymmetrical access options in addition to the more traditional Ethernet and TDM access that have historically been the go-to access for Enterprises

There you have it. SD-WAN will shake up the networking market and become the bedrock of digital transformation in corporations everywhere. There are numerous companies in the space  some provide hardware, others software and some, SD-WAN as a service. Your enterprise has many options to consider with new entrants seemingly entering the space by the week.

Perhaps the best way to absorb all the industry has to offer is to attend a conference and meet with the companies in the space, face-to-face. The largest exposition in the market is SD-WAN Expo February 14-16th, 2018, collocated with ITEXPO in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Aside from an all-encompassing education track, there will be a bustling exhibit hall with all the crucial SD-WAN companies and everyone else where you can make your product and service selections.
Canadas move is in response to Caracas expelling Ottawas ambassador for interfering in Venezuelas domestic affairs.

Canada has said it will expel a top Venezuelan diplomat and bar the South American countrys ambassador from returning to Ottawa, in a tit-for-tat move amid an escalating diplomatic row.

The announcement by Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland on Monday came two days after Venezuela expelled Canadas top diplomat in Caracas for allegedly interfering in its domestic affairs.

Freeland said in a statement that Ambassador Wilmer Barrientos Fernandez, who had already been pulled out of Canada to protest earlier sanctions against Venezuelan officials, is no longer welcome in the country.

I am also declaring the Venezuelan charge daffaires persona non grata, added Freeland, referring to diplomat Angel Herrera.

Sanctions

The foreign minister said the move was in retaliation for the expulsion on Saturday of Craig Kowalik, Canadas charge daffaires in its embassy in Caracas, by the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Kowalik was accused of nagging, constant rude and offensive interference in Venezuelas domestic affairs, said Delcy Rodriguez, head of Venezuelas Constituent Assembly, according to AFP news agency.

Venezuela also expelled Brazilian Ambassador Ruy Pereira.

Earlier this year, following in the US footsteps, Canada had unveiled sanctions against 52 foreigners it deemed corrupt and accused of human rights violations.

Among those sanctioned were Russian, South Sudanese and Venezuelan officials, including Maduro.

In August, US President Donald Trumps government imposed sweeping financial sanctions on Venezuela, and labelled Maduro a dictator.

The measures banned US financial institutions from providing new money to Venezuelas government or the state oil company, while all of Maduros assets subject to US jurisdiction were frozen, and Americans were barred from doing business with him.

The sanctions drew an angry rebuke from Caracas, with Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza calling them the worst aggression against the country in two centuries.

Maduro himself, however, said that the measures did not intimidate him for a moment.

I dont listen to orders from the empire, not now or ever, said the socialist president, before telling Trump to bring on more sanctions.
Executions for attacks against troops described by rights group as flagrant breach of international law by government.

Egyptian authorities have hanged 15 men at two prisons in the north of the country, as part of a controversial policy.

The men were convicted for attacks committed in 2013 against the Egyptian military in the Sinai Peninsula, that resulted in the deaths of soldiers and the destruction of vehicles.

The executed men were assumed to have carried out the deadly operations as part of the Egyptian branch of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.

ISIL-affiliated fighters have ramped up deadly attacks in Sinai in recent years, inflicting heavy losses on the Egyptian military as well as civilians.

A recent attack on a mosque in Northern Sinai killed over 300 and was widely attributed to ISIL, although the group did not claim responsibility.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has ordered security forces to put down the campaign with brutal force.

Some say Tuesdays executions are another example of human rights abuses under Sisi, who seized power from the democratically elected Mohamed Morsi in a 2013 military-backed coup.

These death sentences and executions are a flagrant breach of international law. Trials in Egypt routinely fail to meet basic fair trial standards, and this is especially so in mass trials and military tribunals  as in this case, Maya Foa, director of international human rights organisation Reprieve, said in a statement delivered to Al Jazeera.

Rise in executions

According to figures from Cornell Universitys Death Penalty Worldwide, a project designed to inform policymakers, judges, scholars and others, the years since Sisi took power have seen a sharp increase in executions.

From 2011, the year former president Hosni Mubarak was deposed, to 2013, Egypt executed one person.

Starting in 2014, Egypt executed 14 people.

The following year, 22 more people were executed. At least 44 people were executed in 2016.

Until Tuesday, Egypt had executed one person this year.

Sisis government has also overseen an increase in crackdowns on journalists and the LGBTQ community in Egypt.

Al Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein has been imprisoned there for over a year.

Reporters Without Borders placed Egypt at 161 out of 180 countries in terms of press freedom.

In spite of these concerns, Egypt continues to receive military aid from the US, which plans to give over $1.38bn to the country over the next year.

The international community, particularly Egypts allies, must condemn these killings, Foa of Reprieve said.

The European Commission and member states must urgently review their assistance to Egypts judiciary, which is responsible for these atrocities.
Hamas leader says US has proposed Abu Dis as capital of a future Palestinian state instead of East Jerusalem.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniya has said that the US had offered the Palestinian Authority a Jerusalem suburb, Abu Dis, as an alternative to East Jerusalem for the capital of a future Palestinian state.

Speaking at a meeting with Palestinian clan leaders in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, Haniya labelled President Donald Trumps recent decision, to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital, a ploy to demolish the Palestinian cause in line with the so-called deal of the century.

The US is still offering deals and continues to be on the side of the Palestinian Authority (PA) one way or another, in order to give them a capital or entity in the Abu Dis area, away from Jerusalem, with a bridge linking to al-Aqsa Mosque allowing for the freedom of prayer, he said.

Haniya said certain regional forces are seeking to divide the West Bank into three sections, in addition to creating a political entity in the Gaza Strip with its own controlling powers.

Al Jazeeras Wael al-Dahdouh, reporting from Gaza City, said Haniya cautioned local, regional and international players against working to implement the US plan for the Middle East, which is yet to be published.

Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and a White House adviser, has been spearheading efforts to gauge the possibility of resuming the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.





Haniya sent a warning to all the parties that are involved in this deal of the century, whether they are Palestinian, Arab or Muslim, or international, Dahdouh said.

There are also signs that the Israelis will take advantage of this deal to impose their version of facts on the ground, such as the Judaization of Jerusalem bill that will be voted on tomorrow.

Haniya said the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel introduces new risks that could affect the nature of the relationship between Palestine and Jordan.

He cited reports of discussions regarding an alternative homeland for Palestinians and a confederation between Jordan and Palestine.

Haniya said he has spoken to King Abdullah of Jordan about what he saw as the dangers arising from the Jerusalem decision, the resettlement project and alternative homeland.

He also asked Palestinians to continue their uprising against Trumps decision, and for popular movements in the Arab and Muslim capitals to carry on their protests.

Addressing the ongoing reconciliation process between the two, main Palestinian groups, Fatah and Hamas, Haniya said internal, political issues need to be addressed quickly in order for a unified government to devote itself to major, national ones.

He also sounded a warning regarding the potential grave consequences of the slow implementation of the Egypt-brokered reconciliation agreement, which was signed in October in Cairo by Fatah and Hamas representatives.

For his part, Yahya Sinwar, the prime minister of the Hamas government, speaking at Tuesdays meeting in Gaza, called for efforts to support reconciliation efforts aimed at uniting in the battle of Jerusalem.

He also demanded that the Palestinian leadership convene the unified leadership framework of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) in the presence of all Palestinians.
Comments by Israeli deputy FM made as Guatemala comes under fire for announcing plan to relocate embassy to Jerusalem.

Israels deputy foreign minister has said her government is in contact with at least 10 countries over the potential relocation of their embassies to Jerusalem.

Tzipi Hotovelys comments on Monday came a day after Guatemala announced plans to move its embassy to Jerusalem, following a similar decision by the US earlier this month which sparked widespread international condemnation and mass rallies across the Muslim world.

Speaking to state radio, Hotovely did not specify the countries in question but said some of them are in Europe.

So far we have only seen the beginning, she said, adding that US President Donald Trumps decision would trigger a wave of followers.

Widespread protests

The status of Jerusalem is one of the main sticking points in efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinian leaders want East Jerusalem, currently occupied, to be the capital of a future state, while Israel says the city cannot be divided.





Breaking with decades of policy, Trump announced on December 6 that the US recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and said his administration would be moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to the Holy City.

Currently, there are no embassies in Jerusalem.

Following Trumps announcement, a resounding majority of UN member states  128 countries  on December 21 voted in favour of a resolution declaring Washingtons move null and void.

Guatemala, the US, Israel and six other countries voted against the resolution at the emergency UN General Assembly meeting. No European country voted against the resolution, but several abstained.

See how each country voted here.

In a statement on Monday, the Palestinian foreign ministry criticised Guatemala for its plans to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem.

Its a shameful and illegal act that goes totally against the wishes of church leaders in Jerusalem, and last weeks UN General Assembly resolution, it said in a statement.

Bolivian President Evo Morales also slammed Guatemala for following in Washingtons footsteps.

In a complete act of mockery of the international community, the government of Guatemala ignores the resolution of the UN (General) Assembly and decides to move its embassy to Jerusalem, he wrote on his Twitter account.

En un completo acto de burla a la comunidad internacional, el Gobierno de Guatemala desconoce la Resolucion de la Asamblea de la ONU y decide trasladar su Embajada a Jerusalen. Lamentamos que algunos gobiernos vendan su dignidad al imperio por no perder las migajas de USAID.  Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) December 25, 2017

Trumps decision to unilaterally recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital pitted the US against some of its own allies, and prompted Palestinian leaders to say that Washington can no longer have a role in the peace process.

The move also triggered a wave of mass rallies in major international cities, from Jakarta, through Istanbul, to Rabat, in a show of solidarity with the Palestinians.

In the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, demonstrations have been met with violence by Israeli forces, who fired live ammunition, dispersed tear gas canisters, and carried out a wave of arrests against protesters.

More than 2,900 people have been left injured and more than 500 have been jailed.

In the Gaza Strip, several Israeli air raids killed at least six people and wounded many others.

In total, at least 15 people have been killed across the occupied Palestinian territories in the last three weeks.
At least 20 people killed and dozens more wounded in raids on market in southwest Taiz province, sources say.

At least 20 people are reported to have been killed and dozens more wounded in a series of Saudi-led air raids on a market in southwestern Yemen.

Sources told Al Jazeera that Tuesdays coalition raids struck Souk al-Shahra, a popular market in a Houthi rebels-held area of Taiz province, about 200km southwest of the capital, Sanaa.

At least 13 civilians were killed and another 17 injured, one source said, adding that at least 10 rebel fighters were also among the fatalities.

Another source said that body parts were thrown hundreds of metres from the blast sites.

Relatives of some of the victims were unable to identify their charred remains.

Al Masirah, a TV network run by the Houthi leadership, put the number of casualties at more than 50, adding they could still rise further.

It published photos on its website showing bombed-out motorcycles and shops, and the remains of what it claimed were dismembered civilians.

Al Jazeera could not independently verify the claims.

The Saudi-led coalition has been conducting regular air raids in Houthi-held areas as part of a campaign to restore Yemens UN-recognised government.

Tuesdays attacks come as Yemeni forces backed by the coalition are trying to capture the nearby village of al-Haima.

One resident told Al Jazeera that dozens of people had been displaced by the fighting, with scores of trapped residents living in dire conditions.

Torn apart by conflict

Yemen has been torn apart by conflict since 2014, when Houthi rebels, allied with troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, captured large expanses of the country, including Sanaa.

Saudi Arabia launched a massive aerial campaign against the rebels in March 2015, aimed at restoring the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi .

Since then, Houthi rebels have been dislodged from most of the south, but remain in control of Sanaa and much of the north.





The kingdom intensified its embargo on Yemen last month after the rebels fired a ballistic missile towards Riyadh.

Attempting to cut off the alleged supply of weapons to the rebels from Iran, the blockade has had a devastating impact on millions, pushing more than eight million to within a step of famine.

The UN says that more than 60,000 people have been killed or wounded in the conflict, which also displaced more than three million people.

The country is also facing a deadly cholera outbreak, a direct consequence of the war, that has claimed about 2,000 lives and affected more than one million people since April.

Mohammed Al-Rumim contributed to this report.
Piers Pigou, of the International Crisis Group, weighs in on the possible military influence in a post-Mugabe era.

Harare, Zimbabwe  Since independence in 1980, Zimbabwes military has played a key role in cementing Robert Mugabes rule.

That was until last month when the army turned on the 93-year-old president.

Under military house arrest, he was first fired as leader of the ruling ZANU-PF party, then caved to mounting pressure from parliament and announced his resignation.

After 37 years at the helm, Mugabe was replaced by a former close ally, Emmerson Mnangagwa, a protege of the veteran leader and an ex-intelligence and defence chief.

Observers say Mnangagwa, much like his predecessor, appears to be consolidating his power by rewarding the key military generals who supported his rise to power with important party and state cabinet positions.

Most recently, Constantino Chiwenga, the army chief who led the operation resulting in Mugabes resignation, was appointed as a ZANU-PF deputy. He is also tipped to become one of the two national vice presidents.

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Other key military personnel around Mnangagwa include Retired Major-General Sibusiso Moyo, the current minister of foreign affairs who announced Mugabes detention on state television; and Chief Air Marshall Perence Shiri who participated in negotiations for Mugabe to step down and now serves as Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Rural Resettlement.

Al Jazeera spoke to Piers Pigou, senior consultant for southern Africa for the International Crisis Group (ICG), to discuss the possible role Zimbabwes security elite could play in the countrys post-Mugabe future.

ICG recently published a report on Zimbabwes military-assisted transition and its prospects for governance reform and economic recovery.

Al Jazeera: Why do Zimbabwes leaders  previously Mugabe and now Mnangagwa  appear to depend on the armys support to cement their rule?

Piers Pigou: This is largely a product of an entrenched historical relationship. ZANU-PFs political trajectory into an independent Zimbabwe was predicated on its armed struggle.

Although not a homogenous entity, the military and war veterans have been key mobilisers and enforcers of political hegemony and central in internal and factional dynamics within the party.

Al Jazeera: Could the militarys role in Zimbabwes post-Mugabe transition be a help or hindrance to Mnangagwas inaugural promises of a new democratic era?

Pigou: On the one hand, the military can bring command management and discipline into a corrupt and venal political and economic environment, although numerous unanswered questions and unresolved allegations remain about the involvement of senior military and other security sector figures in corruption, self-enrichment and other violations.

The jury is out on whether the new political configuration can deepen or further deviate from the democratic project.

Comparative experience does not inspire confidence, and the blatant partisanship of Zimbabwes military has yet to be addressed by the new leadership.

Mnangagwa and the new administration should take an unambiguous public position on ensuring the security sector is excised from the political playing field.

It is, however, difficult to see how this will happen given that the new power configuration is predicated on an attempt to legitimise military interference.

Al Jazeera: Does Mnangagwa risk being beholden to those who helped him to rise to power, like Chiwenga, at the expense of creating a more democratic environment in Zimbabwe?

Pigou: This is an important question. Where does power really lie, especially with the shift of military leaders into the politics hierarchy under the rubric of defending Zimbabwes revolution? Why did Chiwengas appointment as vice president [of ZANU-PF] take so long to finalise?

It raises all sorts of questions about the content of backroom deals and internal power dynamics within the new administration that remain shrouded in mystery.

How do these developments strengthen prospects for constitutionalism and the rule of law which appear to remain elastic and selectively engaged concepts, a hallmark of the Mugabe dispensation?

The military can bring command management and discipline into a corrupt and venal political and economic environment by Piers Pigou, senior consultant for southern Africa, International Crisis Group

Al Jazeera: In the past, the militarys partisanship and Mnangagwas role as a ZANU-PF chief campaign election agent have been accused of compromising the outcome of elections, especially in the 2000s. If former military figures continue to play a role within ZANU-PF and the governments electoral structures, what hope is there that Zimbabwe can hold credible elections in 2018?

Pigou: Credible elections are possible with the implementation of appropriate electoral reforms, a more even political playing field and a thorough and impartial election observer process.

An independent verification of Zimbabwes new biometric voters roll is critical, and an extension of the vote to the diaspora, underwritten by international support, would help ensure a solid and credible outcome.

Al Jazeera: Is there a risk that overthrown figures linked to the pro-Mugabe G40 faction in the security services could pose a threat to Mnangagwas presidency?





Pigou: Their removal from the levers of power and resource manipulation reduces any ability to pose a serious risk to the new government.

Their efforts to delegitimise the new order, arguing it is the product of a coup, rightly or wrongly, is struggling to gain traction.

The African Union (AU) and South African Development Community (SADC) have accepted the new order, as have the international community.

The 2018 elections will determine the extent of its domestic credibility. The old order may well be able to expose complicity in past violations, but as with others purged from ZANU-PF in the past, they will not be able to do so convincingly without taking their share of responsibility.

In terms of immediate electoral politics, they are likely to complicate an already messy oppositional political environment.

Al Jazeera: What role could the political opposition, as well as SADC and the AU, play in monitoring the post-Mugabe transition to ensure Zimbabwe does not end up being a country run by and for the security elites?

Pigou: Their role is an essential component for the building of a solid foundation for a credible, accountable and inclusive political dispensation, critical for facilitation of a sustainable and broad-based economic recovery.

Al Jazeera: Apart from avoiding labelling the military operation a coup, has the greater international community shown willingness to be patient and start anew with Mnangagwa as he has asked?

Pigou: The international community is not a homogenous entity. In general, there is significant goodwill, and there will be patience with the Mnangagwa government.

Expectations vary, as do approaches to calibrating further support.

Mnangagwas administration must be seen to deliver  determining how and for who in a flexible and transparent way would provide a helpful framework for assessment and augment the credibility of such constructive engagement.

Follow Tendai Marima on Twitter and Instagram @i_amten
Three soldiers are killed and one is wounded in the Rakhchikri area of Pakistani-administered Kashmir, army says.

Islamabad, Pakistan  Pakistani officials say non-state actors crossed the de-facto border between India and Pakistan in the divided region of Kashmir to kill three Pakistani soldiers.

The troops were killed on Monday in the Rakhchikri area of Pakistani-administered Kashmir, the military said in a brief statement at the time.

One Pakistani soldier was also wounded.

On Tuesday, a Pakistani foreign ministry statement claimed that Indian forces initiated firing across the Line of Control (LoC) in order to provide cover for unidentified non-state actors to place an improvised explosive device to kill the three soldiers.

LoC is the demarcation line between the separate Indian- and Pakistani-administered portions of disputed Kashmir.

The unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian occupation forces in the Rakhchikri sector on the (LoC)  provided a cover for the planting of IEDs by non-state actors, resulting in the martyrdom of three soldiers and injuring another, said the statement.

The Pakistani foreign ministry categorically rejected some reports in the Indian news media that Indian soldiers had crossed the boundary.

The false claims by India about the alleged cross-LoC adventures are a figment of their imagination and counterproductive for peace and tranquillity on the LoC, said the foreign ministry statement.

Nonetheless, the statement is a rare admission by Pakistani officials that armed fighters  whether Indian soldiers or non-state actors  crossed the heavily militarised LoC.

Despite a 2003 ceasefire, India and Pakistan regularly trade fire across the LoC. India regularly accuses Pakistan of aiding fighters in crossing the LoC to attack Indian targets.

Pakistan denies the charges.

In September of last year, India claimed to have launched surgical strikes on bases used by armed groups in Pakistan-administered Kashmir to fight Indian security forces.

Pakistan denied any Indian soldiers were ever on Pakistani-administered soil.

The two nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two of their three wars since independence in 1947 over Kashmir, which both countries claim in full.

The incident on Monday came after India said four of its soldiers had been killed by Pakistani fire in the Rajouri area of Indian-administered Kashmir on Saturday.

In 2017, Pakistan has claimed India opened fire across the LoC more than 1,300 times, killing at least 54 civilians, according to data released by the foreign ministry.

The previous year, Pakistan said India violated the ceasefire 382 times, marking a significant increase from the previous year.

India maintains that Pakistan has violated the ceasefire at least 724 times this year, killing 12 civilians and 17 security personnel, according to local media reports.
The Philippine island of Mindanao was severely damaged by the tropical storm that hit the country on Friday and Saturday. Survivors tell of losing their homes after a storm the likes of which theyve never seen.

The tropical storm that hit the southern Philippines on Friday and Saturday has left at least 200 people dead and many homeless.

The island of Mindanao was the worst hit. The local administration there has been criticised for not doing enough to help.

A survivor from Tubod town, where an entire neighbourhood was destroyed, told Al Jazeera that they have never experienced a flood like it.

Al Jazeeras Rob McBride reports from Tubod Town, Southern Philippines.
Foreign minister says public apology is in order after Emirates Airlines bars Tunisian women from boarding its flights.

Tunisia is demanding a public apology from the United Arab Emirates after Emirates Airlines denied boarding to Tunisian women on flights to the Gulf country.

On Friday, the UAE-owned carrier stopped accepting Dubai-bound female passengers from Tunisia. UAE officials later cited security reasons for the move, saying that a terrorist threat was behind the decision.

The move caused public outrage in Tunisia, with authorities announcing on Sunday the suspension of all Emirates flights to and from the North African country.

Speaking to a Tunisian radio station on Monday, Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui said that his UAE counterpart, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, had called him to offer a personal apology.

When asked by the Shems FM interviewers if a public apology was also necessary, Jhinaoui agreed, saying that such action was in order since the ban was widely perceived as discrimination against Tunisian women.

I  [told the UAE foreign minister] that the perception is there because the move happened, and so there is no way that we can maintain business as usual, he said.





We hoped there would be some sort of discussion, for our advice to be taken into account  but it is a complex situation that shocked us from the very beginning, he said.

According to Jhinaoui, Tunisian women with valid residency permits in the UAE, as well as those who hold diplomatic passports, were exempted from the ban.

He added that the ban now only applies if Tunisian women travellers plan to board Emirates Air flights  they will be allowed to enter the UAE via other airlines, like from Turkey for instance.

Tunisias ban on Emirates Airlines from landing on its territory will remain in effect until the carrier adheres to international treaties, said Jhinaoui.

Technical crisis

The foreign minister, however, described the row as not a diplomatic but a technical one, telling Shems FM that the two countries were currently in contact.

Asked about whether there is a deadline to resolve the issue, Jhinaoui responded by saying that both parties wanted to find a solution as soon as possible.

We hope to move on from the issue within the next few hours or days, he said, citing the two countries deep-rooted relationship that has existed for a long time.

We have a lot of common interests that we would like to safeguard, but we also are safeguarding our womens dignity, he said.

On Sunday, Anwar Gargash, the UAEs minister of state for foreign affairs said in a Twitter post that the Gulf country appreciates and respects Tunisian women, after also citing security as the reason behind the move.

Saida Garrach, the Tunisian presidents spokesperson, also told Shems FM on Monday that the UAE had explained that the decision was made after obtaining serious security information about alleged plans for attacks by Tunisian women from tense hotbeds in Iraq and Syria.

She said the move by the UAE was unacceptable and required a quick response from Tunisia.

According to both Garrach and Jhinaoui, the Tunisian ambassador to Abu Dhabi had not been previously warned of the decision.

The decision to bar Tunisian women from boarding the airlines fights was widely condemned by social media users who lashed out at the UAE over what they described as a discriminatory act.
People in Aida refugee camp in occupied West Bank are frequently exposed to massive amounts of Israeli tear gas.

Aida refugee camp, occupied West Bank  A Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank may be the most exposed place to tear gas in the world, according to the author of a new study.

The Human Rights Centre of the University of California at Berkeley recently reported that Israels security forces have carried out a widespread, frequent and indiscriminate use of tear gas against Palestinian refugees in Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem.

The report  said to be the first to analyse the effects of tear gas in the West Bank  found that 100 percent of the more than 200 Palestinian residents surveyed in Aida camp were exposed to tear gas over the past year.

The report, No Safe Space: Health Consequences of Tear Gas Exposure Among Palestine Refugees, collected testimonies last summer in Aida and the nearby Dheisheh refugee camp.

We found that the constant and unpredictable use of tear gas in Palestine refugee camps has a devastating effect on the mental and physical health of residents, said the reports co-author, Dr Rohini Haar, a researcher at the UC Berkeley centre and a doctor with Physicians for Human Rights.

The effects, Haar told Al Jazeera, are especially harmful on the most vulnerable, including pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people already in ill health.





The report surveyed 236 residents of Aida, all of whom said they were exposed to tear gas in the last year.

Of that, 84 percent of people said they were exposed while in their homes.

As its name implies, tear gas is intended to cause a persons eyes to water and skin to burn.

Residents also told the reports authors that the Israeli armys use of tear gas was primarily unprovoked.

The Israeli army did not respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment on the studys findings at the time of publishing. However, in a statement sent to Al Jazeera on Thursday, it said it will examine the report and draw the relevant conclusions if needed.

Densely populated camp

Refugee camps are among the most vulnerable to tear-gas exposure in the occupied Palestinian territories, the report states.

Home to about 6,400 Palestinian refugees, Aida covers just 0.017 square kilometres, making it one of the most densely populated places in the world.

Clashes between Israeli security forces and Aida camp residents are frequent, with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) estimating that at least 376 confrontations took place between January 2014 and December 15 of this year, the report stated.

Our life here in the camp is filled with tear gas, filled with stun grenades, filled with skunk water, said 30-year-old resident Sabreen, the mother of a Palestinian prisoner, referring to a foul-smelling liquid frequently sprayed by the Israeli army on Palestinian protesters and homes across the West Bank.

It is the life of a refugee. What can we do? added Sabreen, who did not give Al Jazeera her last name.

Two years ago, an Israeli soldier was filmed warning the camps residents: People of Aida refugee camp, we are the occupation forces. You throw stones, and we will hit you with gas until you all die. The children, the youth, the old people  you will all die.

Firing tear gas near homes violates the UN Code of Conduct and the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, the report stated.

It also explained that homes and schools are not designed to shield against tear gas, leaving residents with few options to avoid it or reduce its effects.

Last Friday, Al Jazeera saw the Israeli army fired hundreds of tear-gas canisters into a small crowd of protesters in an area bordering Aida camp. Limited clashes also spread into the camp, where Israeli soldiers responded with more tear gas.

I came back home from a wedding, and I found 25 gas canisters near my home, said Sana, a resident of the camp, who also did not give Al Jazeera her last name.

Many residents of the camp have taken to wearing gas masks to protect themselves, though they are difficult to obtain and costly.

Devastating effects

According to Dr Haar, regular exposure to tear gas can affect all [the] body[s] systems.

In the report, residents described various physical effects from such frequent exposure to tear gas, including losses of consciousness, miscarriages, trouble breathing, asthma, coughing, dizziness, rashes, severe pain, allergic dermatitis, headaches, neurological irritability and even blunt trauma from being hit by tear gas canisters.

Everybodys system is affected by this, Dr Haar said.

The Israeli armys frequent use of tear gas has also had left residents with psychological scars.

Because of the random nature of the Israeli raids, Aida camp residents find them themselves perpetually on edge, fearing the next attack, according to the report.

Amal Manasra, 27, a resident of Aida, told Al Jazeera her infant daughter was recently exposed to tear gas after a canister fired by the Israeli army landed near a door to her home.

The oxygen level was zero  She was suffocating  We carried her to the hospital  She spent seven days there, Amal said.

We are in an area we are exposed to shootings daily, to smelling tear gas. I have kids. The gas leaks into the house through windows and from under the door, she said.

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Dr Haar told Al Jazeera that no one else experiences this level of tear gas.

It is poison

The protests against US President Donald Trumps recent recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital have increased Palestinians exposure to tear gas, the study found.

Meanwhile, Palestinians have also alleged that the gas has become more potent.

This is not tear gas; it is poison, Thaer, another Aida camp resident, told Al Jazeera.

While tear gas is usually composed of a mixture of synthetic or naturally occurring gases, including pepper spray, the specific chemical utilised by the [Israeli security forces] in recent years is unknown, the report stated.

According to Dr Haar, the Israeli government is obligated to disclose the composition of the tear gas it uses so medical professionals can treat the symptoms the chemicals cause.

Meanwhile, Chris Gunness, UNRWA spokesperson, said the report raises serious concerns about the use of tear gas in heavily built-up areas such as the refugee camps in Bethlehem.

The widespread, indiscriminate and frequent use of tear gas exposes refugees including our own staff to health risks, but at this stage, it is impossible for health professionals to fully assess these risks and the long-term impact of prolonged and regular exposure, Gunness told Al Jazeera.

It is clear that the psychological impact on young people surveyed is significant and that the development and educational prospects of children are being affected.
A pair of districts have rolled back their use of a technology system meant to deliver personalized learning and developed with the support of Facebook and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, citing concerns about content, the alignment of assessments and curricula, and students data privacy.

The superintendent of one of the systems, Cheshire Public Schools in Connecticut, Jeffrey Solan, wrote a letter earlier this week informing the community of the school systems decision to suspend use of the Summit Learning Platform. He cited issues with content in the platform and a substantial degree of misunderstanding and misinformation within the community.

Parents in the district had circulated a petition to Press Pause on Summit that garnered more than 450 signatures.

Parents in another K-12 system, the Indiana Area School District, in Pennsylvania, had been voicing concerns about the program since the beginning of the school year, said superintendent Dale Kirsch, in an interview. The Indiana Areas school board voted Monday to reduce use of the platform from four core subjects to two, at Kirschs recommendation and after hearing from parents in the district.

The district piloted Summit this year with its 6th grade classes in English, math, social studies, and science. Schools will continue to use the platform in the next academic year, said Kirsch, but it wont be mandatory6th grade parents will have the choice to opt-in their children.

We dont want to battle with our parents, said Kirsch. We want to work with them, not against them.

Of all schools that used the platform in the 2016-2017 school year, 93 percent continued to use it during the current school year, according to Summit Public Schools. The platform is used in about 330 schools across the country, the organization said in a statement to Education Week.

In collaboration with our partner schools, we are constantly working to improve the Summit Learning Platform and the teacher-developed resources and content to better meet the needs of teachers and students, Summit officials said.

School districts interest in personalized learningthe idea that teaching and learning shoudl be customized to students individual needs and interestshas surged in recent years. Some districts and ed-tech companies are seeking to create that customization through digital means. Other K-12 systems have sought to accomplish it through restructuring of student lessons and schedules .

But even as interest in personalized learning has grown, critics have said that the research base supporting the concept is weak , and that school and company strategies for implementing it are flawed.

Concerns Over Content

The Summit platform is a key part of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiatives plans to support personalized learning. The organization, formed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, pediatrician Priscilla Chan, plans to give hundreds of millions of dollars to education related causes in the coming years .

In a recent Facebook post , Zuckerberg wrote about CZIs desire to create an education system where all students receive the equivalent of an expert one-on-one tutor. He specifically mentioned the Summit Learning Platform, which has been supported by teams of CZI and Facebook engineers , as the kind of technology that will help scale these efforts.

But parents in both the Cheshire Public Schools and the Indiana Area School District questioned whether students were getting enough interaction with teachers, and whether the material their children were learning was rigorous and aligned to district standards.

Some parents of 6th graders in the Indiana Area School District said the material students learned in Summits curriculum playlists didnt prepare them for the assessments embedded in the platform, said Kirsch. They also raised concerns about students lack of access to one-on-one mentoring with teachers as they completed project-based learning, he said.

The parents petition in the Cheshire Public Schools also raised the question of whether their elementary and middle schools had the resources to conduct the individual instruction (to students of all types) and mentoring time that the Summit platform recommends.

Parents and district officials also said that parts of the content loaded into platform were inappropriate.

One of the videos embedded in a social studies lesson showed an inappropriate hand gesture, said Kirsch, and another video in a science lesson also contained content he said was unsuitable for 6th graders. The two videos were removed from the districts platform.

Teachers in the Indiana Area district had not previewed all of the platforms content before the school year began, and students who had individually progressed further than the rest of their classes saw these videos before teachers did, said Kirsch. Following the incidents, the district hired substitute teachers to cover some class periods, giving 6th grade teachers time to review the entire platform. None of the other content in the platform raised any red flags, said Kirsch.

Monica Bulger, a researcher with Data & Society research institute who studies personalized learning and data use in education, wonders if some of these same concerns might have also come up in print materials, like textbooks, if parents had been carefully reviewing those resources as well. (There is a long history of state and local officials raising objections to the content of K-12 curriculum across subjects, claiming the material is inaccurate, biased, too difficult, or not difficult enough.)



Parents today are directing particular scrutiny to online resources, she said. The ensuing pushback can raise questions about who should be evaluating educational content and how to measure its effectiveness.

We dont necessarily want school content by popular vote, she said, adding that its important that teachers and other experts are involved in shaping and evaluating the content in online platforms.

In a statement, Summit praised the commitment and professionalism of teachers in the Cheshire Public Schools, and said that the organization is committed to partnering with educators who share our vision by ensuring they have the tools and support they need to be successful.

A Powerful Fear Narrative

Protection of students personal and academic data is another concern that surfaced in the petition signed by Cheshire Public Schools parents.

Administrators have not established the degree to which personally identifiable data on students is protected, and whether the disclosure of data required by the districts contracts with Summit is in compliance with applicable laws, the petition reads.

The district shares students names and email addresses with Summit, and Summit can also see students progress and performance in the platform, Solan said, in an interview with EdSurge. But the contract that the district signed says that Summit cannot sell students data.

Explaining this to parents didnt alleviate their concerns, he said. They felt like because Facebook was involved, then the contract wasnt valid in some way, shape or form.

Theres a powerful fear narrative happening, said Bulger. Earlier this year, Bulger co-authored a report on the legacy of inBloom , a student data-management project supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The project, launched in 2013, shut down a year later after vocal opposition.

In contrast to the developers of inBloom, she said, Summit has been trying to engage with school communities and respond to parent concerns. But in any any ed-tech implementation involving student data, she said, uncertainty can give way to fear.

These two districts shouldnt be taken as a harbinger of massive resistance to Summit and other personalized learning programs, she said, but they illuminate concerns that parents have about transparency, boundaries, and responsible data useconcerns that Summit will have to continue to address with school communities going forward.

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Consider the central puzzle to Trump's presidency: why did his own people give NeverTrumps a special counsel?

The most common explanation is that Trump is a bumbling fool. First, he colluded with Russia. Then he appointed Sessions, not knowing that Sessions would recuse himself. Finally, he appointed Rosenstein and was blindsided by the initiation of Mueller's probe.

The problem with this idea is that Trump has been a successful person for decades, building an empire in the cutthroat world of New York real estate. Maybe it's possible to argue that Trump isn't a Harvard bookworm, but there is an enormous gulf between not being the second coming of Henry David Thoreau and being what Trump's opponents say he is. His record simply does not countenance a serious conclusion in accord with his haters. At worst, he is merely competent, smart, and wily.

One of Trump's favorite quotes is "A leader has the right to be beaten, but never the right to be surprised." The idea that two independent Trump nominations to the most important parts of his administration immediately acted in tandem to undermine his presidency is not believable.

Some Trump-supporters have a different theory: that Mueller is actually on Trump's side, a "converted spy," as Imperator_Rex would write. Mueller is a Marine veteran who wants to support the American people but was forced into being Obama and Hillary's agent. Trump knows that Mueller will do what is right when given the chance. The investigation will boomerang back against Democrats.

Though this is a thought-provoking theory that accepts the premise that Trump is fundamentally a competent actor, it also fails. Mueller's character was definitively established when, as FBI director, he oversaw the Anthrax Letters investigation to find out who mailed anthrax, weeks after 9/11, to prominent political American figures with letters saying, "Death to America, Death to Israel, Allah is great."

Mueller's FBI quickly exonerated al-Qaeda, stating there was no direct evidence of guilt. The FBI then persecuted two different American scientists, who had worked for the Army, without any direct evidence. FBI tactics against their "people of interest" included spying; wiretapping; house raids; leaking identities in public ways with the help of Mueller's colleagues in the Department of Justice; bribing family members; and "bumper-locking," a delightful tactic where the FBI trailed their American suspect so closely that they ran over his foot.

In the swamp, Mueller is one of the King Alligators. There is no path from his known conduct in the FBI to a point where he follows the Trump investigation wherever it may take him, even if that means taking Democrats down.

Fortunately, though the two most common theories fail, there is an alternate theory that is consistent with all known facts. Mueller is bent on harming Trump for unstated crimes of which there is no evidence. And Trump wants Mueller doing exactly that.

Trump is facing the Salem witch trials. Democrats are a runaway mob and want his blood.

Many Trump supporters are desperate for Trump to get in front of this mob and explain how he is innocent, that he is a nationalist who is strengthening the military, modernizing the nuclear forces, protecting America against an EMP attack, selling weapons to Ukraine, and increasing oil production, so quite clearly, he is not Putin's agent, and they should all please stop their nonsensical protesting and turn around.

But Trump never made a serious effort to logically reason this out with his enemies. It isn't his style.

Trump has a fondness for Sun Tzu. Here is a quote is I am sure he approves of: "Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him." This is the hidden strategy.

Not only did Trump not stop Democrats' attack on him, but he actually forced them to prosecute it. He gathered Democrat swamp monsters into a single group, under his control, pointed them in a direction, and off they went. From this perspective, the more anti-Trump the investigators are, the better.

The Democrats are well into their attack, ranting, chasing, running through the mountain pass. But they are looking at a mirage. Trump isn't there. They still haven't noticed that Trump is president; Trump and his team are on top of the overlooks on either side.

The ambush against Democrats is well underway. The truth about Mueller's investigation is coming out, and it his highly damaging, be it about Mueller team members Peter Strzok and Lisa Page exchanging texts calling Trump a "loathsome human," Andrew McCabe testifying about a meeting in his office where FBI agents said they "can't take that risk" of Trump becoming president, or Mueller obtaining thousands of Trump transition team emails in an improper manner.

Democrats are not prepared for these developments. The mainstream media are forced to black it out. Eric Holder and James Comey post juvenile tweets.

This is how Trump wants it. Remember: during the campaign, Trump emphasized how he wouldn't tell America's enemies what his plans were. Sun Tzu says, "These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand." Part of the reason the situation is confusing is that Trump wants it to be confusing.

After the ambush comes the counterattack. Trump's troops have been positioned. The preparations are being completed. The enemy is placed in a vulnerable spot.

The Justice Department's inspector general report will come out soon, ostensibly with highly damaging information on Democrat operatives. Congressmen are getting increasingly fed up with prevarication by Deep State bureaucrats. Congress is practically begging Trump to pursue Democrat corruption more aggressively.

Simple explanations are always best. It must be admitted: the idea that Trump is pulling a sophisticated and long-term caper can be hard to believe. However, there is no other explanation that is simpler and makes sense. Thus, we must accept the simplest explanation consistent with facts, which, in this case, is not all that simple.

Trump will probably never bother to explain this (though a tell-all autobiography would be the best book ever). Bottom line, it's impossible to know for sure what is going on in the murky swamp waters, but it appears that Trump is well in control of the situation.
Theres been plenty of rancor since President Trump declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel. Some are saying his remarks have brought the peace process to a halt.

To such accusations I say, "what peace process?"

I submit that if anyone is guilty of why there is no peace process, it is none other than Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Unless you are spelling it p-i-e-c-e. The record shows that rather than p-e-a-c-e with Israel, he wants to take it apart piece by piece until it doesnt exist anymore. In order to present the case, I will lay out the evidence to the court of public opinion.

Exhibit 1- Munich Olympics

Who will ever forget the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre where 11 Israeli athletes were held hostage by Arab terrorists and lost their lives. The financier of the operation was Mahmoud Abbas.

Exhibit 2- Holocaust Denial

In 1982, he wrote his PhD thesis entitled: The Other Side: The Secret Relationship Between Nazism and Zionism. The topic was denial of the Holocaust. Such views are associated with anti-Semitism. Aside from Israel, 21 countries have made Holocaust denial a crime. The United States does not criminalize it.

In January 2005, he was elected to a four-year term as president of the Palestinian Authority. Heres a short list of whats taken place during his never-ending four-year term:

Exhibit 3- Rejects Recognition of Jewish State

While several Israeli prime ministers, including Benjamin Netanyahu have acknowledged acceptance of a Palestinian state, Abbas has repeatedly said he will never recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Demanding recognition of a Palestinian state while rejecting Israels right to exist proves he is not serious about peace. Moreover, he has no business talking about a just solution. Most recently Abbas challenged Israels right to be recognized as a state by the international community saying it is invalid.

Exhibit 4- Right of Return

Abbas demands the right of return, for so-called refugees from the 1948 and 1967 wars, along with their descendants. Their numbers vary, but suffice to say this would eliminate the Jewish majority in Israel. Thus the only homeland the Jewish people have would cease to exist as such, and become the Middle Easts 23rd Muslim Arab-dominated country while the Jews would have none.

Exhibit 5- No Jews Allowed in Future Palestinian State

There are well over 1 million Arabs who live in Israel with full benefits of citizenship. They vote, own businesses, own property, are doctors, lawyers, professors, etc. They are elected to the Knesset and have even been members of the Supreme Court. They also have complete freedom of worship. There are mosques throughout Israel. Yet Abbas says not one Israeli [Jew], civilian or soldier will be tolerated in any future Palestinian state. Ironically, hes accused Israel of being an apartheid state.

Exhibit 6- Fatah Constitution

He is head of the Fatah Party. Their constitution calls for the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state.

For example-

Article 9: liberating Palestine and protecting its holy places is an Arab, religious and human obligation.

Article 12: complete liberation of Palestine, and eradication of Zionist economic, military, political and cultural existence.

Can you imagine if Israel had similar statements regarding Arab Palestinians in its constitution? Where are the demands from world leaders and organizations for Fatahs constitution to remove these statements?

Exhibit 7- Terrorist Glorification

Abbas routinely praises terrorists who murdered Israeli civilians. Moreover, he names parks, schools and even childrens summer camps after them. By honoring these murderers they become elevated to role model status.

Exhibit 8- Murderers Earn Big Salaries

He provides large salaries for jailed terrorists who murdered Israeli Jews. The more heinous the crime, the larger the salary is. More than $1 billion dollars has been paid out to jailed terrorists over the past 4 years. Some get paid more than 5 times what the average Palestinian earns. Much of the money comes from U.S. taxpayers. He goes so far to say he will never stop paying them, thus rejecting a direct request by President Trump.

Exhibit 9- Jerusalem

He claims Jerusalem as a Muslim city and says every drop of spilled Muslim blood is holy. He also says any Palestinian state must have east Jerusalem as its capital, and rejects any Jewish historical connection to Jerusalem. By this, he is saying the Bible and documented history is incorrect.

Exhibit 10- Israel Slapped in the Face at U.N.

On Nov. 29, 2012, Abbas spoke at the United Nations when Palestine was admitted as a non-member observer. Its interesting to note the date of his speech (Nov. 29) is the very same date the U.N. voted to approve resolution 181 in 1947, which partitioned two states, one Arab, one Jewish, resulting in the birth of modern Israel. I believe this event was specifically orchestrated as a slap in the face to Israel. Abbas, a glorifier of murderers, a Holocaust denier whose partys own constitution calls for the destruction of Israel (a full U.N. member), received thunderous applause which included standing ovations.

Exhibit 11- Educating the Next Generation

If you believe the future may bring hope for peace dont hold your breath. The next generation is being fully trained to take up the banner of destroying Israel.

In Palestinian schools children are taught:

Jews stole their land

Jerusalem is theirs

Haifa, Acre, Jaffa, Tiberius and other Israeli cities belong to them

They must engage in armed jihad to kill the Jews, destroy Israel and take back their land

Heres a video about Palestinian schools.

Exhibit 12- Fatah Party Emblem

Finally, lest there be any doubt the goal of Abbass Fatah Party is to destroy Israel and replace it with a single Muslim state take a look at the partys official emblem . Where are two states? There is no Israel. There is just one state called Palestine which covers the entire land area of Israel. Note the weaponry? If there is any doubt that their goal is the destruction of Israel through war, this emblem makes it perfectly clear.

There are additional exhibits points about Abbas, however this list provides more than enough evidence that Israel is not the reason why there is no peace agreement, or even a peace process. Mahmoud Abbas is fully committed to the elimination of the State of Israel. Whether its demise is economic, demographic, political or through force is irrelevant. Israel stands in the way of his goal which is a single Muslim state of Palestine. To that end he is fully committed. He alone is guilty of there being no peace process.

The end of the peace process begins with Mahmoud Abbas.

Ladies and gentlemen, the prosecution rests its case.

Dan Calic is a writer, history student and speaker. For more of his articles visit https://www.facebook.com/heartlandofthehomeland/
Memo to Sen. Mark Warner, D.-Va. and Rep. Adam Schiff, D- Ca. -- if President Trump is colluding with Russia he has an odd way of showing it. He unleashed Americas energy resources, most recently in Alaskas ANWR, which puts downward pressure on oil prices, which is the only thing Putins Russia has to sell. Then he revives missile defense including a pledge to Poland to deploy missile defenses there.

Now he has announced plans to reverse the policy of the Obama administration, which stood silently when Putins Russia annexed Crimea and attacked Ukraine, and sell the Ukrainians lethal defensive weaponry, including anti-tank missiles designed to destroy Putins Russian tanks in the hands of separatist rebels:

President Donald Trump is expected to announce his approval of a plan to sell anti-tank missiles to the Ukrainian government, a move that would mark a significant escalation in lethal U.S. military support for Ukrainian forces battling Russian-aligned forces in the border region, four State Department sources tell ABC News The sale of anti-tank missiles, which could possibly include the U.S.-made Javelin system, provoked a strong reaction from Russia on Saturday, saying it "crossed the line," and could threaten to derail Trumps calls for better relations with Moscow.

This hardly fits the narrative of a Trump Administration in thrall to the Kremlin and once again begs the question of why Putin would have wanted Trump to win over Hillary. Hillary would never have sold anti-tank weapons to Ukraine though she was quite willing to sell Russia 20 percent of our uranium.

President Trump, unlike President Obama, is well aware that it is Russian President Vladimir Putins expressed view that the demise of the Soviet Union was one of the greatest disasters of modern times. His actions in Ukraine in conjunction with massive Russian rearmament show his desire to reassemble the old Soviet Union.

In his annual address to parliament in 2005, old KGB boss emeritus Putin made the grotesque claim that the "demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest political catastrophe of the century," demonstrating a nostalgia for what he considers the good old days.

Back in 2012 when Romney put Russia at the top of the geopolitical threat list, President Obama gave a mocking response more worthy of a former community organizer rather than the leader of the free world. As Investors Business Daily noted:

"You said Russia. Not al-Qaida. You said Russia," Obama rebuked him regarding our biggest threats. "The 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because... the Cold War's been over for 20 years," said the president who promised the Russians more flexibility as he disarmed the United States. If the Cold War was over, somebody forgot to tell Moscow, for their belligerence towards Ukraine is straight out of the playbook of Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev. They ruthlessly repressed with Soviet armor the 1956 Hungary rebellion and the 1968 Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia.

Putins approach is perhaps more subtle, arming so-called separatists rather than sending in Soviet armored columns, but it is a distinction without a difference. Grave concerns and sternly worded letters carry no weight with Putin, whose stated ambitions are clear. President Obama did less than nothing, sending only supplies worthy of a Boy Scout Jamboree rather than a sovereign nation resisting Russian aggression. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in 2015 warned Congress that Russian actions in the Ukraine were the start of a new Cold War and that President Obamas actions were inadequate:

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko gave a 40-minute speech to a rare joint session of Congress alerting lawmakers to the plight of his country under Russia's creeping "Anschluss." Poroshenko once again pled for meaningful aid, including an affiliation with NATO, and warned that a new Iron Curtain may soon descend as Vladimir Putin tries to reassemble the Soviet Union whose demise he has publicly mourned. In March, Ukraine asked for arms and ammunition, intelligence support, aviation fuel and night vision goggles. The Pentagon agreed only to provide the Ukrainians with supplies of U.S. military rations known as Meals Ready To Eat, or MREs. This time Ukraine did not get much more than that -- just some peripheral gear such as night-vision goggles and helmets. But once again it received no lethal aid that Poroshenko's country desperately needs, such as requested anti-tank weaponry.

Just as Obama failed to aid Irans Green Revolution in Iran in 2009 when it might have brought the mullahs to their knees and nipped Irans nuclear threat in the bud, Obama allowed Putin and Russia to take the first steps toward rebooting the old evil empire President Ronald Reagan worked so hard to defeat. Thanks to President Trump Ukraines long-desired anti-tank weaponry is on its way.

Merry Christmas, Vladimir Putin, from President Donald Trump.

Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investors Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications.
Last week, the Trump administration announced that the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv would move to Israel's actual capital, Jerusalem. As the cognoscenti shrieked, some ten nations are now planning to do the same in a snowball effect. According to the New York Post:

Israel is in talks with more than 10 countries  including some in Europe  about potentially moving their respective embassies to Jerusalem, according to officials. Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely on Monday said the nations were interested in following President Trump's footsteps and declaring the Israeli city the new capital in the wake of Guatemala's recent decision to do so.

Pretty amazing what U.S. leadership will do. The U.S. move provided all ten of those nations plausible cover for moving their nations to Jerusalem after us. Prior to that, they stayed put.

It makes absolutely perfect sense for them to move. Here's why.

Most nations want nothing to do with the Israel-Palestine conflict and have no influence over its events. They aren't players, nobody wants their opinion, and they don't have the expertise or exposure, and it's none of their business. They are nations, however, and nations have interests.

What's the interest of a tiny nation such as Guatemala or Honduras in the broader conflicts of the Middle East? Nil. But such nations do want to develop their countries and draw foreign investment to ensure job creation and a rising standard of living for their locals. One of the best nations for this pursuit of national interest is Israel. Would it not make sense to get on Israel's good side and move embassies to Jerusalem? The Israelis would be delighted, and they would probably bend over backwards to help these nations in achieving their goals.

Israel is such a good ally for any nation to have.

For starters, and little known to the media community, Israel is a high-tech powerhouse to rival Silicon Valley. Other places try to set up Silicon Valleys and flunk, but Israel is one of the few places that have really succeeded  and like the original Silicon Valley, there was nothing centrally planned about it. Israel is such a success as a tech powerhouse that some say it is the "brains" of Silicon Valley, given the kind of outposts all the big tech companies have set up in that country and the kinds of operations (design and software development) they are.

Besides tech, Israelis are also famous problem-solvers  on intractable resource issues such as water and natural gas. Israel, after all, is the nation that made the desert bloom. It's the nation whose greenery outlines its borders from airline flights. It has no water problems  it exports water. What's more, with energy an issue in the last decade and fracking and other technologies for extraction rising, Israel has mastered many of these technologies and is poised to develop its great natural gas fields offshore, too.

It's the can-do country. Case in point: The water problems Ethiopia has been having are being resolved by the Israelis.

Here is some perspective from George Gilder, whose book, The Israel Test, is must-reading for understanding why good relations with Israel benefit every nation.

"There's a view that the Middle East faces an impossible water predicament," author George Gilder told an American Freedom Alliance conference last week. "In reality, the water crisis is bogus." He pointed out that Israel resolved its water problems by using the talents of its entrepreneurs. "Since 1948 Israel's population is up 10-fold, arable land threefold, agriculture output 16-fold, industrial output 50-fold, yet net water usage dropped 10%," Gilder said. The country recycles 83% of its own water, buys sewage from the Palestinians to turn into usable water, invented drip irrigation and is the world leader in desalinization. These have made Israel close to self-sufficient in water ever since it freed its economy in 1995.

And remember: water isn't the only problem Israel is good at solving  the Israelis have top expertise in archaeological preservation, in energy development, in alternative energy if a nation is interested in that, in medicine, education, science, culture, and quite a bit more.

Why wouldn't a nation such as Guatemala or Honduras (which is reportedly the next nation that will move its embassy) want something like that? A little piece of this great treasure trove for mutual benefit? Why wouldn't they want to reach out to Israel and acknowledge its right to exist by moving their embassy to where Israel's government really is? When word gets out about how intensifying friendship by moving embassies to Jerusalem benefits nations that extend their hands, you can bet there is going to be a lot more of it. An avalanche is already starting.
The new Austrian government, elected in October and seated last week, has taken stern and effective measures to deal with the flood of purported "refugees" overwhelming many other E.U. members. It is bearing out the worst fears of Islamophile liberals, such as those at the New York Times, who warned, taking only 51 words before using the other N-word:

A new coalition government was sworn in on Monday in Austria, and for the first time in more than 10 years it includes the far-right Freedom Party, a watershed for the populist movements that unsettled European politics this year. The return to power of the Freedom Party, which was founded by neo-Nazis after World War II[.]

You might think death camps already have been established, but that is not at all the substance of the new government's policies. Instead, the U.K. Express reports:

The Conservative People's Party (OVP) and the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) both ran their campaign on an anti-migrant policies. And the new government has quickly rolled out a series of migrant rules for those arriving in the country. Phones will be seized upon entry, allowing border officials to analyse mobile data to determine migrants' identities.

This is common sense. Many people falsely claim to be fleeing from the Syrian Civil War, but if their phone records indicate a lot of calls to, say, Egypt, Lebanon, or Morocco, they will not be accorded war refugee status. Many disguise their true identities for various reasons, including ties to terrorist groups.

Money will also be taken from migrants and put towards the cost of caring for people arriving in the country. And benefits will be stopped for some migrants who have not yet "paid into" the country. The changes were outlined in a 180-page document written by the OVP and FPO. The partnership promised to do "much better" to combat issues regarding migration but said "nobody had anything to fear". On benefits, 31-year-old new Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said: "It will no longer happen for migrants who have never worked here a single day or paid anything into the social system to get thousands of euros in welfare."



Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is the youngest head of government in Europe.

That makes enough sense that we ought to apply this policy in the U.S., where new legal immigrants (often elderly parents taking advantage of "chain immigration") can get benefits from Social Security trust funds that Americans have paid into their entire working lives.

Needless to say, Vienna saw its own version of the anti-Trump "resistance" as the new government was inaugurated.

Thousands of people took to the streets to protest the new government during the swearing-in ceremony in the capital of Austria. Police said 6,000 people gathered in Heroes Square, where they chanted "refugees welcome" and "no Nazi pigs".

Where was Rosie O'Donnell?

The two parties that formed the new government after running on a platform to manage the flood of "migrants" better won over 57.5% of the vote in the October election, so the Nazi-mongers are clearly in the minority.

Germans who wish Frau Merkel weren't quite so welcoming to "refugees" must be looking with envy on Austria. I bet Germans will be watching closely to see how these measures work out.
Utah's Senator Orrin Hatch has spent half a century in Washington, D.C. in his current role, leaving a huge imprint on Capitol Hill. Hatch is also recognized as the ultimate swamp creature  a Washington insider who has perpetuated a system that is out of touch with the people and entirely too reliant on cooperation with Democrats.

Since cooperation is a dirty word these days, there are many rank-and-file Republicans who would like to see Hatch replaced with a younger, more conservative candidate. Indeed, at age 83, Hatch's strength and stamina to represent the people of Utah are being questioned.

The Salt Lake Tribune ran an editorial on Christmas Day excoriating Hatch and calling on him not to seek an eighth term in the Senate.

The Hill:

The Tribune went after Hatch for his involvement in President Trump's decision earlier this year to shrink two national monuments in the state, saying there was "no constitutional, legal or environmental logic" behind the move. "To all appearances  appearances promoted by Hatch  this anti-environmental, anti-Native American and, yes, anti-business decommissioning of national monuments was basically a political favor the White House did for Hatch," the editorial states. The Tribune also noted Hatch's involvement in the passage of the GOP tax plan last week given his role as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. The plan has been criticized by opponents who say it primarily benefits wealthy individuals and corporations, claims that backers of the plan reject. The editorial criticizes Hatch for saying in 2012 that it would be his last campaign, but now appears to be preparing to run again in 2018, which would be his eight term. "Once again, Hatch has moved to freeze the field to make it nigh unto impossible for any number of would-be senators to so much as mount a credible challenge," the paper said. "That's not only not fair to all of those who were passed over. It is basically a theft from the Utah electorate."

I'm not so sure that it's a "theft" to play smart politics. Hatch is keeping his options open by, for all intents and purposes, putting the Utah GOP Senate race in suspended animation. I doubt whether the Tribune complains or accuses a Democratic senator of "theft" when he pulls the same stunt.

And it's strange that the leading newspaper from a state where 70% of the land is owned by the federal government should raise a ruckus when some of it is given back to the people.

Still, the paper has a point. Hatch is too old and too out of touch to be an effective Republican in the Senate. Fifty years in Washington has made Hatch much more the Washingtonian than Utahan. Worse, he has lost credibility with even many Republicans to the point where it's an open question whether he could even win a general election.

Unless the Utah GOP were to nominate a candidate to replace Hatch as toxic as Roy Moore, any Republican should win in a walk. Hatch should realize that and step away from politics gracefully before he is rudely shoved aside by his own party.
Well, that certainly didn't take long! On Thursday, December 21, the U.N., with nothing else on its agenda as the world is so peaceful, healthy and well fed, voted on a resolution

to condemn the United States for admitting a thousands-year-old reality  because Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Israel, the U.S. will move its embassy there. One hundred twenty-eight nations, including some of our so-called allies, agreed with the Egypt-Yemen sponsored resolution.

That was then. Fast-forward three days later to Sunday, December 24  yes, the day before Christmas, when Nikki Haley, a woman of some color born to immigrant parents who is now the U.S. representative to the U.N., announced another new reality: a 25% reduction in U.S. contributions to the U.N. Oh, and not so incidentally, 22% of U.N. funding comes from...why yes, the United States.

Today, the United Nations agreed on a budget for the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Among a host of other successes, the United States negotiated a reduction of over $285 million off the 2016-2017 final budget. In addition to these significant cost savings, we reduced the UN's bloated management and support functions, bolstered support for key U.S. priorities throughout the world, and instilled more discipline and accountability throughout the UN system. "The inefficiency and overspending of the United Nations are well known. We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked. This historic reduction in spending  in addition to many other moves toward a more efficient and accountable UN  is a big step in the right direction. While we are pleased with the results of this year's budget negotiations, you can be sure we'll continue to look at ways to increase the UN's efficiency while protecting our interests," said Ambassador Haley.

This shouldn't have come as a shock, because the day before the U.N. vote, President Donald Trump (R) promised to reduce U.N. subsidies because:

"For all of these nations that take our money and then they vote against us at the Security Council or they vote against us, potentially, at the Assembly, they take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us," Trump said at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. "Well, we're watching those votes," he continued. "Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care. But this isn't like it used to be where they could vote against you and then you pay them hundreds of millions of dollars and nobody knows what they're doing."

Even earlier  exactly a year ago, to be precise  Trump tweeted:

As to the U.N., things will be different after Jan. 20th.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2016

But those U.N. members just didn't believe him. A year later, perhaps they are beginning to. For as Trump's predecessor, President Barack Hussein Obama (D) (remember him?) observed that "[e]lections have consequences, and at the end of the day, I won."

Trump won. The U.S. won.
On the campaign trail, then-candidate Donald Trump promised to help Make America Great Again. In contrast to the Obama years, America would start winning again. Almost one full year into the Trump presidency, there is strong evidence America is indeed winning. Accomplishments are being made on the economy, illegal immigration, and defeating ISIS as well as in appointing constitutionalists to the courts.

Trump was accused by some of not being a real conservative and questioned as to whether he would govern as a conservative. Their fears have proven unfounded. While he is indeed an independent thinker, the President appointed Neil Gorsuch, a strict constitutionalist, to the Supreme Court. This appointment alone has the potential to impact America for generations to come. As we have seen with court responses to the travel ban, the judiciary wields significant influence. This decision by the president was a major win for America.

Illegal immigration is down, and the Justice Department is keeping MS-13 and other violent gangs out of the United States. At least for now, the program known as DACA, arguably a form of amnesty, has been put to an end. Illegal border crossings have decreased significantly from the Obama years. The Border Patrol know they have the support of the president. Lawlessness on the southern border is ending, and the president promises to build the wall.

As for terror, the president has successfully imposed a travel ban from terror countries and increased extreme vetting. Unlike in the Obama and Clinton plans, there will be no more admitting Syrian refugees. It is now harder for jihadis to infiltrate our country the way they have in parts of Europe. On the battlefield, ISIS has lost its so-called caliphate, and its members on the run. The brutal video beheadings are no longer being released. The territorial gains in Iraq and Syria have evaporated. Finally, we have a president who recognizes that we are up against an ideology and, unlike Obama, is unafraid to call out radical Islamic terrorism. To quote President Reagan: we win; they lose.

Despite the predictions of the mainstream media, the stock market is booming. Consistently high numbers in the market along with a coming tax cut bill bode well. The president has reignited the economy, helping us recover from the Obama slump. This president is putting the American economy before the globalist economy. This is his priority.

This president has already compiled an impressive record. Whether on the economy, defeating ISIS, or the border, America is winning again. Indeed, it can fairly be stated that in his first year in office, despite historic opposition, the president is helping to Make America Great Again.
Students graduating from high school in Ohio next spring can get a new seal on their diplomas that signifies their mastery of job skills like teamwork and creativity.

Many states have long awarded seals, or endorsements, that indicate students have completed a career and technical education course of study. But this seal is different; no courses in career-tech-ed are required. Ohios new seal focuses on skills that employers in many fields told the state they consider essential for success.

Some of the 15 skills on Ohios list are what many advocates have long referred to as soft or 21st century skills things like teamwork, punctuality, leadership, and having a good work ethic. Others, like critical thinking, reflect longstanding educator goals. Still others reflect a more recent focus on skills that are particularly necessary in a modern economy thats shaped by globalism and technology: mastery of digital tools and global/intercultural fluency. One of the 15 skills is actually a pledge to be drug-free.

To earn the seals, Ohio students have to work with at least three adults, from school, work, or their community, who can validate that theyve mastered particular skills.

Ohio created the career-readiness seal as part of its budget legislation last summer. The states department of K-12 and higher education worked with the governors workforce transformation office to produce an initial list of skills, drawing from groups like the National Association of Colleges and Employers, The Conference Board, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and Corporate Voices for Working Families. A survey of Ohio businesses also informed the development of the skills list.

Students who want the career seal will have to comply with Ohios graduation rules, which require passing specified courses and graduation exams. Ohio recently revamped graduation requirements, so students have a menu of options in addition to passing those courses and tests. They must complete two options from a list that the state developed.

They could choose to earn a 2.5 grade-point average in their senior-year courses and attend school 93 percent of the time. Or they could go a different route, passing the WorkKeys test and completing a capstone project. There are other options on that list, too.

Ohios career-readiness seal reflects trends that are new and those that have been around a long time. States have long offered career-technical-education endorsements, or seals for advanced coursework, for instance. But more recently, theyve begun to offer diploma seals in fields like STEM or biliteracy . California is developing an endorsement that will reflect mastery of civics and government .
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.
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The New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department (TRD) has taken an interest in the oil and gas property audit being conducted by Total Assessment Solutions Corp. (TASC) on behalf of the Eddy County Office of the Assessor.

Two representatives of the TRD attended the Dec. 14 town hall meeting held by county assessor Gemma Ferguson and TASC oil and gas manager for Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Colorado, Jerry Wisdom.

Bryson Frazier, director of the TRDs Property Tax Division, had previously drafted a letter to Ferguson, dated Dec. 1, regarding the audit.

In it, Frazier says he understands the position of the assessors office and appreciates the work Ferguson does on behalf of the county. Frazier also states, however, that, by statute, it is the states responsibility to assess equipment associated with mineral production.

By this letter, I am informing you, Frazier writes, that neither the statute nor the (previous district court) order invests you with any such authority. The Taxation and Revenue Department is vested with the sole responsibility to value this property.

The intent of the statute is to ensure uniformity by centrally assessing production equipment operated by companies that often operate across county lines, State Rep. Jim Townsend and Eddy County Commissioner Jon Henry state in a letter submitted Friday to the Daily Press. This is not limited to oil and gas, but also other like businesses, such as utilities.

Townsend and Henry say they agree it is critical to work with all parties  county, state and industry  to ensure fair and equitable practices are in place and taxes are being properly and uniformly assessed and paid.

A centrally-assessed system managed by the state also relieves the counties of the risk of challenges to equipment assessments and protects the county from potential refunds to private businesses when an assessment is determined to be incorrect, the two write. The Property Tax Division, by statute, has supervisory authority over all county assessors.

As your local representatives to state and county governments, we hope to facilitate a conciliatory and mutually acceptable outcome which would save the county thousands of dollars and the risk associated with lawsuits and potential refunds.

Frazier says he understands the assessors offices concerns about underreported and unreported property values, and that the state will continue to work with Ferguson in her attempt to capture all taxable value within Eddy County.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff  Appellee, v. MARCELINO CHAN-XOOL, Defendant  Appellant. No. 16-41667 Decided: December 22, 2017

Before REAVLEY, ELROD, and SOUTHWICK, Circuit Judges.

Defendant Marcelino Chan-Xool appeals his sentence. He argues that the district court plainly erred by assessing an additional criminal-history point under Guideline  4A1.1(e) in its Guidelines calculation. We AFFIRM.

I.

In 2016, Marcelino Chan-Xool pleaded guilty to illegal reentry. In the presentence report (PSR), the probation officer assessed an additional criminal-history point pursuant to United States Sentencing Guidelines  4A1.1(e) because Chan-Xool had two prior convictionsone for kidnapping and one for voluntary manslaughterthat were treated as a single sentence. In 2006, Chan-Xool had been sentenced to serve one year and eight months for kidnapping in violation of California Penal Code section 207(a) and six years for voluntary manslaughter in violation of California Penal Code section 192(a). Chan-Xool was to serve these sentences consecutively. The probation officer assessed three criminal-history points for these two sentences, because they were imposed on the same date and the offenses were listed in the same charging instrument. The probation officer then assessed an additional criminal-history point pursuant to Guideline  4A1.1(e).

This total of four criminal-history points produced a criminal-history category of III. Along with the offense level and a one-level decrease for acceptance of responsibility, this category produced an advisory sentencing range of twenty-four to thirty months. The district court adopted this recommended Guidelines range. The district court then sentenced Chan-Xool within the Guidelines range to thirty months in custody and imposed a $100 special assessment.

In arriving at the thirty-month sentence, the district court discussed the serious nature of Chan-Xool's prior conduct that not only caused harm to a family, but resulted in the loss of life to a member of the community. The district court noted that it would stay within the Guidelines range, although with a lot of reservation. Because of Chan-Xool's prior conduct, the district court determined that a sentence at the high end of the Guidelines range was necessary. Chan-Xool timely filed a notice of appeal.

II.

Because Chan-Xool failed to object to his criminal-history score, his claim on appeal is subject to plain-error review. See United States v. Jasso, 587 F.3d 706, 709 (5th Cir. 2009) (holding that because defendant failed to preserve the alleged error in the district court, plain-error review rather than de novo review applied). Under plain-error review, we consider whether there is: (1) a legal error; (2) that is clear or obvious rather than subject to reasonable dispute; (3) that affected the appellant's substantial rights; and (4) that the court may use its discretion to remedy because the first three prongs are satisfied and the error seriously affects the fairness, integrity or public reputation of judicial proceedings. Puckett v. United States, 556 U.S. 129, 135 (2009) (citations omitted).

III.

A.

Chan-Xool argues that the district court plainly erred when it assessed an additional criminal-history point based on Chan-Xool's sentence for kidnapping and voluntary manslaughter. [W]e first inquire whether the district court's imposition of the enhancement was erroneous and, if so, whether the error was plain (i.e., clear or obvious). Jasso, 587 F.3d at 709 (footnote omitted) (citation omitted). In determining a defendant's criminal-history category, a probation officer is to add three points for each prior sentence of imprisonment that exceeds one year and one month. U.S.S.G.  4A1.1(a). [P]rior sentences are counted separately unless (A) the sentences resulted from offenses contained in the same charging instrument; or (B) the sentences were imposed on the same day. U.S.S.G.  4A1.2(a)(2). If either situation applies, the probation officer is to treat multiple prior sentences as a single sentence. Id. Finally, the probation officer is to add one point for each prior sentence resulting from a conviction of a crime of violence that did not receive any points because it was treated as a single sentence. U.S.S.G.  4A1.1(e). The probation officer may add up to three additional points under Guideline  4A1.1(e). Id.

Here, the probation officer correctly treated Chan-Xool's two prior sentences as a single sentence, because they were imposed on the same date and the offenses were listed in the same charging instrument. The probation officer correctly added three points for this prior sentence. It is undisputed that Chan-Xool's conviction for voluntary manslaughter under California Penal Code section 192(a) counts as a crime of violence. U.S.S.G.  4B1.2(a)(2); see United States v. Bonilla-Montenegro, 331 F.3d 1047, 105052 (9th Cir. 2003) (holding that voluntary manslaughter under section 192(a) counts as an enumerated crime of violence). However, because the manslaughter conviction already had received additional criminal-history points, the probation officer correctly assessed an additional point only if the kidnapping conviction also counts as a crime of violence.

We have held (and the government does not contest) that kidnapping in violation of California Penal Code section 207(a) is not a crime of violence. United States v. Moreno-Florean, 542 F.3d 445, 45256 (5th Cir. 2008) (holding that violating section 207(a) is not a crime of violence for purposes of U.S.S.G.  2L1.2); see also United States v. Rayo-Valdez, 302 F.3d 314, 318 (5th Cir. 2002) (holding that the definitions of crime of violence in U.S.S.G.  2L1.2 and 4B1.2 are substantially the same and should be consistently construed).

The government argues, however, that because Chan-Xool admitted violating California's section 12022.7(a) sentencing enhancement as part of his guilty plea to the charge of kidnapping, he was actually convicted of a more specific crime that did include the use of physical force as an element. Chan-Xool counters that section 12022.7(a) is a sentencing enhancement but not an element of the crime of kidnapping for which he was convicted.

The government's argument suffers from two key flaws. First, a person can violate California's section 12022.7(a) sentencing enhancement by acting with mere negligence, and this shows that violating section 12022.7(a) is not a crime of violence. See Ramirez v. Lynch, 810 F.3d 1127, 1135 n.2 (9th Cir. 2016) (noting in dicta that section 12022.7(a) does not meet the definition of a crime of violence  , as it has clearly been applied to defendants who committed crimes recklessly or negligently). Moreover, the Supreme Court has stated that the phrase use of physical force in the definition of a crime of violence most naturally suggests a higher degree of intent than negligent or merely accidental conduct. Leocal v. Ashcroft, 543 U.S. 1, 9 (2004); see Voisine v. United States, 136 S. Ct. 2272, 227980 (2016) (holding that the definition of a misdemeanor crime of violence embraces reckless conduct as well as knowing or intentional conduct). Because section 12022.7(a) can apply to merely negligent conduct, it cannot qualify as an element involving a use of force that must be at least reckless.

Second, the government's arguments lack support in the caselaw. The government cites People v. Pangan, 152 Cal. Rptr. 3d 632 (Cal. Ct. App. 2013), but this case centers on the calculation of a restitution award and does not hold that a sentencing enhancement constitutes an element of an offense. 152 Cal. Rptr. 3d at 633. Moreover, the fact that California statutory enhancements require the reasonable-doubt standard of proof does not show that an enhancement is an element of an offense. The government provides no case showing that admitting to violating a statutory enhancement in conjunction with one's guilty plea (as the government alleges Chan-Xool did) makes the enhancement an element of the underlying offense. Although the government cites People v. Black, 113 P.3d 534, 545 (Cal. 2005), judgment vacated sub nom. Black v. California, 549 U.S. 1190 (2007), in an attempt to equate statutory enhancements with elements of an offense, this case is inapt. Neither it nor any other case that the government cites shows that enhancements can qualify as elements for the purpose of transforming what is not a crime of violence into a crime of violence.

The government argues in the alternative that the district court did not commit plain error because it is unclear whether both prior convictions that are treated as a single sentence have to be crimes of violence for purposes of assessing an additional criminal-history point. However, the commentary on Guideline  4A1.1(e) speaks of convictions for crimes of violence, showing that both convictions must be crimes of violence to justify assessing a single criminal-history point under Guideline  4A1.1(e). U.S.S.G.  4A1.1(e) cmt. n.5. The commentary states:

In a case in which the defendant received two or more prior sentences as a result of convictions for crimes of violence that are treated as a single sentence (see  4A1.2(a)(2)), one point is added under  4A1.1(e) for each such sentence that did not result in any additional points under  4A1.1(a), (b), or (c).

U.S.S.G.  4A1.1 cmt. n.5 (emphasis added). This language from the commentary is not obscure. The PSR itself speaks of multiple convictions for crimes of violence when determining Chan-Xool's criminal-history score, directly implying that Chan-Xool's kidnapping offense is a crime of violence.

The government seeks to support its alternate argument by suggesting that criminal-history calculations depend on whether prior sentences were to be served consecutively or concurrently. The Guidelines make no such distinction. The fact that Chan-Xool was to serve his sentences consecutively is irrelevant to whether the district court should have assessed an additional criminal-history point under Guideline  4A1.1(e). A novel argument, made in the teeth of applicable precedent, does not show lack of clarity. Under Moreno-Florean, the district court plainly erred by assessing an additional criminal-history point based on Chan-Xool's prior convictions despite the fact that kidnapping under section 207(a) is not a crime of violence. See United States v. Reyes-Ochoa, 861 F.3d 582, 58889 (5th Cir. 2017) (holding that the district court plainly erred by imposing a crime-of-violence enhancement based on prior convictions for offenses that were not crimes of violence).

B.

Given that the assessment of an additional criminal-history point was error and that the error was plain, we next consider whether the error affected the defendant's substantial rights. Puckett, 556 U.S. at 135. Had the district court only assessed three criminal history points, Chan-Xool's criminal-history category would have been II, and the advisory Guidelines range would have been twenty-one to twenty-seven months. As discussed above, the district court sentenced Chan-Xool to thirty months in custody based on an advisory sentencing range of twenty-four to thirty months. While the additional criminal-history point produced an upper Guidelines range only three months higher than the upper Guidelines range without the additional point, the length of the sentence is not dispositive. In Molina-Martinez v. United States, 136 S. Ct. 1338 (2016), the Supreme Court held that [w]hen a defendant is sentenced under an incorrect Guidelines rangewhether or not the defendant's ultimate sentence falls within the correct rangethe error itself can, and most often will, be sufficient to show a reasonable probability of a different outcome absent the error. 136 S. Ct. at 1345. Moreover, the district court's stated reluctance to stay within the Guidelines range does not show that the court based the thirty-month sentence on factors independent of the Guidelines. Id. at 1347. The error here affected Chan-Xool's substantial rights.

C.

We exercise our discretion under the fourth prong of the plain-error analysis only if the error seriously affects the fairness, integrity or public reputation of judicial proceedings. Puckett, 556 U.S. at 135. [W]e do not view the fourth prong as automatic if the other three prongs are met. United States v. Escalante-Reyes, 689 F.3d 415, 425 (5th Cir. 2012) (en banc). Rather, we look to the degree of the error and the particular facts of the case to determine whether to exercise our discretion. United States v. Prieto, 801 F.3d 547, 554 (5th Cir. 2015) (citations omitted).

We have chosen not to exercise our fourth-prong discretion when much greater deviations than three-month deviations were involved. See, e.g., United States v. Chavez-Hernandez, 671 F.3d 494, 49697, 501 (5th Cir. 2012) (affirming an improperly enhanced sentence that exceeded the high end of the correct Guidelines range by twenty-three months); United States v. Jones, 489 F.3d 679, 682 (5th Cir. 2007) (affirming sentence when the district court had departed twenty-three months above the high end of the Guidelines range based on its improper consideration of defendant's arrest record); see also United States v. Ellis, 564 F.3d 370, 37879 (5th Cir. 2009) ([E]ven if an increase in a sentence be seen as inevitably substantial in one sense it does not inevitably affect the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial process and proceedings.). Here, because of the serious nature of Chan-Xool's prior offenses and the three-month increase in the length of his sentence, we determine that the error does not seriously affect the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings. See United States v. Wikkerink, 841 F.3d 327, 339 (5th Cir. 2016) (examining the district court's statements about defendant's criminal history and concluding that the district court's error did not merit correction under the fourth prong).

IV.

Therefore, we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court.

FOOTNOTES

. Under the Guidelines, The term crime of violence means any offense under federal or state law, punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, that(1) has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another, or(2) is murder, voluntary manslaughter, kidnapping, aggravated assault, a forcible sex offense, robbery, arson, extortion, or the use or unlawful possession of a firearm described in 26 U.S.C.  5845(a) or explosive material as defined in 18 U.S.C.  841(c).U.S.S.G.  4B1.2(a).

. The statutory enhancement reads: (a) Any person who personally inflicts great bodily injury on any person other than an accomplice in the commission of a felony or attempted felony shall be punished by an additional and consecutive term of imprisonment in the state prison for three years. Cal. Penal Code  12022.7(a).

. This is not the first time the government has argued that a statutory enhancement can turn what is not a crime of violence into a crime of violence. In Ramirez v. Lynch, the Ninth Circuit noted, Ramirez received a statutory sentence enhancement under California Penal Code section 12022.7(a), which is reflected in the abstract of judgment, and which the government argues establishes that Ramirez was convicted of a crime of violence once the modified categorical approach is applied. 810 F.3d 1127, 1135 n.2 (9th Cir. 2016). The Ninth Circuit declined to rule on the precise question, but noted that the sentencing enhancement is not a crime of which Ramirez was convicted.  Id.

. The PSR states: If a defendant received two or more prior sentences as a result of convictions for crimes of violence that are counted as a single sentence, one point is added for each sentence that did not result in any additional points under U.S.S.G.  4A1.1(a), (b), or (c), and a total of up to three points may be added, pursuant to U.S.S.G.  4A1.1(e). In this case, the defendant was convicted of kidnapping and voluntary manslaughter  that were counted as a single sentence. Thus, one point is added. (emphasis added).

PER CURIAM:*
Global economic growth in 2018 looks likely to quicken slightly to 3.6 per cent from 3.5 per cent this year.

Indias ascent is part of a trend that will see Asian economies increasingly dominate the top 10 largest economies over the next 15 years.

London: India looks set to leapfrog Britain and France next year to become the worlds fifth-largest economy in dollar terms, a report showed on Tuesday.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) consultancys 2018 World Economic League Table painted an upbeat view of the global economy, boosted by cheap energy and technology prices.

Indias ascent is part of a trend that will see Asian economies increasingly dominate the top 10 largest economies over the next 15 years.

Despite temporary setbacks ... Indias economy has still caught up with that of France and the UK and in 2018 will have overtaken them both to become the worlds fifth largest economy in dollar terms, said Douglas McWilliams, Cebr deputy chairman.

McWilliams said Indias growth had been slowed by restrictions on high-value banknotes and a new sales tax, a view shared by economists polled by Reuters.

China is likely to overtake the United States as the worlds No 1 economy in 2032, Cebr said.

Because the impact of President Trump on trade has been less severe than expected, the USA will retain its global crown a year longer than we anticipated in the last report, the report said.

While Britain looks set to lag behind France over the next couple of years, Cebr predicted that Brexits effects on Britains economy will be less than feared, allowing it to overtake France again in 2020.

Russia was vulnerable to low oil prices and too reliant on the energy sector, and looked likely to fall to 17th place among the worlds largest economies by 2032, from 11th now.

A Reuters poll of economists in late October suggested global economic growth in 2018 looks likely to quicken slightly to 3.6 per cent from 3.5 per cent this year - with risks to that forecast lying on the upside.
Deepika was going to be seen as Padmavati this year, which has faced indefinite delay.

Mumbai: Ranveer Singh has been announced the EPL ambassador for India, for which he is spending time, rather making the most of London. He even spent time with former Manchester City player Patrick Vieira. Heres how his week has gone by:

 A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Dec 21, 2017 at 7:43pm PST

 @arsenal @premierleague #COYG A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Dec 22, 2017 at 11:35am PST

 #holidays #merrychristmas A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Dec 24, 2017 at 4:09pm PST

 A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Dec 24, 2017 at 4:14pm PST

His alleged girlfriend Deepika Padukone, who also celebrated her Christmas by attending her first midnight mass yesterday, was spotted in a covered outfit, vacationing in Vienna. Heres her look:

Deepika was going to be seen as Padmavati this year, but due to indefinite delay, it is now unsure what will be Deepikas next film. Maybe she has gone to Vienna for work purpose only?

Ranveer too was supposed to be seen as the villain Alauddin Khilji in Padmavati. Along with that, he has also started prepping up for 83.
The actor and director, who enjoys both aspects of the creative fields at the moment is working on his comedy script.

Actor Kunal Roy Kapur, best known for his role in Delhi Belly, is gearing up for the release of Kaalakaandi, which will be coming out next year.

Talking about the film, the actor says there are three tracks in it and is a story of one single night. One story follows Saif Ali Khans tale, who is suffering from cancer and knows he will die. He is doing all sorts of things, as he feels death is close and doesnt matter even if he has to go to jail. Similarly, my track along with Sobhita Dhulipala has its own angle. This film has ample of drama/comedy and thrill. Its a different film and will definitely attract the audiences, smiles Kunal

The actor and director, who enjoys both aspects of the creative fields at the moment is working on his comedy script.

While acting involves less responsibility, direction is a huge learning process, as you have to deal with various department. Also, direction its just not an hours job, one has to be thoroughly involved  rather, immersed  in the subject until the film is completed. It could then take to three years too, he says.

The actor, who is ready with a new script, is now looking for producers. I am sure it will happen. I am ready with the script and it is a drama/comedy film. The moment any producer like it, I will get on with it. I am hoping for the best, he adds.

So, will his producer brother, Siddharth Roy Kapur produce his film? Pat comes the reply, It actually does not happen like that. We have to struggle our own way out in any profession. In fact, we have always worked independently.

When asked how the family parties, he smiles, Being a Punjabi family, we all love to eat. And all of us live separately so we usually meet at our parents place, while sitting at the dining table with our mouthful we have discussions only about films, he laughs.

On his equation with sister-in-law Vidya Balan, he says there is no formality with her, and they are friendly. Vidya loves food and lately she has started preparing some delicious south Indian dishes for the family. Recently, she made Idli Sambhar and Chuttney, and my parents relished it a lot, but I missed it. My mom was all praises for the dish. She was so happy that she kept raving about it for days, he smiles.

The family who watched Vidyas latest release Tumhaari Sullu loved it and Kunal reveals that Siddharth has watched the film at least five times.

We are happy that Vidya is not conscious of anything. In fact, she is one actor who has proved that selecting various roles best suited for her she can encourage other female actors as well, Kunal says.
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli tied the knot in a private ceremony in Italy on December 11, 2017.

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli arriving at the venue of their reception.

Mumbai: Newlyweds Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, on Tuesday afternoon, arrived at the St. Regis in Lower Parel for their Mumbai wedding reception. Anushka and Virat had tied the knot in a ceremony for family and friends in Italy on 11 December. The couple had their first wedding reception in New Delhi on 21 December. Prime Minister of the country Narendra Modi attended the party, and gave his blessings to the couple.

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma will throw an extravagant wedding reception in Mumbai today. The reception will be held in the Astor Ballroom, St Regis in Lower Parel, Mumbai. Interestingly, this is also where Zaheer Khan and Sagarika Ghatge hosted their wedding reception.

Bollywood bigwigs Amitabh Bachchan, Ranveer Singh, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Rani Mukerji, Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor among several others, are expected to attend this grand reception tonight.

See the pictures of the couple arriving at the venue:

Check out Virushka's wedding reception invitation:

@imVkohli @AnushkaSharma what a lovely invite. Everything about your wedding has been personal,classy & romantic. Just like you both. God bless. pic.twitter.com/OBHVp2dnE1  kunal kohli (@kunalkohli) December 16, 2017

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli tied the knot in a private ceremony in Italy on December 11, 2017. The couple got married in a luxurious resort and had invited close friends and family.

Anushka and Virat had made a formal announcement on their social media accounts by posting, Today we have promised each other to be bound in love forever. We are truly blessed to share the news with you. This beautiful day will be made more special with the love and support of our family of fans &well wishers. Thank you for being such an important part of our journey.

After the second reception in Mumbai today, the couple will travel to South Africa where Virat Kohli will start prepping for the upcoming series.

Anushka and Virat will bring about the New Year together before the Bollywood actress returns to India in the first week of January 2018 to begin the next shooting schedule of Anand L Rais film with Shah Rukh Khan in Mumbai.
Assyrian Family From Iraq Finally Celebrates Christmas in America

Milad, left, and Lina Homo watch their daughters, Melva and Angelina, open their Christmas gifts. The family celebrated their first Christmas in the United States on Dec. 25, 2017, after coming from Iraq in May. ( Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune) A year ago, Milad Homo feared his family never would be able to celebrate Christmas in America. The Assyrian Christians had waited more than three years for a chance to emigrate from Turkey, where they had fled after Homo was threatened by a carload of men in black hoods as the family left a Baghdad church. Homo, his wife and two daughters had left all but a few possessions behind in Iraq, struggling to get by in a Turkish city packed with fellow refugees while praying they could someday join his mother, sisters and brothers in Chicago's tight-knit Assyrian community. Their bid for asylum from religious persecution and genocide had appeared to be finally moving forward last year. But rumblings about new delays after the U.S. election turned to outright panic when the family was caught up in President Donald Trump's travel ban, which barred citizens from Iraq and several other predominantly Muslim nations from entering the country. It took nearly three months of political pressure and geopolitical wrangling to drop Iraq from the travel ban. Even after that, many Iraqi Christians in America have been on edge, especially after the Trump administration moved to deport hundreds of people back to war-torn Iraq. Homo and his family ultimately managed to cut through the roadblocks, arriving in Chicago in May and embarking on the heady experience of being immigrants in a country vastly different from their own. "It's amazing to be in a place where we are free," Homo said Monday at the family's cozy apartment in West Rogers Park. "We escaped from something very hard, for us and for our children. The best gift is now we can stay far, far away from (Iraq) and have a better life." As his two daughters dove under a Christmas tree to unwrap presents, Homo explained how extended family and random acts of kindness have helped them get started in their new home. Angelina Homo looks the new Barbie dolls she received for Christmas. ( Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune) Family members provided furniture, a TV and a network of supporters in the Assyrian community. Catholic Charities gave them the fully decorated tree after helping Homo and his wife, Lina, navigate tasks such as getting a driver's license and enrolling Melva, their oldest daughter, in school. The charity also found a spot for Lina to take English lessons at Truman College and advised Milad how to apply for jobs. Though Target and Walmart turned him down, he got a big break when a friend of one of his brothers recommended him for a job as a dental assistant. "The first week was so difficult, and I still need the navigation device to get to work," Milad Homo said with a laugh. He already speaks fluent English, a subject he said he studied intensely during high school before the Persian Gulf War and later during dental school in Baghdad. Lina, who taught high school history in Iraq, is quickly catching up. Meanwhile, Melva, 9, learned English like a YouTube-obsessed Gen Zer, picking up words and phrases while watching Disney movies online in their Turkish apartment. The presents Melva and Angelina, 4, gently unwrapped Monday were decidedly American: Barbie and Skipper dolls, My Little Pony figures, a plastic tea set. They excitedly spoke an easy mix of English and Aramaic, an ancient Semitic language that once was common throughout the Middle East. There is nothing left for them in Iraq. Homo's mother left after his father was shot to death while driving a cab in Baghdad before the U.S. invasion in 2003. His siblings followed her during the next decade. Life already was tough under Saddam Hussein, Homo said, but it became even more difficult to survive as ISIS took over vast swaths of Iraq and targeted what was left of an already dwindling Christian population. Months before they fled to Turkey, he said, his wife narrowly escaped a car bomb in their neighborhood. The men who later confronted him outside their church called him by name, Homo said, and told him his family had one more chance to leave Iraq alive. "We feel like we finally are in the right place," he said. "Our girls can see their future here. And they are safe."
United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, APPELLANT v. DENNIS BLACK, ET AL., APPELLEES No. 17-5142 Decided: December 08, 2017

Before: GRIFFITH, Circuit Judge, and SENTELLE and RANDOLPH, Senior Circuit Judges.

JUDGMENT

These cases were considered on the record from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and the briefs and arguments of the parties. The Court has accorded the issues full consideration and has determined that they do not warrant a published opinion. See D.C. Cir. R. 36(d).

The United States Department of the Treasury appeals an order of the United States District Court directing discovery of sixty-three documents over which the Office of the President asserted the presidential communications privilege. For the reasons set forth below, we conclude that the record is inadequate to enable us to conduct appropriate review. It is therefore

ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that the district court's order directing disclosure of the documents be vacated and the matter be remanded for further proceedings consistent with this judgment and the memorandum filed simultaneously herewith.

Pursuant to Rule 36 of this Court, this disposition will not be published. The Clerk is directed to withhold issuance of the mandate herein until seven days after the disposition of any timely petition for rehearing or petition for rehearing en banc. See Fed R. App. P. 41(b); D.C. Cir. R. 41.

FOR THE COURT:

Mark J. Langer, Clerk

BY:

Michael C. McGrail Deputy Clerk

MEMORANDUM

The United States Department of the Treasury (Treasury) appeals the district court's order granting a motion to compel the production of sixty-three documents over which the Office of the President asserted the presidential communications privilege. Respondents-appellees, former employees of the auto-parts manufacturer Delphi Corporation and beneficiaries of the pension plan maintained by Delphi (Retirees), moved to compel the production of the sixty-three documents as part of a third-party subpoena of Treasury. The district court ruled that the documents are subject to the presidential communications privilege, but granted the motion to compel on the theory that Retirees' specific litigation needs fall within an exception to the privilege.

Ordinarily, this court will review a district court's ruling on a subpoena for the production of documentary evidence only for arbitrariness or abuse of discretion. In re Sealed Case, 121 F.3d 729, 740 (D.C. Cir. 1997). However, we give no deference if the ruling rests upon a misapprehension of the relevant legal standard or is unsupported by the record.  Id. (quoting In re Subpoena Served Upon Comptroller of Currency & Sec'y of Bd. of Governors of Fed. Reserve Sys., 967 F.2d 630, 633 (D.C. Cir. 1992)). Thus, we cannot properly review a district court's decision without some articulation of the district court's reasons for its ruling. Id. In this case, the record is not sufficient for us to conduct the required review. We therefore vacate the order of the district court and remand for further proceedings.

It is well established that presidential communications are presumptively privileged. Id. at 744. However, the privilege is qualified, not absolute, and can be overcome by an adequate showing of need. Id. at 745. Once the presidential communications privilege has been established, the standard for overcoming the privilege balance[s] the public interests served by protecting the President's confidentiality in a particular context with those [public interests] furthered by requiring disclosure. Id. at 753.

In granting Retirees' motion to compel, the district court concluded that although the presidential communications privilege covered all sixty-three documents, Retirees demonstrated a need sufficient to overcome the privilege. Dep't of Treasury v. Pension Benefit Guar. Corp., 249 F. Supp. 3d 206, 210-13 (D.D.C. 2017). The district court applied the same reasoning that this Court applied in In re Sealed Case. Id. at 212-13 (citing In re Sealed Case, 121 F.3d at 754). But in considering the need of the party seeking privileged evidence, the district court did not balance the public interests at stake. In re Sealed Case, 121 F.3d at 746. Although the district court cited this Court's opinions in In re Sealed Case and Dellums v. Powell, 561 F.2d 242, 249 (D.C. Cir. 1977), it did not account for how the public interests in this case differ from those presented in our prior decisions. For example, the need for information in the criminal context is much weightier than the need in the civil context. Cheney v. U.S. Dist. Court for D.C., 542 U.S. 367, 384 (2004); see also In re Sealed Case, 121 F.3d at 743. And [a]ssuming arguendo a former President may present a claim of presidential privilege,  it is entitled to lesser weight than that assigned the privilege asserted by an incumbent President. Dellums, 561 F.2d at 245.

In addition to not accounting for how the public interests in this case differ from past cases, the district court failed to explain how it applied the approach for overcoming the privilege. The district court concluded that for substantially the same reasons advanced by [Retirees], the Court is persuaded that [Retirees] have made at least a preliminary showing of necessity for information that is not merely demonstrably relevant but indeed substantially material to their case.  Dep't of Treasury, 249 F. Supp. 3d at 212-13 (quoting Dellums, 561 F.2d at 249). Further, the district court explained only that Retirees represent that the materials are unavailable through any other means, and Treasury does not challenge this assertion in its opposition motion. Id. at 213 (citations omitted).

Retirees bear the burden to demonstrate with specificity that each discrete group of the subpoenaed materials likely contains important evidence. In re Sealed Case, 121 F.3d at 754, 756. Retirees bear the further burden of demonstrating that the subpoenaed evidence is not available with due diligence elsewhere, which means that [e]fforts should first be made to determine whether sufficient evidence can be obtained elsewhere, and the subpoena's proponent should be prepared to detail these efforts and explain why evidence covered by the presidential privilege is still needed. Id. at 754-55. The district court's opinion does not explain how Retirees met their burden to demonstrate a need sufficient to overcome the privilege. Instead, the district court relied on unidentified reasons from Retirees' brief along with Treasury's purported failure to challenge Retirees' arguments. Under the circumstances, the district court's opinion fails to provide sufficient articulation of the reasons for its ruling. We therefore cannot conduct appropriate review.

For the foregoing reasons, we vacate the district court's decision and remand the case for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. On remand, the district court must balance the public interests at stake and more thoroughly analyze whether Retirees demonstrated a need sufficient to overcome the privilege.

Per Curiam
Cong spokesperson Manish Tewari tweeted that the Indian Santa took away people's money and left them with only the socks.

It was obvious that Tewari's jibe was indicated at Modi, whose Government still holds the GST and demonetisation as pillars of success. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday indirectly referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "Bad Santa" for implementing problematic schemes like the unified Goods and Services Tax (GST) and note ban.

In a tweet a day after Christmas, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said that in the rest of the world "an old man with a white beard" distributed gifts to people, while in India, a similar looking man did quite the opposite  took away publics money and left them only with the socks.

Instead of coming down the chimney, this notorious Indian Santa entered people's houses through their television sets, Tewari said in the tweet.

All over the world at this time an old man with a white beard creeps in your house through chimney and puts money in your socks

In India an old man with a white beard crept into your house through TV removed money from your pockets,cupboards,lockers& left you only in your socks  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 26, 2017

It was obvious that Tewari's jibe was indicated at Modi, whose Government still holds the GST and demonetisation as pillars of success.

The Opposition has been relentlessly pointing out the failure of both the schemes, saying they were hasty, ill-implemented and have slowed economic growth, especially for small businesses, an effect that is likely to last longer than a few fiscal quarters.

In September this year, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) veteran leader Yashwant Sinha called the note ban "a disaster" and GST "poorly conceived". He said the two policies would come down hard on the already struggling Indian economy and cause immense misery to the country's poor.
Ahir clarifies that he respects doctors and his outburst was because few doctors were absent from the event.

Ahir asks, 'I am a minister chosen by democracy. Why did they go on leave despite knowing about my arrival?' (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Clarifying his earlier statement on a few doctors, whom he advised to join Naxals, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir on Tuesday said that he respects doctors and his outburst was because few doctors were absent from the event.

"The organiser was himself absent. I have not spoken against the profession but a particular doctor. Whatever I said was for the civil surgeon and no one else. I respect doctors from the bottom of my heart. I just showed my anger on absence of some doctors from the event," he told ANI.

Ahir on Monday got angry with a civil surgeon who didn't attend a hospital inauguration ceremony.

When Ahir got to know that the civil surgeon was on leave, he lost his temper.

"I am a minister chosen by democracy. Why did they go on leave despite knowing about my arrival?" asked Ahir.

An angry Ahir also advised the absent doctor to join the Naxals.

Read: Go join naxals, govt will shoot you down, says Hansraj Ahir to absent doctors

"If there is no faith in democracy, then join the Naxalite movement; we will shoot you. There is no need to distribute tablets here. Naxalism does not like democracy," Ahir said.

Gadchiroli, Chandrapur and Gondia districts are the Naxal-affected areas of Maharashtra.
Jadhav's mother and wife were allowed to see him across a glass barrier and talk to him on intercom after months of petitioning on Monday.

A Pak Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that the glass partition was there for 'security reasons' and Jadhav and his family had been intimated about the same, prior to the meeting. (Photo: AP)

New Delhi: A day after they met Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan, his mother and wife met Union minister Sushma Swaraj at her residence for a complete debrief before leaving for the External Affairs Ministry (MEA).

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar were also in attendance at the meeting where Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetankul met Swaraj.

Jadhav, an ex-naval officer had been convicted in Pakistan in March 2016 for 'spying' and subsequently sentenced to death, a verdict that India challenged in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to no avail.

After months of petitioning, Jadhav's mother and wife were allowed to meet him on Monday in Pakistan.

Meeting between Commander Kulbushan Jhadev & his family in progress pic.twitter.com/THG925V1fO  Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) December 25, 2017

Jadhav, was however, allowed to meet his family members with a glass barrier in between and they could speak to each other only via intercom.

This insensitive behaviour towards a prisoner on death sentence raised many eyebrows.

On being questioned on the issue, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dr Mohammed Faisal said that the glass partition was there for "security reasons" and Jadhav and his family had been intimated about the same, prior to the meeting.

Faisal substantiated his stance by adding that Islamabad considered Jadhav as "the face of Indian terrorism, especially in Pakistan."

Monday was also witness to bizarre ups and downs with respect to Jadhav, as Pakistan first stated that he was getting consular access, then drastically changed the statement after India refuted the claim.

Pakistan establishment's insensitivity did not end at the glass barrier either. It later released pictures of Avanti and Chetankul on the foreign office's Twitter handle, peculiarly captioning it as the two "sitting comfortably" in the foreign office.

The mother and wife of Commander Jadhav sitting comfortably in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pakistan . We honour our commitments pic.twitter.com/hILiMyp7Zl  Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) December 25, 2017

Soon after the meeting between Jadhav and his family members, Pakistan held a press conference on Monday where a video was shown that was apparently shot before Jadhav got to meet his kin.

The video showed Jadhav thanking the Pakistan authorities for the grand gesture.

None of the released visuals of Jadhav show him to be in "an excellent healthy condition," as claimed by Pakistan in a medical report prepared by a German doctor of a Dubai-based hospital. It also claimed that Jadhav's Body Mass Index (BMI) was ideal for his height.

On the contrary, there might have been injury marks on the back of his neck as reported by some television channels, which the MEA did not affirm or deny.

The date on the report was handwritten and it was not clear where his medical examination was performed.

Pakistan had earlier been adamant about not letting Jadhav's family to meet him or allow him consular access.

Monday's meeting was made possible after months of international pressure.
According to MEA statement, Pakistan 'conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings'.

Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak to her son in their mother tongue, despite this being the most natural mode of communication.(Photo: ANI | Twitter)

New Delhi: A day after meeting Kulbhushan Jadhav in Islamabad, the former Indian Navy officials wife and mother told the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday he spoke to them in an atmosphere of coercion and his responses were also tutored.

Jadhavs mother Avanti and wife Chetankul on Tuesday met Union minister Sushma Swaraj at her residence for a debrief before meeting the officials at the MEA.

The MEA released a statement after meeting Jadhavs family, revealing the details of Avanti and Chetankuls visit to Islamabad.

Pakistan "conducted the meeting in a manner that violated the letter and spirit of our understandings," the MEA said. This happened despite continuous interaction between the governments of the two countries on the details of the Indian prisoners meeting with his wife and mother in Islamabad.

"Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security," the statement said.

Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak to her son in their mother tongue, despite this being the most natural mode of communication. She was interrupted while doing so and "eventually prevented in this regard."

Read: Kulbhushan's mother, wife meet Sushma Swaraj on return from Pak

For some inexplicably peculiar security reason, the shoes of Jadhav's wife were not returned to her even when the meeting was over, despite making several requests for it.

According to the feedback of the meeting received from Jadhav's mother and wife, he was "under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion". Most of his responses were also tutored, in accordance to the false narrative of his activities in Pakistan. His appearance also was gaunt and frail, suggesting he was not keeping well.

However, Pakistan had earlier claimed that Jadhav was in "an excellent healthy condition" in a medical report prepared by a German doctor from a Dubai-based hospital. It also claimed that Jadhav's Body Mass Index (BMI) was ideal for his height.

The date on the report was handwritten and it was not clear where his medical examination was performed.

In addition, India's Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed, the MEA said. This was despite the initial agreement between India and Pakistan to allow Singh to be present with Jadhavs family members during the meeting.

The MEA added that the Pakistani media was allowed to approach Jadhav's mother and wife and on multiple occasions harassed them, hurling accusations and insults about Jadhav, despite a clear agreement that media will not be allowed.

The MEA added that it regretted the fact that the meeting was intimidating to Jadhav's family and lauded the "courage and fortitude" with which they handled the situation despite frictions.

In conclusion, the statement read that, "the manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Jadhavs alleged activities," and termed it an exercise that completely lacked credibility.
The Congress president gave a 'big hug' to the birthday girl on twitter and called her to wish her personally.

The 107-year-old woman had a wish to meet 47-year-old Congress president Rahul Gandhi on her birthday. (photo: File)

New Delhi: The 107-year-old woman had a wish to meet 47-year-old young Gandhi family member and Congress president Rahul Gandhi on her birthday on Monday.

Her granddaughter, who tweeted the reason why her grandmother wished to meet Rahul, the birthday girl quipped and whispered that she finds him 'handsome'.

The tweet was accompanied by a photograph of the birthday girl, and was tagged to the twitter handle of Rahul Gandhi.

Today my grandmother turned 107. Her one wish. To meet @OfficeOfRG Rahul Gandhi ! I asked her why? She whispers ... He's handsome ! pic.twitter.com/k3wUaSMKfE  Dipali Sikand (@SikandDipali) December 25, 2017

The newly-elected Congress chief responded to the tweet after a few hours.

Rahul had signed the little message, conveying his wishes and a "big hug" and this time the tweet was by the Congress president himself and not by his pet dog Pidi.

Dear Dipali, Please wish your beautiful grandmother a very happy birthday and a merry Xmas. Please also give her a big hug from me. Best, Rahul. https://t.co/lcp8NUa8Di  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 25, 2017

Later in the evening, Sikand took to Twitter and said that Rahul had called the girls grandmother and wished her 'personally'.

And as if this was not enough @OfficeOfRG Mr.Gandhi called and personally wished my Nani!! This is #TrueHumaness. Thank you all of you for the blessings for her . Each one of them matter. https://t.co/ftvZ1pmhsJ  Dipali Sikand (@SikandDipali) December 25, 2017

A relatively new entrant on Twitter compared to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a section of his ministers, Rahuls tweets had created a stir earlier. In a post directed at his detractors, Rahul had claimed his pet dog Pidi was responsible for the tweets.

In his tweets, Rahul has attacked the BJP and its leaders and on occasion revealed his interests - like photos of him practicing Aikido, a form of Japanese martial arts.
'I am not new to politics. I got delayed. Entering is equal to victory. I will announce a decision on December 31,' the actor said.

Actor Rajinikanth is meeting his fans for six days in Chennai, beginning December 26. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Chennai: On the first day of his six-days-meeting with fans, actor Rajinikanth on Tuesday said that he would join politics in "God wills".

He further added he would take a decision on his political debut on December 31.

"I am not saying I will join politics...I will announce my stand on December 31," the actor said.

"I am not new to politics. I got delayed. Entering is equal to victory," Rajinikanth added.

He said he is "hesitant" to enter politics since he know its dynamics.

Talking further about making his debut in politics Rajinikanth elaborated, "We need to be prepared well when we go to a battle. We need to fight to win or there's no use of going to a battle."

During his meeting with fans in May this year, the superstar had said, "Let us face the war when it comes".

Rajinikanth said he was humbled when former chief minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa met him at his house.

The 67-year-old actor met around 1,000 fans across 18 districts on Tuesday while announcing his decision on his likelihood to join politics.

Addressing his fans the actor said, "I'am excited to meet my fans. I had planned meet with my fans in advance."

"Rajinikanth in show business but he's not a showman," said director Mahendran who was also present at the meeting of fans.

The producer who launched Rajini as hero in film Bairavi, Kalaignanam, also addressed the fans.

The six-day meet on Tuesday began with a silent tribute to cyclone Ockhi victims.
2017 has been a noteworthy year with SC of India and other subordinate courts passing landmark decisions having a strong impact on people.

The year 2017 has made its place in the Indian judicial history as a year of judicial highs and lows. (Photo: Asian Age)

Mumbai: From Right to Privacy to the 2G scam case verdict, the year 2017 has made its place in the Indian judicial history as a year of judicial highs and lows.

Though some judgements surprised people for good reasons, a few were beyond expectations as they were not welcomes or appreciated by the citizens.

Remarkable verdicts that were welcomed heartily by people included making privacy a fundamental right, upholding death sentences of Nirbhaya rapists, special court convicting six accused in Mumbai bomb blast case to pronouncing Gurmeet Ram Rahim to be guilty of rape while decisions like releasing Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in Aarushi murder case, due to lack of evidence and acquitting all the accused in 2G scam were a few instances that left people disheartened.

Declaring Triple Talaq unconstitutional

The Supreme Court in a landmark verdict ruled that divorce among Muslims through the practice of triple talaq was "void, illegal and unconstitutional".

Triple talaq -- the personal law by which Muslim men can instantaneously divorce their wives by uttering talaq thrice -- "is not integral to religious practice and violates constitutional morality," the panel of Supreme Court judges said.

The verdict was delivered in a 3:2 majority by a 5-judge bench of all faiths -- Chief Justice of India JS Khehar, Justices Kurian Joseph, Rohinton Nariman, Uday Lalit and S A Abdul Nazeer.

While Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice S Abdul Nazeer wanted to put triple talaq on hold for six months till the government made a law on this, Justices Kurian Joseph, RF Nariman and UU Lalit ruled the practice was "manifestly arbitrary and violative of the Constitution". It should be struck down, they said.

The Constitution so far has held that the 1,400-year-old triple talaq is legal for Muslims, but many aggrieved women, divorced by letter, on SMS, Whatsapp and even Skype challenged the controversial practice.

Shayara Bano, a 35-year-old woman, challenged the practice in 2016, a year after her husband of 15 years divorced her via triple talaq.

Right to privacy

Justice KS Puttaswamy vs Union of India

This was one of the 2017s biggest judgements and was made in response to the petition challenging the constitutional validity of the Indian biometric identity scheme, Aadhaar.

"The right to privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 and as a part of the freedoms guaranteed by Part III of the Constitution," the ruling said.

With this judgement, the government will be required to create a data protection regime to protect the privacy of the individual. Explaining the meaning and scope of privacy, the court held that it includes at its core the preservation of personal intimacies, the sanctity of family life, marriage, procreation, the home and sexual orientation. The court further explained that there is a legitimate expectation of privacy even in public space and that the right is available against state as well as non-state actors.

Ram Rahim case

Ram Rahim convicted. (Photo: PTI)Dera Sachcha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was found guilty in a rape case, back to 2002 when a Dera sadhvi wrote a letter to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying that she was raped.

A special CBI court sentenced Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to 20 years of imprisonment. Ram Rahim was awarded two 10 years rigorous imprisonment along with Rs 30 lakh for committing rape of two women.

The supporters of Ram Rahim started widespread protests in New Delhi and Panchkula which left 30 dead and 250 injured.

Sex with minor wife criminalised

Independent Thought vs Union of India and ANR

The Supreme Court criminalised sexual intercourse by a husband with his wife who is under 18 years. The top court struck down the exception clause under Section 375 IPC. With this judgment, sexual intercourse by a husband with his wife who is below 18 was made punishable under IPC.

Clarifying that it was not dealing with the whole issue of marital rape as such, the court overturned an exception in rape law which allowed a husband to have sex with his wife aged 15 years and above (with or without consent) without it being punishable.

2G scam

All 17 accused in 2G spectrum case were acquitted. (Photo: PTI)

A special CBI court on December 21 acquitted all 17 accused in the 2G spectrum case, one of India's biggest telecom corruption scandals, among which included former telecom minister A Raja and daughter of DMK chief Karunanidhi, Kanimozhi.

The scam was among the major corruption scandals that came to light during the second term of the UPA government headed by Dr Manmohan Singh. It provided fuel to the opposition charges of corruption against the government.

Scrapped ban women entry in temple

Indian temples that deny or restrict women's entry undermine the fight for gender equality and have no constitutional right to do so, said the Supreme Court.

The comments of the apex court came days after the Shani Shignapur temple in western Maharashtra state opened its inner sanctum to women following a Mumbai court ruling that it was the fundamental right of women to enter any place of worship that allows men access.

The ruling said, "Sexual orientation is an essential attribute of privacy. Discrimination against an individual on the basis of sexual orientation is deeply offensive to the dignity and self-worth of the individual. Their rights are not so-called but are real rights founded on sound constitutional doctrine. They inhere in the right to life. They dwell in privacy and dignity. They constitute the essence of liberty and freedom."

Coal scam

Madhu Koda convicted. (Photo: PTI)

The special CBI court on December 16 awarded three-year rigorous imprisonment to former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda in a coal block allocation scam and imposed a fine of Rs 25 lakh on him.

The court also sentenced former Jharkhand coal secretary HC Gupta, then chief secretary Ashok Kumar Basu and Vijay Joshi of Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd (VISUL) to 3 years rigorous rigorous imprisonment in the case. Basu and Gupta were fined Rs1 lakh each, while Joshi and VISUL were fined Rs25 lakh and Rs50 lakh, respectively.

The 'Coalgate' was a massive political scandal that plagued the UPA government in 2012. The scam came to light after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) accused the government of India for allocating 194 coal blocks to public and private enterprises for captive use in a fraudulent manner.

Fodder Scam

Former Bihar CM Lalu Yadav and 15 other convicted. (Photo: PTI)

A special CBI court in Ranchi gave its verdict on December 23 in a fodder scam case in which former Bihar chief minister Lalu Yadav was an accused. Lalu Prasad, a former Bihar chief minister, and 15 others guilty of embezzling Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994. His predecessor Jagannath Mishra, who was also among the accused, was acquitted, as were five other accused. The sentencing of the quantum will be on January 3.

Aarushi Talwar murder case

Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were acquitted of all charges Aarushi murder case. (Photo: PTI)

Dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were acquitted of all charges in the murder of their daughter Aarushi by the Allahabad High Court on October 12, 2017. They walked out free from the Ghaziabad Dasna Jail after spending four years in jail.

This murder mystery made news across the country as the parents, who were allegedly the main convicts in the murder were held not guilty by the court.

2012 Delhi gangrape case or Nirbhaya case

Nirbhaya's mother (Photo: PTI)

On May 5, the Supreme Court upheld death sentences of four accused in December 16 Delhi gangrape case.

Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur were convicted on charges of brutally raping and assaulting a 23-year-old paramedical student, Jyoti Singh, inside a bus that led to her death which generated worldwide public protests.

Passing its order, the court called their crime most brutal, barbaric and diabolical and said they had committed "a barbaric crime" which had "shaken society's conscience".

Mumbai bomb blast case (1993)

Abu Salem, one of the six accused in 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. (Photo: PTI)

A special Terrorist and Disruptive Activity (TADA) court sentenced six out of seven accused in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts that claimed 257 lives guilty on June 16, 2017.

Special judge Govind A Sanap found "concrete evidence" against gangsters Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Taher Merchant, Feroze Khan and Karimullah Khan.

Riyaz Siddiqui, 67, was found guilty for abetting and aiding terrorism, a charge that attracts a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.
Remarks tutored, appearance raised doubts on health: India

Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak to her son in their mother tongue, despite this being the most natural mode of communication.(Photo: ANI | Twitter)

New Delhi: A day after Kulbhushan Jadhav met his mother Avanti and wife Chetankul in Islamabad, India criticised Pakistan for orchestrating an event which lacked credibility as it was conducted in an atmosphere of coercion.

Mr Jadhavs mother and wife were forced to change their clothes, remove their bangles, mangal sutra and bindi. His mother was also not allowed to speak with Jadhav in their mother tongue, Marathi.

India, in an angry statement released by MEA on Tuesday, said that the exercise violated the letter and spirit of understanding, and raised questions over the health and well being of the Indian national, adding that Mr Jadhav appeared coerced and under considerable stress during the tightly-controlled and video-recorded interaction.

Countering Pakistans contention that the meeting was a humanitarian gesture, India said, From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Mr Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion.

Mr Jadhavs mother and wife had a restricted interaction, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, with him for 40 minutes. Separated by a glass screen, they spoke through intercom at the heavily guarded building of the Pakistani foreign office in Islamabad.

Indian deputy high commissioner to Pakistan J.P. Singh, who accompanied the two women, was not allowed to sit with them during the interaction.

Mr Jadhavs mother and wife were taken to the meeting without informing Mr Singh, and the interaction began without him, India said.

Mr Singh could join only after pressing the matter with Pakistani officials, but was still kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed.

On Tuesday, Mr Jadhavs mother and wife met external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and top MEA officials, including foreign secretary S. Jaishankar and the Indian deputy high commissioner to Pakistan who returned with them from Islamabad.

Attacking the treatment of Mr Jadhav, India said that most of Mr Jadhavs remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged spying in Pakistan, adding that Mr Jadhavs appearance also raises questions of his health and well being. Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude, India said.

We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned, it said.

Despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access, Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Mr Jadhav, India said.

Accusing Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of family members under the pretext of security. This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security, it said. For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, Mr Jadhavs wifes shoes were not returned to her after the meeting, it added.

Mr Jadhavs mother was prevented from talking to her son in their mother tongue, Marathi. She was repeatedly interrupted when she tried to speak in Marathi and eventually prevented from proceeding further, India said.

Mr Jadhav, who was captured in March last year, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as false. India claims that Mr Jadhav was kidnapped in Iran where he has legitimate business interests, and brought to Pakistan. To save Mr Jadhav, India moved the International Court of Justice, which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.

Before the meeting, the two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels and had reached clear understanding on the meetings modalities and format, the MEA statement said.

While India scrupulously abided by all its commitments, Pakistan violated the letter and spirit of the understanding, it said.
Rahul wishes 107-yr-old woman on her bday.

New Delhi: Continuing his run on Twitter, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday responded to a 107-year-old woman.

In a tweet, Bengaluru-based woman Dipali Sikand wrote that her grandmother had a wish to meet Rahul Gandhi, whom she found as handsome.

Ms Sikand tweeted, Today my grandmother turned 107. Her one wish. To meet Rahul Gandhi! I asked her why? She whispers...Hes handsome! with a picture of her grandmother cutting a cake.

In an unusual move, Mr Gandhi responded by tweeting, Dear Dipali, Please wish your beautiful grandmother a very happy birthday and a merry Xmas. Please also give her a big hug from me. Best, Rahul. He even called up Ms Sikand and spoke to her 107-year-old grandmother wishing her a happy birthday. Acknowledging the call, Ms Sikand again tweeted And as if this was not enough, Mr Gandhi called and personally wished my Nani!! This is #TrueHumaness. Thank you all of you for the blessings for her. Each one of them matter.

The gesture of Mr. Gandhi earned him a lot of accolades on social media. Since his return from the United States, Mr Gandhi has increased his Twitter footprint.
A similar meeting in May saw the superstar exhorting his fans to be ready for war.

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth meets a fan on the first day of a six-day-long photo session in Chennai on Tuesday. Rajinikanth is expected to announce his decision to join politics on December 31. (Photo: PTI)

Chennai: Keeping his fans and public on suspense mode yet again, superstar Rajinikanth on Tuesday said he would announce his stand on entering politics on Sunday at the end of a six-day meet with his supporters here.

I will announce my stand on political entry on December 31, Rajinikanth said, sending his fans into a rapturous frenzy in his opening remarks at the event held at his Raghavendra Thirumana Mandapam in Kodambakkam.

If the fans thought that the moment they had been waiting for  their thalaivars political journey  had finally come after a gruelling two-decade wait, they were mistaken. The Tamil superstar, whose Kala is expected to hit the screens in the first half of 2018, kept up the suspense by saying, It does not mean that that I will come to politics...I will announce my stand (on Sunday), Rajinikanth said.

Explaining to his fans on why he is hesitant to enter politics, Rajinikanth said he was in a dilemma only because he knew the entire dynamics of how the field works. Politics is nothing new for me. I have been in politics since 1996

Had I not known its dynamics, I would have said okay, he said.

Referring to his war remark, the actor asked, war means only election. Has it come now? If we go to war, we should win. To succeed in a war, valour alone is not sufficient, strategy is important.

Whether people are keen or not, the media is enthusiastic to know if I will join politics, he said, talking about the excitement in media circles about his possible political entry.

Tuesday was the first day of six-day-long meeting that Rajinikanth Fans Club Association organised for his supporters to have an audience with him, besides clicking a photograph.

A similar meeting in May saw the superstar exhorting his fans to be ready for war.

Rajinikanth has been ambivalent on his political entry since 1996, when he openly put his weight behind the DMK and then fledgling Tamil Maanila Congress that helped the Dravidian party capture power with a brute majority. After his appeal to vote for DMK-TMC alliance in 1998 and to defeat the PMK in 2004 failed at the hustings, the superstar kept low when it came to politics only to speak about it in 2017 after the demise of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa the previous year.
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He was referring to the Opposition charge that the AIADMK distributed Rs 6,000 per vote in RK Nagar.

Chennai: The ruling AIADMK will seek a comprehensive probe by the Election Commission into the thillu-mullu (fraud) done by T.T.V. Dhinakaran to secure victory in the R.K. Nagar bypoll, deputy chief minister and party coordinator O. Panneerselvam said on Monday.

After chairing the meeting of the AIADMK high-level committee at the party headquarters here, O.P.S. told reporters that T.T.V.s thillu-mullu in R.K. Nagar had been confirmed.

We (AIADMK) will ask the Election Commission to conduct a comprehensive probe into this bypoll thillu-mullu, he said.

Asked to elaborate, he said when the EC officials ordered all the outsiders in the campaign to leave RK Nagar 48 hours before the poll, T.T.V.s agents living within the constituency had distributed new 20-rupee notes to the voters, with identifying markings, telling them they could collect Rs 10,000 against each note after casting their votes.

There are now several people there, with these notes, frantically going around asking where to collect their Rs 10,000 reward, O.P.S .said.This is ridiculous. Who will believe it if someone offers a 20-rupee note and seek vote promising to pay Rs 10,000 next week. Only those who paid Rs .6,000 per vote are thieves, TTV told media persons responding to the thillu-mullu charge.

He was referring to the Opposition charge that the AIADMK distributed Rs 6,000 per vote in RK Nagar  DMK working president M.K. Stalin had alleged that the police helped in the money distribution.
After the party meeting, five top TTV lieutenants were stripped of their primary membership of the AIADMK.

Chennai: T.T.V. Dhinakaran had managed his RK Nagar bypoll win by fraudulent means and through a secret pact with DMK leader M.K. Stalin to gain his partys (DMK) votes, Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Monday.

Stalin did not mind losing one eye (by his candidate Marudhu Ganesh losing) but wanted to ensure that the AIADMK lose both its eyes. But his party lost both its eyes as its candidate lost his deposit, the CM told reporters after chairing, along with OPS, the meeting of the AIADMK high-level committee at the party office here.

Mr Palaniswami is the joint coordinator of the party.

We will take severe action against all those who had betrayed the AIADMK in this byelection. TTVs is not a genuine victory, the CM said.

Referring to the video of Jayalalithaa sipping juice in her hospital bed, released by TTV loyalist P. Vettrivel a day before the poll day, the chief minister said, No genuine party cadre who cared for Amma would release such a video.

After the party meeting, five top TTV lieutenants were stripped of their primary membership of the AIADMK.

They are  V.P. Kalairajan, V. Muthiah, Karnataka party secretary V. Pugazhendi, Nanjil Sampath, womens wing deputy secretary C.R. Saraswati.
It is learnt that the agency will soon issue summons to him for seeking certain clarifications in connection with the case.

New Delhi: The ED is now tightening its grip around Tej Pratap, another son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, in connection with its money laundering investigation into the IRCTCs hotel scam.

It is learnt that the agency will soon issue summons to him for seeking certain clarifications in connection with the case. The Central probe agency recently attached a three-acre plot worth Rs 44.7 crore in Patna, which allegedly belongs to RJD chief Lalu Prasads family and where one of the biggest malls in the city was to come up. The property, provisionally attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, is also the subject of a CBI inquiry and certain members of the family have already been questioned by central investigative agencies.

In July, the CBI sleuths searched the premises of Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi after filing an FIR against the couple, Tejashwi Yadav and five others in a 2006 case of IRCTC transferring two railway hotels, one each at Ranchi and Puri, to Sujata Hotel Pvt Ltd, in the alleged contravention of tender norms, during the tenure of Lalu Prasad as Union railway minister. According to the CBI FIR, the owners of Sujata Hotel Pvt Ltd had, a year before being given charge of the two railway hotels, allegedly transferred a prime three-acre plot along Bailey Road of Patna, to Delight Marketing Pvt Ltd, a company owned by RJD leader P.C. Guptas wife. Control of Delight Marketing, in turn, was transferred to Tejashwi Yadav and Rabri Devi and the company was renamed Lara Projects LLP, the CBI claimed. Others named in the FIR include Vijay Kochhar and Vinay Kochhar, directors of Sujata Hotel Pvt Ltd; Sarla Gupta, director of Delight Marketing Pvt Ltd and P.K. Goel, then managing director of IRCTC.
He told Ashley that he wanted to spend all his Christmases with her and asked her to marry him.

The girl was overwhelmed as she fought back tears to say yes and took the ring from the white box (Photo: YouTube)

The past few years have witnessed a rise in the number of people coming up with innovative and adorable ways to propose to their partners. While Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been in the news for the past few weeks, a couple caught everyones attention with their own special moment.

20-year-old Mike Metz from the United States was waiting at Sandringham with his partner Ashley Millican to catch a glimpse of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and the queen. When a news correspondent was asking them why it was important for them to see the royals on Christmas morning, Mike went on one knee and pulled out a ring.

He told Ashley that he wanted to spend all his Christmases with her and asked her to marry him. The girl was overwhelmed as she fought back tears to say yes and took the ring from the white box.

The couple were visiting from Wisconsin to see a relative in the UK and came to Sandringham to see the royals attending a Christmas Day service.
The accused have been identified as Ram Kumar alias Sohan Kumar (31), Rohit (19) Deepak Kumar (24) and Rahul (19).

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that they were unemployed and in order to earn quick money they planned to commit a robbery.

New Delhi: The Southeast police arrested four pesons for attempting to rob a senior citizens house. They said that the prime accused had wanted to clear his debt taken to pay for the expenses incurred during his Dubai trip.

With his arrest, two countrymade pistols, two live cartridges and one button knife were recovered.

The accused have been identified as Ram Kumar alias Sohan Kumar (31), Rohit (19) Deepak Kumar (24) and Rahul (19).

The police said that on December 25, the AATS staff received specific information that some men, who planned to rob the aged couples home, will assemble in a park near DDA Flat Pocket 11, Kalkaji and may be carrying illegal weapons. On receipt of the information, a police team was constituted and a trap was laid near the Kalkaji park.

At 2:15pm, four persons, two each on a motorcycle and Activa scooty came to the park. The police team, which hid on the parks outer periphery, overpowered and apprehended the men on motorcycle and scooty, while they were trying to escape.

A countrymade pistol and one live cartridge was recovered from the possession of Ram Kumar, one country made pistol with one live cartridge was recovered from Rohits possession, one button knife was recovered from the possession of Deepak.

Upon verification, the Activa scooty they were riding on was stolen from Shakarpur in October.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that they were unemployed and in order to earn quick money they planned to commit a robbery.
Through seminars, these organisations make the parents understand that Marathi medium schools are no less than any other medium.

Mumbai: In the last 10 years, more than 700 Marathi medium schools have been permanently shut down because of lack of students and funds. The Marathi medium schools along with several non-profit organisations in the city have come together to save these schools from closure.

According to them, parents these days feel only English medium or a school with International badge can give their students a better future. In these shows and sessions, the alumni who has passed from Marathi medium schools are invited to motivate the parents.

The Marathi Abyas Kendra, an organisation feels the government treats Marathi medium schools differently when compared to the other medium schools like English, Hindi or Urdu. In the year 2003-04 the government stopped giving aids to Marathi medium schools. However, they continued to give salaries to the teachers, said Rajendra Pradhan, president of DS High School, Sion. This school is 80-years-old and has more than 3,500 students in their Marathi medium section. Mr Pradhan further said, Marathi medium schools are mostly of the corporation or private-aided. In such a case, the fee is not more than Rs 100 per month and this money is not enough to run the entire school.

Through seminars, these organisations make the parents understand that Marathi medium schools are no less than any other medium. All the Marathi medium schools have Spoken English as an additional subject where the students are taught English language so they can speak with the standard Indian accent.
According to Thane polices Joint Commissioner of police Madhukar Pandey, the revision aims to make the exercise friction-free.

Mumbai: The towing policy of the Thane police has been revised, wherein it asks policemen to impose an on-the-spot fine on an errant driver if he or she turns up before or at the time of his/her vehicle being towed away.

According to Thane polices Joint Commissioner of police Madhukar Pandey, the revision aims to make the exercise friction-free.

Mr Pandey issued the revised order and said, The towing policy of Thane police has been revised to make the exercise as frictionless as possible. The new standard operating procedure is to be executed immediately. He said, The officers of traffic branch have been told that the primary objective of towing a wrongly parked vehicle is clearing the traffic for the other commuters rather than imposing a penalty.

Thane polices public relations officer S. Narkar said, As per the new orders, the owner of a wrongly parked vehicle will be imposed an on the spot fine. Paperwork if any, has to be done at the spot only in minimum possible time. Traffic branch has been asked to introduce e-challan system to reduce this time even further.

Recently, there were two cases wherein errant drivers quarrelled with policemen who were towing away their vehicles.

In one of the incidents, in Malad, a traffic cop was suspended after a car, with a woman and her baby inside, was towed away. This invited widespread condemnation. The incident happened in the month of November. However, later a purported video clip of it went viral on social media. After this incident, residents in several places agitated against traffic polices behaviour. Such towing-related disputes have occurred in Kalyan and Kalwa area too.
'I heard the PM and Yogiji recite shlokas, it inspired me to learn and recite them. I hope the CM acknowledges my efforts,' the girl said.

Afreens mother said she is very happy with her achievement and said that she never stopped her from following her dreams. (Photo: ANI)

Lucknow: Breaking religious barriers, a Muslim girl from Lucknow has emerged victorious in a Gita recitation competition organised by Education Board of the city.

Afreen Rauf, the Muslim girl who started reciting the Gita in Lucknow's Municipal Girls Inter College and said that she got the inspiration to learn the holy book from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

"I heard Prime Minister Modi and Yogiji recite shlokas, it inspired me to learn and recite them. I hope the state chief minister acknowledges my efforts," she said.

It is not just Afreen who is spreading the message of harmony with this act, but even her family supports her in this.

Afreens mother said she is very happy with her achievement and said that she never stopped her from following her dreams.

"We are very happy and the entire school, teachers are happy with her accomplishment. She always wanted to learn this and we never stopped her. There is no difference between Hindus and Muslims, all are one", Afreen's mother said.

Afreen participated in the recitation programme organised to honour Bal Gangadhar Tilak in the state capital, where around 25 students took part.

The finale will be held on December 29 on Bal Gangadhar Tilak Jayanti and Afreen wishes to receive the award from the state Chief Minister who will also be present there.
In Garam Hawa, released in 1973, Salim Mirza is a follower of Gandhiji during the turbulent days of Partition.

In the backdrop of Rekhta, an annual Urdu event in Delhi, I was searching for In Custody, Shashi Kapoors lyrical epitaph about the demise of a beautiful language. It was to be his last movie. What I picked up also were two completely unrelated films, which I think the late actor-director would have approved. Saeed Mirzas Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Ata Hai and M.S. Sathyus Garam Hawa showed up in a totally changed political context. Both movies were made by Leftist partisans with plots that showed self-absorbed Christian and Muslim families spurred by their circumstances to veer towards the social mainstream of red banners and revolutionary slogans.

In Garam Hawa, released in 1973, Salim Mirza is a follower of Gandhiji during the turbulent days of Partition. Let down by his own brother who migrates to Pakistan, Mirza suffers the ignominy of being a Muslim who stayed back in communally riven Agra. He is traumtatised when someone hits him with a brick after his tonga wades into a hostile Hindu neighbourhood. Banks refuse to give loans for his suffering shoe factory, reminding him that Muslim entrepreneurs had gone away with large sums they had borrowed. The last straw was perhaps the most heartbreaking. Salim Mirza, played by the inimitable Balraj Sahani, is arrested on familiar charges of spying for Pakistan. He had apparently sought a local map detailing his own haveli to settle a family dispute, which went against him. Released from the humiliating lockup, his hopes drained, Salim boards a tonga with his wife and son, played by Farooq Sheikh. On the way to the train station from where they would leave for Pakistan, the tonga encounters a traffic jam. Theres a massive crowd of slogan-chanting men, waving red banners of protest, demanding jobs and colleges. The son is allowed to slip into the crowd, and soon Salim Mirza, muttering how long can one live alone hands the house keys to his wife and asks the tonga-driver to take her back to their home. He then wades into the slogan-shouting crowd. Albert Pinto (1980) is played by Naseeruddin Shah. Its the story of a car mechanic, a Christian youth who is proud of his work, who flaunts his first name-calling relationship with rich clients who admire his fine knowledge of their cars. Alberts father is a trade union leader who cuts a sorry figure with his family as they think he is foolish to alienate powerful mill owners. When his father returns home one day with his shirt torn from an assault by the mill owners henchmen, Albert Pinto understands the meaning of his fathers love of waving the trade union flag.

Salim Mirza and his son Sikander came to the sanctuary of the robust Indian Left to rid themselves of a spurious communal binary. Albert Pinto comes to the Left through a secular, economically rooted compulsion. Both films flagged the promise of a Nehruvian India, where mainstream society was still though`1t to be striving for a socially-equitable future, where religious identity was discouraged.

Cut to the Modi era. The Left is confused about how to describe the hateful politics unleashed on unsuspecting Indians. Is he a fascist, or is he a bad ruler lacking in civic sense? The Left that wooed Salim Mirza to the crowds and nudged Albert Pinto to join the mainstream has all but disappeared from the scene. The diagnosis for Pinto is not good. Earlier this month, dozens of Catholics were arrested by the police in central India while singing Christmas carols. The familiar charge was they were trying to convert people. A leading Catholic association condemned the accusations as laughable. Imagine Pintos plight. When a group of priests went to the police station to ask about the detentions, their parked car was torched, by a mob belonging to a right-wing Hindu group. Theodore Mascarenhas, secretary-general of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, has the facts to vindicate his peoples innocence. He, however, knows the community is on the back foot. As for Salim Mirza, after the recent murders in the name of gau raksha, he now sees killing of his people as the new normal.

The Left will come to the rescue, Sathyus Salim Mirza had hoped. What he finds today is that the supposedly secular Congress Party, led by a great-grandson of Nehru, seems embarrassed to be seen with Muslim leaders in Gujarat lest the election is lost for an unwitting reason. Salim Mirza is in a soup. But what about his brother who went over to Pakistan? How would he be coping with the upsurge of Deobandi and Barelvi identities? Perhaps it is time for Sathyu and Saeed Mirza to update their scripts  or write an honest, heart-rending epitaph as Shashi Kapoor did.

By arrangement with Dawn
The UNs criticism of Kazakhstans curbs on most freedoms didnt discomfit Mr Modi.

Seventy years after Independence India remains a superpower in waiting. The Prime Ministers Office highlighted the Trump administrations 68-page National Security Strategy looking forward to Indias emergence as a leading global power and stronger strategic and defence partner. The PMO didnt say needy Indians grab the largest number of American H-1B visas. Like the British politician who wanted Africans as brothers, not brothers-in-law, Mr Trump moved to cut the influx of high-tech Indian workers by issuing fewer visas, doubling visa fees, imposing an employment ceiling and other restrictions.

Britain was similarly ambivalent. India was one of the first countries Theresa May visited in 2016 after the Brexit vote, draping herself in a silk and zari saree for Bengalurus Someshwara Temple. Indians were more interested in visas than trade. Adam Smiths nation of shopkeepers wouldnt trade visas for exports. Ignoring the carrot of a 33 per cent rise in sales under a new India-UK trade agreement, Ms May lived up to the reputation she had earned during her six years as UK home secretary of being a toughie on South Asian visitors. The Post-Study Work Visa for Indian students seeking practical experience after qualifying in Britain wasnt revived. Chinese nationals were given two-year multiple-entry visas for longer visits at no extra charge.

Londons Pakistan-origin mayor qualified as an honorary Indian. He thought Britain should apologise for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Ms May, however, didnt. Kulbhushan Jadhavs wife and mother visited him in jail. The death sentence stood. Vijay Mallya, wanted in India for alleged tax evasion, money laundering and fraud, refused to leave London. He cited Rajan Pillai, the Singapore-based biscuit king found dead in his Tihar Jail cell. Even Russian prisons were a lot better, said his British lawyer. Adani Australia was accused of damaging the environment. Denied concessional bank loans and refused Chinese financing, Gautam Adani cancelled a $2.6 billion mining contract in Australia.

Travel boomed. Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma were married in Italy. Nitin Gadkari attended the Indian Journalists Association dinner in London. Fourteen countries welcomed Narendra Modi. Germany clarified that Prince Harry was not marrying Angela Merkel but an unknown Meghan Markle. Sri Lanka didnt offer a peacekeeping force for Kashmir. Mr Modi didnt advise Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on suppressing Catalan secessionists. He signed seven agreements instead. Eleven were signed with Spains much smaller neighbour but visiting Portugal was ghar wapsi in reverse. Time was when Lisbon called Goa a Portuguese province. Now, its PIO Prime Minister makes Portugal an Indian province.

Mr Modi ignored Rakhine when visiting Myanmar. He ignored Palestine when he became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu, however, didnt cancel his threatened return visit when India voted against Mr Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital. Israels ambassador in New Delhi explained that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Trump were above the UN. The UNs criticism of Kazakhstans curbs on most freedoms didnt discomfit Mr Modi. Kazakhstan is Indias main uranium supplier. ArcelorMittal Temirtau is Kazakhstans main steel producer. Mr Modis two-day visit saw India promoted to full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Moscows blossoming ties with Pakistan prompted no suspicion of Russian intervention in Gujarats polling to make Ahmed Patel chief minister!

No bricks were thrown over Doklam at the Brics summit in China. Nor over China encircling India with initiatives in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Bhutan remained the missing link. Nepal elected a Prime Minister who had cut his political teeth in West Bengal chanting Chinas Chairman is Our Chairman. Like Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Nepal rushed to join Chinas Belt and Road Initiative. India didnt. Michael Pillsbury, director of the Hudson Institutes Centre on Chinese Strategy, told US Congressmen Mr Modi was the only statesman in the world who stood up to Beijing. The BRI, a network of infrastructure projects including the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor through Indian territory that Pakistan occupies, violates Indian sovereignty, he said.

China again blocked Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar being branded a global terrorist. The US expressed concern at Jamaat-ud-Dawa emir Hafiz Saeeds plan to contest Pakistans 2018 elections. Released from house arrest, Hafiz, mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack, said Pakistan must pressure China, Russia and other countries to stop India from committing terrorism in Pakistan. Russia taunted the United States for not pressuring China to allow India into the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Chinas non-participation enabled India to join the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies. India, the worlds seventh-largest economy with the worlds third-largest military by personnel strength and fifth-largest defence budget, applied to the Australia Group on the nonproliferation of chemical and biological weapons. It is waiting to join the Un Security Council and the G-7 club of major industrialised economies. Too many qualified Indians are trying to escape to the United States and Britain for India to be respected as a global force.

Oscar Wilde thought the youth of America was its oldest tradition. It has been going on now for 300 years, he wrote. Indias destiny seems to be regarded as perpetually emerging. As Narendra Modis aides prepare for next years prime ministerial jaunts to Abu Dhabi, Argentina, China, Singapore, South Africa and Sri Lanka for starters, Indians might feel justified in wondering whether India will remain an emerging country exporting skilled manpower for the next 300 years.
From left, Afghanistan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif hold hands to pose for a photo after a press conference for the 1st China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue held in Beijing, China, December 26, 2017. [Photo: AP/Ng Han Guan]

Foreign ministers from China, Pakistan and Afghanistan on Tuesday agreed to discuss ways to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan.

"In the long run, through Afghanistan, we will gradually connect the CPEC with the China-Central and Western Asia Economic Corridor," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters after China-Afghanistan-Pakistan foreign ministers' meeting in Beijing.

As important neighbor of China and Pakistan, Afghanistan has an urgent desire to develop its economy and improve people's livelihood, and it is willing to integrate itself into the process of regional interconnection, said Wang.

"With regard to specific cooperation projects and ways of cooperation, we will determine through tripartite consultations on an equal footing," he said.

Improving livelihoods in border areas may be an entry point for the extension, said Wang, noting that the three parties agreed to promote wider connectivity under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The CPEC is a network of highways, railways, pipelines and optical cables, and a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative, currently under construction throughout Pakistan.

The 3,000-km-long corridor starts from China's Kashgar and ends at Pakistan's Gwadar, connecting the Silk Road Economic Belt in the north and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in the south.

Wang said the CPEC has not targeted at any third party, but hopes to bring benefits to the entire region and become an important driving force for regional integration.

"The CPEC is an economic cooperation project and should not be politicized," he said, noting that it has no relationship with existing disputes in the region, including territorial disputes, nor should it be related.

As the first meeting of its kind since the three countries agreed to establish a trilateral dialogue mechanism in June, the foreign ministers' meeting aims for dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan and to reinforce trilateral cooperation in politics, economy and security.




Thousands of Peruvians protested pardon of ailing ex-president Alberto Fujimori, who was serving a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses.

Alberto Fujimori has been hospitalized, where the police stands for protection, on several previous occasions and has had heart, back and stomach troubles as well as several operations to remove cancerous growths from his tongue. (Photo: AFP)

Lima: Thousands of Peruvians marched in Lima on Monday to protest the pardon of ailing ex-president Alberto Fujimori, who was serving a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses.

Current President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski ordered the pardon of Fujimori and seven other prisoners on Sunday on humanitarian grounds, once again placing himself in the middle of a political crisis just days after he avoided impeachment.

On Monday, protesters called for Kuczynski's departure from office.

"Out, out PPK! Out, out PPK!" angry demonstrators chanted in reference to the president, who had promised during his electoral campaign in 2016 that he would not free Fujimori.

"Fujimori, murderer and thief. No to the pardon!" read one of the signs held by the protesters, some of whom also carried a giant Peruvian flag.

Relatives of victims of Fujimori's brutal rule took part in the march.

"We are here as relatives to reject this illegal pardon, because it does not correspond to the gravity of the crimes," Gisella Ortiz, representative of a group of relatives of victims, told reporters.

A strong force of anti-riot police moved through the streets of Lima with the protesters and sought to prevent them from heading to the clinic where Fujimori is hospitalized.

Kuczynski said his decision to grant the pardon relied on a medical evaluation that Fujimori suffered a progressive and incurable illness and those conditions in prison "represent a grave risk to his life".

But the move came after Fujimori's son Kenji drained votes away from a parliamentary bid on Thursday to impeach Kuczynski on suspicion of corruption; sparking speculation the pardon was political payback.

The condition of Alberto Fujimori, 79, was "delicate" and "a decision will be made" based on how he responds to treatment at the Centenario Clinic, a doctor at the facility, Alejandro Aguinaga, told reporters.

He said there was no prospect of Fujimori leaving soon.

Fujimori was transferred from his cell to a clinic on Saturday suffering from low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat.

"He remains in intensive care. His condition is favourable but other tests are necessary," Aguinaga said.

He said the ex-president had already undergone scans of his brain and heart, and stated that the cardiac problem was accentuating "various degenerative pathologies."

Kenji Fujimori posted an online video of his father in intensive care.

Alberto Fujimori has been hospitalized on several previous occasions, the last time in September, and has had heart, back and stomach trouble as well as several operations to remove cancerous growths from his tongue.

The former leader has spent more than a decade imprisoned for ruthlessly cracking down on political rivals and for ordering dozens of murders and overseeing other brutal tactics.

Despite his conviction for human rights abuses, however, Fujimori retains a level of popularity in Peru for having defeated leftwing guerillas and for stabilizing the economy after a period of crisis.

That dichotomy has come to the fore with the pardon: dozens of supporters gathered in front of the hospital looking after him, while opponents later demonstrated in Lima against him.

Fujimori, of Japanese descent, ruled Peru between 1990 and 2000. His reign quickly became autocratic after a 1992 internal coup in which he dissolved the legislature.

The pardon was Kuczynski's first major act after surviving the impeachment bid that was spearheaded by Kenji Fujimori's sister, Keiko, who is also a legislator and who narrowly lost the last presidential election.

Kuczynski, a former Wall Street Banker, was accused of lying to cover up USD 5 million in payments received from disgraced Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht.

He faces a struggle to influence Peru's opposition-dominated Congress, where his party has just 18 seats.
The development came after the first trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of the three countries.

(From left) Afghanistan foreign minister Salahuddin Rabbani, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Pakistani foreign minister Khawaja Asif at press conference for the 1st China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue in Beijing on December 26, 2017. (Photo: AP)

Beijing: China and Pakistan will look at extending the USD 57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC, which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), is part of China's ambitious Belt and Road plan to link China with Asia, Europe and beyond.

China tries to position itself as a 'helpful party' in talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, both uneasy neighbours since 1947, when Pakistan was created after the division of India when it gained independence from Britain.

Ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan have soured in recent years as Kabul blames Islamabad of supporting and funding Taliban terrorists, who are responsible for repeated attacks in Afghanistan.

Pakistan's main objective, Kabul says, is to limit the influence of India in Afghanistan.

Pakistan denies this and instead, claims innocence in attacks carried out by terrorists who cross the Pak-Afghan border.

Speaking after the first trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Mr Wang said China hoped the economic corridor could benefit the whole region and act as an impetus for development.

Afghanistan has an urgent need to develop and improve people's lives and hopes it can join inter-connectivity initiatives, Mr Wang told reporters, as he announced that Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to mend their strained relations.

"So China and Pakistan are willing to look at Afghanistan, on the basis of a win-win, mutually beneficial principles, using an appropriate means to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan," he added.

How that could happen needs the three countries to reach a gradual consensus, tackling easier, smaller projects first, Mr Wang said, without giving any details.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said his country and China were "iron brothers", but did not directly mention the prospect of Afghanistan joining the China-Pak corridor.

"The successful implementation of CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) projects will serve as a model for enhancing connectivity and cooperation through similar projects with neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and with central and west Asia," he said.

India has protested the CPEC project as it runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which India maintains is part of Jammu and Kashmir, its northernmost state, and therefore Indian territory.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi however, claimed that the plan had nothing to do with territorial disputes.

Pakistan's only link to China is through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It is India and Afghanistan who share a border, now cut-off by Pakistan's forceful occupation of PoK.

China has sought to bring Kabul and Islamabad together partly due to Chinese fears about the spread of terrorism from Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan to the unrest-prone far western Chinese region of Xinjiang.

As such, China has pushed for Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve their own ties so that they can better tackle violence and terrorism in their respective countries, and has also tried to broker peace talks with Taliban, to a limited effect.

A tentative talks process collapsed in 2015.

Mr Wang said China fully supported peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban and would continue to provide "necessary facilitation".

China's Belt and Road infrastructure drive aims to build a modern-day "Silk Road" connecting China to economies in Southeast and Central Asia by land and the Middle East and Europe by sea.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said Pakistan attached high priority to its relations with the Russian Federation.

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Sunday said a strong partnership between Pakistan and Russia would contribute towards promoting peace, stability and regional cooperation.

He said Pakistan attached high priority to its relations with the Russian Federation. Pakistan desires to forge a long-term and multi-faceted partnership with Russia in all areas of cooperation including trade and energy sector, he told chairman of the State Duma of Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin who along with a delegation called on him here last night

The premier said there exist a huge potential between the two countries to further enhance their trade volume and strengthen bilateral economic ties.

Welcoming the chairman of state Duma to Pakistan, he observed that the six-party conference of the speakers was a useful platform to regularly interact and enhance cooperation in the field of counter terrorism, regional security and connectivity.

Highlighting counter-terrorism efforts of the country, the Prime Minister emphasised that Pakistan had paid the heaviest price in the global war against terrorism.
Vietnam, like the Philippines, is regularly battered by typhoons that form over the warm waters of the Pacific and barrel westwards into land.

A resident smiles as she walks home with relief supplies being distributed to storm-affected villages of Lanao del Norte on Sunday in southern Philippines. (Photo: AP)

Hanoi/Manila: Authorities in Vietnam prepared to move a million people from low-lying areas along the south coast on Monday as a typhoon approached after it battered the Philippines with floods and landslides that killed more than 240 people.

Typhoon Tembin is expected to slam into Vietnam late on Monday after bringing misery to the predominantly Christian Philippines just before Christmas.

Vietnams disaster prevention committee said 74,000 people had been moved to safety from vulnerable areas, while authorities in 15 provinces and cities were prepared to move more than 1 million.

The government ordered that oil rigs and vessels be protected and it warned that about 62,000 fishing boats should not venture out to sea.

Vietnam must ensure the safety of its oil rigs and vessels. If necessary, close the oil rigs and evacuate workers, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc was quoted as saying on a government website.

Schools were ordered to close in the southern commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City on Monday, a working day in Vietnam.

On Sunday, Tembin hit the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, parts of which are contested by several countries, including Vietnam and China. No casualties were reported in outposts there.

Vietnam, like the Philippines, is regularly battered by typhoons that form over the warm waters of the Pacific and barrel westwards into land.

Tembin will be the 16th major storm to hit Vietnam this year. The storms and other disasters have left 390 people dead or missing, according to official figures.

The full extent of the devastation was only becoming clear as the most remote areas were being reached.
By Joe Burton, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Security and Crime Science, University of Waikato

from www.shutterstock.com, CC BY-ND

Cyber security played a prominent role in international affairs in 2017, with impacts on peace and security.

Increased international collaboration and new laws that capture the complexity of communications technology could be among solutions to cyber security issues in 2018.

Read more: Artificial intelligence cyber attacks are coming  but what does that mean?

The US election hack and the end of cyber scepticism

The big story of the past year has been the subversion of the US election process and the ongoing controversies surrounding the Trump administration. The investigations into the scandal are unresolved, but it is important to recognise that the US election hack has dispelled any lingering scepticism about the impact of cyber attacks on national and international security.

From the self-confessed mistake Secretary Clinton made in setting up a private email server, to the hacking of the Democratic National Committees servers and the leaking of Democratic campaign chair John Podestas emails to WikiLeaks, the 2016 presidential election was in many ways defined by cyber security issues.

Many analysts had been debating the likelihood of a digital Pearl Harbour, an attack producing devastating economic disruption or physical effects. But they missed the more subtle and covert political scope of cyber attacks to coerce changes in political behaviour and subvert systems of governance. Enhancing the security and integrity of democratic systems and electoral processes will surely be on the agenda in 2018 in the Asia Pacific and elsewhere.

Anti-social media

The growing impact of social media and the connection with cyber security has been another big story in 2017. Social media was meant to be a great liberator, to democratise, and to bring new transparency to politics and societies. In 2017, it has become a platform for fake news, misinformation and propaganda.

Social media sites clearly played a role in displacing authoritarian governments during the Arab Spring uprisings. Few expected they would be used by authoritarian governments in an incredibly effective way to sow and exploit divisions in democratic countries. The debate we need to have in 2018 is how we can deter the manipulation of social media, prevent the spread of fake news and encourage the likes of Facebook and Twitter to monitor and police their own networks.

If we dont trust what we see on these sites, they wont be commercially successful, and they wont serve as platforms to enhance international peace and security. Social media sites must not become co-opted or corrupted. Facebook should not be allowed to become Fakebook.

Holding data to ransom

The spread of the Wannacry virus was the third big cyber security story of 2017. Wannacry locked down computers and demanded a ransom (in bitcoin) for the electronic key that would release the data. The virus spread in a truly global attack to an estimated 300,000 computers in 150 countries. It led to losses in the region of four billion dollars - a small fraction of the global cyber crime market, which is projected to grow to $6 trillion by 2021. In the Asia Pacific region, cyber crime is growing by 45% each year.

Read more: Cyberspace aggression adds to North Koreas threat to global security

Wannacry was an important event because it pointed not only to the growth in cyber crime but also the dangers inherent in the development and proliferation of offensive cyber security capabilities. The exploit to windows XP systems that was used to spread the virus had been stockpiled by the US National Security Agency (NSA). It ended up being released on the internet and then used to generate revenue.

A fundamental challenge in 2018 is to constrain the use of offensive cyber capabilities and to reign in the growth of the cyber-crime market through enhanced cooperation. This will be no small task, but there have been some positive developments.

According to US network security firm FireEye, the recent US-China agreement on commercial cyber espionage has led to an estimated 90% reduction in data breaches in the US emanating from China. Cyber cooperation is possible and can lead to bilateral and global goods.

Death of cyber norms?

The final big development, or rather lack of development, has been at the UN. The Government Group of Experts (GGE) process, established in 2004 to strengthen the security of global information and telecommunications systems, failed to reach a consensus on its latest report on the status of international laws and norms in cyberspace. The main problem has been that there is no definite agreement on the applicability of existing international law to cyber security. This includes issues such as when states might be held responsible for cyber attacks emanating from their territory, or their right to the use of countermeasures in cyber self-defence.

Some analysts have proclaimed this to be the end of cyber norms. This betrays a pessimism about UN level governance of the internet that is deeply steeped in overly state-centric views of security and a reluctance to cede any sovereignty to international organisations.

It is true that norms wont be built from the top down. But the UN does and should have an important role to play in cyber security as we move into 2018, not least because of its universality and global reach.

The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) in Tallinn, Estonia recently launched the Tallinn Manual 2.0, which examines the applicability of international law to cyber attacks that fall below the use of force and occur outside of armed conflict.

These commendable efforts could move forward hand in hand with efforts to build consensus on new laws that more accurately capture the complexity of new information and communications technology. In February 2017, Brad Smith, the head of Microsoft, proposed a digital Geneva Convention that would outlaw cyber attacks on civilian infrastructure.

In all this we must recognise that cyber security is not a binary process. It is not about ones and zeros, but rather about a complex spectrum of activity that needs multi-level, multi-stakeholder responses that include international organisations. This is a cyber reality that we should all bear in mind when we try to find solutions to cyber security issues in 2018.

Joe Burton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Originally published in The Conversation.
I have a prior thread on here that would not let me post. I have a list of misc alcohol related charges that cause me to fail the character test (from over 10 years ago).



My girlfriend has returned to Melbourne due to a family emergency. We would like to spend our life together but the prospect of me never being able to come to your country (even for a visit) makes it far more difficult to consider. I was foolish and made some mistakes. I admittedly look bad on paper (from age 18-25, I had misc drunk driving, assault, etc). I do not wish to downplay these whatsoever. They are serious (despite the actual situations be far less so than it would sound). I made poor decisions and paid the price. I am 36 now and a completely different person.



I have zero doubt that my application would be denied at face value.



I'm simply curious if I would have a better likelihood of gaining entry by actually flying there from the United States, well dressed with several dozen letters of character (from both US and Australian Citizens), some sort of certificate from a psychologist or the like that I am rehabilitated, a clean record for 10 years, etc. Being honest and forthcoming on my visa card and seeing if I get luck at the discretion of the customs officer vs applying blindly through the internet or an agent?



Can I apply in person at the Australian Embassy in the United States? I really feel a face to face would help. However I do not know the limitations of border securities discretion. Even if the chances are small, IF they are greater with me actually there, it is worth the chance. Also I could fly in and have an immigration attorney meet me at customs? I guess I don't know how to proceed with the greatest odds.



This woman is the most incredible partner I could ever dream of. We have spent 4 fabulous years together and wish to be married and have a family. I have a good career (in a highly regulated financial industry), and she has a visa in the US as well to return to work as a Social Worker. I would do anything to find a way to not lose our future dreams. I do understand though that her family is there and parents are aging. It is difficult to imagine having to choose between me and the rest of her life. I understand and respect the purpose of immigration regulations. I just with there was a point where you were determined to have redeemed yourself and be able to move forward in your life.



On a similar but different note, I have seem many inquiries here regarding character issues. They never seem to update with any outcome.



For the anyone here, have you ever seen someone with criminal record gain entry? What is the most severe record you have ever known to actually accomplish doing so? What helps the most to improve your odds?



Thank you.
EAU CLAIRE  Dave Scheidlers plans after his graduation from Chippewa Valley Technical College are far different than what his fellow graduates have in mind. Scheidler isnt too interested in building a career. He plans to go right back to CVTC as an unpaid volunteer instructional assistant in the welding program he just finished.

I could tell the instructors could use some help, and I have time to spare, said Scheidler, 58, of Cadott, a retired career Army veteran whose benefits take care of most of his needs.

Scheidler was one of 315 graduates in 38 programs honored at the CVTC commencement ceremony held Tuesday, Dec. 19, at UW-Eau Claires Zorn Arena.

Scheidler was one of five graduates in the two-year welding fabrication program. There were 14 additional graduates in the one-year welding program. Welders are in such high demand that most, if not all, have jobs lined up already. But Scheidler didnt enroll in the program with an eye toward getting a good job.

I spent 20 years, three months and seven days in the Army, Scheidler said. I was a combat engineer. I put in minefields, did demolition, built roads and bridges  whatever they needed me to do. He spent his last three years as an adviser to National Guard engineering units in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Scheidler did a variety of things after his military retirement in 1999, working at Menards, becoming a partner in the Latigo and Lace bar near Cadott, and taking classes in the CVTC air conditioning, heating, and ventilation program. He also bought a 10-acre hobby farm where he raises a few Black Angus beef cattle and some horses.

Every time a piece of equipment broke, youd have to find someone to fix it, Scheidler said. So I bought a welder and decided to come to school and learn how to weld.

Scheidler said he may still pick up a part-time job welding at some point, but some disability issues limit his availability. Too much bouncing around in armored personnel carriers, he said.

Scheidler feels he is a good role model for the young students in the welding program. I want to get kids to start thinking in the right way, he said. Some dont seem to understand the value of their education. They may be able to weld like a son-of-a-gun, but cant show up on time. Ive had a lot of experience working with people and helped out the first-year students this year.

Working with the welding students isnt Scheidlers only volunteer effort. He recently started We Got Your 6 Outdoor Adventures, in which he takes veterans suffering PTSD symptoms on fishing and hunting excursions, all free. He explained that the name comes from 6 being at the bottom of the clock, representing the back  as in we got your back.

Donations to Scheidlers nonprofit on behalf of veterans can be made by contacting him at dave.wgy6oa@gmail.com.

At CVTCs Dec. 19 commencement, the largest program by far was nursing-associate degree with 91 graduates, followed by business management with 26. The graduates honored included 19 from the nursing-associate degree program at the CVTC River Falls campus. In addition, 10 students received their General Education Diploma or High School Equivalency Diploma.
As of mid-December, a little blue box in Menomonie, Wis., held some boxes of stuffing, baby food, lotion and other daily sanitary items.

Its contents can vary week-to-week, but thats just what Courtney Wagner, 25, and Paige Reed wanted.

Serving as volunteers with Positive Alternatives through AmeriCorps, the two young women implemented a Blessing Box in the lawn of Oak Ridge Lutheran Brethren Church in Menomonie in late August. The box functions like a little free library of sorts, offering food, clothing and hygiene items through anonymous donations and is maintained by Positive Alternatives.

The concept puts a make-shift, small version of a food pantry in the middle of a neighborhood, and residents are encouraged to use it and stock it with items.

Wagner, originally of Jim Falls, encouraged anyone in need of any extra help to visit the box at any time, regardless of nerves, and take some contents with them.

A senior studying psychology and working toward a social work certificate at UW-Stout, Wagner became involved with Positive Alternatives through AmeriCorps in September 2016. As volunteers through AmeriCorps, she and Reed were tasked with doing a service project through the organization they were assigned to.

The duo was paired with their supervisor, Amanda Schutte, program coordinator of intervention and preventative services at Positive Alternatives. The organization provides youth  specifically at-risk youth  and their families with services and support.

Reed and Wagner wanted their service project to leave a lasting impact, Wagner said, and after some research, the pair found the concept of a Blessing Box.

The boxs position on the churchs lawn, in a neighborhood and across from River Heights Elementary School, Schutte said, makes it accessible to a wide variety of people and families in the area.

We just felt that there was a need for it, Schutte said. Its easy to get to; you can walk to it. ... You dont necessarily have to drive. ... convenient for families picking up kiddos.

Wagner said they also wanted to keep the box near Positive Alternatives, which monitors and maintains operation of the box.

To get the box to Oak Ridge Church, Reed and Wagner relied on community funding and some funding through Positive Alternatives prevention services. After reaching out to local churches, the Menomonie Blessing Box found a home in the lawn of Oak Ridge Lutheran Brethren Church.

The pastor at the church, Brent Juliot, said the church was open to the idea of the box sitting on their lawn because of the impact it would have on the community.

I would say it was an opportunity for us to basically be a blessing to the community, which is what the title of the box implies, Juliot said.

From what Juliot has observed when he passes by the box, it has been a success in terms of turnover.

As far as I can tell, its working, Juliot said. Every time I go by ... its, just looking at it, it looks different every time.

Juliot knew of one church member  who died recently  who had been filling the box, but with the anonymity of the box, Juliot said he has not seen people using the box or filling it.

But he knows the evidence is there, and Wagner said she is satisfied with the result.

We had our concerns how the box would run and be supplied in the future, but in all honesty, we were very grateful and happy because the box has been very successful, Wagner said.

Wagner still volunteers with Positive Alternatives, working primarily with the Blessing Box. Schutte said the organization is open to the idea of starting another box, depending on the impact of the Menomonie one, and suggested other Positive Alternatives locations in the state might benefit from the box as well, should the organization open another one.

Schutte encouraged anyone to donate to the box and to contact Positive Alternatives if they have a donation they cannot deliver to the box.
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St. Paul Lutheran Church in Lakeland is the link between the victims who died in a plane crash on Christmas Eve near the runway at Bartow Municipal Airport.

Victims of plane crash attended same church in Lakeland

Friend and church member believes there was mechanical problem



PREVIOUS STORY: Five people killed in plane crash at Bartow Airport, officials say

John Shannon and his daughters Olivia and Victoria attended the church, along with their family friend, Krista Clayton, who also died in the plane crash with them.

Church member Greg Wilhelm was friends with both families. He said everyone called Victoria Tori. He and his wife attended her wedding in June, when she married Peter Worthington, Jr., who also died in the crash.

I was very, very surprised when it happened, said Greg Wilhelm. I have to believe in my heart there was some type of mechanical problem. I dont know. Again, Im not a pilot but John was so meticulous. He loved everyone on that plane. That was his entire family plus a very close friend Krista Clayton.

Wilhelm said called John Shannon a close friend hes known for 20 years. He said he was very close to his daughters; Olivia even worked part time in her fathers law office.

He was really close to both of his daughters. He had raised them by himself since they were very young, said Wilhelm.

He flew with John several times to places as far as Turks and Caicos. He said John flew to the Keys several times a year, and it wasnt out of the ordinary for him to ask friends if they wanted to come with him.

It was almost to the point of obsession when John prepared the plane for a flight. He went to so many checks and rechecks, and double checks, said Wilhelm.

While Wilhelm considered John a close friend, he said he was even closer to Krista Claytons family. Her fiance Marc was his business partner for several years and Wilhelm said they worked out of Clayton and her fiances home.

Wilhelm said he spent all of Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with him, providing him support through this time.

He just needs everyones prayer and support and love because is  the ironic thing is while we all love John Shannon, and he raised his two daughters by himself. Thats what Marc is going to get to do. Hes going to get to raise his two daughters by himself, said Wilhelm.

Clayton taught gifted children at Jewett School of the Arts. When she wasnt working, Wilhelm said she was focused on her three year old and 18-month-old daughters.

She was constantly taking care of the kids  She really loved those kids. Theyre going to miss her, said Wilhelm.

Wilhelm said hes helping his pastor and Claytons fiance with funeral arrangements. The bodies are still with the coroners office.

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board continued to analyze the aircraft involved in the crash on Christmas.

Its spokesman Eric Weiss said theyre in the process of getting a contractor to move the plane from the crash site to one of the agencies facilities in Jacksonville, so it can be analyzed.

Weiss said a preliminary report should be available in seven to 10 days.
Temperatures may have took a small and brief dip in the Bay area and Central Florida during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, a quick warm up is happening Tuesday.

With a dry airmass in place and sunny skies, high should top out in the low to mid 70s most with sunshine.

That's quite a contrast to family and friends in other parts of the country, particularly New England and the Midwest.

The good news for many in the Northeast and Midwest was that it has been a white Christmas. The bad news was that a blizzard swept into parts of New England and bitter cold enveloped much of the Midwest.

Even the usually rainy Pacific Northwest got the white stuff. The National Weather Service says its only the sixth time since 1884 that downtown Portland had measurable snow  only an inch or two  on a Dec. 25.

A blizzard warning was issued Monday for portions of Maine and New Hampshire, with forecasters saying snow of up to 10 inches and wind gusts up to 50 mph could make travel dangerous to impossible.

States from Montana and the Dakotas to Wisconsin expected wind chill temperatures in places at 40 below zero. The upper half of Iowa and northern Illinois also braced for subzero temperatures.

Minnesota was experiencing its most frigid Christmas Day since 1996, with wind chills as cold as 35 degrees below zero, KSTP-TV reported. Officials warned that those whose skin was exposed in such conditions could get frostbite in as little as 15 minutes.

Snow amounts in the Midwest were not large for this time of year. A storm system that swept from Nebraska through Iowa dropped around 2 inches of snow on Chicago, forecasters said.

That was just enough to provide a picturesque backdrop for those gathering for Christmas dinners in the Chicago area. But it wasnt enough to cause havoc either on roadway or airport runaways.

The harsh conditions likely could impact returning holiday travel.

Airport officials in both Tampa and St. Petersburg are advising travlers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Now that Christmas is over, we can start looking toward the new year and say goodbye to everything that was 2017.

Google breaks down most searched items of 2017

Hurricane Irma top searched term globally

Bitcoin, April the Giraffe also were top trending items



Google Trends has broken down by category what people were interested in the most this year, and apparently, it was a year of hurricanes, Bitcoin and trying to find solar eclipse glasses.

Hurricane Irma was the No. 1 most searched topic globally for 2017. The strongest Atlantic basin hurricane ever recorded hit our area, Irma hit the state Sept. 10 and sent Floridians into a whirlwind with preparations, seeking shelter and cleaning up.

As for global news, Bitcoin came in second place. The cryptocurrency made some people a lot of money very quickly  although most people, it seems, still don't understand exactly how it works.

Other global news trends were the Las Vegas shooting, North Korea and the solar eclipse. April the Giraffe even rounded out the top 10. Remember the phenomenon of thousands of people watching a live stream, waiting for her to have her baby?

For next year, we can look forward to the Winter Olympics and a royal wedding. In fact, Prince Harry's fiancee, Meghan Markle, is the second most Googled person of 2017, coming just behind Matt Lauer.
Hefazat-e Islam members demonstrate in Dhaka to demand that the Bangladesh government enact an anti-blasphemy law, May 5, 2013.

A man who allegedly defamed Islam and the Prophet Muhammad on social media a year ago has been arrested and denied bail in Bangladesh, officials said.

Asaduzzaman Noor, a native of southern Barguna district, was arrested Monday night at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, they said.

The immigration police last night arrested him while he was planning to fly out of Bangladesh. They handed him over to us and we produced him before court today, Ruhul Amin Sagar, an assistant commissioner in charge of the airport police station, told BenarNews.

A judge at the Metropolitan Magistrate Court denied his bail petition, according to Motaleb Mia, a court official.

Asaduzzaman was facing arrest for blasphemy under the countrys Information and Communication Technology (ICT) act and had already fled the country once, sources said.

In January he wrote objectionable posts about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (SM) on Facebook and YouTube. The principal of a local madrassa filed a case under section 57 of the ICT act, Md Shahidullah, a police official in Barguna district told BenarNews.

He said police had investigated the charge and found the allegations to be true.

Desperate

Abdullah Al Masud, a friend of the arrested man, told BenarNews that Asaduzzaman had fled without a visa to India after the madrasa principal filed the case.

The former imam, now living in India, said he escorted Asaduzzaman to the Indo-Bangladesh border on Dec. 7 as he was desperate to return to Bangladesh.

I tried to dissuade him, but Asaduzzaman had become homesick and frustrated, Masud said.

He was interested in taking asylum in a Western country. But he did not get the required support from human rights bodies, he said.

The young mans romance with an Indian girl had soured and he was facing trouble from Indian police, Masud said.

I am very sad. I feel very sorry seeing that a person is arrested only for expressing his views, said Masud.

Journalists, secular writers and international rights groups have accused Bangladesh of failing to protect freedom of speech, saying the Awami League government has formed alliances with fundamentalist groups to weaken the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

No one in this country has the right to speak in a way that hurts religious sentiment. You wont practice religion  no problem. But you cant attack someone elses religion, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in the midst of a series of killings of secular bloggers in 2015. It wont be tolerated if someone elses religious sentiment is hurt.

Between February 2013 and April 2016, at least 10 writers, bloggers, publishers, activists and intellectuals were slain in machete attacks by Muslim militants. Dozens of suspects are in jail in connection with the killings.

In April 2017, Bangladeshs high court upheld death sentences for two suspects in the February 2013 murder of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider, and it upheld life sentences for six other men who were also convicted in the case.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal rejected a suggestion that not enough was being done to find and prosecute the killers.

This is not true that the police are not working to catch the killers of the bloggers. The killers of Ahmed Rajib Haider were arrested and the trial was on. We hope the police will finalize the charge sheet in the Avijit Roy killing, Khan told BenarNews, referring to another blogger who was hacked to death in February 2015.
Cassava growers have something to smile about after a Chinese investor expressed his intention to set up a food processing factory in the country, with the crop being the major raw material.

Shangdong Taianguiyu Food Co. expressed the intention to construct a food processing factory during a meeting between its representatives and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Dr Augustine Mahiga, who is currently on a four-day official visit to China.

According to information provided by the Tanzanian Ambassador to China, Mbelwa Kairuki, the investor would produce various foods for the Chinese market, including noodles from cassava. In its determination to implement the project, the investor would next March send a team of experts for a groundwork in preparation for setting up the investment.

During talks, the representatives told Mahiga that at initial stages of operation, the food factory would demand 3,000 tonnes of cassava every day, creating a golden opportunity for Tanzanian farmers. Mahiga welcomed the investor's plan, asking them also to provide Tanzanian cassava growers with modern technologies that would help them increase productivity.

Important for the production of a number of strategic products

Cassava is one of the crops that are in high demand in China. A soup, known as 'Taopica Pudding', is one of the highly favoured soups by Chinese people made from cassava. The crop is also important for the production of a number of strategic products such as high-quality flour, starch, animal feeds and paper pulp.

The Minister also met China's deputy chairman of the planning commission who assured him (Mahiga), that China would continue giving top priority to Tanzania in its programme of moving its businesses and relocating industries to Africa.

Giving top priority to Tanzania

The deputy chairman also assured Mahiga that the Asian nation, with the second largest economy in the world, would continue giving top priority to Tanzania in implementing projects under One Belt One Road initiative that include construction of infrastructure.

Mahiga also gave a lecture at China Foreign Affairs University during which he said Tanzania and China were throwing their weight into implementing projects in the areas of roads, railway, power, agricultural reforms, aviation (airports) and industrialisation.

The visit by Mahiga to China has yielded positive results, bearing in mind that the Minister met and held talks with Xian Qujiang, a potential investor who is planning to invest in the tourism industry and other strategic businesses. Xian Qujiang plans to construct a lodge in Serengeti, a resort at Mount Kilimanjaro and a resort in Zanzibar.

Other proposed areas of investment

Other proposed areas of investment include the establishment of domestic airlines for sightseeing and charter service, a theme park at Mount Kilimanjaro and a luxury train service for tourists on Tanzania, Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA).

The investor is also planning to construct a tourist park at Bagamoyo Export Zone, record TV series and a documentary on TAZARA and also come up with a publication and copyright trading on Chinese books.

Mahiga has been visiting the second largest economy at the invitation of the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi. Cassava farming in the country received a major boost after the government recently signed a deal with a Chinese firm worth over 2.5tr/- to commercialise its farming.

The agreement was signed between the government and the Chinese firm called Tanzania Agricultural Export Processing Zone Limited and Epoch Agriculture (TAEPZ) and with the technical assistance of ACAI. Under the agreement, China will consume 2.5 million metric tonnes of cassava from Tanzania every year.
NEW YORK, US: US aerospace giant Boeing and Brazil's Embraer said on Thursday they were in talks "on a possible combination" but cautioned that there was no guarantee of a deal.

Any transaction would need to be approved by the Brazilian government, among other parties, the companies said in a joint news release.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the talks earlier Thursday, citing unnamed sources.

The report said the parties discussed a deal that would see Boeing pay a "relatively large premium" for Embraer, but that talks are on hold as the two sides await word on the Brazilian government's view of the deal.

The Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper reported that Brazilian President Michael Temer already ruled out a takeover of the Embraer, one of Brazil's flagship companies.

"Embraer will never be sold under my government," he was quoted as saying at a meeting with the defence minister and head of the air force.

Brazilian officials were reported to have been taken by surprise by the Wall Street Journal story on the merger talks.

A deal between the two companies would build on their existing alliance on the KC-39 military plane and would permit Boeing to fill in a gap its fleet in regional single-aisle planes.

Embraer was formed by the Brazilian government in 1969 and privatised in 1994 in a process that granted the Brasilia "golden shares" with some veto rights.

US-traded shares of Embraer shot up following the report, jumping 21.9% to $24.38, while Boeing dipped 0.6% to $296.17 in afternoon trading.

The merger talks come after Boeing rival Airbus signed an agreement this fall to take a majority stake in the production of narrow-body planes made by Canadian company Bombardier. Those planes are at the centre of an ongoing US-Canada trade dispute sparked by a Boeing complaint against Bombardier.

An Embraer transaction would give Boeing a portfolio of planes that could compete for some of the same business as the Bombardier aircraft.

Embraer in 2016 notched $6.2bn in revenues, with 56.7% from the commercial business, 27.8% from executive jets and 15% from defence and security, according to an Embraer filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Boeing's revenues in 2017 were $94.6 billion.

Source: AFP